A/N: Thank you to all those who continue to read and review. Some readers have wished for further background/world-building details. I have some such details already posted with this story on AO3, and I'll try to start posting some details on Tumblr (bastet55) ... soonish.
20th of Duumm, 6546 A.S.
(November 18, 1999)
Asteria Galaxy
Events moved quickly after Ruarc brought news to Daniel of the completion of the medical procedure to free the hosts of captured Goa'uld. The next day, Sujanha was given approval by High King Ivar to return to her position as Supreme Commander of the Furling Fleet, pending approval from her healers that she was healthy enough to return from medical leave. After an exam the day after, Sujanha was given that approval and retook her seat, with Algar returning to his former position as High Commander. After considering the issue in great detail, Sujanha told them one evening, the High King had felt that, while some of the High Council's stated concerns were not without merit, she was still fit to command and that her new ties to the Tok'ra would not be an undue influence on her and especially not more so than any of her close contacts among the Furlings' other allies.
Like Thor … or Drogvussik, Vaazrodiiv's brother. They both have her ear.
There was still behind-the-scenes work left to do to prepare for Judgment Day, and plenty of work for Sujanha to do at Headquarters: paperwork to sign, reports to read, reacquisition lists to approve, battle-plans to approve or critique. The list went on. Paperwork of whatever form was a universal constant in any military and reinforced the adage about war being short periods of terror and long periods of boredom. Sujanha seemed happy to be back at work, and Headquarters seemed pleased, as well, given the number of smiling faces and the amount of people stopping by to pay their respects, which did not help the paperwork get finished any faster.
One strange incident happened during those first days after Sujanha returned to work, when Algar's office sent across a couple of recent unread reports from the Asgard High Command covering events that had happened late during her absence. One report from Thor had Sujanha so furious that Daniel could almost have sworn the temperature in her office dropped 10 degrees. Whatever had happened—she flat out refused to explain—had her muttering something under her breath about unconscionably foolish planning and the Asgard being too smart for their own good before she drifted out of Furling, and the rest of her … rant ... was lost on Daniel.[1]
Finally, on the morning of the fifth day after Daniel got the news—the days had seemed to drag on and on—he accompanied Sujanha and her bodyguards to Idroth, a high-security prison world used by the Furlings for holding captured Goa'uld and Jaffa. The Goa'uld who were first to be judged and had been held on Ardea or other prison worlds had all been moved to Idroth in the intervening days to simplify the process of getting them all to Uslisgas for Judgment Day. One trip to make instead of several. Sujanha had decided to personally oversee the transfer of the prisoners from Idroth to Uslisgas, for some reason. It was a very her of her thing to do regardless of the reason. Maybe she just wants a change of scenery for herself or is letting Malek see more of Asteria after being sort of cooped up and out of work for a while.
Idroth was a snow-covered world that looked to Daniel like what the depths of Siberia must look like in the middle of an extremely harsh winter. The Stargate was located in the midst of a large clearing surrounded by barren trees as far as the eye could see, with no discernable paths. I've never seen this much snow in my entire life … put together, probably. Dusk had already fallen when they arrived, with four extra Iprysh bodyguards accompanying them. The sky was overcast, and a light snow was falling. There was already heavy snow-cover on the ground … with no visible tracks anywhere. The entire landscape was almost pristine, like out of a National Geographic picture. It was almost a little eerie.
And all the snow … that would explain the need for my high-tech snow-shoes. The Iprysh guards seemed ready to just power their way—or bodily plow their way—through the snow. Unless there is a surprisingly thick ice crust, they're going to sink like stones in that armor of theirs … unless it's much lighter than it looks, which isn't impossible. Ragnar and Ruarc had large enough foot paws, being rather lupine in appearance overall, that their paws would probably function as well as, or better than, Daniel's snow-shoes. Sujanha, however, wore a pair like his.
It was very cold.
Much, much too cold.
Living in Colorado Springs had given Daniel a crash course in cold and winter weather after many years with the sand, blazing sun, and burning heart of Egypt and Abydos. Uslisgas' winters had given him yet more experience with cold and snow. He still was not a fan of cold or snow, and this was cold on another level. Daniel was bundled up warmly in cold-weather gear, but the cold still nipped at his nose, finding the gaps in his scarf, and stung his fingers beneath his gloves. Ruarc and Ragnar seemed unbothered by the cold, though they had the advantage of naturally thick fur coats, and were not dressed that much more warmly than normal. Given what he knew of Skeshan, a planet that made Antarctica on a bad day seem warm, this type of cold was probably a veritable heat-wave for the Iprysh guards. Aside from Daniel, only Sujanha seemed to be actually cold. She was bundled up almost as warmly as he was, and her shoulders were hunched. Her hood was down, and the falling snow that settled lightly on her black fur before melting only accentuated the white hairs on her muzzle that were growing thicker as the years passed.
Leopards aren't exactly cold-weather animals … if you can draw that comparison.
How are we going to find our way through this? Bad light. Cold. No visible path.
"Just wait," Sujanha said softly from her position next to him, seemingly reading his mind. She knows me well by now.
Daniel waited. The others seemed to expect the wait. Ragnar and Ruarc fell into their usual formation just behind Daniel and Sujanha, and the Iprysh guards settled into a square-shaped formation around them.
The noise was the first clue of their arrival, the slightest crunch of freshly fallen snow and then the snap of a branch carried on the still air. Then Daniel felt the hairs on the back of his neck go up, as a sense of an incoming weighty presence fell upon them.
Then they arrived.
Four great animals, not much shorter than Daniel himself … or so it seemed, at least, in the first split-second of hind-brain fear … emerged from the deep shadows of the forests. Like white sentinels, they paced toward the travelers, moving in utterly perfect unison, lock-step that would have made a parade-ground drill sergeant weep with envy. Their dinner-plate sized paws carried them easily over the deep snow, and if not for their movement, their pure-white coats would have allowed them to easily blend into the environment. Their eyes, a vivid blue, were piercing, full of sharp intelligence, but with a promise of danger if crossed that could freeze a man's blood cold.
Daniel gulped and restrained himself from taking an instinctive step backwards. Oversized polar-bear sized tigers. What's next? Dinosaurs? After a moment, he recognized their similarity in appearance to Supreme Commander Anarr's terrifying bodyguard Long-Claw, whom Daniel had never managed to get comfortable around.
The only question was whether these … creatures? … beings … were as sentient as Long-Claw and his people were.
The 'tigers'—Daniel didn't know the name of their species and didn't remember the name of Long-Claw's species … assuming the two were even the same—stopped less than 10 feet away. Sujanha stepped forward and was met in the middle by the largest of the four. She bowed her head in greeting and touched his … or her, for all I know … massive head with one paw.
"Sharp-Claw and Long-Fang, but where's their father?" Ragnar hissed to his brother.
Ruarc made an indeterminate sound that could have meant anything from an acknowledgment of his brother's statement to a verbal shrug.
After a few moments, Sujanha stepped back and motioned for the others to follow single file. Two of the tigers, for lack of a better name, led them deep into the forest along a twisting route. The other two came behind, obscuring their tracks. The group probably only walked for about five minutes, but by the end, Daniel was completely lost.
All the trees look like all the other trees.
The walk was almost a security precaution. Human footprints just up and disappearing feet from the gate would be very noticeable in the snow. It was better to get a little way from the gate before beaming to the base.
The group stopped before a stone pillar that bore a striking resemblance to the Asgard transporter on Cimmeria. Extra security measure not needed on Ardea? Sujanha reached forward to touch it, and immediately all twelve of them were scanned. A white light engulfed them, and all but the 'tigers' were beamed away.
Like on Ardea, prisoners were confined within an elaborate, sprawling tunnel system deep below the surface of Idroth, possibly within the bedrock itself. The tunnels were broad, with sweeping lines and expertly carved walls that put even the sprawling complexes of the Serapeum at Saqqara or the Roman catacombs to shame. Periodically, the tunnels narrowed to choke points useful for defense in case of a breach.
As soon as they beamed in, an Iprysh commander, his rank marked by the comparative elaborateness of his armor, met them. He drew Sujanha away after formally greeting her, and they began to speak in hushed tones, while several aids arrived to take away their coats and snowshoes, which we won't exactly need on whatever ship's taking us back to Uslisgas. It seemed to be a serious conversation from the slight frown that quickly settled on her face.
Rubbing his icy hands together briskly, Daniel retreated to stand beside Ruarc and asked him quietly, "Who were they? The ones that met us. They remind me of Commander Anarr's bodyguard."
"The guardians?" Confirmed Ruarc. (Daniel nodded.) "They are the Azhuth, a native species to this planet. They serve as guards for us, and in return, we provide them with meat when the winters are especially harsh or hunting is bad in any season. Long-Claw is one of the Vos-Mell, a long-separated off-shoot of the Azhuth, who live in Ida." He paused, made a face, and then corrected himself. "Or perhaps the Azhuth are an off-shoot of the Vos-Mell. I'm not sure anyone actually knows. Regardless, they are essentially the same species."
Interesting.
After a few minutes, the conversation finished. Sujanha gave a curt nod and pivoted back toward her men, while the Iprysh commander departed. "There will be a brief delay. One of the prisoners, not Amaunet or Klorel, is being uncooperative and is resisting preparation for transport." Thank you for clarifying.
Neither the Furlings nor their allies in Asteria had any fond feelings for the Goa'uld, but that dislike never translated into the mistreatment of prisoners, even when they were being uncooperative. No beat downs. No drugs. No withholding of food, water, medical care, clothes, or beds. No reprisals. As long as the prisoner was confined and not a danger to themself or others, all the guards were allowed to do, for at least a short time, was wait the prisoner out. Most would eventually cooperate. Sometimes, a prisoner could forcibly be transported (e.g., marched or beamed) as long as it would cause them no harm.
An Iprysh guard from the base escorted Sujanha and Daniel and the others to a large waiting room or conference room. The Ipyrsh guards took up positions in the hallway outside, leaving Ragnar, Ruarc, Sujanha, and Daniel to wait inside. She took a seat on the far side of the room, and soon her face went blank and distant, as if all her attention was turned inward, a clear sign that she was speaking with Malek. The two seemed to get along well and had ironed out how they switched control. Malek had long-since stopped using the dual-flanged voice or bowing his—no, her, her—head when switching control … generally. Among the Furlings and their allies, where Sujanha was well known, body language, speech patterns, vocal pitch, and vocabulary choice all made clear who was in control. When members of the Tok'ra or Jaffa were present, however, Malek sometimes fell back on the older method.
About fifteen minutes passed, and then suddenly Sujanha's comm chirped. She startled at the unexpected noise, her eyes suddenly coming back into focus. The blue-hologram of a human appeared over her gauntlet, and the two spoke at length for several minutes in quiet tones. Seated by the door next to Ruarc, Daniel could not make out what was said, but the worried scowl that almost instantly settled heavily on Sujanha's face indicated that this was not good news, either.
Is it going to be one of those days?
"Commander?" Ragnar rumbled cautiously once the hologram had disappeared.
There was a pregnant pause before she spoke. "I fear we shall have a further delay," Sujanha replied slowly. "One of the Diagoth's generators failed while the ship was attempting to jump to hyperspace to come here."
The Valhalla was still in the Milky-Way, as it had been since Sujanha was injured, under the temporary command of Ulfar, an old, experienced Furling commander, who generally had charge of the ship when she was not onboard. The Furlings were currently contending with the combined forces of Bastet and Kali, two powerful and crafty System Lords who had gained power in recent months, capitalizing on the recent power vacuum among their fellow System Lords. Until she was ready to return to the front lines, Sujanha had decided to leave her flagship, one of the three most powerful ships in the entire fleet, in the Milky-Way where its power would be of more use, rather than to have it return to Asteria to ferry her on "milk-runs." The Diagoth, then, must have been the ship chosen as a replacement transport.
At the word "failed," Ruarc had gone instantly stiff in his seat, one paw clamped so hard on the arm of his chair that Daniel almost thought he heard it creak under the force of his strength. "When you say failed…" He asked, voice choked.
"A critical overload." Those simple words framed what could only be a tragedy in progress. A neutrino-ion generator suffering a critical overload, that could only mean it failed in spectacular, probably explosive, fashion. Furling ships, like Asgard vessels, had explosion suppression systems, but there were explosions, and then there were explosions. The system might not have been able to compensate.
Daniel flinched. A Furling mothership had a crew of 300. How many are dead? Is there even a ship still? Or was there only rubble, scattering across a solar system, bodies reduced to fragments or ash or atoms that could not be recovered?
"The crew?" Ruarc's voice was strangled with emotion. This situation seemed to be hitting him especially hard, making Daniel wonder if he had friends onboard the ship.
"The explosion-suppression system did its job,"—Sujanha was looking even more worried now, her gaze focused on Ruarc—"and prevented the ship from being obliterated, but …" There she hesitated for a moment. "Forty-nine are dead, many more wounded. The ship has suffered severe damage, including multiple hull breaches."
Almost a sixth of the ship's crew was dead.
Daniel's eyes went wide. Hull breaches? They must have been able to seal off the affected areas, or Sujanha would be talking differently. If not, wouldn't the rest of the crew be doomed?
Ruarc almost deflated into himself, his expression stunned with horror, before he buried his face in his paws. His ears drooped, and Daniel thought he heard a low whine. Ragnar crossed the room with long strides and took a seat beside his brother, squeezing his shoulder. He whispered something to Ruarc in a low voice and then turned back to Sujanha. "Is it known what caused the overload?"
Ragnar doesn't seem affected more than he is by any other disaster.
I wonder who Ruarc knew … knows? … onboard.
Sujanha shook her head. "This occurred only an hour ago. Asik just received the report and immediately forwarded it to me. The Diagoth and nearby vessels were too busy doing damage control meanwhile. What concerns me is whether this is an isolated problem on one ship or not."
Oh, thank goodness. They do have help.
Isolated problem or not … I hadn't even thought about that. It was her job to consider ramifications of an incident like this.
Almost all Furling ships were powered by neutrino-ion generators, a technology that the Furlings had borrowed from the Asgard in order to not reinvent the wheel—though they might have done some updates since then, I think. Only the three flagships, which used Ancient potentia to power their hulking primary shields, could draw upon an alternate power source in an emergency.
Has anything like this ever happened before?
Why would a generator just up and fail?
A flat mechanized voice suddenly spoke from the doorway where one of the Iprysh guards had suddenly appeared. "The Diagoth is one of the oldest ships in your fleet. Age or over-use could have contributed to the overload."
Sujanha nodded. "Possibly. Or possibly mishandling or maintenance failures or any other of a host of causes. Aegir was on Uslisgas on business for Thor, and he is going to tow the ship to Ocelum. Perhaps the engineers there can shed some light on this terrible accident." She sighed heavily and scrubbed a paw across her face. She seemed to have aged years in the space of minutes.
"What are you going to do in the meantime? What about the other ships?" Daniel ventured to ask, his mind torn between his concern for the injured and his desire for Judgment not to be delayed.
"I am unsure," Sujanha replied slowly. "Such a problem has, at least, never happened in my lifetime, except perhaps on heavily battle-damaged ships, and I know of no such occurrences among the Asgard either. The Diagoth is old, true, and I hope that a fault just with it is to blame, but am I willing to risk the lives of my soldiers across three galaxies on such a hope?"
It could be like playing Russian Roulette. Any ship that jumps to hyperspace … is it or isn't it going to explode?
"There could be construction differences between the Furlings and the Asgard even using the same plans," the Iprysh guard spoke again. While Daniel had nothing against any of the Iprysh personally, their mechanized voices sometimes set his teeth on edge. 's kind of … creepy.
"Again, perhaps so." Sujanha shrugged. "There are too many possibilities and not enough facts. Most of the dead are among the engine crew, which will not help us getting answers quickly."
"What are you going to do, then?" Ruarc asked, speaking again for the first time in several minutes. His voice was a little steadier, but he still looked visibly thunderstruck.
Sujanha shrugged again, a very human gesture. "I told Asik to have a fleet-wide warning sent out to all our ships in Ida, Asteria, and the Milky-Way, instructing them to conduct immediate checks of their generators and to exercise extreme caution when jumping to hyperspace. For now, that is all I can do. I could ground the fleet, but that could be disastrous on multiple levels. The Asgard are relying upon our support in Ida. Any grounded ships could face a long journey via sublight engines to the nearest shipyard, and Anarr could be forced to pull back his troops. We are in the middle of a campaign, but his troops cannot push forward unsupported. The Goa'uld could regain lost ground if we withdraw."
"Is Judgment going to be postponed?" Daniel asked the question most-of-all on his mind.
"NO!" Sujanha replied vehemently. "The Sul, an Iprysh warship, has been reassigned to transport us and the prisoners to Uslisgas."
Although the Etrairs and the Lapith had intra-galactic hyperdrives—just them, I think—only the Iprysh, aside from the Furlings, of course, had inter-galactic hyperdrives. (The Furlings were not unwilling to share hyperdrive technology with their allies, but the efficacy of a powerful hyperdrive depended upon many other factors, as well, such as ship-design and power sources. Some things had to be learned and taught, not whole-sale plunked in one's lap.) The Iprysh possessed a powerful array of vessels, suitable for war or scientific endeavors, but their fleet was much smaller than the Furlings'.
I don't think I've ever seen an Iprysh ship before, or if I have, I didn't know so.
"When will it arrive?" Ragnar asked.
"An hour or so. It's coming from Skeshan and cannot leave immediately. The Ipyrsh have a science vessel much closer but are reluctant to use it as a prisoner transport."
Seems sensible, I guess.
"Agreed," replied Ragnar, shooting another concerned glance at his brother, who had subsided back into shell-shocked silence, his 1000-yard stare fixed on his paws.
After an update was sent to the base commander concerning the unexpected situation, Daniel and the others settled in to wait. He debated trying to distract Ruarc—it wouldn't be hard to come up with questions to ask. There was always something he had questions on—but quickly decided quiet companionship would probably be a better idea. Even Ragnar was not trying to verbally distract his brother, only quietly sitting vigil at his side. Ruarc barely shifted over the next hour, and Ragnar only briefly left his side once.
Sujanha spent the next hour almost entirely in conference with six of her top commanders as well as her brother, Thor, an Etrair, a Lapith, and two Ipyrsh, all of whom Daniel did not recognize. The meeting by hologram was conducted in a surplus of languages, made possible by translators, which made somewhat hard to follow what was being said with the sounds almost layering on top of each other. When the last of the holograms had disappeared, Sujanha sat silently for several minutes, her gaze turned inward. Finally, she roused and looked around. The Ipyrsh commander, not one of the guards, had appeared in the doorway. Daniel hadn't even noticed his footsteps.
"The Sul has arrived," he announced, "and the prisoners are ready for transport. The transport shuttle will arrive in a few minutes."
Ipyrsh ships don't have beaming tech? Interesting.
It can't be a problem with their armor, since our guards beamed down with us. Unless they have upgraded armor? Who knows.
"Very good, Commander. I thank you," Sujanha replied, rising (somewhat stiffly) from her seat.
They were led from that waiting area down a series of tunnels. As they walked, Sujanha updated them on the situation with the Diagoth. "If there is no information on the cause of the Diagoth's overload by the time night falls on Uslisgas and there are no clues from the scans on our other ships, I am going to ground all ships of similar age with identical generator models as the Diagoth."
Okay. There have been updates then. I thought so.
That would make sense. More likely to have a problem with the same old model.
"How many ships will that take out?" Ragnar asked.
At least it shouldn't be the entire fleet.
Right? Of course, she specified a generator model.
"Too many," Sujanha replied, concern clear in her eyes. "I do not know the exact figures yet. If the worst happens and I am forced to ground those ships, the Etrairs, Lapith, and Ipyrsh have already pledged their full support. I will divide my remaining ships in Asteria between Ida and Avalon, with most going to aid the Asgard against the Replicating Ones. The Iprysh will send what ships they can to fill holes in Avalon, and the Lapith and Etrairs will temporarily become responsible for galactic security."
Oh … yikes.
"What can I do?" asked Daniel. Sometimes just asking that question, being willing to help was all you could do.
Sujanha shot him a grateful look. "Remind me once we return to Uslisgas to have warnings sent to the Tok'ra and the Free Jaffa and to ensure word has reached the Dovahkiin of this situation. Their engineers would be of great use,"—her voice dropped in pitch to give a semblance of privacy—"Once that is done, you are released from all duties until Sha're and Skaara are free and settled."
"Commander…" Daniel began to protest.
"I managed without you for quite some time before your arrival, and as appreciative as I am of your presence, I can manage without you while you care for your wife and your law-brother."
The shuttle bay beneath the surface of Idroth was a massive underground chamber filled with small transport ships as well as boxes and pallets of supplies. The Iprysh craft that they were led to bore a striking resemblance to an oversized brick, at least from the back, though from the angle that they were at, it looked like it swept forward into a more aero-dynamic shape towards the front.
Why don't they just use beaming technology?
The prisoners were already inside, seated on benches along either side of the craft. The five Goa'uld—Cronus, Nirrti, Heru'ur, Klorel, and Amaunet—reacted strongly to the arrival of Daniel and Sujanha, and several expressed themselves rather violently and crudely in Goa'uld. Sujanha ignored them and went to the cockpit with Ragnar and a still unnervingly silent Ruarc. Daniel, after pausing in the doorway and looking back at his wife and brother-in-law—oh, how he missed them—joined the others up front. As he did so, there was a noise and an infinitesimal jolt. None of the others seemed bothered, but Daniel wondered at the cause.
Wings extending?
There were slots in the sides, but nothing out when we came onboard.
Could be a space-saving measure?
To Daniel, who had become used to Furling technology and ships, the Iprysh shuttle seemed all the more different. The inside of the shuttle was much darker than Furling crafts and had a distinctly sterile appearance that was even more futuristic and sci-fi-like than the Furling ships. Except when they had to check on the prisoners or speak to Sujanha, its crew was utterly silent and unnervingly still. Not even the hands of the pilots moved!
Now that's unusual! Did that lend any credence to the theory, which he had always considered rather outlandish, that the Iprysh were some sort of consciousness inhabiting their suits? Were they technopaths of a sort?
The doors of the shuttle bay opened smoothly. As they did so, whatever snow that had fallen recently and covered the bay doors came under the sudden influence of gravity as their support disappeared from underneath them. A sudden avalanche of snow fell straight downwards with a thump and a splat, coating what ships and pallets were beneath in a blanket of snow.
Daniel's eyes went wide in surprise, and he had to restrain the urge to laugh at the unexpected sight.
"Well, that is unfortunate." From the dry tone and even dryer delivery, Daniel assumed it was Malek speaking.
Especially for whoever has to clean that up.
The Iprysh transport lifted off, accelerating quickly into the atmosphere. The artificial gravity and inertial dampeners did their work, making the journey no bumpier than a car ride down a straight-and-level highway. The Sul—the Iprysh ship waiting in orbit—was a hulking behemoth of a ship, much larger than even a Furling flagship, maybe even twice as big.[2]
Daniel's jaw almost dropped open at the sight.
Recently, he had gotten a crash-course on ship classes from Sujanha as part of an explanation in a conversation one evening. I can't even remember what prompted the explanation now, what we were discussing. Using earth terminology, the Furling fleet (not counting transports and hospital ships) had originally comprised only two classes, heavy cruisers and battleships (i.e., motherships, of what flagships were a scaled-up version). Several major disasters against the Goa'uld had taught the Furlings that smaller ships were necessary, especially to protect troops on the ground from bombers in the air. Thus, in recent months, smaller destroyers had been built—the first of many were already in service—to act as scouts and escorts for the larger warships or for allied ships as well as small corvettes to also provide close-air support among other duties.[3]
Given that crash-course, the Iprysh ship Sul almost certainly was a battleship. It was cylindrical in shape and probably, at least, twice as long as the Valhalla. There were signs of thick armor plating, especially near the center of the ship. Don't want one lucky shot breaking the thing in half. Gun turrets rose from the surface of the ship like pock-marks at regular intervals. This was a behemoth of a ship, but its size and shape seemed fitting with the technological advancement of the Iprysh and the heavy armor that all their race wore.
This was a ship no one in their right mind would want to mess with.
Around the ship buzzed a handful of small fighters, the new planes, jointly built by the Furlings and the Iprysh, for countering the threat from Goa'uld death gliders and other in-atmosphere ships. Pilots were still being trained for the newly built fighters. The Iprysh pilots had so far been the most successful, and it was their fighters that were already in service.
I wonder if the Sul will be heading to the Milky-Way soon.
Passing through the energy shield, the shuttle landed in the large bay that was several stories tall. There were more fighters, their wings folded to save space, in their holding racks. More shuttles were held in similar but larger 'racks.' Soldiers of multiple races were moving pallets of supplies around. The Goa'uld prisoners were escorted from the bay, presumably to temporary holding cells—the Iprysh guards went with them—and Sujanha with Daniel and her bodyguards were led up to the bridge to pass the journey.
It was around mid-day when the Sul dropped out of hyperspace at the edge of the solar system in which Uslisgas was located. (The Iprysh hyperdrive seemed to be somewhat slower than its Furling counterpart, though perhaps the sheer hulking size could account for the slower trip? Daniel had no idea.) Because of the high volume of space traffic that passed through the solar system daily, ships were not allowed to jump into or out of hyperspace within the system's confines to prevent accidents. Traveling to Uslisgas from the system's edge via subspace engines was only a minor delay.
From the Sul, Sujanha, Daniel, and her two bodyguards beamed down to headquarters. Okay, so the Ipyrsh ships do have beaming technology after all? Maybe security measures on Idroth? It is a max-security prison so … no beaming out? Sha're, Skaara, and the other Goa'uld prisoners were beamed down to a separate location to await the High King's judgment at sundown.
Did the choice of time have symbolic meaning?
The news of the explosion on the Diagoth had clearly spread. The citadel and headquarters, especially, were in a state of organized chaos, but there was a weightiness, a somberness hanging over all. Worried glances, concerned frowns, and subdued voices were common. One ship, nearly 50 dead. That number might continue to rise. One ship, nearly 50 dead, and a potential fleet-wide impact that could cause havoc in two simultaneous wars in Ida and the Milky-Way.
"Remind me…" Sujanha said suddenly as soon as they reached her office, waving Asik and Jaax to join them inside.
Daniel took a seat even as he replied, "Make sure warnings are sent to the Free Jaffa and Tok'ra, and ensure a call has gone out to the Dovahkiin for assistance."
"Of course. Thank you. You are free then," Sujanha replied.
"I'll stay for now, if you don't mind." Daniel was not quite sure what to do with himself for the hours left until sunset. Going home and killing time for hours alone did not exactly sound desirable. At least here, he could sit and listen and scrawl notes and ideas in his notebook when he wanted and help if he was needed. Distraction, that was what he needed.
Sujanha shrugged. "As you desire." Her gaze snapped to her other aids. "Any word from Ocelum or our other ships?" Has anything else gone wrong? That was probably a question behind the question.
"Yes, and no," Asik replied with a grimace. "There have been no overloads or warning signs on any other ships, so far, thankfully! Quick diagnostics have found nothing, but the generators are so intricate … a small fault could be easily hidden. The Diagoth has reached Ocelum, but there is much debris to examine to even find the ruins of the generator. The engineers are already saying that, if all four generators had been in the same compartment, the resulting chain reaction almost certainly would have overloaded the explosion suppression system and torn the ship apart."
Sujanha cringed.
Daniel flinched.
Jaax picked up the narrative at that point. "The wounded were transported to the Eir, which was closer than Uslisgas." He paused—his breathing mask concealed his expression from view—and then continued. "Nine more have died of their injuries, but the healers expect the rest to survive."
The look on Sujanha's face was horrifying. She looked like she had been hit by a truck, and it was several moments before she could bring herself to reply. "Nine more?! There has not been a disaster ship-board this catastrophic since the Great War. What else?"
Asik continued. "The Ipyrsh will have the rest of their fleet mobilized within the day. The Etrairs and the Lapiths will need at least another three days to get their full fleets ready to travel, but they said that that time can be shortened if food supplies can be provided in the short term."
"We can do that," Sujanha replied, but then she paused abruptly and frowned thoughtfully, backtracking. "Can I authorize that?"
Asik had to look up the answer. "You can, if it is from the fleet's stores of provisions. You need … the king's approval otherwise."
"Check with the Lapiths and Etrairs, and see how many ships and how much food. If possible, take it from our stores, but if you do, make sure not to go below the buffer zone. If necessary, get the king's permission and take the necessary amount from the national storehouses. Either way, repayments will need to be made quickly. I don't like having to pull so heavily in the midst of a war, but this is an unprecedented situation."
Asik nodded and jotted down a few notes. "Both said that the debt would be repaid at the earliest possible moment. Isn't it harvest season soon anyway on Procater?"[4]
Is that a rhetorical question?
Sujanha shrugged. "You'd have to check the database to see how far their seasons are off-set from ours. Their years are a different length, so the offset is always changing."
Trying to correlate time-keeping systems between worlds was headache-inducing.
"Also, a message for the Imperial Court has already arrived from the court of the Great Queen Sariiz. Word has somehow already reached her of the disaster, and she has offered assistance," Jaax inserted at that point.
I wonder if there were Dovahkiin onboard.
"Tell Ocelum to send any reports to Drehond, and have them request any assistance as needed." Whatever had gone wrong between her and the Dovahkiin in the past, allies or not, she seemed to prefer not having any formal dealings with Drehond. "If they need to coordinate with someone within the High Command, have Algar or … Aterra deal with it, or have them delegate further." Both were Kushik, half-Dovahkiin, half-Furling.
"Of course, Commander."
"As soon as that is done, send word to the Tok'ra and Free Jaffa … Actually, no," Sujanha shook her head sharply. "This information cannot be overheard at any cost. Send word to the Free Jaffa and to the Tok'ra. Tell Master Bra'tac that we need to speak with him urgently. A planet of his choosing will work. Here would work better. Ask to speak with Selmak on Vorash, if at all possible. Martouf or one of the other Tok'ra with whom we have had personal dealings would also be acceptable."
The Goa'uld would have a field-day with this if they found out, especially if Sujanha has to start grounding ships.
"Of course, Commander."
Asik departed to have the messages sent, but Jaax remained, lingering by the doorway. "Do you need anything else for now?"
Sujanha scrubbed a paw across her face and then replied, "Where is Bjorn? There was no time to speak with him about the status of the war against the Replicating Ones earlier. The reports from the Asgard High Command Algar gave me were somewhat dated."
Jaax stepped out long enough to check something and then return. "Bjorn and the Taygeta are currently returning from Ida, leaving Fleet Commander Narr in charge of current operations against the Replicating Ones."
Sujanha's ears flicked back in clear alarm. "The last thing I need is to lose one of my High Commanders."
That would be a disaster. As callous as it sounded, one ship and its crew could be (comparatively) easily replaced. One senior commander could not be replaced so easily. Not right now, especially.
"Our long-range sensors are currently tracking him. Considering his speed, he is almost certainly using the potentia to power the engines, not the generators."
"A reasonable temporary solution, though that will not work long term," Sujanha conceded with a grimace. "Our cache of potentia is finite, and we need them, first of all, for the shields."
Jaax nodded and departed with a promise to tell the High Commander as soon as he returned that Sujanha needed to speak with him. As soon as Sujanha and Daniel were alone, she gave a deep sigh and leaned her head against the back of her chair. She seemed exhausted.
"On earth," noted Daniel quietly, "this would be one of those days where you wish you never got out of bed in the morning." Bury your head under the covers and hope everything is better once you wake up the next time.
Sujanha gave a throaty chuckle.
"I know you said I'm off duty now, but is there anything I can do to help?"
She shook her head. "Messages have been sent out, and for now, I think I must wait. Your presence here is enough."
The afternoon passed with interminable slowness. Sujanha was in meetings almost constantly, first with Bjorn (a serious but friendly Nafshi), then Jacob-Selmak, and finally Master Bra'tac. The Supreme Commander had not spoken with Jacob-Selmak since the contentious meeting with some of the Tok'ra High Councilors onboard the Oshrocco weeks earlier. It had been, at least, a month or two since Sujanha and Bra'tac had spoken, and the old Jaffa master had heard through subsequent interactions with the fleet under Algar's temporary tenure that she had been gravely injured. Despite the circumstances of the meetings, both were glad to see her well.
Daniel's nervousness increased as the time passed. After two-and-a-half tortuously long years, his wait was at an end. Skaara would soon be free. Sha're would soon be free, and they would be able to be together again. Yet, there was still the uneasy feeling that something would go wrong at the last minute. Sujanha seemed to pick up on his discomfort, not that his tapping fingers, restless movements, and occasional sighs did much to conceal his uneasy thoughts. She took pity on him and gave him small errands to run as a distraction.
Finally, the shadows lengthened, and the sun began to fall, painting the sky with rich hues. Sujanha closed off her screens and rose. "It is time," she said. "Let us depart."
The king's judgment upon the Goa'uld would be rendered in the throne room of the palace where Daniel had attended Judgment Day not many days before. The crowds would be less, though. The Furlings allowed only select individuals to be present for court cases, besides those relevant to the matter of hand, and they did not have to allow 'press,' either, not that the national news/journalistic system bore any resemblance to the hounding press on earth.
As Sujanha said, "We are here to carry out justice, not create a public spectacle."
Who would be present beside the High Council, the High King, and the late-great System Lords, Daniel did not know. He was, of course, allowed to be present since he was family of two of the hosts. Kasuf would also be there.
Sujanha spoke briefly with Jaax and Asik before they left, telling them to send for her immediately if any news came from Ocelum or any of her other ships. Daniel and Sujanha, with Ragnar and Ruarc, then beamed across from headquarters to the outskirts of the palace and threaded their way inside through the same less-used passageways. The throne room was about one-fifth full when they arrived. A small crowd had already gathered around the periphery of the room. The entire High Council was present, now that Sujanha was there and the High King was just entering. The number of the guards had also increased at least two-to-three-fold. Ragnar joined the other guards, while Ruarc stood beside Daniel, who managed to find Kasuf in the crowd near one wall.
The Furlings had slowly over time stopped coming to Abydos in human-guises, and his people had become used to their … strange … visages as time passed. Awed and star-struck gazes had even stopped following them once the Abydonians realized the Furlings, though different in appearance, were 'men' just like them. If Kasuf was surprised by the array of faces present, Furlings and other races together, his face did not show it.
Now they waited.
The waiting was short. Only a few minutes passed, and then as the sun touched the horizon outside, the five Goa'uld were beamed in. Judgment was finally at hand. They were in a straight line, each standing just outside of arm's length from those on either side. Instantly, circular shields snapped up around each of them, leaving them some room to move but keeping them separate from each other. No mortal enemies going for each other's throats or uniting against their common enemy … the Furlings.
Kasuf twitched and made a low noise in his throat. Daniel felt a lump in his own throat, seeing Sha're … Hold on, my love. Just a little while longer now … and Skaara so close. (He would never forget what Jack had told him of the colonel's encounter with Skaara and Klorel on the mothership bridge over earth during Apophis' attempted attack.) Ruarc placed an encouraging paw on his shoulder.
High King Ivar rose from his throne and stepped down to the level of the main dais. He spoke first in Furling and then repeated his words in Goa'uld … without the use of a translator. His voice was not loud but carried well. The inherent dignity and gravitas in his manner and his speech benefited the occasion and made him a very compelling speaker.
"Cronus, Nirrti, Heru'ur, Amaunet, Klorel. For thousands of years, you and your fellow Goa'uld have reigned over the galaxy, known as Avalon and the Milky-Way by some of its inhabitants, as false gods, terrorizing, enslaving, and slaughtering its inhabitants at your whims. As your recent defeats have indicated, your reigns are over. You are not gods, as you so falsely claim. The twilight of the Goa'uld Empire is upon you."
There was shouting and cursing in Goa'uld in response to the king's words, but Ivar kept talking, speaking over them with apparently little effort. "You have been brought here to this court today to face judgment for your actions. The testimonies of many witnesses among those you enslaved and among those whom you forced to execute your whims have told us of crimes that cry out for justice. On the basis of that testimony, the High Court of the Furling Empire and I, Ivar, High King of the Furling Empire, charge you with the false imprisonment and suppression of your own hosts, with murder and torture of your subjects and your prisoners and even your own kind, with the enslavement and brainwashing of the Jaffa, and with human experimentation. Have you any word to speak in your own defense?"
All five Goa'uld all tried to reply at the same time. Some of the replies were unrepeatable in polite company, while most were of the "I am your god: who are you to judge me?" variety.
Ivar waited until the Goa'uld had shouted themselves out before calmly continuing once no actual defense was forthcoming. "For crimes innumerable, I sentence you to death. This is my decree on the 20th of Duumm in the year 6546 A.S. Thus, shall it be."
Daniel blinked back tears. It's over, finally over. For Sha're and Skaara. Beside him, Kasuf looked just as moved. For years, he had been a father bereft of both of his children with Shifu, his only grandchild, a comfort in his old age. Soon, we'll have them back. Soon, they'll be free.
The Asgard beams activated, and the six Goa'uld disappeared.
Slowly, the crowd dispersed, but for several minutes Daniel stood frozen, mind trying to comprehend that, finally, years-later Sha're and Skaara were about to be free. If he had not found the Furlings, would events have turned out this successfully? A gentle nudge from Ruarc roused Daniel as Sujanha approached from the direction of the dais.
Sujanha greeted Kasuf respectfully and then turned to Daniel, saying in English, "It gladdens me to know that your wife and Skaara will soon be free. The Maker is kind that we have finally reached this point."
"Where are they being taken?" Daniel asked, his voice rough with emotions. He pulled off his glasses, blinking back tears as he did so, to clean them just to give his hands something to do.
"The Halls of Healing. Our healers are ready to immediately extract the symbiotes, which then will be handed over to the army for the king's sentence to be carried out."
"Can I go there?" Daniel asked.
"Of course," Sujanha replied. "You and your law-father both. The Halls are open to the families of all in the healers' care. I do have need of Ruarc, though." Her last words seemed almost slightly regretful.
"I remember the way," replied Daniel. From my lengthy stay there.
"Then go," said Sujanha kindly, switching into Furling and reaching out slowly and squeezing his shoulder gently with one paw. "One of us will check on you later, but for now, there is fleet business to deal with."
A watched pot never boils.
A watched pot never boils.
A watched pot never boils
A watched pot never boils
Daniel reminded himself of that frequently as he paced the clinically sterile, cookie-cutter halls of the Halls of Healing. After years of waiting, he was done waiting any more, and years seemed to pass for every hour that he had spent at the Halls since the High King had declared judgment. Yes, he was exaggerating, but time seemed to have slowed to an utter crawl. Kasuf seemed to be handling the waiting better than Daniel was. He was feeling too jittery and impatient to do anything but pace.
One pass of the hall.
Two passes.
Three passes.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Eventually, Daniel lost count of his circuits of the hall. He was a relatively patient man by nature. Archeological discoveries and complex translations did not come at the snap of one's fingers. They took time and patience, a lot of patience. In Egyptology, breakthroughs could be decades in making. And yet, Daniel was out of patience. On his umpteenth circuit of this particular hallway/seating area where he had been left to wait, he checked his chrono.
Only an-hour-and-a-half?! It can't be. It seemed like several times that long.
The Halls were quiet, only a few hours being left in the day. Daniel wondered what Sujanha and the others were doing. Had there been new news? Would she be forced to ground all or most of the Fleet? The weight resting on her shoulders was immense, as she tried to balance many competing and critical concerns. Talk about the Sword of Damocles. He wondered how Ruarc was. Even when trying to be supportive when Ivar pronounced judgment on the Goa'uld, Ruarc had seemed off. He had not been the same since the news about the Diagoth had broken.
I wonder whom he knew on board.
Daniel paced.
And paced some more.
And paced yet more. He left his hallway, which thankfully had very sturdy floors—or I might have actually worn a hole—only one just long enough to get a bite of food and something to drink for himself and for Kasuf. Daniel had not felt particularly hungry, but if one of the others found out that he was not taking care of himself, he would hear about it. When Sujanha was the one remonstrating with him, he found it rather ironic, though quite touching. She needed to take her own advice more frequently.
Finally, the wait was over. Risa, one of the chief healers working on the project to free Goa'uld hosts, emerged out of a side corridor and approached Daniel and Kasuf. There was a stain of blue blood on her apron, but her expression was pleased, or as pleased as Risa could manage to look. She was a Rhuzk—half-Furling, half-Lapith—and rather intimidating both in terms of personality and appearance, though she looked scarier than she actually was. Her bedside manner would beat many physicians Daniel had been forced to deal with on earth—I miss Dr. Frasier, though—but she often talked almost as technically as Sam did.
"The procedure appears to have been successful on both your wife and law-brother, Doctor Jackson," Risa began. Daniel sank into the nearest seat with a sigh of utter relief. He would never forget how disastrously the attempt to free Charlie Kawalsky had turned out.
Risa continued, saying, "Work continues on the others so I can only stay a few moments. Your kin are being tended to and will be moved to isolation chambers until they wake from their drugged sleeps tomorrow. You will be allowed to sit with them both, if you wish, but you must stay outside the shields."
Daniel could understand their caution. It's not over yet, though, until they wake and we know for sure. Extractions could seem successful at first, like with Kawalsky, but fail in the end. The last thing the Furlings needed was a Goa'uld lose on their homeworld. "Of course," he replied. "Can I stay until morning?"
"Yes, though there are only chairs and no beds." The Furlings apparently had no concept of visiting hours.
"That won't bother me." I've had worse between digs and bedside watches at the SGC.
Daniel visited Skaara briefly—he looked peacefully asleep, a far cry from the last time Daniel had seen him during Apophis' attempted invasion of earth—and then settled in for a long night by Sha're's bed, leaving his father-in-law to stay with Skaara. The healers had gone to great length to care for them both and make them comfortable. Sha're was dressed in Abydonian clothing, probably brought from her cell, and covered in Abydonian blankets. Someone had carefully brushed and braided her long-dark hair to keep it out of her face until she had time to care for it herself. Her face was peaceful and serene, the slightest hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth. Pleasant dreams, my love! The trials of the past years had melted away, and Daniel could almost imagine, if the room were different, that they were still on Abydos.
Daniel touched her cheek gently, murmuring a greeting in Abydonian, and then settled down in one of the two chairs. A healer appeared from time to time to check on Sha're, but largely, he was left alone with his thoughts. A few hours passed. The door slid silently open soon after a healer had left. The lights were low, except for the soft glow of a lamp next to the bed, and it took Daniel a long moment to realize that it was Sujanha and not another healer.
Sujanha gave Sha're a strangely wary glance before moving the second chair quietly and taking a seat next to Daniel. "Malek says I must not be here when she wakes," she said in an undertone, "lest she sense the naquadah in our bloodstream and become frightened, but I can stay for a time if you do not mind my presence."
Oh, that makes sense.
"Of course not," Daniel replied, feeling a hint of concern as he looked at her. She seemed even more exhausted than earlier. It has to be really late by now. He resolutely did not look at his watch. He did not want to know how late it actually was. "It's too quiet here, too much time to think." He was used to the beeping of machines in hospital rooms on earth.
"I have been in your place before," Sujanha said flatly without explanation. "And I cannot say that I do not feel the same." During the Great War?
"Any news? How are things at headquarters?" Daniel asked, wishing fervently for both a distraction and an update.
Sujanha gave a low groan. Not well, I'm guessing? "Not well. Bjorn has returned from Ida, and he and Frár are overseeing matters until morning. Elder Brother and I are supposed to be going home to rest."
"I won't tell," that you aren't at home resting, not that I'm surprised. Daniel forced a semblance of a grin.
"There is good news and bad news, as you say. An exhaustive search of wreckage in and around the engine room and a detailed study of the remaining generators has uncovered a fault with the Diagoth's generators. Apparently, due to heavy wear over the last several thousand years"—hearing the Furlings talk about timeframes on such a scale had grown somewhat less shocking—"several small components deep in the mainframe wore down, damaging the fail-safes, thereby allowing the overload to occur."
"That's a relief," Daniel replied quietly. "Uh, that you found the problem, that is. So, what's the bad news?"
Sujanha grimaced. "Now that we know where to look … we are finding similar issues on almost all of our ships, not built within the last five centuries or retrofitted with updated generators since the end of the Great War. Not all have reached the same ware as on the Diagoth. Some are close. Some have, and it's a mercy that we have not lost more ships."
Yikes.
Almost all …
I have a very bad feeling.
"How many is 'almost all'?"
"All of our flagships were updated after the Great War, which is a mercy since there would be consequences to using the potentia to compensate in the short term. Most of the mercy ships"—what the Furlings called the 'hospital ships'—"were built within the last century, and the same applies to most of our troop carriers. A number of our cruisers were also built within the last five hundred years or retrofitted, so we will not have to ground all of them."
But what about the motherships?
You can't win a war relying on the destroyers and corvettes you've built in the last few years, or what's left of your cruisers.
"The same isn't true for your motherships, I'm guessing?" Daniel asked softly. It was instinct of what to do and not do in a sickroom that had him keeping his voice low even though Sha're was sedated and wouldn't be waking even if they shouted.
Sujanha shook her head, a silent growl revealing a glimpse of bone-white teeth. "Of the roughly 700 warships, not counting those new classes built since the beginning of the war, I just had to ground almost three-quarters. The majority of those ships grounded are among my motherships. The cruisers have been used more in the interim between wars and received more updates, as a result. Ironically, with all the repairs that had to be made, the generators on the motherships were largely left alone."
Yipes.
"What about the ships from your allies? What about the Ipyrsh?"
"As advanced as they are technologically, the Iprysh have no interests in expansion and only control two solar systems aside from their own. That means they have a very limited fleet, even with their buildup over the course of the war. Their entire fleet, both warships and science vessels, is less than a hundred ships. The Lapith and Etrair ships can manage galactic security as long as their supplies last but are not equipped to face powerful enemies."
Okay. That is … small.
"We'll survive. You survived the Great Enemy. This is only a temporary setback."
"Survival was never in doubt," Sujanha acknowledged with a nod. "What concerns me is how much territory we will lose before my ships are fixed, and how many lives will be lost to retake that territory. I cannot leave Anarr's garrisons unsupported. Our campaign against Bastet and Kali has already ceased, and we have already had to pull back from several battles. The Goa'uld must already know something has happened to us. We have to focus on protecting our major strongholds, allied worlds, and most important captured planets."
Bastet and Kali, they aren't stupid. Yea, they'll know something's up
"Makes sense."
Silence fell for a short time. Sujanha seemed to be temporarily lost in thought or simply introspective. Finally, she asked quietly, "What do you plan to do now, Daniel? Your wife is free. Will you return to Abydos and your son?"
Daniel shrugged. "I don't know yet. It will depend on what Sha're wants. I want to be a family again, but I would like to stay." He gave a half-smile. "I've gotten rather fond of this place."
Sujanha's eyes smiled. "And I have grown quite fond of your presence. I want what is best for you both, but if you leave, I will miss you greatly."
"Thank you. The main consideration with staying is space. I need a place with enough space for all three of us."
Sujanha tilted her head, her brow furrowing. "Your room, at least by our standards, is large enough for two adults to sleep, and the room across the halls is yours, if you wish it."
"But you're using it." Daniel protested.
"Only for storage." Sujanha made a dismissive gesture with one paw. "Some items have been there for centuries. I have been needing to clean it out for years but have never gotten around to it. I can easily move the things into long-term storage elsewhere. You could use that room for your boy, if you wish."
Daniel's eyes were wide. "That's very … generous of you. But are you sure you would want all three of us in the house? Shifu's not even a year-and-a-half yet. Kids can be … loud."
Sujanha shrugged. "I like children. I have none of my own and never will. His presence will not trouble me, and I am often away. Your wife and son could have the run of the house except for my library, office, and bedroom." She paused and then clarified her last statement. "Your wife would be welcome to my books, as you are, but not …"
"No babies, please, among your collection, I understand." Daniel smiled and thought of the havoc a child could wreck in his old office at the SGC, full of artifacts, books, texts, and the like. He wondered idly what had happened to all his stuff there and at his apartment. "I'll think about your offer and talk with Sha're later."
"Of course. I should go sleep while I can," Sujanha said, starting to rise. "Morning will come too soon. Do you need anything first?"
Daniel shook his head, and Sujanha slipped out as quietly as she had come, leaving him with much to think about.
For Daniel, unlike Sujanha, morning seemed to come much too slowly. The chair was not the most comfortable, and he only dozed, waking at slight noises throughout the night. As the time passed, Sha're began to rouse slowly, making slight movements or indistinct noises in her sleep as the sedation wore off.
Murphy's law, Sha're finally awoke when Daniel had stepped out to use the bathroom and buy a mug of tea in the 'cafeteria' mid-morning. He heard raised voices as he neared her room and hurried forward. Risa was inside the room but outside the shield that surrounded Sha're's bed and was trying to talk with her. Risa's strange appearance seemed to have frightened his wife—all of her guards on Ardea had been human—and Sha're had retreated to the far end of the bed and was only answering in Abydonian, near-panic in her eyes.
Of all the times for me to leave!
Murphy's Law had struck again.
Daniel hurried inside, setting his mug down with a little too much force on a nearby table, sloshing the contents … thankfully not onto his hand. With a little mental effort, he switched his brain out of Furling back into Abydonian. "Sha're, my love, it's alright. Risa is a friend, a healer. She wants to help you."
Sha're's gaze immediately snapped from to Daniel at the sound of his voice. She tried to rise and move toward him but was blocked after only a few steps by the flare of the blue shield. "Dan'yel?" Her gaze moved anxiously from point to point around the room. "Where am I? What is happening?"
"Everything is alright. You're in the healer's … tent on my world among the Furlings. They took the demon from you." Sha're nodded her understanding. "They wanted to make sure that the procedure had worked, that it was you, who woke up, my love, not the demon in hiding." This was Sha're. He knew it.
"The demon is gone?" Sha're asked.
"It's over," Daniel confirmed, stepping forward until he was just on the other side of the shield from her. He longed to hold her in his arms again but knew he had to be patient just a little while longer. "Skaara is free, too. He's still asleep, just down the hall. Your father is with him."
"I thought," Sha're murmured, her brow furrowing, "I heard his voice—Klorel's voice." She spat the Goa'uld's name. "The demon took my sight, but I felt her fear, and sometimes her strength wavered."
"Doctor Jackson?" Risa prompted in Furling, breaking into their discussion. "Can you confirm independently that the person speaking is your wife, not the Goa'uld?"
"Yes," Daniel nodded. Interacting with Sujanha and Malek had taught him a lot about judging between host and symbiote even without clues like the flashing eyes and the funky voice. "That's Sha're speaking." Even Malek could not mimic Sujanha that well, and she had tried once, at Sujanha's request, as an experiment.
Risa nodded, made a few more notes on the tablet cradled in her left arm, and then swiped a hand through the air to bring up a holographic screen. Sha're flinched backward in surprise—floating holographic screens, except on a peltak, were not a thing among the Goa'uld—and Daniel murmured something soothing in Abydonian.
In moments, the shield around Sha're's bed fell. "She is free to move around this facility with an escort but is not yet free to leave. Speak to one of the healers if she is in need. Someone will check on her in a few hours," said Risa.
"Thank you!" Daniel replied with heartfelt sincerity, "Can you make sure the Supreme Commander is informed?"
"Of course," Risa replied. She bowed once to Daniel in the military fashion and again to Sha're and then departed.
Daniel took a slow step forward after the door had slid shut behind Risa and opened his arms. He could not imagine how Sha're had suffered at the hands of the Goa'uld (and of Apophis). He wanted to leave her room to make the choices now. Sha're, though, had no hesitation and immediately threw herself into her husband's arms and began to weep. After much weeping, apologizing, and explaining (on both sides), Sha're and Daniel sat down on her bed and began to talk. Her first question was for their son.
"What about the boy? Where is he? Is he safe?" Sha're asked, demonstrating her knowledge gaps because of Amaunet's attempts to smother her host despite Daniel's best attempts to keep his wife updated. It still made him angry, even though Amaunet was … probably dead by now?
"Shifu's safe. He's on Abydos," Daniel replied. "He's 18 months old by Earth's measurements and is growing quickly. He's a very sweet-natured boy. I have pictures." He started patting down his pockets, looking for his picture stone that he usually kept with him. "Actually, I don't have it with me right now, but I'll bring them soon."
"But he is Harcesis," Sha're protested, her brow furrowing with confusion. "The demons, they will hunt him."
"The System Lords are falling one by one," Daniel explained. "The Furlings have been waging war on them for many, many … moons. Abydos is carefully guarded."
"It is forbidden because of his knowledge. It will harm him."
Daniel shook his head. "The Furling healers and their allies have technology. They blocked Shifu's access to his memories. He is safe."
"Can I see him?" She asked, wiping at her eyes with one sleeve.
"Soon. Once you're strong enough and the healers release you, we can go to Abydos, or I can bring Shifu here. It's your choice."
[1] Shades of Gray.
[2] A/N: The Iprysh fleet needed updating badly. I went scrolling through Google for inspiration and found this picture: . . I have no idea what franchise it is from. If someone knows, please let me know in a comment because I am really curious.
[3] A/N: I am much obliged to this article, /2015/05/15/on-the-taxonomy-of-spaceships/, for help on classes of spaceships.
[4] Procater is the homeworld of the Etrairs.
