Sujanha's concerns about the strategic impact of having to ground much of the fighting force of the Furling Fleet turned out to be prescient in the worst way possible. With so many of her motherships and cruisers grounded, the heavy background of the fleet was greatly reduced, and the war against the Goa'uld … stalled … worse than, really. The Iprysh were doing their best to assist, but their limited numbers of ships could not—and could not be expected to—fill that gap. What ships Sujanha had remaining were spread thin across the Milky-Way, Ida, and Asteria, continuing to (or attempting to) oppose the System Lords and the Replicating Ones.

Despite the best efforts of Sujanha and all her commanders, the withdrawal of so many fighting ships from both wars had almost immediate effects. In Ida, the war changed from the Asgard and the Furlings being able to hold the line to them slowly being pushed back. In the Milky-Way, well, Bastet and Kali were evil, not idiots, especially not those two. Some other System Lords, it's up for grabs. They quickly recognized that the balance of power had shifted in their favor and quickly went on the offensive. Sujanha was unwilling to place the burden of defending the ponderous, slow, unarmed troop transports and hospital ships on the new crews of the destroyers and corvettes, most of whom had been pulled from the Reserves, and were not battle-hardened in the same way that the crews of the other fighting ships were. What battle-hardened warships were left could not be expected to keep up the offensive. There was too much risk. They would be spread too thin, and right now, any loss would be much more serious proportionally … from a strategic viewpoint. Regretfully, Sujanha and Anarr pulled their forces back, abandoning the offensive against Bastet and Kali for now and simply focusing on trying to keep control over their most important bases and outposts on former Goa'uld worlds.

Most ships had been told to retreat if faced with more than light Goa'uld opposition, though a select number were allowed to carry out hit-and-run tactics if the systems they were guarding were attacked before they pulled out. That, at least, would hopefully keep the Goa'uld on their guard, keep them from getting too cocky about the tide of battle temporarily turning in their favor.

For now.

The Furlings could not even bury Stargates to slow the Goa'uld advance on the ground, to force them to rely on their slower ships to transport troops and supplies from world to world. With much of their fleet grounded and lacking sufficient escorts for most of their own transports, the Furlings themselves were relying on the Stargates to move troops and supplies. Catch-22.

So much for that idea. There's only so many people and stuff you can cram on a ship.

All of this had been ongoing while Daniel was off on Abydos and was still an issue by the time that he returned weeks later. Gathering the material, manufacturing the requisite parts, and doing maintenance on hundreds of ships with 2 or 4 generators per ship took time.

There were only so many people qualified to make the repairs.

And they needed to eat, sleep, and rest.

Some generators even, once the work began and they were opened up, needed more complicated repairs, and others were even in need of being replaced entirely for utter safety's sake.

It was a stressful time, and that stress was only compounded by the gaping hole that was Ruarc's absence. Daniel still expected to see him coming around a corner or appearing in Sujanha's office door, and she still sometimes caught herself in the middle of calling for him.

And then, to top everything off, Daniel had to go get sick.

Very sick.

And right after what would have been Christmas on earth, at that.

Sometimes he had the worst luck in the world … worlds?


15th of Vekix, 6546 A.S.

(December 26, 1999)

Uslisgas, Asteria Galaxy

Have I given myself an ulcer or something?

Daniel idly wondered as he shifted position in his chair in Sujanha's office for the umpteenth time (or so it seemed) in the last hour or two, trying vainly to get more comfortable. He had been feeling under the weather for a day or two now and even had no appetite for breakfast that morning, not that his appetite had been good recently. Sujanha had left for work early, for some reason, which meant that she had not noticed, and Sha're had been up during the night with a teething, cranky Shifu, which meant that she had still been asleep when Daniel had skipped breakfast and left for work.

I don't think I'm sick. This has been going on too long to be the proverbial plague.

Sha're isn't sick, and we sleep in the same bed.

There was certainly enough stress in his life currently to give him an ulcer. Sha're was adjusting to Uslisgas, but there were still blips. Shifu was teething, which meant crankiness, which meant not enough sleep when he got upset overnight. On top of that, the Fleet was trying to continue the war in Ida and not lose all the hard-fought gains in the Milky-Way with limited resources, and that was complicated and stressful in the extreme and the cause of more than one long night since Daniel had returned to Uslisgas.

Sujanha was at her desk and had barely moved since Daniel had arrived. I wonder how early she came in. Too early, I'm guessing. At least she had Malek to watch over her. She could get farther than Ragnar could usually. Sujanha's attention was split between a massive holographic map that spanned the length of her desk and stretched half-way up toward the ceiling and a handful of tablets littering the surface of her desk. Whatever she was doing seemed related to the latest, not-so-good reports that had arrived from the Milky-Way that morning.

Daniel bent his head back to his own work. If Sujanha needed something, she would ask. Until that point, it was best to keep distracted and not think about his ulcer in the making or whatever was making him feel blech.

Mid-morning, there was a cry of surprise and then a loud thump from the outer office. At the sound, Sujanha flinched like someone had hit her, and Daniel started (and then promptly cringed with pain as the sudden movement jolted his sore abdomen). Did I pull something the other day?

Sujanha cocked her head, her ears flicking back in concern. (Ragnar's low rumble joined the murmur of voices.) "Problem?"

"One moment, Commander!" Jaax called back, voice tight.

Okay. What happened? Something about the tone of Jaax's voice gave Daniel a horrible feeling in the bit of his stomach, which was not the mild nausea talking. It made Daniel think that something had happened besides an unexpected collision or an inadvertent moment of klutziness. What happened this time would be the better question, the way things are going these days.

Asik appeared in the doorway a moment later, and Daniel's bad feeling solidified with one look at his face. His fellow aide was wide-eyed and pale as death, his shaking hands gripping his tablet so hard his knuckles were bone white. Ragnar and Jaax, only the right edge of his body visible from Daniel's angle, were hovering behind him expectantly. Even Ragnar, who usually seemed unflappable, looked rattled.

Sujanha tensed and minimized all her screens, straightening into her most formal posture, as if preparing herself for bad news. "What happened?" Her voice was too calm.

"News from Ida, Commander," Asik replied. "Supreme Commander Thor … the Beliskner …" His voice stuttered to a stop. One heavy indrawn breath later, he was able to continue a little more calmly. "There was just a battle with the Replicating Ones … near Othala. The Beliskner was boarded. Supreme Commander Thor, injured, stayed behind to beam his crew off before his ship disappeared into hyperspace, destination unknown. Its last known heading, however, would take it out of Ida. This happened minutes ago. The Asgard sent a warning as soon as they could."

Destination unknown? That's not good. The Asgard ships had extremely fast hyperdrives. It could end up almost anywhere … quickly. Heading out of Ida? There was no telling where that ship could end up. Even here! That was so not good.

Sujanha's tablet, the one still in her hands, clattered to the table. Her eyes were wide, and her ears were pinned back flat to her head. "Jaax, is my brother on world?"

Jaax nodded.

"Good." Sujanha gave a slight sigh of relief. One piece of good news. "Go, have him found now. I don't care what he's in the middle of. Interrupt him. Get him down here now. Until we know otherwise, we must assume that Thor's ship is headed towards Asteria, and that, if he is even still alive, he has no control over his ship. Once you've done that, any ranking commander of mine in the building, I need to speak with them in the nearest conference room as soon as they can get there."

You could be facing a fully armed Asgard mothership, full of replicators.

Against the crippled Furling fleet. Bloody …

Jaax nodded and disappeared.

How long would it even take to get here?

"Put every ship in Asteria on high alert. Our ships. The Ipyrsh Fleet. The Etrairs and the Lapiths. Any ship with weapons. Until we know otherwise, the Beliskner is to be considered armed, hostile, and extremely dangerous. Make sure that our allies are aware that this is the Beliskner, and I doubt that any could survive actual combat against it except the Iprysh. The Replicating Ones cannot be allowed to get a foothold in this galaxy. We have avoided that for so long. To have an invasion now …"

Would be an utter disaster.

Sujanha continued rattling off orders, barely pausing for breath. "Any crew that is currently on leave, call them in. If headed here, the Beliskner could arrive in as little as 10 to 15 minutes depending on whether the ship is damaged and how fast the Replicating Ones push the hyperdrive. If it is coming here, we need to know as soon as possible. Also, have word sent to the High King. I don't care what he's in, either. Interrupt him."

Would they come after the capital? His mind jumped to Sha're and Shifu at home. High priority targets. Take out the leadership. The Replicating Ones would know anything that was in the Asgard onboard database. (It was slightly terrifying that such thoughts were even occurring to him, but he had not just been an archaeologist and a linguist in a long time now.)

"Yes, Commander." Asik nodded and withdrew back to his station, leaving Ragnar alone in the doorway.

Gingerly straightening, having unconsciously curled slightly over his right side, Daniel asked, "What can I do?"

Sujanha's eyes snapped to him. "Go help, Asik. The messages will get sent more …" She stopped mid-sentence and cocked her head, ears flicking uneasily. "Are you sick?"

Daniel's eyes went wide, and his face went a little sheepish. "I don't feel good, but I can still work." As if to prove his point, he pushed himself to his feet and then promptly staggered, grimacing with pain as his side flared with burning agony. Ragnar appeared out of nowhere at his side, catching his arm, and eased him back into his seat.

Okay. Not a good idea.

Definitely not a good idea.

Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.

"For how long?" Ragnar prompted.

"A couple days. I gave myself an ulcer or something with all that's going on or caught something," Daniel protested. "I can work for now."

"Oh, for stars' sake …" Sujanha paused, suddenly stiffening. Her gaze turned distant for a moment, as she spoke with Malek, and then her ears went flat against her head. "Ragnar," she snapped, "take Daniel down to the healers. See that he is seen to by one skilled in Zukish ailments. He is not to return until he is cleared."

"Commander," Daniel tried to protest.

I can work. I can help.

Sujanha shot him a look that was half-exasperated and half-fond. "Malek is concerned that you may actually be quite ill. You will help no one if you collapse. Just go, get seen to. If they clear you, you may return then."


By that point in the day, Daniel was feeling rather crummy, and as much as he wanted to help at a time like this—with the possible oncoming threat of the Replicating Ones backed by the might of the Beliskner bearing down on their heads—Sujanha's point was undeniable. His nausea was slowly getting worse. Sitting still and trying not to move a muscle was much preferable to moving, and he was starting to wonder if his sense of warmness had more to do with a fever than it being summer.

Okay, maybe I do need to see a healer.

It was the first time that Daniel had been at the halls since Sha're and Skaara had been released. (And he would have preferred for it to be a bit longer before he needed to be back … just because doctors.) The Healers' Halls doubled as both a hospital and a general doctor's office. The reception/triaging/processing area had a handful of people waiting, but Ragnar's presence combined with Malek's warning got Daniel, to his slight discomfiture, pushed to the head of the line. He was soon taken back to a treatment room, which was more high-tech than any doctor's office examining room which he had ever seen on earth.

The diagnosis—with a little bit of confusion caused by unfamiliar Furling medical terms … one more thing I need to read … later—was quickly arrived at. (And then there was the complexity of having to explain ailments that did not happen to Furlings in Furling.) Daniel had appendicitis. (The Furlings were humanoid in appearance and similar in anatomy and physiology to humans, but then there were moments like this where one of those differences reared their heads.)

Definitely not an ulcer.

Appendicitis with a very inflamed appendix that, even in the Empire, needed surgery.

Like today.

Like now.

Before inflamed progressed to burst and Daniel's bad day got even worse.

Appendicitis.

At the world's worst time.

When there was possibly an Asgardian mothership, infested with creepy mechanical bugs, bearing down on the galaxy, he was about to be in surgery and then stuck in a hospital bed, instead of helping Sujanha in any way he could.

Wonderful.

I'm 34. How did I never have appendicitis before now?

"Should I go and bring your wife?" Ragnar asked once the healer had finished diagnosing the issue, discussing the necessary surgery, and giving him a shot of pain meds that were already making it a lot easier to … live and think about something but "I hurt," and then had finally departed to get things prepped for surgery shortly.

Daniel gave a brief nod, still wary of moving too much and bringing back the pain. "Yes, please. And let Sujanha know, too. They'll both be worried." Malek was right. This was serious.

Ragnar made an indeterminate sound that might have been one of assent and rose from his chair. He had wanted to stay nearby for Daniel's sake, but the healer had shooed him out of the way. "You need to take better care of yourself." He paused and then added in a barely audible voice. "You both do." More loudly, he finished, "I'll go to the house right away to find Lady Sha're and will return as quickly as I can."

"Okay. Just …" Daniel hesitated, trying to figure out how to clearly phrase the concern in his mind. Sha're was used to Sujanha and Malek, but she was still getting used to everyone and everything else, and sometimes she found the Furlings somewhat intimidating. He did not want Ragnar to surprise her and unintentionally scar her. Having him show up out of the blue while we're at work is going to worry her enough. "I know you have right-of-entrance to the house, but with her there alone … just be careful. Give her space."

Ragnar's eyes bore a deep depth of understanding. He nodded simply. "I will be careful. My word on it." The Furlings were sadly no strangers to soldiers and non-combatants alike, who still bore deep scars from war and captivity.

"And don't use the word 'appendicitis,'" Daniel added as Ragnar turned toward the door. He nodded and departed with another promise to return soon.

Sha're's knowledge of English vocabulary was, in some contexts, spotty, but "appendicitis" was one medical term that she did know. Now that the diagnosis was in, Daniel was kicking himself for not cataloging his symptoms and realizing what he actually had. He knew the symptoms. He had seen the disease before. (But … yes, it was an infection that could happen to anyone at any time. Yet, in the midst of a stressful job with a toddler to help care for … you never expect it to happen to you.) During his time on Abydos, there had been a young man, an age-mate and friend of Sha're and Skaara, who had died of what only could have been appendicitis, given his physical symptoms. On a planet like Abydos, a massive infection like appendicitis which required antibiotics, at least, and usually surgery to resolve—massive medical intervention if it burst—was a veritable death sentence. The young man—Hapu, that was his name—had not died easily, and Sha're had been one of the one's nursing him until the end.

She'll recognize the symptoms.

The only reason she probably hasn't has been Shifu.

She's going to be terrified, and then she's going to kill me.

Daniel would have much preferred being able to explain the situation to her himself and not have to have her find out from Ragnar. There was not time to explain the full story to him now, and Daniel could only hope that Sha're would not put the pieces together in hindsight and freak out before she got to the hospital.

The pain medication—very effective pain medication that did not give him the same floaty sensation as the good stuff on earth—made it easier to rest, and Daniel felt himself half-dozing, half-drifting as he waited for someone else to do something. It did not seem that long at all before Ragnar and Sha're returned. She was sitting at his bedside, while Ragnar was across the room, holding Shifu and patiently enduring being poked by chubby fingers and having his fur pulled by a toddler who probably thought another of his fuzzy toys had suddenly come to life. Different colors than Sujanha. Does that to her, too. (Both bore it with patience and grace.)

"Oh, my Dan'yel," Sha're said with a sigh in Abydonian. It made it easier for Ragnar to tune them out and allow them to have a private conversation. "You should have told me you were feeling sick."

Daniel gave a sheepish smile and squeezed her hand. "Until the healer tended to me, I honestly thought my stomach was sick because of too much work." There were some concepts that it was harder to express in Abydonian than Furling or English. As far as he knew, there was not a word in Egyptian or Abydonian that encompassed the idea of "stress."

Or a word for "ulcer." "Sick stomach" was the best approximation he could come up with.

Sha're gently felt his forehead and frowned at the heat she felt. Daniel squeezed her hand again. "The healers need to do surgery," he said, "and I will need medicine and rest, but I will be fine."

"Your stomach is just sick, yes?" His wife confirmed.

"Not quite," Daniel hedged. He shifted slightly and then promptly winced, sucking in a heavy breath. The meds he was on were good, but staying still really, really helped. "You have to remember that I'll be fine. The Furling healers are very good."

Okay. Maybe that wasn't a good way to put it.

The concerned frown on Sha're's face was growing deeper. "My Dan'yel?"

"Do you remember before Apophis came when Hapu became ill?"

Sha're's dark eyes went wide with terror. She took a heavy indrawn breath, but after a moment, she nodded calmly, showing the same steely resolve that had been the back-bone of her character in so many difficult situations throughout her life. To survive among the Goa'uld, to survive in the desert, one had to be strong.

Daniel hurriedly continued. "What made Hapu sick is what has made me sick, but here that sickness may be cured. I will be well again soon. I promise."

She swallowed hard and studied him intently for a very long minute. "Can you really promise that?"

Well … When it came to medicine, there were no 100% certainties, not even here on Uslisgas.

"With perfect assurance, no," Daniel answered honestly, "but the healers here are very skilled and very knowledgeable. I should be fine. This is a common surgery. I will be well again."

There was not much time to talk after that. The healer returned with 'orderlies,' and after a quick parting from Sha're, it was time for surgery. The operating theater was as high-tech as the rest of the Healer's Halls. His surgeon was human, and as the anesthesia took effect, Daniel idly wondered how someone like Ragnar or Sujanha, especially, with her shorter, stubbier fingers because of her Asgardian blood, would handle a scalpel, or whether they could at all.


When Daniel awoke next—or when next he remembered waking … given that he had been under general anesthesia—he was in a room of his own. It was dark outside. No light crept in around the edges of the drawn curtains, and the only light in the room came from the soft golden glow of a dim lamp on the bedside table. Near the window, Sha're lay asleep, curled on a side, her hair like a curly halo around her head. Shifu was asleep in a crib by her feet. Daniel felt tired and slightly warm, but the throbbing pain and the overwhelming sense of malaise were gone, though pain meds were surely helping with that.

Unlike earth hospitals, there was no IV-needle taped to his arm, poking him, itching, and hampering his movements. There was also no beep-beep-beep-beep-beeping heart monitor making noises at all hours, which didn't exactly facilitate rest for the sick and injured. A sensor cuff around his wrist transmitted his vitals to the healers' consoles elsewhere on the floor and did so silently, utterly silently.

I hope there are fewer problems with Furling pain meds than heavy-duty earth ones.

Only appendicitis surgery, though, not a long-term energy. Shouldn't be an issue.

"Are you awake this time?" Ragnar asked softly in Furling, breaking the silence. He was sitting on the side of the bed nearer to the door, and until he had spoken, Daniel had not even realized he was there. His greyish fur was not quite as good for blending in as his brother's pitch-black fur, but it worked pretty well.

'Awake.' It was an interesting choice of words that Ragnar had chosen. Furling was an extremely precise language, and that Furling word had a much broader connotation than the English word 'awake.' It was 'awake' in the sense of being awake, sane, and in your right mind and not 'awake' as in half-asleep and barely functioning (like before morning coffee after crawling out of bed at 6am in the morning after staying up well past midnight working on homework).

Daniel blinked slowly. "I think so?" It came out more as a question than a statement. He thought he was thinking clearly, though there was still an edge of fuzzy exhaustion.

Ragnar gave an amused smirk. "Everyone reacts to sleeping-medicine differently," he whispered. "You have taken longer to come out of it fully."

Oh, dear.

"I didn't say anything embarrassing, did I?" Daniel whispered back.

His friend shook his head. "No, you made little sense, though half of what you said wasn't in Furling, English, or Abydonian."

I don't remember a thing.

If I can't remember, I didn't do it?

I wish.

Resolutely pushing away the thoughts of what he might have said and to whom while under the influence of the anesthesia—if most of it wasn't in Furling, English, or Abydonian, they couldn't have understood me—Daniel asked, "Any news?" Enough hours had passed, it seemed, that the Beliskner could already be in the galaxy, wreaking havoc, for all he knew.

Ragnar probably wouldn't be here then.

"Yes and no," Ragnar answered in brief, occasionally glancing over to check that Sha're was sleeping as he gave the updates in a whispered undertone. She's a hard sleeper unless Shifu starts crying. Then she's awake like a shot. "There has been no sign of Commander Thor's ship in the galaxy, thank the Maker, but Sujanha is having ships sweep all systems on the edge of the galaxy facing Ida as well as any important systems that could conceivably have been high enough up in the Beliskner's navigational computer to interest the Replicating Ones. Thor has free right-of-passage within Asteria, and the High Command does not always know when he comes here or where he goes. She's also sent ships to the neighboring galaxies to set up sensors to search for him. The last thing we need is them getting a foothold in another galaxy."

Keep the problem contained.

"Sujanha?" Daniel asked.

"Exhausted but functioning. She was lying down for a few hours when I left earlier. She's leaving for Ida come morning. Any ships that can be spared have been pulled out of Avalon, and most should be arriving here soon. The Asgard defense is faltering without our support, and the loss of Commander Thor is only exacerbating problems. Sujanha is experienced in fighting battles against grievous foes under overwhelming odds. She'll see what she can do."

Some people might not like that, I'd bet.

Daniel nodded.

"Go back to sleep," Ragnar ordered gently at that point. "It's late. I can tell you more tomorrow."


Recovering from appendicitis on Uslisgas was simpler and less painful (compared to earth) with better meds and the application of a healing device to speed things along, but it was still boring. The healing device could speed the healing of his surgical incision, but Daniel still ended up remaining in the hospital for two days after his admittance on the 15th. Still better than having to stay in bed and rest for who knows how long.

Asik occasionally stopped by briefly to bring updates, taking time out of his meal breaks to do so. Ragnar was in Ida with Sujanha, and Asik and Jaax were keeping things running in Sujanha's office, which made Daniel feel bad for getting laid up at a time like this. Not that I had any control over it whatsoever, but still! Two important pieces of news that Asik brought were (1) that the Beliskner had been located at Midgard and subsequently destroyed with the aid of SG1 and (2) that, though severely injured enough to need a new cloned body, Thor had somehow survived.

(Daniel's delight at his former teammates' success was mingled with fear at the close shave that earth had had … again.)

With each day that passed, a few more Furling warships were being returned to service, and each ship that returned was another ship to bolster defenses in Ida until a strategy could be devised to push the Replicating Ones back from around Othala and in the Milky-Way. A strategy besides pummeling them into oblivion? Overwhelming force worked on the Goa'uld, but the Replicating Ones were in another league.

Advanced techno-bugs. I don't know if Sam would be intrigued or horrified.

Or both.

Being laid up meant more uninterrupted time to spend with Sha're and Shifu, but Daniel would have much preferred a better reason for doing so and a better locale. Not the hospital!


A week after Daniel's surgery—on earth, it was now a new millennium on earth!—Sujanha returned from Ida late in the evening. Sha're and Daniel were sitting in the living room working, taking a chance for some quiet time now that Shifu had gone down to sleep for the night. Sha're had a basket of mending by her feet—Shifu was an active toddler, and that meant things got snagged or torn—while Daniel was finishing a couple of reports that he had not had time to finish before leaving the office before supper.

Suddenly, there was a sound and a flash of light from one of the front windows, and a second later, the front door slid open.

"We're in the living room," Daniel called. Noises did not carry well between the floors unless one was standing by the steps and intentionally trying to shout upstairs. He was not concerned about waking Shifu if he talked too loudly.

No need for her to wonder if she's the only one home.

Sujanha appeared in the doorway of the living room a moment later, pulling off her gauntlets. Saying she looked exhausted and wrung out would probably have been an understatement. From all accounts, the fighting in Ida had been some of the fiercest since the days of the Great War. "You are looking better than last I saw you, Daniel," she said as a greeting, sinking into a seat across from the sofa. "I am assuming that I do not need to tell you to go to the healers much earlier next time?" She began in Furling, probably automatically, but caught herself and switched into English after his name.

You default when you're tired.

I sometimes forget what language I'm supposed to be speaking, and I'm a lot less tired than she is.

Abandoning her sowing in her lap, Sha're hid a smile behind one hand, but her dark eyes were dancing.

"Nooooo," Daniel replied. "Furling medicine or not, I'd rather not do that again anytime soon." Not that I could exactly, since humans thankfully only have one appendix.

"Good." Sujanha turned tiredly to Sha're. "Are you well? Is Shifu still teething?"

Sha're nodded, replying in lightly accented English, "I am well but tired. When my child hurts and cannot sleep, I cannot sleep. Dan'yel tries to help, but sometimes Shifu does not want to be soothed."

There are some things you just need your mama for.

"Are you back for good?" Daniel asked. "Or is the fighting still ongoing?"

Sujanha gave a heavy sigh and sank further, almost bonelessly, into the depths of the padded chair she had chosen. "The fighting with the Replicating Ones is always ongoing, just usually not to such desperate extents. Thor has returned to battle, and between what forces we could both commit and some … unconventional tactics, the Replicating Ones have been pushed back from Othala for now. Too many ships and lives were lost, but for now, we have conquered. Bjorn is remaining in Ida for now with extra ships, in case this is only a temporary reprieve, but to the best of our knowledge, we have, as you say, breathing room for now, and there are other matters to which I must turn my attention."

Like retaking what ground we've lost in the Milky-Way. That had been a deep concern. Any planet and system retaken by the Goa'uld would take time, money, resources, and lives to reclaim.

"And I"—Sujanha gave another sigh—"am very tired."

I'm surprised you're still on your feet.

Probably Malek to thank for that.

"Have you eaten yet?" Sha're asked.

Sujanha shook her head. "Not this evening, but I am too exhausted."

Sha're frowned. Community with the family and sense of belonging that came from that had been a major characteristic of village life on Abydos. Hearing about how Sujanha had lived alone for so long, about how she basically had no one aside from Daniel and her bodyguards—whatever her relationship was with her brother, it was … complicated—had aroused his wife's kind heart and protective instincts. Sha're had quickly added Sujanha to her family circle, and even Sujanha was subject to her 'fussing.'

"We'll eat something in the morning. We're just too tired tonight." Sujanha repeated.

I can't imagine Malek is happy about that.

Sha're let the subject slide. Learning how to pick her battles, learning how to convince stubborn people into doing what she wanted was another of her many and diverse skills. She certainly had plenty of time to practice on her brother.

"Any other news?" Daniel asked.

"Thor told me some of SG1's creativity in dealing with the threat of the Replicating Ones onboard the Beliskner and devising ways to bring down the ship while working around the systems not under their control. I was impressed. I can tell you more in the morning."

Daniel nodded. SG1 saves the day again. "No Replicating Ones reached earth?"

Sujanha shook her head.

His eyes went wide. "What?"

"One survived reentry after the Beliskner broke apart. It took control of a Rus-sian sub-mar-ine and killed the crew. Between SG1 and your country's military, the sub-mar-ine and the original Replicating One were successfully destroyed."

He gave a sigh of relief. Another close shave. "I bet that's quite a story, but tomorrow."

Sujanha nodded and pushed herself to her feet. "Unless more disasters occur, I have the day off tomorrow to Malek's … relief. I can give you fuller updates then."

But for now, sleep.