Author's Note #1: This chapter was supposed to come ages ago, but a bout of ill health and planning a move seriously delayed me. The second part of this chapter is already done. The third part is in progress. Part 2 will come in a week, and Part 3 will hopefully come the week after.
Vekix, 6546 A.S. (January 2000)
Uslisgas, Asteria Galaxy
Not long after Ruarc returned to Uslisgas from Vorash, bringing word of the earth-shakes that had occurred and calling for aid, Daniel stepped through the Stargate on Ardea and emerged on the citadel of Uslisgas. For a few moments, his mind caught up with Sha're and their child, Daniel did not realize what he had just stepped into.
A few paces out from the Stargate, Daniel finally looked up and around and realized something was wrong—very, very wrong. It was early to mid-afternoon, and at that time of day, the large room in which the Stargate was held was usually rather quiet, occasionally even deserted, save for the occasional guard or maintenance worker. Today, the opposite was true. The hall was bustling. Organized chaos were the words that came to Daniel's mind, as he looked out upon row upon row of soldiers and engineers and anti-grav pallets loaded with supplies. Something somewhere had gone very wrong.
A harried looking engineer waved Daniel out of the way, and the Stargate quickly started to dial out again. Daniel threaded his way through the crowd of people and piles of supplies until he reached the wall along which he could slip towards the exit. His goal: return to Headquarters and find Sujanha. There were enough soldiers present that there must have been some attack somewhere, perhaps at one of the bases in the Milky-Way.
It took Daniel nearly twice the usual amount of time to reach Headquarters from the Stargate. The citadel was itself unusually full, and the transporters were at full capacity with the emergency, so Daniel had to walk and jog across to the other building. Inside, Headquarters was strangely, unnervingly quiet. How busy the building was usually was determined by how many of the high ranking generals and commanders were present at any particular time.
Finally, as Daniel stepped off the lift on Sujanha's floor, he finally saw signs of life. Asik, Jaax, and Ruarc were standing in the doorway to the Commander's outer office. They were talking so quickly that for a few moments Daniel had trouble understanding what they were saying, coming in as he was in the middle of a conversation. Hearing the lift, Ruarc broke off from what he is saying and spun towards Daniel.
"Good, you're here," the bodyguard said, his ears pinned back to his head in agitation.
"What on earth is going on?" Daniel replied, Ruarc's agitation heightening his own unease, "The whole citadel's on edge, and I've never seen it so crowded. Are we under attack?"
"No. The Commander was asked to come to Vorash this morning, and now there have been severe earth-shakes on a planet not believed to be prone to such tremors. The Tok'ra tunnel system is in disarray. There are trapped and injured everywhere."
Daniel gulped. Though he was not prone to claustrophobia, having been in many tight spaces during his former digs in Egypt, the thought of being trapped in those tunnels was … ugh. "Talk about suspicious coincidence," he muttered, "Your brother and the Lady, are they alright?"
"Ragnar is uninjured though trapped. The Commander is trapped in one of the lower levels in a small room. She has not said so specifically, but I fear she is injured. Potentially how severely, I do not know. She is not a good judge."
Daniel nodded, filing away Ruarc's last comment for future thought, and then asked, "So all the people, we're sending aid?"
"As quickly as possible," Ruarc replied. He paused and turned back to the two other aids, "I'll keep you updated. You have your orders for now."
Asik and Jaax made dual tones of assent, and then Ruarc made for the lift, motioning for Daniel to follow. "We are sending troops and engineers to Vorash in all haste," he said, as they rode down to the main floor, "in case those tremors were not caused by natural means, which could preclude an attack. Ships are already on their way."
"That's a thing, causing tremors artificially?"
"Yes," Ruarc replied, as they stepped outside back onto the floor of the citadel, "We have such technology, though it was created to counter tremors not to create them. Tremors can also be induced with sufficient explosive force in the right locations."
Daniel shuddered at the thought. "Why can't our ships just beam the injured and trapped out?" He asked, puffing slightly as he hurried to keep up with Ruarc who was making tracks back to the Stargate, though not flat out running.
"The short, simple answer: beamings happen sequentially overtime and cannot be coordinated between ships. Without studying the tunnels and the collapses first for weak points, beaming out people could shift weights enough to cause further collapses and just compound a disaster."
"Uh, bad idea then," said Daniel, "What am I supposed to be doing exactly?"
"For the moment, nothing," Ruarc replied, "Algar is in command until Sujanha is freed, and he has his own aids. As soon as she's freed, she'll need you by her side again."
The crowd in the Stargate facility had greatly lessened but was still larger than usual. Ruarc and Daniel went through the Stargate with the next group. The whole landscape of Vorash had shifted, not just because of the influx of men, machines, and supplies. The dunes had changed shape. Gaping holes had appeared where tunnels near the surface had collapsed or broken open, exposing them to the sky above.
"Creator have mercy!" Daniel exclaimed. He was not a religious man by nature. He had seen too much, too many horrors to really believe there could be a god ruling over all, but the Furling beliefs were starting to rub off on him, even though he still wondered how their faith was so staunch despite thousands of years of war.
Daniel spent several hours on the surface of Vorash, helping where he could. Sometimes that was helping move debris or being an extra pair of hands for the healers. Other times that involved translating between the Furlings and the Tok'ra who did not speak English. By mid-evening, Daniel was exhausted, and Ruarc sent him up to the Oshrocco to get some food and rest for a few hours.
The Oshrocco was one of the Furling fleet's 10 'hospital' ships. As the name implied, those ships were massive, floating hospitals, nearly two miles in length. With a massive complement of healers from all the races of Asteria, the ships could hold about 2000 patients at a time, even containing statis pods for transporting severely-wounded people back to Asteria for more advanced treatment. The Oshrocco was flanked by five warships of multiple classes, including Sujanha's flagship, guarding the planet in case of attack.
Daniel ate a quick sandwich and then found a free bed in a room set aside for resting workers. Sometime later, a hand shaking his shoulder jolted him from sleep. He opened his eyes to see Ruarc standing beside the bed.
"The cavern where the Commander is trapped has almost been reached."
Suddenly wide-awake, Daniel bolted upright and swung his feet over the side of the bed, "Thanks for waking me. Howe long was I asleep?"
"Several hours," Ruarc replied, "You were exhausted."
Unwilling to wait any longer for news on their missing commander or to remain on the Oshrocco until she was freed and beamed up, Daniel and Ruarc beamed down to the surface of Vorash. Much had changed since Daniel had arrived that morning. Some parts of the planet's surface now bore a striking resemblance to the archaeological sites Daniel had been at once upon a time. In some instances, the Furling engineers had simply dug straight down to reach trapped survivors, instead of taking the time to clear out and shore up the damaged tunnels.
Jacob-Selmak had also appeared since Daniel had gone to the Oshrocco to eat and rest. He stated that he had been recalled early because of the emergency and the suspicious circumstances of the event. The three men stood together near the hole which led down to the region where Sujanha, Ragnar, and several Tok'ra were still trapped.
The corridor outside the main chamber was breached first, and two Tok'ra with minor injuries were pulled out, as well as a snarling and impatient, though thankfully unhurt, Ragnar. The two brothers embraced heartily with more than one murmured prayer of thanksgiving. Soon their delight at being reunited soured, as Ragnar began to speak to his brother in a hushed voice, his eyes filled with unease and concern.
Jacob-Selmak was the first to pick up on the change in mood between the two brothers. "What's wrong?" Jacob asked.
Daniel had turned away back toward the hole, allowing the two, usually restrained brothers a little privacy. At Jacob's concerned question, he turned back quickly, his face filled with puzzlement, having missed the hushed conversation.
"Su … the Commander hasn't answered her comm for several hours," Ragnar said, turning from his brother towards the others, "even though I spoke to her multiple times earlier in the day."
"How was she?" Daniel asked.
"She was all business, as you say. She asked after us, was concerned for her companions. She spoke of no injuries."
"Not that that means much…" Ruarc muttered under his breath.
Daniel and Jacob exchanged puzzled glances at the black wolf's last comment but let it slide for the moment. The brothers went back to their hushed discussion, as they all continued to wait. A short time passed, and then a shout went up from the work zone, echoing off the crystal walls. The four approached closer to the hole, careful to still stay out of the way. Within a few minutes, three floating pallets were carefully pulled from the ground, one covered respectfully in a worker's cloak. On the other two were Sujanha and a blond haired woman in the brown uniform of the Tok'ra.
The three pallets along with the two brothers, Jacob-Selmak, and Daniel were immediately beamed up to one of the med bays aboard Oshrocco. The nameless Tok'ra woman and Sujanha were immediately transferred to two high-tech beds holographic screens projected on the wall behind, displaying the vital signs of the injured occupants. A Lapith healer immediately began to treat the Tok'ra, while Kaja, Sujanha's personal healer, an older human woman, whom Daniel had not seen since his wife had been rescued from Abydos, appeared from the hallway.
"The air was growing thin in the tunnels," Ragnar rumbled to the Lapith healer, "even for me."
As Kaja began to run a Furling healing device over Sujanha's body, the Tok'ra seemed to begin to stir slightly, and Jacob, in control for now, stepped towards her. When he was within a pace of her bed, which was just a few feet from Sujanha's bed, Jacob suddenly jerked backwards, a look of consternation and surprise filling his face.
Half a second, Kaja herself cried out in surprise, letting loose a torrent of words, half in Furling and half in her own language.
Ragnar and Ruarc exchanged uneasy glances and both tensed. "What's wrong?" Ruarc growled.
Jacob seemed too shocked for words, but Kaja replied wordlessly, bringing up a 3D holographic screen above Sujanha's prone form. Her injuries and other abnormal readings were highlighted in red, which stood out harshly against the green of the hologram. Daniel's gaze first was drawn by the torrent of red on her back and within the right side of her chest, barely even noticing the red coating her feet and already starting to trace up her legs. A split-second later, he caught sight of a red form, unmistakably that of a Goa'uld symbiote, curled around her spinal cord.
Ragnar stood motionless, his eyes full of bewildered surprise, but Ruarc let out a low growl.
Daniel was flabbergasted. His brain seemed to hit the pause button. What on earth?
"Would someone like to explain this to me?" The old healer asked, her tone turned biting with shock, stress, and surprise, stabbing one finger toward the holographic screen.
"Kelmaa is uninjured, but Malek's host is dying," Ragnar muttered.
Ruarc turned to his brother, "What?"
"Kelmaa is uninjured, but Malek's host is dying," Ragnar repeated, rubbing his chin with one paw, "That was one of the first things the Commander told me when I raised her on comms the first time."
"Which would make that Kelmaa," continued Ruarc, gesturing toward the woman, who had settled down without regaining consciousness, "and the fallen one …"
"Loknu," Jacob filled in, recovering from his surprise, "Loknu was the body we recovered. He and Kelmaa frequently worked together." He seemed tense to Daniel, who was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Sujanha suddenly had a symbiote. What on earth happened down there?
"Are we sure this was a consensual blending?" Kaja asked, "The Commander never spoke of even considering becoming a host."
"The Tok'ra do not take unwilling hosts," Selmak snapped, taking over control from his host.
Except when they do, Daniel thought silently, remembering what Sam had gone through with Jolinar. He was reassured to remember that the Furlings could become hosts but were mentally and physically advanced enough to fight for control of the body.
"There is no reason to jump to hasty conclusions without more evidence of what went on in that room," Ruarc said, stepping forward to calm everyone, "Kaja, care for the Commander's injuries as best you can, factoring in the symbiote's presence. As soon as either of them awaken, have us sent for."
Both healers nodded, and Jacob-Selmak, Daniel, and Ragnar all stepped out or rather were shoed out by Ruarc, who followed them into the hallway.
"Brother, please show the others up to the Commander's study. I will join you in a few minutes. Until I return, Jacob-Selmak, please do not speak of this development to anyone."
Sujanha's private study was a small room, austere in its simplicity. The only furniture was a table with four chairs in the center of the room and a small bookcase by the door that led to her office, containing a few books, scrolls, and tablets.
Ragnar began to pace with agitation, as soon as the door closed behind Daniel, the last to enter the study. "I never should have left her side," he raged in English in a temper born of grief and guilt.
"There was no sign before this that Vorash was prone to earthquake," Jacob began, taking a seat at the table, "and our base was not built near any fault lines. You could not have known."
Which is itself suspicious. Daniel thought, before the image of that hologram with its red coating came again to his mind. "How badly is she hurt?" He asked.
Ragnar continued his restless pacing for another minute, before he slowed and looked across at Daniel. "Badly, especially for her." Daniel understood what Ragnar was not saying, what he would not say in front of the Tok'ra, even Jacob-Selmak. Because of the lingering aftereffects of the Sicarii poison, Sujanha's health was more fragile than the usual stalwart Furling constitution. Those aftereffects were going to be a problem here.
"Even with your technology?" Jacob questioned, "And Malek?"
Ragnar nodded.
Jacob hesitated, before asking cautiously, "Are her injuries fatal?"
Ragnar shook his head in vehement denial, "No, but I will not be surprised if she is down for at least a week. The red along her back and chest, she has multiple broken or cracked ribs and internal damage, how severe I do not know. The red along her feet and legs, she almost certainly has crystal debris lodged in her feet, and an infection has entered her blood."
Jacob bowed his head, and Selmak came forward, "Algar will rule in her absence?"
"Unless a situation arises that makes the High Command deem it wise to request that Thor rule until her return," Ragnar confirmed, a comment which greatly puzzled Daniel. How could the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet also rule as the Supreme Commander of the Furling Fleet. Politics, he concluded after a few moments' thought, that I don't know about.
A noise came from the door, and Ruarc entered. "I have sent messages to Anarr and Algar to come with all possible speed," he spoke as greeting, waving all those standing to seats at the table, "This situation is going to be a political nightmare, when word gets out." He sank into a chair and then looked across at Jacob-Selmak, "Tell me about Malek."
"In what respect?" Jacob asked. "His personality? His position among the Tok'ra? What he is like as a partner?"
"All the basics," Ruarc replied, "Whatever prompted the lady to make this choice, the repercussions are potentially immense, and the politics more complicated than you can imagine. I need to be able to give my Commander a report when he arrives." His words did nothing to alleviate Daniel's growing unease. Imagine if one of the Joint Chiefs took a Tok'ra symbiote… It would be a disaster.
"As to their blending and Malek's personality," Jacob began, "I think this will either be a match made in heaven, or they'll want to kill each other within a weak. Malek's a good kid, but he's young. He's smart, cunning, dedicated, loyal, detailed oriented, and extremely protective of his hosts, but he is also at times stubborn as a mule, blunt to the point of rudeness, and arrogant with the manner of the proverbial bull in a china shop." He paused, thinking for a moment. None of the others spoke. "Malek is a high-ranking member among the Tok'ra. Occasionally, he works as an operative, but his main positions are as a biochemist and data analyst."
"For the good of our alliance, would your High Council be willing to let him go?" Ruarc asked. He seemed to have the basic idea of what Jacob was saying, even though Daniel knew that the English idioms would have gone straight over his head.
"It depends upon what you mean," Jacob replied, "We could do without him on a daily basis, as long as we still had access to him on occasion."
"There would be no thought of restricting your access to one of your own people," Ragnar added, "but our king will not allow her to join your people, as others of us have done."
Daniel understood what Jacob-Selmak would not, what neither bodyguard would verbalize. Sujanha was not just the Supreme Commander of the Furling Fleet but also third in line to the throne of the one of the most powerful empires in the known universe. With only Anarr's son behind her in the line of succession, there was no way that the Furlings would allow Sujanha to stay on Vorash where the threat level was so high.
"When you speak of political ramifications, to what do you refer?" Selmak asked, taking back control smoothly.
"Nothing that will impact the alliance," Ruarc replied, scrubbing his paws across his muzzle, "but it is almost certain that the Commander will be asked to step down."
"Or be forced to step down…" Ragnar muttered under his breath in Furling, words so low that only Daniel sitting next to him seemed to here.
A noise prevented from Selmak asking any questions that Ruarc's statement had prompted. The door opened, and Kaja appeared. "Kelmaa is awake and asking for you or Ragnar," she spoke, looking across at Ruarc, "The Commander has not yet awakened."
Ruarc rose with a nod of acknowledgment and motioned for Selmak to follow but made a gesture, indication for Ragnar and Daniel to remain. As soon as the door closed behind them, Daniel turned to Ragnar. "Could the Commander truly be forced to step down?" he said in a rush of breath, "I thought High Councilors held their positions for life."
"In most cases, they do," Ragnar replied, rising from his seat and beginning to prowl around the room again with restless energy, "but in rare cases, it is possible to unseat a serving High Councilor with a united vote of the remainder of the High Council and the approval of the monarch."
"Has that ever happened before?" Daniel asked cautiously, realizing that he was wading into a very complex issue.
"Twice in recorded history," Ragnar replied immediately, seeming to know the numbers off the top of his head, "Although on eight occasions it has been put to a vote of the Council. It is a rare measure to put into effect and only in severe circumstances. Such a measure is generally viewed as a disgrace to the one forced out."
"Could they get enough votes to force her out? Would Commander Anarr vote against his own sister? Or High Commander Algar?"
"I think it would rain water on Drehond before the Council actually received a unanimous vote, but if the vote were close or the King requested she step down, the Commander might step down without forcing the issue," Ragnar replied. Considering Drehond, the homeworld of the Dovahkiin, was a volcanic, fire-world, it was not going to be raining there ever.
"When was the last time a vote was called?" Is this an antiquated custom? Or has it been used recently.
"In 6483 A.S., fifteen years after the end of the Furling-Sicarii War," Ragnar replied, his voice trailing off into a growl at the end, "when the Commander was still on medical leave and some on the High Council wished to unseat her."
Daniel's brain ground to a screeching halt, hearing Ragnar's words. Medical leave? Why would the Council want to unseat her? From the talk I've heard, she's one of the best Supreme Commanders they've ever had.
"Hold up! Hold up!" Daniel said, "I think I missed that history lesson when I arrived. And why would they want to unseat her anyway?"
"Politics, Daniel, politics," Ragnar replied with a weary sigh, "Politics are always complicated and messy no matter the race, no matter the system of government. As you know, Sujanha was poisoned during the war and barely survived. She dragged herself back to the front too soon when she should have remained in the healers' halls, and her health has never been the same. By the end of the war, her health was shattered, and she collapsed. Algar was made Acting Supreme Commander. The healers gave her a year to live. My brother and I, we had watched her health steadily decline for decades. By the end of the war, she already could hear the Winds of Night singing in her ears. We gave her two months. Unexpectedly, she proved herself too stubborn to die and lived for two months, six months, and then a year. A year stretched into several, which stretched into a decade."
"I guess a decade of medical leave is not as surprising when you live for as long as you do," Daniel noted, "That would be unheard of on earth."
"Extensive medical leave for years or decades is still somewhat unusual among us, though not unheard of," Ragnar replied, "After she had spent fifteen years among the Dovahkiin with limited contact with Uslisgas, one of the High Councilors put forward a motion during the summer of that year to have Sujanha retired from her duties as Supreme Commander, citing her long absence, extremely poor health—which had no guarantee of ever being healed if she ever survived—and the ongoing disruption of the chain of command."
That would explain Sujanha's friendship with Zinjotnax, Daniel thought as he said at the same time, "Those points sound … reasonable." He still had a sense that there were some details that Ragnar was leaving out,
"For one who knew less than he thought he did about the operations of the fleet, perhaps that would be true," replied Ragnar, finally retaking his seat after pacing several more laps of the room, "Supreme Commanders and High Commanders have taken long absences from the fleet before when necessary, and no war was ongoing at that time, and when there is no war, there is, in theory, less for a Supreme Commander to do on a day-to-day basis, unless you are Sujanha with an eye for fine details and a tendency to look over matters with, what was that strange saying of yours, a fine tooth comb. As to the second point, the Commander's health was a concern, but the fact that she had even survived for fifteen years was a miracle and a good sign in her favor. And anyone who knew her well should have known that if her health remained that fragile and broken, she would not have remained as leader. She cares about her men too much to risk them because of her ill health. As to the last point, the chain of command was no more disrupted by her absence than it was by the numerous other absent slots further down the chain. The turnover rate of commanders of all ranks was extremely high during much of the war. By the time Sujanha took command, becoming Supreme Commander or High Commander was essentially a death sentence."
Daniel was quiet for several long minutes after Ragnar finished, trying to digest it all, "So why," he finally asked, "do they still want to unseat the Commander?"
"Several reasons that largely tie back to politics," Ragnar replied with a half-sneer and flash of teeth. He was always the most expressively protective of Sujanha and the least fond of politics. "Her health is still a major issue to some. Transferring power from a retiring commander to his chosen successor is less complicated than when a commander unexpectedly dies. With Malek's presence, some will likely now deem her judgment and loyalty to the Empire compromised, and her choice will only confirm her in the minds of some as a maverick and a risk-taker."
"Sujanha?" Daniel cried out in surprise, forgetting to even call her by her title. "She goes over every plan with a fine tooth comb. She can take days to approve simple plans. She is about as far from a maverick and a risk-taker as one can get."
"Compared to many on the High Council, Sujanha is comparatively young, so is Anarr for that matter, and she was the youngest Supreme Commander in history when she rose to power. It took many risks and much … creativity … to win the war against the Sicarii, risks that would have meant certain destruction if they failed but were our salvation against the long defeat. Her methods are effective but not always popular, though she has had no need of them against the Goa'uld."
"Necessity is the mother of invention," Daniel muttered.
"That is often true," Ragnar replied, "Some on the High Council also feel that the presence of her and her brother give the king too much influence over the council."
Daniel looked at Ragnar askance, "Isn't the whole point of the High Council to assist the king after the empire grew too large for one man to rule alone?"
"Yes, but the High Council is supposed to be able to stand against the king and overrule him if the worst happens, Creator forbid, but it requires a unanimous vote of the council."
"Which, at the moment, would require both the second and third in line to vote against the king…" Daniel noted.
"Yes, and thus you see why I say that Furling politics are extremely complicated."
Within twenty minutes, Ruarc and Selmak returned alone. Daniel and Ragnar broke off their conversation, leaving the young man with much to contemplate. Life is never going to be the same again.
"The good news is the blending was consensual, Kelmaa says. Malek's host was dying, and the lady thought it would be dishonorable not to offer him a chance to live. Kelmaa was quite concerned for the Commander and had not realized she had been hurt. She also had a message from the lady for me to give to the High Command," said Ruarc, "The bad news is a rumor about the lady is already starting to spread."
Selmak started to speak, but Daniel leaned over toward Ragnar and quietly asked in Furling. "How could the lady not have known she was injured that badly?"
"Easily," Ragnar replied in the same tongue, "The Commander is a lady of single-minded focus in the field. She is prepared to ignore her own needs to achieve the necessary end goal. She has an extremely high pain tolerance, necessary for surviving the past centuries since our medicines cannot do much for her pain, and a talent for compartmentalizing. Unfortunately, both those things can make her, unwittingly, a danger to herself. She is rarely good at judging her own injuries, and more than once I've seen her push aside the pain and keep working, even when she should be in the Healers' Halls. There is a reason Commander Anarr assigned us to her, and it is not just because of danger from outsiders."
