Chapter Two
The upside of getting vital information needed from another him, who is almost exactly like himself, is that it was organized and written out the way he would've done it, making it so much easier and faster to find what they needed. Straight and to the point. It didn't take Daniel long to get what he needed in order to find the weapon they sought or where to find the Ark once they got to the Ori Galaxy.
Retrieving the weapon hadn't been hard, thanks to the information provided. The heads up on Merlin was nice and had played out the way the other Daniel had described. Once the Ancient was out of stasis, he immediately began working on the device, but due to his extended period in stasis and age, he eventually made it possible for him to transfer his consciousness to Daniel in order to complete the weapon, before fading away and restoring Daniel back to normal.
After they had the weapon, only needing to add two more pieces to complete it but didn't want to panic the Ancient or accidently kill them, Earth contacted the Asgard. While Earth had the Odyssey at their disposal, it would take longer to get to the Ori Galaxy and the Asgard's hyperdrive technology was so far advanced, it was what was needed. Time was of the essence. Thor had agreed to the task and allowed a certain amount of SGC personnel aboard his ship, the Daniel Jackson, in case of any medical emergencies or if back up was needed. SG teams 2,3, and 5 would be joining SG-1, along with a medical team Dr. Lam was leading.
It had been only five days since they returned from the alternate reality and they were almost to the Ori Galaxy. Thor's ship was able to make the trip within a day and a half, whereas the Odyssey would've taken much longer. As he gazed out one of the windows into hyperspace, Daniel's thoughts were on his experience to the alternate reality and everything leading up to now. Whenever he thought about his time there, his brain always flashed to the picture wall in other Daniel's office, the pictures of their family. Three children, that Daniel and Vala had three beautiful children. He hadn't known until that moment, seeing those smiling faces, just how badly he wanted that in his life or how much he wanted Vala in his life. It showed him what he and this Vala could be.
Daniel's radio clicked. "Jackson," Mitchell's voice came over it, "Thor says we'll be exiting hyperspace in five minutes. Get to the Bridge."
Daniel stepped away from the window and did as commanded. Once on the Bridge, Sam was fussing with the device, making sure it would go off seconds after exiting hyperspace, giving the Ori no time to try and disable it, Teal'c, Mitchell, and the other SG teams were gearing up, and Daniel headed over to do the same.
"Weapon armed. Counting down," Sam announced, "T minus fifteen seconds."
"Exiting hyperspace in ten seconds," Thor said. Five seconds to exiting, Thor said, "Preparing to beam device."
Thor's ship exited hyperspace and two seconds later, the weapon was beamed out of the ship and went off three seconds later, sending out a blinding light and what felt like a shockwave, rocking the ship. Everyone on the ship was still and silent, waiting for something, anything else to happen. When nothing did, the humans, plus Teal'c, breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Mitchell commented.
"Thor, is everything okay with the ship?" Sam inquired.
Thor looked down at his control panel and moved a few things around. "Everything appears to be functioning correctly," he replied, "No apparent damage from the device or shockwave."
"So that's it?" Cam asked skeptically, "They're gone, just like that?"
"According to the information from the other reality, yeah, that's it," Daniel responded. He walked up to Thor's console. "What about the coordinates where the Ark supposedly is?" They had gone to the planet named Celestis since that was the planet where the Ark, along with the Ori's city, the City of Celestis, was located.
"There appears to be some sort of interference prohibiting me from transporting you directly there, but I can get you close," the alien responded.
"And Vala?" he asked, anticipation leaking into his voice.
Another reason to take an Asgard ship for their super high tech was their ability to locate someone with just a DNA sample in their system. The SGC had provided one from Vala's previous time on Earth before the Supergate incident and Daniel was hoping that their initial assumption had been right, that she had been transported to this galaxy. True, if she wasn't in this solar system, they'd have to look elsewhere, but with the Asgard computer, if you could even call it that, it was still possible to locate her, if she was alive, it would just take longer. Besides, they had to try and find the Orici before she was born and that would most likely require them to look in multiple places. Other Daniel suggested that once the Priors knew the truth from the Ark, they could help lead them to her. Hopefully, they'd also know where Vala ended up.
Thor messed around on his console again. "Based on the DNA sample provided, she appears to be on this planet, though she is far from the coordinates you've given me for this Ark you seek."
"Can you beam me to her location?" Daniel inquired, leaning closer to Thor.
"Yes," was the Asgard's response.
"Jackson?" Mitchell questioned.
Daniel spun to face Mitchell. "I'm going after her," he told them, leaving no room for argument, "You guys can take SG-2, and 5 to get the Ark and I'll take Reynolds and the rest of SG-3 to grab Vala. We all have an anti-Prior device, so we'll be fine."
"Daniel," Sam started to argue.
"I'm going, Sam," he stopped her, "nothing you say is going to stop me."
The rest of his team all shared a look, making Daniel roll his eyes and the rest of the SG teams uncomfortable before they consented – like they had a choice. Mitchell motioned for SG-2 and 5 to stand next to them before requesting Thor to beam them down, which he did obligingly.
Daniel turned to Reynolds. "You ready?"
Reynolds spared a glance at his team before responding, "Ready, Dr. Jackson."
"Thor can you beam us to where Vala is?" the alien nodded, "I'll contact you when we're ready to be beamed back up."
"Very well," Thor acknowledged, "Good luck, Daniel Jackson," Thor offered before beaming them away.
They arrived in a village eerily similar to Ver Eger, the village Vala and him had been transported to when they used the communication device and stones. He shuddered at the memories of all that happened on that particular trip. Unfortunately, their arrival had been quite obvious and had startled many of the villagers. Daniel and SG-3 slowly walked through the village, trying to appear peaceful with no intentions of harming anyone. Hard to do with all the weapons they carried. Thankfully, both he and Reynolds carried an anti-Prior device in their packs so at least they didn't have to worry about the Priors.
Up ahead, Daniel spotted an altar, almost identical to the one Vala had been burned to death on. He shivered again at the sight of it. As he got closer, he realized someone was chained to it, someone with raven hair. He knew that hair. Though the person's face was hidden underneath the hair as they laid there, he knew it was her, it was Vala. Daniel bolted for the altar and ignored Reynolds' call from behind him.
Kneeling before the figure, Daniel gently brushed away the hair and Vala's face appeared. He felt for a pulse and breathed out a sigh of relief. She was alive, she looked terrible and severely dehydrated, but she was alive. "It's her," he called to Reynolds and shurgged off his pack, "she needs medical attention. Contact Thor and have him beam us to the infirmary in a few minutes and Lam waiting."
He didn't check to see if the man did as instructed, too focused on Vala. He gently rubbed her cheek, trying to wake her up. He gently lifted her, so her head was laying on his leg and found his canteen to get her some water. Once the water hit her lips, she began to stir. Daniel knew when she was fully conscious by the way she suddenly stiffened, instantly on alert.
"Vala," he spoke softly, "it's me, Daniel. You're gonna be fine. We're gonna get you out of here and some medical help."
"Daniel?" her cracked voice asked before she began to greedily drink from the canteen.
"Easy," he cautioned and pulled the canteen away from her. "Slow sips or else you'll make yourself sick," she did as instructed. While she drank, Daniel worked on the restraints, freeing her from them. "What the hell did you do this time?"
"Believe it or not, I am actually innocent this time," she responded, sounding more like herself, despite her weak voice.
"With these types of people, I believe it."
"Are you really here or am I just dreaming again?"
"I'm here," he reassured her, gently brushing some hair away from her face and smiled when he realized she had dreamed of him, "and I'm going to get you out of here and back home, safe and sound."
"What do you think you are doing?" a loud and angry voice asked, "No one is allowed to help the unbeliever. Who are you? You are not from here. Where do you come from?"
Daniel looked over at the man briefly, baring sparing him a glance, before focusing Vala again. "I'm helping my friend."
"Release her at once. She must be punished. She is an unbeliever."
"The Ori are dead," Daniel proclaimed loudly for everyone to hear and contained an eyeroll at their gasps of shock, "They're false gods and they're gone now. We deployed a weapon capable of destroying them not long ago."
"Blasphemy!" the man yelled, "Cease them!"
The two men that came forth suddenly fell, blue bolts running up and down their bodies' and the man who ordered it followed seconds later. Daniel glanced over at Reynolds and his team, their zats opened and aimed at the assailants. Daniel nodded his thanks and agreed with the look Reynolds gave him. It was time to go.
"C'mon, Vala, we gotta go," he told her as he carefully lifted her up and that's when he noticed it; the bump. She was pregnant and quite a far way along given the size of the bump. "Fuck," he breathed, shocked and dismayed, "Vala?" he questioned.
"Not here, darling," her weak voice begged, and Daniel realized she was right and nodded. She needed medical attention, more so now given this new information.
He grabbed the communication device Thor had given each of them and was about to use it when a loud, familiar voice stopped him.
"Stop in the name of the Ori!" the Prior ordered, the same Prior/Priest who burned Vala alive the first time.
Daniel groaned at the multiple delays and turned him and Vala to face the Prior. He only hoped Sam's device was working properly. "The Ori are dead, and you can't stop me from leaving and taking her with me."
"The Ori are gods and cannot be killed. You will die for your insolence and blasphemy."
Daniel wasn't proud of it but with everything that had happened in the past week and now finding Vala chained yet again to another altar, pregnant no less, made his snap. Within seconds, he unholstered his sidearm and shot the Prior between the eyes without hesitation and had absolutely no regrets. Well, the anti-Prior device was working. He rolled his eyes at the disbelief faces and shocked gasps from the villagers. That should work in favor of convincing these people that the Ori were false gods and now were gone.
"As I said, the Ori are false gods and are now gone. This Prior's death should be evidence of that. My people will come back and explain more later on, but right now, I need to get my friend medical attention right now," Daniel told them firmly, holstering his beretta, and pressed the button on Thor's device, "Thor, this is Daniel Jackson, requesting for you to beam us to the infirmary please."
"Very well, Daniel Jackson," Thor replied.
"Vala!" someone called out to her.
Daniel's eyes went to the person's voice and saw a man hurrying towards them seconds before he felt the tingles of the Asgard beam. He wondered who the man was. Most likely a friend, he assumed. Some friend, Daniel thought spitefully. What kind of friend would allow their pregnant friend to be chained to an altar for who knows how long? He refused to entertain the possibility that he could've been the baby's father. It also didn't make sense; if the man had indeed been the father, he would've never allowed the mother of his child to be treated in such a way. At least Daniel wouldn't have, no matter what would've happened if he had gone against the Priors or village religious leaders. No, there's no way that man was the father or anyone significant to Vala. And if by some chance he was, he didn't deserve Vala Mal Doran. No one did after allowing her to be treated in such a way, pregnant or not.
Vala was safe now, with him, and that was all that mattered. They'd figure out the rest later.
o0o
Author's Note:
Based on the episode list (or going by them), Vala would've been about halfway through her pregnancy when the episode "Ripple Effect" came out/happened and this chapter is set about a week after that so that's my explanation/solution for that! You may have noticed that I took some liberties with the Merlin's device, but in my defense, we never knew how it turn out so this is my take on it! I took liberties with the Asgard beaming/locating thing as well. The Asgard never had transmitters for SG-1 when Thor would randomly beam Jack up from Earth so I assumed it was somewhat DNA based or something way fancier so I went with DNA. If they actually mentioned how Thor was ableto do it, please let me know and I will fix it!
Also, told you last chapter that this SG-1 was a little... darker. Be warned!
Thoughts?
