Kylee hadn't heard from Major Carter in a while, or the Colonel. She had assumed at least one of them would be ordering her back by now as she'd run farther than directed to. It was probably best that she make her way back to the base while it was still light out, ordered to or not. She didn't want to press her luck with these guys right now. She'd stopped at the crest of a hill to take in the scenery overlooking a lake where she could see some flying fish flitting over the water, catching insects. Something that looked like a dragonfly (she thought) zipped past her, only to be swallowed by what looked to be a frog with a tail. Maybe evolved from a salamander, or just locally evolved fauna? It was amazing how similar to Earth this turned to look towards where she'd come from, sure she could navigate her way 'd started the run orientating herself with this planet's sun to her right so she could avoid having a search and rescue party coming after her on her first day out. Besides, a night out here without food was not something she really had any intention of enduring. She had plenty of faith in her own survival skills, but alien food stuffs... she wasn't going to take chance on berries filled with arsenic.
She started back the way she came, hoping that maybe the ear piece might spring back to life, but also wanting to enjoy the scenery a bit more before facing whatever further tests they had in mind. After a couple of seconds, she heard something that sounded like chatting, vague noises that indicated she was merely out of range. To that, she had to give Sam some credit in the insulation putty she used to prevent Kylee from just destroying the earpiece in seconds. Return trip is go, she thought to herself with a 's when she heard it. A bellowing noise riding on the air and causing her to jump. She blinked. Had that been a sonic boom finally catching up with her? No, she would have already heard it if that were the case. Besides it sounded… like an animal? Yes. She was sure of it. She looked around, trying to find what creature would make that kind of a noise and if it was close enough for her to see before she heard it again, the unmistakable sound of an animal's roar.
A familiar roar. Wait… It couldn't be… could it?Taking off in the direction of the roar it was seconds before she heard a chatter return on the radio, Jack's voice, telling her to get back to the base 'pronto'. Pronto? She could do pronto. Responding to the radio wouldn't work given that her voice would be lost to the wind with how fast she was moving. She would need to come up with a better radio design that worked at her speeds some day.
Breaking through the forest brush, she ran into a familiar clearing and came to a stop to survey the area. At the edge of the clearing stood a large, glowing cat, one she had known for almost as long as she'd had her powers.
"Orion!" she shouted excitedly, before closing the distance and skidding to a stop between the two parties raising her arms in a placating gesture, not sure exactly how O'Neill was taking the inexplicable creature before him, although given how he and Major Carter had their weapons lowered but ready in hand, she could tell that they were uneasy. She could disarm them all in a heartbeat, if she actually thought she had to. And she would do it in a heartbeat if she thought they were going to try and hurt her friend… even if it probably wouldn't do any damage.
She helped up her hands to SG-1 and gave an uneasy smile. "Guys, it's cool. I know this guy."
"How?" Sam asked, her eyes focused and tense. Kylee couldn't understand how she managed to accept that a girl could have super speed but, somehow, an oversized, glowing feline couldn't exist. The speedster suppressed an eyeroll. That woman needed to use her imagination if she was gonna wax theoretical about alternate realities.
"He's from my world. He's basically our Obi-wan," Kylee explained, falling back to the old joke because she really couldn't hide her astonishment at her friend's sudden arrival. She smirked when Orion huffed gruffly from behind her, the puff of air blowing at her hair as he protested the comparison."Now hang on a second. Did you know he was going to show up here?" the Colonel's jaw was hard and his brows knit as he watched the lion carefully. The tone left no room for interpretation, he was questioning her motives.
"Uh… No. He's… I had no idea," she said tumbling over her words. So sue her, she was excited. Never in her wildest dreams did she think Orion would show up within days of getting here. "What was I supposed to tell you guys? 'By the way General, I have a friend who is basically Space Aslan', you'd have thought I was nuts!"
"Oh, no, we still think that," O'Neill said, his tone as dry as sandpaper. Kylee huffed softly, her brows drawing together as she exasperatedly looked to Sam and met her eyes uncertainty.
"Hmf. I agree. She is quite the handful," Orion said in a rumbling voice as he nudged her in the back with his nose, then rose his head to nuzzle her just like a regular cat might. Orion had always been like a cosmic grandfather they'd never had, and that kind of a relationship occasionally came with the tendency to faceplant into fluff. And for a creature who was made of hard light, he was exceptionally fluffy. Kylee returned the gesture with a hug, unable to stop herself from smiling as he rubbed him under his chin affectionately. "It is good to see you, young one.
"She could not have known I would find her. This power to travel between realities is not something I share freely. Nor is it easy, or wise to use it regularly. There are many potential consequences for crossing borders which are not meant to be crossed." Oddly, Kylee wasn't surprised that the lion kept things like that close to the vest considering the company he kept, and his protege being only fifteen. Great power; great responsibility, and all that."If...if I knew he'd come get me I wouldn't have been quite as worried as I was before about getting home," she agreed as a feeling of relief swept over her. She could go home now.
Orion glanced down at her with a peculiar, unfamiliar expression. Given the lion's looks and his glowing white eyes, it wasn't always easy to discern emotion on his face. Normally he seemed to either have what she assumed was the neutral lion expression, sternness, or a proud smile on his muzzle. This seemed more like a worried frown, maybe regret?
"No doubt she has told you about the recent events which have transpired in the Infinity Cascade? The ordeal with the Host? The arena? Yes?" Orion asked, choosing to focus his attention to the four soldiers ahead of him. Kylee frowned and followed his gaze, meeting eyes with Sam again, and her brow was creased with a focused frown tugging at her lips."What's the Infinity Cascade?" Jack asked, switching his focus to Kylee for the answer. She snapped her attention up, her own thoughts beginning to tug her focus away as she considered all the possibilities of Orion's grim demeanour.
"It's the place she was brought to before she arrived in our reality," Sam said. "And she has told us a little. Either way we're aware of what happened."
"They got the cliff notes," Kylee said evasively. It was an understatement as she had only told them what had happened immediately before she had arrived here. Describing the Infinity cascade was difficult enough. She knew what it looked like - like being suspended over an ever spinning cyclone of energy and the technicolor... Whatever it was, perhaps a visual representation of all space and time, spilled into the center as if it had been drawn in. "It was sort of like a space station, I guess, except for realities."
Sam frowned at the admission that she was withholding information, but Kylee couldn't tell if it was out of concern or merely scientific interest. Then she looked over at Orion. "If you're here looking for her, has the situation been resolved?"
"It is a complicated matter, but yes it has, as far as it pertains to the Infinity Cascade. But there are now other issues that must be addressed.," Orion replied, gazing at Carter curiously, and for perhaps too long. Ky noticed Sam growing uneasy as the lion took her features in. He must have recognized her, the younger blond thought. Orion then turned his head to O'Neill, addressing the rest of the group. "I must speak to whomever is responsible for making decisions regarding her."
"That depends on what kind of decisions we're talking about," said the Colonel, his brows knit and tapping his fingers against the gun he held loosely over his stomach while he thought it over. "Are you implying that you're not taking her back?"
"As I said, it is a complicated matter. Which is why I seek an audience with you and whoever else is involved. I must know to whom I am entrusting her," Orion said finally, then turned his eyes to the girl in question. "I am deeply sorry Kylee, but you cannot go home."
Kylee had never really known what it was like to feel that someone's words had socked her in the gut… until now. She very nearly staggered back as those words struck her to her very core. Distantly, she felt her brows knit as she looked to Orion in shock, as if expecting him to suddenly turn to her and say 'just kidding'. He wouldn't though. He didn't joke like that. Part of her still wished he did because… no… this couldn't be happening... She found her gaze drifting to any of the others for a better answer.
She was about to speak (although she had no idea what she would say), before O'Neill spoke up instead.
"Well why the hell not?"
When only Major Carter came through the Stargate, General Hammond felt worry stir within him. At some level he knew there was trouble after she handed off her P90 to an SF, a muted expression on her face. Something had happened, he surmised, otherwise there would have been a radio correspondence. She handed the rest of her gear to an airman before heading up to the control room to meet him."Sir," she said.
"Major. I expect this is more than just a social call. What's going on?" He asked, briefly looking her up and down for any sign that something might be wrong.
"A entity from Kylee's world appeared on Alpha site. He wants to speak with you and anyone else involved in decisions that effect her wellbeing," Sam replied. Hammond rarely saw her eyes grow that hard and knew she was pushing down her emotions though she kept her voice firm and measured.
"Is that so? Well how did he get to this universe? And for that matter, how did he manage to find his way all the way to Alpha Site?" Hammond asked, finding the whole scenario hard to believe. In fact, it seemed almost too good to be true.
"Well, Sir, he has the ability to travel between realities," Carter explained promptly. "He must have tracked her somehow. He seems to be similar to the ascended being from Kheb, but he takes the form of a white lion."
"What do we know about his intentions?" As incredulous as it was to hear the nature of this creature, it's relative strangeness was nothing compared to something like a Retu, though that probably said more about SGC's day-to-day encounters than anything else. .
"So far he's shown no hostility, but he's stated outright he has no intention of taking Kylee home. In fact, he said she can't go back, but he hasn't elaborated on why because he wants to speak with whoever is in charge of what happens to Kylee. He said he'd answer any questions then." Right. Too good to be true as he'd assumed. Sam looked just as anxious now as she had the moment she'd laid eyes on those test results, and Hammond didn't need to guess why. The implications of this development were not lost on him, the Major's life had just radically changed. Again.
"Does he intend to come to the base?" Hammond asked, split on the decision of allowing such a bizarre creature in Chyanne Mountain, but considering how he qualified as a foreign dignitary Hammond knew he may have to allow it."Actually, Sir, it may be more efficient to go off world to meet with him. Size may be an issue," Hammond paused, mulling over his options before nodding firmly to the major..
"Right. I'll be ready to gate out in thirty minutes," Hammond replied. "Best not to keep our guests waiting."
"Yes sir," she said, her eyes turning away from the General towards the gate while he went to get into his BDUs. It was going to be a long evening.
With Jack out at the camp informing everyone there about their current plans and the situation, and Sam back at the SGC briefing Hammond on what had been requested, Daniel and Teal'c had been left to watch over things back at the air strip. Dr. Daniel Jackson wasn't exactly one hundred percent sure he understood the full scope of what was going on, but it wasn't hard to understand the implications of what Orion had said. Kylee wasn't going home, and Orion was planning on gauging whether or not they were suitable caretakers for her.
He could only guess what was going through her head. Abandonment probably, anger likely, given the way she was whittling at a stick and using her powers to ignite the spiraled ribbons of wood fiber."That seems… Cathartic," Daniel said as he observed the action again and watching the wood crackle as it floated up into the air. Her expression said it all to him. She hurt, but was using anger to push back her other emotions lest she despair. He had assumed that this was yet another in a long list of emotional blows she had to endure, and he wouldn't be surprised if she felt like she'd failed somehow. He could relate to that in so many ways.
"It's okay," Kylee replied with a hollow voice, obviously trying to convince herself more than anyone else. After taking a glance at glowing shape of Orion settled near the stargate, Daniel walked up and took a seat next to her, folding his hands and resting his arms against his bent knees."You know, you could talk about it. If not with me you could with Teal'c. He's a good listener," Daniel said, trying to project a light-hearted tone but when Kylee shot him a look he felt perhaps he'd come across as a touch patronizing. He wasn't always sure how to talk to younger people, but he thought he'd gotten better at it since Cassandra had come along. He decided to try again, taking the time to choose his words carefully.
"I know you must think I can't understand what you're going through.-"
"Well, can you? Specifically? It's kind of a niche situation for empathy…" Kylee cut in, with hardness in her words that Daniel hadn't heard before. At the end, there, her fear made her voice crack with the welling emotions she was forcing down.
"Have I gone through something horrible? Of course. It's actually a pretty long list and I'm sure there's a few things I've gone through that you had the luxury of avoiding," Daniel said firmly, making a point to maintain a calm, steady voice. "Every one of us have had some personal tragedy. Jack, Sam, Teal'c… I lost my wife to the Goa'uld, and she was killed last year because the Goa'uld inside of her was trying to kill me. Trust me, this isn't a contest."
Kylee stared at him, eyes wide and wet, then turning her head down and tossing the piece of wood away.
"I'm… I'm sorry," She stammered, a guilty look forming on her face. "And… talking… oh, boy. I'm not really sure where - or how - to start."
"Could start with how you're feeling right now…" Daniel suggested, thinking maybe her feelings about the moment were worth addressing.
"Okay, Dr Phil…" Kylee grumbled and sighed, folding her little multi tool and slipping it into a slit inside of her boot.
"Is that another future cultural reference?"
"I coulda sworn you would have gotten that one." The girl shrugged, and then let her arms hang loosely against the knees, crossed at the wrists.
"This wasn't what I envisioned my life was gonna be at twenty. I mean, I guess I didn't have a plan for twenty, but being stranded in another reality wasn't even in the running," Kylee muttered mirthlessly.
"Well, see, that's actually happened to me once," Daniel replied, still trying to lighten the mood. Besides, it was a point worth making.
"But you didn't get stranded. For life. Away from your friends and family," Kylee returned, frowning as she stared at the ground.
"Um, no, but I was afraid I might die there. The Goa'uld had attacked that version of Earth and the information I brought back from that universe saved ours from being completely taken over," Daniel explained, as he heard some chatter on the radio, he hesitated in turning up the volume but he was waiting on an update. He held up a finger to forestall her from speaking more and turned his attention to the radio.
"Daniel. Teal'c. The General's on his way to the camp. Time to head over," Jack's voice crackled over the static. Oh, good. They'd get the whole story now.
"That's our que," Daniel said, watching as the girl closed her eyes and rose to her feet. Then she brushed herself off and turned her gaze to the camp illuminated by utility lights. He could see in the distance the lion walking towards the area as well with the silhouette of Sam and Hammond as well as a handful of SFs following saw them too. Then she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this…"
"Nobody ever is," Daniel said sympathetically, speaking from years of experience. You don't just walk into a new life ready for every challenge it throws at you. To go from a life lived at break-neck speeds, then change gears to something like this where restraint was an absolute necessity, he could understand her reluctance.
"You know," Daniel said as he fell into step beside her, "when I met my wife, we helped her people free themselves from Gou'auld rule. One thing that drew me to her was how in a society that had been beaten down into subservience, she still had the courage to stand up. I left my life here for her. Gave up everything I knew to live with her and her family. Then she was taken from me and my life changed again. I'm not going to lie and say everything will just fall into place, but I am saying you have support here. Teal'c, Jack, General Hammond, Doctor Fraiser, me… but especially Sam, we'll do everything we can to help you out." He shot her a smile, hoping his words might bolster her spirits before they heard the rest of the bad news.
She didn't look at him, but the corners of her lips tightened and she nodded. He didn't know if he'd helped her or not, but he'd given it his best shot. They walked the rest of the way to camp in silence.
Sam stepped through the event horizon and out onto the platform, flashlight in hand given the dark weather. They really didn't have that much daylight left. She was going to have to calculate better planetary time differential algorithms for all of their off world holdings going forward. Behind her stepped General Hammond who took in a deep breath of the fresh air, and his eyes were drawn upwards to the twin moons in the sky. Her eyes were drawn to the Lion who sat awaiting their arrival nearby, and the SFs who stood guard over the was surreal, this creature of the savannah, glowing almost translucently like a specter, waiting patiently for their arrival. It was sort of like interacting with the Nox, in her estimation; an old soul willing to give them the time they needed to get on their way. But, also like the Nox, he did not seem willing to give them what they believed they needed; a way home for Kylee. She just hoped he had a good reason for coming all this way to tell them that.
The General approached the lion, who rose to all fours, towering over the general by about a foot and a half. Orion bowed his head, seemingly out of a show of respect.
"My name is General Hammond. I'm the commanding officer of everyone at this camp as well as Stargate Command back on Earth," Hammond explained.
The lion nodded. "Well met, General. Come, let us speak with the others, hm?" Orion said as he turned towards the base where the lighting was better."Right. You understand we're a little apprehensive about your appearing out of nowhere at our doorstep," General Hammond asked.
"I understand your military's apprehension about many things, especially regarding things they do not understand. You are wise to be cautious," the lion said in his deep, rumbling voice, the way he spoke suddenly reminding her of Bra'tac. He had the same presence, the same air of authority and conviction that only came from years on the battlefield. There was also a similar elegance and confidence, but perhaps that was just because of the fact that he appeared as a lion.
"As I've been told," General Hammond said, not missing a beat. "Can we expect unannounced visits from you in the future?"
"If possible, I would be willing to visit, however there are many responsibilities I have in my reality on Earth as well as the other realms which I oversee and protect," Orion replied. "It won't be often, but If it can be arranged..."
"We'll see. For now, all we want is answers and to know what you expect out of this arrangement," Hammond said. Orion's turned his head back just sightly to look at Sam as the General spoke. She could feel the hairs pricking up on the back of her neck, it was a little eerie, but then again it was all too much like the way Ky had watched her or held a look for too long. They were trying to see the person they knew in her.
The lion rumbled softly before bowing his head under the string of utility lights. Daniel and Kylee walking in from the opposite direction. There were two folding tables set up and some kind of food could be smelled from the mess tent. Looks like they were making some kind of dinner for them, which would be welcome at this point.
"Welcome, everyone," Orion said, his eyes settling on Kylee with unmistakable regret in his eyes. "Shall we begin?"
"Before we start, I'd like to ask a question," Jack looked up as the General addressed the oversized house cat as he took his seat. "What exactly are you?"
Kylee was sandwiched between Carter and Daniel, which meant Daniel had decided to play ball in her court which she seemed to appreciate.. Jack could see the dread in the girl's eyes, maybe even a little anger.
"We are creatures born of the first light, of newly formed stars. Not unlike in form as your 'ascended' beings as I have observed," Orion explained. Daniel piped up almost immediately, to absolutely nobody's surprise.
"Wait, you know about ascended beings? How?" the linguist asked.
Orion hesitated on the answer. Jack suppressed a snort and an eye roll.. All these 'higher plane' people really had a bad habit of withholding the oh, so important 'meaning of life' stuff.
"I encountered a small group of them when I first arrived, and since I compare to them in many aspects they asked that I respect their wishes and limit my interactions with you but I insisted on coming to find her. I agree that my prolonged presence here would upset the balance of this reality," Orion explained, creasing his nose as he did so. Jack wasn't great at guessing at cat emotions, but he interpreted it as him having not really enjoyed the encounter so much. He could probably relate to that, given that so far the ascended beings his team had encountered hadn't been helpful so much as selectively destructive, as those Jaffa on Kheb had learned the hard way.
"Alright, no meddling in the affairs of lower beings. Typical and unhelpful. But we're used to it," Jack said, brusque as ever. He ignored the General shooting a disapproving look his way. They had every right to be miffed at this.
The lion nodded, as if agreeing, surprisingly enough. "Protecting you from threats from outside of your reality is something I am capable of doing, and these beings take no issue with it, but they would prefer I do not overstay my welcome," Orion said, his eyes turning to Kylee.
"So we're not in any danger by this 'Host'? The General asked.
"Most probably not. Even with Kylee's presence here the likelihood of another breach from universes outside variations of your own timeline is slim," the cat continued, starting to sound a bit more like Carter with all this multiverse talk."What do you mean exactly? About the variations of our own timeline?" Carter asked. Jack did roll his eyes at that. Now that the topic had come up they could be here all night talking about the intricacies of dimensional hoo-haa.
"I mean that your universe has specific qualities that others do not. It is much easier for you to travel to another reality which has similar variables, such as the existence of your Stargate, than it would be to travel to a universe which has completely different qualities such as ours."
"Then how did I get here?" Kylee asked, finally speaking up for herself, looking at Orion with those piercing, blue eyes. The lion gave a rumbling sigh.
"When the host exposed you into the energy stream, you were wounded temporally. Your timeline fractured and those fragments scattered throughout the multiverse." O'Neill grimaced at the cat's story. He'd been wounded before, critically, and come far too close to death. Come to think of it, he'd died at least once, but wounded 'temporarily'? He wasn't sure he'd wish that on his worse enemy, even if this kid came out of it no worse for wear. For the most part. Might need to work on those coping skills but given she was apparently some civilian thrust into a ridiculous scenario like she'd described, it was no wonder she was only hanging in there.
"I'm one of those fragments then? I'm just a piece of myself?" Kylee asked weakly, the cracks in her armor were hard to miss."Yes. Most of these fragments where incorporeal, and have been collected and restored to the original. A few, like yourself, had taken shape in the universes in which they had landed. I doubt you even realize the wounds you are temporally healing from, as the original Kylee doesn't. But because you became corporeal, taking you back to our universe would cause many problems. Since you are now aligned with this universe - simply because you interacted with it, your original self will not be able to absorb you. That is why, if you wish to continue living, you will need to stay here."
That brave face melted away in that moment as she opened her mouth to speak and nothing came out. Eventually, she realized that she had nothing to say to that and turned her head down, hands pushing into her hair as she let out a heavy exhale. Jack had to give it to the lion-being. He did appreciate that they at least knew why she was here now, though having answers didn't exactly fix the problem. What exactly where they going to do with her? It was like discussing what to do with a stray puppy that followed them home when the owner refused to take it back. The problem with puppies around the SGC, they tend to be a lot of responsibility and everyone was almost certainly too busy… This metaphor was getting away from him. Jack sighed softly and returned his attention to the General as he spoke up."With all due respect, while we don't intend to turn her away, isn't there another universe which would be better suited to accommodating her abilities?" General Hammond asked, folding his hands as his own eyes fell to the girl. Carter reached a hand to comfort her but almost immediately withdrew it, as if second guessing her action. Ky shot her a look, a little annoyed, but mostly despairing before pulling her arms in to make herself a bit smaller in her chair. Jack wasn't sure what to make of that movement, not until he saw the static visibly jump off of the girl's back and crackle against the chair. Seemed like Carter had already gotten a taste of that.
The lion shook his head sadly. "Due to her temporal wounds, there are, far too many risks to even attempt to remove her from this reality at this time. I could not predict that she'd survive any method I have at my disposal. Furthermore, it would take time to scout other universes for suitability, and that alone I cannot commit to. Vowing to protect your universe from outside threats is the best I can do." So sayeth 'Space Aslan'. O'Neill shook his head, glancing up when the kid rose from her seat and moved to leave. She hesitated.
"...Can I be excused?" Carter turned her eyes up to the girl when she stood, trying to look sympathetic, but she didn't look nearly as certain as she usually did. She was also letting the lion get away with all the technotalk which meant she had a lot of other things on her mind. That, or it was just out of respect. Either way he didn't need to stick around to hear any more than he already had.
"I'll keep an eye on her, Sir," Jack said, volunteering himself.
"Very well. Just don't go outside of the camp perimeter," the General ordered as Jack rose from his seat.
"Yes siir," Jack replied before following Kylee out past the lights and into the darkness. How she planned to see where she was going, Jack didn't know, but from her expression, it either hadn't occurred to her, or it didn't seem to be an issue. The twin moons certainly illuminated the area pretty well so maybe she'd be fine. He didn't even really need the flashlight in his vest.
They walked on in silence at a fairly normal pace. He was pretty sure she hadn't burst into speed simply because he was there. What that said for her presence of mind, he didn't know. He just had a soft-spot for people screwed over by fate, and she definitely qualified.
Neither one of the said anything, but he wanted her to know he was there. It was just a matter of whether or not she was going to open up to him or not.
That was it had her answer. No more wondering if there was a way home or not, no wasting time on solutions based on conjecture and theories of concepts that even Sam didn't completely understand. There was no point, she was stuck here for good.
While she stormed off into the darkness, nearly tripping on the tall grass, she was aware that the Colonel had followed her, so she kept herself to a normal-ish pace. She would run, but where would she go? There wasn't exactly a place she knew of where she could just hang out to be alone with her thoughts on this planet. To do that she'd have to wait until they got back to the base.
She slowed and turned her head back to the figure following her, his eyes meeting hers and she fought back angry tears as she stared at him. She could easily just spout off a dozen angry words at him, but it wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. Lashing out at the Colonel was just pointless.
But that was the problem."So?" the Colonel said as he neared her.
"So what?" she asked a bit too coldly.
"That was pretty demoralizing," the military man said.
Kylee scoffed, shaking her head."Oh, you think?" Okay, maybe she wasn't doing the best job at restraining herself from taking out her anger on him, but she felt like she was about to explode with all the emotions running rampant through her head and heart. He was kind of lucky she didn't just burst out yelling at him, no matter how she knew it wasn't his fault.'"You're not exactly doing a good job at hiding it," O'Neill said, and Ky conceded that, glancing down. She appreciated his attempt, but that did not make him a particularly good therapist.
"I'm not gonna pretend like I understand half of the stuff they were talking about. And Daniel's a lot better at the inspirational speeches," the Colonel said with an air of irony. Kylee laughed softly, if a tad bitterly.
"It's funny… Daniel just did that before the General came," Kylee said as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"Ah. Did he now?""Missed the mark," Kylee said grimly, exhaling a heavy breath. "Can't account for finding out that you're not even real."
"That's not what he said," the Colonel admonished. "He said you were a part of the other you. And that you're real here. I understood that much. And that means you're one of us whether you like it or not."
Pouting, she turned her eyes away from him, back to the darkness of the night. A strange cicada-like sound chimed from the grass and she was pretty sure there was some small critter playing in the bushes near the trees. Her temper still simmered inside of her, although it had faded a bit, making her feel the chill from the cold weather.
"Look. Why don't you… show me what you can do? That's what we were supposed to be doing here anyway," O'Neill suggested, gesturing to the open space ahead of them. "Blow off a little steam, give us a light show."
"Are you sure about that?" Ky said, glancing down at her hands and letting some static jump between her fingers.
"Go for it, Sparky. Knock yourself out," he said, before taking his radio and clicking it. "Base camp. This is O'Neill. Be aware that I've authorized usage of her power so disregard any bright lights in the air field. Also, if you don't want to become a high voltage neon light, best keep your distance. Over."
"Acknowledged," replied the Staff Sergeant who manned the base.
Kylee heard Sam's voice as well, also acknowledging the Colonel's course of action and she felt that ache creep back up along with memories of her mom. The way that she'd left it, losing her temper over something petty when all she had to do was…She frowned and knit her brows, angry that the one responsible wasn't here to take it all out on. Instead, she targeted the stack of lumber laying neatly in a pile on the other side of the field. If she started a fire, she could always just put it out. Besides, they wanted a show. Raising a hand, she formed a ball of lighting and whipped it out at the wood pile with a thunderous crack.
Another electrical burst hit the air, leaving Sam somewhat stunned by the display as she watched with the rest of SG-1, the General and their guest. Her teeth grit slightly, turning her attention back to Orion who was staring at the display himself with a disapproving gaze. Teal'c on the other hand was studying the scene intently."Ah, is it safe for Jack to be down there?" Daniel asked carefully
"Your friend is no danger. She is in control," Orion offered simpy.
"Should I go accompany them?" Teal'c offered, perhaps a veiled attempt to get closer to the action. There wasn't much for him to discuss on the matter, Sam didn't blame him.
"I'd rather we keep our distance," Hammond replied curtly.
"Orion," Sam said, turning her attention back to the great beast. "Is there any way to turn her powers off? To suppress them, perhaps?"
Orion turned his head to look at herr. "What would you intend to do with such knowledge?"
"Help her to transition into civilian life on our world. With powers like hers, it would be difficult to get her clearance to go off base. It could take months," Sam replied, glancing to Hammond who nodded firmly.
"You understand that we are coming from a top secret facility. Anything that could be linked back to Stargate command must be kept from the public eye. I assure you that anything we do we would keep her best interest in mind," the General replied, keeping his eyes on the lion.
"I understand your concern, and I do believe with you, I am leaving her in good hands." Though his gaze was pointed at Carter when he said that. She gave a polite, thin smile. It wasn't hard to assume that he was referring mostly to her.
"Indeed. We will see to it that no harm comes to her," Teal'c said with an air of respect for the creature.
"I will tell you what you need to know, but I do not believe it would be easy to produce such a device quickly. If I had known you required one I would have supplied it to you," Orion said, turning his head slightly as another loud boom could be heard crackling through the airfield.
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, and with a gesture, the Lion materialized a backpack on the table with a wave of his paw.
"Kylee… The one who is still in our world, insisted I carry these materials with me as a care package for any of her other selves left stranded. I understand this is a custom humans practice for those who are homesick," Orion replied. "As I said, if I had known I would have included a power inhibitor."
"How… thoughtful," Daniel said, reaching for the bag to examine it. It was Navy blue with black lining (seemed to be a color theme with her ) a keychain with a neon blue lightning bolt dangled from the zipper. Sam gave a wistful smile before turning her eyes to Hammond.
"Explain it to me then, Orion. I'll figure it out," she insisted. Hammond gave her a nod, silently excusing her from the table and he stood as well heading off towards the staff sergeant, pointing to the backpack (to have it checked out, she presumed).
Drawing a pen and paper from her tacvest, she looked up to the Lion and offered a friendly smile. Whatever it took to make this work, she'd do it. "Alright, big guy. Lay it on me.
"It had been nearly half an hour of constant power usage before she tapped out. The energy she spent running and the energy she spent throwing volley after volley into the air wasn't enough. The rest, what she could spare, she decided to drop into the ground. It left her tired and panting, laying in the grass while the Colonel looked down at her."That was cool," he said bluntly. Then he reached down to take her hand and hoist her up. She took the hand and forced herself to her feet, wobbling a bit.
"Now that that's out of your system,it's time to go." O'Neill said, more of an order now than the suggestive tone he'd taken before, but kept his voice relaxed, steady and measured. No rush.
Ky snorted, more than a little tempted to give him a shock for his trouble, something like a joy buzzer, but you didn't bite the hand that feeds you. Maybe if she was in a better mood she might try to get a rise out of him. She'd keep it in mind for some other time, but not now.
Together, they trudged back up the hill to the camp. Eventually Sam and Orion came into view, standing together talking about something. Teal'c and Daniel stood near the table, and the airmen were in the mess tent, eating. Her stomach gurgled a bit, but she wasn't sure she was in the mood to eat. She had too much to think about now. She looked to Orion and felt her throat constrict as she fought back the tears once again. As they approached, they stopped talking. The large lion turned to her and pulled her towards him with his paw, nuzzling her with his oversized head.
"I know," he said gently. "If there were any other way, child, I would do it. But I cannot bring myself to risk your safety. The fact that you are here at all is an amazing feat and shows how strong your will is."
Kylee heard the finality in his voice and clung tighter (and if a few tears slipped out, well, who cared?) "Will you be back?" she asked, looking up at him with hope in her eyes.
"Kylee. You know we wouldn't abandon you. If I am able, I will try to return one year from today." He said, nuzzling her again before withdrawing.
"Do you have everything you need?" Orion said, addressing Sam.
"I think so. Thanks," she said courteously, then turning to Ky. "You gonna be okay?"
Kylee nodded, turning her gaze away from Sam and pulling her arms in close, shivering a bit from the cold. She watched Orion as he looked to the General and nodded to him. "Well met, SG-1. Until we meet again."
"Try calling ahead, next time you're in town," O'Neill said glibly.
"...I will try," Orion said with an amused tone, before dashing off into the forest. A few moments later they could see a faint ball of light zipping off into the sky like a shooting star. Kylee watched the sky long after his light had faded, hoping for just one more trace of her friend's departure. She didn't know how long she stood there before he felt a heavy jacket get placed on her shoulders. Turning her head she she saw Major Carter smiling at her, hands clasping on her shoulders to give her a gentle rub.
"C'mon. Let's go back," the woman said, clearly trying to do right by her. She couldn't hide the watery smile, even while lowering her head. The gesture of rubbing her arms and pulling her in for a side hug was enough to draw a smile out of her, but she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. So she stopped fighting them, finally letting them fall from her eyes.
Without a word she nodded and started back towards the gate with the rest of the team and the General in tow.