The shuttle craft darted through hyperspace, the stars whisking by it as it proceeded on to its ultimate destination. Within the cockpit, a surly, gnarled, scarred old man sat at the helm. His face was set in a permanent frown as he surveyed the controls silently; piloting the craft with the same focus and attention he gave anything else in his life. The man's worn armor was replete with devices and weapons with some signs of fresh damage from recent battles. As his steely eyes glanced over the display to note the various instrument readings, a soft chime sounded from the console.
The man glanced over at the sound, reading the flashing output that corresponded with the noise. A smirk crossed his face and he reached over to press a button. At his touch, one of the displays on the panel before him came to life and he was greeted with a man's face. The other was far younger, dressed in leather garb, sporting short black hair and thin facial hair. The eyes of the other were hard and calculating. The gray-haired warrior flicked a disdainful glance at the display.
"What?" he asked in an irritated voice as he glanced away in disgust, causing the one on the display to frown bitterly.
"We've received word of your latest job from our client," he began with a dour and foreboding voice.
"So?" the pilot asked absentmindedly as he reached over and threw a few switches, his attitude clearly showing his disinterest in the other.
"She was most displeased by the affair…" he began but was then cut off by the elder.
"Is she withholding payment?" he asked shortly.
Chuckling in reply, the younger answered with a sneer, "No, she knows better than to try that. She still needs our services too much." He paused and added, "but it does our reputation no credit when we get paid for something we didn't deliver. She was quite disappointed, and told me how the whole business fell apart. I must admit that even I expected better from you," the other interrupted him again before he could say another word.
"Netan, if you called simply to chastise me, then I'm afraid you've only managed to waste our time and power by this transmission…" With that the warrior removed one hand from the helm of the cargo ship and reached for another control on the panel.
"Wait, Artix!" Netan called out with some urgency, seeing what the other's intent was.
The elder paused and glanced back at the other, raising an eyebrow. "Is there some reason to continue this conversation?" he asked coldly.
Sighing, the man on the display glared in silence for a few moments before answering, "Yes, there is, in fact…"
"Then by all means, proceed," Artix replied with a smirk, regarding the other disdainfully. The man on the display paused for a moment, his eyes smoldering with hatred for the other.
"We have another job," he began, his voice tight with anger.
Grunting in amusement, Artix looked away from the display to another view on the cargo ship's console. "I thought we might, considering how the last one went sour."
"Yes, it was rather predictable." Netan answered with a sardonic grin. "She was rather urgent in her request; she offered double the standard rate if we deal with it right away." The warrior snorted at this while Netan continued, "Where are you going right now?"
"The Corvus sytem," Artix answered while glancing at another display before him. "I'm going to take care of the job we have waiting there."
"Do you have a team with you?" the other asked.
Still looking at the other display, Artix replied absentmindedly, "No, I don't need any help for the Corvus job."
"You'll need a team to handle this job," Netan replied. Upon hearing this, the elder warrior glanced over at the display with a raised eyebrow. Continuing, the other continued, "and you're off the Corvus job, we'll have someone else handle it. Like you said, it's not difficult."
Netan looked down from the display for a moment, he said, "Change course for these coordinates." The console before Artix chimed like before, the same small display that lit up on the first transmission flashing with new text. Looking back into the display, the younger continued, "From there you'll get a team, along with your final destination and instructions."
Artix furrowed his brow and asked, "what exactly is this job?"
Netan chuckled in reply, "We're not going to discuss it now, we can talk when you arrive at those coordinates."
The elder warrior smirked at the younger man on the display. "I don't like mysteries, Netan," the elder warrior said in a quiet and dangerous voice. "That's not the way I work. If you want me to do this job for you, then you will tell me something about it."
Scowling fiercely, Netan snapped back, "You know as well as I do that this is not secure channel!"
"I don't want you to tell me every last detail, Netan," Aritx sighed wearily in reply. "I can already imagine what the job is, but I want to know if I'm right. Nothing specific, just give me an idea what this is." Pausing, he grinned slightly as he added, "Try being creative, you might find it's something you'll want to do more often."
The younger stared intently into the display, fuming in silence for a few moments. "Suffice it to say this is a counter-strike," he began, his voice tight.
Nodding, Artix answered with an absent minded voice, "I figured as much." Something chimed on the display and he touched a few controls on the panel before him in response. Looking back into the display, he asked, "Is this a full frontal assault, or something more clandestine?"
"Stealth and subterfuge is what she wants," Netan answered. "You're to hit them hard and fast, and to do it so that they don't know what happened until its too late."
The warrior turned his head back to stare out into the streaming stars of hyperspace as he thought on Netan's words in silence for a few moments. "Who did you choose for my team?" he asked, glancing over at the display again.
"Gethan and Berris," Netan began to say, but he was cut off.
"No.' Artix answered simply.
"It's not your decision," the younger began once more, only to be cut off once more.
"It certainly is, or I don't do this job," the elder replied disinterestedly, regarding Netan with a mixture of fatigue and contempt. "The team that Gethan and Berris have put together is completely unsuited for this kind of job. They're little more than thugs who fancy themselves as trained soldiers."
Snarling in reply, Netan spat back, "They are some of the best we have," but found him self cut off once more.
"Yes, I know," Artix answered contemptuously. "That's the problem."
The younger man on the display stared at the other in stunned silence. The moments slipped by, neither saying anything for a time. Finally, Netan asked tightly, "Then what would you suggest?"
"I'll do you a favor," Artix answered, "I'll bring a team of my own. You don't need to provide any men, or supplies."
Grinning, Netan stated to answer, "That sounds good," but once more he was cut off by the elder warrior.
"But you're going to give me twice my usual percentage."
The younger looked on in silence at the simply stated words, regarding Artix with stunned loathing. After a few moments he collected his wits and snarled, "Do you have any idea what that will do to our profit margins?"
"I don't really care," Artix answered with a shrug. "I'm not doing this job any other way." He chuckled bitterly, "I'd be better off not brining anyone than I would taking those buffoons you call 'soldiers'. If this job is where I think it is then it would be suicide to try it alone." He reached over and manipulated a few more controls, adding, "I'll need real professional help, and you can't supply it. It doesn't come cheap."
Netan stared at Artix through the display, his eyes burning with an intense hatred. The silence lasted a few moments, ending when the younger stated with a dangerous edge to his voice, "You're lucky that you're so good at what you do. If anyone else acted with such insolence, I'd have them killed."
Chuckling heartily, Artix answered, "You don't have anyone that could do the job." He tended to a few more controls and then glanced back at the display. "Contrary to what you might think, the Lucien Alliance is little more than a collection of brutish thugs who have little more than sheer muscle to do the work." Finishing with what he was tending to, he looked back at Netan. "You don't have a single man about you that knows how to really fight, or could give me a real challenge."
The younger stared back with such anger that he started to tremble as his cheeks started to flush a dark crimson. Artix grinned as he saw, adding, "And if you ever threaten me again, Netan, I will kill you." He paused momentarily to let his words sink in. "I'll gather my team and arrive at the coordinates you specified. From there you can send me the details over a more secure channel, and I'll take care of your job for you." He paused again, waiting for an answer. When none was forthcoming, he asked, "Agreed?"
The silence stretched on for a while longer before Netan answered quietly, "Agreed." At which point, the display on the console before Artix blanked out as the other ended the transmission. The elder warrior smiled in amusement, glancing back to other displays. Tapping on a few controls, the cargo ship suddenly dropped out of hyperspace. He placed both hands back on the helm and the craft reoriented itself, turning as it moved slowly along at sub-light speeds. The stars wheeled about before Artix as he continued to change course. After he was properly aligned, he punched in a few more instructions into the computer, setting his destination and sending a transmission. With one more touch of the controls, the cargo ship suddenly burst forward into hyperspace yet again, disappearing into the void.
The mess hall at the SGC was fairly busy with people coming and going, with air-force personnel eating at various tables about the room. The sounds of dishes clanking and the soft din of conversations filled the space as people went about their business. Upon entering the room, the smell of freshly cooked breakfast filled the nostrils, enticing one to approach the buffet-style counter behind which a heavy-set woman stood ready to serve up meals for the men and women of the SGC.
Colonel Mitchel and Teal'c sat across from each other at a particular table. Both had mugs before them that were filled with dark liquid and had white steam curling into the air to twist about their faces. The two sat quietly, Teal'c looking off into space with his typical quiet and calm repose while Mitchell kept glancing over at the clock, looking somewhat irritated. He slowly took a drink of the steaming hot liquid as he flicked a look at Teal'c before muttering, "I thought we all agreed to meet at ten thirty..."
The large Jaffa smiled slightly at Mitchell, regarding him with a bemused expression as he too took a drink from his mug, albeit more slowly. As he finished, he responded, "I believe that the others will be here as soon as they are able, Colonel Mitchell. After such an extended time off world as we experienced in the past day, it has always been customary for members of SG-1 to arrive at work the next day at a leisurely pace."
"Yeah, yeah," Mitchell muttered in reply, looking down into his cup. He then glanced across the table at Teal'c's cup. Furrowing his brow, he asked, "What'cha got there, is that the Sumatra or the Columbian?"
"I am not drinking coffee," the Jaffa replied.
After a few moments, Mitchell replied hesitantly, "Okay..." After several more moments of silence, he asked, "so what is it?"
"Chai tea," Teal'c answered simply in a matter-of-fact tone.
The Colonel sighed as the taciturn Jaffa across from him said nothing more. Resigning himself to an effective solitude in the company of his fellow, Mitchell took another drink from his mug. As he put down the cup, he glanced over to the doorway to see Jack and Sam enter the room. He smiled and opened his mouth to say something, but as he did, O'Neill looked over and cried out, "T!"
Teal'c turned at the sound of Jack's voice. Upon seeing him at the door, the Jaffa stood to greet him, smiling broadly. The General strode over ahead of Carter, who suddenly turned and walked over towards a counter with urns full of coffee upon it. Jack walked up to Teal'c, asking, "How're ya doing, big guy?" as the two embraced tightly, Teal'c nearly lifting him off the ground. They then stood apart and regarded each other warmly. "Are you keeping these guys out of trouble?"
"I am well, O'Neill," he answered with a smile. "The members of SG-1 are also doing well, and I am doing my best to ensure they continue to do so." He paused briefly and asked in return, "Are you also well? Was your flight from Washington DC a pleasant experience?"
Waving his hand, Jack answered, "Ah, the flight sucked. Going trans continental is always a drag." He paused and grinned mischievously as Sam joined them with two fresh cups of coffee. "But the uh, 'hotel' I'm staying at...WOW...talk about room service!"
At his words Carter raised an eyebrow and glared at him, her expression thick with irritation while Jack glanced back at her, his impish smile unwavering. She paused for a moment, pointedly glancing down at the two hot cups of coffee and then back up at him. His smile faded as he got the message, a wary look replacing the roguishly confident expression as he regarded the twin-barrels of scalding-hot pain with some apprehension. Sam grinned wickedly at this and met his gaze, pausing for just another moment to drive her point home before she turned quietly and sat down at the table on the side across from Mitchell, placing one mug before her and the other to her right.
Glancing back at Teal'c, Jack grinned devilishly again, raising his eyebrows a few times. The large Jaffa merely smiled quietly in return as the two seated themselves on Carter's right. Teal'c resumed his seat in front of Mitchell while Jack sat between his friends. Taking the mug of coffee Sam had sat at his place, he looked in it cautiously. "Black?" he asked simply with a slightly disappointed tone, glancing over to the woman on his left.
"You're lucky you're not wearing it," Carter muttered into her own mug as she took a sip.
Grinning as she answered, Jack turned forward again and reached over to take the sugar from the middle of the table, but he suddenly jumped in surprise as he saw Mitchell sitting across from him. "Gah!" he blurted out, hesitating for a moment. "Don't...sneak up on me like that!" he complained, his voice laced with irritation as he waved about the hand that had reached for the sugar, half glaring at the other across the table.
For his part, Cam blinked in surprise at the General's reaction to him, having been sitting there since Teal'c stood up at O'Neill's arrival. "Uhm," he started hesitantly, unsure of how to react. Lacking any other ideas, he simply said, "Sorry about that, sir."
"It's alright," Jack started, taking the sugar from the middle of the table while Sam watched the exchange with a mixture of tired amusement and sympathy. The General took the sugar and poured a considerable measure into his cup, then reached for the cream. "Just…don't do it again," he added, glancing at Mitchell with what the typical person might assume was a serious look.
"I'll try not too, sir." Cam replied, sharing a questioning glance with Carter who simply smiled knowingly at him and shook her head. Getting the message, he smiled in return as he took a drink from his coffee cup,
After a few moments of silence had passed, Teal'c turned to look at Sam and Jack, asking nonchalantly, "Do you know when Daniel Jackson or Vala Mal Duran will be joining us?"
Sam was drinking her coffee and nearly choked on it upon hearing the question, swallowing the hot liquid quickly and with obvious discomfort. She looked over with a concerned expression at the Jaffa's words, her eyes locking on Jack even as he opened his mouth to reply. Before he could get a word in edgewise, Sam blurted out in a hurried voice, "we spoke with them on our way over here. They'll be here in a few minutes, no big deal."
Teal'c and Cam exchanged glances at Sam's reaction and the rushed reply she gave the Jaffa. Jack closed his mouth and slowly glanced over at her, a bemused expression upon his face. Raising an eyebrow he met her gaze silently for a few moments, during which time Sam watched him nervously. He then answered with a grin, "Exactly what I was going to say, Carter..."
She cleared her throat and smiled sheepishly, continuing to watch him with a worried eye. She was obviously nervous about the next thing that might come out of his mouth. While Cam and Teal'c could see her obvious distress, they clearly had no idea what was going on, and shared another bewildered glance. Jack merely watched her with a devilish look in his eye, smiling from ear to ear as the moments of silence dragged on. Then his gaze flicked away and his smile grew even more, making Sam's heart drop down into her shoes.
"Daniel!" Jack called out heartily, adding with a mischievous voice, "You dog!" Sam closed her eyes painfully at this and she pursed her lips, sighing quietly. Mitchell blinked his superior's words, turning to follow Jack's gaze. As he saw Daniel approaching their table with Vala by his side, his mouth fell half open and he grinned knowingly as the General's words became clear. For his part, Teal'c raised an eyebrow as he met Daniel's gaze, a slight smirk playing on the corner of his mouth.
The red-faced archaeologist approached the table with a sudden reluctance as a beaming Vala towed him along, the two holding hands with their fingers entwined. She looked over at the group with a wide smile, answering for him in a chipper voice, "Good morning, everyone!"
For his part, Daniel looked like he could have crawled under a rock upon hearing Jack's greeting. His cheeks flushed a bright red, eliminating any confusion that anyone might have had about Jack's meaning. "Hi, guys," he offered weakly, pointedly avoiding eye contact.
Vala smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling at his display of embarrassment. "Come now, darling, there's nothing to be ashamed of. We're all adults here, after all…" her smile was as wide as a river and her eyes sparkled just as brightly as she watched his obvious distress. Daniel raised his gaze to meet hers, and her smile only grew as she raised an eyebrow at him. A faint smile played at the corner of his lips and he seemed to relax just a little. "That's better," she whispered to him.
Turning from him to glance over at the table, Vala looked at the rest, pausing to meet Jack's gaze. The two shared a knowing smile and a devilish look between them. Both Carter and Daniel saw the look, and the two then shared an alarmed glance. The beleaguered archaeologist could do little more than follow up with a "help-me" expression. For her part, Sam could only look on sympathetically. Both knew there was nothing anyone could do for him. Teal'c and Mitchell merely looked on in amused silence as the scene started to unfold before them.
The raven-haired woman continued to drag Daniel the rest of the way, sitting at the table opposite the three and in front of Teal'c, pulling her companion into the vacant seat between her and Mitchell. She looked over at Jack with a smile. "We've met but we haven't been introduced. Vala Mal Duran," she began, removing her hand from Daniel's and offering it to Jack, "and you must be Jack O'Neill."
Shaking her hand politely, the General smiled at her and answered exuberantly, "None other." As they withdrew their hands, he held up his and extended two fingers saying, "That's O'Neill with two L's…"
Vala chuckled at this, answering with a wide smile, "Well I certainly wouldn't want to get it wrong, so thank you." Jack nodded smugly in satisfaction at her words, looking over at Carter with a triumphant smile. Sam merely rolled her eyes at this, turning her attention back to her coffee cup to take another drink.
Daniel looked set to say something at this, but Jack beat him to it. "So you're looking a bit tired there, Danny-boy," he began with a devilish grin. Picking up his coffee cup, he stared at his friend across the table with laughter in his eyes. Tilting his head slightly, he continued, "What's wrong, didn't you get any sleep last night?"
The archaeologist opened his mouth to answer but Vala jumped in before he could say anything. "Oh, he slept very well." Everyone looked over at her words. She glanced over as Daniel turned to look at her with a shocked expression. To his horror she smiled from ear to ear at the look on his face and suddenly added with a scandalous voice, "Not right away, of course, but we did get to sleep eventually…"
Grinning from ear to ear, Jack reached over and chucked Daniel on the shoulder. "Danny, you scoundrel you!" his eyes were full of laughter as he watched his friend's jaw hang slack. "I go off to DC and you go and get yourself an off-world sweetheart!" The stunned archaeologist closed his mouth and turned to look across the table at his friend, clearly trying to find some words – any words – to answer with. Sam watched on with a sympathetic eye but didn't say a word. Daniel couldn't help but notice she was fighting off a smile, somewhat unsuccessfully. Cam and Teal'c watched on in silence, the Colonel smirking as he sipped his coffee while Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the archaeologist.
"Of course, waking up was rather fun too," Vala continued nonchalantly, half shrugging as she glanced at Jack and Sam. "I really have to say that Daniel is a man of endless surprises…" She looked over at Daniel with a torrid gaze, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips. At that, she leaned in and pressed her self against the scarlet-cheeked archaeologist, looking up at him with a blossoming smile. He glanced over and paused, hesitating before he sighed, leaning in to meet her lips with his.
Vala's delight only grew at this, and she quickly deepened the kiss into a very passionate affair, caressing his cheek and wrapping her arm about his neck. She wasn't about to let him get away with the quick brush of the lips that he had attempted. For his part, Daniel was only able to resist for a moment, quickly giving in to the seductive allure of Vala's touch. He kissed her back just as deeply as her fingers played idly with his hair.
As the two kissed, Sam shot a triumphant glare at Cam and Teal'c in turn. Mitchell snorted sardonically as he met her gaze, rolling his eyes and focusing on his coffee, which he took another drink of. Teal'c raised his eyebrow at Carter, causing her to grin. O'Neill furrowed his brow at this silent back-and-forth, leaning in to cut off Carter's view of the Jaffa. He looked at her with a questioning gaze, tilting his head slightly. Carter merely smiled all the more, shrugging innocently as she looked away and took another sip of her coffee in continued silence.
As Daniel pulled away from Vala, his eyes met hers. She grinned shamelessly up at him as he pursed his lips and sighed again, looking back into her gaze. After a few moments of looking into the depths of her blue eyes, a faint smile started to show itself at the corners of his mouth. Vala's eyes sparkled all the more at this, her hand caressing his cheek once more as she pulled away, not looking away from him for a moment. Daniel's smile grew slightly, but he was clearly still uncomfortable at such a public display of affection.
"Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starving," Cam said after the few moments of awkward silence that dragged on while the two next to him stared at each other.
"Me too, let's get some food," Daniel said quickly, suddenly standing up as both Jack and Vala opened their mouths to answer. He rose straight away to leave the table and made his way to the part of the café where they were serving breakfast. Vala smirked wryly as he seized the opportunity to escape, looking over at Jack and Sam with an entertained look on her face. Jack and Sam returned the look with smiles of their own, after which Vala got up and followed after the archaeologist, grinning like a naughty child. The rest of the four at the table followed suit, and the whole lot made their way over to the breakfast line.
Picking up a tray as Vala followed immediately behind him, he glanced back at her as she did the same. "You're just loving this, aren't you?" he asked quietly so that no one else would hear him.
Smiling from ear to ear, Vala picked up her own tray and followed behind him in the line. Looking back up at him to meet his gaze, she answered just as quietly with an amused voice, "Why Daniel, you aren't regretting your choice from last night, now are you?"
Sighing, he looked away to the cafeteria worker behind the counter. "Eggs and pancakes, please," he said with a weary voice, then taking the plate that was offered to him. Glancing back to the raven-haired woman by his side, he said, "No, I'm not." He paused momentarily before adding, "Is that what you're hoping, that you'll make me change my mind by embarrassing me in front of everyone?"
Vala smiled at his words, looking at him momentarily with an entertained expression. She answered innocently, "Why Daniel, the thought never crossed my mind…!" After she said the words, however, she found it impossible to suppress a wicked smile from her face. She then turned her attention to the same attendant. "I'll take some eggs, and the uhm…oh! Oh! French toast, that's what it's called!" She grinned from ear to ear, glancing over at Daniel proudly.
He half chuckled in spite of himself at this while the café worker rolled her eyes and served up the requested food. After taking the offered plate, Vala continued down the line behind Daniel. He moved his tray along, pouring himself a coffee as he said softly, "It's not going to work, you know. You're not going to goad me into having sex with you before I'm ready by taunting me in front of everyone like that." He looked at her with a glare.
She stared into his eyes in silence for a moment with a shameless smile on her face. Finally she shrugged, "Suit your self, Daniel. You know I'll just keep doing the same, whether or not you actually follow through or not." She added with an amused grin, "It's your loss if you choose to not partake of the pleasures that go along with the torment."
Daniel stared back at her for a moment before he rolled his eyes, picking up his tray to go. As he did, she reached over and blatantly pinched his butt, grabbing a handful. The archaeologist jumped at the sudden groping, stopping and looking over at her in shock. She smiled at him, leaning in and saying, "It's an open offer, darling…" she said with a sultry voice, smiling wickedly at him as she stared deeply into his eyes, her hand rubbing his bottom.
After he recovered from the initial shock, he sighed yet again, turned away and walked over to the table, not looking back. Vala's smirk was unaffected, lifting her own tray and walking after him with a slow and confident strut, her eyes roaming over him with a hungry look as he lead the way to the table.
Behind them in line, Jack and Sam were also getting their breakfast. They too were deep in their own conversation. "You're just having no end of fun with this, aren't you?" Sam asked quietly, glancing up at Jack as they waited in line.
Looking over at her with an enigmatic grin, Jack answered, "Having fun with what, Carter?" Sam raised an eyebrow at him, the mischievous look in his eye making it clear that he knew exactly what she was talking about. The General turned away from her to ask the same café worker that spoke with Daniel and Vala, "Could I have some eggs and sausage, please?"
As he took the plate that was offered, Sam answered his question. "Fun with making poor Daniel miserable by teasing him about the night he spent with Vala in front of everyone…" she said quietly, spelling it out for him with a stern voice. Pausing in front of the attendant, she asked, "Could I get eggs and toast, please?"
Jack looked back over at her and grinned, "Ah, you just don't understand, Carter."
The blonde-haired Colonel raised her eyebrow at him as she placed her plate on the tray. "Pray, enlighten me, then." She said, as she regarded him with a growing irritation.
"I'm actually complimenting him," Jack said, to which Carter pursed her lips in annoyed disbelief. "No, really," he continued, "among guys, that's how we show each other respect when one of us…er…" he hesitated as he tried to find the right word, waving his hand about as he furrowed his brow in thought.
Sighing, Sam supplied, "has sex?"
Snapping his fingers, Jack replied, "…scores!"
Carter's jaw hung open at his words and she blinked in surprised for a moment, holding up the line as Jack continued on to get his drink. She shook her head and muttered to herself as she caught up with him. "Well, I don't think he appreciates it," she continued quietly, picking up some milk as the General filled up a coffee cup. "He's clearly embarrassed by the whole affair, and you and Vala aren't helping him."
"Nonsense!" Jack replied, "He's quite happy about it…" As he finished speaking, he turned to look at Vala and Daniel just ahead of them in line. Carter too looked over, both just in time to watch Vala grab the archaeologist's behind, lean in and whisper. They watched on as Daniel regarded her in shock, then walking away in silence with a stony expression.
Turning back to Sam, Jack said, "See, look how happy they are. They're so affectionate with each other…" Carter blinked at his words and stared at him in shocked silence for a few moments. She then walked of in silence, following behind Vala while shaking her head and muttering to herself. Jack grinned from ear to ear and followed behind her, his eyes full of mischief to come.
Behind them in line, Teal'c and Cam both made their way along. Each picked up a tray in turn, watching silently as the two couples ahead of them whispered quietly amongst themselves. They couldn't hear anything, but were able to read the body language of each pair quite clearly. As they approached their turn in front of the café worker who handed out the food, Cam looked back to Teal'c and said quietly with a grin, "Something tells me that breakfast this morning is going to be pretty interesting…"
With that he turned to the attendant and opened his mouth to place his order, but before he could say anything the hefty woman surprised him by suddenly saying with a thick Brooklyn accent, "Honey, you got no idea…"
The Gate Control Room was quiet, with only Marty Keegan and another technician to be seen. Keegan sat at a console in front of the massive plate glass while the other stood f'urther back in the room, attending one of the other computers there. The two had not spoken since the initial "hello's" when the other came on shift after Marty had relieved Walter from his shift.
Initially, the other tech that shared the day-time schedule with Keegan had found the new technician to be of a friendly sort, and the two had chatted quite a bit. Since the day when Keegan called out sick and then came in anyway, however, there had been a change. Marty no longer was no longer talkative. In fact, he was sometimes downright rude whenever the conversation strayed from anything work related. So the other technician stopped trying after that day, and the two conducted their shift in silence.
As Marty tapped away at his console, performing his daily tasks, a soft chiming was suddenly heard. Reaching into his pocket, he glanced over his shoulder at the technician behind him. If the other heard the sound, he gave no indication. Pulling out his cell phone and flipping it open, he quietly answered, "What?" while keeping an eye on the other.
Keegan listened in silence, watching the other technician closely. After a few moments, he then whispered, "Understood. Consider it done." With that, he closed his phone and replaced it in his pocket. Turning back around in his seat he returned his focus to the computer console before him, typing away as if nothing had happened.
Returning to the table, Daniel sat his tray down and return to his original seat. He glanced up as Vala followed right behind him, their eyes meeting as she came to sit next to him on his left again. She smiled at him as he glanced over at her wordlessly, his expression filled with irritation. Saying nothing, she propped her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand, staring intently into his eyes and smiling all the more. He looked back into her eyes just as silently, his frown persistent. As the seconds ticked by, however, his scowl slowly started to fade, disappearing more quickly the longer he looked into her deep blue eyes. After a few moments, he blinked at her, a slightly confused look in his eyes.
Vala's smile grew crooked at this, her eyes sparkling as she regarded him warmly. At about that time, Sam and Jack arrived at the table, each sitting down across from them as they had been before. The other two glanced at one another and shared a knowing grin as they saw their friends together. Hearing them arrive, the archaeologist looked away from Vala and glanced across the table at his friends, furrowing his eyebrows at their enigmatical smiles. "What?" he asked slowly and warily.
"Oh, nothing," Jack answered far too innocently, sharing another knowing glance with Sam, who smiled sweetly. Cam and Teal'c then both joined the four at the table, sitting in their original seats as had everyone else. Daniel continued to watch Jack with a guarded expression. Vala looked over and smiled at Sam, the two sharing knowing looks.
The six all began to eat their breakfast quietly for a brief time until Jack spoke up again. "You know, Danny, I've got to say that in ten years, " he began with a roguish grin, waving his fork about for emphasis, "you have never surprised me so much as you did earlier this morning." Sam looked over at Jack in absolute shock as he finished speaking, while Vala grinned from ear to ear.
Daniel lifted his gaze from his plate at this and glared silently at Jack, considering his options. Before he had a chance to speak, however, Teal'c asked, "How did Daniel Jackson surprise you, O'Neill?" As the Jaffa spoke, all color drained from Daniel's face. Sam looked on sympathetically, but said nothing. Vala's eyes lit up as she looked over to Jack, grinning like a schoolgirl on Christmas morning.
"Well," Jack began, pausing to savor the look on the archaeologist's face and to gather in his audience. He glanced over to Vala briefly to share a wry grin, and then looked back down at his plate. "Carter and I go down to his room, you know, looking to see if he would be willing to join us for breakfast here." His voice was casual as he spoke, shrugging slightly. He leisurely took another bite of eggs before he continued, "We knock on his door, but then, who answers?" Taking a sip of coffee, Jack paused again, grinning as he watched Jackson, who was looking particularly annoyed now.
"Not Danny-boy!" he announced, waiting for a moment to look around the table before he continued. "Vala here opens up the door, wearing only a bathrobe and dripping wet, I might add." Teal'c and Cameron both look over to the raven haired woman and the blushing archaeologist beside her. The Jaffa raised an eyebrow while Mitchell grinned at the two. Vala beamed at them, eating her breakfast with a certain pride and glee while Daniel sighed heavily with a resigned tone, trying to focus on the plate before him. Looking up briefly to stare across the table at Jack, he couldn't help but notice Sam had completely given up trying to keep the smile off her face at this point, and was grinning from ear to ear at him.
"Oh, but it gets better!" Jack continued, pausing for a moment. He watched as Jackson froze while lifting a fork full of food to his mouth, staring at his friend across the table with a mortified stare. The Jaffa and Colonel looked over at O'Neill with anticipation on their faces, eager for more. Vala met Jack's gaze once more, the two sharing a villainous look between them. Sam couldn't help but grin at this, now regarding Daniel with sympathy at what was to come.
"We don't get in five words with Vala, before the bathroom door opens up." Jack took another bite of his breakfast and paused for a moment. Daniel couldn't help but notice in the back of his brain that the tables around them were suddenly very quiet. He had the sense of a lot of eyes and ears focused on his friend's words.
The General slowly took another drink of coffee, his eyes full of glee as he watched his friend squirm. "Danny here," he begins, pausing again to savor the moment while trying to keep a straight face, "Danny steps of the hot, steamy shower, dripping wet, wearing nothing but a towel and a smile."
At O'Neill's words, Cam burst out laughing and Sam joined in, unable to contain herself any longer. The General too was unable to keep from laughing, watching his friend with a warm, but amused gaze. The archaeologist dropped his fork on the plate at this, bowing his head and resting his face in his hands while sighing from the tips of his toes. Vala smirked shamelessly, chuckling softly as she watched Daniel with adoring eyes. Teal'c also watched Daniel silently, a faint grin played at the corners of his mouth.
After the laughter at the table had subsided, Teal'c spoke. "I too would have been surprised by that, O'Neill."
At his words, Jack, Cam and Carter all burst out laughing again, this time with Vala joining in. Daniel sighed again, clasping his hands before him as he lifted his head up, looking out from behind them. His cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, and he regarded his friend across the table wearily. Jack smiled widely at his friend, still laughing at the Jaffa's words. "Thanks, Jack." he said simply, his voice tired as he sat up in his chair. Reaching up, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, lifting his glasses up as he did, sighing once more.
"Oh Daniel," Vala smiled, the laughter still fresh in her voice as she leaned in against him. Resting both of her hands on his shoulder and her chin on her hands she smiled sweetly at him. Dropping his hand from his face, he looked over to her with a beleaguered expression. "You are so darling when you're embarrassed, did you know that?" she grinned at him, looking deeply into his eyes.
As he looked back into her gaze, Daniel found it difficult not to relax and start to smile slightly. Vala then leaned in even closer, closing her eyes as she pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply while cupping his face in her hands. The archaeologist hesitated only for a moment before he kissed her back in kind, sighing as he wrapped his arm about her waist, pulling her to him. As he did, a whistle could be heard from somewhere in the café. Sam, Jack, and Cameron all chuckled heartily at this, watching the couple for a moment or two before respectfully averting their gazes and focusing on the food before them. The blonde-haired Colonel and the gray-haired General next to her briefly shared an intense look between them, quietly and briefly clasping hands below the table before they resumed eating.
If Daniel heard any of the commotion, he gave no impression of it, but only returned Vala's fiery kiss in kind. After a few moments, the two pulled apart enough to look into each other's eyes once more, sharing a smile together, even though Daniel's looked somewhat reluctant.
"You know, you two could always go back to your room if you need some privacy," Jack grinned mischievously at the two as he shoveled a fork full of eggs into his mouth. Sam smiled in spite of herself, glancing down at her food briefly but unable to keep from looking over at the two across from them.
Daniel smirked at Jack's words, regarding his friend cagily. He sat up straight in his chair, picking up his cup and leisurely took a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, that's always an option," he grinned slightly, glancing over at Vala who raised an eyebrow at his unexpected reply. "I guess we're lucky that way, aren't we?" he asked her, continuing, "If we ever feel the need to suddenly be alone, our room is only a few minutes walk away from anywhere on the base."
Glancing over at Jack and Sam, he watched them with a calculating gaze as he added, "I mean, we could have the misfortune of being a good forty minutes away by car from any privacy if we had the sudden urge to find some time to ourselves." He paused as the two across from him briefly shared a worried look. "That'd be particularly awful, especially since we've been separated from each other for such a long time...unable to touch each other, to kiss, or to be close…"
The archaeologist sipped his coffee again as he looked across the table at his friends with a simply devious look, watching their reactions. Jack cleared his throat at the words, sitting up a little more straight and looking slightly uncomfortable at the point Daniel made. For her part, Sam blinked a few times as she suddenly realized the reality of what Daniel had said. The gray-haired General and the blonde-haired Colonel looked at each other, exchanging awkward and uncomfortable glances as they suddenly busied themselves with their breakfast.
Vala watched Daniel intently as he spoke, smirking as she listened to him. When he finished, she leaned in to whisper into his ear, "My dear, I think I've been a bad influence on you…" He turned and glanced over at her and winked.
The six resumed eating in silence. Sam and Jack were clearly abashed and humbled by Daniel's words, while Cam had no idea what he could possibly say at this point. Vala still had a grin on her face, occasionally glancing over at Daniel, who simply seemed to be enjoying the peace and quiet. Teal'c ate in silence with the rest, an amused expression on his face as he regarded his friends about him.
After a few minutes of silence, Sam spoke up, clearing her throat as she began. "So Vala, do you think you're up to working on breaking that crypto?"
The raven-haired woman looked up from her plate at Sam's words, smiling. "Well, I don't know exactly what we're going to be doing, but I'll tell you what I know and help however I can."
"Now that's not a very encouraging answer," General Landry interjected. Everyone looked up in surprise as the man announced his presence. He approached their table, grabbing an chair on the way. Grinning, he added, "I figured you ladies would have the job done before breakfast was over…
Carter and Mitchell both suddenly stood up as he approached, to which Landry waved dismissively with his coffee mug. "Sit down," he grumbled. Putting down the chair backwards, he sat down at the end of the table and leaned on the chair back. Taking a drink from his coffee, he looked around the table with a smile and asked kindly, "So how is everyone this morning? Well rested, I trust?"
"We're all doing well enough, Hank," O'Neill answered, grinning at the other General. "We're just relaxing together with a nice breakfast from your fine café." Jackson grinned across the table at Jack's words, the two sharing a warm gaze. As they did, Vala and Sam glanced at one another and smiled, while Mitchell looked on beatifically. Teal'c looked about the same as he had during the whole of breakfast.
Chuckling, Landry replied, "Well, glad to hear it. Sorry to ruin your fun here people, but we've got to start thinking about business." After taking another sip of coffee, Landry looked around the table and continued, "We've got a couple of prisoners that need interrogating." Everyone at the table blinked in surprise at his words, sitting up a little more straight and looking a little more serious.
"What kind of prisoners?" Daniel asked intently, now focused intently on what the General was saying. "When did this happen?"
"Two kinds, actually," the General answered. "The first is someone you might know," he added, looking at Vala as he spoke. "He's the smuggler from the Lucien Alliance that the Jaffa had captured."
Vala blinked at this, asking, "The same one that you wanted me to interview before Dakara was attacked?"
Nodding sagely, Landry replied, "The same. It turns out that they were able to re-capture him after they started cleaning up the mess. It was a lucky thing that he didn't get his hands on a ship to escape before they did, things were pretty chaotic there during those first few hours, as I understand it."
Vala nodded at this, pausing to absorb the news. She then looked at Landry, saying, "You suggested I might know him, but you should realize that the Lucien Alliance is a rather large organization. It's not like I know every single smuggler they employ. I mean, I'll still try and help but…"
"His name is Tanthin," Landry interrupted, watching her reaction carefully.
"Oh," Vala answered with a disheartened reaction. Daniel furrowed her brow at this, looking concerned at her crest-fallen expression. After a moment's pause, she looked aimlessly at the table, answering quietly, "I know him."
Landry paused for a moment, exchanging wordless glances with Jack at her reaction. Looking back at Vala, he asked cautiously, "Can I ask you to do the interrogation?"
Vala paused for a moment, and then flicked her eyes back over at Landry. After another moment's hesitation, she nodded wordlessly in reply. Daniel's expression grew more concerned at this and he glanced over to Jack. His friend didn't return the look, however, but rather continued to look at Landry, listening as the other General continued talking.
"That interrogation will wait, however. We've got him sweating in solitary confinement. The longer we make him wait the easier your job will be, probably. Besides, it's more important that you and Sam break that encryption. So, I want you two to spend the day on that, and I'll check to see how you're progressing later." Landry paused, looking up at each woman in turn.
Both Carter and Vala nodded, Sam adding a quiet, "Yes sir."
Landry nodded and continued. "The other captive is a bit more special, and deserves closer attention." Pausing, he looked around the table as he added, "The Jaffa managed to capture one of the enemy soldiers."
Everyone looked surprised at this, exchanging glances with one another with apprehensive looks. Landry went on, focusing his gaze on Cam and Teal'c. "Since Vala, Sam, and Jackson are going to be busy all day today with going through all of the data that you brought back from your last mission, I want the two of you to interrogate this other prisoner." Pausing, he added for emphasis, "We need to know what we're up against. See what you can find out from this one."
Mitchell answered, "Yes sir," as Teal'c nodded silently in response.
Nodding, Landry stood up. "Alright, people. That's it for now, I'll call you all in for a briefing at the end of the day to discuss your findings." Everyone at the table nodded silently as he turned to leave, a foreboding pall settling over the six. Landry paused as he went to go, turning back around to look at the table again. "Oh, Jack – are you ready for our meeting now?"
Blinking up at the other General, O'Neill blinked once before a sudden apprehension came over his expression. "Right…!" he answered, half absentmindedly. "Yeah, I'm coming." Landry again turned to leave at this. As he did, Jack glanced over at Sam while picking up his tray, the two sharing a quiet and despondent gaze together. After hesitating for a moment, he stood up and left the table. Following behind Landry, Jack deposited his tray in the dishes bin on his way out, the two starting to talk as they left.
The remaining five paused for a moment, none willing to say a word. "Well," Cam began, clearing his throat. "I guess we have work to do, people." His voice was unenthusiastic, but his words resonated with everyone at the table. Without another comment, everyone stood and gathered up the remains of their breakfast, the five leaving the café together in silence.
The gray-haired warrior sat at the helm of the cargo ship, wordless piloting it through hyperspace to his ultimate destination. Artix had managed to gather his team, and the meeting with Netan had gone about as well as he could have expected. He now knew exactly what the job was, where he was going, and how it should all go down. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the four individuals in the back, preparing their weapons as they drew close to their destination.
At this, the elder warrior suddenly had the strangest sense of deja-vu, but he chuckled at that. This encounter would be decidedly different then the last one. This time, he would have the element of surprise.
The cargo ship suddenly dropped out of hyperspace, cruising rapidly past the small crater-pocked gray moon that orbited the large, beautiful blue-and-white planet which he directed the ship towards. The craft suddenly disappeared as the elder warrior activated the cloaking device, shimmering as it vanished in the light from the yellow sun off in the distance.