Chapter 22
Daniel came back to the kitchen a little while later, running a hand through his hair in utter frustration.
"I want to hit something, Vala," he confessed. "I want to find an actual Ori being and punch it in its ascended face. And then I want to find an Ancient and punch it in its ascended face." He stopped his relentless pacing and scrubbed his hair and face again. "How the hell did this happen?"
"First of all, let me remind you to keep your voice to a whisper and your maniacal, ascended-punching thoughts to yourself," she finished, giving him a pointed look and tilting her head at the bedroom. Daniel nodded in agreement. "Secondly, even if she heard you, I know it came from a place of love so I think we'll be able to explain it, however, I also think that is what's confusing her."
"Yeah, I think you're right," Daniel said, sitting down at the table and sipping at the tea Vala brought him. "The Ori claim to love their human creations. They claim that love is what drives them to share Enlightenment with them. Yet the Ori also command that evil be wiped out, that any who doesn't believe in them be converted or destroyed." Daniel took another sip. "I suppose our claim of loving her but also letting her go contradicts all she knows, all she's been 'programmed' to believe by the Ori."
Vala smiled. "Which means, we might be getting through to her, right?" She left the stove and wandered over to the bedroom door, peeking in at her sleeping little girl. "After all this, she might be ours once again," she said, her voice filled with as much hope as she dared express.
Daniel rose from the table and put his arms around Vala. "I hope so."
Night fell while they talked in the kitchen, but eventually they heard noises from the bedroom. Doors and drawers opening and closing. Daniel followed as Vala led the way to her old room. They saw Adria sitting up in the bed, her knees drawn up in front of her and a blanket wrapped about her. Then she lit a candle across the room, with her mind.
"Hello, Mother, Father." She was older again, appearing maybe 13 or 14 years old.
Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat. "Did you sleep well, Adria?"
"Yes. My head still hurts, but I am managing." She brought out a red and gold dress from the closet. "I don't fit these other clothes anymore. What do you think of this dress, Mother?"
Vala hoped the shock on her face wouldn't register, but she knew Adria could probably sense it anyway so she admitted it freely. "I don't know if I'm more surprised to find you grown again, or to find that I'm shocked." She walked into the room and sat down on the bed next to her daughter, ignoring the dress hovering near the closet door. "I suppose you find it ridiculous that your mother is always shocked to see you growing up."
Adria couldn't help a small smile curving her lips upward. "You really should be quite used to it by now."
"I really should," Vala smiled back, hoping to keep her daughter calm, as well as showing her as much love as she could. "But as to the dress, I think that one is still a bit too big for you. I think I may have an older one from when I was your age in the back." She got up from the bed to go look. "It was a pretty blue and green one…" The dress she was thinking of came floating out of the closet.
"This one, Mother?" Adria asked.
"Yes, darling, that's it exactly." Vala forced a smile, trying to hide her anxiety about Adria's powers.
"I'll go set the table for dinner and give you girls some privacy," Daniel announced from the doorway as Adria started to get up from the bed.
Vala held the dress up while her daughter took off the T-shirt. She'd already discarded the shortened pants and re-pinned the underwear.
"I think I like red better," Adria said while pondering the dress. "I don't know why, though. This is a pretty color too." She sighed, and Vala could sense the young girl's confusion even without any enhanced mental abilities.
Vala helped her dress then brought a brush over and combed through Adria's tangles. Halfway through, she thought again and handed the brush to Adria. "I shouldn't treat you like a child anymore, should I? Maybe we can do this together." Vala parted Adria's hair down the middle, setting one half over one shoulder and keeping the other half. "We could do a set of braids. I'll do this side and you can do that side, all right?"
Adria nodded her agreement, and Vala noticed the slight smile once more. The teen years. What a rotten age to have to go through, for anyone. If only she could protect her daughter from it.
"This, too, shall pass," Adria commented as she finished braiding her side of her hair.
"Hmm?" Vala asked.
"I'm sorry, Mother. I couldn't help it. You were thinking about my age, how this particular time for me would be difficult." Vala finished with her hair and Adria walked over to the mirror on the dresser. "I suppose it won't be long until I've grown out of this phase as well. We'll just have to wait it out." Then she shrugged her shoulders and walked out to the kitchen, Vala following.
"It smells…delicious," Adria said with real surprise in her voice.
"You doubted your parents could take care of you, darling," Vala teased.
"No, I…I just didn't expect…" She gave them both her perpetual confused look, but shook her head a moment later. They sat around the table and Adria recited a blessing over the meal. Both Daniel and Vala had used it before when they had been trapped in the Ori galaxy. They all recited "Hallowed are the Ori" at the end of the blessing, and just as before, Adria couldn't help keeping the confusion from her face.
"I don't think it's meant quite as a blessing when unbelievers say those words," she remarked, taking a bite of the baked vegetable pie in front of her.
"Yes, well," Daniel started, "we can't deny the Ori are powerful. And even if we don't believe they are gods, they did give you to us, and we are extremely and sincerely grateful for that."
Vala thought ironically to herself that Adria's face might get stuck in that confused squinted stare if she continued like this. But then she thought of an interesting question. "I wonder, Adria, why we were chosen as your parents. Why weren't you given to some other couple in the Ori galaxy?"
"You and Father are unique. Your genetic make-up was essential for my creation."
Adria looked up and undoubtedly noticed the confusion written on their faces for a change, she may even have felt a little relieved that she wasn't the only one to suffer from such an affliction. Anyway, she decided to explain further. "Father, weren't you once ascended?"
Daniel swallowed the bite he had in his mouth and nodded. "How did you know?"
"The Ori were made aware of it when your matter stream entered our galaxy. Your genetic make-up was deemed beneficial to me. It would help that my mind could absorb and retain as much of the Ori's knowledge as possible."
"Well, what am I, then," Vala scoffed light-heartedly, "just an incubator?"
"Of course not, Mother." Adria's eyes and mood lightened with the teasing humor. "Your body had been host to a parasite. A terrible creature but a powerful one, nonetheless. Your mind, as well, was capable of retaining a great deal of knowledge. I know that you have since been freed from the parasite, but I suppose the fact that you haven't succumbed to the madness of the remnants of that overwhelming knowledge is proof of your mind's strength. It is inherent to your genetic make-up as well, and therefore of use to me. I would not be here today without either of you," she concluded with a warm smile for her parents, then went back to her dinner.
"Whatever the reason," Daniel began, "I still remain thankful that you are ours." He reached out and squeezed her hand.
Adria looked down at her father's hand, and she pushed back the squint that began to appear on her face. "I still want to leave. To at least find the followers of Origin in this galaxy," she amended, raising her head and looking a little more stern than usual.
"We can do that, sweetheart," Vala said. "Tomorrow morning, after a good night's sleep." She said cheerfully.
Adria looked down at her plate. "I think I'd like to leave now." She nodded, raising her head and adding strength to her voice. "The followers are in need of guidance. They need me."
"We said we would let you go, and we will," Daniel replied pleasantly, yet also holding her gaze firmly. "We only ask that you let us come with you. Let us make sure you are safe before you make us leave you alone."
To Adria's credit, she refused to look away from Daniel, refused to look down and submit once more to the confusion that must be boiling inside her. It was only a moment, though it felt like many minutes. Adria must have finally sensed Daniel's genuine honesty because the next moment she was calmly finishing every last bite from her plate.
"Well, I'm going to pack some provisions," Vala said, getting up from the table and clearing the plates. "I always get hungry while traveling."
Daniel laughed a little then. "She's right, you know," he said, "her appetite is enormous."
"It's a very healthy appetite, Daniel. Don't tease." She jabbed him in the side as he came up beside her and helped fill a sack with fruit and biscuits. Adria remained at the table, watching her parents interact with each other. Then all three of them left the house in the dead of night.
Daniel and Vala followed their daughter through the village to the stargate. She dialed an address with her mind. Both Daniel and Vala looked at each other, the address led to Chulak.
Once there, they discovered an Ori mothership had landed by the city. There were Ori fighters and Jaffa gliders still fighting in the air above the city. A number of ground troops were engaged in combat as well. Adria led them effortlessly past everyone to the ship. On board, she calmly walked toward the bridge.
"Orici!" the ship's prior exclaimed as he rose from the command chair. "Thank the Ori you have come to us unharmed." He was the same man who was magistrate in Ver Eger, the same prior who had inflicted a plague on the villagers of Vala's hideout world on P8X-412.
"I was with my parents, prior," Adria nodded to him. "I was in no danger whatsoever. But my place is with the followers of Origin, and I have come to lead you."
"Thank you, Orici. Your presence is necessary and deeply appreciated. There are many billions of unbelievers. Corrupt, evil individuals who refuse to accept Origin, who refuse to walk the Path of Enlightenment."
"Your faith does you credit, prior. You have served the Ori well. However, we should first minister to our flock of devout followers and be certain that none are in need of further guidance or instruction." Adria raised her chin, keeping any doubt from her voice. "Then we can concern ourselves with unbelievers."
"Orici," said the prior with obvious surprise. "That is not the will of the Ori as professed by the Doci."
"You question me, prior! You question my authority against that of the Doci. I am Orici, prior. I am the one sent to spread Origin to the stars. And I will spread it as I and the Ori see fit."
The prior turned on both Daniel and Vala, as if noticing them for the first time. "Evil!" he cursed them. "You have corrupted her. You have abused her and taught her evil!"
"We've done nothing of the sort," Vala shouted, stepping in front of Daniel and standing between Adria and the prior. "We've loved and protected her."
"Lies," the prior sneered. "You will abandon her the instant she professes her true purpose—the extinction of all unbelievers. She will be anathema to you then and you will leave her to her fate."
Vala shook her head in disbelief, but Daniel stepped forward and spoke. "We would die before abandoning her. We will love her and protect her, and nothing you say or do, nothing she says or does, will change that."
"Treacherous evil," the prior hissed. "These lies you speak will haunt you for the rest of your days. And they are lies, Orici," he spoke to Adria. "The humans of this galaxy are petty and selfish. They think only of themselves, only of their own worlds. They never seek to better themselves, they refuse to follow the Path."
"That is their choice," she spoke softly at first but then continued with strength, stepping around her parents and facing the prior with true conviction. "Everyone has the freedom to choose their own path without pressure or fear." She then looked back at her father who smiled brightly with great pride.
The next instant, the prior whisked a staff weapon from a guard in the corner of the room and shot directly at Adria, hissing a horrible curse. No one was quick enough to stop the prior, not even Adria, yet Daniel saw the movement and leapt at her in time to take the blast that was meant for his daughter.
"Father!" Adria screamed. "Why did you…" She vented all of her anger on the prior, throwing him across the bridge with her mind and choking the breath from his lungs.
"No, Adria," Vala commanded, hurrying to Daniel's side. "You might still be able to help your father like you helped me." She took off her jacket and pressed it into his side, hoping to stop the flow of blood.
Adria fought with her intense anger. What was the truth? Why was she here?
"Please, Adria," Vala begged. "He could die!"
"Restrain him," Adria ordered the guards as she released the prior and rushed over to her father. The wound was serious, blood was still pouring out everywhere. "Why did he do that?" she cried.
"I have no idea, sweetheart," Vala shifted her head to wipe her tears on her shoulder. "That prior should have shot at either me or Daniel. I can't see what he would possibly gain by killing you." Vala kept crying over Daniel. The universe was seriously going to pay if Daniel died.
"I didn't mean the prior," Adria said as her hand passed over Daniel's wound, healing it completely. "I meant Father," she finished softly.
"Well, I would think that was obvious, darling," Vala said, relieved as she saw Daniel's brilliant blue eyes open. She grabbed both Daniel's hand and Adria's in each of her own, and smiled brightly. "We said we loved you, Adria. Didn't you believe us?"
"I…yes, but I didn't know…" her poor confused look was back. "I didn't understand what it meant." She let go of her mother's hand and stood up. She marched straight toward the prior, gripping his throat again with her mind. "Why? Why do you kill innocents? Why do you murder those who believe something else? Why do you claim it is for love, if it has nothing to do with that concept at all?"
"Adria, stop!" Vala shouted. "This isn't you. Don't become like him, don't become the monster he is."
"But he tried to kill me. He almost killed Father!" Adria continued to choke the prior as she turned to face her mother. "He's led the Ori armies all over your galaxy murdering hundreds of thousands of innocents. He deserves to die."
"Yes, Adria, he did all those things. Except that you didn't die and neither did your father. This poor man was misled. All of the armies are misled. All lied to. They deserve sympathy and compassion." Vala reached out to lower Adria's outstretched arm. "He deserves a chance for atonement."
She dropped her arm and let the prior fall to his feet, gasping for breath. "Forgiveness is weakness," Adria brought her hands to her head, pressing tightly against her temples.
Daniel walked over to them. "No, Adria, forgiveness is also a part of love, probably the second hardest part."
She shook her head back and forth, refusing to look at anyone. "The Ori don't believe any of this. They claim to love all their creation, and they claim to offer Ascension to their followers. Yet they oppose anything that is different from them. They root out anyone who believes differently. They have no concept of sympathy, compassion, forgiveness, letting go. Do they love at all?"
Daniel tipped Adria's chin in his direction. "Love has a great many meanings, but it mostly comes down to selflessness and self-sacrifice. Does that sound like something that the Ori do?"
Adria's eyes filled with tears as she looked at her father. "No," she whispered. "I think maybe…maybe all their claims are false." She closed her eyes and cried openly into her father's shoulder.
"Ssh, there now," he comforted her. He held his daughter in one arm and Vala in the other. "Remember, we can't fault them entirely." Both women turned their heads in his direction, identical looks of bewilderment on their faces. "Well, they did give you to us, sweetheart. I told you I'd always be thankful for that. For being given the opportunity to love like that."
Vala smiled also and nodded her agreement, but Adria still looked puzzled. "Love isn't quite enough though. We need to put things right if we can." She stood up then and wiped her tears away. "You all have witnessed this rather dramatic scene," she spoke to the handful of guards around the room. "I wish to return the armies of the Ori to our galaxy. I wish to let people choose for themselves what to believe and to not force them to go against their beliefs. So what say you? Will you come with me?"
The guards looked from one to the other. None of them were commanders, they were lowly men, and their Orici was asking them to choose for themselves. One of them voiced his concern. "What if a man chose to steal from another," then he looked down at the prior, "or chose to kill a man he was quarreling with? Origin teaches swift retribution in every case." The guard cringed a little when meeting the Orici's eyes, but he continued nevertheless. "How would we keep a civilized society without rules to live by? Love, as you say, cannot solve all problems."
Adria nodded and thanked the man for speaking, then she turned and began pacing back forth, biting her lip and chewing on her thumb. Vala and Daniel exchanged knowing looks. The poor girl was definitely their daughter.
"Adria, dear," Vala began, "the man is right. Without strict laws, many will push their limits and find ways to get what they can through as little effort as possible. I'd just like to remind you, that I doubt everything was perfect before. There was still discontent even when the strict rules of Origin were the laws of the land."
"But there is always a happy medium between the extremes," Daniel finished. "Laws can be written with compassion in mind. Punishments can be devised with atonement and betterment as the goals. But it all has to begin with love, respect and freedom of choice and will."
Adria nodded her agreement, and turned back to the guards. "I suppose we all have a lot to learn from now on, I most of all perhaps. I ask again, what should we do?"
Each and every guard knelt down on one knee in front of her. "We follow the Orici, hers to command."
Adria laughed warmly. "Well, not exactly what I expected, but it's a start. Arise. You shall be my trusted council. We'll need to figure out how to collect the priors first."
"We may be able to help with that," Daniel said, taking Adria's hand and squeezing it tightly with pride.