Odyssey
a Torchwood crossover story
by RoadrunnerGER
Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the related shows. I just love to play with their characters.
Summary: Abducted away from Earth and sold into slavery Team Torchwood has to fight for survival. Being left behind Tosh works with the Stargate team, going on a frantic odyssey across the universe in order to save her friends. Crossover, set s2
A/N: Thanks for all your comments, for your faith, for requesting more, and for sticking with it even through the long pause. I hope that I'll be able to update more often again. I plan to, but who knows… Special thanks to mandassina for beta-reading. Enjoy!
Chapter 17
Jack could not help but worry when he got up from the floor. At first he had anxiously monitored how Ianto reacted to the abduction. He had been glad to see that he pulled himself together. Now he feared that Ianto was becoming overconfident.
And that's only because he knows a little more about my past than the others do. I need to make him understand that my training alone won't get us out of here. He stifled a sigh. The best way to do that will be to convince the others.
What Jack was not ready to face yet was the fact that Ianto knew exactly what was going on. The young Welshman had made a decision that could bring them freedom or would get him killed. Jack was not prepared to accept that.
So Jack stepped forward to the bars. A look back and around his cage told him that there were the same men locked up with him, except Rupert who was, as Grant had claimed, dead. Taking a calming breath Jack steeled himself and spoke to the other prisoners.
"Is anybody injured?"
"Only a few abrasions!" Gwen shouted back.
"Owen?"
"Nothing serious here!" the medic grunted.
"What about the others? Cage one? Are you all right?"
"More or less," someone answered him.
"One of us is missing," a woman told him.
"I'm in another cage!" Alyssa called out. "Gwen?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm right across of you now!"
Little by little Jack got responses from all cages. Thankfully nobody else was seriously injured. Once he had determined that he decided to satisfy his own curiosity.
"My name is Captain Jack Harkness," he shouted in the direction of the cages that had been empty before. "Does anybody of you understand me? Who are you?" As he did not really expect someone to answer him as long as he spoke English he repeated what he said in one of the commons he had learnt. To his infinite surprise a woman called out for him.
"Captain Harkness? My name is Ishta. I am the leader of the Hak'tyl."
Craning his neck Jack could spot her in the last cage of the row across the aisle. The blonde woman he had seen fighting before stood at the bars, her posture exuding pride. She certainly was a born warrior queen.
"Even under the circumstances it is nice to meet you, Ishta of the Hak'tyl," he replied. "Is that also the name of your planet, Hak'tyl?"
"Yes, it is."
"How is it that you know our language?"
"Our people are an ally of the Tau'ri," she told him flatly. "You certainly are aware of General O'Neill's efforts to support us in our final independence of Moloc?"
Jack did a double take. Moloc? Who's Moloc?
Ianto stepped beside him, taking his arm. "Jack, who or what is Moloc?"
"I have no idea," Jack murmured back. To Ishta he said, "I don't know a General of this name. Where is he serving?"
"He's the honourable leader of the Tau'ri," Ishta snapped. "What kind of captain are you that you do not know your highest leader?"
"Ishta! Ha're kree!" another woman shouted.
"Kree shak nel, Kar'yn," Ishta replied sharply and added, "Answer me, Captain!"
Jack was at a loss. He did neither know the names nor did he understand their language. Where was Hak'tyl? And who was General O'Neill?
"Jack? What's going on?" Gwen asked.
"I'll tell you when I know," he hissed back. He had to answer Ishta and thought feverishly about what he should tell her. While he still thought about it he heard the women talk with each other in their own language. Suddenly Ianto nudged his side.
"Jack!" he said excitedly. "I think I know who they mean!"
"Oh, really? Enlighten me!"
"One of them used the word chappa'ai. I've heard that word before. I think it means Stargate."
"Stargate?"
"Really, Jack," Ianto said in an admonishing tone. "If I didn't file the stuff you ought to read but don't, we would die stupid. She means us, Jack. Tau'ri, humans, Earth."
"Are you sure?" Jack asked, but even as he spoke the wheels started to slot in place and he remembered. Stargate. Oh, yes.
"Jack, really," Ianto complained. "The Stargate Command belongs to the U.S. Air Force."
"Oh, yeah. I remember that I've read about the Stargates. I've never been on a planet that had one, though. What do you know about them?"
"We were only notified that the program exists," Ianto told him sternly. "You might remember if you'd ever read your mail."
Jack grinned sheepishly at his Welshman. "That's what I have you for."
Snorting Ianto cocked his head to the side and glowered at Jack who then turned to the bars again.
"Ishta? I think we've had a misunderstanding. I'm the leader of Torchwood. That's a different force on another continent of… Tau'ri." He waited a short moment for a reaction that did not come. "We are allies of General O'Neill, but none of us has had the honour of actually meeting him."
"I see. So we both are allies against the Goa'uld."
Ianto scowled with confusion, but this time Jack knew what Ishta meant. And something else returned from the depths of his memory, the location of the base in Colorado as well as some of the names that appeared in his old history books.
"Yes, we are," Jack confirmed. "I can clearly foresee the day when all Jaffa will be free of the slavery of the false gods."
Watching Jack as he said that Ianto had to bite back a smirk. Foresee, Jack? he chuckled inwardly. You rather remember, huh?
Ishta on the other hand seemed to be pleased by Jack's words. "Shal kek nem ron, Captain Harkness," she said with pride. "How many of your warriors are here with us?"
"Three," Jack told her. "My second in command as well as two of the field operatives."
"Who are the others?" Ishta asked with slight confusion.
Jack needed a moment to realize that she misunderstood the structure of Earth's societies. She had called General O'Neill their highest leader before and back then Jack did not further think about that. Now he knew that she probably only had dealt with the officers at the Stargate Command and believed the whole population of the Tau'ri to be warriors, like her and the Hak'tyl.
"They are civilians," Jack told her.
"Civilians?" Ishta asked as expected.
"They never learnt how to fight, Ishta," Jack explained. "They have other important positions in our society."
"Like cultivating the fields and forging your weapons!" she said. "I understand."
Murmur swept through the room and Jack suspected that some others wanted to complain about the characterization, but in the end they remained silent. That was when Ishta continued to speak.
"They still can fight if they are guided in the right way. We shall work out a plan and give everyone instructions. Every single one shall contribute in our victory."
"Sounds great," Ianto murmured. "You two would be a good team."
"We are a good team, Yan," Jack whispered back and breathed a kiss on Ianto's forehead. "Ishta, that is encouraging! We already collected information about everyone's abilities. So let's go on and work on a plan!"
They talked a long while about said plan. Once, when some of the Tebr'ox came in to wash out their cells and throw them food, they had to interrupt and pretend to be tired and weary, but that was not too hard because they were tired and weary. Fortunately, none of the Tebr'ox noticed anything. Everyone picked up what food she or he could get. Then Ishta and Jack, together with Gwen, Owen, and Grant as well as Lee and Alex who sat in other cages continued to prepare their escape.
Eventually Ianto caved to Jack's prodding and retreated to the back of the cell. Wet and dead tired he wished for at least a blanket or a thin mattress to lie down on. All he had, though, was the metal floor, the metal wall, metal bars, and a gutter that smelled like they were on a waste dump. The Tebr'ox washed the worst dirt away, but hosing them down did not equal washing them. So everything and everyone stank.
Slowly Ianto sat down and leaned against the wall. He was tired, but he did not know how he was supposed to sleep. His anxiety rivalled with the disgust the idea of lying down on the floor woke in him. Looking at Jack he sighed. They were still planning and were going to plan for who knew how long. He longed for his partner to be there for him, but he had asked him to help them escape. Ianto knew that he could not have both.
He had managed to at least doze a little when hands on his shoulders stirred him back to awareness. Blinking several times he focused on Jack.
"Hey, Yan," the captain said. "Is there room here for me?"
"Sure," Ianto mumbled tiredly and shifted his position to let Jack sit down beside him. Jack, though, did not take the offered place. "Something wrong?"
"No, Yan." Jack smiled softly. "Just… oh, well."
Shrugging his coat off his shoulders Jack spread the long and thick greatcoat on the floor and squatted down beside it.
"Come here, Yan," he said.
Ianto could have cried. He felt the tears well up in his eyes and tried to force them back. Fingertips brushing over his cheek made him lose that fight. The tears were rolling and Ianto caved to the gentle draw of Jack's hand on the back of his neck. Slowly he sank down on the greatcoat and stretched out beside Jack. Under the circumstances the fabric felt heavenly soft. Ianto sensed Jack lie down behind him and his hand caress his wet hair. When he tried to find a comfortable position he found Jack's arm beneath him and the captain guiding him to rest his head on it. Squirming around he made himself comfortable. Once he rested on Jack's coat the captain wrapped his free arm around his waist and pulled him against his body. Welcome warmth spread through Ianto.
"Feeling better, Yan?" Jack asked.
"Hm hmmm."
"Rest, anwylyd," Jack murmured. "You can rest for a while."
"No. We need to stay alert and…"
"We've appointed guards. We'll know when they come back." Jack caressed Ianto's stomach and tickled his belly button.
"Jack, don't," Ianto complained.
"Why?"
"We're not alone," Ianto hissed. At the same time languorous shudders coursed through his body. Jack's warm breath hit the back of his neck and it was all he could do not to moan. He missed Jack. Knowing the captain he could have him right here and now. His lover from the future did not know inhibitions. He certainly did not mind having an audience.
Ianto got proof of that when he felt Jack's hand ever so slowly travel down between his legs. He wanted to object but could not find the strength to do so. The soft warmth cupping his core through the fabric of his trousers made him shiver. His breath hitched in his chest when Jack gently squeezed. Ianto moaned softly. He did not dare to issue other sounds but he knew that he certainly would if he did not tell Jack to stop.
On the back of his neck Ianto felt Jack's lips nip on his skin. A trail of kisses across his neck made Ianto shiver. It was a wonderful sensation to get caressed like that.
Knowing that he had to be careful Jack slowly let his hand travel over Ianto's thigh. Up and down he smoothed his palm over his lover's leg, his side and his arm. Every now and then he spoiled him with kisses.
Jack's skilled fingers found the spots that were especially susceptible to his ministrations that were not aimed to excite but to relax this time. He smiled to himself when Ianto sighed.
"Sleep well, anwylyd," Jack whispered, kissing Ianto tenderly.
A moment later the young Welshman's regular breathing told him that he was fast asleep.
tbc…