AN: I am glad to finally be posting on my proper day… Sorry about the irregularities- it's been messed up over here.
Chapter Twelve: The High Council of the Tau'ka
There were ten people waiting when the League came to meet with the Tau'ka High Council the day after the celebration. Daria recognized nine of them as the Council members themselves, one leader each for the nine aspects of a Tau'ka base. Every Tau'ka on Verris worked in a field that fell directly under the control of one of these nine people.
The tenth was a dark-haired young male she didn't recognize, though she knew the uniform. Consisting of a dark blue tunic with black trim, cream-colored leggings, and knee-high boots, it was the same uniform that Daria herself had worn when she'd first become an Intelligence agent. She wore a very similar uniform right now, but with copper trim as befitted her rank as a Sixth-level Special Agent with more than sixty successful missions completed. Black indicated a First-Level agent- a youngster fresh out of the training school. The older agent eyed the badge on his shoulder. The device was unfamiliar- a gray owl-like bird on a field of Intelligence blue and gray, again ringed in First-level black. Every Tau'ka wore such a badge when they were on-duty, bearing their personal crest and the colors of their occupation. Daria's own was a bronze-colored gryphon on a blue-and-cream field, ringed in copper.
Master Agent Felis inclined her head slightly as the humans and her subordinate entered. "Have a seat," she said calmly, waving to the chairs that had been set up for them around the large round table, which was large enough to seat twenty. Meetings with the Council were always like this- the leaders and their charges all seated around one table, rather than having the Council up on a pedestal.
The humans sat. Skinner and Jekyll looked decidedly nervous, but Sawyer projected his usual casual air, while Mina and Nemo met the jewel-like gazes evenly.
"We have heard much of you." The speaker was Laeoto Aire, head of the Scientific division. "Agent Noclaf's report was very informative."
"As it should be," Felis replied.
Commander Halcon leaned forward a little in his seat. "My congratulations to you, Captain, on your performance the other night. Few are the humans who can defeat a Tau'ka in single combat."
Nemo nodded gravely. He had heard from the others how Streit's use of an illusion-blade was against the dueling code. None of them had been able to determine why the referee had ignored such a blatant disregard of the rules. They couldn't even ask the man- he was a resident of another base and had left soon after the fight. Streit too had left as soon as one of the Healers had seen to his stab wound.
"You provide us with an interesting situation, Tau'ri." That was Ambassador Kinor Helmin, the head of foreign relations. "A group of remarkably gifted humans who- through a rather blatant breach of protocol-" Here he glared at Daria, who didn't flinch. "Now know of our people's existence."
"It's a good thing she told us," Sawyer interjected. "We did help her track down those Black Hawk characters."
"She should never have lost them in the first place, Mr. Sawyer," Helmin replied testily. "It was her assignment to find the Hawks and kill them."
Craftsmaster Basido Mycete shook her head. "It is unfortunate that events turned out as they did."
"Unfortunate?" the Ambassador snapped. "The Hawks got away!"
Sawyer glanced down. It had been partially his fault that the two Tau'ka terrorists had escaped. He'd actually seen Koor while he and Quatermain were hunting down M in his Mongolian fortress. Why hadn't he taken a second to just shoot the alien? Then the other twin, K'Wah, could not have escaped in the spaceship that Koor had flown.
"She helped save our world," Mina said. "Is that not the reason you have your agents on Earth in the first place?"
Daria flinched under the withering looks from ten sets of glittering eyes.
You weren't supposed to tell them that, she told Mina. The vampiress was unrepentant.
Felis cut Helmin off as the diplomat opened his mouth to speak. "You are correct in essence, Mrs. Harker," she said. "Clearly Agent Noclaf has told you about the prophecies our people have concerning yours." Her emerald eyes flicked to Helmin in a silent warning before returning to the vampiress. "She did perform her task as well as can be expected. The Black Hawks are notorious for their ability to escape from a situation that has become costly to them. Agent Noclaf is one of the best we have at routing them." The Master Agent raised an elegant hand, indicating the young male Tau'ka seated next to her. "In that vein, we wish to introduce Shadow Agent Tecol Dorou."
Dorou nodded to Daria. "I've heard a lot about your exploits, Special Agent," he said. "You have become something of a legend among the younger agents."
"I don't know about legend, Agent Dorou," Daria said. "I think some of the stories may have been exaggerated somewhat-"
"Your uncovering of the Tok'Ra spy Kulamar of Mulshere on Bathar?" Dourou pointed out. "Or the way you single-handedly wrecked Ra's munitions facility on Anun-su?"
"I concede the point, Dorou," she said quickly. She was aware of the League members staring at her as Dorou recited his litany of her missions. "And I had an inside line on the Anun-su facility."
"She never told us about tha'!" Skinner muttered to Sawyer. The American grinned.
"Wish she had," he replied.
Not helping! Daria said.
"The League will have official recognition of the Verris Council," Felis went on. "I believe I speak for all nine of us when I say they have earned our respect."
Helmin snorted but didn't say anything aloud.
"We wish you to instruct Agent Dorou in what he will need to know to work on Earth. He is to be the new liaison with Earth. Afterwards, you will work more closely with me. Despite the rather unfortunate escape of the Hawks, you did put a stop to their interests on Earth. You have done well, Agent Noclaf. Within a few decades, you could very well replace myself as head of Intelligence."
Daria gaped. "Me?" she said blankly. Around her, the other League members were grinning. Jekyll put a proud hand on her shoulder.
"I think you would be very good at it," he said quietly. She smiled at him, face bright with pleasure.
"I'm honored that you think so, Master Agent," she said, still looking at Jekyll. She didn't notice the concerned looks that passed between several of the Council members.
"It is not simple flattery, Agent Noclaf," Commander Halcon pointed out. "You have a very remarkable success rate in your missions and a natural grasp of Intelligence work. I was always disappointed when you chose to work for the Master Agent- you would have made a very fine officer."
"Thank you, sirs," Daria said. "And I appreciate you assigning a new Shadow Agent to England. It was tough trying to gather information after Shadow Agent Nielssan was… killed."
That had been a rather embarrassing incident. For reasons still unknown, Shadow Agent Terref Neilssan, the agent assigned to help Daria, had been working with the Black Hawks. He had nearly managed to kill her in a fight in the British Museum's Egyptology wing. He would have succeeded too, if not for the timely interference of Sherlock Holmes.
Daria briefly wondered what Holmes was doing now. She'd saved him when he and Professor Moriarty had fallen over the edge of Reichenbach Falls last Ferbruary. The detective had promptly arranged to disappear, telling no one that she knew of where he was heading. She hoped he was alright- she rather liked the sharp-minded human.
"I can arrange appropriate cover for Agent Dorou when we get to Earth," she went on, but stopped when she saw Master Agent Felis shaking her head.
"Agent Noclaf, I believe you mistook my meaning," she said.
Daria suddenly felt cold. "What do you mean?" she asked, feeling a leaden lump of dread settle in her stomach. "I was under the impression that you wanted me to set Dorou up with cover on Earth when I went back with the League…"
Both Halcon and Felis shook their heads. It was the Head of Intelligence who spoke.
"Agent Noclaf, you are not going back."