Chapter 4 The Scent of Trouble Brewing.
Cameron Mitchell gated through to Dakara late that afternoon.
Not long after Daniel and Vala had left aboard the old Tel'tak the Jaffa Council had decided that recent developments required the help of the SGC sooner rather than later. Although nothing of any note had happened yet, regarding the unknown Priestess, both parties felt that a united front was required, along with the sharing of any intel and plans of action.
Teal'c was waiting for him, close to the Stargate. "ColonelMitchell," he acknowledged his friend.
"Hey, big guy." Mitchell's face was sombre. "Looks like something really is going down then. I thought things were getting too easy for us!"
A small smile tugged at the Jaffa's generous lips. "Indeed. However, things, as you say, have been easy for several years now. We should never assume that this will always be the case."
"You sayin' I'm gonna have to work for a living again?" Mtichell replied, in mock disgust. "Anyone'd think I thrive on adrenaline overloads and getting my ass shot at!"
"I believe that you do," Teal'c told him, serenely. "It is my opinion that SG-1, and yourself in particular, greatly enjoy a mission that requires your – ass – to be fired upon. More so than you do a quieter one."
Mitchell laughed outright. "Maybe you're right," he admitted. "But I'm saying nuthin'. Tho' I'll agree with you - it has been pretty dull around the SGC the last few years."
"New foes rise and fall with unending regularity," Teal'c mused. "Doubtless we need to acquaint ourselves with whoever this new adversary is."
"You think it is Athena?" Mitchell squinted at his old team mate. "Like Vala reckons? Or some other guy?"
"I am unsure. Although the last Gou'ald that we know of who definitely remained in this galaxy was indeed Athena. It is logical to assume that she is the instigator in these ministrations, until we can prove differently."
"Great." Mitchell looked up at the sky, then across to Teal'c. "She's such a barrel of laughs, that one."
"Why the Tau'ri would think that it is possible to fill a wooden receptacle with a material as ethereal as laughter is something that I have never been able to comprehend," Teal'c said smoothly, as the two men trod down the wide, cool steps and entered the temple.
o – o – o – o – o –
The Tel'tak moved smoothly through subspace towards Semjata. Well, mostly it moved smoothly, the odd judder and rattle could be heard every now and then, plus a faint squeaking sound which Vala told Daniel was something to do with the hygiene unit.
"Great!" he said. "Not only will we get stuck in the middle of nowhere, but the bathroom will flood too! Fantastic!"
"Don't be such a duddy-fuddy," Vala replied. "This ship is completely trustworthy. And if the bathroom does indeed flood there's a lovely bucket in the store room back there – you can use that!"
"Thanks!" Daniel smiled faintly. "And – fuddy duddy."
"I know that you are." Vala stretched slowly like a cat and shook out her blonde tresses.
The archaeologist was mezmerised by her hair – it was so different to the long, midnight black locks that had swung down her back during their years together at the SGC. Still beautiful – strong and shiny and luxuriant – it was just, well, blonde. It made her whole face look different. Daniel's fingers itched to run themselves through it – he half thought that her hair wasn't real, and would return to being black when he touched it.
"You're staring, darling," Vala told him, touching up her baby pink lipstick at a make up mirror that was balanced precariously on the Tel'tak's control console.
"Sorry," Daniel muttered, dragging his eyes away from her to glance around the Mal Doran-customized interior of the ex-Gou'ald space ship. Apart from the mirror, there was a silver pen pot with numerous glittery pens and pencils inside next to a small I-pad in a fuschia pink case. A decorated box with what looked like hair clips and ribbons was propped by a window, with a purple nodding dog, of all things. Further along the console was a small Easter cactus, a teetering pile of magazines and a box of teabags. Behind where they sat at the controls was a deck chair – pink with a white crown emblazoned on the back and 'Princess' written beneath, plus a large box with Vala's hair straighteners, curlers and dryer inside. The orange giraffe lay on the floor, where he'd tumbled out as his owner had tossed her small rucksack down onto the floor when they entered. Even the little stuffed guy hadn't been able to distract his owner from her single minded mission to get back to her orphans.
Daniel sighed softly and picked up the giraffe, looking at him closely. It was almost like seeing an old friend again – nearly every mission they'd been on, over a period of time, the stuffed toy had come with them. He found himself just sitting holding it.
"You can't have him," Vala's voice broke in on his thoughts. She was adjusting the controls very slightly to keep them heading in the right direction. "He's mine. If you really want one, you'll have to buy your own."
Daniel smiled and handed him back to his owner.
Vala kissed her orange minion soundly before propping him up against the teabags.
"So, how long until we get to your place?" Daniel asked, looking out of the windows at the endless reams of space flashing by outside.
"Another day and a half, more or less." Vala swung her legs up onto the controls next to the giraffe, and crossed her ankles. She paused. "You really didn't need to come, you know."
"Yes I did." Daniel's reply was firm. "Charlotte Mayfield is no fun to get tangled up with - if it is her. No Gou'ald is. And none of us wants anything to happen to you. Or to happen to any of us," he added, beginning to blush.
Vala grinned. " Daniel, darling, are you actually confessing that you're concerned over my well being?"
"I always was," he replied. "You may have annoyed the hell out of me, but I always looked after you, didn't I? Or I tried to." His face hardened, thinking of when first the Ori, then Athena, had tried to keep Vala from him.
The object of his thoughts threw an energy bar at him and brought him back to reality. "I'm a big girl," she repeated. "And I can fly around the galaxy on my own. But…" Her voice tailed away. She cleared her throat. "I'm fed up of Athena, and if I'm going to meet her again, I'd just as soon have some company with me!" Which was the closest she had ever come to telling Daniel that she was afraid and yes, she was glad that he had chosen to come with her.
He grinned. "Did you miss me?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Vala flashed the wide grin at him, eyes huge and silver-tinted. "I was glad to be rid of you to be honest, always hanging about with some boring old translation or the other."
There was a short pause.
"Did you miss me?" Her voice was quieter, a little uncertain.
Daniel swung his own feet up to join her's on the console, and nudged her ankle with his toes. "Nope." He tilted his head back, before briefly running his hand down her arm. Lies, all lies. "I was glad of the peace."
Vala smiled, a softer grin than previously. A long, long moment hung suspended between them before the ship made the strange squeaking sound again, followed by a lengthy hissing noise.
"Oh dear," Vala wrinkled her nose as she looked back into the cargo hold. "I think that really is the bathroom. Do you know anything about Gou'ald plumbing, darling?"
o – o – o – o – o –
Teal'c and Mitchell spent the next couple of days in talks with the different heads of various groups of the Jaffa and their allies. Several of the leaders who came through to Dakara to meet up with the Council spoke of previous rumours that they had heard – of a Ha'tak being glimpsed every now and then above cities and towns. Mitchell could feel his heart sinking lower and lower into his standard issue boots with every new tale that they heard.
"She's been biding her time, ain't she?" he said to Teal'c, as they enjoyed a brief respite from meetings on their third day on Dakara. The two men sat under a low, spreading tree in the Temple courtyard. "She's been flying around, spying on everyone, and biding her time. I gotta bad feeling in my bones, big guy. A baaaaad feeling." The Colonel leaned forward, elbows on knees, and propped his forehead on his clenched fists. "Damn that woman! She's planning something big, I betcha."
"I also have that 'bad feeling'," Teal'c agreed. "All we can do is remain prepared and vigilant. From this time on we must take account of all unusual sightings, of any ship, in any system."
Mitchell snorted a chuckle. "Better warn everyone about the Princess in her banged up old Tel'tak, then." He sat up, but his blue eyes were shadowed. "And we ought to tell General Landry too. Okay to dial a wormhole later?"
Teal'c nodded. He was silent, thinking. "The unknown Gou'ald adversary – Athena or whoever it maybe – seems intent on using the new Jaffa warriors to fight their battles. Both those who used to serve the false gods by incubating their symbiotes, and others who have come to the cause willingly. So…" He paused. A long beat.
"So…?" Mitchell prompted.
"Perhaps it is not just the Lucian Alliance which this Gou'ald wishes to destroy. Perhaps they have more than one intention."
"Which would be….?"
Teal'c looked gravely at his ex CO. "To destroy the Free Jaffa and everyone who believes in it."
"Damn!" Mitchell's face set angrily. As soon as Teal'c had spoken, the Colonel knew that his friend was right. "Should have guessed a Gou'ald would never tell the truth! Surely she'd never get your guys to turn against Dakara though?"
"We must hope not," was Teal'c's quiet response.
The two men sat for a while in silence until eventually Mitchell hauled himself up onto his feet. "You want another one of those iced drinks that taste like lime and chocalate? They're pretty good."
Teal'c was about to answer but the two men were interrupted by the heavy sound of something big coming in across the surrounding countryside. They both looked at each other.
"Am I imagining that?" the Colonel asked, grimly.
"I believe not," Teal'c replied, as they both began to run towards a flight of steps that led up to a low, flat roofed building adjacent to the temple.
Mitchell reached the stairs first and raced up them, careering to a stop against the wall that ran around the edge of the roof. Teal'c, moving slower, stopped in a slightly more dignified way. Their expressions, it must be said, were remarkably similar. Anger, horror, resignation.
An Alkesh was flying in low, towards the temple, from out across the desert. It was doing nothing other than head in their direction – no shooting, no bombs dropping – but clearly and remorselessly heading their way. The ship lifted slightly as it approached the outlying walls of the far Temple yard and shot over their heads just a few seconds later. The two men watched it head out into the desert – maybe two or three kliks out it turned lazily on itself and began to fly back towards them. Another minute or so and it passed over again, but lower this time.
Mitchell put his hands over his ears. The roar as it shot across the temple was tremendous – flurries of dust whirled and eddied about him and the few trees in the courtyard and round about were pressed low by the noise.
The Alkesh rose higher into the skies this time and for a moment Mitchell thought it was leaving but it hovered for a moment before dropping down again. And from away to the west, where the sun was just beginning to touch the horizon, another two flew in to join the first.
"ColonelMitchell!" Teal'c shouted, pointing to the east and the mountains.
The Ha'tak had appeared like a mirage from nowhere, although logic informed the two men that it must have just arrived through a subspace window. Even as they watched, a dozen or so gliders streamed smoothly from within, heading towards Dakara.
"Crap!" Mitchell spun again, to face the two Alkesh coming in from behind, just as the first bomber began to fire on several of the outlying villages. "Teal'c!"
The Jaffa grabbed hold of the Colonel - dragging him down the stairs he spoke firmly over the sound of the aircraft and the panicked shouting of Jaffa. "You must get to the Chappa'ai!" he told Mitchell. "You must reach Stargate Command and tell them what is happening!"
A huge blast ripped down a wall close by the two men, knocking them off balance and covering both in dust and debris. Mitchell staggered, coughing.
"ColonelMitchell!" shouted Teal'c, desperately. "You must go now! You must reach General Landry and the SGC!"
Mitchell nodded, both eyes and lungs full of grit. "I'm on it. Trust me Teal'c! I'll bring back help!"
"I know that you will," the Jaffa clasped his friend's arm briefly. "Now, go!" He turned and ran down into the sanctuary of the Temple.
Mitchell went in the other direction, heading for the Stargate.
The Alkesh were really going for it now – at full throttle they were swinging from side to side, their missiles bringing down buildings, trees and people. Anything which had the misfortune to get in their way.
Mitchell clenched his jaw. Now was not the time. It was his duty to get help, and live to fight and win another day. He ran at full pelt, zigzagging left and right to try and evade the bombers. At one point he was level with a wall, which he used as cover. He heard the screaming whine of the gliders as they reached the Temple – several flew over him but he managed to avoid their attack.
The Stargate was high on a flight of steps – Mitchell didn't stop running but threw himself towards the bottom of the stone walkway and began hammering Earth's address into the DHD.
An Alkesh was drawing in behind him – he could hear the low, baritone booming as it came closer. Fifth symbol, sixth – a ricochet of blasts hit the steps and the edge of the DHD.
Mitchell threw himself onto the ground and rolled away. Two gliders swooped past over his head. He leaped back onto his feet and slammed the seventh symbol.
The Alkesh was right there, on the edge of the courtyard. Mitchell pushed the bright red centre of the device, surprised to see blood running down onto his hand from somewhere up his left sleeve. There was blood on his face too – the vision in his right eye was occluded by a sticky, ruby-pink discharge – he shook his head and tried to draw as much oxygen as possible into his dust-filled lungs.
The chevrons were moving now, slotting themselves into position. The Alkesh, flying quickly, overshot the Stargate.
Mitchell, thanking his lucky stars, watched as the seventh chevron slowly maneuvred itself into place. "Yeehaw!" he yelled, the wormhole bursting beautifully into life before him.
The air throbbed and filled again with the ominous sound of the enemy ship. Mitchell moved faster than he thought he ever had in his entire life – he felt the heat from the Alkesh's missiles sear up the back of his jacket before he leaped almost from the bottom to the top of the steps in one giant bound and disappeared into the event horizon.
TBC...