Chapter 8 The Inklings of an Idea

To say that the meeting with General Landry on the following day was a fraught one would be an underestimate. Mitchell, Daniel and Vala were all there, plus Teal'c who had 'gated back briefly from Dakara, as well as the two CO's of SG teams 13 and 19.

Just as the briefing was about to start, in walked Jack O'Neill fresh out of a transport beam from Washington. "Hey," he tweaked his quirky smile, eyebrows raised and dropped into the chair next to Landry.

"Hi Jack." Daniel's own eyes widened in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The ex-SGC commander shrugged. "What's the use of having a – friend in the know, if you don't use the friend's – know-ness, when you need to know?" Even Jack looked confused when he'd finished that sentence.

Mitchell chuckled. "Sam told you."

"She may have mentioned something." Jack looked unrepentant. "And I may have mentioned something to the President, who may have thought that it was a good idea for me to liase with you kids back here." He smiled annoyingly.

"Uh - aren't you supposed to be retired?" Daniel queried, resigned.

His old friend merely shrugged again, smirking.

Hank Landry said nothing, but his eyes twinkled beneath their bushy brows.

Vala didn't say anything either – she felt like she had the world's worst hangover, but without having had the benefit of a good time the night before. She prodded Jack with one of her feet. "Lend me your sunglasses, please."

He looked surprised but handed them over.

She shoved them onto her face, folded her arms and shut her eyes. Let Landry bang on all he wants, she thought. I'm going back to sleep.

Jack indicated Vala with his head. "What's up with your girlfriend?" he asked Daniel.

The archaeologist opened his mouth to say for the hundredth time that she wasn't his girlfriend, but stopped, and glanced across at her.

Vala pushed up the sunglasses. She was positively glaring at him.

Daniel swallowed – he didn't know if she was cross because she wanted him to say that she was his girlfriend or because she didn't! He screwed his face up then frowned.

"Daniel?" Jack was still waiting for an answer –he grinned his annoying grin at the archaeologist, who felt an uncharitable urge to punch his ex-CO on the nose.

"She had the memory device on yesterday," Daniel gulped, overlooking completely the 'girlfriend' comment.

Vala dropped the glasses back over her face and grunted something unintelligible.

"Ugh." Jack grimaced. "Good for you."

They were interrupted by General Landry who had finished his low-voiced discussion with Teal'c and now indicated for the Jaffa to be seated. Once everyone was comfortable Landry began speaking.

"So, people, you are all aware that, courtesy of Ms Mal Doran and her idea of using the Gou'ald memory device …" he nodded briefly in Vala's direction, "..we believe that we have a lock on the planet where Athena is hiding. And I don't need to remind any of you how it's not a moment to soon." The General paused. "Teal'c will tell us more."

The Jaffa folded his hands on the table in front of him. He inclined his head slightly. "The Temple at Dakara was severely damaged by the two separate attacks, but is still functional. Many of the inhabitants who have lost their homes are at present living inside – the Temple's lower floors are untouched and relatively safe, should further bombing occur. Although the Ha'tak has been seen again, further west above the desert, it would appear that for the time being at least the George Hammond is proving to be a worthy guardian for the city."

"That's okay, until something else comes up which we need the Hammond for," Mitchell interjected, grimly.

"Indeed." Teal'c continued smoothly. "We are extremely fortunate that, although the Stargate was damaged, we were able to repair it well enough to allow it to continue working. If we had been trapped on Dakara, with no way of communicating with the SGC, then things would have been much more difficult for us."

"So, in light of all these facts," Landry took over again, "it's been decided to track Athena to her base of operations, and attempt to take her down. Ms Mal Doran remembers going to the palace and has supplied us with the 'gate address."

Vala pushed up the sunglasses again. She scowled at the General, as good a glare as the ones' he could give out himself. "I've never been to her repulsive old palace," she told him. "Qetesh went there." Then she jammed the spectacles back in place, folded her arms again and shrugged herself further down into the chair.

Landry let her get away with that one. "I beg your pardon," he said, quietly. He continued. "Anyway, we know where the palace is now. The plan is to wait until Athena's Ha'tak returns home. The Hammond will follow her, at a distance so that Athena doesn't suspect anything untoward . Meanwhile, SG teams 13 and 19 will have already 'gated through and set up a base camp on the planet. We have also received some intelligence from the Tok'ra, as they themselves have two operatives working undiscovered amongst Athena's warriors. The Tok'ra have several Tel'taks and an Alkesh which have all been altered to carry Asgard cloaking mechanisms – these ships are on their way to Athena's home planet to wait in orbit until we liase with them on arrival."

"Ah, the Tok'ra," Jack smiled sarcastically. "Great. I'm sure that they'll be a huge help."

Landry ignored him. "Colonel Mitchell will be overall CO of the operation on the ground – Dr Jackson and Teal'c, it is your choice whether to accompany him."

"What about me?" Vala sat forward indignantly and pushed the sunglasses up onto her forehead, glaring fiercely around the table with slightly bloodshot, stormy gray eyes. "Why can't I choose to accompany them?"

"Because, Ms Mal Doran," General Landry leaned forward on the table as he spoke, "you are a very valuable item where Athena is concerned. If she captured you, it would not bode well for your continued good health."

"Well, that's just ridiculous!" Vala stood up and also leaned forward on the table. "I don't work for the SGC anymore, I'm a consultant, and if I choose to – er – consult myself with the boys here…" she waved vaguely in Mitchell and Daniel's direction, "..then surely that's up to me?"

"Not if there's a possibility that you could get caught." Landry frowned.

"But any of them could get caught!" Vala retorted, straightening and putting her hands on her hips.

"True, Princess, but none of us used to be a Gou'ald host." Mitchell looked up, his bright blue gaze earnest. "You're too precious to us – to all of us." He looked pointedly at Daniel.

The archaeologist swallowed, unable to look away from the beautiful, furious woman in front of him.

"Well?" she demanded. "Are you on there side too?"

"Ummm…"

"I didn't go through all that with the memory device just to be left behind!" Vala's vocal level had crept up several notches.

"Ms Mal Doran!" So had Landry's.

"No!" she shouted, cheeks pink. "I offered my help, and you need my help, but now when I want to do extra help – well, my help isn't help at all apparently! Or – or something like that." She paused, breathing deeply.

"Vala.." Daniel knew how she felt, and part of him wanted her to come, but part of her didn't. He'd only just found her again – he wasn't going to run the risk of losing her.

"If you don't let me come with you then I shall just free – free – free spear! Yes, I shall free spear myself over to the Tok'ra and hang out with them. And we all know how useless they are, so I'll probably get caught before all of you lot anyway, and it'll serve you right."

Silence fell.

"Umm.." Daniel raised a hand tentatively.

"What?" Vala glared at him.

"Free – lance?"

A long beat.

"Whatever." Vala dropped back down into the chair, and laid her head on the table. "Whatever."

"She's gotta point, sir," Mitchell suggested, tentatively. "I mean, Vala did come to help. Would it be, maybe, a good idea to put her with the Tok'ra? Her battle expertise could only help them? And she'd hopefully be away from the main action but able to assist if required."

Vala snorted. "Tok'ra. Bunch of daisies."

"Pansies." General Landry's frown lifted fractionally. He thought for a while. "You think that you can behave yourself with the Tok'ra?" he asked her.

Vala lifted her head. "Is that your best offer?"

"Take it or stay here."

She propped her chin on her hand and sighed theatrically. "Then I'd love to go with the darling Tok'ra. Thank you for letting me. I'll be good."

"You'd better be." Landry told her.

"You'd better be." Daniel's gaze was deep, penetrating. His blue eyes were darker under the artificial lights of the conference room.

Vala nodded, aware for the first time that perhaps she wasn't a lone warrior against the world any more. It felt strange, but rather nice.

"I will."

o – o – o – o – o –

The gateroom was busy – full of SG teams, and ex-SG teams and equipment of all shapes and sizes.

Daniel and Vala had been issued with their old olive drab BDU's and black combat vests. They wore the Earth sign patch and the Air Force wings but no team patch.

Teal'c had his uniform bundled up in a small, inconspicuous pack which he slung across his shoulder. If the Ha'tak was about when he appeared on Dakara, or there were any spies watching, his Tau'ri kit was hidden and would give nothing away.

Mitchell and Daniel were gating through to Athena's home planet, to hide themselves away with SG-13 and 19 until the Gou'ald showed up, when a co-ordinated assault with the George Hammond and the Tok'ra would begin.

Vala was waiting for one of the Tok'ra ships to arrive and pick her up. They estimated that they would be in Earth's orbit some time within the next six hours or so.

"I won't be happy if it's all over by the time I get there, Cameron," she told her old CO, eyes narrowed. "If this is a ploy of yours to keep me out of the way…"

"It's not. It's not, Princess!" He pinched her chin, "Nuthin's going down until everyone's retady. And we won't be ready until you and that Tok'ra ship join the party. Plus it's gonna take Sam sometime to get there. We could be waiting days for Athena to come on home."

"Hmm." Vala folded her arms, but seemed appeased.

Daniel crossed to stand next to her. He said nothing at first, just wrapped a blonde curl around his finger and tugged gently. He was finding it hard to watch the alien woman – what he really wanted to do was hold her as tightly as he possibly could. It didn't matter that they were both going out on the mission, he could cope with that – what he was struggling with were the feelings which he felt that he needed to declare before they parted. If anything happened, to either of them, and he hadn't said anything, he hadn't told her…he cleared his throat and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "Vala," he said, quietly.

She gazed up at him, eyes clear yet apprehensive at the same time. "Mmm?"

"Vala…" Daniel let go of the lock of hair and moved his hand to cup her face. "I have to tell you something." He swallowed. Gods, I'm terrible at this! he thought. "I – that is – Vala, I – if anything happens to me, to us, to you… I have … all this time…" He paused and took a deep, deep breath. Then said simply "I love you."

Vala's mouth trembled and her eyes welled up. She nodded, and laid her hand over Daniel's but didn't speak. She didn't know what to say, or how to say it. Or even if she wanted to.

Daniel waited, then smiled sadly as the Stargate began to move slowly on it's gears. He nodded, and turned away, heading towards the ramp.

Vala lifted her hand to her mouth but stood, stupidly rooted to the spot. The kawhoosh filled the gateroom, there was a bustle of activity and excitable chatter before the wormhole settled. Then the teams moved off and a few minutes later they had all vanished through the event horizon.

Daniel hadn't looked back again.

Why would he? Vala thought. I didn't give him anything to look back for.

He was gone. If anything terrible happened – it was too late. She was too late. Even as her feet started to move, heading towards the ramp the wormhole fizzled out of existence. A single tear trembled in her right eye, then spilled over and trickled down her cheek.

"Hey," Jack O'Neill came quietly into the gateroom behind her. He slipped an arm gently around her shoulders. "C'mon. Our Tok'ra buddies won't be here for a while. I'll buy you a coffee."

TBC...