Author's Notes
It isn't really explained how the "translation system" in Stargate works. We're obviously meant to assume that the aliens don't "really" speak English (that would be stupid), but how what we see is different from how communication "really" goes on is left to imagination.
I like to think that the system substitutes a word into its closest equivalent in the target language — similar to the way we use the word "philosophy" for the teachings of famous Chinese like Lao Tze and Confucius despite the Greek roots of this word. Thor in Stargate is called such because that's what the mythological Thor is called in modern English, and the ancient Scandinavians would call the alien Thor (if they hypothetically could talk to him) by their name for the god.
Therefore, the Translator Microbes(tm) favor the word "Directory" because it thinks that's what describes the Aschen executive council the best. And as a bonus, if you read the Wikipedia article on the historical French Directory, it gives a clue to the origin of the Aschen as planned in this story — assuming you haven't figured it out already.
Teal'c and Cameron went closer to the cockpit, where Vala and Daniel were sitting. All four were now wearing grey Aschen clothes.
"That's deep..." muttered Mitchell, looking at the Stargate sinking into the floor. "So Vala, got any more dumb ideas? Maybe we can drill through the ground? Or Daniel can ascend and pull it out with his awesome powers? Or maybe we could surrender and politely ask the Aschen to let us pass?"
"Actually, this sounds— " began Daniel, but Mitchell interrupted him. "It's not a suggestion. Being bored to death is my least favorite kind of torture, thank you."
"Hey, I didn't know!" Vala exclaimed defensively, flying the ship over the streets farther away from the terminal.
"Oh, of course you didn't!" said Cameron mockingly. "'No worries, it's a simple recon mission! We'll just fly there and back!' And now we're stuck here. Four of us, with one jumper — we're expected to help the uprising how?"
"We aren't expected to! We're just expected to make it out of here alive!"
"The Aschen are not trying to stop us," noted Teal'c. "If attacking was their intention, their technology would have allowed them to deploy considerable forces here already."
"Well, what do they intend?" Vala asked impulsively.
"Their ship has no weapons," said Melia, jumping off the table and walking towards the nearest teleporter in the room, still naked. "Therefore, surrendering is their only option."
"We shall kill them," said the presiding Aschen.
"Oh, no, you don't! I'd do this myself when I had the power, if I really wanted to. I let them live in the first place because I hope to resolve this peacefully, while I still can."
"Excuse me, but—"
Melia stepped onto the transporter platform and put her hand on the touchpad. In a moment, she and that one Aschen were teleported into a small square room whose walls were entirely covered by control panels of the sleek, simplified designs the Aschen were known for.
"But the Directory is in charge, not me," Melia finished for him. "I know this, Wossan, and I know more about your society than you realize."
"You..." Wossan stuttered, then touched his mouth in slight surprise, as if what he had just said was unexpected even for him. "You have the TTU gene, yet you are showing deviant behavior. Who are you?"
"A non-Aschen... strictly speaking. And it's not called the TTU gene. Now shut up and watch while I'm tracking them."
As the puddle jumper was flying towards an inactive screen, attached to a pole in the middle of yet another city square, the screen suddenly turned on. However, the people on the streets almost completely ignored both the screen and the jumper itself.
A single teal-colored string of unintelligible glyphs, probably letters, appeared on the screen. Teal'c looked at Daniel questioningly.
"Uhm... one moment..." said the linguist. "Two letters, followed by the digit one. If that's 'SG-1'... then that word in the end would be 'to exit'... 'SG-1, land... here and'... uhm... Ah, yes, makes sense. 'SG-1, land here and leave the ship right away'."
"Over my dead body," said Mitchell.
"They call us SG-1... interesting." replied Daniel.
As they flew past the screen, the ship's communicator started speaking. "That was an order," it said in Melia's voice, softly but threateningly. Daniel, recognizing the voice, made an involuntary arm movement and hit a crate with his elbow.
"You're not among those I take orders from," Mitchell said angrily.
"First things first, Melia," said Daniel, coming to his senses. "You have descended."
"Yes."
"Because the Others would stop you otherwise."
"Yes."
"Huh? An Ancient, since when?" asked Vala, turning to Daniel for a few seconds, which nearly resulted in the ship crashing into the next building on the way. Vala desperately steered all the way to the right, barely dodging it.
"But why the Aschen of all people? As much as I hate to admit it, we've disrupted established orders in the past, and you chose this particular moment to intervene. Why?"
"I thought you would have found out before, Daniel Jackson. Apparently, I overestimated you," said Melia.
"Excuse me," intervened Mitchell, who was visibly growing annoyed by this conversation, "but what's with all the vagueness? Does it come as a racial feature?"
"You Earthans are far too reckless. Ganos Lal—"
"Morgan Le Fay trusted my judgment, Melia," said Daniel. "You should too."
For a good thirty seconds, the communicator remained silent. Only the sound of the engines was heard, besides the sounds of Vala frantically bashing the controls.
"You assume too much," Melia said at last, in a quiet voice with undertones of sorrow. Then the signal vanished.
Melia turned away from the console. Wossan, for some reason, had already left the control room. She took the transporter back to the Directory meeting room. Four of the six Directors had now left, with only two remaining: Wossan and a blonde woman with a sharp haircut. In addition, the room now featured guards armed with handguns, two of whom immediately grabbed the Lantean's arms and bent them behind her back.
"Before you start performing your experients on me," Melia said calmly, "I should point out that I know all about their tactics, not to mention the impending anti-Aschen uprisings on colony worlds, and can minimise the inconvenience costs."
"Release her," ordered Wossan. The guards let go of her arms and stepped away.
"You should at least get dressed," suggested the female Director.
"Why. Jakase?" asked Melia.
"Your current lack of attire is nonconformist."
"Oh, please! I am Councillor Melia of the Atlantis Council, from the planet Lantea in the Pegasus galaxy. I'm ten thousand years old, and I've spent most of my life as an energy being on a higher plane of existence, witnessing secrets of the universe whose very existence would drive you mad — and you expect me to conform to the ridiculous living standards you Aschen have secluded yourselves in to disguise your lack of cultural identity?"
Throughout this little rant, which used the full range of facial expressions Melia was capable of, she waved her arms energetically. The Directors were visibly touched — more so than Aschen would be expected to, at least. Wossan rolled his eyes, and Jakase raised both eyebrows and opened her mouth for a second.
"You wasted more time on this speech than you would spend actually getting dressed," Wossan pointed out.
"Fine. I'll get one of your unimaginative uniforms. I'm feeling a bit cold anyway. The emotional overload must be wearing off."
"We should act in the way the enemy least expects," suggested Teal'c.
"You could all shut up for a minute and let me concentrate, that's what I least expect right now!" complained Vala.
"Wait, wait, wait," said Daniel. The sign on that building over there says 'Library'. We could—"
"No," said Mitchell sharply.
"But if we—"
"No. Nothing that's not directly related to getting out of here, and fast."
"Hey, nobody said about getting out fast!" exclaimed Vala. "If you wanted fast, I'd just fly up. Into space."
"Daniel Jackson is right," said Teal'c. "Knowing one's enemy is a necessary component of victory, and our knowledge of the Aschen is severely limited."
"Plus we could find out why Melia is on their side," added Daniel.
"Because she's a self-righteous jerk with a grudge against us?" theorized Vala.
"Well, as much as she taints Ancients and oxygen-users in general by association, which is to be expected of one of the Others, I'd say there must still be a reason—"
"Enough," said Mitchell. "Daniel and I will get into that library. Vala, stay here and put the ship in stealth mode."
"How in the world do I do that?" asked Vala.
"Figure it out. If Sheppard is smart enough to do it, then so are you. And stay in the ship. Teal'c, stay with her."
Teal'c nodded.
"No offense," Mitchell continued, "but your Jaffa mark will stand out and I don't see any of them wearing hats, so that's out of question too."
The jumper disappeared. As before, none of the Aschen around paid any attention. A few minutes later, Cameron emerged out of thin air in a quiet, seemingly deserted yard adjacent to the library. Daniel followed; he was now without his glasses.
"So what now?" asked Daniel. "We just waltz in through the front door?"
A small service door right next to them opened, and a guard walked out of it. His handgun — teal and white in color, more resembling a pistol-shaped spray nozzle than a weapon — was attached to his belt, and he was carrying a small rectangular device no bigger than a lighter in his hand.
"I thought not."
To be continued...
Yes, there was a Star Wars reference in there. Out of all Star Wars movies I could reference, you didn't expect that one, did you?