Daniel was no fool. He realized what he was up against in contacting the Alliance and knew they would try to use him to get at SGC. He believed that using the proper threat and enticement of capturing Ba'al, would at least guarantee him some time to find Eshera and Vala. It was like a lost memory of being happy with his wife and having a life of peace with his child. The fact that Eshera looked like a twin of Adria didn't even bother him. He had seen strange circumstances being a part of SG1 and having a full grown daughter was just a reality he was used to. But now he had a chance to be a real father and real husband, and he was not going to let anyone take that away from him.
He used to have dreams of having a real family as a boy, when his mother and father died. He would contemplate in the orphanage that he was going to be happy one day. That the loss of his parents, stirred a strong instinct to be happy no matter what. He would see other children around him being adopted and being happy to leave the pristine sanctuary. He would cry at night, unknown to the attendants that he was a happy child, going to exotic places with his parents, happy in seeing them together enjoying digging and translating old and new artifacts. He was always with them and watching how they made their travels fun and exciting. But and freak accident had destroyed that world. The world where he knew only happiness and content, but shattered in an instant. He knew the value of family and wanted it so bad with Sha're. He thought that he had finally found that lost family that he knew would come to him someday and share in the happiness of raising a child someday. But that too was shattered. Everything that reached to have a relationship and a family was always torn from him. It as if the shadow of the past of his father and mother dying kept being ripped from him as they were.
But something else contemplated his mind. The fact that every since being recruited for SGC, he had to fight to have some type of normalcy in his life. That his life did not always turn out to be easy or that there was some curse on him not to be happy. When he thought about it hard enough, he never has had a normal life. Never had a normal relationship. Even his memory of meeting Vala was not normal in anyone's book. He realized early on that Vala exuded life, adventure, confidence on who and what she was. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame and didn't mind being burned in her wake. She was intoxicating and breathtaking every time he looked at her, everytime he could see into the deep pools that illuminated in her eyes. It was too much for him to take. She was everything that he didn't want. She was not like his mother, not like Shar'e, not like anyone he had ever met. But yet she was the embodiment of everything he should have. Excitement, danger, even stability. He never thought about it until now, but Vala made him grounded. She put away the notions that he was the victim, that his life had to be made of books and dusty old artifacts and damp and dirty temples or caves. She made him crazy by taking him out of his comfort zone. Her world revolved around adventure, escape, cons and probably unimaginable danger. His life was the very same, but hers was more complicated and strenuous to the point he wanted to strangle her sometimes to stop pestering him. But somewhere down the road, he didn't remember when, she became a constant reminder of how much he was missing out on life. He finally realized that she was all too vulnerable, scared, frightened sometimes of her own existence. That she was just as messed up as he was and he drew strength from the comparison. She had lost something too; her life as a normal child, family, friends, her life as a free person. Enslaved to do others biddings and no voice in why. He started to see the real person behind the façade of the smile, the laughter and unending pain. He knew that pain, he knew what it meant to be stripped of who you once where and changed forever by others who want to hurt you or help you. He saw an equal in her protectiveness, her tenacious outlook on life, her will to survive and still care about other so fiercely it was admirable beyond comprehension.
Vala had anchored her ship to him and would not pull up stake. She was no ship passing into the night as he had thought. She was not trying to play him, trick him or send him into an emotional hurricane that he could see no end. He could see the end with her. She had always seen the future with him, but he couldn't ever contemplate being happy with anyone, especially Vala, no matter how much he tried to push her away. But when being captured and tortured on that ship. His emotions went into a tailspin. The most annoying women on the planet earth had risked her life to keep them all alive. He took in every cut, every bruise and humiliation anyone humanly could take on her entire body. Vala could have easily talked her way out of their situation, and enticed the men to do her bidding. But this Vala that he saw, bloody, barely alive, broken beyond anything he ever witnessed, refused to bow down. She refused to let them all die because of her. It tore at his heart to see her in such a state, and so brutally taken in front of him; raped beyond comprehension. No one deserved that horror and certainly not Vala. He was angry at himself for not seeing what his friends had already realized, what he refused to acknowledge, what he refused to care about. Vala never wavered in keeping them alive, never complained to her captures that it was too hard a task to keep up their strength or hers. She took it, the torture no matter what they did to her and that bothered him the most. Vala was a true testament to her loyalty to her friends. She refused to give up, even in her unconsciousness, she fought to stay alive. If he had to think about that one moment where everything fell into place as to how much he loved and cared for her; it was that instant she fed him without reservation, without hesitation. She gave to him the food of life to sustain him, and she did it without looking at him, but the instant her fingers touched his mouth to feed him, he knew in that instant, he had wronged her. He would never abandon her again.
Daniel was distracted from his thoughts by a beeping sound coming from his sensors on the control panel of the Hal'tek. He knew he was being tracked and he knew this would be the first contact with the Lucian Alliance. He knew the last Intel of finding them in the galaxy would eventually alert them to his ship. Now all he had to do is wait and see if they would respond to his hails once he knew who he was dealing with.
"Commander, there is another Hal'tek within range of our sensors. It is not one of ours."
Aneteo was still in Command, but barely. After the humiliating spectacle of losing his men and Ba'al's hand in his almost destruction. He was out for blood and anyone that got in his way would be illuminated unless it concerned capturing and torturing Ba'al for that painful lesson.
"If not one of ours, then blow it out of the sky. I have no interest of making myself delayed in our current mission." Aneteo turned around dismissively and returned to his advisors.
"Sir, the ship is hailing us. It claims to be Dr. Jackson from SG1."
Aneteo turned abruptly in hearing it was the infamous SG1. His advisors also had a peaked interest that SG1 would be so far deep into their territory.
"Surround that ship, raise shields and put him onscreen. I want to see what they want."
"Yes Commander." The soldier opened a frequency and had Daniel on view. Aneteo stood taller and recognized Daniels face.
"You're surrounded SG1 and I will take great pleasure in you all being my prisoners. This is not what I expected of SG1. All of you will be a head on a pole for all my enemies to see that we are the superior force in the universe." Aneteo sneered back and Daniel, while making sure his ship knew what a prize as SG1 would mean to their Alliance.
Daniel knew what he was walking into and had no reservations about them killing him if he didn't make his play. "There is no one else aboard, as I know you've been scanning this ship. I'm alone and I have a proposition for you and you alone Commander."
Aneteo laughed to himself. "You think me a fool Dr. Jackson. Where are your people or I will blow you apart, bit by bit? You are outnumbered in force and I am not up to playing this game. You are my prisoners now and this is not open for discussion."
Daniel face held a cold stare at Aneteo, one that even Aneteo was confused at. "This is no game Commander. If you want Ba'al then I can give him to you and more. I have a large supply of Naquadah aboard and I can easily blow you and anyone else in the area to oblivion. I think it would be in your best interest to hear what I have to say concerning Ba'al."
At hearing Daniel had a large supply of Naquadah aboard, he turned to his crew to acknowledge their sensor findings.
"Commander we have scanned the ship. There is no other life forms aboard and there is an emanating force of Naquadah on board."
Aneteo was now more that curious to see what Jackson was up to. He wanted Ba'al at all cost, but being blown up and wondering why Jackson was traveling alone peaked his interest. He needed that Naquadah for his forces and here it was sitting on a platter. He didn't want to appear weak, but knew his advisors would not look too kindly on turning down an opportunity to refuel many ships in his now so weak command.
"Very well Dr. Jackson. Prepared to be boarded and taken as a prisoner of the Lucian Alliance. Your life will be in my hands whether you live or die. I do not like my valuable time wasted."
Aneteo cut off the screen and turned to his advisors. "I will have him brought to my private quarters once he's been searched and should I say a little worse for wear. Leave me and prepare to take his ship as my prize of war." They all nodded in recognition of his command and left. Aneteo turned to the warrior in charge.
"Make sure you don't kill him. I want answers from him first and I want that Naquadah secured. Search the ship again if you have to. Make sure no one else is aboard. We will see what the good SG1 Doctor is up to."
"Yes Commander. I will see to it myself."
If one thing Aneteo realized, it that Daniel Jackson was a bargaining chip if he was alone. SGC would pay dearly to get him back, and perhaps he thought to entice SG1 to rescue him, if they were in the area. To him, this was too easy to capture this ship, and he knew SG1's track record with the Alliance and him. Something else had to be going on, and he wanted to find out.
A/N: I'm back. So sorry for the delay. I will be concentrating on more this week. Reviews are welcomed as always.