Chapter 45 - Rendezvous
Daniel woke up groggy—nothing new—but with the sun shining through a patterned grate on the wall. Hadn't he...hadn't they... He put a finger up to his neck, feeling for a mark that he remembered there. Yes, that part wasn't a dream. He had been darted.
Dixon, lying on the bench next to Daniel, woke with a jerk and a snort. "Gyah!"
Daniel shook his head slowly, trying to recall everything. They were on the planet, looking for SG-11. They had been weirded out. And then, they had been darted. It didn't bother him as much as it should have, he supposed. At least they hadn't been spirited away; darts were historical and realistic, and Daniel felt at ease with them.
"I'm not sure if I should congratulate the Devil for his taste in creating personal hells, or just assume that I'm not dead," came Jack's voice across the room.
Daniel looked over.
"Sorry, sir, you aren't retired yet," said Dixon, rubbing vigorously at the back of his neck. "Looks like we were knocked out and put in prison."
Daniel looked around, noticing the intricate designs and styling of the room they were in. "Um, this doesn't look like a typical prison." The door was open, despite the guard standing by. "These are definitely Salish designs, just like the totem we were looking at before they got us."
"Yeah, that was useful information right now," said Jack dryly. "Teal'c?"
"I have been watching their activity for some time," said the Jaffa, standing by one of the grates. "They do not appear to be interested in our presence. I have not seen anything proving that SG-11 are here, but it is a valid conclusion to come to."
"Odd," said Dixon. "Should we ask to speak to their leader?"
Jack shrugged. He rubbed at his eyes, looking as if he, like Daniel, was trying to shake off the drug.
Daniel looked up as three men came into the room, in the closest thing to traditional Salish garb that Daniel had seen. And they weren't carrying weapons.
"Hello," said Dixon with a speak-of-the-devil tone. "Colonel?"
"I am Tonane," said the man in front, in a thankfully very human voice. He was a solid figure, but his face gave Daniel a sense of comfort, not intimidation. There was almost an open smile on his face.
"Colonel Jack O'Neill," said Jack, standing up and looking just slightly surprised.
"Long name," said Tonane with a blink.
"Jack?" said Jack, an eyebrow slowly rising.
"Jack," agreed Tonane, with a nod.
"I'm Daniel Jackson," said Daniel, speaking up. "This is Dave Dixon and Teal'c."
"You are Jack's friends, Dan?" Tonane asked curiously.
"Daniel's fine," said Daniel, trying not to cringe in front of the diplomatic leader of these people. "But yes, we're explorers."
"The spirits say that there is a demon in Teal'c," said Tonane, turning his head to where Teal'c stood.
"It will cause you no harm. I give you my word." Teal'c bowed his head towards Tonane.
"I would be glad to accept your word, but how do I know what it is worth when we have only just met?" asked Tonane. There was a strange honesty in his words, and a to-the-point manner that didn't feel blunt.
Daniel looked to Jack, and just as he guessed, Tonane seemed to have impressed him. "None of us mean you any harm, Tonane," Jack said gravely.
"Then why did you bring weapons?" Tonane asked.
"Just in case we needed them; we thought our friends had been taken," said Jack, settling into a less tense stance in front of Tonane.
"They have, but you do not need weapons to find them," said Tonane. "They are with the spirits."
"They're dead?" asked Dixon, worried.
"No," said Tonane, with a smile, as if explaining to children. "They are with the spirits."
Jack paused, and Daniel smiled to himself. This was where he came in. "Which spirits, Tonane? May we speak to them?"
"Probably Xels, or maybe Takaya," said Tonane with a shrug. "If you wish, I can speak to them for you."
"Thank you, Tonane," said Daniel, as Jack wasn't sure how to interpret the situation.
"Then we aren't prisoners?" asked Dixon, arms loosely crossed over his chest.
"No, you're free to go," said Tonane simply.
"Can we have our weapons back...just in case?" Jack asked.
Tonane paused for a second, then shrugged. "Sure."
As Tonane and his companions walked out of the tent, SG-1 followed, sharing pointed looks with each other. Jack could deal with Tonane...but it would probably have to be Daniel who dealt with the spirits. And given the weirdness they'd already encountered on this planet, Daniel doubted that any of them were sure of what was happening. Not yet. Even Tonane's ease hadn't fully convinced him, not yet.
ooooooo
As the people of Dorieth worked to make their world perfect for Quetesh, Sam found herself drawn to the temple in particular. Jolinar's technological knowledge was limited, and with Sam's equally limited understanding of Goa'uld technology in particular, deciphering the true purpose of the massive building was a Herculean task.
All the pieces were created offworld and brought through the gate to be assembled on site. None of the workers had complete blueprints. Once a section was completed, the plans were destroyed and the section was never touched again. It had been many months since the foundation had been laid, and Sam could not have asked the slaves about it, even if they were the same ones after all the deaths and transfers. Instead, she had only her own and Jolinar's intuition.
Now with the Abydonians, Sam was able to put night shifts into place. Each section was given more specific responsibility, and the living quarters were entirely reshuffled, but by now these people were used to how Coron led them. It was frightening how easily they submitted to authority without any true power to back it. Not just the slaves; the Jaffa. Looking back, Jolinar and Sam both realized that their murder of Toc'no was not just out of the ordinary, it was almost unheard of. And no wonder that Quetesh had taken note.
~I'm surprised she didn't suspect that we might turn on her.~
*I believe that in her vain mind, our reason did not sound like an excuse. And if she believes we command such loyalty for her alone...*
Even with the almost unconditional support of the inhabitants of Dorieth, Sam held herself back from a true investigation of the situation. Not only was there no time; but Jolinar was sure that they needed to report to the Council tomorrow, and she didn't want to overburden the briefing with anything they discovered. Sam didn't think they'd find anything conclusive, but Jolinar wasn't going to push that luck.
So as the day faded, Sam limited herself to cursory examinations. During a quiet time, she descended to the deepest point accessible in the temple, looking around for anything interesting. There were large portions of the 'basement' entirely impenetrable, but the locked passageways suggested something. The walls, also, were neither stone nor wood nor any metal Sam could immediately place. She had no further time, and ascended again to check on proceedings.
Before the day was out, the new 24 hour schedules were set up and explained, and for the first time since Quetesh's departure, the planet looked fully functional. Jolinar caught on quickly, and added the little touches to the plan to make it feel more like business as usual for the Goa'uld. Sam's Earth-born ideas were universal on some levels, but Sam was fascinated to see the small flashes of memory as Jolinar adapted them here and there.
Jolinar had always had Jaffa under her command, and slaves under them, and her role had revolved around using their unique skills to her benefit. She knew just how close an unconditional leader could get, and just how far the boundaries could be pushed before the people could no longer recognize their customs and traditions. Sam felt her admiration for Sam's ability to come up with the plan, but Sam had to answer with respect for the way that Jolinar acted on the plans.
Now more than ever she felt how Jolinar intuited so much from everything around her, and yet it came to her active thoughts in logical, not emotional, order. Before they had blended, Sam hadn't understood just how natural it was for Jolinar to feel things instinctively, and yet relay some of them as if heart had nothing to do with it. And then again, just to break the pattern that Sam tried to see, she would be hopelessly lost in the depth of emotion, striking out or reaching out without knowing why.
As of now, however, the stream of information was steady and rational. They had less than a day before they would attempt to set the next part of the plan into motion. And it was not going to be easy.
ooooooo
Jack was thoroughly creeped even after they stepped through the gate and back into the SGC. Just as Daniel was starting to get a hang of this culture, SG-11 walked out of the mist at the command of the spirits Tonane thought he heard. And Daniel had nothing to say. Whether it was advanced technology, or some power beyond their previous understanding, Jack didn't seem to care. It was frightening.
The elders of the village were less so, despite their firm denial of the request to mine trinium. Jack, still a little shaken by what else had happened, didn't protest. It wasn't anything to him, in the end. Daniel, though, was curious as to what Hammond would think of it all.
SG-1 attended their briefing late, heard SG-11's full story, and then waited for Hammond's final judgment and further orders.
The general frowned at the table, hands resting in front of him as he appeared lost in thought for the moment. "Gentlemen," he finally said. "I'm not too proud to admit that there is a serious problem with this case."
Daniel nodded, wondering which one he was referring to.
"As you know," Hammond continued, looking at Mckay and SG-11's science officer Lt. Thaid, "it is of grave importance to the NID that we obtain this trinium. However, they are hampered by their very recent policies regarding offworld cultures. Even they can't break their own rules so quickly after they've been put into place."
"Why would any rule be broken?" Daniel asked, frowning.
"I believe that they would have supported mining the trinium after the Salish people moved on from their current location," said Hammond gravely.
Captain Connor and Lt. Thaid glanced to each other, brows furrowing. Dixon adjusted his seat a little, a little uncomfortable, and Jack didn't look up from his steepled fingers.
"Isn't that, I don't know, stealing?" Mckay asked. He'd been surprisingly silent, almost like a normal person would who didn't understand the situation under discussion.
"You know government types," said Dixon with resignation. "If they didn't know, it wouldn't hurt them, that'd be their argument."
"I don't speculate on such matters," said Hammond pointedly. "The fact is, at this moment, we are to go along with whatever the Salish are willing to give us. But we are not to promise any aid, only payment for the trinium. The NID want trinium, but they do not want another entangling alliance."
"Then I assume we're no longer needed?" Jack asked, looking up.
"Correct," said Hammond, nodding. "It seems as if this Tonane understood your explanation. SG-11 can resume from here."
"Sir, I'd be interested in joining SG-11 for their return mission," said Daniel, half raising his hand.
Connor looked down to him, an eyebrow raised.
"Is there a problem, Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked.
"I have a feeling that there was more than met the eye there," said Daniel. "And I'd like to know what it is. Maybe Thaid can help me if there's a technology side, but I'd at least like to learn more of Tonane's people's history."
"Unless that's a problem with Captain Connor," Hammond said, looking to SG-11's leader.
"Not at all, sir," Connor said, after Thaid gave him a brief nod.
"Then you are cleared to go with them. You will leave tomorrow morning at 0900." Hammond closed the file, and rose to signify the end of the briefing.
Thaid, an African-American just younger than Daniel, approached him as they left the table. "What exactly are you going to do, Dr. Jackson?" he asked curiously.
"Well, despite the NID's demand for practicality, there's a lot we can learn from understanding these alien cultures. Aren't you at all curious about how you just appeared, but couldn't remember what happened?" Daniel wasn't too surprised, though. He'd had plenty of experience with automatic repression of some of the odd things that happened around here.
Thaid shrugged slightly. "Maybe we were just drugged. Maybe it's some kind of technology left behind. Why do we need to meddle with it?"
"Oh, I don't intend to meddle with it," answered Daniel. "I just want to know what it is, if it is anything. It's a new culture, and might explain some of the history of this galaxy; I don't go into the field seeing each society as a possible mine of devices."
Thaid nodded, not saying anything else, and turned to leave down the hall. Daniel wondered if he was getting better at explaining himself to scientists, or if they had just learned to drop issues when it came to him.
ooooooo
When Jolinar awoke the next morning, work had not only started, it had never stopped. Sam's plan had worked so far, and was especially convenient because of the rest needs of the Jaffa, where their ability to kel'no'reem at any time made this schedule less off-putting to them than to diurnal humans. And at the same time, Jolinar and Sam realized the lesser success of their plan. With no time where work was not being done, shifts flowed from one to the next without pause for not knowing what they would do next. Sam set out the longterm goals, and each shift merely continued the work where the previous shift had stopped, continuing on towards a constant goal.
So it was that Jolinar felt entirely comfortable in leaving yet again. Excuse did not matter, only whether everything would be productive. That being the case, only a few hours later, they took their leave once again of Dorieth. Coron had yet another mission for the great god Quetesh.
The Tok'ra Council was ready for them almost as soon as they came into the complex, after sending a message from the gate that their lead had been most useful. They had been gone four days, but it felt both longer and shorter to Sam, even though Jolinar had no such distorted view of their time.
"Before this briefing begins, might we know what lead you followed on this mission?" Ren'al opened with, as they all took their place in the room that served as a Council chamber today.
Sam was glad that Jolinar had an answer ready. "As you will understand when we explain our findings, it seems apparent now that one of the Tollan knew me from before." And Sam felt the emphasis on the final word just as much as the Council, who looked to each other and then nodded.
"Then let us hear what we need to understand the beginning of this situation," said Garshaw, once again at the center of this group.
Jolinar launched straight in, no hesitation or reservation that might alert them to the deft handling of the truth. She had no issue with lying outright, bold faced, if need be, but need right now was to be as open as possible. The hidden truth that she and Sam had been on this mission, and another one that had been forbidden, for almost a month was carefully skipped over. The gravity of the situation, and the details that Jolinar could provide, held the Counci's attention much more firmly.
"This is beyond what we expected," said Thoran. "I cannot believe that we let this potential for disaster go by unnoticed."
"It seems that luck has been kind to us," Garshaw agreed, nodding. "In a strange manner, but kind nonetheless."
"It further blessed our mission," Jolinar continued. "In a matter of days, I believe that I had a fair picture of the situation."
Garshaw nodded, and Jolinar laid out the exact evidence she possessed. This time, though, she claimed to have eavesdropped on these conversations. The more they went over the facts, saying them aloud to the Council, the more Sam and Jolinar realized just how clear it was. Quetesh was planning to overthrow Ba'al. She had made strikes already, and was using Dorieth as the staging-ground for something drastic.
"Is this even possible, given her resources?" Thoran asked. "We have left Quetesh in peace for this long, after your last reports claimed that she could not begin to rise to power again for another century. And there have been no hints otherwise since then."
Sam was surprised, as Jolinar immediately remembered of what Thoran spoke. She didn't share the whole picture, but Sam saw Quetesh, in another host, as Jolinar saw her before the mission ended. And Jolinar winced to remember what had happened, no matter how useful the report had been; Sam didn't want to look further, and yet, she did.
"I am certain that that has been her strategy," said Jolinar, as firm as ever. "From the reports, she has been slipping worlds into her control for some time, looking for ones that Ba'al does not defend. But to keep them safe from him, she must keep her actions secret from all, no matter how bold her plan."
"You have not answered the question, though," commented Ren'al.
Jolinar paused for a breath, momentarily irritated with herself for straying. Sam sent an apologetic feeling, thinking that it was probably her influence affecting Jolinar here. "Yes, I do believe her resources adequate. Aside from the new worlds that she has obtained, if we take her at her word, her plan revolves around something other than brute force. That was never her way, as you know. And from what I saw and heard on Dorieth, there is a further strategy that is not widely known, if at all. It is this that we must fear, not outward signs of her strength."
"That is understood," said Garshaw with a short nod. "What are the signs that you noted that may indicate to this plan?"
Jolinar hadn't fully prepared her answer to this, but it was not difficult to come up with it on the spot, especially with Sam's ready input. "She has been mustering troops and slaves from worlds stolen out from under Ba'al's nose, and has been using them primarily to enhance a structure on Dorieth. Outwardly it looks like a temple, but her attitude towards it contains too much urgency, and so we suspect that it is important to her plan. Given that it is Dorieth where she expects the final showdown to take place, I believe that this building is of extreme importance to her plan. Which is why she would not let anyone know of its true purpose."
"But to attack Ba'al, she cannot use a defensive device, as this structure must certainly be," spoke up Delek. "What else does her plan entail?"
"I have no information regarding that," said Jolinar. "But if she has not sent more reinforcements to the increasing number of slaves on Dorieth, then they must be of use somewhere. It is likely that she has been able to hide armies or ships somewhere; at least, we cannot discount the possibility."
"The latter point, yes," said Thoran, looking to Garshaw. "That is your final word on this supposition?"
"That is all I know of Quetesh's plan," Jolinar confirmed, nodding once.
The Council turned to each other, not quite ignoring Jolinar but also paying her no more than cursory attention.
"We have spent too much time on what the plan might be," opened Ren'al. "That Quetesh has a plan in existence that might cripple Ba'al is of greater importance, and should be given full consideration."
"Agreed," said Thoran. "We have not gone this far only to let a slip of our intelligence lead to the collapse of the entire Goa'uld structure, as may be likely."
"Do not forget the last time we dealt with Quetesh," said Delek, glancing briefly to Jolinar. "It was a hard won success; we must carefully consider this situation, for the safety of the Tok'ra as well as our own plan."
"Then we do not disagree on the importance of this information," said Garshaw once the others had said their pieces. "I shall send word to all members of this Council: Per'sus, Malek, Selmak, Sina, Thoth, Freri. All should be present, if this changes our very goals in this galaxy."
Jolinar felt relief, and it spread through Sam who had had no expectations.
*I feared they would not approach it with such severity. I am pleased to be wrong.*
Garshaw turned back to Sam and Jolinar. "Jolinar, Samantha," she said, nodding twice. "It seems that luck served you as well as your past this time, and as the one who knows the most of the situation, your information will be required again. There will be a full assembly tomorrow, and you must attend. We thank you for your services to the Tok'ra, in this case as in the past. Please, take your rest soon, and return prepared tomorrow."
Sam felt Jolinar's sense of pride at the gratitude, even as it only barely surfaced through the gravity and worry of her emotions. "As you wish," Jolinar said, bowing before rising to depart.
~I did not realize that Selmak was on the Council,~ Sam said, remembering now that she hadn't seen her father since right after his blending. ~This should be interesting for them both, right? An important mission right after blending.~
*It is the same for you,* Jolinar pointed out.
Sam paused. Jolinar wasn't all wrong. Sam was just strangely at ease with the sense of deepest connection between her and Jolinar. It hadn't been there always, but looking back Sam wondered if she half expected it to be. And maybe her relief every time that it wasn't there had been mingled with a lot more surprise than she had originally thought. How else could she have grown so used to feeling at one with her symbiote in a matter of days?
Jolinar didn't hide that her own experiences with new hosts said that the level of intimacy always bred trust and comfort quickly. Sam's months-long resistance, though started from an anomaly, had truly been one-of-a-kind. Then again, given how things had turned out, perhaps it had not been as strange as Jolinar had seen it previously. And Jolinar's pleasure at this conclusion matched Sam's, or influenced it perhaps, as neither of them liked being strange. Independent, yes, but not strange.
As they left the Council chamber to refresh themselves and check in with loved ones, Jolinar's mind wound down as she ran over the list of names that Garshaw had mentioned. Sam saw their faces flick by in Jolinar's mind, none as old as she expected from thousands-year-old symbiotes, but one in particular striking her as looking no older than Sam herself.
*Malek, leader of the Risa base,* Jolinar said, bringing up her last memory of him. *But do not forget, that I am a thousand-year-old symbiote and do not look it. Malek is older than I, and one of my closest allies—friends—among my people.*
Sam was instantly curious, and Jolinar's memory of Malek was too brief and nondescript to be of any use. But it reminded her of how things had improved, that Jolinar was beginning to think of people beyond the core that she needed to survive. It wouldn't be a long reunion, and there was much beyond personal matters that would need attention, but Sam was looking forward to seeing Jolinar in the center of Tok'ra matters. Closer to these people that she claimed as her own, the only family she really had.
And through Sam's thoughts, Jolinar quietly agreed. Through all the trouble, she could reluctantly admit that she had been missing this part of life. More drastic than typical, but the usual nevertheless. This, more than anything, was the outward expression of who the Tok'ra were. Jolinar was eager to take part in it, eager to let Sam experience it, and Sam's curiosity rose to the challenge.
In the end, though, they passed by the infirmary to Selmak's chambers, and realized that they no longer had need to visit it. It was a bittersweet realization as they knew that they should have a reason still. But Sha're was somewhere else on this base, and they could do no more than hope that she and Shifu were well. All the intrigue that the Tok'ra could offer did not erase the personal conflict that still waited beneath it, brewing until an undetermined time.
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Author's Notes: Thank you to everyone who has left reviews! I truly appreciate that you took the time to comment. Normally I would reply to each review personally, but I'm afraid I haven't had much availability recently.
And unfortunately, that will be even more limited over the next couple weeks. Usually I get the new chapters posted every 5 days, but the next 2 or 3 will be on a weekly schedule due to posting issues. We should be back to the 5 day schedule after that, though.