CHAPTER 82
EPISODE…………CRUSADE
It was mid morning at the SGC. Not really much going on and SG-1 didn't have any missions today. Sam was in her lab working, Teal'c had finished working out earlier and was eating. Mitchell had just gotten out of the shower and was shaving. Many other men in the locker were doing some of the same things. Except Ford and Daniel. Ford was in a post mission briefing with SG-23. Daniel left his office and came off the elevator. He smiled at the dozen or so people as they nodded at him.
"Morning."
"Have you seen Colonel Mitchell?"
"Men's locker room." Siler said.
He nodded and then turned heading away with a smile. Lots of people were going about their business in the locker room as he entered and walked in slowly with a strange grin on his face.
Mitchell turned from the mirror and noticed the strange smile, that made him feel uneasy. Mostly it was the whistle he got, that he heard come from Daniel.
"Jackson?"
He just kept smiling.
"Is there something I should know?" Mitchell asked leaning on the sink with one hand.
He just smiled even brighter and it really made Mitchell even more uneasy.
"Is the General in here?" Mitchell asked loudly.
Lots of no and similar replies came back.
"He's in a meeting I think sir."
"Can you call him?"
"Yes, please do. He needs to hear this." Daniel said in a tone that didn't sound right to Mitchell. "Where's Colonel Carter. She might find this interesting."
"Jackson? What's going on?" he asked skeptically.
"Many things Colonel." he said giving him a look over.
"Ok, you can stop that Jackson." he said pointing a finger. "It's getting really creepy."
"I'm not Daniel."
Mitchell's surprise wasn't just on his face. Thankfully he had a towel around his waist which he gripped a little tighter.
"Miss me Colonel?"
Mitchell knew who it was rather quickly and he covered his chest with his arms. He got dressed quickly and they both left the locker room quickly before other's thought and did something to Daniel for the looks he kept giving them all.
"Can you explain this?" Mitchell asked pointing at Daniel. Carter left her lab earlier and was eating cereal in the mess hall.
"Explain what?" she asked looking Daniel over without moving.
"Hello Colonel. Did you miss me? I know Daniel would say so, but he's not here."
Carter's eyes widened considerably as she realized who was in Daniel's body. She dropped her spoon and it landed back in the bowl with a clang.
"How's this possible?" Mitchell asked.
"What possible? Hey Sam, Daniel. What's up Mitchell? Some airman called saying you wanted me and then said you left the locker room quickly."
"Hello General, did you miss me? We never did get a chance to do any sword practice."
"Vala?" he muttered after giving the strange stance Daniel was posing a once over.
"You remembered. How sweet!" she said from Daniels body as she clapped her hands a few times with a laugh.
Ford rose an eyebrow, and by the look on his face, he was disturbed by the look Daniel had on his face. Then Ford started to smile. She got up giving him a look.
"Hey Sam, you know what this means?" he said jerking his head at Daniel.
She started to open her mouth and realized by the look on his face and eyes what he meant.
"We get to harass Daniel." she said with a smile.
"Yeah. To bad it didn't happen to Jack."
"That would have been worth it." she said with a laugh.
"Hello, can we….you know…." Mitchell said waving a hand at them then pointing at Daniel/Vala.
"Yes." she said nodding and then perked up. "Wait a minute. Then that means it's working."
"That would mean it is. Wow. That reverse engineering paid off."
She rushed out quickly. They rushed out following and managed to catch up to her as she entered her office.
"We didn't think that we were ever going to make this work." she said going to her laptop.
"What work?" Mitchell asked as he and Daniel/Vala entered her lab.
"Well, since you disintegrated the Alteran communication stones and the base terminal with the kawoosh from the Stargate…."
"Excuse me. The what?" Mitchell asked.
"Come on Mitchell." Ford said disappointed. "What was it that took out that device?"
"The Stargate."
"Yeah. The watery vortex that shot out from it. The kawoosh." he said making a hand gesture of the effect.
"Kawoosh? That just sounds…..to low tech coming from you two."
"Well, you named the Ascendometer, so what would you call the effect?" she asked.
"I don't know." Mitchell said after a moment.
"Hey, can we get back to me?" Daniel/Vala asked. "I'm still here in Daniel."
"Right. Anyway, the idea we've been trying to get work is to duplicate the effect of that Alteran device. Doctor Lee was able to collect quite a bit of data while you and Daniel were unconscious and talking to the Ori."
She pointed at the screen she brought up as Vala moved closer to look and Mitchell came around to get a look from Carter's right side.
"Using that data and this Tok'ra subspace communicator, we've been trying to mimic that frequency."
"K-9 says we've gotten close but so far it's not exact enough. Must have gotten lucky this time." Ford said. "He's been helping on and off, depending on whatever project he's been assigned."
"Well, I'm really glad you are. I was desperately hoping that…."
"So, you're in the Ori galaxy?" Mitchell asked.
"Yes."
"Can you communicate with Daniel?" Carter asked.
"No, I can just see and hear you."
"We've been using the data collected from the stone Daniel was using on this end, which is why you're connected to his body." Carter said.
"Hmm, that is funny." she said with a smile that looked funny on Daniel's face, to them anyway. "Daniel always wanted to get into my pants and now I'm in his."
"Oh, that's not funny." Mitchell said as Ford failed to hide a laugh.
"Hmm?" Daniel/Vala asked.
"He can't defend himself." Mitchell said.
"Oh, Daniel is going to go crazy with how much teasing we're going to do." Ford said chuckling.
"I can't wait." she said with a laugh.
"Why would you two do that?" Mitchell asked.
"He harassed us once…." she said.
"On us changing bodies and he….." Ford said.
"Said a few things even after we told him to shut up."
"That is just too weird." Mitchell said.
"Okay, Vala, you were the only other one on this end to touch the stone…."
"Oh, I get it. I get it." she said nodding. "I can't connect to myself if I'm not here so…."
"You know. I have to point this out, but last time, we couldn't break the connection." Mitchell said.
"This time, all we have to do is shut the computer down." she said.
"No! I mean not yet." Daniel/Vala said with urgency.
"Something tells me that you're not here just because we got this to possibly work." Ford said pointing at the laptop.
"True. I'm not here for the fun of it, though I wish Daniel was around so I could say and hi and such. Actually, I'm here to warn you of forthcoming terrible danger."
"That doesn't surprise me."
They all left and got Teal'c, from there they went to one of the observation rooms. Daniel/Vala was sitting behind the metal table near the wall, just under the window of the above room. The table had a pitcher of water and a glass that she had taken at least three drinks from so far. Ford stood just about in the middle of the room. Teal'c sat on a stool to his left. Mitchell was seated on a table to his right and Carter was on a small high chair with her arm leaning on the table next to her on Ford's left. Camera's were watching and recording everything that went on. Daniel's parents were informed of why he didn't show up that morning to join them for breakfast. So, they were currently waiting to find out when and if Daniel came back.
"I remember staggering into the rings, there was bolts of energy everywhere." she said waving her hands.
"We suspected the matter stream was sucked into the black hole." Carter said.
"I have to say, I'm surprised at what you did Vala. Had I thought if it, I probably would have done it myself." Ford said. Carter gave him a quick glare but didn't say anything.
"Don't mention it." she said taking another drink. "You were all busy and I figured I'd be the heroic one this time."
They all had a light chuckle.
"As much as it's nice to see you're still alive and okay…." Ford said.
"Actually, for the record, I didn't say I was okay."
"I kinda figured that." he muttered rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Daniel was suppose to meet me in half an hour to talk to the Russian and Chinese representatives from the I.O.A. I'd rather avoid them personally and do paperwork, but they said they wanted to talk to Daniel and me, alone."
"If we shut this down, there's no guarantee we could establish this again." Carter said.
"Whatever they have to say is not important as what I have to say." Daniel/Vala said. "I'll be as quick as I can be and then you can have Daniel back."
"Let's hear it."
"Okay, the next thing I know I woke up in a bed, just like in Ver Ager. That's the one that was like the village me and Daniel were in with…."
"Got that." Ford said rolling his hand.
"Okay. Well, this village was called Ver Isca." she said as she took another drink. "You know, I think Daniel skipped breakfast."
"Yes, he did. I haven't had it either."
"I'd like some pancakes with ice cream, double chocolate fudge brownie, if memory serves. Please."
"Ouch. One of my favorites."
"I'll continue while you rustle that up. Thanks."
"Good thing this is being recorded. I'll be back. Maybe I can get the I.O.A. off my back for today at least." he said then walked out.
"Alright, let's see. Where was I?"
"In bed." Mitchell said.
"Ah, yes. A man named Tomin found my lying in the rings and thought the gods had sent me to him. Which I let him continue to believe."
She talked about how he brought her breakfast, talked to her nicely and treated her like a goddess, to a point. A very kind and gentle man, who unfortunately had a limp that had yet to be healed by the Ori.
Ford had came back half way into her talking about the guy and something to do with telling him about having fun at prostration. He told them that the I.O.A. were coming anyway despite the situation.
"It was obvious he was smitten. Who could blame him, right?" she said picking up the plate and licking it clean.
"Oh great." Ford muttered rubbing his face.
"What?" Mitchell asked.
"Vala, as strange as this is going to sound, considering what you are. Are you pregnant?"
"Um…..yeah. How could you tell?" she asked looking at him surprised.
"Sam did the same thing a couple of times. I've only seen pregnant women lick their plates."
"I did what?" she asked turning to him sharply.
"Licked your plate clean. Must be part of the craving thing. Is the pregnancy from….this guy you mentioned?"
"No. I'll tell you about that later though."
"Vala?"
"Hmm?" she asked looking at Mitchell.
He tapped his nose and she touched the end of hers to find ice cream on the end.
"Thanks." she said wiping it off.
"But she's immortal like you….wait, she was also a host, so maybe…." Carter was saying.
"And who knew how many times she was in the sarcophagus. Between them, it must have made it possible for her to be able to have children." Ford said.
"Yes. I was shocked myself when I found out, seeing as you told me before…." Daniel/Vala started saying with a few hand waves.
"Right, anyway, continue please." Ford said leaning on the table behind him.
"So, this Tomin guy, I realized was a devout Ori follower and probably would have been on the front line cheering as they burned me to death if he knew the truth about me. He was very sweet in his own way, and not bad looking actually. I think that he was alone long before I showed up because of that limp that left him crippled since childhood. He didn't like to talk about it much, but I could see the other villagers looked down upon him because of it. In their minds, the Ori must have deemed him unfit for normalcy, so that's how they chose to see him. I did my best to blend in, at first, according to Tomin and therefore as far as the villagers were concerned, I was a woman who fell from the sky. It made me feel kind of special. I later learned that they always suspected that I came from another village to escape some sort of scandal and then I started feeling much more like I'm used to."
Ford barely suppressed a laugh.
"It's not funny."
"Sorry." he said with a wave. "Blame Daniel."
"Anyway." she said with a low growl. "What worried me most were the Ori. While no one actually saw me or Daniel in person, that didn't mean that the ascended beings couldn't recognize me. After awhile, I started to think and hope that things were going to be okay. Ultimately, my goal was to try and find a way back here, or at least try and find a way to communicate with you and let you know what was going on."
She talked shortly about a bar like setting that she entered occasionally to listen and look for anything that would help her.
"So, I figured my best bet was to root out any of Fanus's gang from the anti-Ori underground and see if they had any technology or information about an Ori Stargate that I could use. But I had to be very careful. The village was run by this complete bear of a man named Seevis."
(A.U. The man Vala is referring to is the actor Michael Ironside, for those who might not know.)
"He was both barkeep and administrator. Which seemed to be the oddest contradiction. He claimed to be the most highest man in the village and if anyone strayed from the path of righteousness, if was Seevis who made sure you were severely punished for it. But, it there seemed to be a lot more levy for sin in the religion of the Ori than one would assume considering all the preaching."
"So, it's just like my grandma used to say, there's no point in going to confession is you ain't go nothing to confess." Mitchell said.
Sam smiled lightly with a shake of her head.
"Sound advice." Ford said nodding.
"Exactly." Vala said pointing at Mitchell.
She explained about some woman she saw in the bar one time that was, propositioned, by one of the men in the bar with his buddies. She must have said yes or something close. That night, while standing nearby on the wall, she listened and Seevis and a couple of his men threatened the guy to stay away from the woman or else he'd be burned by the fires of Celestas.
"I soon realized that it wasn't a contradiction at all. Seevis was doing the work of the gods by making sure that everyone in the village had a reason to prostrate, making him a very rich and very powerful man in the process."
"Vala. This would be a great story when you get back here, in your body. I have to leave soon, unfortunately, so why don't you just skip to the important part. Such as what you said earlier about having important information."
"Alright. Fine. Me and Tomin got married."
"What?" Ford exclaimed.
"Married?!" Carter said as the same time.
"You two did."
"Yeah, but there was love involved and still is." Ford said.
"Why?" Carter asked.
"I had no choice. He wouldn't sleep with me out of wed lock."
"Oh god. Please tell me you aren't weren't that anxious to get laid?" Ford asked.
"No!" Daniel/Vala exclaimed. "Whatever gave you that idea?!"
"Uh, let's see, you positioned Daniel on a number of occasions, and in front of us, and a few guards. Not to mention, Daniel telling me about the time he found you in his room, on the base, in nothing but red undergarments."
Carter, Teal'c and Mitchell gave her surprised looks.
"I was joking with the guards." she stated.
"But not with Daniel?" Mitchell asked.
"I don't know why Daniel never wants to have se…."
"Okay." Ford said quickly waving his hands. "Why did you marry him then?"
"You know what these people do to you when you do something wrong. They burn you alive."
"We know this." Ford muttered. "And the reason is?"
"For getting pregnant out of wed lock." she exclaimed.
They all had looks of confusion on them.
Ford waved a hand near his face a few times as he got off the table and took a few steps forward.
"Okay, I really
believe what Daniel said about you two not, having sex. So, did you
two do it and decide to keep it a secret anyway or something?"
"No.
I wish that was the…."
"Okay. Don't need the mental picture." Ford said waving his hand again.
"Me neither. Okay, if it's not Jackson's, like you say, then who's it is?" Mitchell asked.
"That's just the thing. I don't know."
"As in?" Carter asked slowly.
"I swear, I did none of the necessary bits. Between my arrival in the Ori galaxy and my wedding night." she said holding out one hand on one side of the table and the other on the other side. "Which was definitely after I knew for sure, there is no way humanly possible that I know of that I could have gotten pregnant."
"Was or did the possibility of being raped…."
"No General. I know I wasn't." she said sternly. "Trust me."
"You have been impregnated, without copulation?" Teal'c asked.
"Yes. And I am terrified. Have any of you ever heard of something like this?" she asked really worried and scared.
They all looked at each other.
"Well, there's one…." Mitchell began.
"Darth Vader." Teal'c stated.
Ford couldn't help it and burst out laughing so hard he fell back into the table and hit the floor.
"Well, that's not the one I was thinking." Mitchell said with a small chuckle. "God, when General O'Neill said to not be surprised with him laughing….."
"He wasn't kidding." Carter said looking at Ford. "You can stop now."
It took him a good ten seconds to get himself under control.
"Oh my god." he muttered trying to get up.
"My situation is not funny." Daniel/Vala said.
"I wasn't laughing at you." he said getting to his feet. "Thank you Teal'c. I needed that."
"Indeed." he said with a raised eyebrow.
"I didn't even think of Vader." he said wiping the tears from his eyes. "I was thinking Jesus Christ myself."
"Same here." Carter said.
"Though I serious don't believe she's carrying the second coming or the antichrist."
"Actually I was thinking about King Arthur." Mitchell said.
"What?" Ford asked.
"Yeah, I've been reading everything I can find on our friend, Merlin. According to legends, he enchanted the queen that bore Arthur."
"Arthur was conceived normally. You know, man and woman together." Ford said wiggling two fingers. "So I don't see where that helps her since….."
"General. Sorry to interrupt, but you're needed in the briefing room." a airman said from the doorway. "Now."
"Great. Let me know how the story turns out." he said heading for the door.
"Wait. I haven't even gotten to the bit that you have to hear yet."
"One minute airman." Ford said holding up a finger.
"Me carrying this child right now is a big problem for me. A big problem. But believe me, there is one that is much, much bigger."
"And?" Ford asked rolling his hand.
She explained quickly how Tomin was healed of his limp and that he was conscripted.
"They are building ships and armies by the tens of thousands. The village I am living in is one of many on a dozen worlds just like it. As we feared, since the day that Daniel and I met the Ori, they have been preparing their followers for a crusade."
She gave another brief explanation of a conversation where she tried to talk him out of fighting, but Tomin was adamant about following the will of the Ori, even if he died in battle.
"He is one of the most gentlest and kindest souls I have ever known." she said sadly. They could see tears in Daniel's eyes, and it was kinda strange. "He has been raised since birth to believe in the Ori. This isn't a fight that anyone can win. Not without a tragic amount of bloodshed."
"General Carter to the briefing room. Repeat, General Carter to the briefing room." Walter said over the speaker.
"You're right Vala. This is very bad news, that will probably end up in a lot of lost lives, if we can even win. I've got to go."
"Vala, since you've been gone, we've learned a few things about the Ori that their followers might be interested in." Carter said as Ford walked out.
"It doesn't matter what the truth is about the Ori. The people won't hear it, no matter what we say."
"Obviously some of them are suspicious enough to form a resistance." Mitchell said.
"You're talking about a handful of people compared to millions who won't know the truth is it was staring them right in the face." she stated forcefully, with some fear. "It's all lies and propaganda as far as they are concerned. We're wrong, they're right. They're good, we're bad. We must worship the Ori or die and they will fight until we are dead, or they are. Period."
Ford walked into the briefing room, or more like stomped in some senses. Colonel Chekov and the Chinese lady that went off world with them was sitting at the table.
"General….." Chekov started saying as he turned from looking out the window.
"Forget the pleasantries and formalities." he said waving his hand as he leaned onto the back of his chair. "I don't have the time right now. We've got serious problems that have just arose, so just tell me what you're here for."
"Where's Doctor Jackson?" she asked.
"Not here, mentally. Not worth explaining right now. Colonel, can you just get to it please."
"Your attitude General…."
"Forget my attitude Colonel. The world, hell this galaxy is in trouble and instead of me being where I should be helping to miraculously find a way to save it, I'm here instead. So cut to the point."
"Very well General." Chekov said sitting down in the chair next to the Chinese lady. "Officially your President is being handed a letter stating that the treaty between our two countries, dealing with the loaning of our Stargate, is up for renewal in two weeks. Russia will no longer be participating under the current structure."
"That's what this is about?!" Ford almost exclaimed. "You're here to take the gate back because of conflicting issues?!"
"That is one way of putting it General." Chekov said leaning back.
"Fine. Take the damned thing then." Ford said waving a hand before he headed for the door.
"Excuse me General?" the Chinese lady said.
He spun around quickly.
"I know you're only here because you've decided to be a sort of backup to pressure the U.S." he said pointing at her. "I'm not stupid and Daniel warned me about what the Chinese would probably do and the subliminal offer you made him. So you want it, go ahead. We'll even gift wrap the damned thing. Best thing either country can do with it is probably set it up as some sculpture anyway."
"What are you saying General?" Chekov demanded as he stood up.
"You, both of your countries don't have any DHD. Actually, there is no DHD on this planet that I know of, not anymore. That being the case, we have total control and because of me and Carter's work on the computer, we have complete control. I'll just have another gate brought in and we'll use it. You can keep yours and do whatever you damn well please, but I can guarantee, no matter what you do, it will never open!" he shouted.
When they both started to open their mouths.
"You want to go make calls, be my guest. You want to threaten the U.S. with a attack for what I said, fine. Fire your nukes. We'll fire ours back and then this planet will be nothing but a burning cinder in space and there won't be any fighting to worry about because everyone will be dead! Even if our countries decide to try and make another or more treaties, it's not going to matter. The Ori are coming and they are coming with more power than even the Goa'uld ever had, so this planet and galaxy are probably fucked anyway since we have no way to stop them much less even try!"
He quickly turned away in a huff and walked out.
"There was this girl in the bar, named Denya, and we struck up a friendship." she said and then shrugged. "I can see by the looks on your faces that you're not surprised that I had a lot more in common with the village harlot than I did with any of the old ladies circle."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Mitchell said.
"At least she was honest." she said with a smile.
The lady admitted she was pregnant once. Vala told her that she, heard about someone getting pregnant without doing it and was wondering if the girl knew anything. Vala asked if the Ori could have been the cause, in a sense because they performed miracles all the time.
"She was smart. She was testing me."
"Are you saying she was part of the anti-Ori underground?" Carter asked.
"Took a long time to get her to admit it. She said she was afraid of Seevis and that he'd kill her if he found out."
Vala told them about how she was taken from her home and that Seevis proclaimed to everyone that she was a unholy, unbeliever. So she was chained to the same sort of thing she was burned to last time. Seevis asked her who else in the village was unbelievers and she spat at him saying he was the one.
"I don't know why I expected him to come rushing over and unchain me. I'm just the mother of his unborn baby. Or so he was suppose to think."
So she was left there for three days, with no food or water. She eventually passed out and had a dream where she was in her bed, in the house with Tomin and the large overhanging that was above the bed caught on fire, but wasn't on fire. A face of fire appeared that looked a lot like a large skull. She couldn't move and awoke with a start laying on the stones. Tomin looked at her before he left to train for the day. She barely was able to move as she laid against the stone bench. It wasn't until the third day that Tomin took her home, though she barely noticed it. Seevis saw her taken away as did many others, but no one stopped Tomin as he took her home.
"I didn't know why he eventually did it, or why Seevis let us go. I was left out there, without food or water, for three days."
"I can't believe the baby survived that." Carter said sadly. "I wouldn't have."
"Part of me was hoping that it didn't."
"I'm kinda surprised that part of you was hoping that it did." Mitchell said softly. "I mean, given how it was conceived."
Many emotions crossed her face, most of them being of a sad and lost nature.
"It's hard to explain."
Tomin and her were left alone and he asked for forgiveness for leaving her there so long. The next morning, he left like always to train.
"Despite Tomin's assurances, the idea of spending a day in the village with Seevis just a stone's throw away made me nervous. I felt it was high time I did some more extensive recon."
So she explained how she traveled into the forest and looked around. She hid behind a tree as she saw a camp with a Prior and several dozen men in armor marching behind him.
"I knew what was happening. I knew where they were going everyday. But seeing it was something else entirely."
She explained about looking out over a large cliff and seeing huge ships, built kinda like looking into an eye, except that each eye was looking toward where a nose would be. Five ships were there total, and in the section where the iris of the eye, so to speak was, there was a unknown open circle built into the ship itself. Seevis came up behind her scaring her.
"You wanted to see me General? I'm assuming you've had time to calm down." Chekov asked as he entered Ford's office.
"Calm down?" Ford said rubbing the bridge of his nose as he sat up in the chair. "I may never calm down Colonel. I wasn't kidding about the universe being in trouble. Anyway, I called you in here because I just got off the phone with the President. He wasn't to thrilled with my conduct, not that I give a damn much right now. Point is, he's heard from your government and such and from what I felt was going on, he's advised me to ask you this question. What the hell is it that you really want? We both know that using the gate would cause more trouble than good if your country took over or any country took over. This place has been doing so long that our allies out there have made it quite clear who they want in charge, per say. So, what are you really wanting here?"
Vala explained that she got ready to defend herself, with a small knife as Denya also walked up and stood by Seevis. They explained they were testing her to make sure to see if she could be trusted in not telling everyone else that they were part of the underground movement against the Ori.
"He was part of the underground?" Mitchell asked.
"Seevis is the leader. The religious pomp and circumstance is a cover. The rest, is for money, power and influence, the things you need when you're wanting to mount a rebellion."
"They do not fear being discovered by the Ori?" Teal'c asked.
"Of course, but the only other choice is to do nothing, and what they were planning was quite the opposite of nothing."
Seevis told her of a plan that involved lots of the people that were helping build the ships.
"The ships had to be activated by the Priors, but Seevis said he found a way to rig enough of them so that they would start a massive chain reaction. From what I could tell, it looked like it might work."
The plan was to have the ships blow up while the ships were all activated during a celebration before they left the planet to go off to the Milky Way.
"They were going to try and undermine the Ori's power by eliminating as many of their followers in one fell swoop, something I'm not sure we would have done in their position."
All three of them went back to the bar and Seevis had the windows closed so no one could see inside.
"They trusted me, granted they nearly killed me to earn their trust, but at this point I felt I had to take a chance. I told them exactly who I was and how I had gotten there. The communication terminal and the stones had been taken by the Prior to Celestas after Daniel and I had been caught using them."
"How did Seevis get his hands on it?" Mitchell asked.
"Apparently, he has spies among the monks in the city of Celestas. They're humans in training to become Priors. Every now and then, artifacts that predate the Ori ascension, are dug up and found, deemed heretical, and then brought to the city to be burned in the fires. When the communication terminal came through, Seevis's men recognized it, and they risked everything to save it and smuggle it outside the city. So it appears Daniel's crazy little speech about communicating from another galaxy hadn't fallen on entirely deaf ears."
"And the Ori didn't know. They couldn't tell what was happening right under their noses?" Carter asked.
"Can't be sure. But Seevis didn't want me trying to contact you until his sabotage plan went through."
"In case the Ori detected it." Mitchell said.
"Just to be safe."
Vala went home and stayed hidden as she heard a Prior talking to Tomin and telling him that the baby was not his, because he couldn't have children. The baby she had was given to her by the Ori. Tomin had trouble with the news, but didn't say anything to her. She tried to talk him out of going the next day because it was the day everything started. The ship were to be activated by ten Priors and lots of people were suppose to attend. He left anyway and knew that she wasn't going because of her condition.
"When you say day of reckoning?" Mitchell asked.
"We've heard numerous reports of the Priors in this galaxy warning of an impending doomsday." Carter said.
"A day when all of those who renounce the Ori will feel their wrath." Teal'c said.
"We knew the Priors were just the first wave. The real crusade is about to begin. The ships are planning to leave."
"But that would mean…." Carter said with obvious worry.
"That somewhere out there the Ori have a working Supergate."
Seevis, Denya and Vala were overlooking the ships that morning, she explained.
"Turns out the horrible feeling I lied to Tomin about was completely justified, but for different reasons. Thousands of men, women and children did not die that day. Seevis plan failed."
The three watched from the cliff face as everyone below cheered in unison as the ships powered up before their eyes.
"It didn't work. The sabotage had broken down. Whether the Ori had detected it or the Priors had managed to thwart it on their own, we don't know. All we know is that the ships came to life, and nothing happened. The crowd cheered and began prostrating. Praying for swift victory over all non believers."
"Do you have any other intel we can use? You said this Seevis had access to specs on the ships. What weaponry do they have?" Mitchell asked.
"And shields." Carter added. "And any of the power systems that they are using?"
"No." she said waving her hands. "No, I….."
He stopped and then looked around and then at them.
"Guys, what's going on?"
"Jackson?" Mitchell asked.
"How did I get here?"
"The emulator is still running." she said looking at the laptop near her. "Something must have happened on Vala's end."
Vala looked down at the communication device seeing it smoking. She turned to see Tomin standing there just inside the bar with his staff. She got up quickly as Seevis grabbed a small axe from behind the bar. Tomin activated his double pronged staff and it shot some energy pulse out hitting Seevis in the chest, instantly killing him. Denya got up and was shot instantly as well, hitting the floor dead.
"Tomin." Vala said standing near the bar.
"You said you didn't think I could kill any non believer." he said looking at the two dead people.
"Well, I'm so sorry I was wrong." she said loudly. "You have to listen to me."
"No!" he shouted loudly as he aimed his weapon at her. "I am deaf to all but the teaching's of Origin!"
She covered her abdomen as he kept it pointed at her.
"The Prior told me Seevis was corrupt! That he tried to sabotage the ceremony that would have killed thousands! He sent me here to kill Seevis and here I found you with him, conspiring over that device!"
"They made me do it!" she yelled in fear as she kept a hand on her belly and the other pointed at Seevis. She sat down as though it was tough to stand anymore. "They told me they would kill me if I didn't help them, and after what they did to me out there, wouldn't you?"
"They thought this device was for communication, but they were too afraid to use it themselves." she said waving at the smoking thing. "So they kidnapped me and forced me to do it for themselves."
She looked at the weapon as she took a breath.
"Did the Prior tell you I was with them? Did he tell you to kill me?"
"No." he said softly, but didn't lower the weapon.
"Well, there you go then." she said getting up toward him.
"Were you able communicate with unbelievers far away?" he said keeping the weapon aimed at her.
"Yes. There is much I can tell you about them if you just put that weapon down." she said covering her belly. "Tomin, you have to believe me, please."
He didn't lower the weapon as she looked away in thought.
"I was there and overheard the conversation you had with the Prior the other day. I know and I am sorry and I should have told you I was there, but I was so afraid. What he said shocked me. That this child is the will of the Ori. Tomin, I swear, I have not betrayed you, I have not been with anyone but you. So, if you truly cannot father a child, then this baby is a miracle." she said with some tears. "It's our miracle and this is a burden I cannot bear alone, so from this point on we must walk the path together."
He saw into her pleading eyes and lowered his weapon.
"I must leave soon for war."
"Then I must come with you."
She sighed with relief after he walked up, knelt down and placed his head on her belly.
"Heard about the conversation you had with the Colonel." Daniel said as he and Ford were in the elevator.
"And?"
"Was that a bluff about giving them the gate and using a new one? And something about making sure they never could use their gate if we gate it, was that also a bluff?" he asked as the elevator stopped and they got off going to the General's office.
"No."
"No to which?"
"Both. I didn't bluff. I have…another gate on standby, if you will. Incase something happens. As for the program, that is something me and Sam did work on, with K-9 helping."
"Hmm." he said nodding. "I'm going to guess that you aren't going to tell me or anyone else where this extra gate is?"
"Nope. Not even Sam. Though she doesn't know I even have one so don't say anything."
"Is there a special reason you're keeping this information from her? I only ask because you two have very little in any secrets between each other."
"Call it a General related secret."
"Oh, one of those things only someone in your position knows but can't tell lower ranking personal."
"Exactly."
"So, what did we give them then since the gate wasn't taken away?"
"The new 304. Not my idea, but not department I'm in charge of so…."
"Surprised the president authorized that."
"Well, the treaty needed renewing and since the Russians think we aren't being as cooperative as we should be, giving them a ship will cover all the bases."
"But isn't the next Daedalus class ship not due out of the pipeline for over another year?"
"They didn't care and we didn't have much choice. Anyway, not my department. If it was, our ships would look a hell of a lot better." he said as they entered the briefing room. Sam, Teal'c and Mitchell were all there just standing near the table, close to the window.
"We've got the Tok'ra and the Asguard scanning local subspace to see if they can locate the Supergate." she said.
"Got hold of them both for once. That's a first." he said crossing his arms.
"Yeah. We're also monitoring all the black holes that we know of, but it's a pretty big galaxy." she said.
"And, as we know of, the Ori could have built another one." Mitchell said.
"The Interim Council has placed all Hal'tak vessels in the region on high alert." Teal'c said.
"I know one thing that has to be fact. There is no functioning Supergate."
They all gave him confused to bewildered looks.
"Wait, did your future…." she began.
"Did your parents….." Daniel asked at the same time.
"No, to both of you. Logically, all we've heard so far is prepare for the coming wrath." Ford said emphasizing the word wrath. "We haven't heard of the Prior's saying they have arrived, and so far no one has reported to us and neither has any team came back saying that they heard the Ori are here. Which means they are still trying to complete this Supergate and that because of the first time being a failure, they have done a much better job of hiding the second gate somewhere way out where we probably haven't been at all. If there was any ships or army out there, I think we'd know it by now, not to mention that Vala would have said they had taken off already."
It didn't take them long to realize how much sense that all meant.
"That doesn't mean it not going to happen soon. I'm thinking, with Vala saying the ships are powered and ready to go, probably in the next couple of days. So, we need plans and options."
"Well, all our allies and everyone else here is looking for that Supergate, so we should go check out that address Merlin left." Daniel said.
"Yeah, that weapon that destroys ascended beings. It's one planet General." Mitchell said. "We can go…."
"I'm not staying here if that's what you're thinking. I'm going to have General Landry come take over. Never know, whatever this weapon is may have to be used by a Ancient or it may have to be accessed by an Ancient to get to it. And none of you can do that. We'll leave tomorrow after Landry gets here."
They nodded and left the room, except Sam.
"Ford, what are you not saying?" she asked quietly.
"I don't know if we're going to come back from this. I got a real bad feeling that even if the Asguard had the Carter ready to help fight, that not even it could do anything. I'm scared Sam." he said softly. "I seriously don't know if things are going to work out this time. In a sense, I was, made to help fight the Wraith, not the Ori."
"I'm have to admit, I'm feeling the same thing." she said hugging him as he did the same. "But things have worked out all these years so far, so I've got to believe that they will continue to do so and that we won't fail. Especially with you here helping, things have gotten much better. We have to win this, if not for the everyone else, but think of Sally."
"Thanks Sam. Remembering what we're fighting for helps."
