Chapter Eighteen: Subversion
Rush's eyes flickered rapidly behind his closed lids as he shifted restlessly in his sleep. He flinched, visions dancing through his mind's eye, the acrid taste of fear on his tongue as he looked up at the abandoned warehouse looming before him. The scene changed, his hand reaching out to touch a cool metal box, the number 314 stamped on its side. Again, it changed, and he could smell the dampness in the air, a river flowing smoothly in the distance. A woman – someone he knew he'd never seen before – spoke in hushed tones from the passenger seat of a car.
Once again he jerked in his sleep, his arm tightening almost painfully around Belle as she reached out to smooth her hand over his chest, an involuntary motion she often did throughout the night when he succumbed to his dreams which inevitably turned to nightmares.
If he could just awaken and chase the disturbing visions from his head. He was almost there, caught in the void between dreaming and waking. Just a little further. The woman rolled her window up and he gasped, his reflection – Telford – staring back at him, the shock enough to jolt him from his fevered dream. He sat up quickly, disentangling himself from Belle and reaching for the mug of water he kept close to hand on the bedside table. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and drained the cup, breathing deeply as he fought against the fear and anger pumping through his veins.
"Nicholas?" Belle's soft voice whispered through the dark as she sat up and lightly ran her hand over the tense muscles of his back. "What is it, darling? Another dream?"
He tried to relax so as not to alarm her, willing his heart to slow and his breathing to even out. This was not something he wished her to worry about first thing in the morning. They'd been through so much together over the past several months and she was still waking in the middle of the night shaking and cold, the sheets drenched in sweat because of her fear. He couldn't make things worse for her now. He'd be better off speaking with the colonel, though the idea chafed.
Nicholas turned to her, pressed his face into the soft curve of her neck and sighed, warmth flooding his chest as he breathed her in. He no longer felt as though he were drifting along, merely existing one day to the next. Now, he lived, his life full and rewarding, shared with the one person he could love with his whole heart. "Go back to sleep, love. It's still early."
Belle hummed softly, rubbing her cheek against his. She made a soft noise of contentment as the soft bristles of his short beard caressed her skin. "Lie down with me. You don't need to report to work yet for hours," she murmured sleepily.
He pulled the duvet up more securely about her shoulder and smiled even though he knew she could only vaguely make him out in the soft glow of the FTL lights shining through the porthole. "I must go, mo chroí. Duty calls."
She nodded and nestled down onto his pillow, burying her nose against the soft sateen pillowcase and breathing in his scent which clung to the fabric. He stayed with her until she slipped back into slumber, guilt weighing heavily upon his shoulders for not confiding in her what he'd seen in his dream. There would be time – later – to tell her everything. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple and rose from the bed to dress.
X*X*X*X*X
Rush knocked on the bulkhead next to the open door of the colonel's quarters, awaiting permission to enter. As late as it was, he was fortunate the man wasn't in bed yet, though it wouldn't have stopped him from waking the man.
Young grunted in response and waved a hand for Nicholas to enter, glancing up from the paperwork on his desk. "You're up late," he said, returning to his work.
Rush paced around the small sitting area to the front of the desk, his hands twitching nervously at his sides. "Yeah ... I just had a very interesting dream," he replied, the agitation clearly evident in his voice.
"Everyone thinks their dreams are interesting, Rush," Everett scoffed, his pen still in motion across the paper. "Nobody else cares."
"Yeah?" he snorted. "Well, you're going to care about this one." He walked over to the door and palmed the release, the doors sliding closed to afford them a measure of privacy. He took a seat on one of the sofas facing the desk, stress and anxiety coiling in his stomach. "I'm outside a warehouse on Earth and there's birds – at least, I can hear them. Seagulls, I think."
Everett glanced up at him briefly to show he was paying attention before returning to his paperwork.
Rush ignored him, anxious to be done with the task. He hoped somehow he'd be able to find a measure of peace once he'd shared the issue with his colleague. "I'm at some kind of meeting. There's four or five people there."
"Who?" Young asked disinterestedly.
"I don't know, I don't know, but I'm giving them information, reports, files." He paused, leaning forward and bracing his forearms on his knees as he rubbed his hands together. "I'm talking about Icarus in detail."
That seemed to have gained the colonel's attention. "Well, who were they?"
"I don't know. I …" He closed his eyes, trying to remember the details of the dream which seemed to elude him the harder he fought to draw them to the forefront of his mind. "They had a Goa'uld cargo ship."
"The Lucian Alliance on Earth?!" Everett asked, half rising from his chair in surprise.
"I can only guess," Rush shrugged.
Young shook his head in disbelief. "You dreamed you were the spy who leaked everything about Icarus to the Lucian Alliance?"
"No, no, no, not me. It wasn't me," Nicholas insisted, his irritation growing as he tried to get the man to understand. Belle would have understood immediately, and his previous guilt returned tenfold. Not only would she have understood, but she would have insisted he go straight to O'Neill, completely bypassing the chain of command. Perhaps he should have told her.
"Rush, what the hell are you talking about?"
Nicholas shook his head, trying to clear it. "On the way back to the car, I saw my reflection. It was Colonel Telford. I was Colonel Telford."
X*X*X*X*X
Scott strode into the colonel's quarters, having been summoned by his commanding officer. It wasn't as if there was much to do as things had been rather quiet. Simply day to day routine to occupy their time. However, he began to worry as he took in the colonel's dark frown and troubled eyes. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Close the door, Lieutenant, and have a seat." Young sat opposite him and explained what had happened to Rush and the suspicions he had about Telford. "Rush switched with him two days ago, when he escorted Dr French to a meeting with Dr Williams to discuss their joint research. The only reason I'm telling you is because you are the only person who's ever experienced this kind of bleed-through memory after using the stones."
Scott groaned inwardly. He remembered all too well as to what the colonel was referring. Not long after they'd boarded Destiny, he'd switched with Telford and the apparent 'bleed-through' had allowed him to see just what was going on between Colonel Young's wife and the man who was supposed to be his friend. Afterwards, the colonel had gone down to Earth and confronted them both, which led to Everett beating the man bloody and his subsequent divorce. Scott didn't put much faith in the accuracy of the occurrence, however.
"It was just that once, sir."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Young nodded, dismissing the man.
Scott rose, turning to the door. He hesitated, thinking for a moment before turning back to the colonel. "Alright, look, sir. I understand that you have your issues with Colonel Telford, but you cannot seriously —"
Young gestured to the sofa once more, urging Scott to resume his seat. "Before he was assigned to Icarus, Telford spent the better part of a year undercover, infiltrating the Lucian Alliance."
"You really think he would turn?" Scott asked incredulously.
"Eight months into his assignment, there was an attack on a planet that we had a large team working on, P2S-569. Thirty-seven people were killed. Now, we later found out that Telford knew about the attack and decided to do nothing."
"In order to protect his cover," Scott said in defense of the man.
Young pinched the bridge of his nose. Scott still saw everything as black and white, good and bad. To his way of thinking, there was no in between. "That's what he said. Stargate Command let him off the hook and everything was swept under the carpet, but now …"
"Sir," Scott tried to reason. "there has to be more to it than that."
"We know that the Goa'uld had brainwashing technology which could make a man turn against his mother and be proud of it. It is possible that the Alliance now has that capability," Young said, casting him a pointed look.
"Well, if they do, sir, then we can't trust anyone."
X*X*X*X*X
Belle erased the last line of code and tossed Rush's notebook on the console in irritation. She cast him another furtive glance across the room where he hovered over the primary console and frowned. He was preoccupied, easily distracted and downright manic today and nothing she said was able to calm him. It had to be more than a nightmare to have him in such a state.
She abandoned her work and moved behind him, smoothing her hands over his shoulders. Her frown deepened as he stiffened instead of relaxing into her touch. "Nicholas, what's wrong? You haven't been yourself all morning."
"Just tired," he snapped, unnecessarily harsh. It didn't sit well with him to keep secrets from her. If Belle suspected he was being less than honest with her, she'd eventually ferret it out and he didn't even want to think of how she'd react. He just knew it wasn't something he wanted to even contemplate.
Belle hummed in disapproval as she moved to his side and reached up to brush the hair away from his eyes. He wouldn't meet her gaze as he continued to pound away at the console. She knew he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing as the computer beeped. It was so clear to her that something was terribly wrong, and he was trying to protect her, keep her in the dark … Her jaw clenched, his tells so easy for her to see. His averted gaze, his withdrawal from her touch, his tightly compressed lips … all sure signs that he was shutting her out.
"Let's take a walk. You need a break, Nicholas."
"I don't need a break," he snarled, grinding his teeth in vexation.
Young strode into the control room and gave Rush a pointed look as he stopped next to the console. "Dr French, Eli, might Dr Rush and I please have the room?"
Belle watched in dismay as Nicholas's color heightened and his hands clasped tightly in his lap, the knuckles white. She should have known whatever he was hiding involved the colonel. "I'm sure whatever you have to say to Nicholas, you can say to me as well, Colonel," she said, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest.
Eli scoffed. "Secrets. You two …"
"Nicholas," Belle persisted when Rush didn't answer.
"We'll talk later, Belle," Rush said, finally glancing up at her with a blank expression. "Check in with Brody and see how the repairs are coming with the dome, yeah?"
She gnashed her teeth, the muscle in her jaw twitching as her gaze swung between her lover and the colonel. "Fine," she snapped. "Eli! Let's grab some lunch and then check on the dome repairs while Rush pulls his head out of his arse and remembers what's important."
"But we have work to do, and —"
"Eli, now!" She took his arm, tugging on his sleeve to get him moving. The look she cast Rush over her shoulder clearly stated – in no uncertain terms – that she would deal with him later.
"You're keeping things from Dr French now?" Young asked after he'd palmed the door release and locked it from the inside to afford them some privacy.
"I don't want her involved in this," he lamented, rubbing his hands over his face in exasperation.
"She's going to be upset —"
"You think I don't know that!" he snarled, rising to pace around the console. "She's going to be bloody well furious, but the less people know about this, the better. And that includes my Belle."
"So," Young said, getting to the point of all the secrecy, "I talked to Scott, and he doesn't remember anything like your dream."
"Well, we have to do something. Telford's still on active rotation with the stones, yeah?" he asked, stroking a hand over his beard as he paced.
"Yeah," the colonel confirmed.
"He's due to make a connection in a couple of days with Dr. Morrison. What if I take Morrison's place?"
"And do what?" Young gaped. "Try to make contact with the Alliance? It's too risky. Belle would have my head if I let you go off half-cocked and something happened to you."
"Well, it's a pretty good disguise, actually being inside someone else's body. Belle will be fine until I get back," he said, though he didn't believe a word of what he was saying. There was still a very good chance that he couldn't pull it off and wouldn't come back at all, but he was doing this to protect her. If they could eliminate the threat of the Alliance, he might be able to rest easier knowing she was safe.
"I still say it's too risky. I'll go instead."
"No. That would be a mistake," Rush argued, shaking his head. "I had the dream. There are still elements I'm trying to piece together. For example, there's a number – three one four. Now, I know that's significant, but I don't know why. If I'm there, in Telford's environment, then …"
"You're not trained for this, Rush. If Stargate Command is this badly compromised, I can't tell anyone what you're up to. Do you understand that?" the colonel argued, trying to make him see this was a bad plan. He couldn't say he didn't want the Alliance stopped just as much as Rush did, but it was still too dangerous to risk Rush. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Destiny needed him.
Rush nodded. "Yep."
"Damnit, Rush, once you're on Earth, you are on your own. No back-up."
Rush held up a hand to forestall any more of the man's objections. "I get it, but someone has to stop this guy. He can't be allowed to continue. The Alliance probably already knows more about this ship than we do."
"Which isn't much," Everett snorted, raking a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Speak for yourself," Rush sneered, arching a brow at the man. He wouldn't admit it, especially to Young, but he would wager a week's rations that Belle knew more than anyone.
X*X*X*X*X
Belle thanked Vanessa and hurried towards the communications lab. She'd been the third person to give Belle directions on where to find Dr Rush – because, of course, the stubborn man wasn't answering his radio – and he was going to talk to her whether he wanted to or not. She was tired of him avoiding her. He'd been acting strangely since he'd woken two nights ago from his nightmare. It was more than a little odd for him to keep everything bottled up inside instead of talking to her. He'd gotten quite good at sharing his thoughts and feelings with her, and she knew it must be really bad to have him hiding himself away from her.
She had noticed Dr Morrison on the schedule for a visit to Earth today – she made most of the schedules on the ship, so she ought to be able to remember – so she could only reason that Rush had some last minute questions for their colleague. If she could catch him in the lab, she might be able to coax him into having lunch with her and maybe a little chat to find out what was bothering him. She smiled at Scott as she breezed into the room and hurried over to Nicholas's side, throwing her arms about his neck and kissing him soundly. She really didn't care who watched. Damnit, she'd missed him.
Belle froze, noticing the lack of response from her love. Had she kissed him like that any other time, he would be trying to drag her back to their quarters … or the showers … or a convenient deserted corridor. It was as if he were a different …
She released him as though she'd been punched in the gut and groaned. "Do I even want to know what the hell is going on?" she asked, glaring at Scott as he tried not to laugh at the scene before him. Riley, sitting at the table manning the stones was more vocal in his laughter.
"Dr French, may I ask what you think you're doing?"
Her cheeks blazed with color as she recognized that condescending tone. "Where is Dr Morrison?"
"Change of plans. You'll have to speak to the colonel," Riley snickered. "Hey, are you alright?" He called after her as she spun on her heel and marched purposefully towards the door.
"No, I'm not," she ground out in what sounded like a growl. "I feel the need to kick something really hard, and right now I can think of nothing better than a certain sneaky colonel."
Her hands fisted at her sides as she made her way to the colonel's quarters, a red haze falling over her eyes as her mind whirled with fear and anger. What were those two plotting? It was highly suspicious for Rush to trust Young at all, much less with all the cloak and dagger bullshit running rampant on the ship. No wonder he was avoiding her. He knew she would have eventually pried his scheme out of him and, of course, he just couldn't have that. It was likely some hair-brained plot to protect her, she seethed, her body trembling with rage.
Belle nearly collided with Young as he turned down the corridor leading to the lab. "Just the man I wanted to see," she snarled, pointing a finger into the center of his chest and taking supreme satisfaction when he winced.
"Dr French, I don't have time to chat," he mumbled, trying to step around her. He'd hoped to avoid her until Rush had made it safely back to the ship. He should have known that would be impossible.
"Well you're going to make time. You can bloody well spare five minutes to tell me what Telford – fucking Telford – is doing in Rush's body," she hissed, poking him again as she advanced on him.
He held up both hands to ward her off, never having seen her so angry. "Shhh! Calm down, Belle. If Rush didn't tell you what he was doing —"
"Don't give me that shit, Everett. You don't know what I've been through in my life. I've seen things that would have you curled up in a ball under your bed howling for your mother! Commanding officer or not, I will not have you lie to me."
Young stared down at the petite brunette, her face flushed, her chest heaving, and her teeth bared. She looked as if she were ready to tear him apart with her bare hands if he so much as uttered one tiny white lie. He was going to have to talk to Greer again about her defense training. Finally, he sighed and reached into his jacket, withdrawing the sealed letter Rush had left him to give to her.
Her face fell into an expression of concern as she snatched it from his hand and tore open the envelope. Nicholas's looping scrawl, a mixture of Ancient symbols and English, met her eyes and she blanched, quickly looking up at the colonel before turning away to read what Rush had written.
Belle —
Please try not to be too angry that I've left without informing you of my reasons. If I had told you beforehand, you would have tried to talk me out of it, and this is just something I felt I had to do. I have reason to believe that Colonel Telford is our mole, that he was the one to betray us to the Lucian Alliance. He is behind the attack on Icarus which could very well have killed us all.
The color drained from her face as her knees gave out and she slid down the wall to rest on her haunches. She could feel the smarting of tears behind her lids as she raised a hand to cover her mouth, hoping the gesture would hold the feral cry from passing her tightly compressed lips. She was barely aware of the colonel dropping to one knee and placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder.
Mo chroí, please understand. I have to do what I can to discover what the Alliance is plotting. Everyone on board Destiny is in danger, but most importantly it is my duty to protect you. Don't interfere with Young's plans for Telford. If anything, help him if need be. I promise to return as soon as I have gained the intelligence needed to bring him to justice, my Belle. Try not to worry. I love you, Belle, more than you will ever know. Be safe.
Yours always—
Nicholas
Belle buried her face in her hands, the letter clutched desperately in her right fist. How could he do this? The danger he was placing himself in, and Young had helped him do it! She turned her watery narrow-eyed gaze on Young and he flinched at the burning anger he saw there. "How could you let him go? He's not trained for this, Everett!" she hissed furiously. "He's going to get himself killed!"
He took her elbow and helped her to her feet, trying to keep his voice low so as not to be overheard. "I tried to talk him out of it, tried to explain the risks, but he was insistent. You know how Rush is when he wants something. If I hadn't agreed, he would have gone straight to O'Neill."
"What are we going to do?" she asked, drying her tears on the sleeve of her blue tunic. "How do we help Nicholas?"
Young shook his head. "You are going to go about business as usual and let me deal with Telford." He raised a hand as she opened her mouth to protest, forestalling her objections. "You've been read in to his undercover dealings with the Alliance. We have to make sure he hasn't been brainwashed by them, and if he has, we have to try to undo the damage. It's not going to be pleasant, Dr French, and I promised Rush I wouldn't let you become involved."
"Rush isn't here, thanks to some misguided notion he has where he thinks I need protection and your stupidity for allowing it. You will not keep me from this, Everett." He sighed as she paced away from him. "Can't we just disconnect the stones, bring him back?"
"If we do, it could compromise him. If Telford realizes what's happening, there's no telling what he might do. It's best if Rush remains where he is and gathers as much intel as possible."
Belle wrapped her arms tightly around her torso as a tremor of fear shook her small frame. She paced back over to him and glared up into his stony face. "If something happens to my Nicholas, Colonel, I'm holding you personally responsible and I assure you … there will be nowhere you can hide from me on this ship that I won't find you. Are we clear?"
Everett shook his head, knowing she meant every word of her threat. He wasn't stupid or blind and knew just how much Rush had come to mean to her. He'd have to visit the armory and make it clear to his people that she wasn't allowed anywhere near their store of weapons. She had no regard whatsoever for his authority, but treated him as if he were a peasant in her kingdom. She wouldn't hesitate to enact her revenge against him. He didn't even want to contemplate how he'd feel if Tamara put herself in the same situation, so he had a clear idea of what she was going through.
"Dr French, nothing is going to happen to Rush. He's very resilient and more than a little sneaky. He can handle himself."
"You'd better hope so."
X*X*X*X*X
"Hey," Belle called out to TJ as she entered the mess, forcing herself to paste a bright smile on her face as she greeted her friend. "I'm so sorry I'm late. Work, y'know."
Chloe scooted over on the bench so she could sit beside her, concern marring her brow. "You alright, Belle?"
"Yeah. Seriously though, I didn't mean to miss the party," Belle said, sliding a small, wrapped package across the table to her friend. "This is from me and Nicholas."
TJ cooed happily as she took it from Belle and untied the bright linen ribbon holding it securely together. Inside was a set of intricately carved and detailed alphabet blocks for the baby. "Oh, Belle, these are fabulous. You shouldn't have." She reached across the table and squeezed her hand in thanks.
Belle tried to smile. "Nicholas carved them, and I used my nail polish to paint them … give them a bit of color. It was fun and something we were able to make together."
TJ set them aside and leveled her with a look. "Belle, what's wrong, and don't tell me 'nothing'. You've been crying and —"
"Does it have anything to do with Telford wearing Nick's body?" Chloe asked quietly. There were several of the crew wandering around the mess still enjoying the small banquet Becker had provided for the baby shower and she didn't want their conversation to carry.
Belle smiled brightly and gestured to the small pile of gifts set on the end of the table. "So what did you get?" she asked, desperately trying to change the subject.
TJ arched a brow in suspicion, but smiled regardless, unable to quell the happiness she felt over the support she was receiving where the baby was concerned. "Riley made a truck out of spare parts he found around the ship. Look," she said, picking up the toy and turning one of the wheels, "the wheels work and everything. And I got some clothes sewn by several members of the crew. Oh, and Brody and Volker made a crib."
"That's amazing, TJ. I'm so happy for you."
Chloe wasn't buying any of her false cheer. "Alright, now tell us what's going on. I know you, Belle. No matter how much you try to hide it, something's terribly wrong."
Belle sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I just … Nicholas made a connection with Telford, and I can't stand it. It's bad enough that he went to Earth without me, but to see Telford – ugh!" she growled in frustration. "He's constantly trying to undermine Rush and —" She buried her head in her hands and bit her lip to keep from screaming.
"This is the first time he's ever had to visit HWC without you, Belle. It's understandable that you're worried," TJ said, reaching for a bit of the fruit on the plate in the center of the table.
"Especially after everything you've already endured with being separated because of the planet and trying to get back.
Belle nodded, unable to do anything else. No matter how much she wanted … needed … to confide in her friends, she knew she couldn't. Young and, apparently, Scott were the only ones on board who had a clue as to what was going on, and she wouldn't put Rush in any more jeopardy than he was already in.
X*X*X*X*X
Belle didn't even look up from the console as Brody and Volker entered the control interface room and palmed the door lock. The fine hairs prickled on the back of her neck and her fingertips lost some of their speed as she typed out code into the computer.
Eli's brow furrowed as the door whooshed shut. No one ever closed the door to the control room. "What's going on, guys?" he asked, taking in the dark looks passing between the two friends.
"We were hoping you could tell us," Volker said, casting a furtive glance over at Belle.
"About Rush, going back to Earth on the stones, unscheduled," Brody added.
Eli, too, glanced over at the petite scientist as she continued to tap out code. "Well, I'm … uh … I'm sure there's a good reason."
"Right, yeah. That's what we're afraid of," Volker snorted.
"He didn't say anything to you, Belle?" Eli asked.
Belle raised her gaze and stared pointedly at the trio of colleagues. "He had urgent business which couldn't wait," she remarked in a monotone, saved from having to elaborate as her radio chirped.
"Dr French, we're ready," Young said as she answered.
"On my way." She headed to the door and palmed the lock. "You three had better get back to work. Just because Rush is away doesn't mean we get a free day, gentlemen."
Brody looked to the others as she stalked out of the room, her sandals slapping a staccato against her heels as she left. "Oh, yeah, something's definitely going on."
X*X*X*X*X
Young was already in motion as Belle shook off the dizziness which assailed her every time she used the stones. She didn't even bother glancing into the mirror on the table to see whose body she was occupying.
"I need to speak to General O'Neill immediately," Young barked at the airman standing guard over the door.
"And you are?"
"Colonel Everett Young, authentication one six one nine four one four, and this is Dr Belle French. Tell him it's urgent."
They were led to O'Neill's office and didn't have to wait long before the general joined them. "This had better be important, Everett. You interrupted a national security meeting for this. Belle, lovely to see you, dear." Jack sat down at his desk and leveled them with a curious look. "So, what's up?"
Everett rubbed a hand wearily over the back of his neck. "It's Dr Rush, sir. He's on Earth right now in the body of Colonel Telford. Probably hasn't even left the building."
"So?" O'Neil asked, spreading his hands as if to ask what the big deal was. Unless he was meeting with someone at HWC it wasn't unusual to leave the premises.
"We need to put a tail on him."
"Well, he's got an escort," Jack said, his brow furrowing.
Everett shook his head, not even glancing at Belle as she sat still as a stone next to him. "He'll ditch the escort first chance he gets, sir. I think we should let him do it, then follow him discreetly."
"Why?"
Belle sat forward in her chair. "Because Nicholas is about to try and make contact with the Lucian Alliance."
O'Neill sat back in stunned silence as his secretary brought in a small tray with three mugs of tea. After she closed the door behind her, he took the opportunity to explain about Rush's dream and his theory of the stone transference and residual memories. Belle sat silently, merely there to protect Rush's interests. Young had figured it would be better to keep her as actively involved as possible rather than have her seal him in his quarters and vent the atmosphere.
Jack stared at him incredulously.
"If I'm not mistaken, sir, I believe you witnessed the effects of this brainwashing technology first hand?"
"Yeah. Yeah, that's true."
"I recommend we keep the number of people we bring in on this to a minimum," Everett advised.
Jack smirked up at him. "Well, thank you, Colonel, for stating the obvious."
Young blinked and looked down into his mug as Belle snorted over the rim of hers. "Truth is, you took a bit of a chance by telling me, didn't you?"
"Well, I had to, sir. Rush was asking for a free pass and an unscheduled, unauthorized visit to Earth - exactly the sort of thing he might do if he was the mole himself."
Belle rose to her feet, her eyes narrow chips of ice as she glared at Young. "My Nicholas is not a mole, Everett," she hissed icily as she set her mug down on Jack's desk. "You, of all people, should know how important this project has been to him. For you to even suggest —"
"Belle, calm down," Jack sighed, sitting back in his chair to rub a hand over his brow. "No one is accusing Dr Rush of being a subversive. And even if he was the mole, why would he be trying to frame Telford at this point?"
"He wouldn't," she insisted. "Unlike Telford, Nicholas has honor and a respect for human life. He wouldn't place his colleagues at risk if it could be avoided and certainly not to further the Alliance's purposes."
"Well, if he's telling the truth, hopefully he'll be able to lead us to the Alliance without losing his life," O'Neill said.
Belle raked a hand through her shoulder length hair as she paced behind Young's chair. "If you're going to have anyone tail him, might I suggest Daniel? He knows Nicholas best, and should be able to anticipate his movements."
"I agree," Everett replied, finishing off his tea. He rose from his chair. "I'll keep you informed, sir."
X*X*X*X*X
"Dr French!"
Belle didn't slow her stride as she headed towards the control room, ignoring Camille's call as she hurried to catch up with her. The anger simmering just beneath the surface had in no way diminished, but seemed to be growing the longer Nicholas was absent from Destiny. She didn't think she had the patience to deal with the IOA representative today.
"Belle, wait!" Camille called, hurrying after her. "I need to talk to you about Nicholas."
Belle gnashed her teeth, the muscle in her jaw ticking violently. What gave that woman the right to call Rush by his given name when she knew for a fact he'd never given her leave to do so. "I'm busy, Camille," she snapped, trying and failing to keep the snarl from her voice. "Whatever questions you have, can wait until Nicholas returns from HWC."
Camille finally caught up to her, slightly out of breath. She reached out and grabbed Belle's elbow, forcing her to a stop. She drew back slightly as the brunette's icy blue eyes flashed menacingly at her. Apparently, some of Rush's anger issues had transferred to his assistant. "I need to know why Dr Morrison was bumped from his slot on the stones."
"Take it up with the colonel, Camille. I wasn't consulted and even had I been, I don't see how it's any of your business."
"Colonel Telford isn't happy to be here, and —"
"When is David ever happy about anything, Camille," Belle sneered, tossing her head back to dislodge the curl that had fallen over her eye. "If he doesn't want to be here, again, I will advise that he take it up with Colonel Young."
"I should have been told —"
Belle laughed bitterly. "Always the power trip with you. This isn't high school, Ms Wray. The popular kids aren't trying to make you feel left out. There's no need to feel slighted because no one asked your permission before they carried out their business … business which doesn't concern you. I understand Dr Morrison would naturally come to you with his complaint about being bumped as he falls under your department. I acknowledge that he is justifiably upset, and I can make sure he is added back to the rotation. I will even go so far as to guarantee he is allotted an extra day of downtime to make up for the inconvenience. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do." She pushed past the smaller woman and continued down the corridor. If she hadn't been trying to cope with the fear she felt for what Rush was doing, she probably wouldn't have been so disagreeable, but then again, maybe she would have.
X*X*X*X*X
Dr Daniel Jackson pulled the black SUV off the road and jogged the rest of the way into what appeared to be an abandoned cannery. He could hear the river flowing in the distance, the sound of a low horn on a barge, and the squawk of gulls overhead. The strong smell of long dead and rotted fish assailed his nose as he disappeared stealthily between two warehouses, his camera slung around his neck securely by the strap and a communication device firmly in his right ear.
He cursed softly as he gripped the metal rungs of the ladder attached to the side of a flat-roofed office building and began to climb. He needed the best vantage point as possible. When O'Neill had briefed him on this mission, Daniel had gaped at him as if he'd taken leave of his senses. What were they thinking, allowing Rush to go off and play spy when he should be working on the mysteries of the Ancient ship? He wasn't trained for something like this, and Everett should never have agreed to it.
He had to wonder if Young's judgment was impaired, whether he was letting his grudge against Telford and his distrust of Rush get in the way of what was right. He wasn't optimistic of the outcome of this folly, and even if Belle hadn't personally requested his help, he would have come anyway. Rush was a cantankerous old bastard, but he was still his friend.
Daniel crept across the roof, keeping low so as not to be spotted by Rush or the three men who'd filed out of the nondescript black van in which they'd arrived. There was a rustic fence along the edge of the roof which would provide him limited cover. He knelt behind it and pointed the camera over the side, bringing the long zoom into focus and snapping several pictures. The escort below could be identified later.
He startled slightly as O'Neill's voice crackled through his earpiece. "Daniel, come in. Do you read?"
"Jack, what is it?" he gritted out through clenched teeth, casting a fearful glance through the fencing to be assured he hadn't been overheard.
"Carter says they're using some kind of jamming device. We can't get a lock on anyone in the area. What's your status?"
"They've stopped. Looks like we're waiting on someone."
O'Neill pinched the bridge of his nose and focused on the intel he'd just been handed. "Well, ground assault is standing by. They'll move when you call it."
Another black SUV sped along the dirt road and came to a jarring stop several yards from where Rush stood. Daniel pressed the button on his earpiece. "Hang on, Jack."
As Daniel looked through his lens, taking a few more photos, a woman exited the back seat of the vehicle and strode purposefully towards the group, her visage black as she stared at Rush.
"Who are you?" she demanded, one finely manicured hand resting on her hip.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean," Nicholas replied coolly.
Her gaze was cold, a fiery blaze of ill-concealed venom shining in the depths of her blacker than pitch eyes. "Alright. Who am I?"
Rush looked at her blankly, unable to answer or bluff his way through her queries as his mind raced to fit her face to the information cataloged in his mind.
Her thin lips curled into a sneer as she waited, not surprised that he couldn't answer. "Whoever you are, you must be using the Ancient communication stones."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said softly, forcing his body not to shift restlessly as his heart sped with fear of being found out.
"You failed to use the proper code when you called in. Colonel Telford would never have made such a mistake."
She nodded to one of her minions and he removed a device from the pocket of his jacket, something similar to a taser, and pressed it to the side of Rush's neck. He couldn't quell the cry which burst from his lips as he collapsed. He would have fallen had the men next to him not caught him. She removed a small remote from her pocket and aimed it between the office building and a warehouse, the cloaking on the Goa'uld ship fading away to leave it visible.
Daniel cursed as he activated his earpiece. "His cover's blown. Move in ... move in now. They have a ship."
He made haste down the ladder as the Alliance members hurriedly made their way to the Goa'uld ship, carrying an unconscious Rush between them. The SGC assault team came tearing down the road, the tires of the black SUVs throwing gravel in their wake. Daniel removed a pistol from the waistband of his dark jeans as he heard the ship powering up. The assault team leapt from the vehicles in full battle gear, their weapons drawn.
The sounds of the ship's engine grew louder as the team closed in on the warehouse. "Go! Go!" the leader shouted, commanding his team forward.
Daniel resignedly trotted to a halt as the engine sounds faded into nothing. His hand fell to his side, his sidearm pointing uselessly at the ground. "Yeah," he groaned, shaking his head at the commander of the team. "We're too late."
X*X*X*X*X
Colonel Young palmed the door lock to his quarters and the barrier opened with a grinding sound followed by a soft whoosh. He raked his hand through his hair as he moved to the desk. His ears picked up a strange sound he didn't immediately recognize as a muffled sob as he turned towards his bedroom to investigate.
His face fell as he saw TJ lying in their bed, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy. "Aw, Tamara, what is it? Are you alright?" he asked, moving to sit beside her and pull her into his arms.
"I'm fine," she argued, swiping at an errant tear with the back of her sleeve.
"I thought your baby shower was today," he said softly, stroking his hand over her back in soothing circles. "Did someone say —"
"No, it's not that. Everyone was wonderful," she sniffled. She raised her watery gaze to him, her lower lip trembling. "Everett, what chance does this baby have of ever living a normal life?"
Young sighed and pressed his brow to hers, inhaling deeply as his heart clenched with emotion. "Tamara, I know right now it seems impossible that we'll ever make it back to Earth, but I also know that since we've been here, it seems like we're averaging about five impossible things a week. Why assume the worst? At the very least, there are a lot of people here who are gonna care about our baby."
He waved a hand at the small pile of gifts sitting in the handmade crib and TJ smiled, saying a silent prayer of thanks for her friends.
Everett tilted her chin up and brushed his lips lightly to hers as his hand drifted down to knead softly at her rounded belly where their child rested. "I love you, TJ, and I love our child. We will make this work, I promise."
She smiled and nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. "I love you, too, Everett."
He laid her gently back against the pillows and pulled the duvet over her shoulder as he brushed an errant curl, which had escaped its pins, behind her ear. "Rest, okay?" He pressed a kiss to her brow and dimmed the lights. "I'll check on you later."
She was asleep before he could leave the room and lines of worry wrinkled his brow as he watched the even rise and fall of her chest. All the more reason to deal with Telford now. He wouldn't allow anything to harm her or their baby. Not as long as he drew breath.
X*X*X*X*X
Daniel placed the freshly developed photos on Jack's desk, barely sparing a glance for Everett as he looked around. "Where's Belle? Shouldn't she be here?"
"Too risky. If she came down twice in one day, it would raise suspicion and Camille and Telford are already watching her, thinking she knows more than she's telling," Young said, raking a weary hand through his hair. "She does, of course, but they don't need to be made aware of that fact."
"You realize you're going to have to tell her," Jack eyed him, giving him a pointed look. Everett visibly cringed, nodding in agreement.
Daniel gestured to the photos he'd laid out on the desk. "According to our intelligence, her name is Kiva. She's the daughter of a Lucian Alliance warlord named Masson, one of the higher-ups ... powerful and brutal."
"Did that intel come from Telford?" Young sneered, bitter over having lost Rush.
O'Neill shrugged. "Yeah, well, at least we know who the mole is, eh?"
Daniel looked at Jack incredulously. "There's an easy way to end this - we cut the connection on the stones. We can't just let the Alliance have Rush."
"Well, if they get Telford back, we're no closer to figuring out what they're up to," Young intoned. "He volunteered. He knew the risks."
"Yeah make sure you tell Belle just like that, Colonel. She'll be thrilled to hear you speak of him in such a blasé manner." Daniel snarked. "That cargo ship slipped past all of our sensors. We have no idea where it's going."
"Telford might, and he may know more," Young said, looking at Jack for his opinion. "I'm just asking for the chance to get it out of him."
Jack stared at him thoughtfully before glancing at Daniel, awaiting the inevitable voice of conscience, which dutifully made itself known. "He still has rights, doesn't he?" Daniel asked curiously, wondering just how far the two were willing to bend the rules.
O'Neill waved a hand at Young as he met Daniel's gaze. "He didn't say how he was gonna do it."
Young's features were hard as granite as he realized just what lengths he would have to go to in order to get the job done. "With all due respect, sir, you and I both know that people who made the rules were not prepared for anything like this." Without waiting for Jack's reply, he left the room, heading back to the communications room. Daniel arched a brow at the general and grimaced unhappily, knowing it wouldn't end well for anyone involved.
X*X*X*X*X
Nicholas couldn't stop the groan which rushed past his parted lips as feeling returned to his body and his head cleared. He prayed to return to unconsciousness. It felt as though someone had tried to fry his insides, and it was a feeling he never wished to experience again. Cold metal manacles bracketed his wrists as he raised a hand to his throbbing head.
"I'm sorry," the woman he'd met earlier at the warehouse cooed silkily as he rolled over onto his back and propped himself against the wall. "I know that really hurts."
"I suppose it was worth it. Had to make it look good," he gasped against the pain. "Of course, I didn't give them the code on purpose. I'm not a complete idiot."
The woman's eyes narrowed as she moved closer. "On purpose? What are you talking about?"
He gnashed his teeth together and shifted to try to ease the pressure in his lungs. Whatever they'd done to him hadn't done his body any good. "They were getting suspicious."
"Yes, I was beginning to have concerns about that myself," she sneered.
"Well, that's why I had to come in. Wasn't sure whether I was being followed. I figured if they thought I was being taken by force, it might help us salvage something from this operation." He was bluffing – what choice did he have – and he knew she wasn't buying it.
"Nice try," she smiled down at him. If that was what you wanted to call the gesture. It was feral and nasty and sent a cold tremor of trepidation down his spine. "You almost managed to make that sound convincing."
"Well, it sounds convincing because it's true," he insisted, trying to remain calm. He needed her to believe him. That was the only way he'd ever get back to his Belle. She was the whole reason he'd risked himself for this mission – to keep her safe.
"If you really are Colonel Telford, you'll know my name."
Again Nicholas looked up at her, shrugged and looked away. He wracked his mind for the knowledge he knew was buried deep within his mind, before he finally looked up at her with the answer. "It's Kiva."
She tilted her chin up as she crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze darkly menacing. "Good. Next question: what's yours?"
X*X*X*X*X
Scott and Greer were waiting outside the colonel's quarters when Belle arrived, having been summoned from the control room where she'd barely gotten any work done at all. Frankly, she was getting rather tired of the suspicious glances being cast her way by Eli and Brody. She'd had to send Dale off to work in hydroponics, his stares unnerving her considerably. Her gaze swung between the two officers as she swept past them into Young's inner sanctum. She should have known Everett would have confided in them in order to have their assistance in dealing with Telford.
Everett waited for her, tension radiating from him as he leaned back against the front of his desk, his head bowed in silent reflection. "You sent for me," she stated, spreading her hands before bringing them to clasp before her. "Here I am, Everett. Now, tell me how he was captured."
His head jerked up in surprise. "How did you —"
Tears smarted at the backs of her eyes, his failure to deny her suspicions confirming what she already knew. "He is untrained for such tactics, Everett," she said quietly, the weight of her emotions choking her. "I - I knew he wouldn't be able to do as you wished. D - Daniel?" she faltered, her hand rising to cover the strangled sob trying to fight its way from deep inside her chest in the region of her heart.
"Jackson was able to track Rush to an abandoned warehouse – a cannery somewhere along the Potomac – had an assault team on standby, but apparently, Rush didn't have the answers the Alliance members wanted and they —"
"They took him," she sighed, amazed at the calm she was able to project when she was, in reality, screaming inside.
"They had a ship, Dr French. Before the assault team could move in, they were gone." He raised a hand to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, but she jerked away from him, wrapping her arms about her torso in an effort to hold herself together. He knew how much she loved the cantankerous scientist. God knew they didn't do anything to conceal their relationship. "Belle, we'll get him back."
"I told you this was going to happen. Everett, please, you have to break the connection to the stones. Destiny – I – need him," she admitted, turning her pleading cerulean gaze on the man. "To tell you the truth, I don't give a damn what happens to Telford when the Alliance gets their hands on him. I just need you to get my Nicholas back."
Young grimaced, giving his head a firm shake. "I can't. Telford may have information on what the Alliance is planning. He may know where they're taking Rush. There's still a chance we can get to him before —"
"Before what, Everett?! Before they kill him?" she seethed, her hands falling to her sides and balling into fists, her cheeks blooming with angry color.
"Rush believed this was the right thing to do. We can't let what the Alliance is doing go on."
Belle snorted. "Let me tell you something, Colonel. Rush has two things in his life that mean everything to him. Destiny and …" She took a deep breath, "… and me. He's doing this to protect us. I get that, but I could still happily strangle you right now for agreeing to this lunacy." She fixed him with a glare, and he had the decency to look away. "Now, what are we going to do about Telford? Camille and several of the others are already asking questions. You're not going to be able to keep this quiet for much longer."
"That's why I need your help."
"You've taken Matthew and Ronald into your confidence?" she asked, needing him to confirm her suspicions. If she was going to help him – help Rush, she amended silently – she needed him to be honest with her.
"I have," he said with a nod. "Telford's in containment as well. I just have to get him to tell us what he knows."
Belle closed her eyes and rubbed a weary hand over her brow, pushing her hair back. "Everett, you need to remember one thing ... Telford is occupying Nicholas's body. You are not to harm it. Do you understand? Rush won't appreciate returning to broken ribs … or worse."
"I can't make any promises," he replied glumly. He and David were never able to remain in the same room for long without coming to blows. Her eyes narrowed on him, the threat clear. "I can try, though."
She squared her shoulders and turned her back on him, heading for the door. "Let me grab a kit from TJ, just to be on the safe side."
X*X*X*X*X
Telford paced angrily about the small storeroom as Young leaned against the bulkhead, his arms crossed over his chest. "A spy, Everett? A Lucian Alliance spy?" he asked incredulously. A bitter laugh escaped his lips as he pointed an accusing finger in the colonel's direction. "You are so desperate to get back at me that you would say or do anything, wouldn't you?"
Young eyed him steadily, betraying nothing of what he was feeling. "We have proof."
"Oh, come on, Everett!" Telford scoffed. "This is all about me and Emily!"
"Well, how do you think I found out about that? You switched bodies with Scott, do you remember that?" Young asked. Telford stopped mid stride and stared at him, a confused frown tugging at his mouth. "Yeah. He's the one that told me. He saw it in his mind; a vision - call it residual memory, whatever you want. It seems that every time you use the stones, you leave a little something behind. Maybe ... maybe that's guilt. Maybe, deep down inside, you want the truth to come out."
David shook his head in denial, continuing his pacing. "You're insane."
Everett huffed a short bitter laugh. "Well, you've already confessed, you just won't admit it." He turned on his heel and left the room, sealing it behind him. Scott and Greer didn't say a word, standing resolutely vigilant on either side of the door.
Belle came into the dim light of the corridor and approached, a bowl of rations in one hand, a mug of tea in the other and a med bag slung over her shoulder. "Where do you think you're going with that?" Young asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Didn't we just have this discussion? I'm not concerned about Telford, but he is in Rush's body. His body is what I'm worried about. It's doing him no good to miss a meal. Now, stand aside so I can feed the blighter."
Young rocked back on his heels as Greer snorted and Scott hid a snicker behind his hand. "Fine."
X*X*X*X*X
Kiva's goon held the taser to Rush's chest and smiled as he depressed the button, the eerie red light sending another jolt of electrical impulses through the doctor. Rush screamed, his body jerking spasmodically as his back arched up off the cold metal floor. One word whispered frantically through his mind as he fought to hold onto his sanity. One word giving him the courage and the strength to fight against the pain. Belle …
"I'd really prefer not to have to do this," Kiva said calmly, staring down impassively at him. "I wish I had time to convince you that I'm not what you think I am."
Nicholas fought for breath, pulling a memory of Belle to the forefront of his mind. The first time he'd ever seen her with her long chestnut hair bound severely in a bun, her wide cerulean eyes regarding him steadily behind her glasses as she held out her hand to clasp his as she introduced herself. He never would have known the brilliance lurking in her mind. He'd thought her another student there to waste his time. Keep your bloody mouth shut, Rush. Belle … have to keep her safe … have to keep Destiny safe … Belle … Destiny … Home ...
Rush finally regained enough control over his breathing to roll over onto his side and look up at her. "Oh, yeah," he gasped, "and what's that?"
She regarded him coldly, her black eyes gleaming in the dim light of the cargo hold. "I'm a reasonable person just trying to do what's right for my people." She paced around him. "We have brainwashing technologies. I could try those, but I'm not sure what they'd do to you under the circumstances, with your consciousness in somebody else's body. Unfortunately, I've learned one thing about torture over the years … it's effective."
Kiva nodded and her thug gave him another zap with the taser. Rush screamed, the sound alien to his ears. He wasn't aware his throat could even make that sound, a cross between a wounded animal and a feral beast. He tried to breathe through the pain, tried to focus on his memories of Belle.
"Barbaric, I know," she continued, "and I hate lowering myself to this level, but I need to know who you are – and, beyond that, whether or not you're of any use to me."
Nicholas howled again as the taser touched his flesh, his back arching so severely he was surprised not to hear his spine snap in half. There was no Belle now, no sweet memories to numb the pain, just searing agony and blinding torment. His only comfort was the knowledge that if he died, Telford would, too, and he would no longer be a threat to Belle and his beloved ship. He collapsed onto his stomach, breathing heavily, his chest heaving as he sucked much needed air into his starving lungs.
"This will eventually kill you," she sighed without a trace of emotion in her calm tone.
Nicholas whimpered softly, the blood feeling as hot as lava burning through his veins. "You'll be killing Telford, too."
"That might just work out for the best, given that he's been compromised. I have a full run-down of the personnel aboard Destiny, and I doubt very much that civilians or the scientists would have endured this, so the question is whether or not Colonel Young would have put himself in this situation or sent his first lieutenant, Scott."
"How d'you know I'm someone aboard Destiny?" he panted, fighting through the waves of pain which wracked his body. He doubted even Belle would be able to soothe away the hurt if he ever made it back to her.
"That's a fair question." She nodded to her man, and he zapped Rush again, the jolt lasting a bit longer this time. "You can make this stop."
A ragged sob tore loose from his throat as he gasped for breath. "If I answer your question, you're gonna kill me. Either way, I'm dead."
"I won't. You have my word. You have nothing to lose," she assured him.
Nicholas turned his head, leveling her with a searching look as he wondered whether he could believe her or not. His vision swam in and out of focus and he could feel nausea churning in his gut. He knew he didn't have much longer if this continued. Kiva looked down at him and then jerked her head to her goon, who powered up the taser and reached out towards Rush again.
He held up a hand to ward him off. "No! Rush!" he sobbed, unable to withstand another jolt from the device. "I'm Dr Nicholas Rush!" He closed his eyes in defeat, sending out a silent prayer to anyone who might be listening that Belle would somehow be able to forgive him for his cowardice.
Kiva arched a brow, her black eyes full of sinister glee as she looked down at him as if he were her new favorite toy. "Well, well," she murmured smugly. "Dr Rush … welcome to the Alliance."
Kiva's minion unchained Nicholas from the manacles and roughly hauled him up to hunch on his knees to face his commander. The woman paid them little heed as she activated a little remote and brought up a holo-screen in the middle of the room. Rush narrowed his eyes, watching the Ancient symbols flash by in rows and rows of code next to the image of a rotating planet.
"Recognize it?" she asked, unable to keep the smug satisfaction out of her voice, "It's your work, to do with dialing the ninth chevron that leads to Destiny, after all."
Nicholas felt his nausea growing worse as he realized exactly why his life had been spared. "These readings …"
"Similar naquadria deposits. We had some issues adapting the equations, but there should be enough power to get us there." For the first time since he'd met her, she smiled, and the gesture sent a cold chill tripping along his spine.
"You've found another Icarus planet," he murmured in astonishment. His efforts to protect his ship and the woman he loved had been in vain. The only thing that would save them all now would be to sever the connection between the stones and send Telford back into his own body. Without Rush, they'd never be able to do what the woman and her misguided followers wanted. And that was something he'd bet a month's rations on that Young would never do.
X*X*X*X*X
Belle leveled Scott with a look which clearly said she was in no mood for his military chain of command bullshit as he looked askance at Young for his permission to open the door. She was sure he must have nodded as Scott sighed and released the lock, the door sliding open with a whoosh to allow her to enter. She waited until it was closed once more before moving forward and setting the small meal down on the crate where Telford sat, staring mutinously up at her.
"Dr French," he sneered, reaching for the cup and sniffing suspiciously at the brew. "Young can't keep me in here forever, y'know. I have rights."
A small smile curled her lips, a startling contrast to the iciness of her eyes. "Everett can and will keep you here for as long as he likes, David," she replied in a soft tone as she sat on a crate and clasped her hands in her lap. "Things are different up here, and the colonel feels he's doing the best he can for us."
"What do you think, Dr French? You've never been a fan of Young's, and frankly I find this rather strange coming from you. I can't even begin to fathom what he was thinking to take you into his confidence."
She shrugged. "It involves Nicholas and I seem to be the only person on board who has a vested interest in him. Everett felt it was unavoidable." Her stomach clenched painfully as she stared into her Nicholas's beloved sable eyes and had to listen to Telford use his silky voice. "Everett will not give up, David. He merely wants to protect those under his command." She tilted her head to the side and regarded him steadily. "I'm sure he would help you if you simply told him what he wanted to know. Frankly, I don't care; I just want my Nicholas back. But you've known the colonel long enough to know he's a fair man."
"I think I'd rather deal with you, Dr French … Belle," he smiled, turning on the charm.
Belle fought to keep her face impassive and keep the revulsion she felt for the man from showing. "Dr French is just fine, David, thank you."
He waved a dismissive hand. "If you want Rush back so badly, why don't you just hurry along to the communications lab and disconnect the stones?"
"No one is pulling the plug on the stones, no matter how I might wish it," she admitted ruefully. "Why don't you just admit what you've done so we can move on? It will surely go easier on you if you appear willing to cooperate." She rose to stand beside the porthole, allowing the light from the FTL drive to comfort and keep her calm.
She flinched as he hurled the metal dishes across the room to crash against the bulkhead, but otherwise she showed no emotion. He sneered down at her as he headed for the door and pounded against the metal. "I wanna talk to Scott. I have a right to face my accuser."
"This didn't come from Scott, David. You switched with Nicholas, remember?"
Young entered the room and Telford rounded furiously on him. "Is that true? Rush? This is coming from Rush?!"
"At first, I didn't believe him either. I figured I'd give him enough rope to hang himself, but guess what? That didn't happen," the colonel said, regarding the other man stoically. "So, we know that you are a traitor and a murderer. The loss of life on Icarus due to the information you fed the Alliance should warrant a court-martial at the very least. And now with your unwillingness to confess … well that just proves you're a coward, too."
A scream of rage was the only sound to alert Belle before Telford tackled Young and surged forward, slamming the colonel against the bulkhead. He landed a blow to Everett's stomach and another across his face before Young was able to duck down and grab Telford around his legs, bearing him backwards onto the floor. Belle screamed for Scott and the door whooshed open, the two officers charging into the room.
The two colonels struggled for a moment before Telford was able to roll them over so that he was on top, using the advantage of position to punch Young again. Greer threw his weight against the man, sending him over and off of Young as Scott rushed to check on his superior.
"Alright, that's enough, you two!" Scott growled, helping Young to his feet.
Belle wrapped her arms around Greer's shoulders as he pummeled his fists into Telford's face over and over again. "Ronald! Ronald, stop! You're hurting Rush! Telford may be in there, but it's still Nicholas!"
Scott came forward and ordered him off the man. "Stand down, Sergeant!" He grabbed an arm, but Greer flung him off. "I said, stand down!" Belle wrapped her arm about his throat and tightened her legs around his waist, bearing down on his windpipe. Scott finally pulled him off and Belle let go, rolling out from beneath him as he gained his feet.
She grabbed the medical kit she'd dropped in the scuffle, and moved to Telford's side, helping him sit up. Young straightened his uniform jacket and turned on his two officers. "Get out, both of you!"
"Sir—" Scott protested, only to be cut off by another vicious snarl from the colonel.
"I said GET OUT!"
They reluctantly left and Young was able to draw in a deep calming breath. Belle glared menacingly at him as she reached for some surgical gauze in the kit and a bottle of antiseptic. "What did I tell you, Everett? I don't want Rush harmed, damnit!"
"He started it!"
She dabbed at the cuts on Telford's face, relishing the hiss of pain which escaped his parted lips. "This is not the playground, Colonel, and last I checked, we all were not in grade school. Show some fucking restraint!" She gave a sharp tug on Telford's nose as she dabbed at a cut there with the antiseptic. "That goes for you, too!"
"Thank you, Dr French," Everett said, casting her a stiff smile.
She packed up her kit and walked to the door. "I'll be just outside. Hopefully, I won't have to patch up any more scrapes," she warned.
"Ok. So …" Young said, turning back to face his former friend as the door closed behind Belle. "Where were we?"
Telford leaned back heavily against the crate and tried to pull himself to his feet. "I want this connection cut, and I wanna go back to my own body."
"No, you don't," Everett snorted. "You're damaged goods. You go back now, your friends at the Alliance aren't gonna be too happy with you."
"I don't have any friends in the Alliance," Telford growled as he finally got his feet under him and staggered up straight.
"No, I don't suppose you do … anymore. Your only hope is with us. You come clean now, I will do my best to help you," Everett said sincerely. They'd been friends once, colleagues. They'd been on more than one mission together, and he couldn't allow the Alliance win and let David pay the price no matter what personal issues he might have with the man.
"I AM NOT A SPY, EVERETT! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?"
The colonel rocked back on his heels, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. He refused to let it rest. "Let's talk about the outpost, P2S-569."
Telford resumed his pacing, feeling like a caged animal in the small space of the storeroom. "We've been through this. I was cleared of any wrongdoing."
"Because they didn't have all the facts."
"I ... I couldn't blow my cover. I didn't have a choice!" David insisted, glaring at Young as he sat down wearily on one of the crates.
"We already know you did it." He leaned forward to look carefully into David's face as the man sat opposite him. "But it's possible you're not responsible. Think about it. I want you to think about it. Why is it that the memory transfer only happens with you and only you, and no one else when they use the stones? They messed with your head, David. They made you think you're one of them, and you're not. That's not you. Now, we can help you. We can bring you back, but I need you to take the first step. You tell us where they're taking Rush."
Telford's face closed off as he glowered at Young, his lips tightly compressed into a grim line.
"David, tell me."
X*X*X*X*X
Belle groaned as she spotted Camille coming towards them down the corridor leading to the storeroom where they were holding Telford. Greer and Scott, who had been peering through the small window on the door, turned at the sound and shared an eye roll for the IOA representative.
Belle held a hand up to her friends as they stepped forward. "It's ok, guys. I got this." She stepped out of their little alcove and met Camille halfway. "Ms Wray. What can I do for you?" she asked, clasping her hands non-threateningly before her.
"Huh," Camille said disparagingly. "There's a lot of talk around the ship about what's going on in that room.
"This is a military matter, ma'am. It doesn't concern you," Greer told her quietly, coming up to stand behind Belle.
"That's exactly the kind of talk that forced us to try and take control of this ship once before, Sergeant," she snarled before her gaze swung accusingly back to Belle. "I find it hard to believe you'd be a willing participant in this after what you went through to protect Nicholas."
Belle stepped in front of Greer as he took a threatening step forward, refusing to let the woman goad her into losing her temper. She didn't need an altercation between the two when things were already more precarious than she'd like. "Camille, what Ronald is trying to say is that this doesn't concern the health, vitality or mental stability of any of the civilian population aboard Destiny. This is personal between Colonel Young and Colonel Telford, and the less people involved, the better."
"If this is personal as you say, Dr French, then what is your business here? You don't like either of them, so I don't see why you would be needed in this matter."
Belle bit her lip, smiling at the same time. Never a good sign, that. "I am here to protect Nicholas's interests, dearie … as always," she sneered. "Should things become heated, I want to make sure Rush has a body to return to."
Camille turned her fulminating glare on Scott. "Do you want the rumors to spread, or do you wanna do something about it?
"It'll be over soon enough. That is all you need to know," Scott answered, refusing to give her any more than that.
"See, that's the wrong answer," Camille continued to push. "Come on, Lieutenant. Something tells me that you do not want this on your conscience. Better be careful. Whatever it is, we all have to live with it."
"Then it's good that you aren't a part of this," Belle said in a soft tone, her voice belying the seething anger humming beneath her skin. If there was one person other than Young she'd love to see booted off the ship, it would be Camille Wray. She backtracked, remembering Everett's willingness to let her be involved in this and reconsidered her earlier thought. There was no one she'd rather see booted off faster than the IOA representative.
The door whooshed open, and Everett stepped out into the corridor, sealing it behind him. "I need to communicate with Stargate Command. Belle? Would you join me please?" he asked, taking in the strife playing out before him. He figured it would be best to separate the two women before it came to blows. He had no doubt Belle would be the victor in such a scenario and then he'd be called to task by O'Neill for not preventing the hostilities. When had his life become so complicated?
"Do we let him out?" Scott asked, frowning at his commander.
"Nobody in or out. That is an order," Everett said matter-of-factly.
"I want to talk to him!" Camille called after Young as he set off down the corridor, Belle at his side. He ignored her and hurried towards the communications lab. "Colonel!"
X*X*X*X*X
Volker rushed into the control interface room and came to stand behind Eli and Brody, having raced from the communications room where he'd been able to hide a Kino. "Are we getting footage? What's happening?"
Brody shook his head. "I don't know. Good work, by the way."
"What's Belle doing in there?" Eli asked, looking between the footage and the two men. "I knew it! I knew she knew more than she was telling us!"
Brody rolled his eyes. "When doesn't Belle know something – everything - that happens aboard this dingy?"
He looked down at the Kino footage as Riley lifted one of the three stones on the activation box and moved it away. Young and Corporal Marsden sat with him while Belle looked on from the corner by the door, ready to return to Telford's storeroom.
"Young's been back and forth on the stones all day," Brody said, his voice falling into a conspiratorial tone.
"Looks like this time he brought someone back with him," Volker muttered, frowning down at the screen. "Who do you think it is?"
X*X*X*X*X
Belle resumed her position against the bulkhead outside of Telford's prison, arms crossed over her chest and one knee bent so her sandal clad foot could rest against the wall. For all intents and purposes, she looked calm and relaxed when inside she was screaming. She hadn't felt like this in longer than she cared to remember, when she was a prisoner in Regina's tower and there was no outlet for her rage and desperation. It didn't help that Camille had remained with Scott and Greer while she'd accompanied Everett to the communications lab. Her heart clenched as she watched the door anxiously. It did not bode well that Everett had thought it necessary to bring the general on board.
In his cell, Telford raised his gaze to the two men as the doors whooshed open. He glowered at Young as they came to a stop before him. "Who's this?" he sneered.
"General O'Neill," Jack said, glancing between the two colonels under his command.
Telford arched a dubious brow.
"It's really him, David," Young confirmed.
David warily rose to his feet and straightened the fatigue jacket he wore. "Let's say it's true and you really are General O'Neill … General, I'm being held without charge; I've been denied counsel …" he pointed an accusatory finger at Young, "… and one of his men assaulted me."
"David. He knows. He authorized it."
"Well," Jack said, casting a disapproving look at Young. "Maybe not that last part there."
"This is what I've been trying to tell you, David," Young made another attempt to convince him, trying to give him one last chance to confess.
Jack nodded. "Time to come clean, son. We need to know where they've taken Dr Rush."
Telford put his hands on his hips and half turned away from them, thinking quickly. "You checked out that Gate address I gave you?"
"Oh, yeah. Dead end." Jack turned to Young. "Daniel led the team, and can I just tell you … he was not amused."
Telford turned and smiled smugly at the colonel. "You didn't think I'd give you anything real, did you?" he asked, a maniacal gleam lighting his dark eyes. It was nothing compared to the smirking snarl curling his lips back from his teeth as he laughed. "You should see your face. You look so surprised.
"Actually, I'm disappointed. You may not believe this, but I was really holding out hope that it might not be true; that there was some other explanation," Everett said, rocking back on his heels as he stared worriedly at his former friend.
"Doesn't matter. You can't stop it."
"Stop what?" Jack asked, glaring at the man.
"You think I was brainwashed? I came to my senses," Telford hissed, his speech taking on a fanatical cast. "We freed billions of people from thousands of years of slavery all over our galaxy - and then we patted ourselves on the back and left them with little or no means for survival. What the hell did we think was going to happen?"
Young shook his head in denial. "This isn't you, David."
"Wake up, Everett! You think the Lucian Alliance are just a bunch of criminals? Who made us judge and jury? People will do what they have to do to survive. You should know that by now. We take whatever we want. We do whatever is good for us, regardless of the impact on other planets. What makes us so special?" David ranted.
"I know what makes me special," Jack snarked, shrugging apologetically as Telford cast him a stare filled with disgust.
"This is not our ship. It wasn't intended for us!"
"Where are they taking Rush?" Young persisted in an even tone, knowing he couldn't afford to lose his temper again.
"It was supposed to be for the benefit of all mankind," David breathed zealously, "and now that they have Rush … it will take no time for that dream to become a reality."
"Wow. He's more far gone than I thought, General."
Jack sighed dejectedly. He'd really hoped Young had just been blowing smoke about their colleague due to the bitterness between them. "Yeah, I've heard enough. Go ahead and do what you need to do."
With a nod in the general's direction, Young raised his radio from his belt and called the communication lab, ordering Riley to disconnect Jack from the stones and then dismissing Marsden from the room as he returned to his own body.
He followed Marsden from the room and signaled Greer to close and seal the door. Camille stormed over to him, highly indignant. "OK, this has gone on long enough. You have to cut the connection.
"I can't do that."
"Dr Rush's life is in danger. That's more important than getting any intel on the Lucian Alliance." She whirled on Belle. "How could you let him do such a thing? You claim to love Rush, yet –"
Camille reeled back drunkenly as Belle's hand connected sharply with her left cheek. "Don't you ever make little of what I feel for Nicholas. You know nothing!" Belle hissed threateningly. She shot a dark look at Scott before meeting Everett's stunned gaze. "Your boy there has a big mouth."
"I just thought maybe it would be better if she knew, sir," Scott mumbled, ducking his head in shame.
Young lifted his radio to his mouth. "Control Room, this is Young."
"This is Brody," came the engineer's reply.
"Bring up the life support controls for this section."
Brody walked over to Eli's console and nudged him gently aside, taking his seat and working the controls rapidly to pull up the system Young had requested. "I got it."
In the corridor, Scott watched Young's expression warily, stepping closer as the colonel spoke again into the radio. "Begin venting the atmosphere in Colonel Telford's quarters … now."
"What?!" Camille shrieked.
"Sir!" Scott cried in alarm.
"Say again?" Brody squawked over the open link, certain he'd heard the command wrong.
"Begin venting Colonel Telford's quarters now. That is an order, Mr Brody."
In the control interface room, the three men looked nervously at the console. Eli shook his head slightly in denial. "It's gotta be a bluff … right? To scare him?" he stammered, unwilling to believe the colonel would murder a fellow soldier. "There's got to be more to this!"
Brody stared grimly at the console, torn between what he thought was right and following the colonel's orders. His finger hovered indecisively over the button.
Volker started forward, his hand outstretched in panic. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!"
"Look, you can't ..." Eli protested, his voice catching as he stared in stunned disbelief. "It'll kill him!" He reached to lift Brody's hand away from the console, but the engineer pushed him away, his eyes never leaving the button. Volker stared at him in horror as Brody took a deep breath and pushed the button.
Belle collapsed against Greer, his arms going around her waist, his hands soothing over her back. She was numb. She knew if Telford refused to cooperate the next step the colonel took would be dire. Greer's comforting embrace was the only thing to keep her upright. "Everett?" she called to him, her eyes pleading and filled with tears as he turned to meet her gaze. "Please, Everett, don't do this!"
"What the hell are you doing?!" Camille shrieked in outraged disbelief.
"Camille, stay out of this," Young growled as he stepped up to the door and peered through the window. "David! David, can you hear me? David! I'm venting the atmosphere in your room. You've got five minutes before you die of suffocation. Your only hope is to tell me the location of the Alliance base."
"You're bluffing. Kill me and you kill Rush," David blustered, inching towards the door, the icy hand of fear clenching his gut.
"I know ... but right now, I'm thinking of the greater good. So … what's it gonna be?"
Telford glared at him through the window for a moment and slammed his hand angrily against the door. He hadn't really thought Young had the balls to do something like this. Apparently, he'd been wrong. Slowly, without letting his eyes leave Young's for a second, he backed away from the door, refusing to let the other man see the fear in his eyes.
Belle sobbed quietly against Greer's jacket, her face buried in his chest. "Everett, you promised," she wailed. "You promised you'd let no harm come to Nicholas."
Young ground his teeth together, refusing to acknowledge anything but the task before him. Telford charged towards the door, his courage fleeing in the face of his imminent death. "No! Open this damn door! We both know you're not gonna kill me!"
"Colonel!" Belle wept, unable to escape the firm hold Greer had on her. "Everett, no!"
a/n: This cliffie so wasn't me. This is how the episode ended.