Daughter
A/N: This is a significant chapter in the overall journey. Foreshadowing galore. So much is coming, that you might be surprised someday. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for stopping by.
Chapter 27 – Catalyst
Teal'c and Cameron arrived to the Hak'tyl sparring grounds to find a group gathered there. Many of the female Jaffa were yelling in apparent excitement. Lucky for them, they were tall enough to see over many of the women's heads.
In the middle of the gathering, two people were actively sparring with plain wooden staffs. Neither of them was Gracie. When one of the Hak'tyl ended up with her back on the ground, the match ended. Her sparring partner helped her up, and they both moved off to the side.
Another Hak'tyl called out, "Sel'sa! EldaMalDoran!"
"Hot damn, T. There she is." Cameron moved around the perimeter of the group to get a good look.
Teal'c followed him with quiet anticipation. Ishta had just mentioned to him that she was improving. He was eager to see for himself.
Gracie and another Hak'tyl now inhabited the center. She shucked off her SGC-issued jacket. Underneath it was a simple long-sleeve top that gave her enough flexibility to move. Even though it was quite cold, she would warm up soon enough from the exercise. She and the Hak'tyl girl bowed to each other respectfully, then adopted ready stances with their staffs.
Teal'c and Cameron observed that her expression was calm. Determined. Unbothered. That was a good sign.
"Proceed," someone ordered.
Gracie allowed her opponent to make the first move. She began blocking blows, anticipating where they would land with ease. The men recognized the sequence that was being performed.
Next it was Gracie's turn. She performed the same sequence of moves with her staff. Her partner parried them as expected.
"Gimme the play-by-play, T."
"Each warrior is being given the opportunity to demonstrate her proficiency with the sequence in question."
"Tal shak!" a Hak'tyl suddenly yelled to attack.
"Now the match begins," Teal'c quietly explained to Mitchell.
The two opponents began sparring in earnest. The crowd around them became excited and started shouting. Gracie blocked a staff hit that would have made contact with her side. She quickly pivoted to block another attempt aimed at her opposite side.
"Okay, okay," Mitchell said encouragingly, nodding his head in approval.
Next she spun her staff within her arms and brought it toward her opponent. The other girl dodged it, bringing her own weapon around to aim for Gracie's feet. She anticipated this move and hopped up to avoid it. The staff weapon rotated harmlessly under her feet.
When her feet made contact with the ground her arms were already swinging her staff toward her opponent's side. It made contact. The girl didn't flinch. The opponent responded by aiming her weapon at Gracie's other side. The strike was blocked.
This seemed to excite the crowd. They yelled out encouraging words for both of the Hak'tyl.
Mitchell looked around and smiled. He glanced at Teal'c, who seemed satisfied.
Gracie's opponent attempted to execute the sequence from their demonstration, but this time with greater speed and force. Gracie interrupted her progress, blocking the first few blows and then driving her staff into the girl's side. Now she restarted the sequence herself. Her opponent began to block, but found herself scooting back from the force of Gracie's blows.
The young human initiated a new sequence that Mitchell didn't recognize. Her attacks were precise. She landed several hits on the body of her opponent, who was beginning to tire. Meanwhile, she blocked nearly every attempt the other Hak'tyl made to strike her.
The crowd shouted more.
Gracie swung her staff at her opponent's legs, sweeping the girl off her feet. The other Hak'tyl landed flat on her back.
The sisters who had been excitedly watching rushed into the sparring field. Mitchell nearly lost sight of her in the flurry. He spied the opponent being helped up. The girl didn't seem to mind losing. She was soon congratulating Gracie on a job well done.
When Teal'c and Cameron finally got a good look at her face, Gracie was smiling modestly. "Well how 'bout that, Teal'c. She did good."
"Indeed she did."
Gracie's smile transformed into a full grin when she caught sight of the men. "Teal'c!" she squealed. "Cameron!"
She pushed through the crowd toward them, handing off her staff weapon to someone on the way. She jumped into Teal'c's arms. He happily received her. She next hugged Cameron tightly, overjoyed that they were suddenly here. "What are you guys doing here?" Gracie asked excitedly.
"SG-1 is escorting Dr. Lam and her team today. Everyone's waiting for you in town," Cameron reported.
Gracie hopped up and down. "Let's go!"
Gracie, Teal'c, and Cameron were arriving at the town center just as the Jaffa guests from the other tribe were exiting Ishta's hut. Vala had already seen her people coming. What she didn't expect to see was the Jaffa son's eyes lighting up at the sight of them.
Vala's eyes darted to Gracie's face. She saw him from afar instantly. Gracie quirked a smile for the young Jaffa prince. Vala's scrunched her face suspiciously.
"Teal'c," Ishta called out.
The trio went straight to the Jaffa leaders. Gracie bowed automatically in deference to Meil'nor. She glanced behind her at the rest of SG-1 and offered them a small wave. But she didn't move from her spot.
Daniel held her two mothers back with him, recognizing that Ishta was about to make formal introductions. She had only summoned Teal'c, which meant they weren't invited quite yet. Cameron and Gracie had joined him simply because they were already walking with him.
Sam, Vala, and Daniel watched as Ishta introduced Meil'nor to Teal'c. They bowed to each other respectfully. She moved on to introducing Jasuf as his son and heir apparent. And then she identified Colonel Mitchell as the leader of SG-1 from Earth. Ishta gave Cameron the opportunity to call his other teammates over for their own introductions.
"Over here, we have Dr. Daniel Jackson." He inclined his head. "Vala Mal Doran." She grinned as she bowed her head slightly. "And Colonel Samantha Carter." Sam nodded her head respectfully. "We have more people here. Dr. Carolyn Lam and her medical team are working in one of the huts."
Meil'nor inclined his head politely while Jasuf stared at Sam curiously. She seemed oddly familiar. His eyes darted toward Gracie, then narrowed slightly. He did not speak, however.
"Tell me, kal'ma," Meil'nor addressed Gracie, "what progress have you made with your bashaak?" He didn't seem very interested in SG-1. Mitchell felt a little put off by that. Jasuf's mouth twitched as his eyes focused on Gracie.
She bowed her head slightly to acknowledge the address. "Master Meil'nor," she began. Her gaze briefly flitted toward Jasuf. "I have just defeated an opponent on the sparring fields. One that has previously been a challenge to me."
"Which sister, EldaMalDoran?" Ishta asked.
"Sel'sa, Den Mother."
Ishta raised her chin in approval. "Progress indeed."
Gracie lowered her head humbly at the compliment. Teal'c looked on proudly and Sam smiled. Vala, meanwhile, was busy eyeing Jasuf. His attention was fully trained on Gracie as she spoke.
"I would be eager to witness such progress," Meil'nor hinted.
Jasuf glanced nervously at his father. He swallowed.
Gracie struggled not to react. She knew he had already watched her spar with his son at the waterfall. It was obvious that he had spied on them. He was up to something.
Ishta spoke now. "Perhaps a short demonstration, Meil'nor."
Gracie's eyes shot to her den mother. Shit.
"Jasuf. Spar with her," the male leader ordered.
Double shit.
Gracie began controlling her breaths. Her family was right here. Except for Teal'c, none of them understood who Jasuf really was.
Everyone on SG-1 scrunched their faces. Ishta gave them no time to ask questions. She clapped her hands loudly and yelled out commands. A few Hak'tyl ran forward with plain staff weapons and handed one each to the Jaffa leaders. Then the minders ushered SG-1 off to the side and out of the way. It would seem that Gracie and Jasuf were being forced to spar right here, in the middle of the town center. A crowd soon began to gather as word spread among the huts that an impromptu sparring match was about to begin. Meil'nor's guardsmen gathered together as part of the crowd.
Meil'nor laid a hand on his son's shoulder, handing him the staff. "Do not hold back," he ordered. Jasuf's expression was serious and somewhat anxious. His father gestured for one of their guardsmen to remove Jasuf's fur coat.
Ishta handed a staff to Gracie. "Enjoy yourself, EldaMalDoran." Gracie blinked. She had no idea where that order came from. One of her sisters stepped forward to retrieve her jacket from her.
Ishta and Meil'nor walked to the steps of the main hut and sat down. Teal'c approached them, with SG-1 not far behind. "Ishta, what is the meaning of this?" he asked curiously. His team seemed just as perplexed.
"You shall see, my love." Her tone implied that he should just shut up and watch. Teal'c got the hint and clasped his hands behind his back calmly.
The pair left behind in the town center quietly stared at each other. They both appeared to be concerned but were saying nothing aloud. If Daniel didn't know any better, he would say they were communicating to each other with just their eyes. He shook his head, doing a double-take. Only people who worked closely together managed to achieve that level of communication. Now he suspiciously wondered if Gracie had interacted with Jasuf beyond that trade negotiation mission she had.
Daniel glanced at Vala. She claimed that the boy was in love. Her eyes seemed to be burning, realizing the same thing at almost exactly the same time as him. "Oh shit," he marveled under his breath. Maybe this is what Gracie didn't want to talk about.
Sam heard him. "What?"
Daniel gulped. "Nothing."
"Opponents, attack at will," Ishta commanded.
The pair stepped apart and bowed to each other. Gracie sucked in a breath and adopted a ready stance, right foot sliding outward in a circular motion. She placed weight on this back foot. Her hands flexed around her staff weapon, holding it at the ready. Jasuf mirrored her posture. He tilted his head at her silently. It amounted to a Jaffa shrug. She squinted at him dubiously. A smirk formed on her face. She bit the inside of her cheek.
Well, Ishta did tell her to have fun.
Jasuf lunged, bringing his staff toward Gracie. She immediately blocked, pivoting around to swing her staff toward him. It tapped him on his bottom. He hopped in response. His guardsmen began to snigger. Jasuf glared at them. A few of the Hak'tyl girls watching covered their mouths to giggle.
Gracie attacked. He parried her blows. They hit their staffs together in a coordinated fashion, eventually making a mutual decision to perform a sequence they had mastered together. Their strikes transformed into a dance as their weapons rhythmically made contact.
The crowd began to murmur. Cameron and Sam glanced at each other nervously. Vala found herself mesmerized by how well they seemed to be synchronizing.
As if they had practiced together before.
"Jasuf, I will remind you not to hold back," his father called out calmly.
His son didn't respond aloud, but he did modify his movements suddenly. The strike that Gracie was about to block did not come. Instead, he quickly pivoted his staff in the other direction. He struck her side. She hopped out of the way. "Ow," she complained directly to him.
He didn't apologize. He simply stared back at her with a challenge in his eyes. He seemed to be laughing with his expression.
Gracie drew in a breath through her nose, mouth closed as it was in a little smirk. She wasn't going to let him get away with anything.
She lunged, bringing her staff toward him with full power. He blocked. She swung again. He parried. Now Jasuf attempted to strike but she met his attack with something of her own, ducking out of the way and kicking him in the gut. She used her staff to hit him again on the backside, pushing him forward. He slid along the ground on his boots but did not fall.
Sam smiled proudly. She wished Jack were here to see this. He would love it. Then she remembered, she had her digital camera in her vest. She took it out to begin taking video.
Daniel glanced at her, amused. Jack would be ecstatic.
Gracie came back around to face Jasuf and executed a complex set of moves with her staff that even Teal'c struggled to keep up with. It was creative and new. Jasuf seemed to run on instinct to protect himself. He was just barely able to keep up, as if he'd seen this attack before.
Jasuf actually began to smile through his ragged breaths as he was driven backward.
His guardsmen were now yelling at him. Cameron couldn't tell if they were encouraging him or simply enraged that he might be losing. He looked over to Daniel. But all the linguist could do was shrug.
"Teal'c," Sam whispered, "why are they doing this?" Her eyes remained glued on her daughter through the camera lens as she spoke.
"I am unsure, ColonelCarter. But she is performing quite well."
"Well, her opponent seems to be hanging on just fine, too," Cameron leaned in to comment.
"Perhaps they are evenly matched," Teal'c mused.
Ishta smiled to herself as she overheard them.
Gracie swiped her staff toward Jasuf's ankles, hoping to finally knock him down. But instead he jumped away and struck his staff on her hands, loosening her grip. She hissed. She used a boot to catch his leg, bringing his foot off the ground and making him nearly lose his balance. This gave her time to re-grip her staff, neverminding the blood on her knuckles.
Daniel held Vala back when she nearly stepped forward at the sight of red on her daughter's hands. She reached into her coat pocket to finger the healing device she always carried with her offworld.
Jasuf brought forth a creative attack of his own, eliciting cries of encouragement from his guardsmen. He swung his staff in multiple directions, making Gracie guess which way his blows would land. She leaned back suddenly to avoid a swipe at her head. When she straightened back up, it was with a delighted smile on her face.
He laughed aloud.
"Why does it look like they're having fun?" Cameron wondered aloud. He glanced at his teammates. "They're having fun, right?"
"Apparently," Sam answered, hands still holding up the camera.
Vala cringed when a staff hit made contact with Gracie's gut. She was pushed back, boots sliding across the ground. Her sisters were shouting from behind her. The yells of the guardsmen added to the cacophony. Gracie looked up with surprise at Jasuf, who shrugged with a tilt of his head. She bit her cheek briefly with a slight upturn of her mouth, then raised her staff to strike him again. He blocked it once more.
They were about to continue on when Ishta stood. "Hol," she calmly ordered, telling them to stop.
The pair froze, staffs connected diagonally and faces near. They were breathing heavily and staring straight into each other's eyes.
"What is your assessment, Meil'nor?" the Den Mother asked.
He stood. "A draw."
The crowd let out sounds of exclamation. SG-1 glanced around, noting that everyone was here. Even the medical team had stepped out to see what the commotion was.
Ishta then called out, "Nesa."
Her protégé stepped forward from the crowd. "Den Mother," she said as she bowed.
"Relieve them of their staffs."
Nesa walked over to the pair, who were still frozen together. She whispered to them, "You both did well." She carefully extricated the staff weapons from their hands. They each stepped back and bowed to her in gratitude for her words. Then they regarded Ishta and Meil'nor. They bowed low in unison.
The two Jaffa leaders exchanged meaningful glances. They nodded to each other.
Hak'tyl gathered around Gracie after the match to fawn over her. Vala watched as she hung back with the rest of SG-1, busy conversing with Ishta. Meil'nor and his people had since left. She didn't miss the final glance Jasuf and Gracie shared before he turned around to follow his father.
Vala crossed her arms. Jaffa drama, indeed.
The Hak'tyl sisters were whispering among themselves excitedly. Some of the ones who looked to be Gracie's age were addressing her directly with sly smiles and girlish giggles. Gracie was busy rolling her eyes, trying to fend off their teasing. Vala couldn't hear what was being said. But she could imagine they were tormenting her over how handsome young Jasuf is.
Daniel brushed shoulders with her, now ignoring the conversation of SG-1 behind them. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he whispered as he observed Gracie with her.
Vala turned to him. Her expression told him all he needed to know. He waggled his brows. They had finally figured Gracie out.
"Jack's gonna have a cow, I think."
Vala smirked.
"What are you thinking?" Daniel wondered.
"I'm not sure what to think, Daniel."
"Okay. How are you feeling? That's your daughter over there."
"She is everyone's daughter, Daniel." She gestured around at the Hak'tyl settlement. "Everyone has claimed her. Even that tribe leader Meil'nor refers to her as a child, as if he holds a special affection for her."
Daniel buried his hands in his pockets. Vala wasn't wrong. He, too, felt protective of Gracie like a father might. But he'd been respectfully deferring to Jack this whole time. The significance of Vala's words struck him as profound.
"Are you mad at her for not telling us?" he asked.
"Are you?"
"I dunno. I feel a little put off. But I guess I can understand why she didn't want to say anything."
"Hmm." Vala glanced in Sam's direction. "I'd like to see what Gracie says. Her birth parents have a right to hear this directly from her."
"Good idea. Let her confess on her own."
"For now, then, we wait," Vala declared, out of respect for Sam and Jack. She had a feeling Sam didn't realize that Gracie had found herself quite the companion out of all of these Jaffa.
The waterfall roared loudly. Jasuf had purposely placed his back to it so that he could keep his eyes on the surrounding forest. He didn't want to be surprised by an unexpected visitor today. There was only one person he wanted to see.
A moment later, she appeared in the distance. When she finally drew near him by the pool of water, Jasuf pulled her into an embrace. He kissed Gracie's hair. "Did I harm you?" he asked apologetically.
"A little. Did I hurt you?"
"You bruised my pride," Jasuf said emphatically. "Again."
Gracie leaned back to look at him. Then she laughed a little. She pecked him on the lips. "Good. You deserve it."
He shook his head slightly at her. "My brothers were eager to torment me," he reported.
"My sisters as well."
"We may never find peace, EldaMalDoran," he complained, bringing a hand to her hair to pull her close.
She sighed. Then she leaned back again. "You remember Idul?"
"The one with the mouth, yes."
Gracie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Which Jaffa did you suggest to her?" She waggled her brows. Obviously Idul had confessed to Gracie the entire conversation she had had with Jasuf. She simply couldn't hold any of it in.
"One of my trusted guardsmen." His expression drew into a wicked smile.
"That is how we find peace, my Jasuf." She reached up to stroke his face. "You listened to one of my suggestions," Gracie pointed out proudly. She was referring to her original idea of match-making to take the heat off of them.
He only smiled. He leaned down to kiss her sweetly. "I apologize for injuring you."
"It's alright. We were placed in an impossible position."
"They ambushed us."
"Do you think your father reported what he saw here to my Den Mother?"
"I know he did."
"Hmpf. You Jaffa scheme more than human smugglers."
"I am as much a victim in this as you," Jasuf argued.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. He continued to hold her close to him. "You have an insider's advantage. Teach me how the Jaffa do these things."
He stared at her in amused disbelief.
"Hiding things from Jaffa is a weakness of mine, Jasuf. I continue to be amazed by how well you all find things out so easily."
"I do not want you to hide things from me. So I will not teach you anything," he said with laughter in his voice.
Though his words were said in jest, something inside stirred. That other human with golden hair bore a striking resemblance to Elda. And yet, she only claimed Vala Mal Doran as her blood kin. It didn't seem plausible to him. It dawned on him that she was evasive any time he asked her about her human family. She always found a way to change the subject or to distract him away from his curiosity. Why was she complaining about hiding things from the Jaffa at all?
Meanwhile, Gracie laughed along playfully over his last statement but cringed internally. Guilt was burning her as she reminded herself that she had been hiding almost everything from him. She stared into his eyes, wondering if it would ever be right to let him in. Thoughts of how and when she might tell him the truth swirled in her head. They were overwhelming.
She kissed him hard to distract herself. He responded naturally. He enjoyed it when she surprised him. His hands tangled in her hair while hers grabbed at his shirt in that possessive manner that he liked. They spent the rest of their free time together kissing at the waterfall. They had had enough of sparring.
"Father." Jasuf bowed toward him as he entered his hut. "Ishta." He bowed to her as well, just as low. The action allowed him to hide his alarm over her unexpected presence.
Meil'nor had given Ishta a separate stool directly across from him. As a fellow leader, he was affording her a seat the same height as his. He gestured for Jasuf to take his shorter stool next to him.
Jasuf's father spoke first, as was the custom in Jaffa parlance. This was his house. It was his right. "How fares EldaMalDoran, my son?"
Jasuf felt uneasy. He had no idea why he had been summoned. And now that his father was mentioning her name, it made him nervous. What was worse was that her den mother was here. This did not bode well for them.
"She is well, Father." There was no use pretending that he had not just seen her. He could still feel her taste on his lips. He consciously stopped himself from licking them.
Meil'nor inclined his head toward Ishta, giving her the floor. She spoke in her smooth tone. "We marvel at how EldaMalDoran's bashaak has improved considerably. She has demonstrated great progress, faster than the previous time she stayed with us." She looked directly at Jasuf. Her expression was neutral. But he could see the calculating stare in her eyes. She was studying him.
Jasuf stared back, expressionless yet quietly bewildered.
His father continued, "We have identified the factor that led to her accelerated improvement."
Ishta's eyes remained locked with Jasuf's. "You," she said simply.
He narrowed his eyes briefly in confusion. "Me?"
"It would seem her time with you has been well-spent, young Jasuf," Ishta said with a slight smile.
"We have observed the ease with which you train each other. I have noticed an improvement in your skills as well," Meil'nor reported.
Jasuf snapped his head toward his father. "You are saying we have been watched!?" The concern on his face was unmistakable. Even a human would be able to see that he was astounded.
His father's face briefly cracked, entertained by Jasuf's incredulous reaction. "My son, a father always knows."
The younger Jaffa briefly closed his eyes in exasperation, wondering just how much they had really seen. Those were meant to be private moments with Elda alone. He could never visit the waterfall again! As perfect a setting as it was, it afforded him no advantages for maintaining awareness. The water produced too much noise! Even Elda herself had snuck up on him more than once. That used to be a delightful, even welcome, surprise. Now the idea was a glaring reminder of how much he had let down his guard.
Ishta shared a look with her counterpart. She took pity on the boy. "Do not fear, young Jaffa. Our observations have not been shared."
"We are here now because we have come to a decision," his father said. "One that will directly affect you."
Oh no. Jasuf irrationally feared he would be forbidden from seeing Elda. His heart raced. His muscles tensed, as if preparing to fight. His mind immediately conjured up thoughts of what he would do next. His first idea was to escape with her. Find some other place to live. He would leave everything behind if he had to.
It surprised him that he could even consider such drastic measures.
He was about to be surprised more.
"We are ending the practice of Exhibition," his father declared.
Jasuf stayed deathly still. That was not at all what he'd been fearing.
Ishta went on, "Your intimate training sessions with my young Hak'tyl have demonstrated that there are alternative ways to produce respectable warriors. Cooperation appears to be just as advantageous as competition."
The young Jaffa was too stunned to speak. He simply listened as the older Jaffa made their points.
His father declared, "You have set an example, my son. Your public match with EldaMalDoran in the Hak'tyl square proves that our alliance can be made stronger."
If Jasuf didn't know any better, he would think his father actually sounded proud. He'd been expecting some sort of admonishment instead for engaging in a romance with a human female. He drew in a deep breath to steady himself. "Father, please explain," he requested respectfully. His mind was now too worn out from the multitude of emotions he had just experienced in such a short amount of time.
"In place of Exhibition, we have agreed upon a new training model. One young warrior from each tribe will be paired together," his father began.
Ishta continued, "The paired warriors will be similar in age, rank, and proficiency. We will base these decisions upon the opinions of our evaluators. Exhibition and training performance will contribute to the determinations."
Meil'nor continued, "Some of the Hak'tyl will pair with our Jaffa women. But many more will need to pair with our young men. Your role is to prepare our warriors for such a change. I expect them to be resistant."
Jasuf found himself overwhelmed. He had never meant for his private affairs to spill out into the open so dramatically and end up affecting both Jaffa tribes.
His brothers would kill him, surely.
Ishta sensed his extreme apprehension. She could not help him with this enormous task. But she could offer him a consolation, one that she hoped he would find appealing. "I trust you will meet this challenge appropriately, young Jasuf. To ease the transition, I will be allowing EldaMalDoran to stay here with your tribe. She will serve as an ambassador. She will likely endear herself to your people quickly. Then they may better see the worth in this endeavor."
Once again, the young Jaffa was shocked. He turned to his father next to him with a question in his eyes.
"I will leave it to you to arrange for her living accommodations."
"Father?"
"She may stay in your hut if that pleases you both."
His eyes went wide. Both his father and Ishta raised their brows at his unexpected reaction.
"I… will make the arrangements based on EldaMalDoran's preference."
Ishta raised her chin as she considered him. Her lips parted slightly as she recognized something in the boy's eyes. When her lips came back together, they were in a small, satisfied smile. She met Meil'nor's eyes to silently convey her observation.
The Jaffa leader's eyes flitted toward his son. "That is an honorable approach, my son."
Jasuf inclined his head. "When will these changes be commenced? And will you make an announcement to the tribes?"
Those were reasonable questions of him to ask. Meil'nor approved of his efforts to clarify. They demonstrated his progression toward leadership. Knowing such answers would affect how he proceeded. Anticipating the tribe's response would dictate how well it could be led.
"You may commence these changes at your leisure, Jasuf. I leave the announcement to our warriors in your hands."
Ishta seemed to agree. "I will assign Nesa to lead a similar effort in my tribe. You will coordinate with her as necessary."
Jasuf bowed his head to show that he understood. It was then that he remembered something Elda suggested back in the cave: to initiate more friendly relations between their two tribes. She said it in jest. He had unconsciously followed the suggestion when he told his guardsmen to be sociable with the Hak'tyl. Miraculously, her idea was now being implemented by tribal leadership. He wondered if his father and Ishta had spied on them while they were in his secret cave, too. That unnerved him.
He wasn't sure what was worse. These two Jaffa knowing his most intimate moments with Elda or the coming wrath of his brothers when he made the pronouncement.
Gracie's eyes were wide. She had a million questions. But none were allowed to leave her mouth. It wasn't her turn to speak.
Ishta and Nesa stared back at her, expressionless. They had just explained the new training model to her.
The Den Mother was now setting expectations for her specifically. "You will be provided accommodations by Meil'nor's tribe and will live in his village in the coming days. You will continue your mutual training with Jasuf."
Gracie's mouth dropped open briefly. She quickly closed it. Fear began coursing through her veins. It felt like they were kicking her out.
Nesa added, "You are still free to visit with our sisters when you are not in training or assigned tasks by their tribe. And I trust Jasuf is already aware of the expectation that you report to the chaapa'ai at regular intervals to contact Earth."
Gracie merely nodded.
"You may speak, kal'ma."
"Den Mother. Nesa. Why is this happening? Have I dishonored the Hak'tyl?" she asked worriedly. Gracie wondered if she had spent too much time with Jasuf at the expense of her status here. Maybe she had seriously screwed up. One instance of being late for duty shouldn't have led to such a punishment. Yet here she was.
Ishta considered her pitifully. The girl was terrified. "Quite the opposite, kal'ma. You have shown that there is hope for our tribes' continued alliance."
Her petrified face became full of confusion.
Ishta chose to clarify, hoping she would better understand. "Your courtship with Jasuf yields a positive influence. It has softened many of our sisters' impressions of him."
"Indeed, his unbound affection for you is well-known," Nesa commented.
Gracie blushed with embarrassment. Her sisters regularly praised her for capturing Jasuf's romantic attention. But to have it pointed out by leadership was intimidating.
"If you could reach the mighty son of Meil'nor," Ishta said meaningfully, "then his warriors will follow. Their cooperation is necessary for this endeavor to be successful. Your primary task is to persuade them. You have a natural ability to endear others to you. I expect you to be successful."
Teal'c's words floated through her mind. He had incomprehensibly predicted that she would one day convince close-minded Jaffa to change their minds. Gracie had no idea that his grand, philosophical musings would actually turn into whatever this was.
"Exhibition has exhausted its purpose," Ishta reiterated. "The last few have demonstrated that our young warriors have stagnated."
"In the absence of real-world experiences, it is difficult to advance our skills. We've no wars to fight in the names of false gods."
Ishta inclined her head in full agreement to Nesa's statement. "Meil'nor and I already recognized that the utility of Exhibition was waning. You have inspired us, young sister. We are optimistic that the example you and young Jasuf have set bears great potential for our tribes."
Gracie was shocked by the significance of her den mother's words. How could being Jasuf's romantic sparring partner have resulted in this? She was being given credit for the institution of monumental changes to how warriors would be produced.
"Your arrival here to this timeline seems to have served a higher purpose, GracieO'Neill," Nesa mused.
Gracie's eyes shot to her. "That is my birth name," she said quietly.
"Indeed."
"I don't understand."
"It is merely a recognition that you are a daughter of Earth who was robbed of your intended upbringing," Nesa said. "What your human family endured to bring you here is now made worthwhile."
Ishta regarded Gracie with admiration. "Great change is upon us, kal'ma. You may be the catalyst."
"You are still EldaMalDoran," Nesa emphasized. "We would not deprive you of the identity you have built here.
Ishta said, "Instead, we honor it. Your transformation is inspirational. The future you came from was a dystopian wasteland. The future you help create now could become a paradise. DanielJackson speaks of learning from history. Here, we learn from yours and rise above its faults."
Gracie's mouth dropped open. She wasn't sure she could handle the weight of an entire timeline's existence being dropped onto her shoulders. Her breaths became heavy. She didn't know what to do with what they were saying to her.
All she wanted was to become a better Hak'tyl and to be with Jasuf. And later, she'd join SG-3 and make her human family proud. That was it! She didn't come to the past to fix anything! Old Man Daniel promised her that her birth mother's life would be saved and her younger self wouldn't ever have to run, no matter what. He said these successes wouldn't hinge on her tagging along with her father to the past. Now Gracie wondered if the Vala from her own time knew something. She was the one who pushed her to leave, with tears in her eyes. She wanted to ask her.
But she couldn't ask her.
Her mother was gone.
That thought alone made her burst into tears.