Daughter
Chapter 21 – Big Money
"Elda?" Carolyn could have sworn she saw blonde hair passing out of the corner of her eye. Hands in lab coat pockets, she briskly pivoted and went down the hall. She turned the corner, eyes darting around. A few personnel in the next hallway nodded politely to her.
Perhaps it was someone else. Elda wasn't the only blonde in this facility. That could have been anyone. Carolyn turned around to start heading back to the infirmary. She glanced into the mess hall and spied a familiar figure standing by the Jell-o tray. Her heels squeaked to a stop.
"Ah ha."
Gracie looked up at the sound. She smiled timidly.
"Thought I saw you." Carolyn stared at her with anticipation as she walked up to her. "So? How did it go?"
Gracie bit the inside of her cheek. "Fine. Good." She gestured at the Jell-o tray. "Just picking a color, and I'll turn in for the night." Without looking she picked up a random cup and tried to leave.
Carolyn blinked. Her head whipped around and her arm reached back to catch her. Her fingers formed a light grip around Gracie's bicep. She gently pulled the young blonde backwards.
Gracie just looked back at her, face as neutral as she could possibly make it.
Carolyn eyed her.
The younger woman swallowed.
"You're supposed to check in with medical every time you come back," she said with a warning.
"I was only gone for a few hours."
The doctor would not accept her excuse, even if she technically had not been away long enough for a physical exam to be mandatory. Something was up and she was now determined to find out what. "You're coming with me." She grabbed the cup out of her hands, ignoring Gracie's shout of protest, and returned it to the tray. Carolyn pulled her by the arm out of the mess hall. The blonde peered back at her abandoned Jell-o longingly while she was being led away. It was blue. She wanted to try that color.
"Carolyn," she whined.
"Shush."
They went straight down to the infirmary and into Carolyn's office. The doctor closed the door to trap Gracie in there with her. She put her hands on her hips and stared at the blonde.
"Spill," she commanded.
"Spill what?"
"The beans."
"Huh?"
Carolyn shook her head. "It means tell me what happened. In. Detail."
Gracie's eyes widened. "I completed the mission."
"Not enough detail." Carolyn took a step toward her. Gracie stepped back. The doctor studied her again. Her lips were a bit more pink than when she'd left. Carolyn's eyes wandered down. A new bruise was peeking out of the neckline of her uniform. She immediately grabbed at Gracie's collar to peel it back and get a better look. Her eyes shot back up to hers. "You have a hickey."
The blonde tried to look down, but couldn't see what the doctor was talking about. "A what?"
Carolyn used a finger to tilt her chin back up. Her eyes bore into her. "Gracie," she warned.
Her mouth twisted up into knots. She seemed to be struggling not to say anything.
"Spill," Carolyn repeated the order again through gritted teeth. Her eyebrow rose ten times higher and began to twitch. It was terrifying.
Gracie smashed her lips together. They hid in fear within her mouth. This was like torture.
The doctor lost her patience. "I'm calling your father." Carolyn began to turn toward her desk.
Gracie hopped in front of her with lightning speed. She blocked the landline phone with her body. "No."
Carolyn put her hands on her hips. "What did he do?"
The blonde's mouth dropped open. She immediately closed it when she realized she'd done it. "What did who do?" The doctor's eyes widened in warning. They both knew exactly who she was talking about. "Nothing!" At Carolyn's raised eyebrow she added, "Nothing bad."
An impatient foot began to tap on the floor.
That was it. Gracie was done for.
Under threat of torture, she confessed. "It started out perfectly professional. But then he couldn't get over the fact that I was dressed more like a 'Tau'ri warrior,' as he called it. So he questioned me. I tried to explain that I was there to help him, and then he said it was he who had actually asked for me to be there. Not his father. He admitted that his defeat in Exhibition was a reminder that he had more to learn as a warrior. He said I must be special. And he was speaking to me in this voice. And one thing led to another… and… and…"
"So you made out with him!?"
Gracie backed up, legs hitting Carolyn's desk. The young blonde tried to quickly translate the doctor's phrasing and make a guess about what she meant. She wasn't completely sure. She held up two fingers in a pinching motion. "Only a little."
Carolyn threw her hands up in the air, lab coat fluttering with the motion. She let out a breath of exasperation at Gracie. "What do you mean 'a little'? How far did it go?"
Gracie crossed her arms over her chest. "We didn't have sex if that's what you're asking."
"If that hickey is any indication, you might eventually." The doctor locked eyes with her. "You need birth control."
"What!?"
"Come here. I'll show you the options on the computer." Carolyn began rounding her desk, pulling Gracie along with her. She placed two hands on the blonde's shoulders to make her sit down in her rolling chair.
Gracie watched as her supposedly 'neutral' auntie leaned over her and the keyboard. She whizzed through prompts on the screen, bringing up the patient education she was looking for.
"Carolyn, honestly, you don't have to do this."
The doctor didn't answer. She changed her mind about how she was going to present the education. It was now busy printing onto paper. The machine on her desk began to buzz with activity.
"I mean," Gracie rambled as she watched paper shoot out of the printer, "I've never heard of a Jaffa-human hybrid baby. Have you? It just doesn't happen! The chances of me…"
"Do you really want to be the test subject for that experiment?" Carolyn interrupted with a dangerous tone of voice.
Gracie squeaked. "No."
"The very last thing you need is to get pregnant right now. You're too young. Not to mention your parents are going to flip out if they suddenly become grandparents before your little self even turns five!" she yelled.
The blonde gasped. "You're not going to tell them, are you?"
Carolyn huffed. "No. Of course not. But you listen here, young lady. You will be responsible about this… this… whatever this thing is you have going on with that boy. Do you hear me?"
Gracie blinked rapidly in fear and nodded.
Reynolds rolled his eyes at the way his younger teammates were drooling. He had half a mind to offer them handkerchiefs to wipe up their spit. He settled for glaring at them and using a look to remind them to act professional. The last thing any of them needed was to draw more ire.
It's not like Elda didn't notice their long, drawn-out stares when she walked into the gate room. She just ignored them. By the look on her face, Reynolds could tell she had other things on her mind. Landry was giving them another chance to prove that they weren't completely incompetent. So that's why they were escorting Elda on another mission. But this time, it wasn't a simple medical visit to some friendly ally. It was a trade negotiation. Reynolds glanced at her in the gate room. God help me. The girl was literally dressed to kill.
Her long black trench coat flapped about her as she checked her blaster and returned it to her holster. The boys got a good look at how her leather corset hugged her features and showed off her rack. If it weren't for all the obvious knives, they would have been tempted to flirt. The blaster she was carrying served as a further deterrent.
He wondered if she was expecting trouble or simply dressed that way to make others have second thoughts about attacking her. He thought of Vala's shrewdness and figured this girl must have inherited some of the same. Right now, she looked nothing like the sweet little Elda he had become acquainted with.
Maybe distracting charm was her superpower. He knew she could kick somebody's ass real good when they weren't expecting it. He'd seen it.
Reynolds had yet to really figure her out. Then again, he still hadn't figured out her big sister. And Vala had been around for years now.
He pulled at the tight collar of his galaxy-appropriate garb. Everyone on SG-3 was in pleather, red and black vinyl creaking with their movements. Their costumes were ridiculously hot. He hated it. He prayed to God that this would be over quickly so he could get back into normal BDUs soon. Based on what he'd heard, Elda knew what she was doing on these type of jaunts. There was hope in that, at least.
Her coat swayed around her as she walked up the ramp with confidence. Reynolds kept pace with her, while the rest of SG-3 followed behind. First, they were going to the Hak'tyl planet to pick up a Jaffa. Then they would head to a neutral planet agreed upon by Elda and the so-called Zersha Conglomerate.
Bright sunlight greeted them on the other side of the wormhole, making Reynolds long for his sunglasses. He squinted at the lone Jaffa waiting for them near the DHD. Elda went to him immediately. Obviously they were acquainted. Reynolds didn't realize that this was the same Jaffa she'd beaten the last time they were all here together. Too much time had passed, and he hadn't gotten a good look at his face. None of his teammates made the connection either.
The Jaffa stepped forward and they bowed to each other. When he raised his head to look at her, he seemed to regard her outfit with disapproval. It was the exact opposite reaction compared to his men. Reynolds figured she wasn't his type. Elda was human and he was Jaffa after all.
She raised an arm to gesture behind her at SG-3. "Jasuf, this is Colonel Reynolds and SG-3." She turned to address Reynolds. "Colonel, this is Jasuf. He's the son of the Jaffa tribe leader we told you about." Gracie refrained from telling them that they had all seen him before. She didn't see the point of bringing it up. It would only make things awkward.
The men nodded to each other respectfully.
"I will remind you all now that the next planet is neutral ground, but Zersha will be in control. They will be pointing weapons at us." Gracie quirked a smile at her Tau'ri escorts. "Stay cool," she said, borrowing one of Mitchell's sayings.
"Oh ho, she's pickin' up the lingo," Smith smartly commented. Crawford tipped his chin up at her, impressed. She adopted a look of haughty satisfaction, earning grins from the young human men.
Jasuf, in contrast, eyed her critically. He said something to her in Goa'uld that none of SG-3 understood. She replied back easily in the same language, words flowing out of her mouth like it was her native tongue. They almost sounded like they were arguing.
"Once again you proudly display another manner of dress."
"Zersha is expecting a broker, Jasuf. Remember, 'daughter of the galaxy' here."
"Must you look so… tempting? What is the purpose of this?"
She fought the smile his description garnered. She could tell he would prefer she not invite the male gaze. But he had no official claim over her. It was not his right to demand she dress differently. "Distraction," she answered his question. "Any advantage I can bring will serve us well."
He studied her, jaw clenching. "Very well." He looked forward to seeing her again in the styles of the Jaffa instead. Hopefully soon.
To Reynolds's ears, the Goa'uld language had always sounded kind of gritty and mean. Whatever they were saying to each other, it was over quickly. It didn't seem worth it to demand a translation. Elda dialed the DHD. She and the Jaffa took the lead.
When they passed through the wormhole, several blasters were ready for them. Reynolds and Baker scooted around and placed themselves in front of Elda protectively.
"Hello," she said from behind them, drawing out the simple word seductively.
Reynolds blinked and crinkled his eye. Was not expecting that.
"We meet again," the man in the center said, pointing a blaster in their direction. This was the fellow she had spoken to last time, the decision-maker. "You've brought new friends," he observed casually, glancing at her bodyguards.
"That's because I'm representing a different client today," she replied easily. Gracie laid a hand on Baker's arm and encouraged him to get back behind her. She nodded at Reynolds to stand down. They frowned, but went along with it. She gestured toward Jasuf. "This is an observer direct from the potential buyer. You'll want to make an effort to impress him."
The man and Jasuf made quiet eye contact.
"Another Jaffa, I see. Looks like you're building a niche in the market."
Gracie flashed him a smile. "When opportunity presents itself, I don't hesitate." Her tone was decidedly suggestive. The members of SG-3 glanced at each other. This was a side of her they'd never expected to see. She was usually so timid. It was now clear, however, that Elda was definitely Vala's baby sister. They were cut from the same cloth, right down to the mannerisms and the seductive tone of voice.
"So, how have you been?" she asked of the man with familiarity.
The man tilted his head nonchalantly. "Doing quite well, actually." His blaster was still aimed at her head. Elda didn't seem phased at all.
Reynolds wondered what the hell was going on. This guy was threatening her but having a polite conversation with her at the same time.
She took a step closer, never minding the blaster pointed at her face. "Where's your other friend?" she asked curiously.
"Hmm? Oh. He transferred to another department."
"Pay better over there?"
"Eh."
Reynolds glanced askance at Baker, who crinkled his face at the surprisingly mundane conversation being had while they had guns pointed in their direction.
The man continued, "What about you? You ditched those old ladies you had with you before?"
The men of SG-3 winced internally. They each promised themselves not to let that get into a report. Vala and Colonel Carter would have their hides.
Elda raised an eyebrow. "They're busy with other important things." She took a final step closer, letting the man's blaster make contact with her forehead. "Are we done with pleasantries now? I'd like to get started."
The man smiled at her and let his blaster tip up and away from her face. "Of course."
Everyone else lowered their weapons. Crawford and Smith looked around confused. They shared a look that said, What the fuck?
They all spun around when the stargate suddenly activated behind them.
"Please, follow me." As the man passed, he looked Elda up and down with apparent admiration. She didn't seem to mind it. The Jaffa they had with them, however, seemed less than amused by this. He remained silent.
They were led to same facility as before. This time, the group was brought into a room with a conference table and comfortable chairs. It would seem that the man's familiarity with Elda meant they could bypass the usual presentation of Zersha's capabilities. She had probably already convinced her client that hiring Zersha was worth it for them. He idly wondered what she was charging for her brokerage services. And if she'd be bringing him more business over the coming days. He was salivating internally over the prospect.
Elda and her Jaffa client sat with the representative while the rest of their security from both sides stood around them. A couple of her bodyguards were ordered to watch the door. Once they settled in, the man declared, "The Zersha Conglomerate welcomes you. How may we be of service?"
"My client has an interest in acquiring tretonin."
The man glanced at the Jaffa. He addressed Elda. "Zersha indeed has the capacity to produce tretonin, as you well know. What form of payment may we expect?"
"Naquedah," she said simply.
His eyes sparkled as he pulled out a tablet. "Then let's make a deal."
Jasuf allowed Elda to take the lead on the finer points of the initial contract negotiations. It wasn't necessarily something within his current skillset. He knew when to defer to an expert. He also understood she had been key to the Hak'tyl's successful experience with this Conglomerate. That is why he suggested to his father that they take advantage of her talent. His father had reservations about letting this human girl broker the deal, but Ishta insisted she could be trusted. Jasuf was here to make sure that promise rang true.
So far, he saw no malicious intent on Elda's part. He swore to himself that he wasn't being blinded by his admiration for her. To prove that, Jasuf insisted on seeing the manufacturing facility himself so he could report back to his people.
The Zersha representative was gracious enough to offer them transport via one of their ships. Elda whispered to him in Goa'uld that this was a ploy to impress him further. They sought to advertise their considerable resources and superiority over their competition. Jasuf understood her implication that he should not allow himself to be swayed by shiny ships with the latest in non-Goa'uld technology.
The group was brought to an active manufacturing facility on another world. Various Hak'tyl warriors were stationed around the compound as security. As the group of visitors was escorted by a facility manager, Jasuf dutifully bowed in acknowledgement toward the Jaffa women. They each bowed back customarily, but were clearly displeased to see him. He ignored their glares. He'd beaten them all in Exhibition. They were being reminded of their defeats by his presence.
He did observe, however, that the sight of Elda made them relax. He realized that he might one day need her again. Perhaps she could smooth over relations between their tribes. His father was already grooming him to take over leadership someday. If the Hak'tyl struggled to respect him now, he would have a difficult time maintaining their alliance when he came to power. As much as it pained him to admit it, his people still needed them. They relied on each other for more than just combat training. It was necessary to exchange basic foodstuffs and skilled labor to keep both tribes alive and thriving.
One of the Hak'tyl pulled Elda aside while the facility manager was gloating about something to do with their advanced machinery. Jasuf kept his eyes forward and pretended to listen to the Zersha employee, but his ears were trained on what Elda's Hak'tyl sister had to say. She spoke in Goa'uld.
"Why is he here, Sister?"
"His tribe seeks tretonin. I've been sent to help them acquire their own supply."
"He will take from ours?"
"No, your supply is secure. Zersha can make more for them. They might simply ramp up production in this facility, though. More efficient if it's all being transported to the same planet."
"Will he be sending his men here?" her sister asked suspiciously. The idea of having to share close quarters with their rivals from the other tribe was an unwelcome one.
Elda leaned in. "For now, no. Fear not, Sister. I will not allow our tribe to become disadvantaged by this. Our Den Mother is simply allowing theirs to remain on equal footing with ours." She then added, "We need them to stay competitive in battle, not become hasshaks. It will benefit us in the end." This must have placated the Hak'tyl because she said nothing more.
Jasuf ground his teeth at the insinuation that his tribe could somehow become weaker than theirs. He showed no outward offense, though, and was able to maintain his composure. He planned to have words with her later about that.
He glanced at the Tau'ri she'd brought with her. They seemed more concerned with looking around and ensuring their position was secure. They had thus far remained mostly silent. The human leader did express concern to Elda when the Zersha representative offered transportation to this facility. She had to convince him that this was all very routine. Jasuf wondered how she had gained such confidence in these matters. It only made him more curious about her past.
He chided himself. He'd already gone too far with her. And he hated how he yearned for more.
The facility manager finished his incessant talk and looked to Jasuf for his reaction. The Jaffa switched to the common language among them. "I have seen enough." The manager seemed to deflate, not having received any recognition for how amazing his facility was. He'd been hoping for some sort of acknowledgement. But these Jaffa were always difficult to impress.
The Zersha representative stepped forward. He thanked the manager and gestured for their group to follow him out. "We will transport you back to our meeting planet," he announced.
Once on the ship, the group was given the same compartment to occupy as before. Two rows of benches sat opposite from each other, just enough to seat their party. Storage closets were on the far end. The other was a clear, glass door. The cushions were soft. The room was spotless and clean. All these details served to make them feel like VIPs. They each took a seat and buckled into the harnesses. The representative left them, perhaps to go to the bridge to request that they lift off.
"Elda, how much longer?" Reynolds asked directly across from her.
She looked at Jasuf and asked him a question in Goa'uld. He responded. She turned back to Reynolds. "We'll be done soon. He plans to go back home and make a report. Final signatures will happen on a different day."
"That mean we gotta come back?" Smith asked.
"We'll see. Depends on how his tribe likes the first draft of the contract."
Crawford looked up and around. "I could get used to riding in one of these."
"Got that new-car smell to it," Smith agreed.
"Don't get used to it," Baker warned from Elda's other side.
Lights flashed along the perimeter of the ceiling, signaling that the ship was firing up thrusters to ascend. Everyone felt a jolt as it left the ground. The men of SG-3 understood why there were harnesses for them. As luxurious as their seating area was, the ride was still bumpy. Standing around during lift-off didn't seem like a very smart idea.
"Who makes ships like these?" Reynolds asked of Elda.
"Probably Zersha. Their conglomerate has its hands in a variety of industries." She tilted her head. "What makes you ask?"
"Never seen this before today."
"It ain't nothin like what we got. Or the Goa'uld," Crawford commented.
"Believe me, yours are probably better. If I heard your Dr. Jackson right, then you received technology from some pretty powerful friends. And we all know the Goa'uld don't share. The rest of the humans around the galaxy have been left to figure out interstellar travel all on their own."
As if to prove her point, gravity escaped them as the ship broke atmosphere. Elda's blonde locks began to fly around wildly. She reached up to pull her unruly hair into a bun with an elastic band she had on hand. All of their arms and legs began to float. The only reason they didn't bump into each other was because they were securely strapped in. SG-3 was used to having gravity at all times on a space ship. None of the men liked the sensation of their stomachs floating around and rising up into their throats.
Crawford amended his previous statement. "I take it back. I'll never get used to this."
Elda smirked at their nausea. "This is one of the nicer non-Goa'uld ships. I've seen worse… trust me."
Jasuf actually spoke now. "As have I." He shared a look with Elda, quietly asking why these men were so ignorant of the ways of the galaxy. The mighty Tau'ri… and yet they knew so little.
Looking a little green, Baker replied, "I'll take your words for it."
The lights along the ceiling glowed blue, signaling that the ship was about to jump into hyperspace. They all felt the ship lurch as it opened up a window to be sucked in.
Suddenly, it jerked again. The lights switched to red. An alarm began to sound.
Everyone looked up. Then they peered through the glass door. A few crewman began to run down the hall.
"What the hell?" Reynolds asked in surprise. "How do they have gravity but we don't?"
"Some VIP treatment," Smith muttered.
"They don't have gravity," Elda replied, suddenly looking serious. "They're wearing mag boots."
Eventually their Zersha representative appeared at the door. He hit a button to open it.
"Gen, what's happening?" Elda asked for the group.
"We are being boarded."
She shared a look with Reynolds, then with Jasuf. "Looks like we'll be delayed going home." Then she addressed the representative. "We need boots."
Gen gestured toward the closet at the far end of the compartment. Shots began to fire past him. He immediately crouched down and took cover on the inside of the door. He pulled a blaster out from behind him and began shooting back.
Elda wasted no time unstrapping herself.
"What are you doing!?" Reynolds demanded.
"We need mag boots!" She freed herself from the harness. Then she began pushing and pulling on each of the men to maneuver herself through zero gravity over to the storage closet.
"Whoa, hey, ho…" Crawford exclaimed when her hand grabbed his thigh for leverage.
Elda ignored him. She slid open the closet and removed a single boot. She activated it so it would stick to the deck. But in zero gravity, the motion made her float away toward the ceiling. She pushed against it gently with bent wrists to force herself back down through the weightlessness of the ship. Her foot floated down into the boot, which snapped itself shut around her calf. Elda grabbed the other boot from the closet and stuck her foot in. Now secure, she began pulling other pairs from the closet and passing them around.
Baker watched her in amazement. "Done this before?"
"Yeah, bunch of times," she said casually. Elda didn't bother to tell anyone how to put on the boots. It was pretty self-explanatory. She concentrated instead on preparing to fire at whomever their Zersha representative was defending them against. Elda pulled the blaster out of her thigh holster. It whined as she powered it up for use. She leaned around the crouched representative to begin firing shots indiscriminately in the direction he was shooting. "Does this ship have shuttles?" she asked in a strained breath as she ducked back behind the door.
"We have several."
"I will remind you now that your payday depends on you getting us out of this alive."
He fired more shots down the hall. "Trust me. I know." Gen glanced at her escort as they were finishing up with the boots. "Shouldn't they be doing the shooting?"
"Shut up and get us to the shuttle."
Jasuf suddenly appeared to place a hand on Elda's shoulder to keep her from exiting the room too soon. Smith and Crawford stepped up to start shooting with their zats to provide cover. The rep took the hint and ventured out into the hall. "Come this way!"
Elda and Jasuf stayed with the man while the members of SG-3 took turns covering and running after them. When they reached a corner, a shot nearly blew off Gen's face. He stepped back immediately.
"How many?" Elda asked.
"Two," he reported between breaths. "They're blocking the door to the bay."
Elda wasn't the sort to take his word for it. She took a peek of her own and dodged another shot. "There's three, you idiot."
"Hey! Elda!" Reynolds yelled. "Let us do the work, huh?"
She rolled her eyes. "Fine." She waved a hand forcefully at SG-3 to move ahead of her.
Jasuf quietly spoke to the representative. "Who is attacking?"
"Our competition," he replied glumly.
Reynolds and Baker nodded to each other. Reynolds laid down cover fire for Baker to run across to the other side of the hall. He made it. They used hand signals, and Baker disappeared around the corner. Meanwhile, Crawford and Smith were using their zats to discourage anyone from creeping up on them from behind.
Their ear pieces crackled. "Colonel, now."
Reynolds reached around the corner to shoot several rounds of zat fire. This served as a distraction. It was enough for Baker to sneak up on their opponents and zat them from the side. He had apparently found another way around and flanked them.
When the dust settled, Elda took a look. She smiled. "Nice." She hauled the representative up by the arm and pushed him forward toward the bay. He opened it easily with his credentials on a wrist device.
The bay looked devoid of people. But that didn't mean there wasn't anyone hiding behind the various crates stacked up in the large room. A single shuttle inhabited its center. "I thought you had several?" Elda hissed at Gen.
"We did!"
"Can you fly it?"
"I know how to activate the auto-pilot. It requires my access key."
Elda shook her head at him. She shot a look of apology toward Jasuf, who was quietly displeased. "I swear this did not happen last time."
SG-3 moved in to sweep the bay and make sure it was secure. Jasuf took it upon himself to use his zat on anyone else attempting to approach. Elda rounded the shuttle when SG-3 was done, blaster ready in her hand, looking for something.
"What now?" Reynolds asked.
"Checking for booby-traps." She saw none and motioned for the representative to come forward and open the small vessel.
The hatch on the side of the cylindrical shuttle whined as it popped upon. Elda quirked an eyebrow at it. She recognized this particular design. "Is this jump-capable?"
Gen paused. "I…" A shot made contact with his back and he was thrown forward into the doorway of the hatch.
Elda pulled him inside the vessel immediately.
Soon her companions were also rushing in.
"We are being overrun," Jasuf reported. He hit the panel to close the hatch. Then he looked down. The rep had fallen on top of her. He breathed in with annoyance.
"Yes, well, help me and I can get us in the air."
Jasuf leaned down to twist Gen to his side. Blood was pouring out of the wound on his back. He groaned.
Elda immediately shot up. She pulled Gen's wrist device off of him and ran toward the pilot's console.
Baker was already there looking it over. "I'm not seeing…" He stopped short as Elda unlocked the console and pushed him over so she could sit down. She buckled into the harness. Her hands began flying over the controls in rapid motion. "Whoa! You know how to fly one of these?"
"Yeah. Easy."
Reynolds stepped up. "You sure?"
The ship broke contact from the deck of the bay. Elda twisted in her seat to give him a serious look. "I highly recommend you sit down and strap in." She didn't need him to question her. She was their only way out now.
"Right." He turned around. "Get him secure," Reynolds ordered, pointing at the fallen representative.
His teammates picked up Gen and strapped him in. His head lolled from side to side. Blood smeared across the seat back behind him. Once everyone was locked into harnesses, Reynolds shouted, "Go!"
Elda grinned. "Going!" The bay doors retracted, letting a few of the unmagnetized crates slip out with the force of the rushing air. Weapons fire appeared to target one of them. It splintered into countless pieces in space.
Reynolds's eyes went wide. Elda flew the shuttle straight into the debris. She whipped the vessel around to the other side of the larger ship to obtain cover.
"Wheeeee!" she cried happily. It had been ages since she got to pilot a ship.
"EldaMalDoran," Jasuf called, "is this vessel capable of jumping into hyperspace?"
She scanned the console for the necessary controls. She briefly looked up to maneuver the ship alongside the path of the larger vessel, keeping it between them and the attacking ship on the other side. When her eyes returned to the console, she declared, "Ah ha! Found them."
Elda had the ship rotate around and open a hyperspace window straight ahead. The shuttle lurched as it was successfully sucked in. The forward port now showed swirling blue and white. Elda squealed in excitement and clapped her hands. She unhooked herself from her straps and thumped in her mag boots toward her passengers.
SG-3 sat perplexed at her obvious glee. Jasuf raised an eyebrow at her.
Elda leaned over the representative. She used a hand to grab his chin and tilt his face up to her. Gen's eyes opened lazily. He was barely conscious. "Just so you know… for all this trouble? I'm keeping the shuttle." She let go of his face, leaving his head to flop around in zero gravity as he lost final consciousness.
"Excuse me, sir." Mitchell looked up at the airman who'd come to fetch him from the mess hall of the Hammond. "You're being requested on the bridge. SG-3 is calling in."
"SG-3?" Vala said with alarm. She looked at her teammates from SG-1 at the table. They knew exactly what mission SG-3 was on. Everyone rose and followed the airman out. Vala nervously wrung her hands as they entered the bridge.
"Colonel, Reynolds is on the comms for you," the ship commander announced. He seemed a little confused.
Mitchell walked over to the vid-screen on the side of the bridge. The rest of SG-1 crowded behind him. "Colonel?" he asked.
Reynolds's face was already visible on the screen. His collar was black and red, definitely not standard U.S. Military attire. "Mitchell. You're not gonna believe this."
He was visibly pushed over by Gracie. He huffed and glared at her. The blonde's bright smile filled the screen. She raised a hand to wave it excitedly within view of the lens. Vala let out a huge sigh of relief. "Guess what I got!" she sing-songed.
Mitchell shrugged. "What?"
"Guess!"
"Another staff weapon," Teal'c conjectured. Mitchell blinked and looked back at him.
"A new blaster?" Vala attempted. Daniel scrunched his face.
With each wrong answer, Gracie's smile grew larger. "Nope!"
"Well, we're stumped. What?" Mitchell asked.
Gracie squealed. "I got a shuttle!" She got up to give them a view of the inner compartment. The remainder of SG-3 looked over at them from afar. They waved at the camera merrily.
SG-1's mouths dropped open.
Mitchell recovered first. "Where are you?"
Reynolds placed himself within view again. Vala unconsciously tried to lean around him to see more of the ship, even though he was only on the screen. "We're currently parked on a neutral planet that apparently only Elda knows about."
"Vala knows it, too!" they could hear her voice interjecting.
Reynolds sighed. "It has a stargate. I figured, as Air Force, you'd want to check it out. Get us the permissions to fly this thing home." He leaned in closer to the lens. "And rescue us," he whispered.
"Hey!" Gracie complained from behind him. "I already rescued you, thank you very much."
He looked back at her with exasperation.
"Okay, okay, it was a team effort," she conceded.
Vala covered her laugh with a hand over her mouth. Daniel raised his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose. He began to shudder and smile as he tried not to laugh. Teal'c raised an amused brow at Reynolds's frustrated reaction.
Grinning, Mitchell said, "We'll be there."
They coordinated with the Hammond's commander to send a message to Earth and update them briefly on these developments. Then SG-1 was dropped off on the nearest planet with a stargate to go visit with Gracie and SG-3.
When they stepped through the stargate, the vessel Gracie was so excited about was right in front of them. Its forward port was facing the gate. As SG-1 peered up at it, they could see her waving at them with a grin on her face.
"Well, I'll be damned," Mitchell muttered. He glanced at Vala, whose eyes were wide as she stared.
Baker stepped out of the side hatch to acknowledge them. "Colonel. We're all in here."
Gracie suddenly appeared and plowed past him. She jumped up and down elatedly. She ran over to the front of the ship and held up her hands toward it with much fanfare. "Look!"
Mitchell began to laugh loudly. "She's a regular Vanna White!"
"Who?" Vala asked.
"Wheel of Fortune," Daniel supplied. "It's a game show."
"Big money," Teal'c succinctly described.
"Oooh, I'll have to check that one out."
The group drew closer. Gracie's excitement was infectious. SG-1 grinned at her as she rattled off the features of the ship she'd so far discovered. Soon she was pulling them inside to where SG-3 was casually seated. SG-1 didn't fail to notice the blood stain on one of the seats.
Mitchell made eye contact with Reynolds. The other Colonel shook his head and sighed. "I don't know how you guys do it," he groaned, gesturing toward him and Daniel. "Mal Dorans are more than I can handle."
Vala grinned saucily. She stepped forward to pat Reynolds's cheek. "We're an acquired taste," she teased, looking back at her teammates. Mitchell's eyes were drawn to the ceiling.
Gracie scrunched her shoulders. "So? What do you think?" she asked eagerly, gesturing at the ship.
"This looks sorta familiar," Daniel commented looking around. He locked eyes with her meaningfully. She nodded, guessing correctly what he must be thinking. They made no further comment aloud.
"Whose blood is this?" Teal'c asked, pointing at the red seat.
"Oh, the Zersha rep got shot in the back."
Mitchell became incredulous. "Another one?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said the last time you got a shuttle, somebody got shot in the back."
"I did?" Gracie cocked her head, thinking. "Oh! Oh yes, that's right! Huh. What a funny coincidence."
Crawford and Smith were absolutely tickled and started chuckling just listening to her. They elbowed each other. Baker glanced at them with a smaller smile on his face. Reynolds, meanwhile, seemed exhausted.
"Where is the Jaffa representative?" Teal'c then inquired.
Baker answered. "After we dropped off the injured guy from Zersha at some medical facility on a space station we've never even heard of," he explained, looking pointedly at Gracie, "we swung by the Hak'tyl planet to bring him home."
"Tek'ron," the young blonde corrected.
"Huh?"
"The name of the planet is Tek'ron. It's not just a Hak'tyl world. It belongs to all the Jaffa who live there."
Teal'c raised his brow at this. Just months ago she swore that the land only belonged to her sisters. Something had changed. But it was not necessarily bad. Her words reflected an apparent respect for the other tribe that lived on the same planet.
"It means 'home of freedom,'" Daniel translated.
Mitchell glanced from Daniel to Reynolds. "Well? Was the mission a success or a fail?"
His counterpart from SG-3 looked contemplative. He opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted.
"Success," Gracie answered. "Definitely a success!" She rocked back and forth on her heels with her hands clasped behind her back as she smiled.
"Jack."
"Daniel."
They were on the phone.
"You're not going to believe this."
"What?"
"She got a shuttle."
"Who did?"
"You know who."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. And get this, it's almost the same exact model as the one you and I… saw."
"How'd she get it?" Jack tilted his head, cell phone following with the motion. "Wasn't she just out with SG-3?"
"Yup. A lot of stuff happened."
"I knew you had it in you."
"What?"
"To talk efficiently."
"Excuse me?"
"You know, fewer words? Same meaning?"
Daniel decided to ignore his jab. "Jack."
"Daniel."
"She got herself a ship. A brand new, shiny ship. Almost exactly like the one she used to have." By now Daniel was an expert on bringing his friend back from an unnecessary tangent. He just knew Jack would be excited about this.
"Cool."
The linguist pulled the phone away from his face to regard it in confusion. He brought it back to his ear. "Just… cool?"
"Daniel. Fewer words, remember?" Jack could hear grumbling over the line. He quirked an amused smile.
"Right."