Daughter
A/N: Let's have a little fun, shall we? Got a chapter here with some mischief and set-up for the next arc. Enjoy! Thanks for reading.
Chapter 43 – Not in the Report
The leader of SG-2 joined SG-3 and General Landry in the briefing room. "Colonel Pierce?" the General prompted.
He slid a file in the direction of Reynolds. "We figured out how your covers got blown on that Alliance op."
Reynolds raised a brow and opened the manila folder. Inside was a surveillance photo of someone SG-3 had run into before. "Well, I'll be," he muttered.
Lt. Baker leaned over to see then shook his head. "That explains it."
Reynolds scooted the file over to the rest of his team so they could see. Crawford and Smith gazed at the photo, but didn't recognize its subject.
Elda peered at it curiously. "Who is that?"
Reynolds explained, "A smuggler we once had to deal with. He must have recognized us."
"Maybe he boarded our ship and caught sight of us. Tipped off the commander," Baker surmised.
"That's the long and the short of it," the SG-2 leader confirmed.
"Before our time, sirs?" Crawford asked.
"That's right, Corporal," Reynolds answered. He shook his head and looked back at Pierce. "Where's the bastard now?"
"Last we saw, he was hiding on a planet designated P4X-367. Commerce planet. Think his last job went sideways. Word on the street is: he's layin' low 'till things blow over."
"Are we gonna go grab the sucker?" Smith said eagerly.
"While I appreciate your enthusiasm, Corporal," Landry responded, "there's more for you to hear first." He nodded for Pierce to continue.
The Colonel inclined his head and addressed SG-3. "There's some previously-unknown player in town putting a call out for bounty hunters to grab individuals that fit a certain profile. Your guy here," he said, pointing at the photo on the table, "has expressed an interest in joining in."
"That's a step down for a smuggler by galactic standards," Elda muttered. "What's the payday on these bounties?"
Pierce regarded Elda curiously. "Don't have a number. But it's enough to attract a lot of attention."
"Any idea what form of payment this new player is offering?" Elda asked.
"Naquedah."
Baker whistled. Compensation with naquedah was one of the most prestigious forms of payment around. It typically implied that the buyer had control of a mine or two. Elda knew her own tribe had been painted as a target, simply because they were paying Zersha in exactly that same way. It's what had attracted those kidnappers to their planet in the first place. She'd been worrying that more of them would try again. This report from SG-2 leader was doing nothing to ease her concerns.
"So what does this mean for us?" Reynolds inquired.
"Well, we could just send a team, pick up your snitch there, and lock him up tight in Area 51," Pierce said. He turned to the General.
"Instead," Landry announced, "SG-3 will follow up on this all-call for bounty hunters. Find out what it's about. You'll start with your smuggler friend as your lead."
"Sir? Are we going to need the mimic devices?" Reynolds asked, knowing they would be recognized.
"Or modified Sodan cloaks?" Baker suggested.
Elda blinked at the mention of the Sodan. Crawford and Smith sat forward with anticipation in their expressions. Those were fun toys.
"Neither," Landry replied.
The younger marines deflated.
"You're going to let your three younger teammates run the op out in the open. You can render support from behind the scenes. Your smuggler friend doesn't know them. We're going to take advantage of that."
"Ooooh, a manipulation job," Elda said slyly, rubbing her hands together.
Landry chuckled, pointing his pen at her. "I had a feeling you might be interested."
Pierce glanced at her and quirked a smile. "Your Vala's kid sister?"
"Yeah."
"This will be interesting." Pierce looked over at Reynolds encouragingly.
"Colonel," Elda said to her CO, "how do you want to proceed?"
"I'm open to ideas."
Elda now turned to her Uncle Hank and the leader of SG-2. "I'd like to know everything we have on that smuggler and that planet. And the bounty. If we know of any of the smuggler's recent contacts, that would be useful as well."
Landry didn't hesitate to delegate. "Colonel Pierce, see to it that she is provided with the requested intel. Don't bother translating anything out of Goa'uld."
"You're fluent?" Pierce asked her.
"Of course."
He tilted his head, nodding in acknowledgement.
"Miss Mal Doran," Landry then said, purposely addressing her with formality to indicate his seriousness, "once you've examined the intel, formulate a game plan with your team and report back. Then we'll schedule the mission."
She inclined her head. "What's our deadline?"
Pierce responded, "We don't expect our smuggler to stay on that planet forever. I'd give him a week, at most."
"Got it."
Reynolds sat quietly impressed with her confidence. He didn't mind that Landry was forcing him and Baker to take a back seat on this one. If he was going to have a Mal Doran in his employ, he might as well take full advantage. He glanced over at his 2IC to tell him as much with his expression. Baker simply waggled his brows to confirm.
"Does this mean the smuggler will be our mark?" Smith wondered aloud.
Elda smiled at him with approval. "Correct. We may yet discover more along the way."
"In the meantime," Landry cut in, "SG-3 still has another mission to complete. Colonel Pierce, thank you. You are dismissed. Have the info she wants by the time SG-3 is back."
"Sir." Pierce stood up and left the room.
"What's on our agenda today, General?" Colonel Reynolds said, ready to change tracks.
Landry passed out files for each of them to read. He purposely gave Elda one that was written in Goa'uld. When she opened it, she looked up at him with surprise. He offered her a small smile. Gratitude shown in her expression.
"Today, you're checking out a planet with a temple on it. We've been there before, but lately there's been an increase in traffic to the site. And when the Odyssey happened to fly by, it noted a strange energy reading that we've never detected before. They made it a point to flag the planet for one of our teams to check out before they left. You're the lucky winners."
He wasn't letting her go. Daniel kept Vala firmly in place in their bed, kissing her feverishly. She laughed into it, amused by his extra affection.
His hand kept wandering to her lower abdomen to caress the skin there, as if he were trying to encourage her stomach to swell with new life. He couldn't wait to see the outward evidence. Ever since she'd told him she was carrying his child, it had renewed an eagerness in him. She happily received all of his attention.
"You know we already made the baby, right?" she teased.
"Mmm hmm." His mouth moved to her neck now. His hands wandered elsewhere, careful not to brush against her tender breasts.
Vala glanced at the clock on the night stand. They should technically be leaving for the base. Her eyes shut and her mouth popped open when Daniel's lips wandered far away from her neck. She refused to say a word about the time.
"Where. Are. They," Mitchell complained by the elevators. He had his hands on his hips. His foot tapped impatiently on the ground.
Carolyn stared at him with hands buried in her lab coat pockets. "Maybe she has morning sickness," she whispered, careful not to say it too loud in front of other personnel.
"They're like rabbits, I tell ya," he continued to grumble.
"Cam, must you always assume everyone is just having sex?"
"It's them. They are always having sex!"
Carolyn shushed him.
He looked at her meaningfully. "He knocked her up. That's evidence enough."
His girlfriend just laughed. Personnel in the hallway glanced over at them. The elevator car finally opened. The pair allowed their colleagues to exit before venturing in. They were now the only ones inside.
Cameron didn't care that there was a camera watching them in the corner. They were alone for the moment. Whoever was manning the security feeds could kiss his ass. He placed an arm around her waist from beneath her lab coat and squeezed. Carolyn leaned into his body naturally.
"I swear I should just kick his ass and set him straight."
She rolled her eyes. "He actually wants to have children, Cam. This was sort of planned."
His eyes snapped to hers. "What!? He coulda told me that!"
She shrugged.
Cameron just groaned. The elevator dinged and he released her waist. They stepped apart about an inch. The doors opened to reveal the subject of Cameron's grumbling on this late morning. "Well, well, fucking well," he said to Daniel and Vala.
Daniel just glared at him. Vala grinned. She instantly placed herself at Carolyn's side and bumped her shoulder. "Morning." Daniel went to Cameron's side within the elevator and faced the doors.
Mitchell gazed over at Vala. "She don't look sick to me," he pointed out to Carolyn.
His girlfriend smashed her lips together, realizing with a smile that his assumptions must have been correct.
SG-3 stepped through to the temple planet. The area around the gate was bustling with people, many of whom were in robes. The team stood out in their green military attire trimmed with black vests and boots. The temple rose up in the distance. A long, wide path was available to lead them there. Vendors of all types displayed their wares at market stalls along the way, offering mostly food and religious items that could be blessed by the temple priests.
Elda flipped a few coins toward one vendor and received a stick with meat on it. She promptly began to consume it, savoring the flavor in her mouth.
Baker eyed her curiously. "You just happen to have currency they accept in your pocket?"
She swallowed a bite. "You don't?"
"Where do you even get their cash?" the Lieutenant wondered.
"You do realize who my boyfriend is, right?" Elda said nonchalantly around another mouthful.
Smith reached over to steal a piece of meat and try it. "Oh my God. I want one. Elda, spot me."
She reached into her vest pocket and gave him a few coins. Smith went back to the same stall to get his own barbeque. She then bit into her food before Crawford could try to steal some, too. "Go share with Smitty," she chided. Her friend frowned and then started negotiating with Smith.
Reynolds rolled his eyes. He admonished, "You should've eaten back at the base."
The three younger team members looked chagrined for a moment. Then Elda held out a piece of meat for Reynolds. "Wanna try?"
He huffed and accepted it. When he popped it into his mouth, his eyes widened. "Oh my God," he said as he chewed.
Baker watched with anticipation. "Hey, me too," he whined.
Elda offered him his own sample. She smiled when his eyes lit up. She reached into her pocket to pull out a few more coins. She handed them to Baker to get his own stick. He came back and chose to share it with Reynolds.
"Hey," Crawford complained. "How come you spot them but not me?"
"Because they didn't claim the right to nickname my first-born child before she's even conceived," she deadpanned.
"The fuck?" their CO exclaimed. "Crawford, what is wrong with you."
Baker laughed aloud with food in his mouth.
Smith cracked up as well, then handed the rest of his food to Crawford. The other marine chewed on it with a frown on his face. Once the team was done snacking, they found a rubbish bin to toss the leftover sticks into. It was already filled with others, ready to be recycled into something else.
Elda looked around as she sipped from her water canteen. No one seemed to be paying much attention to them, except for maybe one person. She pretended not to notice the woman surreptitiously eyeing them as they proceeded toward the temple. Elda decided to watch for signs that they were being followed.
She brushed shoulders with Crawford to get his attention and make silent eye contact. They had gotten close enough to each other that she could communicate her observation with just a look. Her teammate's eyes darted to one side, catching sight of someone with fire-red hair keeping pace with them behind the stalls. He glanced back at Elda and agreed to keep a look out.
The team reached the temple within a few minutes. A long line of patrons snaked around the building. SG-3 chose to walk the perimeter of the large structure first, seemingly to get an idea of where the end of the queue might be. But really it gave Smith a chance to pull out his station data pad and see if it would get a hit.
Even though the device was effectively cut off from its home database, it still had several active functions available for them to use. One of those was signal detection, on the off-chance the station changed its transmission frequencies. Noem, the station master's son, had once explained to them that this happened from time to time. All data pads were designed to be capable of receiving any frequency the station chose to use.
Smith liked his data pad so much that he never left Earth without it. It was a nice reminder of the fun they had back on the space station. And now, it was coming in handy.
When they reached the opposite side of the temple, fewer people were about. The line of temple-goers waiting to get in receded around the corner. Other individuals were sitting quietly in meditation and prayer among the temple gardens.
SG-3 kept their voices respectfully low. "Anything?" Reynolds asked of Smith.
"There's definitely a signal coming from inside, sir," he replied as he stared down at the data pad.
Baker leaned over his shoulder to see. He saw waves on the screen. The device labeled the measurements in Goa'uld. "Frequency matches Odyssey's report."
"That line is long as fuck," Crawford commented. "It'll take forever and a day to get in."
"Worse than Disneyland," Smith said, looking up.
"Okay. What is Disneyland?" Elda wondered aloud. "Honestly."
Reynolds smiled at her. "Where'd you hear about it?"
"They tell me Atlantis is Disneyland for Dr. Jackson." She bared her hands outward, clearly feeling ignorant on the topic.
Her CO chuckled, smiling wider now. "Ain't that the truth."
"We'll show you some pictures, Baby Cakes," Crawford promised. "Kind of hard to explain."
Elda nodded, a bit disappointed that they wouldn't just explain now.
Then her eyes caught sight of the redhead again. They flitted back to Crawford in warning.
Reynolds watched as they seemed to conduct a silent conversation with just their eyes and small quirks of their facial muscles. He furrowed his brow.
Crawford grabbed Elda's hand to pull her away from the group. He turned them in the direction of their tail so he, too, could get a good look at her. But in order to cover his gaze, they had to put on a little show of distraction. He wrapped an arm around Elda's shoulders and leaned in with a fake smile, as if they were having an affectionate, private moment. They both agreed that their conversation had to be continued with actual spoken words. This was how they would accomplish it without giving too much away.
"Threat?" he whispered, pretending to regard her sweetly.
"Not sure yet." Elda smiled back flirtatiously. "Didn't see any obvious weapons."
"Doesn't mean she's not armed."
Reynolds was about to scold them for leaving the group when Smith caught his eye. His subordinate shook his head. The Colonel squinted, rightly sensing that the other two must be acting extra touchy for a reason. His three rescuers from the space station had an obviously special bond. He decided to wait it out, expecting one of them to explain later. And if they didn't, he'd be sure to demand an explanation when they could talk more freely.
Elda pretended to giggle at something Crawford said. Baker's eye twitched, but he had observed the exchange between Smith and their CO. He knew to stay quiet. Elda leaned her head on Crawford's shoulder and whispered something else.
Then their gaze flitted toward Smith.
The marine gave them a look of exasperation. His expression seemed to ask, 'Why me?'
Elda and Crawford appeared to insist anyway.
Smith let out a breath of annoyance. He handed the data pad over to his 2IC, who regarded him strangely. "I'll be back," he grumbled.
"Where do you think you're going, Corporal?" Reynolds quietly asked with a warning tone.
"They just assigned me a mark. I gotta go work her," he whispered.
"What the fuck?" Reynolds said under his breath.
But Smith didn't say anything more. He wandered away.
"Sir," Baker piped up. "Signal strength is increasing." He held up the data pad for the Colonel to see.
Reynolds's eyes darted distractedly between a retreating Smith and the pad. Crawford and Elda joined them. "The Hell is going on, Mal Doran?" he demanded, volume still low.
"We're being followed. Redhead. Wearing local robes. Since the food stands. She's been eyeing Smith the whole time. She might be our 'in'."
"We could skip the line, sir," Crawford suggested.
"So all that was you making a decision for the whole team?" Reynolds groused.
Elda grimaced. She knew he was getting a little mad. "Sorry. Kind of hard to tell you without tipping off the spy who's watching our every move." She glanced around, now observing that Smith had successfully struck up a conversation with the mark near one of the tall statues. "He's made contact."
Reynolds very slowly turned to see what she was looking at. The redhead seemed to be smiling at Smith, who was obviously in flirt mode. The Colonel dropped his head briefly to his chin. Then he sighed. "You three do this kind of thing on the station?"
Elda and Crawford shared a look. He answered for them both, "All the damn time. At least, until we finally found you."
Their CO stared at them, reminded of what they went through just to get him home. He wasn't ungrateful. He clenched his jaw then relaxed it. He glanced over to where Smith was, talking to their tail. He thought he noticed her, too, but wasn't absolutely sure how long she'd been following them. Looks like his younger subordinates were observant enough to catch on quick. Maybe faster than him.
He resigned himself to let them do their thing. If Mitchell could learn to deal with Vala and be successful, then he could learn to go with the flow with her little sister, too. Elda was clearly already influencing the younger members of his team. It was a classic case of: 'Can't beat 'em? Join 'em.'
The entire time Reynolds held this internal debate with himself, Elda's eyes focused on Smith. She was waiting for him to make a signal of some sort, whether it was with a look or body language. She finally got something when he seemed to blink in surprise at something the girl said. Elda watched as he forced a smile. Maybe to someone else it was sly, but to Elda's trained eyes, it was actually nervous.
He seemed to touch the woman's arm briefly as he stepped back. Smith rejoined the group further away in the gardens as they pretended to huddle over the station data pad. He coughed.
"So?" Elda asked, eyes trained on the pad. The signal continued coming in, but apparently with more gusto now.
"She's interested in a quickie," Smith muttered.
Reynolds and Baker shared a look of alarm.
"Oh boy," Elda responded. "And?"
"I told her, yeah maybe, but only if it's in the temple. I pretended it's some sort of kinky fetish of mine." Crawford began shuddering in quiet laughter. Smith hit his arm. He went on, "She said she could get us in."
"Us?" Reynolds asked. "As in…"
"Not all of us, sir. Me, her… and…" Smith stopped short, apparently hesitant. His eyes shot straight to Elda's. Everyone noticed.
Baker furrowed his brow. "Corporal?"
"I guess she's into threesomes." Smith shook his head slightly. "She's had her eye on you, too, Baby Cakes."
Elda stifled a laugh. She smashed her lips together.
Reynolds face contorted. "Let me make something clear. None of this is part of our job descriptions." It was both a warning and a reminder that no one should prostitute themselves just for the sake of the mission.
Elda made eye contact with the Colonel. "I'll help," she readily declared. Reynolds now looked even more worried. "Don't worry, Colonel. Neither of us will actually take our clothes off." She looked at Smith now. "Ready, Smitty?"
He shook his head. "No."
"Too bad. Let's go have some fun." She bit her lip naughtily at him then pulled him away.
Crawford struggled not to laugh aloud. He squeezed his eyes together and hid his grin by looking away from the redhead's direction. "I think Elda would call this a seduction job," he whispered.
Baker was caught off guard by the whole thing. "You three are really something else," he said quietly. "What the hell did you get up to on that station?"
Crawford was still trying to control his laughter. "Tell you later, sir."
Soon Elda, Smith, and their redhead mark were brushing shoulders and heading toward the temple structure. The remainder of SG-3 acted as if they didn't notice, especially when the woman pulled out an access card that seemed to open a hidden door. They could hear soft giggles as the trio ventured inside.
Their ear pieces suddenly crackled. Voices began streaming in that only they could hear. None of the temple patrons scattered about the garden paid them any mind. Crawford sighed in relief that they had ear pieces with them today. He used to complain that they had no way to monitor each other's conversations while working on the station. The only benefit of being without such tech was that it forced the three of them to develop their own special method of communication with just their eyes.
Reynolds cringed over the naughty conversation two of his subordinates and some random alien chick on this godforsaken planet were having. He didn't want to actually imagine what was going on in there. He just hoped it would be over soon.
Baker's eyes widened when the redhead suggested something particularly kinky. Apparently she wanted to watch Smith and Elda first. Smith cunningly suggested something else, apparently getting her good and distracted.
Zat fire sounded off in their ears. The men all looked up and glanced toward the secret entrance. Smith peeked his head out and nodded at them to hurry over. Reynolds, Baker, and Crawford moved quickly. They arrived inside the darkened corridor to find Elda leaning over the now-unconscious mark, searching her pockets. She was able to find the access card.
She tilted her chin up with a satisfied smile as she held it up for her team to see. "We're in." She got up and started walking further into the temple.
Crawford clapped Smith on the back as he passed. "Nice one, man." The marine hustled to catch up to their female teammate.
Baker followed.
Reynolds stopped in front of Smith. "Corporal, I don't even know what to say."
He sighed. "Sir, neither do I," he replied tiredly. He shook his head.
His CO laughed a little. He placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Move out."
"Yes, sir." They both went after the rest of their team.
The redhead was left behind on the floor.
Landry reached out to grasp Vala's hands with a congenial smile. "How are you, Dear?" They were all meeting up in the briefing room. Carolyn was joining in.
Vala smiled back at the General warmly. "I'm well."
"Any morning sickness?"
She glanced in Mitchell's direction. He was glowering at her. "No."
Cam rolled his eyes toward Carolyn. The doctor barely hid a smirk.
"Well, that's good to hear. Take a seat." Vala complied easily. "Dr. Jackson," Landry then called.
"General."
"Congratulations. I haven't had a chance to tell you." He reached out to shake hands with the linguist.
Daniel smiled at Hank. "Thank you, sir."
Landry took his seat at the head of the table, prompting Mitchell to finally take his seat near him. Teal'c was also respectfully waiting for the General to be seated. The Jaffa inclined his head toward Vala next to him. She grinned back.
The General folded his hands on top of the table. "Ms. Mal Doran's condition is obviously going to affect operations for SG-1." He gazed around at the team's current members, plus his daughter seated next to the team leader. "I expect adjustments will need to be made as we go along."
Cameron frowned. "Yes, sir."
"We'll let SG-3 take on some of the more taxing missions as new ones come up. They've got five members now. Should be more than enough to handle what goes on out there. You'll be down to three before you know it, Colonel."
"Sir."
"Could we ask Sam?" Vala wondered aloud. All eyes turned to her. "To take my place when I can't go offworld," she clarified.
Landry tilted his head. "We can certainly ask if she's interested. Might be a nice excuse for her to keep gracing us with her presence here at the SGC. Command is now considering purchasing Zershan shuttles instead of trying to reverse-engineer them. I've run out of reasons to keep her here."
"I almost think that's what must have happened in the other timeline," Daniel commented. Everyone now gazed at him. "The ships I saw there were pretty creative. I can imagine some of that neat ship-tech being from Zersha."
"Do you know if Gracie could confirm that, Dr. Jackson?" Landry asked.
"We've already asked her. She isn't too sure herself. But she didn't discount the possibility."
"All the more reason to pursue them for outsource work. It's hard enough trying to build our own ships here without sudden budget cuts getting in the way," Landry complained. He pivoted back to the original topic. "As for this delightful news," he went on while gesturing at Vala, "I've decided your team would be best suited for a peaceful mission to make new friends. Command wants a team to go back to that Furling-built space station."
Everyone sat forward curiously.
He looked at his daughter. "Dr. Lam?"
"It's still the early days of Vala's pregnancy. I don't see any issues with her making the long trip out there. And from what I've heard, the station has quality medical care. If something were to happen and she couldn't get back aboard one of our battlecruisers, I think she'd be okay."
"We just need to be able to pay for that," Vala pointed out. "Gracie said that's why they didn't have Colonel Reynolds treated over there. They couldn't afford it."
"We'll be sure to have funds set aside for emergencies," Landry promised. "The data pads SG-3 took home were enough to convince Command that the station has some pretty interesting technology we should try to acquire. They want us to establish formal relations. They're willing to leave it to our discretion as to what's necessary to get the job done."
"Can't forget the SGC's original mandate," Daniel said.
Mitchell smiled toward his CO. "Sounds like you just received a blank check, sir."
Landry chuckled. "It does sound like that, doesn't it, Colonel? I think each of you on SG-1 will bring a special quality to the mission. It's perfect for you. And it's also perfect that this is purely administrative. No dangerous scenarios expected." He obviously tilted his head toward Vala.
Her lips parted slightly and her eyes softened over Hank's extra concern for her. If Daniel ever actually proposed, maybe she'd ask him to walk her down the aisle like in those TV weddings. She'd been fantasizing about one already.
"You know, there was a certain someone pining to go back to that station," Mitchell said with a smirk.
"Who, Colonel?"
"Gracie." "Smith," Vala said at the same time. They both blinked at each other. Landry's brow raised.
"Wait a minute…" Cameron stammered. "Corporal Smith?"
Vala shrugged. "I assume his female mark wasn't a mark by the end," she said casually.
"Oh brother," Landry muttered.
"Didn't you and Gracie both tell him your number one mantra? Never fall for the mark?" Cameron said incredulously.
"Yes, we did. Gracie tells me she was on his case the entire time they were still on that acquisition job. But when it was over… and they had all that time to kill… well…" Vala waved a flippant hand into the air and wiggled her fingers.
Landry just shook his head. He wasn't all that surprised. Some things always got left out of the report. "Needless to say, no one from SG-3 is slated to go back to that station any time soon. I'm giving this one to you, for the reasons I already laid out."
"When do we leave, sir?"
"When the Hammond completes some of its next operations. We're not sending you alone on the puddle jumper, considering your run-in with pirates last time. Hammond will escort you there and drop you off. You can keep Puddle Jumper 1 with you. Colonel, link up with the ship commander to make arrangements. Just keep me posted."
"Yes, sir. How long are we expected to spend over on that station?"
"I won't be surprised if it takes you at least a week there. Or longer. I'm giving you a long leash on this one, Colonel. You meet the objectives as you see fit."
Cameron nodded, appreciative of the trust and freedom his CO was allowing him. It sounded like he would have full control over the situation. He liked that. It was refreshing.
Landry gazed around at the table to give anyone a chance to bring up any other topics of interest.
Teal'c leaned forward. "I would like to speak," he requested.
"Please, Teal'c. What's on your mind?"
"I have decided to ask for Ishta's hand in marriage. I would like to invite all of you to the nuptials on Chulak, if she agrees."
Everyone let out sounds of surprise and congratulations.
Vala laid a hand on his forearm. "When will you ask her?"
"I plan to propose when I visit Tek'ron tomorrow." He made it a point to also say, "I will bring EldaMalDoran with me. I would like her to bear witness."
Cameron pursed his lips but didn't argue. Vala shot him a warning look to keep his mouth shut. He glared back silently.
"Teal'c, that is wonderful news," Landry said with genuine delight. "I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you, GeneralLandry." He bowed his head in gratitude.
"T, are there gonna be any changes to your placement on our team?" Cameron asked worriedly. "Not that I'm not happy for you, man."
"We shall see, ColonelMitchell. For the moment, I do not foresee the need for any adjustments to our arrangement."
The Colonel let out a breath of relief and smiled at his friend. He could only take so much personnel turnover at once. He was thoroughly enjoying the make-up of his team right now just as it was. Even the prospect of adding Sam back in was exciting for him.
"Well, today is a good, good day," Landry declared happily, looking all around at SG-1 and his daughter.
As SG-3 roamed the temple, they were careful to avoid patrons who were there to pay homage to some deity they had never even heard of. The temple-goers weren't here to worship a Goa'uld, but some other supposedly benevolent supreme being that required cash in order to spread its blessings. Elda wasn't surprised by it. These sorts of places were really just scams. She and her mother had hidden in one of these temples before. An old smuggler friend of Vala's got them in to act as temple servants after a particularly close call with their hunters. The women laid low there until they simply couldn't stand it anymore.
Smith's data pad led them toward the source of the signal it was detecting. The closer they seemed to get, the stronger it came through on the device. Eventually, they arrived at a closed door. Elda looked it up and down, searching for some sort of control panel to open it. There were no obvious handles or slots to insert one's hand.
Crawford reached around from behind her to remove the access card from her vest pocket without asking, very obviously piercing her personal bubble to do so. She didn't complain, eyes still darting about at the door. In fact, it was as if she didn't notice. Smith didn't regard this as anything out of the ordinary either. But both commanding officers raised their brows. Now Reynolds and Baker started to suspiciously wonder just how close they had really gotten on that space station.
Crawford was acting awfully familiar with Elda.
The door slid open when he waved the access card across its front.
"Damn, I should have thought of that," Elda complained to herself.
"That's why you have me, Baby," Crawford said sweetly.
Reynolds squinted.
Smith stared down at the data pad. "Signal got even stronger once you opened that door. Whatever's generating it could be in there."
"Eyes open, people," Reynolds ordered. The trio made space for him. He unbuckled his P-90 and led everyone in. The men raised their own weapons with eyes forward. Elda drew the blaster given to her by Jasuf and brought up the rear. She glanced behind them to ensure no one was following.
They spread out into a large chamber. Columns inhabited the perimeter, providing plenty of cover for unseen foes. When SG-3 confirmed that the room was clear, they focused their attention on the structure in the center that seemed to house a large computer system.
"Anybody recognize this tech?" Reynolds asked.
Everyone shook their heads negatively.
"Baker, Elda, take a crack at it. Smith, Crawford, watch the door."
The group split as ordered. Reynolds kept his eye on everyone inbetween.
Baker and Elda stepped up onto the raised platform that surrounded the center column. A heads-up display instantly activated before them. A dialog box appeared, awaiting entry. "You recognize this writing, Elda?"
"Nope. Do you?"
"Not really. It looks old."
"Ha. We could probably use Dr. Jackson's expertise for this."
"Yeah, well, he ain't here."
Elda raised her finger toward the virtual screen but stopped before making contact. She looked up at Baker with a question in her eyes. He nodded, giving her permission. She swiped away the dialog box to see what else was there. A menu of sorts was available. But she still couldn't read the writing.
She clicked on the first menu choice. Another dialog box overlaid the screen, asking for input. She swiped it away and tried another option. The system responded in much the same way.
Elda sighed. "I don't know. Not sure I could get anything useful out of this without being able to read it." This was making her realize just how beneficial literacy in multiple tongues could be. Maybe she should restart those English classes with Daniel. Perhaps he could throw in lessons in some other language, too. Something that would help them out here in the field.
Elda figured she'd better ask him soon, before he became too busy with a new baby. She wondered when they'd start spreading that sort of news to the rest of the base.
Baker frowned at the screen. "Yeah, this is beyond me, too."
She tilted her head in thought. "Let me try the data pad." She stepped off the platform and ventured toward the door. Reynolds watched her without a word. "Smitty, Darling. Give me your pad."
He easily unlatched the velcro securing it in his tac vest and produced it for her. "You think it could interact with that system?"
"I dunno. Worth a try." Elda went back to Baker's side. She held the pad up to the active HUD. It began flashing with new dialog boxes, apparently auto-translating what was there in front of it into Goa'uld.
"Beautiful," Baker remarked.
"Now this I can read."
"Any idea what language that is?" he asked, pointing back at the older system.
"Not sure yet. I'll take a photo of it and show Dr. Jackson later."
She began playing around with the translated prompts. Her eyes narrowed as she realized a few things.
"Hmm. Colonel?"
Reynolds stepped up with them. "Whatcha got?"
"I don't think this temple is actually a temple at all."
"What is it then?"
"A vessel. An old one. And somehow the long-range communications system has been activated."
Baker leaned over the data pad. He seemed familiar enough with Goa'uld writing to notice something of interest. He pointed. "Elda, click there."
She complied. A whirring sound began to hum around them. "Uh oh."
"What? Uh oh?" Reynolds asked.
"Uhhh…." Elda looked back and forth between the data pad and the original HUD it was translating for her. "We might have just activated pre-flight procedures."
"Oh shit," Baker muttered. "Sorry, sir."
"Can you shut it off?" Reynolds said quickly.
"Trying!"
Crawford and Smith glanced over in their direction, sensing the team's sudden alarm.
Elda's fingers flew over the Goa'uld-translated commands. Luckily, as a pilot, she knew enough of this lingo to recognize necessary functions to prepare a ship for lift-off. Or to suspend such a thing.
Eventually, the humming dissipated.
Reynolds held his breath. "Elda?"
She sighed loudly. "Whew. It stopped."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. See here? This is flight control. That symbol Baker recognized is an old one to represent it." She looked up at her 2IC. "Honest mistake. My shuttle doesn't even use that character, but I am aware of it. I just haven't seen it in years."
Baker bit his lip, looking over at Reynolds apologetically.
Their CO waved it off.
"Your data pad's modern tech. Why would it translate into outdated writing?" the Lieutenant asked.
"I think the pad's picking the most appropriate characters to match that very old text. Maybe there isn't a better translation into modern Goa'uld, so it went with an older version? I dunno. Dr. Jackson would be better at this than me."
Reynolds patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about that. We each have our strengths. See if you can figure out why the communications system is active."
Elda nodded. She and Baker continued on, while Reynolds stepped off the platform. He headed over to the other marines.
"Still clear, sir," Crawford reported.
Reynolds addressed them both with a low voice so Elda wouldn't hear. "What the hell happened up on that space station?"
The two Corporals shared a confused look. "Sir?" Smith asked.
"Everything's in the mission report, sir," Crawford tried reminding him.
"You know that's bullshit, Corporal. What happened that isn't in the report?"
Reynolds watched as both their jaws clenched. He looked at Crawford pointedly. Then he flicked his eyes toward Elda.
Crawford's eyes went wide. "Sir, nothing happened. I swear."
"Really? It wouldn't be surprising if something did. You were stuck together in close quarters for a good long time."
Smith grit his teeth. "Colonel, we kept it professional. We really did."
Their CO continued to eye them suspiciously.
"We shook on it, sir," Smith promised emphatically. "Neither of us touched her. And she didn't try anything with us."
Reynolds looked back at Crawford. "Sure about that?"
He nodded his head vigorously. "That would have been cheating on my girlfriend. And obviously she's got someone she's crazy about. We're not like that."
The Colonel drew in a breath, deciding to believe him. For now. "Alright, Corporal. But best believe the minute things cross a line, there will be changes made," he warned.
Crawford blinked. "Yes, sir." He had no idea what his commanding officer really meant by 'changes', but he wasn't aiming to find out.
Reynolds shot a warning look to Smith to make sure he understood as well.
"Sir," Smith confirmed awkwardly.
Their CO walked back over to Baker and Elda in the middle of the chamber. Neither had seemed to notice the tense interrogation their teammates had just been put through. They were both engrossed in the system before them.
Crawford and Smith looked at each other. "What the fuck was that?" Smith asked under his breath.
"I dunno, man. Did I do something?" Crawford asked worriedly.
"Yeah, you fuckin' did something. But it was work-related." Smith glanced over to Reynolds, who was now conversing with the others. They were gazing down at the data pad in Elda's hands. "I thought he understood that."
Crawford's face dawned with realization. "Mitchell kept giving me that same damn look," he said, eyes wide.
"Shit, they really think you slept with her."
"But I didn't, though!" he whisper-shouted. It was still quiet enough that the others missed it.
They both glanced out the door, remembering their assignment. No one was approaching their position.
"Crawfy, just back off her for now," Smith suggested. "I didn't think it was that bad. But ya know. I'm used to it by now."
His friend let out a breath. "Yeah," he agreed.
"Elda didn't care either."
"I know."
Reynolds announced, "Let's go. Crawford, take point."
He nodded at his CO and began leading the group out. The boys tried to hide how rattled they felt after fending off their commanding officer's accusations.
Once post-mission physicals were completed and everyone had a chance to freshen up, they headed toward the briefing room to see General Landry. Elda caught up with Crawford in the corridor. She bumped his shoulder to get his attention like she often did.
He acknowledged her with a nod, but didn't really smile. They continued walking side-by-side.
Elda narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong?"
He swallowed. "Nothing."
She didn't believe him. She laid a hand on his arm to stop him. "Crawfy."
"What?"
Elda became confused. He seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden. She tilted her head, encouraging him to say something.
He twisted his jaw around in his mouth, looking left and right. Random personnel were milling about, not paying any attention to them. "Look, Baby Cakes, maybe I went a little too far with you today. Reynolds didn't seem to like it."
She pouted. "Aww. Okay. Sorry. I guess we just got used to working together like that after being on the station for so long."
"You got nothin' to apologize for. I gotta watch it, I guess."
"I'm not military. So I don't even see what the problem is."
"Yeah, I know. But since we're on the same team, it's a little sensitive. We gotta worry about what others think around here."
She rolled her eyes. "We never did anything, Crawfy."
"I know!"
"Ugh. Mitchell said something about this to me."
"Oh shit. He did?"
"It was in passing. He was in the middle of ranting about me being in a relationship with Jasuf."
"Why the hell should he care?" Crawford seemed honestly confused by that.
"Exactly!" Elda agreed, pointing a finger in the air. "Anyway, I think my sister got him to calm down. Thank the Gods. And I'm pretty sure he knows that nothing happened between us, because I've been with Jasuf the whole time."
"He was mad about that?"
"He was upset that I never told him about Jasuf."
"Geez, everyone on SG-1 really babies you, huh?"
Elda threw her hands up in the air. She got them to start walking again. "I'm hardly a child, too."
"Sheesh, I know that's the truth. The way you can switch things up like a frickin' spy? I'm scared of you."
She smiled cheekily at him. "Good."
They walked into the briefing room with grins. Crawford quickly dropped his smile the moment he saw Reynolds. He chose to sit as far away from Elda as possible. It was almost like he could feel his CO eyeing him, even when his gaze was drawn elsewhere.
Everyone else arrived and engaged in the usual formalities with General Landry. They all re-seated themselves to begin the debriefing.
"Alright, SG-3. What have you got?"
Colonel Reynolds reached for Smith's data pad. He slid it over to the General to see. "We determined that the temple is actually a very old spaceship. The signal the Odyssey detected was the long-range communications system transmitting data."
Landry gazed down at the pad, seeing a sample of that transmission. "What kind of data?"
"We aren't quite sure yet. Figured we could ask Dr. Jackson or one of the other linguists to take a look at it."
"Any idea who the sender or the receiver are?"
"That is unclear as well, sir."
"Get this over to Dr. Jackson then." Landry slid the pad toward Reynolds to take back. "What else happened while you were there?"
Everyone glanced at each other. The General didn't fail to notice this. He looked right back at Reynolds, waiting for an answer.
"We sampled some of the planet's local cuisine, sir," Reynolds reported.
Baker hazarded a smile. "Surprise delicacy."
Hank chuckled with amusement. "The locals offer it to you?"
"No. Just bought it off one of the market stalls. Elda covered us," Reynolds said, looking over in her direction.
The General raised a questioning brow toward her. She shrugged humbly.
"She's got a rich boyfriend, sir," Smith playfully explained. Elda smacked his arm.
Landry laughed aloud now. "Alright, SG-3. If there isn't anything else…" He looked around the table, giving anyone a chance to report more. "…then dismissed." He stood up, prompting everyone else to stand as well. He turned around to enter his office and shut the door.
Reynolds made eye contact with his team as they remained standing. "Let's not make a big deal about your little seduction operation, huh?" he suggested. He made eye contact with Elda and Smith specifically.
Elda looked back at him sheepishly.
Smith let out a breath, sensing the Colonel was going to somehow gloss over that part in his written report. "Thank you, sir," he said with embarrassment.
"Mmm hmm." Reynolds shot a warning glare toward Crawford, but didn't comment any further. "Dismissed."
"Colonel," Jack greeted Reynolds over the phone.
"General." He quietly wondered what Jack wanted. He had just filed his mission report about ten minutes ago and was ready to check out of the base for the day.
"I saw your last mission report," Jack started.
This had Reynolds checking the time, wondering if he passed out or something. He swore he literally just submitted that damn file.
"Got a question for ya, here. What's this part about Corporal Smith and Elda Mal Doran 'befriending' a local? Then somehow convincing her to let you into the temple that wasn't a temple?"
"That is essentially what happened, sir." Reynolds found himself confused. What the hell did Jack O'Neill care about two of his subordinates on a mission? He was the head of Homeworld Command for God's sake.
"You know, I typically expect more thorough detail from you. What really happened out there, Colonel?"
Reynolds's eyes went wide. He glanced around the office, checking to see if any of his colleagues were listening in. Now he regretted taking this call in here. He should have found a more private space. But Jack caught him off guard. He called him on his direct line. Reynolds had picked up the phone without thinking, being more concerned with getting home to his family in time for dinner for once.
"Sir, the report reflects the mission critical information. We were sent there to…"
"I know what your objective was, Colonel," Jack said patiently.
Reynolds was a little surprised by how patient he actually sounded. "Yes, sir."
"Malcolm," he finally said, using his first name to emphasize that it was safe for him to tell him the full truth. "Come on."
Jack hadn't called him that in years. Not since he was a mere Colonel himself.
Reynolds looked around. Mitchell got up to leave. He waved casually at him, not realizing who was on the phone. Carolyn was waiting for him in the doorway. Reynolds glanced behind him. Pierce was there, staring intently at his screen. He watched as the other Colonel picked up his landline phone to make a call.
He let out a quiet breath. "Jack," he said hesitantly.
"Spit it out, Mal. I know shit happens. Just tell me what kind of shit happened this time."
"We had a tail. Some redhead. The youngins noticed her first. Hatched a quiet little plan to deal with her before I could stop them."
Jack chuckled over the line. "Let me guess, Vala's baby sister was the ring leader?" He almost sounded proud over the line. But that would be ridiculous, Reynolds thought.
"Pretty much. Pissed me off real good for a minute," he admitted, feeling more at ease talking to a peer instead of a superior. At least for the moment. "Then I figured: those three learned how to work together on that space station, so I should just let them work. And they did."
"Yeah, I can see how you'd get pissed off," Jack granted. "So then what happened? None of that seems so terrible to leave out of the report."
"Well the so-called mark, as the youngins referred to her, was itchin' for something. And she expressed an interest in having both Smith and Elda scratch that itch," he hinted. He was walking a very fine line with this.
There was a pause. Then Jack coughed. "And?"
Reynolds closed his eyes briefly. He felt backed into a corner now. "I did not personally witness anything unprofessional, but my understanding is that things could have gotten a bit R-rated. Ultimately, the mark was zatted and nothing really, actually went down." He hoped that was enough to satisfy Jack's inexplicable curiosity. "I think you can imagine why I left that out… nothing happened."
"A means to an end, huh?" Jack asked flatly.
"That's one way of putting it," Reynolds agreed.
"Well, thank you, Colonel," he said, suddenly using his rank again.
"You're welcome, sir. Have a good night, sir."
"Yep, yeah, you too." The line cut off.
Reynolds removed the receiver from his ear and stared at it for a moment. "The fuck was that," he muttered to himself. He placed the phone down.
"You all good, Mal?" Pierce asked from behind him.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," he responded instantly.
His colleague dropped a report onto his desk. "Here. That intel your little Mal Doran requested. Mostly in Goa'uld."
"Thanks, Ivan."
"Have a good one. I'm out."
Reynolds watched him leave. Then he sat quietly for a few more minutes alone. He'd been sitting on a lot of puzzle pieces lately. And now Jack's phone call added to the mess. He ground his teeth together, not really sure what it all meant. Eventually, he got up with a groan. He'd try to figure it all out tomorrow. He grabbed his jacket and cap and walked out the door. He had a wife and kids to get home to.