Daughter
Chapter 61 – A Little Push
"Ishta, we stand ready to serve as your escort," Jasuf announced formally at the gate on Tek'ron. He and his guardsmen bowed appropriately toward her.
She approached with two Hak'tyl guardswomen of her own. Idul and Agean bowed toward the men as peers. Jasuf made quiet eye contact with Idul to greet her as a friend. He also inclined his head to Agean in a friendly manner, encouraging her to feel more comfortable in his presence. She deserved it by now, being the mate of one of his top guardsmen.
"Activate the chaapa'ai," Ishta instructed. A male Jaffa complied.
The men and women stepped into a protective formation around her, with the two Hak'tyl guardswomen in the lead. Jasuf positioned himself to the side and just behind Ishta, just as he had before on the moon.
They all stepped through the event horizon.
A small contingent of Jaffa dignitaries and guards were ready for them on the other side of the wormhole. The planet they traveled to was lush with greenery. The air was warm and smelled of spices.
"Welcome to Hibradeen," a strong male voice called out. A Jaffa in a formal robe stepped forward. "Ishta, I formally greet you."
She bowed to her peer, face expressionless. She gestured behind her. "Meil'nor sends his son to represent him." Jasuf bowed as was expected of him.
"Come." The group was led away from the gate and into the prosperous village that controlled this world. It was slowly growing into a small city. Free Jaffa powers were concentrating here today in a conference of leaders.
The guards were given respite while the leaders convened inside a large tent. Minders approached them with drinks and encouraged them to be seated at tables set up for their use outside. The Hak'tyl chatted casually with their male counterparts from the other village. By now they were familiar with each other and comfortable. Blendings of the warriors like this were becoming increasingly common on Tek'ron.
A small trio of female Jaffa gathered together to whisper just outside the hut. They were conspicuous in their formal dresses lined with brightly-colored threads. At first, the Hak'tyl regarded them with indifference. Then they noted how a few of the male guardsmen kept glancing their way. Idul and Agean shared a look that amounted to an eye-roll.
After a few hours, the tent opened and the leaders began to file out. All of them waved at their guards to remain at ease. They spoke casually among each other, awaiting the next event in the day's schedule.
The three females watched eagerly when Ishta stepped out, followed closely behind by Jasuf. Their eyes were obviously on him. Idul and Agean regarded them suspiciously.
A few of their male counterparts sniggered. One of them leaned in toward the Hak'tyl. "Those are the daughters of the Hibradeen Tribe Leader," he supplied.
Another one gossiped, "They aspire to catch Jasuf's attention."
"Every time we visit this world."
Idul snapped her head to them. "Are those females aware he has a mate?"
"I do not know, Hak'tyl."
"Idul," Agean warned calmly. "Remember your place."
The men chuckled softly.
"Listen to your sister," another male teased, knowing exactly how Idul behaved.
She adopted a haughty look and said nothing.
Soon the Hibradeen Tribe Leader was approaching both Ishta and Jasuf to speak. His daughters trailed behind him obediently. They straightened their backs and obviously pushed out their bosoms. They stared straight at Jasuf with anticipation in their eyes. Idul and Agean nearly groaned in disgust like humans would.
Jasuf remained expressionless, keeping his attention on the older Jaffa male before him. He nodded appropriately as part of their discussion.
Ishta was pulled into another conversation and left them. Then the tribe leader re-introduced his daughters and excused himself.
That left Jasuf alone with three eager female Jaffa.
His men began to quietly laugh, hiding their smiles by turning away.
The Hak'tyl breathed in deeply, irritated with their counterparts and also carefully watching how Jasuf behaved. Idul's mouth twitched when one of the daughters laughed musically. Agean eyed Jasuf's face critically. He was remaining polite. Neutral. Controlled.
Another daughter dared to step a little closer with a flirtatious smile.
The men reached out to place calming hands on the Hak'tyl's forearms. They sensed the pair was ready to step forward and defend their dear sister's honor.
Jasuf didn't move. He pretended not to notice how the daughters seemed to be crowding around him. But his eyes did dart in the direction of the Tek'ronian guard. He made pointed eye contact with Idul, who straightened up in her seat.
No one in the group could hear what was being said, but they all saw when he held out a hand to gesture toward them. His men stood at attention.
"Hak'tyl," Jasuf called out loud enough for them to hear.
Idul and Agean glanced toward Ishta, who inclined her head. The two of them were given permission to answer Jasuf's summons. They rose from their seats and went to him.
"I will introduce female warriors from my world," Jasuf said to the three daughters. "They are my equals and allies."
Despite Jasuf's flattering introduction, the two guardswomen still bowed low toward the daughters in a manner that acknowledged their stations.
"The Hak'tyl: Idul. Agean," Jasuf named them.
"Greetings on behalf of Hibradeen," the eldest daughter said politely.
All of the women stared at each other suspiciously.
"Idul, tell them of your sister's exploits."
"Which sister, Jasuf?"
He gave her a look.
Her mouth quirked into a smile. "We have a sister known as Lady Elda of Tek'ron. She holds a position of honor among the Tau'ri and travels with them regularly to patrol the galaxy."
"The Tau'ri?" another daughter repeated.
"Yes," Agean confirmed proudly. "She comes from a family of importance there."
"And where is this famed sister now?" the third daughter asked, eyes searching around the conference. It was clear that the three females were unsure why this topic was being brought up.
Jasuf answered, "I just parted ways with her over a human-controlled military base that contains a mighty, new fleet. She is currently supporting our brethren who were infamously mistreated on a moon."
"The bounties," the eldest daughter breathed out in horror.
"Those experiments," another said quietly.
"Indeed," he confirmed. "Lady Elda is their liberator. Her actions delivered them to freedom. She has now obtained proper care for them from qualified healers. They are being rehabilitated as we speak. We continue to provide cal mah for the survivors on Tek'ron."
"She has done our world proud," Agean declared.
"As any Hak'tyl would," Idul added pompously.
Jasuf inclined his head to them in agreement. He quietly relished having Idul here to walk the fine line of formality with these other female Jaffa. Her rudeness and disregard for station could be so advantageous sometimes. He turned back to the trio. "Perhaps you will meet her one day. I trust you will attend the nuptials of Ishta and the famous Shol'va, Teal'c?"
The daughters nodded. "Yes, of course," one of them said. "We would not miss that event."
Jasuf smiled. "I promise to introduce you to her. I will be Lady Elda's proud escort."
The daughters froze.
Idul and Agean looked smug. They understood what Jasuf was doing here. And it made them feel satisfied. Their beloved sister had nothing to worry about. Jasuf's loyalty to Elda was secure.
"I must ask you," Jasuf said, now leaning in toward the daughters. "Can you recommend a garment maker capable of producing a luxurious dress for her? I mean to provide her with the finest threads to wear at the nuptials."
The female Jaffa forced their faces not to move, but the two Hak'tyl watching them knew better. They were clearly surprised that Jasuf had found a mate, one that they could not hope to compete with. Idul and Agean saw color drain from the other women's faces. They forced themselves not to laugh.
Jasuf, himself, looked quite innocent as he stood there waiting for a response.
Ishta listened in from nearby and smiled to herself.
Elda wrung her hands together unconsciously. Smith's eyes darted down to them as he walked alongside her through the training grounds. Their assignment was to make sure no one unexpected was hanging around there. Right now they were walking past the old facility that Elda first trained in.
"He's fine, Baby."
"I know he is."
"Calm down."
"I am calm."
Smith sent her a sideways glance. No, she wasn't.
"I don't trust her."
"Your sister is on the op. She's in charge of the op. She'll make sure Matthews doesn't step out of line."
"But she's not completely out there to guarantee it."
Smith sighed. "Would you rather it have been just Crawford and your sister, then?"
"That wouldn't make any sense. If they're going to send a Mal Doran with him, it ought to be me."
"Yeah," he acknowledged. "But the reality is, it's neither you nor her. It's Matthews. It is what it is."
"Right, right," she tried to agree.
It was almost adorable how nervous Elda was. He'd be more entertained if it wasn't so weird at the same time. She shouldn't be this jealous. This strange thing between her and Crawford was getting hard to watch.
He had no idea how to defuse this bomb that wanted to go off and mess everything up.
Smith almost wished it was him going out on that op with Matthews instead. Then maybe Elda wouldn't be so on edge about it. Yet again, she could easily be as possessive of him as she was of Crawford. Up until yesterday, he kind of assumed she was oblivious to Crawford's feelings for her.
He sighed to himself. Man, this was awkward.
"How's Jasuf," he tried instead.
"He's good."
"Just? Good?"
"What do you want to know?"
"When's he gonna become the king?"
Elda rolled her eyes at him. "For the twentieth time, Smitty, there are no royal titles among the Jaffa."
"Who says you can't start today?" he goaded on purpose.
She pushed him a little, eyes scanning among various obstructions on the training grounds that impeded their field of vision. "They were never allowed to refer to each other as king, queen, prince, whatever because they were expected to revere their supposed gods instead. It's simply not done. They aren't going to change that habit now."
Smith found himself somewhat fascinated by her little sociology lesson. "Okay, okay. But what about you? They gave you a title."
"To be honest, I have no idea how they're justifying that. It's supposed to be a joke."
He could tell he had her good and distracted now. She absolutely hated having a title. This topic always got her going. "Is it because you're human? Is that why it's allowed?"
She stopped walking to look at him. She seemed to be thinking about it. "Jasuf tried to say that once. I guess I never took it seriously."
The marine considered her. "Maybe they like you that much that they want to overcome the fact that you're not Jaffa. So you can get the respect you deserve. A title's their solution."
Her mouth dropped open. "Wow. That actually makes some kind of sense."
He pretended to look smug. "You know me. I'm a genius."
She smiled at him affectionately and pinched his cheek. "Oh, I know."
They resumed walking.
"How are things with Rellie?"
"They're good."
"Just? Good?" She sent him a smirk, purposely repeating his words now.
He rolled his eyes. "If you must know, I think I might be able to make something work with her."
"How."
"Well, the General made me Ambassador now. No idea where he got that idea." He looked at her suspiciously, remembering her delighted reaction to the announcement. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"
Elda just shook her head.
He didn't really believe her, but continued on anyway. "I already got my first assignment sending me back to the station in a few days. This might become a thing. I might actually be able to see her." He pointed at Elda. "And if they agree to accept a stargate? Shoot. I could be over there every day."
"Just like me, always trying to go home to Tek'ron."
"Yeah, like that."
"Isn't it funny how things just worked out this way?" Elda said thoughtfully.
"Yep. It's like the past year has been nothing but crazy changes."
"One thing just leading to another."
"I wouldn't go back in time and change nothin,'" Smith declared.
Elda felt herself becoming emotional. He didn't even know how meaningful his words were to her. She couldn't bring herself to say anything more. Elda wrapped an elbow around his affectionately. Smith just smiled.
Cameron was there to greet Puddle Jumper 1 when it landed on the surface. Daniel and Teal'c stood just behind him. When the hatch opened, Matthews stepped down with an obvious scowl on her face. Crawford appeared behind her with much the same look. He placed himself in line with her but kept plenty of space between them. They both saluted respectfully to Cam.
He squinted his eyes at them and said nothing.
Vala soon exited the hatch and rounded the pair. "Go. Go now."
They glanced at Mitchell, who nodded his head. He was allowing Vala to dismiss them. The pair quickly walked in opposite directions, as far away from each other as possible. Daniel and Teal'c watched them go curiously.
"Princess?"
"It was damn near a disaster," she said flatly.
"What?" Daniel asked incredulously. "What happened?"
She huffed. "They got up to the Chigu tower and scored a meeting with the same rep that SG-3 met before. Then inexplicably, Matthews decided to pretend to be jealous when the woman tried to get cozy with Crawford. If it were me? I would have let it happen and gave him the chance to squeeze details out of her." She held up her fingers in an almost-pinching motion. "He was this close to getting what we wanted."
"So… no blasters?"
Vala looked at her CO glumly. "Oh, they got some sort of deal. But it's hardly worth the effort at this point. It's almost like a pity contract." She crossed her arms and looked away haughtily.
"Quality of the trade negotiation aside, did you get any useful intel about Chigu?"
"They are in the business of hiring and arming mercenaries for a lot of offworld work. That's what they were thinking of buying blasters for. When pressed for an example, the rep said something about security for sensitive research facilities."
"The moon."
"Yes, just like that moon."
"Okay. That's only adding more circumstantial evidence to the pile. You didn't get anything more solid?"
She sighed. "No. Not this time."
"Damn, I really thought Matthews would have come through for us. She's supposed to be really good."
"Everyone has their off days," Vala conceded. "But maybe we don't put those two back together again any time soon."
"I told you to get their asses to work together."
"Believe me. I tried. But sometimes the personalities just don't gel."
Cameron stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. "Why can't they really work together?"
"I can only assume it's because Crawford will not willingly sleep with Matthews. And she realized that."
Daniel's mouth gaped. Teal'c seemed surprised.
Cameron contorted his face. "I thought those were only rumors."
Vala waggled her brows. "Yes, well, there could be some truth behind this set. Crawford was there to work. He almost had it. But the other woman's libido seemed to have gotten in the way. If she couldn't have him, then no one could."
"That is disappointing to hear."
"And now I think we know why she doesn't usually get sent out on ops with partners."
Daniel muttered, "Pierce probably already knows better."
"Shit, he coulda warned me."
"You didn't give him a chance to, Cam," Daniel pointed out.
Teal'c finally spoke. "Consider this a learning opportunity for your command, ColonelMitchell. It is fortunate that none of our people were harmed." He looked to Vala. "I presume their true loyalties were not revealed to Chigu?"
"No, their covers are still secure. They just look incompetent now."
Cam sighed. "Guess I'm definitely sending Elda on the next one then."
"Let her go with Smith," Vala suggested. "They'll get us what we want."
"Not Crawford?"
Her mouth twitched. Daniel quirked a brow at this.
"Give him a break," she simply said.
Smith was waiting for Elda when she stepped through the gate from Tek'ron. She had just escorted a newly-discharged Jaffa patient back to their planet for continued recovery. She didn't stay onworld long. Only Meil'nor was there when she came to make a report.
"They came back while you were gone," the marine reported.
Her eyes widened. "Where is he?"
"Quarters upstairs." Smith pointed at the sky, indicating the Hammond in orbit.
Elda didn't hesitate. "Hammond, this is Elda Mal Doran. One to beam up, please."
Smith watched her disappear with a flash. He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. So weird.
Elda was beamed onto the auxiliary bridge, which was tasked with handling secondary operations like transport of individuals on and off the surface. She signed in on a tablet to declare her presence on the ship. Then she rushed out toward the crew accommodation block.
When Crawford opened his door, he wasn't surprised this time to see her there.
Elda tilted her head curiously. He looked displeased. She didn't bother to wait for him to invite her in. She pushed him backwards so she could enter. Crawford said nothing as she immediately inhabited the single chair by the desk. "So?"
He sighed, then sat on his bed. "Didn't go so well."
"Uh oh. What happened?"
"We made it over there. Got a meeting with the same Chigu rep as before."
"Did she recognize you?"
"Oh yeah." He grimaced. "She was ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Only reason she didn't was because Jessica was there."
"Jessica," Elda repeated, incredulous that he was on a first-name basis with this other woman.
"Yeah. She was a deterrent. A big one."
"Was that a good thing or bad thing?"
"Your sister would argue that it was bad."
Elda began to imagine different scenarios in her mind. "What would you argue?"
He merely shrugged glumly.
"What exactly did she do?"
"She got the lady talking. Started negotiating numbers and timelines. Whatever. I had to jump in and make up some reason why we didn't come back right away to take their original offer. Jessica wasn't getting anywhere making the rep tell us what they needed the blasters for."
"So you saw an opportunity to flex your muscles, literally, and attack the objective from another angle."
Crawford pointed at her. "I like the way you say it so much better."
"Better than who?" she asked cautiously.
"Jessica."
Elda hid her lips in her mouth, quietly satisfied with that. She felt a little relief that Crawford still preferred her over this new girl. "What happened when you tried the other angle?"
"She basically cock-blocked the rep." At Elda's confused look, he rephrased, "She got in her way."
"The rep wasn't ready to take you in a back room, was she?" Elda asked doubtfully.
"Probably."
Elda eyes widened in realization. Her mouth gaped. It would seem her impression of their colleague was all wrong. It sounded like she really was that good at her job. "I think Matthews was trying to do you a favor."
Crawford scrunched his face. "We barely got any good intel and left with a poor excuse for a trade agreement." He'd seen Elda negotiate more than once. He knew what a good contract looked like by now. "We damn near wasted our time."
Elda stood and went to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "She kept you from prostituting yourself. And we can't win them all."
He stared up at her in disbelief.
"I think I'm relieved."
"What?"
She patted his shoulders. "You didn't have to cross a line. And we're not enabling Chigu financially any more than we have to. Maybe you didn't get what you wanted. But at least you didn't lose."
Elda was actually upset with her. This was a first. And it had Vala surprised. "I cannot believe you thought he should go through with that!"
Daniel sat wide-eyed in the chair of their quarters, just watching. Vala stood a few feet away from an angry daughter in the middle of their room. "It was a missed opportunity. We hadn't gotten anything good yet. It was time to change tactics."
"Maybe you weren't there to see, but I dealt with that representative before in person. I am quite certain that she meant to go all the way with him. She wouldn't have talked until maybe after!" She flailed her arms around wildly. "I thought we always agreed never to let anything get that far."
Vala gaped. Elda seemed to be forgetting that she was not the mother she spent seventeen years with in another timeline. But just the same, she felt the need to defend herself. "Hey! I wasn't trying to tell him to prostitute himself! At most, let her touch him harmlessly while he interrogated her. Then find a way to end it."
Elda hissed, "Mom, that rep is like a tar'tak animal on Tek'ron: vicious and not prone to wait. I will bet Matthews recognized that and realized the seduction angle was a bad idea."
Vala's mouth opened and closed. She let out a breath.
"Maybe our impression of Matthews is all wrong," Daniel quietly commented.
Without breaking eye contact from Vala, Elda pointed at him emphatically to agree. "Talk to Cameron. Revise your assessment of the mission." Then she left with a huff.
"Why did my father send me to this conference?" Jasuf asked Ishta tiredly as he escorted her back to her village.
He had already dismissed his men. Idul and Agean were encouraged to go ahead so the leaders could have a private conversation. The warriors assumed there were matters of importance to discuss that did not involve them. They readily dispersed and left the two alone.
"Your father means to prepare you for leadership," she simply replied.
Jasuf hummed. Because of course she would say that.
Ishta then feigned curiosity. "You believe there is another reason?"
"Is there?"
Her expression remained neutral. The fact that he was catching on was encouraging. It was a sign that he was truly progressing towards readiness for this grand role his father would someday hand down to him. "It is more efficient to accomplish multiple tasks at once, than just one. You know this."
Jasuf grit his teeth. "And what other task was accomplished today?"
Ishta smiled slightly. She donned that mysterious look she always had when her long-term plans were quietly being achieved. "Tell me, young Jasuf. Why did you call upon the Hak'tyl during your conversation with those Hibradeen daughters?"
He could have groaned. Ishta was answering his question with a question. She was challenging him, forcing him to figure things out with just a few cryptic clues. "I find those daughters tedious," he admitted.
"They are beautiful," Ishta countered.
"Perhaps to my men."
"You do not agree?"
"I have a mate. I have no need to gaze upon females who aspire to stand by my side when I do not wish them to."
Ishta adopted her signature calculating smile. "What was the purpose of calling upon my guard?" she repeated, making him supply a more thorough answer to her original query.
"Idul and Agean are loyal to Elda. Perhaps the most loyal among the Hak'tyl. I knew they would proudly regal the daughters with her accomplishments, and that those daughters would take heed. If I alone attempted to boast about her, they would think I was lying."
"You felt the need to boast about my young Hak'tyl?"
"As a means of fending off those daughters' affections, yes. They need to know I am matched. They should direct their attention elsewhere."
"Such backhanded maneuvering," Ishta commented lightly.
"You do not approve?"
"Your method was effective. Today. But what of all the other aspirational daughters on other worlds inhabited by your father's allies? Surely there are more of the right age and disposition."
Now Jasuf openly sighed. "Perhaps I need to bring Idul and Agean with me everywhere I go," he mused.
Ishta laughed now. "I cannot allow that. There are appearances that must be maintained. If you show them too much favor, the people will whisper. Your loyalty to your mate will come into question. And with it, your rule."
He closed his eyes briefly. "What other suggestion would you make?"
"There is a curious human saying I have come to learn: 'Actions speak louder than words.'"
"That is curious."
"You would need not dance around the topic of having a worthy mate if you simply did one thing."
"And what is that?"
Ishta paused their walk to stare him in the eyes. She waited.
He stared back, trying to determine what she meant him to realize. The Hak'tyl had such an irritating way of dancing around topics themselves. Jasuf thought through their conversation, trying to pick out the clues and hints Ishta was dropping.
She simply continued to watch him as he thought.
Eventually, his eyes widened.
Ishta nodded at him encouragingly. She resumed walking.
After a beat, he jumped and followed her. "Ishta," he started, but then he stopped, unsure of what to say.
"I believe you now have your answer, Jasuf."
"I must confirm that we are referring to the same action. You mean to say I should marry her?"
"Is that unappealing to you?" she asked quite calmly.
"No," he responded without hesitation. "But I question if it is the right time."
Ishta decided to take a circuitous route home now. She did not want this conversation to be cut short by their arrival to the village. She suddenly turned, meaning to check on the water storage tanks on the other side of the settlement.
Jasuf had to pivot quickly to keep up with her.
"Such decisions are dependent on the willingness of both parties to enter into a permanent union. Time need not be a factor."
Ishta kept walking. Jasuf kept following. She could tell he was thinking now.
"We have never considered this topic aloud," he confessed. They'd spoken about children, surely, but that was because they were intimate with each other. The conversation was necessary. But marriage? Neither had ever brought it up.
"Then do so," Ishta suggested decisively.
"I shall." He hastened his stride to match hers. She was walking so fast. So purposefully. Her pace seemed to be forcing him to accelerate both his physical speed and his decision-making. He didn't realize the mind games she was playing with him by behaving this way.
They reached the water tanks. Ishta carefully opened each lid to peer inside. The water was as clean as it should be. She noted, however, that one tank was running low. She would need to instruct someone to ensure this was addressed.
Jasuf dutifully leaned down to examine the displays attached to each of the warmers. The devices not only prevented the water from freezing in the winter, but also boiled it occasionally to ensure the liquid remained sterile and free of hazardous growths. He gestured to one of the tanks. "This one will need maintenance soon. I will send you a worker for this."
Ishta bowed her head in thanks. Then she returned to their previous topic. "Jasuf."
His attention snapped back to her.
"I sense only good would come from a marriage between you and my young Hak'tyl. The alliance between our two tribes would benefit from a union such as yours."
"You would approve?"
"I would. You have my blessing, young Jasuf. You may have her hand, if she agrees."
He bowed low.
"Hey," Jessica greeted.
"Hey," Elda said back flatly.
"Mind if I sit down?" she asked, gesturing at the open spot across from Elda in the tiny mess hall.
"Sure."
She settled in, placing her food tray in the remaining space on the little table. "I wanted to say thanks."
Elda tilted her head. "For what?"
"For vouching for me."
"I don't remember doing that."
"You put what I did at Chigu into more flattering words. It got me out of hot water."
Elda quietly tried to translate the other woman's phrasing. She'd have to ask one of the boys what she meant by 'hot water.' But she had enough context clues to realize that the woman was genuinely thanking her for something.
"I called it the way I saw it." She knew that manner of phrasing from her father. She hoped she had used it right.
"Funny. You weren't even on the same planet and you knew what happened. Your sister was there listening in and had a completely different take." Jessica looked 896at her with a tired expression.
"I explained to her what I thought. She likely shared that with Colonel Mitchell." Elda refrained from admitting that she all but ordered her mother to talk to Cameron.
"Like I said, thanks."
Elda nodded. "Sure thing. You're welcome."
Jessica felt encouraged now and leaned in so her lowered voice could still be heard. "You know there's rumors out there, right?"
Elda felt challenged and leaned in herself. "There are always rumors. But which ones are you talking about?"
"The ones about you. The ones about me."
Elda sighed. "Which ones about me?"
"That you're banging Crawford. And maybe Smith, too. Although I hardly believe the second one."
"I'm not sleeping with either of them," Elda said with conviction. "We're close because we had to be. It was a survival thing on that space station."
"I can understand that. And it makes total sense. So I believe you." Jessica leaned back in her chair.
"Well, thank you," Elda replied, also leaning back. She felt a little reassured to meet someone smart enough to cut through the bullshit of the SGC grapevine. She gestured at the woman across from her. "And what about you?"
Jessica rolled her eyes dramatically. "I will admit, I've had some one night stands with a couple people at work. But certainly not everyone."
Elda grimaced on her behalf. "Hard to escape the rumors, no matter what you try to do."
"People are going to talk."
"They are. My sister tends to rise above it all and just play with everyone's heads."
"She purposely spreads rumors?"
"Not exactly. She helps new ones form about herself that keep the people guessing. Then with so many different rumors out there, no one knows what the actual truth is and they are forced to conclude that nothing is true."
Jessica blinked. "That is like psychological warfare. Reverse psychology. Something like that."
Elda raised a proud brow. "We Mal Dorans are a special breed."
The other woman waved a hand at her. "Clearly." She now found herself curious. "How did you learn to do all the things you know how to do?" Jessica, herself, had engaged in intense and prolonged training to get to where she was at now. But here was this girl, younger than her and obviously at the same level, without formal instruction.
"I've had a hard life growing up. Lost my home at the age of three. If I didn't learn, I didn't live."
Jessica contorted her face. "Wow. And now you're here."
"Now I'm here," Elda repeated. "Look, for what it's worth, I'm sorry that I believed some of the things people say about you."
"Thanks," she replied. "Maybe we could share tips some time. For work."
"Yeah. Sure. Why not."
Smith regarded her with awe in his expression. "You're dining with the enemy now?"
Elda laughed at him as they walked the perimeter of the training grounds again.
"What's your angle, Cakes? You gonna try to catch her in some lie? Find dirt on her?"
"I'm not trying to sabotage her, Smitty. We merely came to an understanding."
"So… you… like each other now?"
"I dunno. Maybe."
Smith's eyes swept across the landscape. He still looked incredulous as he dutifully made sure no one was about that shouldn't be. "I don't know how you always do that."
"Do what?"
"Get people on your side. Turn 'em."
She furrowed her brow. "I was not trying to turn her. She's already on our side."
He flapped his hand around. "I'm talking about you and your superpowers. I swear to God." He shook his head. "If I didn't already know you, I'd be fucking scared as shit of you."
Elda guffawed loudly. "What are you saying? You're not afraid of me anymore?" she asked playfully. She grinned at him adoringly.
Smith stopped them. He could give two shits if Crawford saw him right now and called him out for being a hypocrite. Smith knew where he stood with her and wasn't afraid. He brought two hands up to cup her neck. He leaned in and lowered his voice for emphasis. "You scare the living bejeezus outta me. And I love you for it."
Elda cracked up. "Aww, Smitty, you're so sweet." She kissed his cheek lightly.
He drew back his hands and pulled at his collar with fake pride. "I know."
"Sir," an aide called, knocking on Jack's office door.
With a tired glance, he waved him in. "What have you got for me?"
The aide flipped through file folders one-by-one as he spoke. "Senator Fisher's office is requesting documents related to the Odyssey's on-going operations. Major Davis has submitted a report on the latest possible Trust sightings in Europe. Some Jaffa allies are requesting a meeting. And…"
"Which Jaffa allies?" Jack interrupted.
"Uhhh…" The aide went back to the related report and opened it up in his hands. "Says here: Tek'ron."
"Gimme that one." Jack took the file and scooted another one away on his desk. "Throw the rest in the pile," he said distractedly as he looked down.
"Sir, there's another one there I should mention."
Jack's index finger pointed at the tray on his desk that was already overfilled with documents. He looked up at his aide with a warning in his expression.
He looked chagrined. The aide purposely placed the file he wanted Jack to see on top and dropped everything into the tray as instructed. Sensing his boss's mood, he quietly stepped out and shut the door behind him.
Jack glanced at the glass window that would have allowed him to see the hubbub of a command center on the other side. The blinds were drawn. Good. With the door also shut, nobody would bother him. Unless it was a world-ending emergency. He returned his gaze to the file.
He became curious. Jasuf wanted to meet. But the file didn't say why.
Sam placed a tablet in Daniel's hands. "This one contains the detailed explanation of how a stargate works and the nature of the network it connects to. We purposely put a Goa'uld translation in there so they could auto-convert it to their written language and study it as they please."
He nodded and put it in a laptop bag. Suddenly another tablet was placed in his hands.
"Now this one shows the proposed plan for the installation of a stargate on their property. You'll want Corporal Smith to look this over, as he's the one meant to present the whole idea."
"Are we giving them an iris?"
"We can give them the plans to build one. Or they can use a shield like we have on Atlantis."
"Or I bet they'll have their own ideas, too. They seem pretty clever over there." Then Daniel had a thought. "Hmm."
"What?"
"I remember seeing something in that…" He paused, twisting in his seat slightly to shut the door of their little meeting room. To be honest, it was more of a meeting closet. He turned back around and continued. "In that timeline Gracie came from. The SGC had a weird set-up for their gate."
"Weird in what way?"
"It had a shield in the shape of a dome. Things could still get through an incoming wormhole, but they'd be trapped inside of the bubble. I think. I never had a chance to ask why they designed it like that."
Sam furrowed her brow as she thought about it. "Interesting. There had to be a good reason."
Daniel shrugged. "Yeah. I don't know."
Sam decided to file that curious detail away for later. She'd probably work on it in the back of her mind and realize the point of a dome shield later. For now, she needed to return to what she was doing. "Okay, the other thing I wanted to point out was that we can limit the space station's connection to the general network. If they don't want just anyone dialing in, we can prevent that. You and Smith could tell them we can restrict the connection to just between Earth and there, if they want."
"That's new."
"Yeah, we've discovered some interesting programming possibilities because of the experience of dialing Destiny."
"Nice. That might be more appealing to them, from a security standpoint."
"Figured it would be. And if they would also like, we can limit who passes through that wormhole. Obviously, Ambassador Smith would have authorization to come and go as he pleases. And maybe some key personnel from the SGC."
"We should place Carolyn on that list."
"Oh yeah. Good idea."
"Okei dokei. Anything else?"
"Nope. That's it. What is it that you're planning to ask them about?"
"I want to know more about the program they use to auto-translate languages on that station. Wondering if there's a way to get English added to their database. Then see if we can update all the data pads we took home. Reynolds pointed out that as nice as those things are, not everyone can deal with the information being in Goa'uld."
"That is a good point."
"Figured that's my territory. I better be the one to ask."
Sam smiled. "Hope you can figure something out. And I hope Corporal Smith can deal with meeting with his girlfriend's dad." She waggled her brows.
Daniel chuckled evilly. "Yeah. I don't envy him."
Smith stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. He absentmindedly tracked the metal swirls that made up the decking material above him. They weren't a bland gray like all the walls on the Hammond. They were crisp white in color. It seemed to be the default on this station-controlled ship. At least wherever they happened to have opaque walls it was.
The rest of the walls on the ship were clear. He even once passed a worker doing maintenance behind one of those transparent panels. He could see the advantage of knowing exactly where a problem was so it could be fixed promptly.
A hand stroked his cheek. "What are you thinking about?"
He turned his head to Aurelia, whose beautiful face was regarding him curiously in her bed.
"Nothin'," he fibbed.
She pushed herself up onto her elbow to look at him better. The motion had the sheet falling away from her bare shoulders. "Liar."
He unconsciously stroked her skin. "I only lie a little bit. For work."
"Mmm hmm." She leaned down to kiss him briefly. "And is this work?" she challenged.
Smith hummed. "No."
"So? Want to revise your previous answer?"
He sighed. "To be honest? I don't have any idea what I'm supposed to be doing as an Ambassador."
"Then why do you have that job?"
"I don't know!" he said incredulously.
"Can't you tell that to your superiors?"
"Rellie, it doesn't work that way for us. Orders is orders. And besides, this order came from the top dog himself. I can't say no."
"What would happen if you tried?"
"I'd get in pretty big trouble. Maybe even lose my job. Remember how I explained to you that not all of Earth knows about what we do?" She nodded. "That means that me being here right now is a downright privilege. Not everyone gets picked to be part of the SGC. So if I wanna keep doing what I'm doing, I gotta keep doing what they tell me to do."
"I guess I can understand that. Not everyone in the family has Furling genetics woven into their make-up. Those that do are obligated to serve the station."
"How do they decide who gets it and who doesn't?"
"When a baby is conceived by a family member, they do a scan of the fetus to see how well its genetic make-up would accept Furling code. If no disabilities would arise from the blending, then they proceed with insertion."
"So not all the babies get the Furling DNA?"
"DNA?"
"It's what we say when we talk about genetic stuff."
"Uhh, no. Not all the babies."
"Huh. So what happens to those kids?"
"They are simply raised as any children would be on the station. But they have no special privileges afforded to them."
"But also no obligations."
"Correct."
"Well that sucks. You don't even get a choice. It's made for you."
"Sound familiar?"
Smith breathed in. "Yeah, yep. I'm seein' what you're sayin'," he realized.
"So as the Ambassador, that means you would have to meet with my family."
"Yup," he said uneasily. "I'm supposed to ask you about setting up a meeting with your dad."
"When?"
"As soon as the station opens up."
"I can tell you how to formally request an audience with him. And I can send him a personal message to give you priority."
"That would be great, Rellie. Thanks."
"What are you going to talk about with him?"
"Travel-related stuff. And Dr. Jackson has questions about languages."
"Travel? The station tourism program?"
"Uhhh… a little more than that," he said cryptically. "I'll wait to hear what your dad thinks before I say more. I don't think I'm supposed to tell you."
She scrunched her face. "More of your strange Earth rules?"
He grimaced. "Yeah. Sorry."
Elda leaned over the stasis pod with a reassuring smile. "Jaffa, you are safe," she said softly.
The male who opened his eyes regarded her with confusion. He breathed in deeply as he reoriented himself. "Lady Elda," he said with a scratchy rasp.
"Do you feel any pain, Brother?"
"I…" He paused, still trying to regain his senses. "…do not." His eyes looked back at her in quiet surprise.
Her smile widened. "I am glad for you. When you feel ready, I will bring you through the chaapa'ai to Tek'ron. A few of our brethren wait to travel with you."
He nodded as best he could in his weakened state. "As you say, My Lady."
Elda stepped back and glanced at Aurelia, who placed a brief hand on her shoulder as they switched places. She ventured to the back, where she knew the lead geneticist was sitting. "Eruce?"
"Elda," the tall woman greeted.
"I heard from Colonel Carter that you'd never used a gate before. I'll be traveling through one later with the Jaffa you are discharging. Would you care to come with us for a brief trip?"
The scientist's eyes widened with anticipation. "Your people would allow this?"
"Yes. One of my colleagues and I will be your escort. If you're interested."
Eruce stood. "I am interested," she said eagerly.
Elda smiled. "Okay. I'll let the commander know." She held up a palm. "We're not leaving yet," she clarified.
The other woman bowed her head. "I will be ready."
Elda left her and then ventured to where she knew her mother would be stationed. She was currently in the command center where the controls for the training grounds were housed. For the moment, no one else was there. "Colonel," she announced herself before closing the door.
Sam turned her head. "Hey."
"Eruce is in. Who am I taking with me?"
"Who do you want?"
"I get to pick?"
"Sure. Why not? We'll pretend I picked." Elda grinned at her mother's nonchalance. Having her in command made so many things easier.
"Well… could Teal'c go? He could use this as a chance to see Ishta one last time before he leaves for the station again."
Sam looked down at her watch. "You'd need to be back within six hours."
"I think we could do that."
Her mother shrugged. "Then take Teal'c. I'm sure he'll appreciate your thoughtfulness."
Elda nodded then turned to leave.
"Gracie."
She turned back around. "Yes?"
"I never got to tell you. When Jasuf and I had a meeting, he asked me something. It was so sweet."
"Really? What?"
Sam grinned. "He asked for permission to be your escort to Teal'c's wedding."
"Awww. I told him he didn't have to do that."
Her mother chuckled. "Still so nice that he did. He really is good to you, huh?"
Elda sat down next to Sam. "He is."
Sam could see the stars in her eyes. She reached out to pinch her cheek. "I'm so glad you're happy, Gracie."
She squeezed her eyes shut briefly with a smile. "Thanks, Mom." Elda leaned over to hug her. "I'm glad I have you around to be happy for me."
Sam could have cried. She hugged her daughter tight, so thankful that the other Daniel had done everything he'd done to send her back in time to her.
A/N: Thanks for keeping up with this. I know it's been such a challenge lately to get access to the chapters. It's as if whatever server they're being hosted on by FF Net is on the fritz. Like what the actual f*ck, ya know? Of course, nobody answers me when I email. And nothing gets posted on their socials about this. Go figure. Anyhoo, I believe I had just finished watching Dune: Prophecy right before I wrote this chapter. I think. Definitely used the heavy-handed manipulation of those sisters as a bit of inspo for Ishta and her long-game here. She's cray-cray and I love it. Thanks again for stopping by. See you next time.