Daughter
A/N: You guys… this is about to be one of the most fun chapters yet. I'm so excited to share it. This one and the next one ought to answer some burning questions, maybe in a way you wouldn't have expected. Please enjoy!
Chapter 31 – Rick
Jack flinched. His hand was on the pilot console of Gracie's shuttle. A needle had just popped up to prick his finger suddenly, stealing a sample of blood from him. Sam gingerly pulled back the cuff that held his wrist in place. He pulled his hand away and examined his index finger. Blood was pouring out of the puncture wound.
"Coulda warned me," he groused.
"Sorry. Kind of better when you don't know it's coming," Sam said nonchalantly. "Sorta like when we have to bring Gracie in for shots."
"Do I get a lollipop and a sticker for this then?"
Sam just gave him a look. "Stop being a baby." She wiped his finger with an alcohol pad and applied a bandage over it.
Jack just watched as his wife played nurse to him. So that's why she had brought a first aid kit in here. "Explain to me again why this ship is acting like a vampire stealing my blood?"
"A blood sample," she corrected. "It needs your DNA in order for you to fly this thing."
"It couldn't accept spit in a tube or something instead?"
"You getting soft, General O'Neill?" she challenged.
He blinked. "Hey!"
Sam laughed and shook her head, returning her attention to the HUD to finish the process of adding him to the system as an authorized pilot. She was the only one who could get away with that sort of talk toward him and they both knew it. Jack didn't complain any further.
He gazed at the screen, noticing how effortlessly Sam went through the prompts. Jack could recognize basic words in Goa'uld thanks to years of experience. Sometimes it was life-threatening experience that required him to learn instantly or risk dying. But she was definitely more fluent in it than he was. At least he knew enough to be able to operate this shuttle. Err, he hoped he did.
The console chimed. Sam smiled delightedly. "You're now an authorized pilot on our daughter's shuttle," she announced with an official tone.
Jack nodded his head, getting over the stab on his finger instantly. He grinned then rubbed his hands together. "Sam? Teach me to fly this sucker."
"Yes, sir," she said with a matching grin.
"Hey, hey!" Cameron greeted enthusiastically when he opened the door. Daniel, Vala, and Little Gracie had arrived to Carolyn's, now his, apartment. He stepped aside to let the trio in. "Hey, Baby Girl," he said sweetly to a sleepy child on Daniel's shoulder. Her hand raised up briefly to wave, but she was still groggy from the car ride.
Carolyn gestured for them to settle in together on the couch while Vala headed into the small kitchen near the entrance. Daniel took a seat and leaned back tiredly with a groan. She leaned over the pair, sweeping blond hair out of the child's face. "How's it been going?"
Daniel gave her a pointed stare. "I don't know how Jack does this. Day in. Day out. It's exhausting."
Vala rolled her eyes as she set the wine bottle she had brought onto the kitchen counter. "Amateur."
"Well, excuse me for having little to no experience in this department," he contended.
"How many Ph.D.'s do you have?" she shot back.
"Not enough, apparently," he complained.
Carolyn stood back up and shared a laughing smile with Cameron.
Mitchell grinned. "Well, isn't that just perfectly domestic," he commented. "Bickering like an old married couple. Taking care of a little kid. Pitter patter of little feet at home."
Daniel's eye twitched. Instead of entertaining Cameron further by responding, he leaned his head down toward Gracie. "You wanna lie down on the couch?" he said softly.
She shook her head and buried her head into his shoulder more.
"Awww," Carolyn said as she rubbed the little girl's back. She left them to join Vala in the kitchen. "I got all your favorites." She pointed at the food on the counter.
Vala was already stuffing her mouth with lumpia. "I know," she mumbled around it with a smile. "I adore you!"
Carolyn grinned. Cameron reached around Vala to grab his own piece. He placed an affectionate arm around the space pirate as they both munched. "So how's babysitting going for you, Princess?"
"Just fine, actually. She's a good girl." She swallowed another bite. "It's Daniel who's been a pain in the ass."
"Hey!" he protested from the couch.
Vala ignored him. "Do either of you have any idea when Sam and Jack will be done? She's starting to look for them."
"Oh. Princess. I dunno. See, General O'Neill was pining for a chance to fly that shuttle. I can't even begin to guess where they are right now."
"Uh oh."
"What? Uh oh?"
"Gracie doesn't want anyone flying it without me on board," Vala reminded him.
Carolyn tilted her head. "Oh come on. That's her dad. And her mom. She wouldn't really be upset about it, would she?"
Vala looked unconvinced. Then she shrugged. "We'll see."
Cameron leaned over to get another fried spring roll. "Safer if we don't say a word," he said conspiratorially.
Vala pinched his cheek proudly at his sneakiness.
"Can I have one, too?" Daniel whined from his prison on the couch.
Carolyn graciously brought a bowl over for him. He nodded at her thankfully. She sat down near him on the adjacent arm chair. "What have you guys been up to since Gracie came over?" she asked, gesturing at the little girl forming a big lump in his arms.
"What haven't we done? I'm running out of ideas to keep her busy."
The doctor laughed.
"Where does she get all this energy? Honestly."
"Pretty normal for this age, Daniel."
"We're sure about that?"
"I'm a doctor. I'm pretty sure," she answered casually.
"I'm a doctor, too. I still have my doubts. This can't be normal," he grumbled.
"She doesn't seem very energetic right now," Carolyn pointed out.
Daniel gave her another pointed stare. "This is the calm before the storm." Then he stuffed his mouth with egg roll.
Snowflakes flurried in the air around the Hak'tyl sparring fields. A crowd had gathered there. The men from Jasuf's village inhabited one side of the pit. Hak'tyl stood across from them on the other side. Nesa and Jasuf occupied their places once again between the two groups, affording them a perfect view of the upcoming match.
Agean was in the center, carefully eyeing the Jaffa across from her. Her grip on her wooden staff tightened as her eyes swept over him, looking for points of weakness.
Goru was doing the same to her. He breathed in deeply, readying himself.
From within the crowd of female warriors, Elda leaned in toward Idul's ear. "How did you convince her?
"I told her what happened to me after my match with Lo'zim."
"That's all it took?" Elda had been surprised when they received Nesa's official invitation to this match. She did not have the opportunity to talk with Agean again. She found herself busy helping Jasuf around his village the past few days.
"The truth is a powerful thing, Sister." At least Idul had finally shared her experiences with Agean. Better late than never, Elda surmised. She had been wondering why Agean didn't know Idul had begun seeing Lo'zim. It was a big deal. But it wasn't her news to share, even though the Hak'tyl didn't believe in secrets.
"Wait a minute. You didn't make Agean think she could sleep with one of the men, did you?"
"I made no such suggestion, EldaMalDoran. We both know Agean would never do such a thing for pleasure alone."
Idul was right. Agean was no fiend. She was a kind-hearted Jaffa who looked toward the future with bright eyes. She was not interested in immediate gratification, but instead, in long-term prosperity for the tribe. Agean could not have been more opposite than Idul. But Elda had to admit, Idul had good ideas. She was just terrible at sharing them in eloquent ways that didn't also get her in trouble for being loud-mouthed.
"Opponents!" Nesa called out. The crowd quieted. "As before, the match ends when one's back makes contact with the ground." She let that requirement sink in. "Attack at will."
Everyone watched as Goru made the first move. The pair began to trade blows.
"I trust you were satisfied with Idul's performance last time," Jasuf said to Nesa quietly.
"I was," she answered in a flat tone.
"Then why was she punished?"
Nesa's eyes flitted toward him briefly, then returned to the match before them. Agean managed to land a strike on Goru's left side. "She showed disrespect. That can never go unpunished. Especially when it is Idul."
"She suggested something to me once. A blending of our peoples."
Nesa breathed in, now a little incensed to hear that Idul had addressed him without good reason to do so. She caught her that day, but did not realize what exactly had been said in the exchange. Now her mind started cycling through yet more punishments to hand down to the aggravating warrior under her supervision. "She does not recognize her place. I will correct her," Nesa promised to Jasuf.
"I am not concerned with her speaking out of turn to me, Nesa. I merely wish to express that her suggestion is not falling on deaf ears," he said graciously.
The Hak'tyl's eyes widened for a split second. But anyone bothering to watch her facial expressions would have assumed she was reacting to the way Goru had tried to sweep his foot at Agean's ankle to make her lose her balance. He was not successful. "Of what do you speak, Jasuf?"
"Perhaps there is merit in allowing our peoples to interact outside of our usual purposes. Leadership is moving away from competition toward cooperation. It would benefit the alliance between our two tribes."
Nesa found herself impressed with Jasuf's willingness to entertain such ideas. She had always assumed he was hard-edged and set in his ways. Before Elda's appearance, he never gave any indication that he harbored respect for her sisters. Icy glares and cold words were the most she'd ever gotten from him. It would seem that the young human blonde had truly softened him. And she was making him a better leader. This was encouraging. If Ishta ever handed leadership to her, Nesa would find him easier to work with if he kept this up. She had been dreading it before.
"What do you suggest?" she asked.
"More matches such as these, so that the warriors will know of each other. Then perhaps invitations for shared patrols. Your warriors could learn our lands. Should we ever be invaded, we would call upon you as our allies to help defend them."
Nesa considered his words. They weren't entirely preposterous. "I will speak with our Den Mother. We shall see if she would be willing to reciprocate."
"I look forward to hearing her response," he said courteously. They both now focused on the match. It looked like Agean might win. The guardsmen who came to bear witness were yelling obscenities at Goru to urge him to defeat her. The Hak'tyl warriors were also shouting, but their words of encouragement were a lot less harsh.
The pair hit their staffs against each other with force. They breathed heavily as they blocked each other's attempts. Soon Goru found an opening and managed to hit Agean on her side. She flinched. Then he swiped his weapon at her hands, making her grip loosen. His staff swung around again to pop it out of her grasp completely. He used his weapon to sweep her off her feet.
Agean fell back, hitting the ground hard.
Jasuf's men cheered. The Hak'tyl deflated. Goru stood over Agean, gazing straight into her eyes as both of their chests heaved. He dropped his staff to the ground.
Then he offered her a hand to stand.
She looked up at him surprised. She accepted his hand and got up. They simply stared at each other for a moment. Elda and Idul held their breaths, watching. The pair stepped apart and bowed to each other respectfully.
Nesa and Jasuf stepped forward into the pit. "The winner," Jasuf announced. "Our Champion Goru!" His men cheered again. He approached Goru to lay a satisfied hand on his shoulder in congratulations. The guardsmen rushed into the field to join them. Nesa, meanwhile, spoke quietly with Agean, offering her words of support. Agean nodded modestly toward her superior to acknowledge her words.
It was Jasuf who surprised them by cutting in. "You fought well, Hak'tyl," he said with a respectful tone. Agean's eyes widened at being addressed directly by the son of Meil'nor.
Elda's lips parted slightly, feeling a little proud.
"Jaffa! Kree!" Jasuf ordered, prompting his men to begin leaving in formation. He bowed briefly toward Nesa. She bowed back. "Elda," he called out. "I will see you in our village."
Elda inclined her head. Jasuf turned to leave without any further fanfare. A few of her sisters glanced at her with knowing looks, but she ignored them. She had a Hak'tyl warrior to support. Elda moved with the crowd to surround a disappointed Agean.
Elda later joined the men at the table for their evening meal. A seat had been saved for her next to Jasuf. She sat, exchanging small bows with them. It would seem she had arrived during a lull in conversation, so Elda spoke. "Goru, congratulations on your victory."
The Jaffa inclined his head. "One would think you would be displeased." His fellows looked over at her with interest. Jasuf glanced between them.
"Of course I would have liked to see my sister win. But it was not her match today. It was yours. We must respect that."
Lo'zim eyed her carefully. Perhaps Jasuf chided her after her overenthusiastic gloating the last time. She was much more respectful toward the men tonight. He did not find her previous behavior surprising. She was well within her rights to revel in victory. What did surprise him, though, was that out of all of his brothers, he was the least offended by her. They would have expected him to be red in the face over her strong words. The big Jaffa idly wondered how this human had acquired such a special charm. And if she could win over Jasuf, then he naturally felt compelled to follow.
"That is gracious of you, EldaMalDoran," Goru continued. "Perhaps I will offer Agean some advice so that she may improve for next time."
"Next time?" Elda asked with surprise. "You mean to have a rematch?"
"Perhaps," Goru repeated thoughtfully.
The men exchanged looks. Jasuf now spoke. "Elda, please extend Goru's offer to your sister." Then he addressed his men. "Who would like to be next?"
The heavy door opened to reveal the heir apparent. He bowed. "Father."
"Jasuf." Meil'nor gestured for him to sit with him on the floor. The hot teapot was prepared on the center table. The tribe leader felt no need to sit on the throne higher than his son. No one was in the governance hut but them. He gestured for Jasuf to help himself to a cup. He did not expect him to wait his turn to drink, but instead urged him to immediately combat the chill from outside.
As he took a sip of the warm liquid, the son asked, "How is your knee?"
"Worse. It aches with this cold."
"What have the healers to say?"
"They have nothing to offer. They blame my age." Meil'nor looked especially miffed about this.
Jasuf hummed, acknowledging his father's disappointment with that report. They sat quietly together, continuing to sip the hot tea.
"Your men seem to be warming to your human mate," Meil'nor observed.
Jasuf looked up. "They are."
"That is encouraging. How goes the task we set before you?"
"The guardsmen are amenable to more matches with the Hak'tyl." He tilted his head, now amused about something. "Goru even offered to give the Hak'tyl he fought with advice."
"Advice?" Meil'nor repeated. He began to laugh heartily. He shared a knowing look with his son.
Jasuf smiled back.
"Have we another courtship in the making?"
"I do not know, Father."
"You allowed that other Hak'tyl to stay in our village during the storm."
"I did."
"And?"
"Lo'zim was grateful to me for that." Jasuf smirked.
Meil'nor let out another hearty laugh. Jasuf joined him. When his father settled down, he returned his tea cup to the table. "The time has come again to visit with our trading partners on the planet of Dar'zin. We must replenish our furs. They likely seek more of our lumber."
"Shall I visit them, Father?"
"Find out what they want. Consult with the head mistress to see how many furs we, ourselves, need. Then negotiate the exchange."
Jasuf bowed his head. "I will leave tomorrow, then." He began to get up.
"Jasuf," Meil'nor said, holding up a hand to stop him. "When is your mate meant to depart? She tells me her people will recall her soon."
Jasuf let out a breath as he settled back into his seat on the floor. "She does not know when, Father. She awaits the safe return of her brothers from that SG-3."
"No doubt they are performing good deeds in the galaxy, as the Tau'ri try to do."
"It would seem."
"Cherish her, Jasuf. While you still can." Thoughts of his late wife flitted through Meil'nor's mind.
The son locked eyes with his father. "I already do."
The next morning, Ishta picked up the communicator from among her possessions and activated its display. A signal was pushing through from the SGC. The gate must have been activated. She pressed the command to accept the transmission.
"This is Stargate Command of Earth to the Hak'tyl. Come in."
"This is Ishta. Speak."
There was a pause. Then the voice changed. "Ishta, General O'Neill here. How goes it?"
"I am well, GeneralO'Neill."
"Good to hear," he said congenially. "Listen, I was thinking of surprising a certain someone with a visit. Is it safe enough to pass through this time? No dangerous storms or anything?"
She glanced through the small window of her hut that was open to provide ventilation from all the candles that were lit. "The weather on Tek'ron is currently calm," she reported.
"Excellent," Jack responded like a character from his favorite TV show. "I also want to warn you, I won't be coming on foot. It'll be by ship. I'll be flying her little puddle jumper."
Ishta raised an eyebrow. "I am unfamiliar with that configuration of ship, GeneralO'Neill."
"Oh. Right. She ever tell you about that shuttle she got? When she went out with SG-3 and that Jaffa from the other side… ummm… what's his name… Joseph?"
She smiled. She didn't bother to correct him, suspecting he would continue to butcher the poor boy's name regardless. Ishta wondered how much he knew of the Jaffa's significance to his daughter. "Yes, I was informed of her acquisition. It sounded notable. You may pass through the gate with the vessel. I will warn our guard to expect you."
"Great! Any idea where's a good place to park?" Jack was dutifully attempting to be prepared. One should always know where to park one's vehicle when going somewhere new.
"I will have our guard direct you, GeneralO'Neill."
"Ishta, thank you. O'Neill out."
Her mouth was open, ready to tell him that his daughter was not in the Hak'tyl settlement. But he cut off communication too quickly. She paid it no mind and hit more commands on the device to contact the guard on patrol.
"Sam… we're dying over here," Daniel complained on the phone.
His friend laughed on the other side of the call from the SGC.
She overheard Vala grumble in the background, "Speak for yourself."
"Is that Mommy?" she heard her child say very close to the speaker. Sam could hear shuffling as the phone was handed over. "Mommy?"
"Hi, Baby!"
The child giggled in delight. "Mommy!" Little Gracie called out, "Auntie Bawa! It's my mom!"
Vala could be heard cheering for her enthusiastically in the background.
"What have you been doing over there at Uncle Daniel's house?" Sam asked with a bright tone.
"I dunno."
Sam pursed her lips. Gracie was never too big on detail. She shook her head with amusement. "Did you eat?"
"Yeah."
"What did you eat?"
"Ummmm… Chips."
"Chips? That's it?"
"Uh huh."
In the background, Daniel called out, "She's lying, Sam!"
The mother rolled her eyes. She knew Vala would have fed her properly. "Can you put Uncle Daniel back on the phone?"
"Uncle Danny!" Gracie screamed with a high-pitched tone.
"Geez, I'm right here. You don't have to yell." More shuffling. "Sam."
"Daniel."
"When are you gonna…"
"I'm going to leave right now," she interrupted. "Nice picture, by the way." She smirked, even though he couldn't see her expression.
"Ha ha. Very funny. Get over here," he ordered. "And tell Jack. He created a monster."
"I'll tell him later. He went offworld."
"What!? Why? Where?"
"You want me to give you the details now and delay my arrival? Or what?"
"Come here. Come here. Come here," he repeated desperately.
"Alright, alright. I'm going. Bye."
"Bye."
Daniel hit the button to end the call on his cell phone. When he looked up, Vala was staring at him with a disappointed look on her face and hands on her hips. "What?"
"You didn't have to rush her," she chided.
His mouth dropped open. He glanced at the three-year-old in their care, bouncing around in his kitchen. He gestured a hand toward her meaningfully.
The child paused and smiled at him sweetly.
Daniel could see Jack's evil grin all over her face.
Jasuf had her up against his door, kissing her feverishly. Elda moaned into his mouth, breathily kissing back. His hands roamed her sides, squeezing possessively around her hips. She giggled, knowing he shouldn't be letting himself be so distracted. He needed to leave.
She broke off the kiss to speak. His mouth simply moved to her neck. "I thought you were trying to say goodbye."
"This is goodbye," he countered. He continued to pleasantly attack her neck with his mouth.
She smiled with her eyes closed. "Jasuf," she said half-heartedly, laughing quietly. Her mouth popped open when his hands began roaming elsewhere. She squealed when he picked her up by her bottom and moved them both back toward the bed.
He laid her down and was about to climb on top when she pushed him back with a hand on his chest. Elda pointed a finger at him, grinning. "I will not be blamed for you being irresponsible." He smiled mischievously back at her. "You…" He interrupted her with another fiery kiss.
She let him go on for another few minutes, but wouldn't fully give in. The traders on the other planet were expecting him. Elda pushed him back. She smiled at him with amusement. "I will go have breakfast. You will go to the gate." He moved in to kiss her again but she stopped him. "Ack!" She forcefully turned him around. "Go!" she ordered with a laugh. Elda gave him a light push toward the door.
Jasuf turned to give her another passionate kiss that took her breath away. He pulled away just as suddenly. "We will continue this later," he promised with that low tone that always made her melt. She bit her lip, watching him exit the hut without looking back.
Elda stood frozen in place for a good minute, making sure he was really gone. He could easily come right back through the door. But when she opened it and peeked out, he was already in the distance nearing the edge of the forest. She blew out a breath, grinning. Elda chuckled quietly to herself as she shut the door and headed into the village proper. She tried to neutralize her expression, lest the guardsmen she was about to share a meal with catch her look. She and Jasuf were trying to redirect the torment, not invite more of it.
Meanwhile, Jasuf smiled to himself as he crossed the threshold of the village clearing into the forest. He licked his lips, getting one last taste of her on them.
He imagined what he would do when he returned home. Tried to think of what responsibilities he could postpone for tomorrow so he could whisk her back into the hut. His thoughts remained on Elda as he ventured deeper into the forest.
He nearly missed the sudden signs of movement in the distance. Jasuf stopped, eyes trained on where he saw the shadow among the snow-laden trees. For a moment, he held his breath. His eyes darted around. There were no recent boot tracks to indicate his men had come through here recently. He knew which ones were on morning patrol. And their route would have them in a different part of the forest right now.
He idly wondered if he should increase the patrols to cover more ground at a time. Surely his men would complain of the increased time in the cold. This was the dead of winter.
Jasuf saw no further movement and relaxed. Perhaps it was a trick of the light filtering through the trees. He resumed his path toward the gate, but with more alertness than before. He soon reached the border between his people's lands and the Hak'tyl's.
"Chel hol."
He paused and turned toward the voice greeting him. "Idul." He noted that she had someone with her, a human male dressed in a jacket exactly like the one Elda owned.
She bowed properly to him. "This Tau'ri seeks my sister. We were awaiting your patrol so they could escort him onto your lands."
"What business do you have with her?" he questioned the human.
"I'm family," he replied easily.
Jasuf eyed him.
The human simply looked back, unbothered. "You look kinda familiar," he commented.
Idul prompted, "May he have permission to enter?"
"Yes, proceed. You may escort him yourself, Idul. Lo'zim is likely in the eating hut with her by now."
She smiled at him. Idul bowed gratefully.
Jasuf inclined his head. He took one last look at the human in curiosity, then turned.
His eyes widened when he saw a zat.
A shot rang out. He leapt to the side immediately, finding cover behind the nearest tree. His eyes darted back toward Idul. The human male was down on the ground in a heap. She was aiming her staff weapon in a different direction.
When he turned back, he instantly reached up to block the strike of an attacker's hands. Behind him, Idul fired her staff weapon. Jasuf knew the noise would travel far into the quiet forest to alert his men. He punched back at his opponent, who was masked in a black cowl. He could not say what species this combatant might be yet. He dodged another strike only to be kicked from behind. Suddenly he had two attackers. They both attempted to jump atop him to subdue him. He pushed back with all his force, throwing them off of him.
Before he could continue the fight and hold this position long enough for his men to arrive, a zat blast made contact. Jasuf fell to the ground unconscious. The same zat aimed at Idul, who was distracted by her own opponents on the other side of the human. She had been staying near him protectively instead of seeking cover. She collapsed as a blast enveloped her. The attack was over within seconds.
"Leave the female as a witness. Take the human and the Jaffa male," someone ordered.
A large group of masked men complied.
Goru leaned over Idul as her eyes opened. She was flat on her back in the cold snow. She blinked rapidly, regaining her bearings. Idul sat up suddenly with a grunt of surprise. Her eyes darted around, searching for their attackers. But all she saw were Jaffa guardsmen surrounding her.
"What has transpired here, Hak'tyl?" Goru asked. His face was serious.
"Where is Jasuf? And the human male?" she asked rapidly.
Goru's eyes narrowed. "Jasuf departed for Dar'zin this morning. I do not know what human you speak of."
Idul hopped up immediately, forcing Goru to lean back to give her space. He stood up, sensing her extreme alarm. One of the other men handed Idul her staff weapon. She accepted it and turned round and round, eyes searching the forest. "He did not reach the gate," she hissed.
"Goru!" another guardsman called from further away. The group ventured to where he was. They came upon a figure that was injured and unconscious, apparently hit by Idul's weapon.
She instantly knelt down to pull his mask away. She sneered at him but did not recognize him. She looked back up at Goru, assuming he was the lead patrolman. "There were many of him. They attacked us here at the border," she explained in an angry tone.
He gestured for two guardsmen to report to his side. "Return to the village and report these events to Meil'nor," he said to one. Then to the other, "Go to the chaapa'ai and venture to Dar'zin. Search for Jasuf there." He shouted out for the rest of the men to spread out. They were to comb the forest for more people, friendly or not. He then leaned in toward Idul, who was now standing. "You said there was a human?"
"A Tau'ri. A visitor for EldaMalDoran. He was unaware that she was on your lands when he arrived. Jasuf had just granted him permission to pass."
Goru glanced down at the mysterious fellow on the forest floor. "Perhaps he will have answers for us." He looked back at Idul. "You may join me in the interrogation."
Idul bowed her head, then shot an icy glare toward the man on the ground.
Jack groaned. "Ohhh. That will never not hurt." He tried to raise his hand to his head, but could not. Both of his hands were tied behind his back somehow. He was currently resting on his side on the ground. The first question he had was: Where?
He blinked his eyes, hoping to clear the residual fog from the zat blast. He spied floor. Boot-stained marble floor. His eyes flitted up. Ha'tak vessel. Great.
He tried to crane his neck around to see more of his surroundings. The Jaffa he had just met was next to him, similarly tied up. He was awake and had managed to sit up. They made eye contact with each other but remained silent. Jack twisted his body to sit up as well. The motion required effort. He didn't feel as young as he used to.
"Well, isn't this nice," he murmured. He was completely unsurprised to find himself in a holding cell of a Goa'uld mothership. Again.
Jack's next question was: Who?
His answer walked into the room in the form of a black-clad individual. He appeared to be a human man. A few similarly-dressed individuals flanked him from behind. "Good. You are finally awake." His voice was raspy, as if he'd been smoking cigars since the age of twelve.
Jack simply stared back. Usually these situations called for a healthy round of observation before one could decide the best plan of escape.
The man stepped closer. He seemed quite sure of himself, as if he was certain these two prisoners had no chance of breaking their bonds.
Jack concluded that he was overconfident. He tucked that observation away for later. Little did this guy know that his best friend was damn-near married to one of the galaxy's best swindlers. He had learned a thing or two. He just needed this fellow to leave the room so he could get to work on that extra special trick Vala had taught him.
Their apparent captor took a close look at the Jaffa first. He circled him, eyeing his manner of dress, seemingly looking for evidence of something. The Jaffa remained still and calm. His eyes followed the darkly-dressed human when he was within view, but he did not bother to turn his head as the man passed behind. Jack decided that this Jaffa was probably annoyed. Perhaps cautious. That could be a good thing. He'd likely have to team up with the guy so they could make a proper escape.
"What is your name, Jaffa?"
He remained silent.
"We have your female in the other cell," the captor lied. "Tell me your name or she dies from a thousand cuts."
The Jaffa's eyebrow raised. Jack watched him carefully. "What proof do I have that you are not lying?" he quietly asked the human.
"I can offer you a perfect description of her. She wears the clothes of a Jaffa female warrior. Bears the mark of the former Goa'uld Moloc. Hair like the dusty sands of Rilqek. Wields a mighty staff weapon. Shall I continue?"
The Jaffa's face remained perfectly neutral. "No. I have heard enough."
"Your name?"
"Dril'nek."
The man tilted up his chin, seemingly satisfied with this answer. Now he turned his attention toward Jack. "And you, fellow human? What is your name?"
By now Jack had come up with a handful of plausible reasons why they had been kidnapped. He was currently narrowing it down to a few good options. He just needed a little more intel. "What's in it for me?"
"I don't kill you where you sit."
"Eh. Good enough." Jack tilted his head and shrugged. "The name's Rick," he fibbed. He'd always liked that name. Now was as good a time as any to adopt it.
"Rick," the man repeated. "Just Rick?"
"Well, if you wanna get formal, then Rick… of Earth."
"Hmm."
Jack could tell that the man was suspicious of his answer. But he wasn't willing to call him out on it yet. It was clear that this guy was running on little to no intel about who he had just captured. That quirked Jack's suspicions even more.
The man turned back to address the Jaffa. "And may I assume you are Dril'nek of Tek'ron?"
The Jaffa inclined his head in acknowledgement.
The man decided this was enough for now. He turned to leave, but paused when Jack spoke.
"You know our names. Don't we get the courtesy of learning yours?"
"Mork."
Jack scrunched his face in confusion. "Mork? You don't happen to know a Mindy, do you?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "No."
Jack's mouth twisted around. "Figures." He then addressed the captor again. "So. What's new?"
The Jaffa glanced at him curiously.
"You will know soon enough." The man and his companions in black left them. The door to the cell shut closed.
"You are surprisingly calm," the Jaffa commented.
"I could say the same to you," Jack remarked. "I'm gonna take a stab in the dark here and say: that name you gave isn't the real one. Am I right?" He thought he recognized this Jaffa, but he couldn't put his finger on why. And he sure as hell didn't know any Dril'nek.
"They have no need of my name."
"I'm gonna take that as a yes." Jack started wiggling. The Jaffa watched as he carefully maneuvered his fingers through the cloth bonds, effectively loosening them. He made quick work of freeing himself. He brought his hands in front of them to flex and stretch his fingers. The actions seemed to have made them ache. "Thank you, Princess," he muttered quietly.
"To whom do you refer to?"
Jack looked up at him. "No one." He gestured for the Jaffa to turn his bound hands toward him. "Come here, I'll get you out of those." Soon the Jaffa's hands were also freed.
The Jaffa stood immediately to gaze out through the cell bars. He saw no one within sight. He then began to walk the perimeter of the small room, running his hands along the wall, paying special attention to seams in the paneling.
Jack observed him carefully. Maybe this Jaffa knew a thing or two. Because Jack was about to get up to do the same darn thing. Soon the Jaffa reached the other side of the room and found a panel to loosen. From within, a set of wires was revealed.
"Whatcha doin'?" Jack asked casually, still seated on the floor.
"Identifying who controls this vessel." He began fiddling with the wires, disconnecting and rearranging ports.
"Oh. Was kind of hoping you were finding the secret key to unlock that door."
"We may yet find that as well." The Jaffa seemed to complete his task and then looked up toward the speaker that they both knew was hidden inside the ceiling.
Ship operational chatter in Goa'uld began to play through it. Jack got up to watch the door while they listened. The Jaffa stayed close to the panel, ready to sever the audio connection should anyone approach. He waited until he had heard enough, then turned off the sound.
"Our captors are…"
"Lemme guess," Jack said, holding up a finger to interrupt. "Opportunistic bounty hunters with very little idea of what they are doing."
"You understand Goa'uld?" his cellmate asked, presuming that Jack had translated the chatter.
"Nope." The Jaffa stared at him. "Lucky guess." He shrugged. "I have a bit of experience."
The Jaffa quirked a smile, impressed. "Clearly." Perhaps the insolent attitude this human displayed toward their captors was a result of such experience. He planned to ask his mate if all Tau'ri were like this. He turned back toward the panel and returned all of the connections back to where they were.
Elda crossed her arms as she watched Goru and Idul get absolutely nowhere with the interrogation of their prisoner. She purposely remained out of sight of the only other human currently on the planet. Meil'nor stood nearby, also listening. His face remained expressionless. Only his jaw seemed to move from time to time. But if she had to guess, he was less than pleased.
The man was currently sitting tied to a tree near the edge of the forest. They had treated his wound and applied a dressing before forcibly waking him.
She could tell that the interrogators were losing patience. Idul was hovering threateningly over the man, staff weapon active. Elda figured that she was offended by being zatted, instead of having someone challenge her directly in combat. Goru's line of questioning was no longer as eloquent as when he started. They were getting no further information from the man about who he was, why he and his companions had come to the planet, and where Jasuf and her Tau'ri visitor might possibly be.
Elda still hadn't figured out who was meaning to see her today. She hadn't had a chance to speak with Idul yet. Goru pulled her immediately into this disaster of an inquiry. By the time someone had come to fetch Elda, they were already in the thick of it.
Truth be told, she was starting to lose patience herself.
"Master Meil'nor," she quietly called.
"Kal'ma."
"Let me try," she requested through gritted teeth.
He sensed the impatience in her tone. The tribe leader glanced at her. She was fuming. His jaw moved side to side as he ground his teeth. He could relate.
"Jaffa," he uttered just loud enough for them to hear. "Shel kree."
Goru and Idul shared a glance. Their eyes flitted in the direction of the disembodied voice of Meil'nor. The human prisoner looked around, but saw no one. Idul's staff weapon deactivated with a distinct click and whine. The pair of them left the prisoner alone without a word, walking toward Elda and Meil'nor.
The group stepped out of earshot of the tied-up human man.
Idul was unsurprised to see her sister there. She bowed to her, low in apology.
"Give me your overcoat."
The Hak'tyl rose from her bow with a question in her eyes. But Elda was too serious to entertain her unspoken query. She guessed that she must be worried about Jasuf and the human male that had gone missing. Idul complied, shucking off her fur and handing it off. Elda ditched her SGC-issued jacket on the ground and put on Idul's instead.
She then stepped closer to her sister. She asked in a low tone, "Who were you escorting?"
"Silver-haired man of importance from your world." Idul wasn't familiar with all of the people Elda associated with on Earth. The Den Mother never invited someone of her rank to sit in the governance hut while she received such audiences. Idul just knew how to recognize Tau'ri by their uniforms.
Elda's eyes widened. That could mean one of two people. And both choices held the rank of General.
"He came by ship."
"What?"
"Apparently yours."
Elda's mouth dropped open. That narrowed it down. Her visitor was meant to be her father. General Landry had never expressed an interest in flying her ship. But just like Cameron, her father did. He must have convinced her mother to give him pilot privileges on her shuttle. Elda knew that Sam was capable of authorizing that. She and Vala probably gave him some basic lessons. Now her stomach twisted into knots. He was missing because he had come here to see her. She imagined him wanting to bring her for a joyride around Tek'ron.
Her eyes flitted in the direction of the prisoner. Her objective now was to find out where her father and Jasuf would have been taken. And why.
The prisoner grimaced and looked down toward the dressed staff wound on his abdomen. He couldn't do much about it with his hands tied behind him and entire body bound to a tree. He looked up and around at the forest, eyes searching for signs of life. All he saw were sleeping trees and vegetation buried in snow. His breath formed smoky clouds in the chilled forest air.
Elda's eyes focused on his hands. She wanted to know if he had the ability to break free of his bonds or not. If he did, that would give her a better idea of his training and experience. Meil'nor waited patiently beside her.
They all saw as his fingers began to loosen the ties.
Elda pulled out her canteen, recently filled with fresh water, and began walking calmly toward the man. Goru and Idul locked eyes briefly. Neither of them knew what to expect. They drew closer with Meil'nor to listen in and observe.
Elda needed to distract the man before he finished freeing himself. She pretended to drink from her canteen, eyes drawn away from him. When the sounds of his rustling stopped, she knew he had spotted her. She paused, allowing him to watch as she dramatically enjoyed a sip from the container. She let some of the liquid spill down her exposed neck, dribbling down toward her bosom suggestively.
She could feel his eyes on her. He abandoned his effort to free himself.
Now Elda pretended to notice him for the first time. She let her eyes widen and brows raise. "You're new," she commented lightly. She pocketed the canteen within Idul's coat. Elda approached the prisoner and squat down in front of him, far enough away so that his boots couldn't reach out to kick her. She eyed his tied-up state, taking in the black travel suit he was in. There were no markings on it to indicate his allegiance.
The prisoner simply stared back.
"Human," she concluded aloud. He had no insignia stamped on his forehead like most of the Jaffa did. His build was decidedly not Jaffa. Elda made eye contact with the man. "I'm sorry but you're going to have to find another planet to work. This one's mine."
His brow scrunched in confusion. "What?"
"I've been running a long-game here. I'm not letting you swoop in to ruin it. How'd you find out about this place anyway?" Then she looked like she decided something on the spot. She stood up and pulled out her zat. It clinked to activate. Elda pointed it at the man now. "Ohh, nevermind. Not worth it. Should I let anyone know you're dead?" she asked courteously.
His eyes widened. "Don't kill me."
"Oh, but I really, really should. This is my planet. My operation. Obviously you're here because you heard what this place has to offer. I have news for you. It's mine. All. Mine." Elda's voice remained even. Yet she also sounded surprisingly menacing.
That's because she was now working a mark. This was a job. This was her specialty.
The man looked away in utter confusion. He didn't know there were bigger paydays here than the odd political prisoner. Now he felt angry that the people he was running with didn't share that part. He looked up at her. "Deal me in. I could make it worth your while."
Elda laughed aloud. Her zat was still raised in his direction. "You think I like to share?" She tsked at him, letting her active zat swing side to side with the sound. His eyes were glued to its business end as it moved. She leaned toward him and lowered her voice. "I don't play nice with others."
"Clearly you're capable of running the big jobs all by your delicious-looking self." He threw in the compliment hoping to curry some favor. "But a planet as big as this? That's a lot of ground to cover all alone. I could offer you valuable assistance." His tone became suggestive.
His response told Elda he was an aspiring courier. She decided to lean into this detail.
"What's your name?
"Kyru Vindel."
"Never heard of you."
"That's because I keep a low profile." Elda knew that was bullshit. That's exactly what a courier with no reputation would say. Or like her and her mother, it was the actual truth.
She rolled her eyes now. "You don't look like a Kyru to me. You strike me more as a Fenrick. Or a Mol. Maybe even a… a Jacek."
He looked offended by that last suggestion.
"I met a Jacek once. Lots of experience. But spent too long in the game without a decent exit plan." Elda tilted her head and smiled at the man now. She pouted her lips as in thought. "I bet you're a Jacek."
"I am not a Jacek."
She grinned. Now she knew one of his weaknesses. He cared too much about being respected in their profession.
"So, Jacek, what do you really have to offer me here?"
His face twisted into annoyance. But he answered her question anyway. "I can move in the shadows. Grab any mark you want. Next thing you know, they're on a ship half-way across the galaxy toward the buyer."
"See, that sounds more like bounty hunter work to me. Not interested." Her face seemed to regard him as someone inferior to her. That was the obvious reaction for any courier meeting a bounty hunter. In the hierarchy of galaxy-wide professions, couriers always held more prestige.
"Alright, I'll admit I'm working on moving up. But I could still be an asset to you."
"Hmm… I think you're more useful to me dead." His eyes widened. "Seeing as how you're already tied up to this tree here, looks like you found yourself on the wrong side of some of the local Jaffa. I'll just tell them I was able to get information out of you and offer you up as a prize." She looked away dreamily and breathed in. "They'll reward me handsomely for that."
"I haven't told you anything."
"You sure about that?" She gave him an unbothered smile.
The man thought back through their conversation. He could have sworn he hadn't revealed a shred of detail. But the look on her face made him have second-thoughts. She was obviously good. He licked his lips. And she was hot. If he could recruit her, maybe he could get her into bed, too.
"I tell you what," he said, changing tracks. "I'll deal you into my operation. My friends and I had a good thing going here. We didn't know you were already here laying a claim. Help us, and it'll only sweeten what you've got going on this planet."
Elda pretended to be mildly interested. "Percentage?"
"Five."
"You're going to have to do better than that."
"Fine. Make me a counter offer."
"Twenty."
"You're out of your mind."
"I know what I'm worth," Elda said confidently.
"Ten."
"Fifteen." She raised her zat for emphasis.
He let out a breath. "Fine."
The zat lowered just a touch. "Now… what did you and your idiot friends think you were about to accomplish here on my planet?"