Daughter
Chapter 32 – Rescue
Elda inclined her head to the minders outside of the governance hut. They inclined theirs back to her respectfully. "May we enter?"
One of them gestured toward the entrance.
Elda climbed the steps and opened the heavy door. She bowed low at the threshold. She ventured further into the space to allow the people behind her to file in. Once everyone was inside, the door was closed for them. "Master Meil'nor," she announced. She waved a hand toward the group with her and introduced, "SG-1 of the Tau'ri." The current four members of the team were all there. Sam was absent.
Jasuf's father stood before his throne. He inclined his head toward them in welcome. He made eye contact with Teal'c specifically and offered him a small bow of respect, Jaffa to Jaffa. Teal'c reciprocated politely.
"Please," he said, gesturing toward the seats on the floor. "Sit with us."
Elda was about to take any open spot when Meil'nor called out to her.
"Kal'ma, with me."
She blinked and froze. Elda's eyes flitted toward Meil'nor in question. He tilted his head toward Jasuf's seat. Her mouth dropped open briefly, but then she moved to comply. The human members of SG-1 exchanged glances of confusion. Teal'c's mouth tilted up into a small smile.
Meil'nor took his seat on the throne. Elda nervously sat down on the stool next to him. She stayed as still as she could once she settled in. Her mouth sealed shut, lips hiding inside.
Cameron stared at her, rightly sensing that the Jaffa had taken her by surprise. He glanced at Teal'c for answers, but his teammate didn't bother to make eye contact to explain. He was busy staring at Elda with pride in his expression. He looked at Daniel, the next person with enough cultural knowledge to explain this. But he shrugged. Vala seemed just as perplexed as Cameron. No one could say why Elda had been invited into that very special spot next to the tribe leader.
Meil'nor began the meeting. "Welcome to our village. It is regretful that your leader's first visit to us has transformed into this unfortunate circumstance."
As commander of SG-1, Cameron spoke for the group. "We appreciate that, Master Meil'nor. We're here to help get both him and your son back." He looked at Elda. "Just give us all the intel."
Elda looked up at Meil'nor, seated higher than her. He bowed his head and gave her permission to speak. She turned back to SG-1. "I got the prisoner to talk. Apparently, his group heard about our planet because the Jaffa here recently entered into contracts with Zersha."
Teal'c raised his brow, noting that Elda had referred to the planet as both hers and the Jaffa's.
She went on, "I think the fact that this tribe was paying directly with naquedah might have attracted their attention." She turned to Meil'nor. "It affords you some prestige. But also makes you a target."
"How'd you get him to talk?" Vala asked.
"Attract, boast, mislead," Elda said instantly, listing the skills she employed in order. Her mother nodded in approval. "I let him think he recruited me into his little band of friends running a kidnapping ring in this sector. They think if they capture the right individuals, they can hold them for a significant ransom."
"That why they took his son and the General?" Cameron inquired.
"I have a feeing they were taking whoever they could grab." She took in an annoyed breath. "They were probably watching when Jasuf gave my sister permission to escort General O'Neill onto these lands. They must have concluded he was in a position of power and moved in immediately."
"Okay, so I guess that makes sense to grab him," Daniel surmised. "But why Jack?"
Elda shrugged. "Not sure. Maybe they realized he was from Earth and figured they could try to contact you for a separate payday. From what my sister Idul told me, he was wearing a jacket identical to my own. It's distinctly Tau'ri."
"Why did they leave her behind?" Vala wondered. "That could have been an opportunity to get a third payday out of the Hak'tyl."
"I don't know. We'd have to ask them. It's possible they didn't realize there was a separate tribe on this planet. The prisoner seemed surprised when I pretended to be running a con job here, as if he didn't already know everything there was to know about this world."
Vala raised her brow. "Any kidnapper worth their salt would do their research first."
Elda rolled her eyes. "This band might be filled with amateurs. I think they got lucky."
"Any idea where our people are now?" Cameron asked.
"Actually, I was thinking of releasing the prisoner and following him. He could lead us straight to them. I would just need one of those subspace trackers I know you have."
Cameron squinted at her.
"You know, the ones embedded in your arms?"
"Doesn't work that way, Darlin'. They only send back a ping when one of our ships is in range. We don't use 'em to track our people out in the field in real time." He tilted his head. "Although it's not a bad idea, come to think of it. Be easier to find missing team members that way."
Elda grimaced in disappointment. "Hmm. Then I'll have to modify one of our communicators and slip it onto the prisoner's person before we let him escape."
"I could help you with that," Vala offered. Elda nodded in thanks.
"Alright," the Colonel decided. "Princess, you do that. Elda, plant the bug. Then SG-1 will tail him."
"I'm coming with you."
Cameron locked eyes with her. "No can do. You've already contributed plenty. The General will be proud." He offered her a sincere smile. "We'll take it from here."
Her mouth dropped open. "I'm about to join SG-3. Reynolds, himself, says I'm qualified. I should be going with you."
"And the General would have my hide if I let you," Cameron argued, voice raising slightly. He gave her a meaningful look, reminding her of Jack's loud protests against Elda being anywhere near SG-1 offworld. Even this meeting in friendly territory was enough to make the Colonel nervous of inciting Jack's wrath. The only reason they didn't all get into trouble last time was because Landry had covered for them.
Meil'nor raised his brow. Whoever this General was must be quite protective of her. He glanced in Elda's direction. She was quietly fuming over the Colonel's refusal. He could rectify that problem himself. He would simply wait for this group of Tau'ri to leave.
The Jaffa leader rose. Elda instinctively followed. SG-1 took that as their cue to stand as well. "On behalf of my tribe, I thank you for your assistance. Perhaps when this business is concluded we can establish formal relations between our peoples."
Cameron nodded respectfully. "Earth would be pleased to hear that, Master Meil'nor. I'll pass the message along."
He inclined his head. "I wish you luck and safety. Please, bring my son home." He gestured at the door for them to exit. He placed a heavy hand on Elda's shoulder next to him, preventing her from filing out with them.
She looked up at him.
"I have a separate task for you."
The pair of prisoners was left alone. For hours. They listened in to more operational chatter from the ship's crew, but nothing new was worth noting anymore.
This left them to sit against opposite sides of the cell to simply wait.
"How'd you know how to eavesdrop on ship chatter like that?" Jack asked. His hands were busy fiddling with the leftover cloth that had been used to bind their hands together. When he was this bored, he needed something to fidget with.
"I spent my youth on vessels like these," his Jaffa cellmate revealed.
"Oh yeah?"
"My father was Second Prime to a Goa'uld that commanded a small fleet of ships. He was responsible for managing the fleet."
"So he brought you to work with him?" Jack asked curiously.
"All of the young sons of the crewmen were brought aboard. We trained from a small age so that we would be better prepared to serve our masters when we came of age as warriors."
Jack swallowed uneasily. There were quite a few Ha'tak vessels destroyed in his time as a member of the SGC. He wondered how many children were secretly hidden among the dead. He tried not to dwell on that uncomfortable idea. There was nothing he could do about it now. "How'd you end up on that planet?"
"My father discovered it on his many travels. He hid its existence from all but a select few. Not even our Goa'uld master knew of it. And because of that, he was able to build a base of resistance. Slowly, he brought more and more Jaffa into the fold. Our master's ignorance of the planet convinced some that the Goa'uld were false gods. Only true gods would have known. They would have stopped them."
"What do you think tipped your dad over the edge? You know, into believing the Goa'uld were fakes?" Every Jaffa seemed to have their own unique experience with joining the Resistance.
"The master sent my blood brothers into a winless battle. My father's two sons were slaughtered all so the Goa'uld could prove a point." The Jaffa ground his teeth together in anger over the story. "I was not yet born. My father had sworn his allegiance to his master only to get nothing in return for his loyalty."
"Sorry to hear that."
He received a small bow of thanks in return.
"And then what?"
"He sent my mother and the families of other Resistance members to live on the planet. While he and his men were away, they started the settlement. I was soon born. I was brought to live with my father on a ship just like this and learn everything about it."
"You ever fly it?"
The corner of his mouth tipped up into a small smile. "Twice. As a young boy. Only briefly each time."
"Cool." Jack's eyes sparkled. "I can't say I've ever piloted one of these before. But there's a first time for everything." He smiled.
"Perhaps soon you will get your chance here."
"Here's to hoping. You think you'd be able to pilot this thing today?"
"I spent most of my days at my father's side while he commanded the peltac. I observed enough that I think I can."
Jack found that reassuring. You never knew when you would need a pilot. It was part of the reason his daughter was being onboarded to SG-3 soon. He felt kind of lucky to have been kidnapped alongside this resourceful Jaffa. When this was over, he planned to ask him his real name. They had an unspoken agreement not to share such a thing in case their kidnappers tried to torture one to give up the other. "You ever get to fly anything else besides one of these?"
"Alkesh. Tel'tak. Troop transport. Those were all part of my training before our master fell."
"Sweet. You guys keep any of those ships?"
"No, they were all destroyed in the final battles. We barely escaped with our lives. Many more were not so fortunate."
Jack nodded. It was a common outcome among the Jaffa that rose up and freed themselves. They gained independence but lost resources in the process. Many were left to start over from nothing. He guessed his tribe was lucky to have a planet to fall back to.
"And what of you? We have all heard stories of the Tau'ri's exploits."
"Oh, well, me," Jack said casually. "I've done some things." He nodded his head with a wistful smile.
The Jaffa looked on curiously.
"I, uhh, used to be part of a team that got sent offworld. We went around and did some stuff."
"Like SG-1 and SG-3?"
"You heard of them?"
"I have recently met them."
"Huh. Okay, then maybe you have a bit of an idea of what we generally got up to."
"In truth, I do not know much. Only that Teal'c is your most favored ally among the Jaffa."
"Ahhh, good ol' Teal'c."
"You are no longer part of such teams?"
"No. Not anymore. I was ordered to take on different responsibilities." That was the most Jack would say without revealing his rank. The last thing his cellmate needed was to be burdened with that knowledge in case their captors wanted to use it against them.
"You seem to show an interest in piloting ships. What have you flown in your time?" the Jaffa asked, continuing their conversation. There was not much else to do to pass the time. And he felt this was an opportunity to understand the world his mate originated from.
Jack lit up. "Ever heard of a puddle jumper?"
"I realized I have a better way to track our prisoner," Elda announced, holding up the item a Hak'tyl runner had just rushed over to her in Meil'nor's village. She was seated with Vala and Daniel in the near-empty eating hut. Only a few local Jaffa were there, and they were sitting out of earshot.
Vala pointed. "That looks familiar."
"Zersha's calling card. I could stick this chip on him instead of bothering to hack one of our communication devices. I've been meaning to stop by Zersha's headquarters anyway. I could ask them to track him for me. They'll be happy to assist since it's their client at risk. They have a contractual obligation to help."
Vala pulled the card out of her hands. "SG-1 will take care of that," she said with finality.
Elda gave her mother a sharp look. She took the card back. "My idea. My op."
Her mother narrowed her eyes at her. "No."
Daniel glanced between them. He reached over to take the card and look it over. It was a simple item. Flat metal not much different than a credit card in size and shape. Except this one had a piece of tech embedded in its center. "What if…" he interrupted diplomatically, "…we compromise?"
The two women looked at him.
"Elda plants the bug, like Mitchell said. Elda, you can even drive us over to Zersha with your ship and introduce us to your contact there. Then," he said with emphasis, meeting Vala's unamused look, "SG-1 continues on to chase after the prisoner and find Jack. And your friend."
The women made eye contact with each other. They both agreed with a nod.
He handed the card back to Elda. "And maybe while we're on the way, you can tell us just how close you two really are," Daniel added for good measure.
Elda blinked. "What?"
He gave her an expectant look. Vala smirked.
The young blonde scrunched her face. Somehow she knew that he knew.
He raised his brows, telling her that he knew that she knew that they knew.
Elda adopted an expression of exasperation. "When did you find out?"
"Last time we were here," he reported nonchalantly.
Vala added, "But you'd been hiding something for weeks before that. We noticed."
"I wasn't hiding anything. There was nothing to hide."
"Really?" Vala asked dubiously.
Elda sighed loudly. "Things didn't really become significant until after I came back here."
Somehow, they didn't believe her. "Have you told Sam and Jack?" Daniel questioned.
"I tried to!"
"You tried to? But you didn't?"
"Well, I was about to say something. And then your President called and he rushed out. I wasn't going to share that news with just Sam. I wanted them to be together for it. But it never happened the rest of the time I was visiting on Earth!"
"So what… you just came back here without saying anything?"
Elda threw her hands up. "What was I supposed to do?"
"You could have called," Daniel suggested.
"Oh, yes," Elda groused sarcastically. "Let me share this private news with the entire control room and have Sam and Jack react in front of everyone." She looked at Daniel like he was crazy.
He pointed a finger at her. "Don't eye me, young lady."
She defiantly scrunched her face more.
Daniel copied her look and gave it right back.
Vala shook her head. "Elda," she cut in, placing a hand atop hers on the table. "Is he being good to you?"
She looked at her mother. "He's been perfect," she said without hesitation.
"So… you're happy?" Daniel asked.
"Yes, Daniel, I am."
He leaned back in his seat and glanced at Vala. "Does he know you're about to join SG-3?"
She closed her eyes briefly and let out a breath. "We're both dreading my departure."
"General, what's the latest?" Mitchell said over the radio as he stared at the active wormhole. He and Teal'c were at the gate checking in with the SGC.
"We received a communication from some supposed kidnappers who claimed they have one of our people," Landry reported.
Cameron and Teal'c shared a worried look. "They have General O'Neill, sir?"
"They never mentioned him by name. But seeing as how he's the only one unaccounted for, it stands to reason they might be telling the truth. We sent the Hammond to where we think the signal originated from."
"Did these kidnappers make any demands?"
They could hear Landry chuckle over the radio. "Oh they demanded alright. I strung them along, trying to give our people enough time to trace their signal. They think I'm giving up Asgard technology in exchange for a 'Rick of Earth.'"
Mitchell began to laugh over the line. "Yeah, that sounds like classic General O'Neill. Looks like they do have him."
"Agreed."
"Elda's got herself a prisoner here," Cameron then reported. "She was able to weasel some intel out of him that tracks with what you're saying. She gave us the idea to plant a tracker on him and let him escape so he could lead us straight to our kidnapping victims."
He didn't receive an immediate reply. There was a long enough pause in the conversation that had Mitchell looking down at his radio to check if it was malfunctioning.
"Put a hold on that, Colonel. The Hammond just came through with a communique. Looks like they got a hit. You may not have to go through all that hassle."
"Good ol' Hammond. Orders, sir?"
"SG-1 is to report to the stargate nearest to their location. They'll swing by to pick you up. Run the rescue op as you see fit. Sending the address now." Mitchell looked over to Teal'c, who was holding a small tablet capable of receiving the information. The Jaffa nodded in affirmation.
"Copy. Address received."
"Godspeed, Colonel."
"Thank you, sir. SG-1 out." Mitchell then switched his radio to another channel. "Jackson. Princess. Report to the gate. New orders from the SGC. We're leaving."
"Master Meil'nor says I am to go offworld and bring Jasuf home," Elda announced to the guardsmen who had gathered outside the governance hut. "He chooses not to wait for the Tau'ri. You have the right to search for your brother yourselves. If any of you should like to volunteer to join me…"
She stopped short because all the guardsmen stepped forward at once. She blinked and dropped her mouth open briefly. She quirked a smile at their loyalty.
"I think I only need three," she said quietly. Now she pursed her lips, trying to debate with herself over who to choose.
She looked at Lo'zim first. "They offended Idul. How would you like a chance to avenge her honor?"
"Say nothing more, EldaMalDoran. You have my support." He stepped to her side.
Elda bowed to him gratefully. "Goru? You were the first to respond. You spoke to the prisoner firsthand." He nodded and stepped to Elda's other side, facing the others.
Now she stared at the rest of the men. They all continued to stand at attention. Bier took another small step forward to emphasize his eagerness. "Bier," she started, clearly hesitant. The last thing she wanted was to take someone away from his family. She had no interest in risking someone's father or husband.
"EldaMalDoran," he said. "Do not fear for my family. Let me fulfill my duty."
She took in a breath. Once again, it was like the Jaffa could read her mind. She inclined her head and gestured for Bier to step up. Elda addressed the rest of the group. "You honor Jasuf. I regret that I cannot bring you all. But I promise you, we will not fail," she declared with determination. The men bowed their heads to her.
Bier addressed them all now. "Shal kek," he ordered, dismissing them. Out of the three guardsmen Elda had chosen, he was the highest present in rank. He surprised her when he turned back and asked her, "What now?"
"Bier, I will defer to your authority," she said carefully. She would not step on these guardsmen's toes and insult them by pretending she knew any better than them. These Jaffa wanted to reciprocate the loyalty Jasuf had always shown them. Master Meil'nor understood this.
What she didn't get is why the tribe leader asked her first and let her choose from the men as she pleased. He behaved as if this would be her op, not everyone's together.
"You have been tasked by the Tribe Father himself. We merely follow you in support."
Goru added, "You are the one with the knowledge of how to defeat these people." He smiled at her, still impressed with how she had convinced the prisoner to talk. "You should lead."
She took in a doubtful breath. "I'm no leader."
"So said Jasuf once," Lo'zim reported.
Elda looked up at him surprised. "He is the heir apparent," she reiterated with confusion.
"He was once reluctant to take on the mantle," Bier explained. "He eventually grew into his role and has made a fine leader to us all."
"Our prosperity is his motivator. And now, you should use his safety as yours," Goru said profoundly.
Elda looked to each of these Jaffa with shock. They were pledging to follow her. To be commanded by her. She hadn't been asking them to do more than join her on a rescue op as equals. As she stared at these men, she realized that the world of human swindlers was unknown territory for them. It was infinitely complex. But she knew how to traverse it like old hat. They needed her to guide them. Now Master Meil'nor's order made more sense. It just took her a minute to wrap her mind around it.
She bit her lip briefly, then nodded her head to herself. She could do this. "Right then. Here's what we're going to do."
Elda communicated in Goa'uld with the control tower on Zersha Prime. She had just received clearance to land her shuttle. Bier sat next to her in the co-pilot's chair. He commanded the system to bring up the coordinates to show her. She reached over to gesture within the holographic display, rotating the image to get a better idea of what she was about to fly into.
Satisfied that she understood, she initiated the process of entering atmosphere. The shuttle shook against the force of the planet's protective layers. The forward port glowed red from the heat of entry. Their mag boots rattled with the ship, sending vibrations up everyone's legs.
No one seemed particularly bothered by this, though.
Elda had learned that her Jaffa companions were all experienced space-farers, having grown up on Ha'tak vessels before their Goa'uld master was assassinated. They had had their share of experiences, including commandeering non-Goa'uld vessels in the name of their false god. Nothing on this shuttle was new to them. And she was glad for it. It was about time she piloted this thing without having to worry about how her passengers were faring with the new experience. Or having to explain every single thing that was happening as she flew the ship, as she had when SG-3 rode with her.
These Jaffa just knew. It was a relief.
Soon the ride grew calmer as they approached the surface of the planet. The shuttle broke through thick clouds to find a glittering city below. Small ships of all kinds of configurations were zipping back and forth in neat little lanes parallel to the ground. Her navigation instructions were telling her to maneuver the ship over to a tall building with a dock especially reserved for them. They wouldn't be parking directly on hard ground. Elda needed to take care that she oriented the shuttle so that its hatch would open directly onto the platform, or else they would fall one hundred meters when they stepped out.
The control tower confirmed her ship's position was satisfactory and granted permission for the crew to disembark. The voice on the line informed them that they would be greeted in person by representatives of the Conglomerate. Elda sensed the warning undertone to that statement. She understood it as a polite reminder that they would be watched; they shouldn't try anything funny. Zersha took its security very seriously.
She counted herself lucky she was on the right side of one of their reps. She wondered how much commission she had made him by bringing him not one, but two, buyers in recent months.
Armed guards in helmets stood ready for them when the hatch opened. Elda stepped out first, clad in her signature black suit and assorted weaponry. When her Jaffa companions filed out, their vessel automatically began shutting its hatch. She had programmed the system to recognize these three as crew and behave appropriately.
"Follow us," one of the guards intoned through a speaker in his helmet. He and his fellows surrounded the group as they herded them toward the entrance to the building.
Elda's contact, Gen, was waiting for them inside. He smiled warmly toward her, holding out his hands as if reaching for a hug. She raised an eyebrow at him. He let his arms drop, grin never leaving his face. "Elda Mal Doran," he greeted, tone twisting around her name as if devouring her. His eyes raked in her curves admiringly.
The Jaffa behind her stood expressionless. She, herself, ignored his obvious stare. "Gen," she said simply.
"What brings you to my modest corner of the universe?" he said with irony. 'Modest' was hardly the right word to describe the flashy glamour of the tower they were currently in. It sparkled of crystal and glass, letting natural light from the local sun reflect pleasantly off water features and statues decorating the main hall. Zersha was proudly displaying its excess here.
"One of our mutual clients has found himself the victim of a kidnapping. The perpetrators caught wind of his existence because of Zersha," Elda said icily.
Gen's face dropped. He suddenly became serious. "Please, let us speak in my office." He nodded at the Zershan guards to dismiss them and they broke off. He led the remaining group through a maze of corridors until they reached a set of double doors. They opened automatically upon sensing the return of their assigned owner.
He invited them into his sprawling office. Elda declined the plush seat before his glass desk. She instead leaned her bottom on the corner of his desk and crossed her arms. The look on her face told Gen he wasn't going to be making any money off of her today. If anything, he would lose some. Her Jaffa companions also declined the guest chairs, standing and staring at them both without much expression.
Gen took his own seat and addressed Elda. "Tell me what happened. Then Zersha will help make it right."
"You better," she warned. "Goru," she called out, eyes never leaving the representative.
He stepped forward. "This morning on the planet of Tek'ron, our superior was attacked in the forest at the border between our lands and that of the Hak'tyl. He and a human male were taken by force offworld. A Hak'tyl was also accosted in the attack and was able to injure one of the offenders. He was left behind and supplied us with the information that has led us here."
"I hid the calling card you gave the Hak'tyl in the sole of his boot," Elda supplied. "I have let him go. You will track him for me."
Gen's hands immediately flew over the controls of his desk. His actions activated a holographic display of the local galaxy. A bright red dot began to flash. "The transmitter is moving," he reported. Elda and her Jaffa companions drew closer to the three-dimensional map. "After it left Tek'ron, it suddenly appeared here," he said, pointing at a nondescript dot representing a planet. "That implies the carrier used a stargate for travel. The transmitter then began moving at hyperspace speeds and continues to do so now."
"Destination?" Elda asked.
"Unknown. We can only see where the transmitter is at any given point in time, but not where it might end up," Gen answered apologetically.
"Can you put this on a tablet for me?"
"I can do better. You brought that shuttle you commandeered, correct?"
Elda smirked. She hummed triumphantly. "Yes, I did."
Gen looked her up and down suggestively again. He offered her a smile, implying that what he was about to offer would surely make her happy again. "Let me upgrade you," he said with double-meaning.
She raised her brow. She sensed his ulterior motive. Alarm bells were instantly ringing in her mind. Her mouth quirked briefly, but she otherwise didn't react. "I want enhanced trackers, a gravity-pack, and a weapons array. And top off my fuel," she declared without hesitation.
He was completely unsurprised by her demands. "Done."
"Oh, and you need to scrub your blood out of my seat."
He scrunched his face briefly. "I'll have the headmaster take care of that."
"See that he does." Elda got up.
"Elda." She turned back to him. "We should do dinner."
She instantly grabbed his shirt and brought his face near hers with a dangerous look. "Do I look like I have time for dinner?" she asked aggressively.
The Jaffa smirked with satisfaction over her angry response.
Gen wasn't phased. "Those specific upgrades you chose require extra motivation on my part," he explained, implying a quid pro quo.
Elda rolled her eyes and pushed him away. Because of course he'd throw in a proposition for sex. She'd just have to motivate him some other way instead. "Let me speak to you in a language that I know you understand." She meant the language of money. "Give me what I want and I'll put in a good word for you with another very special potential buyer."
"How special?"
"Does the name 'Tau'ri' sound special enough to you?"
He sneered. This would be better than sex.
Elda scratched a fingernail at the now pristine-looking seat in her shuttle. There wasn't a hint of dried blood left. She stood back up and nodded to the worker who had just used a steam-spray nozzle to work the stain out. The air was just barely clearing now after becoming awash with a chemical haze. The worker left her without any word.
She stepped out after him and approached the Jaffa who were waiting. Elda turned around to survey her shuttle. It was being upgraded now. Other workers were busy opening access panels and loading warheads into designated slots. A handful more had already taken apart the pilot's console to install the requested add-ons. The entire process was taking no more than 20 minutes and was nearly complete. She had to give it to Zersha. They were definitely efficient. "What do you think?"
"It appears the same," Lo'zim's voice boomed.
"It is cleaner than it was," Bier noted.
Elda frowned. "Yes, I'm a little suspicious of that scratch they found on the hull." She ground her teeth. She had a few guesses about who might be responsible for that. "At least they didn't protest to buffing it out."
"You might have had to give up your first-born child if they did," Goru remarked.
Elda glanced toward him with a smirk. "Humans are vicious, aren't they?" He only raised his brows to agree.
"You impress me, EldaMalDoran," Bier admitted. "You handled yourself well in the face of that foul human male."
She offered him a tight smile. "I've seen worse."
She turned when a worker stepped up with a tablet. It contained an invoice listing the upgrades the team had just installed. The price showed zero. All she needed to do was sign off and they could be on their way. Elda placed her palm on the device just long enough for it to chime. The worker nodded to her and left. His colleagues gathered their tools and followed.
"Now," she declared, "let's go bring our people home."
The door to the cell slid open. Mork looked down at his two latest prisoners with a pleased expression.
The human and the Jaffa gazed up at him from the floor, hands behind their backs.
"Congratulations. I have made successful contact with each of your peoples. They are prepared to welcome you home."
The pair on the floor glanced at each other. Jack asked, "Oh?"
"For you, Rick of Earth, your people agreed to a significant offering for your safe return. I will greatly enjoy the Asgard beaming technology I receive." Jack raised an eyebrow. His people would never. It had to be a trick. He smelled Landry all over it. It was reassuring to know he might be on the case. He wondered if Gracie had any idea what happened to him. She must be worried sick.
"And you, Dril'nek of Tek'ron. Your tribe leader offered up quite the impressive store of raw naquedah. It's a pity that it isn't already refined. But we should have no problem finding a facility to process it to our liking." Now the Jaffa raised his brow. He sensed that whatever his father offered was a lie. Sending along the name Dril'nek was a strategic choice on his part. Dril'nek was his dead eldest brother's name. It was a signal for his father to regard these kidnappers with great caution. And it was meant to confirm that he was indeed alive, but unable to return home on his own.
Jack noticed that Mork hadn't shown up this time with his friends. Not even Mindy. There was that overconfidence of his at work again. He shared a look with his fellow prisoner next to him. He didn't know the Jaffa well enough to communicate with his eyes, but he felt that they were probably on the same page. He surreptitiously tilted his head in Mork's direction.
The Jaffa suddenly rose up and lunged. He grabbed Mork's neck and slammed his head into the doorway of their cell. Mork barely had time to register his surprise that the Jaffa was free of his bonds. He was unconscious in seconds.
Jack smiled. "Nice." He got up, decidedly slower than his cellmate, and peeked out the open door. "Weapons would be good now."
"I overheard where those might be kept."
Jack looked down at their fallen captor. "What about this guy?"
The Jaffa grabbed the leftover bonds that were used on them. He quickly used one to tightly tie Mork's hands behind his back. Then he placed another one around his mouth to serve as a gag. Jack moved in to check his pockets. He removed anything that seemed like it could be useful later. He found a communicator and a strange card with a chip in the middle of it.
The pair left him and shut the cell door. The Jaffa led them carefully and quietly through the ship to a store room. Inside were crates. They each chose one to open. One held kasa, the galaxy's addictive space corn of choice. The other held a few blasters. The Jaffa admired one gleaming weapon. It seemed newly made.
"Oooh, what do we have here?" Jack stepped over with interest. He examined one of the weapons, testing its weight in his hand and noting how to activate and deactivate it. He stuck it into the back of his waistband. The Jaffa, meanwhile, pocketed two blasters.
Jack looked at him questioningly.
"One of these will make a nice gift for a friend," the Jaffa explained.
Jack shrugged. "Cool." He turned around toward the open doorway. "You didn't happen to get a sense of how many guys we're dealing with on board this ship did you? Or where it's headed?"
"We are in hyperspace. The destination was not mentioned aloud. As far as numbers, it sounded as if there were just a few."
"When you say a few…" Jack started, expecting him to finish with an answer.
"Twenty at most." Just barely a skeleton crew for a Ha'tak vessel.
"Alright." Jack hardly seemed surprised. "Here's what I think we should do. Quietly take out these jokers as we see 'em, while heading to the bridge. Then we shoot whoever is there and take over the ship."
"I agree with your plan, Rick of Earth," the Jaffa replied.
Jack grinned at the cover name. "Let's go have some fun."
"Colonel," the ship commander announced a few hours later. "We've caught up to them."
Mitchell hovered over the operations officer's console. He studied the display, seeing for himself that they were indeed coming up behind a Ha'tak vessel. "Disable them and bring 'em out of hyperspace," he ordered. "Have SG-1 report to the ring room fully armed."
The commander complied, sending out a call on the P.A. as requested while Mitchell left the bridge.
Cameron found Teal'c already prepared to leave in the ring room. He glanced around. "Where are the other two?"
Teal'c tilted his head in his own Jaffa version of a shrug. He did not seem surprised.
"Colonel," a voice reported over the loudspeaker, "The Ha'tak vessel is disabled. We are unable to establish communications with it."
Mitchell hit a button on a wall panel to respond. "Does it still have shields?"
"Their shields are working intermittently. Looks like their emitters took damage. We're working on finding you an opening for the rings to get through."
"Alright, inform me the moment we can ring aboard."
"Copy. Bridge out."
Mitchell peeked out of the doorway now. He caught a glimpse of Jackson approaching in a rush. "About damn time!"
Daniel rushed into the room in a huff. "Sorry."
Cameron eyed him. "Where's Princess?"
Daniel looked down at his weapons, focusing on checking that they were good and prepared, instead of answering immediately.
Vala walked in casually, similarly armed. She smiled pleasantly at Cameron.
Her CO failed to smile back. "You two drive me nuts."
Her expression dropped. "What?" She glanced at Teal'c, who stared back unamused.
Cameron raised an eyebrow meaningfully.
Vala scoffed and hit Daniel's arm forcefully. "What did you tell them!"
"What? I didn't say anything!" he claimed.
"You don't have to," Mitchell groused. "Teal'c, how often would they do this on the Odyssey?" he demanded.
"Often," the Jaffa reported with a hint of annoyance.
Both Daniel and Vala's jaws dropped. Teal'c never admitted anything about the Odyssey. Ever. They glanced at each other, then grinned. If he was willing to rat them out for sneaking off to be alone, that was an encouraging sign. It served to satisfy everyone's curiosity about that erased timeline and implied that Daniel and Vala's onboard romance there was longer-lived than they had imagined.
Mitchell just shook his head. "I swear to God, you're like rabbits," he grumbled as he stepped onto the ring platform. He crouched down and began aiming his weapon outward. Teal'c placed himself in the center and raised both arms in opposite directions with matching P-90s. Daniel and Vala joined them, matching Cameron's crouch. They all faced different directions to cover every angle.
"Told you we should have waited 'til later," Daniel complained to her quietly.
"You're the one who…"
"SG-1, prepare to board the other vessel," the ship commander interrupted.
The rings activated and then they were gone.
The shuttle entered the Ha'tak vessel's bay with no resistance. The bay doors closed automatically on their own. As soon as the shuttle made contact with the deck, the hatch opened. Lo'zim and Goru filed out with staff weapons raised. Elda placed the ship in standby mode and got up with Bier to follow. They each grabbed their own staff weapons from the storage rack across from the hatch. Elda's pretty birthday present gleamed brightly in the lights of the bay as she exited, still clad in her tight leather suit.
The shuttle hatch whined closed as the group cautiously approached the entrance to the rest of the mothership.
They advanced two-by-two into the bowels of the ship. The Jaffa found it strange that no one seemed to be guarding the bay. Typically that was the first place to send guards when a ship was in distress and at risk of being boarded. The other place to secure would be the ring room, if the vessel had one.
The group carefully peeked around corners as they made their way toward the peltac. Securing that was the goal. Taking control of the bridge would mean they could determine what else was happening on board and better find missing people.
Lo'zim paused when he spied a hand on the ground from around the corner. He whispered back behind him, "EldaMalDoran."
She joined him to look. She glanced at Goru and Lo'zim, gesturing for them to cover her and Bier as they approached.
Elda crouched down, poking her staff weapon at the hand. It didn't move. Bier craned his neck above her to peek around the corner. "It is clear for now," he reported quietly. Elda laid down her staff weapon to examine the fellow on the ground. He was wearing the same galaxy-appropriate garb as their former prisoner, a basic black travel suit. The only difference here was the oozing red hole in his abdomen.
"Blaster fire," she concluded. Her eyes darted up and around. "But by who?" she wondered.
"Perhaps there is a mutiny," Goru surmised.
"Or we have competition," Elda grumbled. "Leave him. We should keep moving."
"Anyone find it kind of odd that this place looks like a ghost town?" Daniel said drily as he checked around another corner.
"Are you complaining?" Mitchell asked.
"No, no," he responded lightly. "It's just never this easy."
"Tell me about it," his CO moaned.
"Perhaps you should knock on wood, ColonelMitchell."
"Or in this case," Vala added, banging a fist on the wall, "titanium alloy."
Teal'c inclined his head to her with amusement.
"Come on," Cameron insisted. "Keep moving toward the bridge."
Both doors on either side of the peltac slid open simultaneously. Jack raised his blaster immediately in the direction of one door, while his cellmate aimed at the other.
Jack's eyes went wide at what he saw. "Kid?" he asked in confusion.
Elda was aiming a staff weapon toward him, flanked by three very angry looking Jaffa.
Her face transformed from menacing to bewildered. She blinked rapidly. Her weapon lowered. "General O'Neill?" Her mouth dropped wide open, noting that he was standing at the main control console of the bridge, completely unbothered. Her eyes darted to the floor, where four people were appearing to rest peacefully with blaster wounds.
Meanwhile opposite from them, the other Jaffa was similarly baffled to see SG-1 approaching with weapons raised. "Master Teal'c," he said in amazement. He lowered his blaster immediately. When he heard the sound of Elda's voice he immediately whipped around. "Elda," he intoned with even more surprise. His brow raised at the sight of her leading three of his men onto the peltac.
"Jasuf," she said with a flat tone. "Are you both alright?"
"What the Hell!?" Mitchell exclaimed. "Elda, dammit, I specifically told you not to go on the rescue mission!" Daniel and Vala had similar looks of consternation next to him. Teal'c's eye twitched beside them.
"I wasn't gonna sit around waiting for you!" she shouted back.
Jack's brow raised as he glanced between them. Jasuf continued to look absolutely confused. He made eye contact with his men, who tilted their heads as if shrugging. They all relaxed their weapons.
"General, sir, are you alright?" the Colonel asked, struggling to control his angry tone.
Jack turned back to him. "We're fine, Colonel." He began to grin, head whipping back and forth between the opposing rescue teams. "Nice entrance." He started laughing.
A chime caught Jasuf's attention. He gestured toward the console. "Rick of Earth, see here. Our shields have completely failed now." Elda's face twitched and her mouth dropped open again. Who the hell was Rick of Earth?
Jack whipped around to look. "Huh. I see that. What do you usually do when that happens? Reroute emergency power or something?"
"No. In these moments, Jaffa pray to their false gods for prosperity in the next life. Because a loss of shields in battle means imminent destruction."
Jack looked around at the people with him. Then he pointed at the men on the ground that he and Jasuf had already taken care of. "Good thing we're not in battle."
"Indeed."
"Just what is going on here!" Elda yelled.
Cameron threw his hands up.
"Okay," Daniel said, stepping forward. "Jack, it looks like you're fine. Mind telling us why we just mounted a rescue mission for people who apparently didn't need a rescue?" He was hardly amused.
"You could have called," Elda complained.
Jack bared his hands outward as he looked between them.
"The communications panel is damaged," Jasuf explained, pointing at a section of the console burnt by blaster fire.
"Let me guess," Elda said, eyebrow raising and foot tapping. "It got hit as you were attacking the peltac."
"That is exactly what happened."
Jack raised a finger in the air. "I'd like to point out that this isn't my first rodeo."
Cameron tried to stop the way his face wanted to twitch. He tried speaking evenly instead. "Are there any more combatants on board?"
Jasuf looked down at another section of the main console. "There are other life signs on board, but it is difficult to discern if they are incapacitated or not."
"I got six," Jack announced.
"I felled seven," Jasuf reported.
Jack glanced at the four additional people they caught here on the bridge. He thought of Mork left behind in the cell. Things weren't completely adding up. "Didn't you say there were twenty?"
"It was an estimate. A ship of this size requires at least that to function."
"Colonel, you may have to sweep the ship," Jack suggested. He nodded at him to get started.
Mitchell frowned. "Sir," he acknowledged. "Princess, give him your radio."
Jasuf's eyebrow quirked at the address he used for Vala Mal Doran. He'd heard it before.
Vala glanced back and forth between Cameron and Jack. "Why mine?"
Mitchell ground out through gritted teeth, "Because I know you will stay glued to Jackson the whole time we're here. Just like you were back on our ship." He stared at her meaningfully, refraining from mentioning aloud that he knew the two of them were not fully clothed just a little while ago.
She appeared slightly chagrined, then she complied, unclipping her hand-held radio and handing it over to a befuddled Jack. SG-1 reluctantly left.
Jasuf now addressed his men in Goa'uld, ordering them to also sweep the ship without getting in SG-1's way. But instead of moving, the trio stared back at him, frozen and uncertain. Their eyes flitted toward Elda.
Her jaw twisted around inside her mouth uncomfortably. She pursed her lips as she turned toward them. "Krelnok. Do as he says."
Bier, Goru, and Lo'zim bowed respectfully to her. The three of them left, raising their staff weapons as they exited the bridge.
Jasuf blinked. "My father gave you command of my men?" Jack grinned next to him.
Elda turned back to him sheepishly. "Well… since we were trying to rescue you…" She seemed worried that he would be angry.
But he laughed loudly instead. Jasuf nodded his head in full agreement. "This role suits you, Elda." He continued to cackle with amusement.
She scrunched her face, not sure she liked his approval. Her reaction only entertained Jack more as he continued to smile at her.
Her father pointed. "That's mah girl."
Jasuf looked at him curiously.
She huffed. She set her staff weapon to rest against the command chair and approached their console. She surveyed its status, seeing that not only was communications affected, but also basic life support. She pointed at it now. "Anyone want to get that?"
"Do not fear, Elda. There are several redundancies in place on this vessel before we will have a complete failure of life support."
"Yeah," Jack pretended to agree. "What he said." Then he regarded her thoughtfully. "How'd you guys get here, anyway?"
"My shuttle."
"What about SG-1?"
"I think your Hammond is somewhere outside," she said, gesturing aimlessly toward the forward port.
"So that's who shot us," he realized.
"I presume you are referring to a friendly ship."
Jack clapped Jasuf on the back. "One of ours. One of the best we got," he said proudly.
The Jaffa seemed interested. "Have you had an opportunity to pilot it?"
"Oh, no. Not me. My wife, though? She used to be in command over there." Now he looked even more proud.
"What is this?" Elda said in complete confusion.
They both turned to her, unsure of her meaning.
"You two are friends!?"
The former cellmates locked eyes momentarily. Then they both turned back to her smiling.
She brought a hand to her forehead briefly. This was absolutely not the way she intended for these two to ever meet.