Daughter
Chapter 34 – Pronouncement
Elda found Meil'nor and Jasuf on the peltac, heavily engrossed in conversation before the main console. They barely noticed her entry, occupied as they were. She quirked an eyebrow in amusement. Out of all the places to let down one's guard, the bridge of a Goa'uld mothership was the last place one should do it.
They were just having too much fun.
The Tribe Father was renewed. Having a ship to command seemed to have brought back a youthful exuberance to the older Jaffa. Jasuf thought it was delightful. And he was eager to re-learn some of the things he had been taught from his days as a boy growing up on a Ha'tak vessel. This was the perfect environment to reinforce what he knew and to build upon it.
She approached them with a smile, waiting to bow until Master Meil'nor finally acknowledged her presence. He smiled warmly toward her. Jasuf reached out a hand to bring her near. He wrapped an arm around Elda's waist as he and his father continued to discuss some ship function that she didn't know much about.
Elda patiently waited, only half-listening. She surveyed the room, noting other tribe members busy at secondary consoles, studying the displays and remembering how to operate this massive ship. The more experienced Jaffa paired themselves with younger counterparts to educate them.
She turned back to the father and son next to her. They started to argue lightly. She bit the inside of her cheek, tickled. Elda savored this time with them. She was certain SG-3 would be back soon and recall her to Earth. She unconsciously squeezed Jasuf and leaned her head on his shoulder. He glanced at her affectionately, then continued to bicker with his father about power generation systems.
A chime caught her attention on the communications panel. It had since been repaired by the SGC after they commandeered the ship from the kidnappers. She reached out to hit a command to see who was calling. "Master Meil'nor," she cut in. "Ishta requests permission to board." This would be the only time she could ever dare to interrupt his conversation.
He glanced at the display to see she was right. "Grant it. Go to the ring room and escort your Den Mother to me," he ordered. Elda inclined her head. She sent a reply through the communications panel and left to do as she was told.
She arrived just in time to watch her Den Mother materialize before her within the rings. Elda bowed. "Den Mother."
"Kal'ma." Ishta stepped forward alone.
"I will escort you to the peltac where Master Meil'nor awaits."
Ishta inclined her head and followed the young blonde out. "How fares the ship?" the Hak'tyl leader asked as they walked.
"Well enough, I think. They are still discovering its faults after many seasons without regular maintenance."
"Perhaps that Zersha could be of assistance. Do they not produce parts for ships such as these?"
"They do. Although it would seem pride stands in the way of them asking for help so soon."
Ishta smirked. "Such is the way of men."
Elda smiled. She'd once heard her birth mother complain about how Earth men never wanted to stop and ask for directions. It usually delayed things for everyone involved. She was starting to understand what she meant.
Before they entered the bridge, Ishta raised a hand to pause them. She turned to Elda now. Her eyes were calculating but her mouth was smiling pleasantly at her. "What progress have you made with the task we set before you and Jasuf?"
She knew this was coming. She hadn't been over to the Hak'tyl settlement to make a report in a while. She'd been distracted by everything going on since the ship had been gifted to Meil'nor's tribe. Elda glanced left and right to ensure no one was within listening range. "The guardsmen are more amenable to working with the Hak'tyl. Jasuf has put it in their heads that we may one day have to join forces for patrols. The kidnapping incident is accelerating those plans."
Ishta hummed thoughtfully. It was notable that a Hak'tyl and a guardsman were present during the attack. Both sides had been shamed equally. Nesa had already shared Jasuf's suggestion with her. She was considering it strongly. Hearing it again now was only reminding her to make a decision soon. She just needed to know if it would work. Elda's report seemed to convince her that it might. "When will he make the pronouncement regarding the training model?"
Elda hesitated, unsure. She and Jasuf hadn't even talked about that lately. "I do not know, Den Mother," she admitted.
"Push him, Kal'ma. We should not delay this further. We now have ample training grounds to begin the shared path forward for our warriors," Ishta declared, eyes flitting up and around at the ship.
Elda bowed. "Yes, Den Mother." While her head was still down, Ishta moved on ahead of her and into the peltac. She frowned as she rose, thinking back on everything she and Jasuf had gone through to reach this point. It was a wonder they were even here now. The Jaffa planet of Tek'ron now controlled a Ha'tak vessel. If Elda hadn't been ordered to move to the other village to execute the Jaffa leaders' scheme, then her father would have never tried to visit her there. He and Jasuf would have never been kidnapped and then recovered alongside this ship.
Ishta's words about her being some sort of catalyst danced around in her mind. She shivered, not wanting to believe any part of it. She didn't want to be so important.
She just wanted to be Elda.
Jasuf stepped out to find her standing there alone, thinking. He tipped up her chin. "What goes through your mind, my love?" His hand stroked her cheek.
She grimaced. "Ishta wants you to make the pronouncement already."
He nodded, unsurprised. "Would you agree that the people are ready?"
Elda tilted her head. "Maybe."
"Let us go to the training rooms. The farther we get from the peltac, the fewer tasks they will think to assign us."
She grinned with amusement as she let him lead her away. "Out of sight, out of mind?"
He smiled at her. "What a curious but fitting description." He leaned down to kiss her hair as they walked.
When they arrived at the part of the ship designated for sparring and practice, they found a corridor lined with small rooms. Each one was empty, with enough space for a set of warriors to spar within. At the end of the long corridor was a great hall. It could house a full regiment if needed. Or an audience for a public sparring match.
They could already hear the sounds of wooden staff weapons making contact from one of the rooms. The pair glanced at each other curiously. Perhaps they were not all empty after all.
Then Elda remembered. "I came up with Goru. He said he was coming here to check this place out," she said suspiciously.
Jasuf raised his brow. They quietly drew closer to where the sounds were coming from.
Elda peeked into one of the rooms. She watched a staff weapon drop to the floor. It rolled away harmlessly as Goru passionately captured the mouth of a Hak'tyl. Her eyes widened. She quickly spun around and pushed Jasuf to the wall.
She brought up a finger to her mouth to keep him quiet. Elda bit her lip and grinned. Perplexed, Jasuf looked in quickly. He locked eyes with Elda and matched her smile of delight.
Elda wanted to squeal. She scrunched her shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut briefly. Jasuf silently laughed at her. Then they both dared to take another look together.
Goru was expertly devouring Agean. And she was happily melting into him.
The two impromptu spies hurried away to leave them alone. They left the training area completely. Once they were far enough away, the pair began laughing together in a corridor. Jasuf leaned into her against the wall. "I think the people are ready," he whispered into her ear.
"Well done, Jaffa."
"You as well, human." He kissed her with a satisfied smile still on his face. They broke off to grin at each other. "Goru is not prepared for the torment I have planned for him."
Elda laughed and hit his chest. "Leave him be!"
"We have already had our fun with Lo'zim. It is his turn," Jasuf emphasized. "They will just as soon return their attention to us if we do not direct it to Goru now."
She laughed more. "Oh what does it matter? They already know we are matched." She gestured up at the ship. "Clearly, there is evidence. My father gifted you a ship."
"They do not know he is your father."
"No, but he is a man of importance from my home planet. Close enough!" She bared her teeth at him playfully.
"Elda, I do not know what I have done to deserve you but I am glad that I did." He pecked her on the lips.
She hummed. "I could say the same." They began to kiss more passionately now against the wall of an empty corridor in a Jaffa-controlled Ha'tak. Neither of them would have ever imagined being here doing this. But here they were. Happily together.
"Uncle Cam?"
"Yeah, honey."
"Can I have juice?"
Cameron smiled adoringly at Gracie. "What's the magic word?"
She smiled up at him primly. "Pweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze."
He chuckled. "You got it, honey buns."
"Yay!"
Carolyn grinned at them. She watched as Cameron poured a small amount of orange juice into a plastic cup. He knew to only give her a little bit, or else she'd be endlessly bouncing off the walls from the sugar. Something about watching him take care of a little kid warmed her heart. She could imagine him doing this with his own child someday.
If her mother had anything to say about it, that kid would be hers, too.
She shook her head internally, trying to push thoughts of her pushy mother out of her mind. "Gracie, don't forget to tell us if you need to go potty, okay?"
The small child nodded. "Okay." Then she handed the empty cup back to Cameron and wandered out of the kitchen to play somewhere else.
Carolyn reached out for him to come to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled lovingly at him. "You're good with kids."
"You think so?"
"Yeah," she said with a satisfied smile. Carolyn kissed him briefly to congratulate him.
"Your pops said you used to babysit or something."
"He told you that?"
"Yep. Said you're good with kids, too. I believe it," he said, gesturing toward where Gracie had disappeared to. Neither of them was worried that she was out of sight. They could hear her playing pretend with the stuffed animals she brought with her to the apartment. If she suddenly went silent, then that would ring the alarm. A quiet child was a suspicious one.
Carolyn batted her eyes shyly. She shrugged humbly. "I've always liked kids. Every time one of my aunts had a little cousin, I liked being around them."
"You ever think you'd have one of your own someday?" he asked lightly, brushing his hands through her hair affectionately.
"Yeah. You?"
"One hundred percent. But this job of mine, man…"
She sighed. "I know. Believe me. It wasn't easy with my dad growing up. It was hard to have him gone all the time."
Cameron refrained from diving deeper into the topic. That would be jumping the gun. Thus far, it was a casual back-and-forth that didn't have to imply anything. No ambitions. No plans. Just sharing time.
He needed to try and marry her before he let this conversation go any further.
"Alright, let's figure out what we're gonna feed the monster," he said, changing the subject.
"She already expressed an interest in pizza and ice cream."
"Was that before or after she was pining for chicken nuggets and cheesecake?"
Carolyn laughed. "She's an O'Neill. We definitely have to go with the cake option."
He chuckled along with her. "Oh, by the way, I've been dying to tell you. The other one, the Mal Doran-influenced version, is set to become the queen of the Jaffa someday."
"What makes you say that?" she asked curiously.
"She's already got a whole bunch of Jaffa wrapped around her finger. Male ones."
"Like Vala does with you?"
He scowled at her.
Carolyn only giggled.
"No," he argued petulantly. "She can bark orders and they comply without even blinking. You shoulda seen her, Babe. Rushing onto the bridge with three big ones on her six. Then down on the planet, telling 'em how high to jump."
Carolyn smiled broadly. "You're joking."
"She behaves like she doesn't want to lead, but girl can't fight genetics." He was clearly referring to the fact that both of her birth parents held command-level ranks. Elda was like Jack in that she was a reluctant leader and like Sam in the fact that she didn't have any official postings at the moment. Sam was okay with that for now because it meant she could be home with her little kid more often. And she fully admitted enjoying the variety of her short assignments.
"I don't believe you."
"I'm serious, Carolyn. Maybe right now she thinks it's a joke. But she better watch out. Those boys gave her a title. She leans into it too much, it's gonna stick."
"You tell her that?"
"Hell no. I'm gonna let her find out the hard way."
Carolyn smacked his arm. "Cam. She's young. You need to guide her!"
"This here's gonna be tough love," he declared.
"Uncle Cam?" a small voice interrupted.
"Yes, honey?"
"Can I have more juice?"
"Sure, baby," he answered sweetly.
Carolyn raised an eyebrow at him. "Tough love," she repeated sarcastically.
"What?"
"If the 3-year-old has you wrapped around her finger, how do you expect to show the 21-year-old any tough love?"
Cam scowled again.
Daniel groaned delightedly at his quiet, empty house.
Vala glared at him across the kitchen table. "I, for one, miss having her around," she declared.
"Don't get me wrong. I love the little squirt. But she's too much for me. Call me when she's nine and we can try again."
Vala pointed at him. "All that education and none of it included child-rearing." She tsked and shook her head at him.
"Weren't you the one complaining that motherhood was hard?"
"In reference to mothering a young adult with a mind of her own, absolutely. But Gracie is a small child, Daniel. I just want to squeeze her and love her." Vala wrapped her own arms around herself unconsciously.
He considered her. Vala really was good with Gracie. Always had been since she was born. He might have had more chances to learn how to take care of her if Vala hadn't been hogging her so much. Daniel never let that bother him. He knew she was living vicariously through Sam, trying to experience motherhood the way it was meant to be without having her own daughter robbed from her at birth.
Sam knew that, too, and was happy to offer up her child as a sort of cathartic replacement for Adria. Temporarily, of course. It always seemed to make Vala glow whenever she was assigned babysitting duty.
Daniel sighed. And of course, if it was something that made Vala happy, he should give her more of it, right? He loved her too much not to think about it. Maybe he'd have better luck taking care of his own kid than someone else's. The instinct to care for offspring that shared your own DNA had to be a better motivator. Despite being a terrible babysitter for Jack's kid, he was pretty sure he wouldn't be a terrible father given the chance. He marveled at how stupid it all was, and yet, how it still seemed to make the most sense.
He stood up and pulled her along with him. Vala looked at him curiously. "You really want to babysit again?"
"I like having a little person like her around. Face it, so do you." She poked his chest accusingly with her index finger. Vala looked at him meaningfully to remind him of all the fun activities he did with Gracie just to keep her busy and smiling. He had been smiling, too.
He tilted his head side to side, not completely denying it. Daniel blew out a breath. "Ya know…" he started, mouth slowing drawing into a smirk. "If we ever had a kid, we could force Jack to pay us back in babysitting duties." His eyes started darting around delightedly as he imagined the chaos a little Mal Doran could cause in his best friend's house.
Vala scrunched her face at him. "What are you talking about?"
"He would totally owe us. Well, more you than me. But still."
"Daniel?" she squeaked.
"I mean, come on. The other you took care of Big Gracie for her entire life. That's seventeen years worth of babysitting he's gotta pay back."
"He gave me a raise," she pointed out.
"Money can't buy love." Daniel grinned evilly now. "Let's make a baby and force Jack to babysit," he suggested playfully.
Vala's mouth gaped. "Do you even realize what you're saying?"
"Probably not. But let's do it anyway."
She squinted at him in disbelief. "Daniel Jackson, do not mess with me," she warned.
He kissed her briefly. "I would never."
"Yes, you would."
"Maybe. But not for this."
"Weren't you the one complaining that you couldn't handle having Gracie around?"
"She's not my kid." He smiled at her. "Would be different if it was my own."
Vala looked to be in complete shock. He had her totally flabbergasted now. Daniel's eyes laughed at her. He felt triumphant. "Let me get this straight," she verified. "You have evil designs to sire a child just to get revenge against your best friend? And you think I will give up my body to help you with your scheme?"
"Well, when you put it like that it's a lot less flattering."
"Doctor Daniel Jackson, who are you?" She shook her head slowly, marveling at his grand plans for mischief.
"How about we look at it from another angle?" Daniel leaned his forehead to hers and grabbed her hands. "You. Me. Baby. Happiness. And as a delightful side bonus, revenge on Jack."
Vala blinked at him repeatedly, smile slowly forming on her lips. "Are you sure?"
"Never been sure of anything more in my life."
Her mouth dropped open and she huffed. She just couldn't believe it. He never stopped surprising her.
"So? What do you say?"
"Shouldn't you marry me, first?"
"Oh yeah, we can do that, too."
Her mouth gaped wider. Carolyn told her to talk with him about this topic but she had always imagined it being more of a long, drawn-out, somewhat-uncomfortable honesty session. She'd been putting it off. And now here he was, just casually agreeing to marriage without her even having to put any effort into getting what she wanted.
Vala had no idea how this happened. But she wasn't going to complain.
"Find me the biggest damn ring you can afford, and then we'll talk," she said quickly.
He grinned. "Deal."
"What is this so-called pronouncement Jasuf means to make?" Bier said quietly to Goru next to him. All of the guardsmen, except for those currently on patrol, were gathered in the town center. The women trained as defenders had also been summoned here. They were facing the governance hut, waiting on leadership to step out to address them.
Goru smirked. "Maybe he intends to marry EldaMalDoran."
Bier laughed heartily. "Then he only invites more torment."
"Careful what you say, Jaffa," Lo'zim warned quietly behind them. "If he were to marry her, then she would become our superior."
They both turned around and eyed the bigger Jaffa. "She already is," Goru pointed out. "By your decree."
"Did she not toy with you for that?" Bier reminded him playfully.
The corner of the giant's mouth turned upwards slightly. His eyes were drawn to the heavy door opening, so he said nothing more.
Meil'nor stepped through, prompting all of the Jaffa to bow in deference. He silently walked down the steps and stood to the side. Elda followed and stood with him. She kept her expression neutral.
Bier and Goru raised their brows toward each other. Her presence only quirked their interest more.
Jasuf stepped into view. He remained within the doorway, elevated above them all. It served to make him visible and easily heard across the square. He regarded the Jaffa assembled before him with seriousness. "Jaffa," he bellowed. "Hear me."
Everyone stood straighter in response. Their murmurs ceased.
"For years we have trained as warriors, seeking to protect our lands and ensure our people's prosperity. Exhibition has been the means of demonstrating our strengths and revealing our weaknesses. From it, we are meant to learn and improve. Yet, we have stagnated. Many of you have expressed your reservations for relying on Exhibition as our sole source of meaningful combat."
The guardsmen exchanged glances. He was acknowledging their complaints aloud in front of his father, something he had previously warned them not to do. Meil'nor continued to stand expressionless with Elda at his side. If Jasuf was willing to bring up these challenges publicly in his father's presence, then in their eyes, it meant he was willing to advocate for them. He valued their opinions.
They felt heard. They felt seen. This only reinforced their loyalty to him more.
"We no longer have wars to fight and battles to wage, but we can still grow as warriors. Exhibition will now end," he declared. He paused briefly to allow his words to sink in. "A new model will take its place, one that takes advantage of our alliances. Henceforth, we will no longer compete with our allies for glory. Instead we will join them on a new path forward for the benefit of all."
The crowd murmured.
"We will use our new Ha'tak as a training ground through the cold months. Our allies from the Hak'tyl will join us there. Each of you will be paired with a warrior from their tribe to learn, train, and spar. Teach your new partners what you know. Show them what we have achieved. Then let them offer you the same."
Many of the guardsmen looked straight at Elda, realizing now why she had been placed so prominently in the front for this pronouncement. What Jasuf was proposing for them was exactly what he'd been doing with her before the winter weather suspended training. Their public match in the Hak'tyl square demonstrated their progress as warriors and their mutual regard for each other as equals. They set the ultimate example. She not only represented the Hak'tyl here today, but also the Tau'ri that had gifted the village their new vessel and training ground.
She didn't shy away from their gazes. Elda stood confidently, making eye contact with each of the men within her sight. Meil'nor continued to stand silently with her, allowing his foreboding presence to anchor her and lend credence to Jasuf's words.
"You will be paired with warriors of similar age, rank, and proficiency," Jasuf continued to explain. "You will approach your partners with the same respect you would offer me. Let me make clear: our allies are not meant to be beneath us."
He stepped down the stairs of the hut to stand with Elda at her level, emphasizing his point.
"You will regard the Hak'tyl as your equals. As I now do."
His men were still, but their expressions belied astonishment. The son of Meil'nor would never have made such a statement just a handful of months ago. Clearly his reversal was influenced by her. She was human and Hak'tyl, the exact opposite of what men like Jasuf once thought worthy. But they couldn't fault him for favoring tolerance over intolerance. She'd proven herself charming, loyal, and most importantly, capable of meeting one of their best warriors in battle head-on. She'd won Jasuf's respect. And so the people felt compelled to reconsider their political stances as he had done.
Most had already been convinced.
And with that, many came away from this grand announcement with an optimism that may not have been there before.
Jasuf bowed low before the warriors, professing his profound respect for them all. This also signaled that the pronouncement was complete. The guardsmen and female defenders relaxed and began to mumble excitedly among themselves. They glanced obviously at Jasuf and Elda as they whispered.
"Well done," Meil'nor said quietly.
"Thank you, Father."
"You have both completed the tasks set before you," he announced. "Go now. Rest and do as you please for the remainder of this day. It is well-earned. I will stay behind to answer their questions."
Jasuf and Elda looked at each other and smiled. They bowed to him. The pair left in the direction of Jasuf's hut.
Bier, Goru, and Lo'zim watched them go. Bier narrowed his eyes. "I sense that we were influenced somehow."
"Perhaps," Lo'zim acknowledged. "But I do not complain."
Bier smirked at him. "Of course you do not. You now have a mighty Hak'tyl warrior in your bed."
Goru laughed aloud. Then he had a thought. "Do you think we will be paired with the Hak'tyl we already sparred with?" he asked innocently.
Now Bier and Lo'zim turned their attention on him suspiciously. They glanced at each other and smiled. It was only then that Goru realized his mistake. He dropped his head as his friends began to torment him about Agean.
"I have something for you," Jasuf said in the hut.
Elda looked up at him inquisitively.
He smiled at her adoringly. He placed two hands on her shoulders and pushed her to stand before their bed. Then he reached behind her to pull something hidden from beneath the covers.
Jasuf placed an object wrapped in simple brown linen into her hands.
Elda stared down at it with curiosity. Whatever was in there was sturdy. She briefly caught his eyes, seeing anticipation in them, then carefully unwrapped the mystery object.
It was a blaster. Shiny and new.
She gasped in delight. Her eyes went wide. Elda squealed and hopped up and down. Jasuf laughed at her thrilled reaction.
She quickly dropped the cloth wrapper and pointed the weapon away from them, testing its weight in her hand. It whined quietly as she activated and de-activated it.
Elda's eyes shot to his. "I love it." She squealed again and pulled him into a tight hug, blaster hanging in the air behind him.
When they pulled apart, Jasuf grinned at her, satisfied to have made her so happy. He pecked her on the lips, then explained, "I acquired it from those kidnappers."
She gasped again quietly. "It's a souvenir?"
He nodded, entertained by her.
Elda squeaked. "Why would you give this to me? It should be your badge of honor."
"I have one of my own. This is a matching pair."
She suddenly looked as if she might cry from joy. Her lip quivered. "Jasuf, that is so romantic!" She hugged him again, hopping up and down excitedly within his arms again. Elda pulled back and sighed as she gazed at him adoringly. "I am so in love with you," she said emphatically. She kissed him with passion.
He reached up a hand behind her hair to keep her close. His other arm wrapped around her back tightly. The blaster still floated around in the air behind him, gripped securely by her hand. They continued for several more minutes until they both needed to come up for air.
"Keep it with you as a reminder of me," he suggested, "during your many travels with your brothers."
"Absolutely, I will. It will keep me safe as if you are with me."
"That is the hope. And then come home and tell me of your adventures."
"Jasuf, I should just stay with you. Who needs adventure when one could just have you? You're all I need." Elda leaned her forehead to his.
He smiled at this. "You deserve the freedom you have earned. Go with your brothers and do good work out in the galaxy. I want you to make your family proud. You will do our village proud as well."
"I will always come home," she promised. "To you." She kissed him again. "This incredible gift will make sure of it." Elda looked at her new present and squealed again with excitement. He laughed aloud at her.
Agean pointed her powered staff weapon menacingly toward the newcomers. "Identify yourselves," she demanded. Around her, four other Hak'tyl adopted similar stances at the stargate.
Two men instantly held their hands up, hoping to appear as nonthreatening as possible. They weren't surprised by the challenge. In fact, they were expecting it. They didn't come here in recognizable uniforms. They each wore matching light gray jackets that were not-at-all appropriate for this planet's winter weather. Their clothes were more suited for use on a spaceship instead.
"I'm Crawford. This is Smith. We're with SG-3. From Earth."
"Tau'ri?" Agean questioned. "How do I know you are not lying?" She eyed their manner of dress critically.
Smith spoke now, hands still up in the air. "Because we know Elda. She's our friend. And we know she's somewhere here on this planet."
"We need to talk to her. It's urgent."
These men seemed genuine to her. Agean glanced at her sisters. A few of them inclined their heads in agreement. One even supplied, "They are familiar, Sister." She nodded and lowered her weapon. Her sisters followed suit.
The men let out breaths of relief.
"You have not donned the clothing we expect from the Tau'ri," Agean pointed out.
Crawford answered, "Yeah, I get it. But we didn't have time to go home and change. We rushed straight here to see Elda."
"EldaMalDoran is not in the Hak'tyl settlement," she declared.
The pair shared a look of confusion. "Then where is she?" Smith asked.
"I will show you," Agean said. She spat out instructions in Goa'uld to her sisters, who quietly dispersed and left her to be the men's sole escort.
The Hak'tyl led them away on an unfamiliar path in the waning light of evening. The men shivered in the cold but didn't complain aloud. She eventually stopped in the middle of the forest, eyes darting around, looking for something.
The humans waited patiently, not wanting to upset her by asking too many questions. They needed her help to get to Elda as quickly as possible.
Agean pulled a communicator out of her pocket and spoke into it. "Goru."
"Agean," a male voice responded.
"I am at the border. Two Tau'ri males seek an audience with EldaMalDoran."
"We will be there."
Eventually a Jaffa patrol arrived. The lead patrolman ordered his men to spread out while he went straight to the trio that was waiting. The Jaffa did so quickly, on high alert. Crawford and Smith watched them curiously.
"Agean," the lead Jaffa greeted. He moved in quickly to wrap a hand around the back of her head and kiss her.
She smiled into it, hand still gripping her staff weapon.
He then turned toward the men. "Identify yourselves."
"Crawford."
"Smith. We're with SG-3."
His eyes widened slightly. "Is EldaMalDoran finally being recalled to Earth?"
The men glanced at each other.
"Kind of," Crawford answered.
"You know her?" Smith asked. They hadn't been expecting any of the male Jaffa on this planet to be that familiar with her. As far as they knew, Elda was just an accidental participant in their Jaffa performance evaluations and their one-time broker for Zersha.
"I know her well enough. I will bring you to her." He turned to address Agean now. "I will see you later tonight."
She nodded and smiled. Then she left.
"Jaffa!" Goru called out. He barked out orders in Goa'uld, then gestured for the humans to follow just him.
They soon arrived in another clearing, one that revealed a large Jaffa settlement that neither Crawford nor Smith had ever seen before. Off to the side, a shuttle sat parked, its metal gleaming in the moonlight. Smith pointed at it. "Perfect," he said quietly to his buddy. "It's already here."
Goru raised his eyebrow curiously at them. They ventured further into the village and stopped at a single hut. The Jaffa knocked heavily on the door.
It screeched open to reveal another Jaffa male at the top of the steps. "Goru."
"Jasuf. Two humans who claim to be of SG-3 call upon EldaMalDoran."
The Jaffa towering over them eyed the men. He frowned in disappointment. He nodded at Goru to dismiss him. The patrolman glanced inquisitively at the humans then walked back to the forest. Jasuf turned around to call someone inside the hut.
Soon Elda appeared in the doorway. "Marines," she said with surprise.
"Hey, Elda," they both greeted simultaneously.
She smiled at them cautiously. Elda stared at their clothing, noticing the unfamiliar gray uniforms they each wore. "You two must be freezing." She looked up at Jasuf.
He breathed in. "Let us sit in the eating hut. There will be space enough there for them to warm themselves." His hand reached out of sight of the doorway to produce a jacket for Elda to use. She quickly began to don it. The humans scrunched their faces briefly, noting it was the same jacket they had brought her weeks ago. Questions started swirling in their minds about why she was hanging around on this side of the forest instead of with the Hak'tyl.
They recognized this particular Jaffa. Crawford gestured toward him as he stepped down from the doorway. "Jasuf, right?"
He inclined his head. "You are Crawford or Smith?"
"Crawford."
"Jasuf, this is Smith," Elda introduced.
He grasped arms with each of them in greeting. "Come this way," he said.
They all filed into the eating hut and took seats together at a table. Only a few other Jaffa were present and seated farther away, giving them the space to talk freely.
Elda and Jasuf passed plates to them automatically without thinking. It was simply what one did here in this hut. The human men looked at each other and shrugged. They decided to go ahead and eat, not knowing when their next meal would be.
Their hosts looked on uncomfortably. "You two didn't come from the SGC, did you?" Elda surmised.
"Nope," Crawford said around a mouthful of food.
"We got a problem," Smith declared.
"And we're gonna need your help to solve it."
"My help?" Elda asked, gesturing to herself.
"Yep," Crawford continued. "Your ship is gonna come in real handy. We saw it parked outside."
Elda glanced at Jasuf briefly. "You need me to bring you somewhere?"
"Space station," Smith stated.
"Real far out. We got the coordinates. No stargate around at all. So we kinda need a ride."
"The SGC doesn't have any available ships to bring you there?" Elda wondered if they must all simply be too busy.
The human men shared a look. "Well…" Crawford started.
"See, here's the thing. This is kinda off-the-books," Smith said.
"What."
"SGC doesn't know we're here," he continued.
"Why?"
"It'll take too long to go home, debrief, plan a mission, then get back out here. In the end, if we get this done right, it won't matter if we went a little rogue for a minute."
Crawford got to the heart of the matter now. "Reynolds is missing. We think he was brought to that space station. We need to get him back. Like ASAP."
Elda's mouth dropped. "Where's Baker?" she asked worriedly.
The men exchanged glances again. "Should be back on Earth recovering. But we're not too sure how he's really doing," Crawford admitted.
"What!?"
"There was this messy shoot-out. He went down. We pulled him out. Dragged him to the stargate and dialed Earth. Pushed him through," Smith recounted.
"But we didn't go with him."
"Why?"
"We still needed to get the coordinates for Reynolds before we lost our chance," Crawford explained.
"Damn near killed ourselves for it," Smith groused.
"I don't understand. Why would Reynolds be brought to a space station?"
"Cover got blown," Crawford said.
"Sounds like there's someone there who can interrogate him real good," Smith said. "We're worried that if we don't get Reynolds back in time, a whole lot of shit is gonna go down. It could put the teams out in the field in danger. It could spell trouble for Earth with a capital T."
"Would it not be prudent to simply bring the full force of the Tau'ri to bear upon that space station?" Jasuf asked.
They seemed uncomfortable with the suggestion. Crawford answered, "Normally, we would. We'd kick some serious ass to get one of our guys back. But this is different. They put him on ice. If we attack, they might just pull the plug."
"Meaning?" Elda queried.
"Meaning: He's in some sort of stasis pod that's keeping him alive for the moment. But the minute something smells fishy, whoever's got him can just kill him instantly."
"We gotta go about this carefully," Smith added. "They can't know that we're after Reynolds. Problem is, we don't know a damn thing about that station. Wouldn't even know where to start looking for him."
Elda blinked and her mouth parted slightly. "It's an acquisition job," she said quietly.
Smith pointed at her, remembering something she said on the training grounds about a space station job. "That's it. That's why we're here. You know more about this shit than us."
"And you're about to be one of us," Crawford emphasized. "Hell, you already woulda been on the team if it weren't for this stupid undercover op."
"We need you, Elda," Smith said with significance. "Reynolds needs you."
She stared at both of them apprehensively. "You said this is time-sensitive?" They nodded. "That's why you came straight here? To collect me?"
"Pretty much," Crawford confirmed.
Elda turned her head to Jasuf. He stared back at her in dismay. She breathed out heavily and closed her eyes momentarily. When she opened them again, she grimaced.
"It is time," he said simply.