“Italics” – Symbiote-Host or Telepathic
communication
Blood of My Heart, Beloved of My Soul
Chapter 10
First Mission
SG1 was in trouble.
What had started out as a routine meet-and-greet had quickly turned into a
battle with the locals. They’d managed
to retreat into the hills and find an easily defensible area, provided their
enemies didn’t bring an army. No one was
quite sure what had set the whole thing off.
Daniel was puzzled. The meeting had been going well. Suddenly one of the officers had declared
that they were spies of the Larcnan’s.
The fact that a
Jack O’Neill was in a quandary. This was their first mission with their new
member. She was just sitting on the
ground now, doing absolutely nothing. He
was going to have to say something to her.
Damn it, he didn’t want to do this.
She wasn’t in their military. Her
status was basically the same as Teal’c’s.
He’d never had to come down on Teal’c for doing nothing though. Well, brooding about it wasn’t going to get
it done. He started to climb wearily to
his feet when a soft voice beside him stopped his upward movement.
“Don’t do it, Jack,” Daniel said
quietly.
Jack plopped back down, “Do what,
Daniel?”
“Don’t speak before you think this
through. We don’t know enough about
their ways yet to judge them hastily. She
may have been doing something we couldn’t see, you know.”
“How do you always know what I’m
thinking, Daniel? I know you don’t read
minds,” Jack said, in a rather annoyed voice.
Daniel smiled wearily, “One: I know you
very well. Two: you’re very predictable. Three: although you like her on a personal
level, you still aren’t sure she’s a good soldier. And four: you were muttering under your
breath.” Daniel cocked his head and
smirked at him.
“Okay, if you’re so perceptive, then
what was going on back there? She barely
raised her weapon, Daniel.”
“Well, I’m not sure myself, but I
suggest you ask her before you jump to the wrong conclusions and end up making
an ass of yourself. If it ends up that I’m
wrong, and she really wasn’t doing anything, like you’re saying, then you can
yell at both of us,” Daniel told him.
“You seem pretty sure about her,
Daniel, want to tell me why?”
Daniel sighed, and then glanced over at
Kataya where she rested some distance from them. It was as if she was putting as much space as
possible between them. He didn’t know
why, but he thought it was all part of whatever it was they didn’t know, or
understand yet. “Jack, did you notice
that as soon as you called for a rest, she pulled her circlet out, put it on,
and sort of collapsed over there—away from all of us?”
“I noticed she sat down, and isn’t
helping Teal’c and Carter get the perimeter set up. You’re injured, and I’m keeping watch, as
well as trying to figure out a plan to get us out of here,” Jack said tersely.
“Well, I noticed when she put it
on. I’ve watched her do it before,
too. Usually all the stones glow for a
while before they fade. Every so often
one will glow for a little bit, but that’s normal, from what I can tell.”
“Yeah?
So? What do glowing rocks have to
do with our situation?” Jack asked, his
tone indicating he was becoming more irritated by the minute.
“Well, when she put it on and sat down,
the only stones that were glowing were the topaz and the diamond. I’ve noticed that the topaz is slowly
becoming brighter.” He sighed. “Whatever she was doing back there, it
drained her energy level pretty bad. I
think she’s sitting down and staying there because she literally doesn’t have
the energy to move. At least, I don’t
think she did at first, but I hope that by now she’s better. I’m suggesting you ask her, not yell at her,
that’s all,” Daniel used his best placating voice. The one that almost always worked with Jack.
Jack contemplated Daniel’s words, and
then decided that he could be right.
Although it hadn’t looked like she was doing anything, they really
didn’t know enough about her to know for sure.
He turned back to Daniel, “All right, but if you’re wrong, I’ll let
Carter strap your ribs,” he threatened.
Daniel smiled tiredly, “Deal.”
Getting up to go help Teal’c and
Carter, Jack decided to drop the subject for now. Maybe he’d just wander over shortly and
tactfully ask her how she was. Yeah, he
could do tactful, couldn’t he? Well,
then again, maybe he should have Carter find out what was going on.
He went over to where Teal’c was, “What
do you think Teal’c?”
“I believe we should move higher as
soon as we can. There is a supply of
water a little farther up the hill. Not
knowing how long we will be here the water supply might be needed. I suggest we move as soon as Kataya is
sufficiently recovered.”
Carter came up beside them, “I agree
sir. It’s more sheltered higher up, and
as Teal’c said, there is water there.
I’ll see if Kat’s ready to move yet.”
She concentrated on activating her link
with Kataya. “Kat?”
"I
am here, Sam," Kat
answered.
"How
are you doing?" Sam asked.
"Fine,
thank you. I can leave whenever we are
ready. I can continue replenishing my energy
later." Kat sounded tired, but not exhausted.
"Good. Teal’c and I found a better, safer spot up
the hill a little farther,” Sam
told her.
"How
is Daniel?" Kat asked.
“I
need to check on him. I think he either busted or cracked a rib or two on those
rocks," she
replied.
"Do
what you can for him for now. When my
strength has returned, I will see if I can heal them enough to at least take
some of the pain away. However, in the
circumstances, I do not want to use any more of my energy than I have to right
now," Kat said.
"All
right. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m
done taking care of Daniel."
"All
right," Kataya
responded.
“She said she can go now, sir, but I
want to look at Daniel’s ribs first,” Sam announced, after finishing her inner
conversation with Kataya.
The colonel replied, surprised
slightly, “He’ll be alright until we get settled. I checked him over, but what I really want to
know is how you just talked to Kataya? I
haven’t felt the link for quite a while.”
“No, sir, she had to shut it down to
divert energy. I activated one with
her.”
Jack looked astounded. “When did you get to where you can establish
a link?”
“I’ve been working on it, sir. The last session I had with Merdwin, he gave me
a circlet he’d brought through with him that was made for my energy waves. He also had armbands made for both of
us. Actually, he brought some for you,
Teal'c, and Daniel, too, but Kat thought we’d wait before seeing if you could
use them. We already know Teal’c can,
and both Kataya and Merdwin believe that Daniel should be able too, as
well. I, um, seem to have some latent
ability, possibly because of the naquadah in my blood. Anyway, the armbands seem to work well, but
the circlet is still faster. I think
I’ll just go help Daniel get up.” She
turned and crept silently away.
As Jack stared after her, he realized
she was wearing a circlet, very similar to Kataya's, but that where Kataya's
was dominated by purple, blue, and gold stones, Sam's were more blue, silver,
and purple. Apparently, Sam's energy patterns were in those
colors. Still unsure of exactly what she
had meant, though, Jack turned to Teal’c, and asked, “Do you know what in the
hell she was talking about?"
“I believe so, O’Neill. Evidently, Major Carter has been able to
activate a link on her own without Kataya’s help. She has been working on doing so since we
started working with Kataya and Merdwin.”
“How come nobody tells me these
things?” Jack whined.
“You were present when we were
discussing it the other day, O’Neill.
However, the TV commercial with the scantily-clad female in it was
holding your main attention.” The Jaffa
noiselessly headed back to his other teammates, and Jack followed muttering to
himself.
As the group moved higher up the hill,
Kataya walked next to O’Neill. “Colonel,
I picked up some interesting impressions from Kirksen as he pronounced his
belief that we were spies sent from Larcnan.
I had the distinct impression that he was looking at Teal’c and repeating
the word sholva in his mind, which as
you know, is the Goa’uld word for traitor.”
“Whether he is trying to divert
suspicion from himself to us, or if there is some other reason for his actions,
I do not know. I do not believe he is
Goa’uld himself, as none of us felt the presence of a symbiote. Speculation leads me to believe he is a
Larcnan spy in the service of a Goa’uld.
He is probably sending military information to him. It is a probability that the Heyerians are
suspicious of him for some reason, and he saw this as a way to divert suspicion
from himself and at the same time prove his
loyalty by finding real
traitors.”
“Although I believe Kirksen is a
traitor to the Heyerians, I do not at present see how the information can help
us.” She continued, “Once we are settled
in the camp, I need to rest. I am sorry
I have been so little help in looking for a more defensible site and helping
out, but I will be back to normal soon.”
Jack O’Neill cleared his throat, “Yeah,
speaking of that. What exactly was it
that you did back there? I know it must
have been something, or you wouldn’t be so, um, tired.” Jack was, for once, diplomatic in his
statement.
“We were close together, Colonel. I threw a shield up around us.”
“That’s why all those soldiers appeared
to be such bad shots. They missed us all
by a mile. I was wondering about that,”
Jack’s eyes gleamed with amusement as he remembered wondering if their entire
army was so inept.
Kataya grinned at him, “Yes, I believe
many of them will be up for extra target practice. They certainly could not seem to hit any of
us.”
Jack shook his head and laughed softly,
“Go sit and recoup your energy while we set up.
But, you don’t have to isolate yourself, you know.” He offered as a way to ease his own guilt
over the less than generous thoughts he’d had about her earlier.
Kataya shook her head as she answered,
“It is safer if I do so, Colonel. With
my energy resources this depleted, I could inadvertently pull energy from one
or all of you. Normally, I would not
worry about it as the amount would be minimal, but in a combat situation, I do
not want to take the chance. Unlike us,
you do not know how to block it from happening.
It is not usually a problem, but for now I will go over there.” She nodded to a secluded area and left.
“We’re all set up, sir. Claymores are set around the perimeter. But, for some reason, Kirksen and his men
don’t seem to be following us,” Major Carter reported, puzzled.
Jack nodded, “Yeah, I know. I haven’t seen them since we got into these
hills. I don’t like it. It doesn’t feel right.”
Sam agreed, “No, sir. I don’t either.”
“Let’s go talk to Teal’c.” They headed for the far side of the
camp. Kataya was on one side. Although she was focusing on building her
energy supply, Jack realized that he trusted her more now, and he knew she
would hear anyone that approached.
Daniel was keeping watch on another side of their camp.
“Teal’c, what’s your gut feeling about
this situation?” O’Neill asked as they
came up to him.
“I find it strange that they have not
followed us more closely.” Teal’c was
his normal stoic self, but for those who knew him well his concern was evident
in the muscle that jumped in his jaw.
“Yeah, that’s what we thought. Kataya told me that she received impressions
from that Kirksen guy that indicate he’s a traitor. It doesn’t help us, but it explains why he
suddenly decided to try to make us out to be bad guys. If he was trying to throw suspicion off
himself, his attack on us makes sense.
I’m just glad it was only a small group of soldiers, and I hope the
reason they aren’t right behind us isn’t that they’re stopping to gather their
forces,” Jack explained his thinking.
Obviously on edge, he continued,
“Anyone have any suggestions, ideas, theory’s?
Anything?”
“I’m afraid I don’t, sir. If he was trying to throw off suspicion onto
us, he should have arranged a pursuit.”
Sam frowned as she gave the situation another metal going over.
“There is another option, O’Neill,”
Teal’c suddenly spoke up. “If he is
indeed allied with the Goa’uld, then he could be using this time to inform his
master of our presence here, which means that shortly we could be set upon by
the Goa’uld. No doubt, he would manage
somehow to acquire the information
that we were with them and thereby prove
our guilt. And as you are aware, all
Tau’ri warriors are considered a prize, none more so than SG1.” Teal’c brought up one of the things that they
rarely mentioned. There was no doubt
that anyone capturing SG1 would receive not only high praise, but material
rewards from his superiors.
“I don’t like that scenario any
better,” Jack O’Neill stated.
“No doubt you do not, Colonel, but it
might be preferable,” Kataya had come up behind them.
Colonel O’Neill whirled around. “Damn it, don’t do that! Hell, you’re quieter than a cat.” He stopped speaking abruptly, and his mouth
opened and shut without emitting any sound.
Open mouth; insert foot, he thought to himself.
Kataya grinned at him, saying with a laugh,
“It is quite alright to liken me to a cat, Colonel. I do not take offense. Gwynnfar, my cat, would be pleased. She taught me to be stealthy. I agree with Teal’c. It makes sense, as there is no other reason
not to pursue us. If it is true, they
will find us soon. I am going to check
on Daniel and see how bad his ribs are.
If they are, as I suspect, broken, then Sam will have to heal him, so
that he will be able to do what is necessary when the time comes.”
Sam looked stunned. “Me? I
can’t heal him. I don’t have the healing
device with me.”
“You do not need it, Sam, I have
mine. You will use it; I will guide
you.” She sighed slightly, before
saying, “I had hoped we could have some sessions in the infirmary first, but
this will have to do. I cannot take the
chance and use my energy for healing. We
may well need the Katteri-enti, and I prefer going into it with full energy
levels. Let us get started. I think you will master it quickly.” She slipped away towards Daniel as quietly as
she had come. Major Carter looked to her
CO for orders.
He nodded to her. “Do as she suggests. It makes sense. With Daniel hurt, he isn’t going to be much help. If you can get him up and going again, do it.”
“Yes, sir.” Major Carter left quietly and headed for Daniel. She was nervous, but she had learned to trust Kataya’s instincts on this type of thing. If she said that Sam had the ability to do this, then she did.
Sam approached Daniel where he was
sitting and quietly watching for the enemy.
“Hey, Daniel, has Kataya been over here, yet?”
“She stopped and checked my ribs. She said that they’re broken, and she had to
get her ribbon device, but that she’d be right back,” Daniel said.
“She thinks I can take care of those
ribs for you. You’re about to volunteer
to be my first attempt with a Furling healing device.”
Daniel looked a little startled, but
didn’t refuse. He nodded his head. “To tell you the truth, they seem to be
hurting worse. I bumped them again. I think they were just cracked before that
happened.”
Sam looked at him in exasperation. “Why didn’t you tell someone, Daniel? We could at least have maybe strapped them a
little better.”
Daniel grinned cheekily, murmuring,
“That’s why I didn’t tell you, Sam. Your
splints are famous for their torture quotient.”
Sam glared, but didn’t deny what he’d
said. “Well, as soon as Kataya gets
here, maybe we can make you feel a little better.”
Daniel touched her hand gently. “Thanks, Sam.
You know I’m just teasing you, don’t you?”
She chuckled softly. “Yes, I know.” She briefly touched him on the shoulder, as
they shared a smile. “Here comes
Kataya.”
“I know, Sam. I can sense her when she’s near,” Daniel said
quietly. Sam looked at him for a moment,
thoughtful. It would not be long, she
thought, before Daniel realized exactly who and what Kataya was to him. She hoped it would be soon; he deserved to be
happy. She frowned, wondering what the
regs would say about this relationship.
Hopefully, nothing, since they weren’t actually in the military. And the powers that be probably wouldn’t want
to upset a possible alliance partner that was, if Thor was to be believed, very
powerful.
“Are you ready to begin, Sam?” Kataya broke into Sam’s reverie to ask.
Sam turned to her, but she gasped as
she took in what Kataya was holding.
“That’s not a healing device; it’s a ribbon device,” she said, dislike
obvious in her voice.
“It is of Furling design, Sam. We use it for both,” Kataya assured her.
“I could kill Daniel with that,” Sam protested.
Kataya shook her head. “Put it on please, Samantha,” she
requested. “I believe that you will
perceive a difference in the feel, just as I do. Although I can use a Goa’uld ribbon device, I
find that I dislike it intensely.”
Sam gingerly took it and slid it onto
her arm and hand, looking at the detail on it.
Its appearance was different
than that of a Goa’uld hand device. It
was more delicate and the stones were different colors and sizes instead of
just one large stone. The intricately
woven gold was similar to the circlet.
It seemed to caress her skin instead of lying on it, cold and hard, like
the Goa’uld device always did. She
immediately understood what Kataya meant by the difference in the feel of it.
“Now put your circlet on, please,” she
instructed calmly, as she realized that Sam had taken it off, after they moved
up the hill. “Daniel, you will need to
lie back so that we will have better access to your ribs,” she requested
quietly. “Sam, I want you to hold your
hand just above Daniel’s ribs, and then think of the sun as you did
yesterday. I want you to imagine the
sun’s energy coming down and into you through your circlet.” Kataya watched carefully and when the stones
began to glow, she continued, “You will allow that energy to flow through your
hand and into Daniel’s ribs. It will be
warm and healing. The energy will swirl
around the broken bones until they are knit.
When they are healed, it will stop flowing.” Ten minutes later, the stones ceased
glowing. Daniel gingerly touched his
ribs.
“They’re a little sore, but they don’t
feel half as painful as they did before.
Thanks, Sam, you did it,” he exclaimed.
Kataya nodded, giving praise where it
was due, “She did a very fine job indeed.”
“I feel a little tired, Kataya,” Sam
said, a little surprised. She hadn’t
realized it would take that much energy.
Again, Kataya nodded, explaining, “As
you become more familiar with using it, you will find that it takes less
energy. Without training, you are simply
pulling from all of your energy reserves.
We will work on it, so that you will not be affected this way the next
time. I suggest you attempt to pull some
energy into yourself. I will take the
pain away from Daniel’s ribs.”
As Sam left to find herself a place to draw
some energy, Kataya placed her hand on Daniel’s ribs and slowly moved her
fingers back and forth. She gasped
sharply, and a grimace crossed her face.
“That should do it,” she then announced, “the pain should be gone now.”
Daniel frowned, “It is, but how did you
do that?”
“I am an empath, Daniel. I transferred your pain to me. When the pain stopped hurting in me, I knew
you were no longer feeling it.” She smiled
at him and made to leave.
He grabbed her hand before she could
go. “Thank you, Kataya.” He looked searchingly into her eyes. “There is so much I want to say to you, to
tell you,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I’ve
been so recalcitrant over this. I didn’t
understand. I still don’t completely,
but I know that this feels right. I want
to go forward, with us, if you’ll forgive me and agree,” he said
earnestly. Taking a deep breath, he
added, his voice intense and determined, “I think I love you.”
“There is nothing to forgive. You have done nothing wrong. We will talk, soon, I promise you, but now I
must go. I feel the presence of the
Goa’uld coming closer. Please, be ready
to engage the enemy, Daniel, for I will not be using a shield to protect the
team this time. There is a chance I will
become Katteri-enti. Please, you must
fight back.”
“I will. You don’t have to worry. I know how to use my sidearm,” Daniel assured
her.
She accepted his statement, picked up
her P-90, and started to turn away before whirling back to face him. She pulled him to her for one hard quick
kiss. “I love you, too,” she said, and
then she was gone. The Warrior had
replaced the lover. Daniel smiled, and
pulling his weapon, followed her to face their common enemy.
“Colonel,
the Goa’uld are approaching. I suggest
link only from now on. I am turning it
over to Samantha to keep open. I only
wished to let you know that I will not be using a shield to protect you. I will be engaging the enemy with you,” Kataya
informed him quickly.
“How
do you know that the Goa’uld are almost here?” Jack asked, confused.
“I
can sense them,” she
replied promptly.
“Of
course you can.” Jack sighed.
When would he learn not to ask stupid questions?
“I
have no idea, Colonel,”
came the amused response.
“I
need more practice at keeping my private thoughts private when this thing is
active,” he grumbled.
He felt gentle amusement flowing from
Kataya.
“Sam,
are you ready?” Kat asked her.
“Kat,
I’ve never done a multiple link. How do
I do it? I can’t…”
“You
can.” The answer was implacable. “I have
initiated it; all you must do is keep yours open. I have tied the others to it for now.”
“I’ll
do my best,” Sam
responded firmly.
“You
will succeed,” was the
confident, earnest reply.
Suddenly, a staff blast made its way
towards them, followed by the fire from a larger gun. The fight had begun.
Jack O’Neill didn’t like this, not one
bit. It looked to be almost five to
one. Teal’c was crouching low moving to
a better position for firing down upon the enemy. It would also leave him more open to enemy
fire. Sam had taken up a position
between himself and Teal’c in a well-covered area of rocks and was firing away. Daniel, who only had his handgun and a zat,
was between her and Jack. Kataya was
nowhere to be seen. “Where in the hell was she?”
“I
am to your far left, Colonel, on the other side of those large boulders. There is a rather wide area to be covered
over here. Please keep the Jaffa
occupied, for a moment, if you can do so.”
“Ah,
Hell. I hate that kind of answer.”
He finished his clip and shoved in another. The odds were getting better, but the
No sooner had the thought passed
through his mind, than a bolt of what looked like lightening streaked toward a
rocky outcropping. As Jack watched the
rocks tumble down onto the
“Thank
you, Colonel. I will be sure to tell
Thor you are pleased,”
Kataya responded to his thought.
He finished his second clip and popped
the third in. He heard gunfire from a P-90
on his left and grinned to himself; the little cat was using the weapon as if
she’d been born holding one. She had a
group of
“Sir,
you have two
Jack turned to engage the first
“We
will not be captured, O’Neill,”
he heard Teal’c answer his stray thought.
At the same time, Sam detonated the claymores as more
He looked over towards the area Kataya
had been hidden in and saw that she had moved closer to him, into an area where
he could now see her. She grinned and
saluted him after she sheathed her sword.
He smiled grimly back, acknowledging that Thor had been correct in his
appraisal of her as an adept, experienced, and highly trained warrior. That was twice during this battle that she
had stepped in and aided him, while still managing to defend her own
position.
Then, he didn’t have any more time to
think of that, as he realized that the Jaffa had stopped firing at them, and
had turned their weapons and were firing towards something to his left and to
the front of them. His heart leapt into
his throat. Daniel had made his way over
to Jack, as there seemed to be more
Jack realized what the Jaffa were
looking and firing at. Heyerian soldiers
had come up on the left flank and behind them, effectively sandwiching the
remaining Jaffa in between SG1 and themselves.
It didn’t take much more fighting for the Jaffa to realize they had lost
the battle. They began a disorganized
retreat leaving behind their dead. What
few were left would soon be gone, captured, or dead, as well. Jack didn’t much care about the retreating
Jaffa, since they had now been replaced by another threat; it looked like a
good portion of the Heyerian army. To
top it off, his side hurt like hell.
This day just couldn’t get much better, he thought sardonically.
“I
do not believe they are here to do battle with us, O’Neill,” Teal’c observed.
“God,
I hope you’re right, Teal'c,”
Jack responded.
A shout was heard from the ranks of the
Heyerians, as the last
Jack hesitated. “I feel no intent to deceive,
Colonel,” Kataya noted.
Jack responded proudly to the General,
“Yes, they are. But, the cavalry was a
welcome sight. Thank you.”
“You are welcome, Colonel. Did any of you sustain any injuries?”
Jack looked over his team. He had a scorch mark on the arm of his BDU’s,
and there was the cut he’d gotten from the Jaffa; the others looked grimy, but
fine. “I think we’re all in one piece.”
“Except for your knife wound, sir,” Sam
spoke up.
Jack shook his head, “It’s just a flesh
wound, Carter. Nothing serious.”
“We should check it out, Colonel,”
Kataya said. “There appears to be blood
soaking through your jacket from the wound on your side,” she pointed out.
General Alver turned toward his men and
shouted for a medic. A couple of
soldiers immediately ran toward the group.
The General turned back to them.
“After you have been seen to, we will start back to the capital. The Prime Minister is most anxious that this
affair may have caused damage to the budding relations between our two worlds.”
“Yeah, I can understand where he would
get that from,” O'Neill said through clenched teeth.
“Excuse me, General Alver,” Daniel
said, as he came forward to introduce himself.
“I’m Dr. Daniel Jackson. I was
just curious as to how you figured out that Kirksen was a spy?”
General Alver turned to Daniel, saying,
“He has been under suspicion for quite some time, but there was no real
proof. Oddly enough, both the Prime
Minister and I had a sudden insight into what was really going on.” He laughed.
“It was as if a little bird was sitting on our shoulders and whispering
in our ears. I even told the Prime
Minister I could hear a voice talking to me.
The feeling was so odd; we both decided that we should have Kirksen
followed when his men started after you.
He soon called off the pursuit, but he did not return.” He smiled a little uneasily, “I am sure that
sounds strange, but I assure you we both had the same experience.”
Daniel smiled widely, “Not at all,
General. You’d be surprised at some of
the intangible things we’ve witnessed.
We’re just glad you found out, and that he’ll be prevented from doing
any more damage.”
“Why, thank you, Dr. Jackson. I hope that means that our two worlds will
still be able to become better acquainted.”
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem,
General. In fact, as soon as Colonel
O’Neill is ready to travel, perhaps we could go to your city and start over
again.”
The General nodded amiably, “That would
indeed be welcome. How is the Colonel’s
wound?” He asked the medic.
The young medic gave his report,
stating, “Stab wound to the right side.
He’s lost some blood. I do not
think there will be any complications.”
“Very well. If you are finished here, you are dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you feel well enough to travel, Colonel? We brought transportation. It will be a little rough, but faster.”
“Thanks, we’ll take you up on that.”
They arrived shortly at the city and
were taken immediately to the Prime Ministers chambers.
“Colonel. I am very pleased that you’ve agreed to meet
with us once more. This entire incident
has been most disturbing for us, and I am sure it was even more so for
you. We do most sincerely apologize.”
Colonel O’Neill nodded. Dr. Jackson stepped forward and began to
speak, “I’m sure it was as upsetting for you, as it was for us. We’re pleased that it turned out well for all
concerned.” Daniel gave him the famous
The Prime Minister agreed, and said to
them, “We hope you will agree to stay the night, as I am sure you must all be
exhausted, and I am told, Colonel, that you sustained an injury. Please, we promise you a delicious meal and a
good night’s rest. We’ve put your team
in the Crown Suite. There are four
sleeping chambers within the suite, with two beds to each room and, of course,
baths. If you prefer that you each have
your own room, we would be glad to make another chamber available, also. We would be honored to supply you with clean
clothing and anything else you would want or need.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister. What do you say, Jack?” Daniel continued, mentally activating the
link without even thinking about it. “We should accept, Jack. It would lessen their feeling of
embarrassment and make them feel in a more equal position within the
relationship.” The team stared at
him. Kataya turned slightly to hide the
smile wanting to make itself apparent.
“Go
ahead, Daniel,” Jack
agreed and nodded.
Daniel turned back and smiled at the
Minister, “Thank you, sir. We would be
both pleased and honored to accept your kind offer. The rooms you’ve assigned us will be
fine. We would, however, need to contact
our world and inform them of the change in our plans.”
“Of course.” He nodded to an assistant standing nearby,
stating, “Leila will be happy to help you in any way.” He bowed to them as they prepared to leave
the room, “I will see you in a few hours.”
They returned his bow and followed the
assistant out. It had been a long day,
and it wasn’t over yet. Jack’s side was
beginning to hurt.
After first going to the Stargate and
informing the General of their change in plans, they finally reached their
suite. The team took in the sumptuous
detail. “Making up for first
impressions,” Daniel said, with a short laugh.
Jack agreed. He’d be glad when tomorrow was over, and they
were back at the SGC.
“May I see your side now,
Colonel?” Kataya asked quietly.
“Sure.
It’s hurting a lot more than it was.” Kataya raised his shirt and
removed the bandage.
She nodded. “You were correct in your assessment, there is only minor damage. Would you like for myself or Sam to heal that for you?”
“Sure.”
“Sam, I believe this would be an
excellent chance for you to practice.”
She handed her the ribbon device and walked to the bathroom. “I believe I will take a bath.” She smiled as she left the room.
“She’s sneaky like a cat, too.” Jack sighed.
He turned to the others. “Does
anyone here know what bird it was that whispered in the Minister and the
General’s ears?”
“Indeed, O’Neill, I believe it was a
catbird, was it not?” Teal’c smirked, as
he went to check out the sleeping chambers.
SG1 made their way down the ramp toward
General Hammond who awaited them.
“Well, Colonel, things must have gone
well. Being asked to remain overnight as
the guests of honor of the Prime Minister, you must have made quite an
impression. I assume everything went all
right, and you were able to try out your new abilities.” General Hammond beamed at them.
“Yes,
General, we had a wonderful time,” Jack O’Neill said somewhat
sardonically. “Teal’c made excellent use
of his wilderness and
“Kataya
exhausted herself by throwing up an energy shield around us as we escaped. She channeled some lightening down onto some
very large rocks to take out a big honking gun and to create some Jaffa
pancakes. Then she saved my life when
she pushed a Jaffa down the hill with a mini-whirlwind and deflected a staff
blast that was headed straight toward me.
And, she got to use her P90 for the first time as our position became swamped
with
“Carter played around with some claymores planting them around our position, and later, she had the pleasure of blowing up some Jaffa. She learned how to use a Furling ribbon device to heal injuries, too; she’s kinda like a walking first-aid kit, now. And she learned how to keep a multiple mind link open in the middle of a pitched battle; it was like a running commentary of who, what, where and when.”
“I got accused of being a spy for the Larcnan’s, and then I was stabbed in the side by a nasty-looking knife during hand to hand combat with Jaffa-the-Hulk. I ruined another jacket when that staff blast got so close it scorched it and then I bled all over it. To make my day complete, I was forced to listen to an old man spiel his apologies to us for having such a rough day. And to make it even better, I got to stay around to make nice with the government types the next day.”
“And Daniel—well, Daniel broke his ribs.”
“It was just a routine meet-and-greet, General,” Jack assured him laconically.
General Hammond’s beaming face had been
slowly transforming into one of stunned disbelief. He sighed loudly. No doubt about it. Things were definitely back to normal at the
SGC. “Infirmary first, full debrief in
one hour, people.” He could be heard
muttering as he stalked out of the gate room.
TBC