by Geonn Cannon
“Thank you,” Daniel said.
“Whatever you need, Dr. Jackson. Bring them home, okay?”
Daniel stood and patted Escher on the shoulder. “We’re going to do everything we can. It just got a lot easier thanks to you and your team.”
He and Mitchell had both already changed into their more comfortable blue BDUs, and he was reluctant to change back into covert clothes for the next leg of their journey. He looked at his watch as he left Escher’s office, painfully aware that it had now been over a day since Sam and Vala were taken. He assumed they were already at the prison, suffering indignities he couldn’t even begin to predict. Escher’s comment proved that the whole of the SGC, not just SG-1, weren’t going to rest until Sam and Vala were brought home safe. Daniel was ready to do whatever it took to make that happen.
He just wished he didn’t have to do it in leather pants.
CHAPTER NINE
CAM HITCHED up his belt, unsure if his pants were too big or if they were just designed to be this awkward. He looked around and didn’t see any of the other patrons struggling with their pants, but they also didn’t seem to be wearing buckskin. They had arrived at Far Scythia ten minutes earlier with their weapons concealed, but it quickly became apparent that no one cared about showing they were armed. They’d been surprised to discover the Stargate was just one part of a large complex located between a fleet of land vehicles - glass eggs tilted on their sides with two large wheels at the back and a concealed third wheel under the nose - and a landing strip which reminded Cam of an Air Force base. It was an airport, bus station, and train depot all blended into one noisy hub.
A Prior was standing in an intersection where pedestrians couldn’t help but pass him. Daniel averted his gaze as they neared his makeshift pulpit.
“Hallowed are those who — ”
“Yeah, blessed are those who walk in the path,” Cam said. “We gave at the office.”
They joined the flood of people pouring out into the main city, choosing one street at random so they could get the layout of the city before looking for Odai. Cam jerked at his belt again.
Daniel offered a commiserating smile. “It could be worse. Hagman told me that the last world they visited didn’t have mass-produced clothing but they did have chitons and shenti.”
Cam said, “I know what a chiton is. Shenti?”
“Egyptian. Wrapped skirt.”
“What, like a kilt?”
“Sort of.”
Cam decided to stop complaining about his pants. “I’ll tell you what really feels wrong. Going on a mission without Teal’c or Carter.”
“And Vala,” Daniel reminded him.
“Right, of course, and Vala, but I have to admit, I’m still getting used to that. I’m talking about the old-school, the varsity crew. I went through a lot of trouble putting SG-1 back together, and now it feels like it’s falling apart again. But it’s worse this time, because it’s not by choice.”
“We’ll get Sam and Vala back. As for Teal’c… if things go south, would you really want to risk aggravating his injuries?”
“I gave him a big speech about how he’s more than just a big scary guy who beats people up for us, but right now I kind of miss having him as backup.”
Someone bumped into Daniel from behind. He reached out and grabbed the offender before he could disappear into the crowd and snatched his zat back from the man’s weaker grip. The pickpocket sneered at him, pulled free, and ran. Daniel returned the weapon to his hip and looked at the other people surrounding them on the street. Thugs and criminals, all.
“I don’t think having one more person on our side would make much of a difference. A team of marines probably wouldn’t make much of a difference. Who knew there was this much crime in the galaxy?”
“Goa’uld fell,” Cam said, “people saw an opportunity.”
“Yeah, I’m having a hard enough time with guilt over bringing the Ori here. I really don’t need more guilt about helping to create the Lucian Alliance.”
As they passed an alley, a man with heavily-bandaged hands reached out to them. His fingers couldn’t quite reach Cam’s pant leg, but it was enough to catch his attention. The man had used soot to draw markings on his face like those of a Prior, but there was a scar on his forehead where long ago he had sloppily attempted to give himself a Jaffa tattoo.
“Quick hands, you got,” the man said. “Lots of quick hands here, but you still quickie. You look for something? Want to hire? You tell Sanda, he find it for you faster than you find it yourself, even with quickie hands.”
Cam said, “What’s that gonna cost us?”
“Depend on how difficult,” the man said with a shrug. “I find quickie, you don’t give much. Take me all day, though, valuable time costs.”
“Sorry, buddy,” Cam said. “We don’t have… whatever you use for cash here.”
“But…” Daniel reached into his pouch and withdrew a candy bar. “We have this.”
He held it up so Sanda could see it before handing it over. He demonstrated how to open the wrapper. Sanda sniffed it and his eyes widened with recognition.
“This is xoclah,” he said suspiciously. He looked around and used both hands to cover his treasure. “You give whole piece…?”
Daniel looked surprised. “Yeah, the whole thing.”
Cam said, “We’ve got more where that came from if you’re quick about helping us.”
“More?” Sanda tried to contain his excitement. “Who? Who look?”
“Odai Ventrell,” Daniel said.
The man muttered the name a few times as he backed away. “I find, I see, I be back!” He turned and fled through the crowd.
Cam said, “So apparently it works on Abydonians, Unas, and random street urchins.”
“Chocolate has been cultivated for millennia all over Earth. It makes sense it would be one of the things people kept when the Goa’uld kidnapped them. Candy is easier to pack than coffee, so I never leave home without a handful of bars in my pack. If you ever need coffee when we’re off-world, go to Sam. She keeps enough in her gear to make Starbucks an intergalactic brand if they knew about it.”
“Good to know. But I give good odds he just comes back with some buddies and mugs us for the rest of our chocolate.”
“I figure it’s worth the risk if it saves us the trouble of wandering around this entire city for someone who might not even be here. Besides, you saw the markings on that guy. He obviously throws in with whoever is in power at the time. I’d say that candy bar bought us at least a few hours of loyalty.”
Cam said, “Uh-huh. And what happens when Ventrell walks in and recognizes us? You never did give Landry a clear answer about how you plan to get him on our side.”
“I’m hoping inspiration will strike in the moment. Time is kind of against us here. We don’t have the luxury of thinking things out in advance.”
Cam laughed. “Boy, if anything could be the motto of this team…”
~#~
They claimed an empty table at a nearby bar where they could wait. Everyone around them was too concerned with their own deals to pay them much attention. Cam saw credits being passed under tables and several more blatant transactions happening in plain sight with no concern for witnesses. One man exchanged a poorly-wrapped parcel shaped like a severed hand in exchange for a small wooden box.
“There are only two reasons I’m not killing one of you and taking the other captive.”
Cam sat up straighter at the sudden voice coming from behind them. Odai Ventrell had a distinctive cadence that was unmistakable even in the clamor of the bar. He stepped into their line of sight, making sure they could both see the blaster on his hip before he took a seat on the other side of the table. He leaned back and glared at them as if they were wasting his time.
“One,” he continued, “I’m not sure which one of you would bring the biggest payday, so I’d hate to kill the valuable one. And two, I’m not aware of any current bounties on SG-1’s he
ads. Now, I could just take a risk and auction Dr. Jackson off to the highest bidder. I’m sure there are plenty of Goa’uld still around with a lot of time on their hands.”
Daniel cleared his throat. “We, uh, appreciate that you’re willing to hear us out.”
Odai’s smile was cold. “I’m not hearing anything out. I just couldn’t believe two members of SG-1 were actually looking for me. I had to see it for myself.”
“We’re here because we think you can help us,” Daniel said.
“I have absolutely no interest in helping you. With anything.”
Cam said, “Hey, you owe us. We’re the ones who gave you the idea to go after Netan. You had to get a lot of clout from being the guy who cut the head off the snake. So to speak.”
“You’d think that, wouldn’t you? But no. Netan has a lot of lieutenants who were annoyed I tried to jump the line. By the time I convinced them to leave me alone, I had pretty much just broken even. But I’m feeling generous, so I’m not going to take it out on you. If you’ll excuse me.” He placed his hands flat on the table and pushed himself up. “Next time you come looking for me, I’m going to gamble on someone making your capture worth my while.”
“Colonel Carter and Vala have been captured,” Cam continued as if Odai hadn’t spoken.
Odai leaned down and met Cam’s eye. “Why should I care?”
Cam knew the moment had come for a brilliant idea, but he couldn’t think of anything. Their best chance of getting Sam and Vala back was about to walk away, and he had no clue how to convince him to help. He glanced around as if inspiration was written on the walls of the bar. Odai chuckled under his breath and straightened up.
“This has been a strange encounter, gentlemen. I’ll be sure to tell the galaxy that SG-1 has been trimmed down to three members. It’s been a rough few months and they could use the good news.”
He started to walk away. Cam noticed the beaten, weary look of everyone in the bar, along with Sanda’s makeup, and the Prior trying to hold court near the Stargate. In an instant, he knew how to convince Odai to help them.
“It must be difficult to operate with the Ori breathing down your neck.”
Odai stopped, but didn’t turn around. Cam twisted in his seat and addressed the man’s back.
“You want them gone? Just like the Goa’uld and the Replicators? SG-1 is your best chance of making that happen. But we only have a chance to do that as a unit. We need Sam and Vala. You help us, you’re helping rid this galaxy of every Ori ship and Prior.”
Odai remained where he was, unmoving and silent. Then finally his shoulders sagged and he shook his head.
“Ah, damn it,” he said under his breath. He looked at them again, clearly angry he’d been outplayed. “What do you need from me?”
~#~
The underground cavern Tanis and Shein called home was part of a honeycomb of other residences all connected by a narrow corridor. Sam left and wandered until she found a set of steps leading up to ground level. She climbed it, then found a ladder on a side of a building which could get her even higher. She didn’t check to make sure Vala had followed her, but every now and then she heard a grunt or muttered exclamation which proved she was there. When she got to the roof, she walked to the far edge and sat down. She planted her feet flat on the stucco material of the roof, crossed her arms on her bent knees, and rested one hand on top of the other. Vala sat down beside her, legs folded in front of her.
They stared out over the city together. There was no unifying architectural style, no hint that the city had been planned in any way. Styles merged and morphed into each other. Small ovoid pods clung to tall cylindrical towers. Flat slate roofs marched in a line with domed buildings. Turrets, pyramids, gables, and pagodas. It was clear that everyone who came to Viaxeiro built homes as needed, bringing their own distinct tastes and styles. From up high, the pattern of streets called to mind an ant farm with just as much reasoning behind its twists and turns.
Vala finally broke the silence. “So? What’s the plan?”
“I don’t know.” It felt good to say. She so rarely got away with saying it but, in this case, she didn’t have any other true answer.
“I get it,” Vala said, still sounding annoyingly optimistic. “You need time to think through your options.”
Sam laughed. “What options, Vala? You heard Tanis. You saw what those landmines can do. Even if we could evade the guards, there’s no way we can get to a ship. If, and it’s a very big if, the SGC somehow manages to locate this rock and mount a rescue mission, there’s nothing we can do from this side to help them unless we decide to overthrow their leader with no weapons and no backup beyond Tanis and her assassin girlfriend.”
Vala stared at her in disbelief. “So… that’s it? You’re just going to sit here and play the damsel in distress? Wait for the big strapping men to come rescue you? That is not the Samantha Carter I know.”
“It’s the only option we have right now. I don’t like it any more than you do, but look around us. We’re stuck in a city surrounded by people who ignored the fact we knocked Tanis out and carried her away. These are bad people. The worst of the worst. If any of them find out who we really are, they might just kill us out of spite. There could be people who got sent here because of SG-1.”
“All the more reason to be proactive! Listen, let’s brainstorm. How did you get out of Hadante?”
“We had a Stargate. And on Netu, we had rings, we had ships, we had people on the outside waiting to pull us to safety. We had options. Right now, we have nothing. Even your friend Tanis is resigned to staying trapped here. I don’t know her well, but she doesn’t seem like the sort who would just give up and stay in prison.”
Vala said, “No. But neither am I. If you’re not going to come up with one of your brilliant plans, then I suppose it’ll have to be up to me.” She stood up and brushed her hands over the seat of her pants. “This is the perfect opportunity to prove myself to you. I’m a brilliant strategist. I’ll get us out of this mess and the next time SG-1 is in a sticky situation, you’ll turn to me for ideas.”
Sam shook her head, smiling ruefully. “I wish you luck, Vala. Really.”
Vala turned to leave but didn’t even make it a single step. “Oh. Samantha.”
Sam turned to see Tanis had just finished climbing up to the roof. Shein was right behind her, bearing the scowl which had become her default expression upon discovering Sam’s real identity. Sam stood up as well and wished she’d taken the time to find weapons. There were no clay pots on the roof for Vala to improvise with if Tanis decided to attack again.
“Someone said they saw you climb up here, ‘Fraiser’,” Tanis said. “Hope you don’t mind us crashing the party.”
Vala said, “Just so long as it stays a party. We’re all friends now. Right?”
“I’m not going to go that far.” Tanis kept her eyes on Sam. “After we left, Shein and I got to talking.”
Shein nodded at Sam. “You’re really a member of SG-1?”
“We both are,” Sam said.
Shein looked at Tanis before she continued. “We used to hear a lot about SG-1 on my world. Back when the Goa’uld were still around. There were even actors who traveled through the gates to reenact some of your greatest adventures. They gave us all hope even when we were worried about the Jaffa coming to attack at any moment. I always thought that if SG-1 could just come to our planet, it might turn things around. Then you took the Goa’uld out and things just got worse.”
Vala said, “You can’t blame her for that!”
“I’m not,” Shein said. “Hell, the Lucian Alliance was the opportunity I’d been waiting for. There’s no way I was going to let someone put a snake in my head, but with the Alliance I had a chance to make my own name. It got me out into the universe. Got me here, too. But that hasn’t been without benefits.” She glanced at Tanis, smiling at some inner thought before she continued. “That’s not the point. I spent years hearing about the great SG-1
and the miracles they pulled off.”
Tanis, standing to one side with her arms crossed over her chest, muttered, “All right, c’mon. Ease up on the flattery, eh?”
Shein said, “You want off this rock? Maybe Tanis and I could help you out.”
“I thought you two were perfectly happy here.”
“We are,” Tanis said. “We don’t want you to take us with you. We want you to earn our help before you go.”
Sam narrowed her eyes. “And how exactly would we do that?”
Tanis said, “We want you to kill Lokelani Kiir.”
CHAPTER TEN
“SO? ARE you in or out?”
“With what?” Vala said. “The thing you mentioned up on the roof? You couldn’t have been serious. Or maybe I misheard you.”
“It was a clear enough directive,” Tanis said. They had relocated back to the cold-water room. Shein had secured and locked the door and was now leaning against it. Sam had reluctantly followed along and now sat with her elbow on their dinner table, watching the exchange.
“Yes,” Vala said, “but I could’ve sworn you said ‘kill’…?”
Tanis arched an eyebrow and dipped her chin. “What, you’ve gotten soft? I’d hate to offend any delicate sensibilities you’ve acquired with the Tau’ri.”
“We didn’t kill!” Vala said. “I mean, we didn’t… well, we tried very hard to make sure no one was killed in our jobs.”
Sam said, “Tanis wasn’t always so conscientious about body count.”
Tanis glared at her. “We were prisoners. They were our jailors. We were trapped on a planet with no apparent hope of escape. If we thought they would have agreed to peace — ”
“Yeah,” Sam said, “but you never tried approaching them about peace, did you?”
Vala stepped between them before the debate could get heated again. “Regardless of the past, we definitely don’t kill now. Why do you want Lokelani dead?”
