SG1-24 Two Roads

by Cannon, Geonn

  Then Vala asked to borrow the suit for a solo job. It had been meticulously planned and carried out, but she hadn’t anticipated Daniel Jackson’s interference. She thought he’d been one of those vapid pretty boys, the kind that were occasionally allowed passage on ships in exchange for providing certain services. But no, he had to turn out to be a deceptively shrewd fighter. Just her luck. She had been fortunate to get off the ship at all, and she didn’t have the luxury of gathering her things before she lit out. She thought Tanis would be happy that she was alive and overlook the minor quibble about losing the suit. And Tanis was glad Vala had escaped intact, but she had yet to forgive her for losing the suit. Vala doubted she would have been any more understanding if their roles were reversed.

  She glanced at the stacks of items Baleya had lined the corridor with and wondered if she had a Kull warrior suit she would be willing to part with. She could purchase it as a present for Tanis, a peace offering and a worthy investment if it meant she would finally shut up about it.

  They eventually reached a wooden staircase that ran along one wall to an elevated office. From that vantage point Baleya could look out over all her riches whenever she pleased. Vala was impressed; the fence was obviously a woman after her own heart. Their escort knocked on the door and stepped aside to let them enter.

  Baleya Pani stood up as the door was closed behind them. Her red hair was tied back in a braid, and she wore a leather vest over a collarless blue blouse. She was younger than Vala expected considering the scope of her empire, but there was a hardness in her green eyes that revealed she wasn’t one to be trifled with. A low-slung belt held a blaster against her right hip, a sheathed knife was visible strapped above her left knee, and Vala had no doubt there were multiple other weapons within easy reach. Baleya sized them up while they were doing the same to her and seemed satisfied with what she saw.

  “Welcome to my world,” she said.

  “Thank you,” Vala said. “I’m Vala Mal Doran, that’s Tanis Reynard.”

  Tanis smiled flirtatiously. “Pleasure to meet you.”

  Vala turned and muttered, “Now’s not the time.”

  “Jealous?”

  Vala rolled her eyes and faced Baleya again.

  Baleya said, “I’ve never heard of either of you before. Are you Tau’ri?”

  “Nope. She’s Hebridian, I’m — ”

  Baleya cut her off with a wave of her hand. “As long as you’re not Tau’ri troublemakers, I don’t care where you’re from. So you claim to have a kingdom’s worth of coin to trade with. I heard a minor fiefdom got cleaned out a few days ago. Whoever the thieves were, they managed to get away without a trace. Impressive work.”

  “That’s why you’ve never heard of us,” Tanis said. “In and out, clean as a whistle.”

  “Commendable.” She pursed her lips as she regarded Tanis for a moment longer, then looked out the window at her collection. “I came across a few items recently that originated with a female System Lord. I have a few relics from Amaterasu you might find interesting.”

  “Actually we’re more interested in anything that came from Teunus.”

  Baleya looked at her. “The items from Kali’s realm.”

  “Yes, exactly.”

  “Hm. A lot of that has been moved out already. A collector came through and picked some of it up, but there’s still some left over. Care to take a look?”

  Vala grinned. “I’m always up to do a little shopping!”

  Baleya pushed off the desk and motioned for them to follow. Tanis eyed the woman as she passed, and Vala admonished her again.

  “We don’t have time for that.”

  “We never have time for that,” Tanis said. “That’s why I think we should make time whenever we can.”

  Vala took Tanis’ elbow and dragged her out of the office and followed Baleya back down the stairs. They were led back through the narrow makeshift corridors, past rooms that were filled to the brim with other shining examples of Goa’uld excess. They were moving too quickly for Vala to identify everything, but she did catch glimpses of a few marks she recognized. Some of the collections were old enough to bear the symbol of Apophis and Heru’ur despite the fact both had met their doom years ago.

  Baleya led them to a large open area that was so cluttered Vala assumed it had to be items that were waiting to be catalogued and moved to the appropriate section of the complex. Thrones were standing shoulder to shoulder, their seats filled with braziers that were overflowing with various jewelry and baubles. Wooden trunks that were too overstuffed to close entirely were set up to create pathways through the mess.

  “How much of this is Kali’s?” Vala asked.

  “Unfortunately, just a very small amount. This is just where stuff gets dumped after people send it down to me. I try to keep things as organized as possible.” She bent down to pick up a bejeweled necklace and turned it over in her hands before dumping it into a nearby chest.

  “I thought you received the majority of Kali’s treasure from Teunus.”

  “I did,” Baleya said. “But I have regular clients who get first pick. One of them came in the day after I acquired Kali’s things and bought up the vast majority of it all.”

  Vala let her mask of joviality slip. “Damn it!”

  “What does it matter?” Baleya said. “Look around you. Just because it didn’t belong to Kali doesn’t affect the value of what’s on offer.”

  “The deal was our money for Kali’s treasure.”

  “I say again, what is so important about Kali’s treasure?” Baleya nudged one of the trunks with her foot. “Olokun was just as egotistical, and he draped all of his throne rooms with golden veils. His servants wore so much gold and silver accessories that sometimes they couldn’t even lift their arms.”

  Vala said, “I don’t care about Olokun.”

  Tanis stepped closer to Vala and lowered her voice. “Vala, look at this place. With what we have in the cargo ship, we could make a killing here. Think about the trades just waiting to be made. A few coins in exchange for a golden bracelet, and then we can change that bracelet into a few dozen ounces of naquadah. This is a license to print our own money! Just look around you!”

  “I’m looking.” Vala wandered to one side and picked up a ribbon device. The pointed finger caps fell to the side as she held it, revealing the gem that would settle against the palm. The sight stirred a memory, one of the thousands she had tried so hard to suppress. She saw herself spreading her fingers wide, saw the frightened eyes of her victim as the gem glowed bright. She looked away from the weapon before the memory could unfold any further.

  The room was filled with treasure and it would all trade the same no matter who it had belonged to. A throne from Cronus wasn’t intrinsically more valuable that something from Ares’ palace. The differences only mattered to her.

  “Do you have anything from Qetesh?” Vala asked quietly.

  Baleya furrowed her brow and looked around. “That’s going back a few years. I think all of her stuff got scattered to the wilds a long time ago.” She looked at Tanis. “First Kali and now Qetesh. You ladies looking for something specific?”

  Vala ignored the question. “The client with a deep vault. The one who got all of Kali’s things. What’s his name?”

  “I can’t divulge that sort of information. My clients expect a high standard of anonymity and it is my duty to ensure they receive it. I offer you the same silence should anyone come looking for you.”

  Vala slipped the ribbon device onto her hand. She brought up her arm and spread her fingers. The part of Qetesh that had been left behind in her blood activated the gemstone and it glowed softly as she aimed it at Baleya’s head.

  Baleya stared in confusion. “But you’re not Goa’uld…”

  “Not anymore, no,” Vala said. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were cold. Threatening someone, using the weapon again threw her back to the person she had been running away from for almost ten years. “I don’t want to hu
rt you, but I want that information. I want Kali’s treasure and I will do whatever is necessary to get it.”

  Tanis pulled her gun and aimed it at Baleya as well. “Vala, what are you doing? I’ll back your play, but I need to know what’s going on.”

  Vala said, “It’s important to me.”

  “All right,” Tanis said. “I guess that will have to do for now. But damn it, I want answers. Sorry, Baleya.”

  “And things were going so well,” Baleya said. “Fine. The name of the man who acquired Kali’s treasures is Dysmas Wyrrick.”

  Tanis said, “I’ve heard of him. He’s an arms dealer. Tends to work both sides of a conflict in order to double his payday.”

  “He’s more of a collector now,” Baleya said. “The wars against the Goa’uld and the Replicators have calmed down, so he has time to focus on the finer things.”

  Tanis glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were still alone. “Vala, something’s wrong.”

  “What?”

  “She’s being far too calm.”

  Baleya smiled darkly. “Clever girl. Pity. We could have been really good friends. But you had to come into my vault, my inner sanctum, and threaten me?”

  “There’s no reason this has to escalate any further,” Tanis said. “You gave us what we wanted, so now we’ll just be on our way.”

  “Oh, but it does. I didn’t tell you Wyrrick’s name because you were holding weapons on me. My security here is top-notch, Miss Reynard. You wouldn’t have gotten that gun near me if I wasn’t confident I’d have the upper hand. If you’d proven you were trustworthy I would have offered you a cup of tea, and in that tea would be a chemical that would counteract the gas in these corridors. You see, that’s how I prevent theft. The atmosphere of this planet has a soporific effect on people who didn’t grow up here. I take advantage of that to protect my investments.”

  Vala realized too late that her arm was quickly becoming too heavy to hold up. She turned her head to see if Tanis was feeling the same effects, and the motion made her so disoriented that she nearly fell over. The hand device powered down as she grabbed for a shelf to keep herself upright. Tanis wavered as well, bumping her shoulder into a shelf before falling gracelessly to the floor. Vala looked up at Baleya, who seemed to be looming over her like a monolith. Gravity finally won out and Vala slumped face forward onto the floor.

  Baleya walked forward, her boots echoing like percussion instruments with every step.

  “If you survive, you will eventually come to regret threatening me in my own home, Mal Doran. But in the meantime, let us see what regrets you already have.”

  Anything else she might have said was lost to the increasingly thick haze closing in on Vala’s vision, until there was nothing to do but surrender to the darkness.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The news reached the village just after dawn, a warning passed through several messengers before it finally reached Teal’c. He was already awake when the young man burst into his tent. Teal’c had thanked the boy before sending him to share what he had learned with the others. He was preparing to leave when Rak’nor found him. “You have heard the news?”

  Teal’c nodded. “Indeed I have. Stargate Command has requested my assistance in stopping this atrocity from occurring. I trust you will serve as my proxy until I return.”

  “Of course.” Rak’nor paused and looked at the ground for a moment, obviously grasping for words he found difficult to say. “I am always willing to be here in your stead, brother, but perhaps you should begin thinking about how often you are asking me to take your place.”

  “Am I infringing on your time?”

  “That is not the issue, Teal’c. We all truly appreciate the time you have given us these past few weeks and months, but we cannot help but wonder when it will end. Many believe the day is fast approaching when you will bid us farewell and return to your Tau’ri friends. Many are beginning to express their concern about your long-term dedication to our people.”

  Teal’c tightened his jaw and straightened his shoulders. “I see. I was not aware I had become the subject of such idle gossip.”

  “Perhaps not so idle these past few days. No one doubts your dedication to our cause or the sacrifices you’ve made to get us to this place. But now that we have achieved victory, your attention seems divided between us and the Tau’ri. They call and you run to their aid.”

  “We are seeking to prevent an unspeakable attack from devastating our people.”

  “In this instance, yes. But what about the next?” He sighed. “Everyone understands you owe them a debt, Teal’c. Perhaps soon it would be best if you choose to remain with them until that debt is repaid rather than trying to divide your time between two worlds.”

  Teal’c cinched his bag shut and slung the strap over his head. He turned to Rak’nor and extended his arm, and Rak’nor clasped it in the center of his forearm. “Thank you for speaking so frankly with me, and for your candid advice. I will consider it while I am away.”

  Rak’nor nodded and stepped aside so Teal’c could precede him out of the tent. “I hear your friends are due to arrive at any moment.”

  “Indeed. They have been trying to find me for several days, but my movement has been sporadic at best. I am fortunate their message found me as quickly as it did.”

  “I’m torn between warning people of this threat or keeping it quiet in the interest of maintaining calm. This is a very fragile time for many of us. There have been so many changes lately, and it would be easy to believe it was only temporary. This threat could convince many that they have made a mistake in turning against their gods.”

  “Alternatively, our success in preventing such an attack would serve to cement our resolve. This crisis may be just the catalyst we need to sway those who are still uncertain.”

  Rak’nor stopped at a turn in the road. Teal’c would continue ahead through the woods to the Stargate, while Rak’nor had to go north to the council chambers.

  “I wish you luck, Teal’c. And I look forward to your return.”

  “Thank you. I hope to send word soon.”

  They parted ways, and Teal’c was left alone with his thoughts. He appreciated Rak’nor coming to him with his concerns. If he was feeling uneasy about Teal’c’s divided loyalties, then certainly there were others who felt the same way but didn’t feel comfortable confronting him. He would have to make an effort to assure anyone who doubted him upon his return. Though he could never fully repay the Tau’ri for what they had done for the Jaffa, he still felt obligated to them. He believed he would always respond if they needed him, and he would not want it any other way.

  He passed into the clearing just as the chevrons lit with an incoming wormhole. Despite the dire circumstances of their visit, he couldn’t help but smile as Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson stepped through the event horizon. It had been far too long since he visited the SGC and he had missed them greatly. Colonel Carter obviously felt the same way based on the width and brilliance of her smile as they met up at the DHD. He smiled and inclined his head in greeting to them.

  “My friends.”

  “Hello, Teal’c,” she said. “It’s good to see you again. I wish it was more of a social call.”

  He nodded. “I have sent word to as many settlements as possible so they are aware of the danger. The suggestion to bury their Stargates until the matter has been resolved was met with some resistance.”

  “Well, that’s understandable,” Daniel Jackson said. “After fighting for so long to escape the Goa’uld, suddenly they’re encroaching on your lives again. You finally achieved victory and burying your Stargate would make it feel like you’re hiding.”

  “We wouldn’t have suggested it if we didn’t think it was absolutely necessary. They aren’t cloistering themselves, they’re just buying a little time and keeping themselves safe until we can defuse the threat.”

  “Your intentions have never been in doubt, Colonel Carter. Relations between our people hav
e been fragile at times, but the majority of us believe the Tau’ri are true friends to the Jaffa. I have done my part to spread that belief. Your efforts to prevent Kali’s scheme will reinforce that message.” He gestured at the DHD. “I am prepared to depart for Teunus immediately.”

  Daniel said, “Oh! You don’t need to pack or anything?”

  Teal’c patted his bag. “I have everything I require. Rak’nor has agreed to take my place on the council until my return.”

  Sam said, “No staff weapon?”

  Teal’c’s expression wavered. “No. Many among the Jaffa have decided against continuing to carry the weapon that was so often used to strike down our brothers. I personally have had strong misgivings about carrying it since one was used in the death of Janet Fraiser. In her honor, and in her memory, I have vowed that I will use the weapon only when it is unavoidable.”

  “She would have been honored,” Sam said softly.

  Their reflective moment ended when a group of Jaffa appeared at the edge of the clearing. Teal’c noted their arrival. “They have volunteered to bury the Stargate upon our departure. I have assured them it will not have to be buried for long. In the meantime, any travel from one community to the next will have to be done via transport ships. We will not be crippled, only inconvenienced.” Teal’c stepped in front of the DHD and began dialing Teunus.

  “We’ll do our best to make sure that inconvenience is as temporary as possible,” Daniel said. “The bright side is that we’re dealing with a pre-programmed event instead of an army. Hopefully preventing this attack can be done with a minimum of violence or bloodshed.”