Stargate -- Kriegsspiel -- Tafl -- Twenty-Six
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Twenty-Six
Vala had never realized how much preparation went into these operation things until she was called upon to help. Sure, she’d helped gather intelligence before, and gone through the ‘gate with SG-1 numerous times, but she’d never been involved with counting guns and making sure everyone had the right gear. She swore they were counting the individual bullets as well.
The scientists were working on raising the Odyssey and making sure the fleet was ready. A few of the Marines were on their way back from a commerce planet, with hopefully additional zat’nik’tel in tow. The rest of their little band of merry men-Cam had recently suggested Vala read about the Tau’ri Robin Hood-were either helping with preparation or standing around looking nervous.
Vala looked up as Teal’c entered the mess building, carrying a crate. “More zat’nik’tels from the Quantico,” he said.
“Put them here,” Vala said, pushing aside a stack of lifesigns detectors to make space. She opened the crate and stepped aside so people could add them to the stacks of tac vests and P90s.
“ValaMalDoran.”
Vala looked up, surprised that Teal’c was still standing there. She could only call his stance ‘looming’. “Yes, Muscles?”
“Why are you here?”
“Daniel said I was bothering him,” she said with an easy, false smile.
“You misunderstand my question,” Teal’c said, and Vala knew he’d seen right through her. “Why do you join the Tau’ri fight against Adria?”
“I helped bring her into this galaxy, even if it wasn’t my choice,” Vala said, her smile sliding away. “I’m her mother. She’s my problem, too.”
“Why did you not leave once a base had been established on this planet?”
Vala was silent for a moment. It had been a question she’d asked herself before, at least before they’d found out that Adria was alive. “I guess you’re not the only one who calls Earth home now.”
Teal’c nodded, seemingly satisfied. “I will retrieve the cache of zat’nik’tels from the Lejeune.”
“You do that,” Vala said, mostly to herself. “We’ll need all the help we can get.”
*
They were about as prepared as they could be, Jack rationalized, and the fact that he had to made him shudder. He hated waiting to start an op, but he hated going into an op with no intel-hated going in blind-even more. This time there wasn’t anything they could do. The people with jobs to do were doing them as fast as they could. They didn’t have time to wait for more information…. Earth was in danger.
“Just looking at you, I can tell you’re thinking something overdramatic,” Daniel said, interrupting his unpleasant reverie. “Worrying?”
“At the moment, it’s all I can do,” Jack said. “Carter’s team is doing their thing, everyone else is suited up and ready to go. What else can I do?”
“You can come watch,” Daniel said, taking Jack’s hand and tugging him up from the cot. “Sam says she’s ready.”
Jack let Daniel lead him out of the cabin, pleased as usual that they could hold hands, even if it wasn’t their style. Jack let go as they cleared the cluster of huts and joined the others who were standing in the copse of trees that gave them the best view of the shore.
There were a few scientists clustered around a piece of high tech something-or-other that had been removed from the Odyssey, but the rest of the small crowd were like Jack: soldiers, waiting for something to do. There was a flurry of conversation from the group around the computer, and then the surface of the lake began to roil.
And then they were treated to the breathtaking sight of the Odyssey rising from the lake, nose tipped upward slightly, water pouring off its majestic bulk. Jack had never liked the Daedalus-class ships-too bulky, they didn’t have the smooth, flight-worthy silhouette of a plane-but this was a sight he wouldn’t forget in a hurry.
“Wow,” Daniel said next to him.
“That the best you can come up with?” Jack teased, but it was the only word that he could think of, too. “Some linguist you are.” Daniel elbowed him in the side.
There was a crackle of radio static from the cluster of scientists, and Jack moved closer to investigate. “-seems to be a success,” Carter’s voice came through the walkie. “All systems are reading normal and ready to go. Can you tell the General-”
“Right here,” Jack said, taking the walkie. “Good job, Carter.”
“Team effort, sir,” she said, but her tone wasn’t nearly as chilly as it had been a few days before. “We’ll be ready to start loading up in a matter of minutes.”
“Sounds good.” Jack waved to the assembled teams, who headed off back to their little complex. “We’ll be ready to go when you are. It looks like we’re headed home.”
continued in Twenty-Seven
back to Master Post
Twenty-Six
Vala had never realized how much preparation went into these operation things until she was called upon to help. Sure, she’d helped gather intelligence before, and gone through the ‘gate with SG-1 numerous times, but she’d never been involved with counting guns and making sure everyone had the right gear. She swore they were counting the individual bullets as well.
The scientists were working on raising the Odyssey and making sure the fleet was ready. A few of the Marines were on their way back from a commerce planet, with hopefully additional zat’nik’tel in tow. The rest of their little band of merry men-Cam had recently suggested Vala read about the Tau’ri Robin Hood-were either helping with preparation or standing around looking nervous.
Vala looked up as Teal’c entered the mess building, carrying a crate. “More zat’nik’tels from the Quantico,” he said.
“Put them here,” Vala said, pushing aside a stack of lifesigns detectors to make space. She opened the crate and stepped aside so people could add them to the stacks of tac vests and P90s.
“ValaMalDoran.”
Vala looked up, surprised that Teal’c was still standing there. She could only call his stance ‘looming’. “Yes, Muscles?”
“Why are you here?”
“Daniel said I was bothering him,” she said with an easy, false smile.
“You misunderstand my question,” Teal’c said, and Vala knew he’d seen right through her. “Why do you join the Tau’ri fight against Adria?”
“I helped bring her into this galaxy, even if it wasn’t my choice,” Vala said, her smile sliding away. “I’m her mother. She’s my problem, too.”
“Why did you not leave once a base had been established on this planet?”
Vala was silent for a moment. It had been a question she’d asked herself before, at least before they’d found out that Adria was alive. “I guess you’re not the only one who calls Earth home now.”
Teal’c nodded, seemingly satisfied. “I will retrieve the cache of zat’nik’tels from the Lejeune.”
“You do that,” Vala said, mostly to herself. “We’ll need all the help we can get.”
*
They were about as prepared as they could be, Jack rationalized, and the fact that he had to made him shudder. He hated waiting to start an op, but he hated going into an op with no intel-hated going in blind-even more. This time there wasn’t anything they could do. The people with jobs to do were doing them as fast as they could. They didn’t have time to wait for more information…. Earth was in danger.
“Just looking at you, I can tell you’re thinking something overdramatic,” Daniel said, interrupting his unpleasant reverie. “Worrying?”
“At the moment, it’s all I can do,” Jack said. “Carter’s team is doing their thing, everyone else is suited up and ready to go. What else can I do?”
“You can come watch,” Daniel said, taking Jack’s hand and tugging him up from the cot. “Sam says she’s ready.”
Jack let Daniel lead him out of the cabin, pleased as usual that they could hold hands, even if it wasn’t their style. Jack let go as they cleared the cluster of huts and joined the others who were standing in the copse of trees that gave them the best view of the shore.
There were a few scientists clustered around a piece of high tech something-or-other that had been removed from the Odyssey, but the rest of the small crowd were like Jack: soldiers, waiting for something to do. There was a flurry of conversation from the group around the computer, and then the surface of the lake began to roil.
And then they were treated to the breathtaking sight of the Odyssey rising from the lake, nose tipped upward slightly, water pouring off its majestic bulk. Jack had never liked the Daedalus-class ships-too bulky, they didn’t have the smooth, flight-worthy silhouette of a plane-but this was a sight he wouldn’t forget in a hurry.
“Wow,” Daniel said next to him.
“That the best you can come up with?” Jack teased, but it was the only word that he could think of, too. “Some linguist you are.” Daniel elbowed him in the side.
There was a crackle of radio static from the cluster of scientists, and Jack moved closer to investigate. “-seems to be a success,” Carter’s voice came through the walkie. “All systems are reading normal and ready to go. Can you tell the General-”
“Right here,” Jack said, taking the walkie. “Good job, Carter.”
“Team effort, sir,” she said, but her tone wasn’t nearly as chilly as it had been a few days before. “We’ll be ready to start loading up in a matter of minutes.”
“Sounds good.” Jack waved to the assembled teams, who headed off back to their little complex. “We’ll be ready to go when you are. It looks like we’re headed home.”
continued in Twenty-Seven
back to Master Post