CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The archeologist quickly stepped forward, holding his empty hands in the air.
"Whoa! Everybody just calm down."
"This man has insulted us!" Marnan growled.
"Yes, he did, but you have to look at things from his perspective. After all, you haven't exactly been very nice to the townspeople. It's understandable that they'd have hard feelings. So how about if everyone just lowers their weapons and we try to discuss this calmly and rationally? The last thing any of us want is a blood bath."
A very long, intense moment passed before the raiders lowered their swords. The SGC personnel did likewise, though they kept watching the raiders warily.
"Okay. Good," Daniel said, breathing a silent sigh of relief. "Now, Marnan, why don't you tell Nitiren, Davan and Renar how many children this food will be feeding."
The leader of the raiders paused before replying. "There are more than a hundred. Even now, their empty bellies are waiting for the food to fill them."
Daniel gave a nod, then turned to the three councilmen. "If you were in their position, wouldn't you do whatever it took to feed your families?"
It was Nitiren who replied. "Yes, but our last resort would be to steal from the mouths of other children. Why did they not come to us and ask for aid?"
"We did ask!" Marnan responded in an angry voice. "Three generations ago, our great-grandfathers came to you. They humbled themselves and begged for help. But, instead of help, they were given sneers and commanded to leave. They were told that our people were not worthy of receiving aid. That winter, fifteen of our children died of starvation."
The revelation stunned everyone.
"T-this cannot be true!" Nitiren cried. "Our great-grandfathers would not have said such a thing!"
"It is true," Marnan declared. "It is because of their words that we began raiding your fields of the food that we so desperately needed."
There was a pregnant pause before Daniel spoke up again. "It's pretty obvious that there are things some of you don't know about this whole situation." He turned to the three councillors. "Given what you just found out, can you understand more why these people raid your town and fields? If you were in the same position, wouldn't you do the same thing?"
Nitiren hesitated before replying. "I do not know if we would do the same thing, but I understand why they chose to do so."
Daniel focused his gaze upon the leader of the raiders. "Marnan, the people who refused to help you are long dead. Do you think it's fair to punish generations that had nothing to do with what happened back then?"
Marnan frowned. "What else are we to do? Our families must be fed."
"Yes, I understand that, and that's why I was proposing that you be taught things that will permanently solve your problem. Now, it would take quite a while to build the aqueduct. In the meantime, you would have to continue getting crops from the townspeople, but the things we will be teaching and giving to them should increase the size of the next harvest." Daniel's gaze went back and forth between the two parties. "We have a way to resolve this whole issue, ultimately put an end the problem. Wouldn't it be in everyone's best interest to see that happen?"
There was a long moment of silence before Nitiren replied. "Yes. We will teach these men and their people how to build an aqueduct, if they are willing to learn."
Marnan stared at the man, then nodded. "We will accept their knowledge."
Everyone from Earth relaxed.
"Great!" Cam said. "So how about if we get all this stuff transferred to those carts over there."
The food and chickens were taken out of the townspeople's carts and stacked in the ones belonging to the raiders. While that was going on, Cam educated Marnan on caring for the goats, pigs and chickens and how to cook some of the food.
"Now, you'll want to build some kind of coop for the chickens," he said. "Otherwise, they'll all get eaten by birds of prey and other carnivores in the area." He gave the leader of the rebels some instructions on that.
While he was doing all that, Daniel was showing another member of the raiding party printouts of instructions on building rain collectors. Though the man could not read the words, the illustrations and Daniel's instructions would be enough.
It was well after midday by the time everything was finished, and Daniel suggested that they all share a meal and get to know each other better. Though both the raiders and townspeople were hesitant to do so, they reluctantly agreed.
Due in part to Daniel and Cam's encouragement, most of the conversation that followed was between the raiders and the people from town. Gradually, the tension and mistrust faded, and the two groups learned quite a bit about each other. There were even a few smiles. All the members of SG-1 were happy to see that.
"We must go so that we can reach the next place where we can camp before night falls," Marnan said at last. He looked at Nitiren. "If it is acceptable to you, some of us will return in one month so that you may show us your aqueduct and teach us how to make one."
Nitiren nodded. "That will be acceptable."
With an impressive amount of skill and orderliness, the raiders moved out, the livestock obediently going the way the men wanted them to go. They soon disappeared into the forest. Everyone else then headed back to town.
"Well, after that bit of excitement, everything went pretty well," Cam remarked once they were back in town.
Sam nodded in agreement. "I think that this is going to work out well, just as long as nobody loses their temper again. So, are we ready to go home?"
"We need to talk to Nitiren about when we'll be bringing through the stuff that is part of the trade agreement and when we can start mining for the Wani," Daniel replied. "And I've also got a little . . . errand to run."
The others looked at him.
"An errand?" Vala questioned. "That sounds interesting. May I go with you?"
"No, you may not. You guys go on and talk to Nitiren. I'll join you in a little while."
The archeologist headed to the marketplace, glancing back several times to make sure that Vala wasn't following him. When he got to the stand he visited before, he was happy to see that the item he wanted was still there. He showed the merchant what he'd brought. The man immediately took a liking to it and agreed to the trade.
With his purchase hidden away in a pocket, Daniel joined his teammates, who were just finishing up with Nitiren. A few minutes later, they joined the rest of the people from the SGC, and everyone gated home.
At the debriefing, the general was filled in on everything that happened.
"All in all, I think it went well," Cam said. "As long as there isn't another blowup, the raiders will have what they need, and, eventually, they won't have to get food from that town nor any other."
"I'm hoping that, in time, the two groups will have an amicable relationship," Daniel said.
Landry nodded. "Well done, SG-1. We've gotten started in getting together everything that's in the trade agreement. I don't think it will be necessary for you to accompany it to Hedavin. I'll be sending some people through with knowledge of farming, as well as medical people to train the Hedavi on the use of the medicines and medical equipment. SG-9 will go with them."
After everyone was dismissed, Daniel and Sam went to his office.
"When are we going to talk to Landry about us?" the archeologist asked.
"Maybe it would be wise to do it today, while he's still in a good mood about the success of the mission."
Daniel nodded. "I think you're right. Are we going to just come right out and say it or ease him into it?"
"I'd say that the direct approach would be best. General Landry doesn't care for long explanation."
Daniel recalled all the times the man interrupted his long-winded explanations during briefings and agreed with her.
Fifteen minutes later, Daniel and Sam were nervously standing outside the general's office. Landry bid them to enter.
"Um . . . sir?" Sam said, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. "Daniel and I have something to discuss with you."
"Oh? Is this about the stuff on Hedavin?"
"No, it's a personal matter. You see, Daniel and I, uh . . . things have, um . . . developed . . . between us."
Landry frowned at her. "I know that you couldn't be saying what it sounds like you are saying, so explain what it is that you really mean."
"Actually, she does mean what it sounds like she's saying," Daniel responded. "That is if you're thinking what I think you're thinking."
The general blinked and stared at them. "You're saying that you two are involved with each other?"
"Yes, sir," the couple confirmed simultaneously.
"What the hell brought that on?" Landry asked in a tone of voice that told Daniel and Sam he was not at all pleased.
"Well, you see, I've had, uh, feelings for Sam for quite a while now," Daniel replied, "but she didn't know. When she found out, she agreed to go on a date with me. Things, um, developed from there."
Landry's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that this relationship has been going on for a while?"
"Not all that long, sir," Sam told him. "We started dating two weeks ago."
"Well, I don't have to tell you that I'm not all that happy to hear this. Relationships between teammates can lead to all sorts of problems. It wasn't all that long ago that I had to have a talk with a couple of members of another SG team about this very thing."
Sam nodded. "Captain Hopkins and Doctor Waterston. We know about them, sir."
"Well, then I'm going to tell you the same thing I told them. I'll let it go on for now, but if I get an inkling of the slightest problem, the tiniest way that this affects your performance on missions, one of you will be removed from SG-1. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, sir," Daniel and Sam responded.
"I assume that Colonel Mitchell already knows about this."
"Yes, and so does Vala and Teal'c," Daniel answered. "Jack does, too."
"Very well. Now get out of here so that I can take something for this headache you just gave me."
With looks of apology, the couple left and returned to Daniel's office.
"Well, considering how it could have gone, that wasn't so bad," Daniel remarked.
"Yeah. At least we no longer have to hide our relationship."
"Uh huh. Um, regarding that, I was wondering if you could come over to my place this evening."
A smile grew on Sam's face. "Don't want to sleep alone tonight, Daniel?"
He smiled as well. "Of course I don't, now that I know how it feels to have you in that bed with me. But this is about something else."
Sam's smile disappeared. "Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem. You'll know what it's about when you get there."
"Okay. Do you want me to come before dinner or after?"
"Before would be good. I'll fix some dinner for us."
Sam arrived at a bit before seven o'clock. Though she was dying of curiosity about the reason for the invitation, she patiently waited for Daniel to tell her. That came after the meal was over. Daniel went to his bedroom and returned with a tiny box in his hand.
"I, um, got this on Hedavin." He handed the box to her.
Upon opening the box, Sam let out a sharp gasp. There in the box was a pendant. The translucent stone was blue and pink, the colors swirled together. And it was glowing, as if lit from within.
"It's a type of crystal that sometimes forms alongside the Wani," Daniel quietly explained. "On rare occasions, the Hedavi will find a piece that has some of the Wani encased within it. Most of those pieces are used for jewelry that's worn during certain religious ceremonies. I, um, thought that you might like it."
"Oh, Daniel. It's beautiful. I love it!" She pulled him into a hug and kiss. "It's such a shame I can't wear it in public."
"Well, you could. You could say that the crystal isn't real, and the glow is from a tiny lightbulb inside."
"I'm not sure I'd want to risk that, but I will definitely wear it every time we're alone together. Thank you so much for getting it for me." Sam then frowned. "But how did you pay for it?"
"I traded something."
"What?"
"One of the artifacts that Catherine willed to me."
"Oh, Daniel. You shouldn't have done that. I know that those things mean a lot to you."
Daniel looked straight into her eyes. "Sam, you mean so much more to me than anything I own. I'd give away the whole collection for you."
Sam pulled him into her arms again, whispering another thank-you in his ear.
That night, the couple did not make love. Instead, they just held each other. Feeling warm and loved in Daniel's arms, Sam knew that there was not another place in the entire universe she'd rather be.
A relatively uneventful week passed before SG-1's next mission. Unlike the one to Hedavin, this one was to a planet with a relatively high level of technology. Vala had been there before and said that there might be some things that the SGC would be interested in obtaining.
Arriving on the planet, everyone looked at the former host of Qetesh.
"Okay, you're the one who's been here before," Cam said. "Where shall we go?"
"There are some shops that deal in electronic gadgets. I've had dealings with a few of them. It might be best if we avoided one or two of those. My relationship with the shopkeepers was not exactly . . . friendly."
"Yeah, I'll bet," Daniel muttered.
"Now, Daniel. It was not entirely my fault. We just did not see eye-to-eye on some things."
With Vala in the lead, SG-1 began going from shop to shop. They'd brought with them some stuff to use in trade, but Sam figured that it might not be enough if they found something really valuable. They found such a thing after being on the planet for two hours. Unfortunately, the owner of the device was being rather unreasonable and insisting on a payment that was ridiculously high.
"Now, Deken," Vala said in a low, silky tone, drawing closer to the man. "Surely, we can come to an agreement."
As Deken Sawl raked his eyes over Vala's body, a lustful expression on his face, Cam was struck by a violent feeling of jealously. He had to fight back the urge to yank Vala away from the man. Instead, he remained where he was, hands clenched into fists. He almost lost it, though, when Deken ran a hand down Vala's arm.
"Yes, maybe we can," the shopkeeper said, his expression making no secret of what he wanted.
Cam took a step forward. "Okay, now that isn't going to be any part of the trade we make with you, so you can get it out of your head."
Deken glared at him. "Are you her husband?"
"Well, no, but—"
"Then you have no say in it."
Cam was just about to tell the guy off when Vala stepped in.
"As much as I would love to spend some quality time with you, Deken, I'm afraid that I am not free to include myself in the bargain." She was, of course, lying about wanting to spend time with him. The guy looked like an ape with a face that had been smashed in a few too many times. "But, surely, we can come to some agreement."
Deken scowled at her. "My price stands."
"Then it's no deal," Cam stated. "Come on. Let's go." He took hold of Vala's arm and led her outside, followed by the rest of the team.
"That's too bad," Sam said. "We could really use something like. And it should have been possible to backwards engineer it."
"I'm sure I could have talked him into lowering his price, if given the time," Vala said.
"No way," Cam responded. "I don't like the way that guy was looking at you."
The dark-haired woman smiled. "Why, Cameron. Are you jealous?"
"This isn't about me, Vala. It's obvious that Deken wouldn't have been satisfied with just talking, and there is no way in hell that I'd allow any team member to use themselves in that way to obtain something on a mission. Beside, we might find another one of those things somewhere else."
That proved not to be the case, though they did get some other items that Sam thought would be of value.
As they headed back to the Stargate, Vala was frowning. She knew that Sam was disappointed that they hadn't succeeded in finding one of the things Deken had. If Vala had been by herself, she was sure that she could have sweet-talked the man into lowering his price. She'd done so on plenty of other occasions, although some of those occasions had required more than just talking. She would definitely not have gone that far this time. The thought of having sex with Deken turned her stomach.
"Perhaps we could look a little longer," she said. "There is still a large part of the city that we haven't covered."
"We're due back in a couple of hours," Daniel said.
"We could always ask for some more time. How about if we get something to eat, then ask General Landry if we can stay longer?"
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Cam said after thinking about it for a few seconds.
The team found a cafe and ate some lunch. Afterwards, Vala excused herself and headed for the restroom in the back. After using the facilities, she came out and nearly bumped into someone.
"Well, hello, hello," Deken said, looking at Vala in a very unsettling way. "What a coincidence."
"Yes, isn't it," Vala agreed, backing up a step. He reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Now, don't run away," the big man said. "I'm thinking that, now that we're alone, we can come to an agreement of our own."
Suddenly realizing that Cam was right about Deken, Vala forced a pleasant expression onto her face while trying to extract her arm from the man's grasp. "I'm sorry, but I must decline. I have come to the conclusion that any agreement between us would be unacceptable . . . to me."
Deken smiled evilly. "Yes, but not to me."
Before Vala could reacted, the man grabbed her, putting a hand over her mouth, and dragged her out the back door. Vala attempted to fight him, but he was far stronger than her and apparently had training in hand-to-hand combat. He violently threw her up against a wall, and Vala's head impacted against the bricks, stunning her. Feeling dizzy, she tried to fight Deken off as he tore at her clothing. When she drew in a breath to scream, he clamped his hand back over her mouth and pressed her body against the wall with his.
As Vala heard and felt the clothing of her pants tear open, she screamed in her mind for help.
Cam looked at his watch. "What's taking her so long?"
Sam got to her feet. "I'll check on her."
"No, I'll do it."
Cam went to the unisex bathroom and knocked on the door.
"Come on, Vala. Let's go." When he got no reply, he took a peek inside and saw that it was empty. "Where did she go?"
Just then, he heard something outside, what sounded like a muffled scream. He opened the back door and looked out into the alley. He was stunned by what he saw. Vala, her clothes half ripped off, was on the ground, Deken on top of her. Even as the pilot watched, the man started yanking down what was left of her BDU pants.
White-hot, murderous rage filled Cameron. He launched himself at the man, throwing Deken off of Vala. Before the shopkeeper could react, Cam's fists were swinging at his face. Though the shopkeeper had seventy pounds and three inches on the pilot, it wasn't enough, Cam's blinding rage giving him added strength. Using the things he'd learned from both the Air Force and Jolan of the Sodan, Cam proceeded to beat the man to a bloody pulp.
Vala roused from her concussion enough to see what was happening. She saw Cam get a hold on Deken's neck in a viselike grip and start squeezing.
"Cameron, stop!" she cried. "You'll kill him!"
Her voice penetrated through the red haze of Cam's anger, and he looked at her. Then he heard the sound of Deken choking and gasping for air.
Finally coming to his senses, Cameron released the man. He scrambled over to Vala and pulled her into his arms.
"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously. "Did he hurt you?" When he discovered that her head was bleeding, he got a little scared.
Just then, the other three members of SG-1 burst into the alley. They took one look at the sight before them and figured out what happened. As Daniel and Sam rushed to Cam and Vala's side, Teal'c aimed his weapon at Deken, who had been attempting to get up.
"You will remain where you are," the Jaffa ordered, giving the man a look that said he'd quite happily blow a hole right through the shopkeeper.
"Is she okay?" Daniel asked Cam.
"She's hurt."
"No, I'm all right," Vala declared a little shakily. "I just bumped my head. I will be fine." She tried to extract herself from Cam's arms, but a wave of dizziness made her sway.
"You stay right there," the pilot commanded. He looked up at Sam and Daniel. "One of you go get the police or whatever it is that they have here."
Sam ran back into the cafe and talked to the owner. He made a call on that planet's equivalent of a telephone.
Two members of the city's law enforcement arrived ten minutes later and began questioning everyone. Vala and Cam told them what happened. The former host of Qetesh had fully recovered from her fright and was able to remain calm as she talked about the attempted rape. The things she said, however, made Cameron's own control on his emotions begin to slip. He wanted to rip Deken's throat out.
"We have suspected Deken Sawl of raping other women," one of the police officers said, "but we never had any proof. He left most of them in a coma or dead."
The news chilled everyone. If Cam hadn't arrived when he did, Vala might have been killed.
The cops asked if they could take some photos of Vala for evidence. Though she really didn't want to, the woman agreed.
"Will you need us for the legal proceedings?" Daniel asked afterwards.
"No, we recorded the statements. They and the photos will be enough."
Happy to hear that they wouldn't need to be present for a trial, the members of SG-1 watched as Deken was hauled away.
Cam gently helped Vala to her feet, never letting go of her.
"We need to get her back to the base," he said. "I think she has a concussion."
"But my clothes," Vala said in protest. "I can't walk though town looking like this."
"To hell with your clothes, Vala. You need medical treatment."
Understanding why Vala wouldn't want to be in public with her clothing half ripped off, Sam said that she'd find out where the nearest clothing store was. She came back a while later with a pair of pants and shirt for Vala. She helped the woman into the bathroom to change.
As Vala changed out if her torn clothing, Sam studied her.
"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked.
"Of course. I am fine. I have certainly gone through more terrifying experiences than this."
Noticing that the woman wasn't meeting her eyes, Sam said nothing more.
Figuring that Vala might not be up to walking the whole distance to the Stargate, Daniel hailed what he believed was a cab, which took them to the edge of town. They'd have to walk the rest of the way since there was no road going to the gate.
By the time they made it half the distance, Vala was feeling pretty shaky and woozy. Ignoring her protests, Cam lifted her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way.
Landry called for a medical team as soon as he saw that Vala appeared to be injured. A few minutes later, the whole team was in the infirmary.
"She'll be fine," Doctor Lam announced a while later. "She has a mild concussion and will have to rest for a day or two, but there's no skull fracture, and the laceration in her scalp needed just a couple of stitches."
Everyone relaxed.
"You will have to do the debriefing without her, though. I don't want her leaving that bed for a few hours."
General Landry was appalled when he found out what happened.
"This Deken Sawl is going to be prosecuted?" he asked.
"That's what it sounds like," Daniel replied. "He may be guilty of other assaults on women, as well as murder."
"Well, I'm just relieved that Colonel Mitchell arrived in time." The general gestured at the pilot's hands, which were wrapped in gauze. "How are the hands?"
"A little sore, sir, but they'll heal. No broken bones."
"All right, you're all dismissed."
Cam immediately returned to the infirmary. When he got there, however, he found that Vala was asleep. He quietly approached the bed and gazed down at her as a feeling of tenderness welled inside of him. Gently, he brushed away a lock of hair that had fallen down over her face. He thought about what might have happened and what would have happened if he hadn't gotten to her in time, and it made his anger return.
Cam left the infirmary and went to his office, where he started to pace. The pacing had been going on for around fifteen minutes when Teal'c came in.
"You are angry," the Jaffa observed.
"You bet I am. That guy almost raped her and might have killed her."
"I saw the injuries you inflicted upon him. They were quite extensive."
Cam stopped pacing. "I couldn't stop myself. I saw him with his hands on her, lying on top of her, and I-I just lost it. I wanted to kill him. I really think that, if Vala hadn't stopped me, I would have. I have never lost my head like that before."
Silently, Teal'c studied the pilot for several seconds. At last, he said, "I am aware that you have read all of the reports pertaining to the missions SG-1 embarked upon before you became a member. Do you recall the one regarding Shan'auc of the Red Hills?"
"Um, yeah. She was a Jaffa high priestess who thought that she'd managed to convert her Goa'uld larva into a Tok'ra. It turned out that she was wrong. He'd tricked her into believing that so that he could infiltrate the Tok'ra. After he was put in a host, he killed her." Cam didn't add something else he knew, that Teal'c had been in love with her. As it turned out, there was no need for him to say it.
"My love for Shan'auc was great," the Jaffa said, "and when she was murdered, my desire for revenge knew no bounds. It was like a fire in my mind, burning away all reason. The need to avenge her drove me to commit acts that wisdom would have stopped me from doing on any other occasion."
Cameron frowned. "Okay, but what does that have to do with me? I'm not in love with Vala."
Teal'c's deep, dark eyes stared long and hard into Cam's. "Are you not?" he then said before turning around and walking away.
Cam stared at the empty doorway. He then took a seat, his gaze drifting away to a blank section of wall. He got to thinking about this time he'd been with Vala, how good she made him feel. He thought about the jealousy he experienced when she turned her feminine charms on Deken. And then he thought about the pure rage that suffused him when he saw the man trying to rape her, the things that went through his mind afterwards as he held her.
'Oh my God. I am in love with her. I have actually fallen in love with Vala.'
Cam realized that he'd been blind not to see it before now. He should have known long before now that some of the things he was feeling were a lot more than just sexual desire. The truth was that he hadn't wanted to see it. Falling in love with Vala Mal Doran could lead to a lot of heartache. How was he going to feel if she decided to end their relationship?
Damn. This really wasn't good. Why did he have to go and fall for her? He couldn't let Vala know. If she found out, she'd probably get uncomfortable and decide that it would be best to call it quits, and the thought of losing what he had with her really hurt, a whole lot more than he'd ever have thought it could.
Wondering how he was going to hide his feelings from Vala the next time he saw her, Cameron got to work on his mission report.
