The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
by Valaika
TITLE: The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
AUTHOR: Valaika
EMAIL: valaika@thevortex.com
CATEGORY: Series, Drama
SPOILERS: none that i know of
SEASON / SEQUEL: 4; part one of a series
RATING: G
CONTENT WARNINGS: none
SUMMARY: Sg-1 meets new friends...or rather...the new friends meet Sg-1
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. All the other characters, however....are all mine!!!!
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Okay, I suddenly have the urge to write a fanfic...so I'm doing it...please be merciful... it's my first...and since I've read so many fanfics, I may have unknowingly borrowed some already existing ideas...for which I apologize in advance...and also, I may have all of my facts mixed up and I probably made up most of the history and physics and stuff...so, sorry...and I ramble... anyway...on with the show: Oh, yes...don't ask me how it is that they speak English....
The empire had so many secrets and now she was part of this one - The Star Ring Facility. Right here, underground, somewhere in this big mountain she was living out her life as the official diplomat - rather, the communications expert or, if you will, the head of linguistics and origins. Her job was suitable and more exciting than you would think. She got to travel to different worlds with her team, SR1, meet new people and discover more and more about the origin of her ancestors - Earth.
She had learned a total of twenty-six ancient languages. Perhaps, one day, if Earth was found, they could come in handy. The Ring was a fairly new discovery. Its existence, however, had been known for centuries. She had devoted her life to finding it and two years ago she did find it. It quickly became a military operation; the officials never allowed it to become public.
She replayed the conversation her head.
"It's for the good of the people." The mighty emperor stared down at her and frowned.
"How could it be?" She was profusely annoyed.
"They are not yet ready to know."
"They've been ready for centuries! I wasn't the first person to go in search of The Ring. Everyone already knows of it. Why can't they know that we've finally found it?"
"Perhaps they were ready centuries ago, but now, no longer. First we need to find out all that we can."
"About what?"
"First we need to find The Origin."
"It's called Earth, father, please call it Earth," she said automatically.
"First we need to find Earth."
"Why? What difference will it make?"
"We don't need the people to become excited. The Origin - Earth - has become no more than a myth. This ring, we still don't know who created it, what its purpose is, and even if it will take us to The Origin."
"But we have to try! Father, our history screams out that we are not of this world, and that our origin can only be found through The Ring!"
"Yes, but can you tell me for certain, what is fact and what is myth? Until we know more about this matter, we cannot and will not inform the people."
He had spoken and already turned away. That was his way of ending the conversation. She hated it, and at the time, she still didn't understand.
He was right, immediately after her first trip through the ring, they had a problem - a god that threatened their very existence. It was strange. She spent so much of her life learning of the ancient cultures on her world. She knew of so many gods and supernatural beings through the earliest writings on her planet. Who knew that these gods were more than myths? Who knew that they were, in actuality, evil alien parasites? Whatever the case may be; they had now made an enemy that was far more powerful than they were. So the SRF took on a new purpose, to find allies and technology in order to protect us from the goa'uld threat.
There had been no success yet. So far, all they had found were primitive cultures. She could communicate with most of them. These people were human and also from The Origin, though she doubted that they themselves realized that. They were relocated by the goa'uld to work in mines for substance they called naquada - the strongest material they knew of. How strange it all was. There was so much more to the universe than just The Origin, yet, that was all she ever thought of. It was one planet - Earth - where all of us came from, where all of our answers may lie.
Now, as she sat in her office, she began to picture the scene in her mind. If the Star Ring Program ever went public they would have a lot of problems on their hands. Reporters and journalists would constantly surround the mountain. Members of the SRF would never be left in peace. People would want tours of other planets. Perhaps they would want to vacation off world. Maybe they would also find out about the goa'uld threat, then what? Then there would be no more vacationers, just more questions. No, then she would never be able to search for Earth. It was better this way. Why the hell didn't he tell her right there and then? She wasn't thinking rationally, after all, she wanted the whole galaxy to know of her discovery. If he had just explained it and made her realize what the problem was.
Thinking of me? A voice sounded in her head.
Always father. She replied
I've been following your thoughts.
Haven't you got better things to do?
Apart from running an empire, no.
Of course.
So you've been musing.
Yes, I have.
Nostalgia doesn't suit you.
Why is that?
You're too young for it.
Really? I think I've had enough experiences - after all, I did help save the world, even if it was from an enemy that I unknowingly made.
I suppose you have. Still you are too young.
She suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.
Why does that pain you? She asked her father.
I' am not sure.
A silence followed, she understood her father's distress, but only as much as he did. There was no reason behind it. Perhaps it was the loss of innocence, but she could only guess. Her father was becoming better at closing off the recesses of his mind. She, however, still needed to work on that. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried he always knew all of her secrets.
An alarm sounded, interrupting the shared peace.
Must go father, duty calls! There was no answer but she no longer felt him. She headed down the corridors to the Embarkation Room. She arrived in time to see the last key set. "An off world activation," said one of the men at the controls. The ring then came to life. Suddenly, four figures came through. "Put the shield up." She commanded. The same man then replied yes as he flipped a switch.
SG-1 stepped through the gate. It was a room similar in shape and size to their own embarkation room. But, all over the walls of the room was a water-like substance.
"What do you make of that Major?" asked Colonel Jack O'Neil.
"I don't know sir, I've never seen anything like it."
"Neither have I," added Teal'c.
"Daniel?" He looked to the man beside him.
"Don't look at me."
Major Carter made a move towards the wall. She raised her hand to it.
"Do not touch the shield," came a female voice over a speaker, "we do not wish you to be harmed."
"Good to know," mumbled Jack underneath his breath.
Daniel then intervened, "We're peaceful explorers -"
"Please, do not speak, follow our instructions."
The voice then changed, a man came to the speaker, "Place your weapons on the floor."
The team looked at the colonel, he gave a nod, and they did so.
"And step through the door one at a time," he paused and quickly added, "the woman first."
A small section of the wall to their right opened. Sam walked though it, and as soon as she did, the door closed.
Before she got a chance to look at them closely, the shield rose up. She could see nothing through the water-like substance. She heard a brief exchange between them, and immediately warned them before they decided to try and discover what the shield was. Then they tired to speak to her. What they said was of no relevance. She handed the microphone over to the man at the controls. "I'll go and check them," she informed him before leaving.
She headed down the stairs. At the door to the adjoining room, she met with Kearney. "You're going in there by yourself?" he asked.
"Yes, why?"
"As princess of Terra, you really must be more cautious."
"Uh-huh."
"I will join you."
"Fine, as long as you don't say anything."
"As you wish."
She shook her head in annoyance and stepped through the door.
"Hope we didn't keep you waiting for to long," said a familiar voice as an unfamiliar face stepped through the door.
"Oh, no." Sam looked at the woman before her. She was in casual clothing similar to what she would were back at the base. She had sparkling green eyes and luxuriously black hair and was quite attractive. Sam switched her attention to the towering man behind the woman, who was watching her intently with very dark brown eyes. He was wearing something similar to the woman, but he wasn't as friendly, so she shifted her gaze back to the woman.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, but it is necessary for security measures."
"Oh, yeah, I understand."
"Thank you for your cooperation. Please remove your jacket and shirt."
Sam was startled for a moment.
"Excuse me?"
"Please remove your shirt and turn around, it will be necessary."
She stood there for a while wondering what they meant to do.
"If it will make you feel more comfortable, I will have Kearney turn around." The woman turned to the man and said something inaudible to Sam. The man turned and the woman faced Sam once again. "Please," she requested once again. Sam complied.
The woman brushed some of her hair aside to check the back of her neck. Then felt her lower back and stomach. "Thank you, that will be all." Sam put on her shirt and Kearney turned around. He led her to the side and pushed a button, the door through which Sam came opened again.
The woman was more cooperative than most, although, Kearney could have been a bit more friendly. Next to come through was a man; he was fairly attractive, like the woman, with brown eyes and slightly graying hair.
"Please take off your shirt." Kearney commanded.
"Excuse me?" The man looked offended.
The princess intervened and smiled apologetically, "Please, your cooperation is necessary, all your questions will be answered once we are through the security procedures."
The man looked over to his companion, she nodded, and he cooperated. Kearney checked the man similarly. Then he stood to the side with the woman, and another man came through. This one was younger than the first, with the clearest blue eyes. Once, the checking was over, this man moved over as well. Just as she was about to push the button for the last member of their team to come in the woman got up and asked her to stop.
Sam stood to the side and watched as her companions were being checked for god-knows-what. She watched intently as Kearney looked over Daniel's neck and then felt his abdominal area with his hands. He's checking his neck, for what? The realization finally dawned on her. "Entry marks," she whispered.
Jack looked at her, "What?"
"They're checking us for symbiotes"
"Teal'c!"
The woman was just about to open the door for Teal'c to come through.
"Wait!" shouted Sam as she got up to stop her.
"What is the matter?" the woman asked.
"You've been checking us for symbiotes, right?"
"Yes."
Jack and Daniel looked at one another.
"Our friend," Sam continued.
"Yes?"
"He's a jaffa."
Kearney made a move towards the woman, "You serve the goa'uld?" She looked confused.
"No, we don't," intervened Daniel, "We're peaceful travelers, Teal'c has denounced the false gods. He is allied with us and we work against the goa'uld."
"Well," the woman replied, "it'll be hard for us to just take your word for it. What do you think?" She turned to the man standing beside her protectively.
"Lead them to the meeting room, inform your father, and I will bring the Jaffa."
"Sounds good," she turned to them, "Follow me please."
Before leaving she turned back to Kearney and said, "Be careful, and don't hurt him."
The princess led them out, hoping that they were indeed telling the truth. Two men who were guarding the door followed behind them. She said nothing.
Father.
Yes, daughter.
You'll be needed here; we have visitors. When can you come?
In fifteen minutes, I've just ended an assembly and was on my way to see you.
Then I'll see you soon.
All the while she kept on walking, the younger man might have made an attempt to ask questions. If he did, she hadn't heard. They arrived at the meeting room. She entered and made a motion to the men to stay on guard.
The team cautiously studied their surrounding as they followed the princess. Daniel tried to make conversation, but she ignored him. Jack turned to Sam, "It looks a lot like a military base." She agreed. They arrived at the meeting room.
The woman turned to them and made a motion for them to be seated around a rectangular table. "My apologies, I was conversing with my father."
Jack looked confused.
"While we were walking?" asked Sam.
"Yes," the woman looked at them, then realization dawned on her. "It seems we haven't been properly introduced. I am Valeska, daughter of Nathaniel Ari, Emperor of Terra.
Sg-1 was faced with a storm of questions. Daniel was the first to act. "Valeska, that's a Polish name, it means - "
"Glorious ruler," the woman completed for him.
"And Nathaniel, that's Hebrew."
"It means gift of god."
"Terra, that's Latin - "
"It is the name of our planet."
"It means Earth."
"So you're a princess," interrupted Jack.
"Yes, I am," responded Valeska, "but please, address me by my name."
Sam decided to throw in her own query, "Valeska, how is it that you were communicating with your father?"
The princess looked down for a moment, finding words to explain, and opted for the simple answer, "telepathy."
"Wait a minute, you can read our minds?" Jack was in shock.
Valeska was about to respond, but Daniel had his own answer. "I don't think so Jack, if she could, she wouldn't have needed to check us physically for symbiotes."
"And she wouldn't have kept Teal'c back," added Sam.
Jack looked at Valeska, "They are correct, I cannot read your minds."
"So, what about the rest of your people?" asked Jack.
"They have no telepathic abilities, the bond has always been present only in the ruling family - my family - and their betrothed."
"How?" asked Sam - always curious.
Teal'c and Kearney walked in together. Jack noted how similar they looked - both stern and stubborn, faces set in permanent frowns. Valeska smiled at them, "Are you fully convinced?"
"Yes, I am," replied Kearney.
"I hope he didn't give you too much trouble," she turned to Teal'c.
"Not at all."
Both men made a move towards the table to sit with their companions.
Just then a man walked in. Valeska stood up and her guests followed her lead. The man was dressed in formal attire - a suit - almost; the coat was very long and robe-like. It was a tasteful maroon. He was tall and healthy, but his age was apparent from his gray hair and tired eyes. He looked at the team and said, "Welcome. I am Nathaniel Air, Emperor of Terra."
"Thank you, your highness," Daniel said, "I am Dr. Daniel Jackson, This is Colonel Jack O'Neil, Major Samantha Cater, and Teal'c." The Emperor shook each hand vigorously. Daniel continued, "we're peaceful explorers from Earth and - "
"Earth?" Valeska interrupted enthusiastically, "You are from The Origin!"
"The Origin?" asked Jack.
"The home of our ancestors, before we were moved by the goa'uld."
They looked at her surprised.
"You are from The Origin, are you not?"
"Yes, yes, we are," replied Daniel, "it's just that we've never been recognized as such before."
"Valeska," interrupted the Emperor, "Let our guests rest, we will discuss this at a later time." He turned to the team, "Forgive my daughter, you are, indeed, a very exciting discovery for our people. But first, let us show you some quarters where you may rest. I must take my leave. Valeska." He gestured towards the team, bowed and left.
"Kearney," she turned to him, "we have three vacant quarters on level six, and one on level 5," she then turned to the team, "will one of you mind being separated from the rest of the team?"
"It's okay with me," intervened Daniel, looking at Jack for approval.
"Sure, why not?" he replied.
"Kearney will escort you, Major Carter and Teal'c, and I will accompany Dr. Jackson." She bowed and took her leave and left with Daniel. She motioned for one of the guards outside the door to come with them. The rest of Sg-1 followed Kearney.
Valeska tried her best to control herself. The Origin was found! She was speechless. There were so many questions, but the princess couldn't seem to find words to express any of them. Thankfully, her guest also had many questions, and he was fully capable of framing sentences.
"You said that Earth is The Origin?"
Valeska responded immediately with much enthusiasm, "yes, yes, our origin, and that of our ancestors."
"And you know that the goa'uld were the beings that brought you here?"
"Yes, they posed as our gods and used fear to make us comply. Different cultures were brought here at different times."
"Different cultures?"
"The first to come were from a region on Earth called Mesopotamia, they were the subjects of the Babylonian king Hammurabi and then another people from the empire of Apophis III."
"Apophis?"
"Apophis III, a king of Egypt, I believe that he and the goa'uld who poses as the god are one in the same. Then came people from the East, people of the Ch'in Empire, and a bit after that, people from the Mauryun Empire."
"That's from China and India, how did you know they were from the east?"
"We have crude maps of Earth, the last to come were Romans."
"So you have a whole mix of cultures?"
"Yes, although when they first came through, they were frightened and the goa'uld kept us separate. I believe we were established here as a sort of stopover between Earth and other worlds, because people were brought here and taken from here periodically.
"And what purpose did the people here serve?"
"We have - had - large deposits of naquada on our planet - a substance that is very valuable to the goa'uld. There were many, many mines. But eventually, the mines were emptied, and the goa'uld disappeared, leaving us to fend for ourselves."
Daniel was listening intently, and Valeska herself was so keen on explaining her planet's history to him that they almost missed his room.
"Here we are."
"Yes, thank you very much."
Valeska could see the disappointed look on Daniel's face and offered, "At this time I have other matters to attend to, but later, say an hour - when you are better rested, I could stop by and we could continue our conversation, would that be alright?"
"Yes, that would be perfect!"
"If you need anything in the mean time, Aleka, here will see to it." She pointed to the female officer that was accompanying them.
"Thank you."
Valeska left feeling overjoyed.
Kearney silently guided his guests to their quarters. Behind him were Sam and Jack, Teal'c came after them, and at the rear walked the other guard from earlier. Sam and Jack looked at each other; they were the only ones who seemed to be uncomfortable with the silence. The colonel made some remarks about the facility and received one-word answers from Kearney. When they arrived Sam decided to try her luck.
"I'm very interested in the shield technology that you used in the gate room. Would it be possible for me to study it?"
"I do not know much about the technology myself, but I could introduce you to someone who does, if you'd like I can show you to his office."
"Sir, if it would be alright, I would like to go," she asked her CO.
"Go ahead, study away."
Sam went with Kearney. In the meantime, the Colonel and Teal'c decided to get some much needed rest. Again, Kearney wasn't much for conversation. Sam didn't bother to speak; instead she studied her surroundings and considered how similar it was to the SGC. Passer-bys were notably friendly, as they smiled when they walked by. They walked down corridors that looked the same as every other - grayish-blue walls, with visible pipes and circuitry - It was very much like the SGC. But, these corridors were wider and the ceiling was a bit higher. There were no windows, so Sam ventured a question, "Are we underground?" "Yes," came a simple answer.
They turned another corner and Kearney went through an open door, second to the right. Sam followed cautiously, wondering if they may be disturbing someone. Most of the lights were off, and a man was sitting at a desk near the middle of the room. He was absorbed by his desktop. When she got closer she noticed that it was in fact a computer screen he was staring at, he was reading. Kearney cleared his throat.
The man looked up confusedly, "Oh, Kearney, sorry, didn't see you come in." He got up and Sam noted his features. He was dark-skinned, had brown eyes that were hidden behind glasses and shortly cropped hair. He smiled and extended her hand towards her, "Hello, I'm Dr. Mather Ray."
She extended her hand in return, "Samantha Carter."
Kearney added to the introduction, "Samantha Carter arrived here earlier with her team, from Earth."
"Earth? As in The Origin - Earth?"
"Yes, or so I'm told." Sam responded unsure of what to say, this sort of stuff was really Daniel's department.
"Well, I don't know much about The Origin, that would be Valeska's area of expertise. Have you met her?"
"Yes, I have."
"Samantha Carter is curious, she would like to understand better the workings of the shield." Kearney brought them to the point.
"Oh, yeah, sure, designed it myself, I could tell you exactly how it works."
"That would be great! Was that really water?"
"Yes, actually it was, if you just look here - " Mather turned back to the desk; he brought up a chair for Sam and started pushing buttons on the screen. Kearney left them, but before he did, he informed them that they were to come later to the meeting room.
Valeska made her way to Daniel's room, for the past hour she couldn't help but keep thinking about him and all that the knowledge he could relate to her. She smiled at Aleka, who bowed in return. Then the princess gently tapped the door. A few seconds later, Daniel opened it.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"No, of course not, I was expecting you."
"Have you eaten?"
"Um, no, not yet, but now that you mention it, I'm famished!"
"Then I suggest we make our way to the cafeterium."
"That sounds good."
They walked away, once again, Aleka slightly bowed.
"You said, that after the naquada mines were empty, the goa'uld left," Daniel continued their conversation as the walked.
"Yes, the goa'uld only came here periodically. The Jaffa that were stationed here, they started leaving, soon enough they all left and we never heard from them again."
They entered the cafeterium and grabbed trays. Valeska got some ice cream and Daniel decided to take a whole meal, as he was always partial to new culinary delights.
"What is this?"
"That is chicken."
"Chicken?"
"Yes, a species of bird."
"We have chicken on Earth too."
"I know, the species is similar to yours, it was named in remembrance of Earth, many of the animals and plants are."
"I see."
"And these plants?"
"Romaine lettuce."
"Should have guessed."
Valeska laughed lightly, "Yes, I doubt you'll find anything here that doesn't have a familiar name."
"What did the people do when they found out that the goa'uld left?"
"Well, the situation was complicated. Most of the groups that were brought here were divided among themselves. One of my ancestors was chosen by the goa'uld Cronus to lead the people. He was well liked but, still, no one wanted to follow him, and he fell out of power when the goa'uld left. His great-grandson, Javan Ari, was the one who was successful in bringing the people together, first he gained control of the newly formed Roman nation and his influence spread over the rest quite rapidly. Eventually he formed a large empire, he gained control by diplomacy and force. Then there was prosperity that has lasted until now."
"You're family is still in power?"
"Yes, we have met challengers and some were defeated. Then the son and daughters of the fallen would challenge the challengers and gain their position once again."
"So it's possible to loose your position?"
"If the people are not happy, yes."
"All someone has to do is challenge you."
"Yes, then there is an election, but we haven't been challenged in the last ten years."
"What about siblings? Is the throne the right of the first born?"
"No, it is not. In the case of siblings, there are two choices. A challenge can be made or the two siblings can rule together, my father and his brother are dual-emperors."
"And you're prosperity has lasted for over two thousand years?"
"For the most part yes, although, it would be quite an exaggeration to say that we've never had rough times."
"You've never been bothered by the goa'uld?"
"No, we haven't, although, we may have bothered them a few years ago, and if they discover us they will be looking to exact revenge."
Daniel looked back at her blankly
"As soon as Javan came into power, he ordered the Star Ring to be buried to ensure that the goa'uld would never return. He was very intent on wiping out all traces of them. People never so much as talked about the Ring or the false gods. They renounced them and in turn put their faith in people - the ruling family to be exact. Although, we were never worshipped, we were trusted and revered. The Star Ring and all of its traces were lost in stories and myth. Most people now believe that it and The Origin don't exist.
"I, however, devoted my life to find it. There were just so many clues and encounters pointing in that direction. A couple of years ago, the last clue was found and we unearthed The Ring. Our first venture through it led us to Cronus once again. He somehow recognized me, but could not believe it. To make a long story short and say we managed to save our world by making Sokar believe it was destroyed before he got a chance to do it himself."
"So, somewhere out there there's a goa'uld who wants to destroy you but thinks that it's already done."
"Yes, so, I just hope that we don't run into him - any of them - again."
"Why do you still travel through the Stargate - Star Ring?"
"Our primary purpose was to find The Origin and now it is to explore and make new allies with whom we may one day defeat the false gods."
"That sounds a lot like our motto," Jack interrupted as he walked up to them.
After about a good hour of resting, Jack woke up to a rapping on his door, Fer cryin' out loud! He thought to himself, can't a guy enjoy his rest? Rubbing his eyes, he said aloud, "Come in."
"O'Neill, am I disturbing you?"
"Oh, no, Teal'c, not at all," he said with a sarcastic tinge in his voice.
"I was on my way to the cafeterium for a meal, would you care to join me?"
Jack suddenly remembered his poor growling stomach. "Know what?"
"No, I do not know O'Neill. What?"
"That sounds like a good idea."
Jack through on his coat and they asked the guard outside for directions. Eventually, after taking about six wrong turns, they arrived at the cafeterium.
"It seems that I was correct," said Teal'c with what Jack could've sworn was a smirk, "We should have taken a left turn at the previous corridor."
"Well, I was right about the second turn."
"You were not."
"No, I guess I wasn't," then trying to regain some dignity, "but I was right about the third."
Teal'c looked at him.
"The fourth?"
Teal'c stared.
"The fifth?"
He kept on looking.
"Okay, so I was wrong about every turn and you were right, happy now?"
"Indeed."
"You have a very twisted sense of humor."
They grabbed themselves some trays and some pleasant looking but unfamiliar grub. "Hey, they've got sandwiches!" said the colonel.
"What kind of sandwiches are they," inquired Teal'c.
"I have no idea."
Teal'c grabbed himself the special, a whole meal with some sort of white meat that looked like chicken and purple lettuce, as far as Jack could tell anyway. They sat down at a vacant table. Many faces were looking at them and excitedly chattering amongst themselves.
"So, what do you make of this whole 'origin' deal?"
"I believe that they are indeed very excited about our arrival."
"Yeah, they are," Jack looked around uncertainly.
"You seem uncomfortable, O'Neill."
"Well, yeah, everyone's staring at us."
"That is understandable, I spoke with Kearney whilst he was bringing me to you after he questioned me, The Origin is a myth for many, the Emperor Upton himself strongly disagreed with the Princess Valeska's quest to find the Stargate."
"Emperor Up-town?"
"Emperor Upton is Emperor Nathaniel's brother, they rule together."
"And Kearney just filled you in on this with no problem?"
"Yes, he and I established a mutual trust after our talk."
"Some talk."
Teal'c raised his eyebrow.
"Look who just walked in."
Teal'c turned to see Princess Valeska and Daniel Jackson chatting. They headed towards the food. The princess picked up a cup of what looked like ice cream and Daniel got himself what Teal'c had gotten. Both sat down near O'Neill and himself. "It appears that they have not noticed our presence."
"No, they haven't. Yeah. I kind of feel left out."
Just then Kearney walked in and asked if he could sit down with them. He did and started sharing his war experiences with Teal'c, and Teal'c, in his own way, was relating his experiences as Apophis's first prime. Great, thought Jack, now I really feel left out. He excused himself, although he doubted they noticed, and wandered off to talk to Daniel and Valeska. Hey, they're talking about the snakeheads; maybe I can weasel in.
He heard Valeska say something about finding new technologies and allies to defeat the goa'uld.
"That sounds a lot like our motto," he ventured.
"Hey, Jack, sit down. I thought you'd be resting," said Daniel.
"I was, but Teal'c got hungry," he pointed in the direction he had just come from.
"Did you eat?" Valeska turned to him.
"Oh, yeah, had one of those sandwiches," he pointed towards the kind he had had.
"That would be turkey."
"Really?"
Daniel clarified, "Name's the same, but the bird isn't."
"Oh, I see, it tasted more like chicken."
"Yeah, and this tastes more like turkey." Daniel referred to his plate.
Valeska laughed lightly, "Looks like we got the two mixed up, perhaps we should inform the general public."
Jack looked at Daniel not understanding, "I'm eating chicken."
"Oh, yeah, I get it now. This place always this crowded?"
"I think most of them are here to see you. We should head to the meeting room," she said glancing at her watch.
"Why?" asked Jack.
"The guard posted outside your room was supposed to inform you."
"He didn't."
Valeska suddenly looked annoyed.
"Maybe he just told Teal'c and assumed Teal'c would tell me."
Valeska apologized and they headed back to the meeting room, Kearney and Teal'c joined them. As they made their way through the corridor, Jack kept on feeling left out. Daniel and Valeska kept on talking about their archeology crap and Teal'c and Kearney kept talking about the rage of battle - or something.
Cater was waiting for them along with two people unfamiliar to jack. To one side of the table sat an intelligent looking man with glasses like Daniel's and an attractive blonde woman with an annoyingly large smile. She stood up when she saw them come in and addressed Valeska, "Hey, how are you? It looks as if you've been busy!" She smiled wickedly at the men surrounding her.
"Yes, very busy, I should ask you, how was you're vacation?"
"Great! I caught one this big," she stretched her arms across a diameter of about 2 feet.
"Really?" Valeska looked suspicious.
"Okay, so I didn't catch a thing, but I had fun, I'm switching streams."
"It's about time, you've been going there for years and haven't ever caught a thing."
Jack interrupted, "You fish?"
"Oh, yeah, best thing to relax."
"Hi, I'm Jack O'Neill," he said with a large smile while extending his hand.
"Laveda Zane," She replied.
The Emperor arrived and he sat down at the head of the table, to his right sat Sg-1 and to his left sat the rest, "Let me introduce you to SR-1, the first team of the Star Ring Facility."
SR-1? Jack thought to himself, sweet.
"I believe you have already met Commander Kearney Thane, this is Laveda Zane," he gestured towards the blonde woman, "second-in-command, and Dr. Mather Ray, specialist on theoretical and astrophysics and Princess Valeska Ari, expert on linguistics and origins."
That set-up sounds familiar.
Daniel then said what Jack had been thinking, "That's quite a coincidence, you see, we are SG-1, um, first team of the Star Gate Command, as we call it."
"That is quite a coincidence," agreed Valeska.
The blonde woman then interrupted, "Let's get right to the point here, we want an alliance against the goa'uld, I understand that you guys are pretty much looking for the same thing."
"Forgive Laveda," said Valeska, as Kearney gave the woman a disapproving look, "she is not one to dwell on formalities,"
"Neither am I," said Jack, "and she's right, we're pretty much looking for the same thing. That, and the sharing of our technologies."
"Of course," added Mather, glancing at Carter "we've already begun."
Jack looked at Carter, and she explained, "Mather was just showing me how their shield works, it's quite interesting, our level of technology is parallel to theirs, there are a few things that they've discovered and a few that we've discovered, the combination of our technologies would be quite interesting."
"I see."
"Before any sort of formal alliance is formed, however, I request that SR-1 be allowed to return with you through the gate - "
"Oh yes, of course," said Daniel before the emperor had a chance to finish, "I was curious and if I may ask, how is it that you and Princess Valeska communicate through telepathy?"
Jack noticed the blonde woman shortly roll her eyes to the ceiling and once Valeska began he understood why.
"It is vague, but there is an account of how the bond came into being. Cronus wanted to grant the ability of thought-perception to his chosen leader, so that he may sense the thoughts of the people and Cronus would be able to read the mind of the leader. He tried on many men and it did not work, after which he killed each one. When our ancestor was chosen, Desmond Ari, he managed to trick Cronus into thinking he could indeed read the minds of other people."
Sam interrupted, "How? Didn't you say that Cronus should have been able to read his mind?"
"Yes, and Cronus could, even the minds of the men before that he killed, it was just that, they could not sense the thoughts of others. Desmond was able to control his thoughts, it is difficult to explain, but he made his thoughts random, so it seemed that they weren't all his."
"Cronus can read minds?" asked Jack.
"No, the only minds accessible to him were the ones he messed with," Laveda cleared that up nicely.
"Desmond believed that the only effect was his mind becoming accessible to Cronus, but soon, he and his wife began to share thoughts. When they had children, he could share thoughts with them as well. The ability was passed in our genes."
"Why didn't Cronus just do whatever he did to Desmond to himself? Do you know how he gave Desmond this ability?"
"No, we have been able to piece together very little information, there are very few accounts, all of which are vague."
"So you're sure he can't read minds?" Jack asked again.
"Yes, I am very sure," replied Valeska reassuring him.
"Can he read your minds?" Carter asked looking at Valeska and Nathaniel.
"I believe he can."
"That's how he figured out who we were, he recognized Valeska immediately as a descendant of Desmond," Mather added.
"Sir," Carter addressed Jack, "we have to report back to the SGC in two hours."
"Would you mind?" Jack looked at the emperor.
"No, of course not," he replied.
"We can come back for SR-1 in one days time."
"After, we can draw up a formal alliance," added Valeska.
"This meeting is adjourned." The emperor said with authority, he got up and bowed slightly to SG-1 and left.
"Would you like to be escorted back to your rooms?" asked Valeska.
"No, that would be alright, we can find our way. But before that, I wanted to ask a few more questions," said Jack.
"By all means."
"This place, the Star Ring Facility, it's underground right?"
"Yes, it is."
"Could it be possible for us to go to the surface and see your world?"
"I am afraid not Colonel, I am sure you can understand."
"The whole program is quite hush-hush, the general public doesn't know of its existence. And even Emperor Upton doesn't know where it is," offered Laveda.
"I see."
"Any more questions Colonel?"
"No, I'm fine."
"I must take my leave now," she got up, bowed slightly and left.
Laveda looked after her, "The work of a princess..."
The rest of them then disbanded. Mather took Sam back to his office to discuss more about their technologies and Kearney and Teal'c continued with their war experiences and knowledge about the goa'uld. Jack made friends with Laveda and they discussed fishing and the different species of fish on their planets. Though the fact that the names of most of these species were the same was quite frustrating for the both of them, so they went to Laveda's quarters where she kept a few books with pictures. This time, Daniel was the one that was left out, but he tagged a long with Teal'c and Kearney.
Valeska arrived at the embarkation room to see her new friends off. What an unusual bunch of people she thought to herself.
Have you seen your own friends lately? A voice chimed in her head.
Yes, I've noticed, now will you let me do my job?
Tell them I regret not being there.
Sure.
She walked up to the team, Kearney behind her, Mather and Laveda following.
"My father sends his regrets for not being able to come."
"Before you leave, we would like to give you a gift in the name of our new alliance," added Kearney as he brought up a little box.
Jack picked up the box from his hands and examined it, "You mean our not-yet-official alliance. What does this thing do?"
Valeska offered and jack handed her the box, she simply clicked it open and inside was a button, "Just press it before coming through the gate. It will send a signal to us so that we may know that it is you. Then we will not have to go through the security procedures again."
"Thank you," said Daniel showing genuine appreciation.
They left. Valeska sighed and turned to her friends, "I think the old one's kinda cute," said Laveda, "he seems to know an awful lot about fishing."
Mather and Valeska couldn't hold back their smiles, "I like the archeologist." Kearney looked alarmed. "Oh, don't worry, I still love you," she punched him lightly then kissed him.
They walked out of the embarkation room, and as they walked Mather could be heard clearly, "When are you guys getting married anyway?"
"Not until our bond is proven," replied Valeska.
Now here's the epilogue - just me, the author talking:
The next day SG-1 returned and SR-1 went with them. The friendship began. The two teams developed a mutual trust and understanding. Although they weren't close friends - given that they lived on different planets and all - they liked each other more than any other allies they might have had. To quote Kearney, "It was indeed, the beginning of a fruitful alliance."
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Valaika
Heliopolis Main Archive
A Stargate: SG-1 Fanfiction Site
Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship (Part I), The
by ValaikaSite Navigation
Support Heliopolis