By Deb
SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMER: M7 characters belong to MGM, Trilogy, CBS, and TNN. The characters from Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM, Gekko, and Showtime. I'm not making any money from writing this story, I just love to write. Original characters (present and mentioned) belong to me...primarily Adriana and Dawn in this story.
SPOILERS: references to Ghosts of the Confederacy, One Day Out West, Witness, The Trial, Achilles, my own More than Friends. References to the movie Stargate, and various Stargate SG-1 episodes.
WARNING: original characters, some violence, nasty language in certain sections.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: At the end of the story, as I did with The Light in the Distance, will be the entire song from which the title is taken. While the quote won't make sense right away, it will as the story goes on and once you read the song, which reminds me powerfully of Vin.
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Part Thirty-Six
After the conference with the Se'min'o chief, Chris had a second meeting, with his own men. JD was asleep, and Buck offered to wake him, but Chris said no. No, let the boy sleep, since tomorrow, he would either kill or be killed, and this would be the last peaceful sleep he would have in a long time. Instead, he told each of his men where he wanted them the following day. Cliffs surrounded the village, giving them the high ground. Vin, Nathan, JD, and Ezra would take those cliffs...Buck would take the tops of the buildings, Josiah would remain on the ground level, and Chris would be with the chief.
While Chris, Vin, and Josiah had been conferring with the chief, Ezra had gravitated toward the children, helping them set up decoys. That had been the chief's idea, the decoys, and it was a good one...making Chris wonder if this was the first time the Se'min'o had been forced to defend their home. Chris doubted it. From what he had learned of the Gou'ald, it was that they never gave up...only retreated for a while. The attack on the SGC after the destruction of Ra was all the proof he required.
After the assignments had been given out, Chris had retreated to one of the huts which the chief had given him. The door opened and his pistol was in his hand before he saw light brown hair and bright eyes. He sighed, "That's a real good way to get yourself killed, Tanner. You bunking with me?" Tanner just smiled and slipped into the hut, rolling out his bedroll. Chris watched him...the kid had done this before.
The two men were silent for a long time, then Chris asked, "You do this sort of thing often with Adriana?" Tanner eased himself onto the bedroll, staring up at the ceiling of the tent. Chris didn't understand what he was looking at, not at first, until he shifted position ever so slightly. There was a slight opening in the roof, and through it, Tanner could see the stars. Chris looked back at the young man, and the expression took his breath away.
"We didn't go campin,' if that's what you're askin,' but we would look at the stars. 'Specially after she and Carly moved out of the dorm. We would lay out in the backyard...Drina restin' against my legs, and she'd tell me stories 'bout them stars. Stories she had learned in school. Lord, that girl could tell stories! She used to try to loan me her books, but I wanted to hear them stories from her, not from no books," Tanner said softly.
Chris didn't say anything, as he was starting to realize something else. Tanner also hadn't told him about Adriana, because those memories were as sacred to his new friend as the colonel's own memories of Sarah and Adam. The young guide continued, "I been thinkin' on her, ever since I got here. Not just to this place, but the SGC. She had heard of Dr. Jackson, didja know that? I didn't believe in them theories of his, but Drina...it ain't that she believed in 'em. But she never said he was wrong, neither."
"That sounds like Adriana. It was never that she accepted anything she was told, but she didn't...she didn't ridicule something, just because it was a different way of looking at it. I never figured out how she learned to do that. She would have been the first to tell you, she wasn't brilliant...it was just...she listened. And worked things out, according to her logic. Her own version of logic, that is," Chris said softly and Vin nodded.
"Yeah. And she...makin' her mad was never a good idea. People said she was a doormat, they was wrong, Larabee. Now, she never got mad when people hurt her, not usually. But if ya hurt someone else, if ya hurt one a' her friends, then she got mad. Did she ever tell ya, what she done to Chanu?" Tanner asked.
Chris frowned...Adriana had known Chanu Hunter? He shook his head, and Vin laughed, saying, "She decked him,' cause she thought he done tried to kill me. Took her a long time to forgive him for that." That definitely sounded like Adriana...she had said, when he married Sarah, that if Sarah ever hurt him, she'd kill Sarah herself.
The two men were silent again, and Vin said softly at last, "Reckon I done enough talkin' for now. I ain't talked about her in years. Reckon I never thought I'd find me nobody who knew her. Blowed my mind when I met ya in the bar, and realized ya was Drina's Chris. She always used to say, she learned how to glare from ya. I ain't thought 'bout her much, not 'til I met y'all. And now I cain't stop thinkin' on her."
"She never told me about you, not in the letters she wrote from Texas. Usually, she would ask me advice, about how to deal with Buck. But I think I know why that is. You...her memories of you...the friendship you shared...it was as sacred to her, as it was to you, Tanner," Chris said quietly. There was a long silence from the young man. Chris struggled with the words. From the moment he had met this quiet, stable force, it had been amazingly easy to communicate with him. Not just with words, but he had found it so easy to read the young man.
And so, Chris Larabee found himself speaking of things he hadn't spoken of since his wife and son had been murdered. Love was never an easy emotion for a man to speak of. Not to his wife and child, not even to his beloved little sister. But he sensed that Vin Tanner believed he had betrayed Adriana, by leaving her life so abruptly two years earlier. Never mind that if she had ever been angry with him, Adriana had forgiven him a long time ago. Vin hadn't forgiven himself.
That was why he said now, "Adriana has never really held a grudge in her life. Oh, she's been angry. I told you about her kicking me in the balls. But she's never allowed rage to govern her life. You left her behind in Texas for a reason, Tanner, and I don't believe you left her life without some sort of explanation. You're no coward. Soon as we can, we will find Adriana. You and me, together. Because if I'm right, if her memories of you are that sacred, I will not tell my little sister that you're dead. I won't hurt her like that."
"Would be best if she heard it from a friend. Someone who loves her," Tanner observed, "but I ain't got no wish to die. Ain't afraid to die, but don't want to, neither. Reckon we could find her, without involvin' the major? Drina's got a lotta issues to work out with her brother, things that got nothin' to do with neither of us, Larabee. And she ain't gonna thank me, if we find her, and she's gotta deal with her brother fore she's ready."
"We'll work something out, Vin," Chris promised, "and, we'll work on finding out who put that hit on you. You're part of the United States military now. And like the general said, in this organization, we take care of our own. Eli Joe's bosses try to come after you, they'll have to deal with us. Got that?" He rolled onto his side to look at the young man, and in the moonlight, he saw Vin nod. Satisfied, Chris rolled back onto his back.
There was yet another long silence, a comfortable one. Before either of them went to sleep, there was one more thing which Chris wanted to settle with the young man. He said quietly, "One more thing. The name is 'Chris.' Got it?" There was soft laughter from the body on the floor, and Chris saw the mock salute from the corner of his eye. He growled, "Smart ass." Tanner laughed outright, and Chris found himself grinning.
He closed his eyes, running through the plans for tomorrow. Chris was fairly sure this would just be a skirmish, each side finding out what the other could do. No, the main battle wouldn't take place the following day, but the day after tomorrow. Perhaps even the end of the week. The battle to determine freedom or slavery for the Se'min'o would be a bloody one, of that he had no doubt. But Chris Larabee had never been one to run from a fight. He wouldn't start now.
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Part Thirty-Seven
As the chief had predicted, during his meeting with Chris, Vin, and Josiah, Anderson had come early...to surprise the defenders. But he was the one who was surprised. Perhaps it should have been a minor surprise...they were, after all, only seven additional men, and a woman who was also aiding as a field medic. And the arrival of SG-7 did surprise Anderson...Vin could see it in the crazed colonel's eyes. But it was the mobilization of the Se'min'o which truly shocked the man.
Vin had determined, as soon as the man spoke, that Colonel Anderson was a Confederate, from the War Between the States. How the Gou'ald got their hands on him, Vin had no idea, but he was causing trouble now. The young man had taken up position on the cliffs, giving him the high ground...he could see Anderson and his Jaffa coming. One of the other warriors had signaled the village, and from his vantage point, Vin could see the Se'min'o taking their places.
Ezra had spent most of the day with the children, helping them create the decoys. Vin had been around long enough to observe children when they interacted with adults. And what he saw, in between teaching the villagers how to use the weapons brought by SG-7, told him that Ezra Standish was a far better man than he realized. People didn't give children the credit they deserved, but Vin, remembering his own early life, and a little girl named Raquel, knew better. And he was willing to trust a child's trust.
Besides, Vin had known men like Ezra Standish before. They hid behind a mask, protecting themselves from harm by pretending even to themselves that they were selfish, greedy bastards. Vin didn't know what had happened to Ezra early on, to make him create that mask, to convince himself that he wasn't worth much as a person...but he did know that Ezra would have to realize on his own that he was wrong about himself.
Vin's eyes moved to JD Dunne, who also occupied the cliffs. The excitement had left the boy's face, leaving only fear. Good. The kid might actually live through this. 'Long as the fear didn't lock up his mind. Satisfied, Vin sought out each of his other teammates...yes, there was Chris. Buck. Josiah. Nathan. All present and accounted for. Vin turned his attention back to Anderson who was...what? Conferring? Naw, that weren't the right word.
It was a last ditch attempt by Chris to get the colonel to leave. It was an effort which would fail...Vin was sure Chris knew it just as well as anyone, but the attempt had to be made. And then, Vin's instincts were proven correct as the colonel gave the order to fire, and the battle was at last joined. Vin put everything else out of his mind, and focused only on the tasks at hand. Watching over his teammates and the villagers. Nothing else mattered.
The fight took no more than thirty minutes, before the lieutenant convinced the colonel to sound the retreat. In those thirty minutes, each of SG-7 took down as many Jaffa as they could. Vin had learned from Teal'c that while the symbiot ("Junior," as Colonel O'Neill called it) could heal injuries, a Jaffa could be immobilized, allowing an ordinary human to kill them. What Teal'c then told Vin, about actually killing a Jaffa had sickened the young guide, but he knew he would have to do it, if he wanted to protect the Se'min'o from further attacks.
As Anderson and his Jaffa retreated, Vin rose to his feet and lifted his binocs to his eyes. It was actually an antique spyglass, restored and refinished, with a new eyepiece in place. It had been Adriana's last birthday gift to him, and he had brought it with him. Watching the departing warriors (on horseback, though that made sense on a desert planet...walking would be pure hell), Vin murmured, "Ride on, colonel. Ride on."
He put the spyglass away and scrambled down the hill, where the Se'min'o were already taking care of the grisly task of killing the Jaffa. Vin wasn't a squeamish man, not after the things he had seen as a bounty hunter, but watching the Jaffa die made him more than a little queasy. Instead, he turned his attention to helping the wounded to the tent which Nathan had set up as an impromptu field hospital, with Rain working at his side.
Chris helped him carry one wounded warrior into the field hospital, murmuring, "What do you think?" Vin didn't ask him what he thought about what, since he already knew. The colonel wanted to know about Anderson returning. And as he glanced at his new friend over the head of the wounded warrior, Vin could see Larabee shared his opinion. This wasn't over. Whatever Anderson had been once, he was a bully now. He had attacked a defenseless village because it was defenseless...and he would return, because he had been humiliated.
Buck, who had been helping another warrior in behind them, exclaimed, "Hell, pard, they're halfway 'cross the desert, and they ain't gonna stop before they get back to wherever they came from!" Vin didn't speak...just eased the Se'min'o into an empty cot, before catching Nathan's eye. The big man nodded, seeing Chris and Vin. The young guide would have liked to believe that Buck was right...but he didn't think this was over.
He told Chris in a low voice, "I'll take first watch." Chris nodded his acceptance and understanding, then began to move about the tent, seeing what he could do to help. Vin quietly left the field hospital. Once he was outside, he began breathing easily again. The Se'min'o women and children were continuing their grisly work. It had to be done, Vin knew that, but it didn't make it easier to watch. He sensed, rather than heard, the chief fall into step beside him, but Vin didn't say anything. What could he say? Words were greatly overrated, as he had heard Carly say on more than one occasion.
But the chief didn't leave. Instead, he said quietly, "It disturbs you, young one. Watching the Jaffa die. You do not judge, you know what they would have done to my people, but it disturbs you, nonetheless." Vin shrugged and the old man continued, "Would it surprise you greatly, young one, if I told you that I found it disturbing, and gave the order to kill the Jaffa nonetheless? Because I must protect my children?"
"Ya do whatcha gotta. Ain't my place to judge. Reckon I'd do a helluva lot worse, if it were my family they was threatenin' to kill. Don't mean I have to watch it. Don't mean it don't make me sick. Reckon I'm goin' to hell, for things I done. But that don't mean they gotta. They ain't never gonna forget, havin' to do that. Don't rightly matter that it was necessary. Still hurts like hell," Vin replied.
"So, young one, you would take the nightmares for yourself? The cold sweats which soak your blankets, the images which would never leave? The cost of your own soul, that comes when you must take the life of another, under any circumstances? O'Neill spoke to me of your Hell, of an afterlife of pain and fire. Do you really believe, young one, that a man such as yourself, who would make such a sacrifice for the sake of others, could end up in such a place?" the man asked.
"Had me a friend once," Vin replied, "Dawn. She asked me that, too. Told her what I'm tellin' ya. I done bad things." Most of them...no, all of them before he had agreed to help find Raquel Hernandez. None of which he had told Adriana, but she seemed to realize anyhow. He said quietly, "I killed people, ya see. And I killed more here today. They was like me, once, like both a' us. Had wives and children and families."
"But why did you kill? For sport? Or to save the life of an innocent? Oh, the act of killing is killing...but what defines the kill is the intent. Was it an honorable kill? Did you torture the one you killed? Was it clean? Was it during a war? I have killed, also, young one. And I can tell you, your intention makes all the difference in the world, to the world. It still shatters your soul...still hurts inside. But look at it this way, young one. For each life you took today, another life was saved...and what is the greater evil? Killing to protect, or failing to take action? You must decide that for yourself. I must see to my children," the chief said.
He rose to his feet and began to walk away. Vin lifted his head and said, "I couldn't do nothin.' Ain't the way I was raised. Ain't the way I was taught. Don't like killin,' but I'm damn good at it. And that's what hurts. Not just the killin,' but that I'm good at it." The chief turned to look at him, and Vin was almost undone by the compassion he saw in those wise, ancient dark eyes. For the first time, he wondered how old the Se'min'o chief was.
"And that is what separates you from a murderer. You know right from wrong, Vin Tanner. The line may blur for you, from time to time. And you may even have different ideas of what is right and wrong, different from that of your friend the colonel. But you know in your heart, and you will do what you can to abide by that knowledge. You will not always succeed. But you will make the attempt," the chief replied. His dark eyes held Vin's bright eyes, almost as if he was trying to drill his words into the young man's soul. Vin bobbed his head once in acknowledgment, and the chief smile. With that, he headed back to the camp.
Vin took a deep breath, and began to climb. He knew Larabee would join him later, after he had a chance to check on the others, but for now, he would keep watch. This was when he felt most comfortable anyhow, especially after such a strange conversation. He didn't know how he felt about his conversation with the chief...it wasn't like Vin, to bare his soul to someone whom he didn't know. But then, it seemed like he had done very little talking...that the chief had seen through his protective barriers, to where Vin Tanner lived and feared.
It also wasn't like him, to let someone stick around, after seeing past his protective walls. Or to stick around himself, but the last week had changed him. Whether he liked it or not, for the first time in two years, someone gave a damn about him. Strange, how something so simple could change things so dramatically. But he knew...knew...that no matter where he went, Larabee would find him. Come for him. Fight at his side...and then kick his ass for leaving. For being such a coward and leaving. But Vin wouldn't leave. That wasn't what he was, who he was. He had his share of faults...but Vin Tanner didn't abandon his friends. Ever.
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Part Thirty-Eight
Chris had sensed that Vin needed to be alone after the skirmish, which was why he stuck around the field hospital, helping where he could. Which was how he found out that Josiah had been wounded in the attack. The big man was lying on a pallet in the field hospital as Nathan and Rain cleaned the staff burn. As Chris maintained his position beside Josiah, he saw the chief come back inside.
The two leaders made eye contact and the chief moved slowly to Larabee's side, pausing to see about his 'children.' At last, he stood beside Chris and asked Josiah, as surprised as Chris had been to find the anthropologist in the field hospital, "Why did you not tell us that you had been hurt?" Chris smirked a little, lowering his head. He had a pretty good idea what Josiah would say, since Chris had asked him the very same thing.
Josiah didn't disappoint, replying, "You didn't ask." The chief grinned and Josiah continued, "Everyone else okay? The boys?" It took Chris a minute to realize that he meant Vin and JD, and Chris nodded. Josiah continued with a sigh, "Glad to hear it. Was afraid someone had happened to the kid...the younger one, that is. Don't imagine Vin would take kindly to being called a kid. Is he okay?"
"He needed to be alone...the taking of lives weighs heavily on him, once he allows himself time to think, outside the heat of battle," the chief replied wisely. Josiah closed his eyes, looking very weary, and the chief continued, "Perhaps it will be easier for him if his brother spends time with him."
It took Chris a few minutes to realize that the other man meant him, when he spoke of Vin's brother. And he started to protest...only to remember something. Adriana had only met him once when she had determined that he was now her brother. And hadn't he grown to love her, just from that first meeting? And didn't he feel a bond, a connection, to Vin Tanner, similar to the one he had shared with Adriana?
No, he hadn't been able to read Adriana, nearly as well as he could read Vin Tanner. And she had never been able to communicate what she was thinking, with just a glance. But the bond was there, nonetheless. Chris suddenly felt breathless...what the hell was he doing? Letting Tanner in like this? Hadn't he learned his lesson with Sarah and Adam? But it was too late. He knew it was too late to worry about that.
"I'll be fine, Colonel. Go make sure our brother is all right. It's a heavy burden, having to kill, even if you've done it before," Josiah said. Chris nodded and slowly backed away. He had known, when he agreed to head up SG-7, that he would regret it. He just didn't realize it would be this soon. With leadership came responsibility...Chris was used to that. But he hadn't expected someone to get past his defenses that easily. In the last two and a half years, he had never really allowed himself to care about any of his men.
As Chris headed for the boulder where the solitary figure sat, Buck stopped him. The other man asked, looking serious, "You don't really think that eejit is gonna come back, do you?" Chris nodded...not only did he believe it, he was willing to bet money on it. Buck continued, "So why don't you stick around? Relax a few minutes, instead of charging off to do something else? You always did work too hard."
It was a familiar complaint of Buck's. Chris replied, "Gonna take a walk...get some fresh air. Won't be the same, taking a walk without my little princess, but I won't let that ruin things for me." Buck smiled, his eyes softening as he recalled the nights Chris would walk with Adriana. Chris didn't know if she ever told Buck about what they discussed on those walks...he doubted it. Adriana had never been able to talk to Buck, the way she did to Chris.
It had made Chris uncomfortable in the beginning...Adriana could be devastatingly frank when it suited her purposes. There were no women in her life...something about the Wilmington patriarch made Larabee's skin crawl...and talking to Buck was absolutely out of the question. Which was how Chris found himself talking about the birds and the bees to a thirteen year old girl during a walk to get ice cream.
Damn Tanner, for bringing Adriana up anyhow. Chris hadn't thought of her...until he had met Tanner, Chris had put her in the same box as Sarah and Adam. But she was alive. He was partially responsible for Buck missing her graduation...she deserved better than that. Buck said softly, "DeeDee always loved going for those walks with you. Said you made her feel like a grown up. I got a letter from her before we shoved off."
Chris found himself going on full alert, as Buck continued, "She's so happy, Chris. She and her roommate...flatmate...kept passing the paper back and forth. You were right."
Huh? Right about what? As if hearing his thoughts, his oldest friend went on, "I let all those years slip away. Adriana said something about coming here this summer. I'd kill to see her. But if I'm gonna be spending all my time with the Stargate program, I won't get any time with her. And that's not fair to her." Goddammit, here we go again, Chris thought with exasperation, is this the same man who told me just a few minutes ago that I work too hard?
"You ever hear of vacation time, Buck? Talk to the General, I'm sure he can make arrangements. You haven't seen your sister in how many years? And hell, even if you can't get the time off, I can...she's my sister, too, remember?" Chris reminded the other man. Besides, the colonel thought, I know a certain guide who would also kill to see a very dear friend again. But Buck doesn't need to know that, not right now.
"We'll see what happens," Buck hedged, and Chris rolled his eyes, then flinched as his own words echoed in his. He shook his head and turned away from his friend, heading out to see Vin. Buck continued, his voice suddenly very soft, "What do you see when you look at him, Chris? Tanner, I mean. What's so special about him?" Chris turned back, startled at the edge he heard in Buck's voice.
And startled that he couldn't answer the question. That was enough to infuriate him, but that would wait. And because he couldn't answer, Chris turned it around on his oldest friend, asking, "What do you see when you look at the kid? Why do you fuss over him the way you do? Hell, I don't remember you fussing over Adriana like that, the times I went home with you on leave...so what is it about that kid which gets you all out of sorts?"
"Somebody's gotta keep that kid outta trouble, Chris...he don't have the sense God gave an ant! Eating that big breakfast before goin' through the Gate...hell, I never been through the Gate, and I knew better than that! And DeeDee never needed me to fuss over her...she was a helluva lot smarter than the kid, even when she was eight," Buck replied. And the pieces fell into place for Larabee. DeeDee never needed me.
However, Chris replied, "Apples and oranges, Buck. Adriana's a completely different person from Private Dunne. Different experiences, different choices." He paused, then added, "You asked a minute ago, why Tanner. Because he reminds me of Adriana. Maybe because they're the same age, maybe because she's as honest as he is. No hiding. Just straightforward, blunt even, when the mood strikes her."
"Captain Travis told me that he reminded her of a younger version of you... younger, less intense. Imagine that has something to do with it?" Buck asked. Chris shifted his weight uneasily, both at the continuing conversation and the reference to Mary Travis. Unfortunately, he couldn't say she was wrong. Mainly, because he didn't know she was wrong. If she was wrong. He figured it was a simplification, but what other reason was there for the way he had known what the kid was planning to do, just from that one glance?
"It just is," he said finally, and it sounded lame even to Chris. He shook his head and continued, "You look after the kid. I want to talk to Tanner, see what he thinks." Buck looked at him questioningly, and Chris added, "What he thinks Anderson will do tomorrow. He doesn't think this is over, either. I got my ideas about the next move...want to hear his take. I'll be out there if anyone needs me." He gestured out to the shadows falling over the rocks. It would be night soon.
"I'll take second watch. Don't forget to eat something," Buck said. Chris rolled his eyes, but smiled and nodded, then slipped out into the night. He was still troubled by his conversation with Buck. And by the questions the major had raised. In the time he had known Vin Tanner, he still hadn't come to a decent explanation for the...connection...they seemed to share. It bugged Chris...not being able to provide a rational explanation. Bugged him a lot.
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Part Thirty-Nine
AUTHOR'S NOTE: JD's habit of giving English names to the Se'min'o children was inspired, in part, by hearing stories of how my parents' co-workers gave American nicknames to IBM employees from other countries (often Japanese and Korean, but not limited to them) because their own given names were perceived as impronounceable.
He rather liked this spot. Could understand why Mr. Tanner had chosen it for his watch. That worthy young man was now sleeping in the cottage he shared with Colonel Larabee. If it had been anyone but Mr. Tanner, Ezra Standish would have pitied anyone who acted as Colonel Larabee's roommate. The man was not the most pleasant of people, even when he was fully awake. However, Mr. Tanner seemed to take it all in stride...alarmingly so. It seemed it was nearly impossible to ruffle the guide.
Chief way of agitating him, of course, being the assault against innocents. Something which Ezra had in common, though he would have swallowed serrated knives before he admitted to having anything in common with any of his new teammates. That led to forming attachments, which in turn to disappointment, and Ezra P. Standish, one-time police negotiator and now the resident diplomat for SG-7, had enough of disappointment in his thirty-odd years of life.
What was even more disquieting was the discovery that Tanner was watching him, while Ezra was with the children. Ezra had looked up once, and found the young man's eyes on him, with a thoughtful expression on Tanner's face. No. It had been more than thoughtful. He almost looked sad, as if somehow, he had seen through Ezra's mask. Ezra had become so proficient with that mask, he had almost convinced himself that the lies were true.
If he were to let down his guard with anyone in this unusual group, it would be either the larger-than-life Buck Wilmington, or the quiet, wary Vin Tanner. Such an interesting dichotomy, at least on the surface. Mr. Tanner had spent most of his life, looking out for himself, taking care of himself. Just as Ezra had. And Major Wilmington, while he was self-reliant, had the love of his mother to sustain him through much of his early life. Yet, Ezra wondered if anyone else could see the similarities between the two men.
He shook his head with a sigh. Lovely spot, but all too conducive for thinking. Then again, his situation at the moment was perfect for contemplating one's place in the universe...or even a small microcosm of said universe, such as SG-7. Third watch had fallen to Ezra, after Major Wilmington. Dr. Sanchez was still recovering from his wound, and young Private Dunne was still shaken from the battle. And then there was Mr. Jackson.
Ezra sighed, sitting back against the rock. Now there was an interesting dichotomy. And the Southerner would have thought about it further, but he noticed a small figure leave one of the cottages and head determinedly in the opposite direction. If Ezra remembered correctly, the caves were in that direction. Mr. Tanner had asked the previous night what the caves were like, explaining that they might provide a hiding place for the people of the village, should the need arise. Not explained in that way, of course, but that had been the gist of his argument.
The question was, who was heading for the caves, and for what purpose? With the little knowledge he had of their foe, Ezra didn't think it was likely that Anderson and his men would be seeking sanctuary from those caves. However, anything was possible...and he wanted to make sure the solitary figure wasn't giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Casting a glance around, Ezra headed after the figure, his hand resting on his gun.
As he approached the figure, it got steadily smaller, until Ezra realized it was a child. One of the children he had been entertaining the previous day, while Mr. Tanner was conducting his rifle lessons, but damned if he could remember the child's name. While the Se'min'o seemed to be descended somehow from the Seminole tribes of the American Southwest and Florida, Ezra had a devil of a time, getting his tongue around the names.
In the time she had been here, the lovely Dr. Tyler had begun teaching her new friends 'English,' and they had been teaching her their language. Still, despite her best efforts, despite the best efforts of everyone, there were still misunderstandings, miscommunications. Ezra didn't really understand how Mr. Tanner, Dr. Sanchez, and Colonel Larabee had managed to lay out the plan for the skirmish with the chief.
Young Private Dunne was finding it difficult as well. Not just understanding what was being said, but in simply speaking the names of the Se'min'o. The boy finally gave up, and simply started calling the children by various English names. When Mr. Jackson had questioned him where he came up with the names, the boy had simply shrugged and said that they looked like a 'Sam,' or 'Kelly,' or whatever. There had been some confusion, and a bit of resentment, on the part of the natives at first, at least until they heard how Private Dunne mangled their names.
Ezra laughed quietly to himself, but turned his attention more fully to the child. If he was correct, that was the young lady whom Private Dunne had named 'Elena.' God only knew why, though one clue was provided when Private Dunne admitted that 'Elena' was the name of a young lady from Trenton, a classmate of the lad's in primary school. This Elena was no more than seven or eight years of age. A lovely little girl...all of the children in the village were beautiful, though. Beautiful and loved, Ezra observed to himself with more than a touch of sadness.
The moment of wistfulness disappeared, as Ezra shook himself, focusing only on the young girl. As he had thought, she was heading for the caves. Why? What was there? Ezra watched for several moments, then turned, his eyes sweeping over the village below. He glanced down at his watch...the others should be waking up soon. In fact, unless he was very mistaken, there was Mr. Tanner now. The suede jacket made him easy to spot. No one else in the team would be caught dead in that.
And Elena was just a child. Ezra nodded to himself and turned back toward the child. She was still within sight, and Ezra moved swiftly to catch up. It didn't take long. She was, after all, a small child, with short legs. She climbed into one of the caves, and Ezra groaned under his breath. Wonderful. Just wonderful. However, he still didn't know what was in that cave, and if the child was in danger.
Elena obviously wasn't aware of him following her...as Ezra bent to enter the cave, his breath caught in his throat. The child was kneeling beside something, chattering in her native language. Ezra slipped up behind the little girl, who was stroking what looked to be a cat while it ate. She chattered away and Ezra relaxed slowly. She was hiding a cat, and feeding it. Sneaking away in the early morning, before anyone else was up.
He just smiled, shaking his head. A smile that died as a powerful vibration shook the cave. Elena screamed, grabbing for the cat, while instinct made Ezra grab for Elena. Not a quake, or whatever was comparable to this place. Elena screamed, squirming, and Ezra whispered soothing nonsense. Hearing a familiar voice among the 'boom,' calmed the child. There it was again. Ezra's blood ran cold. Dear God. It was a cannon. Directly over their heads.
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Part Forty
Vin was up early that morning, though that wasn't anything new. He had taken first watch the previous night, kept company by Larabee. The pair didn't talk that much. Just enjoyed being with someone else who didn't need to talk. At least, Vin knew that was what it was like for him. Larabee made it so damn easy. Just sitting and talking, or not talking. When others would have been babbling to fill the silence, Larabee just sat there.
Larabee had decided he was gonna get Drina's address from the major, and startwriting her again. He hadn't heard from her in years, Larabee admitted. Had made himself forget about her. Was easier that way. That part, the colonel hadn't said, but he didn't need to say a word. Vin understood that it was easier to forget about someone you cared about, or even loved, if you didn't think you'd ever see them again. Not that the guide ever spoke when Larabee talked about his wife and son. He didn't want a razor at his throat, after all.
Chris had assured him that he wouldn't mention Vin to Adriana...that when Vin was ready to connect with his friend, it would be on his terms, not Larabee's. And the same was true of Adriana. If she felt like confiding in Chris, as she had when she was a teenager, the door was open...but it was up to her. Vin could respect that. Hell, he wished he had known Chris Larabee when he was a kid. Larabee didn't interfere in things that weren't his concern.
Though, looking back now, Vin could hardly blame Priscilla Meadows for 'interfering' by directing him to the library when he had been seeking advice about dealing with Charlotte Richmond. He reckoned that was somewhat different, though, because a) he had asked for her help, and b) she had given him that help, though not in the way he had been expecting. Yup, she had definitely helped him.
All this and more was going through Vin's head as he sat outside the hut he had been sharing with Chris. About a half hour after Vin rolled out of bed, the colonel joined him outside. Neither spoke a word. Larabee just glanced at Vin, who returned the salutation with a nod of his own. The colonel sat down beside him, sighing quietly. Vin didn't speak. He reckoned that until the others got moving, a man had a right to be left alone with his thoughts. And they were...for another half hour.
In that time, the pair had decided they would take a ride around the perimeter, using horses provided for them by the Se'min'o. They informed the others when they got up, and Major Wilmington volunteered to come with them. Josiah was healing very well, and he was cooking breakfast. It would be ready by the time they returned. Vin listened to the conversation with half an ear. Anderson had given up too easily the day before...he would be back.
It was pure happenstance that his eyes picked up on the glint. He muttered, "What the hell is that?" Chris looked up...just in time for the first cannon ball to impact with the ground, causing the ground to shudder under their feet and spraying dirt in its wake. Cannon ball? They had a goddamn cannon???? Who the hell used cannon balls anymore? Never mind that. He muttered, "Only take a few more rounds before they're in range." His eyes were already searching out ways to evacuate these people from the village, away from that thing.
Another ball impacted with the ground, closer, and all hell broke loose. The second cannon ball had the effect of shaking everyone out of their momentary paralysis. Despite the ancient weapon, or maybe because of it, the Jaffa up on the ridge were becoming way too accurate. SG-7 immediately set to getting the villagers to safety. Chris was screaming something about Ezra, while Vin just concentrated on getting himself and a little boy of about eleven to safety. Which was, for the moment, a small area near the caves, which put them directly under the cannon ball. However, they couldn't stay there.
At about the same time, one of the mothers cried out...her little girl was missing, according to Rain, who was helping Nathan. Vin put that to the back of his mind. The cannonballs were striking closer and closer to the center of the village, and there were more people to get out of the line of fire. As soon as the little boy was safe in Josiah's arms, Vin charged back into the smoke and confusion.
Years of being both hunter and hunted kicked in, his focus narrowing to the old man who had collapsed in the middle of the village. The day before yesterday, he had been teaching that old man how to shoot. Vin had a real big problem with just letting his students die. But this time, he didn't have a choice. Something slammed into him from behind, knocking him to the ground, and a half second after that, the Jaffa had range. The cannon boomed yet again, raining dirt on the pair sprawled on the ground.
When Vin lifted his head, the man whom he had been trying to reach was several yards away, arms flung out to his sides. Around the steady ringing in his ears, the young hunter heard a familiar voice whisper, "He's dead, Vin...nothin' more you can do for him. Everyone else is safe, now we gotta get safe, too." Larabee. Vin closed his eyes a moment, then shook himself. Job wasn't done yet. Still had work to do.
He accepted Larabee's hand and the blond colonel pulled him to his feet, then they headed back to the safety of their hiding place. Nathan was there immediately, making sure Vin was alright. The guide nodded, easing himself to the ground. Around him, arguments raged about what to do next. Vin tuned it all out, his head throbbing and his heart hurting. Chris put a stop to all of it when he said, "We can't stay here...there has to be a way out."
"There is," Rain stated, and Vin raised his head at the certainty in her voice, "we can climb." The way she said it, Vin realized that the young biologist knew something which they didn't. Hell, she had been here a lot longer...'course she knew something they did. The old chief nodded as she repeated her words in his language, a smile appearing as he nodded proudly. Like she was his own child, and she had surprised him.
"All right. Vin and I will take point. Nathan, you and Rain stay in the middle, with the wounded. Josiah, that means you. Buck, I want you and the kid bringing up the rear. Rain, tell everyone what we're doing," Chris said. Vin quietly marveled at how quickly the barriers of rank had broken down, at least for the colonel. The young guide sighed...God, his head ached! But he had work to do. He just had to keep reminding himself of that. Somewhere in the back of his head, he wondered where Ezra was...if he was alright.
It took less than two minutes to plan what they would do...it wasn't a great plan, but they had to make do. Vin wondered if the Jaffa led by Anderson knew about this trail of Rain's. God help them if so...the entire village had participated in the humiliation and defeat of Anderson's forces the previous day. Vin knew the man would show no mercy to the villagers. Men, women, and children would be slaughtered.
Moving in a line, single file, SG-7 and the Se'min'o villagers made their way from their temporary shelter. They hugged the side of the ridge, which afforded them some protection from the shells. Somewhere in the back of Vin's mind, he recognized this was a probable trap...using that goddamn cannon to flush them out. But they had to do something. And the odds were about even on this one. They had no idea how many cannon balls the Jaffa had...and even if the damn ammo didn't get them, they couldn't stay here. Vin just wished there was some other way. But there wasn't.
They made their way up the ridge, one of the young warriors in the lead at the insistence of the chief. Vin and Chris didn't know the path, but the boy did. And the chief wasn't about to risk Rain's life. Fortunately, Larabee saw the sense in the chief's words, and the young warrior had taken point. Behind Vin, bickering continued between the major and JD. Vin smiled faintly as he heard JD declare that the major was full of shit. Buck Wilmington just laughed and informed the boy he was learning.
They had almost reached the top...the warrior was standing on the crest of the ridge, Vin and Chris right behind him...when the young man jerked and crumpled to the ground. Two Jaffa were standing there with staff weapons. Vin turned and saw two more approaching from behind. He glanced at Chris, whose face could have been carved from stone. With a nod, Larabee acknowledged they were surrounded. Vin muttered, "Reckon now might be a good time to be headin' back to the Gate."
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