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 Forty-One
They were in one helluva mess this time. Colonel Christopher Larabee and his men, captured. The Se'min'o, herded into another area, while Anderson once more questioned the chief about the gold...the naquadah. There was no naquadah, it had run out years earlier. The colonel was distracted, so Larabee used the time to look over his men. Standish was the only one still free...and Vin had muttered something earlier about the negotiator and children.
Then again, Chris considered it a minor miracle that Tanner even had breath to talk. One of the children had latched onto him, during the climb back down...when the Jaffa had swatted at the child, trying to knock her away from the guide, Tanner responded by ducking over the little girl. The Jaffa responded by slamming the handle of his staff weapon into the back of Vin's skull, then kicked the fallen guide savagely in his side.
The child was drawn to safety, while Anderson had intervened before the Jaffa could really get into the new sport. Chris had helped Vin to his feet, the guide hissing that he would be fine, was the kid okay? Chris reassured him and helped Vin to sit down beside the others, as the Jaffa put chains on them all. Anderson was glancing back at them as he took the child to join her family. Why? Why did he keep looking at them like that? Chris shook his head, turning his attention back to his men...the ones beside him, at least.
Vin was still a bit pale, but breathing somewhat easier. Maybe he knew how to control pain, instead of letting it control him? Now there was a concept. It seemed to Chris that he had spent the last two and a half years letting pain control him. It was easier that way. Keeping people at a distance, snapping at anyone who got too close.
Sarah would be furious with him. Would have been furious with him for taking a razor to Buck, after his old friend told Mary Travis about Sarah and Adam. Would have been furious with him for the way he had pushed the captain away, because she was beautiful and spirited, and didn't back down from him. He may have scared her a little, but that had never stopped her from standing up to him when she believed she was right.
Sarah. Adam. These people, these children, would share their fate if Larabee didn't do something. His first order of business was getting out of his chains. That's right, he thought, that's right, keep it simple. We're dealing with Jaffa, yes, but their leader, if only in name, is a Confederate soldier. Think in those terms. Think in terms of a man who fought in one of the ugliest, most devastating wars in the history of the United States.
And speaking of Southerners...just where the hell was Standish? Tanner muttered, shifting a little closer to Chris, "Reckon he saw what I did, this time yesterday." Chris looked at his companion, who explained, "One of the little ladies from the village...think it was the little gal JD calls 'Elena.' She was makin' for the caves with food. Reckon she found a kitten, or somethin' like that. And Ezra has a real soft spot for the little ones."
"How do you know it was for a kitten, or whatever?" Chris asked. He was treated to a disgusted look, and Chris realized what a stupid question it had been. If Elena was the girl he was thinking of, she was barely able to carry enough food for herself, much less for all these men. Larabee continued in a low voice, his eyes flickering around warily, "You're figuring Standish saw her sneaking off in the early morning, and got curious."
"Or a mite worried. Little thing like that, sneakin' out in the early mornin.' Reckon it mighta worried me, if I didn't know little gals like that in Texas. Raquel Hernandez, the little girl I was helpin' to find with them archaeology students...she woulda done somethin' like that. Hell, she did do stuff like that!" Vin muttered. He muffled a curse as one of the Jaffa kicked his outstretched legs, and glared at the huge bully.
"So you think he'll be back?" Chris asked softly as the Jaffa moved down the line, checking each pair of chains. Vin bobbed his head ever so slightly, his face stilling as Anderson left the Se'min'o and approached the men once more. Chris edged closer to his friend, knowing there was little he could do, but wanting to help somehow. The Southern colonel stared hard at the young guide, his face a mask of confusion.
"I know you, don't I, boy? Yes. I've seen your face before. Did you fight in the war? No, you would have been too young...too young. How do I know you? When were you born, son, and where?" Anderson asked. Vin blinked...obviously, like Chris, he had been expecting anything but this. The Southerner shook his head, muttering, "God, what's happened to me? Nothing makes sense. I've been here before, I've seen you before...but those aren't my boys."
"I was born in 1973...in Texas. Didn't fight in no wars...ain't none while I was growin' up. And we ain't never met, Colonel," Vin said in a low voice. Chris watched the colonel's face intently, even as he continued to slowly, meticulously work his way out of the manacles.
"My God. Even your voice is the same. But that can't be. 1973 is a hundred years away, boy!" Anderson hissed. Vin just stared at him and the colonel looked away, then back again. As if his eyes couldn't stay away from the guide for more than a few seconds, and the man said softly, "You're tellin' me the truth. What am I doin' here? What did they do to me?" He was almost sobbing as he sank to his knees in front of Vin.
"Ain't rightly sure 'bout the first question...but I reckon they done to ya, what they done to ever'body they can use. Way I hear it, they use people...then throw Œem away. What do ya 'member, Colonel?" Vin asked quietly. Chris looked at his new friend quickly, then at Anderson. The man licked his lips, frowning, as if he was trying to focus on something. Was it possible? That the man could be breaking free of the Gou'ald?
"I was dead...and then I was alive again. They were staring down at me...told me I would have a chance for revenge. That they would help me get the gold for my boys...get the gold away from the damn injuns. But these ain't my boys, y'see? My boys...and Francis. I loved Francis, like he was my own son, and he turned against me. Stood with those damn cowboys against me. Stood with you against me," Anderson growled.
Vin just shook his head and replied, "No, Colonel. I don't know who ya think I am, but I ain't. This is the first time we met. But I reckon I know why he hated ya so much, whoever he was. Reckon he didn't take kindly, to innocent folks bein' hurt for somethin' they ain't got. Reckon he figgered for all your talk, ya was no better than them Yanks ya hate so much. Stealin,' lootin' from other folks. Ya talk fancy, but all ya are is a thief."
Chris saw the rage dawning in the colonel's eyes, and knew his friend was about to get hurt. Saw the colonel draw his hand back, to backhand Vin. But something stopped him. His hand stopped in mid-swing as Vin stared up at him defiantly. No...not defiantly. There was some defiance in his expression...but more than that, Chris saw acceptance. He had spoken the truth, and it had stung...and now he would pay the price.
And then the colonel's hand dropped. He whispered, "Francis." Just that one word, that one name. He closed his eyes and tears slipped down his face. When he opened his eyes, his eyes were clear and Chris wondered if he had been addicted to the sarcophagus after all. He had never heard of such a quick recovery. Anderson whispered, "Francis was trying to tell me that all along, son. He was trying to tell me that I had become the Yankees, and I wouldn't listen. I called him a coward at the end. But he wasn't a coward, was he, boy? Neither are you."
He lowered his head, whispering something Chris couldn't hear. When he lifted his eyes, the haze was all gone. What the hell? It took time to break addictions...and withdrawal was hell. But his eyes were clear. This made no sense. Chris didn't like things that didn't make sense. He liked things clear and certain. Confederate colonels on a distant planet going from psycho to clear-headedness didn't qualify as 'clear,' much less certain. And why had Anderson snapped out of it, when he had looked directly at Vin? Without meaning to, Chris looked at the lieutenant...who inclined his head. What the hell?
The colonel said softly, "I can't stop them, son. Much as I want to, I can't stop them from killing you. But I can buy you time. Do you believe in redemption, boy? I do. After all these years, I can finally see through the clouds to the other side. I can redeem myself, son. I can be forgiven. All I wanted...was to do right by my boys. To make sure no one would ever forget them. To make sure they didn't die in vain."
"They didn't, Colonel. No one has ever forgotten," Chris said in a low voice. His eyes flickered to the Jaffa. He had been given some sort of signal. But to do what? He almost pulled his wrists free of the manacles...almost. But the Jaffa's eyes flickered next to one of his other men, who aimed a staff weapon at the colonel's back. It took Chris half a second to process this, then he cried out, "Colonel, behind you!" He hated this man, for what he had done, but he didn't deserve to be shot in the back. Not even this man.
Anderson spun around and flung his arms out...taking the blast full in the chest. He made no move to dodge out of the way, and crumpled to the sand. The Jaffa's eyes glowed and he said in an unnaturally deep voice, "He had outlived his usefulness, you see. And so I gave him a drug, to clear his mind. I knew once he did that, he would turn on us. I never banked on him recognizing your young friend."
So this was the puppet master...they had wondered if Anderson was the pawn or the player. They had their answer now. The Jaffa, who had now been revealed as a Gou'ald, continued, "You will forgive me if I do not introduce myself. I have no wish to come to the attention of the other System Lords, as yet. That is why I need this planet...as a base of operations, you might say. But before that can happen...you must die. And a warning sent back to the Ta're...of what will happen to them, if they ever return."
"I am afraid you are mistaken there, suh...you see, should anything befall one of my companions, or myself, you will have an unholy war on your hands, once our bodies are returned. Our generals tend to take it rather personally, when one of their teams is attacked," a familiar voice said, stepping out into the open. Ezra Standish moved slowly into the open, the little Elena dogging his every step. Damn Tanner. Right again. Standish shook his head at the other six men, sighing, "I can't leave you gentleman alone for five minutes, without y'all attractin' some kind of trouble!"
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Part Forty-Two
The neophyte System Lord stared at the newcomer, then threw back his head and laughed. Once he could regain his composure, the Gou'ald chuckled, "You are one, against many. How many of us do you expect to take down? Foolish, foolish Ta're, but I suppose your naivete is what attracts the Tok'ra to you." Ezra's face had frozen over at the mention of the Tok'ra. Then again, no one in the SGC really liked the Tok'ra, but Ezra actually allowed emotion to show on his face, which did surprise Chris. That was a first.
There was no emotion, however, in his voice as he replied, "True. In that case, suh, you best discuss amongst yourselves, which of you will die." Chris fought back a smirk, remembering the first time Ezra had used that line. He wondered if it would work as well now as it did then. Much as he wanted to believe it, the Gou'ald weren't that likely to fall for such a trick. He was right. The System Lord laughed again.
"You choose," the Gou'ald replied, still laughing. His attention was away from Chris, who used that opportunity to slip out of the manacles once and for all. His skin was scraped and raw and bloody, but he was free. He slipped up behind one of the other Jaffa, immobilizing him in a move Teal'c had taught him. Jaffa tended to be bigger, and stronger, thanks to their symbiot...but Teal'c had taught him how to use that strength against them.
"No, I think I will. Drop the staff weapons! Now! Or I turn the snake's head to mush!" Chris growled. In addition to learning how to immobilize enemy Jaffa, Teal'c had also taught Chris different ways to kill Jaffa. There was more than one way to kill a Jaffa...but the most painful was crushing the symbiot while inside the host's body. It was a form of poisoning. Ezra dropped to his knees, whispering something to Elena, using his hands to illustrate.
"You are a fool, Ta're," the System Lord hissed, "Do you really think you can hold off all of my men! Pah! You are two, against my entire Guard! I have less than half my force here, with you. You cannot take the others." Chris just glared. He had six men. Plus the Se'min'o, who were a force in and of themselves. They would fight and die, defending this planet. Their home. Why didn't the System Lords understand that?
From the corner of his eye, Chris detected movement. Anderson, reaching out. For what? He turned his attention back to the System Lord. The Jaffa had not yet moved...to a man, they were watching him warily. Chris didn't understand at first...until he remembered that the Jaffa had been fighting the Ta're for years, and they had learned not to underestimate anyone who claimed the title of SG. Jack O'Neill and his team had come through similar situations, with worse odds. So would SG-7.
Ezra had finished his whispered consultation, and the little girl nodded her understanding. Apparently, Rain had been teaching the Se'min'o children English, as well as the adults. Elena ran to Anderson, digging in his pockets. Ezra maintained his grip on his pistol, aiming it at anyone who would harm the child. After a moment, Elena held up the keys triumphantly, and scampered over to Vin. Chris maintained his hold on the Jaffa. The odds were slowly changing.
At least until the neophyte System Lord began to insult the courage of his men. Chris understood none of the language used, but he recognized the tone. And as Elena bent over Vin's manacles, to free him, Chris saw one of the other Jaffa raising a staff weapon. The Jaffa aimed the weapon at the kneeling child. He wasn't the only one who saw. Vin growled and looped his bound arms around the child, drawing her close to his body protectively.
At the same time, Anderson's hand closed on the rifle which Vin had been using. The System Lord had dropped it in front of the guide, mocking him. Just close enough for Vin to see, but not close enough for him to reach. Anderson used the little strength he had remaining and rolled toward Vin, depositing it in front of the guide. The young man picked up the weapon and fired at the Jaffa who had been threatening him and Elena. That was a signal for the shooting to begin. Remembering what Teal'c had taught him, Chris pressed his weapon into the Jaffa's back and blew his insides out, killing the symbiot. Even as the Jaffa fell, Chris was already heading for the weapons of the rest of his men, firing all the while.
Elena turned in Vin's arms, still struggling to unlock his manacles. At last, he was free, and Vin deposited the little girl in front of Buck. For the second time that day, all hell broke loose. The Jaffa opened fire, and so did the free members of SG-7. Ezra maintained his position, shooting anyone who aimed at Chris as the colonel retrieved the weapons of his men. Symbiot or not, it was real hard to recover from a bullet to the brain. And Ezra was a damn good shot.
At the same time, as Elena struggled to free Buck, Vin used his own body as a shield as he fired at the Jaffa. One by one, the little Se'min'o girl freed the remaining members of SG-7, and to a man, they all joined the battle. As Vin had done only a few minutes earlier, JD protected Elena with his body, at least until Vin could cover him. At that point, JD swept the little girl into his arms and ran for cover with the others.
But in the smoke and haze, the System Lord slipped away. He wouldn't have gone far. There was still the matter of the villagers below them, and the naquadah. Once it was safe, Elena left her hiding place and began pouncing on the dying Jaffa...doing her part to speed the process along. It hurt his heart, seeing the feral rage in the young face, but Chris couldn't bring himself to say anything to her.
His eyes met Ezra's and the colonel said, in a voice only the negotiator could hear, "Don't ever run out on me again. Not even to check out suspicious movement. You see something that bothers you, you let me know. Carrier pigeon, email, smoke signals, whatever. Leave word with one of the others, but you let me know if you can't be where you're supposed to be. I didn't know what to think, Standish, when we couldn't find you. And I don't like not knowing where my men are."
A humorless smile appeared, as Standish tipped the bill of the cap worn by all of the SG-7 members...except Tanner. As if Standish had heard him thinking of the guide, the man asked, "Is Mr. Tanner all right? He seems to be favoring his side." Chris looked at the young man now kneeling beside Colonel Anderson. Standish continued, "Anderson sacrificed himself. He knew himself to be a pawn, knew he was to be sacrificed...but he made the choice. Of the time of the sacrifice...and who would be the beneficiary."
Chris nodded and said quietly, "When we were captured, one of the Jaffa was messing with a kid...Tanner put his two cents in. Got clubbed pretty hard, then kicked in the side. After this is over, once we get back to the SGC, Doc Frasier will want a look at him." And he realized what he had said. Not 'if,' but 'when.' He said no more, just moved quietly to Vin's side. The young guide's hand rested on the dying colonel's shoulder.
Josiah had joined Vin, and Anderson whispered, "It wasn't just you. All of you, you were there. I didn't see that until now. Didn't recognize anyone but you. The others dress differently, but not you. If I hadn't recognized you...but I did. I made the right choice this time. What's your name, boy? I never knew it, the last time." He ignored the shushing noises made by Josiah, his attention focused solely on Vin.
"It's Vin. Vin Tanner," the young guide answered. Chris saw Anderson's mouth move. Saw the man mouthing the name to himself, as if it was a mantra.
"Vin Tanner," Anderson whispered. He reached out for the guide one last time, but before his hand reached Vin, the Southern colonel exhaled. He never took another breath. His eyes remained open, staring at the open sky. Vin reached over and gently closed the staring eyes, then dropped his head. Elena had finished her grisly work, and came over to the guide. Vin looked up, looked at Elena, then looked at her small hands.
He said hoarsely, "C'mere, little lady. Reckon ya need a little help there." He removed his bandanna from his neck, and carefully cleaned the slime from the small hands. Once he was finished, he tossed the bandanna away. Chris understood. Even if it came clean, Vin would never want it next to his skin again. Vin managed a wan smile for the little girl and said, "All better now, little lady."
Elena said something in her native language, then threw her small arms around Vin's neck. The force of her body colliding with his rocked him backward, but Vin put his arms around the little girl, returning the embrace. As the others gathered around, Chris made no attempt to interfere until Vin raised his head. Then the colonel said quietly, "The System Lord is down below, with the villagers. It's time we finished this." Vin nodded and scooped Elena into his arms, settling her onto his hip.
"I take it you have a plan, Colonel...there's another twenty-five men down there, plus the System Lord," Ezra observed. Chris just smiled, his eyes flickering from Ezra to the cannon. The negotiator cocked his head, then a maliciously mischievous expression crossed his face. He nodded his agreement, and Chris told the others, "This is the plan. We don't have the element of surprise, not in the obvious way, but we can still surprise the snake-head."
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Part Forty-Three
Ezra hadn't been sure what to do. He was on a strange planet, separated from the rest of his team. And while Ezra had been raised to be self-sufficient, desert planets had not been included in the lesson plan...for that matter, nor had deserts. He had looked down at the terrified child in his arms, and the equally terrified...whatever that was. Did he get the little girl to her family, or try to rescue the others?
He had been tempted to head back to the Gate...until he thought of facing Generals Hammond and Travis. While he was dirty and dusty, it was obvious he hadn't been in a fight. And he knew from the stories he had heard during poker games that members of SG-1 had always stuck around to rescue the others. Ezra didn't count himself a hero, not like Jack O'Neill or Teal'c, both of whom he liked very much. But he found himself not wanting to disappoint either of the generals. And if he came back without the others, he knew that would happen.
There was something else. His memory of the psych test. Don't ever run out on me again, the colonel had told him in that Old West setting. Now, technically speaking, Ezra hadn't run out the first time. Not in fact. Just in thought. And his instinct told him that Chris Larabee was not a man who reacted well to disappointment. Well then, Ezra thought to himself, making up his mind, I shall endeavor not to do so. He had given up on getting along with Nathan Jackson, at least for the moment, but things were still open with Larabee and the others. With that, his mind was made up.
Mother would be furious, of course...she would say that she had taught her baby boy better than that. It was bad enough that he worked for a living. He had a trust fund from his father, who had died when Ezra was still a small boy. He didn't need to work. At least, not to ensure his continued financial stability. Ezra had countered that trust funds had a nasty habit of running out...and he liked being able to depend on himself.
It was, he admitted, a slap at her. At growing up alone, never in more than one place for more than a year. Never long enough to make friends. Of never truly believing that his mother loved him. True, at least he had a mother, unlike young Private Dunne, and Major Wilmington's young sister...the latter of whom had found her mother dead in a pool of her own blood, when that child was but eight years of age. Just a few years older than the child now cowering in Ezra's arms.
From what Major Wilmington had said, however, his baby sister had lost her mother, long before Katrien Wilmington's murder. The major had said with a quiet anger uncharacteristic of the big man, that his stepmother had never shown her daughter any kind of affection in his presence. Any kind of love. Ezra's own mother, Maude, hadn't been very good at displays of affection...of any kind. But she had tried. Maybe when he got out of this...he should try to make amends with his mother.
If he got out of this. Which brought him back to the current situation. He was one against an entire Serpent Guard. True, he and his compatriots had eliminated some of them the previous day, but Ezra was still one against many times many. Going back through the Gate also was not an option. Ezra barely remembered his father, but he often found himself imagining both General Travis and General Hammond in that role. So, no, that wasn't an option, either.
And he couldn't leave the child. The child. While Ezra knew he was alien to this world, in more ways than one, this child was not. She had even more to lose than he did...why not obtain her aid in ridding her world of those walking, talking snakes? Or, as Colonel O'Neill put it so eloquently, snake-heads. He looked down at the little girl, frowning thoughtfully. She was still trembling in his arms, but was a little calmer. That was what decided Ezra...that she had calmed down.
Ezra had learned as a very young boy that the best way to distract himself from his own misery was observing others. What better way to distract Elena, than to ask for her help? He settled Elena on her feet and turned her to face him. Remembering one of the few Se'min'o words which he had learned from listening to Rain Tyler the previous night, Ezra pointed to himself and told the girl in her own language, "Help."
Elena cocked her head to one side, a confused expression on her face. Then she shifted the kitten in her arms, leaving one hand free, and touched Ezra's chest with one small finger. She repeated in her language, her tone questioning, "Help?" Ezra nodded, smiling, and Elena smiled too. She repeated, this time more confidently, "Help!" Well, Ezra thought, that went well. He didn't know that the rest of SG-7 had been captured. But, to be prudent, he believed that was the wisest course of action.
Ezra lifted the little girl into his arms, and this time she didn't resist him. He saw SG-7 being paraded into the village by the Serpent Guards. It occurred to him that he was using the incorrect name, but it wasn't like anyone could hear him. The Se'min'o and SG-7 were being separated, all except for one little girl, who had attached herself to Vin Tanner, and refused to let go. One of the Jaffa reached for the child. Even Ezra, who was a good distance away, could see the little girl cowering away from the Jaffa.
Evidently, so did Vin, for he bent over the little girl protectively. Ezra was surprised to find himself growling when the Jaffa responded by cracking the butt of his staff weapon against the guide's skull. Tanner released the child involuntarily, but young Private Dunne scooped her up as the guide sank to the ground. The little girl, seeing her hero and protector down, started screaming hysterically, especially after the Jaffa kicked Tanner in the side.
If Colonel Larabee doesn't make you pay for that, Ezra told the Jaffa icily within the safety of his own mind, I believe I shall! While he hadn't allowed himself to form an attachment to any of his new colleagues, Tanner had been attacked while protecting a child. And that simply wasn't done in Ezra Standish's world. He watched in silence...they were taking SG-7 back up onto the cliff, while the villagers would remain in the village. Well, that made no sense! Never mind. It would give Ezra time to get into position. He was closer, after all. And it would give him time to come up with a plan.
It wasn't a particularly good plan, but it worked. He waited behind one of the boulders, while the little drama with Anderson played out. Elena remained at his side, little growls of anger escaping her every time she witnessed yet another hurt being inflicted on the men who had tried to help her village. And in fact, Ezra's plan to distract the little girl was working a bit too well, as he had to restrain her several times from running out and attacking the Jaffa herself.
But at last, when the System Lord (whose name was still unknown) revealed his plans for the planet, and for SG-7, Ezra knew it was time to move. One of the most important things, his mother had always taught him, was timing. Ezra had found that to be true in his police work, in his card games. And now, more than ever, timing was everything. Everything happened very fast after that. Almost too fast.
And then the familiar words were echoing in his mind...in his eardrums. Don't ever run out on me again. But this time, it was different. Colonel Larabee had been worried. He didn't like not knowing where his men were...and Ezra suddenly saw things from the other man's perspective. Larabee had no way of knowing where Ezra was...if he had been captured by the Gou'ald, if he had seen something suspicious and tried to investigate alone.
Larabee probably wasn't happy that Ezra wasn't where he was supposed to be, but if he had been, he would have been taken prisoner with the others. No, Larabee had been more upset by Ezra's lack of consideration. True, it had never occurred to him that Larabee might be concerned. It wasn't like Ezra was used to people being concerned for him. Still, that was no excuse for such boorish behavior, and Ezra was nothing if not a gentleman.
That was what he told himself, at least, as he watched Elena comfort Mr. Tanner. And though he had seen the incident for himself, Ezra asked Colonel Larabee about the way their guide was favoring his side. It wasn't that he really cared...but he was a gentleman. And somewhere deep in his soul, Ezra recognized that for the lie that it was. But he wasn't ready to admit that he cared.
So instead, he turned his attention to the plans laid by Colonel Larabee. They didn't have much time. The System Lord was rallying the rest of his Jaffa, and they would be storming the Bastille, so to speak. Colonel Larabee planned to take the fight to him, however. Ezra would remain up top to fire the cannon, while Larabee and the others made their way back down to the village...and they would finish this fight.
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Part Forty-Four
Finish the fight was the plan, and that was exactly what SG-7 would do. Vin exchanged a glance with Ezra, who tipped his cap to the guide and took up position beside the cannon. Elena would be coming down with them, rather than staying with Ezra...for the simple fact that it eliminated time. After he finished with his 'diversionary tactics,' as Ezra put it, he would be joining the fight in the village.
By Vin's reckoning, they had about five minutes to get into position before Ezra fired the cannon. That would give them time to get Elena to safety, or whatever would pass for safety until the fire fight was over. Vin had found that focusing on Elena's safety, and the fight ahead, kept him from thinking about Anderson. About this twin of his who had lived in Anderson's time, in Anderson's reality?
Vin had learned from SG-1 in the days before their departure, about the various parallel worlds which the flagship team had encountered, and he wondered if Anderson had come from one of those...if his Earth of 1873 coexisted with the Earth of 1997. He didn't know, but he reckoned it was giving him one helluva headache. You're telling me, the shadow Drina teased, one Vin Tanner is dangerous enough, but two of you? That's enough to give anyone a headache. He told the shade of his friend to put a sock in it, and heard the echo of her laughter in his mind as they headed down the hill.
"We take down as many of the Jaffa down as we can, if not all of them...but that back-shooting sonuvabitch is the one we really want," Chris said on the way down. He looked at all of them, continuing, "No matter what else we do, we take that bastard down? Understand?" Vin nodded. His arms tightened around Elena, and the little girl responded by tightening the grip of her little legs around his waist.
The increased pressure made his side hurt, and Vin just knew he would find himself in the infirmary at the end of this mission, if only to shut up the colonel. They were approaching 'big boom' time, and Vin spotted a place where he could put down Elena safely. He sprinted away from the others, pressed his finger to his lips in the classical 'sshh,' then ran back to his teammates, only to find Ezra joining them.
The police negotiator smirked, saying, "I put the cannon on time-delay, Mr. Tanner. I do believe our incendiary device will be causing the desired reaction within a matter of seconds." As the Southerner finished speaking, there was a loud 'ka-boom,' and from his vantage point, Vin could see a cannon ball strike dirt in the middle of the village...right in the middle of the Jaffa, and well away from any of the villagers. That was the position deliberately chosen by the team before heading down.
The cannon ball kicked up dust and dirt and smoke. It would provide a cover for the team, the element of surprise Chris had mentioned. Vin couldn't know how it would appear to the other side. The seven men emerging from a cloud of smoke...and that it was a picture Anderson would have recognized immediately. He had no way of knowing that...only that as he and his friends emerged from the cover provided, the battle was joined.
The cannon had been wheeled into position, to take out the Jaffa...to make sure the Se'min'o weren't hurt. And, to make it easier for the villagers to take out the remaining Jaffa. That part of the plan worked brilliantly, for while the Jaffa were battling the villagers...and losing rather badly, for they had invaded the homes of these people...SG-7 was surrounding the System Lord. Remembering Drina's stories of the various mythologies, Vin had taken to calling this one 'Loki,' the Norse god of mischief. Drina had told him there was a lot more to Loki than that, but Vin had no intention of writing a paper on this mission.
Even so, even with SG-7 surrounding Loki, the System Lord didn't fall. Because of their positions, the men were reduced to taking what Vin considered potshots at the System Lord. They didn't have clear shots. Bullets to his upper arm, before having to take cover. Bullets to his thigh, bullet to his chest. And then disaster struck. Even as Vin watched it happening, he couldn't believe his eyes.
JD had taken up position beside Josiah and Nathan behind an overturned wagon which had been used as cover during the skirmish of the previous day, while Buck and Ezra were firing out of a cottage which had belonged to one of the warriors killed. As Vin raised his rifle to take a shot at Loki, his blood ran cold. The young cartographer ran out from behind the wagon, firing and screaming at the top of his lungs. Loki's eyes glowed as they had before and he raised his hand...what the hell was that?????????
JD was transfixed, staring at...whatever was attached to the System Lord's hand. Vin watched in horror as Buck Wilmington exploded from his position, and knocked the kid out of the way. But as JD fell away from Loki, that...thing...touched Buck's forehead. From the position of the guide, it looked as if volts of electricity were going through the major's body, and Vin feared he wouldn't survive it. At Vin's side, Chris rose to his feet and fired at Loki over Buck's head. Now where in hell did Larabee keep that little snake gun?
Didn't make no difference to Vin...for the first bolt nearly knocked Loki off his horse. It also released Buck, who slumped to the ground. JD covered the major's body with his own, dragging him out of the way of danger at the same time. Chris fired again and this time, Loki was slammed with force into the ground. He didn't move again. Vin rose slowly from his own position, following Chris from their hiding place.
All around, the remaining Jaffa were being overrun by the villagers. Little Elena had left her own hiding place and pounced on the first non-moving Jaffa she could find. Vin looked away, instead focusing on the limp body of Loki. He had his rifle trained on the System Lord. Chris said very softly, "Two bolts from the zat kills. Even System Lords. The Tok'ra are very similar to the Gou'ald. If two bolts from the zat can kill a Tok'ra, it can kill a Gou'ald."
"Reckon I ain't willin' to take that chance, cowboy," Vin answered. Chris smiled at him and nodded his understanding. But the colonel was right. Loki was deader 'n a beaver hat. Glancing around, Vin could see all of the Jaffa had followed their leader to hell...or whatever the Gou'ald version of hell was. He didn't know what came next, but as he glanced over at the cartographer still kneeling over the major, he told Chris, "Reckon ya oughta get Nathan to take a look at the major there. What the hell was that, anyhow?"
"Called a ribbon device...and you're gettin' checked out, too, Tanner. No, no arguments. That sonuvabitch could have hurt you bad, and I'm not about to get you back to the SGC and have you collapse at the general's feet," Larabee all but growled. Vin wasn't afraid of him. Larabee knew that. Vin knew that. But he also knew how badly his side was hurting, and all he really wanted to do now was sit.
He nodded wearily and retreated to the overturned wagon where Josiah and Nathan had taken cover. He sank slowly to the ground, grimacing in pain and closed his eyes. He wasn't needed right now. Nathan could take care of Buck. Chris would see to Buck, then to the rest of the village. Everything was under control now. Vin drew a deep, shuddering breath. No one could see him. He didn't have to be strong anymore.
At least, until he felt a shadow fall over him. He reached for his rifle, still sitting beside him, and opened his eyes. Elena was there, her hands free of the slime. She was watching him, her young face filled with sadness. Vin relaxed and put down the rifle, held out his hand to the child. Elena took it, and snuggled against his good side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Vin accepted the comfort in the spirit it was meant...comfort he couldn't have accepted from any of the others. It was so much easier for him to take comfort offered by children, perhaps because so few of the children Vin knew asked anything in return. Anything but love.
Elena was one such child. She asked nothing...just to let her snuggle beside him. Not a high price to ask at all. Vin thought again of Raquel Hernandez. Yes, Elena was around the same age as that little girl. Actually, Raquel was about two years older, or maybe eighteen months. He wasn't entirely sure how old Elena was. Funny. He seemed destined to encounter little girls, all within a matter of years of each other. Lily Kincaid and Raquel were the same age, and Elena was around the same age as the other two.
He was tired. Of course he was tired, but Vin wasn't making sense to himself anymore. He was tired, he hurt, and Vin found he didn't care about anything but staying in this one place, with Elena curled up against him trustingly. His mind told him that he couldn't rest yet, there was more to do, but Vin's body was shutting down. Larabee wouldn't let anything happen to him. And Larabee wasn't that far away. With that reassurance in mind, Vin let go.
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Part Forty-Five
Chris was vaguely aware that Vin had gone off by himself, but he knew the guide could take care of himself. The Jaffa were all dead. The System Lord was dead. Anderson was dead. There was no one left who could hurt them. Buck, on the other hand, was hurting. The ribbon device tended to scramble the brains of anyone unlucky to be on the receiving end, and at the moment, Buck was his first priority.
JD sat at the major's side as Nathan checked over the big man. Chris barely paid attention to the boy, focusing only on Buck. He wasn't making much sense, mumbling something about getting to know the fine ladies in the village. But Chris knew better than expect anything even remotely sensible from someone whose brains had been scrambled. Nathan gave him an encouraging nod, and Buck whispered, his eyes beginning to clear, "We got 'em, pard."
Chris gave him a ghost of a smile, answering, "We did." Buck sighed and began drifting away again. Chris patted his friend's shoulder, then saw the chief standing over the body of the dead warrior, the one who had led them up the cliff. The colonel pushed himself to his feet, for the first time feeling unsure. He had the uneasy sense that he would be intruding on the man's grief, something Chris was unwilling to do.
"The warrior who guided us in my place...that was his son, Colonel Larabee," Dr. Tyler said. Chris turned to face her, startled, and Rain continued, "I met him on my second day in the camp. He wasn't particularly welcoming to me...he had just escaped from the Gou'ald slave mines on another planet, had just come back through the Gate. But he was a good man, Colonel. A brave man." Chris nodded his thanks to the young woman. But to his surprise, Rain continued, "You would be the best to comfort him, Colonel. You know of his pain. You have lost a child as well."
And how had she known that? Chris had barely accepted the offer to lead SG-7 when this young woman had arrived here with Colonel O'Neill and the rest of SG-1. Seeing his confusion, Rain continued, "You know the SGC, sir. You know the way rumors circulate, and you know how often the rumors end up true. I knew who you were, even before you arrived at the SGC. I knew about your wife and son."
Oh yes, the rumor mill...he knew that piece of base machinery all too well. Rumors were already circulating about Vin...the rumor Chris had heard most was that his new friend was a criminal. Before he had left, Captain Travis had approached him, telling him that she would see to it that particular rumor was laid to rest. Knowing the woman's fierce determination, Chris hadn't questioned her further.
So, knowing what he did about the base rumor mill, it really shouldn't have surprised him that Rain Tyler also knew about his family. Rain continued, once his eyes returned to her, "Colonel O'Neill told me." Now, that was a surprise. Jack O'Neill was one of the few who could get away with talking about his family, simply because O'Neill outranked him. Petty, Chris knew, but he made it a policy not to claim to be something he wasn't.
Instead of answering the biologist, Chris said quietly, "I'll see if I can help him. Would you mind taking a look at Tanner?" Rain nodded, smiling, and she moved off to search for the guide. Chris watched her go, wondering if he should accompany her. He didn't know how Tanner would react, now that the fight was over. He had never seen the young man when he was injured, and had no idea how proud, or stubborn, he was.
His eye was caught by JD Dunne, still kneeling at Buck's side, and Chris thought about the way Buck had hovered over the boy, ever since his arrival. Chris didn't want to do that to Vin. He didn't need someone mother-henning him...after Rain took a look at him, Chris would check on him. And as Chris began walking toward the chief, it occurred to him that Adriana was always bad about mother-henning him and Buck both.
But, he admitted, that is a little different. When Adriana does it, it's easier to take. Knowing my little princess, she probably mother henned Tanner while they were friends, but she's a little...okay...a lot more subtle. And Lord knows she's prettier than Buck. I'd deck Buck if he ever fussed over me the way he does over the kid, and he knows it. No reason to think Tanner wouldn't do the same thing.
Chris turned his attention back to the chief, who was standing over his son's fallen body. How much worse would it have been for Chris, if he had actually watched Adam die? It was bad enough...being within sighting distance when the apartment building blew up. But to actually watch his son die? The chief looked up, tears glazing his eyes. Chris nodded his head to the other man, not knowing what else to say and instead, choosing to stay silent.
What could you say, after all? To a man who had lost a child? As Chris knew from his own experience, 'I'm sorry' didn't seem to cover it. 'He's in a better place' was reason enough for Chris to flatten whoever said it.
He had no reason to believe the chief would feel any differently. And really, that had to be the most insensitive thing imaginable to say to a grieving parent, especially a parent whose child had been healthy and vital only a few minutes earlier. Chris didn't imagine anyone had said something that stupid after the Oklahoma City bombing. .then again, anything was possible. Chris shuddered at that memory of the shattered Murrah building.
He had visited the Murrah building, what was left of it, before it was demolished. He had said nothing as he stared at the shrine to those killed. Was merely a silent witness to the grief which would never truly heal. And again, standing an entire galaxy away from that tragedy, Chris Larabee was a silent witness to grief...a single man, mourning a single child. But the grief was no less potent. No words passed, between the Se'min'o chief and the Ta're colonel. No words needed to be.
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