First, she twitched. Then twitching turned to fidgeting, fidgeting to squirming and by the time they had reached cruising altitude, she was slumped halfway down in her seat with a dour frown on her face.<\/p>\n
“You’d think that a race advanced enough to have a ship like your Prometheus would be able to figure out a better way to get around their own planet,” Vala complained.<\/p>\n
Daniel sighed. “Vala…”<\/p>\n
“I’m serious! I mean, it’s one thing to spend hours getting from one end of the galaxy to another–although even that is unnecessary if you know how to use a Stargate–but we’re not even talking in terms of light years here!”<\/p>\n
Daniel suddenly found himself feeling extremely grateful that the SGC had a private jet. Somehow he doubted she’d have refrained from expressing the same doubts on a crowded 737. Not that many would have believed her, but it wasn’t a chance he particularly wanted to take. Nor, he imagined, would Landry want them taking it which was probably why he’d scuttled the jet for their trip to Washington in the first place.<\/p>\n
It was of course, under no circumstances, a good idea to take Vala Mal Doran to a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting, but unfortunately his input was needed badly enough that there wasn’t much choice in the matter. Not unless he could somehow persuade Landry that it was<\/em>\u00a0worth their time to pursue the scavenger hunt that might end with the two of them finally separated.<\/p>\n “Somehow I don’t think the potential fallout of an Alkesh suddenly de-cloaking over Washington DC is quite worth a little saved time,” he finally answered her question–or demand, more like it–in a dry tone.<\/p>\n “And that’s another thing.” She sat up straight and leaned forward, talking animatedly with her hands. Daniel had never realized before how sarcastic hands could be. “Oooh, the Tau’ri, champions of freedom, justice and equality throughout the universe, and most of your own people don’t even know about the Stargate. Or the Goa’uld. Or me!”<\/p>\n “Thank God for that last,” he muttered under his breath.<\/p>\n Vala glared at him. “All I’m saying is that you people go to way too much trouble to keep secrets when there’s a whole universe out there. I think it’s rather selfish to keep it to oneself.”<\/p>\n “Which is, no doubt, why you’re so eager to help spread it around.”<\/p>\n “Exactly!”<\/p>\n Daniel took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, wondering how on Earth it was possible for just talking to her to give him such a headache, and even moreso, why a part of him actually enjoyed it. “Look, Vala…once we get to Washington, I need you not to talk to anyone. Especially not to the Committee.”<\/p>\n She looked offended. “Why not?”<\/p>\n “Because…they have certain…expectations about how this meeting is supposed to be conducted, and we’re going to have a difficult time pushing this budget through as it is.”<\/p>\n “Are you implying that I don’t know how to conduct myself in such a situation?” she demanded, pretending to be insulted.<\/p>\n “I thought I was saying it outright.”<\/p>\n “Well, honestly,” Vala huffed, squaring her shoulders and turning her head away from him. “I don’t believe I’m speaking to you anymore, Daniel.” She turned her attention to Landry, who had thus far been quietly reading a report and ignoring the argument. “Are all of your subordinates this disrespectful? If so, it’s a wonder you don’t throw the lot of them out on their arses.”<\/p>\n The General’s eyes flickered to Daniel and the archaeologist flinched under the weight of his accusing stare.<\/p>\n “I mean, really, is this the sort of impression you want to be making on cultures you’ve not yet come into contact with? It seems to me you’ve quite enough enemies with the Goa’uld and the Ori; why invite trouble by turning this–” She waved at Daniel. “–loose on poor, unsuspecting planets?”<\/p>\n Landry sighed. “Miss, quite frankly there’s only one person on this plane that I worry about turning loose on an unsuspecting world, and that’s you.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" First, she twitched. Then twitching turned to fidgeting, fidgeting to squirming and by the time they had reached cruising altitude, she was slumped halfway down in her seat with a dour frown on her face. “You’d think that a race … Continue reading