Writing > Alliance (Stargate SG-1)

Chapter 44

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Daen:
"The ID code doesn’t match anything in the SGC registry," Avery reported, looking up from his laptop, "but none of us have the authorization to check the whole list of officers and civilians." He snorted. "Even if we did, checking would probably raise eyebrows from here to Washington and back."

Tony nodded. He had stayed on the ship a few more hours to check the rest of the archives, while Avery had ‘beamed’ back down to get more information. By nightfall, they’d all gathered back at his place to share what they’d learned and plan their next move. "What about the address in Montana?"

"Ah. The fifty-foot square is centered on the back yard of a single house. Property records say the house is owned by a Melissa Clarence, purchased in full, four years ago. According to the DMV, she registered a car at the same time, and I pulled up an image of her driver’s licence." He beckoned them around to look at the screen. "Brace yourselves."

The picture was of Suna, with hair dyed blonde, wearing an orange-and-red blouse. Her smile seemed genuine.

"Well, at least she can pull it off." Nelson was the first to speak up after a long pause. "Not many people with her build can make blonde work for them."

Tony gave him a wry look. "I’m driving up there as soon as I can arrange someone to look after Sylvia for a few days. Is there a home security system?"

"Not that I can tell, sir. Still," Avery looked worried, "someone high up on the food chain went to a lot of trouble to hide something in the back yard of that house. Whoever it was, they wrote an elaborate program into the Odyssey’s computers that would alter every single scan done of the planet, specifically to hide that one area. Probably the same person who set her up there in the first place." He suddenly frowned. "In addition, she may still be working for the Alliance. You shouldn’t go alone."

"He’s right, boss. David and I will go with you. Avery can keep a watch from here, for whoever this ‘guardian angel’ of hers is. When we move on the place, maybe he’ll be able to ID the guy."

Tony was about to object when David saved him the trouble. "Actually, Alvesh just had an idea that may help. If you can delay your trip for a few hours, Tony, we need to pick up some supplies offworld."

Tony looked from one face to the next. Each one could have been carved from stone.

Ever since the Odyssey, he’d wanted to keep them all safe and isolated from this increasingly questionable investigation, but it was becoming painfully obvious that they would never accept that. They were all involved, and all determined to see this through to the end.

"I know what you’re trying to do here, boss." Nelson spoke gently. "And you know it won’t work. We’re all musketeers here, and you’re stuck with us."

David shared a strained look with Avery. "Let me guess. You’re the joker. Porthos?"

"Nah, I’m Aramis. He gets all the chicks. You can be Porthos." He looked over. "The boss is always so serious, so he’s Athos, and the kid… obviously D’Artagnan."

"Kid? I’m older than you are!" Avery seemed torn between amusement and indignation.

Tony laughed despite himself.

-.-

It had taken them almost twelve hours, driving through the night in shifts, to reach their destination in Montana. During the trip, they’d thrown ideas around, trying to come up with a plausible explanation for everything that they’d learned. Even Alvesh had thrown in his two cents on several occasions, in an effort to make them both more comfortable with him. It was very strange, but somehow David knew exactly why Alvesh did… anything he did now! It seemed that the privacy door he’d opened was a revolving one.

Thankfully, Tony’s sister Julia had agreed to look after Sylvia while they were out of town. At least until her 11th birthday the following week. The little weed had grown so fast, but she still had that same sweet spirit that had made her so endearing as a kid.

David tried not to think about what this ‘mission’ of theirs might dredge up for Tony. They had all suffered when the Survivors had been wiped out, when Blake and Haley had died, and David could see those signs of pain in Tony’s face again now as he drove. David was curious about how Suna had escaped, but he knew that it went way beyond that for Tony. For once, David was glad that Tony had such a strong belief system. It might help him deal with whatever they were about to learn.

The house looked unoccupied when they arrived, but Tony was still cautious. On his orders, they spread out, looking for any kind of security, passive or otherwise. According to Avery, ‘Melissa’ worked in a bookstore in town, and wouldn’t be back for several more hours.

A cursory search of the exterior turned up nothing, so Nelson picked the lock and they stepped inside. He merely gave one of his superior smiles when asked when and where he’d learned to do that.

It seemed that Suna hadn’t lost her taste for order and cleanliness. The house was spotless, almost as if she was trying to sell it. Strangely enough, it was a large place, big enough for a family of at least five.

"Maybe whoever set her up here planned on more people showing up later." Nelson suggested.

"For all we know, whoever set her up here works for the Alliance." Tony said darkly. "If that’s true, they have resources in our government, and in the Stargate Program. Let’s check out the back yard."

As they’d noticed while surveilling the house, there wasn’t a single neighbor within sight. This place was isolated, several miles out of town, apparently on purpose. As a result, their search of the yard was much easier. At a glance it looked like any other well-kept lawn, complete with ornaments and, of course, a white picket fence. Still, it wasn’t long before Tony found a hidden switch in the mouth of one of the lawn ornaments, and pressed it.

There was a grinding noise, and a trapdoor opened within the shade of the house. Inside were ladder rungs leading down. Tony started to climb it, but David grabbed his arm.

"Let me go first, Tony. If a trap goes off down there, Alvesh and I could handle it a lot better than either of you. No offense."

"Hey, none taken." Nelson responded, spreading his hands. Tony gave him a blank look, before shrugging and stepping aside. The situation was getting to him, it seemed.

It was pitch black when they reached the bottom, but one of the perks of being a Tok’ra was increased vision. He could make out a large shape ahead of him, and groped around to find the light switch.

Pressing it illuminated the large room, and the Goa’uld cargo ship in the middle of it.

-.-

"Talk about your dust bunnies from hell." Nelson exclaimed, covering his mouth, once they’d joined David down below. "It doesn’t look like anyone’s been down here for a long time."

At least half an inch had piled up around the ship, and no matter how carefully and slowly they all moved, clouds billowed up around them.

"Someone has." David put in, kneeling down near the ship’s airlock entrance. "There’s a trail in the dust, right here. The ship hasn’t moved, true, but someone has come and gone quite a bit."

Upon closer inspection, Tony could see what he meant. Wordlessly, he entered the standard opening combination and the airlock hissed open. After a cautious glance inside, he stepped in.

Over the past few years, he’d seen more than his fair share of Goa’uld ships, but he hadn’t entered one since that rescue mission on Hovak. Though smaller, with just a cockpit and a cargo area, the design was similar.

This one had a set of four vertical, coffin-shaped escape pods on the far wall, and a computer console installed just behind the pilot’s seat. Tony gave David a meaningful look before heading aft. David seemed to understand, and stepped up to the console to start sifting through whatever data was stored within.

Upon opening the door to the aft section, Tony stopped short. Rather than shipping crates or piles of kassa, as the Alliance was known to transport, the bay was filled with… sleeping bags and pillows. Evidently, at least thirty people had slept in here at the same time. Silently gesturing to Nelson, Tony began searching through the bay with him. Based on the dust they stirred during their search, no one had been in the bay for years, either.

They had just finished looking through the area when the grinding sound of the trapdoor opening echoed through the airlock.

With a startled glance at him, Nelson hurried back into the cockpit, and Tony followed. David was nowhere to be seen.

They hadn’t expected anyone for hours, but both of them knew just what to do. Tony hastily closed the airlock door, and Nelson turned off the interior lights, leaving just the light from the surface filtering down through the trapdoor. They then took up positions on both sides of the airlock door, hoping to catch whoever entered by surprise. They both had their sidearms, but Tony knew that David was unarmed, wherever he was.

The familiar chime noise of the airlock’s opening code could be heard, and then it hissed open again. A figure stepped confidently out into the dark room, and began moving towards the console when Tony called out, "Stop right there! Put your hands on your head."

As the silhouette complied, he moved to the other side of it, and Nelson pressed the control for the lights.

Suna’s eyes widened upon seeing their faces, and she gasped. Seeing her again after all this time, after thinking her dead, Tony felt as though his chest was compressing. It hurt to breathe, but he forced himself to stay upright. They had planned on confronting her, after all.

Nodding to Nelson, Tony holstered his gun and pulled out a zip-tie. "Turn around, Suna."

He gently pulled her hands behind her back, and fit them through the zip-tie. Before he could pull it tight, though, a blue-white line of electricity lanced out through the airlock, striking Nelson in the back. With a cry, he convulsed and collapsed.

Tony reached for his gun again, but couldn’t get it clear before a voice called out at him. "Don’t even think about it, Colonel! I’d hate to have to shoot you, too." The voice was cold, moderated, and familiar.

Stepping through the airlock, zat gun aimed at his chest, was Pierson.

Tony felt as though the floor had dropped out from under him.

"Drop it," Pierson ordered sternly, and after a moment’s hesitation, Tony did.

Suna stepped away from him, freeing her hands, but made no move to grab either his or Nelson’s guns. She just stared back at Tony, and he just did the same to Pierson.

As they all stood there, staring at each other, David rushed in through the airlock. Pierson’s eyes widened upon hearing him, and he started to turn to face this new threat, but it was too late. David clasped his hands together and brought them down on the back of Pierson’s neck with shattering force. As Pierson collapsed, David grabbed the zat out of the air in one smooth motion and aimed it steadily at Suna.

The room filled with silence, at the sudden change in circumstances.

Keeping his aim steady, David glanced down at Pierson’s unconscious form and sighed. "Ok, I did not see that coming."

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