| |
BARRIERS IN TIME AND SPACE
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Chapter One
March 1, 2259 - Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5
"Commander; picking up unusual readings from Epsilon 3," Corwin said. The tall young Lieutenant looked nervously at his superior officer.
Susan Ivanova punched up the readings with a twinge of unease. Since Draal had taken over maintenance of the Great Machine, it had been very quiet down there. "This cannot be good," she muttered, unsure whether that was her natural Russian pessimism or a year and a half serving on this station.
The activity was definitely centered on the surface and looked like a jump point gone mad. She sighed - the Captain was going to love this. She activated the comm device on her hand. "Ivanova to the Captain."
++++
Epsilon 3
"Uh ... kids? Something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore," General Jack O'Neill ventured.
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "There appears to have been an error when we dialed."
"Carter?"
"Checking it out, sir," the blonde Colonel replied, turning back to the DHD and tapping at the symbols. "Uh, sir ...".
O'Neill's brow furrowed. He didn't like the sound of that. "Why do I have the feeling I'm not gonna like this?" he complained.
"The DHD's no longer functioning," his 2IC responded. "We can't get off this planet."
"Sweet." O'Neill blew out a breath. He folded his long arms and glared out across the bleak landscape. "Well, this totally sucks." His first off-world mission in weeks - a simple meet and greet - and they ended up lost in the ass end of nowhere.
++++
Captain John Sheridan strolled slowly out of Medlab, Franklin's words still ringing in his ears. Yeah; he'd put on a bit of weight since taking command of this station, but it was hardly a matter of life and death! His link activated. "Ivanova to the Captain."
"Yes, Commander?" he replied.
"You'd better get up here, sir," she said. "There's something weird going on down on Epsilon 3."
Sheridan had read the report provided by his predecessor - now the first human to live permanently on Minbar - and had the feeling that 'weird' might actually be a weak description. "On my way," he replied.
He headed into the turbo-tube. "C and C," he ordered. The tube headed smoothly upward, then stopped a couple levels up.
A familiar small female got in and dipped her head graciously to him. "Captain," she said in her faintly exotic Minbari accent.
"Ambassador," he replied politely, feeling a little awkward around her. She'd invited him to dinner a couple nights ago and they'd had a good time. But he tended to feel awkward around the mysterious aliens - his only significant contact with them had been during the war, when he'd blown their flagship out of the sky.
"I am on my way to C and C," she said. "I have received a communication from Draal that I must attend to."
"I'm heading up there myself," he said. Weird happenings on Epsilon 3 and Delenn receiving a communication from her fellow Minbari - they had to be linked.
++++
"Carter?"
Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter itched to kick the crap out of her CO. He'd been bugging her for over an hour now, since the DHD had died. Daniel had gone exploring and Teal'c had volunteered to accompany him. That left the General in the position of being bored and tormenting his 2IC. "Sir?" she replied politely - she did not fancy a spell in Leavenworth when they got home.
"Any progress?"
Does it look like it? She rolled her eyes. "No, sir," she said. "Still just as dead as it was an hour ago."
A small smile appeared on her CO's face. "Not getting snippy on me, are ya, Colonel?" he asked.
She felt her own lips break into a reluctant smile. Despite his many annoying habits, she liked Jack O'Neill and was honored to serve with him. "Wouldn't dream of it, sir," she said demurely.
"Ah; humans!" a sonorous voice announced. "I had the feeling."
"Say what?" The General spun around as the apparition appeared. "Yeah; we're human," he added a bit more politely. His posture shouted: 'Got a problem with that?'.
The apparition nodded its bone-crested head. "I am Draal; Keeper of the Great Machine," he said. "You are far from home."
"No kidding?" the General shot back. "How did we get here?"
Carter could have sworn that the apparition looked nonplused. "I ... do not know," he admitted. "I am not omniscient." He looked around. "You cannot stay long on the surface," he added. "The atmosphere is not conducive to your needs."
"We're trying to get out of here," Carter said now before her CO could say anything to piss the being off. "But the DHD is dead."
"I have sent a message to the station; they have dispatched a shuttle to collect you and take you to safety," Draal said.
Station? There was a station near this planet? "We are so not in Kansas anymore," Carter muttered, surrendering to the inevitable.
++++
"I'm coming with you, Captain," Delenn said, appearing suddenly in front of Sheridan. Much shorter than him and willowy, her fragile looks belied her great strength. "I am curious as to how four humans appeared on Epsilon 3 without a space craft."
Sheridan gave in - a love of mysteries was something he shared in common with the Minbari-human hybrid. "All right," he said.
He sighed in contentment as he guided the shuttle out into the depths of space. Although he enjoyed the challenge of running B5 with its myriad life-forms, his first love was space travel.
A gentle chuckle reached his ears. "You sound content, Captain," Delenn said. "I share your joy - the universe is a beautiful thing."
"Yeah." John Sheridan was a closet romantic. He waved his hand outward. "I think we need to get out there sometimes - remind ourselves that we're not the center of the universe."
Delenn's mane of dark hair rustled as she dipped her head, then favored him with a smile. "I agree," she said.
He returned the smile, feeling like a teenager with a crush on the girl next door. "Dinner again, tonight?" he asked.
"Are you asking me on a 'date', Captain?" she teased.
"You asked me last time," he said. "Fair's fair."
"My Minbari honor insists on fairness," she said. "I accept your invitation."
++++
Jack O'Neill, USAF, was pissed. They'd been on this huge honkin' pile of dust for three hours now, and there was no sign of the rescuers the great and powerful Oz had promised. His knee hurt, he had sand in his boots and he was bored.
No; he was not a happy camper right now.
"Jack." Daniel nudged him. "We have company."
O'Neill looked up as the odd little spacecraft lowered gently to the surface. This was totally unknown technology. Good guys or bad guys?
Two people appeared. One was definitely human; a tall strong male maybe a couple years younger than O'Neill. The other looked human, but had an odd crest of bone similar to Draal's. An offshoot species? "Who are you?" O'Neill said, whipping out his P90.
The two looked at each other, then the woman stepped forward. "There is no need for your weapon," she said in an exotic accent. "Draal has deactivated it."
O'Neill checked the charge. Empty. Crap. "Nice trick," he said. "So; I'll say again - who are you?"
"I'm Captain John Sheridan, commander of Earth Alliance station Babylon 5," the blond man offered. "This is Ambassador Delenn."
Earth Alliance? "General Jack O'Neill," O'Neill said.
"General." The other man saluted. "Welcome to Epsilon 3, sir. But how did you get here?"
"Good question," O'Neill shot back, resisting the urge to cough. "Care to get us out of here now?"
++++
John Sheridan eyed the older man curiously. He'd dealt with a great many Earth Force Generals, and this one did not fit the usual mold. He was lean and wary, with eyes that never relaxed. Something told him that this General had only recently reached his rank and was having trouble letting go.
Three other humans appeared suddenly; a blonde woman, a dark-haired man and a huge dark-skinned man. "Hey, kids," the General said casually, "meet our rescuers - Captain Sheridan and Ambassador ... Delenn." He raised his eyebrows at the huge black man. "Teal'c?"
The man arched an eyebrow, drawing Sheridan's attention to the gold emblem in the center of his forehead. "The Captain appears Tauri, O'Neill," he said. "I do not know the female's species."
What was Tauri? And how did they not recognize Delenn as Minbari? They were one of the most well known - albeit mysterious - races this side of the Rim. Sheridan decided he didn't like being talked about as though he weren't there. "I'm as human as you are, sir," he said. "The Ambassador is Minbari."
Now the eyebrow really ratcheted. "I do not know this species, O'Neill," the man said.
O'Neill blew out a breath. "Peachy," he said.
++++
Satai Delenn of the Grey Council looked at the humans. The males were indeed attractive, although very different types. The young blue-eyed one returned her frank stare and smiled at her. "I'm Daniel Jackson," he said quietly. "We don't usually find friendly races on our travels; that's why Jack's attitude."
Delenn noted the informality. "You are not part of the military, Daniel?" she asked. She thought she heard the tall gray-haired General chuckle at that, but could not be sure.
The young man pushed his glasses up his nose. "No; I'm an archeologist and linguist," he said. "I study other cultures, in hopes of making allies." He leaned toward her, his eyes boyishly hopeful. "I have to admit, though; I've never heard of your people."
Delenn frowned; since the truce more than ten years earlier, Minbari and humans had learned more about each other, and that information was freely available to the people of the Earth Alliance. Something was ... not right. "That is unusual," she offered. "Are you not part of the Earth Alliance?"
"Okay," the General interrupted rudely, "that's the second time you guys have mentioned that name. There's no alliance on Earth. We're all still beating the crap out of each other on a regular basis."
Delenn did not understand the man's phrasing, but his meaning was clear enough. She looked over at Colonel Carter, who was examining every piece of the shuttle as though she'd never seen one before, and a horrible suspicion shot through her mind. Before she had time to think it over, she asked: "General; what is the year?"
++++
"What's the year?" O'Neill frowned; cute she might be, but she was pretty weird.
The woman smiled slightly. "Humor me, General," she advised. "What is the year?"
"Uh; 2003," O'Neill said, not liking where this was going.
She dipped her head to him. "By your reckoning, this is the year 2259," she contradicted him.
The penny dropped for one General Jack O'Neill and he groaned, burying his head in his hands. "Oh, for cryin' out loud! Not again!" he complained.
Chapter Two
March 1, 2259 - Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5
Time travelers? Susan Ivanova blinked. She knew John Sheridan had a warped sense of humor, but this was out there even for him. "Sir?" she queried.
A wry grin appeared on her commanding officer's face. "You heard me, Commander," he said. "Until we figure out how to get them back where they came from, we've got them."
Ivanova sighed. "How do we know they're telling the truth, sir?" she said. "I hate to say this, but maybe Ms Winters ...". She could not believe she was even suggesting this - she'd always hated the Psi Corps.
"I've asked her to join us and our guests - will you join us, Commander?"
"Oh, wouldn't miss it, sir," Ivanova said emphatically.
++++
"Hmmm," Carter said, "looks like progress seems to have slowed. They haven't developed gravity fields yet."
"And what makes you think we're going to?" O'Neill said, a small grin curling his lips. When all else failed, he could always bait his 2IC.
"Sir; do you really want to see the statistical projections?"
'Your round, Carter,' O'Neill conceded. He so did not want to see statistics. He looked up as Captain Sheridan entered, followed closely by two women. Hmm, nice ... One was dark with a cute sprinkling of freckles across her nose, whilst the other was blonde and almost an ice maiden. "Captain," he said.
"General," the other man returned. "You realize we're going to have to verify your story before we decide what to do."
"Yeah," O'Neill agreed - had their positions been reversed, he would have done the same. He blinked as the icy blonde focused on him and the words came out before he could stop them. "Get out of my head," he growled.
All three looked startled, and Sheridan and the brunette looked angry. "I thought Psi Corps had a rule against unauthorized scans," the brunette said.
The blonde shrugged, looking impenitent. "He shouldn't have been able to detect a surface scan."
"Psi Corps? Why do I get the feeling that isn't as happy as it sounds?" O'Neill said, relieved that the blonde was now looking at the Captain.
"He's telling the truth, Captain," the blonde said.
"Dismissed, Ms Winters," Sheridan bit out. "And don't ever do that again."
The blonde strolled away and Sheridan looked at O'Neill. "I apologize for that, General," he said. "I don't agree with the Psi Corps, but EarthGov thinks they're necessary."
O'Neill rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Politicians," he grumbled. "Comforting to know some things don't change."
"General; this is my second in command, Susan Ivanova," Sheridan said now, although a twinkle in his eye seemed to suggest he agreed with O'Neill's views on politics. "She'll show you and your team to quarters, then we'll need you to go to Medlab for a full work-up."
"A-ah!" O'Neill exclaimed. Another thing that hadn't changed.
++++
Ivanova led her little band of time travelers along the corridors in silence, puzzled at how the General had been able to detect Talia's intrusion. The first human telepaths hadn't shown up in the gene pool until the mid 22nd century - more than a hundred years after O'Neill's time.
"So ... Russians and Americans are going to be working together some time in our future?" the linguist asked. "Alongside aliens?" He was practically bouncing.
"Easy, Danny," O'Neill muttered. He aimed a lopsided grin at Ivanova. "Boy drinks too much coffee," he added.
Ivanova returned the grin, knowing that she had the same failing. "So; is there anything you'd like to know about B5?" she asked.
The blonde Colonel touched her shoulder. "I'm curious about your gravity generators," she said. "They're very similar to those we use on our interstellar ships - how is it that progress hasn't been made?"
Ivanova shook her head. In her studies of Earth's early space history, there'd been no mention of interstellar capability. "I'm not an engineer, Colonel," she replied. "But I can give you access to the computers; you can find out everything you want from them."
"Thank you, Commander," the Colonel said.
Ivanova stepped into Medlab and looked for Franklin. He strolled out to greet her, his lively brown eyes filled with curiosity. "Morning, Commander," he said.
"Stephen," she said, then turned to her guests. "Well, I'll leave you in Doctor Franklin's capable hands," she added, not missing the wary look that crept onto the General's face.
"Geez," the General said, "you don't happen to have any huge honkin' needles, do ya, Doc?"
Ivanova turned away quickly before she could laugh in the General's face. Even though he wasn't from their time, he could still quite probably do something nasty to her. "Contact me when you're through, Stephen," she said and bolted out of the Medlab.
++++
There were needles, but they weren't huge honkin' ones, O'Neill noted with relief. The young doctor had carried out a battery of tests. "You're all in good health," he pronounced, "although I'm detecting traces of an unknown substance in the Colonel's and Teal'c's blood."
Carter looked uncomfortable. "I was host to an alien life-form known as a Goa'uld - naqadah is a part of the Goa'uld's make-up."
"And I carried the larval form for over a century," Teal'c put in quietly.
The young doctor let out a whistle. "You're older than you look, then," he offered. "But I'd like to know more about these ... Goa'uld."
"Of course." Teal'c dipped his head in his customary gesture of respect.
"Uh, Doc? We good to go?" O'Neill said. He hated infirmaries and he could see that Daniel was practically bouncing at the idea of exploring this space station. They'd have to hog-tie him to Teal'c to keep him from going nuts.
"Yes, General," the doctor replied. "But come back tomorrow, and I'll repair your knee."
O'Neill shrugged, feeling it ache again. "I'm kinda used to it now," he said. "I blew it out a while ago, and it goes every now and then. There's not much can be done about it."
"We can replace the ligaments," the young man said, "with a bionic implant."
O'Neill mulled that one over. "Cool," he said. "Kinda like Steve Austin." The young man looked puzzled, and O'Neill shook his head. "Never mind - before your time," he added. Way, way before.
++++
O'Neill and his team wandered onto the Zocalo. "Holy Hannah," Carter whispered - she was getting more like her old man each day.
Literally hundreds of ... people milled around - some human, some close to human, and some so far off human that they seemed to need weird looking tanks. "Yeah," O'Neill agreed less than articulately.
A young guy with the same bony crest as Draal's appeared and bowed slightly to them. "Welcome to Babylon 5," he said. "I am Lennier; aide to Ambassador Delenn."
"I'm Daniel," the linguist said, taking the lead as he usually did in meet and greets. "This is Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter and Teal'c."
Lennier kinda reminded O'Neill of Daniel - that same wide-eyed innocence and eagerness to meet people. O'Neill couldn't remember when he'd been that naive.
"It is good to meet you," Lennier said now, seemingly unfazed at the way all four towered over him - Teal'c especially. "Delenn has asked me to show you around - there are parts of this station that are not desirable."
"We can look after ourselves," Teal'c rumbled.
Lennier smiled slightly and bowed at the Jaffa. "I believe you," he said, "but why invite trouble?"
The guy had a point, O'Neill had to admit. "Okay, kids," he said, "let's go!"
++++
Ivanova finished off her vodka and looked around. She didn't usually sit in the public cafeteria - she preferred Earhart's - and wondered at her unusual behavior.
"Evening, Commander," General O'Neill said quietly.
"Good evening, sir," Ivanova said, smothering a smirk at his messy hair - he was so ... atypical for a General. She waved her hand at the air. "Where's the rest of your team?"
"We split off a while back," he said, swinging a chair around and straddling it. "Daniel's off visiting with the locals, Carter's grilling your techs and Teal'c's gone off to spar with someone called G'Kar."
"Ah." Now, that would be an interesting match; Ivanova had never seen such a big human in her life as the one called Teal'c. "And what're you doing?"
"Bein' bored," O'Neill said plaintively, shoving his hand through his gray hair. That explained its current mess. He aimed a lopsided grin at her. "Care to be bored with me, Commander?"
Ivanova looked at the General. Even though he was a lot older than her, she had to admit he was attractive with his brown eyes and tall, lean frame. "Yes, sir," she said. "Let's go to the officers' club," she added.
++++
Seated in Earhart's, Ivanova with another vodka and O'Neill with a whiskey, Ivanova broached the subject that absorbed her. "I'm guessing you don't have telepaths in your time," she said.
O'Neill looked at her warily. "No," he said. "Why?"
"Then I'm curious as to how you could feel Talia scanning you." She wondered if he was a latent telepath, then realized that she did not want Bester to get a hold of him.
O'Neill shrugged. "My brain's been messed with a few times by alien doohickeys," he said. "Maybe that left me sensitive to intrusion."
Ivanova thought over that - he sounded so casual about his experiences, and she wondered what else had happened to this man. He'd only recently reached his current rank, having served with the military for over twenty years, and he'd admitted to doing some 'damn distasteful things' for his country before clamping shut. Ivanova had her own personal demons, so she knew better than to question him. "I suppose," she acknowledged, sighing as a familiar figure swaggered over to her.
"Good evening, Commander!" he said. "I thought I would come and greet our guests."
"Ambassador; this is the officers' club," Ivanova said as politely as she could. Her attitude toward the Centauri vacillated between exasperation and amusement.
"Ah!" Londo held up a plump hand. "Technically speaking, your guest is not an officer either - he does not serve Earthforce, yes?"
Ivanova sighed again - the guy had a point. "Ambassador Londo Mollari of Centauri Prime; this is General Jack O'Neill."
"Greetings," Londo said in his mellifluous Centauri accent. He held up a bottle. "Would you care for some Brivari, General? It's very good."
Chapter Three
March 2, 2259 - Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5
Security Chief Michael Garibaldi strolled into the Captain's office, a little peeved that he hadn't been included in yesterday's briefing with the time-traveling quartet. "Captain," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Michael," Sheridan returned. "I figured it was time you met our guests."
Garibaldi looked at them assessingly. The woman was gorgeous, with short blonde hair in a pixie cut and wide blue eyes. The three men flanking her all looked fit and strong - definitely military. The oldest guy, a General from what Susan had said, didn't look very well. "You don't look so good, sir," he said.
The guy put a hand to his head as if afraid it would float off. "Some guy with big hair introduced me to a drink called Brivari," he explained.
Say no more. Garibaldi smothered a grin. "That had to be Londo," he said. He turned back to his Captain. He'd not been sure how to take Sheridan at first - his style was very different from Sinclair's - but he was beginning to trust him. "Something I can do for you?" he asked.
"We have a problem," Sheridan said. "Talia's informed the Psi Corps about the General's abilities. They're sending our good friend, Mister Bester, to scan him. If he is telepathic, they'll want to take him back to Psi Corps."
"That's so not gonna happen," the General said. "I don't care how many Nazis posing as mind-cops show up."
Garibaldi fought back another grin - he so liked this guy. "Agreed," he told the General. "Are you telepathic?"
"Geez; I can barely read my own mind, never mind someone else's," the General said. "My head's been screwed with so many times I'm kinda gettin' used to it."
"The Psi Corps won't care," Ivanova put in bitterly. "Even a latent telepath not with the Corps is a danger to them."
"A-ah, for cryin' out loud!" the General snapped, then winced. "Crap," he added in a near-whisper. "I'm not a latent telepath."
++++
"Well, that remains to be seen, doesn't it?" someone inquired pleasantly, strolling into Sheridan's office.
O'Neill squinted through his five-alarm hangover at the newcomer. A good deal shorter than himself, dressed entirely in black. Nazi. He even had the jackboots. "Let me guess; Psi Corps?" he muttered.
"Very good, General!" the man applauded. "My young associate informs me that you were able to detect a surface scan - unusual for a man from your era."
"What can I say; I'm a unique and wonderful guy," O'Neill shot back, really hating this guy. He wondered briefly if Maybourne had come back as this guy - nah, the universe couldn't hate him that much, could it?
The mind cop smiled widely. "Alfred Bester, Psi Cops, rating P12," he said. "So; what do you think of the 23rd century?"
O'Neill shrugged. "Politicians, people screwing each other over, war, death ... Not much has changed," he dismissed. "You've just taken it interstellar."
Bester laughed. "You're an interesting man, General O'Neill," he said, pulling off his gloves. Sheridan started out of his seat. "Do not interfere, Captain - I'm under orders from Earth Dome to ascertain this man's status."
"You won't find anything, Bester," O'Neill said. "There's a lot of crap in there, but nothing telepathic."
"We'll see," Bester said, putting his hand near O'Neill's forehead.
Oh, crap ... O'Neill thought he'd experienced pain before - torture by the Iraqis, various Goa'uld, the Ancient repository. This was worse. He trembled, every nerve ending feeling like it was on fire as the cop plowed mercilessly through his memories. That op in Nicaragua that had left three of his team dead; the assassination of a high-up drug lord and the prime minister supporting him; Charlie ...
Bester dropped his hand, sweat standing out on his forehead. "You've lead an ... interesting life, General," he said, sounding not as calm as he had earlier. "But you are not a telepath. Therefore, you're of no interest to us."
O'Neill sucked in an unsteady breath. "Told ya," he managed to smirk.
"Now, get the hell off this station, Mister Bester," Sheridan said.
"Of course." Bester pulled his glove back on. "Enjoy your stay, General."
O'Neill swayed and felt the Russian female catch at him. "You'd better sit down, sir," she advised him. "I've seen Bester's victims before."
O'Neill had never felt so weak ... or so cold. And that was after spending God knows how long stuck in the Antarctic with Carter. "Cold," he muttered, rubbing his hands up and down his arms.
Sheridan tapped at the back of his hand. "Doctor Franklin; report to my office," he said.
"On my way, sir," Franklin replied.
"So, that was a Psi Cop?" O'Neill said, taking a cup of coffee gratefully from Ivanova. "Smarmy little SOB."
++++
Despite his concern about the General's mental condition - after all, he'd just been mind-raped - Garibaldi had to smile at that crack. He could get to like this guy. "For what it's worth, General, I'm sorry you had to go through that," he said, knowing that it was probably worth nothing.
"It's okay." O'Neill's shoulders moved in a shrug and he wrapped his hands around the cup. "After seven years bouncing around the galaxy, I thought I'd seen every kind of torture - just goes to show you should never presume, huh?"
"Yeah." Despite the difference in their ranks, Garibaldi had the feeling that he and O'Neill were cut from the same cloth.
O'Neill sipped at the coffee and grimaced. "I see commissary coffee hasn't gotten any better in the last couple centuries," he commented, the color returning to his face. He looked up as Franklin entered the room. "What's up, Doc?" he asked, then chuckled wryly.
Garibaldi grinned - a Bugs Bunny fan? He preferred Daffy Duck himself, but Bugs was pretty funny.
++++
O'Neill stretched his long legs in the bed, wondering how the hell he'd gotten to his temporary quarters. He yawned and flung back the covers, feeling ravenous, then realized that he was dressed only in shorts and a T-shirt. He hoped the doctor had been the one to undress him, not the cute Russian girl.
He chuckled slightly - he had to be feeling better if he was worried about who'd seen him naked - then headed into the living quarters. He skidded to a halt as he saw Ivanova sitting there. "Commander?" he said.
"Stephen asked me to keep an eye on you, General," she said, her eyes skittering away from him. "I know exactly what the Psi Cops are like," she added in low tones, "and you were dead against going to Medlab."
"Yeah." O'Neill plowed a hand through his hair, noticing that the younger woman was in civvies, with her dark hair curling about her shoulders. "No offense to your doc or anything, but I hate hospitals."
++++
Ivanova's gaze skittered away from the General's long legs. He'd evidently spent a lot of time in hospitals, judging by the scars on his lean frame. 'Stop staring at him!', she chided herself. He was attractive - okay; gorgeous, she admitted - but he'd be going back to his own time soon enough, and she didn't do one night stands ... any more.
"Well, I'd better get dressed," O'Neill said now. "I need a walk."
"Then I should go, sir," Ivanova said, getting up from the sofa, her eyes now noting the broad shoulders. Yes; he was a General, but he was also an attractive one. She had good eyesight, and had no problem in using that sight to her advantage.
He shoved his hand through his hair. "Commander; I'm not part of your military," he said. "I think it's okay to call me Jack."
"Jack," she said. "Then I'm Susan."
"Susan," he said. "Care to join me for my stroll?"
Ivanova looked at the older man's brown eyes and gave in with a sigh. She'd always been a sucker for brown eyes. "Sure," she said.
++++
O'Neill groaned under his breath as he saw the plump Centauri hurry over to them. What was with that frickin' hair, anyway? Maybe it was from that hooch he drank - it had certainly made O'Neill's hair stand on end when he'd tried it last night. "Hey," he said casually.
"General," Londo said, then beamed at a startled Ivanova. "Commander; I understand that you have recently come into possession of some very old Brivari."
"Word gets around," the Russian muttered. "Are you interested?" she asked sweetly.
Something in that sweet tone warned O'Neill that trouble wasn't far behind - in some ways she reminded him of Carter, though she wasn't as patient as his 2IC.
"Let us not ... how do you say ... beat around the bush," Londo replied. "How much for the bottle?"
"It's not for sale," Ivanova said shortly.
Perhaps the Centauri realized that he was treading on thin ice, because he backed away from the younger woman, his hands held up. "If this is not a good time, I will come back," he said, and walked away.
For a plump guy, he sure could move quick, O'Neill mused. "You okay?" he said. "He's pretty annoying, isn't he?"
She blew out a breath, then flashed a smile at him that made her nose crinkle. Those freckles really were cute, making her look younger than her possible thirty years. "He can be," she admitted, "but he can be fun."
++++
"I had a good time tonight," O'Neill said, pausing outside Ivanova's quarters. He'd walked her home, and a small part of her had liked the old-fashioned gesture, rarely seen any more.
Ivanova smiled at the man, her head spinning slightly from the red wine. "I did too," she said. They had a similar wry sense of humor and had laughed a great deal ... or that could have been the alcohol. "Would you like to come in?" she added.
He put a hand to her cheek. "If I come in, I won't leave," he said. "I find you really attractive."
"That's all right," Ivanova said, "but don't make any promises."
"Deal," he replied. His hand was warm on her hip as they entered her quarters.
Chapter Four
March 6, 2259 - Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5
"Oh, for cryin' out loud!"
Carter looked up from the little hand-held computer she'd borrowed from Lieutenant Corwin at the familiar exclamation coming from the unfamiliar Commander Ivanova. She'd noticed that the General and the Russian had been spending time together, which was unusual, given Jack O'Neill's only half-joking attitude toward Russians. "Problem, Commander?" she asked.
Ivanova pounded her hand to her forehead. "Just before you arrived on Epsilon 3, we noticed unusual activity - like a jump gate gone nuts," she said. "I saw the same effect a few years ago, when I was serving at the jump point off of Io - it was caused by a solar flare."
Carter groaned, recalling that a solar flare had been responsible for their last excursion through time. "I'm familiar," she said dryly, flinching as Security Chief Michael Garibaldi appeared in C and C. Did the guy have an antenna for her? Everywhere she was, he showed up. A good thing in a security chief, she guessed, but it was damned annoying.
She decided to ignore him and headed for the main computer console. Yes; the tech was ahead of hers, but she'd dealt with Asgard and Ancient technology before, and had adapted rather well to Earthforce systems.
++++
Ivanova watched the blonde woman as she touched several of the controls rapidly, with the swift surety of one who barely needs to look at them. "Commander," Garibaldi said, appearing silently next to her.
"Hey, Chief," she said. She nodded to Carter. "She's good, isn't she?"
The Chief nodded. "Damn good," he agreed. "I know she's two centuries behind us, but give her another week and she could probably upgrade all our tech. I don't like it."
"What's the problem?"
Garibaldi heaved his big shoulders. "Well, for starters; I don't know her, so I don't trust her."
Sometimes Ivanova wondered if Michael had some Russian heritage. "There's a lot of people you don't know," she said.
"Yeah; that worries me," he replied wryly. "Then whatever Bester saw in O'Neill's head scared the hell out of him."
Ivanova chuckled without humor. "You feeling sorry for Bester all of a sudden?"
"Hell, no; in fact I got a kick out of it," Garibaldi admitted. "But since when has a Psi Cop ever been scared by a 'mundane'? O'Neill has Black Ops written all over him."
"Black Ops?" The term was not familiar to Ivanova.
"Read your history books, Commander," Garibaldi advised. "In his time, the government employed shadow operatives to carry out the dirty deeds - assassinations, stings, infiltrations of drugs rings, you name it."
"So?"
"So; what's a guy like that doing in charge of a bunch of space-happy explorers and a linguist?"
"Maybe you should ask him," Ivanova suggested with a grin.
"I did," said Garibaldi, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Weirdest thing I've ever seen - his eyes went completely dead, then he just blew me off." He nodded toward Carter. "Then there's her - forty kinds of smart; how come she's not in charge of the whole schmeer?"
"You're not going to get any answers from me, Chief," Ivanova said. Paranoia was a useful thing - she couldn't have done without it - but the Chief tended to take it too far.
++++
Jack O'Neill watched as G'Kar and Londo exchanged harsh words and Londo stormed away. For a fat guy, he certainly flounced. "May I join you, General?" the Narn inquired politely.
O'Neill shrugged. "Be my guest," he said.
The red-eyed warrior sat down opposite O'Neill. "How are you settling in?" he wanted to know.
"Okay," O'Neill said. "It makes a pleasant change to meet aliens who aren't wanting to screw us over."
"Then I would advise you to stay away from Mollari," G'Kar said. "He is not to be trusted."
"I couldn't help but notice you two have ... history," O'Neill offered.
"His people and mine are blood enemies. The Narn will not rest until Centauri bones have been carved to make toys for little Narn babies."
"Sweet," O'Neill muttered, wondering what the hell the effete-looking Londo could have done to engender such hatred.
"His people enslaved mine for over one hundred of your years," G'Kar said now. "We do not forgive or forget such treatment."
"Surely you can only hold a grudge for so long, though," O'Neill said, wincing at the comment. Great; Danny was rubbing off on him.
The warrior looked at him. "You are a soldier, O'Neill," he said. "Surely you have more than one enemy who you would delight in destroying - no matter how long it takes."
Snake-boy Ba'al. Since Anubis's defeat, Ba'al had taken Anubis's super-soldiers and was intent on carving up the System Lords' various domains. But it was personal for Jack O'Neill, since his stay at the fortress ... O'Neill slammed that thought back into its cage with the ease of years of practice. "I take your point," he said.
"And now to the reason for my speaking with you," G'Kar said. "What is the nature of your relationship with Samantha Carter?"
O'Neill blinked. "We're friends," he said - although in several other realities, they'd been more. "And I'm her commanding officer."
"Then you do not think her attractive?"
O'Neill squirmed; this was so not a conversation he wanted to have. "I didn't say that," he hedged. "Why're you asking?" Time to turn the spotlight back on G'Kar.
The Narn dipped his head. "I have always had a proclivity for human women," he admitted. "They are all so different, and all so beautiful - each in their own way. I would like to get to know her better."
++++
"Bingo!" Carter slammed her hands to the console in triumph, startling the tall young tech working next to her. "There's another flare coming in 16 hours. It'll hit Epsilon 3 two hours later." She looked over at Ivanova. "Can you arrange to get us down there?"
"It may not work," Ivanova warned her pessimistically.
"Worth a shot," Carter said cheerfully. She'd enjoyed her time on this sprawling space station, but she knew they didn't belong here. Besides, if they stayed here, she'd never see her Dad again. And Earth needed them in the past, not now.
++++
Doctor Daniel Jackson was in ... if not heaven, then someplace close. He'd spent the last few days prowling round most of the station, getting to know the myriad life-forms. He'd even visited with the Gaim and the reclusive Kosh - although that being had been less forthcoming than Oma Desala at her weirdest. He wondered anew if there was any connection between the Ascended and the Vorlons.
He felt a smile appear on his lips as Ambassador Delenn approached him - petite and delicate; she was just adorable. Unfortunately, he'd clued in rather early that there seemed to be something between her and Captain Sheridan. "Daniel," she greeted him.
"Good afternoon, Delenn," he said, giving her a little bow Minbari-style as Lennier had taught him. "I've been reading about Valen, and I'd like to ask you some questions about him."
"I wish that I could oblige you, Daniel," she said regretfully, "but I understand that General O'Neill is looking for you." A flicker of mischief appeared on her piquant face. "He appears less than pleased that you have deactivated your communications device."
Ouch. That's right; Kosh had asked him to switch off his radio during their encounter. Daniel switched it back on sheepishly. "Uh; Daniel to Jack, come in."
"And about time too, for cryin' out loud!" came back the dulcet tones of his commanding officer, best friend, and general pain in the butt. "Carter's onto something. Get your butt to the flight deck - we're taking a little trip."
"Will do, Jack," Daniel said, flicking the switch. He smiled down at the petite Minbari. "I guess you know what that means," he said.
She returned the smile. "You should go, Daniel," she said. "General O'Neill is not the most patient of men."
Understatement of the century, Daniel mused. "I ... uh ... Sam's pretty smart," he said - another understatement. "If this works, I won't be coming back. So, I'll say goodbye now."
She bowed to him. "I have enjoyed your company very much, Daniel Jackson," she said. "You have a fine mind and a good heart - you should not remain alone."
"Any more like you around?" he quipped lightly, yet knowing that he was only partly kidding.
"Now you are flattering me, Daniel," she teased. "You should go before the General decides to send security after you."
++++
Delenn smiled slightly as the young human strode away, then her smile broadened as she saw her favorite human appear silently beside her. Not that she would tell him that, yet - his ego was already healthy enough. "Captain," she said politely.
"Ambassador," he returned. "You've been spending a lot of time with him," he added.
'Why, Captain; you're jealous.' "That young man is a walking question mark," she said. "Every question I answered generated five more questions."
"Well, I have a question," he said, putting his hands behind his back. Delenn had noticed he often did that when he was feeling unsure of himself. "Dinner tonight?"
She smiled teasingly at him. "I always eat in the evening, Captain," she told him. "Except of course for when I am fasting."
He smiled down at her. "You crack me up," he said wryly. "Will you join me for dinner tonight?" he added.
"I will," she said. "Seven o'clock? In my quarters?"
"I look forward to it," he said.
Chapter Five
Epsilon 3
"I think it's working, General," Carter said, putting her tool kit away.
"Then dial 'er up, Colonel," O'Neill said. The solar flare had hit two hours ago, and it was only now cool enough for them to venture out of the shuttle to go home.
Carter hit the symbols, then pressed the center button. The wormhole gushed out, and Sheridan and Ivanova stepped back in amazement. "Cool, huh?" O'Neill grinned. "Well, guys; it's been a blast," he said, shaking the Earthforce officers' hands, and holding on a little more gently to Ivanova's. "You're quite a gal, Susan," he said.
Sheridan looked at him quizzically, but decided not to pursue whatever was on his mind. "Good luck, General," he said instead.
"Back at ya," O'Neill said. "Oh, and keep an eye on that Bester guy - he's a buttload of trouble just waiting to happen." He didn't know why he was so certain of that - he just knew that the contact had not been one-way, and the images in the Psi Cop's mind had been disturbing, even by O'Neill's standards.
"We will, General," Sheridan said. "How will we know if you've made it home?"
O'Neill paused, then remembered something that Delenn had told him. "We'll send you a gift," he said. "May take a while, but keep checking up." Then he grinned at his team. "Let's go, kids!" he said.
++++
Stargate Command, Cheyenne Mountain, 2003
"Receiving SG-1's IDC, Colonel," Sergeant Davis told Colonel Reynolds; the Marine who'd been placed in temporary charge of the SGC.
"Open it," Reynolds said. The iris opened and the wormhole erupted into the 'gate room with its familiar swooshing effect. He activated the mike. "Welcome back, sir," he said. "Short trip."
O'Neill scowled up at him. "Short trip? Reynolds; we were gone for a week!"
"No, sir - you were gone only an hour," Reynolds contradicted the Air Force officer.
"Ah, geez!"
++++
December 15, 2259 - Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5
"John; we have received a communication from Draal," Delenn said, hurrying into C and C. "He says that a package has arrived for you."
Sheridan scowled down at the reports of Nightwatch activities, apparently aided and abetted by the Psi Corps. Was this the trouble General O'Neill had warned him about nine months earlier? "What?" he said absently.
"John," Delenn repeated patiently, tugging on her friend's arm. "We must go to Epsilon 3. Your parcel has arrived."
"Later, Delenn," he said, not even looking up from the report. "I'm busy."
"I promised him we would go immediately," Delenn said, making her eyes big and appealing - a human trick she'd learned from Commander Ivanova. "You would not wish me to lose face with Draal, would you?"
He sighed and looked at her. "You can be a real ...". He stopped whatever he was going to say, then sighed again. "Let's go."
++++
Epsilon 3
"Welcome, Sheridan!" Draal's sonorous tones greeted him as he and Delenn stepped into the chamber where Draal was literally plugged into machinery. "Your package arrived safely."
A large box stood on a rocky outcropping and Sheridan went over to it. It bore a note in what was evidently O'Neill's handwriting - just as brash as the man himself. 'Captain; sorry it took so long, but we're a couple centuries behind you folks. Anyway, Carter loved the challenge. We're back safe on Earth, and things are pretty quiet for the moment. Merry Christmas. O'Neill and the gang.'
Sheridan opened the package and a vaguely familiar smell hit his nose. Could it be ...? He dived in and removed a yellow package with the name Nestle Tollhouse on it. The name meant nothing to him, but the smell ... "How did he know?" he said, clutching the pack of chocolate like it was a lifeline.
Delenn smiled mischievously at him. "I told him, John," she said. She tucked her hand through his arm. "Just make sure Stephen doesn't see you on the station with that," she added.
"You know; you're an accessory," he said solemnly. "You'll have to help me get rid of the evidence."
She grimaced. "Minbari rarely metabolize sugar," she said.
"This isn't just sugar - it's chocolate," he shot back. "Besides, you're half human - I've never met a human woman yet who didn't love chocolate."
She laughed lightly, and he touched her soft dark hair. They'd been through so much together the last few months - it was time a little bit of mischief intruded their way.
And thanks to General O'Neill and his time-traveling friends, he knew exactly what he was going to do now.
THE END
Author's Note: Just a fun little fic I felt like doing. Plus, there's my evil little demon that thought Jack and a Russian would be a cute combo!
10
|
|
|