Chapter 37
Diplomatic Encampment, Alaris
Day One of the Confederation Deliberative Assembly
Daniel wandered about the tent city on Alaris with fascinated eyes in the free early morning hours before the Phase IV deliberative assembly would commence at noon. The camp was an eclectic profusion of Earth canvas-frame military tents, Jaffa yurts, and a multitude of temporary pavilions set up by different ethnical groups—yet defined so that no nation’s camp area intruded into another’s and everyone had access to all communal water and cooking stations.
The structures set up were a profusion of colour and materials—an eclectic collage that was echoed in the sky above with the multitude of spaceships in orbit above the planet. North of camp was the unloading and docking grounds for smaller ships like Goa’uld teltacs and alkeshes, Earth battleships, a multitude of others that he didn’t recognise the ethnic origins of, and Aschen freighters. The Aschen-style spaceships had individual planetary emblems painted where the Aschen crest, of a stylised firebird, use to be. A good indication that those ships had been vessels claimed during Phase II operations on those planets.
Resistance personnel managing camp order and security were recognisable by white bands of cloth secured around their upper arms that displayed a peridot coloured symbol on top of native ethnical clothing. The emblem had puzzled him for some time before he had seen it on the side of a resistance ship large enough to distinguish that it was five Asgärd letters intricately arranged: éðel, hægl, nyd, eh, and lagu.
Those five letters spelt Ohnel—the phonetic spelling of O’Neill in Asgärd.
A man he had yet to see hide or hair of since his arrival some days ago and been actively hunting ever since. Even while paying his respects to all the alien representatives and ambassadors he knew before the deliberative assembly commenced. Inquiring after Jack in the different camps usually resulted in three answers: Jack had departed the camp shortly before he arrived, was believed to be onboard his command ship the Asgärd vessel Iðavöllr, or visiting the construction site for the hall.
His only hope now was to accost the man at the now complete hall before the deliberative assembly began. Although how he was going to serve as aid to Weir and simultaneously keep Jack on the diplomatic track Daniel had yet to figure out, but he was certain he would manage.
Hearing a chime from his wristwatch Daniel glanced at the device and registered the time. Wishing that time did not pass so quickly he stopped absorbing and studying his surroundings and headed back his tent to prepare for the afternoon.
. . .
Daniel, smartly dressed in an Earth suit accompanied an equally smartly dressed Weir in a woman’s trouser suit to the domed hall as all the representatives began assembling. As the line of people slowly entered the building Daniel caught sight of a uniformed Jack approaching. While the attire was the same colour and cut of his Air Force dress uniform with visor, the uniform Jack now wore was striped off all rank insignia and awards and decorations of honour; making Jack’s chest curiously bare of ornaments in Daniel’s eyes who was accustomed to seeing him with his military awards.
Daniel squeezed Weir’s arm to get her attention and spoke lowly when the woman tilted her head up towards his.
“I just saw Jack,” Daniel gestured in the man’s direction so that Earth’s UN representative could see him as well. “I’ll be right back.”
Weir nodded her head in understanding and indicated she would remain in line. She knew that her aid had attempted to meet up with his old friend since their arrival on Alaris with no success.
As Daniel moved towards Jack he was a little surprised that Jack wasn’t surrounded by military but by what appeared to be more diplomats. Although considering the sheer number of resistance soldiers on Alaris compared to the second largest security group—Earth’s AF forces—perhaps it was not so surprising security around Commander O’Neill was relatively relaxed in appearance. Appearances could be deceiving afterwards, as two of the diplomats he now recognised as Tok’ra by their garments, and who knew the true power of the Iðavöllr in orbit.
“Jack!” Daniel cried out when close enough to get Jack’s attention. It worked as Jack turned his head towards Daniel and actually stopped walking so that Daniel could close the distance between them.
“Hello Daniel,” Jack greeted as soon as the archaeologist reached him.
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for ages Jack,” Daniel scolded, “and I know you are busy but could you at least have taken the time to reply to one of my emails.”
Jack flicked a silvered eyebrow upwards and remained silent.
Daniel sighed at the deliberate rebuttal, acknowledging in his own mind that yes, perhaps he had sent Jack a little too many emails but that did not mean Jack could not have responded to at least one.
“Is there anything else Daniel?” Jack finally asked after enduring Daniel’s chastising look for longer then he cared to deal with. “We really should get going as we’re scheduled to start in fifteen.”
“Okay,” Daniel agreed, knowing that now was not the time to question or chastise Jack—nor the place. Questioning and chastising was always much better done in private when dealing with Jack. “Where are you sitting so I can join you?”
Jack appeared to be taking lessons from Teal’c as his eyebrow rose even higher. “Did I miss something? Daniel, aren’t you here as an aid?”
Daniel blinked behind the lenses of his glasses and said cautiously, “Yes. But what does that have to do with anything?”
“It means Daniel, I will sit in my seat with my aid and you will sit with…” Jack looked to his aid Sally.
“UN representative Dr Elizabeth Weir,” Sally supplied obligingly.
“…and you two will sit where our seating system sits you.” Jack concluded as he looked back at Daniel.
“You mean I won’t be with you?” Daniel was befuddled.
“No Daniel,” Jack shook his head. “You won’t be.”
“But, Jack! What about…” Daniel looked uncomfortable as he looked at the faces behind the resistance commander.
“What about what?” Jack asked with exasperation.
Daniel looked increasingly uncomfortable before finally confessing, “Jack, you’re not the most diplomatic person—”
“So you want to sit with me so I watch my mouth?” Jack said acerbically before spearing his old friend with a glacial look. “Daniel, I’ve managed fine without you for the past ten years. I think I can do the same for this.”
Daniel was so floored by that sharp response that he just blinked owlishly after Jack and his group as they moved on past him, angling off to take one of the side doors into the hall. For a few moments Daniel stood there before shaking off his stupor by stuffing it into the back of his mind to deal with later. He had a deliberative assembly to attend. Turning around he hurried back to Weir’s side just as the woman reached the entrance door. Entering the hall, there was no need for their eyes to adjust once inside the building because the transparent material of the structure’s top allowed the noon day sun to illuminate the interior.
The building was shaped and laid out like an ancient amphitheatre with emblems of each nation embossed on the section of tables and chairs they were expected to sit upon. At the front of the hall raised slightly above and behind the unadorned speaker’s podium was another section of two tables. Of the emblems there he recognised only four: the resistance’s symbol, the Nox fenri, the Tok’ra poplar tree, and surprisingly, the stylised firebird of the Aschen. Turning his attention to where the representatives would sit as he looked at the emblems, he could not see any pattern to the seating arrangement as allied, federated, and treaty nations were freely mingled.
“There,” Weir murmured to him as she pointed high and near the back to the picture of an Earth world map cradled by two olive branches. They made their way up the isle closest to their chairs to take their seats, set up their electronic devices for taking notes, and settled in to wait.
Fifteen minutes later after the last of the representatives had taken their seats, resistance Commander Jack O’Neill stepped up to the podium and began the deliberative assembly.