You Get What You Need 19

by Glenda

URL: http://area52hkh.net/asg/glenda/youget19.php
Summary: None

Daniel looked around the opulent receiving room of The Khan. A large chair sat on a raised dais, covered in rich red and gold fabric. There were rich coloured tapestries covering the walls of stone.

Most of the buildings The People lived in were made from bamboo; The Khan's palace was stone. The belief was that the gods had wanted it made just for The Khan.

Daniel used his time waiting for the Khan appear by studying the tapestries that were hanging on the walls. They showed the daily life of The People but there were a couple that intrigued him; they showed large white clouds heading up to the sky. He wondered what it meant.

As he moved about, he could feel Teal'c's eyes following him everywhere he went.

"Teal'c, is there something wrong?" Daniel turned to see the Jaffa standing at attention in the middle of the room.

"No, Daniel Jackson. Why do you ask?"

"Because I've felt your eyes burning a hole through me from the moment we left the Stargate."

"I have no such ability."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "After all the years you spent with Jack you know exactly what I mean. Now what's going on? I know we didn't get much time to spend together since I got back from DC, and then this little mess showed up."

"I must admit I was most surprised when you brought back Anthony DiNozzo to join our team."

Daniel stepped closer. He knew going in that not everyone in the SGC would like his relationship with Tony, but he had hoped that his teammates would be more accepting than the average grunt. "And you don't approve?"

"I did not say that. I said I was surprised. Anthony DiNozzo is a fine warrior and worthy of respect. However, I did not think you would be returning to the SGC."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You went to your nation's capital to tell O'Neill about your feelings for him, correct?"

Daniel couldn't believe his ears but he should have known if anyone had figured out his feelings for Jack, it would be Teal'c. Not much got past the Jaffa.

"Yeah, I did tell Jack. He said he was flattered, but he didn't feel the same way about me."

"He's a fool then."

The anger in Teal'c voice was unexpected. "Thanks, Teal'c, but Jack did me a favour; I couldn't imagine being without Tony."

"Anthony DiNozzo is a blessed man."

Daniel blushed. "I feel pretty blessed, too. Oh, I wanted to thank you for taking it easy on Tony when you were sparring."

"I did no such thing. Our enemies do not take it easy. Anthony DiNozzo is a skilled fighter and therefore worthy of caring for your wellbeing."

Before Daniel could tell Teal'c that he'd been looking out for his own wellbeing for years, there was a loud fanfare from just outside the room. The Khan was here.

Both Teal'c and Daniel sank to their knees to show the proper reverence to the leader of The People.

A young man with dark black hair walked out from behind the throne. There wasn't a blemish on his mocha-coloured face. He looked at them, and a large toothy smile appeared.

"Ah, Doctor Daniel, I am pleased to meet you again," The Khan said, in a bright happy voice. "I only wish it were under better circumstances."

The Khan offered both Daniel and Teal'c his hands. He pulled them up to their feet.

"Yes, what happened to Sergeant Delfino has been stressful on both sides," Daniel said.

"Who is your friend?"

"Oh, forgive my manners. This is Master Teal'c of the newly formed free Jaffa nation. Master Teal'c is my-"

"Bodyguard. I've been entrusted with the important task of keeping Daniel Jackson safe."

"Not an easy job?" The Khan asked.

Daniel could feel his cheeks flame when Teal'c looked at him. "You have no idea how difficult it can be."

"Hey," Daniel protested. "We aren't here to assassinate my character."

"No, of course not," The Khan said, leading them to a small table and three chairs. Both Daniel and The Khan sat, but Teal'c remained standing, giving off his best don't-mess-with-me vibes. Tony would be pleased that Teal'c had followed his orders so exactly.

"What is it I can do for you, Doctor Daniel?"

"We came to talk to you about Sergeant Delfino."

"I cannot pardon him. If he is guilty he must be punished according to our laws."

"You see the thing is, Khan Rochi, we don't think he did do it."

"He didn't? I find that hard to believe. I was there. I saw him laying beside the girl, holding the knife, her blood all over him."

"How was he holding the knife?" Teal'c asked.

"What difference could that possibly make?"

"Believe me," Daniel said. "It matters."

"Fine. He was holding it by the end, with two fingers."

Daniel dug out a pen. "Like this?" He took the pen by its end, just barely holding onto it with two fingers.

"Yes, just like that."

"There may be hope," Daniel said to Teal'c. He was grateful that Tony had spent time teaching him some of the finer points of forensics, although watching the Discovery Channel helped, too.

"Khan, we would like to see the murder weapon, and run a few tests on it."

"I have already allowed you to examine the girl."

"Yes, and we are most grateful. But we would like to examine the knife to see if we can prove or disprove that Sergeant Delfino killed the girl."

"How can you do that?"

Daniel tried to think of an easy way to explain fingerprints. "If you look at the ends of your fingers you will notice that there are swirls."

"Yes."

"Well, no two people's are the same. When you touch something, the oil from your fingers leaves a print behind. A member of my team has a powder that will help show us these prints. We can then check them against Delfino's or anyone else's to see if they used the knife."

"I told you that Sergeant Delfino did touch the knife."

Daniel knew he was on thin ice. He would have to be careful or he would come off sounding like he was accusing The Khan of lying.

Teal'c stepped forward. "Yes, Khan, you did, but it is most difficult to kill someone holding onto the end of the knife." The Jaffa took Daniel's pen.

"It takes a great deal of strength to shove a knife into someone, even if that person is unconscious. It would be impossible to kill using only the tip." Teal'c's large hand closed around the pen. "You need all your weight behind the thrust."

"So if Delfino killed the girl, these fingerprints would be all over the knife?" The Khan asked, sounding please with himself.

"Yes, sir," Daniel said. "Or someone else's if they killed the girl."

"Ah, yes, I see. Fine, I will allow you to see the knife, and to run whatever tests you want, but you have only until the ceremony. The murder weapon is to be destroyed in the fire that will return our sister to the gods."

Great, another deadline, Daniel thought.

"Of course, Khan, we understand." They didn't have to like it, but Daniel understood.

The Khan smiled as he waved over a large guard wearing the black uniform of The Khan's personal guards. He matched Teal'c in both size and colour. His dark eyes were fierce.

"Loipai will take you anywhere you want to go. The object in question is being kept in the girl's home. Tharus is currently watching Colonel Ferretti. Ullan is with the blonde woman and the man who accompanied her."

"Colonel Carter and Colonel Mitchell," Daniel said. "Are you scared we might hurt another member of your society?"

"It was more of a way to protect you, but the idea that you might try to rescue your man did occur to me."

Daniel nodded his head in respect. "You are a wise man, but we respect your ways and would not insult you by stealing away Sergeant Delfino." At least, not yet, Daniel added silently.

"Would I be able to ask you a few more questions, Khan Rochi?" Daniel asked.

"Of course you can. It is hard to learn if you do not."

"I've heard some rumours there are members of The People who do not want to trade with the Tau'ri."

"There are always those for who change is scary, but I believe once they have seen how much help you bring us with better crops and more food, they will be embarrassed by their distrust."

"Would one of those be Lami Touma?

"Touma is an old man, very set in his ways. He fears that which he doesn't know or understand. He feels that if we were to allow The People more say in what happens that we would stop worshipping the gods. That would never happen."

"Have the events with Sergeant Delfino increased these feelings among The People?"

"I would have to say yes. I am going to have to slow down my hopes to bring... democracy, I believe is what Doctor Stivers called it."

"Yes, democracy. It's a system of government where the people make the laws."

"I was hoping, with the help of the Tau'ri, to leave it as my legacy, but now with this horrible murder it's going to be even harder to sell not only this idea, but anything new from the off-worlders is looked upon with suspicion."

"We believe Sergeant Delfino was set up. That it was made to look like he murdered the girl to create this tension between your people and mine."

"What? Who would do such a thing? We value all life; murder is a great sin against the gods. But to allow someone else to be punished is unforgivable. We believe in personal responsibility."

"You mean murder can be forgiven?"

"Only if there is a justifiable reason behind it, a moment of passion when all reason is lost, but a deliberate premeditate act, no, that we cannot condone. The guilty person is punished by the ways of the gods. Everything they own, their home and all their possessions are burned. All trace of them is eradicated. I cannot express to you the shock that I would feel if someone were standing by and letting another take the blame for the murder of that young girl. It would almost be more disturbing than the murder itself."

"I'm sorry, Khan, I can understand your shock, but as we were saying about the fingerprints while they might prove Delfino did kill the girl, it might show that he didn't."

"You really believe that one of The People could have done what you are suggesting?"

"With your help, we will be able to find out the truth," Daniel said.

"And if I say no, and send you on your way back through the gate?"

Teal'c stood tall. "Then you will have to live with the knowledge that you may have played a role in the death of an innocent man."

"You know me well, my large friend. I cannot stand by and let that happen. Loipai will make sure that you get the knife as well as anything else you need."

Daniel felt bad for the pain he was causing The Khan. He liked the young ruler of The People but if it meant saving an innocent man's life he could live with it.

"After we check on the knife, we'll want to talk to Delfino."

"As long as you do not try to help him escape," The Khan said. "I would hate to have Loipai injure you."

"Yeah, that would be bad for relations between our peoples," Daniel said.

"I was told that two of your people went with Colonel Ferretti to examine the girl, but I was not told where the blonde woman and the man who accompanies her went."

"Colonels Carter and Mitchell are trying to locate a healer by the name of Joh," Daniel explained.

"Ah, yes, he is a fine man. He knows more about the herbs of this planet than anyone."

"That's what Doctor Stivers said. We were hoping that he could tell us if there were any medicines that he knew of that could knock out someone and leave them with amnesia."

The Khan closed his eyes and sank back into his chair. "There is such a plant called Dicettella. It used to grow on the far side of the forest under the shade of the mountain. It was ordered destroyed years ago."

"Why was that?"

"There was an unscrupulous man that used it to have his way with young women. He would slip it into their food or drink."

"Sound like Rohypnol to me," Daniel said to Teal'c.

"Indeed."

"When his duplicity was discovered, the plant was ordered destroyed but there is the chance that some of them were missed, by accident or deliberately."

"I'm sorry for bringing up all this, Khan Rochi."

"No, Doctor Daniel, do not apologize. The truth must be set free. Is there anything else?"

"I'd hate to ask, you've been very kind, but it would be useful if we could talk to Lami Touma."

"I will have him brought over right away."

"How about in a couple of hours? We need to finish gathering a little more info before we talk to him."

"Of course. Doctor Daniel, I won't lie to you; Lami Touma and I have had many problems over the years, but I can't believe he had anything to do with this. He's a man of the gods."

"He sounds like a man who fears losing his power," Daniel said.

"If I may ask, Khan, why do you want to give up your power to your people?" Teal'c asked. "I have spent most of my life surrounded by creatures who would kill to have the slightest taste of power."

The Khan smiled sadly. "I was never meant to be The Khan. I was the youngest of three. My brother Khrifa was raised to be a great leader, but during his nineteenth year, he was killed by a snake bite. No healer could save him, nor could all the prayers the Lami made. That moved Farhan into the role of blessed son. He was four years younger than Khrifa. He had a lot of work to do, but he soon caught up and was well on the way to being a good Khan. Which was most fortunate as our father was getting up in age."

"What did you do during this time?"

"After our father passed on to the realm of the gods and Farhan now was The Khan, I became a teacher. I loved it. It was what I was meant to be. Most of my guards are former students."

Daniel saw Loipai give his leader a small smile.

"What happened to take you away from it?"

"Three years ago, after my brother's wedding to a beautiful girl named Rheba. She was from a neighbouring city. That night there was a terrible fire in their marriage chamber. It was horrible. I was away at another village. When I got the news, I came back and took over the seat. I will be getting married next month."

"You do not seem happy about it," Teal'c said.

"I am doing my duty. Yolanna was to be my first brother's wife, they were promised to each other when Khrifa was a teenager. After his death, her family tried to get her betrothed to Farhan but he was already promised. Her family compromised and she became my future wife. If only I could get my people to take over some of the day to day running then I could return to teaching."

"What does your bride and her family think about your plans to abdicate?" Daniel asked.

"Not much. She's been very vocal, as have the rest of her family. They had only agreed to the marriage because I was part of the ruling family, and was seen to have power, even if I didn't use it the way her family wanted me to."

"Her family seems to have some power?"

"She is the youngest niece of Lami Touma."

Daniel made another note in his reasons not to trust the Lami list. He thought that maybe one death in a family could be explained away; two seemed a little more suspicious. He would hate to see something happen to the young man who wanted nothing more than to enlighten his people.

"Just out of curiosity, what would happen if you died without an heir?" Daniel asked, hoping the few Agatha Christie books he'd read since meeting Tony would be of some help.

"If I were unmarried then the throne would go to my closest male relative. I think I have a distant cousin living in the village on the other side of the mountain pass. If I were married, it would go to my wife's closest male relative. That's, of course, only, if I had no sons of my own."

"If the second scenario happened, it would be the Lami that would become Khan?"

The younger man sat back and thought. "Yes, I guess it would be."

Daniel needed to find Tony and Mitchell to tell them about what he had learned.

"Thank you, Khan; I won't keep you any longer."

"It's been a most enlightening day, gentlemen." The Khan rose and slipped out through a red curtain hanging behind his throne.

The large guard The Khan had called Loipai stepped forward. "Come," he said, his deep voice echoing.

"You are Loipai?"

He nodded. "Good, I'm Doctor Daniel Jackson and this is Teal'c. The first thing we need to do is to find the knife, and then our companions."

TBC

Next: You Get What You Need 20