Mariah:
Captain Mariah Sanders ran, occasionally whipping around to level her glaivestaff at another Jaffa. Climbing to the top of a sandy dune, Mariah turned to fire again. A staff blast struck a few feet from her, sending her tumbling down the dune. The Air Force captain came to rest in a little valley between two consecutive dunes. Nearby lay another woman, alive but seriously wounded: a staff blast had hit her in the lower back. Mariah lurched over to her, and searched for a pulse. Finding it, albeit a very weak one, she bent her head to administer mouth to mouth. Suddenly, the dark-skinned woman grabbed Mariah's collar, jerking her head close. Mariah was aware of a squeaking noise, a bright, fiery pain in the back of her throat, and then her body wasn't hers.
Kulamar:
Kulamar of Mulshere glanced over her shoulder. They were being chased by several of Sekhmet's Jaffa.
[Don't stop!] her host cried.
[I'm not.] They hurriedly ascended a dune. The Stargate was only a kilometer away. [We're almost- AHHH!] Pain! The force of the staff blast knocked them down the dune. Kulamar did a damage assessment. The outlook was not good. The shot had hit Relura in the small of the back, paralyzing them from the waist down as well as vaporizing much of the gut. Relura was too badly injured for Kulamar's healing abilities to do any good.
[Kulamar?]
[I am here, as always.]
[Goodbye.]
Kulamar felt the life of her host slip away, and resigned herself to her fate as well. At that moment, someone else tumbled down the hill. Through hazy eyes, Kulamar watched the green-clad figure stagger over to her and bend down. The symbiote thought of a plan. As the woman's head drew close, Kulamar grabbed her by the collar. She caught a brief glimpse of surprise and fear on her face before she was in.
Kulamar's first impression of her new host was that of a strong mind. Actually, that was a bit of an understatement. She fought like any desperate wildcat.
[Please! Don't fight! I am Tok'Ra!] Kulamar said desperately. They struggled for control for a moment, then the woman's (Mariah Sanders, Kulamar learned) mind cut off contact almost as completely as if a door had slammed over it. With a lack of mental opposition, Kulamar straightened, and staggered in the direction of the Stargate. Her first strides were short and unsteady, but soon she adjusted herself to Mariah's particular stride. A tall, silver-brown haired man dressed in a uniform similar to that of her host stood in front of the Chappa'ai, holding a big gun.
"Sanders, where've ya been?" he asked.
"I, uh, tripped." Kulamar replied, masking her voice with Mariah's.
"Hurry up and get through." She complied, risking one glance behind. Sekhmet's Jaffa were drawing close, and blasts from their staff weapons began raining down around them. Kulamar turned around and jumped through the 'gate.
...into a large room swarming with people. With the addition of the silver-haired man who came through behind her, there were five people in the olive green uniform, six or seven in white, and another half-dozen in multi-hued green who were also toting large, primitive weapons.
"SG-1, what happened?" came a voice over a P.A. system.
<SG-1? I've heard that before.> Kulamar though as Silver-Hair next to her began explaining. She followed him off a ramp leading to the Stargate, and then froze. That bald man was a Jaffa, she felt his Prim'ta. And the other woman in green, she had been a host.
At that moment, both Jaffa and woman whirled, staring at her. The blond woman seemed shocked, then hollered, "She's a Goa'uld!" Kulamar bolted for the door.
<Run, run!> she thought desperately. Unfortunately, Mariah chose that moment to struggle. If Kulamar had believed that her previous efforts were vicious, than Mariah's renewed mental struggle was nothing short of extraordinary. The combined wave of terror and hatred nearly caused the symbiote to lose control. Kulamar held on, barely. They staggered to the door, and as they reached it, Mariah regained enough control of herself to stop her right foot in its track. They collapsed, tumbling to the floor. The shock was enough for Mariah's consciousness to resurface
"Janet, no!" she cried to the figure moving towards them. They felt a sharp sting, then darkness fell.
Mariah:
She heard voices, familiar ones. Mariah identified Hammond, Dr. Frasier, O'Neill, and Jacob/Selmac. Her return to consciousness was not alone, because she felt the presence of the symbiote that had invaded her, the one who claimed to be a Tok'Ra. She trembled, terrified, but kept her mental shields in place. Then Mariah heard the symbiote's mind-voice.
[Do not be afraid] she said.
[I don't think I have a choice here. One second I'm alone and the next I've got a snake in my head.] Mariah growled bitterly.
[I am Kulamar of Mulshere, of the -]
[Tok'Ra. You said so already, and I don't believe you.]
[I apologize for frightening you. My host was dying. You were my only hope.] Kulamar said.
[I'm honored. Soo *not*.]
[Is this sarcasm?] Kulamar asked. [I have not dealt with a sarcastic host in a very long time. Relura wasn't much of a joker] Mariah didn't reply, because Selmac addressed them.
"Who are you?" Kulamar didn't reply, wary. Mariah had kept their minds separate, so the symbiote didn't recognize Selmac's relatively new host.
"He asked you a question. Answer it." O'Neill snapped.
"After he introduces himself." said Kulamar evenly. Selmac sighed softly before answering.
"I am Selmac, of the Tok'Ra." Mariah smiled inwardly at the wave of embarrassment that rolled off of Kulamar.
[I did not just say that to *Selmac*, did I?]
[Yep.] Kulamar went ahead and attempted to save face with the other Tok'Ra.
"I apologize, Master Selmac-"
"Just answer the question."
"I am the Tok'Ra Kulamar of Mulshere." Selmac turned to the others in the room and spoke quietly with them for several moments. O'Neill pulled away from them.
"If you really are a Tok'Ra, let me speak to my teammate."
[Gladly. That was embarrassing.] thought Kulamar before Mariah came forward.
"Sir?" Mariah asked.
"Sanders?"
"It's me." she said, sitting up. They were in a holding cell in the SG-C. "Heh, I never thought that I'd be on this side of the bars." she commented wryly.
"Are you all right?"
"Well, where do I start? First, I nearly get shot by a Jaffa. Then I get a snake in my head. To top it off, I'm in a detention cell in the very facility I work in. To say the least, it has not been a good day." O'Neill winced.
"Definitely not a good day," he agreed. Selmac stepped forward from where he was speaking with General Hammond and the others.
"Kulamar, you have been working in the ranks of the System Lord Sekhmet for the past eight years,"
[Eight years?]
"-and you have not contacted the Tok'Ra in that time. Why not?" the Tok'Ra asked.
[I am never going to get used to this] Mariah told Kulamar as the symbiote took control to answer.
"I was nearly detected the last time I sent a message. I thought it best to break contact for a time. Unfortunately, when we next tried to speak with the Tok'Ra, you had already moved on. As Relura and I had no idea where you may have moved, we decided to wait and continue gathering information. We continued this until SG-1 came through the Chappa'ai on Barinos and Sekhmet decided she did not want them there. In the ensuing confusion, we escaped. Unfortunately, as we fled, Relura was mortally wounded. Right about then, Sanders came down the dune. I was under the impression she was offering me a way out. Apparently, I was wrong. I will, of course, leave as soon as a more suitable host is found."
"Which can't be soon enough." muttered O'Neill.
One Week Later.
Mariah:
Captain Mariah Sanders walked slowly to General Hammond's office, contemplating what she was about to do.
[Do you truly wish to do this, Mariah?] asked Kulamar, [You know that the Tok'Ra do not stay in unwilling hosts.]
[I am perfectly aware of that fact. I will do this.]
[If you're certain, then I will accept your offer]
"General?" Mariah asked.
"Captain Sanders, what are you doing here? I though you were going to meet with the Tok'Ra council so Kulamar can report?"
"About that, sir. I've made a decision." General Hammond caught her eye. His expression showed that he knew what she was going to say.
"If your decision concerns what I think it does, then you have my permission to continue working here at the SG-C, and on SG-1, if Colonel O'Neill agrees," he said, "Of course, if you choose to stay with the Tok'Ra, then let me say it has been a honor working with you." Mariah smiled.
"Thank you, sir. I didn't believe that it would exactly be safe to allow another host to have access to my memories, especially considering my, um, varied education." The general nodded at the reference to her wizarding training.
"Just tell me one thing, Captain."
"What?"
"You said earlier that you managed to keep your minds separate. How did you manage to do that?" Mariah smiled again.
In my second to last year at Hogwarts, the headmaster made Occlumency, the practice of defending one's mind from external forces, a mandatory part of the sixth and seventh years' Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum. Let's just say I was the girl genius in that category." Hammond shook his head in exasperation, then told her to get going.
Captain Mariah Sanders left the office and strode down to the departure room. She was going to her future, as a member of SG-1, a witch, and Earth's secondary liaison to the Tok'Ra.
Author's Note: Take my advice: *Never* try to write a first person story from a Tok'Ra's point of view. This was originally to be formatted that way, but the pronouns kept getting mixed up.
© July 2004 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. Hogwarts, Occlumency, and anything else pertain to the Harry Potter series is the sole property of J.K. Rowling. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.