This planet was about to be put in the less than notable category of NSI "Not of Strategic Importance" i.e. no signs of an indigenous population, no technology, no nothing!
"Tell me again, Carter, what was the reason for sending us to this lovely backwater?" asked a weary and disgusted Jack O'Neill.
Sam answers as she packs away her monitoring instruments "I can't understand how we could find no signs of advanced civilization here. The MALP sent images of some sort of craft, what appeared to be a transport device, and several unidentifiable aliens, yet there isn't a trace now!"
"Apparently, Captain Carter, they have been here and left again," offers Teal'c.
Daniel, still actively searching about, comments "The challenge is to find out why aliens would visit this planet. What were they coming here for?"
As if in answer to this question, a loud whirring noise is heard high overhead. It sounds like a huge jet engine combined with an ear-piercing, high-pitched whine. The team draws their weapons and waits in a tight circle, filled with anticipation and curiosity. Three bright flashes of light form into box shapes and surround the team members. Jack and Teal'c are within one of the "boxes", while Daniel and Sam find themselves isolated in their own light enclosures.
A small figure approaches them from out of the shadows. He is about 4 feet tall, humanoid in shape, and yet not quite human in features. His eyes are large, black; his skin brown and leathery; most of him is covered by a long, hooded coat; he carries some sort of device. Does it control these boxes? Is it a weapon? Perhaps it's a means of communication?
Jack doesn't wait to find out. He starts walking toward the alien; "We don't mean you any harm. We're from..." His sentence is abruptly stopped as he collides with the "wall" of the light box. A brief shock runs through Jack's body, and he is propelled backward to the middle of the box. In defense of O'Neill, Teal'c raises his zat gun and prepares to fire at the stranger.
A monotone, almost computer-like voice commands "Do not fire your weapons. The energy cell will contain the weapon fire and return it back to you! You will be seated and wait for the next available craft to Sector K. I am also to inform you that you have been taken to be sold as slaves by the Great Trader-Thief Callus."
As the alien prepares to leave, Daniel beckons to him "Please, I need to talk with you! We are not from this world. You must not "take" us! We're from Earth! Tau'Ri? We've come to peacefully explore."
A brief flash of recognition crosses the bounty hunter's face. He opens a small book, thumbing the pages, until he stops on one particular page and holds it up next to Daniel - as if to compare. "You will not be taken to Sector K! A much higher price will be paid for you on Chulak! You are important to the Goa'uld? So much so that they are willing to pay a bounty? You do not seem so important." With this, the hooded alien turns and melts back into the shadows, leaving SG-1 to ponder their plight.
Daniel felt a chill run through him after the bounty hunter left. Chulak? He wondered who was willing to go out of their way..
"Nice to see you're so popular, Daniel." Jack wryly remarked as he warily approached his 'wall' again.
"I'm not exactly too happy about this, Jack." Daniel raised his hand to touch the 'wall'.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Carter warned as she set down her backpack to take out some instruments. "These boxes were meant to keep us in."
"The results would be most uncomfortable." Teal'c agreed.
"Tell me about it." Jack muttered. He cocked an eye over to the shadows where their captor had departed from.
Just then, the alien returns. His leathery hands still carried the strange device. In front of Jack's eyes, the alien bounty hunter waved its hands over it. The box that encased Daniel and Carter cracked. Startled, the two SG-1 members didn't move. Then, Carter abruptly lunged towards him, in hopes of grabbing the device to free her comrades. It was too late, however, for the alien waved his hands over the device again and she was trapped in her own box.
"Sam!" Daniel shouted, stepping forward to try to help but then the alien pulled out a black, glittering rod.
"Daniel! Get out of here! The Stargate!" Jack and Carter shouted simultaneously.
But before Daniel could move, the alien pointed the rod towards the scientist. A bolt of blue light flashed briefly and Daniel crumbled to the ground without another word.
"She will be pleased at the news of your capture." the alien intoned. He turned his black eyes toward the others. "Do not fear. Your friend is unharmed. She would not permit any damage to come towards her Chosen one."
Jack was about to surge towards him, but a hand on his shoulder stopped Jack. Teal'c held the colonel back, but the Jaffa's eyes conveyed the anger he was struggling to contain.
"We will not allow you to take Daniel Jackson." Teal'c coldly told the alien.
"As if you can stop me, Jaffa." the alien retorted. He went over to Daniel and searched the scientist's pockets. To his apparent disappointment, the alien had found nothing of use. "We will be leaving soon, my cargo. Once we have delivered this human, we will send you three to Sector K." With that, the bounty hunter left again. He didn't bother sealing Daniel in a box again, nor did he try to help him into a comfortable position. Satisfied that the scientist would be out for a while, the alien just left.
Jack tried calling Daniel's name, but received no response. "Damn it!" he glanced over to Carter.
"Sorry, sir. I couldn't reach him in time." Carter said. She tried calling Daniel, too but was also unsuccessful. "I know if I can reach that device, I can get you freed."
"You've tried, captain." Jack said gruffly. "I would have tried the same and probably get zapped, too."
"He said she." Carter said suddenly. "He said that she didn't want her Chosen one to be harmed."
"That sounds familiar." Jack murmured. A whining noise arrived above them. A silvery long ship slowly approached. It's lights suddenly made the place turn to day.
"I guess we will find out soon enough."
A short while later, the alien returned. He used his staff tool to capture Daniel, still unconscious, in a beam of light, and took him into his ship. The rest of the team looked on helplessly. It was their turn soon as first Sam, then the two men were lifted effortlessly and brought into what looked like a cargo hold. As the door closed, they all lost consciousness.
Jack woke up to Teal'c gently shaking his shoulder. "O'Neill, we have arrived," he said quietly. Jack groaned and rolled his shoulders to loosen them up.
"Great. Where the heck are we?" he wondered as he looked around the enclosure they'd been placed into.
They were still in the light box, but there were other prisoners with them, all in their own light boxes. Some boxes had 5 or more people crammed into them, all of the men trying desperately not to touch the sides. Jack suddenly felt like his box was very roomy. He suddenly bolted upright.
"Where's Sam?" he asked, alarmed. The compound only had male prisoners. Teal'c looked away from Jack.
"I do not know, O'Neill," he said quietly.
The two men waited in silence to see what would come next. They watched as several other light boxes deposited more prisoners. Some of the men were clearly alien, but others were human, doubtlessly taken from Goa'uld worlds. Teal'c spotted a Nox, and pointed him out to Jack.
"Oh god Teal'c. How did they catch a Nox?" Jack wondered. He didn't have any time to ponder the question because the light boxes started to be lifted out of the compound. Jack and Teal'c's box was lifted and they flew over the compound to be deposited on what looked like a stage in the middle of a marketplace.
"They're auctioning us off Teal'c!" Jack whispered to his friend angrily. The two men stood there, trying to look boring, but they were bought by a man in a dark cloak. The light box turned off, and the man in charge of the auction placed thick iron collars around their necks. He attached chains to these, and placed the chains in the cloaked man's hands. The cloaked man handed him a small leather bag that jingled, presumably with money. The man pulled on their chains, and Jack and Teal'c started walking.
Sam glared at the bounty hunter, who was seated by her in the compound. She gingerly tested her walls with a pocketknife that she managed to conceal. Her backpack,along with the others' were confiscated by the alien. He had rifled through it, making occasional grunts when he found stuff of use. Too busy to check if Sam had anything with her.
'Maybe an energy bolt can't get through, but how about a knife?' Sam thought as she took a cautious stab at the walls. To her surprise, the blade slid through as if there wasn't anything there.
"Bingo." Sam murmured.
The alien looked up suspiciously and Sam tried to look like what the alien expected; mad as hell for being trapped, but helpless to do anything. Satisfied that Sam wasn't going anywhere, the alien started to leave.
"Let us see how well your friends fared at the market. You will be displayed next." with that, the alien left Sam alone in the compound.
"We'll see about that." Carter muttered, her eye on the device that the alien left behind. A knife could get through yet not a zat gun's energy bolt. A human being couldn't get through either. 'Heat, perhaps?' Sam thought. She grinned as she thought of a plan.
"Don't worry boys, Captain Carter is here to get you out." Carter muttered and proceeded to her plan.
Meanwhile, Jack and Teal'c were being led away by the cloaked man. Jack tried to turn around, but his chains prevented him from doing so. Besides that, their buyer kept tugging at the chains impatiently, so movement was improbable. The buyer eyed Teal'c, looking at him up and down, lingering at where the Goa'uld lay. Grunting, the buyer motioned them to move on. Neither one noticed a similarly dressed man coming out of the crowd of buyers to follow them. The dark cloak the man was wearing, didn't quite conceal the silvery outfit he was wearing. Pausing, the man turned around at the announcement of the NOX being who was being auctioned next. Lifting one hand, the man signaled to someone in the distance before continuing to follow Jack, Teal'c and their buyer to wherever they may be going......
"Send them to Thalassia. Larnan will be pleased with such fine new laborers."
Jack, and Teal'c were surprised by what happened next. The one guard dialed up the gate. The second kept his weapon trained on them to prevent their escape. When the wormhole materialized, each guard grabbed Teal'c and Jack and they were hurled through the gate.
*****************************
They came flying out the other end of the gate onto what appeared to be a lush, tropical island. Teal'c was thrown face down into a rock, and Jack was just about to go check on him when a voice caused him to stop and look up.
"Welcome to Thalassia," a tall man said, smiling, "I am Larnan, ruler of this island. You must be the new recruits that Callus promised me for the fields. You couldn't have come at a better time. The harvest is at its peak."
Jack was beginning to think that things were looking up. Maybe escape wasn't going to be so tough after all. He looked around himself at the fields and noticed that the workers were not chained or bound. Their overseers didn't appear to have any weapons. In fact, there was no outward indication that they were even slaves.
Larnan must have read his thoughts because he smiled and said, "Ah, you have noticed that there are no guards. We have no need for those here. There are no other islands within a hundred miles of here, and Thalassia has no boats of any kind. The only way on or off of this island is through the ring, and as you can see, it is well guarded by the keepers," Larnan gestured behind O'Neill.
Jack turned around and saw a tower that he had not noticed before. At the top was a Jaffa standing watch with a staffweapon. Just then, Teal'c began to stir. Jack quickly walked over to his friend to help him up. As he did so, he casually transferred his hat over to Teal'c's head, pulling the brim down in front, and giving him a look that said *I'll explain later.* A plan was beginning to form in his head. Now he had only to wait the right opportunity...
Daniel woke to complete darkness. He dared not move. Where was he? Had the alien left him? He remembered trying to escape, then blackness. He listened for noises, anything to give him a clue where he might be. A few clicks and buzzes and a faint hum in the distance - no clue there. The place smelled dusty and dank, kind of like his neighbor's attic he remembered playing in as a boy. Funny how smells bring back memories. He tried moving, ever so slightly, but there wasn't much room. As his vision became used to the darkness, he could vaguely see that he was surrounded by crates and sacks. Packed tightly in with them, actually. He wasn't bound, but it didn't much matter, he was not able to move. Were the others there as well, he wondered?
Softly he called out their names, "Jack? Teal'c? Sam?" No response. Suddenly, the room began to tilt and shake. The cargo shifted when the spacecraft made a hard turn, and boxes, crates and sacks began to tumble all about. Daniel tried to scramble to a safe spot in a corner of the room, but another quick turn brought the cargo on top of him. Now, completely pinned down, he had to wait helplessly for his captors to liberate him. He realized he was on board a ship, and he recalled with a deep sense of dread, that he was going to Chulak.
The spacecraft made a rough landing on the grounds of the Grand Palace. Not expecting his captive to be awake, Callus (the bounty hunter) unlocked the cargo bay doors and began tossing boxes out onto the ground. Within minutes, a squad of Jaffa had gathered, watching curiously.
Eyeing their weapons, and not trusting their actions, Callus demanded to see the Queen of the Gods, the Lady Hathor, "Hathor has called me by special request! I have something very valuable for her, a possession she lost while on the First World. Go! Tell her of my presence, now!" One of the Jaffa ran to announce his arrival.
"You there! Help me unload!" commanded Callus to the other Jaffa. While this was going on, Daniel had managed to crawl inside one of the larger boxes. Filled with fresh animal pelts, it was stifling and smelled horrible, but he had no other choice. Holding back his urge to vomit, Daniel sat and waited, hoping Callus would think he had escaped to another part of the ship.
Callus began to search earnestly now. All the cargo had been unloaded, but no sign of the Chosen One. He'd better have what he'd promised, or Hathor would have *his* head instead.
"All right Tau'Ri! I know you are among the boxes! There was no exit to the ship from the cargo bay. I will not be challenged like this!" Callus' words grew more angry, more threatening. Daniel dared not to breathe.
"YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE!" Callus cried out. "If you will not come out on your own, I will burn you out!" Callus was willing to destroy all his other loot, in order to find Daniel. He was worth that much. Daniel heard Callus ignite one of the sacks next to his crate. The smell of burning animal flesh and the thick soot overtook him. He began to choke and cough violently, and fight his way out for air. Callus glared at him victoriously, looking like the devil himself amid the flames. Under his direction, the Jaffa guards grabbed Daniel and dragged him into the Palace.
He was unceremoniously dumped at the foot of an elaborate throne. His appearance was far worse than anything the cat might have dragged in! He had long ago lost his glasses and was covered in soot and bits of animal fur. He began to stand up and dust himself off. As soon as he was able to stand, one of the Jaffa forced him to kneel with a sharp blow to the back of his knees. He groaned and crumpled to the floor - then immediately froze. Her smell. Unmistakable. Remembrances of pain and pleasure, awe and revulsion filled him. He refused to meet her eyes.
"You hardly look like a pharaoh!" Hathor cooed. "We trust your trip was not too difficult?" She approached Daniel, kneeling beside him, taking his head so tenderly in her hands. "We have always had anything and anyone We wished. You have filled Our mind, in the days We have been parted, now you have returned. You will fulfill Our wishes, all of Our wishes, or...well, We do not need to tell you the alternative, do We?"
Daniel still refused to look at her, fighting the sweetness of her perfumed body. Hathor turned to her personal slaves, "Take this one and prepare him for Our chamber. He is to be bathed and perfumed. Dress him in a pleasing way for Us." The women proceeded to do as Hathor commanded. Daniel allowed himself one glance at Hathor as he was led away. Such power and beauty, how he hated that she once again had control over him! He vowed to find a way to fight her - to stay in control of his own will. For now, he was being led to a bath that, under other circumstances, he might find blissful.
After walking down seemingly endless corridors, Daniel was brought to a wet, warm and fragrant room. He could see a large, heated pool, lined with golden tiles and many women servants scurrying about preparing for him. Along the walls of the room, stood the ever-present Jaffa guards, impassively watching. Daniel tried to concentrate on a way to escape. He kept thinking about the rest of the team. Were they free? Would they dare come to Chulak for him? What of SGC? He was way overdue to report in. Hopefully, they won't send a search party to Callus' world. He tried not to react as his clothing was carefully removed. When only his army-issue boxers and T-shirt remained, he took hold of the arm of the young woman who was undressing him. She clearly was afraid to speak to him, or even look directly into his eyes. Bending to her eye level, Daniel tried to get her to speak. She seemed young; innocent yet her actions were almost robotic. She wore a tattoo insignia on her forehead, most likely the mark of her master, perhaps Hathor, Daniel mused.
"My name is Daniel. Yours is?"
She paused as if considering whether to answer or not, then softly she spoke "Mor'Ni of the High Plains. We must not talk here."
Daniel, hopeful that some communication might help him to win her sympathy and perhaps her help, continued "I'm really very tired and hungry. I really can't remember when I last ate something. Could you help me?"
"It is forbidden" was Mor'Ni's quiet reply.
Mor'Ni wanted to tell him all she knew of Hathor's plans for him, but how could she? First of all, it would be forbidden. She would be severely punished. But then there was this handsome and helpless young man before her - concerned about eating - when he very likely would not live to see the next day!
Slowly, avoiding looking at Daniel, she removed the rest of his clothing, and guided him into the tepid water.
She knew that Hathor planned to have this man in her chambers, to take him as she willed, and she guessed that this man knew it as well. What he did not know, was how he was expected to help Hathor gain control of the First World.
Warm water covered Daniel, offering some protection, comfort, and release. He tried to relax, all the while knowing he must keep his wits about him. Could he possibly trust Mor'Ni? Despite his attempts at concentrating, he was swept into a reverie, enjoying the practiced touch of the young woman, longing for it all to be a dream.
Mor'Ni continued thinking. Since returning to Chulak, Hathor had only been allowed to have women servants and Jaffa guards. Apophis wanted to be certain she could not use her charms to raise an army against him. He knew Hathor could never be trusted as a true ally. Hathor needed a planet to rule, to use as her base of operations, then she would challenge the power structure of the Goa'uld and become the Supreme Leader. No one had risen up to replace Ra, and now with this man's help, Hathor planned it would be her. Did this man know that Hathor now possessed the special device he once wore about his wrist? Something for use in activating the Chappa'Ai? Hathor would do whatever was necessary to extract the method of operating this device from this man, what did he call himself - Daniel. Mor'Ni liked the sound of his name. What name would Hathor give him? No matter, if he did not cooperate, he would be among the missing - the men who were summoned to Hathor by night and never returned in the light of day.
She finished washing Daniel, then led him to a hammock filled with soft linens. Mor'ni motioned for Daniel to lie down, and began pouring scented oils, first on his shoulders then she massaged them deeply into his stomach and back. She wondered how Hathor would touch him. Would he lie there so relaxed in the Queen's bed? Blushing, she tried to put those thoughts out of her mind.
"Daniel?" she called to him. Responding with a jerk to his name, Daniel sat up, covered himself with a linen cloth and turned to face Mor'Ni.
"I must also prepare you for the Ceremony of Owning," she told him as she gazed with sorrow into his eyes. She too had undergone that ceremony, two long months ago, and now Mor'Ni wore the seal of Hathor on her forehead.
"It is an honor, and not too painful" she decided to lie to him. Why should he know of the agony now? It will come all too soon. "If you are good, and follow orders, the Queen will surely allow you to have something to take the pain away completely!"
"Pain?" Daniel questioned. "What is this Ceremony of Owning?" Mor'Ni brushed the hair away from her forehead so that Daniel could get a better look.
"You will wear the mark of Hathor, forever. It will be carved into you skin and filled with colored ink. It is beautiful, yes?"
Daniel felt suddenly overcome with an urge to flee, to try to escape at any cost. If he were killed in the attempt, it no longer mattered. What were his chances for rescue anyway? He felt he should take what little control of the situation he could, and at least try. He would not become Hathor's slave. He would die free! He reached for the dark red silky tunic Mor'Ni had laid out for him. Slipping it on, he looked for a means of escape. Only one Jaffa guard remained in the room. Perhaps he would be allowed to venture out into the hall?
"Mor'Ni," Daniel whispered to her, "I will not be owned by Hathor, nor will I go to her chamber! I need your help to make an escape. Please, help me?"
She wanted more than anything to help this gentle man, who looked at her with respect, but she knew that in the eyes of her Gods he was nothing. Tomorrow he might be gone. The Gods must be obeyed, Daniel would come to see that as well.
"Come, have something to eat and I will - help - you," Mor'Ni could hardly speak these words, for she already knew the food would contain a drug. Something to ease the pain of the Ceremony. Something to keep Daniel from any thoughts of escape. Yes, as the Gods willed, she would - help - Daniel. Smiling to him, she fetched a goblet of wine and some seasoned bread.
Daniel didn't realize how tired he had become. After eating, he only wanted to sleep. He lay down upon the hammock, and the Jaffa came to take him to the altar. Mor'Ni could hear Hathor coming for the ceremony. All was as it should be.
Mor'Ni followed the procession down the Great Hall to the Room of Worship. Two of the High Priests, followed by the Goddess Hathor, then four Jaffa carrying the Chosen One, still sleeping from the drugged food. She was allowed to attend, as she was Hathor's primary servant. Mor'Ni did not feel good about what her Goddess was about to do, but she knew she could not allow herself to question. A part of her wished she had helped Daniel to escape.
Daniel.Daniel she kept repeating to herself. Why did she feel for this man? Silently, she watched as the Jaffa laid him upon the great stone altar. He was carefully placed on his back, arms extended off either side of the altar stone. His ankles were bound together, and the long rope extended off the end of the altar, weighted down by a large stone. Next, ropes were tied to his wrists and weights fixed to them as well. If he were to awaken, he would not be able to move, to defend himself. Mor'Ni shivered as she remembered being upon that same altar. Could she help Daniel avoid all this? No. Impossible! A servant girl against the Gods! She wondered how this man could not fear the Gods.
Daniel's eyes fluttered open. He was only aware of not being able to move, and began to struggle against the ropes. His vision, blurred somewhat without his glasses, allowed him to see a group of figures encircling the table upon which he was tied. They were praying. Behind him, he could hear Hathor's voice command "Begin the Owning, now!" There seemed no way to resist her. A priest approached Daniel with some sort of small instrument in his hand. Most likely a small knife, thought Daniel. He began to sweat, and his breath came in short, rapid heaves. Fear of the pain overtook him. He closed his eyes and felt the touch of the priest's knife on his forehead. He waited for the pain. Curiously, he opened his eyes. This priest carried only a type of pencil. He was using it to sketch the outline of Hathor's seal. Hathor was enjoying the scene playing out before her - from the sweat that now dripped from every part of her Pharaoh's body, to the feeling of absolute control she had over him. The second priest approached, this time with a knife. Daniel could see the glint of metal as he walked closer. He held the knife up to Hathor for approval, and she nodded to proceed. Certain that he would now be cut, Daniel began to shake uncontrollably. Again he closed his eyes and felt the coldness of the knife blade. As the priest began to press it into Daniel's flesh, Hathor commanded "Stop! The face of Our Pharaoh must be pure and free of marks!" Daniel let out a long breath he had been holding. She was playing with him, much as a cat toys with a mouse it intends to kill.
Mor'Ni stepped forward to wipe Daniel's face. He looked at her gratefully, his eyes silently pleading for help. Hathor did not miss this exchange of looks and was not pleased by it.
"Mor'Ni! You will assist those that are preparing Our sleeping chamber! You are no longer needed here!" Mor'Ni stiffened, bowed and quickly left, but before she turned to leave Daniel's side, she place a roll of linen towel in his mouth.
"Something to bite down on when the pain becomes too much," she whispered to him, "I wish I could do more."
Hathor stepped up to the altar and stood by Daniel's side. "Place the seal here," she indicated by placing her hand over Daniel's heart!
First, the seal was drawn, then the cutting followed. As he tensed from the agony, he could feel his arms lift even the heaviest stone slightly off the floor. The pain was sharp, throbbing. The assistant priest held a cloth to stem the flow of blood. Daniel bit down hard on the towel, groaning with each movement of the blade. Hathor licked her lips wickedly. There could be no doubt. He was truly hers now! Dizziness and nausea were overtaking Daniel, when suddenly the cutting stopped. It was finished. There was only a brief respite, however, as a hot liquid ink was next poured into the fresh wound.
He gave up a loud cry and lost consciousness.
The servants in the Queen's chamber could hear Daniel's screams, but tried to tune them out. Mor'Ni was busying herself, searching for something. When she found it, she quickly hid it in a basket she was carrying. Finally, she placed something under one of the bed pillows, then uttering a silent prayer to one of Daniel's gods, she fled the Palace.
There were no dreams in Daniel's deep sleep. Nothing but blackness. He felt himself begin to wake up, this time unbound and in a soft and sweet smelling bed. His chest still burned, but the terrible pain had faded. Now I know why I never went for tattoos, he joked to himself. He was alone in what must be Hathor's private chamber. The bed was huge! You could lose yourself in it. He rubbed his wrists - they were raw from the ropes - and then stretched his arms under the pillows. As he did so, he found something hard and cold. A weapon? It felt much like the shape of a zat gun, only much smaller. Did Hathor know it was there or-He didn't have time to finish this thought when Hathor appeared. Only now, he became aware that he was completely naked, and moved to cover himself up. Hathor reached to ease the bed coverings out of his hands "No need to wear the blankets Our love! We wish first to gaze upon you, then enjoy your many delights." She waited for some sort of response from Daniel, but he would not give her the satisfaction. He simply laid in the bed, staring at her coldly.
Daniel's mind was working full tilt now. Perhaps Hathor had placed the weapon under the pillow as a test, he thought. Regardless, he had to do something to make her drop her guard. Somehow he had to gain the advantage. He swallowed hard under her admiring gaze, and began to speak "My Queen, do you come to me in bed with a plan to do me harm?" With this question, Daniel reached for Hathor's hand, upon which she had strapped a ribbon device. Hathor began to unfasten the weapon, then thought better of it. My Beloved must first prove his loyalty without question before I can trust him, unarmed! "You must know We desire only to please you!" she purred. She leaned over him, breathing heavily upon his upturned face. Daniel remembered the sweet intoxication of her breath, losing all control, wanting to please her, serve her...STOP IT ...a voice within him cried out. Fight this! Remember the evil, the pain, and the horror of all that she is! How can I resist, Daniel asked himself. Concentrate...her kisses were heavenly...concentrate...the sweetness of her breath...concentrate...how loving her touches...concentrate...the softness of her body...concentrate on the *pain*. Immediately, Daniel could feel his mind clearing. When he focused on the overwhelming pain of Hathor's ceremony, he was able to block the effects of her mind control aroma! Ancient parts of his brain began to react in a fight or flight response, increasing his adrenaline, his hormones that allowed him to fight back. Hathor had unknowingly given him the means to resist her. He could not let her know, not yet. He had to play the part of her adoring servant and lover - just a while longer. He began returning her kisses, pulling her down on top of him. She was not the Goddess of Love for nothing! Hathor was irresistible in bed. She knew how to give and take pleasure with wild abandon. Daniel felt himself succumb to the tempest falling, falling under her spell and then slowly fight his way back...concentrate on the pain. Hathor was lost in the heavenly sensation of Daniel's touch. Oh yes, he did remember how to touch her...she had taught him well that night. She closed her eyes and moaned softly. Slowly, Daniel reached under the pillow, drew out the weapon and without hesitating fired it directly at Hathor. A green light and a faint buzz were the only indications that the weapon had fired. Hathor sat up, apparently unaffected, staring at Daniel. Oh God, he thought, I've done exactly what she wanted! Now she knows I can't be trusted, what will she do next?
************************************
Mor'Ni grew weary of running and stopped to rest. She had no idea where to go, but had heard rumors of a group of rebellious Jaffa living in the wooded areas. Maybe they could help her. Maybe no one could. She wondered if Daniel were still alive and thought of the weapon that she had put in the bed for him. She didn't know exactly what it did, but Hathor had brought it with her upon her return from the First World. No one else had a weapon such as this, and Hathor would never meet with any of the other Gods unless she had it in her possession. Mor'Ni hoped it would do something to Hathor if Daniel had a chance to use it. She hoped to be able to see Daniel once again. Thinking of him, she took out the strange bracelet he had worn about his wrist. Absently, she began pressing buttons. Little beeping noises could be heard. Someone else in the shadows also heard these beeps. Upon seeing the coding device, Bra'Tac emerged from the darkness and demanded to know what Mor'Ni was doing with it, "Young girl, give me that! Where did you find it?" Mor'Ni obediently gave Bra'Tac the bracelet and begged him not to kill her or turn her in "I beg you for mercy! Hathor must not be told!" Sensing that perhaps she could trust Bra'Tac, she proceeded to tell him all about Daniel and Hathor's plans. Knowing from experience that he must not allow himself to trust anyone, Bra'Tac listened, wondering what he should do next. Could this be a very elaborate trick to bring him out of hiding? If so, he wondered, where would anyone have gotten such a device? His life and that of his friend, Daniel, would be in the balance if decided to trust Mor'Ni.
****************************
Suddenly, Hathor's face changed. It softened somehow and her posture altered as well. She began to look wildly about the room and speak rapidly in ancient Egyptian tongue! Daniel realized he was looking into the eyes of Hathor's Egyptian host! The weapon had somehow stunned or silenced the Goa'uld within Hathor, but he did not know for how long. He was able to piece together only bits of what the woman was trying to say. Most of it was fearful, confused. When she realized she and Daniel were unclothed, she screamed and grabbed the bed sheets around her. He tried to reassure her in words she might understand, while looking for some clothes to dress himself. All he could find was a servant girl's cloak. It would have to do. This weapon could be the answer! A way to fight the Goa'uld, to regain Sha're! He hadn't thought about Sha're until just now. Was she there on Chulak as well? No time to think of that now. He had to find Bra'Tac and a way home. What to do with Hathor? He had no choice but to tie her up and leave her there. It was far too dangerous to try to bring her along. He wanted to be far away when her Goa'uld recovered. He tried to apologize to the frightened young woman, but he could find no way to explain. Gently, he tied her up and fled the chamber, hiding in the darkness of the Great Hall. It took him awhile to find an exit from the Palace, and by that time Jaffa guards were checking all who went out. They were looking at each man's chest, searching no doubt for Daniel's tattoo. Hathor must have awakened. Daniel held his newfound weapon tightly.
Deciding it was far too dangerous to try to leave the Palace, and even if he weren't caught he would probably freeze in the bitter cold of the Chulak night, Daniel searched for a place to hide. He would rest, regain his strength and set a plan for himself. After narrowly avoiding a Jaffa patrol, he found himself once again in the bathing chamber. He opened what appeared to be a large storage closet, and discovered it was full of linens and a fewtunics. Quietly, he closed himself in the closet, and peeled off the cloak, which had covered him. It was too dark to see, but he could feel that something was terribly wrong. His chest was burning hotly now, and he could feel the skin beginning to ooze. He was trembling from a chill that went to his very bones. No, this couldn't be! The wound must be infected! Slowly, carefully, he pulled the tunic over his head and gently down his body, trying to avoid contact with his chest. That was about all he had the strength to do, as he collapsed on top of a pile of linens and tried to sleep. All that came was a feverish delirium, wherein he was forced to destroy the SGC while Hathor watched approvingly. She seemed to control even his dreams! The weapon, the one thing that perhaps even Hathor feared, fell out of his hand and slid under the bathing sheets.
Everyone in the Grand Palace was frightened, on edge. They had never seen the God Queen in such a state! She raged about the Palace, striking out at anyone who crossed her path. She had locked away all of the servants who had been about her bedchamber, all but Mor'Ni that is. A wicked child! Daring to challenge the Queen of all Gods! It must have been she who gave the dreaded submission weapon to the Tau'Ri fellahin!
Hathor determined the only suitable punishment for Mor'Ni was to force her to destroy this man. She dispatched the Jaffa ordering "You will bring to Us the servant girl, Mor'Ni. If she is not to be found, you are to announce that Hathor has ordered her to return to the Palace, or her entire village will be destroyed! Within this day, you will also bring to Us the fellahin from the First World! No one will escape Our wrath, if you can not carry out these orders!"
Hathor retreated to her private library. The wall at the back of the room contained ornate carvings. She touched the carved symbols in a particular order, and the wall slid open, revealing an elaborate computer console.
"Dear Ra", Hathor breathed to herself, "did you bother to teach anyone else your secrets? No, probably not, you trusted no one. Spending your last days overseeing naquada mines in unimportant places, you lost touch with your true source of power. Now all is left to Us. We will rule in your place and make good use of your wondrous technology!" Hathor's hands fluttered over the console, bringing the many screens to life. From here, she could monitor - no, she could in fact control - the goings on of the entire empire. When We have assembled Our army, no forces in the universe can oppose Us, Hathor continued to imagine. Freshly exhilarated, and extremely focused now, she went in search of her enemy - the one from the First World, who dared to defy her!
Bra'Tac was a pragmatic and clever man. As he heard Hathor's orders announced, he instantly knew there would be no better way for him to gain access to the Palace than for him to bring in the young girl himself. Hathor would not recognize him. To her all Jaffa were alike, and were of no importance. Now, he must be certain of Mor'Ni's loyalty.
Mor'Ni had remained with Bra'Tac in his camp all night, not knowing where else to go. He told her tales of Earth and revealed much about the false gods. How desperately she wanted to believe him! If Hathor were not a god (she could not believe she was actually allowing herself to think such thoughts) that would explain why Daniel could find the strength to fight the Queen. Bra'Tac's sudden return startled her, and what he had planned for them caused her great fear indeed. Bravely, she swore to Bra'Tac that she would help him free Daniel, knowing full well that she would have to stand in judgment before Hathor!
Hathor chose to relax in her private bath before the stresses of the day's activities. She had put all thoughts out of her mind about losing herself to 'the other.' It had been most unpleasant to lose control of her host, even for a small passing of time. The one she had wrongly called Beloved, had not yet felt her anger. She smiled to think of him begging her for mercy. Before disrobing, she bent down to test the warmth of the pool. As she did so, she heard a small sound, almost imperceptible. A low sound, perhaps a moan? Reflexively she straightened up, armed the energy shield of her glove weapon and stealthily approached the closet from where the sound came. Yes! It came again. Surely it was the sound of a man moaning in pain, or perhaps having a dream. She might have surprised Daniel entirely, if a Jaffa leader hadn't entered the room and loudly announced "My Queen! Your servant has been returned! She waits in your throne room!"
Daniel sat bolt upright. He was briefly disoriented, again in darkness. The events of the last two days came flooding back to him and he scrambled to silently locate the weapon. Where could it be? He was drenched in sweat, a fever still raging within him. Not at all certain he could stand, he crept about the closet on hands and knees, feeling as he went. His fingers felt the cold edge of the weapon as he waited for the door to be opened.
"You do bring Us good news!" Hathor responded, walking ever closer to the closet. "Leave Us now, We will join you in but a moment!" She expected to see the Tau'Ri as a well-aimed energy blast from her ribbon device blew open the closet door, but Daniel remained hidden in the darkness. She advanced, slowly, deliberately. Daniel pointed the weapon, hoping it would deliver him as it did once before, and fired. The green light hit and scattered as it met the orange glow of Hathor's energy field. He saw Hathor's eyes flash and he sagged in defeat as he realized the gun had no effect.
"The weapon of submission will no longer hurt Us," Hathor hissed. Seeing no way to escape, and not wishing to provoke her further, he raised his hands and allowed her to pull him from his hiding spot. Hathor, usually in calm control, now let her anger spill out in a violent tirade "Our slave! Fellahin from the First World! You have committed a crime above all others! Refusing Our love, Our devotion! You choose a slave's tunic and a night in hiding over Our bed? The honor of being Our Pharaoh means nothing to you? After today, there will be no question in your mind, or any of the fellahin of the First World, who is your Goddess!" All the while, Hathor has literally dragged Daniel to the throne room. He was much too weak to protest, and had all but given up. Unconsciously, his hand still held fast to the submission weapon.
Bra'Tac was prepared for Daniel to look poorly, he had seen many prisoners of the Goa'uld. But even Bra'Tac had to hold back a shocked gasp at the sight of Daniel being effortlessly pulled along, puppet like, by Hathor.
Bra'Tac rushed to Hathor's side, kneeling before her "My Queen! I have brought to you the child Mor'Ni. She is sorry for running off as she did. It was out of fear, not disrespect." Hathor brushed him aside and took her place on the throne.
"We might have thought you were trying to interfere with Our plans!" Hathor stated as she shot an accusing glance at Mor'Ni, who stood silently, staring straight ahead. She would not allow herself to look at Daniel, or even acknowledge he was there. She wanted to believe he had in fact escaped and was now back among the stars.
"Give Us your weapon, Jaffa!" Hathor commanded to Bra'Tac. Having no choice, he handed her his zat gun. She, in turn, presented it to Mor'Ni. Hathor's anger now fully consumed her. She only wished for Daniel to die. "Shoot this one!" Hathor motioned to Daniel, who had managed to prop himself, seated against a wall. "We shall enjoy his suffering, as will you Mor'Ni!"
The young woman held the weapon, pointed at Daniel, her hands shaking. Tears began to stream down her face. She began to slowly turn the weapon towards herself. Daniel noticed that Hathor had forgotten about him, for the moment absorbed in the enjoyment of Mor'Ni's agony. He lifted the weapon of submission from under his tunic, and fired a long, continuous blast at Hathor. She rose briefly, then tumbled down the throne steps, coming to rest at Bra'Tac's feet.
Not stopping to ask how Daniel might have done such a thing, Bra'Tac rushed to Daniel's side and grabbed the gun. He handed it to Mor'Ni, ordering her to lock the door and keep watch over Hathor until he returned. He then lifted Daniel over his shoulder and carried him outside. Bra'Tac explained to the guard at the Palace exit, that he was to take the prisoner elsewhere for interrogation. The guard allowed them to leave. No one else interfered with Bra'Tac as he carried Daniel to the Chappa'Ai. Knowing the Jaffa posted at the Stargate were loyal to his cause, Bra'Tac was able to approach unharmed and dial the symbols for Earth. He also activated the remote transmitter, making certain the iris would be open for Daniel's return. Daniel had lost consciousness now, and literally needed to be heaved through the Gate. Bra'Tac spoke to him first, knowing he most likely could not hear "Good bye, my friend Jackson. This new weapon you have discovered may one day liberate my world! Teal'c has chosen his friends well. I pray you will regain your health, soon." With that, Daniel began his trip home at last.
Bra'Tac returned to the Palace, but stepped back into hiding upon seeing that Heru'Ur had also arrived. Silently, he followed Heru'Ur to the throne room. Curious, Bra'Tac thought. The door was not locked, it was in fact open wide. Seeing Hathor lying on the ground, Heru'Ur walked to her side and bent to examine her. Satisfied that she was dead, he rose without emotion. He did not bother to ask the only person in the room, some slave girl, what had happened. He did not care. A worrisome and formidable adversary had been eliminated! So much the better for him! As he turned to leave, he was not able to see what Bra'Tac observed from the shadows, the slave girl's eyes were glowing as she smiled her goodbye!
"So," Sam murmured to herself, "The box only keeps out things that are warm. Now, what good does that do me?" Sam looked longingly at all of the objects so close around her that she could use, but, of course, they might as well have been a mile away because they were on the other side of those annoying walls. "Dammit, Carter, think. Think!", she muttered, stomping her foot. "That's it!", she thought, mentally patting herself on the back. Quickly, she untied one of her boots and slipped it off. She tied a knot at the end of the laces to make a loop, grabbed the loop, and mentally calculated her aim at a near-by metal rod propped against the wall. Holding her breath, she swung the boot through the 'wall'. It swung right around as if the light box didn't even exist.
It took four tries, but, finally, she managed to catch the end of the pipe with the toe of the boot. The pipe came crashing to the floor. Sam froze and expected the bounty hunter to rush back in at any second. After a minute or so, she let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She looked down at the pipe. Luckily, when it fell, the end of the pipe had landed inside of her box. Sam quickly picked it up and started reaching with it towards the device on the table. After what seemed like forever, but was probably about five minutes, Sam finally managed to get the alien's device into her hands. Breathing a sigh of relief, she dropped it into her pocket and sat down to put her boot back on. She had just finished tying when the alien came back into the room and saw her sitting on the floor.
"Getting tired of waiting, are we?", he snickered. "Well, the wait is over. It is your turn for the auction." The bounty hunter looked to the table where he had left his box controlling device. At first, he was puzzled when he didn't se the controller. Then he saw the pipe laying on the floor, and the truth became apparent to him. He slammed a closed fist on the table, and in a fit of rage, he charged at Sam, momentarily forgetting about the walls of her box. The impact knocked him to his knees. Sam didn't waste a second. She quickly pulled out the device and pressed the button she had seen the alien use to disable Daniel's box. The glowing walls around her vanished. Then, taking a guess, she pointed the device at the prostrate alien and pushed the largest button. A wall of light hummed as it snapped into place around him. Sam tucked the controller into a concealed pocket for safekeeping as she looked around for a way out of the compound.
Pressing herself against the wall, she sneaked out the door, ventured down a hallway, and slipped out a small door into the crowded street...
The market smelled of too many packed bodies in one place. Carter strained to see if Jack and Teal'c was around. When she didn't, she felt a knot grow in her throat. 'Was I too late?' Sam thought as she scanned the area once more. It was then that she caught the scene before her at the market's stage. A light box, containing a NOX was being lifted away to a buyer, whose features were hidden within its cloak. The NOX being didn't make a sound, nor did he looked afraid. Rather, his eyes were glued to a point beyond his buyer.
Her.
Sam swallowed, wondering if anyone else made the connection, but everyone was too busy shouting in their own languages for the next slave up for sale. 'What is a NOX doing here? How did he get captured?' Sam realized that the NOX knew who she was. 'Okay, you got my attention.'
Sam carefully made her way over to follow the buyer. 'Maybe you can help me find my team.' Although Sam seriously doubt it, but she couldn't just leave the NOX being here either!
The buyer waved a strange device over the box and it released the NOX being instantaneously. Sam hid behind a building's corner to watch for an opportunity. The buyer was saying something to the NOX. Sam couldn't hear what it was though. However, she was close enough to see the NOX smiled and stuck out his wrists to be clamped down with chains. Sam swallowed, resisting the urge to just run out there. This was the very reason why they respected the NOX's decision to be left alone; so Apophis couldn't get his parasitic hands on them. And here, right now, they were being bought and sold like livestock.
"Steady, Carter." Sam murmured to herself. She wished that Callus hadn't rummaged through her backpack. Now she was unarmed except for the strange device she had used to free herself. 'I don't suppose I could just take this and beat it over the head with it, huh?' Sam thought wistfully. She paused as she noticed something strange. The NOX was not leaving the area yet with the buyer. In fact, his eyes were scanning the area for someone. The buyer was waiting patiently, apparently in no hurry to transport his new purchase yet.
"What are they waiting for?" Sam muttered to herself.
"You, I believe." a familiar voice replied from behind her. "It has been along time, Samantha Carter. It never ceases to amaze me just how small this universe can be."
Jack soon found out why Larnan needed strong men for his fieldwork. They were made to labor, sometimes thigh deep in black, foul-smelling mud; pulling small trees out by their roots and dragging them several miles to a processing plant where the trees were made into foodstuffs and fibers for whatever planet they were on. It was grueling work under the blinding suns. After one day, every exposed part of O'Neill's skin was badly sunburned. He was offered meager rations for dinner, and made to sleep on a mat outside of the main tent. Teal'c received somewhat better treatment, as Larnan appreciated the tireless work of the man and his extraordinary ability to toil under the extreme conditions. Jack tried to find a comfortable position in which to lie down, but everything hurt. He heard someone calling to him from within the tent. Slowly, he rose up, went to the window and peered in.
"O'Neill, are they treating you well?" Teal'c questioned.
"Oh ya! Royal treatment don't you know!" Jack replied. "Hey! You get a bed?" he asked Teal'c incredulously.
"Larnan values my productivity," came Teal'c's reply.
"Well, I had a bit of trouble with the 'productivity' thing! First of all, I don't plan on being here very long, secondly, I spent most of today scouting the enemy," Jack continued, "Does Larnan know you are Jaffa?"
"This I have kept secret, as you have instructed O'Neill. If there are Jaffa guarding the Stargate, there must be a Goa'uld who rules here. I have never heard of the world Thalassia," Teal'c offered. "I don't know," Jack thought out loud. "This Larnan fellow was dealing directly with Callus, and he seemed to be ordering the Jaffa about as well. He called the Jaffa themselves 'keepers'. They sounded almost like plantation owners."
"What is a plantation?" asked Teal'c.
Jack tried to explain "It's a large farm, usually owned by one family on Earth, that used slaves to do the farming. Fortunately, Earth is getting away from the slavery thing, but it seems to exist on many more worlds than Chulak. Teal'c do you think maybe these Jaffa are being paid to stand guard here?"
"It has not been my experience that the Goa'uld would allow Jaffa to live anywhere that was not under their direct control. Unless these Jaffa had successfully rebelled and come to this world to escape the Goa'uld!" Teal'c excitedly offered.
"Just suppose Larnan stumbled onto this world of rogue Jaffa, and offered to get slaves for them to work the fields, and also promised his silence, if he were paid a good sum?" Jack mused.
Teal'c asked, "Who do you suppose leads the 'keepers'?"
"Let's just find out!" Jack called back as he walked away from the tent. Teal'c didn't like the sound of O'Neill's determined comment. Concerned that the Colonel was going to go looking for these leaders on his own, Teal'c left the tent to search for him. It was easy for them to move undetected under the cover of darkness. They traveled about an hour or so down the road typically taken by Larnan's truck, when they came upon a beautiful home. The grounds were meticulously landscaped and the house itself looked to contain 50 or 60 rooms. Jack heard someone singing softly from one of the first floor windows. Motioning to Teal'c to stand guard, he went to the window, confused by what he saw within. A large group of women were assembled watching as another woman gave a vocal performance. After each song, the group applauded graciously. Jack did not understand the language used in the songs.
Teal'c understood well what was being sung. "O'Neill" he whispered, "These are ancient songs of the Jaffa. They tell of the days of our people before the gods, and are now forbidden on my home world. Perhaps I could talk to them!" Teal'c made his way to the front door, just as Jack was about to tell him it probably wasn't a good idea. Upon seeing Teal'c outside the door, the women became frightened and sounded an alarm. Floodlights illuminated the entire yard, and Jaffa guards appeared out of nowhere! Jack was grabbed roughly and thrown onto the ground, a staff weapon pointed at his head. As the guards approached Teal'c, he called out to the women loudly in the ancient tongue of Chulak. The words of myths and lullabies. One brave woman came to the door and waved off the guards. She took Teal'c inside, and closed the door. Jack was not so fortunate, as he was shackled hand and foot and returned to the laborers' tent.
Larnan met him, anger pouring from his eyes, "Callus warned you would be trouble! I have a mind to throw you into the sea, but it would be throwing away good money. Instead, you will work all day and into the night, to complete your work and that of your friend as well. If you are not successful, I will have no further use for you!" He left Jack, still bound, lying on the ground until morning.
"Sure hope Teal'c is enjoying himself," muttered Jack as sleep slowly came to relieve a measure of his discomfort.
When Teal'c entered the house, he had a strange feeling of having come home. He was greeted warmly, receiving hugs from the women and children. Several women apologized that he was treated so poorly. Finally, he was brought to a large living room and asked to wait there for the Mistress of the house to meet with him. Nervously, he agreed, refusing the many foods and drink offered to him. A woman entered the room and spoke warm words of greeting, affectionate words. Teal'c did not know how to respond. He could not help but notice her beauty and grace, also the intelligence she possessed. Never had he seen a woman such as this on Chulak.
"You are lost for words, Teal'c? It must be overwhelming for you to be among Jaffa who are truly free and have been so for generations! I am Ria, Mistress of this great place, one of the founding families of Thalassia. You are now one of us!"
Teal'c softly responded "Do not think me ungrateful, but I can not become one of you. I am pledged to help the people of Earth in a quest to fight the false gods and one day free my people on Chulak!" Ria laughed softly "We are your people, Teal'c! Where do you think we came from? If you search for a free Chulak, you have found it here in Thalassia! So stiff! So much like a soldier you are! I have much to tell you."
"I am not able to stay and listen to your stories. I must be allowed to find my friend, O'Neill," Teal'c pleaded.
"If you are not convinced by what I tell you, then you may go free, but I suspect you will be convinced to remain here. Sit awhile and listen. I insist you hear me out!" Ria could be most persuasive, and Teal'c was more than a little curious. He found himself charmed by this lovely woman, and determined to hear her out. "First of all, do you know what your name means?" asked Ria. Teal'c could only respond with a blank stare. "Yes! Your name has a meaning, lost in time to you. It means 'Liberator'! Do you think of yourself as a liberator?" Teal'c chose not to respond, but to keep listening. "There are so many things you do not know. Do you still believe you must give up your larval goa'uld to a host when it is aged 7 or 8 years? That is what the false gods want you to believe! When your people first came here, they feared the death of their larval goa'uld. What would happen to them! The truth is, the larva is perfectly content to remain within a Jaffa as long as the Jaffa lives! It has no desire to leave or enter a host. The false gods increase their numbers by doing this. The first men here live for hundreds of years and when the time was near for them to die of old age, they passed their goa'uld to their sons. Eventually, the larval goa'uld could not regenerate and died as well. Now we are all free from the goa'uld. The men live a shorter life span, but they are truly free!"
Teal'c was amazed that this could be true, and looked at his own stomach with wonder. "I am very honored to receive the truth from you and your people, but I have sworn my support to the people of Earth," Teal'c tried to explain.
"Are you free in this place called 'Earth'?" Ria bluntly asked. "Can you come and go as you wish? Do you decide your own fate? Or are you but a slave to a different master?"
Teal'c found it hard to describe his life on Earth and work for the SGC. No, he was not allowed to come and go as he pleased, and his fate was often in O'Neill's hands or those that commanded O'Neill, but he did not feel as if he were a slave. "Ria, you have run away from the false gods. I have decided to fight them. I must fight them, and Earth proves to be a great ally!"
"You say that you must fight because you know nothing else!" Tenderly, Ria continued, "Do you remember your mother? What was your family life like on Chulak? Judging from your seal, you were First Prime to Apophis, yes? Do you remember much of anything other than serving him? Now you can think of nothing but fighting him. Stay with us for awhile, and this passion of yours will fade. It will be replaced by freedom and true happiness."
Teal'c had never allowed himself the possibility of being happy. Always he felt a pain, deep within him. How he missed Drey'Auc and Rya'c. "I have a wife and son. They live in a far away place, also in freedom. I did not go to live with them, out of duty to the rest of my people on Chulak."
Ria now asked Teal'c a most difficult question, "Do you believe the false gods can be beaten and driven from Chulak in your lifetime? It will not happen! If they began to lose the fight, they would choose to destroy the home world, rather than leave it! The best you can do for yourself and your family is remaining here. Larnan will go for them through the circle."
Teal'c bristled at the mention of Larnan's name. "How is it your people came to depend on a man such as Larnan and the use of slaves?"
"We are not proud of this," Ria explained "but it was necessary. Our men were unable to work under the harsh conditions of this planet for very long. They became ill, some died. Larnan offered us a way to continue our way of living."
"You enslave others so that you can remain free. This is unjust, Ria." Teal'c answered. "Now you also enslave my friend. You must allow both of us to leave this place."
"You speak well of this friend, but he is not one of us, Teal'c. Your mind has become confused in the time since these people of Earth liberated you from the false gods and took you in. Naturally, you feel some loyalty to them, but in time you will come to see that I am right. You must also know that Larnan will never allow anyone to leave Thalassia. Those who do not settle in and happily accept their place, simply disappear. Good night Teal'c. I trust you will find your room to your liking, and in the morning we can see about locating your family!"
Teal'c understood that further debate, at least for tonight, was useless. As he lay down in the comfortable bed, he began to wonder what had happened to Captain Carter, Daniel Jackson, and of course O'Neill. Was now the time for him to think of what was best for him and his family, as Ria had said? Tomorrow he would decide, but for now exhaustion and sweet sleep overtook him. With no one to order him about, he fell asleep free, for the first time in his life!
Janet Frasier wiped a cool cloth over her patient's forehead as she proceeded to take his temperature, again. 104°, she read off the display-still dangerously high with no indication of coming down any further. She was running out of options, and time. Four hours earlier, she had been working late in the lab when alarms had started going off and she had been called to the gate room. She was shocked to see Daniel lying on the ramp moaning and clutching his chest. At first, she thought there was something wrong with his heart, but she soon discovered his gruesome wound. She quickly had him carried down to the infirmary where she started an IV and began to pump his body full of antibiotics. Unfortunately, they seemed to be having little effect on the infection that had spread throughout his system.
No one could tell her what had happened to Daniel or where he had come from, just that he had come flying through the gate which had been opened on receipt of his remote code. Slowly, Dr. Frasier had begun to piece together clues from his fever-induced nightmares. She thought that she had caught the words "Hathor" and "Chulak" in his muttered ramblings. When the pain became overwhelming, he would become half-awake and she could see the terror in his eyes as he screamed "No!" and tried to push away some invisible thing. Each time, she would give him another dose of painkillers. He was reaching dangerous levels of many of the drugs in his system, and Janet didn't know what else to do for him. She had cleaned his wound and covered it with antibiotic salve when he was first brought to her. She didn't want to risk changing the dressing yet because her initial treatment had caused him to go deathly pale from the pain. She sat down on a chair and hung her head between her knees. She really had run out of possibilities. Suddenly, the night exploded with the sound of alarms for the second time in as many hours. Without waiting to be paged, she took one long glance at Daniel and rushed out the door towards the gate room.
General George Hammond was finishing up some paperwork at his desk. His mind was not on the task at hand; it had been wandering for the past two hours. General Hammond had been called to the base in the middle of the night when Daniel Jackson had appeared unexpectedly and in critical condition. Deep down, he knew that there was nothing he could do to help Daniel right now, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to go home while things were still so up in the air. He had randomly picked up a file to pass the time and was about to read the same report for the fourth time when the alarm sounded and the base began to hum. Leaving his office, he glanced out the observation window long enough to see Dr. Frasier and Captain Carter hugging and talking animatedly to each other. When he reached the gate room, he saw what all the excitement was about. Not only had Sam made it back safely, but she had also brought along some friends- a Nox and two Tollans.
Janet rushed down the hallway and around the last corner into the gate room. If she had been surprised by their first unexpected guest tonight, she was amazed by who had come through the gate this time. Sam was back, and, thank the heavens, she was in much better shape than the last SG-1 member who had come through gate. The two women spotted each other, moved to embrace, and both started talking at the same instant. Sam rushed through a thirty second summary of the bounty hunter and the slave auction. Janet told Sam about Daniel's arrival and his failing state of health. Both women had forgotten about the rest of the people in the room until they heard General Hammond walk through the door. He greeted Sam with a smile and a heartfelt "Good to have you back." and turned to greet their guests. He welcomed the Tollans first and then turned to speak with the Nox, drawing everyone's attention to her.
"Maybe the Nox could help...", Sam began.
"Daniel.", finished Doc Frasier, running out of the room while motioning for Sam to follow and bring their friends with her. Sam turned to General Hammond. "Sir, maybe they can help us with Daniel.", she said opening her arm in a circle to indicate their guests.
"Dr. Jackson is in trouble?", asked Nareem.
"Yeah. Come on, I'll explain on the way."
When the group reached the infirmary, they were shocked by Daniel's ghostly appearance. Sam and Nareem rushed to his bedside immediately. Dr. Frasier had removed Daniel's dressing, exposing his wound in plain sight.
"What sort of a wound is that?" Nareem asked, looking at the angry flesh and dark, swirling streaks. "How did it happen?"
"We don't know for sure," replied Janet, "But from what I have pieced together I think it is a tattoo. A Goa'uld tattoo."
The words hung in the air for a moment, and no one spoke. Then the Nox quietly approached. She laid one of her hands on Daniel's forehead and the other on his chest. Daniel's unconscious body flinched at her touch, but she did not pull away. Softly, she began humming and her eyes focused on some far away point. As she concentrated on healing Daniel, her bodily form flickered and became almost transparent. The others gathered around and could see Daniel's flesh healing right before their eyes.
Dr. Frasier was amazed. She knew from reading reports that the Nox had healing powers, but it to see it actually happening defied description. When the Nox was finished, Janet noticed that she looked extremely tired, and went to help her, but the Tollans got there first and helped their friend to a near-by chair. Janet then went to look at Daniel. She couldn't believe what she saw. Not only was his wound completely healed, but there were no traces of the cruel tattoo. She put a hand on his forehead-it felt cool and dry. He must have felt her touch because he slowly opened his eyes.
"Dr. Frasier? Sam?", he mumbled.
"Here.", they both said at the same time. Both women laughed for the first time in days and smiled down at their friend.
"You have a lot of explaining to do.", teased Sam.
"Do I ever.", he replied.
© 1998 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. 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 authors.
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