"This is…something I kinda hoped I'd never see," Daniel said, instinctively breathing
through his nose. Even that couldn't fully mask the stench. They were walking through the
middle of a war zone. Or what he'd believed a war zone would look like.
They were surrounded by devastation. Burnt out husks of homes lined the narrow dirt
street. Debris was strewn here and there, bits and pieces of peoples' lives abandoned and
discarded. Amongst it all, was a few bodies, those that had obviously died where they'd
fallen.
"It's something I've seen a few too many times," Jack said, his eyes hidden behind dark
glasses.
Teal'c remained silent and Daniel looked to Jack, getting only a shrug in return. "Teal'c, any
idea who these people were?" Jack asked.
"And why someone would attack them?" Daniel chimed in.
"People don't always need a reason," Jack muttered.
"This is a Jaffa encampment," Teal'c said, kneeling over one of the corpses. "Inhabited by
women and children."
Daniel frowned. "Jaffa?"
"We're on a Goa'uld planet?" Jack asked, raising his weapon.
"We are not," Teal'c looked up. "Not all Jaffa live on a Goa'uld occupied world. Often, a
Goa'uld lacks the resources to feed and clothe any beyond his warriors. This often means
that the families of warriors, those out of favor or those too weak to fight will live
elsewhere. It is often a subsistence existence. And is often on worlds administered by a
Goa'uld even if they do not support it."
"If this is just a bunch of women and children and old people, why attack it?" Daniel asked.
"Terror," Jack said bluntly.
"It is indeed a demoralizing event," Teal'c said, getting to his feet.
Daniel saw the body of an armored Jaffa and moved towards it. Oddly enough it was lying
neatly upon the ground, his hands lying at his side. There was no way he'd died like this.
Someone had taken the time to arrange the body. "Teal'c, do you recognize his tattoo?"
Teal'c moved closer. "That is the brand of Cronos, Apophis' sworn enemy."
"He didn't die like that," Daniel said.
"Someone rearranged the body," Jack agreed.
"I thought Jaffa didn't care about the bodies of the dead?" Daniel asked.
"They do not," Teal'c said. "The body is but a shell for the spirit."
"So why would Cronos' Jaffa take time out of attacking this place to rearrange a body?"
Jack asked.
"Cronos did not attack this planet. This Jaffa bears the brand of Cronos and the mark of
K'Tala."
"K'Tala?"
"A K'Tala is a village administrator. These people were loyal to Cronos. Apophis is among
Cronos' enemies."
"So, Apophis attacked Cronos' Jaffa?" Daniel asked.
"This attack could have been perpetrated by any one of a dozen system lords," Teal'c said.
"The attack of villages such as this are often used to train young warriors."
"Isn't that special?" Jack said, sighing.
"Young warriors that distinguish themselves would often be permitted to partake of the
captives."
"Partake?" Daniel asked, his eyebrows creeping up his forehead.
"It is a common practice even amongst the people of your planet, Daniel Jackson. The
American Indians would often capture women from rival tribes to take as their mates."
"Liven up the gene pool, even if they didn't understand the specifics," Jack said.
"Or a primal drive to avoid inbreeding," Daniel said. "Even if it is morally reprehensible."
"Morals are relative," Jack said with a shrug. Jack looked over towards Teal'c. The man was
walking through the remains of a hut, studying it intently. "Teal'c, I don't see any reason to
hang around, do you?"
Teal'c didn't answer. Instead he bent down, picking something up out of the dirt. He held it
in his hand, looking at it closely. "Teal'c!" Jack said, raising his voice.
Teal'c looked up, staring at them as if he'd totally forgotten where he was at. "O'Neill?"
"Is there any reason we should stay?" Jack repeated.
Teal'c shook his head, his fist closing over the item. "This planet is telak. Word will spread
and no one will journey here for any reason but to scavenge, for many years."
"Then let's bag this one. I want to get back," Jack said.
"I thought hockey season was over?" Daniel asked, falling into step beside Jack as the three
of them started towards the Stargate.
"Carter's physical is this afternoon," Jack said, referring to the test that was Sam's last
obstacle before she could return to full duty.
She'd been home for the past three weeks, recovering from both the attack and
subsequent fever that had nearly claimed her life. "Do you think she'll be okay?" Daniel
asked.
"It's just a physical."
"But you said if she doesn't pass then she can't come back."
Jack shook his head. "She's already cleared for light duty. This is to clear her for field
work."
Daniel nodded, remembering the physical requirements that he'd had to pass before
General Hammond had allowed him to be permanently placed on SG-1. "You didn't answer my
question," he reminded.
"She'll pass," Jack declared, staring Daniel in the eyes. "She will pass," he insisted.
Daniel let the subject drop, Jack's tone telling him all that he needed to know. Jack didn't
think that she would pass. And Daniel didn't know what scared him more, the fact that Sam
might not return to the team, or how Jack would handle Sam not returning to the team.
/////
"How's the pain?" Janet asked, gently exploring the wound on Sam's neck.
It was healing, but slower than Janet would have liked. Even though the stitches had been
removed, the wound was still an angry red, contrasting dramatically with the normal paleness
of Sam's skin.
A small section at the bottom of the gash had been left open to allow the fluids to drain so
there was an irregular scab there, something that Janet knew would take a few more weeks
to totally heal.
"It's okay," Sam replied, giving just the answer that Janet expected.
"Define okay," Janet insisted. This was one downside of her job. Dealing with that pesky
military bravado.
Not everyone had it. In fact, there were quite a few hypochondriacs and 'crybabies' on the
base. Ones that would bemoan a paper cut and turn eighteen stitches into six month's leave.
But they were a minority. Most of the personnel on the base were like Sam – and the rest of
her team – to be honest. Folks that downplayed everything and usually ignored their own
pain, especially if it got between them and getting back out into the field.
And that was one thing that Janet had to guard against. Those that would let their desire
to get back to normal lead them to making bad choices. They may want to get out into the
field and back to their team as quickly as possible. But it was her job to make sure that
they were both physically and emotionally ready for the rigors of Stargate travel.
"It's sore," Sam said. "And it's annoying. And I don't even need to take the prescription
pain pills any more."
"But you are taking something," Janet pressed, reading between the lines.
"Sometimes," Sam confessed, saving Janet the need to run a tox screen to get the truth.
"How often is sometimes?"
"A few times a day. Janet, I'm fine," Sam said, pulling away from her.
"Sam, I'm not the enemy," she said softly. "It's my job to make sure that you're ready to
get back out there."
"I am."
"And that you're healthy enough to not be a danger to your team," she continued, ignoring
the interruption. "If your neck hurts enough that you don't have a full range of movement,
then we have a problem."
Sam stared at her for a few minutes. "It hurts," she said softly. "No matter what I take, it
hurts. Half of my arm is numb and I can barely hold a cup of coffee and the part that works
hurts."
"Then start taking the script."
"They don't work. Janet, I take them and it still hurts. No matter what I do, it hurts."
Janet picked up a tone of desperation in Sam's voice and she moved around to look her in
the eyes. Her expression was drawn and Janet could see shadows under her eyes. "When
was the last time you slept?" she asked.
"This morning."
"I mean longer than half an hour at a time," Janet clarified. Sam didn't answer right away
and Janet sighed. "You should have said something."
"And end up back down here?" Sam's voice was bitter, and more than a little resentful.
"No, you end up not in pain."
"If the prescription you gave me doesn't make the pain go away, what will?"
"There are stronger drugs, even some compound narcotics—"
"I can't be on duty when I'm high," Sam interrupted.
"And you can't perform your duty when you're too sleep deprived to think straight," Janet
shot back. She calmed the tone of her voice, hoping to reason with the woman instead of
ordering her. "You don't like the infirmary, I can deal with that. I'll give you a shot to help
you with the pain and we'll find one of the VIP rooms. You can sleep it off in there. Then,
once you're awake, we'll run some tests. See if we can find out why the drugs don't work. If
we can find out why, we can figure out something that will work."
"Okay," Sam agreed.
"I'll be right back." Janet left her alone and retreated into the small pharmacy. She
checked out and signed off on a dose of morphine, then made her way back to Sam,
motioning for the woman to follow her.
Together, they walked to one of the VIP rooms and Janet waited while Sam took off her
boots.
"This should take effect in just a few minutes," she said as Sam rolled up her sleeve.
"And it should knock you out for a good eight hours." She gave her the shot and then
motioned for Sam to lie down. "I'll start doing some research while you sleep," she
promised. "I'm going to have one of the nurses check in on you every once in a while. If
we're lucky, by the time you wake up, I'll have figured this out and everything will be just
fine."
Much to her relief, Sam simply closed her eyes and fell asleep. Janet waited for a few
minutes, then pulled a small coverlet off the shelf, laying it over the sleeping woman. She
left the door, quietly closing the door behind her.
/////
"It was a massacre, General."
"It looked like an aerial bombardment."
Teal'c let his attention wander, his mind sliding back to the planet. This was not the first
such event that he had witnessed. As much as he knew it disturbed O'Neill and Daniel
Jackson, attacks such as that were quite common amongst Jaffa. In fact, Teal'c himself
had participated in many such raids during his time with Apophis.
"Teal'c?" He looked up, noticing the other occupants of the room staring at him.
"Hammond's willing to send a couple of teams to clean up the planet," O'Neill said, obviously
repeating what Teal'c had missed.
"That will not be necessary," Teal'c said. "Word will no doubt spread and anyone that is
found could be seen as the perpetrators of the attack. It would not be wise to be there
now."
"But, Teal'c, all those bodies—"
"Jaffa do not view remains the same way as the Tau'ri. Once a person's soul has departed,
the body is but an empty shell."
"Really?" Daniel Jackson asked, leaning forward.
"Indeed."
"That's an interesting concept. Warrior cultures usually have the most complex funerary
rites."
"The offer is still open, Teal'c, if you change your mind," General Hammond said, ignoring
Daniel Jackson's interruption.
"As you wish," Teal'c said. He had no desire to accept the man's offer, but did not want to
offend by being more assertive in his denial.
General Hammond got to his feet. "Colonel, we will discuss that other topic later today.
Dismissed." The man retreated into his office.
"Other topic?" Daniel Jackson asked, gathering his papers.
"Carter's replacement. Temporary replacement," he clarified as a dark expression crossed
Daniel Jackson's face.
"Janet didn't clear her?" Daniel Jackson asked as the three of them left the briefing room.
"Guess not. Hammond didn't go into details."
Daniel Jackson looked at him. "So you're going to get them from Janet. I'm going with you."
O'Neill nodded. "Teal'c, you coming?"
"Forgive me, O'Neill. I wish to return to my quarters." Teal'c separated from his
teammates, gratefully entering the seclusion of his quarters. Once there, he sat down upon
the bed and drew a small item out of his pocket. The tiny pendant dangled from a finely
wrought chain, glinting in the dim light.
The symbol of Cronos hung from the chain. It was crafted in gold and had once been
delicately enameled. The gold was worn smooth and bits of the enamel were chipped.
The chain showed signs of being repaired at least twice. It looked like a piece of adornment
that had been constantly worn for years.
It looked so different from the last time he'd seen it.
"Do not wake her," Mother admonished, looking at him from her place by the fire. She had a
long handled spoon in her hand and was stirring a stew cooking in a pot hanging over the
flames.
"I will not," Teal'c said, his eyes riveted upon the tiny figure lying in the basket. The baby
was swaddled in blankets, one tiny hand visible by her face. He reached in and took her
hand, smiling when she tightened her grip, her fingers wrapping around one of his.
She knew him. Even though she was just a few moons old, she knew him. She knew her
brother. Knew that he would protect and defend her.
It was his duty after all. His honor – as first born – to act in his father's stead to protect
and care for his mother and sister.
T'Resa frowned in her sleep and spit up, a small amount of whitish fluid dribbling out of the
corner of her mouth. Teal'c picked up a corner of the blanket and wiped it off. She often
did this after she ate. His mother even said that Teal'c had done the same, a fact that he
found hard to believe.
"Leave T'Resa alone," Mother said as she served two bowls of stew. "It is time to eat."
Teal'c carefully extracted his finger and obediently followed his mother's instruction. He
sat down and picked up his spoon, barely waiting for it to cool before shoveling stew into his
mouth.
"When will father return?" he asked.
Mother smiled. "Your father will return when he has completed the tasks Cronos has given
him," she replied, giving the answer that he expected. Around her neck, a pendant glittered
in the fire light. He knew that Father had given it to her. A bonding gift and a pledge of his
feelings. She never took it off.
"But when is that?" he pressed.
"If I could predict that, I would be a Seer and would give my gift to our Lord Cronos," she
answered, smiling.
"Seers live in the palace. Could we live in the palace?"
"We shall live in the home that your father has earned for us," she said. "And you should eat
the food that he has provided."
Teal'c ate more of his stew, thinking of what he would do when his father returned.
Perhaps they would fish. His father had promised that once; that they would go down to the
river and catch fish for the evening meal.
He really wanted to go hunting, but he feared that his father would not permit this. The
forests were much too wild and Father often said that he would not allow Teal'c to hunt
until after he had received his primta.
Teal'c ate the last of his stew, carefully scraping the bowl clean. Just as he stood up, the
door burst open and his mother screamed, jumping to her feet.
She grabbed the knife off the table and held it before her, only lowering it when she
recognized the intruder. T'Resa, startled from sleep, started to cry and Teal'c moved
closer, picking her up from her crib. He was the male, he should have the knife. But he knew
that he was still too small. So he would care for T'Resa.
"R'ikon, how dare you burst—"
"Sancha, forgive me, but there is not much time," he interrupted. He reached out and took
her hand. "Ronak is dead."
Teal'c's stomach dropped and he stared at his father's friend, wondering if this was some
horrible jest.
"NO!" his mother said, shaking her head. "Ronak is completing a task for Lord Cronos."
"Ronak died by Cronos' own hand." Mother faltered and R'ikon reached out, supporting her
as he guided her to sit down. "Cronos bid Ronak to take one of Nirti's planets. He failed this
task so Cronos—"
"No!" mother shook her head, bringing her hands up to cover her ears as if not hearing the
words would keep them from being true. "You are mistaken."
"You know that I am not," R'ikon said, gently pulling her hands down. "You must leave."
"No."
"Sancha, Cronos declared Ronak a traitor. A detail will soon be here to take you and your
children to the palace."
"Why?"
"Sancha, he wants to make an example of you. To show other Jaffa the price of failure. He
will kill you, and your children."
"No." Mother moaned, reaching out to pull Teal'c and T'Resa close to her.
"Yes," R'ikon said. "You must flee, now!"
"Mama?" Teal'c asked, seeking her guidance.
She stared at him for several seconds before taking T'Resa from him. "Go, gather your
belongings," she ordered. "Just what you can fit in a satchel."
"But father—"
"Your father would want us to survive. And that is what we shall do." She got to her feet,
her grief replaced by determination.
Teal'c hurried to do as he was bade, shoving his few possessions into a soft-sided basket
that his mother thrust at him.
T'Resa cried as Mother laid her down, needing both hands to pack. "Where shall we go?" she
asked, folding up her clothing and T'Resa's into another basket.
"I know of a planet—"
"But will Cronos not find us?" Teal'c asked. "He is a god. Surely he will know where we have
gone."
R'ikon smiled and knelt down, laying his hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "He may know but he will
be unable to harm you there." R'ikon looked up. "It is an outpost of Apophis."
"He will kill us!" Mother protested.
"Apophis will not know who you are. Nor will he care about one woman and her child."
"You mean children," Teal'c corrected, pointing at T'Resa.
"R'ikon?"
"Permit me to care for T'Resa for you," he said, standing up.
"No. My baby!"
"Is fragile. Ronak worried greatly about her. This outpost of Apophis' is very rustic. Life
will be a challenge. However, it is the only way to keep you from Cronos' grasp."
"I will not abandon my daughter!" She reached down and took the baby from Teal'c,
clutching her tightly to her breast.
"Sancha, please understand. Once Cronos realizes that you are gone, he will spread word
amongst his worlds. People will search for a woman, a boy and an infant. But if you and Teal'c
are on a plant of Apophis, Cronos cannot search there."
"Then we shall bring T'Resa with us."
"And likely lose her to fever. I know a woman in the next village whose daughter perished
just days ago. She still has milk. She will take the child as hers and none shall know that this
is a child of Ronak's blood."
Mother shook her head, clutching T'Resa even closer. "My daughter—"
"Sancha, this is the only way to insure that all three of you survive. You must give her to
me." She hesitated. "I swear to you upon my own son's life, I shall guard her and I shall
keep her safe. And if I ever have doubts, I shall bring her to you."
Sancha closed her eyes and for the first time in his life, Teal'c watched his mother cry.
Her hold loosened and R'ikon took T'Resa from her, cradling the infant carefully in his
warrior's arms.
"You must hurry," he urged gently.
Tears still streaming down her face, mother reached up and took the pendant from around
her neck. She put it around T'Resa, carefully tucking in the ends of the too long chain. "So
that she will always know who she is," Mother said, her voice choked with tears. She took a
breath and dashed the fluid from her face. "Teal'c, come and say farewell to your sister
while I finish."
Teal'c stepped forward as she moved back. He looked at R'ikon. "I shall protect her with my
life, just as you will protect your mother."
Teal'c nodded, reaching out to take T'Resa's hand. Her fingers curled over his and her
fussing quieted. Teal'c stared at her, committing her features to memory. Her short, dark
hair, her deep brown eyes and tiny hands. The tiny birthmark underneath her left ear. The
firelight glinted off the gold around her neck, the only legacy that she would take with her.
"I am ready," Mother said, standing proudly in the doorway.
R'ikon got to his feet and opened the door, ready to lead them to the chappai and safety.
"T'Resa," he whispered, caressing the battered gold pendant in his fingers.
She was alive. By some miracle of fate or circumstance, she was alive.
Or had been alive. The thought rushed in and pushed his incredulous joy aside with the
undeniable force of fear.
They had not found any survivors. Yet, there had to have been some. Someone had arranged
the body of the fallen Jaffa as a gesture of respect. But were they still on the planet? Or
would they have fled through the chappai?
He had to know. Perhaps there were survivors still on the planet that had hidden from them.
Or perhaps there was a sign telling him where the refugees had fled.
In either case, he had to know. He had to have answers. And he would not find them here.
/////