In Time's Eye
In Time's Eye
by Pax
Summary: SG1 stumbles across an important alliance formed by the Ancients with an unknown race, and must find a way to prevent advanced technology from falling into Goa'uld hands.
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Crossovers, Drama, Humor, Series, Smarm, Other
Crossover: other (not listed)
Season: Season 4
Pairing: Team
Rating: 13+
Warnings: adult themes, language, minor language, violence
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 2005-02-17
-------P3X-454 SG1 Base Camp, Mid-morning Day5------
Sunrise burst across the heavens, tracing delicate gossamer fingers of tangerine, pink and buttercream through an atmosphere that had taken on an impossible shade of baby blue. It reflected and dazzled, bouncing off millions of tiny ice crystals gathered on whispery branches of immense fir trees. The air was chill with an early winter crispness that fogged the breath of three people crouched on the forest floor below.
"This day just keeps getting better and better." Colonel Jack O'Neill groused sarcastically, as he once again flattened himself against the cold, pebble laden ground of their tree carpeted overlook. With a barely audible sigh, he turned to the mahogany complexioned man lying to his right and passed over the pair of micro-binoculars he had just been gazing through. "Do you recognize them?"
Teal'c accepted the offered device, and carefully nestled it against his eyes. Even with his symbiont enhanced vision, he had great difficulty making out any detail of the armor clad figures some two miles away. "They are too distant for me to recognize their armor configuration or brands, O'Neill." he replied back in calm, measured tones then fell silent as he regarded the distant horizon.
"Just keep an eye on them will you, and let me know what you make out." Jack had grown use to his friend's nature, and thought nothing of the burly warrior's prolonged bouts of quietism. Teal'c had been raised as a soldier, practically taught from birth to economize his speech and movements as a matter of self discipline. At first, O'Neill had found it unnerving, but as they learned more about each other he was continually surprised how easily Teal'c could express himself without uttering a single word.
"Colonel," the voice of Major Samantha Carter broke into Jack's thoughts, and he turned to face the attractive blond officer who had taken up position at his left flank "I'm getting some pretty unusual energy readings from that Jaffa party." She frowned at the cell-phone sized meter she was holding in her hands "They're searching for something with a high powered scanner. My readings are off the scale."
"Would that something be us?" A dozen Jaffa never being a good sign, O'Neill's hand instinctively strayed to his sidearm.
"I don't think so, sir, not unless they're looking for the power signature from our naqada reactor, and it's not up and running right now." Carter fiddled with her meter, seemingly oblivious to the approaching troops. "Give me a minute. If I can narrow it down to the specific EM band they're searching, I can give you a better idea of what they're looking for."
"They're still a good hike away, but I'm not taking any chances. I'll give you two. If it's going to take any longer, it's not worth knowing. Got it?" Jack knew any intelligence SG-1 brought back concerning Goa'uld activities was considered of utmost importance, but he wasn't about to take any unnecessary risks.
"Yes...." Sam's reply was cut short as her gaze locked on a point just over the Colonel's shoulder. Her blue eyes sparkled curiously first, then clouded with worry "Colonel, something's wrong with Teal'c."
O'Neill whipped around to find the Jaffa had crushed his binoculars like an empty soda can, and the device now lay in a twisted mass of plastic at his side. What shocked him most, though, was the expression of abject fear Teal'c wore stamped across his broad features. Jack had seen his friend surprised, concerned and even uncomfortable, but he had never witnessed anything that inspired so much as a hint of terror in Apophis's former First Prime. Suddenly, the feeling of unease he had been experiencing ever since he had caught sight of the distant enemy patrol deepened. The hand that had been drifting towards his weapon, now closed firmly around its stock.
"Teal'c?"
The Jaffa finally stirred and turned his haunted gaze back to his companions "We must leave this place. Now."
"Teal'c, what's wrong? What did you see?" Sam asked, concern evident in her normally smooth voice.
"Hem ka Sobk." Teal'c replied, shuddering as the words left his mouth.
"God bless you." Jack replied automatically, as he rose to his knees and brushed himself off. He turned towards his friend "What's a hemorrhoid sobe - thingy?"
"Oh my God." Carter blanched as her subconscious brought up memories that were not her own "Are you sure?"
"I saw the mark with my own eyes." Teal'c replied solemnly. "Their armor is that of the crocodile god." he gripped his staff-weapon tightly in apprehension.
"Oh my God." Sam repeated again, stunned.
Jack knew something more disturbing than approaching enemy troops had spooked both Carter and Teal'c, but his desire to figure out exactly what that something was before it marched on top of them prevented him from being subtle "For crying out loud! Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"
"The Jaffa you saw O'Neill, serve a Goa'uld named Sobk He is a minor System Lord formally in the service of Ra." Teal'c answered calmer "He is called Rager, and is known as The Fiend Who Tears Up Hearts among those he conquers."
Jack winced "So, not a guy we want to meet. That tears up hearts bit sounds a little ominous."
"There's more, sir," Carter piped up "I had a flashback to one of Jolinar's memories. She doesn't recall a specific encounter with Sobk, but there are several references to him, or it, in Tok'ra legend. The word `nak' keeps repeating its self over and over again." Sam looked at O'Neill in worry "I think it's a form of cannibalism, sir"
"Major Carter is correct." Teal'c affirmed grimly "To a Jaffa, the act of nak carries greater spiritual weight than mere cannibalism alone. To devour your enemy is to devour his soul. It is for this reason that Sobk's warriors ritually file their teeth into points so that they may devour their enemies in battle."
"I want us ready to move out in five," Jack ordered decisively "we are not equipped to fight a troop of insane Hannibal Lectors armed with staff weapons. This planet isn't even supposed to be on the damn Abydos cartouche. Carter keep your eyes on that scanner, I want to know what they're looking for."
He swept the area, taking a mental account of everyone and everything until he reached one untended bedroll. Jack sighed in exasperation and spared a quick glance at his watch before stalking over to his own neatly stowed gear. "What the hell is taking Daniel so long? He left to get the rest of his stuff a half hour ago."
"Daniel Jackson returned to the temple ruins we explored last night. He mentioned that he wished to obtain another rubbing of the carvings we found, and would join us shortly." Teal'c offered by way of explanation "The Sobk Guards appear to be heading in this direction, shall I go retrieve him before they draw closer?"
"Oh for Pete's...no, I'll go. Secure the rest of our gear and keep a look out for those croc guards. " Jack pulled the bill of his cap lower over his neatly cropped salt and pepper hair as he hoisted his backpack over one shoulder.
"I'll be back after I wring Daniel's neck." O'Neill mumbled under his breath as he tightened his straps and headed off into the forest in search of their errant archeologist.
---------P3X-454 Ruins, Mid-morning, Day 5---------
Torchlight bathed the unnaturally smooth walls in a soft, yellow glow and illuminated numerous cuneiform-like hash marks scratched into the granite surface with laser precision. Doctor Daniel Jackson, a studious expression scrawled over his boyish features, stepped back to examine his latest bit of artistic handiwork. Not that it could really be called art, yet he knew it took a subtle hand to capture just the right level of detail in an archeological rubbing. Too heavy or too light and the end result wouldn't even be fit to hang up as kindergarten refrigerator scribble, let alone provide a serious tool of academic research. After a great deal of trial and error, he had finally perfected a technique that worked to his satisfaction, and this time was no exception. Crisply defined edges greeted his eager blue eyes as they roved over the tracing parchment's surface, giving him a near perfect representation of the wall it had been taken from.
"He shoots, he scores." Daniel muttered under his breath with a self-satisfied smile.
"Funny," the dry witted voice of Jack O'Neill cut through his enthusiasm like a hot knife through butter "I pictured you as more of a Jeopardy man."
"Oh, hey Jack." Daniel said attempting his old ploy of feigning surprise, and instantly chided himself for resulting to such a juvenile trick "I was...uh...just...are we leaving already?"
"WE were leaving thirty minuets ago so we could make it back to the Stargate before nightfall. You remember nightfall on this planet don't you Daniel? I believe you referred to them as neo-arctic conditions, and proceeded to curse the fates that you had left your thermal undies back home." Jack stood behind him, arms crossed and feet planted firmly apart. He looked every bit like an over protective older brother "You remember freezing your ass off don't you?"
Daniel had the grace to look apologetic as he turned away to adjust his glasses "Yeah, I remember, but I was starting to make some real progress here Jack. Give me five more minutes; I just need to get a shot of that obelisk over there and...."
"Daniel!" Jack started to raise his voice, and then visibly took control of his irritation "We really need to go. Something has come up, and we're in danger if we stay here much longer."
"What's going on?" Daniel quickly rolled the parchment he was carrying and stashed it in a protected map tube. Part of him resented being treated like a child, but it was the dynamic that had always existed between Jack and him. To Daniel, whose parents died when he was very young, it felt comfortable and familiar, so he rarely voiced his irritation.
"Oh, you know, just a few Jaffa, merciless system lords...the usual." Jack bent down and helped him pack.
Daniel froze, momentarily bewildered and sputtered "Jaffa? System lords? This planet wasn't even on the Abydos cartouche. Which one is it?"
"Keep packing." Jack tossed him a small wooden box containing various sketching tools "Some guy that tears out people's hearts on a regular basis. He used to hang around with Ra. He's name is, well, it's weird, sounds kind of like Saab, but it's got Teal'c's and Carter's backs up. His Jaffa have crocodile heads on their armor, if that helps." He shrugged "Other than that, I've only gotten overly dramatic gasps of fear. I was about to ask you if you knew anything about him."
"Neqaui-hatu? You mean Sobk, son of Hathor and Ra? Holy shit Jack!" Daniel snatched up his backpack and shouldered it quickly "If the Goa'uld is anything like the myth, we're in trouble."
"Why am I the only one who doesn't know about this Sobitch guy?" Jack groaned in mock exasperation, finally eliciting a dry grin from his young teammate "Come on, it's not panic time yet. They're still a mile and a half away from our position. We should be able to outflank them and make it back to the gate first. So what do you know about Sobk?"
Daniel paused once more to nervously adjust his glasses before dropping his pack "Well, the Ancient Egyptians called him `Eater of the Dead'. They believed in order for a person's soul, or ka, to enter the afterlife, they had to be free from all earthly sins and duties."
"Sounds familiar," Jack frowned "but in America, we call it Catechism."
Oblivious to Jack's dry humor, or perhaps just use to it by now, Daniel only nodded enthusiastically "Yes, it's similar. All world religions, whether polytheistic or monotheistic, have some basic core elements in common."
Jack slowly closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose "Daniel...blah. You were telling me about Godzilla...."
The young archeologist blushed, thankful it was hidden in the color draining light of his torch "Yeah, sorry. Well, the Egyptians thought when a person's ka went to the afterlife, their heart was brought before Osiris to be weighed against a feather. If the decedent's heart was lighter than the feather, he or she was granted eternal life in Amenti."
"Let me guess," Jack interrupted with a sigh "if it was heavier than the feather, the person got fed to Sobk."
Daniel nodded grimly "Something like that, yes. There was no greater punishment, at least for an Ancient Egyptian, than to be denied eternal life, but there's more Jack. Priests of Sobk, or the Hem ka Sobk as they were called, acted as a sort of guerilla squad or ancient version of the SS. They made a point of stalking those they considered evil doers like human prey and sending them to an early judgment. As a memento or a trophy, they would take either the victims heart or liver to devour as a sacrifice to their god. They believed they were consuming the evil doer's soul in the process." Daniel paused in his explanation. "Jack, I can only imagine what a Goa'uld would do."
Jack cleared his throat and winced, clearly imagining the prospects "Yeah.... That's pretty much what Teal'c said. Come on, get your pack and let's get the hell out of here."
[Colonel, we've got a situation back here. Over?] Carter's voice crackled from their radios in true storm crow fashion.
"Aw Hell." Jack swore and touched the transmit button on his radio unit "Carter, I read you. What's going on?"
[Sir, the Jaffa party just came under fire from an unknown source, and has stopped advancing on our position.]
O'Neill's frown deepened as he touched his transmitter once more "Does it look like anyone we know?"
[Negative Sir. Whoever this attacker was, she wasn't wearing any type of Gou'ald, or Tok'Ra armor I recognized. She looked human, at least from what I can make out at this distance, and was using some sort of energy weapon I've never seen before.]
Daniel frowned "This world was supposed to be abandoned. MALP telemetry indicated no current indigenous civilization, human or otherwise."
Jack, however, had focused on one particular word in Carter's brief narrative "She was, as in past tense?"
[She fought well, O'Neill, and the Hem ka took many casualties.] Teal'c's rich voice added [But she was outmatched, and eventually succumbed to enemy fire, I believe her to be only stunned at this time.]
"What's our current status?" Jack lapsed into his combat mindset, instantly prepared to formulate odds as soon as Carter reported numbers.
[Three Jaffa dead, two wounded] Carter reported crisply [The unknown attacker was taken into the forest by Croc Guards. They appear to be headed back down the path we saw them approaching from earlier. Sir, if everything I remember from Jolinar's memories is true, the prisoner is as good as dead.]
"Carter, hold your position, Daniel and I are on our way out." Jack ordered sharply.
"Jack!" Daniel gaped "We can't just leave here right now. I'm only half way through with this translation, and I've found some pretty incredible stuff! This temple complex may be why the Goa'uld are here to begin with."
"Daniel," Jack replied neutrally "there's a group of highly pissed off, flesh-eating Jaffa traipsing through the forest below. May I point out they are between us and the main way on or off this planet? Somehow, I don't see them leaving it unguarded. Not only are you asking us to stay behind in a hostile situation, but you want us to hang out in the same place the enemy might be headed? Why not just send up flairs? Better yet, we can have Teal'c hand deliver engraved invitations to kick our asses. If we stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting off this world in one piece, it's got to be before Sobe's kids send for reinforcements."
"What about the woman they just took prisoner?" Daniel challenged "Can you just leave her behind to suffer god only knows what kind of torture? According to the MALP she's not suppose to be here either. Is it such a leap to think she might have come here to defend this place? What if she's the key to everything? Jack, Sam just told you that this woman single-handedly took out three Jaffa and wounded two others with some type of advanced energy weapon. She could be part of some undiscovered race that uses the gate like we do. Can you imagine what we could learn from her?"
"It's too risky, Daniel. This was supposed to be a survey trip, and we came equipped for a survey trip. We have no heavy artillery, no SG-7, and no immediate way to dial for backup or additional supplies. I can't risk our lives on speculation and hunches!" Jack growled, his impatience starting to show.
Daniel's jaw tightened stubbornly "Jack, for some reason, this world has become very important to a very nasty Goa'uld. To our knowledge, they've never been here before. It's not on any of their navigational charts we've ever translated. That means Sobk either stumbled onto this planet by accident, or...."
"Or he was looking for it all along." Jack finished, seeming to deflate a little.
Daniel nodded "Aren't you the least bit curious why? From what I've read so far, I'm willing to bet it's related to the writings in this temple."
Jack's eyes glittered menacingly "Daniel...what aren't you telling me?"
The young archeologist shook his head "It's too early to tell yet, but I think we've stumbled onto something big here...as in Ancients big. This cuneiform writing isn't the only script on these walls. Jack, I found Ancient text."
"Damn." Jack muttered as he considered Daniel's words "Ok," he finally resolved with a sigh "let's go meet up with Carter and Teal'c. We'll weigh our options, but if you can't give me anything gutsier than `Meaning of Life' stuff, we are out of here until Hammond can send us back with reinforcements. Deal?"
Daniel nodded quickly, knowing it was the best offer he could expect in their present circumstance "Ok, deal."
--------P3X-454 Sobk Guard camp, afternoon----------
The tent stood out against its more natural surroundings, as if imposing its overly stylized gaudiness on any eye that beheld it. Such was the intent of its designers who saw it as and used it for a traveling palace, a home fit for a god. Its billowing walls appeared to be made of a lavish, but impractical fabric no more able to keep out the elements than tissue paper. Yet looks could be as deceiving as the tent's lone occupant, a slightly built Goa'uld who stood with his back turned and shaven head bowed. Serenity and apparent self-contemplation soothed his ageless brow, lending his swarthy, middle-eastern features a benign, even merciful expression. Amuntep, High Priest of Sobk, however, was anything but serene and mercy was the last thing on his mind as footsteps sounded at the opening of his quarters.
"Lord Amuntep, the patrol has returned." His Prime announced as he stopped to kneel on the sumptuous carpets laid before his master.
Amuntep turned expectantly "Did you find the ruins?" It had not taken his Crocodile Guards as long as he had expected, and he was pleased with the rapidity of their progress.
The Prime did not look up, willing himself not to flinch "No my lord. We encountered a...hindrance."
Amuntep's eyes flashed brilliant white momentarily, before once again returning to their warm gold shade "What hindrance could cause my blessed guard to fail at so simple a task?" He crossed to a small golden stool placed before the throne of Sobk and took a seat.
"We found evidence of a recent presence, my lord. It is the Tauri." The Prime swallowed, though he did not dare raise his head until bidden. His master's voice carried a poisonous undertone that did not bode well.
"What?" Amuntep, his anger now forgotten, pondered this new revelation as he sat forward. The leather armor he wore over his white robes creaked ominously "The Tauri are here?"
"It is unknown if they remain, my lord. We found evidence of their passage as well as their long range reconnaissance device, but there is more." The Prime shifted "We were attacked."
"Enough of this foolishness!" Amuntep growled, letting fly with a backhand that snapped the Jaffa's head to the side "I will have every detail of your actions. If the Tauri did not attack you, who did? This world is deserted, and has been for some time. I demand to know who attacked you and why you failed at my simplest of tasks. Now!"
"Forgive me, my lord!" The Prime moaned from behind his swelling jaw "The search party was attacked by a woman. She appeared Tauri at first, but used technology such as we have encountered only once before. My lord, she was a Gallifreyan. How else could she overpower three of my best?"
"How indeed?" Amuntep growled, his eyes flashing white once more. "I can only hope you succeeded in neutralizing such a threat, or did that also prove too difficult a task?"
"I have done better." The Prime allowed himself a tight smile of triumph that only clenched his jaw in more pain "We defeated the intruder, and I ordered her taken alive and brought here for questioning."
Amuntep said nothing for a long moment. What had started out as an unmitigated disaster had suddenly become a fortunate encounter, and it was now laid at his feet as neatly as a daily offering. "You have done well, my servant." He cooed finally, reaching out a metal tipped finger to caress the rapidly healing damage to his Prime's face "Bring the prisoner to me so that I may question her, and the blessings of Sobk will come to you and his faithful." Amuntep watched the Jaffa scramble to his feet and bolt out of the tent. He sat back on his stool and grinned darkly "The Eye of Harmony is within my grasp."
------P3X-454, Redwood Forest, afternoon ------
The journey from rocky outcropping to evergreen forest had been silent and tense for each member of SG-1. Loam scented mist obscured their passage from any prying eyes and forced them into a tighter march than normal. Carter and Daniel had relaxed enough to chat about the temple they'd just left, but even their friendly banter was carried out in hushed tones. O'Neill felt it hanging over him as weighty and pendulous as the car-sized boughs of redwood they now found themselves walking under. He scowled into the sun dappled gloom, his every instinct demanding that he lead his team directly back to the gate and out of danger.
"We appear to be headed in an opposite direction from the Chaapa'ai, O'Neill." Teal'c's voice rumbled softly at his side.
O'Neill cast the larger man a sidelong glance and nodded once. He noticed the Jaffa lift an eyebrow in surprise, but remain otherwise silent. Teal'c would never question an order if he didn't feel it valid, and Jack was constantly stymied as well as honored by the trust his alien friend so freely gave.
"I feel I must apologize for my actions this morning." Teal'c mumbled, his eyes downcast in shame.
"What on earth for?" Jack blinked in surprise.
"I allowed tales from my childhood to influence my reactions upon sight of the Hem ka." Teal'c continued in the manner of one confessing his sins to a priest "This is not the Jaffa way, not the way of a warrior."
O'Neill smiled ruefully "Teal'c, just because Apophis gave you junior's little hidey hole doesn't make you any less flesh and blood. As long as we're being honest here, the idea of some crocodile armor wearing goon munching on my liver gives me the creeps too."
"Master Brea'tak once told me that fear was a weapon of the enemy, yet it could only prove effective if one allowed it to be so. If you intend to face the Hem ka, I shall fight by your side as a friend and a warrior, O'Neill" Teal'c stated evenly.
"I won't be facing them by choice," Jack focused his attention back out into the forest "but the Goa'uld are here for a reason, and I think we'd be foolish if we didn't try to figure out why. Daniel thinks it has something to do with the temple we explored and that woman who attacked Sobe's boys."
"He may be right, sir." Carter noted from the Colonel's shoulder.
"I am?" the young archeologist's distracted voice sounded from behind O'Neill's back.
Jack looked around in surprise and thinly veiled irritation "For crying out loud, can't I have a private conversation around here? I mean there's only about one billion acres of unoccupied territory around us."
Daniel looked at him quizzically "But, you told us all to stay close because of the fog."
Carter grinned and shook her head "Sorry Colonel, but Daniel has a point. You did order us to stay close, and this is currently the safest acreage around."
O'Neill quirked one of his salt and pepper eyebrows in terse bemusement "And your point would be, Major?"
Sam's smile evaporated quickly "Sorry sir. I thought you should know that Daniel and I have compared some notes and we have a working theory on what's been going on."
"Ok." O'Neill signaled a stop and let his pack drop from his shoulders "I think we're far enough from the ruins now to have a little discussion. Let's hear what makes this world such prime real estate, other than its charming parklands and rustic appeal."
"I think I had better go first." Daniel mumbled as he too dislodged his backpack "With Sam's help I've been able to put my partial translation it into actual relevant context. As near as I can tell this world was used as a meeting place between the Ancients and another race they refer to as Lords of Time."
"As in time travel?" O'Neill asked, suddenly leery.
Daniel nodded, also recalling the time loop Jack and Teal'c found themselves in a couple of months ago "Yes, from our recent findings, we know the Ancients were unsuccessfully experimenting with time travel. After their failure on P4X-639, they apparently made contact with a race of beings that had not only conquered time, but were actively traveling through it."
"There was a catch though." Carter chipped in.
"Only one?" O'Neill quipped.
Carter smirked and continued on "The process required tremendous amounts of energy and these Time Lords were having difficulty locating enough resources to keep their machines going. Enter the Ancients and their knowledge of extra-dimensional power sources."
As if on queue, Daniel resumed the explanation "There was some kind of treaty made and in good faith the Time Lords exchanged their blueprints for the Ancient's unlimited power supply."
"Are you telling me there's a blueprint to some kind of time machine in those ruins?" Jack fought to keep his jaw from dropping.
"Not quite," Daniel replied "but I found something that could be just as dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. Due to some unforeseen fluke, the Ancients weren't able to place a working Stargate on the Time Lords' home world, and had to either fly there by ship or meet them here. By mutual agreement, coordinates to the planet were never published, and the Ancients simply used encrypted maps or a series of clues to find their way. One of those clues is here."
Carter looked at her superior officer, pleading with him to understand "Sir, the energy source Daniel is describing to you would make our naqada generator look like a mule cart sitting next to a Lamborghini. If a Goa'uld ever obtained something like that, they'd be unstoppable and earth would be nothing more than a speed bump. That's what the Jaffa were searching for. They weren't looking for us; they were looking for the Ancients' power source."
"And the fact that they even know about it means one of them reads Ancient or Time Lord." Daniel added.
"What does this have to do with the female who attacked the Hem ka?" Teal'c asked "Is it possible she is an Ancient?"
"I don't think so." Daniel shook his head "We've been told they left this galaxy a long time ago. I think it's more likely she's one of these Time Lords I read about."
"I agree." Carter reached into her utility vest and fished out the meter she had been using earlier that morning "I picked up another energy signature when you ordered me to focus in on Sobk's Jaffa. It was coming from the direction of the ruins, and emitting a series of constant pulses like a homing beacon. We probably triggered it when we made camp there last night. Colonel, we should consider mounting a rescue attempt if she's still alive."
"Alright," Jack said after a moment's hesitation "I've heard enough." He squatted down and began to sketch a rough map in the soil "The Stargate is in this direction, and I'm guessing Sobe's boys have set up shop nearby. Once we've located their base, I want Teal'c and Daniel to split off and check out the gate. You need to find out how many Jaffa are guarding it, and how often those guards report or are replaced. Carter, you and I are going into the camp. Our mission is to locate Jane Doe Time Lord and see if she's still alive. We need to figure out if she is what we think she is, and see what we'll be up against if we can free her." He paused for a moment to look up and meet the eyes of each person surrounding him "This is covert ops. Do not, I repeat do not engage the enemy unless your life is in danger. If, and right now it's a pretty big if, we attempt a rescue; we're going to need every magazine and every zat we brought with us. Any questions?"
------P3X-454, Sobk Guard Camp, late afternoon/early evening-------
Lady Marinarratalasanavor, esteemed Time Lady of House Prydonia, cursed herself for an idiot as another wave of nausea coursed through her stomach. It ebbed mostly from the gaping cauterized wound that had been her right shoulder, and throbbed every time she attempted to rearrange her weight. Amuntep, the Goa'uld holding her captive, had recently made a futile attempt at questioning her. Mostly, Marina had just endured the typical posturing that characterized Goa'uld as a species in addition to a few jabs from a pain stick for good measure. The thick chains binding her to a stake in the ground made an effective deterrent from escape. Coupled with the remote location and circumstances of her imprisonment, Marina knew she'd need divine intervention if she wanted to get out of here alive. Round one of her torture was over, and all she could do was wait for round two to begin.
A faint rustling at the door of her prison tent drew her attention, though she didn't raise her head. It was most likely one of Amuntep's Jaffa delivering her evening meal of nutrient gruel. Marina was gratified, if only a little, that she'd managed to defeat so many before finally being captured.
"Come to gloat more, slave?" She rasped through parched lips.
"No." whispered a stranger's voice. "Actually we've come to get you out of here."
Marina's head snapped up, her pain forgotten, as she looked into the caring eyes before her. It was a man, a human man who looked back at her from the gloom. No mark of allegiance dominated the stranger's forehead, which instantly placed him in the "favors" column of Marina's list. He was handsome, if gracefully weathered by time, and had the bearing of a culture she had visited once before. It was a suspicion confirmed as he turned, and she caught sight of the stars and stripes badge on his shoulder. This human was part of America's late twentieth or early twenty-first century military.
"Who are you? How did you get here?" she managed, lowering her voice to an incredulous whisper.
"Colonel Jack O'Neill, United States Airforce, this is Major Samantha Carter," O'Neill indicated a young blond woman who emerged from the shadows at his back "but now isn't exactly the best time for meet and greets if you know what I mean. Are you ok to walk?" His piercing gaze turned dubious as it took in the marks of age that lined Marina's face along with her short grey hair.
"I believe so," Marina winced as she tested her shoulder once more "but I'm chained to the ground. Going anywhere isn't a possibility at the moment, I'm afraid."
O'Neill frowned as he validated Marina's theory "Damn it. Carter, look around for something that resembles keys."
The blond nodded once and started a rapid but quiet search as O'Neill followed suit "It's no use." Marina wheezed "The Prime took them. If any others exist, you'll never find them in time."
"Double damn it," O'Neill growled, as he spared a glance at his watch.
"We could sure use Teal'c's staff weapon right about now." Carter remarked as she too returned empty handed.
Marina blanched "S...staff weapon?"
Carter smiled tightly "It's a long story, but you can relax. We're not Goa'uld."
"We're screwed is what we are." O'Neill sighed as he sank back on his haunches. "We need a plan B."
"Colonel," Carter's voice had suddenly reduced its self to barely audible levels "there's someone outside."
The expression on O'Neill's face told Marina, that although these humans were formidable, they were not equipped to fend off an entire camp of Jaffa.
"Quick," she hissed, jerking her head towards a crude wooden table across the room. "There's a small, cylindrical device and a necklace on that table. Take them and hide."
"Look, I don't know who you are, but I have a pretty good idea of what you are, and why they want you. Leaving you is not an option." Jack shook his head "They'll kill you, or worse."
"So, you've been to the temple." Marina offered a humorless grin "Your race has come a long way since I last visited your world. As you suspect, I am what the Ancients referred to as a Time Lord, but you can simply call me Marina. What you're doing is very noble Colonel, but I'm more valuable to the Goa'uld alive than dead, and I can not be possessed. I have no doubt they'll harm me, but they will not kill, or enslave me. Please take the items I have described and hide until my return."
Against his better judgment, Jack found himself, convinced by Marina's words, and he signaled to Carter. The Major quickly pocketed the Time Lord's belongings and slipped out the way they had come. O'Neill spared another glace at Marina before he too disappeared.
The Time Lord watched them leave and, with a budding feeling of hope, allowed her head to sink back into her chest.
-------P3X-454 Sobk Guard Camp Perimeter, dusk-------
The gathering darkness brought with it a deepening chill that cut through layers of protective garments and numbed exposed flesh in moments. Monumental conifers, thicker here than in the planet's mountainous highlands, permitted only fitful rays of autumn colored light through their imposing boughs and littered the forest floor with soft blankets of their fragrant needles. The planet's nightlife had begun to awaken as well, and Teal'c made note of their scurrying as he continued with his report
"As you suspected, O'Neill, there were two Hem ka directly guarding the Chaapa'ai." He murmured in low tones. "Daniel Jackson and I located two others on flanking patrol nearby. They report every hour to a watch commander, and every two hours to their Prime. It will be one full day before they are relieved."
"That's a pretty light guard from what we've encountered in the past." Daniel confirmed "They either haven't found our tracks, which Teal'c thinks is unlikely, or believe we've already left. Either way, we don't seem to be much of a priority right now."
"Daniel Jackson is correct." Teal'c dipped his head in brief acknowledgement "It would be, as you say O'Neill, an easy out."
"Great," Jack sighed as he reclined back against his pack "at least some part of this mission will be. Now all we have to do is figure out how to rescue one nice old lady from five other Jaffa, and one Goa'uld without alerting them."
"Old lady?" Daniel's blue eyes sparked curiously.
"Marina is...elderly," Carter replied, barely raising her head from the pencil sized tube in her hand "but she looked perfectly capable, other than the staff blast to her shoulder. I'd say she was probably in her mid fifties if I were to guess."
"Is she a Time Lord?" Daniel asked.
O'Neill shrugged theatrically and snapped "Gee, it's kinda hard to tell Daniel. We failed to discuss racial particulars what with a few Croc Guards just outside the tent."
Jack frowned as he saw the hurt expression on Daniel's face. The young archeologist wore his heart on his sleeve, and had it trampled on more than once. Yet he never seemed to quit, or surrender. Jack wasn't entirely sure which word was more appropriate to describe his friend. He took a deep breath and let his nerves return to normal before speaking again.
"Sorry." he muttered and found another spot over Daniel's shoulder to focus his attention "Marina knew about the temple, and the Ancients. It was mentioned in passing, but she did say she was a Time Lord."
"Whatever she is," Carter added, though her concentration still lay on the cylindrical device between her fingers "she's able to withstand the pain of an open and untreated wound. The lighting in her prison tent was dim, but it looked like a third degree burn. She also said that she couldn't be used as a host."
"That is a bold proclamation." Teal'c said pensively "Those who can not serve as hosts to the Goa'uld are few. Among that number, those not subjugated or destroyed are fewer still."
"Yeah, I heard that too." Jack pursed his lips in thought "She didn't seem too concerned about the life threatening torture bit either. Of course, the old girl could've just been crazy from that untreated staff wound on her shoulder."
"Or," Daniel interjected "she could be like Aris Boch."
"Aris Boch." O'Neill uttered the name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth "Now there's a name I could've gone without hearing for a while longer. Wasn't he `employed' by Sokar?"
"With Sokar dead, Aris and his people would've been forced to get their rajna elsewhere. Somehow, I don't think it grows on trees." Daniel ran a nervous hand through his short brown hair. "Jack, what if I'm wrong? What if they do know we're here and this is all some kind of elaborate ploy to capture us? We're here because of me!"
"Hold on now," Jack grabbed the younger man's sleeve "I get to be the suspicious one, remember?" His grip on Daniel's forearm tightened and he gave the archeologist a reassuring squeeze "We're here because I thought your idea was worth pursuing. Carter's done everything to back your theories with science, so don't go second guessing yourself. Do you really think we'd still be here if I thought this was a bad idea?"
Daniel shook his head "No, you're right."
Jack sighed "Look. I know this sounds nuts, but I believe the old girl. I don't know how I know, other than to tell you I feel it in my gut." Jack stabbed a finger at his stomach for emphasis.
"It's the right thing to do," he added softly.
Silence reigned for a moment, broken only by the sound of breathing "You're right Jack. It's the right thing to do." Daniel nodded as he spoke into the tense quiet "If we don't try to help, and just turn our backs, we're no better than the Goa'uld."
"Sobk guards make formidable opponents," Teal'c rumbled. "Their training is legendary, even among other Jaffa. Do you have a plan O'Neill?"
"You mean besides not getting shot?"
Daniel smirked "So you're saying you have no idea."
O'Neill drew himself up "I wouldn't say `no idea'. I'd just say it's currently evolving." He sighed as he considered his options. "Carter, make any headway on Marina's...thingy?"
Carter looked up once more as she blew away a stray shock of her blond hair and frowned. Despite spending a better part of the afternoon examining Marina's strange device, she felt no better about her prospects of actually turning it on. The physicist in Sam had always been a proponent of understanding, her voice of reason and temperament. As a Major in the United States Airforce fighting a covert war with an enemy of superior strength, she recognized a certain degree of haste wasn't only necessary, it was imperative. Jack, Teal'c and Daniel had always believed in her abilities as a scientist with unwavering faith, but she knew she would never forgive herself if something happened because of a button she had pressed in haste.
"Major?" Jack's prompt broke into her thoughts, and she met his curious gaze with a sheepish blush.
"Sorry, sir." Sam murmured "I was just trying to find its power source."
"See!" Jack shot Daniel a triumphant smirk "Now THAT'S a plan." He turned his attention back to Carter with a conspiratorial wink "So what've you learned so far. Didn't Marina call it some sort of screwdriver?"
Sam frowned "I think so. It was all kind of harried, but I think I heard her call it a sonic screwdriver."
"Sonic screwdriver?" Daniel asked, obviously trying to curb his natural curiosity "Sounds pretty advanced."
"It is." Sam agreed "As near as I can tell, its outer case is made out of a metallic composite, almost like dental fillings but more durable. It's lighter than any screwdriver I've ever used, that's for sure. I'm not entirely certain, but I think it may operate on some kind of sophisticated ultrasonic principal. There's a small emitter on the tip that could act as some kind of focal point but...." She trailed off.
"But what?"
Carter sighed in frustration. "I can't even begin to tell you how it works, or even if it works at all. Everything I know about ultrasonic acoustics tells me this metal tube can't possibly function."
"I'm not following you Carter." Jack tilted his head quizzically.
"Well Sir, ultrasonic waves are basically sound that's generated at frequencies greater than the upper limit of human hearing, approximately 20 kilohertz. At its highest levels, ultrasonic sound can produce sympathetic vibrations called cavitations. In theory, this device could possibly harness those cavitations and use them to literally displace objects by sound. The only draw back is that any such device would have to be well insulated, or it would literally shake its self apart. Quite frankly, I don't see how anything this small could contain enough working components to generate an ultrasonic pulse, let alone sound proof insulation."
"The Goa'uld utilize sonic grenades that are no larger than one of your tennis balls." Teal'c reminded the group "They prove to be small, but formidable tools for subduing large gatherings of multiple targets. Perhaps this device is similar in impact, if not in function."
"You watch tennis?" Jack blinked in surprise.
"Teal'c has a point," Daniel interrupted "tennis ball or no tennis ball. This sonic screwdriver might have been designed as a practical tool, but maybe it could be used as some kind of a...a...weapon."
Jack said nothing, only looking at Carter with his deep, questioning gaze. He could tell she was spooked about turning Marina's screwdriver on, and he knew her well enough to know why. It was barely a week ago that a naqada enhanced warhead designed by Sam had nearly wiped out the base. Everyone knew it wasn't her fault, yet that moment had left an indelible mark, a scar, on her conscience. Jack mentally added yet another score to settle with the NID to his ever growing list.
"It's possible." Sam confessed heavily. "As we've seen with Goa'uld technology, a strong enough ultra sonic burst can overwhelm most humanoid nervous systems and cause temporary paralysis, but Sir, I don't know if this machine is even capable of that."
"There's only one way to find out." O'Neill gently wrested the instrument from Carter's grip and gave it a brief once over before turning it against a nearby tree.
"Sir, wait!" Carter choked out, her soft blue eyes wide with terror.
Jack motioned for the others to stand behind him as he touched what he hoped was an activation switch. For a moment, low humming filled the air then quickly rose in both pitch and tone. He winced as the sound grew fairly high pitched, wondering if Carter had been right and he had just made a pretty big mistake. As quickly as it had started, the sound spiked achingly, then suddenly disappeared. Only a slight disturbance of the air, like heat rising off the afternoon pavement, indicated Marina's screwdriver was even working.
"Ooookaaaaay." Jack cleared his throat "I think it's on, so what in Christ's name is it supposed to do?"
"Maybe," Daniel ventured "you should've had something for it to screw."
A distinct rustling sound abruptly silenced Jack's response, and he turned to his exposed side without thinking. Marina's device suddenly hummed quietly, and there was the sound of snapping twigs followed by something large hitting the ground nearby. Jack winced as he pressed the other button which he hoped would be an off switch.
O'Neill's finger instantly went to his lips in a gesture that turned out to be utterly useless since everyone had fallen quiet. He motioned first for Teal'c, then Carter to form up, then placed himself at point. Everything moved with the experience of a well choreographed dance, and SG-1 soon mustered into a wedge formation with Daniel at its center. O'Neill had seen the young archeologist handle himself pretty well around firearms, Daniel had to qualify to maintain his place in a field team after all, but he was still classified as a civilian and their weakest shot. Jack knew it wounded his pride, but would rather sooth his friend's nerves one hundred times over, than bury him in an unmarked grave. Carefully, they side-stepped forward as a group, communicating only in rapid hand signals and over exaggerated lip movements, until they reached the same vague area where the noise had first occurred. With a gesture, Teal'c dropped to his knees and speared his massive body through the foliage. Carter held her breath, then released it as Teal'c reemerged unharmed though his eyebrows were raised in bemused surprise.
"Our intruder is an animal, unconscious but otherwise unharmed. It appears to be arboreal and fallen from the tree you were aiming at O'Neill. I would say your chance has," he remained quiet for a moment as he searched for the correct phrase "paid off."
"It looks like a six-legged squirrel." Daniel mused as he looked over Teal'c's broad shoulder curiously.
"Well, at least we know it works." Carter replied icily as she firmly, but respectfully, took Marina's screwdriver back.
"Take it easy Major," Jack ordered firmly "I may have just figured out how to get into and out of Sobe's camp without firing a single shot."
------P3X-454, Sobk Guard camp, early evening-------
"So stubborn, so prideful," Amuntep sneered savagely, his metal encased right hand extended outward towards his victim's forehead "Your reticence has proven most enjoyable to me."
Marina's watery blue eyes rolled backwards in their sockets as she fought to retain consciousness, fought to keep the words from spilling from her lips, fought against the seemingly unending pain of having her mind pried from her very skull. It was not the first time she had been tortured, certainly not the most painful method she had ever been subjected to, yet in many ways it was the most insidious. Among Time Lords, there was no greater treasure than one's thoughts. Memories of atrocities that made even the Goa'uld's petty brutality pale in comparison resided there as well, lessons of what they could have become had their evolutionary paths not diverged. Marina was a keeper of this legacy, and she found in that notion certain strength. It was a reserve that she tapped into now to once again repel the Goa'uld's probe from her mind.
"Really?" Marina gasped through clenched and bared teeth "Your...in...incessant badgering has...done...nothing but...try my patience!"
Amuntep's eyes flashed brilliant and his scowl, if possible, darkened even more "Insolence! Perhaps your next regeneration will prove more pliable."
Marina opened her mouth to say `Not bloody likely', but didn't get the chance. Solid energy hit her, sending her flying backward as if she were nothing more than a child's doll. The blissful period of weightlessness was short lived, and her injured shoulder connected with the frozen ground. Marina could not find breath to cry out, gasping noiselessly instead as she felt the remaining bone shatter. Unconsciousness mercifully claimed her, enveloping her senses in an all numbing darkness. Weariness and anguish were two enemies Marina gladly succumbed to.
"Behold, the cost of your defiance." Amuntep sneered as he lowered his arm, closing his long fingers around the still warm focusing crystal of his hand device.
He eyed Marina's twitching form with a chilling precision honed over countless tortures. Possessing only a detached interest, Amuntep noted every shudder of the unconscious Time Lord's form. He'd dealt the prisoner a mortal blow, but Gallifreyans were an abnormally resilient race. Their powers of regeneration were legendary, as was their rumored arrogance. Amuntep's sneer deepened into a cruel smile as he thought back to the only other Time Lord he had ever questioned. He had driven it through all twelve of its regeneration cycles before finally learning of the Eye of Harmony. Unlimited energy, enough to power a conquest of the entire universe and beyond fired Amuntep's imagination. As the maddened alien crumbled into a desiccated husk, it had imparted one final secret: a map to its long forgotten homeworld and Amuntep's prize. A map which began with this uncharted planet. Sobk had rewarded him by granting a Prime and ha'tak as if he were a god himself.
"Perhaps, before my quest ends, I shall be." Amuntep sank back on his chair and waited patiently for Marina to die.
"Master," the voice of his Prime once again drew his focus "your scouts have returned from the ruins."
The hulking man kneeled as before, and refused to meet Amuntep's direct gaze unless bidden "The carvings where there as you predicted."
"Excellent," Amuntep purred "did you find the next clue?"
"Yes my lord," the Prime bowed his head even lower "but I do not believe we were the first to discover it."
"The Tauri." Amuntep mulled over this information carefully.
"Yes, my lord." The Prime rumbled "Your trackers found more evidence of their passing as we ascended the bluff. It was three humans accompanied by one Jaffa, a shol'va."
"Like those who dispatched Hathor?"
"The same, my lord. Their tracks were recent, and the centuries I posted to guard the chaapa'ai have not reported any unusual activity."
Amuntep sat forward expectantly "So, the Tauri are still here. This shol'va you speak of can be no other than the Jaffa traitor Teal'c. This is unexpected, but not unwelcome news. Sobk would be greatly pleased were we to return with both the Eye and the Tauri.
"Perhaps they are in league with the Gallifreyan my lord. We know they have other powerful allies. If she is known to them, surly they will attempt a rescue. If it is your will, I shall take the prisoner and use her as a lure." The Prime quivered in anticipation, hungry for action like a starved man hungers for sustenance.
Yes." Amuntep hissed in pleasure "Well done my servant. Take the alien, but gently. The Tauri may leave her if they fear she is already dead."
__________________________
"Aw hell." O'Neill sighed as he watched a Jaffa bearing Marina's limp form emerge from the compound's largest tent.
He lowered the sight he'd borrowed from Daniel's archeological field kit, and buried his head in the crook of his arm. Tension flared between his shoulder blades, releasing the headache he'd been nursing all day long. If things had gone as planned, he would've been sitting home right now catching the Vikings game, tossing down a Bud and explaining the finer points of defensive field advantage in professional sports to a bemused Teal'c. Instead, he was stuck on some god-forsaken alien planet with big honking six-legged squirrels, freezing his ass off (again), dealing with an ego mongering Goa'uld (again) all because he was too damn scrupulous for his own good.
"Sir," Carter's voice, laced with concern, brought him back to the present "do you need an aspirin?"
Jack shook his head wearily "Being noble sucks."
"You've got a point sir, but I think that's why the Asguard and Tok'ra like us." Carter smiled as the handed over a Tylenol.
"I know." O'Neill groaned "Why can't this shit ever happen to Feretti?"
"SG-3 is abnormally fortunate in this respect." Teal'c agreed with a sage nod of his head.
Daniel shivered, drawing his fatigue jacket closer in a vain attempt to mitigate the plummeting temperature "God, I ccc...could use a c...cup of cccc..ccc...coffee right now."
"Don't go getting antsy now, it's almost showtime." O'Neill dry swallowed his pill and winced at the bitter aftertaste. "One of Sobe's goons just took Marina back to the prison tent. It looks like they worked her over pretty good."
Teal'c's customary pensive frown deepened "You say she was removed from the throne room by a single Jaffa?"
"Yeah," Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise, Teal'c was seldom an alarmist "but she wasn't in any position to offer resistance. She looked unconscious."
"Ah..." Daniel perked up "unconscious or dead?"
"I'm going with optimism here Daniel." Jack growled, but there was no real malice behind it. Daniel raised a valid point. A dead alien stranger made a pretty stupid reason to walk straight into the lion's den.
"She is not dead, at least she will not be as yet." Teal'c rumbled.
Jack spun back to the burly Jaffa, surprised by him yet again "Care to state your source Madam Cleo?"
Teal'c arched one of his eyebrows "The positioning you describe is similar to an old Jaffa battle tactic, O'Neill."
Daniel suddenly gasped "Of course! The wolf and the lamb, it's perfect. Jack, Teal'c's right! They know we're here and they're laying a trap."
END OF PART ONE
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