New Fic: Beetle's Nothing
Mar. 5th, 2007 08:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grav_ityFINAL CHAPTER, so everyone who was waiting for the end can start reading now.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Born Again
The network was firmly in place. Not all the reanimated rebel Jaffa had known one another. In fact in most cases, their deaths were separated by several years. How they recognized one another Janet never knew, though she suspected that Teal’c and Bra’tac had long since established protocols for recognizing their fellows. Tara’c was the only rebel she ever saw. His position in the temple guard allowed him access to her, but the other rebel reanimates were in the regular militia. For the first few days, she had been wary of him, but his account of his time under Imhotep and of Teal’c’s duel with the false god was spot on and she had cautiously let down her guard.
Tara’c, by virtue of his liaisons between the temple and the army, kept the rebel Jaffa apprised of their situation. He alone knew who each rebel was and it was his job to screen each group of reanimates for allies. Conscription was out of the question. They had no great orator in their company and none of the reanimated Jaffa would believe that Kephrey was a false god if they had not already thought so without strong persuasion.
It had been Tara’c who told her the real reason for her reanimation. The temple priests had given her nothing but the standard mumbo-jumbo about it being god’s plan and she had yet to see a priestess, as they were cloistered from all save the priests and the god himself. The high priestess, Tara’c informed her, was carrying a nearly-matured prim’tah. And Kephrey intended Janet to be the host of his new Queen.
All things considered, Janet took the news fairly well, asking only when the ceremony was to take place.
“One day hence, Janet Fraiser.” He wasn’t Teal’c and the news was far from good, but it was oddly reassuring to hear someone call her that again.
“Can you get me out of here without compromising yourself?”
“I can surpass that, Janet Fraiser,” Tara’c said, a familiar gleam in his eye. “In one day’s time, we Jaffa will take the chappa’ai and escape to our freedom with you.”
------
“Chevron four is locked!” Walter announced.
Jason stared at the Stargate as it spun in front of him, his face full of wonder.
“It gets better,” Jack murmured to him.
“Chevron five is locked!”
The chevrons on the Gate suddenly flared and the inner cordon began to spin in the other direction.
“Walter?”
“Incoming wormhole, sir,” Walter reported. “I’m sorry; they dialed in before we got out. I am closing the iris.”
The doors to the Gate room slid open. A detachment of marines ran in and took up their flanking positions. The wormhole engaged and the control room was bathed in a watery blue light. Jason was gaping now.
“Are we getting an IDC, Sergeant?” Jack asked.
“Yes, sir. It’s Master Bra’tac.”
“Open the iris.” Jack turned to his former teammates. “Let's get down there.”
They made their way down the stairs and around the corner. By the time they reached the blast doors, Bra’tac had already come through and the wormhole had shut down. Jack ordered the marines to stand down and they filed out as SG-1 came to the centre of the room.
“Were you expecting someone else?” Bra’tac asked, eyeing the MALP that stood at the base of the Gate. He was supporting another Jaffa warrior who was clutching his stomach. Jack knew that that was never a good sign.
“Just some recon,” Jack said simply. “Need a hand?”
“Indeed, General O’Neill,” Bra’tac said as Teal’c moved forward to help support the injured warrior. “This is Fara’c. He has lost his symbiote and needs tretonin to replace it.”
Walter, who was listening on the comms, called for a med team. Jack nodded his approval and turned back to the Jaffa.
“Not that I don’t love it when you drop by, Master Bra’tac, but we were just about to launch a MALP—”
“No,” mumbled Fara’c. “You must not. Listen to Master Bra’tac. Please, her life depends on it as do many others’.”
The med team ran in had got Fara’c onto a gurney. He waved off Master Bra’tac, insisting that he give SG-1 an explanation as soon as possible and then he was wheeled away.
“Whose life?” Daniel asked.
“Why don’t we take this upstairs?” Jack suggesting, gesturing grandiosely in the general direction of the briefing room. “I get the feeling that this is going to be fairly complex.”
“Indeed, O’Neill,” Bra’tac agreed. “And we do not have a lot of time.”
------
“What do you know of the false god Kephrey?” Bra’tac asked as soon as they were seated at the conference table.
“We know that he was in Egypt with Ra, that they argued and Kephrey lost and then fled to Moab.” Daniel said. “There he built another Stargate complex but eventually had to abandon it because he was overwhelmed by the Israelites. We have a Gate address to where we think he went.”
“You know much, as always, Dr. Jackson,” Bra’tac said, inclining his head. “But I know more.”
“How so?” Jack asked.
“The Goa’uld Kephrey is thought dead by most of the remaining system lords,” Bra’tac began. “However, he has long dwelt in secret, keeping only a few Jaffa at any time and withholding himself completely from all politics. But for all he did not participate in their dealings, Kephrey kept very close watch upon his former compatriots. After a major battle, he would often gather up the dead and take them away to his planet.”
“Why?” Jack broke in.
“Because he’s the beetle,” Jason said cryptically.
Bra’tac looked at him directly and Jason quailed.
“That is so,” Bra’tac agreed. “Kephrey would keep these fallen Jaffa in stasis tubes of his own invention but modeled after the Goa’uld sarcophagi. There they are quite dead, but if placed in a sarcophagus, they will regain life.
“It is my belief that Kephrey bided his time, collecting Jaffa until he had sufficient numbers to make a stand against the system lords.”
“Master Bra’tac,” Sam interjected. “How do you know this?”
“For this information, we have Fara’c to thank,” Bra’tac explained. “It seems that in the reanimated Jaffa there are many rebels. Fara’c is one and he tells me that there are others. He and a fellow rebel were on a scouting mission for Kephrey and took the opportunity to defect.”
“Won’t Kephrey notice?” Daniel asked, “And where is the other?”
“You are steps ahead of me, Dr. Jackson.” Bra’tac said with a smile. “Fara’c was ordered by the leader of the rebels on Kephrey’s planet to make his disappearance appear like his death.”
“His symbiote,” Teal’c said.
“Yes,” Bra’tac agreed. “Once on the planet Kephrey had assigned them to, Fara’c and his companion redialed the Gate and came in search of me. I was most surprised to see them alive, but they explained their story quickly and outlined what must be done next. We gave the other some wounds to support his story that he was attacked and then he removed Fara’c’s symbiote to carry to Kephrey. It is the custom to present the god with the symbiote of fallen comrades.”
“Nice,” said Jack. “How do we fit into this?”
“Kephrey has reached the zenith of his plan,” Bra’tac said. “No longer does he store away Jaffa. Instead he is reanimating all of them into his army. But they are not yet all awake. Kephrey waits because tomorrow he will implant the prim’tah of his high priestess into the woman he has chosen to be his Queen.”
“Jack, we have to get there before that happens!” Daniel said.
“Indeed you do, Dr. Jackson,” said Bra’tac solemnly. “The woman Kephrey has chosen is known to you.”
“No!” Sam burst out. Everyone looked at her and she turned to Jack. “Sir, there haven’t been that many bodies we haven’t recovered. And there’s only been one female.”
“Janet,” Daniel breathed. Bra’tac nodded.
“Start with these things next time!” Jack exclaimed.
Daniel said nothing, but slumped back in his chair, a myriad of emotions and thoughts playing across his face. Jason looked puzzled, but knew that this was not the time to ask questions and Teal’c betrayed his emotions only through a single raised eyebrow. For several moments, no one said anything and then Daniel leaned forward.
“So. What are we going to do?”
------
They gathered in the Gate room at 0750. Four teams of marines, each briefed on the intricacies of their targets by the recovered Fara’c, performed one last check of their assigned ordinance while they waited for the Gate to dial. Teal’c and Bra’tac, each wearing traditional Jaffa robes, waited with Fara’c. They would not join the fighting directly. Instead it would be their task to sway the bulk of the Jaffa or, if necessary, subdue them.
Jack looked over at Daniel with some concern. Daniel had been uncharacteristically wooden during the rest of the briefing and mission prep and he had refused to say anything that was not directly relevant. That alone sent up red flags. Jack caught Sam’s eye and she tilted her head in Daniel’s direction. Jack rested both hands on the top of his P-90 and headed over to talk to his teammate.
“Everything ready, Daniel?”
“This isn’t really the type of mission I am good at, Jack,” Daniel said. “I have my orders and I’ll follow them, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Jack ran a hand across his face. It was going to be one of those conversations.
“You’re allowed to get your hopes up for this one, you know.” Jack used a softer tone this time.
“I know.” Daniel was staring at the Gate which had now begun to dial.
“We’re going to get her back.”
“I know.”
Jack looked over at Sam and shrugged apologetically. The look she shot back said at least you tried and she came to stand with them just as the wormhole engaged.
“SG-3, you have a go,” Jack called out.
Colonel Reynolds nodded and drew a Goa’uld stun grenade from his weapons belt. He rolled it through the Gate and counted down from five. Then he briskly ordered his team to move, and then went through.
A few tense moments passed before Reynolds’ voice came over the radio loudspeakers.
“Gate secure, sir.” The radio cackled. “All the guards have been taken. We are dealing with them. You are clear to move through.”
“You heard the man.” Jack said, pulling a hat from his pocket and sticking it on his head. “Move out!”
SG-5, SG-10 and SG-21 marched up the ramp and disappeared through the event horizon. Teal’c and Bra’tac followed with Fara’c. At the top, Fara’c turned around.
“May your battle go swiftly and may you find what you seek,” he said, formally bowing his head.
“Yours too,” said Jack. “Thank you.”
The three Jaffa disappeared through the Gate and Jack looked back and forth between Sam and Daniel.
“Let's go see a doctor.”
------
Major Harper and his team followed the path Bra’tac had assigned them with ease. They moved into the medical facility through a side door that was traditionally left open a crack to allow for air circulation. The main entrance, which led directly to the Kephrey’s pyramid, was heavily guarded and there would be no ingress from that direction. The side door was hidden, as was customary with Goa’uld construction, but Harper knew exactly where to look.
Turning the glyph that would open the door the rest of the way, Harper motioned his men through it. They crept in and found, as they had expected to, that the lab was deserted. The rebel Jaffa had timed their attack so that the focus of the guards and scientists under Kephrey’s rule would be on the impending implantation ceremony. This cut things a little close for Dr. Fraiser, but since the rebel Jaffa had planned it, Harper assumed they knew what they were doing.
Glancing around, he quickly located their target: the power source for Kephrey’s stasis chambers. There had been some cause for concern voiced by Colonel Carter in the briefing that they would be killing unknowing Jaffa, but this was overruled by Fara’c’s assurance that the Jaffa were already dead. The chambers did not preserve some spark of life in them; they merely kept them in cold storage. Every occupant of the stasis chambers was dead, in some cases; they had been dead for decades. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but Harper took solace in knowing that he was not about to kill any innocents.
He signaled for two of his teammates to rig the explosive devices while the third guarded the door. Harper quickly examined the lab, looking for anything that the Trust might want and determined that it was all close enough to the blast radius to be taken care of. His 2IC flashed him a thumbs up and switched on the timer. It began counting down as SG-5 made their exit, shut the door and headed for the rendezvous point.
------
SG-10 moved quietly through the hallways of the main pyramid after splitting up with SG-3. Fara’c had reported that the main power for the temple and the pyramid itself were both tied to the same source. This source was in one of the pyramid’s sublevels, and that was SG-10’s target.
They moved steadily downwards, meeting no one, until at last they came to the control room. Here they did meet guards, but there were only two of them and SG-10 was prepared. Using zat guns, they neutralized the Jaffa guards and placed their charges around the power crystals.
All told, they were in and out in under two minutes and then they headed back to the Gate.
------
Colonel Reynolds had never become entirely accustomed to the Jaffa. When he and his team rounded a corner and came face to face with two serpent guards, he couldn’t stop his blood from running cold for a half a second. It was just…unnerving.
The Jaffa in question immediately lowered their helmets.
“Shel-kak nem-ron!” they declared in unison. Reynolds breathed a little easier.
“Can you take us where we’re supposed to go?” he asked.
“Follow us.”
------
Daniel stood in the shadows behind one of the support pillars in the temple. Jack was behind the pillar on his left and Sam was on his right. Teal’c, Bra’tac and Fara’c had disappeared into the crowd, but SG-1 wasn’t really dressed to mingle. Daniel saw Jack check his watch and knew that SG-3 should be in position in the upper galleries soon. Now all they had to do was wait for the explosive signal.
The temple was fairly standard in layout. The lower floor was rectangular with a large pool in the middle. At the end farthest from the main entrance there was a large statue of a man dressed in the royal kilt, with the head of a beetle that stood on a raised platform. There was an altar at the statue’s feet that was flanked by two guards in dress Daniel didn’t recognize, but assumed must be the traditional armour of Kephrey himself. The guard on the far side was Tara’c, described by his compatriot, but the guard on the near side was loyal to Kephrey.
Around the pool, Kephrey’s loyal subjects, and some not so loyal, gathered to witness the coming of their Queen. They left a round gap in the centre of the mob that Daniel knew was a ring platform. Kephrey had a good sense of theatrics, it turned out, and never walked into his temple on his own two feet. SG-1 stood behind the three pillars at the back of the temple, so that only a few Jaffa would be between them and Janet when the time came.
Suddenly the roof of the temple opened and the familiar sound of rings filled the air. Then standing on the platform, was a group of priests. They took their place behind the altar and waited. The rings came down again and deposited a single, ornately dressed woman. Her dark hair was plaited and piled high upon her head, held in place with gold pins and jeweled clips. Her dress hung from her shoulders to the floor and was made of the finest white linen. It was caught around her waist with a gold-coloured girdle and her neck and wrists were heavily weighted with jewelry. She looked out towards the gathered mass and raised her hands in blessing before turning to take her place at the statue-god’s feet.
Daniel realized as the rings descended for a third time that he was holding his breath. Kephrey appeared this time and the temple filling with the voices of his worshippers, but Daniel had eyes only for Janet Fraiser.
She was pale and her face was solemn, but there was no outward indication that she had been drugged. Teal’c explained the manner in which Apophis readied potential hosts, but then added that Kephrey had never had a reputation as a traditionalist. She wore only a simple white gown and no jewelry at all. Her hair was unbound and Daniel noted that somehow it had grown since he’d last seen her. Since she’d died, he amended. There was no point in pretending this was normal.
He forced himself to focus. The timing of this was extremely delicate and relied as much on Janet trusting people she barely knew as on their own military tactics. She could not panic. And so far, she wasn’t. Janet allowed the god to lift her up and place her on the altar, her head close to Tara’c. Kephrey then went behind the altar and sat down on the knees of his statue which, Daniel suddenly realized, also functioned as a throne.
“My people!” Kephrey’s booming voice rang through the temple. “Today you will witness the coming of your Queen!”
The assembled mass cheered in approval until Kephrey held up his hand for silence.
“This day is a prelude to victory, my people.” The false-god went on. “For my Queen will give birth to many symbiotes and those symbiotes will find homes within your fallen brothers and give them life again. And then, my people, we will be strong enough to take back our corner of the galaxy!”
“He’s good,” Jack murmured as more cheers swept through the temple. “Get ready.”
Kephrey spoke directly to the priestess now, thanking her for her service and promising her that she would rise again. The symbiote in the high priestess’ stomach emerged, emitting a high pitched squeal. Daniel saw Janet close her eyes and swallow hard as she attempted to remain calm. Any moment now….
And there it was. The sky behind them lit up as explosions ripped through the pyramid and adjoining medical complex. Second later, the shock wave reached the temple and pandemonium broke loose.
Kephrey was on his feet, howling with rage as the rebel Jaffa threw their robes aside to reveal their assorted weaponry. From the platform, Tara’c took out the other guard and grabbed the writhing symbiote from the priestess' pouch. He threw it on the floor and it shrieked until he fired his staff weapon at it and reduced it to a charred husk. Kephrey roared again and started for Janet, but SG-1 burst out from behind their pillars and fired on him. The bullets were blocked by his shield, of course, but they distracted him for long enough to allow Tara’c to grab Janet off the altar and pass her to a waiting member of the rebellion.
With SG-3 in the upper story providing cover fire, the rebel Jaffa and their earthly allies stormed the temple, choosing always to incapacitate instead of kill, but moving ruthlessly across the temple floor. Kephrey was roaring unintelligibly now, enraged to the point of incoherence. Tara’c drew a small knife and threw it through the false god’s shield. It pierced his throat and protruded through the back of his neck, instantly severing the symbiote in half. Kephrey’s eyes lit up when he fell, proclaiming him a god one final, useless time.
Bra’tac surged forward and leapt atop the altar. He was flanked by Teal’c, Fara’c and Tara’c, and joined by SG-1. Daniel went into the corner to see Janet and the rebel who had taken her from the platform returned to help guard it.
“My brothers!” Bra’tac cried in a loud voice, SG-3 stopped firing. “Hear me!”
Silence descended upon the mob, as faces turned towards the old Jaffa weapons master.
“Here lies the one you would call a god,” he called, gesturing to Kephrey’s crumpled and bloody form. “Here lies your deceiver, my brothers. For he is no god.
“He brought you back to life, it is true, but how can he be a god if he is killed so easily, with but one thrust of a knife? How can he be all knowing if he did not know that he would be attacked? How can he promise you a Queen when the beast lies burnt upon the floor of his very temple?”
The crowd shifted uneasily, but Fara’c could see questions on the faces of those who had been most dedicated to Kephrey.
“I offer you a chance for freedom, my brothers; freedom from the slavery of a false god. Take your lives back. You owe them not to him, but to yourselves. Join with us, my brothers! Help others learn to know freedom.”
It was not the rebel Jaffa who started cheering first.
------
SG-1 left Teal’c in the temple to help Bra’tac and set out for the Stargate. Daniel, as far as Jack could tell, had not released his hold on Janet’s hand since they be reunited in the temple and it didn’t look like either of them had any plans on separating in the near future. Sam walked beside them, filling Janet in on what had happened lately with Cassie. Without really talking about it, they had decided to leave the hard questions for later.
“Colonel O’Neill, this is Harper.” Jack’s radio buzzed. “We have an incoming wormhole.”
“Get to cover,” Jack replied. “We’ll be right there.”
SG-1 took cover about 25 metres away from the Gate and were well-concealed before Kinsey and two Jaffa stepped through. They were clearly dressed for recon, and it was all Jack could do not to laugh out loud at Kinsey’s costume. It was certainly a far cry from the smart suits they were all used to seeing their adversary wear. Jack stood up and walked towards the Gate.
“Ah, Kinsey!” he said, nonchalance at its finest. “We were wondering if you would stop by. As you may have noticed from all the smoke rising from those buildings over there, we have been reworking the social order on this planet.”
“Why is Kinsey here?” Janet whispered in Daniel’s ear.
“It’s a long story,” Daniel replied. “He’s a Goa’uld now.”
Janet stared at him and he shrugged, then smiled. She smiled back in spite of herself.
“What have you done, Jack?” Kinsey asked, gaping at the smoking pyramid.
“A bit of interior decorating, USAF style,” Jack replied. “You know how it goes. I imagine the clean-up is going to be a pain. We recommend that the Jaffa burn the whole thing down and start over.”
“Think about what you have destroyed, Jack. No one would ever have died again!”
“There’s a reason people die, Kinsey.” Jack said. Janet bowed her head and Daniel squeezed her hand. They had so much to talk about. “And it’s certainly not worth letting it fall into the hands of the Trust. So why don’t you just dial out and go tell your superiors that you were late to the party so you missed all the fire works?”
“This isn’t the end of this, Jack,” Kinsey said as he pushed one of the Jaffa towards the DHD.
“It never is.” Jack smiled. “Oh, and by the way, nice dress.”
Kinsey and his entourage disappeared through the Gate and the concealed SGC teams converged on the DHD.
“Somebody please dial us home,” Jack ordered lackadaisically. “SG-3 is going to stick around and help Teal’c for a bit, but there’s no reason for the rest of us to stay.”
Daniel stepped up to the DHD and began dialing, still without relinquishing Janet’s hand. The wormhole engaged and Sam entered her code into her GDO. The marines formed up and Sam went to get the MALP. Janet looked back over her shoulder at the smoking ruins of Kephrey’s attempt at an empire and smiled.
“Let's go home.”
------
finis
AN: Thanks, everyone. I hope you had as much fun as I did.
Gravity_Not_Included, December 2004-February 2007.
(Oh, and if you're interested in seeing what I have for next, go bug![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
audreysmagic. When she sends it back to me, y'all get to read it:) )
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Born Again
The network was firmly in place. Not all the reanimated rebel Jaffa had known one another. In fact in most cases, their deaths were separated by several years. How they recognized one another Janet never knew, though she suspected that Teal’c and Bra’tac had long since established protocols for recognizing their fellows. Tara’c was the only rebel she ever saw. His position in the temple guard allowed him access to her, but the other rebel reanimates were in the regular militia. For the first few days, she had been wary of him, but his account of his time under Imhotep and of Teal’c’s duel with the false god was spot on and she had cautiously let down her guard.
Tara’c, by virtue of his liaisons between the temple and the army, kept the rebel Jaffa apprised of their situation. He alone knew who each rebel was and it was his job to screen each group of reanimates for allies. Conscription was out of the question. They had no great orator in their company and none of the reanimated Jaffa would believe that Kephrey was a false god if they had not already thought so without strong persuasion.
It had been Tara’c who told her the real reason for her reanimation. The temple priests had given her nothing but the standard mumbo-jumbo about it being god’s plan and she had yet to see a priestess, as they were cloistered from all save the priests and the god himself. The high priestess, Tara’c informed her, was carrying a nearly-matured prim’tah. And Kephrey intended Janet to be the host of his new Queen.
All things considered, Janet took the news fairly well, asking only when the ceremony was to take place.
“One day hence, Janet Fraiser.” He wasn’t Teal’c and the news was far from good, but it was oddly reassuring to hear someone call her that again.
“Can you get me out of here without compromising yourself?”
“I can surpass that, Janet Fraiser,” Tara’c said, a familiar gleam in his eye. “In one day’s time, we Jaffa will take the chappa’ai and escape to our freedom with you.”
------
“Chevron four is locked!” Walter announced.
Jason stared at the Stargate as it spun in front of him, his face full of wonder.
“It gets better,” Jack murmured to him.
“Chevron five is locked!”
The chevrons on the Gate suddenly flared and the inner cordon began to spin in the other direction.
“Walter?”
“Incoming wormhole, sir,” Walter reported. “I’m sorry; they dialed in before we got out. I am closing the iris.”
The doors to the Gate room slid open. A detachment of marines ran in and took up their flanking positions. The wormhole engaged and the control room was bathed in a watery blue light. Jason was gaping now.
“Are we getting an IDC, Sergeant?” Jack asked.
“Yes, sir. It’s Master Bra’tac.”
“Open the iris.” Jack turned to his former teammates. “Let's get down there.”
They made their way down the stairs and around the corner. By the time they reached the blast doors, Bra’tac had already come through and the wormhole had shut down. Jack ordered the marines to stand down and they filed out as SG-1 came to the centre of the room.
“Were you expecting someone else?” Bra’tac asked, eyeing the MALP that stood at the base of the Gate. He was supporting another Jaffa warrior who was clutching his stomach. Jack knew that that was never a good sign.
“Just some recon,” Jack said simply. “Need a hand?”
“Indeed, General O’Neill,” Bra’tac said as Teal’c moved forward to help support the injured warrior. “This is Fara’c. He has lost his symbiote and needs tretonin to replace it.”
Walter, who was listening on the comms, called for a med team. Jack nodded his approval and turned back to the Jaffa.
“Not that I don’t love it when you drop by, Master Bra’tac, but we were just about to launch a MALP—”
“No,” mumbled Fara’c. “You must not. Listen to Master Bra’tac. Please, her life depends on it as do many others’.”
The med team ran in had got Fara’c onto a gurney. He waved off Master Bra’tac, insisting that he give SG-1 an explanation as soon as possible and then he was wheeled away.
“Whose life?” Daniel asked.
“Why don’t we take this upstairs?” Jack suggesting, gesturing grandiosely in the general direction of the briefing room. “I get the feeling that this is going to be fairly complex.”
“Indeed, O’Neill,” Bra’tac agreed. “And we do not have a lot of time.”
------
“What do you know of the false god Kephrey?” Bra’tac asked as soon as they were seated at the conference table.
“We know that he was in Egypt with Ra, that they argued and Kephrey lost and then fled to Moab.” Daniel said. “There he built another Stargate complex but eventually had to abandon it because he was overwhelmed by the Israelites. We have a Gate address to where we think he went.”
“You know much, as always, Dr. Jackson,” Bra’tac said, inclining his head. “But I know more.”
“How so?” Jack asked.
“The Goa’uld Kephrey is thought dead by most of the remaining system lords,” Bra’tac began. “However, he has long dwelt in secret, keeping only a few Jaffa at any time and withholding himself completely from all politics. But for all he did not participate in their dealings, Kephrey kept very close watch upon his former compatriots. After a major battle, he would often gather up the dead and take them away to his planet.”
“Why?” Jack broke in.
“Because he’s the beetle,” Jason said cryptically.
Bra’tac looked at him directly and Jason quailed.
“That is so,” Bra’tac agreed. “Kephrey would keep these fallen Jaffa in stasis tubes of his own invention but modeled after the Goa’uld sarcophagi. There they are quite dead, but if placed in a sarcophagus, they will regain life.
“It is my belief that Kephrey bided his time, collecting Jaffa until he had sufficient numbers to make a stand against the system lords.”
“Master Bra’tac,” Sam interjected. “How do you know this?”
“For this information, we have Fara’c to thank,” Bra’tac explained. “It seems that in the reanimated Jaffa there are many rebels. Fara’c is one and he tells me that there are others. He and a fellow rebel were on a scouting mission for Kephrey and took the opportunity to defect.”
“Won’t Kephrey notice?” Daniel asked, “And where is the other?”
“You are steps ahead of me, Dr. Jackson.” Bra’tac said with a smile. “Fara’c was ordered by the leader of the rebels on Kephrey’s planet to make his disappearance appear like his death.”
“His symbiote,” Teal’c said.
“Yes,” Bra’tac agreed. “Once on the planet Kephrey had assigned them to, Fara’c and his companion redialed the Gate and came in search of me. I was most surprised to see them alive, but they explained their story quickly and outlined what must be done next. We gave the other some wounds to support his story that he was attacked and then he removed Fara’c’s symbiote to carry to Kephrey. It is the custom to present the god with the symbiote of fallen comrades.”
“Nice,” said Jack. “How do we fit into this?”
“Kephrey has reached the zenith of his plan,” Bra’tac said. “No longer does he store away Jaffa. Instead he is reanimating all of them into his army. But they are not yet all awake. Kephrey waits because tomorrow he will implant the prim’tah of his high priestess into the woman he has chosen to be his Queen.”
“Jack, we have to get there before that happens!” Daniel said.
“Indeed you do, Dr. Jackson,” said Bra’tac solemnly. “The woman Kephrey has chosen is known to you.”
“No!” Sam burst out. Everyone looked at her and she turned to Jack. “Sir, there haven’t been that many bodies we haven’t recovered. And there’s only been one female.”
“Janet,” Daniel breathed. Bra’tac nodded.
“Start with these things next time!” Jack exclaimed.
Daniel said nothing, but slumped back in his chair, a myriad of emotions and thoughts playing across his face. Jason looked puzzled, but knew that this was not the time to ask questions and Teal’c betrayed his emotions only through a single raised eyebrow. For several moments, no one said anything and then Daniel leaned forward.
“So. What are we going to do?”
------
They gathered in the Gate room at 0750. Four teams of marines, each briefed on the intricacies of their targets by the recovered Fara’c, performed one last check of their assigned ordinance while they waited for the Gate to dial. Teal’c and Bra’tac, each wearing traditional Jaffa robes, waited with Fara’c. They would not join the fighting directly. Instead it would be their task to sway the bulk of the Jaffa or, if necessary, subdue them.
Jack looked over at Daniel with some concern. Daniel had been uncharacteristically wooden during the rest of the briefing and mission prep and he had refused to say anything that was not directly relevant. That alone sent up red flags. Jack caught Sam’s eye and she tilted her head in Daniel’s direction. Jack rested both hands on the top of his P-90 and headed over to talk to his teammate.
“Everything ready, Daniel?”
“This isn’t really the type of mission I am good at, Jack,” Daniel said. “I have my orders and I’ll follow them, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Jack ran a hand across his face. It was going to be one of those conversations.
“You’re allowed to get your hopes up for this one, you know.” Jack used a softer tone this time.
“I know.” Daniel was staring at the Gate which had now begun to dial.
“We’re going to get her back.”
“I know.”
Jack looked over at Sam and shrugged apologetically. The look she shot back said at least you tried and she came to stand with them just as the wormhole engaged.
“SG-3, you have a go,” Jack called out.
Colonel Reynolds nodded and drew a Goa’uld stun grenade from his weapons belt. He rolled it through the Gate and counted down from five. Then he briskly ordered his team to move, and then went through.
A few tense moments passed before Reynolds’ voice came over the radio loudspeakers.
“Gate secure, sir.” The radio cackled. “All the guards have been taken. We are dealing with them. You are clear to move through.”
“You heard the man.” Jack said, pulling a hat from his pocket and sticking it on his head. “Move out!”
SG-5, SG-10 and SG-21 marched up the ramp and disappeared through the event horizon. Teal’c and Bra’tac followed with Fara’c. At the top, Fara’c turned around.
“May your battle go swiftly and may you find what you seek,” he said, formally bowing his head.
“Yours too,” said Jack. “Thank you.”
The three Jaffa disappeared through the Gate and Jack looked back and forth between Sam and Daniel.
“Let's go see a doctor.”
------
Major Harper and his team followed the path Bra’tac had assigned them with ease. They moved into the medical facility through a side door that was traditionally left open a crack to allow for air circulation. The main entrance, which led directly to the Kephrey’s pyramid, was heavily guarded and there would be no ingress from that direction. The side door was hidden, as was customary with Goa’uld construction, but Harper knew exactly where to look.
Turning the glyph that would open the door the rest of the way, Harper motioned his men through it. They crept in and found, as they had expected to, that the lab was deserted. The rebel Jaffa had timed their attack so that the focus of the guards and scientists under Kephrey’s rule would be on the impending implantation ceremony. This cut things a little close for Dr. Fraiser, but since the rebel Jaffa had planned it, Harper assumed they knew what they were doing.
Glancing around, he quickly located their target: the power source for Kephrey’s stasis chambers. There had been some cause for concern voiced by Colonel Carter in the briefing that they would be killing unknowing Jaffa, but this was overruled by Fara’c’s assurance that the Jaffa were already dead. The chambers did not preserve some spark of life in them; they merely kept them in cold storage. Every occupant of the stasis chambers was dead, in some cases; they had been dead for decades. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but Harper took solace in knowing that he was not about to kill any innocents.
He signaled for two of his teammates to rig the explosive devices while the third guarded the door. Harper quickly examined the lab, looking for anything that the Trust might want and determined that it was all close enough to the blast radius to be taken care of. His 2IC flashed him a thumbs up and switched on the timer. It began counting down as SG-5 made their exit, shut the door and headed for the rendezvous point.
------
SG-10 moved quietly through the hallways of the main pyramid after splitting up with SG-3. Fara’c had reported that the main power for the temple and the pyramid itself were both tied to the same source. This source was in one of the pyramid’s sublevels, and that was SG-10’s target.
They moved steadily downwards, meeting no one, until at last they came to the control room. Here they did meet guards, but there were only two of them and SG-10 was prepared. Using zat guns, they neutralized the Jaffa guards and placed their charges around the power crystals.
All told, they were in and out in under two minutes and then they headed back to the Gate.
------
Colonel Reynolds had never become entirely accustomed to the Jaffa. When he and his team rounded a corner and came face to face with two serpent guards, he couldn’t stop his blood from running cold for a half a second. It was just…unnerving.
The Jaffa in question immediately lowered their helmets.
“Shel-kak nem-ron!” they declared in unison. Reynolds breathed a little easier.
“Can you take us where we’re supposed to go?” he asked.
“Follow us.”
------
Daniel stood in the shadows behind one of the support pillars in the temple. Jack was behind the pillar on his left and Sam was on his right. Teal’c, Bra’tac and Fara’c had disappeared into the crowd, but SG-1 wasn’t really dressed to mingle. Daniel saw Jack check his watch and knew that SG-3 should be in position in the upper galleries soon. Now all they had to do was wait for the explosive signal.
The temple was fairly standard in layout. The lower floor was rectangular with a large pool in the middle. At the end farthest from the main entrance there was a large statue of a man dressed in the royal kilt, with the head of a beetle that stood on a raised platform. There was an altar at the statue’s feet that was flanked by two guards in dress Daniel didn’t recognize, but assumed must be the traditional armour of Kephrey himself. The guard on the far side was Tara’c, described by his compatriot, but the guard on the near side was loyal to Kephrey.
Around the pool, Kephrey’s loyal subjects, and some not so loyal, gathered to witness the coming of their Queen. They left a round gap in the centre of the mob that Daniel knew was a ring platform. Kephrey had a good sense of theatrics, it turned out, and never walked into his temple on his own two feet. SG-1 stood behind the three pillars at the back of the temple, so that only a few Jaffa would be between them and Janet when the time came.
Suddenly the roof of the temple opened and the familiar sound of rings filled the air. Then standing on the platform, was a group of priests. They took their place behind the altar and waited. The rings came down again and deposited a single, ornately dressed woman. Her dark hair was plaited and piled high upon her head, held in place with gold pins and jeweled clips. Her dress hung from her shoulders to the floor and was made of the finest white linen. It was caught around her waist with a gold-coloured girdle and her neck and wrists were heavily weighted with jewelry. She looked out towards the gathered mass and raised her hands in blessing before turning to take her place at the statue-god’s feet.
Daniel realized as the rings descended for a third time that he was holding his breath. Kephrey appeared this time and the temple filling with the voices of his worshippers, but Daniel had eyes only for Janet Fraiser.
She was pale and her face was solemn, but there was no outward indication that she had been drugged. Teal’c explained the manner in which Apophis readied potential hosts, but then added that Kephrey had never had a reputation as a traditionalist. She wore only a simple white gown and no jewelry at all. Her hair was unbound and Daniel noted that somehow it had grown since he’d last seen her. Since she’d died, he amended. There was no point in pretending this was normal.
He forced himself to focus. The timing of this was extremely delicate and relied as much on Janet trusting people she barely knew as on their own military tactics. She could not panic. And so far, she wasn’t. Janet allowed the god to lift her up and place her on the altar, her head close to Tara’c. Kephrey then went behind the altar and sat down on the knees of his statue which, Daniel suddenly realized, also functioned as a throne.
“My people!” Kephrey’s booming voice rang through the temple. “Today you will witness the coming of your Queen!”
The assembled mass cheered in approval until Kephrey held up his hand for silence.
“This day is a prelude to victory, my people.” The false-god went on. “For my Queen will give birth to many symbiotes and those symbiotes will find homes within your fallen brothers and give them life again. And then, my people, we will be strong enough to take back our corner of the galaxy!”
“He’s good,” Jack murmured as more cheers swept through the temple. “Get ready.”
Kephrey spoke directly to the priestess now, thanking her for her service and promising her that she would rise again. The symbiote in the high priestess’ stomach emerged, emitting a high pitched squeal. Daniel saw Janet close her eyes and swallow hard as she attempted to remain calm. Any moment now….
And there it was. The sky behind them lit up as explosions ripped through the pyramid and adjoining medical complex. Second later, the shock wave reached the temple and pandemonium broke loose.
Kephrey was on his feet, howling with rage as the rebel Jaffa threw their robes aside to reveal their assorted weaponry. From the platform, Tara’c took out the other guard and grabbed the writhing symbiote from the priestess' pouch. He threw it on the floor and it shrieked until he fired his staff weapon at it and reduced it to a charred husk. Kephrey roared again and started for Janet, but SG-1 burst out from behind their pillars and fired on him. The bullets were blocked by his shield, of course, but they distracted him for long enough to allow Tara’c to grab Janet off the altar and pass her to a waiting member of the rebellion.
With SG-3 in the upper story providing cover fire, the rebel Jaffa and their earthly allies stormed the temple, choosing always to incapacitate instead of kill, but moving ruthlessly across the temple floor. Kephrey was roaring unintelligibly now, enraged to the point of incoherence. Tara’c drew a small knife and threw it through the false god’s shield. It pierced his throat and protruded through the back of his neck, instantly severing the symbiote in half. Kephrey’s eyes lit up when he fell, proclaiming him a god one final, useless time.
Bra’tac surged forward and leapt atop the altar. He was flanked by Teal’c, Fara’c and Tara’c, and joined by SG-1. Daniel went into the corner to see Janet and the rebel who had taken her from the platform returned to help guard it.
“My brothers!” Bra’tac cried in a loud voice, SG-3 stopped firing. “Hear me!”
Silence descended upon the mob, as faces turned towards the old Jaffa weapons master.
“Here lies the one you would call a god,” he called, gesturing to Kephrey’s crumpled and bloody form. “Here lies your deceiver, my brothers. For he is no god.
“He brought you back to life, it is true, but how can he be a god if he is killed so easily, with but one thrust of a knife? How can he be all knowing if he did not know that he would be attacked? How can he promise you a Queen when the beast lies burnt upon the floor of his very temple?”
The crowd shifted uneasily, but Fara’c could see questions on the faces of those who had been most dedicated to Kephrey.
“I offer you a chance for freedom, my brothers; freedom from the slavery of a false god. Take your lives back. You owe them not to him, but to yourselves. Join with us, my brothers! Help others learn to know freedom.”
It was not the rebel Jaffa who started cheering first.
------
SG-1 left Teal’c in the temple to help Bra’tac and set out for the Stargate. Daniel, as far as Jack could tell, had not released his hold on Janet’s hand since they be reunited in the temple and it didn’t look like either of them had any plans on separating in the near future. Sam walked beside them, filling Janet in on what had happened lately with Cassie. Without really talking about it, they had decided to leave the hard questions for later.
“Colonel O’Neill, this is Harper.” Jack’s radio buzzed. “We have an incoming wormhole.”
“Get to cover,” Jack replied. “We’ll be right there.”
SG-1 took cover about 25 metres away from the Gate and were well-concealed before Kinsey and two Jaffa stepped through. They were clearly dressed for recon, and it was all Jack could do not to laugh out loud at Kinsey’s costume. It was certainly a far cry from the smart suits they were all used to seeing their adversary wear. Jack stood up and walked towards the Gate.
“Ah, Kinsey!” he said, nonchalance at its finest. “We were wondering if you would stop by. As you may have noticed from all the smoke rising from those buildings over there, we have been reworking the social order on this planet.”
“Why is Kinsey here?” Janet whispered in Daniel’s ear.
“It’s a long story,” Daniel replied. “He’s a Goa’uld now.”
Janet stared at him and he shrugged, then smiled. She smiled back in spite of herself.
“What have you done, Jack?” Kinsey asked, gaping at the smoking pyramid.
“A bit of interior decorating, USAF style,” Jack replied. “You know how it goes. I imagine the clean-up is going to be a pain. We recommend that the Jaffa burn the whole thing down and start over.”
“Think about what you have destroyed, Jack. No one would ever have died again!”
“There’s a reason people die, Kinsey.” Jack said. Janet bowed her head and Daniel squeezed her hand. They had so much to talk about. “And it’s certainly not worth letting it fall into the hands of the Trust. So why don’t you just dial out and go tell your superiors that you were late to the party so you missed all the fire works?”
“This isn’t the end of this, Jack,” Kinsey said as he pushed one of the Jaffa towards the DHD.
“It never is.” Jack smiled. “Oh, and by the way, nice dress.”
Kinsey and his entourage disappeared through the Gate and the concealed SGC teams converged on the DHD.
“Somebody please dial us home,” Jack ordered lackadaisically. “SG-3 is going to stick around and help Teal’c for a bit, but there’s no reason for the rest of us to stay.”
Daniel stepped up to the DHD and began dialing, still without relinquishing Janet’s hand. The wormhole engaged and Sam entered her code into her GDO. The marines formed up and Sam went to get the MALP. Janet looked back over her shoulder at the smoking ruins of Kephrey’s attempt at an empire and smiled.
“Let's go home.”
------
finis
AN: Thanks, everyone. I hope you had as much fun as I did.
Gravity_Not_Included, December 2004-February 2007.
(Oh, and if you're interested in seeing what I have for next, go bug
audreysmagic. When she sends it back to me, y'all get to read it:) )
