Title: What If They Don't Come Back?
Author: RudesMom
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Stargate. I wish I did. All characters will be returned the their proper owners when I finish playing with them.
Spoilers: Buffy through season two, then AU through season four, totally AU after that; Stargate through season six, then AU after that
Warnings: Slightly naughty language; marital sex; violence; non-con (rape) in a later chapter
Prologue
California, Late Summer 1998
She was back. It had taken more than three months but she had finally found herself. She was Buffy the Vampire Slayer and she was going home.
"Anne" would remain and give another girl a chance to find herself.
While Anne left went to collect her few possessions, Buffy put the last of her stuff in her knapsack. She took one last look at the small, dingy, one-room flat and headed for the door. A flash of light filled the room.
Buffy Summers never made it home.
Chapter 1 - An Invitation
Colorado, Summer 2009
Was it already ten years? According to the invitation that the lieutenant held in his hand it was indeed. He had been invited to the "Ten Year Reunion and Memorial Service for the Sunnydale High School Class of '99." Only in Sunnydale.
Sunnydale, California. One of the few places in California were the housing costs were really low. Officially it was because of the PCP gang problem and the unusual number of deaths attributed to packs of wild dogs and homicidal barbecue forks. The truth was much worse. Sunnydale was home to the world's most active hellmouth and to a lot of things that went bump in the night.
He found out about the truth at fifteen when a cute blonde from LA moved into town. He developed quite the crush on Buffy Anne Summers within minutes of meeting her. She disappeared during their junior year but for months he held on to the hope that she hadn't been another victim of the hellmouth. At first he and his friends comforted themselves with the idea that she had just taken sometime off to deal with the Angel/Angelus situation. They had been split as to whether she had killed Angelus or run off with a re-souled Angel. Giles had the Council searching for her and made numerous trips that first summer tracking down possible sightings. Two years later, the Sunnydale Police Department found the skeletal remains of young woman later identified as Buffy in an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. But by then, they had already given up hope of finding Buffy. Most slayers didn't make it to eighteen. Kendra hadn't and Faith barely made it to nineteen.
Faith, the anti-Buffy, dark to her light, East Coast to her West. She was sent to Sunnydale during his senior year. Faith, the one he slept with, well sleep hadn't actually been involved... He allowed himself a small smile. He understood her better now. The need to feel, if only for a moment. She had been a good slayer. She stopped the Mayor's ascension and was one of the few to make it out alive from graduation. Even by Sunnydale's standards, it had been a massacre, almost eighty percent of the seniors had been killed in addition to their families. So many died that day, Cordelia, Harmony and the rest of the Cordettes, Larry, Jonathan. Even the junior watcher, Wesley hyphenated something, died.
Graduation had been the last straw for most of the survivors. As soon as he got out of the hospital, he headed for the nearest exit out of town. Willow had followed by the end of the summer. Faith and Giles stayed on the hellmouth.
Faith lasted one more year. She survived the mysterious strain of laryngitis and the accompanying rash of murders. She took out a werewolf that was stalking the Sunnydale campus of the University of California. In the end though, it wasn't a vampire or demon that took out Faith. It wasn't even the pet project of an army black ops program that got her. She stopped its demon/cyborg creation and even saved some of the idiots that were part of the program - the Initiative if he remembered correctly. She had been badly injured in doing so, crippled in fact. The Council killed her, having no use for a disabled slayer. When the next slayer arrived, not even Giles remained.
Lieutenant Alexander Harris looked at the invitation one more time before crumbling it up and tossing it into a nearby trash can. He wondered if Willow had gone to the reunion. He figured he would have if the invitation hadn't arrived at the mountain a week after the event.
He looked up as a tall, sandy-haired captain entered the locker room. "Harris, get your ass in gear. We gate out in five minutes."
Chapter 2 - I'm a Scholar Not a Spy
Pentar, local date unknown, Earth date Summer 2007
Urak hated undercover work. By disposition he was a scholar, not a spy. He had been inserted during the chaos that followed the destruction of Anubis and his fleet. The Tok'ra had taken advantage of the power plays by the surviving Goa'ulds to infiltrate most of their courts. Unfortunately, the Tok'ra's own numbers were so depleted that even those not suited for the task, such as Urak, were pressed into service. Of course, he still could have escaped this duty if it hadn't been for her. This was the bitch's revenge for his pointing out that the Tauri O'Neill was not and never would be interested in her. Admittedly that hadn't been the smartest thing he'd ever done but she had more than gotten even with him by convincing Garshaw to send him here. Thanks to her he had been in Thoth's court for nearly three years.
Thoth was one of old ones. Pushed out of power millenia ago, he and his queen Seshat had bided their time. It paid off. They had reclaimed their place among the major System Lords and now they plotted to reclaim their old territories. They had already taken back three worlds and were poised to take back a fourth. The first three worlds were rich in slaves and luxury items, gold, ivory, and furs. Those could be used in trade and as bribes to the other System Lords. The fourth was by far the richest yet. It had a naquadah mine. It was a hotly contested world, passing from System Lord to System Lord as their fortunes rose and fell. Thoth had lost it to Apophis, who had lost it in turn to Sokar. Now he would take it back from its current owner, an insignificant young Goa'uld known as Nimue.
Urak watched from the shadows as Thoth's Jaffa army boarded the mothership. The last to board was Thoth himself. Seshat would remain on the homeworld with the loyal members of the court. Urak had been with the army on its previous ventures proving his loyalty. His dreams were haunted by those missions, the stench of burnt flesh of Jaffa killed by staff blasts. Worse still were the memories of the screams of parents as their children were torn from their arms to become Thoth's personal slaves. Parents that were then killed so that the children would know that there was no hope of ever going home. He was thankful that his presence was not required this time. As the mothership took to the sky, he returned to his chambers to prepare a report to send back to the Tok'ra.
A week later word came from Thoth's mothership that victory had been achieved. Seshat and the court, including Urak, assembled before the Chaapa'ai to await the first tributes from the conquered planet. The final chevron locked in placed and the wormhole opened. The first two Jaffa came through bearing a large, ornate basket on a litter. A second pair of Jaffa followed carrying another basket on a litter. Seshat motioned them to approach her. As they passed his position Urak realized that there was something wrong, these were not triumphant Jaffa offering the spoils of war to their goddess. He managed move closer to get a glimpse of the contents of the second basket. It wasn't naquadah. He turned to look at Seshat. When she saw the contents of the first basket she screamed in rage. Like the second basket it contained dozens of dead goa'uld larva. Unlike the first, it also contained Thoth's head. He heard the wormhole shut down as if from a great distance.
Seshat had the four Jaffa put to death immediately. Many others joined them in death in days that followed. Lacking a second mothership, she sent squads of Jaffa through the Chaapa'ai to avenge their god. None returned. With her troops sorely depleted, she turned on her court. Failure to show the proper amount of grief was a death warrant. Not enough grief shown, kill them as disloyal. Too much grief, kill them because they are faking it. The slightest suspicion of disloyalty was also enough to condemn one to death. The court turned on itself. When one faction attempted to assassinate their insane queen, another faction turned them in. The purge continued. It was more than the Tok'ra could have hoped for as the court imploded. For Urak, it was a waking nightmare and only a matter of time before he was caught.
Urak hated undercover work. He was a scholar, not a spy. He almost made it out. He had been in Thoth's court for nearly three years when he was caught attempting to flee back to the Tok'ra. His last thought was that it was all that bitch Anise's fault.
Chapter 3 - A Vision and a Dream
Calendon, year 5, Earth date early to late Summer 2007
A sharp cry in the early hours of the morning brought Merdden out of a sound sleep. He turned in the bed to see his mate thrashing about in the midst of a nightmare. He gently woke her, taking care to remain out of striking distance.
"Hold me Beloved," she whispered as she sat up. He wrapped his arms around Nimue, feeling the residual shudders that coursed through her body. "The time of blood is coming again."
"Tell me what you saw."
"One of the Old Ones is coming to take back our world. This one will not come through the Chaapa'ai. He will come from the heavens with a great ship in the form of a pyramid and bring many Jaffa. I saw the city burn. Many will fall."
"And our fate?"
"I don't know. There is hope. I saw many of the enemy fall as well. Although we have few of the advanced weapons of the Goa'uld, our swords and knives were effective the last time. Their shields could not protect them. Our weapons should serve us well again."
"How long do we have?"
"A month, perhaps a bit longer. You will need to take Aurora and the Chosen to the shelter."
"I do not wish to leave you."
"But you will. They are our world's last hope, our last hope. If I fall, you must protect them, teach them. They will have the power to rise up and free our people." Nimue paused a moment before continuing. "If we do repel them this time, we will have the opportunity to increase the ranks of our Jaffa."
"And to do that, you need to spawn more symbiotes."
Turning in his arms to face him, she reached out a hand to brush his hair back from his face. She knew how much it bothered him although neither was sure why that was so. "If you prefer I will seek out another."
Merdden sighed as he pressed her down onto their bed. "You know that isn't acceptable. You will, however, have to make this up to me later."
"How about I start to make it up to you now?" Her hand drifted from his face down to his chest. It then wandered further south. She kissed him softly as he smiled in acknowledgment of what she was trying to do. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.
------
The next morning Nimue and Merdden began preparations to repel the impending invasion. Notice was sent to call the Chosen and their guardians to capital. The kingdom's knights were also called to the city. They in turn called their troops. The inhabitants of the city that were unable to contribute to its defense were told to take what they could and flee.
Nimue then went to the springs beneath the city to spawn. The larvae would be relatively safe there providing the attacker didn't know of the springs existence. If the battle went well, they would be implanted in Jaffa to mature. If Nimue fell, they would have to take their chances in the springs. If they survived long enough, they would mature enough so that they could take their own hosts from any human careless enough to intrude.
The following day, Nimue resumed training with her Jaffa in the main courtyard. The newly arrived knights and their forces trained outside the city walls. Merdden worked with those who would remain in the city. Medical supplies were brought in as were additional weapons. A makeshift hospital was set up in one of the caverns beneath the city while while another set up in the forest near the plain of Gryffyd. Three weeks later, with most of the inhabitants having already evacuated, Merdden left the city with Aurora, the Chosen, and their guardians.
A week later, the remaining inhabitants watched in horror as the deathgliders swooped down on the city. They opened fire paying particular attention to the city walls. The defenders using staff weapons returned fire, downing some of the gliders. Those pilots unfortunate enough to crash within the city walls were dragged from the ships and slaughtered by the citizens. Any personal weapons they had carried were stripped from their bodies and sent to the main body of Nimue's forces.
Unfortunately, a number of the wooden structures within the city caught fire. As Nimue saw her city burn in the distance she cursed its original builders for using wood and cursed herself for not having those buildings replaced. Merdden had been right, wood and thatch in an enclosed space was just a bad idea.
The mothership landed on the pyramid on the plain of Gryffyd, disgorging several hundred Jaffa. They were met by Nimue. Her Jaffa were already in place and began picking off the enemy Jaffa. As only the Goa'uld and the highest ranking Jaffa had personal shields, the damage was considerable. The snipers' positions were protected enough to make the return fire largely ineffective. A contingent of knights and their men marched to meet the enemy head on. The remainder of Nimue's forces guarded the sides of the main force, waiting for the opportunity to separate the enemy from their ship.
The battle was touch and go for a time. Then, Nimue's forces fall back, allowing the enemy to advance. The rate of fire from her snipers began to fall off. With victory in sight, Thoth and his personal guard left the mothership. The right flank of Nimue's forces began a rapid advance. The Jaffa snipers on the right left their cover and joined those forces, cutting off any possibility of an easy retreat. The remaining snipers resumed their attack as the main force stopped its withdrawal. Surrounded, Thoth's forces continued to fight until Thoth fell, a sword through his gut. A sword wielded by Nimue. She withdrew the blade and then decapitated him. The battle ended soon after, with most of the remaining enemy Jaffa surrendering. Those that didn't promptly lay down their weapons were killed. The returning deathgliders were picked off as they attempted to return to the mothership.
Following the battle, the human troops withdrew, leaving Nimue and the Jaffa to mop up. Nimue took one squad and ringed up to the mothership. As soon as it was secured, a message was sent to Thoth's queen. On the ground, each enemy Jaffa corpse was checked for a living symbiote. If found, the larvae was extracted and killed. The surviving enemy Jaffa were given a choice as to whether they would serve Nimue or join their god in death. Those who chose to change their allegiance would have their symbiotes replaced by Nimue's children. The executions of the rest of the Jaffa and several minor Goa'uld who had accompanied Thoth continued until nightfall. The funeral pyres would burn for days. Four of the condemned Jaffa were spared to carry a message to Thoth's mate. They were given litters each with a basket of dead larvae, with the first basket also containing the head of Thoth, and sent through the Chaapa'ai.
The planet's defenders remained near the Chaapa'ai for several weeks. They wiped out several minor incursions. After two weeks without incidents, the defenders dispersed. The refugees were already returning to the city to aid in rebuilding its damaged portions, in stone and slate this time. A messenger was sent to Merdden and he returned with Aurora after sending the Chosen back to their families.
-----
Nimue and Merdden walked through the corridors of their new mothership. They passed several teams of Jaffa repairing damage caused by its defenders.
"So, do we have any Jaffa capable of flying this ship?"
She sighed, "no. The pilots chose to follow their god to hell. You will need to train some, or perhaps some of the younger humans."
"After I learn how to fly it. I understand the basics but the finer points...I hope there's a set of directions somewhere."
"We do have several Jaffa that are deathglider pilots. Thoth was using them as ground units so they had a chance to surrender. Unfortunately we only have one working deathglider although we may be able to repair two others."
"Well, at least we have plenty of staff weapons, shock grenades, and zat'nik'tels."
"I though we agreed to call them zats?"
-------
A month later, Nimue awoke with a soft cry. It had happened again. One of her sisters had fallen. She quietly extricated herself from her lover's embrace. Putting on a fur trimmed robe she left the bedchamber and went her daughter's room.
Aurora was crying much to the dismay of her nursemaid. Dismissing the girl with a wave of her hand, Nimue sat on the bed and gathered her daughter close.
"Shh, my love. It will be alright."
"It hurt her."
"I know, but it can't hurt her anymore." Nimue gently rocked her child.
"A Dream?"
Nimue looked up to see that Merdden had entered the room. She nodded in answer. "She will have justice one day. I will find them somehow."
He did not have to ask who she was. This was not the first time one of her sisters had fallen. But justice, that was new. The others had fallen in combat, something else must have happened to this one.
"Aurora, how about letting your mother spend the rest of the night here?"
"'Kay."
Nimue and Aurora scooted up further on the bed and Merdden pulled the covers over the pair. Kissing each on the forehead, he left the room.
Chapter 4 - A Briefing and a Meeting
Earth, Fall 2009
General Ferretti entered his briefing room with Anise and Jacob. Colonel O'Neill, Major Thomas, the recently promoted Capt. Harris, and Dr. Johnson of SG-1 were already there. O'Neill and Thomas both grimaced. From previous experience they knew that Anise's presence was never a sign the day was going to be a good one.
"The Tok'ra would like the SGC's help to assess the danger presented by a new player among the Goa'uld. Anise, please fill SG-1 in."
"As you know, the rapid change in leadership among the major System Lords has created a series of power vacuums. Over the last several years the Tok'ra have been successful in placing spies among most of the Goa'uld courts. We have been receiving disturbing reports of the rapid rise of a new Goa'uld, one who has the possibility to be a major player. While she has not expanded her domain beyond a single planet at this time, she has taken out some of the older System Lords. We know she has at least one mothership and there are indications are that she may have an Asgard vessel as well."
"An Asgard vessel? And the Asgard haven't retaliated?"
"Not as far as we know. It is likely that they are not aware that she has it. It would be a violation of the treaty. However, that is not why I am here. We need more information about this Goa'uld."
"And her name would be..."
"Nimue."
"So why come to us? Why not send one of your own spies?"
"We tried that. The Tok'ra operative was intercepted within minutes of landing on the surface. He was killed on the spot. His pilot, a Jaffa, was given the choice to serve Nimue or die. He chose to 'serve' but managed to get a couple of reports out before he disappeared. We assume that he has been killed.
"From his reports and other sources, we know that Nimue is a queen. She is also brutal even by Goa'uld standards and has a flair for the dramatic. She likes to send back the corpses of defeated Goa'uld back to their homeworlds in pieces. When she killed Thoth she sent his head back to his home world as well as two baskets of dead larvae. She will not tolerate any larvae but her own spawn. Those Jaffa who agree to serve her have their symbiotes replaced by hers. She has relatively few Jaffa and it is possible that she is strictly controlling the number of her offspring to limit the competition."
"She wouldn't be the first Goa'uld to remove the competition." Dr. Johnson noted. "Dr. Jackson observed that Ba'al was known to eat larvae before they could be placed within a host."
"You are correct. There have been several Goa'uld that have used similar methods of controlling the number of competitors. However, there is speculation among her Jaffa that she is limiting her larval offspring to please her Beloved, Merdden. What is truly unusual is that none of her Jaffa seem to have been born into her service nor were they created by her. She has very few female Jaffa and the ranks of her Jaffa seem to be exclusively drawn from the ranks of the System Lords who have attempted to take her planet."
"A Goa'uld queen that doesn't make Jaffa. That's different."
"Is Merdden as Goa'uld?"
"We're not sure but it's doubtful. He is known as an adviser and a teacher but Nimue is the one in charge."
"What can you tell us about her world?"
Jacob answered. "It bears a strong resemblance to Europe in the Dark Ages. The local economy is primarily agricultural , the political structure is feudal. The most advanced local weapon is the crossbow."
"Nimue is not presenting herself as a goddess is she?"
"No Captain..."
"Harris, sir."
"She is believed to be a powerful sorceress. How did you know?"
"European, especially English, mythology used to be a hobby of mine. Nimue is part of the Arthurian legend. She was the Lady of Lake. Merdden is variant of Merlin."
"Well this version of Camelot seems to be doing a genderbender with its version of Arthur and the Round Table. There is a group of young girls known as the Chosen Ones, drawn mostly from the noble families. The Tok'ra believe that Nimue is grooming them to be hosts. One, Aurora, may be the daughter of Nimue and Merdden."
"Harcesis?"
"Possibly."
"With all due respect, Jacob, Anise, I still haven't been given a good reason to risk SG-1. You seem to have quite a bit of intel about Nimue already." General Ferretti continued, "so what is the real reason?"
Selmac took over from Jacob. "Part of the High Council believes that Nimue may be laying the ground work for a major offensive against the System Lords. The fact that the Chosen Ones are all female could mean that her larvae are all potential queens. At any given time, there are less than two dozen queens among the Goa'uld. Most of the queens are controlled by the major System Lords. Hathor and Nirrti were exceptions, and even Hathor was subordinate to Ra. Now imagine a united group of queens, controlling their own reproduction. They could produce Jaffa at a rate that the other System Lords couldn't begin to match. Since Nimue has made no attempt to leave her world, they think that she is keeping what you would call a low profile. By only killing those who attack, she is not considered a threat to the System Lords."
"So you need us to find out if we have have a new Anubis or Ba'al out there."
Jacob resumed control. "Yes. We can contain the System Lords but if a new 'superpower' emerges, we are all in trouble."
Ferretti nodded. "SG-1, pack your suitcases."
"Sir, while the rest of the team should register as pure human, won't Col. O'Neill experience as host a significant risk for detection?" Major Thomas asked.
"The effects have subsided over the years should not pose a problem. We have appropriate clothing as well as a transport vessel waiting for you at one of our outposts," Anise added. "There is no need to pack."
Ferretti and SG-1 just rolled their eyes.
"Dismissed."
As they got ready to leave the briefing room, Jacob walked over to Col. O'Neill. "So Sam, how are Jack and the kids?"
--------
"European mythology Harris? Not what I would expect from someone from a Special Ops background."
"It was back in high school. Some friends and I were fascinated by the various myths of Europe and elsewhere. I was interested in the legends surrounding Gilgamesh but my Sumerian was never very good so I went with my second choice, English mythology."
"Sumerian? You do realize the epic of Gilgamesh has been translated into English."
"You know how it is Doc. Primary source material is usually the best. Willow and Giles were much better with languages, especially the dead ones, so they focused on the older mythologies."
"Odd group of friends you had."
"You have no idea."
--------
Calendon, two weeks later
SG-1 were finally within site of the capital. They had landed much further out than the Tok'ra spy had in the hopes of avoiding detection. It had taken ten days to walk in. The time had been well spent as they were able to observe the local population in more detail than usual. As they neared the capital, the roads became increasingly busy as a number of families of all ranks with small children joined in an ever lengthening procession to the city.
A number of Jaffa were also present but the natives did not appear to be overly afraid or in awe of the Jaffa. The peasants treated them with the same deference that they gave the local nobles, no more, no less. The nobles on the other hand, tended to treat them as equals.
They had befriended a young man by the name of Hedric who had been an excellent source of information. He was one of the parents making the journey to the capital. He was bring his two year old daughter to the Choosing. By pretending to be from one of more remote villages, SG-1 had been able to plead ignorance of the Choosing. Hedric had been shocked that the Call had not been received by their village.
"Nimue will be most displeased that your village has been overlooked Samantha. It is too late to send word to your village this time but I am sure that it will not happen again."
"Has someone from your village been Chosen in the past?"
"No, but one was Chosen from my younger sister's village the last time. It was a great honor and a blessing to the parents."
"Blessing?"
"The Chosen receive special protection when the false gods attack. How can a parent not feel blessed to know that their child is protected?"
"But to give up your child, how can you do it?"
"Most of noble children are fostered by the age of seven. This is no different except not all of the Chosen are drawn from the first families. They serve as the Lady's court from the age of five, spending part of each year in the capital. The rest of the year they spend with their families. When they become adults they will be given the choice of returning home forever or joining with one of Nimue's other children."
As they set up camp outside the city walls that night, the team discussed this new information.
"It almost sounds like the Tok'ra Colonel."
"Or a very good piece of propaganda Harris. All of the Chosen are still a long way from adulthood. What's to say that Nimue will keep her side of the bargain?" O'Neill looked to her second in command. "Any thoughts Thomas?"
"She has apparently kept her word in regards to keeping them safe from Goa'uld attacks as well as allowing the children to spend time with their families."
"Which could simply be a matter of protecting her investment. Not to mention keeping the locals happy. She may not have enough Jaffa to maintain external and internal security."
"Well, the Choosing is being held tomorrow. Maybe we will get a better idea about what is going on tomorrow."
"You may be right Doc. So who wants to take the first watch?"
-------
The next morning, there was an air of excitement outside of the city. At noon, the city gates opened wide and a large group of Jaffa moved towards a large tent on the east side of the city. Following the Jaffa were a number of courtiers and children and another group of Jaffa. SG-1 watched as the walls of the city filled with spectators. As first group of Jaffa reached the tent, they fanned out to either side, making a corridor for the courtiers and children. The remaining Jaffa spread out among the crowd. As the courtiers reached the tent, a small blonde woman and a man with long brown hair stepped onto a low dais where a pair of chairs were placed while a young girl moved to stand slightly the left of the man.
The woman spoke to the crowd. "People of Calendon, we are here today to Choose a Court for Our new daughter." She sat down in one of the chairs, her male companion sat in the other. The girl sat at the man's feet.
Dr. Johnson whispered "a little short for a Goa'uld don't you think John?"
The major replied, "don't ever let Major Haley hear you say that. Size isn't everything."
"Yes, sir. Can you see the Colonel and Harris?"
"They are trying to get closer in for a better look."
"With this crowd, that could take a while."
Thomas and Johnson watched from a distance as the procession of children accompanied by a parent approached the dais. Each child was handed up to Nimue who carefully inspected each one. As she returned each child to its parent she signaled to a Jaffa who would send the pair to off to join the spectators or to a small area within the tent where each chosen child received a tattoo in the shape of a crescent moon on the forehead. The process continued for most of the afternoon with only six children being Chosen.
As the final child and parent rejoined the crowd, Nimue and her consort stood. Aurora, who had patiently stood near Merdden throughout the afternoon, moved to stand next to him. Merdden placed his hand on her shoulder. Nimue motioned to someone standing towards the back of the tent. A nursemaid brought a toddler forward and placed the child in Nimue's arms.
"People of Calendon, I present to you our daughter Kendra." A cheer went up from the crowd. "And I present her Court as well." Another, slightly louder cheer went up as the Chosen and their parents came to stand next to Nimue. The Jaffa began to fall into formation as Nimue, Merdden, and the rest stepped from the tent.
It had taken several hours but Sam and Harris had finally been to work their way forward in the crowd, being careful not to draw undue attention themselves. They had finally made it to within ten feet of the tent when the Jaffa began to move to open a path in the crowd. Nimue took the lead and pulled away from the rest of the courtiers. It was then when Harris got his first really good look at Nimue. As she passed by his position, Nimue also saw him. The recognition was mutual, the reactions were not. Her eyes flashed in rage. He paled as he recognized a face from his past.
"Jaffa, kree!"
The crowd moved away from Harris and Sam as several Jaffa moved to surround the potential threat. Another group placed themselves around Merdden and the children and began to hurry them towards the city gates. Nimue walked towards the two intruders. As she reached them, her Jaffa struck each one behind their knees, forcing them to kneel before her. She reached out with a hand to grasp Sam's chin. After turning her face from side to side she released her and turned to Harris.
"Buffy?"
She backhanded him across the face, sending him sprawling.
"Shol'va." She spat. She motioned to the Jaffa, "bring them."
Nimue resumed her passage back to the city as the Jaffa roughly grabbed the pair and followed her into the city.
Chapter 5 - Snakes and Slayers
Calendon, Fall 2009
"Major, I think we have a problem."
Both men watched from a hillside the Jaffa below broke into two groups. As one group hurried the courtiers towards the city, another moved into the crowd. The latter group surrounded their teammates, forcing them to their knees. Nimue approached first O'Neill and then Harris. Johnson flinched as Nimue struck Harris to the ground.
"They've been made. Johnson, let's move further back."
"Sir?"
"We can't do anything else at the moment unless we want to join them."
------
Once back within the city walls, Merdden and his children headed towards the palace accompanied by the newly Chosen and their parents. Upon their arrival, they were met by a large contingent of servants who took the newcomers to their temporary lodgings. The nursemaid carrying Kendra looked to Merdden for direction. Should she take Aurora with her as well? He nodded his head and she left for the family's personal quarters with both children. Merdden entered the Great Hall to wait for Nimue. Several minutes later she arrived with her Jaffa and a pair of prisoners, one of whom was apparently unconscious.
"Tar'ac, take them to the tower, I will interrogate them later."
Her First Prime bowed his head and, with the rest of the Jaffa, left with the prisoners.
Merdden waited until the last of the Jaffa had exited before speaking to his mate.
"Nimue, what happened?"
"A face from my past." Nimue smiled but it was a cold smile.
He walked to her side and placed hand against her face. He could feel the tension radiating from her body. The rage. He had seen the results of her fury before and knew that he had to calm her down before she did something that she would later regret.
"I recognized a man in the crowd. He's not of this world. He is from Earth."
"Your home world."
"And I suspect yours as well. If he found a way here, he should know the way back. We can go home."
"And you can stop the Council." He was puzzled though. "That should be a good thing. So why did you place them in the tower? Are they part of the Council?"
"I doubt it. The man is the Betrayer."
"The betrayer? Xander?"
"Yes."
"And the other? The woman?"
"I don't recognize her and the Council has little use for women unless they are potential Slayers. There is something odd about her though. She feels like but not like a Goa'uld. It is as if she were once blended."
Tar'ac returned to the hall. Merdden let his hand drop to his side.
"Milady, it is done. The male is still unconscious but the female was left free to tend him."
"Place them under surveillance. When the man wakes up, have the woman moved to another cell." She walked towards a window and stood looking outwards for a moment. "They must have arrived by ship and it is possible that the ship may remain on the surface. How many Hunters are within the city?"
"Perhaps a dozen."
"Instruct the Hunters to search for signs of a ship or a landing site beyond the perimeter. Take two squads of Jaffa and search for any additional intruders among the crowd. If you find any, place them in the tower, but not near the current prisoners."
"As you wish, milady. And the current prisoners?"
She knew what Merdden had been attempting to do and decided to postpone interrogating the prisoners until she was calmer. After all, she didn't have a sarcophagus handy to fix her mistakes.
"Merdden and I will deal with them later."
------
"Harris, wake up. Can you hear me?"
"Yes ma'am," Xander groaned. "Did you get the license plate?"
O'Neill shook her head. "Do you realize that this is the second time this month that you've managed to piss off a Goa'uld in under two minutes?"
"Hey, I'm not even close to the SG-1 record holder. Another year or two though and I should be able to give him some competition."
"Or you'll be dead and I'll have to find another fourth."
"Sorry Colonel."
"So, how did you do it this time?"
"I recognized the host, and the host recognized me."
"You recognized each other? From where?"
"Believe it or not we went to high school together."
"She looks like she's still in high school. And how could she end up on a planet halfway across the galaxy?"
The latter was directed more towards herself than Harris but he answered anyway.
"I don't know. She disappeared towards the end of our junior year so that would have been May or early June of '98. We thought that she had run away but a couple years later the local police discovered some remains that they identified as Buffy. Should have known those incompetent idiots would get that wrong too."
"Buffy?"
"Some parents shouldn't be allowed to name their kids."
"No kidding. Jack wanted to name our first child Homer."
Harris groaned. "Wait, I thought Janet was your oldest."
"She is. Fortunately Jack agreed that naming a girl Homer would not be a good thing."
They lapsed into silence as each became lost in their own thoughts. O'Neill thought about Jack and her children. Maybe it was time that she stepped down from SG-1 and stayed in the lab. Xander tried to comprehend the change from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Buffy the Host of Nimue the Goa'uld.
A short while later, several Jaffa entered the cell block. One Jaffa, bearing the mark of Apophis, stepped forward and opened the cell door as two others pointed zats at the prisoners. The final two Jaffa entered the cell and grabbed O'Neill. As Harris moved towards them, O'Neill shook her head and allowed herself to be removed from the cell. Both were surprised to find that she was simply being moved to the adjoining cell. Once both cells were resecured, the Jaffa left.
"Gee, I guess someone doesn't approve of co-ed dorm rooms."
A snort of amusement came from the other cell. "That's it Harris. As your Commanding Officer I am ordering you to attend the next O'Neill barbecue. If you are going to be a smart-ass, you might as well take lessons from the master. Besides, for some strange reason, I think that Jack actually might like you."
"Well, I am a likable guy."
"Which brings us back to Nimue. Her reaction was to you wasn't the normal Goa'uld reaction to someone from the host's past. Most won't even acknowledge the host's mind still exists so why the anger?"
"I don't know. I mean, Buffy was one of my best friends."
"I wonder if Nimue was hiding on earth like Seth or imprisoned like Hathor and Osiris. It just wouldn't make sense to risk raiding earth for a host."
Harris thought for a moment. His CO deserved to know what they were up against but how do you explain the supernatural to a scientist?
"Colonel, the Goa'uld might think it worth the risk for the right host. If Nimue knew what Buffy was she might have risked it."
"What do you mean what she was?"
"I've read the old mission reports dealing with Nirrti. While she was busy trying to engineer an improved Tau'ri to become a host, there was already a very, very small subset of Earth's population that fit the bill. They are a lot stronger and faster than the general population. At least some even have precognitive dreams."
"Are you saying there are Hok'tar on Earth and Buffy was one of them?"
"Yes, ma'am. Although they wouldn't identify themselves as such, they pretty much fit the description. Even without being snaked, Buffy could have taken my head off. Hell, in unarmed combat against a Jaffa, I would have bet on her."
"That little girl?"
"Don't call her little. She really doesn't like it. And her appearance often worked in her favor. No one would expect that much power in such a small package. "
"How do you know about this group? And just how small a subset is it?"
"I found out about them when Buffy transferred to my high school. I was in the library when I overheard stuff that I was never supposed to know. And normally there is only one girl at a time, the Chosen One also known as the Slayer, although I was told that there are a number of girls with potential. When she dies, the one of the potentials is activated and no, I couldn't tell you how. But a least for a while there were two. Kendra was called when Buffy was killed. We found Buffy just after she drowned and were able to revive her. No one really understood that she had actually died until Kendra showed up."
"So, how hard did she hit you?"
"Huh?" That stopped Xander cold. "Oh, you think that she scrambled my brain. Well she didn't. I know this sounds crazy but I used to see stuff back in my hometown that makes most of what I see at the SGC look tame. A lot of the campfire stories of vampires, werewolves, and such back on earth are based on real things. There really are demons and monsters of the old fashioned variety back on earth. And to balance that evil there is the Slayer, the one girl Chosen to fight them and try to keep their numbers down. She is faster and stronger which gives her a chance to take down the bad guys. Eventually, though, one of them is going to get lucky and she'll be killed just like all of those before her. The next girl is called and cycle is repeated."
"And apparently nobody knows what's happening."
"Well, not too many know. The Slayer, her Watcher, the Watchers' Council, potential slayers, the demons of course, and part of the U.S. government."
"What?"
"A black ops program at the turn of the century called the Initiative was playing mad scientist with demon parts trying to make a super soldier. Really bad idea. Faith, Kendra's replacement, cleaned up the mess."
"So you are saying that Buffy is a Chosen One. They called those children, those future hosts, the Chosen Ones."
"Yeah, I know. A snake in a Slayer. A lot of Slayers with snakes. We are so screwed."
Chapter 6 -- When Bad Things Happen
Merdden watched as his wife, still radiating anger, left the room. He was thankful that she realized that she needed to calm down before visiting their 'guests.' Their guests from Earth. That was definitely a surprise. According to Nimue, their technology was far below that of the Goa'uld. Barring the use of a Chaapa'ai, they should still be confined to their own solar system if not their own planet. And they most definitely had not come through the large stone ring. Perhaps she was mistaken about the passage of time since she was taken from there.
"Dad!"
Merdden turned to see Aurora run into the room. She was wearing leather trousers and a tunic.
"Couldn't stay in your 'good' clothes could you?"
"I hate dresses. You can't fight in them."
"You are your mother's daughter." Merdden smiled and moved over to sit on a bench near one of the windows. He patted the cushion next to his and Aurora joined him. "So, why aren't you with your sister and Talla?"
"I wanted to know what happened. Talla didn't know. Who were those people?"
"One of them was Xander."
"Oh, so that's why Mother is so mad."
"Yes."
"Can I see him?"
"I don't think that would be wise."
"Why not? I think I need to."
"Let me think about it."
----
"Yeah, I know. A snake in a Slayer. A lot of Slayers with snakes. We are so screwed."
"But you said that there was only supposed to be one Slayer at a time."
"But there can be more than one. Kill one and the next is called. If you can revive the first, you've got two Slayers. Normally that would be real risky since you might not be able to revive the first, but add a sarcophagus and you've got everything you need to create as many Slayers as you have Potentials. The Watchers' Council is able to identify Potentials so there's no reason not to believe that Nimue hasn't found a way do it too. All she has to do is wait for them to grow up and then she can activate and snake them."
"I don't think so Harris."
"Colonel?"
"Think about it. From what you have said, the percentage of Potentials to the general population on Earth has to be incredibly small. Otherwise the Council wouldn't have stood a chance of training the ones that would eventually be chosen. The population of this world is much smaller. Nimue picked too many for them all to be potential slayers. Other Goa'uld have been known to use phrases similar to the 'Chosen Ones' to describe future hosts. On some worlds they were referred to as the 'Children of the Gods.'" "
"Great, so instead of snaked Slayers, we just have to worry about a brand new crop of Goa'uld in a few years. I feel so much better."
"Don't be too relieved. Nimue has already proven that she is formidable even by System Lord standards. As far as we know, she only controls this planet but has been able to stop other, supposedly more powerful Goa'uld. And she's done this with relatively few Jaffa. Can you imagine what she will be capable of when her 'children' mature?"
"I'd rather not."
"Then there are the 'real' children, Aurora and Kendra. If Merdden is a Goa'uld, that would make them harcesis. All of the knowledge of their parents..." The Colonel let Harris digest that unpleasant thought. "So even if the Chosen aren't potential slayers, in just a few years, Nimue could still prove to be as big of a threat as Anubis or Ba'al."
"Shit."
"So, assuming that she gets that far, any ideas on how to stop them?"
"Short of setting an army of vamps or demons on them? Which, by the way, would be seriously counterproductive, no." Xander contemplated the possibilities for a couple of minutes. "The Council might be able to come up with something. They're a lot like the NID, a bunch of cold-blooded bastards that can justify any means to an end. I can't believe that they don't have at least a few contingency plans to remove a slayer. I know that they've killed at least one when she ceased to be of use. I don't see them allowing a slayer to live that they couldn't control. Would they tell you how? Maybe but they'd probably try to do the job themselves."
"Do you know how they killed her?"
"She was injured. They could have just used a gun, it would have been kinder. Instead, they led a particularly nasty vamp right to her. She didn't stand a chance."
"Why?"
"The Council, for all of their righteous trappings, is more concerned with controlling the Slayer than with actually supporting her. I've known three Slayers: Buffy, Kendra, and Faith. The Council trains Potentials in combat, research, and blind obedience. They didn't find Buffy until after she was Called so she didn't receive any training ahead of time. Her watchers made allowances, worked with her. She excelled in combat but research girl she wasn't. And following orders was the exception rather than the rule. Giles, her second watcher, took up the slack on the research with help from some friends and accepted that obedience just wasn't part of the deal. Kendra was found by the Council when she was very young. Her parents actually gave her to the Council. They raised her. According to Giles, she was the perfect Council Slayer. Outside of her 'destiny' she didn't really exist. God, it was sick. She couldn't even bring herself look at a boy. It wasn't permitted. She lasted less than a year. When she died, Faith was called. Faith had been identified a Potential, but lets just say she wasn't quite as trainable as Kendra and once she was Called, she didn't become their ideal Slayer. She was even more undisciplined than Buffy. Her second watcher was Buffy's last watcher. Giles gave her a lot of leeway, same as he had for Buffy. The Council didn't want a repeat of Buffy so they replaced him. Faith mostly ignored the replacement. She got the job done but on her own terms. According to Giles, Buffy and Faith survived a longer than most Slayers. Kinda made the Council look like more of a liability than an asset. Killing Faith the way they did was a warning to future slayers and their watchers."
Their conversation was cut short as they heard the sound of footsteps coming towards their cells. A Jaffa with the mark of Apophis entered the cell area and used a zat on O'Neill and Harris. When Harris woke up, the Colonel was gone.
----------
O'Neill awoke to find herself on the floor in yet another cell. Almost immediately she was grabbed by an arm and pulled into an upright position. A hand flashed out and struck her across the face. Her lip split open and began to bleed. She staggered but remained on her feet.
The Jaffa began to recite a litany of her offenses against the gods. First and foremost her part in the murder of his god Apophis which as resulted (eventually) in his being stuck on a backwater planet serving a Goa'uld so weak that she didn't wish to be worshiped. Each offense was punctuated by a blow. With her free arm she attempted to defend herself but the third blow punctured one of her eardrums. After that, the litany was only for his benefit. She didn't hear much by then. She did feel several ribs and her free arm break at some point.
By the time he finished, she was beyond trying to defend herself, or standing on her own. He let her fall to the pallet on the floor. He crouched next to her body and began tearing at her petticoat. She made a feeble attempt to struggle but he only stopped long enough to hit her in the face again, this time breaking her nose. She felt her legs forced apart and she screamed as she felt herself tear as he thrust forward.
Chapter 7 -- Assault and Execution
He didn't like the idea of exposing Aurora to the certain aspects of life in their world. Visiting prisoners, interrogating them, was something that she would be expected to do as she grew older, as would her younger sister. So far, he had been able to shield her from the periodic executions of prisoners, both human and Jaffa. But sooner or later, she would have to attend them. Probably sooner as people were already beginning to question her absence at those events. Executions were public spectacles and entire families came out to watch the "festivities."
In the end, Merdden gave into his daughter's pleas to visit the prisoners. Perhaps if she met Xander, she might be feel pity for the man. If she added her voice to his, Nimue might be persuaded to release Xander. He was fairly certain that the other prisoner would be released as soon as his wife's temper cooled.
"Alright, you can go. But you are to stay next to me at all times."
"I can take care of myself."
"Maybe in a couple of years you can. But for now, you'll either stay close to me or you will remain here."
---
Outside of the city walls, speculation ran rampant over the events of the past few hours. Most believed that two spies had been found but few could agree on the details. The spies were variously identified as Goa'uld, Jaffa, and human in various combinations. Those closest to the incident were convinced that the woman was a Goa'uld and the male was Jaffa. Others were less certain as they recalled how swiftly Nimue had decapitated the last known Goa'uld spy. Still, others said, she had called the male a Shol'va. Why would she use that word if he weren't a Jaffa? Others countered that if the woman was a Goa'uld, the man wouldn't be a Shol'va. Meanwhile, the remaining members of SG-1 carefully pulled back to the edge of the crowd.
"Johnson, the Jaffa are leaving the city and it looks like they are searching for someone."
"Us."
"Probably." Major Thomas took a quick look at three roads leading to the city. "And it looks like they are sealing off the area. Damn."
"Sir? Couldn't we make it to the forest? It's not that far."
"No one else is moving in that direction. If we do, they'll definitely notice us. We'll just have to hope that we can pass as locals and that no one remembers seeing us with the Colonel and Harris."
---
Merdden and Aurora, accompanied by two Jaffa, approached the entrance to the tower.
"Remember, stay close. Your mother will have both our hides if you get into trouble."
"Yeah, sure. Youbetcha."
Merdden came to an abrupt stop. He took hold of Aurora's shoulder and spun her around.
"What did you say?" He looked into his daughter's eyes. Warm brown eyes that held more than a glint of mischief. Eyes that stirred a memory that was just out of reach.
"Yes, Dad. I'll stay by your side and keep out of trouble."
He shook his head and continued towards the tower.
---
Malkor led his team into the crowd. Had he still be in the service of his old master, this would have been much easier since he could have rounded everyone up and used random executions to smoke out any intruders. Nimue, for all that she could be as deadly as the mightiest System Lord, insisted on less violent methods. He had to admit her methods were more successful in the long term. The humans were more productive and content in her territory. They even willingly went into battle along side the Jaffa, a true rarity. Malkor signaled to his second to begin the questioning.
It didn't take long before he had a good idea who he was looking for. The Choosing was a gathering for families with young daughters. The group of four adults without children had been noticed. Thomas and Johnson were caught fairly quickly. Their former traveling companion, Hedric, pointed them out.
---
"Hello Xander."
"Where's Colonel O'Neill?"
Merdden belatedly realized the other cells in the area were empty. "She was supposed to be here. When was she moved?"
"She was moved to nearby cell shortly after I came to. Then a guard came in and zatted me. When I woke up, she was gone."
"Can you describe him?"
"Big guy, tall, lots of muscle, dark skin, short hair. He wore the mark of Apophis."
Merdden checked his zat and turned to the Jaffa. "Donlan, take Aurora to Nimue and let her know what's happened. On your way out, send in all available teams to start searching for the other prisoner. Solen, you're with me, we'll start with the lower levels."
Captain Xander Harris was left alone again.
---
It took some fifteen minutes before Merdden found the missing prisoner. He didn't hesitate as he zatted her attacker and pulled him off. The woman was unconscious, either from the zat or the assault. Solen bound the rapist and deposited him in a nearby cell while Merdden examined the battered woman.
"Solen, I need a stretcher now and I want guards on our new prisoner. I want him alive."
"Yes, my lord. The woman?"
"I don't know. Multiple broke bones, probable concussion, and I can't begin to speculate on what internal injuries she might have. I don't think she's going to make it."
---
Harris watched as several teams of Jaffa passed through his cell block. Merdden, or at least he thought it was Merdden, was serious about locating the Colonel. Then, Solen came running back past his cell only to return minutes later with another Jaffa and a stretcher.
When the stretcher came back through, the only way to identify his CO was by her jacket. Her head was covered in blood, someone's attempt to wipe off her face had been futile. A grim-faced Merdden followed.
"What happen to her? Where are you taking her?"
Merdden paused in from of the cell. "She was assaulted and needs medical attention."
"How badly was she hurt?"
"Her injuries are severe. I'm sorry but I don't know if your friend will survive."
Merdden left the cell block. Shortly thereafter, a squad of Jaffa escorted one of their own out as well.
---
Two attendants flanked his wife as she examined the comatose woman.
"Nimue?"
His wife looked up and shook her head. "Her injuries are too severe. The healing device will only delay the inevitable."
"Perhaps her people?"
"She'd never survive the trip to the Chaapa'ai, let alone survive a trip through it." She pulled a coverlet over the dying woman. "Damn, I wish that sarcophagus was working."
"Then there is nothing you can do?"
"No, but there may be something her assailant can do." A cold mask had settled over her face as Nimue turned towards her Beloved. "The penalty for this is death and it shall be quicker than I'd like. Dora, Elsbet, keep her comfortable. Merdden and I will return within the hour."
---
A bell within the city began to toll as Thomas and Johnson were taken though the gate. A Jaffa came forward and spoke briefly to one their escorts. Their group then headed left towards a tower.
"Johnson, did you catch any of that?"
"Something about a Shol'va being executed."
Off towards their right, a high pitched scream was heard. It was suddenly cut off.
"Harris? The Colonel?"
---
Nimue and Merdden returned to the patient. An attendant trailed behind carefully carrying a bowl.
"Are you certain this will work?"
"No. It isn't fully mature but it is her only hope. She doesn't deserve to die. Dora, Elsbet, turn her over gently." Nimue reached into the bowl and retrieved the symbiote. "If this works, she will be the eldest of the Chosen." She placed her 'child' on the bruised neck. It plunged in.
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