Chapter 8 -- Questions and an Answer
"If this works, she will be the eldest of the Chosen." She placed her 'child' on the bruised neck. It plunged in.
Aurora stood in the shadows just outside the doorway watching and listening.
"It will be a few hours before we know whether or not she will survive."
"What about the others Nimue?"
"For the time being, I'll keep them in the tower. The last two will be placed in the grey chamber. If they know who I really am...I can't take the chance that my existence will get back to the Council. They will have to stay."
"And Xander?"
"Xander will remain where he is for now."
"He was one of your best friends."
"I know. But he lied to me. It nearly destroyed me when I had to kill Angel."
"You hesitated to kill Angelus when you had the chance before. He probably thought he was doing the right thing. "
"I was seventeen. Angelus wore my lover's face. I couldn't separate the two."
"And was Xander any older?" Merdden turned his wife towards him and wrapped his arms around her. "You both made mistakes but you need to let it go before anyone else gets hurt."
"I know." She looked back at the unconscious woman on the bed. "I never expected to see him again. You said that he called her Colonel. I wonder what made him join the military."
"Why don't you ask him?"
"Later, after I see to the other prisoners. I need to know why they came here and who they are working for. Earth wasn't nearly advanced enough for them to get here on their own, unless they used magic which would mean they might be tied to the Council. There has to be a ship out there since they didn't use the Chaapa'ai. If the hunters can find it, maybe it will hold some answers."
"And then?"
"Xander was as surprised to see me as I was him. He didn't have time to tell them about me so if they aren't tied to the Goa'uld or the Council, I'll send them to the world of their choice through the Chaapa'ai."
Nimue stopped and looked up at her Beloved. "Xander and the colonel will stay here until I am ready to take on the Council. She could be a valuable resource if she chooses to cooperate."
"Or a threat if she doesn't."
"But no more than any of the Chosen might become. None of my symbiotes, even the first ones, were imprinted with much more than the awareness of how to blend and sustain a human body. I will not give rise to more false gods."
"And if *she* would become a god?"
"Then she will become a dead one."
Aurora moved deeper into the shadows as her mother left Merdden's side and moved to leave the room. She wondered if she would be able to sneak back into the tower to speak with Xander before her mother did.
"Aurora, you will stay here with your father. If I catch you near the tower, you'll spend the next week mending the linens with Dora."
Rats, busted.
- - - -
Malkor watched as the prisoners were strip searched. The contents of the haversacks that they had been carrying when taken into custody were examined as well. A few minutes later, their clothing was returned, minus a small quantity of bladed weapons.
"Take them the grey chamber. See that they are provided with food and fuel. Our Lady will question them later."
Four guards escorted them up several flights of stairs and down a short corridor. A substantial wooden door was unbarred and opened. The prisoners were pushed in and the door closed. As their eyes adjusted to the light, they heard the door close and the scrape of the bar being put back in place.
Johnson surveyed their new accommodations. The room was furnished in early medieval. "Above ground, real furniture, fireplace. I think this qualifies as first class accommodations. Not bad as cells go."
He walked over to one of the barred windows.
"It's a cell, Johnson. And we still don't know where the Colonel and Harris are or if they are even alive. You said that the Jaffa were talking about a Shol'va being executed. Nimue supposedly called Harris a Shol'va."
Johnson turned back from the window. "Oh, I don't think that the Shol'va that was executed was Harris."
"Why not?"
"We've got a room with a view. Check out the scaffold in the courtyard. The remains don't look like Harris, or the Colonel."
Thomas peered out. The naked corpse on the rack below had a stomach pouch. What it didn't have was a pair of hands and something else that he didn't really didn't want to think about. "Ouch. That had to hurt."
"No kidding. I think that explains what we heard. Wonder what he did."
Their conversation came to an abrupt end as they heard the bar at the door being pulled back.
The door opened and two Jaffa entered trailed by two servants carrying bundles. They placed the packages on a table and retreated from the room. The Jaffa followed and the door closed.
Thomas reached the table first. Unwrapping the first bundle, he found two loaves of dark bread, a small wheel of a pungent cheese, and two flasks. He opened one and sniffed the contents before taking a cautious sip.
"Major?"
"Beer, kinda weak though. What's in the other bundle?"
Johnson checked. "Wood, kindling, a piece of flint and a strike. Oh, and a candle."
"What, no matches?"
- - - -
Nimue approached the tower stopping at the scaffold. A few people, drawn by the earlier spectacle, were still milling about. A Choosing and an execution on the same day. She knew that today would be a topic of conversation for months to come, or at least until the next Goa'uld attack.
She climbed the scaffold and looked at the ruined corpse. He claimed he did it to avenge Apophis, his god. That the woman was a member of es-ge-one, whatever that was, and a known enemy of the gods.
How had she missed the signs? Had there been any? Was it just him, or were there other Jaffa that felt the same way? Maybe it had been a mistake not to play "god." Were her methods seen as weakness? Did they see her as weak and therefore not worthy of loyalty? But if she were weak, what did that make the very dead Apophis? She shook her head and left the scaffold.
As she entered the tower, she decided to see Xander first.
- - - -
Xander was sitting in the back section of his cell. His head came up as he heard someone enter the cell block.
"Xander."
"Buffy, or should I call you Nimue? That is your name isn't it?"
"Why are you here?"
"Don't you remember? You had your Jaffa put me here."
"I'm not in good mood Xander. Just answer the question."
"You attack me, have me and my companion thrown into this lovely cell where we are attacked again and you're not in a good mood. Well neither am I."
"The incident with your 'friend' was unfortunate. The Jaffa responsible has been punished."
"Punished? I don't see him in a cell."
"He won't be needing a cell. He was executed."
Xander looked at the snake wearing the face of his old friend. He had been told that part of the host survived but he couldn't see it. There had been no emotion that he could see or hear with that cold statement. He wanted to believe that his friend was still in there somewhere. Was this what Buffy had felt when she faced Angelus?
"Now, what are you doing on this world?"
"Just exploring."
"Try again, no one ever comes here just to explore. You're a spy. The only question is whose? Which god do you serve?"
"I don't serve the Goa'uld."
"Well you didn't get here without help. Perhaps you serve the Asgard? Colonel O'Neill was identified as a member of es-ge-one. Who are they?"
"SG-1 is my team's designation. We serve Earth."
"If you don't tell me, I'll ask the others."
"What others?"
"O'Neill, if she regains consciousness, and the other two. They weren't difficult to find."
"What do you mean if she doesn't regain consciousness?"
"O'Neill was very badly injured before she was found. She is being treated but I don't know if she will live."
Shit. "Healing device?"
"Her injuries were too severe."
"What about the sarcophagus?"
Silence.
"Then how are you treating her?"
"She has been Chosen."
Play dumb Harris. "Chosen?"
"I placed one of my children in her. But it was immature, I don't know if it can heal her."
"You snaked her? You call that treating her?"
"Would you rather I let her die?"
"She'd rather die than be a host to a Goa'uld."
"My children are not Goa'uld." Nimue's temper began to rise.
"Well if they aren't Goa'uld, what the hell are they? 'Cause from where I'm sitting, you look like a Goa'uld to me."
"I'm a Slayer."
"Your host is a Slayer. You're a Goa'uld."
"I'm not a host."
"Earlier today, the glowing eyes. They're a dead giveaway. Slayers don't have glowing eyes. Goa'uld do. You are a snake in the head of a Slayer Nimue. That doesn't make you a Slayer." He added quietly, "it doesn't make you Buffy."
"No, I'm not Buffy. Buffy didn't survive your betrayal. She didn't survive killing her lover, and she did kill her lover. She killed Angel because Angelus had opened the portal to hell before Willow finished her spell. The spell you didn't tell me about. Buffy didn't survive being thrown out of her home by her mom that night. And finally, Buffy didn't survive being abducted and used as a lab rat by an Asgard 'scientist' named Loki. No, I'm not Buffy. When I found myself on this world I became Nimue so I could survive."
"Buffy volunteered to become a host?"
"Loki was fascinated by my DNA. One of his experiments triggered the dormant parts of my DNA. The Goa'uld aren't the only ones who have glowing eyes. Fully activated Slayers have them too."
Chapter 9 -- Old Lies and Betrayals
Author's Note: The Giles quote is from "The Harvest" and can be found at buffy-vs-angel dot com.
"The Goa'uld aren't the only ones who have glowing eyes. Fully activated Slayers have them too."
"Fully activated?"
Okay, how much to tell him? She had trusted him once before with disastrous results. Then again, up until then he had stood beside her and he had never hidden the fact that he didn't like Angel. She knew he didn't like the Goa'uld and she couldn't blame him for that. As far as she was concerned they ranked right down there with the Council and a certain little grey alien.
"Well?"
Xander wouldn't be leaving his accomodations anytime soon. Whatever she told him would stay here for as long as necessary. Her decision made, she began her tale.
"The Slayers of Earth are only shadows of the true Slayers. Our power was bound millenia ago preventing us from becoming what we were supposed to be, what we were created to be. Do you remember what Giles told us? That contrary to popular belief, earth wasn't a paradise in the beginning? That demons walked the earth before mankind?"
Xander closed his eyes and let his mind go back the Sunnydale High library. He was sitting at a table with Willow and Buffy as the new librarian explained the facts of life, Sunnydale-style. "This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their...their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures..." A feminine voice broke in.
"Xander?"
He opened his eyes. "Yeah. I remember."
"Whether or not Giles knew it, that's not true. It's a nice little piece of propaganda but that's all it is. Demons never ruled Earth although at one point they did come close to overrunning it. You see, Earth had been a paradise of sorts. But it was a paradise riddled with weak spots between various dimensions, places where what we call magic leaked through. Some humans had even learned to harness the magic. Then the Goa'uld came, led by the one who took the name of Ra. Earth had much that the Goa'uld wanted, hosts, slaves, resources. When he found out about the weak spots, Ra thought that he could increase his domain by using them to open rifts between the dimensions. He was partially successful. He did create the rifts, he opened the first hellmouths-unleasing hell on earth. The demons came through, a few at first then larger numbers. Tens of thousands eventually died...human, Jaffa, Goa'uld. Ra needed a weapon against them and so a Goa'uld scientist created the first Slayer by combining the DNA of a human and Goa'uld queen. The human portion could tap into the magic, something that Goa'uld couldn't do. The other portion gave the child the physical strength and accelerated healing of the Goa'uld as well as the genetic memory. She was also a queen capable of dual reproduction, her human daughters were Slayers but her larvae could also bestow Slayerness upon their hosts, in time creating an army."
"Sounds like a bad plan. It takes decades for the larvae to mature."
"For Goa'uld larvae yes. Ra couldn't wait a century for his army. Our larvae matures in less than two decades. As it turned out, he still cut it pretty close."
"So why is there only one Slayer if an army was created?"
"You may have noticed that Earth isn't exactly overrun with demons. The Slayers served their purpose, they eliminated most of the demons and sealed the hellmouths. Once that was accomplished, there was no need for an army, especially one that could challenge the 'gods.' Ra's priests included a group of human sorcerers, the same ones that had opened the rifts for him in the first place. He used them to strip the Slayers of their power. He let a few of the former Slayers live and breed as humans, just as a precautionary measure. When the seal on one of the hellmouths failed, he had a single Slayer partially reactivated. The spell that reactivated her is still working, it's what calls the next Slayer from the 'human' descendants of the original Slayer. Ra set his priests to watching the Slayer and the potential slayers. When he was driven from Earth, those priests stayed behind and were charged with making sure that no Slayer ever became fully activated. Any that looked like they might were to be killed before they reached maturity. In time, the priests began insuring that no Slayer lived long enough. One of methods that they used was the Crucimantium. It was a nice, tidy way of killing off slayers when they turned eighteen."
"The Watchers' Council? Giles?"
A grim expression crossed her face. "Yes. The Watchers' Council and Giles."
"Not Giles. He wouldn't, he couldn't..."
"He did. He administered the test to Faith. It's always the Slayer's Watcher that prepares her for the test. The one person that a Slayer believes can be trusted is the one to betray her. Whether he knew the reason why, I don't know. He did cheat though, she survived. I doubt the Council was happy about that."
"Wait, how do you know about Faith?"
"I've had dreams of Slayers past ever since I was first Called. Other dreams were of events to come. Since I was fully activated, the dreams have only strengthened. I had several dreams involving Faith and I felt it when she was killed. Just like I've felt the death of every Slayer who followed her. Most of the others died in combat, but Annabelle was murdered by order of the Council in the Crucimantium."
Shit. He'd known the Council was a group of soulless bastards but this? Okay Harris, put this into perspective. Could she be telling the truth or was this, to use her own words, a nice piece of propaganda? Was Nimue really Buffy instead of snake in the head? She didn't ask about any of her friends or her mother, point against. Except if her mother had thrown her out, maybe she was as pissed at her mother as she was at him. She did know about Faith but if the host was having the dreams the Goa'uld would know, so no point. Chances are, Nimue is a Goa'uld.
"Say that I believe you. How did Loki 'activate' your DNA? And where is he?" Okay, he'd place money on the Asgard being dead but no harm in playing dumb. Regardless of whether he was dealing with the Goa'uld or the Slayer, Buffy's memories would be of the Zeppo, the hapless goofball. No need to tip her off that he was a hell of a lot more competant than the old Xander.
"I don't know how he did it. Didn't ask while he was playing mad scientist, didn't ask when I twisted his head off."
"You what?"
"He was fascinated by my body, my slayer body. He did mention something about an evolutionary step towards a fifth race. Whatever he did was meant to accelerate the process. It didn't work out the way he thought it would, apparently he had hopes that my mental capacity would expand to match my physical abilities. Then he got the bright idea of crossing my DNA with some samples that he had acquired somewhere. He tried doing the test tube thing before deciding I'd be the test tube. He got careless when I was about six months along."
"Why didn't you come home?"
"The ship crashed here. Come on, I could barely drive a car you think I was up to piloting an alien space ship?"
"Why not use the stargate?"
"Stargate?"
"The Chaapa'ai," Xander clarified. No need to mention that she'd have gone splat if she had tried it.
"One, I didn't have the address for Earth. Two, this planet was controlled by a Goa'uld and crawling with Jaffa. Three, I was not exactly in fighting form at the time. By the time I was, I realized that going home would put my daughter and I at too high a risk from the Council. It was safer here."
"So you took out the local Goa'uld and put yourself in his place."
"Not quite, so not doing the god thing. Now, your turn. Didn't see you joining the military."
Chapter 10 -- An Old Feeling and a New Lie
"Not quite, not doing the god thing. Now, your turn. Didn't see you joining the military."
"After graduation, I wanted out of Sunnydale. Since I didn't have the money for college, it seemed like a good idea the time."
"Army?"
"Air Force."
"And SG-1? S...G, star gate. Star gate one. The Air Force has control of the Chaapa'ai?"
Great Harris. So much for holding up under questioning. Then again, it wasn't actually a secret, at least not off-world. "Yes."
"And you don't serve the Goa'uld?"
"That would be a big no."
Nimue began pacing. She was aware that most of the old System Lords had fallen only to be replaced by other ambitious, although less powerful Goa'uld but had not paid much attention to galactic politics beyond repelling any would-be invaders. That had been a mistake, perhaps a big one. Something had destabilized the System Lords, changed the balance of power. If humans not under Goa'uld rule were using the Chaapa'ai, that could be the key. She stopped and turned back towards him. It was time to change the topic.
"So, why leave Sunnydale after graduation?"
"Let's see, vampires, demons, lots of dead friends."
"Willow? Giles? Cordelia?"
"Glad to see you finally remembered the old gang. Cordy didn't make it but Willow and Giles are alive. Most of our class didn't make it past graduation."
"What happened?"
"The guest speaker at commencement turned into a giant demon snake and started chowing down on the graduating class. Got most of them too before we blew him and the school up."
"Eww."
"What, no snake solidarity?"
"Damn it Xander, for the last time, I am not a Goa'uld."
"Well, if you are Buffy, why am I still in this cell?"
Nimue's eyes flashed in irritation.
Smart Harris, real smart. Piss off the Goa'uld again why don't ya.
"I'm not a Goa'uld, but I'm not Buffy either. Not anymore. Besides, if I were a Goa'uld, you'd be dead by now. You are in the cell because because I don't like uninvited guests. You're staying in that cell because I don't trust you. You didn't get here by the 'stargate' and I don't think NASA is up to the challenge of getting you out this far. So, the odds are that you are working for somebody else, probably a Goa'uld, even if you don't know it." Nimue turned on her heel and walked away from his cell. "Make yourself comfortable. You might be in there a long time."
- - -
Pain. Lots and lots of pain. And something else. She knew this feeling. She'd had it once before, but when? She opened her eyes, quickly closing them again as the pain increased. She tried again, this time just barely opening them. She took in the room from behind narrowly slit eyelids. Gray walls, but rough stone, not smooth paint. No light fixtures, natural light and what the hell? Were those torches on the walls? Definitely not the infirmary. At least not the SGC infirmary.
She closed her eyes and tried to assess just how much damage she had sustained. Difficulty breathing through her nose, possibly broken? Lips swollen, split. She ran her tongue across her teeth. All present and accounted for but a couple of them felt a bit loose. Her jaw seemed intact. One arm in a splint, torso bound. The arm felt broken, probably some cracked ribs. She raised her uninjured arm and was certain about the ribs. Legs were okay outside of some pulled muscles but lots of pain in her abdomen and... Oh god. The memory of the attack flooded back. She opened her eyes again.
A blur of color off to her right caught her attention. She gingerly turned towards it. A woman in a yellow dress stood just inside the doorway. The woman moved into the room followed by a Jaffa. In a state of panic O'Neill struggled to sit up and scoot away from the pair. The woman's lips moved but made no sound. O'Neill watched as the Jaffa retreated from the room. Her breathing slowed somewhat. The pain only increased though as she collapsed back on the bed.
The woman walked over to a nearby table. She picked up a pitcher from the table and filled a goblet. After setting the pitcher down, she continued towards the bed.
The woman gently placed one hand behind O'Neill's head and placed the goblet to her lips.
"Shh, it will be alright. You are safe now. He can't hurt you again, no one here will. You are under Milady's protection now, one of the Chosen. Drink this. It will make you feel better."
She had no idea what the woman in yellow was saying. She couldn't hear a thing. The goblet remained at her lips. She opened her mouth and drank.
As the drugged wine began to ease her back into unconsciousness, she realized what the other feeling was. She had been snaked.
- - -
Nimue stood in the hall outside the grey chamber. Her conversation with Xander had been useful, if somewhat infuriating. This next one was a bit more problematic. She need information and, if she determined that they were not a threat, she needed them off her world as soon as possible. She suspected her latest guests wouldn't be happy to leave without the others and Xander and the woman would not be leaving. Xander because he was a security risk even before she spoke to him and the woman, if she survived, because she was now one of the Chosen. Her decision made, she grimaced for a moment, then nodded towards the guards as she smoothed her features.
- - -
Major Thomas and Dr. Johnson looked up from the table were they sat as they heard the bar on the door being removed. The door swung open and Nimue entered. They remained seated.
"Identify yourselves."
"I'm Daffyd and this is Hedwig. We are from one of the outlying villages."
"Villagers would have stood and humbly bowed their heads at my entrance. You are members of SG-1 serving under Colonel O'Neill. Now, identify yourselves."
"Major David Thomas and Dr. Howland Johnson."
"So, what are you doing here? And skip the peaceful explorers bit."
"Looking for naquadah. We were told that this planet was had some old mines and since it used to belong to Apophis and he's now dead..."
"You thought that you'd check it out, maybe attempt to mine it yourselves?"
"Yes."
Nimue walked over to the window and looked out. She watched as two Jaffa removed the corpse from the scaffold. She turned back to the two men.
"In that case, why didn't you use the Chaapa'ai to come here? I don't like spies. Now, for the last time, why are your here? Who sent you? And please do not attempt to insult my intelllegence again."
This time, Dr. Johnson spoke up.
"We heard that there was a rising system lord here." Thomas shot him a dirty look but allowed him to continue. "We wanted to assess the possible threat."
"A rising system lord? I'm flattered. You are, however, mistaken. I want no part of Goa'uld politics. All I want is to be left alone, as do the people of this world."
"For a Goa'uld not to want power is a rarity."
"I prefer a more peaceful existance to one of endless intrigue and war." Nimue glided over to the table and sat down next to Dr. Johnson. "Now, you could help yourselves if you would tell me where your ship is."
"Ship?"
"As I said, you didn't use the Chaapa'ai."
"It dropped us off and won't return for another month."
"And if you need to recall it in an emergency? Neither of you have any means to do that on your persons. O'Neill and Harris also lacked the means to do so. I think you are lying again."
Thomas interjected. "Where are the Colonel and Harris?"
Now it was the time for the lie, partially couched in the truth. She wondered if Xander would appreciate the irony of what she was about to do.
"One of my Jaffa overstepped his authority. I'm afraid that your companions are dead."
Chapter 11 -- 3 Prisoners and a Patient
"One of my Jaffa overstepped his authority. I'm afraid that your companions are dead."
"How? Why?"
"A personal vendetta on his part, he thought he was avenging his god. He has been punished."
Thomas recalled the mutilated corpse in the courtyard. "The Jaffa on the scaffold?"
Nimue nodded.
"Bit over the top wasn't it? I mean cutting of his hands and his..." Thomas let his voice trail off.
"He committed his crime in the name of Apophis. He was fortunate that I chose the manner of his death and not his god. He died quickly and only once." She shifted in her seat. "Now, about your ship. My Jaffa will eventually find it. You could speed things up by telling me where to find it."
"I don't think so."
"Then perhaps you will tell me where you got it."
"Our government built it."
Nimue snorted in disbelief. "My Jaffa say that you are the Tau'ri, from the first world. Your people can barely get themselves to your moon."
"Your information is out-dated."
"Is it? There's no way you could have advanced far enough to leave your solar system without help. Who do you serve? Or maybe it should be who did you serve? So many System Lords have died in recent years, maybe yours was among them."
"The Tau'ri have been free since we kicked Ra off Earth."
"Are they?" The slightest of smiles crossed her face and only Johnson caught it. "I suppose that we will discover the truth of the matter when my Jaffa find your ship. If there is nothing in it to indicate that you are allied to the Goa'uld, you will be released and sent back to your world."
Johnson finally spoke up. "You are just going to let us go and send us on our way?"
"If I determine that you are not a threat."
"And if you do? Then what? A trip to the scaffold?"
"I try to avoid executing humans. If you represent a threat, you will probably find yourselves sentenced to work in one of the naquadah mines for the remainder of your lives." Nimue stood up. "If you decide to give up the location of your ship, just tell one of the guards."
She walked out of the cell, the door closing behind her.
"Major, I don't know about you but I'd rather mine naquadah than face Jack O'Neill."
Thomas shuddered. "Agreed."
------------
So much for trying to protect his daughter from the harsh realities of life Merdden thought as he left Aurora with Talla and strode back towards the palace infirmary. He still had a hard time believing that one of Nimue's Jaffa had nearly raped a woman to death. Elsbet met him in the hallway just outside of O'Neill's room.
"How is the patient doing?"
"Not well Milord. She woke up and began to panic when she saw one of the guards."
He sighed. "I suppose that's not surprising. I will order that the Jaffa stay out of sight for the time being."
"Milord, that might not be enough."
Merdden waited for her to continue. When she did not, he prompted her. "Elsbet?"
She hesitated another moment before continuing. "Before Milady came, this," she waved a hand towards the room, "was not...uncommon. There were some cases where the woman could no longer bear the presence of any male. Most eventually overcame it, others did not."
"And you think that this will be the case?"
"I don't know. Her physical injuries are more severe than most but they may not be the worst of her injuries."
Realizing that the discovery of those unseen injuries would have to wait, he asked about the physical ones.
"The bleeding has stopped and her breathing is easier. I'm not sure about her hearing. I gave her a sleeping draft if you would like to see her now."
"With her head wounds?"
"She was panicking and was likely to injure herself further."
She moved aside to let him enter the room. His eyes adjusted to the room's dimmer light as he approached the bed. He was unnerved at how still the figure on that bed was.
"How much did you give her?"
"Less than half a cup. She fell asleep quickly."
He gently brushed the blonde hair back from the woman's face. "The bruising on her face is improving. Have you checked her ribs?"
"About an hour ago. The bruises had stopped spreading."
"Good, can you bring a light closer."
Elsbet brought a lamp to the bed.
Merdden carefully lifted the patient's left eyelid, then the right. "The pupils are responding."
"Milord?"
"It looks as if she is healing." Merdden stood back. "I'll send Dora back to help. If there is any change, send her to me or Nimue."
-----------------
He figured it had been at least six hours since anyone had passed by his cell. Neither Nimue nor Merdden had returned with news of the colonel. Not that he had really expected them to. A Jaffa had brought him some bread and water earlier but no news of the rest of his team.
Xander finally fell into an uneasy sleep.
*"Where's your team airman?" General Feretti asked.
An angry Jack O'Neill confronted him. "Where's my wife?"
A short, stocky blonde major pushed him against a wall in the gateroom. "How the hell do you make captain?"
Giles took off his glasses to clean them. "Well, what did you expect from the Zeppo? He was always the weakest link."
The room darkened and in the shadows he could see Cordelia, Principals Snyder and Flutie, Harmony, Larry, and Jesse. Behind them were his parents, Faith, Oz, Willow.
No it couldn't be Willow with the dead. She was still alive. Wasn't she? Wasn't she?*
He awoke with a start, sweat rolling off his body.
"Shit."
"You shouldn't swear. Mother doesn't like it."
A small figure detached itself from of the shadows, startling him. It was the girl he had seen with Merdden.
"She doesn't?"
"Nope. Neither does Dad."
"Aurora?"
"And you're Xander. You know, Mother's still mad at you."
He gave her a crooked smile. "Yeah, kinda figured that out."
"You lied about Angel."
Xander nodded.
"I understand why you did it. She does too."
Okay, not expecting that. "So why am I in cell?"
"I said she understands, doesn't mean she's still not mad. She'll let you out. Eventually."
"That's comforting. How about the colonel?"
"She's not a prisoner. The rest of your team is though."
"What team?"
"The two men the Jaffa brought in. Mother put them in the gray chamber."
"Which is?"
"Where she puts important prisoners. At least the important prisoners that haven't made her mad."
"So, I'm important am I?"
She looked at him solemnly. "You know the way back to Earth."
Shit.
Chapter 12 -- Husbands and Better Halves
Calendon
Merdden joined his wife in their bed chamber.
"You found her?"
"She was 'visiting' Xander."
"So, how long this time?"
"One week of mending linens and she's been banned from the stables for two."
"Ouch."
Nimue smirked at her husband. "And I've assigned La'tan as her guard. Maybe he'll be more vigilent than Talla was the next time she tries to disappear."
"You think there will be a next time?"
"Isn't there always?" Nimue reflected on the number of times Buffy had slipped out on her mother. "Xander is a link to our past. She's curious."
"She also thinks he's 'cute.'"
"What!" Nimue wondered if she could find a deeper hole to put Capt. Harris in.
"I wouldn't worry. She also said that he was a lot older than she 'remembered.'" He wrapped an arm around Nimue. "So, does that mean you thought he was cute too?"
"I was sixteen. I had no taste whatsoever, well except for fashion." She smiled briefly before turning the conversation to a more serious topic. "How is O'Neill?"
"Physically she's recovering but Elsbet is worried about her mental state. She panicked when she saw a Jaffa."
Nimue nodded somberly. She had the seen the same response on too many occasions in the past. One of her first actions as ruler was to establish that rape was a crime that would severely punished. It had taken more than a dozen executions, both human and Jaffa, in that first year to drive the point home.
"I've ordered the Jaffa stay out of sight for now."
"What about the rest of her injuries?"
"Elsbet is keeping her sedated so we won't know the full extent until later but the bruising has stopped spreading and her breathing has improved."
Colorado Springs
Col. "Jack" O'Neill (ret.) watched as the cadets filed out out of his Military Theory, Strategy and Officership class. He'd been assigned the 100 level course as a way to evaluate students for possible tracking into the Stargate Program. It was still early but he was not enthusiastic about this batch. They'd do well in a bureaucratic setting but so far none showed much aptitude for thinking outside of the box. Most were pretty good ass kissers though. He idly wondered if most of them were the offspring of politicians before discounting the notion. Ever since Vietnam there had been a very noticeable lack of the children of privilege even among the officer corps.
He gathered their papers from his desk, placing them in his briefcase. It looked like another long night of grading papers he thought as he pushed back his chair and grabbed his cane. The blown knee that signalled the end of active duty was killing him today. The terrible two were going to get pizza, again, for dinner. Sam was probably going to kill him when she got back.
Calendon
Sam struggled to escape the gray clouds imprisoning her. She could feel a dull ache thoughout most ofher body and an alien presence in the back of her mind. She finally opened her eyes. Natural lighting filled the room and it took a moment before her eyes adjusted.
A woman sat next to her bed. She appeared to be mending some brownish fabric, so intent on her work that it took several minutes before she realized that she was being observed. Once she became aware that her patient was awake, she put aside the tunic she had been working on and spoke.
Sam watched as the woman's lips moved. She didn't hear a thing and tried to speak.
"Can't...can't hear you," she managed to say.
The woman's eyes showed her dismay. She placed her hand on Sam's for a moment and then left the room.
Sam gingerly pushed herself up into a sitting position and then scooted back against the headboard. She took an inventory of her injuries, comparing them to what she remembered from the first time she woken up in the room. Overall, she was doing surprising well except for her hearing and the fact that she was probably snaked.
Tok'ra Base, undisclosed planet
Jacob was beginning to worry. Sam and SG-1 had been on the planet for over a week. They had made contact just once as they approached the planet. The plan had beenfor the team to land several days walk from Nimue's stronghold. All parties had agreed that the mission stood a much better chance of success if radio silence was maintained. Still, he had hoped that this would be a relatively short mission.
/Jacob, it's only been thirteen days. It was going to take them at least eight days to walk to the city assuming that the weather cooperated./
"I know Sel, but I just have a bad feeling about this."
/Is it because of Anise's involvement/ she asked.
"You know me too well."
/Hardly surprising since I've taken up residence in your head/ Selmac retorted. /Anise may have underestimated the dangers, but SG-1 is quite capable of getting themselves into and out of trouble./
"Underestimated? I've been double checking the old reports from Calendon. Nimue has been able to predict and prepare for at least two incursions, three if you count our operatives. There's no evidence that she is in contact with any other Goa'uld or anybody offworld for that matter."
/So.../
"SG-1 was to land at a distance to minimize any chance of detection. We were assuming that she was using some sort of radar or other technological detection method. But these reports indicate that Nimue had advanced warning of days, not hours."
/Then how.../
"Exactly."
Calendon
Sam was still sitting up when the woman returned. She was followed by Nimue, a ribbon device on her hand. Sam was still far too weak to even go through the motions of putting up fight so she settled for a dose of O'Neill defiance.
"It's going to be a little hard to torture me for information since I won't be able hear your questions."
Nimue drew closer and raised her hand towards one side of Sam's head. The crystal glowed.
"...but tor...what I had in mind. Can you hear me now?"
Author's Note: Yes, I do realize that there is a difference between the ribbon device and the healing device.
Chapter 13 -- Conversations and Confrontation
Calendon
"...but tor...what I had in mind. Can you hear me now?"
The soft voice sounded normal. If she hadn't seen blonde's eyes flash earlier she might have believed the child/woman beside her bed was human. Well, that and if she wasn't currently using a ribbon device, albeit an apparently modified one. Maybe this was a kinder, gentler Goa'uld. Yeah right.
"Colonel O'Neill?"
Sam blinked as she refocused on her captor.
"I'll take that as a yes," Nimue said as glow of the ribbon device's crystal slowly faded.
"Interesting use of a ribbon device."
Nimue briefly shifted her eyes to the device encompassing her left arm and hand. "It's a tool. It has multiple uses, good and bad, if you know how to use it properly. The Goa'uld, not much interested in anything but self-protection and torturing people. "
"And you're not?"
"A Goa'uld or interested in self-protection and torture?" Nimue lowered her hand and sat down next the bed.. "I'm not a Goa'uld but I am definitely interested in self-preservation. As for enjoying frying someone's brain? No."
O'Neill remained silent for a few minutes.
"The rest of your team is unharmed," Nimue restarted the conversation.
"Where is Captain Harris?" She deliberately refrained from mentioning Thomas and Johnson in the hope that Nimue thought SG-1 was only a two-man team.
"Xander? He's still in his old cell but he will be safe there. I've placed additional guards on duty just in case another Jaffa forgets where his loyalty should be. Major David Thomas and Dr. Howland Johnson are enjoying better accommodations." Nimue frowned. "Of course, I not sure that I believe that those are their correct names. I mean one sounds like he should be serving up Frosties and the other is just a little to close to HoJo's. Kinda lame."
Score one for Harris, O'Neill thought. A Goa'uld wasn't likely to know that much about Tau'ri culture, and more specifically American culture, unless its host really was from Earth. But was he also right about the host being Hok-Taur? What had he called her, a Slayer?
"So, your host really is from Earth."
"I am." Nimue saw no reason to deny it. "A lifetime ago. What else did he tell you?"
"That your host might be considered Hok-Taur, Hok-Taur'i, an advanced human," she explained at Nimue's look of confusion.
"Not exactly. I am a Slayer."
"Your host is, Nimue, not you."
"You've definitely spent too much time with Xander," she replied with a grumpy edge to her voice. "Things change. I was Buffy, now I'm Nimue. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a Goa'uld."
Sam could still feel the Goa'uld in Nimue but she decided to let it pass. It really made no difference. Besides, she could feel herself rapidly losing strength and concentration.
Nimue was aware that O'Neill was fading and decided to leave for now. After all, she had other prisoners she could interrogate, or perhaps, another method would be appropriate.
"I'll leave you to rest," she said as she rose to leave the sickroom.
Nimue smiled as she exited the room. Yes, she thought, perhaps Corryn might prove to be useful.
Tok'ra Base, undisclosed planet
Jacob, in perfect harmony with Selmac, stalked through the base's crystalline tunnels. More than one Tok'ra pulled back out of the line of fire as the oldest among them headed towards Anise's laboratory.
"Selmac," Anise began.
"Can it. I'm in charge right now and I want a straight answer," Jacob snarled.
"About?"
"This little recon mission that the Council requested the SG-1 be sent on."
"What is there to know? Nimue has defeated several System Lords making her a potential threat. SG-1 went to assess the level of danger that she represents."
"Nimue hasn't tried to capitalize on her victories. Hardly the actions of a budding System Lord even if she is a Goa'uld queen. Try again."
"I really don't..."
"I just spoke with with Per'sus. We just received word that Menhit is poised to attack Calendon. But you knew that already, didn't you?"
Realizing that her deception had been discovered, Anise capitulated.
"We need to discover how Nimue knows about impending attacks. There is no sign of any technology that would give her advanced warning. Nor is there any sign that she has spies off-world."
"So you used me to send in SG-1 blind."
"It was necessary."
"Was it?"
Calendon
Corryn clutched his scrolls to his chest as he approached the gray chamber. Nimue's charge was unprecedented. Certainly in his lifetime no mere clerk had ever been given such a mission of such magnitude. Neither his father nor his father's father had even hinted of such an important task. He would not fail his lady.
The prisoners had taken up positions at opposite ends of the room when they heard the scraping of the bar on the outside of their cell door. A servant girl had already brought them their day's rations so they were not expecting visitors. They watched as a spindly young man entered. The door closed behind him and the man flinched ever so slightly as the bar was slid back into place.
"I am Corryn, clerk to the Lady Nimue." He placed his scrolls on the table and extracted a small bottle and quill from his robes.
"A clerk?"
"Yes, I'm here to assess what galanas and sarhad may be owed to your people for the lives of your companions."
Thomas looked at Johnson for direction.
Johnson shrugged.
"Galanas? Sarhad?" Thomas asked.
Corryn looked up from arranging his papers. "Compensation for the loss of Colonel O'Neill and Captain Harris. If our Lady determines that you do not serve the Goa'uld then their families are entitled to payment. I am here to determine the level of payment owed based on their familial and social status."
The anthropologist in Johnson couldn't resist the opening.
"How does that work?"
"All humans have a base worth. After that, the galanas is based on whether they are the sole support of their parents or children. The age of the children is also taken into consideration. A infant still at the breast receives more than a child who is near adulthood as its caretaker must be compensated. The sarhad is derived from the social status. I have been given to understand that a Colonel is a higher rank than Captain although both are military ranks, although I am unclear as to the degree of difference."
"Weregild."
"Johnson?"
"A number of early European cultures had a similar concept. Economically it made sense. An eye for an eye didn't do as much for the victim's family as financial compensation."
"Precisely," Corryn nodded happily. "Of course, as the Jaffa responsible is already dead, the Lady will be providing both the galanas and sarhad if required. She is most kind."
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