Tears of Aphrodite
By Rocza
Season: Season 7
Spoilers: 0610 Cure, 0709 Avenger 2.0
Categories: Hurt/Comfort, Ship
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Characters: Jack, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, Hammond, Jacob/Selmak, Reynolds, Janet, Walter
Content Level: NC-17
Content Warning: Sexual Content, strong language, BDSM (light)
Summary: What is a queen to do when she has to choose between violating her people's most sacred law and possibly destroying the only chance for the salvation of her people? For her soul?
Archive Permissions: The story is the property of the author and may not be posted without the author's consent. Any who want it are welcome. Just give me credit.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions; not me. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement intended.
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Prologue
She heard the news from her loyal Jaffa with interest and trepidation. The Tau'ri had finally come to Cythera. Aphrodite knew that it was only a matter of time before they learned of her presence. Depending on their response, she could easily be killed in the next few hours. However, she could not allow the Tau'ri to so casually end her reign as Queen. The Tau'ri were the catalyst for change in the galaxy. If she was to survive the culling of the goa'uld, then she needed the Tau'ri on her side.
"Invite the visitors to my palace for an audience," she ordered. She was surprised not to hear the fear she was experiencing in her voice. Perhaps, she could fool her servants after all. But she doubted that H'rak, her loyal First Prime, would be fooled so easily.
H'rak started in surprise at her side, "But my Queen. These are the very Tau'ri responsible for killing Ra and Hathor. I cannot risk your safety," he pleaded.
Aphrodite smiled, "H'rak, you know that I love my people too much. It is for them that I will risk all and meet with these Tau'ri. They are the key to our salvation from my siblings." She reached out and gently stroked his face, "My beloved, H'rak, please understand. It is only through the Tau'ri that my people will find sanctuary. And for that I would gladly trade my soul."
They had discussed this very possibility often since news first filtered back that Ra had been killed by his slaves. Each time the Tau'ri killed another System Lord, they revisited the discussion. Aphrodite was not arrogant enough to think that these humans could not kill her. She didn't have nearly the same resources as her kin. She was allowed to keep her small planet only by the grace of the reigning System Lords in this part of the galaxy.
Her Jaffa were few and loyal only to her. Her people were many and defenseless against the depravities her siblings had inflicted on their own people. She could not defend them if her kin should suddenly take an interest in her small corner of the galaxy.
She needed a safe place for her people and she knew that she could not give it to them. She needed help. H'rak knew this as well and had despaired over the burden that she so freely shouldered.
H'rak slowly lowered his gaze, "I understand, my Queen. I will extend the invitation personally."
"Thank you, H'rak. I will prepare to meet them." Aphrodite watched as he left and only then let herself truly feel her fear.
She was never as strong as her siblings. She knew that her siblings, namely Ra, Ba'al, and Osiris, considered her weak for caring so deeply for her slaves. Of all her siblings, only Egeria had truly understood the depth of Aphrodite's love, and in the end, Ra had left her alone with her slaves. After all, Aphrodite was a queen and the others knew better than to antagonize another queen. Egeria's children had left a lasting impression on all of her siblings.
But as the Tau'ri had swept through the galaxy, Aphrodite had watched her siblings fall one at a time. She could only see two endings. If her siblings won out over the Tau'ri threat, then the price would be high and her kin would seek her out to repopulate their ranks. If the Tau'ri won, then her kind would cease to exist.
Either way, her peaceful isolation would be over and her people, human, Jaffa, and her goa'uld children, would be thrust back into the galaxy. Her siblings would enslave the humans and the Jaffa while killing all her children before forcing her to breed more of the half-crazy goa'uld they favored as subjects. The Tau'ri would likely kill her and her children, though the rest of her people would likely fare better. With her Jaffa joining the Free Jaffa and her human subjects free to govern themselves.
Her only hope was that she could reason with these Tau'ri. Perhaps, she could convince them that her children were not a threat. She would gladly give her own life to preserve her children. They were not like the others. She didn't imprint them with an overwhelming lust for power. She didn't give them the total knowledge of their goa'uld line, something she was sure drove her siblings mad.
Instead, she had imprinted on them a simple history and one unshakable fact; that everyone was accountable for their actions, herself included. In fact, as a leader she was accountable not only for her own actions but also of those she led. This one thing had prevented the madness her siblings were perpetuating in their own offspring.
And it was time for her to face the consequences of her own choices. Her isolation had been a risk. So far it had paid off. Her siblings had ignored her and the Tok'ra had not deemed her a threat. But now, the galaxy was changing again. It was time for her to come out of her long seclusion and the Tau'ri were the key to her people's freedom and perhaps her only means for salvation.
Her thoughts were interrupted by one of her guard, "My Queen, the Tau'ri attacked the royal guard," he gasped out. "H'rak was able to subdue them without harming them, but five of the guard were seriously injured. Their weapons are like nothing I have seen before."
"Take me to the injured," she ordered, snatching the healing device from its place beside her throne. "Quickly, young one," she snapped, "I'll not lose one of my people to your dawdling."
Racing to save the lives of her Jaffa, Aphrodite could only curse at the universe for conspiring to condemn her people, her children, to slavery and death. Her only hope was to ensure the Jaffa lived. The law was clear. Even she could not save the Tau'ri if one of the guards died.
TBC