Major Samantha Carter looked to her superior intently as he mulled the information she had given him. General Hammond reviewed the files before him a few moments in silence before making eye contact with each member of the SG team. Carter had requested to return through the gate with the promised gate addresses and to begin the next stage in negotiations with the people of Desol, the SGC's newest ally against the Goa'uld. Carter's trip to the planet a peace offering until a proper negotiating team was brought together.
Carter watched as Hammond looked to SG-1's leader, Jack O'Neill, who sat twirling a pen between his fingers. "Jack, your threat assessment stands?" the General asked, watching as Jack nimbly threw the pen in the air before catching it quickly again.
"Yes sir. The only resistance we encountered on Desol was from Desperado herself," referring to the governmental leader. "The people are not very militarized Sir. Their main focus is on farming."
The colonel's dark eyes searched Carter's. He knew that Carter was looking forward to doing this and who was he to stop her? A little too quickly O'Neill replied with his blessing.
"Sounds like a great idea to me," Jack stated as he looked around to the other members of SG-1 sitting at the briefing room table, trying not to seem too happy. Hell that was one less thorn in his side he had to deal with. As he looked over at his team mates he could tell he wasn't the only one with that feeling. Both Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c tried not to look too relieved at Jack's response, "I mean you definitely have the advantage when it comes to these negotiations," O'Neill inferred, looking to Sam and leaning forward to give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. She smiled; recognizing her team mate's relief at not having to go. "We weren't exactly popular in the preliminary trade talks."
"Alright then Major, your request to return to Desol is granted. The rest of SG-1 is on downtime until the Major returns. Dismissed," The General rose from his chair and entered into his office, leaving the four team members at the table alone. Carter looked to her team mates, giving each of them a large smile.
"You guys are so obvious- you just don't want to go face Resprodea Imala again. The thought of meeting with such a strong female leader is really that bad?" Sam asked with a smirk, referring to the matriarchal society on Desol. The unfamiliar culture had been a hard pill to swallow for the members of the team; even Daniel had a hard time with the way his ideas were casually discarded due to his gender.
The subservient male population there was too much for her guy counterparts to bear. Of course Desol's leader, a woman by the name of Resprodea Imala, who had only begrudgingly allowed the male members of SG-1 into her royal chambers, had not helped either. Imala was a woman with presence, she caught everyone's attention when she entered a room and she used it to her advantage. Not unlike her male counterparts in government power here on Earth she thought contemplatively. Sam tried to tell Imala on her planet the genders were supposed to be equal, neither was more or less dominant then the other. The very idea had repulsed her so much that she had to take a moment to gather herself.
"Yes, actually she did," Jack finally replied bluntly. "I don't think I can take anymore of her snide comments or her really whacked out stares. Did you see her eyes? They almost pop out of her head," Jack stated, using his fingers to point to his eyes, trying to emphasize his point. "Besides, I don't get paid enough to put up with her bull…"
"Ahhh Jack?" it was Daniel who stopped him and tried to bring his attention to the slight tinge of anger that was creeping into Sam's features. The fact was that the gender issue on Earth was hardly resolved and it continued to be a focal point of interest globally. Daniel knew Sam would be the first person to tell you about the distinct differences in equality within the military. She had encountered them throughout her military career. And here Jack was delving into a subject that was rather touchy with no finesse what so ever. Daniel shook his head and smiled, that was why he was the diplomat and Jack was the soldier.
"Whaaat?" he asked annoyed, not liking being interrupted. Daniel tried to subtly indicate he was digging himself a hole but the archaeologist could tell his attempt to make the Colonel understand wasn't working. I tried to warn him, Daniel thought sighing. He eyed Teal'c, who had remained quiet but Daniel could tell even he understood the dangerous ground Jack was treading on.
"It's the truth!" Jack protested once more before his eyes finally rested on Carter's perturbed looking face. Her blue eyes held just a tinge of resentment there. Immediately his cocky attitude dissipated and he realized he had stepped too far. Jack looked to Daniel helplessly, who merely shrugged as if to say I tried. O'Neill refocused his attention on Carter, whom he could tell was winding up for a good lecture. He winced slightly; he would have to talk to Daniel about getting him to more clearly indicate when his mouth had run away with itself.
"Well at least you can hide yourself from it Colonel. There are a lot of women here on THIS planet that can't. Just think how they feel," Carter stated as she rose from the chair. She was tempted to fly out of the room furiously but her military training refused to allow her. "Now if the Colonel would allow me, I would like to be dismissed to organize for my mission," Sam asked crisply, making eye contact with O'Neill.
Jack sighed; if Carter was throwing military protocol in his face she was really ticked. Jack nodded his head, Carter sending him a defiant glare before executing a perfect parade turn and headed for the exit.
As Carter quickly left the briefing room and headed for the locker room, she thought maybe it would be nice to go through the gate by herself for a change. Maybe a little less testosterone was just what she needed.
The three remaining teammates looked to each other, Jack sending Daniel and Teal'c a sheepish look.
"Jack, you really have a way with the ladies," Daniel stated rising, shaking his head.
"I do believe that Major Carter was not happy with your comments," Teal'c stated, relaying the obvious. "I believe it would be most prudent O'Neill to consider your words more carefully before you enquire into such topics as gender equality," Teal'c added, also rising and nodding his head respectfully as he departed after Daniel, following him out of the briefing room.
"You guys could'a warned me!" Jack shouted as they left the room. As Jack sat there by himself, he wondered if perhaps he should have kept his mouth shut for once.
"Chevron 3 encoded," Sgt. Walter Harriman's voice called out through the intercom in the gate room over the noise of the stargate working to establish a lock with P4Z8762 or Desol as it was now known.
Desol compromised 1 of 14 planets in a system that contained not one but three suns. They were considerably smaller than the Milky Way's sun but the planet was still mainly a tropical ecosystem except for the poles where it was a more temperate environment. It had a pleasant allure to it that all the members of the team had liked from the beginning. And it wasn't paradise city, the people worked long hard hours in the sun but it was hard not to admire the beauty of the rainforests that surrounded most of the cities and the larger than life wildlife that accompanied them.
Sam enjoyed the planet, although had to admit the forced labour of the male population was a strong detractor in its appeal. She tried to see through the societal structure to the beauty of the people and the land. There were worse places she could be sent into alone Carter thought as she checked that the clasp on her P-90 was secure and her pack was tight. Several other trips to the planet had revealed a relatively stable government and culture, lending to the General's decision to send her solo. They were hoping for a more welcoming reception, allow for further trade discussions.
Checking the bag slung over her shoulder, Carter hoped the computer with the 10 gate addresses they had promised in exchange for a small quantity of naquadea from one of their mines would be enough to smooth over ruffled feathers. Thus far, trade talks had been quiet. The female dominated government finding it hard to field trade with a world where the genders were, 'equal'.
It was a good trade as far as Sam was concerned; the naquadea would be put to good use in developing technology here on Earth or for powering their naquadea generator. And if Desol continued to want to supply naquadea, she was sure both planets would prosper. Sam knew that the US government would want the trade to continue, which made her wonder how much they were willing to surrender to have a continuous supply of the precious element.
"Chevron 5 encoded." Harriman's voice echoed again, the gate continuing through the dialing sequence. Sam looked up as the gate room doors opened, expecting to see General Hammond but instead seeing O'Neill. Her gut twisted, she hated to say it but she was still angry at him. His comments had made her realize how much Earth had yet to go in gender equality. Not to say that O'Neill had really ever done anything wrong per say but he still was a man who couldn't handle not being THE man. Carter noticed as O'Neill stepped up to her, he did look somewhat apologetic. His brown eyes held a slight pleading look about them, trying to find respite from his counterpart's anger.
"Hammond wants you to make contact in 12 hours. He will send a MALP through then to pick up the naquadea," Jack explained as Sam nodded her head in understanding.
"Right," Carter replied simply.
"Keep your eyes open," O'Neill offered, noting Carter was still displaying the proverbial cold shoulder towards him. "We all know what happens when things look too good," Jack offered, thinking of several occasions when things really had been 'too good to be true'.
"Always," Carter replied a little icily. Both waited in silence as the stargate continued its dialing up procedure, the tension noted by both officers. It precipitated an awkward situation for both. There were few moments between them where they could truly say they were uncomfortable with each other. They had been through too much for that to happen for the most part, but both could readily feel the slight thorn pushed between them.
"Chevron 7 encoded," Harriman's voice followed a few moments later by the wormhole forming in the gate. Sam stepped up to the bottom of the ramp, the blue puddles light reflections playing off her face.
"Don't worry sir. I think I can handle it," Carter stated, feeling slightly angry at his comments despite the fact that he was just going through his routine send off. Stay safe, don't get yourself killed and don't start any wars...yadda yadda- Sam thought to herself. She had heard his words of encouragement many times.
"I know you can," O'Neill replied quickly, letting her know he trusted her.
Carter then turned and walked up the ramp entering the wormhole promptly without even looking back. As the gate shut down, O'Neill pushed a feeling away that something didn't feel right and simply returned to work, he had piles of paperwork that required his attention.
The transit through the stargate was quick and uneventful, leaving her deposited on Desol's side of the gate in a few seconds. She was greeted by the huge trees that formed the canopy of the forest, their trunks extending upwards of 100 meters into the sky and her nose was assaulted by the earthy smell that was present most everywhere on the planet caused by the damp environment.
Other than the streaks of sunlight that found their way through the dense foliage of the canopy, the area that surrounded the gate was pleasantly cool and shadowy but also empty. The wildlife was also ominously still, making it eerily quiet. Sam scrutinized the area closely, there was supposed to have been an escort waiting at the gate for her arrival and it was very suspicious for there to be no one present. The people of Desol were nothing if not diligent and punctuality was a very important characteristic among their people.
The Major brought her P-90 up cautiously, a small knot starting to form in her stomach; something didn't feel right. As she stepped down off the platform that held the gate, she noted several sets of foot prints in the wet earth. Odd, she thought. Imala had said only one person would be coming to escort her to the city and the stargate was not a main mode of transport for the population, so a group of foot prints was rather unusual. As Sam looked down the path that led to the city, she definitely sensed something was amiss. It was at that moment she heard the unmistakable charging of a staff weapon, causing her to whirl around to its origin behind her. A unit of Jaffa came creeping towards her out from the shadows of darkness of the canopy, her experienced brain carefully cataloguing all the soldier's positions and possibilities for an exit strategy.
It wasn't looking good. Jack's words were bumbling in the back of her brain, silently causing her to curse him.
"Jaffa creee," ordered a tall Jaffa, who Carter assumed was the commander of the unit. Immediately two soldiers encircled Sam, one poking his armed staff weapon into her side and the other very roughly stripping her of her vest, weapon and computer. Cater looked to their forehead tattoos but didn't recognize the marking as a Goa'uld she had encountered before.
"I don't suppose we could talk about this?" Sam asked, looking to the Jaffa in charge. He snorted, almost laughing at her futile attempt to defend herself and instructed the two Jaffa beside her. Promptly they began pushing her in front of them, indicating to follow their leader who was now walking down the path that led to the city. Carter noted that the remaining two Jaffa were left behind at the gate, to guard it. Sam knew it was useless to put up a fight, five Jaffa was much more than she could ever hope to take on.
As Sam was urged to walk faster, she contemplated in her head the dramatic 360 degree turn events had taken. O'Neill's words to beware of things being too perfect floated back in her memory. Sam went over the events of the last few days trying to determine what was going on. Either the world of Desol had played the SGC from the beginning, forming this alliance as a trap for the Goa'uld or in the 48 hours since SG-1 had left, a Goa'uld had attacked and won over an entire world.
To be honest, Sam had to admit that the latter didn't really sound feasible. Resprodea Imala did not appear to be a traitorous type of person. Yet she couldn't see the relentless woman giving up her world so easily. It posed a lot of questions with no answers. Why would the Goa'uld come back to a world they had abandoned over 200 years ago? As one of the Jaffa behind her instructed her to pick up the pace, she hoped that things weren't really as bleak as they were looking right now.
Any questions of the circumstances of her capture were answered upon entrance into Desol's capital city, Desolos. Ear marks of a Goa'uld invasion and Jaffa handiwork were evident everywhere. Obviously, the city had been taken under siege and subdued in the two days since their departure. Evidence of heavy Jaffa presence indicated a mother ship was probably in orbit, which would have available the resources needed for such an undertaking. In short, Sam's chance of formulating an exit strategy was rapidly dwindling. And for the moment, she felt semi confident in the assumption that the people of Desol had been surprised and not the perpetrators of subterfuge on the SGC.
A large campaign of Jaffa stood at attention by a recently constructed entrance checkpoint into the outskirts of the city, their pace slowing slightly allowing her to catch her breath. Using the opportunity to survey her surroundings, Sam felt the shadow of depression choking the once vibrant city at its new found occupation.
The hard metal of the staff weapons urged her forward again, Sam starting forward in silent outrage. As they followed the main road through the outer village surrounding the city, its condition was shocking. The city itself was in shambles, the beautiful works of art that covered its sidewalks and the historical architecture of the Desolos main governmental buildings had been carelessly destroyed. The people's possessions were strewn throughout the streets, they were worthless to the Jaffa and the people of Desol were not going to need them where they going. It was a sad sight that made Sam's heart sink but also anger was burning bright inside of her. Although she knew at the moment, she was in no position to put it to any use. She hoped to change that soon enough.
The people were being separated into groups, being divided into labour divisions most likely thought Carter solemnly. The people were very quiet and docile, very uncharacteristic for this usually flamboyant culture. It was distressing to see they're spirit being broken and their families dismantled like unwanted furniture. There were many people resistant to being torn from their loved ones. One woman inparticular was aggressively clawing at a Jaffa soldier who was pulling her young child away and with one swoop, the Jaffa clubbed her over the head with his staff weapon causing her to fall into a heap on the ground. Several gasps of horror followed as the people were forced to walk over the unconscious form.
Carter must have stopped to look at the proceedings because within seconds there was a weapon in her back pushing her on. At least she now knew the truth, Sam thought, distraught as she watched the scene unfold before her. The planet had indeed been taken over with its new master causing havoc among the people. Sam had to admit, of the possible answers she had thought of, she was glad that the people of Desol really hadn't ensnared SG-1 in some Goa'uld ambush. The siege on the planet likely had been planned due to Desol's once again operational naquadea mines, which obviously had attracted unwanted attention. Sam recalled information on the mines she had extracted from the planet's mainframe historical computer.
Finally they reached their destination, the main government building that had been Imala's residence. Briefly Carter pondered what had become of Imala but her attention was brought back abruptly when she almost bumped into the Jaffa in front of her as he stopped at a huge staircase. They climbed the stairs and entered the building that was well over 400 years old; Sam had been informed it was the one of the oldest buildings remaining intact in all of Desol.
The main hall was filled with pictures of past rulers and the ceremonial colours of the nation. As they progressed down the hall they entered into the main chambers, here was where Imala had meant SG-1 on their first visit to Desol. Now sitting in the royal chambers, was a dark skinned man whose long, dreaded hair was tied at the nape of his neck. He wore elaborate robes and sat confidently on his newly acquired throne. As Sam entered into the room, she could feel his eyes immediately on her and the major could tell that he was the Goa'uld that had caused all of this destruction. He said nothing, continuing to eye her suspiciously with a smile. Sam's skin burned with the familiar tingle, the naquadea in her blood reacting to the close proximity of the Goa'uld.
The Jaffa commander now bowed before his leader, displaying his respect.
"My lord, I bring you an intruder from beyond. She came through the Chapa'ie. My soldiers caught her efficiently and we now present her before you," the Jaffa boasted proudly of his fine catch, hoping to get his master's blessing. The Goa'uld said nothing at first, a look of surprise gracing his features for a moment as he gazed at Carter. It did not take long to recognize just who was standing in front of him which caused him to smile happily.
"This is unexpected for someone from the Taurie. I was under the impression you were rather hard to catch. And here you go, walking right in under our nose," the Goa'uld stated with a sneer, his mechanical like voice sending chills down Sam's spine. Obviously their reputation had traveled far, Carter realized as she swallowed hard. "Resistant to oppression as well, this quality can be changed in a person," the man added slowly. "Now, Kneel before your God, Nistrim!" the Goa'uld's eyes glowed as he rose from his seat. Before she had time to react, the Jaffa to her left used his staff to knock her legs out from under her causing Sam to fall onto her knees. The action sent pain up her spine but she managed not to make any noise, knowing that was their intention.
Nistrim walked slowly towards her, appraising Sam as he got closer. He quickly indicated for his guards to leave, who swiftly left the chambers leaving Carter by herself with the Goa'uld. "Your name is Major Samantha Carter and you are a member of the Taurie fighting unit SG-1. I have heard many things about you from my master," Nistrim indicated as he circled Sam, who couldn't help but shiver as his cold eyes appeared to pierce into her soul. "In particular, I know you were once host to the Tok'ra rebel Jolinar," the words were spat out quickly, his dislike of the Tok'ra evident, "My leader will be most pleased when he learns of the prisoner I have awaiting him. My lord Apophis will want to learn what information you possess."
For a moment Carter froze, a sinking feeling forming in her stomach. This revelation was not what she had been expecting. She swallowed hard as Nistrim continued," Yes, you should be worried. From what I understand, my lord is most eager to repay some of the damages your team has caused." Nistrim stated as he read the worry on Carter's face, giving a small laugh, "Jaffa!" the Goa'uld called out, the Jaffa leader quickly entering the throne room.
"My lord?" he answered promptly, awaiting his master's orders.
"Ready this prisoner for transport to my base at once. I am returning to my planet, you will remain here and will be in charge of rounding up the prisoners. Prepare to send work groups down into the mine by morning."
"Yes, my lord," the Jaffa replied as Nistrim walked past, heading out of the throne room," Take her with his lordship," he ordered his subordinate, who nodded swiftly. The Jaffa leader than left the throne room as well, leaving just Sam and the guard.
"Get up," the Jaffa ordered Carter, nudging her with his staff. Sam wasted no time getting up for fear of another blow. She was quickly herded by the Jaffa in Nistrim's direction. Carter's mind worked, quickly going over possibilities. She knew that her chances of being rescued were greatly reduced if she was taken off this planet. There was only one guard left; there was a chance of at least getting away from him.
At the very least she had to try and leave something behind that might be recognized as hers- something that would indicate that she had been there. Some hint to let her team know she was still alive.
Sam eyed her watch on her wrist; it would have to classify as something distinguishably hers. She didn't think any of the people around here would be wearing standard Earth military issue watches. She undid the watch, holding it tightly in her hand.
As the Major pondered the situation, she realized statistically there was a very slim chance her rescuers would ever see the watch but she had to try. Carter stopped, causing the Jaffa's staff to jab her, "Get going," the man ordered gruffly.
Swiftly, Sam turned and grabbed a hold of his staff weapon while at the same time allowing the watch to fly out of her hand and soar down the hall, away from the captor's attention. Carter managed to butt the Jaffa in the chin with the end of the staff but he quickly wrestled his weapon away from her grasp. The Jaffa expertly began swinging his weapon in arcs, as Sam was too close to open fire, trying to knock his prisoner to her feet. Carter ducked and dodged, finally seeing her opening. The major dove to the ground under the big man's weapon. As she was getting to her feet, she felt the staff make contact with her legs, again sending them out from underneath her. Sam groaned as she fell to the unforgiving floor, her head making contact with the floor severely.
The cool tile felt good against her clammy skin she thought off handedly, the Jaffa's shadow leering towards her. She saw the Jaffa's feet walking towards her, her watch still lying on the floor a few meters behind partly hidden by a decorative vase.
She smiled slightly and then darkness greeted her.