Title: The Artifact
Author: Meushell
Disclaimer: Stargate owns what they own, (even if they are trigger happy with the Tok'ra) and I own what I own.
Summary: Fifty years ago the Tok'ra found an unknown artifact. Two other groups quickly took notice.
Rating: PG-13
Parings: Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Malek/Aldwin, Aldwin/Other (brief), Anise/Other
Sequel to: The Question, which basically means Sam is married to Martouf and Lantash (in the present time of course).

Part 1, Digging

--Fifty Years Ago--

Martouf closed his eyes briefly. He was bored, and truthfully, the only reason he asked to go on this mission was because Rosha and Jolinar had been assigned to it. They had dangerous jobs and every moment with them was a blessing. He looked over to them briefly. Jolinar had been in control a moment ago, but now it was Rosha. She held herself differently...more relaxed. She was sitting on a stool too high for her feet to reach the ground, and while Jolinar had her feet planted on a bar on the stool, Rosha preferred to leave them swinging in the air.

We are supposed to be watching for possible dangers, Lantash thought, not our wives.

I was just wondering what they were reading.

You were not.

Martouf smiled as his attention went to the those digging. Anise was near, giving orders. This was her mission. She was sure this world had a device that could prove useful to the Tok'ra. She had convinced the high council to allow her to find it. Anise looks funny.

Be kind.

Martouf nodded slightly. Anise had recently gotten a new host, Freya, and Martouf wasn't quite used to the woman. She was much different than the previous host, though she shared the same enthusiasm to study ancient cultures. They would make a good team...in time. For now, they were still getting used to each other.

"I think I found something," Aldwin announced. He stopped digging as others in the group approached him. Like, Martouf and Lantash, he was here for relationship reasons. His boyfriend, Shorvek, had been working under Anise for this project.

"It is about time," replied Vorran, who was standing guard as Martouf was. "They've been digging for hours." He shook his head slightly. "I hope it's not another rock."

Martouf smiled as he heard Lantash chuckle. The last "find" took an hour to dig up, only to determine that it was simply a rock.

Anise knelt by the find and dusted off the dirt. "There is writing... Rosha?"

Rosha had been watching from her stool. She set the book down and approached. The writing the people of this world has used was similar to that from her world. She had been assigned to help Anise translate. She knelt down, getting dirt on her dress. "Power."

"Yes?"

"That's all is says." She tilted her head slightly. "Or it could be light...or fire." She saw Anise frowning. "I'm sorry, but those words are all very similar in my language, and this artifact isn't clear."

For another half hour, they dug, and Martouf watched with boredom. Things changed though when he heard steps behind him. He gestured to Vorran, and they went to investigate.

Three people, two men and one woman, were walking down the corridor, not seeming to notice they weren't alone. The two men wore tunics with short robes and pants. The woman was wearing a feminine version, with a skirt instead of pants, and a couple light robes instead of one heavy one. They seemed human. No marks of a Jaffa, and no symbiote presence was sensed.

One man seemed to be in charge. "This place seems to be interesting. Hopefully there are people here."

"This place seems advanced," the woman replied. "What if they don't want to trade with us?"

"We have to try. If we don't return with food..." He shook his head, and said something too low for Martouf to hear.

Martouf pulled out his zatnikatel and approached. Vorran followed. He watched the three stop, though they didn't seem alarmed.

The leader moved closer, not seeming to notice that he had a weapon trained on him. "Greetings, I am Lahtin. We are travelers from another world. We are here to trade."

"Hello Lahtin," Martouf replied.

"Would you be interested in trading?"

"Possibly." The Tok'ra often traded for items they needed. These people were looking for the people of this world though, clearly not realizing that the people of this world were killed years ago.

"Aw, good, good." Lahtin approached closer. "This is Kelila and Malin." He pointed to the woman, then the man. He paused, looking at the weapon. "I see you are a man who likes to get to the point. Our village is in need of food, and we an abundance of other items to trade for it."

Kelila stepped closer, holding a look of sorrow. "Our people were recently attacked by powerful men who could shoot fire from sticks."

Jaffa, Martouf thought in anger.

Her voice quivered slightly as she continued. "Winter is coming, and our usual trading partners have no extra food to spare. We've been searching for new ones from a list of planets we found."

That's rather dangerous, Lantash thought.

They are desperate. "What can-" Martouf was interrupted when he felt Rosha approaching. He saw Lahtin smile in a way a man would smile when interested in a woman. He better stop smiling like that.

"Hello," Rosha said as she approached. She had seen them talking, so figured she could approach. "What is going on." She saw Lahtin's smile and felt Jolinar scoff.

We are taken, Jolinar thought in annoyance.

Rosha smiled, not bothered. Sometimes it did, but this smile seemed different. There was no disrespect in it. It seemed friendly and genuine. She heard Martouf give a brief explanation, and she felt the immediate need to help these people. She invited them in the room everyone had been.

Must have been a small artifact, Lantash thought as he saw it was gone. He wondered what explanation Jolinar had as to why everyone had been in a room with a hole in the ground.

Lahtin took an interest in it. "Digging?"

"Never know what you can find," Rosha said. "So far we haven't found anything. What do you have to trade."

Lahtin moved closer. "Clothes...or cloth. We have some precious minerals. Do you like gold? Most places we know do. Or silver? We also have some timber."

Martouf found the clothes to be more interesting. The Tok'ra liked having a variety around. "We'll need to contact our leaders." He couldn't start off a trade like this without talking to a member of the high council first.

"Of course." Lahtin set his pack down. "When we first meet a group it is traditional to have a feast, except we don't have any food, but we did bring something to drink."

Martouf nodded briefly. "Rosha, why don't you contact them?" She'd have to leave the area to do so. The building they were in jammed communication. Besides, she couldn't call them in front of the others anyway.

Lahtin took out glasses before pouring something blue into them, not seeming to notice she was sent off. "Have you ever had pluvberry juice? It's quite good. We have a great deal of it. Unfortunately it cannot last us through winter."

That's a good drink, Lantash thought. He had it few times, long before he knew Martouf. I thought the plant was extinct.

Rosha was on her way out when Lahtin started speaking. Jolinar took control, rather interested. "Pluvberry juice?" She kept her true voice hidden as she walked back. I love pluvberries!

Lahtin looked to her. "Would you like some?" He poured another glass and offered it to her.

Jolinar took the glass. "Thank you." She smelled a sweet scent that she hadn't smelled in centuries. I wouldn't mind trading food for this.

I don't think the high council would approve, Rosha thought.

You must try it. Jolinar gave control back so Rosha could taste it fully in the first sip.

"One hundred percent pluvberries," Lahtin said with a smile.

Rosha closed her eyes briefly. It was sweet, and to her surprise, it wasn't too sweet like most berry juices. There was a slight tartness to it. There was a lot of pulp, due to it being made by hand. I probably have blue teeth now.

Jolinar chuckled. It doesn't stain your teeth that fast.

Rosha enjoyed half of the glass before giving control back to Jolinar. Jolinar set the glass down when she was done. Now you have blue teeth. "I should be going. While I'm gone..." She looked to Martouf. "We don't have much to offer for a feast, but I'm sure my husband can find something."

Martouf felt pride her in words, and he felt Lantash's pride as well. They knew it was said due to he look he gave her when she first approached. "Rations. They don't taste like much."

"Anything is fine," Lahtin replied as Rosha left. "Are there others here, or is it the three of you?"

Martouf's glass was set down, and he was now digging through his bags. Answer?

I suppose there is no harm is letting the others be known. It'll make them think before trying anything if they realize they are outnumbered.

"Others," Martouf replied. He saw Vorran go to get them. As he stood up with packets of food, he saw his drink had been refilled.

Kelila and Malin each had a glass now, as did Lahtin. Lahtin set his glass down. "How many are we serving?" He looked up and smiled as he saw Vorran return with Aldwin, Anise, and Shorvek. He poured three more glasses and took the ration bar that Martouf gave him. He sniffed it before taking a bite. "Interesting."

"The food we trade will have more flavor," Martouf said. He knew rations bars were bland. He tended to add flavors to his when he had the chance.

"There is not much taste, but I do like the texture." He picked up his glass. "I do hope this trade works out."

"A trade between us is likely to happen only this one time," Vorran said. He didn't want to put the moment down, but he had to face the fact that neither knew where the other actually lived.

"Still, it is something to celebrate." Lahtin lifted his glass and waited for his friends to do the same. The Tok'ra hesitated before copying the gesture. "To new allies..." He looked to Vorran. "Even if our friendship is brief."

"To new allies," Kelila and Malin chorused.

Anise was to first to copy the words, and the other Tok'ra did the same. She saw the three strangers take a drink afterwards and figured that was the thing to do. She watched how much they drank before copying. She felt Freya mentally wince to the taste. It was strong when drinking more than a sip at a time.

Lahtin set his glass down. "Assuming this trade goes well, you will be saving many lives."

Malin lifted his glass. "To saving lives."

Martouf gave Lantash control to finish the glass in the new toast. He enjoyed the drink, but it wasn't that good. Lantash took control happily. He finished the drink. I enjoyed that, but I do hope they are finished. The drink had a taste that lingered for a bit, and the more you drank, the stronger the lingering taste was. He set the drink. "I didn't know pluvberries were still around."

"They weren't easy to find at first," Lahtin replied.

Lantash nodded briefly before frowning. Something was wrong. He felt Martouf's systems slowing. Martouf?

Why do I feel tired?

Lantash looked to the others, who were starting to blur slightly. They drugged us!

Didn't they drink it too.

Lantash frowned as he looked to the three. He hadn't seen Lahki pouring all the glasses. He could have easily slipped something in after the first three glasses. "You..." He gave Martouf control to fight it. The drug was strong, much stronger than should be used on a regular human. Did these people know who they were?

Martouf took his zatniktel out as he fell to his knees. He looked to Lahtin as he aimed it. "Who?" Lahtin moved to the side, and Martouf found he was too weak to follow with his arm. I feel stupid.

Lantash was too busy trying to fight the drug to reply, and he knew exactly how his host felt. We were too trusting.

Martouf frowned as he saw Malin moving closer to his leader. Malin's eyes flashed white as he spoke quietly. Martouf grew angrier as he fell back.

To be continued...