Years later...
Netu
The Goa'uld strode briskly through the prison, wishing to end the ordeal as quickly as possible. Being the first of his race to walk on Netu since the Lucian takeover, he was neither intimidated by the penal colony's reputation nor disgusted by the dead Jaffa still littering the halls. He wasn't even deterred by the hate-filled looks the human soldiers gave him as he passed. No, what bothered him was the loss of his status – before the mere thought of cooperating with human mercenaries and smugglers, that half-tamed cattle that existed on the fringes of Goa'uld space, would have revolted him. Yet the war with Ba'al had consumed his territories and Qetesh's coup has sent new waves of upheaval through the galaxy. Nowadays, he had to work with anyone that shared his goals. Even the likes of Commander Kiva.
"The Tok'Ra's intel was useless. This place is nothing like it was when Bynarr was in charge." Kiva said, walking beside the Goa'uld. "I lost many good men trying to locate him. I hope this is really worth it – otherwise our little... arrangement... will be terminated. Perhaps I'll even cash in on that bounty the System Lords put on you to recuperate some of my losses."
The alien closed his eyes and reminded himself of all the ways he would punish this upstart slave once he regained his power. Hiding any signs of his inward rage, the Goa'uld simply responded: "I am a god, commander. If I say that this man is the key to our victory than it is the divine truth. And you would be wise to remember that betraying me will cost you far more than a few men. My worshipers may have grown fewer in number but those that remain are more loyal than ever. They would not hesitate to avenge me."
Kiva frowned but did not call his bluff. The truth was that if he was half as sure in his Jaffa's skill & loyalty as he boasted than he would not have needed the Lucian's help in the first place.
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The prize was hidden, isolated from the other inmates. It was by chance that the Lucian troops stumbled upon the small, hidden cell behind a false wall in one of the dungeons. By the time Kiva and her partner arrived on the scene the third member of their unlikely alliance was already tending to the unfortunate captive. The blond-haired woman ran a healing device over the prisoner's bruises, her simple beige leather uniform marking her apart from both the black-clad Lucians as well as the garish & bejeweled Goa'uld.
"Is it him?" the former System Lord asked the Tok'Ra impatiently.
The woman broke off her work and nodded reluctantly. "Qetesh had tattooed her mark on all high-ranking Tau'ri prisoners." She gestured to a sigil on the man's neck. "The ink used is unique to each rebel and my sources provided a sample of the dye used on one of the uprising's leaders. It is a perfect match."
The deity beamed and even the stoic Kiva gave a small smile at the news. "Once again Jolinar, you prove your usefulness" he remarked, much to the discomfort of the Tok'Ra. The new system of alliances disgusted Jolinar even more than it did her current "associates", yet she could do nothing about it. Given how few Tok'Ra remained, compromises became inevitable and lines were crossed just to stave off extinction. Deals were struck. Moral concerns were swept aside. Former enemies had become partners. All culminating in her accepting praise from the son of one of her oldest enemies. It was only Rosha's calming influence that prevented her from killing the System Lord here and now, consequences be damned.
The godling turned his attention to the captive. Though filthy and ragged, he seemed to come from a well-groomed human stock. Indeed, even with the prisoner's face hidden by a burlap sack, the Goa'uld guessed he would make a fine host were it not for one glaring imperfection: the man's left leg was completely missing below the knee, forcing him to hang from the chains on his wrists. It was clear now why Qetesh tried to break him for so long instead of implanting him with her young. The spawn of the Supreme System Lord wouldn't degrade themselves by inhabiting such a damaged body.
"So, this is the famed Daniel Jackson of the Tau'ri?" the Goa'uld scoffed. "Qetesh is a bigger fool than I thought if she is troubled by a rebellion raised up by a crippled slave."
The prisoner gave an exaggerated sigh. "Look, I'll tell you the same thing I told her: torture me all you want, I won't tell you anything. Unless of course you want to know about the early settlements of Mesopotamia – I am somewhat of an expert in that field."
"I think we can come to a better arrangement," Kiva interjected. "You wish to free your world from Qetesh? We wish to break her control over the galaxy. There is much we can offer to the Tau'ri Resistance. All we need is to establish an alliance with your people."
Daniel pretended to think the offer over. "Hmm... sorry. Thanks but no thanks. Even if I believed – which I don't – that you have Earth's interests in mind there is the small matter of you working alongside a Goa'uld. I don't know what he told you, but I hope you realize that he'll sell you out to Qetesh at the earliest convenience. You might care about breaking Qetesh's grip on the galaxy, yet a Goa'uld only cares about power. And what better way to win power and favor from the Supreme System Lord than to infiltrate and subvert the humans fighting against her?"
The alien sneered in indignation. "You know not of what you speak, slave. Her hands are stained with my sire's blood just as much as Ba'al's. I shall not sully my dynasty by submitting to her rule!"
"Gee, didn't take you for the sentimental type. Qetesh took out your boss and you aren't celebrating? And here I-"
The Goa'uld roared and rushed the archeologist with surprising speed. Before the others could react he had crossed the room and pushed a powerful fist into Daniel's stomach.
"The right to kill Apophis and claim his throne was mine and mine alone!" he yelled as Jackson doubled over and struggled for breath. "It has been stolen from me. And now-" the Goa'uld yanked the burlap sack off Daniel's head, forcing the bewildered archeologist to look up at the face of his long-dead brother-in-law. Skarra's eyes glowed from the white-hot rage of the symbiote within him.
"- I need you. I need you to avenge my father." Khlorel growled.
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Author's Note: so yes, in case you haven't figured it out for some reason, this is my take on "what if SG-1 wasn't able to reset the timeline at the end of Continuum?"
Chapter 1 was dedicated to "Tok'ra Kree! Round 10" Prompt-a-thon (specifically, the "I want to see more missions where the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra are forced to cooperate with the Goa'uld against a common enemy" prompt).
I hope to continue this as a series of ficlets - each new addition showcasing a different character, different viewpoint & exploring a new aspect of the dystopian setting.
Suggestions are welcome - feel free to tell me what characters/scenarios you would like to see in the future.
And big thanks goes out to Chris7221 for betaing the first chapter and the prologue.
