Bratac's Hunt! Bratac seeks for the missing soldier, and realizes someone else will need his help.
Discipline. It's the crux of the soldier's life. Without it, you can get yourself killed-or worse, someone else.
The disciplined soldier follows order, and remembers his training. The disciplined soldier knows their place on the team, and carries out his duties. He prepares his resources: personal armor and garments, weapons, his mind and body.
A leader must carry this one step further. He must train his men and women. He must provide materials they will need for war. He must decide who will be an addition to the team, and who will be a detriment.
His leader failed him. His body is ready. His skill is sharp. But something in his mind is not prepared for battle.
Bratac moved briskly through the forest. The path was clear. The enemy soldier had not been careful, but had rushed toward the gate hurrying, hoping to get there and escape.
The enemy had all gone through the gate in early afternoon. At the earliest, these tracks were made in the evening. If he had been intended to stay behind, why did he rush so carelessly toward the gate? Why had the soldier waited so long to try and escape, especially in light of the orderly retreat Bratac had witnessed the day before? He was forced to one conclusion, the mind of this soldier was not orderly. Bratac must find him or much harm would come to the soldier, and to what Bratac hoped would become the cause of the Free Jaffa.
He noticed a particularly disheveled spot on the ground. This was late fall on Chulak, and the days were getting shorter. The soldier must have been hurrying in the dark, and fell. He must have rested here, either to regain bearing, composure, or both.
He continued on and came to a thicket. Much of the thicket was still in place, but torn clothes and broken thorns were signs of a desperation that was little affected by pain. He went around the thicket and found the soldier's exit point. Bratac continued on his trail. As he approached the gate, his trail became merged with the trails of others. There were bigger feet with the same boots. There were Jaffa tracks, and various other footprints, no doubt from the prisoners the aliens had taken.
Thunder boomed in the distance. Evening was drawing nigh. Rain and night would hurt his hunt. The falling leaves, however, would help.
He was now close to the gate, and he heard it open again. Nothing happened. Jaffa stood, now lessening their vigilance. Bratac wondered how long it had been since the last time it had opened. With no other event, the gate closed again.
He went down to the gate area and had Bora get Chal to meet him on the path to Chulak. There, he and his students would make a shelter and spend the night.
Bora reported that Sho'ra was caring for the Jaffa. She seemed to have developed an organized response. Dead Jaffa were being buried along the north edge in the field of Bratac's March, as some of his students were now calling it. Their graves were being marked.
The injured were being carried to the surrounding villages, as many as could be were being carried to their families for care. The same was being done at the fort, all under Sho'ra's direction.
To inspect the city she had asked that Curack personally escort her to Chulak and see to what was going on. He had said he would go in two days. Bratac felt dismay at this, and was tempted to go himself, but decided against that because he was now in the service of Klorel, and could be placed in a high position-or punished for failure. He had yet to figure out how he would protect the enemy spy, and win Klorel's trust at the same time, but he did not lack confidence.
It rained all night, and most of the next day.
During the night Bratac and his Jaffa slept under a large tree. They were wet, and cold. Bratac began to think of what a soldier might need.
"T'Lack, you did not report everything that you could see to us from the top of the tree."
T'Lack thought a moment. "What did I miss master?" now fully expecting a flogging in addition to being miserable.
"At first dawn I will head toward the southern hills. There are caves there, and a skilled hunter would know this. I believe our prey is almost already there." He stopped and then added, "The rain will make good tracks to follow. We will come close to him tomorrow."
Bora had been paying attention, "Then we will accompany you."
"Kral, and Chal will accompany me. The rest of you will patrol the path. See to it nothing crosses."
It was hazy. That was strange considering the desert sand and the hot sun. The convoy rolled along the road briskly. It was an odd assortment of wheeled vehicles. What was the destination?
Naked-embarrassed. It did not matter, a job had to be done. Horrible, grotesque, hideous shapes draped in black hoods approached the convoy. "Fire!" Most of the shapes went down, the rest flew away. They examined the bodies of the fallen. Some had metal snake armor. Some had known faces. The last was a child.
Bratac was up even before dark. As promised Kral and Chal went with him. Sa'tol was the best of his students, but Bratac ordered him to report to Klorel. Kral was to stand back and keep Chal and Bratac just within sight. Chal was right next to Bratac. He would be eyes and ears and legs for the master.
Bratac had slept well, but had dreamed hard. He dreamed of Teal'c and awoke to two dilemmas. The first would be the struggle to retain Klorel's trust. He had earned it, but if he were away and hunting for someone he must not find, then Curack, or someone else, would make a play against him. Bratac could live with this, except for the second dilemma, Drey'auc of the Plains.
Bratac had wondered if Teal'c and Drey'auc would be a good match. Teal'c was a great warrior and had the instincts of a hunter, but Drey'auc was a blind spot for him. He loved her, and she did love him. But they were in different places. Teal'c questioned the gods, even if he was Apophis' most trusted warrior. Look at where that got Apophis. Drey'auc was wholly devoted to the gods. She genuinely loved them. But now her life was in danger because Teal'c would be branded Shova.
Bratac sent Bora to see to her safety. He was not to approach her, only protect her. He hoped they weren't too late. Drey'auc and her son would reap the seeds of Teal'c's treachery.
For most of the morning Bratac did not even look for tracks. He knew the hills well, and knew where some caves were, but not all of them. As they drew closer, Bratac began to go slower. He started searching the ground. Chal was silent and dared not ask any questions. Bratac would tell him what he needed and when.
The hill was wooded. It began to get steeper. Ultimately the hills went on for miles. There were caves in the lower parts of the hills, and in the higher part. He also knew that there was a waterfall where a river ran some distance to the south from the Choppa'ai.
He sent Chal south. The hills were lower there, and there were not as many caves. Bratac would go to the higher points. There were several caves to check, as well as the waterfall. Bratac could sense that the soldier would feel more secure with a view. He would seek such a place himself.
Kral would stay in the area and check some of the caves below where Bratac was hunting.
They split up. Bratac went straight up the hill and through the trees. After a few minutes he looked back and could not see either Kral, or Chal. He decided to look into several caves before going to the waterfall.
His only chance to find the alien was complete stealth. The soldier could not know he was coming. He used bushes to wipe most of his tracks. Where ever possible he walked on rocks, quietly. He kept his head low. He did not allow branches to break, or leaves to rustle. He did not slosh. He barely breathed. Watching him move was like watching grass grow, it was subtle and barely noticeable, and yet it grew.
As the afternoon wore on he paused to rest. He found a bush that would hide him, but still offered him a view. He saw nothing. But there was a fear dawning in his mind. He was missing something important. He kept thinking of Drey'auc. His men would report any trouble. With his mind bothered, he carefully got up and continued his search.
Within minutes he was at the first series of caves. They were shallow caves so he quickly search half-a-dozen caves with no sign of the soldier. The waterfall was about an hour away. He would have to spend the night there.
Finally the rain subsided. Bratac arrived at the time of the early dusk. He dared not go up to the waterfall yet, but he must sleep. With his own discipline, he mentally set an alarm that would wake him before dawn. This was the third night since the battle.
He awoke just when he wanted. The waterfall fell before him, about forty feet he thought. There was a cave behind the fall. The river then ran below him. The shore on both sides of the waterfall fell gradually, though more so in his side. The shoreline was rocky and would hide tracks well, unless someone disturbed the rocks.
Bratac watched carefully. On the other side of the river there was a ruffle of leaves. A few minutes later, some distance from the first disturbance there was the crack of a twig. Bratac did not move. He was well concealed, but any movement could give his position away.
He waited for a while longer. Nothing. After an hour he decided he needed to take the risk. He went to the waterfall, slowly, carefully. There was nothing behind the water. He stepped into the cave. There was nothing. He went out the other side. He watched as a couple of rodents scurried along the ground. He looked closely at the ground, moving toward the bushes that had rustled earlier that morning. Nothing. No boots, no torn clothes. No bent twigs.
He considered searching on the south side of the river, but he felt that only the animals had been there. He quickly went back behind the waterfall to his original side. He decided to leave there and head further east along the ridge near the top. There were still several caves, and the terrain was rockier.
Bratac now felt the impetus to move quickly. Something was gnawing at him. A picture began to form. He thought of the spot where the soldier had fallen just before going into the briars. Had he been mistaken?
He continued on finding no trace. He searched the caves in the rocks. He was less careful here and he wondered if that would hurt his chances of finding him soon. He needed to find the soldier soon.
He went back to Kral and found Chal. They met at the waterfall and slept in the caves behind the falls. This was now the fourth night since the attack on Chulak. He hoped Sa'tol was now on his way with the others at Teal'c's house. They would need his wisdom. Bratac also realized that their path the next day would lead them closer to Drey'auc. He would pause his search to personally look in on her.
Bratac was the first to wake, and roused the others. They spread out with Kral going to the south side of the river, and Bratac and Chal remaining on the north side. Bratac instructed them not to get to far apart and to move quietly, yet swiftly. If they found anything they were to send for him. As well as he had taught them, none of them gained all his knowledge. Teal'c alone could make the master use most of his skill.
They searched all morning. Bratac moved above the waterfall along the river on the north shore. He was moving to higher ground. He maintained his stealth, so that not even any of his Jaffa saw him.
The search slowed at noon, as his men ate. Bratac did not want to get too far ahead of them, so he quietly picked berries and otherwise went without.
Shortly after the meal Bratac noticed rustling to his left, further north of the river. He followed the sound. Chal had found a series of footprints. Bratac snuck up on him and even frightened his student.
Bratac saw the footprint, preserved in the mud from the rain two days before. There were several. He saw the bent bushes and broken path.
He also saw more than that. The man had struggled to kill and capture a rodent. There were knee prints, and hand prints.
Then, as if hit by a tree limb, it struck Bratac. The thing he had been missing finally came to him. But before he could announce his discovery, he heard noise in the distance.
"We will give up our search for now. We will go to the house of Teal'c."
"What? Why now? How can we find him if we give up?"
"Bora approaches in haste. Call for Kral. We will not find her today, but if we cause enough of a disturbance, perhaps she will follow us." Chal looked confused. "We are going to the house of Teal'c, his family is in grave danger. Our query is lost to us, but hopefully not us to her.
Chal still looked confused, "Her, Master?"
"Yes, this is the work of a woman. Now hurry!"
Bratac and Chal continued eastward and met Bora who described a column of Jaffa on their way to Teal'c's. Kral caught up with the others as they hurried on their way.
The hills sloped away from their path so that at the same time they were running east, they were descending the slope. It had been over four days since Klorel had gone to point forward, and Bratac had no notion of how long it would have taken him to realize that he could avenge himself on Drey'auc and Rya'c.
Bratac led his men down the hill, over a creek, and through a forest into the valley drawing closer to Teal'c's home. As they moved closer Bratac slowed, motioning to his men that they move carefully and quietly. They did not know what to expect. He'd hoped to run into the Jaffa column first, but he saw only the smoke of a large fire.
"Stay here," Bratac told the younger men, "I likely go to my death."
Chal stopped him. This surprised Bratac. Kral was brash, but Chal was wise. Chal spoke up, "You cannot go. They will believe you have compromised your hunt. But if I go, then they will believe you are still looking. I will tell them of our hunt. Then we must consider if we attack them."
Bratac weighed the words. Chal was right. "You must tell them that the alien soldier, a man, is nearby. He has come to secure the wife and son of the Shova. I am still hunting him, and we must use her as a trap. Once their guard is down to you, we will attack and you must take Teal'c's wife and son to safety."
Chal looked at the house. He saw the Jaffa there, realizing that brothers were about to fight a battle here, unless his tongue and mind were sharp. They were outnumbered, but somehow he believed Bratac could accomplish his task. "Master, there is one more thing of which I wish to speak to you."
"What is it Chal? We must be swift."
"Yes, Master. You must not be so brash in your wish to die. The Jaffa need you now more than they need their gods."
Bratac was stunned. "You speak foolishly. I would die free."
Chal turned away, shaking his head, wondering if his master would ever hear his words. He walked into the open toward the house.
Bratac watched Chal approach the charred house, hoping Drey'auc and Rya'c had been preserved. He looked closely and saw Curack. Further in the distance he could see that two of his men were holding Sho'ra by the arms. Two people, likely Drey'auc and Rya'c were on the ground next to a remaining wall.
Chal walked up to Curack briskly. He needed to hurry to save the lives of his friend's family. "You must be wary, Prime, Bratac sends this message. The enemy is near."
"Where is your leashmaster, Dog?" Curack asked. They shoved him on the ground next to Drey'auc and Rya'c, keeping their weapons trained on them. "Do not think me a fool? You have come to take the Shova's family. Do you not have the same master as Teal'c and Hon'teck?"
Drey'uac interrupted before Curack could say more, "I have been faithful to the gods. My husband is a fool. Spare my son and I will serve in the house of Klorel."
Chal was able to ascertain that Curack had made many of the charges against Teal'c known to Drey'auc. For his part, Rya'c remained silent, frightened as a child might be in these circumstances.
Curack had his men form a firing squad to finish Chal and the Shova's family.
Bratac could not hear everything that was being said, but he could see the firing line. He had already spread Bora and Kral out to create a field of fire. As he saw the firing line charge their staff weapons, Bratac breathed a deep sigh. So this is how Teal'c and Hon'Teck felt. Then-he charged his weapon-and fired.
He felt treasonous. He felt like a traitor. But his enemy was now the gods he had served, and these men still served. These Jaffa would not die free, but he would.
As the fire came in from the hills, Chal grabbed Drey'auc and Rya'c and pushed them around the corner away from the battle site. Bora and Kral also opened fire on Curack and his men.
Several Jaffa fell. These men had been trained by Curack, and not by Bratac. They did not seek cover, but rather formed an impressive, but vulnerable line. Bratac and his men had brought down a quarter of Curack's men before the return fire forced them under cover. The battle turned quickly from the attacker's favor by weight of sheer numbers.
Chal was unarmed and wanted to even the odds. He hoped by going around the house he could take one from a fallen Jaffa, or better still, disarm one of the combatants. He saw that Drey'auc and Rya'c made it into the woods for safety. He could see the confusion on Drey'auc's face, but explanations would have to wait until after the battle.
By the time he had gotten around the house several Jaffa, his brothers, were on the ground. Bratac did not miss and Kral was an expert marksmen. Bora simply liked to pull the trigger. Chal found a spot close to Curack, so he attacked.
Chal grabbed the weapon and tried to tear it away from Curack.
While they were fighting hand to hand, the other Jaffa had taken up firing positions under cover. Bratac ordered the others to retreat. He would hold them off while they went to find Sa'Tol and the others.
Bratac took out several more Jaffa, using duck and cover methods.
Chal could not wrest the staff from Curack. Chal was faster, and stronger, but Curack was more experienced, and used Chal's own weight against him, twisting and turning the staff and freeing it from Chal's grip.
Bratac tried to rush to Chal's side, but was met by several Jaffa, eager to prove themselves against the Shova and the greatest living Jaffa warrior. Bratac focused on the moment as Curack fired the weapon on Chal at short range. Chal fell to the ground. Then all went dark for Bratac. They had been outnumbered seven to one and could not win the battle against such odds. Even Bratac's skill could not stop so many.
When Bratac awoke he saw he was next to Drey'auc and Rya'c, on the ground next to a wall of Teal'c's home.
Curack and his men were lined up as an execution squad not ten feet from their intended victims. "Look above you Bratac," pointed Curack.
Bratac looked up and saw the sign of the Shova painted in white on Teal'c's home. Drey'auc held Rya'c as she wept. Rya'c remained quiet.
"It is a fitting place for you to die, is it not, master Bratac?" Curack said with disgust. Bratac heard a woman's tears, coming from further away. He saw Sho'ra, weeping, still being held by Curack's men.
Curack began a long diatribe of charges against Bratac, and his men, whom he promised to hunt down and execute.
As Curack's monologue of charges against Bratac and his men lingered monotonously on, something kept drawing Bratac's attention to Curack's face. He was so fascinated that he ignored Curack's words, and his own pain, trying to focus. Finally he saw clearly that there was a strange red light on Curack's forehead. It danced slightly, but remained otherwise fixed in the middle of Curack's forehead.
Bratac stared at the strange red light on Curack's face, wondering what it might be. Was it a sign? Of what? As Curack primed his staff weapon, finally finished with his pontification, Bratac closed his eyes with repose, and listened to the staff weapon fire.
Be on the lookout for the next chapter, Shooter's Revenge.
