Chapter 4: Shatter

The alarms howled and the lights flashed, the corridors of the SGC illuminated by bright red lights "security breach!" an airman near the surface called through the com "we have a security breach! Doctor Jackson and Vala have left the mountain, repeat, Doctor Jackson and Vala have left the mountain!"

Nanith laughed as he pulled Akhiyaa behind a tree with him, pressing her body to his chest and peering round the trunk, breathless "we should not have succeeded!" he exclaimed in a whisper, tucking a loose lock of dark hair behind Akhiyaa's ear gently.

"We should not, the warriors here are not as strong as they look," Akhiyaa replied, a finger was pressed to her lips before she could continue.

"Hush my love, you must not say such things, the warriors here are strong but they trust this man, to greatly, they were not anticipating an attack from us,"

Akhiyaa nodded her ascent "I am sorry Nanith – we must go! They will find us here!" she stepped out a fraction as she heard orders and commands being called out through the foliage, Nanith pulled her back.

"We must,"


"They escaped?" Cam was incredulous "how did they escape?"

"There were guards posted on their door – airmen on the surface should have been able to stop them, they were notified of Daniel and Vala's temporary grounding," Sam put across, leaning forward on to the table, as Cam slumped further into his.

"They are no threat to this world are they?" Teal'c pointed out serenely.

"Unless you count their lack of a problem with performing public peep shows then no," Cam replied, glancing at Teal'c who stood at his shoulder, hands clasped behind his back.

"There has to be something wrong with them,"

Cam looked at her.

"I mean, they aren't even behaving remotely like the Daniel and Vala I know, the way they talk… their mannerisms its as if they're-" she got to her feet, Cam following suit as General Landry entered her lab.

"How did this happen?" he demanded, nodding for them to take their seats again.

Cam got comfortable once more "I have no idea sir,"

"Perhaps we should return to PK6-254 and question the locals concerning this matter," Teal'c suggested looking at Landry with calm integrity.

Landry nodded "you leave in one hour – is that enough time Colonel Carter?"

"Yes sir,"

"What about it happening to us sir?" Cam pointed out in recollection of the General's refusal to permit their return and his reasoning.

Landry looked at him "be careful," was his only reply.


Nanith's eyes widened at the bustle of the town centre, men, woman and children rushing back and forth, in and out of shops, laden with bags and boxes of everything from books to groceries.

Akhiyaa clapped her hands with glee, bouncing on the balls of her feet, only stopping when the barking of a large dog tore through her excitement, leaping behind Nanith with a squeal of terror.

Nanith's eyes narrowed and he glowered at the dog, his gaze jerking up when the owner, a young man spoke.

"I'm sorry lady, he won't hurt ya, just gets excited s'all," he gave the duo and wary look when neither spoke just fixed stares on him, he walked on, quickening his pace muttering about 'crazy ass people'

Nanith turned around, "Are you all right my love?" he crooned softly.

Akhiyaa nodded, allowing him to guide her head to his chest and hold her there tightly "we do not have those beasts on our world," she murmured.

"We do not," he agreed, pulling away and cradling her face in his hands, planting a chaste kiss on her forehead "but I will protect you from any more we should come across,"

"I love you," she breathed, wrapping her arms round his torso and hugging him, her mood brightened however when she caught sight of something in the window across the street "look! Nanith my darling look!"

Nanith whirled round, smiling at the dress in the window "it is most attractive," he conceded.

"I want it Nanith, please, I want it!" she sounded so elated by the prospect of owning such an item of clothing Nanith laughed and nodded his consent.


"Chevron six encoded… Chevron seven… locked!" Walter's voice filled the gate room as Cam clipped his P-90 to his vest, one hand holding it there he watched as the wormhole formed, the walls glowing blue for a moment from the light emitted by the kawoosh.

"Good luck SG1," Landry said, watching the trio stood at the bottom of the ramp.

"Yes sir," Cam gave an off-hand salute and walked up the ramp, Sam and Teal'c on his heels.

The planet looked the same as they had left it, and Amina and her people came rushing forth greeting them happily. "You have returned!" she exclaimed as Cam extricated himself from the centre of the cocoon of villagers he had been sandwiched in, checking to see Sam and Teal'c were managing to do the same thing he turned back to her.

"Yeah we have," Cam said, giving the disgruntled villagers a warning look "we need to talk,"

"Where is Daniel and Vala?" she queried, a frown creasing her prefect features, her hands clasped together in front of her rested against her petticoat.

"That is what we wish to talk to you about Amina," Teal'c answered.

Amina's frown deepened "what is wrong with them? Are the sick?"

Mitchell glanced at Sam who replied "no, no they're not sick they're just… is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

"There is my dwelling, 'tis not far, come," she started off down a path slightly to the left of the market place. SG1 followed.


"Can I help you sir?" the shop assistant was smartly dressed and polite, wearing a smile that seemed to be genuine.

"My lady requires that dress," he pointed "if you would be so kind as to retrieve it for us,"

"I see," he said "a fine choice if I may say so sir, if you could go with Lola miss she'll see what we have,"

Akhiyaa took the hand Lola offered her quietly, Nanith went to follow "oh no sir" Lola said "it's bad luck for a husband to see his bride in her dress before the wedding," her eyes reflecting the broadening of her grin.

"I shall wait here then," Nanith said gesturing to the shop floor "until you return,"


"Make yourselves comfortable," Amina said, stoking an already lit fire.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow and looked disdainfully around for a moment, the seats too small and too low for him to sit comfortably. He continued to stand as his comrades tentatively sat on rickety wicker chairs that looked as if they were break any moment. Cam grappled at the table as his chair wobbled a little.

Amina stood in front of the fireplace, smiling still "what seems to be the problem?"

Sam glanced at Mitchell "Daniel and Vala… they aren't exactly behaving as they usually would,"

"What do you mean? They seemed most content upon your departure only one night ago," confusion tainted her voice.

"That's our point," Sam said hesitantly "they don't normally act like that,"

"They appeared to be happy," a knowing smile flitted across her face "perhaps it is love,"

"Jackson and Vala are not in love," Cam said certainly then to Sam "are they?" all he got was an equally confused look "I don't think they are," he turned back to Amina.

"What you think and what is are completely different things. You think we are strange when on this world you are the strange ones. Daniel and Vala may have not realised before so you had no reason to believe it either. I could see from your arrival they have a deep emotional attachment to one another," Amina's voice was low, the shadows the flickering fire created highlighting her face.


By the time Lola and Akhiyaa came back through the male shop assistant had disappeared, where to Nanith had not paid attention too, preferring to peruse the pockets of the jeans he had put on back at Daniel's apartment. His and Akhiyaa's refusal to wear the BDUs they had had been a battle easily forgotten when they were put in the holding cell shortly after arriving at the base.

The wallet the jeans had in one of the back pockets, held multiple cards and he pulled one out immediately as Lola returned with the dress boxed up carefully. Before she even had a chance to tell him the amount he thrust the card out to her "I do not care how much," he told her when she tried again, she shrugged and handed him back his card and receipt after a moment.

"Congratulations," she said cheerily as Akhiyaa picked up the box and both her and Nanith left with carefully returned waves.

"Bride?" Akhiyaa said "are we too wed Nanith?" she was breathless with excitement.

"Do you wish it so?" he replied in all seriousness.

"Oh yes let's! Let us wed Nanith! Let us be bound as one for eternity!"

"Then it shall be so,"

"But where should such a ceremony take place? This world is so different to our own and I do not believe that my host, Vala, knows much of this place either,"

"She is from another world too?"

"She is," Akhiyaa confirmed "but the ceremony! The union! Where shall it be performed?"

"A place of worship," Nanith replied "Daniel… a place of worship is where sacred unions are performed here,"


Amina's eyes twinkled a moment, a glow of a blue barely, noticeable laced her dark iris' Cam jerked back in his seat "what the hell…?"

"Colonel Mitchell what is wrong?" Teal'c glanced at him.

"Her… she… what the hell are you?" he scrambled to his feet "Carter, Teal'c did you see it?"

"See what?" Sam said, glancing from Amina who looked as shocked as she felt and then to Cam "what's wrong?"

"Her eyes… they glowed!"

Sam frowned "I don't think-"

Cam shook his head and gave no vocal reply "what are you?" the safety catch slid from his P-90 quickly and he held it poised in front of him.

Amina's eyes turned completely blue again, only they stayed and Sam and Teal'c held their weapons ready, "I mean you no harm," she said, her voice intense and yet still holding a sense of innocence.

"What are you?" Sam stood next to Cam who glanced only briefly at her.

"I am Amina of the-"

"I'm gonna cut to the chase here," Cam said slowly "I'm gonna ask you straight up and I want a straight answer; what has happened to Daniel and Vala?"

Amina's entire stature changed, she seemed less cheery, more desperate, her body held in a different manner, more pleading, even tense. Her eyes returned to normal and her voice became higher, begging "they had no choice" tears began down her face, salty water trickling over her rosy cheeks "they had no choice,"

"What do you mean; they had no choice?" Sam shifted her feet, and squared her shoulders, her finger deadly still over the trigger of her gun.

"The old ones… they died, my siblings needed new hosts!"

"Hosts!" Cam exclaimed "hosts?"

"Please," Amina wept, "please do not hurt me! I mean you no harm! My people mean you no harm! We mean you no harm!" she curled into herself, doubling over as if in great pain. Stepping back and Sam automatically released one hand from her weapon and seized the elbow of the trembling woman, pulling her away from the greedy flames of the fireplace.

Teal'c lowered his zat gun as Sam guided Amina to a chair, Cam, reluctantly, also lowered his weapon.

"Tell us exactly what has happened to Daniel and Vala," Sam said stepping away from Amina to a safer distance, even if the alien woman was not dangerous regarding this revelation she did not want to risk it.

"The old ones-"

"From the beginning," Cam cut her off "start with what you are,"

"We are the Katar," Amina replied "slaves of the Goau'ld for centuries, we were spies, we could use the knowledge of the hosts, their thoughts and emotions were not accessible to us but memory was a resource we could– we are a peaceful people! We mean no harm-"

Sam held up her hand "we know you don't want to hurt us," she comforted her, crouching down in front of Amina "just tell us the rest. Which Goau'ld was it?"

"The system lord Yu. He left us many years ago, he trapped us in the vatish'ka for we knew to much about his plans, and we found a way to release ourselves very soon after his departure,"

"We?"

"My people," Amina looked at Cam as she answered "we were weak and could not keep our corporeal forms,"

"Corporeal?" Sam asked.

"We had the ability to shift in and out of phases, to change our forms, when we grew weak or injured we could not maintain a physical place and so we needed something which we could sustain and they could sustain us. Our time in the Goau'ld's enslavement changed us, we could no longer heal ourselves as we had once been able too,"

"How did they do that?" Cam looked at Carter.

She shrugged "presumably they could rearrange their bodies on a cellular level, permitting them to change the way they looked and when they wanted to shift phase they simply separated the cells by a minute fraction which allowed them to become part of their surroundings,"

"The villagers travelled through the circle during the period of time in which we were attempting to vacate the vatish'ka and many were sick. Their previous dwelling had become uninhabitable. We offered them hope,"

"You spoke with them?"

Amina shook her head "we became part of them,"

Cam looked once more to Sam at this cryptic answer "they scrambled their molecules and those of the villagers so effectively instead of phasing normally they-"

Cam nodded "so all those people out there, they're possessed by you guys? You didn't even talk to them first, just hijacked their bodies?"

"They needed help, we offered sanctuary, we can heal them and together we live as a joined unity of hope and love and of strength,"

"Leave them. This people, they-"

"We cannot,"

"Why not?"

"Our…" she looked at Sam, sounding out the word "molecules," she turned back to Mitchell "they have interlocked. They will die and so will we should we ever separate,"

"What happened to Daniel Jackson and Vala Maldoran?" Teal'c put the conversation back on track.

"The old ones, two of the elders of the village, they were Haayth's parents and the hosts died two full moons ago, far sooner than we anticipated, there will not be any babes for many, many months yet. The vatish'ka sustained Nanith and Akhiyaa for a time, they would not have survived much longer without the aid of another host. When Daniel and Vala went in to the town archives… the vatish'ka is stored there,"

"Well how do we get…" he looked at Sam.

"Nanith and Akhiyaa,"

He nodded in her direction "too leave Jackson and Vala and let us go on our merry way?"

"You must not! Nanith and Akhiyaa will die!" Amina jumped to her feet but sat down once more when Teal'c raised his still powered up zat.

"So they haven't 'interlocked' yet then?"

"You must not, you must not, you must not!"

"We must" Cam corrected her "now how do we get them out?"

"Nanith and Akhiyaa, they need-"

"Amina," Sam's voice was soft "Nanith and Akhiyaa, they may not mean anyone any harm but they are hurting people,"

"No! They are peaceful! They will heal! Daniel and Vala need them!"

"Why?" Teal'c's arm did not falter.

Amina ignored him "please do not kill them," she whimpered "do not kill my family!"

"We need Daniel and Vala back, just put Nanith and Akhiyaa back in the vatish'ka,"

"They will not survive it," fresh tears fell.

"How long before it's too late?" Sam asked.

Amina gazed at her "when the sun has set and risen high once more the process is complete," she whimpered "they will not leave your friends, they need them,"

"Amina you must understand why"

"They will die!" she cried.

"We are sorry about that,"

Amina sniffed and dabbed her eyes with a corner of her petticoat "return your friends, I will speak to my siblings,"

Author's Notes: This was supposed to be a lot longer but as it's already hit eight pages and there was still a fair bit to go I figured I should split it :) Please Review.