Holding My Breath 12
Summit – The Tok'ra Scramble
Jack didn't realize that his respect for the Tok'ra could get any lower, but after half an hour of watching them scurry through the underground base as if their pants were on fire without making any actual defensive plans he was running out of patience. Making more tunnels to complicate their energy signatures would only spread out the Goa'uld attack, it wouldn't make it any easier to evacuate the remaining Tok'ra to the few unarmed tel'tacs they had stashed on the planet, and, so far, that was the best plan Aldwin and Ren'Al could come up with. The colonel sent SG-17 off to render any assistance possible with the fetching and carrying, but mentally questioned the tactic of splitting up the two earth teams. Mansfield was a veteran, but the other members of his team were all raw recruits to the SGC, and he didn't want the panic he'd seen in the Tok'ra's response to this attack to infect the young men. He didn't want them learning any of the bad habits he had – including the insidious thinking that, just because an alien race had been around a long time and had access to some fancy equipment, that they were able to plan and organize a defensive or offensive strategy that actually had a prayer.
As Ren'Al led them back to the conference room, Jack stationed himself at the entrance, watching as Teal'c automatically mirrored his movements and took his place at the only other doorway. He'd seen little if any military discipline displayed by the Tok'ra during this visit, but then again, he hadn't seen any evidence of an actual Goa'uld attack yet, either – no bombs, no over-the-top threats, or Jaffa incursions. He narrowed his eyes, his bullshit detector springing to attention as Ren'Al let Carter know that she was cutting all power to the base to further hide their presence. Wait a minute. Why was Aldwin growing new tunnels to supposedly widen the target area if they were just going to cut off their power source anyway? He turned to watch the Tok'ra woman for a moment, not bothering to hide his suspicions.
"Colonel, the Tok'ra have never had the military resources of the Goa'uld. We use disguise and subterfuge to achieve our goals, our bases are designed to be hidden – we are just not equipped to repulse such a large enemy force."
"Well they're not just going to go away," Carter snarled, meeting Jack's gaze momentarily, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Ren'Al was not amused. "I can assure you, major; if this base is compromised we will fight until the last of us is fallen."
Jack saw the tensing of Carter's jaw as she lowered her eyes in a semblance of agreement with the Tok'ra's dramatic statement. She knew. Big gestures and romantic-sounding outpourings of devotion were not what was needed here, unfortunately, since that was what the Tok'ra seemed to excel at. 'Disguise and subterfuge,' Ren'Al had said. Yeah. And no thought of exit strategies, Plan Bs, or tactical options to go along with it. Just what had the SGC let themselves in for with this alliance? And just what kind of exit strategy had Jacob taken with him and Daniel on their big mission into Goa'uld territory? Had all of the battle-ready thinking of the former Air Force general been completely absorbed by the Tok'ra within him? Like Ren'Al, were his only thoughts concerning this mission of Daniel's victory or death? A cold hand seemed to clutch at Jack's heart. He hadn't even asked.
And just how were these Tok'ra planning to 'fight until the last of us has fallen?' Jack hoped they had a stash of weapons or explosives to back up that claim, but he knew they didn't. "With what," he finally asked, sarcasm drawing his mouth tight, "zats?"
Ren'Al's answer wasn't unexpected. "What else is there?"
"Well," Jack knew the SG teams' weapons wouldn't last long in the face of an all out Jaffa offensive, but his mind spun for options. "You've got that poison, and if it's half as good as you say it is it could wipe out any potential ground assault." Let's just see how ready you are to "fall" on your own swords, lady.
"And risk killing every Tok'ra on this base as well?"
Yeah, that's kinda what he expected. The grand dramatic gesture of laying down their lives to kill the Goa'uld didn't stand up to much scrutiny, did it? "Hey, we're all gonna die if we sit around and wait for the attack," he reminded her.
The Tok'ra dropped her head to her chest and Jack knew that the symbiote had relinquished control for a moment. "Believe me," the human host insisted, "if it came down to it, we would sacrifice ourselves and use the poison on our enemy if we had some. Unfortunately the only quantity in existence is in Selmac's possession. It would take weeks to synthesize more."
Huh. Jack didn't know whether to smack himself in the head or shoot her. Of course. Leave it to the Tok'ra to mix up only one batch of 'Goa'uld-Away' and send it off on a suicide mission. His anger flared again. Suicide mission. Dammit. That's exactly what it was. He'd sent his best friend on a suicide mission on the off-chance that the Tok'ra had come up with a plan that worked. Grinding his teeth he followed Ren'Al from the conference room, eyes suddenly blinded to the imminent danger that apparently loomed in the skies above Revanna. Without much encouragement he'd gladly leave the Tok'ra to take care of their own evacuation, grab his people, and hop the next tel'tac to drag Daniel back to Earth by his ear, mission or no mission.
~---~
Summit – The System Lords – Extended Scene
"Lord Yu Huang Shang Ti." One lo'taur stood at the entrance to the large conference chamber, head bowed respectfully, as Yu and Daniel approached through the long corridors of the space station. His words made a quiet impact on the beings assembled there, and Daniel tried to keep his face blank as he got his first look at the System Lords and their personal slaves. It was not difficult to tell them apart. First there were the gaudy outfits that reflected the culture from which each System Lord had stolen his or her identity, not to mention the lack of taste that seemed to be a given when dealing with Goa'uld – the slaves, beautiful young men and women, were wearing… less, and each costume was clearly designed to flaunt their servitude. Whether the shackles were made of leather, silk, or ivory, the symbolic fetters were there – from the young man who had announced their entrance down to the one kneeling beside his master's chair, eyes downcast in humility.
Daniel glanced over the gathering, mentally cataloguing those he found there, who was speaking with whom, who stood aloof from the others, putting the names from the Tok'ra files with the faces. He was surprised when Yu turned away from the room to pace around the circumference.
"Look at them, Jarren," Yu began as Daniel moved to catch up to his Master, staying one pace behind the Goa'uld's left shoulder, hands firmly clasped behind his back. "My future allies," he added with spite.
Yu had positioned himself on the inside ring of the circle that he paced, the light from the room catching his own ornate robes and leaving Daniel to stride along in the shadows beside him. The System Lord kept his own eyes forward, but Daniel noticed the subtle strategy that allowed Yu's lo'taur to watch those standing in the center of the room while his scrutiny was masked by darkness. He turned his head and observed the icy gazes of the two nearest Goa'uld that swept over Yu.
"Bastet and Kali the Destroyer," Daniel breathed, taking in the Egyptian-style headdress on the cat-goddess and the jeweled net that screened the Hindu deity's face. At Yu's tiny nod, he went on, hoping that he had guessed correctly that Yu was taking mental inventory of his supposed allies. "They made a treaty with Sobek and then moved against him during the celebratory feast. Sobek let his guard down, and, rumor has it, his head still decorates Bastet's palace in Bubastis." Another Ancient Egyptian god-figure, daughter of Ra, mother of Khonsu, with two distinct sides, one peaceful and one vicious. Kali, from the Hindu pantheon, consort of Shiva and the very personification of annihilation. According to the Tok'ra, these two had been uneasy allies for centuries. Concentrating on his studies, Daniel nearly missed Yu's whispered comment.
"You have a good memory and are still worthy of my allegiance." Daniel blinked, reminding himself of his place here. He wasn't walking along at Jack's side, explaining the cultural background of a new world, trying to get in as many words as possible before the man cut him off and did whatever he pleased anyway. He took a deep breath as his eyes fell on the tall, bearded Goa'uld in an intense discussion with the lo'taur who had announced them. Was there a significance here, that Ba'al's lo'taur had some sort of role in these proceedings? The Tok'ra intelligence did mention that Ba'al was devious, preferring to manipulate others into fighting his battles for him, and that he was perhaps the next most powerful System Lord after Yu himself. Ba'al – the Canaanite god of storms and fertility, son of Dagon and husband of Anat – overcame many other gods to cement his rule over the Middle East of Ancient Earth.
"Do not accept gifts from Ba'al," Yu muttered, unable to resist a scornful glance at the System Lord.
"They have a habit of exploding," Daniel continued, "especially when he feels he has been slighted. He wiped out the inhabitants of two star systems, 60 million lives, rather than lose them to Sokar in a territorial dispute." Ba'al and his lo'taur stood, heads bowed, almost touching, and Daniel swallowed a lump of dread at the intimate posture.
"Poor loser," was Yu's only comment.
A red-haired woman, whose broad shoulders were covered with leather pads turned to face them and motioned to her own servant. Wow, Daniel felt his eyebrows inch upwards. Her outfit seemed to be made in the style of leather armor, clearly announcing her warrior status, but left plenty of room to show off her more, um, obvious assets as well. This must be Morrigan. The slave that had been kneeling beside an empty chair rose and approached his Mistress. If he thought Ba'al and his lo'taur were intimate, Morrigan's casual caress of her slave's bare chest left no doubt in Daniel's mind as to his other duties. She leaned close and whispered in his ear while her sharp gaze locked with Daniel's for a moment as his path took him through a stretch of light.
"Do not consort with Morrigan's servant," Yu warned, his raspy voice suddenly full of ire.
The intel concerning Yu's last lo'taur had made for disturbing reading. "He will attempt to draw out strategic information in seemingly idle conversation," Daniel added. He glanced at Yu's back. "I know your last servant unwittingly gave away the location of one of your secret bases in Valon – to his credit he was killed in the surprise attack. It is what has given me the honor to serve you, my lord." Just how he managed to get Yu's lo'taur talking is what disturbed Daniel the most. Apparently the slave had lost all inhibitions during pillow talk. Morrigan's lo'taur was certainly…obedient.
The garish costume of the final System Lord caught Daniel's attention. In all of their run-ins with Goa'uld, they had never before encountered one claiming cultural background among the African nations. Olokun, the West African 'Owner of Oceans,' could be either male or female, and was renowned for depth of wisdom and endurance, while personifying royalty and power. The personality reflected on this System Lord's face, however, was one of sulking petulance and bad temper.
"Olokun is still seething over a recent loss to my forces." Yu turned slightly to address Daniel over his shoulder as the two reached the entrance to the conference hall again. "He may try to kill you out of spite. Do not make me look foolish by allowing yourself to be murdered."
Daniel stifled a one-sided grin. "Yes, my lord." Yep, the lo'taurs were certainly highly valued in their masters' eyes. Maybe Jack had been hanging around the Goa'uld for too long, but Daniel definitely saw a strange similarity in behavior between the colonel and the System Lord, at least when it came to their respect for a certain civilian subordinate.
Yu walked forward, formally joining the gathering and Ba'al broke off to welcome him with a shared bow. Interesting, Daniel thought. Ba'al is acting as host here, and he and Yu apparently share at least an outward show of mutual respect.
Ba'al raised his head and stared scathingly at Yu's implacable features. "I am pleased you were able to join us, given recent events." He hesitated a moment. "I understand that your fleet suffered some heavy losses."
Okay, maybe not so mutually respectful as he'd first thought – Ba'al was rubbing it in.
"I am not the only one," Yu responded quickly. "Did I not hear that your new flagship was destroyed?"
Ba'al's gloating look turned dark. "I lost two thousand Jaffa," he enunciated harshly.
"Such is war," Yu muttered stoically, turning away.
"No," Ba'al interrupted, "this is different. This enemy attacks like a coward." His eyes flashed in anger, his hard stare attempting to pierce the cold façade of the other Goa'uld. "Apparently Bastet and Kali have suffered similar setbacks – they are becoming more frequent while the identity of the antagonist continues to elude us."
A frown built between Daniel's brows. This was no casual summit – the System Lords were meeting for a council of war against an outside aggressor, against a Goa'uld who had hit them all, causing major casualties and upsetting the balance of power in the galaxy. This wasn't a group of powerful warlords considering the slicing and dicing of galactic territories, this was a bunch of cringing victims of a superior force. He fingered the pouch at his side. Was one of these System Lords responsible for the attacks and even now wallowing in the pathetic misery of the others? He wouldn't put it past them. Daniel counted – only six. Ren'Al had promised all seven, but Sobek was still missing. He dropped his hand.
"I am certain you have your suspicions," he heard Yu reply.
"We are all suffering at the hands of this unknown adversary. By shrouding himself he sows discord amongst us." Ba'al narrowed his eyes. "There have been concerns raised that he hides here within our own ranks."
"Interesting."
Daniel kept his face calm, intent, as he listened. He envied Yu's control, a control that Ba'al didn't share – unless he was one hell of an actor.
"I see that Sobek has not yet arrived," Yu changed the subject.
Ba'al cocked his head, intent. "No. But we have received a message supposedly sent by a representative of this new power."
Yu nodded. "An interesting coincidence."
"Indeed," Ba'al replied, a quick smile dying on his lips almost before it appeared. He turned and motioned Yu to join the others.
Uncertain, Daniel remained one step behind his master as he walked among the System Lords who received greetings or glares with the same stolid mask. Daniel felt the appraising stares of the Goa'uld and their slaves as he entered the room and they circulated around him, all the fine hairs on his arms and neck standing up when he felt their presence at his back. He lost the train of the conversation as Morrigan's slave brushed up against his side, and, instinctively turning to assess the threat, he met the fierce, dark eyes of her lo'taur boring into his own. The slave let his gaze scan Daniel's face, slowly, resting for a moment on his mouth before rising again to catch his eye.
"Jarren." The sharp word brought Daniel's head around quickly and he found that Yu had stopped before one of the ornate gold chairs that stood around the open space at the center of the room, his back still to Daniel.
With a relieved sigh, Daniel placed himself at Yu's side, hoping to hide his nervous reaction to the lo'taur's scrutiny, but not before he saw the smirk on Ba'al's observant face. "My lord."
"Prepare my refreshment. I would quench my thirst during this weary talk before Sobek arrives."
"Of course, my lord," Daniel responded with a bow, mind flailing in confusion as he wondered how he could possibly continue this charade if he was expected to know his way around the completely unfamiliar space station.
He heard a warm chuckle and raised his eyes to Ba'al's as Yu gracefully settled into his chair. The bearded System Lord took Daniel by the arm and steered him towards his own lo'taur who waited patiently at the room's entrance. "Do not worry yourself; Morrigan's lo'taur has an unsettling effect on many of the slaves. Allow my servant to show you the way to our galley and help you get your bearings here." Ba'al nodded to the thin young man awaiting him and released Daniel's arm. Daniel couldn't help a glance over his shoulder at Yu who was deep in conversation with Bastet. The same sound of laughter greeted him again and he glanced at the Goa'uld beside him. "Your Master will be quite all right until you return to him," Ba'al's smile was more than a little unsettling itself. "You have my word."
Daniel nodded and obediently fell into step with Ba'al's servant as he was apparently expected to. Concentrating on the route they were taking through the corridors and turns, Daniel again felt himself fighting for emotional control. Alone among the Goa'uld System Lords and their most loyal servants with Jacob hovering somewhere out there in a cloaked tel'tac unable to help him, Daniel managed to choke down – was it a laugh or a sob? He closed his eyes tightly for a moment and tried to calm his racing heartbeat. Undercover among the System Lords, dressed as a slave, going off to mix a cocktail for Lord Yu. Just another day on SG-1.
A/N: Thank you for your patience. My broken ankle will probably keep me tied to my laptop for weeks, so I should be able to finish both this story and Best Intentions by then. I look forward to your comments.