Chapter Twenty Summary: Sam awakens to feel Lantash lying next to her and they make love…again. Sam tells her team that they are Jolinar's, and now her, mates. They ready for their mission to the Tok'Ra base, and once they arrive; it is soon obvious to Lantash and Martouf that something has happened. There is a noticeable amount of tension, among the population of the base.
Rating this Chapter: The first several paragraphs should be considered an R or Mild M rating…It can be skipped, if you prefer not to read romantica.
"Italics" – Symbiote-Host Communication
Mer Cariad – My Dear
An Alliance of Friends
Chapter Twenty
Fair Greetings This Day
Sam scooted backwards, unconsciously seeking the warmth that was radiating from behind her. When it increased, she sighed contentedly. Soon, it wasn't simply close behind her, it was wrapping around her. She frowned, as she brushed at whatever it was that was tickling the side of her throat. It left, for a moment, only to return. It was persistent. The pressure on her neck increased, and Sam's body took the final step into wakefulness. Her eyes flew open and her naked body stiffened. Naked. She was naked. Her mind was blank, until she felt a hand glide softly down her side and across her hip, before reaching for her center.
As his hand caressed her, his mouth continued to draw the silky flesh of her throat into it. Images from the night before poured into her mind, and she could feel her skin heat, as her face flushed. She was fairly sure that Lantash was the one touching her. She learned the night before that their lovemaking styles were quite different, just as different as their touches, their voices, and their words were. Lantash's passion could threaten to burn her to ashes; whereas, Martouf's more gentle desire could almost bring her to tears. Not that Martouf didn't have his own share of passion, because he certainly did, just as Lantash had his own way of gently showing the tenderness he felt for her.
She couldn't believe she was desiring them, yet again. Not after the passion that had burned between them last night, but her moan of pleasure, and the shiver that shook her, insisted that her passion for them was not sated, after all. It seemed that her satiation point had not yet been reached.
He left her throat, after leaving a dark love-bite on her. She turned her head toward him, and he took the opportunity to capture her lips, in a deeply satisfying kiss. As he ravished them, Sam moaned again, trying to turn her entire body into his; however, he held her anchored to him, with her back pressed against his chest. She moved her hand up and behind her, until she could caress Lantash, in the way that Jolinar had shown her the previous night. A sharp gasp, followed quickly by a low moan, brought a small smile of triumph to Sam's lips, for a moment. She'd found the area that Jolinar assured her would bring both host and symbiote exquisite pleasure.
Sam continued to caress Lantash, as he continued to work his own kind of magic on her body. Just as she became desperate to finish the dance that Lantash began, she heard him growl low in his throat, as he gave into his own desires. He positioned himself and, as he took her mouth in another deep kiss, he plunged into her aching, wanting body. They held themselves that way for a long moment, relishing the feeling of their joining, before they slowly began to move. Soon, their bodies were leading them, instinct showing them the way to what they wanted and needed. Lantash drove himself into her warmth one last time, and brought them to their peaks.
As they floated in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Lantash moved away enough that she could roll onto her back. He propped himself up on one arm and watched her, as she stretched languorously. Lying there beside him like that, she reminded him of a sleekly beautiful cat. She looked lovely, harmless, even a little lazy, as she lie there. He smiled, as she finally opened her eyes and looked up at him. She returned his smile, with a small one of her own, and he realized that she truly was a little bit shy around them. Last night had been different; it was dark, for the most part, and Jolinar and Martouf were awake and with them.
But the two of them had stayed up all night talking, needing to be together alone, for a time. No doubt, he and Jolinar would take some time together, as well, just as he was now taking advantage of their slumber, to spend time alone with Samantha. Martouf would do the same at some point, when he and Jolinar were asleep or dormant, but Samantha was awake. He reached out and caressed her cheek gently. "There is no need to feel uncomfortable around me, Samantha. Even though you have only known us physically for two days, you know us mentally very well. We have been together for almost a hundred years. Take the comfortable feeling from Jolinar and use it, when you begin to feel somewhat uncomfortable."
"I know. I mean, I do feel the comfort that Jolinar feels, and I feel like I've known the two of you for forever. When I feel those things, I'm very comfortable. But when I realize I've only really known you for two days, I feel…oh, I don't know exactly, what it is that I feel, but it leaves me a little uncomfortable with you. I'm sorry you noticed. I've been trying to push it back and feel Jolinar's emotions instead. That does help, as you said." She shook her head, telling him, "I think I'm just being stupid. After all, what I do is my business and what other's think isn't really important."
Lantash frowned, before asking, quietly, "Your colleagues will look down on you for coming to our bed? You will be talked about by the others. That is part of the problem, is it not?"
Sam nodded briefly, but didn't say anything.
"What must we do to stop this for you, Samantha? We will wait, if that is what it takes to make you feel comfortable with us."
Sam smiled at him, but shook her head. "No, Lantash, I don't want to do that. I—I like being with you and Martouf. It feels right to have you in my bed. I don't want you to leave it because someone might gossip about us."
She pulled herself up to the head of the bed and leaned back against the pillows, and Lantash lie down near her side, where he could see her. She continued with their discussion, telling him, "Everyone is going to have to get used to me being Tok'Ra. They'll have to accept it, and that means all parts of it. They are just going to have to understand that we're—well, we're the same as married. That's what I'll have to get them to understand. They can accept that, or not, and I really don't think I'll care all that much in a day or so, and soon, I won't care at all. I've already lost a lot of my uneasiness, and every time we make-love, I lose a little more of it. It'll be okay, so, please don't worry about it, all right?"
Lantash gave her a wry smile, before telling her, "I cannot forget it, Samantha; however, I can promise to give you the time you say that you need. If after a few days, you are still feeling uncomfortable, then we will revisit our discussion, yes?"
"Yes. I can live with that." She frowned, before asking him, "Why is Jolinar so heavily asleep? Is something wrong? And Martouf didn't come forward either. Is there a problem?"
"No, Samantha, there is no problem. Martouf and Jolinar are both asleep because they did not sleep when we did. They chose to spend the time together, alone. Just as I chose to spend this morning alone with you. Martouf will want to spend time alone with you, as well. I helped him into a deeper sleep, so that our, ah, activities, would not disturb his rest."
"Is that a common practice? Is that how you spend alone time?"
"Yes. Everyone needs time alone, and this is how we spend time with our mates one on one. Most of the time, we are all together, but every once in a while, we wish to spend time with each of our mates separately. It does not mean that anything is wrong."
Sam nodded. "It makes sense. I'm glad you explained it to me." She caught sight of the clock and gasped. Groaning, she told him, "If we don't get moving, we won't be ready on time to leave for the Tok'Ra base. Do you want to shower first?"
"No, you go ahead. I will make some coffee."
"Right." She jumped out of bed, and headed for the shower. She could get her clothes, when she was finished. It wasn't like they'd never seen her naked. Her shower was very quick. She wrapped a towel around herself, wrapped one around her hair, and walked into the other room, to see Lantash drinking a cup of coffee sans clothes. She finished towel drying her hair, threw the towel over the back of a chair, and grinned at him, as he handed her a cup, and poured her some coffee.
Noticing her appreciation of their 'manly attributes', he smirked smugly, before commenting, "We are not overly modest among the Tok'Ra, but we do try to conform to our host's views. After a hundred years, Martouf has lost his previous modesty, but since he is still sleeping, it would not matter, anyway. I will shower, as soon as I finish my coffee, Mer Cariad."
Sam nodded her agreement and moved toward her closet to grab some BDUs, when there was a knock on the door. Lantash was closer to it than Sam was, so he grabbed the towel she had used to dry her hair, and slung it low on his hips. Before she could stop him, he opened the door to two very shocked and dumbfounded humans, and one Jaffa with an eyebrow trying to crawl off his forehead. "Come in, please. Did we oversleep?" He glanced at the clock, and it said that they were early.
They walked in on what appeared to be autopilot, and Sam stood completely still and stared back at them, as they stared between her and Lantash. She wished she could slam her head into a wall. Sighing, she waved them toward the kitchenette and the coffee, before turning around and finishing what she started. Grabbing her clothes, she went into the bathroom, put them on, and returned to the other room, where a very strained silence seemed to have taken root.
"Lantash, go ahead and shower, if you want. I'll…try to explain it to them."
He bowed his head to her, saying, "As you wish, Samantha. I will be very quick, so if you wish to wait, I will return shortly."
"I'll play it by ear. Go on. The sooner you get started, the sooner you will finish."
He took his clothes with him into the bathroom. Sam sat down and proceeded to pull on her socks and then her boots. After she finished with that, she combed her hair out, so that it wouldn't dry in some odd way. She was ready to leave on their mission, except for her weapons.
She finished her coffee, poured herself another cup, and joined her teammates, as they sat at the table. Sam had told Lantash that she would tell them; however, she wasn't sure how to start the conversation, so she sat quietly, praying to any god that could hear her that Lantash would return very soon. She heard the shower shut off and thanked whichever deity heard her and answered.
Colonel O'Neill cleared his throat, "So, Carter, I take it that Martouf and Lantash's shower is broken?"
Sam cocked her head at him, and gave him a "give me a break look", before assuring him, "Not that I am aware of, Sir. It appeared to be working fine yesterday, but I don't think they've used it since then."
The bathroom door opened, and Lantash padded barefoot into the room. He collected his coffee cup, poured another cup, and sat down next to Sam. Very close to Sam. The gesture spoke volumes, but the other three still weren't exactly sure what it was saying.
The Colonel cleared his throat again, this time asking, "Didn't you say that Jolinar had, ah, mates?"
Sam smiled for the first time, since they entered her room. "Yeah, I did." She rested her hand on Lantash's shoulder and Daniel's eyes rounded, as he leaped to the correct conclusion.
"Oh, wow."
Jack scowled at his friend. "Oh, wow, what, Daniel?"
"Well, um," he looked at the couple, saw no censure in their eyes, and understood Sam's strategy of letting him break the news to the others. He started again, saying, "Well, yeah, ya see, Jack, it's…" He trailed off once more, and looked over at Sam and Lantash again.
Sam finally gave in. It really wasn't fair to dump it on Daniel, anyway. "Colonel, what Daniel is trying, so unsuccessfully, to tell you is that Lantash and Martouf are our mates. They didn't tell us, because normally doctors want amnesia victims to remember on their own. Because of some things that came up yesterday, they determined that not telling us would be worse than telling us. It's the reason why Jolinar seemed to know everything about them. As soon as they told her, she remembered. They aren't lying; they are our bonded, joined mates. So, we're…like…well, married." She smiled, as his jaw dropped. It wasn't often that she could completely stun her Commanding Officer.
"Ah…" he looked from one of them to the other and tried again, "Shouldn't you have like—a getting to know you time—or something?"
Sam shook her head. "It isn't necessary, Colonel. All I have to do is decide to allow Jolinar's feelings for them to influence me. I found them attractive from the start, and I was very drawn to them…on several levels. As a man. As a symbiote. As a joined being. I liked them personally. I liked their personalities, and I liked their looks. I found them…sexually appealing. I'm already in love with them, so we don't need a 'getting to know you time'."
Daniel was the first to respond, exclaiming, "That's really interesting, Sam. I have to admit I wondered what happened when a new host came into a pairing." He frowned. "But Martouf and Lantash don't have any feelings to be influenced by, so how is that gonna work out? If…well, if you don't mind my asking, that is."
Lantash gave a small shake of his head, before answering, "That is quite all right, Daniel. It may set your minds at rest, if you can understand this part of our lives." He paused, for a moment, before proceeding, "You commented that Martouf and I had no feelings for Samantha from which to be influenced. That is not true. In fact, we have a very strong love, which we can allow to influence us. However, for now, we are using our own attraction for her to color our feelings. I will not lie and tell you something stupid. We did not fall in love with her at first sight. However, even before we knew that she was our mate, we found her to be beautiful, kind, and extremely intelligent. It was obvious that she was an excellent soldier. She has friends who would die to keep her safe, something that tells a great deal about a person. She is respected by others, another way by which to judge someone. She is compassionate. So, we met a woman who was beautiful, kind, intelligent, brave, compassionate, well-liked, and well-respected. We were immediately strongly attracted to her physically, as well."
"When we realized that Jolinar and Samantha were Lifemates, but that they did not know us, it was a shock. Still, once we came to terms with Jolinar's memory loss, we were able to begin to get to know Samantha. Then, too, there is the great love that we have for Jolinar. Tok'Ra love as one and mourn as one. They also, tend to transfer the love they hold for the symbiote to the new host. It is a matter of seeing both of our mates when we look at Samantha. It is a rather difficult concept to understand. If you cannot understand the concept of loving as one entity, and loving an entity, as a whole, then you can understand this… for the next four or five hundred years, Samantha shall be loved deeply and truly by both of us, as well as by Jolinar. We will willingly die for her should we be called upon to do so. We will never abandon her, or hurt her, in any way, be it mentally or physically. She will be everything to us, for that is how Tok'Ra love."
"A symbiote loves his host just as deeply as they love their mates. Jolinar will come to love Samantha, and when Samantha passes from us, we will both mourn deeply for her. As you know, when we found that Rosha truly was, as she had been declared by the Tok'Ra, deceased, Martouf had difficulty handling it, even after six months. We mourn deeply for a short time, and then the loved one is put into a special place within us. We have perfect recall, and we can recall and feel the love we have felt, for each and every host and/or mate we have ever had. In reality, Samantha will be loved, as long as I survive, for my love for her will never die, until I pass on to the next path. Then, too, who is to say that I will not take my love of her with me there, as well?"
Colonel O'Neill, looking both surprised and somewhat uncomfortable, nodded to Lantash, saying, "We can't ask for more for her than that." He glanced over at Sam and, surprised to see her crying quietly, became almost panicky, calling out, "Hey! Hey! Carter! What's wrong?"
Sam sniffed. "I'm sorry. It's just..." She shook her head, before mumbling, "It doesn't matter. I'm okay, now."
"It's okay, Sam. That kind of love is hard to take in. Give it time, and it won't feel so overwhelming and—scary," Daniel advised her softly.
Sam nodded, and then gave a shaky laugh. "Yeah, Daniel. Thanks. Perspective, that's what I needed." Looking down and seeing that Lantash's feet were still bare, as well as being quite attractive for feet, she used them to distract herself and change the subject, telling him, "It's almost time to leave, and you don't even have your socks and boots on, Lantash. You need to finish getting ready."
"You are correct, Samantha. I will be ready momentarily. You should awaken Jolinar, as well as inject yourself with the serum. Be sure you take several doses with you. How long will each injection last?" He glanced at her, as he asked more about the new serum they had received from Thor.
"It depends on the dosage. I'll take a twenty-four hour dose. I've got enough for fourteen days, and if we are there that long, and I still need to use it, then we aren't visiting, we're prisoners."
Lantash nodded his agreement, his thoughts grim. He hoped it would not come to that, but he could see it happening, at least temporarily, if some of the younger Base Council members became involved. He sighed and decided not to borrow trouble, before reaching for Martouf's consciousness and awakening him.
Martouf became alert, at once, asking, "Are we ready to depart to our base, Lantash?"
Lantash nodded, telling him, "Yes, and so that you know, without having to rummage around in my memories, we have informed Teal'c, Daniel, and O'Neill, that we are Samantha's mates." He grinned slightly, before adding, "They arrived early, to find both Samantha, and I, wrapped in bath towels. Look for the visual of their faces, for their expressions were definitely amusing. It was quite clear that they were shocked, so we told them the truth, rather than attempt to come up with some obviously bogus and unlikely story. We have yet to inform the General; however, I hope to do so, before the others do it. I suppose I should mention it to them, to keep them from saying anything to him."
Martouf murmured his agreement, "Yes, I believe that is a very sound idea. He should hear it from us, not from someone else."
Lantash picked up their pack, and their zat'nik'tel, which they had been surprised to receive back, along with the pack that was for their use.
Sam glanced around at her teammates—and her mates. Everyone appeared ready to leave, so she reached out, opened the door, and motioned for everyone to go through it. They all grabbed their things, and filed out of the room. She quickly glanced at the coffee pot and noted that it was off. It would do an auto shut off, if she forgot, but she still didn't like to leave it on, when she left on a mission, especially one of unknown duration. After that one last quick check of the room, she woke Jolinar, grabbed the pack lying by her feet off the floor, and joined her teammates, as they headed for the Gateroom.
They stopped and picked up their weapons, and Lantash looked down at what he knew was a Tau'ri 'side arm'. He looked back at Jack O'Neill and raised an eyebrow in question, as to why he was being given one.
"Okay, it's like this. We have no way to know, for sure, whether or not your people have been attacked, whether or not they are still there, or whether there are now hostiles there. It may seem unlikely, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I want to know that you can defend yourself, so we don't have to try to keep you safe. I know you're a soldier, and after two thousand years, you're a good one, otherwise you wouldn't be here; you'd be long dead. Anyway, I'll just feel better knowing that you're armed. I know that you and Carter stopped at the firing range, for a while, when she took you on a tour of the base, to show you where you were allowed to go. She said you did really well with it, and I'd just as soon have you armed with something a little more long range than the zat. Yeah, I know it will only double the distance that you can use it, but I'd rather take an enemy down at fifty meters away than at twenty-five. Don't forget that it can fire faster than a zat, too. There is no 'wait' before you can use another bullet, so be prepared to use it. Don't worry; we won't give you one of these babies—at least, not just yet." He patted the MP-5 that hung off his shoulder."
Lantash nodded. Samantha had not asked him to learn how to use it, as she had the Beretta, and he would just as soon not carry one, since with that, he had no experience at all. At least, he had fired the…M-9/Beretta, as she had told him it was called. No doubt, the MP-5 would be more deadly, but without even having picked one up, he felt more confident, as he was.
"If we remain with the Tau'ri, we will be trained in the use of all of their weapons. Primitive, perhaps, but as O'Neill pointed out with the M-9, it has more distance and a faster firing capacity. So which is really the more useful? Primitive or advanced? I believe that each would have its uses…the handgun, if you needed range and wished to kill from farther away. The zat'nik'tel, if you needed stealth or to stun and capture an enemy…annihilate them completely, or clean up after a battle, when there is no way to bury the dead," Martouf pointed out quietly.He could see a lot of merit in the 'primitive weapons' that their mate's people used. They had their place and there uses and should not be discounted.
"I believe you have made some very good points, Martouf. Perhaps, as time goes on, and our two races become more trusting and less…disdainful and critical…of one another, we can arrange for some Tau'ri weaponry to be shown to us. I believe that Per'sus would be interested in what these weapons can do and, should an Alliance be achieved, we may well see an exchange of technology and weaponry. We can but hope to see it happen," Lantash, responded, his thoughts turning to a much hoped for future.
Samantha handed him a holster and showed him how to wear it, as he nodded to Colonel O'Neill. "Very well, Colonel. I understand your caution, and it is probably a very intelligent thing to do. You are correct in your statements, and we do not know what we will find when we arrive. If the traitor has compromised the base, then anything could have happened, may be happening now, or could happen at any time. It is best to be well prepared."
He glanced around to see that everyone had what they needed, but before he could tell them to head for the Gateroom, Sam turned to him and said, "If you don't mind, Sir, I need to make a phone call, before I leave. It shouldn't take more than five or ten minutes."
Even Jack could see the tension on her face, and since he knew about her father, and that he now lived in Colorado Springs, he nodded his okay, telling her, "We'll wait for you in the Gateroom, Carter. See you in a few."
"Yes, Sir, I won't be long."
Jack turned to the others, saying, "Let's get this show on the road," before striding down the hall toward the Gateroom."
Sam entered a small room, and slipped into an unoccupied chair. There was no one else in the room, and she chided herself for not thinking to call him, before she left her room. Her dad answered more quickly than she expected, and she almost stumbled over her words, but Jolinar steadied her, and she managed to sound normal, as she greeted him, "Dad, hi, it's me, Sam."
She frowned at his response, before asking, "What do you mean, why am I calling? Dad? You just told me that you have cancer, you can't…"
After listening for a bit, she finally sighed, saying, "All right, okay, never mind. Listen, uh, I'm about to go on a little, um, trip."
"Yes, it's for the Air Force."
As General Hammond walked toward the Control Room, he saw her on the phone and stopped to wait, until she finished her call.
She sighed quietly, before she answered his question, "It's…it's not important where I'm going, Dad. What's important is that I may be gone a while, and I just wanted to call and see how you're doing."
"You're sure?"
She hung up the phone. He hadn't said good-bye. General Hammond decided to join her, for a few moments. "Your father, Major?"
After she glanced at him, Sam stared stoically at a spot on the wall, but answered quietly, "Yes, Sir."
"How is Jacob?"
She gave a shrug that spoke of feeling helpless, as she told him, "He claims he's okay, not that he'd tell me, if he weren't. Did you know he actually got an apartment here in town? Several weeks ago; he didn't even tell me until I was back from Washington D.C., and then he just called and gave me the address and phone number."
The General nodded, before he told her, "He wanted to be closer to his daughter during…"
She finished his statement for him, as he trailed off, unwilling to say it to his friend's daughter, "During his last days. Sir, this is the first time I've left on a mission where I've felt like I might be leaving something behind. I feel like I might miss something important."
"That's very understandable. I'll put a temporary replacement on SG-1. You can stay here," General Hammond offered.
She gave him a wry smile, before saying, "I wish I could, Sir, but I don't think I'm replaceable on this mission. We all talked it over and agreed that not even Martouf and Lantash can do this. Jolinar is probably the only one that can convince them of the reality of a traitor and where to look for him, since she's the only eyewitness to his perfidy."
The General shook his head, "That may be true, Major, but your father…"
Sam shook her head sharply, telling him, "Sir, it's okay; he doesn't want me around, anyway."
"Sam, I've known Jacob a long time. That's not true."
"Sir, he's always too concerned about appearing the strong soldier. The last thing he would want is for me to see him in a hospital bed losing a battle. I should get going, Sir, I don't want to hold things up." She gave him a very small brief smile, before turning and walking away.
"Major!" The General called after her.
Sam stopped and turned back to him.
"You're more like your father than you'd like to admit."
She considered his words, before she smiled sadly. "Yes, Sir. I know," she admitted, as she turned and started walking briskly toward the Gateroom, her teammates, and her mates. Then realizing that there was something that the General needed to know, she turned back. He was still standing there seemingly lost in thought. She turned around, heading back toward him and a few steps brought her within speaking distance. "General Hammond?"
The General looked up in surprise. "Yes, Major? Did you change your mind about going?"
Sam shook her head no, as she stopped beside him, saying, "No, Sir, I didn't. However, I did remember that there is something you should know before the base gossip gets a hold on it." She stopped unsure of what to say. She opened her mouth to tell him and again only managed to close it without saying a word. This was so stupid.
Just as she was about to attempt to tell him for the third time, a now well-known voice came from the man approaching them and explaining, "Samantha, O'Neill sent me to see if you are about ready. He questioned her, as he reached her side, "Is there a problem?"
Sam shook her head but sighed, telling him, "No, not really. I was, um, trying to—to tell the General…"
Telling her commanding officer that she was suddenly "married" was difficult for her for, he was sure, two reasons. The first, she did not know how, or if, it would affect her military status, although he suspected no change would occur. The second was that she was expecting the same response from him that she received from the Colonel.
Therefore, he took the next step, which brought him next to her and as he stepped to her side, he leaned over and gave her a brief kiss on her cheek. He then turned to the General informing him, "General Hammond, what Samantha is attempting to tell you, is that Martouf and I are her and Jolinar's mates. Since our healers have always said to let an amnesia victim remember things on their own, we felt that we should not inform them. Then yesterday, some things came up, and we realized that not telling them would be much worse than telling them. So we told them, and as soon as we did Jolinar's memories pertaining to us came back. It is why she appeared to know so very much about us. When Tok'Ra join or bond, whichever word you prefer, with a mate, it is the same as your marriage. Vows are exchanged, and where you use rings, we use bracelets or necklets. We felt that we should be the ones to inform you, not the local rumor mill. Samantha is considered my wife now by my people, although they are not familiar with that word."
General Hammond looked at Lantash blankly, for a moment, before he turned to look at Samantha Carter. Finally, he asked her, "Are you agreeable to this, Major? Doesn't this seem a little rushed?"
Well, it was close to Jack's response and made Sam smile. He could see in her eyes that it made her happy, even before she spoke to him. "General, I was attracted to them as soon as I met them. That attraction continued to grow the more I was with them, which was becoming somewhat upsetting, since we knew that we had mates. We were very relieved to find out that they were those nebulous figures in the background of our lives. The Tok'Ra love and mourn as one. I can share everything that Jolinar does. General, I know that it's hard to comprehend, but I 'feel' as if I've known them and been married to them for a very long time. They have been together for almost a hundred of our years. I can share those feelings with Jolinar. We don't need a 'getting to know you' time. The same holds true for accepting them as a mate. My own feelings are still growing, but I also feel Jolinar's feelings. If I wanted to, I could simply accept those as my own, however they prefer the mate to develop some of their own feelings which I am, but we will share Jolinar's feelings very soon now, as well. I guess the short answer is yes, I am happy with the situation."
As the General turned his gaze to Lantash he did not wait for the question to be asked, he simply told him, "True, we do not have a partner whose love of Samantha could be added to our own feelings. Martouf and I both are very attracted to her, we like many things about her; we know that we are falling in love with her. Even if we did not fall in love on our own, we would still come to love her. In some ways, we look on our mates as a single entity. The love we have for Jolinar will also be felt for Samantha." Glancing at a clock on the wall, Lantash sighed and suggested, "We should be going, General, however, if you are interested in how the Tok'Ra feel, we would be happy to meet with you at any time. It would probably be a good idea so that there are no misconceptions. Shall we set a time and date for later to once again discuss and explain how it all works?"
General Hammond smiled in relief. He could see that this man, or men, might think they were 'falling in love' with Samantha Carter, but he was very sure that they already did love her. "I think that would be an excellent idea, Lantash. I would truly like to understand how it all works. When you return we will set a time to get together, perhaps more informally over lunch or some other more neutral place."
Lantash smiled at him, bowed his head in acceptance, and turned to Samantha, asking her, "Are you ready to go now? We are only a few minutes behind schedule now, for it is still quite early."
Sam nodded her consent and after bidding the General Good-bye, they joined their teammates and watched as the fluctuating blue pool soon greeted them. Then, they were gone.
As the wormhole shut down, General Hammond headed back to his office thinking about the Major's conversation with her father. He sighed sadly. It was a shame that father and daughter couldn't be closer to one another…especially now.
Martouf, Lantash, and SG-1 stepped out of the Stargate onto a world that appeared to be covered with sand. "It's either nothing but trees or nothing but sand. Why can't just one world have a nice middle ground…a beach, a few trees, some grass," the Colonel complained, as they walked forward.
Martouf was fore, and he smiled at him, replying, "For some reason, the Tok'Ra appear to end up on desert planets more often than not. Of course, there is rarely anything on them that the Goa'uld would want. There are rarely any native populations for slaves, and no naquadah. It makes them ideal places for us to hide, and there is usually the type of rock formations we need to grow our tunnels without difficulty."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. So, how do we find your place, Martouf? Is it far from here?"
Martouf shook his head, as he answered, "No, Colonel O'Neill, it is not very far. We should head for those dunes over there." He inclined his head in the direction he wished them to go.
Lantash came forward to remind them, "We will be surrounded by the gate guards, when we near the ring transporter. We are still some little way from it, yet, but I wished to reiterate my suggestions, while we are still far enough away, they cannot hear us. Tok'Ra have increased hearing abilities, so remember that they can hear a whisper that most pure humans would miss completely. Remember, too, there is no need for your weapons, and the more relaxed and unconcerned you appear to be, by their show of weapons, the better their first impression will be. You are with me; therefore, you should feel no need for weapons other than defense against hostiles. By not responding with your weaponry, you will be signaling that you do not consider them an enemy. They will not shoot someone with me. Actually, they probably would not automatically shoot anyone, unless they were Goa'uld."
"Those are good points about how we will appear to them, Lantash. It's good advice, and it's too bad it can't always be used. Unfortunately, many of those we meet are enemies," Daniel told him.
Lantash nodded his agreement, adding, "Normally, I would not advise that reaction. However, these circumstances are different."
They slowly walked onward, chatting about nothing in particular. When the guards jumped from their hiding places and surrounded them, no one reacted in an antagonistic way. They simply looked at them.
Lantash stepped forward, and glanced around for the leader of the group. "Cordesh! Fair greetings this day." It was quite plain that Lantash was neither alarmed nor worried, as he acknowledged his fellow Tok'Ra.
"Lantash? You are alive? Why are you dressed in such a way? And who are the people you have brought to our base with you?" In contrast, Cordesh sounded angry. Lantash simply raised an eyebrow and chose no other response. Dislike fairly radiated between the two men, even if Lantash's greeting had at least sounded friendly.
Before Lantash could ask what he meant, by seeming surprised that he was alive, a guard off to the side, spit out, "This one is a Jaffa. Apophis sect."
Teal'c returned his look, and replied calmly, "I am no longer in the service of Apophis."
Distrust and anger still evident in his manner, the Tok'Ra retorted, "Who then are you in service to?"
Teal'c smiled slightly, as he answered quietly, but proudly, "I am in service to no one. I am allied with these, the Tau'ri, in battle against Apophis."
The angry sounding Tok'Ra informed him, "Jaffa do not leave the service of their lords."
Lantash turned to the Tok'Ra that was confronting Teal'c, in an obviously antagonistic way. He spoke with authority, as he told him, "Kalen, you speak of something about which you know nothing. You will refrain from speaking to Teal'c in that tone, again. He is my guest, as are the remainder of my companions."
He turned back to Cordesh, and informed him, "We are here to consult with Garshaw. No doubt, we will see you later."
"They cannot take weapons with them. I insist they give them up to us."
Lantash turned back to him, before saying softly, "They are neither enemies nor prisoners, Cordesh. Have they threatened you, or anyone else, in any way? No, they have not. They will keep their weapons, for now, although, I would imagine that, once they are in the tunnels, they will wish to store them, where they will know they are safe, as well as, out of the hands of someone who knows nothing about them, and therefore, could inadvertently seriously harm themselves or someone else. Their weapons may appear primitive to you, but I can assure you that they are deadly and, to the uninitiated in their use, a danger to them. However, if it makes you so very uncomfortable, I suggest you send Jorlin, Markesh, Zaris, and Jocasta with us as guards. Once we have my companion's weapons safely stored, they can return to their guard duties."
He turned back to them, saying, "Come." Then he walked forward, until they came to what Sam knew was the rings. She could feel them strongly.
Jack smiled at Cordesh, telling him, "Nice to meet cha," as he walked past him and joined Lantash. When they were all within the rings, he nodded, almost indiscernibly, to a Tok'Ra standing off to one side, and he activated the rings for them. Both Jolinar and Sam made note of him. Lantash trusted him.
The rings deposited them, into the soft blue of the crystal tunnels, and Sam could feel Jolinar's happiness, as some of her tension melted away. She was home, and Sam felt her emotions, as if they were her own.
Tok'Ra walked by, but Lantash made no move to talk to any of them. They were getting a lot of different glances. Some were just curious; some were suspicious, until they realized that, although he was dressed oddly, it was Lantash that was with them. Some nodded, once they realized who it was.
Turning into what appeared to be a main tunnel, Lantash saw the person he had been watching for, and he began to walk more quickly in order to catch up with him. When they were close enough that he would not have to raise his voice to get his attention, he said, "Malek."
The Tok'Ra spun around, and seeing him, he smiled. "I am glad to see you, my friend. You know you have been reported missing, do you not?"
Lantash looked surprised. "No, I did not know, although I suppose that Cordesh's comment, when he saw me, should have alerted me to that fact. I was injured, rescued, and cared for by the people with me. I assumed that, since I was not due back for two weeks, no one would miss me."
"Normally, we would not have, but Daimesh visited one of the worlds you were to go to. You should have been and gone by the time he got there, but you never arrived. We followed your trail to the last village you visited, but all they could tell us was that Jaffa arrived, there was a fight, and some strangers, whose names and home world they could not remember, took you with them. We did not know if you were a prisoner, a casualty, or simply badly hurt."
Lantash grimaced, answering, "Badly injured, healed, prisoner, until we could each figure out who we each were, and now guest…I would like for you to meet some of them."
"They held you prisoner?"
Lantash smiled. "Only for a few days. It took a while for them to check my story out, and for me to come to believe they were who they said they were. After all, we all wondered if it was only rumors or myths."
Malek glanced at them again, his glance lingering on the beautiful blond woman. Lantash sent a low-pitched growl that only he could hear, and Malek smiled. She was not available. "Well, Lantash, who would these rumored about, mythical beings, be?"
"These are soldiers from the SGC. Their designation is SG-1. And, they are from Earth, the home of the Tau'ri."
Malek stopped smiling and looked at them sharply. "And you know this how, Lantash? Are you very sure that they are who they say that they are? It is possible that you were held prisoner, until they determined how to earn your trust, and they are now here as…informants of our enemies."
Lantash sent his friend a surprised, questioning look. What was going on? What had occurred to cause this much distrust and suspicion? Frowning, he asked him, "Malek, what is going on? I have never known you to doubt my word. I can assure you that I was not kept only until they could come up with a 'cover' that I would believe. I have had free run of their base for two days. I believe that I would have noticed something that was not 'right' in that amount of time."
"I apologize." Some of the tension appeared to leave him, as he sighed and smiled, tiredly. "I will fill you in later, Lantash," he said, as he glanced at the group standing patiently behind his friend.
Lantash nodded, but he knew that there was no point from trying to hide it from these people. Nor was there a point in starting that argument yet. Not before Jolinar could come fore and reveal her information. "All right. Where is Garshaw? It is very important that we talk to her."
Malek looked startled, as he glanced at the group again, realizing that Lantash had not brought them here without much forethought. He was telling him that these people had important information. "She may be with Selmak and Saroosh. She is…failing fast, and we have no host for her."
Lantash nodded. "I wish to see her, while I am here, but for now, I need to see Garshaw."
"All right, if she is not with Saroosh and Selmak, she will be in the annex close by. I will walk with you."
"Thank you." As they started walking, he mused aloud, "I suppose I should introduce you to my companions. I am sure they would appreciate an introduction, as well." They stopped only long enough to exchange names. Teal'c, as Lantash had predicted, caused a great deal of interest. It was also the presence of Teal'c that furthered Lantash's own claims of who they were.
Rounding a corner, they found Garshaw sitting on a platform near the wall. She looked up, as they entered, and then smiled briefly, and with great relief, as she recognized Martouf and Lantash. "It is good to see you alive and obviously well, Lantash, Martouf. Welcome back."
"Thank you. I have much to report, but it needs to be completely private and, as much as is possible, unknown to any but those of us here," he nodded behind him, "which includes my companions, for the most important, and destructive, of the information comes through them. They are aware of all of it, simply because they bring it to you."
Garshaw stared at him, for a long moment, and then nodded. If Lantash said, it needed secrecy, then that is what they would have. That he wanted strangers with them, she did not understand; however, Lantash would not have requested it, were it not important in some way.
"I would like to know what has occurred or is occurring that has caused the amount of tension and…" Lantash frowned, trying to put a name on what he was sensing. Finally deciding what it was, even though it disturbed him greatly, he added, "fear, which I feel throughout the tunnels." He sighed as he saw them glance at his mates and her companions. "Excuse me for a moment, please."
He walked over to SG-1. Not bothering to lower his voice, so that they could all be aware, of what was being said; he explained to them, "I am afraid that I must discuss some problem that has arisen. It is confidential, so I must leave you for a time."
Knowing what he was wanting, she subtly stepped a little sideways and onto the Colonel's foot, while answering before he could. Following Jolinar's guidance, she smiled slightly and assured him, "That's all right, Lantash. We are very familiar with confidentiality, and the constraints placed on those bound by it." She glanced around, adding, "Can we stay here, or is there somewhere else, where you would like for us to await you?"
He glanced back at Malek and Garshaw. She stepped forward, at once, telling them, "I am sorry that your arrival has lacked in welcome. You are quite free to await us here, although I would ask that you not raise your voices, for Selmak and Saroosh are in the room across from here and they are…not well, at the moment."
Although she didn't allow it to register on her face, Sam felt the shaft of fear and dismay at hearing these names and "not well" spoken together. Answering Garshaw calmly, she assured her, "That won't be a problem. If we talk, we will do so quietly. Please don't feel you must rush because we are waiting. We'll be fine."
Garshaw bowed her head in acknowledgement. "I can find someone to bring you something to drink or…"
Sam cut her off, shaking her head and assuring her, "We need nothing. We have water, and if we get hungry, we have some food bars. We'll be fine. Please, take care of your base business. I'm sure it's important."
Garshaw looked at her speculatively, but bowed her head once more, before she returned to the two men and led them down the hall to another room.
Once they were out of sight, the Colonel frowned at her. "What's with the toe dance, Carter?"
Sam lowered her voice, until it was so low a whisper they had trouble hearing her. "It was suggested to me that I prevent you from—how should I phrase this? Oh, yeah, it went something like this; please prevent the Colonel from putting both of his feet in his mouth and follow my lead. After that, I pretty much followed a script that was written for me. These people are known very well, if you will remember, Sir, and how to handle them is best left in other hands than yours, be it mine, Daniel's or Teal'c's. Okay?"
O'Neill looked frustrated, but realizing the wisdom of allowing Jolinar to lead the way through this, he just nodded. Then seeing the skepticism on their faces, he raised one hand, and put the other on his heart, assuring them, "I do solemnly swear, to keep my mouth shut, even under dire provocation. Is that good enough?"
Sam sent him a teasing smile, saying, "I guess it will have to do and if not, then Teal'c will gag you, and Daniel will sit on you…or maybe Teal'c will sit on you, since Daniel doesn't weigh much."
"Hardy, har, har, Major." He gave a sheepish grin. "Really, I will try not to say anything to anyone, unless it's as innocuous as hello. All right?"
"Yes, Sir, that sounds very good."
He nodded, adding, "Now that's settled, what are we supposed to do, while we wait? I'm not good at waiting."
"Why don't you three play poker? I know you carry cards, Colonel; we've used them often enough in the past. I, er, have someone I have to go see."
As she turned to walk away, Jack grabbed her, saying, "Woah! Wait a minute here. Where are you going and why?"
Sam sighed and wished that Jolinar could come fore, but since that wasn't possible, she answered, as well as she could. Nodding to the doorway across from them, she whispered, quietly again, "She is very close to the two that are dying. She wants to say her farewells."
"Oh. Well, sure, Carter. No problem." He swung his pack to the floor and started rummaging, saying, "I think we will play some poker."
"Yes, Sir." Sam rolled her eyes, as she moved off toward the room across from them. She didn't want to do this, but it was only fair that Jolinar could say good-bye.
"I will be very pained to loose Saroosh, my Sam; however, Selmak needs a new host. They do not have an illness. Saroosh is simply too old and is dying of that. No doubt, they are having trouble finding a host. I need to tell them too hold on a little longer. We need to return and talk to your father. And, if he does not wish to become Tok'Ra, then we must see, if the President will locate us a willing soldier."
Sam's breath caught. "I'd forgotten about that, Jol. Thanks." Her brow wrinkled as she asked, "Um, if Selmak is female shouldn't we at least try to find a female host?"
Jolinar shook her head, telling her, "Selmak's pain at the loss of Saroosh will be deep, but Selmak prefers to be male. Although we are asexual, we do appear to have gender preferences. I have always preferred female hosts, Lantash and Malek, the Tok'Ra you just met, have always preferred male hosts. Selmak prefers a male host, as well, but as most of us have had to do, we can adapt to a gender change. We would just prefer not to have to do so."
Sam nodded her understanding, before changing the subject and asking, "You are going to tell them the truth, if you are alone with them, aren't you?"
"Yes, I must if our good-byes are to mean anything."
"Okay, but only if they are completely alone, right?"
"Of course. I will not jeopardize our goals, Samantha, not even for an old friend."
Sam nodded, as they entered the room. The elderly woman lying there appeared to be alone. After checking thoroughly, and finding no one there, and no easy way for someone to arrive without her knowledge, Jolinar took control and stepped up to the side of the platform.
TBC