Chapter 25
Two yellow-green eyes blinked open. The mind controlling them struggled for a few moments to get them focused; it was used to handling human eyes. Mar'tan checked on his hosts mind; sure enough, the sedative the SGC doctor had administered was still enough to keep it out for a couple more hours. For that Mar'tan was grateful. The raptor was a fiercely intelligent creature, right up there with humans. However it was also a deeply instinctive creature, and it was in no doubt about what it was. It was a hunter, plain and simple. Mar'tan knew that he had to maintain control; letting the raptor loose would be very bad for his human allies.
Feeling out the nervous system of the raptor, he eased the legs over the edge of the table he was resting on. He had to fight his own, learned instinct to bring the heels down, instead standing, in effect, on tiptoe. Fortunately, the Raptors own instincts and coordination made up for his inexperience, and he only wavered a little.
Standing there, he checked himself over, chuckling to himself as he realised just how flexible the raptors neck was. The staff wound on his flank still looked ugly, but it wasn't a mass of charred flesh anymore. There were signs of healing there. The various slashes in his tough hide had all sealed up and scabbed over. Couple of days and they'd be gone.
Facing the door out of the room, Mar'tan raised his snout and sniffed, letting the raptors strong sense of smell work. He was still amazed at how much detail he could get just with smell. It took a few moments for him to sort out the details. There were eighteen distinctive scents, and he realised he could tell each one apart. The scent of one of the females, for instance, was both young and tainted with blood, telling him that she was wounded, badly. Maybe he could help, to ease their concerns...
He froze, then cocked an eye back to view his own back. The satchels he'd roughly thrown across his back was gone. He vaguely recalled them still there when he'd staggered into this building, but he couldn't be sure. The pain at that moment was reaching a point that not even he could endure.
Exhaling partly in frustration and partly in resignation, he stepped towards the door. Reaching out, he tried to open it. It took him a few tries before he managed to get his foreclaws to grip the round knob enough to turn it. Hooking his claws into the edge, he pulled it open slowly...
...and came snout to muzzle with an armed Zat'nika'tel.
Mar'tan froze, barely daring to breath. He understood all too well that these people likely didn't trust him. After all, he could be a Gou'ald pretending to be a Tok'Ra... not that he expected those not of the SGC to understand the difference.
Ever so slowly, he lifted his eyes to the persons face. The impassive features of Teal'c stared back at him, the zat unwavering.
"You caaan put zhat away Teeel'c. I do not wissssh harm oon anny of you." Mar'tan struggled to get the human words out clearly. The raptors mouth and vocal cords had not evolved to create such sounds.
"That remains to be seen." Was Teal'cs reply. "This way."
Sensing that the door to his left went outside, Mar'tan eased his long body to the right, moving slowly and carefully, least he give the wrong impression. Butting the door open, he stepped into the main bar area. Even before he did, he could smell that most of the others were gathered there.
Over a dozen people were sat or stood in the large room, waiting for him, most of them armed in some fashion. Mar'tan knew that even though they were mainly primitive projectile weapons, they could do a lot of damage very quickly. Something he was very keen to avoid. Being shot to bita once already today was enough for him, thank you.
"Glad you could join us." O'Neill quipped from behind his own zat as Teal'c slid out from behind Mar'tan and moved to his right, clearing the line of fire. "Now, got any way to prove you are who you say you are?"
Mar'tan sighed as best he could. "Onnly zhat which I know." His sharp eyesight spotted something near Carter. "Uou haave my bagss?"
Carter nodded, pulling the flap open.
"Wiithin you will fiiind a hand deevisse, a heeealing unnit, aand my communniiicator. I ussed the lassst to make my reportsss." After a nod from O'Neill, Carter looked within the bags. One by one she withdrew the items named.
"Nothing else sir." She reported.
O'Neill kept his gaze on Mar'tan, clearly not shifted either way.
"I know, you require more proof. Verrry well. Maaajor Caarter, I know it wassss you who adminissstered the faaatal ssshot for Mar'tuf. I mourned hisss losssss, but I took comfort that hisss friendsss were the onessss to end hissss torment. I would have done the ssssame."
Carter closed her eyes, turning her head away a little. Mar'tan could feel her grief, for it was his too.
"I alsssoo know of your unplaaaned inter-galllatic trip from your faather. And what happeeenned to Teeel'c..." Teal'c jaw tightened ever so subtly.
"I allsslso know that it wasss us who causssed the dessstruction of Netu, from which you were ressscuing your father and Selmak." He looked at O'Neill, who shifted a little. Mar'tan lowered his head, realising that looking at someone right now would only unsettle them. "And I know zhat you yourssself O'Neiil came very clossse to being a hossst for one of Hathoor's ssservantss, and how it wasss adverted."
"Al'right, that's enough." O'Neill spoke before he could continue. With a 'click' his zat folded back up to its storage mode as it disarmed. Mar'tan allowed himself to breathe a little easier, as slowly the others eased off their weapons, though several looked reluctant. "So, how'd you wind up in this mess with us lowly humans?"
"I wassss a deep cover operative." Mar'tan began, allowing himself to sink into a chair. It took him a few moments to figure out how to sit comfortably. "I infiltrated the lowwwer levelsss of Anubissess followersss, posssing asss a minor Goa'uld. After the insssident with the asssteroid, Selmak desscided that we needed to have intel from within about any plansss of hissss regarding Earth."
"Let me guess, just a wild guess, but that's where those other dinos come in?"
Mar'tan nodded slowly. "Correct. Rak'hesh is power hungry, and helped work on the Kull warrrriors. He sssuggessted the use of Unasss at firssst, but wasss over-ruled. After you developed the meansss to fight them, Rak'hesh wasss given a sssecond chanssse.
"His inssstructionss were to dessstroy you from within, without eventsss being linked back to Anubisss. He usssed a cloaked Alkessh to arrive on thisss world, bringing with him a handful of Jaffa and myssself, asss a Technical Asssisstant." He bowed his head low, almost to the bare wooden floor boards. "Sssadly, I wasss unable to find a meansss of ssssabotaging the work without exposssing mysssself. I did not even learn of the creaturesss he planned to ussse until barely a day ago."
Silence fell for a moment, before O'Neill asked the question on everyone's minds. "So how'd you get caught?"
"I made an early report, hoping that by relaying the information I had dissscovered, I could warn you and give you time to prepare. However, I was disssscovered during my transssmisssion. After ssserveral minutesss pursuit, I was caught." He shivered, the end of his tail quivering. "The human guardsss zhat had caught desssided to dissspose of me... by feeding me to the creaturessss."
"Ouch." O'Neill winced. Several of the others were also looking sick.
"That's when you acquired your new host?" Carter asked softly. Mar'tan just nodded, the memories too painful.
After a few seconds O'Neill spoke again. "So... what can you tell us about what's going on?"
Mar'tan shook himself, throwing off the terrible memories. "Rak'hesssh is, asss I sssaid, hungry for power. He'sss gained Anubissesss trussst, and from what I overheard, He'sss hoping that Earth will become hisss new powerbase. The queen he'sss been working with isss willing to ssswitch her allegiance. I sssusspect that he'll ssstart looking to improve the beassstss asss either hossstss, or as a replacccement for the Jaffa. I know he'sss already consssidering refitting the weaponsss usssed by the Kull Warriorsss to fit the raptorsss."
"Oh great, that's all we need." A red-haired women snapped. "Raptors' with guns."
"Sweet image though..." O'Neill muttered. He fingered the Hand Device and healing unit. "Can you work these?"
Slowly Mar'tan got up and stepped over, making sure to keep his limbs relaxed. He could still see apprehension in many of their eyes. Bringing his left arm up, he allowed his claws to clink against the devices. "The Healing devissse, I think so. The Hand Device... unlikely."
O'Neill nodded. "Mind using your voodoo powers with that to get us back on our feet?"
X-X-X-X-X-X
Warmth spreading through her belly drew Paula to consciousness. A low humming sound filled the air, coming from just above her. As she lay there, she actually could feel her strength and health returning. Her eyelids flickered.
"She's coming around." That woman, the one who'd tended to her, told her not to give up, spoke.
The humming died away, taking with it the source of the warmth. Forcing her eyes to open, she caught a glimpse of someone backing away before the dark-red haired woman and her father filled her vision.
"Papa?" She croaked, her throat dry.
"Paula..." He half whispered, stroking her hair while the women examined her stomach... where she'd been kicked by the allosaur.
"Better..." Paula heard the woman mutter. Blinking, she pushed herself upright, amazed that it didn't hurt. Glancing down, she gasped when she saw unbroken skin. Surely she should have a gaping hole in her belly?
"Whoa, take it easy for the moment." The woman told her, putting her hands on Paula's shoulders. "You're still going to be a little weak for a day or so." She looked towards her father. "Lt Morden can fill you on everything." With that she left the small room, closing the door behind her.
Paula looked at her father in confusion. "What did she mean?"
X-X-X-X-X-X
Lara was just having her own shoulder treated by Mar'tan when they both heard Paula's yell of "WHAT!?!" come from within the closed room. Lara chuckled but didn't say anything, while Mar'tan focused on using the device.
It was tough though, as he also had to rein in the raptor's mind too. The scent of blood hung in the air, driving the predator within wild. Mar'tan had to again and again slap it down, stop it making a play for control. He didn't like to do it – it was the same thing the Goa'uld did to their hosts – but at that moment he had no choice. He had made some progress in reasoning with the raptor though, and he hoped that sometime in the future it would be willing to curb its own instincts and work alongside humans. But for now, the bloodlust was too strong to resist, and Mar'tan had to keep it repressed.
X-X-X-X-X-X
O'Neill looked about the lounge area, a tiny smile lurking at the corners of his mouth. Almost everyone was there, and in fighting form. Only Teal'c was absent, standing watch once more. Mar'tan had gone over everyone with the healing device, restoring them all to full health. Regina had proved to be a genius with the guns, and now every one of them had at least two they could use. Between himself and the other trained people, they'd given each of the others a quick and dirty lesson on handling firearms. They mainly had zats and shotguns, ideally suited for them. The rest carried the more deadly weaponry.
Throughout the day he'd watched them all, gauging their moods and feelings. He knew what his team had to do now, and he was certain that they'd get at least some backup. But he wondered...
"Okay folks. Now that we're all back on our feet and able, it's time to decide." He started, his words causing the others to still and fall silent. Even the Tok'ra raptor lifted his head from where he'd been resting.
"My team is going to go in and take out that snake at the heart of this disaster. The rest of you, it's up to you what you do. Stay here, make a break for the outside, whatever." Sitting back, he watched as the others looked at each other. Secretly, he knew that his team would at least have Bond, the Tok'ra and Regina's team as backup, but it was the others that he was not sure about.
Gail stood up, looking O'Neill in the eye. "We're with you."
"Asss am I." The Tok'ra growled, his eyes narrow.
Bond shrugged. "I feel like doing a spot of big game hunting." He said, hefting an AK.
Nodding in acceptance, O'Neill looked over towards the others. These people were not military. They were just normal people caught up in all this.
Before any of them could speak though, the radio on O'Neill's shoulder squawked. "O'Neill!"
"Ya Teal'c?"
"Many Jaffa and dinosaurs approach our position."
For a moment nobody moved, then they came alive, snatching up weapons and moving out of the lounge. O'Neill moved to the door and opened it a crack, peering out.
Two large phalanxes of Jaffa marched towards them, one down each street. On either flank of the Jaffa loped along packs of raptors, while stalking along behind them were towering Allosaurs. The groups halted a block away, silent.
Glancing over his shoulder, O'Neill saw Carter and Regina close by. Each window was also manned by one of their number.
Looking out ahead, O'Neill saw one phalanx open up... and a man in gold armour stalked forwards.
"Is that..." the quietly spoken fear filled words prompted him to look to his left. There the young redhead was stood looking out, eyes wide and the zat she held was shaking.
"Yeah, that's the one." He told her comfortingly.
The Goa'uld stopped on the far corner, glaring towards the tavern. "Surrender now, and you may live. Resist, and you will all die... slowly." He bellowed in that resonating, alien voice.
O'Neill couldn't help it: he just had to make some witty come back. Sticking his head out the door, he looked at the Goa'uld.
"Come again?"
With a thunderous look on his face, the Goa'uld took a couple of steps forward. "Surrender, or all of you will die!"
O'Neill glanced back into the tavern, then looked back. "Got a better option?"
Behind him Carter smiled even as she rolled her eyes. That was typical O'Neill, taunting the Bad Guys with witty banter.
Ra'hesh was close enough that they could see his face, and he looked pissed. "O'Neill. I know your face. That means that the rest of SG1 must be in there too..."
O'Neill smirked to himself for a moment. "Yea, there's hundreds of us in here. Say, who are you again? I'm terrible with names."
Ra'hesh scowled, then raised his left hand... which was shrouded in a Goa'uld hand device.
O'Neill snapped up his P90 and pulled the trigger, hoping to beat him to the punch. However, Ra'hesh's right arm whipped across and he slapped down on his left forearm. The Goa'uld personal shield snapped up, deflecting his bullets.
"Damn." O'Neill muttered. "Too far for a knife throw..." He muttered. Behind him, BuffY Summers frowned, then snatched up her crossbow.
O'Neill watched as Rak'hesh raised his arm, aiming... Something whizzed past his ear, and Rak'hesh lurched, a short piece of wood poking out from under his right arm.
Looking over his shoulder, O'Neill saw young Miss Summer prime her last bolt.
Outside, Rak'hesh glared at the tavern. "You will all die for your impudence!" He yelled, before backing away. "Cree Jaffa, Kra'sork, Hal'tak von ruo!"