Chapter 26
The world descended into thunderous noise as they all opened up on the charging dinosaurs and the armoured men further back. The AK bucking in her hand, Regina hammered the oncoming pack, the high powered rounds punching deep. All around her everyone was firing away, a mix of human weaponry and those zat weapons. It was almost beautiful to watch those blue lightning bolts stab out, sending crackling tendrils over whatever they hit.
Several of the men toppled backwards, their armour sparking from impacts. From the sounds, Regina was able to tell that O'Neill and Carter were the ones taking them out.
Good thing too, she realised, ducking as a volley of golden yellow bolts sped towards her. Crouched below the level of the window, she heard the bolts hammer into the wall, sending tiny shivers running through it.
Looking about, she saw the young red-head, Willow, sat on the floor by the next window along, shaking like a leaf. The zat she held was clutched tightly in her pale hands, and her head was bowed. She jumped though when with a mighty roar Dylan fired his anti-tank rifle. She smirked slightly when she saw one of the Allosaurs head jerk backwards before the seventeen foot tall beast crashed to the ground.
The next few minutes were a blur as fire was exchanged between both sides. Staff blasts hammered the tavern, taking small chucks out of the walls but barely hurting the building. The raptors held back, the bodies of several of their fellows' proof that rushing forwards was suicide, even for them. The Allosaur's were hanging back too, clearly wary of Dylan's gun.
But the Jaffa however were relentless, even as more of them fell to their guns. Several took cover behind the corpses of fallen Allosaur's, allowing them to get closer.
And worryingly, they were running out of ammo. Short bursts were all they could do now. She'd seen O'Neill switch off to his own zat, saving the ammo for his P90.
Regina's own gun ran dry, but before she could snatch up another clip several staff weapons fired at her. She threw herself down, dropping the gun in the process. Above her the concentrated volley smashed into the wall, completely destroying the window and making a much larger hole in the wall.
Looking from the floor, she blinked a few times to try and clear the ringing in her head, but frozen when she saw the doors blown open, O'Neill and Carter sent flying ahead of the heavy door. Faster even than them was a ripple in the air that reached the bar and shattered every bottle and glass on and behind it. Her hearing returned to the sound of breaking glass.
O'Neill rolled onto his back before sitting up, a wince on his face. "Damn! Fall back upstairs!" He bellowed, bringing the P90 up and firing a long burst through the now barren doorway. The squeal of a wounded raptor could be heard.
Dragging her own MP-5's from her back, Regina hauled herself upright and began firing out through the hole where the window she had been stood at had been. The raptors were pushing forwards again, only now the fire was too thin to stop them. The first through the hole got both guns hammering it, and it collapsed half in and half out.
O'Neill stayed at the door way, counting off everyone past him. As Grant hurried past he stopped shooting to reach down and prime a grenade. Tossing it through the door, he turned and half ran towards the stairs, passing behind Regina who was stood before a hole, blazing away with both weapons.
Upstairs Rick and Jones flinched as an explosion went off just beneath them, but Teal'c didn't react. Instead he continued to fire out, hunting for the Jaffa. He could hear the sounds of others piling into the room behind him, but he ignored them.
A raptor suddenly leapt up from the ground, its feet landing on the handrail. Even Teal'c was startled at this incredible leap, but he didn't give it time to capitalise on the surprise. His first shot took it in the chest, the second in the neck.
It snarled, but Dylan shoved the barrel of his shotgun into its yawning mouth and pulled the trigger. The blast pitched the creature backwards off the balcony.
Before any of them could celebrate though a grey sphere, about the size of a grapefruit, arced over the balcony and the overturned table to thud into the carpet just behind them. Teal'c's eyes widened; he knew what that was.
"What the hell..." Was all Buffy got out before the entire room was washed out with a blinding white light and an ear splitting noise.
Out in the hall, at the top of the stairs, O'Neill heard the screaming noise. He looked up and saw the light shining out from around the corner. "Ah hell..." He muttered.
Around him the others didn't say anything, as another raptor had appeared at the base of the stairs. It quickly joined the three other dead ones on the floor, but as it fell an arm whipped round the corner below, sending a second grey sphere flying up towards them.
Rak'hesh looked down at the captives, dragged out of the battered tavern by his remaining Jaffa. This small band of humans – and that pesky Tok'ra! - were responsible for the death of most of his new army, and almost all of his Jaffa! Anger surged through him as he raised his hand, the jewel in the device glowing as he aimed at O'Neill's head...
He paused, then slowly lowered his arm. There were better ways to punish these upstarts.
"Bring them all." He roared before stalking off. Behind him the Jaffa heaved up the nineteen prisoners, three working together to man-handle the raptor.
X-X-X-X-X-X
O'Neill woke to a splitting headache, blindness and shooting pains in his shoulders. Biting back a curse, he tried to work out where he was and what kind of crap they were in this time.
Working his arms, he quickly figured that he was locked in a set of manacles hanging from the ceiling. Thick, heavy chains led upwards.
"Hey..." He croaked. "Anyone else awake?"
"O'Neill." Teal'c spoke from somewhere over his right shoulder.
"Hey, Teal'c. Any idea where we are?"
"I believe we are imprisoned somewhere within Rak'hesh's base."
O'Neill was about to make a wise-crack comeback, but a feminine moan from somewhere ahead of him diverted his attention.
"Oh... what was that?" Regina spoke in slurred tones.
"A Gou'ald shock grenade. The blindness will pass." Teal'c supplied.
"Oh, thanks. That makes me feel a lot better." Regina replied with clear sarcasm. Jack chuckled in response. He was really beginning to like her.
Over the next few minutes everyone else came to as well. When his eyes were once more working right O'Neill looked about, seeking an escape route. Each and every one of them were locked into manacles suspended from the ceiling, their wrists held above their heads. The shorter members of their group, like Janet, Buffy and Paula, were stretched almost to the point where they were standing on tiptoe to keep their feet on the ground. As O'Neill had expected, they had been stripped of all weapons and gear, though Regina still had her armour. Likely the Jaffa couldn't figure out how to get it off her. They were also separated into two groups, the men in one cell and the women in another, facing them. The only one out of place was Carter, who was strung up alongside O'Neill. Mar'tan was locked in a small cage at the end of the room, barely able to move due to the bars around him.
As if summoned by his thoughts the door to his left opened, and a pair of Jaffa stomped in. O'Neill felt his guts coil. You were safe in a cell. It was when they came and took you out that you were in trouble.
Two Gou'ald raptors stalked in, their foot claws clinking against the stone floor. He saw Grant shiver at the sound, just as Rak'hesh himself strode in. He'd changed from the battle armour to ornate robes.
"The 'Mighty' SG1." He said, stopping before O'Neill and looking him in the eye with all the cruelty that the Gou'ald were known for.
O'Neill cocked his head. "Hey. How's it hanging?"
A muscle twitched in Rak'hesh's cheek. "You may jest now, but not for long, fool!"
"Really? How so?"
Rak'hesh smiled evilly. "In less than a day an Alkesh will arrive from my master. You and your team will be sent to meet my master in person. He wishes to punish you himself."
"Really?" O'Neill feigned surprise. "Doesn't trust you huh?"
Snarling, Rak'hesh belted O'Neill across the face. "My master may have decreed that only he can punish you himself, but he has granted me the pleasure of dealing with the rest of your group." He turned and ran his eyes over each of the female captives, licking his lips every so often. Janet and Willow felt distinctly unclean, while Regina just glared back with loathing. She hated been an object of lust.
"Some of you might make excellent hosts." Rak'hesh turned back to look over the men. "The rest...well, my loyal son's hunger for man flesh..." He patted one of the raptors on the back of its neck.
"Well... that'd be different." O'Neill commented lightly, although his stomach was hopping madly.
"Trust me, you'll die begging that you had been taken as a host." Rak'hesh laughed. Then his laughter died away as he stepped over to the caged Mar'tan. "Except for you, Tok'ra traitor! You I'll punish for the next thousand years!"
"Nofffhing you can doo too mee will breek mee." Mar'tan snarled back. "I will knot tell you anyythang!"
"Oh, but you will, scum. In the end, everyone breaks..." Laughing, he strode back to the door, were a young woman stood, holding a large closed jar. Lifting the lid, he reached in. O'Neill swallowed nervously. He hated this bit.
A harsh squeaking that SG1 and Janet knew very well came from the jar as Rak'hesh withdrew his hand. Wrapped around his forearm was a long, dark green snake like creature. The head was marked by two glowing red eyes, and the mouth was formed from four fangs opening and closing. Three fish like fins emerged from the back of the head. O'Neill and his team noticed that the fangs weren't as large as normal, and the body appeared fatter and longer.
"Ugh, gross." Buffy commented, pulling a face.
Indy sighed and allowed his head to tip back. "Snakes. It had to be snakes." He spoke quietly with a note of resignation.
"What the heck is that?" Rick asked wide eyed.
"My queen is eager for a host." Rak'hesh turned towards the cell containing the women. "Question is; which one of you will it be?" He smiled as one Jaffa opened the cell, allowing him entry.
"Go fuck yourself." Janet snapped as he stepped up before her. Sam started at her friend's use of language.
Rak'hesh looked her over, leering. "I'd much rather enjoy your body. Even if you are not chosen, I think I'll keep you around." He trapped her jaw for a moment, then released her and stepped onwards… to Willow. The poor young women was shivering in fear. Rak'hesh forced her chin up to look her in the eye.
"I have not seen such fear in a long time." He mused almost disappointedly.
As he moved onto Lara, Bond continued to adjust his watch. He'd started reaching for it just before their captors had entered. Since Rak'hesh had drawn out the symbiote he'd reached for it again. He had to be careful though, as the one Jaffa was still facing them, and he couldn't look at what he was doing without giving the game away. If they were to bust out, they needed to have surprise on their side.
Rak'hesh was reluctant to move on from Lara, or rather her breasts. Lara would have sworn she saw some drool form at the corner of his mouth. She wanted nothing more than to kick this monster in the balls, were his brains were right now. However, she also had no desire to get her own brain fried again like the last time she tangled with a Gou'ald, so she kept silent and still, drawing on her British upbringing to stand unflinching, meeting his lustful gaze with a stony, cold one.
Finally flinching from her glare, he moved on to Sarah. Sarah, much like Willow had, was shaking and fearfully trying to pull away from the snake-creature that Rak'hesh held near her. Ian tried to lunge forwards, but he barely moved a couple of inches before the chains around his wrists stopped him.
O'Neill watched, calm on the exterior, but franticly trying to see an opening on the inside. Chained up as they were however, kind of limited their options. He'd noted that Bond was up to something, but he wasn't sure what. Knowing what he was though, O'Neill was confident it was about getting them out.
Looking over the women in the other cell as Rak'hesh stepped away from Sarah, O'Neill tried to figure out which the Goa'uld would choose. Certainly Rak'hesh favoured the fuller figure, clearly shown by how long he lingered over Lara. He'd spent several long moments with Janet, but very little with Willow...
Jack frowned, then looked again. Willow had stopped shaking like a leaf. She now let her arms hang limply, her eyes closed. As he watched, O'Neill could see her lips move, as if she were chanting. A slight tightening of her eyebrows hinted that she was concentrating, but before O'Neill could wonder what on the Gou'ald began to squeak in an excited manner.
"Ah... I do believe my queen has found the one that pleases her the most." Rak'hesh grinned evilly at the chosen woman.
Regina.