Stargate Hastings part two

Chapter four: Escape from Abydos

Briefing room, underneath the Stamford estate.

After the conversation about becoming hosts to Tok'ra Symbiote's, had calmed down. The Abydonians continued, the retelling of the past twelve months.

Abydos.

Jeem and the beast, continued their battle but they no longer knew, which was which. With the voice of the beast, he would talk words of advice and with Jeem's voice, he would call them Shol'va and describe what he would do to them, to ensure his father gave him his name. They had no idea what he meant by that but San'kha had.

When Jeem had been first taken as a host, he had fought the Gau'auld inside and even took back control. Long enough to continue his fanatical rants. Ra had been very displeased. As a punishment, Ra had not given him a name. He had told him, that when the rebels were killed. He would receive it then. It was as if they no longer knew who they were but they both knew, that they had to continue the fight. It got so bad, that they moved him to another cave and even San'kha would be happy. When someone relieved him of his guarding duties.

When not guarding the ever more insane Jeem, San'kha had begun training with the rebels and even found himself training them. The more he did, the more he started embracing his freedom. San'kha and Fa'ruuk's son Skaara, would play the roles of the Jaffa. With the rebels setting up ambush points and doing their best to take them down. As they had when fighting Jeem and Robert, they were not victorious but they were improving, with each engagement.

Along with embracing his freedom, San'kha's respect was growing for the rebels. He and Kaar would talk for hours at a time, about the battles he had fought in Ra's name. He had also told Kaar, that his brother had been lucky and that he would not underestimate him a second time. San'kha had told him, that he had never seen a slave as large as Nebu and that he seemed possessed, when he had broken his neck. Kaar told him that Nebu was possessed and the others had all laughed in agreement.

After weeks of mapping out the caves and ambushing any Jaffa that made it too close to them. They had enough weapons for all of them and some extra, that they began stockpiling. They had not found a way out but San'kha came up with an idea. Whenever they were searching the caves, they would always carry a torch. He told them, that once they knew a cave was safe. They should extinguish their torches and search for beams of light in the darkness. They searched all of the caves they had previously and eventually found a place they could dig themselves out.

It came out close to the mines and not far away from the city. Nebe'ru who was the youngest among them and also the smallest. Was tasked with finding someone they could trust and bringing them back to the caves. So they could tell them everything, that had happened in their absence. After a couple of days of waiting. Nebe'ru returned with Darrik and news they were not expecting.

Ra had not punished the people and was instead offering great rewards, in this life and the afterlife. For anyone who gives him information on the demon and his children, that had been led astray. Ra was claiming, that he had been tricked by the demon. A demon from the time, before time. He was claiming that this demon must be stopped or the gods would leave this realm. Bringing the end to all things.

Jeem had been in one of his more lucid states and had been present for the telling of the news. "You see San'kha, he tells them the same lie he told you. Only he claimed he already knew, when he lied to you".

Darrik then said. "Yes, that is what he tell us. He say this is a test of our faith. We must choose the gods or the end will come".

San'kha started laughing hysterically, with everyone looking on with apprehension. It was Jeem who explained or the demon, they could not tell anymore. "He is only now realising, that he truly is as much a slave, as any of you and...". San'kha cut him off.

"So are my people and they are even more slaves, than all of you. The Primta I carry will one day mature and when it does, I will either find a new Primta or I will die. My son will come of age soon, if he does not receive a Primta, in the ancient ceremony. He will also die. Even if my people were to rise up, it would only mean our deaths. They would die free but they would die". None of them had asked San'kha, if he had a family.

Darrik asked him. "Your wife and child. Ra will punish them?".

San'kha smiled, then stated. "My wife as long believed the gods are false, she hides it well but not from her husband. When Ra comes, she will have a means of escape. I once feared for Kendra's soul. When she would tell me, that the soul was a lie. One to strike fear into the hearts of Jaffa and ensure they would continue to die. Safe in the knowledge, that they would be rewarded in the afterlife".

It was Kaar who broke the silence. "I am sure they are safe brother but she is wrong. There is an afterlife!".

"How can you know this? If the gods are false, then we can believe nothing they have told us". San'kha said to everyone there.

Nebe'ru answered for them all. "I know, because I choose to know. I believe, because I choose to believe. The gods they will not be there, if they are, I will still be free!". The determination in his voice, perfectly described how all the rebels felt. They had been given a taste of freedom and that was more powerful than any God or the power that they possessed. San'kha had not truly understood what freedom meant until that day, they were all certain of that. He had gotten involved but they suspected, that was more for something to do.

After that day. San'kha became the unofficial leader of the rebellion and new recruits were slowly bought in. They could not wield a staff like a Jaffa, their enhanced strength made that possible but they were able to adapt the tactics, that the people of the Tauri had been teaching them. With the range, that the Ma'tok staff afforded them. They went over strategies, that they could use in the desert.

San'kha told them, that he could render the helms of the Jaffa useless. If a Zat'nik'tel was set to overload, for a short time their sensors would be blind and even those of Ra's vessel. San'kha had used the tactic against Ra's enemies but the effect would not last long. Ra had stopped sending Jaffa to their deaths and instead pumped lethal gas through the caves. Only for it all to be sucked into unseen vents, in the ceilings of those caves. None had fallen sick and it was hoped Ra believed his plan successful.

Jeem was becoming sick though, his skin had become deathly pale and he refused to eat. He would still take water but only when he was not doing battle with himself and even then it was the Gau'auld, that would accept it. When he was able to speak and they were certain it was him, he would tell them to kill him. He would say that the only chance they had, was if he was not with them. He was losing the battle and he rambled about the gods knowing nothing about evil and how his kind made them look like children, compared to them.

They knew he was talking to the beast within but he would stare at them as he ranted, as if warning them. Whatever he was showing the beast, was doing just as much harm to him and they would hear them both crying. When they would try to comfort him, he would beg for death.

When the beast would be in control, he spoke of Gau'auld called the Tok'ra and that they were the only ones who could help them. San'kha knew of the Tok'ra and confirmed that they were enemies of the Gau'auld but he did not know, that they were Gau'auld. They did not believe they could trust the demon and even if they did. He did not know where to find them anyway or even where to start. Jeem needed help or he was going to die and none of them wanted that. He had become a symbol for the rebellion, the one who even a God could not defeat. They could not let him die but they would not find the Tok'ra on Abydos. So they devised a plan to attack the Stargate and leave this world.

They would attack in two waves. The first would attack from the Stargate chamber itself and the second, would storm the building that housed the Stargate, from the outside. With Ra on Abydos, along with a sizable contingent of his Horus guards. Instead of one large shipment of Naquadah, they were delivering smaller, regular shipments.

Some of the people were turning out to show their devotion, in the hope Ra would spare them. San'kha told Fa'ruuk, to encourage more people to attend and for them to keep edging closer to the pyramid, with each shipment. When the time came for them to escape, it would be the new rebels who carried the precious cargo. Their weapons would be hidden from Ra's sensors by the proximity to the Naquadah and when the attack came from within the building. It was hoped they would believe it was coming through the Stargate.

When the Horus guards. San'kha's former brothers, hopefully rush to their aid. San'kha and the rest of the rebels. Would then overload a Zat'nik'tel and commence their attack from the rear, taking them by surprise, in theory. The presence of Naquadah in the ground, should hide their weapons but the further away they went from the mines, the more chance those weapons could be detected. They would still have to be a good distance away from the pyramid but if those inside could reach cover and create a stand off, they would have enough time to reach them.

They had twenty seven men including Jeem and San'kha but Jeem would need two men and Sha're and Nebu Jr, two more to protect them. Which left twenty two. San'kha insisted that he stay with Jeem and Kaar volunteered as well. Darrik and Hassif senior would protect Sha're and Nebu Jr. Hassif Jr would lead the attack. Ne'rut senior would lead the attack from inside the pyramid and would feed Ra false information, before they attacked.

Ne'rut had pledged himself and his son to the cause. Both Hassif's, had tried to convince him. That they were not building a resistance but he wanted to make amends and would not leave them alone. In the end they had no choice and with him being trusted by Ra, there would be less chance of them being searched. Ne'rut insisted that he not be told anything and that he would stay behind and face Ra's wrath. He had crawled on his belly too long and wanted Ra to know he had defied him. He told Hassif senior, that he wanted his son to be proud of him. He knew little Ne'rut had heard, what they say about his father.

Nasseef interrupted them then. "Where is Ne'rut, where is my friend?". He looked scared, as he said the words.

His father answered him. "He is well son. He was too small to join the attack but he and some others stayed behind, so they can continue building a resistance".

They then continued. The younger brothers of the four rebel leaders, were taught all they would need to recruit others. They had already been training with their brothers and the elders would help with what they could. Ne'rut Jr had taken the place of Kaar, as his brothers would all be leaving with them. The elder whose name was Skaara, would be the new leader of the rebels.

When the day arrived, everything went as they had planned. They lost six men, when they assaulted the building. They were ambushed by four Jaffa, that were lying in wait but they were quickly overpowered by their superior numbers. Two more were lost from the group in the Stargate chamber, with only Ne'rut and the other rebel left standing. Fighting like men possessed, to keep the Jaffa pinned down and unable to break cover.

The plan was for San'kha and Kaar to stay with Jeem, until it was time to attack the Stargate chamber. With Ne'rut and the other rebels keeping them occupied, the two Jaffa at the entrance were easily taken down. With the attention now drawn to the new arrivals, Ne'rut started hitting more Jaffa and when they stormed the chamber, the Jaffa were overwhelmed.

Once they inputted the coordinates for a world San'kha had told them, the Jaffa would not follow them to. They ushered the men who they had left a still bound Jeem with, into the Stargate chamber and then Sha're and her son were guided in by Hassif senior. Darrik was following to keep the woman and child covered.

As Darrik reached the end of the corridor, they heard a staff weapon discharge and Darrik's arms spread out so he could keep himself still standing. Two more shots were heard impact him but he did not fall. He looked down at the little boy in his mothers arms and said. "I die free, so that you can live free". He then screamed at the others "Go you fools!".

Ne'rut ran toward Darrik and started using him as a shield, as he fired two Zat'nik'tel's at the advancing Jaffa. San'kha and Kaar started sending the others through. Before he went through the Stargate himself, he took one last look at the brave free men. Just in time to see Ne'rut go down and moments later, Darrik finally fall on top of him. He sent multiple blasts of energy at their bodies, as they had agreed they would to the fallen.

The last thing he saw before leaving, was the face of a false God. It was not Ra but the one he could have became himself and he had told Kaar later. That he knew in that moment, that he had made the correct choice. He was free!

The people who had been listening to the story were stunned, into silence. Joseph Hammond spoke first. "Are you completely certain, that these Tok'ra can be trusted?".

Before anyone answered. Richard asked. "How did you find them?".

Hassif Jr replied. "We did not, they found us".