Stargate Hastings

Chapter nine: Battle re-joined

Tokra base, unnamed Tok'ra safe world.

When James had mentioned the coins in his report, Rachael had reached into her pocket to feel them. James did not have a ring to give her, on the night their daughter had been conceived but he had given her something that meant so much more to him, than a ring ever could. The coins were a symbol of his honour, a symbol he had carried with him his entire military career. He could have given them back and saved himself over two decades of war but to do so would have made him feel like a coward. Those coins defined the man that had given them to her and they were more precious to her, than any diamond ring could ever be.

The pity for the creature that her love was doing battle with, had waned to a certain degree. He had used her against James and in return, he had used her against him. She should feel a certain way about that but she knew James had only done it to protect her and the child he did not even know existed. A part of him may have suspected he had a child and that was what she chose to believe.

James was still giving his full report, so she focused once more on what he was saying.

Abydos, Ra's throne room.

When the Gau'auld awoke and looked around the throne room. He was alone with his father except for one other, the one who would become his First prime. It usually only took seconds in the real world to break a human but the Gau'auld knew it had taken longer than usual. His father was sat upon his throne, waiting for him to tell him the name of his Hosts God and the symbols to reach his home world. They were being protected in a part of the Hosts mind, that he never wanted to experience again.

The things that he had done to this man, were seemingly far worse than the place he had pulled him into but it was far more terrifying. Being surrounded by an enemy he knew little about and having to run for his life, with stopping to catch your breath not being an option. He had never experienced anything like it or those whose memories he possessed, never had either. He had won the battle for control of his body but the battle to control his mind was still raging on, unseen by his father.

Ra looked to San'kha then said. "It seems our friend was wrong, his God was not strong enough to defeat a true God. How does that make you feel San'kha?".

San'kha did not know what to feel about it, he should feel vindicated for his faith but he could not get what Ra had said before creating this new God, out of his head. Ra had told the human, that his son would learn the truth of his God but he had told San'kha that he already knew, why would he lie. A god should not have to lie, a god should be all knowing or they were no true God. He was not foolish enough to speak aloud his suspicions, so replied. "I feel nothing my Lord. The human is strong but a God, will always defeat a mortal. My Lord".

"You will make a fine First prime San'kha, none are as devoted to the gods as you". He then turned to the Gau'auld. Unlike before, he realised who was here this time. "When a new God enters this realm, he must prove himself worthy. Tell me my son, have you defeated the demon that was within this vessel?". He had crossed the throne room and was now sat by his side, almost like a genuinely worried parent. He drew the back of his forefinger down Jim's face, as he waited for his sons reply.

When he answered his father, the Gau'auld was unsure and seemed to not show the confidence or arrogance that a Gau'auld normally would. "I have won the battle for this vessel father but when I try to learn of his home world, I can not get past the defences he has placed around them. I need more time f..." He began to scream then, with a rage that even shocked Ra. He was far to experienced to let it show for long but for a moment, he was as taken aback as San'kha was.

Jim listened and waited, he was waiting for just the right moment. The beast would learn true fear, in the place he would send him this time. He would be in the middle of a battlefield, with three dead men atop of him and when he tried to remove himself from the very dangerous predicament, that he found himself in. More would fall, with one mans knee connecting with his head and almost knocking him unconscious. From their it was a race against time to get free or be crushed.

That would keep him busy long enough for his little rant and his target was there, waiting for his eyes to be opened further. He knew what he was going to do, would most likely get a lot of people killed but the only thing he cared about was saving the woman he loved. He did not even care about the earth anymore, she was all he had left. So he waited for the perfect moment and then used Ra's own attempt at manipulation, against him.

The Gau'auld's scream reverberated around the throne room, then became a maniacal laugh that was pure human. When the laugh quieted down it became mocking, as Jim said. "Father, the nasty human will not share his secrets, I need more time please". When he finished what he was saying, the laughter became genuine. He hadn't meant it to but after being tortured for what seemed like an eternity, he just found his little joke hilarious.

He hadn't looked Ra in the face yet but as he had taken back control, he had seen the momentary look of shock on his face. When he did look up at his true enemy, Ra seemed to be amused. So Jim started his game. "I am more dangerous than any God. My God is the bringer of freedom and I am his deliverer, I have already enlightened the minds of five of your children. My death will not stop what I have begun, the cry for freedom will infest them all!". Jim shouted out, he could feel the demon fighting back, he was strong and he had not truly started his breaking yet. Jim would allow him this small victory, it would be those small victories that would break him in the end. Besides he needed him to think him Kek. With the Gau'auld, seemingly feeling it getting easier to subdue him each time.

The Gau'auld pulled him back into his dungeon, only there were five empty torture tables across from him now. They were stood up in the same way his was, so that he would be able to see the people who would be tortured next. The thing with his face looked at him with grudging respect, then said. "That was very impressive, foolish but impressive. My father as never met a slave like you. I would know, he gave me that much of himself".

"I am no slave! Who do you intend to torture now, my aunt Silvia? I hear she is still alive, maybe you will have better luck with her". He knew who would be restrained on the tables, he wanted them there. Jim was not thinking all of this in real time, the Gau'auld would then know his plan. The one that he had devised while being tortured by San'kha. He had needed something to take his mind off of the pain, San'kha was a very skilled torturer.

He had not known about the dreamscape and its infinite possibilities but he had planned to fight back and act weak. Everything was going according to plan, these bastards really were as predictable as Larry had made them seem. They had no real interest in bettering themselves, only keeping the status quo and Ra was the System Lord with the most to lose, if it was to change.

During his long torture sessions with San'kha, he had thought the most about Meera. Not the mother of his grandson but Hassif's sister. Ra had sent her to destroy her family with her own hands but she had hidden the location of her little brother somehow. He did not know how she had done it but if she could, then he knew that he could. It was always his plan to be forced in to killing those five men but unlike Meera. Jim would not be killing the rebels, although what he was going to do probably would get them killed in the end.

By the time he had finished devising plan B. He had been revived that many times, the only thing he really cared about was her. Nobody else mattered and he felt no shame over it. When he had finished plan B and stored it away, he started planning his conquest of the earth. He had a Queen to build a kingdom for and then reign over. He was still being tortured at the time, after all and needed the distraction.

The Gau'auld chuckled to himself before saying. "We will get to her and the one named Richard, he seems to hold a place in your heart, him too but for now, let us begin with something closer to home shall we". Skaara appeared first. "Ra knows of this one, he is the chieftain of the Abydonian slaves son". One by one the other rebels appeared but it was the last one, that made Jim pretend to react.

Nebe'ru was the youngest of the five rebel leaders. He was still a child but he was braver than any of the others. "You really are an Ha'taaka!". Jim spat at the creature, as he played his role.

"Child killer, yes I suppose I am but I am certain you killed some of my kin. They were children as well or do only human children count. Morality is such a complicated concept, especially for a species such as yours. I have learned much, I still have not found the symbols for your world but I have learned so very much. I believe the saying goes. Those in glass houses, should not throw rocks or something like that". The Gau'auld did have a point, he had killed the young of his kind.

"You've got me there but it matters not, the victors write the history books and your kind will not even be in them, when we are through with you". He looked to the rebels as he said this.

Then the torture of the five young men began. Their pain meant nothing to Jim, he knew it was all a fantasy but he played his role anyway. Screaming inside his own head, when it would be himself inflicting the pain. He would not fight back at all this time and he would not take back complete control when the beast awoke to give his report, on the five rebels. He would make it known he was still fighting but it would seem that he was losing the battle. Now was not the time, the beast needed more victories before he would destroy him and he needed to escape.

The beast awoke several times but whenever he would try to tell his father who the rebels were. Jim would fight back and force him to take him back to his dungeon. They would do the same dance each time with new people tortured, with each new session. He did get around to his aunt Silvia, Jim had hated the woman and almost dropped the act to revel in her pain but he was too focused on his purpose, to let that happen.

When the beast woke for the final time in Ra's throne room, Jim allowed him to tell his father the names of the rebels. It was a risk but one he would have to take eventually. Ra could just have them all rounded up and killed or worse. He could learn the symbols for earth from them but the lack of imagination he was counting on, came to his rescue as he knew it would. The beast would take him to the same dungeon each time and always it would be the same. They were creatures of habit and Jim was thankful for that small mercy.

When he told Ra who the rebels were, he was still not pleased with his son. "Your mother was the same as you, she could not destroy her Hosts spirit either. Perhaps the death of his rebellion at his own hands will be enough to finally break him". It was only Ra and his son in the throne room now and the unseen Jim of course.

"I have already defeated him father this vessel is mine now, his defences are weakening by the moment. He is weeping for his mother's sister as we speak. What will my name be father, will I truly be a System Lord?". He had broken one the like, the Gau'auld had never seen before. Why did he still have no name, it was insulting. The Gau'auld thought to himself. The cracks starting to show.

Ra sneered at his son. "Your mother had problems with her own host, I am sure she would have withheld that knowledge from you?".

"She must have father, I know nothing of this". The Gau'auld declared.

"Yes, she has never returned to Abydos, since the day she dealt with that problem. She is my fourth Queen, the only one that as not schemed against me. Hathor was the first, she was formidable. It was because of her that I lost the first world. She slaughtered thousands for a single insult, then when a rebellion started to rise, she slaughtered thousands more. She did it in my name but it was the beginning of the end on that world. The Asgard would have stayed out of it but not for her. Do you know why I speak of this now?". Ra asked him.

He had studied the memories passed down to him whilst a larvae, growing in the pouch of a Jaffa. The first world was lost in the ancient past, why would he speak of it now. "You want me to slaughter the Abydonians, I will..." Ra cut him off before he could finish.

"No you fool! You have all that knowledge but you have found no wisdom in it. I hear more coming from the slave, that you believe to be broken. What are the coordinates for his world? What is the name of his God?". The Gau'auld knew that his life could be forfeit, Ra had killed others for far less.

"I have not yet discovered them father but I am close, he will not be able to hold on much longer. He is weak but he still guards his secrets". His voice was determined.

"You will take your First prime and three other Jaffa and then you will publicly execute the five men, that have been revealed to you. Then you will show mercy by telling the Abydonians, that the families of those men will not be punished and the demon sent to lead them astray as been defeated. Only then will you receive your name and the reason I spoke of Hathor, is so that you can learn from her mistake. If you kill five and show mercy, it will instil fear in the people. If you kill a thousand, those people will hate you and then you will lose them. This is why I need a new system Lord, your siblings have grown cruel even treating their Jaffa like cattle. They are fools and could be the end of us all".

"I will leave immediately father". He went to get up to leave, he needed to do it before the human regained his strength.

Ra stopped him. "No, I will visit them first. Refresh yourself in the Sarcophagus. Then find out what I need to know".

The time came for him to claim his name and defeat this human once and for all. The way he had begged for mercy for these slaves, murdering them with his own hands will destroy him. San'kha his new First prime and three of his fathers finest Jaffa accompanied him. 'Look at them, they believe themselves better than the slaves. It is they who need putting in their place'. A very quiet voice, whispered directly into his brain about them.

The Gau'auld did not react to it, he was not supposed to. Not yet anyway. 'Finally you will have a Queen and you can find the woman he craves'. He whispered again. This time the Gau'auld did react, he became excited. Jim had watched him Lear at Rachael, he had even stopped bringing her to be tortured. He had become fascinated by her, in the same way Jim had. Exactly the same way that Jim had, he had shown him his memories of her. The kind of woman she was and he had took the bait.

They walked across the desert to the outskirts of Nagada, with the almost silent voice building the Gau'auld's confidence. He needed him completely off his guard and also listening to the internal voice that he believed was his own. He could take out two Jaffa but if he could convince him to kill one of them, he was certain San'kha would not attack. The rest would be down to Kaar and the other rebels and whether they could get him to the mines, before the Gau'auld fought back. Jim was certain he could defeat him but only if he was away from Ra and completely restrained.

He had released the Gau'auld to make him seem weaker than he was but if he had tried to keep him trapped there, he did not believe he would have been there long. The Gau'auld's mind was powerful and was why he needed to trick him and when the battle was truly re-joined between them, it would be unending. 'Kill one and the others will fear you'. He whispered, as they got closer to the gathering.

They were wearing a golden silk robe, more finer than any silk he had felt before. It covered their face but they could see clearly through the cloth. San'kha kept looking at them, as if waiting for Jim to take back control. He would take his offer, Jim was certain of that now but he still needed to get rid of one of the Jaffa. It would only take one of them to incapacitate him.

Tokra base, unnamed Tok'ra safe world.

They listened to him recount what the Abydonians had told him about their escape into the caves and then Jim changed again. He was back cowering at the wall trying to get away from them, saying in the voice of the Gau'auld. "Not going there again, I wont let him put me there again. Please don't do that again, he sends me there when he is here. He makes me hurt you there". The pathetic creature begged them.

Richard looked to his cousin and said. "I believe that is enough, we at least know he is still in there".

"Leave I will stay with him". She told him.

"That was not a request, the Tok'ra will know more now. We cannot help him without knowing more, that was him but he was not here with us Rachael. He was in another place and if we are going to find a way to get him out of the hell he is in, the Tok'ra will hopefully have learned something from what just happened".

Richard then said to San'kha. "It is honour to meet you San'kha". In the best Gau'auld he could manage. He understood it fine but he still struggled with speaking the tongue.

"Are you the Lion?". San'kha asked him. Richard nodded, so San'kha said. "Then it is I, that is honoured to meet you".

When the three had left the cell and resealed it. Richard asked Selmak who was waiting for them. "I am told he is not a prisoner. Will it be possible for San'kha to join us, in the council chamber?".

"Guards will need to accompany us but it will not be a problem". She answered in the Symbiote's voice. Then they all headed back towards the council chamber.