A/N: here's the next bit. I'm really sorry it's taking so long, but RL is a
bit intense at the mo!! Happy 18th to suds, this one's for you! (and arnise
who also had a b'day!!)
sharim
Chapter Twelve
There was concern in her chest, bubbling briskly like water poured from a bottle. She tried to step on it, to quell the strange unease in her breast. But still it remained, niggling and moving around constantly within her, reminding her of its presence.
Cal'ma sighed in irritation, a frown marring her usually smooth brow.
Why? Why was she feeling concern for the two Tau'ri? They were her enemy, and one was not supposed to feel concern for an enemy.
Perhaps the unease was there simply because she feared what would happen to her if the Tau'ri died. If the sarcophagus could not save them.
Nut would not be pleased.
Nut would kill Cal'ma for failure.
Cal'ma sighed, her back stiff and aching from her constant vigil over the decorated golden bed of the gods. Her eyes were thick and dry; her body longed for Kel'no'reem.
Perhaps it was the lack of Kel'no'reem that was playing with her mind, playing with her emotions, making it seem as though she felt concern for the Tau'ri.
She sighed in annoyance. She was lying to herself. She did feel concern. And, unwanted and reluctant as it may be, the concern was growing within her by the minute.
They should have awakened by now. The sarcophagus should have opened by now, spilling the golden light from its bowels into the dim room and releasing its two prisoners.
At her feet lay the bag the Tau'ri had returned with. Cal'ma stared at it suspiciously, her eye studying the now familiar black canvas with the stitching so small it was almost hidden from view.
She longed to pick it up and examine it, to see what strange objects he had returned with. She wondered why Nut had not payed interest to it.
With another glance towards the sarcophagus, Cal'ma reached down at gingerly lifted the bag to her lap. It was light and the was material rough against her fingers. Quickly she undid the ties, pulling the strange metal tab that made an odd noise when it opened the bag. She studied the strange row of metallic teeth, wondering at what made them bite together to hold the bag closed.
Inside, however, were the real curiosities.
A small blue object made of a foreign material with short bristles on one end and a long, smooth handle caught her attention. She frowned as she studied it, wondering at its purpose.
Shrugging, she put it aside only to pull out another one similar, this one red in colour with a slightly longer handle.
A soft tube followed, and when she removed the small covering an odd smelling white paste squeezed onto her finger. Cal'ma sniffed at it, wondering what the strange lettering and pictures on the sides meant.
A noise caught her attention, and she quickly placed the objects back into the bag, standing up to study the sarcophagus.
Slowly the sides parted and the soft glow spilled into the room, lighting the dim corner Cal'ma had been seated in. Her heart rate quickened; were they alive or not?
Movement.
A smile broke onto Cal'ma's features, but she remembered in time that they were her enemy. She frowned. Why did she experience such emotions for these people when she had only communicated with them briefly, and they were the enemy of her people?
"I. what?"
"Colonel?"
"Carter?"
"Uh.. Sir. your hand."
"Oh. yeah."
She watched silently as they sat up awkwardly, trying to untangle their limbs from one another. It had been hard getting the male into the sarcophagus as well as the female, but they had managed it.
"Cal'ma?" the woman frowned, her confused gaze resting on Cal'ma.
"You are alive," Cal'ma observed.
"Very astute," the male replied sarcastically.
"What happened?" Carter asked as she climbed stiffly out of the sarcophagus, stretching her back while she waited for the male to climb out as well.
"You went too far," Cal'ma said softly, her eyes resting on O'Neill. "Nut warned you that you could not be far away for long periods of time."
A look of unease rested on their features, and they gazed at one another hesitantly.
"I see you had time to get changed," Carter eventually broke the silence.
"Uh. yeah. There's some stuff in the bag for you."
"What bag?" Carter frowned curiously.
"This one?" Cal'ma reached for the black canvas and lifted it up.
"That's it," the man agreed, reaching for it.
Cal'ma handed it over reluctantly, wishing she could ask what the strange, small objects with white bristles did. They could not be for one's hair, they were much too small.
"Did you find Geb?" Carter asked suddenly, her blue eyes focused steadily on the man's eyes.
The man shook his head negatively. "No. Daniel and your Dad-"
"Dad?" Carter looked surprised.
"Yeah. I met them on Abydos. The two of them-" He stopped suddenly, his gaze turning toward Cal'ma. "The two of them said 'hi'."
Cal'ma knew that they wished to talk privately, without her company. She narrowed her eyes, watching them. What could they want to talk about that she must not hear? "Come," she ordered, sweeping out.
Sometime, over the course of her time with Carter, Cal'ma learnt that the Tau'ri woman was honest in her motives. Cal'ma need not fear them, and need not order an escort. They would follow her.
~o0o~
The pen was tapping persistently on the desk. Teal'c remained silent, his eyes following the erratic movements of the smooth object.
"Do you think he's okay?" Daniel Jackson asked softly, not turning his head to face Teal'c.
Teal'c considered the question. O'Neill was strong and there was a stubbornness within the man's mind. But to have his heart stop because of separation from Major Carter. Teal'c had never seen that happen before, nor heard of it either.
"O'Neill will not let himself die at the hands of a Goa'uld," Teal'c said carefully. "And I do not believe that Nut will let him die unless she has discovered the whereabouts of Geb."
The pen ceased tapping. "What then?"
What then? Teal'c sighed, wishing he could lie to Daniel Jackson. "I do not know."
"How do you think Jacob's going with Shu's Might?" The pen resumed its slow tapping.
"We shall found out soon, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c closed his eyes, blotting out the annoyance of Daniel Jackson's anxiety and released himself into the state of Kel'no'reem.
*
Daniel sighed, letting the pen quiet on the tabletop before he turned to face Teal'c. The Jaffa was sitting silently on the mat, his eyes closed in meditation. Daniel felt a momentary pang of guilt for annoying Teal'c and keeping him from a much needed Kel'no'reem, but he needed someone to talk to. Someone steady who would understand his confusion and pain. Someone who would encourage his burning hatred for the Goa'uld.
Janet didn't understand that. She was wonderful to talk to, a great friend, but the Goa'uld didn't affect her much more than injuring her people, and she could often patch them up.
No, that was a lie. The Goa'uld were just as much at war with her as the rest of them. The only difference was that Janet didn't hate. She was a doctor, and if a Goa'uld needed medical attention, she would give it to the Goa'uld. She'd proven that with Apophis already.
Running a tired hand through his dishevelled hair, Daniel stumbled to his quarters. Maybe he'd missed something in his books. maybe there was something somewhere that he hadn't noticed.
With an audible groan he collapsed onto his bed, rubbing at his eyes. He looked up and studied his reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall: bleary eyed and a bit more than 5 o'clock shadow, his BDU's still sand covered and creased. He blinked, swallowing dry spit through his cardboard rough mouth.
They had been close. That close to getting them back. He'd seen Jack, touched the man with his own fingers. The robes Jack had been wearing were probably still lying in a heap on the floor of his quarters where he'd dumped them.
But Jack had slipped away from them, the same way water ran through Daniel's fingers, pulling Sam and all Daniel's hope away out of reach and back into the Goa'uld's grasp.
~o0o~
The tension was unbearable; even Selmac was tense.
Jacob fidgeted as he sat at the crystal table top, trying to keep still so as not to distract Anise.
I think I may have found it! Anise looked up, success shining bright in her blue eyes.
"And?"
Shu was much loved by Ra for following his orders and worshipping him, so he presented Shu with his position as God of the Sky. Along with the title, Ra gave Shu an entire system to rule. Shu revelled in his powers, and there were many tales of his greatness.
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "How is that supposed to help us find Geb?"
Shu's empire was powerful. Almost powerful enough to rival that of Ra.
Jacob frowned, waiting to see where it was going.
It was known as the Might of Shu, or Shu's Might.
A grin split Jacob's face wide as the news rolled over him. "Where is it?"
The old Erballian system.
"That's been deserted for centuries," Jacob nodded his head thoughtfully.
Ever since Geb and his forces defeated Shu.
Jacob mulled over the information.
Why did Geb attack Shu, and not Ra? Selmac questioned slowly.
Anise's eyes lit up. My theory is that Ra was becoming wary of both Shu and Geb's forces. What better way than to eliminate both threats by getting them to attack one another? That way, Ra's forces would suffer little loss when he captured Geb's forces, which would have been greatly weakened by the battle with Shu.
Jacob nodded, standing up abruptly. "Do we have an address for the planet?"
Anise shook her head negatively. I do not believe so. There is a Stargate, but it was a Goa'uld homeworld and the address would not be known. The quickest and easiest method of travelling there would be by teltac.
Jacob nodded, taking the information into advice. "Thanks Anise. I owe you one."
Anise smiled in acknowledgement. It was an honour, Jacob.
With a quick nod of his head, Jacob headed towards the Council Rooms. The hard part was over: Geb had been found. Now all he needed was to get a teltac. Easy.
~o0o~
The air was musty and stale, clouds of dust shining dimly as light from a distant sun struck the tiny particles where it crept in through cracks.
Anhur choked on the dust clouds, his eyes stinging and his vision blurred as they obstructed his eyes. Coughing as the billows swept up by his tattered robes swirled around the room, he moved through the old air towards the back of the fallen temple.
Once the walls had glistened magnificently in the light of day, but now a dampness that spoke of age and neglect permeated the golden brilliance and turned it into a tarnished mess of algae streaked metal.
Anhur's lips curled at the stench, the layers of dust bathing his exposed feet in a thin film.
Through the darkness he could see collapsed walls and disintegrated stone. Nowhere could he see a sign of Geb.
Frustration washed over him, and he struck irritably at a loose rock balanced on a broken pillar. The rock clattered to the ground, shattered into clouds of dust and shrapnel that stung his feet.
He gazed down at the ruin rock blandly. An empty smile reached his eyes.
Geb would shatter. Like the rock. Anhur would slowly fragment him, savouring all the time it took before Nut arrived.
Nut would arrive.
He would make sure of it.
In the distance, dim light reflected dully off silver.
Anhur peered into the darkness.
Perhaps. perhaps.
Deliberately he stepped on the shattered remains.
Geb would shatter.
And Nut would arrive.
~o0o~
"Want to see what Santa brought?" O'Neill asked as they walked back into the chamber that was now 'theirs'.
"Santa?" Sam raised an eyebrow, trying to hide her smile.
O'Neill grinned and threw the small bag at her, falling back onto the bed.
Clutching the roughened material, tears stung at Sam's eyes. Home. He'd been home. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see her Dad, and Cassie, and wear something decent and not live in constant fear of being killed or turned into a Goa'uld.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked gently, frowning in concern.
"Fine," she lied, forcing a tight smile onto her features. She couldn't break. Not now. Not when they needed to stay strong to escape. When they got away, then she could break down and have a good vent in the privacy of her own home.
She could feel his eyes on her, but she ignored him determinedly. Sympathy and comfort now would break her, and she couldn't break now. Not yet.
Her fingers fumbled with the zip, her vision blurred with the unshed tears.
She would not break.
The first thing she laid eyes on was a toothbrush. A red toothbrush followed by a blue toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste.
Her eyes stung again, and she swallowed roughly.
She reached in again and pulled out a small plastic carry bag.
"That's your stuff. Doc Fraiser packed it for you," he said, reaching for the black bag and pulling out the second carry bag before handing it back to her.
Putting the plastic bag aside, Sam delved into the black bag once again. "Chocolate?" she questioned, trying not to laugh.
"Hey, we need some decent food!" he defended himself, also smiling. "There is also a pack of cards, a walkman courtesy of Cassie with spare batteries and some other mechanical bits and pieces."
Sam frowned. "Why?"
The Colonel grinned, rolling across the bed and sitting next to her. "You're the scientist, Carter. You could build something like a GDO if need be, right?"
Realisation dawned on Sam's features. "If I have the right-"
"Siler took care of it."
Relief and joy rushed through her veins and a laugh bubbled to the surface. All was not lost; they could escape and get home! Sam dropped the bag on the bed and flung her arms around his shoulders, almost crying in relief.
He chuckled against her, his arms curling around her and holding her in place against him.
Her breath caught in her throat as the familiar scent of his aftershave jerked her back to reality. What was she doing? This was her CO, and she had-
Oh. Ooooh.
She twisted her head as his lips brushed against her neck, a fleeting caress that ignited something inside her. Something she hadn't felt for a long, long time.
A feather light touch assaulted her senses, and she sighed as she leaned in against him, his chest hard and warm beneath her cheek.
She shivered as his breath whispered across her skin and the soft pressure of his lips rested against the corner of her mouth. "Carter." His breath was warm and minty, and she moaned slightly as his hand rose higher and threaded itself into her hair.
His nose bumped against hers, and then their lips were tasting and teasing, a headlong rush of feelings sending Sam spinning as his fingers slipped beneath the satin folds of her gown and flitted over her heated skin, sparking moans and whispers while her fingers played their own game along his arms and the back of his neck.
The bed was soft behind her back, and the intense pleasure rippled between them as his weight descended over her. Never had she felt anything this exquisite, this pure. she could feel what he was feeling, and the emotions cascaded over them.
His mouth broke from hers and planted an unsteady trail of kisses down her neck. She moaned, grasping at his short hair, her body trembling as he- Oh.
She sighed, pulling his head up back to hers-
"Come."
The voice was hard and jarring, jerking her from the heated cacoon of emotions building around them and depositing her in reality with a hard slap across the face.
Sam stared up at O'Neill, her lips tingling and her body still thrumming with emotion. He was staring down at her, the emotion in his masked eyes unreadable.
What had she been thinking? He was her CO! Obviously she hadn't been thinking!
He muttered something, and she could see and feel his embarrassment.
Her cheeks were flaming as she struggled to right her revealing garments, trying very hard not to keep staring at him.
Cal'ma was waiting impatiently, her eyes empty as she gazed at them.
Sam frowned as she watched the Jaffa priestess. Cal'ma knew something that they didn't know, and it wasn't good news by the looks of it.
Concern spiked through Sam's heart, and her gaze flitted involuntarily to O'Neill.
What had she been thinking? Hugging him, kissing him.
She shook her head, and stepped silently out of the room behind Cal'ma, determinedly locking her eyes on the ebony back leading the now familiar way to Nut's chambers. Next to her, the Colonel said nothing, and she knew without looking that his eyes were also firmly focused ahead.
What had she been thinking?
~o0o~
She was not patient by nature, and what little patience Nut had was worn thin. Her fragile nails scratched slowly along the burnished gold armrests, skirting around the edges of the jewels as the noise curled deliciously in the pit of her host's stomach.
The familiar prickling within her mind told her they approached.
Good.
The movement of her nail on the metal ceased, and she waited silently for Cal'ma to arrive with the Tau'ri.
They would tell her where Geb was, or they would die.
Regret brushed against Nut's golden eyes briefly; the male would have made an excellent Jaffa. Still, the pleasure Nut would draw from them for failing her would be great. Anticipation sparkled within her mind.
Slowly. She would kill them slowly for failing her.
The doors swung open, but did not raise her eyes to observe them enter.
The Tau'ri were agitated, their life force singing with energy that rippled around the room like a strong breeze. Nut frowned in absent thought; what had caused this awkwardness within them?
Perhaps they knew of their impeding death.
No, they were not fearful. just. the emotion eluded her, and Nut sighed in annoyance.
"Where is Geb?" she demanded, breaking the crystal silence as her nails resumed their earlier movements across the metal. She felt their discomfort at the noise, and inwardly her anticipation grew.
The male shrugged; she felt his life force quiver with wariness. He was strong and wise, this Tau'ri, and again she felt reluctant to kill him for failing.
Perhaps she would only torture the female and not kill them. that way they would both feel the pain, and he would never betray her.
"You have failed me," she told him calmly, raising her eyes to meet those of the defiant Tau'ri.
"You didn't exactly give me a lot of time," he complained.
Nut felt satisfaction within her; both were beginning to know fear, yet neither showed it. They would be a wonderful challenge to break.
A thought floated into Nut's consciousness: perhaps there was something else neither one of them was showing. Deception, perhaps?
She studied the male carefully, searching within his life force for deception. He was deceiving. yet he was not lying about Geb.
They were planning to escape.
Nut's eyes flared in anger, and for a second she had the delight of witnessing raw fear in his eyes. He knew she knew.
"Wait!" the woman yelled desperately as Nut languidly raised her hand towards them.
Nut smiled; she had not believed she would have the pleasure of hearing them beg. They were weaker than she had thought, and the realisation was mildly disappointing. Still.
The familiar strength of the ribbon device strummed through her veins. They were terrified now, fear spurting from them as hysterically as blood from a severed artery. Pleasure filled her as the male grunted in pain beneath her onslaught, while in the distance she could hear the woman yelling desperately.
His thoughts were tumbling around wildly, his control shattered by her power.
Her host struggled abruptly, and the sudden distraction caused a ripple of weakness within the golden power.
"Might!" the Tau'ri grunted, jerking away. "He's. Shu."
Nut held her hand steady, dropping the flow of energy to a mere trickle.
Shu?
Hatred rose within her, sharper than ever.
"Geb... he's. Shu's Might."
The room seemed dim as she halted the power. Shu's Might? No! It couldn't be!
To insult Geb by imprisoning him on a world he had conquered. it was unheard of! It was unacceptable.
It was something Ra would do.
Nut stared down at the Tau'ri, both clutching one another and gasping with pain, relief mingled with fear rolling from them.
They had served her after all.
She would let them live.
For now.
~o0o~
sharim
Chapter Twelve
There was concern in her chest, bubbling briskly like water poured from a bottle. She tried to step on it, to quell the strange unease in her breast. But still it remained, niggling and moving around constantly within her, reminding her of its presence.
Cal'ma sighed in irritation, a frown marring her usually smooth brow.
Why? Why was she feeling concern for the two Tau'ri? They were her enemy, and one was not supposed to feel concern for an enemy.
Perhaps the unease was there simply because she feared what would happen to her if the Tau'ri died. If the sarcophagus could not save them.
Nut would not be pleased.
Nut would kill Cal'ma for failure.
Cal'ma sighed, her back stiff and aching from her constant vigil over the decorated golden bed of the gods. Her eyes were thick and dry; her body longed for Kel'no'reem.
Perhaps it was the lack of Kel'no'reem that was playing with her mind, playing with her emotions, making it seem as though she felt concern for the Tau'ri.
She sighed in annoyance. She was lying to herself. She did feel concern. And, unwanted and reluctant as it may be, the concern was growing within her by the minute.
They should have awakened by now. The sarcophagus should have opened by now, spilling the golden light from its bowels into the dim room and releasing its two prisoners.
At her feet lay the bag the Tau'ri had returned with. Cal'ma stared at it suspiciously, her eye studying the now familiar black canvas with the stitching so small it was almost hidden from view.
She longed to pick it up and examine it, to see what strange objects he had returned with. She wondered why Nut had not payed interest to it.
With another glance towards the sarcophagus, Cal'ma reached down at gingerly lifted the bag to her lap. It was light and the was material rough against her fingers. Quickly she undid the ties, pulling the strange metal tab that made an odd noise when it opened the bag. She studied the strange row of metallic teeth, wondering at what made them bite together to hold the bag closed.
Inside, however, were the real curiosities.
A small blue object made of a foreign material with short bristles on one end and a long, smooth handle caught her attention. She frowned as she studied it, wondering at its purpose.
Shrugging, she put it aside only to pull out another one similar, this one red in colour with a slightly longer handle.
A soft tube followed, and when she removed the small covering an odd smelling white paste squeezed onto her finger. Cal'ma sniffed at it, wondering what the strange lettering and pictures on the sides meant.
A noise caught her attention, and she quickly placed the objects back into the bag, standing up to study the sarcophagus.
Slowly the sides parted and the soft glow spilled into the room, lighting the dim corner Cal'ma had been seated in. Her heart rate quickened; were they alive or not?
Movement.
A smile broke onto Cal'ma's features, but she remembered in time that they were her enemy. She frowned. Why did she experience such emotions for these people when she had only communicated with them briefly, and they were the enemy of her people?
"I. what?"
"Colonel?"
"Carter?"
"Uh.. Sir. your hand."
"Oh. yeah."
She watched silently as they sat up awkwardly, trying to untangle their limbs from one another. It had been hard getting the male into the sarcophagus as well as the female, but they had managed it.
"Cal'ma?" the woman frowned, her confused gaze resting on Cal'ma.
"You are alive," Cal'ma observed.
"Very astute," the male replied sarcastically.
"What happened?" Carter asked as she climbed stiffly out of the sarcophagus, stretching her back while she waited for the male to climb out as well.
"You went too far," Cal'ma said softly, her eyes resting on O'Neill. "Nut warned you that you could not be far away for long periods of time."
A look of unease rested on their features, and they gazed at one another hesitantly.
"I see you had time to get changed," Carter eventually broke the silence.
"Uh. yeah. There's some stuff in the bag for you."
"What bag?" Carter frowned curiously.
"This one?" Cal'ma reached for the black canvas and lifted it up.
"That's it," the man agreed, reaching for it.
Cal'ma handed it over reluctantly, wishing she could ask what the strange, small objects with white bristles did. They could not be for one's hair, they were much too small.
"Did you find Geb?" Carter asked suddenly, her blue eyes focused steadily on the man's eyes.
The man shook his head negatively. "No. Daniel and your Dad-"
"Dad?" Carter looked surprised.
"Yeah. I met them on Abydos. The two of them-" He stopped suddenly, his gaze turning toward Cal'ma. "The two of them said 'hi'."
Cal'ma knew that they wished to talk privately, without her company. She narrowed her eyes, watching them. What could they want to talk about that she must not hear? "Come," she ordered, sweeping out.
Sometime, over the course of her time with Carter, Cal'ma learnt that the Tau'ri woman was honest in her motives. Cal'ma need not fear them, and need not order an escort. They would follow her.
~o0o~
The pen was tapping persistently on the desk. Teal'c remained silent, his eyes following the erratic movements of the smooth object.
"Do you think he's okay?" Daniel Jackson asked softly, not turning his head to face Teal'c.
Teal'c considered the question. O'Neill was strong and there was a stubbornness within the man's mind. But to have his heart stop because of separation from Major Carter. Teal'c had never seen that happen before, nor heard of it either.
"O'Neill will not let himself die at the hands of a Goa'uld," Teal'c said carefully. "And I do not believe that Nut will let him die unless she has discovered the whereabouts of Geb."
The pen ceased tapping. "What then?"
What then? Teal'c sighed, wishing he could lie to Daniel Jackson. "I do not know."
"How do you think Jacob's going with Shu's Might?" The pen resumed its slow tapping.
"We shall found out soon, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c closed his eyes, blotting out the annoyance of Daniel Jackson's anxiety and released himself into the state of Kel'no'reem.
*
Daniel sighed, letting the pen quiet on the tabletop before he turned to face Teal'c. The Jaffa was sitting silently on the mat, his eyes closed in meditation. Daniel felt a momentary pang of guilt for annoying Teal'c and keeping him from a much needed Kel'no'reem, but he needed someone to talk to. Someone steady who would understand his confusion and pain. Someone who would encourage his burning hatred for the Goa'uld.
Janet didn't understand that. She was wonderful to talk to, a great friend, but the Goa'uld didn't affect her much more than injuring her people, and she could often patch them up.
No, that was a lie. The Goa'uld were just as much at war with her as the rest of them. The only difference was that Janet didn't hate. She was a doctor, and if a Goa'uld needed medical attention, she would give it to the Goa'uld. She'd proven that with Apophis already.
Running a tired hand through his dishevelled hair, Daniel stumbled to his quarters. Maybe he'd missed something in his books. maybe there was something somewhere that he hadn't noticed.
With an audible groan he collapsed onto his bed, rubbing at his eyes. He looked up and studied his reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall: bleary eyed and a bit more than 5 o'clock shadow, his BDU's still sand covered and creased. He blinked, swallowing dry spit through his cardboard rough mouth.
They had been close. That close to getting them back. He'd seen Jack, touched the man with his own fingers. The robes Jack had been wearing were probably still lying in a heap on the floor of his quarters where he'd dumped them.
But Jack had slipped away from them, the same way water ran through Daniel's fingers, pulling Sam and all Daniel's hope away out of reach and back into the Goa'uld's grasp.
~o0o~
The tension was unbearable; even Selmac was tense.
Jacob fidgeted as he sat at the crystal table top, trying to keep still so as not to distract Anise.
I think I may have found it! Anise looked up, success shining bright in her blue eyes.
"And?"
Shu was much loved by Ra for following his orders and worshipping him, so he presented Shu with his position as God of the Sky. Along with the title, Ra gave Shu an entire system to rule. Shu revelled in his powers, and there were many tales of his greatness.
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "How is that supposed to help us find Geb?"
Shu's empire was powerful. Almost powerful enough to rival that of Ra.
Jacob frowned, waiting to see where it was going.
It was known as the Might of Shu, or Shu's Might.
A grin split Jacob's face wide as the news rolled over him. "Where is it?"
The old Erballian system.
"That's been deserted for centuries," Jacob nodded his head thoughtfully.
Ever since Geb and his forces defeated Shu.
Jacob mulled over the information.
Why did Geb attack Shu, and not Ra? Selmac questioned slowly.
Anise's eyes lit up. My theory is that Ra was becoming wary of both Shu and Geb's forces. What better way than to eliminate both threats by getting them to attack one another? That way, Ra's forces would suffer little loss when he captured Geb's forces, which would have been greatly weakened by the battle with Shu.
Jacob nodded, standing up abruptly. "Do we have an address for the planet?"
Anise shook her head negatively. I do not believe so. There is a Stargate, but it was a Goa'uld homeworld and the address would not be known. The quickest and easiest method of travelling there would be by teltac.
Jacob nodded, taking the information into advice. "Thanks Anise. I owe you one."
Anise smiled in acknowledgement. It was an honour, Jacob.
With a quick nod of his head, Jacob headed towards the Council Rooms. The hard part was over: Geb had been found. Now all he needed was to get a teltac. Easy.
~o0o~
The air was musty and stale, clouds of dust shining dimly as light from a distant sun struck the tiny particles where it crept in through cracks.
Anhur choked on the dust clouds, his eyes stinging and his vision blurred as they obstructed his eyes. Coughing as the billows swept up by his tattered robes swirled around the room, he moved through the old air towards the back of the fallen temple.
Once the walls had glistened magnificently in the light of day, but now a dampness that spoke of age and neglect permeated the golden brilliance and turned it into a tarnished mess of algae streaked metal.
Anhur's lips curled at the stench, the layers of dust bathing his exposed feet in a thin film.
Through the darkness he could see collapsed walls and disintegrated stone. Nowhere could he see a sign of Geb.
Frustration washed over him, and he struck irritably at a loose rock balanced on a broken pillar. The rock clattered to the ground, shattered into clouds of dust and shrapnel that stung his feet.
He gazed down at the ruin rock blandly. An empty smile reached his eyes.
Geb would shatter. Like the rock. Anhur would slowly fragment him, savouring all the time it took before Nut arrived.
Nut would arrive.
He would make sure of it.
In the distance, dim light reflected dully off silver.
Anhur peered into the darkness.
Perhaps. perhaps.
Deliberately he stepped on the shattered remains.
Geb would shatter.
And Nut would arrive.
~o0o~
"Want to see what Santa brought?" O'Neill asked as they walked back into the chamber that was now 'theirs'.
"Santa?" Sam raised an eyebrow, trying to hide her smile.
O'Neill grinned and threw the small bag at her, falling back onto the bed.
Clutching the roughened material, tears stung at Sam's eyes. Home. He'd been home. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see her Dad, and Cassie, and wear something decent and not live in constant fear of being killed or turned into a Goa'uld.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked gently, frowning in concern.
"Fine," she lied, forcing a tight smile onto her features. She couldn't break. Not now. Not when they needed to stay strong to escape. When they got away, then she could break down and have a good vent in the privacy of her own home.
She could feel his eyes on her, but she ignored him determinedly. Sympathy and comfort now would break her, and she couldn't break now. Not yet.
Her fingers fumbled with the zip, her vision blurred with the unshed tears.
She would not break.
The first thing she laid eyes on was a toothbrush. A red toothbrush followed by a blue toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste.
Her eyes stung again, and she swallowed roughly.
She reached in again and pulled out a small plastic carry bag.
"That's your stuff. Doc Fraiser packed it for you," he said, reaching for the black bag and pulling out the second carry bag before handing it back to her.
Putting the plastic bag aside, Sam delved into the black bag once again. "Chocolate?" she questioned, trying not to laugh.
"Hey, we need some decent food!" he defended himself, also smiling. "There is also a pack of cards, a walkman courtesy of Cassie with spare batteries and some other mechanical bits and pieces."
Sam frowned. "Why?"
The Colonel grinned, rolling across the bed and sitting next to her. "You're the scientist, Carter. You could build something like a GDO if need be, right?"
Realisation dawned on Sam's features. "If I have the right-"
"Siler took care of it."
Relief and joy rushed through her veins and a laugh bubbled to the surface. All was not lost; they could escape and get home! Sam dropped the bag on the bed and flung her arms around his shoulders, almost crying in relief.
He chuckled against her, his arms curling around her and holding her in place against him.
Her breath caught in her throat as the familiar scent of his aftershave jerked her back to reality. What was she doing? This was her CO, and she had-
Oh. Ooooh.
She twisted her head as his lips brushed against her neck, a fleeting caress that ignited something inside her. Something she hadn't felt for a long, long time.
A feather light touch assaulted her senses, and she sighed as she leaned in against him, his chest hard and warm beneath her cheek.
She shivered as his breath whispered across her skin and the soft pressure of his lips rested against the corner of her mouth. "Carter." His breath was warm and minty, and she moaned slightly as his hand rose higher and threaded itself into her hair.
His nose bumped against hers, and then their lips were tasting and teasing, a headlong rush of feelings sending Sam spinning as his fingers slipped beneath the satin folds of her gown and flitted over her heated skin, sparking moans and whispers while her fingers played their own game along his arms and the back of his neck.
The bed was soft behind her back, and the intense pleasure rippled between them as his weight descended over her. Never had she felt anything this exquisite, this pure. she could feel what he was feeling, and the emotions cascaded over them.
His mouth broke from hers and planted an unsteady trail of kisses down her neck. She moaned, grasping at his short hair, her body trembling as he- Oh.
She sighed, pulling his head up back to hers-
"Come."
The voice was hard and jarring, jerking her from the heated cacoon of emotions building around them and depositing her in reality with a hard slap across the face.
Sam stared up at O'Neill, her lips tingling and her body still thrumming with emotion. He was staring down at her, the emotion in his masked eyes unreadable.
What had she been thinking? He was her CO! Obviously she hadn't been thinking!
He muttered something, and she could see and feel his embarrassment.
Her cheeks were flaming as she struggled to right her revealing garments, trying very hard not to keep staring at him.
Cal'ma was waiting impatiently, her eyes empty as she gazed at them.
Sam frowned as she watched the Jaffa priestess. Cal'ma knew something that they didn't know, and it wasn't good news by the looks of it.
Concern spiked through Sam's heart, and her gaze flitted involuntarily to O'Neill.
What had she been thinking? Hugging him, kissing him.
She shook her head, and stepped silently out of the room behind Cal'ma, determinedly locking her eyes on the ebony back leading the now familiar way to Nut's chambers. Next to her, the Colonel said nothing, and she knew without looking that his eyes were also firmly focused ahead.
What had she been thinking?
~o0o~
She was not patient by nature, and what little patience Nut had was worn thin. Her fragile nails scratched slowly along the burnished gold armrests, skirting around the edges of the jewels as the noise curled deliciously in the pit of her host's stomach.
The familiar prickling within her mind told her they approached.
Good.
The movement of her nail on the metal ceased, and she waited silently for Cal'ma to arrive with the Tau'ri.
They would tell her where Geb was, or they would die.
Regret brushed against Nut's golden eyes briefly; the male would have made an excellent Jaffa. Still, the pleasure Nut would draw from them for failing her would be great. Anticipation sparkled within her mind.
Slowly. She would kill them slowly for failing her.
The doors swung open, but did not raise her eyes to observe them enter.
The Tau'ri were agitated, their life force singing with energy that rippled around the room like a strong breeze. Nut frowned in absent thought; what had caused this awkwardness within them?
Perhaps they knew of their impeding death.
No, they were not fearful. just. the emotion eluded her, and Nut sighed in annoyance.
"Where is Geb?" she demanded, breaking the crystal silence as her nails resumed their earlier movements across the metal. She felt their discomfort at the noise, and inwardly her anticipation grew.
The male shrugged; she felt his life force quiver with wariness. He was strong and wise, this Tau'ri, and again she felt reluctant to kill him for failing.
Perhaps she would only torture the female and not kill them. that way they would both feel the pain, and he would never betray her.
"You have failed me," she told him calmly, raising her eyes to meet those of the defiant Tau'ri.
"You didn't exactly give me a lot of time," he complained.
Nut felt satisfaction within her; both were beginning to know fear, yet neither showed it. They would be a wonderful challenge to break.
A thought floated into Nut's consciousness: perhaps there was something else neither one of them was showing. Deception, perhaps?
She studied the male carefully, searching within his life force for deception. He was deceiving. yet he was not lying about Geb.
They were planning to escape.
Nut's eyes flared in anger, and for a second she had the delight of witnessing raw fear in his eyes. He knew she knew.
"Wait!" the woman yelled desperately as Nut languidly raised her hand towards them.
Nut smiled; she had not believed she would have the pleasure of hearing them beg. They were weaker than she had thought, and the realisation was mildly disappointing. Still.
The familiar strength of the ribbon device strummed through her veins. They were terrified now, fear spurting from them as hysterically as blood from a severed artery. Pleasure filled her as the male grunted in pain beneath her onslaught, while in the distance she could hear the woman yelling desperately.
His thoughts were tumbling around wildly, his control shattered by her power.
Her host struggled abruptly, and the sudden distraction caused a ripple of weakness within the golden power.
"Might!" the Tau'ri grunted, jerking away. "He's. Shu."
Nut held her hand steady, dropping the flow of energy to a mere trickle.
Shu?
Hatred rose within her, sharper than ever.
"Geb... he's. Shu's Might."
The room seemed dim as she halted the power. Shu's Might? No! It couldn't be!
To insult Geb by imprisoning him on a world he had conquered. it was unheard of! It was unacceptable.
It was something Ra would do.
Nut stared down at the Tau'ri, both clutching one another and gasping with pain, relief mingled with fear rolling from them.
They had served her after all.
She would let them live.
For now.
~o0o~