AN: Thanks to JayBee-Bug who beta-read this. It's almost done, :)
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The man had brought them deep into the forest. After almost one and a half days of walking, he led them to a cave where he said the Eye was hidden. He was not restrained, but Jack made sure that he was watched at all times. He kept silent for most of the journey, only talking when giving directions.
Using the flashlight on his P-90, Jack swept the cave's surface for any signs of hostility. Finding none, he motioned for the others to come in as well.
"So, where's the temple that you're talking about?" Jack asked as the man entered the cave. The cavern was only a few meters deep.
"Just inside." He walked to the right side of the cave's wall and ran his fingers along the rough surface. Jack watched in interest as he pushed one of the rocks down and the cave began to rumble slightly. One of his arms instinctively rose to shield his head from the dirt that fell through the roof.
"Whoa. What was that?" exclaimed Richardson as the back wall of the cave started to move upward at an agonizing pace. Once the path in front of them opened, a soft light illuminated from inside the secret chamber.
"Cool." Green smiled. Both Captains accompanied the Colonel to look for the Eye.
"You two wait here," Jack ordered as he gestured at the man to proceed. The man started to advance towards the cavity while Jack followed closely behind.
As he entered, he noticed that the dim light was produced by a crystal placed in the centre of the room. He looked around; the room itself looked like Daniel's lab, lots of tablets and objects lying around on the floor as well as on the table. A thick layer of dust covered them, telling him that they were abandoned a long time ago.
Jack paced the cave slowly and checked the items one by one. Having no success in finding the thing that he wanted, he asked, "So, where is it?"
The man was already standing in front of a wall decorated with pictures. Jack recognized them as Egyptian hieroglyphs, very similar to the ones he had seen in Abydos. If there was still any doubt in his mind that this planet was one of Ra's places, it was diminished by the evidence presented before him.
"It's in here."
"Inside the wall?" Jack moved closer to get a better look.
"Yes."
"Well then. Open it."
He turned around to face the Colonel. "I do not know how. Only Ra could do that, he did not trust anyone with his deepest secret. I knew about this by chance, not because he told me."
Jack eyed the wall carefully. He tapped it with his knuckles and heard the unmistakable hollow sound. There was no lever or button for him to find, making it impossible for him to open it appropriately. But then again, he was not an 'appropriate' man.
"Step back," he told the man as he pushed him aside.
"What are you going to do?"
"Just step back." Jack put on his protective goggles and aimed his P-90 at the wall. Without any hesitation he set his weapon on automatic and fired it. The sound of gunfire echoed inside the chamber, amplified by the noise produced by the resonance. He could feel several sharp pieces of the wall scrape his skin, but he ignored the pain, his concentration focused on the job at hand.
After a few seconds, he stopped and waited until the noise had died down and the thin cloud of dust had settled to the floor. The holes in the wall were large enough for him to tear the rest apart and see what was inside. There was only one item.
A jar.
A ceramic jar with a lioness's head.
Jack frowned involuntarily as he took the jar out and studied it more closely. It was nothing like the picture on Daniel's medallion. There was a small crack on the jar, probably from the bullets that he had used.
"What's this?" He asked to the man. "Where's the Eye?"
The man gave him a confused look. "That is the Eye of Ra."
"No, it's not," Jack said matter-of-factly.
"Yes, it is," insisted the man.
"No, it's not," the Colonel retaliated with a bit more force in his voice.
The man looked at him straight in his eyes. "Inside the jar, you will find a Goa'uld. Her name is Sekhmet, meaning 'She who is powerful', better known as 'Eye of Ra'."
---
Damn it.
Damn it damn it damn it damn it.
How was he supposed to know that Daniel's version of the Eye was different from the Shippy guy? He was not an Anthropologist, an Archaeologist, a Historian or an Egyptologist, for crying out loud. He ruffled his own hair agitatedly. What should he do now? He just traded one Goa'uld for another. Actually, he traded a *queen* Goa'uld for an ordinary one.
This was worse than buying a cat in a bag. He didn't get the cat at all.
He stared at the jar in his hand. This was not the Eye that he thought it was. If he had known that it was just another snake, he would not have gone to all this trouble and accepted the offer. He wanted to screw the deal, after all he didn't get exactly what he wanted. But if he just did that, he was no better than those slimy evil parasites.
He sighed heavily before putting the jar inside his backpack. Daniel had better have a good explanation for this. Or else ... well, he hadn't thought about the 'or else', but Daniel should have that explanation ready anyway.
"Sir? Do you have it?" Green asked as he exited.
The bright sunlight blinded him for a moment. Taking out his sunglasses, he grimly shook his head. "I have it, but it's not what we thought it was."
"So ... what is it then?" Richardson queried.
"Snakehead in a bottle."
Both Captains exchanged a look but knew better than to ask further questions when the Colonel's mood was definitely not in its best.
"We're going back. Our job here is done," he issued the order calmly even though he was royally pissed inside.
They were just about to leave the cave when his radio came to life. "Colonel O'Neill, this is Carter. Please respond."
He picked up his radio straight away. "I'm here. Where are you?"
"I'm inside a cargo ship, Sir. On my way to pick you up. Can you let us know where your position is?"
Just then, he noticed the ship flying around on his north. "I see you. Wait a minute, I'll send up a signal."
He then took out a flare from one of his vest pockets and lit it up. A red light shot up into the sky, giving the Major the visual that she needed.
"We saw it. There's a clearing near where you are, we'll land there."
"OK. I'll see you there and Carter ..."
"Yes, Sir?"
"Tell Daniel that he owes me one Hell of an explanation."
"Will do. Carter out."
---
"Whoops," Daniel's exclamation was the understatement of the century.
"*Whoops*? That's all you can say?" Jack was fuming.
The two of them were standing face to face just outside the cargo ship, the jar was in Daniel's possession now. The others just stayed back and watched the encounter. Carter had briefed Jack and the two Captains about Kali and her plan. He was disappointed that they lost the ship as soon as they got it, but he understood her decisions.
"When I heard about the Eye of Ra, I automatically assumed that it was the weapon. Sorry." This time, Daniel's face did show he was really sorry when he apologized.
"Why didn't you tell me that there's another thing called that?" Jack pressed.
"Like I said Jack, I automatically assumed that it was the weapon. I never thought Sekhmet actually existed in the Goa'uld world. I never found references about her off-world and I just thought --"
Jack cut him off, "Well, you thought wrong."
Carter cleared her throat. "Daniel, what do you know about this Sekhmet?"
"Well, in the Egyptian Mythology she's Ra's daughter. Very cruel and blood-thirsty goddess. To be called someone's eye is like someone's subordinate, where they are ordered to do things that their god wants them to do. She is the dark side of Hathor." The archaeologist said the last sentence in a low voice.
"I really hate that woman," Jack stated at the mention of her name.
"She's not Ra's daughter," the man spoke for the first time since he entered the cargo ship.
"She's not?" Daniel asked in astonishment.
He stared right through the linguist's eyes. "Ra asked Durga to bare his child. She agreed. But Sekhmet was not his, she was lying to him."
"Whoa, wait a minute here. What do you mean Durga bare Ra's child? Was Ra planning to have a Harcesis?" Daniel was confused.
"I think there's something that you guys need to know," Carter suddenly said. "Teal'c told me that there's a rumor that Durga can carry a Goa'uld larva in her stomach as it matures, like a human carries her baby. And these larvae are special, they're the best ... breed of their kind."
"Teal'c?" Jack asked for the Jaffa's confirmation as he could not believe what he had just heard.
"It is true, O'Neill."
Jack looked at Teal'c, and then at Daniel, and at Carter, and finally at the man who claimed to be Shiva. "Okay. What's going on here?"
"Ra promised to give Durga an army if she gave him a child. When he found out that she had deceived him, he put Sekhmet in that jar as punishment. He also pursued Durga, but he was never able to find her," the man enlightened the human further.
"Sekhmet was punished because she was disobeying Ra's orders. I have never heard of the tale that you have spoken," Teal'c questioned the man's words.
It was Jack who answered, with a smirk on his face, "Well Teal'c, I think it's understandable. He wouldn't want the whole universe to know that someone had made a fool out of him."
"If that is true, than how did he know of this?" Teal'c turned his attention to the man.
"Because I'm the one who discovered the treachery," the man answered calmly. "I have given you the Eye of Ra as promised. Now it is your turn to give me Durga."
Once again, the Colonel contemplated his options, but he knew that he could not break his promises. His honor wouldn't allow him. "Carter."
He received a questioning look from her but she nodded nevertheless and then disappeared inside the Pel'tac, a few moments later she came out with Durga alongside her. The Goa'uld's hands were cuffed.
"You know that Kali's forces are coming, don't you?" Jack watched as the man approached Durga.
"I do." His eyes were focused on the woman before him.
"Just checking." Jack then faced his team. "Okay kids, now it's time for us to leave." If the man wanted to stay here, then by all means, he was welcome to do just that. But Jack was not going to follow his example.
"Wait," Durga shouted at him. "Is it true, that he gave you the Eye?"
"You mean this?" Daniel showed her the jar. It was a similar jar to the ones that contained Osiris and Isis, the ones that were found back on Earth.
"Yes." Her brown eyes studied the object carefully. "Give it to me and I will let you go."
"Hey lady, you seemed to be confused about your situation," Jack snapped. Sometimes the arrogance was just too much to handle. "You know what. I don't have time for this. I'm out of here."
"It's no good to you dead. I can feel it weakening. Give it to me."
Daniel took a moment to study the jar and run his finger along the crack presented there. "Jack, did this just happen recently?"
Ignoring both of them, Jack turned away and started to head towards the ship. They wasted enough precious time already. Kali wouldn't wait for them to finish their chitchat. As the others start to follow, he heard a shrill scream. Automatically, he grabbed his P-90 and turned towards the sound.
Durga was still standing slightly ahead from the last time he saw her. Her mouth was partially open as her eyes showed great shock. But what interested Jack was that something seemed to go straight through her chest. He hadn't seen the blood taint her white clothes yet, but he knew that it was only a matter of time.
"You better go now. She's no longer your concern."
Jack averted his eyes to see the man who claimed to be Shiva standing extremely close behind the Goa'uld. There was no doubt in Jack's mind that he was still holding the other end of the dagger that now rested inside Durga's body. The dagger that he might have picked up inside the chamber when they went to retrieve the Eye.
"You heard the man. Let's go." Putting his shock aside, he forced himself not to ask questions. His words seemed to awaken the rest of his team, clearly none of them understood what was happening. Not because the man had just stabbed the Goa'uld, but because of the tear that escaped through his eyes. Was it a tear of relief? Or was it something else?
None of them said a word as they went back to the ship. Teal'c swiftly took his position in the pilot seat and flew the ship in the direction of the Stargate.
***
Sam watched the Colonel out of the corner of her eyes. She knew how disappointed he was about the whole thing, and how angry he was at himself. She knew the feeling as she experienced it herself right now. They both expected something big out of this mission, but in the end, they just took everything that they could carry while they ran away.
The Colonel was standing beside Teal'c, looking out the ship's window. His mood was unreadable, and it was worse than when he was angry. This was his 'leave me alone' mood. The only person naive enough to make a conversation with him when he was like this was Daniel. Not even Teal'c or Sam herself would do that, not because they were scared of his reaction, but because they knew that he just needed some time alone to think things through.
But Daniel seemed to understand the need now. He was talking with Halle just a few feet away from her, but Sam could see that his eyes darted towards the Colonel now and again, checking if his best friend was alright.
"Major Carter," Teal'c called out her name.
She looked up to him and then the screen in front of her.
"They're coming," she said as the screen showed Kali's ship had just exited hyperspace.
"She will soon realize that Durga is not here," Daniel said.
"Sir?" Sam asked for his confirmation as she looked straight into his eyes.
"Do it," he gave the order with a slight nod of his head.
She nodded back and took Teal'c's place in front of the control board. She made a few adjustments and then pushed one of the buttons. A few seconds later a loud blast was heard and the ship was shaken a bit. The screen in front of her blurred.
"Carter?" The Colonel asked. "What's that?"
"Just the shock wave, Sir. Nothing to worry about." She kept her eyes on the screen, waiting for the information that she needed. Once the screen refocused, she smiled broadly. "Confirmed Sir. The claymore has done its job, Durga's ship is destroyed. Kali's shield protected her, but the position was too close, we managed to damage it slightly."
They had planted explosives on the ship's power core when she realized they could not have the ship. It was better to destroy it than give it back to a Goa'uld.
"How far are we from the Stargate?" Richardson asked somehow anxiously.
"Just a few more minutes. The Death Gliders won't have time to reach us," Sam answered to calm his nerves.
"Okay then. Pack up and get ready," the Colonel once again issued an order.
Following his order, the others started to scatter around the room. Sam gave the control back to Teal'c and walked past the Colonel to get prepared. She could feel his hand catch her shoulder. She turned around to meet his eyes.
"Good job, Carter."
She smiled. "Thanks, Sir."
They both knew that the job was not finished and the compliment was premature, but somehow they also knew that it was the right thing for him to say and for her to hear right now. And perhaps she should say something too? But what? As she watched him turn his back on her, she couldn't care less.
"Sir?"
Once again their eyes met. "Yeah?" She could see so much emotion in them, and it gave her the courage to say something. Anything.
"I know this might sound strange, but ..." She took a deep breath. "I'm glad that you kept your promise."
He didn't even raise an eyebrow, he knew what she meant by that. She might have been confused when the Colonel told her to give Durga to the man as they didn't actually get the Eye that they wanted, but that was just the kind of man that he was. Even though they had the worse end of the bargain, a Goa'uld Queen for a Goa'uld, something inside her had said that it was OK. Her rational and logical mind screamed that it wasn't fair, but deep down she knew that life was not always fair. It took a lot of courage to do the things that he did, and she found it to be ... endearing.
He closed his eyes and sighed in relief as if someone had just lifted his burden. "Thanks."
She only gave him her smile as a reply. The Colonel had had his doubts and she was more than glad to let him know that she didn't think less of him because of that. Because he was who he was, a man of integrity, a commanding officer worthy of her service, a loyal friend and ... someone who made her realize that she cared more about him than she was allowed to.
***
To be continue ...
