A note from Havana: Thank you so much for the reviews! My muse needed a confidence boost and your kind reviews helped a lot. Hope you like the revised second chapter and keep the reviews coming, even constructive feedback. Because believe me, it helps me write better for all of you to enjoy. Thanks again to Miss Kleola and Gatergirl for your encouragement!
Disclaimer: SG characters aren't mine. Wish they were, but Imika and Rina belong to me.
Category: Drama, Angst and Action Adventure
Rating: PG-13 for moderate violence and psychological trauma
Chapter 2: The Search
**********************
Jack O'Neill tossed and turned most of the night. And though he didn't get much sleep, his concern about his friend kept him alert. Horrified to think he was stuck on P49-865 with some grotesque thing or even worse, dead. He wondered why it kidnapped Daniel and let them go? So many questions tormented his mind as she headed for the gate room in his SG fatigues. The door to the gate room swooshed open and he entered, joining his team. As they sloped up the ramp, Jack didn't know how to pray but he gave it shot. It was a short silent prayer, hoping he would see Daniel again, and if they found him, he would make sure this alien wished it had never kidnapped his best friend.
*********************************************************
SG-1 disembarked from the blue light of the ring and back onto the isolated planet.
Jack squinted while looking around. He tried desperately to ignore the discouragement creeping into his mind, especially after the search yesterday that was postponed after sunset. The Colonel continued his personal search around the forest--an endless forest. He shook his head. "Damn, he can be anywhere."
A stoic Teal'c stared at him, but the concern in his voice told a different story.
"O'Neill, we will find Daniel Jackson."
Convincing herself he would be found, Sam added, "He has to be here."
They began their search under the stifling heat. Sam took off her emerald--green cap and wiped beads of sweat from under limp wisps of her short blonde hair. Even when they embarked into the forest, they found little relief from the blazing sun.
The Jaffa stopped short in his tracks.
"Teal'c?" Jack asked always alert when his Jaffa friend reacted like that, which meant trouble lurked somewhere. "What is it?"
Tea'lc raised a brow. "I thought I heard something." He heard it again, leaves rustling behind one of the trees. He swung around, whirling his staff weapon like the skilled Jaffa he was and pointed it at the tree. "Who are you?" He demanded to whatever hid behind the tree.
Jack and Sam joined with Teal'c, aiming their guns.
O'Neill glared at the tree, expecting the alien to slither out and then he would fire. But then he thought, no, that wouldn't be smart. The alien knew where Daniel was and it had to be alive for them to know. His eyes widened, surprised to someone else step cautiously from behind the tree.
"Please," the woman said, raising her hands in the air. "Don't kill me."
They stared at the tall woman with long raven hair. She was dressed in what appeared to them as a black cadet-style uniform. The top looked like a mini dress over pants, which were tucked inside black leather boots. The only contrast from her black attire was her pale skin and aquamarine eyes.
SG-1 ignored her pleasant soft voice and refused to stand down. She inched toward them.
Jack eyed her suspiciously. "All right, stay where you are."
The frightened woman obeyed O'Neill's demands and didn't take another step. "I won't hurt you."
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asked sternly.
"I came through the ring that brought me here. I'm Rina from Deneb, the world where I live. I'm here because there's something I need to find."
Curious, Sam's eyes closed a little. "What?"
Rina's arms were tired, but she continued to hold them up. "I believe it is the reason why you're here. Something you saw in the forest. It deceives and you think it is a tree or the grass." Rina paused, reluctant because they were strangers and she wanted to be the one to find what she was there for. But they were holding weapons at her. She had to tell them more. "It is Kar'tuc. They are a lot like the Goa'ulds-evil, dangerous. They tried to invade our planet. Fortunately we were able to stop them and imprison them. But one escaped. It is a female, Imika. And that's why I'm here. I've been chosen by the high council to find and kill. I know it's not easy for you to believe what I'm saying, but you must. She is extremely dangerous."
"Sir?" Sam said to her CO.
Teal'c turned and glanced at Jack.
Both pondered his decision about this woman.
Jack didn't utter a word, lost in his thoughts at the moment. He was always wary of strangers but this time he had to trust someone.
"You seem to know a lot about this--Kar...whatever it is."
"Kar'tuc," she reminded him.
He nodded. "Right, well," he hesitated and lowered his P-90. "Maybe you can help us."
Stunned, Rina stared at them. Her tired arms were still held above her head.
"Oh, uh, it's okay. You can put your hands down now."
She smiled graciously. "Thank you." And then Rina revealed more about the alien's history. "When Imika was in prison, a tracker, like a small chip was implanted inside her arm, above the wrist."
Curiosity always got the best of Sam, so much that she was willing to be the first to step closer to her. Intrigued, she asked Rina, "How are you able to track her?"
Rina continued. "I can track Imika with this." She showed them a crystalline bracelet on her right wrist. One would think it was jewelry with oval-shaped amethyst jewels circling around it until she explained.
"You see this in the middle," Rina said, pointing to the purple stone that glowed a faint green. "When it's green, she's far from me. When it's red, I'm close to her."
Sam interrogated her again. "You said you're here to find and kill this Kar'tuc."
"That's correct. It won't be easy to destroy her with your weapons. She is too fast."
Rina reached inside the side pocket of her uniform.
Jack grasped onto his gun.
"It's all right," Rina assured and eased a small black tube from inside her pocket.
"This weapon I carry was given to me to destroy her. Inside is a lethal dose of a toxin we created from bacteria found on our world. It proved to be very effective against the Kar'tuc."
Sam felt uneasy about what she just said, wondering if this toxin would be lethal to humans.
Rina's brows wrinkled above her striking aquamarine eyes. "Tell me, you're here like I am, but what did she do to you? Did she hurt anyone on your world? Wherever your world is?"
"Earth," Jack answered. "And--yes, she may have hurt someone close to us."
"May I ask who?"
Sam volunteered solemnly, "Daniel Jackson. He's part of our team. We were here yesterday, studying this planet. And--," she stopped, keeping herself from crying. "It kidnapped him. That's why we're back, to rescue him."
"I usually work alone."
"Hey," Jack blurted, offended by her arrogance. "Didn't you hear what she just said, our friend was kidnapped by this thing. We would find him ourselves but you said our weapons are useless. I thought maybe you would do the kind thing, like help us out?"
Rina sighed. "All right. I will help you."
Sam interrupted, "Wait, that toxin, it's been tested against the Kar'tuc, right?"
"That's correct."
"What about humans? I don't think you and your people have met humans before."
Irritated by Sam's interrogation, Rina replied with an obvious annoyance in her voice. "You're right. This is the first time I've encountered humans."
"So," Sam continued. "We welcome your help but we're also concerned about how this toxin would affect us."
Teal'c boasted, "The toxin will not affect me."
Rina eyed him bitterly. "That's right, you're a Jaffa."
Teal'c sensed her anger toward him and rushed to defend himself. "A Jaffa who no longer serves false Gods. I serve only the Tau'ri now."
She smiled briefly, thinking if he's with humans, who the Goa'ulds despise, what he disclosed to her has to be the truth.
"Well, it takes great courage, what you've done."
Teal'c bowed his head a little and then he turned toward Jack and Sam. "I know you are concerned about this toxin. I will assist Rina in finding Daniel. You and Major Carter should stay here."
Jack thought again and then he said, "That's not a bad idea."
Sam, realizing she was harsh to the woman, humbled herself. "Rina, um, thanks. And excuse our manners. I'm Major Sam Carter."
Jack pointed at himself. "I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill."
The Jaffa offered his name. "I'm Teal'c," he said and bowed his head.
Rina returned the gesture and smiled. "Come, Teal'c. We must hurry before the night comes."
******************************************************
Imika sat inside the bedroom she created--the lair of the cave. Something worried her. Rina. Imika had been aware of Rina's relentless pursuit of her life. And the only way to stop Rina's hunt was to remove the tracker from her arm. Right now, she had no time to worry about the pain. It had to be done. Imika picked up the speared rock and pressed it against the flesh on her right arm above the wrist.
Daniel lay on his back. His fatigues were back on, but disheveled. His body was extremely weak and racked with throbbing bruises. Bruises marred his face along with blood-dried scrapes. He felt as if she took something from him, part of his soul, but at the same time, she had given him another, an exchange of something that he could not understand. And when Imika screamed from the pain of the tracker she extracted, he also felt the pain, as if she had become one with him. A part of him wanted to stay with her. He had to fight it and struggled to stand on his feet.
I have to get out of here
Daniel staggered away from Imika. The entrance of the cave loomed closer. Though his body ached terribly and feeling sick to his stomach, he refused to give up and stumbled out into the stifling heat of day.
************************************************************
"What is it?" Teal'c said to Rina as they continued their search through the forest. He looked around, noticing the sun would again say good night and welcome the darkness.
Troubled, Rina's eyes remained on her wrist device.
Teal'c asked, "Is there a problem?"
"Yes," an alarmed Rina replied. "It was yellow, which meant we were close, but now it's gone."
The Jaffa added, "It has malfunctioned?"
Rina nodded. "No." Frustrated, she halted and stared angrily into the forest. "Imika, I was afraid she would do something like this so I wouldn't find her."
Teal'c spun around when someone tumbled out of the woods. He rushed over to the battered body, turning him onto his back.
"Daniel Jackson!"
Rina stood over them. "He's your friend you spoke of?"
"Yes. We must get him back to the base."
"But I need to search for Imika."
"It will be dark soon. How can you search for her in darkness?"
Extremely weak, Daniel gazed at his loyal friend through half closed lids.
He whispered, "Teal'c."
Teal'c lifted Daniel's limp body and carried him gently in his arms.
"Teal'c!" Rina called.
He ignored the bounty hunter and headed back to Jack and Sam.
Rina scowled and followed him.
****************************************************
Sam sat beside her CO underneath a canopy of trees. The sun was setting and the temperature began to plummet. An eerie silence stalked them. Both weren't thrilled about waiting on a planet where the chameleon-like alien could be anywhere.
Sam hated this, the torturous waiting. She leaped up from the grass.
"They should be back by now," she said nervously.
Jack uncrossed his legs and stood up. He reached for her arms, grasping them gently.
"Carter, they'll find him."
Tears welled in her eyes. Despite them, she nodded, agreeing with Jack's comforting words. And at that moment, it seemed unbelievable, but his lips stirred closer, longing for her lips. A moment shattered by...
"O'Neill! Major Carter!"
They whirled around in the direction of Teal'c's voice.
Jack was the first to race toward the burly Jaffa carrying Daniel in his arms. Sam sped behind.
Gently, Teal'c placed Daniel onto the bed of grass.
Sam almost cried at the sight of an unconscious Daniel. His dark brown hair, usually well groomed, now matted and spiked. His face, mostly the right side was swollen and bruised.
"Daniel," Sam said warmly, touching the left side of his face. "We're getting you out of here."
Rina shouted, "What about Imika? I have to carry out the orders I was given to destroy her."
Teal'c answered, "How can you find her when night is approaching? And without the tracker she removed from her body? Daniel Jackson is hurt badly. We must get him back to the base."
Sam's teary eyes leaped to meet Rina's gaze. "Teal'c is right. We have to get Daniel out of here before Imika finds us."
Rina sighed. "All right, but I'm coming with you."
"Why?" Jack wondered.
"I want to make sure he's all right. And...I need to think about another way to find Imika."
He nodded and waved his hand, motioning for her to go with them.
Teal'c hoisted Daniel from the ground, swinging his arm around his left shoulder while Jack held Daniel on the other side.
They hurried toward the gate and after Teal'c dialed, they were the first to slip through. Sam followed. Rina, she stopped, looking around at the forest.
You're here somewhere. I'll find you
And then Rina faded through the gate.
******************************************************
Alarms blared around the SG-1 team as they hurried down ramp with Daniel. Rina trailed slowly behind them.
"Close the iris!" Hammond shouted amidst chaos of frantic medics rushing in to the gate room.
The iris clanked shut. What had gone unnoticed by most was something...a shadow camouflaging, blending with the ramp. It watched Daniel on the stretcher as he was taken out of the gate room.
Watching. Lurking.
********************************************************
AN: And those who happen to be reading this, keep up the R&R because there's another chapter!
Disclaimer: SG characters aren't mine. Wish they were, but Imika and Rina belong to me.
Category: Drama, Angst and Action Adventure
Rating: PG-13 for moderate violence and psychological trauma
Chapter 2: The Search
**********************
Jack O'Neill tossed and turned most of the night. And though he didn't get much sleep, his concern about his friend kept him alert. Horrified to think he was stuck on P49-865 with some grotesque thing or even worse, dead. He wondered why it kidnapped Daniel and let them go? So many questions tormented his mind as she headed for the gate room in his SG fatigues. The door to the gate room swooshed open and he entered, joining his team. As they sloped up the ramp, Jack didn't know how to pray but he gave it shot. It was a short silent prayer, hoping he would see Daniel again, and if they found him, he would make sure this alien wished it had never kidnapped his best friend.
*********************************************************
SG-1 disembarked from the blue light of the ring and back onto the isolated planet.
Jack squinted while looking around. He tried desperately to ignore the discouragement creeping into his mind, especially after the search yesterday that was postponed after sunset. The Colonel continued his personal search around the forest--an endless forest. He shook his head. "Damn, he can be anywhere."
A stoic Teal'c stared at him, but the concern in his voice told a different story.
"O'Neill, we will find Daniel Jackson."
Convincing herself he would be found, Sam added, "He has to be here."
They began their search under the stifling heat. Sam took off her emerald--green cap and wiped beads of sweat from under limp wisps of her short blonde hair. Even when they embarked into the forest, they found little relief from the blazing sun.
The Jaffa stopped short in his tracks.
"Teal'c?" Jack asked always alert when his Jaffa friend reacted like that, which meant trouble lurked somewhere. "What is it?"
Tea'lc raised a brow. "I thought I heard something." He heard it again, leaves rustling behind one of the trees. He swung around, whirling his staff weapon like the skilled Jaffa he was and pointed it at the tree. "Who are you?" He demanded to whatever hid behind the tree.
Jack and Sam joined with Teal'c, aiming their guns.
O'Neill glared at the tree, expecting the alien to slither out and then he would fire. But then he thought, no, that wouldn't be smart. The alien knew where Daniel was and it had to be alive for them to know. His eyes widened, surprised to someone else step cautiously from behind the tree.
"Please," the woman said, raising her hands in the air. "Don't kill me."
They stared at the tall woman with long raven hair. She was dressed in what appeared to them as a black cadet-style uniform. The top looked like a mini dress over pants, which were tucked inside black leather boots. The only contrast from her black attire was her pale skin and aquamarine eyes.
SG-1 ignored her pleasant soft voice and refused to stand down. She inched toward them.
Jack eyed her suspiciously. "All right, stay where you are."
The frightened woman obeyed O'Neill's demands and didn't take another step. "I won't hurt you."
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asked sternly.
"I came through the ring that brought me here. I'm Rina from Deneb, the world where I live. I'm here because there's something I need to find."
Curious, Sam's eyes closed a little. "What?"
Rina's arms were tired, but she continued to hold them up. "I believe it is the reason why you're here. Something you saw in the forest. It deceives and you think it is a tree or the grass." Rina paused, reluctant because they were strangers and she wanted to be the one to find what she was there for. But they were holding weapons at her. She had to tell them more. "It is Kar'tuc. They are a lot like the Goa'ulds-evil, dangerous. They tried to invade our planet. Fortunately we were able to stop them and imprison them. But one escaped. It is a female, Imika. And that's why I'm here. I've been chosen by the high council to find and kill. I know it's not easy for you to believe what I'm saying, but you must. She is extremely dangerous."
"Sir?" Sam said to her CO.
Teal'c turned and glanced at Jack.
Both pondered his decision about this woman.
Jack didn't utter a word, lost in his thoughts at the moment. He was always wary of strangers but this time he had to trust someone.
"You seem to know a lot about this--Kar...whatever it is."
"Kar'tuc," she reminded him.
He nodded. "Right, well," he hesitated and lowered his P-90. "Maybe you can help us."
Stunned, Rina stared at them. Her tired arms were still held above her head.
"Oh, uh, it's okay. You can put your hands down now."
She smiled graciously. "Thank you." And then Rina revealed more about the alien's history. "When Imika was in prison, a tracker, like a small chip was implanted inside her arm, above the wrist."
Curiosity always got the best of Sam, so much that she was willing to be the first to step closer to her. Intrigued, she asked Rina, "How are you able to track her?"
Rina continued. "I can track Imika with this." She showed them a crystalline bracelet on her right wrist. One would think it was jewelry with oval-shaped amethyst jewels circling around it until she explained.
"You see this in the middle," Rina said, pointing to the purple stone that glowed a faint green. "When it's green, she's far from me. When it's red, I'm close to her."
Sam interrogated her again. "You said you're here to find and kill this Kar'tuc."
"That's correct. It won't be easy to destroy her with your weapons. She is too fast."
Rina reached inside the side pocket of her uniform.
Jack grasped onto his gun.
"It's all right," Rina assured and eased a small black tube from inside her pocket.
"This weapon I carry was given to me to destroy her. Inside is a lethal dose of a toxin we created from bacteria found on our world. It proved to be very effective against the Kar'tuc."
Sam felt uneasy about what she just said, wondering if this toxin would be lethal to humans.
Rina's brows wrinkled above her striking aquamarine eyes. "Tell me, you're here like I am, but what did she do to you? Did she hurt anyone on your world? Wherever your world is?"
"Earth," Jack answered. "And--yes, she may have hurt someone close to us."
"May I ask who?"
Sam volunteered solemnly, "Daniel Jackson. He's part of our team. We were here yesterday, studying this planet. And--," she stopped, keeping herself from crying. "It kidnapped him. That's why we're back, to rescue him."
"I usually work alone."
"Hey," Jack blurted, offended by her arrogance. "Didn't you hear what she just said, our friend was kidnapped by this thing. We would find him ourselves but you said our weapons are useless. I thought maybe you would do the kind thing, like help us out?"
Rina sighed. "All right. I will help you."
Sam interrupted, "Wait, that toxin, it's been tested against the Kar'tuc, right?"
"That's correct."
"What about humans? I don't think you and your people have met humans before."
Irritated by Sam's interrogation, Rina replied with an obvious annoyance in her voice. "You're right. This is the first time I've encountered humans."
"So," Sam continued. "We welcome your help but we're also concerned about how this toxin would affect us."
Teal'c boasted, "The toxin will not affect me."
Rina eyed him bitterly. "That's right, you're a Jaffa."
Teal'c sensed her anger toward him and rushed to defend himself. "A Jaffa who no longer serves false Gods. I serve only the Tau'ri now."
She smiled briefly, thinking if he's with humans, who the Goa'ulds despise, what he disclosed to her has to be the truth.
"Well, it takes great courage, what you've done."
Teal'c bowed his head a little and then he turned toward Jack and Sam. "I know you are concerned about this toxin. I will assist Rina in finding Daniel. You and Major Carter should stay here."
Jack thought again and then he said, "That's not a bad idea."
Sam, realizing she was harsh to the woman, humbled herself. "Rina, um, thanks. And excuse our manners. I'm Major Sam Carter."
Jack pointed at himself. "I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill."
The Jaffa offered his name. "I'm Teal'c," he said and bowed his head.
Rina returned the gesture and smiled. "Come, Teal'c. We must hurry before the night comes."
******************************************************
Imika sat inside the bedroom she created--the lair of the cave. Something worried her. Rina. Imika had been aware of Rina's relentless pursuit of her life. And the only way to stop Rina's hunt was to remove the tracker from her arm. Right now, she had no time to worry about the pain. It had to be done. Imika picked up the speared rock and pressed it against the flesh on her right arm above the wrist.
Daniel lay on his back. His fatigues were back on, but disheveled. His body was extremely weak and racked with throbbing bruises. Bruises marred his face along with blood-dried scrapes. He felt as if she took something from him, part of his soul, but at the same time, she had given him another, an exchange of something that he could not understand. And when Imika screamed from the pain of the tracker she extracted, he also felt the pain, as if she had become one with him. A part of him wanted to stay with her. He had to fight it and struggled to stand on his feet.
I have to get out of here
Daniel staggered away from Imika. The entrance of the cave loomed closer. Though his body ached terribly and feeling sick to his stomach, he refused to give up and stumbled out into the stifling heat of day.
************************************************************
"What is it?" Teal'c said to Rina as they continued their search through the forest. He looked around, noticing the sun would again say good night and welcome the darkness.
Troubled, Rina's eyes remained on her wrist device.
Teal'c asked, "Is there a problem?"
"Yes," an alarmed Rina replied. "It was yellow, which meant we were close, but now it's gone."
The Jaffa added, "It has malfunctioned?"
Rina nodded. "No." Frustrated, she halted and stared angrily into the forest. "Imika, I was afraid she would do something like this so I wouldn't find her."
Teal'c spun around when someone tumbled out of the woods. He rushed over to the battered body, turning him onto his back.
"Daniel Jackson!"
Rina stood over them. "He's your friend you spoke of?"
"Yes. We must get him back to the base."
"But I need to search for Imika."
"It will be dark soon. How can you search for her in darkness?"
Extremely weak, Daniel gazed at his loyal friend through half closed lids.
He whispered, "Teal'c."
Teal'c lifted Daniel's limp body and carried him gently in his arms.
"Teal'c!" Rina called.
He ignored the bounty hunter and headed back to Jack and Sam.
Rina scowled and followed him.
****************************************************
Sam sat beside her CO underneath a canopy of trees. The sun was setting and the temperature began to plummet. An eerie silence stalked them. Both weren't thrilled about waiting on a planet where the chameleon-like alien could be anywhere.
Sam hated this, the torturous waiting. She leaped up from the grass.
"They should be back by now," she said nervously.
Jack uncrossed his legs and stood up. He reached for her arms, grasping them gently.
"Carter, they'll find him."
Tears welled in her eyes. Despite them, she nodded, agreeing with Jack's comforting words. And at that moment, it seemed unbelievable, but his lips stirred closer, longing for her lips. A moment shattered by...
"O'Neill! Major Carter!"
They whirled around in the direction of Teal'c's voice.
Jack was the first to race toward the burly Jaffa carrying Daniel in his arms. Sam sped behind.
Gently, Teal'c placed Daniel onto the bed of grass.
Sam almost cried at the sight of an unconscious Daniel. His dark brown hair, usually well groomed, now matted and spiked. His face, mostly the right side was swollen and bruised.
"Daniel," Sam said warmly, touching the left side of his face. "We're getting you out of here."
Rina shouted, "What about Imika? I have to carry out the orders I was given to destroy her."
Teal'c answered, "How can you find her when night is approaching? And without the tracker she removed from her body? Daniel Jackson is hurt badly. We must get him back to the base."
Sam's teary eyes leaped to meet Rina's gaze. "Teal'c is right. We have to get Daniel out of here before Imika finds us."
Rina sighed. "All right, but I'm coming with you."
"Why?" Jack wondered.
"I want to make sure he's all right. And...I need to think about another way to find Imika."
He nodded and waved his hand, motioning for her to go with them.
Teal'c hoisted Daniel from the ground, swinging his arm around his left shoulder while Jack held Daniel on the other side.
They hurried toward the gate and after Teal'c dialed, they were the first to slip through. Sam followed. Rina, she stopped, looking around at the forest.
You're here somewhere. I'll find you
And then Rina faded through the gate.
******************************************************
Alarms blared around the SG-1 team as they hurried down ramp with Daniel. Rina trailed slowly behind them.
"Close the iris!" Hammond shouted amidst chaos of frantic medics rushing in to the gate room.
The iris clanked shut. What had gone unnoticed by most was something...a shadow camouflaging, blending with the ramp. It watched Daniel on the stretcher as he was taken out of the gate room.
Watching. Lurking.
********************************************************
AN: And those who happen to be reading this, keep up the R&R because there's another chapter!