From his concealed vantage point in the slave pen's overhead venting system, Benton Fraser and his symbiote Trev'van studied the small blond-haired soldier. She had reacted with surprising equanimity to being shot in the leg and dumped in a Goa'uld slave pen. For a soldier, particularly one from America, he would have expected more bravado, more open defiance. The fact that she was considered a viable hostage to her CO's ongoing good behavior also spoke volumes about this unit. Fraser found himself respecting the team leader. He watched all but two Jaffa accompany the other three members of SG-1, all three of them visibly seething.
He supposed it was inevitable that he and Ray should end up somehow embroiled in the affairs of the other people from Earth running around the universe. Illya Kuryakin, Trev'van's most recent former host, had been tracking the American military group with interest for some time. Of course he and Ray would have to extricate the SG-1 team from this untenable and probably lethal situation. Not only was it their duty as
Well, he couldn't really say officers of the law anymore, could he?
Truth be told, Fraser also felt a certain amount of guilt. This trap had obviously been laid for him and Ray. Given the history the Lar'raan Reii symbiotes Trev'van and Shir had with Vosk and his demented Lord Nergal, they had known it was going to be a trap coming in and had prepared accordingly. Sadly the trap had been sprung on the wrong team.
They had one definite advantage, however. Vosk didn't know why his trap had netted him SG-1. For the time being, his psychopathic attention would be fixed on the wrong side of the ship as he tried to get information about the Lar'raan Reii from the one group of people guaranteed not to know anything.
Due to an unexplained surge in aggression and several current skirmishes being waged on a number of different planets, the System Lord Nergal had almost no Jaffa to spare right now. It seemed that a great majority of the non-essential crew had been detailed to keep tabs on the various members of SG-1. Even as Fraser watched, the guard from the other side of the hold spoke into his communicator and walked off with only a word or two of explanation to his comrades inside the pen. The one watching Major Carter slowly bleed out laughed and made a crude joke in Goa'uld.
Fraser turned the facts over and over in his mind. As strange as it seemed, Vosk had had a moment of sheer, blind luck, all the more remarkable because that fact had somehow eluded him. During a raid on a small rebel Jaffa base he had managed to capture, purely by accident, the son of the most famous Jaffa alive right now. And since he'd managed to somehow completely miss that crucial point, through his own psychotic arrogance and bloodlust, Fraser felt no desire to point it out.
Fraser stared down at the prisoners, thinking fast. There were 18 humans and 23 Jaffa, counting the child and the soldier. Much of his attention was focused on the bleeding woman and the furious young Jaffa boy.
A sturdy woman with hair even lighter than the injured Air Force soldier's was holding the young Jaffa boy tightly, whispering fiercely into his ear. Fraser nodded encouragement despite the fact that no one could see him. Good. Someone was thinking. The woman had obviously gleaned the fact that the guards had no idea of the value of that child. And there was no reason to enlighten them. Another captive, a dark man who looked to be in his early thirties, stood casually in the direct line of sight between the Jaffa guards and the struggle taking place behind him.
I think those two would be extremely good recruits. Fraser mused.
I agree. Trev'van's voice startled Fraser and he flinched. They've kept their wits about them; managed not to compromise us even when faced with an ambiguous situation.
Fraser was still not used to having his inner thoughts answered, or even heard. He damped down an instinctual flare of distaste at the fact that his private thoughts were no longer strictly private and kept to the observations at hand.
Yes. The woman immediately figured out those other human soldiers were looking for the child, and the man moved just as swiftly to divert the guards' attention. They seem to work well as a team. I definitely want to add them to our numbers, if possible.
A soft touch on his arm was Ray and he was glad. Whenever he had doubts, being around Ray, working with Ray, generally quelled them. Fraser could admit to a certain amount of envy at the easy-going relationship between Ray and the symbiote he carried. Ray and Shir got along famously and Ray obviously believed that Trev'van and Fraser would one day have a similar rapport.
Fraser sincerely doubted that he would ever become accustomed to the sense ofnakedness he felt. Having someone constantly in your mind was almost a violation. And he knew Trev'van felt hurt that he was unable to be more enthusiastic about the relationship, but he couldn't help it. Life as a Mountie had never prepared him to share his brain.
He resolved to try harder to get to know Trev'van and moved away from the vent he was peering through. He crawled over to the hole Ray had created and looked back down into the slave hold.
From the moment this ship had hit the rebel village, Fraser and the symbiotes had known it was a trap, a lure to bring out the infamous slave-freeing rebels known as the Lar'raan Reii. Ray had complained bitterly about the entire idea of deliberately stepping into a trap, but Trev'van, Shir and Fraser had all managed to talk him into the plan.
Trev'van and Shir had a score to settle with Vosk, and Fraser had pointed out that there were still captives aboard the ship. It was their duty to help them. So Ray, with much muttering, had thrown himself and Shir into figuring out the safest way to achieve their goal despite the added danger.
Ray had used a suspiciously familiar slick compound (Fraser blushed slightly as the scent triggered provocative memories) in combination with a small metal cutter and a magnet, to quietly open a hole in the bottom of the vent within which they were currently ensconced. A person-sized hole, one that opened inside the pens, securing passage through the vent system to all incarcerated there. The plan had been that they would lift people up into the vent system and Ray would lead them to the Stargate. Ray would then Gate over with the refugees and Fraser would fly the scout ship.
It had been a good plan, a very good plan indeed. Unfortunately, that plan was now defunct, as there were four extra complications to take into account, one of whom was currently bleeding to death beneath them.
SG-1 had stumbled into a trap set for the Lar'raan Reii. It was only honorable that the Lar'raan Reii get them out of it.
Ray touched him again, blue eyes inquisitive. He was woolgathering. Time to serve the cause of justice.
However, before justice could be served, they needed to clarify the new plan. After all, Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.
Fraser looked at Ray, pointed at the injured woman, and pointed at Ray.
Ray looked down at her and nodded. He then pointed to the darkness of the vent, back toward the direction of the Stargate, pointed at Fraser, and moved his forearms with loosely held fists back and forth, miming crawling.
Fraser nodded.
Ray pointed at the young Jaffa, now subdued but still openly quite emotional, and pointed at himself. Then he held up his hands to his face, circling his index finger and thumb to mime glasses and pointed at Fraser.
Fraser nodded, pointed at himself and mimed a salute.
Ray nodded.
Fraser felt better. The mimed conversation had taken less than ten seconds, all told. He and Ray had always had a tremendous rapport. They exchanged grins. The new plan was now set. They drew their zatn'kitels, simultaneously mouthed a three count and fired through the hole at the two Jaffa guards, Fraser taking out the one with the gun.
Showtime.
Ray dropped lightly into the pen, Fraser landing behind him a split second later.
"Hey, folks." he said, taking in the stares. "My name's Luke Skywalker and I'm here to rescue you."
The people seemed to range in mood from hopeful to suspicious. The Jaffa all looked pissed. The blond woman took a step forward, cool voice matching her platinum hair. "Are youÉ?"
"UmmÉLar'raan Reii. Heard of us? Cool." Ray grinned. "UmÉwe had a plan. NowÉwellÉwe have a new plan. We're gonna take you guys to the Stargate and send you through to our base camp without us. These guys need our help." He pointed with his chin at Major Carter. The Jaffa all became noticeably more hostile.
It seemed like a good time to turn on the Mountie charm. Moving quickly, Ray tossed his zat to Fraser. All eyes followed the arc of the weapon, sliding away from the lean blonde cop to the beautiful man with dark hair. Fraser started talking his Fraser relax-o-spiel.
Ray let Shir take control. She pulled out a healing device and knelt down next to the unconscious blond soldier. She stayed aware of her surroundings as she examined the wound, knowing that she was leaving Fraser the sometimes impossible job of convincing Goa'uld captives, whether human or Jaffa, that the Lar'raan Reii were not a threat.
Ben'll be fine, Lady. Just do your thing.
"We are not gods." Fraser was adding, and Ray knew just from the tone of his voice that his blue eyes were serious and kind. The platinum blond woman, still cradling the young Jaffa boy, was the first to respond.
"We will help however we can, Reii-An." She looked at the dark man, purpose warring with excitement sparking between them. "I am Seleen. This is my man, Dion."
Grinning madly inside Shir's head, Ray could feel Fraser stare for a moment. Then Fraser shook it off and smoothly started getting people organized and Ray got distracted as Shir began firing up the healing thingy. She ran it over Blondie's leg, healing the worst of the damage.
This is not good, Ray. Shir was sober, her thoughts tasting of distress. The bullet missed the artery but came very close to it. The sheer force of the passing metal stressed the arterial wall here. And the weakened wall gave way moments ago. She's been bleeding even more heavily than we knew. If we had waited even a few more moments she would have
"What are you doing to Major Carter?" The question broke Shir's concentration and she stopped the healing flow.
The young Jaffa boy stood in front of her, eyes fierce and wary.
Ray resurfaced. Shir had residual guilt issues with the whole Jaffa race. Better he be the one to handle the kid.
"Hey. What's your name, kid?"
"I am Rya'c of Chulak, son of Teal'c." the kid was not giving an inch. "MajorCarter is my friend. Are you with the Tok'Ra? What are you doing to her?"
Ray went to run his hands through his dirty-blonde hair, accidentally smacking himself with the red device. "Ow." he squinted sharp blue eyes at the kid. "I'm trying to help her. See the bullet did someÉdamage. We're healing the damage. You get it?"
Rya'c hesitated, then nodded slowly.
"Great. Greatness. Um. You know the Tok'Ra? Yeah? We're kinda like them. We're here to help all these people get out, and we wanna help your dad, too." Shir murmured a suggestion in their shared head and Ray seized it. "Hey. You wanna help?"
Rya'c looked startled, then nodded again.
"Greatness." Ray grinned at him. "I gotta get your friend, Major Carver"
"Carter."
"Major Carter, right, I gotta get her to our ship. We got a" he flailed his hands around for a minute, narrowly missing the unconscious Major with the device on his hand. "We got this thing, it's like a sarcophagus, butÉumÉdifferent." He squinted at Rya'c. The kid seemed to be listening. "So, ahÉshe's not really what you'd call, ambulatory. "
The kid looked blank.
"I need to carry her." Ray clarified. Rya'c nodded, confusion still apparent on his young features. Was I ever that young? "Problem is, I can't carry a gun Ñ weapon Ñ and carry your friend at the same time." He cocked his head, challenging the kid. "You game? Watch my back?"
Rya'c's eyes widened slightly, but he kept his cool. "I will guard MajorCarter." he said, and Ray fought to keep a straight face. Even though he'd only seen the older Jaffa for a moment, he could tell the kid was channeling his dad; Ray would cut out his own tongue rather than laugh at him. Especially when Rya'c remembered his suspicions a moment later. "I will guard her even from you."
Ray held his hard young gaze for a heartbeat. "Fair enough. Yo, Frase." Fraser looked up from where he was hoisting people up through the vent.
"Give the kid a zat."