Rating:G
Chapter 22 - Initial point
February 2005, SWC base on Antara
Daniel and the rest of SG-1 carried two crates into the hangar and started unpacking the parts Carter and Willow planned to attach to the death gliders to make them more suitable for the next mission. The most important were the sonars the technicians from SGC got from three dismounted bathyscaphes and several trinium plates. It's been two day since SG-1 came back from P3X-421 and informed Hammond that Anubis had one less problem to worry about. Kinsey didn't tell them anything new and Daniel wondered why Buffy insisted to talk to the former senator right after Jack told her Anubis had another part of the set. She was supposed to visit him today and Daniel hoped she'll be able to control her temper when she'll face the man who kidnapped her.
"Carter, you do realize we won't be able to see anything with trinium plates all around the cockpit, don't you?" Jack opened one of the crates and picked up a special plasma arc welder Sam wanted to use to attach the trinium.
"Sir. We plan to enter a Goa'uld stronghold through an underground river. The crafts were not constructed as submarines and without a better protection, the compression would crush the cockpit within a few minutes. The depth of the cave the river flows through is over fifteen hundred meters, which means the pressure inside is one hundred and fifty times greater then the Earth's atmospheric pressure. We wouldn't see anything in the deep water anyway - there is no light and even mounting headlights on the gliders wouldn't help, because the water is very dirty. At least according to the informations the Tok'ra gave us."
"Yeah. Annisse." Jack growled. "Let's talk about reliable sources. I wouldn't be surprised if the base didn't belong to Anubis at all and we ended up visiting Baal's graduation party. Also straying through a Goa'uld sewer with sonar as the only navigation system isn't my idea of a funny weekend." Jack protested against Carter's plan.
"We have to switch off the Goa'uld active sensors, because they are too easy to detect." Carter objected and then decided playing with Jack's pride a little will certainly do the job. "That's why we take only three gliders and the best pilots. You, Teal'c and one from SWC.", she added.
"Yeah, who is this Top Gun guy anyway?"
The massive gate leading to the hangar slowly opened, letting in the beams of the warm afternoon sun and a single death glider slipped inside. The ship hurled towards the group with an amazing speed and Jack almost wanted to duck and cover when the glider suddenly stopped only a few inches in front of him, hovering one meter above the floor. The hood of the cockpit opened, revealing a brown haired figure, dressed in black leather pants and jacket.
"Hi." Faith grinned mischievously at Jack. "Ready for a ride?"
----
It was three hours after sunset when John once again found himself looking for the person who eagerly tried to avoid him for the last two days. It's not like she was swearing or spiting at him every time they met, she just completely ignored his presence. After John searched through the mess hall and the gym, he headed to the last place where he could find her. Xander told him Dawn had used to spend a lot of time on the roof, watching the stars, during the time Buffy had been lost and she had felt alone. John ran up the stairway leading to the flat roof and when he looked around he noticed Dawn lying on one of the mats the slayers used for training ... or sunbathing - the usage depended on the current weather.
"Is this a private marathon of deep consuming depression or can anyone join?" John tried to get Dawn's attention. When Dawn didn't answer and just kept staring at the sky, he lay down on a mat about two meters away from her. 'Pretend you're not obtrusive', John thought, didn't move and waited for Dawn's reaction. If she really wanted him to get lost, she'd have to say it, which meant to actually open her mouth and talk to him. They both lay there for almost a half hour and John began to think Dawn might be already asleep, when she finally broke the silence.
"They're pretty, aren't they?" Dawn remarked, without turning her gaze away from the night sky.
"You mean the stars?" John inquired, happy Dawn decided to accept his presence.
"Yeah. There is a possibility they're all fake, but they are still pretty."
"To be honest I ... I mean Jack never watched them." John confessed. "It's much more practical to be interested in the surrounding bushes, when you're a soldier. Keeps you alive."
"I guess." Dawn agreed thoughtfully. "But I like the feeling. You know ... when you wake up and you see nothing else but stars above your head."
"I understand. That's the moment you find out somebody stole your tent." John tried a lame joke to cheer Dawn up a little and was surprised it worked.
"Oh come on", Dawn smiled. "Jack was never camping when he was young?"
"Just twice. " John smirked. "The first time he lost his virginity, the second time he lost his last two deciduous teeth. No ... wait a minute, I guess it was the other way round."
Dawn burst out laughing and turned on her side to face John." You know what? When you're honest, it's not so bad to have you around."
"Dawn, about what I did..."
"Don't." Dawn butt in on his apology."I already know. Two days ago, during the power boost, I could feel the thoughts of everyone in the hall. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just wasn't sure how to react. Something is happening to me John. "Dawn paused. "Whatever is going on, I'm part of it."
"And you're scared." John nodded."Dawn that's nothing to be ashamed of. If I was experiencing the same stuff as you are I'd have to change my pants ten times a day. You have your sister, Giles, Willow, Xander and many friends who care about you. I don't think you have a reason to be afraid, because they'll protect you."
"Exactly." Dawn sighed. Then she noticed John's puzzled expression and started explaining. "Four years ago, a hellgod named Glory felt a little homesick and decided the best way to solve the problem was to tie me to the top of a tower and bleed me to the death to open a portal to her dimension. The only way to save the world was to kill me before too many demons pass the barriers. Before Buffy and the others went to fight against Glory, she told them she'd kill anyone who would try to hurt me. In the last minute Buffy realized she can save me by jumping into the portal and she sacrificed her own life. I was able to read her thoughts two days ago and I know she's ready to do it again. Only this time, I won't let her."
"Do you really think it will go so far?" John doubted Buffy would intentionally hurt or even kill a human.
"I'm afraid she'll do anything and sacrifice anyone to protect me."
----
Buffy entered Kinsey's cell in area 51, smiled at the guard who accompanied her and politely asked him if he could wait outside. Since she had been checked like ten times if she wasn't carrying any weapons, the soldier was very obliging and left the room. The fact Buffy was only about three years younger then the guard and her flirtation with him during the way to the cell also helped a lot to make him quickly forget any objections. There were still two cameras watching the situation in the cell, but Buffy didn't mind. During the time she had been in the control room and the soldiers had been calling to SGC to confirm her identity, she had noticed the guards were much more interested in the national baseball championship then the base security.
"To be honest, I expected you sooner." Kinsey remarked when he saw who his visitor was.
Buffy didn't answer and sat down, facing the man who caused her so much trouble. In silence she put out a small bag from her pocket, shook out it's chalky content on her opened hand and muttered a few words in a language Kinsey had newer heard before. Buffy blew the white powder into his face and calmly waited for results.
In the beginning Kinsey couldn't feel any change, but then his throat began to hurt. "What did you do to me?" he coughed, holding his neck.
"In the books it's called the neck compressing powder, but the tribesmen who invented it simply named it the Breath Taker, which I personally find much more catchy. It will enlarge the tissue in your larynx to the point you won't be able to breathe." Buffy informed him leisurely. "However that's not what you should be interested in right now. From your point of view, the only really important thing is, you have exactly..." Buffy took a glance at her watch. "...two minutes and thirty five seconds to explain what's happening to Dawn before you lose the ability to speak. And please don't try to alert the guards, they won't be able to help you anyway. Dawn is somehow connected to the set, isn't she?"
"I don't know!" Kinsey cried out. "Maybe. We were taking samples of Dawn's and your blood during the time you were kidnapped. It's possible that using the blood created a connection."
"Then tell me about the set. What's the last part, what is it's power, how is it possible Anubis used vampires to get Apophis's staff.", Buffy demanded.
"Anubis has allies from your planet who helped him to recruit demons as soldiers." Kinsey hawked. "I have never met them. And all I know about the set is that the parts Anubis already has are only a power source. It's the last one - the axe that will give him the means to defeat other System Lords. Now give me the damned antidote!"
"Antidote?" Buffy leaned closer to Kinsey so her face was only a few inches from his own and whispered. "I've never said I have one."
Kinsey was shocked beyond words when he saw Buffy stand up and head to the door. The pain in his throat increased so much it was almost unbearable. "There is nothing else I could tell you!" ,he shouted out.
Buffy stopped in front of the door and turned around, her face showing no remorse. "I hope so, because next time I certainly won't use a powder with a temporary effect.", she warned him and left the room. She noticed the soldier who accompanied her previously was talking to a Sergeant in the end of the hallway and evidently had no idea what happened inside the cell. She walked to him and let him escort her to the exit of the base.
----
"We've reached the planet's orbit. Alpha, beta and gamma prepare to separate your gliders from the ships." the navigator of the leading Alkesh advised the pilots. The crew of the first glider were Jack and Carter, in the second were Teal'c and Daniel and the last was occupied by Faith and Buffy. Jack wasn't sure if Buffy was the best choice for this mission. She seemed unusually quiet since she returned from area 51. She reduced her conversation skills to one-word sentences and every time somebody asked her if there was a problem she answered: I'm fine. Jack didn't need to be a psychologist to recognize something was very wrong. However Faith insisted on going with Buffy and he agreed to avoid another argument. Perhaps Buffy was just bored - the trip to the planet was quite uneventful.
The three Alkesh slowly entered the nitric atmosphere on the opposite side of the planet to remain undetected, with the gliders attached to the bottoms of the ships and covered by their cloaking fields. The planned entry point to the underground river was a large lake in a rain forest close to the tenth parallel. The tropical area was surrounded by mountains, which would increase the probability the ships remain hidden from the Goa'uld sensors. As soon as their height sank bellow hundred meters, the couplings holding the smaller crafts disconnected and the gliders lunged towards the water level, spattering gallons of the pellucid liquid when they flew through it. The Alkesh crews watched them disappear in the water and then landed near the shore and waited for their return.
The water was much cleaner then they presumed and Jack curiously observed shoals of various kinds of fishes and other animals he wasn't able to identify swimming around their ships. He was always confident when he was flying a glider in the outer space, but now in the subaqueous environment he felt a little claustrophobic and he expected this feeling to increase a lot once the trinium plates around the cockpit would be deployed.
"When exactly will we switch off the Goa'uld sensors and use the armour?" Jack asked his co-pilot.
"The polymeric glass can withstand approximately six megapascals, which corresponds to the depth of six hundred meters. We need to deactivate the sensors before we leave the lake and enter the river." Carter explained.
"But isn't an active sonar easy to detect as well?" Jack wanted to know.
"It is." Carter nodded, a little surprised by Jack's knowledge. "That's why I modified the sonar to shuffle the sound frequencies created by reptiles living in this lake.", she added with sincere enthusiasm.
"Carter." Jack arched his eyebrow in irritation. "I ask just out of curiosity ... about how big animals are we talking right now? I mean the Tok'ra would warn us if these creatures were dangerous, wouldn't they?"
"Well..." Carter tried to sound confident and was thinking of a way to explain Jack Annisse didn't give them any other informations except the frequencies. "...most of them aren't bigger then..."
"...a middle-sized shopping center." Faith cut in. "Look to the right."
Jack did what he was told and observed a dark green snake-like creature move in the opposite direction with amazing speed and precision. Jack guessed it had about the same diameter as a subway tunnel. It's jaw was large enough to swallow the whole ship, it's back and sides were covered by outer skeleton with a great deal of sharp peaks and Jack was sure any of those could cut his glider in half. Fortunately the mass of flesh and bones seemed to be more interested in the plants floating near their wing and Jack prayed it wasn't thinking about adding new dishes to it's everyday menu.
"Carter." Jack addressed his second in command. "Somehow the idea 'We need a bigger boat' appeared in my mind."
"This creature seems to be a vegetarian O'Neill." Teal'c joined the conversation. "I don't see a reason to worry, because it won't attack us, unless we attempt to kill it." Teal'c paused thoughtfully."However according to the National Geographic DVD you lent me a month ago, the carnivores are usually on the top of the food chain, which means an animal able to hunt and devour this snake probably lives in the lake as well."
"Thanks Teal'c." Jack shifted anxiously in his seat. "I feel much better now."
"You're welcome." Teal'c's face twitched slightly and only a person who had known him for a long time would recognize he was amused.
"We are reaching the critical depth." Carter read the informations from the sensors. "I'm deploying the armour."
"And the new international blind-man's-buff championship begins. I really hope the data in the stronghold will be worth it." Jack muttered and watched the trinium plates envelop the cockpit and block his view. The three ships carefully entered the stream that would bring them to the water reservoir supplying Anubis's base.
----
Kennedy left Giles, Fred and the rest of the group researching the latest events and headed to the infirmary to check up on Willow, who was looking after Whistler. Kennedy sighed. She could think of more enjoyable 'activities' for her and Willow then spending the night sitting next to a sick balance demon.
"So how's the research party?" Willow smiled sympathetically at her girlfriend. She knew Kennedy wasn't a book worm and digging up informations from old musty tomes certainly wasn't her idea of a funny evening. "Did you find anything about the spell that created stargate? The reason why would somebody give it to us? Why we don't have a contact to the PTB?"
"No, no and ... no." Kennedy sat down next to Whistler's bed, frustrated about the results, looking at the sleeping demon. "Any sign he's about to wake up?", she asked.
"I'm adding another 'No' to the collection." Willow touched the crystal he was still holding in his hand. "I think it won't take long though, because Dawn's energy obviously sped up the regeneration process."
"Well, since our patient is doing so fine we could..." a wicked grin appeared on Kennedy's face.
"You know we can't leave him alone here." Willow sighed sadly.
"Ok. Then I guess I'll have to find another not-so-straight witch I can spend the night with." Kennedy teased. "There is a really cute blonde in the Coven who wanted to show me her stamps collection."
"Do you know that in England is blackmailing your girlfriend qualified as a crime?" Willow pretended to be serious.
"Oh." Kennedy's raised her eyebrow playfully. "Will you punish me?"
"We can't..." Willow was silenced by a tender kiss. Kennedy pulled Willow into her lap, her hands slid up the redhead's sides, mapping out the delicate curves. Willow slowly covered the girl's mouth with her own, giving herself over to the sensations and began to stroke gently Kennedy's hair. She slightly parted her lips to give the other girl a better access and moaned when Kennedy's tongue urgently thrust into her mouth. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation, however when Kennedy's hand somehow found a way under her blouse, she got suddenly scared someone might see them and broke the kiss.
Kennedy realized the reason why Willow stopped, but she wasn't ready to give up so easily. She began to run the tip of her tongue along Willow's jaw and neck, and then concentrated on her girlfriend's earlobes. "Don't worry." she whispered seductively. "They're all in full research mode. Nobody will come here."
"Kennedy. Giles..." Willow tried to get Kennedy's attention by tapping on her shoulder.
"Giles is explaining the fascinating origin of the Byzantine god of Correct Pronunciation." Kennedy slid her right hand to Willow's chest and started to lift her blouse with the other.
"No, I mean Giles..." Willow doubted her face could get a deeper shade of red.
"Stop worrying about Giles Will." Kennedy didn't understand why Willow was so distracted. "I'm sure he is buried in Gothic scrolls right now. Or do you feel sorry for him, because he's not getting any and ..." Kennedy paused." ...he is standing behind me, isn't he?"
"Hello Kennedy." Giles began to vehemently polish his glasses to avoid seeing even more disturbing images. "Perhaps you two should get some rest and I will look after Whistler."
"Uh...yeah, good idea." both girls agreed, happy they could escape from the embarrassing situation. They rushed out of the room and headed together to the main hall.
"Well. I'm sure he'll knock next time." Kennedy giggled. "Ready to finish what we started?"
"Yes, but this time behind a locked door and a silencing charm." Willow smirked. Perhaps the evening won't be that bad after all. "Though I'm sure we have a long lecture about being the role models for young slayers waiting for us tomorrow."
The both women walked towards their room when Willow suddenly got much more serious and looked around suspiciously. "You know, two days ago, Dawn's energy crushed the charms I had set up around the house and also made me much weaker then usual, so the new protection is quite easy to breach." Willow closed her eyes to concentrate on her surroundings. "I think we have some uninvited guests in the gym."
"The gym?" Kennedy didn't understand why would a thief attempt to enter a training area and risk a fight with slayers. "But there is nothing important inside except..." her eyes widened when she realized what the intruders were after. "...the Scythe."
"Giles!" Willow shouted towards the infirmary and hoped he would hear her. "Demons in the gym!"
Willow didn't wait for an answer and ran to the alarm that would usually alert the slayers guarding the house, but then she realized all security systems were out of order because of what happened two days before. Mentally kicking herself for not repairing them right after the accident she and Kennedy hurried to protect the most important artifact the slayers had. Kennedy was the first to reach the building and she spotted three vampires together with a red haired women dressed in a black dress who was holding the Scythe and looked very familiar to her.
"Hi. Long time no see." the redhead greeted her.
"Amy." Kennedy gritted her teeth when she recognized the woman who caused Willow turned into Waren and almost killed her. "This time you won't escape so easily."
"Because you're a slayer?" Amy chuckled. "Enjoy it as long as you can."
"Give me the Scythe and you might leave this building alive." Kennedy threatened the witch.
"I always appreciated your sense of humor." Amy waved her hand and an invisible force threw Kennedy back towards the entrance. "Once again I have to tell you I'm not the bad guy here. I'm just helping to settle the mess created by your friend."
"And you really expect me to believe you?" Kennedy snapped at her. "I didn't hit my head THAT hard you know."
"You mistake me for someone who cares what you believe in." Amy shrugged. "I don't take it personally, I just want to stay alive. Well, it was a pleasure to see you again, but I have to go now." Amy snapped her fingers and her group disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Kennedy alone.
Giles, Willow, Angel and several slayers burst into the gym but it was already too late. Willow tried to focus and locate the destination of Amy's teleportation spell, but the other witch covered her track. They all couldn't believe they were so stupid at let it happen. The Scythe was obviously the last part of the set and the axe Kinsey was talking about. Now Anubis will complete the set and they still had no idea what was it's purpose. Angry and frustrated, they slowly returned to the main building.
"Mr. Giles." a young slayer addressed the oldest watcher when he was heading back to his room.
"What?!" Giles snapped at the her in full ripper mode and the girl took a few steps back. "I'm sorry." he apologized. "What do you need?"
"Fred asked me to bring you back to the infirmary." the slayer replied. "She said Whistler is awake."
"Finally." Giles immediately forgot his previous mood and rushed to meet the messenger of the powers. Entering the room, he saw Whistler covered with sweat and trying to use gestures to explain something to Fred.
"Whistler!" Giles sat down next to the sick balance demon and grabbed his shoulders a little stronger then he originally intended. "Tell me what's happening!"
"Let him go!" Fred tried to weaken Giles's grip. "Don't you realize he's too week to talk?"
"And you apparently don't realize we've probably lost the only reason why Anubis postponed the attack on our planet." Giles stated. "Whistler. Just tell me why is all this happening. Who started it? The Powers That Be?"
Whistler slowly opened his mouth and tried to speak. It was clear every movement caused him a great deal of pain. Giles leaned closer to him to be able to understand his hoarse voice and the demon whispered one name: Buffy.
End chapter.
A/N Ok, in the next chapter I WILL explain what's happening. Promise :-) Please review.