13

Know Your Enemy

Evree sat patiently, being quietly miserable. If she had thought the attire that Ahriman had selected for her was humiliating, then this paper gown with no back was far beyond humiliating. She suppressed a sigh. She couldn't blame the humans for being either curious or cautious. And she supposed that from their point of view it was entirely necessary. It was also necessary that she submit to whatever they wished since she had thrown herself upon their mercy.

Across the room, a conference was being held in muted voices.

"Well, she's healthy enough," Dr. Frasier remarked. "But there is an awful lot of scarring on her. I would have thought that a sarcophagus would have prevented that."

"It should have," Sam replied musingly. "Unless the wounds were already healed before she got in the sarcophagus."

"For all that Goa'uld have a penchant for young, beautiful hosts," Daniel put in. "She's showing some signs of age. Signs that shouldn't be there with the regular use of a sarcophagus. Unless she chose her host at an older age than most of them do."

"We could stand here and speculate all day," General Hammond put in. "But I think we'd be better off questioning her." He turned to Janet Frasier. "There's nothing in the way of physical infirmity that would prevent us from interrogating her?"

Janet shook her head. "As I said, physically, she's healthy." She got a thoughtful look on her face. "But if I didn't know better, from some of the reactions I got from her..," The Doctor paused, looking for just the right way to put it. "Well, if she were human, I'd say that she was the victim of long-term abuse."

"Who would dare to abuse a Goa'uld?" Teal'c asked sensibly. "They are difficult enough to kill without keeping them alive to torment them. And most Jaffa would die before harming one."

"Another Goa'uld?" Jack suggested. As all eyes turned towards him, he shrugged. "Well, it's not like any of them are bosom buddies or anything. Supposing that there's another Goa'uld who has issues with her?"

It was Teal'c's turn to look thoughtful. "It would be possible," he muttered, half to himself. "A Jaffa in the service of another Goa'uld would feel no loyalty to her, but only to his own 'god'."

"Dr. Frasier," Hammond broke in. "You haven't said yes or no yet. Is the subject fit to be interrogated?"

Frasier sighed. "If she were human," she replied. "I'd say no. But I don't know how bad the emotional damage is, or what her tolerance is. And I do know that we need answers." She looked over at her patient, who sat on the edge of the examining table, looking at her surroundings idly, but with no real curiosity. Finally, she came to a decision. "I'd like to monitor the interrogation, if I may."

"To what purpose?" Hammond asked. It wasn't standard operating procedure, but there were exceptions to every rule.

"If the questioning gets to be too much for her or sends her into some sort of emotional trauma I could be there with a tranquilizer," Frasier answered. "I know she's a Goa'uld. But somehow, she still manages to project an air of fragility. And if we're going to want to keep her around for a while, we're going to need to look out for her well-being."

Hammond nodded his assent. "Bring her to the conference room as soon as you've gotten her dressed then, Dr." he ordered. "The rest of you can meet me there as well."

"The conference room," Jack said slowly. "Why not an interrogation room?"

"With the exception of Dr. Frasier, we'll all be armed," Hammond stated. "And since Evree came to us of her own free will and surrendered, I won't treat her like a criminal as long as she behaves herself."

Teal'c came as close to looking shocked as he ever did. "Does that mean that you do not intend to put a guard on her then?"

"She'll be guarded," Hammond assured him. "For her safety as well as ours."

&&&&&&&

The Jaffa marched into Ahriman's presence with all alacrity, but on a metaphorical level, he was dragging his feet. He had bad news to deliver to his god, and he knew that it was generally Ahriman's habit to take out his anger on the bearer of bad news.

"Report," Ahriman ordered, his voice echoing off the walls of the chamber. Clad in silks and satins, with jewelry adorning his throat, wrists and shining black hair, Ahriman looked soft. But none that knew him would make that mistake. There were no soft Goa'uld.

"Lord." The Jaffa stopped to swallow, trying to win the war with his nerves. "The two Jaffa guarding the gate are dead. And we have still found no trace of Evree."

"Had the gate been activated?" Ahriman demanded, reining in his temper with difficulty. He needed this one alive. At least until he had gotten all the information that the Jaffa was in possession of.

The Jaffa nodded. "Yes, Lord, it had," he replied miserably. He was going to die and die slowly, he was certain of it. But while he lived, he still had a duty to his god. "There was also a strange device sitting in front of the gate. It is being brought here even as we speak."

"What sort of device?" Ahriman queried. His rage was beginning to fade as curiosity took over.

"It is totally unfamiliar to us, Lord," the Jaffa replied. "But perhaps with your superior knowledge, you will know what it is."

"Have it brought to me immediately," Ahriman ordered. Almost as an afterthought he added, "And continue the search for Evree. Just because the gate was activated does not necessarily mean that she went through it."

"It shall be as my god desires," answered the Jaffa, bowing and scraping his way out of Ahriman's presence and awed by his good fortune that he should still be alive to do so.

&&&&&&&

Everyone was assembled in the conference room when Dr. Frasier entered with Evree in tow. The Goa'uld looked far different now than when she had entered Stargate Command through the gate, or even when she sat clad in a paper hospital gown in medical. Frasier had tended the cuts and scrapes that she'd acquired in her flight from Ahriman and his Jaffa, and she had been allowed to bathe. Shimmering chocolate-brown hair hung nearly to her knees, and the military issue clothing seemed out of place on her china-doll form.

Hammond beckoned her to a seat at the far end of the table from him, and Evree sat, with Janet taking a place next to her. The rest of SG-1 ranged around the table, watching expectantly and curiously.

Evree studied the faces of those assembled around the table. She had met them all, albeit in most cases fairly briefly, except for Dr. Frasier, Teal'c and the one they called O'Neill. She looked his way now and was surprised to see an expression of undisguised loathing on his face. On anyone else's, she would not have been surprised, for she knew the regard with which the Tau'ri held her people, nor could she blame them. But to see it from O'Neill, who had shown concern for her was.., unpleasant. But she did not have time to examine feelings now, either hers or his. She was here to answer questions, and she must be as cooperative and forthright as possible.

"Perhaps you could start by telling us how you came to be on PX549," Hammond suggested. Then, he realized that the alpha-numeric designation would mean nothing to her. "The planet we found you on," he amended.

"It was mine." A bald statement, and for the first time, they caught a glimpse of the typical Goa'uld attitude that they'd come to expect. "I held it for centuries. Then, about..," She stopped a moment, seeming to do some mental calculating. "One hundred and fifty years ago, Ahriman came. He said that he wanted the planet. I told him that it was mine, and I would not give it up. We fought over it, and not only did I lose my planet, but my freedom as well, for Ahriman made me a slave." She did not elaborate on what her precise role was as a slave. She did not want to have to tell these strangers how Ahriman had abased and abused her, the blows to her pride almost as painful as the physical ones.

"Why did Ahriman want the planet?" Sam asked. There was little available information on PX549, and anything Evree could add to it would be useful.

Evree shrugged. "I am not sure," she admitted. "Ahriman never enlightened me. He merely told me that he wanted it, and that he would have it."

"Why did you want it?" Jack asked bluntly. He was finding it difficult not to feel sorry for her, and that grated on his nerves, the thought of feeling sorry for a Goa'uld.

Evree shrugged again, or maybe it was that she found the unaccustomed clothing uncomfortable. "I liked it," she said simply. "I realize that you may not have had time to see much of it, but it is a beautiful planet. It was far from my contentious brethren, and with a small but adequate supply of naquadah. Not enough for anyone to go to war over, but enough and then some for me to run my household." She laughed bitterly. "I was so weary of all the fighting. All I really wanted was to be left alone."

"Do you have any idea why Ahriman made you a slave rather than killing you?" Teal'c asked. It was his experience that Goa'uld did not leave a fallen opponent alive.

Evree shook her head. "When I was brought before Ahriman the day that my forces fell," she answered. "I fully expected to be put to death. If I had had any idea what was in store for me, I would have prayed for it."

"Is he the one who is responsible for the scars on you?" Daniel asked quietly. "Or did your host already have them?"

Evree looked at him quizzically. "I am Goa'uld," she stated. "I would never have considered taking a host that was imperfect. No, the scars were put there by Ahriman. He would not even allow me to use the sarcophagus to heal unless he had damaged me so badly that if I did not use it I would die."

"Sounds like a prince of a guy," Jack remarked sarcastically. He knew that the Goa'uld were vindictive bastards, but he couldn't imagine hating anyone so much that he'd want to torture them on a regular basis for a century and a half. "You must have really pissed him off."

"I am surprised that you allowed him to torture you thus," Teal'c commented. "Would not most Goa'uld go dormant and let their host suffer the pain?"

Evree hung her head. "I did at first," she admitted in a small voice. "But after being a slave myself, I started to feel.., an empathy with Draylea. And it was not right that she suffer in my stead."

"You're trying to tell us that you let this guy torture you when you could have avoided it?" Jack was all skepticism now. He couldn't imagine any Goa'uld putting themselves out for anyone.

Evree glared at him. "It was not Draylea's fault," she argued. "She and I have shared a body for many centuries now. Should I have allowed her to suffer for my mistakes?"

They all looked at her in astonishment. They fully agreed with the sentiment, but never in their wildest dreams expected to hear it from the lips of a Goa'uld.

"I'm sure that you'll appreciate that we have a certain amount of skepticism where the Goa'uld are concerned," Hammond remarked. "Maybe we'd find it a little easier to believe if we could talk to your host."

Evree blinked. The idea hadn't occurred to her. While she had established a certain rapport with her host, she still didn't always give her a great deal of consideration. She wasn't sure if she was entirely comfortable with the notion of them speaking to Draylea, but, she reminded herself, she must cooperate with them. That was the bargain she had struck, and if she was to have any hopes of decent treatment at their hands, she had best stick to it. She slumped down in her seat for a moment, having to consciously work at turning over control to Draylea. Unlike the Tok'ra, she didn't have any real practice at it.

Draylea looked around at the assembly. There weren't very many of them, true, but she had been insulated from contact for so long that actually being in control felt incredibly alien to her. But this needed to be done. For herself, for Evree, and for all those who would suffer if Ahriman was able to carry out his plans.

"You can speak as you wish." Draylea broke the long silence that followed the exchange. "Evree sleeps now. She hasn't for days, and she was very tired."

"Was she telling the truth when she said that she let Ahriman torture her instead of letting you deal with it?" Jack asked bluntly.

Draylea nodded. "After the first few times," she responded. "She began to understand what it was like, being a slave and having no will of her own. I was always a slave, so I think that it wasn't as hard for me as it was for her. But no one should have to suffer what Ahriman put her through."

"So even though she shielded you from it you knew what was happening?" Daniel inquired.

"Afterwards, when Ahriman was finished with her she would curl up and sleep if she could," Draylea explained. "Often, she was in so much pain that she couldn't. We often conversed then. She said that it helped keep her mind off the pain. And we started to get to know each other in ways that we couldn't have even after centuries of sharing a body."

"There's no need for you to share your body with her now," Major Carter interjected. "We have ways to keep Evree alive, for a time, at least, without you having to be her host."

Draylea smiled, a little sadly. "I've been Evree's host for most of a very, very long life," she answered. "If I hadn't been, I would have died a great many years ago. I think that I do not have many more left before Evree will need a new host."

"Are you saying that you want to have a Goa'uld living in your body?" O'Neill asked, aghast at the thought.

"I've been Evree's host for so long that I'm not sure that I could truly function on my own again," Draylea said quietly. "And I would not wish to be host to just any Goa'uld. Only Evree. We have been through a lot together. I would like to see things through."

"We have a drug that would enable you to function without her," put in Dr. Frasier. "I know that hosting a Goa'uld can be addictive."

"I thank you for your offer," Draylea replied. "But I did not mean a physical addiction. I meant that I have not interacted with my own kind for so long that I am uncomfortable with the notion. Besides," she added. "When you live with someone as long as I have with Evree, there is a bond, whether for good or bad. And Evree was never among the worst of them."

"And how are we to know that Evree has not instructed you to say these things?" Teal'c asked. "She could still be in control and behaving in a manner that she considers we would believe is her host."

"I'm not sure that I can say anything that you would believe," Draylea confessed. "I know that it's me, but I don't know how to prove it to you. But there are more important things to discuss than whether or not I should be host to Evree."

"Such as..?" Hammond prompted.

"Such as the fact that Evree overheard Ahriman approaching Anubis with an offer of an alliance," Draylea answered.

&&&&&&&&

Ahriman inspected the lumbering device disdainfully. He had no idea what it was for, but then, he didn't have to. He was Goa'uld. Let others do the work. "Well?"

His scientist, a Goa'uld that did not have the strength to take what he wanted. One like Evree, that had never had true power, and never would looked up from his own examination. "It appears to be a crude surveillance device," he replied cautiously. "I fear that it is no longer functional, though. See, here and here." He pointed out the burn marks in case Ahriman had missed them. "It has taken fire. From one of our staff weapons, I should think."

"Is this what killed my Jaffa at the gate?" Ahriman inquired. "Did they die defending their god?" It was of paramount importance to his ego that this be so.

"Well," the scientist hemmed. "I am certain that it must have been your Jaffa that rendered the device inoperable. But without being able to compare the bodies to whatever weaponry this construct has, I have no way of knowing."

Ahriman gestured, and a team of Jaffa came in, carrying the bodies of their fallen comrades on stretchers. "Look," he commanded. "Tell me how they died."

The scientist had barely to look at them. "The signs are that they were shot by a zat," he answered. "And while I haven't had time to test this machine's capabilities, I very much doubt that it was responsible for the deaths of these Jaffa."

Another signal from Ahriman, and the bodies were carried out to be disposed of. That the machine had been responsible for killing some of his Jaffa, he could almost handle. Almost. But if the machine had not done it, then it must have been the intruders whose interference in his affairs had enabled Evree to make her escape. It was adding insult to injury, and it was not to be borne.

"Go down to the gate," he ordered the underling. "See if there is some sign of where the interlopers went." An evil smile made its way across his features, distorting them and making what was relatively handsome, hideous. "I believe that they have something of mine."

&&&&&

"I was going to tell you about Ahriman allying himself with Anubis," Evree protested. "But I wasn't sure that you would believe me."

"I'm not sure that we do," O'Neill commented. More and more, he kept finding himself starting to feel pity for this Goa'uld, and he was being ruder than usual as a side effect. "After all, even if Draylea believes it, she got her information from you."

"Why couldn't you have been one of the System Lords?" Evree murmured despairingly. "I may not have received decent treatment at their hands, but at least they would have had the resources to stop Ahriman."

"We do have a few resources of our own," Hammond assured her, without specifying what those resources were. So far, she appeared to be on their side, but he wasn't about to pass on any classified information to her.

"You don't know what you're up against," Evree stated flatly. "Anubis is a Goa'uld that frightens other Goa'uld."

"Actually, we know more about Anubis than you might think," Daniel interjected. "In fact, we probably know more about him than you, or the System Lords do."

"But your knowledge has not helped you to defeat him, has it?" Evree pointed out. "For I am sure that if it had, you would already have dealt with him."

"It's easy for you to criticize," O'Neill remarked. "But what have you got to bring to the table? You couldn't even fight off Ahriman. I doubt that you're any match for Anubis."

Evree looked as though she were ready to snap back at him, then thought the better of it. "You are correct, Col. O'Neill," she admitted, feeling the words leave a bitter taste in her mouth. "Point in fact, I am utterly useless to you. All I can do is ask that whatever you do with me, that you will not send me back to Ahriman. I would much rather die."