Part Three
"Approaching target destination, sir. I'm not detecting any Go'auld presence. Maybe it's the wrong co-ordinates?"
"I don't know, Carter. Let's check it out. Bring us down."
As the ship made its way through the atmosphere, the team got ready to disembark. They were silent for the most part, thinking about what may lie down on the planet. But what was predominant in their thoughts was the former member of their team. True, he had been with them for only six months, but the fact that he had sacrificed himself for them had brought him up a notch in his hearts. Sam quietly wondered if he was still alive, or if he had become a host for the Go'auld. They faced the very real possibility that they would encounter him, and that they would be enemies. However, that had happened before, and they would all be ready for it.
"Kind of dreary here, dontcha think?" commented the colonel after the rings had disappeared and they had a clear view of the planet's surface. It was dreary indeed, with a hazy purple sky and light colored sand making up most of the ground. A few trees dotted a nearby hillside, where they could see a building in the distance.
"Over there." he pointed, and he started to walk, the other three following.
Daniel, Teal'c and Sam made small talk, although it wasn't the same kind of light-hearted banter that they usually enjoyed. For one reason or another, the fact that this was related to the loss of one of their team drastically impacted them. Jack hadn't really even been a fan of Jonas, but he had to admit that what the kid did for them had been pretty brave. That made this all the harder.
"Sir?" he heard Sam call out behind him.
"Yeah, Carter?" he responded, without turning around.
"We have a visitor."
He swung around and saw what Sam was talking about. A young girl, no older then nine was standing directly in front of his second in command. She had short white hair, and he could tell even from where he stood that her eyes were a brilliant shade of blue.
Daniel, ever the diplomat, was the first to speak. "Hello," he started, "My name is Daniel. These are my friends, Sam, Jack and Teal'c. We're not here to hurt you."
She looked at each one in turn, then smiled. "Hello, Daniel, Jack, Sam and Teal'c."
"Do you have a name, too?" Daniel gently inquired after a moment.
"Father calls me Alexandria." she replied, moving forwards slightly.
"Alexandria. That's a pretty name."
She smiled once more. "Father says it means 'defender of mankind'. He says that I should remember that."
Daniel looked back at Jack, then back to the young girl. "Do you live here, Alexandria? With your parents?"
"With Father." she corrected. "Mother does not stay here. She lives far away." She looked up into the sky as she spoke. "She doesn't let us leave." The girl moved forwards again, and tilted her head to the side in what seemed to be curiosity. "You believe that I am Go'auld, do you not, Daniel? I can see that you are wary of me. I remind you of..." She paused a moment, then smiled again. "The harseis child."
Daniel's initial expression of kindness and gentility dropped as surprise quickly overtook his features. "How-how did you know that?"
"I saw it in your mind. I can also see that Samantha Carter is also suspicious of me, and that Colonel O'Neill is considering leaving at this moment. As you have also said, I am not here to hurt you. Father sent me to find you. He wanted to meet you."
"Alexandria," Daniel had overcome his initial shock and had regained his natural curiosity. "Who is this... Father?"
She looked confused at the question. "He is my Father. He has always been here."
"Is he your creator?"
Once again, she flashed him her tell-tale smile. "He is my Father. You also have a father, Daniel, as do the rest of your team. In fact, Major Carter's father is the reason you came here. Now, will you come with me to meet him? I assure you, you will not be harmed." With that, she started off across the sand towards the building in the distance.
"Jack, this is incredible. I think that she might be Nirrti's new weapon. A host capable of telepathic communication would be a very valuable weapon for a system lord." The archaeologist's face was lit with excitement.
Colonel O'Neill, however, was doubtful. "We could be walking right into a trap. This might just be a sabotage attempt by Nirrti."
Without turning around, the young girl spoke back to them. "I give you my word, Colonel, that you and your team are not in danger."
Daniel turned back around to his friends. "Look, if she was going to hurt us, she would have done it by now. And, I just... feel that she won't harm us. There's some sort of familiarity about her."
"She's tried this before, Daniel." Jack responded. "It's the whole reason she took Jonas, to make some sort of superhuman host thingy."
"A hok'taur." Teal'c corrected.
Jack looked to his friend. "Yeah, that. Nerdy's always pulling something else on us. This might just be another trap!"
Major Carter, who had been silent so far, added her input. "Sir, I feel the same way as Daniel. There's just… something about her. It's like I've met her before."
Alexandria looked back to them, and grinned once more. "Hurry! Father is waiting!"
How's it so far?