15

Arrival

"With all due respect, sir," Jack said, nearly biting his tongue to keep the anger out of his voice. "Are you out of your mind?"

SG-1 had returned rather abruptly from their aborted mission, and they had immediately convened in General Hammond's office. Evree had not been invited.

"If you don't think the four of you are enough to guard Evree on what so far seems to be an uninhabited planet," Hammond replied evenly. "I can send another team along."

"How about not sending Evree along?" O'Neill suggested. "I mean, there may not be anything behind that door worth risking her for."

"Neither do we know that there is not," Teal'c pointed out. He pulled himself up to his full height, looking every inch the first prime again and added, "I will see that Evree comes to no harm, O'Neill."

"Maybe we could have her let us in and then have an armed escort to take her back to the gate," Daniel offered.

"What if everything in the place needs Evree to open it?" Sam asked pointedly. "Or what if we need her to get back out?"

"Oh, yeah." Daniel hadn't thought that far ahead, he was just trying to find an alternative to taking Evree on a mission before Jack burst a blood vessel.

"There has to be a surveillance team on her every time she leaves the base, but the red tapeworms are greenlighting sending her on a mission?" Jack was getting desperate enough to look for help from the bureaucracy that he usually bitched about.

"They seem to feel that the potential for a weapon that could protect Earth from the Goa'uld outweighs the safety of one Goa'uld queen," Hammond informed him. He could feel for Jack, he could, but he had responsibilities and duties as commander of this facility. "If you think that Evree will be too much of a distraction, then perhaps I'd better send a different team along with her, since it appears that she is the one unquestioningly essential member of the party."

That brought all of them up short, most especially O'Neill. In a way, Evree had become almost a mascot for SG-1. To send her out with another team didn't bear thinking.

O'Neill turned his back on the group and thought furiously. Hammond had been right about one thing, he would find Evree a distraction. And he had to admit to himself that he could become caught up enough in keeping her safe that it could endanger the others, and the mission. Having arrived at that conclusion, he decided that being able to admit that was at least half the battle, forewarned being forearmed. He'd go, and while they were away, everything would be kept on a strictly professional basis. Evree would be just another member of the team, nothing more, nothing less.

The rest of the team waited with bated breath to see what O'Neill would say. Mostly they were hoping O'Neill could solve his conflict, because the thought of letting someone else discover what treasures their find might contain rankled.

"No extra personnel," Jack declared decisively, turning to face the others once more. "We still have one of those Goa'uld bracelets, don't we?"

"If this is a joke, O'Neill, then I fail to see the humor in it," Teal'c rumbled.

"It's not a joke," O'Neill replied. "If she's going, and common sense to the contrary, she seems to be, then she should be armed and able to defend herself. I don't know what kind of a shot she is, so we'll give her a close range weapon."

"It would be something that she's probably familiar with," Daniel mused, mentally wincing at the thought of having had one of the devices used on him.

"And were she to lose possession of it," Teal'c added, thinking aloud. "It could not be used against us unless..,"

"We were up against another Goa'uld," Sam finished, then added. "At that point, it would hardly make a difference, since a Goa'uld would probably already have one."

"I'll see that one is issued to her," General Hammond assured them. "If there's nothing else, then you're dismissed." But as the team began to file out of the room, he said quietly, "Can I have a word with you, Jack?"

&&&&&&

Evree stood in front of the new, larger tank that now housed her young. Marvath had been eager to study the infant symbiotes, and, coincidentally, their mother, and the Tok'ra, with the SGC's permission had assigned him to the task indefinitely.

"They do well," he informed Evree, as she stood, watching them.

"But will they continue to do so?" Evree inquired, not taking her eyes off of her children. "I have been informed that none of us has survived in such a device for as long as it would take them to mature enough to take a host."

"We are constantly making refinements," Marvath replied soothingly. "Even as we care for them, your offspring teach us much." He paused. "When Anubis demanded that you be turned over to him, he also included your young as well. Why did he not persist?"

"I told him they were defective," Evree answered. "At the time, he had no reason to doubt my word." She traced a finger along the transparent wall of the tank, watching as one of the numerous symbiotes within swam to follow its movements. "But they are not defective," she declared firmly. Too firmly, as if she was trying to convince herself.

Marvath caught the undertones. "From what we have been able to ascertain from our tests," he said slowly. "They seem to be completely healthy and normal. But there is much that we cannot tell, and will not be able to until they are implanted within a host."

"More to the point, will they be allowed to take hosts?" Evree murmured. "The Tau'ri have very definite ideas on the subject."

"I doubt that they would go to all this trouble to keep your young alive only to condemn them to death," Marvath pointed out. "And there is time yet. Years. I am sure that a solution will be found."

"Thank you," Evree said, turning to him. "You have been most kind to one you have no reason to trust."

Before Marvath could formulate a reply, Daniel stuck his head inside the door. "Hey, Evree," he hailed her. "Shake a leg, you're going on a mission with us."

&&&&&&

"Are you sure that you're going to be okay with this, Jack?" General Hammond asked. He didn't want to take any chances. Either with Evree, or with SG-1. They were both valuable assets.

"I sincerely doubt that I could be okay with it," Jack admitted. "But I'd be even less okay entrusting anyone else with Evree's safety. I'll deal."

"If we could see any way around the problem," Hammond said. "Believe me, Evree would be staying right here. But we need to find out what's in that building. And while we might eventually find a way around the security, it would take time. The Goa'uld may not give us time. Especially Anubis."

"Yeah, I know." Jack looked far from happy, but he did seem to be making it as far as resigned. "I'm actually surprised that Anubis hasn't paid us a little visit yet. Payback for stealing Evree away from him."

"He may not have more than a hunch that it was us," Hammond pointed out.

"I doubt very much that he feels a crying need for more than that," O'Neill remarked. "If he's not coming sooner, then it will be later."

"In which case, we need a way to fight him and take out his drones," the General reminded him.

"Which is why Evree is going with us to PR-862," O'Neill finished. "Permission to go, sir?"

"Permission granted," Hammond replied. Then, as O'Neill headed for the door once again, he added. "Take care of her, Jack."

"That was the general idea," Jack answered as he went out the door.

&&&&&&

In a room deep within the building on PR-862, there were two beings.

One took the eye first simply because it was so unusual. It appeared to be related to Terran felines, but the creature easily stood four feet high at the shoulder, with long, curving fangs that bordered on tusks. The stereotypical image of a saber-toothed tiger was blurred though, by the fact that the creature was gray, with tabby stripes in a darker shade, and its eyes were a startling, brilliant aquamarine.

The feline's companion was humanoid, perhaps even human, and while not built on quite as large a scale as his pet, he was impressive enough. Though he was seated on a piece of furniture that could only be called a throne, it was obvious that he was easily over six feet tall, and broadly built along with it. Raven-black hair was tied at the back of his head and formed a single, perfect curl. His skin was swarthy, and his eyes an even darker brown than Evree's, nearly black. While the signs of indulgence were about him, there was also something that spoke of great strength as well.

At the moment, Konaseus, for that was his name, was gazing into a monitor which showed the front of his domicile. There was nothing there to be seen at the present time, but he was pondering on the activity that he had witnessed earlier.

"There was a Jaffa with them." He must have been speaking to his pet, since there was no one else present. His voice was soft and melodious, at odds with his physical presence. "They did not have a queen with them, but perhaps they will be the ones to deliver her to me." He paused, and his eyes took on an avaricious gleam. He stroked his neatly trimmed goatee thoughtfully, then, his hand moved to rub the feline behind its ears, eliciting a deep-throated purr.

"Yes, my pet," Konaseus murmured. "Perhaps at last my centuries of waiting have ended. I shall have my goddess, and myself become a god."

&&&&&

SG-1 had had to delay their departure while Sam took Evree to get her fitted out properly. While the bureaucracy had approved a clothing allowance for Evree, she had been given free rein in choosing her wardrobe as long as she stayed within her budget. However, the wardrobe she had chosen had little to do with practicality, and a great deal more to do with being attractive.

All three males in the party turned to look when Carter escorted the militarily made over Evree. Daniel was forced to turn his head to hide an amused smile. Teal'c's only thought had been that she be outfitted appropriately, and seeing that she was, he gave it no further thought, not particularly caring whether she was attractive or not.

Jack took in the sight of Evree in military garb from head to toe and decided it might not be all that difficult to maintain a professional objectivity. Then, he pricked up his ears and listened. Evree was speaking, and from the tone of her voice, she was not happy.

"It is most uncomfortable," Evree complained. "And hot."

"Well, it was either tuck it inside your clothes or cut it off," Sam said with an air of exaggerated patience which suggested that it wasn't the first time. "You just can't have all that hair hanging loose to catch on things, or that someone can use to catch you with. And there's way too much of it to fit under your cap."

Jack unconsciously relaxed at hearing this. It had struck him that not only had Evree looked ridiculous in the get-up, but something had also seemed to him to be wrong, and now, he knew what it was. The luxuriant, knee-length waves of silky hair that he was used to seeing. He was glad to hear that she hadn't gotten rid of it.

"Has she got everything she needs, Carter?" he inquired. Evree was standing there moving her head in an odd manner. Probably trying to get her hair into a comfortable position.

"Yes, sir," Sam answered with a sigh. And as far as the clothes went, it hadn't been easy. Evree was a smaller person than the air force accepted, and the smallest uniform had still required a serious amount of tucking in and rolling up. At least feet were more variable, and they had found a pair of boots that had fit. Not that Evree had been happy with them, either. The only way that Sam had gotten her to shut up about the unaccustomed footwear was to hint that if she didn't do what she was told and wear what she was told to, then she might not even be allowed to accompany them.

That had worked until Evree had thought past the lie and begun complaining again. The only reason that Sam wasn't more put out than she was, was that she suspected that a large part of the griping stemmed from an acute attack of nerves.

"She packing?" O'Neill didn't see any evidence of the weapon Evree was supposed to have.

Evree halted her cranial convolutions to stare at him. She was trying to figure out precisely what she was supposed to be packing.

"In her pocket, sir," Sam filled in hastily, seeing Evree's confusion. "Since whoever built the place knows about Goa'uld, I thought it possible that they might recognize the device."

Jack nodded approvingly. It never hurt to have an ace up your sleeve. He turned to Evree. "As soon as we meet anybody, if we do," he instructed. "Put your hand in your pocket and keep it there until I give you the all clear. Got it?"

"Yes, O'Neill," Evree replied, then, not sure of protocol and how it applied to her added, "sir."

"You don't have to call me sir," O'Neill informed her. Then, looking at the amused expressions on everyone else's faces said, "We've wasted enough time. Let's saddle up and head 'em out."

&&&&&&

The moment the group emerged on the far side of the gate, O'Neill said, "I'll take point. Teal'c, I want you bringing up the rear. Carter, I want you and Daniel to make sure that Evree is in the middle of things. Just because we didn't run into any trouble the last time doesn't mean we won't this time."

Evree stumbled over an exposed tree root, and was prevented from falling by Daniel's hand on her elbow.

"Take it easy," he cautioned. "If we're going too fast for you, you could ask Jack to slow down a little."

"No." Just in that one word, Evree conveyed the notion that this was some sort of test that she dare not fail, but Jackson heard her murmur, "No offense to you, Draylea, but the next time I choose a host with longer legs."

Daniel didn't mention asking for a slow down again, he merely kept a close eye on Evree and helped her over and around obstacles.

Evree did not seem nearly as impressed by the building as SG-1, she merely observed it critically and asked, "What if someone other than I were to attempt to enter?"

In reply, Jack picked up a stick, and with a deceptively lazy looking toss, threw it right into the doorway.

Before it made contact with the surface, it was completely vaporized.

Evree went ashen. "And we will just automatically believe that whoever wrote that..," She indicated the etching. "..,was telling the truth and not setting a trap?"

"We do not know." Teal'c was looking thoughtful. "But how do we find out without endangering Evree?" This last was directed toward O'Neill.

"Good question." Jack looked at Evree calculatingly. "If you want to back out of this, say so. No one's going to make you."

"I merely offered it as a theory," Evree said hesitantly. "I will go."

"Wait." O'Neill came up behind her, hooked one hand in her belt. "Go slow. If something goes wrong, I'll try to pull you back."

Evree gave O'Neill a look that seemed to suggest that it came as a pleasant surprise to find that he cared about her safety. Which reason told her it should not have been. O'Neill had been looking after her since the moment they met.

The precautions turned out to be unnecessary, however. As Evree's hand neared the door, Sam, watching with the night vision goggles, saw all the sensors wink out, and then, the door opened.

&&&&&&&

It was a vast, echoing chamber, with a ceiling so high it nearly got lost in the shadows. Torchlight would have seemed appropriate for the occasion, but the illumination was a bit more prosaic, glowing fixtures of an undetermined power source.

Immense though it was, the room's sole purpose seemed to be as an entryway, as several doors led off of it.

"Carter?" O'Neill didn't feel a need to elaborate, and Sam still had her goggles handy.

"Nothing I can see, sir," she replied. "So far it's looking like once you're in the front door, you're home free."

"And that's usually when the trouble starts," Daniel muttered to no one in particular.

"I suppose the next question would be, which door?" Sam remarked.

"How about that one?" Jack pointed straight ahead. It was not a door, but a pair of doors, large,ornate, and obviously leading further into the center of the structure.

Since O'Neill had made his decision, Evree started towards the door, only to be halted by Teal'c.

"Wait!" His voice was so commanding that Evree stopped in her tracks. He turned to O'Neill and his tones changed to that of a subordinate. "Would it not be more prudent to keep Evree between us until such a time as Major Carter detects further traps?"

"Actually, I was about to say something along those lines." Jack gave Evree a stern look. "Don't go wandering off. We can't protect you if we don't know where you are."

"I'm sorry, O'Neill," Evree apologized. "I shall do nothing unless you say so."

"If only I could believe that," O'Neill muttered, not quite enough under his breath. "I believe that we were going to see what was behind door number one."

&&&&&

"They protect the queen," Konaseus murmured, watching unseen in the heart of the citadel. "Reasonable, laudable, even. But most inconvenient from my point of view." He paused and watched some more. He did not listen, but merely watched. Just from watching their movements, the way they surrounded her, he could have told that the diminutive female was his queen. He would have known even if he hadn't seen the other female on the previous visit. If she had been the queen, certainly they would have entered then, and not returned to their place of origin to fetch the other one.

He was frustrated because he could see so little of her. The enveloping clothes, the hat pulled down to obscure her features. He was disappointed as well. He was sure that she was lovely, though. Goa'ulds never chose a host that was less than of outstanding beauty unless there was no choice to be had. But there were other reasons for his consternation at her mode of dress. Should not a queen look like a queen? Perhaps she thought to disguise herself from him, and that thought did not please either.

"Let her hide amongst her servants as she will," he reflected. "Now that she is here, she shall never leave again. Not even were the universe to collapse around our ears." Then, he began to laugh, a higher pitched tone than one would have expected, and the sounds of his mirth echoed around the chamber.

&&&&&

Three rooms later, and they still hadn't seen anything worth taking a closer look at, not even the ever-curious Daniel. The whole group was starting to feel frustrated and wondering if the entire trip had been worth the fuss when they went through the next door.

"Greetings, visitors." The voice was not overly loud, but it carried to them clearly, although whether by nature or art it was impossible to tell. It was enough to make them all stop and stare.

He was clad from shoulder to knee in a silky crimson tunic. A heavy, gold medallion rested on his broad chest, and a jeweled earring twinkled at them as it caught the light. He stood and began to approach them, his sandal-shod feet slapping against the stone floor.

"I am Konaseus," Konaseus continued. "Welcome to my humble home."