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Note to Zsuzsu – thanks for letting me know I had typed my email addy wrong in my posts of General Jack on the Jackfic archive. I've changed it. All three of the General Jack series are also available on this site.
On a Slow Ride Through Molasses - part fourteen
Teal'c held back the fierce anger he felt at his commander's treatment and kept himself as passive as possible. The grip on his arm was strong, but while Steffen may be a match for him in strength, there was no way he could match Teal'c's over one hundred years of training. If they touched O'Neill again, he was ready.
His head was already turning as he stepped from the Chaapa'ai. The blue liquid-like ripple tossed out a few more men before the one he was looking for appeared. O'Neill was limp between Kelvin and Hans, but he wasn't unconscious. He was shaking and pale, but he was aware.
Teal'c concealed a grim smile, one made harder to hide as the men approached his position.
Kelvin's tunic was covered in frozen vomit, pieces dropping off as he walked. His face was twisted in an expression of disgust – an expression that worsened as Steffen caught sight of him and began laughing loudly.
"The bastard puked on me." Kelvin dropped O'Neill's arm, leaving Hans to take his weight, and started brushing off the offending matter. He wiped his hand down the length of his chest then stopped and stared in distaste at the now melting substance dripping from it. "Shit!"
"No, but I could . . . arrange that . . . if you come . . . closer." O'Neill raised his head and grinned, his gaunt features managing to look surprisingly menacing dispite the circumstances.
Kelvin took a step closer and Teal'c tensed, ready to take action. "You. .. ." The big man's hand clenched into a fist.
"Kree!"
Kelvin froze in position, his hand still raised, but his face showing obvious fear. Teal'c watched as a Jaffa warrior strode towards the small group, several other warriors following him closely. The small figure of Jaahn could just be seen in their midst, dwarfed by the tall men in their imposing armor.
"Bring him." The leader waved an imperious hand towards Teal'c's position. Steffen grunted an acknowledgement despite the fact the Jaffa had immediately turned away, and led his captive over to O'Neill's position at the foot of the steps leading up to the Chaapa'ai. Teal'c took a moment to survey his commander. The man was shivering even more, his limbs twitching. His head was hanging once again and there was no sign he was aware of his surroundings at all. As Teal'c watched O'Neill slumped even more. Hans grimaced and Teal'c saw the enemies grip tighten on O'Neill's arm as if he was afraid the colonel would slip from his grasp.
The Jaffa leader climbed the steps and stood looking down at the crowd of men. Jaahn attempted to follow him, but was prevented from doing so by the stern faced warriors between himself and their master. The Jaffa raised his voice only slightly, but it was enough to carry his words to everyone listening.
"Hear me. I bring greetings from our Lord, Cronus. He gives thanks for your service in his honor. Many of you will join the ranks of his trusted Jaffa after this day." A murmur rose from the crowd and Teal'c saw the expression on the faces near him change from fear to joy. "He orders you to return to your homes, rest and replenish yourselves. Return here at this same hour tomorrow to welcome your Lord's arrival on his world." He waved his hands and his voice rose a little, causing the crowd to fall silent again. "Be assured that your leaders will be properly rewarded for their actions. Now – go." He descended the stone steps, his cloak swirling around his heels.
Jaahn's men had already begun to disperse before he reached the ground, leaving only the upper echelons of his group standing with the Jaffa troops.
The Jaffa came to a halt in front of the colonel.
"So, this is the great Tau'ri warrior, O'Neill." He put out a hand and took hold of O'Neill's chin, raising it to look into his eyes – eyes that were now open and staring back in defiance. "He does not look worth the effort, but I do not question My Lord's will." His tone stayed unemotional, but the intent was clear. "You will be a welcome guest. One My Lord Cronus will take pleasure in entertaining."
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Janet Fraiser was at General Hammond's side the minute the wormhole shut down behind the last of Jaahn's men, Captain Milligan at her heels.
"I need a medical team here – Now!" She knew the activity in the gateroom would have been closely monitored, but there was no time to waste waiting for whoever was in charge out there to decide the threat was over – she needed help and she needed it immediately.
The General was awake, his eyes bright and focused, but he was yet to speak.
Janet had no idea what the effects of the alien energy weapon were – all she could do was carry out standard emergency first aid until she could get him to the infirmary and run some tests. "Sir, can you hear me?" She was pulling his shirt aside as she spoke, exposing the small wound in the upper right of his chest.
"O'Neill?"
She paused in her examination and glanced down, meeting Hammond's gaze. "The colonel and Teal'c were taken through the wormhole, sir."
"Alive?"
She nodded and took his hand gently in hers. "Yes." She carried straight on, unwilling to let her own thoughts stray to the fate of her two friends. "How are you feeling?"
Hammond frowned, his hand clenching slightly in her grip. "Numb. I can't feel anything properly except for my left arm. Haven't been able to since I woke up and it's not getting any better.
Janet was spared the need to answer by the arrival of a gurney, pushed by her own staff. She took a moment to scan the room as the general was lifted carefully onto it. Major Ferretti was installed on a similar gurney, his still blanket wrapped form already moving towards the exit. Sam was issuing commands in crisp tones, restoring order to the chaos.
"Janet, how is he?" Daniel hurried towards her, rubbing his wrists, the worry almost visibly radiating from him.
She shook her head, turning back to her patient. "Ask me later, Daniel. I don't know."
Hammond's eyes meet hers once again. For a second they held a flicker of fear.
"Jack."
And she realized she had been wrong in her assumption. It wasn't his own fate Hammond was concerned about.
It was the fate of his men.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Jack moaned, the sound escalating into a shrill scream as pain engulfed him once more sending him trashing in his captor's arms. He grabbed at the man's shirt, taking fistfuls of fabric as he fought the muscle spasms. All dignity deserted him as he buried his face in the sweaty material, ignoring Han's attempt to push him off, blood dripping from his mouth.
His stomach cramped again and his world narrowed down as he concentrated all his energy on the most basic of needs – staying alive.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
At least he would have the pleasure of seeing O'Neill die. The sight of the Tau'ri leader whimpering and crying into Han's chest was some small recompense for what Jaahn knew was to come. The Jaffa had made it clear Lord Cronus was displeased with him and that any small hopes he may have held for his own reward were nothing but the dreams of a fool. Steffen had forced him to this – his own friend, his partner in all things, the man he thought would follow him anywhere – had spoken no words of love in his ear back in the strange featureless room that was all they had seen of the Tau'ri's world. Instead, the words had been viciously spoken orders.
All Jaahn had left now was the knowledge the colonel and his tame Jaffa would meet their doom at the hands of his God. And that for O'Neill, the path leading to that doom would be paved with the broken glass of agony.
O'Neill screamed, his dying muffled by rough cloth, and Jaahn smiled.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
"This poison – it can be neutralized, can it not?"
Steffen nodded, reluctantly turning his attention away from the arousing sounds of his enemy's death.
"Then do so. Lord Cronus wishes to take his own revenge on this human."
"But he can revive him in his sarcophagus," Jaahn protested, his face flushed.
The Jaffa commander raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Lord Cronus does not arrive until tomorrow and even the sarcophagus cannot revive someone after such a length of time. Administer the antidote now!" His last words were snapped out and Steffen leaped to do his bidding.
He pulled a small vial of blue liquid from his tunic pocket and approached the colonel, roughly grabbing his face and twisting it to pour the fluid into his mouth. The man was in no condition to argue and merely swallowed convulsively before doubling over. The sudden pull made Hans release his grip and O'Neill slumped in a heap to the ground.
"Lord Cronus would be most upset if he died." The Jaffa's words were softly spoken but Steffen could hear a hint of concern in them. If an experienced warrior so high in Cronus's service was worried. . .
Steffen started and shouted out an order. "Get him up! He needs to stay conscious and moving to get the antidote working as quickly as possible." He neglected to mention that he thought the poison had done its work too well and that their efforts were fruitless.
To Steffen's surprise it was Jaahn that jumped to do his biding, pulling O'Neill up and putting his arm over his shoulder.
But it wasn't to help.
Steffen recognised the light in his partner's eyes and cried out a warning – one that was much too late to do any good.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
If O'Neill had just given him what he wanted in the first place – just answered his questions – he would have been sitting victoriously at the feet of his God. But now he would never be rewarded for his actions. It had all been for nothing. His God was angry and when a god is angry with you it meant an eternity of punishment.
He may be disgraced. He may be defeated. But he would be sure that there was no way his enemy could survive to laugh at him.
Jaahn twisted, his hands going out to grip each side of O'Neill's head. A quick snap and it would be over – much too quick for anyone to prevent. He may be seen as physically small and weak, but he knew how to kill.
Heat burnt in his abdomen, searing upwards and he looked down, his hands dropping. The handle of Han's knife, held by the colonel's gore covered fist, protruded from his stomach, ripping upwards as he fell.
The last thing Jaahn saw were O'Neill's eyes. Triumph shone out of them as the two men slowly sank to the ground together.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
tbc