Title: The Rebellion
Rating: PG-13
Words: 2563
Spoilers: "Stargate" the movie
Summary: Daniel is Meryre, personal slave of Ra. Jack is Sef, once-First Prime and now leader of the rebel faction looking to overthrow Ra. They meet, and set into action a series of events that changed the lives of the people of Earth forever. Pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-Movie

The pyramid stood tall and grand and proud, the desert sands blowing against the limestone rocks without notice. Inside it was a bustling hive of activity as dark, black-haired slaves and Jaffa of many races went about their duties. Ra was not yet back, but he would be within the hour, and things had to be perfect. Meryre, 'beloved of Re', sat serenely on a lavish couch.

He hated it, all of it. The Jaffa, the worshippers, the priests and priestesses, the slavery, and most of all, Ra himself. He so wished he could join the growing rebellion, help overthrow Ra and free his people, but as the self-proclaimed god's personal hem, or slave, he could never escape unnoticed. No, he could never escape.

Rumors had reached him of a req-ib, a rebel commander who called himself Sef. Sabotaging Ra's plans and ambushing his soldiers, the req-ib was said to have the aid of the Tok'ra. And he was supposed to be very handsome.

Meryre envied him. Sef, like the hem, knew that Ra was a false god - something few others knew or believed. Unlike Meryre, Sef had the power to do something about it. Meryre pushed his long black hair out of his face angrily, odd blue eyes flashing. How he wished he could do something.

A Jaffa came up and knelt; as Ra's hem, Meryre held a position equal to First Prime. "Speak, Jaffa," Meryre said kindly. There was no use being angry with a simple soldier that had no choice but to follow the orders of the monster.

The Jaffa looked up quickly, before ducking his head and saying, "Lord Ra approaches; he bids that you return to his chambers and ready yourself for his return."

Meryre sneered, but it wasn't aimed at the Jaffa, a mere messenger. It was aimed at the creature calling itself 'God'. "Thank you, Jaffa - Tel'shak'el, is it not?"

The Jaffa gave a nod. "Yes."

"Thank you, Tel'shak'el. You are dismissed."

The Jaffa stood, bowed again, and hurried off. He, like all Jaffa, knew what his god meant when he said to make ready for his arrival. Many heard the screams that echoed around the pyramid, emanating from Ra's innermost chambers. They knew they were the hem's screams.

Meryre stood, a weary acceptance settling over his mind and soul. Ra was always more violent when he returned from wherever he went. Ra was always more rough, less caring of his hem. But if he accidentally killed off his favorite slave, no matter. He had a sarcophagus, and Meryre had already been in one more than once.

As he trudged, head held high, to Ra's rooms, he knew he wouldn't survive the night.

When he arrived in Ra's bedchamber, he began to change. His fine silk tunic he took off, draping it over a chair where it would be safe. Meryre was well aware that many didn't even have a tunic, so he always made sure not to waste what luxuries he did have. He then removed his sandals, and put on black-blue silk slippers. He also slipped a see-through, long blue tunic over his head. Then he brushed his hair and began to braid it, leaving soft raven locks to frame his eyes. He lined his eyes with dark, black kohl, making them look wide and innocent. He knew that Ra liked it when the color of his eyes was brought out, as the hair style, kohl and the tunic were intended to do. Maybe, Meryre thought, if I'm pretty enough he won't kill me tonight.

"When they said Ra's hem was a pretty boy, I didn't think they meant it quite so literally."

The deep, amused, masculine voice startled him from his contemplation. He whirled around to see a dark man, with greying black hair shorn off close to his head. Deep brown, almost black eyes looked at him, appraising him.

"Who are you?" he asked, blushing slightly. The stranger had probably seen him change…

"Nobody," the other answered nonchalantly. He looked familiar…

"You're the req-ib!" Meryre exclaimed suddenly. But that's not where I know him from… Meryre thought. Then he added, "Sef."

"Got it in one," Sef said with a roguish smile. "I didn't know Ra had such a looker."

"You should leave, now, before he comes," Meryre said urgently. He didn't know how much time he had before Ra came and began his usual nightly ritual.

"I will," Sef said. "I heard that you wanted to join the rebellion."

Meryre stayed silent, neither denying nor confirming.

Sef shrugged. "Of course, I also know that's impossible, so I'm making you an offer. The rebellion is very, very close to overthrowing Ra. But we need inside help and many of his slaves are too afraid of him to help, and many of his Jaffa are too devoted to him to oppose him. That leaves us with very few options."

"How do you know that I'm not going to tell Ra this information?" Meryre asked, interrupting the req-ib.

"I've been watching you for a long time, Neferankh," Sef said. Meryre stepped back in shock. Neferankh was what his name had been before he had been taken into the service of Ra.

"How do you know…that name?" Meryre demanded in shock.

"As I said, I've been watching you a long time," Sef replied.

At that moment, Meryre noticed a scar on Sef's forehead. It was in the shape of a falcon with a sun disk. His eyes widened, "Mesedsure…"

"That's what they call me now?" Sef asked. "Before I was req-ib Sef I was Mesedsure, and before I was Mesedsure I was Khenemetre. And before even that I was simply Sef."

"Mesedsure, 'Ra hates him'…" Meryre said in awe. "Once loyal Khenemetre, First Prime of Ra. The renegade First Prime."

Sef merely raised an eyebrow.

"How did you take…it…off?" Meryre asked, gesturing vaguely at the rebel's forehead, forgetting all about Ra's impending return.

"I had it cut out. It was very painful," Sef returned congenially. "But back to my offer. I need you to keep Ra busy. Make him oblivious to what is happening in regards to the rebels and the faithfulness of his subjects."

"I can try," Meryre said.

Sef's eyes bored into Meryre's. "I need you to do."

Meryre froze, then nodded resolutely. "I will."

"Good," Sef said, smiling again, all trace of the deadly commander gone. "Now, what say I blow this rat-hole?"

"There are secret tunnels out of and in to Ra's chambers. Here," Meryre said, pushing in a set of hieroglyphs. Sef watched. A door slid open, revealing a dark passage.

The slight whoosh of the outer door opening made Meryre panic. "You must go now. Ra has come."

Sef nodded to Meryre, then slipped into the tunnel. Meryre pushed in a last glyph and the door closed, making itself undistinguishable from the rest of the ornate wall. Just in time.

Ra glided in, already sans most of his robes. All that was left was the thin inner tunic, and that would soon be tossed away as well. The look in his eyes was predatory. Meryre held his ground, look respectfully at his feet. Ra stalked up, lifting his chin. "I'm in a playful mood tonight, Meryre," Ra whispered silkily. "Play with me."

Meryre's eyes unmasked, showing all the defiance (but none of the hatred, he needed Ra to believe him loyal yet) he held. Ra chuckled, a deep, gloating, pleased sound. Meryre knew he had been right; he'd see the white inside of a sarcophagus before day's first light.

- - - -

Twice more the req-ib slipped into Ra's bedroom and spoke with Meryre. Each time was good news, as Meryre was successfully keeping most of the 'god's' attention from the goings on of the common people and slaves. The third time Sef visited, Ra was away again. With two days still to his return to Earth, Sef was as safe as he could be, and Meryre was relieved.

The rumor had been that Ra's new First Prime had killed Sef.

Meryre enjoyed the scant time he spent with Sef - the req-ib­ was funny, caring, gentle, sarcastic at best and skeptic at worst. Then Sef surprised Meryre with a question on his third visit.

"Have you ever loved, Neferankh?" Sef asked. The man always called Meryre by his birth name, and not the one Ra had given him.

"I…well, no," Meryre answered honestly. "In my village, before Ra found me and took me, there was a girl…her name was Satah. She was beautiful, with hair like raven's feathers and skin like the desert sands and eyes like the dunes at sunset. We were to be married in a week. I adored her, and she cared deeply for me, but whenever I was with her, if felt as if there was something missing. I…cared. Very much. But I don't believe I loved her."

Sef sat silent on the floor beside Meryre.

"Do you think you ever could love?"

Meryre shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't suppose I ever will. As hem to Ra, anything other than service to him is forbidden."

"Isn't what you're doing now forbidden as well?" Sef asked with a sideways look.

Meryre stared at the gold-leafed ceiling. "Yes, it is."

"Then you wouldn't mind breaking another rule?"

"Not that one, no."

Sef was silent again. Then he began, "You know I'm not very good with words."

Meryre turned his head to smile. "I think you're better than most, but," he shrugged, "there's always someone better."

Sef smiled, then was solemn again. "You've always been better than me with words. You'd probably talk about it all first. I'm a man of action. I like doing, not talking."

Meryre nodded, wanting to lighten the atmosphere with a witty comment, but sensed it wouldn't be appreciated.

Suddenly, Sef leaned over and kissed Meryre. As soon as his lips touched that of the hem, he pulled back, leaving Meryre stunned.

Misinterpreting the look, Sef hastily apologized, "I'm sorry, Neferankh, I didn't know what else to do and-"

"Kiss me again," Meryre cut him off. This time it was Sef's turn to stare in surprise.

"You asked if I could love again. To that I answer now, yes," Meryre said, a smile blossoming on his face. "Kiss me again."

And so he did.

- - - -

Meryre watched as Ra paced, trying to become as small as possible. When Ra was in one of his moods, it often ended with Meryre in a sarcophagus.

Ra had noticed that his slaves were becoming insubordinate, rowdy, rebellious. That day, one had dared attack a Jaffa and open his helmet. He had been killed in front of the whole population as a lesson, but it barely quieted the unrest.

Suddenly there was a shout and the door opened. Ra spun to punish whoever had dared enter his chambers without permission, but the words out of his First Prime's mouth redirected his anger. "The slaves are rebelling!"

With a roar of pure rage, Ra swept out of his room, the Jaffa hurrying after. Meryre exulted; finally the time had come! He ran out of the room, going to one of the windows. He looked over the site to see Egyptians banding together, beating their Jaffa tormenters. Ra's demise was at hand.

Evidently, Ra saw this as well. The pyramid, actually a ship capable of traveling through space, began to move. Meryre was jolted out of his glee when the mighty vessel lifted off of the ground.

No! he thought. Ra could not escape to torture more innocent peoples. He ran, knowing exactly where he would find the dreaded 'god'. Jaffa and Egyptian slaves dashed around in a panic, not knowing what to do. They didn't notice him as he raced through the corridors.

He skid into the room and saw Ra standing in front of a control panel. "Ra! Stop!"

Ra turned, rage to match his hem's in his eyes. "You dare speak to me?" he growled. The eyes flashed golden as he raised his right hand and threw Meryre across the room with his hand-device. "Traitor! I will have you pay for this."

Meryre crashed into the wall, but remained conscious. He staggered to his feet, and once he regained some semblance of balance, fairly flew across the space separating them. He drew his stolen knife, stabbing it into Ra's stomach and twisting. Ra howled with pain and anger. "Your death is at hand," Meryre hissed. His blue eyes, so blue, were practically red with wrath.

"No," Ra rasped. He backhanded Meryre, making the slave loosen his grip enough for Ra to throw him back again. Then he advanced, hand-device glowing an angry red.

- - - -

Sef ran through the halls of the pyramid-ship. He needed to find Meryre before the other did something rash. If he hasn't already, he thought. He pulled out two hidden knives and cornered a Jaffa. Ironically, it was Tel'shak'el.

Sef had a double-pointed blade aimed at the Jaffa's stomach, where his larval Goa'uld was. The other, a slightly curved, single-edged dagger, was held at the soldier's throat.

"Tell me where Meryre and Ra are," he snarled. Tel'shak'el pointed down a corridor.

"Two lefts and a right," he said. Sef withdrew his knives and ran off.

Tel'shak'el sent a prayer along with him. He was fond of the god's hem. May your feet be swift, my friend, and save Meryre from the wrath of the gods.

- - - -

Sef followed the Jaffa's directions, heart beating so fast he could barely breathe. He turned the last corner and ran into a door, just in time to see Meryre slump to the floor and Ra deactivate his ribbon-device. He dropped to the floor beside his beloved, checking for a pulse.

"He's dead," Ra informed him, joy tingeing his voice. Sef stood, his two knives poised for combat. With the hand-device, Ra sent him against the wall, making him drop his weapons. Then he came up.

"If it isn't Mesedsure, once Khenemetre, my former First Prime," Ra said languidly. Sef struggled to get up. Ra kicked him, forcing him down again. With a horrible, malicious smirk, Ra tore open Sef's tunic to reveal the stomach pouch where all larval Goa'uld were kept until maturity. "I should have done this long ago."

Then, using Sef's own two-pronged knife, he reached in and tore the Goa'uld larva from the Jaffa's pouch. Sef could only groan.

"You should know better than to challenge a God, Mesedsure," Ra said, adding mockingly, "Or is it Sef now? No matter; nobody will remember you anyway."

"Maybe not," Sef gasped. "Maybe nobody will remember me, or Meryre - no, Neferankh - but you will. And remember this…" Sef had to pause, shaking and white, dying by the moment, "We will find you, and we will kill you. Maybe not in this life, but someday, we will kill you."

Ra laughed. And he kept laughing as he watched his former First Prime died, lying next to his already dead lover. Then, as he was healed inside the sarcophagus, he had their bodies burned.

But one day, hundreds of years later, he remembered. As he looked into the dead brown eyes of an Earth military human, and the defiant crystal blue of his long-haired companion, he saw in them his hem Meryre and the req-ib Sef, and he remembered.

"We will find you, and we will kill you."

And as he saw the bomb that was counting down, 3…2…1… he remembered. And in his last moment he thought: He was right.

- - - -

A Note On Names: The names I used for Jack and Daniel's pre-incarnates are as historically accurate as I can make them. It's true that Egyptians often changed their names to show respect towards a Pharaoh or God. Neferankh means "beautiful life", and Meryre means "beloved of Ra(Re)". Sef means "yesterday", Khenemetre means "one who is joined with Ra(Re)", and Mesedsure means "Ra hates him". The girl Meryre was supposed to marry, Satah, means "Daughter of the Moon" as close as I can get it. The Jaffa's name I just made up on the spot.