Soldiers of Misfortune – part 2
Jack came to with a groan.
"O'Neill, you are awake," said Teal'c's unemotional voice.
"Ya think buddy?" groaned the man in question. He felt a smooth cold floor beneath him. Not where they had fallen then.
"Carter? Daniel?" he asked, trying to sit up.
"They are here, unconscious as were you."
The room stopped spinning enough for Jack to look around. It was a small room - a cell, with smooth metal walls and no furniture. Further groans were heard coming from Carter and Daniel. They'd been relieved of everything except their clothes, even the vests had gone. Jack felt for his boot knife, surprised to find it was still there.
"What happened?" groaned Daniel.
"Oh nothing much. Two aliens. Don't seem to like us. Boom. We're out, we're here," called Jack sarcastically as he prowled around their cell.
He found a doorway in the wall, but there were no hinges, as it apparently had a sliding mechanism. He gave it a kick with his foot and turned, sinking down against the wall wearily.
He knew he should have done something, he'd felt the alarm bells ringing inside. 'Way to go Jack, getting too slow, getting old,' he berated himself.
Carter watched him running his hands through his already tousled hair. She knew he was kicking himself that they'd been captured so easily.
"There wasn't anything we could have done Sir," she stated.
Jack didn't look at her. "Should have just gone the other way, or blown their sorry asses away the moment we clapped eyes on them," he muttered angrily.
"You saw the future then?" said Daniel, his voice raised in annoyance with his friend.
"O'Neill was not comfortable I believe," said Teal'c.
Jack nodded. "Damn right."
"Look, they haven't really hurt us yet, it might just be a misunderstanding. They may just be being cautious," said Daniel hopefully. "You really can't go shooting everyone up the instant we first meet them."
"Ya think?" said Jack grimly.
Daniel shook his head, giving up.
They sat in silence for a while, and then Jack resumed his pacing.
"Do you think we are on the big ship?" asked Daniel suddenly.
"Possibly. We haven't felt any of the movement we would on the small one," said Sam.
"If it is moving," said Teal'c.
"Yeah, if it is," groaned Jack. "By my watch, we were out around four hours, so we could be anywhere."
The door slid open revealing two aliens. They weren't really sure if they were the same two or not. The first one motioned them to back against the far wall. The second one had a tray with a container of some description on it.
"I want to see whoever is in charge," demanded Jack.
The alien totally ignored him.
"Hey, who's the boss? Head man?" he asked, taking a step towards him.
The alien just lifted his hand and pointed a small device at Jack. With no further warning, he fired it – a beam of blue light hitting Jack squarely in the chest. He sank down to his knees, but seemed to be pinned there by the beam.
"Do not touch him." The other alien warned the team as he came forward waving a similar device at them.
The alien kept the beam going for only a few seconds, but to Jack it seemed an eternity. His whole body was an explosion of pain, yet he couldn't move. As soon as the beam shut off he collapsed to the floor.
The aliens backed out of the cell, the door closing silently behind them.
Teal'c was the first to Jack's side and put a hand to his shoulder. The shock Teal'c received on the contact, bounced him off the Colonel, startling everyone.
Sam put her hand out to touch Jack, but was stopped by Teal'c.
"Major Carter, do not!" he shouted as he pulled himself upright. "I believe the charge is still present," he added rubbing his numb arm. "We must wait a little while for it to dissipate."
Sam shuffled as close to the prone Colonel as she dared without actually touching him. "He is breathing," she whispered.
The Colonel's breathing was harsh and his face was coated with a film of perspiration.
A couple of silent minutes passed.
"How much longer should we wait?" asked Daniel.
"I will try again," said Teal'c and cautiously put a hand on the prone man. This time it stayed there. "I believe it has gone," he said as he turned the unconscious man over.
Sam felt the Colonel's pulse. It was racing.
Daniel had moved to inspect the tray the alien had put down on the floor. The container appeared to hold water. He sniffed it and poured some into the metal cup provided.
Teal'c held out his hand to Daniel for the water. He took the cup and tasted it. "It is water. I believe it is safe to drink." He lifted Jack's head and put the cup to his lips to force a little into him.
Jack managed a few drops before coughing. "Crap, who put the lights out again?" he moaned
"How do you feel, Sir?"
"Like I've been on a major bender for at least a week," he groaned, trying to sit up.
Teal'c offered his help and with a puzzled look on his face, sat the man up. "Who is Major Bender?" he enquired as he aided O'Neill to sit against the wall.
Jack couldn't even raise his eyes at the Jaffa's comment, but he decided to ignore it.
The room stopped spinning and the blackness lifted a little. Risking a squint through the blinding headache he peered at them. "Think I pissed 'em off," he muttered.
Sam smiled despite the worry she felt.
"Yes Jack … and you weren't even trying," said Daniel with a roll of his eyes. "Must be a record, even for you."
Teal'c offered the Colonel the water again and he managed to drink a little more.
The Colonel shut his eyes for a moment, pain reflected in his face. "You know the Goa'uld could learn something from that. The zat's nothing compared to it."
"I believe it may be similar to the Goa'uld pain stick," offered Teal'c.
"No shit, T!" exclaimed O'Neill caustically.
The Jaffa raised one eyebrow, but said nothing.
O'Neill sank back down on his side. "Wake me up when we land." He waved a hand vaguely and closed his eyes again.
The others shared the water out. Not knowing how long it was supposed to last, they rationed it sensibly.
Daniel kept a close eye on Jack, who was muttering and mumbling in his sleep restlessly. He woke now and again to sit up for a short while, before giving in and lying down once more. The minutes stretched into hours and they all tried sleeping, taking turns to watch over their commander.
Eventually there was a change in the ship's motion, rousing them. Teal'c raised his eyebrow at the rumbling noise that soon echoed through the room.
"Thrusters, we are landing," he stated.
Jack sat up, feeling somewhat brighter. He needed to stretch his aching muscles, but was a bit worried about keeling over, given the dizziness he was experiencing. After a short silence, the doors suddenly opened and an alien showed his face, barking something at them before leaving as abruptly as he had entered.
The door remained open. Teal'c stood. "I think we are to depart."
He quietly assisted O'Neill to his feet and supported him for a moment, until he felt that the man was steady enough on his own.
Quiet thanks were murmured.
Jack felt stiff and sore all over and moved cautiously. "I guess we move out then," he said, giving them a grin. "Stay close."
They moved into the corridor, joining other people moving in a slow walk past them. They walked in the direction the others were traveling, keeping close together. There appeared to be around forty people, mostly human by appearance, with a few noticeable exceptions.
An alien waved at them impatiently to move more quickly.
"Do you think they are slavers?" asked Daniel, looking around. He received a prod that shot him forwards, and would have fallen if Sam hadn't steadied him.
"I guess that means shut up," he whispered to her.
They were eventually led down the ship's ramp through a metal tunnel opening into a large area. A large number of aliens appeared to be separating the people into groups. SG1 contrived to stay together and were put into another, larger cell with several others.
As soon as the aliens left them, a muttering rose up from the silence, different languages coming to Daniel's keen ears.
"Does anyone understand me?" he called out nervously.
The mutterings ceased. One man, poorly dressed, stepped forward.
"I do." He looked at Daniel, waiting.
"Do you know what's happening here?" asked Daniel.
The man nodded, his face showing his expectation. "We are to die," he said quietly.
"Die? Why? What's going on?" asked Jack, moving closer to the man.
"They are Karmine," answered the man simply. The mutterings around them grew louder.
"I believe I know of the race O'Neill," said Teal'c. "I have never met them, but I have heard rumors of the race of Karmine."
The rest of SG1 gathered around, the man who had spoken staying close as well.
"The Karmine are a war-like species, much like the Goa'uld, though I have never known them to venture to this side of the galaxy before
"Knew they were trouble," muttered Jack angrily.
"I do not know how much truth is in what I know, but it is believed they make war with planets and then the people are enslaved to work for them."
"So … where do we fit in?" asked Sam.
"They use their own soldiers and people to oversee the worlds they have conquered."
Jack knew with a sick certainty what was coming. "We're cannon fodder," he said, "Drafted into an alien army."
"Indeed O'Neill," said Teal'c.
"What … they can't!" exclaimed Daniel.
Jack sighed. "They already have."
"God, they can't force us to kill, surely?" said Daniel, visibly shaken.
"Kill or be killed," replied Sam, frowning.
Teal'c inclined his head. "Indeed."
The stranger nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes, that's what I mean. We will die. We are not soldiers, but they take my people. You, you are soldiers are you not?"
"Perhaps," said Teal'c, not offering any further information.
"Then maybe you will have a chance to live," said the man wearily.
"Why'd they take Sam?" asked Daniel. "No offence," he added quickly, sensing Sam stiffen.
"It does not matter as long as they can fight. You will see other females, not many, but they are there," said another voice from behind them.
SG1 turned and the man who had spoken stood up. He was almost as tall as the Colonel, a little older perhaps.
"Able bodies are all they require. I am Alenor from Buden. They took my wife on one of their raids. I have not seen her since," he said sadly.
SG1 were quiet for a moment, the man's grief still very apparent.
Daniel broke the silence to make introductions.
"Do you know where we are now?" asked Jack.
Alenor shook his head.
"I do not think we are on the Karmine home world," said Teal'c.
"What do we do then?" asked Daniel.
Jack lowered his voice. "Stick like glue and watch for a chance to escape."
"Maybe there will be a Stargate," said Daniel hopefully.
"Yeah, and maybe if we ask the blue meanies very nicely, they or the other side, will let us use it," said Jack, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
SG1 took the opportunity to rest while they could. They lay close together, with one of them always on guard.
xoxoxoxoxoxo