Chapter Three
Her mind came back to awareness, but for a moment she decided to just lay there with her eyes closed. The silky velvet under her made her feel as though she had fallen asleep on a cloud, and it had somehow taken on the role of sponge as it soaked up all of the ill feelings she had before lying down. Opening her eyes she lasted for one more moment of comfort before finally deciding to climb off of the bed.
Once she was standing Egeria looked back at the velvet bed as she stretched her arms a bit. In all her time she could not recall having a more pleasant rest than what she had just enjoyed. Her mind reminded her that all of her rest before hand had been done in the golden sarcophagus, and at the thought of the healing device she turned both her self and her attention away from the bed.
Taking a small step forward she stared at the Goa'uld device and wondered what in her had begged against using it. From the moment she had first taken a host she had reveled in the chance to use the device and to feel the its regenerating effects. She imagined the same could be said for all Goa'uld throughout the course of their known history. Now though she felt the need to question just how helpful the sarcophagus was. True it could heal even the gravest of wounds, and truer still was that it was probably the sole factor in letting the Goa'uld host's body survive for so long, but other than that was it as necessary as they all believed it was? After feeling the comfort in sleeping in a real bed she questioned whether day-to-day use of the sarcophagus was warranted. This she promised herself she would have to discover later.
Leaving both her quarters's main room and her questions behind Egeria made her way across the room. She stopped just short of entering the bathing room. Standing by the doorway the memory of what had happened earlier suddenly appeared in her mind. For some reason she felt uneasy about going into the room. "What would the Jaffa think if they knew their goddess felt uneasy about going into a room?" she joked with herself. Seeing no need to go in there at the moment she decided to step just right of the doorway and towards the closet which held all of her elegant fashions.
As she rifled through the various outfits that were hung up she thought to herself whether such a large selection was necessary. Her closet was nearly as large as the Ha'tak's armory, and had the appearance of a small cargo hold rather than a closet. It seemed to be too much space for one individual, but Egeria had found a way to fill it anyway. She couldn't quite put a reason to why she felt like she needed such a variety of clothing, but she supposed that it in some way made her feel just a small bit more powerful.
With such a large selection she had a hard time trying to decide what to wear. Thinking to herself she went over what she planned on doing over the course of the day. Soon they would be arriving at her home world of Ventarea, and their arrival was sure to bring her entire legion of Jaffa there to her in reverence and expectance. For that moment sure knew she would once again have to wear something commanding. After a few moments of searching she found a dark gray outfit similar to the one she had worn earlier. Once she slipped it on she did her best to straighten it and frowned slightly about its snugness. All she could do was shrug any ill feelings she had though before exiting the closet.
Back in her quarters's main room she walked around a bit before deciding to stare out the force shielded window. Since they were still traveling in hyperspace the view consisted of nothing more then a deep purple backdrop that sped past them. Staring out at the purple hued space Egeria felt a calmness take hold of her. She enjoyed the color purple, though she couldn't remember why. As a result she always enjoyed staring out her window whenever her vessel entered hyperspace.
For a while she remained content to stay there and look into the deep purple that looked back at her. It wasn't too long though before a bright flash chased the purple coloring away and was replaced by the dark blackness of space. After getting over the slight disappointment she felt at the departure of the calming hyperspace she noticed a thousand twinkling points of light dot the blackness and a small blue-green world that was growing ever larger as they approached.
They were already in the Ventarea system. This fact didn't strike Egeria as odd until she gave it more thought. She wasn't sure exactly how far they had traveled, but she knew that it would've taken the better part of the day to reach her home world. Yet, she knew that she hadn't been asleep for more then a couple of hours. Or had she? As she looked back at the velvet draped bed she wondered how long exactly she had been asleep. She thought that it had only been a couple of hours, but for them to already be at Ventarea it had to be no fewer than eight. Panic flooded her mind for a moment about the fact, but she decided it best to shrug it off. Soon they would land on Ventarea, and she need to be as focused as possible when they did.
Turning her view back to the window she watched as her home world began to take up more and more of the view and blanket out more and more of the twinkling stars. Ventarea, the lush paradise that had become the main stage for her operations. She could still remember the day she had found the small and isolated world. It was just after she had taken a host and she chose this world because it was in one of the small pockets of space that no Goa'uld had yet claimed for their own. Now no such space existed as each of the System Lords had stormed across the galaxy in a greedy effort to push their borders as far as possible.
When she chose this world it was little more than one giant rainforest. That had also served Egeria as it acted as a camouflage as she quietly built up her forces. Slowly over the course of several years she had reworked the ecosystems of several landmasses to be more suitable to her Jaffa army and she slowly built up that army as well as her fleet, mostly by stealing warriors and equipment from isolated and forgotten worlds occupied by her Goa'uld brethren. Once she was satisfied that her world and her army were secure against any conquering force she had swiftly let her presence be known as she took out two minor Goa'uld and destroyed the occupying armies on three neighboring worlds under control of System Lords, all within the course of just under a month. That act had quickly granted her status as a System Lord and even though she did not hold a rank among the most powerful she still was a threat to be reckoned with.
As Ventarea filled the entire window she noticed that a reddish glow appeared between the window and her world. She knew what was causing the glow and she began to prepare herself as the Ha'tak entered the planet's atmosphere.
After they cleared the planet's atmosphere she knew that they would be heading towards Ventarea's capital. There they would certainly be landing the ship on the large pyramid that was erected in the village's center. She wondered if the Jaffa had been informed that their goddess would soon be arriving. She also wondered how many would be there to meet her and praise her once they landed.
Staring down at the planet's surface below Egeria saw the tree line where jungle still grew start to break under the Ha'tak. At the jungle's edge she could already see a few small buildings where Jaffa soldiers lived and trained at the edge of the capital. Just beyond the outlying buildings Egeria could make out the frames of the larger structures that had been built around the great pyramid at the city's center. Though the world was far from being a great fortress she was still amazed at how much it had been built up from nothing more than a jungle.
Just as she was taking joy in seeing the city below her the great pyramid came into view. The pyramid itself was hardly a remarkable achievement, after all every Goa'uld occupied world had at least half a dozen built for landing vessels, and yet that fact did nothing to diminish the natural beauty it inspired. A pyramid that was big enough to land a Ha'tak on took months of hard work to build and untold amounts of resources, but when it was finished there was a brief moment when both Jaffa and Goa'uld could share a feeling of accomplishment. Those moments could rarely be achieved, and the fact that the pyramid's construction could bring about such a moment was truly a reason to hold the creation in reverence.
When the Ha'tak drew closer to the pyramid Egeria could feel the vessel's engines began to power down and their approach begin to slow. Out of instinct she held her hands firmly on the window's small sill as the pyramid consumed the whole of the view before it began to slip downwards and out of view. As the Ha'tak rose above the pyramid a tiny voice in her head whispered doubt about whether the ship would land or whether it would crash. With a slight shake of her head she banished the thought, knowing how capable her Jaffa were and knowing that there was no chance they wouldn't land perfectly. Still she felt her grip tighten a little as the vessel began to slowly descend onto the pyramid. Her grip stayed tight until she heard a slight friction emanate through the vessel and felt it stop as the vessel came to a rest.
Almost in response to the vessel's landing the doors to her quarters slid open and in stepped her blonde haired subordinate. Upon entering the room she stopped for a moment and took in the sight of her queen as Egeria looked out the window, before casually making her way across the room to stand next to Egeria. "We have arrived, my queen." Aphrodite said out of formality more than anything else.
Not taking her gaze away from the city below them Egeria almost felt insulted by Aphrodite's statement. Couldn't Aphrodite see that she already knew that? Instead of letting some unpleasant comment slip about Aphrodite's statement she said the next thing to come to her mind. "It's good to be home isn't it Aphrodite?"
"Yes, it is." Aphrodite replied with a little hesitation and confusion. "My queen, your Jaffa await," she said as she gestured out of the room.
"What?" Egeria asked, her mind still lost to the fact that she was finally home. "Oh yes, the Jaffa. I'm sure that there's an entire legion of troops down in the pyramid awaiting us."
"Yes I'm sure there is a legion waiting for you." Aphrodite replied.
The statement caused Egeria to finally turn away from the force-shielded window and look at her subordinate. She questionly looked at her, wondering exactly what Aphrodite had meant by the comment. Pushing it aside she turned away from the window. "Shall we?" she said gesturing towards the door. A quick nod from Aphrodite was given before the two walked across the room and out the large golden doors.
Outside the two Goa'uld were immediately greeted by four Jaffa guards as they knelt the moment Egeria came into their presence. She paused for a moment and gestured for them to rise. Once they stood up she looked at the strong and dedicated faces that each of them wore before gesturing for them to follow.
With Aphrodite and the four Jaffa trailing her Egeria began to quietly move through the ship as she headed for the Ha'tak's main ring room. As she walked she gathered her thoughts about what she needed to do. Once down on the planet and back in the luxuries of home she intended to discuss more of her plan to take down Ra with Aphrodite. This she knew was her top priority for when they arrived, but she also knew that there was another very important matter that needed to be dealt with right away. She swallowed slightly as the thought of Lo'tak came rushing into her mind.
Lo'tak, the strongest of the strong and the bravest of the brave in all her Jaffa army. It seemed almost impossible that she would find another Jaffa that would fill the role of First Prime so completely as he did. Since he had no apprentice it would mean the whole of her Jaffa army would be at her disposal to choose a new First Prime. Though that fact seemed like it would make things easier, it in fact made them harder. That meant that she could go through thousands of Jaffa and still not find one good enough to become her First Prime. Another thing that would make the decision harder was the fact that whoever she chose would ultimately be nothing more than a replacement for Lo'tak. How could she possibly replace the best and most perfect Jaffa she had never known? This question plagued her mind until her and her entourage reached the ring room.
The moment her and Aphrodite stood in the middle of the ring transport all four Jaffa immediately moved in formation around them, making a four-cornered defense for the pair of Goa'uld. For a second Egeria thought it was almost funny that her Jaffa would be so protective even though they were about to be ringed to the safest planet in the galaxy. Then that humor washed from her mind and she could do nothing but give them the slightest of praise for doing what they were supposed to. When all six of them were in position Egeria pressed the jewel around her wrist and in response five rings appeared from underneath them and disappeared the entire group in a flash of white brilliance.
As the rings disappeared around her she felt safe enough to give a small, inward smile, but that feeling quickly fell back into her mind as she saw the Jaffa that were standing before her. The number wasn't as large as she had expected, but the small group of Jaffa that knelt before her she knew were the best of her elite guards. To them the greatest honor would be to die in her name. Though that was their honor, it was hardly ever bestowed upon these warriors, as they were truly the best her army could offer. At one point this group had provided her Lo'tak, perhaps it could provide her with a new First Prime.
Stepping down from the ring platform she was followed by Aphrodite, who was half a step behind her queen. The four Jaffa guards that had came from the Ha'tak remained where they had ringed down and looked on at the assembled Jaffa ready and expectant, in case one of them decided to turn and try to attack their goddess.
When she approached the still kneeling Jaffa she touched the shoulder of the nearest Jaffa, who was the group's leader. "Arise, Ven'ar," she said to the Jaffa at her feet.
Slowly Ven'ar rose from the ground to stand before his goddess, but he kept his head bent in reverence till the very last. When he looked up Egeria's eyes met his and for a moment nothing changed as the two looked at each.
Unlike the Jaffa soldier from before Ven'ar's eyes were not filled with terror, but with a cold assurance befitting a seasoned warrior. As the leader of her most elite Jaffa he, as well as those under his command, had an ability over most Jaffa to be truly great, and he knew it. That attitude had pushed him to the brink of arrogance, yet somehow he had managed to stay just grounded enough to make certain that attitude did not work against him. It was that balance that had appealed to Egeria in both Ven'ar and Lo'tak, and showed in her mind to be a trait of a truly great warrior.
"Ven'ar," she said as she looked directly at the Jaffa soldier. "Did anything of consequence happen here in my absence?"
"No my queen," he said in a confident tone. "I do not believe that your enemies yet know of this world."
When she had taken this world for her own it was undiscovered by the System Lords. Being tucked nearby an ionic nebula seemed to hide it in a protective veil that the System Lords had still not dared try and venture near. That was to their detriment though as it meant that Egeria could live and work in virtual safety from anyone who might try and come after her.
Egeria's gaze shifted from Ven'ar for a moment and took in the whole of the Jaffa army that kneeled at her feet. As she did she remembered the other question that had been on her mind for some time now. "How did your mission to Kel'nur go?" she asked of the group's leader.
"As expected, my queen. We were able to take the Jaffa encampment there completely by surprise, just as you said we would. I am honored to say that nearly a hundred of your enemy's Jaffa lay dead on Kel'nur. The rest were captured, as well as the women and children of that camp."
"And how many Jaffa did I lose in the battle?"
"Three warriors were fortunate enough to die in your name, my queen." Ven'ar said almost sounding jealous of the warriors who had died.
For the price of three Jaffa she had gained the death of nearly a hundred and dozens of new Jaffa which she was certain would come to worship her once they fully realized her power. Plus she had also gained a whole new group of slaves that she was sure would prove useful in extracting the naquadah from the mine she had just obtained. At the news of this victory she felt joy course through her being for a moment, enough joy that she almost forgot about the toll the other victory had taken. Then her memory brought her back to that point and she remembered all over again her need to speak with Aphrodite on the matter of Ra. "Very good," she said to Ven'ar. "You and the rest of your Jaffa can spend the night feasting as reward for your devotion and the victory you have brought me."
"In your honor," Ven'ar said with a bow. He then turned away from Egeria and looked upon the army before him. "Jaffa kree!" he said and they all rose simultaneously in response. After he made his way through the Jaffa ranks he exited the room. Behind him followed the assembled Jaffa without so much as a word.
Watching the Jaffa exit she thought of how well trained the warriors were. She was about to end the matter with them on that note but suddenly one of the Jaffa caught her attention. He was one of the last to leave, and just before doing so he turned his head slightly and looked upon Egeria. In that flash of a moment she couldn't help but to stare at the tall Jaffa as though her were familiar to her in some way. Then he exited the room with the others and the moment passed.
Once the Jaffa had left the room Egeria turned around and looked at Aphrodite, who she had nearly forgotten was still there standing behind her. Egeria made a small gesture signaling to the Jaffa that had just left and Aphrodite gave a slight nod as she tried her best to show approval. After she issued a command to the four remaining Jaffa she turned around and headed out of the ring room.
As Egeria made her way down the hallway she could hear Aphrodite's steps as she followed her queen across the black marble flooring. Like the Ha'tak, the pyramid was extravagantly decorated by all sorts of rare metals and gemstones. Being in Ventarea's capital this pyramid served as Egeria's primary base and home while she was on the planet. As such she had felt it necessary for every inch of it to shine with a glory worthy of her. After all, how could she instill adoration in her subjects if everything about her and her domain didn't cause awe to fill each one of their minds?
When she reached her living quarters in the pyramid she quickly entered with Aphrodite still closely following her. The moment she did so she caught the attention of several Tau'ri slaves who had been tending to Egeria's quarters and awaiting their goddess' return. "Leave," she said to them as she walked across the room. With a startled jump they scurried out of the room as commanded. What Egeria and Aphrodite needed to discuss was a matter not be overheard by a few slaves.
The first thing she did once the slaves left was to make her way across the room to her quarters's balcony. Placing her hands on the railing she looked out upon her world. Directly below were legions of Jaffa soldiers exercising and training for whatever mission their goddess commanded them to next. Just beyond them she could see the houses where the Jaffa lived and noticed that several of them had a grayish trail snaking out of their chimneys. Off in the distance she could see the edge of the jungle and all at once it became a beautiful landscape that she lost herself in.
"My queen?" Aphrodite asked, wondering if Egeria had forgotten about her.
"Come here Aphrodite," she said not looking away. Once her subordinate joined her she spoke again. "Look at this world Aphrodite. Look at the beautiful world I have created and am able to call home."
"It is a world worthy of your greatness, my queen."
Egeria stood there in silence and just let the whole world before her encompass her being and wrap about her as though it were a blanket. When she spoke again an almost sad tone had taken hold of her words. "And it will all be taken away if we do not find a way to stop Ra." After spending one last moment to soak in nature's beauty she turned away from the view and walked back into the safety of her quarters.
Aphrodite quickly followed her queen and hoped that finally something more would be said about Egeria's plan to take down Ra. Though Aphrodite had other concerns before she had always kept the thought of Ra in the back of her mind. Now that they were finally home and had nothing else of consequence to discuss she was eager to hear what more Egeria had to say on the matter.
Taking a seat on a velvet adorned chair Egeria looked back at her subordinate as Aphrodite took a seat opposite her queen. In her mind swam a thousand phrases and a thousand ideas, but they all boiled down to the same thing: the downfall of Ra. For some reason she knew that he needed to be taken out, lest the whole of the Goa'uld race face their demise by his hand. His empire was too vast though for hers to be able to stand against him alone and come out victorious. "We are going to need help against Ra," Egeria suddenly blurted out as her gaze rested on the floor and her mind rested somewhere else altogether.
"Yes we will, my queen. But who?"
"Well," Egeria started as she looked up from the ground and at Aphrodite, "who are his worst enemies?"
"His brother Apophis is his mortal enemy."
"No," Egeria said as she started to shake his head. "Apophis's influence is still relatively small. Even if he were willing to help us I doubt it would be enough against Ra."
"Well what about Shaq'ran? He too is a well known enemy of Ra and he commands a sizable army of Jaffa."
"That's better, but still not quite good enough. You have to remember, Ra controls the largest army of all the System Lords. If we are to be successful in our campaign against him then we will have to ally ourselves with the Goa'uld who probably controls the biggest army next to Ra's."
Aphrodite thought in her mind for a moment about all of the current System Lords and about how large their armies were in an effort to determine who controlled the second largest domain. Then it hit her and she couldn't keep from blurting the name out. "Anubis." she said without thinking.
"Yes, Anubis." The tone behind Egeria's mentioning of Anubis carried a disheartened feel to it. Anubis was well known throughout the Goa'uld hierarchy for the cruelty he showed his enemies and the merciless way he had treaded through Goa'uld occupied space. The mere mention of his name was enough to make one shiver. There was no way she could see herself allying with him, but she feared that it would be a must for her to be able to take down Ra.
"You can't possibly expect him to join forces with us, my queen? Anubis doesn't help other Goa'uld, he conquers them."
"What choice do we have Aphrodite? None of the other System Lords have enough power to help us be a formidable threat against Ra. If we don't convince him to help us then surely Ra will go on unchallenged until he rules the entirety of the Goa'uld race."
"You are right that no single Goa'uld would be enough to help us against Ra, but what if we could get all of them to help us? Even a handful would be enough to give us a fighting chance against Ra."
As Aphrodite's suggestion made it's way through Egeria's thoughts she carefully considered the idea. It was a good idea, one that might be able to serve them in their cause enough to put an end to Ra once and for all. And the best part was that she would be able to accomplish her goal without having to ask Anubis for help. "Do you think you can contact the other System Lords without Ra catching wind of what we are trying to do?" she asked her blonde haired subordinate.
"I believe so. Even if the chance that I can is low we should still pursue that option, right?"
"For the moment it's all we have Aphrodite," Egeria said as she stood up. "Now go and contact as many of the System Lords as possible," she commanded and Aphrodite quickly walked out of the room to do her queen's bidding. Slowly she walked back out onto the balcony and took in the beauty that lay before her once more. She would not let this world be taken by Ra, or any other world for that matter. She was determined to stop him now at any cost, even if that cost made her lose more than she gained.