Chapter Ten
Sitting in the center of her Ha'tak's bridge, Egeria just absorbed the scene around her. To her right stood her loyal subordinate, Aphrodite, with a silent grace befitting her Goa'uld self. Since leaving the Nevar system and Osiris behind, Aphrodite had remained at Egeria's side, in case her queen had some need of her.
On Egeria's left, Ven'ar held vigilance over the rest of the Jaffa that kept busy around them. While not official yet, he was her new First Prime, and one of his duties to his goddess in this role she had bestowed upon him was to command the rest of the Jaffa forces in her name. It was a duty he took very seriously, and had wished upon himself since his early days of childhood when he had practiced his fighting techniques in the camps. Now that his life long dream had been achieved, he knew that he would honor his goddess by making certain she would not need to replace him so quickly.
Beyond the presence of these two, Egeria simply looked around to everything else before her. Close to a dozen Jaffa were present, all busy in tasks their goddess had commanded of them. Some were merely ornaments put in place to guard Egeria should the need arise. Others were far more important as they manned the pel'tak's various stations. While their assigned tasks may have varied, not a single Jaffa questioned their position. Each of them had been selected by Egeria herself and placed where they now found themselves. Any service, no matter how seemingly unimportant, was made an honor if it was done for the betterment of their goddess Egeria.
Aside from the cold and dull metallic armor those soldiers wore, much more could be found in Egeria's presence. The walls glittered with gold and gems, while the floor shined with the dark marble that it was made of. Goa'uld kind may have been known for their extravagant tastes, but with as much power as they wielded was such an indulgence not necessary? That extravagance was surely an extension of themselves, of the raw power each of them wielded. If not for the show of this power than how was anyone, Jaffa or Tau'ri, expected to bow down in worship of them? Plus, since they had been given the chance to indulge in such luxuries, was it not their right to do so?
While such things truly made her and her dominance majestic, such things were not the ultimate goal of either the Goa'uld or herself. Gems and treasures were of course nice to have, they were not necessary in the grand scheme of things. No, what all Goa'uld needed and craved with a fevered passion was power. Not the power of weapons or armies, but something much larger and intangible. Many felt it was their right as superior beings to draw this power from other species. Whatever the reason might be, each Goa'uld sought it the moment they took a host and was able to leave the waters from which they had spawned.
This need was buried deep within the psyche of every Goa'uld that drew breath. Egeria knew it, and saw it to be something very evident as she encountered several of her fellow System Lords. Whether it was those she had faced on Reloor, or Osiris himself, they had all been secretly craving power. Egeria had sensed it in them. Their desire for power had been almost maddening; and she knew that any of them would not be hesitant were an opportunity arise where they could gain even the slightest bit more power.
Knowing this, she began to wonder which of them had betrayed her and her ambitions to Ra. Certainly it wasn't Osiris. Ra's attack on Karmarik had begun while the Goa'uld was still occupied with her. This made the list of who could have gone to Ra only five names strong. Even though five was a relatively small number, the list's size did nothing in helping her to determine which System Lord she would have to be wary of in future dealings.
For a moment her mind ran over the list of those she had faced on Reloor. Starting with Yu, she considered why each of them might side with Ra against her. The Chinese hosted Goa'uld didn't seem like a likely choice. While he might be in direct conflict with her for the moment, that conflict didn't seem dire enough for Yu to ask for anyone's help; especially Ra's.
Gilgamesh didn't seem likely either. With only a handful of worlds and an inkling of power, his best call was to play it safe for the moment and slowly build up his forces. Going to Ra was a risky move that could easily lead to his own demise, and as such probably kept the minor System Lord's mouth closed.
Shaq'ran was out of the question as well, being that he was Ra's biggest rival. If any Goa'uld could profit from Ra's downfall it would be him, so for Shaq'ran to hinder any move against the powerful System Lord seemed foolishly unlikely. Neither did it seem likely for Rhinannon to be Egeria's betrayer. Although the female hosted System Lord had ultimately opposed an alliance against Ra, she had seemed more on the fence than the other System Lords. Like Gilgamesh, Egeria believed Rhinannon to merely be biding her time until a better chance to strike arose.
That only left one possible System Lord; Marduk. There had been something about the Goa'uld that Egeria had found personally disturbing. Whether it had been his demeanor, or simply the way in which he had presented himself Egeria could not say, but there had definitely been something about him that had set him apart from the other four. It was as though everything evil and dark about the Goa'uld race had been embodied within this sole individual. Clearly, he was the System Lord most likely to have informed Ra that she was planning a move against him. Not only because of these facts, but also because she had personally attacked Marduk during the debate on Reloor. Her words had served as a personal insult to his being and his power, and insults like that are not easily forgiven.
Bringing her hands together Egeria began to rub them as she pushed thoughts about Marduk and the others aside. Whoever it was that had tipped off Ra didn't really matter for the moment. It had been done, and Ra had responded in force. What mattered now was her response to Ra's attack, and the amount of force she placed behind that response.
By moving against her and launching an offensive on Karmarik, Ra had declared war. True that it was a move that Egeria herself was planning, the situation was one that seemed entirely different when placed on the other side. Having been placed on the defensive end of the battle caused anger and frustration within Egeria. While a System Lord, her domain was hardly vast enough to take the loss of a world such as Karmarik lightly. Were Ra to win the day, then it would put Egeria's plans, and her forces, in a serious bind.
If that fact wasn't enough for her to grow outraged at, by Ra attacking her also ruined the single most vital element in her plans against him. She had lost the element of surprise. In order to take down Ra, Egeria had known that any moves against him would have to be swift and precise. The best defense against a formidable foe was to catch them off guard. This element was also part of the reason why she had been so passionate about enlisting the aid of the other System Lords against Ra. If they could simultaneously launch an attack on his domain then Ra would have been backed into a corner before he realized what was going on. Only then would Egeria, or anyone else, be given the chance to end the threat he posed once and for all. Now it had been laid to ruin, forcing her to come up with an entirely new strategy if she expected to still win against Ra and his onslaught.
Though it was not their very nature, as a race the Goa'uld were very warlike. With armies of Jaffa and fleets of Ha'tak vessels at their disposal, each one of them had treaded across the known galaxy. Having so many Goa'uld all vying for such small grasps of power made war not only inevitable, but necessary. Each of them was their own singular nation in the grand scope of things. Greed and the unconquerable desire for conquest pitted each System Lord against each other in the struggles for survival and dominance. This caused war to be a daily and unending occurrence for each of them, and a near merciless state to be constantly a part of them.
Going over this, Egeria found some reasoning for why the other System Lords had strayed away from the possibility of an alliance; no matter how real the threat of Ra might be. Stuck in a constant state of war had left them on edge and paranoid. There was no way they could trust each other with either the lives of those they commanded or their own lives. Instead of looking at the grander scope and possibilities that an alliance might bring, they had all been too busy stuck within themselves and wondering which potential ally would stab them in the back first. Suddenly Egeria realized just how impossible and futile her attempts to bring any of them together in her campaign against Ra would be.
This fact was one of the things Egeria hated the most about the Goa'uld way of life. As a race, the Goa'uld had not been truly united in a goal since they had conquered the first Unas and taken them as hosts, escaping from that backwater world they had first spawned from. One could only wonder what they could achieve if the Goa'uld stood as a united people. Unfortunately, that was something that was increasingly more unlikely as time passed, and Egeria only hoped that their divided nature would not someday bring doom to her race.
As her Ha'tak sped through the deep purple hued space Egeria considered for a moment just what she would do once she entered the Karmarik system. Aphrodite had been unable to pass along any details concerning the battle that was underway, which made things very difficult for the Goa'uld queen. Without an idea of what they would be facing, or how many vessels, left Egeria very anxious indeed. In this moment she realized that at least in one aspect she was not so far removed from her System Lord brethren. A constant state of war had left her on edge and full of angst.
Neither of these feelings she could ever admit to. Part of the burden of being thought of as an infallible goddess was that she was disallowed from showing any signs of weakness or insecurity. True as it may be that the life of a System Lord had its many perks, it was not without drawbacks either. From time to time Goa'uld were known to turn reclusive, leaving either their lieutenants or First Primes to bear the majority of responsibility. In this instance Egeria could not fault those who did. Having to be so perfect for so much of the time was draining.
Sitting there in wait for their arrival, Egeria felt as though her being was drained. The ache from before she had spoken with Osiris had returned; only this time it was even worse. She could not wrap her brain around the cause of this debilitation, and began to seriously wonder if something was wrong. In the past any sort of physical discomfort would be fleeting, as her Goa'uld healing abilities had been able to fix anything within hours. There had been some more extreme ailments that had not been so easy to heal, and in those instances she had always had her sarcophagus to rest in. Now, it had been weeks since she had used the device and she was beginning to wonder whether or not the use of it would be the only way to cure her of this pain deep within her being.
While every Goa'uld was accustomed to certain technologies, such as the sarcophagus, none of them had ever considered the true worth of such things. Many of what they had in abundance were things that no longer had a known origin. Knowing this, one might question just how powerful the Goa'uld really were, but being consumed by arrogance left such things far from their minds. Their parasitical nature brought together a host of technologies and methods that ultimately they would never fully understand. Whether this was the case or not, no Goa'uld would readily admit to it, especially not Egeria. Instead her mind worked on strategies for the battle ahead and the larger scope of her move against Ra right up until the last.
On the screen before her, Egeria witnessed as a flash of brilliance signaled their exit from hyperspace. She had ordered the Jaffa soldier manning the navigation console to bring the Ha'tak out of hyperspace as close as he could get to Karmarik, and as the regal green world consumed the majority of the screen she couldn't help but to smile. Being away on Reloor and Nevar for so long had made her miss her own worlds, especially one as befitting of her as Karmarik.
Quickly taking in the entire scene that was displayed, she shook free of any lingering nostalgic sentiments and saw the cause for her return. In orbit around the world sat three Ha'tak vessels, all firing upon the planet and raining down destruction upon her armies below. The fact that they were firing upon the planet gave Egeria a shred of hope in this instance. Had Ra's forces deployed troops on Karmarik's surface then they would have avoided firing upon the planet, fearing that their own weapons would decimate the planet side troops. If there had been enemy Jaffa on Karmarik's soil, then Egeria knew her task would be infinitely more difficult. Jaffa garrisons were quick to entrench themselves on an enemy world, making it nearly impossible to force them out without a bloodbath.
When Egeria's Ha'tak had exited hyperspace, a noticeable tension had come to each of those present. Sure the Jaffa were hardened soldiers trained to do their goddess' bidding, but that didn't make them emotionless husks. Fear was very possible for each of them to feel, although like their Goa'uld masters they didn't feel the right to make such things known. Seeing three enemy vessels to their one didn't help the situation at all. Still, they would fight, and if necessary die, all to uphold and protect their goddess Egeria.
"My queen," came a whisper from Aphrodite as she broke into the silence that had settled into the Ha'tak's bridge.
Her subordinate's words pulled Egeria back into the moment and she knew that every second she hesitated meant that many more deaths on the surface, and that few people left to worship her. "Activate shields and charge weapons," she commanded of the nearest Jaffa soldier.
"Yes my queen," the Jaffa said promptly before he moved to the weapons console and tapped in a series of commands.
Rising from her ornate chair set in the pel'tak's center, Egeria took a step forward, all the while keeping her gaze locked on Ra's forces. When she approached the Jaffa manning the navigation console, she placed a hand on the console's edge and simply ordered, "Full speed."
As the other had done before him, this Jaffa quickly acknowledged his goddess' command before carrying it out. With a slight jerk, the Ha'tak moved from where it had sat watching Ra's forces. It was almost as if the ship itself was wary about what it was going to dive into, but neither the ship nor the Jaffa, or even herself, would prevent Egeria from saving her people when they needed her most.
Focused on their task of decimating Karmarik's inhabitants, the three Ha'tak commanded by Ra's forces remained completely oblivious to Egeria's approach. Part of their earlier success had been in the fact that Egeria's forces had been caught completely off guard, and the planet had been nearly defenseless. Left without any Ha'tak, a squadron of Al'kesh and several wings of death gliders had acted as Karmarik's only form of resistance. While these forces had proven an annoyance to Ra's Ha'tak, their efforts had ultimately proved futile as their attacks only delayed the strike on Karmarik.
Approaching the enemy vessels, Egeria just absorbed herself in what was about to happen. Though someone else may have tried to divine some strategy for attacking Ra's forces, Egeria felt that any such strategy would be ultimately useless. There was no maneuver, no tactic, that would give her an advantage in this battle. The only thing she had was the fact that she was a goddess and that the Jaffa under her command would fight with everything they had to defend the world of their queen. If that wasn't enough to win the day, then she didn't know what would be.
Seemingly nothing happened in the following moments. Coming out of hyperspace where they had, gave Egeria's Ha'tak and those aboard the pyramid vessel only moments to take in Ra's attack before they were forced to react to it. Each one of them was ready, and as the final moment of peace slipped away each soldier present felt suddenly all the more glorious for being in the presence of their goddess Egeria for such a task.
"We are in weapons range," the Jaffa manning the corresponding console said to Egeria.
Taking one last moment in of what was before her Egeria just stood at the pel'tak's forefront, and inwardly smiled at herself. "Fire," she said with a cold tone as a slight glow came to her eyes.
Instantly the Ha'tak commanded by Egeria opened fire upon the nearest enemy vessel. A volley of energy blasts struck at the mighty vessel, and a golden shimmer appeared at the points of impact. Egeria wasn't about to let shielding get in the way of her victory over these vessels, as she only ordered that those in her service press the attack.
When Egeria's lone Ha'tak had begun its assault, it was then that Ra's forces finally took notice. They had been too focused on their objective to be aware of Egeria's mothership, until that vessel became a threat. Hoping to quickly finish off this new aggressor, two of the three Ha'tak bombarding Karmarik turned their focus, and their weapons, on Egeria while the third continued its assault on the planet's surface.
Though she kept her focus on the screen before her, Egeria couldn't help but to notice her vessel shake around her with weapons impacts. Unlike those that she faced, the shielding of her vessel was fresh and would be able to last out much longer. However, with two vessels firing upon her she knew that those shields would not hold out for long. What she needed was to even the odds a little.
Tearing herself away from the screen, she looked back upon her First Prime. "Launch the Al'kesh and gliders," she ordered Ven'ar.
"Yes my queen," Ven'ar said with a quick bow before spinning on his heel and exiting the room as fast as his armored body would take him.
With the addition of her squadrons of death gliders she hoped to drive a wedge between Ra's forces; a wedge that would be exploited by the Al'kesh and would ultimately seal her enemies' fate. She then thought to herself how fortunate her choice on Ventarea had been that she had chosen this ship to depart in. When she had left her home world she hadn't expected a need to go into combat would arise. Still, something had made her feel safer by taking her capital vessel over any of the other dozens of Ha'tak stationed on Ventarea and the surrounding sector. This vessel was larger than the rest, and as such was able to accommodate a handful of Al'kesh bombers in addition to the death glider squadrons. Egeria knew those Al'kesh would ultimately prove to be the turning factor in this battle.
Staring back at the screen and the battle it revealed she smiled for a second as she witnessed her forces launching from the Ha'tak's bays and joining in their goddess' attack on Ra's forces. She suddenly felt very sure that victory was inevitable, and she could find no reason to deny Ra's Jaffa from eternity any longer.
"Target the second Ha'tak," she commanded as she noticed a sensor readout displaying the enemy's nearly depleted shielding.
Breaking off of its attack on the first Ha'tak, Egeria's mothership turned to stare down the weaker enemy of the two. Opening fire, several spots all along Ra's Ha'tak shimmered dimly as the vessel's shielding did everything it could to hold out and protect Ra's brave soldiers from being winked out of existence. In the battle earlier, this vessel had taken the brunt of the assault launched by Karmarik's defensive forces. This had left the vessel significantly weaker than the other two, although with the last of Karmarik's forces destroyed those aboard had hoped there would be no further threat against them. They had been wrong, and in this moment as they realized just how they had been they only fought back with that much more resolve, ignoring their own lives and simply fighting for the glory of their true god Ra.
For several moments Egeria's vessel exchanged fire with the second Ha'tak. As the enemy vessel's shields continued to hold out she began to wonder just how accurate the readout had been, but suddenly all of her concerns were absolved as an energy blast finally penetrated the opposing Ha'tak's shields. There was only a small fire where the blast had impacted the stone that made up the vessel's outer hull, but that small fire represented so much more. It represented hope, as the first tangible strike against Ra's forces. And it signaled that victory was surely within her grasp. This signal was not lost upon the rest of Egeria's forces, as suddenly two Al'kesh and the bulk of the remaining death gliders converged upon the vulnerable Ha'tak, ready to smack it from existence.
Being struck now from three sides, Ra's Ha'tak was unable to mount any discernible resistance. Both of its allied vessels turned their attention in mounting any sort of defense, but it was far too late. While those aboard the Ha'tak scrambled valiantly, that scramble would ultimately prove to be in vain as the explosions along the vessel's surface grew more frequent, until finally engulfing the entire vessel in flames as it collapsed in on itself.
"One down," Egeria couldn't help but to say with a smirk, proud of her soldiers' efforts and exhilarated by the fact that the odds were suddenly more in her favor. "Target the nearest Ha'tak," she then commanded.
Turning away from the burning hulk that once stood in its way, Egeria's Ha'tak fired upon the nearest enemy vessel. This vessel was the one that had originally been Egeria's focus, and as such was far from being a fully strengthened foe. Still, it wasn't about to join is sistership so readily.
Holding onto the nearby navigation console, Egeria simply stared ahead as her vessel shook around her. With the destruction of one Ha'tak, both of those loyal to Ra that remained had turned their entire attention and arsenal towards Egeria and her mothership. While the odds were more to Egeria's liking she realized that even as they stood she was still outnumbered two to one, and that eventually Ra's forces would win out if they continued to simply lob volleys at each other.
Breaking from her gaze, Egeria turned towards the weapons console as an idea came to mind. "Target your attack here," she commanded of the Jaffa standing behind the console as she pointed on a sensor readout where exactly she wanted to strike.
Without question or hesitation the Jaffa did as his goddess commanded of him, and began focusing his attack where Egeria had pointed. At first he didn't quite understand why she had chosen this spot for him to focus all of their weapons fire on, but he would never give this curiosity more than a silent moment. She was his goddess, and he had no right to question her judgment. Just because he couldn't grasp Egeria's divine reasoning didn't mean that she wasn't working towards an ultimate and well thought out goal.
Firing where she willed, Egeria smiled as she turned back towards the view screen to take in the entire scope of the battle being waged over her world. To blindly strike at the enemy seemed to be a waste in her opinion, and would only prolong the suffering that the enemy Jaffa were sure to feel at her hands. She then decided that if they attacked the enemy vessel towards its center, where the metallic scaffolding met the stone of the Ha'tak's inner pyramid, then there was a greater chance of striking a critical blow upon Ra's Ha'tak.
Watching on, Egeria almost became lost not in what her own vessel was doing, but what the gliders she had sent as support were doing. In an almost graceful fashion the squadrons of fighters moved in and between the two Ha'tak commanded by Ra's troops. They were quick and agile little fighters, which gave them the maneuverability to literally fly circles around a Ha'tak mothership. Their relative size also made them nearly impossible to hit, and in this instance Egeria was all the more grateful for the fact.
While her gliders were more or less out of harm's way, the Al'kesh she had sent out were far from the same. The Goa'uld bombers were bulky, and while small, they were hardly the buzzing gnats that the gliders seemed to emulate. Already two of the four Al'kesh under her command had been destroyed, and Egeria knew that if she didn't act quickly then the other two would be all but a memory as well.
"Move us between the two enemy Ha'tak," she commanded of the Jaffa manning the navigation console.
In this moment Egeria almost seemed as though she had lost her mind, and Aphrodite could hold her tongue no longer. Moving across the pel'tak until she stood next to her queen she whispered, "What are you doing, my queen? This is suicide!"
Egeria did not expect her Jaffa soldiers to understand the strategy she was using. How could they being the inferior beings that they were? But as a fellow Goa'uld she had somehow believed that Aphrodite could see the scope of what she was attempting. The fact that she apparently didn't only caused Egeria to smirk with superiority as she tried to explain her course to her subordinate.
"Aphrodite, already two of my Al'kesh have been destroyed; along with several gliders. If we move this Ha'tak, which is stronger than either of those commanded by Ra's forces, then we will prevent any of my other forces from being caught in a crossfire, and thus prevent them from being destroyed so easily."
"Instead you would have us be destroyed by Ra's forces?" Aphrodite questioned as she tried to keep any hint of panic from her voice.
"Both enemy ships are firing upon us, Aphrodite. But by placing us directly between them, then we will be forcing them to pick opposite targets, instead of having them both concentrate their fire on a single spot." Looking over at her subordinate as she stood next to her, Egeria realized that this reasoning wasn't quite enough for the younger Goa'uld to justify Egeria's actions. "Plus, we will be driving a wedge between them, effectively dividing their forces in two and making both of them easier to destroy."
Taking all of this in, Aphrodite began to see what exactly it was that Egeria had in mind. "You are truly a marvel my queen," she whispered with a slight bow, and for once meant the sentiment behind her words.
Moving ever closer to Ra's Ha'tak, the vessel commanded by Egeria began to shake all the more violently in response. Though they recognized the threat from the gliders and Al'kesh, both of the Ha'tak set against Egeria knew that they had to first finish off this mothership were there to be any measure of success come to them in this campaign. Despite their combined best efforts Egeria's vessel continued to hold its ground. This came as a frustration to the Jaffa loyal to Ra, but ultimately it only heightened their already frantic states.
Sliding in between the two enemy Ha'tak, Egeria kept ever vigilant upon the battle with one eye, while the other monitored their rapidly depleting shielding. In moments they would be vulnerable to attack. Before that happened Egeria knew she had to whittle down the odds just a bit more, until only one enemy vessel stood between her and her world below.
The attack strategy that she had suggested earlier against the Ha'tak's center was proving to be an effective strategy; albeit a slowly unfolding strategy. Although the vessel's shielding had already shimmered and dimmed out of existence, the enemy Ha'tak was proving to be more resilient than Egeria had first anticipated. She knew deep in her being that her Ha'tak alone would not be enough to finish the task of destroying this enemy vessel.
"Signal the two Al'kesh," she commanded of whoever was nearest to the communication console. "Order them to attack the Ha'tak at the same coordinates as us," she then added as she knew that with their help the enemy vessel before her would quickly no longer be a threat to her or her people.
Swooping around their queen's Ha'tak, the two Al'kesh saw their new target come into view. Around the enemy vessel's center there were already signs of its imminent destruction as the metallic portions were beginning to twist and fold in on themselves under the strain of weapons fire. In this instant those flying the Al'kesh bombers knew what they had to do, and felt honored that they would be doing it in the name of their great goddess Egeria as she watched on from her vessel.
Upon the screen the two Al'kesh under control by Egeria's forces came into view and sped towards their target. The Jaffa manning the weapons console of Egeria's Ha'tak changed his firing solution, so as not to hit either of the friendly vessels, yet he did not relent in his own attack. Despite the fact that his task of destroying the enemy vessel would now be aided by the two bombers, the Jaffa soldier knew that his part in this task was far from over.
Suddenly the entire vessel all around Egeria and her loyal soldiers shook with a force not previously felt. Moving around the navigation console, Egeria found the readout of her own vessel's shielding, and found that those shields had indeed failed. Another blast shook the vessel as violently as the last, and for a moment she panicked about whether or not they truly had the chance to turn this battle around and score a decisive victory.
While Egeria's own vessel came under fire, the enemy Ha'tak that the Al'kesh had now focused on was facing a similar fate. From the inner pyramid came chunks of stone and mortar blasted into all directions, and exposing the metallic inner hull that kept a Ha'tak in one piece. With the stone foundation giving way under the bombardment of weapons the outer scaffolding began to tear apart, no longer having anything to keep it fastened onto the inner pyramid itself.
This tearing provided the Al'kesh with an opportunity for them to destroy this vessel once and for all, and they fully intended to exploit this opportunity. Flying in tight formation with each other, the two bombers began to fly parallel to the inner pyramid's surface, moving across it sideways as they did so. All along the surface they began to drop their payload, making sure to especially hit where the scaffolding was still attached in vain to the stone surface. Once a few more bombs collided with the surface the last of the scaffolding began to give way and the entire vessel itself simply could not withstand the might of Egeria and her forces any longer. In an almost awkward silence it collapsed in on itself before it exploded in a flash of brilliance.
A feeling of exhilaration made its way into those that manned Egeria's pel'tak. With a quiet exhale, even Egeria herself felt a sense of relief as she witnessed the second of her enemies burn and smolder until it was nothing more. While she too felt like celebrating, the sobering reality that there was still a remaining enemy sunk in, and she knew that this enemy too had to be swiftly destroyed.
"Fire everything we've got at the final Ha'tak," she ordered in a cold tone as her eyes glowed and her being simply exuded the raw power of her Goa'uld self.
There was an odd sense to the Jaffa who manned the weapons console. It wasn't quite pride, but he certainly felt something. Seeing his goddess destroy two enemy vessels and still remain fierce as she went after the third, left an excited energy within him. Had others been given the chance to witness Egeria's audacity and cunning then surely they would all kneel at her feet and proclaim their devotion to her as the one true goddess. If she wasn't all powerful, then how else could anyone explain the fact that her one vessel was withstanding the might of three of Ra's vessels; and winning?
With the bulk of the weapons fire from Ra's Ha'tak being aimed at her own mighty vessel, it shook violently around the majestic Goa'uld queen. On the screen she noticed that not all of the enemy vessel's fire was directed at her own vessel however. Several blasts were sent from Ra's ship towards one of her Al'kesh, striking it and turning it into a ball of flame as the valiant bomber tried to flee.
Only one loyal bomber remained, and she noticed that the number of merciless gliders had been halved as well. Her troops were dying, dying in her name, and for her cause. In times before she hadn't had much of a problem by this fact. Watching them now though, something stirred inside her. These were her soldiers, and she couldn't help but to feel a certain obligation towards them. Whether it was true or not those soldiers believed that she was their goddess, their protector, and she couldn't let them down now.
Walking towards the sensor console Egeria looked for a weakness, any weakness, that she might exploit on her adversary's vessel. Glancing towards Aphrodite, she saw her subordinate stand there and watch on, waiting for her queen's next divine strategy against the forces of Ra. For some reason though, nothing came to her.
Void of its protective shielding, Egeria's Ha'tak was left vulnerable. This fact was reminded to her as each return fire from Ra's vessel made her vessel shake. True as it might be that Ra's Ha'tak was equally vulnerable, she knew that she couldn't afford to sit here and continue exchanging fire with the enemy vessel. Something had to be done, and quickly to ensure her own survival, and the survival of all those who worshipped her.
Letting her jeweled hand wander over a readout of the enemy vessel she unconsciously searched for that critical weakness. Moving along, she suddenly paused. There had just been something that didn't seem right in the readout before her, and going back she couldn't help but to double check. "There," she quietly muttered as that something caught her attention.
"My queen?" the Jaffa beside her asked with genuine curiosity about what his goddess had found.
"What does this reading tell you soldier?" she asked of the man.
For a moment he wasn't quite sure how to respond. As a goddess, he believed Egeria to be all-knowing. So for her to ask a question of him seemed to be unnecessary. It had to be a test of his abilities. That was the only way he could justify it as he responded. "According to that reading, Ra's vessel is venting atmosphere, my queen."
"Precisely," she said with a wicked grin as the means to destroy her last standing foe was presented. Now if only she could find where it was venting atmosphere from…
Stepping away from the sensor console and the confused Jaffa soldier who manned it, she approached the view screen and simply stared at her enemy as they fired back. Taking the entire image in and studying it, she felt as though she were looking for the needle in a very large haystack.
Despite any hesitation that came from Egeria, and as a result her vessel, the vessel commanded by Ra's loyal Jaffa continued to press their attack. Having lost both of their allies, they saw how everything rested solely on their shoulders, and they weren't about to fail Ra or his will.
The intensity of the shaking that rippled throughout Egeria's Ha'tak grew and grew as more and more blasts struck the Goa'uld queen's mothership. She had to find where Ra's vessel was venting atmosphere. It was her best chance to destroy the vessel, and she had to take it lest Ra's forces destroy her and win the day.
Behind her something exploded, and all she heard was a thud as a Jaffa soldier fell to the ground. Whether he was dead or not barely crossed her mind, for she knew if she didn't think of something then they would all soon be dead.
Aphrodite stood there and watched Egeria stare at the screen as her vessel fell apart all around her. The young subordinate could think of no justification for this action, and she suddenly felt that if she didn't act quickly then they would all face oblivion. "My queen!" she shouted as a bulkhead fell from the ceiling with a large crash.
Neither her subordinate nor the crash was enough to jog Egeria from the world she was currently in. She was so absorbed, so focused in her task to find the one vulnerable spot on the enemy vessel, that nothing else mattered. The difficulty she was facing began to frustrate her, and she nearly showed that frustration, until suddenly she found what she was looking for. A stream of white smoke was pouring out from the Ha'tak's launch bay, and left it wide open for her to bring her full might down upon it and end this onslaught once and for all.
"There!" Egeria said as she pointed at the screen. "Enhance this section of the enemy vessel."
On her command the image of the enemy Ha'tak shifted and zoomed in until the section she had pointed out was highlighted. As the image burned into the minds of everyone present, they all suddenly knew just how attainable their goal of victory was.
"Focus your attacks on that section of the enemy vessel," she ordered of the Jaffa behind the weapons console.
Not letting another moment pass, the soldier began to target the section that his goddess had commanded he attack. The enemy fighter bay opening was a small target, and proved to be a challenge to hit with the blunt energy blasts of Egeria's Ha'tak. He wasn't about to let this fact stand in his way of completing his mission however, as he felt that to fail in this task and fail his goddess was surely a sin that he just could not commit.
While Egeria's Ha'tak made every effort to exploit this small weakness, the vessel commanded by those loyal to Ra decided upon a much different approach. Firing on Egeria's last Al'kesh, and disposing of it in the same fashion as the other three, they turned their entire focus and weapons upon the Goa'uld queen's vessel; knowing that they had to disable it quickly or simply be forced to lay down their lives.
Staring at the scene before her, Egeria watched as the last of her Al'kesh was destroyed. When those aboard had been winked out of existence she couldn't help but to give them a solemn moment, before turning back to the matter at hand. She knew in her being that the brave and valiant soldiers who had fought and died in her name during this battle deserved more, but if she didn't push them aside for the moment then Ra's forces would take advantage of this pause and send her to join the fallen warriors in oblivion. That was something she just could not allow.
Ra's Ha'tak continued its assault on Egeria's own vessel in such a fierce and unrelenting way that even the Goa'uld queen herself had to give them due credit. Those that fought in the name of Ra were surely of a different breed of Jaffa, and she was beginning to believe that maybe his army was better trained as her vessel shook around her.
Both vessels continued to exchange fire back and forth, with no clear choice between them as to who might win the confrontation. Flying between these mighty vessels were a few remaining death gliders loyal to Egeria, but these ants very quickly became little consequence while the giants tossed death at each other.
As she watched the battle unfold on the screen, Egeria began to wonder whether or not she had been right when picking the attack coordinates. Despite everything she threw at Ra's Ha'tak, the enemy vessel continued to survive, continued to defy her attempts, and her will. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a readout of her own vessel, and saw several sections to be flashing red with damage. They were at a stalemate, but she knew if she didn't do something quickly then that stalemate would end; and end in her defeat.
Stuck in her mind and trying to devise some alternate strategy for dealing with this foe, Egeria was unaware of just how damaged her vessel had become. Several pieces had already been blasted away, and as a result several systems were beginning to fail. With one decisive blast Egeria's vessel was struck, and that hit proved to cause more than superficial damage.
Without any discernible warning a panel exploded inside of Egeria's pel'tak. This explosion claimed more than just a random Jaffa, as Egeria had been standing next to it prior to the explosion. Both the Jaffa soldier manning the console and the majestic Goa'uld queen were sent flying off of their feet by this, and for a moment as Aphrodite and the remaining Jaffa saw their queen knocked back, they all feared the worst had happened.
Looking up at the ceiling as a layer of smoke filled the air above her, Egeria wondered for a moment what had just happened. There had been an explosion. At least that's what her mind told her, and it had knocked her upon the floor. Time seemed to slow around her for a moment as pain rested in her head. Moving her left hand she noticed that she had landed on her head pretty hard; and as a result then any sort of injury could have resulted.
"My queen!" Aphrodite shouted as she rushed over to Egeria's side, looking her over head to toe to make sure her queen was all right.
To her right Egeria saw her subordinate and took in the young woman's expression of worry before time jumped back ahead and the world around her regained a sense of normalcy. Slowly picking herself up, she noticed that several stations around her were damaged, and that indeed the whole of her ship was crumbling around her. She had to finish Ra's Ha'tak now, or else she would have to face oblivion in defeat.
Helped by the guiding hand of Aphrodite, Egeria stood up and ignored the thumping pain in her skull as she stared at Ra's vessel through a cracked screen. "Destroy them now!" she said as her tone reflected the frustration she was now feeling.
"My queen, our weapons are off-line!" a Jaffa soldier responded as he feared what his goddess' response would be to this news.
No. No, this was not how it was going to turn out. She was a Goa'uld queen, a System Lord, a goddess! There was no way she would allow her life to end like this. So much was left undone, and she was not about to let a couple of errant vessels sent by her foe be the end of her. "The death gliders?" she asked as she saw them as the only means she had left for taking out Ra's last vessel.
"Under a dozen remain, my queen," came the report from a Jaffa behind her.
At the battle's start there had been more than three times that number sent to aid her attack on Ra's ships. That she had lost so many over the course of the battle, she just couldn't wrap her mind around it. Death gliders were far from being invincible granted, but their size and speed made them almost impossible for a Ha'tak to shoot them down. Somehow Ra's forces had managed to do just that, and she didn't quite know how to take in this news.
"My queen," Aphrodite couldn't help but to say, wondering where Egeria's mind was at as the Goa'uld queen stood blankly staring at the screen.
These words spoken by her subordinate proved to be enough to pull Egeria back into the moment everyone else was living, and dying, in. "Order the death gliders to attack the enemy's launch bay," she commanded as she knew that this was her last chance to defeat Ra's vessel and survive the day.
Without any further weapons or remaining shields, Egeria's Ha'tak sat nearly useless. Instead of merely standing still and leaving itself open to annihilation, Egeria ordered that the mighty vessel be moved in between Ra's Ha'tak and the world of Karmarik below. If her gliders were unable to succeed and her demise was indeed imminent, then she was intent on meeting that demise in all the glory she could muster, and by protecting a world that had done nothing wrong but simply kneel in her presence.
All around Egeria came explosions and debris as the vessel began to fall apart. While she did not know the full extent of damage on the vessel that stood before her, she knew that her own vessel was not about to survive much longer. Whether or not the death gliders would succeed in their objective no longer mattered to Egeria, and as she closed her eyes and simply felt the ship quake around her then she was nearly certain that her next breath would be her last.
Through the roar of explosions and the crashing of jarred plating the Jaffa manning the sensor console suddenly heard a familiar blip that caught his attention. Despite the hazy picture that the console showed back, he was able to make something very distinct out. "My queen," he said in an attempt to get Egeria's attention. "There is something here that I think you should see."
Egeria made no move towards the console, nor did she give any sign that she had heard the Jaffa's request. Glancing over her queen and seeing that she wasn't about to respond, Aphrodite moved across the pel'tak to where the Jaffa stood in anxious wait. She could hardly believe what the console displayed, and she could think of no way to relay the information to Egeria than simply flat out saying it.
Across what remained of the marble flooring Egeria heard her subordinate's footsteps, and heard her stop at where the Jaffa had called out to his goddess only moments ago. Whatever it was that the soldier had discovered she couldn't help but to feel it was useless now in this moment, and for that reason alone she ignored him and tried to make her final moments in existence as peaceful as they could be.
"My queen!" Aphrodite shouted as she tried to get Egeria's attention. Seeing that this had failed to get the Goa'uld queen's attention she just shouted out, "We are picking up three more vessels dropping out of hyperspace."
While she may have been trying to ignore whatever Aphrodite or anyone else around her was saying, this statement stuck within Egeria's mind. Ra's forces had to have called for reinforcements the moment she had jumped back into normal space. Those loyal to the sun god weren't about to be simply satisfied with her demise. No, they needed a complete and total destruction of her to happen before they could return to their master. The reason for their motives quickly faded away in her mind, as she realized how little they mattered.
Cut off from the rest of the scene around her, Egeria was not entirely aware of what was happening. True that her once magnificent vessel was in shambles, and true she knew about Ra's vessel and the subsequent reinforcements that had just entered the system, she still didn't know every detail about the immediate situation she was in. If she had been aware then she would have noticed that the additional three vessels were not firing on her vessel, but rather it was on Ra's ship that they focused their efforts.
"My queen!" Aphrodite shouted once again as she became aware of to whom the reinforcements were loyal. This time though there was something different in her tone. Unlike before, her voice was not full of focus, but rather held a tone of surprise in it.
Standing there and awaiting her demise, Egeria felt disconnected for a moment. With three more enemies to strike at her she knew that her demise would be swift, and she almost pulled herself away from all other concerns. When her subordinate had called out to her for a second time she didn't immediately register it, but the tone behind Aphrodite's voice demanded that she listen, and sensing the tone within that voice forced Egeria to once more open her eyes and take in the situation. She could hardly believe what was going on when she saw it.
Despite a large crease in the screen and patches of useless static, Egeria could see what was going on outside of her vessel. The other three Ha'tak were not here to defeat her, but rather to defend her. She could scarcely believe it, but instead of questioning it she simply felt grateful for it. All she knew now was that Ra's final vessel was about to be destroyed, and more than that, she was going to survive to continue in her campaign against Ra.
When the three pyramid vessels dropped out of hyperspace those aboard Ra' Ha'tak were as surprised as Egeria. They knew they had not sent for reinforcements, having believed until the last that such reinforcements would be unnecessary. Only for a moment then did they wonder as to the intent of these Ha'tak, before it suddenly came to them in the form of weapons fire.
Though Egeria's Ha'tak was now disabled, the soldiers of Ra knew that they had no chance of defeating these three fresh new Ha'tak. Shifting their weapons off of the Goa'uld queen and onto these new targets, they began to power up their sub-light engines to get themselves clear of their enemies' firing solutions.
"No, no you can't run away," Egeria whispered to herself and to her fleeing enemy. Watching them on the screen and watching them attempt a retreat she almost laughed at the notion of how moments ago she was certain death was a heartbeat away. Now that the tables had so quickly turned she reveled in the fact that Ra's plans had been completely defeated on this day.
"The allied vessels wish to know if they should pursue Ra's fleeing vessel," a Jaffa said from somewhere behind Egeria.
"Destroy them," was all the Goa'uld queen replied with, as a glow set into her eyes and her hands tightened into fists as her rage over Ra's attack consumed her.
Nearly out of harm's way, Ra' Ha'tak prepared to jump into hyperspace and leave a costly and disastrous campaign behind them. Their enemies would not allow this act to be put forth however, as wave after wave of weapons fire impacted all along Ra's vessel, causing it to shudder and fly apart with each fresh blast.
Ra's vessel was seconds away from destruction. Those aboard the vessel knew this, as did those attacking. Even Egeria knew that her enemy would not be exiting the system intact. This sentiment was obviously felt by her foe as well as, because through all the brightly glowing weapons fire and erratic movement she could just barely make out a small vessel departing from Ra's ship.
"Have the gliders intercept that cargo ship," she commanded of her soldiers. "I don't want anyone loyal to Ra make it out of this system alive!" she ordered as the full ferocity of her Goa'uld being was allowed to rise to her host's surface.
With the remainder of Egeria's death gliders moving quickly to intercept it, the cargo vessel from Ra's Ha'tak did its best to avoid becoming another victim of Egeria's on this day. Behind them the mothership that they had just fled was consumed in flames as those loyal to Egeria finally won over the might of those loyal to Ra. The destruction of Ra's final Ha'tak only made their departure all the more necessary, as they desperately tried to get clear of the planet to jump into hyperspace.
By the will of their goddess, the death gliders descended upon the small cargo vessel, intent on its complete destruction. Whoever it was that was aboard the small vessel the gliders didn't know, nor did they care to know. One fact they were aware of was how skillful the vessel's pilot was, as each of them was finding it difficult to make a successful hit.
Flying in formation, one glider boosted ahead of the others, determined to make the kill and honor his goddess. Having the cargo vessel now in his sights the pilot, Ven'ar, tapped on the fire control on the panel before him. Instantly two golden blasts of energy flew at the enemy vessel, and while one of the blasts missed, the other struck at the cargo vessel's engines, crippling it and forcing the ship to turn back towards the planet.
Followed by a trail of smoke and engine plasma, Egeria watched as the enemy cargo vessel entered Karmarik's atmosphere. Though her gliders had not been able to destroy the enemy ship, they had prevented its escape from her grasp. Thinking upon it for a moment she saw the benefit that the situation provided. If there were survivors from the ship's crash then it would provide her with someone to torture, and hopefully, someone to gain answers from.
"Have my troops on the ground search the crash site for survivors," she ordered as she turned away from the screen to gaze upon Aphrodite.
"Yes my queen," the Goa'uld subordinate responded before she added, "We are receiving a message from the lead allied Ha'tak."
After making a gesture for Aphrodite to put the message through, Egeria just stood there in wait as to who it was that had just saved her and her world from the clutches of Ra.
Upon the screen appeared a strong soldier with a familiar symbol marked upon his forehead. "My queen," he began with a slight bow. "We came as fast as could be allowed to assist with Karmarik's defense."
"Yes, and for that you will be greatly rewarded," Egeria replied with a calm assurance that told her soldier just how grateful she was for his actions.
Once the channel was closed, Egeria found herself standing in a smashed pel'tak with little else to do. With the battle now over she couldn't help but to feel useless for a second, but simply let the thrill of victory wash over her. When Ra's final vessel had been destroyed there had been such a rush of exhilaration come over her that she had hardly known what to do. She had survived this day, but she knew that many who worshipped in her name had not. It was at this moment that she knew that her place was down there, amidst the survivors on Karmarik, so that they knew and understood her power and her protection over them.
With a course of action now rooted in her mind, Egeria couldn't help but to stand there in reflection for a moment longer. Expectant gazes came from the few surviving Jaffa as they waited for their goddess' next command, and even Aphrodite seemed to have paused herself in anticipation of Egeria's next order.
"Aphrodite, follow me," the Goa'uld queen simply ordered of her subordinate. "The rest of you, I want a full damage and casualty report within the hour." Turning away from the stunned group Egeria showed that the battle's events had done nothing to diminish her cold Goa'uld demeanor. Without another word she quickly turned away from the smashed view screen, and headed for the pel'tak's exit.
Before she reached the pair of large golden doors something seized her. A very strong, very fierce pain took hold of her; causing the Goa'uld queen to stumble onto the floor.
Immediately Aphrodite rushed to her queen's side and knelt beside Egeria. On instinct, several Jaffa moved to join Aphrodite in concern over their goddess' condition, but a fierce look from Aphrodite kept them distanced. "What is it, my queen?" Aphrodite asked with concern.
"I don't know," Egeria whispered back as the mysterious pain thumped and ached across her entire body.
"You're fall," the younger Goa'uld suggested, "You must have been injured."
Logically, this suggestion made sense to Egeria. Deep down, however, she knew this wasn't the case. The pain that held her captive now was far too familiar to be caused by her fall. No, this was something that had troubled her for several weeks now; though never with such an intensity.
Before anyone could dwell on Egeria's collapse any further the pain began to subside, and Egeria slowly arose fully strengthened. For a second her eyes met that of her subordinate, and she simply replied to the concern shown in Aphrodite's eyes with a fierce gaze that caused Aphrodite to put the matter behind her. "You have your orders," Egeria simply said to the still waiting Jaffa behind her, before she exited the pel'tak and made her way to the ring room.
Down on the surface below, Egeria could hardly take in the scope of the devastation. For a moment, an image of the world where Lo'tak had perished flashed in her mind, but she quickly pushed this image away. This devastation was far worse, and in her gut she knew that far more had been lost than a handful of loyal soldiers.
Moving away from the ring platform, Egeria carefully studied the scene. All around her laid dead bodies and smoldering rubble. Ra's forces had been deadly in their assault, and Egeria knew that despite her subsequent victory above this world, so much had been lost that to consider it a defeat would be nothing short of accurate.
As her queen made her way through the rubble, Aphrodite took in the devastation for a moment, before resting her full attention upon Egeria. Her curiosity couldn't help but to wonder as to why her goddess had collapsed moments ago aboard the Ha'tak. The Goa'uld worked so hard to achieve an air of perfection, so as to instill absolute devotion in those they conquered. Aphrodite knew that to appear weak in the presence of so many Jaffa, Egeria had lost some of that perfect image that she conveyed. This loss, Aphrodite knew, would have consequences ripple throughout the ranks of Egeria's Jaffa army.
Watching her queen further, Aphrodite couldn't help but to wonder something else. There seemed to be genuine concern coming from Egeria as the Goa'uld queen surveyed the damage. This concern was something that Aphrodite found it difficult to wrap her Goa'uld mind around. When those beneath them perished, then the Goa'uld did not weep for those lost, but simply shrugged it off before turning their attention back onto other matters. The Jaffa, Tau'ri, and any other being they encountered were merely conquered souls to be used as tools in the war between System Lords. They were no different than a staff weapon or Ha'tak. For Egeria to consider them to be something more than tools caused a moment's hesitation within Aphrodite. Something had changed within her queen. Ever since learning of Lo'tak's, death something had been different about Egeria, and Aphrodite made a silent promise to herself to determine what that something was.
The sheer sight of everything around Egeria nearly made her weep in despair. She was overcome with grief at what she saw, and had Aphrodite not been standing so near then she might have let the emotions of the moment wash over her.
From underneath a pile of charred timber Egeria saw a bloodied arm sticking out. Without thinking, she rushed over and removed the timber, exposing a young boy's body. This world had been home to a legion of Jaffa, but more than that it had been inhabited by devout Tau'ri worshippers. Worshippers who had done nothing other then claim allegiance to her. This was to be their reward for such faith?
Stroking a few strands of hair away from the dead boy's face Egeria just stared in disbelief. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind she thought she heard the laughter of a few children, but with a swallow she washed such things away.
"What is it all for?" Egeria asked, both to Aphrodite and to no one in particular. "They worship, they praise, they build our vessels and fill our ranks, and what do they get? All they can ever be is lambs for the slaughter, as us Goa'uld fight amongst each other." With a tone full of emotion Egeria asked these questions, though whether that emotion was anger or sadness was unclear. "This has to end."
Instead of hearing a response from her subordinate, Egeria's ears picked up a new sound. Off in the distance came the heavy sounds of armored feet as several pairs of boots stomped their way towards her. Fixed on the image of the young boy Egeria just stayed knelt for a moment, before rising to see who it was that was approaching.
Shielding her eyes from the piercing sun as it glinted off the Jaffa armor, Egeria could make out four soldiers, led by her new First Prime Ven'ar. There was a fifth individual, a woman, being dragged in the middle of the formation, but Egeria was unable to clearly see whom it was the soldiers were bringing towards her.
When the Jaffa group approached, Ven'ar grabbed the woman by the arm and threw her into the mud before his goddess. The woman fell upon the ground without a sound, and before Egeria could ask this woman's identity the four Jaffa knelt before their goddess.
"She was found in the cargo vessel's wreckage, my queen," Ven'ar replied, still kneeling. "There were no other survivors."
Knowing that Ven'ar had been dispatched along with the glider squadron at the battle's start, Egeria could hardly believe he was standing here alive and well. Surely, if any of her soldiers would have survived the attack, it would have been Ven'ar. He was the best of her army, and reminding herself of this she was all the more assured of her decision to make him Lo'tak's replacement.
"Your service to me will be greatly rewarded," she told him as she tried to project the strong presence that she knew her Jaffa needed her to show.
Turning her attention away from the Jaffa, Egeria stared at the woman at her feet. Slowly the woman tried to get up from the ground, but she knew that to stand up too quickly would only cause her to find herself sent back down into the mud.
"Who are you?" Egeria finally demanded as her curiosity about the woman's identity bubbled to the surface.
For a moment there was silence, as the woman tried to think of the perfect response. Finally she simply said, "You will pay for this Egeria. You will perish, if it's the last thing I do."
This threat became too much for Egeria, who suddenly found her hand on the woman's ornate outfit, pulling her up from the ground and bringing them face to face. Studying the woman's appearance for a moment, a name suddenly came charging into Egeria's mind.
"Sekmet!" Egeria spat as she recognized the face of Ra's lieutenant.
"My master Ra will destroy you!" Sekmet fiercely shot back, before spitting in Egeria's face.
This action caused Egeria to throw the Goa'uld back upon the ground. For a moment as Aphrodite and the Jaffa looked on in wonder Egeria tried to decide what to do with her foe's subordinate. All around her laid the bodies of the dead, and for them she knew that retribution must be had. She vowed this as anger caused her hands to clench into fists so hard, they nearly bled.
"Bring her," was all Egeria said before turning back towards the ring platform. The tone behind Egeria's voice and the look her face showed not only startled the gathered Jaffa, but Aphrodite as well. Never before had they seen such fierce and unbridled rage come from Egeria. There seemed to be an almost dark and evil quality to the Goa'uld queen's presence; and as Ven'ar picked up Sekmet and dragged her towards the metallic rings he, as well as the rest of them, felt suddenly grateful that they were not Sekmet; and they feared what Egeria would do to the Goa'uld captive.
A/N: I'd like to apologize in taking so long before posting this chapter, but I wanted to make sure it was perfect. To make up for the delay, this chapter is extra long, extra packed with action, and (hopefully) extra enjoyable. Stay tuned, as I hope to bring more updates shortly.