Chapter Eleven
Lining the walls were a series of small, flame-lit lanterns. By just looking at them, one might not imagine that these burning guideposts would provide enough light for anyone to see down the hallway. That assumption would be wrong. Not only did they function well enough to brighten the halls of the mighty pyramid vessel, they did so with a brilliance that allowed the gold and jewels coating the walls to shimmer in the flickering light. The end result was a sight only befitting of a true god.
In the distance a faint thump could be heard. A pattern quickly followed, as the sound grew louder and louder with its cause's approach. The dark black marble flooring seemed to resonate with this sound, as a trio of Jaffa turned the corner, and made their way down the flame-lit hallway.
These Jaffa were not alone. Leading these soldiers through the Ha'tak's inner workings was a woman that exuded both beauty and power. Flowing behind the woman was a tan shawl, matching the rest of her outfit perfectly as it portrayed her in the almighty goddess sense that the soldiers knew she possessed. Despite a lack of air flow within the Goa'uld vessel, the woman's red strands of hair bounced gently with each step, which only emphasized the natural beauty she conveyed.
The more of the vessel that this group walked by, then the less they saw in pristine condition. Having to stare down three of Ra's own Ha'tak warships had left this Ha'tak crumbling and nearly destroyed. Frantically, many Jaffa worked to repair the ship in the name of their goddess. Deep down, they realized the full extent of the damage, and the lengthy repair times before the ship would be back in proper order.
Egeria didn't care about that in this moment. Ignoring the Jaffa repair crews that paused to kneel in her presence, she continued on towards her destination. In the glow of the lanterns' flames her determination could be seen on her face. It was a determination that exuded from her being and mixed itself with the other things that echoed in each of her steps.
Ever since she had ringed back aboard her mothership, Egeria had but only one thing on her mind. After witnessing the senseless destruction on the planet's surface, she knew that someone had to pay for the sin of attacking her world. How fortunate she was that fate had given her such a person. Knowing that it was Sekhmet who led the attack on Karmarik in Ra's name made her a martyr for Egeria's anger. And Egeria would see fit that she would indeed become a martyr, as slowly as possible.
With three fresh Ha'tak vessels in orbit to provide her some protection, Egeria had decided to land her own vessel on the charred remains of the planet's surface. By landing, it would leave most of her vessel's systems inactive, and would allow the repairs to progress infinitely faster. No matter what was about to occur between her and Ra's subordinate, Egeria knew that her foremost priority had to be repairing her Ha'tak. Only with it repaired would she be able to leave Karmarik in confidence. That confidence, and a fully capable mothership, would both be invaluable assets when she began her assault on Ra's domain.
Not only did landing provide the Jaffa a chance to regroup and repair their goddess' vessel, it also gave Egeria the chance to recover. What she had seen upon visiting the smoldering village on Karmarik had profoundly disturbed her. She had borne witness to a thousand massacres on countless worlds before, and yet for some reason none of them had impacted her as greatly as this one had. It was something that Egeria couldn't quite grasp, but it was something she ultimately forced to the back of her mind.
Another thing that bothered the Goa'uld queen was the pain that continued to course through her being. The mysterious ache was something that had struck her off and on for several weeks, but since she had spoken with Osiris it had been nearly a constant. There were times when the pain attacked her with such severity, that it took what little strength she could rally to not double over.
Egeria knew that in order to keep her Jaffa's loyalties in her strong, she needed to present an image of infallibility. For her to let some physical pain, no matter how severe, take hold of her actions then surely their faith in her would begin to wane. It was a possibility that no Goa'uld wanted to consider, and it was one that Egeria especially despised as she knew how vital her army's loyalty would soon be when all out war with Ra was declared. Seeing no alternatives, she could only push the pain and all other concerns aside as she focused on her ultimate goal of the System Lord's defeat.
Approaching the room where Sekhmet was being held, a thousand questions ran through her mind. As Ra's most powerful lieutenant, Sekhmet surely held all the information that Egeria needed about Ra's domain and his tactics. More than that, she would know who had tipped the System Lord off about the plan to overthrow him. Standing before the chamber's doors, Egeria glanced over her shoulder and commanded two of the Jaffa to stand guard, while the third would enter with her. Taking a final breath and a final look at the golden device that she wore on her left hand, Egeria stepped forward.
When the doors began to slide open then something could be heard over the scraping of moving stone on the marble flooring. There was a horrible scream of pain. For a moment, Egeria didn't quite understand where the scream had come from, but as the doors moved away and revealed two figures in the room, things became much clearer for the Goa'uld queen.
Near the room's center Sekhmet kneeled upon the floor as her arms were held up and chained in opposite directions. Staring at the ground, the Goa'uld lieutenant ignored Egeria as she entered the room. Instead she just stared blankly at the floor as she deeply breathed in and out; recovering from the pain she had just been dealt.
Beside the wounded prisoner stood another Goa'uld lieutenant; Aphrodite. Held in the hand of the blonde haired subordinate was a familiar looking rod, and as she stood staring at Sekhmet's form she seemed to have her own difficulties in catching her breath. Aphrodite's breath was not lost on pain however, but upon the simple exertion of enjoying the torture of the pathetic Goa'uld at her feet.
Taking in the scene of the two Goa'uld, Egeria stood puzzled once again. Seeing Aphrodite standing there and piecing together what had surely been taking place, Egeria grew even further outraged as she approached the two.
"Aphrodite," the Goa'uld queen said in a fiery tone, "What do you think you are doing?"
For a moment Aphrodite just stood there, staring at Sekhmet and ignoring the question asked by her queen. Slowly she turned to face Egeria, leaving her gaze on the prisoner until the last. When her eyes finally met Egeria's, Aphrodite just stood there in silence as she took in her queen's face, and the reaction that it so passionately displayed.
"Answer my question," Egeria firmly said as her eyes glowed faintly in rage over finding her subordinate here.
Standing before her queen, Aphrodite decided to take another moment before answering. Wiping some sweat from her forehead as her thumb brushed away an errant strand of hair, Aphrodite simply replied with "I was merely trying to get some answers for you, my queen," before giving a slight bow.
Despite this gesture of subordination that Aphrodite showed for Egeria, the Goa'uld queen's anger was not lessened in the slightest. Aphrodite had no right to lay a hand on Sekhmet. No, that was a privilege that Egeria saw as being reserved only for her, and in seeing that privilege being abused by Aphrodite made her all the more enraged.
When Aphrodite rose from her bow, the two Goa'uld stared at each other for a moment. Egeria's eyes were full of anger, both towards Sekhmet and towards her own subordinate. The younger Goa'uld's eyes showed something much different, however. Her mood was much more subdued, and despite what she had just been doing, Aphrodite appeared as calm as any Goa'uld could be.
Seeing this in Aphrodite's eyes, Egeria ultimately decided to forgo any punishment for blatantly stepping out of bounds on this matter. Egeria knew that something should be done, whether Aphrodite's intentions were pure or not. Still, she couldn't find any point in it. Considering the fact that she had someone else only a few feet away upon which she could work out her rage, Egeria ultimately decided to push Aphrodite's insubordination aside.
"You are finished here," the Goa'uld queen told her young subordinate as her emotions began to subside. "Go and make sure the repairs are progressing smoothly." On that order Egeria merely held out her hand and moved her gaze beyond Aphrodite and rested it on her prisoner.
Placing the metallic rod in the goddess' hand, Aphrodite walked past Egeria and Ven'ar, who had stood silently watching the exchange between the two Goa'uld. She only gave him a quick look before making her way to the large golden doors. As they slid open, she couldn't help but to take one last look over her shoulder at the wounded form of Sekhmet. Whispering something to herself about the situation, Aphrodite exited the room.
With her subordinate now gone, Egeria had the chance to focus her entire attention on Sekhmet. Ra's subordinate had remained motionless as she stared at the floor, not wanting to give either Egeria or Aphrodite the pleasure of seeing her face.
Slowly, the Goa'uld queen began to circle her prisoner, moving her gaze back and forth between Sekhmet and the object she now had in her hand. Weighing it for a moment, she marveled at the raw power of this simple device. Like many other things the Goa'uld possessed, its origin remained a mystery to most. Whomever it was that had first invented such technology Egeria could only imagine, yet still feel grateful towards.
Circling Sekhmet, Egeria shifted the pain stick back and forth in her hands. Every so often the Goa'uld queen thrust it at her prisoner, feigning an attack just to see how Sekhmet would react. There was no reaction at all. No matter what Egeria did, Sekhmet refused the Goa'uld queen any of her attention. Egeria knew that her prisoner had to be sensing what was going on, yet Sekhmet showed not a sign of awareness. Not even when Egeria used the three-pronged device to brush a few strands of muddied hair did Sekhmet flinch.
This Goa'uld was clearly not going to be easy to break. While Goa'uld hardly ever showed what might be seen as a weakness, that restraint was mostly used to instill loyalty in the Jaffa that served under them. On occasion, Goa'uld were known to show the same restraint when dealing with each other, fearing that to appear vulnerable would only invite others to descend upon them and destroy them. That line of thinking wasn't as common in subordinate Goa'uld as it was in System Lords, nor was it something that they usually continued after being captured.
Yet here Sekhmet was, as resolute and strong willed as ever. Recalling a few stories that she had heard, Egeria remembered how Ra's Jaffa were rumored to excel over those commanded by any other System Lord in both strength and determination. Both of these characteristics were obviously not limited to Ra's army, but were also found in those that commanded his army. Still, Egeria knew that there was a point where everyone broke. With a wicked smile, she resolved to find that point within Sekhmet.
"Let's make this simple, Sekhmet," Egeria addressed the prisoner that kneeled before her. "I'm going to ask you a question, and you will answer it. If you do not," she paused for a moment to stare at the weapon in her hand before finishing with, "there will be consequences."
At this Egeria stopped in her movements directly behind Sekhmet, staring at the back of her head as she awaited a response. Not that she was expecting one. Though Egeria was unaware of what Aphrodite had exactly done to Sekhmet, she knew that nothing had been accomplished by her subordinate's actions. Sekhmet seemed withdrawn, appearing abused and being covered in dirt. Clearly there was more to Sekhmet's injuries then what any crash could have done, but as strong as the prisoner's will apparently was then Egeria knew that Aphrodite had done nothing but affected some superficial damage.
Giving Sekhmet another moment to say anything, Egeria simply wetted her lips before asking, "Why did you attack my world?"
At this question, a silence descended upon the room and the three individuals present remained still in wait. For another half beat of her host's heart the Goa'uld queen waited for Sekhmet to say anything in answer to this question. When she became satisfied that Sekhmet would continue to say nothing, Egeria thrust the device in her hands forward until it made contact with the back of Sekhmet's neck.
Instantly, the prisoner's head raised and she let out a scream of pain in response. There was a bright orange glow that came from Sekhmet's eyes and her mouth, reflecting the pain that was being administered to her. When Egeria moved the device away a moment later, Sekhmet crumpled back into herself as she deeply breathed in an out.
The moment Sekhmet screamed in pain, something had stirred within Egeria. There was a part of her that couldn't help but to revel in the thought that she was inflicting so much pain upon this prisoner. It was something that she hadn't felt for a long time, and as it coursed through her she couldn't help but to feel slightly overwhelmed.
Once Sekhmet had caught her breath and began to regain some composure, Egeria asked the question again. "Why did you attack my world?" This time there was more force behind her words, as Egeria felt angered by having to repeat herself.
A single jolt of pain had obviously not been enough to convince Sekhmet against remaining silent, for her response to the question remained the same. Somehow Egeria couldn't feel disappointed by this, because all it did was give her the excuse to torture the Goa'uld subordinate further.
Pressing the rod even more firmly into Sekhmet's neck, Egeria couldn't help but to let a wicked smile creep its way onto her face. Sekhmet's screams acted as more than a release for her pain. They also left the Goa'uld queen to feel empowered. Having such control over another being's life, especially another Goa'uld's life, was intoxicating. As this washed over Egeria she left the rod pressed to Sekhmet's skin, believing a more prolonged dose of pain might be more convincing. The belief proved to be correct.
Amidst the intense pain and awful screaming, Sekhmet uttered a word. At least, she tried to. Having such excruciating pain left the Goa'uld prisoner unable to do much of anything other than scream in response. Still, she focused her efforts, until she finally manage to spit out a name. "Ra!"
Hearing this name, Egeria decided to pause for a moment in Sekhmet's torture, believing that with the reprieve the Goa'uld at her feet would be able to complete her thought.
Recovering from the powerful jolts of energy that had been coursing through her, Sekhmet continued to stare at the ground as she knelt. Slowly she breathed in, allowing the oxygen and the pause to help her overcome the residual pain long enough for her to say, "It was Ra. He ordered me to attack this planet."
Taking this in, Egeria nearly laughed at the information. Of course he had ordered the attack. As her master, Ra would dictate every action that Sekhmet did, short of actually breathing. To use this fact as an answer for Egeria's question was nothing more than an attempt to stall the Goa'uld queen's efforts and give Sekhmet a brief respite from pain. It was a pathetic attempt, and Egeria saw right through it.
"Do you take me for a fool, Sekhmet?" Egeria asked as she furiously stared at the woman before her. Instead of waiting for something even more pitiful to come from her, Egeria pressed the rod against Sekhmet again. Following this she merely said, "I won't let you try to barter your way out of pain with obvious facts."
With the return of the pain stick, Sekhmet's body began to seize violently in response. The orange glow seemed to intensify for a moment, as her screams became more anguished. A Goa'uld's parasite form was not designed to handle such amounts of pain, and being so rarely on the receiving end of the torturous device only left their tolerance for pain that much more diminished.
Egeria was fully aware of just how much pain she was inflicting upon Sekhmet. Despite this knowledge, she didn't feel any pity towards her prisoner. Sekhmet had just been responsible for decimating a world of Egeria's loyal followers. Not to mention whatever other countless atrocities she was responsible for. No, Sekhmet deserved every ounce of pain she felt. It was a fate that Egeria was more than glad to deliver.
Pulling the rod away for a moment, Egeria watched on as Sekhmet's body fell slack in the chains and sweat dripped off of her face. Taking this image in, Egeria saw a glint of metal out of the corner of her eye and was suddenly reminded that the two Goa'uld were not alone in the room.
Walking around in front of Sekhmet, Egeria shifted her gaze until it rested upon the watchful presence of Ven'ar. He had barely said two words to his goddess since he had brought Ra's lieutenant before her, and his voice had remained completely silent during this moment as Sekhmet's torture was being played out in front of him.
The Goa'uld queen couldn't help but to wonder what thoughts might be running through his mind as he witnessed his goddess inflict so much pain upon an enemy. She imagined that, like her, he felt no remorse about what was being done. Looking at his face, Egeria saw only a blank sentiment to be coming from him. From what she could tell, Ven'ar thought no differently about Sekhmet, herself, or what was happening before him. Such was the way of a soldier who stood before his commander she supposed.
Even though he showed no reaction to what he witnessed, Egeria knew that fact wasn't completely true. As would-be gods, a Goa'uld's greatest challenge was ensuring that the Jaffa that served under them remained subservient. It was shows of power such as Egeria causing so much pain in her enemy that instilled this belief, and she knew that despite Ven'ar's hollow appearance, deep down his faith in Egeria and her power as a goddess was being further reinforced as he watched on.
Turning away from her First Prime, Egeria decided to try and get something more from her battered prisoner. Stepping forward, she placed the edge of the pain stick just underneath Sekhmet's chin, using the rod to prop the Goa'uld's head up.
"Why did Ra order you to attack this planet?" Egeria asked fiercely.
Slowly Sekhmet opened her eyes as she tried to get a sense of what was going on. Her host's body was beginning to give out to the pain, and she didn't know how much longer she could remain conscious before the encroaching darkness enveloped her. "I don't know," she replied softly and almost desperately.
This was an answer that Egeria didn't believe in the least. Sliding the rod down the grimy neck of Sekhmet's host, Egeria put pressure on the end upon reaching the host's collarbone. Jerking back in response to the fresh wave of pain, Sekhmet once again screamed. Only this time the scream sounded different. Instead of being full of pain it was full of desperation, of sorrow. Despite how strong she had appeared when Egeria had first entered the room, the mounting pain was beginning to affect Sekhmet. At realizing this, Egeria couldn't help but to feel as though answers were just at the tip of Sekhmet's tongue.
"You are Ra's most powerful lieutenant," Egeria began as she continued to administer pain through the metallic device in her hand, "the most trusted commander of his forces. He had to have given a reason for ordering the attack this world." With that statement Egeria withdrew the rod, giving her prisoner enough of a reprieve to answer.
Instead of providing that answer, Sekhmet decided to ask a question of her own. "Have you forgotten, Egeria?" she asked weakly "Have you forgotten what the place of a Goa'uld lieutenant in the service of a System Lord is? We are treated no differently than the Jaffa that we command in the name of our master. I am no different than him," she furthered as she gestured towards Ven'ar.
While Egeria saw some truth behind these words, she wasn't about to settle for them as an answer. Returning the rod back to Sekhmet's collarbone she pressed her questions.
"Was it a strategic campaign?" she asked as she raised her voice, letting her mounting frustration begin to show in her tone. "Was it retaliatory for my conquest of the naquadah mines I captured? What was his motive?"
As she shot these questions at the prisoner before her, Egeria kept the rod forced against Sekhmet's skin. Watching the Goa'uld before her writhe in agony, a resounding sense of gratification consumed Egeria. She was loving every scream, every sign of pain that Sekhmet was showing, so much that she found it difficult to pull the device away and pause the spectacle before her long enough to give Sekhmet the chance to reply.
Though her host's body was shutting down to save itself from further shock, Sekhmet's Goa'uld self felt as determined as ever. Struggling, she lifted herself off the ground for a moment, standing shakily before Egeria. When she found herself looking upon the Goa'uld queen she just took in a deep breath before muttering, "Go to Sokar!"
Upon hearing this insult, Egeria's rage boiled over and replaced the feelings of ecstasy that she had felt moments earlier. Consumed by this rage, she struck Sekhmet with the back of her hand, causing the weaker Goa'uld to be sent sprawling upon the dark colored floor.
Staring at Sekhmet, Egeria watched as some blood trickled from her host's mouth and pooled on the floor. Breathing in for a moment to let her rage subside, the Goa'uld queen decided to ask a different question of her prisoner; hoping that a fresh question might jostle Sekhmet's mind further. "Who was it that informed Ra that I was moving against him?"
Waiting for a reply, Egeria continued to look at Sekhmet's crumpled form. There was no indication that Sekhmet was about to give any answer, which only threatened to enrage the Goa'uld queen further. Dropping the pain stick, Egeria grabbed hold of Sekhmet's dirty and worn outfit, pulling her prisoner off the ground so that her face met that of her captor's.
"Who was it?" Egeria asked again, with further emphasis as her frustration over a lack of answers reached a critical point.
After using what little strength remained to pull herself off the ground, only to be knocked back down again, Sekhmet no longer had the energy to continue. Barely conscious, she just muttered, "You're a fool," as her head lolled forward.
Loosening her grip, Egeria stood there as Sekhmet collapsed on the floor. This last comment of hers had just cost Sekhmet her life, and as Egeria raised her left hand she was prepared to end the struggle now, if only to give herself one lasting bit of satisfaction as she crushed the life out of her greatest enemy's subordinate.
A bright orange ribbon came from Egeria's outstretched hand, bringing Sekhmet a new sensation of pain as the ribbon struck her forehead. At this, Sekhmet didn't scream. She no longer had the strength to. Instead, only a grimace and a grunt of discomfort provided any sign of reaction to Egeria's latest attack.
Watching Sekhmet's host as it reached its threshold for pain, Egeria couldn't help but to feel the slightest bit of compassion at what she saw. The Goa'uld that Sekhmet was deserved its fate, deserved to die. But in this instance Egeria didn't see herself killing a Goa'uld foe, but rather a helpless Tau'ri host. She didn't hold back in her resolve to take her prisoner's life, yet she still couldn't help but to make one last appeal.
"Beg for mercy. If you ask it of me, I'll end this Sekhmet. I'll end your suffering and your life."
To this the barely living Goa'uld couldn't help but to laugh. "Beg for mercy?" she asked in a raspy whisper. "End my life? For what, so you can revive me in your sarcophagus and start this all over again?"
At this comment Egeria stopped. Letting her arm drop by her side, she looked on confused for a moment, not quite understanding what the barely conscious form of Sekhmet had said. "What?" she asked, allowing for her confusion to be known by her enemy.
"I won't fall for it, Egeria. I won't give you the satisfaction of hearing me plead for an end when I know you intend to revive me in your sarcophagus once I am dead."
When this sunk in, Egeria began to open her mouth in response. She wouldn't be allowed to, however. It was in this moment that the ache that had pained her for so long decided to reassert itself. Not only did the body numbing pain return to the forefront, it returned with a greater severity than she had ever known. Everything else around Egeria melted away, as she stumbled onto the floor.
As his goddess fell to her knees, Ven'ar finally decided he could watch in silence no longer. "My queen!" he shouted in concern as he rushed to her side.
Egeria was only vaguely aware of her First Prime's approach. For the first time since she had encountered the mysterious pain, she was unable to push it aside. Indeed, not only was this affliction causing her host's body a great deal of pain, but also to her Goa'uld body. There was only one thing she could do now, and she knew it had been far too long since she had done it.
"Stay with her," Egeria muttered to Ven'ar. "Make sure no one comes in here until I return," she added before she stumbled her way out of the room.
All around Egeria the colors and shapes of her Ha'tak's inner workings blurred together. Her journey back to her main quarters was a wholly disorientating experience, one in which she wasn't aware of anything other than her pain and her need to return to her quarters. Luckily, neither the Jaffa repair crews nor Aphrodite were present to witness their goddess so incapacitated. Had they been, it wouldn't have mattered to Egeria. There just wasn't room in her mind for such concerns.
When she reached her main quarters, it took all that she had to merely cross the room. In all of the time since taking a host, Egeria had never felt such pain. It had taken a life of its own, leaving both her body and her host's body to be nothing but an aching shell.
Finally, she reached what she had been focusing her efforts on. She couldn't remember the last time she had used the golden healing device, though at the moment the pain was making it difficult to think of anything other than it. Leaning on the large device, Egeria pressed a symbol on it. In response the top split and slid open. Standing there, she decided to take one last breath before lying down in the jeweled sarcophagus. This device she had avoided using for nearly a month now, and she knew that absence from it had to be ended here and now.
She didn't get the chance. Instead of following this last moment by lying down inside of the golden coffin, Egeria fell where she stood. Collapsed upon the marble floor next to the sarcophagus, the mighty and majestic Goa'uld queen Egeria slipped into unconsciousness as the pain finally won over against the goddess' will.