Oblivion
Chapter 1 - Exordium
Author's note
This is the first fanfiction I've had the courage to post so please be as nice as you can.
Disclaimer:
Nothing here is mine, despite how much I wish it was.
It began like any other mission. Startled animals, strange vegetation and ruins. Lots of ruins.
As expected, Daniel wandered off to examine the collapsed buildings while the others covered his back. After a few minutes, Jack was bored of standing around doing nothing. Sure, the red plants were a nice touch, but when you've been to one planet, you've been to them all.
"So, what have we got?"
"Hmm? Oh, it's an old temple."
"Big surprise there."
The archeologist continued with an explanation that nobody asked to hear. "It's dedicated to Zeus, the Greek God of…well everything really."
Daniel pointed out the fairly modern plaque next to the crumbling ruins. "This says 'Hera, tired of Zeus' weaknesses, defeated him and took his throne'"
By now Sam was looking intrigued and Teal'c seemed to paying more attention.
"Who's this Hera then?" Jack asked, pretending to be curious.
"Zeus was well known for his affairs while his wife, Hera, was forced to endure it. Here it seems she got fed up and killed him."
"If Hera assumed control, it would make sense she ordered the temple to be destroyed." Sam reasoned.
Jack looked around the area. They were in the middle of a thick forest and, although everything was quiet, he had a bad feeling.
"What do the scans show, Carter?"
Sam examined her "doohickey" and smiled. "There's a considerable amount of naquadah in the soil, sir. There appears to be even more to the north."
"Where there's naquadah, there's company. Am I right?"
"I believe that would be an accurate statement" Teal'c said, raising his weapon.
"Kree!"
Jack sighed and put his gun on the floor. He hated it when his feelings were right.
They were completely surrounded with the wrong end of a dozen staff weapons pointed at them. Jack was annoyed that they'd been able to sneak up on the team without him noticing. The one obviously in charge gestured to the north and spoke.
"We are to follow them O'Neill."
"I kinda got that, T, but thanks anyway."
The further north they walked, the more populated it became, small towns becoming more frequent.
"I expect the people built their homes around large deposits of naquadah." Sam hissed from behind him.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Hey, any chance of a guided tour?"
The Jaffa nearest him barked something. "Kegalo!"
From the front, Teal'c translated. "He requests you do not say anything else."
They spent the next hour marching through woods and fields, towns and farms. Jack was just about ready to complain about the pace when they entered a large city. The local people pointed and stared at the foreigners but stayed well away. Their destination was a huge temple, magnificent in the morning light. The sun reflected off the white walls, making it gleam.
Daniel gasped and started babbling "It's incredible. Almost identical to the Temple of Hera in Greece"
It was pretty cool. About a hundred armed Jaffa stood guard around the building, watching SG1 with distrustful eyes.
Once inside the temple, the team was thrown roughly into a large room, full of gold and elaborate decorations, the main attraction being a vast throne
"It looks like some kind of reception area." Daniel said in awe.
He was immediately knocked down by a Jaffa. "Silence in the presence of your goddess!"
Wisely, they all kept their mouths shut. There were about 20 Jaffa in the room who had taken their weapons, leaving SG1 defenseless.
The Jaffa all fell to their knees as a woman entered the room. She was handsome but past her prime. Age aside, she still had that all too familiar arrogance in her stride.
"My lady, these four came through the Chappa'ai."
The woman sat on the throne and looked down at them. "What are you doing here?"
Daniel launched into his 'peaceful explorers' speech that had never really worked before while Jack examined the Goa'uld more closely. She had thick black hair that was streaked with grey and her hand trembled.
"Silence!" she cut Daniel off. "I know who you are. I have heard great things of you and am most glad you came here."
Her gaze fell on Sam and stayed there. The younger woman looked uneasy but held Hera's gaze defiantly. The 'god' clicked her fingers and four guards dragged Sam up to the throne.
Jack held back a shudder as Hera stroked Sam's face.
"What do you want?" the blonde spat, furiously trying to escape.
"My host is old and dying. None of the locals are suitable. They are weak, undeserving to be my vessel."
Sam nearly passed out at the implication
Jack started struggling at her words and earned a good few kicks for his troubles.
"You stay the hell away from her!"
Teal'c looked physically ill but did not turn away from the events unfolding before him.
"Take one of us instead!" Daniel's outburst came unexpectedly but lit a flame of hope within Jack's chest. If only they could stall Hera, they might be able to get out of this mess.
"Why would I want one of you?" she asked, sounding truly puzzled. "He is a shol'vah, you aren't even a warrior and his body will soon break down."
"I'm not that old," Jack protested.
"Besides, this one has information I could use. I believe you were once host to Jolinar."
Hera asked this as a question, but it was obvious she already knew the answer. A cold shiver ran down Jack's spine. When a Goa'uld took a host, they usually didn't have any information the parasite wanted. Sam knew everything about all the things Hera wanted to know.
Sam realized this a minute later. If she was implanted, Hera would use her body and knowledge to her full advantage. She would betray and kill all her friends and not be able to lift a finger to stop it.
She knew this couldn't be allowed to happen but the fear rushing throughout her body made it impossible to think.
Plans and ideas were racing through Jack's head but they all bordered on the highly improbable, requiring super strength or the Asgard to drop in at any second. They had been in worse situations before but this one seemed impossible to escape. None of them had any weapons and all of them were being restrained by at least four armed guards ready to die for their queen.
Hera took off her intricate necklace and handed it to her First Prime. She leaned closer to the panic-stricken Major so their heads were almost touching. She smiled wider, knowing and enjoying the pain she was causing all four of them.
"Watch as your goddess truly defies death."
Hot tears appeared at Sam's eyes and she blinked them away. She was too young to be possessed by a power hungry alien hell bent on galactic dominance. There were too many things she hadn't done, too much she'd left unsaid. Before she could begin to say some of these things, there was a blinding pain in the back of her neck that took her breath away and she couldn't help screaming.
She looked at her team one last time. Next time, it would be her eyes, but not her.
Then all faded to darkness.
The two women had their heads too close to see what was happening but Jack knew. Sam gave a heart wrenching scream and slumped to the floor. When she stood again and brushed away the Jaffa, it was with arrogance he had never seen. The old woman fell dead to the floor, forgotten and discarded.
Hera looked over her new body and a slow smile crept onto her face, but it was cold and hard. Sam's sky-blue eyes flashed an eerie yellow and when she spoke it was with the typical Goa'uld inflection.
"Release them"
Jack's heart leapt and when he looked at the other men, he saw similar hope in their eyes. Sam had been able to fight off the blending! Their optimism was short lived.
"Take word back to the leaders of your world. I have the combined knowledge of the Goa'uld, the Tok'ra and the Tau'ri. The end of your world is approaching and I will be the one to make it happen."
Author's Note:
Don't worry about the cliffhanger! I have already finished the 13 chapters and am working on a sequel. Please review if you want me to continue.
