Chapter 17
A few nights later when Sam was off cooing over the new baby Daniel and Jack paid their respects and best wishes and wandered off. The discussion about possible marriages was still on Daniel's mind.
"You know, Jack, I know you care about Sam. Why don't you look at this as an opportunity."
"Because she might not."
Daniel could plainly see Jack had been thinking about it.
"Too long a sacrifice..."
"Yeats, I know." Jack sighed and went on "You have to see it as a problem of rank - coercion. On simply imposing my desires on her."
"You do know she no longer jumps when you bark."
"But she still obeys."
"I know you, Jack, you'd give her a choice."
"But she might not see it as a choice but a directive."
"Maybe you confuse her."
"Me confuse her? It's the other way around."
They walked a while and before Daniel could speak Jack said what had been bothering him. "Hanson took advantage of her. I won't."
"You're not Hanson and she's not the same person, Jack. She's not that dewy eyed young lieutenant."
"She's still young enough to have it all - a family, kids and an outstanding career. I'll only be in the way."
"You keep making excuses why this shouldn't happen. Damn it Jack, don't you care about what she wants."
"She has bad taste in men."
He couldn't allow himself to be that asshole. He knew after a while unrequited feelings would fade. Unfortunately it was the "requited" occasion that plagued his dreams.
With Sara, when on mission, he was good at compartmentalizing things. On mission he tucked away his family deep in the recesses of his heart. He could focus on his 'band of brothers' and the mission objectives. In the SGC he tried to do the same but Samantha Carter was front and center on most every mission. He tried to treat her as one of the guys. He failed often. Right now he was hanging on by his fingernails.
Meanwhile Teal'c was having some questions of his own. As much as he would have liked to begin a rebellion here he feared it might backfire and ruin any plans he had to escape and find his friends. He had the respect of the older Jaffa, and he wisely showed deference to Khon'du, the First Prime of Sop'du. Khon'du still occasionally looked at Teal'c with suspicion. And he enjoyed the hero worship of the younger Jaffa. For them he was a novelty. Teal'c also did not go unnoticed by the Jaffa women. He was polite and complimented them but he showed great restraint by not indulging in what was offered.
Sop'du had been Ra's ace in the hole. He was secluded, hidden from Ra's enemies, only to be called upon in a time of desperation. However fate caught Ra unawares, he had thought nothing of the human weaklings and his arrogance brought him down. The Tau'ri destroyed him before he could even think to call for assistance. So Sop'du sat secluded for centuries waiting for the call that never came. He knew of Ra's power, the great god who ruled over the System Lords, so he followed his orders to the letter. And here he had his own little fiefdom. There was no communication with the outside. Sop'du was unaware of the war being waged against the Goa'uld and unaware of the enemy in his midst.
Teal'c learned Sop'du had one visitor of note, the goddess Hathor. She arrived with a small retinue of Jaffa, whom she kept close and did not allow to mingle with the Jaffa here. Hathor, the seductress, talked a lot yet said nothing. But she did leave a gift, she spawned. A multitude of symbiotes were provided for the future of Sop'du's Jaffa. Sop'du lent Ra's beloved a ship, an Alkesh, in return. He had so few ships but took her rather damaged one in a necessary trade. She played him for a fool and promised to return the ship and more. She promised to reprovision Sop'du's troops and enrich him in treasure and prestige in the eyes of his fellow Goa'uld all in the name of her beloved, Ra. How could he refuse?
Teal'c became aware of all this and chose to leave his fellow Jaffa in the dark and remain undercover. He had been told of O'Neill killing Hathor, hurling her into the fluids of the cryogenic chamber. Somehow she had escaped and fled the mock up of the SGC with a small contingent of Jaffa. She must have had a ship hidden on the planet. He would worry about Hathor another day, he had enough to plan for.
