Author's Note: Welcome back! Again, I own nothing but the OC's.
ILR: Thank you for your review! Don't worry, that's just her nickname (it's Latin for Night). Other than that, what did you think?
Flashback: Where am I? Why does everything look like some kind of alien planet? Oh. That's why. This is the episode where they find the people who use the Tok'Ra queen Egeria to make a drug that - okay, you know what never mind. The point is, she's going to die along with another Tok'Ra and their host. And I already know what I'm going to do...
"Can you see me?"
Yes, I can see you, ish. Who the flaming heck are you? Where is my family?
"Hello?"
Oh. Right. I didn't say that out loud.
No, you did not.
Egeria?
Yes, child.
What is going on?
We appear to have been found by one of the people you call SG-1.
Oh, well, that's not so bad. Unless - they might think you're evil.
Yes...
Nothing we can do about it now, I guess.
"Hello? Miss, can you hear me?"
"Mph," I managed, "Yeah..."
Where in the heck was I? This wasn't Earth, was it? Sure looked like it, though... Oh. (Yes, I know, I'm saying that a lot.) This was the planet of the Sodan, and that's Colonel Mitchell... Hang on! I had just been watching him and that other guy training! Why was I suddenly here in the flesh? Usually I had to fight with every ounce of strength I have to come through even a little, and sometimes even that wasn't even enough.
As I stared at them in confusion, a hazy memory surfaced: I had been watching them, after being in the truck with my family, and the Sodan man had turned on his cloaking device thingy and somehow managed to see me. He had promptly seized my arm and pulled me through, again, somehow. Guess he was suspicious. Anyhow, now what? Lying wasn't an option (mostly because I am the worst liar ever), but on the other hand I didn't want to screw anything up, so maybe I should just answer whatever questions they asked and keep silent the rest of the time. Yeah, that was the best option for the moment.
Feeling a little woozy still from whatever had just happened, I sat up and rubbed my head.
Here, let me.
I felt the discomfort fade away and relaxed a little.
Thank you, Egeria.
You are welcome, child. The Colonel is speaking to you.
"Miss, I'm Colonel Cameron Mitchell, USAF. This evil man beside me is Jolan. What's your name?"
"Caroline Montgomery." And one Egeria, first Tok'Ra. "Pleased to meet you both."
Jolan was giving me a weird look (he was probably sensing Egeria), and Colonel Mitchell looked surprised.
"Where are you from?"
"Eaton, Colorado."
Now he really looked surprised, and I struggled to contain a grin. Somehow this whole situation was really funny now, despite the danger Egeria and I could be in because it's really hard to explain who you have in your head when for most people seeing is believing. And any snake head could say they were Tok'Ra, it's not like there was a viable way anymore to tell who was speaking (the people who made it having been wiped out by this time). I guess they could try a polygraph but I'm not sure how useful that would be against a snake head. In my case it would work, I think, because I don't want to hide anything, but I am getting sidetracked.
Colonel Mitchell and Jolan were speaking softly a little ways away (Jolan was in all likelihood telling him what he sensed around me, and they were more than likely deciding to take me to Lord Haikon). At that point, a rather horrible thought struck me.
Gosh, I just realized they might try to kill us, Egeria. What do we do then?
I will not allow them to harm you, Caroline, have no fear.
I know you won't, but I don't really want to hurt any of them. I suppose it might be inevitable, though.
In which case I will do my best to be gentle with them.
"Miss Montgomery?"
"Just Caroline, please."
"All right, Caroline. We need you to come with us to meet Lord Haikon."
"Okay." I hopped up and waited for them to lead the way. They exchanged a look and started off towards wherever the village was. It was hard not to be distracted by the flora and fauna (was that a fuchsia and tuna colored bird?), I do love a good forest. My lack of concern was obviously interesting to them, they either thought I was a snake head who thought that I was going to be their god or some other such rubbish, or I was no danger to them. Whichever, I was still looking for that fuchsia and tuna colored bird - was it a bird? Or was it some kind of feathered rodent? Either way it was cool and I wanted to pet it. Probably a bad idea. Or is it?
"Caroline?"
"Mm?"
"Stay here for minute, please."
"Okay."
The Sodan village was pretty cool, I thought. Did they ever stop training? Or staring at visitors suspiciously?
I suppose they have good reason for it, but sheesh, it's kinda creepy.
Indeed. I don't much, as you would say, fancy our chances against them.
Let's pray it doesn't come to that.
"Caroline, come up here, please."
Feeling somewhat nervous, I went up the stairs to a room that had an almost Mongol/Chinese feel to it. I knew Lord Haikon on sight, but still waited to be introduced.
"So," Lord Haikon stared at me in a manner not unlike a hawk surveying a mouse. It was even creepier then the people outside, were they all born with that look or something? "You are Caroline Montgomery," he pronounced my surname carefully, "Why are you here?"
Instead of answering verbally, I just pointed at Jolan, it was his doing after all. Lord Haikon glanced at Jolan and back me, raising an eyebrow.
"He pulled me through, I don't know how. Usually all I can do is watch, trying to get any part of me through physically is almost impossible."
"You have done this before?" More glances.
"This, no. Just watching."
"Is it always here?" That would concern him.
"No. This would be the first time."
"Then who do you usually watch?"
Again, I opted to point instead of speak, this time at Colonel Mitchell.
"And before anyone gets creeped out, it's not something I have control over. When I sleep I just - end up watching him and his team."
"So this is all a dream to you?"
"No. I learned pretty quickly that this is most definitely not a dream."
Lord Haikon nodded, though I wasn't sure if he was really convinced. Jolan and Colonel Mitchel were still looking a tad suspicious, and for good reason, I suppose.
"Jolan tells me he senses the presence of a symbiote inside you, yet you are not Jaffa, I think. Who are you?"
"I am, as I said, Caroline Montgomery, and I share my body with the Tok'Ra Queen Egeria."
Well, that went over like a lead balloon...