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The negotiations around their tentative new alliance were not going well. Sam sat and listened for the most part as Thmei and Heset took verbal shots at one another, seemingly forgetting she was there for the most part. It was rude from one perspective, she was their hostess after all, but on the other, it gave her an opportunity to observe them and their companions without being noticed.
There was definitely something different about Borral, she decided. He looked ill; pale and clammy. It hadn't escaped Heset, who glanced at him every time he lifted a shaky hand and took a sip from the cup of water that he'd topped up twice already.
Shanna appeared no worse for wear, but then she was Thmei's Lo'taur and would have most likely known the fruity wine wasn't safe to consume in vast quantities. Either that, or she was used to drinking it and had built up some form of immunity.
To'ran excelled at being the loyal Lo'taur he was pretending to be. She felt his gaze on her at all times, his attentive behaviour beginning to creep her out a little. It was one thing for him to act like her devoted servant; another to have him look at her with that smug little smile that set her nerves on edge.
She was pleased her father was in the room, taking comfort in his presence even though she couldn't see him. She knew he'd be there at the smallest of signals but still wished Daniel and Teal'c were there, too. She'd feel better knowing Jack had someone to watch his back in the way she did, especially as by her count there were still two of Thmei's guards unaccounted for, and one of Heset's attendants alongside one of her guards. Though she had every confidence in Jack's abilities to investigated undetected, she was still worried about what might happen if he was caught.
The hand device she wore glowed lightly in response to anxiety and she shifted her hand to her lap before anyone could notice. It was something her father had insisted on, something Jack had agreed wholeheartedly with. While she hated that she had the ability to use the device that was capable of so much devastation, the men who cared for her were glad she had it as a form of protection. She'd rather swap it for her P90 any day of the week but knew that would take some very creative explaining to her fellow 'Goa'uld'.
"We think it is important to agree on what we all bring to this potential alliance." Heset sat demurely in her seat, staring across the table at Thmei in an open challenge before turning her smile on Ament. "Ament, perhaps you would like to start?"
"Of course." Sam inclined her head, allowing a small smirk to curl the corners of her mouth. "Though I have no ships, I have a number of planets under my control. Several feature established mining colonies, of both naquada and the raw crystals that are used to power our technology. I also have a loyal army of two hundred Jaffa throughout my domain," she continued in the synthesised voice of the Goa'uld, recalling what Anise had told her about Ament's cover story. "I have gathered much in the way intelligence on many of the System Lords. I know their weaknesses. I have loyal Jaffa working amongst the ranks of Lord Yu, Bastet and Osiris." She paused for dramatic effect, allowing her smirk to grow before she played her Ace. "When Nirrti died, I was able to procure the technology and scientific research that she left behind. I have knowledge of each of the worlds where she conducted her experiments and access to each of the labs she used to do so."
It was a risky claim to make, but one both Jacob and Anise felt secure in. There were only rumours amongst the Goa'uld that Nirrti was indeed dead, whereas the Tok'ra and SG-1 knew it was so having being there when she'd been killed.
"You have access to Nirrti's research?" Thmei's eyes flashed, her expression surprised. "And you have not before thought it pertinent to share this?"
"It is my research now," Sam said with a careless shrug. "However, I would be willing to share it, should the terms of our alliance be agreed."
"We are sure that they will be," Heset interrupted before Thmei could respond, a blinding smile aimed at Sam. "We have three ships at our disposal, five planets and an army of six hundred Jaffa." It was her turn to smirk, the corners of her lips curving upwards. "We also have knowledge of the Tau'ri, of which we believe will be of unequalled value to the other System Lords and will therefore guarantee they listen to our demands."
"Information on the Tau'ri?" Thmei demanded. "How would you come to have this, Heset? You have had no dealings with them. You have not encountered them."
"We have our sources," Heset responded haughtily. "And they tell us that the Tau'ri have information that Anubis greatly desires." She smirked and arched a challenging eyebrow. "What of you, Thmei? What do you bring to this alliance, asides from a very lacklustre wine?"
Thmei bristled, eyes narrowed, but clenched her fists instead of responding to the insult. She took a few moments to compose herself before answering, just long enough for Sam to hear her father take a step closer to the table just in case the Goa'uld planned to lash out at her foe. "We bring ships, Jaffa and technology. We bring powers the likes of which our kind thought lost to them."
"Powers?" Heset scoffed. "What kind of powers?"
"In time, we will demonstrate," Thmei said slyly, her gaze flickering to Borral.
Heset didn't seem to notice, but Sam did. She cleared her throat, wanting to calm the situation before either of the Goa'uld grew tired of the game playing. She didn't think they'd get violent, not so early into the summit, but the last thing she wanted was for one of them to flounce out and catch Jack in the act of snooping in their rooms.
"Perhaps instead of competing over what we can each bring to the alliance, we should be agreeing on what we hope to get from it," she proposed, doing her best to sound bored of their in-fighting. "There is little point discussing the matter further until we are sure our goals are aligned, after all."
"Agreed, Ament." Heset glanced at Sam, giving her a small smile, before turning her flashing eyes on Thmei. "What are your thoughts, Thmei? What do you wish to get out of an alliance?"
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The hallways of the temple were quiet but he didn't let his guard drop. There were two too many Goa'uld in the building for him to be happy, not to mention the Jaffa they'd brought with them. He'd headed to Heset's rooms first, knowing there'd only be one Jaffa there and one servant, and wanting to find out if there was any truth to Thmei's theory that Heset was involved with another Goa'uld, too.
He wasn't surprised that the door was unlocked, despite the Goa'uld having been given keys to keep their rooms secure. They were too arrogant to believe they needed to, too secure in the illusion of being true Goddesses to believe that anyone would dare challenge them.
The first room he stepped into was empty of any signs of life. He closed the door quietly behind him and stood for a moment, listening.
When there was no sound from within the connecting chambers, Jack felt able to proceed, though his hand tightened on the zat he'd convinced Jacob to let him bring. The first room was a living area, not as luxurious as the suite he shared with Sam but comfortable enough to satisfy the whims of the Goa'uld. Tor'an and Anise had done a good job in making preparations, he thought grudgingly, mentally awarding Anise with more praise than the man posing as Ament's loyal Lo'taur.
'Don't go there, Jack,' he warned himself, knowing it would be a distraction to allow his brain to wander in the direction of To'ran and the man's motivations for going along with the Tok'ra plan. Instead, he pushed the smarmy would-be snakehead out of his mind and ventured further into the rooms.
The bed chamber seemed the logical place to check first; most women, Goa'uld or not, would hide their precious belongings and those they wanted to keep secret there, he reasoned. He was willing to bet Heset was no different; she might have anticipated visitors to her living quarters during the summit but wouldn't have expected anyone other than her entourage to be permitted to her private bed chamber.
Gauzy curtains, gaudy gold fixings and furnishings. It made him roll his eyes to see it. The Goa'uld were a cliché, and in desperate need of a good interior decorator Jack thought. He had a vague memory of Daniel speculating once after one too many beers that the need for glitz and gold was something inbuilt into all Goa'uld through their symbiotes, and the memory made him smile despite the situation he found himself in.
God, but he wished Daniel and Teal'c were there. Daniel could've helped Sam navigate the trickier aspects of the Goa'uld negotiations, while it would've been reassuring to know Teal'c was around when everything inevitably went to hell in a handbasket.
He methodically checked the drawers and cabinets of the room, looking for something that didn't belong. He found one or two items he couldn't identify, one or two he didn't want to even try to guess at, but nothing that set off alarm bells. Carefully making sure that everything he touched was put back in its rightful place, he made his way out of Heset's rooms and along the stone hallways towards Thmei's.
She was the greater threat; his instincts told him that. Though Heset was the one they thought might have connections to Ba'al - and Thmei clearly thought it was still the case, too – Thmei was the one To'ran had warned them was quick to temper. She was the one who had been acting suspiciously since arriving at the temple, and who Jacob told him to watch out for.
If he could find something in her room, something that would explain what she hoped to gain from drugging the companions of her fellow Goa'uld, it might be enough to confront her and get her to force her hand.
Jack approached the door slowly, listening for any activity going on inside. There were two Jaffa who should have been guarding the room and it unnerved him when he opened the door to find no sign of either of them.
Where were they? He wondered as he began to explore the second Goa'uld's quarters. And, more importantly, what were they doing?
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So, so sorry for the delay in posting. I hope to get back into the routine of writing regularly soon. Not a real choice this time but I'm open to speculation - where are the missing servant/Jaffa from Heset's quarters, and the two Jaffa from Thmei's?