LIBERTINES AND LIBERATION
CHAPTER 38 – The Striped Planet
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any Stargate characters, ideas or themes. As a matter of fact, Stargate can have my ideas if they want them (wouldn't that be great). All standard applicable disclaimers apply to this piece. I have tried to source any materials quoted in furtherance of this story.
Spoilers: Probably some for Season 10 and beyond
Summary: Vala and Daniel centered storyline adventure (hopefully); relationship (okay yes); angst (yup); comfort; etc.
Rating: R to NC-17 in some parts, with some language and sexually graphic material.
Author's Note: This is my first Stargate fiction. Thanks E, for the beta assist. This story will have multiple chapters.
Author's Note: This chaper took a while to complete! No promises, but I will try to update more quickly next time. I hope you are all still enjoying this fiction. I appreciate everyone who reads and reviews this work. Special thanks to all of the reviewers. Your reviews are appreciated. Happy Reading.
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Previously on Libertines and Liberation
Chapter 2/23
"[Daniel finds intricately carved set of hair combs Vala's dressing table.
Chapter 20 & 21
(Summary) While undercover, the Tok'ra Thellas met Aton Re Van and learned that he may have vital information concerning the whereabouts of the Tok'ra Las Pul'gas and his possible connections to the Lucian Alliance. Thellas seeks the assistance of Vala Mal Doran and SG1 in making a deal with Re Van. Thellas, Re Van and SG1 go to the planets of Onawaska and Sunnabar and discover that Las Pul'gas has indeed made connections to Slaviash of the Lucian Alliance.
Chapter 28/30
Daniel asks Vala about an unusual charm bracelet she is wearing. Vala says the bracelet belonged to her mother. Later Daniel finds an image of Vala with her mother in the Qetesh data base. Vala's mother is wearing the charm bracelet.
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Chapter 38: The Striped Planet
Daniel's Covert Operation
Daniel was in the middle of a mental sparring match with himself over invading Vala's privacy to locate the charm bracelet and combs. This is wrong he reasoned as he stopped in the hall and turned away from Vala's quarters. He headed back to his office.
Vala won't mind; we're together now. I've been alone in her room before, Daniel thought. He turned back and headed towards the residence quarters.
How do you expect to teach Vala to respect your private property, if you don't respect her privacy or her property and snoop in her quarters? Daniel asked as he turned back towards his office.
You're never going to teach her to stay out of your stuff. Has she ever improved in that regard? She's gotten into your computer, office, and now your quarters. I'm an open book for her whether I like it or not, Daniel thought and turned back towards the residence quarters again.
She doesn't know any better; and you do! Daniel turned back towards his office.
I'm doing this for Vala; she'll be much better off once we know more about her mother and these nightmares. She's avoiding it because she's frightened. It's up to me to take the initiative; Daniel turned decisively towards her quarters. He had always had an access card to open Vala's room; he'd even used it recently when he'd worked late and she'd already been asleep when he came to her room. He wasn't breaking in.
He slid the access card into the key reader at the side of Vala's door and entered the darkened room. Daniel stood there for a moment in the dark and waited until he heard the door click shut behind him. Then he turned on the light. The room was tidy, well ordered and the normal clutter on the dresser had been put away.
Daniel felt a momentary panic; he hadn't anticipated looking further than the top of Vala's dresser. It hadn't occurred to him that Vala wouldn't leave these keepsakes lying on top of her dresser. He'd have to search around to find them. He'd have to look in some of the drawers in her bureau.
Well, she thinks nothing of opening up my drawers and pulling out t shirts and boxers to wear. This is about the same thing, Daniel reasoned. Turn around is fair play he justified with his hands on the pulls of the first drawer of Vala's bureau.
If Daniel's relationship with Vala had not gone to the next level, the contents in the first bureau drawer would probably have been enough to dissuade him from searching further.
Daniel looked down at Vala's lingerie. I've seen that before, he thought with a smile, touching a lacy white bra. His hand moved some of the silky, sinful clothing out of the way and came to rest on the sheer pink camisole Vala had worn that first night they slept together in Washington. I've taken this off of her, Daniel thought as he picked up the camisole and breathed in the fresh floral scent of the lingerie.
Daniel's hand continued to probe and search the drawer. Something hard caught his attention as his hand grasped a long cylindrical item. Daniel pulled it out to take a closer look. Oh, my god! When did she get this? How did she get this? Is she still using this? Daniel read the label on the side; Rabbit. That's a hysterical name, Daniel chuckled. He was definitely going to tease her about this when she got back. On second thought, when did Vala Mal Doran ever get embarrassed about sex?
Shaking off the distracting thoughts of his newly discovered rival, Daniel dropped the Rabbit back into its silky nest and closed the drawer. The rest of the bureau yielded sweaters, pants and other clothing, but not the items sought by Daniel. Vala's bathroom and closet did not yield the treasures either.
Not knowing what to expect, Daniel hesitated at Vala's nightstand. A thick bright blue cloth bound journal met his eye when he opened the nightstand a moment later. It's possible she hollowed this out and put the items in here, Daniel justified opening the journal. The first page was blank, but the next page and many after that were full of Vala's bold, distinctive writing. Daniel read the first paragraph:
"Daniel journals about all his experiences; I always thought it was another way he hides from real life, but now I understand it. My memories have just been restored and I have no idea if they are all intact; I may never know if I'm missing anything. So today I will start to record my life; and if I lose my memory again, this will be my record."
Daniel's eyes widened as he realized; Vala keeps a journal now and she didn't tell me about it. He put the journal back in the drawer and closed it feeling guilty about uncovering this privacy that Vala had not chosen to share. He'd wait for her to tell him her thoughts; he didn't want them like this.
Daniel let out a frustrated sigh and arose defeated; the bracelet and the combs must be with her. There was something familiar about the charm on that bracelet. Now that his mind was focused on the mystery, he really wanted to see that little woman holding the snakes again.
The toe of Daniel's boot kicked something hard as he stepped a little closer to smooth out the comforter on Vala's bed. If the wooden box underneath the bed had been any further back, Daniel's boot would have missed it entirely. He reached under the bed and pulled out a jewelry box made from an exotic blond wood that he didn't recognize.
Necklaces and bracelets, some of them sized to fit a child, were secured inside the lid of the box and straightened into a display as Daniel lifted the hinged lid. Other trinkets lay in a tray in the box. He pushed the jewelry secured to the lid aside exposing an engraved plate on the lid that read, "Daddy loves his Vala."
These things are gifts from Jaycek when Vala was a child, Daniel thought. Jaycek must have made sure Vala got this stuff back after she was freed from Qetesh! For all of Vala's harsh words about Jaycek, she had sentimentally kept the little treasures he had brought her as a child.
Daniel lifted up the top tray and exposed the contents in the bottom of the box. The photograph of Vala and her mother that Daniel had copied from the Qetesh files lay on top of this layer in the box. He picked it up and looked at the image of the beautiful woman and her child. Another photograph lay below the first. Looking at it, Daniel was greeted by his own visage in what could only be described as a look of intense concentration. Daniel smiled, Vala must have taken the picture on one of their missions; he often asked her to operate the camera. Under the photographs, Daniel noticed a pair of his glasses. This is the pair of glasses I threw away after Vala sat on them. She must have rescued them from the bin, Daniel warmed at this discovery of Vala's early regard for him. Beside the glasses, he found the hair combs and the charm bracelet with the little woman holding the snakes. Daniel took the bracelet and combs and put the box back under the bed. Then he straightened the comforter, turned the lights out and left.
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Identifying Snakes
Daniel laid out Vala's things on a black background. This was really his first chance to examine the charm bracelet and the little woman holding the snakes on the main charm. The last time he'd seen it was on Vala's wrist the night he'd taken her to eat at Namaste. His inspection of the charm had been in the dim lighting of the Indian restaurant. He'd meant to ask Vala to bring the bracelet to him, but there had always been distractions or some crisis that got in the way.
Daniel used his digital SLR camera to photograph the heirlooms from all angles. He tried a variety of techniques to bring out the details on the charm including shooting through a white paper cone to avoid the glare of light reflecting off the gold.
When he was satisfied, Daniel loaded all the pictures on his computer, reviewed them and printed out the shots with the best detail.
Daniel adjusted his glasses and inspected the photos for details of the main charm. The little woman on the charm wore a long multi layered skirt that was cinched tightly at the waist with a corset-like garment that dropped a short apron over the front of the skirt. Her fitted blouse covered her shoulders and upper arms, but left her breasts completely exposed. She held her arms up, spread out and away from her body clasping a snake in either hand. A headdress with a bird perched in the middle rested on her head.
Daniel had definitely seen this figure before! And of all the goddesses of mythology, this one was shrouded by the mists of time in the most mystery. The little charm was a Minoan Snake Goddess. The Minoan culture was Europe's oldest civilization flourishing over 4000 years ago on the island of Crete. Then the Minoans suddenly disappeared.
The Minoan Snake Goddess symbolized the superhuman power of the gods. She held all wisdom and knowledge. She had the power of youth and immortality as well as the power of rebirth, resurrection and renewal of life.
Daniel sighed at the task that lay ahead; this wasn't going to be easy. From an archeological stand point, Crete's ancient history was a challenge to study. Besides the multiple theories about how and why the Minoans disappeared, there were a number of intervening and invading cultures that obscured the record of the culture. If those obstacles did not provide challenge enough, there had been an overzealous archeologist whose restoration of an important Minoan Palace may have taken liberties filling in the blanks of the Minoan culture obscuring the historic record further.
Daniel's mind finally wound down to the central question, how did this ancient Minoan Snake Goddess find her way onto Vala's wrist on an alien planet?
In Daniel's expert opinion, any investigation should start by determining whether a Goa'uld had assumed the identity of the Minoan Snake Goddess. Perhaps the Minoans disappeared from Earth when the Goa'uld kidnapped them to an alien planet.
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Gaslight
Jack entered the purple paisley palace, or the palace for short, his nickname for the main bridge of Vala's Stingray shaped spacecraft, Sonny. Jack was finally dressed comfortably in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Vala was running some diagnostics and inventories on the ship's systems and supplies.
"Hey Vala, not that I mind, but if you're going to eat my pie, can you at least ask," Jack looked at her pointedly.
"Jack, I know you made that pie, but I thought it tasted strange. I told you that stuff Ruz put in the galley wasn't butter, but you didn't listen did you? I didn't eat your pie. You must have eaten it." Vala nodded firmly.
"No! I would remember eating that pie; I specifically saved some to have this evening," Jack looked at her pointedly.
"Look, this is the third time you've accused me of eating food you saved, Jack," Vala looked slightly annoyed but more amused. "I think you're getting to be like that Captain Queeg looking for his missing strawberries in that movie Cameron made me watch."
"The Caine Mutiny?"
"Yes, that was it," Vala smiled.
"Vala, if you're that hungry just have my damn pie, but don't pretend that I'm a Captain Queeg," Jack told her with a sigh.
"You're Captain Flapjack, not Captain Queeg," Vala smirked.
"Lady, you don't exactly have the best reputation when it comes to respecting someone else's dessert."
"I've reformed," Vala nodded. "Ask anyone."
"You know I admire your confidence in your powers of persuasion, but if I didn't eat it, then you're not only the prime suspect, you're the only suspect."
"Jack, I didn't eat your nasty pie, but just to shut you up, I'll make you some cake for dessert," Vala told him.
"Vala, you know you can't cook."
"Jack, that's not true! Do you want cake or not?"
"Well it's not pie, but fine," Jack told her as he went to check the diagnostics.
Vala wasn't going to be wrongfully accused; she would rig a security camera for the galley refrigeration units. This time her dessert would be apportioned and monitored!
"Okay," Jack said looking up from the readouts. "I think it's safe to say that we're not being followed, monitored or tagged for trace. Time to head home where I can get some real pie," Jack told her.
"I still think we should pick up a crew person," Vala countered.
"So you keep saying," Jack rolled his eyes. "I think it's a mistake. Besides if we head to the Alpha site now, we'll be there before SG1; we can at least get some blue Jell-O."
"Look, I know a guy that might be perfect on Nerutas that's only a day away; how about if we check it out and at least see if we can pick up any more intelligence," Vala asked. "If you don't like my friend, we lose nothing. They have good pie on Nerutas."
"There's great pie at home." Jack rolled his eyes, "Sure, why not, I got nothing but time."
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Asserting Independence
Daniel knocked on the door of General Landry's office. With the exception of a few more plants, the office hadn't changed very much since the first day Daniel had arrived at the SGC. It still contained the Plexiglas Stargate trajectory map that provided the commander of the SGC a view of the briefing room; it still had most of the same furniture with the exception of the beloved chair that General Hammond and General O' Neill both coveted. General Hammond had taken the chair with him to Washington. Daniel smiled and shook his head thinking about all the whining Jack had done about his uncomfortable new office chair.
"Dr. Jackson, what can I do for you," General Landry greeted.
"I understand that Thellas is due at the SGC in a couple of days," Daniel began.
"Yes, the Tok'ra have some questions regarding our role in discovering the kassa tainted tretonin on Ishta's world," General Landry explained. "Colonel Carter and Dr. Lam will be briefing the Tok'ra on their field notes tomorrow."
"General, I'd like an opportunity to speak to Thellas," Daniel said.
"Why?"
"I'd like to ask him to access his Goa'uld genetic memories," Daniel explained.
General Landry looked at him with interest. The Tok'ra were an obstinate group, and he didn't like asking them for favors. "Which mission does this concern?"
"I guess you could say the Quotan mission, but I'm not sure yet. I've discovered a link between a very old Earth culture, the Minoans and an as yet unidentified alien planet," Daniel started to explain.
"What kind of a link," General Landry asked.
"Qetesh's data files from Quotan contained information indicating that she had been searching for the Clava Thessara Infinitas for three hundred years sir," Daniel began his explanation with his process of discovery.
This is one of Dr. Jackson's long winded explanations and I don't have time today, Landry thought.
"I am aware Dr. Jackson," General Landry nodded.
"Well there were other files in the same data base that indicated Qetesh had been searching for a host by a process of elimination," Daniel continued.
"That's unusual isn't it, Dr. Jackson?"
"Well, I've seen Apophis try to breed a Harcesus child, a human child with the genetic Goa'uld memory; and I've seen Goa'uld's implant a symbiote as a means of extracting knowledge from a particular individual. But, I've never seen a Goa'uld search for a host by tracking a group of human children," Daniel said.
"So what do we know about this host search," General Landry looked at Daniel with interest.
Daniel took a deep breath, "Qetesh started with a group of dark haired babies and followed them through their childhood. Based on the files, we know that Qetesh regularly narrowed the group by ruling out some of the children as candidates. Sir, Vala was among the group of children Qetesh was focused on, and ultimately Vala was Qetesh's choice for her host."
Hank Landry's face registered surprise at this revelation. "Dr. Jackson, why am I only hearing about this now," Landry told him concerned that the information had not found its way to him before this.
Daniel looked a little sheepish, "Sir, we've had quite a lot going on, and I still don't know if Qetesh's search for a host is relevant to any of our mission research parameters."
"Vala is under my command, and it's certainly something I would have appreciated knowing about sooner, Dr. Jackson." Hank Landry had a soft spot for Vala in spite of her occasional annoying behavior. "Do you know what criteria Qetesh was using for her host search?"
"Not exactly, sir; we know she started off with a large group of dark haired babies, narrowed the group when they were toddlers and narrowed it again when the children were approximately seven. We also know that Vala was taken as a host when she was sixteen. Qetesh's notations indicate an interest in each child's parentage and any regular travel that the little girls did during breaks from schooling, especially in summer months."
"And what about Vala's travel patterns, Dr. Jackson?"
"The notes indicate that information on Vala's travel was sketchy. My guess is that Jaycek had something to do with the lack of information in that regard."
General Landry nodded, "I'm sure; what do you expect to learn from the Tok'ra, Dr. Jackson? Do you intend to ask them about the Clava Thessara Infinitas?"
Daniel stuck his hands in his pockets, and rocked back on his feet, "Well that's not a bad idea, but I was actually hoping to ask them about information on the Minoan Snake Goddess."
General Landry sighed inwardly. Dr. Jackson was a brilliant man, but he wished the man would cut to the chase. "Why do you need to know about the Minoan Snake Goddess?"
"Sir, the picture of Vala when she was seven, also includes an image of her mother wearing a charm bracelet," Daniel began.
"Uh, huh," General Landry said tiring of the archeologist's failure to get to the point.
Daniel sensed the General's impatience and sped up his explanation, "Sir, I've seen that bracelet on Vala."
"Well that's hardly exciting Dr. Jackson, her mother gave Vala the charm bracelet."
"The thing is sir, I've recently inspected the bracelet, and it contains a charm depicting the Minoan Snake Goddess."
"Dr. Jackson, is there a point here?" General Landry gestured with his hands for Daniel to get to that point now.
"Yes sir, the thing is that the bracelet should really be in a museum; it's an antiquity. In fact, when I saw the piece, I suspected that Vala had stolen it," Daniel continued a bit embarrassed to admit he suspected Vala. "Then I saw it in the Qetesh research data on the little girls. Vala's mother had the bracelet on in the image of Vala at age seven."
Landry ran a hand over his face. "So this research is personal?"
"Yes. No. Yes. Sir, I can't deny that there is a personal element. I think it will be good for Vala to know about her mother. She doesn't remember much of her childhood. But, I also think we need to know how a Minoan Snake Goddess ended up on an alien planet on the wrist of Vala's mother. I think we need to know if any of this stuff is related to the Clava Thessara Infinitas. And if it isn't related, then I'd like to know why Qetesh targeted those little girls."
"Well we've seen Goa'uld pose as gods and goddesses from Earth mythology, or more accurately, we've seen Earth mythology based upon Goa'ulds acting as gods," General Landry said.
"Both explanations have proven accurate, sir. And yes we have seen that," Daniel agreed.
"So, Qetesh was associated with another Goa'uld who identified as the Minoan Snake Goddess; what's the big mystery," General Landry asked.
"Sir, Vala was taken as a host by Qetesh, a Sumerian goddess of beauty symbolized by lions. Vala was likely still living with her parents at the time; and that seems to point to Qetesh's dominance on Vala's home world. If Qetesh was the dominant Goa'uld, why would Vala's mother have a charm depicting another goddess? Goa'ulds would not willingly share the spoils and resources of their territories. And, Qetesh certainly wouldn't allow images of another Goa'uld to be revered within her territory. I haven't seen any evidence that Qetesh had an association of any kind, including a war, with a snake goddess. Something doesn't make sense."
"I see," General Landry told him.
"I'd like the Tok'ra to access their Goa'uld genetic memory and see what we can find about this Minoan Snake Goddess."
"Well I don't have a problem with that, but I don't want to devote a lot of SGC resources until we see what we can learn about it from Vala herself," General Landry told him.
"Sir, Vala really doesn't remember much, and she's especially sketchy when it comes to her mother," Daniel told him again. "I'll keep in mind the limited base resources, but I've already started researching the Minoan Snake Goddess in the Asgard database as well as reviewing the data we've amassed on the Ancients and Alterans."
"Dr. Jackson, I'm going to allow you some leeway here, but remember we have the IOA breathing down our necks on both the budget and personnel," General Landry told him.
"Yes sir, I am aware of that. So I was thinking that any staff time and other expenses I incur could be apportioned to the funds earmarked for the archeology department under Vala's new agreement with the White House," Daniel said quietly hoping General Landry would not bristle at the idea and see it as Daniel countermanding him.
Landry looked Daniel directly in the eyes, "Well Dr. Jackson, those funds have not come down the pipeline quite yet have they?"
"Not yet sir, but I was hoping that you and I could be flexible; I'm certainly hoping to administer the autonomous funds of the archeology department with an eye to cooperation with the SGC. I think flexibility serves everyone in the end," Daniel told him. "Sir, if we work together, these funds can be a win-win for the SGC don't you think?"
"Yes, Dr. Jackson, I certainly hope that to be the case," General Landry agreed. Dr. Jackson had essentially just gently told him he was researching the Minoan Snake Goddess whether Landry wanted him to or not. Vala's agreement with the president provided autonomous funds to Jackson's research and effectively destroyed Landry's power to reign in the enthusiasms of the archeologist. Any influence to guide Dr. Jackson now rested solely on Landry's personal relationship with the man. Landry hoped that Dr. Jackson wasn't going to turn into a big thorn in the side.
"Dr. Jackson, just keep in mind that the SGC does not exist to research Vala's past, understood?"
"Sir, the Minoan Snake Goddess was the progenitor of the belief system throughout the Aegean region where the snake held strong significance.
Scores of later gods and goddesses of other cultures adopted the snake as a symbol. The snake was a protective symbol on the shield of Athena; Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine and healing is depicted with a snake because the Minoan Snake Goddess is said to hold the knowledge of herbs giving immortality and regeneration. The Egyptian goddess, Kebechet was the protector of Pharaohs after death and adopted the snake as her symbol," Daniel told him enthusiastically.
"And your point is Dr. Jackson," General Landry asked now only wanting to end the conversation.
"Sir my point is that if that myth sprang from an alien influence on earth, then it is in our best interest to learn as much about it as possible. Who knows what it could lead us to; we've certainly been led to some far reaching discoveries over the last ten years on far less information."
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Remote Control a Go Go
Jack looked out the portal at the oddly striated planet that seemed to have perfect stripes of brown and green land masses intermixed with perfect stripes of bright blue water.
"What the hell, Vala?"
"Ah, this planet used to be a lab of sorts for Nerus," Vala clenched her jaw in anger at the gluttonous Goa'uld who lied to the SGC and had nearly cost her life at the Ori beachhead. "He did some sort of terra forming experiment that went a bit wonky."
"Well what was he trying to prove that horizontal stripes make a planet look fat?"
"I think he was trying to create efficient hatcheries for Goa'uld larva to increase the Goa'uld population."
"Does that mean we're going to have to be looking out for stray snakes looking for a head to call home?"
"Oh I don't think so the former human slaves on this planet hunted them all out of the water with great efficiency," Vala told him.
"Too bad, I think the Jaffa High Council could have used the larva as symbiotes while they ramp up the tretonin production to meet all the new demand of freed Jaffa."
"I'm not sure Nerus' larva would have worked as symbiotes. From what I know, Nerus was experimenting on larva here."
"I hate those snakes," Jack said.
"Try being a host to one," Vala said one upping Jack.
"Almost had the pleasure," Jack told her.
Vala gave him a puzzling look, "I didn't know."
"Yeah, Hathor stuck one in my head trying to get some SGC information. But junior never had a chance to meld. A Tok'ra had infiltrated Hathor's operation. She stuck me in cryogenic stasis and froze junior out. Of course before that the same Tok'ra probed my memory with the rest of Hathor's minions."
"Those Tok'ra, always so helpful," Vala said through gritted teeth.
"Yeah, they're a mixed bag, but that Tok'ra saved me." Jack raised an eyebrow, "I take it there's no love lost between you and the Tok'ra."
"Oh no, I'm grateful for their help; I just wished they'd collected Qetesh a little quicker, perhaps before her human slaves tortured me for days; that would have been good," Vala said.
"Well that sucks; but you know things come up," Jack quipped.
Vala grinned, "Right."
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After a test run, Jack and Vala were satisfied that they could both get back to the ship using the remote controls activation device from the planet's ring platform. They changed into their leathers and headed down to Nerutas.
Jack looked around the strip of land. It was about as wide as a football field. On either side of the land strip was blue ocean water. Little bridges, similar to the bridges over the canals in Venice, peppered the waterways.
"Alright Vala lead the way," Jack ordered.
Vala grinned at Jack's bossiness and said nothing. "Tarsoot's a great guy, very good in a tight situation."
"So I guess we find him under space pirates for hire in the local yellow pages," Jack joked.
Vala's eyes furrowed in irritation, "More references to Earth culture that I don't understand."
"Clearly," Jack smiled. "Lead the way dear."
"How would you like it if I was always making references to alien planets that you didn't understand," Vala huffed.
"Uh, kinda why we're out here doing all this Vala," Jack smirked at her.
"Right," Vala nodded. They were on a narrow path about a mile from the ring platform when Vala pointed to a little shop that looked like it sold dried fish.
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The Tok'ra
"Daniel," Sam said as she knocked lightly and escorted Thellas into Daniel's lab. Daniel had not seen Thellas since the mission to Sunnabar where he had learned that he was one of the Tok'ra who participated in removing Qetesh from Vala.
"Dr. Jackson, it is good to see you again," the deep voice of the Goa'uld symbiote Thellas boomed.
"Hello Thellas thank you for coming," Daniel said.
"Our presence was required on another matter so it was no problem to honor the request," Thellas said. "Samantha tells me you wish to access my Goa'uld genetic memories."
"Yes," Daniel nodded.
"Dr. Jackson, the Tok'ra stopped mating with other Goa'uld nearly 2000 years ago. We have Goa'uld converts from time to time, but there will be gaps in my genetic memory, you understand," Thellas said.
"Yes, but those gaps would concern more recent history correct," Daniel asked.
"That is correct," Thellas told him.
"Well that won't be a problem then, I'm looking for your memories of a goddess that appeared in an Earth culture 4000 years ago," Daniel stated.
"This goddess is known as the Minoan Snake Goddess." Daniel handed Thellas a picture of the Minoan Snake Goddess and ran down the information he had for Thellas. "Can you tell me if you recognize her as a Goa'uld?"
"Does this goddess have a name," Thellas asked.
"I was hoping you could tell me that," Daniel said.
"Any other information that you have will be helpful in pinpointing events in my memory, Dr. Jackson," Thellas told him.
"Well one possibility is that she is called Ariadne, Mistress of the Labyrinth," Daniel told him. "Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos of Crete. King Minos built a labyrinth or maze under his palace to imprison a Minotaur, the creature born of King Minos' wife mating with a bull."
Daniel paused to see if Thellas recognized any part of the story, but Thellas remained silent.
Sam raised an eyebrow at the pair. "We saw evidence of a Minoan culture adopted on P3X 797, the land of light and dark," Sam recalled with a shiver the illness SG1 brought back from that planet; it had swept through the SGC personnel leaving them acting like primitive cavemen.
"Yes, I thought of that, there was evidence of the worship of the bull, which was another important symbol to the Minoans, but there was no sign of the Minoan Snake Goddess on P3X 797," Daniel explained.
"Yes, Dr. Jackson is correct. I know that planet," Thellas said. The Goa'uld in question was a scientist focused on germ warfare. He released a disease that caused humans to regress. He died at the hands of the system lords, before he found a cure for his germ. I do not recall that Goa'uld having any association with snakes, only the bull."
"So we can rule out the Goa'uld associated with P3X 797," Daniel concluded.
"Yes," Thellas confirmed.
"Alright, the legend has it that the Minoan Minotaur was fed human sacrifices. The sons and daughters of nearby countries were tithed to Minos and taught the bull dance, an acrobatic ritual dance designed to select the human sacrifices for the Minotaur. Ariadne fell in love with Theseus, a captive prince and master of the bull dance. Ariadne gave Theseus a thread that he tied to the entrance of the labyrinth so that he could navigate the maze in order to kill the Minotaur and free the bull dancers. Ariadne's thread enabled Theseus to find his way out of the Labyrinth."
Daniel paused once again, but Thellas shook his head indicating that nothing sounded familiar to him yet.
"So, Theseus killed the Minotaur, after encountering a crone who imparted wisdom or knowledge. He followed Ariadne's thread back out of the Labyrinth. Minos was destroyed and Theseus returned home. The journey through the Labyrinth is said to yield great wisdom for those who have Ariadne's thread to find their way back out – a journey from dark to light, through great adversity. It seems to me to be a strange fit for a Goa'uld," Daniel opined.
Thellas was quiet for some time and then said, "I know of no Goa'uld associated with this image."
Daniel was silent for a moment and then said, "I suppose there would be no point in telling you that if you think of anything let me know."
"No, Dr. Jackson that is not how the Goa'uld genetic memory works. There is no forgetting in this instance. I do not have the memory; it does not exist," Thellas said definitively.
"What can you tell me about the Clava Thessara Infinitas," Daniel finally asked.
Thellas shook his head, "There are not many Goa'uld who believe that the Key to Infinite Treasure exists. The Tok'ra investigated it a millennia ago and determined it was a myth. I understand that Qetesh claimed to have found that key," Thellas smiled.
"How did you determine it was merely myth," Sam asked.
"All clues were dead ends," Thellas said simply. "Qetesh ended her days in the custody of the Tok'ra. If she had found the Clava Thessara Infinitas, we would know about it. I'm sorry we were not of more assistance."
"No, you have helped. Thank you," Daniel said distractedly.
Sam restrained her curiosity about Daniel's inquiries and escorted Thellas back to the Stargate.
Alright Daniel thought this goddess was not a Goa'uld. I'll have to keep researching. There must be some background or clue of the origins of this little Minoan Snake Goddess, Daniel thought. He was determined to dig up the clues to how the little goddess from Earth made it to Vala's planet.
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The Black Rage of Tarsoot
Tarsoot was in the back of his fish shop dressed in the traditional orange and white striped, shiny knickers of the Nerutas fishmonger. His once pale skin and blond good looks were rough, ruddy and red from exposure to sun, wind and salt water. Normally he wouldn't notice such things, but the local bar maid, who had been only too receptive to his advances in past seasons, had rejected him saying his hands smelled unpleasantly of fish. He was busily applying an old fisherman's remedy to remove the stink of fish. Every scrub of the brush over his fingernails was scraping away the control he maintained over the frustration rumbling in his soul.
Tarsoot perked up at the sound of the bell on the door of his dried fish shop; it only rang a few times a day. Selling dried fish on a planet where the water and fishing was right outside most people's front door had been a bad idea. When he opened the shop, he figured that he would have a trade in people not wishing to clean and dry their own fish as well as a trade selling dried fish to those that didn't fish at all. But it turned out that everyone in Nerutas fished and it wasn't that hard to hang a fish out to dry.
"Good eats to you my friends," Tarsoot gave the traditional greeting of Nerutas. He looked up to see a familiar face that melted the business-like smile off his face.
You! You stole my ship!"
"You stole it from me first," Vala countered, secretly taken aback by Tarsoot's hostility.
"Doesn't matter; I put a lot of work into that ship and you left me high and dry on this planet of fish," Tarsoot raged.
"Excuse me, but isn't this home for you? And, I may have left you high Tarsoot, but you're selling fish, how dry can you really be? This is no way to behave; I have brought a new friend, this is Joaquin here," Vala pointed with her thumb.
"I want my ship!"
"My ship Tarsoot, and that ship is gone, the Lucian Alliance destroyed it," Vala shrugged.
"You expect me to believe that, how did you get here if not in my ship," Tarsoot asked suspiciously.
"The stone circle from which all fish swim, of course," Vala lied.
"The circle is broken," Tarsoot countered quickly bringing out a zat ni'katel and stunning Jack and Vala.
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Hours Later . . .
Jack felt pins and needles in his arms and legs; his head was fuzzy and he was lying on a really, really cold stone floor that had about three inches of icy water on it.
"Ow," Jack said mostly to himself as he picked himself up off the floor and rubbed the side of his face that had been lying in the water. His teeth chattered uncontrollably; he was freezing.
Okay, Okay, he thought to himself piecing events together in his mind. He had been stunned by Vala's so called friend. Now he was locked up in some cell. Vala was nowhere in site.
"Hello," Jack called. "Vala?" There was no reply in answer. Jack looked around the cell where he was being held. There was a strong stench of fish; he suspected that he was in the basement of the fish shop.
Jack focused on getting his teeth to stop chattering. Ten minutes later, Tarsoot walked into the cell area dragging Vala by the scruff of the neck. She looked a bit roughed up, but generally unharmed.
Tarsoot looked menacingly at Joaquin, "Vala has been most unresponsive when I asked her how these devices that I took from you work." Tarsoot held up a remote ring device.
"Ah, well she can be pretty damned annoying I find," Jack gave Vala a look that said "I told you so," which Vala responded to by punching him in the arm.
"Well you're with her I figure you might be interested in keeping her in one piece," Tarsoot said. "So Joaquin tell me how these things work, and toot suite it, because there are a few folks who'd be quite interested in finding Vala."
"Look Tarsoot, why would I come see you if I had a ship knowing how you feel about me," Vala asked.
"Someone dropped us off, and they'll be picking us up," Jack said. "Big crew, lots of weapons, I wouldn't mess with them, Tarsoot. And, Vala means nothing to me; I only came for the pie."
Tarsoot looked as Jack suspiciously, "What is pie?"
"You know, tasty pastry with a fruity filling," Jack was using his hand in a jerky motion for emphasis.
"I have never heard of pie," Tarsoot said looking at Jack more closely.
"Good pie in Nerutas she said," Jack gave Vala a snarky look.
"I may have been mistaken about that," Vala said with a small grin.
"You are unwise to take my threat lightly," Tarsoot snorted. "I made some new friends when you stranded me here Vala. I've been tending some of their special projects hoping for a way off this planet, but you might just provide a quicker way."
"I thought you were selling dried fish," Jack told him.
"That's just a sideline to make some food money for myself," Tarsoot explained.
"Why not just eat the dried fish," Vala asked.
"I do eat the dried fish; I'm sick of dried fish," Tarsoot said. "So I sell the dried fish to buy other food."
"What's on the menu," Jack asked.
"Mostly other kinds of dried fish not available in my strip of water," Tarsoot explained. "That is why I must trade you for passage out of here."
"Maybe we could get you out of here," Vala offered.
"Oh, do you think our boss would like that," Jack warned.
"Where are these other interested parties," Vala asked starting to get a bit worried.
"They were off world; we're waiting for them," Tarsoot explained.
A door opened somewhere above them and the sound of boots scraping on hard stone could be heard.
"That was quick," Jack said.
"We've been here for hours," Vala informed Jack. "Tarsoot zatted you at least four different times when you started to wake up."
"Well, I'm glad he stopped doing that," Jack said blandly as he dragged a hand across his face.
"That will be them," Tarsoot smiled at Vala. "Oh, they'll be happy to see you after that little stunt with the Odyssey. You should have minded your own business."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Tarsoot," Vala lied.
Vala was worried that her miscalculation about Tarsoot was going to get Jack killed. She felt a cold fear in her gut. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c would never forgive her. Why hadn't she listened to Jack and just gone home. Her breath started to hitch, but Jack put a steadying hand on her back and she was able to cover her momentary panic.
"Tarsoot," a booming, familiar voice called out from another room.
Tarsoot left the cell. Jack and Vala strained to listen.
"How goes the tending of my kin," the booming voice asked
"Fine Las Pul'gas, though we have lost a few," Tarsoot said
"How many have you lost?"
"Less than ten percent," Tarsoot said nervously and then bragged, "It is an exemplary loss rate. Your alterations appear to make the larva hardier, more aggressive and eager to be primtahs. I have had difficulty in preventing them from jumping too early."
"See that you lose no more," Las Pul'gas said.
"Another week and they'll be primtahs ready for incubation in Jaffa," Tarsoot told him.
"How would you know that," Las Pul'gas looked at Tarsoot with disdain. "You are not Jaffa."
"Under Nerus, I assisted Baal's Jaffa in tending larval Goa'uld." Tarsoot ventured another timid observation, "You understand that the Jaffa who incubate your altered primtahs are unlikely to survive."
"Yes I am aware, my efforts to solve that problem have not been fruitful; it cannot be helped," Las Pul'gas said dismissing Tarsoot's concern.
"So your Tok'ra brethren have not," Tarsoot began.
"That is none of your concern," Las Pul'gas told him coldly.
Vala and Jack could hear everything being said in the other room between Tarsoot and Las Pul'gas.
"Did you know Tarsoot and Las Pul'gas were connected, Vala?" Jack whispered the question and gave her a raised eyebrow that seemed to say that she had a way of attracting trouble.
"No, but it proves that there are only 93 people in the universe and they just keep moving them around! Look, Tarsoot only said that he was from Nerutas . . . and that it might have some interesting technology to exploit." Vala was shocked to learn that Tarsoot was a tender of larval Goa'uld.
Jack and Vala continued listening to the conversation in the other room.
"Do we have enough candidates to act as Jaffa and incubate my primtahs," Las Pul'gas asked looking at Tarsoot as if he too was a possible candidate.
"If the Jaffa will not survive, our selections must be made with care so as not to raise suspicions. As of yesterday, I picked up two more Jaffa candidates," Tarsoot offered nervously.
"You will be quite interested in one of them, Slaviash, it is Vala Mal Doran," Tarsoot continued.
"Oh, that does not sound good," Jack said.
"No definitely not good, Jack," Vala said biting her lower lip.
"Vala! I thought her well protected by that glass eyed, long winded Tau'ri that she has bedded with," Slaviash said in an excited tone.
"She is with a man named Joaquin, I do not know his origins; perhaps he is the man," Tarsoot said.
Jack looked at Vala with an evil smirk, "You see Vala, even the Lucian Alliance knows you're sleeping with Daniel."
"Vala Mal Doran has debts that must be paid to the Lucian Alliance," Slaviash declared and staked his claim to Vala.
"Jack! Daniel and I have never done sex in front of the Lucian Alliance. Can we focus please," Vala gave him a look of mock outrage.
"Slaviash," Jack asked Vala for details.
"Lucian Alliance, second in command. I saw him on Sunnabar with Las Pul'gas when SG1 did recon with Aton Re Van and Thellas," Vala said.
"Mitchell thought he was dead."
"That wasn't in the report," Jack scolded.
"Truthfully, I completely forgot about it; there's been so much happening. I meant to ask Mitchell what intelligence he had that led him to that conclusion; but we got distracted," Vala told him sheepishly.
"Well you didn't know we'd run into Las Pul'gas and Slaviash on Nerutas did you," Jack offered her a defense.
"I had no idea they had a connection to Tarsoot," Vala said.
"Well from the looks of things, Tarsoot is growing little Goa'ulds for Las Pul'gas; the strange thing is the Tok'ra have spent years trying to prevent the Goa'uld from increasing their population," Jack told her.
"Maybe the offspring are Tok'ra," Vala suggested.
"The Tok'ra don't have a queen," Jack whispered. "Look either way, it doesn't sound like Las Pul'gas is going to be asking us if we mind him sticking his junior snakes in our bellies to incubate does it."
"Not exactly the Tok'ra way is it," Vala said. "Then again, I've never been too clear that the stated Tok'ra policy is actually how they operate."
"How so," Jack looked at her.
"Well look at Sam with Jolinar; I don't think anyone asked Sam if that blending was okay with her. And they don't exactly take a 'no thank you' very well now do they? In my case, after they removed Qetesh, they began quite the campaign to give me a Tok'ra symbiote replacement. When I said no, well it was don't let our crystal cave structure hit you in the arse on the way to being tortured on your home world."
"Well it looks like they're giving you a choice this time too. Jaffa incubator or that Slaviash guy so he can exact a bit of revenge for . . . for what; what did you do to him?"
"Actually, that was Daniel; he refused to give Jup and Tenat the Prometheus. Somehow those two idiots lost the Alliance naquedah and for some reason it's my fault. Why can't men ever take responsibility for your own screw ups?"
Jack rolled his eyes refusing to take the bait and defend the males of the universe.
"Look, we're just going to have to try an escape; I'm good at escape Jack! Our ring control remotes can't be too far away right," Vala said as she patted Jack's arm reassuringly. "We'll grab the remotes and make a run for the ring platform."
"I got no other ideas," Jack suddenly broke off at the sound of boots.
The heavy boots sounded louder as three men entered the outer room leading to the cell. Jack looked at Vala with a little nod as he stepped in front of her with the intention of shielding her from a first strike.
Tarsoot opened the cell door and walked in followed by Las Pul'gas and Slaviash.
Las Pul'gas inspected the pair of prisoners. His eyes lit upon Vala and a flash of recognition was clear on his face.
"Hello Las Pul'gas," Vala said, "You remember that we've met."
"I thought I took care of you with Nesa on that female Jaffa planet. You have the luck of a cat," Las Pul'gas told her.
"Yes, what was all that about anyway," Vala took a chatty tone like she was having coffee with a girlfriend.
"True love; it was about true love," Las Pul'gas said.
"Oh, cut the crap," Jack said. "What did you do to the Tretonin supply for Nesa and Ishta's village?"
Las Pul'gas looked uncomfortable, "And you are?"
"Vala calls him Joaquin," Tarsoot offered.
"Joaquin, what makes you think I did something?"
"Call it a hunch," Jack said. He wasn't going to provide a chapter and verse on the evidence pointing to Las Pul'gas' guilt.
"Las Pul'gas, you may use this Joaquin however you like; Vala is mine to deal with." Slaviash stepped up to Vala and took her chin in his grip to inspect her face.
"Hey, hands off the lady; we don't know where you've been putting those things." Jack pushed Slaviash back.
"Are you two going to fight over me? How sweet," Vala smirked.
Jack felt a blow as Tarsoot struck him with a sucker punch while he was looking at Slaviash.
"None of that," Vala kicked her leg out to back Tarsoot off an attack of Jack.
Slaviash grabbed Vala's arm and twisted.
Jack grabbed Vala's other arm and pulled her away, then he kicked a zat out of Slaviash's hand.
Tarsoot reached for his own zat ni'katel. Vala's leg managed to strike Tarsoot's arm as he fired the zat at Jack's head.
Tarsoot was taking aim again, this time aiming for Vala. Vala rushed forward, going on the offensive and throwing off Tarsoot's aim.
Slaviash grabbed Vala's arm to prevent her from moving any farther forward. Jack took advantage of the momentary split in Slaviash's attention to punch him hard in the face, knocking the shorter man to the ground.
Jack followed Slaviash as they both lunged for the zat ni'katel that lay in the water covering the cell floor. Jack's fingers barely caught the edge of the zat, but he managed to get a better grasp and aim the zat at Slaviash.
"Enough!" Las Pul'gas shouted from the edge of the cell where he stood with two zat ni'katels. "Drop the weapon Joaquin or I will fire both my weapons at your woman."
"Well that's dumb," Jack said, "Then no one gets her."
"I don't have a problem with that," Las Pul'gas sneered.
"Had to try," Jack said as he began to slowly lower the weapon in surrender.
Author's Note: The Minoan Snake Goddess actually exists. I have taken broad artistic license weaving fact and fiction together to suit my story. Anyone interested can find information on the internet with the search term "Minoan Snake Goddess. Any facts that survived the bend of my fiction to make it into this chapter were gleaned from research of various scholarly works, in particular Encyclopedia Mythica and the article, Minoan Snake Goddess by Dr. Alena Trckova-Flamee, Ph.D.