Author Notes: Okay, so much for updating when I got back from the dig. Sorry about that... Due to a combination of writers block and lack of drive, it has actually reached a new year. Oops. BUT! I am back, and here to stay. Well, at least until I've finished this story. I refuse to be one of those authors who never finish any of their stories. We are reaching an end here, though, only a few chapter to go! As I've been away for so long, I don't expect you to remember what on earth is going on, especially if you access this by story alerts, so here's a quick recap of the story up to now:
Over a year and a half ago, Jonas and Daniel were kidnapped when offworld. Believed to be dead by the rest of their team, they were in fact in the custody of mysterious masked men, locked in a cell with five other people. Unbeknownst to them, it was an elaborate ruse designed by a Goa'uld named Neith, who was trying to create an elite team of hok'tar – advanced humans. They 'passed', and joined her service, unable to remember their past lives, only able to rely on their training and each other, now a group of six. SG-1 came to Neith's stronghold, prompted by the Tok'ra to find out more about the new force behind Neith's rise. Neith revealed herself to be the murderer of the group's old cellmate, Drek, and the power behind their original captors, and so they returned with SG-1 to Earth after killing her. Jonas and Daniel's identities were soon revealed, but they didn't remember anything. Dr Fraiser discovered the compound in their blood, and over time, as it broke down, the group began to remember their past lives. As they did so, group dynamics changed. Daniel and Vala became closer than ever, while only Jonas and Kera seemed to retain a sense of importance from what Neith had forced upon them. We left the story as Renn and Beren made the decision to break away from the SGC, to return to their own homes. Kera was forced to follow her brother, and Jonas made the decision to accompany them. Vala remained on Earth with Daniel.
Chapter 11
Kera winced as she entered the tent. Jonas smiled ruefully, "It's not that bad."
The girl threw him a derisive look as she dropped to her knees, taking up the wet cloth from the bowl of water next to Jonas, forcing him to tilt his head slightly as she dabbed it to the nasty cut and forming bruise on his cheek. She let out a pointed huff of breath from her lips, making Jonas reach up to still her hand and force it, and the cloth, into her lap, "Really. It's just a scratch. I don't think Renn was really trying to hurt me, just get his point across. You and I both know that if he had been, I wouldn't have been able to sit up afterwards."
Kera let out a silent cry of annoyance, throwing the cloth back into the roughly hewn bowl with a violent splash. Jonas smiled sadly, "I know."
They had been back in Kera and Renn's village for almost two months, and away from the SGC for coming up to three. It had taken them that long to find it. Beren's home had been easy to find; while the 'prince' himself had not bothered to remember his planet's own address, Vala had given it up, after much persuasion from Daniel.
While Beren's world had been nice enough, Jonas had really not enjoyed the stay at the planet. Beren's father was not exactly the most tolerable man, and even his changed son sometimes seemed to have a look of revulsion on his face when he watched the man conduct his life of decadence. Of course, when questioned, Beren flatly denied, and besides, they hadn't seen him since they had departed to find Renn's home. Who knew astronomy charts could be so useful?
The Sinaians, Renn and Kera's people, had been overjoyed to have them back. And had even been very welcoming to Jonas. Renn's betrothed, Juma, had been especially kind. They had been lucky in their arrival time, too. The region of Sinai that was populated was not especially habitable, long drained of any natural resources by the Goa'uld, leaving behind a people who soon developed into many nomadic groups to survive. The world was hot, full of sand and rocks. And very little water. Movement between the mountains and the plains was essential to survive, the Sinaians almost entirely reliant on their herds. Thankfully, they had not been based far from the gate in the season the three had arrived.
Despite the inhospitable nature of life, there was just that, life. Jonas found himself growing to love the world, beginning to understand how Daniel's love of Abydos had extended beyond just his wife, Sha're. The little cluster of tents and paddocks was a village for these people for almost half a year, brushstrokes of vibrant colours against the red land. Everything would be fine, and Jonas had yet to regret his decision to accompany Kera.
Except for Renn.
It had all culminated earlier that day. Perhaps it hadn't been a great idea to get angry with a man almost twice his size in the heat of the midday sun, but he just hadn't been able to hold it in anymore! Ever since they had arrived, the pair of them had engaged in quite a few altercations, and all of them had been about Kera. Jonas was, to put it simply, sick of watching Renn treat his sister like a helpless, slow creature, when both of them had seen firsthand what the girl was capable of doing. Kera, for her part, had long since given up, and just returned to playing the part, only ever showing any spark when she was alone with Jonas.
So Renn had punched him.
To be fair, Jonas did slightly regret his wording, but he stood by his point.
He gingerly fingered the tender area on the side of his face, "You know I'm not going to learn from my mistakes." Kera frowned pointedly, "Hey, I came here because we knew he would do this. But next time, I'm punching back – I don't care what you think is best."
Kera threw up her hands in defeat, gesturing as if to slap him on the chest, when a cry was thrown up above the usual sounds of the village.
A stranger was coming over the hill.
They both scrambled up and ran outside, the tent flaps catching in the light evening breeze as they were disturbed. Both froze, exchanging glances with each other as they saw the dark cloaked figure, silhouetted against the dying sun. Dimly, Jonas heard Renn shout to other men in the village to get the women indoor and gather weapons to go out and meet the man.
Typical.
Even if the figure hadn't been carrying what seemed at this distance to be a tall walking stick, his fluid movements were recognisable anyway.
It was Beren.
"I do not wish to sound unwelcoming, Beren, but you have never come here before." Renn shifted in his seat by the fire, placing his now empty bowl at his feet.
Beren smirked, knowing the question had been coming. Sinaian custom dictated a welcoming meal and lots of pleasantries for visiting friends and kin, and so Renn had been prevented from saying anything. He glanced sideways at Jonas and Kera, who sat strangely slightly out of the fire's glow. That did not stop their sharp eyes from being trained on him, of course. "A visitor has come to Kerma. A woman. My father, our King-" The slight lilt of contempt was not missed in the young prince's tone, "-has welcomed her as a wonderful new ally. He will not listen to me, believing my opinion to be ignorant and childish."
Renn tilted his head, "He is your father."
Jonas snorted, "Spoken like a true patriarch."
"It is respect, a matter of utmost importance." Renn snapped back, and a cold silence fell about the desert night.
Beren looked between the pair, seeing Kera shake her head helplessly off to one side and shrug, "Right... Well, the point is, this woman is just like Neith. A, what do the Tau'ri say? Goa'uld?"
Jonas' head snapped up, "What? How can you be sure?"
Beren cocked an eyebrow, before commenting drily, "Her voice isn't exactly the most feminine I've heard in my life. Besides, I knew her name."
Renn frowned, "What? Neith could not have survived. Daniel made sure of it!"
"Not Neith. Nirrti."
The effect was instantaneous. Renn looked worried for a second, but this was rapidly swallowed by nonchalance. Kera tensed, her eyes pleading with Beren to stop speaking, before she looked to Jonas, who had gone incredibly pale. After a moment, he found his voice, "You're wrong."
"I wish I was. I recognised the name when she introduced herself to court, and that only served to reinforce my doubts about her arrival. Although, I thought you said she was dead-"
Jonas cut across him, "She is! I saw her body myself! She was strangled to death by one of her creations..." He shook his head violently, scrubbing a hand through his hair, rising to his feet, "I need some air."
Beren winced apologetically, realising belated that perhaps he should have delivered the news more tactfully. As it was, he had to watch a very awkward situation which he clearly didn't understand, as Kera rose to go after Jonas, only to be stopped by a woman a recognised vaguely as Renn's wife, spurred on by the warning look the man was giving his sister. Kera looked ready to hit something, a fact that was clearly passing Renn by, and so Beren stood, "I'll go after him."
He wound his way through the camp until, on the edge of the tents, he found Jonas, sat leant up against one of the fence posts. "Sorry."
Beren snorted, "Shouldn't I be saying that?" He sat down next to his friend, "About Renn..."
"Long story." Jonas replied shortly.
"A long story that involves that lovely bruise on your cheek?"
Jonas smiled slightly, "Yeah, something like that. But hey, I chose this."
Beren shifted, "Yes, well, people make the wrong choices sometimes. I know I did. You, on the other hand..."
"What do you want, Beren?" Jonas sighed.
The younger man nodded, cutting himself short, "Even if I had not recognised the name Nirrti, I would still be here. The fact that it is her-"
"It isn't."
Beren frowned, "Yes, it is. I know you do not want to be reminded of her, but that fact remains that she is on my world, and I do not believe her intentions are good. I need to contact the SGC."
Jonas snorted, "And I'm supposed to help, how? I was there in the gateroom when you and Renn refused IDCs."
"Jonas, I am not a fool."
"Yeah? Well you sure as hell acted like one."
"Jonas..."
The other man sighed and bowed his head, "I'm sorry Beren. I guess I've just been on the defensive a little bit since, well, since I got here. Renn and I have... yeah. And now Nirrti... This has just been a crap day. I mean, of all the snakes to resurrect themselves, why'd it have to be the only other one who felt like scrambling around with my 'special' DNA?"
"I am sorry for that, Jonas, I truly am, but Daniel and Vala must be told! My people will follow my father, who, if I am honest is a spoilt old fool of a man. I do not have the resources to act by myself. She wants to make us 'better'. A facility has been built in the eastern town! And everyone is just letting her do it, letting Jaffa walk the streets of my home! You may not want to relive your demons, Jonas, but I know Jack O'Neill did not let you leave without a way to return."
Jonas smiled softly, "I hate deserts."
Beren laughed, "Thank you."
"Yeah, well, we should get going. Better Renn doesn't know we're leaving. I just need to get the IDC from my tent."
As he rose, Beren frowned, "But if you and Renn aren't getting along, surely he won't care whether you leave or not?"
Jonas smirked, "True, but he might object to us taking his sister with us."
A slight figure dropped down from a tent canopy to land next to Beren, who yelped, "Gods, woman! Did you have to?" He looked between the pair of them, breathing hard, before calming and smiling sadly, "You two haven't lost what we had together, have you?"
Neither replied.
To Be Continued...
Author Notes: Hope you liked it! As a little explanation and background, the Sinai region is the area between the Nile Delta, and the Middle East. The Sinai region itself is not very habitable, but was home to the Ways of Horus during Ancient Egyptian times, a major trade route between Egypt and Asia. In contrast, Kerma was the capital of the Kushite Empire and the Nubians, further south of Aswan in what is now Sudan. I felt justified in using these origins, as canon writing stole Abydos :D Next chapter should be up by the end of the week - let me know what you thought! :)
