Episode 4: Former Friends, New Enemies (Part 1)
Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil, Stargate SG-1, or any of its characters.
Somewhere in the dark and vastness of deep space, filled with bright and far away stars, a Goa'uld mothership remains stationary in the middle of nowhere. Emplaced on the top of the massive pyramid structure was an enormous, dark, eerie turret. It faces and points outward towards the frontal view of the ship. Suddenly, another mothership enters out of an opened hyperspace window and it slowly proceeds towards the other ship's location.
Inside, on the bridge of the stationary ship, Sekhmet/Claire is seated on a dark silver throne. On each side of her was a Kull warrior that stood guard. Jaffa warriors are stationed around various locations on the bridge. One of them was Sark'non, Sekhmet's First Prime, who was operating the main navigation and communications controls.
"Lady Sekhmet, a Ha'tak class vessel has arrived near our current position," reported Sark'non. "We are being hailed."
"On screen," ordered Sekhmet. The imaging screen in front of her changes from the other ship to display another Goa'uld, staring directly at her. His host was tall with short black hair and he wore golden, Ancient Greek-style armour. He speaks angrily.
"This is Apollo and I am here on behalf of the System Lords," he said. "You are in violation of entering my territory. Turn your vessel around and leave at once or you will be fired upon."
"I am afraid I cannot comply to your...mere aggressions," replied Sekhmet. "My vessel will pass through here whether or not you wish it. I suggest you should be the one who must leave now."
"You dare to threaten me!" shouted Apollo. "You will pay for your insolence!"
"I will surely enjoy observing your attempts to destroy me," said Sekhmet. The hailing frequency is cut off and Apollo's image disappears. His ship begins to fire strong energy blasts at Sehkmet's ship, but the blasts proved to be weak against a powerful energy shield. The bridge shakes with every impact.
"Shields are holding," said Sark'non. "No damage is being reported."
"I have had enough of this foolish act," said Sekhmet. "Is the Ancient weapon ready?"
"The cannon is charged and ready, my lady," replied Sark'non. Sekhmet waits and stares at Apollo's ship, which was still firing. Then, she gives the order.
"Fire," she said.
The large cannon on top of the pyramid rotates and it aims at Apollo's mothership. Suddenly, a glowing red sphere of pulsing energy quickly shoots out. It penetrates the plasma shields and strikes hard against the hull, burrowing deep into the vessel. Then, a few seconds later, a massive supernova of fire and energy erupts, obliterating the mothership from within. After the explosion had faded away, all that was left was Sekhmet's ship and a wide field of burning debris.
Later, in the SGC Briefing Room, the members of SG-1, 17, and 18 are seated around the briefing table. O'Neill stands at one end of the table, alongside with Narteav.
"So does anyone here know anything about Sekhmet?" asked O'Neill. "Besides the fact that she's a Goa'uld."
"Well, according to Egyptian mythology," explained Daniel, "Sekhmet was a fierce lion-headed goddess who represented the sun for Ra at midday. She was once sent down to Earth, when the people had defied the gods, to punish humans with her bloodlust."
"Are you saying that she was some sort of punisher?" Jill asked Daniel.
"I guess you could say that," replied Daniel. "However, when her craving for blood never stopped, the gods put Sekhmet in a drunken slumber by tempting her with a field of strong red beer which, of course, represented blood."
"Hmm. I never heard of a Goa'uld being stopped by heavy drinking," commented O'Neill.
"Well, that's what the Ancient Egyptians believed in," said Daniel.
"So far, what we mainly know right now about Sekhmet is that she's using Claire as a host," said Leon.
"Redfield is not the only one who was possessed by Sekhmet," explained Teal'c. "Many centuries ago when she had her previous host, Sekhmet was a great enemy of Apophis and a powerful ally to Ra. She was one of the most treacherous and ruthless Goa'uld during her time. Many of those who opposed her she had brutally executed."
"When the other System Lords heard about Sekhmet's methods that were even unspeakable to them," added Narteav, "they overthrew her and killed her host. However, the Goa'uld managed to survive and, therefore, was put into exile, where she would be powerless."
"From the sounds of things, I'm guessing she was in exile until Anubis freed her recently," said Carter.
"Indeed," said Teal'c.
"I can't believe this has happened to Claire," said Rebecca. "This is far worse than her being dead."
"That bastard, Anubis, is gonna get what he deserves!" said Barry, raising his voice. "I just want to grab that snake's neck and snap it in two with my own bare hands!"
"Calm down, Barry," ordered O'Neill. "Save your anger for another time. Narteav has something very important to say to all of you." Barry settles down in his chair and everyone else around the table remains silent.
"The Tok'ra High Counsol has recently received information from our undercover operative onboard Sekhmet's mothership," spoke Narteav. "It appears that some of Anubis' T-virus weapons were moved before SG-1 managed to destroy the storage room at his main base. According to the operative's report, Sekhmet possesses two missiles, fitted with the virus and she is heading for planet Mar'cara."
"Mar'cara?" responded Teal'c. "There is a major Free Jaffa encampment located there. She is more likely intended to use the weapons on our warriors."
"This is not good," said Leon. "Sekhmet is going to create another outbreak, just like the one on Kel'tesh."
"Do we have a plan?" Jill asked Narteav.
"As a matter of fact, the High Counsol has already put toghther a mission for all of the SG teams at this table," replied Narteav. "We plan to infiltrate Sekhmet's ship and disable both the viral weapons and the ship itself. I will explain more as soon as we are aboard one of our captured cargo ships."
"This is not going to be a suicide mission, right?" asked Daniel, who was a little concerned.
"Don't worry, Daniel," replied O'Neill. "I've already checked with Narteav. I want SG-17 and SG-18 to gear up and meet SG-1 and Narteav in the Gate Room at 14:00 hours. Dismissed." Everyone around the briefing table stands up and they proceed towards the exit except Teal'c. Instead, he walks up to O'Neill who was still standing at the end of the table.
"General O'Neill," said Teal'c. "I request permission to travel to Mar'cara through the Stargate. Perhaps there, I could probably convince the Jaffa to evacuate in case Sekhmet were to reach the planet."
"Hmm...I don't see why not," said O'Neill. "Permission granted."
"I thank you, O'Neill," said Teal'c. He bows his head to O'Neill and walks out of the Briefing Room.
Somewhere in a low orbit around Earth, the Prometheus capital ship hovers above the blue-white atmosphere of the planet it calls home.
In the control-filled bridge, General George Hammond gazes at the stars and the planet's surface just outside the front viewing screen. Around the bridge, several officers operate various stations. One of the entrance doors slides opens and a tall, bald, African-American man in military uniform walks in with Chris, who's also in uniform. They both salute to Hammand as he turns to meet them.
"General Hammond? Sgt. Doug Anderson reporting, sir," said the tall man.
"Go ahead, Sgt. Anderson," said Hammond.
"I am here to inform you about the arrival of Sgt. Chris Redfield onboard, sir," continued Anderson. "He's standing here right next to me." Chris reaches his arm out to shake hands with Hammond. The old General smiles.
"Welcome aboard the bridge, Sgt. Redfield, but most of all, welcome aboard the Prometheus," said Hammond.
"It's a pleasure to serve aboard this ship under your command, sir," replied Chris. "I'm thrilled to be back in the Air Force."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that," said Hammond. "I suppose you've just arrived here."
"Uhh, just a few minutes ago, sir," said Chris.
"Sgt. Anderson, I want you to give our new recruit here a tour of the ship," ordered Hammond. "Perhaps, show him the main faculities."
"Yes sir," replied Anderson. "Right this way, Sgt. Redfield." After saluting to Hammond again, Chris follows Anderson through the same doorway where they had just come from.
Meanwhile inside the cockpit of a stolen Goa'uld cargo ship, Carter, Daniel, and the other SG team members sit and wait around the room with their P90s and gear bags beside them. Narteav pilots the ship through hyperspace.
"I suppose none of you guys have a deck of cards we could keep ourselves busy with," said Barry, looking around at everyone else.
"Sorry," replied Rebecca. "I was too busy trying to quickly pack up medical supplies before we left." Barry takes one last look at the group before letting out a brief sigh.
"Well, I guess that leaves out poker," he said.
"I don't think poker would have worked anyway," said Jill. "What would you use for chips?"
"I don't know," replied Barry. "Maybe some of the gear that we've brought along." Carter lifts herself up and she walks over to Narteav, who was busy observing various controls.
"So, Narteav. How do we plan to get close and transport onto the mothership without being detected?" she asked.
"We cannot use the transport rings in hyperspace so we are going to have to wait until the ship drops out," explained Narteav. "As soon as that happens, I will activate the cloaking device and bring us close enough to use the rings. Hopefully, the ship's shields would be down at the time. Our operative onboard will provide cover when you and your team arrive. From there, you will all need to move quickly as the activated transporter may alert nearby guards. The operative will give you details on the location of the viral weapons and the power core."
"Okay, but how will we know who's the spy?" asked Carter.
"His name is Rarnek," continued Narteav. "He is disguised as one of the Jaffa guards on the bridge, but he will meet you at the transporter rings. He is one of our best. So far, his cover remains intact." Leon stands up and he walks up to Carter and Narteav. He speaks to the Tok'ra.
"Excuse me, Narteav," he said. "May I ask you something?"
"I am listening," replied Narteav.
"From what I've heard, the Tok'ra possess the knowledge of removing a Goa'uld from its host without releasing any toxins," said Leon. "Is that true?"
"It is," said Narteav.
"Wait a minute, Leon," interrupted Carter. "If you're suggesting that we try capturing Sekhmet in order to remove her from Claire, then I'm afraid we can't attempt that. It's too high of a risk."
"But, isn't taking risks a part of being a member of an SG team?" Leon said to Carter. "Maybe after the ship is disabled, we could still try capturing her."
"As soon as the ship is disabled," said Narteav, "Jaffa guards will immediately begin searching the entire vessel. There would not be enough time. The High Counsol has left the job of clearing the ship for the Free Jaffa."
"Are you insane?" said Leon, raising his voice. "They would rather kill Sekhmet than try to remove her from her host. If that happens, Claire would die along with her."
"I am sorry, Leon," said Narteav. "We cannot place the mission in danger. It is too much of a risk."
"It's a risk that I'm willing to take," said Leon furiously. "If no one's gonna help me get back Claire, then I'll do it myself." He angrily turns around and walks back to where he was sitting before. Kicking his gear bag across the smooth floor, he throws himself down next to his P90. Carter walks over to him and she places her hand on his right shoulder.
"Listen," she spoke calmly. "I know Claire is a close friend to you. She's also a close friend to the rest of us, but we can't attempt anything that would put, not just you, but other team members in danger as well. Do you understand?" Leon looks up at Carter.
"I understand," replied Leon.
"Okay," said Carter. Removing her hand, she walks back to the passenger seat to sit next to Narteav. Leon get up to retrieve his gear.
On the lush, green world of Mar'cara, a Jaffa encampment, similar to the one on Kel'tesh, rests in the middle of an open field nearby the Stargate. The place is alive with Jaffa warriors. Two fight each other with wooden staves in a dirt training circle. Others move about to accomplish various tasks.
The chevrons on the Stargate slowly start to light up. The address to Mar'cara is locked in and the blast shoots out towards the encampment before collapsing inwards to form the event horizon. Bra'tac, along with Dar'mec, rush out of one of the nomadic tents after hearing the blast. They both stand and wait just a few feet from the portal. Eventually, Teal'c emerges from the gate. He is carrying a staff weapon and wearing his traditional robe. Bra'tac smiles as he approaches him. The portal disperses and the Stargate shuts down.
"Teal'c. We were not expecting your arrival, but it is always good to see you," spoke Bra'tac.
"Are you the leader of this encampment, Master Bra'tac?" asked Teal'c.
"I am not, but Dar'mec is the leader here," replied Bra'tac. Dar'mec steps up and towards Teal'c.
"It is good to see you, Teal'c," said Dar'mec. "Even to this day, I still thank you and the Tau'ri for saving me and some of my brothers back on Kel'tesh. Our warriors here are well-trained and ready to seek vengeance on Anubis." Silence fills in between the three as Teal'c doesn't respond. A stern, yet worried, look is present on the Jaffa's face.
"What is it, Teal'c?" asked Bra'tac. "Is there something that troubles you?"
"We need to evacuate this place as soon as possible," replied Teal'c. "You, Dar'mec, and the other Jaffa here are in mortal danger."
"What?" said Bra'tac. "Is Anubis planning an attack here on Mar'cara?"
"Indeed he is," said Teal'c. "However this time, he has sent Sekhmet to carry out his attack."
"Impossible," responded Dar'mec. "Sekhmet was killed by the other Goa'uld System Lords long ago."
"Only her host died," said Teal'c. "The Goa'uld was placed into exile until freed by Anubis. Now she possesses the body of Claire Redfield."
"This is madness," said Bra'tac, who was saddened by the news. "The one who gave her life to save me and Dar'mec has been resurrected and now, she is a prisoner. Suppressed by an evil that has taken over her."
"You must alert the others, Dar'mec," said Teal'c. "Tell them we must leave in case Sekhmet were to reach her goal."
"No!" shouted Dar'mec furiously. Bra'tac turns and stares at him. Surprised to hear his response. "We will not just abandon our positions and run. Our brothers will not flee like cowards. We are here to fight the Goa'uld, our long sworn enemy. If Sekhmet reaches Mar'cara, we will defend our encampment and, then, show her Jaffa their dead false god."
"If Sekhmet arrives, she will release the same virus that plagued our brothers on Kel'tesh here," said Teal'c.
"He is right, Dar'mec," added Bra'tac. "We cannot win this fight. Not against Anubis' viral weapons. Let us evacuate this place so that we may live to fight another day."
"I will not allow my warriors to submit to such actions...We are staying," said Dar'mec. He turns back towards the busy encampment of tents and walks off.
"Dar'mec!" shouted Bra'tac. Ignoring him, Dar'mac enters his tent. Bra'tac looks at Teal'c and speaks. "Do not worry, Teal'c. He has always been looking for vengeance since he lost some close friends on Kel'tesh. I will see if I could, perhaps, convince him in some way."
"Thank you, Master Bra'tac," said Teal'c. "You have always taught me well in the ways of the warrior." He and Bra'tac proceed towards the Jaffa encampment.
Meanwhile onboard the cargo ship, Narteav examines a small screen next to the navigation controls. A red dot inside a three-dimensional cube pulses and beeps in the image, grabbing Carter's attention.
"Sekhmet's ship has just dropped out of hyperspace," said Narteav.
"Well, I guess that means it's time to get ready to infiltrate the ship," said Carter.
"We are dropping out of hyperspace in approximately five seconds," said Narteav.
"Hold onto something, guys," warned Daniel. Narteav enters a code in the navigation controls. Suddenly, the whole cargo ship slightly jerks forward as it greatly reduces its speed to normal. No one was thrown down since everyone heeded to Daniel's warning.
"Thanks, Daniel," said Barry. "One second too late and I would've ended up on top of Narteav."
"Oh my god," said Jill, who was staring at the front of the cockpit. Everyone else hears her and they stand up to observe the frontal imaging screen. Sekhmet's mothership could be seen from a short distance.
"Jesus, that thing must be huge," commented Leon. "I've never seen a spacecraft like this before in my life."
"Yeah, and we're heading right for it," said Barry.
"Engaging cloaking device," announced Narteav. The outside hull plating shimmers as light bends all around the cargo ship. The vessel continues to approach closer to the slow moving mothership.
"What the hell is that big thing on top of the pyramid?" asked Barry, pointing to the mounted cannon.
"I don't know," replied Jill. "It looks like some sort of massive gun."
"I've never seen this weapon before on any other Goa'uld mothership," said Carter.
"In his report," explained Narteav, "Rarnek had mentioned the installation of a powerful anti-ship cannon. He said the weapon was capable of destroying a normal Goa'uld mothership with just one shot."
"The design appears to be Ancient," said Daniel. "This piece of technology must have been salvaged by Anubis. In his half-Ascended state, he must have learned where to find this weapon."
"From the looks of it," commented Rebecca, "I'd say Anubis had something to do with the modification. It's a good thing we have this cloaking device for our ship."
"I will take us within transporter range," said Narteav.
Twelve minutes later, the cargo ship slowly nears closer to Sekhmet's mothership. Its cloaks helps the small vessel evade the sights of nearby staff turrets. Inside the cloaked ship, Carter enters the right code into a panel next to a dark, solid door. It slides open, revealing the cargo hold and the large ring platform. The whole team heads towards the platform with their gear bags thrown over their backs and their P90s held close to their stomachs.
"I will stay here with the ship in case something were to go wrong," said Narteav. "Good luck, Carter, and good luck to all of you."
"Thanks, Narteav," replied Carter. "We're ready as soon as the rings are activated."
"Understood," said Narteav. The team crams into the small space inside the ring on the floor. Narteav enters a command into the main ship controls. Suddenly, large metal rings spring out of the floor, engulfing the team. The rings pause and a bright flash of light erupts from within the confinement. The team disappears and the rings drop back into the floor.
In a dimly lit hallway with hieroglyph-rich gold and black walls, a set of transporter rings occupys a small portion of the dark and smooth floor. The SG team members emerge from within the rings as the transporter returns to its hidden storage. Jill looks around her surroundings and, surprisingly, she spots a middle-aged Jaffa guard in front of her. The others take notice and they turn their guns onto him. Immediately, the guard raises one hand and he speaks.
"Wait. Do not fire," he said. "I am a Tok'ra operative who was sent here by the High Counsol." Hearing his response, the team lowers their guns.
"In that case, you must be Rarnek," said Carter.
"Yes...and you must be the ones who were sent here to stop Sekhmet from reaching Mar'cara," said Rarnek. He pulls a small, hidden PDA device out of his Jaffa uniform and hands it over to Carter. "Here, you will need this. I have programmed it to lead you and your team to the place where the viral weapons are being stored. You can also use it to access the ship's power core crystals, but you must be careful. If all the crystals are removed or placed in an improper order, the power core will overload and destroy the whole ship."
"Thanks," said Carter, receiving the PDA. "This should help save us some valuable time."
Suddenly, the clashes of marching footsteps begin to echo from the hallway behind Rarnek. The Tok'ra operative points a finger at a branching hallway, left of the team.
"Take that path over there," ordered Rarnek. "Hurry! A patrol squad is on its way to this location." The SG team responds to Rarnek's advice and they sprint towards the hallway. They disappear around the corner. Rarnek turns around to see a Jaffa squad, led by Sark'non, marching towards him. They don't seem to be aware of the infiltraters. In fact, they had just missed them fleeing. Sark'non orders the squad to halt and he speaks to Rarnek.
"This transporter has been activated recently. Are there any intruders onboard?" he asked.
"No," lied Rarnek. "The transporter here has been malfunctioning. I was just about to conduct repairs." Sark'non curiously looks down at the floor and observes the disturbed ring. Then, he stares back at Rarnek.
"Get it repaired quickly," ordered Sark'non. "Your duty is requested on the bridge."
"Yes, Sark'non," replied Rarnek. Sark'non shouts an order in Goa'uld to his squad and they resume their patrol down the hallway. Rarnek continues to stare at them as he stands alone, next to the transporter rings.
Carter slowly sneaks around the dim hallways with her P90 drawn, watching for any patrol squads. Behind her, the rest of the team follows. She makes a turn to the left, then a right, and, then another right. The SG team quickly ducks into a dark corridor in a hallway as a patrol squad of Jaffa marches past them. As soon as the Jaffa were nowhere to be seen, Carter signals the others to fall back in and resume their route. Jill is holding the PDA in the palm of one hand.
"According to this map," said Jill, "the storage room were looking for should be just around this corner on the left."
"Good. You guys stay here," ordered Carter. "I'll go check it out." The team comes to a stop and, quietly, they wait for Carter. She takes every step slowly and, then, she peeks around the left corner. In the distance, she sees a black closed door with two Jaffa guards posted on both sides. Carter quickly throws her head back in order to not be seen and she whispers to Jill and Barry. "I've spotted the storage room entrance, but it's guarded."
"Are there any other ways into there?" asked Barry.
"I'm afraid not," replied Jill. "From the looks of things, this is the only way."
"Damn. How the hell are we gonna get in there?" said Barry.
"Well, we can't just rush over there with guns blazing unless we want the whole ship to come after us," explained Carter. "The best thing we can do right now is stand here and wait. Hopefully, the guards would eventually be called to other duties. We could, then, access the storage room as soon as they're gone."
Meanwhile, Daniel looks around the hallway twice. There was absolutely no sign of Leon. He walks up to Rebecca.
"Rebecca, do you know where Leon is?" asked Daniel.
"Yeah, he's just right behi...," Before she could finish her sentence, Rebecca looks back and, to her surprise, doesn't see Leon anywhere. "What! Impossible! He was right behind me, I swear." Daniel rushes over to Carter silently.
"Sam, Leon's not here with us," he said to her. "I think he ran off somewhere else."
"Oh no. I knew it," replied Carter, placing her hand on her forehead. "I should've ordered him to stay with Narteav so that nothing like this ever happen."
"He's gone after Sekhmet, hasn't he?" asked Barry.
"More likely he has," said Carter. I'll try contacting him with my radio."
Alone and desperate, Leon gradually sneaks closer to an open entrance. The bright light attracts him as he nears the end of the hallway. He hides nearby the entrance with his back against the wall and he starts to hear voices coming from the inside.
On the bridge, Rarnek has taken his position at the ship's navigation controls. Sekhmet stares at him from her throne.
"Is the ship ready to enter hyperspace and proceed to Mar'cara?" the Goa'uld asked Rarnek.
"Yes, Lady Sekhmet," replied Rarnek.
"Good. Initiate the hyperspace window now," ordered Sekhmet. Rarnek obeys and he uses the controls to create a hyperspace window in front of the mothership. The vessel enters and is thrown into a higher speed. A sudden jolt shakes the bridge, but no one seems to react to the force.
"We have entered hyperspace, my lady," reported Rarnek. "ETA to Mar'cara is about six hours."
"We are approaching closer to our goal, my warriors," Sekhmet spoke to the Jaffa on the bridge. "Soon, the shol'va will learn what happens to those who oppose me and Lord Anubis."
Meanwhile just outside the entrance to the bridge, Leon hears every word spoken from both Sekhmet and Rarnek.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Rarnek," he quietly said to himself. "Just make sure she doesn't find out your true identity. I should probably return to Carter and the others, and warn them about the time they have left." Leon starts to walk away from the entrance, increasing his pace with almost every step.
After several failed attempts to contact Leon, Carter finally gives up and attaches her radio onto her uniform.
"Nothing?" asked Daniel.
"Nothing," replied Carter. "He must've turned off his radio."
"What the hell does he think he's doing?" wondered Jill. "He's going to get himself killed."
"Two Jaffa are guarding the viral weapons and one member of our team has gone off somewhere else," said Barry. "What else could get worse?" Suddenly, the team hears the faint sound of a P90 firing off rounds, followed by yelling and shouts. They all curiously look around to see where the firing was coming from. Carter sees the two Jaffa guards leaving their posts and running down the adjacent hallway.
"Leon?" said Rebecca.
"The storage room's now clear," said Carter. "Let's move out." She leads her team out of hiding and they follow her around the corner and towards the black door.
Leon turns around and fires a short burst at three pursuing Jaffa before fleeing into the maze of hallways. Sparks fly off of a suit of armour as one of the guards falls to the floor dead. The ones who were still standing aim and fire their staves at Leon. A bolt of energy whizzes past the right side of his head. He continues running from the guards, making sharp turns around corners.
With the pursuers still hot on his trail, Leon heads into a hallway on his right. There, he stops as he's greeted by several staff-wielding Jaffa. Staff heads open up in front of his face. The muscular Sark'non stands right in front of him with an angered, yet normal, look. The two Jaffa behind Leon catch up and they aim their staves at his back. He is surrounded.
"Throw down your weapon now, or you will die," ordered Sark'non. Leon hesitates, but he releases his P90 and it drops to the floor in front of Sark'non. He raises his hands in surrender. The patrol squad leader nods at one of his guards. The accomplying guard nods back with understanding and he strikes Leon across the head with the heavy rear end of his staff. Droplets of blood mixed with saliva spew from Leon's mouth and nose as he falls to the floor. Sark'non continues to stare down at the unconscious man.
Later on the bridge, Sark'non and his squad march in and they bow their heads to Sekhmet. She notices them and waits for her First Prime's report.
"Lady Sekhmet. We have captured an intruder onboard your ship," said Sark'non.
"What?" responded Sekhmet, raising her voice. "Who is the intruder?"
"We do not know his name, but he appears to be of Tau'ri origin," replied Sark'non. "We have him detained in a holding cell for the time being. Do you wish for me to interrogate him or execute him?"
"No, that will not be necessary yet," said Sekhmet. "I will interrogate him myself when I am ready. However, I want you to increase patrols throughout the whole ship. There may be more intruders onboard and, if you do find more, kill them. If they do not resist, kill them slowly."
"Yes, my lady," said Sark'non. The guards bow their heads again and they follow Sark'non off the bridge. Sekhmet watches the squad leave and, then, she resumes staring at the imaging screen.
The Prometheus mess hall is rich with crew members eating meals and carrying on miscellaneous conversations. Chris and Anderson are seated at one of the many built-in tables. A couple of plastic mugs, filled with black coffee, rest on their table as the two men talk to each other.
"So how long has it been since you were first dishonourably discharged from the Air Force?" asked Anderson.
"Oh geez. I can't remember," replied Chris. "Maybe about four or five years ago, but I do remember some of the moments we had together back in basic training."
"Oh yeah, especially that one time when we caught Sgt. Usher doing his so called 'statistics inspection,'" said Anderson, smiling. Chris starts to laugh.
"I don't think he ever recovered from what we did," said Chris.
"We found him in his office and, of course, Ray Halven was with us," told Anderson. "You opened the door and Ray snaps a photo of Sgt. Alice Duncan giving Sgt. Usher a lesson in mouth-to-mouth resusitation on top of his desk."
"Or at least that was what Sgt. Usher said when he saw us catching him in the act," added Chris.
"We were going to do something with the photo and you had a great idea," continued Anderson.
"Yes, I was going to tell him that we would send it to his wife unless he bought us two bottles of 12 year old scotch," said Chris. They both laugh even harder.
"And it worked," said Anderson. "He was ready to do anything in order to prevent his wife from receiving that photo. So we ended up with some free scotch." The two men continue to laugh until they were able to contain themselves. They gradually start to calm down and Chris loses his smile as he stares down at his coffee mug.
"Yeah. Those were some good times," commented Chris. "I just wish that I could relive them again cause, lately, things for me have been hell."
"What do you mean?" asked Anderson.
"Well," explained Chris, "I've recently lost Claire during a mission for the SGC, and the war on Umbrella has made me very depressed for the past several months."
"Oh...Oh man," responded Anderson. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Chris. I didn't know."
"It's alright, Doug," replied Chris. "Seeing you again has helped cheer me up. I just need to try putting the past aside and focus more on the present and future." The starship's PA system is switched on and Hammond's voice could be heard from the speakers.
"Attention, all personnel," announced Hammond. "This is General Hammond. We are about to leave Earth's orbit and enter hyperspace. All personnel must report to their stations immediately. I repeat, all personnel to their stations."
"I guess it's back to work now," Chris said to Anderson.
"Yep. Are you going to be fine?" asked Anderson.
"Don't worry for me, Doug," replied Chris. "I'll be fine." He and Anderson leave their mugs on the table and they proceed to join the rest of the rushing crowd.
Back on Sekhmet's ship, Leon wakes up to find himself in a dark and eerie cell. Only a few rays of light slipped in through small cracks, but Leon could still barely see a few objects inside the cell with him. His head ached with pain from the blow he received from the Jaffa guard and the taste of dried blood was present in his mouth. He looks around curiously, wonder where he was. His arms did not budge when he tried to move them. He looks up to discover his wrists chained to a set of steel cuffs in the ceiling. In one corner of the cell, a small wooden table stands undisturbed. An odd staff with a double-forked head rests on top of the table. Leon had been stripped of his gear, except for his uniform. His weapons and supplies had been taken. He was nothing, but a defenseless prisoner onboard an Goa'uld vessel.
The dark room gradually brightens up as a heavy door lifts up behind Leon. Sekhmet slowly walks in. She observes the captive as she makes her way around him. After recognizing his face, she lets out a cold smile.
"Leon Scott Kennedy," she said.
"Hmm...you seem to know my name very well," responded Leon. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."
"I have her memories," said Sekhmet, "and some knowledge about the Tau'ri. I have learned about your Stargate program and your planet."
"Anything else?" asked Leon.
"As a matter of fact, yes," explained Sekhmet. "The virus contained within the weapons I possess happens to have originated from Earth. You humans are such weak-minded creatures. The weapons you create are designed mainly for killing your own kind, and not other beings. Your world is flawed and corrupt. Through centuries of wars, conflicts, and strife and, yet, your pathetic race still thrives. Without the guidance of your true gods, the Tau'ri have fallen deeper into chaos."
"That is not entirely true," said Leon. "In the past few decades, we have been moving closer and closer to world peace. More wars are being prevented than sparked. We don't need to worship you or any other Goa'uld. The people of Earth would never submit to a false god. You should know that already from Claire."
"Yes. Humans can be so arrogant with a strong will, but it will eventually lead to their own destruction," continued Sekhmet. "I have always detested your kind for centuries. I wanted the complete extinction of the people on Earth. I had no use for them except for one single host, unlike the other System Lords. When I attempted to carry out my bloodlust long ago, Ra had me banished to my eternal prison. Now that I am free, I will continue my bloodlust on the Tau'ri as soon as this Jaffa rebellion is put down forever."
"Hey listen," interrupted Leon. "Everyone's had it hard at least once in their lifetime. In your case, I strongly recommend taking an anger management course." Reacting to his wisecracking comment, Sekhmet raises her hand device so that the red gem's just inches from Leon's forehead. The gem glows and an orange stream of energy forms an arch between her hand and Leon's head. His face muscles tighten as his brain becomes engulfed in intense pain. The energy disperses and Sekhmet lifts away her hand. Leon is breathing heavily due to the pain.
"And I recommend you try not to mock me," warned Sekhmet. "Anyway, the reason why I am here is because I know the Tau'ri's SG teams perform their missions. Unlike the Tok'ra, they rarely infiltrate a base or a ship alone. So tell me. Where are the other members of your team?"
"And if I refuse to tell you?" asked Leon. Sekhmet stares at him with a stern look. Then, she walks over to the wooden table and picks up the staff. She gazes at the strange device as she slowly walks towards Leon.
"This device is really fascinating," explained Sekhmet. "The energy contained within the staff is capable of inflicting massive amounts of agonizing pain into a victim. An excellent invention for torture. Unless you want me to give you a demonstration, you will tell me what I want to know. Now I will ask you again, Leon Kennedy. Where are the others?"
"There is no one else except me," replied Leon. Becoming more angry and annoyed, Sekhmet drives the forked head against Leon's abdomen. He screams as his entire body is racked with inhuman pain. Orange bright light shines from his mouth, eyes, and ears. The fierce Goa'uld removes the pain staff from Leon and she stares at her weakened captive.
"It is unwise to test my patience," she said. "Tell me where the others are!"
"No," refused Leon. Again, she uses the pain staff to torture Leon. This time, for an extended period. She removes the staff.
"Tell me!" yelled Sekhmet.
"Go to Hell," said Leon. Sekhmet holds the head of the pain staff against Leon as if she was going to leave the instrument of torture there until he was dead. Leon continues to scream and thrash violently. Sekhmet spots Sark'non waiting for her near the doorway and she turns her attention towards him. She removes the pain staff from Leon.
"My apologies, Lady Sekhmet," said Sark'non.
"Speak," replied Sekhmet.
"We have entered Mar'cara's star system," reported Sark'non. "Shall we proceed towards the planet?"
"No. Order the crew to slow down to impulse speed," ordered Sekhmet. "I want to see the system for myself."
"It will be done, my lady," replied Sark'non. He bows his head and leaves Sekhmet's sight. She grasps Leon's jaw and lifts up his head so that they were face-to-face with each other.
"I will deal with you later," said Sekhmet. "Letting go of Leon she walks out of the holding cell with the pain staff. The door descends behind her and it seals shuts, allowing the darkness to resettle in. Weakened from his torment, Leon slowly looks around and, then, closes his eyes as his breathing deepens.
Sekhmet arrives on the bridge and she hands the pain staff to a Jaffa guard, who was nearby the entrance. Rarnek is positioned at the navigation controls. The other guards notice Sekhmet and they watch her claim her place on the throne, between the Kull warriors.
"Mar'cara is within our sight," said Sark'non. She stares at the imaging screen. In front of her, a yellow sun brightens the left center of the image. A tiny, blue-white sphere could be seen farther away from the sun. It was planet Mar'cara.
"Prepare the viral weapons," ordered Sekhmet.
To Be Continued.
End of Episode.
As soon as I'm finished writing the other half of this episode, I plan to somehow bring Wesker back into the mini-series.