Sorry for the delay in this. I'm hoping to post each day until the conclusion. Thanks for all of the reviews. I appreciate it so much. Please let me know what you think of this chapter!
Sam entered the gateroom minutes later, fighting back tears. Daniel and Teal'c waited there for her, geared up and ready to go. She felt them watching her.
Daniel. Damn him. He saw too much. The sympathy in his eyes made her feel better and worse at the same time. He met her halfway across the room and opened his arms. Without hesitation, Sam fell into his brotherly embrace, closing her eyes. He felt big and safe, and she knew she didn't have to say anything.
She held on a little longer than she normally would've, soaking up the extra comfort before their trip off-world.
"Thanks, Daniel," she whispered.
He smiled back in understanding. "Anytime. I'm worried about Jack too. Probably not in the same way, but worried anyway."
Teal'c nodded, expression serious, even for him. "I, too, am concerned."
She managed a brave smile for her two concerned friends as the Stargate engaged. "Let's go."
Walking up the gate ramp with Daniel and Teal'c on either side, Sam said, "Let me do the talking. I don't want to arouse any suspicion. We need to make them think we have no idea anything's wrong."
"Got it," Daniel agreed, and the three plunged into the event horizon.
The room looked completely normal as they emerged from the the Stargate. Why wouldn't it? For some reason Sam was expecting something more. But it was so ordinary.
Tanjin stood off to the side, looking very surprised. "Welcome," he managed, his voice shaking just a little. "What a nice surprise." Nice looked like the last thing Tanjin thought their visit was.
Sam smiled as if she didn't notice. "I hope we're not disturbing you by coming unannounced," she said. "But we've reviewed the situation with our superiors, and we're ready to begin negotiations, now that The Joining ceremony has been completed."
Tanjin's eyes darted nervously between the three of them, obviously looking for the one who wasn't there. "Where is Col O'Neill?" He tried to look tall. "It is unacceptable to negotiate with anyone but him."
Sam's smile didn't waver. "Of course. We are here to determine the rules of the negotiation. Col O'Neill's time is too valuable to be wasted on trivialities."
Tanjin stared straight at her, and Sam wasn't sure if the little worm believed her not. "I see," was all he said.
"Thank you," she replied. "You will take me to Jornan immediately." She gestured to her friends. "Daniel and Teal'c will go to the Gelnan Archives. They will be gathering additional information regarding negotiations. To ensure we don't violate Gelnan protocol, of course."
He merely nodded and gestured to Daniel and Teal'c. "Please. Make your way to the archives. I will join you after escorting Major Carter to Jornan's private study."
Teal'c stepped forward. "I will accompany Major Carter."
"No, Teal'c," Sam cut in. "Please assist Daniel." She knew that Teal'c was worried about her, but truth be told, Daniel needed his protection more than she did. Teal'c gave her his customary nod and wordlessly left with Daniel.
Half an hour later, Tanjin burst into the archives in a full panic.
* * *
Sam hid a grimace when Jornan gave her his trademark creepy smile. "Welcome back, Major Carter," he said, his voice like silk. Sam resisted the urge to shudder. "Please, be seated."
Then he joined her, sitting across from Sam at the little table. Tanjin left and reappeared, remarkably quickly, with two glasses. He set one before each of them, and wordlessly left. Jornan picked his up and sipped from it delicately. "Now, my dear," he purred. "How can I help you?"
"I've been sent to discuss the preliminaries of our negotiations," she said, taking a drink of her own to calm herself.
"Certainly," he replied easily. "But first, I presume Col O'Neill is well?"
Sam's expression was calm, but a deep red in her cheeks betrayed her.
Jornan raised his eyebrows. "O'Neill is not well?"
Sam didn't respond.
"No matter. I expected as much. Sensed it." He paused, drinking in the effect his words had. "So that's why I know you can't be here simply for negotiations."
Sam blinked, trying to clear her head. "Yes, we are," she argued feebly, shaking her head to clear it.
"No. I don't think so. While it's true I can only sense emotions and gain experience in the transfer, his emotions have been so disjointed that I could draw no other conclusion. Must be the crystals don't transfer energy correctly for your bodies." He patted his chest. "I, however, am perfectly fine."
Sam's vision blurred. She closed her eyes as the room started to spin, willing herself to snap out of it. Fighting back nausea, Sam took deep breaths.
It didn't help.
"Another thing I sensed," he continued, leaning in conspiratorially, "and this surprised me: the intense feelings he has for you." Jornan chuckled. "I must apologize for my earlier incident in the library. When the emotion from a counterpart is that intense, it's hard for the other to control. My feelings for my Pentaya ran almost as deep."
"Pentaya?" Sam slurred.
"My wife. My reason for being. At least she was. And now, my reason for revenge." He paused to watch her. "Feeling faint, Major?" He sounded amused.
Sam looked at her glass, realizing with sickening clarity that she had fallen into a trap. She tried to get up.
Faster than she expected, Jornan snapped up from his seat and shoved her back down to hers. She tried to move again, but her legs wouldn't obey.
Jornan's creepy, velvet voice jarred her. "Don't worry, it's not fatal. Not in the dose you took." He laughed again, softly. "This is working out better than I thought."
"Whaaaaa," Sam attempted.
"I loved two things: my planet, and my wife, Pentaya," he said softly. "One half of my planet betrayed me nearly three cycles ago. The Shelnars –" he spat the word – "attempted to secede from my rule. The ringleader, Phin, claimed I was a tyrant. But really, he just wants my power. He wants to rule Gelna."
He stood up and walked across the room to shut the door. "I was at a loss as to how I could crush this faction. Then your SGC contacted me. At first I didn't care, until I realized O'Neill's military and tactical experience would be of great benefit to me."
"Whhhh," Sam drooled on herself, her head spinning. She was barely able to catch Jornan's next words.
"As for Pentaya, I loved her more than I thought possible. I truly believed that she would be enough for the rest of my life." He paused until Sam managed to look up at him through the haze. "And then she left. Betrayed me."
Sam continued to struggle futilely against her own body, willing it to move.
"And then all of the love I felt for her changed. She'd left me for Phin, and took the other set of crystals with her for his collection. Where I felt love, I now only want vengeance."
"Re…ver…sal –" Sam managed to choke out.
Jornan grinned, an innocent, happy expression – completely discongruous with their nearly one-sided discussion.
"Yes," he affirmed. "But that's not why I want them back. Thoughts of how to avenge this betrayal haunted me. Then it occurred to me: Phin is a collector. He most likely wanted just the crystals - infuriating me by taking my wfie was just an additional benefit. I didn't know how to get the justice I deserved. What in all of this planet, I had thought, would be more valuable to Phin than my crsytals? And then I remembered you." He chuckled softly. The low melody in his voice was chilling. Sam shivered in spite of herself.
"A woman from another world – miraculous that such a thing could exist. And a beautiful woman at that. And I knew, without a doubt, that he would want you for his collection. More than the crystals, more than Pentaya. So I offer you for a trade. Once he gets here, I can kill them both. We are much alike - we want what we want, and we don't care what it takes to get it."
Jornan looked at her, an evil, serene smile on his face. "He won't actually have you...but I will."
Sam felt as if a bucket of ice had been thrown on her. Cold terror enveloped her as he rose from his chair and advanced toward her slowly, his dark, small eyes glittering.
Sam willed herself to move as the full realization of what was going to happen dawned on her. She squeezed her eyes shut, internally screaming one word. JACK.
Worlds away, Jack shot up from a dead sleep in the infirmary and screamed.