Chapter 18 - Conflict
Sam and Jolinar woke well before the Tok'ra made contact again. Halfway to the gate, sneaking through the woods, they heard the signal.
"What is it?" whispered Jolinar as she drew the small sphere out, the quiet for protocol rather than necessity.
"Again we receive no news from Abydos. The Council has agreed that you may investigate today."
"Understood," said Jolinar, putting the ball back in her pocket.
~We don't need to gate back, then, we can just gate to Abydos,~ said Sam.
*Indeed,* said Jolinar.
The Jaffa on this planet were once again not holding a position by the gate, and Sam and Jolinar made it easily past. Jolinar punched in the symbols for Abydos, and watched as they lit up. The seventh one locked and there was a kawoosh, which gave Sam a little hope. If it was a technical difficulty, it still hadn't affected the gate itself—perhaps the DHD was broken on the other end.
They walked through.
*Perhaps you were right,* said Jolinar, standing in the gate room and surveying the broken-down aspects.
~No, I wasn't,~ said Sam. ~Look, there's the DHD right there, and it doesn't look harmed.~
Jolinar stood, walked over, and pressed a few keys. It responded normally.*That at least you are right about.*
~So why didn't they send a response?~ asked Sam. ~And why is the gate near all this rubble? Where is everyone?~
Jolinar frowned, reaching for her zat gun. Her stance lowered a little as she went on edge. *Look, corpses.*
They crossed the floor to the pillars. ~Those are Jaffa,~ said Sam, worriedly. ~But there are some Abydonians too.~
*Heru'ur's Jaffa,* said Jolinar. *As an enemy of Apophis, he must have heard that Amonet was here.*
~But why would there be a fight?~ asked Sam.
*Come,* said Jolinar. Passing the bodies, and noting that many more Jaffa than Abydonians were among them, they left the pyramid.
~I don't see anyone below us,~ said Sam.
It was late afternoon on Abydos, and a barely-there warm breeze brought only the dry scent of dust and sand as they quickly moved down into the village.
*Wait,* said Jolinar, stopping by one of the Jaffa and crouching to turn him over. *This is not of Heru'ur, this is of Quetesh.*
~Another Goa'uld?~ asked Sam.
*Yes, and not allied with Heru'ur or Apophis—she is identified with Ba'al.* Jolinar's tone held more than fact alone.
~Ba'al...the one who captured our ship?~
*Yes,* said Jolinar. She frowned, looking at the emblem. *It is possible that he was able to locate this world by using the ship's log, but why not immediately?*
~Who is Quetesh to Ba'al?~ asked Sam.
*He prefers to think of her as his queen, but she is his ally only for her own convenience,* said Jolinar.
~So she might steal his planets?~ asked Sam.
Jolinar caught on quickly, and continued walking through the village, marking each of the Jaffa as they lay, some of Heru'ur and of Quetesh. *Ba'al may not consider this world worthy of his grand plans, but Quetesh is resourceful. She must have come to take it for her own, just as Heru'ur came to find Amonet; they met and collided, each thinking the other meant to thwart their goal.*
~And what happened to the Abydonians?~ asked Sam.
*They were not killed, so far as I can see,* said Jolinar. *These dwellings are still intact, with only a few staff blasts that were probably accidental.* She paused to rest her hand on one. *It is likely that they were taken captive.*
Before Sam could answer, Jolinar stood at the edge of the village on the ridge, and they both stood for a second in shock. Below them were many more dead Jaffa, but even more prominent was the huge black mark on the sand where something had exploded. And it was bigger than anything on Abydos, which implied only one thing.
*A ship,* said Jolinar.
~What does that mean?~ asked Sam.
*There were too many people to be transported on one ship, so it is unlikely that all were destroyed, but...*
Sam got the hint. ~We don't know how the battle ended, who won.~
*We don't know anything,* corrected Jolinar. *We can guess looking at these miniscule signs, but it means nothing.*
~So what do we do?~ asked Sam. ~Go after them both?~
There was no answer from Jolinar, and Sam thought she knew the hold-up.
~These are Sha're's people,~ said Sam. ~And it was through rescuing her for the Tok'ra that Ba'al and Quetesh found out about this place.~ She paused. ~But no, attempting this rescue is more than a hit-and-run, and the Tok'ra don't ever do that lightly, do they?~
*It is true that we might be considered responsible for this,* said Jolinar. She said nothing, standing still with a tight jaw. *We will not find anything more useful here,* she concluded after a moment.
~Home then?~ said Sam. ~We will have to tell Sha're.~
*Believe me, I do not relish the thought,* said Jolinar sharply, striding back up the hill towards the pyramid.
ooooooo
"No, seriously, there is some sort of residual energy on this," said Mckay, flipping the object around in his hands as he sat on Daniel's desk.
"Rodney, SG-8 established that it was part of a device, but I'm sure it's ornamental," said Daniel, reaching for it from his comfortable seat.
"And if it's not?" asked Mckay.
"You think I'm going to break it?" asked Daniel in response.
Mckay paused. "You who keeps every rock safe no matter how relevant? No, no, I don't think you'll break it. But this energy—it might mean something."
"I thought we agreed not to bring up your disdain of archaeology," commented Daniel.
"I don't disdain it!" protested Mckay. "But there's a time and a place, and it's hardly a science anyways."
"Your devices for studying this energy might harm the writing on it," said Daniel, rolling his eyes and dropping the other point.
"And your tools will most certainly disrupt any energy," said Mckay.
Daniel sighed, putting one hand to his forehead.
"Looks like fun," said Dixon dryly, strolling in with arms crossed. "You two ready to knock it out of each other?"
Mckay rolled his eyes at the man. "Unlike some, we intellectuals don't see the need to resort to physical violence."
"Need, no, want, maybe," muttered Daniel.
Dixon chuckled, then added seriously: "Hey, I know the last few days have been kind of hard on us. And I heard you were thinking about talking to my wife about a team night with us, and since my kids want to meet you, well..."
"Well what?" asked Mckay.
"You want to come over tonight?" asked Dixon.
"Really?" asked Daniel, looking up, the lines in his forehead fading just a little.
"Yeah, really," said Dixon, shrugging. "A good barbecue always puts things in context, which is something we probably need."
"That actually sounds great," said Daniel, sitting up and letting his hands rest in his lap.
"Sure, why not," said Mckay, a little pained and sarcastic, but not objecting.
"Assuming the Colonel can make it, we're on," said Dixon.
"Oh, there may be some issue about that," came Jack's dark voice.
Dixon turned around as Jack and Teal'c entered the lab.
"Hammond took the night to think over my punishment, and decided that a court martial was not nearly torturous enough," said Jack. "I have to deal with the organization and paperwork involved in settling the Abydonians down on a new planet," he said with groan.
"Joy," said Dixon, wincing.
"How would Teal'c say it, "Indeed"?" said Jack, his weary eyebrows still able to perform a sarcastic rise.
"There's a few thousand of them, but surely the Alpha site would be suitable," said Daniel.
"Well, we'll see, won't we," said Jack. "But what do I need to be available for?"
"Team night, my house, BYOB&M barbecue," said Dixon. "You in?"
"Sure," said Jack. "As long as we get to talk about boring, everyday, insignificant things." That last comment could have been in a lighter tone, Daniel thought, had recent events been otherwise.
"I also shall be honored to visit your home and your family," said Teal'c with a nod of his head.
"You got kids?" asked Jack.
"Yup, three," said Dixon. "You don't mind kids, right?"
Jack snorted. "Kids are the best people in the world, Dave."
"Well, mine sure are," said Dixon with a grin. "Sounds good, then. See you all at 1830."
"What's this?" asked Jack, grabbing the bit of metal and stone from Mckay.
"A device," said Mckay.
"An artifact," said Daniel at the same time.
"Never mind," said Jack, putting it quickly down on the table. "None of my business."
"I guess we should leave you two to your argument then," said Dixon.
"Dave, wanna help me with the paperwork?" asked Jack hopefully.
"That an order, sir?" answered Dixon, already standing at the door.
"Does it have to be?" asked Jack.
"Yes, sir," said Dixon with a grin.
Jack sighed. "Never mind, then. Teal'c?"
"I am not sure of what use I would be to you, ColonelO'Neill," said Teal'c.
"Come on, I'll show you," said Jack, leading him out and leaving Daniel and Rodney to their own.
"Okay, here's a deal," said Daniel, leaning forward again. "I get to make a detailed photograph, and then you get to have it for the rest of the day—you can't find anything, then I get it back."
Mckay sighed. "Fine."
ooooooo
Returning to the Tok'ra home-world, Shan'ak, the Tok'ra who nearly always dialed the gate for them, did not ask Jolinar or Sam anything about what they had seen. But since they swept past him with a brooding face, and since it was not his place to know, that was hardly a wonder. Martouf and Lantash were not so silent, as soon as they caught sight of Jolinar.
"What is wrong?" asked Martouf, after a chaste kiss as they met in the halls.
"Everything," said Jolinar, but pausing to stay a moment before continuing on.
"Was there any issue with our base on Kreola?" asked Martouf, watching her face closely.
"No, on Abydos," answered Jolinar.
Martouf put a hand on Jolinar's. "Sha're's people?" he asked, concerned.
"All gone, taken by the Goa'uld," said Jolinar. She sighed. "Both Heru'ur and Quetesh seemed to be in dispute over the planet."
"This is ill news for all," said Martouf, his face darkening. "I did not think Quetesh had that much power."
"Nor did I," said Jolinar. Her frown deepened. "I have been out of touch."
"But for Sha're as well, of course," said Martouf. "Will you tell her soon?"
"There is no purpose in waiting," said Jolinar. "I must speak to the Council soon on the matter in any case, so she would find out then."
"The Council?" asked Martouf. "Why?"
"To discuss what course of action to take in this matter," said Jolinar.
"This is but information, what course of action is there to take?" asked Martouf, confused.
"I am duty bound to help find these people," said Jolinar, looking up at him. Sam could almost feel the slow burning fire emanating from her eyes. "Sha're is under our protection, mine and Samantha's, and it was by our actions that her people were put at risk from Quetesh, even if Heru'ur was separate."
Martouf looked down at her, a little stunned and perhaps unsure of how much approval to express—Sam at least could not tell. He closed his eyes and Lantash spoke next. "Jolinar?" he asked warningly. "I know that you feel for these people, but we cannot commit to helping every misfortune. This may not even be connected to you."
"Then I will not do so," said Jolinar. "But once is not every."
"But what is your motivation for this time?" continued Lantash, pressing.
Sam remained silent, just as interested in her answer, but Jolinar gave none. She pressed her lips together, her eyes firmly resting on a point just below Lantash's chin, and said nothing. Sam couldn't even hear one thought.
Lantash sighed after a moment, and returned control to Martouf. "Jolinar, I do not understand why you insist on this, but you must know that the Council will not approve."
"Sometimes, Martouf, it does not matter what the Council says," said Jolinar firmly.
Martouf smiled faintly at her, and bent to plant a kiss on her forehead. "I hope your passion is well placed," he said. "And that is all I will say on this."
Jolinar leaned into his kiss a little. "It is my duty to try."
"I am sorry for both Sha're and Samantha that this has happened—it will be my hope that this turns out well," he said.
Jolinar's tense mouth gave him a hint of a smile, and then she continued on her way.
Sam wanted to say something, ask the same questions that Martouf and Lantash had asked only with less disapproval and more curiosity, but she knew better than to press that point. Instead, she turned to something said that she had grasped and held on to early in the conversation.
~Are you familiar with Quetesh?~ asked Sam. ~More than usual, I mean? You seemed to know what her character was like, and implied that you had once been in contact.~
*Yes.*
~What, that's it?~ asked Sam. ~Come on Jol, this is getting ridiculous.~
*What is, the fact that I do not wish to tell you everything about myself?* said Jolinar, nearly snapping. *Oh yes, very ridiculous indeed!*
~I don't need to know everything,~ said Sam. ~I wasn't asking for that, just a little more than you gave.~
*Let me be the judge of what is too much to ask,* said Jolinar, and then fell silent.
Sam sighed, and grudgingly filed it away for later. Today was not the day for arguments anyway.
They made it to the infirmary, and were glad to find that Sha're had been moved to a more private area, as private as the Tok'ra ever got. She was sitting up in bed with Shifu snuggled in her arms, looking worlds better than before physically, but her mood clearly pissed. Eyes smoldering, lips in a tight line, her rocking of Shifu a little less than smooth and gentle—and it was easy to tell the cause.
Anise was at the foot of her bed in one of her less-than-generic outfits, her own look serious and urgent but not yet frustrated.
"He has been in this world only four days, and yet you cannot wait?" asked Sha're, incredulous.
"If there is any possible danger, we should act before it becomes necessary," said Anise earnestly. "We cannot know how long it will take."
"There is nothing to learn," protested Sha're. "He is a child, no different from hundreds of others I have seen."
"He has all the knowledge of the symbiotes who conceived him," said Anise bluntly. "It is possible that it will not express itself for months, even years, but it will do no harm to check."
"How dare you!" said Sha're. "Leave me be, for a week at least! He is my child as well, and I will not have him treated so."
Anise looked about ready to depart, but she paused to say, "It will not be a choice eventually."
"Do not treat me as ignorant or mindless," said Sha're, nearly growling out the words. "Do you think I know not what danger there may be? But I will not be as unfeeling as you wish me to be. Now go!"
Anise barely nodded her head before walking out, not giving Jolinar and Sam even a slight glance.
Sha're finally saw them, and her face relaxed a little. "Sa'm, Jolinar, come please," she said.
"She is not the most pleasant of us," commented Jolinar, coming to Sha're's side.
"No?" asked Sha're, a tight little tilt of her head.
"No," said Jolinar. Then, with a sigh, "But I am continually assured that she does not mean ill. I am not sure I believe it."
"Oh, I do not doubt the soundness of her reason," said Sha're. She reached out to touch Jolinar's hand, "But please, clear my mind of such thoughts, for I do not wish to dwell on them anymore."
Jolinar glanced down at Sha're's friendly touch, but neither said nor did anything about it. Instead, she looked back up at Sha're's request, and tried to hide a wince. They had nothing good to bring.
~Ask her about Shifu,~ prompted Sam.
"Other than being threatened by our less congenial members, your son looks well," said Jolinar, nodding towards Shifu's fuzzy dark head.
"Mm, so I think and hope," said Sha're, giving a little smile. "Would you like to hold him?"
Jolinar's eyebrows rose a little, and she hesitated for a second. Sam wondered if she had ever held a child before—did Tok'ra have children? "I would be honored," Jolinar finally said.
Sha're smiled, and offered the tiny bundle to Jolinar. Taking him into a secure hold, Jolinar looked down at the baby with a deep appreciation. "He does look well," she said, imitating Sha're and putting a slight rock into her hold. "But is he not hungry?"
"Oh, is he suckling his thumb again?" asked Sha're, leaning over to look. "He does that continually, but for a small babe it is fine. He has already fed well today, so I do not know why he does it."
"Hmm," acknowledged Jolinar, still looking at Shifu as she held him. Sam felt a relaxation and contentment begin to flow through Jolinar, but Sam herself felt the warmth and pleasure that children had often given her. She had never been quite ready to have any of her own, but she could not deny that she was very fond of them, at all ages. Perhaps Jolinar felt similar feelings, but was still worried about Abydos at this time—she wasn't even smiling.
"Are you well?" asked Sha're, looking up at Jolinar. "Did your mission go as planned?"
Jolinar looked up, slowing her rocking until it stopped. "It did," she said. "Exactly as expected."
"But you are not pleased," said Sha're.
Jolinar bit the inside of her lower lip, and gave Shifu one last look before handing him back to his mother. Sha're's brow creased as she accepted Shifu back, and though he fussed a little at being rustled again so shortly, he was calm in a moment. "Jolinar?" she pressed.
~There is no need to hedge around it for her sake,~ said Sam.
*I know that, and I had no intention to do it,* answered Jolinar shortly.
"Our planned mission caused no trouble," she said aloud. "It was the errand on the way back." Taking a breath, she dove in. "We had not yet contacted Abydos to convey your recovery to your father, first because you were still in critical condition, but yesterday when we tried to dial we couldn't connect."
Sha're's face went a little darker. "Yes?"
"We dialed this morning, but there was no response," said Jolinar. "Samantha and I went through to investigate, but there was no one on the planet. No one alive."
Sha're went pale, and stiffened.
"Your people are not dead," Jolinar went on quickly. "The village was intact, but there was no one but the corpses of dead Jaffa and marks that a Goa'uld ship exploded."
"What is this?" Sha're whispered, all the health fading from her face.
Jolinar took a step closer, her face showing all the worry she had just recently tried to hold in. "There were two Goa'uld fighting on Abydos, but they were not fighting against your people. One of them was an ally of Ba'al, the other one an enemy of Apophis—it is our fault that Ba'al and any of his allies knew about your world. It appears as if your people were taken captive, but by which one we don't know."
Sha're's head dipped, hiding the welling of her eyes. "Mai'tac," she murmured, barely audibly.
Jolinar stood, not sure what to do next. "We will do what is in our power to find them, I swear to you," she said quietly. "It was our recklessness that led to this, it will be ours to make it right."
"You will bring my father back to me," said Sha're, looking up with a lone wet streak down her cheek.
"Yes," said Jolinar.
"I will hold you to that," said Sha're, the barest hint of a tremble in her voice.
~May I?~ asked Sam. Jolinar silently closed her eyes and transferred control. "Sha're, I am so sorry," Sam said, reaching for Sha're's hand.
"It is not all your fault," Sha're said softly, not rejecting Sam's hand. She looked up, meeting Sam's pained look. "It is but more of the evil in this life, striking out against those I love."
Sam's eyes shut for a moment, and she squeezed Sha're's hand. "We'll fix this," she said. "We can't let them do this to us."
Sha're shook her head lightly, a tear falling from her chin onto Shifu's head where she brushed it off with a finger. "No," she agreed.
"We will fight," said Jolinar, coming forward again and looking Sha're square in the eye.
There was a pause, and a little of Sha're's color returned after the shock. She looked down at Shifu, and stroked his head again as if another tear had fallen. Then, taking a deep breath, she looked back up. "I wish to be alone with my son now," she said in a steady voice.
Jolinar nodded, bowing her head a little and turning away. "Be well," she said, just as Sam was about to ask for a farewell.
"I will," Sha're answered.
Then they left her. Jolinar had not planned where to go, so for a few moments they stood in the hall outside the infirmary, darkly brooding.
~I hated that,~ said Sam, giving her gut reaction without extra thought or words.
*Never again,* swore Jolinar. *I do not ever again want to see such a face, cause such a face with such news.*
~We're agreed on this, then?~ asked Sam. ~Look for them no matter what the Council says?~
*We shan't even ask the Council,* said Jolinar. *They must know of what happened, but I shall not make the request knowing that it would be denied. And if by chance, our missions take longer than scheduled, there will be plenty of plausible reasons to offer for it—they will not be suspicious.*
Sam almost responded with a dark half-laugh. ~Moonlighting, then.~
*I am not familiar with that usage,* said Jolinar. *But it does not matter.*
~What about Martouf and Lantash?~
Jolinar paused, saying nothing.
Sam took that moment to wonder a few things. Why Jolinar had let herself care for Sha're, to the point where she was ready to protect even her feelings; if Martouf and Lantash knew all of Jolinar's secrets, and if theirs was a truly open relationship; what exactly the nature of this mission was, and how would the Tok'ra would consider it if they found out.
Jolinar did not spend long thinking, though. *If they ask, I will not evade or deceive,* she said. *But though they might feel duty-bound to disapprove and report, I cannot lie to them.*
Sam agreed, glad to have that cleared up. ~And now?~
*Nothing important can be done now, as you know,* Jolinar said. *So what do you think is next?*
~Bath, food, bed,~ said Sam, sighing. ~I shall be glad of them all.~
Jolinar agreed, and they made their way accordingly. Today was yet another long day that indicated more to come.
—
Author's Notes: You may have noticed that the gate was upright when Sam and Jolinar came through. Considering that the Goa'uld usually rely on gate travel, I would assume that Heru'ur would reset the gate after beating Quetesh and not finding Amonet, just in case he wanted to go back there.