Chapter 24

A rollercoaster of emotions swept thru Netan at this most recent revelation. Anger. Sadness. Bitternesss. Emotions for which he did not think names existed hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I know its alot to take in," Kebechet replied as she touched the side of Netan's cheek. "But you wanted to know everything and I warned it wasn't going to be easy."

Despite the ranging emotions coarsing thru his veins, Netan knew she had a point. All confusion and pain aside, he needed answers, he needed the truth.

"Continue."

"Are you sure?" Kebechet asked and for the first time Netan noticed genuine concern in her voice.

"Yes."

Kebechet looked deep into Netan's eyes. She knew that the revelations were hurting him deeply. However, she also knew that this was something he needed to know if he was going to be of any use to her.

"I am not going to try and explain genetics to you, but you need to understand that after generations of breeding with humans, the Ancient genetic pattern all but disappeared. This gene, is that last remnants of that. But even then, it was a weakend form. Many times, it was too weak. Ninety-eight percent of all test subjects died and the remaining two percent were left so genetically mutated, they were better off dead. Without any success, my father turned to two Goa'uld with a great deal of knowledge in the ways of science: Qetesh and Nirrti, in the hopes that between the three of them, they could figure it out. My father had plans to challenge Ra and he believed that if he had the power of the Hok'tar, he would be unstoppable. Ever since his defeat over Sokar, Ra had reigned the System Lords. Brutally and tyranically, even for a Goa'uld. He was so feared that no one dare challenge him."

"Then why did Anubis want to?"

"My father was the offspring of Osiris and Nephthys. Nephthys coveted Osiris, but it was her sister, Isis, whom he took as his queen. Nephthys became jealous and enraged and plotted to destroy Isis. One night she, attacked Isis and forced her to leave her hosts body, trapping her in canopic jar. Nephthys took her place and using the body of Isis' host, seduced Osiris and my father was created. Jaffa loyal to Osiris figured out what had happened and freed Isis. Osiris did not kill Nephthys for her betrayl and for that she was grateful. She later married Osiris' brother, Setesh, who hated Osiris and wished to have Isis as his queen. He plotted along with Nephthys to destroy Osiris and use his forces to take down Ra. The plan failed and Nephthys was killed during the pursuit. Some say that Setesh himself murdered her. For that Setesh was banished. Isis, although not my father's mother, raised him as her own son and later helped him to gain the rank of System Lord. Many years later when Osiris and Isis allowed their hosts to produce a child, named Haresiese, they ran afoul of Ra. Haresiese was born with all the knowledge of the Goa'uld. The System Lords feared that Haresiese would somehow use that knowledge to rally the humans against them and cause an uprising like what occured with the Tau'ri. For that the child was killed and the Goa'uld banished. My father forever hated Ra for what he did to his family and vowed he would pay."

"So Anubis believed that by creating a Hok'tar, he would ultimately gain a weapon that he would be strong enough to have the other System Lords bow to his will?"

"Yes."

"So what happened?"

"Nirrti betrayed my father and sold out his plans to Ra in order to gain the rank of System Lord. My father was pursued by Ra's forces and ultimately he traveled to a small planet called Kheb, where an Ascended Ancient known as Oma Desala released him of his physical burden and out of Ra's reach."

"So why didn't your father then use the power he gained as an Ascended Being to just wipe the other Goa'uld out?"

"Ascension brings with it ultimate power and as it is in the human world, those with great power, do not wish to share. The Ascended Ancients, feared what my father would do and so they tried to destroy him. For some reason, they couldn't. He became stuck in a limbo between human existence and Ascension. It took a long time for my father to regain any sense of self. And when he did, the governing body of the Ascended known simply as The Others, told him that they would not punish him further, if and only if, he did not use his powers against Lower Beings. There was, you see, a loophole to that. They couldn't and wouldn't touch him so long as he didn't do anything that couldn't be accomplished by a typical Goa'uld. So my father simply continued to do as he had done before his Ascension, only with a bit more of an advantage."

"So how exactly does what happened to Aja fit into all of this?"

"The System Lords believed Anubis dead. Qetesh, my mother and his queen, felt strongly about avenging him and continued his research. She focused on finding a way to prevent death and mutation in the test subjects. She believed that it was the continued breeding with those humans who did not possess the gene that created the weakness. So she picked tweleve individuals, set them out on three isolated planets and hoped that after a thousand years of breeding amongst those who possessed the gene, would ultimately make it stronger. She found the most success on Sedaris. Everyone born on that planet, including yourself, were born with Ancient genetic patterns. Although, many on Sedaris ended up with the same genetic weakness that killed the other test subjects. What made your planet unique was the fact that a rare genetic mutation occurred within a single family. Aja's family. Qetesh protected Sedaris and began experimenting on the members of her family and although this genetic mutation did create a greater ability of survival and reduce the chance of disfigurement, it had one unfortunate side effect Qetesh did not anticipate."

"Insanity."

"She tried her best to prevent it but nothing seemed to work. Unable to see the humans suffer, she killed them and returned their bodies to the planet in the hopes it would be seen as an unexplainable natural death."

"Like Aja's biological father."

"Exactly."

Netan sat in silenece. It was so much to take in his mind felt as if it would burst. However, in a sad, strange way it brought him comfort to finally know the reason for everything that happened to them.

"What happened to Aja? I've heared stories, but I am guessing that they aren't entirely true, are they?"

"No. Not exactly."

"Why did Qetesh destroy my planet?"

"Nirrti had discovered that she was continuing my father's research and informed the System Lords. Ba'al, who at the time was merely a lieutenant of Kronos, was sent to take the planet by force. Qetesh knew that Aja was the last living descendant and she was adamant to protect her at all costs. So she struck first, attacking the planet as a decoy to take Aja away before Ba'al got there."

"So Qetesh took Vala as a host."

"Qetesh made herself aware of the people in Aja's life, including you and her step-sister. Her Jaffa kidnapped Vala and implated her with Qetesh. She then used Vala as a way to get her to Aja. While Ba'al's forces invaded your planet, Qetesh took Aja away and made her my host. She had hoped that my strength would prevent her from losing her mind."

"Did it?"

"For a short while. However, insanity came in a different way. Eventually, Ba'al caught up with Qetesh and she was able to use her guiles to convince him she was on his side. They thought of me as nothing more than a new host for Kebechet. We were forced to watch as the planet was destroyed. We were forced to watch as Qetesh and Ba'al tortured prisoners, including Adria. During the torture, Adria had brought the news of your death. She did not know that you had escaped with the other soon to members of the resistance. We were there when she spoke of your death. Adria did not understand why her daughter would just stand by and let this happen. She did not truly understand the nature of the Goa'uld. She pleaded with her daughter to help her. Talked in detail about how they killed her husband. After a few moments I excused myself, feigning disgust. What happened next, I could only describe as agonizing. A pain swept over me as if every fiber of my being was being torn apart by unseen hands. My heart felt as if it would explode in my chest. And there was a scream. One I could only hear in my mind. Never before had a hosts emotions ripped thru me in such a way. Her thoughts, so brutal. She had gone insane."

Netan's composure broke as he began to weep. He had known that Aja had suffered but to know that he was the reason for it, was almost more than he could bear.

"Do not blame yourself," Kebechet said as she began wiping away the tears from his face. "You could not have known."

"I should have saved her."

"She is not completely lost."

"What do you mean?"

Kebechet stroked the side of Netan's cheek, a tenderness that he had never seen in a Goa'uld.

"Cherish this," she said as she closed her eyes. "It will not last long."

Netan watched in confused silence as Kebechet opened her eyes. Only, it was not the Goa'uld who was looking back at him. His emotions, so raw and intense they caused his breath to catch in his chest. She said nothing as she stood up and sat on his lap, wrapping both of her legs around his waist. Netan watched breathlessly as she looked down into his deep brown eyes and kissed him. Netan could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks and he knew that he was not dreaming. He reached his hands up and cuped her face, kissing her back. After a time that seemed almost like hours they broke apart, looking deeply into one anothers eyes. Netan again wept because for the first time in ten years, he was looking into his wife's eyes.