Chapter 30

Cameron Mitchell sat in the captain's chair staring out at the sight before him. He didn't think that this mission could get any more dangerous and the appearance of the Goa'uld ship in a previously believed empty part of space just proved him wrong.

"Are we sure its Goa'uld?"

Mitchell turned to see an exacerbated Daniel Jackson walk in.

"Triple checked it."

"What the hell is a Goa'uld ship doing out here?"

"More importantly, why is it here? Its like we're walking into a convention of Stargate villains or something. I mean we have to deal with the Wraith, the Ori and now the Goa'uld, what's next? Replicators? Lucian Alliance?"

Daniel ignored Mitchell's jokes and headed straight for the communications console, something that did not go unnoticed by Mitchell.

"I made a joke."

"I know," Daniel muttered as he played the distress call aloud. "It was funny. Not funny in a gut busting sort of way, but it definately warranted a chuckle."

"I'll try harder next time."

"You do that."

Mitchell could see the look on Daniel's face change as he listened to the message.

"What's wrong?"

"The distress call may be coming from a Goa'uld ship, but its not from a Goa'uld."

"What exactly does it say?"

"Ba'al."

"Ba'al? The message is from Ba'al?"

"No from a group of his human slaves. According to the message, Ba'al brought a group of his human slaves to this planet months ago looking for something but it went bad. There was a mutiny. The ship's anvigation was destroyed and the survivors have be holding out on this ship in the hopes of rescue. But one of them is badly injured -- possibly dying. They need help."

"It's probably a trap."

"I would bet on it, but it also might not be.

Daniel gave Mitchell a knowing look. This wasn't something that they could ignore. McKay, who had been strongly silent since fetching Daniel felt compelled to but the kibosh on what he knew the two were planning.

"You do know that we're working on tight schedule," McKay intervened. "We don't really have the time to find out if its a trap or not."

"Rodney," Mitchell replied getting up from the captain's chair to stare the scientist in the face. "If it were you, or anyone else on your team, how would you feel? Trapped. Injured -- possibly dying. And the only people for light years around decided that they just didn't have the time to save you."

"You have a point."

Mitchell gave one final look to Daniel who did nothing but nod in response. He turned on the communication system and began broadcasting to the entire ship.

"This is Colonel Mitchell. We've picked up a distress signal from a downed ship and we're going to to assist. I need a security detail between five to six and to meet myself, Dr. Jackson and Dr. McKay in the ring transport in twenty minutes. Dr. Lam, I want a medical team prepped and ready to deal with possible casualties and I want to send a subspace message to Atlantis to let them know what we're doing and that we'll be a bit late for dinner."

"Me? Why me?" McKay asked as he followed Mitchell and Daniel out of room and down the hallway.

"Because your technical experience may be needed."

"How?"

"The nav system is fried," Daniel said looking at Rodney annoyed. "Its possible that life support and other functions are as well. If the distress call is real and these people are still alive, they need all the help we can give them until we can figure out how to get them off the ship."

"But there are a handful of expendable tech heads on this ship."

Both Daniel and Mitchell stopped in their tracks. Looking oddly at the nervous physicist. "Expendable?"

"Did I say expendable, I meant knowledgeable."

"You're going Rodney."

"Damn it."

oooooo

Netan stood looking at the approaching ship. Shortly after their tryst, Kebechet ringed back to the planet telling him that there were a few things she needed to take care of before their rescue. As salvation creeped ever closer, he couldn't believe he found himself where he was at this moment. Never did he think in all of his years that his life would extend beyond that of a simple historian or that his life was meant for anything more grand. All he ever wanted was to live a simple life with his wife. Nothing more. After she was taken away, for what he believed was forever, he found himself wanting nothing more than to find his wife and to save her from the fate that she had been relegated to after the fall of Sedaris. When that seemed less and less possible he turned inward. Into the darkness that had lingered just beneath the surface. A darkness that been filled by the loss of his parents, the cold indifference of his foster family, and the constant hardships that life seemed to deal him. He became a monster, a man who reveled in the torture of others, and who cared for nothing or no one expect himself. When he learned of his emminent death he welcomed it. The hopes that this suffering existence that he had been wading thru had finally come to and end and that he would be reunited with Aja again.

But that wasn't meant to be.

He was meant to reunite with his beloved for eternity, but in a different way. That the universe had looked to all of his hardships and suffering and blessed him with a new fate. One free from the pains of the past and one that would gain onto him the wisdom and knowledge that Netan An Tal, historian, always dreamed of. Maybe there was a such a thing as destiny and maybe this was meant to be his.

ooooo

Back on the planet, Kebechet sat waiting.

Although it brought her great joy to be reunited with Netan she knew there would be things that he wasn't yet ready to understand. She wanted to tell him everything. Tell him the full extent of the visions that Aja had shared with her. But now was not the time. As she sat in front of the Ancient console she felt herself overcome with guilt. However she knew that when it was all over, Netan would forgive her for her omission and understand why she kept it from him.

A ringing filled her head. A quiver that overcame every fiber of her being. This feeling was familiar. Something she had underwent many time before. When the ringing subsided she turned around and for the first time she was face to face with its source.

"You've decided to finally show yourself," she said staring face to face with a young girl with dark hair. "But you're far from being a little girl."

With a bright flash of light the young girl aged thirty years, appearing before Kebechet as a beautiful woman of middle age.

"I am sorry for the inital deception," she said looking at Kebechet with knowing eyes. "You must understand the need for deception is vital right now."

"Aja talked about you. Said that you were trying to hurt her -- confuse her."

"I meant her no harm. I was only trying to help."

"How is invading her mind helping her?"

"You of all people should not throw stones when it comes to that subject."

"I'm sorry," Kebechet said getting up from her seat. "We have not been formally introduced. I am Kebechet, daughter of Anubis."

The woman nodded in acknowledgement, "I am Morgan."

"What do you want with us, Morgan?"

"There is a child, one that has yet to be born, one of great power who is vital to the universe."

"The Child of Fire."

"Yes, she is known as The Orici."

"What do you want with this Orici?"

"This child carries within it great evil. An evil that cannot be allowed to fester. With the proper training, this evil can be contained."

"What are you getting at?"

"This child cannot be raised by its parents."

"You want me to steal a child?"

"I want you to raise the child."

"What?"

"Under my careful instruction, this child will learn to contain the evil within her."

"How can you be sure its possible."

"Its been done once before."

"And why should I do this?"

"Because in doing so you will save Vala."

"Vala?" Kebechet replied stopping dead in her tracks. "What does Vala have to do with this?"

"Vala carries this child."

"Not only do you want me to steal a child, but Vala's child. I can't do that, Aja won't."

"If you don't she will die."