13 - Evidence and Suspicions

~*Selmak*~

Zar doesn't trust us. We haven't even met him yet. It takes several months before I take a chance to visit one of the prisons.

The warden is a female Jaffa named Idi who bows and invites me to dinner.

"I shall accept your invitation."

"Thank you, Lord Jarl. I am honored with this visit."

"I will inspect this prison as you prepare my feast."

"Yes, my lord. I'll send for the guards."

I glare.

"The prison can be hostile."

"Very well."

~+~+~.

The planet is freezing! I thought we dressed for this. We did not.

Look, it's Her'c.

I spot the young Jaffa approaching with another. I see some amusement as he recognizes me, but we cannot acknowledge each other.

He and the other bow.

"Lord Jarl," says the unknown one. "We are pleased to show you one of Lord Zar's mighty prisons."

Into a building, which is warmer, we go down stairs that become slippery. We could have just rung down from the surface, but Her'c correctly suspects I want to see everything.

Rings bring us down.

It stinks! It's musty.

The people are terrified, but they don't try to get away. The nameless Jaffa smiles in amusement. Her'c hides his discomfort.

"Lord Jarl," Her'c says. "Each prison is the same. Each built on on a barren, inhospitable planet, so should anyone escape, they will not survive for more than a few days. The stairs we just traveled has a force field that pushes down those who are too slow, or anyone who tries to ring up. There is running water. We deliver food once a month.

Is that person sleeping or dead? Jacob asks as we see a naked man just laying there.

I think he's dead.

"While we are here, I ask that you grant us permission to destroy the bodies."

"Permission granted."

He quickly destroys the dead man with three shots from the zat'nikatel. There's a wet spot where the man was.

"There are twelve prisons on this planet. They are considered low security. Only the warden lives here on a regular basis."

In other words, no one important would be here. I wonder if he knows about Malek. I have to talk to him alone.

As I walk around, the prisoners stare in fear. Some immediately bow.

"Are Zar's more important prisoners sent in a place like this?"

"Such are tortured for weeks, then sent to a similar prison. I do not know where. I don't even know what planet we are on, my lord."

"According to rumors, Zar captured a Tok'ra." The other Jaffa smirks.

Nice of him to bring Malek up for us, Jacob thinks.

"A Tok'ra. So I have heard. I also heard that he was killed."

"Apologies, my lord. I do not know." Her'c puts the slightest quiver in his voice as if I might punish him.

"He was executed, which is unfortunate," the other replies. "Fallen gods deserve to suffer."

"Unfortunate indeed," I pretend to agree. "What was the name of this traitor?"

"Amb."

That's the host, idiot, Jacob thinks.

I can't exactly correct him. "You saw the traitor die?"

"There is a recording, Lord Jarl. I have not seen it myself."

"I would see this traitor die."

~+~+~.

Back on the surface, we are served dinner by pretty young men wearing nothing but fancy lingerie.

"Do you like my pets, Lord Jarl?"

Pets?! Jacob thinks.

"They are lovely." What else can I say to that? Unfortunately, humans are considered little more than livestock by many Goa'uld, and some Jaffa feel the same.

She smiles. "Lord Zar is most generous to allow us wardens our pets."

"I will be staying here for the night."

"I am most honored, my lord. Do you wish for my pets to service you?" She's very pleased that we are staying.

"No."

"If you prefer, I can send for a young woman."

"No. I wish to see the execution of the traitor. That will be my entertainment tonight."

"It is most satisfying to watch." She smiles in a manner that sickens me. "We can watch it together."

Jacob and I realize in horror that she is actually aroused.

"Send Her'c to my quarters after dinner with the recording."

"Of course, my lord."

~+~+~.

I make sure there is no surveillance equipment before Her'c comes.

"Have you been to the planet where he might have been taken?" Jacob asks. On these missions, he usually cannot have control, so I give him what I can.

"No. I'm not important enough." He hands over the recording. "From what I have heard, the recording lasts for many hours. You may want to go to the end."

Hours.

We talk a bit more, but there's really nothing else he knows.

"It's good to be able to talk to someone," he admits. "This is my first assignment."

"How long have you been working under Zar?"

"It's only been a few months."

"You're doing well."

He nods his thanks before leaving.

Jacob, do you want to sleep?

No. We'll watch it together.

Unfortunately, we need to make sure Malek didn't say anything, so we cannot just skip to the end.

Jacob turns it on. A life size hologram of a half naked Amb is now laying next to us. He's terrified. I feel horrible for them.

Having confirmed that it is Malek, he immediately goes to convert it into a message for the Tok'ra. They need his death confirmed. It's safe to do so now. That might not be the case in an hour. I give no information with it. If the message is tracked, it looks like we are sharing the death of a traitor.

~+~+~.

Amb's eyes flash as he is dropped, and I feel angry, knowing that Malek just died.

They never said anything, Jacob thinks as we watch, waiting for Amb to die as well.

My stomach aches as he desperately calls out to Malek.

He's not dying.

How is that possible?!

I don't know.

That should not be possible!

I stop the recording, feeling very ill.

Selmak?

Yes?

We are only an hour in. It's a six hour recording.

I close my eyes and retreat. I first met Malek when he was only two weeks old. He was a spirited and loving larva. I've watched him grow and learn for a thousand years, and now I've watched him die.

I can't do this.

I'll watch it, Jacob offers. Go to sleep.

I've known Amb for over a hundred years. He's loyal.

I don't blame him if he broke, but we need to know if he did. The Tok'ra might not even get that message until a few days from now. We can see the truth now.

I sigh, then let it play.

"Let's get creative, shall we?"

~+~+~.

Regardless of anything Zar does, Amb is blank. He's fading. He's dying bit by bit. He wants to die. Killing Malek ensured that Amb will never talk, and Zar seems to slowly realize that.

After several hours, Amb suddenly stops twisting, falling to the floor with faded eyes. The poor man is finally no longer suffering. Zar takes out the zatarc ring, aims for Amb's head, then shoots twice.

I wince, knowing that destroyed his brain…and probably half of Malek. There's no coming back from that.

Aside from Malek's name, he never gave anything up.

"Take this thing out," Zar says dismissively to the body.

~*Jack*~

Aldwin returns, and he's obviously been crying. What the hell makes a Tok'ra cry?

"I wish to speak with Sam-Samantha," he mutters, not bothering with any pretenses this time.

"Yeah. Sure. She's in her office."

He leaves immediately. I guess he knows the way.

"Jacob?" Daniel wonders.

"Maybe." I hope not. I doubt it though.

~+~+~.

He's gone for a while, and when he returns, he goes into the meeting room. I guess we are meeting after all.

I sit down with Daniel. Teal'c isn't here. I prepare myself for the possibility that Jacob and Selmak have died.

"Malek and Amb were executed."

"You suspected that," I say…trying really hard not to make that sound sarcastic. "It was confirmed?"

"I watched a recording… They were tortured to death in an execution."

"I'm sorry."

"They never gave anything up." He shakes his head slightly, then leaves without a word.

I walk him back to the stargate, then go to Sam to sit with her. Daniel is already there.

She's unable to speak for a long time.

We need to tell Janet.

"He said he was going to tell you."

"Yeah. I think we got the brief version. He's already left."

She nodded. "They were good friends. Aldwin was one of the Tok'ra who found Amb to be Malek's new host."

"Oh.." I frown. "I'll tell Janet if you would like, and… Take whatever time you need."

"Thank you, sir."

~*Selmak*~

I'm doing my best to not think about that horrid recording while Jacob keeps thinking about it.

Something is wrong.

Very wrong, I snap slightly.

He ignores it because we are both in a bad mood. Is it possible he used a sarcophagus.

Two shots to the head. No. Not even a sarcophagus could revive him. Ba'al was trying to steal Malek from him, so he killed him.

That's the thing. There was no rush to kill him. They weren't in a battle. Was Ba'al's attempt an immediate threat?

He does have a point.

Also, since when do Goa'uld record executions? As far as we can tell, it's the only time. Zar's own database doesn't have any other executions.

I frown. You think he wanted to make a point in showing they died.

It got Ba'al off his back.

Those two hits would have destroyed half his brain, and it would have completely destroyed Malek's.

Finally… Zar didn't know their names until Amb called for Malek.

My heart breaks again.

Yet, the Jaffa knew Amb's name. If fact, he only knew Amb's name.

Huh. All of this could be explained though. Maybe Ba'al was on the way. Maybe Malek was the first prisoner he found significant. For all we know, that Jaffa was one of the ones that abused him.

We have nothing, except that it doesn't feel right, but I think my host is correct.

TBC…