30 - The Storm
~*Selmak*~
Leave them be. We need to give a full report to Garshaw and Per'sus, and you have a very confused son back on Earth, I think.
My daughter was in that disgusting prison for months, and you know what the Jaffa did to her.
Do you honestly think she wants to talk to you about those particular details?
No, Jacob admits.
She is taking strength in putting her focus on her husbands. Let her. I promise you, when she is ready to talk, which will happen, she knows that you will be there for her.
Jacob glares, which I know is directed at me.
She needs, what do you call it? Breathing room. She needs it…desperately. If you push to help her now, you will only hurt her.
Jacob sighs. I won't bother her.
Now…
Alright. Alright.
~+~+~.
Thankfully, Per'sus and Garshaw requested us without the rest of the council.
"How is Jolinar alive?" Garshaw asked with knitted brows, holding a baffled expression that almost looks adorable.
Per'sus though, while just as curious…he can't hide his bewilderment from me…looks almost stoic in comparison.
"Martouf and Lantash surviving is confusing enough," Garshaw continues. "That poison would have killed them instantly, and Zar came months later, but Jolinar. It's been nearly ten years. We confirmed her death. How is this possible?"
"Zar has an Ancient Healing Device," Jacob replies as if that should explain things.
The frown remains etched in Garshaw's expression.
"He experimented on a variety of people, including Lantash and Malek."
"They were killed, yes, along with their hosts." She frowns. "Their bodies would have remained intact though, at least…enough to be brought back. Jolinar was…absorbed." There is a slight grimace, and the word clearly leaves her with an unpleasant taste.
I understand. Jolinar was…is? She is my friend. It took me a few years to get used to feeling her death, what was left of her, inside Sam.
"You don't…fully understand." Jacob sighs. "They were killed repeatedly. Over and over, then left dead for longer and longer. Martouf and Amb…were not."
Horror sets in both of them, and even Per'sus cannot remain appear so detached for this. In fact, he looks quite ill.
"By pushing the limits with them, he learned enough to bring back Jolinar. I don't know exactly how."
Per'sus closes his eyes as Jacob speaks, and when he opens them, Einar is the one in control. After my host is finished, Einar nods in response.
Jacob continues the report, explaining everything we know. After…
"I would like to return to Earth. Mark needs family right now…family that knows what's going on, and Sam is busy."
"Go to your son," Garshaw replies without hesitation.
Einar makes another short nod. He could override her choice, but the nod tells us that he won't.
"Thank you." Jacob leaves, and he immediately leaves the room. We have to tell Sam first though, and we see Ocker on the way over.
"Jacob," he greets politely.
And Delek.
Why is Delek here? Jacob asks in anger, and I take over before he says anything regretful.
"Ocker…Delek…" I look to the latter. "Why are you here? On this base? "
"I won't be here long," Delek replies stiffly. "I have a report for Per'sus."
"Does he know that?"
"No. I sought him out…or will. He is on this base, is he not?"
"He is."
"Then what is the issue?"
"Do you think I would not know by now what you have done? Your actions have put Colonel Carter, my daughter, in danger, as well as three of our fellow Tok'ra."
"I did what I thought was best."
Being fired certainly humbled him, as his arrogance is deflated. He looks almost empty.
"I have learned from my mistake."
"I hope you have," I reply before leaving.
That's it? A stern talking to for ten seconds? Jacob asks.
He has already been punished, and our priority is your children, not your anger.
Jacob grumbles.
I give him control as we approach Sam.
"Dad." She is clearly nervous, and Lantash is tense as he moves by her side.
"I'm not going to push," Jacob assures.
"Thank you," she replies, clearly relieved.
"Mark must be…baffled. I know how he feels, but he doesn't have a Selmak to explain things."
I'm amused at being referred to as "a Selmak."
"I'm going to go to him. Try to sooth things out. Maybe help Jack figure out what to do now that Mark knows about aliens."
"That sounds like a good idea."
"Sam…" He glances away, then hugs her, and he's glad that she welcomes it. "If you need my return, contact the SGC. I'll return right away."
"I think Mark needs you more."
Jacob nods as he looks to her. "I'm here for you, but uh… Selmak says you need space, and…she's probably right."
Sam laughs.
Jacob smiles, glad that she can, and it confirms to him that I was correct.
"Thank you. Tell Mark that I'll see him as soon as I can…and the others. I feel like I just left them, which…I did."
"I will, and they should understand. I'm sure Jack is itching to come here as soon as possible." He steps away as he looks to Lantash, who looks ready to attack if this goes wrong, and Malek, who looks worried about Lantash. "Thank you…for helping her, for saving me. I owe you both."
"Samantha has helped us as well," Malek replies as Lantash relaxes a little.
Jacob nods.
~*Jolinar*~
It's been a long day, and after Jacob leaves, I suggest we try to get Malek to sleep. He's been fighting it.
Sam makes a brief nod before suggesting just that, and we head to our quarters.
Malek yawns as soon as we get there, and he climbs into the bed. Martouf and Sam follow him.
"I must say, I find Tok'ra beds to be…unusual," Martouf says. "So instead of sleeping on a hard stone floor with rags, we sleep…on a hard crystal bed…with sharp edges and a blanket."
"Nice crystal bed." Malek yawns. "It is certainly cleaner."
"And it doesn't smell as bad," Sam adds, "though it is hard to get in and out of."
"You get used to it, and the edges are not that sharp." In the middle, Malek cuddles with both of us.
Sam turns to hold him close, smiling as he drifts off to sleep.
~+~+~.
Realizing I had fallen asleep, I realize that Lantash is missing. I follow down the hallway, feeling him just ahead of us.
He looks back as we approach.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Nightmares." He frowns, then admits. "Martouf is upset, and I forgot to ask for writing instruments."
I hug him.
"I thought Aldwin could help."
"He should be down the hallway."
He nods. We head down, and we soon find Aldwin sitting down in a crystal bench that's part of the wall.
"Aldwin." Lantash approaches him.
"Lantash," Aldwin greets with a smile.
He looks tired, Sam thinks.
"Martouf needs to write."
He grabs a small package on the bench and offers it.
"You were prepared," I reply.
"They were brought to me about ten minutes ago, but I didn't want to disturb your sleep."
"Thank you," Lantash reaches for the package then stops as someone approaches.
Ocker and Delek.
"Why are you here?" Aldwin asks with a slight panic in his voice.
"I am leaving-" Delek starts.
"You!" Lantash is furious. He grabs Delek, shoving him against the wall, pressing him against sharp crystals.
"Release him!" Ocker demands.
"You betrayed us," Lantash growls, glaring at Delek.
"What is going on?" I demand, searching Sam's memories for an answer.
I am as clueless as you, she thinks.
"On the Tau'ri world, we heard some of the personnel speak of a traitor. A Tok'ra. Delek." Lantash is glaring at Delek as he speaks.
"I didn't believe you were alive," Delek replies.
"Had you been truthful, we might have escaped earlier."
"Don't," Aldwin orders when Ocker takes a step to physically move Lantash off Delek. "You will only escalate…"
Ocker ignores him, and for that, Lantash pulls out a knife and presses it to Delek's throat. Ocker immediately steps back.
"Lantash." I step closer and speak softly.
"He is a traitor."
"He's arrogant and foolish, but he is not a traitor."
"He knew Samantha had been taken by Zar, and he intentionally withheld that information from the council. He deserves to die."
That angers me, but…
"No. Please. I love you. Don't do this. I've seen him risk his life, time and time again. Our base was attacked merely an hour after he took his first host. He immediately ran to the lake to save others, his batch mates that had no hosts." I step closer. "Lantash, this will only hurt Martouf."
"He saved my life," Ocker adds. "He held me and others in his hands. Please. We have lost every other batch mate. Don't make me lose him."
As Lantash looks to Ocker, we see that Ocker is in tears.
"Please," he begs.
"Delek will leave," Aldwin assures.
Lantash makes a hoarse scream of frustration as he throws Delek down, then steps away.
"Thank you," Aldwin says as I hug Lantash.
"But he betrayed us." Lantash is in tears.
"He made a mistake," I reply.
Malek is awake, Sam thinks as Delek gets back on his feet. We feel him approaching. Or Amb.
Probably Amb.
"Thank you," Ocker says in a smile, then turns to his brother. "Delek, are you-"
Amb steps closer. He grabs Delek without warning and stabs him on the back of the neck.
"No!" Ocker screams.
Shit!
Delek's eyes flash as he drops to the floor.
Malek takes control immediately, dropping the knife in horror.