hathor_girl

Martouf had only just finished eating breakfast - together with Sam - when they were informed a group of Tok'ra had arrived.

They hurried down to Hammond's office, where the Tok'ra were waiting. It turned out the group consisted of Naron/Malek, Freya/Anise, the Tok'ra healers Dippo/Xulxu and Niama/Viorna, as well as Jacob/Selmak. They were bringing fairly much equipment and devices.

Martouf felt some trepidation as he entered the room, realizing they all knew him, and he didn't know anyone but Jacob in there, and only because he had met him the day before.

Sam smiled reassuring at him, and they entered together.

"Impressive, it really does seem you are correct, Jacob - it does look like Martouf, and I sense a symbiote in him." Anise said, slowly shaking her head.

"Of course I'm right! Didn't you look at the scans I gave you?" Jacob sounded insulted.

Martouf had stopped and then taken a step back when he heard the voice, being reminded of the Goa'uld who had taken him and the other actors prisoner a few days ago.

"Um, Martouf doesn't really remember any of you, so perhaps we should start by introducing each other?" Sam said.

"A very good idea. You are Major Carter, I assume?" Malek said, giving her a friendly smile.

Martouf sent him a warning look, suddenly recognizing Malek's expression as the one he had when he was interested in some woman. Why did he recognize that? Was he friends with that...man? Alien? Alien, like himself, or at least like...Lantash, Martouf corrected himself. He put a hand on the small of Sam's back, and she gave him a smile before answering Malek.

"Yes, I am Major Samantha Carter. You are Malek, right? I remember you from Jolinar - you were her friend." Sam said.

"That is correct, and I would be honoured if you would consider me your...friend." Malek said, raising an eyebrow amusingly and looking at Martouf, who was clearly staking his claim. "My host's name is Naron."

"I am Anise." Anise said, handing over control to Freya. "And I am Freya."

The other Tok'ra introduced themselves as well, and then it was time to get down to the matter at hand.

"Martouf, I am a healer among the Tok'ra - your people. Viorna and I would like to examine you and Lantash, and see if we can determine what has happened, and how to help the two of you get well as quickly as possible." Xulxu told him.

"Thank you." Martouf said, somewhat careful. He was still not sure if he even wanted to become this other person, because wouldn't that mean he forgot who he felt he was right now?

"Before you do that, there is something I would like to say." Malek insisted. "Something very important. I have started an investigation into what happened to you and Lantash, Martouf, and I have some very preliminary findings."

"Please, go on." Hammond ordered.

"Ren'al was the scientist in charge of the zatarc project, taking over from Anise when she was stationed on Navalla."

"Much against my wish. The zatarc project was my project, and I do not like suddenly being replaced and reassigned." Anise scowled.

"I know, and I am sorry. If I had been present at the Council meeting where it was decided, I would have vetoed it." Malek assured her.

Selmak got control from Jacob. "Unfortunately, I was also not present, and neither was Garshaw. Ren'al asked for the assignment at a time when she knew only those Council members who agree with her, were present."

"Um, do you have some sort of problem on the Council?" Sam asked, worried.

"There have been...disagreements. It has always been this way, of course, but in the last few years those disagreements have grown worse, and more frequent. Ren'al, Delek, Suvikka, Teflorn, Shivka, Pollark, and Nivalkon have all become more paranoid, cautious, and less willing to help others. They often vote together, and against the rest. Usually, they are a minority, but now, unfortunately, many were away."

"I don't recognize Shivka and Pollark - the others have always been Council members, right?" Sam said.

Selmak nodded. "Yes. Shivka and Pollark took over when Cordesh was killed as a traitor, and Walka was killed when Cordeshremoved her, before taking her host, as you may remember."

"Right." Sam frowned.

"Regardless of the reasons." Malek continued, taking over the explanations again. "Ren'al took over the zatarc project. After taking a number of samples, and doing some scans, Anise had been working on healing Martouf, deciding saving his and Lantash's life were more important than the small chance of getting further information about the zatarc programming by doing an autopsy on Martouf. She had already gotten much information from just scanning his brain, and from the small samples she had taken from him and Lantash. For instance, she had found that a blocking device had been placed, so Lantash could not take control and stop Martouf, or in any way heal his mind, which he would otherwise do. He could still do some basic healing, slow aging, filter poisons, and such things, but nothing that needed any complexity, not with the block in place."

"How far had she gotten, healing Martouf, I mean?" Sam asked, throwing a look at Martouf, who looked shocked, confused, and angry all at the same time.

"Enough that he was stable, and that even in the current blocked situation, Lantash would be able to do the rest. Anise was working on finding a way to remove the block."

"Then Ren'al took over." Sam sounded tense.

"Yes, and as you may remember, she is very goal-oriented. She felt that even a small extra amount of information was more important than saving Martouf's life, so she decided to cut open Martouf's head and look at the remaining damage from the zatarcprogramming, before it was healed. She came to the conclusion that it was probably best to remove Lantash, at least temporarily."

"She admitted this?" Selmak sounded furious.

"Yes, she did. However, before she had time to do that, something unexpected happened. Martouf and Lantash disappeared."

"What?" Sam gaped, as did most of them.

Malek nodded, looking grim. "Ren'al hid this fact from the rest of us, since she had been responsible, and felt she was too blame. You see, she had an assistant, Pel'han, who despite seemingly incompetent or worse, she had allowed to work in the laboratory, without supervision. He disappeared with Martouf and Lantash, and Ren'al admits that signs points to Pel'han having been mislead by Tanith, and working with him. Ren'al did not wish to admit her failure in this, and I believe she was blinded by lust for Pel'han, whom she had an affair with."

"I think I remember Ren'al would never admit to any error or weakness." Sam noted.

"Correct. So she hid what had happened, and made discreet investigations. She was also convinced - contrary to what Anise believed - that Martouf was still too wounded for Lantash to heal while blocked, and so they would die, and not be a danger to security. She knew some of our hosts are from planets where the locals have specific burial rituals, and sometimes there is family which will insist on handling the burial."

"It is very rare! Usually the hosts have little contact with their friends and family from before blending, and they have started a completely new life. Their friends and family will usually not even acknowledge them!" Selmak exclaimed.

"How dared Ren'al say that I was wrong? I assure you, Martouf was healed enough that Lantash could handle the rest. I am certain of it!" Anise was furious, and her eyes flashed a strong white, making Martouf gasp in surprise when he saw it.

"You know how she is. So she reported Martouf had died, and that she had removed Lantash, and hoped he could be saved. Then she informed us Martouf's people had come for him." Malek explained.

"Okay, that's outrageous!" Sam cried, incredulous and angry. "Not only that, but if I understand it all correctly, Lantash was still inside Martouf when Pel'han stole them?"

Malek nodded. "Yes. However, Anise had taken several samples from both Martouf and Lantash, when she worked on determining how the zatarc programming had been done, and how it affected them, and could be detected. Ren'al - in a panic - used a little-tried method to make a clone from one of the cell samples from Lantash. She succeeded, even though the clone was not perfect. She managed to conceal it as injuries from the removal and from the shooting, and the Lantash-clone slowly healed."

"Wouldn't the clone wonder about any of it?" Hammond asked.

"Symbiotes have genetic memory, as you all know, however, there is a delay in storing the memories to the...DNA? as I believe you call it. Thus the Lantash-clone did not have any memories of what had happened in the time just before the sample was taken - and it had been taken shortly after the attack, even. So she could tell him anything, and he would have no choice but to believe it."

"But symbiotes also have normal memories, wouldn't he wonder where they were?" Sam said.

"Yes, but Ren'al convinced him he had amnesia from damage from the attack, which was even likely, so that was also not a problem for her."

"Sneaky bitch!" Sam exclaimed angrily. "I'm going to kill her!"

"She will be punished by the Council - even her friends cannot and will not protect her after this - at least not since it was discovered. Some of them may have known, but we have not had time to find out. There will be more investigations, I promise you that!" Malek said.

"Then...how did I get away from this, uh, Pel'han?" Martouf wondered.

"We do not know. Ren'al never managed to learn what had happened after Pel'han escaped with you, other than a vague hint that he had been killed when some Goa'uld got angry at him. Ren'al assumed it was because Martouf had died before Pel'han got him to the Goa'uld and that it had been too late for a sarcophagus, so the Goa'uld did not get what he was promised. It is clear she was wrong, but we cannot know what happened, unless we find more intelligence on this. Of course, if we can help Martouf remember, or if Lantash remembers, then we will know." Malek said.

"Well, if there is nothing else to report, then you should examine Martouf and Lantash and see what you can do to help them." Hammond ordered.

"Of course. Martouf, please follow us." Xulxu told him, getting up.

Martouf nodded, and followed the Tok'ra healers.