Fic, Choices, Sam/Jolinar/Martouf/Lantash, PG-13, 8/37

[hathor_girl]

 8. Discoveries 

At the SGC

"Didn't you say Carter went back to Stargate Command?" Jack demands.

"Yes, that's what she said." Daniel defends himself. "She said she was tired after all that stuff with Jolinar, and that she wasn't feeling well."

Jack shakes his head. "Right. Well she hasn't returned, so we better go back to the planet and have a search party started. Maybe she got real sick on the way back and his lying behind a bush or something." He looks concerned. "Let's hope she's not in trouble."

"Captain Carter is strong. She knows what she is doing." Teal'c says.

"Yeah, but humans aren't quite as strong as Jaffa, Teal'c. Who knows who it affects you - having a snake removed. It's got to be something you can't just shrug off." Jack shakes his head again. "We should never have let he come - or at least not let her leave on her own. What if she got confused and wandered off? Remember how she will sometimes have memory flashes and think she is Jolinar - or that she is somewhere else. What if that's gotten worse?" Jack hurries to find Hammond, and ask to have several teams assigned to search for Sam.

---

Heru'ur's Homeworld

Jolinar and I follow Ha'lana and Toana, all of us carrying large heavy trays of food and drink. We walk slowly, so as not to drop or spill anything. The floors are newly scrubbed, and everything looks like it is being constantly kept in top condition by an army of servants. Which is exactly what happens, of course. No god can have a place that looks worn down or dirty!

Now and then we meet groups of Jaffa, and despite the heavy trays, we have to quickly put everything down and bow deeply. It annoys me greatly, as does all the other sucking up and subservience that is going on all the time. Yes, I am in the military, and I know how to obey the chain of command, but I am not good at this constant submissive behaviour. Together with not having control much of the time, it's beginning to grate on my nerves.

~How do you think I feel about it then? I was a former System Lord! If I can stand it, so can you!~ Jolinar tells me, quite a bit more forcefully than I feel is needed.

~Whoa, relax! I'm just thinking that this is really a hard role to keep up!~ I defend myself. Sensitive much?

Jolinar sighs. ~I do apologize. I worry for my mates, and that is my only excuse. I know you are not used to such missions as this.~

We continue, and eventually reach the chambers of Heru'ur. We all bow to two Jaffa guards, and Toana address them, humbly looking down.

"Honourable Jaffa, we bring food and drink for the great Lord Heru'ur. May we enter?" Toana asks.

"Yes." He and the other Jaffa open the doors, and we walk inside, taking care not to spill anything.

The room is more opulent than anything I have ever been in before, with gold and jewels everywhere. Furniture carved from expensive wood and with engravings and plush silk seats. We walk to a table and put on a new tablecloth, then set out the food and drink, as well as glass, plate, and silverware - or I guess it would be more correct to call it goldware. I guess you could buy a small planet just with the valuables in here!

I feel like shaking my head at it all, especially with the rest of the population so poor, but Jolinar seems completely unfazed. Not surprisingly, I guess. She has been undercover many times, and has seen things like this before - and she has been a System Lord herself.

I don't know what to think of that. She has been an actual System Lord. Yes. it is impressive she changed on her own, but it must be strange for her - especially when she is pretending to be a slave, such as now. Also, while the Tok'ra live reasonably comfortably - at least they never starve - there is no luxury in the tunnels, everyone have to work, and the clothes are often worn and torn - on purpose, apparently, both to help blend in with the human slaves and farmers on other worlds, and to remind the Tok'ra who they are fighting for, and that they are not gods.

While I have been thinking, Jolinar, Ha'lana, and Toana have finished decorating the table, and we hurry to leave the room. Feeling that we are safe, Jolinar gives me back control, which I take, gratefully. Yes, she is better at this, but I am getting stir-crazy in here! I'm just not used to it - I wonder how the hosts of Tok'ra on long-term undercover missions handle it?

We have just stepped back into the corridor, when Heru'ur appears! Crap!

With him is a young, beautiful, and very scared girl. She is dressed in very revealing clothing, and I realize immediately that she is his 'chosen' one for tonight. I feel sorry for her.

"What have we here?" Heru'ur says, looking lustily at me, Ha'lana, and Toana, then returning his look to me. "A kitchen slave who is an exotic beauty. Perhaps I should promote you? At least for a night!" He grins evilly, then looks at the slave girl beside him. "Maybe tomorrow. Jaffa, make sure the golden-haired slave is bathed, dressed, and prepared for me tomorrow night, should I want her." Without waiting for an answer, he leaves for his room, with the terrified slave girl following.

Jolinar grabs control and bows deeply, acknowledging his attention. Fortunately, no one was looking at us at that moment, because I did not have my eyes closed, so they flashed, of course.

~You could just have told me to bow! You're already in control most of the time, dammit!~ I 'yell' at Jolinar.

~My apologies. This was faster, and I could not be certain you would behave correctly. You're hatred and disgust of Heru'ur is clouding your mind.~

~Damn straight I don't like him! How are you going to get us out of this problem? I hope you're not expecting me to sleep with the snake!~

~That would be most unfortunate if we have to do that. For all the reasons you already have thought of of, but there is something else as well. Even if we take a double dose of the masking drug, it may not work well enough to stop him from sensing the naquadah if we are that close, for more than a short time. Of course, he is likely to be concentrated on other things, so he may not discover it.~

~Then what do you intend to do? Besides, we need to get Martouf and Lantash and the others out of here. As soon as possible! They are being tortured!~

~Something I am very well aware of!~ Jolinar 'exclaims'. ~I think about it all the time!~

~Of course. I'm sorry. It's just all so stressing!~

---

We return to the kitchen, and continue working for the rest of the day. The work is hard, and there is clearly no labour control authorities! We're working until late in the evening, with only short breaks, to eat leftovers.

Finally, most of the work for the day is done. The night shift arrives - there are always a few servants ready to bring their Lord whatever he wants.

Just as we are on our way out, the kitchen leader calls us back. "Where are you going? You have not yet brought food to the prisoners!"

Prisoners? Now is another time I am happy Jolinar is in control, because I would have betrayed what I felt! Jolinar, however, manages to control her reaction, and just turns back towards the leader, with a tired expression. "I apologize. I shall see to it at once."

"The food is on those trays. Bring those and the water bucket."

"Am I to carry all that alone? Two trays and a bucket?" Jolinar asks, using my voice, noticing, as do I, that there are only two portions. We're both almost faint with worry. Did someone get away? Got sent somewhere else? Is someone dead? Who?

"You can go back and forth all the times you want."

"You can use the pushcart... can she not?" Ha'lana asks, already half'way out the door.

"Hm, I suppose she can."

"Thank you." Jolinar bows her head respectfully. She starts loading the trays of food, and the water bucket with a couple wooden mugs, onto the cart.

---

Land of the Light

"We've searched the entire area around the Stargate, and the way from the city to the Stargate. Carter is no where!" Jack says, frustrated.

"Um, I just found this..." Daniel says, holding a piece of paper up. "In my pocket. It's a note from Sam. At least I think it is..."

"Couldn't you have found that a little earlier? We've just spent hours searching!" Jack exclaims. "What does the note say? And what do you mean you think it's from Carter?"

"It's...well, it says "Daniel, Teal'c, Colonel O'Neill. I'm sorry for doing this, but there really isn't any other way. This is something I need to do, and you wouldn't have understood it. It is a matter of life and death. I can't explain much right now, but I need to go and rescue Martouf and Lantash. That is, Jolinar and I need to rescue them. Yeah, you got that right. Jolinar is still in me - alive and well. It's just a temporary agreement, but there was no other way, no one else to do. I'll explain when I return. I hope you will eventually understand and forgive me. Sam." Uh, that's what it says..." Daniel looks nervous.

"The snake is still in her? What the flying fuck is going on? The damn Tok'ra tricked us! Why did we ever trust them?"

"It sounds as if Captain Carter and Jolinar are the only ones that have 'tricked' anyone. Most likely they have deceived the Tok'ra as well as us." Teal'c says.

"Don't you get it? The Tok'ra didn't remove Jolinar, and now she pretends to be Carter!" Jack insists.

"Uh, if that was the case, why go her at all? I mean it doesn't make any sense. Risking detection by going to Earth. And why write the note? If we hadn't gotten it, we'd just have thought Sam was missing." Daniel says.

Jack thinks it over for a moment. "You're right. Maybe the Tok'ra doesn't know. At least not all of them. It's just that damn duplicitous Jolinar!" He shakes his head in disgust. "Martouf...that's Jolinar's mate, isn't it?"

"Yes, I think so." Daniel agrees.

"Well he seemed pretty taken with Carter, so maybe that's why Jolinar ran off with her. She thinks her lover will like her new host! Crap! We need to save Carter!" Jack looks angry.

"Jack - it looks like Sam's handwriting." Daniel holds the note up. "Do you really think she can fake that? Jolinar, I mean."

"Why not? She's got access to everything Carter knows. That means this is a security risk as well! We've got to go back and report, and then we need to contact the Tok'ra and see what they say. They must know where she's gone."

"How do you want to contact them? We don't even know what planet they're on!" Daniel says.

"Wonderful. This is just getting better and better!" Jack grumbles. "Come on, guys. Back to Earth!"