What Lies Within Chapter Two Resignation
TITLE: WHAT LIES WITHIN
AUTHOR: STELLA_PEGASI
FANDOM: STARGATE ATLANTIS
RATING: PG-13
CHARACTER/PAIRING: JOHN SHEPPARD, CAMERON MITCHELL
SPOILERS: SOME MENTION OF EVENTS IN SG-1
WARNINGS: LANGUAGE
HET/SLASH/GEN: GEN
WORD COUNT: 19,325
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THEM, I WOULD HAVE TREATED THEM BETTER.
SUMMARY: WRITTEN FOR SHEPPARD HC SECRET SANTA AS PRESENT FOR TARI_ROO. THE PROMPT WAS FOR A SHEPPARD CENTRIC FIC WITH SHEPPARD STRANDED IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY; ENTIRE PROMPT AT THE END OF THE STORY. HOPE YOU ENJOY, TARI_ROO.!
WHAT LIES WITHIN
WHAT LIES WITHIN
by stella_pegasi
Chapter 2 Resignation
Cam Mitchell cautiously opened his eyes, slowly orienting his vision to the bright light. Too bright, his head throbbing the more he widened his view. He decided that he didn’t need to see, for the moment, and allowed his eyelids to drop against the glare. Rolling onto his side, he pushed up into a sitting position.
“Sir, how are you feeling?” Hearing Captain Maris’s voice, he decided he needed to see after all.
Three members of SG-8 were sitting on the ground around him. Lying on the gritty soil near Sergeant Palmer, Corporal Harrelson appeared unconscious.
“I’m ok. How bad is Harrelson hurt?” Mitchell queried as he accepted the canteen Captain Maris handed him. The captain answered.
“There are some burn marks on his cheek; I think he took a hit in the face from that stun weapon. His vitals are good, so I think he’s going to be OK. Colonel, we aren’t on the same planet where we were ambushed.”
Mitchell glanced around at their surroundings; indeed, they were not on the same planet. A large open plain of scrub brush extended far as he could see into the distance, disappearing into a tall mountain range. They were very near a stargate, but there was no forest, no ruins, and he suddenly realized, no Sheppard.
“Maris; Sheppard, what happen to him?”
“Don’t know, sir; we haven’t seen anyone, since we came to. The colonel may still be on the other planet.”
Mitchell’s gut clenched. He should have seen this coming; Sheppard was material to the Tok’ra’s needs. The remaining SGC personnel were a nuisance to them. He got to his feet, aided by Sergeant Palmer. “Somebody, dial the damn gate; let’s go home.”
+++++++
General Landry was sitting in his office, pouring over the latest communiqués from Homeworld Security, when he heard the gate activate. While the gate activated many times during the day for teams either going off-world or returning, there were times when he found himself paying more attention. Today was one of those days.
Mitchell and Sheppard reported as scheduled the day before, and he had been most displeased at their report. He came close to canceling the mission and ordering his people to return to the SGC. However, he was well aware that ending the mission would have the wrath of the IOA descend on him. He could imagine the nauseating whine of James Coolidge, the IOA liaison to the SGC, if he canceled the mission. The little weasel would remind him in a condescending tone about the potential for discovering technology that could defend Earth. He really didn’t want to put up with Coolidge if he didn’t have to. As the day drug on without a word from his colonels, he was beginning to believe he should have called a halt to mission yesterday.
The gate tech’s voice echoed through the intercom, announcing the activation was unauthorized. Landry bolted from his chair and ran from his office, nearly knocking Master Sergeant Walter Harrelson off his feet. Walter was heading for the control room as well.
“Sir, no one is scheduled to return at this time.” The master sergeant said as he followed Landry down the metal staircase.
“Then maybe we’ll get lucky, and Mitchell and Sheppard are actually reporting in as I asked.”
Walter answered, ‘yes, sir’, but knew too well that Landry didn’t believe that for one moment.
As they entered the control room, Landry asked, “IDC yet?”
The gate tech turned toward him, “Yes, sir. It’s the Tok’ra.”
Landry took a deep breath, “Open the iris, sergeant.”
He took off for the gate room with Walter on his six. As they rushed into the room, a Tok’ra known to the SGC, Delek, exited the gate. He walked toward General Landry, stopping at the end of the ramp.
“General, have you met with a Tok’ra named Tovar recently?”
Landry was quick to respond, “Yes. We have.”
“Then, general, we have a mutual problem.”
+++++++
Daylight filtered through the tall canopy; the sound of birds and rustling of underbrush gave life to the forest. Sheppard had struggled back to consciousness, but he felt extremely weak. As he became more lucid, adrenaline flushed through his body as the memory of what had happened to him quickly surfaced. He forced himself to calm down; panicking was not going to change anything.
Although he was quite weak, the pain from the abdominal wound had lessened greatly. He knew why, but he didn’t want to admit it. There was a snake in his head, and he didn’t want it there. He would have laughed if he had the energy. It simply didn’t matter what he wanted any longer, the Goa’uld was inside him.
“I would prefer, Colonel Sheppard, if you did not think of me as a Goa’uld. I am Tok’ra. ”
Sheppard’s heart started racing, as he realized the thing was talking to him, inside his head. He should be accustomed to having mental conversations due to his link with Atlantis, but where Atlantis voice was soft and soothing; this thing was bold and commanding.
“’Thing’ is not appropriate either, colonel.
“How does Fred work for you?”
“I understand that you harbor some reluctance about this relationship, but you must understand it was necessary. Selana was dying; you were, as well. I would not have been able to heal her; Selana suffered a severe brain injury. I could only contain the bleeding long enough for her to locate you. I am not pleased that she is dead; she was a considerate and intelligent host. However, you are more pivotal for this mission; if any of us survives, it must be you.”
“I don’t understand, what’s the hell’s going on? What about Mitchell and the others with me?”
“Your teammates are safe. They have been taken to another planet and left to wake up. Tovar gave strict orders that no one was to be killed. Selana’s death was not intended. However, had he known the truth, he might have killed her.”
“What truth?”
“Rest, colonel, you are still quite weak. I will tell you everything once you are stronger. Allow me to heal you more completely, so that we can locate the others.”
+++++++
Landry stood quiet for a second, staring at Delek. “We have a problem.” He paused for a heartbeat then continued, “I was afraid you were going to say that. Come with me. Walter, recall Dr. Jackson from MX9-338, and tell Dr. Lee to report to the conference room immediately.”
Landry led Delek to the mezzanine level and motioned for him to sit, while he went to his office. Within minutes, Dr. Lee arrived and Landry exited his office with a file in hand. He walked along the large conference table and tossed the file in front of the Tok’ra.
“How much of that data is true, or is it all a lie?”
Delek glanced at the file’s contents, then sighed. “The data is real, the mission that Tovar presented you, however, was not sanctioned by the Tok’ra. We have traitors in our midst, General Landry. Tok’ra who have turned to the acquisition of power and wealth. If we do not stop them, we could be witnessing the rebirth of the System Lords.”
General Landry walked over to the coffee pot, primarily to give himself time to think. He took his time, pouring a cup, then turned to Delek.
“When was the Tok’ra planning on telling us about this…this turn of events?”
“I assure you, we would not have kept this to ourselves. A Tok’ra gaining this level of power would be as dangerous as a System Lord, if left to develop an army. We do believe that without legions of Jaffa to support them, the danger is somewhat limited.
“The danger limited, really. One Goa’uld on the loose, building an army constitutes ‘limited danger’, you seriously believe that.”
“General, I would request that you use the term Tok’ra when referring to us. I do not appreciate being called a Goa’uld.”
Landry’s face hardened, “You don’t like being called a Goa’uld when you just said some of your own are behaving like them. I’m beginning to have difficulty telling the difference. Now, start talking….what is Tovar up to and where the hell are my men.”
“That’s just it, we don’t know. As soon as we discovered that Tovar, or more accurately, Partak, may have included the SGC in his plot, I came straight here. We am not trying to hide anything from you, general. For Tovar to involve the SG…” The sound of the stargate activating interrupted Delek.
Landry rose, “With any luck that will be Dr. Jackson. I want him involved in this.” Landry strode to the window overlooking the gate room as he heard the iris open. A harried Daniel Jackson emerged from the gate, speaking to a Marine on gate duty. By the time Landry returned to his chair, Jackson had made it to the top of the stairs.
“General, no disrespect, but what’s so important to call me back here. You should see the artifacts we’re recovering from the Sharva Empire. They pre-date the Goa’uld in the galaxy. It’s really exciting and I…” He stopped when he saw Delek. “Oh…well, this is a surprise.” Jackson sat down across from Dr. Lee. “What’s going on?”
Landry scoffed, “Well; a wanna-be system lord who is actually a Tok’ra came here with a story about finding an Ancient city on a planet in the Milky Way. They needed Colonel Sheppard’s assistance. So, I called Sheppard here. He, Mitchell, and SG-8 left yesterday with two Tok’ra operatives to search for the city.”
Jackson looked stunned, “An ancient city?” Are you sure this isn’t just more data about Atlantis?”
Lee replied, “No, I don’t think so, Daniel; I reviewed all the data Tovar brought us. I mean, I’m no archeologist, but I have to say that the data was compelling. I really be…”
“Dr. Lee, we get it, you believe this is real…Jackson, I want you to review this information. At the moment, I have six men missing and Delek tells me he doesn’t know where they are. You need to give me a place to start looking.”
“Who’s this wanna-be system lord? I really don’t want to have to deal with them anymore.” Jackson shuddered.
“His name is Tovar or Partak, I guess, and…” Once again, the gate activated. Instead of rising, Landry contacted the control room. “What now?”
Over the intercom, the gate tech announced that the IDC belonged to SG-8. With that news, everyone bolted for the gate room. As they arrived, Mitchell was exiting the gate, followed by Captain Maris and the other two Marines carrying their still unconscious teammate. Noticeably absent was Colonel Sheppard.
“Colonel, what happened? Where’s Sheppard?” Landry asked as he heard the page calling a med team to the gate.
“We were ambushed sir, hit with stun weapons, when we came to, we were on another planet. Sheppard wasn’t with us; he must still be with Selana and Curnon.”
The med team descended on the gate room, Dr. Lam leading the way. “General, you can speak with these men once I’ve checked them over.”
Landry nodded, “Go on, get checked out. We’ll talk in a bit; there are some developments you are going to want to hear.”
+++++++
When Sheppard awoke the second time, he felt much stronger. The pain in his abdomen was almost gone and he struggled to sit up. He felt an ache above his left eye; touching his forehead, he cringed at the tenderness. As he did, he felt Lanar’s presence.
“You should feel better. I have repaired most of the damage to your body. You will still be weak for awhile, however. I can stimulate new blood cells to reproduce at a faster than normal pace, but it will take time.”
“Yeah, I feel better, uh….thanks.” Sheppard reached for the canteen on his belt, taking a drink of cool water before he continued. “It’s time for you to tell me what’s going on. You told me that Tovar, had ordered no one to be killed, yet Selana is dead.”
“Yes, it is time for you to know the truth. However, if you feel up to it, let’s begin to search for Partak and his men. We must find them quickly, they must be stopped. While we are moving, I will tell you what has led to this unfortunate turn of events.
Sheppard wasn’t certain that standing up was a good idea, but he knew the Tok’ra was right. It was time to put a stop to whatever Tovar planned. He placed his left hand against a tree and pushed himself to his feet. Once standing, he held on to the tree as the dizziness faded away.
“Which way?”
“I believe that north is the direction we wish to go in, colonel. We are on the planet where the Ancient city is located. If we go north, we should come across Partak. You should continue to call him Tovar, by the way; it will be less suspicious if you do. I will endeavor to call him that as well. He does not realize that you were injured, so they are searching for you much further away.”
Taking a deep breath, Sheppard looked to the sky to determine the source of the sunlight. Once he got his bearings, he started making his way across the forest floor.
“OK, start talking.”
“Let me start with what happened prior to your injury and why I had to find you. As I told you, Tovar did not want to kill anyone, at least unnecessarily. He had his plan worked out, and he did not desire extra security to accompany you. He had hoped that you would come alone on the mission, but of course, your people are protective.”
Not sure protective is the appropriate word. Perhaps cautious might be a better choice.” As he spoke, Sheppard sensed a glimmer of humor in Lanar’s thoughts.
“No, if General Landry is like General Hammond, protective is the correct word. Tovar decided that he needed to make it appear that you, along with Selana and Curnon had been captured by mercenaries looking for the Ancient city. Tovar procured the weapons used from mercenaries with whom he has an association. He did not wish to use the zat'ni'katel as he feared you might put things together too quickly. He did order that the weapons be set on stun. They stunned the others with you and then took them through the gate, leaving them on a planet that has been uninhabited since the Ori plague outbreak decimated the population.”
“Selana; I thought she was hit by weapon’s fire.” He stumbled over a thick vine. Grabbing a tree for support, he stopped a minute to catch his breath.
“No, they fired close to her; she was to fall as if she had been hit. That is why she lagged behind you. However, she lost her footing and fell down the river bank, striking her head on a rock. That injury was what eventually killed her. Tovar had no intention of killing her. However, that would have definitely changed if he had known the truth.”
“There’s been little truth told from the beginning of this outing. What truth are you expecting me to believe now?”
“Colonel, I realize you have no reason to trust me. However, I am part of you now. You can access my thoughts, as well as I can yours. Concentrate, you will see that I am telling the truth.”
Sheppard was reluctant. He was still reeling from the injury, and the fact that there was an alien entity in his head. However, he was a rational man, and his military training overcame his disgust regarding the situation. Allowing his mind to clear, he felt the thoughts of his companion drift through his consciousness.
“You and Selana were working undercover to find out what Tovar was planning? Tovar is Tok’ra, what would cause you to investigate one of your own?”
“Despite what the SGC thinks about the Tok’ra, we are not all cut from the same cloth. After the fall of the System Lords, we wished to live our lives no longer on the run. The Tok’ra established the first permanent home we have ever had. I, for one, was happy to be away from those heinous tunnels. However, even before that time, as the Jaffa began to rebel, unrest was penetrating our ranks. We had severed our relationship with the SGC, although we did assist the Tau’ri at times after that. I do not believe that it was ever our intention to no longer have a relationship with you. But we were dying at such rapid rate that we felt we had to protect ourselves. Unfortunately, some Tok’ra were not as pure of thought as we had hoped. It started with a Tok’ra, who betrayed the Jaffa and the Tau’ri, resulting in an ambush on the secret base. Many died that day, many from all sides.”
“I have read those mission reports, not the Tok’ra’s finest hour.”
“No, it wasn’t and many of us regret that, but we did help with the Ori, colonel. Hopefully, that will give us credibility with the Tau’ri now. I believe we will need that.”
“I’ll ask again. Is there really an Ancient city, or is there something else going on?”
“We are certain that the city exists. The Tok’ra are scientists, predominantly; the data I have seen appears factual. I believe that the Ancient city is located on this planet.
“However, we are still unclear of what these renegades’ intentions are. It may be just as simple as finding powerful devices to assist them in establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the galaxy. Ancient artifacts that you have identified and initiated for them, could go a long way in providing them power.”
“So, we continue to operate uncover, not letting the Tok’ra renegades know that I know about this plot.”
“Yes, we need to know what they are planning.”
“There’s a problem with that, won’t the other Tok’ra be able to sense your presence in me? A colleague of mine, Colonel Carter, served as a host to a Tok’ra, naquadah traces were left in her system, and she could sense other Goa…Tok’ra. Won’t they immediately?”
“Yes, you are correct, but I have given that some thought, colonel. I believe you are capable of hiding me.”
“Hiding you, how?”
“Naquadah is part of our genetic make-up. The mineral acts as one of the bonds that hold our DNA together. The stargate and other Ancient devices are constructed from naquadah. You possess the genetic ability to control devices made of the mineral. I believe that you can mask my presence, at least to a small number of Tok’ra. I would suggest that you not offer to return to the Tok’ra home world, however. I am not certain that you would have the ability to hide me among the detection abilities of many Tok’ra at once.”
“I act like you aren’t there, and you provide me with some insider information, sounds like a plan” Sheppard paused. “You are called Lanar, correct?” He felt the Tok’ra say yes. “I have to ask you, is it possible to have you removed at some point. I mean, find another host? I really don’t like having you in my head.”
“I promise, colonel. I will not ask you to remain as my host. However, we must work together for now. I have repaired most of the damage to your body. You should be able to pass off your injury as minor when they find you. I suggest you say you hit your head. You actually do have a minor injury, a swollen bruised area on your forehead. I have left that unhealed as proof that you were unconscious. Now we should concentrate on finding our quarry. Please do not hesitate to rest when you need to; you must be ready to stop these traitors.”
+++++++
Landry had resisted the urge to pace over the last two hours. He had also resisted the urge to throttle Bill Lee; the scientist was a brilliant man, but aggravating. He and Dr. Jackson had been squabbling for the last ten minutes over a minor detail in the report that Delek had provided. The Tok’ra had been sitting quietly while the two scientists reviewed the data. Landry, however, was pretty certain that Delek was as aggravated as he was.
A sputtering no, no, no, from Dr. Lee, sent Landry over the edge, “Gentlemen, enough. We are getting nowhere. Dr. Jackson, your thoughts so far?”
“This is very exciting, general. I believe that this city exists; just where it exists is the question. We have run the original gate addresses that Partak provided. Except for the planet that Sheppard and Cam gated to, the planet descriptions don’t match.”
“That planet was a decoy from the beginning.” The men in the room looked up to see Cam Mitchell at the top of the stairs.
“Colonel, welcome; you up to debrief?” Landry questioned.
“Yeah, Lam discharged everyone except Harrelson. He’s awake though, Lam says he’ll be fine.” He took a seat next to Lee.
“They set us up; led us on a wild goose chase. Said that they were being followed by a group of mercenaries who wanted the treasures of the city, and they wanted to flush them out. Curnon told us that bringing SG-8 had spoiled their plans to identify the bad guys. We scared them off. I personally don’t believe that for one second.” Mitchell turned toward Delek, “General Landry came to the infirmary to bring me up to speed. What the hell have they done with Sheppard?”
“I do not know, colonel. I do not believe they plan on harming him.”
Mitchell scoffed, “You don’t know that for certain. Once they find him useful, I doubt they will allow him to leave. I want to know where they are.”
Delek dropped his head, and when he spoke again, his voice was normal. “Colonel, I am Saynar, Delek’s host. He is telling you the truth; he doesn’t know where Colonel Sheppard or the ancient city is. He doesn’t know.”
Saynar dropped his head and Delek spoke once more. “I apologize. My host is usually quite shy and does not speak often, but he asked to speak with you.”
From the irritated look on Mitchell’s face, he wasn’t buying it. “Your host’s faith in you, doesn’t impress me. Your cooperation in helping us find Colonel Sheppard is the only thing that will impress me, Delek.” Delek did not reply.
Jackson interrupted, “The fact is, we don’t know where this city is, although there are some clues that might narrow the search down. General, I think we need assistance. We need to send this data to Atlantis, McKay and his people might be able to shed some light on this. There could be something in the Atlantis database on this city.”
Mitchell added, “Besides, none of us have the gene. We’re gonna need some of the Atlantis personnel once we find the city.”
“Agreed, Dr. Jackson; you and Mitchell contact Atlantis, let them know what’s going on. Tell them to get here as soon as they can. We have a colonel to find.”
+++++++
Sheppard was surprised at how much energy he had after what he had gone through. He stopped only once, for a brief rest and eat a powerbar during the long trek. During the passing hours, Lanar had given him as much information as he knew about the city, which was considerably more than Tovar had given them. If what Lanar said was true, this city could be a huge find. Opening more questions about the Ancients than he expected it would answer.
He was becoming concerned about whether or not he was lost. “Lanar, are you certain we’re heading in the right direction.” He shuddered when he realized he was referring to them, as ‘we’. Maybe his association with Atlantis was allowing him to become resigned to this relationship with Lanar. Resigned, at least, on one level; on another level, it was just creepy.
“I am certain. I do not believe it will be much longer before we encounter the others.”
Sheppard had walked a few more yards before Lanar spoke again. “Colonel, I must warn you, normally when angry, excited, extremely agitated, the naquadah causes a flash of light to illuminate our eyes. This also occurs when we slip between host and Tok’ra control. You must be careful and control this. The Tok’ra dip their head and hide their eyes, this symbol of the Goa’uld is distasteful to us. If you give us away, Partak will know that he is discovered. We will both die.”
“Yeah, well, no pressure there.” Again, Sheppard felt a glimmer of humor in Lanar’s demeanor. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Again, I think that your ability to control Ancient items, will allow you to control your reactions. I will do my best to control mine.”
Sheppard froze at the sound of a branch breaking nearby. He thought, “Looks like it show time, Lanar.” Remaining calm, Sheppard turned, and became face to face with Curnon.
The Tok’ra stared at him for a moment. “Colonel Sheppard, we are relieved to find you alive. We were quite concerned. You appeared injured, are you alright?”
“I tripped running from the mercenaries; hit my head. I was unconscious for a while; other than a slight headache, I’m fine.” He touched his abdomen, the tear through his clothing and the blood was visible. “Fell onto something and scratched myself up. What about my people? What happened to Mitchell and the team?”
“First, colonel, it is fortunate that you were not injured more severely. As for Colonel Mitchell and the others, we can only assume they have been captured by the renegades. As soon as I came to, I returned to the gate and contacted Tavor. He sent teams to look for everyone and personally came to oversee the search for you. Selana; have you seen her? We have not been able to locate her.”
“Selana’s dead. I followed the river for a while trying to get away from the renegades. I spotted her body, washed downriver, trapped on the opposite side. I couldn’t get to her.”
A deep voice permeated the quiet forest, “That is regrettable, colonel. Selana was an excellent host and intelligent in her own right. The death of Lanar, the Tok’ra she hosted, is a great loss to our people. He will be greatly missed for his wisdom and counsel.”
Sheppard turned toward the voice. Tovar was standing further down the overgrown path with two other Tok’ra that he had not seen before. “But I do have good news, colonel. We are very close to the city. We have found a path paved with stone which we think will take us to the entrance.” He stood aside and motioned for Sheppard to walk ahead of him.”
“Great, at least, there is that.” Sheppard said as he passed Tovar waiting for any reaction regarding his ‘companion’, Lanar. If Tovar realized that he was hosting Lanar, he didn’t exhibit it. Sheppard uttered a small sigh of relief, thinking maybe they could pull this off.” Again, he felt Lanar’s thoughts, “Be on guard, colonel. Partak is not a fool.”
AUTHOR: STELLA_PEGASI
FANDOM: STARGATE ATLANTIS
RATING: PG-13
CHARACTER/PAIRING: JOHN SHEPPARD, CAMERON MITCHELL
SPOILERS: SOME MENTION OF EVENTS IN SG-1
WARNINGS: LANGUAGE
HET/SLASH/GEN: GEN
WORD COUNT: 19,325
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THEM, I WOULD HAVE TREATED THEM BETTER.
SUMMARY: WRITTEN FOR SHEPPARD HC SECRET SANTA AS PRESENT FOR TARI_ROO. THE PROMPT WAS FOR A SHEPPARD CENTRIC FIC WITH SHEPPARD STRANDED IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY; ENTIRE PROMPT AT THE END OF THE STORY. HOPE YOU ENJOY, TARI_ROO.!
WHAT LIES WITHIN
WHAT LIES WITHIN
by stella_pegasi
Chapter 2 Resignation
Cam Mitchell cautiously opened his eyes, slowly orienting his vision to the bright light. Too bright, his head throbbing the more he widened his view. He decided that he didn’t need to see, for the moment, and allowed his eyelids to drop against the glare. Rolling onto his side, he pushed up into a sitting position.
“Sir, how are you feeling?” Hearing Captain Maris’s voice, he decided he needed to see after all.
Three members of SG-8 were sitting on the ground around him. Lying on the gritty soil near Sergeant Palmer, Corporal Harrelson appeared unconscious.
“I’m ok. How bad is Harrelson hurt?” Mitchell queried as he accepted the canteen Captain Maris handed him. The captain answered.
“There are some burn marks on his cheek; I think he took a hit in the face from that stun weapon. His vitals are good, so I think he’s going to be OK. Colonel, we aren’t on the same planet where we were ambushed.”
Mitchell glanced around at their surroundings; indeed, they were not on the same planet. A large open plain of scrub brush extended far as he could see into the distance, disappearing into a tall mountain range. They were very near a stargate, but there was no forest, no ruins, and he suddenly realized, no Sheppard.
“Maris; Sheppard, what happen to him?”
“Don’t know, sir; we haven’t seen anyone, since we came to. The colonel may still be on the other planet.”
Mitchell’s gut clenched. He should have seen this coming; Sheppard was material to the Tok’ra’s needs. The remaining SGC personnel were a nuisance to them. He got to his feet, aided by Sergeant Palmer. “Somebody, dial the damn gate; let’s go home.”
+++++++
General Landry was sitting in his office, pouring over the latest communiqués from Homeworld Security, when he heard the gate activate. While the gate activated many times during the day for teams either going off-world or returning, there were times when he found himself paying more attention. Today was one of those days.
Mitchell and Sheppard reported as scheduled the day before, and he had been most displeased at their report. He came close to canceling the mission and ordering his people to return to the SGC. However, he was well aware that ending the mission would have the wrath of the IOA descend on him. He could imagine the nauseating whine of James Coolidge, the IOA liaison to the SGC, if he canceled the mission. The little weasel would remind him in a condescending tone about the potential for discovering technology that could defend Earth. He really didn’t want to put up with Coolidge if he didn’t have to. As the day drug on without a word from his colonels, he was beginning to believe he should have called a halt to mission yesterday.
The gate tech’s voice echoed through the intercom, announcing the activation was unauthorized. Landry bolted from his chair and ran from his office, nearly knocking Master Sergeant Walter Harrelson off his feet. Walter was heading for the control room as well.
“Sir, no one is scheduled to return at this time.” The master sergeant said as he followed Landry down the metal staircase.
“Then maybe we’ll get lucky, and Mitchell and Sheppard are actually reporting in as I asked.”
Walter answered, ‘yes, sir’, but knew too well that Landry didn’t believe that for one moment.
As they entered the control room, Landry asked, “IDC yet?”
The gate tech turned toward him, “Yes, sir. It’s the Tok’ra.”
Landry took a deep breath, “Open the iris, sergeant.”
He took off for the gate room with Walter on his six. As they rushed into the room, a Tok’ra known to the SGC, Delek, exited the gate. He walked toward General Landry, stopping at the end of the ramp.
“General, have you met with a Tok’ra named Tovar recently?”
Landry was quick to respond, “Yes. We have.”
“Then, general, we have a mutual problem.”
+++++++
Daylight filtered through the tall canopy; the sound of birds and rustling of underbrush gave life to the forest. Sheppard had struggled back to consciousness, but he felt extremely weak. As he became more lucid, adrenaline flushed through his body as the memory of what had happened to him quickly surfaced. He forced himself to calm down; panicking was not going to change anything.
Although he was quite weak, the pain from the abdominal wound had lessened greatly. He knew why, but he didn’t want to admit it. There was a snake in his head, and he didn’t want it there. He would have laughed if he had the energy. It simply didn’t matter what he wanted any longer, the Goa’uld was inside him.
“I would prefer, Colonel Sheppard, if you did not think of me as a Goa’uld. I am Tok’ra. ”
Sheppard’s heart started racing, as he realized the thing was talking to him, inside his head. He should be accustomed to having mental conversations due to his link with Atlantis, but where Atlantis voice was soft and soothing; this thing was bold and commanding.
“’Thing’ is not appropriate either, colonel.
“How does Fred work for you?”
“I understand that you harbor some reluctance about this relationship, but you must understand it was necessary. Selana was dying; you were, as well. I would not have been able to heal her; Selana suffered a severe brain injury. I could only contain the bleeding long enough for her to locate you. I am not pleased that she is dead; she was a considerate and intelligent host. However, you are more pivotal for this mission; if any of us survives, it must be you.”
“I don’t understand, what’s the hell’s going on? What about Mitchell and the others with me?”
“Your teammates are safe. They have been taken to another planet and left to wake up. Tovar gave strict orders that no one was to be killed. Selana’s death was not intended. However, had he known the truth, he might have killed her.”
“What truth?”
“Rest, colonel, you are still quite weak. I will tell you everything once you are stronger. Allow me to heal you more completely, so that we can locate the others.”
+++++++
Landry stood quiet for a second, staring at Delek. “We have a problem.” He paused for a heartbeat then continued, “I was afraid you were going to say that. Come with me. Walter, recall Dr. Jackson from MX9-338, and tell Dr. Lee to report to the conference room immediately.”
Landry led Delek to the mezzanine level and motioned for him to sit, while he went to his office. Within minutes, Dr. Lee arrived and Landry exited his office with a file in hand. He walked along the large conference table and tossed the file in front of the Tok’ra.
“How much of that data is true, or is it all a lie?”
Delek glanced at the file’s contents, then sighed. “The data is real, the mission that Tovar presented you, however, was not sanctioned by the Tok’ra. We have traitors in our midst, General Landry. Tok’ra who have turned to the acquisition of power and wealth. If we do not stop them, we could be witnessing the rebirth of the System Lords.”
General Landry walked over to the coffee pot, primarily to give himself time to think. He took his time, pouring a cup, then turned to Delek.
“When was the Tok’ra planning on telling us about this…this turn of events?”
“I assure you, we would not have kept this to ourselves. A Tok’ra gaining this level of power would be as dangerous as a System Lord, if left to develop an army. We do believe that without legions of Jaffa to support them, the danger is somewhat limited.
“The danger limited, really. One Goa’uld on the loose, building an army constitutes ‘limited danger’, you seriously believe that.”
“General, I would request that you use the term Tok’ra when referring to us. I do not appreciate being called a Goa’uld.”
Landry’s face hardened, “You don’t like being called a Goa’uld when you just said some of your own are behaving like them. I’m beginning to have difficulty telling the difference. Now, start talking….what is Tovar up to and where the hell are my men.”
“That’s just it, we don’t know. As soon as we discovered that Tovar, or more accurately, Partak, may have included the SGC in his plot, I came straight here. We am not trying to hide anything from you, general. For Tovar to involve the SG…” The sound of the stargate activating interrupted Delek.
Landry rose, “With any luck that will be Dr. Jackson. I want him involved in this.” Landry strode to the window overlooking the gate room as he heard the iris open. A harried Daniel Jackson emerged from the gate, speaking to a Marine on gate duty. By the time Landry returned to his chair, Jackson had made it to the top of the stairs.
“General, no disrespect, but what’s so important to call me back here. You should see the artifacts we’re recovering from the Sharva Empire. They pre-date the Goa’uld in the galaxy. It’s really exciting and I…” He stopped when he saw Delek. “Oh…well, this is a surprise.” Jackson sat down across from Dr. Lee. “What’s going on?”
Landry scoffed, “Well; a wanna-be system lord who is actually a Tok’ra came here with a story about finding an Ancient city on a planet in the Milky Way. They needed Colonel Sheppard’s assistance. So, I called Sheppard here. He, Mitchell, and SG-8 left yesterday with two Tok’ra operatives to search for the city.”
Jackson looked stunned, “An ancient city?” Are you sure this isn’t just more data about Atlantis?”
Lee replied, “No, I don’t think so, Daniel; I reviewed all the data Tovar brought us. I mean, I’m no archeologist, but I have to say that the data was compelling. I really be…”
“Dr. Lee, we get it, you believe this is real…Jackson, I want you to review this information. At the moment, I have six men missing and Delek tells me he doesn’t know where they are. You need to give me a place to start looking.”
“Who’s this wanna-be system lord? I really don’t want to have to deal with them anymore.” Jackson shuddered.
“His name is Tovar or Partak, I guess, and…” Once again, the gate activated. Instead of rising, Landry contacted the control room. “What now?”
Over the intercom, the gate tech announced that the IDC belonged to SG-8. With that news, everyone bolted for the gate room. As they arrived, Mitchell was exiting the gate, followed by Captain Maris and the other two Marines carrying their still unconscious teammate. Noticeably absent was Colonel Sheppard.
“Colonel, what happened? Where’s Sheppard?” Landry asked as he heard the page calling a med team to the gate.
“We were ambushed sir, hit with stun weapons, when we came to, we were on another planet. Sheppard wasn’t with us; he must still be with Selana and Curnon.”
The med team descended on the gate room, Dr. Lam leading the way. “General, you can speak with these men once I’ve checked them over.”
Landry nodded, “Go on, get checked out. We’ll talk in a bit; there are some developments you are going to want to hear.”
+++++++
When Sheppard awoke the second time, he felt much stronger. The pain in his abdomen was almost gone and he struggled to sit up. He felt an ache above his left eye; touching his forehead, he cringed at the tenderness. As he did, he felt Lanar’s presence.
“You should feel better. I have repaired most of the damage to your body. You will still be weak for awhile, however. I can stimulate new blood cells to reproduce at a faster than normal pace, but it will take time.”
“Yeah, I feel better, uh….thanks.” Sheppard reached for the canteen on his belt, taking a drink of cool water before he continued. “It’s time for you to tell me what’s going on. You told me that Tovar, had ordered no one to be killed, yet Selana is dead.”
“Yes, it is time for you to know the truth. However, if you feel up to it, let’s begin to search for Partak and his men. We must find them quickly, they must be stopped. While we are moving, I will tell you what has led to this unfortunate turn of events.
Sheppard wasn’t certain that standing up was a good idea, but he knew the Tok’ra was right. It was time to put a stop to whatever Tovar planned. He placed his left hand against a tree and pushed himself to his feet. Once standing, he held on to the tree as the dizziness faded away.
“Which way?”
“I believe that north is the direction we wish to go in, colonel. We are on the planet where the Ancient city is located. If we go north, we should come across Partak. You should continue to call him Tovar, by the way; it will be less suspicious if you do. I will endeavor to call him that as well. He does not realize that you were injured, so they are searching for you much further away.”
Taking a deep breath, Sheppard looked to the sky to determine the source of the sunlight. Once he got his bearings, he started making his way across the forest floor.
“OK, start talking.”
“Let me start with what happened prior to your injury and why I had to find you. As I told you, Tovar did not want to kill anyone, at least unnecessarily. He had his plan worked out, and he did not desire extra security to accompany you. He had hoped that you would come alone on the mission, but of course, your people are protective.”
Not sure protective is the appropriate word. Perhaps cautious might be a better choice.” As he spoke, Sheppard sensed a glimmer of humor in Lanar’s thoughts.
“No, if General Landry is like General Hammond, protective is the correct word. Tovar decided that he needed to make it appear that you, along with Selana and Curnon had been captured by mercenaries looking for the Ancient city. Tovar procured the weapons used from mercenaries with whom he has an association. He did not wish to use the zat'ni'katel as he feared you might put things together too quickly. He did order that the weapons be set on stun. They stunned the others with you and then took them through the gate, leaving them on a planet that has been uninhabited since the Ori plague outbreak decimated the population.”
“Selana; I thought she was hit by weapon’s fire.” He stumbled over a thick vine. Grabbing a tree for support, he stopped a minute to catch his breath.
“No, they fired close to her; she was to fall as if she had been hit. That is why she lagged behind you. However, she lost her footing and fell down the river bank, striking her head on a rock. That injury was what eventually killed her. Tovar had no intention of killing her. However, that would have definitely changed if he had known the truth.”
“There’s been little truth told from the beginning of this outing. What truth are you expecting me to believe now?”
“Colonel, I realize you have no reason to trust me. However, I am part of you now. You can access my thoughts, as well as I can yours. Concentrate, you will see that I am telling the truth.”
Sheppard was reluctant. He was still reeling from the injury, and the fact that there was an alien entity in his head. However, he was a rational man, and his military training overcame his disgust regarding the situation. Allowing his mind to clear, he felt the thoughts of his companion drift through his consciousness.
“You and Selana were working undercover to find out what Tovar was planning? Tovar is Tok’ra, what would cause you to investigate one of your own?”
“Despite what the SGC thinks about the Tok’ra, we are not all cut from the same cloth. After the fall of the System Lords, we wished to live our lives no longer on the run. The Tok’ra established the first permanent home we have ever had. I, for one, was happy to be away from those heinous tunnels. However, even before that time, as the Jaffa began to rebel, unrest was penetrating our ranks. We had severed our relationship with the SGC, although we did assist the Tau’ri at times after that. I do not believe that it was ever our intention to no longer have a relationship with you. But we were dying at such rapid rate that we felt we had to protect ourselves. Unfortunately, some Tok’ra were not as pure of thought as we had hoped. It started with a Tok’ra, who betrayed the Jaffa and the Tau’ri, resulting in an ambush on the secret base. Many died that day, many from all sides.”
“I have read those mission reports, not the Tok’ra’s finest hour.”
“No, it wasn’t and many of us regret that, but we did help with the Ori, colonel. Hopefully, that will give us credibility with the Tau’ri now. I believe we will need that.”
“I’ll ask again. Is there really an Ancient city, or is there something else going on?”
“We are certain that the city exists. The Tok’ra are scientists, predominantly; the data I have seen appears factual. I believe that the Ancient city is located on this planet.
“However, we are still unclear of what these renegades’ intentions are. It may be just as simple as finding powerful devices to assist them in establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the galaxy. Ancient artifacts that you have identified and initiated for them, could go a long way in providing them power.”
“So, we continue to operate uncover, not letting the Tok’ra renegades know that I know about this plot.”
“Yes, we need to know what they are planning.”
“There’s a problem with that, won’t the other Tok’ra be able to sense your presence in me? A colleague of mine, Colonel Carter, served as a host to a Tok’ra, naquadah traces were left in her system, and she could sense other Goa…Tok’ra. Won’t they immediately?”
“Yes, you are correct, but I have given that some thought, colonel. I believe you are capable of hiding me.”
“Hiding you, how?”
“Naquadah is part of our genetic make-up. The mineral acts as one of the bonds that hold our DNA together. The stargate and other Ancient devices are constructed from naquadah. You possess the genetic ability to control devices made of the mineral. I believe that you can mask my presence, at least to a small number of Tok’ra. I would suggest that you not offer to return to the Tok’ra home world, however. I am not certain that you would have the ability to hide me among the detection abilities of many Tok’ra at once.”
“I act like you aren’t there, and you provide me with some insider information, sounds like a plan” Sheppard paused. “You are called Lanar, correct?” He felt the Tok’ra say yes. “I have to ask you, is it possible to have you removed at some point. I mean, find another host? I really don’t like having you in my head.”
“I promise, colonel. I will not ask you to remain as my host. However, we must work together for now. I have repaired most of the damage to your body. You should be able to pass off your injury as minor when they find you. I suggest you say you hit your head. You actually do have a minor injury, a swollen bruised area on your forehead. I have left that unhealed as proof that you were unconscious. Now we should concentrate on finding our quarry. Please do not hesitate to rest when you need to; you must be ready to stop these traitors.”
+++++++
Landry had resisted the urge to pace over the last two hours. He had also resisted the urge to throttle Bill Lee; the scientist was a brilliant man, but aggravating. He and Dr. Jackson had been squabbling for the last ten minutes over a minor detail in the report that Delek had provided. The Tok’ra had been sitting quietly while the two scientists reviewed the data. Landry, however, was pretty certain that Delek was as aggravated as he was.
A sputtering no, no, no, from Dr. Lee, sent Landry over the edge, “Gentlemen, enough. We are getting nowhere. Dr. Jackson, your thoughts so far?”
“This is very exciting, general. I believe that this city exists; just where it exists is the question. We have run the original gate addresses that Partak provided. Except for the planet that Sheppard and Cam gated to, the planet descriptions don’t match.”
“That planet was a decoy from the beginning.” The men in the room looked up to see Cam Mitchell at the top of the stairs.
“Colonel, welcome; you up to debrief?” Landry questioned.
“Yeah, Lam discharged everyone except Harrelson. He’s awake though, Lam says he’ll be fine.” He took a seat next to Lee.
“They set us up; led us on a wild goose chase. Said that they were being followed by a group of mercenaries who wanted the treasures of the city, and they wanted to flush them out. Curnon told us that bringing SG-8 had spoiled their plans to identify the bad guys. We scared them off. I personally don’t believe that for one second.” Mitchell turned toward Delek, “General Landry came to the infirmary to bring me up to speed. What the hell have they done with Sheppard?”
“I do not know, colonel. I do not believe they plan on harming him.”
Mitchell scoffed, “You don’t know that for certain. Once they find him useful, I doubt they will allow him to leave. I want to know where they are.”
Delek dropped his head, and when he spoke again, his voice was normal. “Colonel, I am Saynar, Delek’s host. He is telling you the truth; he doesn’t know where Colonel Sheppard or the ancient city is. He doesn’t know.”
Saynar dropped his head and Delek spoke once more. “I apologize. My host is usually quite shy and does not speak often, but he asked to speak with you.”
From the irritated look on Mitchell’s face, he wasn’t buying it. “Your host’s faith in you, doesn’t impress me. Your cooperation in helping us find Colonel Sheppard is the only thing that will impress me, Delek.” Delek did not reply.
Jackson interrupted, “The fact is, we don’t know where this city is, although there are some clues that might narrow the search down. General, I think we need assistance. We need to send this data to Atlantis, McKay and his people might be able to shed some light on this. There could be something in the Atlantis database on this city.”
Mitchell added, “Besides, none of us have the gene. We’re gonna need some of the Atlantis personnel once we find the city.”
“Agreed, Dr. Jackson; you and Mitchell contact Atlantis, let them know what’s going on. Tell them to get here as soon as they can. We have a colonel to find.”
+++++++
Sheppard was surprised at how much energy he had after what he had gone through. He stopped only once, for a brief rest and eat a powerbar during the long trek. During the passing hours, Lanar had given him as much information as he knew about the city, which was considerably more than Tovar had given them. If what Lanar said was true, this city could be a huge find. Opening more questions about the Ancients than he expected it would answer.
He was becoming concerned about whether or not he was lost. “Lanar, are you certain we’re heading in the right direction.” He shuddered when he realized he was referring to them, as ‘we’. Maybe his association with Atlantis was allowing him to become resigned to this relationship with Lanar. Resigned, at least, on one level; on another level, it was just creepy.
“I am certain. I do not believe it will be much longer before we encounter the others.”
Sheppard had walked a few more yards before Lanar spoke again. “Colonel, I must warn you, normally when angry, excited, extremely agitated, the naquadah causes a flash of light to illuminate our eyes. This also occurs when we slip between host and Tok’ra control. You must be careful and control this. The Tok’ra dip their head and hide their eyes, this symbol of the Goa’uld is distasteful to us. If you give us away, Partak will know that he is discovered. We will both die.”
“Yeah, well, no pressure there.” Again, Sheppard felt a glimmer of humor in Lanar’s demeanor. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Again, I think that your ability to control Ancient items, will allow you to control your reactions. I will do my best to control mine.”
Sheppard froze at the sound of a branch breaking nearby. He thought, “Looks like it show time, Lanar.” Remaining calm, Sheppard turned, and became face to face with Curnon.
The Tok’ra stared at him for a moment. “Colonel Sheppard, we are relieved to find you alive. We were quite concerned. You appeared injured, are you alright?”
“I tripped running from the mercenaries; hit my head. I was unconscious for a while; other than a slight headache, I’m fine.” He touched his abdomen, the tear through his clothing and the blood was visible. “Fell onto something and scratched myself up. What about my people? What happened to Mitchell and the team?”
“First, colonel, it is fortunate that you were not injured more severely. As for Colonel Mitchell and the others, we can only assume they have been captured by the renegades. As soon as I came to, I returned to the gate and contacted Tavor. He sent teams to look for everyone and personally came to oversee the search for you. Selana; have you seen her? We have not been able to locate her.”
“Selana’s dead. I followed the river for a while trying to get away from the renegades. I spotted her body, washed downriver, trapped on the opposite side. I couldn’t get to her.”
A deep voice permeated the quiet forest, “That is regrettable, colonel. Selana was an excellent host and intelligent in her own right. The death of Lanar, the Tok’ra she hosted, is a great loss to our people. He will be greatly missed for his wisdom and counsel.”
Sheppard turned toward the voice. Tovar was standing further down the overgrown path with two other Tok’ra that he had not seen before. “But I do have good news, colonel. We are very close to the city. We have found a path paved with stone which we think will take us to the entrance.” He stood aside and motioned for Sheppard to walk ahead of him.”
“Great, at least, there is that.” Sheppard said as he passed Tovar waiting for any reaction regarding his ‘companion’, Lanar. If Tovar realized that he was hosting Lanar, he didn’t exhibit it. Sheppard uttered a small sigh of relief, thinking maybe they could pull this off.” Again, he felt Lanar’s thoughts, “Be on guard, colonel. Partak is not a fool.”