Stargate - Rise of the Sun God

by Arvaus

13 - Second Chances

Koresh and Ro'shur sat quietly in the cargo ship's cockpit, watching as another firestorm raged outside. It hadn't escaped Koresh's attention that the storms had suddenly become a lot more frequent after the others returned from the ship. The Ra'shek clearly knew what they were doing and, seemed to be intent on at least taking them with it.

The waiting was killing him. The hours since they enacted their plan had crawled past painfully slowly, and the potential three hours more were looming ahead of him. He hoped their rescue would arrive soon just so he would have something new to do.

But at the same time he was scared to find out what would happen when rescue did come, and when Zipacna found out what they had done. They'd been sent here because he wanted to capture this system for himself, and instead they had chosen to destroy it. Their brief allegiance with SG-1 could be hidden easily enough, but there would be no way to hide the sun exploding.

Zipacna wasn't going to accept explanations about trying to protect the galaxy, and he couldn't think of any other way to justify their actions to their god. In fact, he wasn't even sure he knew himself why he had gone along with the plan. There had been too many unexpected factors in this mission, and he was feeling lost. He hadn't been prepared for any of this, and he knew that, whatever happened when Zipacna's forces arrived, there would be no second chances. He needed to understand, and he needed to do so now.

He stood and paced back and forth across the bridge, stretching his legs. Ro'shur was sat in the pilot's seat staring out through the window in silence, as he had been for much of the time since his return. Koresh imagined the older Jaffa was struggling with the same questions he was. Despite all the wisdom he had imparted over the last few years, Koresh could see that his master would not have the answers now. There was only one place he could think that he would find them.

He turned and walked over to the cargo bay, Opening the door and stepping in. Major Carter was lying in the far corner, still resting after the events on the ship, while Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson were sitting just to the right of the door, talking about something. They looked up at him when he entered; Koresh glanced over at them, but then turned and approached Teal'c, who was sitting quietly on the far side of the room.

"May I speak with you?" he said, sitting down. Teal'c nodded.

"Does something trouble you?" he asked.

Koresh hesitated. This was the Shol'va, after all – the most hated Jaffa in the galaxy. But when he thought about it he realised the two of them had something in common now.

"I betrayed my god today," he said.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. "This planet was to be Zipacna's prize, but you have helped to destroy it instead." Koresh nodded. "Why did you choose to do that?"

"Did I have a choice?" Koresh said. "You saw what happened to me; with everything the Ra'shek can do, we could never hope to control it."

"Perhaps not," Teal'c said, "but would Zipacna not have been able to? He is much more powerful than any of us."

Koresh looked confused. "Do you believe that?" he asked.

Teal'c shook his head. "It is what you believe that I wish to know," he replied.

Koresh sighed. "I don't know what I believe now," he said. "A week ago I would not have doubted it, but… think of what I've seen on this planet. The Ra'shek has us trapped here, and has nearly killed us on many occasions. When I think of the stories of what it has done, and what it claims to be able to do… It is a being of such power and scale that I daren't even try to comprehend it."

He paused and looked round the room at the rest of the team. "And then I meet you," he said. "Your team comes here, sees a being capable of slaying gods and wiping out entire armies, and you devise a plan to completely destroy it as if it were nothing. The balance of power does not lie where I once thought it did."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but did not say anything. Koresh took a deep breath and went on to the real question he wanted to ask.

"You know what Zipacna will do when he learns what we did here today," he said. "All Jaffa I know of who betrayed or failed their gods are dead…. except you. Knowing what could have happened to you, why did you do it?"

"A good question," Teal'c said, "but first, let me ask you one. You have spoken highly of our ability to destroy a star. Now tell me, what would happen if a Goa'uld were to learn how to do this?"

The question surprised Koresh, but as soon as he thought about it he realised the answer. He had heard of entire planets wiped out by the Goa'uld for opposing them, but it happened rarely because it required assembling a fleet, and even with many ships it took a weeks or months to do so thoroughly. If they could completely wipe out an entire system in an instant with a single ship, though…

A shiver ran down his spine.

"Indeed," Teal'c said, needing no more answer. "As for your query, I think the real question is why I did not do it sooner.

"When I was young I was much like you. I wanted to be the greatest warrior I could be so that I could serve Apophis in his army. If I could do that I would have been able to ensure a safe life for my family. I worked and trained hard, and I achieved my dream and joined the ranks of Apophis's personal guard, eventually becoming his first prime.

"But as my rank increased, so did my responsibilities. I led others into battle over and over again. I destroyed Apophis's enemies and killed any who dared to stand up to him. I must have killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, by my own hoof, and I have been responsible for the deaths of countless others. But I wonder if any Jaffa can look down on a planet as their fleet bombards cities on the surface, killing guilty and innocent alike, and not question even for a moment if they are doing the right thing.

"I kept going, though, because each time I killed a traitor I imagined myself – or my wife and son – in their place. I could not protect those I loved if I were dead or exiled. I went on for years this way, occasionally trying to find a way to do some good in spite of my orders, but eventually I asked myself a question: if I had to violate my orders in order to do a good deed, what did that make my orders? I had stopped believing in Apophis' divine nature long before. I feared him and what he was capable of, of course, but I no longer worshipped him."

"But you still went on to keep your family safe?" Koresh said. Teal'c nodded. "So what made you change your mind?"

Teal'c looked over at Colonel O'Neill. "We had captured SG-1, and I was instructed to kill them and some other prisoners. I had my orders, and I was fully prepared to follow through with them, but then… he asked for my help."

"He asked you to help him?" Koresh said. "Why?"

"Perhaps he sensed that I did not want to kill them," Teal'c said. "In truth I do not know, but I do not need to. What matters is only that he asked. He chose to trust me. He had no reason to, but he did so anyway."

Koresh glanced over at the colonel, remembering the look in his eyes when he had asked him to help revive Major Carter.

"I could see that his team were formidable warriors," Teal'c said, "and I suspected that, unlike most who opposed Apophis, they may have actually had the ability to challenge him and win. I knew that if I killed them having been offered a chance to help them, I would never be able to sleep soundly again. Then, when I did help them, and when I had nowhere to go, he offered to protect me. He and his colleagues welcomed me into their team. He gave me a home, and a chance to continue to help countless others across the galaxy by fighting for the freedom, not just of my own family, but for Jaffa and ponies everywhere."

"But would you ever go back?" Koresh asked. "If you did this to protect others, then if Zipacna were to offer safety for you, your family, and any others you wished in return for your service, would you?"

"I would not," Teal'c said without hesitation, "because I could never be certain that I could trust them to keep their word. Or one day they may be killed by a rival Goa'uld who would have no issue with breaking that promise. In addition, I would always know that he had only made the promise in order to gain power over me.

"SG-1 and their colleagues are different. They are my friends; they treat me with respect, and I respect them in return. The Goa'uld may be powerful, but no amount of threats could ever make me trust them. SG-1 has earned my trust, and for that reason I will remain their allies until I die."

Koresh sat, stunned. He looked over at the colonel again. "Just a few hours ago, the colonel and I were trying to kill each other," he said. "Not long after, he asked me to help save the life of his friend."

"Much as it was with me," Teal'c said. "If you were to join us, he would soon trust you with much more, as indeed would I."

The offer caught Koresh off guard. With no idea how he wanted to respond to it, he nodded vaguely and stood up again, looking awkwardly round at the rest of the team. Once, he had sworn to himself that he would one day defeat Colonel O'Neill, and now he was being told that this very same pony would be willing to trust him with his life. It seemed nonsensical.

Walking away from Teal'c, he looked over at Major Carter, lying on the far side of the room and sleeping peacefully. He could imagine the voices of his past masters screaming in his head, reminding him that she was the enemy, and his upbringing demanded that he should hate her. And yet, all he could think about was how guilty he felt for not being able to do more to save her. He had been offered a chance to help and had failed, and it didn't seem to matter who had made the offer. He was actually relieved that she was still alive.

He turned to head back out into the cockpit and saw Ro'shur standing in the door, watching him. He wondered how much of the conversation his master had heard. But Ro'shur didn't look angry. He merely looked curious.

Koresh started walking back, when suddenly there was movement behind him. He turned round and saw Major Carter squirming on the ground, muttering in her sleep.

"Not again," O'Neill said, standing up and cantering over to her. Teal'c and Doctor Jackson got up as well and followed him over. Koresh backed away from them, not sure what was going on.

"Wake up, Major!" Jack said, giving Sam a shake. She rolled over, mumbling something incomprehensible. She kicked one of her hooves out and Jack had to jump back to avoid it.

"Come on, Carter!" he said, grabbing hold of her again. "Don't let it in!"

He gave another shake and her eyes flew open. "No, not yet!" she shouted. Then she went still, staring up at Jack.

"Major," Jack said. "You you?"

"What?" Sam replied.

"You were getting pretty jumpy there," he said, letting go of her and helping her up. "I thought the Ra'shek was in your head again."

Carter rubbed her forehead. "Yeah," she said. "I mean… I'm not sure. There was something in there. It was definitely the same feeling I had last time, but… It's hard to remember."

"Did you hear anything?" Daniel asked. "When it happened to me, I remember hearing a voice."

"Yeah," Sam said, massaging her temple. "I do remember there being a voice. But it didn't seem right. I don't think it was the Ra'shek."

The others looked around at each other in confusion.

"Why not?" Jack asked.

"Because of what it was saying," she replied. "It was asking me to help it."

"Well of course it was," Jack said. "If it knows it's about to die, makes sense it would start pleading for its life. We've all seen that before."

"No," Koresh said. The team looked round at him in surprise. "No, it wouldn't."

He walked up and stood next to them. "It has been in my head as well," he said. "The entire time you were discussing your plan it was there, listening. And I remember no fear in its mind, no cowardice. All I remember is hatred. The way it sees us… I don't believe it would ever ask us for help."

"Yeah," Daniel said, nodding. "I can relate to that."

"So, what was it then?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," Sam said. "But it wants our help. And it also said it wanted me to listen to it. Whatever it is, it's trying to tell us something."

"So this is the evil spirit's good twin?" Jack said.

"Like I said, I don't know," Sam replied. "But what if it is? If there's something else trapped here—"

"Then it's going to die too," Daniel said. "Jack, I think we need to—"

"Do what?" Jack said. "Are we even going to be able to do anything? It was hard enough getting ourselves off this planet, let alone a weird spirit that can only talk to us through dreams."

Ro'shur walked up next to them. "You gave us a chance," he said. "Perhaps we should do the same here."

"He's right, Colonel," Sam said. "I think we need to hear it out. It seemed pretty desperate."

Jack sighed. "Yeah, you're right," he said. "Maybe we can help it. And who knows, maybe it can help us. So how do we do this?"

"It's already shown us how," Sam said. "If I fall asleep, then it should try and talk to me again. All I have to do is wait."

"You sure about this?" Daniel said. "If it tries to take control of you, or worse…"

"I'll be fine," Sam said. "I don't think it wants to hurt me. And if it looks like it's hurting me, zat me."

"Well, if you're sure," Jack said. Sam nodded.

"Don't worry, colonel," she said. "It's only a dream. I'll be safe."

"Actually I meant about the zatting," Jack said. "Those things really sting."

Sam laughed. "Colonel—"

"It was a joke, Major," he said, waving her down. "Now stop wasting time and go fall asleep."

"Yes sir," Sam said, turning and going over to the corner. She lay down and closed her eyes, taking long, slow breaths.

"Okay," Jack said, walking back to where he'd been sitting. "This could take a while. Let's give the major some peace and quiet. We don't want to disturb whatever's going on inside that head of hers."

"Wait, Colonel," Ro'shur said. The Jaffa approached him, and held a zat gun out to him. Jack looked down at it in surprise.

"For me?" he said. "Why?"

"In case you do need to protect her," Ro'shur said. "or if the Ra'shek takes anypony else. We should be as prepared as possible."

Jack looked up at the Jaffa, then took the weapon and slipped it into the holster on his vest. "Thank you," he said.

Ro'shur nodded back, then turned and went to join Koresh. Teal'c passed him as he left, and the two briefly shared a look. Teal'c then sat down next to Jack with a contented smile on his face.

"I think this has been one of our better imprisonments," Jack said.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied.

Comments

[Ocean Waves]

Character development!
And the plot thickens...

[ShadowShrike]

5565653 Indeed

[Seeking Dusk]

I still don't know why I keep delaying reading these chapters. They are just so awesome.

I love Koresh's summary of SG-1. 'See all-powerful force? Come up with a plan to destory it.' All in a days work for SG-1. They really demonstrate the principles of 'Knowledge is Power.'

[Black--Soul]

Damn... Turning enemy into allies and even friends perhaps? This is a amazing development in characters!

Luna is alive and kicking ♡
Ra probably imprison both one way or another, time for Luna to get set free 👍

Love Jack's humor!