VS9 Episode 12
Pride and Jaffa Prejudice
Prologue
"Ry'ac! Behind you!"
Heeding his companion's warning, Ry'ac whirled and fired his staff weapon. The attacker fell, dead before he ever hit the ground. The loud clatter of Tau'ri weapons sounded across the clearing, their deadly projectiles biting into the tree near Ry'ac's head. He dropped to the ground and began to crawl on his belly through the dense brush at the meadow's edge toward the duo that had been helping him prepare to load supplies only moments before.
A rustling of the meadow grass alerted him to the approach of his enemy. He quickly crawled into a large hedge in front of him and stilled, hoping that his pursuers would pass by without detecting him. The footsteps halted mere feet away, leaving him fearful to even breathe lest he give his position away.
"Are you certain we are doing the right thing?" Though hushed, the voice was vaguely familiar to Ry'ac. Still, recognition remained just out of reach as his pursuers continued their whispered exchange.
"Our leaders have decreed that this is the only way to get his father to abandon the fool Tau'ri and take his rightful place among his true people. It is not for us to question them," insisted a second speaker. Still not quite able to place the voices, Ry'ac had to strain to hear as the conversation continued.
"I suppose," answered the first man. "Still, it does not seem right. Ry'ac has done nothing to betray us. We have fought side by side with him for our freedom; to now hunt him down like an animal when he has committed no wrong doing goes against everything we have fought to achieve."
"I know," the other reluctantly agreed. "But those we have chosen to lead us have decided. It is not our place to pass judgment on their decisions, only to see that they are carried to fruition."
"I know," agreed the first one. "I do not have to like it, though. I thought the days of being ordered to kill innocents were behind me now that our people are free. Yet, here we are, searching an alien forest in order to kill two of our own and kidnap yet another."
"All this talking is getting us nowhere," hissed the second man. "Remain silent and do your job or leave!" After a moments pause, Ry'ac heard the same voice, obviously straining to be heard only by his companion. "Come, I saw movement over there before you decided to stop and chat."
The pair moved on, leaving behind a stunned Ry'ac. These were not marauders or bandits after their supplies as he'd assumed. His own people, the free Jaffa, were going to murder his companions and capture him to use as a pawn against his father. Oh, he had heard the talk around the camp at Dakara. Many felt that Teal'c should be taking as strong a role in governing the new nation as he had in fighting for it. Still, Ry'ac would have never dreamed that they would go this far in an attempt to lure his father away from his friends among the Tau'ri.
Shaking himself out of the stupor the overheard conversation had caused, he found that his pursuers had moved far enough ahead that he could safely venture from his hiding place. Intent on preventing the deaths of his companions, he again carefully began to make his way to their side.
He had barely gone a few feet when another burst of fire from the P-90s sounded in the same direction he was headed. The cries of his fellow workers told him that the bullets had found their mark. He hung his head in dismay, knowing that it was too late for the planned rescue. Determined, he changed course and headed toward the teltac. He was not going to allow the rest of their plan to succeed. He had to get away and warn his father. There was no way he could allow himself to be captured. Someone had to see that the group paid for the senseless deaths of his companions.
He was over halfway to his new destination when a voice sounded far to his right. "There! He's trying to get to the ship--stop him!" The clatter of the Tau'ri weapons again filled the air, churning up the soil next to him as they attempted to ward him off. Determined, he kept going, ignoring the noise of the guns as they spewed bullets closer and closer to him. He felt a small punch in his shoulder, back, and thigh almost simultaneously, but he ignored it and kept going.
As he finally reached the ramp, the same voice called again. "No, you fools! I told you, he is not to be harmed!"
He barely comprehended what was happening around him, filing it away in his memory to be examined later and concentrating solely on escape. He knew his plan was risky, but he was also aware it was his only chance. Taking as deep a breath as his injuries would allow, Ry'ac rose to his feet and sprinted up the ramp into the ship. He nearly fell, stumbling badly on his wounded leg before lunging and diving through the open door. A voice was yelling at him, calling his name over and over, but he paid it no mind and surged forward.
Pain exploded all along his left side as he hit the floor of the teltac. His vision narrowed, but he fought hard to remain conscious and rise above the burning agony. After only a moment, he struggled to his feet, knowing that if he allowed the attackers time enough to make it to the open entrance of the ship that all would be lost. He half-crawled, half-stumbled to the door's mechanism and immediately closed the hatch.
Pausing only for an instant to catch his breath and prepare for the pain that would accompany his next act, he lurched forward to the pilots seat, dropping heavily into the chair as he grabbed the controls and started the engines. He wiped the beading sweat from his forehead, but otherwise ignored his wounds as he quickly checked his instruments and took off. He engaged the cloaking mechanism and guided the ship higher into the planet's atmosphere. Dismissing the light-headed feeling that threatened to overtake him, he plotted his course and launched into hyperspace. He had to get to safety in order to warn his father of this nefarious plot--and to avenge the deaths of his friends.
******
"Unscheduled offworld activation." Sergeant Harriman's voice echoed over the loudspeaker as the claxons blared in warning. General O'Neill quickly descended the stairs and strode up behind him at the dialing computer.
"What have we got, Walter?" he asked, slightly breathless from the exertion. Much to his chagrin, he was not yet back to one hundred percent after the assassination attempt and still on limited duty.
"Receiving IDC now." The sergeant paused as he punched in a command on the console in front of him. "It's Ishta, sir."
O'Neill raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Open the iris."
Harriman immediately placed his hand over the scanner. A soft, blue glow enveloped the room below as the iris retracted to reveal the open wormhole. All eyes turned expectantly to the gate as they waited for a figure to appear and step out onto the ramp. Seconds ticked by, seeming to stretch on into minutes, but the shimmering puddle remained empty. Tension mounted as the clock continued to run, but still no traveler emerged from the rippling event horizon.
Finally, Walter's voice broke the tense silence. "Receiving audio signal. Shall I put it on speaker, sir?"
The general nodded and leaned over the console as Harriman typed in the proper commands. Within seconds, the tinny voice of the Hak'tyl leader could be heard.
"…urgent that I speak with Teal'c in person as soon as possible. I would request that he depart immediately. Please respond."
O'Neill instantly switched into high alert mode as he grabbed the microphone in front of him. "Ishta, this is O'Neill. Teal'c's not here at the moment. Anything I can do for you?"
After a rather pregnant pause, her voice again drifted from the speakers. Her surprise at his presence was evident in her tone. "General O'Neill, I am most pleased to hear your voice. The Hak'tyl heard of the cowardly attempt on your life, but we did not think you would have completely recuperated so quickly. You have totally recovered, I take it?"
"Oh yeah, good as new. Thanks for asking." He glared at Walter as the sergeant tried unsuccessfully to disguise a snort of disbelief with a cough and quickly changed the subject. "So, um, about the reason for your call. Is there anything we can do to help until Teal'c gets here?"
There was another long pause before her answer. "I thank you for your concern, General, but this is a matter I can only discuss with Teal'c. Will he be available soon?"
O'Neill frowned as she spoke. There was an odd coldness to her tone that left him feeling almost as though she were angry with him for some reason. "It will take him at least an hour to get back here from Daniel's. You sure there's nothing we can do for you in the meantime?"
"No. As I have already explained, I can only discuss the matter with Teal'c. Please have him depart for Hak'tyl immediately upon his return to the SGC." The wormhole snapped shut as soon as she finished speaking, as if to punctuate her abrupt reply.
O'Neill frowned at the dormant gateway and then turned to Walter. "Send Teal'c to my office as soon as he gets here."
Without waiting for a reply, the general turned and slowly headed up the stairs, frustrated at the weakness he still experienced. He could feel the eyes of all personnel in sight watching him, waiting for him to falter, further fueling his irritation. He experienced a brief moment of remorse when he thought of his answer to Ishta's query as to his health, but he hated to admit weakness at the best of times. Added to that fact, it seemed that everyone felt the need to treat him like one of Daniel's precious and highly fragile artifacts. Was it really so wrong to want at least one person these days to treat him normally? And speaking of wrong, he couldn't help but wonder what was up with her.
She had been polite, for sure, but there was that oddness in her tone. He had the feeling that she was angry. Not with him specifically, but with the Tau'ri in general. Why though? No teams from the SGC had reported any encounters with the Hak'tyl for some time. He was certain of that, having read all the reports filed while he was recovering. It made no sense at all, yet he was certain that was the case.
Once again short of breath, he finally reached the top of the stairs. Oh well, no time to dwell on Ishta or the Hak'tyl now--he had a base to run. That the current wannabe-Nazi-power monger still refused to allow him to do it fulltime didn't matter to him in the least.
******
As Teal'c followed behind his escort, his extreme irritation at Ishta's vague summons gave way to a growing sense of unease as his eyes took in the details of the settlement along the way. On another occasion, he would have discreetly returned his gaze to his guide and thoroughly enjoyed the bird's eye view of her toned and shapely leg muscles striding powerfully toward their destination. Indeed, the feminine sway of her hips would have been almost intoxicating--an effect that Ishta would certainly not have missed upon greeting him; that the act would have annoyed his lover would have been merely icing on the cake.
But this wasn't another occasion. He schooled his features into a mask of bland normalcy, nodding in greeting to those they met. He noted with alarm that most people did not look him in the eye, and the few who did meet his gaze immediately looked away--though not before he saw the pity there. The constant urge to shiver in dread did nothing to alleviate his foul mood.
Not a word had been spoken to him since the escort, Koreysa, had informed him that Ishta requested that he accompany her. He thoroughly resented being treated as if he didn't know the way to her tent on his own.
By the time they reached Ishta's tent, Teal'c was unable to shake an impending sense of doom. The lack of conversation had served to amplify the background noise of folks going on about their everyday tasks and lent a surreal eeriness to the situation. During the long trek, he had come up with a number of possibilities for the odd behavior of the Hak'tyl people, but he had seen nothing to indicate its cause. His lips tightened in annoyance when Koreysa put up her hand to instruct him to wait outside. The tent flap had barely settled from her entrance before she again appeared and held it open for him to enter. He mutely acknowledged her invitation and thanked her for the escort with a regal nod of his head before ducking through the opening.
Teal'c frowned as he stepped forward and straightened. Ishta started upon seeing him, a deer-in-the-headlights look flashing across her features despite the fact that she was obviously expecting him. It was she who had summoned him, after all. "What manner of game do you think to play with me, woman?" he demanded.
"Father." The voice was familiar, though the word came out barely above a whisper. It was his turn to be startled as his eyes rapidly adjusted to the dim lighting of the tent. There, seated just beyond Ishta was the distraught form of his daughter-in-law.
Teal'c closed his eyes and breathed deeply to keep his stomach from rising completely into his throat. Suddenly all those looks of pity from the villagers on his way to the tent made perfect sense. He immediately shut down emotionally and switched to autopilot; every muscle remained tense as he demanded answers. "What has happened to Ry'ac?"
Ishta reached out a hand to him. "Come, sit with us and we will tell you what we know."
"Do not attempt to coddle me. Tell me what has happened to my son!"
The coldness in his voice did nothing to dissuade her. "Sit with your daughter," she calmly but firmly instructed. "This will not be an easy thing to hear."
"Where is my son?" he roared. "I demand that you tell me all you know--NOW!"
She leveled an icy glare of her own right back at him. "Can you not see that she needs you? I will give you what answers I have, but please, for the love of all you hold dear, join your daughter."