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VAE VICTIS
Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Tara, land of dreams
Posts: 317 |
Shippy part.....
Jack slept fitfully and was roused by rustling noises just outside the door, accompanied by voices. He fidgeted uncomfortably and turned to greet his visitors. Sam entered the hut, medical supplies in one hand and a jug of water and a bundle in the other. Jack sighed inwardly as relief washed over him. At last, something was going right. He had his second in command back.
Jack sat up, glad to see his friend again and eager to do something... he caught himself short, though as his waking brain screamed incoherently. Just what was Sam doing here, anyway? Was she back to normal?
?Hey, sir. I?ve brought medical supplies and food. I?m trying to gain their confidence, it seems to be working.?
?Oh really?? Jack nearly said it, but flinched with the memory of their last conversation... ?Right, fine, but can ya see to Teal?c? He took quite a beating,? Jack couldn?t take all of his irritation out of his voice.
?Hmm? Oh, right,? Sam looked momentarily distracted. She knelt down and began her ministrations unemotionally.
?Where?s Daniel?? Jack asked, trying to keep the suspicion out of his tone. Carter was showing no sympathy toward Teal?c?s condition. This was so not right.
?He?s fine.? She finished cleaning Teal?c?s wounds and sat back.
Teal?c barely stirred throughout the exchange. Jack was glad he was getting some rest.
?Listen, Jack-?
The airman?s head snapped round painfully at the use of his first name. Carter was kneeling on the floor in front of him, leaning towards him. Her head tilted up to look at him and Jack noticed maniacally that her pupils were dilated and her breath had a certain twang again...
?Carter, I don?t think...?
?That?s right, don?t think. I?ve found a way you can get home.?
She rocked forward on her haunches and reached her fingers out to brush the split lip, ?I?m sorry I had to do that,? she crooned, ?but I had to keep up appearances.?
Jack?s breath came ragged, Sam was getting far too close for comfort and obviously she still wasn?t herself. Ah, this was very uncomfortable? he uncharacteristically shrank back slightly, hugging the wall.
?All you have to do is one little, tiny thing for me. You can do that, can?t you?? she took his chin and nodded his head. ?You see, we all need to make sacrifices,? she sighed softly. ?It seems our precious Daniel has been conspiring against all of us. The entire time you and Teal?c have been in here starving and bleeding, he?s been living it up with Selene. She?s fed him, given him fresh clothes, and even a nice soft bed. He?s got it so good, he?ll do anything to keep it that way. Selene is so threatened by me, she?s even convinced my dear friend to kill me!?
Jack gaped at her numbly, shocked by her words and her hand on his thigh. Daniel would never sell them out. He knew that, and her actions merely confirmed it. No Major in the US Air Force would ever come on to another officer, especially her commanding officer!
Sam forced his mouth shut before he could speak, keeping her hand under his chin. ?I won?t let that happen. No, actually, YOU won?t let that happen.?
Jack didn?t know if she was ordering him to kill Selene or Daniel at this point. His head was spinning at how out of control Sam was. He decided to play dumb, ?What do you want me to do about it??
Her lips twisted into a snarl, mutating her perfect white teeth into a predatory grin. ?Jack, Jack, Jack. Of course you will eliminate Daniel. We all know how dangerous he is with a weapon. Really, it would be to your benefit, as well as Teal?c?s, if you neutralised him. He?s a menace.?
He opened his mouth to speak again.
?Ah!? Sam halted him with a finger in the air. ?I don?t think you heard me.? She moved to kneel by Teal?c?s prone form and traced a pattern across the unconscious man?s chest. ?Daniel is going to kill me, Jack. If he succeeds, both you and the Jaffa will die, have no doubt about that. But if you kill him, I can protect you. One life or three, Jack??
Jack?s head swam in pain, his leg seemed to be on fire, but he needed to concentrate. His voice came in a thin rasp, ?Why? Why are you doing this, Sam?? he used her first name, trying to snap her back to her senses.
She winced at his informality, ?How dare you use my name! You have no right!?
The colonel was desperately aware that he needed to push while she was here, before she had a chance to re-group, to be brainwashed again. A direct physical assault wouldn?t work and he was not in good enough shape to deal with an enraged and well-trained Sam. Maybe he could find his Major in there somewhere... ?Sam, you don?t want to do this, you don?t want to hurt Teal?c. Think, damnit, think! How could you possibly want to kill Daniel? After all he?s done? After all this time, does it mean nothing to you??
Sam?s eyes teared at his words and she pulled back slightly. Hysterical, she jumped up screaming, ?What is it with you? Why are you always trying to suppress me? Why are you always crushing me??
Jack dragged himself up, inch by painful inch until he stood over her, ?What are you talking about??
Sam couldn?t, or wouldn?t hear him. She was shouting again and Jack realised that the comments weren?t all aimed directly at him. There were some that were probably directed at that creep Jonas, or other men. He heard things that could only be meant for Jacob, her father. Sam?s mother had died when she was still young and obviously, it had stung more than she was prepared to say. He knew that sting, and he knew what it could do to a person.
He stepped forward to pin her wheeling arms, fearing damage to himself and to her. She snapped out of her trance at his touch and shrugged back, ?Get off me! GET OFF ME!!!?
Recovering slightly, she shivered and shouted, ?You WILL kill Daniel, or you will ALL die painfully and I?ll make sure you are the last to die so you can watch what we do to your friends!? She turned with force and slammed the door again behind her.
Sometime, Jack figured, the door was going to bounce off its primitive hinges. He?d almost got there, almost gotten her to see sense... Poor Carter. Somebody had screwed with her head real good. That was one of the few things Jack really hated. If they ever got out of this... Correction, when they got out of this, his Major was going to be hurting even more, damnit.
*************
Themina toyed with her headdress. The last official meeting before the start of the three-day festival had just ended and she was itching to get back into her fighting gear. She was unusual in being both good in the halls and in the fields, unlike her predecessor who had been purely a war leader. Themina could play hardball with the likes of Selene...
Selene finally plucked up the courage to make a direct strike against her, probably because of the appearance of Samantha and her three... troublemakers. Themina had seen a valuable source of exchange and leverage in Sam... as well as her hair. Selene?s... peculiarities had stopped her from holding Themina?s vaunted position, though it didn?t stop her trying. For Themina to have Sam, another red-head under her control would speak volumes about her strength to Leyda and may tip the balance more equally as there was one other red-head of the right age at the moment, an undistinguished leader...
Selene had to be stopped, but not eliminated. Better to humiliate her and keep her in check via blackmail than lose her, she was useful when ?negotiation? was required.
Themina admired Samantha?s ingenuity. The idea to have the young slave killed had been her own idea, of course, but Samantha had decided to make it more interesting and use the elder slave. For similar reasons, Selene couldn?t kill Samantha and neither Themina nor Samantha could murder Daniel. It would send a clear signal to Selene that her deception had been discovered. Even if Selene figured out their scheme, she would be unable to actively retaliate upon Leyda?s arrival.
This was turning out perfectly. The old slave could even be made into the hunting tribute. Sure, he was injured, but he could be patched together and Samantha had said he was skilled in evading capture. If he were anything like the larger one, it would be highly entertaining indeed. And once her slaves were all gone, Samantha would have no power. She would still have to be removed, of course. Themina couldn?t have someone with such intelligence and cunning around.
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SKIP'S FIC! New WIP Archive, made by little old me!My Livejournal- warning, not G rated.
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