Exiles Gate 10

One To Watch

by Elizabeth Carter

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ase/ecarter/exiles10.php
Summary: Having impressed the Queen of the Malakim, Janet sets out to make a siege of the stronghold of the Cult of the Lambent Reproach with the army of winged avengers, and thus sets out in the recovering her family, though she is not prepared for what she finds

The words fell from the Queen of the Malakim, her dark hair, wings and silver eyes flashed brilliantly as she turned to her companion upon the balcony of the Malakim palace. "It is an old lyric to help those to rise above the lamentation of the heart. Death is always there, but life is always more powerful. Death has no dominion Lady Janet. Though lovers may be lost, love shall not. Your Sam will hold to your love for her, and it will keep her alive, believe in that."

"Right now it is the only thing I can believe in. I know she is alive. I can feel it. But it is so dim...as if she is hanging upon a thread."

"Your beloved has a strong will and is more then resilient. Her heart is Malakim. She has survived much and will go on surviving." What the queen didn't tell the strong willed doctor was of her greatest fear. Samantha Carter did indeed possess the heart of a Malakim Knight: noble, willful, compassionate, intelligent, protective, chivalrous, honorable, majestic and virtuous. She was the perfect embodiment of integrity, and selflessness. She would never shirk from her duty, indeed if cornered by dozens of the adversary there was no doubt in the mind of the queen that she would blow herself and her enemies to kingdom come to protect others. And it was these qualities that the Queen had admitted and feared. If the prophecy was true, which Novalis had no doubt that it was so, then the calling of Achelous by Malphas would commence.

"Are you still having dark dreams?"

Janet held her breath for a moment then nodded. "Always. It's the same damn dream..."

"Precognitive, though it is Healer, it means only as a warning perhaps to help you prepare for what will happen or to help you avoid what may happed. Nevertheless do not allow you to be consumed by these images, disturbing as they maybe."

"Don't let myself be..." Janet stopped her tempter rising. "Look I know right now I'm not professional, I sure the hell am not the icon of military etiquette.... but...the love of my life is out there, and from the dreams...she was tortured and hurt...and she is terrified...Sam doesn't..." Janet winced. "Sam rarely becomes terrified, a little frightened, yeah...but...she...somehow manages to roll her terror into a tiny ball of nothingness, making it irrelevant. Actually she is very complex when it comes to emotions..."

"It is her eyes." The queen nodded understanding where this small human was going with her testimony. And she knew that Janet needed an outlet to speak to that was not a close friend. "She has the most expressive eyes I have ever seen in a long time. A hardened warrior, with eyes of a poet."

"Exactly!" Janet beamed thinking of those beautiful cerulean eyes. She found a warmth gathering throughout her whole being as she knew that some of those expressions that shone from the brightness of those blue eyes were reserved for Janet alone. It didn't matter how many lonely hearted alien males came on to Sam, or had fallen love with her. From Martouf, (which to this day Janet could not forgive for what he had done to Sam) to Orlin, who became human because he had fallen in love with Sam. To Nafrayu who had given them the ability of empathy, longevity and more importantly Rebecca all because he had fallen in love with Sam as a child. Then there was Narim who had made his home computer system sound like Sam which had freaked the blonde out. There were countless others on Base who had a thing for the tall enigmatic blonde including Jack O'Neill, who had been in love with Sam forever and a day. None would ever see the depths of her soul. Only Janet knew those depths.

"I can't lose her." The beautiful petite doctor said, more to herself then to anyone else.

The queen remained silent, knowing the doctor didn't require an answer. Had she spoken the words would fall as platitudes and this was not something this strong woman needed to hear when her greatest love was in the threshold of death.

The harmony of the Choir changed melodies once more. Its words, Janet didn't understand, but the tone...was heartrending yet under that...the words were inspirational.

"What are singing?"

"They sing for courage, for it is for the warriors a good day to die. They sing that their enemies may flee in terror and for success for battle. They lament for the lives that must be taken, that will be given." The queen turned. "They sing for Liege Commander Samantha Carter."

Janet closed her glorious dark brown orbs, as the notes of the voices washed over her. Finding a certain solace in the multitudes of voices in perfect harmony. She didn't understand the lyrical words of the Malakim, but the tone was unmistakable. This was no dirge; this was a song of rejoicing of glorification and wonder.

"And they sing for you Liege-Healer Janet."

This shocked the small-framed physician. "Me?"

"In as much as Samantha saved my life, had it mot been for you, I would not have fully recovered. Only a healthy knight may lead. No potentate may hold the crown if they cannot protect her people. Samantha gave life back to me; your dear sweet soul gave back to me my health." The queen grinned widely this time, pure white teeth glistened in the dim light of the candles glowing. "And no Malakim can resist such an epic romantic tale such as what you share with your soul-mate. I am positive that your story of love will become something of chronicled legends...I believe you call them Shakespearian."

A blush rose to the ivory cheeks. "I hope it end better then the tragedies." Janet slowly said, her mind reeling as she wondered what it was about her love for her wife, could stimulated such attention. But then she had to admit that she was a sucker for a good romantic tale. Not the cheep dime a dozen romance all fluff paperbacks sold in grocery stores, but stories of love and yes angst, and the boding of hearts. Well she had to take that back, occasionally she liked a little fluff, but it was until recently difficult to find lesbian fluff that was not written for hertro-males who got off on girl on girl action. Hell she had even read Star-Trek: Voyager fanfiction with Seven of Nine with Janeway or Seven with the fiery B'Elanna. Even Sam would sit with her and read them, when they were in a playful mood.

But she had never imagined that others would tell of her and Sam's love, in the very least in an operatic presentation.

Almost as if she had read her mind the queen of the angelic beings turned to her, " Malakim rejoice in the purity and trueness of love where ever such love grows and prospers. You and your wife Samantha as of such love that it begs to be told, and retold."

Janet found that in the longest time since she had learned of Sam and Cassie's disappearance that she was truly smiling.

In the ambient layers of sound and distance, the pitch of the music changed this time; it was enough to gain the queens militant attention. She turned to the diminutive doctor. "Come, the time is upon us, our Northern-corps approaches."

~*~*~*~

The entire sky over the Northern Gates became utterly black. The Host had approached. Their numbers so thick it had blotted out the sunlight. There had to be thousands of the winged warriors. As they flew for their queen, their voices called out in ballad of glorious cadences of battle hymns. Jack and Janet both felt a rising in their blood as if the words they did not know spoke to their hearts. It was similar in tone and power as Carnuna Burana. Their words even sounded in a respect Latin. Both the mortals felt goose bumps rise across their skin at the power of the voices of the warriors. Indeed they were a frightening image to behold. The warrior in Jack and the protective feralness of love in Janet wanted to answer the call to ride in on a charge to fly in upon a war-bird and take down the enemy. The hymn was fire for the soul, fueling the blood. No speech as St. Crispen's Night could even compare to the surge of rising adrenalin provoked by the voices of these warriors.

Jack upon seeing the mass of warriors let out a held breath. "My god."

It was as if a tornado had touched down in the city for the wind rose as the Host landed. And thunder clapped as booted feet began marching absolute precession it was almost machine-like. It was something the General would not forget. Ten thousand warriors moving as one entity, it was something to behold.

"You are impressed General." The queen commented, with a broad smile proud of her own troops.

"These are but a fourth of my military company. Unfortunately they are all I can spare at the moment, my other warriors are otherwise engaged. In the protection of the Malakim Empire I send them to patrol the boundaries and to protect it.

Jack O'Neill was speechless. He being a military man knew the importance of military unity, but to see such perfection was an awesome breath-taking site. Sending out ten thousand troops would indubitably turn the tide of the war on Chimera. Hell, he had to hand it to Carter, when she made allies, she made allies.

"The Northern Patrol, are more then willing to battle the Goa'uld in the name of the Liege Commander."

Janet took in a great breath. She knew that Sam had made a powerful friend with the queen, but to know troops that had never personally met the enigmatic blonde were willing to lay down their lives was astounding, if not farfetched and unbelievable. Yet here they were.

They were all dressed in blue scale armor that glittered gold in the brilliant sunlight. The cuirass, form fitted their bodies giving their already primed muscles an exaggerated appearance. They had long decorative shoulder pieces, their legs protected by greaves as intricate bracers protected their forearms. They had lengths of mettle covering both their hips and loins and tabard Janet thought that part of it looked similar to that of Jaffa armor, or something an ancient Greek-Xenaesk-warrior or Roman Centurion might have worm. The back was almost open to allow for full wing movement. They were beautiful and fear inspiring at the same time. Their helms were of the same blue antimantium alloy, similar to SGC's biker helmets with a black faceplate.

From all of the uniformed armor, as it was with the military in a war-zone there was no indication of rank. One could not tell the difference between archangel-knights to warrior-vassals, to the wing guards. Though with closer scrutiny, one could tell that only the knights bore the sun-swords.

"Liege Commander Samantha Carter of Stargate and her warriors are pressed and out numbered by the Diabolicals. You have one goal. One mission. Retrieve Samantha and her warriors from the hands of the enemy. No Diabolical will survive this. No Remnant will live. Wipe out the threat, all of them. At all cost protect the Liege Commander!"

It is a thunderous sound when then thousand voices rise in a single note. "Our Queen, we heed. We will comply!" Row by row the angelic Host rose taking to wing. Once more their voices called out in high harmony the battle hymn of Carnuna Burana / Ave Satani.

The queen with a smug satisfactory smile turned to the general and the petite doctor. "As you can see, Liege Commander Samantha Carter has made powerful allies in the Malakim. The Diabolicals will soon discover it is unwise to threaten her within our Empire. We do not suffer evil to live."

"I can say this...the Goa'uld are fucked." Jack whispered to Janet.

They watched as the sky became once again covered in black sackcloth as the winged warriors took to the air. It was a daunting prospect to know that each of theses warriors had pledge their lives to retrieve Sam and the SG teams. Yep defiantly not a good idea to piss off Sam's friends; Jack smiled thinking that if they had the Malakim when Senator Mackenzie, Colonel Simmons and Colonel Mayborn were running around there would have been a lot less complications with SGC.

"Come, our ships await. It will take unfortunately a week to arrive at Chimera from Hy-Brasil, even at Hyper-velocity for we are forty thousand light years from the planet.

~+~+~+~+~++~+~

Janet was ushered into the inner chambers of the ship; given the VIP quarters; near the queen's own chambers. The rooms were extensively large. There was bedroom with a locking door with a separate common room and kitchenette and dinette. Both Malakim lady knights Turel and Zaira were ordered to stay in the common room. They were faithful in their duty to protect the doctor.

They were as bodyguards, trying to insure that Janet did not feel as though she was a prisoner to be watched. She had spoken to them often and found that a friendship with the two angelic warriors was easily made.

As it was the three of them sat in the common room of her quarters conversing over a hot meal of smoked meat that was something like lamb and steamed vegetables that had the distinctive taste of asparagus and artichoke hearts. "Can I ask a question? Janet said over a bite of tender meat.

"If it is our power to answer we will, but ask your question." Turel said.

"Back there a few days ago when I challenged the queen, and she called for the guards... would you have..."

"Stood against our colleges?" Zaira finished the question.

"Yeah."

"We are ordered to protect you Lady Healer. No matter what the circumstance maybe. It is a vow we take very seriously." Zaira said. "If harm came to you, Liege Commander Samantha would be most displeased."

"I'll tell you I wont be pleased either if harm came my way." Janet smiled slightly.

"No insult upon you for we know you are apart of the mortal military body, but you are a Healer foremost are you not?" Turel asked her own question.

"Yes." Janet nodded. "I am addressed by my salutation rather then my rank. Sam's a doctor too, but she is one of astrophysics. I am medicine. And she...well she balances well between the two."

"You do not?" This was Zaira, her blue hairs was pulled back by a wave of her long fingered hand.

"Well no I do...but I made the distinction to be called Doctor before my rank, Sam's the opposite. Until recently it was very difficult to be a woman of high rank on the military, mostly because the men in our world have a problem with a woman with power."

"That is not logical." Turel said her agitation was evident in the flutter of her wings.

Janet had learned to read the body language of the winged beings. It was not dissimilar to watching a feline or an eagle. Like birds the Malakim wings became ruffled when agitated. And like a feline with their tails, subtle movements of the wing tips suggested the emotion, where as a face may not reveal all. And like their avian...cousins...the Malakim had a tendency to perch on the balls of their feet, even upon the narrowest ledge including the back of a chair verse sitting upon it as would any typical humanoid, though the queen did sit properly upon the throne when addressing the court, more then not the queen walked around when she had to give audience. They had an acute sense of balance that no bird or feline possessed. Their wings were also incredibly sensitive to touch, in the like of feline whiskers. Which no doubt was due to the variations of air-pressure in the sky during flight.

"Tell me about it. But who ever said a human was logical." Janet shrugged.

" But you have now a female potentate." Turel continued.

"Believe me it was a long time coming." Janet said softly. "But the Malakim have always had a female...Potentate."

"Yes. Male Malakim are too aggressive to rule, a female has logic and heart. Males...are far too quick to jump to battle to be efficient; they are not suitable to have that kind of power. No male has ever sat upon the Throne. More over it is females who give life, they are closer to Creation, to the World Symphony therefore the only ones suitable to have power." Zaire explained. "Though in battle, a male are suitable to lead a legion of warriors, though like the Liege Commander only a female head the entire military wing."

Janet nodded gaining more of a sense of her winged hosts. It was no wonder then they bore a small bit of an antagonistic reaction to General O'Neill's presence.

"Arion...she is pledged to protect Sam, as you to are me."

"Yes." Turel answered abruptly, feeling there was no need to expend more vocabulary where one would suffice to answer the question.

"She is the queen's own daughter." Zaira explained further. "But Liege Commander Samantha has more then one knight with her. The Queen ordered a Wing to her side. I assure they are loyal unto death to the Liege-Commander."

Janet tried to take this to heart, tried to use that information to easy her unrest. "This Wing...I mean its temporary right?"

"Unto death Liege-Healer." This was Turel. "They will travel to what ever worlds their Commander does, and offer what assistance they can. Seven warriors have pledged their heart's blood, to her on their own will. The queen asked for seven volunteers, many stepped forward, including Zaira and myself. The queen made her choice." The seven-foot woman seemed almost bitter that she had not been one of the chosen seven.

Janet nodded, piercing her lips. "That is a little out of procedure."

"We are aware of that, that is why as you mortals say we are...on call." Zaira said. "Liege-Commander Samantha need but ask and she will have a Wing at her side instantaneously. The Queen owes a life-debt to your wife it is not something in which is taken with any casualness. But the Queen knows of the corruption that lingers in the different divisions of your government. She knows that your...Joint Chiefs..." the angelic thought for a moment wondering if that was the correct word, obviously it was so she continued, "would try to manipulate the powers of our people. We have heard what they had tried to do to the Tollan, and that they had tried to steal from others." Turel said her voice cool and reserved.

"Well, I say we made some mistakes, but...that is a total different branch..."Janet started but Turel interrupted saying:

"I know this, Liege-Healer, as does the Queen however, it is because of these divisions that we can not allow our warriors to be taken as these same divisions that had threatened to do to the Tollan. We do not engage in wars for others. This battle we face now is one we had engaged for eons, as the Diabolicals are our enemy. And Malakim warriors do not allow their friends to face danger alone nor do we abandon them. But in to other worlds, we never interfere in a war nor aid one side to the other. We do not have the right to help another race slaughter each other."

Janet kept her tongue for a moment, for she had nothing to contribute to that remark.

"But to stand before the Goa'uld against many of their endeavors of galactic enslavement is something we do well. We also have engaged in wars against the Replicaters as well as the Diabolic and the dark Draconian Nations." Zaira further said. "But it is against the Virtues to aid in wars over planetary domination is not what we will lend aid to."

"I can understand that. " Janet said in truth. She licked her lower lip looking to the Angelics before her, wondering if she should but to voice her thought. "Is it permissible for me to take a limited tour of the ship." She thought Sam would love to see all of the scientific aspects of the Malakim cruiser.

"I do not see that it will be a problem, Liege-Healer." Turel said stoically.

"Why do you call me that?" The very beautiful feminine doctor asked softly.

"It is a title give to you by the Queen." The blue haired warrior said. She simply did not see any further explanation was relevant. The queen's word was law.

"Yes but why?"

Zaira always more sensitive to the alien guests of the queen would offer this explanation. "You are the wife of the Liege Commander Samantha, her title passes to you."

'Great the good-colonel's wife...'

"Though she was be-knighted for she is a warrior, you are titled for your gifts. It is widely known from your planet that you are its foremost leading expert in several fields of medicine."

~*~*~*~*~*'

Janet had been given a whirlwind tour of the ship. The Angelics decided to limit their tour to the more prudent areas of interest: the Mess Hall, the Hydroponics Bay, the Astrophysics lab with a wide screen of the systems that the ships passed as well as every documented Stargate. Sam would love it here. There was every conceivable deep space telemetry device Janet could think of that Sam had told her about and them some. Yep her beloved would definitely be beside herself, as if she was in Disney World. She was taken to Engineering and saw the powerful central hyper-drive. There were the archives, which was a glorious library, Daniel would have drooled over, as well as entertainment bays which were holographic projections that made Janet think of Cassie's fascination with Star Trek Voyager. Janet was also taken to the training bay and gym, where she saw the Malakim warriors not on duty practicing some sort of aerial martial arts. Indeed it was actually very beautiful to watch as if it was performance art rather then deadly combat.

It seemed that the Aeries were not the only place the hypnotic music could be heard, but in the ships as well. In the Dojo, the Choir's chanting was to entice the blood of battle-lust, forcing adrenalin to heady peaks. Hell after a moment of listing, Janet felt herself wanting to join the fray in some way.

As she left she had recalled the music or rather the Choirs, gave her the urge to concentrate and access all of her mental capabilities. The Mess hall had the choir of relaxation, intoned to mind as if to simply unwind and enjoy one's food.

Of course she felt as if she was in her own amusement park when she discovered the Sickbay.

There were nine biobeds, and fourteen gurneys, so okay that wasn't impressive. But the medical equipment was beyond anything that the forever-young doctor had ever seen. There were bio-suits that regulated the temperature of the patient that were far more comfortable then the regulation PJs issued by Earth hospitals

There were bio-scanners to give an accurate diagnostic view of the body that was similar to MRIs and ultrasounds and x-rays, though ten times as advanced. It gave cross sections of the patients from bone structure to muscle tissue, organs and circulatory systems. The bio-scanner could also close in and augment a certain area of the body for closer inspection. The bio-Scanner could detect toxins Goa'uld implantation, diseases, broken bones, scarring, allergic responses, to hormonal shifts, or anything else that would construe as a medical deterrent.

There was also a Vat-grown replacement for organs. A tissue sample would be harvested from a healthy organ and bio-engineered to be viable for the recipient; in part it cloned new organs for transplants. Along the same lines was the synthaflesh, organic tissue that regenerated new flesh.

Nestled in the corner, were stabilization units that were enclosed capsules that were designed to stabilize a critically wounded individual until proper medical care can be applied. There was also a medical cocoon that was a special portable enclosure, which allows bedridden invalids and trauma victims to be transported from one environment to another. It was totally self-sufficient; the cocoon contains a miniature power generator, temperature/humidity/precious fluids and gas regulators, and a central nervous system-precious fluid-monitoring bank. In short a highly technical life-support system.

What caught the doctor's attention were the medical tools. She was completely fascinated by the small lightweight surgeons instrument, called a vibroscalpel that cuts by vibrating a small-wire ultrasonic rally. Sensitive controls in the scalpel's handle allowed for adjustments to compensate for the material being worked on. There was a dermal-regenerator that hyper-excited the white blood cells to regenerate at a higher speed; it helped with contusions, lacerations, scar tissue and burns both pyrokinticly generated and radiation-generated. A bone-knitter that did the same as the dermal regenerator though given its name its purpose was evident.

Another intrusting medical instrument was the flexclamp that is used to pinch off blood vessels in areas difficult to reach, it comprised if three adjustable claws which were attached to the end of a flexible shaft. It worked as a tunicate that would halt internal bleeding.

As a gift, the queen had ordered that Janet be given a Medipack. It contained a synthaflesh dispenser, a dermal regenerator, a vibroscalpel, flexclamps, painkillers, as well as a host of slap patches; antidote, stimulant, tranq and trauma patches. And even a small mobile diagnostic analyzer. As well as a healing device that was nearly identical to the Goa'uld design. Though the tiny doctor didn't know is if she could use the last item, to Janet it was as if she had been given a large diamond.

Once more it occurred to the intelligent physician that the Voices in the sickbay were soothing, calming. As if the Choir was the epitome of bedside manners.

"The Choir," the small brunette started looking to Zaira for answers. "The notes seem to stimulate different synapses in the brain."

"Indeed. Music is known to cause reactions in the cerebral cortex, and causing certain hormonal reactions to be opened." It was not Zaira to answer but the blue-haired Turel

Music to sooth the raging beast...

"So then you have a Choir on board, like the ones in aerie?"

"No, unfortunately it is synthetically recorded. Though we do have a Conservatory where our voices can be lifted, when not on duty. And there are no regulations that states we cannot add our voices to the recorded Choir, if we choose to."

"So you can sing to the radio so to speak."

Both Malakim looked to the small mortal perplexed at her choice of words. "Radio?" Both said in unison.

"Radio transmission is an archaic form of communication." Turel said pointedly.

"True. But it also relays music for entertainment."

They blinked, but neither said anything of it. Casting the ancient technology as something as purely mortal.

"Are you hungry, Healer, we are nearing the Mess." Turel said her arm sweeping out to the next hall. She had spent over eight hours in the Sick Bay learning much about the basics of Malakim medicine. Truth bet told she had not wanted to leave, but she was on a tour after all. And there was nothing noted that she couldn't return. And now that she thought of it, she was famished.

"Sounds good." Janet smiled. "I'm almost hungry enough to eat a horse."

Turel frowned. "I must apologize but we have no equine flesh available."

Janet opened her mouth to say something, but found she was giggling instead. "Um no its an earth expression, saying your so hungry you could eat something...well...something you wouldn't normally eat."

"Hungry enough to eat twelve day dead dragon-carcass." The tall blue said. "I understand. "A similar expression is it not."

Janet cocked her head causing her auburn hair to fall about her shoulder. "I think you'd have to be pretty desperate to eat that."

"Indeed." Turel nodded.

"Tell you what lets forgo 'equine flesh' and twelve-day old dragon carcass and grab something a bit more palatial."

"That we can do." Zaira said her caramel features brightening up in a smile. "On board ship, we eat very well indeed. It keeps moral up if the dinning is delectable."

"An army marches on its stomach." Janet said softly. 'And a happy stomach of a solider, makes for a happy solider.' Janet's musings were laid to rest once she found that General O'Neill was sitting talking with a massive male Malakim, whose wings were dark blood red.

"Who's the General speaking to?" She put to either of her escorts, wondering if the general had been given a bodyguard as well.

"He is our gunner, his name is Bulstrode." Turel said. "I think he had much in common with your general."

"Why don't you and Turel sit with them Healer, and I'll retrieve our food?"

"Sure."

"Do you have a preference of what you would like to dine upon?"

"No." after three days on the capital city of the Malakim home world, Janet found the food to be gourmet, what ever the angelic would bring back would be more then fine with the doctor. "Whatever you bring will be fine."

Janet approached the table with the general and the massive warrior that made Teal'c look small. Jack looked up to see the diminutive doctor step up. "Hey doc...um...Turel, have a seat."

"Thanks.

"No, I will remain standing."

Jack looked to the statuesque blue haired warrior, shaking his head. "What do you think Doc, Turel and Teal'c...twins separated at birth?"

This caused the brunette to chucked. The tall winged woman had many of the same characteristics that Teal'c possessed especially when he had first come to Earth.

"In spirit if nothing else." Janet nodded; her comment was followed by a raised blue eyebrow from the seven foot Malakim that got both the humans to laugh.

"I am sorry Turel...it's just you remind us of a good friend." Janet hoped to soften the almost insulting mirth.

"I see." A monotone voice that very Teal'c-ish.

Again both mortals smiled at this.

"So did they give you the nickel tour too?" Jack changed the subject.

The doc nodded. "Spent the last few hours in Sick-bay..." She couldn't hide her delight even if she tried. "The advancements they have...its impressive."

"Your own private candy store." Jack smirked. "Carter would go nuts over the astrometrics lab. You better be careful doc, you are going to lose her in there once she sees it. She won't wanna come out...with her idea of fun and all."

Janet smiled warmly gratified to hear that the general had used the present and future tense when he spoke of her beloved. It was as if the words themselves defied the odds that Sam was gone.

Janet gestured with her chin, "What is it you're eating?"

Jack looked down to his platter of food. There was something that resembled collared greens with mushrooms and onions, small bits of meat that had been left from an obviously large slice of some sort of meat, a mixture of white sauce and noodles. It smelled divine.

Jack pursed his lips, and shook his head. "You know after traveling all over the galaxy, I kinda stopped asking what it is I'm eating." He flashed a boyish smile. "I find I'm happier that way. And this stuff..." he pointed with his fork, "is the bomb."

Janet nodded in agreement, sound logic sometimes it was better not knowing what you were eating; of course it only applied if the indigenous folk were eating the same thing. Zaira returned carrying three trays of identical food that the general had been devouring.

Turel had not yet taken a seat, though Zaira did.

"You're not joining us?" Janet asked of her second bodyguard.

"I must secure the perimeter." Turel commented her hand went to her sword at her side ready to draw it at a hairs moment in the wind.

Jack rose his eyebrows...'talk about devotion to duty...'

"Um...but standing you're drawing attention to us." Janet pointed out.

"One must stand watch."

Jack was slightly amused wondering how his CMO was going to handle the more then stubborn Malakim Knight. Damned if he didn't think of Sam, and her absolute devotion to something once she got engrossed, he could take a few tips. When Carter was in her lab she became myopic to her projects. So much so he had to threaten to kick her off base if she didn't comply to take time off...of course since Rebecca came along those times were few and far between. Still...a little knowledge went a long way.

"Fine. But if you don't eat you will not be in top form and you wont be able to perform your duties...and besides everyone on board is a Malakim warrior do you think one of them would bring harm to me?"

"The idea that a warrior of the Malakim would being harm to you Healer is highly unlikely."

"Then please sit down." Janet insisted, gesturing the bench next to her.

Turel took a sign then reluctantly complied with her charges orders. Though even as she ate her eyes never left scanning the Mess hall for any potential danger however redundant the action was. The healer was correct the likelihood of attack aboard the Queens flagship was not probable, at least not an attack from the interior.

"After you dine, Liege-Healer if you wish we can take you to the bridge." This came from Bulstrode. He turned to Jack, "Of course the invitation extends to you as well General O'Neill."

O'Neill brightened. "Cool."

~*~*~*~*'

The Gwihir warbird and an entire fleet of Malakim ships massed near the Chimera system. They cruised the void of space like black manta rays, as nightmarish predators. Their sleek designs made form and function something of beauty to behold become some of the fastest ships in the galaxy. Novalis had truly souped her private ship up. She had always been fast, but now she was much faster. The modifications Novalis had added truly made the Gwihir a part of her. She knew every bolt, every rivet, every wire every component of the war ship. Novalis put her blood and sweat into it, perhaps even apart of her spirit. The Queen reveled in the work she had done herself, she was a renowned in her own right in both quantum physics, engineering and astrophysics. And she was insistent to be apart of the war-birds construction, since it was her conception in the first place. Some times it was good to be the Queen, and her subjects stood prouder knowing their potentate was unafraid to get her hands dirty or so to speak.

The ships themselves could hold a crew of a hounded and thirty or so crew and officers, easily. This particular ship had gained the pilot a certain reputation. Novalis, the only pilot to ever successfully navigate the nebulas, with trivial damage to her ship and crew both. The crew of the Gwihir took a certain pride in their flagship and Queen. They were loyal to the death, but that was going without saying since all Malakim warriors were loyal onto death. Ironically the Remnants had this same tendency to their own demonic leaders.

All of them were Malakim, but even to the telepathic race, Novalis was apart from them. How could someone be so extraordinarily strong and vulnerable at the same time? She was as water; for nothing was as soft as water but who can withstand the raging floodtides? She was a maverick, hard-nosed pilot, but there was a softness to her, suppressed and buried under layers of pain that no one could reach as her own wife.

Mostly the Gwihir struck the small military cruisers of the Remnants or Goa'uld. It was a dangerous game to play but one that several of the species of the galaxy were forced to play, because of the strict hold of the System Lords. There were some in the Goa'uld Empire the Tok'ra that used their positions to secretly help the Hidden Federation, at great cost to themselves. They were sympathizers but they could never come out in the open, they were more of an aid where they were, hidden as they were.

"We're approaching system vectors now." Came a young voice from the ops station. "Nothing appears on my scopes."

Janet felt her heart pounding harder and harder as if she was climbing the mount of the world's highest roller coaster and about to plummet downward. Every beat of her heart pounded heavily in her ears, she was positive she was deaf from it. They were but moments away from saving her beloved wife, and her precious eldest daughter. From her BDU blouse breast pocket, Janet withdrew a picture of her family. All four of them snuggled together in front of a lake. She traced wit the pad of her finger the lines of her wife she so loved, before putting the photo back safe and sound where it beloved. It would only be moments now...

'Hang on lover...I am coming. I know you are in pain baby I can feel it. I know you're terrified...I never known you to be so frightened...save when Cassie was facing death from that bitch Nirrti. Hang on my Heart...just hang on a little longer...'

Novalis turned her head to meet the teal eyes of the young, Ahern. He was no more than hundred and twenty; too young for Novalis's liking to be a in the Wing, but the lad had proven himself a talented warrior and a Wing-mate.

"Ahern, I'll expect they are cloaked as we are. Reconfigure the scanners to register for none Malakim cloaked vessels." She looked back to the vid-screen with a since of apprehensiveness as she stared at the galactic ocean. There was a foreboding that set Novalis's teeth on edge. "Keep your eyes peeled, I know there is something out there."

Janet and Jack watched from the daises above the Com station. Fascinated by the commotion going on around them as the Gwihir crept forward through the star-speckled backdrop of space, a predator that stalking its own predator that hunted her. A snake eating its own tail that then happened when the snake came to its own head?

Jack in particular was amazed at the queen's actions. In a lot of ways she reminded him of Sam, she took command with the same grace, power and determination. And like Sam her subordinates flocked to her, offering their allegiance with very willing hearts. Partly because she was a competent commander and she was very comfortable in her position. So who was he thinking of? Sam or the Queen? Perhaps it was Sam. Hey he was worried as hell over the woman he loved but could never have. And he knew that with her extraordinary intelligence she would see her teams through this. The SCG only took the elite, the best of the best, and Sam was above them. He knew that had any other team leader been on this mission he would have doubted their survival chances. But because it was Sam, he knew that they were all alive. He had to believe it.

Novalis studied the enhanced image on the vid-screen of the Gwihir. "There!" She said, "That distortion, the shimmering area."

Janet and Jack both pulled out of their daydreams, by the sudden declaration of the queen's voice.

"I heed Queen," Bulstrode the gunner said, "It's getting larger as we close in on it."

"And it's closing in on us. Your opinion, Bulstrode?"

"I think it is an energy field, Queen."

"Yes. Enough energy to hide a ship, wouldn't you say?"

"A Goa'uld cloaking device!"

"Red alert! Bulstrode!"

"I heed Queen."

The small Goa'uld scout ship must have had a power transfer. Ahern would only have a second or two to catch a glimpse of the ship. If his attention had wondered for a moment...

"Ahern," Novalis said, "good work."

"Thank you Queen."

The lights dimmed. The klaxon alarms sounded: a bit redundant, Novalis thought. Battle stations were called there was not a Malakim soul that was not already doing all their worth at the moment. "Ahern cut that infernal noise off, Bulstrode all power to the weapons system. Sabine I want hyperdrive back on line."

Chief Engineer Sabine aquiline voice came over the intercom. "I can not comply my Queen. The power core has limited resources at this time. I have sublight engines on line the hyperdrive is still offline. I had..."

"Sabine, you have my permission to do what ever is needed to insure our survival, we are going to land, make it possible."

"I heed."

With apprehension both the humans glanced to one another then back to the winged woman before them as she gave the next order.

"Divert all power from shields...to cloaks and weapons."

"No shields . . ." Grogan the navigator of the Gwihir made no attempt to conceal his worry as was very apparent in the ruffled feathers of his golden wings.

"Goa'uld ships can not fire while cloaked. We can. We only have seconds warriors. We raise shields now, we give them the hand." Novalis took an inward sigh; thanks to the Tok'ra and Stargate warriors she knew what they were capable of. She also knew of their weaknesses.

"Bulstrode: two photon torpedoes at the ready, I want the ion cannons powered. Sight on the center of the mass."

"Aye Queen."

The Gwihir sailed closer and closer to an indefinable spot in space, more perceptible as different if one looked at it from the corner of the eye. The ship was very nearly upon it when-

Novalis first saw it.

Ahern spoke: Goa'uld mother ships."

The Goa'uld craft appeared before them as a spidery sketch, transparent against the stars, quickly solidifying.

"----Arming torpedoes and Ion cannons!"

"Fire, Bulstrode!"

The torpedoes streaked toward the Goa'uld ship. It was as if their impact solidified the ship while simultaneously blasting a section of it away. The fighter titled up and back with the momentum of the attach it began to tremble. Sending anyone who was not seated to tumble to the floor. Janet had landed hard against Jack as they were tossed to the mettle floor of the bridge.

Ion cannons, a thin bright light sprang into existence, connecting Gwihir to the Goa'uld ship with a lethal filament. The Goa'uld ship's hull glowed scarlet just as its bridge. The enemy ship shuddered harder their power was lost. They would have lost ion controls and their hyper-warp drive. They would have to withdraw or die.

"Good shooting Bulstrode! Shields up, Ahern," Novalis ordered. "We come around again, torpedoes, targeting the bridge. Novalis to fleet, target all firepower on the center of the pyramid."

The Gwihir circled around the crippled warship, it would not get another chance. Like the great aquatic predator it resembled the Gwihir bore down on the Goa'uld ship losing its photon torpedoes. The ship rocked in small serious interior explosion. Huge chunks tore away from the core, hurtling into space.

Novalis herself took over the piloting at the controls backed a hard left, causing the Gwihir to veer sharp away from the explosions, Bulstrode, read the intend on his Queen's mind and sent another wave of ion phaser fire as did the other ships of the Wing. The battleship continued to break apart, the explosions tearing through it, shattering it engulfing it, and finally consuming it altogether in a brilliant ball of light.

Debris flew past the hull of the Malakim ship, and the light of the explosion faded to black.

There was no jubilation on the bridge of the cruiser it wasn't over. Instincts commanded Novalis's reaction.

"Raise shields, Ahern." Novalis said

"Aye, Queen." He accessed the automation center and tried to call the shields.

Nothing happened.

"Queen," he said in concern, "shields are unresponsive."

"Sabina----?"

Sabina, below in Engineering immediately turned to her controls. With a subvocal curse, Sabina bent closer over her consol. "The automation system is overloaded."

"Emergency power to shields, lose the cloak."

The lights on the bridge dimmed further as the shields drained the small ships power, Novalis looked up, seeing the second Goa'uld ship she knew to be out there.

She banked her ship hard starboard, coming around.

"Ready torpedoes---."

But the order came to late; the enemy ship fired nearly point-blank range. The Gwihir did not have the time to maneuver. "Torpedoes coming in!" Novalis cried, bracing herself in the pilot's helm control.

In the view screen the enemy ship's photon torpedoes streaked toward them with an awful inevitability, the blast of the energy sizzled through the ship, searing and melting computer ships, blowing out screens, crashing whole systems. A fire broke out on the upper deck; the acrid odor of singed plastic and vaporized metals clouded their air. The Vid-screen flashed, then darkened. The ship bucked violently. The illumination failed.

"Sabina!" Novalis yelled, "Where the Darkness are my shields! What's left?"

"Shields are up Queen, we have auxiliary power." The Chief said.

"Ion cannons?"

"A few shots, only"

"Not enough." Bulstrode said, "against their shields."

As it was the enemy ship could out gun them, with auxiliary power only, the Goa'uld pyramid could most defiantly outrun them, but not outmaneuver them. Novalis still had a few tricks up her sleeve.

Novalis had two options; direct all power to weapons or to thrusters.

"Emergency power to the thrusters!"

"Yes Queen." Sabina obeyed.

As the thrusters drained the small ship further of power the trembling, slowed and ceased, the ship stabilized. Novalis engaged the lateral thrusters, and brought the ship around to face the Goa'uld ship.

"Novalis to fleet, rake the Goa'uld ship!" She ordered.

The ion cannons rippled outwards a long finger of dense light; it streaked along the side of the pyramid's starboard engine nacelle. The battle cruiser heeled over and began to tumble, spiraling on its headlong course.

"Ion cannon lock just blew Queen." Bulstrode said.

"Do your best, Bulstrode. Fire when ready."

The first office believed he could this the opposing ship, even at this range, precisely, carefully, he aimed, a moment's pause:

Fire-----

The magnetic bearings of a stabilizing gyro exploded, and the Gwihir lurched. The Ion beam went wide. Bulstrode muttered a curse. Novalis plunged the ship under the belly of the behemoth battle cruiser. The enemy's torpedo just missed, but it expended its energy and a mass of changed particles and radiation slammed into them. She struggled to steady the ship. She veered sharply to an evasive starboard.

Too late----

The enemy's Ion blasts hit the barely shielded Gwihir dead on. The power serge baffles on the primary held consol failed completely, it carried a jolt of electricity straight through the controls. Half the installments blew out.

Faster then the eye could follow, Turel captured the tiny doctor in her arms cradling her, as she would a child, her wings folded around her body. Zaira in the same inhuman celerity knelt before her companion, her wings spread over the two bodies, effectively encasing Janet in feathered shell. Their bodies protected the human from the electrical hocks, debris and impact. She was completely buffered from all harm.

Novalis felt the voltage arch across her hands. It flung her back, arching her spine, and wings and shaking her like a great furious animal, and slammed her into the deck. Every muscle in Novalis's body cramped into knots. She lurched over onto her face and tried to rise. She could not breath. The pain from her seared hands shot though her, cold and hot and overwhelming. She was beginning to lose consciousness.

Balustrade leapt to helm, seeking out which operations still functioned and which had crashed. Sabina took the weapons, listening to the commands.

"Ion banks, fire!"

The cannons searched, but they had lost power. The Gwihir was going critical and it was dead in the water. Novalis climbed to her feet, her face was bloody and her hands already blistered from the burns.

"Queen-." croaked Ahern

"Damage report." She stood ignoring her own wounds.

"We have no shields, minimal life support, impulse engines only and no weapons or at best a few torpedoes."

Novalis turned and looked to her gallant crew. And the nervousness of her human guests. She had not been the only one to sustained injures, all of the other five, were bruised, bleeding, fighting off the pain of their battle. Well all save for the mortals, who Turel and Zaira took the brunt of the damage.

Janet was completely unmarked, while Jack supported a bruised elbow and his left eyebrow was cut. The queen was more then pleased to see the Liege-Healer completely unharmed. Her knights had done well. The only sign that Janet had been in the battle was tussled hair and the expression of fear upon her beautiful face. Her champions were not so fortunate. Zaira had substance extensive lacerations and bruises upon her back and wings. Turel felt hot blood flow from her temple, from her arm, from her body. She coughed blood and pat it out.

Janet went directly into physician mode. She noted the blood, hand her acute 'doctor's' since picked up the rasping-wet sound of the angelica's labored breathing. "You have a punctured lung." She said to the blue haired Turel. "I need to take you to the Sickbay?"

"My pain is irrelevant at this moment."

'So that is the way you want to play it, Miss All-noble. God you're almost as bad as Sam when it comes to her own health, duty first...'

"Well I am going to go to your Sickbay and if you are supposed to protect me, I suggest you escort me there, or I'm going to go by myself."

"That is forbidden." Turel argued. "You are to be protected. You can not go by yourself Liege-Healer."

"Then you better go with me." Janet said. The brunet knew exactly how to play expectantly stubborn-duty bound warriors, especially females, considering she was married to one of the more infamous ones.

Novalis whispered a thank you to the brunette; she knew the knights would not budge from their duty even though they were in great need of medical attention. And if the doctor had insisted on staying upon the bridge, despite their pain and obvious injuries, the knights would have remained. However the doctor oh-so-cleverly had worked around that by insisting that she was going to go to Sickbay.

Another blast of ion phaser fire ripped across the hull of the Gwihir. Both of her protectors wrapped their battered wings about Janet once more, shielding the tiny physician from the onslaught of battle.

Novalis swung the ship around on last pass. Novalis's long fingered hands danced over the controls reading the least of the photon torpedoes and reserves of the ion cannons. She accelerated on full impulse power. She could see that the ship's commander was waiting ready to fire. Novalis hit the command. Two torpedoes were away, with a course to his the command ship. In the pure silence of hard vacuum the torpedoes torched the enemy ship and explodes the warbird's port nacelle collapsed, spun, tumbled and gracefully quietly exploded. The warbird responded no at all. The ship drifted off its course.

"Beta Wing, engage the Enemy squadron here, Alpha Wing, proceed with interplanetary landing to neutralize the Hostiles below." The queen ordered over the broadband communications channels.

All most at once the captains of the other ships in a perfect harmonized voice spoke "WE HEED."

"Okay I gotta know how you do that." Jack said suddenly, more to himself then to anyone.

However the queen turned to him a slight smile on her face. "We are Malakim."

"Of course that explains everything." Crying out loud I hate answers like that. Like they think it answers everything. 'Our ways...we are Nox...we are the frigging tight assed Tollen...we are the Asgard...love those guys...we are the Malakim...who just happen to look like angels...god do all aliens answer as ambiguously?'

~*~*~*~*~*'

In the sickbay Janet took both the diagnostic pad and the bone-knitter in hand. She knew she could very well be stepping on the toes of the Malakim CMO, but she warranted that perhaps another pair of surgical hands could benefit the emergencies that cropped up, especially in the areas of triage. Though from what she knew of the Malakim spirit few would leave their posts to report to the medical area, even if they were dying. But nonetheless she was a doctor and she was not about to stand around and watch when her own duty called. She was after all a Liege-Healer.

Running the bio-scanners over her first patient who was Turel, Janet discovered the warrior had suffered not only a broken wing but the feathered appendage was dislocated as was the shoulder. There were burns caused by electrical shock and blood loss that needed to be contained.

The Medical bay was fairly vacant which applied to Janet's early assessment of the winged warriors their duty was primary. No doubt when Novalis found a safe port the Sickbay would have a host of casualties. The medics and Malakim CMO had their hands full with the near fatalities, so Janet concentrated her attention to her bodyguards.

"Turel, you have both a shoulder and wing dislocation, that I need to attend before I can fix your fractured arm. I am going to give you a mild anesthetic to numb the pain so I can..."

"No anesthetic, Healer I must be lucid to perform my duty."

"Now you listen to me." Janet huffed she was a military physician and would have none of the bravado from her human patients much less the angelic ones. "I've been in combat situations plenty of times, and in a wars both Earth's own and off-world. Don't you give me I am all brave and pain is irrelevant crap." She gave her guardian a look that would have bore a hole thru trillium walls. "Now sit there and let me do my job."

Turel didn't even raise an eyebrow. She remained absolutely silent in front of the fiery physician before her. Suddenly deciding that though tiny, the Healer no doubt had a very powerful streak of will that belied her stature.

"Good." Janet bristled then gave her patient local anesthetics well as placing both tranq and trauma patches upon the damaged area before proceeding. She knew she would have to return both appendages back to their sockets before using the bone-knitter. If she did it the other way around, there could be more complications. "Zipcana. I need your help. I know you're in pain too with the burns but I need to pop her wing and shoulder back into place."

"I understand." The silver haired Knight nodded then stepped up to her companion. Turel's shoulder and arm would now be severely numb given the local and patches. Janet was more then pleased because she knew popping bones back into place hurt like a mother. Turel only gave a minor flinch as she felt the appendages going back, Zipcana looked more pained then did her companion. Janet could relate. Though as a physician she had to detach herself from pain because to feel every patient's hurt could be very detrimental to any one in medicine. She saved that for off-duty.

Zipcana placed a kiss upon her companion's forehead, and softly began humming soft delicate notes, that had an immediate relaxing effect on Turel that no drug could have offered. Janet allowed the closeness to continue knowing the comfort of a loved one enhanced not only corporation from the one needing medical help but it also lifted the chances of recovery up a few notches. With the bone-knitter and dermal regenerator, Janet was not only able to assist the healing of the broken bones but heal the lacerations abound the angielcs body, face and wings.

Next came Zipcana's treatment. The burns wee cleaned, and healed with the synthaflesh and dermal regenerator. What would have taken weeks perhaps days to heal with third-degree burns only took moments. Janet was thankful and felt very privileged to be able to utilize such advanced medical equipment.

With her guards healed, Janet approached, Rakrir the CMO of the Malakim ship Gwihir. "Healer Rakrir, what can I do to help?"

The young male looked relieved, his white wings shifted a bit, "I know it is for field-medics...but I would ask that you aid in a ship-wide search for the injured, the knights can be most resilient in their dedication to duty."

"Tell me about it." Janet smiled, she wanted to pat the young physician on the back but knew that the wings of the Malakim to be very sensitive to touch so she stayed her hand. "Not a problem, I'll help where I can. And no it isn't 'just for field-medics', just because I am a CMO...er...Liege Healer doesn't mean I don't go into the battle-zones if duty calls me there."

The Malakim Healer smiled. "Then you are as dedicated as any Malakim Knight. It is not a wonder then you sport the title Liege-Healer. Not many are granted such high honor. I have no doubt my people are in very competent hands." The physician looked up and gestured with his angler chin to a row of silver cases. "Med-kits are over there. Good fortune in the keeping of lives." It was a dismissal.

Janet sprinted to the counter with the cases and turned back to her bodyguards knowing they were but five paces behind her. Each of them also took a field-kit. Yes they were to save Janet from harm, but they were not about to stand by and watch their fellows be harms.

For the next precious moments as the Gwihir navigated the misty atmosphere of Chimera Janet went from corridor to corridor giving medical attention to many warriors would not leave their posts. She healed electrical burns, radiation burns smoke inhalations, broken wings arms, legs, more lacerations then she cared to count and seven concussions. Had not it not been for the advanced tools ion the kit Janet knew the human methods would have taken far longer to heal. Indeed, many she would not have been able to treat at all if not for the tools she had now at her disposal.

"All hands ..." Novalis voice came over the inter communications system. "Blue wing has engaged the Diabolical hostiles on planet. We will engage in the aid of what looks like a firefight in progress. Prepare for disembarking."

Next: Something Wicked This Way Comes