Into The Light 15

Go Get Carter

by Oliver Twist

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/aso/otwist/light15.php
Summary: After the Beltane festivities, Carter is missing. An attempt to rescue her goes awry

For crying out loud, I don't know why our supposed allies can't just tell us where the heck in the galaxy their so-called top secret missions actually are. It would save us time and trouble on so many levels.
Colonel Jack O'Neill during a private moment in General George Hammond's Office

His mouth was dust dry when he woke up, and his head felt like somebody had used it for a football the night before. His eyes, shut tight as they were, felt grainy as though someone had applied a Dremel tool to them during the night and then super-glued them shut. Someone's arm was slung possessively around his naked body. Before he tried opening his eyes, he hoped to hell that it was Daniel's unconscious body asleep beside him. If it wasn't, Jack didn't want to think about what that might mean for his life, particularly because his ass had that well-used feeling that indicated that someone had been drilling for gold down there in the wee hours of the night. That was only good news if Daniel was the one responsible. However, he was finding lucid thought difficult this morning. Every time, he tried to reach for his memories of last night a wave of pain and nausea made a sign pop up in his memory that read "File inaccessible at this time".

He gathered his resources together. With a loud groan, he opened his eyes. A familiar, well-muscled masculine arm was tucked around him. His heart that had felt as tight and painful as a bowstring sagged in relief when he noticed Daniel's head with light brown hair beside him. Good, he'd always told Daniel that he didn't do group events. Even in the locker room, Jack didn't linger or let his eyes go where they didn't belong like some guys and knowing that he liked looking at men's bodies made him doubly scrupulous about this. So, he didn't want some bad alien drugs to make it necessary to have to explain himself to Daniel.

Truthfully, he was a "one at time" kind of guy. He hated confusion and emotional messes. He didn't really want the trouble that non-monogamy seemed to bring with it - recriminations, anger, clothes flung out of windows or doors at inopportune times of the day or night or just the fear of losing what you had. He'd seen good officers brought low by trouble at home, and he wasn't having any part of it.

Crap, he was too old for some adolescent version of musical beds anyway. He loved waking up beside Daniel, his lover's morning crankiness giving Jack a reason to yank on his chain, the unconscious flirtatious fluttering of his Daniel's eyelids, the way he reached for his coffee even before talking to Jack. He supposed that's what love was, the way his life made way for Daniel, taking Daniel's needs into account. He had no complaints. He'd known what he was getting into from the very beginning.

Daniel's face was turned away and he was breathing loudly, an indication that his allergies had kicked in, but it was still Daniel beside him. Well, that was one mountain of trouble he didn't have to deal with today! His respiration came easier. He quickly closed his eyes as a stab of pain hit them. He seemed to be allergic to sunlight this morning, even though the low light indicated that it was still just shortly after sunrise.

He pulled himself closer to Daniel and dug down deeper under the fur covers. He didn't know how he was going to explain this one to Hammond. Maybe, if he found out that his whole team was safely tucked up in this Celtic village they could just leave that part out of their reports.

He could see Hammond's keen blue eyes glancing over the reports, now. "And then you all participated in this Beltane orgy? How did this come about Colonel? Tainted water and some drugged wine? I see that about explains it Colonel." They'd definitely have to massage this information into shape before giving it to Hammond. Ouch!

The body beside him emitted a loud groan. As usual, the first operational part of Daniel was his mouth, "Oh God," a husky voice informed him, "My mouth feels like a sewer somebody pissed in."

"Very nice Dr. Jackson," Jack said sarcastically.

"Anytime, Jack." Daniel's voice droned on, in what seemed to Jack to be an incredibly irritating whine, "Well, my cock feels like it's been well used during the night. It's unbelievably sensitive. I'm just lucky there isn't a friction burn on it."

"Well, you won't have to look far to discover the source of your problem. My ass burns like fire!" Jack commented dryly, "I only remember you doing me once, shortly after you did your little lap dance thing on top of me in front of a bunch of people we'd never met before. I think it's safe to say that my little ploy of telling Epona that we weren't soul mates has been exposed. Perhaps, we'll leave this part out of our reports to the General. Or I'll be scrubbing toilets in Antarctica in the near future. "

"That would probably be a good plan. But, of course, we've left out other things in the past that are just as damning. I think the only obstacle might be Sam. She's such a good little soldier." Daniel coughed and burrowed closer to his partner. Jack opened his eyes and saw two earnest blue eyes staring at him. Daniel smiled, then winced slightly in pain. His eyelids fluttered, "You were like a teenager, Jack. Not that you're a one-shot wonder, not with me anyway. I remember something like three times. We ran out of lube," a dimple appeared at the corner of Daniel's mouth.

God, he was a sap! All Daniel had to do was bat those baby blues and smile, and he was a lost man. "Yup, now I know why my ass burns." Jack wrinkled his nose as his senses flared to life, "Whoa, and I can smell us too! Phew, we stink Danny! Can you tell me why you plundered my ass three times last night? Or have you just gone totally alpha on me? Can I expect some frilly aprons to be waiting for me when we go home?"

Daniel snickered softly, "You insisted on bottoming over and over, Jack. You couldn't get enough. You wrecked me. By the end, I felt like we were melding into one person. It gives a whole new meaning to the words, 'hard ass.' He hauled himself up onto his elbow, surveying Jack's body from the top to bottom. "We just broke about a million SGC rules for first contact. Be careful of what you eat and drink, no booze and no public lap dances and no sex either."

"Why Doctor Jackson I believe, you don't even sound that sorry! As I recall, I was not the lap dancer, but the lap dancee. And quite the dance it was too." Jack's eyes glittered darkly at him.

Daniel kissed him softly, "You're right, we do stink! And no, I'm not particularly sorry. I think we should get up and locate the others and a water source ASAP. Do you have any aspirin with you?"

"Aspirin, ibuprophen, acetaminophen and a bunch of fun stuff that's only for emergencies." Jack sat up and swung his feet onto the dirt floor. He steadied himself on the edge of the bed, feeling a sudden burst of vertigo, "Oh boy, I'm going to go and find out about water and scrounge some food out of our packs soon. In the meantime, don't accept any food and drink from strangers bearing gifts." Jack got up and dressed himself in his BDU's. One thing about life in the Forces, you became accustomed to turning up and doing whatever you need to do no matter how crappy you felt. Right now, Jack thought that he wouldn't mind having Teal'c's symbiote. Then he remembered that that 'Junior' was particularly sensitive to the effects of over indulgence in alcohol, and he decided he'd be content just to be himself this morning, as rotten that felt.

"Agreed," Daniel lay back in the bed. He drifted back to sleep. When he woke up he felt a little better and Jack had returned with water, food and ASA for him. Jack appeared, Daniel thought, much too bright and chipper for someone who'd over-indulged in so much in sex and wine the night before.

Jack nudged him again as he started to fall asleep again. It was a standing joke between them that Daniel could fall asleep in any position, "Hey, Danny come on wake up! I managed to find a millpond to get washed in close to here. It's doesn't look too bad. I found Teal'c. I tried getting him up, but the big guy's dead to the world with his arms around two different women who are in bed with him. It looks like he had no problem with that 'horned one' routine. Carter's missing, and we've got to find her. I couldn't get any information out of Epona, except that she insisted that Sam had gone off into woods by herself late last night. Epona insisted that the "Unnamed Ones" would protect Sam. Apparently, these Unnamed Ones take special care of women. Anyway, the villagers won't help us find her because they don't go into the woods except at appointed times. Now, apparently, isn't an appointed time. We should get up and get moving. I tried calling Sam up on the radio, and I got nothing. I figure it's just about an hour past dawn."

"The radio thing, that's not necessarily a problem," Daniel pointed out sleepily, "this planet is rich in naquadah and they can interfere with radio signals. Perhaps, there are some deposits where Sam is camped, and they're jamming the signal."

"Yeah, well we'd still better get up and get out of here. I left some towels and cleaning stuff by the pond. We're going to have to wait for Teal'c to emerge before we get going as well."

"Okay," Daniel sat up and took the water, aspirin and a bit of the food that Jack had given him. He got dressed and followed Jack to the river just beyond the village. Jack insisted on being clean, even if it meant being cold and wet. By the daylight, Daniel noticed that the village was even bigger than he'd remembered it by night. There weren't too many people up and about this morning. Last night, he'd recalled a great many people dancing around the Beltane fires as Jack laughingly lured him into bed. He'd felt very close to Jack last night; Jack was so open and sensual with him. Even if they got their knuckles rapped over their indiscretion, he thought it was probably was worth it. They just had to make sure they didn't look too indiscrete.

They finally arrived at the millpond on the outskirts of the town. There was actually a working mill at its edge. Jack stripped off efficiently and quickly in the cool morning air, dropping his clothes where they lay. The sun shone on his short graying hair and his lean sinewy body. Daniel looked at his lover's ass and grinned; it was such nice ass especially when you were drawn deep inside of its pleasurably tight heat. With a rush of excitement he remembered Jack's legs hitched up high over his shoulders last night. The exertion had made the sweat drip from Daniel's chest and make large beads of moisture appear on his forehead. The pressure on his cock was so hot and intense that he'd felt that was going to explode. Once the lube that he kept in his pack for his own personal off-world emergencies was gone, they'd dug into their packs for sunscreen in desperation. Jack had been insatiable and assertive. Whoever said the one on top was in charge, clearly hadn't dealt with a bottom Jack when he was in a demanding mood.

"Deeper, more, come on Daniel," Jack had insisted, pushing Daniel more and further to the edge. Sometimes Daniel felt that he could drown inside Jack's body. Then the dark brown eyes had met his with an inner light of lust, and he'd well and truly lost it - not once but three times. Daniel wondered if he'd strayed into a dream - the incredible sweetness of Jack's love made him catch his breath. No one he knew would have believed that Jack was like this in private. It was like falling into the warmth and saltiness of the Mediterranean. It's blueness caught at your heart while the beat of its surf told you that you had returned home at last, home after a long voyage, home to where every grain of sand was familiar and contained the whole world in its very essence.

Jack waded into the shallow clean water by the reeds, then disappeared under the water, surfacing momentarily like an otter. He gestured to Daniel with his arm, "Come on, the water's fine once you're in," he exclaimed as he backstroked and swam in wide circles.

Daniel shook his head in disbelief, "I'll bet you bastard. It's probably glacier water. Getting a bit of your own back for your sore ass? Well, we'll see." Daniel took off his clothes and stood hesitantly on the edge of the pond. The water was clear and clean with the woodsy smell of a backwater pond, but he waited bracing himself for that first cold plunge.

A roar of laughter came from the swimmer in the middle of the pond, "I see you still like me, Doc Jackson. Even after last night's escapades! I see London, I see France, I see Danny's under... Well, the rhyme doesn't exactly work, but I see Danny's beautiful cock. Jesus, you're an insatiable animal!" Jack splashed him enthusiastically. It was one of the things Daniel loved the most about Jack, his child-like appreciation of life's small pleasures. He needed that when he became too serious or got too preoccupied by life's bigger problems. Although he had his serious side, Jack lived life just as it came - moment by moment.

Daniel looked down at his penis. He was sporting a large red morning erection. "I'll get you for that O'Neill!" Jack stuck out his tongue and gave him a raspberry, then plunged under the water again. Daniel waded into the water just past his hips. The water was freezing, but smelled wonderful. He dived in, surfaced in the middle of the pond and came up with a roar. Jack was there, treading water. "Damn it, Jack. You're such a liar, this water is frigid!" he yelled.

"Yeah, but you're clean now." Jack's hair was plastered to his face, making him look young and vulnerable.

He swam over to Jack, and leaned over and kissed him. "For being such a liar, you're going to have to get out and get the soap and shampoo." He felt the other man's strong shoulders and slim waist. They kissed some more and touched each other, undiscouraged despite the cold water. It was a little difficult to manage while treading water; so they moved over into the reeds where it was somewhat easier, although Jack complained about the mucky feel of mud between his toes. It was morning fun, and it was over quickly. Jack kissed Daniel again, and slapped his bare bottom playfully, retrieved the soap and shampoo and stroked back out the middle of the pond to finishing cleaning himself up.

After a while Teal'c appeared at the water's edge. "Do you object to some company?" He called out. He was always cognizant that his two teammates needed time to talk in the mornings or at night, and was careful not to violate their privacy. This was particularly true because they often disagreed, and seemed to work out their difficulties during those talks. With his usual common sense, Teal'c realized that a number of important SGC rules had already been broken on this mission - particularly the rule about no sexual contact during missions. In fact, Teal'c thought it was a stupid rule and didn't really understand why people from his adopted planet always seemed to make rules specifically so they needed to be broken. Surely, guidelines would be more appropriate, he thought.

This morning, however, Teal'c was in no mood to worry about stupid Tau'ri rules. He rarely consumed alcoholic beverages because his symbiote didn't process alcohol particularly well. When he'd woken up this morning with two females in his bed, Teal'c had concluded that he'd had a wild night. He had only a vague recollection of talking to Major Carter, the night before. He knew that she'd left, but he wasn't clear about what had happened to her. Fearing the worst, he'd made a short, but unsuccessful, reconnoiter of the village.

It seemed that Teal'c too had met Epona who'd told him that Sam Carter had camped in the woods the night before. After he discovered that none of the villagers would accompany SG-1 into the woods to find their lost friend, he felt uneasy. While it was true that the stockade was large enough to accommodate most of their needs - crops, domesticated animals and a large clean water supply - Teal'c was puzzled by the fact that they rarely left its confines except at appointed times. He didn't like the sound of that at all.

As he waded out into the water, the patterns that had been painted on his body the night before washed off easily in the millpond. "The water is cold, but refreshing O'Neill. When I awoke this morning, I found myself with two unknown females. There were some antelope horns on the floor by my bedding. It seems that I was wearing them last night. And I believe that I indulged in unprotected sex. Dr. Fraiser lectures everyone on this issue, and she has very clear expectations of all the men at the SGC. She will be very annoyed with me when I tell her about my actions."

Jack snorted with laughter, "Well, we'll say that you were drugged T. Fortunately for you, Junior can take care of any possible health problems. We'll leave out the details, we'll just say we can't remember."

"And that would be the truth," Teal'c countered. "But at least you and Doctor Jackson are disease free, you took no risks."

"I'm not sure Hammond wants to hear that we all indulged in off-world sex," Jack observed casually.

Teal'c immediately picked up on Jack's concern. He placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, "I'm sorry O'Neill. I had momentarily forgotten that your culture is remarkably concerned about sexual contact between members of the same sex. I will leave that part out of the story," Teal'c finished scrubbing himself at the same time as the other two men. He swam to the shore and got dressed.

As soon as he was ready, they tracked Sam Carter's footprints through the trees for three and a half kilometers into the forest. They found themselves at some dense cedar underbrush in front of a small clearing where the remains of campfire still looked fresh. Teal'c and Jack examined Carter's tracks carefully, with special attention to where she'd gone after leaving the campsite in the early morning.

Teal'c spoke in a low voice, "These ashes are cold, and have probably been so since late last night, O'Neill!" He sifted through the ashes. "You can see from the tracks, that there were four other persons here as well. I would say they were women from the size and depth of the footprints. Doubtless, Major Carter would have returned to the settlement if she hadn't been pressed in another direction by her captors."

Jack nodded in agreement, "Somebody was dragged from back here Teal'c," He indicated a spot in the cedar underbrush, "to here." He pointed to a place by the dead campfire, "But after here, there are five distinct sets of footprints. And Carter wasn't wearing her combat boots. But from their size and their position these footprints could only be hers. This means Carter was walking on her own not being carried or dragged. That's not consistent with her being a prisoner. In fact, I'm not sure what it means." Jack removed his cap, and ruffled the back of his head as he commonly did when he was puzzled.

"Here the footprints divide into two groups." Teal'c indicated an area on the ground not too far from the campsite, " Two women went up that way into the trees, while the other three went down by the river. I believe it will prove difficult to track the three that went down to the river, especially if they used any transport there. However, I believe that Major Samantha Carter went with the other woman through the trees. These footprints join up with the others made previously by her boots as you already pointed out O'Neill."

Jack continued sifting through the remains of the campfire and finally pulled something out of the fire. It was the remains of an SGC badge that had once been sewn onto BDU's. He knew the serial number by heart. He held it in his hands, turning it over and over, "This is really odd. There are bits of burnt camo throughout the ashes."

Daniel called out to the two other men. He tracked a set of footprints into the dense underbrush. "Somebody's dug a hole here underneath these branches, it's been covered up here," he shouted.

Jack streaked over to his side quickly, concern in his dark eyes, "It's okay, Jack, the hole isn't big enough for a body," Daniel reassured Jack as he observed the size of the diggings.

"Geez Daniel, you scared the pants off of me!" Jack put his hand up to his racing heart.

"I'm sorry," Daniel apologized, lifting the cedar branches that covered the hole.

"What the hell is that?" Jack asked, " Daniel," he ordered, "Bring me that short tool that you carry for digging up your old rocks."

"Artifacts," Daniel corrected his partner automatically.

"Okay really old rocks!" Jack kibitzed back at Daniel to reassure him that there was nothing to worry about. Daniel released the straps holding his knapsack, and it fell to the ground. He felt around in the large back pocket for his tool, and handed it to Jack. After ten minutes of diligent digging, Jack had uncovered a pair of USAF combat boots women's size nine, a P-90 and Sam Carter's knapsack still filled with gear. Jack sat back on his heels with a puzzled look on his countenance, "Who the hell buries weapons, boots and perfectly good gear?" He glanced up at Daniel.

"Maybe they heard about how our MRE's tasted, and decided to dispose of them before the blight spread across the universe!" Daniel suggested.

"Oh very funny Dr. Jackson!" However, Jack shot Daniel an appreciative glance, knowing that he was just trying to lighten the mood.

Teal'c returned from a brief foray down the forest path. He cleared his throat, "O'Neill, the footprints indicate that Major Carter was shod in some type of leather boots, very similar to the kind that many J'affa warriors use. Obviously, her captor has determined that she has no further need of Tau'ri footwear or the ordinance that you seem to have located in this hole," He cast an eye over the contents of the hole Jack had uncovered, " This is indeed puzzling. Why would they have given her new weapons? And why would Major Carter be willing to take other weapons? And what clothing would she be wearing? I suggest we split up temporarily and meet back here at 0900 hours. You and I will take the overland route, and Daniel Jackson will take the other route by the river. It is doubtful he will encounter any resistance there, but he knows enough about tracking to determine how her captors left this location. I suggest we waste no more time. O'Neill and I may meet up with Samantha Carter shortly. She doubtless will help us to overcome her captor, and provide us with further details about the reasons behind her capture."

Opening his mouth momentarily to protest, Daniel considered whether he should let the other two men go off on their own, and then decided he was being foolish. He took his time following the path to the river carefully. At the side of the river, he noticed some loose twine that might have come from a boat. There were three sets of deep footprints here beside the water, and he noticed the direction that the boat had taken off from its impression in the silty sand by the river's edge. For approximately a mile, he followed the path by the river, looking for signs of the other three women might have left their boat and continued their journey overland again. He found none. The river veered southwest. He guessed that it would eventually meet up with the path taken by Sam and the other woman.

Realizing he would run out of time if he wanted to meet up with the other two men on schedule, Daniel made his way back to the agreed meeting point in the clearing with the campfire. He waited patiently for a half an hour for the two men. By this time, he began to get worried. It wasn't like Jack to miss an agreed meeting time. He started to trace the path that Jack and Teal'c had followed. He'd been following this path through thick brush for approximately twenty minutes, when he heard a loud groan.

He ran forward, fearing the worst. Jack and Teal'c were on the ground face downward at thirty-degree angles to one another. There was no sign of anyone else there. Quickly and efficiently, Daniel went from one man to the other ensuring that there was no permanent injury to either. With his symbiote working to heal him, Teal'c regained consciousness first and staggered to his feet.

"Daniel Jackson, some water please!" Teal'c gasped as he sat up and took deep gulps of air. Daniel located Teal'c's water flask a few yards away, and he tossed it to him before he returned to Jack.

He propped Jack up in his lap, and slapped at his face gently. Jack moaned, "Oh God, no not that. Don't hit me again!"

"It's okay, it's me," Daniel said reassuringly. He examined Jack's face carefully; he had an enormous black bruise across his jawbone. Before they continued this investigation further, Daniel thought, they'd need more information about Sam's captors. Surely, one woman alone couldn't have done this much damage!

Teal'c rose to his feet and staggered over to where the other two men were lying on the ground. "They took our weapons," Teal'c said in a tone of concern, "They forced us to fight hand to hand. I have never seen anything like it. Major Carter was so fast and light, she took down O'Neill after she fell on him from the trees."

"Sam did this to you?" Daniel asked incredulously.

"Indeed," Teal'c inclined his head in agreement, "And one other. Our weapons angered the other one, although she attacked us with what seemed to be a circular metal weapon. My staff weapon was severed in two. But now, as you can see, both my weapon and O'Neill's P90 are missing."

"But the staff weapon is reinforced with trinium," Daniel protested in shock.

"Indeed," Teal'c looked meaningfully at Daniel, "the weapon was exceptionally sharp."

"Are you trying to tell me that two women, with no guns, fighting hand to hand, beat the crap out of you and disarmed you?" Daniel demanded.

"Is my English so poor that I have been unclear, Daniel Jackson? This is precisely what I am saying." Teal'c said in an annoyed and bell like tone, "The larger woman was almost as tall as O'Neill, although she was extremely attractive and had long dark hair. She was dressed in a leather dress with a short skirt and armor. Her only weapon was something I've only seen in old Tau'ri books on weaponry. I believe it is called a chakram. She used it with great dexterity. She jumped onto my shoulders and kicked me in the face, more than once. Then she pinched me in the region of my shoulder, and informed me that she had cut off the blood flow to my brain. I have only seen this done by the most skilled warriors. It would have killed me within 30 seconds, had I not given her the information she requested. She was polite enough to inform me about this while I was gasping on my knees."

"What you tell her?" Daniel asked him.

"The truth," Teal'c responded, "I could do no less. I told her that we were here to trade for trinium, and that we had no quarrel with her. She told me that our presence would probably alert the Goa'uld Baal to this planet. I sensed the presence of a host within her, but I am certain she was not a Goa'uld. A Goa'uld with a physical power and presence as strong as her would have certainly had an army of J'affa soldiers. She clearly has, as you would say on Earth, a much more hands-on approach. This would indicate that she is a Tok'ra."

"So you think she was a Tok'ra, and we've stumbled into a secret Tok'ra operation," said Daniel.

"That would be my guess," Teal'c responded, "As much as I dislike the Tok'ra, she had what I would call the purpose of a Tok'ra. However, her fighting techniques reminded me more of the most skilled J'affa warriors. You may have noticed the residual blood on my face. The feeling was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I passed into a state of unconsciousness until you found us here. She is a remarkable woman, I would like to meet her again."

"I think maybe we wait a little on that T," a faint voice called out from his lap, "Carter told me she was Cyane, whoever she is..."

"What's that Jack? Are you sure Sam said that?" Daniel got out some water and applied it to Jack's lips.

"Yes, she called herself Cyane," Jack repeated again, more firmly as he started to come around, "That's who Carter said she was. We were walking down the path, looking for signs of the two women when suddenly, there they were. Carter came down from the trees, jumped on my shoulders and squeezed my head between her thighs."

"That sounds doesn't sound like an attack!" Daniel said giving Jack what could only be interpreted as an acid look.

"Right, I dare you to try it. She was squeezing my head so hard I could barely breathe," Jack waved his arm feebly. "Then I ran into a tree, hit myself hard on the head and she jumped off. I said, "Carter what the hell do you think you're doing?" Then, she told me that her name was Cyane, and that she was the queen of the Amazons, for crying out loud. She was dressed in a short green sleeveless low-cut number and red skirt with a slit up the side. It might have looked sexy, if she hadn't been so busy kicking me in the head. She ran up my front with those damned laced boots and kicked me in the head twice more. Then, she jumped behind me and did something really nasty with her elbow while the other woman did the pinch thing on Teal'c. Then Carter grabbed me and hauled me by the shoulders upwards into the trees, and kicked me just about everywhere before she dropped me onto the ground. Damn, it hurt. I think the other woman was wearing some kind of Roman armor. After this, I think we should take away Carter's gym privileges. She's getting too strong for her own good. It must be all that climbing she does during her holidays."

"Oh," Daniel said absent-mindedly, "Did the other woman have a metal cuirass on her chest?"

"I don't know, Daniel. I didn't stop and ask myself, could this woman possibly be wearing a Roman queer ass?" Jack said irritably, "Whatever the hell that is - I was too busy getting my ass kicked to really think about what Sam's punching pal was wearing."

"You were the one who brought up Roman armor. A cuirass is a metal breastplate, usually with an image of one of the Roman Gods on it. You know, like Mars the God of War or Hercules strangling the snakes in his cradle. Often, it's made of polished bronze." Daniel's eyes lighted up at the idea of a first hand glimpse of Roman battle clothing.

"I don't know Daniel, she had some metal armor on her chest. While I was being clobbered, I didn't really think about it. I mean, I didn't say to myself is that an image of Mars or Hercules on that woman's chest? I just thought, shit this hurts, if you know what I mean." Jack said sarcastically.

"No," Teal'c tossed into the conversation, "There were no images of Gods or anything else on the woman's armor. There were no hints of who she was."

"Maybe she was dressed in Greek armor?" Daniel wondered out loud.

Jack was still lying on Daniel's lap. He turned onto his side, but it felt just as painful as his front, "Well, that's just terrific Daniel, but it gets us no closer to finding Carter. And Carter doesn't even think she is Carter, and seems to have evolved into some kind of female super hero!" Jack rubbed the back of his head; just the memory of the beating administered by Sam Carter made it ache even more. And what he was going to say to General Hammond, he had no idea!

"Well, we do have one hint. She called herself, Cyane. You remember, the journal article I was reading on Harry Graverobber Covington and his daughter Janice Covington and her associate, the translator, Melinda Papas. I read an unpublished part of the scrolls that Catherine Langford gave to me. Cyane was mentioned in there. She was the Queen of the Amazons. Xena, the warrior princess, killed and betrayed her in a particularly brutal and graphic manner. It had something to do with a witch called Alti. Alti was killed later by Xena and a shaman named Yakut."

Jack's left eyebrow shot up, "So, I take it you're suggesting that I tell Hammond about a witch, a shaman and Xena? Now, there's an idea Daniel! He'll have my guts for garters! All that we're going to tell Hammond is that Carter is missing, and apparently under some kind of delusion."

"A past life experience isn't necessarily a delusion Jack," Daniel argued.

Jack pulled Daniel in closer and said softly in his ear, "You know I agree with you, but I can't tell that to Hammond."

"Point taken," Daniel said, "Do you want me to help you up?"

"Yes, I don't think I can make my report to Hammond from your lap. He might think we weren't behaving with due propriety. And the jarheads in the locker room are sure to talk!" Jack winced as he gingerly felt his body parts to ensure that nothing crucial was missing, and got to his feet.

"In fact O'Neill, I think you looked happier when you were in Daniel Jackson's lap," Teal'c raised one eyebrow.

"Perhaps, we won't mention that part to Hammond," Jack suggested.

"Indeed," Teal'c gave Jack what could only be interpreted as a smirk.

Daniel said, "But I do I think we should go back to the SGC and regroup. For one thing, you've both had a minor concussions and Janet should examine your injuries. And for a second, I think we should contact the Tok'ra and find out more about their operative on this planet."

~~**~~

Deeper in the forests of Fergus, the ringing sound of women's laughter greeted Gabrielle that morning as she watched Xena sparring with Samantha Carter with a wooden staff. The two women were almost evenly matched, strength for strength, although she knew Xena was holding something in reserve. Alweg and Cerna were watching Sam Carter intently. After drinking the Mukh'the, Sam had spent last night sleeping between them.

She thought about the last two years she'd spent wandering the Earth with Xena, and how it had ultimately led to Xena's death in Japan. Xena had said to her that she'd always be with her, and for a time that had seemed like enough. Sometimes, the disembodied spirit of Xena had whispered in her ear, and Gabrielle felt that she was not alone, but time changed that. When Gabrielle had gone to Galilee to visit an old friend, the darkness that surrounded her at Xena's death had closed in once again on her soul. She had felt deserted.

In Galilee, she'd found a man who been taught the way of peace by Eli during his time with the Essenes at Qumran, a man called the Teacher who'd helped her to get through the pain at the loss of her soul mate. He helped her to see that Xena was still with her, despite her doubts. Then he'd been arrested and crucified by the Romans on a trumped up charge of treason, although in Gabrielle's experience Roman conquerors never needed any special reason to kill people. The Romans had pillaged their way through most of the Ancient World, looting and killing as they went. Crucifixion was just part of the dirty daily business of the Roman world.

After his death, the followers of the Teacher had scattered to the four corners of their small world to pass on his simple message of love and redemption as it had been taught to him by Eli and John the Baptist. Gabrielle had parted company from her new friends in Galilee in outside of the white walls of Jerusalem, the great city where they'd come to see their friend - The Teacher - die. They'd taken the road to Damascus with Simon Peter, intending to eventually to return to their homes in Magdala in Galilee. However, she'd taken another road.

She'd wandered off into the desert in search of a rocky outpost called Masada where she knew that a Jewish monastic order lived. They would doubtless permit her to spend some time in the tranquil serenity of their walls. The events in Jerusalem had been disquieting for her. It was on that road that she'd been transported into Loki's spaceship with the remains of Xena, or at least that was how she understood it now. One moment she was walking in the parched desert. Then in a flash of light, she found herself in a strange cold place made of silver metal with a small odd being with huge dark eyes and a gray body with a blue tinge who had her tied down to what seemed to be a bed.

Initially, she'd been terrified. Since then she'd become the host to Lyn'ak, the Tok'ra inside her, and her fear of vessels such as Loki's had disappeared with new knowledge about how they worked. However, at first she had been disoriented and bewildered by the place in which she'd found herself.

"Who are you?" She demanded angrily. She wondered if it was some kind of trick of the Gods, and maybe she was dead. Perhaps, she was in some bizarre place in the underworld.

The being looked at her with puzzlement, and then sighed. "I forget that your race is so backward you have never been in space. My name is Loki. I found you many years ago during my interplanetary travels as a young Asgard. This is my spaceship. I was unable to do anything with the remains you carried back then, so I placed you in stasis."

"Wait a minute," she said, "What's stasis? And what's an Asgard?"

He stood over the bed where she was fastened and prodded her carefully, "I'm an Asgard. I'm from a race of beings who live on the planet of Othala in the Ida Galaxy, and stasis is a kind of deep sleep in which the body does not age or deteriorate in spite of the passage of time."

"Time," she started to become frightened, "How much time?"

"Approximately 1,942.3 of your Earth years," he told her touching her skin experimentally.

She blinked, "You're kidding, right?"

Loki's large eyes regarded her with utter seriousness, "Are you suggesting that I'm making some kind of joke? If so, I think you should know that the Asgard are not inclined to make frivolous speeches. I was trying to be precise for your benefit. It is actually closer to 1,943.335 of your Earth years since I first brought you into my spaceship."

Gabrielle nodded, "Approximately, it sounds like you have a way with numbers. Did you study with Pythagoras or something? And could you please stop that touchy thing that you're doing," she glanced at him sternly and he shied away.

"I must monitor your life signs," he protested, " to determine your body temperature, and ensure that you are functioning optimally. This is all for your greater comfort."

"That's very nice of you, but I feel just fine," she said decidedly.

He made an unhappy noise and clicked his tongue, "This is all my fault for collecting primitive beings."

"Gee thanks," she responded, "What's this hard thing I'm lying on? It feels like rocks."

"It's an Asgard medbed," Loki said solemnly, "It's designed to help you get better."

She moved her head from side to side, feeling a dull headache behind her eyes. "Hey, who are you calling primitive? Hey you, Loki could you get me off this medbed?" Loki went over and examined her head now with his long prehensile fingers. She protested, "Ow, um, could you leave me alone? Stop touching my head!" She demanded irritably, and shoved him away from her with both hands.

"I have not finished ascertaining if you are undamaged," he said impassively, tilting his head slightly. He fixed his large luminous eyes on her, "I have attempted to restore the remains that you were carrying to their former condition. But my techniques are still under development, and I don't believe that the being I've recreated will live for long."

She forgot about her former desire to have him leave her alone, and seized his hand in anxiety, "Okay, let me get this straight. You've fixed Xena? How? Does she look like me?" she asked him.

"Well, she's in a human body if that's what you mean. She is somewhat larger than you with darker hair and blue eyes, but all humans look very similar to the Asgard," he said.

"Loki, are there many others like you?" She asked him.

"There are millions of my kind on Othala, but none who are as skilled at genetic engineering as I am." He explained somewhat pedantically.

Silently, she pondered his words. She wasn't sure what genetic engineering actually was, but guessed it had something to do with remaking Xena out of her ashes. She decided that she should introduce herself, "My name is Gabrielle. Look, it's really nice of you to give me this place to lie down, but this bed harder than sleeping on the ground. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to see Xena now. And then maybe we could get going. Maybe, you could just let us off in Corinth or Potidea or Amphipolis or Athens or something?" Her voice trailed off with a hopeful note at the end, but she was quickly disappointed.

"We are nowhere near that part of the Milky Way Galaxy," he said factually, "And even if we were, it would be a very long way down."

"Down from what?" She said panicking slightly. "Well," she made another suggestion, "maybe you could just stop and let us off."

"That would be highly inadvisable." He tilted his head slightly, "The hyperspace drive is presently engaged. Additionally, there's a large-scale war going on in that part of your world even if we were nearby. I have pictures of it from when I visited six months ago. Would you like to see them?"

"You painted pictures of a war?" Gabrielle asked him.

Loki sighed. Freyr, Thor and some of his other brethren had warned him countless times about playing with the genes of other races from different parts of the galaxy. If they really knew about the number of times that he'd used Earthlings to advance his knowledge of genetic engineering, he'd be in real trouble. The worst part, however, was the primitive nature of this species. He was going to have to explain every little thing to Gabrielle before she understood what was going on. "No Gabrielle, it was not necessary. I have a machine that allows me to make accurate images without drawing them myself. Even your world has this technology by this time."

"I've already seen a lot of wars Loki," Gabrielle said sadly, "I don't really want to see any more. Even in your special pictures."

"You are quite right, of course. The extent of the killing was unprecedented, millions have already died."

She tried to grasp what he'd told her. "Millions. Well, I guess the message of peace brought by Eli, the Baptist and The Teacher didn't stop the killing on my world did it?" She asked him softly.

"No Gabrielle, I'm afraid that people twisted those messages to bring more war and violence to your world. Many atrocities have been committed in the name of The Teacher and his message of love. Religion incites many to violence." He looked very sad for a moment. Then he patted her hand reassuringly, "But there have always been others like yourself, who have tried to bring the way of peace. It is the hope of the Asgard that some day there may be many others, and that you will join hands with the ancient races in the stars."

She wasn't sure what he was talking about, but she was feeling impatient. So she tried asking him if she could leave once more. Surely, he'd understand. "Look, Loki, I really want to get out of this place. Maybe, you could just open a door and I could jump out." She struggled to get free, but found that her efforts had just disarranged her hair. Oh God, my hair, she thought. Her hair was about shoulder length. "You know I distinctly remember having short hair," she said feeling the ends of her hair with her hands.

"Hair continues to grow even after the body is stasis for some time. I trimmed the excess off. Of course, I have no experience with hair," Loki said. "Your hair was very long and gold, and I'd come in and touch it while you were in stasis. It feels much better when it's warm."

Gabrielle felt vaguely discomforted by the idea of him stroking her hair, but decided to ignore those feelings for the present. What she really needed to know was her location! Was she on Mount Olympus with a new kind of God? Or perhaps she was in a sea cave at the bottom of the ocean? Alternatively, maybe she was somewhere in Tartarus or some part of the Elysian Fields? The more she thought about it, the more that none of it made any sense to her. She sighed in resignation, "All right, Loki I give up. What is this galaxy thing you're talking about?"

With infinite patience, he began to explain to her about his space ship and the stars, "As I was saying about the hyperspace drive. We are currently traveling at a speed that is much faster than light. We are now traveling among the stars in what you would call the sky. I could not let you off without damaging you permanently. You will need to be patient."

"Okay, whatever," Gabrielle twisted her head to look at him when he moved further away, "Loki just let me out of here," Gabrielle pleaded with him.

He realized she couldn't understand what she hadn't seen, "I forget that you've never imagined that you could live among the stars. Forgive me. I will open the viewing portal above you and you can see for yourself." He pushed a button and the white ceiling retracted, revealing a backdrop of the sky, thousand of planets and stars flying by so quickly she barely had time to notice them before they were gone. From her viewpoint, the sky was filled with a whirl of infinite colors, planets with rings, planets that looked like dark rocks, planets that were blue-green. Bright comets came streaking past them leaving a trail in their wake. There were stars that were as golden as she remembered the sun of Greece, but they were very far away. They were all suspended against a huge canvas of velvet black sky. She was so stunned that she didn't even notice that she was no longer tied down.

"By the Gods Loki" she said in wonder, "It's so big. Is this what you call the galaxy?"

"There are many galaxies among the stars. We simply call this region, space." He comfortingly patted her arm. Then she noticed for the first time how small and fragile he seemed, "I am from another galaxy far away from here."

"Can we see Othala from here? What color is it?" Gabrielle asked in a very small voice, still stunned by her first view of space.

His large eyes took in the wonder in her eyes. He shook his head, "The Ida Galaxy is many of your Earth days journey from here. And much of it looks pale gold; it is hot and very dry. Much like the desert on your own planet. My people do not live on the surface of the planet."

"What's that place up there Loki?" She pointed to a smaller body that clearly revolved around a large yellow star close by.

"That," he patted her arm reassuringly, "Is the planet An'tak. It is the home of the Tok'ra resistance base. You are going there to meet with some beings, called the Tok'ra, who can repair your friend to her former state of health."

"I think I'd like to see Xena please and find out what you mean by her state of health," she said politely.

"Very well," he talked to himself, "This is what comes of getting to attached to my pets. I should have brought you out of stasis a least a millennium ago, but I'd grown so attached to you, I wanted to keep you. It wasn't until quite recently I found a method of reconfiguring the remains you were carrying back into a human body. It was obvious from the care you'd taken in putting them in a carved wooden jar and a beautiful cloth, that they were important to you. But I am going to miss seeing your face every day."

She followed him into another room. There she found Xena sleeping on another medbed. She was so afraid that when her dark blue eyes opened, Xena wouldn't remember who she was. She drew back.

"What troubles you Gabrielle?" Loki asked.

A look of concern crossed Gabrielle's face, "I'm afraid that she won't remember who I am!" She whispered to Loki. "Her body and her soul were separated in death. Her soul remained with me although her body was ashes. If you have only her body, she may not remember me because I'm in her soul and her mind."

Loki nodded, "When I found you with the ashes you carried so long ago, there was a presence that stayed with you all that time. Gradually, I came to understand that it was the soul of your friend that had never left you. When I used Xena's ashes to remake her, it was no mere cloning process. It was a restoration of that soul and mind with her body. You need not fear, she's the same and will remember you."

The body of Xena stirred on the medbed. Gabrielle drew back in trepidation, but Loki pushed her forward, "Do not be afraid. She will remember you, of that I am certain."

When Xena awoke, her eyes sought the room in confusion for familiar reference points. Her remade eyes worked to focus the light into discernable shapes and forms. She cried out in frustration, bewildered by the sensations of her body, "Where am I? Why am I here? It's so dark!"

It tore at Gabrielle's heart to see her soul mate lost and frightened. Xena had always been so sure of her bodily strength, and now that strength was gone. "I'm here Xena, it's me Gabrielle! Can't you see me?" Gabrielle called out, trying to reach Xena with her words. Then Gabrielle moved urgently to the side of Xena's medbed and took her partner's hand in her own.

"Gabrielle," Xena called out, using her hands to make contact with the surfaces around her. Finally, Gabrielle's hand found hers and she held on like a drowning woman, "Is that you?"

"Yes Xena," Gabrielle squeezed Xena's hand reassuringly, "It's me. I'm here. What can you see?"

"Nothing Gabrielle, just foggy gray patches!" Xena said in alarm, "And I feel drained and tired."

"In a short time, your eyes will recover their functioning capacity although you will continue to feel physically depleted." Loki stated in a calm, reassuring voice.

The bonds, fastening Xena to the medbed had been removed. Xena sat up and crouched, her body attentive to all the minute signals she could hear around her in the workings of Loki's ship, "Who's that Gabrielle?" She demanded in a panic.

"That's Loki, Xena. He's a friend." Gabrielle said, placing Xena's hands on her own warm chest, "He brought you back from the dead."

"I want to feel your face," Xena requested urgently. "How do I know that it's really you? Or that I'm not in some torment in Tartarus? I've been dead before you know."

Gabrielle took Xena's fingers and allowed them to roam over her face, hoping that this would reassure Xena since her eyes were still working to adjust to the light.

"Oh, thank the Gods it is you!" Xena exclaimed as she felt the familiar hair, lips and face of her beloved. Xena pulled the familiar form of her soul mate to her chest, and rocked Gabrielle in her arms uttering foolish words of endearment and running her hands over Gabrielle's blonde hair with trembling fingers. She felt Gabrielle's hands, warm and substantial on her skin. Gabrielle's fingers touched her lips, tremulously and sensitively feeling each nook and cranny. Gabrielle was warm, supple and very, very alive. Xena's throat choked with emotion, but still uncertain of her environment, she held her tears in abeyance.

Once she'd gained some measure of self control, she spoke again, "What is this place? And who's Loki?" Xena tried to peer around her, feeling an awareness of being watched by someone or something. She found that the amorphous blobs were starting to take shape and become objects. Everything around her seemed smooth and shiny gray. Suddenly, the unclear form of a smooth hairless arm with four digits came into view. Remarkably, it was a bluish gray color, and the digits were long and prehensile. She moved away from the arm in fear.

"It's all right Xena," Gabrielle soothed her, "it's just Loki just like I told you before."

"Stay away!" Xena warned him.

"Very well Xena, I will not try and ascertain if you are functioning correctly," Loki stated.

Xena stared in the direction of his voice. His form began to resolve itself into a smallish individual who was unlike anything she'd seen before, "What kind of spirit or god are you?" Xena said in alarm.

"I am neither supernatural nor a god," the small being said with dignity, "I'm an Asgard from planet Othala in the Galaxy of Ida. My name is Loki and you are Xena." He came closer and touched her arm gently. His touch was delicate like the wind itself, and his skin felt like velvet on her skin.

"What is the planet Othala and the Ida galaxy?" Xena asked in wonder.

As her eyes focused, she realized that Gabrielle was also standing beside her. Things were happening so quickly, she was confused and Gabrielle interceded for Loki. "Loki comes from far away in the stars, Xena." Gabrielle reassured her, "But trust me, he's not here to hurt us. He reunited your ashes with your soul. This place is his ship that flies through the stars."

"So we're not dead and in Tartarus?" Xena asked him.

"No Xena," Hot tears ran down Gabrielle's face, "we're alive! You're alive, and you're here with me."

"What about the souls I died to redeem?" Xena asked quickly, "What about them?"

Gabrielle smiled at her through her tears, "They were redeemed long ago. I'd never break my word to you Xena. I kept my promise that day, even though it killed me to do it. But that was then and this is now. This is a miracle Xena, a miracle! Loki has brought you back to me. I thought I'd never touch you again or feel your breath on the back of my hand." Bending over her lover, Gabrielle planted her lips on Xena's. It was the same sweet breath, the same pliant warm lips and the same familiar mouth. Their tongues touched briefly. Gabrielle could feel the energy draining from Xena's body, so she held her tightly.

Xena clung to her, "I'm so exhausted Gabrielle. I guess all those future lives never happened,huh? We've been here all this time as Gabrielle and Xena. But why am I so tired Gabrielle?"

A noise came from Loki, "Actually, I restored your body from the ashes your friend was carrying. However, I'm afraid that my knowledge of human physiology is somewhat imperfect. You will not live long without the assistance of the Tok'ra. So I am taking you to their base on An'tak."

"Well I suppose I should thank you for bringing us back together," Xena said cautiously glancing at Loki.

The Asgard shook his head, "No, I'm afraid I should apologize to you. My people, the Asgard, are always telling me that my techniques are unconventional and will land me in trouble. The only way I know of helping you, is to send you to the Tok'ra. By blending you with a symbiote, they should be able to help you regain your strength and vitality."

"Gabrielle where are we?" Xena asked Gabrielle, "And who are these Tok'ra?"

"Well, Xena this is going to be a little hard to believe. But we're in a ship that flies between the stars," Gabrielle informed her.

"No, actually it seems quite believable. I dreamed that I was in the stars. Are we far from home? Where is this An'tak?" Xena inquired.

"I think we're close to it now," Gabrielle said.

"I see a further demonstration of our position will be necessary," Loki waved his hand. A viewing window opened above the medbed, "We have portals so that you can watch the stars when you recover from an illness." Above Xena and Gabrielle's heads, a small blue green planet that was orbiting a large yellow sun was getting closer and closer as Loki's ship moved in. The other stars shone brightly against the black canvas of space.

"Is that where we came from?" Xena asked Loki.

"No Xena, your home world is many of your Earth days journey from here. And even if I could, I would not take you there now. You would find it strange and unfamiliar. That is An'tak, the home of the rebel Tok'ra base." Loki sighed.

"I guess we've done it this time," Xena's lips had a weary smile, "No Amphipolis or Potedeia right now eh, Loki?"

"To go there would be an unwise course of action Xena," Loki said firmly, "Only the Tok'ra can fix your body in its present state of genetic instability."

"But we're together again. So every place will seem like home anyway. There's just one little thing I forgot to mention," Gabrielle grimaced. "It's been quite a long time since we were on Earth."

"How long?" Xena demanded.

"Exactly 1,942.3 of your Earth years have passed since I brought your remains and the body of your friend onto my spaceship."

"How's that even possible?" Xena asked Loki in astonishment.

"It's kind of like when we were frozen for 20 years, just longer. Loki says that there is a war in our world where millions of people are dying," Gabrielle answered for Loki.

"That's Aries work! Can we help?" Xena asked immediately.

"Actually, if you decide to join the Tok'ra you will save lives throughout the galaxy," Loki told her.

"It sounds like a good deal," Gabrielle said.

"Count me in if I get better," Xena took Gabrielle's hand.

Loki nodded, "There is more to this than I can explain to you adequately here. I'm afraid there isn't much time left before we reach An'tak, the base of the Tok'ra. We are now close enough for you to transport down to the Tok'ra base."

"Okay," Gabrielle said, "How do you do that?"

"I merely activate a transportation ray, and you materialize on the planet's surface near the Tok'ra base," Loki said, "The Tok'ra will find you. They are famous for this ability."

"Handy," Xena quipped, "Maybe they'll teach it to me."

"Yes," he responded, "But there is more. I've spoken with them. And they know that you are coming. There will be a price for healing Xena, but the Tok'ra will explain about the symbiote to you. I believe that a Tok'ra symbiote is the only way that Xena can be healed."

"You mentioned this symbiote before Loki," Xena commented, "But I don't understand why it heals you."

Loki nodded, "Mere words do not describe the experience of being the host to a symbiote. The symbiote is old, and carries within it the memories of many generations in which it has resided before. It has its own unique personality and unique healing qualities that allow it to save those on the point of death, even those such as your friend Xena who are genetically defective. It keeps you young and strong, even beyond the normal span of your lifetime, but I will not lie to you. Some of the memories the symbiote has are disturbing and violent. However, from my understanding of human history, I know that violence and bloodshed were common in the world from which you came. The Tok'ra fight against oppression and brutality in the galaxy, a brutality that is being spread by a race called the Goa'uld. Xena, you will not live many more days without a symbiote. Although I was able to remake you, you are beyond my ability to heal."

"I don't know," Xena looked at Gabrielle, "Does that mean I have to have another person inside my body. I don't like that. I shared my body before once, and it was a bad experience."

"You will need to share your body with the symbiote, but it isn't like sharing your body with a human." Loki explained solemnly, "I will give you three days in which to decide. If you don't want to undergo the joining process, I will understand. The Tok'ra will contact me, and I will keep you in comfort on my ship until you die. And I will care for Gabrielle as long as she lives."

"How long do I have before I die again?" Xena asked.

"Two, maybe three days. No more," he said.

"And how long would Gabrielle have to live, if she stayed with you?" Xena inquired.

"I assume a normal span of human years at this time. Probably around another fifty years," he told her.

"And how long would Gabrielle live if she had this thing inside her?" Xena asked him.

"Many Tok'ra live for two hundred years or more," Loki said, "Of course, it depends on whether or not you do something to shorten your life. But the memories of the host will live on in the next Tok'ra to acquire your symbiote."

"But Gabrielle has no real reason to become a host," Xena countered.

"I would still be open to caring for Gabrielle, should she make that decision," Loki told her, "Since she will not be able to remain with the Tok'ra, they could signal me and I would come."

Gabrielle stared at Xena. What was Xena thinking? She couldn't lose her again after just finding her. She squeezed Xena's hand, "We'll go and talk to the Tok'ra Xena. Fighting against oppression and brutality throughout the galaxy, we could do that!"

"You must decide this for yourselves after meeting the Tok'ra," Loki said distinctly, "No one will force you to become a host for a symbiote. As I said, among the Tok'ra, the symbiote shares the body with the host. Even after healing you, the symbiote can still be removed if bonding has not taken place."

"But Xena can change her mind," Gabrielle responded quickly.

"Yes, but only before the bonding happens. After that the host and symbiote are one," Loki responded.

"Please Xena, I want to go and talk to the Tok'ra," Gabrielle's green eyes burned with feeling. Xena nodded, she was becoming exhausted and talking to the Tok'ra would cost them nothing.

"There's just one thing Loki." Gabrielle asked, "How will we understand them? Their language must be very different from our own."

"The same way you understand me," Loki explained, "I placed a translation implant in both your brains while you were unconscious. That makes it possible for you both to understand all languages in the same way as your native Greek."

"I was wondering why it all sounded like Greek to me," Gabrielle laughed.

"Gabrielle, you could stay here with Loki. You don't need to become a Tok'ra," Xena argued. Her blue eyes focused intensely on her lover. There was no reason for her to give up part of her mind to someone else, Xena thought.

However, Gabrielle's mouth was set in the obstinate pink bow shape that Xena recalled so well, "Not this time, Xena. As if I'm going anywhere without you after what is it," Gabrielle threw her hand up, "1,945.3 years. All right Loki, do the light beam thing and get us out of here. We understand what we're doing. And I'm not leaving you until you're physically stable. If we decide to split up later, we'll deal with it then."

"You must get your friend to her feet," Loki pointed out, "And I've given you a support for her until you get to the Tok'ra." A small cane appeared in Xena's hand out of nowhere. Gabrielle got Xena to her feet with the help of the support, although her friend was already so weak she could barely stand up. Gabrielle nodded at Loki, "All right, Loki, we're good to go! Thanks for everything. Check you out later!"

In a flash of light, they found themselves in the midst of a small clearing of tall deciduous trees. There was nothing around them for miles except for the sound of birds flitting in the high branches and the distant sound of trickling water. The aroma of cedar underbrush and pine needles filtered upward from the forest floor.

"I wonder where they are?" Gabrielle asked the empty air.

"I'm not feeling so good," Xena hung on tightly to Gabrielle for support.

"That's okay. Hang on to me Xena, I'm strong enough!" From her exaltation at seeing Xena alive again, Gabrielle felt a new strength course through her being tying her into all living things from the plants to the animals. In this forest of huge trees, she felt as strong and rugged as any of them.

"What are we doing here Gabrielle?" Xena said in disgust, "There's nothing here."

Suddenly, three people materialized from nowhere. It was as though they'd sprung from the roots of the trees themselves. All three wore simple gray clothing with decorative leather patches. There was a man who appeared to be in his early thirties with two women, one young, tall and blonde and the other stouter, white-haired with keen eyes.

"Well then," said the older female, "You must have come to the right place. We are the Tok'ra and the Asgard sent you here. You are Xena of Amphipolis and your companion is Gabrielle of Potedeia, and you are most welcome."

Xena and Gabrielle turned around slowly. Xena supported herself with her cane, and she narrowed her eyes in distrust, "How do you know who we are? And who exactly are you?"

"I am Rosha, the host of Jolinar of Malkshar, and this is my mate Martouf," said the tall blonde woman, "He is the host to Lantash, who you will find has a unique sense of humor." Rosha gave Martouf a knowing smile, then turned to the older woman with a respectful bow of her head, "And this is Saroosh, the host of the Selmak, one of the wisest and eldest among the Tok'ra. Since she has known of your coming, she has awaited your arrival with great excitement. You will find no one among us with a greater interest in you unless it is Merash, the host of Lyn'ak, our elderly historian."

"Welcome indeed! When heroes from the ancient past come walking in the Tok'ra woods, we rejoice!" Saroosh bowed to them formally. "I know all about your deeds from copies of the Xena scrolls that we obtained from the Library at Alexandria. Copies of Gabrielle's scrolls were deposited there, so that they'd be available to all the Ancient World. The elder races maintained material from the Library many eons ago in our travels. They kept them for the first humans who would eventually forge an alliance with them in the time to come. These records still await them."

Xena's blue eyes burned with anger, "Yeah, Julius Caesar and his army burned the Library in Alexandria to the ground."

"That's true," Martouf broke in, "and an alliance of similar tyrants now ravages your world. We have much to discuss. If you aren't satisfied after our talks, we won't urge you to become hosts. Particularly, you Gabrielle since you are not injured in any way. But please understand that we are comprised of hosts from many races. Jolinar, my mate, came from Tollan originally. I come from a planet called Madrona. Saroosh is the lone survivor of a planet called Emm'dyn'lah, which is now a deserted world plagued by lighting storms and continual rainfall. It still possesses an amazing a repository of ancient knowledge from the four great master races who were once allied millennia ago to spread knowledge and truth throughout the galaxy."

"It was there that I learned the history of your home planet," Saroosh broke in, "before I became joined to Selmak almost two hundred of your years ago. A traveler from the rim of the outer galaxy took all the knowledge from the Library at Alexandria and put it in a special storage device so that it would not be lost forever. I have enough knowledge of the language of the ancient texts to have read the story of your travels in the archive. We are honored to have you both join us, if only for a short time."

"What we all have in common is that our symbiote healed our physical ailments or disabilities and gave us long life, far beyond our normal life span. In return for this life, we give our allegiance to the Tok'ra to rid the galaxy of a scourge known as the Goa'uld. They enslave the peoples of the free planets, those that are not under the protection of the elder races such as the Asgard, the Nox or the Furlings. For example, Rosha and I have been together for over 100 of your years, but we would both we give up what we have in order to stop the Goa'uld from enslaving more free peoples." Martouf told them.

"So these Goa'uld are worse than warlords?" Gabrielle asked Martouf.

"If a Goa'uld places his or her symbiote inside of you, you will be its slave forever unless it's taken out of you by force. They enslave others and bend them to their will, making them labor out their lives in Naquadah mines, serve as bed slaves or become one among many in the countless armies of the enemy. They make those that they've defeated worship them as Gods." Martouf explained.

"We're familiar with conquerors who ask their subjects to worship them or bend them to their will," Xena paused thoughtfully, "But how is a Tok'ra symbiote differ from a Goa'uld?"

"We are very different!" Martouf said forcefully, "The symbiote of a Tok'ra differs from that of a Goa'uld because we share our memories and thoughts with the host. We allow the host free range to express themselves as equals with the symbiote. We seek to conjoin, rather than dominate. We try to use our power for good in the universe, seeking neither to dominate nor be dominated. We prefer to have hosts with a strong will of their own such as yourselves. If after a short period of time, the union between a host and symbiote is not achieved, then we will place the symbiote in a different host and leave you as you once were."

"I don't want to let anyone into my head," Xena protested, "I don't care how sick I am."

"But Xena," Gabrielle was distressed, "I don't think I can face it if you die again. You don't know what I went through to try and get you back."

"These are decisions we can't force on you," Martouf said gently, "You must get to know us before we would agree to any conjoining. However, I believe that a warrior of your talents could assist the Tok'ra greatly in their fight against the Goa'uld."

"At this point," Jolinar said clearly with her eyes glowing, "We would normally ask you to surrender your weapons. We will take good care of them for you until the time to give them back is right."

"That's the symbiote inside of you talking?" Xena asked.

"Yes," Jolinar responded. Then the white light in her eyes died out, "But I will ask you again as Rosha. Please surrender your weapons."

Gabrielle gazed at Xena who made a slight gesture of assent with her head. "Very well. Gabrielle could you take my sword off me? I don't think I can manage it." Gabrielle drew the sword from the scabbard on Xena's back and handed it to Jolinar. Then she undid the chakram from Xena's belt and passed it to Martouf.

"And your weapons as well Gabrielle," he prodded gently.

"I'm not as good with my sais as Xena is with her sword," Gabrielle made a token protest.

"None the less," he was insistent.

"Okay," Gabrielle pulled the sais from the scabbards in her boots and tossed them swiftly at the tree just behind Martouf. The whizzed close to his head and hit the tree with dull thunk. They swayed there, embedded in the wood just centimeters above his head. "Well, they're yours now," Gabrielle shrugged.

Martouf laughed, "You are right, Saroosh. This should prove very interesting for the Tok'ra. New blood, a new way of fighting!" He turned around and pulled the sais out of the tree. "You have excellent aim."

"Do you have a place that I could freshen up?" Xena's eyebrows went up.

Rosha appeared puzzled, "You do not seem stale," she observed.

"No that's not what I mean." Xena flushed, "Don't you people, you know need to relieve yourselves from time to time? Or should I just find some bushes around here?"

"I think you will discover that technological improvements have solved this problem in the last two thousand years," Jolinar's eyes glowed white as the symbiote spoke, but Rosha finished the sentence, "I will show you if you accompany me."

"This symbiote business is going to take a little getting used to," Xena commented.

"Yes," Martouf smiled and showed his teeth, "Yes, very refreshing indeed."

In the end, they didn't leave An'tak until after they'd both agreed to become hosts for symbiotes. Si'lana, the symbiote inside Xena, took several months to physically stabilize her host. As in many things in her life, at first Xena tried to dominate the symbiote instead of working with her. The technical knowledge that Si'lana possessed was overwhelming to Xena's mind, endless streams of information about modern weaponry, starships and particularly a keen understanding of the enemy. Si'lana had been an undercover operative for the Tok'ra over many lifetimes, and the knowledge and intuition she possessed finally won Xena's trust. The two became one. Nevertheless, Xena still had to work to allow the symbiote to emerge when Sil'ana possessed superior knowledge and information that was necessary for any operation.

During Xena's recovery process, Gabrielle spent a great deal of time with the other Tok'ra. In particular, Gabrielle became friends with Merash, an elderly man who was the Tok'ra equivalent of their historian and archivist. Late at night, when Gabrielle was alone, Merash kept up Gabrielle's spirits by telling her chronicles from the histories of the Tok'ra. So, she was understandably upset when he became chronically ill. From Garshaw of Belote, a leader on the Tok'ra High Council, she learned that the Tok'ra had difficulty in finding hosts for their symbiotes among the civilized races. Anguished that his knowledge would die with him, Gabrielle decided to become a host for his symbiote. Although she won respect and approval from many Tok'ra for this decision, it enraged Xena because she hadn't been consulted.

It was just like all those times that Xena had sent Gabrielle off to roll bandages when a battle was taking place, but this time Gabrielle had gone ahead and made a decision without consulting Xena. Perhaps, Gabrielle also foresaw that she could play no part in Xena's new life, as a Tok'ra. As soon as the conjoining happened, Gabrielle felt Marash's symbiote Lyn'ak's mind bind to her own, making her stronger, more knowledgeable and in a way whole. It was true, there were ugly memories in the old Tok'ra's mind, but her memory was already filled with battlefields, corpses and the stink of death. Before Xena had completely healed, Gabrielle had already bonded with the Tok'ra inside of her. Xena was, as predicted, furious about this development. It had caused several pitched and lengthy battles between them.

After several difficult missions, they'd come to the planet Fergus to fight and overthrow the Goa'uld Artemis. It was a long-term mission that would place the Tok'ra in the middle of Baal's territory. It was felt that it would also give Xena time to adapt to her life as a Tok'ra, and to use the fighting skills that she already possessed. Gabrielle, on the other hand, missed the Tok'ra way of living and particularly her status as a Tok'ra storyteller and historian. So, there they were fifty years later, still holding down this small planet until they were relieved.

Watching Xena sparring with Sam, Gabrielle saw her love at her happiest. She'd taken turns in working with Cerna and Alweg as well. Xena loved training the local people in how to fight so that they'd no longer be easy victims if the Goa'uld did turn up with ships. Over the last fifty years, they taught many of the citizens how to fight with staffs and swords.

Early that morning, Sam Carter and Xena had come upon intruders in the forest and easily defeated them. The two men, who had come wandering through the woods with a gun and a staff weapon, would probably come back. It had energized Xena, but Gabrielle thought they probably had something to do with their new guest. Perhaps, Xena should have inquired about their intentions regarding Sam. Sometimes, Xena's 'shoot 'em first and ask questions later' attitude wasn't helpful.

Later in the morning, the group split up. Gabrielle went down by the river with Cerna and Alweg to use their small boat moored there to take her further downstream to the permanent encampment. Sam and Xena went further into the woods and meadows to patrol. The group would meet up later.

At nightfall, Gabrielle would move her group further into the forest to camp at an agreed meeting place. Gabrielle wondered if by then the cavalry would arrive to try and find Sam Carter. Unlike Xena, Gabrielle did not assume that the two men with weapons bore Sam in any ill will. In any case, by then, the Muhk'the that Xena had given Sam Carter would be wearing off. Hopefully, by then Gabrielle and Lyn'ak could make the Tau'ri men who seemed to be some kind of soldiers, understand about what Xena had done to their companion. Clearly, these men had strong feelings about leaving anyone behind them and that said a great deal about their relationship to Sam. Both Xena and Gabrielle had been alarmed because one of the men had been a J'affa, and couldn't understand what he'd been doing with the other man. However, upon mature reflection, Gabrielle thought that his purpose on their planet was not sinister.

There was also very little doubt that Baal would send an attack force of J'affa through the Gate to try and take the planet sometime soon. They could be anything from a small reconnaissance contingent to a full-blown army. Baal always placed well-hidden monitoring devices with anti-tampering circuits on the Stargates on any planet in his territory. And he was particularly interested in the planets that weren't under his control. He'd know very soon, if he didn't realize already, that the Goa'uld Artemis was no longer in control of Fergus.

Baal was particularly cautious in his dealings with Artemis. They'd once been lovers; Artemis would have swallowed his left testicle before she'd permit him get his hands on her property, and Baal knew it.

That meant the time was at hand when the people of Fergus would need to take a more active role in defending their planet against the Goa'uld. There were less vulnerable planets where the Tok'ra could relocate the population if necessary. Xena and Gabrielle had already signaled the Tok'ra Council hoping for a response. Gabrielle also hoped that perhaps Sam Carter's Tau'ri friends would turn out to be useful in a fight. You never knew.

Next: The Way