Gaia - The Princess 5

In The Pit

by romansilence

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asr/rsilence/gaiath05.php
Summary: Sam is still in the hands of the Goa'uld Nut, but Janet's story about the rescue of Queen Gabrielle and Consort Xena a few months prior comes to an end

THE PRESENT: SCHU – THE THRONE ROOM

Once again Samantha knelt in front of the dark haired Goa'uld.

"Jolinar was a traitor. She talked of friendship and an alliance but then she simply disappeared, stealing one of my ships."

"Yes, she stole your ship. She had an Ashrak on her trail and she knew that the System Lords would take it out on you should she be found in your domain, Queen Nut. She didn't betray you; she simply had no other choice."

"How would you know? Why should I believe anything you tell me?"

"I easily could have told you what you wanted to hear, Queen Nut. I could have lied to you and told you that I regret the death of your children, of the Goa'uld I killed, in the hope that this time you would not put me in a sarcophagus after killing me. I didn't lie then and I'm not lying now. I'll always tell you the truth as I know it. When Jolinar was killed, she left me with her memories."

"Jolinar told me that with the Tok'ra host and symbiote usually die together."

The blonde was surprised that Jolinar had spoken this openly with a mere Goa'uld but now the trust she felt for the queen began to make more sense. So, she once again overruled the O'Neill voice in her head and looked up.

"The Tok'ra don't believe in taking unwilling hosts but the Goa'uld attacked the planet where she was hiding. She was afraid to die. She panicked and jumped into me. In the end, when the Ash'rak found her on our planet, she gave up her life to save mine."

"You may ask me one question, SamanthaCarter."

This Goa'uld really was full of surprises.

"There's one thing I don't understand. You have been separated from your children for thousands of years. Why act now? What happened to make you this angry? Aisato told me what a good, conscientious ruler you are, and the eyes of your servants are filled with trust, not with fear. What happened?"

The Goa'uld's face registered surprise but she didn't answer her, so Samantha pressed on, though she was determined not to tell her interrogator everything, especially concerning her father.

"I don't regret Seth's death. He harmed a lot of people but I regret the way he died. I dreamed about his face for months, about the surprise on his face. It had been the first time I really used a ribbon device. I didn't know how to control it and I was terrified by what I could do with it if my emotions would ever get out of hand. Don't let yours control you now."

When the painstick discharged right over her heart she realised that she had gone too far.

~*~

THE PRESENT: ON BOARD OF THE SCYTHIA

In Gabrielle's quarters the queen and the small doctor continued their work on the story of Xena's and Gabrielle's abduction and torture at the hands of Anise and Osiris, with Janet filling the other woman in on a few very private moments after the successful rescue mission. There were a lot of intimate details; so, the brunette made it clear that she didn't want most of it to be put in an official scroll but she also felt the need to share it with the queen.

~~~

THE PAST: GAIA – THE SCIENCE LABS

Later, they all had left the temple, ready to return to Gaia. Against Xena's loud protestations Samantha had healed her legs, at least enough to take the bulk of the pain away and allow her to walk with a little help. She now was safely belted in the XS-01 with Gabrielle sitting at her side and Janet monitoring the bone knitters she had attached to the consort's broken arms. Samantha was at the helm and the cloak had been deactivated.

Except for a skeleton crew at Athena's Ring, the operational forces as well as the injured and the prisoners already had gone back. After making sure that Xena and Gabrielle would be alright, Samantha initiated a three hundred miles search pattern to make sure that they hadn't left any hostiles behind.

The search indicated faint life signs about two thousand miles to the west but no hint of any technologically advanced civilisation. The planet would be kept under observation – at least until they had found out why the queen and her consort had been targeted and why now.

Two candlemarks after the others and four and a half after their departure, Samantha landed the XS-01 on its platform in front of the laboratories where they were greeted by Priestess Melosa, the Council of Elders, and Captain Larina who had her right arm in a sling but seemed otherwise unharmed by her recent ordeal.

The two Earth women left the aircraft first to arrange some kind of transport for the leaders of the Amazon Nation. They stepped onto the platform and everyone, including the priestess dropped to a knee and saluted them with their fists over their hearts.

The blonde froze in mid-motion; only the queen, the consort, and the queen's Regents were accorded such an honour. Janet also was deeply puzzled by this strange behaviour, but she quickly recovered and led her lover to the side of the welcoming party where she imitated their position.

Gabrielle and Xena exited the small vessel followed by Master Niva and Illiana who were reverently carrying Xena's sword and chakram. An eerie quiet lay on the open square and then one voice shouted. "Hail Queen Gabrielle! Hail Consort Xena!"

Other voices joined in and soon it was as if the whole planet was here to greet their Queen. Gabrielle gave a signal; Xena enforced it with a piercing birdcall, and slowly the chanting of their names stopped and an expectant silence fell over the assembled Amazons; every one of them waiting for Gabrielle to speak.

Instead the Priestess Melosa got back on her feet; her voice was calm and carried.

"Amazons, sisters, children of Artemis and Athena, hear my words. Today, we thought our queen lost; the heart of the Amazon Nation gone. Today, we thought Consort Xena lost; the strength of the Amazon Nation gone. On this day of grief and confusion, when the forces of darkness prepared their attack, the Amazon Nation was blessed by the coming of two strong warriors. They brought back to us our heart and our strength. On this day the true blood of a warrior has been revealed by her actions and what has been sundered shall once again be one. On this day the heart of a healer for the first time showed her real strength.

"The minions of darkness have been captured and will be dealt with, but first let us rejoice and prepare a celebration worthy of this momentous occasion."

The reaction of the others spoke of joy and exhilaration, but the two Air Force majors nonetheless felt chilled to the bone by her words. Obviously in the few hours since the last of the Jaffa and Tok'ra warriors had been taken care of, word must have been spread about what had happened during the rescue mission and both of them couldn't help being slightly worried.

Another shout of joy rippled through the ranks of the still kneeling Amazons but quickly died down when Xena's whistle seemed to fill the whole space.

"Sisters," Gabrielle's voice easily carried, "today Xena and I have been rescued from a fate far worse than death. Today's actions will have widespread consequences but now is not the time to dwell on them."

The queen's eyes for a short moment found Priestess Melosa's and the other woman acknowledged the message with a nod.

"Yes, we have reason to rejoice but we also have reason to mourn. Tonight we will light the funeral pyres for the three Amazon warriors who lost their lives during the rescue mission, and tomorrow we will celebrate as only Amazons can."

While the women once again were shouting in joy an honour guard formed around the queen and Xena, and another around Samantha and Janet. The consort disdained the use of a litter and so the walk to the village was kept deliberately slow.

Kneeling and saluting Amazons of all ages lined the way and they stayed on their knees even after the queen and her escort had passed. Janet shortly glanced behind her to see them getting up out of the corner of her eyes. It was confusing, to say the least.

Master Niva led them to a medium sized hut next to the queen's own quarters and told them to get some rest and that she would be back to get them when the time was right. She also told them that all their questions soon would be answered and welcomed them to the Amazon Nation.

Samantha raised one of her eyebrows in an almost Xena-like fashion but got nothing but a smile for her troubles. She was bursting with questions and could feel the same from her lover but they both knew that for the time being no answers would be forthcoming.

There also was a tiny voice in her head that told her it probably would be better not to get any answers.

~~~

There was a tub waiting in the bathroom, filled with steaming, scented water. They did far more than just washing. The doctor and the astrophysicist both felt a need far greater than that. Janet could sense that her blonde lover was still shaken by her fight with the Jaffa warriors, by the darkness that had overwhelmed her, if only for a few moments.

Only telling her that she was loved, all of her, simply wasn't enough; the brunette had to show her.

She began by washing Samantha's back and gently massaged the taller woman's rigid shoulders. She let her fingers do the talking and began to let her love for the taller woman seep through their connection. She filled her lover's soul with the emotions coursing through her own, with the bone-deep security of her love, of their love.

Finally Samantha turned in her arms, buried her face against her neck, and began to cry. Janet had one hand at the small of her back and the other between her shoulder blades, both thumbs tracing circles over her spine. When the tears subsided, the blonde raised her head and sought her lover's eyes.

"How can you love me after what I've done? How can you love me after you've seen what I'm capable of? You devoted your life to save others, and all I do is destroy life. How can you stand staying with me? How can you love me?"

Janet brought their lips together and kissed her but she knew that this simple gesture never would be enough to quench her lover's anxiety. What Samantha was fighting with now went far deeper than simple insecurities; it called in question what and who she was, the very essence of her being.

"I love you, Samantha Gabriella Carter. I did from the very first moment I saw you, and every time I look at you my love grows. Every time you risk your life for others my love grows. You are my best friend, and everything I always searched for in a partner, in a lover. Today, you might have enjoyed killing the Jaffa, but you never would have harmed them had they not been intend on harming us.

"Samantha, you are kind and compassionate. You killed them, but you didn't make them suffer, Sammy. I'm not afraid of the darkness of your soul. It will not win. Your soul is too bright, too beautiful to be swept away. Instead of fearing it you can learn how to use it."

"But you're a doctor; you took an oath to do no harm."

"I'm a doctor in the Air Force, Sammy. I also vowed to protect my country and my comrades in arms. Did I ever tell you about the time I almost killed an enemy soldier?" The blonde shook her head in negation. "I just had been promoted to lieutenant and posted to the medical support group in Kuwait. Our main orders were to monitor the situation in the refugee camps. I just had settled in when a new marching order came, sending me to the frontline.

"It was the first time that I was with a field unit. They were doing patrols at the border; it was all very basic with a tent for the medical supplies and a make-shift operating theatre. There was not much to be done but tend to a few bruises and scrapes. Then the patrols were intensified and one afternoon I found myself alone with my nurse and two guards.

"The base commander had insisted on everyone being armed at all times, but we still were not prepared for the jeep coming towards us at breakneck speed. I didn't recognise the markings but the guards were convinced that it was one of ours. Two armed men jumped out and shot them point blank, not giving our men the shadow of a chance. One of the newcomers kept his weapon trained on us while the second man and the driver dragged another one out of the vehicle's rear. He was covered in blood, a chest wound. The first man demanded that I treat him immediately; his British accent spoke of an upper class education but his eyes were as cold as ice. He ordered me to get the wounded man back on his feet or I would have to watch how my nurse died a slow, painful death."

Samantha's arms around the smaller woman's waist tightened. She feared that she knew exactly what would be coming next.

"They ushered us into the tent and put the patient on the table. They took Alicia's weapon but somehow missed mine. The wounded man had been lucky; the bullet had passed straight through his right side, a clean shot from a large caliber. The damage itself was not too hard to repair, but blood loss was a real concern. The man, I later learned that he was Ahmed Madhiddin Bey, one of our opponent's most trusted advisors. He needed rest and medical care to stand a chance. The men began to argue in their own language. The first one, the one with the cultured accent wanted to stay as long as possible to give their leader apparent a fighting chance – at least that's what I believe they were saying. The others wanted to leave immediately.

"One of them jerked on Alicia's arm and pressed the barrel of his gun against her neck. He shouted at his companions and they shouted back. He dragged her towards the tent flap, intent on leaving with her. Only then I understood that he wanted to take her with them to care for their leader. It was two heartbeats later when I remembered my still concealed weapon but I knew that I didn't stand a chance against three armed men. I had to find another way."

Janet closed her eyes in remembrance, and just as she had done when her blonde lover had told her about the crash landing and her captivity, it now was her turn to be comforted by their emotional link sending her love and reassurance. For a split second she thought that she had achieved her goal of getting Samantha out of her self-depreciation but she also knew that she would have to finish her story for the sake of them both.

"The only one I had any power over was my patient. He was unconscious and would have been too weak to pose any kind of threat. I stepped behind his head, flipped the safety off my 9mm, and pressed it between collar bone and throat. The bullet would penetrate the muscles, pass straight through the heart and lung and probably lodge in his spine. It would be a quick death.

"That's what I told the men. The one with Alicia instinctively used her as a shield at the sound of my voice. The man with the British accent was convinced that I was bluffing. I slightly turned the weapon to show them that the safety was off. I told them to let Alicia go and to give her weapon back. The first man asked me what they would get in return and I promised that I would go with them to take care of their leader. The one with Alicia seemed to know enough English to understand my demands but he obviously wasn't pleased. He barked something and refocused his weapon on me. The first man, the Brit, signalled to the driver who clocked his comrades from behind with the butt of his rifle.

"The force of the blow propelled him and Alicia forwards and to the ground. I heard the distinct sound of a neck breaking. Alicia instinctively crawled towards me and they didn't stop her. I gave her my weapon. She kept it in position and I finished bandaging the wounded man's chest. I told the Brit that it would be best to let him rest for at least a couple of hours and that the first of the patrols wasn't expected to return before late afternoon. It was a lie; the first of our men were due back in less than an hour. They had killed two of our men and I wanted them to pay for it.

"The driver and the Brit began to whisper, their weapons still aimed at my chest and head. Then the Brit told us that they couldn't risk waiting and that I would come with them. The driver pushed the table outside into the glaring sun. The Brit had his weapon in my back and forced me to walk beside the gurney. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw something move. I didn't know what it was but acted on instinct. I pretended to trip and fell on the ground. One of the SF's obviously had survived and felled the Brit with a single shot. Before the driver could react, another shot rang out and he slumped on top of his leader.

"Alicia stood in the entrance of the tent, shaking like a leaf in the wind. I stared at her and the weapon clutched in both hands. Only when I heard the pain filled moan of our saviour did I remember what I had been trained to do. I worked on autopilot, and in the end both of our guards survived."

Janet sought her lover's eyes, afraid that her story had brought back too many painful memories, but what she saw was barely contained rage and through their link she felt a bone-deep need to protect her, always and everywhere.

"I took an oath to do no harm, but I would have killed this helpless man without remorse had his comrade harmed Alicia. I wanted them to pay for what they had done to us, to our guards. I looked at the dead bodies and I was glad that they were dead. In base camp they had taught us how to defend ourselves and how to kill. They didn't tell us that you can feel satisfaction at ending your enemies' lives."

Long minutes of silences followed. The small doctor was securely held by Samantha and in equal measure held her taller partner.

"You don't think that I'm a monster?" Samantha asked in a small voice.

"No, my love. I think that you're very brave."

Samantha offered her a small smile at the use of her own words that didn't really reach her eyes.

"Sam, everyone can lose control once in a while, especially when people we love and care for are threatened. I think you are very brave because for you it's much harder to bear when it happens and because what you do makes it more liable to happen. You know yourself much better than most people do, Sammy. You're a great officer and an even better human being because you don't let yourself be dominated by the dark side of our work."

"It's not our work, Janet. The darkness is a part of me. It's what gives me strength," the blonde whispered.

"Yes, my beloved, it gives you strength, the strength to do what has to be done. I know it frightens you to lose control but I'll always be there to bring you back, Samantha Gabriella Carter. You are my life and my soul, and I won't let you slip away from me."

The tall woman closed her eyes and let Janet's love wash over her like a purifying wave. In her mind's eyes she saw the sphere of light, the one streaked with grey and black spots and lines, the one she was convinced represented her soul. The other shere was coming towards it and when they touched hers began to glow from within. Suddenly she knew with absolute certainty that Janet had been right: Janet always would be there for her, even when they were not together, they never would be apart.

She opened her eyes and looked in Janet's smiling face. They slowly stood and stepped out of the big tub without losing eye-contact. They were dripping wet but didn't bother to dry themselves. Samantha kissed her smaller partner and carried her to the adjoining bedroom. The mattress groaned under their weight but they didn't break the embrace or the kiss.

When they finally had to stop to breathe, Janet's brown orbs were speckled with golden highlights and Samantha's eyes had taken on a silvery hue. The small doctor took control and rolled them over. She pressed her body against Samantha's and claimed her with mouth and hands, leaving no doubt whatsoever to whom the tall scientist belonged. The blonde loved to be taken this way, but this time was even more intense than usual. They never before had been this aware of their emotional connection, and they never before had actively used it during their love-making. When they brought each other to climax at the same time it was like a fusion of energy; more than a temporary union, this had the feeling of forever-after, of eternity.

Janet draped a thin sheet over their bodies, and both of them waited for the wonderful, new sensation to subside but it didn't. It stayed with them when they fell in a light sleep, and it was still there when they woke from the firm knocking at their front door. They answered and Master Niva told them that the sun was about to set and that it was time for the funeral pyres to be lit.

~~~

After a quick shower they slipped into the tunics that had been laid out for them and left the hut. The weapons' master had been waiting and led the two officers to the open space in front of the temple. Where Nirrti had been destroyed and Larina and Tirrin set free now were four pyres waiting to be lit; three for the fallen Amazon warriors and one in remembrance of Diti, Egeria's ascended host.

Priestess Melosa was standing on the uppermost step of the temple, Queen Gabrielle and Consort Xena a couple of steps below her, all three had donned simple white tunics similar to the ones Samantha and Janet were wearing. On the other side of the pyres the Amazons were assembled; all of them in ceremonial leathers and masks. On the right side the team from Earth was gathered, wearing dress uniforms and standing at attention, among them Jennifer Hailey, Michaela Neddes, and Alicia Powers, the nurse Janet had just told her lover about.

Samantha presumed that they had been sent to bring Janet and her back to the SGC, and she was not looking forward to face General Hammond any time soon.

The weapons' master led them past their comrades to the entrance of the temple where Xena signalled them to stand next to her.

"Amazon sisters, daughters of Artemis and Athena, today we say goodbye to four of our own. Diti, Tehda, Kelsi, and Patra gave their lives in battle. When their funeral pyres are lit and their bodies will be consumed by the fire, we all will commit to memory their lives and their sacrifice for the Greater Good of the Nation." The priestess raised her arms to the sky.

Sixteen warriors stepped from behind the temple, their bows ready to send burning arrows towards the skilfully layered pyres. The queen nodded her assent, the arrows found their intended targets and the wood immediately caught on fire.

When the flames began to leak towards the sky, Xena began to sing the traditional Amazon dirge, unchanged since thousands of years. Soon a second voice mingled with the consort's deep tones. It was higher but not less full or carrying.

Janet cast an astonished look at her partner. The blonde had a wonderful voice but had always adamantly refused to sing in public. In the privacy of their bedroom or during one of their rare outings on Samantha's Harley, she often surprised her with a song but always resisted giving any further performances.

The Air Force major singing in front of a crowd, in front of a bunch of people who could talk about it at the SGC was strange enough; but her singing a traditional Amazon mourning song, the small doctor was certain she never had heard before, was close to mind-boggling.

In the deep recesses of her mind, Janet knew that she should be alarmed but something in the rhythm and melody crept into her very soul. It soothed her and at the same time it made her inexplicably proud. It made her feel as if she were a part of something bigger than herself, bigger than the SGC. Words and melody began to repeat themselves; a third voice joined in, and Janet was vaguely aware that it was the queen's.

The brunette didn't know if it only was the eerie atmosphere but to her the three voices were in perfect harmony. She closed her eyes and before she really was aware of what she was doing, she also was singing.

Janet didn't have the faintest idea where the words came from or what all of them meant, or how she came to know them but the energy and longing pulsing through her newly strengthened link with Samantha simply were too strong to resist. She never had considered herself a good singer but this felt like the right thing to do; so she stopped questioning her feelings and reactions, and abandoned herself to the moment and the strong sense of community the funeral song was creating.

After the next pass all Amazons present raised their voices in praise and remembrance of the lives lost in the line of duty.

~~~

Jennifer Hailey looked on with astonishment, her eyes wide she stared towards the temple steps. Some part of her wanted to rush over there and drag her two superior officers over to the other Earth women, where they belonged. She was compelled to remind them of their duty to Earth and the SGC, but the bigger part of her couldn't help thinking how at ease they looked, standing in front of everyone else, wearing strange clothes, taking part in age-old Amazon traditions as if they never had done anything else. It looked like they belonged.

It was just hard to wrap her mind around all the changes, especially the changes in one Major Samantha Carter.

She had had her mind made up about the woman before they even had met. Jennifer never had been second-best at anything before but when she joined the Air Force Academy she found herself constantly battling the ghost of one Samantha Gabriella Carter, brilliant student, great athlete, great pilot. She became angry and bitter because she felt that she didn't measure up.

Then the woman had showed up and despite her eagerness to find her wanting, she had had to grudgingly admire her brilliance, her straight forwardness. Samantha Carter had saved her career this day; she had shown her for what she was studying, and she had taught her the difference between scientific curiosity and reasoning and military courage and reasoning. The tall blonde became her idol and she was honest enough with herself to admit that she had a crush on her superior officer.

But here on Gaia she had learned about the human being Samantha Carter, someone capable of losing herself in a game, of laughing, of simply having fun. Consort Xena had had a knack of bringing out the playful side of the blonde Major and her relationship with Doctor Fraiser, though shocking as hell at first, had obviously given her the security she needed to allow this playfulness in her life.

Jennifer closed her eyes for a moment and let the mourning song wash over her, leaving behind a sense of community and belonging she couldn't remember ever having felt before. Minutes later she opened her eyes to the startling realisation that this feeling was worth risking General Hammond's wrath, regulations be damned.

~~~

The dirge ended and the flames of the pyres died down. Priestess Melosa let her arms sink to the side and retreated inside of the temple, followed by Xena and Gabrielle – and after a moment's hesitation and the queen's quiet order "Come!" by Samantha and Janet.

Lieutenant Hailey and Nurse Powers instinctively made a step towards the temple; they knew they had to return their two superior officers to Earth as soon as possible. The only way to cover up their disobedience and unauthorised absence was to get them back to the SGC before the President's visit. Granted General Hammond was still angry at them, but the fact that they had been right about the Amazon Queen and her consort spoke loudly in their favour.

Master Niva, Aria, and Sabrina Levinson stopped them and invited the Earth women to the village where a get-together would be taking place. It wasn't a real party in the Amazon sense of the word but still a celebration; the celebration of the life of the fallen Amazons, of their children and ancestors; the celebration of the lives their sacrifice in battle had saved; the celebration of the Amazon Nation and its future.

Jennifer and the others gladly accepted the offer. On one hand, coming from a family where the public expression of feelings was frowned upon, she still was awed by the Amazon way of saying good-bye to their loved ones and wanted to experience more of it. On the other hand, she knew that she or anyone else from her group never would have the courage to interrupt a conversation between the queen and Major Carter. And last but not least she wanted to learn more about what had happened in the Tok'ra tunnels that had all the Amazons buzzing with excitement over the tall blonde Air Force officer.

~*~

THE PRESENT: ON BOARD OF THE SCYTHIA

Gabrielle was about to ask Janet how she had experienced the funeral ceremony when the brunette slumped over in her chair. Janet heard the faint echo of something the queen just had put to paper.

In her mind's eyes she saw the sphere of light, the one streaked with grey and black spots and lines, the one she was convinced represented her soul. The other sphere was coming towards it and when they touched hers began to glow from within. Suddenly she knew with absolute certainty that Janet had been right: Janet always would be there for her, even when they were not together, they never would be apart.

This time there was neither light nor darkness leading her to her lover. Everything around her was grey as if Samantha were stuck between light and darkness. But Janet still could feel their connection and sent her love for the blonde ahead of her, along the pulsing threat that ultimately would lead her to the other part of her soul.

She silently pleaded: "Please, let me stay with you, let me help you. I want to take your fears. I want you to take my strength."

And for the first time in more than a week the blonde seemed to answer: "You are my beacon of light, my beloved. You are my strength. You are what keeps me safe and sane."

Janet answered, "Please let me stay with you. You don't have to face her alone. We won't let her win."

Later none of them knew if it had been a real conversation, a mind-reading thing as O'Neill would call it, but they both remembered the same words and the confidence in Janet's voice and Samantha's need to escape the darkness looming just around the corner.

~*~

THE PRESENT: SCHU – THE THRONE ROOM

Water, she was lying in a pool of cold water. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to open her eyes.

An armoured boot hit her rib case. "Get up, Tau'ri. My queen is not finished with you."

"Shackle her hands behind her back and put her in the pit. I'm tired of killing her. I want to see her fight."

Samantha was dragged to her feet and manacles put on her wrists. They were cold and hard and had a bit of give but not enough to get out of them. She instinctively tested them and found them connected with a short chain. She heard the grinding sound of stone scraping against stone.

The armoured boot once again kicked her; she instinctively went with the blow and fell what felt like at least seven feet to another stone floor. Most of her weight landed on her right shoulder and the flaring pain told her that it probably was dislocated.

She somehow managed to get back on her feet in time to duck the armoured fist of a young Jaffa warrior who evidently believed her to be an easy target. Her next evasive manoeuvre propelled her against the hard stone wall of the rectangular pit that had opened in the middle of the throne room, and miraculously popped her shoulder back in place.

The warrior used her slight disorientation to get a couple of punches in and threw her to the floor. He looked up in triumph and was rewarded by a naked foot hitting him hard in the groin. Samantha jumped up and punched her head against his primta. He keeled over and a roundhouse kick took him out.

Aisato ordered her to back off while two of his warriors carried the unconscious man away. Another, older and probably more experienced fighter immediately followed.

He was fast and with her hands still trapped behind her back she took a few heavy blows to her chest and abdomen. Suddenly she saw an opening but instead of taking the obvious bait, the blonde dropped to the floor and hooked her legs around his knees. She closed her strong thighs and brought him down. Pressing her advantage, she used her forehead as a battering ram against his skull. The back of his head hit the floor and she was left slightly dizzy but with another unconscious Jaffa.

Samantha knew that she had been lucky but her next opponent certainly would not repeat his predecessors' mistakes. So, while backing away from the fallen warrior, she also managed to get her hands in front. She cried out in pain when her shoulder once again popped out of its joint, and this time she consciously rammed it against the wall to be prepared for her next opponent.

She heard the taunting words of the Goa'uld. "Is this the best my proud warriors can do? Being bested by an unarmed, naked female?"

Two young warriors jumped in the pit. They worked together, and if not for the hand-to-hand training of the Amazons she would not have stood the slightest chance. She had learned how to fight an opponent one could not see by using her other senses.

They circled her and instead of keeping at least one of them in her line of sight she stood still and waited for them to make the first move. They were so easy to read, she could have laughed. Instead she tried to appear frightened and exhausted. Samantha knew that she was running on adrenaline alone but she also knew that it would keep her going for another couple of hours.

She heard how the Jaffa to her right held his breath, the air on her right suddenly shifted and she jumped straight up. Her naked feet hit the back of the Jaffa who had been about to tackle her around the waist; his momentum increased and his colleague didn't have enough time to get completely out of the way. He stumbled but stayed on his feet and drew his dagger.

The blonde knew that she had to act fast, before the other one was back on his feet. She ducked under his angry sweep and got close enough to feel his breath on her skin. A quick jab with the outer edge of her hand just under his Adam's apple followed. It would momentarily block his windpipe without crushing it. She plucked the dagger out of his suddenly weak hand, flung herself to the floor to avoid being hit by a blast from a zat, and without really looking threw the knife. She looked up at his cry of pain and saw that it had hit its intended target: the hand of the first Jaffa holding the zat'nikitel.

The weapon slid over the floor and came to a stop only a few feet from her feet. Grabbing it and fighting her way out of the pit would be the obvious choice but there still were about a score of by now probably rather angry Jaffa she would have to deal with. But that's not why she retreated to the wall and pressed her back against the cold stone.

Her hands were shaking and her breathing ragged – but not from exertion alone. She had angled the edge of her hand only at the last moment. He couldn't be much older than Rya'c, Teal'c's son, and though all of her instincts had told her to kill him she had pulled her blow. And her first instinct after almost being zatted had been to eliminate the threat by embedding the knife in his heart, not in his hand.

It was only due to Janet's calming presence in her mind that they were still breathing.

Two older Jaffa jumped in her pit with staff weapons aimed at her chest while four others helped their fallen comrades out.

A wave of weariness washed over her; fighting her own darkness was much more draining than fighting physical threats. She closed her eyes and immediately was cocooned in the comforting blanket of Janet's love. Her heartbeat returned to normal and she opened her eyes.

The guards lining the pit were arguing about the honour to best the female Tau'ri. Aisato decided for them by jumping in the pit and landing lightly on his feet. He was not armed.

He was checking her posture and she did the same. The tall man had the advantage of having seen some of her moves; he had seen her speed and strength.

"My Queen, please, let me remove the manacles."

"No, I want to know how good she really is. Can't make it too easy, can we?"

Samantha sought the eyes of the Goa'uld. "Nut, why don't you fight your own battles? Or are you too afraid to lose? I want to fight you."

"My queen would kill you in a way even the sarcophagus would not be able to restore you, SamanthaCarter," Aisato answered. "As soon as I have defeated you, my queen will be satisfied and you will be allowed to rest."

"I don't want to fight you, Aisato, not now. Once we start I'm not sure I could keep myself from killing you. It was hard enough with these youngsters."

"He's just a Jaffa, my First Prime but still a Jaffa. Why should you be interested if he lives or dies?"

"He reminds me of a good friend of mine, Queen Nut. I don't want to harm him."

"I don't care what you may or may not want. Fight!"

They traded a few blows, intended to test the other's defences. Samantha quickly found out that a year ago she would not have stood a chance against the tall warrior. He moved faster than Teal'c and didn't miss even the tiniest opening; and every one of his blows would leave ugly bruises. She soon had to rely on the manacles to enforce her blows.

Suddenly a fist hit her midsection. She stumbled back and went to her knees. He had to crouch to deliver a follow-up hook with the other hand. It split one of her lips, and she instinctively lashed out and hammered the manacles on the base of his neck. He lost his balance and landed on his hands and knees, and when he came back up the colour of her eyes had changed.

~*~

THE PRESENT: ON BOARD OF THE SCYTHIA

"Come in, General, but please be quiet."

"There is news from the XS-01 and the comm. system in your quarters is malfunctioning," he instinctively whispered.

"I deactivated it. I didn't want Janet to be disturbed. I suppose they found the planet where Samantha is being held, right?"

"Major Carter is held in the palace on the main planet. The XS-01 is on its way to plan the rescue. How did you know?"

"I didn't, General, I just felt Xena's relief and her joy that the waiting is over and she finally will be able to do something."

"I'm sorry, please forgive me."

Gabrielle and Hammond whirled around and stared at the still unconscious woman on the queen's bed.

"You didn't mention that she speaks during these 'episodes', your majesty."

"Please call me Gabrielle. After all you're a friend."

"With pleasure, Gabrielle, but only if you return the favour and call me George. – So, what's wrong with Janet? You seemed to be as surprised as I am."

Gabrielle sat on the edge of the bed and wiped the perspiration off Janet's forehead and face. "She never spoke before. This time is different. She jerks as if she were hit. Sometimes she moans. If it weren't for the pain they're going through, it would be utterly amazing."

"Do you want to tell me that Samantha is doing this to her, through their link or whatever you may call it?"

"It's the only explanation, George. Before, Janet was just unconscious. She told me that she only had contact with Samantha when the sarcophagus repaired her body. Janet's reaction now leads me to think that this time Samantha is awake and Janet is with her."

"But you don't know for sure, right? You don't know if it's dangerous for Doc... Janet."

"No, there's no way to tell; all we can do is to wait."

"We could try to wake Janet up, Gabrielle."

"We could try but I doubt that it would work, and even if it did, Janet would not thank us for doing so. Their connection is too strong. It might even be dangerous for both of them. It's ironic, only yesterday I told Janet that she could only give Samantha strength but that it's impossible to take her pain away. It seems she has proven me wrong."

"I'm sorry, you just lost me. Is this not what usually happens with soulmates?" General Hammond asked, still visibly worried.

"To the best of my knowledge, no. I always thought that there could not be a stronger connection than the bond between Xena and me, but what Samantha and Janet share has grown far beyond anything I've ever heard of. I can't wait to talk to them about it."

"Let's hope that we get Sam back soon."

A knock on the door prevented Gabrielle's answer.

Next: Dreaming In The Pit