Gaia - The Princess 9

The Trial

by romansilence

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asr/rsilence/gaiath09.php
Summary: Sam and Janet deal with the aftermath of Sam's captivity; and the trial against Nuth brings back memories of another trial.

THE PRESENT: ON BOARD OF THE 'SCYTHIA'

The blonde Major woke to the sound of two people arguing but trying to keep their voices down.

"No, Sir, I will not wake her up. Her injuries have been healed but Sam is still weak and needs all the rest she can get."

"But Doc, it's only breakfast." The voice of Samantha's commanding officer almost whined. "Carter has to eat, especially if she's still weak."

Samantha heard the genuine concern behind his adolescent attitude and started to get out of bed but stopped when Janet spoke again.

"I know you're worried, Colonel, but give us some more time. Sam will be alright. She's tough."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Janet. Don't let her bottle it up."

There was a long moment of silence between them, full of memories and feelings of which neither of them wanted to talk and about which she definitively didn't want to think.

"We'll see you for lunch, Sir, and thank you, Jack."

"Just take care of her," he answered gruffly.

The door closed, but Janet didn't join Samantha in the bedroom. Instead she heard faint sniffling. Foregoing a robe she jumped out of bed and knelt in front of her crying lover.

"Please, don't cry, my love. Everything will be alright."

"You're so thin, baby," Janet said.

"Sarcophagus diet, can't recommend it." When her attempt at humour didn't even elicit a smile, she added, "We'll speak with Teal'c and Master Niva about a conditioning program, and I promise I'll eat everything you want me to, even mashed potatoes."

That finally got her a smile. "You hate mashed potatoes, Sam."

The brunette's voice was still shaky and Samantha finally understood that with O'Neill her lover had been hiding behind her doctor's mask. So, she sat down next to her and cradled the robe-clad body in her arms.

"We'll get through this, my love, together. Your love kept me from turning evil. It always will, no matter how far away you are. You're my beacon of light, baby, guiding me out of the darkness."

Brown eyes found hers and Janet once again started to cry. What she said between sobs allowed Samantha to piece together what had the strong doctor this shaken.

When the violent sobs turned into tears, Samantha said. "It was only a dream, my love. It was only a dream.I didn't kill Nut; I didn't turn to darkness. I didn't go on a rampage against the System Lords. It was only a dream.

"In reality, you saved me; you always will. Even if I had totally lost myself, you still would have found a way to get me back. I would have followed you out of the depths of hell or from the heights of heaven. There's nothing stronger in the universe than our love."

Janet snuggled closer against the naked body of her lover. It felt so good to be held and reassured, but a tiny voice told her that it should be the other way round. She should be the one to nurture and comfort the blonde; she should be the strong one.

Somehow her self-recriminations must have seeped through their link because she suddenly was wrapped in Samantha's love as if in a soft blanket.

"I heard part of your conversation with the Colonel, Janet. I won't bottle it up; I promise. I can't hide my feelings with you and I don't want to. You will help me through the occasional nightmare and tell me to get real when I start to berate myself for getting caught in the first place. But there's one thing you have to understand.

"This time was different. What happened was only physical. I don't want to downplay it; I wouldn't wish what happened to me on our worst enemy, not even on Kinsey. But it was only physical. Jolinar and the Entity messed with my head without wanting to. Hathor wanted to make us believe that everyone we loved was long dead. She played mind games with us, as did Apophis on Netu. Nut didn't. She was straightforward for a Goa'uld."

"Sammy, what she did to you would have broken just about anyone else."

"Anyone else does not have your love to see them through, Janet."

The doctor wanted to protest but Samantha put one of her fingers on her lips and whispered, "I'll show you."

Janet was helplessly drawn in while the blonde one by one lowered all of her considerable mental defences. Layer by layer was stripped away, and at the centre of her soul, the core of her being, there was a shining sphere of light, at the centre was their love for each other, too strong to be destroyed.

An eternal moment later, Janet started to guide her blond lover through her own mind. At the very centre was a point where the different aspects of her personality seemed to merge, the doctor, the woman, the daughter, the mother, the lover, the soldier, the friend, the partner, the granddaughter; right there, at the nexus of all of this also was the sphere of light.

None of them had ever thought of using their link this way. Over the months they had learned to rely on it to make sure that the other was alright. It flared to life when they were making love but they never before had consciously tapped into it this way; and neither Janet nor Samantha had believed it to be this strong.

When they finally opened their eyes the tears they were crying were tears of joy and gratitude.

Janet's stomach protested its emptiness and the blonde's joined in but they still were reluctant to move.

Janet said softly, "Master Niva once told me that a real Amazon joining is more than just for this life. She said that it's a joining of souls for all eternity. I think I would like this, to tell everyone that you're mine and I'm yours for all eternity."

"We didn't even look at the texts the queen sent over, Jan. Are you sure that this is what you want?"

"Yes, my love. It's what I want."

~*~

After a lengthy lunch with SG-1 and a few others, Xena gave the Air Force Major a thorough tour of the Scythia. She was engrossed with the technical details and her mind was already coming up with possible applications for Earth's use. She even stopped worrying about the upcoming trial and her testimony.

Samantha recognised Gabrielle's regent from Gaia as the spokeswoman of the jury. All she knew about the woman was that her name was Bedria and that she was joined with a member of the Royal Guard. She never had had anything to do with her but there was something in her eyes she didn't particularly like, but still the Queen would not have named her as her regent if she would not trust her.

During the first few minutes of the trial it looked as if everything would be cut and dried, as if everything would be over quickly.

Bedria read the charges; Nut pleaded guilty; Samantha was asked if the written confession the members of the jury had been given to read was correct. Bedria listed the jury's options for punishment.

And faster than the blonde would have thought possible she was asked if she had something to add before the jury retired, "Yes, I do. Honourable members of the jury, I ask you to consider extenuating circumstances."

Indignant huffing was heard in the audience but Samantha was only focused on the brown eyes of her partner.

"Amazons risked their lives to save you, Earthling, and you want us to simply let her go?" Bedria asked with barely masked outrage.

Samantha reluctantly broke eye-contact with her lover and looked at the stocky woman speaking for the jury. Unfortunately her face was covered with an Amazon war mask that made it impossible to read her features.

"Regent Bedria, honourable jury, the last thing on my mind is to let Queen Nut go unpunished. All I ask of you is to make sure that this trial is not about revenge but about justice."

The comments from the audience immediately changed in tune. "Well said." – "Spoken like a true Amazon." – "A true daughter of Artemis." – "Justice, yes."

Bedrias's body posture stiffened. "We have heard your recommendation, Earthling, and we thank you."

She then turned her attention to the other jury members. "Dear colleagues and friends, I want you to keep in mind that this young woman just has suffered horrible torture. Her reasoning might have been affected by her ordeal."

The woman began to turn around as if to dismiss the blonde Air Force Officer. Stunned by the repeated insult from the spokeswoman, Samantha quickly rounded the banister and glared at her. She barely kept enough hold on her temper to limit herself to a verbal response only. Her voice was cold and controlled.

"Regent Bedria, with all due respect, that is enough. I let your disparaging use of words go unanswered once but I will not let it happen again. This is a question of honour.

"My name is Samantha Gabriella Carter. I'm a Major of the United States Air Force. That's the way henceforward you will address me! Anything else will be seen as an attack on my honour." Samantha's voice was calm but cold as ice.

The body posture of the regent visibly stiffened but the blonde ignored her. Instead she addressed the other jury members.

"Regent Bedria, however, has brought up a good point. My reasoning might indeed have been affected." She let her words sink in. "I'm a physicist and a soldier, a warrior. I don't presume to know much about psychology but wouldn't it be a much more natural reaction to want revenge for what was done to me?

"But this has nothing to do with my feelings. It has to do with Amazon justice and with an Amazon sense of honour."

The woman to the right of Bedria stood and removed her mask. "Why do you think there were extenuating circumstances, young warrior?"

"I think that Nut was not entirely in her right mind at the time, Captain Larina."

Because Larina had commanded the Sycthia during the rescue mission, she thus had qualified for sitting on the jury.

"Would you please elaborate, Major Carter?" another woman asked.

Samantha sighed; she hated having to speak in public but not because she didn't know how.

"My mate and I have a daughter. Her name is Cassandra. We adopted her four years ago but we both love her as if she were born of us, of our bodies. If someone made me believe that Cassandra had been murdered without cause, I might have lost it too. I also might have wanted revenge. Anubis convinced Nut that we, that SG-1 killed three of her children without just cause. She was blinded by grief.

"It doesn't excuse what she did but in my book it makes it a lot more understandable. So, when you make your decision please take this into account. And there's one more thing you might want to consider, honourable jury.

"As far as I can tell, Queen Nut is loved by the people on her planet. She guides them more than she commands them. She helps them to prosper. They are loyal to her.

"Nut is a Goa'uld but she's not like the others. I'm convinced that she genuinely cares about her people. Taking her away for an extended period of time has the potential to destabilise the society.

"May the wisdom of Athena guide your decisions, honourable members of the Grand Council."

~*~

Ten minutes later Samantha and Janet sat closely together on a few cushions in the queen's private meeting room. The small doctor wanted to take her lover in her arms because she sensed her barely suppressed agitation through their link, but caution won out with the leaders of the SG-teams sent to Samantha's rescue sitting close by. They had heard the blonde's proposal to the base CMO; so there no longer was any reason to pretend. However, this habit turned out to be hard to break.

Teal'c and Daniel entered and glided easily on the floor but O'Neill and General Hammond seemed to have a hard time to find a comfortable position. Trays with refreshments were brought in and the consort joined them.

"Queen Gabrielle sends her apologies. The jury asked for her input during their deliberations. You really gave them some things to think about, Sam."

"You spoke like a true Amazon, young warrior," Master Niva said while she lowered herself on her right knee to give her report. "Your highness, the scouts are on their way and will report back in three candlemarks at the latest. I sent them to the local temples and inns; so, it shouldn't take them long to find the answers we need. I will be notified as soon as the first of them returns."

"Thank you, weapons' master." Xena said. "Please stay, and help yourself to something to drink. They probably will take all night to make their decision. For now we have other things to discuss. General, do you want to tell them or should I?"

"I'll do it, your highness. After all it was my idea." General Hammond said. "During the trial against Anise and the others I approached Consort Xena and High Queen Gabrielle with an idea.

"I was getting increasingly worried about the growing influence of Senator Kinsey and the NID; especially about their seemingly limitless funds. I started investigating and what I found had me even more worried. The money the NID is so generously spending comes from a group of private investors. The call themselves the 'Trust' – and it took weeks just to find out that name alone.

"It seems that for some time Adrian Conrad was one of the players, but they cut him off when he became obsessed with the idea of being healed by a symbiote."

A shadow passed over Janet's face at the mention of the man who nearly had her beloved killed two and a half months ago. She forcibly brought her mind back to General Hammond's voice.

"We had nothing but suspicions concerning the other members of the Trust but we needed to find out. So, I came up with a plan to bring them out of hiding."

It didn't take Samantha and Janet long to understand where this would lead and they looked at their commanding officer with new appreciation and deepened respect. Daniel wasn't far behind them, and less subtle in his praise.

"Crafty, Sir!" he commented. "So, since you and the rest of the upper command level of the SGC apparently deserted Earth, they should feel that their goal is in reach and become less cautious."

"Yes, son, but for the benefit of everyone else I'd like to stick to the order of events."

"Sorry, General!"

"It's as Doctor Jackson said. I wanted them to feel safe, safe enough to come out of hiding – and I thought that one victory would do the trick, but Consort Xena made me understand that it wouldn't be that easy. So, we did some fine-tuning and put a few security measures in place. I helped to get a few Amazon scouts in positions where they can keep an eye on things.

"The conditions the consort transmitted for a treaty were staged to sound as offensive as possible to the more conservative elements among the Joint Chiefs without being strategically unsound. Kinsey and his cronies had to pull a lot of strings to get the rejection of the Amazons' offer through; and we still had to tweak things a bit.

"From then on the Trust was sure that they had a foothold in the Pentagon and became more confident, more aggressive. My friends among the Joint Chiefs had voted against the treaty and soon were approached by representatives of the Trust. That gave us a few names of the string holders and a couple of other leads. It's still too early in the game to tell you more.

"We originally had planned to stage some sort of operations' breakdown in a few months in the hope that they would try and take control of the base and the Gate. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about the plan earlier but I needed your reaction to be as genuine as possible, Majors."

"We understand, Sir. Is this why you insisted on sending our resident psychologist with us to Gaia?" Samantha asked.

"Yes Major. I had my eyes on Mackenzie since the incident with Macello's little toys. I doubt that he knows who he really is working for but he's their eyes and ears on the base."

"So, what's next? What will happen now?" O'Neill asked.

"Well, Colonel, we'll return to Gaia and wait. We have to let this play out without our direct interference. With a bit of luck they will hang themselves and if not we will expose them at the court martial hearings on which they undoubtedly will insist. It's as public as one can get without really going public."

"Then we'll need someone reliable in JAG," Colonel O'Neill commented.

"Yes, we do. Admiral Chegwidden will make sure that we get a couple of his best officers for our defence. He's an old friend."

"So, the report from this Sturges guy was also part of your plan?"

"No, Jack. Commander Sturges came to his conclusions without any outside influence," the general answered.

"Mac..., Colonel Mackenzie told me that he's an honourable man, but as the son of a Navy preacher he was bound to be a bit more conservative than others," Janet added.

They talked a few more minutes about strategies and possibilities, and while the others decided to have an early dinner Samantha and the doctor retired to their rooms.

~*~

As soon as the door to their temporary quarters closed behind them, the blond Major gave her lover a passionate kiss that left them both breathless. Janet had felt her lover's body stiffen slightly when she had heard Sarah Mackenzie's name. Samantha's jealous streak had come out full force when they first met but ever since the incident with Stephen, the blonde did her best not to act on it. The doctor still knew every time but since she no longer had to fear the blonde's temper tantrums she even felt a tiny bit flattered by Samantha's feelings.

"I love you, Sammy, no one else. I want to be with you, no one else."

"I'm sorry, Jan. I know I have no right and no reason to react this way. I'm sorry, baby."

"You are the one I love, Sammy. There's no need to apologise. I am yours, just like you are mine, and I can't wait to tell it to the whole universe. But for now I'm going to show it to you, up close and personal."

Janet claimed her partner's lips and Samantha willingly surrendered but had the presence of mind to manoeuvre them closer to the couch. Suddenly the edge of the seat pressed against the back of her knees. She was pushed further back and landed on the soft leather-like seat. Without breaking the kiss, Janet straddled her and began to pull the black t-shirt out of her lover's pants. Samantha's hands found the brunette's buttocks and pulled her closer.

It had become a private ritual between them that Janet took the lead whenever her blonde partner felt vulnerable or insecure. So, Samantha didn't hesitate when the small doctor ordered her to take her top and bra off. The brunette licked her lips in anticipation at the sight of her lover's proudly erect nipples.

Samantha let her hands wander up to her lover's waist and began to pull at Janet's shirt.

"No, baby, leave your hands right there at my waist, just where they were. You're about to be ravished and I don't want any distractions." The blonde looked at her with dilated but pleading eyes. "Just enjoy, Sammy."

Janet's voice now had a husky quality that betrayed her own arousal but Samantha knew from experience that she would not act on it anytime soon.

Once again her mouth was claimed and their tongues performed an intricate dance. The blonde put all her passion in the kiss but kept her hands where they were, glued to Janet's shapely behind. She moaned in disappointment when the kiss broke too soon but was rewarded by the sight of the golden speckles only desire brought out in her lover's eyes.

Janet the whole time had supported her weight on her knees and with her arms bracing themselves against the backrest of the couch. She put a gentle kiss on each of Samantha's eyes and the blue orbs obediently stayed closed without any further order. The doctor changed her position and lowered herself on her love's lap – and though they both knew that the taller woman could easily throw her off, the astrophysicist still relished the feeling of being helplessly pinned down. The brunette was so gentle when she was demanding; it made her feel cherished and safe.

Soft fingers painted the landscape of Samantha's face with featherlike touches, starting with the forehead and the temples, retracing the nose and cheekbones, passing over the jaw line and chin and ending up at her lips. Samantha instinctively opened them slightly. The invitation was accepted and the blonde began to suckle Janet's slender digit like a child. It withdrew, too soon, and she moaned in frustration. The finger instantly was back, pressing against her lips, sealing them – and as a good soldier Samantha would obey the unspoken command.

Then the contact was gone. Without Janet's familiar weight pressing down on her the blonde might have panicked at the sudden loss. She heard fabric scraping against fabric, and then something hit the floor. It didn't take a genius to know that the doctor had just slipped out of her own shirt and regulation bra. Samantha imagined her lover's perfectly sculpted torso with breasts that inspired worship. In her mind's eye she saw the dark aureoles tighten in arousal and the stiff nipples demanding to be kissed but she didn't move a muscle. The only sign betraying her lustful thoughts was a slight acceleration of her heartbeat.

Two fingers touched the hollow of her throat; fingernails trailed over her skin and brushed by her nipples. Suddenly they were rolled between thumb and index finger and the blonde arched her back to show her approval. Her heartbeat picked up even more when the gentle rolling became more intense and finally morphed into a pinch. A hand closed around her right breast and started to gently knead it. The other hand disappeared; Janet's tongue flicked the hard nub and she arched her back even more.

As if in answer to her silent pleas Janet's mouth closed around the nipple, and Samantha's arousal shot right between her legs, intensifying the already painful throbbing of her clit. No other lover ever had wielded this much power over her. None had been able to penetrate her defences, but with Janet the blonde had learned that her tendency to take charge during sex had been nothing but the reflection of her unwillingness to let them all the way in. She still loved to be a bit dominating and the doctor loved to let herself be guided.

Hand and mouth traded places. Janet pressed her backside harder against Samantha's hands to get a better angle. The blonde's whole body was trembling with need. A moan escaped her lips and the brunette sealed them with her own, pressing her own breasts against the hard nipples.

Janet whispered in her ear, "My poor baby. You're such a good girl, so brave. Tell me what you want, my love."

The sensuality of her lover's voice hit the blonde deep in her soul. She was unable to answer, so only a whimper escaped her lips, but Janet didn't need words to know what her beloved so desperately craved.

"Open your beautiful eyes for me, Sammy, look at me."

Brown orbs held blues. Janet shifted her position; one of her knees was now between Samantha's thighs. She wouldn't be able to hold this position for long but at the moment more important things were on her mind. She unbuckled the belt of the BDU trousers and sent a silent thank you to the Amazon seamstress who had designed loose fitting combat wear and another thank you that her lover had gone commando this morning.

Samantha spread her legs a little wider and her heart skipped a beat at Janet's next command. "My breasts need your touch, baby. Caress them with your hands but don't touch the nipples."

Samantha eagerly obeyed while the brunette's right hand played with her blond curls. She was dripping wet and they both knew that it wouldn't take much to push her over the edge. So, Janet's hand wriggled a bit deeper but took care not to touch the blonde's clit.

"Please, Jan, please make me come," Samantha pleaded and Janet happily obliged her. She rotated her wrist and entered the taller woman's folds with two fingers while her thumb pressed down on the clit. The muscular frame under her began to buck. Samantha shouted her name at the top of her lungs and finally collapsed against the back rest.

Janet waited for her beloved's breath to calm down before she withdrew her hand, valiantly ignoring her own throbbing need, and began to clean her lover's juices from her fingers.

Samantha gasped at the sight and felt her own arousal return. Her blue eyes darkened in answer to the burning fire in Janet's orbs. It was time to give her lover the same gift she had just received. She pulled Janet closer and pulled them both to their feet. She scooped the smaller woman in her arms and somehow managed to get them to the bedroom without losing her slacks or tripping over her own feet.

Putting Janet on the bed, she whispered, "Now, it's my turn to show you how much you belong to me, my beloved."

Her voice was deeper than usual and made the brunette shiver in anticipation.

~*~

The Grand Council needed until midday to come to a decision, not the least due to Regent Bedria's insistence on having both the symbiote and the host killed. In the end they found a rather creative solution that would not disturb the societal structure of Nut's planets. They sentenced Nut to two years of imprisonment in her host's body. A modified version of the Tollan separation device not larger than the crystal of a ribbon device would be worn around her neck. The symbiote would be able to see and hear everything that happened around her but would be unable to make herself heard or interfere with the outside world. Her host, Neged, would rule in her name and no one but Aisato, her First Prime, would know.

The palace servants, Jaffa warriors, and others who had witnessed Samantha's treatment would be told that she had been tortured to determine the worthiness of the Amazon Nation and Earth as allies. In her heart Samantha doubted that anyone would fall for such an explanation but all in all she was content with the decision of the Grand Council.

After the official announcement there had been a tiny voice telling her that the Goa'uld had been let go too lightly, but it disappeared after she had had the chance to read the reports of Master Niva's scouts. They confirmed her gut feeling that Nut was not like the other Goa'uld they had encountered over the years. She was seen as a ruler, not as a god. Even the temples were not dedicated to her but to concepts and ideas like health, justice, or fertility. At the inns and taverns the scouts had heard the people worry about the alien ship onto which their queen supposedly had been escorted. That her First Prime was with her, however, seemed to ease their minds.

As she told the young Amazons a couple of days ago: it was not about personal revenge but about justice. But she also had been truthful when she had told the jury that she personally was not yet ready to forgive her torturer.

Next: Homeward Bound