DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions.  This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it.  Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended.  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.  Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.  Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).

Teal'c stood on the steps next to the throne, his hands bound in front of him. His size was equally matched, by two large human-reptile guards flanking him. One guard held Teal'c's staff to one side. His SGC jacket had disappeared, along with his tee shirt. Draped across his chest, he wore a red and gold belt, inlaid with a single scarab near to the shoulder. He stared directly ahead, emotionless.

The chamber was full. Mainly reptilian human composites, but there were a few notable exceptions. Older men and a few women. Pure human stock, attractive and well-dressed. They were whispering to one another animatedly. Some were pointing excitedly at Teal'c. A total hush fell over the room as the door opened.

Sam walked into the room ahead of her escort, her head held defiantly. Zophra and Selphic had disappeared some while back. The four guards however had not. She saw Teal'c and her heart leaped. He was safe, for the moment at least.

Teal'c's eyes flicked towards her, acknowledging her briefly. She returned the look, puzzled. Was this a pretence, this mask of indifference? She couldn't be sure.

"Teal'c," she called, willing to take a chance. The crowd let out a collective gasp. The chosen should not communicate with one another. The handle of her guard's weapon pushed her fairly and squarely in her back, causing her to grunt with discomfort and move forward. She guessed the rule about touching her, only stood firm when there was anyone to notice what was happening. Seemingly the guard felt safe at the moment.

"Silence in the chamber," the guard said for all to hear, his thick almost guttural voice barely distinguishable as human. Sam guessed that combining the DNA of two entirely different species had resulted in a strange assortment of vocal chords in the recipient.

Teal'c remained still although he longed to acknowledge her call. He was biding his time as she had thought. He knew just one thing. No one was going to implant him with anything. No one. He'd die first.

The guard pushed Sam to the steps and forced her to climb them. She stopped as she drew opposite Teal'c, the throne between them. Her guards pulled her jacket from her shoulders and took her hands, binding them in front of her, just as they had Teal'c.

Khepera made his appearance within minutes and acknowledged his other guests as he passed them. Stopping to touch a woman's face or squeeze a man's hand. His presence seemed to fill them with a reverence. Sam marvelled at the Goa'uld skill for manipulation. Sycophantic pandering was an emotional display Sam had seen in subjects of other System Lords she'd encountered, although admittedly fear was the usual emotion they displayed.

He turned to his audience, a benign expression of contrived love on his face. They applauded softly.

Sam raised her eyes to the ceiling in frustration. She longed to tell them who they were really dealing with. That he'd slit their throats if they dared to defy him. She knew better though, that if she were to stand a chance of getting herself and her friends out of there, she had to stay as calm as Teal'c was.

Khepera drew a hand swiftly to silence them.

"My subjects, I called you here today to witness the birth of our new empire. The birth of a new beginning for all of you. The promised days which I foretold to you are now upon us. My armies will increase thousand fold. The armies which I created for you to lead, will stand before the Ring of water and take my kingdom through to the other side. In confidence. Unbeatable. Strong. Witness what I have promised you. Witness what these years of cleansing those who did not belong here have made. The Great ones on the other side of the Ring have sent these creatures to me in return for our sacrifices. We sent them our weakest. We sent them only those in our society who would fail us. Look what we are sent in return. As it was written. As I promised you. We will be strong. We will move forward. Witness and wonder."

The throng applauded louder this time and then knelt as one. A union of people who understood nothing more than this was their God, their leader. Anything he said was true. He had always promised them more and now he was about to deliver his promise. They cared for little else. They were the remaining people, the chosen ones. Those who had given up their very neighbor, in the hope of appeasing a God who both strangely terrified them and yet gave them hope. They feared him and loved him unconditionally.

These were the worst of their species and Khepera knew it. Devious, self-centred and traitorous to their own kind. Survivors. So like the Goa'uld he himself was. He looked at their faces and saw reflected there a mirror image. It satisfied his vanity and his lust for power. He gazed at the faces of his highest ranking composites. To have created them himself. To have crafted them from other creatures. He felt a warm sense of satisfaction, of being a creator in his own right. Once today was done he would be more powerful than ever.

He turned to look at the two humans who were about to bring about his dreams, and his feeling of power increased. Nothing was going to stop him. Nothing.

Khepera moved past Sam and slowly drew a hand up towards her face as he did so. She moved her head away, the guards gripping her tightly and forcing her nearer to him. He smiled briefly and waved them back. "No matter. She will come when I ask," he said and turned to look admiringly at Teal'c. "My Jaffa", he said quietly, and ran a finger down the belt which was draped across Teal'c's shoulder . Teal'c neither flinched nor reacted facially. He was waiting for his moment.

Khepera sat down on the seat, which was his throne and spread his robe to the side. The crowd below him kneeling in stunned silence, awaiting whatever it was their God was about to deliver.

Khepera clapped his hands and the doors opened. Through them six hooded figures appeared. Two were carrying black boxes bound with gold thread. The boxes were placed on the steps at Khepera's feet as four of the figures withdrew and knelt. Selphic pulled her hood back and bowed. Zophra stood beside her, his hood flicking back from his head.

"My Lord. The implant awaits its host," Selphic said, her veil concealing her features.

Khepera beckoned to her gently. "Come my child and deliver to me the miracle which you have made possible. Come and allow your God to bestow on you his grateful thanks."

Selphic moved forwards and climbed the steps, the black box now in her outstretched hands. As she neared his feet she knelt and opened the lid of the box carefully. She heard Sam's sharp intake of breath but ignored it, although her heart went out to the woman who witnessed what it was she was about to receive. Her hand gently reached inside the box and tenderly withdrew the occupant. The crowd shuddered as one.

Khepera put his hand out and took the creature which nestled in Selphic's hand and pulled it towards him. He looked at it lovingly. Centuries of work. Centuries of waiting. Now he was about to allow his most treasured creation to have the life it desired. To complete its destiny within a human host, a perfect human host. He held his hand up and rose to his feet.

"See this woman. See that she is perfect. A woman with flaxen hair. A woman so different from you all that her beauty shall be a beacon of light in my palace." He smiled at Sam and then rose from his throne.

"Behold your destiny," he said and turning to Sam he beckoned her closer. She stepped back but was pushed forward by the guard who gripped her arms. Nearer to Khepera. Nearer to the creature.

Sam's heart sank and she felt revulsion well up in her, but she steeled herself for what was to happen to her. She felt helpless and yet empowered. Empowered from within to withstand whatever Khepera was going to do.

He stretched out his other hand and grabbed her behind the neck, forcing her to come closer. He smiled at her and then she watched his eyes start to glow. Sam saw the creature struggle in his hand. A creature that seemed to be made from something which shouldn't, couldn't exist. Around four inches in length and two in width, it had a reptilian torso and beetle-like head. Its four legs ended in minute but deadly claws and its fanged jaws opened and shut, carrying a pitiful mewing sound as it searched the air around it with long antenna. It looked as though someone had thrown it together. A misfit which was trying to achieve more, but which couldn't. Not without one essential ingredient, a host. Sam felt her head being turned slowly to face Khepera. She took his eyes and locked with them, defiantly, unswervingly.

Khepera's eyes glowed brighter and then faded, his hand containing the creature moving aside, ready to bring it closer when the time was right. Sam felt his grip on her neck tighten. His face drew nearer to her. Then his eyes darkened, widening. She felt his breath brush her cheeks briefly and then he pushed her hard to the floor, letting his grip go, a single strangulated groan coming from his lips.

Sam raised her head and saw Khepera point and snap his fingers. Two guards moved down the steps.

Selphic found herself unceremoniously being hauled up the steps and passed to Khepera who held her at arm's length.

"You deceived me. You were my own creation, my very own. You would deceive me? This woman, this abomination is not pure. This human creature has been a host before. Tell me you did not know of it. Tell me that I am wrong." Khepera was almost screaming for her to answer. The crowd stayed in shocked silence, witnessing something they hadn't expected.

Selphic raised her eyes to meet his, defiance mirrored in them. "Yes, I knew of it. Her blood contained a substance which I have only ever seen in yours. I knew that she was not the pure human which you wanted."

A tear found its way from her eye and she wiped her hand fiercely across her face. Then she slowly pulled her veil from her face, so that he could see her expression of regret.

"Your God is unkind," she announced suddenly and, pulling herself from his grip, turned to face the crowd, revealing her disfigurement. As she pulled her hood from her head, Sam glimpsed the true extent of Khepera's genetic experiment, and she winced inwardly for the pain, the betrayal the woman obviously felt.

Selphic stood in front of the audience in defiance. "Your God is not perfect," she said and then fell forward, a shriek of pain leaving her lips as she tumbled down the steps.

Zophra rushed to her side in seconds, his eyes raised to meet his God's, a look of hatred and fear brushing his face.

Khepera lowered his hand, the golden ribbons of the Goa'uld device draped across his fingers and palm. As Selphic lay gasping for breath beneath him, he reached for the first box and placed the creature within it. He reached for the second box and lifted the two together reverently.

He looked at Selphic and Zophra with feigned pity. "You will both die for your treachery. You will die long and painful deaths."

Sam found herself unguarded and unwatched, her two guards intent on Selphic and Zophra. Khepera moved towards Teal'c, his back to Sam, fingering the second box intently, his face murderous.

Sam pulled herself quietly up the steps and towards where her friend and his guards stood. She wasn't about to let Teal'c be the next victim. She wasn't going to let Selphic's pain be for nothing.

The hooded figure, which suddenly took the steps two at a time, launched itself at Khepera from behind, knocking him off balance and sending him clattering into his own throne. Khepera let out a scream of frustration as he turned his hand towards the attacker, a gold beam of light cascading from the ribbon device.

O'Neill dove sideways, his hood pushed back from his head. He rolled off the steps down to the floor and avoided the beam by inches. Daniel moved forward and pushed his hood back from his face. He launched himself at the first of Teal'c's guards, pushing him backwards off the dais. Teal'c sideswiped the second guard with his bound hands and then knocked Daniel sideways to avoid the beam that Khepera was about to aim in his direction. Daniel winced, the nagging pain in his wound reminding him that he wasn't a hundred percent yet.

The beam didn't materialise. There was a grunt of pain, which came from the System Lord instead. Carter's bound arms tightened around his neck, gripping him until his eyes bulged and his body sagged. The two fell forwards down the steps in a flailing of arms and legs. With them the two boxes clattered to the floor, spilling their contents.

The composite creature scuttled swiftly from the open box, its antennae searching the air around it for life, for a possible host. Sam rolled sideways, deftly avoiding it and then leapt to her feet. The blast of energy raced between her and Khepera, exploding the composite into a cloud of tiny pieces. Then Teal'c turned his staff weapon towards Khepera, who screamed in anger at seeing his creation destroyed, and clawed at the steps, pulling himself towards them, grabbing at the contents of the second box in desperation. Teal'c stood calmly and aimed his staff.

"No! Destroy me and the contents of this box will destroy you all!" screamed Khepera as he clutched the box to him.

He held the vial which he withdrew from the box and locked his eyes on Teal'c. Then turned to look from Sam to Daniel and then to O'Neill.

O'Neill waved for Teal'c to lower the staff.

"Tau'ri, my people will take you," Khepera said calmly and confidently.

O'Neill shook his head and grinned. "Don't think so," he replied.

Khepera pulled himself up and turned to look at his people. They stood in submission, their hands in the air, their faces resigned, beaten. Hooded figures stood behind them, weapons aimed directly at them.

Morphan stepped forwards.

"The Tau'ri and the Tok'ra, Khepera. Together such an alliance is unbeatable. Your death will be but a whisper on the wind. After all, you are dead already, don't forget," Morphan said and raised his hand, a similar ribbon device nestling in his palm, the beam starting to protrude from its surface.

Khepera sneered and lifted the vial towards him. "Destroy me and this vial will be released into this room. The nano-creatures will invade your very souls. The genetic imprint, mine, will spread throughout your bodies and then beyond. My control will be complete. Even beyond death I will control you." He laughed and lifted the lid from the vial.

O'Neill turned to Morphan, his eyebrows raised. "I guess this wasn't part of the plan?"

Back
Back to Stories Page