The Barque of Heaven

by Stargate

  "I think we may have a problem here," Jack muttered into the shale which pressed painfully against his face. The boot between his shoulder blades kept him down, while rough hands hauled his arms back and bound them tightly together- from elbow to wrist. He couldn't help the small moan that escaped him as fire zinged along his spine.

  "Jaffa! Hear me." Teal'c reared his shoulders up off the stony beach, struggling against the two soldiers holding him down. "Know that your god, Ra, is no more. His death is freely acknowledged among the System Lords. Your devotion to him is admirable, but futile."

  One soldier separated from the pack and walked toward them. At his gesture, Teal'c and Jack were hauled to their feet. The man's falcon-shaped helmet retracted with a metallic slither, revealing a handsome, dark face of indeterminate age, a gold tattoo of a disc nestled in a half-circle etched into his forehead. He studied them closely and smiled.

  "We do not serve Lord Ra, Master Jaffa," he said simply. "Come."

  With that, he turned and led the way over the shale. Teal'c and Jack were prodded into motion and joined by Carter, still giving the Jaffa attitude, and Daniel, whose bleeding nose and unfocused eyes gave reason for her defiance.

  "Daniel barely got two words out and they belted him with a staff," she growled, glaring at a Jaffa who was crowding too closely.

  `°M'okay," Daniel murmured. He tilted his head back, sniffed, then leant forward and spat out the blood running down the back of his throat.

  Jack pushed through the Jaffa in front of him and addressed their leader. "Uh, you should know we didn't embark on this Trial of Ra's by choice. We're just looking for a way home. You let us go, we'll be happy to get out of your hair."

  The first prime, never breaking his rapid stride, turned his head and gave what Jack could only think of as a feral smile, then the helmet folded around the man's head like a metallic flower and all hopes for conversation were lost.

  They were prodded along the shingle in silence, following the curve of the shore around a small headland. As the Stargate was lost to their view, another vista opened up before them; mile after mile of coastline stretched straight on until it vanished in the far distance, bordered on one side by towering sandstone cliffs and on the other, the sea-blue, calm and enticing. Flocks of gulls wheeled and dove for fish along the shoreline. Beautiful though it was, SG-1's attention was captivated by the throngs of people moving about, on the beach and up into the cliffs looming over them. It seemed they had stepped into a village, albeit a semi-permanent one.

  Brightly decorated tents lined the strip of grass between the shale and the first rise of the cliffs. Open fishing boats were hauled onto the beach where clusters of folk were sorting through baskets of fresh-caught fish. Women bustled amongst the tents, cooking over fires, washing clothes or children. In fact, children of all ages roamed the camp, playing or helping to untangle nets. Almost to a person, as SG-1 was escorted through the camp and onto the wide path leading up the cliffface, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at them.

  "This is-unexpected," Jack muttered.

  "It's not a permanent camp," said Daniel, squinting and grimacing in the bright sun.

  "Do you get the feeling we were expected?" Carter asked.

  "Yeah," Jack grunted, trying to find a less painful posture as the path inclined steeply. "Keep on your toes, everyone."

  "Did you see the Akhet symbol on the first prime's tattoo?" Daniel said quietly. "It's the same symbol that was on Mat's globe, back in the rainforest."

  Jack nodded and filed the information away. They were led up and up, walking in single file as the path narrowed until it gave out into the opening of a large cavern stretching back into the cliff, its furthest recesses lost in shadow. No civilians were here, only Jaffa, closely ranked in pairs along the walls and standing rigidly at attention.

  They were pushed inside, away from the comforting daylight and swiftly immersed in shadows and flickering orange light from scores of fire-sconces set around the perimeter and dotted randomly across the cave's rocky floor.

  Teal'c subtly flexed his muscles, testing the bonds on his arms. Jack tried the same but there was no give in the ropes and the way their elbows were pulled back so tightly meant there was precious little movement left to him. The Jaffa arranged around them retracted their helmets and seemed poised expectantly. There were at least forty guards in the chamber, all armed and alert-leaving little hope for a successful escape attempt. And should they manage to escape the Jaffa, how in hell were they going to get off this planet?

  A stir of movement at the back of the cavern announced the entrance of a number of people from what had to be an adjoining cave. With balletic synchronicity, every Jaffa, with the exception of the first prime and four guarding the prisoners, dropped to their knees in deep obeisance.

  Gentle blue-white light advanced toward them, held aloft in deep bowls by two lines of women, all clad in diaphanous white dresses. Walking placidly, proudly in their midst was another woman, her elegant bearing clearly indicating this was someone of importance. The team shifted restlessly and exchanged uncertain glances.

  The lines of women approached and then moved to either side around the captives, ringing them and bathing them in their gentle light. The lone woman glided to a halt in front of them and SG-1 stared at her in surprise. She was sheathed in a luminous blue gown that gleamed in the light and left nothing of the slender body beneath hidden. The low-cut neckline was crowned with a wide collar of multiple strands of lapis and carnelian beads. Her rather ordinary face was rendered quite extraordinary by eyes as black as a starless night, dramatically highlighted by dark kohl-lines. A solid gold Akhet symbol crowned her straight, black hair.

  Without comment, she walked up to each of the four and carefully studied their faces. First Teal'c, then Jack, Daniel and Carter; Jack she paid particular attention to, Daniel she barely glanced at. Finished with the major, the woman prowled back to Jack and for the first time her expressionless features changed, slowly twisting into a look of such deep hatred that Jack actually pulled back in surprise.

  "Er, hi there," he began gamely. "As I've tried to explain to your boy over there, we're just travelers who... awk!" He broke off as the woman knocked his boonie off, grabbed a handful of hair and gave it such a vicious yank that her hand came away with a clump torn out by the roots. She spun on her heel and seemed to be battling to regain her poise.

  "What the hell was that for? "

  "Jack, shush," Daniel whispered urgently.

  "What shush? She ripped out my hair!" Indignation only made him louder.

  "It's a sign of contempt, deep contempt."

  `Pulling my hair?"

  "Yes, like spitting in a person's face. If she were of Semitic origin she would have hit you with her shoe."

  11"Y? 11

  "I don't know! Be quiet, she's mad enough," Daniel hissed as quietly as he could.

  The Goa'uld, still with her back to them, gestured imperiously at her first prime. He came to attention with a clang of armor.

  "Silence! Be blessed, for you stand in the glorious presence of our Goddess, The Lady Mat."

  "Wasn't she...?" Jack trailed off.

  "Wife of Ra," Teal'c supplied somberly.

  "Oh boy." Carter shifted uneasily. "I don't think this is part of the Trial."

  Mat turned around, black eyes now blazing with inhuman light. She drifted back to Jack, her voice the unmistakable double-tone of the Goa'uld.

  "O'Neill." She drew the syllables out as if savoring a delicacy.

  Jack's eyebrows rose in feigned ignorance. "I'm sorry? The name's Merrin, actually."

  Mat smiled, not at all convincingly. She lifted her hand, displaying for the first time the delicate gold finger caps and central jewel of the Goa'uld's favorite lethal weapon. She stroked his neck and face and he tried not to shy away from that cold touch. Still smiling she clamped her palm to his forehead and unleashed a nightmare upon him.

  Pain engulfed every n
erve in Jack's body. His vision went, hearing distorted into a confusing Doppler of sound, his center of gravity did loop-the-loops and his stomach tried to crawl up into his throat. His head felt like it had been in the oven way too long and could someone take it out please, before it exploded and left a nasty stain?

  Cold washed down his torso, his legs buckled and delivered him to the floor. Thankfully the contact stopped but it was a century too late. He slumped on his knees, not coordinated enough even to fall over, while a mini-war erupted around him.

  More Jaffa rushed into the room and moments later, his teammates were thrown to the ground beside him. Jack crumpled and flopped onto his back. How the hell had Daniel coped with this being done to him, twice?

  Mat stared down at them; sprawled on the ground, held there by pain, pure force or primed weapons. Her face smoothed out to that earlier emotionless guise.

  "Come."

  She turned and walked through the circle of handmaidens and led the way into the darkness.

  Daniel, together with Sam and Teal'c, was lined up against the rock of an intimate, well-lit chamber, arms still painfully bound. Each had a thick metal collar around their necks, attached chains holding them fast to the rock. Jack hung by his wrists from chains welded into the very rock of the cave roof, slowly coming out of his stupor, feet just scraping the floor. Daniel knew all too well how he must be feeling: brain slowly regaining its functions, thoughts scattered like sheep.

  Jack put a little extra weight on his feet and looked around. "Well, isn't this all too medieval?"

  "Sir, are you okay?" Sam managed to croak out.

  "Peachy, Carter. Thanks for asking. You?"

  "Hanging in, sir."

  "Of course he is well, human. Do you think We would risk harming him permanently, when We have expended so much effort to bring him here?"

  Mat stepped out of the darkness behind Jack and walked around him.

  "Bring...?" Daniel echoed. "Then we were right. This whole Trial, it was all a setup?" He sagged against the wall, trying unsuccessfully to ease his aching body and head. "Why?"

  "Why would a powerful Goa'uld such as yourself go to such means to apprehend us?" Teal'c elaborated.

  "You? You are merely a bonus. You shall be disposed of at Our pleasure. This one," Mat ran her hand seductively over Jack's stained t-shirt. "This one We wish to suffer greatly. We knew of Our Lord's Trial and set the bounty on your heads, knowing there would be one who would eventually accept Our terms and lure you to Tintara where you would have no choice but to face the Trial." She directed the glowing jewel of the ribbon-device over his chest, scorching a trail of heat over Jack's ribs and lungs, making him flinch and swear.

  "We wished you to suffer greatly. It does not appear that you have. We are... displeased. However, We shall enjoy the long, long time We will have together."

  "Believe me, sister, we have suffered," Jack grunted.

  "Why?" Sam ground out, straining against the collar. She sounded very, very angry. "What the hell have we done to you? We'd never even heard of you until a few days ago."

  "What did you do to Us?" Mat echoed. The heat from the jewel in her hand increased, focusing down into a pinpoint that burned through Jack's shirt and skin. He choked and tried to pull away.

  "What-you-did!" She punctuated each word with a spear of fire into Jack's vulnerable torso. "You -killed- Our- love."

  "Gahh!" Jack writhed in pain as the bums assaulted his chest, sides and back. His breath caught in his throat, and he tipped his head back, desperately trying to suck in some air.

  "Ra!" Comprehension dawned and the word was out before Daniel could think twice.

  Diverted, Mat whirled about and stalked toward him.

  "Ra was still your, what? Consort? Husband?" he pressed.

  Mat's hand flashed out and struck his face, metal fingercaps leaving four stinging impressions in his cheek.

  "We are, and ever shall be, the soul-mate of Our beloved, the one who ruled over and commanded devotion from all of Our kindred and brought your kind out of its ignorant savage ways to the glory of servitude to Us."

  "Ow." Daniel eased his aching head up and dragged in a deep breath. "Oh, yes, right. How can we not be grateful for that?"

  "You arranged this whole setup just to take revenge on us for the death of Ra?" Sam stared hard at Mat. "Well, you've got it wrong. We didn't have anything to do with Ra dying." She flinched as Mat moved to her and threaded those cold fingers through her hair.

  "Host of Jolinar of Malk-shur," the Goa'uld purred. "Do not try your pitiful deceits upon Us. We know what that traitor took from Lord Cronus and We will delight in watching him retrieve its location from your mind." Mat twisted a handful of Sam's hair and viciously yanked her head back. "And when your mind is empty of all thought-of all you ever knew -We shall barter your husk from Lord Cronus and fill it with one of Our children." A cold smile flickered across her face and she pressed her cheek against Sam's in a horrible parody of intimacy.

  "Such a pretty vessel. You will be suitable to hold Our child for all eternity."

  Mat released Sam with a little pat on the head and moved back to Jack. She considered the ribbon-device for a moment, then sent a controlled concussive blast at the dangling captive's body, smiling happily at the resulting groan as he rocked in his chains.

  "Do not doubt the breadth of Our knowledge, Tau'ri. We know it was this one who journeyed to Abydos and destroyed our beloved on his great ship. This information came to us dearly, but any price would have been paid for the capture of this... assassin." She spat the word and sent a narrow blast of fire scorching along Jack's hip.

  Jack twisted in the chains and gave a convincing yelp of pain. Mat circled him, occasionally zapping his body to punctuate her narrative.

  "We were far away, for such a long time. Ah, what wonders We found, riches only dreamed of by Our brethren: raw minerals to sustain our empire for millennia, such jewels, such delights. We returned in triumph, so eager to share Our fortune with Our beloved. But he had vanished. His court had awaited his arrival for months, his ship had not been seen anywhere. We finally traced it to Abydos. The headman of that pitiful mine told us they had delivered their tribute and Our beloved departed. Then they saw a great light in the sky and Our beloved came to them no more."

  Mat widened the focus on the hand-jewel and sent another concussive blast at Jack. The impact must have felt like being slammed into a brick wall. The groan seemed ninety percent genuine this time.

  Daniel exchanged a glance with Teal'c. Kasuf had not mentioned a visit from Mat, but then, there had been a few more pressing matters they had been forced to deal with on their trip to Abydos the previous year.

  "You would blame an explosion in space upon one man from a planet many light-years away?" Teal'c spoke up, as Jack now hung limply. "That is beyond reason, even for a Goa'uld."

  Mat sashayed over to Teal'c, studying him with great interest.

  "Teal'c. First prime to the idiot Apophis. How you shamed him by your betrayal. His standing amongst the System Lords was greatly harmed by your actions. We were most amused when his mate came to us, begging Our favor."

  Daniel jerked his attention away from Jack and stared at the woman.

  "I am pleased my stand for freedom has undone that tyrant's power," Teal'c snarled. "It shall not be long before Jaffa everywhere reject the Goa'uld for the false gods they are and end your reign completely."

  Mat merely smiled as her fingers traced the bloody wound on Teal'c's side. She pressed hard, savoring the grunt of pain that escaped him. "Foolish. You may defy the weak-minded Apophis but when you are strung up in the System Lord's summit, suffering eternal torment, you will recant your traitorous words and every Jaffa under Goa'uld rule shall hear you."

  "Should such come to pass, at least I shall die free." Teal'c glared down at her.

  "Ah, but you will not die-ever." She jabbed her fingers into the wound, not caring that this time he swallowed the pain, and left him,
blood running anew down his side.

  Mat turned to Daniel and examined him curiously. He did likewise, studying with a sickened feeling in his gut the sheer dress, makeup, hair and crown-all lifted from the Ancient Egypt he adored; a living mockery of his former life.

  The Goa'uld ran her hands over his chest, sliding them up under the torn and stained t-shirt, making him flinch back in disgust. "Such beautiful bodies, yet so easily damaged that you must take a healer with you on your little adventures."

  So that's where Boch got that from.

  Daniel caught Sam's eye and she gave a faint shake of her head. Not really caring what the Goa'uld thought she knew, he focused on what she had said to Teal'c. "So, you had dealings with Amonet. Don't suppose you know where she hides out these days?"

  Mat's hands were running up and down his ribs, so lightly it tickled. He gamely resisted reacting and stared at her. "You believe We would tell you-Daniel Jackson-where Amonet resides in the husk that was your mate? Why would you wish to know that?" She looked up at him, batting her eyelashes teasingly. "Do you believe you can rescue her? How charming!"

  Mat laughed and leaned against him until he was pushed against the cold stone wall, arms cramping painfully, every inch of the host's voluptuous body pressing into him.

  "Do you hold the dream of returning her to your bed, of liv ing your pathetically short lives together?" she murmured in his ear. "I fear, pretty boy, this will never happen, unless We aid you in your romantic quest." She rubbed her face against his, teeth nibbling his ear.

  "Yes, this vessel is too beautiful to trade away. We shall keep you, honor you with one of Our children. And perhaps one day, when Amonet comes begging Our favor once more, we may include you as part of the bargain, and you can spend eternity bedding your mate. Is that not so much better than a few short years with your ignorant, un-bonded woman?"

  She pulled her head back to gauge his reaction and seemed perplexed by Daniel's failure to appreciate her gift of bonding. He was quivering for certain, but her smile faded as she realized it was not with delight.