We Love as One - 18C

Rating: PG-14

 

Elias closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of Samantha as he lay nestled in the aftermath of their lovemaking, even though Lantash had been in control.

 

“Elias, are you alright?” He glanced up at the question and started. Instead of Samantha’s face looking lovingly back at him, he was staring into the face of Madachen, a friend of the Tok’ra. With bewilderment, Elias took in his surroundings and was aware that he was sitting on a tree stump on the edge of a forest, near the Chappa’ai.

 

The realization hit him with a jolt. He had fallen asleep and what he had thought was real had been but a dream! Searching inside his mind, Elias noted that the dream had originated from Lantash, who was still reveling in the aftermath, and Elias had simply gotten caught up in it as well. He shook his head. It had seemed so real...and wonderful.

 

Shaking off his dazed state, Elias sent Madachen a reassuring smile. “I am fine. I was simply more tired than I believed. Forgive me for falling asleep.”

 

Madachen shook his head ruefully. “That is quite alright, Elias. You did have me a bit worried.” He gestured behind him and Elias saw a man approaching pulling along some crates. “Come, my prototype has arrived and I wish you to view the newest shield technology I have designed. It may be handy in keeping the Tok’ra bases from Goa’uld exposure.”

 

Elias nodded and with a mental shake, woke Lantash up from his fantasizing and gently scolded Lantash for having such thoughts at an inappropriate time. While listening to Lantash apologize and feeling his turmoil, Elias followed Madachen.

 

Elias saw the turmoil as never-ending, for indeed it wasn’t because no matter what decision Samantha made, there would be pain, and lots of it. (There is nothing to do but wait and focus on our mission, Lantash.)

 

Morose disposition answered him back and Elias scanned his new surroundings. He had been sent by the council to meet with a group of Ty’liths, a large lizard-like species that the Tok’ra had gotten to know and allied themselves with a few years back. The Ty’lith’s technology was a bit more advanced than the Tok’ra or the Goa’uld, but they were primarily non-aggressive and adamantly refused to take part in the anything Goa’uld. However, on occasion, the Ty’lith’s had gotten to genuinely like the Tok’ra and had decided to share their technology with them, defensive only.

 

When Elias reached Madachen, he heard him ask the Tylith man who had brought the crates to them, “Barnas, where are the others?”

 

Barnas gestured behind him and at the woods. “They are just on the other side of the trees, Madachen. One of the crates had fallen and they are trying to see if they can salvage the contents. I went ahead so as not to keep both of you waiting.”

 

Madachen nodded and lifted the top of one of the crates. He looked around for something and frowned. “Barnas, where are the design plans for the shields? I put them in here when we left.” He scrounged around the rest of the boxes.

 

Shrugging carelessly, “I believe Vulna had them last. She is with the others. Why don’t you go and ask her yourself?”

 

Turning to Elias, Madachen said, “If you will wait just a moment, Elias.”

 

“Of course,” Elias responded, watching as Madachen made his way over to the forest, disappearing from sight and leaving him alone with Barnas. Elias turned to inspect the technology, looking it over and contemplating its possible uses for the Tok’ra.

 

“Barnas!” Elias spun as he heard Madachen’s frantic cry and he saw the Tylith rushing out of the forest. As he opened his mouth to speak, Elias and Lantash were stunned when out of nowhere, Barnas pulled out a small weapon and shot Madachen, who fell to the ground, dead.

 

Elias’ eyes flashed and Lantash emerged. He reacted quickly and pulled out his zat, aiming to fire when he cried out. Barnas already had his weapon trained on Lantash.

 

“You should fetch a nice price to any systemlord, Tok’ra,” Barnas sneered.

 

Lantash clutched his burnt arm, moving backwards cautiously. “Why would you betray and kill your own people?”

 

“I am not Tylith. I am a shape shifter and a bounty hunter. I came upon the Tyliths because I heard they had technology that the Goa’uld wouldn’t mind getting; imagine my delight when I discovered that not only did the Tyliths have the technology, but that they were also friends with the Tok’ra. Both you and this shielding technology will get me a nice price.”

 

Gritting his teeth, Lantash scanned his surroundings. He reacted quickly, firing a wayward shot from his zat in the direction of Barnas, or whoever he was, and diving behind a pile of rocks. Wincing in pain, but not stopping, Lantash continued letting loose stray shots while getting ready to turn and run into the forest. He sprinted from his spot, firing behind him, heading straight for the forest. Lantash faltered slightly when a shot from Barnas’ weapon caught him in the shoulder, but he managed to make it into the trees. That didn’t mean he was out of danger yet.

 

Barnas fired multiple shots in Lantash’s direction as he gave chase and Lantash was hit by falling branches that had broken off. Ducking behind a tree, Lantash re-assessed his options and found every outcome grim. Deciding to double back to the Chappa’ai as quietly as he could, Lantash limped his way through the trees, hiding himself as best as he could.

 

It was rough going for almost half an hour as Lantash weaved his way through the forest, trying to mislead Barnas, wherever he was. Lantash crouched by a tree as he spotted the Chappa’ai and no one around it. Still, that didn’t mean that Barnas hadn’t anticipated Lantash’s move and was just waiting to ambush him. Lantash had positioned himself between a tree and a rocky cliff that extended upwards when he saw the oddest thing and it was with a sinking feeling that he watched one of the crates change into Barnas, who held his gun pointed directly at Lantash and grinning.

 

“This is why I am most successful, my ability to change into most things allows me to catch people off-guard. You are no exception.” Barnas readied his weapon to fire when Lantash shot him with a zat blast. Stunned momentarily, Barnas’ shot a prolonged energy blast above Lantash, who used the advantage to fire another shot. Barnas collapsed in a heap, but before Lantash could make a move, he heard rumbling.

 

Looking up, Lantash’s eyes widened as he saw that Barnas’ shot had cracked the cliff surface, causing sharp rocks to come tumbling directly at him. Having barely enough time, Lantash brought his hands up and dove as far as he could, but was still caught on the outer edges. His entire body became covered with heavy rocks.

 

Biting his lip in pain, Lantash weakly shoved the rocks off of him and tried to stand. He couldn’t. Elias’ body was too damaged. Afraid that if he stopped to rest, he wouldn’t make it, Lantash spent the next grueling long twenty minutes dragging his body to the dialing device where he inputted the Tok’ra address and heaved himself through the Chappa’ai, collapsing and rolling onto the sand of the Tok’ra base planet, unconscious.