“Italics” –
either telepathic communication or Symbiote/Host communication
“/Italics/” –
both speech and telepathic communication at the same time
Blood of My Heart, Beloved of My Soul
Chapter 7 Part A
Warriors
Janet Fraiser turned her attention to
General Hammond as he dismissed the meeting.
“Sir, I’m going to need to check Kataya and Merdwin out, as per our
medical procedures.” She turned to
Merdwin and Kataya. “I’m sorry, but our
procedures dictate that we check everyone who comes through the Stargate for
any type of contagion and, for, um, Goa’uld symbiote infestation. It won’t take long, but it does need to be
done right away.”
Merdwin turned to Janet, and
smiled. “There is nothing to apologize
for. It would be highly remiss of your
people if they did not take some precautions.
You can count on our complete cooperation.”
“You do not have a problem with a
medical checkup do you, Kataya?” He
turned to her and was startled at the look in her eyes. He followed her intense gaze, and somehow, he
was not completely surprised. He was,
however, a little confused at his own response; his lack of jealousy was
completely unexpected.
Kataya managed to pull herself away from
the deep blue pools she was drowning in to answer Merdwin. “I agree,” she stated calmly, belying her
inner turmoil. “I believe it is a very
wise precaution, and I will be quite happy to undergo whatever tests you deem
necessary.”
She turned back to General
Hammond. “If it is acceptable, I would
like to wear the uniform of the Tau’ri.
I realize that will take time. In
the meantime, if it would be acceptable, I would like to change into my own
uniform.” She grinned at him. “Now that the formalities are over I would
like to get comfortable.”
George Hammond returned her smile,
“That would be fine, and we’ll see about getting you some uniforms to wear.”
“Thank you.”
The General nodded at Dr. Fraiser, “I’d
like you to be Lord Merdwin’s guide while he is our guest, Dr. Fraiser.”
Merdwin was pleased.
“Yes, sir. I’d be delighted to do so,” She smiled
briefly at Merdwin.
“Please, General Hammond, it is
Merdwin. I appreciate your hospitality
very much.” He looked at Janet
Fraiser. “Very much indeed.”
“Dr. Fraiser, if staying late will cause a problem for your daughter, she can come here.”
“Thank you, sir, but that
won’t be necessary. I’ll call Cassie and
arrange for her to stay with a friend.
It’s a standing arrangement when I have to stay over.”
As General Hammond left the
room, he heard Merdwin ask Janet, “You are mated? You have children, too?” Merdwin sounded disappointed.
“I was married, um, mated, a
long time ago. It didn’t work out. Cassie is adopted. She was the last survivor of an attack on her
planet by the System Lord, Nerrti,” She explained.
He looked delighted at her
disclosure. “So you are compassionate as
well as lovely.” He smiled at Janet in a
way that made her catch her breath. This
man really should either be outlawed, or labeled as a risk to all of
womankind. She realized they had been
standing in the same place in the briefing room for some time now, simply
looking into each other’s eyes. She
vaguely wondered how much time had actually passed. She wasn’t sure she cared.
Janet’s heart was in
trouble, and she knew it. She was about
to drown in this man. What a way to
go. I don’t believe I just thought that,
she said to herself.
With an internal groan, she
turned and headed for the door, saying, “We should probably go to the
infirmary. We need to get you checked
out, so you can get something to eat. I
can take you by your quarters after we are finished. They should have them prepared by then.”
“Yes, thank you, I would
appreciate that.”
She nodded, as they started
to walk down the hall. “Was Kataya with
one of the others?” She asked.
“I can contact her if you
wish to find out where she is. I believe
she was with your Colonel O’Neill when she left.”
“Really? I have to admit that surprises me. Colonel O’Neill tends to be suspicious by
nature and,” she hesitated, “somewhat abrasive.”
He nodded. “Kataya respects him.” He looked thoughtful. “Janet, do not underestimate her. She is an excellent soldier. Colonel O’Neill has yet to see her in any
type of military situation and, therefore, he cannot judge her well. When the time finally comes, and he does have
to depend on her in a tight situation,” he shrugged and smiled wryly, “let us
just say that he will learn to respect her and her abilities. I have located her. She is already in the infirmary. Colonel O’Neill is there with her.”
Janet indicated a doorway
just ahead. “We’re there, also,” she
replied, as she gestured him in.
“Colonel O’Neill, it has
been enlightening, talking to you. Thank
you for taking me to my chamber, er, quarters, so that I could change my
clothing and for bringing me to the infirmary.”
“You’re welcome. I couldn’t very well leave you wandering
around the halls unescorted, now could I?”
“No indeed. I would immediately have gotten lost. Your corridors are very much alike. I am sure I will find my way around soon
though.”
“So, this telepathy
thing—Daniel said it wasn’t hard or invasive.”
At Kataya’s confirmation, he continued, “Well, if it’s going to be
helpful to us, maybe we should try it. I
mean sometime when you’re not so tired.”
“I am not tired, Colonel. There
is no reason why we cannot do it now.”
“/Don’t I need to sit down,
shut my eyes and concentrate or something?/”
“Not at all. All you have to do
is stop talking aloud and think about sending your thoughts to me. Colonel, for a simple conversation like this,
it is simply a matter of holding a door open for you to enter my mind. It is not a difficult thing to do. What is going to be difficult is teaching you
all to initiate the contact between and by yourselves. Getting you to rethink your ideas about mind reading may also prove
challenging. Although, once you realize
how little invasion of your mind there is, you may come to accept it more
readily.”
“So, can you hear me now?” Jack asked, in what seemed
to him to be the inside of his own head.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Cool.” Jack grinned, obviously
caught up in this new toy.
“It is certainly convenient in a tense situation, when you need to
communicate, but do not wish to use the, er, radio? I believe that is the correct word,” she returned
indulgently.
Becoming serious as he took
in the advantages this could have in a battle or capture situation, he said, “Yes.
I can see advantages to this.
This gives new meaning to the concept of operational silence.” He smiled.
Kataya looked at O’Neill
intently. “You are a soldier who has had to do many things you think are
contemptible and dishonorable. You have
done no more than follow orders, even when those orders called for distasteful,
horrifying, and ruthless actions. We are
much alike, Colonel.”
She shrugged mentally. “It
is the way of the Katteri-enti. We, too,
are elite killers. Do not be so hard on
yourself. Without us, the universe would
be unbalanced. No matter how much we
abhor what we have had to do, what we have witnessed, and what we will do in
the future, we both know that we are the best defense our worlds have. Knowing this, we will continue to kill. Any way we have to.”
Her ‘voice’ was
colored with sadness, and Jack felt her pain as he caught a glimpse into her
mind. Lightening her ‘tone,’ she continued, “I did not look into your mind to learn
those things about you, Colonel. When we
touch a mind, as I did when setting the link, we get impressions and sometimes
emotions. I could ‘see’ nothing and even
my impressions were of nothing specific.”
“I think I understand. You didn’t
get any definite information, just feelings.
Right?”
“Yes. Although, I can, in
certain circumstances pickup stray thoughts.”
“That ability could be very useful in some situations.”
“Yes, it has been for us, and I am sure it will be helpful for you.”
“Thor didn’t tell us what a Katteri-enti Warrior was. I still don’t know,” Jack said, for once probing
almost tactfully.
Her eyes glinted slightly as
she glanced at him. “You will see when it happens.
Usually that is only in extreme situations. We are ordinary soldiers, Colonel O’Neill, as
well as Katteri-enti Warriors. We use
weapons and tactics just like any other soldier.” She sat quietly, contemplating nothing.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Jack wanted
to know.
“It is not for the faint hearted.” She
sighed sadly.
“I doubt anything you have done would bother Teal’c or me. Perhaps the three of us could get together
later. Have something to eat while we
talk.” Jack felt the need to know more about this person.
“I would be delighted to have a meal with you, but I will not discuss a
Katteri-enti killing during it. I will
discuss it later, if you like. Perhaps
in my, er, quarters?”
Colonel O’Neill
grinned. “I think I’m getting the hang of this.”
“You are doing very well.” She gave her
approval to his quickness in picking up the basics. Perhaps it was not going to be as difficult
as she had feared. The Tau’ri seemed
anxious for new experiences, and that would work in her favor. How well Daniel must fit into this
world. His eagerness for new experiences
and new information had been the cause of many of their partings through the
millennia.
“After Doc Fraiser’s done with you, how about we go get Teal’c?”
Kataya nodded, saying aloud,
“Do not feel obligated to stay here with me Colonel. Merdwin and Dr. Fraiser are almost here. You should go now, so she can get on with
checking us.”
“How’d you know they were
here?”
“Merdwin’s mind was
searching for me. I told him we were
here.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes.” She smiled in amusement at his tone of
surprise.
Jack O’Neill shook his head
in disbelief. “I’ll see you a little
later.” He waved as he left the room.
Kataya turned, and greeted
Dr. Fraiser and Merdwin.
“You two seem to be getting
along a little better,” Dr. Fraiser commented.
“Yes, I believe we have come
to an understanding with one another.”
Dr. Fraiser nodded. “Would you like to go first?”
“Yes, that would be fine.”
Janet turned to
Merdwin. “If you’d just wait in my
office over there?” She indicted the
door with a nod of her head.
“Of course. I will use this time to contact Artereos and
have some of my things sent through the gate.
Kataya, you used the stone from Thor, did you not?” Merdwin frowned, as he gave thought to how to
accomplish this.
“I suggest you talk to the
General. He may have a suggestion as to
how they wish to do it. At the least,
you can contact father and have your things ready to send through. If needed, we will send the stone through to
them,” Kataya suggested mildly.
Merdwin nodded, smiled at
Janet and headed for her office.
Turing back to her newest
patient after Merdwin left, Janet said, “Okay.
I need some basic information. If
you’ll tell me your full name?”
“Kataya Morna’Catira of
Cadwaellon. On our world, Kataya means
Pure Strength and Morna’Catira means Beloved Warrior.”
“What does Merdwin mean?”
“Merdwin’s name is actually
Merdwin Pendrawain of Werllockian. The
first means Wizard or Enchanter of Great Power.
The second, Dragon of Great Strength.
Do not let the meanings fool you.
He is a pussycat at heart.”
Janet’s eyes sparkled with
humor, but she declined to comment.
“Next question: Birth-date… never mind probably wouldn’t make sense.
Okay, here’s one: Age:”
“Five hundred thirty-eight
earth years.”
“Wow,” Janet gasped, looking
astounded, “You, uh, look really great.
I tell you what, why don’t we just get on with the tests?”
“Fine with me.”
“Um, Kataya, how old is
Merdwin?”
Remembering the shock on
Janet’s face as she told her age, she said, “You do not want to know.”
Janet chuckled. “That’s what I thought. However, age isn’t very important in any way
that actually matters.”
“Very true,” Kataya
agreed. “What else would you like to
know?”
“Do you still love
him?” Janet surprised herself by asking
the question aloud. “I’m sorry; I have no
right to ask that,” she muttered, appalled at herself.
Kataya looked at her, and
then said, “I will always love Merdwin, Janet, and he will always love me. However, for us love is a much coveted and
protected emotion, and our ways may be difficult for you to understand at
first. I do not love Merdwin as my
Soulmate, and that is the relationship you are truly asking me about, although
you do not yet realize it. Therefore, let
me tell you a story and perhaps it will give you a little insight into the personal
world of the Furling.”
She repeated what she had
told her daughter only three weeks before.
The only thing she left out was the fact that she felt her own Soulmate
was here.
Janet smiled tremulously,
“Thank you for telling me. I think I
understand better now.”
Sam and Daniel entered his
office. “Daniel, try to relax. It may not mean anything at all.”
“Sam, I just lived through
my dream with the exception of Sha’uri not being there.” Daniel paced the small room.
“There weren’t two men in
front of her. You could see her
face. What about the man standing over
to one side? He wasn’t there,” Sam
pointed out.
“No,” was Daniel’s strangled
reply. “It was my dream, Sam. I’m sure of it. I—I recognized her the minute she walked
through the gate.”
“I thought you told me you
couldn’t see her face? How could you
recognize her, Daniel?” queried Sam.
“I didn’t recognize her by
her face, Sam. I recognized her here,”
he said, as he put his hand on his chest.
“I could feel it, inside. I’ve
never felt anything like it before in my life.
It was as if I was seeing someone I’d known and—” he stopped, shook his
head, then continued, “someone I’ve known forever.”
“Then who was the other man
in the dream, Daniel? He wasn’t there
today.”
Daniel frowned, before
answering slowly, “I don’t think he had anything to do with today. I don’t know why he was in the dream. He wasn’t taking part in what was going on. However, I’m more certain than ever that I
know him, and he has some link to Kataya.
An important link.”
He searched Sam’s face, and
asked, “What did you think of her?”
“I liked her. I think she wants Janet to get together with
Merdwin, too.”
“What are you talking
about?” Daniel looked confused.
“Daniel,” Sam explained
patiently, “Janet and Merdwin took one look at each other and there was this
instant, I don’t know, connection? Even
General Hammond saw it. “He assigned
Janet to be Merdwin’s guide during his stay here. I heard them discussing it as we left the
briefing room,” she finished, laughing.
“Well, that shows you how
screwed up my head is. I didn’t notice
any thing or hear a word that was said.
I didn’t even hear General Hammond dismiss us. It was as if I was lost in a purple
mist. One that I didn’t want to leave,”
Daniel said, as he closed his eyes as if to close out something.
“I’m sorry, Daniel. Is there anything I can do?” Sam ached for him, but didn’t know what to do
to help him. She just knew she’d do
whatever was necessary to alleviate his pain and confusion.
Daniel took her hand in his
and squeezed it. “I think I’m going to
need a friend, tonight. I just can’t
think straight. Have dinner and some TV
with me tonight, Sam?” He asked, with
his sweetest smile, before he resumed his pacing.
She smiled at him, and
agreed, “Sure thing. I could use some
company myself, tonight.” After a
minute, she thoughtfully noted, “I noticed she didn’t come on to you. In fact, the only thing I did notice between
you was that first look and then again at the end of the briefing. You both looked like you were in a trance.”
Daniel stopped pacing,
nodded and threw himself down onto his office couch. “That first look was when the recognition hit
me. I knew her. I know her,” he corrected, sitting with his
head thrown back, his arms wrapped around himself, and his eyes closed as if
reliving something. “Sam, it was as if
something I hadn’t even known I was waiting for was suddenly there, in the
room. I felt such a sense of completion,
of inevitability, I just—” his voice trailed off into silence.
He frowned in
puzzlement. “You’re right, though. She didn’t act as if she knew me after that
first contact. At least, not until the
end of the briefing. I wonder why?” He mused.
“Maybe you just need to talk
to her. She might be able to explain it
all away you know.” Sam brightened. “Maybe it’s just that she looks like someone
you know, Daniel.”
Daniel smiled wryly, “Nice
try, Sam, but I don’t think so. This was
way too intense for that, and there’s the dream, too.” Suddenly sitting up from his slouch, he said,
“I’m hungry. Are you ready to go eat?”
“Sure, that sounds
good. Let’s go.” She smiled at him. Food sounded good. A decent meal and then—chocolate. Yup, chocolate for both of them. And wine.
Lots of wine.
Jack O’Neill sat in his
office staring into space contemplating SG1’s newest edition. He might have been wrong about her. When they had been talking and he’d
had a glimpse into her mind, he’d understood that she was right; they were very
much alike.
From that glimpse, he’d
guess that she’d done and seen some horrible things in her lifetime. He had a feeling she could be cold-blooded
when the necessity arose. Time would tell,
but for now, she had probably finished with Doc Fraiser. He’d go get her and head for Teal’c’s
room. He headed for the infirmary. It didn’t take him long to get there.
Jack stuck his head in the
infirmary door. “You ready to go?”
“She’s all done
Colonel. There were no problems that I
could find.”
“Great. Let’s go find Teal’c and get something to
eat.”
Answering the door when
Colonel O’Neill knocked, after they arrived at his quarters, Teal’c agreed to
join the two.
While eating, the
conversation had been mainly about military tactics as they all expressed an
interest in it. The time passed quickly
as Teal’c had his first session of telepathic communication, picking it up just
as quickly as the Colonel had. Kataya
decided to try a three-way link. They
caught on quickly to the peculiar feeling of having two voices in your head at
once. It didn’t take them long to sort
it out.
“You seemed to manage that well.
I do not think using the links will prove difficult at all. I hope that finding which of you is capable
of activating an inactive link, and using it without me to channel the energy,
will be as easy,” Kataya commented.
“In this three-way thing, we can each hear what the other is
saying. Won’t that get kind of annoying
to the people not in the conversation? I
mean, what if one of us is asleep, and the others are talking?” Jack asked.
“You can shut the link down to that person, or you can talk softly as
you would if they were sleeping and you were holding a verbal conversation with
someone else near by. There really is no
difference in this and oral speech, except, that others cannot overhear you,” she replied.
Kataya mentally cleared her
throat, before asking, “Um, Colonel, who
are those men at the table in the corner, and why are they staring at us?”
Using an amused tone, he
said, “They are staring at you, not at
us.”
“Am I doing something wrong?
Using the eating utensils incorrectly, or forgetting some ritual?” She asked, puzzled.
“They’re just jarheads, er, marines.
They always stare at attractive women.
That uniform of yours is, um, eye-catching. They just aren’t used to you yet. When you get into air force BDU’s they won’t
notice so much,” Jack answered.
“What are air force BDU’s?”
“It is the basic duty uniforms, which Colonel O’Neill and I are wearing
now.” Teal’c frowned. “It is
disrespectful for those Marines to stare at Kataya.”
“Whoa, down, big fella. It’s
just their way; they don’t really mean anything by it. If they step over the line of good manners,
just tell Teal’c or I, and we’ll take care of it.” Colonel O’Neill looked reassuringly at Kataya.
“I believe I will be able to handle it, but thank you for offering.”
“Marines can get somewhat macho and, uh, rough. They can be hard to handle. Don’t take any grief from them”
“I assure you I will take no ‘grief’ from anyone, however, I will alert
you should the need arise,” she said, as she realized what a sincere gesture he had made. “Thank
you for being so thoughtful. I believe I
am finished. The meal was—nice. Thank you for bringing me, Colonel.” She smiled warmly.
“You’re welcome.”
“If you are finished, perhaps we could retire to my chamber, er,
quarters, for our discussion if you still wish to do so,” Kataya suggested.
“Do you have any snacks or drinks in your quarters yet, Kataya?” Teal’c inquired.
“I have some
“Port, huh? Sure, we’ll give it
a try.” O’Neill was willing to try most things once.
Feeling that they had
maintained the three-way link long enough, for a first time, Kataya switched to
verbal speech.
“It will grow on you,
Colonel,” Kataya promised.
The trio were settled
comfortably in Kataya’s quarters and the Mead and Port had been sampled. Teal’c seemed to prefer the Mead. O’Neill admitted, after a few sips of the
port, that it did grow on you. Sam and
Daniel would have appreciated the slight chocolate flavor. He wondered, briefly, where they were this
evening.
Colonel O’Neill had shown
her how to get music on the little box.
It wasn’t much, but it was something.
She was already showing a predilection for country music. Teal’c would have her in cowboy hat and boots
before the month was out. He promised
her TV in a few days.
Sensing that all of them
were quite relaxed, she abruptly asked, “What do you wish to know?”
Jack was just as blunt in
his response, “What is a Katteri-enti?”
Kataya gazed at him and then
took the circlet from her head. “We use
energy, Colonel. You noticed the stones
glowing when I talked to my father.”
She stopped, gathering her
thoughts, then began, “A Katteri-enti Warrior is trained to be a soldier,
first. Then we are trained to be a
Priest or Priestess, ‘a Master of the All’
at Avilion. One must be both soldier and
Priest or Priestess to become Katteri-enti.
We are taught how to channel the energy that is in all living things and
the universe, and to use that energy to kill or to heal. A Katteri-enti is a protector of all, except
the Goa’uld or, any other evil, of course.
Those we destroy. We can kill
either as a simple soldier, or as a Katteri-enti Warrior.”
“I don’t think I
understand.”
“It is very simple,
Colonel. As long as I use a weapon to kill,
I am just a soldier doing my job. I kill
as Katteri-enti only when necessary.”
Looking at him, she realized he was not going to be satisfied with a
simple verbal explanation, nor would he fully believe her without a
demonstration. She said quietly, “If you
will watch I will show you the Katteri-enti side of myself, Colonel.”
The next few minutes were
filled with silence and shortly after, Jack O’Neill swallowed hard and stared
in disbelief. “Okay. What did I just see?”
Kataya smiled and her incisors
showed plainly. “Perhaps you should tell
me.”
“The changes are subtle, but they’re
there. The pupils in your eyes changed,
and they glowed faintly. Green I think,
but I thought I saw purple, too. The
pupils changed from round to vertical slits.”
He frowned, “And unless I’m dreaming you just grew fangs, top and
bottom, like a…” He stopped speaking
abruptly and his eyes widened. “Like a
cat.” He looked at her hands. Hands he had earlier dismissed as too elegant
and lovely to belong to a person who could kill, now looked decidedly
deadly. The razor sharp claws must have
been over an inch long. That could
hurt. “How’d you do that?” He asked, pointing to her claws.
She held her hand out for
him to examine. The ends of her fingers
had opened up and allowed the claws through.
Retracting them, there was now no sign of them.
“Were you purring?” He exclaimed.
“I heard you purr.”
Kataya laughed. “I also snarl, scream, rumble, growl, and
hiss.”
Suddenly, she became very serious
again. “I am half Furling, Colonel. I am a Kat entity, but more than that: I am a
Katteri-enti Warrior.”
“I think it means more. Stuff that I don’t understand. What else does it mean?” he asked.
“It does.” Holding up her hands, she continued, “It
means I use these to slit my enemies’ throat,” She stated the brutal fact
simply with no embellishments.
Jack looked at her
hands. They had returned to looking like
ordinary hands; hands incapable of killing anybody. No wonder she hadn’t been concerned about a couple
of marines getting fresh with her. Hell,
she could probably slice them to ribbons.
“What makes that different?”
“I absorb their life
force. If it is a
“Becoming Katteri-enti
depends on the circumstances,” She continued talking as the men watched her
carefully.
“You will understand if you
ever see it, although we prefer not to use this method. Every time a Katteri Warrior becomes
Katteri-enti and kills in this fashion, they must go before the council to
justify what they have done, unless it was done in a pitched battle situation
where there was obviously no choice. If
it was not, in the Council’s judgment, a justified use of Katteri-enti energy,
then the Warrior is cloistered for a length of time set by the council. All of the energy they gained by the killing
is taken away as well as an amount of their own energy; how much is decided by
the council. If the Council finds that
there was absolutely no justification for it at all, then the Katteri is put to
death.”
“I don’t see what makes
killing that way any different than killing with a gun, a sword, or any other
weapon,” Jack stated, puzzled.
“The difference is that when
I kill using my bare hands, and not a weapon of some kind; I literally absorb
my enemy’s life force.
I—drain—them—dry. It is not a
pretty sight, Colonel, to watch someone being drained of their life
force.” A sad wry smile touched her
lips. “Each time we do that we gain more
energy, more strength. If there were no
restrictions on how and when it can be justifiably used, it would become corrupt. It must be justified. That is how it should and must be. I will only use it as a last resort. It is never used lightly.”
“If we need to gain more
energy, we can obtain it by spending time at Avilion, the Sanctuary. That is the method we all prefer. I suppose it is important for you to realize
that we can manifest as Katteri-enti and not kill as Katteri. The manifestation in and of itself it not
proof of Katteri-enti killing. We often
manifest, but continue to use our weapons, and as long as we do not personally
absorb the life force, it is not considered Katteri-enti killing.”
O’Neill nodded. Now he knew what this woman was and what she
was capable of doing; it would take time to get used to though. He wasn’t sure it would be easy.
He looked at her. “Okay, so is that everything?”
“It is enough for now. I have shown you the physical
manifestation. I can not really throw
energy around this room,” She stated.
Teal’c looked at Kataya, and
said, “I, for one, look forward to going into battle against the Goa’uld with
you.” He smiled slowly, as if savoring a
picture only he could see. “I welcome
you to our team, Kataya of Cadwaellon.”
“Thank you, Teal’c, that
means a great deal to me.” She smiled
back at him and then turned to the Colonel.
“I believe that I should
hold the right to explain it to the others when I choose. If you feel you should explain to the General
though, I understand and that is fine with me.”
“All right. I’ll inform the General tomorrow
morning. We should both meet with him
before the briefing. Would 08:00 be all
right with you?”
She nodded her agreement,
and then said, “Now, I have a request.
Colonel, I wish to learn how to use your weapons. I can do it your way, learning through time
and practice, or I can use my way and know it all at once. It would take quite some time to learn about
earth weapons; how they go together, how to operate them, when and why each is
used. I can learn it much more quickly
from you. Then, all I will require is
practice to become adept in their use.”
“I can do this by a simple
procedure, Colonel. In your mind, think
of everything you know about your weapons and their various uses. Imagine yourself using them in different situations,
from simply holding them while walking and standing, to using them in many
different battle situations. At the same
time, I will link to you and simply learn it through your thoughts, gaining
insight on how to use them physically.
Will you be agreeable to this?”
“Well, yeah, I’ll try
it. You aren’t gonna suck my brain dry
so I wake up and not know how to use my weapon are you?” He asked as he smiled at her. He made himself comfortable while she
connected to his mind. He thought about
all the weapons he’d used that were available at the SGC.
Kataya laughed softly and Jack O’Neill
became aware of her charisma, “I assure you, you will retain all of your
knowledge.”
Within minutes, Kataya had a
working knowledge of most basic Tau’ri weapons.
She was already familiar with Goa’uld weaponry. The test, of course, would be whether her
instant information, would prove helpful in actually using the weapons. She could always use her sword or ribbon
device, but she wanted to be able to use the Tau’ri weapons as well.
“Well, tomorrow is another
day, as they say, so we’ll let you get some rest.” Jack and Teal’c stood and prepared to leave.
“Very well. I believe we have taken the first steps
toward a better understanding. I realize
I know more of you, and your people, than you do of the Katteri, but in time,
we will learn of each other. Perhaps
tomorrow, I can fill you in on a little of the Furling history and
philosophy. A condensed version, I
promise, Colonel,” she was quick to add as she saw dismay in the Colonel’s
eyes. “Thank you for a pleasant
evening. Good night, Colonel, Teal’c.”
Daniel poured the last of
their second bottle of wine into their glasses.
He realized he was very relaxed, perhaps even a little drunk. He and Sam had gone out to eat and then they
had returned to his place. They’d had
wine with their meal, too. So, was this
really bottle number two or was it bottle number three? He couldn’t be bothered to figure it out.
He’d opened the first bottle
while they watched a Discovery Channel special on the history of flight. Each preoccupied with their own thoughts,
neither had really paid the show much attention.
Shortly after turning the TV
off and the stereo on, the second bottle of wine had been broached. Chatting about little things and sitting
through comfortable silences, they both ignored the things that were really on
their minds.
As the cork on the third
bottle gave way with a distinctive pop,
Daniel looked over at Sam curled up comfortably on his sofa, her head resting
on the back of the couch. She looked
like she couldn’t be bothered to so much as reach for her glass, so Daniel
filled it and handed it to her. She
looked, too, as if she belonged there.
He leaned back and settled closely beside her, drawing comfort from her
presence.
Finding his thoughts too
disturbing, Daniel really had not wanted to be alone tonight. He’d have had nothing to do but think. Daniel knew he didn’t have to explain
anything, knowing that Sam understood him, which was why she was here,
snuggling next to him on his couch.
Seemingly mesmerized by the
deep red liquid in his glass, he abruptly said, “I didn’t tell you everything,
Sam. Earlier when we talked in my
office, I mean,” he admitted slowly.
“Want to tell me now? I’m right here listening,” Sam offered
quietly, having known that this moment would come, and that it was only a
matter of time before Daniel found the words to talk about it to her.
He took a deep breath and
clasped her hand in his. “I know. I appreciate it. I think you can help—even if only to tell me
I’m crazy, or I’ve been celibate to long.”
He gave her a brief smile as he made the last part of his statement.
Sam’s eyes widened as they
rested on her friend, but her voice was steady.
“Okay. Tell me. I’ll help anyway I can, you know that,” she
encouraged him to begin.
Taking a deep breath, he
said, “I think I’m ready to talk about it now.”
He drank deeply of his wine and then laid his head back. Looking over at Sam, he saw that she watched
him, eyes filled with warmth and acceptance.
“Did you notice that I
didn’t say much during the meeting?” He
asked.
Sam nodded, “Yes, I did
notice. I was a little worried about you
actually.”
“I was watching her,” Daniel
said softly.
“We were all watching her,
Daniel, except maybe, Janet,” Sam exclaimed with a giggle.
Daniel shook his head. “No Sam, everyone was looking at her and
listening. I was watching her—her
expressions, her gestures, how she smiled, and the way she moved.” He paused and cleared his throat. “I kept having these flashes of, well, of what seemed to be
memories,” he suddenly confessed.
“What kind of flashes?”
Daniel looked troubled, and
he sighed as he said, “I’m not sure, but I think they really were
memories.” He paused for just a moment,
and then continued, “Once when she moved her head and laughed in a certain way,
I suddenly saw her standing in a castle courtyard, laughing up at me.”
“Well, Daniel, she was
dressed like some medieval lady.
Daniel shook his head
again. “No. I don’t think her clothing had anything to do
with it. I don’t think that’s why I saw
that.” He dismissed her suggestion and
continued to explain, “Another time, when she looked down at something, I
suddenly saw her dressed similarly to what one of our Vikings would have worn,
but I don’t believe it was here. We were
in a longhouse. She was smiling at me,
but she was sad, too. I felt it was my
fault.” He paused for a minute before
beginning to explain the next memory flash he’d had.
“Once when she moved her
hands a certain way,” he blushed deeply.
“God, Sam,” he whispered, anguished, his voice filled with longing and
frustration as well. “I could feel them
on my body. I saw us—together—in a huge
ornate bed. She was,” he swallowed
convulsively and closed his eyes. “She
was making love with me, so passionately.”
Opening his eyes, he looked at Sam.
“It was all I could do not to cry out—the sensation was so exquisite,
so—so real. You were all distracted,
thank god.” He looked at her, his eyes
haunted. “I’ve never in my life had
anything like that happen, Sam; it was so intense it was all I could do to
breathe.”
“Were there any more of
these flashes, Daniel?”
“One. When she was talking to her father. The position of her hands—palms up, the first
and fourth fingers extended, three together pointing up. That’s part of their greeting ritual. She didn’t complete it in the gate room. She should have extended her hands in that
position, and I should have stepped forward and put my finger tips onto hers as
I greeted her.” Daniel looked pale.
“What is it Daniel? What’s wrong?” Sam asked anxiously.
He continued, still pale, “I
just realized that the greeting I would have given her isn’t the normal type of
greeting of a friend or acquaintance.”
“Why not?”
“Because that greeting would
go something like: I give greetings and welcome to thee, Kataya, Lady of
Cadwaellon.”
“And what would you have
said, Daniel?” Sam asked.
He looked at Sam, not really
seeing her. “I would have greeted her as
I always do: Blood of My Heart, I welcome thee.”
Sam blinked at him in
stunned surprise, as she realized that the wording was probably very
significant. “What does it mean,
Daniel?”
“I don’t know, Sam, but
whatever it means—I feel it in my heart and my soul,” he said, in an agonized
whisper.
“Daniel, could she have been
putting those images into your mind?”
Sam asked hesitantly.
Daniel shook his head. “I thought of that, Sam. It’s why I volunteered to do the mind
link. After that experience, I’m almost
sure it wasn’t her sending thoughts to me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I don’t know how to explain
it. You’ll understand once you’ve done a
link. She doesn’t really come into your
mind in an invasive way. She places a link,
and when she does that, as well as when she accesses it, I can feel her. If she had been sending those flashes or
thoughts, I think I’d have felt her do it.”
He shrugged helplessly.
Suddenly, Daniel took a deep
breath. With determination in his face,
he looked at Sam and smiled. “I think
I’ve talked enough about all this.
There’s nothing I can do, but wait and see what happens.”
“So, onto a more important
subject. I’ve given your situation with
Lantash and Martouf some thought, you know.”
“You have?” Sam sounded surprised.
“I told you I’d think about
it, Sam,” he reminded her gently. “I’ve
not come up with a lot though, I’m afraid.
The only solution I can see is that you two need to spend time together. Preferably alone.”
It was Sam’s turn to
sigh. “I’d like to, Daniel, but our
lives don’t exactly abound with opportunities where we are both free at the
same time.”
Sam leaned forward and
divided the remainder of the third bottle between their glasses.
“I know one thing though; I’m
almost obsessed with the two of them.
It’s so weird, Daniel,” She said as she handed him his glass.
“What’s it like, Sam? Explain it to me,” Daniel asked her.
“Are you sure you want to
hear this?” She looked at him
skeptically.
“Yes, I do, honestly,
Sam. I’m really very curious about how
it works.” He flushed lightly. “I mean, how does it all work? Are your feelings for each of them
different? I mean when you’re with
Lantash, do you see him? Or, is it just
like it’s Martouf talking in a different voice?
I’m sorry that’s kind of nosy.”
Daniel grimaced a little feeling he was asking questions that were too
personal.
Sam shook her head, saying,
“All I know is that I don’t confuse the two.
I mean, I can tell just by the facial expressions and gestures when it’s
Lantash and when it’s Martouf. It’s kind
of odd, but I think of them as two separate beings even though they share one
body.” Now it was Sam’s turn to blush.
“Daniel promise me that you
won’t be shocked.”
Daniel crossed his heart, and
replied solemnly, “I cross my heart and hope to die. I won’t be shocked.”
“Oh, Sam, only you could get
embarrassed over those types of thoughts.”
Daniel laughed, and fell over on her.
She wrapped her arms around him, and they leaned against each other
chuckling.
“I, um, I think that maybe
that third bottle was a little more than we should’ve had. I don’t know about you, but I’m really
starting to feel it,” Daniel observed.
“Me too,” she giggled.
After a few moments, Sam got
control of herself, and said, “I’m not finished yet, so no more giggling.”
“Okay,” Daniel replied, as
he attempted to straighten himself, but he soon gave up and leaned back into
Sam’s arms.
Concentrating on what she
wanted to convey to him, she continued, “I really do love Lantash, too. Not just Martouf with Lantash along because
he’s there. I love Lantash’s
personality. In fact, I think, if it
works out and we end up together, that Lantash will be the more passionate of
the two. Martouf will be the gentler,
more tender one. Not that I think
Martouf won’t be passionate. He will be,
I know. I mean, I have some of Jolinar’s
memories, so I know what I’m talking about.
It’s just that Lantash is well, um.”
She paused, and then said, a little breathlessly, "He’s pretty—wow—if you know what I mean.” As she spoke, she realized she felt
better. She’d needed to share her
thoughts with someone for a long time.
Sam sighed tiredly and
rested her cheek on the top of Daniel’s head.
Their giggles had passed, and they had become quiet and content.
Sam breathed in the
masculine scent of Daniel and realized that even after talking about Martouf,
Lantash, and Kataya, having Daniel resting in her arms now seemed so—right and
good, as if he was meant to be there.
Her thoughts drifting to the
conversation she'd had earlier with Janet, Sam concluded she was right. Daniel was perfect husband material. He was attractive, smart, fun, and witty. The only thing she didn’t know was why she
hadn’t fallen in love with this extremely nice, wonderful man and what it would
be like to be kissed by him.
Tentative, Sam asked,
“Daniel?”
“Hmm?” He replied drowsily.
“Would you mind kissing
me?” Sam heard herself ask quietly.
“Sure, Sam, whatever you
say,” Daniel answered promptly.
“No, really, Daniel, I’m
curious. Seriously, I want you to kiss
me.” Now that the thought had entered
her head, Sam was determined to find out what it would be like to kiss Daniel. They were friends, weren’t they, and they
could ask each other anything: Daniel had said so.
“Kay. However, I think we ought to lay down first
because my head’s spinning. Daniel
closed his eyes against the turning of the room.
“Right. Um, we need to find your bed,” Sam said
earnestly, peering around vaguely, as if expecting it to materialize in front
of her.
“It’s that way.” He threw his arm towards the general
direction of the bedroom. Between the
two of them, they managed to get off the couch.
Holding each other up, they
slowly made their way to the bedroom, shedding shoes, socks and anything else
uncomfortable on the way. Daniel stopped
at his dresser and dragged some sweat bottoms out of a drawer. He grabbed a T-shirt and some shorts for Sam,
determined to be a thoughtful host. He
couldn’t expect her to sleep in nothing, right?
He looked at the shorts and t-shirt in disgust, sighed, and handed them
to her. “Here you go, Sam. Jammies.”
“Thanks Daniel.” They each sat on the bed, looking at their
nightclothes. It wasn’t the first time
they had shared close quarters to dress.
You got used to that type of thing, and it was just another everyday
function you performed in mixed company.
You didn’t think anything of it, right?
Knowing they should put them on, Sam struggled to get the T-shirt on and
then turned impatiently to Daniel. “You
were supposed to kiss me,” she insisted.
After a victory in the
struggle with sweatpants that didn’t want to be pulled on, and a shirt that
didn’t want to be pulled off, Daniel fell back onto the pillows on the
bed. He opened one eye to look at her,
and then quickly closed it again as his blurred vision without his glasses made
the room spin worse. He was really going
to have a headache tomorrow, he’d bet money on it. He’d worry about that later, like in the
morning. He almost moaned at the
thought, but instead he answered Sam shoving those thoughts aside.
“’Kay, Sam, come here, and
I’ll kiss you. You’re right; I need a
friend tonight, too,” he murmured as he reached out for her.
Sam lay down beside
him. “Daniel, I think we’re both going
to be really sorry in the morning. So
I’m going to apologize now, ‘kay?” Sam
said, as her conscience tried to exert itself.
“Yeah, sure, Sam,” he enunciated
carefully. “I’ll says sorry now,
too.”
“’Kay, Daniel.” Sam thought for a minute. “Daniel?”
“Yeah, Sam?” He asked, as he began to snuggle with her in
his arms. She felt good there.
“When you kiss me,” she
paused, then continued hesitantly, “would you talk to me in Goa’uld?”
“In Goa’uld? Sure, I think I can do that.” He frowned for a moment in thought. “French is prettier, Sam, are you sure you
don’t want me to speak that?” He asked,
just to make sure.
“No,” she assured him, “I
want to hear you speak Goa’uld to me.”
She paused again, then said, “Daniel?”
“Yeah, Sam?”
“Would you call me Samantha,
too?”
“Sure, Sam, uh,
Sam-man-tha,” he pronounced slowly.
Then, starting as he meant to go on, he murmured softly in Goa’uld, “I’m
going to kiss you now, Samantha.”
Daniel raised himself up on
one elbow and leaned over her close enough to see her without his glasses. Sam really was a beautiful woman, and he
definitely didn’t have to force himself to kiss her. She smelled good, feminine and alluring. He wondered hazily why he’d never kissed Sam
before. Even after their talk, this
somehow still felt right. It was as if
she was a part of his heart. She was his
friend, his anchor, and he was hers.
Their lips met and clung.
Somewhere in the back of
Sam’s mind, she remembered that this was an experiment to see if she would
react to Daniel’s kiss. In reality, she
had known she would. He was a part of
her heart.
As Daniel lowered his head
to kiss her again, another thought distracted her. She wondered if Martouf and Lantash kissed as
well as Daniel. They always did in her
fantasies and in her memories. They were
going to kiss her again, now. They were
whispering to her in Goa’uld, just the way she had always known they
would. She’d ask them later what they
said. Right now, it didn’t matter. She just wanted to feel their lips on hers
again.
Their body was so warm, so
strong and firm. Their well-muscled
thighs pressed against her. Hard yet
gentle arms cradled her. She could feel
the muscles rippling in their back. If
she rubbed his neck, would Lantash feel her caress? She used her hand to softly stroke his neck
and down his spine. Was he groaning
because it felt good? She’d have to
remember to ask him. Her hand slid lower
to caress his manhood. She rubbed the
base of his spine and trailed her fingers down to caress him again, and then
back up to his neck.
She felt the hard thrust of
his manhood against her thigh as he pressed her deeper into the bed. As the searing kisses branding her neck crept
upwards once again to claim her mouth, she cupped the back of his neck and
pressed gently as her other arm encircled them.
As darkness claimed her, she whispered their names one final time. Lantash.
Martouf.
Beside her, their legs entwined,
wrapped in her arms, his head nestled next to hers, Daniel dreamed of a woman
in a dark blue dress. One whose
beautiful violet eyes spoke of untold mysteries, and whose soft golden skin
felt like silk. A woman whose kisses had
tasted just like deep red wine.
TBC