Location: P3R-527

  POV: Marina Karssen

  Rina could feel her hands starting to numb from how tight she was clenching them, though their trembling still hadn’t ceased.

  There has to be something we can do…there has to be something…

  She stared hard at the grass in front of her as she trudged toward the looming cliff face. Ahead of her, Jack was positively radiating silent anger—Daniel too, though his wasn’t quite so palpable. Rina did her best to ignore their emotions, as well as her own, focusing instead on trying to formulate a plan.

  There’s no way I was wrong about Aisha. It’s the only way this all makes sense—the amulet, what Elil said, everything! We just need to prove it.

  They reached the base of the cliff and started up the steep path, Rina slipping once or twice from her lack of concentration and shaky hands. Still, she continued to rack her brain for an answer.

  Elil wanted to haunt Aisha. If there was some way we could make her think he was successful—

  Then it struck her.

  Pulling herself to the top of the cliff, she blurted, “We can still prove it.”

  Jack turned to her with a livid expression, though Daniel only looked weary.

  “Karssen! What part of ‘leave and don’t come back’ did you not understand?” Jack snapped, “Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

  Rina bit back the sting of his words.

  “I didn’t think Jai would do that!” she protested, pointing back toward the village.

  “Exactly! You didn’t think!” Jack shouted.

  Rina glanced toward Daniel, who was pulling off his glasses to run a shaky hand over his face. She swallowed hard.

  “What do you want me to do?” Rina pressed Jack, “I can’t change it now! But that doesn’t mean we just give up!”

  She glanced back to Daniel, pleadingly.

  I know you don’t want to give up either. Please.

  Daniel didn’t look at her. Jack swore under his breath, turning sharply and striding into the trees. Rina started after him, undeterred.

  “Everyone’s probably going to be at Elil’s funeral, for at least an hour, I’d guess,” she explained hastily, “Aisha’s house is going to be empty. We could—”

  “Enough, Karssen,” Jack interrupted as they neared the stargate.

  “Sir!”

  Rina looked over to see Carter sprinting toward them, Teal’c following at a calmer pace.

  “What happened?” Samantha asked.

  “Mission here’s a bust,” Jack answered tersely, brushing past her, “We’re going home.”

  Rina clenched her jaw.

  “It’s my fault,” she said, stopping O’Niell in his tracks, “That’s what you want me to say, right? It’s my fucking fault! You think I don’t know that? At least I’m trying to fix it!”

  “No, no, going back there now and trying to force justice on one of their matriarchs when we don’t even know anything for sure isn’t going to fix this,” Daniel spoke up.

  “I know,” Rina agreed.

  “Wait,” Samantha cut in, “It’s one of the matriarchs?”

  “Yes, Aisha, I’m positive,” Marina confirmed.

  “How did you come by this knowledge?” Teal’c queried gravely.

  Marina hurriedly laid out all the clues she had pieced together, Carter jumping in a few times with questions while Teal’c listened quietly, Jack wordlessly disapproving all the while.

  Once Rina had finished, Samantha added, “And statistically speaking, it’s very likely. More often than not, victims of assault know the person who assaulted them. It can even be friends or family.”

  God, that’s awful…

  “We at least need to consider the possibility that it is Aisha,” Samantha concluded.

  “Well, ‘considering’ is as far as we’ll be getting,” Jack pointed out, “Our welcome here’s been withdrawn.”

  “What if we could interrogate Aisha without her even knowing?” Rina said.

  Her teammates all turned to her with questioning looks.

  “They’re probably going to have their cremation ceremony in the next few hours,” Marina elaborated, “We know Aisha’s house is going to be empty. We’d just need to rig up a few things without her knowing—hidden microphones, speakers, cameras—assuming that’s possible?”

  “It’s possible,” Carter said slowly, “But—”

  Jack finished Sam’s question for her.

  “Where are you going with this?”

  “We do exactly what Elil wanted. We—”

  Rina cut off as Daniel tentatively joined in, catching onto her plan.

  “We make Aisha think she’s being haunted.”

  “Jai sounds exactly like Elil,” Rina continued fervently, “If we can convince him to act as Elil’s ghost, I doubt Aisha would know the difference.”

  “It could work,” Carter said optimistically, casting a glance at O’Niell, “We’d just need to get the extra equipment from the SGC.”

  “Hammond will have to sign off on it,” Jack said flatly.

  Rina’s hopes instantly flickered out like a light.

  I already know his answer…

  Location: SGC Briefing Room

  Hammond sighed, “It sounds like any chance we had of befriending these people is lost. I’m sorry, but I simply can’t justify giving you the go-ahead on this.”

  There was a heavy pause. Rina gripped the edges of her chair in a white-knuckled hold, fury spilling through her. The silence lingered on.

  “Understood?” Hammond prompted.

  Daniel and Jack both made to respond, but Rina beat them to it.

  “No,” she hissed, “I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you could be fine with the idea of letting a rapist go free.”

  “We can’t offer help where our help isn’t wanted,” Hammond replied, “I’m—”

  “Elil wanted help,” Rina countered, “And nobody fucking helped him until it was too late. How many more people are going to end up like that because of Aisha?”

  “I sympathize—”

  “Oh, fuck your sympathy!” Rina snapped.

  “I beg your par—”

  “You’re the fucking military!” Marina barrelled ahead, ignoring the General’s indignant response, “It’s your job to protect people, to fight for people, even when things gets fucking ugly! But you’re not protecting anyone except yourselves!”

  Hammond jumped to his feet.

  “That is enough!” he barked, “Miss Karssen, you are dismissed! In fact, you’re all dis—”

  Rina didn’t give him the chance to finish. Standing up, she delivered a vicious kick to her chair, its wheels spinning madly as it rolled straight into the nearest wall.

  “Miss Karssen!”

  But she was already storming out of the room, blind with rage.

  POV: Daniel Jackson

  Daniel heard the door slam shut behind Rina, and for a heartbeat, no one moved. Then, slowly, one by one, they stood and began to file out. First Carter, then Teal’c, then Daniel himself.

  There was nothing left to be done, especially after Rina’s outburst.

  Though even if I had gotten the chance to say something, Daniel thought dejectedly, I doubt it would’ve changed Hammond’s mind at all.

  He thought about maybe trying to get some sleep, but he doubted he’d find any success in that regard.

  May as well lie down for a bit anyway, he decided.

  Though he hated to think what dreams he might have if he did happen to fall asleep. The short spell of rest he’d succumbed to during Saanvi’s ritual prayer had been plagued by a tormented Elil…and by Hathor.

  “I said you’re dismissed, Colonel.”

  Daniel paused just inside the hall, the door hitting his back within an inch from closing. He’d assumed Jack was right behind him.

  “Permission to speak, sir?” Jack said.

  Daniel stayed where he was, listening through the open crack. He heard Hammond sigh loudly.

  “Very well. What’s on your mind?”

  “I know you’ve already made your decision, but I’d ask you to reconsider.”

  “Oh?” Hammond sounded decidedly unimpressed. “Why’s that?”

  “I think you know why, sir. None of us want to leave things the way they are now. And Karssen might be a hothead…but her heart’s in the right place. I think her plan will work.”

  “I’ve no mind to reward the kind of behavior I just saw on display, Colonel,” Hammond said sternly.

  “Of course not, sir,” Jack agreed, “But we wouldn’t be doing this for her. We’d be doing it…because it’s the right thing to do. These people don’t want our help, but they don’t have to know we’re helping them. Aside from the victim’s brother, we can be in and out without anyone knowing.”

  There was a pause.

  “If you’re caught—”

  “We won’t be,” Jack insisted, “You have my word on that.”

  “And what if it turns out you have the wrong culprit? You know I don’t care for the idea of unnecessary risk, Colonel.”

  “If that happens, sir, I’ve prepared a contingency plan to prevent the mission from becoming a loss.”

  “Well, let’s hear it,” Hammond pressed.

  “If we don’t learn anything new from this, then with your permission, I’d like to recruit Jai as an inside man, to keep an eye on things in case there’s a chance we can prevent anyone else from getting hurt.”

  “This ‘Jai’ sounds like a loose cannon to me. You sure you can keep a handle on him?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Another pause. Daniel unconsciously held his breath, straining to hear.

  “Very well,” Hammond relented, prompting a near overwhelming wave of relief for Daniel, “I’ll give you the green light for this one, Colonel. But I have one condition.”

  Daniel pressed his ear closer to the crack, feeling a pang of apprehension.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Karssen stays out of it.”

  Daniel felt a twinge of disappointment for Rina. How would she react?

  “All due respect, sir,” Jack began, “Karssen is just starting to learn to be part of a team—”

  “And she’ll have plenty more opportunities to do just that, assuming she doesn’t behave like this on every mission.”

  There was tense silence.

  “Understood, sir,” Jack relented quietly.

  “Very good. You can tell the rest of your team that the mission is a go.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Daniel quickly peeled himself away from the door, stepping back and waiting. Jack opened the door, blinking in surprise at the sight of Daniel hovering there. He shut the door behind him.

  “Daniel?”

  Daniel pushed up his glasses awkwardly.

  “I know I don’t say this a lot but…” He fixed Jack’s eyes under his. “Thanks, Jack.”

  Surprise flitted across Jack’s face for a heartbeat. Then he reached out, giving Daniel’s shoulder a friendly pat.

  “Don’t mention it.” He let out a long, noisy breath. “So…looks like Karssen won’t be able to finish this one.”

  “I’ll tell her,” Daniel volunteered.

  “Oh, good thinking,” Jack said lightly, giving Daniel another pat on the shoulder before strolling off down the hall.

  Daniel watched him, eyes narrowing.

  “Jack, did you just bait me into that?” he called accusingly.

  “Daniel, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” O’Niell called back teasingly, turning at the end of the corridor and disappearing from view.

  Daniel just shook his head.

  Location: SGC Level 25

  POV: Marina Karssen

  Rina gazed hollowly at the ceiling of her room, her mind tearing at itself in a frenzy. One side wordlessly screamed that she was an idiot, that she’d likely just ruined her only chance at escaping this place. Meanwhile, the other screamed that she simply couldn’t be a part of this team anymore, not for anything, not if it meant leaving innocent people to suffer unspeakable atrocities.

  Hammond’s using MY screw-up as an excuse to let Aisha do whatever the hell she wants and get away with it!

  How long would it be before Aisha chose her next victim? And how long before that victim, like Elil, chose the most desperate method to be free of her?

  Nausea welled in Rina’s stomach, and she jerked upright, sucking in deep breaths and pressing a shaky hand to her forehead.

  I can’t do this. I can’t—

  A knock sounded at the door. Rina ignored it. After a pause, the knocking came again, accompanied by Daniel’s voice.

  “Rina? It’s me.”

  Guilt stabbed into Marina.

  Daniel.

  She hadn’t even considered his feelings in all this. How was he holding up, now that his hopes to find justice for Elil had been dashed? Her guilt magnified as she thought of her outburst in the briefing room.

  He wanted to say something, and I made it so he didn’t have the chance.

  Rina jumped to her feet, the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach momentarily forgotten as she hurried across the room to throw open her door.

  “Daniel. Hey. Come in.”

  “Uh, thanks,” he said quietly, stepping past her into the room.

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  He stopped in the middle of the room, turning to face her, his hands thrust deep in his pockets.

  “So…how are you?” he asked.

  The words caught her off guard. Rina pushed the door closed again, finding herself momentarily without an answer.

  Uttering a short, breathy laugh, she confessed, “I was going to ask you that.” She paused, nervously toying with the fringes of her jacket. “I’m sorry I fucked everything up,” she said, her voice hoarse.

  That’s what I do. That’s what I always do.

  “Actually,” Daniel said softly, “Hammond changed his mind. Jack talked him into letting us go back.”

  Rina stared at him, stunned.

  “What? Why—why would he do that?”

  “Well, he believed your plan could work,” Daniel explained.

  Marina scoffed, her brows furrowing.

  “He didn’t even want to hear my plan.”

  Daniel shifted his weight from one foot to the other, seemingly uncomfortable.

  “Rina—”

  “You know, I’ve been wondering all this time,” Rina interrupted, “Did you talk Jack into letting me on the team? Because I cannot imagine he came around to it on his own.”

  Daniel sighed. “I spoke to him, yes, but the decision was still his, Rina.”

  There was a pause. Rina didn’t say anything. As far as she was concerned, Daniel’s answer was a resounding yes.

  “Look, trust me, I know how frustrating Jack can be,” Daniel pressed on, “All I’m saying is you don’t know everything about him yet. And he gave you a chance, so…”

  Rina sensed the unspoken conclusion to his words: Why can’t you give Jack a chance?

  Her eyes narrowed. “Did Jack send you here to talk to me?”

  Daniel hesitated. It was all the answer she needed.

  “He can’t even come talk to me himself,” she seethed, “He sends you to act as go-between for—”

  “I offered,” Daniel insisted quickly.

  Rina stared at him.

  “Why? Why can’t you worry about yourself? Why do you feel the need to patch up everyone else’s problems, especially now?”

  Daniel hesitated, his eyes fixed on the floor. Then, taking a few inching steps closer, he lifted his gaze.

  “Well, I think it’s probably for the same reason that you choose to help people.”

  Rina pursed her lips.

  Don’t do that. Don’t assume the best of me. You don’t know me at all.

  Silence stretched between them, until Rina broke it.

  “How long until we leave?”

  “That’s the thing.” Daniel sighed again. “General Hammond had one condition for letting us do this, and that’s—”

  “That I stay behind,” Rina guessed.

  “Yeah,” Daniel confirmed quietly.

  Rina exhaled sharply, leaning back against the door.

  “Yeah, I’m not surprised…”

  “Jack tried to talk him out of it, but…well, that didn’t work.”

  Rina blinked.

  “Why would Jack defend me?”

  “Well, maybe you should ask him.”

  Rina grabbed for the door handle.

  “Where’s Jack?”

  “He’s telling the others the news,” Daniel said.

  Marina threw open the door and strode out, not waiting for another word. She made it about halfway down the hall before running into Samantha.

  “Hey,” Carter greeted, “I just heard the news. Sorry that you’re not coming with, but I promise I’ll tell you everything when we get back.”

  “Thanks,” Rina said before swiftly changing the subject, “Um, do you know where Jack is?”

  “Yeah, he just headed down to Teal’c’s room,” Samantha replied, pointing down the hall.

  Rina nodded her thanks and swept past Carter toward the indicated room. Though before she reached it, Jack emerged, pausing when he saw her. Rina didn’t hesitate.

  “Why would you stick up for me?” she demanded.

  Jack just stared at her for a second.

  “I’m guessing Daniel told you that.”

  “You don’t even like me,” Rina barrelled ahead, “It’s a wonder you let me on your team at all and now suddenly you’re sticking your neck out for me?”

  “Yes, Karssen, I stood up for you,” Jack replied, his tone heavily suggesting the reason should’ve been obvious, “Because I meant what I said when I told you we don’t leave our team behind.”

  “God, you guys don’t shut up about this team stuff, do you?” Rina snapped, “We were at each other’s throats for this entire mission!”

  “Because you wouldn’t listen!” Jack countered hotly, “Believe it or not, I want to help those people just as much as you do, but you couldn’t be bothered to stop and think first!”

  Rina opened her mouth to retort but hesitated.

  I was the one who almost killed the mission…because I couldn’t slow down for even a second.

  Her gaze flitted from the floor to the wall to Jack again. Was it possible she’d misjudged him? She sighed.

  “Well, either way, thank you,” she muttered, “For changing Hammond’s mind.”

  Jack’s eyebrows rose.

  “I’m sorry, did you just say ‘thank you’?”

  Rina frowned, irritation buzzing within her.

  “You’re hearing things,” she glowered, turning on her heel, “I’m going to talk to Hammond.”

  “Don’t push it, Karssen,” Jack warned.

  “I know!” Rina called back.

  Several minutes later, Marina was standing at the door to Hammond’s office, bracing herself to knock. Once she did, the answer came swiftly.

  “Come in.”

  Rina blew out a lungful of air, then swung the door open and stepped into the room. Hammond looked up from the papers sitting in front of him, a spark of surprise in his eyes.

  “Miss Karssen?”

  “I just wanted to say something, quickly, if I can,” she explained haltingly.

  Hammond considered her for a moment, then nodded his assent. Rina took the chair opposite to his.

  “Um…” She willed her averted eyes to meet Hammond’s. “I was told you changed your mind. You’re letting the rest of the team go back, to try to fix things.” She took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

  This was never about me. If I need to stay behind for this to happen, I can live with that.

  There was a heavy pause. Hammond didn’t speak.

  “Well—” Rina spread her hands. “That was all I wanted to say, so…”

  Hammond still said nothing. Rina pushed to her feet, making for the door. Her fingers had only just brushed the knob when the General finally broke his silence.

  “All right, you can go,” he said, sounding defeated.

  Rina turned back, unsure if she’d heard him right.

  “I thought—”

  “Just go before I change my mind,” Hammond ordered, exasperated.

  Rina’s heart leapt into her throat. Hurriedly, she fumbled the door open.

  “Uh, yes—sir, I mean. Thank you,” Rina babbled, backing out of the office and latching the door shut behind her.

  She paused, still processing what had just happened.

  I can see this through, she thought, a confusing mess of emotions flooding through her—relief, dread, hope, gratitude.

  Then a jolt of panic joined the mix when she remembered that the rest of SG-1 was already geared up and readying to leave.

  “Oh, shit,” she swore, taking off at a run.

  Location: P3R-527

  “How long must we wait?” Jai asked impatiently.

  Samantha, who was sitting on the floor of his humble home bent over her tech, looked up.

  “As soon as Aisha is inside her home, we can start.”

  As Jai resumed his nervous pacing, Rina found herself almost wanting to join him. Across the little room, Jack clicked on his radio.

  “Teal’c? Any sign of her?”

  After a brief shock of static, Teal’c’s voice came back.

  “None as of yet, O’Niell.”

  “It is almost sundown,” Jai said tensely.

  “Which means she’ll be there soon, Jai,” Daniel soothed.

  Jai stopped his pacing, giving a reluctant nod of acknowledgement. Rina moved to Carter’s side, gazing down at the screens displaying Aisha’s vacant home.

  Come on. Anytime now.

  Then, as if on cue, Teal’c’s voice crackled out of Jack’s radio once more.

  “O’Niell, Aisha is approaching now.”

  “She hasn’t seen you?” Jack questioned.

  “No.”

  “Good. Wait until she goes in, then head back here. And make sure no one else sees you either.”

  Teal’c answered with an affirmative, then the radio fell silent, leaving a tense atmosphere in the room.

  It had begun.

  Jai hurried to Carter’s side, Carter pushing a mic toward him.

  “When I tell you, push this down—” She indicated a button on the mic. “—and speak into it.”

  Jai nodded, Rina spotting beads of sweat on his forehead.

  “Now, you remember what you have to say?” Daniel queried, a note of urgency in his voice.

  Jai nodded more vigorously. “Yes.”

  Rina fixed her gaze back on the screens, Daniel and Jack moving to join. Everyone nearly jumped out of their skin when Teal’c raced into Jai’s home, pausing in the center of the room to catch his breath before crowding in with the others. They watched as Aisha stepped into view of the hidden cameras, her diamond amulet gleaming from where it hung around her neck.

  “Now?” Jai asked nervously.

  “Not yet,” Carter answered.

  Their eyes followed Aisha as she pressed deeper into her luxurious home, pausing just outside the room where she slept, one hand slowly pushing aside the beaded curtain as the other—seemingly unthinkingly—touched upon the diamond.

  “Now,” Carter said.

  Jai tapped down the button on the mic and spoke.

  “Aisha.”

  Aisha’s head snapped up, wildly searching for the source of the voice.

  “Aisha,” Jai called again.

  There was a moment’s silence. Rina’s heart hammered against her ribs. Then came Aisha’s quavering answer.

  “Elil?” Her fingers fastened around the diamond. “Elil? Is it you? How…how is this possible?”

  “You know how.”

  Rina thought she saw Aisha’s hand shaking.

  “Elil…” The matriarch choked out a sob. “What happened to you? Was it the strangers who—?”

  “No.” Jai’s voice was tight, his knuckles white as he clutched the mic. “It was you. You destroyed me.”

  “No!” Aisha cried, “I loved you! I gave you what you wanted!”

  Bile rose to the back of Rina’s throat. She glanced from Jai’s livid face to Daniel’s pallid expression.

  “Jai,” O’Niell whispered, touching a hand to his shoulder, “Stay calm, okay? You’ve almost got her.”

  Jai nodded, leaning in to the mic again.

  “What I wanted?” he hissed.

  “Yes!” Aisha insisted, “I always knew your true feelings for me. You were only too frightened to admit them! If not for me, you would never have tasted your desire! And our love was beautiful, our bodies made for each other.”

  Rina fought the urge to vomit.

  “Desire? No…it was your defilement!” Jai snapped, “I wanted nothing from you, only to be rid of your torment!”

  “No!” Aisha protested, “I know you did not mean those things you said! You could never have left me! You could not truly have detested my love! You were only lying to yourself!”

  “You will say the words I said back then,” Jai pressed.

  “No, Elil! Why do you wish to poison memories of—”

  “Say it!” Jai shouted, “Or you will never hear my voice again!”

  There was a long silence. Then, in a shaky voice, Aisha answered.

  “You said you did not wish for my touch. You said you wished to leave my service.” Her voice rose to a shriek as she added, “But those were lies! You would have been nothing without me!”

  “We’ve got it,” Jack hissed, and Jai promptly dropped the mic to the floor, racing outside.

  This time, they all rushed after him, not to stop him, but to join him.

  POV: Daniel Jackson

  Daniel stopped just outside Jai’s home, doubling over as his stomach threatened to spill its contents. Jack and Teal’c raced ahead, Rina stopping at his side.

  “Hey,” she said, “Will you be okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Daniel panted, “Go ahead.”

  Rina hesitated, then refused.

  “No. No, I’ll wait here.”

  Daniel managed a ‘thanks’. Carter slipped past them, her recorder tucked under one arm.

  “I’m gonna go find the other matriarchs,” she said, hurrying off.

  Daniel took a moment to calm his roiling insides, then straightened slowly.

  “Okay,” he breathed, “Let’s go.”

  Rina nodded, sticking close as he started off and then gradually lengthened his stride into a run. There weren’t many villagers out and about at this hour, but they did pass a few surprised faces along the way, more than one of whom then scampered away.

  If Sam doesn’t get to Saanvi and Indira first, one of them definitely will.

  They reached Aisha’s house, snapping to a halt just as Aisha came storming out, followed by Jai, and then Jack and Teal’c.

  “I will not suffer this!” Aisha shouted, turning to stab a finger at the three of them in turn, “I will see you all cast out!”

  “I have not finished!” Jai snapped back, “You will face judgement for this!”

  “Judgement?!” Aisha shrilled, “I am your matriarch!”

  “No more!” Jai yelled.

  “He’s right,” Jack put in, “You think your fellow matriarchs will let you stick around after this?”

  “You claim to have proof,” Aisha mocked, “But I see none!”

  “It’s right here!” came a shout from the distance.

  It was Sam. Daniel turned in her direction, noting for the first time the sparse crowd that had begun to gather around them. He strained to pick out Carter against the darkening backdrop of the village, but after a moment, he managed to spot her. She was rapidly approaching, Saanvi at her side, her recorder still tucked under one arm.

  “I have it here,” Sam repeated breathlessly as she reached them, holding up the recorder, “All we need now is Indira.”

  Aisha laughed, “What is this thing? You think it will prove anything?”

  “Yes,” Carter answered firmly, “It will.”

  A flicker of uncertainty crossed Aisha’s face.

  “No,” she said, glancing to Saanvi, “This is a deception! Surely you don’t believe them?”

  Saanvi hesitated.

  “We’ll see soon enough,” Jack said darkly.

  “Saanvi,” Aisha hissed, “Why stand there? Put a stop to this!”

  “This isn’t stopping, Aisha,” Daniel said quietly.

  Her dark eyes fixed on him, and for a heartbeat, it seemed like the air around him turned as cold as her gaze. His breath caught in his throat. Hathor had looked at him like that, with that exact same look of cold superiority.

  Then those eyes jerked away at the sound of Indira’s voice, letting Daniel breathe again.

  “What is this?” Indira asked sharply, her gaze darting over the scattered SG-1, “Why have you returned?”

  “To show you this,” Carter said, stepping forward and turning the recorder so Indira could see the image of Aisha displayed on its screen.

  Saanvi tentatively stepped forward as well, peering at the screen with deep uncertainty. Sam let it play, Aisha’s vile words spilling out. The last of the sun’s rays hit them at that moment, bathing them all in blood red.

  “Stop it!” Aisha screamed, drowning out the last of her own words and breaking the sickly quiet that had settled over the crowd, “This is a trick! These darks spirits are trying to fool us!”

  Carter turned the recorder about so it was pointed at Aisha and tapped a button on the side.

  “You care to say that again?” she asked, unfazed.

  Aisha stalked toward her, furious.

  “You will stop!”

  Sam tapped off the button, flipping the recorder so the screen was facing out again, then let it play.

  “You will stop!” Aisha screamed back at herself.

  The matriarch looked horrified. Murmurs swept through the crowd. Saanvi turned toward Aisha, eyes full of betrayal.

  “Aisha,” she breathed, “What have you done?”

  “I have done nothing wrong!” Aisha shrieked, “Elil wanted it! If he did not, he could have stopped me, but he never raised a finger to do it! He has no one but himself to blame for his fate. He chose it!”

  “You snake!” Jai screamed.

  Daniel’s veins flooded with ice. Images of Hathor filled his mind’s eye, the ghost of her touch creeping across his skin and raising goosebumps on his flesh.

  Do something, his thoughts clamored, Stop her. Oh, god, stop her!

  But he couldn’t. He couldn’t get his limbs to move. He couldn’t help himself.

  “He has no one but himself to blame for his fate.”

  No. The ice in his veins melted. No, that’s wrong. Something stirred inside him, filling him with resolve. That’s not true.

  “It doesn’t matter.” The words spilled from his lips as he stepped forward, unflinchingly meeting Aisha’s gaze. “It doesn’t matter if he fought back or not. It doesn’t matter if he believed whatever lies you told him.” The words came faster and faster, Daniel’s voice slowly rising to a shout. “It doesn’t matter if he felt so ashamed that he couldn’t even tell his family and friends the truth, because it wasn’t his fault!” He paused, catching his breath, his voice calming. "It was yours.”

  There was silence for a heartbeat. Then Indira spoke.

  “For a matriarch who harms one of her own people,” she said, her tone grim, “There is only one possible answer. Banishment.”

  “No!” Aisha gasped, “You cannot cast me out! I have done nothing!”

  “Enough, Aisha,” Saanvi said quietly, “It is over.”

  Aisha’s dark eyes blazed with fury.

  “No,” she said, starting toward Saanvi, “It is not over.”

  POV: Marina Karssen

  It felt as though Rina’s heart had seized as she watched Aisha grab for Saanvi, ripping off her own amulet and pulling the chain tight against Saanvi’s throat. Gasps ripped through the crowd, Jack shouting for people to get back as blood roared in Rina’s ears.

  “You think you can throw me away?!” Aisha screeched, “You’ve always hated me! Both of you!” She glared from Saanvi to Indira. “I won’t let you do this! I will see that you pay for it!”

  “Let her go, Aisha!” Carter said, her recorder forgotten in favor of her gun.

  Jack had his weapon drawn too. Rina felt the last of the blood draining from her face.

  They don’t have a clear shot.

  “If you think our cameras are something, you’ll love this,” Jack called, indicating his P90, “It can put a hole through your head from over 200 metres away. And you’re a hell of a lot closer than that.”

  Aisha stilled, eyes wide. Rina glanced from her to Jack.

  He can’t seriously be thinking of using his P90. He’s bluffing.

  And it was working. Rina watched tensely as the turmoil played across Aisha’s face. She couldn’t risk it. Rina knew she couldn’t. Slowly, ever so slowly, she released her grip on Saanvi. Launching like a coiled spring, Rina closed the space between them, fist flying straight for Aisha’s face. Pain shocked up her arm as her knuckles connected with Aisha’s nose, breaking it with a sharp crunch. Aisha squealed, crumpling into a heap on the ground, her hand flying to her face.

  “What…what have you done?!” she sobbed.

  “Gave you what you fucking deserved,” Rina spat, flexing her injured hand.

  She turned toward Jack, locking eyes with him. He’d never even raised his weapon, but he had nonetheless saved Saanvi’s life. Rina gave him an appreciative nod, then turned her attention to Saanvi.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  Saanvi was drawing shaky breaths, rubbing at her throat, but she nodded.

  “I am all right. Thank you.” She squared her shoulders, facing the weeping Aisha. “Aisha. You are no longer a matriarch, and you are no longer a part of this tribe. You must leave your possessions and leave our home and not return.” She stooped, pulling the diamond amulet from Aisha’s stubborn grip. “You are cut off from the guiding spirits of this tribe.”

  “And we will see to it that our sister tribes never open their arms to you,” Indira said, “Now go. You may keep the clothes you wear. But no more.”

  “No,” Aisha whimpered, casting glances over the faces in the crowd.

  They all regarded her coldly.

  “No,” Aisha repeated, cowing from their icy stares.

  She backed away, still searching for something in their faces—pity or loyalty, perhaps. But there was none to be found. As the last of the sun’s rays vanished, she slunk away into the darkness.

  “Teal’c,” Jack said, “Let’s make sure she leaves.”

  The two of them stalked after Aisha, soon disappearing into the shadows. Exhaustion hit Rina like a ton of bricks, and she sank to the ground, running a hand through her hair.

  It was finally over.

  There was a lightness in Marina’s chest, one she could only describe as incredible relief.

  “How does your hand feel?” Daniel asked softly, sitting next to her.

  Rina flexed it again. “Not too bad.” She gave a light laugh. “Probably would’ve felt worse if I didn’t hit her.” She looked over at Daniel. “Please tell me not all your missions are like this.”

  It was Daniel’s turn to laugh.

  “No, no, some of them are…actually pretty boring.”

  “Thank god.”

  They both laughed before falling into silence for a spell.

  “Will you be okay?” Rina asked gently.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

  “Rina.”

  Marina looked up as Saanvi approached.

  “Hey. You sure you’re all right?”

  “Yes. I am sorry the meeting between our people was so horribly ruined by what Aisha did.”

  “That wasn’t your fault,” Rina insisted, pushing to her feet.

  Saanvi gave a sad smile.

  “Thank you…for your good heart.”

  “Our tribe has suffered great tragedy,” Indira said, moving to Saanvi’s side, “But I pray something good may come from it. Friendship, perhaps.”

  “We hope so too,” Daniel said, rising to his feet as well. Indira said something in her native tongue, Daniel answering, “Yes, may we meet again.”

  “Under better circumstances, I hope,” Rina added.

  “Yes,” Saanvi said, her eyes glistening in the twilight, “That is my hope as well.”

  To those who have suffered sexual assault or have dealt with suicidal thoughts, believe me when I say you deserve to find peace.

  You are not broken. You are not alone. You are seen.

  Thank you for just being here.

  Well, folks, that concludes this very long chapter. Thank you for sticking with it, and, as promised, I will be sharing my inspiration for this chapter.

  Firstly: matriarchies.

  I found it highly irritating and nonsensical that across ten seasons of exploring alien planets, SG-1 never once stumbled across a matriarchal culture, and I felt that needed to be rectified.

  Secondly: Emancipation.

  Yes, the hated episode Emancipation. This chapter was originally supposed to be a counter to that episode, where I planned to give Samantha more of a spotlight, but my focus ended up shifting somewhat, which leads me to my next point of inspiration.

  Thirdly: the show’s atrocious handling of SA.

  On my second viewing of the SG-1 series, it stood out to me more than ever. I found it deeply upsetting how the show repeatedly downplayed, laughed off, and ignored moments of SA in its own content. I decided from the get-go that if I ever wrote a Stargate fic, I would address it. It’s proved to be the most emotionally draining thing I have ever written, but I wholeheartedly believe it was worth it, and I hope you do as well.

  From this point on, most chapters will not be as heavy as this one, nor as long (hopefully).

  Please let me know your thoughts, and let me know if you’re as excited for Chapter 8 as I am!