The Master of Deception | By : A.K.O.Shifting-Shadow Category: Stargate: SG-1 > Stargate Universe Views: 1120 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG1 and I make no profit posting this story. Any unrecognised characters, languages and places belong to author and any connection to existing characters or real life people and places is purely coincidental. |
Ba’al strode into the room with his head held high; his hosts’ skin was encased with form-fitting leather secured by multiple belts. He was the talk of the Goa’uld court, even Apophis had commented about his vessel’s unique masculine beauty and his incredible but somewhat plain dress sense. He met all their gazes with a challenging but peaceful air when all he wished to do was kill many of them but attacking whilst court was called was a bad move that would earn the ire of all Goa’uld involved. In fact unbeknownst to those not of Goa’uld origin, court was one of the few compulsory meetings where a Goa’uld was not allowed to harm another, it was a rule created by Ra to prevent death when they were trying to make life-altering decisions about their race.
Malek had been incredibly nervous about joining Ba’al at such a meeting but Ba’al would not hear of Malek missing it, he had vowed that Malek would partake in all Goa’uld meetings and he was one of the few Goa’uld who kept his word. Ba’al was careful not to show weakness before his kin, they could not know his true affection for his new underling and so Malek had been instructed to stay a few feet away but close enough to Ba’al that the Goa’uld could cover for any of his underlings’ unintentional mistakes. To hide his underling’s beautiful lithe form Malek had been instructed to wear a few more layers than Ba’al, which meant Malek was now wearing a high collared tunic that was long enough to cover his host’s crotch and a robe slightly larger than Malek truly needed. Of course none would question this fashion choice as it made Malek un-noticeable as all underlings should be.
Ba’al smirked with pride as some mentioned the beauty of his underling but was inwardly very pleased as the Goa’uld spoke no more of Malek. Taking his seat his Tok’Ra pet positioned himself just a few feet behind him before they both waited for court to begin. Ba’al was unsurprised that the biggest issue was Ra’s death, with Ra gone there was the issue of power and who had more. Having one of the largest territories Ba’al was entitled to a certain level of power and respect as did Apophis, Heru’ur and Sokar. Heru’ur’s presence was questionable as the warlord Goa’uld tended to like conquering planets, minor Goa’uld and fighting Apophis much more then he liked politics. Apophis was clearly there to see if he could scrounge up support and more power. The only one Ba’al truly respected was Sokar, even during Ra’s time Sokar had been considered a system lord, he was very powerful and influential and Ba’al was fortunate that despite their dislike for each other Sokar respected Ba’al somewhat.
Ba’al sighed bringing his kins attention to him. “The question of Ra’s territory has already been resolved for the most part. Those who were closer and stronger have already claimed what they want from his territory, including myself. There are only fragments of territory left and they are worthless in the long run, leave the scraps for the minor uninfluential Goa’uld to fight over.” He demanded. “We have a much more important issue to speak of and that is Apophis’s failure to handle a few slaves.” Apophis’s eyes widened and Ba’al smirked. “Yes I am aware of your failures. You lost hundreds of human slaves to a treacherous Jaffa and a small group of humans. You are here demanding respect when you can’t handle a few slaves. How do you intend to deal with this disobedience?”
Sokar leaned back with a smirk of his own, his eyes were pinned on Apophis. “Indeed.” The bald Goa’uld answered. The smirk on his face was rather disturbing since the host’s skin was so white that his blood vessels were clear to see and his eyes were a unique yellow with black pupils. He did indeed look like the devil he claimed to be. “How am I to consider you equal when you can’t handle a mere four humans? How am I to rely on your power when even a Jaffa would defy you?”
Apophis was furious. His dark eyes glinted with promises of retribution as his dark fingers tapped angrily against the arm of his chair. “It is a minor setback, I was not prepared for rebellion but next time they will not be as fortunate.” Ba’al hummed in disbelief as he kept Apophis pinned with his gaze, Apophis returned his gaze with one of fury. “And tell me of the Tok’Ra spy you harboured all those years ago?”
Ba’al laughed. “I harboured no spy. The moment I discovered his allegiance he was dead. I believe my Jaffa spread the tale to ensure that no Tok’Ra or human would dare defy my rule.”
Sokar chuckled. “Indeed, I heard rumours that the host body was beyond recognition by the time you were done; a worthy punishment for such a crime.” The devil agreed. “The Tok’Ra’s origins are in question however, we do not know how many clutches that treacherous Queen spawned. There could be few of them or thousands of them and they are able to deceive us, to hide amongst us as if they were one of us.”
Nirrti eloquently snorted from her seat. Her brown eyes were harsh as she met Sokar’s and her pale face was pulled into a stern frown. “Do not be so foolish.” She hissed unpleasantly as her painted nails tapped against the arms of her chair. “They are not like us, they are freaks, outcasts and unwanted.” Her red lips pulled into a thin line and she looked somewhat disturbed at the idea that a Tok’Ra could pretend to be one of them. Ba’al enjoyed the dark haired Goa’uld’s discomfort and he stared eager to memorise her face for future reference.
“No Tok’Ra could invade our courts.” Apophis exclaimed, Ba’al schooled his expression to hide his amusement; clearly the other Goa’uld had no idea that several of his underlings were indeed Tok’Ra. “I would know.”
Ba’al chuckled. “Just like you knew your first prime was a traitor? Or just like you knew those four humans would escape with hundreds of slaves?” Apophis growled threateningly but the rules of court prevented the Goa’uld from retaliating with violence.
“If these Tok’Ra and Tau’ri are indeed a threat we will need to work to prevent their success.” Sokar commented after a few awkward moments.
Lord Yu bowed his head. “Indeed, these Tok’Ra will affect the balance of power and control, they will challenge the Jaffa’s belief that we are Gods.” The elderly Goa’uld’s eyes were half closed as he thought deeply, a slightly tanned hand rose to tug at his greying beard before the Chinese Goa’uld met the waiting gazes of his fellow Goa’uld. “We should begin to review our courts at once to ensure that there is no suspicious activity.”
Ba’al felt more than saw his underling tense but no Goa’uld noticed. Ba’al leaned back and nodded. “True. The Tok’Ra are skilled at behaving like Goa’uld’s, I had no reason to suspect Kerim until much later but they have some faults.”
“And what are their faults?” Nirrti asked.
Ba’al chuckled. “They have too much loyalty for their kin. When I tortured Kerim and demanded he tell me all he knew he fought for days against my control. I was not able to extract a lot of information on the Tok’Ra because his loyalty to his kin was absolute but I can tell you this, there are very few left. Her majesty was not able to breed many before Ra discovered her so it is unlikely that we all have leaks. Apophis may have one or two because he is more active than the rest of us, but we I believe are safe,”
“There are not enough to spy on all of us.” Lord Yu commented before nodding his head in agreement. “That does seem the most likely answer.” He added. “I have yet to note any suspicious activity of my own underlings.”
Sokar smirked. “None of my plans have been interfered with.”
Nirrti also smiled. “I have no problems either.”
Ba’al grinned. “It seems you Apophis are their target. Ironic isn’t it that the hosts, Jaffa and Tok’Ra are targeting you. Is there something you’d wish to tell this court? Perhaps you have plans to try and eliminate the rest of us that the slaves wish to utilize for themselves?”
Apophis shifted awkwardly and all Goa’uld’s zeroed in on him as Ba’al smirked with smugness. He still had a way with words; he had easily shifted the blame onto Apophis and had kept his word by keeping the majority of the Tok’Ra safe. He would collect his reward when his underling and he were safe away from the ever prying eyes of the Goa’uld.
Ba’al for the most part kept quiet as the other Goa’uld’s verbally abused Apophis, he only spoke once or twice to reinforce the distrust he had sparked within the other Goa’uld’s mind and to keep their attention off of him. When they finally decided to adjourn the court Apophis had been furious and had quickly vanished, Ba’al however circled the room and spoke briefly with his local Goa’uld neighbours to reinforce the tentative trust they had. He would have remained longer but he could practically sense his underling’s distress as the Goa’uld finally took note of him so he made his excuses and led his Tok’Ra from the room. Malek stayed close to Ba’al, closer than normal which pleased Ba’al immensely as it was a sign that Malek was seeking his protection and beginning to trust him deeply.
Their guest quarters were perfect and elaborate. There was only a little light so the gold walls seemed a dull brown, curtains hung down from the ceiling blocking the view of the separate rooms and bed and the most pleasing sight was the overly large but single bed. Malek would have no choice but to sleep beside him, this would be the Tok’Ra’s ultimate sign of trust. It was clear by his pet’s face that he was hesitant but between Ba’al and the Goa’uld in the rest of the ship Ba’al won and Malek was soon warily undressing and climbing into the mountain of sheets, pillows and quilts. Pleased Ba’al asked for nothing more and simply took his place beside his underling.
“Thank you.” Malek hesitantly stated a little while later. “For covering for my people.”
Ba’al chuckled. “I always keep my word; let’s just hope your people keep their side of the deal.” The Tok’Ra tensed beside him revealing to Ba’al that Malek had his doubts. Ba’al was pleased that Malek’s back was to him because he could not hide his victorious smirk. Slowly he schooled his expression and made him sound ‘sorry’ for Malek’s predicament. “Your people care for you, this much is clear but sometimes great sacrifice is needed to succeed.”
“Why me?” Malek asked curiously. “Why did I have to stay?”
Ba’al smiled. “You underestimate your beauty and I could see the skill you had. You have great potential and I could not see that go to waste. It may seem difficult now but you will benefit from my actions in the future.” And Ba’al would benefit as well if his plans went perfectly. “Your future skill would allow you to retain peace for your kin and no Goa’uld would be able to detect your true allegiance. Think of this as training for the real world, little one.”
“I am not little.”
“No but you are younger than I and you still have such little knowledge of Goa’uld politics, it seems a fitting form of affection.” Ba’al replied. “Now rest little one, in the morning we will be expected to return to court and I cannot have you tensing as you did today. They did not notice your awkwardness today but they may note it in the future.” And Ba’al would be most displeased if that happened, he would not have the other Goa’uld spoil all his hard work.
“I tried.”
“Yes you did, but even the slightest mistake could cost us both our lives.” Ba’al reprimanded. “You must hide your emotions at all times; they cannot be allowed to sense the slightest scent of doubt, fear or disbelief.”
“I am sorry.” Malek replied his voice stiff and full of anger and some hate. “I am not used to being around so many powerful system lords.”
Ba’al nodded although Malek could not see, if Ba’al had his way Malek would never see any again, courts such as this were rarely called together because the Goa’uld hated each other and barely tolerated each other. Fortunately Cronus had yet to arrive but that was because he was dealing with a rebellion, hopefully a decision could be made before the Goa’uld arrived as Ba’al did not wish for his little one and Cronus to be in the same room, Cronus may just realise who ‘Surak’ actually was.
We need to bring these talks to an end.
But convincing the other Goa’uld to agree to one universal decision would be almost impossible, the Goa’uld often chose to choose an alternative solution simply to insult and infuriate the others. The current court decision rested upon Sokar’s shoulders, as one of the oldest and most powerful Goa’uld present he and Cronus would have the ruling votes, Ba’al just had to convince Sokar to make a decision once and for all. But to convince Sokar to take his side he needed to convince Sokar that his version of events was the most reliable, he had to make the Tau’ri and Tok’Ra seem a smaller force then they were and make Apophis the biggest threat.
“You…” Malek hesitated for a moment before turning around and staring at Ba’al with an expression of nervous interest. “…You mentioned my mother, what was she like?”
Ba’al had expected this question to pop up much sooner than it had. “I suppose she was much like you imagine she would be, beautiful and compassionate; a rare combination in the Goa’uld court.” He answered. “She is considered the first Queen of Ra’s but she did not breed very often for Ra, of course none of us questioned because to question her was to question Ra’s authority which was a very unwise thing to do.” Ba’al made no comment about how Malek moved a little closer to him and instead continued his tale. “She disappeared many a time but her friend Jolinar of Malkshur had told us all that Egeria often vacationed on her worlds and so none thought ill of our Queen. But after a while I grew suspicious of her excursions, there are only so many times one can use the same excuse before it is clear that it is a lie. I followed my Queen and discovered her secret, she was breeding with a human. I must confess I was somewhat disgusted, she had the strongest Goa’uld at her side and her pick of Gods and yet she chose a weak human slave. It was then I knew she was breeding a brood from this human male. I do not know how long she had been doing so and in truth I am not sure I want to know how long her treachery had gone on for.”
“Treachery?” Malek interrupted. Ba’al ignored his anger at the interruption for one single reason, Malek was now closer to him and watching him with fascination.
Ba’al chuckled. “Imagine one of your brethren mating with a Goa’uld because they enjoy it and you will envision how I felt.” Malek’s face twisted briefly with disgust, Ba’al was not pleased but he would allow Malek these thoughts for a time. Eventually Malek would consider him-self as an honorary Goa’uld rather than a Tok’Ra until then Ba’al would simply have to accept Malek’s differing opinion. Ba’al smiled and made no sudden movements lest Malek realise how close he had gotten to the Goa’uld. “I was disappointed but I chose to keep silent about her treachery. I did this mostly for preservation, Ra would punish me simply for knowing his Queen’s indiscretions but I confess I may have felt a little sympathy for her.”
“Why?”
“I know you consider most Goa’uld unbearable and evil but Ra, Ra was a special Goa’uld, he was more evil and cruel then the majority of us. Even Apophis showed some respect for Ra and Sokar tolerated Ra because he had too much power and could easily do a lot of damage.”
“The Goa’uld answered to him?”
Ba’al chuckled. “We let him think he ruled us.” He corrected his little Tok’Ra. “In some ways we were similar to the Tok’Ra, we obeyed, stayed out of sight and planned for his downfall.” Malek lay beside Ba’al with his head resting on a hand looking down at Ba’al with open curiosity and some excitement, Ba’al gave his underling an indulgent smile as he continued. “Unfortunately for Egeria Ra had contacts everywhere and rumour reached him informing him of his Queen’s disloyalty. To try and cover her crimes up she approached me, I fear she planned to have me take the fall, to pretend to be the sire of the Tok’Ra. I turned her away by revealing how much I knew and that if she tried to condemn me I would condemn her and her spawn. When Ra finally captured her she was brutally tortured, so much so that even I and Lord Yu were disgusted. But even in great agony she did not reveal that I knew about her indiscretions so I thanked her the only way I knew how.”
“How?”
“I ended her suffering.” Ba’al answered carefully concealing the truth, he had no intentions of releasing Egeria and allowing her to affect the balance of power amongst the Goa’uld. “She was unrecognisable and already dying from the brutality forced on her. Ra intending to beat and torture her for many days on end but I convinced him that he had caught her in time and that she could no longer betray him. He accepted and ended her life, she thanked me for my compassion and went willingly.” Malek’s face fell and Ba’al quickly thought of a way to keep his Malek thinking of him as a friend. “I knew of your birthing world and I protected its location for some time.”
Malek’s eyes widened and he stared at Ba’al with a confused expression. “Why, you made it clear that you do not like the Tok’Ra?”
Play on his heartstrings.
Ba’al smiled a forlorn smile and he watch Malek’s eyes widen as the Tok’Ra took in the unusual expression that was never worn by a Goa’uld. “She was my Queen and despite it all I loved her. You may not be Goa’uld but you are my Queen’s children and unlike the other Goa’uld that is the reason I stay my hand. However I cannot afford to show true compassion because it will be seen as a weakness by the others and as much as I love my Queen I like my life more.” Malek chuckled a little at that and Ba’al relaxed knowing that the worst of the conversation was over. “But you don’t want to know about her death, you want to know of her beauty, so I shall tell you how I saw her when we last spoke all those years ago.”
Ba’al may have exaggerated a little bit but Malek did not realise his lies because the child wanted and needed to believe his Queen was the most beautiful compassionate being in the world. As he wove his elaborate tale he managed to get Malek to lower his guard until the Tok’Ra was practically lying in his arms. It was infuriating to have what he wanted so close, it would have been easy to take his unsuspecting underling but Ba’al knew it would be sweeter when Malek pleaded to be owned and possessed so he willed his erection away and kept his arms by his sides.
Morning came much too soon and his Tok’Ra quickly evacuated Ba’al’s arms when he noticed their position, fortunately Malek did not seem terrified of the closeness just nervous and a little uncomfortable. Ba’al said nothing and merely instructed that Malek be ready to deal with another long day dealing with idiotic Goa’ulds.
Sokar was already in the meeting room, as was Lord Yu which was rather surprising. Ba’al greeted them politely with a small indistinguishable nod whereas Malek bowed slightly showing his underling stasis to the more powerful Goa’uld. Ba’al silently ordered Malek to stand quietly and un-noticeably behind Ba’al’s chosen seat whilst Ba’al circled the room and briefly spoke to the key players in this meeting.
Sokar approached Ba’al some moments later. “Your underling, I have heard rumour of him yet I cannot ascertain his origin.”
Ba’al raised a brow. “You have been watching me? Should I be offended or amused.” He asked.
Sokar glared. “Answer the question.”
Ba’al mock sighed. “He is a gift if you must know. One of my underlings wished to earn a greater title then she already had so she found a slave whom would not only be attractive but skilled at politics and then found a symbiote who’d willingly do my bidding. I confess for the first few years I did not trust him but his appearance is pleasing to the eye and he has since proven himself a reliable underling and earned a greater title then the one who sent him to me.”
Sokar hummed. “I would suggest you watch your court carefully.”
Ba’al met Sokar’s gaze head on. “Is that a threat?”
“No merely a friendly warning.” Ba’al mentally snorted, there was no such thing as a friendly warning from a Goa’uld. Sokar was up to something or knew something. It was quite likely that Sokar had captured a Tok’Ra and learned of Malek but not of Malek’s true identity, either that or Sokar’s spies had overheard some rumours indicating Ba’al had a leak. It seemed Ba’al had to clean out his own court and then reiterate his deal with the Tok’Ra, if they continued to put him at risk he would simply cut Malek off all together and keep the youngling as his pet.
“You seem to have some ideas on how to deal with these human slaves and Tok’Ra traitors, should I be suspicious that you know so much or should I listen to your advice?”
Ba’al laughed. “Do I look a fool? I am a God! I would not bow to any slave, Tok’Ra, Jaffa or human. Like you I have spies and informants and I have learned much from the information they give me. The humans are easy enough to deal with, the addresses they have lead mostly to Apophis’s worlds; if they spread further it is because they got the addresses from Apophis’s temples. If Apophis was wise enough he will have the gates guarded and anyone not Goa’uld or Jaffa should be shot on sight. As for the Tok’Ra, it is my belief that there are very few of them, the best method for exterminating them is to open our eyes and ears and search. If there is any suspicious activity or if information is getting out to enemy forces we will know that one of underlings or Jaffa may potentially be a rebel Jaffa or Tok’Ra.”
Apophis and Nirrti arrived then and Sokar chose not to say anything further as they took their designated seats. The gathered Goa’uld sat quietly for several moments waiting for conversations to end and taking a few precious moments to keep their self-control and patience. Finally Apophis spoke and it was clear his words pained him. “From our conversations yesterday I have had much to think about. I now believe that Ba’al may indeed be correct and that my court is corrupted, I will begin to take preventative measures immediately. But we still face the question that brings us here today. How do we deal with this Tok’Ra threat?”
Nirrti snorted. “This is no threat. The Tok’Ra are about as effective as the humans would be. They use subterfuge because there are so few of them, why else would they hide in the shadows and try to play us against each other? The answer is simple, we are too large a number and too powerful a force for them to fight.”
“Yes, but we must not become overconfident. We do not know how long these Tok’Ra have been working against us and we do not know if they have a breeding Queen.” Sokar replied logically. “Their numbers could increase exponentially within a short time.”
“Then we must exterminate them before they can grow.” Nirrti answered. “We cannot allow them to thrive and mess with the natural order. The Goa’uld will win, it will always be so and we will ensure that these weak fools learn not to mess with us.”
“And how should we do this?” Ba’al demanded. “How do we kill them all when they are hidden? If we are to exterminate them we must know their location and we must know their natures. They could be solitary symbiotes who work alone or they could be a clan, we do not know if they gather in one large group of stay apart for we know nothing of them. We cannot talk about solutions until we have all the information required to make a solution. Do we have names of notable Tok’Ra? Do we have knowledge of their hosts?”
“I can answer this.” Sokar replied. “There are a few notable Tok’Ra who have been around for quite some time. In fact a few showed up shortly around the time of ‘her’ death.” ‘Her’ being Egeria of course, even Sokar avoided the name because of the disgust it bought. “Garshaw of Belote, Per’sus and one named Selmak are the most notable by far. Garshaw caused some trouble many years ago but we believe her to be dead after a mass hunt for her. Per’sus is considered a leader to the Tok’Ra though no one knows for sure and Selmac was the personal underling for ‘her’ whilst visiting Jolinar’s territory. Oh and we cannot forget Jolinar herself who has betrayed her very nature alongside our Queen.”
“So we have four names, this is a start.” Lord Yu commented.
“Perhaps.” Ba’al agreed. “But it is not enough. If we truly want to end this rebellion before it starts we need more then names, we need locations, plans not just theories.”
“And what would you suggest?” Apophis asked.
Ba’al smirked. “Well since you seem to have the most problems it is fair to say that you have a Tok’Ra spy within your court. Find them, interrogate them and narrow down the number of Tok’Ra and their potential location. If they gather in one place we can eliminate them in one blow.”
“Yes but that plans relies on us working together.” Nirrti commented.
Precisely.
Ba’al’s host was very, very amused, Fróði knew no Goa’uld would willingly work with another for long. Ba’al knew it too, no one would willingly ally themselves to Apophis leaving Apophis to deal with this threat alone. If this worked out well Apophis’s forces would be greatly weakened and Ba’al could then move in and claim more territory, but the success of such a plan rested on the arrogance of the other Goa’uld and Apophis’s pride.
“No.” Apophis answered predictably. “If the Tok’Ra see us allying ourselves together they will think we are too weak to handle them alone and spew lies about how we are not Gods to the slaves. I will deal with the traitor alone and eliminate the Tok’Ra within my domain.”
“So you wish to take on the Tok’Ra alone when you have not even been able to handle a few rogue slaves?” Lord Yu demanded. “Am I to trust you can deal with this rebellion as well as you handled the escaping slaves?” Apophis visibly coloured at this rebuke.
“Yu is right.” Nirrti answered. “The Tok’Ra may not be a huge threat but I will not leave their extermination to a fool like you. If you can’t handle a few humans you clearly can’t handle a few Tok’Ra. I suggest you leave the big jobs to ones more capable.”
“I will not be spoken to with such disrespect.” Apophis hissed.
“And I am supposed to fear you?” Nirrti retorted. “You allowed humans to escape with hundreds of slaves, you even allowed your first prime to betray you! Do you really think I’d fear one who cannot even control his own underlings?”
“Silence!” Sokar demanded. “I will not listen to your whining any longer! My domain is clear, as is Lord Yu’s and Ba’al has had no recent trouble. I assume many are also happy in the knowledge that their domains are untouched.” The gathered Goa’uld muttered their agreements before Sokar continued. “Then the responsibility rests in Apophis’s hands. As it stands Apophis has the most leaks and is clearly the weakest amongst us.” Apophis opened his mouth to argue but Sokar pinned him with a glare. “You have one chance Apophis, either you deal with this Tok’Ra threat or I will.”
“I…”
Sokar did not allow Apophis to answer. “If you cannot handle this small rebellion then you are unworthy of your title and rights to be in this council. I will not sit here and listen to one who cannot handle a few human slaves and whilst you are so easily defeated your words will mean nothing in this room.”
“As entertaining as this is we still have a few more issues to cover before we can call this meeting to an end.” Ba’al stated. “If Apophis fails to end this rebellion which I have no doubt he will then we need to be prepared. With Apophis’s first prime on the Tau’ri’s side they have access to Jaffa knowledge and therefore they know of a few of us. If I am correct Apophis’s first prime is named Teal’c and Teal’c father was an underling of Cronus was he not?” Apophis bowed his head in agreement. “Then the humans know of Cronus and his territories for sure.” Ba’al concluded.
“Then we must put precautions into place.” Nirrti answered. “Our Jaffa should guard the gates protecting our most important worlds. Human slaves should be restricted to their worlds and escorted by Jaffa and Goa’uld underlings when they are needed.”
“Wise precautions indeed.” Sokar answered. “And that brings us to the final issue. The humans. Whilst they are human slaves they do seem to be outsmarting one of us. Now that does not speak highly of Apophis but it also indicates that these slaves are potentially quick-witted and overconfident. Such arrogance must be crushed before they openly challenge our authority.”
“Make them hosts.” Apophis replied. “We can gather information on their soldiers and strongholds and begin taking over their puny little world. We will crush their rebellion from within.”
Ba’al snorted. “And I suppose you wish me to rely on you to prevent the human rebellion? Are we not talking about the same humans who strode from one of your strongholds with you first prime and straight to the Chaapa’ai? Forgive my scepticism but you are not the one to prevent this and I have no faith in you and your overconfident words.”
“We shall give him his chance.” Lord Yu stated firmly. “I will not be involved in Apophis’s mistakes. He allowed these humans to escape and he must be the one to capture and punish them. Should he fail or should they find themselves in my domain I will deal with them, until then they are his problem.”
“You are correct, I will not be dragged down with this fool; he is on his own.” Nirrti commented.
“So we have come to an agreement.” Sokar asked. “We shall allow Apophis the chance to deal with these rebellions until they spread into our domains.” The gathered Goa’uld gave their agreements. “Do not be surprised if we are called together once more, I do not have faith in Apophis’s ability to handle such a simple task.”
The fury on Apophis’s face was amusing to see but Ba’al interrupted before Apophis could argue his case. “Yes let him deal with his mistakes, I will ensure I am free in a years’ time for another meeting.” The Goa’uld smirked at the obvious insult, a year was a very short passage of time for creatures that had lived thousands of years, the idea that Apophis would fail in so short a time was laughable and insulting to the Goa’uld in question.
Sokar smirked. “There is one last thing I believe we should discuss. I believe it was stipulated that only system lords would be present in these meetings and yet I see a few have bought their underlings. Next time these underlings will be killed, bring only your lo’tars. I have overlooked it this time because this meeting was rather unimportant and pointless but next time remember the rules.” Ba’al could have smirked but instead he bowed his head in agreement, he had of course known this rule, the Tok’Ra had not and now he could simply keep his pet in the dark and the Tok’Ra would be in the dark as a result. Sokar nodded his head with a smirk. “ Then this meeting is adjourned. We have no more to speak of.” The devil raised his hand and a short while later to human servants wandered in with a large water pot with Goa’uld symbiotes inside. As one the Goa’uld rose and stood around the tank, one by one a system lord picked out a Goa’uld and held them in the air as they squealed. Once all had claimed their prey the system lords met each other’s eyes before eating their respective meals. With the final act done the system lords cleaned their chins of blue blood and parted ways, the peace would remain until each lord were in their respective territories.
Malek was suspiciously quiet as they returned to their vessel and prepared to leave. The young Tok’Ra was watching Ba’al with wary eyes. Ba’al waited patiently and calmly allowing Malek to feel safe enough to state his thoughts. “You ate another of your kind.” Ba’al hid an amused smile at this; his little one didn’t like the act of cannibalism.
“It is a tradition that goes back all the way to the beginning of our rule. We do not like challenges to our authority, we use other Goa’uld to control the Jaffa but they are not entitled to rule. The act of eating an unblended underling is to show that we are the top Goa’uld and no other Goa’uld will outrank us.” Ba’al explained patiently.
“It’s wrong.”
Ba’al glanced to the side. “Is it? After all we are eliminating a few Goa’uld are we not?”
“But to eat one another.”
“You’re thinking in human terms, little one, we are not human. There is no such thing as incest, cannibalism and such in Goa’uld society, we simply are what we are to survive and become more powerful.” Ba’al stated. “Over time you will come to understand and learn this.”
“I am not sure I want to learn.”
Ba’al smiled reassuringly. “You will not have to do anything like eating the Goa’uld, that is simply a tradition for Goa’uld court and since you are distantly related to the Goa’uld it is not truly incest. If you were to mate with myself for example you will not consider me a brother since our code of life is so different.”
“Do you want me to mate with you?”
Careful, the wrong answer and we lose everything.
Ba’al smiled and met Malek’s eyes. “I would be lying if I said you were not attractive and I would also be lying if I said I had not considered it, but you are not here to warm my bed, you are here to learn the ways of the Goa’uld at my side.” Malek visibly relaxed as he turned away making Ba’al smirk, this little Tok’Ra was too easy, too compassionate, eventually Ba’al would correct these faults but for now they were superb weaknesses that Ba’al intended to take advantage of. “I suggest you go rest little one, it will be some time before we reach my Ha’tak and I know you are tired from these past few days.” Malek clearly needed some alone time for the relief on his face was obvious, the little Tok’Ra bowed quickly before fleeing the control room.
It was fascinating that Egeria made her spawn so weak, he knew she had been compassionate to humans but this level of sympathy was just plain ridiculous. What else about the Goa’uld had Egeria painted in a bad light when she had given them their genetic memory? How much could Ba’al get away with before Malek knew he was being manipulated? Or could Ba’al really push his luck and still get away with it? It was clear Egeria had left much of the Goa’uld intuition out of her spawn, so it was a good assumption that Malek had no idea about Ba’al’s plans.
If the child was as weak and as stupid as he seemed Ba’al’s plans would succeed much sooner than he had envisioned. It was time to move onto the next stage, as his most loyal underling it would not raise any questions if Malek had a room near to Ba’al and if Malek shared a room with Ba’al then the other Goa’uld would make the correct assumption that Ba’al completely owned his underling. If Ba’al manipulated the Tok’Ra just enough Malek’s idea that Ba’al was an ‘evil Goa’uld’ would be replaced by Ba’al being one of the few ‘trustworthy Goa’uld’s’. Once he had earned his little ones trust it would be quite easy to turn Malek against his kin for they had already turned against him, Ba’al merely had to cut off contact between the two and whisper suspicions into the Tok’Ra’s ear. Yes, in time Malek would condemn the Tok’Ra himself, all Ba’al had to do was wait, that is all Ba’al ever needs to do.
He will be ours.
Ba’al chuckled darkly, his host was sending some really, really interesting dark thoughts and some were truly inspiring. Hmmm, he may have to try that one involving the host as well as their little symbiote, it looked fun.
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