DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
Sam couldn't believed what she had just witnessed...
'Mr. Spock, indeed...' She thought, still gaping at her if-you-can't-see-it-it-ain't-real colonel.
Sam had felt a heaviness lift that she hadn't realized was not her own; Daniel's stress had evidently been seeping through to all of them. Its absence was a welcome relief until she realized that Daniel was still feeling it. The colonel's effort had simply strengthened the barrier Daniel was using to protect them.
She had no doubt that this mental battle was one which required great effort. Daniel was trembling, his face a mask of concentrated effort. The colonel looked severely drained, hanging limply from his chains, after only a few minutes of trying to bolster Daniel's failing strength.
Sam hadn't entirely understood the look that had passed between the colonel and Daniel, but she knew her young colleague well enough to read the inevitability in those expressive blue eyes...
Sam was startled from her thoughts by the sound of footsteps approaching the door.
The colonel stood up quickly, speaking quietly, but urgently. "Whatever happens, try to keep your minds clear. It's hard enough for him without us adding to it..."
The 'him' in question seemed to be gathering his scattered energies, preparing for what he, better than any of them, knew was coming.
Nirrti swept into the room grandly, a goddess in attitude, if not in aspect.
"I trust you have had time to reflect?"
Sam felt like Nirrti was speaking to all of them, but her eyes never strayed from Daniel. Sam had the distinct feeling that Nirrti had not expected to find Daniel doing quite so well.
As Nirrti ran a finger across the gash on Daniel's forehead, Sam felt a flicker of pain before the barrier snapped back into place. Nirrti seemed to notice it, too.
Calling two of her Jaffa, Nirrti directed them to hoist Daniel to his feet and hold him there. Grabbing Daniel by his hair, she raised his face and looked into the pained eyes. Sam could read the determination in Daniel's eyes, he wouldn't give in willingly...
A flash of gold was their only warning as Nirrti struck Daniel across the cheek, drawing blood once again. At that same moment, Sam felt the heaviness return a hundredfold, intermingled with physical and mental pain so intense that she felt her knees giveway. It took all of the discipline learned from her father's example on up until she herself had gone through Air Force training, all of the Tok'ra training she knew from Jolinar, everything she had ever learned about controlling her thoughts and emotions... not to cry out, to give voice to Daniel's mute pain.
Sam was marginally aware that Teal'c was straining against the chains that bound him, his muscular frame a study in agonized futility. The colonel...the colonel was standing arrow straight looking at Nirrti with a cold rage in his eyes that promised slow, unmerciful death...
Just as quickly Sam saw the mask settle back over the colonel's features; he was sublimating his own rage to protect Daniel.
Daniel was trying so hard to regroup, to recapture that fragile control. Sam saw the colonel close his eyes and knew what he was attempting to do...As she watched, Daniel seemed to stand a little straighter, his eyes regaining focus. Nirrti seemed enraged by this defiance, clearly she hadn't expected the Tau'ri to be capable of fighting her chosen weapon.
Nirrti tightened her hold in Daniel's hair."Fight as you will, in the end you will fail."
Daniel glared at Nirtti with all the dignified contempt he could muster, not wasting his energy on words she would ignore anyway.
Sam could see a cruel smile begin to form on Nirrti's pale face and felt her blood run cold. Before Sam could cry out a warning, Nirrti had activated her ribbon device...bearing down on Daniel with agonizing slowness...
The pain was like nothing Sam had ever known...echoing through Daniel's mind to all of them. Sam felt blackness threatening and knew that, for Daniel's sake, it would be best to give in to it.