Being a man was very unsettling. Of course, since we had spent the better part of eight millennia as a female, this is understandable. When we thought about it, we realized that switching gender was actually a pretty good idea. Seth was a creature of habit, and since he had spent the last eight thousand years looking for a woman, it stood to good reason that he wouldn't stop now. If he laid eyes on us himself, he would know immediately, but his underlings would look right past us.
That didn't make it any less disconcerting.
The Northmen called us Aegir, god of water. The other "gods" only had holographic human form. In reality, which the Northmen never saw, they were small and grayish pink. They spoke a language quite unlike anything we had ever heard, but it did not take us very long to learn it. Necessity is a very good teacher.
They did not use the Stargate, though they knew that wormholes existed. We told them much about the technologies used by the Goa'uld in exchange for the shelter they gave us.
When we informed them that the Earth 'Gate was closed, but that Ra might one day return to take his revenge in ships, they decided to would take some humans themselves and set them up on distant planets. That way, if Ra destroyed the planet, the human race would survive.
The world grew more civilized. A baby was born far away, close to the land where we had hidden our legacy, and his coming was much heralded. Emissaries came from that southern land and were much affronted by their northern kindred.
And also, there came a being known as Grendel.
We recognized him immediately, of course, and he us. So the Asgard gave us a ship and we fled the home we had grown to love. We left behind our beloved Isis, condemned to an eternity in a jar we could not free her from, and we left behind her son's descendants.
But as the stars flew past, we knew we had done well. When we found the planet Pangara, we knew we could make a home here. And when Ra's forces closed in around us, and they separated host from symbiote, we knew that we had gotten the last word.
For just before his arrival, we spawned our offspring: those who would rise against Ra.
-------
Perhaps the most annoying thing about P-whatever this planet was designated, was that the sun hadn't moved yet. Jack was aware that there was a perfectly logical explanation for this. The same face of Earth's moon always shone down on the planet it orbited, and the same face of Mercury always pointed at the sun. Carter had once tried to explain it to him, a long time ago on one of their very first missions. Jack had been paying attention to other things at the time. Since Jack instinctively looked all around him when something odd happened, one of the first things he noticed after the explosion of Ma'at's sitting room was that not only had the sun not moved, the clouds hadn't either. That threw logic out the window. Ancients, he decided, had no respect for anything.
"We have to go." Halleigh said quietly.
"Where?" said Sam.
"I don't know." Jack wondered absently why people with otherworldly knowledge always spoke in such an infuriatingly calm tone. At least she was still using contractions. "But I know how to get there."
"Uh, so do I, Jack," Daniel said.
"What?"
"There's only seven symbols left on the DHD," Daniel said. Sam strode over to have a look. "There's only one place we can go."
"He's right, sir." Sam ran her fingers over the blank sections of the DHD. "Unless we dial our manually, but somehow I doubt that will work."
Jack kicked at what he was beginning to doubt was the grass surrounding his feet, wishing, not for the first time, that people would stop meddling with his team. If Ma'at had just told him to go to the address, he would have gone. Well, there would have been an extended argument, involving a lot of sighing on his part, a lot of eye-rolling on Daniel's part, a lot of suppressed laughter on Sam's part and then Teal'c would get frustrated and make the decision for him, and then he would have gone. But no, she had to be all mysterious and pretentious. He hated being led around by the nose.
"Dial us out, Carter." He hated not making choices. "Teal'c, you and I go first. Carter and Daniel follow, and then Halleigh you're last. I don't want any surprises."
Sam didn't say anything out loud, but as she began to dial out, Jack could tell she didn't think the chances of that last part were very good.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Stargate was in a very odd position, tilted about thirty degrees to the left. Teal'c, who usually stepped through the 'Gate right foot first and held his staff in his right hand, was able to remain upright. Jack, who happened to have walked through left foot first was not so lucky. With a strangled curse, he collapsed on to the ground. A few seconds later, Sam and Daniel emerged and Daniel, predictably, fell over as well. Teal'c had the presence of mind to catch Halleigh as she stepped through and by the time the wormhole shut off, Jack and Daniel were back on their feet.
"What the hell was that?" Jack demanded, picking up his hat.
"It appears the alignment of the Stargate has shifted, O'Neill." It was almost impossible to say for certain, but Jack was reasonably sure the Jaffa was laughing at him.
"Carter?"
"We'll be able to dial home, sir," she replied. "Might be a bumpy landing though."
"I keep saying they should put padding down on the ramp, but Siler always tells me that the treads of the MALP would tear it up." Jack disconsolately put his hat back on. "Daniel, where are we going?"
"Uh, that way." Daniel said after a moment of confused squinting. "There's a temple up there. I think."
"It's a temple," said Halleigh, sounding quite sure of herself.
"How-" Jack cut himself off as Halleigh handed back his dislodged binoculars. "All right, we head for the temple."
Without speaking, the three military members of SG-1 fanned out, weapons ready, with Daniel and Halleigh behind. With his attention firmly on the rocky ground in front of him, Daniel wove his way around the moss covered rocks strewn across the path.
"Dr. Jackson," Halleigh said. "These stones are worked. I think they used to be a road."
"Jack," Daniel called ahead. "I don't think we want to walk here."
"What?"
"I, we, think that this used to be a road of some sort. Probably the Processional Way between the 'Gate and the temple. There must have been an Earthquake, and it was never repaired, but I still don't think we want to walk here."
Jack nodded and began to scan the side of the way for the best cover. The planet, on at least the viewable parts thereof, was covered in trees and the ground was spotted here and there with what appeared to be ferns. Arbitrarily, though he would never admit that, Jack selected the left and everyone followed him off of the road. Daniel kept half an eye on Jack, half on the ground at his feet, and the rest on the roadway, ever addicted to ancient architecture.
At the front, Jack held up his hand and everyone stopped. When he was sure that he had all of their attention, Jack motioned to get down, and crawl up beside him. The others crept up to the slight hill Jack was perched on for the lookout. Sam expelled her breath in a noiseless whistle.
The temple was in much better shape than it had appeared from the 'Gate. Its columns were in traditional Egyptian lotus style; tall and wide and covered in hieroglyphics. To Daniel and Halleigh, who knew something of how Egyptian temples should look like, it was fabulous. Jack thought it was a tad overdone, Sam was leaning towards downright garish and Teal'c was uncomfortably reminded of things past.
Sam's non-whistle, however, was not prompted by the architectural marvel in front of her. Rather, it was the four dozen or so staff weapon wielding Jaffa who stood in formation on the monumental staircase that led from the ground to the main temple platform.
"It's amazing," gasped Halleigh, unable to let the moment pass without saying something.
"I know," Daniel whispered back.
"Children," Jack rebuked them with a hiss, "Quiet."
"Sir, I really don't think we can deal with this many Jaffa," Sam pointed out, rather unnecessarily.
"Indeed, O'Neill." Teal'c agreed. "We should fall back."
"No, wait," Halleigh said. "We're supposed to do something here. Now."
"There are almost fifty Jaffa on those stairs!" Jack exclaimed, still whispering. "What do you suggest we do, talk to them?"
Daniel happened to be looking directly at Halleigh when Jack made his off the wall suggestion and he could not explain what he saw in her eyes.
"Yes, Colonel, we should talk to them. I know exactly what to say."
"What?" said Jack, and before he quite realized what was happening, Halleigh had stood and began walking towards the temple.
Somehow, though Halleigh did not appear to have quickened her pace, none of SG-1 managed to catch her before she reached the clearing in front of the temple. Halleigh strode nonchalantly into plain view of the Jaffa who guarded the great stairs. There was a moment wherein nothing happened. SG-1 stood, aghast, still concealed in the foliage, Halleigh stood calmly, her hands open at her sides, and the Jaffa on the steps waited for their orders.
"Jaffa! Kree!" barked the First Prime, the sunlight gleaming off his branded forehead.
As six Jaffa descended the steps towards Halleigh, Jack tensed, ready to spring into action. Daniel laid a hand on his arm and shook his head.
"No, Jack," he said. "She's right. This is supposed to happen."
Jack looked at him as though he too were crazy, and to be honest, Daniel wasn't entirely sure of his own sanity at that exact moment. But he had seen Halleigh's eyes, and he knew something of how the Ancients worked. This was supposed to happen.
The Jaffa had reached Halleigh now, and lowered their staff weapons at her. The First Prime should just outside of their circle.
"Who are you that would seek audience with my goddess?"
"Goddess?" hissed Jack in Daniel's ear. "There's a snake here?"
"Nephthys," Daniel hissed back. "That's her glyph, the basket and house."
"If I couldn't build a better house than that, I'd take up turnip farming."
"It's stylized, Jack."
"Colonel," Sam broke in, "Look!"
More Jaffa were coming down the steps. They had not been ordered and their movements were strangely wooden. It was as though they couldn't help but move closer to Halleigh.
"I do not come to worship your goddess, for she is false," Halleigh said. Her voice seemed somehow altered.
"Oh boy," said Jack. Again he readied himself to spring to Halleigh's defense and again Daniel stopped him.
"I came to see you." Halleigh continued.
"Why?" said the First Prime, not half as affronted as Jack expected him to be.
"Because I can give you something she cannot."
"What is that?"
"Derora." She said it only quietly, but it seemed to echo forever.
As Teal'c gasped, reaching unconsciously for his stomach, and the Jaffa on the steps wavered as though hit by a shockwave, a shriek emanated from the temple. Sam could only assume that the sound come from Nephthys, but she knew without a doubt that it was a cry of pure fury. Halleigh turned away from the temple and walked back towards the underbrush where SG-1 was concealed. The Jaffa let her pass without question, milling around and drifting away into the woods in twos and threes.
"What the hell was that?" Jack practically spat when Halleigh got close enough.
"I'm sorry Colonel, it was just something that had to be done." Halleigh had the grace to sound genuinely contrite.
"But what did you do?" Sam asked.
"She freed them," Teal'c said in an uncharacteristically awed tone. He inclined his head. "Halla."
"With one word?"
"That was Isis' gift Jack," Daniel explained, his tone too was awed. "She spoke the Word of Power and the enemies of the gods were quelled. Halleigh said 'freedom' and somehow, they were free."
"Time out," Jack cut in. "Are you telling me that all we have to do is trot this young lady out every time we run across a Jaffa and she'll take care of it for us?"
"No," said Halleigh. "It doesn't work that way."
"Of course it doesn't."
"I think it has something to do with Nephthys herself. I felt a surge of hatred and power just before I spoke."
"Sir!" Sam called, pointing towards the temple.
The unmistakable hum of Goa'uld technology powering up could be heard and felt. Whatever Nephthys was planning, it was going to be big.
"O'Neill!" yelled Teal'c over the increasing noise. "I do not think we should enter the temple. We should draw Nephthys out."
"And how do you propose we do that?"
"Oh my god!" Daniel exclaimed suddenly.
"What?" barked Jack.
"I am such an idiot."
"Daniel!"
"Seth!" Daniel was gesticulating wildly now, looking at Halleigh. "Seth was jealous of Osiris because Nephthys wanted Osiris over him. So he tricked Seth, killed him, and then Isis conceived Horus only to be betrayed again by Nephthys."
"Oh my god!" Halleigh said, her eyes wide as realization dawned on her.
"Is this required by your profession?" Jack demanded, but neither of the archaeologists were paying attention.
"Horus was supposed to take revenge!" Halleigh finished. "That's why Isis created him. My memories aren't to destroy the Goa'uld, they're for specific Goa'uld."
"You aren't Tok'ra, you're Tok'set." Jack looked around. "I can't believe I just said that."
"As soon as I'm in front of her, I'll remember the words."
"For sure?" Sam asked.
"Well no," Halleigh admitted. "Got a better idea?"
"Not really."
"How's your Ancient Egyptian?" Daniel asked.
"A bit sketchy, why?"
"Is it good enough to provoke a goddess into leaving her temple and coming out to face you?"
"Oh yes," Halleigh said grimly. "The first words you learn in any foreign language are the swear words, and most of them can be turned into insults. I can deal."
Halleigh walked back out to the clearing and mounted the stair. About half way up, she stopped and began to yell things in a language Jack could not understand. Teal'c's eyebrows raised up higher with each epithet, and Daniel became to turn darker and darker shades of pink.
"I take it she's not insulting the exterior decorator?" Jack said.
"No, not really," Daniel choked out.
"I do not think that Halleigh Madisen has a good grasp of human anatomy, Daniel Jackson. Much of what she says is physiologically impossible." Teal'c said. Daniel turned even pinker.
"Sir, shouldn't we cover her or something?" Sam asked pointedly.
"Right." Jack thought about it for a few moments. "Fan out. Carter, go left. Teal'c the right. Daniel, stay here with me. We break cover only on my signal, but be ready for anything."
As they deployed themselves, a voice began to scream back at Halleigh. It grew louder, and then the doors of the temple burst open. Standing on the threshold was a figure dressed in traditional Egyptian garb. Her eyes glowed and Sam instinctively raised her P-90, even though she knew that the Goa'uld would have a shield.
"Harceisis!" The goddess cried in her great and terrible voice. The few Jaffa who remained in the clearing quailed visibly. "You dare to come here? To disrupt my rule?"
"I should have thought that was fairly obvious," Halleigh replied. Teal'c wasn't positive, but he thought Halleigh risked a glance at him and winked.
"Your defiance means nothing to me," Nephthys shouted, fingering her hand device. "You are mortal, nothing in my eyes."
"Then stop me," Halleigh said.
"I will. I will end my idiot sister's treachery. I will end your pitiful life and the lives of those who would guard you. I will rule my domain unchallenged."
Halleigh turned her head a bit, trying to see Jack and Daniel, but not stupid enough to turn her back on the seething Goa'uld only a few steps above her.
"You're right, Colonel," she called out. "They do need drama coaches."
Nephthys began to climb down the stairs and Halleigh turned back to her, completely focused. Daniel craned his neck to see more than the back of Halleigh's head, but Jack pulled him back. On the steps, Halleigh closed her eyes and 10,000 years of memories flashed through her mind.
Ra was false. Ra was evil. Those who followed him were cruel. Those who stood against him, brave. Those who knew the words to speak held the power.
Her eyes opened and she beheld the goddess who would descend upon her.
"Sha'tok'ra!" she cried out in her own voice.
Nephthys smiled and extended her arm. The hand device began to glow.
"Sha'tokr'a!" she cried in the voices of her ancestors.
Nephthys took one more step down the grand staircase and laughed, her voice disdainful.
The last piece fell into place. The Taur'i were not against Ra, they were in spite of him.
"Sha're!"
And from her body burst forth a light so brilliant that none could look upon The Halla for all her glory. And the temple of the false goddess Nephthys was engulfed in the light, and the sound of her agonized screams filled the air. And the earth shook, and the rocks began to fall. And the light dimmed, and those who watched again beheld The Halla. And when the light went out, the temple was gone.
And The Halla collapsed upon the broken steps.