A Stargate Short Story

One Letter of Many

Samantha,

     Just recently I had quite the near razor. (Is that the idiom you use?) As I have told you in previous letters, I've been working with the Tollan Rebellion against Anubis. My most recent mission was the gathering of a certain mineral for use in the Rebellion's pistol-like weapons we've been developing. On my mission I was accompanied by two other agents, whose names, voices, and faces I do not know for security, as you know. I can tell you that one was female and the other male, and that is sufficient difference for narration.

     When we neared the mine we were supposed to extract the mineral from, my companions were able to jump several Jaffa guarding the entrance, allowing me to slip in. Our intelligence stated that the mine was loosely guarded because the mineral was of no use to Anubis and his underlings. Unfortunately, we were evidently misinformed, for as soon as I stepped into the mine, I spotted at least 30 Jaffa. I turned back to the entrance when I was sure of their strength, but I was almost immediately grabbed from the side. My mouth was covered with what I can only assume was a drugged cloth, and I passed out. Why my captors did not merely shoot me, I can not be certain, but my guess is it was done for stealth so as to not alert my companions outside.

     Some time later, though I'm not sure how long, I regained consciousness. However, I was restrained and all I could see was stone. My first thought was that I had been captured by the Jaffa, but then I thought they probably would have killed me. Then again, I countered, they may interrogate me as I am rather high in the ranks of the Rebellion. I strained my head to look at my body, and I was in Goa'uld restraints. I looked to my sides, but found neither of my fellow agents.

     Hope told me that my companions had escaped, but my senses told me otherwise when a voice commented on the fact I was awake. Footsteps circled to my side and I found a man standing next to me. Despite the fact that I was in the restraints of the 'snake-heads' as your friend Colonel O'Neill calls them, the man who now stood over me wore the garb of neither the Goa'uld nor the armor of the Jaffa who serve them.

     I remarked on this, but the man told me not to worry about who he was and called several Jaffa to bring in someone. Fear nagged me and told me that it was one of my friends, while reason added to my list of things I knew about this man. Soon, my misgivings proved themselves true when a female in the Rebellion's suit was brought in: the same one that had accompanied me. The man informed me that she had been outside the mine and that if I did not inform him of the progress of any weapons in development, he would torture not only me but my fellow agent as well.

     As you know, I am one of the few scientists in the Rebellion. Most of us are a brave few politicians and common folk, and the scientists are those that develop any weapons we use. Most of my people's weapons were either ineffectual or destroyed when Anubis came. Thus, I must work on weapons whenever I am not gathering intelligence or helping with strategic hits. This man evidently knew this, and began questioning. When I didn't answer, both my fellow prisoner and I were tortured with devices of Tollan origin. Though the pain jarred me, this piqued my curiosity.

     Once again, I was questioned on our weapons and forces. I wasn't going to say anything, but a Jaffa made a move with the Tollan equipment. For your benefit, I will explain to you a bit more about these devices. They were originally created for electrifying a certain compound used in some of our other technology. Here, they electrified us instead, much like their pain sticks. Instead of answering his question, I asked one: I asked why he wasn't using pain sticks.

     The man smirked at this, and casually replied that he knew more about the Rebellion than I may think. My companion and I received quick zaps for my insolence. I was questioned for a bit longer, then taken to an old refining room along with the female agent. I remarked that it was strange that our fellow agent was not with us, and my companion answered that she, too found this strange: the third member of our party could not have gotten away as they were jumped at the same time. She did say that in her bleared, half-conscious vision she did not see a cloth over the other agent's mouth.

     My conclusion did not dawn for a little while, and we turned our thoughts to escape. She had some explosives hidden in various places about her, as did I though in smaller quantity, and we determined after some deliberation that we would use some of it when the Jaffa came for us next and the rest to get our way out. However, I feared that would not be enough. I had a small prototype version of the pistol technology we had been working on in the cuff of my sleeve on my left wrist. Unfortunately, we did not have the mineral to power it that was required.

     When I voiced this, my companion reminded me that we were in a mine for that very reason. Yet, I rebutted her comment, bringing to her attention the fact that procuring more would severely complicate escape. She offered to procure some more once we escaped the patrol. Reluctantly, I agreed to this, and as we prepared our explosive my thoughts fell once more to the identity of our captor. At this moment, the answer settled on my mind like a fallen ship in the sea.

     I realized that the identity of our captor was none other than our fellow agent. I revealed my thoughts to my companion and we both were quite shocked. We did not have long, though, for the tramping of the boots of the Jaffa were just barely audible. We scrambled to finish readying our explosives and were done just in time. We each had a hand-held explosive, much like your grenades. When they opened the door we were behind one of the refining tables and we threw them towards the Jaffa, incapacitating them immediately.

     We knew we did not have much time before other Jaffa came, so we crept back to the main cave in the shadows. We began planting explosive around the cave, splitting up as we did so. Several times I was sure I would be caught, but each time luck was on our side. We planted explosive in several strategic places, and together they would act powerfully against the Jaffa. I was just about done, and was waiting as near the entrance to the mine as I dared, when I overheard my companion getting caught.

     She had just completed gathering enough mineral for my prototype only when the traitor himself caught her with four or five other Jaffa. With a shout, she tossed a bag of the mineral to me and I caught it, loading it as quickly as I could. She told me to get out and to detonate the charges we had planted, but I had to try to save her. Jaffa began closing in as I attempted to fire the weapon, only to find that it hadn't worked. Fortunately, I had not closed the capsule for the mineral, and I took aim again.

     This time an energy bullet struck the double agent and he fell. Jaffa were everywhere, and I had to blow the explosive. My fellow agent told me to do it and that she would be right behind me. Reluctantly, I pressed the trigger, causing explosions all around the cave. I got out, but my comrade only got so far before a cave in collapsed on her. She was still alive, with a broken bone or two, but an al'kesh was nearing the mine.

     I worked quickly and finally managed to get her free. The al'kesh had landed and I struggled to help my fellow agent out of sight. At last, we got to a safe hold, where she thanked me. I never knew her name, and she never knew mine, but I was glad she was safe. She is currently recovering and we are searching for another mine of the mineral. The Rebellion screened all its members and several more leaks and the like were discovered.

     For the moment, we are safe, but a new challenge will arise. I hope you have been more successful in your fight against the Goa'uld. Perhaps someday, someone will rid our galaxy of these tyrants and we may live in peace.

          Until next time, Samantha,

          Narim of Tollana