Chapter Sixteen Summary: Sam succeeds in her attempt to seduce Martouf/Lantash. They do not object, and
they have a very pleasant lunch. General Hammond explains a little about Bastet, what they are facing, and who
and What a Katteri-enti is. Selmak is disturbed when he finds Merdwin at the SGC, knowing that if Merdwin is
there, then the threat to the Tok'Ra and the Tau'ri is not only very real, but that it is also very serious.

“Italics” – Symbiote-Host or Telepathic communications















Sam went willingly into Martouf's arms, and her body molded itself to his.  Their kiss was
a deep, sweet exploration and an exchange of unspoken words.  It was soft romantic
evenings and dark sensual nights.  It was sunshine, starlight, and jasmine on the warm
night air.  

Martouf moaned her name as his hands grasped her hips to hold her firmly pressed to
him, as his hips thrust and ground urgently against her, his shaft straining against the
material of his clothing.  
Much more of this and he would have a waking wet dream, he
thought, before his few coherent thoughts skittered out of reach.  

This woman in his arms was why he was alive.  She was his breath, his reason, and his
other half.  Her answering movements left no doubt that she agreed with his intentions.  
He hoped her thoughts matched his, and her reactions gave him hope that the match was
perfect.  He wanted to ask, but could not seem to form a sentence that made sense, so he
would just show her what she meant to him.  If she was not careful, she would cause him
to lose what little was left of his mind.  

As they stilled for a moment, Sam reached between them to stroke his erection through
the material of his leggings.  It caused her desire to flare even higher.  She could feel her
own wetness, how soaked she was.  Still locked together, and once more feverishly
exploring with their hands and mouths, they drifted towards the bed.  When they reached
it, they sank down onto it without breaking contact.  

Their mutual arousal would soon burn out of control if she did not stop them.  She wanted
their first time together as lovers to be perfect, not a quick tumble in a staff bedroom at
the SGC, but as his mouth continued to kiss her lips, then to nuzzle her ear and her
throat, the last coherent thought she had was that quick tumbles were nice.  Yeah, quick
tumbles, they could be very good indeed.  She replaced the perfect, extended lovemaking
she had envisioned as their first time by a picture of each of them overwhelmed with need
for one another.  Either way, she knew she would remember this time with him forever as
one of the most beautiful events of her life.  The event itself had become more important
than the incidentals that surrounded it.  

Someone was moaning.  She thought it was him, but soon became aware that it was both
of them.  She feverishly looked for a way to remove his uniform top.  She couldn’t figure it
out, and she couldn't rip it, so she used the only other alternative.  She began to push it
up.  As she did, her hands roved his rock hard stomach.  

She lightly raked her nails over his skin causing tiny bumps to rise as if he was chilled.  
Pulling her mouth away from his, she leaned down to place kisses on the exposed skin of
his abdomen.  She allowed her tongue to softly flick the skin, as she continued to kiss ever
upwards.  She was aware of the trembling that started soon after she had begun to use
her tongue and teeth to tease and nip him.  Her hands flew lightly over his skin, touching
him, stroking him, loving him.  When her fingertips contacted his nipples, she began to
roll them between her fingers before leaning forward to nip and lick them.  His trembling
increased, and his moans deepened.

He finally obliged her frantic pushing on his uniform tunic and removed it to give her full
access to his upper body.  Opening her mouth, she breathed on his skin, as she
alternated exploring his throat, his ears, his jaw, and his abdomen, with laving, biting
and suckling on his nipples.  As she enjoyed the feel of his skin under her lips, she
encountered the top of his uniform pants.  It didn’t take long to figure out the fastenings,
and within a few moments, he was naked before her.  

She couldn’t take her gaze from his glorious body.  Slender, but strong limbed, he was
wonderful.  She reached out slowly and took his manhood in her hand.  She heard his
gasp, and realized that he was holding his breath, as he watched her with a look of
wonder and awe on his face.  As if mesmerized, he watched as she firmly stroked him and
then leaned forward to place a kiss on the tip of his shaft.  As her tongue flicked out, and
swirled around the silky head of his lance, he almost lost his control.  He ground out her
name, as his hands gripped and twisted the comforter, and his hips bucked upwards.  

Gasping, he sat up and pulled her shirt over her head.  This time, with shaking hands,
she led his to the clasp of her bra.  A fast learner, he flicked it open as if he had dealt with
them all his life.  As his head dipped to worship those beautiful breasts with his mouth
and tongue, his hands reached for the fastening on her pants.  

She helped him as much as her trembling hands would let her.  He stripped the bottom
half of her clothes off in one easy move.  His hands were trembling as much as hers.  God,
she wished they had time to explore each other fully, but that would have to wait.  The
briefing could be called at any moment.  

“Samantha, my love, come to me.  Join with me; I need you so.”  The whispered,
strangled, words held all the emotion she could possibly want.  She continued to kneel
next to him, as she brought her hands back to his body.  When she leaned over once
again to begin her intimate exploration of his shaft, he slid his hand between her legs and
found the opening he was yearning to invade.  She moaned and spread her legs, as she
knelt beside him on the bed, giving him the access he wanted.

She gasped as he found the nub that was the source of her pleasure.  As the feelings
engulfed her, she took him into her mouth.  The feel of him was wonderful, and she loved
his slightly salty taste.  She moaned around his shaft and began a rhythm that matched
what his fingers were doing to her.  As he plunged them in and out, injecting them as far
into her as he could, she began to suck on him harder.  Suddenly, he removed his hand
and pulled her mouth away from him.  He was breathing heavily, panting as if he had run
a long distance.

He pushed her onto her back and leaning over her, his hand returned to the wet warmth
of the path to her womb.  Using his fingers in a rhythmic in and out motion, he brought
her ever higher only to stop once again.  He brought her to the very edge of release only to
remove his fingers, so that he could once again worship her breasts.  He suckled and bit
the nipples until they were glistening and red.  He tugged on them gently only to release
them again for his mouth to start the exquisite torture of licking, suckling, and biting all
over again.  

Soon his fingers found their way back to the hot wetness of her center, and his thumb
continued to tease the nub that could push her into orgasm.  It was not long before she
was thrashing wildly in his arms.  His mouth seemed to be everywhere.  His tongue, his
hands, his lips were driving her wild.  She wanted more.  She wanted him as wild as she
was.

Her hands found their way to his back and proceeded to caress him in the places and
ways Kat had shown and told her.  One of her hands moved from his neck to his
hardened manhood.  The other stroked his back using the same rhythm she was using on
his shaft.  He felt like steel covered in satin.  How something could be so very hard, and
yet, be so unbelievably soft and silky at the same time was a mystery she was doing her
best to investigate thoroughly.  

Soon, she heard his choked whisper.  His voice was husky and seductive, and he was, as
she had always heard in her dreams, speaking Goa’uld.  Even in her almost mindless
state, thanks to Daniel’s coaching, she was able to understand most of what he said.  It
was still nice when he repeated it in English, “Samantha, my love, I need you so much, so
very much.  Please.  I am drowning in my need for you.”

“Yes,” she breathed in return.  “I want all of you.  Now.  Now.  You are a part of me.”  
Then, in Goa’uld, for him, “I love you.  You are my heart.”

He settled himself between her legs, but then he stopped.  She looked at him, pleading
with her eyes and hands for him to come to her.  As he held himself away from her, it was
obvious he was controlling himself with great difficulty.  Still, he had to tell her and hear
her tell him.  He could not, would not, take this woman who meant so much to them,
unless he was sure she understood; they were pledging themselves to her for always.  

“Samantha, we must be sure you understand what you mean to us.  We wish to make our
pledge to you.  Will you accept our vows to you?”

“Yes," she whispered, “I will.”  She waited, almost afraid to breathe, to see what he wished
to say to her.  

He took a long shuddering breath.  “We love you, Samantha.  We will love you tomorrow
and all of the tomorrows that follow.  You are as the blood, which flows in our hearts, and
the spirit, which nourishes our souls.  You are the Blood of our Heart and the Beloved of
our Soul, now and for all eternity.  Come to us, my heart, and make us whole.”

“How beautiful.”  Her eyes filled with tears.  “I don’t know the exact words, but I will make
my vows to you from my heart, if you will accept them?”

“Yes, my heart, we will,” he whispered to her.  Then he waited with his love shining from
his eyes to hear her vows to him.

“I love you both, Martouf, Lantash.  I love you today, and I will love you all of my
tomorrows.  I feel you in my heart and in my soul.”  She looked into his eyes as she
whispered to him, “You are the Beloved of my Soul, and the Blood of my Heart, now and
for all eternity.  Come to me, my heart, and make me whole.”  

As she finished speaking, she reached for him to guide him to the doorway to the center of
her being.  Once there, he entered her warmth in one fierce forward plunge.  Both cried
out at the intensity of the feelings.  

They gazed at each other in wonder for a long moment before Martouf began to move in a
slow erotic rhythm, in and out, all the time murmuring words of love in both of their
languages.  Soon Sam’s hips, her legs wrapped tightly around him, urged him to increase
his strokes.  She whispered words of love and encouragement to him, and he willingly
complied.  

His eyes flashed, and Sam knew that Lantash had taken over to help prolong the
encounter.  She reached behind his back and placed her fingers on the one spot that Kat
had assured her would make her lover wild.  It was not long before his moans told her
that he was almost at the limit of what he could endure.  

She tightened her vaginal muscles and increased the pressure on his back as she raised
her head and grasped one of his nipples in her mouth.  She bit down lightly on his nipple,
as her other hand squeezed his buttocks.  

He was not proof against the assault on his senses.  He rocked ever faster.  Suddenly, he
cried out her name, as his control left him.  He heard Samantha’s answering cry, as she
allowed herself to find the release she so desperately wanted with him.  He heard her
calling for both of them, over and over and he realized she was crying.  He hoped it was
from the release, and not because he had hurt her in some way.  

Slowly, as his breathing began to slow somewhat and his body stopped trembling, he
raised himself on his forearms and looked at her.  “Did I hurt you, Samantha?”  He asked
quietly.  

She laughed softly through the tears.  “No, no.  You were wonderful.  As wonderful as you
have been in my dreams,” she said.  He nodded his acknowledgement of her reassurance,
and then Martouf came forward.

“You have dreamed about us?”  Martouf asked, almost shyly.

She nodded and said, still a little breathless, “More times than I can say.”  He smiled the
smile that she loved so much.  The one that made her want to hold him forever.  

“We, also, have dreamed about you.  Some of them were so real…” he left the sentence to
trail off as his face flushed with color unimpeded by Lantash.  

She whispered gently, “It is nice to know that I was not having those kinds of dreams
alone.”  He nuzzled her neck, as he rolled onto his back and took her with him.




As George Hammond walked into his office, he wondered what his old friend wanted to
talk to him about privately.  He hoped he could accommodate him, but he did not feel
optimistic.  He closed the door and turned to Jacob, “What was it you wanted to speak to
me about, Jacob?”  

“Well, I was serious when I said I was planning on staying for at least three weeks.  I was
going to ask you to assign Sam to look after Martouf.  In fact, I would like her to have some
time off to, ah, shall we say, see to him personally.  From what you said when we arrived, I
am assuming that will not be happening any time soon.”

George sighed deeply, “True, Jacob, but I am sure we can arrange a few days here and
there.  SG-1 will not require the same amount of training time the other units will.  Of
course, you and Martouf will probably be assigned to SG-1, since you have worked closely
together before.”  He paused as if searching for words.

Jacob took the opportunity to speak up, “So, George, what happened yesterday that
changed the purpose of our meeting so drastically, and what is this about people and
luggage invading the SGC?”  He asked.

George grimaced.  “I have to assume that you have heard of a System Lord called Bastet?”  
He began speaking, only to have Jacob’s eyes flash, as his posture became stiff and taut.  
He raised his eyebrows.  Evidently, something about Bastet set Selmak off to the point that
Jacob was no longer in the conversation.  He had never seen Selmak react this way to
anything.

“We are aware of Bastet.  We are, in fact, in the process of determining who to send to
infiltrate her ranks.  We recently discovered that she has taken up residence on a long
abandoned world.  We are not sure why she has gone there, but we consider her actions
disturbing.  This is not the first time that Bastet has sequestered herself on an abandoned
world.  Our experience leads us to believe that she is in the process of planning a major
campaign once more,” Selmak explained to General Hammond.

Forgetting the symbiote’s exceptional hearing, General Hammond muttered under his
breath, “You could probably call it that.”  He nodded his head as he said in a normal tone,
“You may not want to send anyone to infiltrate, Selmak.  There is no point in putting your
people at risk when there is no need to do so.  As things stand right now, we are receiving
information from someone within her ranks.  The information we received yesterday
afternoon is the reason our meeting objectives changed.  What was to have been a simple
sharing of information is about to become, if you agree, a joint mission to take care of her
permanently.”

Selmak stared at him for a moment before saying, crisply, “That is an impressive
objective, General Hammond.  You do realize that what you are suggesting would be
extremely difficult, and the achievement of your goal highly unlikely.  It is not exactly easy
to infiltrate a Goa’uld stronghold and kill the System Lord without being detected,” he
stated sardonically.  Then he continued, probably at Jacob’s urging, to ask, “Could you
perhaps tell us why we should consider it at this particular time?”       

The General nodded and agreed, “We are not unaware of the difficulties involved in this
venture; unfortunately, we have very little, if any, choice in the matter.  The information
we received yesterday does not leave any wiggle room, other than the eight weeks lead
time that I mentioned.”  George Hammond sighed quietly before telling him, “Selmak, we
have ten to twelve weeks, at most, before she attacks both the Tok’Ra and Earth.”  He held
up a hand, as Selmak looked ready to speak.  “Yes, we are sure of this.  We have
absolutely no reason to disbelieve our source.  I understand you are acquainted with a
race called the Furling?”

“Yes,” was the rather abrupt reply and if possible, Selmak became even more solemn, stiff,
and unmoving.  

“Do you trust them?”  General Hammond asked, wondering at the terseness of Selmak’s
reply and the added tenseness in his posture.

“Without question,” Selmak’s response was swift and sure and his tone was firm and
definite.  There was not a hint of reserve, uneasiness, or hesitance in his answer.  

Hammond nodded with relief at the firm tone and acceptance.  Putting his hands on his
desk and leaning toward Selmak, he made firm and steady eye contact as he told him,
“They are the source of our information.  Our original request of a meeting with you was to
inform you that we recently met the Furling through the Asgard, Thor.  We felt you should
know that they were going to be infiltrating many of the System Lords against which both
you and we are ranged.  They also hope to be able to send a few of their Warriors to help
with the war against the Goa’uld.”    

They are already sending any intelligence they gather that could prove beneficial to us, as
well as to the Tok’Ra, and they will be sending a few Warriors to help with this mission,”
George Hammond said quietly.  “They are keeping us informed of any changes in her
plans.  The agent that supplied the information is theirs.  There really is no question of
if
there will be a mission, Selmak, the only question is exactly when it will take place and
who will be involved in it.”  He straightened and looked down at his desk briefly before
returning his gaze to Selmak’s face.  He had one more piece of information to give him,
and it was perhaps the hardest to deliver.  Finding an infiltrator in your midst was never
pleasant.  Sighing silently, he hesitated for a moment more before saying, frankly, “One
more thing you need to know.  You have a spy on your base, Selmak.  His name is
Torleck.”

George Hammond did not know how Selmak could possibly stand any more quietly and
yet, as the General told him about the spy, he appeared to become completely and
absolutely still, before breathing deeply and asking, “You are sure of this, General
Hammond?  There can be no doubt whatsoever?”

“If, as you say, you trust the word of the Furling, then the answer to both of your questions
is a definite yes.  Is there any way you can inform Garshaw, without alerting the spy, of
what is transpiring?  The main reason we did not send another message yesterday was
that we wanted your arrival here to look like a long postponed unimportant meeting.  If
you had already decided to take three weeks here as R&R, and he is aware of that, it is
even better.”

Selmak looked thoughtful.  “In fact, the one called Torleck was standing near us when we
took our leave of Garshaw and Yosef today.  We discussed the fact that we had not had
any time to rest for many months, and that we were looking forward to this time here with
Jacob’s family.  Jacob was joking with Garshaw that we might extend it for another
month.  That bit of humor on Jacob’s part could now prove to be very useful.”  He paused
for a moment before continuing, “You are correct in that there is no reason to send one of
our operatives into that viper’s den if there is already some poor soul within it.  As for
contacting Garshaw, I will have to give some thought to how we might accomplish that and
keep her from sending someone to infiltrate unnecessarily.  Ideally, we could get her here
for some reason, but I have no thoughts on what excuse we might give.  Perhaps an
excuse will come to us as we learn more of what is happening.

Obviously abandoning that train of thought, for the time being, he then said, “General,
you said that SG-1 would not need as much training as the other units.  Why is that?”

“SG-1 has had a Furling Warrior with them for several weeks.  You and Martouf will need
to do some training, but I imagine you will both catch on to the linking easily.  Have you
ever had occasion to do that before?”

Selmak nodded, and assured him, “Yes, although Lantash has more experience than I.  
He is very adept at it actually, and at one time was capable of opening and maintaining a
link on his own.  He,” Selmak stopped speaking abruptly, then after a moment, he began
again, but very softly, almost as if he was talking to himself, “he stopped using the ability
over a hundred years ago.  I did not remember that; I had forgotten how very
distrau…well, that is unimportant.”  He blinked as he returned from somewhere in the
past.  He gazed at the General and stated, more strongly, “The answer to your question
about our ability to mind-link is as I asserted.  Both of us have done so many times
before, and I anticipate no difficulty in recalling how to use one or in resuming to use
one.”   

General Hammond nodded, and then reached for his phone.  “Thirty minutes for lunch?”  
He looked up and questioned, before he placed the call.  

“Would an extra thirty minutes make a difference, General?”  Selmak inquired, while a
small smile played around his lips.  “From what I have gathered during our discourse,
they will have little time in the near future,” he added softly.  

General Hammond grinned at Selmak, nodded his agreement, and proceeded with his call
to Sergeant Davis.  “Sergeant Davis, wait for one hour, and then announce a briefing for
SG-1.  General Carter, Selmak, and I are going to lunch, and we will start after we
return.”  As he hung up, he turned back to Selmak and commented, “We do have some
packets of information for you.  I will get them as soon as we get back.”

“All right,” Jacob replied, assuming control as Selmak released to him, so that he could
ruminate about the situation without interruption.   He was extremely disturbed at the
news, but not actually surprised, and he realized that, somewhere in his subconscious
mind, he had expected this.  He believed that Lantash did as well.  Lantash.  Dear
Goddess of the Universe, what would this do to him?  How would he respond, when the
past was brought so close to the present, and he was once again faced with a life and
death situation brought about by that…that, he could not find a word bad enough to
describe her.   

For a second, he considered sending Lantash and Martouf back to the tunnels before they
found out, but realized less than a nanosecond later that he was with Samantha and
probably already knew at least the basic facts.  He sighed to himself.  If the Universe was
smiling on him, then they would not know the Katteri Warrior sent here to the SGC.  
There was really no reason to expect that they would.  Still, something told him he was
wrong.  He blocked a mental probe from Jacob.  Evidently, his turmoil and trepidation
were strong enough to seep through to his host.  There was no sense in disturbing Jacob
with something that might never come to pass.  

Conversation became general as the two men tried to relax and enjoy their meal.  Long
silences were common as each man contemplated the situation.  One hour after leaving
his office, George and Jacob left the mess hall and headed back.  They heard the
announcement of the briefing as they walked back toward the briefing room.

“George,” Jacob said, as they walked down the hall, “I guess I can see what you meant
about the luggage and people getting worse.  Perhaps Martouf could stay with Jack or
Daniel.  I could stay with Sam, but that would cramp what I am trying to get going
between those two.  Maybe one of them would put me up, too.”  He frowned in thought.

“Stay with me, Jacob.  I can put you up without any problem.  We have no idea how many
rooms we will need for Furling or Tok’Ra officers that turn up.  We are planning to turn
one of the unused storage rooms into barracks, if we need too, and I suspect that we will.  
I really don’t know yet who all is coming, but so far, I am aware of three, one a seasoned
Katteri-enti, and the other two just now attaining their rank.  From what I understand,
they have been squires up until now.  I am not precisely sure what that position would
equate to in our military, unless it would be a cadet.  I understand they are already in
battle, though, so that would not hold true.  I will have to ask someone.”  

Jacob nodded, “Thanks, George, I’ll take you up on the offer of the room, but what the hell
is a Kattery-enti?”  He asked his friend, and then turned his attention to his symbiote,
asking him,
“Sel, what has you so agitated?”  

“I am sorry, Jacob.  I am attempting to block you from my emotions; unfortunately, it
appears that I am not being completely successful at doing so.  I sincerely hope that my
anxiety is for nothing.  Try to ignore it if you can, at least for now.”  

Jacob’s attention swung back to George when he answered his question, telling him, “It is
Katteri-enti and literally translated it means Kat-entity.  It is what the Furling Warriors
are.  They, um, take on some of the attributes of a cat when they go into battle.  Not
having been in battle with one yet, we have not seen a full manifestation but the partial
one that we have seen is, well, I guess amazing would be a good word for it.  I would really
like to see them in full battle mode though.”  George Hammond sounded almost wistful for
a moment before Jacob answered his statement.  

“You’re joking, right?”  Jacob used the same tone and the same slight grin he had used
when he first learned of the Tok’Ra and what Sam actually did for the air force.

General Hammond shook his head, and in much the same tone of voice in which he had
answered him then, he said, “No, I am telling you the truth, Jacob.”

“Holy Hannah,” Jacob exclaimed, thereby proving that history does, indeed, repeat
itself.    

George replied, “I have a feeling that Selmak could probably tell you more than I can
about them.”

“For some reason, Selmak is blocking a bunch of stuff, so I can’t access it.  I am sure he
has his reasons.”  It was obvious he was not speaking to only George.

“Indeed, I have my reasons, Jacob, which you will probably find out all too soon.  Colonel O’
Neill and Teal’c just arrived.  We should greet them.”

Realizing that he would get no more information from his symbiote, he turned to them,
giving voice to his suggestion, “Jack, Teal’c.  Good to see you again.  I have to admit that I
would have preferred the original reason you asked for me to come, though,” Jacob
greeted the first of the group to arrive.

“General,” Jack greeted him.

“General Carter, it is good to see you once again,” Teal’c said, with his usual calm
demeanor.  

Nothing could be read from either of their faces, but Jacob was not lulled into thinking
that they were unconcerned.  In fact, he deduced the opposite from their calmness.  There
was no doubt that they considered this a very serious situation; he hoped Selmak came
out of his thoughtful isolation soon and clued him in on what part of it was making him so
anxious and filling him with apprehension.  Those simply were not emotions he was used
to encountering from Selmak.  

He turned as a tall, handsome man, with an air of power surrounding him, walked into
the room, and closed the door.  As he turned to them, the words Jacob heard from Selmak
were ones he wasn’t even aware his symbiote knew.  He had never heard such an
eloquent string of swearing in one sentence before.  
“Sel, I take it you know this man, and
you are not happy that he is here?  Is he not someone we want on our side or something?”  

Jacob could feel his symbiote make the extra effort to calm himself.  “On the contrary, as
far as his abilities as a Warrior, I could not wish for a better one.  On the other hand, his
very presence here speaks to the seriousness of the situation.”
 Selmak paused to be sure
Jacob had understood him.  Sensing his understanding, he then continued,
“That
Artereos of Cadwaellon has sent his most able and trusted Warrior and Aide, to come to
the Tau’ri, tells me that, if we were at all doubtful as to the validity of the threat, we should
discard that doubt.  Merdwin would not be here if the threat was a minor one.”
 Selmak
said, with a seriousness that immediately caught Jacob’s full attention.  

“My distress, upon seeing him, is not only because of the obvious seriousness his being
here imparts to the situation.  It is also unsettling on a purely personal level and it is for
Lantash that I am very much concerned.  I was very much afraid that this situation might
arise.  There is only one other circumstance that could make it worse.  I will know in a
moment whether or not that circumstance exists,”
Selmak’s answer was cryptic, and Jacob
was as lost after he uttered it, as he was before he said anything at all.  

Even so, he had a bad feeling about it.  If it involved Lantash, then it probably involved
Sam, and he wanted to know what was going on.  Making his decision, his request for
information was direct,
“Okay, I think I had better hear this.  It is going to involve Sam, isn’
t it?”

“I am afraid so, Jacob.  I am very much afraid so.  As I stated, I am reasonably certain that
we will know almost immediately,”
He agreed with Jacob as he watched Merdwin preparing
to come over to greet them.

Merdwin approached them, and the grimness in the man’s voice, as he spoke to them,
caught Jacob’s attention.  “It is Selmak, is it not?”  Merdwin asked, tersely.

Selmak took control as Jacob released to him.  “Yes, it is.”  He took a deep breath as the
level of his agitation increased.  Jacob expected to sense either fear or dislike from
Selmak; instead, the emotions that bathed him were the exact opposite.  Selmak had an
enormous amount of admiration, a deep abiding respect, and a genuinely sincere liking
for this man.  None of this appeared to be making sense; he hoped someone would decide
to tell him something soon.

As the two clasped each other’s forearms in greeting, Selmak said to Merdwin, “He is here.”

The man closed his eyes, as if in pain, but he almost immediately opened them again.  
“That is going to make for some very complicated situations.  She, also, is here.”  

Selmak mirrored the other man’s actions by closing his eyes, as if he could shut out an
unpleasant vision, but he, too, immediately opened them to look at the other man.  Their
gazes locked, and they looked at each other for several moments, before Selmak smiled
ruefully, “You always were a master at understatement, Merdwin.  What do we do now?”

“I could warn them telepathically, but that would only startle Lantash, and it could even
make the situation worse.  There is at least one other person involved; I assume, from the
impressions I am receiving, that there is also a woman involved on your side?”  At Selmak’
s acknowledgement of the truth of his statement, Merdwin continued, “We shall simply
deal with each situation as it arises then.  I do not believe that Kat or Tash, either one,
will let their personal interaction endanger the mission.  There are…other considerations
that may become problematic; however there is nothing we can do about them at this
point in time.  There is little to be gained from becoming overly concerned about
something that may be easily resolved by the parties involved.”

“I believe you are correct, although, on the personal level, I think there may be a few tense
situations, before the resolution is reached.  I am concerned that it will…well, for now, as
you say, worrying about it is entirely without merit.”  For now, there was nothing to do but
wait.  Both men sighed deeply as each became lost in thoughts of their own.  




Lying on top of Martouf, Samantha sighed, “I wish we could spend the rest of the day here,
but I imagine the briefing will be called any minute.  We should shower quickly and
dress.  I’m sorry we can’t lie here together and savor this moment, but we can’t.”  

She forced herself to get up.  Leaning back over him, she gave him a swift, short kiss, but
she could not evade his hands.  He brought her back to him and kissed her gently and
lovingly.  “Samantha, when did you learn Goa’uld?”  Sam blushed, and struggled to get
away from him, but he held her easily.  “Samantha?  Tell me, please.”

She looked up at him and sighed.  She could
not tell him what had led to her learning the
love words in Goa’uld, not yet anyway.  Just because others had understood, that did not
mean Martouf and Lantash would understand it.

“I, um, I asked Daniel to teach me.  In my, uh, dreams,” she flushed an even rosier hue, “I
always imagined you would speak it when you were, er, making love with me, or if you
were, um, out of control.  So, I asked Daniel, and once he started teaching me the words
seemed very familiar, probably from Jolinar.”  She raised her chin at him as if daring him
to laugh at her.  

He did not laugh.  He looked at her for a long moment, slowly lowered his mouth to hers,
and caressed her lips with his.  “You honor me, Samantha, my mate.  It means a great
deal to me that you went to the trouble to learn enough of the love words of my language
to be able to tell me of your love that way.  It could not have been easy for you to ask
Daniel for those words and possibly have to explain why you wanted to know them.  You
humble me with your offering.”  Then he added, “It makes me happy and proud to be able
to claim you as my mate, Samantha.”

She looked him blankly for a moment and then gasped, “I am your mate?”  Then she
smiled.  “I am your mate,” she said it firmly, but there was wonderment in her eyes and a
soft glow to her face.  “I have never been married before.”  Then she hesitated and
blushed, “That is what you meant, isn’t it?  That I am your wife in the eyes of the Tok’
Ra?”  

Martouf cleared his throat.  “I believe from what Jacob has told me that your
marriage and
our
bonding are the same things, so yes, in my eyes, and as soon as we have the
ceremony, you will be my wife in the eyes of my people.  This will please you, Samantha?”  
He asked, anxiously.

“Yes.  Yes, I believe it will please me very much,” she paused again, and then said, almost
shyly, “my mate.  Will you…will you and Lantash agree to our marriage ceremony,
Martouf?”  As she said Lantash’s name she realized he was not coming forward and
participating in the conversation.  Perhaps he did not feel the same as Martouf did?  

He saw the darkening of her eyes and the evidence of worry then enter them, but he did
not believe that the question she asked him was the cause.  He would answer her first and
then attempt to find the reason for her disquiet.  “Yes, we will be happy to do so.”  He
paused a moment and then said gently, “But that question and the answer to it are not
what has brought the shadows to your eyes.  What has happened, my love?  What is
wrong?”  

Sam looked at him in surprise.  How had he known that she was worrying about
something other than her question?  She was about to brush his question off, when he
said, “No, do not push my question aside, Samantha.  Tell me what worries you so much
that it darkens the glow in your eyes.  I can give neither an answer nor a suggestion, if I
do not know what you need from me.  I believe it is very important that we keep our
communications open.  It will be very easy for misunderstandings to happen and come
between us.  We are different from one another, and I do not mean that you are female
and I am male.  I mean that we are different races, even though we have a common
ancestor somewhere in the distant past.  We are compatible; however, we have differences
that we will each learn about as time progresses.  Furthermore, there is Lantash to
consider.  He is a different species all together.  It will take us all time to learn of one
another.  If we keep questions, worries, and annoyances to ourselves, I am quite confident
that we will end up with some very large problems.  Problems that we may wait until it is
too late to try to correct.”  His countenance was extremely serious as he gazed at her.

Sam looked back at him and thought about his comments.  He was correct, of course.  
They needed to get worries and questions out in the open.  She nodded her agreement,
and then asked him, “Martouf, why has Lantash stayed away since we, um, since we
made love?  Is something wrong?  Have I upset him somehow?”  

Martouf smiled at her, as he answered, “No, not at all, Samantha.  It is simply that, after
mating, the symbiote prefers to go into torpor.  He is no doubt half-asleep, but he will
come forward, if you wish it.  It is not necessary that he go into torpor, however, he
recovers much more quickly if he does so.  Yes, I will answer before you ask.  I do mean
sexually.  When the symbiote rests after a mating, then he can perform again very
quickly.  They have a great deal of stamina in that area, as they do in most others, and as
long as they go into torpor for a short time, they are capable of multiple couplings in a
very short period of time.  Do you wish to speak to him?”  

Sam shook her head.  “No that is not necessary, Martouf.  Once you told me, I
remembered.  Sometimes memories do not come to me until something triggers them.  As
soon as you started to explain, I knew what you were going to say.  I don’t think I
remembered the, um, multiples part though.”  Sam blushed slightly, as she glanced
away.  Martouf smiled at her sweetly.  

Happening to see the clock on her dresser, she gasped.  “We have to shower.  It has been
almost forty-five minutes since we got here.  They will be announcing that briefing any
time.  We really do have to hurry, Martouf.”  

“As you wish, Samantha.  We will shower after you do.  I do not believe that it would be a
very good idea for us to wash together.”  He again lowered his lips to hers, and his hand
came up to cup her breast and gently flick her nipple.  She gasped at the immediate
response he could engender in her and quickly slipped out of his hold.

Pulling away from his kiss was unbelievably difficult, but she managed it.  “Tonight.  I
promise,” she said, as she grabbed her clothes.  She looked at him feeling almost helpless
as her need continued to grow.  Then she reiterated, “We have to shower.  We cannot go
into the briefing smelling of hot, passionate sex,” she said, as firmly as she could.  She did
not ask him to join her; as he said, that would defeat their purpose.  If he joined her, the
shower would be anything but quick.  She hurried into the shower and once started, it did
not take her long.  

Martouf made quick work of his shower, as well, but as he stepped out of the stall and
began to dry himself, he heard the announcement of the briefing.  Samantha was dressed,
except for her blue BDU shirt.  She handed him her blow dryer, showing him how to blow
dry his hair.  He couldn’t go into the briefing with wet hair anymore than he could go into
it smelling of sweat and sex.  

As Martouf finished fastening his tunic, he noticed Sam put on a jeweled armband.  
Something about it tugged at his memory, but he could not place it, and other thoughts
displaced it.  It seemed an odd piece of jewelry, and that seemed an odd place to wear it.  
He mentally shrugged.  Perhaps her military did not allow the wearing of jewelry.  His
next thought was disturbing; what if it was from another man?  

“What are you stressing over, Martouf?”  Lantash was still somewhat lethargic from the
sexual encounter, and he had not been paying attention as Samantha finished putting on
her uniform.  

“Samantha just put on an armband.  I was wondering if a man gave it to her,” Martouf
answered promptly.  

“If it is a gift from a man, it is not our business.  Just over an hour ago, we had no claim on
her,”
Lantash’s reminder was not exactly welcome, but Martouf could not dispute the facts.

“True, but I am curious, and I would like to know, so I can put it out of my mind,” Martouf
explained.

“If it bothers you then ask her,” Lantash sighed his response.  He was awakening and
beginning to take an interest in what was going on around him.  The briefing began to
take up a great deal of his thought process.  He wondered what it could be about, and the
uneasiness he experienced earlier, before he and Jacob came through the gate returned,
stronger than it was then.  

As they left Sam’s room to head for the briefing, Martouf placed his hand lightly on the
small of her back.  Even that small touch was enough to make her smile and begin to ache
for him again.  How long would it take her to get her fill of this man?  She had never felt
this way.  She needed to talk to Daniel or Kataya.  She smiled to herself.  Maybe both,
that way she would get the male and the female viewpoint.

She was looking forward to the night.  Perhaps he could go home with her instead of
staying on base.  That would free up a room for someone else, too, she rationalized.

Martouf cleared his throat.  She looked up inquiringly.  “I noticed you put on an
armband.  Was it a gift from someone, or did you acquire it yourself?”  

Sam immediately mentally translated the question.  
“Did a man give that armband to
you?”
Men could sometimes be very predictable, regardless of the planet or species.

“I guess you could say a male friend brought it to me.”  She paused to let that sink in,
before adding, “But it was a gift from a female friend.”  She felt him relax and smiled to
herself.  They approached the briefing room door.  She wondered idly if Merdwin and Kat
were there yet.  She searched for them with her mind and found Merdwin inside and Kat
and Daniel very close.  They would arrive almost immediately after Sam and Martouf.  
She grinned to herself as she contemplated the very good possibility that they had enjoyed
a lunch similar to hers.    

She reached out and opened the door to the briefing room.  She motioned Martouf to go
in, as she looked behind her to see if Kat and Daniel were almost there.  Yes, they were
coming down the corridor.  She waved and turned to follow Martouf into the room.  

He was standing as if turned to stone.  Sam walked up to the conference table to stand
beside him, and she realized that Lantash had taken over.  He was staring at Merdwin
and her dad.  No, not her dad.  It was Selmak, and both men looked decidedly grim.  They
were looking back at Lantash, but Sam noticed that, although their faces were grim, both
men had a look of sympathy in their eyes.  The entire tableau seemed frozen in time.

Daniel and Kataya walked into the scene.  They stopped next to Sam.  Daniel stepped
behind the two women, and put a hand on each of their shoulders.  He immediately
realized that something was about to happen, and that these two women might need him.  
One was his mated lover, and the other was his much-loved dearest friend.  

He wished he knew why he felt this trepidation, and at the same time, he was afraid he
was about to find out.  It was crazy, but he had the feeling that whatever was about to
happen would tax all of them emotionally.  

No one heard him catch his breath, as he had a sudden vision of the man standing off to
one side of the ramp in his dream.  An almost overwhelming sense of foreboding and
dread suddenly filled him.  He only had time to realize that Kataya could have told him
who the other man in the dream was.  In the second it took for that thought to flash
through his mind, she put a name to the unknown man.

Longing and anguish filled her voice as Kataya whispered, through a throat choked with
tears,
“Lantash.”

TBC



     
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Table of Contents

Blood of My Heart, Beloved of My Soul

Chapter Sixteen

Tangled Lives