Female of the Species

by Geonn Cannon

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  FEMALE OF THE SPECIES

  Geonn Cannon

  An original publication of Fandemonium Ltd, produced under license from MGM Consumer Products.

  Fandemonium Books, PO Box 795A, Surbiton, Surrey KT5 8YB, United Kingdom

  Visit our website: www.stargatenovels.com

  METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Presents

  STARGATE SG-1™

  BEN BROWDER AMANDA TAPPING

  CHRISTOPHER JUDGE CLAUDIA BLACK

  with BEAU BRIDGES and MICHAEL SHANKS as Daniel Jackson

  Executive Producers ROBERT C. COOPER & BRAD WRIGHT

  Developed for Television by BRAD WRIGHT & JONATHAN GLASSNER

  STARGATE SG-1 is a trademark of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. © 1997-2018 MGM Television Entertainment Inc. and MGM Global Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved.

  METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER is a trademark of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Lion Corp. © 2018 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

  Photography and cover art: Copyright © 2018 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

  WWW.MGM.COM

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  To Sarah and Kate,

  for the inspiration and cheerleading.

  Historical note:

  The events of this book take place during season 10 of STARGATE SG-1 between the episodes “Talion” and “Family Ties”

  PROLOGUE

  DANIEL JACKSON missed Jaffa. They were big, scary men in suits of armor carrying big, scary sticks which shot balls of fire. They were soldiers trained from childhood to engage in a war. It was easy to return fire on a group of Jaffa without thinking too hard about the consequences. Even knowing Teal’c, Bra’tac, and so many other Jaffa, it didn’t change the fact that the Jaffa they ended up fighting were soldiers before anything else. Followers of the Ori, however, were just ordinary people. Misguided, confused farmers, merchants, husbands and wives who believed lies about a better life and thought they were doing the right thing. He was also affected by his time as a Prior, where he saw first-hand just how people were swayed to the cause.

  He stood in the alcove of a tavern entrance, the hood of his robes up to conceal his features as much as it was to protect him from the rain. The clouds had moved in just after the team arrived, transporting in on the outskirts of town instead of using the Stargate. Rumbles of thunder echoed from the mountains, indicating the worst of the weather was yet to come. It was still peculiar to think he was standing on an alien world without traveling through a wormhole. The human race was capable of moving between solar systems and galaxies on ships they built themselves, and he was one of the people who did it enough that it was routine. Not only that, he was recognizable enough on those backwaters that he had to worry about being spotted loitering.

  With that thought, he stepped out into the alley and moved north. He passed the windows of the tavern and glanced inside. Cameron Mitchell and Vala Mal Doran were inside soaking up the local gossip, but he didn’t spot them. He didn’t change pace as he continued across the town commons where the Stargate stood stoic and forgotten on a stone dais. Merchants had left carts all around it, their storefronts covered with thick hides, and the DHD was surrounded by crates. It had already been relegated to an artifact of another time, a darker era when the Goa’uld could arrive at any moment and begin wreaking havoc. Once it held horror. Now it was just a piece of the landscape no one had bothered to move.

  Daniel saw Samantha Carter across the square, a peasant cap pulled low over her ears. She locked eyes with him and nodded once. He dipped his chin in response and made his way over.

  “Anything?” she asked.

  “From what I could hear through the door, the Prior went back to the ship this morning. Everyone in town is pretty much onboard with Origin.”

  He looked past her as he reported his findings. The upper curve of the Ori warship loomed ominously above the town. It stood in darkness like a mountain, its metallic face polished to a shine due to the rain. A majority of the windows glowed with soft yellow light, and he wondered how many soldiers from the Ori galaxy were inside preparing for battle.

  Sam said, “As much as I hate to say it, we may need to just walk away from this one. There’s no point telling them the Ori are bad if they’re not willing to hear us out. There are other worlds out there which may be on the fence.”

  “Choose our battles,” Daniel said.

  Sam shrugged. “There’s only so much we can do, Daniel. If we focus on places that are more likely to turn against the Priors, then eventually they’ll lose power and this world will be saved anyway. It’s not abandonment. It’s triage.”

  “I suppose.” He looked toward the tavern. “It just feels like we should be gathering more victories after deploying Merlin’s weapon.”

  “We don’t even know for sure it eliminated the Ori. It certainly hasn’t seemed to slow down their Priors. A lot of these worlds never recovered from the downfall of the Goa’uld. They’re latching on to something that seems familiar.”

  “And as a bonus, it doesn’t require playing host.”

  Teal’c appeared in the tavern door. He paused for a moment to find Sam and Daniel and then made his way over to them.

  “I believe we should begin preparing for immediate departure.”

  Sam said, “Meeting not going well?”

  “Colonel Mitchell and Vala Mal Doran attempted to talk reason with those who have already been swayed by the Prior. The conversation escalated.”

  Daniel said, “With Vala involved, why am I not surprised?”

  “They are on the verge of being arrested as heretics. The town leaders intend to use their imprisonment as a symbol of their dedication to the Ori.”

  “Yeah, that’s as good a cue as any.” Sam reached under her shawl and gripped her radio. “This is Colonel Carter to the Odyssey. We’re going to need extraction, ASAP.”

  The response was broken and full of static. “ — rter, the storm … — terfering with our instrum — …too many signals in town. W — …quire a lock…”

  Daniel said, “That didn’t sound good.”

  “We’ll need to get clear of the storm. Teal’c, we may need you to get Cam and Vala out of the tavern.” Teal’c inclined his head and turned to retrieve the rest of t
heir team. Sam turned her attention to the sky. “The storm moved in from the north. If we go to the south, we might be able to get ahead of it.”

  “Colonel Carter,” Teal’c said.

  She looked back to the tavern. The light within had grown brighter in the past few seconds, and the flames that suddenly began licking the window frame were a big clue as to why. A crash was followed by a yell, and then someone ran from the door and disappeared down a side street. Sam had no doubt he would return shortly with reinforcements.

  “Crap,” she muttered.

  Mitchell ran out, followed by Vala, who had both arms over her head for whatever meager protection they might provide from projectiles being thrown by the angry patrons. Mitchell indiscriminately fired his zat above head level to clear their pursuers before he bolted across the clearing. Sam and Teal’c took cover behind the nearest options: a fruit cart for her and the brick corner of a building for him. Daniel moved deeper into the alley, handgun drawn but aimed at the sky as he watched for anyone who might be coming up behind them. Vala scurried behind Teal’c and grabbed his biceps with both hands, using his body as a shield. Mitchell hit the ground next to Carter and scrambled onto his knees.

  “So much for the friendly banter of the local bar.”

  “It always worked on Cheers,” Mitchell said. “No one threw oil lanterns at people on Cheers. What’s the extraction plan?”

  “The storm is interfering with Odyssey’s sensors. We have to get clear of it.”

  Mitchell looked at her like she was crazy. “That’s a hell of a lot of running.”

  “You have a better plan?”

  “The Stargate!” Vala said.

  The tavern door opened. Carter and Mitchell rose from behind cover and laid down suppressive fire. The barflies who had escaped the flames spread out and took cover of their own. Sam scanned the adjoining streets and alleyways for the man who had left in case he had returned with reinforcements.

  Vala repeated, “We can use the Stargate!”

  “It’s too exposed,” Carter said. “We wouldn’t have cover while we dialed. It’s too risky!”

  “But as soon as it’s open, these people will scatter! It’s probably been years since they saw it open. Some of them may never have seen it. If you cover me while I dial the SGC, they’ll be stunned by the Gate opening. We can get through before they recover.”

  Sam looked over her shoulder at Vala. “We’re not risking it. We’ll make a run for the edge of town. When the Odyssey gets a clear signal, they’ll transport us up. It’s the best option.”

  Some of the locals had relatively primitive projectile weapons, and Sam ducked back behind the cart as a few lead slugs impacted the wood with hollow thuds.

  Vala rolled her eyes and slapped Teal’c on the shoulder. “Cover me, Muscles!” She pushed away from him and gracefully dived behind the cover Sam was using. She waited for a lull in the fire and then ran for the DHD.

  “Damn it, Vala!” Sam shouted. She rose onto her knees and sprayed the ground with bullets to cover Vala’s six. Mitchell also lit up the brick wall behind their foes with multiple blasts of the zat. He was careful not to actually hit any people, clearly unwilling to risk inadvertently hitting anyone with two shots.

  At the far end of the alley where he and Teal’c had taken cover, Daniel saw movement. A group of locals were approaching in darkness. He couldn’t see clearly enough to make out weapons, but he doubted they had shown up to the fight unarmed.

  “Uh, guys? We’re being a little bit surrounded here.”

  Vala whipped the tarp off the DHD and began dialing. A man spotted her and took aim, and Mitchell took him out, an obvious exception to his rule of no direct hits. The man convulsed and fell back into the mud. The fire within the tavern was now fully involved, spreading around the door with thick black smoke rising from the roof. Daniel was forced to open fire on the people advancing on his and Teal’c’s position. Vala finished inputting the address and pressed the center dome with both hands.

  The commons filled with blinding blue light which reflected off the raindrops and briefly diminished the fire’s brilliance. As Vala predicted, the locals hit the ground at the sight. They dropped their weapons to cover their heads. Mitchell retrieved his GDO from a pocket of his vest and entered the code before waving to Daniel and Teal’c that they were clear to go. They made a run for it, and Mitchell shot the muddy ground to discourage anyone from trying to be a hero.

  “Vala, go!” Daniel shouted.

  She stepped around the DHD and hurled herself into the shimmering blue pool. Daniel followed Teal’c to the Gate and, before diving through, heard Sam sending one last update over her radio.

  “Odyssey, this is Carter. I hope you’re reading this. We’re retreating through the Stargate. Repeat, we are retreating through the Stargate. Clear orbit and return to Earth.”

  If there was a response, he missed it as he dived through the event horizon.

  ~#~

  Sam came through without breaking stride, yanking off her cap and holding it by her side as she advanced. Vala stood at the base of the ramp with the rest of the team. She stepped between Mitchell and Teal’c in the hopes they would protect her from Sam’s rage. Rain from the alien storm dripped off Sam’s clothes as she pushed past Mitchell and Daniel, ignoring General Landry’s approach.

  Vala worked up an expression that she hoped was a mixture of naïve hopefulness, pride, and confusion. “Well, that all worked out!”

  “You disobeyed a direct order,” Sam snapped. “You put yourself and the rest of the team at risk.”

  Vala’s expression consolidated into anger. “I’m the one who got us out of there in one piece! You ought to be thanking me.”

  “If you had gotten shot — ”

  “You and Colonel Mitchell were — ”

  “That’s not the point! The point is that you were reckless. Again. You’re only lucky that it worked out this time.”

  “Again,” Vala said, mocking Sam’s tone.

  Sam bared her teeth and took a step forward, but Teal’c put an arm across her chest with a hand on her opposite shoulder, holding her back. Mitchell cleared his throat, looking between the women before looking to Landry.

  “Things got a little heated back on the planet, sir,” he said.

  “I can see that.” Landry put his hands up. “We can save the analysis for the briefing. For now I’m sure you’d all like to get into some dry clothes. We’ll contact the Odyssey to let them know you’ve all made it home in one piece.”

  Sam said, “Thank you, sir.” She stepped around Vala, stopping just short of bumping her arm in the process as she continued out of the room.

  Vala watched her go and then looked at Daniel for help. “Come on, you were there. We were surrounded. There was no chance we’d be able to get clear of the storm. I did what needed to be done and hey! Look! We made it home in one piece.”

  “Yeah,” Daniel said, “but in situations like this, the ends don’t always justify the means.”

  “Orders are orders,” Mitchell added.

  Vala felt betrayed. She turned to Teal’c, begging him with her eyes. “Not you, too.”

  He inhaled, appeared to consider saying something, and in the end followed Daniel out of the room. Left alone at the base of the ramp, Vala faced General Landry. He offered an expression of sympathy without support, shrugging as he followed the others from the room.

  “It’s certainly going to be an interesting briefing,” he said.

  Vala watched him go. She looked up at the control room, where Sergeant Harriman had been watching the whole thing. She held her arms out to either side, hoping maybe he would throw her a pity nod, but he instead pivoted in his chair to focus on something out of sight. Vala gaped at his disloyalty, dropped her arms, and marched from the gate room with her head held high.

  The team might be angry at her, Landry might take their side, and even Walter might disagree, but she knew that she’d done what needed to be done
. She’d gotten the team home safely and she wasn’t going to feel bad about that.

  CHAPTER ONE

  WALTER HARRIMAN understood there were greater problems to be dealt with on the base. Aside from the fate of the entire world being at stake on a daily basis, they also had to worry about the IOA, various threats from within the government, and maintaining tenuous relationships with allies who were becoming more and more independent. He was the one who put the schedule on General Landry’s desk every day, so he knew there were a dozen higher priority issues that needed to be dealt with. But how could they be expected to work on any of them when there wasn’t a decent cup of coffee to be had on the entire base?

  He’d determined that the least-objectionable coffee was in Daniel Jackson’s office, but recently SG-1 had been on-base too much to risk sneaking in. One of the airmen maintained a carafe in the briefing room that was passable on good days. Walter sniffed it as he came down the steps into the control room, grimacing before he brought the cup to his lips. It was not a good day. He curled his lips and put the cup down as he resumed his station behind the dialing computer. The other sergeant looked at him.

  “They figured out space travel, you’d think they would be able to swing a decent dark roast.”

  A klaxon interrupted any response his quip might have received. He focused immediately on the monitor as the Stargate came to life, the iris sliding into place as a precautionary measure. Walter hit the PA key and turned to the microphone: “Unauthorized off-world activation!” The whole base knew his warning and jumped into action.

  He scanned for a GDO signal. It was imperative to respond to those as quickly as possible. If an SG team was coming in hot, they might be running full-speed toward that barrier waiting for him to open the door. His palm sweated as the screen remained blank. General Landry descended the stairs behind him and stopped just behind his chair.

  “Someone coming home early?”

  “No IDC yet, sir,” Walter reported. The screen flickered. “But we are receiving a signal.”