Chapter 25 summary: Bastet discovers Jolinar is Tok'ra, and she flees to a planet they are orbiting, because Bastet is exterminating the population. 

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[ Chapter 1: Goodbyes | Chapter 2: An Audience | Chapter 3: A Conspiracy | Chapter 4: Promotion | Chapter 5: Minor System Lord | Chapter 6: An Old Acquaintance | Chapter 7: Diversions | Chapter 8: Plans | Chapter 9: Happy Moments | Chapter 10: Culmination | Chapter 11: Complications | Chapter 12: Daily Life | Chapter 13: Exposed | Chapter 14: A New Host - and a New Master | Chapter 15: New Challenges | Chapter 16: A Necessary Sacrifice | Chapter 17: Information Gathering | Chapter 18: A Surprise Visit | Chapter 19: Bad News | Chapter 20: War and Power | Chapter 21: Emergencies | Chapter 22: Found Out | Chapter 23: In the Tunnels | Chapter 24: Undercover at Bastet's Court | Chapter 25: Discovered! | Chapter 26: Rosha | Chapter 27: Host | Chapter 28: Getting Along | Chapter 29: Safe | Chapter 30: Lantash | Chapter 31: Shared Missions | Chapter 32: Taking A Chance | Chapter 33: Danger and Betrayal | Chapter 34: Some Realizations | Chapter 35: Hiding | Chapter 36: Time for the Truth | Chapter 37: Home | Chapter 38: Together | Chapter 39: Martouf ]


For almost five years, Jolinar worked - successfully - undercover as Bastet's naquadah inspector, and sent reports on anything useful she learned. This easily made her the Tok'ra who had survived the longest in Bastet's employment.

Bastet was currently at war with a minor Goa'uld called Tipana, who - unwisely - has said no to ally with Bastet or allow her to use his territory.

She had become furious and decided to make an example of Tipana - and punish him by killing everyone on one of his best naquadah-producing planets - Teplik.

Tipana only rarely punished the people in his small empire, and only sent out raiding parties for hosts or slaves now and then. Otherwise, he left the population of all the planets in his domain alone, as long as they provided all they were expected to. That meant he was considered a relatively benign Goa'uld.

Bastet, on the other hand, were infamous for her sometimes gruesome behaviour, and she had no problems with killing all her followers on a world, if she felt slighted in some way.

Fortunately, this had not happened while Jolinar had been in charge of the naquadah production, because she might otherwise have found herself in charge of committing a massacre.

Now, however, Bastet wanted revenge, and nothing could stop her from getting it.

Jolinar decided to try and warn the population - tell them to flee, perhaps, as there was no time to organize anything else. She did also not have time to contact the other Tok'ra, and have them warn the population, which would be safer.

Doing it this way Jolinar risked Bastet discovering what she was doing, and guessing she was a Tok'ra. It was too bad Bastet had not mentioned her plan before they were already on the way to the planet in an Ha'tak. The Council would not approve of Jolinar making the decision to jeopardize all they had gained - and without conferring with them first, no less.

Not that something like that had ever stopped her before.

However, it soon turned out Bastet was already suspecting her, and when Jolinar was about to steal a Teltac and sneak off to warn the population, Bastet cornered her.

"Tesak...if that really is your name! You - are Tok'ra!" She spat the last word. "Traitor!" Her eyes glowed a strong white-yellow, and she looked beyond furious.

*How could she have found out?* Lisha wondered.

*Irrelevant. All that matters right now is that she did.* Jolinar put on a cold, arrogant mask, hiding her fear. Expressionless, save for contempt, she looked at Bastet. "So, you are not as stupid as one would think. Too bad for you that most of your Jaffa are currently occupied with this battle you are waging against Tipana. It does not seem to go as well as you had expected, does it?" Jolinar taunted the Goa'uld, hoping to make her angry enough to make a mistake.

Bastet became even more furious. "I do not need any Jaffa to take on you, pathetic Tok'ra! Your kind are a scourge! Heretics, who deserve only to be wiped out! Something I will be more than pleased to do when the Galaxy is mine!" She raised her hand device, but not quite quickly enough.

Jolinar already had hers up and activated, and she sent a shock wave towards Bastet. The Goa'uld had time to partially deflect the blast with a shock-wave of her own, but she was still thrown off balance.

This was all Jolinar needed. She jumped behind a pillar as she fired another strong blast from her ribbon device. Bastet hit the wall and slid down to the floor, unconscious.

Jolinar considered killing her, but several Jaffa came running before she got a chance to do that.

Hurrying, she fled. She jumped around a corner just as a staff blast zipped by very close.

Running through the ship, she desperately looked for a place to hide. Fortunately, many of the Jaffa were out in the death gliders, occupied with the fight against Tipana's small fleet.

Seeing the chambers of one of the other Goa'uld on-board - Bastet's military commander and sometimes lover - Jolinar quickly ran inside. She hoped the Jaffa did not notice, and that the Goa'uld was on the peltak or elsewhere, coordinating the battle. She most likely was, though. Where else would a military commander be during a fight?

Jolinar was in luck. No one was in the room. She quickly ran for the bathroom, deciding it was as good a place as any to hide. She ran the water, hoping the Jaffa would believe she was bathing. 

A few minutes later, she heard Jaffa enter the outer chamber after knocking on the outer door a few times. She made a quick decision and quickly undressed, stepping into the bath itself and making a lot of foam. She ran the water quite hot, and it generated copious amounts of steam.

Someone knocked on the door to the bathroom.

"Lord Seta?"

Jolinar felt safer. They did believe it was that other Goa'uld who was in here. Then again, which fugitive would stop to take a bath?

"Yes, have you perhaps brought my lo'tar? He deserted me in the middle of a bath! He shall pay when I get my hands on him!" Jolinar exclaimed angrily.

"Uh, no. We will send him here immediately if we see him. So sorry for the disturbance, my Lord." The Jaffa left hurriedly, not wanting to risk annoying the angry god further.

Jolinar breathed a sigh of relief.

*It was fortunate he could not tell the difference between one distorted voice and another, through the noise from the water and all.* Jolinar observed.

*Yes, very.*

*The only thing that worries me is that Seta's lo'tar may pay for this. I very much hope that is not the case.*

They dried off and found the most subdued clothing possible, among Seta's otherwise outrageous wardrobe. Dressed, they hid in a back room, until it was quiet outside.

Discovering a matching pair of knives, Jolinar grabbed them. It was never bad to have extra weapons. She tore off a hem from one of Seta's dresses and used it to tie the knives to her underarms, leaving them concealed, but easily accessible.

Sneaking outside, they slowly, carefully, made their way to the ring room. When the corridors were free, they jumped inside and closed the door. They were still in luck, and no one was there. Jolinar went to a control panel and checked, finding what she expected.

They were now in orbit around the planet and there did not seem to be any battle going on outside. That meant the Jaffa were either already down on the planet Teplik, or were getting ready to go there soon. Jolinar would have to hurry, hoping the war against Tipana's forces was not yet over.

Hoping there was still time to save the population.

She was just about to activate the rings, when the door opened and Seta entered, looking enraged. She immediately fired a blast from her hand device, throwing the unprepared Jolinar against the nearby panel. Fortunately, the shock wave had not hit her straight on, and she had mostly only gotten the air knocked out of her, so she quickly recovered.

She managed to send a weak blast towards Seta, then hit the control for the ring transporter, jumping inside the rings. However, Seta had shrugged off the weak shock-wave and quickly joined Jolinar on the ring platform, just as the rings came up. They were both transported down to the planet.



Chapter 26: Rosha