Cleaning Up After The Ancients - Chapter 169

Chapter 169 - Interlude - Elvish Responsibilities Part 1

The room they had been led to was a lot nicer than the grey walled one Rayla had stayed in at Stargate Command. Especially since she was pretty sure from the way that everything in the room had been set up, that the Asgard had assembled it solely for their use.

Four small bedrooms surrounded a larger common room alongside an almost spa-like bathroom that Yami had spent over an hour cleaning up in immediately after their arrival. Something Rayla had been tempted to do herself since she had really missed having a hot tub to relax in.

She hadn’t of course, because that would have involved leaving the two Goa’uld alone, and she was pretty sure if she did that, the two would end up getting into a fight of some kind. 

“Must you continue to watch me like that?” Yami asked, staring up at Anise from the couch she had seized as her own in obvious annoyance.

“If I do not,” Anise returned testily. “Who knows what you will do.”

Glancing up from the book she was reading, Yami made a dramatic gesture from the opalescent walls of the Asgard ship to the hovering sphere that was still dutifully following them. “We are on an Asgard vessel guarded by a remote mechanoid. The amount of damage I could do, even if I actually wished to, is functionally non-existent.”

“And I do not believe that.” Anise said firmly. “Anubis stole much from the Asgard, so who knows what you could do with even a few moments of unwatched access.”

Yami rolled her eyes in clear exasperation. “That you believe Ba'al would share any of what he stole from Anubis with me is truly astounding and leaves me wondering just how the Tok'ra were able to stymie us for so long.”

“It's probably because you're relatively easy to infiltrate since you can't ever really know which Goa'uld is in which body.” Rayle offered glibly, having given the issue a bit of thought since she had first learned about the species.

“That is only true for the lesser ranked Goa'uld who make it a point to regularly switch hosts.” Anise offered, ignoring the slight scowl Yami was shooting them.

Cocking her head, Rayla considered that for a moment before deciding it didn't sound right. “Unless I'm missing something big, that doesn't make a lot of sense. I mean, it would be really easy for the Tok'ra to pull a Goa'uld out of their host, take that host for themselves, and then go around claiming to be the Goa’uld in question Dread Pirate Roberts style.”

“That would involve taking a host against their will and exposing ourselves to the damaging energies of the sarcophagus.” Anise pointed out dryly.

“And who is Dread Pirate Roberts?” Freya followed up after a moment.

“A character from a movie.” Rayla explained, really wishing she'd been able to bring a copy back with her. “He figured out that pirates don't get to retire, so he handed his name off to someone else and they became the Dread Pirate Roberts while he retired with his riches.”

Those words were enough to make her remember something she wanted to ask, and she turned to Yami with a hopeful look in her eyes. “So, um, this question's been bothering me for like a whole week.” She bobbed her head in self acknowledgement of just who just was in a room with. “Which probably doesn't sound like a lot to you, but I've only been alive for about a month so it's like a quarter of my life. And that's actually–”

“Your question be?” Yami interrupted, sounding oddly tired for some reason Rayla couldn't place.

“Ah, right.” Rayla lightly blushed at the fact she had begun rambling. “What did the System Lords actually want? Because everyone I asked at the SGC seemed to have a different answer.”

Yami opened her mouth to answer only for a somewhat snide comment from Anise to beat her to it. “Power.”

Rayla shook her head at the notion. “Dad says power's not a thing anyone actually wants, it's a means to an end to get what they want. Like, the Wraith want power because they can only eat humans, so they will starve to death if they don't have it since the humans don't want to be eaten.”

Which was why her dad said the only way to solve the Wraith problem for good was to make it so they didn't need to eat humans any more.

Yami shot a glare at Anise before focusing back on Rayla. “Contrary to what the Tok'ra may expound, we Goa’uld have never been possessed of singular reasoning. Because of that, the only answer I might actually give you is that which the System Lords I have served let be known.”

Slipping a bookmark into the novel she had been holding, Yami pulled herself up into a straightened position. “Lord Vishnu wanted what humans have taken to calling fame, he basked in the idea that he was all that was keeping those under him safe from the encroachment of chaos. Lord Krishna wanted to overthrow Lord Vishnum, for he believed his desire for reverence foolish. Lady Kali wanted Lady Bastet’s love,” The corner of her lips twitched slightly. “And may have even won it if rumors are to be believed. While Lord Ba’al, just wants to sit on top of all others endlessly playing the great game of politics and intrigue against them.”

“The Tok’ra had been attempting to court Lady Bastet for some time.” Anise reluctantly added. “So I can confirm that before her death, she and lady Kali were in a relationship.”

Yami scoffed. “Lady Bastet is not dead, she is held by Ba’al. He keeps her in a jar on the wall of his flagship alongside the other System Lords who refused to bow to his rule.”

That made Rayla shudder slightly as it brought to mind the panicked memory of waking up seemingly trapped in the growth tube.

“Is that what he told you?” Anise asked almost pityingly.

“It is what I know.” Yami countered smugly. “Ba’al made sure to show all the ‘lesser’ Goa’uld he captured what their fate would be if they did not capitulate to his rule.”

Anise shook her head in disagreement. “Our people confirmed Bastet’s death while attempting to defend Bubastis from the Kull. Her head was crushed beyond the ability of a sarcophagus to revive.”

“But how do you know it was actually Bastet in there when her head was crushed?” Rayla asked, her earlier confusion about how they could tell which Goa’uld was in which host returning.

“They do not.” Yami chuckled at Anise’s slightly sour look.

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Author’s Notes: Yami and Anise basically devolving into catty backbiting is completely predictable for anyone who knows anything about people who hate each other but are forced by circumstances to be around each other.