Mutants & Masterminds: StarGate Freedom - Prologue: Sharon Knight

[Sharon Knight]

She couldn't help but think as she returned to her quarters, and she was a bit slower then she had left, so she was thoughtful as she took a seat and a plate. She couldn't help but think that the lack of writing was a method to better control the warriors, no one could achieve the level of technology they had without a method of storing and using information. Being unable to read made them easier to control, as you could insure what your warriors knew and didn't know.

This was going to be hard, she thought to herself, and when she looked up and tried to listen to the words the other women were speaking, she managed to pick out a word or two. She was a touch surprised at their enthusiastic reaction, but she ate what was offered and smiled at some of the other women. She needed to learn more, as much as she possibly could.

[z-Servant of Ra]

The next night was just the same. She wasn't taken back to the cell, and she didn't hear from Devon again. Instead, she was shown a bed in a communal room; she slept between a girl younger than her with black eyes and a shy smile, and a woman with a full body and sly smile. It took her a long time to go to sleep, with the sounds of eleven other women in the room. She entertained thoughts of escape, but she had yet to see an exit anywhere. She finally fell into an exhausted, troubled sleep.

The next morning brought a breakfast where she couldn't understand much of anything, followed by watching the men spar. She was beginning to see a pattern.

[Sharon Knight]

A pattern, this is what her days were going to be like? She thought to herself, for how long? She had already decided she was going to apply herself to learn as much as possible, and it seemed the language was going to be the hardest part, and most likely going to take a long time.

She watched and waited, to see how much like the previous day this one was going to be, if it was identical, then at least she knew how her days were going to go.

[z-Servant of Ra]

The day did progress much the same. After watching the men, the one who had approached her before came back and gave her another small gift, a little lacquer comb. He left with a smile, and Sharon considered his gift as she sparred with the women for a bit.

As before, Rahotep came for her. Back in their private room, he drilled her in the lessons they'd covered yesterday. She couldn't tell if he were pleased or not at her progress. After they'd reviewed, he started on the next lesson.

Suddenly, he said, "So how is young Anubis coming with winning your soul?" It was said casually, almost as if it belonged in another conversation.

[Sharon Knight]

She blinked at the sudden shift in discussion, and something that had seemed mysterious, suddenly made a lot more sense. It fact, it had just taken on a sharp clarity that made everything else fade into the background a moment. "I..." She paused, then looked Rahotep directly in the eye, as she gathered herself together, and gave him a bit of a glare as she responded.

"That's an unfair question, I've been thrown into your people, even taken as one of your people, but I have yet to truly understand them. I don't yet know the language, or courting rituals yet, though I have to assume you mean the young man who has been giving me gifts." She waited for confirmation. "I didn't even know his name until this moment, though I am confused somewhat still, how many are named Anubis?"

[z-Servant of Ra]

"He is the only Jaffa named Anubis," Rahotep said, his tone slightly bored. "There is a god named Anubis, but he is not here. It pleases Ra to name favored Jaffa after gods, and Anubis is his First Prime, the highest ranked among Ra's servants."

He paused and studied her. "Does this please you? I know you have caught the eye of the top Jaffa?"

[Sharon Knight]

"Pleased?!?" She looked at him, and a broil of emotions rolled through her a moment. Grasping the edge of the chair she was sitting in, she pushed herself to her feel, and for a moment, seemed almost the lioness they had named her.

"Do you honestly think I am that much of a little girl.. whose loyalties and desires are that easy to shift?! I have been taken captive, my freedom taken, my people and culture attacked, my name taken from me, expected to take a mate, a choice that used to me my own, and if treated well and more or less inducted into your culture, and given a name I am not entirely happy with.. does that mean I should be pleased!?" She paced back and forth as she spoke, and her anger and frustration was apparent

"I am grateful to be treated as well as I am, and with the kindness I have been treated with, and have resigned myself to be what I am among you... you will have to be satisfied with that."

[z-Servant of Ra]

"I do not think you a child," Rahotep said, his voice hard but calm. He did sound as if he were controlling his anger, barely. "I would not ask a child to accept what has happened to them. A woman would see the reality of the world and shape it into something that she can use. Children weep and whine about the world; adults change what they can."

He grimaced and looked away. "You situation could be worse. At least you see that." He paused and said, "You have a sharp tongue. I will expect outbursts like this for a time, but you will have to control it. Had you spoken like that to Lord Ra, you'd be without a tongue right now. I was chosen to tutor you because of my patience, but that doesn't mean that it's limitless."

A thoughtful look passed over his face and he suddenly clapped his hands together, rubbing them vigorously. "I have an idea. Tell me of your world and how things were for you. Perhaps knowing what you expect will help me teach you."

[Sharon Knight]

She looked at him for a long moment, still upset, but she gathered herself together. That sort of outbirst wasn't safe, though it had been boiling inside her, and she felt better for having said so.

"I would never speak so to.. Lord Ra.. I am not that much of a fool." She forced herself to say the name of Lord Ra as respectfully as she could, though she knew she wasn't happy to do so. She actually thought it was unlikely he would forgive her any slights against Ra, based on what she had observed so far.

"I spend the last few years in school, learning math, science, reading and writing, spending time learning martial arts and with my friends. Some of whom you folks killed in your intial attack, mistaking them for soldiers, I think." She looked at Rahotep. "How would you feel in my situation? I am attempting to be as respectful, and I know plenty of folks on earth who would not be as calm about it as I am now. It is hard, I don't think you understand how hard, to be taken from my life, where I had freedom to learn and make my own choices, to become what appears to be a brood mare, with only a few choices compared to what I had."

[z-Servant of Ra]

"You have spent eighteen years spoiled by comparison to Jaffa youth," Rahotep pointed out. "You have had freedom that my people have never known." There was a quiet intensity in his voice that was almost painful to hear.

He seemed to relax, reaching into his robes and pulling out an apple. With a knife, he began to slice open the fruit, offering pieces to Sharon. "What you have lost seems terrible, but what you have known is without value."

Sharon licked her lips, wondering if she understood him correctly. "Are you... do you want to be free?" she dared to whisper.

"If I were free, I would serve my god, Lord Ra," Rahotep said simply, pausing to pop a slice of apple into his mouth. "So in a way, I am already free. I know that not all feel that way, and that makes it different."

[Sharon Knight]

She took the pieces of apple, and slowly ate a few bites as she listened to him explain his situation, and that of his people. Actually, from the sound of things, they were not as free as they thought they were, she wondered if she could capitalize on that, eventually.

Then she drew in her breath, and she gave him a direct gaze, even as a thought came though her mind. "So be it, I can not be who I was and I must embrace some measure of your ways, but I will never quite forget who I was.. I will not make any promises that I am not willing to keep." She then made her proposition, if Anubis wanted her, she would not make it easy, but she would be true to her promises, for at this time, honor appeared to be the only thing she could hold onto.

"If Anubis wishes to win my soul, and by that, I assume you mean me as a wife, and mother of his children, if there is more to it, if you can clarify, I would appreciate it. I would request three things of him, if he is willing, and you are willing to pass this request to him. I want to spend a hour with him, each day, and I want him to learn my language, as I learn his. And lastly, I would like him to defeat me, in hand to hand combat, three times.. I would also prefer that he be willing to spar in the future, but I would discuss such with him."

[z-Servant of Ra]

Rahotep looked at her, bemused. "Hemet Nekhet, you may be more trouble than you are worth. However, no man wants a wife he didn't have to fight for. Sometimes, the fighting is more... visceral and not with the woman in question."

"You fight over your women?" Sharon asked, feeling suddenly lost. "But you said... women pick..."

"They do," Rahotep said as he nodded and ate some more apple. "There are times when a woman will not pick one. Your requests are unusual, but I believe they come in the same vein as is culturally appropriate." He gave her a tight smile. "No man wants a woman who came easily to his hand and pressed herself to him. First, a woman who eats from a man's hand like a tamed dove shows no fire, and woman with no fire creates only daughters. Second, you do not know if you are the first she has done so to. A true woman doesn't spread her legs as wide as the Chappa'ai for the man she wants; she challenges him to come and take her."

He looked her over once again, as if assessing her. "Do you want Anubis to take you?"

[Sharon Knight]

Inwardly she winced, because she realized that she had just made something of a mistake, she hadn't really believed that it would be accepted. Though she had considered the possibility it might be. However, she couldn't see anyway to withdraw the challenge she had offered, she would simply have to fight her best, and hope to win. But was she willing to face the consequences if she lost? Besides, from the sound of it, this challenge actually put herself in a good light, with regards to the culture she found herself in now.

"I.. " She sort of stammered before she collected herself together, and looked back at Rahotep. "I would prefer time to get to know him better, but if he can meet my challenges..." she paused for a long moment, if she lost, Anubis had treated her kindly so far. "I would hold to my world."

Then she thought about some measure of the rest of his words, and she looked him in the eye. "Why, was there someone other then Anubis who was interested? Because he seems to be the one who has put himself forward." She didn't think so, the only other individual had had been spending time with her was Rahotep himself, and she thought he was presenting himself more as a teacher and mentor then a potential mate.

[z-Servant of Ra]

Her teacher studied her for a long moment. "You represent something new," Rahotep spoke. Sharon definitely got the feeling he was picking his words with care. His dark eyes looked at her for a long moment; then he spoke again.

"Not all gods can make humans into Jaffa," the Jaffa explained. He cleaned his knife and piled the pieces of apple on the edge of the table as he continued, "There are two that I know of. One is Lady Nerti, who makes Jaffa through her mind and skill. The other is Lady Hathor, who makes Jaffa through her will. Lady Hathor has been lost to us. She angered Ra and was left here, on Taur'i, as punishment.

"But that is not as important as what it denies us," Rahotep added. "Lady Nerti and Lady Hathor's Jaffa are subtly different, but it is different enough that we cannot share blood. Throughout the millennia, we have shrunk a little. We have lost those and haven't been able to replace them, while Lady Nerti's Jaffa have spread far and wide. Now, with our return to Taur'i, we have a chance to bring new blood into our families." He smiled a little. "It is a chance to increase our numbers again, that we may continue to serve Lord Ra. We have already selected humans to join us, such as yourself."

[Sharon Knight]

"I don't understand? What does all that mean?" She was confused now, whatever he was saying suggested that something more was going on then she expected. Actually, it was more then that even, it sounded to her as though they were going to make some change or alteration to her basic physical makeup. While normally she'd consider that impossible, considering everything going on here, aliens, super technology and all, she couldn't discount it. "Your going to do something to me to make me like you?"

[z-Servant of Ra]

"You sound horrified," Rahotep replied and while his tone was dry, his lips twitched with amusement. "There are benefits to being a Jaffa. You will serve Lord Ra, the greatest of the gods. That is a great honor."

He paused and sighed. "You Taur'i. You fear that wish is your superior. There are gifts to becoming one of the Jaffa," Rahotep told her, smiling. "I am stronger than you. I heal faster." He stopped again and quirked an eyebrow in a kind of challenge. "Perhaps you need to see. Would you like a demonstration of the benefits of which I speak?"

He was challenging her, Sharon was sure of it. She wasn't sure what he thought the test was. But she could tell he though that by accepting, she would be pushing herself somehow.

[Sharon Knight]

"Horror might be a bit of a harsh word, sense I don't know what your going to do to me. A bit surprised and concerned over the unknown is more of the nature of what I am feeling." And a touch scared, as he had said, but she wasn't going to admit to that, not at this point.

She looked at him when he issued his challenge and she wasn't sure what sort of test he meant. If he really was stronger and tougher, a demonstration might allow her to learn something more of the situation she found herself in. "Alright then, a demonstration would be good to see."

[z-Servant of Ra]

"Stand by the door," Rahotep ordered. Sharon rose uncertainly and moved to the door, standing next to it. She wasn't sure what to expect from him. What he did was the last thing she'd ever thought he'd do.

He stood and moved his chair to one side. Taking his knife in one hand, he placed the other flat on the table. Quicker than she could follow, he stabbed the hand clean through, barely drawing a grunt. "What are you doing?" she cried reflexively, startled.

He pulled the knife back out and held up his hand. It was bleeding, but even Sharon could tell it wasn't bleeding as fast as it should. "Already, I heal," he told her, then balled up the injured fist and slammed it into the table. With a sharp crack! the table gave way and bent into a 'V'.

Sharon stared at the table, stunned. It had been a folding table - cheap paux-wood above but reinforced with metal. "Such are the gifts to the Jaffa, from the gods," Rahotep told her. He took his seat, drawing a piece of cloth out of his pocket. Winding it around his hand, he said, "Do you understand what honors you will be given?"

[Sharon Knight]

She was impressed, that was obvious, as she approached the table, and inspected it a moment, to be sure it wasn't somehow prepared for this. "I.. wow.." She was for a moment at a loss for words as she looked at the table then up at her teacher. With a look at him for permission, she took his wounded hand in her hands to look it over, then looked back at him, eyes wide, as she dropped his hand.

"Your giving me this capability?" She was surprised, and somewhat torn inside at the idea. For one, she didn't want to owe them anything, but a part of her found the idea of this kind of strength, somehow desirable. But she wasn't sure she wanted anything from her captors, if indeed she could call them that. It also explained why her initial fight was such a tough one, if all of them were this tough and strong, she was considerably outclassed. However, she was now concerned about something else, the challenge she had made, and she now wondered how foolish she had been.

[z-Servant of Ra]

"Lord Ra is giving you this capability," Rahotep corrected, smiling at her. "You have earned it with your fighting spirit and strength. For a human, you are brave and powerful. As a Jaffa, you will be incredible."

He settled into his chair, watching her closely. "You will never again be sick, and you will live to be one hundred and fifty years on average, with the prime of your life spanning decades of life. It is an awesome gift we have been given," Rahotep told her. "Did you have other questions about what it means to be Jaffa?"

[Sharon Knight]

She did not respond for several moments, looking down at the table and thinking before she responded to Rahotep's question. Then she looked up at Rahotep, both curious and uncertain, as one might expect of a human teenager. "But, what price does such capability carry? What would be expected of me, besides what you have already begun to teach me?"

[z-Servant of Ra]

"You would be a loyal Jaffa, of course," Rahotep told her, inclining his head slightly. "You will obey the will of Lord Ra. You will bear your husband sons for the battle or daughters for the sons. You will be expected to defend your home, your family and your god with your dying breath. That is what will be expected of you."

[Sharon Knight]

She considered a moment, how to reply to that, looking at Rahotep for a long moment. "See, I have no trouble with most of that, but I do have a bit of difficulty here." She paused a moment, wondering if this was going to get her into trouble, then decided to go ahead and say it. "I can accept the Lord Ra as someone I must obey, he has, after all made it clear there is no other option, but, a god? I have trouble believing that a god would physically manifest themselves."

[z-Servant of Ra]

"Why do you have trouble believing that?" Rahotep remained calm as he spoke; he could have ranted and raved or told someone to cut off her head, but he merely looked at her. "Do you feel that know you a god's mind so well that you'd know what he or she would do? Is that not arrogance to think that you can know why a god would do anything?"

[Sharon Knight]

"I...I..I don't know.." She had to admit, there was a measure of a point to his words, but she thought more or less that everything here was a matter of technology. It was also rather convenient for a group of invaders to present themselves as gods, it made the conquered easier to control.

However, at this point, Rahotep had made it sort of clear that he believed it, and she was done speaking for the time being. She would learn what she could, everything she possibly could, she was done questioning things for the time being.

[z-Servant of Ra]

Rahotep didn't release her then, but instead tutored her on more aspects of being a Jaffa. It was slowly dawning on her that she didn't have much choice in the matter. No one was asking her to be a Jaffa; they were just talking like she would be one.

The next few days were like this. Rahotep came for her after sparring and teach her for a time. No more gifts were brought for her, but the one called Anubis smiled at her a lot.

Then one day, Rahotep didn't take her to the room they had been using. Instead, he led her to another room, almost a medical bay. A woman, beautiful and lithe, lounged in the room on a bed. "Another one, Rahotep? And such a pretty one, at that." Her voice had the characteristic double-boom of the invaders.

Though she spoke in the alien tongue, Sharon had been learning it enough to follow the conversation. As she blushed at the compliment, Rahotep spoke in the same tongue, "As my lady says." His words were carefully chosen and spoken.

"Broodmare for the foot soldiers," the Lady replied.

"So others have named her," Rahotep said again, his words carefully chosen.

"Aw, you like her," the 'goddess' said. "So sweet. Perhaps you want her?"

"If it pleases my Lady, she is awaiting her transformation," Rahotep replied, his tone respectful.

The alien turned to look at Sharon again. "Come here," she ordered, holding out her hand.

[Sharon Knight]

She took her guidance from Rahotep at this point, listening carefully to what he said and taking what she could from it. She didn't like being called a brood mare, but she did her best to hide it. She did appear slightly startled at the 'goddess' statement to Rahotep about him liking her, she would have to have words with him later. If he was standing aside from Anubis, but had some interest in her himself, she would find out.. though she wasn't sure what she'd do about it.

From the careful way Rahotep addressed this woman, she decided she would have to be as careful. She bowed deeply as she was ordered to step forward, speaking carefully in the tongue she had been taught so far.

"Yes, Lady." She went forward as ordered, gathering herself up with courage as she did, whatever happened now, she would simply endure.

[z-Servant of Ra]

The gou'ald smiled at her and leaned forward, her pretty gray eyes full of mirth. Without another word, she kissed Sharon on the lips, her hands stealing down to grip Sharon's waist and hold her close. Sharon gasped and found herself being Frenched by a 'goddess'.

Then the pain in her belly started. Sharon tried to pull back, but the goddess held her tight. The fire kept burning and burning, freezing her in place, no matter how much she wanted to scream.

She wasn't ready for being released; her legs gave way and she stumbled backwards. Strong arms - male arms - caught her and Sharon was picked up. It hurt so much, like the worst cramping she'd ever experienced. She was only vaguely aware of being carried away.

It was some time before she came back to herself. Sharon sat up slowly, feeling odd somehow. Rahotep was sitting in a chair in the corner. "How do you feel?" he asked.

[Sharon Knight]

As she sat up, she looked over at Rahotep and she blinked slightly, reaching to touch her stomach. "Like I've been burned up inside and out.. but am perfectly alright now." She glanced over at him again, and her eyes flashed slightly, a hint of the lioness they had chosen to call her. At this moment, she actually liked certain things about that name "You might have warned me about what to expect."

Then she remembered the rest of it, some of it being very important to her. "Also, you and I need to talk about a few other things." She would have this out now, before it turned out to late to speak of.

She turned her gaze fully onto him, and looked into his eyes directly as she asked the question. "Do you like me, Rahotep? As a woman?" It was rather important to her, as it would shape the choices she made in the future from this point.

[z-Servant of Ra]

"Allow me to explain a few things to you," Rahotep said softly. He leaned forward and clasped his hands. "You are the first female Jaffa to be created from a human in centuries. I never had this done to me; I was born Jaffa. So I didn't know exactly what to expect, and Lady Hathor was not forthcoming to me beforehand.

"Before, our choices of mates were limited to the Jaffa already created," Rahotep continued. "There were more males created than females, and our breeding has always favored the birth of boys over girls. There are always more men seeking mates than there are women available to be mates."

His eyes narrowed a touch. "I am a man as any other, to desire a woman set before me, young and no doubt fertile, and to have her suddenly available. Is that understood?"

[Sharon Knight]

"Fair enough, you didn't know what to warn me of, I withdraw my complaint." She paused, then she shook her head in response to the rest of his statement.

"That was not an answer, I didn't ask if you were attracted to me." She stood up, and let her hands trail over the front of her body a moment, almost displaying herself as she simply emphasized a few curves, but not all that aggressively. "I've had men attracted to me before, though I never let things get very far. What I asked, is if you like me, for myself."

She looked at him directly as she asked the question. "I understand you may feel conflicted about my question, sense someone else is apparently courting me. But, I am going to be part of.. our people for the rest of my life, and I have no idea of what sort of customs are involved with regards to courting. Perhaps I'm being a bit direct, but it's important to me, to have the question answered, with the regards to the way I asked it."

[z-Servant of Ra]

"I don't understand what your question means," Rahotep asked, standing up. He loomed over her and crossed his arms for added effect, his body language going for intimidation. "What does it mean to 'like' you? I mean," he added, looking frustrated, "I understand the word and its meaning. But I'm confused by the way you're using it. I have said, I would desire you. What are you asking me?"

[Sharon Knight]

Now it was Sharon's turn to look a bit frustrated, as the gap of understanding just suddenly began to look like a huge canyon. She considered a moment, then put looked up at him as he attempted to loom over her. She put a hand on his chest and pushed him slightly, not strong enough to actually move him, but a silent way of saying, back off a little. "I mean more then simple desire, I mean, if you would chose between me and some other woman, would you prefer me because of who I am."

[z-Servant of Ra]

Rahotep frowned even more and leaned against her hand a little. "You want to know if I would choose you over a fictional woman?"

"Yes," Sharon said, pressing against his chest a little more, trying to get some space.

"Of course I would want a real woman rather than an imaginary one," Rahotep snorted, his breath warm as it blew over her hair.

"No! I mean, imagine a woman and then decide if you'd like me because I'm me or both of us the same because we are both women?!" She pressed against his chest but it was like leaning into the wall.

"How can I answer that?" Rahotep asked, frowning a bit more. The pressure on her hand increased a bit more and his head lowered even further. He was very much in her personal space now. "If I imagine a woman, why should I compare her to a real one?"

"I want to know if you like me because you like who I am as a person!" Sharon almost shouted. "And will you please step back?"

"No, I will not," Rahotep said, his face now inches from hers. "You are challenging me, and I will not back down from this battle, no matter if the woman I am fighting is driving me insane with strange, unnatural questions!"

[Sharon Knight]

At this point, her frustration was greatly increased, but she was torn between using some of her martial arts knowledge to throw him over her shoulder, or sense he was so close, kissing him. "Oh for heaven's sake, you don't understand, and I don't know how to ask the question in a manner that makes sense to you."

Torn between conflicting impulses, she suddenly let him go and sat down on the bed she had woken on, and she looked down, very unhappy for a moment. Then a thought came to her, and she looked up again. "I'm asking if you would like me as a friend, as well as a mate."

[z-Servant of Ra]

"Yes," Rahotep said, relaxing his stance, since he'd 'won'. "You are fierce and smart, though not very wise. Many Jaffa would be honored to call you a friend." He frowned. "Did you think we were not? Have I not been teaching you well enough?"

Now the divide went the other way. "Teachers aren't always friends, or at least none of mine at school were," Sharon replied. "I had to ask."

"Ah," Rahotep sighed. "Your people are so backwards. Why would you trust anyone other than a friend to teach you? How could you know that they were truly teaching you instead of misleading you?"

[Sharon Knight]

"You don't, but I never really thought about it with regards to my teacher's at school, they were suppose to teach me, it was their job." She paused. "Now I wonder how much of what they were teaching was truth, and how much of it was just stuff they were supposed to tell us."

She turned her gaze to Rahotep, and frowned slightly. "If you like me, why didn't you put yourself forward, rather then advancing another suit?"

[z-Servant of Ra]

"I was," Rahotep scowled. "But if your men need to compare their woman to imaginary females in order to fully appreciate the real thing, I can see who you might find my overtures confusing." He looked both disgusted and irritated at the idea.

"When you seemed to have your head turned by gifts, I decided that I couldn't offer better gifts. I am not in Ra's favor, as Anubis is," he continued, his voice filling with pride, as if it didn't matter that Anubis had better things to offer her. "I tried to teach you better and you didn't seem to be swayed. I understood that you wanted gifts and encouraged you to look to the one who could give you that." The pride had crept into his face as well, until it was almost palatable.

[Sharon Knight]

"Oh, Gods." She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, then shook her head slightly. "Rahotep, I didn't understand at all, or I'd have done things differently, I thought because you were teaching me, I was somehow off limits to you. Or that you didn't want me, and were pushing me at someone else, that's why I needed to know if you liked me or not."

She reached out and took one his hands in her own. "I'd rather have your teaching and company then Anubis gifts, I simply thought that one had to give gifts in order to be putting one forward. We were both confused by one another." She looked him in the eye. "I do prefer you to him, you have given me time and guidance, he has only give me gifts and smiles."

[z-Servant of Ra]

Rahotep studied her for a moment, his dark eyes slightly disbelieving. "You would rather have me than Ra's Prime?" he asked. "Anubis could make you a powerful woman; he holds Ra's favor above all others."

The man held himself arrogantly, his head high. Only his eyes showed his uneasiness as he awaited her answer.