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ForevaXena's
FanFic . . .
Gabrielle's
'Chakram'
by Daniel Stevens
CATEGORY: Crossover ('Xena: Warrior
Princess', and 'Stargate: SG-1'). Also, a Third Season Rift
*Non-resolution* story, so expect some angst in here, as well.
SPOILERS: Big ones for 'Maternal Instincts', and 'Bitter Suite'.
None for 'Stargate: SG-1'.
SEASON: Season Three for 'Xena: Warrior Princess', and, I would
suppose, Season One for 'Stargate: SG-1'.
SEQUEL: Gabrielle and Jolinar
RATING: PG
WARNING: Mild violence, lots of angst, both involving a certain
Warrior Princess. No sex, of *any* sort.
SUMMARY: Gabrielle goes on a most unexpected one-way trip.
DISCLAIMER: The TV Series 'Xena: Warrior Princess', and all
characters and situations related to it, are property of Renaissance Pictures,
Studios USA, and Universal/MCA. The TV Series 'Stargate: SG-1', and all
characters and situations related to it, are property of Stargate(II)
Productions, ShowTime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film
Corps. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and no money has
changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original
characters, situation, and story are property of the author. This story
may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.
Solan's
death had been the beginning of the wildest sequence of events either Xena or
Gabrielle had ever experienced. Less than a week after the death of Xena's
son, the Amazons had been alerted that the Warrior was on her way, most probably
with savage revenge as her plan, and the Bard-Queen as her intended target.
Upon hearing that, Queen-Regent Ephiny had issued her orders with all the speed
and efficiency that the emergency had called for. Gabrielle had been on
her way out of Themiscyra going one way, under escort, just minutes before Xena
had ridden into town at a gallop from the other direction. At the price of
a broken arm, Ephiny had bought the fleeing Bard a few more minutes, in which to
make good her escape.
************
Now, a full day later, Gabrielle is approaching a sacred place, which she
perhaps hopes that Xena will respect as a sanctuary. At the center of this
place is an object, of unknown origin and purpose. Probably put there by
the gods. Outwardly, it looks like Xena's chakram, but is much larger - at
least twenty feet in diameter. Two low braces hold the 'chakram' in an
upright position, and a low dais leads up to it. Nearby is a round,
slanting altar, with a large, orange knob of some sort in the middle of it.
Gabrielle dismounts, to have a closer look at the altar. This has strange
carvings upon it, arranged in two circular patterns. One inside the other.
The 'chakram' has more of the carvings on it, as well, and also appears to be of
two parts. Likewise, one inside the other. Ever the intellectual,
even in this horrid extremity, the Bard finds her curiosity getting the better
of her remorse over Solan's death, and her fear of Xena's wrath.
She turns to the two still-mounted Amazons who had escorted her, handing one the
reins of her horse.
"Chalapa, you and Maslina wait over there, in the trees. If Xena
should turn up, and won't listen to reason, it will be for you to act."
"Yes, My Queen."
The two Amazons withdraw a couple of hundred yards, into some nearby trees, as
Gabrielle turns back to studying the 'chakram' and altar. Especially the
carvings, which look strangely familiar, despite not resembling any writing
system she is familiar with. This despite having come into contact with
over half a dozen writing systems in her travels with Xena these two and a half
years.
She touches one of the carvings, and it lights up. At the same time, the
inside of the 'chakram' begins to move. Then, just as suddenly, it stops,
and something on it locks into place. Gabrielle jumps back, in surprised
amazement. Clearly, this place is one of fearfully great powers,
completely beyond the comprehension of mere mortals!
Then, two things happen, that change the course of Gabrielle's life forever.
One of these is that Xena rides over a ridge in the distance. Spotting
Gabrielle by the 'chakram', she chooses to attack immediately.
"Chii-yah! Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi!", is heard by all present as she
draws her sword, and spurs Argo into a headlong charge.
In that instant, Gabrielle is overpowered by a compulsion she can't begin to
understand. She slaps her hand down *hard* onto six of the other carvings,
in a sequence, and then the knob at the center. As this also begins to
glow orange, the 'chakram' apparently comes to life, with a whirlpool that looks
like quicksilver appearing out of nowhere inside of it. The whirlpool soon
resolves into a shimmering bluish mirror-like surface of some sort.
Gabrielle looks fearfully at a revenge-maddened Xena, who is charging down upon
her with murderous intent, and then at the suddenly active 'chakram', which she
now guesses to be some sort of portal to a place unknown. She sees Chalapa
and Maslina move to intercept and engage the Warrior Princess. Her mind
made up, the Bard runs for the 'chakram', and jumps headlong into it.
Seeing this, Xena draws her chakram, and hurls it in after her, hoping for a
long-distance kill. To avenge Solan.
************
Deep in the bowels of the United States Air Force's Cheyenne Mountain Command
Complex, Stargate Command has just gone on full alert , for an unauthorized
incoming traveler. The Iris has just closed, and the Defense Team has been
scrambled to it's combat positions. SG-1 has also reported to the Control
Room, as they had been preparing for an off-world mission when the alarm had
sounded.
Then, for once, General George Hammond decides to go with his gut instinct.
"Open the Iris." Then, "That's an order, Lieutenant!"
"Yes, Sir."
The General turns to SG-1.
"Okay, guys. Let's get down there, and see what's going on."
"Yes, Sir."
Just seconds after the Iris is opened, the incoming arrives. From all
appearances, a slender young woman, of medium height, with shoulder length
strawberry blonde hair, and clearly in excellent shape. And just as
clearly, quite cold, from her trip through the wormhole between two Stargates.
She is clad in a green top that leaves her midriff exposed, a brown skirt that
comes down to just above her knees, and brown boots that come to just below her
knees. She is carrying a large leather bag, and what looks like a
quarterstaff. She flops, face first, onto the Stargate's ramp.
A second later, another object comes through the Stargate, with a loud
'whoosh!'. It is apparently round, and flat. It sails right over the
young woman, at just over shoulder height. Then, Teal'c catches the object
in midair, with seeming ease.
"Nice catch!"
"Thank you, Colonel O'Neill."
Then, the Stargate shuts down, and the woman looks up - into the business end of
several assault rifles, and two .50 Caliber machine guns.
Now, the General speaks.
"Defense Team, stand down. She looks harmless enough."
Then, "Doctor Jackson, Captain Carter?"
The two individuals named step forward, to help the woman to her feet.
Captain Samantha Carter also takes the staff and bag from the woman, who
surrenders them meekly enough. Then, they turn to the General for further
instructions.
"Take her to the Infirmary, and have Doctor Frasier give her a complete
examination, including a full MRI."
"Yes, Sir."
"SG-1, your assignment now is to find out what has just happened, and who
the young woman is. And what that round thing is that Teal'c caught.
SG-2 will take your mission to P3R2769."
"Yes, Sir."
With that, six individuals leave the Stargate Bay: General Hammond, SG-1,
and a clearly frightened young woman.
************
A few minutes later, SG-1 and the mystery woman arrive at the SGC's Infirmary.
Doctor Janet Frasier had already been alerted to expect a mystery patient when
they get there. She leads the young woman over to an examination table,
and gestures for her to climb up on it. The woman does so. Then,
Doctor Frasier tries to speak to her.
Meanwhile, all of SG-1 except Doctor Daniel Jackson leaves. He clearly
suspects that his quite considerable linguistic skills may be needed.
The look of total lack of comprehension on the woman's face soon causes a mildly
frustrated Doctor Frasier to turn to Doctor Jackson for help.
"Could you tell her that I want to help her, but that I'll need her
cooperation to do so?"
"To do that, I'll need to know what language she speaks, and then it will
have to be one that I also speak."
"Oh, *great*!"
Just then, the young woman does speak, in a language that sounds faintly like
some sort of Ancient Greek dialect. Doctor Jackson's face lights up, and
he addresses her, in the same language. They talk for a minute or so,
before Doctor Jackson turns to Doctor Frasier.
"She understands, and has agreed to cooperate with you."
Then, he turns to leave. Doctor Frasier clears her throat, rather loudly.
"Janet, I really think I should leave the room, for the obvious
reasons."
After a moment, "Fine. I'll let you know when to come back in."
Doctor Jackson now leaves the Infirmary. Leaving the mysterious woman in
Doctor Frasier's capable hands. After treating some skinned spots on her
knees, arms, and hands, the Doctor proceeds with the full medical examination.
************
At one point in the examination, Doctor Frasier spots something odd.
"Hello,.. what is this?"
She now checks what she has found a lot more thoroughly.
************
A little while later, the medical examination is completed, and the woman is
once more dressed, this time in U.S. Air Force coveralls. Now, Doctor
Jackson returns to the Infirmary, with a cassette recorder. After sitting
down at a table opposite from the woman, putting the cassette recorder between
them, and turning it 'on', he begins to very gently question her. He asks
her who she is, where she came from, why she came through the Stargate, and also
about her world. Having already had a look at the scrolls that had been in
the bag, he bases his questions on what he had read there.
Doctor Jackson also tries to answer her questions, most of which center on the
main one of 'Where am I?!' She is astonished to learn that she is on
another, completely different, world. To be exact, deep under a mountain,
in a place called 'Colorado'. She is also most relieved to learn that her
captors most emphatically do *NOT* believe in slavery, or in anything that even
remotely resembles slavery. That, in fact, they may well be hoping that
she'll end up joining them, as a full member of their organization.
He soon recognizes in the woman a kindred spirit, as does Doctor Frasier.
A curiosity and keen intellect that, despite the primitive nature of her
background, would make her a most valuable member of SGC - once she has caught
up with Earth at the turn of the Third Millennium.
At one point in her account, the woman is filled with a deep remorse over
something she had been involved with, that no one present can miss. In
fact, both Doctors try to comfort her, as does Captain Carter, who happens to
walk in right then. Aside from that, however, all present can see that her
fear is diminishing rapidly, and that a spirit of curiosity and optimism that
appears to be natural to the woman's character is reasserting itself.
Then, as the interview concludes, Captain Carter speaks.
"Daniel, she must be hungry. Why don't we take her to the Mess
Hall?"
"Good idea, Sam. I assume that Jack and Teal'c will also be
there?"
"At this time of day, most likely."
************
Once at the Mess Hall, SG-1 and Doctor Frasier all marvel at the young woman's
appetite.
"Teal'c, I do believe that she has a hollow leg."
"Please explain, Colonel Jack O'Neill."
"It's a figure of speech. I meant that she has quite an
appetite."
"That she does."
************
After she's *finally* done eating, the woman is taken back to the Infirmary, and
shown to one of the beds. She immediately climbs in, and is asleep the
moment her head hits the pillow.
"The poor kid must have been exhausted!"
"I'd say so, but now, we need to prepare our reports for the General."
************
Some time later, SG-1 and Doctor Frasier are meeting with General Hammond, in
the Briefing Room. The General wants answers, and is getting them, one at
a time.
"Doctor Frasier?"
"General, she checks out as human, all right, and in most regards, she's in
excellent physical health, for someone from a rather primitive environment.
I saw no sign of Goa'uld infestation, or of any naquaada stone in her system,
either. However, I did see one thing that I do consider to be rather
anomalous."
"Yes?"
"She seems to have been pregnant fairly recently."
"Nothing anomalous about that.", is Samantha Carter's reply.
"Normally, I would agree. However, I have reason to believe that the
Goa'uld may have had something to do with this pregnancy, which has also left
her barren for life."
All look at Teal'c, who registers utter contempt, and cold fury, that the
Goa'uld may have done something like this to their guest.
"Hardly surprising! It sounds like the standard procedure of the
System Lord called 'Dahak', who is much feared and detested among the other
Goa'uld. The result of such a pregnancy is that an implanted Goa'uld and
host are born together, and mature together. Such a creature is called a
'Harsesis' by the Goa'uld."
"I see.", is the General's response. Then, he turns to Doctor
Jackson.
"Doctor Jackson, have you been able to communicate with the young
woman?"
"Yes, Sir. She speaks a variant of Ancient Dorian Greek, but I have
been able to converse with her."
"And?"
"First off, her name is 'Gabrielle'."
"That's not an Ancient Greek name.", is Colonel Jack O'Neill's
observation.
"I know. The world she described to me as her home sounds like a
cross of Ancient Greece and Rome, with Late Medieval Europe. With a rather
strong dose of Greek Mythology thrown in, and a much wetter, and more tropical
climate than the Ancient Mediterranean World would have had."
General Hammond now asks, "In that case, how would she have known how to
dial up Earth?"
To which Doctor Jackson's response is, "She herself is clueless as to how
she would have known that information. My own guess is that she picked it
up subconsciously from the Goa'uld, when they implanted the whatever it was in
her, and then went more on instinct, than on conscious thought, to dial us
up."
"That does seem rather far-fetched, Daniel,.. but in the absence of any
other, more workable hypothesis, it is the most reasonable one I can think
of.", from Sam Carter.
Now, the General asks about the object that came through with her.
"It is apparently a weapon of some sort. Someone was trying to kill
her, when she came through. Had it not been for Teal'c's superior Jaffa
reflexes, one or more of us would have almost certainly been injured or killed,
or else the Bay would have sustained considerable damage."
"Thank you, Daniel Jackson."
"But why was she being attacked?"
"Jack, from what I could gather, the would-be killer's son was murdered
less than a week ago, and she held Gabrielle responsible."
"She?"
"Yes, Sam. From what Gabrielle told me, the other person in question
is a woman warrior of almost Herculean prowess *and* temper. *Her* name is
'Xena'."
General Hammond motions for silence for a moment, so he can think. Then,
"Doctor Jackson, do you believe that she's in any way responsible for the
boy's death?"
"Only indirectly, if at all, Sir. Apparently, the progeny of what
Teal'c described as the System Lord Dahak's 'standard procedure' was the actual
killer. Gabrielle's alleged guilt was in not killing it as a baby.
However, she did kill it after it killed the boy."
"With all due respect, Sir, I would hardly call that 'guilt'!"
All present agree with Sam, including General Hammond, who sums up the matter.
"Our guest couldn't have possibly known who or what she was dealing with,
until it was too late to save the boy."
Then, Colonel O'Neill speaks again.
"One thing is clear, Sir. Even if we had any idea how to dial up her
home world, which we apparently don't, we couldn't send her back under these
conditions. To do so would be like sending Teal'c back to Chulak, gift
wrapped for Apophis."
All present turn to Teal'c, for his take on the Colonel's last statement.
"Colonel O'Neill is right. This 'Xena' apparently regards Gabrielle
in much the same way that Apophis does me, and would have the same sort of
hostile reception waiting for her, if she were to go back. The
weapon I caught proves that, as she was the intended target."
Then, General Hammond speaks again.
"Okay, people, I've made my decision as to what to do with Gabrielle.
Doctor Jackson, I am assigning her to you and Doctor Frasier for the time being.
I want you to teach her our language, and ways, and to help her learn her way
around the base, and it's immediate surroundings. The rest of SG-1 will
help out as needed and available. It is my hope that, with some patience
and understanding, she may come to be a valuable member of SGC. I shall
inform the President of my decision, and my reasons for it, and I'm sure that he
will concur."
"Yes, Sir." Then, "Sir, it might interest you to know that
she has already started picking up certain words in English. She already
knows my name, and also Sam's and Janet's names, as well as certain other basic
words."
"That's excellent, given the short amount of time she's been here."
Then, "Is there anything else to report?"
No one else speaks.
"Very well, then. I think that just about covers it. Thank you all.
Dismissed."
Colonel O'Neill calls out, "Tenn-hut!"
Everyone else comes to attention, as the General leaves the briefing room.
Then, SG-1 and Doctor Frasier also depart the Briefing Room. The Doctors,
and Sam, return to the Infirmary, to check on Gabrielle. Jack and Teal'c
have other business to attend to, to prepare for SG-1's next off-world mission.
The group that had gone to the Infirmary find Gabrielle, still sound asleep.
Doctor Janet Frasier observes, "You'd think I'd given her a sedative!"
"Well, it's like you said earlier. She was exhausted."
"I know." Then, "Daniel, if you could stay here with me
tonight, in case Gabrielle wakes up, and needs anything?"
"Sure, Janet."
"Well, I'd better get back to work with Jack and Teal'c."
"Sure thing, Sam."
With that, Captain Carter leaves the Infirmary, while Doctor Jackson puts on a
fresh pot of coffee for himself and Doctor Frasier. Clearly, he expects it
to be a long night.
************
Some hours after Gabrielle's disappearance, towards evening. Xena is
sitting by the 'chakram' and altar, in an apparent state of emotional shock.
The 'chakram' is once more inactive.
Ephiny, now fully Queen, rides up, with an escort. Her arm is now in a
splint, and sling. The look on her face looks as if it could have been
carved from granite.
With some difficulty, she dismounts, and walks up to Xena. The Warrior
Princess looks up at the Amazon Queen, with a look of indescribable pain such as
Ephiny would never have expected to see on her face. Almost as if her love
for Gabrielle is *finally* reasserting itself - far too late to cause her
anything but pain and anguish.
"Xena.", in a hard, dry tone of voice.
After a moment, Xena replies. Her tone of voice almost brings to mind a
sad, confused young child, who wants her Mommy, rather than a hardened Warrior.
"Gabrielle. She's... gone. Just... gone."
"So Chalapa told me.", angrily.
"Beyond... the reach... of my... vengeance,.. or my... forgiveness!"
Despite her broken arm, and her great anger with the Warrior Princess, Queen
Ephiny can't help feeling pity for the emotional wreck she now sees before her.
"Ephiny,.. you... never... know... what you have... until you've... lost
it... forever."
"I know, Xena.", more gently. The anger in Queen Ephiny's heart
is rapidly giving way to compassion for someone who's whole world has come apart
at the seams this past week.
"The worst part... is not knowing... if she's dead,.. or alive."
Xena lowers her head again, slowly, as Ephiny lays a gentle hand on the
Warrior's shoulder. Then, she turns to the other Amazons.
"There will be no action taken against Xena. Anything we could do to
punish her would be insignificant compared to what she's doing to herself
now."
Then, Ephiny removes her good hand from Xena's shoulder, and places it on
Eponin's
"Eponin, stay with her. She needs someone now, more than
anything."
Eponin begins to object, but then sees the look on Queen Ephiny's face. It
is clear that the Amazon Queen means business.
"Yes, My Queen."
With that, Queen Ephiny is helped back into the saddle, and returns to
Themiscyra. All the Amazons save Eponin go with their Queen.
Eponin now builds a fire, some ways from the 'chakram', so as to fix a meal for
herself, and for Xena.
"By the way, Chalapa and Maslina are going to be just fine."
"That's... good."
After a moment, "Care to join me, by the fire?"
Xena does so. Her movements are slow, and listless. Almost
mechanical. Like she just doesn't care about anything any more.
Soon, dinner is ready. As could have been expected, Xena doesn't have much
of an appetite.
"Xena, you need to eat something, if only to keep up your strength."
The Warrior does so, reluctantly. Now, even Eponin finds herself pitying
Xena.
Later, Eponin spreads out two blankets on the ground. She leads Xena to
one, puts the broken shell of a Warrior to bed, then crashes out herself.
The End
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