Chapter Text
“Men… against the wall. Women, over there.” The guards told each prisoner as they entered the facility. On the transport ship, they had been chained to their seats randomly. Sam had been worried about being separated from her team until one of the male prisoners casually assaulted a female prisoner and was immediately murdered by the guards. It was gruesome but made her less worried about the situation. Unrestrained, she could hold her own but hampered by shackles she was going to have to be creative to avoid being violated.
SG-1 were tired and dirty. They had been ambushed and tossed in with the other prisoners as though their captors had no clue they were wanted by the Goa’uld and simply grabbed them for existing. Before they were put on the ship their clothing was removed, forcibly for those who resisted and they were issued disposable green jump suits that were neither warm nor comfortable. Sam stood with the other women, her eye always on her other team members while she waited. There had been no opening, no opportunity to plan an escape, even with Jack who she didn’t need to communicate with verbally or even by hand signal to have a conversation.
Sam remained aware of the situation anyway. It could change at any moment and, armed or not, she was prepared.
Jack was unprepared for the turn of events after they were shuffled into the common area of the prison. Honestly, in retrospect he shouldn’t have been surprised. There had been rumors a crime syndicate calling itself the Lucian Alliance that was infiltrating local governments for black market reasons. The ramifications of this current situation would have significant consequences to SG-1.
“I am Snrell, Warden of this facility.” An extremely large muscular man of medium skin and hair so dirty its color was indeterminate. “You will do as I say at all times. You will eat when you are told to eat. You will work when you are told to work. You will sleep when you are told to sleep.” He announced. “Some of these women who came with you, if any of them are your mates, you will be allowed to sleep together. For those without a mate and the other women who were already here… you men will fight each other for them. For those with a contested mate, you may fight for her as well. Once mates are assigned however… no man but her mate has the right to touch her. Noncompliance will be met with swift retribution.”
Everyone thought of the butchered prisoner that had attempted to assault one of the female prisoners on the trip here.
The large man named Snrell tilted his head, gauging how well this crop understood. There were always the rapists who were never satisfied with one woman but still wanted one available to them alone. “The remaining women will be rotated among men without mates until they are chosen or gravid.”
Sam looked around at the women with her and noticed several had the defeated looks of the abused. She wondered what the punishment was for women killing a rapist here?
Jack, Daniel, and Teal’c all scowled and exchanged a look. No way in hell was Sam going to be passed around like a piece of meat. Whoever got called on first would claim her.
“If someone chooses your mate… you may contest it immediately. The claimant may choose to concede or may choose to battle you until one of you yields. If all of you want to contest his claim, go ahead and line up. We don’t mind if you kill them, there’s always more prisoners.” Snrell said with a nasty sneer.
Some of the guards laughed in anticipation. SG-1 exchanged another round of looks. Nothing about that laughter boded well.
There were several women ahead of Sam in line and she and her team watched as some were claimed by apparent spouses or lovers, others claimed by individuals. Some with apparent relief as they had obviously been in circulation for some time and others with apparent resignation realizing the other option was being forced by multiple partners. About five women in, the first contested mating happened.
“Bolar, that’s my woman and you know it.” A surly man said to a younger more muscular man with a bald head.
“Come and take her, Takitti.” The larger man laughed. Neither man was armed.
“The first challenge begins!” Snrell said with a laugh.
Takitti was released from his bonds to approach Bolar. He rushed the other man and they were quickly on the floor pounding on each other with their fists. The crowd of men shouted encouragement to the two men who grunted and savagely beat each other until Bolar yanked Takitti’s arm behind his back with an audible snap. Takitti screamed.
“I told you one day I’d take her from you.” Bolar said savagely as he punched the other man in a kidney, making him scream again. Bolar made a move to snap the other man’s neck when Snrell called a stop to it.
“Yah won unless you’ve another challenger?” He looked around. Several men who had thought about it were now shaking their heads. “Next woman!”
This pairing was also contested but the two men came to an agreement of some kind without coming to blows. It was done quietly with their heads together and they clearly didn’t want an audience for the conversation. The first man gave the woman up to the other and she gave the first man a grateful hug. Jack was willing to bet the men knew each other and respected each other… or like his team agreed to protect her regardless of who was called first.
Two women later Sam was prodded forward. Before any of her team could say a word, one of the men steps forward. “I claim this woman.” He said with a jut of his chin.
Jack started to contest it when Daniel stopped him. Daniel shook his head and hand signaled the guy was bigger than them, to let him go first and soften him up, then if Daniel didn’t win for Jack to try. Teal’c nodded with them that this was the best course. Daniel knew he was unlikely to best the man but he’d wear him out some for Jack. Both men knew Jack would contest Daniel’s claim and Daniel would give her up but that was one of those unspoken agreements.
“I contest your claim on this woman.” Daniel announced, stepping forward.
Some of the men chuckled. Snrell stepped in. “The little man can contest for the woman the same as any other.” He reminded them as Daniel was released from his shackles.
The man who claimed Sam was large, dark haired, and pale skinned. “You think you can take me, little man?”
“Let’s find out.” Daniel said.
Sam wanted to stop them. To tell Daniel this wasn’t worth getting a broken arm or worse… but she’d seen the conversation between the Colonel and Daniel and realized if Daniel backed down… Jack would still fight the other man regardless. So she watched with a worried frown as Daniel gave as good as he got and wore the guy down but eventually found himself pinned.
“Yield.” The other man told him.
Daniel nodded.
“I contest this claim, too.” Jack said. Snrell motioned for Jack to be unshackled while Daniel was helped up.
Jack walked forward and faced the other man. “She’s not yours.” He said simply.
“Give it a shot, old man.” He said.
But Jack didn’t fight fair. Not when it came to Sam’s safety. Daniel had purposely jabbed the man in pressure points rather than try to outright win. Jack was making progress but it was slow and he was tired of this. “I have vested interest just so you know and even if I lose… you see that big hulking Jaffa? He’s the next guy that’s going to challenge you for her. And he makes me look like a cupcake.”
The other man glanced at Teal’c and his eyes went wide. While he was distracted, Jack jabbed him with a south paw uppercut. Not expecting the sucker punch, the other man reeled and crumpled to the ground.
“I yield.” He croaked out.
Jack nodded and helped the other man up.
The guards released Sam who ran to Daniel to make sure he was all right.
“I’m fine. I’m fine, Sam.” Daniel coughed. “Go stand by Jack… It’s all right.” He told her and squeezed her hand on his cheek.
Sam gave him a worried frown and went to Jack.
Jack sighed, unable to console her in this situation. He knew what this meant and he’d do what he could to avoid that.
Teal’c watched Sam for a moment. “I will care for Daniel Jackson, Major Carter.” He told her. Accurately guessing Sam was far more worried about Daniel’s injuries than being forced to have hain’kak[1] with a man she was known to be physically and emotionally attracted to.
Neither Daniel nor Teal’c picked a woman. Both deciding to keep an eye on who was abusive and handle things that way now that Sam was safe.
They were led to small sleeping units with narrow double beds, a small wash space that seemed to be a combined shower sink and toilet unit and a lockable built in dresser. The guards explained how to set the biometric scan to each of them to avoid theft as the doors on the cells did not lock and left them in their cells for the evening.
Sam and Jack waited for the guards to leave the general area before they started searching their very small room. There were no cameras which was good. There was nothing that would make a good weapon which was bad for now. There was also an unavoidably small bed.
The blanket was thin but it would have to do. Jack grabbed it and one of the pillows and started to set up on the floor when Sam took his wrist, her head down, a frown of worry on her face.
“Carter?”
“Sir, I’d really feel a lot better if you slept in the bed with me and I think your knee would thank me too.”
He watched the expressions that flitted across her features. Worry, fear… and oddly… hope for a flash of a second. Jack reminded himself that the hope was mostly about hoping he’d understand. “Sure, Carter, if it would make you feel better.” He knew she’d gone on a couple dates recently but she didn’t seem invested anyway… not that it mattered.
It wasn’t even the first time they had lain together in a prison. Just usually all four of them were together in a cage and Teal’c stood watch overnight and kelno-reemed in the morning. Now he and Sam were separated from Teal’c and Daniel and he suspected that was the source of Sam’s anxiety about being in the bed alone.
She gave him a small grateful smile. “Thank you, sir.” She said thoughtfully.
“Any time.” He said reassuringly as he put the blanket back on the bed. “Do you want to go check on Daniel?” He asked her gently.
Sam nodded and they got up to go find their friends.
Daniel was two cells over and Teal’c was with him tending his wounds as best he could with the limited medical supplies a guard had dropped off. Several cells away, Takitti moaned miserably. Sam gave Jack a look. Jack and Teal’c looked at each other a moment.
“I will see to the man named Takitti if you will finish here, Major Carter.” Teal’c told her.
“Thanks, Teal’c.” Sam said.
Jack noted the irony that the injured man could be garbage for all they knew. It was a prison after all. These people might be here because they were supposed to be. But helping him might give them an edge sometime later when they needed a friend… even a shady one… and sometimes shady friends were exactly the friends you needed Jack thought as an image of Maybourne came to mind.
Sam was quietly wrapping Daniel’s ribs for him. There wasn’t much they could do but at least he was clean and they could make him a little comfortable.
“Thanks guys.” Daniel said after Sam and Jack got him comfortable. “I should be all right now.”
“Are you sure?” Sam asked him with concern as she ran her fingers through his hair.
“I’m fine, ma…” He said jokingly.
“Try to get some rest, Danny.” Jack told him. “If you need us, we’re two cells down apparently.”
Daniel nodded and made a shooing motion for them to leave. Once they were out of sight, he rolled his eyes. The only reason for pairing up the prisoners was breeding black market babies. He knew Jack knew this too. Hopefully, they would get out of here before it came to that. He also really hoped Sam and Jack knew how to be quiet. Sam was literally like a sister to him and Jack was his best friend. He really wasn’t comfortable with the idea in the first place.
Sam and Jack went back to their cell and sat on the bed together. He draped an arm across her shoulders as she rested her head against his shoulder. “I wish I had my deck of cards.” Jack said thoughtfully.
“Not your yo-yo?” Sam asked him surprised.
“Yo-yo isn’t a two person game.” Jack said as though that were obvious.
Sam snorted wryly. Leave it to Jack to try to make the best of things.
Jack sighed and kissed the top of her head. “I don’t think anyone will try anything now but stay on your guard at all times, Carter.”
“Yes sir.” She agreed and wrapped her arms around his waist. They sat silently holding each other for a long time. They had been given no further instructions after all. So they listened to the other prisoners settle in. Apparently there were several cell blocks. Many of the women who had not been selected were taken back to another cell. They could hear some of the women and girls being forced and Sam and Jack looked at each other in horror that there was nothing they could do about it. One man had already tried to get to a woman in their cell block to stop the attack and had been immediately killed by a guard for it.
Apparently you couldn’t touch someone else’s woman or one not assigned to the unit yet but raping your own woman was just fine. Jack held Sam tighter. A silent promise that she wouldn’t face that here. That he, Danny and Teal’c would protect her.
[1] Vulgar word for sexual relations based on Arabic. Goa’uld is loosely based on Coptic which is the origin language of modern Arabic.