Nesert

1.6

Episode 2.17 "Serpent's Song" (bold dialogue)

Tessa's frustration began to overwhelm her, but Sekhmet only allowed the usual release and she soon found herself becoming even more brutal with their victims, even requesting the privilege of using her enhanced strength before restraining the men. She enjoyed the challenge of a fight more than simply extracting screams and Sekhmet had learned various techniques of combat over her centuries of lives and hosts.

Tessa now utilized those skills effectively and creatively and Sekhmet herself enjoyed watching her host take such pleasure in inflicting not just pain, but humiliation as well. With time, Tessa became more and more aware of the old saying that it is much easier for someone to pull you down than for you to pull them up. She became more like Sekhmet than Sekhmet became like her and suddenly the urgency of her plan was not to stop the goa'uld, but perhaps to stop herself.

Tessa began to fill their body with anxiety whenever she was in control, along with subtle suggestions of infiltrating Stargate Command in order to attain more real time information on what was happening out in the galaxy. Initially, Sekhmet resisted Tessa's influence, but soon her host's emotions began seeping into her own and she began investigating the best way to gain access to the base.

The Goa'uld were obviously an advanced race technologically, but most of Sekhmet's current computer skills were gained by taking a host specifically chosen for his hacking and programming abilities. She wasn't particularly fond of him as far as hosts went, never feeling quite comfortable in a male form, but she took what she needed from him and then moved on quickly. With his base expertise, it had then been easy over the years to continue her own education to keep up with the Tau'ri advancements, so it did not take her long to create a new identity for the pair.

While at first a civilian profile seemed the best approach, she realized that Tessa's young age meant she was unlikely to have attained the credentials necessary to be employed at somewhere as top secret as the SGC. In the past, she would have simply taken a new host that was already working there, but she had really become far too attached to Tessa, a weakness she had not anticipated. In the end, she was able to find a young Staff Sergeant who somewhat resembled Tessa, tamper with the necessary files, and falsify transfer orders. All that was left was to get rid of the young woman and fortunately, the necessary timing required a quick disposal of the now redundant technician.

Their first day as SSgt. Kristen Brooks was without incident. With Sekhmet's knowledge, there was nothing to learn beyond basic procedures and it would be little time before she had full access to the goings-on at Cheyenne Mountain. She did her best not to stand out in any way and it really was amazing that someone like Sekhmet could be completely invisible despite all logic insisting she was unforgettable.

SSgt. Brooks became just another technician. She kept to herself and completed her work expertly and efficiently. No one had anything to say about her other than a comment or two about her work ethic and this led to a quick lack of supervision as she proved herself competent, Sekhmet taking full advantage of the professional neglect. It was easy then to hack into areas she didn't have clearance for as well as overhear conversations not necessarily meant for her ears.

Tessa could feel Sekhmet begin to bristle under the disguise, but her symbiote was determined to maintain the position for as long as was safe. This was not a completely risk free venture, after all. Even the slightest bit of suspicion could reveal her off-the-record work.

Their biggest threats, however, were two members of the primary Stargate team, SG-1. Captain Samantha Carter had been host for a short time to a Tok'ra named Jolinar which meant she would be able to sense any goa'uld symbiote in her immediate vicinity just as Tessa had been able to sense Seth. Teal'c, who Tessa was surprised to hear Sekhmet speak of with such loathing after hearing of his betrayal of her kind, was a Jaffa, bred by the goa'uld to incubate their larval offspring as they matured. The Jaffa were dependent on the symbiotes for an immune system, but in exchange received near perfect health and long lives, not to the level of hosts, of course, but they maintained control of their bodies and minds so Tessa felt she would easily trade with any of them. She'd much rather have a baby goa'uld in her abdomen than a mature one in her head. As long as they could avoid those two individuals, though, no one else should be able to know she was a goa'uld simply by being in her presence.