The Fall of Iconia

Chapter 23

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Chapter 23

Jade stared at Daniel. "There's something you're not telling us. Khan is under the influence of another entity, isn't he?"

Jackson was still staring at Khan, who was fidgeting in his chair, obviously wishing that the wormhole would open quickly.

"You know who is controlling him, do you not, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c hazarded.

Daniel glanced over at his friend momentarily, then looked back at the superman. "Yes, I do, Teal'c, and I believe you do as well."

The big Jaffa shook his head. "Anubis should still be fighting Oma Desala."

"I think that fight is long over, Teal'c."

"How?" Jade asked.

"It is not beyond the scope of possibility for the Ancients to have imprisoned Anubis in some way," Teal'c speculated.

"I believe," said The First, "that we are all in agreement that Anubis has somehow possessed Khan." Everyone nodded. They weren't sure how it had occurred, but they knew it to be true. "We need to speak with the most powerful of the ascended."

Daniel concurred and when he called out, his voice resonated. "Vala! We need to talk to you."

It took a moment, then a bright white light appeared by the turbolift door. "Hello, everyone. I was off exploring some ruins. What can I do for you?"

"You told me that Anubis' status had changed," Daniel said to her. "Why?"

She looked at Khan speculatively. "Didn't take him long, did it?"

Kirk was furious. "You knew that Anubis was loose, and you didn't tell us?"

Vala Jackson had absolutely no fear of the Q. She turned to Kirk, put her hands on her hips and fired back. "You knew that the Doci was loose, and you didn't tell us?"

Kirk flinched as if he was hit. "Doci?" he asked.

"Admiral Kirk doesn't know that part of the story yet," Daniel explained. "For that matter, neither does Admiral Picard."

"Oh. Well. I guess that explains that." She decided to ignore the accusation from Kirk. "We didn't know what happened with Anubis. One moment the fight was still continuing between Oma Desala and him, and the next, he vanished."

"Do all ascended have the ability to possess mortals?" The First wondered.

"Of course they do, Silly. Most don't do it, however." She looked back at the superman sitting in the captain's chair of Saratoga. "Anubis is different, though. He doesn't care who he hurts, or what he destroys to gain power."

"I'd like to say it's nice to see Khan this way," Kirk said, "but it's no better having Anubis in control of him. His focus has just changed."

On Cardassia Prime...

Garak stepped onto the broad cobblestone street that lead to the gates of Madred's palace. When the Dominion forces withdrew, the palace had been shut up, and no one was certain if Madred was even there. Some suspected that he had left when his alliance with the Dominion fell apart.

The tailor watched as some men drug a palace guard down the street. Somehow, one had gotten his sidearm away from him, and he was now bound hand and foot.

Garak stepped in front of them, and when one tried to brush him aside, he grabbed the man's arm and pulled it up behind his back so the man was standing on his tiptoes, desperately trying to keep his arm from breaking.