Aeryn stood behind an outcropping of rock on the base of the mountain opposite the one of the Capital City. His breath was coming in ragged gasps from his run and he struggled to control the flow of air without also Asphyxiating himself. There was a team of two bounty hunters not ten feet away. He'd been pursued by them all morning. Most would not go after a target this high up the opposite mountain but these were persistent. They seemed bent on getting their prize or die while trying.

Aeryn had committed no crime worthy of the manhunt that had chased him for the last nine years. His only folly, being favored by a false god that stole his body and his life from him. Amenthes had ruled this planet until nine years ago when an uprising incited by the SGC of the Tau'ri had torn him from his throne and an undercover Tok'ra had killed him with some very finely tuned equipment from the ancient lab that Amenthes had presided over setting Aeryn free. At first he believed that this was the end of his suffering but he soon found out that it was only the beginning.

In his imprisonment Aeryn had grown accustomed to the presence and level of Goa'uld technology but he soon realized that the people had no knowledge of the Goa'uld or could make a distinction between Aeryn the host and Amenthes who had enslaved them. Thankfully the Jaffa had most if not all been killed. Those that survived and had not retreated through the Chappa'ai had been hunted to extinction by Halion Drennon, Tolia's new leader.

The man was the former personal slave of Aeryn... Amenthes. He had trouble making the distinction in his mind sometimes. When Amenthes grew bored of examining the ancient lab he found pleasure in torturing Halion in the most inhumane but nonlethal fashion. Halion as a result was a little unbalanced but unknown to Amenthes he had used his access to learn of Goa'uld technology. When Amenthes fell Halion took control of his temples, his weapons and the few ships that remained. Halion seized power and now hunted Aeryn looking for revenge. The bounty on Aeryn's head was twice as large if he was brought in alive.

These bounty hunters were persistent and they were not going away. Aeryn realized that he could run till the ancient returned and he still wouldn't have lost them. He needed to show them the power of "Amenthes", scare or injure them into backing down. Around his neck was a stiff leather necklace that held a clear jewel right over his voice box. The crystal had been confiscated by Amenthes in years prior from a man who had tried to use it to pose as a Goa'uld. It altered the voice patters of the user to sound as though they carried a symbiote by reresonating the subject’s voice patterns.

Aeryn touched the crystal and it started to glow a faint green. He knew it was working. He held out the Silver Kara'Kesh around his hand and stepped out from behind the outcrop. He knew that Goa'uld's had enormous egos that they carried over to their position of "god". If Aeryn hoped to fool these hunters he had to reproduce that ego.

[I]"I am Amenthes your rightful lord. Kneel before your God and you may yet be spared."[/I]

He said in the most towering and powerful voice he could muster. The two hunters as foolish as they looked clearly didn't buy it. They both opened staff weapons that they must have acquisition from Halion's new government and started to fire. Aeryn blinked once and the shield from the Kara'kesh activated blocking the shots. He held it up to them intending to send them flying but nothing happened. He looked at the crystal; it was blinking in and out fully powered for a moment and totally dead the next. Running it so often with the last eleven years had nearly depleted the three naquadah power cores. The shield would fail soon and if it did he was toast.

He quickly withdrew his Zat'nik'tel and stunned the first hunter. The other dived for cover and kept firing. Aeryn could feel that the Kara'kesh didn't have much energy left. He pulled a Prim'ta Ceremonial knife from his belt and threw it at the hunter. It didn't go anywhere near it's mark but it distracted the man long enough for Aeryn to cover the distance between them and hit him hard over the head with his staff weapon. He was out cold. The hunts and close calls were getting more frequent and with only him left it was getting harder to defend himself. He needed help. What he really needed was her, Altenya but it wasn't worth dwelling on the fallen Tok'ra now. She was gone.

Aeryn retrieved the staff weapons of both of his assailants. He knew a cave not far from here that would do as shelter for the night and he'd long learned to mask his tracks. Who knew he might be able to interface the staff weapon naquadah cores with the Kara'kesh. They weren't the same in design but they were similar technologies and he might be able to work up a solution. He would not be alive if it weren't for the Kara'kesh. He still needed it, he had to recharge it somehow.

---

Halion rolled his eyes at the man standing facing him with the gun. Tonak had a flare for dramatic entranced and this was no exception. "Arthur," he said to the little balding man who had been discussing the merits of some sort of political structure that he hadn't been paying attention to. "You can leave; shut the door on your way out." Arthur looked like he was about to wet himself as he hurriedly picked up his most important documents and exited the room.

"Tonak," said Halion mildly completely ignoring the weapon trained on him. "I should thank you, he was about to start talking about the merits of..." Halion paused realizing that he hadn't heard a word that Arthur had said. "Well whatever it was it sounded boring. Drink?" He said moving to a little desk were he uncorked a bottle that had an alcohol made from the berries of the forest (Gin). I've more than enough to go around. Amenthes it seems was fond of the stuff though I believe his kind’s healing powers prevent them from fully enjoying its merits."

Halion poured two glasses not waiting to see if Tonak wanted any. If he refused Halion was perfectly happy to have the other glass as well. "So Tonak, what can I do for the Lucian Alliance. Another friend you need hidden or perhaps a meeting point for a new Kassa supplier, or maybe you simple need muscle." Halion listen to the man talk feeling as if the conversation were dragging on. "Kane checks in far too often and worries far too much. I became bored of hearing his voice. You can take one of these bottles back as apology." Halion said downing his glass while Tonak's remained untouched on the table.

At the mention of the planet's Goa'uld Halion's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do you think if I knew where he was I would not hunt him down personally?" Halion asked his voice making it clear that Tonak was treading on dangerous ground. Halion eased a bit. "I've recently received a report saying he was spotted on the opposite mountain several leagues from the ancient lab. Tell me though who are these people you wish to introduce him to? Enemies you wish dead? I should warn you he has not had the time to torture anyone in the last several years and rarely kills. It seems he's lost his taste for it since he lost his throne."

Halion refilled his glass before adding. "There was something else? A second think that you wished accomplished?"