Name: Ay'mara of Bubastis
Age: 76 (Perhaps 22 by human standards)
Appearance:
By human measurements 5'6" about 120 pounds. She is small and skinny but uses this to her advantage often finding ways to squeeze into places that no one would think she could fit.
Personality: Ay'mara keeps pain that she feels, both emotional and physical, on the inside just like her father taught her. She has a great capacity for kindness and compassion but just like her pain keeps it on the inside where no one can see it. She is rather blunt when she speak of people especially there mistakes. She will not hesitate to offer advice on what she sees as a wrongful act even to a superior.
Biography: Ay'mara's mother Zim'ina had many years before her daughters birth held the position of weapons specialist in Bastet's palace. When Bastet and Kali went to war with Nirrti Zim'ina was on the front lines. She controlled the Ha'tak that devastated several of Nirrti's labs. This was her downfall. She was among the Jaffa that investigated these ruined facilities for salvageable equipment and personal. On one of these endeavors she was exposed to a deadly muttigene that Nirrti had deemed too strong, advancing her subjects to the point of death before she could get credible data.
The muttigene infected the six Jaffa who had investigated the planet, while it were not contagious it was deadly. There symbiotes had some success in combating the virus but could ultimately merely cease its progress. This constant strain on the symbiote cause it to slowly decline over the course of a decade. It was not until much later that Zim'ina and her guards knew that they were dying.
After this Zim'ina married a palace servant and they had a beautiful baby boy then three years later the gods blessed them with a girl. They named her Ay'mara meaning "Light of Angels" for her fair skin and light hair and blue eyes that shown in the darkness. Ay'mara took greatly after her mother, inheriting her light skin and hair.
When Ay'mara was four years old Zim'ina fell gravely ill. She sought the council of Bastet who after examining her spun her a story. Bastet told her that many years ago during the war with Nirrti the vengeful goddess had in a fit of rage stolen a great part of Zim'ina's life force. Bastet at this time had bargained with Sokar for Zim'ina's life. "I gave you seven years and two beautiful children. Your blessings have been many and now you must burden that cost Zim'ina. Sokar may take you upon the rising of the sun or he may leave you be for years to come. Spend what little time you have with your family."
Zim'ina had not the strength to uphold her position in Bastet's court and so she took her family to the countryside of Bubastis to live out her few days in peace. Val'nar, Ay'mara's father was forced to work in the fields of one of the outer villages of Bastet's homeworld. Val'nar considered himself a learned man and an expert on Jaffa medical practices. On any other Goa'uld world may have been respected as a scholar and physician but on Bubastis the best he could ever have hoped for was palace servant. This had always been a sore point for him. Now because of his wife he did not even have the respect that working in the palace had granted him. He was a common field worker.
This led Val'nar to drink. He was normally a discontented man and he would often turn violent when at the tavern too late. Despite everything that had happened Val'nar loved his wife. Her sufferings were one of the reasons that he drank. In his drunken rages he would blame little Ay'mara. He would shout and scream and beat her. Usually with his fists though she bears scars on her back from a whip and on one particularly unpleasant night Val'nar used a Prim'ta knife to create several deep slices in her right hand. Val'nar's knowledge of Jaffa medicine, something he was truly skilled at allowed him to patch her up once he had calmed so that no one would know. He also made it very clear what would happen to Ay'mara if she ever told anyone. After this she began to wear white ceremonial gloves to cover up the scars on her right hand.
Over the next three years Zim'ina's health declined steadily. With Val'nar working the fields all day it would often be left to Ay'mara and her older brother Thanis to look after Zim'ina. When Ay'mara was seven years old Zim'ina's symbiote died and over the course of three days Zim'ina herself followed in pain and agony. Val'nar buried her next to there cottage. After Zim'ina died Val'nar would stay later at the tavern and come home with more drink in him. He would scream and she would hide. This only made him angrier when he actually found her. Thanis often acted as Ay'mara's protector. Though on Bubastis a boy protecting a girl was uncommon and looked down on Thanis considered it his duty to make sure that no harm came to her.
When Ay'mara was nine years old almost two years after Thanis received his first symbiote Val'nar returned home very drunk. Thanis tried to talk him down and when that failed he took several of the punches meant for Ay'mara. When Val'nar had fallen asleep Thanis wrapped Ay'mara in blankets and hummed softly to her till she fell into the world of dreams. The next day when Val'nar was working the fields Thanis cam to Ay'mara, he gave her a hug and said. "Ay'mara, you aren't safe here, Father is becoming more violent. I fear you will not make it to the Age of Prata." Ay'mara looked at him confused and he realized that he wasn't making his point clear. "Ay'mara, when mother died she made me promise that no matter what I would always protect you. That is what I'm doing now."
Thanis fetched from his room a bag that had a day's worth of food, a doll Zim'ina had made for Ay'mara, a change of clothing and a blanket. "Ay'mara, you need to run from here, I'm going to take you to the shipping yard. From there you can get to Great City, where Mother came from." Thanis walked Ay'mara from there home. She did not understand a lot of what he had said but she knew that he was going to make the pain stop, and that she would likely never see him again.
Thanis explained to her something that Val'nar had told him. When it was time for the tribute from the fields to be collected Bastet's might hand would stretch down out of the sky and scoop it up. Thanis hid her among the crates of food and some from the mines over the high hills. He told her to pray that Bastet have mercy on her and take her to the Great City. Once there he told her to run for the streets, blend in with the people. He knew how much she loved to climb and to run. He told her to blend in or she may be returned to Val'nar's care. Thanis placed her amidst the crates then gave her a big hug. "Goodbye Angel." he whispered then he ran back over the hills and returned home. Angel was something Zim'ina had called Ay'mara.
Ay'mara curled herself into a ball on of the small crates and waited, praying to Bastet that she be taken like her brother had said. After a time she heard a ringing in her ears. She opened her eyes in time to see her surroundings change in a brilliant flash of light from that she had known all her life to an open room with great stone walls. Where it had been early morning were she was now the sun was high in the sky warming her skin.
Perhaps a simple shipment of food did not warrant a guard or else no one would dare steal from the great Bastet for fear of being struck down but no one stood at the open entrance to this room. Ay'mara looked around outside and when no one was there she darted into the streets. It must have been market day for several stalls were set up along the main streets with a variety of people.
The city was beautiful and grand and Ay'mara understood why Zim'ina had loved it here. For several hours Ay'mara wandered the streets until she began to grow tired. She felt lost and alone but she remembered that her brother had said she would be safe. Ay'mara found a quiet, dry looking place and curled up in the blanket Thanis had packed for her. She fell asleep, alone in that alley.
Ay'mara spend the next six months living in the city. She found an abandoned building where no one seemed to go that she slept in and several vendors who did not watch there wares. Each time she stole she prayed that the Goddess would understand. After six months Ay'mara started to feel cold and her lungs did not seem to hold enough air. Her blanket did not help, neither did going out into the city. The hot sun above did not seem to have any effect. While she was attempting to pocket an apple a shooting pain went through her abdomen and Ay'mara fell to the ground. The vendor gave a cry of "Thief!" but Ay'mara barely heard her. She was having trouble breathing and soon blackness invaded her vision.
When she woke there were voices surrounding her. She was lying on a hard mattress somewhere dark. A light danced along the wall as someone moved a torch into the room. Someone pressed a water skin to Ay'mara's lips and she gulped in the cool liquid greedily, the water running over her cracked lips.
"Can you speak girl?" A strong voice said from somewhere above her. Ay'mara's eyes fluttered and finally opened. A man knelt in front of her holding the waterskin. He did not speak.
"Y-yes." Ay'mara managed.
"Do you have a name?" the voice asked.
"Ay-Ay'mara."
"That is a beautiful name, Ay'mara how old are you?"
"N-nearly t-ten." Ay'mara gasped.
Ay'mara managed to look up and gave a squeak before pulling back into the shadows of the cell. The figure that stood before Ay'mara was obviously a woman but she held no face instead a black surface ran over her skull with a great Sekhmet carved into black and bronze.
"My apologies little one, I did not mean to frighten you." The Bast Guard said her voice echoing from within the helmet. With a loud sound of clanking metal the Sekhmet head dissembled itself and vanished into the woman's armour. The woman that stood before Ay'mara was tall and strong with striking features and dark black hair. Her forehead bore the symbol of Bastet marked in gold, this was Bastet's first prime.
"My name is Syn'ac, I am here on Bastet's behalf. If I understand then you are without Prim'ta. Without the infant god's strength to guide you you will soon die." Syn'ac said. She stepped forward and gathered the weak Ay'mara in her arms. "Bastet does not wish you to leave this world so young." Syn'ac carried Ay'mara out of the cells and as she walked Ay'mara slipped into a deep sleep lying in Syn'ac's arms.
When Ay'mara awoke she found herself feeling stronger, her limbs had less weight to them. She opened her eyes. Ay'mara was lying in a soft bed too large for her. She looked at her stomached which was exposed. There was an X marked cut into her skin, she had received the honour of her first Prim'ta. "You are awake. I feared that the Prim'ta implantation had come too late, that you would die of a common childhood illness." Ay'mara looked up, it was Syn'ac, Bastet's first prime who was speaking. "Is this your home?" Ay'mara asked.
"It is indeed, and it shall be yours as well." Ay'mara cocked her head to the side and looked at Syn'ac. Why would she open her home to a street child and thief. "I have always wished for children but sadly I am unable to conceive. It is the will of the Goddess that you remain in my care. Bastet is kind, a patron to women and children but she is not foolish. She is granting you a second chance, use it wisely for you will not be given another."
Over the next four years Syn'ac taught Ay'mara many disciplines, several forms of hand-to-hand combat including anything from unarmed martial arts to the use of a Ma'tok Staff as a melee weapon. When Ay'mara turned fourteen she enlisted in Bastet's army and became a Bast Guard. Her training with Syn'ac gave her an advantage and she soon found herself rising through the ranks. Though many attributed this to Ay'mara being Syn'ac's daughter it was not an easy journey. Syn'ac was a good teacher but she did not pull her punches and was not afraid of injuring Ay'mara to teach her what she needed to know.
Ay'mara was after thirty years of service granted the honor of being Syn'ac right hand. Meaning if Syn'ac were to fall in battle or to old age Ay'mara would be first prime to Bastet. For this position Ay'mara was given a silver sigil of Bastet's symbol. Ay'mara served Bastet faithfully for unlike the other Goa'uld Bastet did not crave power merely for the control it granted her. That is not to say that Bastet was good. She carried all the traits of her brothers and sisters, she was vindictive and cruel, but she was never cowardly and when the time came she could be kind and compassionate. Ay'mara knew Bastet as a benevolent ruler and served her faithfully because of it.
When Bastet died at the hands of Ba'al, as with all Goa'uld wars, the defeated God's Jaffa were absorbed into the Victor's Army. Ay'mara along with a good portion of her guard were taken prisoner. Knowing that refusal would end in death Ay'mara accepted Ba'al's offer to join his forces. Syn'ac was not so lucky. It is the final duty of a First Prime to avenge the death of her fallen Lord, or Lady as the case may be. This meant that an enemy First Prime was too dangerous to keep in one's army. Ba'al executed Syn'ac personally before his entire court.
Bastet was among one of the only Goa'uld in the Galaxy that used female Jaffa in her guard. When she was taken into Ba'al's service Ay'mara was delegated to a lowly role as a servant to one of Ba'al's lieutenants on an off world base. It was a demeaning job that forced Ay'mara for the first time into the Kitchen. She'd not had practice in the kitchen since she'd been seven years old, preparing her sick mother's food. Over the course of a year Ay'mara began to understand the discontented rage that her father had harbored for his job working in the palace.
Many of the other Jaffa women considered her a fool because she had trouble with the most basic tasks that she was expected to perform. While the men considered themselves unfortunate when it was her turn to make there meals. After twelve months Ay'mara had had enough. She stole into the kitchen late at night. With a pack she'd taken and got herself a days worth of food. Then she retrieved the Zat'nik'tel that she'd stolen months prior as well as a bed roll from an empty officer's quarters.
She knew how to operate the Portal of the Gods and decided that if it was Ba'al's wish that she be struck down during her escape so be it. She had served her Goddess faithfully and had earned a place in the afterlife. Whether she survived or not she was leaving tonight. Gone were the days when the Goa'uld left the Chaapa'ai unguarded but Ay'mara had been watching the schedule for the last year and felt certain she could access the Chaapa'ai when it was at its most vulnerable. Thankfully this planet was not important enough to warrant one of Ba'al's new soldiers, the Orac (Kull Warriors).
Ay'mara made her way through the forest following the path to the Chaapa'ai, her escape would not be quiet but if she was lucky it would be successful. When she reached the clearing where the Chaapa'ai sat she waited in the shadows. Jaffa guards were observant and vigilant. Only the truly incompetent ones became disinterested in there post and fell asleep. Therefore her best chance would be just after the shift change. When the old guards where just out of earshot and the new ones had yet to equant themselves with there surrounding.
Ay'mara waited for in Earth measurements two hours. Then she heard footfall coming up the path. She smiled, the Jaffa on guard had heard it too. When there backs where to her she slipped up behind the Chaapa'ai. It was the best piece of cover she could hope for and it was only eight steps to the Dialing Device. No one noticed her. The new and old guard detail exchanged a few words, before the old left and the new took up positions. There were five in all. All equipped with Ma'tok Staff Weapons and Zat'nik'tels at there belts. Ay'mara waited slowly for the footfall of the previous guard detail to fade away before she made her move.
Ay'mara drew her weapon and dove out from behind the Chaapa'ai. She had been the fastest shot in her training group and managed to get off three shots before they realized what had happened. One of the shots missed but the other two struck there mark dead on. By the time the Jaffa guard had gained cover Ay'mara was secured behind the Chaapa'ai's Dialing Device. She let out three shots none of which hit anything important. The Jaffa fired back, one of the shots hitting the side of the Dialing Device. Shards of the material that made up the outer casing exploded but it appeared that the Device itself was still operational.
Ay'mara knew that she had to act fast before the Dialing Device was rendered non-functional. She let off another three shots which forced the Jaffa to duck down. Then Ay'mara stood next to the Device and started to Dial. There were only two Addresses that Ay'mara felt certain she could replicate. One was that of the Asgard protected world Cimmeria. She knew this address because it was pounded into the head of every Goa'uld and Jaffa as a hell world that should never be traversed. That was not an option. The other was that of her home, Bubastis. She did not have time to consider that it may be an occupied world, she just dialled. A staff blast caught her in the shoulder and she ducked down again slamming her uninjured arm into the red orb in the centre of the Dialing Device. With the sound of a great wave crashing onto distant shores the vortex expanded from the Chaapa'ai and solidified into a pool of shining water.
Ay'mara let off several more shots at the Jaffa. She caught one of them as she was running and another Staff Blast hit in her in the small of the back. She fell forward and rolled into the Vortex of the Chaapa'ai and freedom.
Ay'mara lay on her back. While on the previous world it had been the dead of night here the sun was just starting to illuminate the sky. Ay'mara's breathing was heavy but her wounds would heal. They were grievous yes but with some good food and several days of rest she would recover. Ay'mara opened her eyes and looked at her former home. In the years before the Tau'ri's involvement in Goa'uld affairs Ba'al may have taken this planet as a prize after destroying Bastet but those days were past. Bubastis was deep inside Bastet's territory or formerly Bastet's territory. The planet itself however held little value. It had a few naquadah mines which had started to dry up. And of course the palace but the planet itself was mostly water and held little strategic or military value which the Goa'uld now prized more than flaunting there wealth.
Ba'al had used his Orac (Kull Warriors) to assault Bastet's world from the Chaapa'ai. He'd lain waste to her homeworld, taken her armies and killed her and her First Prime but after Bastet's death Ba'al had no use for a world like Bubastis. He'd abandoned it and Ay'mara could see now how badly he'd left it. She'd heard rumors of the sorry state it was left in but she had never imagined. Even as the sun rose over it the City still seemed dark. The walls were crumbling, the streets were cracked and many of the buildings had collapsed. The worst travesty was that the Palace appeared to have been shot from space. It was a complete ruin with only rubble left. Ay'mara managed to heave herself into one of the few remaining buildings and onto a dirtied and neglected cot in the corner. There she fell into a sleep that was full of nightmares about the siege of Bubastis.
Ay'mara healed over the next two weeks and when the wounds from the Staff Weapons were completely gone Ay'mara began to look through the ruin of her former home. It was painful at first but eventually she got up the courage to look through the rubble of the Palace where she had lived. After several hours she started to find bodies. People killed by the Orac (Kull Warriors) or who refused to follow Ba'al. Ay'mara could have ended up just like this. Ay'mara liberated ten from the rubble and there were many many more. A person could spend a lifetime going through the ruin and never find them all. Ay'mara decided that she would bury these ten. She gave them there burial rights as best she knew how. The last of them was a Bast Guard. Her face had degraded over the last year but Ay'mara recognized a ring she wore. This girl was a year younger than her, she had gone by the name of Ish'tar. Ay'mara had broken her bones during training a number of times while they were just starting out. Ay'mara placed the ring on a string and hung it around her neck as a promise to never forget. Then she took Ish'tar's Hand Claws. It had been a long time since Ay'mara had worn them but she still remembered how to fight.
Ay'mara buried the bodies then with a book of Chaapa'ai Addresses that she had located in small section of the palace still standing, Ay'mara began to travel. Knowing that she would receive the same treatment in the Courts of other Goa'uld as she had gotten from Ba'al Ay'mara decided to wander. She spent the next several years traversing the cosmos where she heard stories of the exploits of the Tau'ri and the Free Jaffa. After a number of years Ay'mara grew tired of her aimless existence. Over time Ay'mara had had many encounters with a coalition that called themselves the Lucian Alliance. In many ways they were worse than the Goa'uld whose technology they had appropriated. After seeing the enslavement they commanded over much of the galaxy Ay'mara decided that she needed to take part in the fight against them. So she sought out the Hak'tyl Resistance.
In days of old the Hak'tyl may have been impossible to find but that was no more. There address was readily available now that the Goa'uld had been mostly vanquished. Years of open exposure to the Galaxy, to the wonders it held, to the cruelties within it and to many common truths had shown Ay'mara the Goa'uld's true nature. She saw technology with powers greater than the Goa'uld had ever commanded and worlds more beautiful for the lack of Goa'uld influence. Though her impression of Bastet did not change Ay'mara accepted that they were not gods.
Though Ay'mara proved herself a useful warrior and strategist many times to the Free Jaffa and the Hak'tyl Resistance they were hesitant to place her in charge of anything critical because she joined the cause after most Goa'uld had fallen. When the opportunity to board the Tau'ri ship Langford arrived Ay'mara was liberating a Jaffa planet from Lucian Alliance occupancy. It was of little importance to the Alliance so the fleet defending the planet was small and easily taken out by the superior forces of the Jaffa.
Though loyal to the Hak'tyl Resistance Ay'mara found that it was generally not returned. She was kept in supporting roles far below her level of competency. Most of the resistance did not like Ay'mara's notion that the Goa'uld were not born evil but like all living things had a choice or the fact that she had joined after the Jaffa revolution had ended. Ay'mara was eager to apply for this mission to a Tau'ri craft were she felt she may be given tasks that made a difference in the war with the Lucian Alliance. It surprised Ay'mara the lack of Jaffa interest in this project, for though the Tau'ri's mistakes had cost the Jaffa much it had gained for them even more.
Trivia: She has a number of scars on both her hands which she uses white fingerless gloves to cover up.
She still harbours a symbiote being unwilling to transition to Tretonin.
With her she brought the signature of the Bast Guards, Hand Claws. though whether the Tau'ri let her use them is another matter.
When she became a servant of Ba'al he altered the silver mark on her forehead to his.
