switch842 | New Stargate Fic: Coburn Gen

Title: No Longer Who He Was
Author: Switch
Rating: G
Summary: Just how did Coburn get to be Camulus?
Disclaimer: I'm just playing. Please don't sue me. I have no money anyway.
A/N: Huge thanks to Joy and Rachael for the alpha and beta reads. This story wouldn't be half as good as it is without you. *mwah!*
This came about from the Vancouver Con. I asked Steve if he thought Camulus was Coburn at all. He said no, I rambled some and he said I should write it. So I did. And I'm gonna give this to him next week in Chicago. *eep*

Why did he ever think this would be an easy mission? There was no such thing as an easy mission in the SGC. It was supposed to be a simple trade agreement with the peaceful Joren for some wildflowers that may have been able to cure cancer. Everything was going along just fine until that goddamned mothership showed up. Not just a normal al’kesh. This was the full brigade. He was at least grateful that Dr. Sato had been able to get back through the gate before the Jaffa started coming in. There was no way she would have been able to take whatever torture was awaiting the rest of his team. And she would be able to get them the information they needed to mount a rescue op. All they had to do was be patient.

Major Coburn looked around the cell at his other two team members – Sergeant Michael Sandberg had been with the SGC for a little over a year and Lieutenant Vincent Gerbasi, who had just joined his team a little over a month ago. He was one of the young ones, fresh faced and still excited about the prospect of gate travel. Well, this experience would certainly take care of that.

“Don’t worry, guys,” he said. “We’ll get out of this. I’ve been in worse situations.”

“Thank you, sir,” Sandberg said. “But you’ll excuse me if I don’t quite believe you on that one.”

Coburn was about to reply when the door opened suddenly and several Jaffa, one of whom bore the traditional gold tattoo of the First Prime, walked in. The one in charge gave them all a cursory glance before settling his gaze on Gerbasi.

“You,” the First Prime said. “You will come with me.”

“I don’t think so,” Coburn said, stepping in front of the Jaffa. “If there’s anyone that’s going anywhere, it’s me.”

The First Prime looked him up and down, as if inspecting him for some purpose.

“Very well. This way.”

With that, they turned and marched out of the cell. Two guards were left on the door to the cell and the other two flanked Coburn as they walked a never-ending series of halls and eventually entered a large chamber. On the throne at the back of the room, sat an elderly looking man with shocking gray hair who appeared to actually be the Goa’uld of this ship. With a rough shove, Coburn was brought before the throne and pushed to his knees.

“I am Lord Camulus,” the Goa’uld said.

“Major Brendan Coburn. Not so pleased to meet you.”

“You are not one of the Joren,” Camulus said. “Why are you here?”

“Oh, you know. Just thought we’d go for a stroll on another planet, see the sights. Imagine our surprise when you showed up,” Coburn said in a belligerent tone.

While being in front of the Goa’uld Lord as powerful as Camulus did make Coburn uneasy, not being afraid to talk back made him feel more in control. This Goa’uld was different; he was old, very old by Goa’uld standards given the gray hair that completely covered his head and the seemingly fragile body underneath the heavy looking clothes.

Slowly, Camulus stood up from his throne and approached Coburn. The First Prime stepped up and offered an arm to the ailing old man. The two slowly walked around Coburn, examining his appearance and reaching out to touch him every now and then.

“Yes, you will do nicely,” Camulus said.

“For what?” Coburn asked apprehensively.

“For my new host.”

The Goa’uld’s eyes flashed as he gave a menacing grin. Oh, this was much worse than he had expected.

“Oh, I don’t think so.”

“And I do not believe you have a choice, Major Coburn.”

With that, he was hauled to his feet and dragged off to another chamber, deep inside the ship. He put up as much of a fight as he could but the Jaffa holding him were extremely strong and most certainly anticipating his resistance. Still, he continued to struggle in order to slow them down, to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.

The next room they entered looked as if it could have been some sort of Goa’uld ritual chamber. There was one long raised platform made to resemble a bed with a sarcophagus not far away. There was a tray holding a variety of metal objects, one looking very much like a needle with some sort of liquid already in it. Oh, this was bad. This was very bad.

Coburn was placed on the bed and immediately strapped face down. He pulled against the bonds, testing their strength, but found he could barely move.

“Relax, Major Coburn,” the First Prime said. “This will all go much easier if you contain yourself.”

“Yeah, sure. I’m not exactly planning on making this easy for you,” he replied.

“Do as you wish. You cannot stop what Lord Camulus commands.”

Coburn craned his neck to see another Jaffa enter the room, the symbiote swimming in a ceremonial glass vessel. The Jaffa that had brought Coburn into the chamber picked up the needle-looking implement and injected the liquid into his neck. Almost immediately, he could feel his body becoming paralyzed while still retaining every sensation, heightening it even, to the point of being painful.

“Good-bye, Major Coburn,” he heard the First Prime say.

He looked over in time to see the Goa’uld being taken out of the ewer. With a loud shriek, it jumped out of the Jaffa’s hand and slithered up his back. It was an odd sensation, even through the drugs, and he knew exactly what was going to happen. He felt the snake pierce the skin at the back of his neck. He tried to yell, scream, get away, anything to stop this from happening.

And then his world went black.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

The next time his eyes opened, it was to a bright, white light and a loud grating noise. He blinked several times, adjusting his sight to the new surroundings. His body felt strange, as if it were not his own. Everything felt off and far away. The sensation reminded him of his younger days and waking up still slightly drunk. He stood up slowly, looking around the chamber. He watched as his First Prime, who had been standing near the foot of the sarcophagus, kneeled before him.

“My Lord,” he said.

“Keir,” Camulus said in a new and strange voice. “You have done well. I feel 100 years younger.”

‘No, no, no, no, no!’ Coburn tried to scream, to run, to do something, but he couldn’t. He was trapped. Forever. He tried to get through to the symbiote that was controlling him but was quickly silenced by a high-pitched screech. He watched as Camulus stepped out of the sarcophagus and stepped over to a mirror, inspecting his new body. He was dressed in Camulus’ traditional garb, his chest left bare, showing his toned muscles. He watched as his body was flexed and scrutinized, looking for any flaws. He always knew the Goa’uld were arrogant beings and supposed, if the situation were anything other than it was, that he should be flattered to have been chosen as Camulus’ new host. But, the situation being what it was, it just sickened him. Knowing that Camulus, in his body, would inflict atrocities across the galaxy was unbearable.

“My Lord,” Keir said. “What of the others that are not of this world?”

“Kill them,” Camulus said dismissively.

‘No! Fuck, shit! No!’

“It is time for me to greet the Joren as my new self. Have the prisoners brought to the causeway. They shall be sacrificed as a warning of what will happen to those who would betray me.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Keir went off to have the prisoners readied for the show, leaving Camulus alone in his chamber.

“I know you are in there, Major Coburn,” he said addressing his reflection. “I can hear you shouting at me. But you must know by now that it is futile. And there is certainly no hope of the rescue you are anticipating. Do you really think my guards would allow me to be captured? They are very loyal to me, Major. I am afraid we are stuck together for the foreseeable future. And for the Goa’uld, the future is a very long time.”

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

A few short hours later, Camulus approached the entrance to his ship. He was eager to greet his subjects in his new form. His body had been failing for far too long and the people needed to become acquainted with the new form of their god.

He had his men gather all the villagers at the base of his ha’tak. The others that had come with Major Coburn were bound and gagged and made to kneel in front of the throne that had been placed outside for this purpose.

“Kneel!” Keir yelled to the crowd. “Pay homage to your Lord Camulus!”

The crowd dropped to their knees, heads bowed as Camulus stepped out of the ship.

“People of the Joren!” he announced. “For too long, I have been absent. But know now I have returned. Today, you will witness my power as these blasphemers who have corrupted you are punished!”

He held out his hand to Keir, taking the staff weapon offered. He turned and trained it on the soon-to-be-deceased friends of Major Coburn. Camulus relished the look of horror that passed over their faces as the realization of what had happened hit them. His eyes flashed and a wicked grin graced his lips. Without any hesitation, he pulled the trigger twice and extinguished their lives.

“The same fate awaits any of you who dare betray me,” Camulus said.

“Coburn!” someone called from the crowd.

Immediately, Camulus’ Jaffa surrounded him, protecting him from the gunfire that emanated from all around them. He activated his personal shield as they began to fall from their wounds.

“Colonel O’Neill!” Camulus called, as the gunfire ceased. “Show yourself!”

O’Neill stepped out from behind a large boulder and stood at the end of the ramp, facing Camulus.

“Ah, yes. Welcome, O’Neill. How nice to see you,” Camulus said.

“You can call me Colonel,” he replied. “And I’m afraid I didn’t get your name.”

“Lord Camulus. You can call me god.”

“Oh, that’s not gonna happen, Camel Ass. I can tell you that much. Why don’t you just come with us peacefully and no one else will have to die. Except maybe for your slimy, snake head.”

“Oh, Colonel,” Camulus laughed. “You do not understand. I am not going anywhere. This host is far too nice to give up after such a short time. Now, I suggest you be on your way,” he said activating the staff weapon, “before you join your men over there.”

Another squadron of Jaffa came spilling out of the ha’tak at that moment, aiming their weapons into the crowd. Slowly, Jack walked backwards down the ramp, keeping his eye on Camulus the whole time.

“I’ll be seeing you again,” he warned.

“I look forward to it,” Camulus said. “Jaffa!” he ordered once the Tau’ri were gone.

They followed their lord back into the ship and prepared for launch while Camulus stared through a window, watching the villagers scurry back to their homes and away from the ship. Feeling the power of his new body, he thought, 'Oh, this is going to be fun,’ and laughed over the angry protests of his host.

~THE END~