by
TITLE: Beyond
AUTHOR: Jaclyn Horrod
EMAIL: jaclyn@thefifthrace.net
CATEGORY: Action, Drama
SPOILERS: Set in Season 4 - spoilers for Into the Fire, Shades of Grey, Thor's
Chariot.
SEASON / SEQUEL : Season 4. If you haven't read Jaclyn's stories:
Sacrifices, The Rescue and Deception's Kiss, Interactions, Inquisitions, you
might want to read them first. Continues in Sedition.
RATING : 15 / Mature.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Mature subject matter, cussing (what do you expect from Jack
O'Neill?!)
SUMMARY: O'Neill, freed from his liaison with Heru’ur and Hathor, is
hoping to return to his duties as team leader of SG-1. But as he relives
some of the memories with
STATUS: Complete.
ARCHIVE: Rabelais,
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters belong to MGM, Gekko Film Corp and
Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for
entertainment purposes and no money exchanged hands. No copyright or trademark
infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I would like to thank my extraordinary beta-reader, Rach, whose
constant encouragement and assistance is so greatly appreciated. I could
not have continued to write without her support.
FEEDBACK: Most definitely!
Daniel Jackson stared at the bookshelf in his lab, sure that he'd placed them in order, but the missing book on Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs seemed to suggest otherwise. "Ok, it has to be here," he said aloud, turning, looking over toward his workstation. "And it's over there!" he sighed. Grabbing the volume that best illustrated the symbols, he placed it on top of the pile he'd already assembled. Switching off his computer as an afterthought, he collected his books. He felt a sense of relief that finally they would be able to resume their work. He wanted to ensure that he had everything he needed for the briefing.
It had been a while, three excruciating weeks of inactivity, following O'Neill's safe return from his harrowing personal battle with the Goa'uld, Ptah. He'd sensed a change in his friend, Jack had become a little more withdrawn and easily agitated after the prolonged tests and debriefs.
Daniel had spent those three weeks trying to be there for his best friend, attempting to engage O'Neill in conversation at every opportunity, and standing firmly in his friend's corner during the resultant interrogations. He'd come to the conclusion that his determination to ensure that he shielded his colleague from too much scrutiny, had ultimately succeeded in frustrating the SGC and NID personnel assigned to the case, and that in turn had only served to prolong proceedings. Yet even knowing this, he had refused to allow O'Neill to be put through it, without having the presence of what he had called an independent, and someone who had knowledge of the entire incident from start to finish.
But now, at last, O'Neill
was freed, cleared to resume active duty. P3R 854 slated as their next
destination; descendants of Earth inhabited the planet. Not surprisingly,
having learnt that this race, like the people of
SG15's earlier forays had been successful, establishing a dialogue. Unlike the Abydonians though, this race had advanced to a far more technologically and cultural level, and appeared willing to share these technologies for small considerations of agriculture and medicines.
He was late for the briefing, his usual chaotic disorganised self. Round a corner too quickly and dropping his books as he rushed through the SGC. A soldier leant down in front of him to assist in their retrieval. As she stood she smiled at the errant archaeologist, Daniel returned the favour.
"Hi, I'm, um, late!" he told her, his eyes widening slightly at seeing a woman, and a fairly beautiful one at that. "Sorry."
"Hello late. I'm Paula, interesting name you've got there!" she quipped, having checked his status first; a wrong address to a superior would have been highly inappropriate.
Daniel looked a little embarrassed, his cheeks flushed, which added further to that sudden feeling of self-consciousness. "Ah, no it's Daniel actually, Daniel Jackson," the archaeologist stammered, a smile that was more forced than natural.
"Nice to meet you Daniel," Lieutenant Paula Reece greeted.
"So, um, I haven't seen you around here before, are you new?" he asked.
Jack O'Neill appeared then, the soldier snapping to attention. A salute. "Daniel, what are you doing?" he asked, looking at the woman who had quite clearly distracted his colleague, his eyes measuring her statuesque figure, inclining his head to the right to get a better view. "At ease Lieutenant."
"I'm, I was on my way..." Daniel told him, glancing back at Paula, still attempting to maintain some semblance of dignity.
"Sweet! We don't exactly have all day," Jack intoned. "So, when you've finished socialising, how about dropping by the briefing?"
Jackson's piercing expression brought a smile to O'Neill's face, furious that his colleague had merely added to his earlier embarrassment. "Yes, why don't we both go," he stated coldly at O'Neill. "It was nice meeting you Paula," he added as he began to advance, now side by side with a beaming O'Neill, who flicked a look back to the Lieutenant.
"Bye Paula!" he called out, the tone in his voice styled to effectively compound Jackson's farewell.
"That's not funny!" Daniel snapped.
"What?" Jack's innocent expression used to perfect effect with his retort.
"Is it your mission in life to embarrass me?" Jackson demanded, juggling once more with the clutch of books balanced precariously in his arms.
O'Neill managed to rescue the situation, before the entire selection was once more deposited on the ground.
"Daniel, did you ever consider just transferring all this stuff," almost acrimonious in its delivery, "to a laptop?"
"Um, no actually. Are you volunteering to help?" Jackson asked, turning away and proceeding toward the briefing room.
O'Neill looking after him incredulously, one of the books slipping from his grasp. He looked down at it in disgust, kicking it along the floor. Jackson reappeared around the corner. "I saw that!" he remarked.
"So?" O'Neill spat, collecting the book and following his colleague.
*******
General Hammond sat in his office. He'd expected the call hours ago, but felt a sense of relief when it finally came. His granddaughter had had an emergency appendectomy during the night; his first instinct to rush to the hospital had been put on hold. He'd wanted to take leave on compassionate grounds, but he felt it was his duty to be there for his personnel.
Six teams were currently off world, the reactivation to duty of his first team - SG1 was probably what had really spelt the end of his personal considerations.
Jack O'Neill had been through a lot; to see him finally back in the fold had been a great relief. He, like Jackson, was concerned with how introspective his most senior officer had become.
A mission, like the one proposed by Jackson to P3R 854, seemed the ideal way to ease the colonel back into action. Although knowing this to be a safe call, he also knew Jack O'Neill's strong dislike for what amounted to a cultural mission.
He'd been as surprised as Jackson when the colonel hadn't objected, so out of character did Hammond believe this to be, that it had bothered him enough not to ask for leave. That only served to tear him between the two, loyalty to his family, and to his command, which in turn, simply added fuel to his concerns.
Suggestions of counselling had been brushed off without consideration. In fact, any attempts made to ask after his welfare had been so emphatically blanked, that Hammond had actually given orders not to ask!
He saw the two men enter the briefing room out of the corner of his eye. Looking at his watch, he stood, straightening his jacket for some unfathomable reason, and checking his tie.
"Dr. Jackson," he announced, as he entered the room, "pleased you could join us!"
Daniel looked at the general dubiously, his eyes averting toward O'Neill who merely grinned at the archaeologist inanely.
"I'm sorry General Hammond, I lost a book, which I actually..."
"Yeah! I think he gets the point Daniel," Jack intervened. "Shall we get on with the briefing?"
Jackson's sweeping hand, gesturing at his friend to go ahead.
"Thank you!" Jack whispered.
"Dr. Jackson?" Hammond enquired, as Daniel sat down, arranging his books.
Daniel regarded Hammond, "General?"
"Daniel, for crying out loud, give the damn briefing!" Jack vociferated, shaking his head. "Yoi!"
Carter concealed a smile under her hand, looking across at Teal'c, the Jaffa too enjoying the reformation of the team, and the seemingly light-hearted banter that would inevitably ensue. Like his colleagues, he was troubled by O'Neill's experiences. Yet he felt strongly that his friend would, when he needed to, express himself.
The events of those few days, when all believed they had lost the colonel for good, had given Teal'c time to reflect. He felt nothing but admiration for O'Neill, more so now than ever. The colonel's ability to survive, and perhaps grow stronger from the experience, seemed to elevate the already exulted impression he had for him.
A new assignment finally made the team feel like a team. He couldn't put it any better in his mind than that.
********
Jacob Carter had returned to Vorash with Freya's body. The appeal to the council to procure a sarcophagus had been heeded. There was much that this new breed of Goa'uld could tell them, once revived. Jacob fully intended to share that information with the SGC.
With the backing of Perseus, the high councillor, the attitude toward their allies would now be one of complete compliance. Both he and Martouf had protested strongly enough to finally be granted this sanction.
The body of the former Tok'ra, now host to Ptah, had been placed in the sarcophagus. Martouf had elected to stand guard, along with two other Tok'ra, whilst the regeneration took place. Although it might herald, for the Tok'ra, some advancement in obtaining the knowledge of the latest Goa'uld technology, Martouf harboured serious reticence about having such a creature in their midst, his own cynicism the reason he had chosen the task of interrogation.
This in turn had left Jacob free to liase with Hammond on their progress. He intended his latest visit to Earth to coincide with the reinstatement of SG1 - once deployed he and Hammond could take a much-deserved break. They'd planned on playing a round or two of golf, before the weather turned too nasty.
Martouf entered Jacob's quarters, surprising the Tok'ra host. It was close to midnight on Vorash, Jacob immediately knowing that something was amiss.
"The creature has revived," Martouf told him, concern etched into his features.
"You look a little worried Martouf, something wrong?" he asked.
"Colonel O'Neill was correct, the creature is completely undetectable. It also claims that Heru'ur has used advanced cloning techniques to create an entire army of the species," Martouf imparted, "apparently with the express intention of infiltrating Earth's defences!"
Jacob considered the statement. "And it could be spinning a yarn," he intoned, using phrases that Martouf, over the past couple of years, had become all too familiar with. A concentrated expression crossed Jacob's face. "I wonder if Colonel O'Neill is now sensitive to this symbiote, in a similar way as we are to the Goa'uld?" he mused.
"Jacob, Colonel O'Neill is perhaps the only person who, having possessed such a symbiote, might have the ability to detect them. However, given his experiences, perhaps it would be far more prudent to leave such a suggestion until a much later date!"
"I agree," Jacob concurred, closing the book he'd been reading, "I'd better talk to Ptah, I'm figuring on being away for at least a week, it can't hurt to take something back to Earth with me!"
******
"So in conclusion, I'm thinking that the medical benefits here might, given that none of us are particularly qualified," he added with reticence, obviously building up to something, "be worth considering having Dr. Fraiser along?" Daniel offered.
Jack nodded. "Sounds like an idea sir," he agreed. "Old doc Fraiser could probably use a change of scenery!"
Hammond smiled at the colonel. "I'll take that under advisement Jack!" he said.
"Thank you sir!"
Daniel smiled to himself. He still didn't quite believe that Jack had managed to free himself from such a formidable foe and could still make those kinds of quips. It only served to make his respect for his friend grow.
"Um, Jack?"
"Daniel?"
"We've got some time, can I have a word?"
O'Neill smiled. "Sure. Sir, are we done here?"
Hammond nodded. "You ship out at zero eight hundred hours tomorrow morning Colonel, dismissed!"
"Thank you sir, we'll try not to be late!" Jack intoned, his first glance a pointed one to Jackson, then smiling across at Carter and Teal'c. "Well kids, have fun, see you tomorrow!"
********
Daniel followed Jack along the hallways, the colonel's stride lengthening, a wicked smile etched into his features as he heard Jackson shuffling to keep up with him.
"You're doing that on purpose aren't you?" Jackson stated, a wry smile to himself, he knew the colonel well enough to know his sense of humour would border on such behaviour.
"Seeing how fast you can move Daniel, you've been out of the loop for a while, consider it your physical training for all that cultural study!" Jack teased.
"You're in a very relaxed mood," Jackson pointed out, once the colonel had tired of making him chase to keep up. "Anything I should know about?"
"I just don't want to harp on about the past Daniel," he retorted, "it's getting a little old if you know what I mean?"
"Yes, I can understand that...so, how about a beer at my place?" Daniel asked.
Jack looked at him, a smile. "Sure, why not," he paused then, a quizzical expression, questioning his friend. "Tell me the old stuff is not the urgent and pressing thing we needed to discuss?"
"Well, some of it," Jackson said quickly. "But um, no there was something else that I wanted to discuss with you, um, actually!"
"Daniel, you sound suspiciously like someone who's fudging here!" Jack charged, his askant expression making Jackson slightly uncomfortable.
Jackson's rueful smile was empty of humour. "We need to do this Jack," he told his friend, the tone of his voice imploring. "I need to do this."
"Yeah okay," Jack agreed, taking a moment to look at the surprised expression of his colleague at his agreement, before heading off once more toward the locker room. "I thought you didn't like beer?" he said, turning and allowing Jackson to enter first.
"I er, don't, but well...it was an invitation!" Jackson replied.
*********
Janet smiled at Sam as she entered her lab. "Hey!" she greeted, allowing Carter to look curiously at the computer image Janet had enhanced, showing Jack O'Neill's latest brain scans.
"Janet," Sam replied, "any changes on those?"
"No, the colonel's still showing signs of those elevated waves, the activity is incredible," Janet told her.
"Yeah, I know, so are the tests going well?" Sam asked.
"He's not very responsive. I think to be honest, he's had enough of being poked and prodded by the NID people the Pentagon sent over," Janet told her, "he's been pretty understanding for the most part though,"
"Good, well then I guess you'd appreciate a break too, right?" Sam stated, a smile crossing her face now. "How do you feel about joining SG1 on our next mission?"
Janet looked surprised. "Really?"
"Uh huh, I just spoke to General Hammond," Sam replied.
"Thank you!" Janet's smile beaming across her features.
"It wasn't me. Daniel suggested it in the briefing and Colonel O'Neill approved it!" Sam told her.
Janet looked even more surprised. "They did? Finally!" she exclaimed.
"I take it you're interested then?"
"Are you kidding, I've been hoping to get off of this base since I joined!" Janet's tone was excited now. "It's like working in a candy store and not being able to eat the candy!"
Sam laughed. "Wow! I never realised you felt that way," she remarked, a wicked grin crossing her features then. "Wonder if you'll still be so enthusiastic after Colonel O'Neill has been ragging on you for a while?"
Janet laughed. "Ouch!"
*****
Daniel pushed the door open, reaching for the light, leading O'Neill inside. Two bags of shopping nestled in the Colonel's arms, a pained expression on his face. "Well, that was fun!" Jack intoned distastefully.
"I guess you don't shop?" Daniel suggested.
"I shop Daniel, I just don't spend three hours about it!" O'Neill responded, emphasising the time aspect of his comment.
"Well, it's difficult," Daniel stated. "I never know what I want!"
"Yeah I noticed,"
the colonel said dryly, following
"Beer right?" Daniel enquired, beginning to rifle through the bags and deposit stuff on the tops.
O'Neill stared in disbelief at the archaeologist's lack of organisation, leaning against the doorframe, a bemused expression masking his handsome features. Finally, he was unable to take it anymore, his arms gesticulating wildly. "Okay, stop!" he snapped, moving forward. "Right now. Ah… Daniel!" An almost fatherly reproach.
"What?" the archaeologist asked innocently.
"You're gonna put all
this stuff away right?" Jack enquired, stating what he knew to be the
obvious, yet feeling compelled to point out the fact to
"Ah, yes, I am?" Still bewildered.
"Then why are you
getting the damn stuff out of the bags, putting it on the damn tops?"
O'Neill's impatience showing, as he took things away from
"Um, well, I was actually looking for the beer!" Daniel remarked, watching O'Neill sweep the items from the top and put them neatly away.
"Which you got out first, and put on the top," Jack's bemusement underlined with narrowing eyes.
"Oh,"
O'Neill's eyebrows shot up, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you nervous or something?" he asked, cracking open a bottle of beer and taking a long draught.
Daniel looked down, away from the intrusive glare so intensely scrutinising him. "No!"
"Well you're not exactly acting like someone who knows what the hell they're doing!" Jack insisted.
"I guess, maybe I'm a little nervous," he admitted, a smile crossing his eyes, "although I don't even know why? Which, as you can imagine, is a little disconcerting."
"Daniel, I'm not a Goa'uld, stop acting like I'm gonna bite your head off or something," his tone slightly sardonic.
"I know you're not a
Goa'uld, Jack,"
"Oh for crying out loud!" Jack intoned. "Just relax, play some music or something?"
"Yes, um, good idea!" Daniel announced. "Although, I don't exactly have anything classical," he mused, as if this particular admission in itself might disappoint his guest.
Jack closed his eyes, shaking his head once more. "Whatever," he dismissed. "Just put away the groceries and do something a little less unsettling will you?"
Left alone in the kitchen, Daniel looked hopelessly lost. "Why do I feel like I'm on a date?" he berated.
Jack browsed the books in Daniel's collection, cringing at the content of the long library style shelves. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Geek central!" Moving along, finding something a little lighter. "Great battles in history?" Jack said, narrowing his eyes as he contemplated why Jackson would own such a volume.
"So," Daniel announced, a glass of wine clasped firmly in his hand.
"So," Jack echoed, wandering over and collapsing on an armchair.
"Is this where we do the question and answer?" Daniel enquired, a nervous chuckle. "Or would you prefer to start off discussing the weather?"
Jack considered the question, taking a sip of his beer. "What's on your mind Daniel?" he asked, never one to avoid an issue.
"Well, to be honest, you!" Jackson replied dubiously.
"Me?" Jack sounded surprised, although he shouldn't have been. Daniel had made his intentions very clear when they'd been back at the base. "Something you needed to say I thought?"
"Well, yes, but," he stopped then, looking frankly at O'Neill, "can I be honest? I mean completely honest?"
Jack took another long draught from the bottle of beer he clutched in his right hand. "Yeah, why not!" A sense of intrigue etched into those soft brown eyes. "Beats the hell out of listening to you falling all over the place.... sure, just spit it out!"
"Thank you!" A smile slowly crept across his face. "I guess, it's a little personal.... or maybe just that I sense you really don't want to talk about it...but um, Nyerti?"
"Oh here we go," Jack complained, eyes risen upward, moving uncomfortably in his seat. "Daniel, we did this, I told you how I felt!"
"No, you really didn't," Daniel insisted, a smile crossing his face. "I guess it's part of that brilliant mask you hide behind, the one that you think I can't see through!" Jackson sipped his wine thoughtfully. "I just didn't see it before,"
"See what?" Jack's tone higher, agitated.
"I see what you're really hiding," Daniel stated. "The front...it's impressive Jack, I mean, you do it so well. But your eyes tell a whole other story, they give you away.... that little glint of amusement you use to hide behind?" Daniel continued. "Like, I'm mocking you and I'm made out of cast iron, or um, Naquadah would probably be more appropriate!"
Jack shook his head, a frown furrowing his brow, knocking back more beer, and then allowing a smile to permeate his eyes.
"Daniel, please! I wasn't hiding.... I was, telling you the truth," he remonstrated, "and since when did you become an authority on my feelings?"
"Since you pretend not to have any I guess!" Jackson asserted, inclining his wine glass toward the colonel. "And, right there, see that's the look...'the I'm oblivious to this' look, you don't even know you're doing it do you?" Daniel wondered aloud.
"Okay, look!" O'Neill sat forward now, the signal that he intended to become defensive.
"Ah, Jack?" Daniel demanded, tone deeper, more assertive. "You're bullshitting! Can we please just not go through the whole façade of personalities you conjure up to hide how you really feel? Because I'm not as practised as you are, and that, um, bitter stuff you throw up? The insults? The put-downs? I don't take them as well as you, I'm just not, well, you know me well enough by now to know that!"
O'Neill's expression was one of sheer bemusement. "Um, right...I think I might have got some of that?" he offered, another façade, a smile.
Daniel smiled back at him, shaking his head. "Dense mode won't work either!" he said.
"What? What, do you want Daniel?" Jack demanded, slightly angered now at this unending assault.
"I want to be what I am Jack, your friend! And you can brush everyone else off, that's fine by me, I know you well enough to know how hard it is to penetrate through that thick skull of yours, but not me, okay?" Jackson vociferated, leaning forward like O'Neill, prepared to meet his challenge. "Not when I, um...I see it! You might as well have a neon sign on your head pointing down...mortally, emotionally wounded!"
O'Neill frowned then looking away from Jackson. "Do we really have to do this all over again?" he asked, his piercing glare meant to stare down his opponent, instead it merely showed the wounds with more clarity.
"Can I ask you something else?" Daniel persisted.
"Yeah why not, I'm learning so much about me here!" Jack mused sarcastically, standing up. "I gather another beer isn't out of the question, whilst you do your impression of shrink is it?"
"No, go ahead. I'm fine, by the way!" Jackson's tone intentionally meant to alert the colonel to his lack of manners.
"Wonderful! Want some more wine?" O'Neill snapped. "Or were you being deliberately subtle?"
"No, I'd like some, thanks!" Jackson replied, holding the glass out, making O'Neill return to collect it.
"Shoulda just brought the damn bottle," he complained under his breath, disappearing into the kitchen.
Daniel took a deep breath. "This is going really well," he sighed.
Jack returned, carrying as many bottles of beer as he could manage, and another glass of wine for Jackson.
"You'd better stop at two, I don't want to be cleaning up after you!" he commented.
"There's another intriguing Jack O'Neill character! Mister drag up the past!" Daniel retorted.
"I'm just making a light hearted remark," he insisted.
"You really don't give me any credit at all do you?" Daniel asked him, obviously hurt by this latest attempt by O'Neill to avoid the subject.
"Daniel, look!" A heavy sigh. "I give you plenty of credit, I respect you.... probably a lot more than you realise...." his hand gesturing, the bottle swinging from his fingers. "But, we've been here.... am I hurt? Yeah! What else?" he demanded.
"Jack, I want to help!" Jackson replied, as honestly as he could, the concern he felt now clearly illustrated on his face. "Please don't shut me out, it's really hard to take!"
The genuine look of hurt and anguish in Daniel's eyes seemed to tear through the cavalier, tough exterior that Jack wore like a coat of armour. He hated himself for bringing his friend to his knees before confessing, letting go, giving in to the torment that plagued him night and day.
He couldn't sleep, the horror of having lain with a Goa'uld, the humiliation of being forced to do so stung him numb. When he closed his eyes, he could still hear the snake, feel the soft embrace, she felt like a woman, yet he was unable to see that part, the part he saw brought a deep sense of revulsion to every fibre of his being.
He looked across at Daniel and saw the fear. Maybe the archaeologist was right, maybe if he didn't beat his fists against a wall and drop into a sobbing mass, he was cheating himself...but then, it wasn't in his nature to cry about misfortune.... he simply didn't know how to.
"Daniel, I appreciate what you're trying to do, I really just can't do this!" His tone was slightly stressed, clipped.
"You mean you won't?" Daniel sounded hurt.
"No," Jack looked surprised that his colleague would doubt his word. "I mean Can't! Capital C. Can't." His eyes perhaps showing a little more emotion than he intended, stressed, lost, maybe afraid.
"Jack, you can, you're doing it now.... I know it's difficult to reach inside and wrench your heart out.... but you have to," Daniel implored.
"Why!" Jack's whole being seemed to cry out in a language that Daniel could suddenly understand. "Why do I have to?"
He stared at the colonel. "You just did," he told him.
O'Neill stared back, unsure of what his friend was telling him. "I just did what?"
A heavy sigh from Jackson, searching to put it into words. "I guess you just said it all," he offered. "Said it in the easiest possible way,"
It was a weak reply, yet seeing his friend so compromised with his own inability to communicate emotions, left him empty of the resolve he'd had. Everything had not gone according to his plans. Daniel mused silently, yep! You work it all out in your mind and the whole thing falls apart at the merest obstacle!
"That's supposed to mean something?" Jack's voice a little terse, his eyes lowered away from Daniel's.
"Um, well, actually," the archaeologist struggled. "Um."
"Nope!" Jack concluded. "I didn't think you knew what I meant, any better than I did." A smile. "I'm probably gonna drink a whole bunch of these!" he told Daniel, raising the already half consumed bottle of beer. "Care to get drunk?"
"Would it help?" Daniel asked honestly, the rueful regard adorning his face becoming one of anticipation.
Jack looked away, considering that question, lifting his head enough to show the almost bedevilled smile that heralded his response. Jackson taking a deep breath, placing his glass on the coffee table between them, elevating himself quickly. "I'll go get a bottle!"
"I'm so gonna regret this in the morning!" he sighed, as he pushed the door leading to the kitchen open. He leant back out. "Ah, would you like something to eat?" he asked.
"Nope, liquid's just fine!" Jack replied.
Daniel disappeared into the haven of the kitchen once more, shaking his head silently, frustrated by his lack of candour. "Yes, this seemed like a good idea at the time," he lamented. "Get through to Jack without a struggle...what was I thinking?" He turned around to come face to face with O'Neill who was regarding him with a curious, yet good-natured expression.
"You know, Daniel, you make more sense when you're talking to yourself," he said, a droll monotone to his voice.
"Well, I probably get more answers too!" Daniel retorted, a blasé affectation on his face.
"That's cute!" Jack told him, reaching past Jackson and scooping up a packet of potato chips he felt sure must have been purchased for his consumption, he wondered then, curiously, if the archaeologist might have conceded defeat, feeling slightly ashamed at himself for being so evasive and awkward.
"Cute?" Daniel repeated, watching O'Neill lumber back into the lounge. "Cute?"
He followed, slowly, the wine clutched in his right hand. O'Neill now sprawled out along the couch. "I'll put some music on, it'll at least fill in the long silences!" he intoned, picking up the remote control and switching on the stereo, strains of U2 filling the room.
O'Neill looked across at him, nodding. "Good choice," he agreed, emptying another bottle of beer. "So?" he asked. "You wanna know how I feel?"
Daniel lifted his glass, seating in the recliner that O'Neill had abandoned for the comfort of the couch. "Yes, that's where I've been going with this," he agreed. "Are we going to do this without the aid of alcohol?" Grasping the lever, slumping back into the recesses of the now extended chair.
Jack contemplated that remark - already having consumed three or more beers, he'd lost count. He wondered if he was going to be able to drag up everything, the fact that he'd even consider sharing the darkest thoughts he had harboured since the whole nightmare had begun to send waves of panic through his mind.
Where to start?
"You really wanna know hah?" he enquired once more of his friend, attempting to bridge the uneasy silence between them, Jackson’s intense regard merely serving to make him feel even more guarded.
"Um, hello?" Daniel's intonation precise.
Jack felt surprisingly sober, too sober to shovel out endless emotions he neither wanted to feel, or profess to feeling. He had come to realise, without ever truly embracing the fact, that he had little choice. Regarding Daniel Jackson now, whose demeanour practically demanded his deference, he felt compelled to unlock the doors that barred the way. He didn't believe in souls, nothing so seemingly pure could ever reside in the darkness he felt. Yet he was about to bear what could possibly be thus described.
"You're sure?" he asked, one last attempt to free himself, and possibly spare Jackson the unleashing of those restraints.
Daniel sipped his wine, inclining his head to nod toward his friend.
An ironic smile. No quarter given, none would be taken.
"So you wanna know about Nyerti right?" Jack sighed. "How I feel about that?"
"Jack?" Daniel looked at his friend patiently. "Just take your time, you really need to do this, that whole bravado soldier act, it's not working for you,"
"Hey! It's worked pretty well up to now," Jack countered.
Jackson looked flustered. "Um, right up to the point where you're falling apart on the inside."
"Throw something?" O'Neill mused, a sorrow creeping into those soft brown eyes. "Shoot something? Scream? What Daniel? What good would that do?"
"Might make you feel better?" Jackson responded.
"Or you?" Jack intoned. "Is that where you're going with this Daniel? Is it you or me that needs to forgive?"
Jackson looked surprised, slowly shaking his head. "I really don't know," he replied.
Daniel glanced at his watch, and did a double take. He was drinking wine at noon, something he'd never done in his life before, he smiled wryly, that thought perhaps ironic since nothing he did anymore could be construed as normal.
"You're quiet," Daniel offered, watching the constantly altering expressions crossing O'Neill's face.
"Thinking Daniel, thinking!" O'Neill intoned, looking ruefully at Jackson, a grimace descending on his face, painfully aware that his silence was creating a tension between them.
"About?"
"Whether I really wanna do this?" Jack imparted honestly, although the perplexed expression began to border on bemusement. "Where to start, where the hell you think it's going? The meaning of life, and why they always put sweet 'n' low in the damn hotel rooms!"
Jackson sighed heavily, pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. "The um, meaning of life and sweet and low aside, I think you need to get it off your chest actually," Jackson argued. "Reach inside Jack."
"Get what off my chest?" It was a question O'Neill had posed to himself many times in the last hour. "I don't see how whining about this is gonna make me feel any better?"
"What you're bottling up inside," Daniel asserted. He was beginning to lose patience with O'Neill's persistent attempts to avoid confessing those feelings that he felt was making the colonel dangerously introspective. "Come on Jack, I know you're feeling something, why are you so scared?"
"Daniel, god! Don't you think I just want to forget about this?" Jack remonstrated, anger clouding his handsome features. "The whole bringing it up thing, it just makes me wanna...." His voice trailed off.
"What?" Daniel asked quickly, seeing the pain that swept across his eyes however much he'd tried to mask it with anger.
"I can't do this!" Jack yelled, his features tense and strained, the beer bottle smashed down on the coffee table.
"Can't or won't?" Daniel demanded. "Come on Jack, give yourself, and the rest of us a break here, we see what this thing is doing to you. It tears us all apart. Are we supposed to pretend we don't care? Is that it?"
There was anger and resentment in Daniel's tone then that made O'Neill regard him with a deeper sense of understanding, he'd never really considered that before. Were his moods, his reactions altered? Or maybe they perceived it, it had to be affecting everyone, he just couldn't see how.
"I'm angry!" he snapped, the bitterness etched into his face clearly now, muscles twitching, taunt, sardonic scorn poured into those words. "And apparently selfish!" A direct reflection on Daniel's assertions about his behaviour, or at least the inference of it.
"Yes, I can see that," Daniel replied. "Angry would be the first focal point for you, selfish? I never said that Jack, I just said that if you're in pain, so are we.... we care!"
"Excuse me if I don't go all dewy-eyed here Daniel, but why should the way you feel affect me? I'm just doing what I have to, to get by," O'Neill argued
"Ah, here we go!" Daniel snapped. "Don't you ever get tired of that persona?"
"What persona?" O'Neill retorted sharply. "Is it too much to ask that you let me be myself without trying to put me into some damn category you can deal with?"
"So what are we going to do Jack? Pretend it didn't happen, pretend you're not lying about how you feel?" Daniel asked. "Please just tell me and I can play it your way!"
"I want to be angry
Daniel, can you handle that?" Jack enquired, his tone stressed, anguished.
He regarded
"You want me to break
down Daniel, does that help?" His eyes filled with tears now, but not from
pain, this wasn't a man about to concede to that weakness. He felt stronger
suddenly, able to look
"No Daniel, that isn't me. It's kinda sounding more like you!" Jack's tone quieter now, less penetrating. "Why should I give into something because you're perceiving it exists, tell me that?"
Daniel paused then, the resentment turning to consideration. "Is that what you think it is?" Sombre, restrained. "That I need something from you? No, that's not it Jack, it's what you need...let it go.... please?"
O'Neill nodded, almost grudgingly admitting that to them both. "That's what it is Daniel, pure and simple. I can't do the psyche evaluation thing; it just doesn't work for me. I didn’t want to do things," he lamented, eyebrows raised. "Tough! That's life, that's the damn job isn't it?"
"It's called self-preservation Daniel, you pick it up," Jack replied, collecting the beer bottle from the coffee table and taking a long draught, "yes, I admit, I had to do some pretty awful things, maybe they'll stick in my throat for the rest of my life, but we're both in one piece right?"
"Yes, we're physically in one piece. I'm just a little more concerned with the emotional trauma you're going through," he retorted, "I'm just worried that you're in denial, that you'll allow all that pain and frustration to build inside you to the point where you can't control it anymore.... is that so wrong?"
Jack regarded him, shaking his head. He didn't want to go where they were going, that wasn't how he did things. "I'm just a little more pragmatic than you are, that's all. Whatever you think you're seeing, believe me, you're not!" he insisted.
Daniel looked vexed, he hadn't wanted to make his friend so angry, but he knew more than O'Neill could ever realise, maybe it was time for that, if he brought it out into the open, how could Jack deny it existed?
"I'm not?" Daniel retorted, "Jack you're...okay, remember the other night?" A pause, second thoughts, should he tell Jack that, disarm him.... could he?
"The other night?" Jack enquired, the curiosity tinged with a reticence.
"I came over to your
place, we played chess, watched that old war movie?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Jack, I could hear you, you were having nightmares," Daniel intoned, his face covered with angst. "You were screaming for someone to help you...." He stopped then, watching O'Neill's eyes lower away from his. "I stood outside your room for over an hour Jack, wondering if I should wake you up...or just let you fight through it,"
Jack's expression contorted. "Nightmares?" he said slowly, a deep breath. He remembered then, waking up in a cold sweat, terrified about something he couldn't remember, but he did remember that he couldn't get away from what was happening to him, that terrified him more than he was willing to ever admit.
"Having them a lot?" Daniel asked, cautiously optimistic now that his friend could see why he'd been so insistent on dragging him, albeit reluctantly, toward an admission of sorts.
"Yeah," Jack conceded. "I've been pretty restless I guess. Sorry if I woke you,"
"Why? Jack don't be sorry," Daniel said softly, "just tell me you can't deal with how this makes you feel, and just talk to me whenever you need to, I'm not going to think any less of you for having feelings!"
O'Neill shook his head. "Daniel, that's not what bothers me, you don't bother me," he remarked. "It's what I think that counts, and right now I'm thinking I ought to be done with this, forgetting it," he opined, "instead of allowing it to rule my life."
"You can't handle that can you?" Jackson asked, an affectionate smile crossing his face. "You have to be in charge, that's so military!"
"Hey! What can I tell you," Jack's tone lightening up, "I'm a controlled kinda guy!"
"Yeah, I think I got that!" Daniel agreed. "So?"
O'Neill smiled. "So, that helped," His tone was bordering on sarcasm. "We should probably do this more often right? The yelling thing?"
Jackson's pensive regard offered no buffer for his humour. "Or we could do the ignoring, I'm not hearing what I want to, so let's not give Jack the satisfaction of just dropping it... thing?" he conceded.
"Actually, you know what?" Daniel said suddenly, his tone even. "You're right, I don't know what I expected you to say.... I guess I wanted to be a friend and help you through this," he continued, standing and walking across the room away from O'Neill, "which, is really, um, stupid as all I appear to have achieved is to piss you off even more, and resolve nothing!"
Jack smiled to himself then. "Daniel you did fine," he said. "I feel better, honestly!" Watching Jackson considering that, he felt suddenly relieved to see the acquiescence descend over his friend's face. "You know I appreciate your concern though, right?"
Jackson turned round, nodding. "Yes, um, thank you for saying it. I'm probably the one who needed to talk about this more than you did.... Mister Incapacitated!" he admitted.
O'Neill sat back into the comfort of the sofa, waiting. Perhaps he should have recognised it earlier. Daniel had an irritating habit of avoiding the subject, taking a diversion around the galaxy of his thoughts before ever realising what point he was trying to make. Yet Jack found that almost ironic, the rhetoric, the engagement. He'd almost forgotten the routine, a smile. "Daniel, I guess we're here right? Let's have it," he entreated.
"Okay, now this is..."
"Odd? I should have realised a while ago this wasn't about me. Sorry," Jack told him. "So go on, you've got a lot of that...stuff to get through right?"
Daniel looked ruefully at the colonel. "Well I see your powers of observation are still intact!" he said, making his way slowly back to his seat, getting comfortable with another glass of wine. "Well, I guess we've been here before," he remarked. "Oh boy, where to start?"
"At the beginning?" Jack prompted, a wry smile. "Kinda a good place don't ya think?"
Daniel thought hard.............
The planet had left him feeling odd, almost spaced out initially. The thought of being trapped in the lair of a Goa'uld who had openly shown her hatred of the human race was unnerving...learning of her intentions, had left him feeling confused...horrified.
"I guess it started with knowing what you'd be forced to do..." Daniel told him, a sympathetic expression on his face now.
"Angry?" Jack asked, reaching for a fresh bottle of beer, and consigning the discarded lid with a flick of his right hand towards Daniel's waste paper bin behind the archaeologist. A smile crossing his handsome features, fists clenched in a gesture of triumph as it hit the target.
"I guess," Jackson agreed. "It was almost surreal, I knew what I felt, and it bothered me."
"Yeah," Jack remarked, an ironic regard. " It bothered me too!"
The images played back in Daniel's mind, the feelings.............
The room was empty, just the inanimate objects of the Goa'uld decorating it. The whole atmosphere simply adding to the sense of inadequacy he felt.
Feelings crept eerily around, for some reason Rothman had come into his mind. The death of his friend never given time to sink in, a clear image of Rothman haunting him.
"I thought about Robert," he admitted then, looking directly at O'Neill his eyes reflecting the guilt he felt.
"Rothman? Why?" Jack asked, his own careful reasoning having gifted him with the ability to deal with that particular incident. He had acted out of self-preservation, both his own life and that of his team depended on those very actions. He knew he'd find the strength to forgive taking the archaeologist's life, however much he'd regretted having to do so.
"Oh, just being alone I guess, having all that time," Daniel surmised. "If anyone should have been dead there, it ought to have been me right?"
O'Neill shook his head. "You wanna take responsibility for Rothman? Daniel, that was the damn Goa'uld, no choice!"
"I know, I know...” he said quickly, dismissively. "It just dawned on me that I'm the one who gets dragged off by an Unas, and Robert dies..."
"Yeah, well there you go!" Jack intoned.
"I'm not used to people dying, which is kind of an odd thing to say," Jackson told him.
Jack shook his head; being in the military hadn't exactly given him immunity either, but he could see how Jackson would think so. "You never get used to it Daniel, you just go on." A smile. "I'm not impervious to feelings I just don't let them control me!" He pointed out.
"Jack?" Uncertainty permeated Jackson's voice, his eyes meeting O'Neill's then, searching, wanting to know, to understand. "What was it like?"
"What? Killing someone? Killing Rothman?" Jack enquired, genuinely surprised that Jackson would ask.
Daniel shook his head, a deep breath. "No, being possessed by a Goa'uld!"
O'Neill felt the wrench in his gut when that question struck home, the colour drained from his face. A stoic appearance now adorned his features.
"It was," he closed his eyes, "intrusive, frustrating, confusing mostly, like being caught in a small space with someone you can't stand being so damn confined too."
"I..." Daniel began. "It's just..."
"Sha're?" Jack ventured, understanding almost immediately what had inspired that particular enquiry, empathy with his friend's deep sense of loss.
Daniel looked wistfully at the colonel. "Yes," he confirmed. "I guess you're uniquely qualified now to know how she must have felt."
O'Neill thought about it, remembering the horror of being silenced. The screaming that had ravaged his mind.
"I had defences Daniel, a place I could hide from it," O'Neill spoke slowly, deliberately. "But the pain," he winced, the intensity of the recall sending the image of that pain into his eyes. "I couldn't find anywhere to hide from that."
"Pain?" Jackson probed, almost wishing he'd not led the conversation to a point where he would feel so wretched.
"Oh yeah, when it got tired of trying to argue with me. Whoa! It's like nothing I've ever felt before, nowhere to hide from that. For what it's worth, I doubt Sha're would have given her snake the same problems I did!" he concluded, an intense feeling of pity and remorse sweeping over him.
"I guess not," Daniel hoped, more than believed.
"Hey! We about done with recriminations one on one?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, I guess. I still have a thousand questions I want answers to though!" Daniel confessed.
"Kinda thought you might, fascinating?" Jack enquired.
Daniel considered that for a moment. "Exactly!" he retorted.
"I got that impression, the thousands of things that must have been going through your mind right?" Jack imparted. "I have a few, like, that at no point did you consider staying at the SGC when I sent you back?"
"Nope, not for a second," Daniel's answer decisive. "I know you too well, that's what you wanted!"
Both men smiled. "Weren't about to do that then hah?" Jack intoned. "I mean, why break the damn habit of a lifetime just to save your own ass."
"I did doubt you, for about a second I guess. That was kind of weird," Daniel admitted.
"Hey, I doubted myself. Got a little too hung up with all that power there, Heru'ur's offer was pretty tempting," Jack confessed.
Jackson regarded him with intrigue, it had been the first time O'Neill had openly admitted to near-seduction by the power offered to him.
"Destroying Apophis?" he asked.
"Yeah, and being that close to having the power to defend Earth," Jack told him. "It was almost everything we've been working for."
"Yes, I guess I can see how that might influence you," Daniel agreed. "How long were you, um, infected?"
O'Neill shrugged. "With the snake?" he asked, realising that's exactly what Jackson meant, continuing without needing him to confirm it. "That's the one thing I don't know Daniel, I couldn't tell you when he decided to give me my own snake, or why the damn thing took so long to show itself!"
"It does seem a little odd though, he kept his word on everything else."
Jack's eyes closed.............
Heru'ur stood beside him, the controls turned over. He felt a deep sense of power, of self-possession. "This is pretty impressive," O'Neill said.
"Our ships are far in advance of those of Apophis, those that you so easily destroyed!" he told the colonel.
"Really? How so?" Jack asked.
"You expect so much Tau'ri, for so little in return," Heru'ur stated. "Perhaps one concession would be all it might take for me to offer such knowledge."
"One concession?" the colonel questioned. "What might that be?"
"Agree to join our forces in the battle with Apophis, this knowledge would be yours, you would command your own armies, your own ships," Heru'ur offered.
That offer was tempting, kicking Apophis' ass, finally wiping out the one Goa'uld who had taken so much from him personally, was almost too good an opportunity to pass up.
"Okay," he agreed, nodding confidently. "I can do that, one battle," .................
Daniel looked a little concerned, watching his friend suddenly drift off, recognising so well that glassy tint to the eyes that had befallen him earlier.
............ "We have developed many weapons, O'Neill," Heru'ur told him, as they walked toward the Pel'tac once more.
"And these weapons can do what?" he asked.
"They are undetectable, biological, we use them to infect our enemies. Once infiltrated we are able to trace them, whether they are concealed.... such weapons would be of great use against spies," the Goa'uld told him, confidently.
"Biological?" Jack intrigued by the lack of concern Heru'ur showed in giving him such information.
"Perhaps you would prefer to rest now?" Heru'ur told him.
He felt a little weak, almost drained. The compartment he'd been taken too was stranger than any he'd been in before, yet he hadn't even considered it might contain anything nefarious.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm a little beat,” he agreed, his eyes focusing in different areas of the quarters he'd been taken too, always cautious.
"There is much for us to do O'Neill," Heru'ur told him.
..........."Dammit!" Jack exclaimed.
Daniel renewed his regard. "What?"
"It had to be before we came back to Nyerti's planet, it had to be!" Jack told him.
"Are you sure?" Jackson's tone excited now, probing, "I mean if you knew when it was, maybe we'd stand a better chance of detecting them in the future."
"I can Daniel," Jack imparted, a scorn filling his eyes. "I know exactly what it feels like. We'd better get back to the SGC... I think the Tok'ra are gonna be in trouble!"
"What? Why?" Daniel's eyebrows shot up, the surprise of that particular assertion causing an immediate response.
O'Neill was already on his feet. "You capable of driving?" he asked, looking decidedly unsteady on his feet. "I think I'm kinda over the limit!"
"Um," Daniel looked back at the half empty bottle of wine. "I think so," he conceded. "Jack, why are the Tok'ra in trouble?"
The front door was already held aloft, waiting for Jackson, who was fumbling with his coat, pulling on his shoes.
"Heru'ur can find that thing no matter where it is!" he snapped.
"What? How?" This new information buzzing around in Jackson's head, hardly gained access to, before even more was foisted upon him.
"Just trust me Daniel, I know what it is now," Shaking his head, kicking himself for being so slow to realise, "That thing wasn't meant to control me, it wasn't meant to develop that quickly. I'm… just drive!" Jack snapped.
Daniel stood by the jeep, perplexed, wanting to understand what he was being told, and exactly how his friend had come across this knowledge.
******
Teal'c looked at the screen. "These readings would indicate that perhaps this planet has a high rate of Naqadah, it makes little sense then, that the Goa'uld would abandon such a place."
Carter nodded. "My point exactly, and if they haven't abandoned the place..."
"It means they will return, perhaps SG15 did not ask the correct questions?" he mused.
"Or we're being led into a trap, a Goa'uld tactic?" Carter asked.
"Indeed Major Carter, you might be right," Teal'c confirmed. "This planet is close to the domains controlled by Cronos."
Carter looked reflectively at the Jaffa. "Well it isn't sounding quite as good as we'd previously thought Teal'c, and that's for sure!"
"Indeed!" he agreed once more. "I can only wonder at why these samples have taken so long to be sent to you?"
"I don't know, they were mislabelled or something, it just seems so odd!" Sam told him, frustrated in the knowledge that once more the team would be grounded pending a suitable mission, acutely aware at why Hammond had selected this one for O'Neill's return.
Teal'c considered her words, offering no opinion on the matter, sensing, as Sam did that something was clearly amiss.
"Well," she said, "guess I'll go take these findings to General Hammond, see what he thinks!"
Teal'c bowed his head low, indicating that he was not about to follow.
Sam looked at him curiously for a moment, and then departed. She found him difficult to read, so detached; his emotions were never evident and so laconic she didn't even know what his favourite pastime might be. She knew he tended to go into a state of Kel-No-Reem once a day, but found it hard to accept that this was all he did.
She grinned unconsciously as she made her way through the corridors, as different ideas flooded her mind; the one suggesting he played Nintendo à la O'Neill firmly dismissed.
******
Daniel looked helplessly at Jack as the police sirens sounded behind them.
"What did you do?" Jack enquired looking slightly irritated.
"I think I ran a stop sign." Jackson replied hesitantly.
"Oh Daniel! God, I trusted you!" the colonel spat. "All right, leave them to me, I'll deal with this!"
"Um, no!" Daniel replied emphatically. "I was driving, and you'll only make it worse."
"What? Worse than running a stop sign?" Jack enquired incredulous now.
"Afternoon Officer," Daniel greeted.
"You realise you ran a stop sign back there?" the officer told him.
"I, um, did I?" Daniel asked innocently.
"You didn't see the sign?" the officer implied.
"No, I, um, I saw it, but I felt sure I stopped, um, paused," Daniel replied.
"Can I see your licence?" the cop asked.
"Well, I," Daniel fumbled through his jacket, finally finding his wallet, hearing O'Neill's groans in the background not helping him to find it any quicker. "Here it is," he said with a sense of relief.
"Are you checking the damn printing on that thing?" O'Neill challenged, as the officer spent what he considered to be a ridiculous amount of time looking at Jackson's driver’s licence.
Daniel cringed visibly. "Ignore him, he's in the military!" he said quickly.
The police officer nodded sympathetically towards Jackson. "Yeah, we know who he is!" he told the archaeologist.
"Why am I not surprised?" Daniel remarked, looking at Jack with disdain.
"Damn civvy yahoo,
jumped up...."O'Neill was complaining, albeit in a tone so low even
"Is this your
jeep?" the officer asked
That was the last straw for O'Neill. "Are you just plain dumb?" he snapped. "You can see it's a damn USAF jeep, now stop wasting my damn time, or maybe you want to explain to the powers that be why I'm late testing a new aircraft?"
"Well, perhaps if you get some manners Colonel, and learn to button that lip of yours?" the officer snapped back.
Daniel sensing he was about to be cited, possibly due to his colleague's behaviour, held his head in his hands.
"This isn't an Air Force road, in case you didn't notice Colonel," the officer continued.
"You know, I'll tell you what, send me another ticket if it makes you happy, I really don't have time for this. Daniel, drive, and that's an order!" Jack snapped.
"Jack?" Daniel protested.
"Sir, I'd advise you not to do as ordered," the police officer warned.
"Daniel, perhaps you've forgotten the little matter of General Carter, but I don't intend getting my ass chewed out because this clown likes busting Air Force personnel, now dammit I'm ordering you to drive!" Jack vociferated.
Daniel shrugged. He realised that he was in the middle of a personal vendetta these particular police officers might have with O'Neill, since they knew the colonel well enough to know his rank.
"Sorry," Daniel told the police officer, as the engine roared into life. "He's the boss!"
"Finally!" Jack
remonstrated, askant toward
"Jack, the civilian police do have jurisdiction here, and if I get a damn fine you're paying it!"
"Fine, like that's all we've got to worry about right now, or did you forget the not so small fact that even now, Heru'ur's ships are probably on their way to Vorash?" Jack spat, his eyes furiously regarding Jackson, who kept his own temper in check. "And by the way, Dr. Jackson, I didn't run the damn stop sign in the first place!"
"Oh, great!" Daniel snapped. "I wondered when we were going to get back to that!"
"Three glasses of wine," O'Neill chided, "ran a stop sign!"
Daniel, shook his head, he wasn't going to get into a sniping match with O'Neill, no matter how hard the colonel pushed him, he'd stay calm, he had to, his driving wasn't exactly textbook, and being distracted by O'Neill would only make matters worse.
"Jack how can you be sure?" he asked, his mind now refocused on the colonel's very definite assertions that Heru'ur would have used the creature specifically to get to the Tok'ra.
"I just know, damn snake's smart, I'll give him that," the colonel remarked. "Biological weapon my ass!"
"What?"
"He said they'd got a biological weapon Daniel, one that he could find anywhere, and that was right about the time when I'm thinking I got the old roommate!" Jack told him, looking across at the archaeologist's troubled expression.
"Jack if you're right?" Daniel's underlining that concern.
"Yeah, I know Daniel," Jack replied. "I know!"
*******
Heru'ur looked at his first prime. "You are sure?" he demanded.
"Yes my lord, the signal was received from one of our motherships a while ago. The planet is in the Phedra quadrant."
"Very well, contact our fleet," Heru'ur ordered. "We may have discovered the Tok'ra home world!"
"Just as you planned my lord!"
Heru'ur looked pleased with himself, he had succeeded where most others had failed. Finally, the Tok'ra home world had been discovered, this would elevate him even more within the ranks of the system lords. But there was something else too, something he'd been waiting for, he wondered if this too would be realised.
He placed his hand on the control console of the vessel, this fight he would lead!
Jack stepped inside the
elevator at level 11 of the SGC, reaching it without further inquisition from
his friend.
He felt angry, a rage simmering within his mind at his own stupidity, how could he have ever trusted a Goa'uld?
"So, you want to explain exactly how you know?" Daniel enquired, finally breaking the silence between them.
"I had a flashback, I guess, and peculiar as it sounds - I'm pretty certain I wasn't the damn target for this thing!" Jack imparted. "Daniel, before you say anything, whatever Heru'ur did, or the damn snake did to hide stuff he'd told me, it's coming back, like a repeat of an old movie, playing out in my head."
"What are you saying? Heru'ur anticipated you'd have the thing removed by the Tok'ra?" Daniel asked, amazed by this revelation. "How could he know?"
O'Neill frowned, his eyes
shifting from
"Oh he knew,"
Jack intoned. "We're like a book to him Daniel, he knew exactly what we'd
do... I just don't think he realised that this stuff the Ancients downloaded
into my head would unblock their damn technology and figure it out!" Jack
told him, leading
"Jack, if what you're
saying is right,"
O'Neill shook his head. "Not gonna happen Danny boy!" he snapped. "Not on my watch!"
*****
"I'm not sure sir, maybe it's worth a try?" Carter replied, turning quickly as the door burst open.
O'Neill and Jackson entered, without the courtesy of knocking. "Sir, forgive the intrusion, but we've got reason to believe the Goa'uld...."
"Ptah," Daniel assisted.
"Yeah, um, we think
it's a plant!" Jack told him, a nod of thanks toward
Carter looked confused,
from
"Carter, sir, don't ask me how I know... " O'Neill emphasised. "I just know." The deep frown began to mask his face, illustrating his concern. "Sir, we've got to warn the Tok'ra, and I mean right now!"
Daniel nodded. "For what it's worth General, I agree with Jack, he hasn't been wrong so far!" He looked at O'Neill then. "Jack you um, might want to get some coffee," he whispered.
"Sir?" Jack enquired, waiting on the General's answer.
O'Neill sighed heavily,
trying not to exhale too much toward the general,
"All right Colonel,
have your team geared up and ready to go in 30 minutes,"
Jack looked dubiously toward the general, a nod. "Yes sir!"
Turning immediately, he was
out of the door first,
"Sir, if the Goa'uld do attack...perhaps we should consider some back up?" she asked.
"Good idea Major, I'll assign SG3 and SG2, you'd better get ready," he advised.
Carter nodded. "I just hope the Colonel's wrong about this sir," she opined, her father now very much in her thoughts.
"So do I Major!"
*****
Jack finished strapping on the webbing, slinging his handgun into the holster. The sense of urgency he felt almost overwhelming, the cold-water shower he'd taken helping him gain some clarity, although the black coffee was practically untouched sitting on the bench beside him, as he rushed to get himself ready.
"Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'c enquired. "You are certain of the intent of this Goa'uld?"
Like
Teal'c knew, from his own experiences, that the Goa'uld rarely shared such information; indeed, their very survival had been maintained with disinformation and myth.
"Teal'c, don't ask me how I know, I just.... know!" Jack replied emphatically, grabbing the coffee and drinking it down. "God this stuff is... urgh!"
Daniel stopped lacing his boots, a smile crossing his features at O'Neill's expression.
"Maybe the Ancients had empathic abilities, I mean we know the aliens on PJ5 909 were able to tap into the Colonel's mind!"
"Seng'olians,"
Jack said a matter of fact tone, looking at the second cup of coffee he'd procured
from the machine in
"What?" Daniel enquired, surprised that O'Neill had responded.
"That's the name of the race on PJ5-909 Daniel," the colonel told him, shaking his head and consuming the second cup with two large gulps. "Have you thought of a cappuccino machine?"
Jack O'Neill looked slightly bemused now, standing bolt upright. "What are you talking about Daniel?" he asked.
"On PJ5-909, after we'd met the aliens the second time," the archaeologist explained, "you said you couldn't remember anything, names, what was said, what they did, right?"
"Oh that," Jack responded, lifting his M90. "No, I pretty much remembered it all Daniel, I just, um, lied." Exiting the room as he did so.
Daniel looked at Teal'c, aghast, indignant. "You did?"
"Daniel Jackson, what are the Seng'olians?" Teal'c enquired.
Daniel shook his head. "We really don't have time for this, but um, when we get back, that's something I intend to ask Jack!"
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "If you insist, Daniel Jackson. Perhaps Colonel O'Neill will be more forthcoming with many things when we return," he suggested.
The archaeologist looked
searchingly into the eyes of the
He led the
*******
Jack nodded at Makepeace as the three teams assembled in the embarkation room. "Keep it tight," he told Makepeace. "If Heru'ur's people have infiltrated that place there's gonna be one hell of a party on the other side!"
"I heard that," Makepeace replied, a wry smile etched into his features. "To be honest, I've been spoiling for a fight with Heru'ur and his lackeys. It's about time we got some damn retribution!"
O'Neill, askant in his expression, regarded Makepeace with cynicism. "Robert, you don't ever wanna go head to head with that damn snake," he opined. "There isn't another Goa'uld out there that even comes close to this snake!"
"Sounds like he's got you all turned around Jack?" Makepeace remarked.
Jack O'Neill paused, looking over his shoulder as the rest of his team assembled behind him, a frown at Makepeace.
"I just know what I'm dealing with here Makepeace!" he snapped, beginning to track up the ramp toward the event horizon. "Trust me!"
"Wish I did," Makepeace lamented quietly.
*******
Martouf greeted them on the other side. "Colonel O'Neill?" his tone inquisitive, his eyes drawn to the three heavily armed teams that followed O'Neill through.
"Hey Marty, all quiet?" Jack asked.
"Yes, of course." His eyes averting once more to the SGC personnel that now poured through the gate. "Why have you brought so many people Colonel?" His confusion was obvious.
"Can we get underground? I feel a little exposed out here!" Jack admitted, looking around nervously, he could almost feel a sense of impending attack.
Martouf gestured for the colonel to lead off, walking side by side with the SGC man.
"Exposed Colonel?" the Tok'ra enquired.
"Marty, I think we've
given your location away," Jack confessed, sounding perplexed.
"Didn't
"I do not understand Colonel O'Neill, how could you have?" Martouf sounded slightly concerned by what he was hearing. "And no, General Hammond did not explain the reason for your visit!"
"The snake, Marty! I think it was intended for you, not me." O'Neill didn't know any other way to say it, the feeling of impending attack welling up into a need for urgency. "Don't ask," Jack said, before Martouf could. "I just know!"
"We must inform the High Council immediately. You are sure?" Martouf questioned.
"Yep!" Jack retorted.
Daniel caught up to them. "So, um, Martouf, anything from Ptah?" he enquired.
"Nothing, Dr. Jackson, although we have had little time to interrogate him,"
The rings enveloped the three men as they paused.
Makepeace followed on, Teal'c and Carter beside him. "All quiet so far, maybe Jack's wrong," he surmised.
"I hope so sir, but he seemed pretty certain," Carter replied.
"You know, I'd feel a whole lot better about this if Jack hadn't spent so much time with the damn Goa'uld...it's giving me doubts!" he opined.
"With all due respect sir, the same could be said about you!" Carter told him.
"Really Major, why?" he asked, seeming not in the least offended by her observation.
"Well, up until our recent mission to P9Q 287 you were considered a hostile yourself sir," she replied.
Makepeace smiled. "That's a fair point Major, a fair damn point," he laughed. "Yeah, maybe I am being a little too judgmental here, hah?"
"It's understandable sir, particularly given what happened after the Colonel returned," Carter remarked.
"Colonel Makepeace, if you have doubts surrounding Colonel O'Neill perhaps you would be better to voice those now!" Teal'c told him. "And to O'Neill's face?"
"Teal'c, I don't have doubts. It's just something Jack said back in the embarkation room," the colonel admitted.
"Sir?" Carter enquired. The group were near to the rings, watching Coburn's group disappear into the Tok'ra base.
"It's nothing, he just seemed to think we were ill-equipped to deal with Heru'ur!" Makepeace imparted, following the others into the transport area.
"In this Colonel O'Neill is correct!" Teal'c said emphatically. "We are indeed poorly equipped for such an undertaking.
The rings enveloped them then, appearing within the Tok'ra stronghold.
"Yeah, I came to that conclusion too!" Makepeace confirmed.
The
*********
"You're sure Jack?" Jacob asked, Aldwyn standing beside him.
"Jacob, like I said, Heru'ur told me they'd developed a weapon, a biological weapon to infiltrate their enemies, spies," Jack replied. "I just have a sense, a recognition, maybe from the damn snake I shared my head with, that this was his mission!"
"We'd better start evacuation," Aldwyn advised. "I will tell the high council."
"Yes," Selmak agreed, "if Heru'ur has learned of our location he will not hesitate to send an army. Martouf, we must dispose of the Goa'uld!"
Martouf nodded. "I will see to it," he acknowledged.
"We thank you for this information Colonel O'Neill, we will take it from here," Selmak told O'Neill, and the group that now stood around him.
"Listen, Jacob...um, Selmak," he corrected in mid-flow. "I've got an idea that you're not gonna be able to get this whole base moved in time."
"You are correct Colonel, many of our operatives are currently on assignment and can not be contacted," Selmak stressed. "It is imperative that we move as many as we can now, and destroy the complex to prevent the Goa'uld learning of the technologies we now possess."
"Look, the old disappearing tunnels is gonna take some time right? So why not ship as much as you can to Earth now, and we'll lay explosives?" Jack offered.
"What about the Tel'tacs? Can't you get some of your people out with those now?" Sam asked.
"We can, but you and your people would be far safer returning to Earth, immediately!" Selmak insisted.
"Look, if you lose control of the Stargate you're pretty much cut off right?" Jack told the Tok'ra. "We'll get back there and try to hold it, but it's pretty out in the open so it’s not exactly gonna be easy!"
Makepeace nodded at O'Neill the moment the colonel indicated that he wanted his teams to return and attempt to hold the gate!
"Robert, establish a wormhole back to Earth, if you need to bow out do it! Carter, Daniel, go with Makepeace. Teal'c and I will remain, see if we can help here," he ordered.
"This isn't a good idea Jack!" Daniel argued. "What if you get caught down here?"
The rings activated behind them, a Tok'ra scout hurriedly exited them and headed towards the group. "Goa'uld motherships approach!" he shouted.
"Makepeace, move now! Daniel, do as you're damn well told, go!" Jack snapped, his M90 clutched firmly in his hands.
Makepeace was already heading back for the rings with his team, SG2 behind them. Carter looked dubiously back at O'Neill, and Jackson who had failed to follow.
"Jack?" Daniel implored.
"Jacob, most of the council are aboard the Tel'tac, they insist that you join them," Aldwyn told the Tok'ra host.
"Very well," Jacob acknowledged. "Jack, take all of your people and go, you can't do anything here!"
Martouf's untimely appearance stopped the colonel from doing exactly as ordered. "Ptah has escaped!" he stated.
"Dammit!" O'Neill exclaimed, heading into the Tok'ra tunnels, Teal'c and Daniel in pursuit.
Jacob looked at Martouf, who immediately turned and followed the SGC personnel.
******
Makepeace and his team double-timed it back to the gate. "Coburn, establish a damn wormhole, we're gonna need some SAMs, hurry up!"
"Sir, it's too open here, we'll never defend this!" Carter argued.
"We'll give it our best shot Major, do you see Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c anywhere...." his voice trailed off. "Where the hell is Dr. Jackson?"
"He stayed with the colonel, sir, we have to go through!" Sam insisted.
"Maybe not Major, I've got an idea," Makepeace stated.
"Major Coburn, belay my last," Makepeace ordered. "Send through two of your team, one of them can bring back the SAMs. Once the missiles are here, tell General Hammond we'll establish a wormhole, get him to close the iris, we'll maintain the wormhole for as long as we can this end.... hopefully the Goa'uld will think it's of Tok'ra origin and send their people through," Makepeace spoke quickly, looking around assessing their position.
"Yes sir!" Coburn responded, understanding the intention of the colonel immediately.
"We'll take cover in those rocks over there. Major Carter, how do we keep that wormhole established?" Makepeace continued.
"I'll set the MALP to project a radio frequency from this end sir, that should enable us to maintain the wormhole for at least 38 minutes," she replied.
"Good. Major Coburn, set up claymores around those rocks. I want all access and egress points covered. How much time do you think we have?" Makepeace asked.
"No way of knowing sir, it depends where the scouts picked up the motherships, and how long it took them to relay that information," Carter told him.
"Then we'd better move like we have a purpose!" the Colonel snapped.
********
"Colonel, I believe Ptah will attempt to escape the complex," Martouf imparted. "This is a unique facility, we have three escape methods."
"Sweet! Which way is he likely to go?" O'Neill demanded, checking his M90 was locked and loaded, ready to fire.
"I am unsure, perhaps if we were to split up we would be more successful in our attempts to locate him?" Martouf suggested.
"Alright. Teal'c, you and Marty go that way, Daniel, you're with me, let’s go!" Jack instructed.
"O'Neill?" Teal'c called out as the colonel made off.
Jack looked around at him, knowing what he asked. "Kill it!" he spat.
Teal'c nodded, his attention now on Martouf. "You do not have a weapon?" he noted.
"They are not generally necessary," Martouf explained.
Teal'c handed him a Zat gun, his staff weapon clutched firmly in his right hand. The two men headed into the melee of Tok'ra who were fleeing with as much as they could carry.
*****
Carter took cover with Makepeace. "It's set up sir, as soon as you're ready!" she told him.
"Well done Major, can we signal O'Neill?" Makepeace enquired.
Carter shook her head. "No sir, the signal won't penetrate the structure without something to magnify it," she told him.
"Okay, we'll have to hope he'll come out of there soon, in the meantime we'd better hope those SAMs get here, and enable us enough time to re-establish the worm hole before the damn Goa'uld arrive," he commented.
"Hope it works sir," Carter told him.
"So do I Major, or we just lost a significant number of SGC personnel into enemy hands!" Makepeace intoned.
*******
Jack led Daniel through the Tok'ra tunnels. "You um, don't suppose it has a weapon do you?" Daniel asked nervously, his eyes flicking back and forth.
"Well I don't know Daniel, hard to escape without one don't ya think?" Jack replied.
He couldn't sense the creature, yet with all the confusion and surrounding noise that didn't exactly surprise him. Daniel's trepidation also filled his mind, cutting sharply into his own thoughts; he turned and looked at the archaeologist.
"You okay? You seem a little nervous," he remarked.
Jack raised his eyebrows. "It is kinda confined," he admitted.
"Kind of,"
"Yeah, I know, but I don't exactly intend to wrestle with it Daniel, thought I might shoot it," O'Neill retorted, a grimace creeping quickly onto his concentrated expression.
"Yes, um, why didn't I think of that?" Daniel remarked sarcastically, taking a leaf out of O'Neill's well-thumbed pocket book.
"You're gonna shoot it?".
"Well, if I have to yes," Daniel replied, he sounded almost surprised that the colonel would question his intentions.
"Is that like you shot
Nyerti, ya mean?" O'Neill scoffed, seeing the sudden reticence in
Daniel looked heavenwards, rolling his eyes. Disgruntled at the inference, sure he'd been perhaps a little hesitant, but that was, he argued quietly, different! A look of sudden realisation crossing his face, O'Neill was right, he was probably no more capable of pulling the trigger now, than he had been then.
"Okay, um, sure, you shoot it," he agreed.
"Great, thank you! Let's just hope we find it soon hah, it's getting damn crowded down here," he complained, as more Tok'ra rushed by them.
"Hard to see, she, um, he couldn't have gotten past us could he?" Daniel asked.
"Not in that outfit," Jack said a wicked glint in those soft brown eyes. "I'd definitely have noticed that!"
*****
The wormhole exploded outwards, back onto Vorash. Makepeace and Carter exchanged glances.
"Hope that's ours sir," she commented.
"Yeah! All units stand by, this could be friendly or hostiles," he snapped into his radio. The well used military tone overtaking the colonel's voice.
Lt. Mike Hamilton and Major Kyle Kelly, leading a four-man team, came through the Stargate, carrying the munitions Makepeace had requested.
"Sierra Golf one one niner, this is Sierra Golf three niner, we are positioned to the left of you, repeat to your left, head for this location over," Makepeace ordered.
"Phew!" Sam said, smiling in relief at Makepeace.
"I'll second that phew Major, and raise you a thank God for that!" he intoned, offering a similar gesture back, even if his smile resembled a grimace.
******
Teal'c was cautious; he'd faced this creature before and knew the strength it possessed. Constantly avoiding the Tok'ra who were fleeing in all directions was also a distraction. Finally, as they moved deeper into the escape tunnel, the passers-by diminished until only he and Martouf were wending their way toward the exit.
"We could have been fooled, Ptah may try to infiltrate the Tok'ra who have already left in the Tel'tac!" Martouf told him.
"Would this go unnoticed?" Teal'c enquired.
"I am unsure, perhaps our time would be better served checking for potential deception?" he suggested.
Teal'c regarded him, considering the logic. It would be inconceivable that the Tok'ra already aboard would not be checking, and yet his own knowledge of the Goa'uld made him aware that just such a tactic would be employed.
"Indeed, it would be likely," he concurred.
The two men retraced their steps, bound for the rings once more.
******
The tunnel finally opened up into a rock formation, leading out onto the planet. O'Neill carefully scrutinised their surroundings before venturing out, both men were strung tight, the tension almost electric, nervous energy pumping through their veins, adrenalin surging like a drug.
"We should probably go back," Daniel suggested to O'Neill, cautiously looking around the barren desert, the rock formations beside him adding to the nervousness he felt, anything could be concealed. "I mean, why would Ptah go out here?"
O'Neill looked around at the archaeologist, his eyes narrowing.
"Since Heru'ur can track him anywhere Daniel, he'd just need to hold up and wait," the colonel imparted. Now able to sense the presence of the creature, looking around sharply, alert. "He's here…somewhere."
"Um, yes, but we're rather a long way from the Stargate Jack, if the Goa'uld attack now we're going to be cut off!" Daniel insisted. "And as much as I'd love to explore out here, we're a little isolated."
"You made the choice to stay with me Daniel, quit whining!" Jack snapped, a frown crossing his brow. "That thing is one of a kind Daniel, Heru'ur hasn't had a chance to perfect it yet...we have to destroy it!"
The colonel's near perfect scowl glared at the archaeologist then. "Need to know Daniel, and we really don't have time to talk about this!" O'Neill snapped.
"Yes, I know, so when exactly were you going to talk about it?" Daniel persisted,
O'Neill shrugged, his eyes searching the rocks around him, trying to clear his thoughts. Ptah was close, he knew it, could sense it. "Probably never!" He sounded a little vague almost distant. "And will you shut up with the damn whining already!"
"Fine! But, um, we're still out in the open here," Daniel objected. "And I wasn't whining, I was just making a point!"
"Which is whining, now
just do me a favour and shut up will ya.... I can't think with you whittering
on in my head and my damn ears!" Jack spat, his eyes meeting
"Fine, I'll whitter over here," Daniel remarked, rounding a cluster of rocks, and coming face to face with two Horus guards, his eyes widening, jaw dropping. "Um, Jack?"
"Here they come!" Carter yelled, as three death gliders broke through the cloud above their position.
"Hold fire, we don't want to alert them to our position unless we absolutely have to," Makepeace boomed into his radio.
"They're probably recon sir, looking for fleeing Tok'ra," Carter stated.
Makepeace kept his eyes fixed on the craft as they swept over him once more.
"You're probably right Major," the colonel agreed. "Let's hope they didn't eyeball us!"
Coburn, armed with a surface to air missile, felt his heart pounding in his chest. He focused hard. "Steady Jimmy, steady!" he told himself, scanning his men to check their status, before once more holding vigil with the skies.
Makepeace looked to his right, the huge point of the Haa'tak breaking through the clouds.
"What the hell?" he gasped, looking around at Carter.
"I think that's a Haa'tak sir, a transport vessel. I guess they're about to deploy the Horus guards," she ventured.
"Great! Death gliders, Horus guards, and where the hell is O'Neill?" Makepeace snapped, his own nervous energy beginning to build up inside him, an ironic smile crossing his features. "Be careful what you wish for!" he remarked to himself.
"Hopefully the colonel and Daniel are somewhere safe," Carter retorted, with a measured look at Makepeace.
"Yeah," the colonel said, the niggling doubts creeping once more into his mind, uninvited, yet there all the same. "Let's hope!"
*********
"Oh crap!" O'Neill exhaled the words, as much as he spoke them.
The Horus guards lifted their weapons, about to fire. Jack O'Neill raised his hands as his colleague had done.
"
A pause from both guards, uncertain, a Tau'ri claiming to be a friend to their lord, Jack hoped this might buy them some time.
"Jack?" Daniel's tone was a little hesitant.
"Yeah?"
"Um, friend of Heru'ur?" he asked, his eyes daring to leave the Horus guards to fall upon the colonel.
"Got any better ideas?" O'Neill enquired, a lopsided grimace forming quickly. "Run with ‘em!"
"Ya think?" O'Neill's voice monotone, droll in it's delivery, his gaze remaining sharply focused on the two Horus guards.
"Well, I'm just a little concerned here Jack, and wondering exactly what we do now?" Daniel snapped.
"Daniel," O'Neill's voice still monotonic. "I can read thoughts, your thoughts, not crystal balls!" he responded slowly, deliberately. "I guess we get to die, or spend some wonderful vacation time at camp snake!" His tone was now most definitely more derisive.
O'Neill shook his head. "Something like that," he replied curtly.
"Tau'ri noc s'ree Heru'ur!" One of the Horus guards argued.
"Not camp snake?" Daniel remarked, understanding the dialect better than O'Neill. "Vale meus amicus, I guess?" he added, a vague smile pursing his lips.
"Yeah, right!" Jack replied. "Spiritus, ego odiumis hec pars!"
"Me too," Daniel agreed, understanding the basis of the comment.
The Staff weapons exploded, the charges expelled, both men closed their eyes, waiting for the inevitable pain, for the end.
Jack flinched, a curious look crossing his features when it failed to materialise, opening one eye to peer at the guards. Instead he recognised Heru'ur, the Goa'uld's personal attack shield raised in their defence, preventing the blasts from striking either man.
Jackson too now stared in disbelief as the Goa'uld lowered the shield and began barking something at the two Horus guards, who bowed their heads, their staff weapons pulled back, brought down to their sides.
Heru'ur turned slowly to face them. "O'Neill."
"Yeah!" No hint of greeting or pleasure in the retort. "Small galaxy hah?"
"I had not expected to have you in my power again so soon," the Goa'uld system lord remarked, seemingly as surprised as the SGC man he addressed.
"Well, you know, heard you were in the neighbourhood, thought I'd look you up!" Jack replied, lacing his voice with the old O'Neill sarcasm that had served him so well in the past.
Heru'ur's arrogant, almost begrudging smile surprised Jackson, who was still to recover from the shock of once more having his life saved by the Goa'uld whom he despised and loathed with every ounce of his being.
"You are trying to save the Tok'ra?" Heru'ur asked, moving closer to O'Neill.
"Something like that," Jack replied. “Listen, whilst all this catching up is fun," Lowering his hands from the now aching position above his shoulders. "I don't suppose you're about to overlook the fact you saw us are you?"
"You will lead me to them O'Neill," Heru'ur told him, sneering at the colonel, "or you will die!"
"Not really down with that dying thing right now," Jack confessed, a glance across at Jackson who was watching him closely and wondering. "But as much as I'd like to do that whole staying alive thing, well sorry, that's just not gonna happen!"
The Goa'uld lifted his head, looking down on the colonel with scorn. "As impressive as your foolishness must appear to you, I have little time," he told O'Neill, raising his left hand, the ribbon device beginning to glow ominously.
"Guess who gets this?" Daniel remarked without humour, a heavy sigh coursing his lips. A look of resignation once more crept onto his face.
"Your friend's life means little to me O'Neill, how much does it mean to you?" Heru'ur challenged.
The beam surged at
Daniel felt the intense
pain, seeing the intention of the Goa'uld clearly. It didn't serve his purpose
to kill
Jack breathed in slowly, calming himself. He knew that Heru'ur would have to react fast to prevent a barrage of bullets from tearing into him; his gut reaction would protect him.
Why did he care? A pause then, one that he had no time to take, but he took it all the same, almost wracked with doubt. Back then, his mind racing, he also had to consider the guards, and he knew he had to do this quicker than he was, Jackson wouldn't be very mobile, his eyes flicked nervously back and forth, finally he raised the weapon, the bullets unleashed, tearing into the Goa'uld's thighs, forcing him to bring up the shield, releasing Jackson from the grip of the hand device.
He thought he'd aimed higher, seeing Heru'ur's shock before once more being addressed with the fury, heralded with the glowing eyes narrowing, evil.
O'Neill moved around in
front of
"You okay?" he asked. "Because we really have to move."
Daniel seemed out of it, Jack cursed under his breath, grabbed Jackson's arm and dragged him up, throwing him over his shoulder in that single motion. He'd have to risk the caves, the tunnels.... knowing that their destruction had already begun; the crystals disintegrating the base as they collapsed inward, preventing the Goa'uld from learning of Tok'ra secrets.
Some way down the tunnel, this fear was confirmed, he paused, a moment’s indecision; he'd have to go back.
"Jack, I think I can walk now," Daniel told him.
"Um," O'Neill exhaled hard, as much from the effort of carrying his friend, as from the confusion of what to do next. "Running's a better idea," he told him as he allowed the archaeologist to gain his balance, moving aside.
Both men turned, making their way back from the tunnel, O'Neill hoisting the M90 aloft ready to open fire.
*******
Teal'c and Martouf were now aboard the Tel'tac, which when cloaked, gave the Tok'ra a secure hiding place, having been unable to leave the planet before the ships of Heru'ur had arrived. The two men searched among the Tok'ra. Jacob assisted them.
"It would appear our theory was incorrect," Teal'c slanted.
Martouf nodded at the
"Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson?" Jacob asked.
"Remained in the tunnels, searching for Ptah," Martouf told him.
Jacob looked at Teal'c. "They know the drill, if they followed one of the escape tunnels they'll be fine," he offered, fearing that even that eventuality would only mean they risked capture.
"Then we are as trapped as they," Teal'c stated. "Since we are unable to leave here whilst the Goa'uld remain!"
"Yes," Martouf confirmed. "We must hope they will see this attempt has failed, and return to their home world."
"Before you ask Teal'c don't! We have no idea how long, we've never exactly had to stick around before!" Jacob said.
Teal'c regarded Jacob with his usual non-committal expression, his eyebrow raised suddenly.
"Since we are unable to leave, should we not be using our time here more constructively?" Martouf suggested.
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "Perhaps we might start with any knowledge you have obtained from Ptah!"
Jacob and Martouf looked at one another, Carter raising his eyebrows. A nod.
*******
"Okay, so where did they go?" Makepeace asked. "That damn Gate is about to shutdown."
"The Tok'ra tunnels?" Coburn suggested.
"Not likely," Carter interceded. "The Goa'uld know better than anyone, that once the Tok'ra are discovered they destroy them."
"Tracking," Makepeace snapped, a look of reticence crossing his features. "I'll guess the entire planet, which means we're not getting out of here anytime soon!"
Two gliders descended close to the Stargate. Carter and Makepeace looked heavenwards.
"Swell!" the Colonel spat. "Major Coburn, tell me they landed right on the claymores?"
"Negative sir, either side!" Coburn responded.
"Major Carter, send a transmission through to General Hammond. Let him know our status before the damn Gate disengages!" Makepeace ordered, a heavy sigh. "I guess we're gonna be here for a while."
"Sir, with no way of knowing how long the Goa'uld are going to hold up here, shouldn't we be thinking of a contingency plan?" Carter asked, preparing to send the signal through to the SGC.
"Major, I'm working on that, I'll get back to you!" Makepeace responded, with a frown. "I'm not exactly sated with ideas right now!"
"Yes sir," she acknowledged. "Sierra Golf One Niner, to Sierra Golf Command, over."
*******
Jack crept stealthily toward the exit, bent low, crouching, finally halting their progress with a closed hand above his head, indicating to Jackson, without needing to say it, that they were going to remain in that position.
"Well, I don't see anyone," Daniel commented. "Which is a good thing right?"
O'Neill considered the question. "Could be, or they could just be waiting on us to come out. Either way, old snake boy is gonna need the sarcophagus, and he's not gonna be so damn restrained the next time he catches us!" Jack surmised.
"Um, why?" Daniel asked, confused, his mind completely overwhelmed by the ribbon device had meant he'd been unable to see exactly what transpired. "What exactly happened?"
"I shot him," the colonel replied glibly.
Daniel looked surprised, eyebrows furrowing inward. "Oh, well, no I um, guess not then," he concurred.
Jack O'Neill felt
uncomfortably unnerved then, turning and regarding
Daniel looked reticent now, searching for an appropriate answer. "I um, well, I..."
"Yeah, thanks!" Jack snapped. "Remind me to remind you that you're supposed to trust me?" Shaking his head now, contempt etched into his features.
A heavy sigh from
"A loaded one," the colonel snapped. "And don't look at me with that doleful expression either."
"Oh, I'm sorry... again! Maybe I should just get your list of expressions I can or can't wear on my face now too?"
"Will you can it, for crying out loud!" Jack vociferated. "In case it escaped your attention, Dr. Jackson, we're not exactly out of the damn...woods yet, so just..."
"Shut up?" Daniel intoned, a look of resignation sweeping his features. "Yes, I can do that!"
O'Neill groaned inwardly. "Oh here we go," he snapped, a grimace. "Does it ever cross your mind just to help for a damn change instead of bitching?"
Daniel's eyebrows shot toward his hairline. "I'm... excuse me?"
"Daniel, look!" His tone was sharp, eyes burning angrily. "We've got two damn Goa'ulds out there, neither of which is gonna be particularly happy to see us...add to that the thousands of damn Horus guards, I'd say we've got a little more to think about here than arguing at this point, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah, let's just concentrate on getting our asses out of this one shall we?" Jack suggested, lifting up once more to scan the exit point. "Alright, we can't stay here, we're gonna have to find out if we've got a welcoming committee out there, stay close.... if we…" A pause, O'Neill bit his lip, tearing the skin from it, almost petulantly. "If we get caught, just drop the gun and surrender, okay?"
"Yeah, okay," Daniel agreed. "I'm so hoping that doesn't happen!" he added, doubting the statement even before he allowed it to pass.
"Well on the grand scale of how to piss off a Goa'uld, I think we've peaked!" Jack told him. "Ready?"
Daniel nodded, following the colonel hesitantly. Jack stopped suddenly as Carter's voice filled his head.
"Yes sir, we're pretty much pinned down, but we're still concealed. The Goa'uld have no idea we're here," she was saying.
Jack's hand shot up, before
"Sierra Golf Three Niner, this is Sierra Golf One Niner acknowledge over," he said.
"Sierra Golf One Niner, this is Sierra Golf Three Niner, receiving over," Carter acknowledged.
"Yeah, we're um, pinned down at the exit of one of the Tok'ra tunnels, what's your location over?" O'Neill asked.
Makepeace shook his head slowly. "Could be compromised," he warned.
Carter nodded, she didn't like it but the colonel was right.
"Unable to confirm, sir," she answered.
Daniel looked at Jack's expression, the disconsolate look told him all he needed to know. He looked away, cursing inwardly, feeling resentment toward Carter, toward himself for doubting.
"Yeah, received, O'Neill out!" His voice dejected, he fixed his gaze on the rocks ahead. "Guess we're on our own!" he told Daniel.
"I um, guess so," Daniel responded, voice saturated in empathy.
*******
Carter looked dolefully at Makepeace, whose own expression mirrored something similar.
"Can't risk it Sam," he offered, although those words felt woefully inadequate to him, sounding too much like an excuse to alleviate his own guilt at having to spurn a friend.
"I know sir," she admitted. "Didn't sound too good though."
"Yeah, I'd know just how he felt...I guess it must seem pretty lonely right now!"
Carter nodded. "But if he's not compromised..." she said, needing to add anything else seemed superfluous.
"Jack's probably the one person I'd wanna know was out there Major," Makepeace agreed.
A smile between them then, Coburn nodded to himself, then silence.
********
The wormhole disengaged. General Hammond stared at the dormant gate. His heart felt heavy, he'd need to write a report. He hoped there would be a conclusion, or perhaps an addendum to that report.
"Keep me informed Sergeant," he said as he turned to make what seemed a long journey back to his office.
"Yes sir," Sergeant Davis replied, watching the general climb the stairwell, sharing the dismay he knew his commanding officer felt, yet clinging, as he knew the general probably did too, to the hope that once again, the SGC personnel would return safely.
"Sergeant?"
The technician immediately swung back around. "Sir?"
"Better get Major
Davis here too, he'll need to apprise the Pentagon of these new
developments,"
"Yes, sir... um, sir?"
"Sergeant?"
"Can I get you some coffee sir?" he asked.
"Thank you
Sergeant,"
********
"Alright!" Jack announced decisively. "When the odds are stacked against you, and the chips are down, there's just about one thing left to do!"
Daniel regarded the colonel, intrigued, wondering how he would turn a seemingly impossible situation into something positive.
"Okay, I'm listening," he said.
"The unexpected,"
O'Neill suggested, looking at
"Yeah, which would be what?" he asked cautiously.
"They expect we're trapped."
A look of amazement
crossing
"And they'd be, um, right?" he offered with some irony, yet mixed with a sense of hope.
"There's one way out of here, that way," O'Neill continued, pointing inevitably toward the exit. "So I'm thinking that we toss a couple of grenades at whoever's waiting out there, and make a run for it," he concluded.
"Um, to?" Daniel enquired sceptically.
"I don't know Daniel, if we stay here we're kinda limited don't ya think?" O'Neill intoned.
"And if we go busting
out of here like Butch and Sundance we're probably going to end up just like
them..."
"Daniel, we've got to do something, in case you missed it, we're not exactly gonna have SGC personnel flocking to assist us!"
"So what Jack? No one believes in you, let's go get ourselves killed, or worse...become hosts?" Daniel snapped.
O'Neill's features contorted, anger filling his eyes. "No Daniel, this isn't...."
"Common sense?" Jack spat. "Yeah right! Like this would have happened before, before..."
"Okay, I agree. What would you do in their position? Give away your location?" Daniel demanded.
Jack looked dejected,
morose now. "Always gonna be under suspicion, a threat," he snarled,
"a risk. Why the hell did
O'Neill shook his head, the saturnine expression that sat so resolutely on his face betraying him as adamantly as if he'd spoken the words.
"Jack?" Daniel probed. "It's fear, I should have.... I’m such an idiot! I didn't even see it, I thought it was the other stuff...the Goa'uld, Nyerti, I was so wrong, wasn't I?" he coaxed, as carefully as he knew how.
"Fear?" Jack replied, almost as if the very word offended.
"You were afraid no one would trust you, that's the fear isn't it?" Daniel asked, once more relying heavily upon the compassion he felt.
"No," Jack retorted churlishly.
"Okay, so your lugubrious mood is what? You forgot to let the dog out? The Bears lost?" Daniel chided, sensing that kid gloves would merely serve to make the colonel more evasive than he'd already been.
"Daniel, will you just stop!" Jack insisted, his tone remained level, un-confrontational.
"No Jack I can't," he sighed. "My life, as short as it might turn out to be at the moment, is in your hands.... I can't afford to let you drop out now Jack, I need to know you're thinking about getting us out of this, instead of wrestling with ambivalence."
The emphatic regard that crossed Daniel's features seemed to engage O'Neill's mind.
"Okay, you made your point! Lugubrious?" O'Neill asked, his expression bordering toward a smile. "You couldn't just say, forlorn?"
Daniel shrugged. "It fitted," he said. "So, new plan?"
O'Neill's eyes searched the exit once more. "I say we toss a couple of grenades at whoever’s out there, and try to find a better location! Or at least make it closer to the Stargate," he imparted.
Daniel looked heavenwards. "And that's the new plan?" he asked, with disdain.
"Yep!"
"Sounds suspiciously like the old one to me?" he intoned.
"That's because it's the best plan, the only plan I've got," Jack conceded, checking his M90 and beginning to unstrap the grenades from the pouches on his webbing.
"Did I mention I didn't particularly like this plan?" Daniel enquired dubiously.
"Yeah, I got that," Jack responded, looking at the archaeologist quizzically. "Got a better one?"
"The Snake will get impatient and come in looking for us," Jack asserted.
"Sierra Golf Three Niner, this is Sierra Golf One Niner, over," Jack said into the radio.
"Go ahead," Makepeace responded.
"We're sitting ducks here, we're gonna attempt a jail break.... since we don't know your location, and we're unlikely to actually make it, I'd kinda like to thank you all for your support, O'Neill out!" His tone level, yet permeated with contempt.
*****
Carter looked at Makepeace, the colonel shrugged. "Well I guess he's not exactly a happy little soldier at the moment," he opined.
"Sir, we should do something?" Carter insisted, her face draining of colour at the cynical tone in O'Neill's voice.
"What exactly would that be Major? We move, we'll give away our presence, and our only hope of getting control over the Stargate," Makepeace told her.
"But..." Carter began.
"Major, but nothing, no argument. If I could send Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson any help, hell I'd go myself," he said with a heavy sigh. "If Jack manages to get out, we're probably the only hope he, and any of us have of getting back through that damn gate!"
Carter looked hopeless once more, knowing the colonel was right but torn with the desire to help. She'd been the one who had given O'Neill that feeling he now so obviously harboured, and it cut deeper than anything she'd known. Even if it was right, justified, the military thing to do, she didn't like it.
"We should think about re-taking that Gate soon sir, if...when Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson evade the Goa'uld, we're probably going to be in a battle," she asserted.
"Yes Major, I know that.... if Jack manages to get out they're gonna fortify the Stargate, which isn't an option. Major Coburn, get on the radio and tell Colonel O'Neill our location and our intention to coordinate his attack with our own, maybe we'll be able to drag the Goa'uld in two directions," Makepeace conceded, looking at Carter.
"Yes sir, Sierra Golf One Niner, this is Sierra Golf Two Niner, over," Coburn began.
*****
Daniel paused. "Jack, are you reading this?" he asked.
"What?"
"Jack turn on your damn radio!" Daniel snapped, shaking his head at the petulance his colleague had displayed in switching it off in the first place.
The radio now on, O'Neill heard Coburn's second attempt to contact him.
"Sierra Golf Two
Niner, we are receiving, over," he responded, pulling a face at
"Colonel O'Neill, sir, we are going to coordinate your strike with securing a doorway, over."
"Yeah, I read you Coburn, we um, have no idea of our location or proximity to your position, we'll be making our way blind, we'll need a homing beacon, over,"
"Yes sir, just follow the noise!" Coburn retorted.
"Yeah, received, time
"We didn't exactly go that far," Daniel remarked. "I mean how far did we go?"
Jack shook his head. "Stargate's about two clicks from here, I estimate South West," he replied, "but since I didn't exactly set my compass when we came through I could be leading us to the local drive thru!" he added, a wry smile crossing his eyes.
"Great, so um what's on?" Daniel quipped, a smile at O'Neill, sensing that the colonel, although not showing it, felt somehow ingratiated at being shown a level of trust by his colleagues.
"Ah, a little action
number, full of running, explosives, and a lot of shooting," he offered,
taking his lead from
"Well, that'll make a change from the usual explosives, shooting and running," Daniel agreed.
"Bad guys don't get any better," Jack intoned.
"Bad guys never do, so um, I guess you want these too?" Daniel asked, holding the three grenades he'd successfully retrieved from his belt.
"Might come in handy, how's your throwing?"
"It's not bad actually," Daniel replied. "I mean, I couldn't have played professionally or anything, but I had quite a pitch in little league!"
"Sweet, so you pull the pin, keep your finger on the lever until you're ready to toss it," Jack told him, resisting the urge to picture Daniel in the little league. "You've got three seconds before that thing goes bang,"
"Um, yes I know, pin, lever," Daniel repeated. "Okay, so are we going to do this?"
"It's not
"Hmm," Daniel observed, a pondering expression crossing his face. "I've never really thought about it like that."
"Oh please!" Jack intoned. "I was kidding,"
"I wasn't!" Daniel retorted. "I'm in the moment now, ready for action!" A grin crossed his face then.
Jack's eyes met the top of the cave, a wry smile settling on his face. "Great! Where's your whip Indy?"
********
Makepeace slung one of the three missile launchers over his shoulder. "Well it's hardly surface to air," he remarked, "but I think it'll make a dent!"
Carter nodded. "Yes sir, it will," she concurred. "Ready with the claymores sir,"
"Alright, Collins,
you've got the count, let me know when we're ready for the get go,"
Makepeace ordered. "Coburn, take out the one on the right, I'll handle the
left side. The rest of you get ready to deal with any
The replies from the two other SG teams barked back. The colonel braced himself, his finger hovering over the launch, concentration on the target total.
"Somebody make sure they've got our six," he snapped. "Don't want my ass bit if I can help it,"
Carter smiled to herself, for all her previous experience with marines, Makepeace, although completely the soldier, had the same element of command acumen shared by O'Neill.
"Launch!" Collins exclaimed. The missiles immediately left their cradles, tearing through the air with deadly accuracy, striking the unprotected gliders, the explosions littering the air with debris.
The claymores exploded one
by one as the
******
Jack heard the explosions,
nodding to
"Let's go," O'Neill ordered, launching himself forward, his M90 readied, the dust that permeated the air affording them some cover. Tearing through the opening out into the unknown, the two men raced forward.
Two Horus guards had been
taken out; O'Neill could see them clearly, quickly rounding his M90 on another.
O'Neill's attention was drawn by two more approaching Horus guards, he threw a furtive glance back toward Jackson, who had resorted to using his Zat gun, before engaging the enemy once more.
Daniel couldn't see any
more, having despatched quite effectively the threat from his side, he turned
to see O'Neill in a fire fight with six
Jack felt the blast strike, throwing him back, and the pain ripping into his left side. The collision with the hard ground jolting his body, his hand instinctively reaching for the perceived wound, grasping at his side he felt the heat, the blood.
"Oh crap!" he gasped, his head feeling dizzy, empty.
"Jack?" Daniel yelled, racing over to his colleague, crashing to his knees beside him.
The wound was open, burnt, blood coursing out. Jack's hand was grasping at it. "Oh my God!" Daniel exclaimed. "Ah, Sam, Makepeace, if any of you can hear me, I need help here, please...Jack's been hit," he stammered into his radio.
The
"
Daniel looked up. "He's gonna die without help," he implored.
The helmet of the Horus guard opened, and disappeared. Nefir, Heru'ur's first prime, stood looking down at the two men.
"Bring him aboard Heru'ur's mothership," he told the guards.
Daniel felt relieved, followed almost immediately with an overwhelming sense of dread. Once more they had fallen victim to Heru'ur, and given their earlier actions, Daniel wondered exactly how this might affect the Goa'uld's formerly lenient attitude.
Two
"Daniel, come in." Sam's voice over his radio, as the rings once more returned them to the lair of their fiercest enemy.
"Daniel, please respond?" Carter's tone was almost hysterical, as she repeatedly implored the archaeologist to answer. Twenty-five minutes, she looked at her watch, her eyes wild, filled with dread, the silence resonating around her mind as those pleas became more desperate, unanswered.
Makepeace looked
apprehensively at her, shaking his head, he knew, something told him after that
near panic stricken cry for help from
Makepeace was a realist, but he didn't attempt to obscure that he too had elected to stay, driven equally as much by the forlorn hope, that perhaps in the melee of explosions and escape, it was technology that failed.
30 minutes...he looked down at his watch; he knew what he had to say, biting hard on his bottom lip to summon the words.
"They've been captured Major, possibly even dead," his tone even, no real conviction, saying, yet alone thinking, those words left a cold and empty feeling in his mind. Carter's fierce regard burned into him, no recourse in Coburn's attentive stare.
The colonel shook his head, "I know, I know..." His hand held aloft. "But we have to be realistic here, we can't wait any longer," he insisted. "We've got to go!"
His expression, like Carter's, bore angst, emotions he found hard to control, falling back on the rank, on the soldier, pragmatic and self-assured outwardly perhaps. Inwardly he wanted, like his colleagues, to tear off, forget reason; search until there was conclusive proof.
Sam took one last furtive glance into the horizon. "Sir?"
"Major?" Immediately alert, his tone lifted.
Carter shook her head. Her hands dropped to her sides, shoulders hunched, dejected, she shuffled toward the gate, slowly, painfully trying to figure out what could possibly prevent Daniel from responding, she didn't like the answer.
Makepeace felt sorry for her, without knowing where O'Neill and Jackson were, to even attempt a rescue could put his entire team in jeopardy, something Makepeace wasn't prepared to do. Even if he would willingly sacrifice himself, and knowing the rest of the team felt the same, it would never be sanctioned by Hammond, or his superiors.
He stepped through the gate beside the despondent Major, a comforting hand placed on her shoulders.
********
Teal'c watched with interest as the forces of Heru'ur withdrew from the planet, he had never known the Goa'uld to leave a planet unmolested, as they clearly appeared to have done so with Vorash.
"Well that was short and sweet," Jacob noted. "We'll be able to relocate fairly smoothly now, thanks to you and Colonel O'Neill!"
Teal'c bowed his head, he
held this particular Tok'ra in high regard. The host himself was a source of
fascination to the
"Indeed, I should also return to the SGC Jacob Carter," he stated.
"Yeah, everyone will probably be wondering what happened to you," Jacob agreed. "Don't want them sending out a search party unnecessarily, especially if Heru'ur has left scouts behind!"
"I must confess, I am suspicious of the manner in which he has left," Martouf told them. "The Goa'uld do not generally give up so easily."
Selmak regarded his colleague. "Without destroying the planet?" he asked, cautious in his address. "Maybe they just came for the symbiote?"
"It is possible," Lantesh responded, "but very unlikely, especially since they have left the planet unmolested."
"Yes, I agree, we were either very fortunate, or perhaps there was another agenda?" Selmak continued. "Of this we will never know!"
"Heru'ur is unique amongst the Goa'uld is he not?" Teal'c enquired.
Both Tok'ra operatives
regarded the
"It is not usually Goa'uld policy to show such lenience with the Tau'ri, yet O'Neill was treated almost as an equal," Teal'c told them.
"It is likely that this was part of his plan, Teal'c, to lower the colonel's guard. However, I do agree that his behaviour is most unnerving, since he could simply have forced O'Neill into being a host, or revealing the secrets of the Tau'ri," Martouf speculated.
"From his description of events, I find that very hard to believe," Teal'c responded. "Colonel O'Neill is not easily deceived, nor would Heru'ur underestimate him in such a manner."
"Heru'ur underestimate
the colonel?" Jacob asked, curious now as to why the
"Indeed, from both
Daniel Jackson, and O'Neill, Heru'ur appeared to regard him as an equal, I too
find this hard to believe!" the
Jacob and Martouf exchanged glances. "Maybe the Colonel was wrong?" Jacob said, attempting to clarify the thought to himself. "Maybe Heru'ur believed he'd find Jack here, still with the symbiote, and came to retrieve both?"
"Colonel O'Neill was very specific Jacob Carter, the image that he recalled was directed toward undermining or destroying the Tok'ra. He also believed that the symbiote was not intended to control the host," Teal'c argued.
Martouf smiled.
"Teal'c, it is possible that perhaps the symbiote Ptah's attempts to
control Colonel O'Neill were premature, however that it were not intended to
take control of the host at some point? I am sorry Teal'c, the Goa'uld would
never introduce such a characteristic into their gene pool, it would be self
defeating," he asserted, the smile maintained almost as an apology for
questioning the
Teal'c bowed his head. "Then I must take my leave."
"We'll take you closer to the gate," Jacob offered. "Just in case!"
Teal'c bowed once more. "Thank you, Jacob Carter," he acknowledged.
********
Daniel sat alone in the holding cell, his knees drawn into his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them in an almost unconscious need for comfort. A million thoughts were running through his mind, he felt wretched. His eyes were drawn to the blood staining his hands. Jack's blood... the flashback it brought, searing his mind viciously.
It had been over four hours, as far as he could remember, from the last look at his watch, still no one came. Perhaps it was the silence, the emptiness, and a despair of defeat. He blamed himself; his actions had led to their capture, foolishly attempting to save his friend, and possibly killing him in the process.
If ever there was a time when Daniel Jackson felt out of place, confused, and alone it was now.
A deep breath, difficult to draw in the air, his emotions so extreme it almost felt as if the very breath he sucked was being restrained. Attempting to focus, to maintain an air of calm, in a place where he knew that calm would be the prelude to a storm.
They would revive Jack, after all, he'd reasoned, why else would Nefir have taken the trouble to bring them both? But what would Heru'ur want this time? Trapped with his thoughts, recriminations and fears, it was the most desolate, and disagreeable situation he'd found himself in. He was sure they would revive O'Neill, convincing himself of that fact. It was what would come beyond that brought a sickening to his stomach. The horrifying thought of what Heru'ur intended to do with them, a portent of what he and O'Neill would face. Torture, a Goa'uld..........did it really matter?
Drawing himself up tightly into a ball, his chin rested on his knees. What would Jack do? He'd make a sarcastic remark, brush it off, deal with it.... but this wasn't Jack, this, he reminded himself, was most assuredly Daniel.
His breath escaped his lips quickly, I'm in shock, he thought, I must be in shock...why else would everything seem so numb, so cold?
"I really must get a grip," he sighed, his arms releasing his knees. His hands swept across his face, remembering that last exchange, finally realising what had hung over O'Neill like a dark cloud...how could he have been so blind? O'Neill had been through so much, how could he ever think that something like Nyerti, like the Goa'uld, however disparaging to his personal esteem, could injure him as the loss of trust he seemed to perceive from his team had so evidently done...and why would he?
Had it been something he, Daniel, had done or said?
He tried to remember the exchanges, no, clearly he'd been supportive throughout.... it couldn't be down to him, perhaps, a nod now; perhaps it was Jack, being Jack? Mirroring his own feelings, channelling those feelings into a perception of distrust...had to be!
"Now I'm losing my mind," he commented. "I must be crazy,"
They'd faced this situation before, yet it didn't feel old, just more menacing, more of a threat, the reality of ever seeing Earth again struck him suddenly, no way out!
The cell door opened, Daniel immediately stood, waiting. Nefir stepped inside, a tray containing food, how should he act now, should he ask after his colleague's welfare?
"Your friend, O'Neill," Nefir told him. "He will rise again."
Daniel looked surprised. "Um, thank you," he replied, his voice a little hoarse. "When can I see him?"
"He will be brought
here soon, once the sarcophagus completes his healing. You are hurt?" the
Daniel lifted them unconsciously. "No, ah, this isn't my blood," he responded, still a little unsure of himself, confused by the approach. "So I guess we're, um, prisoners again?"
Nefir did not respond, turning and leaving the archaeologist alone once more with his thoughts.
******
"Look! We've done the whole be nice thing, and I got a Snake for my trouble.... kinda puts the whole trusting thing out of the window don't ya think?" Jack retorted.
Heru'ur looked away. Turning back, his eyes glowed, and anger permeated his tone.
"You dare to question me?" he spat, the menace in his voice adding to the affect of those candescent eyes.
"Yeah, I dare! You don't get it do you?" Jack remonstrated, he didn't care to play the reasonable game; it was becoming too frustrating, too tiresome. "I'm not some damn tool for you to use, so you can cut the nice crap and get on with the torture, ‘cause right about now I don't give a damn!"
Heru'ur laughed then. "Torture?" he remarked. "I do not intend to torture you O'Neill, I saved your life for two reasons."
"Oh here we go, another little time bomb for the Tok'ra?" Jack snapped, his eyes narrowing, considering the Goa'uld’s sudden change of tact. "Or maybe it's Earth now right?" He faced Heru'ur now with a measured anger, calculated. "You'll excuse me if I'm not grateful, or doing the kneeling thing, but I'm getting sick of this crap!"
The Goa'uld moved forward, his hand rose in anger, the beam from the hand device striking O'Neill, throwing him back, the force minimal.
Heru'ur swept forward, looking down at the colonel. "I do not have time for your churlish remarks, nor do I care for your trust, the war just became bigger O'Neill, and now you are at the very centre of it!"
Jack shook himself, the shock of the jolt caused by the hand device, although limited, still enough to knock the breath from his lungs.
"Yeah thanks! I needed that," he intoned bitterly, looking up at the furious expression of his antagonist. "So, didn't take you long to revert nicely back to type then, pleased to meet you!" The words containing the sardonic lilt that O'Neill often pervaded upon those with whom he had little patience.
Heru'ur looked bored. "You forget our pact O'Neill," he charged.
"No, I think you forgot that one first, giving me my own snake kinda broke your word!" Jack snapped. "Who, by the way, totally blew your damn master plan!"
"You, were the master plan, O'Neill," Heru'ur told him, the arrogant regard emphatic.
"What?" Surprise, confusion. "Alright, what in the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You will rest now," Heru'ur asserted. "There is time enough for this."
"Now just hold on for one second," Jack demanded, getting up, albeit slowly since his ribs now ached from the impact of the ribbon device. "You're telling me you saved my ass to help you? Well that's just not gonna happen," he insisted, a grimace crossing his handsome features. "Even if you zap me with that again, forget it!"
Heru'ur regarded him. "Yes," he replied, a simple confirmation that infuriated the Goa'uld, realising that O'Neill could not be lied to, or led. "Ptah was intended to learn more of your knowledge!"
"Excuse me?" Jack asked, approaching the Goa'uld cautiously.
"Your knowledge, the Ancients!" Heru'ur told him.
Jack took a deep breath. "You know about that?" he asked, cursing under his breath.
"This is why Ptah could not defeat you O'Neill, I had to be sure. Such information can be misleading, since it came from Zipacna!" the Goa'uld stated. "Now I am sure, you will serve a far more purposeful role!"
Jack looked vexed suddenly. "And you didn't ask, you just decided to put a damn snake in my head?" His mind was racing, what could the Goa'uld do that would unleash the knowledge he possessed, panicking at the thought of how much danger that knowledge could mean for Earth.
"Would you have parted with such knowledge?" Heru'ur's question genuinely put.
"Er, no!" Jack told him, with a shrug. "Still didn't get it though hah!" Maybe, he didn't have the technology, the symbiote had failed?
"Which has caused the problem with Ptah," Heru'ur explained little, his words offered no insight into that statement.
"Hey, he's your problem, I'm not helping you with squat!" O'Neill's response was terse, his eyes now meeting Heru'ur's, challenging the Goa'uld.
"Perhaps you will reconsider, unless your life means so little to you?" Heru'ur replied, meeting the challenge.
"Hey! Take it, the doing deals thing isn't gonna happen," Jack vociferated. "Trust me, it's not gonna happen," he repeated, his voice trailing off as he noted the confident glare the Goa'uld sent back at him.
"Then, it shall be the life of Daniel Jackson you bargain with," he said smugly.
O'Neill's eyes closed tight, a heavy sigh. "Daniel." Almost a whisper. "Okay." Protracted. "That's kinda a little different, where is he? Or were you expecting me to take that on trust too?"
"I will have him brought here O'Neill, I do not ask for your trust, it is of little consequence to me whether you trust me or not, you will retrieve Ptah, or your friend will become a host," Heru'ur told him, confident that this would ensure the Tau'ri's acquiescence.
"Just Ptah right? No more snakes, no more deceit, no more damn lies?" Jack asked, even knowing that he had little hope of securing an honest response. That threat, the life of his best friend, was perhaps the only thing that might make him acquiesce.
"As you say O'Neill, you are unwilling to share the knowledge, the most advanced Goa'uld technology has been unable to prise this information from you," the Goa'uld replied. "But, now Ptah has a new agenda, the destruction of your world!"
O'Neill stared at the system lord. "Am I supposed to buy that?" he asked, shaking his head.
"Since Ptah can not establish a stronghold amongst the Goa'uld, he will seek to conquer the Tau'ri, a far easier task!" Heru'ur intoned. "You have little time to decide O'Neill."
Jack cringed openly. "Sweet! You screwed up?" he commented wryly. "And I've got to pull your ass out of the fire, or what? The Asgard?" he asked.
Heru'ur nodded. "Yes, the Asgard O'Neill, the Goa'uld have no wish to face such a foe on their terms," the Goa'uld admitted.
"Yeah, I could see how that would kinda make you think twice, so I do the, find the snake thing, and in return?" Jack asked.
"You will go free, without compromise," Heru'ur responded.
Jack considered the proposition for a moment, he didn't believe it, but it would buy him the time necessary to find another way out of this new mess. "Okay, you've got another deal, don't break this one... or you'll find out just how pissed off I can get!"
"You are bold O'Neill, brave, it is perhaps one of the greatest assets of the Tau'ri," the Goa'uld told him.
"Yeah, also one of our weaknesses, I know," Jack replied. "Daniel?"
*****
Teal'c looked from one to the other, the briefing room his first point of contact with his colleagues since his return. "It is likely then, that they have fallen victim to Heru’ur."
"I don't know Teal'c, the last communication wasn't encouraging," Makepeace told him.
The briefing room fell silent. "Great!" Major Davis opined. "So we lost the colonel to the Goa'uld again?"
"And Dr.
Jackson," Makepeace added, he still wasn't exactly sure how he felt about
"We have to focus
here,"
Teal'c considered the question. "I can think of only one, General Hammond," he said. "Colonel O'Neill's knowledge has been discovered."
Carter looked mortified. "If that's the case then he's going to try everything in his power to obtain that knowledge. Sir, we've got to contact the Tok'ra, or the Asgard," she asserted.
"Perhaps this will also be our greatest advantage," Teal'c pointed out.
"The Goa'uld Ptah was unable to obtain this knowledge, therefore it would be anticipated that such knowledge could not be tricked or forced from O'Neill," he stated. "Heru'ur might attempt to gain his trust, to alter his perception."
"Think that's possible?" Major Davis asked then, slightly concerned.
"Anything is possible Major Davis, Stockholm syndrome," Colonel Makepeace offered. "But I just can't see Jack buying it!"
"I hope you're right sir," Carter said. "Colonel O'Neill wasn't exactly given an easy time here, and our actions couldn't have helped much either, we didn't exactly show him much trust sir!"
"Major, we did what we had to do, Jack knows that," Makepeace argued.
"No sir, I don't think he does," she asserted. "I mean considering everything he's been through, this mission wasn't exactly supposed to be his first one back, was it? Who knows how it might affect his mind, it's like déjà vu - if Heru’ur has captured him, and the Goa'uld knows he's got some form of Ancients database in his head? There's no way of telling what they'll do to try and access it!" She looked down at the table, a heavy sigh. "And then there's Daniel!"
"
"Yes, it's what Nyerti did. Heru'ur knows the colonel well enough to know that's his greatest weakness," Carter replied.
"But surely not to
that extent? I mean he was special ops right? He knows the score!"
Carter shrugged. "Daniel's been the one person who’s been with him throughout Paul, who knows?"
"Major, I want you to contact the Tok'ra, we need some help securing our people," he ordered, a frown etched on his face. "I don't think for one minute that either Colonel O'Neill or Dr. Jackson can be influenced by Heru'ur into switching sides, I expect the same loyalty from the rest of you!"
Colonel Makepeace nodded. "Yes sir," he agreed, an askant glance at Major Davis. "I heard that!"
********
Daniel shook his head. "Jack none of this is making much sense," he insisted. "Ptah has no armies, no allies, how is he a threat to Earth exactly?"
"Well, our snake buddy wasn't exactly specific about that," Jack responded. "I'm kinda thinking we're not really getting all the information!"
Daniel sighed deeply. "So we're back in um, snake town, with no way of getting out of this, except the latest offer from Heru'ur? Who, unless you've forgotten, didn't prove to be exactly reliable last time?" he stated, clearly vexed.
"Look, I'm not buying it either," Jack replied, "but we're kinda choice less here Daniel, which is getting irritatingly familiar don't ya think?"
Daniel shook his head. "So, you have to find Ptah? Which gets us a free return ticket and, oh my favourite part, no torture, or Goa'ulds?" The cynicism in his tone was apparent. " Why am I finding this just a little hard to believe?"
O'Neill grinned at the archaeologist then. "Has a nice ring to it though, don't ya think?"
"Oh, um, great ring, just not so sure on the whole Goa'uld nice and trustworthy part," Daniel said, a frown crossing his features then. "Actually I'm a little concerned with the whole Ancients thing, they have to know that the knowledge would make them as powerful as the Asgard? So why aren't they pursuing it?"
O'Neill shrugged, the same fears had entered his mind. He knew he couldn't trust Heru'ur anymore; the snake had an agenda that he wasn't sure he fully understood. But once again he was forced by events that had left him with little choice. The uncomfortable feeling of Daniel's life being in his hands plagued his thoughts.
He felt that the Ancients knowledge, which he'd always seen as a curse, was the very thing that had the power to save them. It had saved him from Ptah, enabled him to prevent the Goa'uld from taking control of his mind, and possibly betraying the SGC and Earth to their deadliest enemy.
"So I'm thinking we should probably push old Heru'ur into giving us some more information, right?" Jack suggested, standing up. "What do you think?"
"What?" O'Neill paused.
"Sorry about the
grenade,"
He followed O'Neill then from their quarters. The Horus guards outside making no attempt to prevent them from leaving.
"Ah, Daniel?" O'Neill's features curiously active. "Follow my lead okay..." his voice trailed off.
"I am." Daniel pointed out, obviously unsure of what his colleague meant.
"No, I mean literally, it's not gonna look good, know what I mean?" Jack asserted.
"Um, I think so...do
you think he's going to buy that?"
"Are you kidding? I have no idea, but if you just protest a little, it might help!" Jack told him.
Daniel's eyes rolled heavenwards. "I hate it when you have a plan," he complained.
"Hey! I'm not exactly sure it's a plan, it might backfire.... and it might take a while too, you okay with that?" O'Neill asked.
"I think I trust you," he replied, a smile sweeping over his face.
"You do?" Jack sounded surprised.
"Implicitly, actually." Daniel told him, a regard for his colleague sweeping his features that underlined the reply.
Jack looked at the
archaeologist, pausing outside the Pel'tac.
"Sweet, that makes one of us," he replied, a smile sweeping
his face. "This is probably a really bad plan," he whispered,
glancing back at
"Oh boy!"
"O'Neill," Heru'ur said, as the colonel entered the Pel'tac, followed closely by Daniel. The archaeologist added some urgency to his stride; his features were showing clear signs of irritability.
"Alright, look, I've been doing some thinking on this thing," Jack began, approaching the Goa'uld.
"Jack, I really don't think you should do this," Daniel interrupted, almost as if the colonel's wildly gesticulating arms had cued him in.
O'Neill spun around, his
features contorting angrily toward his colleague. "Daniel, shut up, I don't want to hear
it. Do yourself a favour and for once in your life just shut up!" he
snapped, scowling at
Heru'ur looked intrigued,
standing, moving toward the colonel. "Thinking?" he asked,
"Yeah, you know,
between you and the SGC, I don't really know who to trust," Jack imparted.
"And to be honest here, this whole damn thing is getting just a little
clichéd for my liking. Good guys, bad
guys, it's getting harder to tell you folk apart," he stated. "So I'm
thinking that maybe I've been a little too hasty!" Another scowl at
"Your world is finally becoming clear to you?" Heru'ur enquired, unsure of the intentions of this volatile human.
Jack threw his arms in the air, drawing closer to the Goa'uld. "All of it, all of this," he intoned, "just isn't making sense!" His eyes were intense, a little wild. Heru'ur was becoming more intrigued.
"Jack look,
please...."
"Daniel, I'm sorry... but what is there to go back for?" The question hung in the air for a moment, the two men glaring at each other. "Another three weeks of being reminded just how much I'm loathed, mistrusted? You heard what Carter said back on Vorash, ‘we can't give our location.’ Why? Because I'm not damn well trusted that's why!" he snapped. "They think I'm in league with the Goa'uld, fine, maybe I should be, odds of surviving are a damn cite better."
The Goa'uld studied the irate colonel, wanting to believe his words, arrogant enough to feel that the power he held had possibly mesmerised this stubborn Tau'ri, who possessed more secrets than any other, secrets that would surely bring him the ultimate power. Yet he felt cautious too, knowing only too well that such power would be difficult to attain.
Daniel shook his head. "Jack you can't mean this, it's...." The archaeologist did his best to look distressed, uncomfortable, his eyes imploringly regarding the colonel, hands held out in front of him as he attempted to convey the right attitude.
"What, disloyal? Oh come on, Daniel, wake up. You think they're gonna believe we just happened to get captured again?" A pause, regarding the archaeologist with what appeared now to be very genuine dismay. "Think they'll believe we led Heru'ur right to the Tok'ra by accident?" O'Neill sounded angry, his face tense, emotional. "We're gonna be lab rats if we go back, and frankly I'm sick of the interference from the damn NID, the politicians and the do-gooders who don't know what we're up against here!"
"I think you're losing your perspective here Jack, so it took them some time to come around, it doesn't mean you can just give up, on them, on Earth," Jackson insisted, his face masked with doubt. "We can explain this Jack, it's not too late...please?"
"Please? They gave up on me Daniel, and you too! Unless you forgot, that last transmission effectively got us both caught again. They weren't willing to help us Daniel because they thought we were leading them into a trap, for crying out loud, what's it gonna take to make you understand?" Jack implored. "We can't go back, not to stand for court martial because they think we're traitors."
Daniel stared at the angry, tense features of his colleague. "I can't go along with this Jack, and I won't," he told O'Neill, shaking his head. "I just wish there was some way I could change your mind. Think about what you're saying!"
Jack moved toward Daniel, taking him firmly by the shoulders. "Oh I've thought about it Danny boy! Wake up, we've got zero choice here, I need your help, you know that," he asserted. "I've given it a lot of thought, and it just doesn't make any sense to keep fighting against a superior enemy, for a Government that doesn't give a damn!"
There was so much anger, so much conviction in his voice, in his words, that Daniel stood and stared momentarily. It crossed his mind that the anger, the resentment was real... but not the intention, however convincing those words sounded, he knew Jack too well to believe any of what he said.
"Jack you're angry, I understand that... but you can't just turn your back here," he implored moving closer to his colleague, feeling his own resolve, reacting as much to the pain that he perceived as being the channel O'Neill used to give credence to his words. "It's just not the right thing to do, to trust a Goa'uld!"
"I can't? Come on Daniel, when is it enough? At least I know where I stand here, right?" Jack remonstrated. Anger emanated from every pore in his body, right up to his vehement, unyielding gaze, one that easily held Jackson's attention completely.
"This is crazy!" Daniel retorted, tearing his eyes away. "You're insane Jack, I'm not listening to this!" He shook his head. "You're hurt, I understand that, but you can't just turn your back on Earth, on the SGC. What about Sam? Teal'c?"
"Daniel, I've made up my mind," O'Neill replied, with a heavy sigh. "Just try to understand we don't have a choice! We’re choice less, out of options"
Heru'ur moved forward. "O'Neill, I would speak privately with you!" he said.
"Jack?"
"Daniel, just... think about it, okay?" Jack asked, glancing at Heru'ur. "What?" he asked, almost as if he hadn't heard the Goa'uld.
"Come with me, O'Neill," he repeated.
"Sure," Jack conceded, looking back at Jackson, aware that the Goa'uld could no longer see his face. He smiled.
Jackson stared, his eyes vacuous. He nodded slowly. "I'll think about it Jack, but I don't think I'm gonna change my mind," he replied, a sadness prevailing in his voice.
******
Heru'ur led O'Neill to his quarters. "Your words are impressive," he told the colonel once they were inside. "But you expect me to believe that you could so easily change your mind?"
"Realistic," Jack conceded, "and no, I don't expect a damn thing from you, or anyone else, time to look after number one!"
"You will have much to prove, before I will trust you," the Goa'uld asserted.
"Hey, right now I don't care what you believe! I'm not exactly giving a damn what anyone thinks," Jack intoned. "It's not about what I believe anymore, it's about what I feel. There's just nothing to go back for!"
"Your race refused to believe you a victim of events?" Heru'ur enquired, sitting on that impressive throne-like seat, which stood central in his chambers.
"Oh I'd say being locked up and interrogated for the best part of three weeks was pretty much evidence enough of that, wouldn't you?" Jack insisted. "Then giving me the Tok'ra mission, first assignment back. It was as if they knew, you know?"
"Perhaps," Heru'ur said. "I am not a fool O'Neill, I will need proof of your wish to truly join me."
"Proof?" Jack replied. Hands raised, he shrugged. "Sorry, fresh out of that today, I've just got me, and all this stuff in my head. Tell me if you're not interested?"
"Kill Daniel Jackson," the Goa'uld challenged, watching O'Neill closely.
The colonel did not falter. "You know what, I'd love to get rid of that noose around my neck, it's his damn fault I ended up with Nyerti in the first place," he intoned, a hapless expression deliberately foisted to his face. "But therein we have a problem, see Daniel's the only one who can decipher the mess that the Ancients put in here," he continued, with enough conviction to sound genuine, his hand tapping his head. "I kill Daniel, I've got nothing to offer you in return for all those things I want!"
"Daniel is refusing to join you O'Neill, we have linguists, people who could assist," Heru'ur offered, his regard now stronger.
"Yeah sweet, except it's taken Daniel two years to work this out to the level he's at, how long do you wanna wait? Myself, I'd kinda like to crack on with it, so, leave Jackson to me." An emphatic statement, given weight by the unrelenting confidence in his eyes. "I can talk him around, he trusts me... besides, I think given the choice, death or collusion, he's gonna opt to stay alive, don't ya think?"
Heru'ur nodded. "Perhaps," he opined, giving due consideration to the arguments presented to him. "We shall deal with Ptah first. I will give you time, O'Neill, to bring Daniel Jackson over to our way of thinking... once Ptah is dealt with, it will be that time!"
"Yeah look, you weren't exactly specific on the details, and I'm thinking you're still having a hard time trusting me here, so let me bottom line it for you!" O'Neill insisted, looking directly into the eyes of his nemesis. "I don't exactly like this idea any more than you do, not really that keen on the whole snake in the head deal, but face it, we're kinda stuck with each other right? You want Ptah, the knowledge of the Ancients, and I want out of serving a damn country that won't ever thank me for getting myself killed in the line of duty." There was a fire in his eyes that the Goa'uld recognised. "I've had it with that crap, so let's just kill the damn snake, and work on the Ancients knowledge. Hey who knows, maybe eventually I'll stop caring about Earth and we'll deal with them too!"
Heru'ur nodded. "And for your obedience?" he asked.
O'Neill shook his head, hands crossing over each other rapidly, making it clear that he wasn't about to acquiesce. "I'm not talking obedience, I'm talking alliance," he responded emphatically. "We team up, take down the system lords, and Apophis... then we'll deal with the Asgard, and the Tollan, and anyone else that gets in the way!"
Heru'ur regarded the colonel with cynicism. "We shall see O'Neill, exactly where this will take us."
"So, we got a deal right?" Jack asked. "’Cause if you're having second thoughts here, I'm kinda wanting to know right now!" His grasp of the Goa'uld politics and greed learnt over many such encounters, yet he also had something else now too - the knowledge, albeit limited, of Ptah. He wasn't sure how far he could push it, but there was only one way to find out, and that was to push hard.
"What do you ask?" Heru'ur enquired.
"There's a couple of planets, Daniel will know the co-ordinates...I'll start with them, an army, Nyerti's will do for now, and I get final say over whether we dispose of Daniel, or make him a host." He shrugged at his nemesis. "Think you can live with that, you've got yourself an alliance."
Heru'ur stood, his eyes glowing fiercely at the colonel. "Are these planets in the control of the Goa'uld?" he demanded.
"Nope, they're places the Goa'uld can't go, Seng'olia and Kheb, so do we have a deal?" Jack pushed harder now, sounding more confident, meeting the glare of the Goa'uld, unwavering in his determination.
Heru'ur considered it. "An army, that will remain at my disposal?" he asked, impressed with qualities he believed he had seen in O'Neill previously, which were now more emphatically on display.
Jack smiled confidently at the Goa'uld. "Hey, that's kinda what ally means right? Besides, once we've kicked the system lords into the next galaxy, I figure your armies are gonna be pretty impressive," he insisted.
"Your lust for power is considerable O'Neill," the Goa'uld system lord acknowledged. "See that you do not disappoint me!"
"Oh, and one more thing. This is kinda of personal," Jack stated, his eyes once more locked into Heru'ur's condescending leer. "I want Colonel Stuart, Ahetep, the damn Goa'uld who nearly destroyed me!" Jack's scorn poured out in his voice, judging his adversary well enough to ask for this, a loose end that needed tying up in the guise of revenge.
Heru'ur bowed his head slowly. "We have an alliance O'Neill, but remember this, deceive me, and you will be destroyed...your knowledge does not grant you immunity from my wrath!" he warned.
"No argument from me," Jack responded, maintaining his eye contact with the Goa'uld. A wry smile crossed his face. "We'll make a good team...I can feel it!"
*******
Jacob Carter frowned. "I believe we still have operatives within Heru'ur's midst, once we're able to get anything you can count on us passing that information to you," he told Hammond.
The two men were alone in the General's office; Hammond acknowledged the statement with a nod. "I want Jack, and Dr. Jackson out as soon as we can Jacob, I think we owe it to them both!" he asserted, allowing his feelings to show momentarily. "Jack must feel pretty let down about now, I don't want the enemy taking advantage of that fact. It's personal," he added. "Very personal!"
"I understand George, in a way I feel like it's my fault for allowing this to happen in the first place. I should have known this would get out of hand, I just didn't see any of the other system lords involving themselves to the extent that Heru'ur chose to, and his affect on Colonel O'Neill seemed to be pretty profound!" Jacob confessed.
"Well let's just say, that Teal'c was right," the Tok'ra operative stated, vexed by the notion. "Heru'ur has never been like the other system lords, his MO is a little different, he's a soldier, like Jack. I guess they had something in common, added to the fact that Heru'ur was responsible for saving Jack's life on several occasions."
"Jacob, Jack O'Neill's
loyalty to this command has never been in question, not by me. Whatever bond he
may have formed with a Goa'uld won't change his focus, he'll kill him when the
time comes, I'd bet my life on that!"
"I'm not questioning Jack's loyalty George, I'm just saying his attitude is a little different!" Jacob responded. "As far as I'm concerned, I'd put my life in Colonel O'Neill's hands any time, he's got nothing to prove to me!"
******
"So?" Daniel asked, once the two men were again alone.
Jack shrugged and took a deep breath, sitting on the small chair closest to the door.
"He's not convinced, but we don't need convinced. We just need a window of opportunity here, pure and simple," he responded. "We've got an alliance, of sorts, I threw a few things in to get his attention."
"And this was the crux
of the little private chat?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Did want some proof though, wants me to kill you," Jack told him.
"Um, what?" Daniel looked sceptically at his friend. "Great!"
"I had it covered, I just told him the truth, told him I can't figure out the Ancients download without you," he explained a smile crossing his face. "Did tell him the idea wasn't exactly without appeal though!"
"Which makes me feel
so much better,"
Jack sighed heavily. "I need you to keep doing what you've been doing Daniel, and that's resisting everything I do, look, I know you've never really done undercover before, but it's kinda like acting," he imparted.
"You want me to argue
with you? Oppose everything you do to get me to join right?"
"Nope, and look at it this way, you can attack me as much as you want and call it…"
"Undercover!" Daniel concluded, with a smile of approval. "I can handle that."
"Good, cause you're gonna have to do something else too," Jack told him, his features blackening.
Daniel looked dubiously at his friend now, sensing he wasn't going to like it. "And, that would be?"
"You're going to have to betray me Daniel," Jack told him. "Sell me out."
"Why?" Daniel looked confused, concerned by the danger he perceived in what O'Neill was asking him to do.
"Because it's the only way I can think of keeping you alive, that's why," O'Neill told him.
"Jack this is crazy," Daniel objected.
"Look it's not ideal I know, but it's all I've got... when nothing else works you switch, you throw the enemy off. Once we've found the damn snake, he's gonna want to start seeing some results from the information I've got in my head," O'Neill asserted, his eyes fixed on Jackson. "You want him getting hold of that? Because it's just not gonna happen, and that means one thing Daniel, the only leverage he thinks he has."
Daniel shook his head. He understood the implications. "So exactly how long do we have?" he asked, resignation adorning his features.
"I don't know," Jack replied. "Until we find the damn snake and destroy it, and since it's kind of around on one of these ships… not too long I'd guess."
Daniel looked away, trying to sort through the information. "Great! So unless you get one of those, um, I don't have a plan faces, we're going with the, I wish you didn't have a plan, um, thing?"
"Ah, yeah, something like that," O'Neill agreed. "I really wish I had something else Daniel, but right now, it's all I can come up with!" he insisted. "But if Thor just happens along, what can I tell you..." His voice trailed off then, his eyes distant.
"What?" Daniel asked.
"These guys can get in touch with the Asgard right?" Jack said. "We have to find that frequency Daniel, if we can find Thor, we're out of here."
"Um, Jack, how are we going to get hold of their communications technology?" Daniel asked hesitantly. "And it's not exactly like we even know how it works?"
"Well I don't know, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Jack told him.
"I'm confident you can figure it out!"
"Oh good, for a minute there I thought it was going to be easy!" Daniel replied sarcastically, taking his glasses off and polishing the lenses on his t-shirt.
O'Neill frowned at him. "Sweet, well let me know when you come up with something," A scowl crossed his features and he looked Jackson up and down "Dr. Jones, and we'll ditch the damn plan in favour of one of those brilliant ones you always come up with!" he spat.
Daniel looked heavenwards. "You know Jack, sometimes you can be a little irritating," he complained, "touchy, and damn right rude!" He smiled then. "Rude being of course the preferred language!"
"Whilst you of course, remain the paragon of reasonable discussion," Jack snapped back quickly.
"Okay," Daniel intoned, "so let's do the arguing thing later... um, it's not like we need the practise!"
An ironic nod from O'Neill.
Jackson looked at him curiously then. "What did you ask for in return for this alliance, exactly?"
"An army, a couple of planets, the usual stuff, and Stuart!" Jack told him glibly, the last part of that sentence given extra weight.
"Um, great, your very own planets, why?" Daniel enquired, a little startled by the information.
"One because both planets are pretty damn Goa'uld proof, and two I can't make out to be some disgruntled ex-Tau'ri loving geek without making damn demands!" O'Neill snapped. "It's gotta seem like I got seduced with the idea of power, he'll buy that a lot easier!"
"Which planets? I mean, he's not buying Cimmeria right?"
"Nope, I asked for Kheb and Seng'olia...pretty much covers our asses if we can get to either one," Jack imparted.
"Okay, good um, thinking, I guess," Daniel conceded, his eyebrows drawing down.
"It happens."
*****
"God this is all my fault!" Carter opined. Major James Coburn was shaking his head, sitting opposite the astrophysicist in the commissary.
"That's not true Sam, you couldn't break protocol...and what could we have done anyway?" he asked, slowly stirring his coffee.
"Look, I should never have allowed the team to be broken up in the first place," she insisted picking at her food with a fork, having little intention of actually eating it. "The colonel and Daniel, have done this already, I should have realised where this was going..."
Coburn stared at her, doleful eyes searching her face.
"What?" she asked, looking back quizzically.
"I'm just wondering where it's got psychic tattooed?" Coburn enquired.
"Come on Jimmy, you know what I'm saying, who knows what was going on in his mind, I mean, Makepeace could be right?" Carter insisted. "First they get caught up with Nyerti, then Heru'ur, and then the colonel has the Goa'uld invading his mind literally! Who knows how it's affected him?"
"What are you saying Sam?" Coburn asked, confused by the inference.
"I'm saying we don't know if he's alive or dead...either of them, and that's probably down to our poor judgement. We let them down, didn't give either of the enough time to deal with what they'd been through. I know Colonel O'Neill's resilient, but god, isn't that asking just a little too much?"
"Major?" It was Makepeace who spoke, pulling out a chair at their table. Both subordinates acknowledged his presence. "Everything you say is true, maybe Jack and Dr. Jackson shouldn't have been sent on that particular mission, with that particular enemy. But it's done, you can't undo it and kicking yourself in the ass isn't gonna change one damn thing."
"I know sir, I'm just," Sam replied, the frustration and emotion showing on her face, she looked tired too, the stress effecting her a little more than she realised.
"Letting off steam? Yeah, we could all use a little of that right now, but I'll tell you what I think, if you're interested?" Makepeace asked her.
"Sir?"
"I think Jack's probably thinking the same damn thing, only I don't think he'll be kicking himself in the ass too much on account of the fact that he's probably figuring out a way to get out of the damn situation," the colonel told her. "And something else Major, for the record, you excelled out there, you did the tough things you had to do to secure the safety of the team...Jack and Daniel not withstanding. I know responding to that call was probably one of the hardest things you've ever been asked to do, but you handled it, and you didn't give up. Stop kicking yourself and take some credit, I know Jack would say the same damn thing if he was here!"
Carter looked a little surprised by the glowing appraisal offered by Makepeace, a smile given in return. "Thank you sir," she replied. "I'm just sick of sitting around here on my butt."
Makepeace stood up, looking down at her. "So do something useful Major, go find out if the Tok'ra have anything new to tell us, I saw your father go into General Hammond's office a while back, maybe we caught a break hah?"
Carter nodded. "Thank you sir, I'll go do that," she responded, standing like her superior officer, looking a little more relaxed and positive.
"Don't mention it Major," Makepeace told her, heading off toward the exit of the commissary, a glance back. "Give your dad my regards," he added.
********
Jack was flanked by Nefir, both men armed. The Jaffa carried a staff weapon, the impressive helmet on his armour closed, giving the already exaggerated height of the Jaffa an almost god-like, statuesque appearance.
"So we're just gonna take a look around right?" Jack enquired, finding Nefir a little too laconic for his liking.
"You will recognise this Goa'uld on sight my lord?" Nefir enquired, without attempting to answer the colonel's question.
"Yep, you can't exactly miss her!" Jack said, a moment's reminiscence of that kiss creeping into his thoughts. "But then again, I guess Ptah could have easily jumped hosts right?"
"Yes my lord, this creature will indeed prove a worthy foe!" Nefir told him. "Since you are the only one who will be able to sense his presence."
O'Neill nodded, his eyes sweeping the various slaves and Jaffa who passed them, he was impressed with how much Nefir appeared to know too; this Jaffa was clearly trusted by his master. Unlike Apophis, Heru'ur, it seemed, ensured his first prime was armed with as much knowledge as was needed to effectively maintain loyalty and discipline.
"Sweet, but ah, wouldn't it make more sense for me to hang around old Heru'ur?" Jack asked. "I mean, I'm thinking he's gotta to be the most likely target?"
"Heru'ur wishes us to check the ship, we shall do as our lord wishes!" Nefir stated.
"Okay...let's um, sweep!" Jack retorted.
*****
Daniel flicked through one of the tablets he'd been given to occupy him by Nekhbet, Heru'ur's closest aid. The tablet contained the entire dialect written in its original form; Jackson was fascinated with the contents.
"So um, why exactly are you giving this to me?" he asked.
"Heru'ur requires that you teach this to your lord," Nekhbet told him. "I, in turn, will assist you with words, phrases and meanings that you do not comprehend."
"Why?" Daniel questioned, a chuckle to himself then. "Um, Jack's not gonna speak in Goa'uld, you really have to know him."
Nekhbet leant forward, too close for Jackson's comfort. "We do not question the will of our god, we simply abide by it!"
"Yes, I'll um, right!" Daniel responded. "Teach Jack the um, dialect."
"Should you need my help, send one of the guards to summon me," Nekhbet told him, turning and leaving the room.
"Guards," Daniel muttered. "Um, great, Jack gets the run of the place and I get guards!" He looked down once more at the tablet, his fascination for the dialect immediately overwhelming any doubts he harboured for this latest brush with the Goa'uld...this he concluded might be more of a learning curve than their last escapade.
Deeply engrossed in the tablet, Daniel didn't see Freya enter his chambers. The Goa'uld slowly moved around to face him.
"Daniel?" It was Freya's voice.
Jackson looked up abruptly. "Um, oh my. What are you doing here? You know Jack's looking for you right?"
"The Goa'uld left me Daniel, you have to help me," Freya begged, she looked lost, afraid. "Is Colonel O'Neill in league with the Goa'uld?" she demanded, suddenly shocked at the words that seemed to take an age to register.
Daniel thought quickly, this could so easily be a trap. "Um, yes!" A heavy sigh. "He's a little upset with the world right now, and I can't seem to talk him out of it...maybe..."
"Then he must be killed," Freya replied, her words shocking the archaeologist, "Daniel, we can't let the Goa'uld get that information, I expect he's willing to deal it in return for his life?"
Daniel looked at her, surprised at this sudden change of tact. "Well, I wouldn't go that far... besides, what makes you think I haven't?" he asked.
Freya regarded him with fear suddenly. "Daniel, please...help me?" she implored, her eyes filling with tears. "Without Anise to guide me, I am lost."
Daniel looked wretched suddenly, his heart tormented by her helplessness. He turned sharply as he saw Jack enter the room, his M90 grasped firmly in both hands aimed at Freya.
"Jack, no!" he shouted.
Daniel stood up, moving between the barrel of O'Neill's M90 and Freya, using his body to shield her. His eyes fearful, uncertain, he looked from O'Neill to Freya, swallowing hard.
"Jack you can't," he implored. "She says she's not Ptah!"
O'Neill's regard now toward the archaeologist. Narrowing eyes, cynical, taking a step forward.
"Oh really? Guess if the snake says so!" he napped. "Don't mind if I take a closer look though right?" Keeping the gun trained on the trembling woman, he took several more ominous steps forward, disdain on his face for a woman whom he had little regard.
The former Tok'ra host dared not move, in that instant she felt sure that O'Neill might squeeze the trigger, take revenge against her for Anise's actions, she could almost read that in his eyes, that steely gaze instantly showing how he felt, the loathing seemed to penetrate her senses.
"Colonel, I can assure you," she insisted, her voice quivering with fear, "that the Goa'uld is most definitely not in here." O'Neill's proximity to her forcing her to step back away from the muzzle of the weapon, her eyes locked into his, head shaking side to side slowly, as if she anticipated his intent.
O'Neill couldn't sense the Goa'uld, but he could sense Heru'ur, feel his eyes burning into him, judging his every move.
"Yeah, she's clean, of a snake anyway," he spat, turning and looking toward Daniel, ensuring that his eye line did not perceive the presence of the Goa'uld system lord.
"I told you that," Jackson retorted, moving closer to Freya protectively.
"Looks to me, Danny boy, like you just got yourself a play thing!" His callous expression intentionally directed toward the former Tok'ra host, watching her fear and hatred grow.
"Jack, for God's sake!" Daniel groaned, feeling that his colleague was taking the act a little too seriously. "Was that really necessary?"
O'Neill's face filled with fury now, rounding on Jackson fiercely. "Was what really necessary Daniel?" he spat. “Don’t tell me she’s not your type?" His tone was loathing, his posture aggressive, his eyes mocked the archaeologist now. "Pushing your luck here a little, eh Danny boy?"
Jackson looked equally infuriated, lunging at O'Neill who side stepped his attempted punch easily, shoving the archaeologist neatly in the back, allowing that momentum to send him crashing to the feet of Heru'ur, looking up at the sneering system lord.
"Kel shak, Heru'ur," he greeted, his amusement almost smug in it's expression, resting on his hands smartly on the M90. "Ah, we seem to have lost the damn snake, don't suppose you happened to see it slither by?"
"Kree shak shel, O'Neill, I see you are making your presence felt!" he replied, looking down at Jackson, a smirk at the archaeologist. "Come, leave these Tau'ri slaves to their mortal sorrows, we have many plans to make!"
"Yeahsureyabetcha," Jack retorted, looking back at Jackson, who was indignantly dusting off his clothes. "Don't keep disappointing me Danny boy, it might start to piss me off, and you really don't wanna do that!" he spat at Jackson. The intentional mockery in his voice meant to further illustrate his position to both Freya and Heru'ur, another glance at the former Tok'ra host as he left.
Daniel scowled after him, Freya immediately coming to his side.
"Why?" she asked. "Why has he sided with the Goa'uld?" She was clearly confused, upset at this revelation, and the hatred she saw in his eyes, still trembling.
The archaeologist shrugged. "I think the whole Earth treatment thing pissed him off, and I guess Anise didn't exactly help either!" he stated, reminding Freya of her own involvement with O'Neill's apparent defection, placing his hands on her arms. "Are you cold?" he asked, concerned by her appearance.
She shook her head.
"But, he seems so different," she said, clearly still very shocked by O'Neill's behaviour, "almost as if he were possessed by a Goa'uld?" Her eyes wondering. "So cold."
Daniel studied her, a warm smile crossing his face. "No um, he's definitely just Jack, and I know it's hard to understand, but he's changed, I guess I can't blame him either..." His voice trailed off, sorrow crossing his brow, looking suddenly pensive. "I think he's confused. Mostly I think he's angry though." A more poignant look crossed his eyes. Mostly anger!
"Daniel?" Freya asked. "You are sure. There can be no mistake?"
"Oh yes, I'm sure," Jackson responded. "He's been losing faith in Earth, and the SGC for a long time. I guess, on reflection I should have seen this coming." He moved around and sat back where he'd previously been studying the Goa'uld dialect. "The whole Nyerti thing, then becoming a host, I guess that was a catalyst, it just pushed him over the edge," he opined.
"I am sorry. My own part in this couldn't have helped," she sighed. "I feel it's partly my fault."
Jackson regarded her for a moment, shaking his head. "Not really," he replied sensing her regret as much as hearing it. "Just came at a bad time."
"What about you?" she asked, sitting opposite him.
Daniel considered that, closing his eyes and looking for a response. "I'm just hoping I can change his mind, get through to him.” A heavy sigh. “Although I'm not exactly holding my breath there. Jack can be a little stubborn..." A wry smile crossed his lips. "It could be worse, I guess."
Freya shook her head. "How so could it be worse Dr. Jackson?" she asked. "We are at the mercy of the Goa'uld and your friend, do you have any idea of where we are? Apart from being on a mothership, I mean."
Jackson smiled. "Um, I know what you meant, and no, Jack's new buddies aren't exactly keeping me informed here...um, well it could be a lot worse. Heru'ur's a Goa'uld yes, but so far he seems to be listening to Jack, which mean's I'm alive!" he intoned. He regarded her now, searchingly. "So when did the Goa'uld jump hosts?"
"A day or so ago, I've been wandering around this ship, trying to find the glider bays," she told him, her eyes meeting his. "I don't suppose?"
"Ah, no, and I doubt we'd be allowed to wander around quite so freely now that you've been identified either!" Daniel told her, trying to keep himself in check, not wanting to share too much with her, yet feeling a measure of sorrow for her plight. "I'm not permitted to leave this chamber without the Horus guards escorting me."
Freya shrugged. "Then we are truly trapped," she remarked, fear entering into her voice. "Without hope."
Daniel's eyes closed, a smile crossing his features. "Sounds familiar," he remarked.
The Pel'tac in Heru'ur's ships differed greatly from the one O'Neill had previously seen, when on Klo'rel's ship three years earlier. The same golden hieroglyphs decorated the walls, yet the console that controlled the enormous vessel was in an arc, stretching across the width of the desk.
Jack sat up on the console, positioning himself close to the Goa'uld, listening with interest to the plans of the system lord. They were bold, but too aggressive, leaving his armies open for counterattack. Jack's expression, the slow constant nodding told the Goa'uld that he harboured reservations. Finally the Goa'uld broke track, regarding the colonel.
"I have given some thought to your demands," he told him, standing and leaving his throne-like seat, walking toward the colonel, leaning on the console beside him. "The armies I empower to you will need to be larger than those of Nyerti. If we are to defeat the system lords, we must first strike against Nefertum, and the minor system lords, these armies will be added to your command."
"Sweet! Then we go after Apophis right?" Jack asked, his appetite for the destruction of his long time nemesis matched that of Heru'ur. "But your plans are flawed!"
"How so? Our armies will be matched, equal in strength and number...we must have something else, O'Neill, something that only the Ancients can give us, an advantage!" the Goa'uld told him. "Then we will defeat his armies and kill him." A smile swept his supercilious features.
Jack jumped down from the console. "You don't need the Ancients for that, you just need to know the weaknesses of your enemy, and the strengths of your own forces," he intoned.
"Our way of battle has always prevailed, only with the power of they who built the Stargates and controlled space would give us a certain victory," Heru'ur asserted.
O'Neill shook his head. "Hate to contradict ya, but if we're gonna move against the system lords we really have to knock them off one by one, don't ya think? My armies take Nefertum, whilst yours deal with Cronos?" he suggested. "Divide and conquer, right?"
Heru'ur looked intrigued. "It is possible, if we coordinated such a strike, that this plan might work," he agreed. "First, though we must deal with Ptah!"
"Alright, here's my thinking on this one," Jack told him, standing beside the Goa'uld now, leaning his arms on the console. The two men looked at each other. "Ptah's got this high opinion of himself, first he's kinda loyal to you, but then he changed. Maybe that's gonna be an advantage, I'm thinking he's gonna come for you!"
Heru'ur's features contorted. "He would never dare, such a plan would be foolish," he snarled.
"Which is why it might work!" Jack insisted, a glance across at the Goa'uld. "He's gonna figure you can't detect him, there are thousands of slaves on this ship right? Hosts? It's perfect, something you'd never consider!" He stared at the Goa'uld, an expression of certainty adorning his face. "Come on, you'd be a fool if you didn't protect yourself," Jack concluded.
"Such an attack would be folly," the Goa'uld system lord maintained, clearly angry at this perceived challenge to his superiority. "He would not dare!"
Jack laughed, shaking his head. "Hey! He's a snake, you remember that ultimate power thing comes with the job," he intoned. "Come on Heru, you know better than that... figure it out, what would you do in his place?" he asserted. "It's transparent!" He paused then, looking at the indignant Goa'uld. "Alright, maybe to me. But the fact that you think you're invincible is the very reason he'd come after you, take you out, he owns this place!"
Heru'ur's sharp regard made Jack feel uneasy. But the sudden look of realisation that seemed to dominate that intense stare told him such unease was inappropriate.
"You are wise O'Neill, I shall be ready for such an assault," he responded.
"Um, look, no offence, and I'm sure your Jaffa are the best a deity can buy," Jack remarked, somewhat tongue in cheek, a grimace spreading across his features. "But I've got a lot invested in you staying alive, so..."
Heru'ur nodded, instantly recognising O'Neill's intent. "Yes, I agree, you should remain with me, since it is you who will be able to detect this presence. However," he replied, "I know what might bring him to us more readily."
O'Neill's eyebrows shot up, intrigued. "Okay, what's that?" he enquired.
"You will suit up as a Jaffa. Ptah will not recognise your presence, and will be more likely to attempt such an attack," the Goa'uld told him.
Jack looked apprehensively at Heru'ur then. "Yeah listen, I've worn one of them things, and they're just not very comfortable, if you get my drift?"
"You will adorn the uniform of a Jaffa O'Neill, and you will stand at guard. Your loyalty now is essential to our alliance!" Heru'ur demanded.
Jack stood up, shaking his head. "Okay...if it makes ya think he'll show his hand early, I guess I can suffer a bit of damn discomfort for a while...but let's not get used to me in that garb, I'm kinda partial to casual clothing!" he said, a wistful smile crossing his lips.
Heru'ur returned the smile, his approval of O'Neill's humour evident. "You amuse me," he retorted, as if to underline that regard.
"Yeah, I kinda crack myself up too... so the um, uniform?" he asked, that familiar grimace sweeping across his face.
"Nefir will see that you are properly attired," Heru'ur stated. He watched the colonel and his first prime make their way toward the exit. "O'Neill?"
Jack turned, looking quizzically toward the Goa'uld. "Yeah?" he asked.
"Your loyalty, is... appreciated!" Heru'ur stated.
Jack nodded, an intense regard toward his nemesis. "Thanks, back at ya!" he said, with such conviction that it caught him by surprise. He shrugged at the Goa'uld.
On balance, the attitude of Heru'ur had thrown him more times than he cared to admit. Whether he liked the feeling or not, this particular Goa'uld had saved his life twice, and even though he had deceived the colonel, using the Goa'uld Ptah, and the loathing he felt of that particular incident, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was beholden for the escape, and his life, and that of Daniel Jackson, who, would probably not approve of his attempts to save Heru'ur from Ptah, since it would undoubtedly place the Goa'uld in a much more powerful position.
Nefir took O'Neill to his own quarters. One of his Jaffa brought in the impressive Horus guard attire.
"You are brave my lord," the Jaffa told him, as the colonel slipped into the uniform.
"Um, yeah, stupid actually comes to mind, but thanks!" Jack responded, a smile of irony sweeping his face.
"Your loyalty to Heru'ur is a show of respect that should be followed by all Jaffa!" he continued. "Your courage and wisdom should henceforth be written into Jaffa history."
"Okay, just stop right there!" O'Neill insisted, very uncomfortable with the praise the Jaffa was heaping on him. "Look, I owe Heru'ur my life, we have an… alliance, but this doesn't exactly make me a god!"
The Colonel's intense gaze made the Jaffa look away, unable to meet his integrity.
"Something wrong?" Jack asked, reading the expression Nefir now wore uneasily on his face as meaning more than just the obvious nod of approval.
"No my lord...it's just..." Nefir responded, his speech broken, doubt invading his thoughts as he spoke.
"You kinda like having your gods all in one place right?" Jack stated, with a rueful smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shatter your illusions, it's just kinda odd that anyone would think of me as...well you know?"
Nefir bowed. "My lord Heru'ur considers you as a fine warrior, cunning and wily, this is enough for me to believe that you are a god," he opined.
Jack's eyebrows rose slowly as he absorbed the information. "Really? Cool!" he replied, finally ensconced in the uniform of the Horus guard. "So Nefir, how'd you work the head part... exactly?" he asked.
*******
Colonel Makepeace checked his M90 once more; he'd already oiled and cleaned the weapon twice since returning to the SGC, but he want to be ready. He needed to know that his time was well spent.
Teal'c observed him, intrigued by his meticulous attention to detail.
"Colonel Makepeace?" he asked. "This ritual with your weapon. It is an Earth custom?"
Makepeace regarded the
"Um, well, not an earth custom exactly, it's more of a..." Makepeace began. "I guess it's more a, soldier thing!"
"I see, you are bored?" Teal'c enquired.
Makepeace leant on the reassembled M90, regarding the Jaffa.
"Bored?" he asked. "I'd say it's more like nervous energy."
"You wish to perhaps do battle with Heru'ur?" the Jaffa enquired, his own feelings and thoughts very much in that vein.
"Teal'c, what can I tell you?" Makepeace replied. "I'm a soldier, I prefer to be doing battle, period. All this waiting around just makes me itchy!"
"I am sure Dr. Fraiser would be able to assist you with this problem!" Teal'c informed.
Makepeace grinned. "Um, no, that's not what I meant...it's like..." He regarded the very quizzical expression adorning the Jaffa's face. "It's a figure of speech."
Teal'c's right eyebrow raised, he nodded. "I see," he said. "Eager?"
"Yeah, that kind of sums it up!" Makepeace agreed. "So what do you think?"
"I am unsure, it is without doubt a very strange situation, we are both unable to assist, nor do we know if such assistance is required," Teal'c responded.
"Yeah, I kind of get the feeling we might be in a little over our heads here!" he concurred. "Since we don't exactly have the firepower to deal with a Goa'uld of that magnitude."
"Heru'ur is indeed a great warrior, a conqueror. Yet he seems remarkably unpredictable when it comes to Colonel O'Neill. It is very strange indeed!"
The colonel stopped cleaning the weapon, nodding to himself thoughtfully. He looked up into the face of the Jaffa.
"So, what do you think about that?" Makepeace asked. "I mean, you know the Goa'uld better than anyone, why is Heru'ur making an exception for Jack?"
Teal'c considered the question. "I am unsure, yet the Asgard have the same regard for O'Neill, perhaps it is borne from this?" the Jaffa theorised.
Makepeace nodded. "You know, you could have something there!" he agreed.
******
Daniel had attempted to sleep several times, his thoughts preventing him from doing so. He kept going over the scenarios in his mind, how they would escape. Jack had given them options, but would Heru'ur allow the colonel out of his sight for the amount of time required to get safely to Seng'olia or Kheb? He doubted it... and then there was the attitude, the concessions, which O'Neill seemed willing to make.
No! Emphatic, the Jack O'Neill he knew would never turn so easily against his principles. The doubt he felt so intensely was borne out of his own inability to handle the events that had come to pass over the last two months.
He moved around restlessly, wondering what O'Neill had been occupied with that had kept him away for so long. The conversations with Freya, whilst interesting had failed to distract him from his concern.
The former Tok'ra host had imparted much of her knowledge of Anise, and the Tok'ra, yet she had been unable to recall her time as host to Ptah, and although fascinated by this revelation, he couldn't help but then be drawn back to O'Neill, and his own understanding of the situation.
He took a deep breath, punching the cushions that made poor substitutes for pillows, listening to the near silence, trying to guess at what, or who made any sounds he detected. Then nothing, as finally he drifted into sleep.
Heru'ur had been insistent on O'Neill's spending most of the night close by. The colonel acceded to his wishes.
The two men had spent the first part of the evening on various topics but now, as the time went on, the conversation had intensified.
"So you're kinda looking to take out all the opposition?" Jack asked, still suited uncomfortably in the Horus guard uniform.
"There is time enough for such a domain," the Goa'uld responded, his interest peaked. "You see this as folly?"
"Well, if you're asking me I think it's kinda ambitious!" Jack commented, shrugging, watching the expression on the face of his host. "But, then again, it's not like you've exactly gotta worry about controlling an army capable of ruling that number of planets right?"
"We, O'Neill. Our alliance will be the bond that seals the destiny of the Universe," Heru'ur told him.
Jack looked at the Goa'uld, a searching expression. "You're offering me half of the universe?" he asked, a bemused tone permeating his voice.
"I offer much more! The power that lies within your mind, together with the power of a god," the Goa'uld told him. "I wonder that you could find more?"
O'Neill smiled. "Well, that's kinda a lot. I guess I didn't set my sights high enough right?" he stated. "Maybe the odd galaxy, or two!"
"You will learn, in time, to appreciate the power of the Goa'uld, O'Neill!" Heru'ur opined, a stoic expression now residing on his face. “Our reign within the realm of this universe is still, even now, in its infancy, once we have conquered the system lords, we shall show this child our true might!”
"I guess, it's all pretty new right now...I'm still trying to figure out where I fit in...." he replied honestly.
"Your loyalty and vigilance are proof," Heru'ur stated. "I would sleep now, you will return to your quarters."
Jack stood up, he didn't particularly want to spend too much 'down time' with an enemy he may have to kill, such familiarity, however vague, created an emotional turmoil that he had experienced before. Heru'ur already had a hold on him, saving his life bound him to the Goa'uld inextricably, but he knew, reasoned, that the time might come when he would be forced to supersede his own thoughts, and act.
The helmet closed around his head, as he turned to depart. "You know, these are pretty cool, I could get used to wearing this!" he told his host. I’ll see you in the morning!
Heru'ur smiled as the colonel left. His distrust still firmly ensconced, yet despite this, he liked the Tau'ri; he was thoughtful, a soldier through and through. This quality alone could be the measure of such an alliance, yet he also possessed a knowledge that he could see, would ascend him beyond the reach of his enemies, such an alliance would have to be nurtured.
Daniel Jackson was a big problem, one that he might have to dispose of. Ultimately he wanted the total loyalty of O'Neill, if this meant turning Jackson into a host, he was prepared to risk it, but first he would use guile, O'Neill believed him fooled.... O'Neill was wrong.
Jack sat on his bed, a heavy sigh, considering the conversation he'd had with Heru'ur, the connotations of what the Goa'uld had said. He felt tired, the whole process of espionage taking its toll. Heru'ur was difficult to read, he was sure the Goa'uld didn't trust him, and yet he seemed to be forthright with knowledge that could be harmful. He tried hard to focus; still the whole distrust thing enveloped him again. He knew the drill, he'd been through it a hundred times on special ops, yet it seemed to be a constant thorn in his side, the doubt, the bitter and uncomfortable feeling it left.
A Horus guard appeared in his quarters then, bowing before him. "My lord, forgive the intrusion, but the woman, Freya, wishes to speak with you," he announced.
"Yeah, alright, show her in," Jack sighed. "But don't go away, okay!" he insisted, the memories of their last encounter still firmly imprinted on his mind. He sat down as she entered, a look of surprise on her face at his attire.
"So?" he demanded, civility not being foremost in his mind, back in the act.
"I am sorry," she told him. "I know the hour is late, but I had to talk to you...to apologise for Anise's actions."
"Oh really?" Jack snapped, guarded. "Well, she kind of did me a favour actually." A frown settled on his face.
"I assure you Colonel, she had only the best intentions," Freya told him, wandering closer to him.
"Just forget it with the little girl lost act, okay?" Jack insisted. "I'm fresh out of caring. Is that it? The apology?" he asked.
Freya looked slightly pathetic, no longer possessing the arrogance of her symbiote. "You're so different Jack," she said. "So cold and aloof!"
"Hey! I wised up, why don't you?" O'Neill spat, his regard intense. "Now if we've done with the sorry part, I'm kinda thinking I'd like to get some sleep!"
"Yes, sleep," Freya sighed, her eyes becoming softer suddenly, "Perhaps you would...?"
"Nope, not interested," he replied sharply, scowling heavily now. She tried the whole seduction thing on him before, after accusing him and Carter of being Za'tarc's. Almost got his brain fried into the process.
"I see, then there is nothing left for me to say. Your mind is made up," she agreed.
"Yep!" the colonel retorted. "Had my mind made up about you a long time ago, comes from experience, or d'you forget the armbands, the deception over Teal'c's Jaffa priestess, and the almost frying my brain with your little device. You've got a lot to answer for lady!"
She was almost close enough to touch him now, looking into his eyes. "What we could have shared," she opined, "would have been inspiring."
Jack laughed. "God, you really have a high opinion of yourself don't you?" he goaded. "And sharing stuff wasn't exactly in your vocabulary up until now!"
"That I could make you happy? I am sure of it!" she responded emphatically.
"Um, now see, that would involve me actually desiring you, right? And since I find the whole idea abhorrent I guess not hah!" A smirk etched into his features.
"I don't think you found our kiss so abhorrent Colonel," Freya insisted, drawing ever closer.
"Alright!" Jack snapped loudly, his hand rising, palm toward her. "Stop right there!"
The Horus guard entered the room once more, his Zat gun clasped in his hand.
"My lord?" he asked.
"Yeah, could you escort the... lady back to her own room," Jack instructed.
As those words left his mouth, Freya lunged toward him, a knife held firmly in her hand.
The Jaffa paused, her proximity to the colonel making a Zat discharge dangerous.
Jack sidestepped the attack, reaching out and grasping her wrist, spinning her round to control her. The jolt of her body, stiffening against his as the knife plunged into her stomach. Freya’s eyes widened. O’Neill’s closed. Her body became limp in his arms. He hadn’t done it, he knew his grasp had been tight, but his hands had restrained her, he exhaled slowly. The struggle had ended quickly, the warm feeling of her blood on his hand sent an immediate ripple of recognition to O'Neill. He’d known that feeling before, the close and intense sensation of taking out the enemy in close quarters combat; he’d done it a dozen times. But this was different, he lowered her down gently, torn between asking for help and maintaining the disguise.
A sudden calm came over him. She'd attacked him with the intention of killing him, that made no sense, it was anger at rejection... it had to be. He looked up at the Jaffa, who seemed relieved the matter had been swiftly dealt with.
"My lord, shall I remove her?" he asked.
Jack stared down at this dying woman, her gaze intense as she looked up into his eyes, only then did she see the horror, the regret, and the alarm that now manifested itself. He could feel her breathing becoming shallow, her body relaxing in his arms knowing what this meant; he couldn't feel remorse, just sadness.
"You give me peace," she said softly.
Jack looked up at the Jaffa, still unable to decide whether to ask for help, or demand it.
"The sarcophagus?" he asked finally, his tone assertive. "Where is it?"
"In the chambers close to the Pel'tac my lord," the guard answered. Nefir appeared at his shoulder then.
"My lord?" he said, trying to take in the scene.
Jack looked down at Freya, her eyes were closed, and she looked peaceful. He considered asking for her life, but he wondered how could he save her now? He decided then, his feelings getting the better of him. "We need her alive," he snapped, allowing her body to fall from his arms to the floor. "Revive her!"
Nefir bowed, gesturing for the Jaffa beside him to do as instructed. "I am sorry my lord," he told O'Neill. "This will not happen again."
O'Neill stood up slowly, his anger venting through his eyes. "See that it doesn't," he snarled. He turned his back then quickly, hiding the sorrow he felt, sadness he knew would be evident, even to a Jaffa. "Get out of here!" he snapped. "I need some sleep!"
"Yes my lord!" Nefir answered immediately, backing out of the room.
Jack sat down, his heart heavy. That made it twice, twice he had killed Freya, the thing that perplexed, that ate at him the most, is whether he felt something more than just sorrow, whether it meant anything to him at all. He done many things in his life, things that ordinarily might have taken their toll, the darkness that prevailed in his spirit was a constant companion, had he finally found away to be comfortable?
"Frankly George it's very disturbing!" Jacob told him, the frown covering his gaunt features adding weight to the comment.
"Well, we have a sketchy report, nothing firm," Jacob stressed. "That either Colonel O'Neill is one hell of an undercover agent, or he's definitely jumped ship!"
The General nodded, scepticism now masking his face.
"We've heard this before Jacob, I'm not buying it!"
The Tok’ra USAF liaison nodded slowly, a sombre
regard toward his long time friend. "George, ordinarily I’d agree.
But we have to consider that, whether we like it or not, Colonel O'Neill may
now be totally under the influence of the Goa'uld. I’m not saying
it’s of his own volition, far from it.
It's something we may have to accept. Some of the Tok'ra believe that
the Goa'uld may have had some other device planted on the Colonel, which is how
they located him so easily; this whole symbiote thing could have been a set-up.
I know George," Jacob said, preventing
"Jacob, if that’s the case I’m
wondering just what do the Tok'ra intend to do about helping us get my people
back?"
The tapping on the door made
Sam entered looking apprehensively toward her father. "Thank you sir. Dad, news?" she asked immediately.
"Not so far, Major,"
"Oh, I was hoping we'd know something by now," she sighed, almost wistfully, her resolve snapping back in place then, eyes burning into her father. “So?”
Jacob looked sympathetic. "Sam, it's only been a couple of days... we'll hear something soon enough, I'm sure of it," Jacob's attempt to consol his daughter falling on a muted response.
"Dad, we've been waiting for two days, and the Tok'ra have nothing?" she remonstrated, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We don't know if they're alive or dead... at least give us that!"
"They're both alive and well, Major. Now if
that’s all? You're
dismissed,"
"Yes sir, Dad," she acknowledged, closing the door behind her. Major Coburn was waiting in the hall.
"Anything?" he asked.
Carter shook her head. "Well, they’re alive.” A troubled look crossed her furrowing brow. “But something's up, they're just not telling me," she surmised. "You could have cut the atmosphere in there with a knife!"
Coburn shrugged. "Alive's good. Not sure about the atmosphere issue, that sounds a little disturbing!"
Carter led the Major down the hall, away from
*****
Daniel was studying the Goa'uld tablet when O'Neill finally put in an appearance. He put the object down immediately, looking at the colonel, expecting some explanation.
"Jack, where have you been?" he asked, when the explanation he’d hope for didn’t come.
"Around," the colonel retorted, looking at
"Well, Heru'ur calls it home, so I guess, it's his?" Jack quipped. "And it beats the hell out of being stuck on this thing, so you coming, or are we gonna do the twenty questions thing here?"
Daniel nodded, suddenly realising that O'Neill was decked out in a similar uniform to that of Heru'ur. "Um, okay, what's with the armour?" he enquired, the enquiry almost tentative in delivery.
"Oh, the armour," O'Neill repeated. "Well, it's a little disguise to throw Ptah off the trail, kinda cool don't ya think?"
The helmet suddenly enclosed the colonel's face. "Ya think?" he spat. "I thought I blended in well actually, let's go Tau'ri slave!"
"Great, you look like him, and now you're beginning
to sound like him too,”
"Oh for crying out loud, that's all I need!" Jack complained, the sound of his voice distorted somewhat by the helmet that enclosed his face, which immediately opened again, revealing the childish delight on the face of the colonel. "Whoa, cool!" he remarked. "So, exactly when did you get this piece of information?"
"Nekhbet brought it in yesterday, he um, well I don't have a choice," the archaeologist told him.
"There's that word again!" Jack snapped. "I'll speak to Heru'ur, on the planet... which is where he is, and where we're going, and Daniel? Forget everything I said, I need you to stop objecting, it's gotten complicated."
Jack leant closer to him. "Look. Freya tried to kill me last night, and I, she, well I killed her," he said, unable to find a more delicate annunciation.
Daniel looked horrified. "What? How could you? She wasn't a Goa'uld Jack, my God! Are you sure?"
Jack's sardonic regard of his friend left Daniel in little doubt. "Am I sure she tried to kill me? Yeah, the knife was a bit of a giveaway Daniel, didn't leave me in much doubt if you know what I mean...." he replied. "But, relax, Nefir took her to a sarcophagus."
"Oh well that's okay then, you can just kill her
indiscriminately and bring her back to life a couple of more times, I doubt
she'll mind!"
"No Daniel, you look...I'm doing everything I
know here to keep us alive, again!" his voice almost a whisper. "I
had no choice, she came at me.” When those words didn’t seem
convincing enough, the colonel moved closer to
Daniel shrugged. "So what exactly are you telling me here?" he demanded, his face still bore the disdain he felt. "That the new Jack O'Neill, 'life saver' has the right to kill to protect the charade?"
The colonel stared at him speechless, a feint smile forming on his lips, scorn in his eyes. "It's called survival, what one does to stay alive...I don't have time for this sentimental crap, so just deal with it!" O'Neill's scathing expression matched by an acerbic tone. "Or do I need to remind you who got us into this mess in the first place?" he charged. "Now, we're going down to the planet where you can do the guilty, tortured routine as much as you like... I'm not apologising for keeping us alive."
The helmet closed once more and O'Neill turned,
leaving
"
The Horus guards bowed their heads low as the colonel walked past them. Leaving them to retrieve Daniel, he made his way to the exit. With the ship now close to Heru'ur's magnificent