Summary: Jack and Bra'tac play a little game of cat and mouse
Author's Notes: You know, trying to fit a story into a 1,000 words can sometimes be so restrictive that nothing can save it. This is one of those times. I put in too much action and not enough reaction into this one, leaving it a little choppy. Still, it's not as embarrassing as the Mummy crossover story that no will ever see (I've already deleted that one) so here goes!
Written for the Stargate LAS prompt, "I love it when a plan comes together."
Broad daylight did not deter the Jaffa marching down the middle of the road. They had no fear, only faith in their god and a grim determination to avoid punishment by not failing in their mission. Teal'c watched them from his vantage point in the hills above, scanning the landscape for possible escape routes in case his location was discovered.
"There are a lot of them this time," O'Neill said as he handed Teal'c the binoculars. Teal'c nodded in agreement. The trip to the mother ship would have to wait. This was only a minor setback, for he knew that the mother ship was not going anywhere, at least not in the very near future. Still he would be glad when he and his fellow warriors were on the move again.
"We will wait," Master Bra'tac said from his vantage point on the other side of Teal'c. It was an obvious statement, one that even O'Neill chose not to respond to, but Teal'c understood why Bra'tac was exerting his authority in this manner. Bra'tac and O'Neill had been fighting an obscure battle of wills from the moment they embarked on this mission to disable the mother ship. Both were leaders, and though they chose not to make it obvious, both men went out of their way to prove to the other that they were in charge.
It amused Teal'c to watch them exert their power in this manner. He admired these men for their leadership ability, and he had faith in both of them. Still, he knew better than to interfere in their efforts for he did not want to appear biased to either party.
No matter, Teal'c thought, as the Jaffa marched past them on the road below. He and his teammates would succeed in this mission despite the petty bickering between Bra'tac and O'Neill. They would go back to Earth victorious with the knowledge that they conquered the Goa'uld. Anything else will pale in comparison.
When the last of the Jaffa marched past them, O'Neill motioned for his team to move out. They tread silently through the brush, with Teal'c in the lead, ever alert to the possibility that they may be ambushed. Bra'tac caught up with him and pointed toward the left when they reached a junction in the road. Teal'c had already determined that the Jaffa had come from that branch of the road due to the dusty footprints, so he turned left knowing that the others would follow.
They reached their destination in just under an hour, settling in a wooded area at the edge of the clearing to make their plans.
"It will be dark soon," Bra'tac said, as he stared at the group of Jaffa standing next to the entrance. "We will attack when the sun goes down."
"Sounds good," O'Neill said. "Teal'c, Carter, move in from the west. Daniel, you're with me. Bra'tac..." Master Bray'tac was looking at him with an exasperated expression, which O'Neill apparently took as a threat. "Well, you know the Jaffa mind-set better than I do," he continued. "You do whatever you do best."
Master Bra'tac nodded and went back to watching the Jaffa. O'Neill turned toward Teal'c and Major Carter and shook his head in mock amusement. It was apparent to Teal'c that O'Neill knew the game and had decided to play along.
They made their plans as they waited then went into action just as the sun set. Teal'c led the way so that he and Major Carter could relocate their efforts to aid in surrounding the Jaffa at the entrance of the mother ship. Master Bra'tac informed them that the Jaffa scouting in the distance would return shortly, which meant swift and silent maneuvers. Teal'c was in agreement with this assessment; he knew the Jaffa as well as Master Bra'tac did.
Fighting the enemy was never an easy task, even when the enemy was ambushed. The Jaffa fought valiantly, but to no avail. Teal'c and his team were able to enter the mother ship without injuries or further interruptions.
They avoided the troops as they made their way through the halls of the ship, heading toward the reactor that powered it. Bra'tac took the lead this time, with Major Carter following close behind. With Bra'tac's knowledge of mother ships, the location was easy to find.
Major Carter went to work when they got there, while the other team members spread out to protect her. She made short work of enabling the device, allowing them enough time to leave the area before it exploded. They left in a hurry, racing through the corridors, stopping only long enough to fight off any Jaffa they came upon and they barely made it to the entrance before the device exploded, the echoes of the blast reverberating throughout the entire ship.
"Whoa," Daniel Jackson said, as the force of the blast knocked him into Teal'c. "Sorry about that."
Teal'c didn t respond. They both understood that there was no need for apologies. It was more important to stay focused on the fight they now faced with the returning Jaffa.
They fought the Jaffa the best they could, while making their way to the Stargate. It became clear to Teal'c that they would make it after all when SG-4, who had been guarding the Stargate, activated it and joined in the fight. The Jaffa were dwindling down to just a few, which would be taken care of in short order. The SG teams would have plenty of time to go through the Chappa'ai before the next wave of Jaffa arrived.
Apparently, O'Neill felt the same way.
"I love it when a plan comes together!" he shouted in glee as he took aim and shot another Jaffa. Teal'c could not keep the amused smile at bay as he fired his own weapon. The indignant expression on Bra'tac's face was priceless, one that Teal'c would remember for many years to come.