Chains of Freedom
Prologue
It was dark and Daniel's eyes burned from the smoke, fire and ash. He felt Jack urging him forward while Cameron carries an unconscious Skaara back towards the ship. Abydos was burning and they were running.
A peaceful and uncomplicated planet, nobody had been prepared for the Goa'uld air strike, for the thousand of Jaffa soldiers that had descended and had begun the Purging. It had taken everybody by surprise; the Goa'uld had not stepped foot on Abydos or any other planet in this system for centuries. A forgotten planet, except now Ra's forces burned through it like a plague. The Abydonian armies had tired to fight them off only to get crushed- ants under an elephant.
Daniel and Jack had fought as well, had tried to help, to protect their beloved home. But they had been captured along with their families and many others. They had been forced to watch as their wives and children were killed in front of them because Ra had no need for pregnant women, and children. He had not come looking for hosts but for strong workers and slaves; women and children were expendable.
And now he, Jack, Cam, and Skarra were free, unfortunately their escape came to late. Sha're, his beautiful Sha're, was dead as was the child she had been carrying. It would have been their first, a tiny soul that would never be born. Right now Daniel didn't know if his eyes burned because of the fire or his tears.
Feeling some pull on his arm he looked over at Jack- he hadn't even notice he had fallen behind.
"Daniel! Move it, we need to get out of here!" Jack urged him forward but Daniel's brain could only focus on one thing: Sha're, he was leaving her.
"Jack, I can't." I can't leave her. They killed her. I can't leave her.
"Daniel." I know. They killed them too.
"We need to move, Daniel." The staff blasts were getting closer and Jack pulled him towards Cam and Skaara. Survival overtakes grief and Daniel follows Jack. Jack was focused, he only had one goal right now- get them out; he would mourn and grieve after, when he was still alive to able to so. Jack was a soldier- sometimes Daniel forgot that.
Getting to Cam's ship they stare at each other. It was too small, a small fighter, not meant to carry three grown men and a teenage boy.
"Jack, we're not going to fit." It was left to Daniel to point out the obvious, as he took Skaara from Cam.
"We'll make ourselves fit. We just need to improvise… Cam? You got a tool box in there?"
"Yeah. What do you need?" Cam became a soldier ready to take any order from his commanding officer.
"I need you to take that back seat apart, right now. I'll cover us in case any of those snake boys get too close."
Cam went pathetically pale; the mere idea to hurting his baby is breaking his heart…. Take Areyn apart? He was about to argue when he looked at his brother in law's face. Determination. Anger. Rage. Survival. His argument evaporated.
"Give me a minute." Cam had never worked so fast in his life.
Five minutes later the four of them were crammed in to the small fighter getting ready to leave the inferno that had been their home. In the distance the fires and weapons blast were fading, leaving scorched earth and death in their wake.
Daniel looked over at what had been his home for the last ten years.
"Jack." It's gone.
"I know."
Cam fired the engines. "Okay, here goes, hang on." The ship takes off and Abydos becomes smaller. Daniel felt his heart shrink accordingly.
They had barely made it out of the atmosphere when they feel weapons blast. "Shit! Gilders. Hang on back there, I'm gonna try to get rid of them." Cam pushed forward, twisting the fighter into an impossible arch to avoid the Death Gilder that was coming toward them. Returning fire Cam suddenly got a flash of Sara and Charlie's faces, his sister and nephew. Dead because of Goa'uld. Pushing Areyn harder Cam flew at the Glider. This was for them.
Circling around he fired again. The Glider exploded; orange fire blossoms burned with the stars. Locking on the other one Cam throttled forward and fired again; dodging the returning fire he felt Daniel and Jack slam against his seat. The Gilder is still on his tail, pulling up he felt his ship shake as his right wing was hit.
And the world turned white.
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Jacob Carter, Lantean Ambassador to the Tok'ra, could not believe what he saw. Abydos was dead. There was no other word for it. The once beautiful planet was now a ball of death, a graveyard for millions. The System Lords were getting desperate in light of Anubis's new found concentration of taking over the galaxy, killing System Lords if he had to.
"We have them, sir, and the tractor beam is pulling in the ship." Turning to Captain Pendergrast Jacob nods.
"As soon as that ship is on board I want us out of here, Captain."
"Yes, sir."
Taking one last look at Abydos, Jacob sighs and begins heading down towards the infirmary. Damn the Goa'uld.
When he reached the infirmary he looked over their refugees, heading over to one. He looked at the young man. Daniel Jackson. Almost as if he sensed a presence next to him the kid opened his eyes.
"J-Jacob?" Confusion and relief darted across his face, his voice dry.
"Yeah kiddo, it's me." Covering the boy's hand Jacob offered his silent support; this must be a nightmare for him.
"What- How?"
"Elizabeth." Jacob sighed, "She found out about the Purging and managed to get word to Sam, who thankfully was able to get in touch with me. We—I'm sorry we couldn't get here sooner." The poor kid, losing his family- again. A family he had just begun to build.
"What about…" Too exhausted to look around Daniel still tried to find his friends with his eyes.
"Don't worry, they're okay. We had to put Cam in the regeneration tank, the others are still resting."
"Goo-" And with that Daniel drifted off.
Seven Years Later
In a dark, small room where the air was sick with the imprints of the many that had died here Oma Desala sat quietly. A stone letting the river rage around her. In the distance footsteps approached- her death advanced, at least that's what Anubis believed.
When he had found her, he had done everything short of killing her to get her to reveal the location of The First and the weapon. But Oma had remained silent. Physical pain was nothing but the wax that dripped from the candle- the flame still burned bright.
Apparently he had finally grown tired of her and the footsteps, now closer, signaled her death and rebirth. Oma smiled. The board was set and the pieces moved closer together, even now she could feel it all happening.
The universe was vast and it surrounded her, every cell, every molecule, it was part of her now and she part of it.
As the footsteps reached the door, the bright light that engulfed the room blinded the guards.
In the distance Anubis raged.
Oma smiled wider.
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Somewhere a pair of silver eyes opened.
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Chapter I: Initium
Jack O'Neill stared out of the bridge room of The Prometheus, his ship, well really more like his, Daniel and Cameron's ship, but whatever. For almost seven years this had been his home, after Abydos and their return to Lantea, where the three had finished healing. But they just couldn't stay there, everything that they had love had been destroyed, leaving them broken and Lantea had not been able to fix them. So with the help of Elizabeth, Daniel's cousin and VIP of the diplomatic community, they had managed to procure a ship, The Prometheus, an older model of the Lantean's X-302s; a strong and resilient ship. A new beginning for all of them. Well, for almost all of them- Skarra had not joined them, the boy was still young and could regain some of what he had lost. He had not been happy at first, especially having to move in with Daniel's grandfather, but now he was doing well. In fact he was going to be joining Elizabeth's team as soon as he finished his schooling.
Jack would be the first to admit that running a recovery and salvage operation was not what he thought he would be doing at this time of his life, but it wasn't all that bad. Elizabeth had managed to get them a pretty sweet deal. And with their habit of interfering with Goa'uld plans they had built up a pretty solid reputation in some circles: the Lantean humans that openly opposed and defied the Goa'uld. The Lanteans that had defeated Ra.
Even now that name made Jack entire being fill with rage. And even though the Goa'uld that had killed his family was now dead there were many others that were destroying other families and Jack had long ago vowed to stop them all.
And that was what they tried to do in between taking jobs and drifting through space; Jack and his crew were basically know for being pains in the Goa'uld's mikita. That made him smile. Who would have thought that he, Jack O'Neill, would have found his purpose on a space ship. And that was exactly what the Prometheus gave him –purpose.
"Captain, we're receiving a wave," Walter, the bridge's main controller announced breaking Jack out of his musings.
"Who is it?"
"Uh.. It's nobody, sir." Confusion filled the man's voice.
"What do you mean, it's nobody? It can't be nobody, somebody must have sent it."
"It's not video, sir, but a data burst. I can't make heads or tails of it, it doesn't seem to be written in any of the known languages."
"What? Are you sure?" Jack didn't like this. Messages written in languages that weren't in the database of known languages, of which there were more than… uh…well… a lot was never a good sign.
"Wait, sir, there's something else. A name…" Walter went strangely silent then.
"Well? What name?"
"Daniel Jackson."
Yep, Jack didn't like this one bit.
----
Daniel Jackson was, as usual, holed up in his office on the Prometheus. Currently, he was pouring over an old text form, Langara. It spoke about an ancient city that rose above the clouds, a floating city of the Old Ones, the First Ones. It would be the discovery of the millennia and proof that the Goa'uld where not the supreme power of the galaxy that they claimed to be. There was just something about the text that struck Daniel. It was important, he could feel it in his bones, but whatever it was kept on eluding him.
Reaching for his coffee…
"Daniel! Get your ass up here!" Damn it! He had almost spilled his coffee. Cursing Jack in several languages he pressed on the com.
"What is it, Jack? I'm kinda busy here."
"Got a wave that might interest you." Jack sounded odd, not amused but definitely something.
"Any particular reason why?"
"Well it's addressed to you. Just get up here." Grumbling Daniel put his mug down and headed up to the bridge. Why didn't Jack just save the wave and give to him later, didn't he understand that he had work to do? Sighing, he entered the bridge.
"Fine I'm here, what is it?"
"Take a look, Danny boy."
Moving past Jack he looked over the wave and felt his mouth fall open. This was impossible. Amazing, this couldn't be… but it was.
The message was written completely in Tau'rian. A language that had long been wiped from the known records of the galactic knowledge storage base. A language no one had spoken in more than a decade. Very few people knew it and even fewer admitted to knowing it.
The message read: "Daniel Jackson, Το φως καίει φωτεινό και το τσάι είναι αναμένει τώρα. Ο κόμβος έχει διευκρινιστεί και το νήμα είναι ομαλό και ισχυρό. Η σκιά Anubis αποδυναμώνει στα αστέρια. Το ΑΠΟΡΡΙΜΜΑ κρατά το πλήκτρο Σε μια αρχαία πέτρα. Βρείτε τη γνώση Excalibur. Θα παρουσιάσει το μονοπάτι στον πρώτο. Oma Dessala."
"Walter I'm gonna need a copy of this."
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It was moments like the one he currently found himself in that Teal'c wondered how he had come to this life.
Currently hiding in the back of an extremely dodgy bar, his hood masking his mark of the Jaffa, watching (and waiting for the inevitable trouble that would come) as his partner entranced a room full of assassins and mercenaries all the while trying to steal Argo Talian's data disc from under the man's nose. Normally this wouldn't be any more than a quick in and out, but apparently whatever was on this data disc was very valuable because Talian did not part with it; this meant that his partner would have to get very close to the man- dangerously close.
Yes, indeed it was in moments like this that the course that his life had taken surprised the former First Prime of Apophis. He used to be Teal'c of Chulak, First Prime of Apophis; a feared and deadly warrior. Now he was, for the lack of a better word, a smuggler, a thief, and a pirate, pick what you will. He now lived on the fringe; being Shol'va had required this, yet oddly enough he was content in this new life, as unorthodox as it was. Being First Prime had taken everything from him- his family, his freedom, his hope, but now he was free. Free of the Goa'uld, as much as a Jaffa could be.
To many it wouldn't be much of a life: A smuggler's ships, two small (yet powerful) fighters, a rather eccentric partner and the jobs that they garnered. But it was a life, a free life, which was much more than many of his brothers could ask for.
Movement at the other end of the bar caught his attention. Vala was moving. It appeared that she had gotten the data disc. Sending a small nod his way, she headed towards the door. Halfway there a shot rang out and the slug struck the wall scant inches from Vala's head.
It appeared that Talian had noticed his missing disc. Shit.
"Stop right there!" Argo's voice cut through the bar as a dozen men went to reach for their own weapons. Assassins and mercs- always ready for a fight. Teal'c inwardly sighed, things never seemed to go simply when dealing with Vala— a hazard of the job and their friendship. He readied himself.
"Oh.. I'm sorry do you mean me, darling?" Vala played her part perfectly, her voice became the perfect mix of confusion and innocence, her eyes turned wide and bright, her posture became similar to one of a child just scolded. Teal'c smirked.
"Damn right I mean you! You think you can con me. I have a sensor that tells me when my property is more than three feet from me." Argo Talian did not look happy or willing to fall for Vala's act.
"Really? You do? They forgot to mention that… Oh well." Sighing, Vala pulled her gun on him, "you'd do to stay there Argo, I'd really rather not shoot up this fine establishment." All around them the other patrons were getting restless, wanting to see what would happen, but nobody moved seeing as it didn't affect any of them personally- they just liked the show.
Argo Talian didn't. Pointing his gun at Vala's head, he yelled, " Give me my disc back!" The man was not happy; Vala for her part didn't even blink, smiling wide.
"Now, now, Argo I don't think you'll be wanting to do that, because darling I fear that you might get shot, you know, considering your arsenal is useless."
"What? Useless? We'll see.." Teal'c moved forward as Argo shot at Vala, but surprisingly, Vala didn't even try to move.
"Wha…" When nothing came out of the gun, Teal'c held back. Shaking the mag cartridge at Argo Vala smiled wider. "Missing something? It appears that you had one bullet in the barrel when I took this from you. Ooops!" Signaling Teal'c to the door, Vala began to head out keeping her gun pointed at Argo as she did.
For all that could be said about the smuggler you couldn't say that she wasn't good. Perhaps this will go well after all, Teal'c thought.
At least until another shot rang out. Vala managed to dodge it for the most part, but the bullet grazed her upper arm. Turning her gun on the new players, Vala rolled her eyes. Three men, all the size of a small house, stood behind Argo and all pointing their guns at her. Well, fuck.
"I'm not stupid, wench. I never travel alone, not when I know greedy little putana's like you are out there."
Standing, Vala didn't back down, she just held her head higher. "Well Argo I'm well aware that you're not as stupid as you insist upon looking, but what I find amusing is that you seem to think I am…" And with that Vala and Teal'c both shot at the group of men. Two down. As all hell broke out, Argo's men shot at them but were not prepared for Teal'c coming out of the shadows. It helped that the rest of the bar joined the fight.
Vaulting over a table, Vala joined Teal'c by a fallen table that he was using for cover.
"Ready?"
"Indeed." Finding their way to the door, covering each other, Teal'c and Vala made their way out.
"Ta!"
Back on the ship Vala sat in the co-pilot's chair and played catch with the disc as Teal'c got them ready to leave.
"Is that wise, Vala Mal Doran?"
Vala just waved him off. "I'm being perfectly careful." Ironically just as she said that the disc almost slipped from her hands. Teal'c just raised an eyebrow. Vala reddened slightly.
"Fine, I'll go put it in the safe. You know, Muscles, this little thing better be worth what Li Chen is asking for, because I need recompression from the damage I suffered today."
"Did you not just receive a small graze?"
"Oh, that's just physical, I meant mental and emotional. I had to sit with that man for far too long… So, do you think we can squeeze more out of Chen?" Vala's silvery eyes sparkled at the idea.
Teal'c just gave his friend a look. A look Vala knew well, it was the one that said 'I don't want to raise my eyebrow at you again, but I will if you make me'.
"I do not believe that would be in our best interests. Plus I believe that if I counted correctly, which I believe I did, you were only near ArgoTalian for less than 15 minutes."
Vala pouted. "15 minutes too long, darling. Way too long."
As they broke atmo Vala contacted Li Chen, setting up the meet in Katana, a trading planet only a few hours away. Ending the wave, Vala gave Teal'c the information about the meet point as they entered hyperspace.
They were barely out of hyperspace over Katana when they received a wave that woke Vala from her impromptu nap.
"Teal'c?" Voice still groggy from sleep Vala pushed herself up on the seat.
"It seems that we have received a data burst, for you."
"For me? What does it say it's from?"
"That is odd, it appears to have no origin. But this not a language I am familiar with" Vala didn't like the sound of that. Neither Teal'c nor she were linguists but they both had a fair knowledge of the various languages spoken through out the galaxy.
Curiosity and apprehension washed over her before she decided to look at the message. Immediately Vala felt as if someone had gripped her heart. This was written in her native tongue- Tau'rian. The language of her now dead world.
"Vala Mal Doran, Ο δρόμος είναι στρωμένος και ο πρώτος αρχίζει να ξυπνά. Η γνώση του Excalibur αναμένει την κόρη του παλαιού. Kheb"
The message was short but Vala understood it immediately. It was time.
"Teal'c, wave Li Chen, tell him that we need to move up the drop point. I'm going to go get ready." Her voice had gone soft and was wavering; trying to break down and let out the emotion the message had conjured in her.
"Is something wrong, my friend?" Teal'c deep voice, usually soothing to Vala made her want to cry. Steeling herself she just nodded.
"The time has come." With that Vala left the cockpit and headed to the back of the ship leaving Teal'c to feel very unsettled at his friend's sudden change in attitude. And to Teal'c feeling unsettled was not something he enjoyed.
In her room Vala lay face down on her bed. She knew she should go back out there and talk to Teal'c, her friend didn't like to be left in the dark and to be honest he deserved to know the truth, she owed him that much after five years of friendship and sticking his neck out for her. But what could she say… the truth? That a prophecy was made thousands of years ago in her world by a group of people that had supposedly hidden an ancient and powerful weapon along with the First? A weapon that could kill the Ascended Ones. That the weapon could only be found and wielded by the last child of the First World, that the same child would wake The First- an awesome power that would strike down the enemies of the galaxy in one fell swoop? And that as the last member of the Tau'ri it was all up to her?
Ha! Yeah right! Teal'c would think she was crazy, well crazier than he already believed her to be; or worse, he'd want to help her, join her in the search that could very well lead to their deaths. Because Vala understood this was a one-way trip; for the Priestess to send this message something must have happened, something bad.
Sitting up she wiped away the tears that had fallen and reached under her bed. There was an old wooden box, inside it held all that was left of her world, of her family, and fingering it she straightened her back and made a choice. Death would be nothing because she'd finally be able to fulfill the oath she had made the day she felt her planet die—she was going to stop Anubis and the Goa'uld.