Trouble Shared
by
Alobear
Category: Slash
Notes: Part Five of The Galian Alliance series
XXXXX
"Let's try again, and I'll let you know."
Jack thought back to the words Daniel had spoken on their first night together. They had tried lots of things in the ensuing months, and it had all been good. Right now, Jack was lying on his back in bed, with Daniel sprawled across him, snoring into his armpit. He took a deep breath and identified the wash of emotion that accompanied its release as contentment. It turned out that snoring into his armpit was exactly where he wanted Daniel to be, except when he was doing very different things to other parts of Jack's anatomy.
They had returned from an offworld mission the day before, and had two glorious days of leave to look forward to, in which they wouldn't have to keep their feelings for each other to themselves, or worry about what other people might think about their relationship. It was well into the early hours of the morning and Jack hadn't been able to get to sleep, but that was due to the fact that he just enjoyed the sensation of Daniel sleeping next to him too much to miss out on it. Life was good, and Jack wanted to appreciate it as much as he could.
XXXXX
On another planet, far across the galaxy, two Portal Guardians were jerked out of their boredom by the sound of one of the buttons on the Pedestal being depressed. They looked at each other in alarm, then crossed the Portal Chamber to stare down at the array of symbols. As they watched, a second and a third button were depressed, their symbols lighting up both on the Pedestal and on the Portal itself. The alarm to let the whole complex know that the Portal was being activated did not sound, as it was clear that the activation was taking place at their end, rather than from offworld.
One Guardian rushed off to alert their superiors, while the other stayed behind and watched helplessly as more buttons were pushed and more symbols lit up, until the seventh triggered the whoosh of an active tunnel. The Guardian knew that nothing could come through from the other side, but was still very confused and concerned about what was going on. The surface of the tunnel shimmered for a few brief moments, and then dissipated. By the time the other Guardian had returned with reinforcements and an officer, there was no sign that anything untoward had taken place at all.
XXXXX
Daniel shifted restlessly in his sleep, his breath hitching in his throat and his brow wrinkling in consternation. Jack stroked his back, hoping to dispel the nightmare before it could really take hold, knowing from previous experience that Daniel would likely not remember it in the morning, if it didn't actually wake him. He hated that Daniel had experienced so much horror and tragedy in his life that he was regularly plagued by nightmares, and he hated it even more that there was little he could do about it, except be there to comfort Daniel when the worst ones occurred.
This one was building up to a fever pitch, as Daniel thrashed against Jack's hold on him, and came abruptly awake with a cry.
"Hey, hey," Jack said softly, holding Daniel close. "It's okay, I'm here. It was just a dream."
"No," Daniel said, pushing away from Jack and sitting up in the bed. His expression was confused, and his breathing was ragged. "I don't think it was."
Jack sat up too, placing a hand on Daniel's arm.
"How could it be anything else?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral. He knew all too well that scepticism or exasperation on his part in situations like this would only lead to a pointless argument, and had been working on schooling his reactions to Daniel's more out-there statements in order to avoid just that.
Daniel shrugged him off and leapt out of the bed. He pressed the heels of his hands hard into his eyes, and then started pacing back and forth.
"It was Jayven. He's in trouble."
The uncharacteristically short sentences, combined with Daniel's obvious extreme agitation, had Jack rather worried by this point. His initial suspicion of Jayven had been proven unfounded, but he still harboured some resentment at the intimate bond Daniel had forged with the alien in such a short period. Now was not the time to indulge in insecurities, however, so he took a deep breath and attempted to remain rational.
"How could Jayven contact you from across the galaxy?" he asked. "Your link with him always needed the Stargate to be open before."
"I don't know!" Daniel said, whirling to face Jack, his eyes wild. "But I know it was him, and I know he's in trouble!"
"Daniel," Jack said gently. "You're not making any sense. Come and sit down, and tell me exactly what happened. You need to give me more information."
He was gratified when his calm logic evidently started to take effect, and Daniel made a visible effort to still his restless movements. He scrubbed his hands over his face and let out a shaky breath.
"You're right," he said, though his voice was still a bit wobbly. "I don't think the emotions I'm feeling are really mine. I think they're Jayven's, left over from the mental contact."
He crossed back to the bed and sat down on its edge. Jack scooted over to sit next to him, and threw an arm around Daniel's waist. He could feel Daniel trembling through his pyjamas, and his concern ratcheted up another notch.
"It was definitely Jayven," Daniel repeated, "but it wasn't like the contact I've had with him before. He didn't speak to me. It was more like he opened a window into his mind and made me look through it."
"And what did you see?" Jack asked. He wasn't sure what to make of this yet, and wanted to get as much detail as possible to help him figure it out.
Daniel shook his head in annoyance. "No, that was a bad analogy. There weren't any actual images. It was as if I was sharing Jayven's emotions. And he was terrified and in pain. I think he was under some kind of attack, and he was begging for it to stop." His breathing sped up again. "We have to go to Galia. We have to help him!"
"It's after 2am, Daniel," Jack pointed out. "I can't wake up General Hammond and ask him to authorise an offworld mission, just because you had a dream."
"It wasn't a dream, Jack!" Daniel protested, jumping to his feet and starting to pace again.
"I know it wasn't," Jack said, cursing his stupidity. "But that's what it'll sound like to Hammond. We need more to go on before I can raise an alert, or we at least need to wait until morning so we can present this at a proper briefing."
"But Jayven might not have that long!" Daniel said. "He could be dying, while we're just sitting here talking about it!"
Jack looked at Daniel's stricken face for a moment, then sighed.
"Okay," he said resignedly, and reached for the phone. General Hammond answered it on the second ring, which took Jack by surprise. "Morning, sir," he started cheerily. "I'm sorry to wake you so early."
"Don't worry about it, Colonel," came the weary reply. "I was already up."
"You were?" Jack said, startled.
"Yes," Hammond said. "There was an unscheduled offworld activation at the base. Nothing came through and it shut down after less than a minute, but protocol is to alert me any time there's unexpected activity with the gate."
"Was this just a few minutes ago, sir?" Jack asked.
"Why, yes," Hammond said. "What of it?"
Jack grinned at Daniel. "I think I know where the wormhole originated, sir. Daniel just got some kind of message from Jayven Melawei of the Galaya. He thinks there's some trouble on Galia and they might need our help. They must have dialled the gate but not been able to do more than contact Daniel for some reason."
"Well, that's a mystery solved," Hammond said. "What's your recommendation?"
"I think we should call them back, sir, and try and find out what's going on. Daniel and I could go and scope it out, and report back at a more civilised hour."
"Very well," Hammond approved. "I authorise you to contact Galia and then act accordingly. I'll look forward to your report once it's actually daylight."
"Thank you, sir," Jack said, and put the phone down.
The next moment, Daniel was in his arms, kissing him enthusiastically.
"Thank you, Jack," Daniel said warmly, then was abruptly gone again, hustling round the room, collecting up his clothes and hurriedly putting them on. "Now, let's go!"
XXXXX
Daniel could feel himself practically vibrating with anxiety as Jack drove to the mountain. The residual emotion from the brief contact with Jayven kept trying to reassert itself, and he was struggling not to give it free rein. He knew, however, that giving in to it would only make him less effective, not to mention worrying Jack even more than he was already.
"What about Sam and Teal'c?" he asked, thinking that maybe conversation might serve to distract his mind.
"Let's just find out what's going on first," Jack said, reasonably. "I don't see any reason to wake them up in the middle of the night and cancel their leave until we know more."
Daniel marvelled briefly at how calm and logical Jack was being about the whole situation. They had come a long way in a short time, both working to understand the other better in an effort to prevent the misunderstandings and stupid arguments that had peppered their friendship for so long. Their relationship wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but Daniel thought they'd both done a good job of acclimatising to their increased intimacy over recent months.
Now, Jayven, who had brought them together, had called for help, and Daniel had no idea what they would find when they contacted Galia. He took a shaky breath.
"You okay?" Jack asked, glancing at him.
"Yeah, I think so," Daniel replied, annoyed with himself for making his discomfort obvious. "I'm coming to a better understanding of just how powerful Jayven's mental abilities are, though. I think he must have been holding back in our contact before but, this time, I got it full blast. And the emotions were so strong that I'm still getting echoes, even now the connection's been broken."
"Well, we're almost there," Jack said. "Once we know what's going on and we can actually do something about it, I expect you'll feel better."
Daniel smiled. Ever the man of action, Jack always wanted practical solutions to any problem and, right at that moment, Daniel couldn't argue with him. He'd been desperate to be doing something ever since Jayven's plea had woken him up.
They drove onto the SGC complex and entered the mountain. The officer on duty in the control room was surprised to see them, even more so when Jack explained that they needed to send a MALP through to Galia as soon as possible. The minutes dragged by as the MALP was prepared and manoeuvred into position, and finally they were ready to dial the gate.
As soon as the wormhole was established, Daniel reached out with his mind in the way Jayven had shown him.
:Jayven?:
The MALP rumbled up the ramp and into the wormhole, but Daniel neither felt nor heard anything from his friend. It had been less than an hour since Jayven's plea for help but, whatever was happening on Galia, he wasn't broadcasting any more. The MALP reached the other side, and the camera showed the familiar sight of the Galian Portal Chamber, with two Portal Guardians approaching cautiously.
Daniel leaned over the microphone that would link his voice to the MALP's speakers.
"Greetings from the Tau'ri," he said, keeping his tone neutral. "This is Dr Daniel Jackson, calling from Earth."
One of the Portal Guardians looked startled and glanced at his companion for instructions. The other was obviously more familiar with the way in which the Earth Stargate Program worked, though, as he stood squarely in front of the MALP's camera and responded clearly.
"I am aware of who you are," he said, "and that we have an alliance with the Tau'ri. What is it that you wish of us?"
"We received a message from Jayven Melawei, suggesting that he is in some kind of trouble," Daniel said, "so we are contacting you to find out if we can offer any assistance."
"That's impossible," the Guardian said, his face creasing in confusion. "Jayven Melawei has been in a coma since his return from a mission yesterday."
Daniel looked at Jack, who was regarding him with a carefully schooled expression.
"Our Portal activated a short time ago," Daniel continued. "We believe the wormhole originated on Galia, and I am certain that Jayven was trying to contact me."
The Guardian raised his eyebrows. "A tunnel did form in our Portal earlier," he said. "But there was nobody here, working the Pedestal. We couldn't figure out what had happened. Could Jayven really have done that?"
Daniel was getting a little impatient. "Would it be possible for us to come through to Galia to find out more about the situation and offer what help we can provide?"
"I would need to check with my superiors," the Guardian said.
"Of course," Daniel replied. "My colleague, Colonel Jack O'Neill, and I will prepare for the journey and contact you again shortly for your answer. My thanks."
He nodded at the technician and she disconnected the wormhole. Then, Daniel looked back at Jack.
"Hammond did say we could go, didn't he?" he asked.
Jack gave him a wry smile. "What he actually said was that we could contact Galia and that he'd authorise me to 'act accordingly'. And I would say taking a trip is entirely in accord with what we've found out."
Daniel smiled back, relieved that Jack now seemed to be fully on board.
"Let's gear up and then check back with the Galians to make sure we're welcome," Jack continued. "I still don't think we need to bring Carter or Teal'c into this just yet; the two of us should be fine on our own, since it's not a hostile planet, but we might as well gear up, just in case."
They were ready in less than ten minutes, but Jack made Daniel wait a full fifteen before allowing him to dial up Galia again, suggesting that they ought to give their allies a chance to get their ducks in a row before calling back. Daniel chafed under the delay, but didn't protest.
When the wormhole was re-established and the MALP video up and running again, Daniel was pleased to see Mikar Ravell and Katra Penthar on the other side. They looked tired and worn, but expectant.
"Daniel, is that you?" Mikar asked immediately.
"Yes, it's me," Daniel replied simply. "I've got Jack with me. Are we cleared to come through?"
"Yes," Mikar said. "Whenever you're ready."
Daniel snapped off the microphone and jogged down to the gate room, Jack a step behind him. They both strode up the ramp, Jack waving a farewell to the technician at the controls as they stepped into the wormhole.
Mikar was waiting for them as they walked down the steps of the Portal platform on Galia, Katra at his side.
"A bright day to you," he said with a weary smile. "It is very good to see you both again."
"I wish it was under better circumstances," Jack replied. "And it's actually the middle of the night back on Earth."
"Did Jayven really contact you?" Katra asked Daniel.
"Sort of," Daniel told them. He described exactly what had happened, watching their faces as he spoke. They looked dismayed and hopeful by turns, and he could see they were both under considerable strain.
"You'll have to come to the medical level and give the Galaya all the details," Mikar said. "They've been completely at a loss to determine what's wrong with Jayven, and any information will be useful."
"Can we go right now?" Daniel asked, eager to see Jayven and find out more about what had befallen him.
"Of course," Mikar said. "High Chancellor Glarris is waiting."
Mikar and Katra led them through the complex to an area they had never visited before, entering a large hall partitioned into several smaller areas, which contained beds and strange equipment. They progressed to the far end and went through a door into a private room, where Jayven lay motionless, surrounded by machines and both humans and Galaya. The tall and slender form of High Chancellor Elaara Glarris turned to meet them.
"Dr Jackson, Colonel O'Neill," she said in greeting. "I am glad you have come. We are in need of assistance, and it seems Jayven believes you can be of help."
Daniel reached out with his mind again, hoping that proximity would make a difference to the deafening mental silence, but to no avail. He could sense nothing from Jayven at all.
"I hope so," Jack said, evidently noticing Daniel's distraction and taking responsibility for the conversation. "What can you tell us?"
"Very little," Chancellor Glarris said, her liquid tones shadowed by sorrow and fatigue. "Jayven's mind is closed to us. Even our most skilled telepaths cannot get through to him, and we have no idea what has caused his current state. It is as if he is blocking us out, but we cannot guess why he would do such a thing, as it makes us helpless to aid him. If he has reached out to Dr Jackson in some way, however, perhaps you will be able to succeed where we have failed."
"We'll certainly give it a shot," Jack said, "though I'm not exactly sure what either of us can do. Daniel?" he prompted.
Daniel brought his attention away from Jayven's still form, and focused on Chancellor Glarris with an effort. "Well, I can at least confirm that he's still in there," he said. He explained what had happened for the second time.
Chancellor Glarris looked very puzzled when he had finished.
"He prevents us from gaining access to his mind, and yet he expended what must have been tremendous effort to activate the Portal remotely and send his emotions across space to reach you." She stared openly at Daniel. "He must have very great faith in you."
"I just hope it's warranted," Daniel said.
Then, he stepped up to the bed and looked down at his friend. Jayven's features were smooth, as if he was simply asleep, his expression untroubled. Daniel reached out and laid a hand gently on his forehead, brushing the silky, silver hair out of the way.
:Jayven. You called me, and I'm here. How can I help?:
Nothing happened for a long moment, and then Daniel was suddenly swamped by the same rush of emotion he had experienced earlier on, this time intensified tenfold. He felt his knees give way under the onslaught and he thought he might have cried out. Then, Jack's strong arms were around him, holding him up and pulling him away from Jayven. As soon as his hand lifted free from Jayven's skin, the flow of emotion ceased, but its echoes left him struggling for breath. He steadied himself against Jack, and looked around at all the worried faces.
"He's so frightened," he managed to gasp. "There's something or someone attacking him and he can't break free."
"Did he tell you what it is?" Chancellor Glarris asked urgently.
Daniel shook his head. "He didn't tell me anything," he said. "I just felt what he's feeling. I know he's in pain, but I don't know what's causing it."
"Okay, maybe we can look at this another way," Jack said, turning to Mikar. "Tell us what happened on your mission."
XXXXX
The day before…
Mikar stood in the Portal Chamber, awaiting the rest of his team. He still got a pang of grief every time he prepared to step through the Portal for a new mission, remembering the first and how they had lost their Team Leader, Hiran Krand. They had a new leader now, though it had taken everyone a while to acclimatise to the change.
There were only four Galian Exploration Units so far, and Farlan Pikand had undertaken his introduction to the program and subsequent training as the Team Leader for the Second. He had then been reassigned to the First on the death of Hiran Krand, and been thrust into the limelight as the new Team Leader for the flagship unit.
Mikar's initial reaction to being assigned a new commander had been less than professional. He had still been reeling from the trauma of his first mission through the Portal and the subsequent whirlwind of events surrounding the alliance with the Tau'ri, and he had greeted his new Team Leader with resentment and borderline defiance. What hadn't helped was that Pikand was less than thrilled with his new assignment, as well, having preferred to be less in the spotlight. Katra had harboured resentment on Mikar's behalf that he hadn't been given the Team Leader position himself, though he had pointed out to her that two missions hardly gave him the necessary experience for command. Her retort that two missions through the Portal was two more than anyone else on Galia hadn't improved things.
Jayven, of course, had been the bridge that had brought them together as a team. He had instinctively understood and acknowledged the feelings and motivations on all sides, and had somehow managed to make the situation clear to all parties without any awkwardness or recriminations. It had taken a little while for everything to settle down, but now things were running smoothly again.
Their mission that day was to a planet named Rakon by its inhabitants. Using some of the Portal addresses provided to them by the Tau'ri, the First Galian Exploration Unit had travelled there some time ago and discovered several settlements of humans, ruled over by a Goa'uld. With the help of Pikand's old unit, the Second, they had defeated the Goa'uld and freed the human slaves, earning their undying gratitude, and leaving them the means with which to contact Galia in the future, should they need any further aid.
The Rakonians had made use of this earlier in the day, requesting the Galians' help with an outbreak of a mysterious illness. They had specifically asked for Jayven, as the illness apparently affected the mind, and they thought his expertise in that area might prove useful. So, now, Mikar was awaiting his three team-mates in order to visit Rakon for a second time.
He didn't have to wait long. Pikand arrived first, striding into the Portal Chamber and giving Mikar an acknowledging nod. He was shorter than Mikar, and very stocky, a powerful man with a no-nonsense attitude and a gruff sense of humour.
Jayven and Katra weren't far behind him, the latter laden down with an extensive medical kit, along with her usual gear. At Pikand's command, the Portal Guardian on duty pressed the sequence of buttons on the Pedestal that represented Rakon, and the tunnel burst into life before them. They formed up in front of the Portal and stepped through.
Rakon was a very bright planet, with two suns, making the vegetation striking, as it grew in different colours, depending on which light it thrived on. The Head Man of the largest settlement, which was also the one nearest the Portal, was waiting for them, with a couple of his attendants in tow.
The Head Man, Herreron, stepped forward to greet them eagerly.
"Welcome, friends," he said in a harried tone. "We are most grateful for your help."
"As we are happy to offer it," Jayven said, as usual acting as spokesperson for the Galians. "Perhaps you could give us more detail of what has transpired, as we walk back to the village."
Herreron sighed heavily. "We know very little, I'm afraid," he said, turning and leading the group away from the Portal. "A messenger came from one of the other villages yesterday, telling of an illness that is striking down the people there. While I was questioning him, he himself collapsed and we have been unable to rouse him."
"He just lost consciousness, with no warning?" Pikand queried.
"Yes," Herreron said. "He was telling me how many people had been affected so far, and he just stopped mid-sentence and fell. He still breathes, but he will not wake up."
"And have any of the others in your village been afflicted?" Katra asked.
"Not as yet," he said, "but we are worried that they might. We have no way of knowing how quickly the illness spreads, or if those who have it will wake of their own accord or simply wither away."
When they reached the village, Mikar noticed a tense atmosphere. There were very few villagers out in the open and those that were abroad were moving quickly and purposefully, evidently keen to conclude their business and get back indoors.
"I have instructed the people to limit their movements," Herreron explained, "in the hope that we can stop the illness from spreading."
"Very sensible," Pikand said. "It may be that it is only passed on through physical contact, in which case we should be careful about how we proceed."
At this, Herreron's face grew more troubled. "To my knowledge, the only people to have touched the messenger since his arrival are Sherreleyan, the Healer, and myself."
Mikar immediately reviewed the last few minutes and was relieved to determine that none of them had come into physical contact with Herreron since coming through the Portal.
"I will need to touch the afflicted one if I am to probe his mind for answers," Jayven said.
"Then you take the medkit from Penthar and see what you can do," Pikand instructed. "That way, we'll limit exposure and hopefully minimise the risk of taking infection back to Galia."
"Yes," Herreron agreed. "Jayven must come to see the messenger. I am certain that he is the one who will be best able to help us. The rest of you can wait in the Common Hall."
Mikar exchanged a glance with Pikand at this, as Herreron's attitude seemed a little odd, but Pikand nodded in agreement and Jayven went off with the Head Man, once he had relieved Katra of the medical kit.
The other three repaired to the large building in the centre of the village, which had been the residence of the Goa'uld, but was now used as a meeting place. It was deserted, apart from a single woman, who brought them refreshments and then retired to the far end, as far away from them as she could get.
Pikand reached for his drink, but Mikar stopped him. "Do you think it's safe to partake of the food and drink here?" he asked. "What if the water or crops have been contaminated in some way?"
Pikand put his drink back down with a grimace. "Good thinking, Ravell," he said. "I guess we just wait for Melawei to complete his investigations and get out of here as soon as we can."
It was a tedious wait, with nothing but a large empty space around them and only what little Herreron had been able to tell them to fuel their curiosity. Eventually, though, Jayven came to find them, one of Herreron's attendants at his side. His face was grim.
"I was unable to determine a cause for the illness," he said. "And Herreron collapsed shortly after we arrived where the messenger is being housed. There is nothing obvious ailing either of them, except for their lack of consciousness, and contact with their minds feels only as if they are sleeping." He held up the medical kit. "I have taken samples of their blood, and that of the Healer and Davron here." He indicated the attendant. "Perhaps the doctors at home will be able to use those to figure out what is wrong. Otherwise, I do not know if there is anything we can do."
There wasn't much any of them could say to that, and Pikand quickly decided that returning to Galia was their best next move. They bade farewell to the Rakonians, promising to be in touch as soon as they found out anything, and made their way back to the Portal.
And so it was not very long at all after they had left that they found themselves back in the Galian Portal Chamber. Mikar, Katra and Pikand stepped down off the platform, and Mikar looked over his shoulder to check if Jayven needed any help with the medical kit, just in time to see the Galayan crumple to the floor. Mikar cried out in alarm and made to go to his friend, but Pikand grabbed his arm and held him back.
"Don't touch him," the Team Leader warned, then sent one of the Portal Guardians for help.
Within moments, the Portal Chamber was swarming with medical personnel, and the members of the unit were whisked off for thorough examinations.
XXXXX
"And that's it," Mikar concluded.
Daniel looked down at his own hand apprehensively, mindful of the fact that one of the first things he'd done had been to touch Jayven, and that Jack had most definitely touched him almost immediately afterwards.
Jack was evidently thinking along the same lines. "You don't think 'mysterious illness probably spread through physical contact' might have been a good thing to mention a bit sooner?" he asked drily.
One of the human doctors stepped forward from where he had been monitoring a machine.
"We no longer think that is the case," he said. "We have examined all four members of the First Unit, as well as the samples Mister Melawei brought back from Rakon, and we can find no sign of any disease. There is nothing abnormal in the samples, we can find nothing physically wrong with any of the unit, and none of the others have so far been affected."
"And I didn't get the sense that Jayven is ill," Daniel reminded them. "He's under some kind of attack."
"Not to question your medical science," Jack said to the doctor, "but could we take the samples back to Earth and get our doctor to take a look at them, too?"
"By all means, please do," the doctor said. "I will provide you with all the samples from Rakon, along with samples from the First Unit, as well. We would welcome your input."
"Okay, so as soon as all that's ready, we'll head straight back. We'll get a couple of hours' sleep, then report to General Hammond first thing in the morning and get Doc Frasier working on the samples." He nodded at Mikar. "We'll call back if we find anything."
Daniel looked over at Jayven's still form. "I'd like to stay here, if you don't mind, Jack. I know there isn't anything I can do, but he called for me, so I'd like to be close in case anything changes."
Jack gave him a searching look, clearly less than pleased by the idea of leaving him behind. But then his gaze softened, and he sighed.
"Okay," he said wearily. "If that's what you want. I'll be back in a few hours. Try and get some rest."
"Thanks, Jack," Daniel said with a smile. "You too."
Once he had the samples, Jack headed back to the Galian Portal Chamber with Mikar, leaving Daniel and Katra behind.
Katra looked at him, her eyes tired and worried. "Do you think your doctor will be able to figure out what's wrong with Jay?" she asked.
Daniel reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder, offering support through their mutual affection for Jayven. Jayven and Katra were close in the same way Daniel was with Sam, and he felt for her, knowing how useless she must feel, watching her friend suffer and being unable to do anything about it.
"If anyone can, Janet can," he said. "And we won't give up. If the blood samples can't tell us what we need to know, we'll go back to Rakon with you and keep investigating there. And if that's a dead end, we'll find some other way to help him, I promise."
She smiled, her shoulders dropping with a release of long-held tension. "I'm so glad you're here," she said. "You are indeed good friends to us, and I feel better knowing you and the other Tau'ri are working on this. Jay was right to call you."
At that moment, the doctor who had spoken up about the sample testing came up to them, a stern expression on his face that Daniel recognised from countless run-ins with Janet.
"There is nothing either of you can do for Mister Melawei right now," he said firmly. "I know I can't order to you get some sleep, but I can order you out of here, with a heartfelt request that you at least try and rest." He looked at Daniel. "When your colleague returns with news, you may need your energy to act upon it. You would best serve us by being ready and able to do so." He transferred his steely gaze to Katra. "The same goes for you, Officer. Someone will come to find you if there is any change in the meantime. You have my word."
"Thank you, doctor," Daniel said. "We know you're right, and we'll do our best to take your advice." He turned to Katra. "Is there somewhere I can freshen up and do as the doctor says?"
She nodded. "Mikar and I have temporary accommodation in the complex," she said. "There are other spare rooms in the same area. I'll show you."
She led him out of the medical centre and through hallways to another part of the complex. As they walked, she asked a question that she had obviously waited for privacy to broach.
"Things are better between you and Jack?" Daniel saw her glance sideways at him, a wry smile playing across her lips, and felt himself blush, cursing his inability to keep his feelings to himself.
"You noticed that, did you?" he said, and her smile broadened. "Jack and I really need to learn to be more discreet," he continued. "It's going to get us in trouble one of these days."
"I am glad to see things improved between you," Katra said.
"You and me both," Daniel agreed, wholeheartedly. "And we have Jayven to thank for it, which is something we haven't actually done, now I come to think about it."
"Well, you'll get your chance when he wakes up," Katra said, injecting her words with as much confidence as she could muster.
Daniel just hoped that confidence wasn't ill-founded.
XXXXX
It was after 4am by the time Jack got back to Earth, and he gratefully took the opportunity to crash in one of the on-base suites for a couple of hours, asking an airman to wake him as soon as General Hammond arrived in the morning. He hadn't liked leaving Daniel on Galia, especially with a potentially contagious illness around, but he hadn't thought it worth the inevitable argument to try and persuade him out of it. Galia wasn't hostile territory, and he knew Mikar and Katra would look after Daniel for him, so he managed to get to sleep without too much trouble. It felt like only minutes before he was being shaken awake by a respectful airman.
"Already?" he muttered, rolling onto his back and dragging his hands across his face.
"Sorry, sir," the airman said, clearly uncomfortable with his duty. "You did say as soon as the General arrived, and he just signed in on the surface."
Jack groaned, then took pity on the man. "Yes, thank you, airman," he said, swinging his feet onto the floor and waving the man away. "I'll take it from here."
The airman retreated gratefully, and Jack staggered upright, crossing to the sink to splash cold water on his face. By the time he had tidied himself up a bit and made it to the briefing room, General Hammond and Doctor Frasier were waiting for him. He had sent the blood samples to the infirmary on his arrival back at the SGC, with instructions for Frasier, and she had evidently received them.
"Good morning, Colonel," Hammond said on his entrance. "I gather you've had quite the eventful night."
"Yes, sir," Jack said ruefully, desperately stifling a yawn. "You know Daniel – can't just accept leave without creating reasons to get straight back to work."
"Report, Colonel," Hammond prompted simply, bringing Jack to the point.
Jack explained everything that had happened, from Daniel's report of mental contact with Jayven (explaining his own knowledge of the incident by claiming Daniel had called him as soon as it happened) through their trip to Galia and Mikar's re-telling of the mission to Rakon, right up to Jack's return to Earth with the blood samples.
"And you left Dr Jackson on Galia?" Hammond queried.
"He wanted to be there in case there was any change with Jayven," Jack explained. "Whatever's going on with Jayven, he clearly thinks Daniel can do something to help, so we figured Daniel should stay there."
"Fair enough," Hammond said, turning to Janet. "And what can you tell us about these blood samples, Doctor?"
"Nothing yet, sir," she said. "I'm running multiple tests on them, but it'll be a couple of hours before my analysis is complete. Having the uninfected Rakonian samples, and those from the rest of the Galian Unit is going to be a real help, in case there are abnormalities that are natural to either group that I should discount. Obviously, Jayven's blood is likely to be different in any case, since he's not human, but that should make identifying similarities with the samples from the afflicted Rakonians easier. It's all about running comparisons, since we don't know what kind of pathogen we might be dealing with."
"All right, Doctor," Hammond acknowledged. "We'll let you get back to the lab. Inform me as soon as you have anything concrete."
"Yes, sir," Janet said, immediately striding from the briefing room, her whole demeanour demonstrating her dedication to her task.
Hammond turned back to Jack. "As for you, Colonel, I suggest you get another couple of hours of sleep, while we're waiting for the test results. You look like you could use it, and you may be glad of it later."
"Thank you, sir," Jack said. "I'll do that."
Less than five minutes later, he was back in the base suite and fast asleep. He might not have been able to sleep the night before, at home with Daniel, but he was an experienced enough soldier that he could force himself to sleep when it was important, no matter what the circumstances. He had slept in foxholes under enemy fire before now, so a comfortable bed in a secure base presented no problems whatsoever. He knew there was nothing else useful he could be doing, and also that someone would let him know as soon as that changed, so he just shut his brain off and let himself rest.
This time, it was Janet who woke him, and he knew as soon as he saw her face that the news wasn't good.
"What is it, doc?" he asked immediately, coming fully awake in less than a second.
"I think I know what's wrong with Jayven, and what affected the Rakonians," she said, "but the General needs to hear it, as well."
Jack followed her impatiently back to the briefing room, where Hammond was already seated.
"Well, Doctor?" Hammond queried as soon as they sat down.
"I ran every test I could think of on the blood samples," Janet began, "and there was only one thing that stood out." She paused, as if not wanting to say her findings out loud, and Jack had to struggle not to tell her just to get the hell on with it. He needed to know what the threat was, and, most importantly, whether or not Daniel was at risk. "The two infected Rakonian samples shared one characteristic that wasn't present in any of the other samples," Janet went on, "and it was something that the Galians wouldn't know to look for, or what it meant if they did find it."
"And that was?" Hammond prompted, evidently also wanting her to get to the point.
"The two Rakonians affected by the supposed illness had the Goa'uld host protein marker in their blood," Janet revealed at last, and Jack's heart sank.
"But Jayven didn't?" he asked, trying to figure out where she was going with this, and somehow knowing he wouldn't like the answer.
"No," Janet said, regarding him steadily. "But then he wouldn't, if the Goa'uld symbiote is still inside him."
XXXXX
Sam was at home, working on her motorcycle, when the phone rang. She pushed herself to her feet, wiped her hands on a rag and jogged inside to catch it.
"Carter, it's O'Neill," the half-expected voice sounded down the line.
"Morning, sir," she responded, neutrally. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm sorry to call on your day off," he replied, "but something's come up and I'd like you to come in. We're also calling in the Tok'ra cavalry, so there's the compensation that you'll probably get to see dear old dad."
"Really?" Sam said, her mood brightening. "I'll be right in."
She got cleaned up as quickly as possible and was on the road within a few minutes, wondering what she would find when she reached the mountain, excitement and apprehension battling inside her. She wished she could see her father more often, and that his visits didn't usually coincide with some kind of crisis, but she was glad they now got on so well when they did see each other. Who could have predicted that the introduction of an alien life form into her father's life (and body) would have improved his relationship with his daughter so much?
Sam parked up and descended into the mountain, making a brief stop at the locker room to change into BDUs, before proceeding to the control room.
"Just in time," Jack said with satisfaction, as she joined him at the window overlooking the gate room.
She looked down to see chevrons lighting up around the gate, then glanced back at her commanding officer.
"My father?" she queried.
"Yup," Jack confirmed. "Assuming that's who the Tok'ra sent, that is."
Sam made a beeline for the stairs and got to the bottom of the ramp just as the wormhole whooshed into existence. A few moments later, her father did indeed emerge from the event horizon. He strode down the ramp, a broad smile splitting his worn features as he saw who made up his welcoming committee.
"Hey, Sam," he said, casually. "What's going on?"
Sam noticed that he was carrying a large metal case in one hand, and a container of the type used to transport symbiotes in the other.
"Looks like you know more than I do, dad," she replied. "I just got here and I haven't been briefed yet."
He paused and put down his burdens for a moment, so that he could give her hug, then picked them up again and headed towards the briefing room, all business again. Sam shrugged in amusement and followed him.
Jack, Janet and General Hammond were all already seated in the briefing room when they arrived. Once the greetings were over, and Jacob had stowed his equipment in the corner of the room, the others got straight down to explaining the situation.
Sam listened with interest as Jack described the initial contact from Jayven, her surprise at them hearing from the Galians quickly giving way to horror as Janet revealed her conclusions about the blood samples.
"So, you think a Goa'uld has taken Jayven over?" she asked, once the explanations were complete.
"That's the conclusion I've reached, yes," Janet said, her face tense.
"And that's why we asked both of you here," Hammond said, indicating the two Carters.
"So we can identify if there's a symbiote present, and then my dad can remove it?" Sam guessed.
"Right first time," Jack confirmed with a grin. "I take it that's a symbiote extractor-thingy in the box, Jacob?"
It was Selmak who answered, Jacob's head dipping down in the now familiar gesture and then coming back up with someone very different suddenly behind his eyes.
"Yes." The unnaturally deep voice resonated around the room. "Though we will need to be careful, as we have only used it on human hosts before now. We have no way of knowing how it might affect a Galayan."
"Agreed," Hammond said. "But we have to try, and you can liaise with the other Galaya about possible pitfalls when you get there."
"When do we head out, sir?" Sam wanted to know.
"As soon as you two are ready," Jack replied, clearly anxious to get going.
"Ready when you are, sir," she immediately replied. "Dad?"
Jacob's head dipped, and he was her father again. He indicated the two pieces of equipment he had brought with him. "That's all I need," he said.
Jack and Sam collected up some of their usual gear, and the three of them were ready to leave in minutes, stepping through an active wormhole to emerge on Galia.
XXXXX
When Mikar came to wake him, Daniel was surprised to find he'd actually slept. It seemed the military necessity to get sleep when it was available had started to imprint itself on his brain. He scrambled to make himself presentable, and found himself being led once more to the small room where Jayven lay unmoving. A single glance from Mikar told him nothing had changed in the time he'd been away, but three additional and very welcome faces greeted him upon entry into the room.
Jack was back, and he'd brought Sam and Jacob Carter with him.
"Hey, guys," he greeted them warmly, then looked quizzically at Jack. "I take it Janet found something useful?"
He noticed that Sam was looking a bit queasy, and the fact of Jacob's presence and Jack's grim expression helped him put two and two together.
"Oh, no," he said, before any of them could respond to his question. "It can't be." He knew, though, as he said the words, that the explanation fit.
"Can't be what?" Mikar demanded, looking frantically between them. Katra's eyes spoke the same question, fear filling them.
It was Sam who finally explained. "Jayven has a Goa'uld symbiote inside him," she said simply. "I can sense it."
Katra's mouth dropped open in horror, and Mikar spluttered, "But you can take it out, right? Now you know it's there?"
Selmak spoke up, his deep tones instantly commanding everyone's attention.
"We do have a way, yes," he said. "But there would be unknown dangers for the host, as we are unfamiliar with Galayan physiology." He turned to Chancellor Glarris, who was also in attendance. "We know the Galaya defeated the Goa'uld in the past, and have been left alone by them since. Do you have knowledge that would help us here?"
Chancellor Glarris stepped forwards, the others parting to let her through.
"To my knowledge, a Galayan has never been taken as a Goa'uld host before," she said. "We do know that Jayven must have retained at least some control, as he has placed himself in this state and will not allow us to penetrate his mind. Since his return from offworld, he has only made contact with Daniel of the Tau'ri."
"That explains what I felt when I connected with him," Daniel said, putting it all together in his mind. "He's fighting to fend off the control of the Goa'uld, and he knew I would be able to bring help to remove it."
Selmak continued. "He has demonstrated great strength of mind," he said, "but the very nature of Galayan mental abilities is what puts him in danger from the extraction process. The blending will surely be different in one with such powers, and that may affect our ability to remove the symbiote safely."
"But we can't just leave it in him!" Katra exclaimed. "We have to do something!"
Jacob's head dipped, and he gave her a reassuring smile as he took control. "Don't worry," he said. "We think we have a way to gain more information about what's going on inside Jayven's head."
He crossed to a table at one side, and opened a large metal case that had been placed there. Daniel could see various pieces of equipment inside, but Jacob only removed one, and it was one that was familiar. It was a large metal plate with a harness attached and a crystal set into its centre.
"Hey, I recognise that," Jack piped up. "Didn't the Tollans use something like that to let Skaara have control when they put him and Klorel through that triad thing?"
"Yes," Jacob said. "We managed to persuade them to give us one, and the Tok'ra have modified it a bit, so that we can switch control of the body from symbiote to host at our will, rather than theirs. It should allow us to speak to Jayven, without danger of the symbiote taking over or damaging him."
"Great," Jack said. "Gotta love the Tok'ra."
Jacob looked at Chancellor Glarris and she motioned for him to proceed. It took him a couple of minutes to affix the device to Jayven's chest. Then he passed his hand over the crystal and it glowed blue.
"The symbiote is now suppressed," he said.
"But how do we get Jayven to wake up?" Mikar asked.
Daniel stepped forwards. "I think I might be able to help there," he said. "Jayven let me in before, so maybe I can reach him now."
He caught Jack's eye and saw concern mirroring his own apprehension about sharing Jayven's feelings again. But he knew it was the only way, and was prepared to risk it in order to save his friend. He nodded slightly at Jack, who gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, but moved behind Daniel so as to be ready to support him again if needed. Daniel felt better knowing Jack was at his back, and reached out to lay his hand on Jayven's forehead again. As soon as he was in contact with Jayven's skin, he tried to broadcast his thoughts.
:Jayven. It's Daniel. We've brought help and the symbiote can't control you any more. But we need to talk to you. Can you wake up?:
He felt nothing for a long moment, and then a sudden rush of emotion. But it wasn't like before; this time, there was confusion and sobbing relief, along with remaining fear, but this was fear of the attack returning rather than of the attack itself. Jayven shifted slightly under his hand, and then his startling silver eyes slowly opened. He looked up at Daniel, and gave him a tired smile.
"You came," he said, his voice low.
Daniel smiled reassuringly back at him, leaving his hand where it was, knowing that Jayven would be grateful for the physical contact.
"Of course I came," he said, and felt Jayven's gratitude wash over him.
Katra approached the other side of the bed and raised it so that Jayven was sitting up slightly, then took Jayven's hand and squeezed it tightly.
"We've all been so worried, Jay," she said, her voice a little shaky. "We didn't know what was wrong with you."
Jayven sought out Chancellor Glarris in the group gathered around him. "I knew I could not allow the symbiote to control me once I returned to Galia," he said, the words coming slowly, as if it was an effort for him to speak, "and I was unsure how effective the Barrier would be, so I fought it and managed to achieve a standoff where neither of us was in control."
"That was well done," Glarris told him, "but why did you not allow us access to your mind so we could help you?"
Jayven grimaced. "I did not know if the symbiote might be able to influence another Galayan mind through telepathy," he said, "so I thought it best not to take the risk."
"Do you know where the snake came from?" Jack asked. "What it wants?"
Jayven shook his head wearily. "I remember we were on Rakon, and I went with Herreron, the Head Man, to see the messenger from the other village. As soon as we were alone, he overpowered me and the symbiote transferred from him to me." He shuddered at the memory, and closed his eyes for a moment. Daniel stroked his hair and Katra squeezed his hand, and he went on. "It took me by surprise and took control to begin with, until we got back to Galia. I think it was disoriented by coming through the tunnel, so I grabbed my chance and immobilised us both. It hasn't shared its thoughts with me," he concluded, "and I've been spending all my energy stopping it from taking full control."
"But you managed to dial Earth and contact me," Daniel said, conveying his admiration for the feat through the mental link they still shared.
"Yes," Jayven said, with a smile. "That was hard, but I knew you'd come and that you'd be able to figure out what was wrong."
Jacob spoke up again. "The device we're using to suppress the symbiote can also allow it full control," he said. "Would you be willing to let us talk to it?"
Jayven looked beseechingly at Daniel, but Daniel couldn't help him. "We need to know where it came from, Jay," he said gently, "so we can find out if there's a greater threat to Galia. And we also need to find a way to remove it without hurting you. By speaking to it, we may be able to persuade it to leave voluntarily."
He hated seeing the pain and fear in Jayven's expression, and feeling the echoes of it travelling down their link, but he also knew the truth of his own words, and was grateful when Jayven accepted it, as well.
Jayven nodded silently.
Jacob directed Mikar and Jack to stand on either side of the bed, ready to restrain Jayven if necessary.
"Make sure not to touch his skin," Daniel warned, regretfully removing his hand from his friend's forehead. "We don't want to give the Goa'uld any opportunity to exert influence over any of you through Jayven's mind."
Once everyone was in position, Jacob let Selmak take back control, and the Tok'ra reached out and passed his hand over the crystal on Jayven's chest. Its colour switched to red. Jayven's features went slack, and then hardened, and his eyes glowed an even brighter silver for a moment. Daniel felt a surge of nausea, hating to see such an evil presence wearing his friend's face. Jayven's eyes widened, as the Goa'uld took in the scene; then it noticed Selmak in his Tok'ra clothing and Jayven lurched up off the bed. Mikar and Jack grabbed at Jayven's shoulders,and forced him back down to a prone position, while Selmak stepped forwards to ask questions.
"Kree tal shal mak, Goa'uld!" he said in harsh tones.
"Mekta satak Birdu," the Goa'uld replied, its deep register twisting Jayven's lilting voice into something ugly.
"Daniel?" Jack queried, clearly looking for a translation.
Daniel thrust his brain into gear and dredged up some knowledge from a long-forgotten mythology lecture.
"He says he is the great and powerful Birdu," he said, thinking hard. "Birdu was actually a minor deity in the Mesopotamian pantheon, consort of Manungal and in service to Ereshtigal, goddess of the underworld."
"Doesn't look like the great and powerful anybody to me," Jack quipped.
The Goa'uld struggled against Jack's grip and glared balefully at Daniel. "You dare to speak their names aloud in the company of those who killed them!" it roared, contorting Jayven's delicate features into a vicious snarl.
"Ereshtigal and Manungal were the Goa'uld who originally came to Galia?" Daniel said. "The ones defeated by the Galaya?"
"Yes," Birdu spat. "I have waited long for an opportunity for revenge." One thing they could always count on was that a Goa'uld would prefer to brag and spout vitriol than keep its plans to itself.
"Didn't work out too well for you, though, did it?" Jack taunted.
Birdu just snarled again.
"How did you know the Galians would come to Rakon?" Selmak asked.
"That was the planet the survivors retreated to after the attack failed here," Birdu told them. "I was in service to Nergal, who ruled there."
"Mesopotamian god of plague and war, husband to Ereshtigal," Daniel inserted.
"This Galayan came through the Chappa'ai with these others," Birdu went on, sweeping Mikar and Katra with his gaze, "and killed Nergal. I hid, then later took over the slave calling himself Head Man, and called them back so I could invade this one's mind and infiltrate this planet."
"Underestimated the Galaya again, did you?" Jack commented, earning himself another glare.
"Your machinations are at an end, Birdu," Selmak announced, "and you are at our mercy. Will you consent to leave this host willingly without damaging him and stand trial for your crimes before the Tok'ra High Council?"
"Never!" Birdu cried. "I would rather die and take this host with me than submit to your will."
Selmak quickly reached out and switched the crystal back to blue before the Goa'uld could do anything harmful. Jayven collapsed back against the bed, his chest heaving and his eyes tightly closed. Daniel nudged Jack out of the way and took Jayven's hand in one of his own, using the other to smooth his hair from his brow.
"It's all right, Jay," he said soothingly. "It's over now. We won't let it take control again."
Jayven regulated his breathing with a visible effort and opened his eyes again to look up at Daniel.
"There's nothing but rage and violence in its mind," he said. "It is far beyond reason. You will not persuade it to give me up willingly."
"Yeah, we caught that," Jack said, then turned to Jacob, who had resurfaced again. "So now what?"
Jacob sighed. "I don't know," he said. He gestured at the metal case. "We have the extraction device, but we still have no idea what it might do to Jayven's mind."
Daniel's thoughts were whirling frantically, trying to come up with something that might tip the balance in Jayven's favour. His eyes alighted on the device on Jayven's chest, and the steady blue light of the crystal denoting Jayven's control of his own mind and body. Jayven noticed his intense regard.
"What are you thinking, Daniel?" he prompted.
Daniel was silent for a long moment, letting the germ of an idea take form before speaking it aloud. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katra open her mouth as if to say something, but Jack gestured at her to be quiet. Daniel smiled inwardly at the progression Jack had achieved from being the one to continually interrupt his thought processes to stopping others from doing just that, and then spoke to put everyone out of their misery.
"You said you shut the other Galaya out because you feared the Goa'uld might hurt them or exert influence over them through the mental link," he said, his attention on Jayven.
His friend nodded, and Daniel turned to look at Jacob.
"But the device Jayven is now wearing suppresses the symbiote completely," continued.
"Yes," Jacob confirmed. "It can't exert any influence at all while the crystal is blue." He shook his head, as if he thought he could see where Daniel was going but didn't agree. "But we can't leave the device in operation for the extraction, because the Tollan technology interferes with ours."
Daniel ignored Jacob's statement, instead focusing on Chancellor Glarris.
"Do you think it would be possible for a group of Galaya to link minds with Jayven and overwhelm the symbiote's mind while it's inert?"
Glarris considered for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"We could certainly attempt this," she said. "If the creature is indeed rendered impotent, it would not be possible for it to attack us."
Jayven was shaking his head. "I would not allow you to risk yourselves," he said firmly. "We cannot afford for any of the Galaya to become compromised."
Glarris laid a hand on his arm, looking down at him with open affection. "Indeed, Jayven, and are you not one of the Galaya? We cannot afford to lose you, either. I believe the risk is worth the potential outcome. I will gather the others."
With that, she swept out of the room.
Jayven was looking at Daniel with admiration. "How is it that you keep teaching us new ways to use our own abilities?" he asked.
Jack stepped up behind Daniel and clapped a hand down on his shoulder. "Expert at thinking outside the box, that's our Danny," he said with evident pride.
Daniel swatted his hand away in mock irritation, and the atmosphere in the room lightened by several degrees, in response to the good-natured interaction. The relief of tension didn't last long, however, as Chancellor Glarris was soon back, with five other Galaya in tow, making the small room suddenly very crowded.
"Okay, kids," Jack announced, gesturing at Mikar, Katra, Sam and Daniel, "I suggest we get out of the way so these folks can get on with whatever it is they're going to do."
"Daniel, will you stay, please?" Jayven asked, suddenly looking very young and vulnerable.
"Of course, if that's what you want," Daniel replied immediately.
"I should stay as well," Jacob said, "to monitor the control device, just in case."
Chancellor Glarris nodded and Jack ushered the others out of the room. He threw an encouraging backward glance at Daniel, and then was gone.
"What can I do to help?" Daniel asked.
Glarris regarded him. "Link with Jayven as you have done before, and anchor his mind, while we attempt to isolate and neutralise the other presence," she said.
Daniel nodded and took up position at Jayven's side, taking hold of one of his hands again. He looked down into his friend's frightened eyes, as the other Galaya arrayed themselves around the bed and linked hands in a circle. Two of them laid their spare hand on either side of Jayven's head, and then they all closed their eyes.
:Daniel?: Jayven's tentative voice sounded in Daniel's head.
:It's okay: Daniel replied. :I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Just focus on me and ignore everything else.:
A few moments later, it proved more difficult than he had anticipated to follow his own instructions, as he felt the other Galaya enter Jayven's mind. They swept through it ruthlessly, chasing down the alien presence, separating it from Jayven's own identity and crushing it. Jayven's grip tightened on Daniel's hand and he sent a burst of wordless panic down their link. Daniel fought to keep his own mind calm, and maintained a steady stream of soothing mental reassurances.
It was all over remarkably quickly. As suddenly as they had appeared, the other Galayan minds disappeared, breaking their physical contact with Jayven, as well as their mental one. Jayven kept hold of Daniel's hand, however, and Daniel did not try to pull away.
"Is that it?" Jacob queried from the corner of the room.
Chancellor Glarris turned to face him. "I believe so," she said. "The creature's mind put up no resistance. I think you will find it can no longer harm anyone."
Jacob crossed to the bed and, with a glance at Jayven for permission, passed his hand over the crystal on the control device. It remained a steadfast blue. Jacob passed his hand back and forth over the crystal a few more times, just to be sure, but the crystal didn't even flicker. Daniel let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, and felt his face split into a wide grin.
"It's not over quite yet," Jacob said. "We still have to complete the extraction process." He looked at Jayven seriously. "And that's not exactly pleasant, I'm afraid."
Jayven regarded him steadily. "I understand," he said. "But it must be done. Even neutralised, I do not wish this creature inside me."
Jacob looked back at Chancellor Glarris. "I'd prefer the room to be cleared for this part," he said, then glanced at Daniel. "You, too, Daniel. I think it would be best if only Jayven and I have to go through this."
Daniel looked to Jayven for his input, and felt the caress of Jayven's mind within his own.
:I will be fine, Daniel. Thank you for your support, but Jacob is right. We can maintain contact so you can watch over me from outside the room.:
"All right, if you're sure," Daniel said aloud.
Jayven nodded, and Chancellor Glarris led the other Galaya out of the room, Daniel trailing behind them with a final backward glance at his friend. Jacob nodded at him, silently promising that he would do his best to look after Jayven, and Daniel was forced to leave it at that.
He found Jack, Sam, Mikar and Katra hovering outside in the main dormitory of the medical centre.
"Well?" Jack said, as soon as he caught sight of Daniel.
"The symbiote's mind has been destroyed by the Galaya," Daniel reported, "so Jacob and Selmak just have to remove it and this will all be over."
He saw smiles of relief on all his friends' faces and was glad he'd decided to downplay the reported unpleasantness of the extraction process. Jack wasn't fooled, however, drawing Daniel a little aside and placing a hand on his arm.
"You okay?" he asked, his eyes searching.
"Yeah," Daniel said wearily, leaning a little into Jack's support. "What just happened wasn't exactly a lot of fun, and what's going to happen next will be even less so, I think." He tapped his forehead. "I'm still linked with Jayven, in case he needs me."
"Well, I'm right here, in case you need me," Jack said, his grip tightening on Daniel's arm.
Daniel smiled at him. "Thanks, I - " Then, a wave of pain and fear washed over him and he clutched at Jack, feeling his knees buckle.
As he closed his eyes and reached mentally for Jayven to offer his support, he felt Jack lower him gently to a sitting position against the wall. He heard the footsteps and worried voices of the others, and Jack holding them off, then he was overwhelmed with nausea as he shared the experience of the extraction with Jayven. He doubled over and lost himself in the rush of sensations.
XXXXX
:Daniel? Come back to us.:
The soft voice penetrated the fog in Daniel's brain and brought him slowly back to awareness. He opened his eyes and discovered that he was lying in a bed in the Galian medical centre, with Jayven standing at his side, looking down at him.
Daniel squinted at him in confusion.
"Isn't this supposed to be the other way round?" he asked.
He heard a snort of laughter from his other side and turned his head to see Jack smiling at him.
"You got that right," Jack said, "but you decided to piggyback on Jayven's extraction experience, and it didn't agree with you. Next time Jacob tells you you're better off out of a situation, try applying the advice mentally as well as physically, okay?"
"I am very sorry, Daniel," Jayven said, drawing his gaze back again. "I should have realised that being connected to me during the process would put you at risk."
"But you're okay?" Daniel wanted to know.
"Yes," Jayven told him. "I am fully myself again, thanks to you."
"And I'm okay?" Daniel asked, still struggling to get his brain in gear and up to speed with the situation.
"Yes," Jayven confirmed. "We believe so. Your mind shut down in defence against the sensations you were sharing with me, but there do not appear to be any lasting ill effects."
There was a knot of tension inside Daniel that he hadn't realised was there, but now it relaxed and he suddenly felt much better. He sat up carefully and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Jack was immediately at his elbow, but Daniel waved him away with a smile of gratitude and stood up under his own power. His head still felt a bit fuzzy, and his knees a little weak, but otherwise he felt okay. He stepped up to Jayven and pulled him into a tight hug.
:I'm so glad you're all right: he sent.
Jayven's arms came up around his back, returning the hug wholeheartedly.
:As am I: came the reply. :Thank you again for coming.:
:Always: Daniel told him. :And thank you for bringing Jack and me together.:
:You are welcome: Jayven said. :It is good to see the two of you no longer at odds, and to know that you are happy at last.:
The stood together for a long moment, and then broke apart. Daniel looked up to see Jack regarding him expectantly.
"Ready to head home?" Jack asked. "We've got some leave to finish."
XXXXX
Jack lay on his back in bed, with Daniel sprawled across him, snoring into his armpit again. They had said a fond farewell to the Galians and gated home as soon as the Galian doctors had declared Daniel fit to travel. The First Galian Exploration Unit were planning a follow-up trip to Rakon to see if there was anything they could do for the two Rakonians who had acted as host to Birdu before Jayven, and also to check there weren't any more rogue Goa'uld lurking around. Jacob had come back to Earth with them and was staying for a couple of days to visit with Sam.
General Hammond had released SG-1 as soon as they had made their report and passed the routine medical exam, so Jack and Daniel had headed back to Jack's house for a quiet afternoon and an early night.
Daniel had fallen asleep almost immediately, but Jack was still decompressing from the events of the mission, and allowing things to settle in his mind before giving himself over to sleep. He thought about what Daniel had done: interpreting the initial plea for help from Jayven, insisting that they act on it, coming up with a way for the Galaya to neutralise the Goa'uld symbiote, and trying to support Jayven through its extraction. They had been working together for over five years, and sleeping together for more than six months, but Jack never ceased to be amazed by Daniel's abilities and dedication to any goal he set his mind to achieving.
Daniel shifted slightly and let out a soft moan. Jack held him close, stroked his hair and whispered nonsense in his ear, hoping fervently that this was just a regular dream, and not the precursor to another interruption of their leave. After a few restless moments, though, Daniel relaxed with a sigh and started snoring again. Reassured, Jack allowed his own eyes to close and his thoughts to drift towards sleep at last.
He knew Daniel would continue to do amazing things, and he looked forward to being there at his side to witness them, and provide whatever help and support was in his power to give. Being with Daniel was a privilege that Jack had no intention of taking for granted, and he congratulated himself on finally being smart enough to realise it, with a little help from a certain silver-eyed alien, of course.
THE END