Major Samantha Carter was sitting in her lab in the Stargate Commandment. She was trying to focus on elaborating a more effective blueprint for the hyperspace-generator of the ha'tak the Air Force was recently offered by Master Bra'tac and his fellow rebel Jaffa. Despite all the effort she made not to fall asleep, she kept failing miserably. Her eyes were sore from the artificial light and her head felt heavy as a stone. She flashed a glance on her watch. 11:28pm. Oh God, she needed to go home as soon as possible, or she was about to have a hard day tomorrow.
Sitting in her car, she laid her head on the steering wheel. With a job that demanded her to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders, she managed to get used to the fact of being constantly exhausted. But today she felt extremely tired due to stressing about the last few days' mostly unsuccesful missions. Jaffa scouts with no symbol kept on appearing in every destination they visited and the team still hasn't been able to understand how it could have happened so many times. She felt that they all expected her to give a logical explanation, though she had no idea what could have caused the attacks.
She knew she shouldn't have been thinking about these things besides work. She needed to get herself together so she could drive home safely. Head still laying on the steering wheel, she kept listening to the soft, humming sounds of the engine for a while. When she felt ready to leave, she drove into the dark night. An hour later she was in the comforting solitude of her house. She headed right into the bathroom to take a shower, letting the hot stream of water wash away the rest of her worrying thoughts.
When she finally got into her bed, she fell asleep almost immediately. Little did she know that a pair of flashing eyes were watching her from the corner of the bedroom.
A few minutes later, she was woken up by the sound of heavy steps approaching her direction. She instinctively sat up and started looking for her revolver in the nightstand drawer. By the time she picked the gun, the intruder was standing right beside her bed, looking down at her half-sitting position. When she looked up, she saw someone she's been wishing so many times never to see again.
"Ba'al?" - she muttered, not even trying to cover the consternation in her voice.
"Major Carter, have I might astonished you with my presence?" - he replied. The sound of a goa'uld symbiote still lead her to a little shock despite hearing it way too many times in the last few years.
"What the hell are you doing in my house? How did you get in there? Did you break in?" - she asked, her initial surprise slowly switching to anger.
"Do not be afraid, Major, I am not here with the intention of ruining your home. I managed to get into the building without causing any damage. Actually, I used transport."
"Oh, so collecting random stargates is not enough anymore and you moved on to stealing Asgard technology as well? Why am I not surprised?" - she rolled her eyes.
"Major, am I being right when I say I sense distaste in your words?" - he was mildly shaking his head. - "How do you intend on speaking to a God with such wrathful manner?"
"To a God?" - She gave out a bitter laugh. - "Oh, Ba'al, you changed nothing through the years. C'mon, why don't you just finally move on from that God thing, we both know you have always tended to be more authentic for the role of the devil himself than a God. And now tell me what made you disturb me in my house in the middle of the night, then get as far away from Earth as possible."
"Though you state that I have not changed the slightest bit, the same can not be said about you. I believe you became even more arrogant since the last time we met, Samantha."
"It's Major Carter for you!" - she snapped.
Ba'al was murmuring something about insolence under his breath, and continued his sentence with forced calmness. "As I intended to say before, I have an offer for you."
Sam was looking at him questioningly.
"You know, I have been watching you since the last time we met. In spite of being a Tau'ri woman, you are exceptionally strong and knowledgeable. I reckon the position you are being held in is not suitable for your proficiency."
"And your point is?"
"Have you not been considering that your work here is being honored inappropriately?"
"What the actual hell are you talking about, Ba'al?"
"I firmly believe a much better place could be created for you by my side. Major Carter, you are a scientist so I suppose you can think it through logically. When you did, you will admit that I can offer you so much more than the poor world of Tau'ri will ever be able to."
At that sentence, Sam lost her temper. "Okay, that was enough. How do you even dare? You're sneaking into my house in the middle of the night and try to influence my commitment to my job!? Do you really believe that I would ever in my life take a place by any of you to help with conquering my own world? Who do you even think you are? Get out of here! Right now!" - by that time she was yelling so loud that sure every neighbor was awoken by her sound.
"I was being serious, Major Carter. One day you are going to come back to me and regret every year you wasted on serving a world that can offer you nothing but limits. And that will be the day you realize we are not so different as you believe. Do not forget that." - he said, then disappeared as abruptly as he came.
The next day, Sam went to work just as exhausted as she left. She was unable to sleep after her meeting with Ba'al. As she arrived to the Commandment, she felt it was her duty to inform the General about last night's incident. She changed her clothes to the casual blue uniform, rushed to Hammond's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in." - he answered.
"Sir, may I disturb you?" - she asked, opening the door.
"Major Carter! Take a seat, please. What can I help you with?"
"Sir, unfortunately I brought bad news. Last night Ba'al visited me in my home."
"Excuse me? Are you serious, Major?"
"Yes, sir."
"And what did he want?"
"Actually sir, he wished to talk to me. He implied that my work is not honored enough on Earth and tried to convince me to continue my life beside him since he could offer me much more than this world ever will."
Hammond almost fell out of his chair when he heard what Carter just said to him. "Major, if this is some kind of joke, I swear the next time we meet you'll be standing in front of the military court."
"No, sir, I'm not joking."
"So he practically asked you to be his new queen?"
"Well, sir, I'm not really sure what all of this is supposed to mean. After all, his former queen, Qetesh, had betrayed him. Though I believe it is also possible that he's looking for a new Lo'taur. Or simply someone who is familiar with astrophysics and the programming of the stargates, since his newest hobby consists of stealing them from our solar system."
"Major Carter, are you sure you didn't just dream all of that?"
"Yes, sir. He was definitely in my house, which means he's been lurking around Earth and there's a chance he's still somewhere near."
"Well, this really is bad news. It seems that Ba'al is up to something again. His presence means a major threat to the safety of Earth. What do you think, Major, is there any chance we will be able to find him?"
"I hoestly don't know, sir. If his ship is still around Earth our chances to find it are really poor. It must be cloaked and we don't even have any idea where to start looking for it."
"You are right, Major. But I suppose we have to consider the possibility of him hiding somewhere on Earth."
"Yes, sir, this thought is just as worrying."
"I am going to put some soldiers on the case. Thank you for informing me, Major. Dismissed."
After speaking with the General, she was satisfied with performing her duty. She hurried to her lab to continue developing the hyperspace-generator. As she was walking through the corridors, she kept on thinking about last night's events. She couldn't understand what the system lord's plan was with all of this. Everybody knew Ba'al too well to be aware of the fact he wouldn't show up on Earth with no reason. When it came to him, there was always something seriously menacing in the background of his acts. Maybe it really was nothing but a personal issue. The number of his loyal followers were decreasing due to the consecutive fall of the other Goa'uld system lords which also resulted in various Jaffa rebellions. These incidents made many people on his worlds question him as a God. Since defeating Anubis, he became the greatest system lord among the Goa'uld. Even his own kind was afraid of him. Ba'al enjoyed this too much to let it slip out of his hands so easily. That is why he feared of eventually losing his power.
As she arrived to her lab, she slipped into her chair trying to forget about every issue that was bothering her about Ba'al. She turned on the desk lamp, rolled out the blueprints that were lying on her desk, took a deep breath and dived herself into work.
The SG-1 was standing in the gate room, waiting for their permission to launch yet another off-world mission, this time to P4X-352. Two months passed and they found no clue of Ba'al - neither in space nor on Earth - so they stopped searching and continued their work just like they used to do. The moment Hammond let them go, the four rushed to the gate and stepped into the event horizon with the excitement of exploring a new world again.
The initial excitement evaporated after about one hour spent on P4X-352. The planet at the first sight seemed uninhabited, there was not even a track of life on it. An endless white desert it was. The sun was shining high on the sky, lighting maroon streaks on the ivory sand. The solar radiation though was not dangerously high, so the team decided to snoop around on the surface. Jack and Teal'c went ahead to attempt looking for any sign of a community, while Sam and Daniel stayed near the gate. Sam was collecting samples from the sand and started analyzing them, while Daniel, sitting besiedes the gate, continued one of his translations that he hasn't been able to finish on the commandment.
"Seriously, Daniel" - Sam started with audible amusement in her voice - "if you have nothing useful to do right here, why don't you come help me with the samples so it would take half as much time as it does when I do it only by myself."
"Oh, Sam, I wouldn't risk taking the pleasure of doing the most exciting parts of our job from you."
At that sentence they both burst out in a childish laughing. They never stopped until the opening stargate distracted them from their cheerful moments.
They lifted their gaze on the huge ring and watched as the puddle-looking event horizon spread wide open. A few moments later, a soldier from the Commandment stepped out of the gate. He was looking around, his eyes searching for the presence of anyone. As he looked besides himself, he finally noticed the two SG-1 members. He nodded towards Daniel, then immediately turned to Sam.
"Major Carter..." - he started.
"Lieutenant James, is there something wrong? Our check-in is only due 2 hours later."
"Yes, ma'am. General Hammond sent me here to accompany you to the commandment as fast as possible. Major, it's about your father..."
"What? Something happened to him?" - the Lieutenant nodded. - "Okay, we're going back to the commandment right now." - she ran to Daniel to tell him she was leaving, and hurried into the gate with James following right behind her. As she stepped out of the event horizon, she rushed up to the controlling room.
"General Hammond" - she asked, her voice shaking of fear. - "Sir, what's going on? Where is my father?"
"Samantha..." - Even by that one word, she could tell it was something serious. Hammond hardly ever called her on her first name. - "Unfortunately, we had recently been informed by the Tok'ra that Jacob fell into a coma a few days ago."
"But" - Sam cut in - "Why? What is wrong with him?"
"You know, Selmak is one of the oldest among the Tok'ra. Their lives are long, but not infinite. Major, I'm so sorry I have to say that, but they are both dying."
"Excuse me, sir, but I know from personal experience that the death of the symbiote doesn't neccesarily mean the death of the host too."
"You are right, Major, this can be considered as a fact until a certain level. But your father and Selmak got to the point where there's no turning back anymore. I am incredibly sorry, Major. Jacob is my best friend, too and I would give years from my life to him if I could but I can't." - Hammond sighed, his hand running through his face as he continued. - "The Tok'ra managed to bring him back to consciousness for a short period. He wished to be back on Earth for the last time, so a few hours ago they sent him to the Commandment. He is still conscious and wants to say goodbye to you. I will accompany you to the infirmary so you can pay your visit."
She couldn't believe this was happening. As she stepped into the room where Jacob lied, tears immediately started welling up in her eyes. She sat beside her father and took his hand in hers.
"Samantha..." - he said, looking at her daughter. - "You're here."
"Dad" - she started, trying to hold back the tears that were about to fall from her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? We could have found a solution together. I could have saved you."
"Darling, you know this is not true. I - we - made a decision. The Tok'ra needed Selmak's experience in these hard times against the replicator. We had to stay. Sam, in the last few years I saw, reached, and experienced more than I would ever dare to dream of in my life. You can't imagine how happy I am for the extra time we got to spend together on this Earth." - his lips curled up to a pale smile. "Please, take care of yourself."
"Dad, please don't leave me."
"I don't have a choice, Sam." - he sighed. "I'm ready now. I love you so much, kiddo. Never forget that."
Jacob Carter, who won so many battles on the field lost the fight against his last enemy. This time death proved to be stronger than him.
Sam refused to believe it. She must have been dreaming. He couldn't leave her. After their former stormy relationship, Selmak gave her a new father and they got closer than anytime before. In the last few years, her father became her best friend, her role model, her everything. For her, he was immortal. They should have grown old together. He couldn't be dead.
She laid her head on his fathers now lifeless body and started to cry uncontrollably.
Three days later, Jacob Carter received a beautiful but heartbreaking military funeral.
After the funeral, she drove back to her house and fell into her king sized bed, pale face staring towards the ceiling. Hammond allowed her to stay at home for a while to recover. She couldn't decide if it helped or made the whole thing even worse. She felt so alone, still she refused to see anybody. She had been crying so much in the last few days that it was like she had no more tears to shed. She couldn't save him and never in her life will she forgive this to herself. Now all she wanted was a break from life. And with this thought, something that she long forgot about snapped into her mind. Her lips curled up to an empty smile. That was when she realized what she had to do.
She looked at her watch - 5:30pm, still not too late for a call. She stood up from her bed, grabbed her phone and started dialing Hammond's number. He answered after the second ring.
"Major Carter?"
"Yes, sir, it's me."
"How are you feeling, Major?"
"I'm feeling much better now." - her voice sounded self-confident. - "That is why I'm calling. I was planning on going to work. I would like to participate in the mission tomorrow."
"So soon? Are you sure about that, Major? Concerning your situation it is absolutely permissible for you to stay at home for a few more days."
"Thank you, sir, but I really would like to go. I believe I would feel even better if I could do something useful instead of sitting in my house and thinking."
"As you wish, Major. See you tomorrow then."
"Goodbye, sir."
When she arrived to the Commandment on the next day, many collegues delivered her their deepest condolences. She was so tired of this. She didn't want to hear any more questions about how she was. Most of the people who turned to her with saying how sorry they were for her father's passing didn't even know him. "People are such hypocrites" - she thought while walking to the locker room.
Following her usual routine, she changed her clothes to her military uniform - preparing for the upcoming mission -, packed her bag, and pieced her weapon together. By the time she finished she was already being late, so she had to hurry up to meet her team in the gate room.
They were all standing in front of the gate, only wating for Sam. As soon as she arrived, the sergeant beginned to dial P7X-232, the planet they were about to visit. They all knew it was going to be an easy mission. All they had to do was take the medicines they promised for the crops they received. As soon as chevron 7 was in its place, they walked to the event horizon, stepping into the gate one by one. Sam was the last one to leave. She turned her head back to take a good look at the Commandment one more time. She knew she will make the right decision. "Until we meet again, dad." - she whispered. She smiled to herself again, then walked through the puddle.
When they got to the other side, everyone headed to the direction of the village. Daniel and Teal'c went ahead with the boxes that were full of antibiotics. Jack was slowly following behind them but stopped after a few steps, since he realized Sam was still standing in front of the gate. He turned his head back and started shouting.
"Carter, aren't you coming?"
It was now or never. Instead of catching up with her mates, Sam started walking towards the dialing device.
"Carter, what the hell are you doing?" - he shouted again.
"I'm so sorry, Jack. Please, don't try to stop me." - she said and started dialing.
"Excuse me?" - The Colonel's eyes widened.
When he looked up, the event horizon was already wide open. By the time he could realize what was happening, Sam disappeared into the gate.
As she stepped out on the other side, she was satisfied that her memory didn't betray her. She was in the storage of a ha'tak, exactly where she expected to be. Due to her work she knew the structure of these ships very well, so she was going to find her way out of the storage in no time.
She was also aware of the fact that she had to fight many jaffa to get where she wanted to be. But it didn't matter. She knew for sure he was on this ship. In the end, she was going to find him. She took a deep breath, took her weapon to her hand and started running to the direction of the corridors.
She had no idea how much time has passed until she finally got to the controlling room - her clips empty, face bruised, and blood dripping from her hands - and found him. He was sitting in his chair, looking pleased on the presence of the messy woman in front of him. He was not at all surprised - he expected her.
"Dear, dear Samantha" -he said, his voice full of amusement. - "Remember what I told you that night? I've always known you would find your way back to me." - Ba'al stood up, his long overcoat smoothly rubbing the marble floor. - "Now bow down to your God."