The blow roused him to a stunned wakefulness.
He knew he was going to die.
This wasn't the first time.
He was sure it would be the last.
He was going to die here, alone, on this godforsaken planet.
Suddenly, through a red-black haze he heard Tau'ri gunfire.
One blast sounded impossibly close, and the thump of his attacker's body hitting the floor gave him grim satisfaction.
A voice cut the silence, pulling back the fog enveloping him.
"Jack! JACK!"
A shaking hand caressed the side of his face.
He was wrong.
Not alone, then.
His world went black.
