Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine; I just enjoy playing with them. No remuneration of any kind has been exchanged in relation to this work of fiction. All rights are retained by the legal owners of the Stargate franchise, its subsidiaries, licensees and assigns.

Set sometime in Season Ten. Always best to assume spoilers for everything; then you won't be surprised.

This is a team adventure, but for me it will always be Sam and Jack together post-Threads, even when only hinted or implied.

This hasn't been Beta'd, and even if it had, all mistakes would still be my own.

This Is War

Sam Carter knew there was no one in the galaxy better at strategy and battle tactics than Jack O'Neill, except maybe Teal'c. From these two men Sam had learned everything she knew about war, and make no mistake—this is war.

Sam was crouched behind a shortened stump that offered only a minimal amount of cover, trying to catch her breath. She had been dodging her pursuer for what felt like hours but was likely only several minutes. This mission was not going according to plan. OK, maybe she should have expected that; this was SG1 after all.

She saw Daniel go down within the first five minutes, but she couldn't concentrate on that right now. She had not seen anyone else from the team since this all began, but she could feel someone behind her, close on her tail.

She had to figure out a way to turn the tables; if she could manage to loop around and come up on her pursuer from behind then the hunter would become the hunted. She just had to stay calm and work this through. A better vantage point, that's what she needed.

From her position she could see a small ridge with some brush cover about a hundred yards away. Alright, rest time over; time to go to work. She took one slow deep breath, and cautiously began working her way toward her objective.

o-O-o

Jack O'Neill wondered, not for the first time today, what he had been thinking when he agreed to join SG1 on this little jaunt. Sure, he missed being out in the field with his team, but he had almost forgotten how grueling this sort of thing could be. He was sweating under the weight of the far too unfamiliar gear. His back ached and he was sure his knees would give out at any minute. But this was a man who had dragged himself out of Iran with several broken bones and a skull fracture. He did not give in, and he was not about to be taken down.

He signaled to Vala to take up a position behind a small stand of trees about 30 yards away. The ex-goa'uld host, former con artist, and newest member of SG1 would not have been his first choice to watch his six on this operation. But he knew she was good in a fight, and they had the same objective. Although, Jack believed for Vala there were some highly charged personal feelings involved, which worried him a little. He knew from experience that you couldn't let your emotions get in the way in situations like this. But for now he would take help where he could find it, and at this moment she was all the help he had.

He was set up behind an embankment and their target was in sight. Vala would be the diversion; it was her job to draw fire and allow Jack to take the shot. Just when it seemed like everything was in place and their plan would go smoothly, Vala suddenly ran out from behind the trees.

"Damn!" Jack swore. "What the hell is she doing?"

Their opponent turned and faced Vala head on. Jack fired, but it was too late. He hit the target square in the back, but not before Vala had taken a hit, just as she also got off a good shot to her assailant's chest. They both went down.

Jack wanted to swear again, but he knew with all that noise his position had surely been made. He didn't have time to look back. He knew he had to move; the Jaffa would be on him any minute now.

o-O-o

Teal'c had one objective once this mission began and his teammates had scattered under threat of fire. He knew his adversary well. He was a formidable opponent—a strong and cunning warrior. It would take all the skill and knowledge Teal'c possessed to best his foe, but he was determined to prevail.

Teal'c stalked through the woods, reading the signs and using what he knew about his opponent's methods and tactics to track and corner him. He had veered toward the sound of a skirmish earlier, believing his target might have gotten caught up in the fray, but if he had been there he was long gone when Teal'c arrived. There were signs that others had gone down, but no one remained.

After carefully studying the area Teal'c believed he had picked up on the trail once again, and he was now in close pursuit. He heard the soft snap of twigs from his left, a sound so low others might have missed it or ignored it. Teal'c did not. He turned and hid behind a large tree, and waited to see who or what was coming. He thought he might have glimpsed Colonel Mitchell in the distance. He had not seen the SG1 leader in some time; so absorbed was he in his own hunt.

o-O-o

Cameron Mitchell was separated from the others and he knew he was on his own. He had a better idea of the terrain than the rest of his teammates, having scouted the location a few weeks earlier with Colonel Reynolds and the SG3 Marines. That gave him a slight advantage he hoped he could use against his opponents. Some might think he was crazy, he considered, but this was definitely his idea of fun.

He carefully worked his way through the woods. He had the upper hand for a while, but he was afraid she may have slipped around behind him. Oh, yes, he knew his target was a woman, and she was dangerous. He had learned in his time on SG1 that the woman could be just as deadly as any man and he wasn't going to let a false sentimentality or an antiquated notion of chivalry be the end of him.

That's when he saw his opening. She had positioned herself at the mouth of a gulley. There was only one way out, unless she chose to climb the embankment, which would leave her completely exposed. He didn't think she'd be that foolish. She had good cover, and a better line of sight. It very well could be a trap. But somehow, he knew in his bones she had miscalculated, otherwise he'd have been picked off already. He angled his approach, careful to keep his head down and make as little noise as possible.

"Ha, gotcha." Cam murmured under his breath, as he sighted her along the barrel of his weapon. Patience. That's all it takes. He inched forward, and prepared to take her out.

o-O-o

Sam swore quietly and profusely as she hid behind a fallen log pulling apart her weapon. She had a plan and it was working perfectly. She was all ready to take down her mark when her weapon jammed and she had to scramble for cover.

Now she was cornered and she was pretty sure her opponent knew where she was. At least she wasn't totally exposed, but she had to get her weapon working again. It was possible she could get off one good shot before he did, if she was lucky, which up to this point she hadn't been.

"How good are you at ducking, Sam?" she said to herself with chagrin.

An image flashed into her mind from years before—she and Colonel O'Neill attempting to blow up Apophis's new mother ship using those armbands that gave them superhuman powers. When a Jaffa fired a staff weapon at them they were able to see the blast and move to avoid it. Despite all the trouble those armbands had caused, she wouldn't mind having one right now she thought.

She finished reassembling her weapon, and she hoped it would work this time. She knew she'd only get one shot. She placed herself in the best position she could find. She would have to stand and completely expose herself to her foe if there was even a chance for this to work.

She tried not to calculate the odds in her mind. Math was usually a calming thing for her, but she doubted these numbers would have the desired effect. Just as her pursuer came into view she heard a weapon fire from behind her. The projectile passed over her right shoulder and nearly caught her opponent in the torso. He pulled back and ran for better cover.

Sam turned to her benefactor and spoke with surprised relief, "Thanks Teal'c."

Teal'c bowed his head solemnly at her words. He knelt down beside her and scanned the landscape for other dangers. "Do you require further assistance, Colonel Carter?"

"No. I'll be fine," she replied softly, as she also took in the terrain. "I've got this one. Go, take out your target. You're the only one of us who can." She turned to him with a brief smile of encouragement.

Teal'c bowed his head again and rose to leave. Sam rose as well. She turned in the direction her adversary had fled. This time, she meant business.

o-O-o

Jack wasn't entirely sure, but he thought he had managed to shake his pursuer. He wasn't even sure how many potential foes he was dealing with anymore, but he knew the Jaffa was the only thing he was really worried about at this moment. What he needed was a plan. Scratch that; what he needed was to find Carter and have her come up with a plan.

OK, so . . . find Carter. Excellent plan. Elegant in its simplicity. But he would never have the chance to execute it.

The shot came out of nowhere. He had no idea it was coming. He couldn't even figure out where it came from. As the red mark bloomed on his chest Jack considered that he may have gotten too old for this. It didn't surprise him that his last thought as he went out was of Sam and how she faired.

o-O-o

Sam barely reacted as she took out her adversary. She felt some elation that she had survived their little game of cat and mouse, but she also knew she was running out of time, and she didn't know where the rest of her teammates were. She began making her way back to the rendezvous point when she heard a horn signaling in the distance. She knew it was game over.

A few minutes later, Sam slowly emerged from the woods and followed a trail leading to a base of operations. She could see Teal'c approaching from another direction. He also appeared to be untouched. She anxiously looked around, trying to spot Jack and the others.

o-O-o

Daniel Jackson sat on a picnic table gesticulating wildly. Two large paint splatters covered his torso front and back, almost as if he had been skewered by the projectile, except that the spot on his chest was bright pink and the mark on his back was a blazing orange. He was clearly engaged in some sort of debate with Vala, who stood before him with a large blue stain covering the front of her jacket. Mitchell stood off to the side with an unmistakable purple mark on his left knee, trying to ignore his two teammates and avoid getting drawn into their argument. Jack sat nearby, looking off toward the playing field.

When the horn sounded, signaling the end of the game, Jack stood and began ambling toward the path where Sam had emerged from the woods. He reached her just as she was signaling for Teal'c to come over and join them. Jack placed his hands in his pockets, rolled back on his heels and smiled as he took in her pristine appearance. Sam grinned slightly and tried not to color at his lingering gaze. Jack turned just as Teal'c joined them and three of them walked amiably back to the place where their other teammates were gathered.

"So big guy," Jack said as he clapped a hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "I'm surprised you didn't go after Mitchell and show him whose boss. He has been kind of obnoxious about those fancy Jaffa moves he learned from those sodium guys, don't cha think?"

Sam ducked her head and tried to hold back a smile. He didn't need to know what part she had played in encouraging Teal'c to choose Jack as his primary target. Teal'c merely continued walking.

"I'm not saying it wasn't a great shot. But you do know I'm a little rusty, right? Sitting behind a desk and all … paperwork … that sort of thing. If I did get out in the field a little more, I'm not sure you would have, you know, mowed me down quite so neatly," Jack concluded.

Teal'c paused a moment and stared at the man beside him then continued moving forward. Anyone who didn't know the Jaffa as well as Jack would have said Teal'c's expression hadn't changed. But Jack knew better. His friend definitely looked smug.

o-O-o

"I thought we agreed there wouldn't be any alliances," Daniel balked, as Jack and the others came within earshot.

"I don't know what you're complaining about," Jack replied, "She didn't stick to the plan anyway."

Jack turned toward Mitchell and pointed a thumb in Vala's direction. "Does she always just go off and do her own thing?"

Mitchell just rolled his eyes and wisely chooses to keep his mouth shut for now.

"I don't understand why you both chose to target me in the first place. Why didn't you go after Sam?" Daniel said, waving his arms in exasperation.

Sam looked at Jack, waiting for his response. Instead Mitchell jumped in, "Jackson, what kind of a stupid question is that? I thought you'd been married?"

"I wouldn't have helped you boys take out Sam anyway," Vala interjected. "We girls have to stick together. Right Sam?"

Mitchell then turned to Sam, "A little show of girl power a part of your plan?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Cam." Sam smiled at him innocently. "You know I'm not even in the running for the rule breaker type."

"Looks like Mary Poppins got you good," Daniel said under his breath, enjoying the opportunity to rub it in.

"Well I would have had her," Mitchell retorted, "if Teal'c hadn't intervened."

Teal'c stood next to Sam with his hands clasped behind his back. At Mitchell's remark, he tilted his head and slowly raised one eyebrow. No one really knew how to respond to that. It was Teal'c's ace in the hole. But Jack eventually spoke up. "You should probably know by now Mitchell, that Sam is Teal'c's favorite." Jack leaned in conspiratorially, "I think he has a thing for her."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow again, but Jack persisted. "See it's all in how he uses the eyebrow. That's not the 'I don't believe what I'm hearing' eyebrow. This one's different."

"Don't you think you're reading a little much into the eyebrow, Jack?" Daniel retorted.

By this time, Vala was definitely losing interest in the conversation. She decided it was time to bring everyone's attention back to her. "I'm starving. I thought we were going to get some food after we finished playing Cameron's little coloring game."

"Paintball, Vala. It's called paintball," Mitchell huffed.

Teal'c ignored Mitchell's exasperation with Vala and spoke up for the first time since the game ended, "I believe the winner was to have the choice of restaurant and a complimentary meal." Everyone turned toward him. At least one thing could be said for Teal'c's reserved and deliberate speaking style, it certainly did command attention.

"Well," Daniel began, "it looks like it's a tie between you and Sam."

Just then they heard a loud pop immediately followed by a muted thwack.

They all turned to stare at Sam in stunned silence as a large purple splatter spread across Teal'c's chest. Teal'c never moved, never said a word. He didn't even raise an eyebrow.

"I win." Sam said coolly as she lowered her gun. "Sorry Teal'c," she spoke out of the side of her mouth. She looked around at her teammates, and shrugged. "This is war."

Teal'c bowed deeply toward the woman who had bested them all, and in his solemnest voice replied, "Indeed."