A\N: So that you know, this story takes place in between 5x03 Ascension and 5x04 The Fifth Man of Stargate, and sort of during 5x12 The Pandorica Opens and 5x13 The Big Bang.

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Sam knelt down beside the fallen man and carefully rolled him over to see his wound. Orlin stared up, his eyes clouded with pain, breathing unevenly.

"I can't believe how much this hurts," he whispered.

"Just hang on," Sam told him.

"Major, we gotta get out of here," Colonel Reynolds called, watching the overloading naquadah generator with open fear.

"We can't dial out, we can't risk the blast wave translating through the wormhole," Sam said to the man, looking up from Orlin.

Reynolds expression was panicked, and he looked up at the storming sky as thunder rolled.

"I have to go, Sam."

Sam looked back down at Orlin as he spoke. His eyes were still vague as he looked up at the dark clouds.

Orlin lifted his hand to gently caress Sam's face. Sam took the hand and held it there, against her cheek. Orlin's gaze cleared, and he looked up at Sam.

"The Others are giving me another chance," he said.

The grief and pain was clear in Orlin's eyes, tearing into Sam's already breaking heart.

"It's the only way that I can save you," Orlin said softly.

Sam's fingers tightened around Orlin's. She couldn't speak.

Orlin's body collapsed into bright light, long glowing fronds extending from a central mass. The hand Sam so desperately clung to dematerialized, and she grasped at nothing.

Orlin, ascended once more, slowly drifted up. Sam watched him, bewildered and sad, her tears fighting to release themselves. Orlin floated towards the naquadah generator, but then stopped and went back to Sam.

A long ribbon of light reached out and touched her face in the softest way, in the same place Orlin's hand had just been, and Sam heard Orlin's voice.

Thank you, Sam. For everything.

Seven symbols flashed before Sam's eyes. Stargate symbols.

You must go here, Sam. It's important, Orlin told her. Remember these symbols.

Orlin seemed to hesitate before wrapping his long tendrils of light around Sam, filling her with warmth. He sounded very unhappy as he told her, You will never see me again, Sam.

Orlin drifted away from her with a sad farewell, taking the naquadah generator and flying up into the sky.

The generator detonated, lighting up the sky with a white flash, and Sam and Colonel Reynolds' team leaped back as blue bolts of lightning struck from the sky, obliterating Orlin's weapon.

Sam stared up at the sky as the clouds miraculously cleared, showing the gleaming sun. One would never have guessed that anything was wrong.

Sam felt numb as she sat there on the floor. She blinked at the faint outlines of the 'Gate coordinates that seemed to float in front of her.

The Major had no way of knowing what they were going to lead her to.