Disclaimer: See Prologue…

A/N: Sorry about the delays guys. I meant to post this a couple days ago, but the site wouldn't let me upload my document. Anyway...here it is...hope you enjoy. Please R&R!

Spoilers: 215 "The Fifth Race" 703 "Fragile Balance" 721/722 "Lost City Part 1&2" 1011 "The Quest Part 2" 1020 "Unending"

Chapter 1: The Discovery –

The stargate shut off with a snap, leaving SG1 standing on the dais, surveying the surrounding area. Not seeing any immediate danger, they moved down the steps toward the DHD.

"You getting anything, Sam?" Mitchell asked.

"No, everything looks clear." Sam responded distractedly.

"Sam are you okay?" Daniel asked quietly.

"Yo Jackson, which way are these ruins of yours?" Cam called.

"I'm fine Daniel." Sam responded.

Daniel looked at Sam, trying to decide if she was telling him the truth.

"Jackson!"

Daniel rolled his eyes before looking over at Mitchell, causing Sam to chuckle softly.

"Three clicks that way." Daniel answered in annoyance. "There should be a path once we get to the trees."

"Let's go then." Cam said. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back."

Daniel shot a glare at Cam before falling in behind him. Vala moved to walk with him while Teal'c took the rear of the procession.

As Sam followed behind Vala and Daniel, she knew that she should be keeping an eye out for any hostiles. However, with the knowledge that Teal'c was behind her doing just that, Sam found her mind wandering.

Λ

Flashback:

Sam walked into the briefing room ten minutes before the briefing was to begin. She was surprised to see the young Lieutenant talking with Daniel.

"Jon!" Sam exclaimed.

"Colonel." Jon replied as he stood at attention and saluted.

"As you were Lieutenant." Sam responded as she returned the salute. "What brings you to the SGC, Jon?"

"That's my doing, Carter." Jack announced as he came up the stairs from the control room.

"Sir?" Sam inquired.

"Lieutenant O'Neill is being transferred to Atlantis. I thought Daniel should brief him on the events since…" Jack paused.

"Since I was reverted back to adolescence." Jon filled in bitterly.

"Yes, well…Dr. Lam is waiting for you in the infirmary Lieutenant."

"Yes Sir!" Jon shot off a smart salute, waiting only for Jack's return salute before leaving.

"O'Neill, was that not Jonathan O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as he, Cam and Vala entered the briefing room.

"Yeah Teal'c." Jack answered as he moved to take his seat.

"O'Neill?" Vala inquired.

"My nephew." Jack replied. "He's being transferred to Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Cam repeated in surprise.

"Jon has the Ancient gene." Daniel interrupted preemptively.

Before Cam could vocalize his next question, General Landry entered the room.

"Doctor Jackson," Landry spoke as he took his seat. "Everything went well with Lt. O'Neill?"

"Yes Sir." Daniel replied. "He's down in the infirmary now."

"Good." Landry acknowledged as he turned to the rest of SG1. "I'm sure you are all curious as to why I called you all here." There were nods all around the table. "Jack?"

"As you are all aware, the personnel at Peterson have been working toward assembling an armada of F303's and F304's." Jack began the briefing. Everyone nodded in acknowledgment. "As you are also aware, the scientists at Area 51 have been working toward integrating the Asgard technology into the armada. On top of that a special team of scientists and engineers have been tasked with engineering the F305, based upon the reverse engineering of the Orion class ship that Atlantis located thanks to the information given to us from alternate Carter.

"Thanks to all of you helping with the process, the crews for all of the ships were finalized yesterday. In fact, already today, our allies are beginning to outfit their ships."

"So soon?" Cam inquired.

"We are officially launching the armada in a month, the captains and crews will need most of that time to become acquainted with their ships and each other."

"One month?" Sam exclaimed in surprise.

"A week ago I received word from the F305 project that the tests had been run successfully. Along with the other crews, the Joint Chiefs and our allies finalized the crew for the Sirius. The crew will consist of representatives from all of our allies."

"Have they chosen a captain for the Sirius?" Cam asked.

"That debate took them two days to decide." Jack responded dryly. "The decision was made that the Sirius would be the flag ship and whomever they chose would be fleet commander, so they took their decision seriously."

"Who did they choose, Jack?" Daniel asked quietly.

Λ

"Colonel Carter are you well?" Teal'c asked, effectively bringing Sam back to the present.

"What?"

"Are you well?" Teal'c repeated.

"Yeah." Sam hurriedly assured. "Just…thinking."

"We are all concerned for O'Neill, Colonel Carter."

Sam looked at Teal'c in surprise, but realized that he was probably the one person who knew her best. After all, he had memories of 50 years that the rest of SG1 hadn't lived through. She sighed and looked away. Up ahead she could see the path widening into a clearing, probably where Daniel's ruins were located.

"He knew for months Teal'c. He knew that if the Sirius was completed in time that the Joint Chiefs would push for him to take command."

"You are upset that O'Neill did not inform us of this possibility."

"Yeah."

"There was no guarantee Colonel Carter that the Sirius would be completed on time. O'Neill chose not to inform us of a decision that was not guaranteed to be relevant."

"You're not at all angry Teal'c?" Sam inquired impatiently.

"I am not. O'Neill wished to spare us while the decision was unclear. Now that his orders are certain, he has informed us."

"Yeah, but…"

"Sam! Teal'c! Are you two going to join us?" Mitchell interrupted. He was yelling from his position at the end of the trail.

"We are coming Colonel Mitchell." Teal'c responded. "O'Neill is an excellent choice to lead the Tauri armada. Very few have the experience that he has."

"I know that Teal'c." Sam replied begrudgingly. "Really, I do. But I can't help feeling that this is a suicide mission."

"Do not the new ships have the Asgard technology?"

"Yes...or at least our interpretation of that technology. It's still new to us Teal'c and recreating it has been difficult."

"What took you two so long?" Mitchell asked, effectively ending the conversation for the time being.

"These are the ruins?" Sam asked as she surveyed the scene before her.

Mitchell frowned at her blatantly ignoring his question. However, he decided to let it go for the time being.

"Take a look at Daniel's face, then ask that again." Cam replied.

Pulling out one of her devices, Sam smiled at the look of eager anticipation on Daniel's face. "Right."

"Are you getting any readings Samantha?" Vala asked as she tried to look over her shoulder.

"Actually, yes." Sam puzzled.

"What?" Daniel exclaimed as his attention was finally diverted from the ruins.

"I'm getting faint energy readings from the direction of the ruins." Sam replied.

"What kind of energy readings?" Cam asked warily.

"I'm not sure." Sam replied. "But I don't think it's the kind that explodes." She looked up at the others. "We should check this out."

Λ

Three hours later found Cam leaning against a pillar and throwing pebbles in boredom. Teal'c stood guard at the entrance, ever aware of possible danger. He watched outside while keeping one eye on the other three members of his team.

Upon entering the temple, Sam had followed the energy readings to one of the walls that was partially hidden near the back. Immediately Daniel and Vala had set to work translating the Ancient writing on that wall. Leaving the two to their translations, Sam took Daniel's camera and documented the rest of the temple for later study.

"Guys, I think I found something!" Daniel exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Instantly, the rest of his team gathered around him, waiting for an explanation.

"He who is worthy will have access to knowledge that will guide him to the path of truth." Daniel translated once they were all gathered.

No one noticed when Vala frowned in consternation. "I don't think…"

"That sounds familiar." Mitchell grumbled. "Sounds similar to other things we've heard while searching for the sangraal."

"Indeed."

"So what now?" Sam asked. "This is where the energy readings are coming from. Is there something in this wall?"

"Not in it," Daniel smiled. He placed his fingers one at a time in strategic places on the wall. "Behind it." He continued as the wall moved and revealed a hidden passage.

Before anyone could react to this new development, Daniel hurried down the passageway. With no other option, the others followed, hurrying to catch up. They finally caught up to Daniel only when he stopped where the passageway opened up into a spacious room.

"Jackson! How many times do I have to tell you not to touch anything or take off without clearing it with me first?" Mitchell exclaimed as he attempted to regain even breathing.

"Greater men than you, Colonel Mitchell, have attempted to reign in Daniel Jackson and failed."

Four sets of eyes turned and stared at Teal'c. Three of them registered shock, while Sam's betrayed the laughter that she was trying to swallow. Had Sam not known Teal'c for so long, she probably would have missed the matching mirth in his eyes.

Slowly, a smile spread across Vala's face. "He's right Cameron. General O'Neill spent nearly a decade trying to keep Daniel in line."

Daniel smiled at that too. Only Cam seemed not to be amused by the conversation. So when Daniel moved to step further into the room, Cam grabbed his pack and anchored him to the spot.

"Not so fast Jackson." Cam grumbled. "What are your readings, Sam?"

"The source of energy is definitely in this room." Sam replied as she studied her handheld device.

"You're sure?" Cam asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, we go in…cautiously. Teal'c, stay with Daniel, the last thing we need is for him to touch something he shouldn't."

Daniel shot a glare at Cam before taking off with Teal'c following close behind. With smirks still on their faces, Sam and Vala took off in the opposite direction around the room.

At first, Cam stayed at the entrance to the room. But after a few minutes, he too entered the room, walking straight down the middle of it. He wasn't halfway across the room, when a movement on the opposite wall caught his attention.

"Well I'll be damned." Cam muttered. "Sam! I think I found the source of those energy readings."

It didn't take long for the other members of SG1 to meet at Cam's location and find what he was referring to.

"Is that…?" Vala stammered.

"Incredible." Daniel whispered in awe.

There was a moment of silence as everyone contemplated the enormity of this discovery.

"Alright, let's go!" Cam finally broke the silence as he turned and headed back across the room.

"What!" Daniel exploded. "This is our greatest chance to find a way to destroy the Ori and you're just going to walk away?"

Cam regarded him for a moment. "Yes." He announced.

"But…I…how…you're insane!" Daniel stuttered.

Don't argue with me Jackson!" Cam exploded. "Three times SG1 has run into one of those things and twice General O'Neill almost died!"

"But Thor…"

"Isn't around anymore Jackson!" Cam interrupted. Calming down a little, he continued, "Look, Jackson, you were lucky last time. Merlin set up a time limit for you. That's not likely to happen this time around and the Asgard are no longer around to remove the knowledge before it kills you. Sticking your head in that damn repository is suicide."

"We can't just leave it here!" Daniel argued.

Cam sighed. "What's the likelihood of someone else figuring out how to reveal that hidden passageway?"

"Highly unlikely." Daniel acknowledged.

"Then it's safe for now." Cam replied. Daniel started to argue, but Cam cut him off. "I'll talk to Landry about sending a science team to extract it."

"Fine." Daniel grumbled before leading the others out of the temple.

The rest of SG1 shared looks before following the grumpy archeologist.