Chapter 2
It was supposed to have been a simple exploratory mission. SG-7 had lead a mission to P5X-991 just days prior and their resident scientist had returned all agog at the discovery of some crumbling ruins. Ruins that, from what Jack had been able to understand during the pre-mission briefing, predated God. OK – so maybe he was over-exaggerating a bit, but this was not Jack O'Neill's favorite type of mission. Rocks and more rocks, along with Daniel's incessantly enthusiastic chatter, was enough to drive him nuts. Add SG-7's archaeologist, Dr. Kevin Michaels, to the mix, and it was almost enough for Jack to call in sick.
He wouldn't do that of course. Because even though the planet was supposed to be deserted, there was always the chance that it wouldn't be. And Jack O'Neill wasn't willing to take risk his team mates' safety just because they were on a mission he would probably find…well…boring.
Upon further study of the video taped ruins, Daniel and Michaels had ascertained evidence of previous Goa'uld occupation. The name Janus had been inscribed in several places among the ruins, causing Daniel to launch into a long-winded dissertation about that particular Greek God. But both men had been almost certain that no Goa'uld or Jaffa had been present on P5X-991 for well over two hundred years. Of course, in hindsight, 200 years wasn't really all that long for an immortal Goa'uld…especially one who was supposed to be the 'God of everything'. Jack had wondered out loud why they would even need any other gods if they had a god of everything, but his query had been meet with impatient stares by several people at the briefing.
General Hammond had given the okay for a more in-depth mission and they had departed that morning…some people more excited than others. They had exited the gate – two teams of four members each – and made their way to the ruins about 5 clicks away in a rather relaxed, but alert, fashion. After all, SG-7 had already been to the planet and never run across any hostiles. Until the morning of January 5th, that is.
They were almost at their destination when Teal'c stopped suddenly. Everyone else immediately ceased talking and froze, weapons raised and ready. All were quiet for several long moments, scanning the immediate area for trouble, before Jack looked over at his friend. "T?"
Teal'c continued to look around, his eyes narrowed and wary. "There has been a sudden cessation of avian life, O'Neill," he replied quietly.
Sam looked down at the energy reading device in her hands, which had suddenly started to hum loudly. "I'm getting unnaturally high energy readings, Sir."
"Of course you are," Jack grumbled to himself. Then he turned to Colonel Collins, the leader of SG-7. "You didn't mention spiked waves of energy at the debriefing, did you Collins?"
Collins shook his head negatively and frowned. "No. Nothing like this happened before." He looked over at Michaels. "Michaels?"
Michaels shook his head. "I'm not sure what it is, Sir. There wasn't anything out here aside from the ruins."
Jack looked at Daniel, who was trying to peer around Teal'c and see if he could catch a glimpse of the ruins. "Daniel!" Jack barked, pulling the other man back with a start. "I thought you said this place had been deserted for centuries!"
"I'm pretty sure it has been, Jack," Daniel offered with a slight frown. "There were no signs of any type of disturbance around the ruins. Besides, a spiked energy reading doesn't necessarily mean that Janus has returned," he added with a pointed look.
Before Jack had a chance to reply, they all heard the unmistakable sound of rings descending from just beyond the clearing of trees. Jack and Collins shared a look before Jack turned back to Daniel. "You were saying?" Daniel had the good grace to look away in embarrassment.
Sam, who had raised her head just like everyone else at the sound of the rings, widened her eyes at another sound that had just registered. "Uh, Sir?" she interrupted his thoughts. Jack turned to look at her, eyebrow raised impatiently. Sam pointed to the sky and quickly turning, Jack spotted the distant outline of a death glider approaching at high speeds. Cursing under his breath, he shot a glance at Collins. They were both thinking the same thing…somehow, someone had known that they were coming.
As soon as the thought crossed Jack's mind, staff blasts emanated from the direction of the ruins. "Spread out and head back to the gate!" Jack shouted. Automatically, the eight members of the SGC split apart – four on each side of the wooded road – and began to fire back. Using hand signals, Jack directed both teams to stay hidden within cover of the trees as they made their way back to the Stargate. He knew they had to hurry, for the sound of rings activating again was a sure sign that another squadron of Jaffa had just come down from whatever ship they had been on. And Jack had a funny feeling that once they reached the gate, they would find another contingent of Jaffa guarding that area.
They tramped back as quickly as possible through the trees, stumbling every now and again on the uneven ground and dodging the relentless avalanche of weapons fire. The six Jaffa who had initially fired upon them had been taken out by several of Collins' men, as well as by Teal'c. But they all knew there were more coming. The sound of the rings, although more distant now, still echoed around them.
As they approached the gate, Jack could clearly see at least a dozen Jaffa surrounding their only means of escape. There were four of them standing with their backs to the DHD – their intent in guarding it obvious. The others stood at various spots in front of the gate, weapons raised and eyes trained both on the road and in the trees. "Oh, crap!" Jack muttered under his breath. There was no way of making it to the gate without engaging in an all-out firefight. His eyes searched the woods on the other side, looking for Collins men. They were there, waiting for his orders while they stayed hidden within the trees.
He glanced back at his own team. All three met his gaze, awaiting further instructions. Very quietly, Jack began. "Carter, T, on my count you clear the DHD. Daniel, you edge around the rock formation." Jack pointed to an outcropping of rocks that stood near and hovered over the DHD. "As soon as it's clear, you run like hell and dial us up, got it?" Jack's gaze encompassed all three of them and all nodded in understanding.
Then he keyed Collins on the radio. "Collins." Jack's voice was barely above a whisper, due to the fact that another group of Jaffa was moving toward them from the direction of the ruins. "You and your men take out the right quadrant. We'll take care of the left. Watch your backs. On a silent count of three. Now."
All hell broke loose when both men counted back to zero. Shots rang out from both sides of the forest and the Jaffa were swift to retaliate. The cacophony of noise sent birds soaring from the trees and rodents cowering in the underbrush. It took only five minutes for the two SG teams to wipe out the entire platoon of Jaffa that guarded the gate, but everyone knew that their victory was short lived. Even now, all could hear the clanking of armor as another contingent of what had to be Janus' army jogged down the path from the ruins. And suddenly, the death glider joined the fray, firing at them in a fast and furious pace as they edged back toward cover.
Jack looked toward Daniel. As directed, Carter and Teal'c had taken out the four Jaffa guarding the DHD. "Dial it up!" Jack yelled. As instructed, Daniel raced to the DHD and began to dial Earth.
The death glider passed, then made a wide arc in preparation of sweeping back over them. Teal'c raised his staff weapon and fired into the sky, knowing that he couldn't bring it down but hoping to at least slow it down while Daniel furiously punched the symbols in the DHD.
Unfortunately, his fingers were not quite fast enough. Another round of blasts invaded the area around the Stargate as reinforcements broke through the trees. Regrettably, they were Jaffa reinforcements, not those from the SGC. The battle began once more. Teal'c continued to provide cover for Daniel as he fought to finish dialing while Jack, Sam and Collins' team returned fire on the approaching Jaffa. They were no longer protected by the surrounding trees, and had to crouch behind boulders in order to protect themselves. Despite their best efforts, all were pelted by flying pieces of debris that left a myriad amount of cuts and bruises. "Hurry it up, Daniel!" Jack shouted with frustration as continued to empty his P-90 into the onrush of Jaffa.
"Almost there!" Daniel shouted back, his voice a mixture of panic and aggravation at his slow movements. Bolts of energy from staff weapons seared the rocky outcropping that protected the DHD, causing pieces of rock to fly through the air like pieces of shrapnel. Daniel ignored them as best he could, but he felt the rocks pelt his skin, as did everyone else within a 20 foot radius of the DHD. Finally, Daniel completed the dialing sequence that would return them to the safety of the SGC.
He looked up triumphantly, ready to yell that they were through, when suddenly, there was a loud crack as a huge piece of the outcropping was seared by a blast from the passing glider. "Daniel Jackson!" Teal'c called out a warning. But it was too late and he was too far away to pull Daniel to safety. The piece of rock slid from the cliff as if in slow motion. Daniel glanced up, a horrified look crossing his face, then he ducked and covered his head as best he could. It wasn't quite good enough. The rock fell and hit him on the back of his head, dropping him like a brick onto the ground below.
Sam, who had been fighting furiously alongside Jack, found her attention diverted from the fight by the sight of her friend falling unceremoniously to the ground. She gasped, then rose slightly to her feet, ready to run to Daniel. She was quickly drawn back to the task at hand when a staff blast whooshed only inches from her head. Jack, who hunched down mere yards from her, had seen the close call and hollered, "Carter! Pay attention!" The angry bite to his tone covered the momentary panic he had felt at her close call. He too had seen Daniel go down…he didn't need to watch Carter fall as well. Sam sent him an apologetic glance before once more returning fire on the encroaching Jaffa.
Jack glanced toward the DHD. His heart pounded loudly at the sight of Daniel lying so still on the ground but, like Sam, he knew he couldn't get to the other man just yet. Daniel had managed to engage the wormhole before being knocked out, something for which Jack was deeply grateful. He'd set the man up with gourmet coffee for a year if they all got out of here in one piece. He drew his attention back to the task at hand. Noting that the event horizon stood open, he yelled, "Send the code, Carter." Jack provided extra cover as she obeyed his order.
A scant five seconds later, Sam nodded to him and Jack knew they were good to go. "Collins," he keyed his radio. "Set up cover fire." Collins and his men slowly backed toward the Stargate, providing the requested cover. Teal'c switched his staff weapon to his left hand, reached down and picked up Daniel with his right. He slung the unconscious man over his shoulder, then rushed toward the gate, staff weapon already up and firing once again. As they reached the shimmering blue puddle, Collins nodded to Lt. Hawkins, who had received a staff blast to the leg and was barely able to stay on his feet. Once Teal'c received a quick nod from Jack, he turned and hurried through the gate, his friend still unconscious across his shoulder. Hawkins lurched through the gate right behind Teal'c and Daniel, grimacing at the pain in his leg and not sorry to see the last of P5X-991.
Jack watched them from the corner of his eye and felt the tension in his shoulders lighten slightly. At least half of his team was home. Now he just needed to get the woman at his side back safely, along with the remainder of SG-7. With a slight break in the action, he looked over at Sam and nodded. "Go."
Sam shot of a few more rounds at an advancing Jaffa, cast a hesitating glace at her CO, then stood and turned, sprinting the twenty feet that separated her from the gate. Just as she reached the steps at the base of the gate, a previously unseen trio of Jaffa emerged from behind the rocky outcropping next to the DHD. They began firing - their aim centered on the blond woman racing toward the gate. "Carter!" Jack yelled in warning. But like Teal'c, he was too late.
A flash of fire ripped through her side, causing Sam to cry out in a mixture of shock and pain before falling to her knees on the stone steps, just feet from safety. She rolled slightly, clutching her side and gasping at the pain. Collins reached out a hand to help her, but quickly drew back as the Jaffa that had hit Sam now concentrated their efforts on him. Realizing that she had to make it through the gate on her own, Sam tried to crawl toward the open wormhole. The pain was too great. She made just a few more steps on hands and knees before blacking out.
Jack had felt his heart lodge in his throat and his entire body freeze the moment he heard Sam cry out and saw her crumpled on the stone steps. In an instant, sheer instinct took over. With a roar of anger, Jack stood and began firing at the three Jaffa, heedless of the death glider that once again began to make an approach toward its enemies. In the face of his rage, the Jaffa were on their backs within seconds; their lifeless eyes staring unseeingly toward the sky.
Collins and his remaining two men continued to fire on the Jaffa who continued to pour out of the woods. Heedless of their approach, Jack ran toward Sam. Not bothering to check if she was still alive, he picked her up in his arms and ran the final few feet toward the gate. He shot Colonel Collins one quick look before disappearing through the gate. Collins read the look and, with one final assault on the Jaffa who were still standing, had the rest of his team follow on the Colonel's heels. All three made it through the gate just as the death glider's weapons made contact with the base of the stone platform, sending up a spray of rock and debris that took out several of their own men.
Jack was barking out orders the minute he felt his feet land on the metal ramp of the gate room. "We need a medical team now!" he shouted, and swiftly carried Sam's limp body down the ramp to the waiting gurney and medical team. Later, he would be thankful that General Hammond had made preparations as soon as their code came through. Now, all Jack could do was stand there and look down at her motionless body.
After he laid her gently on the gurney, Jack noted the second bed carrying a still unconscious Daniel from the room and a wheelchair carting off Hawkins. He glanced at Teal'c, glad at least to see that man standing and in one piece.
Jack stepped back from the gurney as the medical team pushed him aside. Even as he moved out of the way to let Janet Frasier and her team see to his team mate, his attention remained riveted to Sam's face. He willed her to open her eyes – if only for a moment. He vaguely registered the return of SG-7 and the subsequent shutting down of the gate. Jack heard his commander talking quietly with Colonel Collins, but all he could focus on was the inert form of his second in command and the clipped tone of Dr. Frasier.
"We have to get her into surgery. Stat." Janet spared Jack one worried glance before following alongside the gurney that took Sam from the room. The cavernous room was deathly quiet as the injured members of the mission were wheeled to the infirmary.
"Colonel." Jack removed his cap and ran a weary hand through his hair before turning to his CO. General Hammond's face was a mixture of concern and confusion. "What happened out there? This was supposed to be a simple archaeological mission."
"Yes. Well, when are things ever simple, Sir?" The two men shared a look before Jack elaborated. "We were ambushed, Sir. The place is crawling with Jaffa. Seems old Janus didn't want to quite give up the old digs just yet," he replied shortly. His anger at the entire situation as well as his worry for his team mates made him forget all protocol regarding his interaction with his superior.
"I don't know how they knew we were there, Sir," Collins added his own input. "I can assure you, there was no sign of Goa'uld or Jaffa when we were there two days ago." Collins was just as angry and frustrated at the situation as Jack. Although he only had one man down with a serious injury, he held both Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter in the highest regard and hated that they had been injured on his watch. His eyes traveled to the empty doorway, then came back to rest on Jack. "The rest of my team is more than ready to return and kill that son of a bitch," he stated with vehemance.
General Hammond saw the direction Collins eyes had taken. He well knew what both men were feeling right now and understood completely. Still, he couldn't send anyone back to that planet on a suicide mission just on the off chance they would be able to exact revenge. "Easy, son," Hammond replied. "We'll do what we can in time, but we're not going back blind; especially if the planet is now in Goa'uld hands." He held up his hand to ward off the protests that he knew were coming. "Colonels - take your men to the infirmary. We'll debrief in two hours."
Jack and Collins shared a look before both nodded to their CO and turned to leave. For once, Jack O'Neill was more than anxious to reach the infirmary. He had to find out how Carter and Daniel were. With a look of resolve, he strode from the room, never noticing how the SF's rushed to clear his path, nor how Teal'c followed with equally grim determination.
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