A/N: Yeah, I admit, some of what I wrote in last chapter aren't true. Like Colfax being three hours from San Diego. I researched it, and it's actually a 9-hour drive, but by then I had already altered the address twice, so it stuck. Minor details. Also, I played a little around with time and timing so it fitted better with Ellie's age and the resignation.

And of course I altered the events of Stargate slightly. You'll just have to imagine the missions without Carter and ending up the same. I don't know how I will coin that yet.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of this story, not its characters or anything related to Stargate: SG-1 or the universe.


x STARGATE SG-1 x

While her theories may be better equipped at Area 51, it had been a place she had refused to work, mainly because of its inadequate location to her home. She works as a liaison officer although she is too biased to the Air Force, so her retirement is a way of offering guidance where such is needed with her extensive knowledge of the Stargate, stargate travel and Goa'uld-related missions. She can never be seen as a civilian again if her previous encounters of the off-world kind are taken into consideration. So, most of the time she spends at home, some of it at the Cheyenne Mountain base, and some of it at Area 51's research and development facility.

"Major Carter," the airman addresses as he opens the door to the car which is definitely registered to the Air Force, if at all. He is young, she notes, his hair bleached by the sun, but also seems to be awed by her presence. Sam remembers being his age, eager to make her way.

"It's Doctor now, Airman," she corrects him, smiling casually although the smile doesn't reach her eyes. Her mind is elsewhere, other than entering the nondescript car with tinted windows that will bring her to the destination of Cheyenne Mountain.

"Apologies, Doctor," he replies without showing that falter of doubt. He closes the door behind her, and she is enveloped in the smooth and cool darkness of the interior of the car.

She has barely had the oversight to choose her words or way to present the complex idea of her having another flashback to Jolinar's memories. It is sensitive information concerning an ally of theirs, the Tok'ra.

While she hasn't kept in touch with her former colleagues and is only roughly aware of the threats out there, she knows that the Tok'ra are still Earth's allies, making it important for her to pass on information about host genetic experimentation. Her mind flashes back to Nirrti and her experimentations on a peaceful population, now extinct, in her efforts to create a hok'tar, a superhuman to host. Cassandra Fraiser is an ever-reminder of that, and although she has adapted well into Earth society, Sam wonders how affected she is. The Stargate Program deserves to know if their allies are doing the same.

Personally she is troubled by the fact. It has been some time since she dealt with the Tok'ra, having banned her father from Ellie's life (he does not know) and only seen him at neutral locations. She is not ashamed of having had Ellie. She is a wonder of life herself. It concerns the parentage of the gleeful girl who wanders into lives like a beaming sun. Due to her father's blending with the symbiote Selmak, he now possesses the memories of knowing Lantash and Martouf, entities of another. For a short period of time, Sam was Martouf's – and by extension, Lantash's – lover; because of the emotional bond she felt between her and Martouf due to her short blending with Jolinar. A transfer of emotions seems like something out of novels, but it is true. At the time, she couldn't keep their feelings separate. A night spent in the arms of Martouf changed everything. She fell pregnant with Ellie; panicky, she told Martouf and, hours later, was forced to kill him with two shots of a zat. The pain is still raw from the realization that one with whom she felt such deep connection is dead by her hand.

Tears spring to her eyes as a reminder. She dries them away, forcing herself to be strong. She has Ellie, who is some part of Martouf. She never loved Martouf. She felt love for him, an ultimate limitless love that transcended everything she had know, and she had cared for him deeply – there had even been sparks between them – but now soundly stripped of most tendencies of Jolinar, she can say that it was a mistake to sleep with him. It was doomed from the beginning. Does she regret it? No is her answer when she thinks about Ellie, when she thinks about everything she's had to sacrifice to protect the hybrid child. She is the best of her, she is the best of Martouf, and by extension, the best of Jolinar and Lantash. What more could she have asked for?

Although not a lovechild, what Sam feels for Ellie is the closest thing she has come to feeling what Jolinar felt for Lantash: utter devotion, love transcending physical intimacy. Any parent will proclaim love for a child limitless. Now sharing the experience, Sam can only agree.

Ellie is her largest reason to live. Nothing is more important. And her biggest fear is that somebody will take her from Sam and leave her destroyed emotionally. While Ellie shares her father's knowledge, she will know nothing of the cruelties of the world.., galaxy. Not if Sam can prevent it.

She has chosen her clothes carefully but in a matter of moments. She is not Air Force personnel and therefore not required to wear uniform of fatigues, but it still feels odd stepping into the elevator in civilian clothes. Low-heeled shoes, slacks and a dress shirt make the outfit she is to present the idea in. Sam has never been one for dresses or skirts; that part of her Air Force ceremonial uniform always bothered her as a strict reminder of gender inequality. At least when she was off-world the BDUs were the same no matter gender.

Hair into a clip, minimal makeup on, she still feels out of place. Even though it has been four years since she was on missions, the rush of excitement still cannot be prevented each time she sees the Stargate. Because of her colleagues not knowing about Elara, she has been offered numerous chances to rejoin the program, each time half-heartedly declined. It had been torturous to lie into Janet Fraiser's face when she insisted that she would not be a part of an SG team and did not wish to. Her friend worries, even though their meetings are brief and minimal. Each time it pains Sam to keep the truth from one she once considered her best friend.

The car pulls to a halt and the young airman opens the door. She smiles politely at him, both honored and ridiculed to have a military escort but it is procedure. A complaint will not alter what she has to do. She steps out and solemnly follows him through the all-too-familiar standard searches. Once done, they enter the elevator that will take them levels down underground to a world only few of Earth's inhabitants know about. She swallows and closes her eyes nervously and slips into the confident scientist she needs to be.

x STARGATE SG-1 x

"Samantha," General Hammond greets warmly. It is no secret that he knows her father personally and had been like an extra uncle for her as a child. During her active service at the SGC that connection had been carefully severed, but now he can treat her more gently without being reprimanded for it.

"General," she replies, smiling heartily. Whenever she is at Cheyenne Mountain, she makes sure to say hi to him, which she can only say is one of the few members of the SGC she can face without feeling guilty. Even Janet makes her feel like she is keeping secrets.

"Malcolms let me know that you had something to tell me?"

"Yes, sir," Sam admits, scratching the white crescents of her nails nervously. She is sitting alone in the conference room opposite the general, recalling mission debriefings.

Hammond looks at her questioningly. "What was it, Sam? Your message suggested it was urgent."

"Not as much urgent as worrisome, General. It concerns a memory of Jolinar of Malkshur," she says hesitantly, thinking of how much she will get reprimanded for this if it is discovered that she covered for her own flesh and blood and lied to the officer in charge. At least she can no longer get court-martialed.

"The Goa'uld who infected you?" he asks with furrowed brows.

"The Tok'ra," she corrects, but nods anyway. "A resurfaced memory of sorts. We suspected this would happen eventually, but it was never discussed as a part of my retirement."

"Yet you did find it important enough to inform us, Carter, and for that we are grateful, but what does this memory concern? Intel will be outdated and cannot possibly be of use. After all, how many years have passed since Jolinar infested you?" he asks.

Sam doesn't even have to think. "Nearly six years, sir."

"However, you know this, so I suspect this is a more.. delicate matter concerning the Tok'ra," the general says, choosing his words carefully and politely. She nods, feeling ill and treacherous.

"You are right. It is an address to a research facility," Sam explains, sliding a paper across the paper with a replica stargate address on it from Ellie's drawing. She had felt silly copying her daughter's drawing, but now it seems all too real.

"As allies we are aware of their developmental stages that we are uninformed of due to privacy," Hammond replies, yet studies the seven chevrons, the seventh being the earth point of origin. Sam had been surprised to see it on the drawing. Its memory is passed on from Lantash, but only Ellie with her combined knowledge would now to draw the earth symbol. Not that Sam has ever voiced her job at Stagate Command to the girl; she intuitively knew.

"It's not entirely theoretical. There are human subjects. It is a facility much like the one Nirrti had with trials on Cassandra's people," she reveals.

Hammond seems uneasy by this news and she senses that there is something he is not telling them. Solemnly, he rises from his chair and walks to the window.

"What is it?" she asks, empowered by civility. She knows she holds no clearance to be directly involved with the SGC's active missions or SG-1 or any other team, but when he reacts like this, she feels inclined to ask.

"Last year we discovered Nirrti experimenting on a primitive population. She was altering their DNA as far as I recall. SG teams one and four – the Russian team – were exposed to DNA re-sequenzing. I believe your are aware of the machine?"

"I am, but I had no idea SG-1 –," Sam says, startled. "It was never brought back, so it was pure theorizing."

"I know, but Nirrti was killed. Her intentions were to create hok'tars. Do you believe that is the Tok'ra's as well?" he questions seriously. She recognizes the flicker in his eyes, the plea for her to be wrong.

"I saw it myself, general," comes out of her before she has even thought about it. Realizing her mistake, she adds, "I could be wrong. Years have passed since Jolinar received the information, but she was not totally dismayed with the idea," Sam fibs, imaging that a Tok'ra symbiote who would forcibly take a host (like Jolinar had done albeit with regret) would tolerate human experimentation more than someone like, say, Lantash.

"The Tok'ra have expressed their ideology about true symbiosis before," he insists. "However, they have also been willing to sacrifice hosts in the past," he adds with a flicker of sympathy in his eyes. Sam is certain he is referring to Martouf. "Off the record, I doubt they value human life above or equal to themselves, despite their noble ways of symbiosis."

Sam hesitates. "I wouldn't know what to say, general. All I do know is that if they haven't revealed their facility, they might not think we'd react well."

He nods solemnly. "I understand. At first possibility I will have a team sent through. If they come up with anything, we will need to bring this up at the next Tok'ra Council meeting." Hammond pauses. "Have you spoken with your father?"

"No, not since last time we were both here. In May, I believe," she says quizzically, rising from her seated position, almost relieved.

"Oh," Hammond notes, then changes the subject. "I suppose you will head to see Dr. Lee? I hear you are having some issues with naquadriah experiments?"

It takes Sam a couple of moments to realize what he is referring to. Then she nods hastily, a distanced expression on her face. She remembers Ellie and the drawing. The fearsome creation, the impending horror. The feeling of dread clinging to her when she saw it. She cannot imagine what Lantash and Martouf must have felt.

When she rides the elevator to one of the thirty-some levels, she feels a chill pass through her. Briefly, she wonders where her former team members are. On mission somewhere exotic through the stargate? Shrugging, she enters her office and working station, seeing an abandoned cup of coffee donned by presumably Dr. Lee. Bill is always leaving his coffee everywhere. That has not changed although their working on joined projects have lessened in the few years. For the first year since she retired, she didn't return to the Cheyenne Mountain base, working at several algorithmic projects for companies who would hire her. With everything in her last years a national security risk, she could only present a limited resumé with honorable praise from the Air Force. She had to present herself dumber than she was – something she hated. It reminded her of the Asgards and their superior attitudes. Now she is back at the SGC, civilian scientist on a secret project.

She feels out of place without her fatigues, dodging her way through men she has served with. She logs unto the base computer and starts her configurations, expecting Bill to return soon. Also, she recovers from the impact of lying to George Hammond.

"Dr. Lee, can I – Oh, Sam!" Daniel says, appearing in the doorway. Their eyes meet as Sam spins around to the obvious surprise of her former friend. They have not spoken in years, and only now does it occur to Sam that there is no reason for banning him from her life. He is genuine and has always been a friend first and foremost.

"Daniel," she replies, smiling hesitantly. Her fingers leave the keys, retreating from the laptop.

"Sam!" he repeats as if finally realizing she is there and not a hologram. Swiftly, he steps forward and hugs her lightly. Stiffly, she responds a second too late, which he doesn't seem to notice.

Then he steps back, adjusting his glasses in a pure Daniel-like gesture. "I didn't realize you were here today!"

"Well, it was sorta last moment.."

"This is great! I mean, we never get to hang out like before," he insists. He is dressed in fatigues, probably returned from some mission or here on his downtime to study an interesting artifact.

She doesn't want to admit or point out that it is likely due to her retirement, or the fact she has moved, or their missions. It seems inappropriate even though it is the truth.

"I agree. Why are you here?" Her eyes gleam bluely in the lighting, her civilian clothes all too prominent. She has always considered Daniel a close friend, yet she knows almost nothing of his ventures these past few years.

"Uh, medical check-up with Janet," he awkwardly and distractedly admits.

"Is something wrong?" Sam asks, quick to pick up the habits of a mother. Her brows knit worriedly.

"No," he remarks high-pitched. "Just post-Ascension medical procedure. Or I guess it's not really normal procedure given it's the first time someone ever Descended."

Sam remembers reading a rapport about Ascension. It was even a subject of consideration before she retired. Why has she not been informed that Daniel ascended? Which meant, Sam realizes, he had died.

"I didn't know," she confesses. "I am not kept in the loop these days."

"Oh," Daniel says. "Well, there's not much to say. I don't remember much. Too bad," he adds, smiling.

"Too bad," Sam replies weakly. That guilty feeling is returning. "I won't keep you from Janet too long."

"Right," he replies, getting off. "If you're not doing anything tonight, we could go out for drinks.."

"Yeah."

x STARGATE SG-1 x

SG-1 returns, sans their archeological member, through the Stargate peacefully after a successful negotiation. Jack O'Neill looks sullen, groans about the lack of activity while Teal'c retreats as ordered, an unreadable expression on his face. A rare opportunity it is to see both part-time members together, Jonas Quinn, who is becoming more absent on Earth and more involved in the difficult politics of his home world, Kelowna. Captain Ryan Sherwood is the last to come out of the event horizon, his eyes trained on this C.O. the whole time.

General Hammond looks at his flagship unit with admiration. Their failures and successes aside, they still manage to continue strongly, even under the critic of the International Oversight Advisory. Dr. Jackson has only recently been well enough to return to his original position and the General knows he has been missed and his return goldenly anticipated. Hammond knows that Quinn will soon be unavailable for missions once he returns fully to Kelowna, and then Captain Sherwood will be on duty and a full member of SG-1.

Sherwood is one of countless temporary team members the flagship unit has broken in (many of whom were discarded and found inadequate to the explosive encounters, O'Neill's leadership methods, or else). He holds the rank of captain, much like Carter did when she joined the team back in 1997. Hammond still remembers her fiery attitude and the thin line she walked while obeying orders. Particularly a comment about reproductive organs being tied to productivity in the job she would hold. Hammond still smiles at that, feeling sorry for the young captain. He has big shoes to fill.

It seems strange that four years have passed since Sam Carter retired. The true cause has never been clear to him, since SG-1 functioned better than most teams despite what they endured. Through tempting job offers and positions Hammond is not sure he would have been able to reject, Carter has kept her feelings clear. She does not wish to rejoin the program actively. It is too bad, because she made a fine officer, one of the few who O'Neill accepted, it turned out, when they should reappoint a fourth member of the unit.

With Teal'c being an alien and Jackson a civilian, it was made clear that it was to be someone military and with experience. Nobody able to fit in were available from other teams, so Hammond brought in the up-and-coming captain. He isn't a trained fighter pilot like Jack, but follows orders to the letter and when he doesn't, he is, as Jack puts it, "damn intuitive" which is the best thing the colonel has said of any 'recruit' Hammond has sent his way. Not as smart as Carter, he is her military equivalent. He is trained in reconnaissance, surveillance and combat amongst other things. If only he had half the experience of the other members of SG-1, Hammond would not doubt the newest member. So far he has lived up to the expectations given to him. His experiences with SG-1 have, till now, not made him spooked, which counts as a good thing in Hammond's book.

He prepares for the debriefing, knowing what to expect. What occupies his mind is this new information Sam handed him. That the Tok'ra may be experimenting on humans? He also knows that she does not speak lightly, so she has considered the repercussions of her act. It certainly explains how pallid she looked when he entered the room!

Thought intermingling, he wonders how SG-1 will react if given the information. Then he discards the idea, knowing that they are in for some downtime. Quinn requested to be sent to Kelowna once this mission was over, and he keeps his promise to the intelligent man that plays the part of a half Sam Carter. But often, as the saying goes, does two halves not make a whole.

x STARGATE SG-1 x

"Carter?" Jack says in disbelief once he recognizes her. "Whatcha doin' here?"

At least he does not react like Daniel by pulling her into a friendly albeit awkward hug. There is a note of disdain in his voice which she understands. She, too, would feel betrayed if he had quitted in her place those years ago.

Her glance lands on the general, who is closing the door after Daniel. Teal'c and an unknown man have already sat down. Sam is feeling horrendous.

"As you know, Jonas had to go to Kelowna this afternoon. I'm certain that his skills are not needed, so do not fear," the general explains, pulling his own chair out before sitting. Intense and awkward glances are exchanged.

"Sam has had another memory of Jolinar resurface. She saw a stargate address leading to a hok'tar experimental facility." He paused.

Instead of resorting to playing with her fingers in her lap (a habit her daughter has inherited when she is nervous), Sam glances at the only person she can stand to face, the fatigued man she has not seen before. Is he a part of SG-1? She shouldn't be surprised, of course they would replace her. He is limber and muscled but not in the way of Teal'c or Jack. He is more lean, flexible and tanned without being overly so. He has olive green eyes and a long nose that looks like it has been broken a few times. His cupid's bow casts a small shadow on his full lips, a feature rarely seen in men. In no way does he look feminine, but he has an almost Daniel-like absentmindedness over him. He looks squeamish about the attention he is receiving, then reverts back to a military man. He is a captain, she notes, his dark brown hair cut short. He looks thirty-ish, but she cannot tell for sure. His uniform says R. Sherwood.

"Unusual," Daniel mutters under his breath, then starts aloud, his eyes on Sam. "You had Janet do a check-up?" When gazes are received, he defensively claims: "Just to be sure. Last time a memory resurfaced, you felt ill. Just to verify this wasn't.."

Hammond cuts in. "I had a M.A.L.P. sent to the address. There are no indications of a stronghold, but it could just mean the Tok'ra has concealed their facility."
"Wait, the snakeheads experimented in your vision?" Jack loudly asks, eyeing Sam. She nods carefully, startled by his quick change in mood.

"It is possible that the Tok'ra has hidden this sort of information in light of our hostile approach to their way of living," Teal'c replies dryly, his expression solemn. "I do believe it would be advisable to send a team through to verify if they indeed are creating hok'tars."

"Nothing suggests this," Daniel points out, ever the diplomat. Sam can see it from his point of view all too easily. Sherwood has said nothing yet, but looks like he is diverging a plan, processing the information. Or maybe he hasn't had the intimate dealings with the Tok'ra yet. He looks almost rookie-like. Then it strikes Sam: he is awaiting orders.

"Unfortunately, the Tok'ra are the only who could verify whether the memory was true. You are certain you saw what you saw?" Hammond asks her directly.

Sam thinks about the humans suffering in the drawing and nods. She had contemplated asking Ellie what she had thought about when she drew that picture, but her daughter has a tendency of drawing what pops to mind, never questioning it when she accesses her genetic memory. To her it would be a shock.

"Alright. I will send SG-1 through tomorrow, Colonel. Given your arrival back to the SGC," Hammond orders, eyeing the colonel. "Dismissed."

For the first time in years, Sam finds herself rising from the wooden conference table and leaving with SG-1. Of course she is no longer a vital part, having retired as far as the Air Force is concerned. Sighing, she comes to the same conclusion many parents have come: it is all worth it, doing that for her daughter's sake. No doubt that if her condition would have been "public" in the SGC, she would have been subjected to tests and experiments. Not to mention the judgments people would pass on her by getting pregnant with a Tok'ra.

Teal'c halts lightly in the corridor, hesitating before speaking. "Samantha Carter, your presence have been solely missed."

Sam opens her mouth to reply but then he is gone down the corridor, presumably to his quarters. Stunned, she is left with a quizzical expression. The colonel is nowhere to be seen, and Daniels sends a a pitiful glance before walking off to the locker rooms. Never before has she felt so alienated. Despite these being the corridors she walks at least twice a month, there is something different about being a military member and a Major Carter and then being a civilian consultant and a retired major of the Air Force. She feels like she has disappointed them somehow. They evidently avoid her like the plague despite Daniel and Teal'c's attempts to be friendly. The colonel did not even look at her, only in disbelief and with a hidden resentment. She knew that she would not be accepted into the fold lightly, but this?

She retires to her station, prepping the next test on the naquadriah simulator. Sullenly, she begins to do the calculations, wondering absentmindedly what they think of her now where she has returned to their lives.

x STARGATE SG-1 x

When the alarm rings out, Jack's mind is elsewhere. The surprise of seeing his ex-second in command left a physical impact.

He didn't know how to respond back then when she came to him and said she had resigned. At first he had mistaken it as reassignment elsewhere (after all, perhaps the missions were taken their tolls on her, like they did him sometimes), but when she had said that she was quitting the Air Force and that she told him because he deserved to know. He had looked like a question mark, not understanding and leaving abruptly after harshly lashing out. He hasn't seen her since.

And now she comes here, looking, well, civilian, dressed in a very feminine outfit that outlines her curvy frame. And even though he still thinks of her as Major Carter, she just proved that she isn't. She hasn't been on missions the past four years and hasn't been involved with the Stargate.

And yet Daniel seemed very unsurprised when they had walked into the conference room with her in the chair, General Hammond in another, thinking it was a normal debriefing. Carter has been a taboo on their team, only mentioned briefly and respectfully to new team members who asked. Sherwood rose a brow when he got the information that the well-known astrophysicist had been on SG-1, but made no notion to ask more thoroughly. That is part of why he has stayed; O'Neill certainly has no problems with his presence. No, he actually prefers the times where it's him, Sherwood, Teal'c and Daniel. Sure, they lack a gentle approach, but it is easier to convince Daniel to walk on when Jonas Quinn isn't tagging along. In that capacity he has not changed since Carter retired or his ascension. He is still the ever-curious, ever-challenging, ever-friendly archeologist and a thorn in Jack's side when it comes to up-and-leaving.

His thoughts on Carter is putted on hold when the alarm of alien intruders ring out, alerting personnel of Cheyenne Mountain base of enemies amongst them. Presumably through the gate, he muses, wondering how the hell he missed the unscheduled incoming wormhole alert that usually echoes on the intercom system.

He hurries to the armory, keeping track of the armed airmen and SGC personnel making their way through the narrow corridors, their P90s locked into firing position. He quickly grabs his gear and the nearest semi-automatic weapon once he reaches said armory, heading for the gate room to ensure the security of the Stargate, dialing sequence and iris codes. So far, he has not heard General Hammond's voice over the intercom, which worries him.

He joins the scattered members of SG-5 and SG-12 and resumes command. "Anyone know anything?"

"No, sir," a lieutenant says, his eyes observant. "'Just heard the alarm and came here."

"So nobody heard an unscheduled off-world activation?" Jack inquires, his tone necessarily harsh. Military. He slips into the team leader he needs to be, even though these men and women are not his team; on several occasions has he served with them and he knows they are fine officers of the Air Force.

The soldiers shrug, shaking their heads. They continue down the corridor as he tries to radio the remaining teams on-base. He thinks of who might be here and comes to a shockingly conclusion: Carter. They have already searched and cleared the locker rooms, but he has no idea where his former junior officer is, not since he left her half an hour ago. She cannot have forgotten to arm herself and seek hiding, can she? Then again, she has changed so much.

Jack leads the unit to level 28 when he sees Teal'c firing a staff weapon. He is surprised to see at whom.

Ba'al. Unfortunately, a personal shield of Goa'uld design, emitting from the hand device, absorbs the blast. He is dressed in his usual obnoxiously pretentious robes, the smug grin on his face that infuriates Jack O'Neill each time. Without hesitation, O'Neill aims and fires, missing as Ba'al disappear around the corner.

"Teal'c, status?"

"Minutes ago, Ba'al managed to override the iris when SG-7 returned. He held it open long enough for Jaffa warriors to enter until he came himself. I have lost radio communication with the control room," the Jaffa reports solemnly as they trace Ba'al's route.

"Daniel and Carter?" Jack finds himself asking, too late realizing his mistake. Teal'c frowns but replies.

"I have not seen DanielJackson nor SamanthaCarter since the debriefing. I suspect that they are held up on base."

"Alright. Let's get these guys!"

Sherwood rejoins them moments later, reporting almost the same as Teal'c. It seems they have severely underestimated the Goa'uld, but also that SG-7 is not to blame (mainly because most of its members are not dead, but also because they were used as a means to infiltrate the SGC). The SG soldiers under the de facto unit flank Ba'al, overriding the door to the gate room so that they can see Ba'al's true intentions. Radio contacts say that they have searched the surrounding levels, but that Ba'al has remained on the twenty-eighth. Which means that whatever his plans are, they involve getting away through the Stargate. No way that it's gonna happen on Jack's watch!

The unit splits, one securing the personnel behind the blast doors in the control room, another creating a line of defense. Jac freezes when he sees the situation unfolding.

Ba'al's grab on Carter's neck tightens as he approaches the Stargate. She struggles against it, but unsuccessfully. Jack can see the despair in her eyes along with contempt. He recognizes that fierceness, and that's what makes him hope that this will not end badly.

"Ba'al!" he calls out, his hold on the riffle tight and ready. "Let. Her. Go," he instructs, no place for doubt in his voice. He sees amusement flash across the Goa'uld host's face, that smirk of opportunity.

"Well, Colonel, why would I?" Baal asks, eyes on Jack. The knife in his hand hangs dangerously close to Carter's neck. The collar on her shirt blouse is wrinkled, exposing a neckline he shouldn't think about. Her hands are trying to pry Baal's knife away, choking in the meantime. She has already lost her footing.

Jack aims his riffle scope. "I won't ask again, Ba'al!" he warns dangerously, trying to find an angle where Carter won't get hurt by the projectile weapon. Where are the zats when you need them? Unfortunately, Ba'al has a zat tucked into his belt, and Carter looks unceremoniously clumsy, leading him to believe that she has already been zatted once. She will not survive another shot.

Their eyes meet, Carter and O'Neill, and he already regrets the fact that she has been exposed this way.

"But, Colonel, you forget where I get my intel! Now, I want through the gate. Open it," the false god demands, his voice threatening, the knife slicing a bit of the skin on Carter's neck. She tries to conceal her wince. "Or are you willing to sacrifice one of your own?"

Next thing happening, Jack aims his weapon and pulls the trigger, but Ba'al pushes a device that unlocks the iris, exposing the event horizon that has already been dialed. Where it leads to is unknown, but Jack bets his monthly salary that it is an outgoing one and that technicians are already getting ready to redial.

Ba'al's knife slices through Carter's neck like butter, creating the grotesque red line where blood spills forward, choking her. Thereafter, Ba'al drags the dying Carter after him into the wormhole only seconds before it shuts down, taking all power to the gate room with it. Even in the darkness, all Jack can see is the replaying image of Carter's slit throat in his mind, blood spilling powerfully unto concrete.


Hating me now?