"Jaffa? Are you sure? There must be a small group of them somewhere, we'd heard reports over the last few years but didn't think they'd be so close to us…And as for coming back here, CJ, I gotta' tell you, they picked a hell of a time to attack. We've been having problems with the gate on our end, we can transmit signal, but we can't get you kids back. Stay with your sister, keep her safe. Send hourly reports back, and we'll keep you posted on the gate. Remember, you and your sister aren't allowed to handle a gun under any circumstances." Jack told his son.
CJ nearly broke down in tears at the fear that raged through him. "Dad, we're okay right now, but we're really scared. We need the gate fixed." He replied. There was a shout from behind him, he spun to see a small band of Jaffa coming their way. "Time to go, Dad, I love you and Mom and Walker, and this is all your fault for making us come, I hope you realize that!" CJ blurted quickly as a staff blast shook the ground somewhere behind him. Darting away from the MALP, he made the safety of the treeline and headed deeper into the forest, eventually making it to the others. They panted hard, CJ and Brad keeping an eye out for their pursuers.
"Alright. Time to go on the offensive. Up till now, we've laid back and let them call the shots. It's up to us. You heard the general. He told us no guns. We'll wait until night, then we'll start. First, I need a volunteer." CJ ordered when he could talk. Kaylie's hand shot up.
*******
"How are they doing?" Vala asked, looking up from a printout Walter handed her. Jack pulled it away.
"Peanut and CJ are fine, Ella's infiltrated the camp in disguise, went in to get two of the class's kids out. CJ says she might try to rescue the entire camp. Oh, and this is all my fault." he sighed.
"You can't blame the boy, he thinks he's alone and sent his sister off to die. As far as he knows, Muscles and Daniel are both gone. He feels alone. I know quite what that is like, if I do say so. Call me if there's any news to report." Vala sighed gently.
"Yeah. Might want to call Sam. Let her know how things are going. You know how she worries." Jack replied.
He stared at the printout, hoping the kids were ready. Every training run they had been through, every escape scenario wasn't the same as the real thing. If only he could be there with them. Guiding them. Protecting them.
His children needed him, and he was sitting in the gate room, staring at a copy of Landry's newest memo.
*******
Night came, after many hours. The children, lead by CJ and Peanut, slowly worked their way across the open field in front of the gate on all fours, hidden in the knee high grasses, digging a shallow trench and burying a length of rope tied to a thick tree, stretching from one side of the field to the other, well up into the trees and out of sight. CJ had tied it off, then used military tape to make certain the knots held.
The children were spread out across the grass within arms reach of each other, when a small band of Jaffa entered the clearing. Instantly, Peanut as the lookout placed a hand on her neighbor's shoulder, he followed the action to his neighbor, forming a chain that reached across to CJ.
And the signal started.
Tapping Morse Code onto Wyatt's shoulder, she could feel the slight movements he made as he relayed the instructions down the line. When the tapping stopped, CJ silently opened his pack and pulled out more rope.
How many? He tapped out.
Three. Came the reply from down the line.
Tapping more instructions, CJ waited for the confirmation from Peanut, then silently got to his feet. Wyatt, Bradley, and Tony did so as well. Their packs, filled with rocks as a safety precaution much earlier in the day, launched through the air and struck the rearmost Jaffa in the back, taking him by surprise and knocking him to the ground. CJ shot forward, heaving up another as Jessica, Kaylie, Peanut and Leila charged in to tie up the Jaffa. It was over in under fifteen seconds, the children had taken their first prisoners. Stacking the weapons in a pile under the camoflauge netting, CJ drew his first deep breath.
"That went well. We worked together good. You guys are doing great." He announced softly when their trap was finally set.
"Our god will hear of this insolence! Your names shall be forgotten, and those of your ancestors, you have no honor!"
Peanut looked to CJ and nodded once.
"Remember my name. I'm gonna' live on in the history books long after whatever god you serve gets killed. My dad took out Ra, Apophis, Anubis, Ba'al, Hathor, Cronos, Isis, Nirrti, my Dad took out the Ori, you sick jerk. My Dad's Jack-Friggin-O'Neill. We're gonna' take you to meet him when this is all over, and you can spout whatever false religion you want at him then. But for right now, we kinda' need you to keep quiet." He smiled widely and slapped a strip of tape across the Jaffa's mouth, Kaylie and Leila doing the same to the others. "If any of you so much as twitches while we're gone, Wyatt, Kaylie, Tony, pull out their symbiotes and crush them." CJ continued. Staring at the three, he was suddenly aware of how small the children were compared to the muscled warriors.
"If even one of them moves, kill all their symbiotes. Understood?" He ordered. Wyatt stared, eyes wide with shock at CJ's callous behaviour. "Remember when Dr. Lam showed us how to remove the symbiote? Do it exactly like that. Hold just behind the head, and use a knife to cut the head off when it's out. No matter what they do, don't take the tape off, and don't untie them." He added with finality.
"Peanut, Jess, Leila, you guys are with me."
"What're you gonna' do?" Kaylie asked, fear in her voice.
"We're going to try to rescue Ish'ta, and possibly the rest of the camp. They have them in the one big tent, I'm hoping that with enough skill, determination, and the little thing I like to call the Jackson-MalDoran brand of luck, we can take out the guards at the perimeter where we're going to be heading one by one and maybe, just maybe, slip in unnoticed. That is, if my dad's bad luck and my mom's even worse timing doesn't live on in me. CJ's got my back. He's a Carter, fercryinoutloud!" Peanut took over then.
"Hey! My last name is O'Neill, remember?"
"Forget the rescue attempt, we're all screwed. May as well surrender to the Jaffa right now." Peanut giggled, unable to hold back at her best friend's dire tone. "Come on, Jack Junior. We've got a village full of innocents to save." She managed after the look CJ pinned her with.
"Be safe!" Wyatt called in a hoarse whisper as the three went off.
"Yahsureyabetcha'!" CJ called back, Peanut, Jessica and Leila at his heels.
