Daniel woke refreshed for the first time in months. Scrubbing at the beard he had let grow, and Sam had even said it wasn't half bad if he kept it nicely, he looked at himself in the mirror. Of course the past few months of her gone had knocked any will power to trim it and so it had grown, reminding him of the year before his parents died and on the dig his father had grown out his beard and hair. Scratching it once more, he picked up the clippers and started trimmed it. He wanted a new start and something that signified how important this mission was.
Fifteen minutes his beard was reduced to fuzz, and with a razor, he soon had a clean-shaven face like he once had. Of course, his hair now seemed out of place, and he once more picked up the scissors and trimmed his hair shorter. Running his fingers over his now cleaned up appearance, he hopped into the shower and scrubbed himself, mentally going over what he needed to do, and how to bring Sam back.
An hour later and he was dressed, in the normal black uniform they had adapted for their missions to the Ori missions. They had found it was easier to blend in, and slip between the cracks in their defenses. Night infiltrations were the easiest to execute.
Sitting in his kitchen, he wrote notes to the rest of the team, explaining a bit of what was running through his mind over the past two months since the last mission. Daniel was sure only Jack would read his before racing after him; he'd grown to understand the rules as he'd moved up the ladder. Of course, Daniel was sure, he'd also be the last one to read the letter. Jack O'Neill may not have commanded the SGC for a few years, but SG-1, or what was left of 'his team,' was very close to his heart.
Finally, he walked out to the front door, with his gear packed into an old Air Force rack bag. He had called in a favor with the Planaterian's military and was able to get a military transport to the Stargate. Wordlessly he got into the transport and closed his eyes as they pulled away from the neighborhood and went to the military base.
"Dr. Jackson?"
Daniel opened his eyes and saw they were already in the holding bay, next to the 'gate. "Thank you General," he said, stepping out of the vehicle. He smiled at the red-haired General. "You can contact Colonel Mitchell if I am not back in 72 hours."
She smiled at him. "Don't worry, Dr. Jackson. You have done so much for our people to understand their place in the universe, this rescue mission is the least I can do. I am assigning two other men, Sergeants Blanc and Foster, to escort you during this rescue. And no, you can't turn them down."
Daniel gave a soft chuckle. "They will be much appreciated. How soon can we go?"
"We are ready to dial as we speak," the General said.
Nodding, Daniel thanked her and followed the line of officers into the next room where their 'gate stood. They were two soldiers who had gone on missions with SG-1 before, and as Daniel listened to the familiar rush of the dialing protocol, he nodded at each man, silently thanking them for their support.
"Connection established. Sending in EYE now," a tech said. The EYE acted like the MALP, only it was a round sphere which, Daniel had to silently admit, looked like an actual eye. It went through the wormhole, and in 30 seconds would record the surroundings and condition of the 'gate, taking care of any awaiting interference, and let the Planaterians know they could go through the 'gate.
"We have a clear."
"Well," Daniel said, turning to the two soldiers, "Operation Geek Retrieval is a go."
"Yes sir!" they said, as they walked side by side behind Daniel, weapons at the ready, and minds firmly on the task ahead. Daniel closed his eyes as they stepped through the wormhole, feeling himself finally at peace.
The rush of being pulled apart and thrust through space was much more bumpier then it had been on Earth. Sam had commented many times it reminded her of her first trip through the 'gate, of course Jack would quip about the lack of coldness. Daniel had to smile; the Planaterians didn't know any different way to travel.
Finally stepping on the other side, back on the Ori occupied, or as Vala had started to say, infested, planet, Daniel and his small army of two quickly activated their personal shields and cloaking devices. Picking the EYE up and putting it in his vest pouch, Daniel quickly started down the same path they had taken several months prior. Like many planets, the Ori had cleared the land around the Stargate, making it visible. But as the team kept walking, they soon found shade in the garden forest that surrounded a castle like fortress the Ori had taken up as their base of operation.
The intel they had gathered prior to the last mission had told them that this planet was the Ori's equivalent to a "Milky Way Galaxy headquarters", although Daniel and Vala had both commented that it had a less serene quality to it unlike the one they had visited many years before. Daniel paused now as they approached the wide entrance to the compound.
"Ventito itaque cedo laus**," Daniel muttered, reading off the eloquently scrolled words. "Nice way to invite people in for daily prostration."
The two soldiers looked up at the words Daniel was talking about and than at the clearing. Marble slabs decorated the place where, for hours at a time, devoted Priors and followers would gather and listen to the reading of Origin. They would also put heretics on display, from planets where small pockets of resistant fighters still existed. The last
time Daniel had discovered that the talk of the village was about several men who had just been asked to convert, but had died for their beliefs.
"Doctor Jackson," one of the men asked, shuffling closer to Daniel. "We seem to have caught them as they started their services." Nodding behind him slightly Daniel turned to watch as several Priors lead a band of villagers to daily prayer.
"Let's move," Daniel said, quietly ducking in front of the group, once more marveling how well the cloaking devices the Plantetrians, with a bit of engineering help from the Earthlings, made were. Sam always said a lot of the doctors they knew would have wanted to take a few days to back-engineer them. "We have to wait for them to open the sanctum doors, but we shouldn't have to wait long."
Standing by said door, the team waited, eyeing the building crowd as villagers came, looking eager and excited to be taught more from the religion they had condemned themselves too. Finally, after the patio was full, the sanctum doors swung wide, and as the three priors and a Doci filed out, Daniel and his two soldiers ducked in, and ran along the corridor to the stairs that would lead them to the dungeons. Daniel paused twice to orient himself with the expansive open hall and to recall the blue prints he had been pouring over for the past two months. One wrong move and he wouldn't be rescuing anyone.
Passing two villagers who looked like they were happily serving their gods, Daniel once more regretted that he couldn't save everyone. Wiping his hands down the front of his pants, he picked up his weapon and rounded the corner to descend to where the prisoners of the Ori were kept. With every step Daniel prayed there weren't any other prisoners and Sam would be easy to find.
Finally, the end of the stairs gave way to a long hall, flickering with the light of four torches. Daniel was now relying on previous missions and the sketchy details Teal'c, Vala and Jack had told him about the rescue. He eyed the corridor and motioned for one of the men to go on the opposite wall, covering all areas like Jack or Cam would have done. Daniel had always wondered what leading an op would feel like, now all he could think of was how cozy his home was back on the planet. Edging their way further, they cautiously peered around openings and did quick sweeps of the open rooms, rigged for torture, no doubt, as they passed them. At the end of the corridor there was another door, standing open, inviting them in.
Daniel looked at the young man who was following him and than to the man across from him. Nodding, they slid into the room and swept the room, looking down their weapons as they made a wide circle.
"Clear."
"Clear."
"Clear," Daniel responded, lowering his weapon a notch. "Any signs of life?"
"Not visible," Blanc said. He took out a small device and clicked a few knobs. "It will be tricky to get a lock on Colonel Carter, but I think I can locate her signal at least."
Daniel nodded, moving around the open circular room. He watched Blanc and Foster each calibrate their life sign devices deciding here was as good as any to take a moment's rest and set his next phase into action. There was, he admitted, not much he could do until they found Sam's locater. Providing it was still working, which would mean at the very least she was still alive, even if barely.
He shook his head; that kind of thinking would not serve her well. Daniel had to keep her survival, and his teams, in the forefront of his mind. There were little distinguishing marks on the walls of the room, but as Daniel passed his flashlight over the floor, he could see worn patterns in the stone. He imagined that there had been many prayer services held in this room for the prisoners, perhaps longer and more intense with the interest to convert those who were weak.
"We have a few signals," Foster said, come closer to Daniel. He tilted his device so Daniel could see the cluster of signals. "They look like they are close by."
Daniel nodded, not letting the excitement of those words seep in. "Well, we are not there yet," he said finally. "Any certain direction we should be heading?"
"East of here. I think down this corridor," Foster said, comparing the scan to where he stood. "There are several devices being picked up, do you think there are more of your people here?"
"If there are, let's hope that they know how to point a gun and are able bodied." Once more Daniel lead the small team of three, down the hall, this time with a little more than a feeling to guide them.
**Latin: Come and give worship (Author's Note: I hope this is the right translation, if not, please forgive my sloppy Latin)
Ventito (to come often/to visit frequently)
Itaque (adv. and, so, therefore)
Cedo (grant/yield)
Laus (praise, glory, fame)