Disclaimer: muppet, I have no rights over anything I write. Correction, I invented Ali'ki, Bel'an, Luke and Amy. Suck on that MGM!
A/note: Thank my Beta for this early update everyone! This one is a little shorter, (only 5.5k words...) Ali'ki is pronounced the same way as 'maleki' from 'Window of Opportunity', without the 'M'. Ba'al may seem out of character, but you'll see why soon enough. Torture and violence warning. Might get a little icky towards the end. * Hey Ti Rhyse; How fast was that? :D Ask and ye shall recieve!
~ SG1 ~
P4X-236
1921h (earth time)
Ali'ki sat on the floor of the hyperdrive control room, one leg propped up to rest her elbow on as she tapped her gun on the tip of her boot. She stared at the empty space of floor in front of her where the Tauri woman had previously stood. Ali'ki sighed impatiently and continued to wait; she had already disabled and destroyed the Tauri explosive and was left with nothing to do but sit with dozens of dead Jaffa. Ten more minutes passed and voices could be heard in the hallway on the other side of the door. Recognising the loudest voice, Ali'ki sighed again and rose from the cold floor.
The door opened and two Jaffa entered the room. They took post by the door and puffed out their chests proudly when their master entered the control room. Ba'al glided in, flanked by two of his priests, one of whom was carrying a black engraved box; the other carried an empty stretcher. The System Lord looked around the room, scanning the bodies of deceased Jaffa on the floor.
"I was able to apprehend the woman, my lord," Ali'ki reported, clearly pleased with herself.
"I see you got carried away," Ba'al noted, looking again around the room. Ali'ki smiled cheekily. "Was it necessary to use the zat'nik'tel three times?"
"They are not likely to return. They witnessed her death and disposal by zat'nik'tel. There is nothing for them to return for," Ali'ki patted the zat on her leather covered thigh. Ba'al gave her a scolding look. He turned and summoned the priest carrying the black box. Ba'al watched the loyal Jaffa extract a device from the box. It was half of a black sphere, about the size of a dinner plate. Its surface was glossy black and shimmered in the flickering torchlight. The priest hesitantly handed the device to Ba'al, his head bowed in reverence the whole time.
Ali'ki pointed to the empty space on the floor where Carter had been vaporised. Ba'al placed the strange device on the floor near where Carter's body had fallen. Ali'ki stepped back, taking her place by her lord.
"You are fortunate that you mother was so industrious, Ali'ki," Ba'al growled to her as the device started to hum.
After ten seconds, blue waves of light began to flow out of the device like water, spreading two metres in radius around the device. The light intensified and slowly, a figure materialised on the floor. The light flashed in a blinding blue, causing the onlookers to avert their eyes. The device deactivated and the body of Sam Carter lay on the floor.
Without prompting, the priest carrying the stretcher came forwards, followed by the two Jaffa. The other priest slid around the two Goa'uld and gingerly picked up the device, placing it gently back into the box and closing the lid. The two Jaffa rolled Carter's body onto the stretcher, folding her limp arms over her chest so they wouldn't dangle over the sides. The priest took their staff weapons from them, allowing the Jaffa to lift Carter off the ground.
"Remind me to thank her for the zat'nik'tel. I am impressed she was able to integrate phase shifting technology into such a small device," Ali'ki walked alongside Ba'al as they exited the control room. Ba'al smirked at the woman. The two guards in the hall joined their entourage.
"Take her to the sarcophagus my chamber," Ba'al ordered the two Jaffa carrying Carter's body. They bowed their heads and turned down a different hallway. Ba'al then turned to the two spare Jaffa. "See to the removal of the bodies in the engine room."
The two Jaffa nodded. The priest carrying the two staff weapons handed them to the Jaffa, and then joined the other priest down the hall, leaving Ali'ki alone with Ba'al. They began to walk down the hall towards Ali'ki's quarters. Ali'ki finally holstered her BAG (Big Alien Gun), letting out another sigh, this one in boredom.
"You are troubled, Ali'ki." Ba'al observed.
"I'm curious as to how they found us, my lord," Ali'ki pondered, rubbing the back of her neck.
"They sent one of their flying probes through. It was a golden opportunity for them. We are so far from any other planet, it was logical they would try to destroy the ship through infiltration," Ba'al explained casually. They arrived to Ali'ki's quarters.
Her room was large, decorated with the usual gold Egyptian design. Her sarcophagus lay in the centre of the room, which was normal for any Goa'uld. On the far wall, a crystal clear window looked out over the Jaffa campsite on the surface of the planet. The walls were lined with various weapons, ranging greatly in style and function. Numerous swords glistened in the sunlight, a gleaming contrast to the dozens of metallic black guns and staff weapons scattered in between. Between the sarcophagus and the window, was a huge bed covered in blood red blankets, stitched with gold thread. On either side of the head of the bed was a long stone table stretching two metres wither side, made of the same material as the floor. At the end of her bed was a long and wide pillow, the colour matching her bedspread. Tat'su must be out hunting.
Ali'ki placed her B.A.G on the table at the left side of her bed, gazing out the window. She ran her tongue along her teeth, tuning back to Ba'al.
"How long are we to remain here?" she asked, the hint of a whine encroaching her tone. She and her mother had been here for a long time. Ba'al was at least able to leave occasionally. Ba'al smiled and strutted across the room. He tilted his head, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek.
"Not much longer, my love. As soon as you mother is recovered. I promise..." he said in his host's voice. Ali'ki smiled gently and enjoyed his gentle attentions.
"Thank you father," She purred.
~ SG1 ~
SGC infirmary
2031h
The infirmary was silent except for the humming and occasional beep of various pieces of medical equipment.
Vala sat curled up in a vinyl blue chair, holding a tissue to her nose as silent tears ran steadily down her cheeks. Daniel sat next to her, blindly rubbing a comforting hand across her back. He was physically and emotionally drained. Teal'c sat up in the hospital bed, staring at his bound leg. Looking at the aging Jaffa, you would not be able to pick his mood, his eyes were so distant. Cam simply leaned against the wall with one hand in his pocket, staring at the ceiling. Every now and then, he would raise a hand to his eyes to wipe away an errand tear.
Jack felt numb, to any onlooker, he was painfully grave. He was yet to ask what had happened. He just sat on the floor against the wall at the end of Teal'c's bed. The blood slowly draining from his head and the world around him had shrunk down to the size of the room he and companions occupied. In the distance, the clicking of heels and a pair of patent leather shoes echoed in the infirmary. Jack looked up to see General Landry and Carolyn Lam entering the room.
Landry looked just as sad as the rest of them. He carefully considered his words before speaking.
"I know emotions are running high at the moment. I understand that. But we need to know what happened." he said with as much sympathy as possible. He knew the grieving process and he was well aware that irrational decisions were made immediately after incidents like these occurred.
SG-1 looked around to one another, wondering who would be the first to speak. In the end, Teal'c's deep voice broke the silence.
"We arrived in the cargo hold of Ba'al's ship. He has accumulated many Stargates. We chose to continue with our mission. We were met with little resistance on our way to the room that controlled the hyperdrive engines. Colonel Carter suggested we use the rings to escape to the surface on the completion of the mission." Vala began to sob at the mention of Sam. Teal'c continued his report in a monotonous tone. "As she and I were setting the explosive, the rings in the room were activated. Jaffa started entering the room. We defended ourselves but Colonel Carter was trapped behind a console. A Goa'uld came with the final wave of Jaffa, but I did not recognise her. She had a shield. We believed a slow moving projectile would penetrate it, but we were mistaken. The Goa'uld was standing on the ring platform. I believe Colonel Carter attempted to lure the Goa'uld away from us. The Goa'uld moved quickly and blocked Colonel Carter's attempt to escape..." Teal'c's voice trailed off. Cam picked up where he had left off.
"Carter was pinned down near one of the exits. She used her field knife to activate the rings. Last thing we saw was Sam getting zatted three times. She knew she wasn't going to get out of there; she sacrificed herself to get us out. We ringed down about a mile and a half from the Stargate. I don't even remember the trip back," Cam concluded, pushing his fists into his eyes, either to force the memory back or stop the torrent of tears threatening to erupt.
Jack's ears were ringing. As the story was being told, he couldn't help but picture the events in his head. Sam had promised to come back. He needed to tell her that he was sorry about Amy. Jack knew he was nearing a state of shock, if he wasn't there already. He couldn't bring himself to cry yet.
"Thank you. I'm going to be calling in a team of councellors and psychologists. No doubt there are many people who will be affected by this. I'll also be arranging the funeral today, once my report is submitted." Landry sighed, "I'm sorry everyone. Colonel Carter was an incredible officer and a damn fine human being..." Landry said sadly. He didn't want to upset them much more, but he needed to be strong. He still had a base to command; albeit a grieving base.
Jack's head dropped back against the cement wall, the bony crack bouncing around the infirmary.
~ SG1 ~
Sam felt herself floating in what she could only describe as blackness. She had finally died. This time for good. Every memory she had ever had was clear as day to her. Right up to that second zat blast. She could hear the rings activating and her friends cry out her name as they where beamed to the surface. They had seen her die. It would be hard, but they would move on. It was strange, but she couldn't grasp any strong emotions. She was not sad, or happy or even frightened.
'Jack wouldn't move on though. Oh Jack. You've lost so much in your life! Your son. Your first marriage. Now I won't be able to come back to you. What did you need to tell me Jack? What had made you so miserable? It doesn't really matter to me now. I've been in a good place the last two years. I think you were too,' Sam thought. The words whispered around her as she pondered.
A sensation grew in Sam; it was an intensifying pain, outlining her earthly body. She couldn't actually feel her body, only the pain. God, it burned! It was like someone had replaced her blood with acid! She wanted to scream, but felt no lungs with which to draw breath. She wanted to cry, but felt no eyes to shed her tears. All she had was her thoughts and the searing burn that was carving out her body in the abyss.
Sam realised that as the sensation continued, feeling to her extremities was returning. Yes! She could feel her body! Her legs, her arms, toes, fingers, neck, jaw, her brain, it was there! She couldn't move, but it was there. She could not get her diaphragm to draw oxygen into her body, nor was her heart beating, but felt no need for them to do so. She was dead after all.
The burning dissipated and she was left floating limply. She wasn't sure how long the experience had endured, whether time had any impact at all. She was again left with her thoughts. Something was going on. She had been pulled from where she was, into this abyss. Sam wanted to go back.
Slowly, she sensed what felt like warm water trickling down her body from her head. It was tingly and caused pins and needles in her body as it ran down to her toes. It was both soothing and uncomfortable. It ran over every nerve ending. She felt it all. She was aware of every cell in her body.
The warming of her body continued and a faint light appeared in front of her eyes. She couldn't say how far away it was, heck, it could be inside her eye sockets for all she knew. What she did know is that as that light grew stronger; her body was waking up, as if for the first time. One by one, her cells were coming to life.
The light began to envelope her when Sam heard it.
Her heart started beating again.
She was able to feeling blood rushing through her veins and arteries, her muscles trembled as they tensed and worked. A crushing fear filled her and she could do nothing but scream as the sarcophagus opened before her eyes. She screamed until there was no air left in her. Sounds penetrated her ears and brought her attention to world outside the lit coffin. She knew that laugh, and it send her newly flowing blood ice cold.
"Bring her," The metallic Goa'uld voice commanded.
Two Jaffa reached into the sarcophagus and pulled Sam's weak body out into the world. Talk about rebirth. If this was life, then the baby from 'Look Who's Talking' was right: put me back!
Sam tried to resist, but her body ached and she had a sharp pain stabbing the back of her head. The Jaffa bound her hands behind her back and half dragged, half carried her across the room. The surroundings reminded Sam of an abattoir. Daggers, hooks, spiked chains and glass vials, along with other devices Sam could not identify, lined the walls. The air had an overpowering odour reminiscent of dead animals. There were dark stains on the floor, which was sloped towards a grated drain in the centre of the room. On the wall opposite Ba'al's throne was a large metal structure.
Ba'al sat on his wrought iron throne. He appeared relaxed as she was dragged carelessly towards him. Sam's pants caught on the moist surface. It was then she noticed that she was not in her Black BD uniform anymore; they had been exchanged for a set of white cotton pants and shirt. Luckily the snakes had done her the courtesy of leaving her undergarments on, though they had taken her shoes and socks. Was nothing sacred anymore?
Sam expected to be thrown to the floor at Ba'al's feet. Instead, the Jaffa left her on her knees with her hands bound behind her back, taking up a position either side of her in case she made a move on their lord. It gave Sam a small – very small – sense of dignity. She was still able to keep her chin up.
"Welcome, Colonel," Ba'al smirked. Sam chose to say nothing; instead electing to observe her surroundings. Perhaps she could find a way out of here. Ba'al must be confident that she was completely incapacitated; allowing her to be in a room full of weapons. Hang on, was that because he believed SG-1 would not return for her? Or... was it because they could not return?
"What happened to my team?" she suddenly asked.
"They left you here. They believe you are dead," Ba'al said nonchalantly, flicking his wrist over his shoulder.
"How do I know you're telling the truth? They could be here. They could be dead," Sam challenged. She wasn't going to associate her emotions with her suspicions yet.
"If the thought helps you sleep at night." Ba'al retaliated with a tilt of his head and a smug grin. Sam would rather not think that way. But if her team had escaped, they still believed she was dead. She was alone here.
"So why am I here? Why bring me back? I was dead. You had me."
"I still have you. I have a need for your intellect Colonel... A great need."
"I won't help you," Sam snapped defiantly. Even if it was against the Ori, she would not help a Goa'uld.
"Now that I have you under my control Colonel, the Ori are now the least of my concerns."
"And if I resist?"
"Tell me Samantha Carter, Did O'Neill ever divulge the events of his time with me?" Ba'al growled, rising from his throne. He stopped and bent down in front of her, grasping Sam's jaw with a firm hand. He leaned in very closely. Sam did not reply and tried to turn away from him. Either he was very strong, or she had become very weak. His grip tightened.
"But before I hand you over, make no mistake Samantha Carter... I intend to give you one more experience to share with your beloved General," The insinuation that he knew of her relationship with Jack spurred panic through Sam's system. He must have seen the terror in her eyes, because he chuckled and released her jaw.
Again, Sam said nothing in reply.
~ SG1 ~
Two days later,
Arlington cemetery
1348
"On behalf of the President of the United States, the Department of the Air Force, and a grateful nation, we offer this flag for the faithful and dedicated service of Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter," A member of the honour guard offered Mark Carter the folded flag.
The bugle sounded through the drizzling rain and the Rifle Party fired the 3 volley salute. Jack sat in silence, and watched the empty coffin descend into the earth. The sound of 'Taps' playing send a shiver through Jack's body. It was Janet's funeral all over again.
Rain dripped off the brim of Jack's hat and fell onto his folded hands in his lap. It trickled across the back of his hand and disappeared into the fabric of his blue pants. The feather light touch brought back a swell of memories to him. It was not supposed to be this way. He wasn't sure how it was supposed to be, but it certainly was not this. They could have both retired. They could have continued to work on earth. She could have been reassigned. They could have had a family... No. There was no chance of that now. Not for him. There was no replacing her. There was no one else out there that knew him like Sam had. Jack's second chance at life had died with her.
Jack felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He looked around and realised that people were leaving for the wake. Jack turned to look up at the man beside him. Mark stood alone, the US flag still held to his chest. Jack stood up.
"General O'Neill..." Mark began.
"It's Jack, Mark." Jack corrected. Mark nodded stiffly.
"Jack, I know that you cared very much for Sam. She told me about..." Mark stumbled on his words as a lump grew in his throat. "I feel it's more appropriate that you have this." He held out the flag to Jack.
"Mark... you're her next of kin. It belongs to you," Jack protested.
"I know. But it should go to you. I'm not sure what my sister spent the last ten years doing, but she assured me that you were the one there for her when I wasn't. It is my wish that you have it," Mark insisted. Jack searched his eyes and found sombre sincerity. Jack accepted the flag that had been folded thirteen times.
The wake was difficult, to say the least, given it was held at Jack's apartment, as he was the only one who lived in Washington DC. Jack found SG-1 and Hank gathered near the window in his lounge. He knew this was the worst time to tell them – though Hank already knew - about his relationship with Sam, but they deserved to know. Jack slowly approached them, but when he was met sympathetic eyes and an unusual look on Hank's face, he figured they already knew.
"How you doing Jack?" Daniel asked. Jack sighed and shrugged one shoulder. He knew exactly how he felt, but he wasn't ready to talk about it.
"So you guys know?" Jack asked, not needing to detail would he was asking them. They gave him small nods, none of them meeting his eye.
"We kind of worked it out a while ago. At least, we suspected," Cam said quietly. Jack simply nodded. He had expected them to be angry for not telling them.
"I think it's time to go for a walk," Jack announced, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Mind if I join you?" Hank asked. Jack nodded and walked through the dense crowd and out the door. He and Hank rode the elevator down to the ground floor in silence. It was still raining very lightly outside. How appropriate. Jack fished his car keys out of his pocket and looked down the street for his car.
"I thought you said we were walking Jack." Landry gestured down the path. Jack spotted his truck in the sea of vehicle belonging to the wake party.
"I didn't say where," Jack replied. He turned to hank and titled his head towards his truck, "You coming?"
Hank sighed but relented and followed Jack to his truck. They drove through the early evening traffic, Jack huffing every now and then at the light rain that wasn't heavy enough to warrant the windscreen wipers, but clearly heavy enough to vex him. A large body of water came into view and Hank knew exactly where there were. The Reflection Pool overlooked by Washington Monument.
They found a bench that was protected by the rain by a tree. They sat in silence for probably ten minutes or so before Jack finally spoke.
"I didn't tell her Hank. I sent her to that damn planet without telling her..." Jack mused as he stared at the water.
"It's not your fault Jack," Hank tried to assure him. He knew what was going to come next. He knew Jack was going to vent, pulling as much blame over himself like a blanket as he could.
"I took responsibility for that mission Hank, remember?" Jack stood and covered his mouth with his hand. "She was there, and then like that," Jack clicked his fingers and turned back to Hank, who merely sat and listened, "she's gone. Three shot's and we bury an empty casket."
Hank allowed Jack this opportunity to get angry. There was nobody around and Jack had already spent an unhealthy amount of time keeping his grief in check.
"It's like she never existed!" Jack said, his voice getting progressively louder.
"You know that's not true, Jack. This planet wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Sam Carter, no one can forget that. You of all people can see evidence of her life, of her achievements, everywhere you look!" Hank found his own emotions coming out in his tone.
Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something with a shake of his head.
"What'd you say Jack?"
"I said it's not fair!" Jack barked. "It's not fair that everyone in the world doesn't know they owe their lives to her! It's not fair that the Air Force exploited her intelligence and it's certainly not fair that she's dead!" Jack raged. He stopped when he realised he had finally spoken the worlds out loud.
She's dead.
~ SG1 ~
P4X-236
Three days later
1748h
Sam woke up in the sarcophagus, blood still moist on her clothes from the last time she died. Strategically placed acid that time. That's all she had done for the last five days: died and been revived. She was defiant untill the end every single time, never answering Ba'al's questions, but she had not slept yet and was becoming tired, despite the intervention of the sarcophagus. Sixteen times. That's how many times she had died already.
The first few times... well they sucked, to put it bluntly. She struggled and held on, even though she knew she was to be revived, but she would have thought less of herself if she allowed herself to give in to the pain and give in. It had taken nine deaths for Ba'al to make her scream. That was when Ba'al had lit her on fire until she died.
As much as she valued the few minutes of silent bliss she experience when she woke up in the sarcophagus, she was beginning to not want to wake up. As soon as those thoughts entered her mind, she chastised herself and became more determined to escape. But the resolve never lasted long: as Ba'al's torture techniques became more gruesome and vicious, the more often she prayed that it would all be over.
The Jaffa pulled her out of the sarcophagus and bound her hands in front of her body this time. They did not take her to the torture chamber, instead, taking her to a small, bare room. They shoved her across the threshold and heavy metal door slid shut behind her. Sam lay on the floor, completely exhausted now that she was alone and free to be so.
"Hold on Sam. You're doing well," a woman's voice spoke. Sam looked up and found Janet Frasier standing over her, her hands tucked into the pockets of her white lab coat.
Oh lovely Sam. You've lost your marbles.
"Hold on to what?" Sam said sleepily as she rolled onto her back.
"Whatever you have to hold onto. If you were a religious person, I'd tell you to pray." Janet came and sat down next to Sam's prone figure, wrapping her arms around her knees. "So how you doing?" Janet asked casually.
Sam just looked at the hallucination of her friend and raised her eyebrows.
"Aside from the fact that your team watched you die and you're being tortured," Janet elaborated. Sam continued to stare. "...and you've begun to hallucinate."
"Tired. Could be worse," Sam shrugged.
"How could anything be worse than all this?" Janet seemed shocked at Sam's dismissal of the serious nature of her situation.
"Believe me. There are plenty of ways." Sam didn't want to go into details. She closed her eyes, determined to sleep. At Janet's silence, she opened her eyes briefly, but her friend was gone. She closed her eyes again and drifted away.
The sound of the door grating across the grainy floor woke Sam. She wasn't sure how long she'd slept, but it wasn't enough to alleviate the fatigue she still felt. Her two favourite Jaffa pulled her up off the ground and walked her down the hall. Sam's legs felt brittle and weak. Stuff it, today she was going to talk. Not talking and enduring the pain in silence was driving her insane anyway.
The heavy metal doors slid open and the Jaffa manoeuvred Sam to large wiry structure against the far wall. Jack had mentioned this device. It had its own, strong gravity field. It pinned the prisoner to the far wall and allowed Ba'al to torture his victims by 'dropping' things onto their bodies. Sam had discovered – through firsthand experience- that Ba'al favoured daggers and acid. The Jaffa stood her near the wall, and to spare her body the impact of 'falling' onto the wall when the device activated, Sam pressed her back into the structure.
Ba'al snorted in amusement. One of the Jaffa that brought her here activated the device. It only felt like three, maybe four G's, but over a long period of time, it began to hurt. As Sam wondered what Ba'al would subject her to this time, her memory took her back to the conversation she had had with Jack one night about his own capture.
"Acid," Jack said randomly, his eyes still glued to the television whilst the evening news was on.
"Pardon?" Sam replied, looking over top her reading glasses. They were sitting on the couch at her house, Sam lying lengthwise with her feet in his lap. She had been reading a book on quantum mechanics.
"That was one of the ways Ba'al killed me," Jack elaborated, turning to look her way. Sam wanted to know more, but wasn't to straight out ask him. She tried a more Jack-like approach.
"Not exactly a cliché."
"But really impersonal. Stabbing someone is personal; you have to be right there with them. You would think acid, or a dagger, would be almost intimate. It wasn't," Jack explained. The way he spoke he could have been talking about whether a certain type of fish was in season or not. "He had me. He tried to make it personal every time he killed me, but he might as well have not been there," Jack shrugged.
"Taking a life is personal... in my opinion," Sam admitted.
"I know."
Sam looked at him sceptically. Was that in agreement?
"I know you take it to heart, every single time," Jack said quietly.
"You know me far too well then." Sam gave him the faintest hint of a smile. Jack ran his hand up her leg and grasped her knee. Uh oh. "Don't you dare..." She warned. Jack smirked. She should never have told him she was ticklish, especially on her knees.
Sam was abruptly brought back to reality when a very heavy weight crushed her right foot. Ba'al had 'dropped' an immensely large block of stone onto her foot, breaking many of the bones and distorting its shape. Even worse, the block had rolled off and was pinching the entire side of her foot, tearing the skin open.
Sam let out an animalistic scream. So that was how she was going to die this time. Crushing.
~ SG1~
SGC Commissary
1808h
"I didn't see you at the service," Luke found Amy in the commissary. He sat down across from her at the empty bench.
"I'm surprised you went," Amy sipped her coffee.
"Come on Taylor, practically the whole base was at the funeral."
"Think about whose funeral it was Luke!" she snapped. She looked at the people eating dinner around her and hushed her voice. "I couldn't have gone. Not with Jack there."
"So it's Jack now?" Luke queried, the anger in his voice not well disguised.
"After that night, I can't think of him as I'm supposed to anymore," she seethed. Luke took this at face value, but was still not amused. "With all the stuff going on the last few days, your perspective kind of changes a little."
"You should have gone," he frowned.
"No one noticed my absence. Jack would have been glad for it. It makes no difference anyway. Not in the long run," she shrugged the thought off.
"You're wrong, Amy," Luke, having lost his appetite, rose from the table and left her alone. Amy sighed and shook her head.
~ SG1 ~
Reviews and witty remarks welcome :) Sam and Jack implore you to push the button... (O.O)