Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1. I do claim the creative rights for the original characters.
Summary: Luke and Amy escape through the Stargate and a secret is revealed. Jack formulates a plan to get Carter back now that she poses a threat to earth's security. Sam continues to communicate with Bel'an and discovers a harsh truth, but also finds a thread of hope.
A/note: You haven't missed a chapter, this is just a surprise. You'll see what I mean. I have to introduce Kael in this chapter. And thats it for surprise characters. I'm worried that the plot is becoming too complicated :( we're approaching the most dramatic segment of the story and it will end remarkably cleanly. Thanks to my brilliant beta for this! ENJOY!

~ 7 ~

Stargate Command,
0412h

Luke paced the hallway outside of Amy's quarters in his black BDUs, his backpack hanging off his left shoulder. He checked for personnel every few seconds and his paced quickened as his irritation grew. Time was precious, very precious, and he didn't need Amy's time management skills to compromise the mission. Just as he was ready to bang on her door, it opened.

"Christ! What were you doing?" he demanded, punching his hands to his hips. Amy pulled the ends of her shirt down and closed the zipper on her own black bag, throwing him an uncompromising glare. He folded his arms and stared at Amy insistently. "Straightening your hair, perhaps?"

"The file took a long time to transfer over," she snapped, "God, you're so damn impatient!" She resisted the urge to slam the door behind her. They didn't need to wake any more people than necessary, and zero was what they needed.

"Come on. I've got the key card to Carter's lab," Luke patted his right breast pocket. When he turned away, Amy scowled at the back of his head, sending as much of her frustration his way. As if sensing her angry glare, Luke stopped and turned back, his features calmer and more controlled. Keep your emotions in check was what he had always been taught.

They walked at a brisk pace and slid down the hallways to the elevators, checking around corners and doing their best to look inconspicuous. They made it to the elevators without interception and stepped inside. The doors shut and Luke punched the black button for level nineteen. He glanced to his left at Amy's pensive figure.

"You alright?" he asked, worry seeping into his warm tone. Amy adjusted her weight and shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She would not look him in the eye, a clear indicator that she was anything but fine. She would deal with whatever was troubling her. If he did not enquire, she would be able to keep her emotions at bay. The doors dinged open and revealed the hall of level nineteen. They stepped off in unison and went straight for Carter's lab.

Luke pulled the security card from his breast pocket, struggling for a moment when it hooked in the button hole of his pocket flap. He swiped the card through the reader and pushed the door open. Amy hesitated, but only for a second, before she stepped into the room.

It was as General O'Neill had left it after his breakdown. Luke felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he gazed around the lab. Computer servers beeped and hummed in the background, and a diverse range of equipment was thrown across the work bench and floor.

Luke caught Amy shiver beside him.

"It feels weird to be in here," she folded her arms across her chest, as if she were cold.

"I wonder why..."

"Quit it!" she growled, digging deeply into her pocket. "Chuck it in the top drawer?" she asked with a sigh, pulling out a small, titanium-encased, glass vial.

"Yeah, that'll do. Carter has the key. No one else will find it," Luke shrugged, leaning his elbows on the bench. "I actually got to meet her, you know," he said quietly as Amy slowly slid the top draw of Carter's work desk open. She paused at his statement.

"Really?" she pushed the small glass vial to the back of the draw.

"Yeah. She's pretty much like I remember her," he mused.

"There's a difference between childhood and adulthood Luke," she slammed the draw close, causing him to startle.

"You know what I mean..." he, unlike Amy, did little to hide his temper... especially from her. She could handle it. He lifted his elbows from the bench; the sensation of detachment overcame him. He felt like he was the last person who belonged in this room. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Amy obediently followed him out of the lab, equally eager to escape. They shut the door and checked to see if it was locked.

They took the stairs back down the to the control room. The stairway only had one security camera for each flight and was guaranteed to be free of base personnel. They walked swiftly to the control room, finding only Walter and another technician on duty.

Neither airman was prepared for the single Zat blasts that incapacitated them.

"Get on that one!" Amy ordered her accomplice as she took control of Walter's computer. The technicians lay on the ground at Amy's feet, and she duly ignored them. She and Luke began typing quickly to access the mainframe. The klaxons and security alarms started to wail around them.

"Crap," Luke muttered. He overrode the lockdown protocol's and sealed the blast doors to the hall between the control room and gate room, effectively stopping any SF's from getting to them. Luke looked up to see the Stargate begin to dial.

"Sweet, well done," he praised. Amy grabbed him by the collar of his vest and dragged him down the small stairway and through to the Gateroom. Luke felt his control slipping and succumbed to the influence that had thus far remained silent in his mind. The fourth chevron locked into place and the alarms continued to sound.

His eyes glowed and Kael took control.

~ SG-1 ~

Daniels house
0458h

"Hello?" Daniel groaned sleepily into his cell phone.

"Doctor Jackson?" General Landry's voice made Daniel sit up quickly in his bed, eyes wide open. "I need you and Jack to come in. There's been an incident." Daniel glanced at the time and swapped his cell from one hand to the other, throwing his quilt almost of the bed entirely.

"What happened?" Daniel nearly tripped over his discarded jeans in the dark. His cell had only recently been switched to a secure line and unlike in the past, the General was actually able to divulge information more freely.

"Two of my people have escaped through the gate. They took out two technicians and have locked out all authorized personnel from the mainframe. We had to cut through the blast doors just to get access to the gate."

"Hang on, where did they go? Who was it?" Daniel blinded himself, switching on his bedroom light and picking his green BDU pants off the floor at the end of his bed. He managed to pull them on, but had to wedge the cell between his ear and shoulder to zip them up.

"Lieutenant Rossiter and one of the new recruits assigned to SG-6, Lieutenant Amy Taylor..." Daniel awkwardly threaded his arms through his shirt. "...We've looked at the security feed from the gate room and caught the symbols on the Gate. They went to P4X-236." Daniel froze mid shrug, trying to pull his shirt over his shoulders.

"Ba'al's home world... I thought we locked that planet out of our dialling system." He slowly resumed his dressing and walked to his closed bedroom door.

"We did... Right now I'm irked that this even happened, and I want what's left of SG-1 and Jack in my briefing room before my daughter has to put me on medical leave for high blood pressure," Landry growled; his irritation was evident and, in Daniel's opinion, quite justified.

"We'll be there in twenty minutes," Daniel clicked the red button on his cell, disconnecting the line to the angry Major General. Now... time to go make another General just as grumpy.

Daniel didn't bother to silence his footsteps as he walked down to the living room. He wasn't very surprised to find the television on and Jack sitting up on the sofa, bottle of water grasped tightly in his hand. Of course Jack couldn't sleep, he had just found out less than twelve hours ago that not only was Sam alive, but she was a Goa'uld. Daniel wondered how he had managed to sleep after finding out himself.

"Jack." The man in question snapped his head around to his barefooted friend.

"Sorry... Didn't mean to wake you up." Jack automatically lifted the TV remote and turned the volume down.

"Something's happened at the SGC. Landry wants us there now." Daniel walked to the front door and pulled his boots, not even bothering with socks. He'd regret it later but there was a spare pair in his locker at work and Landry sounded pretty pissed. The television fell silent behind him and he listened as Jack picked up his keys from the glass coffee table, his boots thumping on the wooden floor boards as he approached Daniel.

"Fill me in on the way," Jack opened the door and locked it, obviously in a hurry to escape the sombre mood he had accumulated from his insomnia. Daniel forwent doing up his laces and followed his friend out of the apartment, pulling the door shut behind him. Good thing he'd left his own keys in his pocket. He would do the laces up in the truck.

~ SG-1 ~

Meanwhile,
P4X-236

Bel'an clenched Sam's sharp fingernails into Ali'ki's collarbone and slammed her daughter into the stone floor.

Ali'ki panted beneath her mother's menacing grip. Both women were exhausted and exhilarated from their sparing session, and Sam was surprised at what her body was able to do. Well... what Bel'an had forced her body to do. 'Forced' very much being the operative word there. Sam ached from head to toe, and definitely did not appreciate the beating Ali'ki had given her. However, she did appreciate the accelerated healing that Bel'an provided.

"Strong host..." Ali'ki puffed. Sam detected a hint of resentment in the young woman's tone. Evidently, Bel'an had picked it up too. She pulled back from the prone Goa'uld and sat down at Ali'ki's hip.

Sam had remained dormant since her encounter with Jack earlier in the day. She wanted to cry that he had seen her, but she wasn't able to. That had only angered her, and she had out up a terrible racket, forcing Bel'an to suppress her. Being suppressed wasn't that bad. It was like being locked in a black room with no contact with the outside world. Sam wished Bel'an had suppressed her when she used her body to get all cuddly with Ba'al. She figured it was demonstrative of the power Bel'an had. It was always a shock when Bel'an released her. It was as if the world switched on like a light. One moment, she would be left alone with her thoughts, cut off from everything happening outside her own body; then next minute, she would be aware of what was happening. In this instance, Ali'ki had kneed her in the stomach. Not the most pleasant way to return to reality.

"Not really. She was one of the Tauri's finest warriors, yet her body lacks physical strength. It could be worse. Your host is superior in that respect," Bel'an said distantly. Sam realised what was wrong with Ali'ki; she hated that Bel'an had rejected her host. She hated that Bel'an had this body, while she had a constructed body without satisfactory capacity for learning. She probably felt inferior in her mother's eyes.

Sam felt something swelling in her chest. Initially, this occurrence had been quite confusing, but Sam quickly learnt that Bel'an had a genuine, unconditional affection for her daughter. Considering how many Goa'uld she had given birth to in her long life, it was strange that Bel'an had such an attachment to this single offspring.

'Why are you so emotionally attached to her?' Sam asked. Bel'an did not reply, but patted Ali'ki's knee and stood up.

"Get some rest. We will be returning to our planet and we will have plenty of time to spar later," Bel'an advised Ali'ki as she sat up. Bel'an offered her daughter her hand and hauled the younger woman to her feet. Ali'ki gave her an appreciative smile. Bel'an returned it with the appropriate amount of smugness expected of any Goa'uld, turned on her booted heel and left Ali'ki's quarters.

As soon as the heavy doors ground shut behind her, Bel'an answered Sam.

'Tell me Colonel: if you could bear a child with your beloved General, how would you feel?' Bel'an whispered to Sam's thoughts.

Sam was caught off guard by the question. Good lord, how would she feel?

'Do I need to tell you? You know my thoughts,' Sam countered, trying to avoid having to answer.

"How can I find answer when you don't even know?" Bel'an said aloud as she walked the passageway towards her and Ba'al's quarters. "You have not come to terms with the idea yourself."

Bel'an did not interrupt the tidal wave of thoughts that consumed Sam. She and Jack had never discussed it. They had talked about Charlie, and both had admitted that they liked the idea of being parents. They just never talked about them becoming parents. Jack wasn't exactly a spring chicken anymore, and Sam's biological clock was certainly counting down. Then the sad reality hit her.

'I would never be happier. But, of course, that possibility is no longer an option,' Sam thought sadly.

"Well, it makes no difference. You cannot have children anyway," Bel'an arrived at her quarters and the doors automatically opened.

"What?" the exclamation escaped Sam's lips, but it was not because of Bel'an's influence. Bel'an halted inside the room; Sam felt the shock course through her body, adding to the alarm caused by Bel'an's confession.

"How did you do that?" Bel'an spoke angrily, her fists clenching and her eyes closing.

Sam was back in the dark space in her mind and she was not alone. Bel'an's avatar stood toe to toe with her, figuratively speaking.

"What do you mean I can't have kids?" Sam snapped, she had Bel'an here and she wanted answers.

"How did you take control of your body?" Bel'an seethed. Sam stared at her own blue enraged eyes. She suddenly realised that she had spoken aloud; taken control of her body without being aware of it.

"How do you know?" Sam pushed, it was a battle of wills that she knew she was going to lose, but if she could throw Bel'an off balance, it may help to influence Bel'an in the future.

"How?" Bel'an yelled, the sound echoing around them.

"I don't know! It wasn't deliberate!" Bel'an glared and Sam became aware of the power her own eyes held. They seemed to cut right through her. Bel'an searched her eyes, but Sam knew she was searching her mind for the truth. She must have found it and her features softened. Sam hadn't lied.

"How do you know?" Sam repeated, having answered Bel'an's questions, she now wanted her own.

"Because I made it so. Dying and being reborn comes with a price Colonel."

Sam felt like she had been punched in the stomach. This snake had taken her chance of motherhood from her! Twice! Grief washed over every nerve ending in her body like wildfire.

"No..." hopelessness brutally invaded her thoughts. Sam was too distracted to notice Bel'an horrified grimace. The Goa'uld grew agitated and stepped away from her, a look of fear passing her features.

"What are you doing?" she howled. Sam ignored her, too consumed by the emotions that burned her body.

Then Sam was in the room again. Bel'an had suppressed her. Sam was left alone with her the grief for her inability to ever have a child with Jack, the depression of her situation and the searing fury that not only had Bel'an been the cause, but that she was unable to scream in agony.

Sam finally gave into the dark thoughts she had locked away when she had been revived and wished she could die. For good...

~ SG-1 ~

Back on earth,
SGC Briefing room

Landry paced his briefing room, coffee cup in one hand and his other hand clamped on his belted hip. To say he was pissed would have been an understatement. Murphy was out to get him, he was certain of it. First Carter had nearly died offworld, and then she did die offworld. Jack was practically killing himself with his guilt and Hank truly feared for Jack's health – both mental and physical – after finding out that Carter was no longer dead, but a Goa'uld. Not just any Goa'uld, Ba'al's bride. On top of all this, two of his airmen had just gone through the gate to Ba'al's home world, taking key information with them. Not that that really mattered: Ba'al had Carter; she was a treasure trove of information regarding Earth's defences.

Vala yawned loudly, breaking the silence. Mitchell drew circles on the table with his fingertips and Teal'c leaned back in his chair. Thor and Mero sat in the furthest chairs from the head of the table. Thor, along with the surviving Tok'ra from the delegation had been stranded on earth. Everyone knew what had transpired in the previous hour and were waiting for Jack and Daniel to arrive.

They didn't need to wait very long, the sound of two pairs of boots barrelling up the metal staircase attracting everybody's attention.

"Alright, we're here. What's up?" Jack bounced off the last step into the room, Daniel following closely behind him. They took their seats at the table and Landry finished the last few mouthfuls of his coffee and wished it was Irish. He dropped his cup onto the tale and let out a grunted 'mm'. Landry did not sit down, he was too restless so be expected to sit still.

"I have no idea what's happening on this base," he sighed. No one replied. "I would not be surprised if I was removed from command here. They would probably ask for you to come back, Jack," Landry said wearily, re-evaluating his earlier disinterest in sitting down. He swung the chair out from the desk and sat down. Before anyone was able to comment on his statement, Landry spoke again.

"Rossiter and Taylor left through the gate to Ba'al's world, I've been able to find out why." Landry leaned back into his chair and dug through his pockets, pulling out a tape recorder and began idly playing with it on the table.

"When security was analysing the footage to try and work out where they went, they picked up a piece of audio." He turned the recorder in his hands and found the play switch.

The recorder pierced the silence with a sharp crackle.

"I'm going to miss this place," Amy's voice caused Jack to stir in his seat, though only Daniel and Hank noticed.

"We must hurry," The deep, tinny quality of the voice brought everybody's shocked attention to the small device. It was Goa'uld. Landry pressed stop o the recorder.

"So, not only have two of my people made an unauthorised trip through the gate, but we allowed a Goa'uld to live on the base. I have no idea how he got past the medical screening," Landry shook his head in resignation. It was almost too much.

"Both of them went to Azeer. They know about the Tok'ra," Daniel realised. Mero and Thor were surprisingly silent on the matters.

"Maybe that's how Ba'al found us. Maybe Rossiter was a spy?" Vala suggest. It made sense if he was, it would explain the attack.

"Then what of Lieutenant Taylor?" Teal'c interjected.

"If Rossiter was a Goa'uld, she may have been as well," Vala shrugged.

"So what are we gonna do about it?" Cam leaned forwards, resting his elbows on the table. Everyone looked to one another, until their gaze came to rest on Landry. Hank however, turned to Jack.

"You're head of home world security, Jack. You have jurisdiction here. Whatever you plan to do, just please don't subject me to another funeral." Hank rose from his chair and left the room. He'd had enough. He needed to go somewhere. Anywhere. He had no destination in mind, but he gave into the persistent desire to escape.

Hank knew it was dangerous to hand over jurisdiction to Jack, who was certainly emotionally compromised. But maybe, that was what he needed. Someone to make a decision and be willing to carry it out without having to worry about the politics that often tied Landry's hands.

Besides, if anyone could get Carter back, it was Jack.

"Hank!" Jack's voice called to him down the hall. Landry stopped and turned. "There's something you need to know."

"I'm not going to like it am I?" Landry's shoulders slumped slightly.

"Lieutenant Taylor... she, uh..." Jack faltered, gesturing something with his hands. "She was the one I..."

Oh.

"I see." Landry held up a hand, sparing Jack the discomfort of having to explain.

"I don't think it's relevant, but it's not a coincidence." Jack shoved his hands in his pocket, as he always did when he was uncomfortable.

"No, I agree. It's not. Let me know what your next course of action will be. I'll help you out with anything you need, but I'm not opening that gate until we sort all this out." Landry had a strong suspicion of what Jack would decide to do. Jack straightened up.

"We need to get Carter back. She poses too great a security risk."

"And if you can't? What if you can't get her alive? What if you can't get to her at all?" Hank knew the implications of the questions. He was putting Jack on the spot, but needed to know if he had at least some of his priorities in the right place.

"We'll bring her back, dead or alive. If we can't..." Jack's throat caught and he couldn't bring out the words. He swallowed and hid behind General O'Neill. "Then we terminate her life. We can't give Ba'al the advantage of having her alive," he said seriously.

"Good luck then," Landry said with a nod, his eyes falling to Jack's chest.

"I'll take SG-1 with me."

"Wait... You're not really going to go out into the field, are you? I thought you would leave this to SG-1?" Landry snapped his eyes back to Jack's.

"I used to lead SG-1, Hank..."

Hank deflated and sighed. Jack could not be reasoned with when he set his mind to something.

"No body bags. Just have some restraints ready on a gurney. Colonel Carter is going to be kicking and screaming when I drag her ass back here," Jack's determination was unquestionable.

Jack turned on his heel and briskly walked back to the briefing room. But first, he needed to make a phone call.

~ SG-1 ~

P4X-236
0428h (earth time)

Amy and Kael stumbled out of the event horizon on Ba'al's home world. The sun was beginning to set and Kael wasted no time in trotting down the stairs, trudging in the direction of a plume of smoke in the distance. Amy jogged to catch up with him, matching his quick pace.

"How long has it been since you were last here?" She asked. Kael was inclined to answer her questions, as he had been for a while now. He went to speak, but a sound to their left brought them to an abrupt halt. Kael instinctively grabbed Amy's forearm at his side, pulling her in close behind him. There was movement all around.

A middle aged Jaffa in battle armour emerged from the trees, his staff weapon pointing at them. Kael's grip tightened on Amy's arm, almost painfully, but she dared not speak. Seven more Jaffa emerged around them, watching the intruders warily. Kael lifted his chin and looked the Jaffa in the eye.

"Who are you?" The eldest of Jaffa challenged. Kael glared at the Jaffa, his eyes glowing brightly and taking the Jaffa aback.

"Is this how you greet a servant of your god?" Kael's deep voice growled to the group. The eldest lifted his staff weapon, driving the end into the ground and bowing his head.

"Forgive me, Lord Kael. I did not recognise you," the Jaffa apologised quickly. The remaining Jaffa lowered their weapons and bowed down on one knee. Amy did not move. She trusted Kael, and the Jaffa were afraid of him, but the tension in the air was stifling.

"You will escort us to your campsite. We will await the return of our Gods," he commanded. The Jaffa swiftly formed two staggered files, one either side of he and Amy. They began to walk towards the Jaffa camp, Kael still holding Amy's forearm, though his grip had loosened. Amy was surprised by Luke's unaffected whisper beside her. She was glad to have him back. Out of him and Kael, Amy definitely preferred Luke.

"How cool is this?" he grinned.

"This is not cool!" she hissed quietly. "You might find all this amusing, but you're not going to become a slave!" To her annoyance, Luke grinned casually and threw an arm around her shoulder.

"You're going to serve the royal family. This is what we planned," he whispered intimately in her ear. He pulled back to assess her expression when she did not reply. "Hey... I won't let you get hurt. Believe me, I'll keep you safe," he assured her, his sincerity clear as day, but only to her.

Funny, her own father had said something like that to her mother the last time Amy had seen her. Only moments after he had said that, Amy's mother was no more.

~ SG-1 ~

SGC Briefing room,
0508h

"You want to what?" Daniel's eyebrows arched and he leaned across the red and black briefing table towards Jack.

"It's not a case of want, Daniel... We are going to get Carter back, and if possible, Rossiter and Taylor while we're at it," Jack tapped his linked hands on the table. He had his work cut out for him. Mitchell was the only one in the room who wasn't allowed to question the order. Everyone else was an alien, with the exception of Daniel, who was a civilian. What a motley crew they made.

"I agree with General O'Neill." All eyes turned to Thor.

"As do I. We cannot allow Ba'al to use the knowledge Colonel Carter has of earth and the Asgard. She may bring about the revival of the Goa'uld's power in the galaxy," Mero nodded in agreement with the Asgard next to him.

"When do we leave?" Cam added. Daniel began to look flustered, his head snapping around the room like it usually did when he was outnumbered.

"If I get my way, tonight. We head straight to P4X-236," Jack quickly replied, turning to Mitchell.

"We cannot," Teal'c grumbled, raising an eyebrow at Jack.

"T?" Jack wanted to know why he 'could not'.

"The planet is on the outskirts of this galaxy. It will take Ba'al several days to travel back, if his intention is to return to the planet at all," Teal'c explained. Jack tapped his hands once on the table as he pondered.

"That's fine. It'll take a few days for the ribbon device to get here from Groom Lake anyway and the planet is a good place to start looking. Ba'al's been hiding there for a reason."

"Wait, hold up. Why do you want the ribbon device?" Vala asked abruptly. Jack simply smiled at her knowingly.

"You can use Goa'uld technology, can't you?" His question was rhetorical, but Vala answered it anyway.

"Yes..." She said slowly.

"Fight fire with fire. We need you." That was all it took to get Vala on board. A little ego stroking and she was putty. Jack turned to Thor. "You're getting picked up tomorrow, right?"

"That is correct," Thor nodded. "We will return the Tok'ra delegation to a planet of their choosing."

"If we can get our people back, we could sure use your help to get out of that ship. Reckon you can beam us out?"

"I believe we can," Thor blinked his big black eyes.

"Good." Jack turned his attention back to SG-1. Daniel had thankfully stopped trying to argue. "Vala is gonna have the ribbon device and we're all gonna pack enough tranquilisers to drop a herd of elephants. If we find Ba'al, we take him alive," Jack didn't admit his reasons. He was going to keep his promise to the Goa'uld, "as for Sam, Rossiter and Taylor: the same goes. Tranq' them till they drop."

"What about the other woman?" Cam asked.

"What other woman?" Jack frowned.

"There was another Goa'uld there. She was the one that killed Sam. She had a personal shield that a low velocity projectile couldn't penetrate. She's damned fast too," Daniel explained. Jack's jaw shift to one side.

"Kill her," he said simply, his own emotions coming into play again. "So we head to the planet in three days. Once the device gets here and Thor has time to travel all the way out there." Jack's tone did not invite any argument or discussion.

Everyone agreed.

~ SG-1 ~

P4X-236
0843h (Earth time)

The bed bounced as Luke fell face first onto the rough blanket. Amy stirred on her side of the bed, groaning and rolling onto her side.

"Get off me..." she muttered grumpily, lifting his limp arm off her chest. "...fatty." She rolled away from him, his arm sliding to her back. Luke complied but ruffled her hair as he pulled his arm away. Amy growled in ire and lifted her dusty – and lumpy – pillow out from beneath her head, unceremoniously throwing it down on her head to block out Luke's presence.

She had been enjoying the first bit of sleep she had had since the night before the mission to Azeer. Luke had been out with Kael interrogating the elder Jaffa for information on the 'Royal Family'.

"They should be back in two days," Luke slurred, manoeuvring his clothed body under the blanket. The least he could do is take his boots off; he had a tendency to kick his feet in his sleep.

"Take your boots off. I don't want bruised shins in the morning." Luke gave her an annoyed grunt, but did as asked, pulling his boots off and pushed them over the side of the bed.

"Better?"

"Yep," her voice was muffled beneath the pillow. Satisfied he would not injury her in his sleep, she pulled her head out and dropped it back on top of her pillow.

"Definitely coming back?" She asked, a yawn escaping her.

"Yes. Bel'an's research is here," Kael's deep voice was loud in her ears. She grimaced and kept her eyes shut.

"When do you think Jack will come after her?" Amy asked, referring to Sam. It was a gimme that SG-1 and certainly Jack would come after Sam now they knew she was alive. Amy knew that it bugged Luke that she had started to call him 'Jack'. Honestly, she couldn't help it anymore; she needed to think of him that way to cope.

"Not for a few days," Luke's voice changed to his own.

"Can you warn me when you do that? It's starting to piss me off," she frowned, lazily shoving him in the ribs.

"Fine..." he sighed. They were silent for a minute, until Luke started to chuckle, "You should hear Kael right now."

"Shut up. Go to sleep," she whined, too tired to continue to be polite. When she was almost asleep, Luke spoke quietly, almost in a whisper.

"What was it like? Meeting him that first time?"

"Who? Jack?" Luke grunted to the affirmative.

"It wasn't that bad. A bit awkward. He was in one of those moods, you know, trying to drink himself stupid. He got smashed pretty quickly, and I had to take him home with me. He passed out in his truck as soon as he got his seatbelt on. Woke up the next morning, and he was gone." She felt sorry for Jack. He felt guilty for what he had done, and Amy could see it was eating him alive. She couldn't help the sniffle that escaped her. She hated to be the cause of the General's pain.

"Get over here, Amy," Luke mumbled, sliding a hand beneath her neck. She shuffled across the bed until she was lying at his side, her head on his arm.

"This is for the better," Luke assured her. She hated it, but she knew that he was right. Tomorrow, she would establish herself as a priestess in the service of Ba'al, while Luke and Kael awaited the return of Ali'ki to gain his audience with her.

The plan was starting to gain momentum.

~ SG-1 ~

This chapter is shorter, but the next chapter is more self-contained, and I had nothing more to add. My apologies for any confusion. Ask me anything and I'll answer them where I can. Luke and Amy are going to confuzzle you for a while (especially the next chapter), but it will make sense in the end of the story. Feedback and queries (I'm sure you have some) are welcome.