Chapter Ten

Daniel found himself once again stumbling through the far side of a wormhole. Only this time he was tripping backwards and he wasn't alone. When he realized that he was gripping someone that was struggling he instantly let go.

Sam didn't question her sudden freedom. In fact she used it to elbow Daniel in the face and then the ribs. He backed away from her, trying to catch his breath and his bearings. Sam didn't give him a chance to do either, she whipped around and brought her knee up into his stomach.

Daniel was dropped to his knees, nauseated by the blow. When he looked up Sam had her side arm out and aimed at his heart. She had torn the gag out and now wore it as a bloodstained necklace. He wanted to make an aggressive move to force her into shooting him, but Kesi seemed to be recovering from the Gate travel. Daniel could feel him vying for full control again.

"Where are we?!" Sam demanded.

"I...I don't know." Daniel stuttered. "Sam, please kil..."

"Tell me!" Sam interrupted.

"Ba'al's ship." Kesi replied calmly.

Sam seemed more surprised to get an answer than the actual answer itself. Kesi got to his feet and looked around for his replicators. They gathered at his feet and then scurried up the wall and into one of the ventilation ducts. While Kesi did this Sam, keeping her aim, circled around him and towards the door. She didn't try to open it, she just wanted to keep her options open and her back protected.

"What is going on?" Sam snarled.

"I've been having a hard time controlling Daniel when we Gate travel lately. I used to put him to sleep when we traveled, but I can't seem to do that anymore. It's only a matter of time before he figures out how to suppress me the way I do him."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm tired of lying to you." Kesi admitted. "I care about you as much as Daniel does. Because I am him, or at least I am who he would be if he had access to the knowledge that he carries."

"If you care about me, why have you kidnapped me and brought me onboard the most powerful remaining Gou'ald's mother ship?"

"Don't worry, I'll have control of the ship in a minute." Kesi smiled. "It's getting control of you that I'm a little more worried about."

"Good luck with that." Sam sneered as she held her gun level to Kesi heart.

"I think we both know that if you were going to shoot me you would have done so by now." Kesi smiled. "Of course I think just to be on the safe side..."

Sam jumped back as a her gun dematerialized into a white light. Kesi held out his hand and caught the weapon as rematerialized in the air in front of him.

"My helpers just tapped into Ba'al's Asgaurd beam." Kesi explained. "Which also means that the ship is ours now."

Sam turned and tried to open the door, but the control panel was obviously under Kesi's control. She slammed her palm against the metal door in frustration and fear. She eventually gave in. Turning around she voluntarily placed her hands behind her back. Unable to bare looking at the friend turned foe she stared blankly at the floor.

"I hate to see you like this Sam." Kesi sighed.

"Then let me go." Sam whispered.

"I can't."

"At least tell me why I'm here."

"In all honesty...because I need someone with Naquadah in their blood. I was hoping to enlist your help."

"But you'll just take it if you have to?"

Kesi nodded and before Sam knew what was happening they were both beamed to the control deck of the massive ship. Striking quick as a snake Kesi had Sam in his grasp once again. He backed her up until she fell back into Ba'al's ornate thrown. Two of the replicators crawled up the arms of the thrown and wrapped themselves around Sam's wrists to keep her seated.

"Please...don't do this." Sam said quietly.

"You don't even know what I'm doing." Kesi replied.

"It can't be the right thing, even if you somehow believe that it is."

"Trust me, this is what Daniel would do if he had the power."

"You're nothing like Daniel." Sam spat angrily. "I don't care how much you know about him, or the memories locked in his mind. You're not him and you have no right to act on his supposed behalf."

"How about if I act on Jack's behalf instead?" Kesi asked suddenly.

"What?"

Kesi didn't answer he just pulled Sam's gun out of his waist band. After checking the weapon over he went to leave.

"Wait...where are you going?" Sam asked.

"I'm going to kill Ba'al."

Kesi used the Asgaurd beam to take him to where Ba'al slept in his sarcophagus. His third replicator was already there and on Kesi's command the metallic creature opened the case. Kesi backed into the shadows and allowed Ba'al to rise. The System Lord did not seem to know that anything was amiss. He put on his hand device and started towards the door.

"Hello." Kesi said as he stepped into Ba'al's path.

"Jackson?" Ba'al asked in disbelief.

"Sort of." Kesi smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"Taking your ship." Kesi replied simply.

"Are you insane?" Ba'al chuckled.

"Just be grateful that I'm not in the mood for, nor do I have time to take proper vengeance."

"What are you taking about?" Ba'al snarled arrogantly.

"I was here, I was watching." Kesi said darkly. "I was helpless at the time, I'm not so helpless anymore."

"Watching what?"

"Jack." Kesi replied calmly.

"O'Neill?"

"You weren't a very gracious host the last time he was a guest on your ship."

Suddenly understanding Ba'al's expression turned to one of fear. He raised his hand device, however nothing happened. Kesi's replicator had already broken it.

"I told you I wasn't helpless." Kesi growled. "I've sent your Jaffa down to the planet, you'll be joining them soon...not that you'll notice."

"You're going to murder me?" Ba'al scoffed. "You'd kill an unarmed man?"

"So now you're just a man?" Kesi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I a..."

Ba'al was cut short as Kesi brought Sam's side arm up and shot him twice through the heart. Kesi walked slowly over to Ba'al's motionless body. He slid the clip out of the gun to check how many rounds were left. Satisfied he clicked the clip back into place and shot Ba'al once more between his glassy eyes. As promised he beamed Ba'al down to the planet so that the Jaffa could see the corpse of their former God. Teal'c had several spies among them, they would now be able to turn the rest.

"Sam was right, Daniel." Kesi muttered to himself. "I'm becoming less and less like you every minute. I think it's time we went our separate ways."

Kesi stepped over to the sarcophagus where his replicator still waited. He held out his hand palm up to the replicator. With one of its sharp claws the metal bug reached out and cut open Kesi's palm.

Holding his injured hand over the sarcophagus Kesi let the blood drip into the bright white interior of the case. The replicator jumped down into the chamber and began to feed on the crimson puddle. The blood that seeped from Kesi hand slowly started to darken until it resembled an oil slick as it continued to drip into the Gou'ald healing device.

Daniel had been fighting so hard to regain control that when he suddenly had it he was too exhausted to handle the shock of it. He only had time to stare down at his bleeding hand before falling to the floor and back into unconsciousness. The heavy lid of the sarcophagus slid closed and suddenly everything was still.