Janet tried to look as tall as she could among the Marines as they all milled at the bottom of the ramp to the Stargate. She didn't know why she was there. She had no right to be. She wasn't a Marine, or even an Air Force officer anymore. Not to mention she didn't want to be off world. Her first memory was of being off world and nearly dead. But she had to be where Sam was and that was on P5X-534.

The Stargate whooshed open and the mass of Marines moved forward.


"Uh, Sam?"

"What is it Vala?"

Vala was silent for so long that both Sam and Gabrielle got out from under the control panel in the wall and looked over at Vala. "Vala?"

"He's here- Ra's here."

A voice spoke from the doorway, "So's backup, with help."

Sam turned on the floor, "Cassie?"

The tall dark haired woman next to Cassie also looked stunned, "Mother?"

"By the gods. Melania."

"You, I watched you d-die... how, but..."

Gabrielle's head went to her chest and when she came back up she spoke in the parasite's voice, "I believe that is my fault young one, and I am sorry for the deception, but, we decided that you needed to have room to be your own person." Her chin touched her chest again, and when she brought her head up again she sounded like herself. "Mel, I'm-" She swallowed and stared down at her hands, "I know that I've never done anything right by you, but..."

She looked up when Mel took her hands in her own. "It's... what past is past right? And we have past to spare I think. So, are we going to defeat brother Ra or not?"

Gabrielle tilted her head to one side, "That's why you're here?"

Mel blinked and then frowned at her mother, "Why else would I be here mother?"

"I..." Gabrielle shook her head. "Yes, of course we will." A small smile came to her face as she brushed her hand through the too short hair of Mel, "You cut your hair."

Mel smirked, "Women's lib, totally awesome. Of course, we've still got some ways to go, and..." Mel sighed, "Greece is not doing well either."

Gabrielle wrapped an arm around Mel's waist, "First, we'll save the universe from the seemingly un-killable Ra, then perhaps I'll take a trip... home..."

"Cassie, could I have a hand down here?"

Cassie fit her body in next to her adoptive mother figure and next to her crouched Gabrielle. They stayed that way, trying to untangle the chaos that was the control panel.

And then the chaos was outside of the control panel as Horus guards appeared all around them. Mel was the first who got knocked to the ground, and Sam and Gabrielle weren't far behind.

Vala was the only one standing, and then she let go a groan as she spoke, "Oh,- that feels funny-"

Sam caught Vala and guided her to the floor.. Mel's foot lashed out, catching one of the newly arrived Horus guards under the chin. She ducked as Gabrielle threw a round thing that clanged off the Jaffa's helmets and they all fell to the ground. It came careening back at her and she caught it without looking.

Sam and Cassie tried to staunch the flow of blood from Vala's chest, but it was a loosing battle. "A little help over here."

Gabrielle went to Sam and Cassie's side and knelt down. Mel didn't move for a long second and then she ducked out of the room. Gabrielle stood, "Melania, no."

She sprinted to the other room, but was too late, Mel lay prone on the ground.

"Damnit."