Forgive your Enemies but Never Forget their Names

Disclaimer: If I owned anything would I need a student loan?

Chapter 14: One Chance, One choice

The call from Ghani reached the team minutes before they were set to leave.

Jack stood on the out skirts of the settlement. He had watched the natives running about doing what ever it was that they did. Jack wished the space monkey, otherwise known as Daniel, were here to make sense of it all and annoy him with the details that he could care less about. He sighed and turned to the land that seemed to go on for an eternity, one giant kitty litter box. He heard his second in command walk up behind him.

"When this is all over we should plant a tree here."

"Sir?"

"A tree Carter. You know what a tree is don't you?" He glanced at her "Dumb question, you probably know the chemical compounds that make up a tree. Well we should plant one right here on this very spot. That way when everyone comes by here they'll stop and say 'What's that thing?'"

Sam smiled and looked out on the desert. "Yes sir" was her only reply.

"Are you telling me that you don't miss trees Carter? Nice shady trees, with their you know shade?"

"O'Neill what is that?" Teal'c called to them while motioning to the oncoming dust storm that was headed to the settlement.

Quade walked up behind them. "No reason to fear that is a traveler."

"You mean someone is in that?"

"No," Quade smiled "Someone is coming on a giant worm. Look, you can see they are slowing now."

Jack took a closer look and he could just make out a form jumping off of what was a giant worm. "Did I mention that I really don't like bugs that I can't squish?"

"Fear not they usually don't come even this close unless someone is riding them. It is the quickest way to travel over the desert without leaving tracks."

"Haven't you people learned about mass public transit?"

Quade looked at him as if he had lost his mind "Public mass what?"

"Never mind."

"Batair my friend! Welcome!" Quade called out to the newcomer.

"Quade it is good to see you. I wish it was under better circumstances."

"What is it?"

"I bring a message from the Lady Ghanima." He turned to SG-1 "You must return to Arrakeen at once it is out utmost importance."

"The little princess ok?" Jack looked on his hand now resting on his gun.

"I can not discuss it here and now as I would like. Even if I could you will have questions that I can not answer, no it is best if the Lady does it herself."

"It took us many day to reach this settlement and will take us an equal length of time to return." Teal'c spoke up.

"She is aware of this and is sending a craft to pick us up and take us all to the capital this evening."

"Well then I guess we wait and head back."

The hours passed slowly for the members of SG-1. Sam sat watching the people from a window. They seemed to be huddling in groups and passing messages from one group to the next. The news of the attack had spread quickly, quicker than one would have thought on a planet such as this. However it appeared that the two main modes of gossip conveyance, tell a girl and a communication device, were very intact on this planet.

"Major Samantha Carter?" the inquiring voice of Quade echoed from the doorway.

"What is it Quade?" she asked her eyes glued on the building tension and fear below.

"You seem lost Major Carter."

"I am lost, lost in memories."

"Not an easy place to navigate, it's easy to get lost, turned around, and forever wander in. It is not something I recommend. The here and now always seems to be the best place to be."

"Normally I would agree but at the moment I have little choice."

"However I must confess I have been there lately worrying about my sister."

They sat in silence for a moment or two. "Come our ride is approaching and the sooner we get to Arrakeen the better."

SG-1, Quade, Kahlan, Liet, and Batair all piled into the craft and flew off to the capital. None knowing what news awaited them there.

Lali-Chan - my way of saying thank you for your review I have placed the tree scene in this chapter just for you.
I hope that you all enjoyed the two additional chapters. Hopefully more in the not too distant future, yaay for reading break and free time!

Avalon