A/N: Lots of action in this one! I bow down to the magnificence that is sbz. It's early and I'm not feeling so creative with my notes this morning, so...
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine... well, one of them is. But the rest belong to other people.
Warning! The new video Brittney Spears just released is HOT. As in, she's nekkid throughout. Little eyes should shy away. Or at least blush a little.
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Jack's heart skipped a beat. "He wouldn't send two Ha'taks just to retrieve his Jaffa spies."
"No," Thor agreed. "He wouldn't. The transmissions I have intercepted indicate he is aware of SG-1's presence on Dakara and is going to attempt a kidnapping."
"Carter."
"Indeed. Ba'al has already landed forces on the planet to that end."
Jack lifted his chin and squared his shoulders. "So, what are we going to do about it?"
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The Ninth Chevron
Chapter Fourteen
"There are three Ha'tak standing ready to engage Ba'al's vessels should they decide to show signs of aggression," the commander of the free Jaffa defense armada informed Jack through the open communication line to Thor's ship.
"They're just sitting there?" Jack knew Ba'al could be patient, but his ships had been over Dakara for about four hours now. What was he waiting for?
He must not have what he was there for yet. That was a good sign for his team.
"Since they arrived," the Jaffa confirmed. "We do not know why Ba'al has chosen to come to Dakara. There has been no communication from his vessels despite our attempts to contact them."
Jack nodded. "We believe Ba'al has people on the ground. He won't outright attack because he knows you'll win in a knock-down fight. He trusts that you won't make the first move either, since he's probably aware there are spies of the rebellion on pretty much all Goa'uld vessels."
"What does he hope to gain from this?"
"His target is one of the people I have on the planet." The most important person. "He hopes to grab her and go." Jack sighed. He was getting too old for this stuff. He was supposed to be headed to Washington, not back to Dakara. It wasn't his favorite place, either. Too much dirt. And the hospitality of the Jaffa he'd dealt with while signing the official peace treaty just sixteen days ago had been a little less than… well, hospitable.
"Your team left the Temple for a distant village approximately four hours ago. We do not expect them back for some time. There is no way to know if they have encountered any difficulty. If they have, we cannot risk the lives of many Jaffa for the life of one Tau'ri, General. Surely you can understand that."
"I had a feeling you'd say something like that." Jack had hoped he'd get a different answer, but this one didn't surprise him. "Is there anything you can do to help?"
"We will continue to monitor the situation."
"Thanks." Jack couldn't keep the sarcasm from his voice. He shut off the transmission and turned to Thor. "We're not going to get any help from them."
"I do not believe we should interfere either, O'Neill. The free Jaffa do not act as predictably as the Goa'uld. Our presence there will only serve to make them nervous. Once we arrive, our actions will need to be made with caution. I do not wish to damage the Asgard's new relations with their leadership"
"So, you're telling me you're not going to help, either?"
"On the contrary…" Thor said, "once we arrive at Dakara I will attempt to locate any Tau'ri life signs and beam them onboard."
"Good thinking." Jack looked at his watch for the tenth time. They'd been in flight going on four hours… not long after he'd sent SG-1 through the gate, actually. Six hours to Dakara. "Isn't there a way to get this thing to move any faster? Shave off some time?"
"There is not, O'Neill."
It was possible SG-1 was fine. Sure. And Ba'al was just there to sightsee.
Jack's eyes moved back to the view screen that had gone black. "Right," he answered. He wished Thor hadn't been in such a hurry to leave Earth's orbit. He could have at least let Landry know about Ba'al's presence on Dakara. They could have sent a team. Two. As it was, it was just him, Thor, and a whole lot of time to twiddle his thumbs and wait. "It may be time Carter doesn't have," he said under his breath.
OoOoOoOoO
Sam, Teal'c and the only remaining member of their Jaffa escort crouched down behind an overturned column on the outskirts of what appeared to be an ancient town that was now reduced to ruins. Sam was grateful for the cover it provided. They'd managed to lose the drones, but it was only a matter of time before they were discovered again. She hoped Daniel and Bra'tac had fared better than the rest of them.
Crumbling rock a few feet away drew her attention. Her head snapped in the direction of the noise. She felt Teal'c tense beside her. She had thought the drones were behind them. This sound came from ahead… deeper inside the ruins.
She nodded to Teal'c. He darted quickly across to take cover behind a crumbled structure, closer to whatever it was that was stirring up the once undisturbed ruin.
The other Jaffa, Ka'ral, rushed to another fallen section on the opposite side.
It was her turn. She rounded the column quickly and hurried to a headless statue directly in front of her. Once settled, she met Teal'c's eyes across the way and nodded. He moved again, this time crossing in front of her hiding place and finding shelter behind another fallen wall. They continued to stagger their movement; Ka'ral, Sam, and then Teal'c… until they were within striking distance of their target, which was hidden behind some sort of dried out courtyard fountain.
She was about to give the order to jump when she saw a brown head peek out from behind the basin and a voice called quietly.
"Sam? That you?"
"Daniel?" Sam lowered her weapon and let out the breath she was holding.
"Yeah."
The three of them stayed low while they moved to Daniel's position behind the fountain. Bra'tac was hunkered down beside him. Both looked tired, but unharmed.
"I was hoping you'd been able to get half-way to the Stargate by now, Daniel," Sam said, not quite hiding the disappointment from her voice.
"There was another drone on the path back to the temple," Daniel said. "We had to fall back and head in the other direction."
"We, too, encountered the Kull warrior, Daniel Jackson"
"I kinda got that idea when you showed up here, Teal'c."
"So, we need a new plan. Those things out there won't let us around them and we're going the wrong way." Sam shook her head.
"I'm all for that," Daniel said.
They didn't get to say anything else. They heard footsteps approaching and fell silent. Sam peeked out and saw the head and shoulders of a drone above the crumbled ruins at the edge of the dead town. Its head turned to scan the area in that slow eerie way super soldiers moved.
"Get ready for it," she whispered to her group. They all shifted to get into a better position to run.
The soldier started into the ruins, walking slowly, its head moving from side to side as it looked for them. Each step brought it closer to the fountain at the center of the ruin.
Bra'tac touched Sam's shoulder. She allowed her attention to turn from the approaching drone. "We must choose different directions when we run," he said.
Daniel nodded. "He's right, Sam. That thing can only chase one of us if we split up."
Sam shook her head. She didn't want to split up again. There was only one drone here right now. They weren't yet to the point of extreme action. The Kull was getting closer, though. She motioned for them all to move around to the other side of the dry basin.
They moved just before the drone came within sight of their old position. When it saw nothing, it continued on deeper into the ruins. Once it was out of sight, the group let out a collective sigh.
"I'd say that was fun," Daniel said.
"Fun is not the word I would use," Bra'tac said. He sat down on the ground, his back to the fountain.
"I get the feeling there was never anything to find on Dakara," Daniel whispered to Sam.
"You think?" Sam bit off. This entire situation stank of trap and they'd fallen for the whole thing. She shook her head in frustration.
"If he knew there was nothing here, why did Ba'al send his Jaffa?" Ka'ral asked. He peeked out over the dusty brick.
"To lure me here," she told him.
"Even if he did intend for his Jaffa to be discovered," Daniel asked, "how could Ba'al be sure the SGC would send you?"
"Think about it. It's my father. It's the doomsday weapon. Of course they'd send me."
"Why would Baal go to such great lengths…" Ka'ral shook his head.
"Because he thinks my father told me where the power source is." Sam stiffened when she heard the familiar footsteps approaching the area in front of them again. The super soldier was on its way back out of the ruins. She motioned for the rest to get down. They followed her orders without question. Sam fought off the chill that ran down her arms. This was far too familiar. It was a game she'd rather not have to play again. Still, it wasn't like she had much choice. At least this time, there was an operational Stargate to run for… if they could ever get around the blasted drones.
And if Ba'al hadn't already blocked it off.
She didn't know how he could have, though. This was Dakara. It wasn't some backwater planet. It was a Jaffa stronghold. Chances were these three super soldiers were the bulk of his forces.
The footsteps halted for a moment while her heart hammered in her chest. The Kull warrior then lumbered away from their hiding spot. "I think I'm beginning to agree with Bra'tac," she told them quietly. "This is the plan. We split up. One group heads for the gate and if it's blocked will fall back to the Temple."
Daniel nodded. "And the other group?"
"Diversion."
"Do not the Tau'ri have weapons that will kill a Kull warrior?" Bra'tac asked.
"Yes," Sam said. "If the first group can somehow get through the gate, they can bring a team back armed with the weapons to help the other."
"I concur," Teal'c said.
"So, which of us draws the short straw?" Daniel asked.
Carter looked up at him. "I do." God help her.
"No." Daniel said firmly. "You won't go it alone."
"Daniel, this isn't working. Those things are after me. Chances are, once I leave you all here, they'll completely ignore you and you'll be able to simply stroll up to the gate."
"Unless Ba'al has landed more of his forces," Bra'tac said. "We do not know what the situation is at the Temple."
"And, we're not even sure they're only after you," Daniel reminded her.
She gave him a look that told him he was grasping at straws. "You know full well they're after me. I can draw them away and let you get help."
"You won't need help if you're dead. It'll take us at least… hell, we've been running in circles." He turned to Bra'tac. "How long will it take to get to the Gate from here?"
"From these ruins it is a four hour walk. We will be running."
Daniel nodded and looked back at Sam. "So, it'll take us about three hours to get to the Gate. It'll take time for the SGC to send help, and then we have to get back to you. That's if we don't have any trouble."
"I evaded a drone for thirty-six hours. I think I can handle this."
"The situations are not exactly the same, Colonel Carter," Teal'c pointed out.
"No, they're not. I'm armed and I'm not injured this time," Carter said.
"There's also no real cover like there was at the Alpha Site… and there are three of them out there."
"Daniel. Go. Get help. I'll keep them busy. That's an order."
"I do not believe it is an order I will choose to follow."
"Dammit, Teal'c," Carter said angrily, "you don't get to choose which orders you want to follow!"
He stared back at her, his jaw squared stubbornly.
She looked at Daniel. He returned an equally stubborn look.
Bra'tac and Ka'ral simply watched, curious how the situation would play out.
She threw her hands up and rolled her eyes to the sky in frustration. "Does it not say Colonel on my uniform?"
Daniel's face broke into a grin as she channeled their former commander.
Teal'c's lips twitched.
Carter sighed. "Ok. Teal'c, you're with me. Daniel, I'll shoot you before I let you run from those three drones with me."
Daniel opened his mouth to argue. She held up a stern finger that told him she wasn't going to take no for an answer. He shut it before saying a word.
She turned to the other two. "Bra'tac, I'd appreciate it if you and Ka'ral would accompany Daniel to the gate."
"I would be honored to see him safely there, Colonel Carter."
She smiled at him and looked up at Teal'c. "You ready?"
He nodded and grasped his P-90 a little tighter.
She turned back to the others. "Run for the gate. Get to the SGC. Come back and save our butts. Got it?"
"Got it," Daniel said. "Just be careful."
"Believe me, Daniel, the last thing I want to do is be caught by one of those things. I've seen enough of Ba'al's little shop of horrors to last me a long, long time."
OoOoOoOoO
Daniel and the two Jaffa waited fifteen minutes after Sam and Teal'c left before starting out toward the Temple. They had to pace themselves for the long run. Daniel knew he was slowing Bra'tac and Ka'ral down, but he also knew if he pushed any harder he wouldn't be able to make it.
After a solid hour at an even jog, Daniel knew Sam had been right. The drones didn't care about Bra'tac, Ka'ral or him. They were after her and now that she wasn't with them, they were of no interest. The knowledge didn't lesson his sense of urgency, though. It meant Sam and Teal'c had three Kull warriors tailing them.
How could they possibly survive? It would be a good seven hours before he could bring them any help.
Bra'tac seemed to read his mind. "I know you worry, Dr. Jackson." The old man was keeping pace as if he were a hundred years younger. "Our friends will not die easily. They will survive."
"I'd like to be as confident, Bra'tac," Daniel panted, "but the odds aren't in their favor."
Bra'tac smiled. "On the contrary, knowing them, I'd say the odds are quite favorably stacked."
OoOoOoOoO
Daniel had been right. This wasn't the Alpha site. There weren't any trees to hide behind, no bushes to burrow under. There was just a lot of dirt, a few scattered rocks, and an occasional outcropping of ruins.
The drones had caught up with them several times since they'd broken off from the rest of the group. So far, they'd managed to get away each time, but their encounters were beginning to happen more frequently and escaping was growing more difficult each time. The only good news was that Sam had visual confirmation that all three were definitely on their tail. That meant that if there weren't any more of them, the rest of the group was well on its way to the gate.
Sam knew that if Teal'c hadn't insisted on coming with her, she'd have been captured or dead by now. His knowledge of the area was the only thing that saved them on several occasions. They huddled behind a large outcropping of boulders that had broken off a tall sculpture probably thousands of years ago. One of the drones had caught up with them and opened fire. The stone would stop the super soldier's weapon a couple of times but after that, it would be pulverized to dust.
"There's got to be a better way to go about it than this," she said. She ducked another blast from the warrior's armband. This one managed to fry a lock of her hair that was exposed over the top of the boulder.
"I have been guiding us to a possible hiding place," Teal'c said, "if we can get to it."
"I'm listening."
"There are cliffs nearby… on the edge of a valley. There are many crevices that will provide cover and will prove challenging for the drones to transverse in their armor."
"How far?"
"We have been heading towards it for some time now. It is not far, but there is little cover between here and there. I had hoped there would be a greater distance between us and the drones when we reached this point."
She nodded. They'd have to sprint and hope they didn't catch a blaster shot to the back. "How far is 'not far?'"
"Roughly two miles."
He pointed to an outcropping to their right. It appeared a hazy red outline through the thick air of Dakara.
Two miles.
Ok. They could do that. "I run about a six minute mile, but I'm already tired. There's no way we're going to make the run out in the open with that drone on our tail to start." She risked a peek around the edge of the boulder. The super soldier would be on them soon. She ducked back in time to miss his well-aimed blast.
"Indeed." He smiled and reached into his vest, coming up with a block of C-4.
She returned his grin. "Two, you think?"
He nodded.
She took out one of her own blocks and they stuck remote detonators into each. "You blow yours, I'll blow mine."
The drone was almost on them.
"Close your eyes and think happy Christmas thoughts, Teal'c," she said. She turned to get a better leading foot.
"I do not understand, Colonel Carter."
She rolled her eyes. "Just run!" With that, they jumped up and ran towards their only hope for safety. The super soldier raised his arm and took aim.
"Now, Teal'c!"
They both set off the charges as the drone stepped beside the blocks. The ground shook. Sam covered her head to guard against pieces of rock that rained down on them even as they ran farther away from the explosion. They couldn't stop to check on the drone. The blast was sure to draw the attention of the other two.
Besides, she didn't need to look to know the C-4 hadn't killed the monster. It would be back on its feet within a minute. She only hoped that minute would be enough to put some distance between them so they could make it to safety.
Sam felt the burn in her newly healed leg as she pushed it past its endurance. Still, she ran. After a few minutes, she did risk a quick glance backward. The soldier followed, but was farther behind them than she'd thought he would be. The C-4 must have delivered a harder punch than they'd hoped. The good news was overshadowed by the realization that even with the head start the C-4 had given them, there was no way they would make it to the cliffs before the drone gained on them enough to be in weapon's range.
She was right.
Just as they neared the first spattering of rock signifying the change of temperament in the landscape, the drone fired. The shot flew through the air. It hit its mark and burned through the flesh of its intended target.
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Chapter fifteen will be posted tomorrow! Promise.