Chapter Twenty-five Summary: Sam, Jolinar, Lantash, Martouf, Jacob, and Selmak arrive at the SGC safely. It is decided that there should be certain actions taken right away, and Martouf and Lantash are sent to put them into action. They decide to send Malek for Per'sus, so that Jolinar will only have to tell her story once. Jolinar announces her intention to remain with the Tau'ri…and to join the High Council.

Rating this Chapter – PG-13

"Italics" – Symbiote-Host Communication

An Alliance of Friends

Chapter Twenty-five

Leap of Faith

The klaxons went off, and General Hammond and the remainder of the people in the gate room watched the gate. He glanced up at the technician again, and this time he was rewarded, as he saw her lean forward to tell him, "There's their signal."

"Open the iris," his command came immediately, but the iris was already opening. The tech hadn't waited for the order, knowing it would come. If the planet was under attack, every second could count.

Sam, Jacob, and Lantash fell through the gate and landed on the ramp. As soon as they were standing, they walked down the ramp and towards SG-1, General Hammond, and Garshaw. As they neared the group awaiting them, Jacob gave control to Selmak, and they approached General Hammond. Addressing him, he said, "I must give you thanks. You have saved my life, and that of my new host; we thank you."

Garshaw smiled and her relief showed through her normally stoic expression. "This is wonderful news, Selmak."

George Hammond answered him, easily, saying, "Welcome to Earth. I wish it was under more auspicious circumstances. As for sending Jacob to you, you're welcome, although it was a decision that Major Carter made that allowed it to happen, and Jacob's decision to do it. Can we talk to your host?"

Selmak smiled, as he bowed his head and gave control to Jacob. As he raised his head, Jacob cleared his throat, and looked around sheepishly. Before, the General could ask him anything, he said, "So, when the little fella inside me is talking, do I sound like him?"

Teal'c answered him, affirming his suspicions, "That is correct."

"It's strange. When he's speaking, I can feel myself talking, but it's not me saying the words. You know?"

Colonel O'Neill shook his head in denial, saying, "Don't know, but I'll take your word for it."

Daniel was the one that asked what he felt was the most pertinent question, "How do you feel?"

Jacob laughed a little, telling them, "Well, considering I've got one of those things, er, symbiotes, inside me, I feel pretty damn good!"

Teal'c looked at him closely, and his approval was plain upon his face, for all to read.

Jacob put his arm around Hammond's shoulders, saying, "Listen, George. Because of this blending thing, I already know everything there is to know about the Tok'Ra. You made the right decision, when you took that leap of faith. You made the right call. They're everything Sam, Lantash, and Martouf said they were."

O'Neill, Daniel, Lantash, Carter, and even Teal'c were smiling at him, as he told them that.

Hammond smiled at him, as well, as he told him, "I sincerely hope so, Jacob."

"I would be proud to serve as liaison between the Earth and these people." He paused, for a moment, and then looked over at Sam, Jolinar, Martouf, and Lantash, adding, "Of course, there may be more than enough of us for that."

Garshaw looked at him in confusion, but before she could question his remarks, General Hammond, answered him, saying, "Good. Well, on that note, perhaps, you can ask them to come with me to do a little debriefing."

Garshaw immediately vetoed that. "I am afraid we cannot. We must go."

Teal'c assured her, "You are safe here."

"Yes, I agree with you, Teal'c; however, because of the spy, the Goa'uld may already be on their way to the site to which the Tok'Ra have moved. We must go quickly and stop our people from making any more tunnels. We must move the Tok'Ra to yet another new home."

Selmak took control and turned to Lantash, telling him, "Lantash, go stop the tunnels, order the ones made destroyed, and tell Aldwin to begin the move to the next planet on our list. Tell him to send Daimesh and Markesh to the new world and take over organization there. Return here and bring Malek with you." He frowned. "I am not sure now is the time to contact Per'sus, although, perhaps we should discuss doing so. I assume that is what you were planning, since it seems the most logical way to achieve your purposes, which again, I believe I know, but I would like to have confirmation of it."

Lantash nodded, and then turned to the General, telling him, "I must use your dialing device."

Hammond nodded. "Of course, Lantash. You know where it is, so go ahead." Then he turned to Daniel, asking him, "Would you get a GDO for him and show him how it works, Dr. Jackson? He'll need it to return."

"Of course, General. Lantash, come with me, and I'll show you what you need to know."

As the two men walked away, Garshaw finally found her voice. "Selmak, what is the meaning of this?"

Selmak sighed, before turning back to her. "It is my belief that there are several things that must be discussed without more delay. The others can handle the move to the new home world. Considering everything that they have done for us this day, I believe it is only right that we accede to the General's request to be debriefed. We should also find out what it is that Samantha, Lantash, and Martouf know, but which they could not tell us before because of the spy."

Garshaw stared at him yet again, as her very sharp mind mulled his words. She was perturbed by several of them. Lantash, Martouf, and spy, along with 'could not tell us' were the ones she found the most unnerving. Finally, she asked him, "Selmak, are you suggesting that Major Carter, Lantash, and Martouf somehow knew about the spy…and did nothing to prevent his attack?"

Selmak shook his head, answering, "Not exactly. Did they know that there was a spy? Yes, I believe they did. Did they know who it was? No, I do not believe that they did and, in fact, I believe that their appearance at the tunnels was their effort to try to find out who it was, so that they could warn us. Unfortunately, I believe that he may have become suspicious of them, contacted his overlord, and then passed the coordinates for our world on to him. But, until we can all sit down together, we will not know for sure. I believe that we should wait, until everyone is present."

"They believe that the information given to Major Carter would have told them who it was."

"In a way, yes. Lantash will return soon; let us wait for him to discuss it."

"Should we just go ahead and tell her that you are alive, Jolinar? It might be helpful. We can still wait to explain, until Martouf and Lantash return. What do you think?"

Jolinar sighed. "Yes, I suppose there is little point in concealing it from her any longer. It will only make her more upset, if we continue to withhold the information of my survival from her."

"Okay. I'll let Selmak know that you're going to take control."

"Yes, go ahead."

"Selmak. It's okay. I think we can go ahead now, with at least one bit of information that Garshaw would have already had, if circumstances had given us an opportunity to tell her. While we wait on them to return, it gives us our opportunity. After all, the danger of the spy trying to kill us is over now."

Selmak gave her a small smile, agreeing, "That is true, Samantha, and if you believe that you are now safe to do so, then by all means, make your announcement."

Sam smiled wryly, at his choice of words, and dropped her head. As her eyes glowed, and Jolinar raised her head, she heard Garshaw gasp.

Jolinar bowed her head in greeting, before saying, "A great deal has occurred, my friend. It is a rather long and dismal story, so rather than have to repeat the entire thing again; I shall simply tell you that Rosha died several months ago. There was a reason for our subterfuge, as you know. As soon as Lantash returns with Malek, we can retire to the briefing room, and give you the pertinent information."

Garshaw gazed at her, for quite some time before stating quietly, "We believed that you and Rosha were both killed. For a long time, we could find out nothing about either of you. Word finally came that an Ashrak sent by Cronus killed you both. We declared you both deceased over six months ago."

"Yes, my mates have told us. I assume that Lantash told you that they have been here on Earth for several days. For the last two of those days we have been here together, so we caught up on many things. Prior to those two days, my Sam and I were quite busy, and Martouf and Lantash became prisoners of the Tau'ri, until we, ah, procured their release…but that story, too, can wait."

"Yes. It seems that there is a great deal going on about which we knew nothing. I would appreciate an answer to one question, now, though."

"I will attempt to answer it for you."

"If you knew there was a traitor, why did you not tell us?"

"Because, although, I did not know who it was, I felt strongly that it was a council member. There were those who I knew it definitely was not, however there were too many left to be able to pinpoint the one it was. I lost parts of my memory from the Ashrak's attack on Samantha and I. We almost died, and I lost several rather important memories," she smiled, "not the least of which was Martouf, Lantash, and our relationship."

Garshaw's eyes widened. "Oh. That must have been…trying."

Jolinar laughed aloud. "Yes, I believe that you could say that it was, at the very least, trying."

"We came to the tunnels to try to see, if I could recall the spy's name, and I am very glad and thankful that Colonel O'Neill found him for us, for we did not appear to be making any progress." She sighed rather sadly, adding, "I do not suppose we will ever know why I could not remember that it was Cordesh, although Samantha believes that it could be that the pain of his betrayal of me was so deep that I buried what he did. Why I forgot other things though, we have no idea, for many of the things I did not remember were innocuous things that had no emotional value whatsoever. Why I forgot Lantash and Martouf is also a mystery. We did recognize him as someone we knew, though, and the longer we were around them, the more memories of them returned. Still, they had to tell us that they were our mates."

Garshaw nodded, "Yes, I, too, am very grateful to the Colonel for recognizing that we had a traitor and that contrary to what we believed; it was not a contact, but one of our own. We still do not know what happened to cause Cordesh to turn in that way, although the Colonel suggested the torture and brainwashing he endured many months ago, as possible causes. I believe that perhaps he is close to the reality of what occurred. He would never have betrayed you Jolinar. He has been your right hand from the time of the wars with Egeria. He followed you faithfully for over two thousand years. Something caused his turn to traitor. I cannot believe that it was done purposely with full knowledge of what he was doing. Not with the loyalty, he felt to you and the Tok'Ra. Still, he did turn traitor, even if it is very possible that it was induced by the Goa'uld, and that betrayal may very well be why you could not, or perhaps would not, remember the name of the traitor."

"Yes, as I said that is what my Sam believes, and I must admit that it seems logical. That is no longer pertinent. As I was saying, we had hoped to stop him, but it is possible that, as Selmak suggested, we alerted him instead. I suppose we should not have told anyone that, my Sam and I were blended, for a short time. Although, I felt that Samantha was very believable, when she told him that she had none of my memories...and" she gave a small smile, "in the case of the traitor, she was not lying, for neither of us had that memory."

As the two women both lapsed into a somewhat brooding silence, the General asked them, "Would you like to go up to the briefing room? You can sit comfortably there, while we wait for Lantash and Martouf to return."

"That would be very pleasant, General Hammond, thank you for suggesting it," Jolinar gave him a brief smile, as she agreed.

He returned it, suggesting, "You know where it is Jolinar, why don't you take Selmak and Garshaw on up there, and make yourselves comfortable. We'll join you, as soon as Malek and Lantash return, if not before then."

"I think that is an excellent idea, General, especially, since Samantha would like some coffee. She is going into withdrawal, for she has not had any since this morning."

The General chuckled, and then, still smiling, he headed for the control room, while Jolinar turned to Selmak and Garshaw, telling them, "It is this way. Just follow me. The sooner we get to her coffee the happier my Sam will be."

Garshaw's glance flew to Jolinar, as she asked her, "Your host is addicted to some substance? Why are you encouraging her?"

Jolinar smiled at Garshaw, as she shook her head. "It is all right. It is a Tau'ri beverage of which she is very fond. Unfortunately, both Martouf and Lantash find it very good, too, so I am overruled on its palatability. I am the only hold out, as I find it just this side of tolerable, an improvement over my first reaction, when I accused her of attempting to poison us."

Garshaw sent her a sardonic look, before she commented, "I must presume that it is one of those things that one either immediately likes immensely, or finds to be unbelievably vile, in which case, it becomes a matter of acquiring a taste for it, if your host is, ah, addicted to it."

"Yes, and hoping that you can acquire a taste for it. I do consider that I am lucky though, for Dr. Jackson, Daniel, often appears to have a mug growing from his hand, and Samantha is not quite that addicted to it. I believe that they should simply hook up one of their IVs and administer Daniel's coffee in that manner."

"What is an IV?"

"It is the way in which the Tau'ri replace blood loss. They also administer fluids to someone who is dehydrated in this manner. To the Tok'Ra it would no doubt appear primitive; however, I have seen it in practice, and I know that it works. It was one of the things that helped to keep Samantha and I alive, after the Ashrak almost killed us. Once Dr. Fraiser more or less restarted my heart, I began to regain my strength, and could counter the shock, however, their treatment of us no doubt saved my life—although, I believe that Samantha might have survived me. It was…an experience which neither of us wish to repeat."

"No," Garshaw murmured, "and I cannot blame you for that. Did you say that they restarted your heart?"

Jolinar grimaced, as she assured her, "Close enough to call it that. Another minute, or perhaps two, and my heart would have stopped completely. However, we can discuss this at some other time."

Garshaw agreed, saying, "I understand. I am sure that there are several Tok'Ra that would be interested in your experiences here, during your stay."

"Garshaw—I am not returning to the tunnels; I am remaining here with my host's people." Jolinar's voice was soft, yet, unyielding. There was no hesitance, or so much as a breath of a 'may I' in that voice and statement. "I feel that I can no longer take long-term infiltration missions. I have been doing so for two thousand years, at least, and I believe that it is time for me to make some changes in my life. Lantash and Martouf have wanted me to take fewer missions, for a very long time. I have pushed their needs aside and disregarded them, for much too long. They should have set me aside a long time ago; however, they did not, and I care too much, for them, to allow this to continue. We have not had time to discuss exactly what we wish to do other than remain here and help the Tau'ri, for an extended period, but of that I am sure."

She frowned, as she turned to Selmak, saying, "I am not so sure that we should not attempt to have Per'sus here. He needs to hear these developments, as well. I know that it was Lantash's intention to arrange a meeting between Malek, Per'sus, he and Martouf, and the three of us. He also believes that this is very important. I do not know, if he intended any other Tok'Ra to attend or not, but when he arrives, I will inquire."

Hearing voices, she looked toward the door. Lantash and Malek came through it, followed by Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, Daniel, and General Hammond. The General shut the door behind him, before taking his seat at the head of the table.

Garshaw, frowned, and her voice was stiff, as she questioned the Tau'ri's presence, "Is there a reason that you wish to discuss Tok'Ra business with outsiders among us?"

"Yes, there is. This is not simply Tok'Ra business anymore. Samantha attempted to explain to you, as, I believe, did Dr. Jackson." Jolinar ran a hand through her hair, pushed herself away from the briefing room table, and walked to the window that overlooked the Chaappa'ai. No, the Stargate.

Selmak was frowning deeply. This was not like Jolinar. Whatever was going on, she felt it was important. Perhaps he should attempt to get Per'sus here. "Jolinar. Do you believe that Per'sus should hear what you have to say?"

She turned and her gaze flew to her mates. He nodded briefly. Lantash and Martouf were very intelligent men, and they read situations correctly almost every time, regardless what was occurring. "Yes. Yes, Selmak, I do."

Lantash stood and walked over to her, gently taking her hand in his. Still holding it to give her his silent support, he turned toward the others, telling them, "I did not intend to hold this meeting in this way; however, after giving it some more thought, I believe that the sooner we all meet to discuss the possibility of an Alliance between our peoples, the better it will be."

Garshaw frowned, as she questioned him, "This is about an Alliance between the Tok'Ra and the Tau'ri? I have already explained to Colonel O'Neill that the council simply will not agree at this time. They do not believe that the Tau'ri have anything to offer us that is worth us taking the risks of them knowing so much about us. I am beginning to believe otherwise and, as I told him, we will have to work toward that goal slowly."

Lantash looked back at her, saying, "I don't believe that this matter was brought to Per'sus's attention. Nor is the High Council aware of it. We cannot decide something this important, without the High Council being involved. I believe that, once the facts are presented to Per'sus, he will insist on an Alliance, possibly a close one, where cooperation, as well as a sharing of information is a vital part."

"There are factions on the base council that will not agree to any changes in the way things are done, and that must soon change…even if it means their ultimate removal from their positions."

"I know you do not understand why Jolinar and I feel this way; however, keep in mind that I have spent several days here learning of the Tau'ri, and Jolinar has been here for two weeks, in a position to learn even more about them than I," Lantash stated his opinion firmly.

Jolinar nodded. "I agree with Lantash. We might as well go ahead and hold the 'mini-meeting' now, and it is important that Per'sus become aware of what could be offered and needed in return. I believe that now is as good a time as any other. For the moment the base is safe," she paused and frowned, before adding, "Although, I believe that all of our bases should be moved again. It is entirely possible, and even probable, that every base has been compromised. I would suggest that you inform Per'sus of the spy, his discovery, and his subsequent execution. You should probably suggest that he send messengers to each base with instructions to move once more. If we are attacked again after that, then we will know that the entire list of our possible base sites has been given over to them. We can only hope that, as it seemed today, he gave the base coordinates one at a time for whatever reason."

"If he was doing that, and I agree that, so far, it appears to be that way, then he might have been receiving something in return. If he was receiving something he really wanted, then he would give the information in the smallest increments he could, so as to receive more rewards," O'Neill stated his opinion of the situation. "Did you have time to look through his other belongings? If so, there might be a clue there. You did go through it or send it on, didn't you?"

Garshaw nodded, assuring him, "Yes, we have his belongings. I am sure we have not yet had a chance to examine them; however, once we are settled into our new tunnels, we will certainly look at them thoroughly, you may be sure."

The Colonel sent her a smile, telling her, "Good. I won't be surprised if something does turn up. It's really the only thing that makes sense, and I think the attacks on your bases would have been coordinated, so that they each happened simultaneously, if the System Lords knew all of them."

"Very true, Colonel, and we must hope that is the scenario that we discover."

Malek stood abruptly, saying, "I agree that Per'sus should be here for this discussion. He needs to be aware of our suspicions, including the ones you are now postulating. I will go at once, and bring him back with me." He turned to the General, asking, "Will someone be available to escort his guards to join my own?"

"Certainly. Ask Lieutenant Simmons to take them when you return. He accompanied yours to the mess hall, so they could relax, until you need them. I believe that he said something about the rec room, too, so it could be that he took them there, after they chose what they wanted. Tell him that I'm putting them in his charge."

"Thank you, General. I will do so." Turning back to the others at the table, he told them, "I do not expect to be gone for very long, unless something major is happening there. It will not take long for him to issue his instructions as to what needs to be done."

Garshaw bowed her head in acknowledgment, assuring him, "That will be fine. We will expect you or a messenger before long. Thank you, Malek."

General Hammond quickly reminded him, "Don't forget to have them give you a GDO, or you will not be allowed to return."

Malek bowed his head, in farewell this time, and turned toward the door, only to find Dr. Jackson, waiting on him. Before he could ask him, what he wanted, Daniel told him, "I'll get the GDO for you, and give you the code again. They might have changed it already, so just in case it has been, I'll check it out," Daniel assured him, before he turned and led him out of the room. Behind them, there was silence.

The longer the silence extended, the more uncomfortable Jack O'Neill became. Damn it, where was Daniel? What was taking him so long? He always had something to say, and the one time they needed him to jabber on and on, he wasn't around. Well, he'd just have to say something himself then and break this increasingly tense silence. As he opened his mouth to attempt to start a conversation, Sam's eyes glowed, and she came fore.

"Please don't, Colonel. It's not uncomfortable; It's simply that we're all thinking about what's been disclosed. It will be fine. Really."

O'Neill frowned, before he looked around the table. No one looked the least bit tense. She was right. Crap. He was the only one that was tense, and he didn't even know why. After all, he wasn't the one that had to explain that not only had he stolen two Goa'uld motherships and a shipwright, he'd also started two wars. He didn't have to tell them about Amaunet, or explain about the spy. He wasn't the one that had to discuss the possibility of hosts for their people, if they would be willing to compromise on the 'fighting for the Tok'Ra' thing for some of them. He didn't have to tell them that the Asgard felt strongly that an Alliance with the Tau'ri was exactly what they should do. Come to think of it, he'd just sit back, relax, and watch what happened.

Now that he realized he wasn't the one that was going to have to be explaining why he didn't report to their base sooner, took an unwilling host, and decided to remain with the Tau'ri, he felt much more comfortable with the entire thing.

He caught a glimpse of movement in his peripheral vision and turned to watch the General, as he looked at the clock, sighed, and reached for the phone. He was using the direct line to the White House, and Jack eavesdropped unashamedly.

"Yes, is the President in residence or has he left for the day?"

"Could you put me through, please? I have some information he wants."

"Yes, I'll hold, thank you."

It seemed that almost no time passed, and he heard General Hammond say quietly, "Good afternoon, Mr. President."

"No, Sir, I'm not calling with an emergency." He chuckled, for a moment, and then obviously answered a comment from the President, as he said, "Yes, Sir, if it continues, it won't be long until a call from me doesn't almost give you a heart attack. You'll consider my calls as non-alarming as the chef's."

Hammond laughed again, before answering, "I realized that it was getting late there so, I'm calling to find out if you'll be available later tonight. Not knowing if you would be available later on, I felt I should give you a heads up on a development that has occurred here."

"Yes, Sir, it's a good development from our viewpoint, and some of it has taken place today; however, there might be some more developments later this evening; we just don't know for sure, yet. If at all possible, I'd like to be able to contact you, if the need arises."

The General sat quietly, as he listened to whatever was being said on the other end of the call. Glancing around the table, Jack realized that he wasn't the only one listening in to this end of the conversation. Then noticing the Tok'Ra listening rather intently, he realized that it was possible that they were capable of hearing both sides of what was being said.

Whatever the President said, must have been affirmative because the General began to explain what had occurred, and why he might possibly need to call him. "Well, Sir, we had some developments with the Tok'Ra today. As you know, Major Carter and Jolinar decided that they shouldn't wait any longer to go to Jolinar's base. Martouf and Lantash went with them, as planned. However, while Jolinar was attempting to find out where the leak in their organization was coming from, Colonel O'Neill happened to see something that led the Tok'Ra to him right away. Unfortunately, it wasn't before he sent the base coordinates to his contact. One of their scouts sent word to them that the Goa'uld were on their way to attack the base. Luckily, the warning was in time, and they were able to move to a new base in time to avoid any loss of life."

He cleared his throat and took a quick sip of water, before continuing, "Before any of that took place, though, General Carter called me from the hospital, and his health had taken a severe turn for the worse. I went to see him, and the doctor told me that I should call in the family. I returned to the base and recalled Major Carter, so that she could see her father. As it turned out, she brought the news that there was a Tok'Ra in need of a host, and we offered the opportunity to blend and become a Tok'Ra to the General. He went to the base, met and talked to the Tok'Ra, and is now Tok'Ra himself. He's sitting here, now."

He paused for a moment, as he listened to the President, and then said, "Yes, Sir, I'm sure he would; however, if you wouldn't mind, I need to tell you the remainder of what is occurring." They could tell that the President agreed, by the relief on the General's face, as he said, "Thank you, Sir. Because of everything that happened today, the close call with the base, and Jolinar's memories returning, as well as Jacob, General Carter's, blending, Jolinar and Lantash decided that they should open negotiations this evening. The Tok'Ra's High Councilor should arrive before long. It may come to a point where you are needed to verify something, or to make a decision about something that we didn't foresee becoming an obstacle. That's why I wanted to see if you would be available, if we needed your input or agreement to something. I really don't envision anything concrete being put into place, at the moment, but there still may be questions that we can't handle without your input."

"Yes, I will. I have the number, and I'll call and report once the meeting is over, to let you know if we are going to be working toward a friendship and an Alliance—or not."

"Yes, Sir, I will, and he's right here. I'll turn this over to him. Which one do you want to speak to first?"

"That will be fine, Sir. Hold on for a minute, please." The General looked over at Selmak and Jacob, to see that they had already stood and were making their way toward him. "He'd like to talk to both of you, but to Jacob first, if you don't mind, Selmak."

"Not at all, General Hammond. I fully understand why he would wish to assure himself that Jacob is content with his circumstances."

Their eyes flared, and Jacob came fore, reaching for the phone, as soon as he had control of his arms, which, as far as the General could tell, was pretty much immediately. He handed the phone to Jacob, as he sat down in a chair beside the desk.

"Good afternoon, Mr. President."

"Yes, I feel fine; better than fine, actually. I feel better than I have in years. Even my arthritis is gone."

"Well, Mr. President, I know everything there is to know about the Tok'Ra. When you blend, you each receive the other's memories and knowledge. It's…fairly overwhelming, at first. That's not really the important thing. What is important is that I believe that General Hammond and Sam made the right decision in telling me about the Tok'Ra. They are everything that Sam and Jolinar told you they were. I'm very glad that I took a leap of faith in accepting the proposition they offered that gave me the opportunity to blend, and that George took that same leap in giving me the chance to make that decision."

Jacob sat and listened, as the President talked to him, for a minute or two, obviously explaining something that surprised him. "I…didn't realize that. I believed that, since I was dying, George gave me clearance. I didn't know this was arranged during their D.C. trip. I didn't even know that you had a meeting with Sam, but then, I haven't talked to her much since then. She's been on several missions recently."

He listened intently, for a moment, before glancing at Jolinar and Sam, as well as Martouf and Lantash. "Yes, I understand, and Selmak and I will remain patient a little while longer to find out what else was discussed, during your meeting with them." Another pause, and then Jacob told him, "Yes, you can. Thank you for making this possible. I look forward to seeing you, too, James. It's been a while. Here is Selmak."

As the glow faded from their eyes, Selmak, told him quietly, "It is an honor, Mr. President, I assure you. We are both indebted to you, for although I saved Jacob's life, at the same time, he saved mine. We have a mutual, symbiotic relationship with our hosts, as you know." He listened again, and then answered, "No, Sir, our decision was to remain with the Tok'Ra. While we will be able to spend time on Earth, we will be needed by the Tok'Ra. Although, I believe that Martouf and Lantash wish to remain with the Tau'ri at the SGC and join their mate on SG-1. I know that there is some odd regulation about that, which I find unusual, for our mated pairs often work together, and we have never had any problems."

"Yes, Sir, I believe that would be wise. To disallow something that is common for us could cause problems, if the time ever comes that other Tok'Ra would wish to become more familiar with the Tau'ri and your culture. Mates being allowed to come together and remain that way, would make the idea more inviting to many, I am sure. However, as it stands now, Jolinar and Samantha and their mates will be a test of the idea's workability, thus, if we do manage to become allies at some point in the future, that problem will have been resolved. By allowing them to remain, it will also allow your people to see the differences between the Goa'uld and the Tok'Ra."

"Thank you for your welcome to Earth, Mr. President. We will be more than happy to meet with you, whenever both of our schedules make that possible." He chuckled softly, "Yes, and I will return you to General Hammond now. It has been a pleasure talking to you, however briefly."

He handed the phone back to the General and returned to his original chair, his mind working very quickly. The president had hinted that there was 'more' than they yet knew. If it was what he hoped it was, then an Alliance was almost assured. He heard the General say his good-byes, and within a few minutes, Daniel Jackson returned with Malek and Per'sus.

As the tall good-looking man entered the briefing room, his gaze took in everything, at once. He was alert to any danger, but realizing there was none, he walked toward the General with Malek walking beside him. They approached the desk where General Hammond was now standing, with Martouf and Lantash beside him. He reached out and clasped the General's arm, as Martouf donned his diplomat hat, and said, "General Hammond, I would like to introduce to you, Per'sus of the Tok'Ra, our High Councilor. Per'sus, this is General George Hammond, head of Stargate Command, Earth."

Bowing his head in greeting, as he had noticed the Tok'Ra seemed to do, General Hammond, told him sincerely, "It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you, Councilor Per'sus."

Per'sus returned the gesture, as they released each other's forearms, and replied, "The sentiments are returned, General Hammond, I assure you. I am told that you, and your people, saved Selmak for us this day, as well as, found a traitor. It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Won't you have a seat? Is there anything we can get you to drink?"

"A glass of water would be appreciated, thank you."

Martouf brought him the water, thankful that it was not tap water, which he found unpalatable because of the chlorine, and he and Malek returned to their own seats.

Lantash took control, as Per'sus took a sip of his water and prepared to take another. Indicating Sam and Jacob, he told him, "I believe that someone should introduce you to Selmak and Jolinar's hosts, Per'sus. Major Samantha Carter is Jolinar's host, and General Jacob Carter is Selmak's host."

Per'sus paused, with his glass of water halfway to his mouth, and stared at him, as he said, "Jolinar? Jolinar is here?"

Lantash looked to Malek, asking, "You did not tell him that Jolinar was alive?"

If a Tok'Ra could get a deer in the headlights look, Malek would have had one, but as it was, he simply looked slightly surprised, before he admitted, "I forgot. I have no excuse for that. I told him of the spy and finding a host for Selmak. I completely forgot to mention Jolinar." Looking at Per'sus and Sam, he bowed his head slightly, saying, "I apologize to you both. That is not something that I should have forgotten."

As Lantash introduced them, both Sam and Jacob had come fore. Now, Sam sent Malek a bright and friendly smile, as she told him, "Well, I, for one, am pleased to see that you aren't always as perfect as Jolinar swore you were. She assured me that you never forgot anything and always took care of every detail, never overlooking the least little thing."

Still grinning, she turned to Per'sus, saying, "Councilor Per'sus, it is a pleasure to meet you; however, since I'm quite sure that you are anxious to find out what's been happening, I'll give control back to Jol."

"Jol? Did Samantha just call Jolinar, Jol, Lantash?" Martouf sounded almost as affronted, as he did when the Colonel called him Marty the first time.

"Why, yes, Martouf, I believe that she did. I have a feeling that these Tau'ri are going to shakeup the Tok'Ra and constantly surprise us. They do appear to like to shorten names. I have to wonder what they will eventually call me. Lanny? Lan? Or perhaps…Tash. Yes, I think I prefer that one."

"I—you—how can you say that? You have a very nice name, just as it is," Martouf answered obviously somewhat appalled, still staring at Samantha, and wondering how Jolinar felt about her new name.

Lantash laughed, as he told him, "I was teasing you, Martouf. Although, in reality, I do not think that I would mind too much, although, perhaps Lanny is going too far. Still…" He sighed and brought himself back to the conversation going on around them. "I believe that we should give our attention back to the conversation, now, though," Lantash urged, pulling him out of his metal gyrations and back to the situation at hand, as well.

"Yes, thank you, I will," Martouf, agreed, before turning to listen to Per'sus's response to his mate.

'It is a pleasure, Major Carter. I look forward to hearing how you came to be Jolinar's host, as well as how she is still among us." He then turned to Jacob, telling him, "General, it seems that we owe you and the Major both a debt of gratitude. We thank you both sincerely."

Jacob came forward and grinned, saying, "Hey, Selmak and I saved each other. Sam's the one that you should thank. She's the one that got permission to offer me the opportunity to meet and blend with him."

"I see. Are you and the Major related in some way then?"

"Ah, yeah. Sam's my daughter."

"I—see." A slight smile finally graced his lips, and his gaze encompassed both of them, as he told them, "I must tell you again, that the Tok'Ra do thank you. Both of you. If there is anything which we can do, please…tell us."

"Actually, it's funny you said that, because…"

"Ah, Dad, I think this is something that Jolinar and Lantash need to discuss with their people. I'm sure it will all come out, but, not from us, ah, okay?"

He gave his daughter a sheepish grin, saying, "Right, Sam. Sorry. I've been a General too long; it tends to make a person just take charge. I'm going to let Sel take over for now."

"Sel? You called me Sel?"

"Sure, it's a nickname. You'll get used to it."

"Well, if Jolinar can become accustomed to being called Jol, I suppose I can live with Sel."

"Of course, you can. And call me Jake. It's shorter."

"Yes," his symbiote told him faintly, "I suppose it is." Then, he turned his attention back to the discussion. There were things that he and Jacob did not know, and he did not want to miss the information.

Per'sus sat, quietly for a moment as the two Tok'Ra took control, before saying, "Jolinar, I welcome you back amongst us. It is truly a joy to know that you have returned to us, even as we mourn the loss of Rosha."

"Thank you, Per'sus. The explanation is somewhat long; however, I will make it as short as I can without leaving out anything pertinent. There are several topics that we need to cover, including my decision to remain among the Tau'ri, and to take my seat upon the High Council. That, however is the least of which we must speak."

She fell silent as she contemplated what she wished to say. Now that it was time to start, Jolinar was at a loss as to where to begin.

"The beginning, perhaps? How about starting with you overhearing Cordesh talking to Cronus?"

Jolinar nodded, "Thank you, Mer Prinekh. I believe that you are correct."

She turned to Per'sus, telling him, "No one here, other than my Sam know the entire ordeal that led me to this point, though the Tau'ri know most of what has occurred. As I said, I will not bore you with all of the happenings. But I will begin at the beginning, which is when I overheard Cordesh talking to Cronus…and telling him exactly who I was. Rosha and I barely made it away from his palace, without being caught. For months, we were barely ahead of the Jaffa and the Ashrak that he sent after us. At one time, as I am sure you have guessed, they got close enough to us to mortally wound Rosha. I was fortunate to find a host willing to…"

TBC