Author's Note: I don't own Stargate. I've gotten some feedback but I'd like to ask you opinion again. I have two ideas about where this story could go. I have an idea to incorporate this story with Atlantis and my other idea is to incorporate my character with the Ori storyline. Which would you like to see happen more and if you have ideas I'd love to hear them. Please remember to review and comment, your messages make my day. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I've been looking forward to writing this for a very long time. Just a reminder, italics mean another language is being spoken.
Chapter 25: The Tokra-Continued
Kalen and I walked into Klorel's cell followed by a team of marines. As the door opened I saw Klorel quickly sit up from where he had been lying down and swing his legs over the edge of his cot. His face formed the customary smirk that he always wore whenever he was about to taunt me but the appearance of the marines who filed into the room behind Kalen and I wiped that smirk off his face. The marine that held the restraints for Klorel stepped forward. Klorel's eyes fell on the chains that were meant to be wrapped around his hands and feet and his expression darkened.
"What are you planning human? Why bring the shol'va?" His sneered at Kalen.
Kalen clenched his jaw at the insult, being called a shol'va wasn't considered the greatest dishonor among jaffa for nothing. Seeing so much hate coming out of Skaara's body, even after all this time, was something that I was never going to get used to. Hopefully if everything went well I'd never have to see Skaara like this again.
"Miss Clark?" Another marine was reaching for the cell's door and I nodded for him to proceed. He opened the bared door while three other marines rushed in and seized Klorel. It took all three of them to hold the struggling Goa'uld while the marine with the restraints clasped them on his ankles and wrists.
"Unhand me I command you! I am a god!" Klorel screamed. "How dare you…" And the marine clamped a gag over his mouth, silencing him.
The three marines who still had a hold of Klorel rough housed him out of the cell. While he could not speak he was still able to glare daggers that spoke volumes of the hate he felt for me.
I tried to look past the hatred in Klorel's eyes and find Skaara under there somewhere. "Skaara." Klorel thrashed violently at the mention of his host's name and had to be restrained. Once he had calmed down I began again. "If you can hear me, I just want you to know that whatever happens I will always love you." The steely anger in Klorel's eyes softened for a moment and for the first time in weeks I caught a glimpse of the man beneath. Then just as quickly Skaara was gone again.
I had to blink forcefully to keep tears from escaping. "Take him to the gate room. I'll meet you there." I ordered the marines and they escorted Klorel out of the room.
Once Klorel was out of site I crossed my arms over my chest as I felt my heart breaking.
"Are you ok?" Kalen placed his hands over my shoulders and I reached up and took one of his hands.
"No." I was truthful. "Thank you, for being here. I know things have been strained with us lately and I just want to say that you've been a good friend." I squeezed his hand.
He squeezed my hand back and gave me a small smile. "Come on, we can't keep them waiting for too long."
As we walked up to the gate room something clinked in my jacket's breast pocket. I reached in a pulled out Skaara's lighter, I had taken it with me on every single mission since he'd been taken and today I prayed that I would finally be able to return it to its rightful owner. I closed my eyes and pressed the small silver lighter to my chest before slipping it back into my jacket.
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When we reached the gate room Jack was already there with Sam and her father. The marines had waited to bring in Klorel so as to not freak out General Carter. None of us thought he would be willing to become a host to a Tok'ra symbiote if the first encounter with a symbiote he had was a Goa'uld.
"Dad, I'd like to introduce you to some people." Sam took her father's arm to steady him as she led him over to Kalen and me. Despite his strong frame he leaned heavily on Sam, the slight tremor in his hands gave evidence to how far his cancer had gone. "This is Erin Clark and Kalen of Chulak."
"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." I smiled at him as he shook my outstretched hand weakly.
General Carter then made to shake Kalen's hand and was slightly startled when Kalen grasped his forearm in the traditional Jaffa greeting. "It is an honor."
General Carter's stared up at the Apophis tattoo on Kalen's forehead. "I… um, thank you." He sounded unsure of what to make of meeting his first alien.
Sergeant Walter up in the control room began to input the coordinates to the Tok'ra home world. After going through the gate hundreds of times I had gotten used to the spinning rings and the chevrons locking, but watching General Carter stare up in wonder at the ancient device brought me back to the first mission with Jack and Dani and the feeling of seeing the Stargate activate for the very first time.
"Holy Hannah!" The General let out a delighted laugh. "So this is the alien thing you found?"
Sam looked up at the gate with pride. "Yup."
"And it really sends you to other planets?"
"Chevron 7 locked." Sergeant Walter called out and the gate activated, sending out the whoosh of water before snapping back into its upright pool of shimmering particles.
"Whoa!" General Carter shouted and he rocked back on his heels. His center of balance had been thrown off and if Sam hadn't steadied him would have fallen back. "Thanks kid." He thanked his daughter. "Incredible!"
"Send them in." General Hammond's voice echoed over the loud speakers and the blast doors on the right side of the gate room opened and the team of marines and Klorel came in.
"Who's that?" General Carter eyed the shackles around Klorel's hands and feet and the gag around his mouth.
Sam seemed at loss for words on how to explain the situation without scaring her father. "Its, um, hard to explain Dad. Remember how I told you that these Tok'ra would be able to help you?" Her father nodded. "Well, they're going to try to help him to."
Jack and Kalen broke off from our little group at the end of the ramp and approached the marines and Klorel. "We'll take him from here boys."
"Colonel?" Hammond questioned over the loudspeakers.
"General, the Tok'ra didn't take to kindly to SG-10 coming through the gate. I highly doubt a team of heavily armed marines will do anything to endear us to them. Besides," He looked to Kalen, "we can handle this snake."
"Colonel." Sam called to Jack, her voice full of warning. Her father was already shaking at the prospect of blending with a Tok'ra.
"Sorry Captain." Jack apologized. "We're ready sir." He shouted up at the control room.
Hammond leaned down and spoke into the speaker. "You have a go. Godspeed."
"Let's go, Dad." Sam tugged on her father's arm and gently led him up the ramp.
I followed closely behind them, and farther back Jack, Kalen, and Klorel brought of the rear, Klorel's struggling made for a difficult time getting him up the ramp.
General Carter jumped when Klorel made a particularly loud bang by slamming his feet down on the ramp in an attempt to dig his heels in. The General turned his apprehensive eyes on his daughter.
She patted his arm she had a hold of to steady him. "It's okay Dad. Like I said, the people where we're going are going to help him."
We came to a stop right before the event horizon. "Does it— what does it feel like?" The General gazed at the gate warily.
"You've handled worse, Dad." Sam assured him.
"It's actually kind of fun, sir." I said as I waved my hand through the event horizon, making ripples in the watery substance.
He reached out and touched it, smiling at the texture. "It's not wet?" His voice full of awe.
"It's just an illusion of water Dad." Sam explained. "You ready." Her father nodded his head and they stepped through.
Before I went through I glanced behind me at where Jack and Kalen held Klorel. Jack met my gaze and I saw his pain at having to treat his surrogate son is such a way. "We'll be right behind you Erin." Jack called up the ramp.
I took a calming deep breath and stepped through the gate. During the three second trip I sent out a prayer. Dear God, please let us be doing the right thing.
Once on the other side I saw Sam holding onto her father as he doubled over, slightly winded from the trip. Given that most people threw up their first time through the gate, he was doing really well. "You do that a lot?" He looked at his daughter with pride in his eyes.
Sam smile and gave a short laugh. "Yeah, once or twice a week."
"It beats the hell out of a shuttle on the back of a rocket." He said and I remembered Sam mentioning that her father had been trying to get her into the space program. "You sure this is another planet? It looks like Earth."
"Yeah, we figure the Stargate system was built specifically to transport humans or something close to humans in physiology. So it seems to go mostly to places where the environment supports human life." Sam answered just as Jack, Kalen and Klorel came through and the gate deactivated.
"Well, here goes nothing." I said and we headed towards the dunes where the Tok'ra rings were.
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It was utter chaos in the tunnels. People ran in all directions, every single one of them caring equipment and crates. No sooner had we been transported down than two Tok'ra men and ushered us out of the way and sat down the crates they had been holding and activated the rings.
Down the hall Ferretti came in to sight with the rest of SG-1 and Sg-10, all of whom were helping the Tok'ra.
"Colonel Ferritti." Jack yelled and probable would have gone running towards him if not for his hold on Klorel.
Ferretti motioned for our people to continue as he sat the box he'd been carrying and ran to us. "Yes sir?"
"What the heck's going on?" Jack waved his free hand at the frantic Tok'ra.
"We're free."
"Then why are you still here?"
"Well, we want to be allies, right, so we're lending a hand with the evacuation." Ferretti explained.
Sg-10 along with Dani and Teal's sat down their crates in the rings and stepped back at they were transported up.
"What evacuation?" I asked as I stepped out of the way of a group of Tok'ra barreling past.
"Come on, I'll explain as we go." Dani took my arm and waved for Jack and Kalen to follow with Klorel. "Garshaw asked to see you and Skaara the second you got back." Then over his shoulder he called to Sam. "Sam, Martouf is waiting for you and your father in Selmak's chamber." And she took off with her father down the hall in the opposite direction of us.
"What's going on Danny-boy?" Jack was growing impatient.
"They're evacuating, so we're free to go." Daniel answered while leading us towards the council chamber.
"Why?" Jack asked again.
"There are two Goa'uld motherships on the way." Daniel answered.
Jack's eyed widened. "Oh."
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We entered the council chambers a few minutes later. Garshaw and Cordesh had been deep in conversation but stopped short when we entered. Garshaw rose to meet us while Cordesh remained in the back of the room.
"This is the man you spoke of?" Garshaw studied Klorel closely.
"Yes." I said.
"And the Goa'uld's name?" She asked.
"Klorel, son of Apophis."
Her head snapped to my face in shock. "You capture the son of Apophis?" There was new respect in her eyes for us. "Perhaps we've underestimated your people. This will deal the System Lords a serious blow." She was pleased. "Prepare him for the procedure."
Klorel's face broke out into utter horror and lunged away from Jack and Kalen with so much force that Jack and Kalen lost their grip on him. In their place three Tok'ra took hold of Klorel, their strength easily matching his.
"Garshaw!" Cordesh snapped at her and came around the table to confront the council woman. "We are evacuating, we cannot start the removal now."
"Klorel knows too much now to risk his escape when the System Lords arrive and we can't take the chance of bringing him to our next base, it must be done here." She motioned to the Tok'ra holding Klorel. "Attempt to remove Klorel from the host without harming him."
They headed out of the room and I made to follow but was stopped by Garshaw's hand on my arm. "This is not something you would wish to see."
"I've seen it before." I told her, thinking back to Kawalsky. I don't know what she saw on my face but I was thankful that she didn't pry. "I need to be there."
"As you wish. Take her with you." She ordered.
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Klorel had been taken to a chamber that looked like an advanced version of our infirmary. He had been sedated and was now lying unconscious on his back on a slab of crystal in the center of the room.
"We are about to begin." One of the Tok'ra physicians came to stand beside me where I was looking down at Skaara. "Once we start we can't stop until the symbiote has been removed. If the ships get here before we finish there won't be anything we can do."
"I understand."
"You, must also realize that even if we are successful there have been cases when the host never woke up. Knowing this do you still wish to proceed?" It was strange to hear sympathy from a reverberating voice that I'd only ever heard speak hate before.
"Can I have a moment before you begin?" I asked, my gaze pleading.
"Of course, but you must hurry, there isn't much time." He motioned for the other Tok'ra present to move to the back out of earshot, but not too far away should Klorel suddenly regain consciousness.
"Thank you." I told them and walked to stand beside Skaara. Now, asleep he seemed so peaceful that for a fleeting moment I could have believed that we were both back on Abydos and the last two years were nothing more than a bad nightmare. "I'm so sorry. This never should have happened to you." I pushed one of his dreds that had fallen over his face away and a few stray tears escaped my eyes. "They had chose me, it should have been me." The traitorous scar on my left cheek that had been the reason I hadn't been taken throbbed painfully as I was pulled into the memory of that dark cell on Chulak. Leaning down I whispered, "Please come back to me." And I kissed his forehead. I took a deep to regain control of my emotions. "Ok, we're ready." I raised my voice so everyone could hear.
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The procedure seemed to be going well but it was hard to watch. Though I knew they'd only been working on Skaara for about an hour based on my watch, it seemed like we'd been there all day.
Unlike operations I had observed before where the doctors talked amongst themselves, the Tok'ra doctors worked in complete silence. A silence that was shattered when Jack came running in. "Erin we need you." He saw me glance towards Skaara. "Now."
Jack was in Colonel mode now and as much as I wanted to stay with Skaara I didn't argue. I got up from my seat against the wall and followed him out of the room. He handed me my combat vest and hand gun that had been taken when we first entered the Tok'ra base. "What's going on?" I asked as I slipped the vest on.
"Cordesh is a Goa'uld spy, he let the System Lords know where the Tok'ra were." Jack explained as we rounded the corner and were joined by Garshaw and a group of Tok'ra guards.
"Where's Cordesh now?" I fell into stride beside Garshaw.
"That's why I pulled you out, we can't find him." Jack explained.
"Council Woman Garshaw," A young Tok'ra man read up to Garshaw and bowed his head in respect and continued. "Cordesh has been located in a vanishing tunnel."
He took off running down a corridor followed by the rest of us. We came around a corner and were met with Cordesh standing right in the path of a tunnel collapsing in on itself.
"Cordesh! You must come with me and face questioning." Garshaw shouted to the man.
"I'm not what I appear to be." Cordesh spoke with a normal human voice, the first time he had done so since we had met up in the sand dunes. "Cordesh is no longer. I couldn't stop him." The collapsing tunnel was nearly upon him. "I'm as guilty as he was!"
"You must leave the tunnel and explain yourself, Cordesh." Garshaw ordered.
"I don't deserve to remain among the Tok'ra." He looked so lost. Then he let out a blood curdling scream as the vanishing tunnel knocked him over and swallowed him up.
I let out a horrified gasp and tuned away. "My God!"
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"Cordesh must have been guilty of something or he would not have allowed himself to be buried." Garshaw led the way through the corridor, by now nearly all the Tok'ra had cleared out.
"With all due respect Garshaw, I don't think he had a choice." I said.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Cordesh said he wasn't as he appeared." I made to continue but was cut off when Jack grabbed a Tok'ra woman, I recognized her as a member of the council. "Jack, what are you doing?!"
He wrestled a box from the woman's grasp. "I'll apologize if I'm wrong." He opened the box revealing a small silver orb, a Goa'uld long range communication device.
"There's two spies." Garshaw ripped the box from Jack and two Tok'ra guards clamped down on woman's arms.
"Or just one." I watched the woman closely and saw some mannerisms that appeared familiar. "Cordesh could have jumped hosts like Jolinar did."
Garshaw narrowed her eyes at the woman. "Cordesh?"
The woman's lip trembled with rage. "The plague that it the Tok'ra will soon be whipped out!" Cordesh yelled.
"I'm sickened to have called you friend." She handed the box containing the orb to one of the Tok'ra guards. "I want you to know, the System Lords will fall, but you won't be alive to see it. Attempt to remove Cordesh from the host without harming her. Then put this traitor in one of the vanishing tunnels." The two guards then hustled Cordesh away.
"I must thank you. You may have saved the Tok'ra a great many losses." Garshaw turned to Jack and me. "But, you still have nothing to offer us."
"I think we do." I spoke quickly. "The one thing you need most, hosts. If Sam's father would be willing to become a host then there must be others on our planet in similar situations." I looked to Jack.
He didn't look happy but it seemed to be the only possibility to save the alliance. "It's worth exploring." He conceded.
Garshaw nodded. "Yes it is."
"Pardon me." The Tok'ra doctor that had been working on Skaara came running up. "We've finished the procedure."
My head whipped towards Jack at the same time he turned to me. We didn't say anything, neither of us had to.
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Skaara had been moved to the same chamber where Sam's father was being held with his newly blended symbiote. Sam's father was lying unconscious on his side and on a mobile bed lay Skaara, also unconscious.
I ran to his side and laid my hand on his arm, but Skaara didn't stir. "Why hasn't he woken up yet?"
"As I said before some never wake up. It could be a few minutes or a few hours, his mind is trying to deal with the trauma his symbiote left behind." The doctor took Skaara's other arm and checked his pulse.
While the doctor checked on Skaara I turned my attention to Sam and her father, and was surprised to see Martouf standing behind where she was sitting on the bed next to her father with a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"How is he?" I asked.
"I don't know." Sam spoke without moving her gaze from her father's face.
"Martouf!" Garshaw rushed into the room, this time speaking without a reverberation denoting that it was her host Yosuf that was speaking. "All tunnels but this one and the escape tunnel have vanished. All the other Tok'ra have gone to the new homeworld. We must go now!"
"But what about my father?" Sam's voice was shrill with worry.
"And Skaara. We can't just leave them here."
Yosuf drew her gaze across the two unconscious men. "When and if they awaken, Selmak knows where we'll be. They can follow."
"They'll be captured!" I shouted at her.
"If Selmak is captured, he will die before he will reveal our whereabouts." Yosuf said with confidence.
Sam jumped up from the bed. "Take them with you!"
"Or we'll take them with us." Jack offered.
"I'm afraid that to transport Captain Carter's father now will kill him. He needs to remain stationary until Selmak has completed her repairs. The same goes for your friend, if he is moved now we could cause him serious damage." Martouf said. "I will remain with them. If I can get them out, I will. If not, I will allow the vanishing tunnels to consume us before the Goa'uld get here."
Yosuf bowed her head and when she opened her mouth it was Garshaw speaking. "I cannot allow you to die in this way. We must leave now!"
"I'll stay." Sam said suddenly.
"So will I." I added.
"Not happening." Jack was having none of it. "We have to go."
"With respect, no, sir. I am not leaving him here." Sam stood up as straight as possible and stared Jack down.
Martouf stepped forward and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "I will assure that we will not be taken by the Goa'uld."
"Please, Colonel. I need to be here." Sam pled, and she reached up and took Martouf's hand, whether she did this consciously or not I did not know.
"So do I Jack." I added.
"Alright." Jack looked over to where General Carter and Skaara laid unconscious then to us. "You both better come back so I can thoroughly yell at you when this is over." He was stern, but there was a hint of humor and concern in his eyes.
Sam smiled weakly and nodded. "Yes sir."
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The bombardment was getting closer and closer. Soon the motherships would be landing troops to scour the planet for survivors, which there were currently four, including me, huddled close together in a small room underground.
Another explosion sounded above us and the shaking resulting from it shook loose parts of the ceiling and sent them crashing down. I leaned over Skaara to keep some of the debris from hitting him.
Sam had done the same. Once the shaking had ceased she sat back up and brushed some dust off her shoulders. "That was way to close."
"It sounded like it was right above us." I observed and took Skaara's hand in mine, still no response. "Oh God, I hope I've done the right thing bringing him here."
"From what I understand, the alternative was no better." Martouf said.
"Ah." General Carter suddenly stirred.
Sam was by his side in an instant. "Dad?" Her voice was cautiously hopeful.
"Martouf?" The General's voice had a reverberation denoting that is was Selmak speaking. Another explosion rocked the room. Selmak flinched slightly. "Should we not make our escape?"
Martouf's face broke into a smile, but it dimmed immediately when his took in Skaara's still unconscious body. "You and Captain Carter should leave, I will remain with Erin and her betrothed."
Selmak shook his head in the negative. "We will all leave here, together."
Sam stepped into Selmak's field of vision. "Is my Dad in there somewhere?"
Selmak bowed his head and when he lifted it General Carter was in control. "I'm here, Sammy. Oh man, talk about your hangover." He leapt of the bed and nearly collapsed. Martouf and Sam made to catch him but the shook them off. "Whoa!" He grinned. "No more arthritis!" He bent his knees and jumped up and down in place. "Holy Hannah! No more arthritis."
Sam grabbed her father into a hug. But their celebration was cut short as the most violent explosion yet lurched the floor beneath us and knocked out the lights for a few seconds. Instinctively I crouched over Skaara so that when more debris fell from the ceiling didn't hit him.
A piece of ceiling hit me in the head and sent my ears ringing. "Oh hell." I groaned.
The ground lurched again and I went hurtling forward onto the mobile cot that held Skaara. I threw my arms out to keep myself from falling onto him. What I was not expecting was to be caught by a pair of strong arms that were defiantly not mine. I froze on contact, like if I was to move then those arms might disappear.
The lights flickered back on and two brown eyes stared up into my blue ones. "Skaara?"
We stared at each other and the rest of the world faded away. "Airen?" He opened his mouth and was shocked when it was his words came out. He lurched up and crushed me against his chest. "I'm so sorry, I couldn't stop him. I tried to. I fought him. I never stopped fighting." He spoke in hurried Abydonian.
"Shh, it's over. He's gone, he can't hurt anybody ever again." I pulled back and he tried to keep me in place, but before he could I crushed my lips to his. It was over, he was really free, we had gotten him back. I could hardly believe that the universe allowed it even as he grabbed a fistful of my hair. Tears of joy sprung up in my yes I did nothing to try and stop them. "I love you."
"And I you." He mumbled against my lips.
We could have gone on like that forever but another wave of bombardment broke us apart.
A chorus of throats clearing drew my attention to the front of the room where Sam, and her father stood with very red faces. Martouf, however was all business. "We should make our leave as soon as possible."
Skaara swung his legs over the side of his cot and immediately fell to his knees, probably unused to being in control after all this time. Martouf took hold of one of his arms and I took the other to steady him. "I am fine." He insisted and gently shrugged us off.
Martouf conceded and ran to the door, waving for us to follow. "This way."
Skaara grabbed my hand and we ran out into the corridor, the tunnel behind us was collapsing in on itself. Our small group made it to the rings and I was grateful that this part of the base hadn't collapsed under the bombardment.
Just as Martouf activated the rings Skaara and I turned back the way we came and saw the resealing tunnel wall rushing forwards to swallow us up. Then the rings transported us to the surface.
Once the rings were done they disintegrated and fell down into the sand. A loud humming noise reverberated through the air and our heads snapped up. A Goa'uld mothership had just started to enter the atmosphere right above us. Several gliders swooped down ahead of the mothership.
None of said anything as we sprinted towards the gate. The gliders spotted us and began releasing a volley of fire blowing up the ground that we had just been standing on.
Sam was the first to reach the DHD. "I'm dialing Earth." And she began punching in the coordinates. No sooner had she begun than an incoming coordinates began to light up the chevrons.
"The Goa'uld are attempting to come through the Gate." Martouf shouted over the roar of the death gliders.
Skaara was still unsteady on his feet and we brought up the rear. Suddenly my foot caught a rock and I pitched forward, only to be safed from falling face first by Skaara. We hurled ourselves to our feet and closed the remaining distance between us and the gate in record time.
The gate activated and the wall of water whooshed out, but whether it was an incoming or outgoing wormhole was anybody's guess. "Did you open the Gate or did they?" I asked.
"We have no choice!" Selmak yelled.
He and Martouf ran towards the gate, but if they went through now without SG-1's IDC code they would only be met with the iris. "Wait." I screamed and they halted right before the event horizon. I punched my code into the device on my arm. "Okay now!"
The gliders were right on us and they began firing on the gate itself. Sam, Skaara and I ran up the few steps to join Martouf and Selmak and we all hurled through together.
I ended up coming through onto the other side in mid-air, the momentum that I had thrown myself through carried over and I landed hard on my back on a metal ramp. Earth, we made it!
I had begun to rise up on my hands and knees when Sam came through and landed on top of me. "Sorry." She groaned and rolled off me with the help of Martouf.
Skaara was the last to come through and somehow he managed to land on the balls of his feet. Seeing me on the ground he moved to help me up but was halted by the sound of the safeties being thrown off several guns.
My gaze whipped from his startled face to the group of marines holding the guns, the same ones who escorted Klorel from his cell earlier. "Hold you fire!" I shouted and threw myself to my feet in front of Skaara so I was a barrier between him and the guns.
"Put your weapons down." Jack ordered as he, Teal'c, Hammond and Dani ran into the gate room.
"Sir." One of the marines asked warily.
Jack whirled on him. "You heard me. He's no threat."
The team of marines eyed Skaara suspiciously but lowered their guns.
Jack and Dani ran up the ramp while Hammond and Teal'c lingered in the back.
"O'Neill! Dan-yell!" Skaara exclaimed and met them halfway in a group hug.
I was laughing and crying at the same time. Dani reached over and caught hold of my jacket's sleeve and pulled me into the hug.
I don't know how long we stood there, but from the expressions of the air force officers and marines present, seeing one of their commanding officers being so emotional was a little uncomfortable. Finally we let each other go, Skaara took my hand, and we descended the ramp.
"General Hammond. I'd like to introduce you to someone." I grinned at Skaara and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "This is Skaara, son of Kasuf of Abydos."
Hammond's eyes softened and he held his hand out to Skaara to shake. "It's a pleasure son." He looked up at Sam and her father coming down the ramp. "Jacob?" He asked.
"I'm here George." He laughed. "And considering I've got one of those things in my head I feel pretty good."
Several conversations broke out around me, but I only had eyes for Skaara as he spoke freely amongst our friends and family. Teal'c, who had remained in the back, now came forwards and approached Skaara. Skaara watched the Jaffa approach and kept his expression closely guarded.
"Skaara of Abydos." Teal'c bowed his head slightly. "I had a part in your capture, and for that nothing I do will ever be enough to atone for that. I know I have no right to it, but I would ask your forgiveness."
Skaara remained silent and unmoving, then he slowly extended his arm towards Teal'c and they clasped arms. No other words passed between them, no other words were needed.
When Skaara let go of Teal'c arm, Teal'c bowed his head and moved away to join the conversation going on with Jack and Hammond.
"I have something of yours." I approached Skaara and pressed his silver lighter into the palm of his hand.
He looked down at it in amazement. "You've kept it after all this time." I nodded. His face suddenly went serious and he took my face in his hands. "Every day I was here I told you I loved you, you couldn't hear me but I said it."
"I love you to."
He leaned in and crushed his lips to mine. I felt his hand reach up and grab my hair at the back of my head. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Um…" Someone coughed. Jack. "We should…"
"Go, right." Dani finished, the awkwardness in his voice was palpable.
I heard the dozen or so footsteps of SG-1, Hammond, General Carter, Martouf and the marines leave and the doors close behind them. Somewhere above us the blast doors closed over the observation window of the control room giving us privacy.
For that one moment nothing existed beyond the two of us in the gate room.
Author's Note: Whew, that took forever to write but it was so worth it and it beat doing my college homework which I will be doing after I post this. What did you all think? I had been playing around with Erin and Skaara's reunion for so long and I hoped this does it justice.
This chapter's question: In a fight which would win, a Wraith hive ship or an Ori mothership? Leave you answer in the reviews
Again please comment on what you would like to Erin interact with more, Atlantis or the Ori.