Jack surveyed the area around the stargate, disappointed that Felger had for once been right. Deep down he'd suspected the professor had been exaggerating and that there were probably only a few Jaffa guards surrounding SG-1's escape route. Unfortunately, that didn't appear to be the case.
"Well, he wasn't kidding." Jack commented out loud to no one in particular. "That's a lot of Jaffa." The Air Force colonel looked over at his team. Carter was off to his right, keeping her head low behind the bushes and waiting for orders. Teal'c stood a few feet behind her, ready to break off and run head first into their upcoming battle. And crouched right next to him, his left shoulder just about brushing Jack's right, was Daniel. Jack wanted nothing more than to order the archeologist to stay close by during this next fight, but he knew he couldn't. Not only was it not the best strategy, but Daniel would almost certainly believe that Jack was only doing it because he didn't trust that Daniel could take care of himself in a fight. But Jack did trust him and knew what the best call for this situation was. "Carter, Daniel, your target is that center gun placement."
"Yes, sir." The major responded.
"Teal'c, you're with me." Jack then turned his attention to the unwanted member of their party. Felger had turned out to be one of the biggest screw-ups Jack had ever been forced to work with. Not only that, but the professor seemed hell bent on disobeying every order that had come out of the colonel's mouth. Jack hoped his intimidation tactics had succeeded in taking care of that particular issue. He glared at the scientist as he asked "Now, is there anything else we need to discuss?"
Felger shook his head rapidly. "No, sir. No, sir, I'm going to stay in this very spot. Even if I see you writhing in agony, calling my name, I'll be here."
Score one for excellent intimidation tactics! "Exactly. On my signal, get Coombs out here."He handed a radio to Felger, then motioned for the others to move out.
Jack watched as Carter stealthily took off in the direction of her target with Daniel right behind her. He knew there was no reason to worry. So far, Daniel had done exceptionally well with handling the multiple problems that had arose on this supposedly simple recon mission, and had easily kept up with the rest of them during their escape. But Jack was still a little paranoid that something would happen to the young man as soon as he took his eyes off of him.
Jack waited until his teammates were out of sight. Then he followed the same path they had taken for a few meters before turning towards the lake where he and Teal'c would have to dispose of the Jaffa patrolling that area. He'd only taken a few steps when he heard a couple of Jaffa approaching on the path he'd just stepped off of. Quickly he retraced his steps and hid behind some trees, planning to ambush the Jaffa as soon as they were close enough. He never got the chance. A zat beam came out of the trees from across the path, taking out the first guard. The other turned around to see where the shot had come from, and Carter stunned him from behind. Jack watched as Daniel stepped out of the trees and nodded to Carter. She flashed him a smile, then ran to join him. The two of them then continued on their way. Jack's anxiety over his friend's wellfare began to fade. Obviously Daniel was more than ready to be part of SG-1 again, which made Jack much more confident about the outcome of this confrontation. Because SG-1 was once again whole, and as a team, there was no power in the universe that could stop them.
--
Teal'c waited until the Jaffa was close enough to the edge of the lake before he stood from his watery hiding place and grabbed his unsuspecting adversary. The struggle was short and the outcome predictable. Teal'c waded out of the water and scanned for any others in the vicinity. A little further down, O'Neill had just rendered two other warriors unconscious. Satisfied that this area was clear, Teal'c walked in the direction of one of the gun placements. Control over such a powerful weapon would help assure their victory.
As he closed in on his next target, he thought back on his disposal of the Jaffa by the lake. He wished that there was never a need to kill one who, if not for those who claimed to be gods, would be considered a brother. Unfortunately, if Teal'c did not fight and ultimately win against his fellow Jaffa, those false gods would continue to rule over all who should be free. Besides, Teal'c knew that these warriors had recently killed the free Jaffa who'd risked their lives to help SG-1. Did they not then deserve the same fate?
Teal'c ceased focusing on those thoughts as he approached his objective. One Jaffa manned the gun, while another stood close by. If he took out the guard first, he'd alert the enemy with the more powerful weapon to his position. A foolish move. Teal'c fired his zat at the gunner, and then turned on the other Jaffa before the first had even hit the ground. The warrior was quick, though, and had already stepped back into the cover of the trees. As Teal'c scanned for his opponent, a staff blast singed the air next to his head. The SG-1 member's response was swift. The enemy Jaffa was stunned before he'd had a chance to fire again.
As Teal'c stepped up to the gun placement, he heard sounds of a fight close by. He turned to see Major Carter and Daniel Jackson exchanging fire with several Jaffa. A blast narrowly missed Daniel Jackson as the young man ducked and continued shooting. Teal'c was impressed with his teammate's ability to overcome all of the many obstacles he had encountered during his life. There were many who would have given in long ago. But Daniel Jackson was proving himself to be a determined and skilled warrior. Teal'c was proud to fight at his side once again. He was also pleased to observe that Major Carter seemed to treat Daniel Jackson no differently than she had before he'd been injured. She was watching his back, as she always did, but did not go so far as to be overprotective.
Teal'c was about to turn his attention back to the rest of his surroundings, aware that a lapse of attention could prove to be fatal, when he heard the sound of a large weapon powering up. His teammates reacted at the same time as him, turning to see one of the large guns pointed directly at them. Major Carter raised her hands in surrender, while Daniel Jackson lowered his zat and glanced around for a possible escape. Teal'c did not hesitate. The large gun pulsed as he fired on the other Jaffa. The gun placement exploded as Teal'c's shot hit its target. Daniel Jackson and Major Carter turned away from the resulting fireball. Teal'c rotated the weapon and continued firing until there were no more Jaffa in his line of sight. By then, the other SG-1 members had continued towards the stargate.
As Teal'c moved to join them he heard O'Neill shout. "Clear?"
"Clear, sir." Major Carter responded.
"Teal'c?"
As he reached the team's position, Teal'c replied. "The area is secure for the moment, O'Neill."
They were interrupted by Felger, who was running towards them.
"Colonel O'Neill. Colonel O'Neill. Colonel O'Neill!"
As the professor reached them, O'Neill questioned him. "What are you doing? Get Coombs out here."
"There's a slight problem there, sir. He's stuck."
Teal'c was not surprised by this revelation. While the two scientists had displayed remarkable courage in coming to SG-1's 'rescue', they also displayed incompetence in almost everything.
When O'Neill ordered Coombs to activate the rings, Teal'c stepped beside the colonel and waited to be transported back into Khonsu's base. As the rings came up around them, he took one last look at Daniel Jackson and Major Carter and knew that they were all only moments away from successfully completing this mission.
--
Sam watched as Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c disappeared, then turned to face the others. Felger was pale and seemed extremely nervous. She wondered if he'd ever again dream about being on a mission with the 'famous' SG-1. Daniel, on the other hand, looked more pleased than she'd seen him look in quite some time.
"Good to be back?" Sam asked him.
"Oh, yeah." He agreed. "I missed this."
"You missed being shot at?" She laughed a little at the thought.
"Hard to believe, huh?"
Then Sam thought about how she'd feel if she had been sidelined for almost six months. "No, I think I understand what you mean." And she had to admit that she was enjoying herself too. Sure, things weren't exactly going as planned and they were lucky to be escaping with their lives, but having Daniel back seemed to overshadow any of the more negative aspects of this mission.
Keeping an eye on the tree line, she moved to stand next to the DHD, wanting to be prepared to leave as soon as the others returned. As Daniel continued to survey the area around them, Felger approached her. He stood next to her for a moment, and Sam noticed that he kept staring between the scars on Daniel's face and his ruined right hand. "Should he really be out here in his condition?" He asked in a relatively low voice. Apparently, it hadn't been low enough, because she noticed a change in Daniel's expression.
"He did great out here." Sam emphasized the word 'he', implying that others hadn't done as well. Luckily Felger took the hint and let the matter drop. Daniel shot her a quick look of gratitude. Sam nodded and gave him a sympathetic smile. She hadn't lied. Daniel had performed well on this mission. She had been a little concerned after noticing that his limp had gotten progressively worse during their escape, but he hadn't once complained or let it slow him down. And he'd managed to take out as many, if not more, Jaffa as she had.
Sam looked at her watch. It was time. She reached out to dial Earth, but stopped. "Hey, Daniel!" She called out. "Dial the 'gate?"
He grinned as he ran over to the device. "What? I come back and suddenly you forget the correct symbols?"
She noticed that despite his teasing, he didn't hesitate to reclaim the job.
Once the wormhole had stabilized, the three of them climbed up the steps and waited. Only moments later, O'Neill, Coombs and Teal'c ringed back outside and began running towards the stargate. As they approached more Jaffa appeared and began to fire at them.
"Simon, are you okay?" Felger asked when the others had joined them.
"Later!" Colonel O'Neill snapped, interrupting their reunion.
Sam turned and stepped through the 'gate. As soon as her feet hit the ramp at the SGC, she turned and took a few steps backwards, leaving room for the others to come through. Felger appeared first, running past her as if he was still in danger. Coombs came through in much the same way. Daniel stepped through calmly and took up position near her. Teal'c was next, and he proceeded down the ramp to where General Hammond was waiting. A moment passed. Then another. Just as she was beginning to worry that something had gone wrong, the colonel stumbled through, yelling for them to close the iris.
As they all walked away from the 'gate, Daniel looked over at Jack.
"You stopped to provoke them, didn't you?"
"Me?" Colonel O'Neill feigned innocence.
"Jack?"
"Hey, you're the one who wanted a Jaffa ambush."
"Daniel?" Sam questioned, wondering what that comment had meant.
The young man shrugged. "Don't listen to him, Sam."
"Oh, so you didn't tell anyone that all this was exactly what you wished for?" O'Neill demanded as they headed out of the 'gate room.
"So this is my fault?"
"Completely."
Sam looked at Teal'c, who seemed to be as clueless as she was about their teammates' discussion. She wished she knew what they were talking about, but in the end it didn't really matter. Their mission had turned out to be a disaster, but they had managed to survive, and now they were walking to the locker rooms, while the colonel and Daniel playfully argued. In other words, everything was as it should be.
