CHAPTER FIFTY
Jack made a face as he smelled the smoke, the acrid tendrils of flesh and blood spilled then burned when the plastique Carter blew had toppled Ra's Jaffa. He had asked the major what had happened to the children, getting only a short "We sent the survivors down" as a reply. He didn't ask what she meant by survivors.
In front of him, John was letting the butt of his staff weapon go through the curtain first to the northeastern chamber. No one returned fire, but the captain still only parted the curtain halfway.
"I don't see anyone," John hissed to Jack.
The colonel tensed. "Can't be. Saw Ra and Hathor doing a cheap imitation of WWF. Their bodies should be here."
John was about to argue when he caught movement behind the consoles. The three tensed, pressing back against the walls and peered through the doorway cautiously. Jack pointed to the curtain, then at himself, mouthing they should go in one at a time. John nodded and took a step, zeroing in on the huddled shadow, feet sticking out behind the station. Slowly, without a sound, he made his way around, spinning abruptly towards the shadow.
The shadow screamed.
John stilled, eyes wide in shock as he saw who it was cowering on the floor.
Hathor.
"You!" John snapped the staff weapon open, the head's petals spreading with a sizzle of energy. Hathor flinched, curling tighter to the wall, hands over her face protectively.
"What? Who is—shit!" Jack skidded to a halt, nearly slamming into John. He stared at Hathor, shocked. The woman's head whipped at Jack, reeling as she saw two of them staring at her.
"Sir?" Carter froze at the sight. Hathor gave a soft whimper, covering her head with her arms.
John's lips curled into a snarl. "You—" He tensed the trigger of his weapon. And fired.
"No, wait!"
Carter grabbed the staff mid-length, jerking it upward as it spat a bolt. In the midst of Hathor's scream, the staff weapon punctured a hole in the ceiling above. John spun around, furious as dust rained down on him.
"What are you doing?" John didn't wait for an answer, spinning back to Hathor. He raised his staff weapon away when he saw Carter dropping to her knees in front of her.
"Carter!" Jack saw the major give him a shake of her head. "What the hell are you—"
"She's not Hathor, sir." Hand on the woman's shoulder, Carter looked at her, studying the frightened eyes and knew how disoriented she must feel. She squeezed the shoulder under her palm and whispered softly, "Janet?"
Janet Frasier stilled, staring at her.
"Do you understand me? Do you know where you are?"
The petite woman whimpered again, lowering her head.
"Carter?" Jack walked around John, his hand back to tell John not to fire. "Are you saying—"
"Her larva is gone, sir. I can sense nothing, only..." Carter made a face. "I guess it would be...an echo I feel from her. But no Goa'uld." Sam turned to Janet again. Gently, she placed a hand on her arm. "It's okay. Can you tell me what happened?"
Janet shook her head, confusion growing by the second. She clutched Sam's arm, sensing the major wouldn't hurt her, looking around the chamber, then down at her clothes. A small sound of dismay escaped her lips as she saw her attire, memory reluctantly returning.
"What the hell are you saying? She's not Hathor? What?" John hissed, taking a step forward. Frasier shrank back, gazing at his armor. Jack placed his hand on his chest.
"Carter...when Daniel and I left, we saw her under a ribbon device. Would that do it?"
"It could. It's possible." Carter sat up higher. "Sir? You said she was under Ra's device? Where's—"
"Shit!" Jack snatched at his radio. "Daniel, come in."
Nothing.
"Carter, keep an eye on her. Cap—" Jack spun around, but John was already gone. "God damn it!" Jack tore after him, half spurred by worry, half by anger he once again hadn't waited.
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Amidst the charred remains of statues, a wild exchange of fire between Teal'c and the guard sent the room to utter destruction. One well placed blast near Teal'c's hiding place behind the throne sent him crashing to the floor with a grunt, his staff weapon spinning out towards the center of the room. Daniel tried to grab the dropped staff weapon, twisting away as Ra's Jaffa lurched at him, the guard's staff weapon swinging down towards him in a deadly arc. Teal'c tackled the Jaffa before the guard could touch the archeologist. Daniel didn't stop. He reached for the dropped weapon, but as his hands curled around it, Ra came up to him, a hand knocking against his chin, slamming the scholar against the sarcophagus.
"Daniel Jackson!"
Teal'c roared as he saw Ra ram Daniel against the golden device again, the archeologist still no match for the wounded Goa'uld. Ra's hands stained with his own blood seemed to enrage the pharaoh more, like a wounded animal snapping back with fury. Teal'c started for them only to be pulled back when the guard rose to his feet, wrapping massive arms around Teal'c's chest. The royal guard squeezed, and Teal'c slammed his hands down on the arms just as he was lifted off his feet. Head snapping back, Teal'c butted the back of his head against the Jaffa's face. The guard grunted, releasing Teal'c as he staggered back.
"Shio tok!" Ra's hand rose, the gem nestled in his ribbon device glowing once. Ra's palm flexed, the webbing around the glove glittering, and Teal'c flew back, crashing against the wall once more. He stilled on impact.
"Teal'c!" Daniel lurched to his feet, grabbing for Ra's hand to stop the Goa'uld from attacking again as the royal guard grabbed Teal'c by the arms, dragging him back to the chains on the wall. Daniel gasped as Ra's hand whipped across and slammed down on his stomach, shoving him up against the sarcophagus.
"Why do I see you everywhere I go?" Ra seethed. "You have countered my reign even through my re'klya! You turned even my own queen against me." The pharaoh leaned his body against Daniel, blood soaking through robes, into Daniel's uniform as well. Ra pressed his face close to Daniel's. The archeologist tried to fight free, the eyes in front of him glowing so brightly he thought they would burn him.
Ra suddenly took notice of the sarcophagus under Daniel. "Who lies within my sencray?"
Daniel winced, feeling Ra's fingers in his ribs, the carvings of the sarcophagus digging into Jack's jacket as the Goa'uld's full weight pressed down on him. He felt something nudge him on his hip, and his eyes darted briefly below to the hilt still buried deep in Ra.
The pharaoh noticed his attention and snarled. "This is nothing! I've fought in battles and slain my own enemies! Do you think a mere blade can cut me asunder? No one can take down a god. No one!" Ra's hands bunched around Daniel's collar. His eyes flashed once more. "Who lies within?"
"No...no one!" Daniel gasped, feeling Ra pulling him off the box. Daniel knew if Ra saw who was inside, he might make the connection about the realities, the planet, everything.
"Lies."
Ra gave Daniel a meaty smack across the face. The archeologist slumped to the floor, weakly trying to grab Ra as the pharaoh stumbled towards his throne, barking at his Jaffa to watch Daniel. Ra tapped at the gem on his throne, the ship rumbling in response, the windows closing, sealing away the view of the world.
The ship was leaving.
"I will return to this planet with a hundred more ships," Ra whispered, eyes smoldering at Daniel. The guard grabbed Daniel by the arm, wrenching him to stand up. The archeologist feebly shoved at him. Ra kept one hand braced on the blade, circling Daniel with scornful eyes, lips twisted with a mixture of pain and anger. He leaned closer to Daniel, sneering. "Perhaps I shall allow my re'klya to see it before the execution?"
Desperate, Daniel imitated what he saw Hathor do.
He yanked his hand free, grabbed the knife in Ra's ribs, and ruthlessly gave it a twist.
Head back, Ra screamed, eyes flashing towards the ceiling, then towards Daniel as he turned the ribbon device inches from Daniel's face and let its beam hurtle the archeologist back against the sarcophagus. Daniel slid down to the floor with a groan, but he forced himself to lunge forward, tackling Ra at the knees before the guard could grab him. The two flew away from the center circle, from the sarcophagus and into the steps.
The ruler, still reeling from the pain, roared at the impossible fact that this human was getting the best of him. His hand whipped out, the device sending waves of energy across the room, wildly firing, trying to reach Daniel, but the young human rolled away, reaching for the staff weapon Teal'c had dropped. Just as he aimed it towards Ra, another shockwave sent him slamming against the sarcophagus. Daniel tried to get away, but Ra threw another one at him. And another.
Until one landed on the sarcophagus.
"No!"
The blast wrapped itself around the compartment, blue bolts of energy snaking around it before the sarcophagus gave a shriek and fell permanently silent.
Daniel, dazed, wasn't sure if it was he who screamed or Ra as the Goa'uld realized he'd inadvertently destroyed his own road to immortality and power.
Or perhaps it was John, who stared at the sarcophagus, the charred husk before screaming, roaring, rushing at Ra.
The pharaoh had stared at his own destruction with shock and wasn't able to defend himself at first when John tackled him, pummeling him with endless fists. John was screaming at him uncontrollably, face red, as he kept at him until Ra's hand device threw him off again.
Daniel tried to get up. God, he could feel the warmth from the sarcophagus ebbing away through his jacket. He tried to turn his head, to see if it was still working, but felt his body turning to water, sinking him back down to the floor. Someone caught him, and he looked up, dizzy, stiffening when he saw Hathor's white features somewhere in the distance.
"Daniel, Daniel, it's okay!" Sam's face came into view as well, her hands bracing him, one running behind his head to check. The scholar hissed as she found a lump. "She doesn't have the larva any more. She's not Hathor. Not anymore."
Staring, Daniel whispered "The sarcophagus?" sagging when Sam shook her head sorrowfully.
"Carter, get him to the rings! Now!"
Daniel wanted to protest that they hadn't found the maps yet for the rebels. He heard a thud and turned in time to see Jack slamming into Ra's guard, throwing him to the floor before he staggered over to where Teal'c was. Before the colonel could rouse his friend, the guard clamped a hand over his shoulder, pulling him back. Jack spun around on contact, double fists swinging up and connecting with the guard's jaw. The Jaffa toppled back as Jack shook his injured hand with a sharp hiss.
In the meantime, John slammed his fists on both sides of Ra's torso, screaming in Goa'uld at the ruler, barely jerking back at the pharaoh's returning blows. Blood streamed down his nose, but John didn't look like he cared.
Sam pulled at Daniel's arm, trying to get him to move, but her head whipped back when she saw Frasier, shrinking to hide behind the statues, her eyes riveted on Ra. As the major tried to reach for the woman, she heard the hum of the ribbon device, spun around aiming with her sidearm. But too quickly, she felt the energy from Ra's ribbon device, slamming her against the broken sarcophagus, her gun spinning down to the floor besides it. Carter slid down in a slump without a word.
Seeing the major on the floor, Jack took a step towards them, grunting as he fell forward, the guard latching on to his ankles. The colonel snapped his head up as he saw Daniel running in a crooked weave, jaw set as he headed towards Teal'c with the intention to break him free. Jack kicked out at the guard, a howl telling him he'd made contact.
"Enough!" Ra roared, his ribbon device snapping out like a whip, ramming into John's stomach before a burst of energy from it sent the captain flying back, crashing into Jack just as he rose to his feet. Daniel skidded to a halt inches from where Teal'c was as the two O'Neills rolled to a stop by his feet.
"What is this?" Circling around the dazed O'Neills, Ra drew comparisons of the faces. "Two of you? How is this possible?"
"Maybe..." Jack managed to gasp out. "Maybe you need glasses—Hey!" He snarled at the guard as the Jaffa grabbed Daniel by the back of his neck, shoving him down to the floor.
With a fist over Daniel's collar, yanking him to his knees, Ra pulled him closer until they were practically nose to nose. "Who was within my sencray?" hissed Ra, standing over him. Daniel flinched at the hot breath blowing on his face. "Who?"
Daniel said nothing, only stared back at him defiantly.
"Re'klya thul chet!"
With a backhand, Daniel's head snapped back. Ra released him so the archeologist would go crashing to the floor.
"Son of a—" Jack struggled, seething as he heard a staff weapon sizzle open directly behind his head, a boot digging into his back as the Jaffa stepped on top of him, preventing him from getting up.
Ra's head tilted to the side, observing Daniel as the man shakily got up on his hands and knees, struggling to crawl away, swaying. The Goa'uld coldly went over and kicked Daniel's legs. The man buckled, dropping on his stomach with a groan.
"Who was in there?" Ra hissed, another kick as Daniel tried to rise. The archeologist rolled, arms crossed over his head to protect it, suddenly pressed up against the sarcophagus.
"He doesn't know anything!" John shouted, banging a fist on the floor as Ra stalked closer to Daniel and the sarcophagus. "Damn you! Leave him alone!"
"Skaara..." Daniel whispered, arm around his sore stomach. "Don't do this. Fight him..."
"Fight me?" Ra tilted his head back and laughed, staggering back, hand over the blade. He grinned at Daniel with malice, eyes twitching as he clasped a fist around the blade's handle. With a pull, a barely contained grunt of pain, Ra pulled the knife out. He turned the blood soaked knife around in front of Daniel. "How could a mere slave, a mere host for my needs, fight a god?"
"You're not a god," Daniel snarled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Teal'c was moving, legs rising behind the Jaffa. Teal'c's eyes held an iron glint as he struggled out of his bonds. Daniel could hear Sam's breathing quickening, coming out of her stunned state. He didn't dare turn to her and give her away. But somehow, knowing everyone was alert gave him the strength to look at Ra, his voice firmer. "You're not a god." Daniel started as he felt the sidearm digging below his left thigh. His hand slowly drifted over to his legs as he repeated, "You're not a god. You're a parasite. You take things that don't belong to you."
Ra's lips curved into an arrogant smile. "All things belong to us, re'klya. Even you." He smiled as he felt the ship still, having left the atmosphere. Ra turned around, dismissing Daniel and walked towards his throne, the proud royal stance he carried still evident despite the hand Ra clamped over his wound.
"We will return to my world where I will be reborn anew." Ra looked over his shoulder back to Daniel. "And there...I will teach you all a little humility before I return to your planet to punish them."
No. Daniel turned to Jack, the colonel glaring at Ra's back. Jack turned to Daniel, eyes widening as he saw Daniel slip his hand under his thigh, pulling out the gun just enough for Jack to see the gunmetal black surface.
Suddenly, Teal'c swung his legs up, hooking them around the Jaffa's neck, pulling him back towards him, away from Jack and John. Carter leaped to her feet, about to run towards Daniel for the gun. The two O'Neills rose as Ra spun around, scowling. Jack was about to run towards Ra when he heard the staff weapon reactivate. Sam skidded to a halt, Jack and John froze, their hands up.
The Goa'uld glared at Teal'c. "Release my Jaffa or your friends will die," Ra hissed.
Teal'c glowered, loosening his legs and dropping them down again. Carter glowered at Ra, refusing to sit down on the floor at Ra's wave of his hand. But when the guard poked his weapon in Jack's shoulders, the major reluctantly sat down, scowling.
Ra sniffed, unimpressed and stepped forward to his throne again.
"Don't move."
Ra turned around slowly to Daniel, eyes drifting to the gun in his hands. He didn't stop at the sight of the gun shaking in Daniel's hands. He stalked closer.
"I will tear you from limb to limb myself," Ra hissed, staggering a little. "Then I will burn your planet to the ground for this insolence. Burn it. Burn it all!" Ra stopped as Daniel's finger pulled back the trigger, cocking the gun. "You shoot and my guard will kill your friends."
Daniel's eyes automatically darted over to Jack. The colonel looked over to Daniel, eyes dull with pain, but still clear in the command. He gave Daniel a short nod. The archeologist's gaze went back to Ra, Skaara's face too twisted in rage to be recognizable any more as the youth Daniel knew liked to follow Jack around, saluting.
This wasn't him.
Ra noted Daniel's hesitation and flung out his ribbon device, the gem beginning to glow not towards Daniel but with deadly intent at Jack and John.
I'm sorry, Skaara. Daniel fired.
Ra jerked, a spot of blood showing on his stomach. He roared to his guard who grasped his staff weapon tighter, preparing to fire, but Teal'c suddenly kicked the guard's back. Jack and John pivoted around, their bodies slamming into his, Jack knocking the staff weapon away.
Ra stopped, looking at Daniel as if he couldn't believe the human would dare. His hand shook, coming up, the ribbon device flaring as he ran towards Daniel, screaming.
Daniel fired again.
And again.
The crystal shattered as the bullet landed square on its surface. But Ra kept coming.
And another bullet rang out.
Heart hammering, Daniel wondered why Ra was still standing, the eyes still on him. And then, something crumbled, the light flickering, and Daniel saw the face change, looking younger, calmer. It looked like Skaara surfacing, a hint of gratitude on the tanned face before the anger of the Goa'uld returned over the tortured eyes like a veil.
Then Ra fell.
Daniel's hand dropped to the floor, the gun clattering out of nerveless fingers.
Jack wheezed, crawling towards Ra, getting to his feet as he neared him. The colonel looked down unemotionally at the pharaoh, watching rage flicker once in Ra's eyes before fading away.
"Dan..." John rose to his feet, walking past Carter who haltingly went over to release Teal'c. The captain ignored Daniel, dismissed Janet as he stopped over the sarcophagus. John stared at the gold coffin realizing there was no hum from the alien device. "No..." he whispered, his eyes dulling with grief. "We...we were so close..."
Daniel stepped forward, wanting to say something when he felt Jack's hand on his shoulder. Looking over, Daniel saw Jack give him a shake of his head. But he shrugged it off and made his way to John. Daniel had to set both hands against the sarcophagus to keep upright, but he kept his voice steady.
"I'm sorry."
Staring at the large box, John asked in a flat voice. "There's not another one of these around is there?"
"No...Not likely."
John took in a shuddering breath, bracing his hands on the sarcophagus. He lowered his head over it, falling silent.
Exchanging a look with the colonel, Carter went back to where Frasier was hiding, her soft tones coaxing the woman to emerge. John didn't even give her a glance, head bowed over the sarcophagus.
Jack tore his eyes away from the grieving brother, turning to Daniel. The archeologist had his head turned away, staring at the floor. He came up to him, hand on his back. "Were you able to find any maps?"
Shaking his head, Daniel stared at the body. "No. The glove...if we had used it on the throne...we might have been able to..." His back curved to a slouch.
"You did what you had to do," the colonel said quietly, but his own throat tightened as he saw the shattered remains of the crystal surrounding the body, the sounds of the gunshots still echoing in his mind.
"Now I know how you felt," murmured Daniel as he looked at Jack. "When you had to..."
Jack forced his mouth to work, keeping his voice flat to avoid the memory. "He's still out there, Daniel. For us, he is." He relaxed when he saw him slowly nod, tearing his gaze away from the sight of the corpse. Jack gave Daniel's back a quick rub before walking over with the backpacks gripped in his hands. "Captain," he said quietly. "Let's set the final charges."
John said nothing, his face hooded in darkness.
"John?" Daniel called out after a moment.
"Fine..." John said dully, still not looking. "Blow this ship up."
Daniel gave Jack a concerned look. Sam and Teal'c were slowly putting the remainder of their plastique on the walls, around the throne.
"Set the timer for two minutes," Jack said quietly, noting the ship was still shaking. "Major, can we use the teleport rings?"
Carter shook her head. "I don't know, sir."
"The ship is above the planet, O'Neill." Standing after setting the last of the explosives, Teal'c looked like he was recovering, his step more steady. "We can transport down, but I do not know where we will arrive."
Jack frowned. "It won't beam us into space or anything, will it?"
Shaking her head, Carter didn't think so. "It's a straight trajectory when the ships leave and it doesn't feel like it's begun hyper—"
"I'm staying."
Jack swiveled back to John. "What?"
"I'm not going with you. I'm staying." John rubbed his hand on the sarcophagus. "I'm not leaving him alone."
Jack reached over, snagging John by the elbow. The captain wrenched free. "Look," Jack said lowly, "I know how you feel—"
"You do not know how I feel!" snapped John, red rimmed eyes locking with Jack's for a moment. John saw something in Jack's gaze, and his tone lowered. "You...Just go. Get out of here before this ship automatically heads back for Ra's base. It's rigged to do so no matter what."
"We're not leaving you up here."
"I said I'm not leaving!"
Daniel stepped towards the two when he stopped, wincing as he felt something inside him twinge. He suddenly gasped, dropping to his knees. John turned, dead eyes holding a glimmer of concern when the archeologist suddenly clutched at his head.
Jack spun around. "What's wrong?"
The archeologist shook his head, unexpectedly crying out, his hands slamming down to the floor. By the time Jack reached him, Daniel stiffened.
The colonel reeled back as he saw Daniel's body convulse, all of a sudden appearing to be two, then three, stretching, twisting, the cries of pain multiplying as if it wasn't one person in pain but two.
As quickly as it came, the attack was over, and Daniel fell sideways. Jack caught him neatly in his arms, the weight slamming him down on his knees.
"What the hell was that?" he demanded, brushing his hand against Daniel's forehead. Jack reached for Daniel's wrist, finding the pulse fast but steady. The scientist stirred with a moan.
Daniel's eyes fluttered open. "'ack?"
"Hold still, Daniel." Jack looked over to the major. "Carter?"
"It..." Carter stared at the sarcophagus. "It looked like an entropic cascade seizure, but then that would mean—"
"He's alive." Daniel's voice was barely a whisper. "The walls...to begin again...the bracelets...they must mean once they're off...the effects begin immediately...the cascading starts. But that means he must still be..." His eyes widened, and he struggled to get up. Before he could, the colonel pulled the discarded bracelet from his pocket and snapped it over Daniel's wrist. "Jack...we have to get him out of there!"
His friend protected, Jack had already started rising to his feet, Sam taking over for him, her hand around Daniel's back to support him. Heading for the sarcophagus, Jack and Teal'c saw John was already clawing at the sarcophagus.
"The thing must have been thick enough to shield him from the hand device!" Jack said, grunting as he couldn't part the panels. "Damn it! Where's my knife?" Jack remembered, glancing back at Ra's body, swearing when he didn't see the blade anywhere nearby. He went back to trying to pry it open instead.
"Why won't it open?" John banged at it, blood from scraped raw fingers streaking the box.
Teal'c grunted, muscles twitching as he dug into an edge, one leg bracing against the sarcophagus as he pulled. The top panel shifted, moving a crack.
Daniel wobbled over with Sam's help, extending a staff weapon to them. The pole was snatched from his hand. Jack jammed the tip into the growing crack and pushed down on it, using it like a lever.
"Come on, come on," Jack chanted to himself, gritting his teeth as both Teal'c and he pulled. Slowly, the stone halves parted with a grinding noise. And everyone stopped.
John was shaking, almost fearing what he'd find. He leaned forward, looking inside.
Lying still, face pale, Dan lay in the bottom of the sarcophagus. He was just how John had left him, hands limp against his sides, head turned slightly to the side, unmoving.
"Is he?" Daniel couldn't finish the question. He leaned against the compartment weakly, looking inside.
When John wouldn't reach in, Jack did, pressing two fingers against Dan's jugular, the younger man's head moving against the colonel's palm. Jack could feel everyone staring at him waiting expectantly. Finally, he pulled back, facing John.
And nodded.
Choking, John surged forward, grabbing Dan by the shoulders, gathering him up in a single swoop. The younger brother didn't stir, but John took a shuddering breath as he could feel warm breath coming out of Dan's slightly opened mouth against his throat. "Oh God..." He drew the man closer, his head bowed.
"We'd better get out of here. See if the rings can get us home or get this ship to turn around," Jack said quietly, smiling briefly at the pair. He placed a hand on Daniel's elbow. "You okay for now?"
Daniel nodded mutely. He opened his mouth to speak and stiffened when he saw something behind Jack. The colonel spun around and saw Ra sitting up, glaring at them.
"Oh crap, can't you ever stay dead?" Jack complained. He grabbed Daniel by the arm, positioning the archeologist behind him.
Ra didn't speak. He lowered his hand, slipping it into his robes. A soft whine could be heard as he pulled out a silver globe, eyes burning in a face twisted with indescribable rage.
"It's a romna!" John shouted. He stumbled back. "Get to the teleport rings! Now!"
Jack could hear Teal'c's definition ringing in his head. Not enough time. Not enough time! He could feel the sound of the romna growing louder, their steps suddenly slowing. He heard Carter shouting something, and he whipped his head around, even when he knew it would only slow him down. He turned and saw Carter disappear, then Janet. Startled, he felt something tingle, a familiar sensation, but before he could make the connection, he felt his limbs liquefy, heard Daniel calling out, Ra's outraged scream and suddenly—
He dropped down on the floor of a drab gray room.
"Greetings, Earthling!" someone boomed over his head.
Earthling? Jack looked up, yelping as he felt bodies suddenly piling on top of him. His head slammed down again at the weight. Stars sang.
"Oops." A voice sounded sheepish as it said, "That's gotta hurt."
"Perhaps if they were standing still, we would have been able to retrieve them much more efficiently."
"Well, next time, I'll remind them to do that."
Jack grunted, feeling the bodies rolling away from him. He could have sworn he heard Ferretti, whether it was Major or Captain, he couldn't tell. Jack whipped his head around and counted, sagging back to the floor when the number came up right. That meant only one thing. He turned back to the voices and grinned when he saw a short, gray alien tilting its huge head at him, Kawalsky, Ferretti and Maybourne crouching with concerned looks.
The ship suddenly shuddered, sending everyone sliding sideways a few feet before it righted itself again.
"What the hell was that?" yelped Kawalsky, standing upright with alarm.
The alien blinked its huge black eyes calmly. "A Goa'uld craft has exploded thirty miles above your atmosphere."
Jack stared blearily at a screen as it popped up. He grinned at the rest of his teammates as they groggily sat up. He nodded towards the Asgard, waggling his eyebrows.
"You just gotta love them," he quipped, sagging back to plop down spread-eagled on the floor, eyes staring at the bright colors of the screen, at the ship slowly disintegrating from Ra's own romna. "Can we go home now?"
The Asgard looked at the human representatives, who shrugged, puzzled why everyone in SG-1 started to laugh.
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Sitting in the back of the room, waiting as the Asgard ship settled into orbit around Earth, John watched his brother cradled carefully in his arms. The hysterical laughter out of relief had faded too quickly when everyone realized Dan had not awakened yet. So they all lingered in the room, waiting. But John ignored them all, focusing on watching for any signs that Dan was coming round, watching to see if the sarcophagus had been able to heal his brother before Ra's ribbon device destroyed it.
John's breath caught in his throat as he saw Dan open his eyes, staring at nothing. For a moment, he thought perhaps it hadn't worked, and Dan was still blind, or worse, the destroyed sarcophagus had left some brain damage. Dan kept staring at nothing.
Then...he blinked.
John didn't hear everyone behind him, hear Kawalsky exclaim out loud. The SG-1 team seemed to have taken a step back or left. He didn't know, nor did he care. He could feel himself shaking, the body he was cradling in his arms seeming to vibrate along with him, except, it was moving all on its own.
When Dan blinked again, John realized his brother was waiting for the devices he no longer had to come back on and take his vision away. He smiled as best he could at Dan, hoping it would convey everything he could find no words for.
Dan's eyes widened when the darkness didn't come as usual. He opened his mouth, startled, but nothing came out. John wanted to say something, wanted to say he was okay. That they'd won. But he couldn't speak. Why couldn't he speak?
Dan raised his hand up to his eyes and gazed at it with childlike wonder, turning it to see the back of his hand, then his palm. He lowered it and went back to staring at John.
Dazed blue eyes blinked once more, and Dan shakily lifted his finger and tapped John on the chin. A soft "oh" expelled from him when he felt solid flesh. He turned his head and looked around. Amazed eyes wandered the surrounding area, freezing briefly on the gray alien who stood there almost invisible against the gray background, stopping at familiar faces before stilling over Daniel and Jack. His eyes widened at their faces, and his hand went up to his own.
"Like looking into a mirror...I...H-how...?" Dan's voice was whisper soft as if he was afraid speaking out loud would dispel the moment. "I...I died...I felt the...how?"
"The sarcophagus," Daniel said just as quietly from a short distance away. John had forgotten they were still there.
"Unbelievable," he breathed. "I...this technology is amazing...I...it would explain how Ra was able to maintain his appearance and youth for nearly a millen—"
John couldn't take it any more. Something inside him burst and seemed to make everything move faster. His arms clenched, and he pulled Dan forward, burying the light colored head against his chest. Dan gave a muffled squeak in surprise, caught mid-sentence. Surprised, embarrassed, and maybe a bit concerned as well, Dan fumbled against him, hands pushing gently at John's chest, his heart thumping wildly and hard enough for John to feel it against his.
And something gave way.
He was alive. Dan was alive, breathing, talking, seeing...
John ducked his head down, chin against Dan's hair. He could feel Dan's breath against his throat as his brother tried to speak.
And the first tear dropped.
"John?" Dan whispered when he felt his brother begin to shake.
John couldn't reply. He still couldn't speak. He held on to Dan as tightly as he could without breaking the frail form, face hidden in his brother's hair and began to cry.
Dan stilled, hearing the choked tears, felt the arms circling him like a vise. He dropped all protests; whatever he was going to say went unsaid. He sat there, curling within John's hold, listening to him cry after over three years of determination and reassuring words told to him repeatedly as he lay in the darkness.
Three years.
And it was finally over.
His arms came up and around John's back and shoulders, and Dan squeezed back as hard as he could.
"It's okay," Dan said softly into John's ear. He felt the knot of fear he thought permanently resided in his chest loosening, fading away. Dan shut his eyes, opening them again and reveling in the colors and light around him. "I'm okay, John. It's over. We're okay. We're going to be okay."
John nodded against his cheek, voice still caught in his throat, arms tighter around him. Dan burrowed his head under John's chin, his breath coming out in a shuddering sob. He let go of his own tears.
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The moment the Asgard's beam deposited all of them in the embarkation room, Jack threw his arm around Daniel, grinning at the rest of his team as Kawalsky bounded out the door. Maybourne gave the SG-1 team a broad smile before steering John and a shaky Dan O'Neill down the ramp. John reached over and clasped Jack on the shoulder before walking away, following the whoops he heard outside the embarkation room as Kawalsky announced to everyone the Asgards were there.
Jack sighed happily, knowing the Asgards were plucking Jaffa off the planet, wishing for a moment that he could see their surprised faces when it happened. He waggled his eyebrows towards his team. "Well, kids, I think this means we deserve a nice-" His voice trailed off when he saw Major Ferretti standing there, helmet off. "Ferretti?"
The major had a regretful look on his face, and Jack straightened, arm dropping from Daniel's shoulder.
"Ferretti, what is it?"
"It's...it's Jolinar, sir."
Daniel tensed. "What? What happened?"
Ferretti looked at Daniel, pity clear in his eyes. "Something went wrong on Jermak's ship, she was taken hostage. We...we were forced to fire upon her to get through to Jermak."
"Her s-symbiote," stuttered Daniel faintly.
"She had...other wounds...from Jermak's hand device. Daniel...she was forced to leave her host body and..."
"The Asgards—"
"Can't do anything for a once blended host," a dual voice interrupted. "Otherwise, they would have beamed her up as well as the others when they arrived."
Daniel started when he saw Sammy Hansen step into the embarkation room, smiling briefly past Daniel's shoulder when she saw Dan and John, sobering again at Daniel.
Daniel stared at her for a long time, jerking back when her eyes suddenly glowed.
Sammy Hansen's voice suddenly deepened by an additional one. "Come with me...Daniel."
Jack quietly came closer, a hand on Daniel's stiff back. The archeologist tensed, stepping away from the contact. Daniel gave Jack a look over his shoulder, stricken before he tore his gaze away and went after Hansen. Jack closed his eyes briefly before following.
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Daniel skidded to a halt in the room the rebels had placed her in to wait for her to heal. He nearly dropped down to his knees in front of her. His eyes fixed on the form sitting up like a limp doll against the wall.
Sha're sat there on the floor, a jacket over her shoulders. The beaded dress she wore was smudged from battle, torn at the sleeves. And yet she looked like she was sitting in a throne, head up, her hands clasped together on her lap.
"No..." Daniel whispered in dismay. She couldn't die. They'd won. She couldn't die here. She couldn't.
Dark locks covered the curve of her face as she smiled, looking up at the commander as she did. When the blond woman nodded, Sha're sighed and closed her eyes briefly. The new host cast glowing eyes on Daniel. Coming forward, she placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder, guiding him closer, the man unwilling to venture another step. "She...wishes to speak with you."
Dark eyes opened and they gazed towards his stricken face. Daniel knelt and opened his mouth. To his dismay, no words would come.
"There is no need for you to speak." Sha're's voice was exactly how he remembered it. Daniel shut his eyes to conceal the face from his sight. A gentle finger traced the profile of his cheek, and he opened his eyes once more. Her warm eyes, their occupying glow absent, gazed back at him with a mixture of pain and pure understanding. Like a mother would console a child, she smiled, lines of pain etched around her mouth.
"Jolinar...she told me...about your wife..."
Daniel nodded mutely. Sha're gasped and shut her eyes tightly in pain, slumping forward until her head was on his shoulder. Daniel's hands clenched. He wanted so much to hold her. But...but it meant telling himself this was her.
And he was losing her again.
"I...She...we were the same?" Sha're 's voice was warm against his throat. She turned her face so she could look up at him.
"Y-yes."
"Then I know...that you must love her very m-much." A trembling hand caressed his face.
Daniel choked, burying his head in her hair as he finally pulled her close. He nodded, unable to speak into that thick straight hair, almost seeing it curl into a springy cascade.
"And I know...she must have known...that you..." She coughed, and Daniel felt something warm trickle down his jacket. "You never stopped l-looking...neet?"
"N-neet." Daniel's hands, unbidden, came up and pulled her closer. Sha're sighed.
"Then know this...she must have loved you too...as I know...I-I would have...had I known you...Dan-yel..."
"God..." Daniel couldn't stand it. Hearing his name on her lips once again.
"Shhh...It is all right...shhh...hear me as you would her...she always knew...and always loved...it is all right." She drew closer to his ear. "I...she...we...died...fre..."
The hand stroking his back fell.
Daniel stilled, feeling the body lose its tension as the last breath rattled in her chest until it faded like the wind. He closed his eyes, breathing in and out deeply, trying to tell himself this wasn't his reality. It wasn't. He'd already lost her. But the longing, the grief he'd tried so hard to push back since the day his Sha're died, renewed, and it took all his will to just hold her gently and not crush her against him and never let go.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, a hand he knew immediately was one of his friends, although for the life of him, he couldn't tell whose it was right now.
"Daniel." It was Jack. Daniel didn't know why he hadn't figured it out immediately. "Daniel, let her go. She's gone."
The young man nodded, swallowing. Before he let Jack pull him up, he brought the body closer to him and whispered into her ear, feeling stray tears trickling down from his chin to her hair.
"Thank you." Daniel kissed the tip of her ear, choked back the odd lump in his throat and let the Tok'ra lift the body from his arms. No longer finding the strength to stand, he could only watch the silent procession as they bore her away.
Daniel looked up, saw unshed tears glimmering in the commander's eyes, glowing as a reminder that Jolinar had survived.
Sha're did not die in vain.
Not here.
Not there.
And he smiled. Bitterly, but smile he did.
Commander Hansen, host of Jolinar now, bowed silently and went to follow the procession. Daniel kept his eyes on the door until he could hear the people in the hallways fall into a respectful silence, the footsteps fading away. He turned his head and saw Jack and the others surrounding him.
"Hey," Jack said, his own smile tight.
Daniel nodded and wiped his face with the edge of his sleeve. A rag floated into view, and he looked up again into the bright eyes of Sam Carter. Teal'c stood behind her, his face dark with emotion, with as much feeling as the young man had ever seen. And suddenly, Daniel felt like he needed to say something.
"I…" He gave a funny laugh. "I don't know why this s-should bother me…" He sniffed as he wiped the tear tracks off his face, wondering why there was still moisture there. "I mean…she wasn't…she wasn't really my wife…not here…I already l-lost mine…I…"
Sam murmured something, leaned forward and hugged him as hard as she could. Startled, Daniel fumbled, trying to shift away, embarrassed at the attention when Jack and Teal'c crouched down and placed their hands on his knees, Jack placing a hand on his back as well.
And Daniel stopped struggling.
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The mood of the SGC base was pensive.
From the moment the technician announced there was a signal returning from the mirror planet, people were milling about the embarkation room, wounded rebels and SGC staff alike. After hours of no word since the teams had gone through to Jermak's ship and set a course for the alternative Earth, the wailing sirens at the first chevron engaging sounded loud, booming throughout the base. Gazes were glued to the Stargate. Some had rifles steady on the developing wormhole. Everyone was silent, even the alarms mute now as they waited.
"Signal's SG-1, sir," the technician told Hammond quietly.
The general looked over to Davis. Even the liaison was leaning closer to the observation window. "Open the iris."
The metal shield spun open, revealing the blue sparkles of the event horizon.
Everyone waited.
The first person came out. Major Ferretti stood still for a moment, waiting, turning his head expectantly as another person walked through.
Colonel O'Neill.
By now, the crowd was murmuring, shifting in their places, unable to read the incoming soldiers' faces, their expressions blank.
One by one, every member of SG-1 and of Ferretti's team came through, stepping down the ramp to make room for the next arrival, bruises and soot coloring their faces. Many of them waved off the medics converging on them, eyes glued to the Stargate for the next incoming traveler. The injured rebels, who'd been left behind, milled nervously, unable to read their expressions. When John O'Neill walked through, Dan in tow, the rebels' whispering grew loud in anticipation. Then, a small woman came through, dwarfed in drab borrowed clothes, almost meek as two guards framed her. The crowd didn't recognize her at first. Then a hiss of recognition punctuated the silence, and the voices grew, the woman shrinking back at the surge of anger. But all the voices stopped the moment three figures stepped through the Stargate and stopped at the top of the ramp.
Commander Hansen, General Maybourne and General Hammond.
The room fell to a stillness, breathing hushed as Hansen stepped forward, pinpointing the injured men she was forced to leave behind, scanning, making sure she met each of their eyes.
Then, she nodded. Just once.
The room exploded into cheers, clapping, hugging as rebels raced to their comrades to exchange salutes, pound a few backs. SG-1 and SG-3 clamored down the ramp to give them space, grinning broadly as they turned around to watch the celebration.
"Welcome home, men," General Hammond's voice was practically drowned out from the din, but Jack heard it clear enough to turn around towards the general and solemnly salute. Uniform a mess, bruises mottled everyone's faces, their eyes were clear, proud, and held a glint of their own celebration that Hammond could see even from the observation booth. So the general felt a little bad when he leaned back to the microphone, ignoring Davis' chuckle and said:
"Report to the infirmary. Debriefing in two hours."
The two teams groaned out loud together as Hammond let out a chuckle of his own.
