"You have learned much Jack O'Neill. Violence and killing are to be avoided. And our young must be protected from it for as long as possible. The twins will not kill anyone and, if possible, neither will we."

OoOoOo

43. HOW DO WE WIN THIS GAME?

The next morning, Jack and Sam, flanked by Oma, Thor, Lya and Llazoor, presented their battle plan to the military leaders at the SGC. Patiently, the representatives of the Alliance races did their best to explain a complicated and unprecedented set of strategies which they hoped would effectively render the enemy powerless to harm others ever again.

General Landry and representatives of Homeworld Security were overwhelmed by the enormity of what was proposed. Moreover, despite General O'Neill's earlier statements about his own children's involvement in the defense of the planet, their role and that of their Innocent counterparts was still an unknown quantity. The unknown, especially when it was out of their control, always made military leaders very uncomfortable.

Jack couldn't say he blamed them. For his part, he was having a hard time imagining how he would explain the coming battle and their role in it to his children. The last thing he wanted was for the twins to feel responsible for 'saving the world'. And he certainly did not want them to feel one iota of the anxiety he felt right now.

In the few days between Sam's return and the battle itself, Jack and Sam sat down with their most trusted friends. The original SG1 brainstormed ideas of how to tell the twins what was happening.

"Jack, the kids love those computer games, right? You know, Space Invaders, all that, the ones you still have to help them with?" Daniel asked matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, so?" Jack replied.

"Well, what if you tell them this is a game, a game you're going to let them play using their 'gift'?"

"I know they're only four-years-old Daniel. But they're pretty smart. I think they'll notice they're on a space ship, not at home in front of a computer."

Daniel nodded, "There's that…"

"Perhaps a virtual reality game, O'Neill," Teal'c suggested. "Do you not remember Jake's fascination with such games? There was the one I described to him and the one he and Grace had a chance to try a few months back. If we explain the battle as a game of that nature, they may see it as non-threatening."

"I suppose," Jack said half-heartedly. "After all, they remember Thor as their naked little friend from Haven. They always did want to dress him up and play with him. You know, all I want is to get them through this without giving them nightmares for the rest of their lives. And I don't want them feeling guilty if anything goes wrong."

"Jack, right now, we'll just give the twins their instructions for 'the game'. The Ancients and the Alliance will do the rest," Sam said trying to be the voice of calm and reason. "The virtual reality concept, that might help set it up for them. If they like it half as much as their computer games, they're going to want to do it again." Sam knew in her heart the time would come when a full, truthful explanation of what happened this day would be needed. But it would come when Jake and Grace were older and able to understand.

OoOoOo

Not long after this discussion and barely ahead of the Ori invasion fleet, a cloaked armada composed of Alliance ships took up orbit around Earth. Ancient vessels built in the new Xeberon homeworld, along with familiar Asgard vessels, joined warships sent by the Furlings and hospital ships sent by the Nox. Daedalus and Odyssey stood with them in proud defense of their home planet.

It was time.

Teal'c was already aboard the Odyssey. Oma had joined Silas and other members of the Council aboard the Ancient flagship. The Innocent were scattered among the ships of the Armada.

In uncharacteristic style, Thor had sent advance warning that he'd be taking Jack, Beth and the twins aboard the Daniel Jackson within the hour. That left just enough time for final instructions and leave taking.

"I swear I'm not doing this anymore," Jack said, struggling to say goodbye to his pregnant wife.

"Doing what?" Sam asked, knowing the answer, but also knowing Jack needed to say it out loud. Sam was already dealing with the intractable headaches again and Jack was understandably concerned even if she wasn't.

"Leaving you behind. I don't like anything about this," he answered. .

"I know, but for now that's how it has to be," Sam said softly, but with determination. "I'll be fine. Maureen and Daniel will be right here. And Janet's just a phone call away."

"You be sure to tell Jon that, okay," Jack said, smiling wanly as he thought of little boy yet to be born. "Let him know he needs to stay put for awhile."

"Yes, sir," Sam said, smiling and stroking Jack's face lovingly.

OoOoOo

A few moments later, right on schedule, the twins, along with Beth and Jack, were whisked away to the Daniel Jackson.

"Welcome to my house, friends," Thor said in his most relaxed, genial tone as the group arrived.

"Wow, this is great," Jake exclaimed, looking around the bridge of the Daniel Jackson. "Is this where we get to play the game?"

"It is, Jake O'Neill. It is nearly time to start."

The twins had happily accompanied their father and Beth to Thor's ship. After all, vanishing mysteriously to new locations was old hat for them by now. It was simply part of the magic they never questioned in their young lives.

Though she appeared only three years older than the twins, unlike her tiny new friends Beth fully understood the enormity of what was about to happen. She also realized why Jake and Grace needed to be kept in the dark about the reality of the 'game'. The deception, if that's what it was, had an honorable purpose: to protect their innocence as much as possible allowing them to remain the children they were meant to be. It was something Beth longed for herself, a normal childhood without the knowledge of the universe, without the responsibility that knowledge brought. With this perspective, Beth was firm in her resolve to help the O'Neills preserve their children's sense of wonder and security.

"Remember, when it's time to start the game, I'll be sending my energy to you as will the other children," Beth prompted the twins. "Then we'll see how quickly the two of you can focus this energy so that it surrounds the whole planet on the view screen. When you are successful, the field will glow a bright golden color."

"Are the other kids here?" Grace asked.

"They are. We just can't see them right now. Now remember, once you see the gold color that's the first and hardest step. The second step is…"

"We know… move the light around the planet so the wicked witch's flying monkeys can't make it to Oz." Grace said.

"That's the idea Grace. And once the light is all set up…"

"I know. We keep it there until all the monkeys are gone, right?" Jake added.

"That's right. You can see how it's going by watching the board right over there," Beth said, indicating the animated projection screen.

With that Thor told the children it was time. He connected each of them to headsets much like the ones Teal'c had described to them. He then opened the live view screen, telling Jake and Grace that the life like images of the game would be projected there. In actuality of course, what they saw was their home planet in all its glory. Directly below that view screen was the animated computer generated board where everyone, especially the adults, would monitor the progress of the 'game'.

Jack O'Neill watched in awe and trepidation as his children viewed their world from orbit for the first time.

OoOoOo

In the O'Neill living room…

"Sam, I still don't understand why you and the twins had to be involved in all this. Why couldn't the Ancients deal with this themselves?" Daniel asked. Maureen watched closely, waiting for the answer she too wanted to hear.

"They needed a mother and children who were capable of channeling their energy, a family native to Earth, a mortal family. There aren't of lot of us who fit those criteria."

"But why?" Daniel persisted.

"It's time, Daniel," Sam interrupted him, instinctively aware that the stage was set. Instantly she found herself in communication with the twins and their energy. The process began, slowly at first. She could feel her children, miles above the earth, respond to her voice as she urged them to begin the game. As they did, Sam began to project her own energy from the earth itself. To her surprise and the great amazement of Daniel and Maureen, a gentle blue light began to suffuse the room, first radiating immediately around Sam and gradually spreading as far as they could see. Since it was broad daylight, it was difficult to see it outdoors, yet glancing out the windows, they realized even now that light was stretching heaven ward.

Sam stood in the center of the room, her arms outstretched, her eyes closed in concentration.

"Sam, are you alright?" Maureen asked tentatively, really expecting no answer, but hoping for one.

Of course there was no answer.

OoOoOo

Jake and Grace were in communication with Sam; they could hear her voice in their heads. The children assumed it was part of the game and thought nothing of it, just continuing to follow her ongoing directions.

Believing they were playing a wonderful virtual reality game with their parents and new friends, the twins, with their mother's encouragement, began to project their energy and the energy of the Innocent from the confines of the Daniel Jackson and out into space. Initially on what they believed was the virtual reality screen, the children saw a faint bluish mist spreading in front of the sphere which was their home. Though neither child was able to verbally communicate at the time, Grace smiled radiantly as she watched the lovely mist silhouetted in the darkness of space. Jake, deep in concentration, looked on intently, holding his sister's hand.

Thor, watching the view screen as well as the animated projection screen, nodded to Jack as two segmented trails of blue mist, one coming from earth and the other from the Asgard vessel met slightly above the outer atmosphere. As they did so, the blue vanished and a golden light burst forth. This gloriously bright light increased in intensity as more and more of the blue mist coalesced above the earth.

Gradually the golden glow spread out from its central point of origin and began to spread further and further until from all indications on the projection screen, the light completely encircled the globe. Thor's sensors indicated that the intended force field was now fully in place, fueled by the energy of the children.

The timing of the Alliance was impeccable. Shortly after the field was completed the Ori moved into attack position. On board the lead Ancient ship, Silas, Oma and other members of the Supreme prepared to witness the ultimate test of what the children had accomplished.

After a brief announcement from the new Doci, insisting that the gods of Origin had arrived to claim the original homeworld, the Ori ships launched their initial volley intended to take out earth's defenses.

No weapons fire penetrated the barrier. That should have been a warning to the Ori, but their arrogance did not allow them to recognize it as such. By the time they saw the trap it had been sprung. The cloaked ships of the Alliance had moved in behind them, effectively trapping the gods of Origin between an impenetrable force field and a superior military force.

OoOoOo

Sam continued to stand, transfixed, not moving from her initial position, arms outstretched.

Maureen and Daniel, unsure of what to do, were worried to say the least. Their worry was interrupted by a knock on the door and an unexpected visitor.

Maureen was surprised to find Luke at the door. He'd come unannounced, hoping to talk with her one last time before returning to Washington.

"Luke what are you doing here. It's not a good time," Maureen said, trying to block his view of what was happening in the living room.

"What's going on Maureen? We've got to talk and I don't think it's ever going to be a good time." Not in the mood to take no for an answer and determined to settle things before he left town, Luke walked around Maureen and into the house. From his new position, he was able to see Sam.

"Moe, what the hell is going on?"

"Sam…"

OoOoOo

All of the Ori, of necessity, had banded together aboard the ships of the invasion fleet in an attempt to make up for the loss of the Innocent. By the time they realized what was happening, their ascended counterparts were ready to act and there was no escape.

The Ancients had no desire to kill those who had once been part of them. Instead, they intended to use the pure, unfettered energy of the Innocent to banish the Ori from the company of the ascended.

Within moments, waves of energy more powerful than their own swept over the ships of the invading Ori fleet. The energy that was the Ori vanished in a breath. Suddenly the Doci, the priors and those who served them aboard their vessels were left alone.

Once this was accomplished, Silas as the leader of the Ancients, broadcast a message to the Ori fleet. The priors, no longer under the spell of their old masters, were now free to listen.

"The Ori are not gods. Neither are we," Silas proclaimed. "Those you knew as the Ori are now mortal, as you are. They have been scattered throughout the universe. We have left them with no memory of their ascension nor of their Ancient abilities or technologies. They will not be returning to you."

"We ourselves have no desire to dominate or enslave you. However, we have no intention of allowing you to destroy others. The people of this galaxy have done you no harm. Rest assured, should you return to harm them, we will be watching. We have the power to destroy you and if necessary we will use that power."

With that the Ori fleet vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The combined power of the Ancients and the children had taken each of the living beings safely from the ships and returned them to their original homeworlds – disoriented, but alive, well and free.

OoOoOo

On the Daniel Jackson, Jake and Grace were congratulated by Beth, Thor and their father on a game well played. As Sam had predicted, they wanted to do it again.

On Earth, Sam was gently helped to a chair by Luke and Maureen. With gasping breaths, she realized she was in labor.

TBC

OoOoOo

A/N: Whew! I'm exhausted and I wasn't even in the battle!

Please, please, please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. It was a challenge to write. Hope you enjoyed it! Feedback anxiously awaited.