712 EVOLUTION ll
When Daniel missed a check in with the SGC, and a subsequent ransom demand was made, O'Neill was tasked to liaise with a CIA operative in the borderlands of Honduras and Nicaragua and recover Daniel Jackson and Bill Lee.
While Sam fiddled with some gizmo, Jack walked into her lab. She needed something to occupy her mind and hands while the fate of the galaxy was swirling around them.
"I'm going after Daniel." he said.
He was saying good-bye, both of them knowing full well death came as easily on Earth as it did out there among the stars. He knew, too, she would be assigned an even more dangerous mission to an Anubis dominated world, the source of the super soldiers. He would have prefered to go with her but knew she had excellent back up. And a soldier went where they were sent. They each had their strengths, her's a mission of science and information, his a covert mission for a special operator.
There wasn't enough time to say all that he felt and couldn't articulate. He hoped she could read between the lines. He had to leave - now. So he wished her luck and left a piece of his heart and took with him the affection that shone from her eyes and soft smile.
Jack had packed tropical street clothes as well as ERDL patterned camo in his duffel and was transported to a village to meet up with a CIA operative and former associate Burke.
First Bra'tac, Teal'c and Sam Carter left through the Stargate to a planet where Bra'tac could procure a Tel'tak and fly to the vicinity of Tartarus. When, after a few days, they were in position they signal the SGC.
Jacob Carter dressed in the armor of the Super soldier strode through the Stargate to Tartarus, procured entrance for his daughter and Teal'c while Bra'tac stood ready in a Tel'tak for their extraction. On this base they found a Goa'uld queen about to spawn and tanks ready to accept the many thousands of symbiotes. These symbiotes she will bear will be mindless, without her genetic memory save only loyalty to the god Anubis. They could not do it now but could not allow her to live and so Sam attached C-4 to the tank to detonate before they left.
Looking for more information they saw what they had feared - there were thousand of the aberrant soldiers, all pledging their loyalty to Anubis. Forced to flee and pursued by the Kull warriors they managed to board the tel'tak after blowing up the Goa'uld queen. One of the soldiers grabbed hold of a rear hatch and entered the ship mid flight. It attacked Carter and sent her sprawling. Teal'c managed to evade its lethal weapons. When it stepped into the circle of the rings, Bra'tac sent it plummeting into space.
O'Neill was well known as someone who could carry a grudge. He certainly carried one for Frank Cromwell, who in their special ops days had unwittingly left Jack for dead. Jack had finally forgiven Cromwell, when saving Jack, Cromwell plummeted into a black hole. He secured Maybourne, that rat bastard, real sanctuary with the help of the Tok'ra. But Burke killed a member of O'Neill's team while on a mission. There were excuses but it destroyed the friendship and Burke's career and marriage when Jack failed to defend him. Now this was the man Jack had to trust to help rescue both scientists and watch his back.
While Burke and O'Neill sorted out their difficulties and tracked the rebels, Daniel and Bill Lee were deprived of food and water and tortured for information. They escaped the shack they were held in and tore off into the jungle when a reanimated rebel began shooting up the camp. The rebels thought they killed their reanimated comrade and followed Daniel and Bill Lee. Attracted by the gunfire Jack and Burke came to the rescue. Daniel was wounded in the fire fight and the reanimated rebel again attacked. Burke saved the day and blew away the evil dead zombie. They recovered the artifact and turned it off, hopefully. And awaited a helicopter for extraction.
Jack, finding out the truth of the long ago mission FUBAR, made peace with Burke and, using his connections, put in the good word for Burke's transfer to more temperate climes.
They were back from Central America, the artifact in tow. Daniel in and out of the infirmary and hobbling around on crutches and still no word from Carter. Admittedly the mission to Tartarus started later and involved a lot more travel time but still… O'Neill wasn't worried, not concerned at all. He was merely interested in their findings - right. That's why he was front and center when they returned.
Jack asked Sam to lunch supposedly to discuss their missions. It seems more often the members of his team have gone their separate ways on missions highlighting their individual strengths. He had missed her.
His mission had been like a blast from the past, well except for the Zombies.
Hers was extremely dangerous, in the heart of Anubis' Kull soldier lair.
One of Jack's responsibilities has been grooming her for command. And Hammond has been giving her the opportunities. Soon he imagined the team would either be split up, after all they have been together for years. And change was in the air. Sam would possibly be given her own team if she wanted it. She had so many choices open to her.
He drove her home and wondered why Jacob didn't heal his daughter completely. It struck him as strange. Maybe she didn't want it. She had been reluctant to accept Tok'ra assistance in the past, and she didn't approve of favoritism.
He'd miss her terribly if she left SG-1. Would this change give them an opportunity or has his window of opportunity closed?
On a whim O'Neill drove back to the base to find Teal'c.
"So how did it go, really?" he asked.
"Much as Major Carter has said." Teal'c replied.
"You were both injured?"
"Only my pride, O'Neill, but Major Carter was indeed hurt by the Kull Warrior when he struck her and drove her to the ground. Her father used the Tok'ra healing device on her."
"She still has her arm in a sling." Jack said, questioning the efficacy of the supposed healing.
"Jacob grew tired and she would not let him continue."
O'Neill nodded his head and thanked Teal'c for the information. Now he had both Carters to worry about.