p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"The beam on to the Al'kesh was simple enough, at least he thought it was. Mac walked between Sam and Jack, with Teal'c and Daniel on either side./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""You should get your zat out." Daniel told him./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""No, I, um, I hate guns." Mac said./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Sure." Daniel said sarcastically as they walked down the corridor. "Me too." /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Mac glared at Daniel for a minute before he jokingly whispered to Jack, "You all spend way too much time together."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Carter-" he said, his head indicating to the room off to their left which she was already moving towards. She entered the room but came back out a few seconds later. "Clear, sir, and it has a console." She said, bouncing back in the room. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Come on." Jack said, pulling Mac into the room with him, leaving Teal'c and Daniel outside for cover. They walked in, to see Sam already kneeling by the console her bag off her back and her laptop nearly out. "Help her with the console." Jack told Mac./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Wait, I've not seen any of this technolog-"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Improvise!" Jack told him. Mac looked at Jack before he headed to Sam kneeling beside her "How can I help?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Take off the panel just there." She said to him, getting the wire out her laptop. Mac dipped into his pocket pulling out his penknife./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Seriously?" Jack looked at his cousin amazed. "Still?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""What?" Sam asked as Mac started to pry away the panel from under the console. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""As a teen, he always carried around a penknife and some duct tape with him wherever he went, guaranteed." Jack shook his head. "I can't believe you still do it."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"The panel came off and Sam reached in pulling out the crystals./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""How do you know which ones to pull?" Mac asked her./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""It's really quite simple-" she started to answer but was interrupted in her explanation./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Not now, Colonel." Jack gruffed./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Mac looked disappointed as Sam nodded. "Right." She agreed and pulled cable out from under the crystals then pulled out a cable which plugged into her laptop where everything lit up and it looked like a download was taking place. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Downloading, sir. It should only take a couple of minutes-" she started before a claxon went off. "I think they know we're here." Sam said before she talked into her radio. "Teal'c, Daniel, respond."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Yeah, we're here Sam." Daniel replied./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Anything yet?" She asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Nothing no, but I expect them here any minute." /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Keep me updated." She said./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""How much longer, Carter?" Jack asked on edge./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I'm only at fifty percent now, sir." She admitted, as they heard zat and gun fire outside. "Times up, Carter." He growled./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Seventy five percent. Go defend the doors, sir!" She requested, which made sense, so he went out. "Mac, I know you don't like them but at least put the zat in your hand. If you look defenceless, the Goa'uld emwill /emattack. You won't stand a chance." Mac nodded, taking out the zat and holding it uncomfortably./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""You know I've faced Mexican Warlords, East German and Russian spies, Chinese martial arts experts, and Afghan terrorist cells, but I never ever used a gun on them."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Mac, I'm afraid you're dealing with unearthly forces so you have to use unearthly force." She told him. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Sam, we need to get out of here now!" Daniel was heard over the radio. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""One hundred percent!" She exclaimed unplugging the laptop and tossing it to Mac who caught it. "Go!" She ordered him "I'm right behind you!" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Mac obeyed, running out into the corridor where zat fire and bullets were flying. He ducked instinctively, then was pushed by Jack in between Daniel and Teal'c. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Jack turned to go back into the room. He noticed the doors were still opened but a blue light of a forcefield had sprung alive. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""No!" He yelled./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Sir, Mac has the information you need to go back to the Prometh-" Sam shouted back./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""No!" He yelled again./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Yes! It's the only way! We don't have time. Just go!" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"He looked into her eyes and said so quietly only she could hear. "No!" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Teal'c!" She called knowing he would make the signal to the Prometheus. Which he promptly did./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Sir, get that information safe and come back for me. Do you hear me? This is my mission, remember?" He looked at her, the same expression on his face from four years ago, when another forcefield kept them apart./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"It appeared as though Jack had no choice, when Teal'c grabbed his shoulder and the beam took them off the ship./p
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p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""We can't leave them there, Jack!" Mac exploded at him as they walked down the corridor./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""You think I don't know that. They have one of my team!" Jack answered continuing to walk, Daniel was silent as he trailed slightly behind. "But it's likely wherever they are hiding Maria, they've taken Sam there too." He stopped and turned to Mac. "I am not leaving them behind. We're regrouping!" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Is this what happens? When she comes back bruised and broken?" Mac asked Jack. "How can you let something like that happen to someone you l-" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Mac!" Daniel said, stepping up and grabbing Mac's arm. He obviously knew what Mac was going to say and wanted to do some damage control. He had seven years of experiencing with the military Jack while Mac had none. "Don't!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""It's obvious! I don't know why it can't just be said-"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""The frat rules-" Daniel started./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Are keeping them apart, I know!" Mac defended. "I just wish-" he looked at Jack, who as stoically as ever kept a steady stern face on. "What's stopping you?" Mac said quietly./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I'm not talking about this." Jack said. "Daniel, I want every bit of data we got from that ship. Take him. Keep him occupied and out of my hair." Jack spat as he walked away./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Daniel looked at Mac "You really had to do that?" He asked, looking at Mac as if he had crossed that imaginary line that families never cross. The two men stared at each other for a moment. Finally, Daniel sighed and confided in Mac. "This isn't the first time something like this has happened and we're all still here." Daniel looked down the corridor watching Jack stride away. "Come on, I could use your help with downloading the data from Sam's laptop."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Jack turned the corner and gave a sigh of relief. The others still didn't know about him and Sam. He had to keep the pretence up, when deep down it was killing him. One thing was for sure, he only just got his chance with Samantha Carter and there was no way in hell he'd leave her behind./p
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p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Murdoc entered the room grinning as he went. Two Trust members were standing at the door, guns raised at the hostages. The first blonde was sitting on the floor, with her hands cuffed and legs bound. She looked up in surprise at the entrance of the new people. The man she knew as Murdoc dragged another blonde woman, a blonde who definitely was much younger than she was and pushed her down on the floor beside her. She was then handcuffed, and her hands bound in the same manner as the first woman./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""This is what some people would say is a stroke of good luck." He said, roughly bringing Sam's back to the other blondes. "I now have not one but two weaknesses in two of our arch enemies' armour." He laughed maniacally while he tied them together. "You see this man-" he said, almost crawling to Maria "wants nothing more than MacGyver's downfall." His eyes flashed then he swung round to Sam. "But I want to" he said when the Goa'uld voice taking over, "-end the life of the man who single-handedly brought down almost a millennium of Goa'uld reign."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Do you know what I'll be when I kill him? I'll be the god of gods! No one will dare challenge me, and I will reign for a millennium to come." Face twisted in satisfaction when he thought of his prey and their upcoming deaths. "You'll see." He told them before he turned his back and called over his shoulder. "This is the start of a great empire and they shall be the start of the end for the Tau'ri." He finally left the room. The two members of the trust leaving behind him only to stand on the other side of the door./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Who are you?" Maria asked. "Are you a friend of Mac's?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""My name is Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter. I'm a member of the US Air Force. We've come to retrieve you." She started to shift her body against the other woman's back as if she were trying to extricate herself from the ropes./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I'm Maria." She told Sam. "Maria Romberg."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I know." Sam acknowledged as she struggled with her current task. "I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of all this. You probably have been in similar circumstances. This is no different. Well, maybe a little." She assured her. "If we're going to make it out of here alive, we need to work together." /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Listen, I don't know about you, but I am in way over my head here." Maria admitted./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Me?" Sam said with a shrug and a smile as she released Maria too. "This is a paddle in the water to me. Maybe we can help each other." Sam smiled. "Ex-Stasi agent, right?" Sam asked her, to which she nodded. "Short version? There really are aliens and we travel to different worlds. That one is an alien inside a bad guy."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I figured out the bad guy and the space part, but not the alien."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Yeah, they look human but they're being controlled by a parasitic lifeform we know as a Goa'uld."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""The parasite took over-" Maria started to ask, unsure if she could believe what was happening./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Murdoc, yeah. Mac is with us, you know." Sam chuckled as she broke free of the electrical cuffs. "Flimsy, typically over-confident symbiont." /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Mac is with you?" Maria asked, hearing the other woman untie her feet./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Yup." Sam answered as she swung around to inspect Maria's handcuffs. "Yours is a little better but easier to figure out since I can see what I'm doing. Stay still, I can get you out in a few seconds."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"She nodded and stayed still. "They want us as bait for Mac and-"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Jack O'Neill, yeah." Sam nodded. "Did he happen to mention any names to you? Ones in mythology maybe. Apophis, Anubis, Ba'al-"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Ba'al, yes! He kept referring to Ba'al as 'my love'." Maria said. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""So, the likelihood is this is an underlord rather than a System Lord. That's good. They have all the ego but with half the brains." Maria looked at her confused as the handcuffs came off. "Underlords are usually loyal, forced or not, to a system Lord."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Anat." Maria mentioned to Sam who nodded. "He kept saying he wasn't Murdoc but Anat. I didn't know if that was some kind of language difference or-" she looked as Sam as the binds on her legs came free. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Sam went over to the door only to find a force field on it. "Damn, this could take a while." She huffed. "First things first, let's find out what we're up against."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""You should get your zat out." Daniel told him./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""No, I, um, I hate guns." Mac said./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Sure." Daniel said sarcastically as they walked down the corridor. "Me too." /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Mac glared at Daniel for a minute before he jokingly whispered to Jack, "You all spend way too much time together."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Carter-" he said, his head indicating to the room off to their left which she was already moving towards. She entered the room but came back out a few seconds later. "Clear, sir, and it has a console." She said, bouncing back in the room. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Come on." Jack said, pulling Mac into the room with him, leaving Teal'c and Daniel outside for cover. They walked in, to see Sam already kneeling by the console her bag off her back and her laptop nearly out. "Help her with the console." Jack told Mac./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Wait, I've not seen any of this technolog-"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Improvise!" Jack told him. Mac looked at Jack before he headed to Sam kneeling beside her "How can I help?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Take off the panel just there." She said to him, getting the wire out her laptop. Mac dipped into his pocket pulling out his penknife./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Seriously?" Jack looked at his cousin amazed. "Still?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""What?" Sam asked as Mac started to pry away the panel from under the console. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""As a teen, he always carried around a penknife and some duct tape with him wherever he went, guaranteed." Jack shook his head. "I can't believe you still do it."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"The panel came off and Sam reached in pulling out the crystals./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""How do you know which ones to pull?" Mac asked her./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""It's really quite simple-" she started to answer but was interrupted in her explanation./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Not now, Colonel." Jack gruffed./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Mac looked disappointed as Sam nodded. "Right." She agreed and pulled cable out from under the crystals then pulled out a cable which plugged into her laptop where everything lit up and it looked like a download was taking place. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Downloading, sir. It should only take a couple of minutes-" she started before a claxon went off. "I think they know we're here." Sam said before she talked into her radio. "Teal'c, Daniel, respond."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Yeah, we're here Sam." Daniel replied./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Anything yet?" She asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Nothing no, but I expect them here any minute." /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Keep me updated." She said./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""How much longer, Carter?" Jack asked on edge./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I'm only at fifty percent now, sir." She admitted, as they heard zat and gun fire outside. "Times up, Carter." He growled./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Seventy five percent. Go defend the doors, sir!" She requested, which made sense, so he went out. "Mac, I know you don't like them but at least put the zat in your hand. If you look defenceless, the Goa'uld emwill /emattack. You won't stand a chance." Mac nodded, taking out the zat and holding it uncomfortably./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""You know I've faced Mexican Warlords, East German and Russian spies, Chinese martial arts experts, and Afghan terrorist cells, but I never ever used a gun on them."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Mac, I'm afraid you're dealing with unearthly forces so you have to use unearthly force." She told him. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Sam, we need to get out of here now!" Daniel was heard over the radio. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""One hundred percent!" She exclaimed unplugging the laptop and tossing it to Mac who caught it. "Go!" She ordered him "I'm right behind you!" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Mac obeyed, running out into the corridor where zat fire and bullets were flying. He ducked instinctively, then was pushed by Jack in between Daniel and Teal'c. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Jack turned to go back into the room. He noticed the doors were still opened but a blue light of a forcefield had sprung alive. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""No!" He yelled./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Sir, Mac has the information you need to go back to the Prometh-" Sam shouted back./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""No!" He yelled again./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Yes! It's the only way! We don't have time. Just go!" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"He looked into her eyes and said so quietly only she could hear. "No!" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Teal'c!" She called knowing he would make the signal to the Prometheus. Which he promptly did./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Sir, get that information safe and come back for me. Do you hear me? This is my mission, remember?" He looked at her, the same expression on his face from four years ago, when another forcefield kept them apart./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"It appeared as though Jack had no choice, when Teal'c grabbed his shoulder and the beam took them off the ship./p
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p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""We can't leave them there, Jack!" Mac exploded at him as they walked down the corridor./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""You think I don't know that. They have one of my team!" Jack answered continuing to walk, Daniel was silent as he trailed slightly behind. "But it's likely wherever they are hiding Maria, they've taken Sam there too." He stopped and turned to Mac. "I am not leaving them behind. We're regrouping!" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Is this what happens? When she comes back bruised and broken?" Mac asked Jack. "How can you let something like that happen to someone you l-" /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Mac!" Daniel said, stepping up and grabbing Mac's arm. He obviously knew what Mac was going to say and wanted to do some damage control. He had seven years of experiencing with the military Jack while Mac had none. "Don't!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""It's obvious! I don't know why it can't just be said-"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""The frat rules-" Daniel started./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Are keeping them apart, I know!" Mac defended. "I just wish-" he looked at Jack, who as stoically as ever kept a steady stern face on. "What's stopping you?" Mac said quietly./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I'm not talking about this." Jack said. "Daniel, I want every bit of data we got from that ship. Take him. Keep him occupied and out of my hair." Jack spat as he walked away./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Daniel looked at Mac "You really had to do that?" He asked, looking at Mac as if he had crossed that imaginary line that families never cross. The two men stared at each other for a moment. Finally, Daniel sighed and confided in Mac. "This isn't the first time something like this has happened and we're all still here." Daniel looked down the corridor watching Jack stride away. "Come on, I could use your help with downloading the data from Sam's laptop."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Jack turned the corner and gave a sigh of relief. The others still didn't know about him and Sam. He had to keep the pretence up, when deep down it was killing him. One thing was for sure, he only just got his chance with Samantha Carter and there was no way in hell he'd leave her behind./p
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p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Murdoc entered the room grinning as he went. Two Trust members were standing at the door, guns raised at the hostages. The first blonde was sitting on the floor, with her hands cuffed and legs bound. She looked up in surprise at the entrance of the new people. The man she knew as Murdoc dragged another blonde woman, a blonde who definitely was much younger than she was and pushed her down on the floor beside her. She was then handcuffed, and her hands bound in the same manner as the first woman./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""This is what some people would say is a stroke of good luck." He said, roughly bringing Sam's back to the other blondes. "I now have not one but two weaknesses in two of our arch enemies' armour." He laughed maniacally while he tied them together. "You see this man-" he said, almost crawling to Maria "wants nothing more than MacGyver's downfall." His eyes flashed then he swung round to Sam. "But I want to" he said when the Goa'uld voice taking over, "-end the life of the man who single-handedly brought down almost a millennium of Goa'uld reign."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Do you know what I'll be when I kill him? I'll be the god of gods! No one will dare challenge me, and I will reign for a millennium to come." Face twisted in satisfaction when he thought of his prey and their upcoming deaths. "You'll see." He told them before he turned his back and called over his shoulder. "This is the start of a great empire and they shall be the start of the end for the Tau'ri." He finally left the room. The two members of the trust leaving behind him only to stand on the other side of the door./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Who are you?" Maria asked. "Are you a friend of Mac's?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""My name is Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter. I'm a member of the US Air Force. We've come to retrieve you." She started to shift her body against the other woman's back as if she were trying to extricate herself from the ropes./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I'm Maria." She told Sam. "Maria Romberg."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I know." Sam acknowledged as she struggled with her current task. "I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of all this. You probably have been in similar circumstances. This is no different. Well, maybe a little." She assured her. "If we're going to make it out of here alive, we need to work together." /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Listen, I don't know about you, but I am in way over my head here." Maria admitted./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Me?" Sam said with a shrug and a smile as she released Maria too. "This is a paddle in the water to me. Maybe we can help each other." Sam smiled. "Ex-Stasi agent, right?" Sam asked her, to which she nodded. "Short version? There really are aliens and we travel to different worlds. That one is an alien inside a bad guy."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""I figured out the bad guy and the space part, but not the alien."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Yeah, they look human but they're being controlled by a parasitic lifeform we know as a Goa'uld."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""The parasite took over-" Maria started to ask, unsure if she could believe what was happening./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Murdoc, yeah. Mac is with us, you know." Sam chuckled as she broke free of the electrical cuffs. "Flimsy, typically over-confident symbiont." /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Mac is with you?" Maria asked, hearing the other woman untie her feet./p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Yup." Sam answered as she swung around to inspect Maria's handcuffs. "Yours is a little better but easier to figure out since I can see what I'm doing. Stay still, I can get you out in a few seconds."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"She nodded and stayed still. "They want us as bait for Mac and-"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Jack O'Neill, yeah." Sam nodded. "Did he happen to mention any names to you? Ones in mythology maybe. Apophis, Anubis, Ba'al-"/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Ba'al, yes! He kept referring to Ba'al as 'my love'." Maria said. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""So, the likelihood is this is an underlord rather than a System Lord. That's good. They have all the ego but with half the brains." Maria looked at her confused as the handcuffs came off. "Underlords are usually loyal, forced or not, to a system Lord."/p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;""Anat." Maria mentioned to Sam who nodded. "He kept saying he wasn't Murdoc but Anat. I didn't know if that was some kind of language difference or-" she looked as Sam as the binds on her legs came free. /p
p style="font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"Sam went over to the door only to find a force field on it. "Damn, this could take a while." She huffed. "First things first, let's find out what we're up against."/p