509 Between Two Fires
Omac was dead and SG-1's presence was requested at his final service. Narim told them Omac himself had requested their presence since he had admired them. Jack thought this was bizarre. He was sure Omac detested them. Jack didn't particularly care for Omac and had been totally surprised by the invitation. The team, unarmed, attended in formal attire as befitting a fallen member of the Tollan Curia. Only Narim and High Chancellor Travell were present beside SG-1, Narim giving the eulogy. The sparsely attended funeral seemed strange considering Omac's position in the government of Tollana yet understandable considering his personality.
Chancellor Travell invited the representatives from Earth to return soon so they could discuss trade which up until now had been totally off limits. Before they left Narim slipped something into Samantha Carter's hand. Upon returning through the Stargate Carter opened her hand to see a hologram of Narim. He claimed Omac warned that Earth was in danger and shortly after his supposed heart attack may have been murder.
Jack O'Neill was not the most trusting man and this whole affair had his spidey senses not just tingling but jangling.
O'Neill, as a representative of Earth, was offered Ion cannons in exchange for trinium. This would fulfill their standing orders - technology to protect Earth. It was just too damned easy, especially when Jack came back with the enormous request for 38 cannons and was not rejected.
What they found out was the Goa'uld Tanith had forced the Tollan to do his bidding or be destroyed. The Goa'uld no longer feared the Tollan since they had shields protecting their ships against the ion cannons. The Tollan were instructed to build weapons with their phase shifting devices so that they could be sent through the Stargate and pass through the SGC protective iris. Furthermore the Tollan were forced to be the executioners themselves, the ones who sent the bombs, thus protecting the Goa'uld from violating the Protected Planets Treaty.
Jack wondered what Earth would do, what he would do, if they were in the same position as the Tollan. What would they do if push came to shove? Were they too ethical for that?
Tanith himself posed a problem. Obviously he had not been caught up with the rest of Apophis' fleet when Vorash's sun went nova and he certainly wasn't with Apophis when he met his end on Delmak. Who was Tanith in service to now and where did he get the Hatak?
The Goa'uld attacked Tollana when the bombs were destroyed and their plot fouled. The Tollan were lost. O'Neill wasn't enamored with the Tollan but he hadn't wished this on them either. The take home lesson for O'Neill was arrogance will kill you in the end.
Jack was also no fan of Narim but was sorry to see him and these advanced people meet their end at the hands of the Goa'uld. He knew Narim had a thing for Carter and he supposed Sam had a soft spot for Narim. Daniel told Jack about the emotion armband thingy the Narim have given to Sam. Jack knew. He played with it one day while waiting for Carter to finish a complicated and protracted conversation with one of the other scientists. He learned more than he probably should. He, undoubtedly, pressed too many buttons, he was bored. Jack wondered if this gizmo would be the only way he could ever tell Carter how he felt. If she ever examines it again she'd know.