[Author's note: Um, yeah… whoops. I meant to do this a while back, but I ended up in the hospital and you know how it goes. As I explained to Layton, I've been living a 'me, me, me' kind of life at the moment. grin 'Signs' ends here. Thanks so much for the support and for sticking with the story all the way through. I just want to thank Petty for her betaing and conversation, and to my own personal cheering section, Layton, for… well… cheering. grin]
Jack had his hand clenched in someone's jacket as he led the way blindly through the cloud of dust. He could hear coughing all around him. His eyes watered, stinging as if an entire sand dune had become lodged under his eyelids. He shook his head, trying to clear his ears. A voice was calling him, urging him on. Had Hammond sent another SG team?
He stumbled, but whomever he was dragging grabbed his arm before he could fall. The voice warned him to veer left, which he did. It was hard to breathe, the woods had become a surreal landscape. Grey ground, grey sky, grey trees and a small herd of indistinct forms following in his footsteps.
After a few torturous minutes, the dust settled enough to allow his eyes to clear somewhat. He shook his head again and touched his fingertips to his eyelids. The urge to rub was overwhelming, but would likely be disastrous.
"Sir?" Carter's voice sounded hoarsely next to him. He could feel her pulling at his fingers, still clenched in the sleeve of her jacket. He released her and she stepped up to him, pulling his other hand away from his face. She coughed, clearing her throat. "Tilt your head back, sir."
When he was slow to respond, she put her hand under his chin and pushed his head up until he blinked blearily at the sky. "I have some water in my pack." She grated. He swore as she pried his eyelids open and poured water into his eyes. He managed to keep still long enough to allow her to wash out his eyes.
He tilted his head forward and squeezed his eyes shut. It would do for now. "Thanks." His voice broke halfway through the word and he coughed into his fist. "Everyone here?"
"Here… and Joe's with me." He heard Dimitri's voice. Moresby had his mouth hidden in the crook of his elbow and was attempting to clear his lungs.
"Teal'c?" Jack squinted and looked for the Jaffa.
"I am here, O'Neill."
"Sanchez? Emma?"
"They're with us, Colonel." Carter took a sip of water.
Jack looked over at the pair. Sanchez was standing up, blinking his eyes clear. Emma was in his arms, her own arms wrapped around his neck, head tucked between her arm and his collar. Her strong grip was the only indication that she was alive and somewhat coherent. The dust was sticking to all their wounds, turning pink and staining skin and clothes.
"Sanchez!" Jack barked. The Major was still looking like he was in shock, reacting instead of participating. At O'Neill's yell, his head slowly turned and he eventually met Jack's gaze. There was no spark in those steady brown eyes. Sanchez adjusted his grip, hefting Emma higher. The geomorphologist groaned, and lifted her head.
"Daniel?" Her eyes were unfocused, head bobbing from side to side. Carter winced, tightening her lips. Jack kept his eyes on Sanchez, but the burly major made no signs of comprehension. Emma, eyes closed, touched her temple to the side of Patrick's head and whispered, "Daniel says we have to hurry. They're coming." She giggled lightly. "But if we don't hurry, maybe we can come to Daniel?" In the quiet forest,
"Daniel Jackson is no longer with us." Teal'c spoke softly.
"But we still have to go." Jack agreed. They could discuss the whole 'Daniel' issue later, in safety. He turned to his second in command. "Carter?"
Sam's head shot up and she looked around. "Sir… I don't know. Everything's covered in dust. I can't even see ten feet in front of me."
"Well… try." Jack grimaced as it came out harsher than he meant. Carter caught Jack's expression and accepted his unspoken apology.
Ahead for a mile. Keep in the trees and stay low. Jaffa are everywhere.
Carter squared her shoulders. "Alright, sir." She pointed straight ahead. "If I have to make a choice, I'd say about a mile that way to start. We're about three miles from the gate."
"Good enough for me." Jack said, rubbing his face, smearing water and dust across his cheek. "Make sure you keep to the trees. Stay low and try not to be seen."
"Osiris's Jaffa will be in the woods. We had best avoid them." Teal'c finished the warning. The three members of SG1 pulled up short for a moment and looked at each other.
"I was just…" O'Neill started, but gave his head a quick shake. "Carter, let's go."
- - - - -
Their progress was painful and loud. Around them was the soft patter of dust and larger particles as remnants of Osiris's base slowly sifted down from above. Twice, they had been forced to duck and cover, avoiding large groups of Jaffa making for the gate. Jack was forced to wonder if they would ever have made it out of the base were it not for the building collapsing. The Tok'ra's intelligence reports had given them the impression that there were only a few dozen Jaffa present… they had seen almost double that number just on this short walk. Of course, he reminded himself, the Tok'ra's intelligence came courtesy of the traitor Tolme.
Another few hundred feet and you will need to cross a large open area. There are two small groups of Jaffa coming. Stay hidden until they pass.
Carter pointed to a clearing. "Stargate's another mile and a half past the clearing, sir."
"Okay… just… stay down for a minute. I have a bad feeling about this."
"I as well."
"Sir… it's the weirdest thing…"
"Major!" Dimitri whispered harshly, dropping down next to Joe. Sanchez dropped to his knees and leaned forward, covering Emma's body with his own.
Seconds later, a group of six Jaffa came around some large woody debris and made for the gate. They picked their way carefully through the forest. They missed the huddled team members by a wide margin.
When they disappeared into the foliage, Jack let out a long sigh. "That's one group."
"One to go." Carter whispered.
"O'Neill." Teal'c gave the warning as he heard the sound of Jaffa boots on dry sticks. Lying on their backs, moving as slowly as possible, the soldiers looked for their new visitors.
"Dammit." Jack sub-vocalised. The new group of Jaffa was heading straight for them. Within a minute, they would be stepping right on top of them. Trying to move as little as possible, they readied their weapons. Jack, Teal'c and Joe had zats. They would have to take the lead. Small arms fire would call down every Jaffa in the area. Their best advantage was the dust covering them. It provided an excellent, natural camouflage.
They came closer and Jack tensed. As he was bringing up his zat, the lead Jaffa spun and yelled. Another Jaffa pointed. Jack craned his neck. In the distance, a slim figure was darting through the trees. He couldn't see any details of the person, just tan pants and a cream-coloured top. Whoever it was, they were taking the Jaffa for a wild romp.
This won't distract them long, Jack. Get everyone moving.
Jack held up his hands, making the proper military signals to get everyone's backsides in gear. They kept low now, the risk of running into Jaffa patrols growing greater with every step they crawled nearer to the gate.
Finally, they were on a low bluff, overlooking the gate. Jack's lips screwed up into a grimace. The gate was surrounded by milling Jaffa. He and Carter flattened out along the top of the bluff and motioned for the others to stay down.
"Why aren't they leaving?" Sam asked.
On his elbows next to her, Joe shrugged and replied. "There's no one to lead them. Maybe they're waiting for directions… instructions."
Jack, Joe and Sam ducked back down when a Jaffa by the gate suddenly perked up in their general direction. The sounds of yelling and shouting rose up from the area near the gate. Jack crawled away as the first staff weapon bolt struck the cliff face, inches from where he had been lying.
"They've found us. Split up and get the hell out of here." He looked around. "Carter, go with Sanchez and Emma. Teal'c, stay with Vale. Moresby, you're with me." He motioned with his hands. "Attempt radio contact in one hour, use your earpieces. We'll try for the gate again under cover of darkness. Go!"
Moresby tossed his zat to Carter and followed Jack's lead. The group fanned out in three different directions, trying to find some cover. The sounds of the Jaffa warriors on the hunt closed in around them.
- - - - -
Teal'c and Dimitri followed a path parallel to the bluff, diving in to some heavy brush at the edge of the incline. The large Jaffa kept an eye on his young companion. He liked Dimitri, but had doubts about his combat readiness… or rather, he had had doubts about his readiness. Dimitri's zat was at the ready, counterpoint to the staff weapon that Teal'c had taken from the base. He followed Teal'c silently and grim-faced.
Teal'c, in the lead, was the first to walk in to the ambush. The Jaffa went rigid and tumbled backward as the zat blast struck him. Dimitri dropped immediately and hid behind a log. He managed to take out three of the enemy Jaffa before a staff weapon blast hit the wood next to his face and sent him reeling backward. His eyesight hadn't yet cleared when the zat blast struck him from behind.
- - - - -
"Put me down." Emma insisted, squirming free of Patrick's grasp. "We both need weapons ready." She put her arm around his back, hooking her fingers around the back of his collar. He, in turn, grabbed her by the belt. Carter now had the zat, Patrick had the P90 and Emma had a handgun. The scientist's face was grey, but she bit her lip and remained silent as she and Patrick ran their own desperate version of a three-legged race.
They were taken unawares when they crested a small hill and stepped right into a small group of Jaffa. Patrick brought up his P90 and Emma aimed her handgun. The scientist gripped the back of Patrick's jacket tightly with her free hand, leaving both of his hands free for his heavier weapon. This also allowed Emma to stand without putting weight on her wounded leg. They fired rapidly, downing a pair of Jaffa each before a staff blast slammed in to Patrick's leg from the back, sending both him and Emma crashing to the ground.
Carter stood to the side and fired her zat into the brush. She shot as quickly as she could, testing the recharge rate of the small, alien weapon. When Patrick went down, she snagged his gun and turned in a short, lethal arc, attempting to cut down the enemy.
Sam's head whipped around at the sound of a single gunshot. Emma was hitching sideways, trying to get out of the way of the dead Jaffa about to topple over on top of her. She gave a little cry of surprise as another charged her. Before she could shoot him, the butt of his staff weapon struck her temple and she went limp. Patrick roared and surged upward, grabbing the Jaffa around the waist, bearing him to the ground like a football player stopping a winning rush. They struggled briefly before a zat blast stiffened both the Jaffa and Patrick's bodies and dropped them to the earth. Sam shot two more Jaffa and whirled around, gun pointed at the last one.
She grimaced. The last Jaffa had a primed staff weapon pointed at Patrick's head. He grinned and snarled some words at her in his guttural language. The staff was close enough to crisp the ends of Patrick's hair. Sam wiggled her fingers on her trigger. Could she take the Jaffa fast enough that Patrick would be unharmed? Could she risk it?
Several harsh voices behind her answered her question. Finally, surrounded by Jaffa, she put up her weapon. Sam forced her expression to remain neutral as the blunt end of a staff weapon struck her behind the legs and sent her to her knees.
- - - - -
Jack and Joe slithered over the forested landscape as silently as they were able. They'd managed to get to a sheltered bluff overlooking the Stargate.
"Dammit."
The Jaffa were dragging the other SGC members into the clearing. Jack's lips tightened into a thin line as he hunkered down in the brush. The earlier sounds of gunfire were unmistakable, but he had hoped for the best… or at least better than this.
Sam came first, hands on her head. The Jaffa pushed her roughly from one to the other, but she kept her footing and her dignity. Her back was ramrod straight; her expression grim.
Teal'c followed behind, leading a shaken Dimitri. The Sergeant was a pasty white colour and had one arm wrapped protectively around his ribs. As he entered the clearing, he nodded at Teal'c and shook off the other man's supporting arms. Taking his cue from Sam, he kept his head high and did not respond to the taunting tones of the enemy. Teal'c remained impassive, staring down the opposing Jaffa, causing a few to back up and step away, despite the taunts of their peers.
Sanchez followed behind, one arm around Emma's waist, propping her up. Emma, unlike her companions, sneered insults back at the Jaffa. She was forced to stop only when they lashed out at her. Patrick jerked her aside, absorbing the blows himself. After that, for his sake, she kept silent but her expression was eloquent.
Jack… I don't like this. I can't…
"Dammit." Jack said again. This looked bad. No way it could look good, but this nonetheless was looking even worse than he'd expect. Bad. Very bad.
"Colonel… we're outnumbered, outgunned and most definitely out-manned. What do we do now?" A note of desperation crept into Joe's voice, but he remained resolute. He was convinced there was in fact something they could do… they just hadn't thought of it yet.
The Jaffa started yelling. They started with Teal'c, pulling him forward and shouting at him. Jack's brows drew together as he watched. He didn't know what they were asking, but Teal'c's answers were clearly displeasing them.
Jack… they're going to…
"I know." He responded verbally to the worried voice in his head. The Jaffa were leaderless and angry, lashing out and about to destroy what would normally be valuable prisoners. Joe looked curiously at him, but the younger man's attention was immediately drawn back to the scene in the clearing. The Jaffa had herded the SGC members into a small circle, cuffing them and forcing them to their knees.
Jack's eyes were glued on the scene. It was horrifyingly familiar. The Jaffa weren't taking prisoners, they were lining their victims up for an execution. Teal'c was brought forward, his head held high. Sam's cuffed fists struck out at a Jaffa prodding her in the back with a staff weapon. She earned herself a ringing blow across the shoulders for her defiance. Patrick lifted his bound hands over Emma and pulled her to his chest, shielding her as she mouthed a denial and reached for Teal'c. Dimitri surged to his feet, but was quickly subdued. The Jaffa primed their weapons, taking time to delight in the last agonized moments of their victims' lives.
"Christ." Jack readied his weapon. He was too far away, he had no range to give them any help.
Jack! Behind you! Turn and fire now!
There was a shout from the field, a warning for the Jaffa to fire. Jack, reacting instantly to the voice in his head, turned and shot, hurling a Jaffa backward. Several more followed and fired as Moresby and Jack trained their weapons on them.
Jack felt the stunning heat lift him, turning his world white. As his senses failed, he heard the sound of the Jaffa by the Stargate firing their staff weapons. Strangely, he felt no pain as his world narrowed down to bright light and the smell of ozone.
- - - - -
"Unscheduled off world activation!" The sergeant's voice rang out through the quiet control room. Hammond's head jerked up, and he was at the window in seconds.
"Do we have a code?" He carefully modulated tones hid his anxiety well.
"Not yet, sir… Wait. Got it! Sir, receiving SG1's IDC." His voice was triumphant.
Hammond nodded briskly. "Open the iris. Medical teams to the gate room." With a quick look around, he assured himself that all was in order, and then sped to the gate room to be there when SG1 returned.
He did not have long to wait.
The General shielded his eyes as a brilliant light erupted from the gate, bathing the gate room in its eerie glow. The glow resolved itself into a number of bright objects which began to take on human form. Hammond squinted through his slightly spread fingers, trying to make out the new arrivals. The smell of ozone was heavy in the air.
The light started to dim. Closest to the General, the figure of SG3's tall sergeant resolved itself. Dimitri had his head turned away, as if expecting a blow. Teal'c was next, kneeling on the ramp. His back was straight and his head was high as he stared into the empty space before him. Hammond looked closely. The two men were frozen, unmoving. Another shape solidified. Major Carter. She had closed her eyes, but her posture mirrored Teal'c's. Stoicism and bravery were unmistakable in her stiff posture. Moresby appeared at the side of the ramp, mouth open in a last yell, fingers clenched around his gun. The gun went white and disappeared, leaving the man weaponless. Two figures flickered into existence together. Major Sanchez was curled over the body of Emma Collier. The doctor was reaching her hands out, fear evident on her tired and bloody face.
"Jack." The General breathed softly as SG1's commanding officer joined his peers. Jack was in the middle of a fall, arms and legs spread, a grimace on his face. The general took a step closer. Jack's jacket and shirt were crisped and burned in a circular pattern right above the heart. It looked like someone had stopped the flames a millisecond before they touched O'Neill's skin.
"Oh." A soft voice said, making the General snap his head around. One last figure stood on the ramp, looking at his hands in surprise. The young man looked up at the light fading rapidly above his head. He closed his eyes and smiled sadly. He took a little breath before he spoke again. "I understand… but some burdens are worth carrying. Really, I couldn't have it any other way." He dropped his head, and the light faded completely.
As the figure slumped to the hard metal plating of the gate ramp, the frozen figures around him roared to life. The General barely stepped aside in time as Jack O'Neill flew backward, sliding across the rough floor. Everyone went still for a long moment, trying to digest what had just happened.
"Colonel?" Hammond held out a hand to O'Neill. The soldier took it and stood with a grimace, running his fingers over his charred shirt.
"General… I-"
"Holy Hannah!" Carter's voice was equal parts stunned amazement and joy. Jack whipped around and spotted the limp figure on the ramp. Forgetting his commanding officer, he took a shaky step forward. The step turned into a run as he swung himself over the railing and onto the ramp.
"Daniel?" He ran his hands over the unconscious man's face and shoulders, looking for any wounds.
"O'Neill. I saw the Jaffa fire. We should be dead now. Daniel Jackson saved us all." Even Teal'c's sombre voice held a note of quiet surprise.
"C'mon, Danny. What have you done?" Jack went still as Daniel's eyes opened.
"I did what I had to do, Jack." He smiled. "I promised you once that I'd watch your back." His voice faded to a whisper. "I promised." Impulsively, Jack pulled him up, crushing him in a hug. After a moment, Sam did the same, wrapping her arms around both men. Even Teal'c was moved to place a large hand on the back on Daniel's neck.
"I know, Danny." Jack rocked the younger man slightly. "You always keep your promises." He couldn't stop the smile creeping out over his face. "Welcome home, Doctor Jackson. Welcome home."
- - - - -
[Final note… I originally sketched out two follow-up stories. 'Pick-Up Sticks' would have been the SG1 sequel to this, and 'Separation Anxiety' would have been the SG6 follow-up. Now that 'Full Circle' (which I now get to watch since I finished 'Signs' yay) is out, I don't know that they're really necessary. Anyway, if you're interested in either of them, drop me a line and let me know.
Thanks again for sticking with it. I'm off to work on the follow-up to 'Fate', which is currently titled 'At the End of Dreams' and will hopefully be done in a month or two… Hey, Layton, dust off the pom-poms. ;) ]