In my time at the SGC and before, I fought many battles. None were worse
than that final battle to defeat the Goa'uld. There was so much death, on
both sides, that to me it sometimes seems wrong that we should celebrate
that day. I know people say it was worth it, but I ask, when is death ever
worth it? Every man, woman and Jaffa who died in that battle had friends
and families that they will never see again. War, though sometimes
necessary, should never be celebrated.
from Doorway to Heaven by General Jack O'Neill.
***
Jack sat at the computer in his cabin in Minnesota. For a little log cabin he had a lot of technology: TV, maj, computer. He was logged onto the internet composing an email. Or trying to.
'Dear Mr Morth,
You are a stupid idiot who knows nothing about anything. . . '
Tempting as that opening sounded, he knew it wouldn't work. A. S. Morth had published a book about an archaeologist working for the SGC. Apparently he had tried to make it as historically accurate as possible, getting dates of missions correct. While most of the book was fictitious, it had to include some people who actually existed. And Jack was rather angry about the way Daniel had been portrayed.
'Dear Mr Morth,
I regret to inform you about some inaccuracies in your novel. The objections General Hammond noted Dr Jackson making in his report about the Euronda mission, was not an objection towards helping those people. In fact Daniel was the first person to protest the need of providing humanitarian aid. The objections were to offering military aid which would prolong their war when there was another option. Daniel's thoughts were, as always, to protect lives. You are just an arrogant piece of filth, twisting facts to make your pathetic novel sell better.'
Jack sighed and deleted the last sentence. Insulting the guy wouldn't help make his case. He wished he hadn't bothered to read the book now, it only made him angry that people could think of Daniel the way they did. The media had created a monster and given it the name Daniel Jackson.
He was relieved when the phone rang. "Answer," he said clearly, and the phone screen switched on, revealing Hammond's face.
"George," Jack said smiling, "let me guess, the world's going to be destroyed unless SG-1 can save it."
"Not quick, Jack. SG-2 went on a mission to P2C-437 yesterday. This morning we received a message from the government of that world saying that they had broken their most important law and would be punished."
"What was the law?"
"They didn't say. All they would say was that they would allow one team to be sent from Earth to oversee the punishment."
"Aren't there other teams you could send?" Jack asked.
"The team are to go through unarmed. The man we spoke to said that your safety would be guaranteed, but I don't want to risk it. I can't think what SG-2 would do to break the laws on this world."
"You think they were framed?"
"Possibly, we won't know until someone goes through and checks it out. And since we've no idea the risk and the team isn't allowed weapons, I want to best team available to go and check it out."
"So why have you called me?" Jack joked, but then went serious, "I'll be right there, General."
Though SG-1 was official retired from active duty, they were occasionally called up for dangerous missions, or when ambassadors from other worlds wanted to meet those who were infamous throughout the galaxy. Jack always moaned about his quiet retirement being interrupted, but he was glad. Most of the time he thought he'd go mad if he didn't have the chance for adventure occasionally.
When Jack reached Cheyanne Mountain the rest of SG-1 were already there, it being quicker to travel half-way across the galaxy than a few short kilometres over the Earth. If lives hadn't been in danger, he would have enjoyed the irony.
He changed quickly into uniform and went to the Gate room. It seemed odd to be standing there without his gun at his side. That habit of a lifetime was one which had kept him alive during the war with the Goa'uld. Now that the war was over it still seemed hard to believe they were safe. Though safe was a relative term when travel to unknown worlds was involved.
"Hey guys," Jack greeted the rest of the team. Teal'c stood, his face impassive as always at the base of the ramp. Seeing him in uniform after the last ten years in the robes of Chulak was strange, and stranger still was the sense of unbalance Jack had looking at him without his staff weapon.
Sam and Jonas were there as well. They didn't look so odd without their weapons, since he usually saw them in the uniform of 813. Standing there, Jack felt almost as though it were old times. Almost, but not quite, Daniel belonged there as well. Where was Daniel now, Jack wondered.
"SG-1, you have a go," Hammond's voice came through the speaker, and Jack turned to the active Gate. How many times had they been to other worlds as a team? So many, and he still didn't know what to expect on the other side.
They emerged from the event horizon to see lush green fields and, thankfully, only a handful of trees. Directly in front of the Gate was an old man dressed in robes.
"I'm glad you didn't bring any weapons," he said, "If you would follow me to the settlement." The man turned and Jack signalled his team to follow. It seemed rather easy. He'd been expecting a search of some kind. He could probably have hidden a zat in his pack and they wouldn't have guessed. Still, what's done was done and they were here now.
"What exactly did SG-2 do?" Jack asked.
"They broke our first law," the man replied, with what seemed to Jack to be deliberate unhelpfulness.
"Which is?"
"They knowingly set out to harm other people on this planet."
"Were there any mitigating circumstances?" Jack asked.
"What circumstances could justify hurting another person?"
"Maybe if this person attacked them."
"They were not threatened or harmed in any way by us. Their actions were entirely unfounded."
"Was there even an investigation into the incident?" Jack pressed, determined not to let any of his people be punished for something that wasn't their fault.
"Of course," the man replied, "we wouldn't put someone through cadge without proof they were guilty."
"Can we see this proof?"
"Naturally. There are video logs of your friends attacking our citizens, and several independent witnesses."
"Video logs could be altered," Carter commented.
"Why would anyone do that?" the man asked.
"To frame SG-2."
"No one here has any reason to do that, but I will let you inspect the video logs carefully if you wish."
"We wish," Jack said firmly.
They had reached the settlement by now, and Jonas was looking around curiously, probably trying to see what origins these people might have. It all looked relatively primitive. Jack altered that assessment when the man they were following led them to a large building. Inside were computer screens and control panels.
"I will access the video logs for you, if you wish to know anything, you have only to ask. Unless you find something, the punishment will commence at sunset."
"Can't we speak to our people?" Jack asked.
"Not until after the punishment." The man typed something in at one of the computers then turned and left.
"At least they're not planning on killing SG-2," Jonas said. Sam sat down at the computer.
"Can you figure out how to use this?"
"Easy, that man left it at a menu of some sorts, probably video files. Checking if they've been altered will be harder, since I've no idea what this means." She gestured at the rows of writing on the screen.
"Jonas?"
"I'm sorry, I've never seen anything like it. It's completely alien. It's odd, since the people here all seem to be human. Perhaps there was an alien culture here originally, and the humans transplanted by the Goa'uld adopted their language."
"You can figure that out later," Jack said, "now we need to figure out how to get SG-2 out of trouble."
Sam clicked one of the icons on the screen experimentally. An image appeared, obviously their equivalent of a security camera. The picture it showed was of a lab of some sort, some tanks were in the base of the view, but the camera angle made it impossible to see what was in them. Whatever it was, it was clearly surprising to the two people in SGC uniform staring at it.
There was no sound, but they could see one of the people, a woman, use her radio to signal someone, probably the other members of the team. The other, a man, stepped up to the tanks, then stepped back hurriedly, looking worried.
Nothing happened for a while, though the two soldiers exchanged some words the members of SG-1 wished they could hear. At last two men came in, the other members of SG-2, followed by a man dressed in the robes of these people. The angle he held his head meant his face was mostly hidden from the camera, but the little Jack caught a glimpse of looked vaguely familiar.
He spoke to the man Jack recognised as Captain Farlow. Though they couldn't hear the words, they could see Farlow and the other members of SG-2 getting agitated as the discussion went on. The man from this world raised his hands in what was clearly a gesture for them to calm. Then Farlow hit him.
Without knowing what was said they couldn't tell whether it was provoked or not, but watching the images on the screen it did look like they hadn't been threatened.
"Can you get sound on this thing?" Jack asked.
"I'll try," Sam replied. Staring at the alien computer with an expression stating clearly that she had no idea where to begin.
Sam worked all day, but couldn't figure out either the computer or the language well enough to discover if the evidence was faked. So it meant that at sunrise they were led to a large building in the centre of the settlement.
Against opposite sides of the room were rows of seats, and in the centre a machine rested on a table, with a chair behind it, facing the door. Behind the machine and chair was something like a box, a square of waist-height walls with a gate, in which people could be locked. It was only when the man leading SG-1 in turned aside and made them walk around the room instead of cutting across that Jack noticed the transparent walls. Whatever substance they were made of was clear enough that it was difficult to tell there was anything there. It seemed that the box and machine were separated from the seats and door.
SG-1 sat nervously, as other people filed in and filled the seats. At least each seat was filled, and a small door in the separated portion of the room opened. Jack hadn't noticed the door before, so well was it matched to the wall around it. Jack shifted, looking for some way to get through the transparent wall as SG-2 entered. There had to be some way to get them out of there.
A man stood in the centre of the room as three members of SG-1 were herded into the box-thing, and Colonel Farlow pushed into the seat. The man spoke clearly, as another hooked wires from the machine up to Farlow's head.
"These people have broken the most sacred law of Methudas," he said, "and now must face the punishment allotted by our law. They will go through cadge." The man strode to the machine and pressed a switch. Jack saw Farlow's face tighten with pain, and was about to leap to his feet, try to break the wall, when Teal'c's hand pressed on his shoulder, and the Jaffa shook his head slightly. There would be a better time.
After about thirty seconds, the man pressed another switch, and Farlow's face relaxed. One of the others who stood in that section to the room went to help him up, and took him to the box thing with the others, leading out another member of SG-2.
Soon all four of them had been through the process, and the man switched off the machine with a finality that showed it was all over. An entrance appeared somehow in the transparent wall, and Jack was on his feet instantly, waiting by it. The rest of his team were there behind him, when SG-2 were let out.
"Colonel Farlow? You alright?"
"No, sir," Farlow replied, "No one is. There are Goa'uld on this planet."
It took Jack a moment to comprehend the enormity of what had just been said. "That's impossible," he said, once Farlow's words sank in.
"Not as impossible as you might think," a familiar voice said from behind him. He turned, and looked at someone he thought he'd never see again.
***
Author's note: I hope you're all intrigued. Please review, and I'll consider letting you know who it is.
***
Jack sat at the computer in his cabin in Minnesota. For a little log cabin he had a lot of technology: TV, maj, computer. He was logged onto the internet composing an email. Or trying to.
'Dear Mr Morth,
You are a stupid idiot who knows nothing about anything. . . '
Tempting as that opening sounded, he knew it wouldn't work. A. S. Morth had published a book about an archaeologist working for the SGC. Apparently he had tried to make it as historically accurate as possible, getting dates of missions correct. While most of the book was fictitious, it had to include some people who actually existed. And Jack was rather angry about the way Daniel had been portrayed.
'Dear Mr Morth,
I regret to inform you about some inaccuracies in your novel. The objections General Hammond noted Dr Jackson making in his report about the Euronda mission, was not an objection towards helping those people. In fact Daniel was the first person to protest the need of providing humanitarian aid. The objections were to offering military aid which would prolong their war when there was another option. Daniel's thoughts were, as always, to protect lives. You are just an arrogant piece of filth, twisting facts to make your pathetic novel sell better.'
Jack sighed and deleted the last sentence. Insulting the guy wouldn't help make his case. He wished he hadn't bothered to read the book now, it only made him angry that people could think of Daniel the way they did. The media had created a monster and given it the name Daniel Jackson.
He was relieved when the phone rang. "Answer," he said clearly, and the phone screen switched on, revealing Hammond's face.
"George," Jack said smiling, "let me guess, the world's going to be destroyed unless SG-1 can save it."
"Not quick, Jack. SG-2 went on a mission to P2C-437 yesterday. This morning we received a message from the government of that world saying that they had broken their most important law and would be punished."
"What was the law?"
"They didn't say. All they would say was that they would allow one team to be sent from Earth to oversee the punishment."
"Aren't there other teams you could send?" Jack asked.
"The team are to go through unarmed. The man we spoke to said that your safety would be guaranteed, but I don't want to risk it. I can't think what SG-2 would do to break the laws on this world."
"You think they were framed?"
"Possibly, we won't know until someone goes through and checks it out. And since we've no idea the risk and the team isn't allowed weapons, I want to best team available to go and check it out."
"So why have you called me?" Jack joked, but then went serious, "I'll be right there, General."
Though SG-1 was official retired from active duty, they were occasionally called up for dangerous missions, or when ambassadors from other worlds wanted to meet those who were infamous throughout the galaxy. Jack always moaned about his quiet retirement being interrupted, but he was glad. Most of the time he thought he'd go mad if he didn't have the chance for adventure occasionally.
When Jack reached Cheyanne Mountain the rest of SG-1 were already there, it being quicker to travel half-way across the galaxy than a few short kilometres over the Earth. If lives hadn't been in danger, he would have enjoyed the irony.
He changed quickly into uniform and went to the Gate room. It seemed odd to be standing there without his gun at his side. That habit of a lifetime was one which had kept him alive during the war with the Goa'uld. Now that the war was over it still seemed hard to believe they were safe. Though safe was a relative term when travel to unknown worlds was involved.
"Hey guys," Jack greeted the rest of the team. Teal'c stood, his face impassive as always at the base of the ramp. Seeing him in uniform after the last ten years in the robes of Chulak was strange, and stranger still was the sense of unbalance Jack had looking at him without his staff weapon.
Sam and Jonas were there as well. They didn't look so odd without their weapons, since he usually saw them in the uniform of 813. Standing there, Jack felt almost as though it were old times. Almost, but not quite, Daniel belonged there as well. Where was Daniel now, Jack wondered.
"SG-1, you have a go," Hammond's voice came through the speaker, and Jack turned to the active Gate. How many times had they been to other worlds as a team? So many, and he still didn't know what to expect on the other side.
They emerged from the event horizon to see lush green fields and, thankfully, only a handful of trees. Directly in front of the Gate was an old man dressed in robes.
"I'm glad you didn't bring any weapons," he said, "If you would follow me to the settlement." The man turned and Jack signalled his team to follow. It seemed rather easy. He'd been expecting a search of some kind. He could probably have hidden a zat in his pack and they wouldn't have guessed. Still, what's done was done and they were here now.
"What exactly did SG-2 do?" Jack asked.
"They broke our first law," the man replied, with what seemed to Jack to be deliberate unhelpfulness.
"Which is?"
"They knowingly set out to harm other people on this planet."
"Were there any mitigating circumstances?" Jack asked.
"What circumstances could justify hurting another person?"
"Maybe if this person attacked them."
"They were not threatened or harmed in any way by us. Their actions were entirely unfounded."
"Was there even an investigation into the incident?" Jack pressed, determined not to let any of his people be punished for something that wasn't their fault.
"Of course," the man replied, "we wouldn't put someone through cadge without proof they were guilty."
"Can we see this proof?"
"Naturally. There are video logs of your friends attacking our citizens, and several independent witnesses."
"Video logs could be altered," Carter commented.
"Why would anyone do that?" the man asked.
"To frame SG-2."
"No one here has any reason to do that, but I will let you inspect the video logs carefully if you wish."
"We wish," Jack said firmly.
They had reached the settlement by now, and Jonas was looking around curiously, probably trying to see what origins these people might have. It all looked relatively primitive. Jack altered that assessment when the man they were following led them to a large building. Inside were computer screens and control panels.
"I will access the video logs for you, if you wish to know anything, you have only to ask. Unless you find something, the punishment will commence at sunset."
"Can't we speak to our people?" Jack asked.
"Not until after the punishment." The man typed something in at one of the computers then turned and left.
"At least they're not planning on killing SG-2," Jonas said. Sam sat down at the computer.
"Can you figure out how to use this?"
"Easy, that man left it at a menu of some sorts, probably video files. Checking if they've been altered will be harder, since I've no idea what this means." She gestured at the rows of writing on the screen.
"Jonas?"
"I'm sorry, I've never seen anything like it. It's completely alien. It's odd, since the people here all seem to be human. Perhaps there was an alien culture here originally, and the humans transplanted by the Goa'uld adopted their language."
"You can figure that out later," Jack said, "now we need to figure out how to get SG-2 out of trouble."
Sam clicked one of the icons on the screen experimentally. An image appeared, obviously their equivalent of a security camera. The picture it showed was of a lab of some sort, some tanks were in the base of the view, but the camera angle made it impossible to see what was in them. Whatever it was, it was clearly surprising to the two people in SGC uniform staring at it.
There was no sound, but they could see one of the people, a woman, use her radio to signal someone, probably the other members of the team. The other, a man, stepped up to the tanks, then stepped back hurriedly, looking worried.
Nothing happened for a while, though the two soldiers exchanged some words the members of SG-1 wished they could hear. At last two men came in, the other members of SG-2, followed by a man dressed in the robes of these people. The angle he held his head meant his face was mostly hidden from the camera, but the little Jack caught a glimpse of looked vaguely familiar.
He spoke to the man Jack recognised as Captain Farlow. Though they couldn't hear the words, they could see Farlow and the other members of SG-2 getting agitated as the discussion went on. The man from this world raised his hands in what was clearly a gesture for them to calm. Then Farlow hit him.
Without knowing what was said they couldn't tell whether it was provoked or not, but watching the images on the screen it did look like they hadn't been threatened.
"Can you get sound on this thing?" Jack asked.
"I'll try," Sam replied. Staring at the alien computer with an expression stating clearly that she had no idea where to begin.
Sam worked all day, but couldn't figure out either the computer or the language well enough to discover if the evidence was faked. So it meant that at sunrise they were led to a large building in the centre of the settlement.
Against opposite sides of the room were rows of seats, and in the centre a machine rested on a table, with a chair behind it, facing the door. Behind the machine and chair was something like a box, a square of waist-height walls with a gate, in which people could be locked. It was only when the man leading SG-1 in turned aside and made them walk around the room instead of cutting across that Jack noticed the transparent walls. Whatever substance they were made of was clear enough that it was difficult to tell there was anything there. It seemed that the box and machine were separated from the seats and door.
SG-1 sat nervously, as other people filed in and filled the seats. At least each seat was filled, and a small door in the separated portion of the room opened. Jack hadn't noticed the door before, so well was it matched to the wall around it. Jack shifted, looking for some way to get through the transparent wall as SG-2 entered. There had to be some way to get them out of there.
A man stood in the centre of the room as three members of SG-1 were herded into the box-thing, and Colonel Farlow pushed into the seat. The man spoke clearly, as another hooked wires from the machine up to Farlow's head.
"These people have broken the most sacred law of Methudas," he said, "and now must face the punishment allotted by our law. They will go through cadge." The man strode to the machine and pressed a switch. Jack saw Farlow's face tighten with pain, and was about to leap to his feet, try to break the wall, when Teal'c's hand pressed on his shoulder, and the Jaffa shook his head slightly. There would be a better time.
After about thirty seconds, the man pressed another switch, and Farlow's face relaxed. One of the others who stood in that section to the room went to help him up, and took him to the box thing with the others, leading out another member of SG-2.
Soon all four of them had been through the process, and the man switched off the machine with a finality that showed it was all over. An entrance appeared somehow in the transparent wall, and Jack was on his feet instantly, waiting by it. The rest of his team were there behind him, when SG-2 were let out.
"Colonel Farlow? You alright?"
"No, sir," Farlow replied, "No one is. There are Goa'uld on this planet."
It took Jack a moment to comprehend the enormity of what had just been said. "That's impossible," he said, once Farlow's words sank in.
"Not as impossible as you might think," a familiar voice said from behind him. He turned, and looked at someone he thought he'd never see again.
***
Author's note: I hope you're all intrigued. Please review, and I'll consider letting you know who it is.