Author's Note: Special guest star, Dr. Samantha Carter

Content Warning: Violence and Mild language

If Thy Right Eye Offend...



"This is Colonel Riley Fox to any and all SGC personnel. I'm being held captive on a planet codenamed Ares. The coordinates are included as well as gate symbols. I have vital information regarding Maldorian attacks. Please, if anyone is reading this transmission, send a rescue team. This information is cri..."

Journal Entry, August 25, 2025:

It's been two long months since we first received the transmission from the Ares sector. Word quickly spread throughout the entire base and battle lines were drawn. One half for mounting an immediate rescue and the other half for making sure it wasn't a trap to draw out the rebels. As much as it has pained us, Mac and I have kept a level head and sided with the latter. Not that I had much of a choice. Until just a few days ago, I could barely walk. Despite the fact that I have not fully recovered as of yet, I am anxious to continue my search for the hidden SGC base and perhaps the help I need to rescue Riley... if she's still alive.

****Planet Hades (August 25, 2025)****

"She's your MOTHER for Christ's sake!" the young man yelled across the briefing room.

"Don't you think I'm aware of that?" Robin yelled back at him. "But as base commander I have to set the example! We can't risk exposing ourselves every time the Maldorians dangle some long lost loved one in front of us!"

"How can you be so calloused?" a young woman asked.

Sharp decided to field this one, "We're not being calloused. We're simply trying to be cautious. I want to rescue Riley just as much as you do, in fact even more than you do, but if this is a trap we won't be rescuing anybody, we'll only be getting ourselves killed. It's been two months now and we have no evidence she was ever in the Ares sector other than a suspect transmission that could have been forged. Now as much as I hate this, we need hard evidence that one, Riley is in that facility and two, that we can get in and get her out without risking our primary mission. No one person, not even Riley Fox is worth risking compromising our mission." Sharp had to force that last part out. He kept telling himself that if the situation were reversed between them, he would want Riley to do that same thing and she would do it, but the fact of the matter was he didn't know if that were true.

The young man was about to say something in response when Johnathan Tainn entered the room. He immediately walked over to Robin, whispered something in her ear and handed her a folder. He then stood at attention behind her as she looked it over. After a few moments looked back to Tainn and asked, "how trustworthy is the information?"

"This source has never been wrong, Ma'am," he replied.

"What's our window of opportunity?"

"Our best guess is ten days."

Robin thought about it for a few minutes as the rest sat there wondering what exactly was going on with the folder. The room was completely silent until Robin finally said, "I want three operational teams, fully equipped and in the briefing room in three hours." As soon as she finished Robin stood and both she and Tainn left the room without saying another word. Unhappy at this sudden and unexplained change of position, Sharp sat and watched them exit and then got up himself and followed them, leaving the rest of the room to ponder and discuss what had just transpired.

Finally close enough to grab her arm, Sharp did so and spun her around to face him, "you wanna share with me what that was all about?"

"Glenn, not now," she said, obviously not happy. "You'll find out when everyone else does at the briefing."

She tried to walk away but Sharp did not let go. "No, that's not gonna fly!" Sharp said glaring at her. "I just got done telling all those people in there that the woman I love wasn't worth risking our mission to go pull her out and I think I deserve more than some bullshit brush off!"

Robin wasn't in the mood and get right in Sharp's face, "so what, you want a cookie?!" she said sarcastically. "In case you've forgotten, she may be the woman you love, but she is my mother! And even if that was the reason I changed my mind, this is my base and I run it, not you and I will run it the way I see fit! If you have a problem with that, then let me send someone to direct you to the stargate!" Then yanking her arm out of Sharp's grasp, she and Tainn marched off and out of sight, leaving Sharp fuming.

****************

Sharp walked into what the rebels had turned into Davenport's private room. Just the fact that he had survived the first week had given everyone hope that he might survive, but as the weeks drug on and his condition neither improved nor worsened, he simply faded into the background. It seemed that Sharp and his team were the only ones who came to visit him anymore and for Sharp, it was becoming more and more difficult. Somehow, though, it always seemed to put things into perspective for him, and so far, the feelings of guilt for his condition were not painful enough to deter him. "Well, my friend, it seems you won't be my last victim after all. I wonder if there is anything I can do to stop all this. It's just so out of control."

"Was it ever in your control?" a voice asked him.

He looked up to see the face of Paris Orion standing near the door, "do you always eaves drop on conversations?"

Paris dropped her head a bit, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." She turned to leave.

"Wait, you don't have to go, Paris," he called after her. She stopped for a moment before turning around. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to someone who can talk back," he smiled.

She looked a little confused, "I would think you'd go to someone you know a little better."

"I think it's time we got to know each other a little better, I mean after all, I considered your mom a good friend."

"Well, no offense, but she never talked about you to me. Neither did Sam. I'd never heard of you until you crashed here two months ago."

"Yeah I figured that," he said, nodding his head. "Before we found Sam on Apollo, we'd only talked a few times so I'm not surprised she didn't remember me. As for Riley and Chrislyn, I'm sure there is a good reason why they never said anything about me. They're pretty smart people, maybe they figured all this out and decided that telling people about me was a bad idea."

Paris gave him a funny look before responding, "but wouldn't it make more sense to tell us about you so we could help you?"

"Don't look at me. You're the one who inherited the super brain," he joked. "But I guess you're not the only one who ended up just like her mother."

Paris chuckled at that last bit, "ran into Robin's stubborn streak, did you?"

"More like I got broad sided by it," he corrected.

Her chuckle turned into a full laugh, "well you wouldn't be the first. So I take it she changed her mind about about going to Ares?"

"Yeah, in the middle of an argument about NOT going," he said, trying to make sense of it. "Tainn came in with some sort of folder and that was it. She decided she was going."

"And once Robin makes a decision, you're not talking her out of it," Paris informed him as Sharp nodded in agreement. "But if you love Riley like you said you do, why don't you want her to go? And an even better question, why aren't you going with her?"

Sharp got a concerned look on his face and answered, "because we don't know what we're walking into. Riley was been missing for several years now and all of a sudden she shows up with vital information about the Maldorians? Where has she been? How did she survive behind the front lines? Why draw us to what is essentially a Maldorian stronghold? We've looked at those questions for two months now and we're no closer to answering now then we were when we started."

"So you're afraid that she's going into a trap and that she won't come back," she summarized.

"I'm afraid for everyone, not just Robin," he said, trying to sound convincing.

"But you're mostly afraid for her," she said, not buying it. "It's written all over your face, you know."

"That's another thing you and your mother have in common," he glared at her. "You don't know when to leave something alone."

Paris giggled a bit, "yeah, well in this case I'll take that as a compliment." Sharp couldn't help but laugh at that comment. "So, you wanna talk to me or not?"

Sharp stopped laughing and thought for a second. Realizing that burying it wasn't going to help, he nodded slowly before responding, "alright, I am worried about Robin. If she's too much like her mother, she'll go in guns blazing and take unnecessary risks and in situations like this that's recipe for disaster."

"You think that's what happened to Riley, don't you?"

He looked away from Paris, "I don't know, but I do know this, something doesn't feel right about that distress call." He looked back, directly into Paris' eyes, "bottom line, if I really believed Riley had sent that distress call I would have gone to rescue her two months ago, injuries or no."

Paris' look became disturbed and her voice turned quiet, "you think she's dead."

"All I know is that even if she's alive, she wouldn't have sent that transmission," he said with complete conviction in his voice. "She was too independent, too stubborn to ask for help in a situation like that. Something stinks about this whole situation and what ever was in that folder sweetened the pot enough to make Robin risk everyone at this base."

"Whatever it was, Robin's made up her mind," Paris reminded. "Now you have a decision to make. You can either stay here and torture yourself all over again for things you can't control, or you can go with her and fight beside her." Sharp stood and turned away from her, but Paris continued, "you blame yourself for Riley's disappearance because you weren't there, are you going to voluntarily stand by while the same thing could happen to Robin?"

"So what are you my shrink now?" he asked bitterly. "How do you know what I'm thinking?"

Paris got up and walk up beside him, "there isn't a person on this base who hasn't lost someone, Glenn. After a little while it's not that hard to recognize the expression on faces."

"Did you ever think you could be wrong?" he asked flatly.

Paris kinda smirked at that, "if I was would you be this upset at me?" Sharp just stood there in silence, trying to avoid the question. "You have another two hours before the briefing. Think it over. And remember, we're all in this together"

She turned and started toward the door but stopped for a moment as Sharp mumbled, "If thy right eye offend..."

"Huh?" she turned and asked confused.

"Nothing," he responded and Paris turned back around and left, wondering what that meant. As she left, Sharp walked back over to Davenport. "It's time I took my eyes off the past and concentrated on the present. There is nothing I can change about the past twenty-three years and trying has only made things worse. I only wish I'd realized that a little sooner. Hang on and maybe one day you and me can a good laugh over the whole thing."

****Planet Hades (2 hours later)****

Robin entered the large portion of cave that they used as a briefing room, three hours to the minute dressed in a makeshift uniform and holding a rifle of some sort. Walking to the front she turned and faced the young men and women that had been selected for the mission. They all looked up at her, searching in her eyes for something that would reassure them they were up to the task on which they were about to embark. As each of their eyes met Robin's, they all found a sudden strength and courage, drawing off of her strong belief in each and everyone of them as soldiers and people. After a few moments of silence to assess the room, she began, "approximately three hours ago, we received information that seriously damage our ability to fight the Maldorians. One of our sources on Maldorian battle movements has sent us information that we feel is too important to ignore. Three days ago, the battleship Ra, the Maldorian flagship, docked at a Maldorian space station in orbit of the planet Ares we've designated Beta-1 for repairs." When Robin mentioned Ares, the room became noticeably uncomfortable. "According to our source, once the repairs begin, the target will be stationary for the ten days. Ordinarily, the location of the target would keep us from even attempting any type of mission against the ship or the base, however, there is something else that makes it a necessity. We believe that the Ra is repairing and rearmed for an assault on at least fifteen hidden human colonies and bases in the next month," she paused for a few seconds before continuing, "including this one." The room erupted into worried stares and mumbling. Robin tried to regain control of the room, "which is why we're going to sabotage and destroy the Ra and Beta-1 before they get the chance." The room calmed a little and Robin continued, "I have divided you into three teams and each of you will be given mission objectives before you leave. Are they any questions?"

Stepping out of his hidden location where he listened to the entire brief, Sharp raised his hand, but didn't wait for acknowledgment to begin talking, "Commander Michaels, how can my team assist you?"

When she saw who it was who asked the question, Robin was a bit surprised. Caught off guard, Robin responded, "Captain Sharp, I appreciate the sentiment but we're perfectly capable of handling this mission."

"I never said you weren't Commander, but this affect us as much as it effects you. It's our future too," Sharp said meeting her eyes and communicating volumes more than he said.

Looking at the conviction in his face, it was almost as if she was looking at a completely different man. Not one looking back and living in the past, but one who was dedicated to the present and future of himself and those around him. "Very well, Captain Sharp. I will assign the members of your team to our operational teams."

Sharp nodded and stepped back, "thank you, Commander."

"If there are no other questions..." she said looking around the room that remained quiet. "Then we depart within the hour." Robin walked through the group she just spoke to and right up to Sharp. "Captain, I'm assigning you and Mr. Grissom to Team A with me, Mr. Corra to Team B lead by Mr. Tainn and Mr. Stewart and Sam will join Team C lead by Paris. Any problems with that." The last part was not asked as a question.

Sharp tried not to smile as he answered. She was asserting her authority over the situation and he could understand why. "No problems, Commander."

"Good," she said sternly. "Be at the stargate ready to go in twenty minutes." And with that she turned and was out the door.

He couldn't blame her really. In her position he might have done the same thing. And things would be better between them after they got back... if they got back.

****Planet Hades (15 minutes later)****

The three teams gathered nervously near the gate, making last second preparations for their mission. It was hard to tell if the sweat pouring down their faces was more from the heat or nerves. Sharp looked over at Stewart was apparently pretty absorbed in a talk with Paris. Smiling to himself, he readied his P90 and turned to join his team.

"So you actually lived on a space station?" Stewart asked, impressed. "What was it like?"

Paris grinned and shrugged, "I don't know. I guess it's kinda like living in a big tin can."

"A big tin can?" Stewart chuckled. "Come on, it couldn't have been that bad. I always wondered what it would be like to live in space. All the spectacular things you could see and study." A dreamy look overtook Stewart's face.

"You mean as opposed to being able to walk out in the fresh air of a planet teaming with trees and flowers," Paris replied, unable to comprehend why someone would actually want to live aboard a space station. "A brightly colored sky and the wind blowing through you hair. The light of a new day to wake to and beautifully colored sunsets to watch as the day ends."

Stewart watched her closely as she spoke. He never thought about it that way. He had pretty much taken all that for granted. "It sounds like something extraordinary when you talk about it. To me it's everyday stuff. I guess you get used to it after a while."

"Maybe... but one day, after we've finished off the Maldorians, I'm going to settle down on the most beautiful planet I can find and start that big family I always wanted. The kind my mom used to always talk about," she paused for a moment before smiling widely. "Of course there is still the problem of find the right guy."

Stewart laughed loudly enough that he took a few curious looks. He waited until they lost interest before saying anything, "well I'm sure when you put your mind to it, it won't be that hard."

Paris raised her eyebrows at him, "is that so? And how would you know?"

"Well what guy could resist a girl who can translate virtually every language known including Maldorian, can beat the pants off anyone in chess, and helped kicked the crap out of the greatest threat to mankind?" he smiled.

She blushed a bit, but tried hard to keep it from showing even more, "You'd be surprised, Mr. Stewart."

"Call me Chris," he insisted.

"That's gonna be hard to get used to," she admitted. "That was what almost everyone called my mom."

Stewart heart instantly sank. "I'm really sorry!" he quickly got out. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..."

"No, it's not like that at all," she tried to assure him, with an embarrassed look. "I shouldn't have said anything. I kinda have a tendency to just blurt out whatever I'm thinking."

"Not always a bad thing, Miss Orion," he offered. "In fact it can make for some interesting conversations," he grinned.

"Or get me into lots of trouble." They shared a laugh. "While we're playing the name game, you can call me Paris. Miss Orion gets old real fast."

"You got it, Miss.... Paris," he caught himself.

Both of them looked over to the stargate as Robin began dial their destination. "That looks to be our cue," Paris said readying her rifle. "Here we go."

Robin finished dialing and after the gate opened, she walked up in front of it. "You all have your assignments," she began. Her face softened a bit as she continued, "I wish I could say I will see you all when we get back, but the fact of the matter is that we've never attempted anything like this before. Some of you may not come back, so if anyone wants to back out, this is the time." She scanned each of the faces as she spoke but she stopped a little longer on Glenn's as she added, "I won't think any less of you." When no one moved to go, she was filled with both pride and regret. They were willing to give their lives for their cause and that was something of which to be proud, but today they might actually be asked for those lives and she would never see those faces again. "Then let's move out! Team A with me!" She turned and walked through the gate, followed by Sharp and the rest of Team A.

****Beta-1, in orbit of Planet Ares (20 minutes later, Team A)****

Sharp made sure their way was clear and motioned for Robin, Grissom and the rest to proceed down the hall and toward the docking bay. "How much farther to the boarding tubes?" he asked Robin.

"We're almost there. Now you know what to do once we get there, right?"

He nodded, "once I set off the charge in the weapons cache, I'll get the hell outta dodge and meet you back at the gate."

"Just remember to wait for my signal. If we do this before Team B and C finish, this will all be for nothing," she reminded.

"I got it," he assured her. Hearing footsteps, all five of them took cover in an adjoining hall and hoped they were headed the other way.

****Beta-1 (Meanwhile, Team B)****

Tainn, Corra and Team B were working there way as fast as they could to the base reactor. Their job was simple in word, most difficult in deed. Plant enough explosives in the reactor room to destroy the station.

"Tainn!" Corra called up quietly. "Don't you think this whole thing has been too easy so far?"

Tainn's face wrinkled up when Corra said that. He was right but he didn't need to say it. "We do what we need to do, whether it's easy or hard."

"I'm just saying we should keep our eyes open for a trap," he retorted.

Tainn looked back at him with disgust, "I always have my eyes open. Now let's move!" With that he took off again for the reactor room, not bothering to see if anyone followed. Despite the gruff response, Corra and Team B did follow. The hum of the reactor was now audible and yet despite being so close to a critical part of the base, there was not no security in sight. "Alright, something isn't right here."

"Isn't that what I just said?" Corra asked. Tainn shot him a look that screamed 'shut up!' and Corra didn't say anything else.

"Ok, I'll go in first. If it looks clear I'll wave you in." Corra and the rest nodded and Tainn cautiously approached and then entered the reactor room. Making a sweep of the area, he came back full circle to the entrance. Tainn still didn't feel right, but if they were fast enough it may not matter. He motioned to the others and they made their way inside. "Start planting the explosives, and be quick about it. Robin can't move until we're done." As they unpacked their gear, however, the entrances began to close and before anyone could escape, they were all sealed inside.

Corra cursed under his breath. "What do we do now?"

With a suicidal resolve, Tainn responded, "we follow the plan. If necessary we go with the station."

"Can we still contact Team A?" Corra wondered.

Tainn looked down at his radio and then back up at Corra, "we'll find out when we're done. If we try to contact them now, we'll exposing them." Tainn was about to turn to help out when he noticed the gas begin to pump into the room.

****Beta-1 (10 minutes later, Team C)****

"I've finished the fourth level of decryption!"

"Nice work, Paris. Chris how much longer can you hold them off?" Sam asked nervously.

Stewart frantically worked at the security console. Luck had been on there side since they had arrived. They caught the control room security team by surprise and had taken them out rather easily. Now the problem was holding off the reinforcements. Stewart was throwing force fields, security lock- outs and any other defensive measure at his disposal. "Possibly another ten minutes, maybe fifteen if I get lucky. How much time do you need?"

"That should be enough," Sam told him. "We've downloaded almost all of this facilities battle plans and we're working on the strategic data now."

Paris' fingers sped up as she wondered, "any ideas how any of us are getting out of here?"

"If all goes well, the sabotage of the Ra should distract them enough to leave us time to escape," Sam responded.

Getting a worried look on his face, Stewart suddenly warned, "damn, they're breaking through! We gotta go now!"

"Just a few more minutes!" Sam yelled.

"We don't have a few more minutes!" Just as he finished, several shot hit the door to the control room. Stewart and the other two members of Team C grabbed their rifles and took cover to prepare for the ensuing fire fight.

****Beta-1 (Meanwhile, Team A)****

Only a few minutes away from the weapons' cache, Sharp looked over the wound on his upper left arm. It was bad, but he had had worse. Putting back on his jacket, he tried to concentrate on his goal to keep his mind off the pain. He hoped that Robin and the others were having just as much luck taking out the engines. Successfully avoiding another security team, he moved stealthily down the hall and in sight of his objective. Taking another look around to make sure things were clear, he stepped up to the security keypad and went to work. He popped open the casing and began playing with wire before finally finding the right combination to release the door. Sliding it open, he greeted by a face he was sure he would never see again.

"Miss me, Captain?" And then Sharp was dropped by laser shot to the chest.

****Beta-1 (20 minutes later)****

"Wake him." The soldier administered the proper amount of drug to bring Sharp around. "Now leave us." The soldier nodded and left. The man giving the orders, dressed in what appeared to be hooded royal robes, approached Sharp just as he was coming around. "Captain Glenn Sharp I presume." Sharp groaned, and tried to shake off the effect of the unconsciousness. "You have become quite a hot topic in my circle in just the few months since you arrived. Lucky for you, as that gave me a reason to keep you alive instead of killing you on site."

Sharp tried to focus his eyes on the man talking to him, but it was all still a blur. "Who are you?"

"How rude of me. I haven't introduce myself. My name is Kelsar. I am the commander of the invasion of the Tau'ri."

Trying to show no weakness to whoever this was, Sharp sarcastically responded, "should I be impressed?"

Kelsar's smile was hidden. "I heard you have a defiant sense of humor, Captain. Unfortunately by the time we're done with you it will be gone. Of course it won't matter as you'll be dead soon after."

"No promises of release in return for whatever you want from me?" Sharp continued the sarcasm.

"I don't like to lie to my prisoners. I find information extraction so much easier when I tell the truth," Kelsar explained.

Smiling, Sharp asked, "I'm going to kill you, so tell me all you know?"

Kelsar's smile left and sounded slightly hurt, "It's much more than that, Captain. In fact I'm going to tell you exactly how this whole interrogation is going to work. I'm going to ask you what I want to know. You'll of course refuse to tell me. Then I'll start taking things that your body has two of. Eventually one of two things will happen. You'll give up the information in exchange for a quick death, or despite our best efforts, you'll slowly bleed to death, in which case we will attempt to find out through other sources."

"Well you're are just a ray of sunshine aren't you?" Sharp said, trying to disguise as best he could the anxiety of the pain he was about to endure.

Kelsar walked over and grabbed a long metal rod before turning back to Sharp, "so let us begin, Captain. What is the exact date from which you were taken twenty-three years ago?"

"Well let's see, you take my mom's birthday, go back about 2 months, do the hokey poky and then go to hell," Sharp spat at him.

"An interesting answer, but unfortunately I don't give partial credit for interesting," Kelsar frowned. Raising the metal rod, he looked it over. "This, Captain, is one of my favorite tools to use during an interrogation. I never could quite remember what its proper name is, but sufficed to say it does its job quite well." Pressing in one of the buttons on the side, a thin nail-like piece of metal slid out at the top. Pressing another button, the top piece splintered into four pieces and then retracted. "I usually like to start with this one. So nice for removing those pesky eyes. Messy, but effective."

Seconds later, Sharp's screams filled not only the interrogation room, but echoed down the halls as well.

****To Be Continued in "An Eye for an Eye"****