We stopped running after a few minutes to get our bearings. Thor looked around,
panting slightly through his small mouth, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I looked
away, into the forest beyond us.
"This way." He said, the first words since we'd left the cell. I followed the
little grey alien, the still unconscious Jaffa's feet held in my hands. Teal'c followed
me, holding the man's shoulders.
"We need more weapons." I called to Thor. He looked back at me.
"That would not be a good idea, O'Neill. The council decreed that until you
were cleared of any kind of suspicion in regards to the explosion, you should remain
unarmed, within my hall." Thor continued to walk. I stopped, the icy calm turning to
murderous rage in an instant - I wondered briefly whether Thor would ever know how
close I came to snapping his neck.
"Listen, Thor. You brought us here to help you with your political shit. You
leave us to our own devices, we get framed for murdering a whole lot of your people,
get attacked, the building blows up in front of us, we get kidnapped and then two of
my team mates die, and you have the fucking nerve to tell us that we're supposed to
go along with whatever the Asgard High fucking Council wants? You can tell your
buddies that they can stick their high council so high up their as-"
"O'Neill." Teal'c stopped me from going any further. I could sense the
discomfort in his voice and I knew it wasn't so much the words I'd used - he was
used to that kind of outburst from me - as the tone of voice, that disturbed him. It was
flat, dead, without emotion and I knew it un-nerved him. I sneered and bit my lip. I
tasted blood and it felt good, centred me once more. I took a deep breath and tried
again.
"We need more weapons, or we're never going to defeat your friend up there."
I said calmly. That would have to do. It wasn't emotion, but it wasn't a lack of it
either. And that was as close as I was going to get. Thor watched me for a few more
seconds, then nodded his head once.
"This way." He said again, and led us off in a new direction.
-o0o-
Thor led us into a small cave entrance that was surrounded by purple and orange
vines. The entrance was very small - even for Thor. For Teal'c it was a very tight
squeeze. Luckily it opened up into a large cavern that was lit by some sort of glowing
liquid that had been painted on the walls. I didn't ask, because I didn't want to know
and I didn't care. Thor led us to the rear of the cavern, placed his hand on the wall,
and it opened up, like a door. Inside was some sort of storage facility.
"The Asgard, after discovering the advantage your people had over the
replicators with projectile weapons, have been developing our own style of weaponry
based upon yours. This is where most of the research rejections have been stored."
"Rejects?"
"We found that they were not powerful enough to destroy significant numbers
of replicators. However, I believe that they will suit your current intentions
perfectly."
"Good. Teal'c, grab some." I turned and exited the storage facility, heading
back into the cold cavern. I stared blankly at the opposite wall until I heard a small
scuffing noise beside me. I looked to see Thor standing, staring up at me.
"O'Neill, I must again apologise for your loss."
"I don't want to talk about it." I told him evenly. I couldn't deal with this
right now. Not and keep control. Once upon a time my 'cold place' had been
impenetrable. Once the glass came down, that was it until the mission was done. But
it wasn't something I'd had to use in a very long time and it seemed my control of it
was tenuous at best. I walked out. I saw Teal'c approach Thor and speak quietly to
him as I walked out. But somehow, considering everything, I just didn't care. After a
few moments, the other two walked up and stood beside me.
"I want to talk to your council. All of them." My tone brooked no argument.
Thor looked at me for a long moment, then nodded his head, eyes closing briefly as he
did so. He wasn't going to argue. Good. There was a flash of light, and once again
we were in the council chambers, only a tiny circle lit up around our feet, casting the
rest of the room in dark shadow.
"To what reason do you bring these Tau'ri into our presence, Thor?" An
Asgard voice suddenly asked, from behind me.
"It was at General O'Neill's request that I bring both him and the Jaffa Teal'c
before the High Council." Thor replied, un-cowed.
"After our explicit instructions to confine the Tau'ri to your habitat? Thor,
your defiance is not acceptable."
"Fuck his defiance." I said calmly. I'd suddenly had enough of being ignored.
In fact, I'd had enough of their whole political bullshit. I felt weary and heartsick. I
was tired of it all. I wanted this Ichi Wawa guy's head on a plate and then I wanted to
go home. To Earth. And blissful oblivion in the biggest bottle of bourbon I could find.
"We've catered to you for long enough. Each and every time you guys have got
yourselves into hot water, you've been after us to get you out of the fire." Yes, I was
talking in clichés. But right now, that was the least of my concerns. "Even now, when
our world is facing it's biggest test, it's biggest challenge, one of your Council
members had no thought to pulling us out and dragging us millions of light years
away to get involved in your internal politics. No 'if you please' or 'do you mind'.
That high-handed attitude has got to end."
"If you please, Tau'ri, we do not have time to listen to your minor criticisms."
"My name," I grated in a very soft voice, and felt the chill fill the room, "is
General Jack O'Neill. You will do well to remember it. And as for time, trust me,
you have it. You sit there, trying to intimidate us with this interrogation tactic, all
high and mighty with your fake superiority, and have the impudence to reprimand us
for our attitude? Well guess what? We've had enough. No more bowing to your
wishes. No more pandering to ridiculous demands. This pointless excursion has cost
our world more than you could ever repay, and for that I personally will never forgive
you."
"Enough." The word was barked out impatiently.
"Not it's fucking not enough. We're not some sort of instrument that you can
use at your whim and discard at will! We are sentient beings, and as such should be
treated equally. And until you learn to deal with us as equals, you can all go and
screw yourselves backwards, as far as I'm concerned! I've had it with the lot of you."
"General O'Neill." Thor said quietly beside me. I turned to let him have it,
but Teal'c put a hand on my shoulder that silenced me. I was panting with emotion,
the rage flooding through my veins once more - despite my best efforts - and setting
them on fire.
"I must put my support in with General O'Neill." Thor announced to the
unseen Asgards. "We have used the Tau'ri unfairly during the last few encounters,
utilizing their abilities, their 'stupid idea's', without regard to the safety of our allies,
nor to their own wishes or crises. Aside from that, in the past few days I myself have
been placed in jeopardy due to the manipulations of our political agenda by an
unknown agent, and only the quick actions - once again - of our Tau'ri allies saved
my life. It is time, my fellow Councillors, to admit that the Tau'ri are no longer an
inferior species, but one worthy of our consideration and respect."
"Right." I could feel the rage dwindling, receding once more now that I knew
I was going to get what I wanted. And that was good. Because if I started to feel
anything - even anger - right now I would lose it completely. And that was
unacceptable. I needed the ice. I needed the cold. It was the only thing keeping me
sane right now, and I knew it. Once the mission was over, then I could fall to pieces.
Until then I had to keep it together and the only way I could do that was by keeping a
lid on what I was feeling. All of it.
"Thor." The lights suddenly came up, and I could see the other members of
the High Council, all seated in a raise semi-circle, staring down at us. "You surprise
and disappoint me." Odin said gently, sadly.
"As do you, Father." Thor replied. "Aside from my wife and I, only one other
person knew that I was going to Earth to retrieve SG-1." Thor turned his head to look
at Loki. "Loki has been vocal in his dislike of my friendship with the Tau'ri, but at
least he has been upfront about his disapproval. You however, Father, have not.
General O'Neill, please explain to the Council what occurred in the last few hours,
from when you discovered yourself aboard a Goa'uld vessel." I cast Thor a surprised
look, but did as he told me. Several minutes later, after telling our tale - clearly,
calmly, concisely for the most part - I came to a stop at the part of relating Daniel and
Carter's deaths, as told to us by Thor, my throat constricted with emotion.
"It was then that, with the assistance of your friend Teal'c and I, you escaped,
was it not?" Thor prompted. I nodded back. Thor then looked at the Council
Members. "The Goa'uld that O'Neill referred to as Lord Ichi Wawa is in fact Kinich
Ahau. What he didn't say, could not say, was that Kinich Ahau has taken over the
body of Su-linn. My biological mother, and Odin's mate."
Shit.
"I protest!" Odin cried in denial. His cry was frozen as some sort of Asgard
device locked him in place. It looked like a stasis bubble or something like that. If
Carter were here.... I cut the thought off brutally. I did not have time for that now.
"We have wondered, for many years now, how the Goa'uld could have
possible become so strong, and become such a force to reckon with. This is how. Su-
linn and with no doubt, my father, have been working together to bring down the
Asgard, the only race willing to go up against the Goa'uld. That is, of course, until
SG-1 started to explore the galaxy. Now the Tau'ri are just as formidable a force as
we are, in different ways. They alone have destroyed numerous System Lords. This
mission that my Father sent me on was ... as the Tau'ri would say ... a frame job.
General O'Neill and his friends were framed to discredit the Tau'ri. And it almost
worked. Except Odin, who has never dealt with O'Neill, underestimated him once
again."
"How can we trust you?" Loki (I presumed) grumbled from the far right.
"You can't. However, you can trust the evidence. There is a Goa'uld mother
ship in orbit around our planet. It has been in orbit for many days."
"We would detect such a craft." Another guy said.
"No. For we are searching for Goa'uld signatures. This mother ship would
have an Asgard signature. It would, and has, fooled us all." Thor cast a look at his
father, still frozen in that device-thingy. If I could have felt anything, I would have
felt sorry for him. His father was a traitor. It was not something a person took
lightly.
"You are correct." One of the council members said after a long pause. I
guess they were checking their scanning things to see for Asgard ships in orbit.
"There is an Asgard ship in orbit, one that is not supposed to be there. We will
disable it at once."
"No." I blurted out. I couldn't let that happen! Everyone in the room looked at
me. Getting a grip, I turned what I knew was an icy gaze on the Asgard council. "I
want to go in there and confront this bastard myself."
"General O'Neill, there is much danger in what you request. I'm afraid I
cannot allow it. It would jeopardise our treaty with the Tau'ri." Loki said. I detected
that he was actually sincere in his fear. He may not like us, but it looked like he
realised that we did actually do some good.
I gave a bitter laugh. "To be honest, Loki, I don't give a shit. The mongrel
dog killed two of my team, two of my friends, and as far as I know, killed the other
four that we were working with. That isn't something I'm going to let go of easily.
I'm taking this guy down myself."
"With my help, O'Neill." Teal'c told me quietly.
"Okay, we're taking this guy down ourselves. We only need some time.
Beam us aboard and give us an hour. If we haven't contacted you by then, blow the
damn thing up."
"I am reluctant to accept your word on this, General O'Neill." Loki admitted.
"I am reluctant to accept any of this."
I sighed. "You know what? I really don't care whether you're reluctant or not.
Unfreeze your buddy over there, let him bury himself. Meanwhile, someone beam me
and Teal'c back up to that ship. You can argue amongst yourselves while we actually
deal with the threat. As usual."
"I do not like this-" Loki began, but before he could finish, there was a flash
of bright light and the room disappeared. As my vision returned, I found that we were
in some sort of cargo room. It looked vaguely familiar.
"Dammit, some warning would have been nice." Teal'c grunted softly in
agreement, then handed me one of the many weapons he had hanging on his body. I
grasped it, finding the firing mechanism quickly with my fingers. It reminded me of a
cross between a Luger and an AK-47. Bizarre, but powerful. Teal'c held up his
bazooka look-a-like, and we walked for the door, prying it open slowly and I peered
out, nodded back at Teal'c, and we made our way out of the cargo room.
"Kinich Ahau is mine." I told Teal' c in a whisper. He nodded his head. I
was glad he understood. It was something I didn't want to explain. Not even to
myself.
"Holy crap." I murmured as the smoke cleared, revealing the damage my little
luger-47 (as I'd named it) had inflicted on the Jaffa regiment we'd come across. I'd
pulled the trigger in a small burst, but the power behind the weapon was more than I'd
anticipated and before I knew it, the entire regiment had been killed. I felt a brief
sense of utter satisfaction wash over me, the only thing I allowed myself to feel, then I
was numb again. Blessedly numb.
"I am concerned about the power of the weapons that were not rejected by the
Asgard developers." Teal'c said, staring along with me at the damage.
"Mmm." I said, it was nice and non-committal. Personally, at that point I'd
really have liked to put my hands on one of them. And use it on Kinich Ahau. I
continued on, stepping over the smouldering, bleeding bodies, as if they weren't even
there.
We'd made our presence known now, and out the window went covert. Teal'c
and I ran in spurts through the corridors, looking for Kinich Ahau or any of his -
sorry, her - Kinich Ahau was in Su-linn, who was female - so we were looking for
her, senior Jaffa. We weren't having much luck. We'd checked the main deck, where
we'd seen her before. We'd checked the suites where she stayed. Nothing. Every
now and then we'd come across a Jaffa patrol, but thanks to the luger-47 and Teal'c's
new toy, they didn't stand much of a chance. Finally, I decided that we needed to
split up. I didn't want Teal'c to know because he would have had something to say
about it, but I wanted this bitch all to myself. She'd killed two members of my team.
Two members of my family. My best friend and the woman I - no, I wasn't going
there. Either way, she'd made it personal and she was gonna get what was coming to
her. Jack O'Neill always repaid his debts.
We came to a fork in the corridors, deep in the bowels of the ship. We had
about ten minutes before the Asgard decided to destroy this thing. I gestured for
Teal'c to take the right fork, and I took the left fork. I ran down my corridor quickly
and silently, ears listening for any noise that would indicate another presence. As I
turned a long rounding corner, I heard a soft cry from my left. I froze, breathing
through my mouth as quietly and easily as I could, my heart beating gently in my ears.
I heard it again. A soft cry. Of pain. I followed it's direction, my Asgard weapon in
front of my chest, ready to fire. I found a door, hidden within the walls of the
corridor. I felt around for a raised symbol that would open the door, and finding it,
activated the mechanism. What greeted me when the door opened was a sight that
would forever be burnt on my retina's.
-o0o-
It was Carter. God...it was Carter. As hard as it was, I didn't close my eyes and turn
away. I couldn't. I wanted to, oh how I wanted to...but I couldn't. I felt the glass
wall slipping. I ruthlessly stopped it. I couldn't afford to crack - not just yet. I
stepped in to the room, my weapon aimed directly at the small chest of the Goa'uld
before me.
"You will back away from her. Now." Half of my mind was dealing with the
fact that this appeared to be Carter. Alive. Thor had been wrong. The other half of
my brain was dealing with the threat of the Goa'uld in front of me. That was the part
that was still in control. For now. I'd never been so grateful for my ability to lock
down emotion as I was right then. The Goa'uld was a threat that still needed to be
dealt with and the glass wall gave me the perspective to allow me to do that. But it
was cracking. I needed to finish this and quickly, before I fell to pieces. Kinich Ahau
cast a quick look back at me, her mouth moving slightly in a small smile, and wielded
her weapon once more.
"I said. You will back away from her. NOW!" I all but roared. Carter hadn't
even acknowledged my presence. Not that I expected her to. She was too far gone
with pain, I could tell. Naked, covered from head to toe in blood and open wounds,
her eyes were closed and her head was drooping low on her neck. Her arms had been
strung out wide, and her legs were hanging free. She had been pretty much crucified.
I turned my attention back to Kinich Ahau, eyes narrowing as I watched the Goa'uld.
"Why would I do that, O'Neill?" She asked, eyes glowing as she turned back
to me.
"Because if you don't I'll kill you." I said flatly.
"Really?" She sounded amused. Arrogant and amused. She was a Goa'uld
all right. "You forget, Tau'ri, that I am a God. And all I have to do is signal, and
you will die. You live now only at my mercy."
"Ditto, lady." Sam groaned, her eyes flashing open for a second before
closing again. I made an abortive move in her direction, then stopped.
"She's a lovely specimen, yes?" Kinich Ahau said, looking over almost
fondly. "She held out for a long time, you know. She was a very strong individual."
"She still is." I grated.
"Oh, I beg to differ." The bitch gloated. "I broke her many hours ago, while
you and that idiot Thor were still in captivity, well before you oh so conveniently
broke out. You think that you managed to escape on your own? My Jaffa are much
harder to overcome than that, General. I let you escape."
"That's what they all say."
"But this time it is true. I had no more need of Odin, he was become a bother
to me. Thor played right into my hands, when he accused his Father of treason."
"He was wrong?" I stepped slightly to my left, closer to Sam.
"Oh no. Odin was a traitor. He didn't, however, realise that I was a Goa'uld.
He thought that I was still his meek little wife. He had become a boor, to be frank."
"So this was all to destroy our alliance?" Motive. Get motive. I chanted to
myself. She laughed at my question.
"You really think my motive was that noble? I am a God! Your flimsy little
alliance with the Asgard is no threat to me. I was simply bored. You offered a
chance for me to entertain myself. And after I have finished with this one, I think you
will make a fine eunuch in my court. Of course, I'll have to ensure your loyalty."
She turned to Sam and lifted her hand. Without even thinking about what I was
doing, I knelt down on one knee, brought the luger-47 up into a two handed grip,
sighted down the barrel and pulled the trigger as her hand started to glow, the Goa'uld
ribbon device barely activated before the bullets hit her. She jerked back several
times before collapsing, her thin grey limbs buckling under her. Before the last glow
of life had faded from her eyes, I was at Carters side, holding on to her waist as I tried
to loosen the ties. She moaned in pain and her eyes opened.
"Jack?" She whispered softly, her voice hoarse. My heart constricted at the
sound of my name on her lips. Something I thought I'd never hear again. Don't lose it
now, Jack....
"Hang on a second, Sam. You're almost free." I swapped supporting arms
and undid the other binding, and she was abruptly free, hanging on to my shoulders as
she whimpered, holding back a sob. I dropped straight to my knees, holding her off
the cold floor by placing her on my lap. Her head was buried in my throat, arms
around my neck. I shuddered at the feel of her arms around me. The glass was
shattering, the cracks spreading outwards like a spider web. She was still, breath
panting in and out gently. I held her for a long time, hands roughly going over naked
skin to check for any serious injuries as impersonally as I could I apologised
continuously as I rubbed her back. Hold it together Jack, just for a little longer....
"Sam." I finally whispered, pulling my head back a little. "Sam, we've got to
get out of here. We've only got a few minutes before the Asgard blow this place to
kingdom come." She nodded silently, and drew back. It was then that she noticed
that she was naked. She blushed and made an abortive attempt to cover herself. The
glass shattered into a million pieces.
"It's okay. Here." I choked, raging silently at what had been done to her. I
took off my shirt and gave it to her, and to give her some semblance of privacy,
turned my head away to look at the door. It was all I could offer, but it had to be
enough. I finally felt her weight leave my thighs as she stood away from me. I stood
up myself, silencing the groan as my knees clicked into place. Her eyes were wide in
her face, a face so pale that her lips looked blue. I studied her closely for a moment,
my eyes drowning in her presence.
"I.... I thought you were dead." I choked out, one hand reaching out to touch
her again, just to reassure myself that Thor was wrong. That one of my family was
alive. That Sam was alive. She looked up, blue eyes shocky in her bruised and
battered face, and I saw her mind register what I said, saw her mouth twist into a
moue of sympathy - sympathy for me. This woman, who'd been through so much,
had enough heart, enough courage to feel sympathy for my pain. As much as I needed
that connection, that touch of my hand to her cheek, I knew there was no time for
comfort - for either of us. Our time had run out. I took a deep breath and pulled the
remaining shards of my glass wall around me once more
"We need to find Teal'c." She nodded, still silent. I grabbed her hand in my
free one and ran out of the room, back the way I'd come. As I approached the fork, I
yelled for Teal'c.
"Here, O'Neill. I have found Daniel Jackson." Teal'c yelled as he ran back
with Daniel running a few paces behind him. Both of them were alive. Another
splinter of the glass wall fell away, another piece of my heart knitted itself together. I
took a second to check him over, and finding him okay, if a little beat up, I felt relief
wash through me. Thor had been wrong. How or why, I still didn't know, but it was
something that I could think about later. I grabbed him in a quick one-armed hug, all
I could afford right now, and knew without looking that I was grinning like a loon.
Teal'c and Daniel both spotted Carter at the same time. Daniel let out a glad cry and
reached for her. She cried out and cowered behind me, clinging with a death-like grip
to my right hand. I shook my head at Daniel, and he frowned but obeyed my silent
command.
"We need the transporter room."
"This way." Daniel replied, and took off at a quick jog. The rest of us
followed. We entered the room quickly but silently, and Teal'c did a quick search
before nodding the all clear. I tried to make Carter stand in the centre of the rings, but
she wouldn't let go of my hand. So rather than distress her any further, I silently
asked Daniel to press the crystal sequence. The rings hummed into life as Daniel
trotted back into the circle, and within seconds we were back on the planet. Almost
before the rings had disappeared, we'd been beamed away from that location by an
Asgard transportation device. We ended up inside an Asgard ship, well out into
space. Thor appeared before us, sitting on his throne, as per usual.
"Greetings." He said softly. He then looked to the display. We all silently
turned to watch as well. The image of the Goa'uld ship appeared, surrounded by
Asgard ships. Within seconds, all the Asgard ships had opened fire, destroying the
ship within seconds. From way back here, though, it didn't have any sense of
completion. For me, it was just pictures on a screen.
"Our enemy has been destroyed." Thor announced. "My father renounced his
actions and confessed all to us. These actions over the last few weeks have led the
High Council into an introspective phase. Before we can help others, it appears we
must help ourselves."
"Good. Great. Have you noticed anything strange about us, Thor?" I asked
snappishly, all the stress of the past few days now coming to the fore. Thor bowed his
head.
"It would appear that Kinich Ahau lied to me when she killed the ones who
looked like Colonel Carter and Doctor Jackson."
"Ya think?" I replied. I mentally shook myself, getting my priorities straight.
Chastise allies later, take care of family now. "Thor, have you got any kind of
clothing? And some first aid equipment?"
"Of course." Thor's voice was gently and kind, full of sympathy for Carter. I
gritted my teeth against the rage. There was nothing I could do now, no one I could
punish. I had to put it behind me and concentrate on helping Carter. "You will find
all that you need here. I am returning you to your planet with the full apologies of the
High Council for your trouble. And I will remain with you until such time as you see
fit to release me from my protection of your people." The screen put an image up of
the belly of the ship, giving visual directions. I took note, then led my now complete
team away from the bridge.
-o0o-
Somehow, Thor had done the impossible. There were cushions and comfortable
lounges in 'our' room, along with a few tables and some food scattered over them,
with drinks and utensils that looked vaguely like knives and forks. In one corner there
were what looked like caftan's and trousers piled onto a table, and in another an open
door that led through to what looked like beds.
"Hotel D'Thor." Daniel murmured. We were all concerned for Carter, who
had yet to speak since saying my name almost half an hour ago, but we hid it under
bravado. She would crumble if we showed any pity for her. I found some kind of
medikit and sat Carter down on one of the lounges, keeping contact with her all the
while. I got out some pads of cloth and started to pat her skin gently, starting at her
face and neck and working my way down. She stared at me, and I felt the weight of
her gaze the whole time I knelt in front of her. Once I'd cleaned her hands, legs and
neck I realised that I'd have to clean her torso. I hesitated, then looked at Daniel and
Teal'c, who had been helping me silently, taking dirty cloth from me and replacing it
with clean.
"Guys." Daniel looked confused, but when Teal'c grabbed his arm and
dragged him out of the room, he followed without protest. I set down the latest blood
soaked cloth and stared at Sam for a second.
"Sam." I said quietly, getting her attention. She blinked as she stared at me
through bruised eyes. "I'm sorry, but I need..." I waved my arms at her torso. She
nodded and unbuttoned the jacket, turning her head away as I cleaned at the cuts and
seeping wounds on her chest and stomach. I stood quickly and went around to clean
her back, then came back and knelt before her, feeling ill. The pattern of injuries was
horrific. Meant to inflict absolute pain without rendering the recipient unconscious.
"Sam. I hate to do this, but I have to ask." I left the actual question unasked,
unable to force the words through my constricted throat. She shook her head, and a
tear slipped from her eye to run down her check, causing her to wince as it hit her
split lip. She licked her lips in response to the pain.
"No." She whispered, the first word in far too long. "They were going to, but
.... They wanted to draw.. it out." She went to continue, but I placed a finger gently
on her lips, silencing her. Right now, I didn't need to hear anything else, and she
certainly didn't need to say any more. I buttoned her top for her, realising that she
was unaware she was sitting in front of me essentially naked. I then reached for the
trousers that Daniel had brought over and put her feet in each leg gently, standing her
up to pull the trousers up her legs. It was rather like dressing a very large child. She
was unresponsive, still staring ahead. But now the tears were coming, faster, larger.
Hotter. I clenched my jaw, hating to see her in this much pain, but knowing better
than anyone why a lack of emotion on my part was necessary. She needed to break
before I could comfort her. As I finished with the draw-string tie she finally broke, a
sob bursting from her lips and shaking her body.
It was something I had been hoping and waiting for. If she didn't break, if she
didn't crack, she would end up like I had. A cold, hard bastard with nothing to live
for. This was good. Bad, but good. I sat back on the cushions and pulled her into my
arms, giving silent comfort and taking it as well. She was here. She was alive. And
now she was going to be okay. I tightened my arms around her and gently rested my
head against her hair. "It'll be okay, Sam." I murmured softly. She sobbed into my
chest, fist curling in abortive rage, gathering my Singlet in her fingers and releasing it
over and over again.
"Jack?" I heard Daniel whisper, and looked up to see Daniel peering from the
bedroom area. He asked as silently as I had if she had been raped. I shook my head
no, and he closed his eyes in relief. I gestured for them to come out and both of them
did, sitting on either side of us. Offering silent support. Silent comfort. I'm sure she
appreciated it.
-o0o-
Sam slept for several hours, her head on a cushion on my lap, hand tight on my knee.
I was her comfort blanket at the moment, and to be honest I didn't care if General
Hammond was to beam himself in - this was something that was far more important
than anything he or the Joint Chiefs would have to say on the matter. This was
Carter's sanity. Her wellbeing. This was Sam. And I was not walking away from her.
Not for anyone. Daniel was sitting next to me drinking coffee - he'd almost wept
when he saw the brew on the table, coffee addict that he is. Every now and then he'd
reach over and stroke Sam's hair gently back from her face, his eyes grave.
"She'll be alright, Danny." I said for the umpteenth time. He nodded, bit his
lip and stroked her hair back anyway. Teal'c had taken to providing both Daniel and I
with more food than we could hope to eat, and more liquid than we could hope to
drink. But it was his way of coping. That and to clean. He'd gone mother-hen on us
for a change.
Finally, all the food and water Teal'c had pressed on me made itself known. I
touched Carter's shoulder lightly, bringing her instantly awake.
"Sam?" I said softly. She opened her eyes in stark terror, then realised where
she was and relaxed slightly, her fingers curling over my knee tightly. "Sam, I gotta
move for a second. Can you sit up?" She did so slowly, rubbing her eyes with one
hand as she did so. I stood up and she followed, standing close beside me.
"Ahh." I looked at her, bit my lip and flushed. "Sam, I gotta go by myself."
She shook her head in denial. I huffed. "Sam, really. I know we're a close team, but
trust me, I need my private time right now." She cast hurt eyes at me. I don't think
she understood what I was saying. "Sam, I gotta pee." I finally said bluntly. I saw
her eyes flash with knowledge, then the flush of embarrassment pass across her face.
I smiled gently to show her that it was no big deal, stroked her shoulder gently as I
said "I'll be back soon. Stay with Danny." And then left her.
It was a legitimate reason - I really did have to pee - but it was also a good test of
how well she was dealing with this. If she freaked when I left the room, then we were
in serious trouble. If she didn't, then things would be much easier. The one thing I
didn't think about was how I knew about the psychological ramifications of torture.
It's not something I like to dwell on. I stayed away for as long as I thought was
necessary, then walked in to see Sam sitting still, back upright and fingers clasped
together tightly. But she hadn't freaked. She hadn't panicked.
"You hungry?" I asked her, and she nodded. It was then that I realised that
she had yet to say a word while Teal'c and Daniel were in the room. Maybe things
wouldn't be so peachy after all.
-o0o-
Three days later, Thor came into our rooms to tell us we'd just entered our galaxy and
that we were due to arrive at Earth in approximately three hours.
"Thanks. Ahh, is there any possibility of talking to Hammond now?" I asked
and Thor nodded. He gestured for me to stand up, and without warning I was in the
control room of the SGC, facing a very stunned Hammond.
"Hi, sir." I said, waving. Hammond opened his mouth and gaped at me, face
going white. "Sir?"
"Jack!" He yelled, then grabbed hold of a chair and sat down with a thump.
"Good God, son, you're alive!"
"Yeah. Carter mentioned something about a time dilation because of the
distances we were travelling. How long have we been incommunicado?"
"Almost a year, Jack. What happened? Where are you? Is SG-1 okay?"
"We're fine, sir. Well, relatively speaking, anyway. We're approaching Earth
now, about three hours away. As to what happened, I'll give you a full debrief when
we get home, but basically we kicked some major Goa'uld ass and pretty much
butchered the current Asgard/Earth treaty. Some good things, some bad. But Thor's
on assignment with us indefinitely now, and we've got some new friends." I hesitated
briefly, looking around the control room. "Sir, can we have a few words in private?"
Hammond nodded immediately and cleared the room.
"What is it, Son?"
"It's Carter, sir. She was tortured badly a few days ago. She's doing okay,
but she's still very sore and not comfortable with crowds. Is there anyway we can
arrive back and keep it under wraps? Danny, T and I are more than willing to go and
face the music, so to speak, once we've got Sam comfortable. But with everything
that's happened, the last thing she needs is undue stress."
"Is she okay, Jack?" Hammond asked.
"No. But she will be." I replied truthfully.
"In that case, consider it done. Bring her home, son. And yourself as well." I
nodded in relpy, and then he faded from view.
panting slightly through his small mouth, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I looked
away, into the forest beyond us.
"This way." He said, the first words since we'd left the cell. I followed the
little grey alien, the still unconscious Jaffa's feet held in my hands. Teal'c followed
me, holding the man's shoulders.
"We need more weapons." I called to Thor. He looked back at me.
"That would not be a good idea, O'Neill. The council decreed that until you
were cleared of any kind of suspicion in regards to the explosion, you should remain
unarmed, within my hall." Thor continued to walk. I stopped, the icy calm turning to
murderous rage in an instant - I wondered briefly whether Thor would ever know how
close I came to snapping his neck.
"Listen, Thor. You brought us here to help you with your political shit. You
leave us to our own devices, we get framed for murdering a whole lot of your people,
get attacked, the building blows up in front of us, we get kidnapped and then two of
my team mates die, and you have the fucking nerve to tell us that we're supposed to
go along with whatever the Asgard High fucking Council wants? You can tell your
buddies that they can stick their high council so high up their as-"
"O'Neill." Teal'c stopped me from going any further. I could sense the
discomfort in his voice and I knew it wasn't so much the words I'd used - he was
used to that kind of outburst from me - as the tone of voice, that disturbed him. It was
flat, dead, without emotion and I knew it un-nerved him. I sneered and bit my lip. I
tasted blood and it felt good, centred me once more. I took a deep breath and tried
again.
"We need more weapons, or we're never going to defeat your friend up there."
I said calmly. That would have to do. It wasn't emotion, but it wasn't a lack of it
either. And that was as close as I was going to get. Thor watched me for a few more
seconds, then nodded his head once.
"This way." He said again, and led us off in a new direction.
-o0o-
Thor led us into a small cave entrance that was surrounded by purple and orange
vines. The entrance was very small - even for Thor. For Teal'c it was a very tight
squeeze. Luckily it opened up into a large cavern that was lit by some sort of glowing
liquid that had been painted on the walls. I didn't ask, because I didn't want to know
and I didn't care. Thor led us to the rear of the cavern, placed his hand on the wall,
and it opened up, like a door. Inside was some sort of storage facility.
"The Asgard, after discovering the advantage your people had over the
replicators with projectile weapons, have been developing our own style of weaponry
based upon yours. This is where most of the research rejections have been stored."
"Rejects?"
"We found that they were not powerful enough to destroy significant numbers
of replicators. However, I believe that they will suit your current intentions
perfectly."
"Good. Teal'c, grab some." I turned and exited the storage facility, heading
back into the cold cavern. I stared blankly at the opposite wall until I heard a small
scuffing noise beside me. I looked to see Thor standing, staring up at me.
"O'Neill, I must again apologise for your loss."
"I don't want to talk about it." I told him evenly. I couldn't deal with this
right now. Not and keep control. Once upon a time my 'cold place' had been
impenetrable. Once the glass came down, that was it until the mission was done. But
it wasn't something I'd had to use in a very long time and it seemed my control of it
was tenuous at best. I walked out. I saw Teal'c approach Thor and speak quietly to
him as I walked out. But somehow, considering everything, I just didn't care. After a
few moments, the other two walked up and stood beside me.
"I want to talk to your council. All of them." My tone brooked no argument.
Thor looked at me for a long moment, then nodded his head, eyes closing briefly as he
did so. He wasn't going to argue. Good. There was a flash of light, and once again
we were in the council chambers, only a tiny circle lit up around our feet, casting the
rest of the room in dark shadow.
"To what reason do you bring these Tau'ri into our presence, Thor?" An
Asgard voice suddenly asked, from behind me.
"It was at General O'Neill's request that I bring both him and the Jaffa Teal'c
before the High Council." Thor replied, un-cowed.
"After our explicit instructions to confine the Tau'ri to your habitat? Thor,
your defiance is not acceptable."
"Fuck his defiance." I said calmly. I'd suddenly had enough of being ignored.
In fact, I'd had enough of their whole political bullshit. I felt weary and heartsick. I
was tired of it all. I wanted this Ichi Wawa guy's head on a plate and then I wanted to
go home. To Earth. And blissful oblivion in the biggest bottle of bourbon I could find.
"We've catered to you for long enough. Each and every time you guys have got
yourselves into hot water, you've been after us to get you out of the fire." Yes, I was
talking in clichés. But right now, that was the least of my concerns. "Even now, when
our world is facing it's biggest test, it's biggest challenge, one of your Council
members had no thought to pulling us out and dragging us millions of light years
away to get involved in your internal politics. No 'if you please' or 'do you mind'.
That high-handed attitude has got to end."
"If you please, Tau'ri, we do not have time to listen to your minor criticisms."
"My name," I grated in a very soft voice, and felt the chill fill the room, "is
General Jack O'Neill. You will do well to remember it. And as for time, trust me,
you have it. You sit there, trying to intimidate us with this interrogation tactic, all
high and mighty with your fake superiority, and have the impudence to reprimand us
for our attitude? Well guess what? We've had enough. No more bowing to your
wishes. No more pandering to ridiculous demands. This pointless excursion has cost
our world more than you could ever repay, and for that I personally will never forgive
you."
"Enough." The word was barked out impatiently.
"Not it's fucking not enough. We're not some sort of instrument that you can
use at your whim and discard at will! We are sentient beings, and as such should be
treated equally. And until you learn to deal with us as equals, you can all go and
screw yourselves backwards, as far as I'm concerned! I've had it with the lot of you."
"General O'Neill." Thor said quietly beside me. I turned to let him have it,
but Teal'c put a hand on my shoulder that silenced me. I was panting with emotion,
the rage flooding through my veins once more - despite my best efforts - and setting
them on fire.
"I must put my support in with General O'Neill." Thor announced to the
unseen Asgards. "We have used the Tau'ri unfairly during the last few encounters,
utilizing their abilities, their 'stupid idea's', without regard to the safety of our allies,
nor to their own wishes or crises. Aside from that, in the past few days I myself have
been placed in jeopardy due to the manipulations of our political agenda by an
unknown agent, and only the quick actions - once again - of our Tau'ri allies saved
my life. It is time, my fellow Councillors, to admit that the Tau'ri are no longer an
inferior species, but one worthy of our consideration and respect."
"Right." I could feel the rage dwindling, receding once more now that I knew
I was going to get what I wanted. And that was good. Because if I started to feel
anything - even anger - right now I would lose it completely. And that was
unacceptable. I needed the ice. I needed the cold. It was the only thing keeping me
sane right now, and I knew it. Once the mission was over, then I could fall to pieces.
Until then I had to keep it together and the only way I could do that was by keeping a
lid on what I was feeling. All of it.
"Thor." The lights suddenly came up, and I could see the other members of
the High Council, all seated in a raise semi-circle, staring down at us. "You surprise
and disappoint me." Odin said gently, sadly.
"As do you, Father." Thor replied. "Aside from my wife and I, only one other
person knew that I was going to Earth to retrieve SG-1." Thor turned his head to look
at Loki. "Loki has been vocal in his dislike of my friendship with the Tau'ri, but at
least he has been upfront about his disapproval. You however, Father, have not.
General O'Neill, please explain to the Council what occurred in the last few hours,
from when you discovered yourself aboard a Goa'uld vessel." I cast Thor a surprised
look, but did as he told me. Several minutes later, after telling our tale - clearly,
calmly, concisely for the most part - I came to a stop at the part of relating Daniel and
Carter's deaths, as told to us by Thor, my throat constricted with emotion.
"It was then that, with the assistance of your friend Teal'c and I, you escaped,
was it not?" Thor prompted. I nodded back. Thor then looked at the Council
Members. "The Goa'uld that O'Neill referred to as Lord Ichi Wawa is in fact Kinich
Ahau. What he didn't say, could not say, was that Kinich Ahau has taken over the
body of Su-linn. My biological mother, and Odin's mate."
Shit.
"I protest!" Odin cried in denial. His cry was frozen as some sort of Asgard
device locked him in place. It looked like a stasis bubble or something like that. If
Carter were here.... I cut the thought off brutally. I did not have time for that now.
"We have wondered, for many years now, how the Goa'uld could have
possible become so strong, and become such a force to reckon with. This is how. Su-
linn and with no doubt, my father, have been working together to bring down the
Asgard, the only race willing to go up against the Goa'uld. That is, of course, until
SG-1 started to explore the galaxy. Now the Tau'ri are just as formidable a force as
we are, in different ways. They alone have destroyed numerous System Lords. This
mission that my Father sent me on was ... as the Tau'ri would say ... a frame job.
General O'Neill and his friends were framed to discredit the Tau'ri. And it almost
worked. Except Odin, who has never dealt with O'Neill, underestimated him once
again."
"How can we trust you?" Loki (I presumed) grumbled from the far right.
"You can't. However, you can trust the evidence. There is a Goa'uld mother
ship in orbit around our planet. It has been in orbit for many days."
"We would detect such a craft." Another guy said.
"No. For we are searching for Goa'uld signatures. This mother ship would
have an Asgard signature. It would, and has, fooled us all." Thor cast a look at his
father, still frozen in that device-thingy. If I could have felt anything, I would have
felt sorry for him. His father was a traitor. It was not something a person took
lightly.
"You are correct." One of the council members said after a long pause. I
guess they were checking their scanning things to see for Asgard ships in orbit.
"There is an Asgard ship in orbit, one that is not supposed to be there. We will
disable it at once."
"No." I blurted out. I couldn't let that happen! Everyone in the room looked at
me. Getting a grip, I turned what I knew was an icy gaze on the Asgard council. "I
want to go in there and confront this bastard myself."
"General O'Neill, there is much danger in what you request. I'm afraid I
cannot allow it. It would jeopardise our treaty with the Tau'ri." Loki said. I detected
that he was actually sincere in his fear. He may not like us, but it looked like he
realised that we did actually do some good.
I gave a bitter laugh. "To be honest, Loki, I don't give a shit. The mongrel
dog killed two of my team, two of my friends, and as far as I know, killed the other
four that we were working with. That isn't something I'm going to let go of easily.
I'm taking this guy down myself."
"With my help, O'Neill." Teal'c told me quietly.
"Okay, we're taking this guy down ourselves. We only need some time.
Beam us aboard and give us an hour. If we haven't contacted you by then, blow the
damn thing up."
"I am reluctant to accept your word on this, General O'Neill." Loki admitted.
"I am reluctant to accept any of this."
I sighed. "You know what? I really don't care whether you're reluctant or not.
Unfreeze your buddy over there, let him bury himself. Meanwhile, someone beam me
and Teal'c back up to that ship. You can argue amongst yourselves while we actually
deal with the threat. As usual."
"I do not like this-" Loki began, but before he could finish, there was a flash
of bright light and the room disappeared. As my vision returned, I found that we were
in some sort of cargo room. It looked vaguely familiar.
"Dammit, some warning would have been nice." Teal'c grunted softly in
agreement, then handed me one of the many weapons he had hanging on his body. I
grasped it, finding the firing mechanism quickly with my fingers. It reminded me of a
cross between a Luger and an AK-47. Bizarre, but powerful. Teal'c held up his
bazooka look-a-like, and we walked for the door, prying it open slowly and I peered
out, nodded back at Teal'c, and we made our way out of the cargo room.
"Kinich Ahau is mine." I told Teal' c in a whisper. He nodded his head. I
was glad he understood. It was something I didn't want to explain. Not even to
myself.
"Holy crap." I murmured as the smoke cleared, revealing the damage my little
luger-47 (as I'd named it) had inflicted on the Jaffa regiment we'd come across. I'd
pulled the trigger in a small burst, but the power behind the weapon was more than I'd
anticipated and before I knew it, the entire regiment had been killed. I felt a brief
sense of utter satisfaction wash over me, the only thing I allowed myself to feel, then I
was numb again. Blessedly numb.
"I am concerned about the power of the weapons that were not rejected by the
Asgard developers." Teal'c said, staring along with me at the damage.
"Mmm." I said, it was nice and non-committal. Personally, at that point I'd
really have liked to put my hands on one of them. And use it on Kinich Ahau. I
continued on, stepping over the smouldering, bleeding bodies, as if they weren't even
there.
We'd made our presence known now, and out the window went covert. Teal'c
and I ran in spurts through the corridors, looking for Kinich Ahau or any of his -
sorry, her - Kinich Ahau was in Su-linn, who was female - so we were looking for
her, senior Jaffa. We weren't having much luck. We'd checked the main deck, where
we'd seen her before. We'd checked the suites where she stayed. Nothing. Every
now and then we'd come across a Jaffa patrol, but thanks to the luger-47 and Teal'c's
new toy, they didn't stand much of a chance. Finally, I decided that we needed to
split up. I didn't want Teal'c to know because he would have had something to say
about it, but I wanted this bitch all to myself. She'd killed two members of my team.
Two members of my family. My best friend and the woman I - no, I wasn't going
there. Either way, she'd made it personal and she was gonna get what was coming to
her. Jack O'Neill always repaid his debts.
We came to a fork in the corridors, deep in the bowels of the ship. We had
about ten minutes before the Asgard decided to destroy this thing. I gestured for
Teal'c to take the right fork, and I took the left fork. I ran down my corridor quickly
and silently, ears listening for any noise that would indicate another presence. As I
turned a long rounding corner, I heard a soft cry from my left. I froze, breathing
through my mouth as quietly and easily as I could, my heart beating gently in my ears.
I heard it again. A soft cry. Of pain. I followed it's direction, my Asgard weapon in
front of my chest, ready to fire. I found a door, hidden within the walls of the
corridor. I felt around for a raised symbol that would open the door, and finding it,
activated the mechanism. What greeted me when the door opened was a sight that
would forever be burnt on my retina's.
-o0o-
It was Carter. God...it was Carter. As hard as it was, I didn't close my eyes and turn
away. I couldn't. I wanted to, oh how I wanted to...but I couldn't. I felt the glass
wall slipping. I ruthlessly stopped it. I couldn't afford to crack - not just yet. I
stepped in to the room, my weapon aimed directly at the small chest of the Goa'uld
before me.
"You will back away from her. Now." Half of my mind was dealing with the
fact that this appeared to be Carter. Alive. Thor had been wrong. The other half of
my brain was dealing with the threat of the Goa'uld in front of me. That was the part
that was still in control. For now. I'd never been so grateful for my ability to lock
down emotion as I was right then. The Goa'uld was a threat that still needed to be
dealt with and the glass wall gave me the perspective to allow me to do that. But it
was cracking. I needed to finish this and quickly, before I fell to pieces. Kinich Ahau
cast a quick look back at me, her mouth moving slightly in a small smile, and wielded
her weapon once more.
"I said. You will back away from her. NOW!" I all but roared. Carter hadn't
even acknowledged my presence. Not that I expected her to. She was too far gone
with pain, I could tell. Naked, covered from head to toe in blood and open wounds,
her eyes were closed and her head was drooping low on her neck. Her arms had been
strung out wide, and her legs were hanging free. She had been pretty much crucified.
I turned my attention back to Kinich Ahau, eyes narrowing as I watched the Goa'uld.
"Why would I do that, O'Neill?" She asked, eyes glowing as she turned back
to me.
"Because if you don't I'll kill you." I said flatly.
"Really?" She sounded amused. Arrogant and amused. She was a Goa'uld
all right. "You forget, Tau'ri, that I am a God. And all I have to do is signal, and
you will die. You live now only at my mercy."
"Ditto, lady." Sam groaned, her eyes flashing open for a second before
closing again. I made an abortive move in her direction, then stopped.
"She's a lovely specimen, yes?" Kinich Ahau said, looking over almost
fondly. "She held out for a long time, you know. She was a very strong individual."
"She still is." I grated.
"Oh, I beg to differ." The bitch gloated. "I broke her many hours ago, while
you and that idiot Thor were still in captivity, well before you oh so conveniently
broke out. You think that you managed to escape on your own? My Jaffa are much
harder to overcome than that, General. I let you escape."
"That's what they all say."
"But this time it is true. I had no more need of Odin, he was become a bother
to me. Thor played right into my hands, when he accused his Father of treason."
"He was wrong?" I stepped slightly to my left, closer to Sam.
"Oh no. Odin was a traitor. He didn't, however, realise that I was a Goa'uld.
He thought that I was still his meek little wife. He had become a boor, to be frank."
"So this was all to destroy our alliance?" Motive. Get motive. I chanted to
myself. She laughed at my question.
"You really think my motive was that noble? I am a God! Your flimsy little
alliance with the Asgard is no threat to me. I was simply bored. You offered a
chance for me to entertain myself. And after I have finished with this one, I think you
will make a fine eunuch in my court. Of course, I'll have to ensure your loyalty."
She turned to Sam and lifted her hand. Without even thinking about what I was
doing, I knelt down on one knee, brought the luger-47 up into a two handed grip,
sighted down the barrel and pulled the trigger as her hand started to glow, the Goa'uld
ribbon device barely activated before the bullets hit her. She jerked back several
times before collapsing, her thin grey limbs buckling under her. Before the last glow
of life had faded from her eyes, I was at Carters side, holding on to her waist as I tried
to loosen the ties. She moaned in pain and her eyes opened.
"Jack?" She whispered softly, her voice hoarse. My heart constricted at the
sound of my name on her lips. Something I thought I'd never hear again. Don't lose it
now, Jack....
"Hang on a second, Sam. You're almost free." I swapped supporting arms
and undid the other binding, and she was abruptly free, hanging on to my shoulders as
she whimpered, holding back a sob. I dropped straight to my knees, holding her off
the cold floor by placing her on my lap. Her head was buried in my throat, arms
around my neck. I shuddered at the feel of her arms around me. The glass was
shattering, the cracks spreading outwards like a spider web. She was still, breath
panting in and out gently. I held her for a long time, hands roughly going over naked
skin to check for any serious injuries as impersonally as I could I apologised
continuously as I rubbed her back. Hold it together Jack, just for a little longer....
"Sam." I finally whispered, pulling my head back a little. "Sam, we've got to
get out of here. We've only got a few minutes before the Asgard blow this place to
kingdom come." She nodded silently, and drew back. It was then that she noticed
that she was naked. She blushed and made an abortive attempt to cover herself. The
glass shattered into a million pieces.
"It's okay. Here." I choked, raging silently at what had been done to her. I
took off my shirt and gave it to her, and to give her some semblance of privacy,
turned my head away to look at the door. It was all I could offer, but it had to be
enough. I finally felt her weight leave my thighs as she stood away from me. I stood
up myself, silencing the groan as my knees clicked into place. Her eyes were wide in
her face, a face so pale that her lips looked blue. I studied her closely for a moment,
my eyes drowning in her presence.
"I.... I thought you were dead." I choked out, one hand reaching out to touch
her again, just to reassure myself that Thor was wrong. That one of my family was
alive. That Sam was alive. She looked up, blue eyes shocky in her bruised and
battered face, and I saw her mind register what I said, saw her mouth twist into a
moue of sympathy - sympathy for me. This woman, who'd been through so much,
had enough heart, enough courage to feel sympathy for my pain. As much as I needed
that connection, that touch of my hand to her cheek, I knew there was no time for
comfort - for either of us. Our time had run out. I took a deep breath and pulled the
remaining shards of my glass wall around me once more
"We need to find Teal'c." She nodded, still silent. I grabbed her hand in my
free one and ran out of the room, back the way I'd come. As I approached the fork, I
yelled for Teal'c.
"Here, O'Neill. I have found Daniel Jackson." Teal'c yelled as he ran back
with Daniel running a few paces behind him. Both of them were alive. Another
splinter of the glass wall fell away, another piece of my heart knitted itself together. I
took a second to check him over, and finding him okay, if a little beat up, I felt relief
wash through me. Thor had been wrong. How or why, I still didn't know, but it was
something that I could think about later. I grabbed him in a quick one-armed hug, all
I could afford right now, and knew without looking that I was grinning like a loon.
Teal'c and Daniel both spotted Carter at the same time. Daniel let out a glad cry and
reached for her. She cried out and cowered behind me, clinging with a death-like grip
to my right hand. I shook my head at Daniel, and he frowned but obeyed my silent
command.
"We need the transporter room."
"This way." Daniel replied, and took off at a quick jog. The rest of us
followed. We entered the room quickly but silently, and Teal'c did a quick search
before nodding the all clear. I tried to make Carter stand in the centre of the rings, but
she wouldn't let go of my hand. So rather than distress her any further, I silently
asked Daniel to press the crystal sequence. The rings hummed into life as Daniel
trotted back into the circle, and within seconds we were back on the planet. Almost
before the rings had disappeared, we'd been beamed away from that location by an
Asgard transportation device. We ended up inside an Asgard ship, well out into
space. Thor appeared before us, sitting on his throne, as per usual.
"Greetings." He said softly. He then looked to the display. We all silently
turned to watch as well. The image of the Goa'uld ship appeared, surrounded by
Asgard ships. Within seconds, all the Asgard ships had opened fire, destroying the
ship within seconds. From way back here, though, it didn't have any sense of
completion. For me, it was just pictures on a screen.
"Our enemy has been destroyed." Thor announced. "My father renounced his
actions and confessed all to us. These actions over the last few weeks have led the
High Council into an introspective phase. Before we can help others, it appears we
must help ourselves."
"Good. Great. Have you noticed anything strange about us, Thor?" I asked
snappishly, all the stress of the past few days now coming to the fore. Thor bowed his
head.
"It would appear that Kinich Ahau lied to me when she killed the ones who
looked like Colonel Carter and Doctor Jackson."
"Ya think?" I replied. I mentally shook myself, getting my priorities straight.
Chastise allies later, take care of family now. "Thor, have you got any kind of
clothing? And some first aid equipment?"
"Of course." Thor's voice was gently and kind, full of sympathy for Carter. I
gritted my teeth against the rage. There was nothing I could do now, no one I could
punish. I had to put it behind me and concentrate on helping Carter. "You will find
all that you need here. I am returning you to your planet with the full apologies of the
High Council for your trouble. And I will remain with you until such time as you see
fit to release me from my protection of your people." The screen put an image up of
the belly of the ship, giving visual directions. I took note, then led my now complete
team away from the bridge.
-o0o-
Somehow, Thor had done the impossible. There were cushions and comfortable
lounges in 'our' room, along with a few tables and some food scattered over them,
with drinks and utensils that looked vaguely like knives and forks. In one corner there
were what looked like caftan's and trousers piled onto a table, and in another an open
door that led through to what looked like beds.
"Hotel D'Thor." Daniel murmured. We were all concerned for Carter, who
had yet to speak since saying my name almost half an hour ago, but we hid it under
bravado. She would crumble if we showed any pity for her. I found some kind of
medikit and sat Carter down on one of the lounges, keeping contact with her all the
while. I got out some pads of cloth and started to pat her skin gently, starting at her
face and neck and working my way down. She stared at me, and I felt the weight of
her gaze the whole time I knelt in front of her. Once I'd cleaned her hands, legs and
neck I realised that I'd have to clean her torso. I hesitated, then looked at Daniel and
Teal'c, who had been helping me silently, taking dirty cloth from me and replacing it
with clean.
"Guys." Daniel looked confused, but when Teal'c grabbed his arm and
dragged him out of the room, he followed without protest. I set down the latest blood
soaked cloth and stared at Sam for a second.
"Sam." I said quietly, getting her attention. She blinked as she stared at me
through bruised eyes. "I'm sorry, but I need..." I waved my arms at her torso. She
nodded and unbuttoned the jacket, turning her head away as I cleaned at the cuts and
seeping wounds on her chest and stomach. I stood quickly and went around to clean
her back, then came back and knelt before her, feeling ill. The pattern of injuries was
horrific. Meant to inflict absolute pain without rendering the recipient unconscious.
"Sam. I hate to do this, but I have to ask." I left the actual question unasked,
unable to force the words through my constricted throat. She shook her head, and a
tear slipped from her eye to run down her check, causing her to wince as it hit her
split lip. She licked her lips in response to the pain.
"No." She whispered, the first word in far too long. "They were going to, but
.... They wanted to draw.. it out." She went to continue, but I placed a finger gently
on her lips, silencing her. Right now, I didn't need to hear anything else, and she
certainly didn't need to say any more. I buttoned her top for her, realising that she
was unaware she was sitting in front of me essentially naked. I then reached for the
trousers that Daniel had brought over and put her feet in each leg gently, standing her
up to pull the trousers up her legs. It was rather like dressing a very large child. She
was unresponsive, still staring ahead. But now the tears were coming, faster, larger.
Hotter. I clenched my jaw, hating to see her in this much pain, but knowing better
than anyone why a lack of emotion on my part was necessary. She needed to break
before I could comfort her. As I finished with the draw-string tie she finally broke, a
sob bursting from her lips and shaking her body.
It was something I had been hoping and waiting for. If she didn't break, if she
didn't crack, she would end up like I had. A cold, hard bastard with nothing to live
for. This was good. Bad, but good. I sat back on the cushions and pulled her into my
arms, giving silent comfort and taking it as well. She was here. She was alive. And
now she was going to be okay. I tightened my arms around her and gently rested my
head against her hair. "It'll be okay, Sam." I murmured softly. She sobbed into my
chest, fist curling in abortive rage, gathering my Singlet in her fingers and releasing it
over and over again.
"Jack?" I heard Daniel whisper, and looked up to see Daniel peering from the
bedroom area. He asked as silently as I had if she had been raped. I shook my head
no, and he closed his eyes in relief. I gestured for them to come out and both of them
did, sitting on either side of us. Offering silent support. Silent comfort. I'm sure she
appreciated it.
-o0o-
Sam slept for several hours, her head on a cushion on my lap, hand tight on my knee.
I was her comfort blanket at the moment, and to be honest I didn't care if General
Hammond was to beam himself in - this was something that was far more important
than anything he or the Joint Chiefs would have to say on the matter. This was
Carter's sanity. Her wellbeing. This was Sam. And I was not walking away from her.
Not for anyone. Daniel was sitting next to me drinking coffee - he'd almost wept
when he saw the brew on the table, coffee addict that he is. Every now and then he'd
reach over and stroke Sam's hair gently back from her face, his eyes grave.
"She'll be alright, Danny." I said for the umpteenth time. He nodded, bit his
lip and stroked her hair back anyway. Teal'c had taken to providing both Daniel and I
with more food than we could hope to eat, and more liquid than we could hope to
drink. But it was his way of coping. That and to clean. He'd gone mother-hen on us
for a change.
Finally, all the food and water Teal'c had pressed on me made itself known. I
touched Carter's shoulder lightly, bringing her instantly awake.
"Sam?" I said softly. She opened her eyes in stark terror, then realised where
she was and relaxed slightly, her fingers curling over my knee tightly. "Sam, I gotta
move for a second. Can you sit up?" She did so slowly, rubbing her eyes with one
hand as she did so. I stood up and she followed, standing close beside me.
"Ahh." I looked at her, bit my lip and flushed. "Sam, I gotta go by myself."
She shook her head in denial. I huffed. "Sam, really. I know we're a close team, but
trust me, I need my private time right now." She cast hurt eyes at me. I don't think
she understood what I was saying. "Sam, I gotta pee." I finally said bluntly. I saw
her eyes flash with knowledge, then the flush of embarrassment pass across her face.
I smiled gently to show her that it was no big deal, stroked her shoulder gently as I
said "I'll be back soon. Stay with Danny." And then left her.
It was a legitimate reason - I really did have to pee - but it was also a good test of
how well she was dealing with this. If she freaked when I left the room, then we were
in serious trouble. If she didn't, then things would be much easier. The one thing I
didn't think about was how I knew about the psychological ramifications of torture.
It's not something I like to dwell on. I stayed away for as long as I thought was
necessary, then walked in to see Sam sitting still, back upright and fingers clasped
together tightly. But she hadn't freaked. She hadn't panicked.
"You hungry?" I asked her, and she nodded. It was then that I realised that
she had yet to say a word while Teal'c and Daniel were in the room. Maybe things
wouldn't be so peachy after all.
-o0o-
Three days later, Thor came into our rooms to tell us we'd just entered our galaxy and
that we were due to arrive at Earth in approximately three hours.
"Thanks. Ahh, is there any possibility of talking to Hammond now?" I asked
and Thor nodded. He gestured for me to stand up, and without warning I was in the
control room of the SGC, facing a very stunned Hammond.
"Hi, sir." I said, waving. Hammond opened his mouth and gaped at me, face
going white. "Sir?"
"Jack!" He yelled, then grabbed hold of a chair and sat down with a thump.
"Good God, son, you're alive!"
"Yeah. Carter mentioned something about a time dilation because of the
distances we were travelling. How long have we been incommunicado?"
"Almost a year, Jack. What happened? Where are you? Is SG-1 okay?"
"We're fine, sir. Well, relatively speaking, anyway. We're approaching Earth
now, about three hours away. As to what happened, I'll give you a full debrief when
we get home, but basically we kicked some major Goa'uld ass and pretty much
butchered the current Asgard/Earth treaty. Some good things, some bad. But Thor's
on assignment with us indefinitely now, and we've got some new friends." I hesitated
briefly, looking around the control room. "Sir, can we have a few words in private?"
Hammond nodded immediately and cleared the room.
"What is it, Son?"
"It's Carter, sir. She was tortured badly a few days ago. She's doing okay,
but she's still very sore and not comfortable with crowds. Is there anyway we can
arrive back and keep it under wraps? Danny, T and I are more than willing to go and
face the music, so to speak, once we've got Sam comfortable. But with everything
that's happened, the last thing she needs is undue stress."
"Is she okay, Jack?" Hammond asked.
"No. But she will be." I replied truthfully.
"In that case, consider it done. Bring her home, son. And yourself as well." I
nodded in relpy, and then he faded from view.