DANIEL:
"The attack will take place during the planets dark hours, which should last for approximately eight hours." Jacob briefed the assembled teams. "That means we have to be fast."
"How do we get to the planet without detection, sir?" Major David, CO of SG- 3, asked.
"Each team will gate to a different world, where a Tok'ra team will pick you up in a cargo ship." Jacob explained. "But SG-1 will be going straight through the gate to the planet."
"Directly through the gate, sir?" The leader of SG-5 asked.
"No. They'll gate in from another planet." General Peterson broke in. "They will provide a frontal assault that will distract the Goa'uld."
The leaders of SG-5, SG-3 and SG-6 turned and looked at us. Jack was sitting like he usually did, slumped in his chair, while Riley sat next to him. The other member of our team, Mia, sat on my right. I know what we looked like to them. Cold and unfeeling. Our expressions would not show a thing, and they never would. None of us cared if we lived or died, and they knew that.
"What's the plan once we get there?" Major David asked.
"Each team will be assigned a specific target to destroy." Jacob said. "And each team will be escorted by members of the Tok'ra. Once you've destroyed your target, you are to get out."
General Peterson quickly outlined the targets and the route each team was to take - and then the briefing was over. "Sg-1, please remain." He added as he dismissed the others.
I watched the General nod at Jacob, before he turned to us. "Sg-1." The General began. "You target is the temple that will house the Goa'uld and First Prime who are overseeing the construction of the base. You'll be equipped with enough C4 to destroy it, but there is a large chance you will not come back from this."
"It doesn't matter." Jack said in his hoarse voice. "As long as we take the snakes with us."
"Jack . . . " Jacob began.
"He's right." I added. "As long as the Goa'uld die, we'll do this."
The General looked sadly at us. "Then you have a go."
The briefing wasn't so strange. The missions we went on were always dangerous, and there was always a large chance we wouldn't come back. None of the team cared, but the General always looked sad, as if he kept hoping we'll become human again.
We all get up and leave, returning to that room we know so well. The room where we train and live. The room where our hearts bleed and our memories strike. Our own hell and our own sanctuary.
I read the black words above the door and feel them echo through my heart. "Death is just an illusion." And it is. I've died so many times, only to wake up in a sarcophagus and have the pain start all over again until you die. I've watched Jack die so many times, only to see him again when I next wake. Many people say, death is the only constant in our lives. But they're wrong. Death is only an illusion. Pain is the reality.
I watched the rest of the team strip off and slowly pull on our off-world uniform. It's not green anymore, but black. Black like our hearts. Jack is looking thinner everyday, and I know he's slowly killing his body. But then so are we all. I notice that someone has left food near the weapons locker, and silently thank whoever it was. Not because I want to eat, but because I need to so I can fight.
I changed into my BDU's and, as always, remember what it was like before. To watch Sam and Teal'c arm with us, and to here Jack joking around. He never jokes anymore. We used to be part of the best team the SGC had. The flagship team - the one the Goa'uld feared most.
We are still feared most be the Goa'uld, just like we still have the highest kill rate of all the teams. But instead of exploring and defending our planet, we now spend our time searching for the Goa'uld and seeing how many we can kill before they kill us.
I finished tying my boot lace and looked up. Jack was efficiently checking one of his automatics. He carried three, just like I did - one strapped to each leg and one holstered in the small of his back. He also carried a large Special Forces knife at his belt and another in his boot. Jack also carried the regular assault weapon we were assigned.
Riley was only wearing a black vest as she strapped two long knives to her forearms. Riley liked her knives and was very good with them. I had seen her efficiently gut a man without breaking a sweat. She had other knives hidden all over her body. Riley was a hard person to disarm.
Mia was standing next to Riley. She was a small, delicate looking woman with an amazing physical strength and a toughness that went beyond that. She was belting a large curved sword to her back - it was her weapon of choice. And while she could use a gun, and carried one, just as well as the rest of us, when that sword was in her hand, she was almost twice as dangerous. She fought because she was the only member of her clan left. The Goa'uld had killed all the others.
I shrugged my shoulders and began buckling my black vest. It was standard issue for all teams who went off-world and contained everything you could need. Spare ammo, grenades, C4 and detonators, trackers and a backup radio. I checked my guns and slid them into their holsters, before checking the knives I always carried. I was ready.
As the others finished up, I walked over to the food and grabbed a sandwich. It felt like a tasteless lump in my mouth and slid down my throat like some weird gloop. But I kept eating because I knew I would need it. The rest of the team also grabbed some food, and then we left for the gateroom. No one said anything.
We watched in silence as the gate address was dialed and the chevrons locked. Jacob came to join us in the room, and the gate opened. Jacob stepped forward. "Ready?" he asked.
Jack nodded. "Let's go."
Jack walked up the ramp, followed closely by Jacob. Riley looked at me, and started after them. I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm the nerves in my stomach. It sounds strange, I know, but I still get nervous before a mission. I might not really care if I lived or died, but I still got nervous. I suppose that means I didn't really want to die, deep down, but I ignored the logic and thought. I just didn't want to think about what something like that would mean.
I jogged up the ramp to join the rest of my team as Mia brought up the rear. I stepped through the gate and was greeted by the usual feeling as if I were stuck on a rollercoaster in the middle of a snow storm. I stepped out onto an arid planet, with brown sand as far as the eye could see.
The wormhole closed behind us, and I followed Mia down the stairs of the platform. Jacob was already greeting the people waiting. There were four men of differing ethnic backgrounds, and I remember a time when that simple fact would have fascinated me. "SG-1," Jacob said. "This is Chen, host to Maltec, Lilka host to Freta and Bren host to Nelim."
The three Tok'ra nodded in greeting. "Friends, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Lieutenant Colonel Josephine Riley and Ria Mor'anth." He introduced.
I nodded to the Tok'ra and noticed the appraising glances I received. SG-1 was already a legend amongst many of those who fought the Goa'uld. We were responsible for many Goa'uld deaths in a short time. And we managed to do it through inferior technology and very little knowledge of what's out there - although we are getting better.
I waited for the disappointment to hit the gazes of the Tok'ra when they saw that we were not the great team we once had been. Unlike Jack I knew we would never be as good as we had been with Sam and Teal'c. Not because we couldn't fight without them - although I will always miss them fighting by my side - but because when they died, they took part of us with them. The part that made us want to fight for freedom and the right to live - not simply fighting to kill.
When I looked away, I saw Jacob was already at the DHD, and he wasted no time in dialing the gate address. He looked at us before he pressed the large red button in the center. "You'll have fifteen minutes to get into position before the other teams arrive." He said. "Don't kill anyone until then."
Jack nodded curtly and watched as the new wormhole formed in a rush of blue 'water'. He headed straight for the gate, only pausing briefly to let Jacob pass him and step through the gate. The rest of us followed and we I tightened my grip on my P-90.
I could feel the slow burn of rage in the pit of my stomach and my body began to react to it. My muscles tensed and my brain seemed to begin to work faster. I knew it was probably the response the higher adrenaline levels, but whatever the cause, the result was the same. I was ready to fight . . . and ready to kill.
I felt a cold grin stretch across my face and stepped through the stargate. 'Here we come.' I thought.
Author's Note: The crossover with Voyager is coming soon, probably in one chapter or so. And thanks to everyone for the reviews! ~Cheeky.
"The attack will take place during the planets dark hours, which should last for approximately eight hours." Jacob briefed the assembled teams. "That means we have to be fast."
"How do we get to the planet without detection, sir?" Major David, CO of SG- 3, asked.
"Each team will gate to a different world, where a Tok'ra team will pick you up in a cargo ship." Jacob explained. "But SG-1 will be going straight through the gate to the planet."
"Directly through the gate, sir?" The leader of SG-5 asked.
"No. They'll gate in from another planet." General Peterson broke in. "They will provide a frontal assault that will distract the Goa'uld."
The leaders of SG-5, SG-3 and SG-6 turned and looked at us. Jack was sitting like he usually did, slumped in his chair, while Riley sat next to him. The other member of our team, Mia, sat on my right. I know what we looked like to them. Cold and unfeeling. Our expressions would not show a thing, and they never would. None of us cared if we lived or died, and they knew that.
"What's the plan once we get there?" Major David asked.
"Each team will be assigned a specific target to destroy." Jacob said. "And each team will be escorted by members of the Tok'ra. Once you've destroyed your target, you are to get out."
General Peterson quickly outlined the targets and the route each team was to take - and then the briefing was over. "Sg-1, please remain." He added as he dismissed the others.
I watched the General nod at Jacob, before he turned to us. "Sg-1." The General began. "You target is the temple that will house the Goa'uld and First Prime who are overseeing the construction of the base. You'll be equipped with enough C4 to destroy it, but there is a large chance you will not come back from this."
"It doesn't matter." Jack said in his hoarse voice. "As long as we take the snakes with us."
"Jack . . . " Jacob began.
"He's right." I added. "As long as the Goa'uld die, we'll do this."
The General looked sadly at us. "Then you have a go."
The briefing wasn't so strange. The missions we went on were always dangerous, and there was always a large chance we wouldn't come back. None of the team cared, but the General always looked sad, as if he kept hoping we'll become human again.
We all get up and leave, returning to that room we know so well. The room where we train and live. The room where our hearts bleed and our memories strike. Our own hell and our own sanctuary.
I read the black words above the door and feel them echo through my heart. "Death is just an illusion." And it is. I've died so many times, only to wake up in a sarcophagus and have the pain start all over again until you die. I've watched Jack die so many times, only to see him again when I next wake. Many people say, death is the only constant in our lives. But they're wrong. Death is only an illusion. Pain is the reality.
I watched the rest of the team strip off and slowly pull on our off-world uniform. It's not green anymore, but black. Black like our hearts. Jack is looking thinner everyday, and I know he's slowly killing his body. But then so are we all. I notice that someone has left food near the weapons locker, and silently thank whoever it was. Not because I want to eat, but because I need to so I can fight.
I changed into my BDU's and, as always, remember what it was like before. To watch Sam and Teal'c arm with us, and to here Jack joking around. He never jokes anymore. We used to be part of the best team the SGC had. The flagship team - the one the Goa'uld feared most.
We are still feared most be the Goa'uld, just like we still have the highest kill rate of all the teams. But instead of exploring and defending our planet, we now spend our time searching for the Goa'uld and seeing how many we can kill before they kill us.
I finished tying my boot lace and looked up. Jack was efficiently checking one of his automatics. He carried three, just like I did - one strapped to each leg and one holstered in the small of his back. He also carried a large Special Forces knife at his belt and another in his boot. Jack also carried the regular assault weapon we were assigned.
Riley was only wearing a black vest as she strapped two long knives to her forearms. Riley liked her knives and was very good with them. I had seen her efficiently gut a man without breaking a sweat. She had other knives hidden all over her body. Riley was a hard person to disarm.
Mia was standing next to Riley. She was a small, delicate looking woman with an amazing physical strength and a toughness that went beyond that. She was belting a large curved sword to her back - it was her weapon of choice. And while she could use a gun, and carried one, just as well as the rest of us, when that sword was in her hand, she was almost twice as dangerous. She fought because she was the only member of her clan left. The Goa'uld had killed all the others.
I shrugged my shoulders and began buckling my black vest. It was standard issue for all teams who went off-world and contained everything you could need. Spare ammo, grenades, C4 and detonators, trackers and a backup radio. I checked my guns and slid them into their holsters, before checking the knives I always carried. I was ready.
As the others finished up, I walked over to the food and grabbed a sandwich. It felt like a tasteless lump in my mouth and slid down my throat like some weird gloop. But I kept eating because I knew I would need it. The rest of the team also grabbed some food, and then we left for the gateroom. No one said anything.
We watched in silence as the gate address was dialed and the chevrons locked. Jacob came to join us in the room, and the gate opened. Jacob stepped forward. "Ready?" he asked.
Jack nodded. "Let's go."
Jack walked up the ramp, followed closely by Jacob. Riley looked at me, and started after them. I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm the nerves in my stomach. It sounds strange, I know, but I still get nervous before a mission. I might not really care if I lived or died, but I still got nervous. I suppose that means I didn't really want to die, deep down, but I ignored the logic and thought. I just didn't want to think about what something like that would mean.
I jogged up the ramp to join the rest of my team as Mia brought up the rear. I stepped through the gate and was greeted by the usual feeling as if I were stuck on a rollercoaster in the middle of a snow storm. I stepped out onto an arid planet, with brown sand as far as the eye could see.
The wormhole closed behind us, and I followed Mia down the stairs of the platform. Jacob was already greeting the people waiting. There were four men of differing ethnic backgrounds, and I remember a time when that simple fact would have fascinated me. "SG-1," Jacob said. "This is Chen, host to Maltec, Lilka host to Freta and Bren host to Nelim."
The three Tok'ra nodded in greeting. "Friends, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Lieutenant Colonel Josephine Riley and Ria Mor'anth." He introduced.
I nodded to the Tok'ra and noticed the appraising glances I received. SG-1 was already a legend amongst many of those who fought the Goa'uld. We were responsible for many Goa'uld deaths in a short time. And we managed to do it through inferior technology and very little knowledge of what's out there - although we are getting better.
I waited for the disappointment to hit the gazes of the Tok'ra when they saw that we were not the great team we once had been. Unlike Jack I knew we would never be as good as we had been with Sam and Teal'c. Not because we couldn't fight without them - although I will always miss them fighting by my side - but because when they died, they took part of us with them. The part that made us want to fight for freedom and the right to live - not simply fighting to kill.
When I looked away, I saw Jacob was already at the DHD, and he wasted no time in dialing the gate address. He looked at us before he pressed the large red button in the center. "You'll have fifteen minutes to get into position before the other teams arrive." He said. "Don't kill anyone until then."
Jack nodded curtly and watched as the new wormhole formed in a rush of blue 'water'. He headed straight for the gate, only pausing briefly to let Jacob pass him and step through the gate. The rest of us followed and we I tightened my grip on my P-90.
I could feel the slow burn of rage in the pit of my stomach and my body began to react to it. My muscles tensed and my brain seemed to begin to work faster. I knew it was probably the response the higher adrenaline levels, but whatever the cause, the result was the same. I was ready to fight . . . and ready to kill.
I felt a cold grin stretch across my face and stepped through the stargate. 'Here we come.' I thought.
Author's Note: The crossover with Voyager is coming soon, probably in one chapter or so. And thanks to everyone for the reviews! ~Cheeky.