Chapter 6- The Tok'ra
Colonel O'Neill turned his face away from the blast, shielding his eyes with his arm.
A body landed on him, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around it as they fell to the ground. He found himself lying on his back with a very uncouncious Samantha Carter on top.
The Death Glider that was attacking them flew overhead. Gently but quickly, he untangled himself from her and assessed the situation.
Teal'c had come out from hiding in the temple, and was kneeling over Cassie. "Colonel O'Neill! Cassandra Fraiser is in need of medical assistance!"
Jack looked at Sam for a moment. She didn't seem to show any outward signs of injury, but that didn't mean they weren't there.
Cassie was another story. The blast had landed just under her foot as she was running. It was definitely broken, in more than one place, and was bleeding everywhere.
"Shit. Teal'c, take Carter here. Jake, Daniel, take Cassie. Everyone back inside!" The Death Glider was returning. "Okay, here's the plan. I'm gonna run for it, and try to get that things attention. You guys head for the Stargate. You should be safe once you reach the woods."
"Someone should go with you, Jack."
O'Neill shook his head. "Not happening, Danny. We've got two casualties already, plus the noncombatants," motioning to the two Sara(h)'s "so they're gonna need all the help they can get. Don't wait for me at the gate, I'll catch up with you later. Get Cassie and Sam to the Tok'ra. They can help them."
"Where will we meet you, Jack?" Jacob didn't like the plan, but there wasn't any other choice.
"P4X-347"
"The planet with that light thingy?"
"Yup"
There was a droning sound as the glider returned. "Give me sixty seconds, then go." O'Neill disappeared out the door.
Jacob Carter spoke after Jack left. "OK. Teal'c, take Cassie. Watch the leg. I'll carry Sam. Daniel, when we go, you run ahead and dial the gate. Ladies, go with him."
They took of running. The Death Glider was a short distance away, shooting at the Colonel. It didn't see the escapees.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jack turned the corner behind a rock, just as a blast flew overhead. He was so high on adrenaline he didn't notice the protest from his knee. He risked a glance over his shoulder. The others were almost at the woods. He kept running.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Daniel glanced around the planet Jacob had dialed them too. It wasn't unlike Abydos, without the pyramids. Several Tak'ra approached them, taking Cassie and Sam and rushing them to the rings that transported them all underground.
"Selmak. We have been awaiting your return. Why have you brought the Tau'ri here. You were instructed not to reveal our new location."
Sarah O'Neill jumped as she heard Selamk, Jacob Carter's symbiote, speak for the first time. "They were in need of medical assistance."
"Very well. The council will see you once their wounds have been treated."
Sam's injury was more extensive than Anyone had realized. She was bleeding internally, and had a major concussion. The Tok'ra were able to heal the injuries, but it would be a while before she awoke.
Cassie had lost a lot of blood, and her condition was even more serious than Sam's. She too, was unconscious.
Once Sam and Cassie were reasonably stable, Teal'c and Daniel approched Jacob. "Jacob Carter, we would like to go to P4X-347 to meet the Colonel."
"Let's go talk to the council."
The Tok'ra were not completely heartless, and so they readily allowed Daniel and Teal'c to go to retrieve the Colonel.
Sarah was relieved when Teal'c and Daniel ariived back on the Tok'ra planet an hour later. She rushed up and gave him a hug, which he returned before turning to Jacob. "Where are they?"
Jacob led Jack to the room that held Cassie and Sam. Jack promptly sat down there, clearly intent on waiting for them to wake while at the same time recovering from his ordeal.
Sarah moved to sit with him, but found a hand on her shoulder. It was Daniels. "Uh, Sarah, Jacks really tired right now, and also really worried about those two, so I don't think he's gonna be to happy to have visitors. Just trust me on this one."
Looking, she could se that he was right. Jack had his head back against Cassie's bed, facing Sam. His eyes closed. She recognized the expression. He was shutting himself off to the world, closing out the others and attempting to come back to reality after his ordeal.
Daniel left. Sarah didn't follow, but didn't go to Jack, either. She just stayed in the hallway outside the door and watched. Sam stirred.
Jacks eyes opened and he was at her side immediately. "Carter?"
"Colonel?"
"Hey, welcome back." Jack smiled.
Sam was still groggy. "Where are we?"
"With the Tokra. You gotta love those healing devices."
"What happened?"
"You got knocked out by a blast from that Death Glider. We brought you here." Jack deliberately left out the part where he had been a decoy. Sarah wondered how he had escaped, but he wasn't telling.
"Okay. Wait, Cassie! Where's Cassie?!"
"Easy, Carter. She's unconcious right now too, but she's gonna be fine. You need to rest."
"I'm fine, sir, I think I can..." But she was already asleep.
Jack sat there watching her, not moving from his position, holding her hand. Sarah watched as he wiped sweat off of her forehead. As she had been the last time Sam had been injured, Sarah was struck by the intimacy she saw between these two.
Sarah quietly walked away, thinking.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sara Gardner walked the tunneled hallways of the Tok'ra base. She heard a slight sniffle from one of the rooms she walked by. Looking in to what appeared to be a storeroom, she saw Sarah O'Neill with her back against a table.
"Sarah? What's wrong?"
Sarah O'Neill wiped away a single tear and just stared at her.
Sara Gardner sighed and sat down next to her. "This has been a lot to take in, hasn't it?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, you didn't even know until a couple of weeks ago that there were aliens, and now you're out here. Plus all the fighting that's been going on."
"Oh. Well, yes, it has been a lot. How come you don't seem rattled by it?"
Sara took a breath before answering. "Did Jack tell you about the Goa'uld?"
"Yes."
"Well, I was a Goa'uld host for about three years. I've still got many of the memories of Osiris." The pain on her face was obvious.
"I'm sorry."
There was a silence for a moment before Sara tried to open up the conversation. "So, what's eating you?"
"You knew Jack and I were married once, right?"
"Oh, yes. Daniel told me about Charlie. That must have been horrible."
"It was. It took me a long time to get over it. But I've been doing better, and I was actually thinking about trying to get back together with Jack before al this happened. Now I'm afraid he's moved on."
"Sam." Sara observed.
"Yes."
A Tok'ra entered the room just then, and informed them that all of the Tau'ri from Earth were being summoned to meet the High Council.
Colonel O'Neill turned his face away from the blast, shielding his eyes with his arm.
A body landed on him, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around it as they fell to the ground. He found himself lying on his back with a very uncouncious Samantha Carter on top.
The Death Glider that was attacking them flew overhead. Gently but quickly, he untangled himself from her and assessed the situation.
Teal'c had come out from hiding in the temple, and was kneeling over Cassie. "Colonel O'Neill! Cassandra Fraiser is in need of medical assistance!"
Jack looked at Sam for a moment. She didn't seem to show any outward signs of injury, but that didn't mean they weren't there.
Cassie was another story. The blast had landed just under her foot as she was running. It was definitely broken, in more than one place, and was bleeding everywhere.
"Shit. Teal'c, take Carter here. Jake, Daniel, take Cassie. Everyone back inside!" The Death Glider was returning. "Okay, here's the plan. I'm gonna run for it, and try to get that things attention. You guys head for the Stargate. You should be safe once you reach the woods."
"Someone should go with you, Jack."
O'Neill shook his head. "Not happening, Danny. We've got two casualties already, plus the noncombatants," motioning to the two Sara(h)'s "so they're gonna need all the help they can get. Don't wait for me at the gate, I'll catch up with you later. Get Cassie and Sam to the Tok'ra. They can help them."
"Where will we meet you, Jack?" Jacob didn't like the plan, but there wasn't any other choice.
"P4X-347"
"The planet with that light thingy?"
"Yup"
There was a droning sound as the glider returned. "Give me sixty seconds, then go." O'Neill disappeared out the door.
Jacob Carter spoke after Jack left. "OK. Teal'c, take Cassie. Watch the leg. I'll carry Sam. Daniel, when we go, you run ahead and dial the gate. Ladies, go with him."
They took of running. The Death Glider was a short distance away, shooting at the Colonel. It didn't see the escapees.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jack turned the corner behind a rock, just as a blast flew overhead. He was so high on adrenaline he didn't notice the protest from his knee. He risked a glance over his shoulder. The others were almost at the woods. He kept running.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Daniel glanced around the planet Jacob had dialed them too. It wasn't unlike Abydos, without the pyramids. Several Tak'ra approached them, taking Cassie and Sam and rushing them to the rings that transported them all underground.
"Selmak. We have been awaiting your return. Why have you brought the Tau'ri here. You were instructed not to reveal our new location."
Sarah O'Neill jumped as she heard Selamk, Jacob Carter's symbiote, speak for the first time. "They were in need of medical assistance."
"Very well. The council will see you once their wounds have been treated."
Sam's injury was more extensive than Anyone had realized. She was bleeding internally, and had a major concussion. The Tok'ra were able to heal the injuries, but it would be a while before she awoke.
Cassie had lost a lot of blood, and her condition was even more serious than Sam's. She too, was unconscious.
Once Sam and Cassie were reasonably stable, Teal'c and Daniel approched Jacob. "Jacob Carter, we would like to go to P4X-347 to meet the Colonel."
"Let's go talk to the council."
The Tok'ra were not completely heartless, and so they readily allowed Daniel and Teal'c to go to retrieve the Colonel.
Sarah was relieved when Teal'c and Daniel ariived back on the Tok'ra planet an hour later. She rushed up and gave him a hug, which he returned before turning to Jacob. "Where are they?"
Jacob led Jack to the room that held Cassie and Sam. Jack promptly sat down there, clearly intent on waiting for them to wake while at the same time recovering from his ordeal.
Sarah moved to sit with him, but found a hand on her shoulder. It was Daniels. "Uh, Sarah, Jacks really tired right now, and also really worried about those two, so I don't think he's gonna be to happy to have visitors. Just trust me on this one."
Looking, she could se that he was right. Jack had his head back against Cassie's bed, facing Sam. His eyes closed. She recognized the expression. He was shutting himself off to the world, closing out the others and attempting to come back to reality after his ordeal.
Daniel left. Sarah didn't follow, but didn't go to Jack, either. She just stayed in the hallway outside the door and watched. Sam stirred.
Jacks eyes opened and he was at her side immediately. "Carter?"
"Colonel?"
"Hey, welcome back." Jack smiled.
Sam was still groggy. "Where are we?"
"With the Tokra. You gotta love those healing devices."
"What happened?"
"You got knocked out by a blast from that Death Glider. We brought you here." Jack deliberately left out the part where he had been a decoy. Sarah wondered how he had escaped, but he wasn't telling.
"Okay. Wait, Cassie! Where's Cassie?!"
"Easy, Carter. She's unconcious right now too, but she's gonna be fine. You need to rest."
"I'm fine, sir, I think I can..." But she was already asleep.
Jack sat there watching her, not moving from his position, holding her hand. Sarah watched as he wiped sweat off of her forehead. As she had been the last time Sam had been injured, Sarah was struck by the intimacy she saw between these two.
Sarah quietly walked away, thinking.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sara Gardner walked the tunneled hallways of the Tok'ra base. She heard a slight sniffle from one of the rooms she walked by. Looking in to what appeared to be a storeroom, she saw Sarah O'Neill with her back against a table.
"Sarah? What's wrong?"
Sarah O'Neill wiped away a single tear and just stared at her.
Sara Gardner sighed and sat down next to her. "This has been a lot to take in, hasn't it?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, you didn't even know until a couple of weeks ago that there were aliens, and now you're out here. Plus all the fighting that's been going on."
"Oh. Well, yes, it has been a lot. How come you don't seem rattled by it?"
Sara took a breath before answering. "Did Jack tell you about the Goa'uld?"
"Yes."
"Well, I was a Goa'uld host for about three years. I've still got many of the memories of Osiris." The pain on her face was obvious.
"I'm sorry."
There was a silence for a moment before Sara tried to open up the conversation. "So, what's eating you?"
"You knew Jack and I were married once, right?"
"Oh, yes. Daniel told me about Charlie. That must have been horrible."
"It was. It took me a long time to get over it. But I've been doing better, and I was actually thinking about trying to get back together with Jack before al this happened. Now I'm afraid he's moved on."
"Sam." Sara observed.
"Yes."
A Tok'ra entered the room just then, and informed them that all of the Tau'ri from Earth were being summoned to meet the High Council.
