O'Neill sat on his darkened bridge in his chair, head on his knees. He was *aching* with tiredness but he couldn't sleep. Negotiations with the Borashians were at a standstill, and to add to his troubles the rebel nation causing all the problems in the first place were now threatening to attack his diplomatic courier. SG1 had docked on the planet for additional security but now Purple and his associates were rumbling about the potential consequences for their Empire if the central government was seen to be 'defending the enemy.'
He'd turned the view-screen off. He couldn't face the marine-scape outside. He understood that a ship equipped to survive the rigours of interstellar travel would function underwater with few problems but he still didn't like the *thought* of all that water outside, pressing in...
An alarm started to bleep quietly. O'Neill tapped a key on the arm of his chair. "O'Neill here."
"O'Neill." The voice of Thor, slightly distorted, sounded tinny in his ear. "We have received a number of threats against you and your crew from Borashian rebels. We advise you to leave *now.*"
There was a note of fear in the Asguard's voice, O'Neill was horrified to realise. "Can you offer us protection?"
"Only once you leave Borashian space."
"Leave *now?*"
"Now," replied the alien, "We have informed the Borashian central government you will be departing. Thor out."
O'Neill blinked in the gloom, trying to dispel some of his exhaustion, and the surprise. Thor did not often give him direct instructions or go over his head when it came to negotiations. The fact that he had felt it necessary was... a little worrying.
Time to stop thinking and start acting. "Computer. Lights up. Daniel! Carter! Teal'c! Wake up!!" He slipped his headset on and set the computer to the task of warming up the engines as the rest of SG1 shuffled onto the bridge.
"What's going on Jack?" Daniel asked, still peeved after the earlier events of the day.
"We're leaving," O'Neill informed him bluntly. Carter, Teal'c, take the seats at the helm. Daniel, prime the escape pods."
"We're leaving?" Daniel repeated. Carter, still obedient to military training, moved to sit at the helm. Teal'c sat on the other side, but swivelled to face O'Neill.
"Thor just contacted me. The Borashian rebels have been making threats against us. Thor seems to be taking them serious-"
He was cut off as the ship quivered as a shock wave moved through the water. "What was that?" asked Carter.
O'Neill's eyes unfocussed, adopting the faraway look worn by those reading something off the inside of their head. "Borashian energy weapon fire. They're coming."
"Can we outfight them?" Daniel enquired, hurrying over to the control panel mounted on the wall which controlled the four escape pods the Enterprise had been hastily equipped with prior to their mission.
"No," O'Neill answered grimly. "But we might be able to hold them off long enough to reach Asguard space."
The whine of the engines rose a tone in urgency and despite the inertial dampening they felt the ship judder as it rose upwards through the waves. "I didn't think there were any weapons on the Enterprise..." said Carter slowly.
"Technically, there's not," O'Neill replied, his fingers flying over the control panels on the arms of his chair. "But Thor equipped the Enterprise with a few... extras."
There was a clunk and the groan of moving machinery. "What is happening, O'Neill?"
O'Neill smiled, a slightly evil grin. A picture appeared on the view-screen.
"That's the Enterprise, isn't it...?" said Daniel.
The ship on the screen was folding outwards, larger wings unfolding complete with an array of energy weapons banks, missiles, a third sub-light engine. The Enterprise had been an unsymmetrical, bulky courier previously. Now it was streamlined, concordant; powerful looking.
"I should have known," grinned Carter, "We all should have guessed."
"I thought you had," O'Neill informed her, "When you were re-programming."
"Oh, I suspected something. But I didn't know..." she replied.
"There's a headset in the side of the chair; Carter, T," O'Neill said, "Put them on. It'll sting for a minute, but it should give you control of the weapons systems. Be ready to fire on my mark."
"Escape pods are almost online," Daniel said, peering down his nose at the display. "Think we're going to need them?"
"Hope not," O'Neill muttered as the ship swung round, the view-screen changing back to show the events occurring outside. "There are three Borashian ships closing on our position."
Carter could see the Borashian ships on the view-screen. Thin, needle like with bulging protrusions clad in a shimmering green metal; they looked threatening. They were matching the Enterprises's speed, flying in close formation.
"We're being hailed," O'Neill said.
The view screen split into two and a frog-like face appeared, apparently identical to Purple and his associates.
"We will destroy you, Asguard scum. Our ships are superior and we outnumber you. Surrender and we may spare your lives."
O'Neill cut the comm-link. "Enough of that. Brace yourselves; evasive manoeuvres!"
The ship swept sideways as the first Borashian fired. A volley of return fire from the Enterprise exploded harmlessly. The second Borashian ship struck the Enterprise, the energy shielding sparking. O'Neill pointed her nose upwards and they screamed through the atmosphere, red-hot fire tracing the outline of the ship.
The Borashians matched speed, and despite O'Neill's efforts several more shots hit home. The Enterprises's weapons seemed unable to penetrate the Borashian shielding, despite several shots on target by Carter and Teal'c.
The bridge was alight with warning lights. "Shields are failing," O'Neill said, voice curiously dead.
"How far?"
"Too far. I'm diverting power from secondary systems..."
Another shot glanced across the bow, this time followed by the screech of buckling metal. Steam began to pour from a ruptured vent. A second, and third hit caused a cacophony of metallic destruction.
O'Neill swore loudly. "Hull breach! Escape pods are our only chance now!"
The ship was spinning crazily, inertial dampeners failing and artificial gravity erratic. They stumbled across to the pods where Daniel was hanging on for grim death. "Slight problem!" he yelled.
"What?!"
"That last shot did some damage to the jettison systems... I don't think I can fix it!"
"Carter?!" O'Neill yelped.
"I wouldn't know where to start!"she shouted back, "The control board is fried!"
"There's only two left online!"
O'Neill paused, sharing a loaded glance with Carter, and then a nod. She shut her eye as he old commander spoke, knowing what his words would mean and knowing just as well she would not accept things any other way.
"Daniel. Teal'c. Get in. The pods should jettison and enter hyperspace. We should be close enough now to Asguard space. Thor will pick you up," he said slowly.
"No."
"No way."
O'Neill screwed up his face. "We haven't got time to argue. You pair both have a wife, kids to go back to. Me and Carter haven't. That's the deal. Don't argue. Just GO!!"
Daniel held his gaze for a long moment. "This can't-"
"Daniel! GO!!" Carter screamed as another shot sent them spinning in the opposite direction.
"We will return," Teal'c said, ripping off his headset as O'Neill practically shoved him into the pod.
"Yeah, we'll be waiting," O'Neill returned. "Now get your backsides out of here!"
They slammed the doors shut on the still protesting men. The pods ejected immediately, shocking the two remaining members of SG1 into silence, filled with the groans of the ship in its death throes.
They fell against each other as the ship finally began to break apart, the sounds unbearably loud.
"Looks like its me and you again, Carter," O'Neill said into her ear.
She clutched him, a terrible sadness threatening to burst within her. "It shouldn't have been like this."
"But it is. And you know, I'm glad that its you I'm here with."
"Me too."
"I love you, Sam."
"I love you too Jack."
There didn't seem to be anything else left to say. Filled with the curious calm sometimes granted to those facing the certainty of their own demise, O'Neill reflected quietly that there wasn't anything else that was worth saying. His last words would be something meaningful. That was all that mattered.
He kissed her on the lips as he ship disintegrated around them; the hiss of escaping oxygen seeming to fill his world. He could feel her heart beating, her chest pressed against his own, the cold metal of the headset on his forehead. In his last few moments his senses seemed determined to record every detail. Another shot hit the ship.
The remaining oxygen in the exposed tanks ignited. There was heat, but no pain. There was no time.
-----
Not the end.... There's more ship still to come! -Lunar