Ler rolled out from under the heavy weight of the creature that was attacking him. He was terrified. Never had he seen anything like this. It had flashing teeth that were everywhere at once, and the snarls and growls were almost distracting as he tried to fight off the teeth. The only thing the Ashrak had going for him was the fact that the creature couldn't see him, and therefore couldn't get a grip on him with those teeth. But the animal was so fast in its movements that it almost didn't need to see him.

He kicked at the creature as he rolled, and was rewarded with a yelp, that was promptly followed by another angry snarl and a renewed attack. The animal dove back at him, his mouth clamping down on the Ashrak's ankle. Ler screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the sound of gunshots echoing through the hallway.

With a solid grip on something for the first time, Jaffer didn't release his teeth when the Beretta fired close to him. The big lab wasn't afraid of gunfire; he'd grown up around it, after all. He shook his head, trying to drive his teeth deeper, and Ler screamed again. It felt like his whole leg was going to be ripped off. Even through the protective fabric of his boot the teeth were buried in his flesh, and they were gouging. He was stuck on his belly, unable to roll over because the creature had sprawled on him once more, this time with far more leverage, since Ler only had one leg free and couldn't twist around to get a shot off with the B'kedricti he was holding.

Jack rolled off the motionless body of the Ashrak he'd shot, but he left his hand on him, not wanting to lose track of the assassin. Gasping for breath, he ran his hand along the body, trying to find an arm, which would lead to a hand holding a weapon. Jack hadn't seen the B'kedricti appear, which meant the Ashrak was still holding it, most likely, and he didn't want to take any chances. He wasn't completely positive that the Ashrak was dead. You didn't get to live to be an old SGC team leader by making foolish mistakes.

Ler glanced over at the human that was kneeling close by, realizing even as he fought off the creature attacking him that the sound of the battle next to him had quieted. He kicked at the creature again – using the leg that wasn't in the animal's teeth – and again Jaffer growled, but didn't drop his advantage. The Ashrak brought his B'kedricti up, pointing it at Jack, who was completely unaware of the danger he was in. Maybe if he killed the human, the animal would die, too. Or would at least be distracted enough that Ler could make an escape and get back to his ship. Before he could fire, though, a streak of blonde and another snarl – this one a little less deep, although no less intimidating – heralded the arrival of another assailant.

Jack looked over at the snarl, his hand pausing just as he felt the cool almost metallic weapon that was probably the barrel of the Ashrak's primary weapon. Jack had come out of nowhere while O'Neill had been searching the downed Ashrak and had joined his brother in the fight. He heard another cry of pain when Jack's just as formidable teeth flashed, looking for – and finding – a target, and he a B'kedricti appeared with a clatter as Ler dropped his. The weapon was pointed right at him, Jack realized, distracted from his own search. He was smart enough to figure out that Jack's timely arrival had probably just saved his life.

He was still thinking that when there was a sudden movement under his hand, and he felt yet another flash of pain as the Ashrak he'd shot suddenly let him know that he wasn't dead, yet. Only the fact that the sharp knife was a slashing weapon and not a stabbing one saved Jack's life as Kuy tried one final, desperate ploy of his own. He stabbed at the human leaning over him with the knife, and felt the point of the blade deflected by ribs. Instead of stabbing through them, the knife slashed a gash along them, missing the heart he'd been aiming for, and tangling in a metal chain the human was wearing around his neck before the Ashrak could pull back for another attempt.

"O'Neill!"

Jack jerked backwards, away from the knife and the Ashrak, and immediately heard the unmistakable sound of a zat being fired. Energy surrounded the invisible form of the Ashrak, and Jack kicked out with his foot to make sure the assassin was still there. He felt something solid, and kicked again just for good measure.

"Do it again, Teal'c!" Jack gasped, clutching his side with his already bloody hand.

The zat fired again, and then again, and when Jack kicked out with his foot a second later, there was nothing there. One down, one to go.

"Jack! Down!"

The yellow lab reacted immediately to the command, and stopped his attack, bounding away from the Ashrak, who'd been trying to protect his body from the two creatures attacking him. Jack knew Jaffer would never obey the same command from Teal'c.

"Jaffer! Off!"

Jaffer broke off the attack as well, jumping clear and diving at Jack, as if to protect him on the off chance the Ashrak decided to press an attack on the human now that he was free of the dogs. Jack (the dog) did the same thing, coming over and taking a guardian position on the other side of O'Neill. Ler started to scramble for his knife, intent on attacking something – when the zat fired again, and the Ashrak screamed. Holding Jack's collar with one hand, and Jaffer's with the other, Jack kicked out in the space the two labs had just been. It wasn't that far from his own battle scene after all. The hall wasn't that big.

"You got him!" Jack panted, moving his foot. "Do it again!" He didn't care about their weaponry, or finding anything on the bodies they might be able to use for their own purposes later on. Jack wanted them dead and gone. That was the only way they wouldn't be a threat to Shawn.

He fell backwards, still clutching the collars of the big labs who were protecting him. He didn't see Teal'c fire the zat again, but he heard the next two shots. Two down. But at what cost to him? He rolled over, ignoring the pain from the knife wounds, and using his hand on Jaffer's collar to help him get to his knees.

"Shawn..."

The boy wasn't moving. Neither was the older cadet sprawled next to him. Jack had seen them take a hit. He knew that if the weapon had been set to kill, he'd been too late. He scrambled over to the two of them, even as Janet Fraiser and Teal'c came over as well, Janet dropping down next to the two fallen cadets, and Teal'c going over to make sure there were no more Ashrak.

There weren't, though. Jaffer and Jack were already calming down – although Teal'c noticed that the squad of SG marines that had been brought with him stayed clear of both dogs. The Marines were well aware that the labs were still feeling the affects of all the adrenaline running through them, and would need a bit of time before they should be approached by anyone who didn't know them really well. Jack trotted over to stand beside Teal'c, and the Jaffa watched his dog, knowing that he'd be the first warning in the event that they'd missed one of the assassins.

Jaffer stayed right next to Jack, who was rolling Shawn clear of the other cadet, turning him over. The young man's chest and belly had small flecks of blood on them, but when Jack ran his hand along the tender skin, he only found very small cuts- the affect of the ricochet of concrete from one of the blasts. His hand left a smear of its own, though, as Jack reached for the boy's neck, feeling desperately for a pulse.

"He's alive," Janet said, from where she'd been doing the same thing with the other cadet. Brooks was already starting to make pained noises, and was trying to come around. He'd only taken an edge of the blast, and the tough New Yorker was struggling to consciousness, well aware that he and the kid were in danger.

"Shawn is, too," Jack said, pulling Shawn up into his arms and holding him close, relieved beyond words. He rested his cheek against Shawn's, and Jaffer whined softly and stuck his nose into the small area under Jack's chin, wanting to be in on the love fest. The boy wasn't coming around, but Jack wasn't worried. If he'd survived the initial blast, he'd be okay. It was just a matter of time. O'Neill shifted, pulling Shawn even closer, despite the fact that Janet was trying to get a look at the cadet and at Jack, and then he put his other arm around Jaffer, who licked his cheek, eagerly. Yeah, there wasn't anything the two of them couldn't do together.