PART TWO:
Jack felt completely relaxed. He was fishing on his lake in Minnesota, surrounded by peace, tranquillity and natural beauty. And the best thing was that he still had four days of vacation left. 'The only thing better that a vacation,' Jack thought, 'is a long vacation.'
"I don't know why you persist in holding the fishing rod." Said a cultured voice from behind him.
Jack turned in his chair and saw Lara standing a few meters away. He smiled at her. Lara was wearing her usual outfit of tiny shorts, boots and singlet top, but she wore no guns. Those had disappeared about a week ago, but Jack had no doubt they were close at hand.
"You know there are no fish in that lake. I know there are no fish in that lake. You know I know there are no fish in that lake." She continued walking forward. "So why bother with the fishing rod?"
"It's the idea of the thing." Jack said.
"Really?" Lara asked, arching an eyebrow. She took the fishing rod out of his hands. "Couldn't you just pretend?"
Jack looked at her. "Pretend?" he repeated.
"Yes." Lara said. Then she flashed him a wicked grin. "Of course, I could always give you something else to do with your hands."
Lara sauntered in front of him, blocking his view of the lake, before straddling his lap and looping her arms around his neck.
"Really?" Now it was Jack who raised an eyebrow, his hands sliding up to Lara's waist.
"Really." Lara agreed, and bent forward to kiss him.
Jack smiled against her lips and kissed her back. But before anything else could happen, the phone rang back in the cabin. Jack broke the kiss and groaned in frustration. "That had better be important!" he growled. But Jack knew they wouldn't be calling if it wasn't.
"I'll get it." Lara said, grinning. "I wouldn't want to disturb your fishing."
Jack gave her a mock glare and made a big show of picking up his fishing rod. "Of course." He said. "Didn't you know my fishing was extremely important?"
Lara laughed and walked into the cabin to answer the phone. "Hello?" she said.
"Lara?" the voice on the other end asked. "This is General Hammond."
"General." Lara greeted warmly. "How are you?"
"I've been better. Can I speak to Jack?"
"Sure. But I have to warn you: he's fishing."
"Fishing?" the General echoed. "He's at a remote cabin with a beautiful woman and he's fishing?"
"Fishing is a very interesting sport." Lara said, and Hammond could hear the humour in her tone.
"You do know there's no fish in that lake, don't you?"
"Of course." Lara said, laughing. "It's the waiting for those fish that's the fun part."
The General laughed, before falling silent. "Lara..." he began in a serious tone.
"I know." She said, interrupting him. "You're sorry, but Jack needs to catch the first plane out of here so he can save the planet. Again."
"I'm sorry." Hammond said.
"Don't be." Lara replied. "We were lucky to get this much vacation. Besides, if it hadn't been him rushing off somewhere, it would have been me."
Lara felt Jack walk up behind her. She smiled when he slipped his hands her waist and hugged her back against his chest. "I'll let you talk to Jack." Lara said.
"Lara, wait." The General said. "Could you come with Jack? I know Doctor Jackson would love your help."
"Of course." Lara replied, instantly curious as to what was going on.
She handed the phone to Jack and leaned back against him while her mind whirled. What on Earth could the SGC need another archaeologist for, that the others couldn't do? Then she smiled faintly. Perhaps that was the problem. Perhaps it wasn't on Earth.
"General?" Jack asked into the phone.
"Colonel." Hammond greeted. "I'm sorry to disturb your vacation, but something has come up that needs your experience."
Jack smiled faintly at the General's wording. "I'll be there as soon as I can, sir."
"Good." The General paused. "Jack, I don't need to tell you that this is incredibly important. I need you here now."
"I understand." Jack said, instantly concerned at his commander's tone.
"And Jack? I asked Lady Croft to accompany you. We'll need her expertise."
"Yes, sir." Jack answered.
Jack put the phone down as soon as General Hammond had hung up. Lara turned to face him and saw his serious expression. "That bad, is it?" she asked.
Jack nodded. "He asked me to hurry."
Lara raised her eyebrows at this. If the General was asking Jack to hurry it was serious, because he knew Jack would never have delayed. "Go pack." She told him. ""I'll arrange the transport."
Jack smiled gratefully. "Thanks Lara."
She smiled back before picking up the phone as Jack hurried out. The phone rang twice. "Hello?" asked a voice.
"I need a favour." Lara said.
The voice chuckled. "What do you need?"
Six hours later, Jack and Lara were walking down the familiar corridors of the SGC. Lara now wore her guns, and Jack was back in uniform. Jack had raised his eyebrows when Lara had strapped them on during the plane over – which had been piloted by an old friend of hers...and landed at the Air Force base, rather that the local airport – but Lara had shrugged. "A girl's got to accessorise." She had quipped, and Jack knew that there vacation was finally over.
They soon made there way up to the debriefing room above the gate where the rest of SG-1 and General Hammond were waiting – along with two Tok'ra. "General." Jack greeted. "Anise."
"Colonel O'Neill." Hammond returned. "Lady Croft, I'm glad you came."
"Of course." Lara replied in her cultured voice.
"Allow me to introduce the representatives of the Tok'ra: Anise/Freya and Brin/Tera." Hammond continued. "Sam, Jack and Teal'c you already know."
Lara smiled warmly and nodded before taking a seat between Jack and Sam. She looked across the table at Anise. "How was the vacation?" Sam whispered in Lara's ear.
Lara grinned. "Fun." She said. "I'll tell you later."
"Colonel O'Neill, Lady Croft," General Hammond began. "I apologise for cutting your vacation short, but we have a situation on our hands. Jacob Carter has been captured by the System Lord Svarog."
Lara looked sharply at Sam, and Sam nodded sadly back. "The Tok'ra have been unable to mount a rescue, because they have recently captured Bastet and have been devoting their resources to keeping her hidden." Hammond continued.
Jack raised an eyebrow and looked at Anise. "You guys have been busy, haven't you?"
"We try." Anise replied.
"This brings us to why we're here." The General said, with a quelling look at his 2IC. "The Tok'ra have a plan, but they need our help."
"The plan," Anise took up the explanation, "is to have someone impersonate Bastet and propose a trade."
"What will we be trading?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"You." Anise replied.
"Me?"
"Now wait a minute..." Daniel began.
"You're going to trade me?" Jack snapped.
"That is what it would appear like, yes." Anise agreed. "But you should be easily able to overpower the guards at the meeting and return with both Colonel O'Neill and Jacob Carter."
"How many will be undertaking this, General?" Teal'c asked.
"For now just SG-1 and Lady Croft." The General replied. "But I asked Doctor Fraiser to accompany you as well."
"Lara's coming?" Jack asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Don't say it." Lara warned him.
Anise nodded in answer to Jack's question. "Lady Croft will be impersonating Bastet."
"The idea," Hammond explained, "is to send Lara in to impersonate the Goa'uld with you to accompany her. Major Carter and Doctor Fraiser will be her hand maidens with Teal'c and Daniel as her Jaffa. Colonel O'Neill will, of course, be the prisoner."
"Will the Goa'uld not recognise me, General?" Teal'c asked.
"We have access to some technology Svarog does not." Anise said. "By using it and some makeup, no one should recognise you."
"It's only the mark we really have to change." Daniel added. "It marks you as the former First Prime of Apophis more than anything else."
"And the technology?" Sam asked.
"It will allow you to speak and appear Goa'uld." Anise said.
"What will we do for weapons?" Lara asked.
Anise turned to look at her. "Due to the rules involved in such a trade, you will have to meet in neutral location," she began, holding up a hand before Lara could interrupt. "By those same rules, only your Jaffa will be allowed to be armed. However, the Goa'uld will not be able to detect small weapons, like knives."
Lara nodded, lost in thought. "Any other questions?" Hammond asked.
No one had any. But before everyone could leave, Anise interrupted. "There is just one more thing." She said.
She opened a small case that was sitting on the table before her and turned it around for everyone to see. A Goa'uld hand device. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out another case. "Lady Croft will need to be able to use this."
"And how do you propose to due that?" Jack asked.
"Simply by injecting a solution of naquada into her blood." Anise replied. "I assure you it is quite safe."
Anise pulled out a needle and walked over to Lara. "May I?" she asked.
Lara looked at General Hammond. He nodded. "Doctor Fraiser says it is perfectly safe for human biology." He said.
"Go ahead." Lara said, and winced slightly as Anise jabbed her in the arm rather firmly.
As soon as Anise was finished, General Hammond spoke. "You have a go." He said. "Good luck."
Jack felt completely relaxed. He was fishing on his lake in Minnesota, surrounded by peace, tranquillity and natural beauty. And the best thing was that he still had four days of vacation left. 'The only thing better that a vacation,' Jack thought, 'is a long vacation.'
"I don't know why you persist in holding the fishing rod." Said a cultured voice from behind him.
Jack turned in his chair and saw Lara standing a few meters away. He smiled at her. Lara was wearing her usual outfit of tiny shorts, boots and singlet top, but she wore no guns. Those had disappeared about a week ago, but Jack had no doubt they were close at hand.
"You know there are no fish in that lake. I know there are no fish in that lake. You know I know there are no fish in that lake." She continued walking forward. "So why bother with the fishing rod?"
"It's the idea of the thing." Jack said.
"Really?" Lara asked, arching an eyebrow. She took the fishing rod out of his hands. "Couldn't you just pretend?"
Jack looked at her. "Pretend?" he repeated.
"Yes." Lara said. Then she flashed him a wicked grin. "Of course, I could always give you something else to do with your hands."
Lara sauntered in front of him, blocking his view of the lake, before straddling his lap and looping her arms around his neck.
"Really?" Now it was Jack who raised an eyebrow, his hands sliding up to Lara's waist.
"Really." Lara agreed, and bent forward to kiss him.
Jack smiled against her lips and kissed her back. But before anything else could happen, the phone rang back in the cabin. Jack broke the kiss and groaned in frustration. "That had better be important!" he growled. But Jack knew they wouldn't be calling if it wasn't.
"I'll get it." Lara said, grinning. "I wouldn't want to disturb your fishing."
Jack gave her a mock glare and made a big show of picking up his fishing rod. "Of course." He said. "Didn't you know my fishing was extremely important?"
Lara laughed and walked into the cabin to answer the phone. "Hello?" she said.
"Lara?" the voice on the other end asked. "This is General Hammond."
"General." Lara greeted warmly. "How are you?"
"I've been better. Can I speak to Jack?"
"Sure. But I have to warn you: he's fishing."
"Fishing?" the General echoed. "He's at a remote cabin with a beautiful woman and he's fishing?"
"Fishing is a very interesting sport." Lara said, and Hammond could hear the humour in her tone.
"You do know there's no fish in that lake, don't you?"
"Of course." Lara said, laughing. "It's the waiting for those fish that's the fun part."
The General laughed, before falling silent. "Lara..." he began in a serious tone.
"I know." She said, interrupting him. "You're sorry, but Jack needs to catch the first plane out of here so he can save the planet. Again."
"I'm sorry." Hammond said.
"Don't be." Lara replied. "We were lucky to get this much vacation. Besides, if it hadn't been him rushing off somewhere, it would have been me."
Lara felt Jack walk up behind her. She smiled when he slipped his hands her waist and hugged her back against his chest. "I'll let you talk to Jack." Lara said.
"Lara, wait." The General said. "Could you come with Jack? I know Doctor Jackson would love your help."
"Of course." Lara replied, instantly curious as to what was going on.
She handed the phone to Jack and leaned back against him while her mind whirled. What on Earth could the SGC need another archaeologist for, that the others couldn't do? Then she smiled faintly. Perhaps that was the problem. Perhaps it wasn't on Earth.
"General?" Jack asked into the phone.
"Colonel." Hammond greeted. "I'm sorry to disturb your vacation, but something has come up that needs your experience."
Jack smiled faintly at the General's wording. "I'll be there as soon as I can, sir."
"Good." The General paused. "Jack, I don't need to tell you that this is incredibly important. I need you here now."
"I understand." Jack said, instantly concerned at his commander's tone.
"And Jack? I asked Lady Croft to accompany you. We'll need her expertise."
"Yes, sir." Jack answered.
Jack put the phone down as soon as General Hammond had hung up. Lara turned to face him and saw his serious expression. "That bad, is it?" she asked.
Jack nodded. "He asked me to hurry."
Lara raised her eyebrows at this. If the General was asking Jack to hurry it was serious, because he knew Jack would never have delayed. "Go pack." She told him. ""I'll arrange the transport."
Jack smiled gratefully. "Thanks Lara."
She smiled back before picking up the phone as Jack hurried out. The phone rang twice. "Hello?" asked a voice.
"I need a favour." Lara said.
The voice chuckled. "What do you need?"
Six hours later, Jack and Lara were walking down the familiar corridors of the SGC. Lara now wore her guns, and Jack was back in uniform. Jack had raised his eyebrows when Lara had strapped them on during the plane over – which had been piloted by an old friend of hers...and landed at the Air Force base, rather that the local airport – but Lara had shrugged. "A girl's got to accessorise." She had quipped, and Jack knew that there vacation was finally over.
They soon made there way up to the debriefing room above the gate where the rest of SG-1 and General Hammond were waiting – along with two Tok'ra. "General." Jack greeted. "Anise."
"Colonel O'Neill." Hammond returned. "Lady Croft, I'm glad you came."
"Of course." Lara replied in her cultured voice.
"Allow me to introduce the representatives of the Tok'ra: Anise/Freya and Brin/Tera." Hammond continued. "Sam, Jack and Teal'c you already know."
Lara smiled warmly and nodded before taking a seat between Jack and Sam. She looked across the table at Anise. "How was the vacation?" Sam whispered in Lara's ear.
Lara grinned. "Fun." She said. "I'll tell you later."
"Colonel O'Neill, Lady Croft," General Hammond began. "I apologise for cutting your vacation short, but we have a situation on our hands. Jacob Carter has been captured by the System Lord Svarog."
Lara looked sharply at Sam, and Sam nodded sadly back. "The Tok'ra have been unable to mount a rescue, because they have recently captured Bastet and have been devoting their resources to keeping her hidden." Hammond continued.
Jack raised an eyebrow and looked at Anise. "You guys have been busy, haven't you?"
"We try." Anise replied.
"This brings us to why we're here." The General said, with a quelling look at his 2IC. "The Tok'ra have a plan, but they need our help."
"The plan," Anise took up the explanation, "is to have someone impersonate Bastet and propose a trade."
"What will we be trading?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"You." Anise replied.
"Me?"
"Now wait a minute..." Daniel began.
"You're going to trade me?" Jack snapped.
"That is what it would appear like, yes." Anise agreed. "But you should be easily able to overpower the guards at the meeting and return with both Colonel O'Neill and Jacob Carter."
"How many will be undertaking this, General?" Teal'c asked.
"For now just SG-1 and Lady Croft." The General replied. "But I asked Doctor Fraiser to accompany you as well."
"Lara's coming?" Jack asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Don't say it." Lara warned him.
Anise nodded in answer to Jack's question. "Lady Croft will be impersonating Bastet."
"The idea," Hammond explained, "is to send Lara in to impersonate the Goa'uld with you to accompany her. Major Carter and Doctor Fraiser will be her hand maidens with Teal'c and Daniel as her Jaffa. Colonel O'Neill will, of course, be the prisoner."
"Will the Goa'uld not recognise me, General?" Teal'c asked.
"We have access to some technology Svarog does not." Anise said. "By using it and some makeup, no one should recognise you."
"It's only the mark we really have to change." Daniel added. "It marks you as the former First Prime of Apophis more than anything else."
"And the technology?" Sam asked.
"It will allow you to speak and appear Goa'uld." Anise said.
"What will we do for weapons?" Lara asked.
Anise turned to look at her. "Due to the rules involved in such a trade, you will have to meet in neutral location," she began, holding up a hand before Lara could interrupt. "By those same rules, only your Jaffa will be allowed to be armed. However, the Goa'uld will not be able to detect small weapons, like knives."
Lara nodded, lost in thought. "Any other questions?" Hammond asked.
No one had any. But before everyone could leave, Anise interrupted. "There is just one more thing." She said.
She opened a small case that was sitting on the table before her and turned it around for everyone to see. A Goa'uld hand device. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out another case. "Lady Croft will need to be able to use this."
"And how do you propose to due that?" Jack asked.
"Simply by injecting a solution of naquada into her blood." Anise replied. "I assure you it is quite safe."
Anise pulled out a needle and walked over to Lara. "May I?" she asked.
Lara looked at General Hammond. He nodded. "Doctor Fraiser says it is perfectly safe for human biology." He said.
"Go ahead." Lara said, and winced slightly as Anise jabbed her in the arm rather firmly.
As soon as Anise was finished, General Hammond spoke. "You have a go." He said. "Good luck."