And it is unbetaed, so I apologize for any misakes.
Sam was the first to wake, and a glance at her watch told her they should be arriving within the next two hours. As her sleep fuzzed brain cleared a bit, she gained more perspective on her surroundings. Her left hand was still clasped tightly in the Colonel's right, both resting on the cold floor between them. One of them had moved closer to the other in sleep—she couldn't be certain who—and they were now close enough for their foreheads to almost touch.
She observed him in his sleep, taking note of the changes it wrought. He wasn't completely at peace, and she could see the tension in his forehead as he frowned in his sleep. But it smoothed some of the laugh-lines around his eyes, and made him look younger—somewhat more carefree. Carefully, so as not to wake him, she reached out with her right hand to touch him. She lightly traced the scar on his left eyebrow with her fingertips, down the side of his face to his chin. Only one tiny scar marred his face, but she knew from brief glances in the locker room that his body held dozens more. None of them were so small as this. With an ironic smile, she considered that very characteristic of him. He hid his pain, and only shared glimpses with her.
But he allowed her to share hers, sometimes. Not in late night heart-to-hearts or anything, but he read her well. She could see his support and confidence in her in his eyes, even as she tried her best to suppress her worry over her father. He shared it freely. Anything else though, and he was a mystery.
In a moment of weakness she leaned forward a pressed a feather-light kiss to his forehead. Pulling back she whispered 'thank you,' so quietly she could barely hear it herself. She had needed a hand to hold. But now she extricated her hand from his as gently as possible. It was time to get to work.
[][][]
Jack had woken not long after Sam, stirred by the intensity of her gaze upon him. He felt her fingertips trace his face as is own heart quickened at her actions. The light kiss on his forehead startled him, but he didn't let it show. If he moved, this would be one more thing they would have to leave in the room. They had reached an unspoken agreement before falling asleep—a peace treaty of sorts—and he didn't want to upset it. So he continued to feign sleep until a minute or two after she left before sitting up to get his bearings.
[][][]
Sam found Teal'c at the helm. It had been decided after the initial briefing that Teal'c would have to be brought along, despite the risk of infection. He was the only one who would pilot the Tel'tak other than Sam—who had protested respectfully (if vehemently) at even the notion of spending the mission waiting on the cargo ship—and he could do it with greater precision if they ran into trouble. The plan was that the Colonel, Carter, Daniel and Janet would ring over to the Ha'tak. Teal'c would have to briefly lower the ship's cloak while the transport took place, but would immediately raise it once the transport was complete. Then he would quickly move the ship to another position in the general vicinity of the Ha'tak, and await contact from the rest of the team.
Any supplies Teal'c would need were moved to the front of the ship, and the cargo bay/ring transport area would be sealed off in case his returning team members brought the contagion back with them. Environmental suits were too cumbersome and limiting to wear into a possibly hostile situation, so only light masks, gloves, and clear goggles would be worn on board. The suits had been packed though and would be worn through the gate back to the SGC to prevent infection of the base until they could be properly decontaminated in the infirmary and isolation labs. It wasn't a process Sam was looking forward to, if only because it meant she was fighting an enemy she couldn't see.
Teal'c's inquired as to how she had rested, breaking her from her thoughts as she realized she hadn't said a word since taking the seat next to him.
"Fine," she answered as nonchalantly as possible. He gave a slight nod, which she hoped meant he had bought it.
Before either could say anything more, the Colonel walked in and handed her an MRE.
"Good morning Sir," she said with a hint of irony. According to Earth time it was actually late evening, but their day was just beginning.
"If you say so," he said with a bit of a groan as he stretched. "We need to do something about that floor if we're going to be spending future missions in a Tel'tak. I've slept on softer rocks."
She smiled, more at his attempt to start the day on a light note than his actual humor. Any fears she had for her father at this moment were being stuffed deep inside a box inside her, and locked away. Hopefully it would stay there, and she could hide it behind the soldier in her.
The Colonel offered another MRE to Teal'c, but he declined, saying he had eaten while they slept. Carter and the Colonel avoided each other's eyes at that, knowing what Teal'c must have seen as he had retrieved his breakfast from the cargo bay. But both knew Teal'c would be discrete and not acknowledge it.
Daniel and Janet entered a moment later, most likely woken by the Colonel. Each carried an MRE of their own, and settled against the descent pods at the far wall for breakfast. Sam joined them, giving her seat to the Colonel. There was little conversation at this point. Their objectives had been discussed at length already. And with the limited intel on exactly what they were going to find, the mission was going to be mostly improvisation. So each was lost in thought as they munched on a breakfast of lukewarm spaghetti, meatloaf, or macaroni and cheese. A breakfast of champions.
[][][]
Breakfast ended all too quickly as they got closer and closer to the Ha'tak. Trash was put away, restroom breaks taken, and then it was time to gear up. While the rest snapped on vests, masks and gloves, Teal'c moved food, water and other supplies for himself to the front of the ship. A short farewell was said, and 'good luck's' were exchanged before he sealed his friend in the cargo bay. He shunted the ventilation system so that the cargo bay was independent of the rest of the ship, and radioed to the Colonel.
"The Ha'tak will be in range in two minutes, O'Neill."
"Acknowledged. Transport us over when I give the signal." They gathered together on the ring transport. Each donned their goggles, readied their firearm of choice, and waited. Janet was positioned in the center, with the others surrounding her protectively. She was the only one wearing a backpack, which carried test tubes and other sampling equipment. Any analysis would wait until they were back on the Tel'tak or had a better idea of how many Jaffa were awaiting them on the Ha'tak.
"We are within range," Teal'c radioed as the timer on Sam's watch hit zero. It was time to go.
"Ring us over, Teal'c," the Colonel said, before turning the rest of the team. "Look alive, kids," he warned. "This just might be exciting," he finished before the rings engulfed them.
[][][]
The ring room on the Ha'tak was suspiciously empty. "We made it safe and sound," the Colonel said to Teal'c, using a modified communication device the Tok'ra had assured them the Goa'uld would not be able to detect. He prayed they were right, or the welcoming committee could be arriving momentarily.
"Let's minimize radio contact," the Colonel continued before Teal'c could respond. "We'll be in touch if we find anything remarkable."
"Acknowledged," Teal'c responded. "I shall endeavor to remain within range."
"Copy that." The Colonel had finished checking out the room, and they were now gathered at the door. The Colonel and Carter on one side, Daniel and Janet on the other, all with guns locked and loaded. Sam hit the control, and the door sprung open to reveal an empty hallway. On the Colonel signal they leap-frogged their way down the hallway until they found a reasonably technical looking room. They needed to find a computer terminal to get their bearings.
Still maintaining relative silence, the others guarded Sam as she and Daniel examined the terminal. Sam knew a lot about Goa'uld technology, but her language skills were somewhat lacking. Occasionally she would point to a word on the screen, and Daniel would whisper its meaning to her. Finding what she needed, she shut the terminal down and turned to the Colonel.
"I've located the holding cells, which is where my father most likely is if he ran into trouble, and have a good idea of our current position relative to the rest of the ship."
"Do we have any idea what kind of resistance we're going to find as we make our way there?"
"No, Sir," she answered with tension in her voice. "The ships biosensors are offline. I can't get an idea of how many are onboard, or where."
"Why would they be offline? Are there signs of battle?"
"No, Sir. Some parts of the ship are inactive, and power had been diverted to other systems, but none of the critical systems that would have been targeted in battle have been harmed." She hesitated. "There are several possibilities, Sir. They could have engaged in battle and have used power from secondary systems and currently unused portions of the ship to aid in repairs. Or, this could be a way of isolating the Jaffa themselves from information regarding the contagion and how far it has spread. Or…" she met his eyes.
"Or," he finished for her, "they know we're coming, have guessed where we're going, and don't want us to know we're about to be ambushed."
"Yes, Sir." Glances were exchanged at the four absorbed this knowledge and considered their knowledge.
"Well," O'Neill said casually. "We have no way of determining which of those possibilities is fact, and we came too far to turn around and go home just because we don't know what we're facing. Let's make our way to the holding cells as quietly and carefully as we can. Start with zats so we can leave a clean trail, just in case." He turned to Sam. "Lead the way, Major."
[][][]
The first portion of their journey, down two levels and a third of the way across the ship, passed without incident. The halls were empty, which they had been told to expect because the Ha'tak was lightly manned, but it was still very disconcerting. So far this had been too easy, and they were all waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The ambush, when it came, was overwhelming. Six Jaffa came from behind, firing with both zats and staff weapons. The team rounded a corner searching for cover, returning fire as best they could. Four to six were far from unbeatable odds for SG-1, even with Janet in place of Teal'c. Her firearms training was current, as she occasionally did treat patients in combat situations, and what she lacked in experience she made up with spirit.
It was the additional eight Jaffa that SG-1 practically ran into that took them down. If the Jaffa had wanted to kill them, they would have. Fortunately, they had orders to capture the intruders alive, if somewhat harmed. As they dodged the Jaffa in front of them, the Jaffa behind them caught up. Janet took a staff blast to the lower leg which took her down instantly, and a single shot from a zat took Daniel down nearly on top of her as he bent to help her up. Carter and O'Neill knew when they were beat, and grudgingly lowered their weapons at staff-point.
[][][]
They were led quickly disarmed, stripped of their protective equipment and vests, and led silently to a holding cell. The Colonel, couldn't help remarking at the irony of that.
"Why thank you for showing us the way," he said sarcastically, turning to the Jaffa behind him as they marched. "We couldn't have found it without you!"
The Jaffa did not respond, and continued to march them through the corridors. A Jaffa from the group in front of them carried the still unconscious Daniel, and Sam had her arm around the Doc, supporting her as best she could. She could tell Janet as in a lot of pain though, and wished they Jaffa had left them so much as a med kit.
Upon reaching the cell, the Jaffa pushed them in harshly and deposited Daniel in an indelicate heap on the floor. Sam eased Janet to the floor with her back against the wall, then faced the Jaffa who remained in the doorway.
"Take this time to rest," he said with a sneer. "Our lord Olorun will call for you soon, and you will need your strength." He left them on that optimistic note.
The Colonel turned to Sam, and raised his hands in defeat. "How come no one informed us a Goa'uld would be on board this ship?"
"Obviously the Tok'ra report was incomplete," she agreed, scanning the cell for a way out. It was somewhat more dimly lit than usual, in accordance with the shunting of power throughout the ship. Before the Colonel could continue with his rant—as valid as it might have been—her eyes fell on a form in the corner and she gasped.
"Dad!" she said, half under her breath, as she ran to his side. There were no obvious signs of injury, but she checked his unconscious form over for broken bones. She heard Daniel moaning as he came round with a bit of a headache from hitting the floor, but paid him no attention. There were no broken bones, and her father didn't respond to any particularly painful areas, but he did seem to be slowly coming around. He shifted his head back and forth without a sound, and blinked a bit.
Smoothing her hand over his forehead, which to her concern she found to be much warmer than was normal, she spoke to him. "Dad," she whispered. "I need you to wake up for me."
Her voice seemed to add the necessary encouragement he needed, because he finally seemed to gain his bearings. "Sam?" he said shaking his head. "You shouldn't be here," he protested, his voice rising.
"We're here to get you out Dad," she said, trying to keep him calm.
Too weak to sit up, but much more alert now, Jacob explained further. "You'll get sick, Sam, you can't be here."
"But the Tok'ra said it didn't affect humans?" The confusion in her voice was evident, and she prayed he didn't know what he was saying. It had to be the fever talking.
"No, no," he shook his head, and caught the eye of the Colonel who was now standing behind her crouched form. "You have to get her out of here Jack," he said. "She'll get sick."
"Why just her, Jacob," Jack asked, voicing the question both Daniel and Janet, who were now listening intently, shared.
"It's not a virus that's making them sick," Jacob explained, his eyes somewhat unfocused but his words strong. "Olokun intercepted a Tollan ship, and modified the medical technology he found on board."
"How?" Sam asked, petitioning him to explain further.
"He's using modified nanites. They use the naquadah in the Jaffa and his symbiote to maintain themselves, and work slowly to shut down the internal organs. Most humans are immune because they don't have any naquadah in their blood. But you're different, Sam, because of Jolinar. If you're in here, you're already infected."
There you go! I don't know about you, cliff-hangers drive me crazy, so hopefully i'll have the next chapter up soon. And i would like to point out that not one person caught the fact that Teal'c was on the Tel'tak, even though Hammon had said he wasn't going! That was a the result of writing in the wee hours of the morning for me, and i'm surprised i caught it. But it works out, because now he'll be able to provide backup, etc.
SG1 will be meeting Olorun in the next chapter, and they will find out exactly what his plans are for them (he has plans, trust me).
[][][]Your reviews help me write faster, so please tell me what you think![][][]