Author Notes: This series, which is a sequel to my story, Home Again, has some strong language and violence. Any feedback and/or gentle criticism is greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all of you who have sent in reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it. Special thanks go to Turtle D for correcting all my mistakes.
This whole scenario stinks, O'Neill thought as he watched Jacob and Gallagher go at it. He wanted to just follow his instincts and toss all three of the Tok'ra head first through the Gate, but knew deep down that he really did need to help them.
"Jack, or should I call you Gallagher?" Jacob said. "I'll call you Gallagher, okay with you?" he asked trying to win him over. "You must remember something of that place, the layout, how to get to the Gate from the holding area?"
"Nope," Gallagher said. "Nothing comes to mind."
"Jack," Jacob said turning to O'Neill, "you both are needed on this trip, but Gallagher here could take over for you. Talk to him, will you?"
"Jacob," O'Neill said with a sigh. "The only thing I remember is the cell I was in and the route we took as I was being dragged from the sarcophagus to my cell and from my cell to Ba'al's chamber. I couldn't lead a rat through a maze, even if I wanted to." What's it going to take to convince these people?
"I believe you still have the plans of the fortress from the last time?" Janun spoke up. "They are still the same with a few minor adjustments, which we can tell you about, and once you are there, I'm sure it will all come back to you."
God, O'Neill thought as the memories swept over him. Ba'al had said something similar to him in his chambers. He felt like he was reliving all the horror of that time and he knew it was mainly because the son of a bitch who put him there and the object of his hatred was right here in this room. He clenched his fists as he debated whether he should just kill the jerk and get it over with.
He took a deep breath and turned to the Colonel, "Carter, do we have plans of the fortress?"
"Yes, sir," Carter said. She was still worried about him, he could tell and he sent her a reassuring smile. One of these days, he thought to himself. Too bad George nixed the regulations issue.
"Okay then," he said, "Jacob, you and your cronies work with Carter here to get the plans up to date. I'll go make the phone call to coordinate this with Hammond and the President and we will reconvene here tomorrow morning to finish this one way or the other." He stood up to let them all know the meeting was over and turned to Gallagher, "We need to talk," he said, knowing it would be better to get this over with as soon as possible.
"Damn straight we need to talk," Gallagher growled. "Sir."
"Come on back to see me later today. I'm going to go and try to catch Hammond before he leaves his office for the day."
Gallagher looked as if he wanted to say his piece right then, but must have thought better of it because he nodded and turned to go follow the others.
"Gallagher," O'Neill said as a thought came to him. "Remember your manners now and don't kill the guests."
"Yes, mom," Gallagher said rolling his eyes as he turned and walked away.
O'Neill stared after him for a minute before he turned and went into his office to make his phone calls.
As it happened, Hammond was in and took Jack's call. They discussed the Tok'ra's plan and Hammond reacted pretty much the same as Daniel did, anger and astonishment that the Tok'ra would even come up with this.
After talking it through, it was decided that O'Neill would be the one to go. The trip to Ba'al's fortress and back was going to take at least two months and Gallagher had classes to attend. O'Neill did not look forward to telling Gallagher this and mentally steeled himself for the battle that was threatening to take place in his office later that day.
He decided to stall the inevitable and headed off toward Carter's lab. They were all there, including Teal'c, Daniel and Gallagher.
"Well?" Jacob asked the minute he saw O'Neill. "Were you able to talk to George?"
"Yeah," O'Neill responded. "He'll be getting back to me later today or tomorrow morning with the President's decision." No use telling them that the President's approval was just a formality. They had been quite sure they would get the permission.
"We have made the modifications to the plans, sir," Carter said and pointed to the blueprints spread out on the table. "The only changes are here," she said pointing to a corridor that led to some rooms on the left side of the map. This section has been added on since you were there and Avard… I mean Kanan, tells me that this is a weapons stronghold."
"Avard is my host's name," Kanan spoke up. "You may call me Kanan, if you wish."
"How about we call you Coward," Gallagher snarled.
"Gallagher," O'Neill said warning him to watch it. "I can see the last three years have made quite an impression on you. Hanging out with people your own age can do that to you."
"Sir?" Gallagher asked, his voice was calm, but O'Neill heard the anger it was laced with.
"Be nice, now," O'Neill said trying to lighten the mood. No use making things worse when they finally get to their talk. "Just cool it, okay?"
"Yes, sir," Gallagher said as he glared at him.
"The only other change is here," Carter said bringing them all back to the plans. "This area is an addition to the Death Glider's bay."
"Ba'al has increased his inventory of Death Gliders," Janun said unnecessarily. "But we are more interested in Nirrti's ship."
"Nirrti will have told Ba'al where your home world is located," Teal'c said. "It may be necessary to take out as much of his fortress as we can."
"Won't Ba'al be suspicious if two Tok'ra just happen to be in the neighborhood wanting to trade a Tau'ri General?" Daniel spoke up.
"Do you have a better plan?" Jacob asked. "We have been working on this for some time now and this is the best we can come up with," he continued. "We will just have to push our way in and hope for the best."
"It will work," Kanan said. "Nirrti will not tell Ba'al anything until he agrees to help her and even then, she may not tell him what she needs his help for. She wants the Tok'ra home world for herself and she won't share it unless she has to."
"Unless of course Ba'al resorts to torture," Teal'c added.
"It won't come to that," Selmac said, the sound of his voice giving away the speaker. "Nirrti will tell him enough to keep him interested, but still withhold the important information."
"Selmac," Carter said looking into the eyes of her father, but talking to the Tok'ra, "What are the chances of all of us making it out alive, especially General O'Neill?"
"I would think that you, of all people, already know the answer to that question," Selmac said, looking intently into Carter's eyes. "It has always been the same for every mission."
Carter knew the answer to her question, O'Neill realized, but she just seemed to need to hear it, possibly hoping for a more positive outlook. He stood there in Carter's lab unknowingly assuming the same stance as Gallagher did earlier, hands in his pockets as he watched his former second in command. She just nodded at Selmac, then looked at O'Neill and he saw her fear and concern for him. He smiled at her hoping to take away some of the burden she was carrying and she looked away. O'Neill fought the urge to grab her and give her the hug she needed, to tell her it would be all right.
He took the professional route instead. "I'm hungry," he announced. "Anyone else interested in joining me?"
"I am," Carter said having put aside her fears.
"Me too," Daniel chimed in.
"I will join you, as well, O'Neill," Teal'c said.
"Well, that's settled then," O'Neill said. "Jacob, I hope you understand that it would be better if your friends over there," he nodded at the other Tok'ra, "not join us. Or at least sit at the very end of the table and not talk. Yeah, I think that would be best."
"Why don't you go back through the Gate and come back tomorrow morning?" Gallagher offered. "I'm sure you would be more comfortable in your own beds."
"Careful, guys," Jacob said. "If I didn't know any better, why I would think you all didn't like us," he added grinning at them.
"You, Jacob, I like," O'Neill said putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's the snakes I have a problem with. Let's go see what's cooking, shall we?"
Gallagher sat at the table with the rest of SG-1 and the General. The Tok'ra, despite General O'Neill's wishes, chose to join them while they ate. The talk at the table was dominated by Carter and her father as they got caught up on each other's lives. Daniel jumped in once or twice, but other than that, no talk of dying planets, exploding mother ships, or any violence against a certain Tok'ra for that matter.
Gallagher had too much on his mind. O'Neill had been avoiding him since the meeting with the Tok'ra and he had a bad feeling about it. It couldn't be because O'Neill was angry about the Tok'ra finding out he was the clone. No, if that was the case, the General wouldn't wait for them to be in private.
O'Neill was avoiding him for a reason and Gallagher had a sinking feeling that he wasn't going to be included in this mission. He had to go, they needed him there. He needed to be there! Damn, he should have volunteered to go instead of trying to give Jacob a hard time.
He looked over at O'Neill who suddenly thought something on his plate was extremely interesting. This only increased Gallagher's anxiety and he found himself staring at his own plate. God, he thought, they can't do this to me. Not now.
"Gallagher," the Tok'ra, Kanan, said interrupting his anxiety attack. He looked up from his plate when he recognized the voice, but stared at Teal'c, who was sitting directly across from him. He tried to hide his emotions, but the anger was so intense, he wasn't sure if it worked this time. Teal'c gave him a questioning look, but Gallagher just ignored it. Instead, he slowly turned to Kanan and said, "What?"
"May I ask you some questions regarding the fact that you are a clone," he said.
"Not here," O'Neill said.
"No," said Gallagher.
"Perhaps later," Kanan said. "I am most anxious to learn of these things."
Gallagher just ignored Kanan and went back to his fretting and picking at his food.
"Eat up, Gallagher," O'Neill said. "You're going to need your strength."
Gallagher looked over at O'Neill. Had he been wrong about him? Maybe he was still going on this mission after all. Damn it, he was getting his hopes up again.
"Yes, sir," he said.
A few hours later, Gallagher found himself outside the General's office. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door and entered when the General nodded at him.
"General, sir, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, Gallagher, come in. Shut the door, will you? Sit down. Want some coffee?" O'Neill said.
"No thanks, sir," Gallagher said wanting to get it over with.
"Gallagher," O'Neill said as he clasped his hands in front of him. "General Hammond and I have talked this over and it's been decided that you will be sitting this mission out." Trust O'Neill to get right to the point.
"Why?" Gallagher asked in a calm, but deadly voice.
"Because you are more valuable to us as an officer and the only way you are going to become an officer is if you finish your classes. You start back in a couple months and this mission is going to take much longer than that."
"I was able to test out of quite a few classes," Gallagher said, while striving for control of his anger. "I've pretty much cut off a few semesters as it is. One semester won't make or break me."
"Gallagher," O'Neill began, but Gallagher was past listening. "You can't do this to me," he said jumping up out of the chair to pace the office. "I belong here, O'Neill, you know that I do. I am willing to start at the bottom, but I need your say so. Look," he continued, placing his hands on O'Neill's desk, "I'll go out there while you stay here to keep this ship afloat. You're going out there to risk your neck for nothing! I can go in your place."
"It's not that simple, Gallagher. And believe me, I would send you out there if I could. I know more than anybody that you can handle it, but it is not entirely up to me. Besides…" He stopped and Gallagher's anxiety rose ten points.
"Besides what?" he asked, not really sure he wanted to know.
O'Neill looked away from his clone, sighed, then looked squarely in Gallagher's eyes. "Besides, you are going to be incapacitated during the next six weeks."
"I am?" Gallagher said raising one eyebrow.
"Well, we have to do something about the way you look," O'Neill said. "If we want the world to think that you are not my clone, well then it would be better if you were someone else."
"Someone else," Gallagher said flatly. "Who?"
"Plastic surgery to alter your looks," O'Neill said. "We figured that you will be involved in an accident that will require facial reconstruction. This way, no one will suspect a thing."
Smug bastard, Gallagher thought. "I see," he said as calmly as he could. "When is this 'accident' going to happen?"
"In the next couple of days," O'Neill said looking relieved. "This way you should be healed and ready for classes when school starts again."
"I have no say in this, sir?" Gallagher asked.
"Not if you want to stay in the SGC," O'Neill said quietly.
"Why can't the accident happen while I am on this mission to Ba'al's fortress?" Gallagher asked, starting to think things through.
"Classes. Academy. Any of this ring a bell? I mean, it's only been a few minutes since I told you this the last time," O'Neill said exasperated.
"C'mon, General, sir," Gallagher pleaded. "It sounds like I will only be missing one semester, it won't make or break me here," he repeated. "Besides, what happens if you aren't able to show the others the way? I could be your back up. Even better, I could go in your place."
"No," O'Neill said. "The decision's made. SG-1 and I will be heading off to Tok'ra land, while you will be heading to a hospital to do what we should have done three years ago. You were only supposed to be going on the more routine missions, anyway."
"Oh, and this is not a routine mission?" Gallagher growled. "A lot has changed since I was the commander of SG-1."
"You weren't the commander of anything," O'Neill shouted as he jumped up from his chair. "You forget that I am the original here. You're just a copy and a bad one at that."
"It appears I am good enough to be your replacement," Gallagher sneered.
"That can be easily taken care of," O'Neill warned. "Don't forget who's in charge here."
"You are, sir," Gallagher said glaring at the General, "the great Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill. And please, feel free to make sure to rub it in whenever you think it's necessary."
"Cadet, you are bordering on insubordination," O'Neill said, the anger evident in his voice.
"Yeah, well it happens," Gallagher said. "What's it like being on the other end of your insubordination?"
O'Neill just gaped at him. They were both standing on either side of the desk staring at each other. O'Neill's surprised look turned into a grin and Gallagher had to smile right back at him. It appeared he wasn't going to be able to stay mad at General O'Neill for long.
"Look, sir," Gallagher tried again. "Please, just let me go on this mission. I can be of help to you all, I know I can. I promise, I will go straight to the nearest plastic surgeon the minute I get back. Scout's honor," he said holding one hand over his heart while the other hand was raised in the Boy Scout salute.
"Gallagher," O'Neill sighed. "I don't…."
"General, I will graduate on time, I swear," Gallagher cut in. "Just give me a chance, please."
"I'll talk to Hammond," O'Neill said. "No guarantees. But yeah, I'll talk to him."
Yes, Gallagher thought. Now all he had to do was pray.