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Ch 48: KEL-NOR-REEM

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Teal'c concentrated on his breathing.

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Slowly and deeply in...

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Then slowly out.

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Controlled and yet relaxed.

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The tensions melted from his muscles.

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Simply being.

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He felt his heart beating in his chest.

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He relaxed his mind and let it drift.
Allowing thoughts and fragments to float in and out...
...without question, without judgement.

Fragments of the conversations at lunch between Daniel and Dr. Rider.
Images of O'Neill's freshly mowed lawn.
His son Ry'ac taking his vows with his wife.
Bra'tac challenging Teal'c's younger self to think beyond the typical Jaffa mind-set.
Apophis...
DanielJackson pouring over some archeological ruins.
SamanthaCarter with a light in her eyes as she figured out something new.
JackO'Neill sitting on a dock fishing.
Ishta...

The images and sounds of his life slid in and out of his subconscious.
Fragments... pieces...
Sound bites... clips...
In a gentle, shifting parade, the images and sounds brightened and then faded.
Coming from each other and then melting into the background.

He let the moments of his life wash over him.

Holding patiently to his inner stability.
Allowing his subconscious to make connections between his experiences.
Allowing his soul to grow and develop.
To learn and take meaning from that which was the life saga of this Jaffa.

Daniel Jackson's words replayed themselves clearly: "So... would it be correct to say... that you... just have this 'feeling' that they are ok?"

"It would," he heard himself answer.

"Ah," Daniel returned.

"Do you not have such feelings DanielJackson?" Teal'c heard his own voice again.

"Well actually, yes, I do... it's just... hard to define them... and hard to justify them with any facts or hard data," the archeologist returned.

"Feelings do not require facts," the Jaffa returned sagely.

Feelings do not require facts.
And he let that wash through him... to connect with other facets of his life experiences.

Feelings do not require facts.

Trekking through a forest as SG-1 explored a new planet.
SG-1 fighting side-by-side against the Goa'uld and other hostile aliens.
Living and working in the SGC. Eating breakfast in the commissary.
A myriad of alien planets and unusual encounters.
Fighting, talking, camping.

An image of the night sky with its thousands of glittering stars.
Alien stars.

So many planets explored.
So many different night skies.

He no longer questioned the unfamiliar configurations. In his travels through the Stargate, the Jaffa had trod on so many different planets that he saw a strangely reassuring familiarity in the unfamiliarity of the configuration of stars as seen from each new alien world.

The image of sparkling stars in the black night sky persisted.
He did not resist.
He did not question.
He did not focus on the star patterns.
He simply absorbed the experience.

A question floated across his subconscious.
Wondering where his comrades were in that vast vista.
But now, and in this place, he did not insist on answers.

Glittering sparks of light against a deep black.
He allowed the peace of the image to embrace his soul.

He could feel their presences.
That of JackONeill and SamanthaCarter.
He was confident that they were still alive.

Glittering sparks of light against a deep black.

Breathing slowly and deeply, his mind and soul drifted, healed and developed.

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"Teal'c!?" DanielJackson was knocking on the door to the Jaffa's quarters.

Seemlessly pulling himself from his Kel-nor-reem, he stood up fluidly and moved to open the door. "DanielJackson?" he inquired politely.

"The briefing for P3X-441 has been moved up to 1230 because Hammond just had a video-conference scheduled for 1430," the archeologist spoke quickly.

Without looking at a timepiece, the Jaffa quickly noted that there were only 10 minutes left before the rescheduled briefing time. He tilted his head slightly and then nodded, "Understood."

DanielJackson nodded distractedly as his mind checked off what he needed for the pre-mission briefing, "I have to pick up a few things from my office, so I'll meet you in the briefing room," as he was already turning and walking down the corridor.

Realizing there was little need to answer, the Jaffa began efficiently snuffing out the candles while musing over his latest kel-nor-reem session.

Two items, in particular, stood out.

The image of the alien night sky of glittering sparks of light against a deep black.

And in the background were the words
"So... would it be correct to say... that you... just have this 'feeling' that they are ok?"
"It would."

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TBC

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