SG13 The Suicide Squad

by Cesar A

First in series. Prisoners form SG-13, the lives of the members of SG-1 and the SGC will never be the same again. Characters from JAG and West Wing appear.

7. Part 7

Chapter 13: The mission

Gabriel stood on a small hill searching the area with night vision binoculars. In his ear the comms unit went off. Reaching up to it, he pressed on it.

"Go."

"MALP has been sent back, and the mines are set. We're ready to move out."

"Good, come to me and we'll move out." He said then went back to searching the area.

Soon his three team mates were with him "Anything?" Annie asked

"Quiet out there." Gabriel muttered still searching "Too quiet, I don't like it."

Sammy looked nervous "Should we abort?" he asked, "I don't know about you guys but I got the heebeegeebees."

"Not yet." Gabriel told them "We're going east." He announced

"But the target is west of here." Link reminded him

Gabriel nodded but turned to make his way east, "I know, but I don't like this area. We go east and then slowly arc our way back west. Let's move out, I want to be far away from here when the sun comes up." He ordered, "Link you're on point, Sam you cover our rear."

"Right." Link turned and headed east trusting that Gabriel knew what he was talking about.

Queen Eondra sat on her throne looking down imperiously at the gathered Jaffa.

"Jaffa report." She ordered

Her first prime came to attention "My queen, the SG team came through just like our spy said they would. They killed the guards that protected the gate. However, they almost immediately activated the gate again and disappeared. They did not come through the west path towards the pyramid or the breeding tank. I think that they knew it was a trap and decided to go back." He told her his head bowed respectfully.

Eondra stood up and walked down the stairs "That would mean that either our spy has been detected or that these Tauri are cleverer than we thought, contact him through the usual chAnniels and see if he has heard anything. Meanwhile I think that I will not visit the breeding tanks for a few days, just to be sure. Send one of my look alikes instead, if the Tauri are still here and they try to kill her then we will have them.

"As you decree my queen." The Jaffa bowed and left.

It was almost midday when SG 13 finally came to a stop and began to make a cold camp.

Taking off his pack, Gabriel looked around "Okay, I got first watch, you guys split up the rest and get some shut eye." Gabriel announced

"No" Link told him

"No?" Gabriel was shocked; this was the first time that they were disobeying one of his orders

"That's right." Annie told him "We already discussed it, you are going to sleep now. We got the watches covered. You're still recovering."

"I'm fine." He told them not mentioning that the long march had indeed drained him

"No boss." Sam shook his head "We need you to be sharp and focused and well rested, otherwise we might not make it out of here. The only way that is going to happen is if you get plenty of rest."

Link looked at his friend putting a hand on his shoulder "Come on Gabe, we know you are hurting. Just go and get some rest, we got it covered. I got first watch"

Annie nodded "I got last watch."

Sam smiled "That means I better get some sleep." He said lying down on the ground pulling his hat over his eyes "Come on boss you know we're right."

Gabriel muttered laying down "That doesn't mean I have to like it." He told them but fell asleep almost immediately

Gabriel woke up immediately when he felt himself being shaken, opening his eyes he was surprised to see that the sun had already gone down. Checking his watch, he was shocked to see that he'd slept for twelve hours.

"Must have been more tired than I thought." He told himself looking at Annie and nodded

Annie moved off to wake the others

Stretching Gabriel did some toe touches and deep knee bends to get the kinks out. The group sat silently together and ate in silence using only hand signals to communicate with each other. Finally they collected all their garbage and buried it deep and covered it with some branches, they brushed over their tracks and any signs of their camp and moved out.

"Okay" Gabriel whispered to them, "We continue east for two more hours then we gradually arc north and back around to the west. That means we should come up from behind the tanks, we'll make our plans there when we see what were up against."

The next seven days were pretty much the same, the group marched all night long and didn't stop until midday, they rested for twelve hours, this made sure that everyone got eight hours sleep except for Gabriel who got the full twelve although he did protest everyday. The camp was always cold, no fires, no coffee or any hot drinks. MRE's were the meal morning noon and night. Slowly they kept to their timetable, they were in no rush, moving mile after mile in a giant semi circle. It was a big gamble, but going west just didn't seem right to Gabriel and he trusted his instincts. Something told him that going west was definitely a bad idea, the only problem with that plan though was what was supposed to be a days march was now into its seventh day.

The Jaffa approached his queen and got down on one knee "My queen, it has been seven days, and still no sign of the Tauri."

Queen Eondra looked at the Jaffa and leaned back on her golden throne "What of my double?" she asked

"She has visited the breeding area three times, each time we moved away and left her unguarded. Nothing unusual occurred."

"When was the last time that you did this?"

"This morning my queen."

Eondra nodded satisfied that the Tauri had simply turned back afraid of her, a fact that pleased her greatly.

"What word from our spy?" she asked

"He tells us that the Tauri team has returned to their home world to try and regroup."

"So then they will try again." Eondra nodded understanding

"If that is there intention then our spy will contact us again and warn us as he did this time." The Jaffa was sure

"Yes Jaffa you are correct." Eondra smiled, standing she sashayed down the stairs her hips moving provocatively "We have frightened them off." She laughed happily, "I will visit the tanks tomorrow." She informed him "It has been too long since I have seen my offspring." She ordered

"As you wish my queen." Bowing once more the Jaffa stood and made his way out.

Gabriel and his team arrived at the edge of the clearing soon after nightfall. Surveying the area, they could see that the entire area was free of Jaffa or of any traps. Sam tapped Gabriel on the shoulder and pointed to the large hills that weren't very far away, not more than a mile or two. Gabriel nodded and pointed to the hill. Sam gave them a jaunty salute and moved off to find his spot. Gabriel studied the uneven terrain and smiled, clumps of large grass were spaced out all over the field and around the tanks. That would make it just that much easier to conceal them and to blend into the background. Tapping Annie he pointed to the tanks, nodding Annie lay down and began to crawl to the tanks where she would make her camouflage to blend in. Finding a good spot for himself, he tapped Link and pointed to another point where they could catch the Jaffa in crossfire. Link also nodded and laid himself out, as did Gabriel and they made their way to their positions. The group moved slowly making sure that they didn't disturb the area that they were infiltrating. They couldn't take the chance of someone spotting them before it was all over. Finally, four hours later Gabriel reached his spot and immediately set to the task of making his cammo gear, that done, he pulled out a small shovel and began to dig a shallow area up so that he could lie comfortably and wait out the rest of the night. Stealing a glance, he was pleased to note that Link was already digging his shallow ditch as well and about to settle in and wait. Looking over at the small open-faced structure that housed the larvae, he couldn't see anything at all, which meant that Annie was already in position and waiting. Settling himself down he reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture of Daisy and Josie that had been taken a few weeks ago when they first visited.

"Soon my darlings." He promised kissing the picture then putting it away, grabbing onto his rifle he peered at the sun, which was just starting to rise.

Eondra moved with grace and purpose, but still she kept her pace slow. Eondra enjoyed coming out here in the mornings just after the sun has risen. Everything smelled so fresh and clean; the morning dew still glistened on the plants and trees. It was much better than the afternoons when the sun was high in the sky and the temperatures were climbing. It made the walk seem interminable and it made her feel sticky, she hated that feeling. Her six Jaffa warriors kept their pace with her and although they knew that, they could move a lot faster than they were. There was no way that they would tell the Queen Goddess that she should hurry. To the warriors there was no thought if it was a nice day or if in fact, it was raining or snowing. They had a mission to accomplish, to see that their queen remained safe and they intended to do just that. They approached the open field where the tanks lay, two of the Jaffa sprinted ahead to ensure that no one was anywhere near the area and to dispatch anyone who was there.

Gabriel immediately saw the two Jaffa run in to the open area and begin to scan the area carefully. This is where they had to hold their breath; they knew that Jaffa's had better senses than they did. Everything had to be perfect otherwise, this whole exercise was just a waste of time and they might as well just shoot themselves and save the Jaffa the trouble of doing it. Carefully reaching up he pressed his comm unit just once letting out a ping to warn the others to get ready; three individual pings told him that the others were ready. The waiting was beginning to get to all of them when finally they saw the queen approach. Gabriel just stared at her, she was so young and beautiful, and she was practically naked wearing next to nothing in the way of clothing. Pausing at the edge of the field she looked around as well, smiling she made her way to the structure followed by more Jaffa, six in all. Gabriel tensed and released the safety on his weapon.

Annie heard the ping in her ear; she knew that the queen was now approaching her position. Annie ached to move to face the direction that the queen was coming from and to watch her approach. This way she could at least see how many Jaffa she had with her. Instead Annie laid still, she couldn't take the chance that anyone might notice her moving, that would blow the entire plan to hell. Time ticked away and Annie kept still just moving enough to use a finger to wipe the sweat from her brow, to keep it from going into her eyes.

"Where is this BITCH!" she fumed silently "Let's get this done and over with."

Suddenly a pair of sandals appeared before her not three feet from her position. From the shape of the feet and the legs that they were attached to, Annie knew it was the queen herself and she was stepping up to the tank.

"Hello my children." A voice said lovingly

Annie almost puked where she was, how could anyone love those ugly aliens. Gripping her Zat tightly she waited for the go ahead.

Sam Pierson laid down on the top of the hill, his olive green baseball cap turned backwards he sighted his scope counting out targets. Then moving his rifle up he looked at the area that they had just come from. Seeing nothing, he switched his scope to thermal imaging and scAnnied again, still nothing. Good that meant that they had no back up waiting to pop out on them if things went wrong. Aiming downwards again he saw that the Queen was now actually by the tank and just a few feet from where Annie was. Scanning quickly he saw that the nearest Jaffa to the queen were standing several feet away and facing away from the Queen he knew that he couldn't miss. Tucking the rifle securely against his shoulder he waited for her to just take one step back, just one was all he needed.

"Thwup." Was all the sound the rifle made as it bucked in his hands, it sounded like a small cough. Quickly he sighted on the nearest guard and squeezed the trigger again.

Gabriel waited, he knew that it would be any second now and Sam would take his shot.

Link was taken by complete surprise, one moment the queen was turning around and the next her head practically disappeared and blood erupted into the air, she never made a sound. Throwing up his camouflage, he opened silent deadly fire.

Annie watched and waited; she knew it was now or never. The only view she had was that of the Queens legs, but still she knew when the shot had been fired. She hadn't heard a thing but the way those legs stiffened for a second and then buckled Annie knew that Sam had done his job. Jumping up Annie saw that the guards still hadn't noticed a thing, looking down Annie almost lost her lunch. There was no need for a Zat here, the woman's head was almost completely gone and blood was pumping out of the body. Annie could see that the bullet had even caught the Goa'uld inside the woman. Annie swallowed and quickly pulled the trigger three times on the woman, just as she was ordered. Hearing a startled cry, she looked up and she saw that one of the Jaffa was lifting his weapon at her. Before she could raise her Zat, she saw the man cut down in front of her. Quickly she squeezed three more shots at him and ran around the building for cover. More muted fire could be heard then suddenly stopped.

"Annie you're clear." She heard in her ear "Zat them and get your ass back to our position."

Nodding Annie made her way around again "Okay gotcha." Quickly she zatted the other dead Jaffa and ran to meet Gabriel and Link.

"You okay?" Gabriel asked as she approached

With a smile on her face, she breathed a sigh of relief "No problem."

"Good" Gabe slapped her on the shoulder and activated his comms "Baby bear how's our egress."

"Clear as far as the eye can see papa bear." He said

"Won't be for long." Gabriel muttered pulling out a remote and activating it then he pressed the red button.

The explosion was deafening as the group hit the ground to avoid falling debris. They stood up again and looked at the area where the tank and structure had been. There was nothing left of it except for some powder.

"Damn that was loud." Link rubbed his ears

Gabe nodded staring at the ruins before him "Yeah come on let's book, before reinforcements come to check out the explosion." Heading towards the stargate Gabriel picked up the pace "Double time all the way." He ordered and started running to the gate.

It was four hours later when they finally arrived at the gate, standing at the edge of the tree line they saw the large group of Jaffa standing there a death glider also sitting there waiting for the group to come back.

"Oh shit." Annie muttered lifting her rifle into position and jacking in a round.

"I count twelve." Link muttered to them

"Where in relation to the mines?" Gabriel asked as he scoped the situation

Link shook his head "Too far back." He told them "I planted them about fifteen feet from their position." He shrugged at Gabriel's angry look "Hey I didn't want to blow up the DHD as well." He defended

Gabriel shook his head "You're right I'm sorry, I just thought that we could get out of here before these guys showed up." He told them frustrated at this new development

"Probably more on the way." Sam pointed out

"Scan our backside." Gabriel ordered tapping the rifle

Lifting the rifle Sam activated the heat thermal imaging again. "Shit" he muttered "Large force of Jaffa approaching from our six, about two miles back and they are moving at a good clip."

"How soon?" Annie asked suddenly very worried

Sam shrugged as he watched them move "At their present speed seven, eight minutes. I count about fifty maybe more it's hard to tell."

"Okay" Gabriel nodded "This is not good." He announced looking back towards the gate "Anybody bring any surprises that I should know about?"

The group shook their heads

Grimly Gabriel shook his head "Okay we do this the hard way." He told them ejecting his clip he put in a fresh one "Everyone reload, I want a fresh clip for everyone. Sam, how many can you take quickly before we rush them."

"Four, and that's pushing it." He told them

"Do it." He ordered "Once the last one falls we go for it. Annie you're on the DHD, Link you send the code. Sammy you fire your shots take out the guards closest to the DHD, you drop that cannon and take up your primary weapon."

Sammy checked his machine gun, slapped in the clip, and jacked in a round. Then he lifted the giant rifle and got down on one knee. Then he opened fire. It took several seconds for the group to see that several of their number had fallen. Finally, they did and they went to their comrades to see what happened, when they realized the truth they spun and raised their weapons, but SG 13 was already on top of them.

Machine gun fire erupted as SG 13 went into close quarters combat. Getting right into the faces of the Jaffa from no more then five feet, they attacked. More Jaffa were cut down instantly, while others bought up their staff weapons. They only realized too late that the Tauri had closed the distance so much that their weapons were useless they began to reach for Zats. Gabriel ran out of ammo and had no time to reload, slamming the butt of his rifle into the face of the nearest Jaffa with one hand while grabbing his sword with the other. The blade swished through the air removing body parts and screams and blood filled the small area. Annie reached the DHD and quickly inputted the code. Turning she opened fire on all the Jaffa around her hitting the center activation button with her elbow when something hit her in the stomach. Crying out in pain, she quickly reached down and grabbed the Jaffa's hand before he could shove the blade in, with the other, she raised her weapon shoving the weapon right into the Jaffa's face and fired, blood and brains covered her. Ponderously the gate began to turn and a lifetime later, it opened. Link and Sammy were back to back each firing at the Jaffa, suddenly Link ran out of ammunition.

"RELOADING" he shouted and dropped his clip slamming in a fresh one in instantly, looking up he saw a Jaffa about to fire a zat at him "SAMMY!"

Sam swiveled around and cut the Jaffa down the Zat shot went wild as Link began to open fire again.

"Thanks!" he shouted

"Anytime."

Link looked up and saw that it was over, the Jaffa all laid either dead or wounded.

"How is everyone?" Gabriel called out "Link?

"Yo!'

"Sam."

"Right here."

"Annie." Nothing "Annie!" the panic was starting to rise in his voice.

Gabriel went to the DHD and looked down he saw Annie her face covered in blood she lay panting trying to catch her breath a knife sticking out of her side, through her ribs.

"Link!" Gabriel yelled falling to his knees quickly checking for a pulse

Link came over quickly and opened her jacket "It may have got her lung, we gotta get her outta here." He told Gabriel

Gabriel nodded dumbly "Send the signal, Sam you cover and come on through."

Gritting his teeth Gabriel lifted the heavy woman as gently as he could "You hang on Annie." He ordered

"I'll tttry..." she whispered gritting her teeth her side burning with the pain.

Link appeared first through the gate and immediately saw Janet and her team waiting

"Move" he waved them forward

Gabriel came through next carrying Annie and gently lowered her onto the gurney.

"Move!" Janet told her team and they rushed her out immediately

"Welcome back SG 13."

Chapter 14: Second Thoughts

"General, Colonels." Gabriel looked up spotting both Kennedy and O'Neill were there with the rest of SG1. Gabriel and the rest of SG 13 began to drop their weapons off with the guards and had their explosives removed, when Colonel Kennedy came into the gate room followed by Colonel O'Neill.

Kennedy stared at his men "Get to medical and get checked out." He ordered seeing that the group was covered in blood "We'll debrief in the morning, I'll contact the Tok'ra and have them send their representative to join us. Dismissed."

Gabriel nodded just wanting to take a shower, change and go see Annie.

"Showers first, I hope?" Link asked feeling extremely dirty

"Oh yeah." Gabriel nodded "Hey Jack how's it going." He inquired distractedly his mind a million miles away.

Jack grimaced at the sight of the team "Better than you guys obviously, what the hell happened to you?"

"Got into a fight with some Jaffa." Sammy told him

Link smiled "Yeah they didn't want us using their gate, we had to convince them otherwise."

"How did you do that?" Daniel asked naively

"Well none of this blood is ours." Gabriel pointed out taking off the jacket disgustedly

Daniel blinked, "Oh" he said simply

"Shit I got blood on my shirt too, pants." Gabriel shook his head disgustedly, suddenly he began to get nervous, and the feeling of being covered in blood was just more than he could stand. What made it all the worse was that some of that blood belonged to Annie, his friend, the friend that he had just failed. "Aww fuck this." He announced and ripped off the shirt, kicked off his boots and pulled off his pants. Standing there in boxer shorts, he mumbled and threw them in a pile and walked out.

"What none of you ever seen a man in his underwear before!" they could hear him yelling as he walked down the passageway.

"Well he certainly doesn't embarrass easy." Jack commented heading for the door

Sam whose jaw fell open when Gabriel started removing his clothing "Well sir." She began blushing crimson "From what I saw he has nothing to be embarrassed about." Looking at the control booth, she laughed, "They don't think so either."

Looking up they saw all the female technicians with their faces plaster against the glass.

Chuckling Jack slapped Daniel on the back "Looks like you've finally got some competition for the ladies attention. You want to strip too, give them an encore."

"JAACCKK" Daniel blushed at the very thought

Laughing Sam pulled him through the door "No sir that show is for my eyes only."

Gabriel thought that he was heading for the showers, he felt dirty the blood that covered him making him sick to his stomach. Unbidden thoughts churning through his head, like was he right, or was there another way that the situation could have been handled in. Gabriel was so completely engrossed that when he looked up finally he saw that his feet had led him somewhere else. Deciding to hell with it, he burst into the infirmary still clad only in his underwear, when Janet and her nurses looked up.

Janet's jaw dropped and the nurses were lining up to look

"Dr. Fuentes where are your clothes?" she asked staring unashamedly at his body

Gabriel shrugged rubbing blood stained hands across his arms suddenly feeling very cold and lost. "They're covered in blood, I couldn't stand it anymore." He explained, sitting on a table he stared at Janet "Well are you going to check me out or what?" he asked tiredly wanting to do nothing more than just sleep for the next twelve years or so.

"I already did and you look FINE." Was on the tip of her tongue quashing the desire to say that, she moved over and began to give him his physical.

"How's Annie?" he asked worriedly as Janet took his blood pressure and blood sample

"She's in surgery right now." Janet told him drawing out the needle from his arm "From what I saw she is lucky the knife didn't penetrate as deeply as it could of." She patted him on the shoulder "You're fine, we should know more about Dr. Yates's condition in about an hour."

"Good it will give me time to shower and get some fresh clothes."

"How did your mission go?" Janet asked curiously

He held his hands in front of his eyes, Janet paled to see that they were covered in blood "It was a blood bath, literally." He told her "We had to go toe to toe with a dozen Jaffa." Gabriel shook his head "That's how Annie got hurt. It's my fault, I should have thought of something." Looking around he lowered his voice "Janet can I tell you something, between you and me?" he asked

Surprised Janet took a seat "Of course you can, but if you want I can get Daisy." She offered

"No, I don't want her to know this." Looking around again he whispered to her "I don't think that I'm going to make it." He told her

"You can't think that way Gabriel." Janet whispered back looking around suddenly worried about his mental state.

Gabriel shook his head; suddenly to Janet he looked like a lost five year old. His eyes were wide with fear, a look that Janet never thought that she would see on his face. "I've been lucky so far, I've been able to come up with some pretty good plans. But Janet I'm not a leader, the closest I ever got to leadership is 3IC of a SEAL team. I'm guessing here, oh I put on a good show that I'm in control, but I'm slipping and because of that Annie is laying in there with a knife in her gut. Simon is dead; I got busted up all to hell. I'm not cut out to lead, I don't have the experience, and I'm afraid I'm going to get my people killed by guessing. I almost got them all killed today by rushing a dozen Jaffa and hoping to catch them by surprise."

Janet sat in shock; she didn't know what to do "Gabriel I don't know...."

Gabriel shook his head snapping out of it his eyes turning dark and somber "Don't worry about it, I don't expect you to have the answers." He told her "I just needed to tell someone. I can't tell Kennedy or he'll send me back, I can't tell Daisy cause I can't take away her hope, I can't tell my men or they won't follow any of my orders. I just needed to get it off my chest. Thanks for listening." He told her getting up he left to go grab his shower.

"Jack, I have to speak to Jack about this." She thought, "Maybe he can think of something."

Gabriel leaned against the white tile in the shower, his head pounding, searching for answers of what he could have done. He couldn't think of a single thing that he could have done differently.

"That's the difference between you and someone like O'Neill, he would have thought of something. He wouldn't have panicked and come up with a half-assed nitwit plan as he did. Now Annie was paying the price for that costly error. Leaning back, he put his face into the stream of water feeling the icy coldness hitting him; he tried to let the water wash it all away. Finally, an hour later he stepped out from the shower and into the locker room. Quickly he got dressed wanting to get back to medical and see how Annie was doing. She had to make it, she just had to, he couldn't lose her too.

"Excuse me are you Doctor Fuentes?" A voice called to him

Gabriel looked up seeing an officer he'd never seen before "Yeah that's me, who are you?"

"Colonel Maybourne." The man smiled, it never quite reached his eyes.

"What do you want Colonel?" Gabriel asked tying his shoes just wanting to get to medical

"I work for a different military organization from this one." He began

"So?" Gabriel reached down to tie his other shoe.

"We want you to come to work for us, I think that you will find that working for us will be a lot more beneficial than working for the SGC."

"Who are you?" Gabriel asked incredulously then shook his head "Forget I asked, I don't know and truthfully I don't give a shit." He said standing up reaching for his t-shirt.

Maybourne continued as if Gabriel hadn't said anything "I work for the NID, and we will offer you a parole if you would just do one mission for us. We will set you up with a new identity, a house, money, just about anything, you want. You can live out the rest of your life in comfort." He offered

"One mission?" Gabriel stared at the man; this could be a trap to test his loyalty, on the other hand, one mission. Gabriel shook his head "No thanks, for you to offer to let me go for just one mission it must really be something crazy." Grabbing his jacket, Gabriel began to put it on. "Besides I already took an offer, I can't go back on my word." The damn sleeve wasn't cooperating; Gabriel looked back and jammed his arm through the hole when he felt something hit his chest. Looking down he saw a dart sticking out from his chest. Looking up surprised he saw a man by the door, a man he recognized as working for the SGC.

"Lt Drake?" he asked the armorer as he fell to the floor unconscious

"I'm afraid that I must insist." Maybourne looked at the unconscious man

"Shit Maybourne he saw me." Drake began to look around nervously, damn Maybourne for making him do this. He liked Fuentes, he liked all of SG 13 especially Sam Pierson, the man was sexy and he loved weapons as much as David Drake did.

"Don't worry Lt., Dr. Fuentes here will be dead soon enough." Maybourne promised him "However we must find another way to control him, any ideas?" he asked looking at Drake "Remember what I'll do to you if you don't cooperate completely." He threatened

Drake nodded instantly he remembered and now he felt sick to his stomach, how the hell did it come to this, he wondered, "He has a daughter, she lives here in town I don't know exactly where though. He'd do anything for her."

Smiling evilly Maybourne grabbed the mans legs "Give me a hand and let's get him into that crate. Then wheel him up to the truck just like any other normal delivery. My men are waiting for this package."

"Okay what about his daughter?" Drake asked placing Gabriel in the crate and sealing it up worried about what Maybourne would do to the girl and cursing his own cowardice.

"I'll call some of my men, it will be taken care of." Maybourne promised

Chapter 15: Complications

"Jack!" Janet called out across the commissary "I'm glad I finally found you."

"What's wrong doctor?" he asked formally looking at the others around the room

Janet cringed, she'd almost blown their cover "Sorry sir, but I think we have a problem."

"Let's sit down." He motioned to a table where the rest of SG 1 was sitting

Taking seats, Jack looked worriedly at the woman before him "Now tell me what's wrong Janet."

Lowering her voice Janet leaned across the table "It's Gabriel, he came into medical in only his underwear." She began

Jack smiled remembering the faces of the women plastered against the glass "Yeah you should have seen the reactions from the people in the control room."

Janet shook her head "Jack this is serious." Looking around again she told them "Gabriel told me, that he doesn't think that he's going to make it much longer."

"What?" Daniel was shocked and leaned into the conversation

"He's never been in charge before." She explained to the group "He told me that the closest he ever got to leadership was as a 3IC. He's spent the last ten years in prison worrying only about keeping himself alive and not about a team under his command. Now he's been thrust into this situation where he has to make all the decisions, he thinks that he doesn't have the experience to lead his men. He thinks that it's his fault that Simon Pierson is dead, and that Dr. Yates is lying in the infirmary now."

"That's not true." Jack told her "He's a very good leader, he looks out for his people as best he can. His plan to get Jacob and Naream out of that Goa'uld strong hold was brilliant and almost perfectly executed. It was just bad luck that they got spotted at the last second. That could have happened to anyone."

"HE doesn't see it that way." Janet told him "He thinks that the mission was a failure because he got hurt. He thinks that he failed this mission because Dr. Yates was hurt."

Jack looked down at his coffee and pushed it away "I spoke to Sam and Link about what happened."

"What did happen?" Asked Sam "What was their mission anyway?" All they heard before hand was the odds that success were low and the odds of survival were even less but they had never been told specifics. Yet, somehow Gabriel managed to accomplish the mission and bring all his people back. Except that Annie was hurt, and even that wasn't too serious, Sam had already talked to Daisy about that. The knife had hit muscle, painful but not life threatening. In fact Annie should be up and around in a few days.

Jack looked around the room then leaned close to the table "They're mission was to go in and do two things, first neutralize a Goa'uld queen who was breeding larvae like it was going out of style. Second to blow up the breeding tank with all the larvae still inside." He told them, the shock written on their faces was enough. Sure, they had faced the likes of Hathor before, but even then, it wasn't something that they had actually plAnnied to do. In fact, they had always hoped never to run into that particular queen ever again. To actually go after one intentionally was insane, with the amount of guards they usually had, queens were highly valued and they were protected accordingly.

Jack continued, "They pulled their missions off without a hitch and high-
tailed it out to the gate. But when they got there, a dozen Jaffa were waiting for them. The mines that they planted were out of range and they had about fifty or more Jaffa coming up from behind. He did what anyone would do; take your chances with the smaller force. He ordered Sammy to silence the guards nearest to the DHD with that sniper rifle, then they rushed them." Jack shook his head that took a lot of balls to do "They closed the distance so that the Jaffa couldn't use their staff weapons, and they caught them by surprise. They went toe to toe with them, there was no time to reload so Gabriel had to use his sword and chop his way through. Annie dialed the DHD that must have been when she got stabbed. They took out the others and went through the gate before the back up could arrive. He did the right thing, they'd all be dead if he had hesitated."

Janet shivered, that was why Gabriel's hands were covered in blood, chopping through Jaffas must be messy work.

"Could you talk to him Jack, tell him that?" Janet pleaded with him "You know better than I what would happen if he starts second-guessing himself out in the field."

Jack nodded having seen it far too often himself "He'd get himself and probably his team killed." He agreed

Standing up Jack patted Janet on the shoulder "Don't worry, I'll talk to him right now." He promised before leaving.

They sat around a few minutes talking about what they could do to help in this latest situation. When an airman came up to the table.

"Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel turned and saw an airman standing there "Yes airman Shultz?"

"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but there is a Lt Colonel Mackenzie who wishes to speak to you."

Daniel looked surprised; he thought that Sarah had left weeks ago "Would you escort her down please."

"Yes sir." The airman turned and left

"Lt Colonel Mackenzie?" Janet asked curious and actually anxious to meet one of Daniel's ex's and see for herself what kind of women Daniel was attracted to "I thought you said that she left and was back in Virginia?"

Daniel shrugged "I thought she had too."

Fifteen minutes later Sarah Mackenzie walked into the commissary alongside Commander Rabb, following behind were two younger junior officers.

Sam and Janet began to rise when Mac waved to them "Please stay seated." Smiling she reached a hand out to Sam "Samantha it's nice to see you again and finally have a chance to talk to you, Daniel has told me a lot about you."

Sam smiled back taking the hand "I'm sorry about missing your lunch the last time but I had prior commitments."

"That's alright." Sarah waved it away "Maybe we can reschedule sometime."

"I'd like that." Sam said sincerely "Would you care to sit?" Looking at Teal'c she was relieved to note that he'd put on his baseball cap covering his golden tattoo.

"Sarah I thought that you went back to Virginia?" Daniel began "Hello Harm." He said shaking hands "Harriet, Bud."

"Daniel" Harm shook the hand

Daniel introduced the others "This is Major Doctor Janet Fraiser, and that is Sergeant Teal."

"Doctor, Sergeant." Harm shook hands

Janet was staring at the beautiful Lt Colonel and shook her head; well whatever you thought about Daniel Jackson, he certainly did have good taste in women.

"So what brings you back to our neck of the woods." Daniel asked

"Well, we came to talk to Dr. Fuentes." Sarah began "But the General is already gone, and I didn't know who else to talk to about this. So I thought of you."

Harriet and Bud stared at the large Jaffa with unconcealed fascination. The man sat ramrod straight with his hands folded in front of him, however they could both tell that this man could explode into action at any moment.

Daniel shrugged helplessly "Well I don't know where Gabe is at the moment. I know he is around somewhere."

Harm looked surprised "you mean he's not locked up?" he asked looking around the table

"No" Janet told the handsome commander "He has been lo-jacked."

At their confused stares, Sam supplied "He wears a tracking device, it tells us exactly where he is at all times."

"What did you want to see Gabe about?" Daniel asked curiously

"I'm sorry Daniel." Sarah smiled "Attorney/Client privilege, I can't discuss it."

Harriet looked across the table at Daniel "Daniel I read one of your articles recently."

"Did you?" Daniel asked surprised "That's funny I haven't written any articles in a long time."

"I found an old magazine, when I saw your name in it I had to pick it up." She said handing him the magazine.

Taking it Daniel smiled remembering the hard times back then "I remember this article, it helped seal the coffin on my academic career."

"Really let me see, I never knew you wrote articles." Sam told him surprised

Daniel shrugged handing over the magazine "Well you know the saying, publish or perish."

Sam opened it to the article, the small picture showed a younger Daniel smiling, then she began to read the article and a frown crossed her face, Janet reading over her shoulder looked at Daniel surprised.

The group noticed immediately the others reactions innocently Harriet smiled at the group "So where do you keep the Star Gate?"

It had all been plAnnied to provoke a response, Harm and Mac had thought that it would be fun to see their reactions. However, they hadn't expected the reactions from the others.

Immediately after the innocent words were spoken the commissary went completely dead silent. All conversations ceased and heads snapped to face the table. The two guards who were at the door escorting the guests immediately pointed the rifles in their direction.

"Where did you hear that word?" Sam asked suddenly very serious "Teal'c" she ordered

Teal'c stood up and was an imposing figure at the end of the table. Sarah looked at Daniel and he too was staring at them oddly. Suddenly, their plan wasn't looking too good.

Jack O'Neill entered the room scratching his head confused; Gabriel was nowhere to be found. Neither Link nor Sam had seen him since they had returned. He wasn't in the infirmary, in the gym, or in the rec-room. Suddenly Jack stopped in the middle of the commissary, the place was dead silent. Looking around he saw that all the personnel were staring at one table, his table. Sitting there was that good looking lawyer that Daniel had dated, that commander and two others he'd never seen. Turning he saw that the guards had their weapons pointed at the table.

"What?" he yelled wanting to know what the hell was going on.

Snapped out of it Sam looked at her commanding officer "Colonel, they just asked about the Stargate."

Jack moved over to the table, Rabb looked up and saw a no nonsense superior officer standing in front of him.

"What was that Major?" he asked again to be sure that he'd heard correctly

"They asked about the gate sir." She said handing him the magazine she'd been holding and the copy of Gabriel's thesis and the e-mail she'd recovered from their belongings.

Jack began to quickly scan the article, sighing he looked at his suddenly very silent archeologist "GODDAMIT, Daniel what is this." He said slapping the magazine down on the table.

"Don't look at me Jack, I wrote that article long before I came here." He defended

"I also found these sir."

Jack saw that it was a copy of Gabriel's thesis "What? Do they give these out to everyone who buys a pack of gum?" Then reading the e-mail his eyes bugged out "Guards!" he ordered

"SIR!" both guards stepped forward

"Escort our guests to lockup." He ordered

"Sir" Harm protested, "You don't have the authority to detain us."

Jack got into his face "Commander you are lucky I didn't order them to shoot." He said icily "Take them, Teal'c you go with them any trouble you have my permission to hurt them, they try to escape your orders are to shoot."

"Of course O'Neill." The Jaffa went over to them "Please come this way, and do not attempt anything or I will be forced to damage you."

"Daniel?" Sarah asked confused as the guards led them away

"I'll do what I can." He promised her

"Well that worked out just great." Harm told the others sitting in a metal chair, Mac sat opposite him and Bud and Harriet sat on the one cot in the room. Two guards stood outside the doors

"We should have kept our suspicions to ourselves." Mac agreed "Now what are we going to do?"

Harm shrugged leaning the chair back with his hands behind his head "Well I'm hoping that your ex-boyfriend can talk some sense into that Colonel, or get the general down here."

"Do we really want that sir?" Bud asked nervously

"What do you mean Bud?" Mac asked tiredly

"If the General finds out, then the Admiral finds out." He pointed out reasonably

"Oh no." Harm groaned "And you know how he hates to be woken up in the middle of the night."

General Hammond strode down the passageway a deep scowl on his face. After receiving Colonel O'Neill's phone call, he had immediately called A.J. Chedwiggen, who had absolutely no idea what his people were doing. Hammond told him that they were being detained for the time being until it was decided whether or not they posed a security risk. Chedwiggen said he knew some people who might be helpful in getting them clearance and that he'd be there personally first thing in the morning. Then on arriving at the base he was then informed again by O'Neill that Gabriel Fuentes had disappeared, his tracking device was off line, and that he had ordered an immediate search of the base. So Hammond was not happy when he entered the cell and four officers jumped to their feet.

"General on deck." Harm announced coming to attention

Hammond walked past each one giving them the meanest look that he could muster; he knew that they were all nervous now.

"I was on the phone with your Admiral, not two hours ago." He began "I asked him why were JAG personnel here and why they were asking about my project." Staring at them he saw Rabb was beginning to say something when the general held up a warning hand, he closed his mouth "The Admiral told me that he had no idea why they were doing that. That they were supposed to ask a few follow up questions with Dr. Fuentes. Now." He looked at them taking a seat "You are going to tell me all that you know about this project, you are also going to tell me how you dug this information up. How you came into possession of that e-mail, and then I'm going to decide what I'm going to do with the four of you. So sit down and start explaining and if you leave anything out." The general warned "Anything at all, I promise you that I will make you all wish that your daddies had kept it in their pants the night they conceived you all."

"Colonel! I've found something." An airman called out from the locker room.

Jack ran into the locker room and found the airman crouched on the ground by Gabriel's locker.

"What?" he asked

"Looks like a traq-dart sir." The airman pointed to it "I haven't touched it sir."

Jack knelt down, stared at the offending object, and stood up his anger also rising "Good, Airman Reeves." He called out.

"Sir!" an airman appeared at the door

"Get a team down here and have them dust this dart for prints." He ordered and turned to the other airman "No one touches it until they get here, after they are through get it to Doctor Fraiser, have her run a DNA test on the blood and test for what's inside."

"Yes sir." The airman took up position "Sir if someone should ask where shall I tell them you went?"

"Down to the secure room." He said pointing to a concealed camera "See if we got this on tape."

"So you see sir, it was just dumb luck that we accidently stumbled on to what you are doing here." Rabb finished

"And the E-mail?" he asked not quite sure whether to believe it or not

"Sir" Bud stood up at attention "I found it sir, it was buried in a lot of junk. I found it when I did a search of the names of Dr. Jackson, Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill."

"It was just there to find?" The general asked incredulously

Bud nodded "Yes sir, like I said sir I just sifted through a ton of junk and found it. I guess someone just forgot to erase it from the mainframe."

"Unbelievable." Hammond shook his head, after all of their precautions, they had been found out so easily. Well at least this would prove valuable in the long run. And at least it was other military officers that found it and not some civilians, or God forbid reporters.

"Sir what is going to happen to us now?" Harriet asked nervously, suddenly thinking of her children.

Hammond relented, his anger beginning to subside and sighed "Well lieutenant, that sort of depends on your Admiral. A.J. is going to make some phone calls tonight and see if he can get you clearance. If he succeeds then we will take you into our confidence and show you why this has to remain top-top secret, then we will allow you to go on your way."

"If not?" Harm asked

"Let's cross that bridge if we come to it, son."

The group relaxed, the general had calmed down and the Admiral was working on getting them released.

"Until then you have a choice." He told them "You can either stay down here where I know that you are out of our way, or if I have your word as officers that you will not wander around this base. I will allow you the use of one of our VIP suites, you will all have to share it though, I'm having enough problems tonight as it is without worrying about you four."

"Thank you very much sir." Mac stood at attention "That would be most appreciated and is most generous of you."

"Don't thank me." He told them standing "Thank Doctor Jackson for speaking so eloquently on your behalf, he was even able to get Colonel O'Neill to calm down."

"That was Colonel O'Neill?" Harm asked remembering the cold eyes that had stared at him and realized that the former black ops man would probably have no problems making them disappear permanently.

"Yes commander, and Colonel O'Neill takes guarding this facility extremely seriously." Looking over his shoulder, he called out "Doctor Jackson."

"Yes sir." Daniel appeared almost immediately

"Would you escort our guests to the VIP suite on level 14 please and stay with them until the Admiral arrives. Which should be in a couple of hours. Oh, you say nothing to them about our project until we get confirmation of their clearance. Then SG 1 and myself will debrief them."

"It would be a pleasure sir." As Hammond walked away, Daniel stopped him "Sir, if you don't mind my asking, how did you know I was there?"

Hammond smiled he knew the archeologist so well "Your friends were in trouble, where else would you be son." Turning he headed towards the door, and onto the next problem.

Daniel stood there a moment his mouth open, and then shook his head "I didn't know I was so predictable. Well guys come on, let's get out of here." Daniel motioned to them obviously relieved that it was all working out.

"Colonel, any word yet." Hammond asked walking into the security office

Jack slammed his fist into his hand "Janet has confirmed that the blood belongs to Fuentes she is now checking to see what is in that tranq-dart, and we got this from the security camera." He said to the tech to run the tape again.

The screen came to life showing Gabriel getting dressed and a man stepping out to talk to him.

"Maybourne!" Hammond began to turn red

"Yes sir." Jack was already red "It gets better sir."

Hammond watched and listened as Maybourne tried to get Gabriel to switch teams. He watched as Gabriel turned him down and turned his head for a moment and another man enter the room and shot him in the chest. Then they watched as the two men packed Gabriel into a crate marked munitions on it and rolled it out.

"That was Lt Drake wasn't it." Hammond already knew

Looking at the floor Jack nodded, he'd liked the man "Yes sir, we've already taken him into custody, and I have dispatched security teams to protect Josie Fuentes and her uncle, I sent Teal'c and Captain Hammond so as not to upset them too much. They should be arriving at any moment."

Nodding in understanding, he turned back to the screen "How did this man get on my base?" Hammond fumed

"Major Carter is finding that out at this moment and she's tearing a new one for security personnel." Jack promised him

"Have you contacted Kennedy?" Hammond asked taking a seat

"Yes sir he's on his way, and he's pissed." O'Neill commented remembering the colorful language the well-spoken colonel had used.

Placing his hand on one of the security men's shoulder, "I want Josie Fuentes and her uncle bought here for protection." The general ordered

"Yes sir." Reaching for a hand mike, he relayed the orders to the men already dispatched to their house.

Hammond looked up at his second in command "So you think they took him to Area 51?"

"That would be my guess sir." Jack agreed

"Get some sleep Jack." The general ordered then put up a hand to stop the colonel's coming protest "You will need all your energy when you storm the place tomorrow and get him back."

Smiling Jack stood at attention and saluted "Yes sir."

Josie and Cassie were sitting watching television when Chun-li came out of the kitchen wiping his hands.

"Josiechan?" he called out

"In here Great Uncle."

Chun-li smiled at the two young women before him "Josiechan, I have run out of rice."

Josie stood up immediately "Would you like me to go buy some?"

Chun-li shook his head "No, that is alright, you stay with your friend. I will be back in fifteen minutes."

"Okay uncle." Josie bowed and sat back down on the couch after the old man left

The girls continued to watch television completely engrossed in the movie.

"So who do you think did it?" Cassie asked reaching for more popcorn

"That banker guy, he has the best motive so far." Josie mouthed around the popcorn

"Naw, I think it's the wife." Cassie said reaching for her soda.

"You're both wrong it was the wife's boyfriend." A voice called to them

Both girls spun towards the voice, Cassie felt her throat constrict when she saw a man standing by the now open patio doors with a gun in his hands pointed in their direction.

"Don't either of you move or you're dead." The man told them entering the house, immediately followed by two more men with guns.

"You, little Jap bitch come here." The lead man ordered

"No." Cassie held on to Josie's arm scared witless

The man raised the gun and aimed it at Cassie's head "Stay out of this." He ordered, "One more word and you're dead." He promised

"Kill her anyway." The other voice called "She's seen us, we can't leave her alive."

"You're right" The man nodded "Well honey you should really have stayed home tonight." He said raising the gun.

"No!" Josie stood up and in front of Cassie arms spread wide and with shaking knees "I will go with you, but do not hurt her." She told them completely terrified of what might happen to Cassie and herself.

Suddenly the man whipped the gun around and smacked the young woman across the temple. Josie fell to the ground dazed and holding her head.

"Shut up bitch." Turning back towards Cassie the man smiled grimly raising his gun again.

"Drop your weapons or we will open fire." Another voice called out

Looking over his shoulder the man could see armed soldiers filling the doorway. More soldiers came through the front door effectively surrounding the three would-be kidnappers.

Cassie took the opportunity of the distraction to move by Josie and lifting her friend onto her knee holding her head.

"I'll shoot the girls." He said turning back towards them

"Ma'am!" the guard cried as Daisy Hammond strode into the room oblivious to any danger to herself. Finally, she understood how Gabriel felt that day when those boys had attacked Josie. Now walking through the living room she felt the same anger.

Suddenly the barrel of a gun was pressed to the small of the mans head "You even look at my daughter funny, and I will fucking drop you right here and now." Daisy promised cocking the hammer back on the gun.

The man knew an untenable situation when he saw one; he also knew that you do not anger a mother protecting her child. Gently he lowered his gun and raised his hands. Guards rushed in and took the three men into custody.

Daisy rushed around the table looking at the two girls "Are you okay?" she asked Cassie who nodded with tears in her eyes, obviously scared to death.

"Cassandra Fraiser." Teal'c moved over to the girl, who immediately ran into his arms and began to cry.

"Mommy?" Josie looked at Daisy a large bruise marking her ivory skin

"Oh Josie." Daisy took the girl into her arms and broke down crying

"Mom, I'm okay." Josie said bravely, just as her father would want her to be "I'm fine."

"Where's Chun-li?" she asked wondering why the man had left the girls alone.

Josie felt the stinging in her eyes and the incessant pounding of her head, "He went to the market a few minutes before these guys came."

Daisy rubbed the girls back "It's okay to cry you know."

"I want to be brave, like my father." Josie told her tears beginning to fall

Daisy shook her head hugging the girl closer "I've seen your father cry too. It's okay; it's the body's way of releasing tension. Let it out." Josie broke down in her arms and Daisy rubbed her back "That's right my baby, you just let it all out." Daisy began to rock her gently back and forth.

"What is happening here!" Chun-li demanded as he came into the room a wicked sword in his hands

"It's okay Chun-li." Daisy told him "We got here in time."

"JosieChan, Cassiechan." Chun-li stared at both crying girls

"Someone tried to take Josie." Daisy explained bitterly, holding Josie just stroking her hair

"Why!" he demanded

Daisy shook her head "I will explain later, right now I want to get you all back to the base where we can protect you. Besides I want to take a proper look at this bruise, maybe get an x-ray. Make sure nothing is broken."

Chun-li saw the bruise that was turning black and he began to tremble "Who did this!" he demanded

"He is already in custody." Daisy assured him "He will never touch her again. Chun-li could you pack up some clothes for yourself and Josie, enough for a few days at least. Until we can be sure that it is safe for you to return."

Chun-li nodded and headed upstairs to pack some things. Including some of his personal weapons, no one was going to hurt his family again. Grabbing his cell-phone he put it in his bag as well, the family would need to be told. In addition, when he heard the name of the man responsible for this he would have to relay it to his students for the matter to be taken care of properly.

Gabriel woke up in a white padded room, groaning he sat up quickly and felt his head begin to spin out of control.

"Whoa!" Gabriel swore softly grabbing the sides of his head and waited for the dizziness to subside. He then rolled over, got his feet under him, and began to stand up. Gabriel knew that he had to move around some, he had to try to speed up his system and try to run through the drugs a little quicker. He had to regain control of his body if he was going to escape. Gabriel was no fool, if Maybourne went to this much trouble to get him; he knew that there was a serious reason for it. Something that did not bode well for the continued good health of one Gabriel Fuentes. Gabriel began to do toe touches and jumping jacks anything that would get the blood flowing and therefore some of it back into his brain. Gabriel did this for more than two hours; finally sweating he collapsed back onto the ground and tried to catch his breath. The cobwebs in his head finally beginning to clear a bit, he felt something else he hadn't noticed before. The loud grumbling in his stomach reminded him that he had not eaten anything since the morning of the mission, how long ago was that now? He wondered and he also wondered just how long he'd been unconscious, was he missed yet at the base, looking down at his wrist he saw that he still wore his tracking bracelet, Gabriel sighed and hoped that the signal was strong enough for someone to find him. Then another thought popped into his head, what if they thought that he'd escaped? Fear gripped his heart. That would mean that the minute Kennedy got back on base he could literally press a button and end his life, here. No one would ever find his body, he knew that for certain. Josie would never know what happened to him. Just that he had disappeared one night and never returned, just like her mother. Worse, yet his friends might have to pay the price for this as well.

The door to the cell opened up and Maybourne was at the door, Gabriel saw armed guards standing behind the man weapons ready.

"I see that you are finally awake Dr. Fuentes." Maybourne smiled evilly at him

Gabriel allowed his head to sway back and forth; he had to pretend that he was still high from the drugs. His chance would come, he just had to be patient and watch and be ready the moment the chance presented itself. Then he had to high tail it back to the SGC before Kennedy pushed that button.

"Take him." Maybourne ordered the guards

Gabriel let his body go slack and he felt the guards lift him and take him out of the room. They stepped out of the cell and Gabriel saw that they were in a long windowless corridor, as they passed doors Gabriel noticed that they all had small windows. Letting his head loll from left to right he looked into those windows. THERE! He thought, the door they had just passed seemed to lead to another passageway and at the end of that, Gabriel could see sunshine. Freedom was through that door; he just had to get there in one piece. Finally, they reached the end of the hall one of the guards grabbed the door handle and opened it up. Gabriel was placed on top of a table and his hands were tied down with leather straps, his feet left free. That was a mistake; one that Gabriel could take advantage of when the time was right.

Maybourne nodded to the guards who then swiveled the table to an upright position, Gabriel was now on his feet attached to the table only by his hands.

"Guards go get some coffee, I'll call you when I'm done here." Maybourne ordered

As soon as the doors closed Maybourne moved by Gabriel's side, "I understand Dr. Fuentes from my spies at the SGC that you were present in the control room when the Tollans returned to their home world. After they came back to visit you a couple of weeks ago."

Gabriel didn't answer he just let himself hang there.

Maybourne walked over to a camcorder and turned it on to record what was about to happen "I would like you to do two things for me." Maybourne began "First I'd like you to give me those coordinates and then I would like you to lead one of my teams through and steal some of their technology."

"Don't have gate." Gabriel gasped thickly

Maybourne smiled as he walked behind Gabriel "Of course I have access to a gate." He told him "Earth originally had two gates. The SGC has one and the Russians have the other, I can use theirs.

"Whyyyy sheteal." Gabriel rasped, already starting to feel stronger, the drugs losing their hold over him.

Maybourne shrugged indifferently "The Tollans don't want to share." He said flatly and then continued, "We are at war Dr. Fuentes, and we need all the weapons that we can get our hands on. This is one war that I intend to win Doctor. When that happens I will be in the position to get just about anything I want as the man who saved the earth."

"You want power." Gabriel said disgustedly

"Of course Dr. Fuentes who doesn't."

"Me."

"Then doctor, you are a fool." Maybourne sneered at the man "what are the coordinates of the Tollan home world."

Gabriel turned and faced straight ahead; he knew what to do "Fuentes, Gabriel M., Lt. United States Navy..."

"This is foolish doctor." Maybourne told him motioning to another man to prepare "We will find out eventually."

"Fuentes, Gabriel M. Lt. United States Navy, serial number 990231934."

At Maybourne's nod, the other man uncoiled a leather whip and began to lash Gabriel. For the next thirty minutes, it was the same exact thing

Chapter 16: Pay back is a bitch

Janet and Jack sat in her office, the infirmary was empty for once, their only patient had been Annie Yates and she was back resting in her own bed. Which was a relief to Janet, no one would die today, hopefully, Gabriel was still out there somewhere. Jack sat in a chair his right leg going up and down a mile a minute and he was chewing his thumbnail. Janet knew the signs; she knew that Jack was planning things out in his head. Hammond had already given the go ahead to infiltrate Area 51 and to retrieved Gabriel Fuentes. Janet also knew that Jack must be really nervous, Maybourne could decide to kill Gabriel to ensure that the man would never talk. Janet stood up and went behind him and began to massage his tense shoulders. Absent-mindedly Jack reached up and patted her hand silently thanking her for her comfort and support.

"Give you a penny for them." Janet asked putting her chin on the top of his head

Jack snickered "My thoughts are easily worth a nickel."

Janet thought for a moment "Naw that's too expensive."

Jack leaned back and stared up at her face "I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you."

Janet smiled and kissed his forehead "Yes you are, then again I'm lucky to have you."

"Mom?!"

Janet looked out the window "Cassie?" she called a frown forming on her face

Jack looked out as well and saw Cassie's scared face running towards the office. Immediately he stood up.

The door flew open and Cassie jumped into her mother's arms.

"Cassie what's wrong?" Janet asked worriedly "How did you get here?"

Cassie pulled back and saw Jack as well. Jack opened his arms to her and Cassie willingly fell into them for a reassuring hug.

"Come on Cass, what happened?" Jack asked looking as confused as Janet did

Pulling back, she wiped her eyes and began "I was at Josie's house and three men came in with guns. They were going to take her, and kill me." She cried.

A stone mask fell across Jack's face, for the first time Janet saw a man who truly frightened her, he was obviously mad enough to kill. Jack hugged the girl fiercely with one arm and reached for Janet with the other one. Willingly Janet fell into his embrace putting one arm around her daughter. She'd often wondered how Jack really felt about Cassie. When Janet allowed herself to dream about marrying Jack, she wondered if he was ready to come into a ready made family. Seeing his expression Janet knew that Jack loved her daughter as much as she did, and even though the expression was truly frightening at least it was aimed at the people that had tried to take them from him.

"No one is ever going to hurt you." Jack promised, promised them both "Not while there is a breath in my body."

Daisy rushed into the infirmary behind her Teal'c carried Josie who had fallen unconscious.

"Oh God." Janet rushed out of the room towards them

"What's wrong?" she asked reaching the table and snapping gloves on.

"They hit her Janet." Daisy told her "Take care of her Janet, I can't" Daisy held up hands that were trembling. "They hurt my baby." She cried angrily

Janet saw that Daisy was losing it, with Gabriel gone and Josie hurt, she turned to Teal'c "What happened?" she asked shining a light in the girl's eyes.

Teal'c stood ramrod straight, his voice as always calm and relaxed. The only sign of his anger were the tight fists that were at his sides. Jack approached the treatment table with one arm still around Cassie; her eyes were bulged out as she watched her unconscious friend.

"Josie Fuentes and your daughter were watching television when the men entered the house. They threatened to kill Cassandra Fraiser, Josie Fuentes stood in between them. The man struck her with his gun across her head. Her uncle Chun-li Tanaka was not at home at the time, he went to the grocery store to get something. He is now up on level 14 in one of the VIP suites."

Janet shook her head and nodded to the nurse "I want a head CT, and a MRI done stat."

Grabbing Daisy's shoulder Janet smiled grimly, "She's going to be fine." She promised, "It looks like a mild concussion, I just want to rule everything else out. Now go lie down on that cot over there. I'll come and get you as soon as the results are back." She promised nodding to Teal'c. Gently Teal'c led the hysterical doctor to the cot.

"She's not handling this very well." Jack said worried for his friend

Cassie looked up at them "Josie called her mom."

Janet closed her eyes "I thought so, she's looking at the girl like she is her daughter. Daisy can't look at the girl and be objective." Janet looked at Cassie taking her in her arms again. "They didn't hurt you?" she asked suddenly just as frightened as Daisy.

"No, Josie got in their way." Cassie looked at her mother "Mom, she is going to be alright isn't she." She asked terrified that she could lose the best friend she ever had.

"Yes honey, she's going to be fine." Janet promised her

Teal'c returned, "Captain Hammond is asleep." He informed them, "I will report to General Hammond."

"No Teal'c I'll take care of that." Jack promised "You go inform, her uncle that the girl is going to be fine, take Daniel with you. He is also on level 14 with our other guests." Jack headed towards the door and stopped "By the way Teal'c where are those men?"

"They are in lock up."

"Join me there after you're done."

"Yes, I will." Teal'c promised

Janet stared after Jack suddenly frightened about what he was going to do.

Hammond quickly made his way down to the infirmary. Passing startled personnel as he rushed past them, they had never seen the general move so fast before.

"How is the girl?" he asked Janet as he approached her

"It looks like everything is going to be fine." Janet reassured him "It looks like a mild concussion, she's going to be x-rayed as soon as possible. I'm more worried about Daisy, this hit her very hard."

The general nodded "Yes, she loves this little girl." George looked down at the young girl lying unconscious before him. Maybourne is going to pay for this, the general thought grimly. No one harms his family, and gets away with it.

"Josie called her mom." Janet told him

Hammond sighed "That is the one word that Daisy has wanted to hear from Josie for ten years."

"Daisy is sleeping over there." Janet pointed; Hammond nodded and walked over to comfort her.

"Daisy?" he said gently rubbing her back gently

Daisy's eyes snapped open immediately "Daddy!" hugging her father fiercely she broke down "They hurt my baby." She broke down in his arms

"She's going to be fine." George hugged her comforting her "I'm more worried about what Gabriel is going to do when he finds out. I don't know if I have enough security personnel to stop him."

Daisy nodded in agreement "Gabriel is going to lose his mind." Smiling at her father, she told him "Josie called me mom."

"I heard." George smiled wiping at her tears "I'm so happy for you." Pausing he looked at his daughter "You still love him don't you." It wasn't a question

Daisy nodded "I've never loved anyone else, I'm going to marry him once this is over." She swore not only to him but to herself as well.

"Daisy we don't know when that will be." He reminded her gently, he didn't want her to get her hopes up.

"13 more missions daddy, that's it. That is the deal he made."

"Deal?" he asked confused, remembering that on the security tape Gabriel had mentioned something about already making a deal.

Daisy nodded and explained to him "Yes, Gabriel agreed to do 25 missions for the government. When he finishes those he gets a pardon." Daisy smiled "He's done 12 so far, he's almost halfway there."

Two hours earlier.

Daniel had led the four officers into the VIP suite. The group saw that it was a rather large room and very comfortably furnished with all the latest conviences. Daniel sat with the four officers trying to start a conversation with them. Anything to get their minds off their present circumstances. So far nothing that he tried had worked.

Mac smiled at him grabbing his hand "Thanks for talking to the general and to the colonel for us."

Daniel shrugged it off "It was nothing, Jack is worried about something else right now. This was just something else coming in on top of that. It threw him, and Jack doesn't like to be thrown, he takes it very personally." He explained

"The general mentioned another problem." Harm told him "Any chance we can find out what it is?"

"Gabriel has disappeared." He told them

"Did he escape?" Harm asked immediately hoping that the man wasn't this stupid, he was on the verge of getting out anyway with his name cleared of all charges.

"I won't believe that." Daniel told them "Gabriel wouldn't do that, even if he did, he wouldn't leave his team behind to face the consequences. There has to be another explanation."

Suddenly the door opened and Jack walked in.

"Daniel, I need to speak to you." He told him nodding outside

"Excuse me." He told the group

Once outside with the door closed "What's up Jack, any word yet?"

Jack nodded "Yeah, he was grabbed."

"What! How?" Daniel asked shocked by the news

"Maybourne." Jack told him not needing to explain anymore than that.

"SHIT!" Daniel yelled startling the guards, "I knew that I should have shot him when I had the chance."

"Yeah maybe." Jack agreed having wanted to shoot Harry Maybourne many times himself "But then you would be in jail, instead of him." Jack pointed out "Listen, I dispatched security people to pick up Josie and her uncle. We have Maybourne on tape threatening to have her picked up and used as leverage against Fuentes."

"I'll go right now." Daniel offered

Jack shook his head "No you have to watch these guys. Besides I already sent Teal'c, anyone touches that girl they'll regret it." Jack promised "I just wanted to clue you in on what's up."

Daniel looked at his friend "He's going to get away with this again isn't he."

Jack blew out an explosive sigh "I don't see any other way of this going down." He admitted, obviously not liking it anymore than Daniel

"Well we got four JAG officers right here." Daniel pointed out "I could ask them, hypothetically of course." He added quickly

Jack smiled at his friend surprised "You know Danny-boy, I never knew that you were such a vindictive person. Give it a shot. Hypothetically of course." Reaching into one of his oversized pockets, he handed Daniel a tape "And while you're at it, hypothetically show them this."

Taking the tape, he smiled "Of course." He said reentering the room

The group looked up, Mac surprised at her friend

"Daniel who did you want to shoot?"

Daniel shook his head "Just a lower life form. Sarah, Harm I have a hypothetical legal question to pose to you."

Harm nodded "Hypothetical huh?"

Daniel nodded innocently "Yes of course. Just to pass the time, so to speak"

Present

Janet smiled at her friend holding up the results of the scans "All clear."

Daisy sighed grabbing her chest "Oh thank you god." She said beginning to breathe easier

"Dad? Mom?" Josie groaned from her bed

Daisy flew to her side "I'm here honey."

"Where am I?" Josie asked blinking her eyes rapidly trying to get used to the light

"You're in the infirmary at the base honey. Go back to sleep, you're safe now." Daisy promised kissing her gently on her forehead.

"Where's daddy?" she asked wanting him to be near, to tell her it was going to be alright. To feel his arms protectively around her making her feel safe again.

"He'll be here soon." Daisy promised

"How am I?" she asked rubbing her head

"Head hurt?"

Josie nodded wincing at the pain

Daisy handed her some pills and a glass of water "Here take these, you have a slight concussion. You'll be fine in a couple of days." She promised, "Now try and get some more sleep."

"How's Cassie? Did they hurt her?" Josie asked her eyes already starting to close

"I'm fine Josie." Cassie said appearing at the other end of the bed taking the girl's hand, "I'll never forget what you did for me Josie."

"You would have done the same for me." Josie protested closing her eyes

Daniel watched the tape with the others, his blood beginning to boil. All his life Daniel had always tried to look for the good in people, always wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. But Maybourne was the first man that Daniel truly hated, and wanted to desperately inflict bodily harm on him. The man had absolutely no respect for human life. People were just tools to be used so that he could get ahead. Snapping off the tape, he looked at them.

"Well?" he asked

"It's a slam dunk." Harm told him "I could get him at least twenty years in prison."

"It's not that simple." Daniel told them "Hypothetically speaking, he knows all about our project, he even has a similar one going right now. Except that his methods are not as humane as ours are. He also has a lot of powerful and influential friends."

"Closed court-martial?" Mac asked Harm "Appoint a special judge and jury who has clearance?"

Harm shook his head unsure "I don't know, if this guy goes to prison and he has as many friends as Daniel says..." Harm looked at Daniel "What is his motivation, what does this guy really want?"

"Power." Daniel said simply "He wants to make general, and have a lot of people owe him."

"Can he achieve this kind of power with this project?" Mac asked

"If he wins this fight." Daniel began "He could wind up one of the most powerful men in the country, if not the world."

"Captains mast." Bud told them

"What are you saying Bud?" Harm asked

"Captain's mast sir." Bud explained "Sir, if this colonel wants power, and is willing to go to these extremes to get it. Maybe we don't need to jail him, just take away his power."

"Bud could be right." Mac told him "Captain's mast, would be up to the general, or better yet the Admiral when he gets here. No attorneys, just the Admiral reviewing the evidence, take testimony from witnesses." Turning to Daniel she asked "This isn't the first thing he's pulled is it?"

"The list goes on and on." He told her

"Demotion for every charge." Harm said "He could wind up a private if the Admiral sees the evidence."

Daniel smiled at the prospect "I'll talk it over with Jack, see what he thinks."

"Hypothetically of course." Harm smiled

"Of course."

There was a knock on the door and Teal'c entered the room

"Daniel Jackson."

The first thing out of his mouth was "How's Josie and her uncle?"

Looking at the others Teal'c paused

"They know Teal'c, they are going to help us get Maybourne."

Teal'c smiled, it wasn't a very nice smile "Josie Fuentes is in the infirmary, when we arrived three men were already there with weapons. They threatened the life of Cassandra Fraiser."

"They threatened a child?" Mac asked appalled

"They pointed their weapons at her, if Josie Fuentes had not stood between them they would have shot her. One of the men struck her with his weapon; Dr. Fraiser is checking her over now. O'Neill wants you to accompany me to explain this to her uncle."

"Where is he?" Daniel asked numbly

"Next door."

Standing Daniel looked at the four lawyers "I'll be right back." He promised

"Okay." Harm nodded once the door closed he looked at Mac "We have to get this guy before he does kill someone."

"If he hasn't already Harm, he still has Dr. Fuentes." Mac reminded him

Gabriel winced as he felt the whip crack against his back, but he refused to cry out.

"That's going to leave a bruise." He thought grimly, imagining all the things he was going to do to Maybourne once he was loose.

"We can stop this at anytime." Maybourne told him "Just tell me coordinates to the Tollan home world."

"Fuentes, Gabriel M. Lt United States Navy, serial number 990..."

Maybourne lost patience with him and began yelling in Gabriel's face, "You are not in the military any longer, you're just a convict who happened to see the coordinates to someplace that I wish to go. No one is going to miss you, you're scum, dirt, now tell me what I want to know." He nodded to an unseen man and the whip flew out again ripping more skin on his already bloody back.

Gabriel grimaced against the pain "Fuentes, Gabriel M., Lt. United States Navy..."

"Well I guess we will just have to wait until your daughter arrives I guess." Maybourne smiled at the wounded man.

Gabriel's head snapped up "Josie?"

Maybourne nodded "Oh yes, didn't I mention that earlier. Well I dispatched some men to retrieve your daughter, if your pain means nothing to you. Maybe your daughters will..."

"AHAHHHHHHHHH!" Gabriel began to buck wildly against his bonds using every ounce of strength he had. They would not touch his daughter, never....NEVER!

"That got to him." Maybourne thought happily, aloud he said, "Don't bother with trying to break free, those bonds are very strong."

But Gabriel didn't stop, he wouldn't stop, pulling even harder at the straps that held his hands down, he began to feel them getting weaker and begin to groan under the pressure. This only served to make Gabriel work harder at the bonds. With muscles bulging suddenly one snapped, immediately Gabriel reached over and using both hands he pulled on the other strap, which snapped as well. He was FREE, whipping around he saw the tall bald man who had been torturing him. Gabriel rushed him and before the man could defend himself, Gabriel slammed his head into the metal door repeatedly until he saw blood.

Maybourne was shocked, how could those bonds just give way like that. Desperately he tried to make it to the door but then he saw that he was on the wrong side of the room, and he had to get past Fuentes to get out. Gabriel dropped the man who fell boneless to the ground. Gabriel spun around and gave Maybourne the most chilling smile he'd ever seen. Slowly he advanced on the Colonel.

Jack waited for Teal'c by the cells; he stared at the door that housed three men who had threatened to take his family away from him. Jack shook his head angrily, he'd already lost one family, and it had taken him a long time to forgive himself for it as well. If it hadn't been for Daniel, he would have died on Abydos, and if it hadn't been for Janet and Cassie his life would still be empty and lonely. He loved Janet, and he loved Cassie as if she were his own daughter. He knew already how much the girl meant to Janet, and these three bastards wanted to take that from him! No way, no way were they getting away with this. Teal'c approached his commanding officer; he stopped partway seeing the look on O'Neill's face. He knew that O'Neill wanted vengeance; he wanted to make those men pay for having threatened his loved ones. Still Teal'c knew that he couldn't allow O'Neill to do it; he might get into trouble down the road, perhaps serious trouble. Teal'c could not allow that to happen, then another thought struck him, and he went to O'Neill.

Jack looked up when he saw Teal'c and stood up removing his jacket.

"I just want you here to stop me from actually killing them." He told Teal'c

Teal'c grabbed his shoulder "No O'Neill I cannot permit you to do this."

"Teal'c!" Jack stared at his friend completely shocked "They tried to kill my daughter." He said to his friend

Teal'c nodded "I am happy to hear you refer to Cassandra Fraiser as your daughter, and I will be happier still when I can call her Cassandra O'Neill. But that will not happen if you are imprisoned for beating these men."

"Teal'c" Jack tried to control himself "I am not going to let them get away with this." He warned

"I was thinking O'Neill." Teal'c told him "We will need this cell for Maybourne when he arrives here."

"So?"

Teal'c continued "Well in difference to his rank we should provide him with a private cell. I was thinking perhaps we can contain these men with SG 13, since they are prisoners as well."

Jack was beginning to smile "And if we happen to mention what they're in for?"

Teal'c shrugged "We must inform them of their new roommates."

"Guard!" Jack called down the corridor

"Sir?" the guard asked hoping that O'Neill wasn't going to ask for the key and order him to go for coffee. O'Neill was too good an officer to lose his rank for this scum.

"We are moving the prisoners." He informed the guard "We are going to need this cell soon for someone else."

Skeptically the guard eyed O'Neill "Where are we moving them sir?"

Jack seemed to think for a moment "Well the only other cell we have big enough for them is with SG 13. Move them there."

The guard smiled "Yes sir." The guard turned to open the cell "May I just say sir, that it is a pleasure to serve under you."

"Just make sure that you pull them out after few minutes." O'Neill told him

"Will do sir, Okay scumbags UP!" the guard ordered

The cell door opened to SG 13's quarters, the three occupants stood immediately. Annie a little slower than the others, her side still hurting. Thankfully, the blade had just hit muscle, painful, but it could have and should have been much worse. Right now, she was more worried about Gabe; O'Neill had been down earlier to tell them what happened. When they saw him at the door, they all moved forward.

"Any word on Gabe yet Colonel?" Annie asked worried for her friend

"We are going to retrieve him as soon as I do this one last thing." Turning around he spoke to the guard "Bring them in.", he ordered

The three men were ushered in hands over their heads.

"I'd like you to meet some people who are going to be sharing your cell for a little while." Jack began "Just to warn you these are three very dangerous men." He told them smiling "They attacked two 16 year old girls, beat one of them with a gun."

"Who?" asked Link staring at the men curiously

"Tell them." Jack told the three prisoners when they remained silent Jack shrugged "I heard that one of them was referred to as a Jap bitch."

"Josie?" Annie asked angrily immediately forgetting about her side

"Yes I believe that was her name." Jack agreed and began to walk out of the cell "Now play nice with your new roomies." He told SG 13 "I have to check on Josie, see if her concussion is any better yet, I just hope she has regained consciousness." He told SG 13

"Don't worry colonel." Link promised taking off his jacket revealing tight muscles, "We are going to get along just fine." He promised, the three new prisoners looked at each other knowing what was coming next.

"Hammond" George picked up the phone irritably "Gabe! Where the hell are you?" Hammond listened on the phone "Hold on. Kennedy pick up the line."

Kennedy reached for the extension "Dr. Fuentes?"

Both men listened while Gabriel spoke to them

"So you're still here in town?" Hammond sighed relieved "Where I'll send someone for you immediately."

Hammond and Kennedy began to laugh as they listened to Gabriel.

"Okay we'll be expecting you soon. Call if you have any problems." Hammond hung up the phone looking at Kennedy "That is one hell of a soldier we got there."

Kennedy agreed and sighed relieved "If you don't mind sir, I'm going to the commissary and get something to eat. I think that I finally can keep something down; I must also call my wife and explain why I ran out of the house in the middle of the night. She probably thinks world war III has started."

"Very good Colonel, I'll inform you the minute he is back." Hammond promised

Leaning back into his chair Hammond sighed relieved, he had to tell Daisy. He was reaching for the phone when there was a knock.

"Enter."

SG 1 and his daughter entered the room all dressed in BDU's all armed and all obviously ready to go after Gabriel Fuentes.

Jack saluted the general "Sir SG 1 and Captain Hammond reporting that we are ready to proceed."

Hammond leaned back into his seat "That will not be necessary Colonel, I just got a phone call."

"Sir?" Sam asked surprised

Hammond nodded still smiling "Yes Gabriel Fuentes just called me from a cell phone. It seems that Colonel Maybourne was in such a rush to get his information from Dr. Fuentes that he kept him in town. Somehow, Dr. Fuentes obtained his own release; he has Maybourne and three guards that Maybourne had bought with him. Dr Fuentes is at this very moment driving back here in Maybourne's own vehicle with all four men tied up in the back seat."

The group began to relax and laugh "Three men is all he bought to control Gabe?" Daisy smiled "The man must have a death wish."

"Oh by the way." Hammond told her "Gabriel said to tell you that Maybourne and the rest of his men had a little 'accident' and they are going to require medical attention."

Daisy smiled "It will be a pleasure to treat them."

"General" Daniel interrupted "I was speaking to our guests."

"Oh yes how are they?" Hammond asked almost forgetting about them

"Fine sir, I was speaking to them about this Maybourne situation. Hypothetically of course."

Hammond stared at the archeologist wondering how much he actually told them of the situation "Of course doctor Jackson."

"They made an interesting observation." Daniel began to lay out what Harm and Mac told him about what they could do.

Jack shrugged "Sounds like a plan to me sir."

Hammond looked at the time it was nearly 0900 hours, it been a long day already he sighed. Picking up the red phone, he waited.

"This is General Hammond, I would like to speak to the president please."

The others smiled and left the office to give the General privacy.

"I'm going to kill them." A.J. Chedwiggen told himself as his plane came to a landing. Having been up half the night waking up some very important people, cashing in many favors and now owing favors himself to get the clearances that they needed. He hated owing people. He got into the car that Hammond had sent to meet him at the plane. In twenty minutes, he would be in the same room with them. How could they embarrass him this way? He wondered to himself. The worst of it was that he still didn't know what the hell this project was that George had going on. Although he would soon find out, he'd gotten himself clearance for it as well. He wasn't going to let his people know something that he didn't know. No that would never work. Stepping out of the car he headed down with the escort, down to see his people, then down and meet with the general and apologize. Hopefully George hadn't changed that much since the last time he saw him and make the admiral kiss his ass.

"They're dead." He thought as he opened the door that the escort had led him to.

"Admiral on deck."

Sam and Daniel were walking down the passageway heading to the VIP room where the JAG officers were. The General wanted to see them and ask more about this court-martial, if that what it was. As they approached the room, they saw an air force guard standing by the door and a lot of yelling going on inside.

Sam paused before they got to the door "I think that the Admiral is here." She observed

"Ya think?"

Sam looked at Daniel and shivered, it had almost sounded exactly like Jack "You have been spending way to much time with the Colonel lately." She accused him

Daniel smiled "I think you're right. And not nearly enough time with you." He said playfully.

"Well I think that I can fix that." Sam smiled back, and then turned back towards the door "I'm glad I'm not in there right now." She shuddered listening to the angry voice yelling inside.

Daniel nodded in complete agreement "Yeah, I'm glad I never joined up."

Suddenly the door flew open and a bald headed admiral stormed out with four very contrite red-faced officers following him closely. Sam stood at attention and saluted him, unsure of what to do Daniel waved.

"Ah...Hi." Daniel stammered

Admiral Chedwiggen stopped and nodded to the major and turned on Daniel "Don't you salute a superior officer when you see one."

"Ah... no." Daniel began but before he could say more Mac called to the admiral.

"Sir, this is Doctor Daniel Jackson, he is a civilian sir." She supplied shocked to see Daniel was armed and even more shocked to see how comfortable he seemed to be with a weapon.

Chedwiggen nodded wondering why this man was dressed in BDU's wearing a sidearm he turned to Sam "Major, where can I find General Hammond?" he asked

Still standing at attention Sam stood to one side "Sir I will escort you personally. I was coming to bring your officers to him anyway." She offered

The admiral nodded and motioned her forward "Then lead on Major."

"Daniel." Sam motioned with her head, then smiled at the admiral "This way Admiral if you please."

"Enter" Hammond called out

Sam opened the door and stood back to allow the superior officers to enter first.

"A.J." Hammond stood up holding out a hand smiling, happy to see his old friend

"George." A.J. smiled shaking hands, sighing with relief. No George wouldn't make him beg.

"Sit, sit, care for some coffee?"

"Please, it has been one hell of a long night." He said looking at his officers who seemed to cringe

"Major, if you will please do the honors." The general asked

"Of course sir." Sam quickly poured two cups and handed them over

"Thank-you Major." Chedwiggen took a sip and smiled appreciatively "You still make great coffee George." Putting down the cup the admiral reached into his brief case and extracted some papers.

"Here you go George, five sets of clearances to allow us to know about 'Operation Blue Book'."

"Couldn't resist getting yourself on the team?" George asked with a smile

"I can't have my people knowing things that I don't." Chedwiggen admitted

Hammond smiled "Neither would I." Looking the papers over Hammond saw that everything was in order. "Major, contact Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c please, Doctor Jackson you will go over the history aspect of this and Major, the physics part."

"Of course sir." Daniel smiled eyeing the coffee wanting to get his hands on some.

"Let's go out to the briefing room, we'll be more comfortable." Hammond stood and showed them the way."

SG1 and the JAG officers sat around the table and waited until the general gave the go ahead.

"If you will doctor Jackson."

"General."

Daniel stood up and began to pace back and forth; Mac immediately recognized that Daniel was getting into lecture mode.

"To properly understand this we must go back at least 10,000 years perhaps as much as 15,000 years, to a time when primitive man first evolved into what we are today or in technical terms, homosapien sapien as we are now. Back then we still lived in caves or in huts and lived in small groups as mostly foragers. We followed packs of animals to hunt, we had just invented fire. At this time, we were beginning to have a rudimentary language, and religion, worshipping the sun and moon. It was at this time that an extraterrestrial race appeared in what is now Egypt, the race was dying. When the aliens first appeared the natives were scared thinking that, their gods had now come to earth. One of the villagers, a young boy was not frightened however and he approached the ships curious. One of the aliens liked the fact that the boy was not frightened of the spaceship, and the alien took him over. Possessed him if you will."

"Aliens?" Chedwiggen looked at the general who waved to him to be patient.

Daniel nodded and continued staring at Sarah's amazed face "Yes admiral, they are known as the Goa'uld. They are a parasitic race that lives by taking hosts and controlling them. They live to conquer and subjugate people, they thrive on power. They came to Egypt and adopted the local religion; the first of them was Ra who became the sun god. He conquered the people and had them build him great cities. The pyramids were built to honor Ra, he taught us how to speak, to read, and to write and how to think, that was his mistake. Other Goa'uld then came to earth as well and they assumed roles of the ancient gods. Apophis, god of night was one, Huer'ur was another, Hathor goddess of love and music. These gods subjugated the ancient peoples of earth and worse they took many of our people and seeded the stars with them. Some were taken as slaves, others as hosts for the 'Gods' and others as Jaffa, warriors to protect and serve the interests of the gods. Teal'c." Daniel told them pointing to the Jaffa "Was the first prime Jaffa to the god Apophis, he betrayed Apophis and joined us in the fight against them to free his own people from slavery. Teal'c if you could please show them Junior."

Teal'c stood up first he removed his ball cap and the others saw the golden emblem tattooed into his forehead and then he opened his shirt. The JAG officers were shocked to see the X incision on his stomach, but they all jumped and Harriet shrieked when the Goa'uld slithered his way out.

"God I still hate those things." Jack muttered to no one in particular.

"Thank you Teal'c." Daniel nodded and Teal'c tucked his shirt back in and sat down calmly "That creature you just saw is the larval form of the Goa'uld. Jaffa are transformed by a ritual known as the primta, to be able to carry the Goa'uld until maturity, in doing this, the Jaffa loses his immune system. If we were to remove the Goa'uld from Teal'c, he would die within hours. In return a Jaffa is given a long life and perfect health, the oldest Jaffa that we have met is a man named Bra'tac, Teal'c's teacher, he is 135 years old and he looks to be in his late fifties early sixties. Anyway, thousands of years ago, there was a rebellion in ancient Egypt and Ra was forced to abandon this world. But he left behind the Stargate the Egyptians buried the gate on the Giza plateau and placed a heavy cover stone on it so that no one could ever travel through the gate again, in time we were forgotten by the Goa'uld, we became a myth of the legendary home world of many peoples. Seven years ago, I was recruited by Catherine Langford to decipher the hieroglyphics on the gate. It had been uncovered by her father in 1929 and was shipped here. After awhile I was able to discover how to open the gate, the gateway to another world, a world called Abydos. I went on the original mission through the gate with Colonel O'Neill in charge. We met the people there and found out that their ancestors were indeed from Egypt. They were slaves to Ra who had them mining a mineral that is essential to Goa'uld technology. Unfortunately while we were there Ra returned and we were captured."

"You actually died there." Jack pointed out

"Died?" Mac was shocked looking at Daniel

Jack shrugged it off "Don't worry about it Daniel has died a few times."

"Jack" the general waved him off "Continue doctor."

"Yes I did indeed die, but the technology of the Goa'uld is so advanced from ours that even dead they can repair the damage and bring you back to life, if you get to a sarcophagus in time. I was revived by Ra, who wanted to know who we were, the only reason he revived me was that I was the only one on the mission who could speak to him in ancient Egyptian. When he found out that we were indeed from earth, he decided to destroy us. He hadn't forgotten or forgiven us for kicking him off of earth, and he wanted to stop that from repeating on Abydos. In addition, he saw how advanced we had become since his departure and now he knew that we posed a threat to his power. With the help of some of the local boys in particular one boy named Skaara and his sister Sha're who later became my wife." Daniel coughed and continued, Sam looked at him worriedly "Anyway, with their help we escaped from Ra, and with the help of the people of Abydos we drove Ra off. Colonel O'Neill and I sent a bomb to his ship, which was in orbit, and we were able to kill Ra. Colonel O'Neill returned to earth and I remained on Abydos. A year later, the gate was reopened and Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter came through the gate because some one had come through the gate on earth. They thought that it was from Abydos. What they didn't know, what I had already discovered was that the Stargate actually goes to other worlds as well, all over the universe in fact. We later found out that it was Apophis god of night, Ra's rival who had opened the gate to earth, and then on Abydos. He took my wife and brother in-law as hosts for the Goa'uld in fact; my wife was given the host to Apophis's wife Ammounet. Since that time we here at the SGC have been fighting a war to keep the Goa'uld from coming back and either conquering us or destroying us. We go to different worlds trying to find allies, or technology to allow us to defeat them. Major Carter." Daniel sat down and saw that Sarah was staring at him; she mouthed, "We have to talk." Daniel nodded to her.

Sam stood up and walked over to the wall and hit a switch, the wall slid up revealing the Stargate.

"This is the Stargate." She began.

Admiral Chedwiggen stood up, as did his other officers and looked at the massive circle, suddenly klaxons began to sound.

Hammond smiled "Perfect timing Major, A.J. you are going to enjoy this."

The iris was closed off and they watched as the inner ring of the gate swung around finally stopped. They all heard a whooshing sound.

"Incoming traveler, its SG15. Opening iris." A voice called out

The iris opened up revealing a shimmering blue light.

"The light that you are seeing is pure energy, this energy, we still don't exactly know how, is used to create a stable wormhole through space. Once you step through the gate, it breaks you down to the molecular level, shoots you through space, and reconstitutes you on the other side. You can go to another world literally in a few seconds."

The group watched in awe as a man stepped through the gate shivering slightly.

Sam smiled and explained "One of the down sides of gate travel is that it is very cold."

Another appeared then three more men the iris shut down and the gate stopped

"Welcome home SG 15. Debriefing at 1300 hrs, report to medical and get checked out.

The lead man waved to the control room and kept moving out the door

"My god this is incredible." Harriet smiled and turned to Daniel "So you were right after all."

Daniel smiled and nodded "I just wish that I could tell the archeological society about it."

"Rub their faces in it you mean." Mac smiled

Daniel shrugged "Same thing." Not denying the fact that he would love to be proven right. However now was not the time for self-congratulation, there were bigger fish to fry.

Smiling Sam went over to the board picking up a marker she began to make dots on it and then connect them together "To get to any world we need an address, seven symbols in a specific order. Six symbols to plot a destination within a three dimensional area and one symbol as point of origin. Dr. Jackson was the one who discovered that the symbols are actually star constellations. That is what had us stumped, my team worked for two years to try and open the gate. Other teams had tried off and on for nearly seventy years. Dr. Jackson was bought in and he solved it in two weeks." She told them proudly

The JAG officers looked at Daniel who shrugged innocently.

As the group sat down General Hammond took over the meeting, "So now you see why this facility must remain secret. The world out there is not ready to know about this. People would panic if they found out that we are sitting ducks for a race of beings that are a lot more powerful than we are. The SGC and more specifically SG 1" he told them pointing to the others in the room "Have saved this world from annihilation many times. We have made some allies out there, and we have been holding our own for six years now. We are keeping the wolf at bay, but we can only do this in secrecy. Do we have an agreement A.J.?"

Chedwiggen nodded dumbly, he knew that it would take several hours for him to digest this information and even longer to get over the very idea of going to another world. But he realized the importance of this facility as well. Especially the importance of keeping it very quiet.

"You have my word George, no one will find out from us." He said looking at his people, he saw them all nodding in agreement.

Hammond smiled relieved "Good that problem is solved, there is another problem that I need your help with A.J., in fact your officers suggested you as a possible solution, if we can talk in private." Turning to Jack, the General nodded to the other officers "Colonel, why don't you escort our guests to the commissary and get them something to eat. Oh and let me know when our wayward traveler returns if you could. By the way where did you put our other guests?"

"Well sir" Jack began nervously

Hammond stared at him; it wasn't like Jack to be tongue tied, unless..."Colonel? You didn't do anything to them did you?"

Jack looked completely innocent "Sir, would I..."

"Colonel!"

Jack gulped and decided to face the situation "Well sir, since another high-ranking officer is going to occupy those quarters. I thought that he should have a private room, so I put our other guests with SG 13. They were more than willing to share their accommodations." Every eye in the room turned to Jack.

"You didn't." Hammond shook his head unbelievingly

"Afraid I did sir." Jack admitted

"Get them out of there before SG 13 kills them." Hammond ordered

"Already taken care of sir the guard was told to give them five minutes."

"We will discuss your 'arrangements' at a later date Colonel dismissed." Hammond promised

Jack came to attention saluted and turned to leave "This way please." He said politely

Mac went up to Daniel, "I'm not too hungry, can we talk?"

"Sure" Daniel turned to Sam

"It's okay, I'll meet you in the commissary."

"Thanks" Daniel smiled and turned to Sarah "Let's go to my office."

"So you lied to me." Sarah began as Daniel handed her a cup of coffee

Daniel cringed "Not exactly, I just didn't tell you everything."

Sarah sat back staring at Daniel "So tell me now."

Daniel sighed leaning on his desk, which was covered with books and artifacts

"When Jack and I first went to Abydos the people thought that we'd been sent by Ra. They took us to their village and while we were there, they presented Sha're as a gift to me."

Sarah eyes opened wide "And you accepted?!"

"Not the way you're thinking." Daniel protested "But I couldn't refuse either, it would have insulted them and would have disgraced Sha're as undesirable." He explained, "So we talked, she helped me to understand their language which was a variation of ancient Egyptian. She showed me a room that explained the entire history of what had happened on earth. They hadn't known, Ra had forbidden reading and writing to them, he didn't want anyone to remember the Tauri, that's us. When I told Sha're the meaning of those hieroglyphics, she told others. She and those others formed the resistance that helped to overthrow Ra. I fell in love with her, and she loved me." Daniel told her "For one year, I lived in perfection, I was happier than I had ever been in my whole life. The Abydonian people accepted me as one of their own, I became family to them and they became mine. During that year I taught some of them to read and write so that they in turn could teach others, I taught them English and they were fast learners."

"But Apophis the serpent god of night came back to Abydos." Sarah nodded getting to the meat of the conversation.

Daniel smiled "You remembered." At her nod he continued "Yes he returned and took Sha're away from me, in fact it was Teal'c who selected her and later he bought her to Apophis, he was still first prime then. Apophis implanted the Goa'uld in her and she ceased to be Sha're she became Ammounet. It was so hard to look at her and not have her recognize me. If Teal'c hadn't decided to trust us and help us escape we would all be dead now. A year later I returned to Abydos as I had promised and I found out that Sha're was already there and pregnant; I helped to deliver the child. Eventually she was taken back by Apophis, later I found her again, and she begged me to kill her." Daniel told her tears in his eyes "Sha're asked me to set her free."

"Did you?" Sarah asked crying as well

Daniel stared at her and shook his head ashamed "I loved her, I couldn't do it. Then Ammounet took over again and she tried to kill me using a weapon we call the ribbon device. It scrambles your brains basically. Teal'c found us and he killed her."

"And you forgave him?" She asked surprised knowing she could not be as forgiving

"He did it to save my life. He set Sha're free, no more pain, no more being raped by Apophis. We buried her on Abydos, I took her home."

"You didn't stay." She said obviously

Daniel shook his head as he stood up putting down his coffee cup staring at the wall,"No the child had disappeared, I promised her that I would find him and keep him safe. It took me awhile to find him, but I kept my promise. You know the rest."

Sarah nodded; she knew that there were things that Daniel hadn't told her. Things about him dying and what exactly he was doing now, things like why was he wearing a sidearm, and why he looked so natural doing so. Sarah decided that it was time that she had a conversation with Major Carter and find out the rest the things that Daniel was still holding back.

Holding out a hand Sarah smiled "Come on let's go get something to eat."

Daniel wiped away his tears and turned from the wall taking her hand "Thanks for understanding."

"Come on."

"Sorry about before." Jack held out a hand to Harm

Harm smiled and shook the hand offered to him "I'd probably have done the same in your position. I also now understand why one of the guards said to me that everyone here knows Daniel Jackson."

Jack smiled "Yeah Danny-boy is pretty popular around here, especially with the nurses. They just love it when he goes down to the infirmary. Something about that innocent look and puppy dog eyes that drives them insane. They just love to give him sponge baths." He laughed

"He really died?" Harriet asked him still amazed at the very thought of going to another world, and that someone could actually be bought back to life "As in dead."

Jack nodded unhappily "As a doornail." Looking at them he decided what the hell they were cleared to know and if they helped get Maybourne off their backs he felt he owed them "When I first met Daniel, I really hated him. He was a clutz, who sneezed too much, was allergic to everything, and was a real geek, the kind of guy I used to beat up when I was a stupid kid in school, cause I just felt so stupid being around him. I treated him like dirt, and he would just smile at me. Something that Daniel didn't tell you about the original mission to Abydos, was that if I encountered anything that posed a threat to this planet I was to destroy the gate. I was even given a nuke to destroy it."

"A nuke?" Bud was shocked

Jack nodded uncomfortably remembering those days and the pain he was in back then "Yeah that stargate is made of some tough stuff. Anyway Daniel showed up when I was activating it just after we were first attacked by the Jaffa and he was pretty much pissed off that I was about to kill us all when the Jaffa showed up. Danny died jumping in front of a blast which was meant for me. He died saving my life." He told them "That kinda changed my view of him a bit."

"I can imagine." Harm shook his head unable to believe that people like Jackson still existed. People who unselfishly tried to help any human being around them even at the cost of their lives. Sure he would do that for the Admiral or Mac even Bud, but to do it for a man who was about to kill you himself. That took more courage and selflessness than Harm had in him.

Jack nodded staring at Harriet, "Yeah, Daniel is a trouble magnet alright. That boy has gone through more shit, than most of this base put together. Let's see, he's died four or five times I forget. He's been tortured, beaten, turned invisible once some sort of phased reality, you'd have to ask Carter about that. Had his mind scrambled by an alien who wanted him to remember something that happened four thousand years ago. That same alien put a memory of his death in our heads as well. We had a memorial service that time. Then there was the time that he got himself stuck in an alternate reality, found out that Apophis was attacking that earth by spaceships. Came back wounded with the coordinates from where the attack orignated. That was that E-mail you found." He told Bud "None of us believed him, we thought that it was just some dream he had after he got shot. Danny was determined to go there and find out for sure. The project was shut down by Senator Kinsey because it cost too much money to run. So we took a chance and we the team went to those coordinates." Jack shook his head "Danny was right, the attack was poised to begin and it almost succedded as well, but we stopped them. The project was reopened because of it, the senator was quite put out." Jack still remembered the man's face when the order had been given "Anyway Danny got himself shot up pretty bad while he was covering us, told me to leave him behind. That I'd never make it in time to escape if I carried him, he said that he'd stay behind and cover us. He was right of course, didn't make it any easier though. I left him there to die alone. Hell we thought he was dead, but here he was when we got back as usual, he dragged himself dying with a hole the size of my fist in his chest, to a scarpehgeous and then made it off the ship just in time. Then another time he was addicted to a scarpegeous, you see it can heal your wounds, but if you're not wounded it has a narcotic affect on you. This woman who's father ruled the planet fell for Danny and she imprisoned the rest of us. Danny fell of the side of a cliff trying to rescue her when she tried to kill herself and used the box, later, Shayla was her name, said that if Danny used the box again she would help him convince her father about freeing us from the mines where we were placed. Soon he was addicted, he physically craved that damn thing, when we finally escaped he went through hell on earth in withdrawls. The worst one, the one that still gives me nightmares was when we went to a planet and Danny got infected with a Goa'uld killing device. He started hallucinating and going nuts, we couldn't find anything wrong with him. We let some psycologist convince us that Danny had gone schitzo and we locked him up in a padded cell." Jack shivered at the very thought "We left him there, left him alone with his demons, even though I knew that he didn't like to be in enclosed spaces. He was a babbling idiot, it hurt just to look at him laughing one second, crying the next suffering at things only he could see, he tried to tell us what he was seeing, he tried to tell us that he wasn't crazy that something had infected him on the planet, we just didn't listen. My best friend and I locked him in an institution. When we went to visit him he was in rough shape, loaded up with more drugs than you can find in a pharmacy. Anyway the Goa'uld device left Danny for Teal'c since he had a Goa'uld that it could kill. Hell it infected us all, somehow, to this day I don't know how he did it, but he convinced the doctors not to dope him up anymore. He contacted me and told me what was going on, I didn't know whether to believe him or not. I thought screw it, Teal'c was dying anyway, Doctor Fraiser was infected so was I. We got him out and he was able to help cure us. It took Danny a week to come off the drugs that they'd given him. Going through the shakes and the nightmares. Sometimes I'd find him curled in a corner of his office trembling doubting his own sanity. It almost cost us all his friendship, I mean we didn't listen to him. He asked me if I'd have locked up Sam or Teal'c in a rubber room just as quickly if it had been them that had been infected, I had to admit that I wouldn't of done that. We all thought that he'd lost it because of all the crap he'd gone through in such a short period of time." Jack looked at their shocked faces, ashamed at how he had reacted back then or over-reacted is a better word "We went to see him a few days after it was all over. Teal'c was alright, so was I and Doc Fraiser, anyway we went to apologize to him, say we were sorry for not believing in him. We found him naked in the shower curled up in a little ball mumbling to himself. Lord only knows how long he was in there, long enough that his skin was sensitive to the touch after being so long in the water. He just kept repeating 'I'm not like Nick' over and over again." Seeing their confused expressions, Jack explained "Nick is his grandfather, he spent years in a mental institution. That is when it hit me, he wasn't crazy, but we almost drove him there by leaving him there alone. It blew my mind that he was able to forgive us for that, I know that I wouldn't have if I were in his shoes. It took time but he forgave me and Sam and Teal'c and the rest. The guy is like a bad penny, you can't get rid of him, and you can't change him, thank god. He's the toughest son of a bitch that it has been my pleasure to know."

"Hey" Sam sat down next to Jack "What are you guys talking about so seriously?" she asked curious as to why everyone was frowning.

"Hey Carter, they wanted to know about Danny." He sighed loudly lost in the past

"Oh" She said simply "You get to the funny stuff yet?" she asked with a smile

Jack smiled "You mean about Danny stud of the known universe?" Jack laughed as Daniel and Mac joined them.

"What's so funny Jack?" Daniel asked sitting down with his coffee

Now cheered up he slapped Daniel on the shoulder and told him "Well Space monkey, I was just talking about your conquests of the females of the universe."

"JAACK!" Daniel warned turning red

Of course Jack ignored him turning to Carter "Sam what was that planet P something X, you know the one with the amazon women who were fighting over him.'

"P9X 349" Sam began to laugh remembering as well

"Yeah that's the one." Jack broke down remembering Daniel's red face when they finally got him back. The women in the control room were still talking about how he came back through the gate that time.

"Don't Jack." Daniel pleaded turning even redder.

"They got Daniel stripped him and put him in one of those Tarzan loin cloths that almost covered his 'equipment' and started to auction him off. They were literally fighting it out over him, I never thought that women could be so violent over a man." Jack admitted shaking his head

Sam couldn't help but laugh.

"Et tu Sam?" Daniel asked with a small smile on his face as the whole table laughed at his expense

"What was the final price?" Mac asked still laughing imagining Daniel in a loin cloth

"Three yak looking things, four spears, two swords and a set of armor." Sam told them "It took us nearly a week to find that stuff."

"Hey that is a respectable price." He told them haughtly "The head woman in charge told me that was the highest price ever paid for a male." He said proudly "You're just jealous Jack because they thought that you were too old." He joked back

Mac laughed heartily "So you bought him?"

"I had to." Sam laughed "You know Dr. Yates right."

"Yeah?"

"The woman who wanted Danny the most made Annie look like a stunted midget." Jack finished

"I gotta admit though you did look hot in that little loin cloth." Sam smiled wondering if there was a place in town where she could find a loin cloth.

"They didn't all want my body." Daniel pointed out

"That's right" Sam agreed "Like P1Z 524, they wanted your mind."

"P1Z?" Jack asked confused

"Planet prefection." Sam reminded him

"Oh god, you are never going to let me live it down are you." Daniel moaned turning beet red.

Jack laughing "Hey you missed an oppourtunity there Danny-boy." Turning to the others he explained "This planet had the most beautiful women that I've ever seen. Each one of them perfect in everyway, like baywatch babes, except that they were..." Jack paused searching for the politically correct term.

"Dumb as posts?" Sam supplied helpfully

Jack nodded laughing hard "Yeah, I didn't want to be the one who said it. But they were pretty dumb, the men and the women. They wanted Daniel to impregnate all of their women, with the idea that some of those children would be blessed with his brains. The only problem was they never heard of artifical insemination, they wanted Danny to sleep with each one of the women until they were all pregnant."

"How many women?" Harm asked laughing

Sam shrugged remembering, "About six, seven thousand." Sam told him

"Yeah, they promised to return Daniel when he was done. We would have gotten back a broken husk of an archeologist after that many women." Jack laughed even harder "Worse yet could you imagine seven thousand Daniels running around." He shuddered at the very thought. "The universe isn't ready for that."

Teal'c came up to the table "O'Neill, Gabriel Fuentes has returned."

Suddenly the group stopped laughing, Jack stood up "Where is he?"

Teal'c shook his head, sometimes he was glad that he didn't fully understand the Tauri "It is not good O'Neill, Maybourne tried to get information that he possessed."

"They tortured him?" Sam asked disgusted, wondering what they had done to her friend.

Teal'c nodded sadly "Yes Major Carter, they did. He is in the infirmary now, the general requests that you and I are there before he tells Gabriel Fuentes of his daughter."

Jack frowned "Oh shit, do we have enough back up down there?" He asked seriously, he knew how he would react if someone told him that Cassie had been beaten. It would take a hell of a lot of men to stop him from getting revenge.

"I believe so O'Neill."

Jack shrugged looking at the others "Let's go and break the news."

The entire group entered the infirmary, General Hammond and Admiral Chedwiggen were already there with Gabriel watching a video as Janet was treating his back. They all winced at the obvious whip marks along his back. Jack approached the senior officers.

"General, Admiral."

"Colonel." The admiral nodded

The group turned and watched the video.

"You are not in the military anymore Dr. Fuentes, you're a convict who happened to see the coordinates to a place where I wish to go. You are scum, dirt, no one will ever miss you. Now tell me what I want to know."

"Fuentes, Gabriel M. Lt US Navy."

The group flinched as they watched another man continue to whip Gabriel, but he refused to cry out only repeating name rank and serial number.

"Josie?"

"Oh yes didn't I mention it before, I have dispatched men to pick her up. If your pain means nothing to you perhaps hers will."

"AHHHHH!"

They watched as Gabriel pulled at his bonds finally breaking free. They shivered as they watched Gabriel ruthlessly smash the head of the man who had been whipping him into a steel door.

Janet shook her head "So that's how he got a fractured skull." She mumbled

They saw Maybourne looking for somewhere to run, and they watched as Gabriel calmly walk over to him.

"You fucking cocksucker, you are never going to touch my daughter."

Then Gabriel lashed out breaking Maybourne's leg.

Jack shuddered as he watched Gabriel on tape systematically break Maybourne into little pieces. Finally the tape was shut off.

"Hey Gabe what's up, you finally back from your vacation?" Jack tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah" Gabriel winced as Janet cleaned out the wounds "Maybourne sure knows how to show a guy a good time."

"I heard he had an accident?" Jack continued trying to forget what he just saw on the tape

Gabriel nodded "Two broken legs and two broken arms and ten badly broken fingers." Shrugging he looked at Jack "The man is clumsy."

They waited until Janet was done and Gabriel put on a t-shirt

"Thanks Doc."

"Anytime." Janet said moving away, Daisy had told her how Gabriel would react to the news and after watching what Gabriel was capable of doing for just threatening his daughter. Janet didn't want to be on the same continent with him when he found out that Josie was actually in the next room of the infirmary and still unconscious.

Hammond interrupted him "There is something that we have to tell you Gabe."

"What?" he asked suspiciously then his eyes narrowed "You said that Josie was safe."

"She is...now." Hammond told him

"Gabe?" Daisy came over

"Daisy." Looking at her face he could tell she'd been crying "What's going on, where is Josie?" he demanded to know

"It wasn't too bad Gabe." Daisy began holding her hands out

Gabriel stiffened immediately, his back popping out like that of a cobra about to strike. Everyone instinctively took one step back.

"What?" he asked in a dangerous voice, the security men getting ready

"I got there too late." She told him "One of Maybourne's men hit her with a gun Gabe. She lost consciousness for awhile."

"Is she alright?" he demanded to know sliding off the table.

Daisy tried to keep him calm, knowing that if Gabriel lost it now they were in trouble. "She has a slight concussion, but she's okay. She is next door sleeping, I'll take you to see her." She offered motioning towards the door.

"Maybourne." Gabriel hissed, his eyes blazing with hatred, he moved like lightening.

Gabriel almost made it past them, Teal'c managed to grab him and Jack O'Neill then jumped in to help. They were soon joined by four other guards. Still they had a hard time with Gabriel, like a wild animal protecting his young he fought and thrashed trying to get at the man who had ordered them to hurt his daughter. The only conscious thought in his mind was to get to Maybourne and kill him, painfully. The others stood well back and out of the way as more guards came to help. Still to everyones utter shock Gabriel Fuentes was still moving forward inching closer and closer to Maybourne who fortunately for him, was still unconscious himself.

Gabriel struggled to get loose pushing his way forward trying to get to the sleeping form on the bed before him.

"I'll kill him, let me kill him." He pleaded with them

"Calm down Gabe." Jack told him struggling to keep a hold on him, it was like trying to hold a rampaging bull elephant with a dog collar.

Daisy joined the fray grabbing Gabriel's face reaching back she smacked him across the face. The sound reverbirated throughout the room "Gabe, Josie needs you now!" she yelled at him

The words penetrated through his anger and he stopped allowing the guards to push him back "She needs you, let me take you to her." Daisy begged rubbing her palm to try and get the sting out of it.

"Okay" he nodded finally under control again feeling like he was coming out of a trance

"Let him go." Daisy told the men "It's okay, let him go."

As they released Gabriel he stood his chest still heaving he faced the general, a look of anger and anguish on his face.

George put a hand on his shoulder "He'll pay son, I promise you that."

Gabriel looked him in the eye "He'd better, or no one will stop me next time. I'll kill anyone who tries to get in my way, consequences be damned. You can only execute me once." He promised

"Come on Gabe, Josie is waiting." Daisy told him gently leading him towards the door "Sorry I had to hit you."

"That's ok." He told her putting an arm around her "I needed it, how's your hand?" he asked gently. The others watched amazed as Gabriel tenderly gazed at Daisy's red palm with concern. When just seconds before he was a crazed animal hell bent on killing a man. The man was like liquid mercury, harmless one moment and the next extremely volitile.

"Sore." She admitted smiling "I forgot what a hard head you have. Next time I'll use a brick."

"Next time?" Gabriel snickered

Jack leaned on the table wheezing trying to get his breath back "That.... is ....one .... strong son of a bitch." He shook his head

Teal'c nodded slightly winded himself "He had a great motivation to do bodily harm."

Gabriel looked down at his daughters bruised face "Oh my god." He fell forward gathering her in his arms

"Daddy?" Josie stirred opening her eyes

"I'm here pumpkin, I'm here." Tears forming in his eyes

"I tried to be brave, like you daddy." The girl moaned

"I know you did." Gabriel hugged her tightly

"Mom saved me." Josie took Daisy's hand

Gabriel smiled looking up he saw the pride in Daisy's face "Did she?"

Looking at Daisy in awe, Josie nodded "She put a gun to the man's head."

"I wish I was there." He told her watching her eyes droop

"She needs to sleep Gabe." Daisy told him

"Don't leave me daddy, I'm scared." Josie begged him her eyes wide with fear

Anger burned in his heart for seeing that fear in her eyes. He wanted nothing more than to punish the men who put that look in his childs eyes. "That man will never hurt you again." Gabriel promised her "You sleep, I'll be here when you wake up, I won't leave I promise. Now sleep." He watched her eyes close and she fell back to sleep

Gently he laid her back down and stepped away staring at Daisy "I want to kill him." he told Daisy

"No" Daisy told him poking a finger in his chest "I lost you once, because of your temper. I will not lose you again."

Gabriel sighed "I didn't kill her Daisy."

Daisy shook her head angrily "I don't know anymore, and I don't care. I know if you did it, you did it to protect me and Josie. All I know is that I love you, I know that you would never hurt me, or our daughter. But Gabriel, I want to have more children too. I want to get pregnant and have our children. Josie is already my child, I just didn't give birth to her. We need you here with us, not behind bars because you killed some jerkoff Colonel." Daisy cried

Shocked Gabriel took her in his arms "Okay, I just love you both so much. I couldn't bear it if something happened to either one of you. I promised myself that no one would ever hurt either one of you, and now Josie is lying here."

"It's my fault." Daisy cried "Please forgive me for not protecting our daughter. Please forgive me Gabe."

Squeezing her into a tighter embrace he whispered in her ear "Hey you saved her, Josie said it and I believe it. I know you love her as much as I do, I know that you'd never let anything happen to her." Gabriel shook his head, this cycle had to be broken "So no more of this, it's neither of our faults, we have to stop this self-pity party we're having and concentrate on our baby. What we have to do now is to help our daughter deal with this. You and I both know that Josie is going to need us now more than ever."

Daisy nodded wiping her eyes, Gabriel was right, Josie would need them more than ever now. Daisy had failed her daughter once, she would not fail her again now.

Colonel Maybourne opened his eyes and immediately knew that he was in a hospital. The last thing that he remembered was that maniac Fuentes snapping his fingers one at a time, finally breaking his other leg and he passed out from the pain. Sighing he thought that his other guards must have subdued Fuentes and had taken him to the hospital. At least that was what he thought until he saw Jack O'Neill's face come into view.

Jack smiled at the man giving him a wink "Hi Harry, nice of you to join us. I see that you've met Dr. Fuentes." He pointed out the casts "Looks painful." Jack's smile looked even bigger.

"Where am I O'Neill?" Maybourne hissed through the pain

"Dr. Fuentes bought you and your guards back to the SGC. Dr. Fraiser and Dr. Hammond were only to glad to patch you up again. They say that you should be up and around in three or four months. Oh by the way, Harry there is someone that I want you to meet, so why don't we just lift up your bed here." Jack picked up the bed remote and elevated the back of the bed until Harry Maybourne was able to look around. The first thing he saw was Hammond standing there with a naval Admiral.

"General Hammond." Maybourne began "I would appreciate it if you would contact the NID for me and have them pick me up."

Hammond stared at the man as if he were something on the bottom of his shoe, "I'm afraid that I can't do that Colonel, I've talked to the president and he has agreed with me that you should be re-assigned to the SGC." Hammond told him grinning.

"What!" Maybourne was shocked "I want to speak to him personally."

"He has nothing to say to you colonel." Hammond explained "He was very troubled when I explained the circumstances that we now faced. I asked him if I could bring you up on charges, he said that as your commanding officer I could do as I wished. Now seeing as how after all the misery you have given me and my people I thought that I couldn't be impartial. So I've asked Admiral Chedwiggen here to act as judge in your disciplinary hearing." Hammond smiled

"Colonel Maybourne." Chedwiggen nodded to the hurt man "In case you don't know I am the Judge Advocate General of the armed forces, so I am going to act as judge." Turning to Hammond he said "Let us begin General, please let us call your first witness."

Maybourne's eyes bugged out "Where's my lawyer?" He demanded

The JAG shook his head "You don't get one." He informed him "This is not a court martial Colonel, this is a disiciplinary hearing, what we in the navy call Admiral's mast. I cannot sentence you to jail, except for the limit of two weeks in the stockade. Or if the case warrants it to take rank from you." He pointed out

"This isn't legal." Maybourne protested

"It is very legal by the code of military justice, which you swore to uphold." The JAG told him evenly "Your first witness general." He said taking a seat ready to hear evidence.

One by one members of the SGC were bought into the infirmary and testified as to their dealings with Maybourne. SG1 had been questioned at length about what they had personally endured at this colonel's hands. Soon Lt Drake was bought in and spilled his guts about how Colonel Maybourne had threatened him and coerced him into helping to sneak on base and to help take Gabriel Fuentes.

"How did he do this Lt." The Admiral asked staring at an obviously scared young officer.

The young man began to shake afraid of answering and stared at the floor.

"Lt this is the only out for you from facing similar charges." The Admiral pointed out "What you say here remains here and will not be used against you in any further proceedings."

The young man swallowed and nodded, looking up tears began to fall "Colonel Maybourne found out about my sexual orientation, he threatened to have me kicked out of the Airforce and he told me he'd see to it that I would receive a Dishonorable Discharge and that I would get jail time."

"I understand son." The admiral nodded "It won't leave this room." He promised "What else did Colonel Maybourne do?"

"He said that he was going to dispatch a team to kidnap Dr. Fuentes's daughter and to use her as a way to control him."

"I would like to offer this tape into evidence." Hammond put a tape on and the Admiral watched it dispassionately.

"Anything else?" The admiral asked

"Doctor Gabriel Fuentes."

Gabriel went forward and was sworn in and began his testimony

"What did he want you to do?"

Gabriel looked at the General who nodded "He knows all about our project."

Gabriel nodded and spoke "Colonel Maybourne offered me money, a home and a new identity, if I would do two things for him. First he wanted me to give him the coordinates to the Tollan homeworld, and second he wanted me to lead an assault on them for the purpose of stealing their technology. When I refused he ordered another man to whip me until I did tell them. When that didn't work, Colonel Maybourne told me that he had dispatched men to get my daughter. He said that if my pain didn't mean anything to me, maybe hers would."

"That is a complete lie." Maybourne told them

The admiral shook his head and read from his list.

"We've already seen the video of the incident. Cassandra Fraiser."

"I was watching television with Josie Fuentes when three men entered her house, they all had guns. They said that they were going to take Josie Fuentes with them and because I'd seen their faces that they were going to kill me. Josie tried to protect me and one of the men hit her with his gun."

Maybourne's eyes bugged out "I never ordered anyone to do that." He protested

Admiral Chedwigged shouted back "Those men would never have been there to do it, if you hadn't ordered them to kidnap a young girl. Anything that happens because of your orders, you are responsible for. Even if you were not present at the time."

"Major Doctor Janet Fraiser."

Janet came forward and was sworn in and began her testimony

"So what are the conditions of both the Fuentes."

"Gabriel Fuentes has been obviously tortured, he has several lash marks across his back. He was beaten for quite a while. Josie Fuentes has a concussion as a result of her ordeal, and in my opinion she will need psycological counseling as a result. As will my own daughter Cassandra Fraiser." Janet added bitterly, wanting desperately for once to forget her oath as a doctor. To slip something into Maybourne's I.V. that would cause the man to die slowly and painfully, for what he did to Cassie and to Josie.

"Thank you Doctor." The admiral nodded and turned to Maybourne "Do you have anything to say in your own defense?"

Maybourne tried to sit up and make himself look as honorable as possible,"Anything that I have done, has been in order to safe guard my nation. To ensure that the enemies that are out there are defeated. I don't take pleasure in doing it, but it must be done."

Chedwiggen nodded "Anything more?"

"No Admiral."

"Very well." Leaning back into his seat he looked at Maybourne "I have never in my life been more disgusted in being in a man's presence than I am right now. You say that you do this to safe guard our nation, but your methods are wholly illegal and against every oath of office that you took. To torture and to kidnap American citizens is not the way to protect us. I also do not believe you when you say that you are a patriot, I believe that you are just a cheap oppourtunist." Standing up he looked to the admin secretary who was taking notes and nodded to list the sentence "I have made my decision, for the crime of helping the russians against your own nation, I order you to two weeks in the stockade with bread and water, I also order that you be reduced in rank to Lt Colonel. For the crime of blackmailing a junior officer into helping you to kidnap a man from a military installation I order that you be reduced in rank to Major. For the crime of kidnapping, I order you to an additional two weeks in the stockade and reduction in rank to Captain. For the crime of attempted kidnapping and attempted murder, I order you to another two weeks in the stockade and reduction in rank to first lietutenant. For the crime of tortureing another human being I order you to another two weeks in the stockade and reduction in rank to second lieutenant. Sentence to be carried out immediately. This disicplinary hearing is closed." Chedwiggen rose up and marched out of the room without a backwards glance.

Maybourne layed back in his bed in shock, they couldn't do this to him. He had friends, friends that would help him out. Senator Kinsey would surely help him out.

Jack had smiled during the entire sentencing proceeding, true Maybourne deserved heavy jail time for all that he'd done. But seeing Maybourne's face as he was reduced in rank was pure pleasure. Looking up at the security camera he knew that he'd have to get a copy of this tape so that he and the guys could drink some beers and just watch it over and over again.

"Well second lieutenant Maybourne, how are you feeling?" Jack asked maliciously

Maybourne stared at the man "You know that this won't last O'Neill, the minute that I speak to senator Kinsey.."

Jack shook his head "That's Colonel O'Neill to you Lt and second of all senator Kinsey has no say in MILITARY disciplinary hearings. Third of all this all had presidential approval, and our president outranks your senator."

Maybourne's jaw dropped, all his plans, all his dreams, gone in a moment. Turning he faced Gabriel who was sitting there smiling at him.

"I'm going to get you Fuentes. I promise you that."

"IS THIS HIM!" Chun-li was suddenly in the room staring at Maybourne, the old mans eyes were blazing with unconcealed anger and hatred.

Gabriel swallowed, he'd never seen his uncle so mad "Yes uncle."

Security people began to surround the old master.

"What is his punishment." He demanded to know

Jack and Janet stared at the old man and told him.

Chun-li shook his head pulling out his phone and talking into it in Japanese. Jack and Janet didn't understand a word of it except for the name Harry Maybourne.

"Oh shit." Gabriel muttered, Jack stared at Gabriel. If this made him nervous, then it wasn't good.

Chun-li hung up the phone and pulled out a knife, staring at Maybourne he said a few words and cut his hand. The guards began to close in on him seeing the knife. Suddenly there was a puff of smoke, when it cleared the old man was gone.

Gabriel stood up and went over to him, armed guards ready to jump in and separate them if necessary.

Patting the man on the shoulder "Harry you are the one that needs protection. That was my uncle Chun-li and he has contacted my family about what has happened. He gave them your name and description and he has sworn a blood oath that he will see your dead body. You see Harry my family is not as understanding as I am, and Josie is the favorite of many of the clan. You've pissed off a samuai clan Maybourne, some of whom are men and women who are the perfect assassins. I wonder how long it's going to be before one of them finds you." Gabriel told him

Hammond came forward "Already threatening people Lt. I thought that you would have learned by now. I am also ordering you transferred from the SGC. Once you complete your stay at our stockade, your new post will be in the radio communications complex in Antartica, the papers are all cut and waiting." Hammond smiled

"What if I tell the world about the Stargate." He threatened "What would happen to your precious project then."

Hammond shook his head at the man's obvious last stab "Well then the eminent psychologist Dr. Mackenzie will just have to disclose his file on you stating that you are schizophrenic and prone to delusion. An unfortunate result of your gulf war experience. You will then be taken into a little white room and left there to rot." Hammond promised "Don't get the impression that you have a choice in this matter Maybourne. One last thing..." Then leaning down he whispered to the man "If you ever come near my family again Maybourne, Gabriel Fuentes will be the least of your worries." George promised looking up he saw Jack staring at him shock written all over his face. Hammond turned and left Maybourne to stew, dismissing him as a nusisance

Jack sat back laughing, he just couldn't get over it "Oh you should have seen his face, when the admiral kept demoting him. It was a kodak moment of epic porpotions."

Sam and Daniel also were laughing relieved and glad that the man had gotten his due.

Harm and Mac entered the commissary and saw them all doubled over laughing. Harm smiled at Bud

"Looks like your idea worked Bud."

"Let's find out what the Admiral did." Mac told them

"Here they are." Jack said standing "The officers of the hour." He turned and called out to everyone in the commissary "Attention everyone."

Once everyone was quiet and paying attention Jack continued "Thanks to the efforts from our friends in the Judge Advocates General's office our old friend Colonel Harry Maybourne has finally gotten what he deserves."

"What he get Jack?" Ferretti asked sitting with SG2

Jack smiled at him "Well Lou, former Colonel Maybourne is now second lieutenant Maybourne and his next posting is in the exciting city of Antartica." He announced, the commissary erupted in applause.

Holding out a hand to Harm, Jack smiled "Anything you ever need Commander, just contact us. That goes for all of you."

"Thanks." Harm shrugged looking at Mac as other personnel came over and shook their hands

"Hey, party tonight my place." Jack announced "We gotta celebrate this right."

Another cheer sounded in the room

"You guys wanna come?" Jack asked the JAG officers

"Sure, I love a good party." Harm smiled

"Good, let's get the hell out of here." He announced and SG 1 made their way out

The party had been going on for several hours, Jack and Harm were getting along fine now. Both men being former pilots found that they had a lot more in common than they first thought. Bud and Harriet were taking time to dance outside on the hastily prepared dance floor. Daniel had been cornered by some of the nurses from the infirmary and he stood there speaking to them trying to be polite and get away as soon as possible. Janet, Sam and Sarah sat on the couch talking.

"Oh look at poor Daniel." Janet motioned to him.

"He looks like a deer caught in headlights." Sam laughed at Daniel's expression

"That doesn't bother you?" Sarah asked surprised remembering the looks that she'd gotten from the woman just a few weeks before."

"It used to." Sam admitted "But I know that I can trust him."

Just then Teal'c paused by the nurses and said something that the three women on the couch couldn't hear. Daniel's face lit up and he apologized to the nurses profusely and let Teal'c lead him away.

"Saved by Teal'c." Janet shook her head and watched as the nurses headed next for O'Neill "Those nurses of mine just never learn. They had just better stay away from Jack, or I'll have their asses." She said throwing a look their way, one of them noticed and tapped the others who also then saw Janet's face. They all retreated from the area.

"How do you do that Janet?" Sam asked amazed

Janet shrugged "It helps that I give the nurses their check-ups. They know better than to piss off the person who weilds the spectulum." She told them

"Ouch." Sarah laughed "So you're with Colonel O'Neill."

Janet cringed looking around "Please don't mention our relationships out loud. It could cause all of us some problems."

"Okay" Sarah nodded soberly "But you know exceptions can be made, look at Bud and Harriet."

They all turned and saw the happy couple dancing together oblivious to their surroundings.

Sam sighed out loud wishing it could be that simple for her and Daniel "Well I'm going to get another beer and something to eat. You guys want anything?"

"Nope, I'm just fine." Janet smiled "If you'll excuse me girls, I'm heading out to find my wayward colonel."

Sarah smiled "I think I'll join you." She told Sam

As they entered the kitchen Sam grabbed another beer and Sarah another diet coke. They sat at the table and began to pick at the chips.

"Sam" Sarah began, still staring at her soda can not sure she really wanted to know "I need to know what Daniel is doing."

"I wondered when you would ask." Sam smiled liking Sarah a lot "Well, it's not easy to hear and it's definitely not easy to say." Sam put her bottle down and stared at the other woman "Daniel is helping to save our world, he uses his skills as a linguist to try and speak to those we meet out there, his skills as an archeologist trying to find some clue from the ruins that we come across that will help us. His anthropological skills to tell us what kinds of societys we are facing. His basic goodness helps us keep our sanity when everything else is going crazy around us. However if all else fails and they don't listen to reason, Daniel can shoot as well as anyone at the SGC and he has proven that he can kill if necessary." Sam told her honestly

"Kill?" Sarah asked startled and sadden by the news, she also saw that Sam didn't like it either.

Sam shook her head sadly "Yes, I wish that he didn't ever have to aquire that skill. I often prayed that he never would have to, but it is dangerous out there. Jack made sure that Daniel could protect himself and the team if necessary, otherwise Daniel would be dead, we'd all be dead."

"Speaking about death."

Sam nodded knowing her next question "Yes, he's died a few times, and he's been close to it even more times." Sam wiped her tears "There have been times when the rest of us have spent the night in the infimary waiting to see if he would pull through or not. So far he's done it everytime, he's known as 'nine lives' Jackson at the SGC. I remember one time..." Sam choked for a moment, then felt her hand being taken by Sarah. Sam smiled gratefully and continued "One time an old alien named Machello switched bodies with Daniel."

"Switched bodies? How?" Sarah was shocked

Sam nodded "Yeah, he escaped from the mountain in Daniel's body and left Daniel in his body which was dying. The colonel and Teal'c and the Air Force and State Police searched all over the place for him. While I remained behind and tried to reverse the process to get Daniel back in his own body. I watched Daniel in that old alien's body get weaker and weaker and I couldn't do a god damn thing to help him. All I could do was sit there and hold his hand and watch him slip further and further away from us, from me. We almost lost him that time, it was only a last second miracle that saved him that time. That was when I finally admitted to myself that I loved him."

Sarah smiled "But you never told him."

"I was too afraid." Sam admitted "I've had some pretty bad relationships, the men that I have chosen in the past were the worst kind for me. Daniel I knew would be different, but back then he was so obsessed with his wife and the Harecisis child. Plus my emotional state at the time having to watch him die was not too good. I was so afraid that he would turn me down, I knew that it would kill me." Sam wiped at her tears and admitted to Sarah "I've loved him from the moment I set eyes on him. He is everything that I have ever wanted in a man, even before I really knew what it was that I wanted. Back when we first met though it was impossible, he was so in love with Sha're, and I have to admit, she was a beautiful woman who loved him deeply. I couldn't try and come between them, so I just had to keep my feelings to myself."

Sarah shook her head, and hoped that Daniel realized how much this woman loved him. Then smiling Sarah knew that Daniel was sensitive enough to realize that on his own.

"He knew." Sarah told her surprising Sam "Daniel is a very smart guy, on some level he knew how you felt. Maybe not consciously, and maybe he didn't even want to admit it to himself. Still I would bet there was a part of him that loved you as well the whole time. Has Daniel ever told you the story about the ancient ones?" Sarah asked

Sam shook her head "No, I don't think so."

Sarah smiled thinking back "Well the story goes, that in the beginning there were no men and women, just one being that contained both."

"Ying and Yang?" Sam asked curiously

Sarah considered it a moment "Sorta I guess, you'll have to ask Daniel about the specifics of the story. But from what I remember, the story goes that all people had four arms, four legs and two heads but only one heart. They angered the God's because they thought that they knew everything and didn't need the God's any longer. In retaliation the God's cursed the people and split them in half, so now they had two arms, two legs, one head but only half a heart. We were punished and left to search for the other half of our heart to make us whole again." Sarah smiled "I never believed that story, until I saw you two together. The way that you two light up when ever you get together is incredible. Daniel is very lucky, he found the other half of his heart." Sarah patted Sam's hand

Sam smiled loving the story and making a mental note to ask Daniel to tell it to her. Daniel was a wonderful story teller, in fact Sam couldn't wait for them to have children so that Daniel could tell them stories.

"I'm the lucky one." Sam smiled "And you're absolutely right Sarah, I feel like I have found the other half of my heart."

Jack came into the kitchen smiling and grabbing more beers "There you two are, come on we are going to watch a movie." He announced

Sam looked up "What movie?"

"The Admiral strikes back, starring Harry Maybourne."

"Oh I gotta see this." Sam smiled standing "I just wish I'd been there to see it live."

"Video is the next best thing. Oh and wait until you see the special appearance by great uncle Chun-li." Jack laughed "I think Harry shit his pants. Come on ladies you're missing a hell of a party."

Kennedy and SG 13 sat in the briefing room with the Tok'ra representatives, Selmak and Anise going over the reports. It started from the moment that SG 13 stepped onto P2Z392 to the moment that Sam covered their retreat through the gate.

"So there were no problems." Anise smiled another problem solved by using the Tauri

Gabriel shook his head shifting uncomfortably in his chair, his back still smarting, "I have a big problem being used as cannon fodder for you." He told them

Kennedy looked up sharply "Be careful doctor Fuentes."

Anise looked at the man and saw his sharp eyes looking directly at her. He knew!

His eyes never left the woman's face "Did you tell Colonel Kennedy that this whole thing was a set-up?" he asked Anise "Or did you think that we the Tauri were too stupid to realize what exactly you were doing."

Kennedy was confused, they had accomplished the mission, it was of vital importance. Then he looked at the Tok'ra and what he saw made him begin to suspect that everything was not as it seemed. Jacob/Selmak stared at the table while Anise smiled and stared back at Dr. Fuentes.

"Explain Doctor." He ordered

Gabriel nodded "It was a set up from the word go." He began "They were waiting for us on the other side, if we had gone according to the plans that the Tok'ra had set up we would all be dead and that queen would still be alive. The only way that could have happened, the only way that they could have known and waited for us, was for someone to have tipped them off. So the Tok'ra probably monitored all transmissions leaving their base and waited until contact was made."

"That is a harsh statement." Kennedy warned "I hope you can back it up."

"With evidence no." Gabriel admitted and looked at Anise "Bitch you had better wipe that smirk off your face, or I'll wipe it off for you." He warned icily

Immediately Anise frowned and turned to Selmak "Let us go Selmak, we have nothing more to say here."

As they stood to go, Gabriel stopped them.

"Did you at least get your spy?" He asked them

Both Tok'ra stopped immediately "Where did you learn this?" Anise asked staring at Gabriel, shock written all over her face. Only the top echelon of the Tok'ra knew of the actual mission.

Gabriel smiled at her "I guessed actually, but thank you for confirming it." He said pleasantly.

Kennedy looked at the two aliens "Spy? Why didn't you tell us that there was an ulterior motive for sending my people into danger?" He asked angrily.

Anise sniffed "There was no need for you to know."

Kennedy stood up and walked over to her "I do need to know, you could have gotten my team killed for nothing. Just so that you could catch your infiltrator, if you had warned us we could have been prepared or come up with another plan." Turning he faced the general "General Carter I expected more from you sir, you of all people should know and understand that we should have been warned."

Jacob shook his head "I'm sorry Colonel, but it was necessary for us to do it this way. SG 13 had to perform normally. We could not risk a leak, besides your team did take out Eondra. That in itself is cause for celebration."

Kennedy shook his head "No sir it is not, not when you use my people as bait." Kennedy made a decision turning to Anise "You will no longer be allowed access to SG 13, they will perform no more missions for the Tok'ra." He told them. SG 13 sat back and smiled.

Anise smiled at him "We will simply talk to General Hammond and he will order them to do it."

Kennedy faced the woman disgusted with her "Anise, you don't seem to understand SG 13 belongs to me. I have complete control of my team; General Hammond does not have any say in this matter. Nor does anyone else that was the agreement that I came up with the President and the joint chiefs. That I would have complete and sole discretion as to what missions SG 13 undertakes. I am telling you that I will not allow my team to do anymore work for you. I am also going to talk to General Hammond and recommend that he think twice before allowing any of his teams to work for you as well." Kennedy promised them turning to his team, "SG 13 you are dismissed, Dr. Yates I suggest that you get some rest. I will speak to you later of your next privilege." And stormed out of the room

Gabriel stood up, as did the others "Understood Colonel" Gabriel turned to the others "If you need me I'll be in the infirmary with my daughter." Walking past Jacob, he paused and faced the man "You know Jacob, you are making it very difficult for me to keep my promise to your daughter. I really recommend that you stop pushing me, or one of these days I will push back." He told him and left.

Jacob/Selmak turned to Anise "I told you we should have taken them into our confidence. But no, we had to do things your way, now it has cost us the use of this team. Also when General Hammond learns of this he will also be reluctant to give us assistance in the future."

Anise shrugged still feeling superior "Then you will talk to the Tauri president and get him to order the SGC to help us."

Jacob shook his head "You still don't get it do you. The Tauri are not like the Goa'uld, they do not like to send men to their deaths at the orders of others. The president will also be angry with us, the whole treaty maybe in jeopardy. Not just because of this incident but because of our past behaviors as well. The Tauri do not forget, they may forgive for the moment and agree to help. But the more and more we pile on to them they will begin to resent it and there will be serious repercussions." He informed her

"What do you suggest Selmak?" Anise asked, even she realized that the Tauri were a formidable ally, they would also make a formidable enemy.

"I will talk to the council." Jacob began "There will have to be some sort of an apology made to the SG team as well as to Kennedy and Hammond for our not being completely truthful with them."

Anise's eyes blazed "I will not apologize to them."

Selmak's eyes blazed back "You will do what the council orders." He told her "Now if you will excuse me I wish to speak to my daughter before I leave."