"My Lord, you will be most pleased with my discovery. I have found the location of the Tollan, your sworn enemies. I am transmitting the coordinates of this planet to you now."
"That is indeed good news. I will soon have my revenge. Is the planet a prize to be taken as well?"
"It is not. The atmosphere is very poisonous. The Tollan are living under a forcefield to keep out the toxins. It appears to be nothing but a wasteland."
"It is of no consequence. The sweetness of my revenge will not be lessened. I commend you, servant."
"Thank you, my Lord," the spy gushed proudly before terminating the link.
The situation in the center of New Tollana was boiling out of control. With the arrival of eight more outsiders, the Tollan were beginning to realize that just holding the intruders indefinitely was not a solution. The Council members gathered in the middle of the angry group and called for silence.
Senil stood adamantly in the middle between the intruders and the settlers, calling for order amidst the chaos. Jacob was similarly quieting his team, who, being military, were much quicker to comply than the frightened, angry Tollan populace.
When a measure of order had been restored, Senil addressed the newcomers.
"The Council of New Tollana will meet now to decide how to proceed given the altered circumstances. When we have resolved this issue, we will summon the T'auri to our council chamber. You will wait while we discuss this difficult issue." Senil turned away.
Jacob stepped forward as she walked gracefully away and stopped her. "The Council of New Tollana may do whatever they wish. But you can't stop us from retrieving our personnel, whom you have detained against their will. A ship is in orbit around this planet waiting for our return. Any action you take to further detain our people will be interpreted as an act of hostility."
"You will wait for the decision of the Council," Senil told him fiercely, "because if you don't, your actions will be seen as hostile by the Tollan people. You should know that we are holding a member of the group called SG1 as insurance that you will comply with our request."
Jacob's face grew dark with anger and fear. He instantly knew that the hostage had to be Sam.
Sam willed herself to ignore the familiar panic that began to wash over her where she sat, alone and unable to see, in the room where Narim had ordered her to wait. Although she was still not sure what Narim's intentions were, her deepest instincts told her she was somehow in trouble and should get out of this place any way she could. Instead of standing, she dropped to all fours and crawled to the side wall, along which she carefully worked her way until she found the door. She tried the handle and was relieved to find it unlocked. Narim had probably not thought her capable of escaping in her present condition. She knew they had turned right from the main corridor to enter this chamber, so she turned left and headed along the wall towards the door, hoping against hope that by some miracle, she would be able to escape unseen.
Inch by inch, she took tentative steps, listening for anything that might indicate another being. So far it was quiet, except for the sound of her own unsteady breathing. So far so good. She crept as far as the door, then stopped, debating how to open it.
She remembered the door to the outside had opened with a sliding panel latch. She figured the control should be in easy reach of the door. But where would she go once she was outside? Sam racked her brain trying to form a mental picture from the sounds and feelings she had experienced when Narim had brought her here. She was frustrated that there just wasn't enough information in her memory on which to base any kind of decision as to where she should go next. She didn't even know in what direction their Tollan house was located.
The door, which was just in front of her now, unexpectedly slid open with a soft swish. Sam's heart leapt in her chest. She froze and flattened herself against the wall behind her. Tears stung the corners of her eyes, for she knew there was no chance, none at all, that she would escape detection. She heard and sensed a human presence moving swiftly in her direction, and the bitter disappointment of failure shot through her.
"Couldn't wait for the calvary?" A wonderfully welcome voice whispered breathily in her ear, and a long hoped-for pair of arms thoroughly enveloped her.
"Jack!" She hissed. With a huge sigh of relief she turned and gratefully wrapped herself around his steady frame.
"Are you okay?"
Pulling back a little, Jack leaned his forehead against hers and Sam shivered, sensing that he was staring at her. She wished more than anything that she could see those incredible eyes of his. She promised herself that when that day came, she would spend a whole lot of time staring back.
"Yes, I am now."
"C'mon."
Keeping an arm wrapped firmly around her waist, he steered her out of the entryway, ducking into the shadows of a nearby structure with lightening quickness. It was all Sam could do to keep her balance through the unanticipated maneuvers. He continued apattern of weaving back and forth while Sam concentrated on keeping her footing through it all. Finally, panting, he pulled her down with him against the side of a building to rest.
Sam pulled his hand to her cheek and held it there. "I was sure I'd been found by the Tollan again when I heard the door open. I've never been so happy to... hear... you."
"Jacob thought he heard you call out. And then I saw Narim show up in the middle of town without you. If I hadn't been in such a hurry to find you, I would have stuck around to pound him for a while. But I'm glad I didn't. Wait to go look for you, I mean. And I found you. You're safe. And you're okay."
Jack's voice had grown softer and increasingly intimate during his disjointed response. He sounded as if he was talking to himself as much as to Sam. Sam snuggled deeper into his arms and he responded in kind.
"I don't think Narim wouldn't hurt me."
"I don't trust him."
"Well, that makes two of us now," Sam commented sadly. Jack leaned in and kissed the top of her head.
"Looks like we got out at the right time," Jack commented. He was watching the council building from their position across the square. A stream of Tollan had just gone in the door they'd come out.
"What?"
"The Council of New Tollana," Jack explained in a sour tone of voice. "C'mon. Let's go back to your Dad and the others."
The rescue team paced impatiently outside the Council Hall. To the surprise and delight of all, especially Jacob, Jack and Sam walked out of the shadows into their midst.
"Sam!" He called eagerly, running to her side. "Thanks, Jack," he added gratefully, grabbing the younger man's hand and arm to shake it, then thinking better of it and pulling Jack in for a joyful hug.
"My pleasure." Jack smiled, but his eyes never strayed from Sam, a fact not missed by Jacob.
"Are you okay, Sammie?" Jacob grabbed her up in his arms.
"Dad!" She buried her face against his shoulder. "Fine. Other than being temporarily blind."
Jacob looked at Jack with alarm. "Blind! Temporary?"
"That's what the Tollan healer said." Jacob's look of mistrust conveyed his lack of faith in the Tollan.
Jack nodded. "Me too," he agreed cryptically, sharing Jacob's misgivings.
Jacob's head bowed, and his eyes came up glowing. "Well, there is no reason for any of our group to stay here any longer. Tok'Ra, kree!" Selmac commanded. The three Tok'Ra who were with Jacob came forward with several packs to unveil four additional environmental suits.
"Thanks Selmac, Jacob, both of you. Put these on, SG1," Jack ordered quickly, "and let's get out of here."
There was no argument from the weary captives, and in record time the entire party was ready to go. They ignored the protests and weak efforts of the remaining Tollan to detain them, and with very little resistance from the unwarlike people, they pushed their way through the crowds and left the safety of the forcefield. Jacob depressed the button on his long range radio and called for the ship to ring them up.
There was no response.
"What's wrong, Jacob?" Jack asked over his com.
"The ship isn't returning my hail. I know we're in range because we talked to them just after entering the settlement. I told the navigator what we had found and he was ordered to stand by."
"Uuhh, Jacob?" Jack asked uneasily, watching the malevolent gases swirling all around them. After a few minutes, Jacob quit trying to reach the vessel and turned to the group.
"I don't think we can wait for the ship any longer. The Stargate is not far. These suits have enough reserve oxygen to get us there if we go right now. We'll have to Gate out of here," Jacob declared.
"Let's go then," Jack agreed, eager to put this planet behind them. He renewed his hold on Sam's arm and the band of travelers set out in haste towards the Gate.
"I don't know how I'm going to explain to Ganan that I've lost another ship," Jacob muttered wearily as they trekked along.
"Another, Dad?" Sam questioned him.
"Let's just say I have had bad luck lately."
"How many ships have you lost?" Jack asked curiously.
"Um. Well. This one makes...three, actually."
"Wow. I'd say Ganan's gonna be pissed."
"Shut up, Jack."
The infirmary was finally quiet, Sam realized with relief. The last few hours since they had returned from PX-980 had been chaos, with Janet trying to quickly and yet thoroughly check over the large rescue team that had walked through the Stargate earlier that day. Janet and Sam now sat in chairs in the empty examining room, enjoying the stillness.
"So, when does Jacob have to leave Earth?" Janet asked conversationally.
"He's staying for a few days. The others are leaving today. Dad's down with them in the Gateroom now."
"Good. That's good. I'm glad he's staying around for a while. Under the circumstances."
"Janet? You haven't said much about my eyes."
"That's because I can't find anything wrong with them. The best guess I can give you is that there's been nerve damage of some kind."
"The healer on New Tollana said that too. So how long before my sight comes back?"
Janet was silent for too long.
"Janet?"
"Look, Sam, I don't want to discourage you, but I'm not going to lie to you either. It could be tomorrow, or next week, but the longer you go without regaining any sight, the less likely it is that your sight will be recovered."
"Oh."
"Don't dwell on it, Sam. I think you should sleep as much as you can. That is one of the best things you can do to aid in your recovery."
"Yeah." Sam sounded defeated in spite of Janet's pep talk.
"Hey, Sam." Daniel had slipped into the infirmary and had heard the last part of their conversation. He walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The simple gesture almost undid her and she fought back tears.
"Daniel," she whispered, which was all the encouragement he needed to sweep her up into a comforting hug.
"I came by to see if you wanted to get something to eat with us. Jack and Teal'C are waiting for us in the mess. But if Janet thinks you should sleep, then..."
"I'm starving, Daniel, and I really, really want something sweet."
"Sounds like our Sam to me," he joked. "Let's go."
Janet smiled as she watched Daniel take Sam's arm in his and gently lead her out of the room. Even in her present circumstances, Sam was one lucky lady, Janet mused fondly.
Senil was beside herself with anger, an anger born of fear for the precariously balanced future of their colony.
"You let them leave! How did the woman escape, Narim? You told me she was secure."
"I assumed, because she was blind, that she.."
"You assumed! The future of New Tollana is now at risk because of your assumption!"
Narim bristled. "I believe the T'auri can be trusted. They are good people, though backwards and rough. It was not their fault that Tollana fell to the Goa'uld."
Senil considered his answer and sighed. "You are right, Narim. I have been unfair to you. I'm just worried. We cannot survive another attack from the enemy. But we have not found a suitable planet on which to relocate the remnant. I confess, I am tired. I am feeling my age. Someone of my years does not adjust easily to change, and we have seen so much change."
"Perhaps this next move will be the last, then, Senil. I will go to the lab and continue the search for a suitable new home." Narim gave her hand a tender squeeze and left her standing, sad and alone, in the middle of their small colony.
Not longer after, Narim was in his lab observing his long range scanning instruments. The screen before him showed something new, something that had not been there before. It was a blip, probably a large spaceship, moving steadily closer to New Tollana's coordinates through hyperspace. He did some quick calculations. At the rate the ship was traveling, it would be in orbit around their planet in about four hours.
Narim jumped to his feet in alarm. He decided that he must first tell the Council, and then contact the SGC and see if they or the Tok'Ra had sent a ship.
"Incoming signal, sir!" Walter called over the com. General Hammond was soon in the control room at Walter's console.
"Who is it?" Hammond asked.
"It's audio only, originating from PX-980, sir," Walter responded.
"Put it on speaker." Jack wandered in at that moment, having heard the klaxons heralding the incoming wormhole.
"What we got?" Jack questioned Hammond, who held up his hand, signaling silence. Narim's voice resounded over the speaker.
"This is New Tollana calling the SGC. We have an immediate situation we must discuss with you."
"Narim, this is General Hammond. Go ahead. What's the problem?"
"Our long range scanners have detected a ship bearing down on us. We need to know, is it yours?"
"No, Narim. It's definitely not us." Hammond had to smile, knowing the T'auri had only one spaceship at their disposal anyway. And the Prometheus was currently under repair.
"Could the Tok'Ra have dispatched a ship to our location?"
"I know of no reason they would do such a thing. But you need to know, Narim, that the reason the joint mission to your planet returned through the Stargate is because the ship that the Tok'Ra came in stranded them there. One man was left aboard, the navigational officer, so Jacob Carter has drawn the conclusion that he must have been a Goa'uld spy. My guess is that's an enemy ship on its way. You and your people should get out of there, now."
"Narim?" Hammond had waited for over a minute for his reply.
"Narim, you and your people are welcome to stay here on Earth for as long as you need to. I don't see any other option open to you. I urge you to evacuate as soon as possible."
"Thank you, General. You are right. I will relay this news to New Tollana. We will make contact again for the purposes of evacuating to Earth in three hours."
"We'll be ready for you. Narim, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. This is the worst possible result of our accidental contact with your people."
"Not the worst result, General. Thanks to you, we may all yet survive."
