Chapter 12 – Change
Jack woke to the soft hum of the engines, a grin immediately spreading across his face at the memory of a very much alive Sam Carter, though it was tempered by the thought that she had some really…unusual abilities now. Climbing out of the large bed-cum-bunk, he stretched and ran a hand through his hair. Pulling on his combat trousers, he walked barefoot across the carpeted deck of the ship, hitting the button to open the door.
They had all chosen one of the four rooms that night and climbed gratefully into bed, exhausted both physically and emotionally.
The door opened, and he stepped out into the room, stopping dead about a foot from the door as it slid shut behind him.
Sam had cleared the sofas from the middle, creating a large clear space in which she was now balancing on one hand, the other stretched out sideways, toes pointing into the air. All around her, small objects were flying in orbit, weaving in and out of each other without ever colliding.
She was wearing only a black tank top, and the black legging-trousers, her bare skin a golden tan colour, something she'd never had in the secluded mountain.
He gaped in shock, just standing there, hair dishevelled, t-shirt crumpled and still sleepy-eyed. She had her back to him and he couldn't see her face but he guessed she'd be concentrating.
"Hey, Jack." He nearly jumped out of his skin when she called out to him, the objects floating off to appropriate corners of the room as she lowered her left hand to the floor before agilely planting her feet back on the ground and up righting herself. She turned to face him, a grin on her face as her blood flowed back out of her face.
"What were you doing?" he asked, still stunned.
"Meditating."
"Meditating…as in Teal'c's kind of meditating?"
"Kind of, I guess," she told him, another Goa'uld-Force connection linking in her brain.
"How do you do that?"
"What?"
"The floating stuff thing and the mind reading." He went and joined her by a unit where she was now busy doing...something.
"Want some caf?…Uh, its like Coffee." He nodded mutely, and she handed him a mug of it, setting the synthesiser to make another for her. "The Force."
"Huh?"
"That's how I do the 'floating stuff,'" she told him, smiling at his incomprehension. "I'll explain when Daniel and Teal'c are up. It's not something I want to explain twice."
"Ah, okay." He moved to sit on one of the sofas, Sam sitting at the other end, facing him, though they were only a few centimetres away. They sat in silence for a moment before Sam suddenly frowned and reached out, touching the scar on the inside of his left arm, visible under the material of his black t-shirt
"Is that where…"
"I got shot? Yeah," he finished for her, knowing when she meant.
"It was so close," she said quietly, "I thought you'd been hit in the heart."
"What happened to you?" he asked her, putting down his mug of caf and catching her hand in his. The thin, white lines of scars crisscrossed her hands, looking almost like lace. She shrugged.
"I was working in a glitterstim processing facility – it's a potent drug, generally know as spice – it has to be processed in the dark because light activates it, and the strains have to be aligned precisely. It's sharp," she explained bluntly. He was looking to see other scars now, his mind trying to get around what she must have been through.
"This one?" he asked, still holding her hand and indicating the one over her left collarbone.
"Slave implant. Would have killed me if I tried to get away." She shrugged it off, looking up to meet his troubled eyes.
Jack felt so guilty. It was his fault; he shouldn't have left her on her own like that. He looked back at her face and met her eyes.
He was suddenly very aware of their proximity, and the fact that she was wearing only a tank top, his mind failing to throw up any of his usual arguments about her being his 2IC because she wasn't any more.
He felt his heart racing as he realised that his body wasn't complying, barely recognising that she was moving towards him just as much as he was moving towards her.
One of his hands had released itself from her hand and was now just at the back of her neck, sliding around to pull her head forward. The back of his mind registering the presence of a scar there, left from the cloned Goa'uld that had been put into her while he'd been in the clutches of Baal.
Their lips were so close, they were almost touching now.
He felt Sam stiffen at the same moment that he saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. They both jumped apart as if they had been electrocuted.
"Daniel!" Sam exclaimed in surprise, pulling her hand out of his grip and turning sideways as he did the same.
"Uh, sorry, I'll…just…go…"
"No! No, its okay, do you want some caf? I'll get you some caf." She stood suddenly and went over to the machine as an uncertain Daniel moved over to the sofa opposite and sat himself down. He was attired much the same as Jack was.
It would have been funny if it weren't for the fact that Jack was berating himself for coming on to Sam when he knew that she was with that Corran guy. Carefully locking his feelings away behind his mental barrier, he smiled at Daniel.
"So, Danny, sleep well?" Pretend like nothing happened. He could do that. He always did.
"Yeah, actually. There's nothing like almost getting killed in an alien galaxy to send you to sleep."
"Does it make any difference if it's an alien galaxy or your own galaxy? I didn't think it did."
"No, I guess not. Thanks." He smiled up at Sam as she handed him the mug and sat down next to him, curling one leg underneath her.
"Carter's gonna explain how she does that…"
"Floating thing?" she supplied for him, receiving a glare.
"…for us, as soon as T arrives." Daniel's eyes lit up at that, as he knew they would.
"Really?"
"Yeah. If you're good, I'll even give you a demonstration," she told him cheekily.
"You should do that thing you were doing this morning, with one hand and the moving up and down." Sam raised a suggestive eyebrow and Daniel snorted, choking on his drink. Jack rolled his eyes as Sam started laughing at him, joining Daniel who was trying to hide a smirk behind his mug.
"Teal'c, come and sit down," he said, spying the Jaffa as he entered the room.
"Yeah, Jack was just trying you get Sam to show us what she was doing earlier 'with one hand and the moving up and down'." Teal'c raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack.
"Hey! That's not what I meant and you know it."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"Desist!" They both snapped their mouths shut and turned to look at Teal'c, who was smirking. "I believe you are referring to the mediation technique that Maj- Sam was practicing this morning, where she was balanced on one hand, causing objects to orbit her body."
"See…wait, how did you know that?" Jack asked. Sam smiled.
"He came in earlier," she told him.
"Oh."
Sam took a deep breath before starting talking. "So. You want to know about the Force?"
"The what?" Daniel asked.
"The Force. It's how she does the cool floating stuff," Jack told Daniel smugly, grinning. Sam rolled her eyes.
"Right. The Force surrounds everything; it binds us together. It's life, energy, it's…the Force." She found that when it came to actually putting it into words, it was much harder than she could have imagined.
"Sort of like a life force?" Daniel asked.
"Yes and no," Sam replied. "We don't really know what it is, just that it is, and it's the Force."
"What, no super-complicated scientific term for it?" Jack feigned shock.
"No. The closest thing we have are some obscure references to the Knights of the Old Republic-"
"As opposed to the New Republic of now?" Daniel interjected.
"Yes, there was a kind of a galactic civil war, with the Imperials, headed by a Dark Lord of the Sith – The Emperor - and his apprentice – Darth Vader – that resulted in the death of all of the old Jedi, and the formation of the New Republic. They've only just forged a peace with the Imperial Remnant."
"But didn't you say that an Imperial was defending the planet yesterday?"
"Renegade Imp. Back to the point. Obscure references to Midi-Chlorians found in the blood that are indicators of a person's strength in the Force."
"Is it just me that thinks this sounds just a little too much like some hokey Goa'uld religion cooked up to enslave thousands?" Jack asked sceptically, still thinking that it had to be some kind of technology.
"I would think so if I had not seen it with my own eyes," Teal'c commented, receiving a shrug and a nod from Jack.
"So what can you actually do?" Jack asked, getting impatient with the philosophical stuff. Sam grinned somewhat evilly.
"Well, in general, a Jedi can use the Force for augmented speed, stamina, strength, reflexes, healing, sensory perception…umm…for Telekinesis, a certain degree of telepathy, we can sometimes see possible futures…the list goes on."
"There's a but. I can see it coming; I know there's a but!" Jack said, looking defensively at Daniel and Teal'c. "What? She said 'in general', so she's probably got something different." Teal'c raised an eyebrow and Daniel looked at him critically whilst leaning over to Sam and stage whispering conspiratorially.
"Are you sure he doesn't use the Force; he always seems to know these things." Sam raised an eyebrow and reached out with her senses.
He did have a stronger Force sense than most beings, including Daniel and Teal'c, but not strong enough to warrant training; which was probably a good thing, considering his darker side.
"Oh my god!" Daniel exclaimed, looking shocked at Sam's hesitation. "He does! You wouldn't say anything because he does!" Sam couldn't help but smile at the wide-eyed rabbit-caught-in-headlights look on Jack's face.
"I didn't say anything because I was checking with the Force to see." The rabbit look faded and she continued. "However, he does have a stronger Force sense than most beings." And it was back again. "But not a lot." And it faded again. "That's probably why he's so good at what he does." She mused out loud.
"Indeed. He does have an unusual awareness of those around him."
"Hey! I am still in the room, y'know!"
"Really, Jack? I wondered what that smell was!" Daniel replied childishly in mock disinterest.
"Guys! He's right, I have a particular ability with energy absorption, but I have absolutely no skill in Force projection…influencing other peoples minds to change their perceptions or anything."
"They can do that?" Jack balked at the idea, along with Daniel.
"Only to the weak-minded."
A loud beep sounded from a pile beside the sofa, covered in a brown cloth.
Uttering a curse under her breath, Sam stood in one swift motion and stepped over to the pile. Picking up the brown Jedi robe, Sam pulled the comlink out of a pocket and flicked it on.
"Carter," she barked into it.
"Sam, its Corran." His voice echoed out of it and Sam rolled her eyes, hearing Jacks delighted exclamation of 'Great, clean underwear' as their packs were uncovered. She had brought them back from the Peacemaker when she went to get her own stuff and check on Dentralla, who had slipped away when they headed for their quarters last night, knowing that they would want some time to themselves.
"Hey, what's up?"
"We're about to come out of hyperspace at Coruscant. Booster's got a 'delivery' he wants to pick up while he's here, so I suggest you take your friends sightseeing."
"Right."
"Come see me before we leave; Luke's given you access to Jedi funds to outfit those three. We don't know how long it will be before we can get to that Stargate thing to get them home." Corran didn't need to add If we get to it for the words to hang ominously in the air.
"Okay, what's our ETA?"
"30 standard minutes."
"Thanks, see you in 20. Bye."
"Bye."
She turned back into the room to find Daniel and Jack bickering light-heartedly. She repressed the urge to laugh out of pure happiness and settled for rolling her eyes.
"Alright, kids." Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, kids and Teal'c," she corrected herself, receiving a slight smile and a nod from Teal'c. "We're going shopping, so I suggest you use the 'freshers and get dressed. We leave in 15." She instructed them. They stared at her blankly. "The refreshers…the bathrooms…showers, y'know that think you do with soap."
"Ah, gotcha. You mean the fancy cubicle thing with all the switches on the outside."
"Want me to show you how to work it?" she asked, keeping a straight face, remembering her initial problems in this world.
"Please."
An hour and 15 minutes later, they had finally passed Coruscant control and landed in a part of Coruscant that Sam knew well…the marginally respectable places where she was most at home. Here, most of the people were decent, just trying to survive and not to rip everyone off. They were the class in between the denizens and the upper echelons.
She had finished explaining about her unique powers and the Force whilst waiting for clearance to land, gaining a few awed gasps as she did, and several comments of 'sweet' from Jack. She could tell they were all slightly disturbed by the idea that people could read their feelings, and influence their minds, despite Sam's assurance that the Jedi were good and avoided it wherever possible.
She was very carefully keeping her emotions locked away at the moment after what had happened…well, nearly happened with Jack. She didn't know what she was thinking. Now was not the time for this – her emotions were already a bit screwy – and she knew that she wasn't the same person that they knew six years ago. She also 'knew' that it was just a result of heightened emotions and euphoria at the knowledge of them being safe and here. She, as well as Jack kept their feelings locked away and hidden, putting on an act of being fine that they had both perfected over the years.
Stripped of all insignia and wearing only their OG jackets and none of their utility vests, they quickly un-strapped themselves from the seats behind her and Dentralla.
"You'll have to leave your P90s and your Berettas behind," she told them firmly.
"Oh no, Carter. You of all people should know that just isn't going to happen."
She sighed heavily. "I'm not asking you to go unarmed; I'm asking you to leave your Earth – and the Goa'uld weapons – behind. Going in unarmed would be suicide; I'm going to arm you. If you want to be singled out as being easy targets for the scum of Coruscant, then fine! By all means, take your prehistoric slug-throwers in there."
"Slug-throwers?"
"Yeah, that's what they are to them. And the Zats, they just won't recognise. If they don't recognise it, then they won't fear it."
"Is it really safe to go out there?" Daniel asked dubiously.
"Yes. But just don't touch anything, and do as I tell you," Sam informed him. She was exaggerating the state of this particular area of the planet, but it was better safe than sorry.
Leading them back, she went into what served as her onboard quarters. Moving to the bunk, she lifted the mattress, revealing a stash of weapons. Jack whistled in awe, his finger itching to find out what this or that did. Clipping the mattress and lid out of the way, she reached in, immediately knowing where things would be. She pulled out three thigh holsters like her own and handed them to Jack to hold.
Taking the first one, she deftly pulled out the Blaster and checked the power pack. She handed it to Teal'c, quickly showing him how it worked – it was basically the same as any standard 9mm…point, safety off, shoot – and how to reload it. She did the same with the next one, handing it to Daniel instead, though. She finally took the last gun out of the holster, inspecting it quickly as Jack strapped the holster on.
"This is my second favourite gun. Lose it and I will personally castrate you." Jack raised an eyebrow, secretly pleased that she'd given him her second favourite…her favourite still attached to her waist.
She knew that he could handle the higher firepower, and the sensitive trigger better than the other two.
"Yes Ma'am!" he replied sarcastically.
Clipping her Lightsabers onto her holster – one each side of the weapon – she lead them down the ramp and into the brisk Coruscant air, pulling up the loose head sheath she wore around her neck.
They once again stared in awe at the mighty, kilometres tall buildings that towered above them. Dentralla stayed at the rear, ushering Daniel along whenever he stopped to stare at anything. They travelled in silence, the three men silently wondering how Sam could seem so at home in the bustling streets, surrounded by all manner of strange looking aliens.
Eventually, they found their way to a small-ish store, with a sign that told them they were at Sey'laren's All-Purpose Clothes Shop.
They entered to find a well-lit, friendly-looking shop with several posters and mannequins of all shapes and sizes, showing that they catered for non-humanoids as well. Appearing from the back came a fairly young looking, blue-skinned Twi'lek, who smiled broadly when she recognised Sam.
Sam felt Jack and Daniel start when they saw Sey'laren, but they recovered quickly and didn't show it outwardly. Teal'c, as ever, remained stoic.
"Sam!" Sey'laren called out. "It is good to see you."
"You too, Sey'laren."
"And Dentralla. Ever a pleasure." The Wookie replied in kind, making the Twi'lek smile. "So, what can I do for you?"
"I need to dress these three; several outfits and what have you, and I may as well get more of the usual while I'm here."
"Good, good. I don't suppose I can persuade you to maybe vary your wardrobe a little more. Maybe a little something for the mate?"
"No, nothing like that," Sam said, repressing a sigh. She had given up trying to convince Sey'laren that Corran was not her 'mate,' but the woman was adamant about it, so she had given up. "I have got a message for you from him, something he wanted me to get while we were here." She handed her the data pad, leading the men to a console and seating herself.
"What's it say?" Daniel asked curiously.
"It's in basic – English – but where the spoken language is the same, written is different. Okay who's first?"
"Jack, age before beauty," Daniel said, smirking.
"Right. Teal'c it is then." Teal'c raised an eyebrow but consented. In no time at all, they had 'designed' the clothes that they wanted for all three, and they were being synthesised for them.
All three had gone for simple designs, with a few alterations made by Sam for practicality and to make sure that they would fit in. They were mostly variations on pants, black boots, shirts of some sort, and jackets. They would all look at home in a cantina on any planet frequented by spacers, traders or smugglers. Well, except for Daniel's glasses.
Sam got herself a few new tops, trousers, and jackets, as well as a couple of shirts and head sheaths.
She settled the bill, and arranged for the clothes they weren't wearing (including their old clothes) and the elaborate dress Corran had had her make up for Mirax to be sent directly to the spaceport, to be kept in the deliveries port until they got back.
As they left she bid Sey'laren farewell. She cheerfully ignored the Twi'lek woman's babblings about how lucky she was to have a man like Corran, despite the obvious fact that the dress – as every other one had been – was made up to fit Mirax, who was several inches shorter than Sam and had a very different figure. This all amused Dentralla until Sam turned and jokingly threatened to chop her legs off at the knees with her Lightsaber, at which point the Wookie's amusement was transferred onto the light-hearted threat as she affectionately ruffle Sam's hair.
"So, we've go clothes sorted…Daniel. How do you feel about having your eyes corrected?" she asked him, smiling a little.
"I-what?"
"Your eyes, corrected…no more glasses."
"Why?"
"Well…your glasses make you stand out and…that really isn't something that you want to happen here."
"Well, why not? I mean, we'll be going back to Earth soon," he said, innocently looking around at them. "Uh…guys…what do you know that I don't?"
"Daniel," Sam began softly, placing a hand on his arm, "That place is so heavily guarded that we don't know if the NR will give us access to the man power to take it out. Some of them are as bad as Kinsey, if not worse. And even if we could, there's no telling that we could get in, take over and get out, or even just get through the gate. Sith, we don't even know if they'll have moved the 'gate to another location." She saw him look at Jack and Teal'c, knowing that the two older men had come to the same conclusion on their own. He frowned, and Sam could see the cogs whirring in his mind, coming to the same realisation as they had. Out of respect for their feelings, she kept her awareness of what they were thinking down to the utmost minimum.
He finally nodded his consent.
"I don't suppose they have contacts, do they?" he asked uncertainly, plastering a smile on his face. "Don't worry, Daniel, it's not going to backfire on you." She told him, knowing that his main aversion stemmed from bad experience with alien technology.
"What about Teal'c's tattoo?" Jack asked as they headed for the hover cab port and then to the imperial city med centre. Sam shrugged.
"People have stranger." Jack looked surprised for a moment and then shrugged.
"Figures," he muttered as Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
Daniel walked out of the med room with one last thank you to the doctor there, a childlike cross between a frown and a smile on his face as he stared around distractedly, waving his hand across his face.
"This is…weird," he told them, smiling. "Thanks." Sam waved it off.
"Don't thank me, thank Luke. It's his money. Well, it's the Jedi funds, but…you get the point. C'mon, we've got three hours to get back to the ship, and I know one more place that we need to go.
"Oh, and where's that?" Jack asked curiously.
"You'll see."
This time, she led them to an area of the city-world that was near where their ship was, but several levels lower down. As they travelled they could see the quality of the buildings deteriorate as the quality of the light got worse. Stepping out of one of the Turbo Lifts, they walked onto a street filled with huddled beings, intermixed with arrogant looking smugglers. Most people wore hoods of some sort, or large cloaks that concealed them.
Stopping and turning towards them once more, Sam spoke quietly to them.
"Whatever you do, don't get lost. Stick with Dentralla and I, don't annoy anyone, try not to look so…military and for Sith's sake, don't stare," she told them as their eyes flickered towards a particularly huge being as it strode past in the dank street.
"Try not to look military?" Jack asked incredulously.
"You move like a soldier. These people don't like soldiers. They're smugglers, thieves, bounty hunters…the scum of the universe; they'll kill you for looking at them wrong."
"Ah." Sam saw Jack pause for a moment before he visibly slouched in a throwback to his Black Ops days, loosening up and striking a pose that reminded her forcefully of Han Solo. Apparently, Dentralla saw the resemblance too as she started laughing quietly to herself.
"Daniel, do me a favour and stick to Teal'c. Like superglue."
"Uh…okay."
They eased themselves into he crowd, following the flow of people. Sam felt more at home here than she did in the upper levels, though not as at home as she felt on Yavin, or her ship. This was the kind of place that she had first been introduced to, on Nar Shadaa. This was the kind of place that she had learned to be Sam Carter, resident of this galaxy.
She led them through the streets, and down a side street and to a small, unmarked shop where they bought a few weapons of their own, Sam wanting her own back. After that, she took them to a dingy cantina where they passed the last of their time chatting quietly.
As they stood to leave, Sam's danger sense tingled and she immediately pulled out her blaster, preparing herself for what was sure to come.
"Stop," commanded a voice off to her right. She stopped and turned to see a dark-haired, scarred man step out of the shadows. Keep going, she silently willed the three men, hoping that Dentralla would urge them on. "And you," he commanded, pulling out a second weapon and aiming it at the other group.
"What do you want?" she growled at him.
"Your head," he told her darkly. Great, a bounty hunter. Just what I needed.
"Yeah, well, I'm kinda attached to it myself."
"Not for long you won't be." He leered, stepping forwards. "Blaster on the floor," he said. "Finger and thumb, nice and slow." Slowly reaching down, she pulled out the blaster, carefully manoeuvring it so that it was pointing at him. He made the fatal mistake of thinking that she needed to use her finger to pull the trigger.
Putting up a Force barrier in front of the others just in case he managed to squeeze off a shot as he died, she carefully tweaked the position of the weapon and pulled the trigger with the Force, dropping the man where he stood. The rest of the cantina went silent for only a brief second before turning back to their drinks and conversations, not caring.
She cast a quick eye over her friends, checking to see that they were okay, which they were, before she dug into the bounty hunter's pockets and pulled out a few credit coins.
Passing them to the barkeeper, she gave him a quick smile. "Sorry 'bout the mess."
The barkeeper nodded and shrugged. "It was his own fault," he replied callously, pocketing the money.
She led an oddly silent SG-1 back to the spaceport, where they collected the dress and the clothes and flew back up to the Errant Venture.
