Chapter 26 – Return
As she stepped through the doorway from the Asgard ship's control room, Sam immediately felt all eyes turn expectantly towards her. A slight smile spread across her face as she felt the familiar sensation of the Asgard ship suddenly decelerating.
"We're here."
"Already?" Han asked, following the gazes of everyone else as they looked out at the edge of their galaxy.
The almost inaudible exclamation of surprise from the less refined members of the group was cut off as a bright light flashed and they suddenly found themselves looking at the side of a large pyramidal transport ship. Those of the group who hadn't yet seen one calmly took in the view, admiring the flowing lines and aesthetic quality that was, more often than not, overlooked in their own star ships.
Sam, on the other hand, found herself itching to reacquaint herself with the technology and apply the new skills and knowledge that she had learned.
Jack shot her a half amused, half apprehensive look as he picked up on her mood and thoughts. "Easy, tiger."
Sam returned his amused look with one of her own. "You're just hoping that I won't teach you Goa'uld technology, too."
"And miss out on an opportunity to show Jacob and Selmak up?"
Jacob shot him a glare, unsure whether to be amused at the idea, or continue being annoyed at him for stealing his baby girl. "Gee, thanks."
"Anytime."
"I wish you luck in your task, O'Neill." Jack jumped as Thor simultaneously appeared and started talking.
"Thanks, buddy, and thanks for your help."
Thor nodded once and turned towards Luke and Leia. "I am only sorry that I was unable to be of more help to you," he lamented, his own embarrassment at the reasons showing in a darkening of his skin. "I have been able to procure information from the Asgard archives in the hope that it will help to strengthen any new bonds rather than to reopen old wounds."
Leia nodded and smiled warmly, understanding that by doing so, the Asgard were showing that, though they were ashamed of what they had done, they were not holding any secrets from them. "Rest assured, commander, that whatever you did, it is clear to us that you are good people now, and that is all that matters to us."
Luke also added his own confirmation and reassurances on behalf of the Jedi. "The New Jedi Order are neither prejudiced, nor do we hold grudges."
Once again, Thor gave another respectful head-dip and moved back from them before turning his bulbous, shining eyes to Sam. "I will do everything in my power to help Daniel Jackson and Teal'c and ensure that the Tau'ri come to no harm."
"Thank you, Thor, and may the Force be with you."
Thor blinked, not understanding the direct meaning of the words, but understanding enough to know that it was a blessing and farewell. He beamed himself back to the command centre to control the transport ship's departure from his own ship.
Sam and Jack led the boarding of the scavenged Goa'uld vessel as the others took a few seconds to master their surprise over the Asgard's sudden departure. Once aboard, they found the ship fully stocked for about three months of travel as well as many of the other necessities that Sam had...acquired from Earth.
Dentralla gave a roar for Sam to wait, causing them to pause in the corridor for a few seconds before they continued to the 'cockpit', Jacob, Han, and Chewie following shortly after.
The lanky pilot and his hairy cohort both stopped short and gazed sceptically at the room seemingly void of all controls.
"How do you fly this thing?" Han demanded, searching in vain for the myriad of flashing lights, switches and controls that were a sure sign of a control system in any other ship.
Jacob shot him a smirk as he slipped into the pilot's seat and engaged the start-up, putting the headset on and flipping the nav-screen on it forwards. "It's easy; even Jack can do it..."
Jack raised both eyebrows for a second, before shrugging. "Okay, I asked for that one."
Chewie roared a question at them, which Sam obligingly answered, "It's all controlled through the main computer and console." For her father's benefit, she added, "Han likes to think that he's the best pilot in the galaxy."
Han huffed and pointed at her as Chewie let out a raucous laugh. "Hey, no-ones ever beaten my record for the Kessel run!"
Sam raised an eyebrow at him. "That a challenge?"
"You ain't got a chance, kid," Han replied, smirking cockily as Jack let out an exasperated 'oy'.
Before Sam could retort, Leia, Luke, Corran, and Mara entered, their amusement barely hidden.
"I should've known it would be you in the middle of this, Han," Leia commented as she wrapped a slender arm around his waist.
Mara snorted. "If it wasn't Luke, then who else could it have been?"
Corran gave them a pointed look. "Sam."
"What?" she asked innocently. "It's not like I go looking for trouble..."
"Neither do Han or Luke." Leia retorted dryly.
Sam rolled her eyes and turned to Jack, who was slightly bewildered by their sudden change of mood. "Not that they're glad to be going home, or anything..."
Jacob took this opportunity to remind them that they were far from safe yet. "I hate to be the one to burst everyone's bubbles but it's still weeks of travelling yet, and we don't know what we'll be facing when we get there." After a moment's silence to let his point sink in, Jacob cheerfully announced that the ship was up and running, and they were ready to leave.
Carefully manoeuvring out of the large bay, Jacob turned the ship, preparing to open a hyperspace window. There was, once again, a burst of surprise as, instead of the elongating star lines that they were expecting, the ship jumped into the window into hyperspace.
Once the ship had established its course, Jacob removed the headset and dismissed himself with one last, tense glance at Sam.
Corran's eyes switched form Jacob's back to meet Sam's gaze as he raised an eyebrow. "I think someone's a little annoyed."
Sam's gaze hardened. "Well, that's his problem, not mine." She shrugged and stalked out of the room, heading toward an empty corner of the confined room that served as both their quarters and the cargo hold of the transport ship even as her father disappeared into the engine room.
Sam made it halfway to her chosen corner before she abruptly changed her mind, deciding that, if they were going to spend weeks with each other, they would sort out this problem now.
She found her father digging through their supplies looking for food in the crates that had been put aside in every nook and cranny of the engine room to allow them a little more space aboard the cramped ship.
He didn't hear approach at first due to a combination of Sam's eerie tendency toward silent movement, and his own irritated clattering, much to Selmak's amused annoyance. Silently fuming to himself, he didn't hear her first attempt at gaining his attention, but jumped and spun when she calmly used the Force to tilt the lid of a box from its precarious position, sending it clattering to the floor with a crash.
"Geez, Sam, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
Sam gave him a wan smile. "I'm sure Selmak would have prevented that easily."
Jacobs's eyes narrowed in anger. "You know what I mean."
Sam only nodded, using the Force to sense the sudden change within her father as the symbiote inside him took control, head dipping to hide the eye-flash. The scientific part of her mind analysed the 'feel' of it, noting that as the Force presence of one became muffled, and the other suddenly shone bright.
"I apologise for Jacob's behaviour, Samantha, but you must understand that not only is there little conceivable tactical advantage to your actions, but you have also placed your brother in a position of imminent danger, and this both scares and angers him."
Sam moved further into the room, jumping up to sit on one of the crates of goods. Both her voice and face softened as she took in the Tok'ra's words, appreciating her candid comment and no-nonsense attitude. "I know that he's afraid for him, Selmak, so am I, but you have to see the bigger picture here."
Selmak tilted her head to one side, a frown of confusion creasing Jacob's brow. "I fail to see how this can be of any benefit, in a smaller picture or otherwise."
Sam shrugged. "Doesn't mean it isn't there." She gestured toward the bow of the ship, and the galaxy they were heading into. "You - both of you - have to accept that you don't know, or even understand everything that relates to this situation...there's another element, hell, there's dimension to this entire thing that you don't have a clue about and that changes things."
Selmak, as ever, remained calm, even as Sam could sense the blazing anger of her father, muffled though it was. "You say there is another dimension to this; I assume you mean the one added by the presence of a Goa'uld in this galaxy?" Sam nodded, trying to sense where the symbiote was going with it, even as she familiarised herself with reading a new alien species - new to her Force associations anyway - and built up an understanding of her. "Then are Jacob and I not the ones with the better understanding of a Goa'uld - and a new, unknown one at that - regardless of the fact that they are in another galaxy?"
Sam gave a growl reminiscent of a Wookie. "You see that's just it! You don't have a clue about the differences of this galaxy, of what we face, of a Goa'uld who - despite being unknown - has gained immense power in such a short time, has developed a way to completely hide from both electronic sensors, and our Force sense, who displays few of the usual Goa'uld characteristics and has a frankly freaky way of second guessing everything we've done so far!" At that moment Sam was very glad that they were alone in the engine room and away from unwitting eavesdroppers.
Selmak stood in the face of Sam's incensed diatribe with stoic calm and considered it for a moment, even as she noted that Sam was, for all of her outward passion, obviously controlling it and keeping it tamed.
"I apologise, I had not been made aware that the circumstances were so different."
Sam jumped off of the crate and gestured wildly as she sensed the scepticism of both host and symbiote. "Well, maybe if you listened, you would have." Her voice was rising slightly and she stopped and took a breath to calm herself before she continued. "All of this was detailed at the de-brief, and supported by everyone there! For once in your life, will you just stop for a moment and consider the possibility that being older does not make you instantly wiser!" Her last sentence was directed more at her father than the startled Tok'ra, and Selmak dipped his head and allowed Jacob to resurface, the calm expression melting away into frustrated anger.
"Being older has nothing to do with it, but experience tells me that they will never be safe down there, that the first place that the government will go when they realise that we are missing is to Mark, and they won't stop till they get answers!"
Sam let out a disgusted sigh and turned away from him for a second before whirling back to face him. "You know what, I don't know if I did the right thing! I can't be sure that, that they'll manage, that they'll succeed, Force, I don't even know if they'll survive! But I also know that there is more at stake here than just two, or three people, or even just one world, or galaxy. I may not have made the right decision, or the best decision, but the one thing that I have learned in the last seven years is that if you're given a chance, however remote, you have to take it, because you never know when you'll get another." Her voice had risen in pitch as she released a few of the emotions that she had been keeping such a tight reign on, though she didn't let them control her, and Dentralla came running in, eyes blazing at the diminutive man who dared to threaten her friend.
Jacob frowned, the words and the emotion behind them gradually sinking in as he stood, oblivious to the huge Wookie's deafening scolding.
Without another word, the woman who was in so many ways his daughter, and yet in so many others was a stranger, turned on her heel and walked off, leaving him standing shock.
Jacob stood just inside the doorway, oblivious to the two Wookies who were currently rumbling at each other about which of the delicacies of Kashyyyk they most looked forward to tasting again, and unseeing of the two alien members of the special ops team who were currently trying - and failing - to best Han in a friendly game of Sabacc. All he was aware of were the two figures of Sam and Jack, both currently sitting around some complex-looking jumble of wires and metal that Sam had obviously decided they would need when - if - they reached this Yavin place.
He'd done a lot of thinking in the last few days, as well as discussing with Selmak the implications of his conversation with Sam and, though he still didn't agree with Sam's decision to leave the others with Mark and his family, he couldn't fault the reasoning, tenuous as it was, behind it and the benefit that it could - possibly - create. He emphasised the possibly, knowing that it was also a huge risk.
But, as Selmak had pointed out to him numerous times, what was done was done, and it was better to shut it out of his mind while there was nothing he could do.
His gaze fixed on the two figures, he watched in fascination as Sam picked some component up and pointed something out to Jack, explaining it as she did so. In the back of his mind, he noted that Jack concentrated, and took every word of it in, before he proceeded to take it gently out of Sam's hands and give a shrug. Shifting his grip on it, Jack proceeded to make it snap like the jaws of a dinosaur, a boyish grin on his face, banishing for a moment, the world-weary look that weighed upon him.
She looks so happy and at ease.- Selmak commented as Sam's face brightened in a grin almost as childlike as Jack's.
I don't ever remember her being able to joke around like this, not since she was a child, and even then it was rare.-
Selmak gave him a mental snort of amusement. -Is Jack O'Neill really that bad that you hope that it is the people of this galaxy and not him that caused this change in her?-
Jacob scowled. -Its not that, it's just that...-
You are so used to him being off-limits to her, as her commanding officer.-
That, and Jack can be an ass.-
Jacob could almost see Selmak raising an eyebrow. -You think that she does not know that?-
Well yeah, but...-
She is your only daughter, and you wish to keep her to yourself.-
-Does that make me selfish?-
-That makes you human.-
Right.-
I have lived for a long time Jacob, and I can honestly say that you are not the first to feel this way, nor will you be the last.-
" Just how old are you, Jack?"
Jack looked up at Jacob with an innocent expression as the hands that had been playing 'Dinosaur' with the piece of tech stilled. He and Sam had both sensed the moment that he entered the room, but had decided that discretion was the better part of valour and had continued as if oblivious. "Don't let the grey hairs fool you, Jake I'm actually only 23."
Jacob snorted and looked directly at Sam. "Sam, honey, I just wanted to say sorry for being an ass.
Sam gave him a small, reconciliatory smile. "Wanna join us? I was just teaching Jack the basics of the mechanics behind the MALPs and FREDs.
Jacob gave a short bark of laughter. "Well, who said you can't teach old dogs new tricks?"
"If I'm old, then what does that make you?"
"Oh please, Jack, you might just as well have said 'I know you are, you said you are, but what am I?'"
"No, that's me, pointing out that if I'm old, then you must be ancient."
Sam merely sat back and laughed at the pair who, despite all of their years and experience, were bickering like children. What she didn't realise until later was just how bad it was going to get with so many people in the small ship for five days running, let alone the weeks they were going to be stuck there.
Sam looked up as Jack sidled into the otherwise empty engine room rather sheepishly. Most of the time it was only Sam, Jack, and sometimes Jacob down here, as a combination of the almost nonexistent space and their own ideas that you shouldn't stand in an engine room while the engine was running kept the others away.
"Hey," he called quietly, coming to stand by her and giving her an equally sheepish smile.
"Hey," she replied, gracing him with a tired smile.
"Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone ballistic on you like that, and it's just-"
"Two weeks solid with the same people, doing the same thing day in day out gets a little...frustrating. Its okay, Jack, we're all getting a little ...tense, especially since its taking longer than Dad estimated, too."
Jack nodded and slipped in close to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Still, I'm sorry."
Sam in turn wrapped her arms around his neck before making one last point. "You've got to remember to control those negative emotions."
Rolling his eyes and suppressing the irritation that rose at her reminder, Jack finished for her, "Or I'll fall to the dark side."
Sam simply gave him an impish grin and laughed.
"Don't giggle," he mumbled as he leaned in for a kiss, only to be interrupted before their lips had even met.
"Mistress Sam, come quickly! Mistress Sam!"
Jack groaned and Sam closed her eyes for a moment before, outwardly calm and without looking at him, she replied to Threepio, just as he came careening around the corner.
"Threepio, either you have a really good reason for this, or I am going to mount you on the front of this ship as a figure head, and rename it 'Goldenrod'."
"Oh, am I interrupting? I am sorry, but the ship just informed us that we were ten minutes from our destination!"
A grin spread across both Sam and Jack's faces as they disentangled themselves from each other. "I think that qualifies as a really good reason."
Without another word, they ran out of the room, almost knocking a bewildered Threepio over, even as he turned and began to run after them, calling out after them. "Wait for me!" When he realised that they had no intention of waiting for the slow humanoid droid, he resigned himself to arriving alone. "Curse my metal body; it simply doesn't move fast enough!"
Dashing into the control room to find just about everyone else in there - which was no mean feat considering that there were over a dozen of them - and for the first time in about three weeks, Dentralla wasn't grumbling, or destroying anything. Artoo, on the other hand, was warbling and rocking from 'foot' to 'foot' in excitement.
"Brace yourselves," Jacob yelled, not sure what they would find on the other side of the hyperspace window. Thankfully, with barely a tremor running through the ship, they exited to the longed-for sight of Yavin and its fourth moon.
Jacob immediately hit the cloaking control, effectively hiding their existence from prying eyes.
"Where are we going, Sam?" he asked, scanning the moon for sings of civilisation.
"Great temple...biggest one there...here, let me."
Jacob gave her a single, uncertain look before he stood and relinquished the controls to her, trusting that her far superior knowledge of the place would allow her to land more easily.
Slipping the headset on and running over the controls in her head, Sam looked to Luke and Corran. "Land away from the temple and enter on foot? We don't know who's there, and if any of them are spies, and the last thing we want to do is tip our hand."
Luke and Corran both nodded their assent. "What about the third temple?" Corran suggested, his eyes scanning the view from the front veiwport even as Sam brought them into the atmosphere.
She shook her head. "No, if lessons are carrying on as usual, then there'll be apprentices in and out of there. What about there?" She indicated a cleaning off of the beaten track, but still fairly close to the temple.
"Looks good."
Sam took them down and fifteen minutes later, with packs packed and weapons in holsters, they set out with Luke and Mara leading the way, and Threepio complaining about the 'over-abundance of foliage'.
Moving stealthily and keeping well clear of any students or Knights around, it took them forty minutes to reach the back route into the temple. As they crept along one of the stone-walled corridors in the refreshing cool of the temple, those in the group who were Force-sensitive and had their senses stretched and on alert smiled as they sensed four presences up ahead, gaining on them quickly. Those of the group not in on 'the joke' as Han sullenly put it soon had their questions answered as four small figures came hurtling around the corner at top speed, pausing a moment before rushing in with cries of 'Momma!' and 'Daddy!'.
Jacob watched in bemused wonder as Han and Leia fell to their knees and grasped their three children into a tight hug and Corran swept up Valin and whirled him into the air. How could four children know that they were there when they had taken all precautions - including, apparently, shielding themselves within the Force - against being found before they wanted to be.
He was surprised again as the boy in Corran's arms suddenly leapt towards Sam, with a call of "Auntie Sam!", but also refusing to let go of his father, forcing him to step closer so that the boy could embrace Sam at the same time.
At the same time Han and Leia's group widened to include 'Uncle Luke', 'Aunt Mara' and 'Chewie!'
Jacob, Pelari, Borakahk, and Major Gelk stood in silence as the children eventually left their parents to greet both Sam, Jack, Dentralla, and the two droids as well. The touching scene gave Jacob a lot of insight into why they had all fought so hard to return to a galaxy that was, by all accounts, not the most friendly of places to be, even in times of so-called peace.
Five minutes later and they were on their way once again, the four pre-teens complying with the order for absolute silence immediately and with a sombre, knowing expression that chilled Jacob to the bones. They were obviously no stranger to the cloak and dagger scenarios.
Their swift, silent movements soon brought them to an area that was separate from the main 'school' part of the Academy and housed the living areas of some of the long term families.
At the head of the group, Luke sent out a silent command for them all to stop, peering around a corner as the indistinct drone of distant voices drifted to them along the still air. As the voices got closer, the calm tone of one fell away to be replaced by irritation and anger before being shut off fully by the swish of a door closing.
Frowning and confused, Luke quickly came to a decision, no doubt with the mental consultation of Mara before they all moved forward and deftly filed into the door that the voices had disappeared through.
"So you're telling me that you cannot tell me where the former Chief of State and the leader of the New Jedi Order, two of the most famous and recognisable beings in this galaxy are?" The man's precise, clipped tones were in a similar state as the white-haired man's once pristine uniform now was...unkempt and disarrayed.
Kam, on the other hand, barely looked any better as he sat opposite the insistent man, hands clasped and face taut. "I have told you, Admiral, Master Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo are taking a long needed brea-"
The man snorted. "Just as the Council told me that they were 'attending business at the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4'? I do not appreciate your deceptions, Master Solusar, not when the galaxy is faced with a tyrant worse than the Emperor."
"Admiral, I cannot tell you what I do not-" He looked to the inexplicably opening door, wondering who could have got so close without him sensing them, Pellaeon also looking to see what had stopped him in his tracks. To his utter amazement and considerable joy, Master Skywalker slid silently in, giving Kam a bright grin as first Mara, then the entire Solo Clan, and part of the missing group that had gone in search of the elusive 'Stargate' appeared, along with one human that Kam didn't recognise.
His confusion over not sensing them disappeared as he realised who it was, and he linked the subterfuge with the Force Shroud that would deflect anything but the most determined search...which explained why the children had apparently sensed their approach.
Luke waited until the door had been closed and locked before he spoke, though the grin did not slip from his face. "Thank you for your discretion, Admiral Pellaeon, and I apologise for the subversion." He had known that the older man could easily have spoken their names, or called aloud to them and, though there was no-one nearby, discretion was, apparently, the better part of valour.
Pellaeon glanced momentarily at Kam, his anger clear but fading quickly. "I wish it were under better circumstances that I finally had the chance to visit the famed Jedi Academy, but, as I was telling Master Solusar here, my business with you is dire."
Leia, her arms full of an exuberant Anakin Solo, stepped forward to soothe the leader of the only recently formed Imperial Remnant. "I offer our apologies, but Kam could not have contacted us even if he had known of our whereabouts."
Pellaeon raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "I was under the impression that there were few inhabitable places left in the galaxy where the Holonet could not be reached by some means or other?"
Luke and Leia shared a long, evaluating look before Luke replied, "There aren't."
Pellaeon frowned in confusion, but Luke changed the subject before he could comment.
"Now that you've found us, what can we do for you, Admiral?" They knew that it had to be something important for Pellaeon to have left his precious Remnant. The solitary remaining faction of the old Empire had been formed in an area of space on the edges of the unknown regions that still remained loyal to the ways of the Emperor, if not the man himself. They had now formed a tentative alliance with the New Republic – thanks to Leia's help – and the ruling 'council' or Moff's and their cohorts was centred on Bastillion.
Pellaeon snorted. "To start with, I am no longer 'Admiral' Pellaeon...I've no doubt that you've heard of this mysterious commander who has been taking over some of the lesser, rogue Moffs?"
Having been out of the galaxy and therefore out of the loop, they didn't, but they could guess.
"Well, suffice to say he has gained control of the Imperial Remnant and has somehow persuaded several lesser planets surrounding Remnant space to join him. When I opposed him in council, he ordered me locked away to be kept for 'entertainment' and it was only due to the quick thinking of my security captain that I was able to escape. Your famed New Republic Council refused help, claiming that, having renounced the Republic and formed a separate government; it was our problem to deal with." His words became increasingly caustic and sarcastic until he took a moment to calm down and regain his self control. "I know that you, and the Jedi, are more likely to consider the implications that this has on a galactic scale, so I came here in order to at least warn you, though I hope that I can be of use in the upcoming fight. Do not doubt that there is a fight coming...and it will be a huge one...I have seen what this man is capable of and trust me, it far outweighs anything that the Emperor and Vader could have done..."
There was more to it but Pellaeon relaxed, a weight eased from his shoulders at the knowledge that he had warned them, and had taken the first steps toward stopping the man he could describe only as 'Monster'.
Han scowled from behind Leia, shifting Jaina in his arms as he gestured a height in the air. "This guy, was he about so tall, eyes that glow red, a weird voice, and calls himself 'Lord Hetarn'?"
Pellaeon's brow wrinkled as looked at them with surprise. "Yes, you've encountered him before?"
Han's scowl deepened. "Yeah" was all he would say.
Pellaeon frowned in puzzlement again, but Luke, taking in his appearance, and the fatigue of his own group, quickly curtailed any questions.
"I suggest you get some rest, Admiral, and freshen up. Kam here will take you and get you settled in some of the guest quarters, and you just need to ask for anything, and we'll see if we can get it for you."
Kam, who had remained in a gleeful, though shocked, silence nodded and headed for the door, beckoning Palleaon after him. "I am glad to see that you are back, and well, Luke."
"So are we, Kam, so are we." The pair left with the silent understanding that to everyone else, they hadn't returned yet. "In the meantime...Sam, the area of the temple that your quarters are in are otherwise empty, aren't they?"
Sam nodded. "No-one else, for about three levels around."
"Good, take everyone and get them settled temporarily there, and all of you get rested up!"
They took the slightly patronising order well, knowing that Luke meant it only so that they could recover from their weeks aboard the transport ship. Soon, only the Solo clan and Skywalker family remained as they headed for their own quarters, which were on this floor of the temple and just as secluded.
As they followed one of the back routes down to their quarters, Corran sent Valin off to find Mirax, making sure that the boy understood that only Mirax was to come, and that he wasn't to let anything slip. They all knew that they couldn't let the boy know without his mother getting suspicious of where he had disappeared to.
Sam quickly unlocked the three rooms that had once housed Daniel, Teal'c, and Jack. "Okay, Dad, if you wanna take Jack's room, the rest of you can fight over Daniel and Teal'c's rooms, and the clean spreads for the other rooms." She pointed out her own room. "Jack and I'll be in there, 'Tralla's in there...and I'm going to make use of a decent 'fresher for a change."
The rest of the group remained just as sullen and curt as Sam, their euphoria at returning overwhelmed by Pellaeon's slightly pessimistic speech, as well as their tiredness and tension. It also didn't help that they hadn't been able to announce their arrival, and be welcomed back.
Jacob cast one last dark look at Sam and Jack's retreating backs and walked into his room, searching for the bathroom and trying to figure out the peculiar controls on the door inside.
