Chapter 29 – Convergence

"General Antilles, sir…we're reporting a powering down of all enemy ships and the appearance of four additional Katana Dreadnoughts!" The Bothan officer's excited and relieved announcement elicited a cheer from the rest of the bridge even as Wedge ordered the cessation of all hostile activities.

"Sir, we're receiving a transmission from the Captain of Chariot of the Gods," the Comms officer added and Wedge nodded for the holo to be put up on the display, joining Pellaeon to respond to it.

"This is Captain Shoreign," The slightly staticky three-quarter figure stood respectfully as he spoke. "We're willing to surrender to the terms that Admiral Pellaeon laid out and request that he be reinstated as commander of the Imperial Remnant."

"What about Hetarn?" Wedge cut in before Pellaeon could reply.

There was a slight pause before the Imperial captain spoke, sounding somewhat bitter. "I have just been informed that Lord Hetarn fled in his escape pod just prior to the realisation of his defeat, abandoning the people under his command."

A glance to the Bothan sensor officer confirmed that an escape pod had indeed been jettisoned from the area consistent with an Admiral's private chambers.

"Thank you for being reasonable, Captain," Wedge replied, giving a respectful nod to the hologram before stepping away and allowing Pellaeon to define a few details for his reinstatement.

Beckoning another of his more senior officers up he ordered the Mon Cal woman to track the escape pod and send a team out t investigate and bring back Hetarn if her really was aboard it. "Go careful and go well armed; this guy's incredibly dangerous even on his own." He finished as Pellaeon cut off the connection to Shoreign. "You do realise this could be a trap, right?" He couldn't help but warn the Admiral.

Pellaeon shrugged, "better I lose my life than the fleets on both sides be obliterated." He replied with a wry smile.

Wedge nodded, feeling the weight that kind of decision weighed on even the strongest of leaders. It was a risk, but it had to be taken. "Good luck, then." Was all he could say before the man who had once been his enemy strode off toward the hangar bay.

Sighing and organising his thoughts, Wedge signalled for a connection to be set up to Luke and was disappointed to be told that the Jedi master was unavailable. Unwilling to leave his command at such a critical time he sighed and turned to other things, knowing that Luke would get the message and contact him when he could.


Luke helped wherever he could, feeling indescribably impotent as he applied Bacta pads to scrapes and blaster burns that had been received by a few of his pupils during the struggle with the troopers in the Great Hall. Most of the students who had been taken as hosts had been the newer, less experienced ones who had apparently been caught unawares whilst out on missions but Luke had been distressed to learn that one of his original students, Streen, had also been taken host. He could only imagine how the experience had tormented the already troubled man.

Those ex-hosts had been secured in a separate area of the medical bay, waiting to be examined since the more urgent casualties had been seen to but they complained only of headaches neck-aches that would no doubt ease in time and were hardly life threatening.

Giving the teenager he had just tended a reassuring smile, he walked over to meet Cilghal as she shuffled tiredly towards him. Motioning for her to sit down for a moment he inquired about the two most critical patients.

"From what I can tell Sam expended all of her energy reserves in an attempt to heal Jack." The Mon Cal's gravelly voice held an edge of fatigue that would ordinarily have been relieved through the Force. Their circumstances were anything but ordinary though. "She was successful as far as she could be but that kind of intense healing takes more energy than she had, even after absorbing so much more in the fight." Cilghal sighed and adopted an expression of her own species that Luke interpreted as a mixture of frustration and awe. "As she is prone to do in such cases, she over expended her energy and was saved only because she lost consciousness and her energy-giving bond. Her energy levels are almost non-existent but I think that she just might make it…its hard to tell though but she's a warrior, and she has something to live for now."

If he'd still had his command of the Force, Luke might have been able to detect the hopeful plea to the Force that Cilghal sent out. "What about Jack?"

"The damage is severe but survivable. Jacob Carter has retrieved what he calls a 'healing device' from his quarters and is working on him now." Cilghal smiled at this, obviously interested in studying the device at her first chance. "He has offered to aid the recovery of the other patients once he is done with Jack, though I suspect that it will be a while before he is free to do so.

Luke smiled and rested an arm on her weary shoulder, "Thank you. Get some rest now; you'll be more help once you're rested and others can take over for now." He knew that Cilghal had had very little rest before the attack and was pleased that she accepted the suggestion gracefully.

"Master Luke, Sir?"

"What is it Threepio?" Luke turned to address the golden droid, wondering what he could need him for now.

"General Antilles has requested that you contact him as soon as possible. He says that the Imperial's have surrendered and have accepted Admiral Pellaeon back."

Luke grinned and clapped Threepio on the shoulder, "Best news you've had all day."

He headed off to the comm centre, wondering what could have caused such a colossal turn around in Hetarn's attitude but hoping that it was true. If it was then he knew that they had started on the long, arduous road to recovery. Again. But this time much more enlightened to what was out there.


Three years later…

Nearly a quarter of a century since the Battle of Endor, where he'd found his father, only to lose him less than an hour later, Luke Skywalker suppressed a frustrated sigh as he surveyed the damage that scattered space opposite him. The image of a battlefield in space was one that he was far too accustomed to, the most recent before this being just under three years ago, when they'd fended off the attack of the power-crazed Goa'uld parasite from another galaxy.

Hetarn had been defeated not by the Jedi, or even the New Republic but, apparently by his own men. It held echoes of Thrawn's demise at the hands of the Noghri, but the Noghri had been incited into rebellion…there seemed to be no reason for Hetarn's betrayal. That meant that there were people within the Empire with at least a trace of humanity in them…or at least he hoped so.

Whoever it was had spaced Hetarn's body in his personal escape pod and told the rest of the fleet that, seeing that he was losing the battle their esteemed leader had left them to save his own skin.

As luck - or more likely, the Force - would have it, the escape pod came to ground only a short way from the main temple on Yavin 4 and Wedge's task force had recovered the remains of Hetarn's body, much to the relief of everyone involved. Recovered Imperial soldiers had been patched up where possible and returned to the newly restored Remnant under Pellaeon's rule. Order had been restored and they had recovered gradually. They had held a ceremony and created a memorial to those who had fought and died that day, an echo of the one's that had been set up over the years to remind them all of the struggles they had faced and the cost of it all.

Now, having had their view of the universe irreparably blown open by the realisation that there were entire galaxies out there populated by humans who'd doubtless shared ancestors with them, they'd turned their scanners outward to the rim of their own galaxy and it was toi here that Luke now gazed, his thoughts melancholic as he surveyed the destruction.

The stark direction his thoughts had taken reflected the stark desolation of the battlefield outside as small shuttles flew through it, scanning for any signs of life. This task was made harder for them because their sensors picked up not only the life signs of their own people, floating adrift in their ejector seats and waiting for recovery, if there was to be any, but the life signs given off by dying enemy ships confused things. He had sent out several Jedi to differentiate between friend and foe, puzzling over another thing that confused him. The Jedi could not sense their enemy at all, and the strange sensation of being able to see them, but not sense them had been disconcerting to start with but not unlike that of seeing the troopers who had taken over the Jedi temple three years before and being unable to sense them either.

The enemy's unusual use of biotechnology had caused the Republic to suffer greatly - many Jedi had been lost as well as military forces, but eventually the enemy fleet; a tenth of the size of their own, had pulled back but they doubted they would stay away for long.

Their hails to the sighted ships on the edge of the galaxy had initially been ignored, but eventually a face had appeared, scarred, distorted, and frightening in its ferocity. It had spat a few incensed sounding words at them before telling them in garbled basic that the Yuzhaan Vong would never surrender, and never stop until the heretics had been sacrificed to their gods.

Luke continued to stare unblinking out of the veiwport as he mused the events of the past few days, only to find himself almost blinded as a bright white flash filled the room. He reached immediately for his lightsaber, even as he used the Force to scan the room and remove the spots from his vision.

Sensing who it was, he relaxed and turned his vaguely watering eyes to the form, masking his intense surprise at seeing the three foot tall being stood there. "Commander Thor... what brings you here?" His confusion at seeing the small grey alien stood there so calmly left him unable to ask any more intelligent questions. He'd come to believe that there was no hope that the Asgard would ever return to their galaxy. His reading of the archives they had been given had made him aware of the immense guilt that the entire race seemed to feel over it, though he had sensed that there was more to it than they were letting on.

"Greetings Master Skywalker," Thor replied, blinking slowly, his body tense. "I must apologise for breaking the Asgard vow to never return to this galaxy, but the situation was most dire and O'Neill has impressed upon me the importance of contacting a person before transporting them away."

"You've got nothing to apologise for, Commander; it was your ancestors that committed the acts that so offended this…Sekot." It had been several years since Luke had read the data and some of the details of it were a little fuzzy, though he had made a promise to himself to research this amazing sentient planets that had allegedly once inhabited the galaxy …the Legend of Zonama Sekot had been mentioned by an old Jedi Holocron and he was curious about the implications of it. However, between the search and eventual recovery of the Stargate, and the sudden discovery of the ponderous approach of unknown vessels through the rift between galaxies he hadn't had time to think of it again.

Thor nodded, though Luke sensed that he was merely acknowledging what he had said and not agreeing with it.

Without further ado, Thor launched into his reason for arriving when he did. "Since dropping you at the edge of this galaxy I have been monitoring any reference to this galaxy in hope of finding out what the situation with the Goa'uld was. I had hoped the beings you have just done battle with would pass this galaxy peacefully, but unfortunately that is not their way. I-" Thor suddenly cocked his head and simultaneously a flicker movement in the corner of Luke's eye signalled to him the expected and tensely awaited arrival of a much greater enemy force.

"Excuse me," was all that Thor said before another flash of light heralded his departure.

His eyes no longer wide open and staring, pupils contracted against the artificial lights of the inside of the ship, Luke didn't find the beam offensive to his sight this time, though he was still surprised by it.

Broken out of his confusion by the insistent beeping of his comlink, Luke reached for it and answered distractedly, "Skywalker."

"Luke, are you okay?" The concern in Mara's voice touched him and he quickly assured her he was fine.

"It's okay…you'll never believe who I just saw though…"

He trailed off as suddenly an entire fleet of advanced ships of the like he'd only ever seen once flashed into view surrounding the enemy ships. There was a short pause before the ships began to pound at each other, the sleeker Asgard ships seeming to quickly disable the lumpy, but surprisingly agile forms of the Yuzhaan Vong ships. A few of the Vong managed to jump out of the system but the Asgard took very little damage. Luke barely had time to wonder how they Asgard had been able to circumvent the defensive power of the black-hole like voids that protected the Vong ships before the battle was over.

At the edge of his hearing, he heard Mara's voice as she unconsciously uttered an awed curse, and the echoes of elated whoops and hollers travelled to him from the crew of the ship.

"Meet me on the bridge," was all he said to Mara before heading there himself at a jog.


General Wedge Antilles stood on the bridge and stared, his ears deaf to the sounds of cheering that surrounded him. He'd been retired not all that long ago but was now stood on the bridge of a warship and had just witnessed the appearance of an entire fleet of ships of a technology he'd never seen before and who had just proceeded to more or less completely disable a force that doubled their own and had superior…he struggled with the appropriate term as he didn't think that 'technology' was the right word, as it all seemed to be organic. Nevertheless, a force a fraction of the size of the one that had just been obliterated had almost beaten them just a few hours before and yet these newcomesr had been able to chase them off with only a little damage to themselves…

The sound of his name being called finally broke into his awed reverie and he turned and greeted Luke, seeing Mara lithely jogging up behind him.

"What-" was all he managed before a bright white light deposited a small grey figure with them. At the first fleeting glance out of the corner of his eye, Wedge thought it was a Noghri, but then he turned and looked face-on and had a second to note the differences, though they looked as if they could be sister races. Although, on second thought the similarity was mostly in the short, thin, grey appearance. The newcomers looked considerably more docile and less like warriors. Plus there were no teeth… correcting himself, he decided that they probably weren't all that alike after all.

Another white light flashed and suddenly, stood on the upper deck of the Star Destroyer with them were two familiar figures. If the crew hadn't been so amazed by the transporter technology, they would have been rolling on the floor laughing at the image of the two Jedi appearing with their feet touching the floor and seeming as if they were quite happily sitting in a chair, their hands reaching for unseen controls.

Then gravity took hold and they both fell to the floor, though they had time to reflexively cushion their fall with the Force, landing softly and without hitting the inexplicably sensitive tailbone.

The taller, helmeted figure reached for the helmet clasps as he pushed himself off the floor. "For cryin' out loud, Thor, could you not have waited for me to stand up!"

"I am sorry, O'Neill, but I was under the impression that the ship had been safely docked aboard the O'Neill."

Moving to stand beside him and removing her own helmet to reveal a sweat and dirt-encrusted face, Sam rolled her eyes. "They were; literally a second before you beamed us out."

Thor blinked. "I fail to see what the problem is."

Jack threw his hands up in disgust. "Never mind. So what brings the Asgard to the forbidden galaxy?"

Wedge decided that then was about the right time to interrupt with a baffled, "WHAT!"

Luke smiled. "General Wedge Antilles of the New Republic fleet, this is Supreme Commander Thor of the Asgard fleet."

"Greetings, General Wedge Antilles."

"Right, hi…you're the guys who just obliterated the Vong fleet?"

Thor blinked, using his experience with humans - particularly O'Neill - to translate the unusual phrasing within his head. "Yes. I feel I must explain…perhaps it would be better if there were another place where we could discuss this?"

Wedge nodded and led them towards a door off of the bridge and into a side-room set aside for those who needed a few moments rest, ushering the people in there out with an apologetic smile.

Seating themselves gratefully all except Thor were suddenly overcome by a need to sleep as the adrenaline left their bodies.

Sam and Jack had been out in X-wings scouting for survivors long after the fourteen-hour battle had finished, using the Force to sustain themselves. Luke and Mara had been ordered in as they'd both been up and out trying to negotiate long before the attack had begun.

Looking slightly childlike in the human-sized chair, Thor immediately began, seeming to the people gathered rather like being there made him rather nervous.

"As you read in the files I gave you, the Asgard were once inhabitants of this galaxy, many millennia ago. At that time, we were a relatively primitive species, though still advanced by your standards. Factions of our race began to believe that genetic modification was the only way for us to advance, and it became a matter of course to either create a child in a laboratory, or to clone ourselves, though at that point we had no way to transfer our consciousnesses as we do now.

"At this time, there existed a species that is now extinct; their name has been forbidden from being spoken for so long that no one now remembers it. These beings were living planets with an immense consciousness that would appear and talk to us in a form that was familiar to us. They were very powerful, and warned us many times that the path we were taking would lead to our destruction. When we would not listen and certain factions began experimenting not only on our own species but also on other species, distorting them to fit our needs without any concern for the well being of others, the most powerful and oldest of the sentient planets banished us from the galaxy for our crimes, leaving us with only the cryptic message that life was precious and to distort that would leave only a false non-life.

"By that point in time, we had completely lost the ability to reproduce naturally, and two schools of thought arose within our people. Some left in search of a new home to try to restore to us what we had lost, though we didn't know what it was; the other faction left to form their own separate race based upon the belief that if it was natural, then it was right and technologies such as we use were the false ones and offended the higher beings.

"Those beings became the Yuzhaan Vong."

Thor fell silent and the people around him stared in a slightly awed, slightly horrified way.

After a few tense seconds, Jack broke the silence, "I still don't get how you managed to get around those void…things. They just sucked in everything we threw at them!"

"Our genetic technology has the same basis as the Yuzhaan Vong, and we have kept a close eye on their development, as well as ensuring that we had a way to defeat their defence systems." Thor explained. "It involves complex equations on the Centinyar to the wavelength of the polint-"

"Ah, okay, I get it, its because you're way cleverer than us!"

"And we have had much longer to acclimatise to the situation."

Jack glared at Thor and the alien took the hint to be quiet for a change.

"This thing that you lost, could it have been the Force? The Yuzhaan Vong are no longer connected to the Force but you are, though there is the staticky sensation that I would put down as being because you were cloned," Luke pondered aloud, connecting pieces of information that he had picked up over his years searching for Jedi heritage.

"It is possible, though I do not understand why we should be any different."

Here Sam jumped in, "Well, it's like you said; they started to mix up genetics and distort the natural order in a way that you have never done. The Vong mix up the genetics, but you just copy it."

"And from what I've seen, you try to help people and save lives where the Vong just kill everything that gets in their way, including their own people."

Thor nodded and considered this, some of the tension beginning to drain from his limbs. Obviously, the fact that they were related to a race so violent and destructive troubled Thor; or possibly, it was the idea that the Asgard had in some way redeemed themselves that put him more at ease.

"So…let me get this straight…you used to look like them?" Jack inquired, thinking back to the specimens they'd had of more human-looking Asgard.

"No. We both once looked alike but they have distorted their image through genetics and self-mutilation.

"Gotcha."

There was a brief pause before Wedge spoke up, asking the question that his own mind had kept returning to. "If you don't mind me asking, Commander, but why did you help us now when you refused to help in the situation with the Goa'uld?"

Thor cocked his head to one side. "The Asgard felt that it was our responsibility to deal with the Yuzhaan Vong because of our past. In addition to this, the Asgard have a treaty with the Goa'uld and to break this treaty would lead to the annihilation of entire planets of people."

"Ah."

Another silence followed and Thor cocked his head before explaining that the fleet was hailing him. He left in another beam of light, the depressions that his slight body had left in the conform-couch fading rapidly.

"What now?" Wedge asked, looking around.

Luke shrugged. "Now we clear up this mess, return things to as close to normal as we can and we try to track down Zonama Sekot."

Jack shook his head vehemently. "Now; 'fresher, bed…then pointless tail-chasing for a dead planet."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure Sekot's still out there…there were references made in the old Jedi holocrons to a ship-building planet that bonded to its pilot!"

Jack shrugged. "Whatever…I personally intend to get the 'gate working again, and go see what there is left of my home planet and the friends I left behind."

Mara stifled a smirk as Luke rolled his eyes at the un-diplomatic man who had gone on to autopilot as he grabbed Sam's hand and dragged her off toward their crew quarters before they both collapsed of exhaustion.


As they picked carefully through the rubble of the small, backwater planet's main town, Jack divided his attention between his footing and Sam. All she'd told him when they'd woken up from their long, regenerative sleep was that she had to come down here, now. A dying Vong ship had vindictively shot at everything it could see before finally crashing to ground in the middle of this town. Destroying most of it and killing hundreds.

He couldn't help a wave of thankful relief that rose through him when he looked around, feeling terrible for thinking it but unable to help himself. At least it wasn't Sam.

Without really thinking about it he reached a hand up to his chest, feeling through the material there the rings that they'd had made specially, though neither of them wore them on their fingers often. They were simple bands made out of an equivalent to white-gold; a touch of Earth and home that they had brought to their Jedi-wedding. The Jedi-wedding, similar in many ways to an American wedding on Earth but it had the added union through the Force, shown in the fitting together of two halves of a large crystal through the Force.

The decision hadn't been hard for him to make and the first thing he'd said to Sam when she finally woke up after nearly a week asleep following Hetarn's attack on Yavin 4 was "Marry me?"

She'd stared at him for a short while, trying to wrap her head around what he'd said before finally grasping it in her sleep-clouded mind and weakly saying 'yes'.

A few days later, he'd been entirely confused when she'd tearfully tried to break it off.

He'd finally coaxed out of her that she though he'd be better off with someone else, because she'd decided she wasn't good enough because that bastard slaver had scrambled her insides and left her infertile and unable to have children.

When he finally got that out of her, he'd been torn between the urge to slap some sense into her, and the urge to simply hold her. Sensibly, he'd gone for the second option, making her look into his eyes as he'd said simply, "I don't care."

They could always adopt, he'd explained; the entire galaxy was full of children with no parents and who wanted one desperately.

A shiver went down his spine as Sam's concentrated movements suddenly sped up, the tension in her posture increasing as the eerie keening of a baby in distress broke through the air.

Sam was almost running as she plunged ahead, converging on the noise. He struggled to keep up with her over the rough terrain, and within a few moments, she was stooping over what he'd though was a pile of rags.

He arrived to find that it was no pile of rags but a small bundle of blankets swaddling a tiny child.

The baby couldn't have been more than a few weeks old, and already it had a small cut on one shoulder and several bruises, its family obliterated.

Sam picked the young girl up and began cooing to her quietly. Jack reached out to the Force and scanned for any signs of life within a large area. The only one was that of the fragile little girl, although her Force sense blazed, showing signs that she would be strong in the Force.

He and Sam looked at each other, silently agreeing. The Force had led them there, and the child was the sole survivor. There was no doubt that they would adopt the orphaned child though they both knew that the would still search for the child's parents or family…after all, there was always hope.


"Unauthorised Incoming Wormhole"

Cocking his head at the announcement, Teal'c rose from his seat in the commissary and headed at a fast walk towards the control room. Since their return to the SGC, things had largely returned to the way they had been before, though there were a few changes.

The only way that they had been able to regain the SGC and eradicate the disruption in the CRDO had been a partial exposure of the SGC. Knowing, however, that there was no way that Earth was ready for that kind of revelation without a severe case of mass-hysteria and a complete lack of faith in their governments they had told only a partial truth. As far as the public were concerned the SGC was a facility involved in the research, construction and use of advanced space-capable ships that had been successfully launched. They also knew that it was a collaboration of all nations, even the most minor ones (after all they didn't want to create a reason for an increase in international terrorism).Once this had been done, the joint council that consisted mostly of countries from the UN, and a few from outside had decided that although the military aspect was needed, they didn't want it completely military run, nor did they want it to be solely US troops, which was reasonable, and Teal'c agreed probably would work out best, once they all stopped bickering like little children.

They had, quite wisely, Teal'c thought, even though he knew Daniel disagreed, chosen Doctor Jackson as the new leader. Daniel had only agreed on the condition that Teal'c was allowed to be head of the military/tactical side of things.

This also had been agreed to, though somewhat reluctantly. Between them, though, they had restored the staff who had been demoted, kicked out, fired or whatever during the CRDO's terrifying reign - the CRDO had cleared out anyone they though might oppose them or remain loyal to Hammond, even after he'd been forced into retirement, this time by the legitimate problem of his heart, which had sadly given up on him only a year into his retirement. They had all been sad at the loss of a great man, but they were also glad that he did not live to see the SGC fall to pieces, only to rise from the ashes after being partially 'outed' to the whole world through their efforts to stop the CRDO.

When he arrived at the control room, he found that Daniel Jackson was not there yet, and Master-Sergeant Davis was back in his habitual spot at the gate controls, staring as if he had seen a ghost.

"I-I-I," he stuttered and waved at the microphone dumbly, completely at a lost of what to do.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow and made a move to speak into the microphone but then a voice came through again.

"Hellooo? Anyone there? Are you sure this thing's on? Nobody's answering."

"Yes, I'm sure it's on, Jack. Maybe there's just no-one there…"

"But why would they leave the gate una-…oh, right."

Teal'c spun on his heel, pointing to a technician. "You; go and get Dr.Jackson now! Tell him that it is urgent." The terrified airman nodded and dashed off. And Teal'c turned back to the mic and hit the send button. "Identify yourselves!" he barked.

"Teal'c, buddy! See, Sam, I told you it was on. It's me, Jack O'Neill!"

"How can we be sure of your identity?"

"You mean you don't recognise my dulcet tones?" They heard a laugh in the background, followed by a muffled voice. "Of course I know what dulcet means! Come on, T, ask me something only I'd know. Or only Sam would know."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, privately already convinced that no-one else could act quite like Jack O'Neill. "Very well. What piece of technology did I inquire about when I met you on Chulak for the first time?"

"What? Oh, wait, I know this one…my watch! You asked about my watch because it wasn't Goa'uld technology!"

"You are indeed Jack O'Neill."

"Told you so. You gonna open the iris and let us come visit then?"

Teal'c nodded to Davis, who put his hand on the palm-scanner. "The iris is open."

"See you in a few."

The room went silent as they waited and a few minutes later, the wormhole rippled and a small probe floated through. A few minutes more and three more human figures stepped through, along with the tall, lanky form of a Wookie.

Jogging down to the Gate room, Teal'c almost collided with Daniel, who found himself being dragged along by the exuberant Jaffa.

"Teal'c, what's going on the- JACK! SAM!" Daniel's jaw quite literally dropped.

"Lucy, I'm ho-ome!" Jack crowed, grinning and shifting the bundle he held in his left arm.

Teal'c smirked. "I am not Lucy," he dead-panned.

Daniel was still stuck on "Sam…Jack…baby…Jacob….'Tralla….baby…baby!"

Dentralla gave a loud urfing laugh as exactly what the bundle in Jack's arms was sunk in.

Moving to give the child a fond look and to allow her to grasp her finger, Sam positively beamed. "This is Jessa O'Neill, named for my mother, Jessica."

"You and Jack…?"

"Kind of; she's adopted."

Jessa burbled happily at the faces that peered at her, reaching out inquisitively at them.

"How old is she?"

"About six months…we don't know her actual birthday, so we're going to take the day we found her as her birthday."

"Found her?"

"Long story…how 'bout we go to the briefing room?"

The entire stories of what had happened to each group would have taken forever to tell, so they stuck with the short versions for the time-being.

Having heard Jack and Sam's side while the doctor checked them out in the infirmary, having explained that Janet was at home on maternity leave, Teal'c told their side whilst 'uncle' Daniel played joyfully with Jessa.

"We spent two years gathering information and carrying out small operations where necessary. Eventually, our only way of bringing the group down was to expose the Promethius and the X302 projects to the entire world and allow them to judge the actions of the CRDO with the correct information and not what they were fed by the CRDO. DanielJackson was then made head of the SGC," he intoned seriously.

"That's it!" Jack asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"There's nothing more to it, you just did that….?"

"Yes. You asked for the short version, so that is what I gave you."

Sam laughed nervously and pasued a moment before asking the question that both she and her father dreaded the answer to. "What about my brother and his family?"

"Mark and Shauna are currently in the process of buying a large and rather expensive house and moving in, courtesy of the United Allied Governments as thanks for their efforts to stop the CRDO." Daniel supplied for them. "Tom and Jen are currently studying so that they can become part of the SGC and 'meet cool aliens like Teal'c' I think it was." Daniel grinned at them as both Jacob and Sam relaxed and Jessa giggled, picking up on their joy.

"Thank god they're okay," Jacob breathed.

Dentralla barked a comment and Sam's face twisted in self-reproach. "I nearly forgot; Leia asked that I suggest a treaty between us for trade of technology and information and the like to help stop the Goa'uld at both ends. Luke asked that I add in Jedi recruits as well."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "When you say trade you mean-"

"Both ways; we give them info on the Goa'uld and tech that we know about but they don't, they give us things that they have but we don't. They're willing to give us X-wing plans and everything, so that we can use them to develop effective fighters and things as well as medical care and…well you get the idea."

Daniel beamed. "Sounds good to me."

Sam smiled, "Leia will come as official representative next time around, but for now…we've got to get home and get Jessa to bed."

Daniel's face dropped. "You're not staying? Janet will kill me if you don't go see her!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Real tough there, Danny-boy."

Daniel scowled and ignored Jack.

"We'd love to, Daniel, but we have our own home now…we'll be back tomorrow morning though, at 0800 Earth time and then we'll go see Janet and the family."

Daniel's face brightened again. Things were definitely looking up…Sam and Jack were back and they had a kid, the SGC was sorted again and most importantly he was going to be a daddy. What more could a man want?

Except pie.