Colonel Jack O'Neill was not a happy camper.

He had been to hell and back recently, and he considered today a return visit. His right knee was shot, not quite literally, and he was furiously tired. He had sent half his team ahead to see if the Tok'ra were home and accepting visitors, and was still angry at Daniel for having the nerve to currently be off world with SG-13 fawning over rocks. Well, he thought, at least Daniel was probably safe. For the moment.

He couldn't say that for the rest of his group. They were taking cover in the trees close to the stargate on a planet only Carter seemed to remember. The demolished Alpha site had been heavily guarded by snake heads, and he'd lost half a dozen survivors to that unexpected disaster. He had sent Carter, Teal'c and Davis ahead with the wounded to scout whether the Tok'ra were still on Vorash. If they weren't, several of the injured soldiers were likely to die anyway, so he took the chance.

He was starting to lose faith when suddenly, the first chevron on the stargate lit up. "Look sharp!" he ordered. Pulling himself back into low brush cover, he trained his weapon just in front of the opening gate. He wasn't about to lose anyone else today.

"About bloody time!" he yelled as Teal'c walked out of the blue, swirling vortex. Korra, Aldwin and six other Tok'ra soldiers accompanied him. Lowering his weapon, the Colonel motioned for everyone to gather close to the DHD.

"We returned as quickly as was possible, O'Neill." Teal'c replied.

"How many are here?" Aldwin asked.

"Including me, thirteen."

"We should return quickly," Korra said, already dialing the gate.

"No argument here," he replied as the gate whooshed open.

Years of military discipline kept his eyes and weapon ready over the exposed area of the gate while the few still under protection fled to safety. When the last of his men had stepped through, Colonel O'Neill crossed into the blue event horizon and within seconds found himself on the sandy, rock scattered world of Vorash.

Jack hated this planet.

It was barren and dull with no oceans, no trees and no cities. And for the moment, it was home. He hated that most of all.

He didn't feel like chatting as the Tok'ra led them to the transportation rings, and for a moment he let his mind wonder how they knew exactly where to stand when there was no visible platform of any kind. He thought about asking, it might be important if they were going to stay here for any length of time. He tried to bury that thought, but as he felt his body thrust down through twenty feet of solid rock, it seemed prudent not to think about anything being buried for too long.

Just what the hell were they going to do now?

As the tunnels materialized around him, he saw his second approach him; her father just behind her. She looked exhausted, but cleaner than the last time he had seen her. He immediately tensed as he noticed that both her and Davis were wearing Tok'ra style outfits. "Carter?" he asked gruffly.

"All of our injured personnel have been treated," she reported. "Thanks to the Tok'ra and the healing devices, all but one will recover."

"Simmons?" Jack asked, his voice low. When she didn't answer, he glared at Davis.

"He didn't make it, sir."

"New quarters have all been grown," Jacob interjected. "And your people are settling down for the night. The High Council is considering whether or not you'll be able to stay on an extended basis."

"Thanks," was all he was able to say. Jack knew he should be grateful. Grateful that they were now safe for the moment, that there were any survivors at all, and that he and his team were among them.

Beyond the basics of human survival, he had no idea of what to do next. He wasn't sure he really wanted to stay with the group of reformed snake heads. He wasn't about to let anyone under his command consent to becoming a host, and without that concession the Tok'ra probably wouldn't let them stay. No matter how much influence Jacob thought he might have with the Tok'ra council, that one little matter was always going to stand in the way.

"Quarters are this way, Jack." Jacob piped up, and led them down one of the tunnels.

The former USAF General showed them the recently grown chambers they would be living in for the foreseeable future. All those ranked Captain or higher had their own space with everyone else sharing two or more to a room. He was next door to Carter, with Teal'c on the other side and Davis across the hall. Jacob mentioned that Dr. Fraiser was given an anteroom off the main Tok'ra healing chamber. Overall, it wasn't too bad. The lack of doors more than annoyed him though, and he could almost see directly into Davis' quarters.

"A few curtains would do wonders," he quipped.

Jacob sighed, "I'm sure we can come up with something if it bothers you."

"Lots of things about this bother me."

"I know, Jack. It sucks."

He peered into Carter's small abode and saw a few things neatly laid out. There were blankets on a slightly raised bed, and a small trunk was open revealing among other things: a Goa'uld hand device, a healing device, and several sets of Tok'ra clothing. He stared hard at her, taking in her appearance, and snapped without thinking, "Didn't take you long to move in, did it?"

"Sir?" she questioned, confusion written all over her face.

In the moment he no longer cared, the sudden surge of fury overwhelming every other impulse in his utterly drained body. "Let's get one thing straight Carter," he tore into her. "We are not... repeat... not going to be joining the Tok'ra even if we do stay here. Do you understand that, Major?"

"Go to hell, sir!" she threw back as she turned and bolted from the corridor. Martouf gave him a furious glance as he swiftly ran after her.

He was about to go after them, but a firm grip on his arm stopped him. "Let her go, Jack. You've all been through enough today."

Barely able to keep himself in check, he glared at Jacob who quickly let go of him, but didn't back away.

"With all due respect, Colonel..." Major Davis intervened, his usual diplomatic grace suddenly gone. "Give her a fucking break. Her uniform was soaked through with blood. Simmons bled to death in her arms ten minutes after we got here."

He didn't reply to Davis' outburst. Every ounce of him was crying out to say something. To find some snappy, sarcastic comeback to combat the bleak situation they found themselves in. But nothing popped into his head. Nothing, except the total and utter crap of the last twelve hours. He could see Hammond's face as clear in his mind's eye as the damned crystal walls all around them. Simmons' face too, was etched in his brain; the few seconds in which he so royally screwed up and got himself killed for the privilege. He should never have been in the field, and wouldn't have, except for today.

Today, when only a minute ago, he'd yelled at Carter because she'd had the nerve to change out a bloodied uniform. When, of all people, the damned Pentagon pencil pusher had told him what for. And then, Colonel Jack O'Neill had shut up, and shut down. At the moment he didn't care who saw or what they thought. He just didn't give a damn. He turned into the wall with both arms supporting him, and cursed the whole frigging universe for throwing this on his plate.

"O'Neill," Teal'c broke in a few minutes later.

"What?" he yelled back, angry as hell.

"Our people are safe here," the Jaffa said. "We should clean up, eat and rest. We need not do anything more tonight."

If anyoneanyone but Teal'c had said anything at that moment, he might have torn them limb from limb right then and there.

But it was Teal'c.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Okay."