--- --- Fighting --- ---

Daniel hurried over the wooden bridge, his heart pounding in his chest. It had been some time since he had had the need for a regular workout. Heck, he hadn't seen a gun in ages much less fired one. Turmoil filled the air as the building behind him exploded in a red fireball. The shockwave sent him flying on the ground and heat rushed over him when he tried to shield Ge're'na with his body.

"Doctor Jackson!"

An outstretched arm followed her shout and pointed towards the now burning house. His eyes searched the general direction and shock shot through him as he realized what she'd meant. The opposite end of the bridge had started to burn and it would be only a couple of seconds until the rope that held the bridge broke.

Trying to brace himself for what was about to come, he gripped the rope and told her to do the same. Only seconds later, he felt the bridge crack slightly and he held his breath, waiting for the inevitable. There is no real preparation for that sensation of falling, nor for the sudden stop at the other end and, when the bridge finally gave way, the air was knocked out of his lungs. With a heavy impact, the bridge pounded against the tree trunk and they nearly lost their grip. The rope brushed against his hand and left a burning red stream on its way. Daniel didn't even notice the blood that was now running down his arms.

"Climb!"

He was screaming above the chaos and soon both of them started to climb the remnants of the bridge, one end still burning and urging them to climb faster. Fortunately, the sound of Death Gliders was retreating. When they reached the platform, they took only some seconds to draw a deep breath, a fact Daniel regretted instantly. Smoke burnt in his lungs and he coughed violently.

As the shudders died down, he crawled again to his feet. The Death Gliders were gone, but he knew exactly what was about to come. Slowly, he did a full turn, taking in the destruction in front of him. It seemed as though a thick fog had descended over the city, the black smoke lit by the unsteady flicker of red fire. Children were crying in the arms of their mothers, people were standing in front of their burnt houses. The air was filled with screams of pain and loss.

For several centuries, if not millennia, these people had lived in peace. War now reached out for them and Daniel couldn't help but wonder whether he was responsible for Ordig'na's fate. When he turned further, his gaze settled on the platform where, only four days ago, he had set the first step on this planet. The Stargate was gone, the platform nothing but a black, smoking skeleton. Maybe the ring had fallen to the ground when the platform had started to burn but he couldn't be sure of that. For now, there was no way out of this inferno.

And soon, of that he was sure, hundreds of Jaffa would be marching down the wooden alleys of the once-peaceful planet. The crackling sound of fire made him aware of the bridge still burning behind them. The fire had nearly reached the platform and he ushered the Ordig'na woman to some stairs. They had to get down the trees. Soon, most of them would be burning. And their only possible way out of this inferno was the Stargate. Assuming, Daniel thought, it had survived the impact of the fall.

--- --- --- --- ---

"Sir, the planet's shields are down!"

Her unusually shrill voice waved through the sound of the screaming engines over to him. A second later, he was already on his way to get their gear.

"Thor, can you beam us into the palace?"

"Yes, O'Neill."

With a firm grip, he pushed a weapon into Carter's hands. Suddenly, Tharyl stepped up to them.

"You can't go without me. You'll need my help. I know the palace. If you want to find him, you need to take me with you"

Carter seemed to consider the options for one brief moment, before she dug a Zat out of her pack and handed it over to Tharyl.

"Stay with us and don't get yourself shot."

She nodded and Jack gave a curt nod to Thor. A split second later, they were engulfed by white light. When the light faded, they found themselves in a room with red walls, reminding him of pictures of India.

"This is the throne room."

Thrayl's voice was but a whisper and Jack signaled to Carter to take position at the door. Fortunately, there were no guards in the room itself. He surveyed the room carefully, when Tharyl tapped his shoulder lightly.

"Jack. The throne looks strange."

The big golden throne on the dais looked slightly askew that much he had to admit. It wasn't placed directly under the emblem signaling the identity of the local Goa'uld. When he took a closer look, he saw a small gap on the right side of the throne.

"Hey, Carter. Seems we've got something."

Covering their withdrawal, she walked up to them and inspected the mechanism that would widen the gap. Finally, she simply started pushing the throne aside. It moved smoothly and Jack started pushing as well until the gap was wide enough to allow easy access. Steps led down into deep darkness and he retrieved his flashlight before they started their descent into the palace's depths.

--- --- --- --- ---

"They must have developed technology to allow them to travel between galaxies in such a short time."

"The Goa'uld do not develop technology, Chen Jao Tsung. They simply assimilate it from other races. Perhaps they have found another race that allowed them to gain a technological advantage."

Chen Jao Tsung considered his words for a moment and finally nodded in assent. Any further word would have been lost as, at that moment, claxons started to blare. The woman looked shocked until she realized what was going on.

The Stargate had been activated from an off-world address. Under normal circumstances, this would have been nothing unusual but, for the first time since the ESGC had been put in civilian hands, the alarm signal rang through the mountain and the iris slid shut. All allies had been informed about the security measure so that none would enter the Gate without the iris being opened. Unfortunately, they had not been able to contact Daniel Jackson despite their many attempts.

Teal'c was already on his way down to the control room. He still held the hope that they would receive a message from Daniel Jackson or their team in the Cepheus galaxy.

"Chen, we're receiving an audio message."

"Go ahead," the woman screamed from the metal stairs, answering the call from the technician. She had needed a moment longer than Teal'c to settle her nerves and Teal'c assumed that she had never heard the 'incoming traveler alert' before.

The radio crackled with static that was soon pierced by a well-known voice.

"This is Ishta of Chulak. The Goa'uld have proceeded in retaking their territory. Just a few moments ago, the first Death Gliders have appeared over Chulak. I am asking for permission to send the children through the Stargate to Earth."

"Permission granted. The iris will be open. Good luck, Ishta."

A metal rustle accompanied the opening of the iris and soon a crowd of children pooled around the Gate. Teal'c let out a deep breath as he noticed his granddaughter to be with them. Now, he wished that he had returned with Ishta to Chulak, instead of staying on Earth.

"I will return to Chulak to assist my wife in the fight against the Goa'uld."

Having said that, Teal'c was out of the room and down to the embarkation room where the Stargate still spilled out children. The eyes of his little granddaughter went wide as she saw him and she threw herself onto him, clinging to him for dear life.

"Do not worry, Sa'reol. You will be safe on Earth."

Sobs escaped her little body as it trembled violently. Teal'c's eyes were fixed on the Stargate, where child after child walked out of the event horizon. He had hoped that his grandchildren would be able to live in a free world where fear was something that they knew from tales. But fear had arrived at his home world and he would make those who brought it pay.

--- --- --- --- ---

It was working! She couldn't help but gloat. Her plan of revenge was truly working. After all those years, she was finally able to make the Tau'ri pay for everything they had done to the Goa'uld. So many of her brothers and sisters had died and, now, the Tau'ri would feel what loss meant.

She finally finished a plan that began over one hundred years ago. Ever since the day she had found an Ancient tabloid. Therein, it had been written of a powerful weapon that was able to destroy everything and everyone.

Indra had started to search for it. She had seen the age of the Goa'uld drawing to an end as these Tau'ri vermin claimed the galaxy to themselves. When she had found the weapon on this planet twelve years ago, she hadn't hesitated for a single moment to leave her dying empire behind. An empire she was now about to reclaim.

What she had found here was far better than anything she had ever had imagined. Yet, curiously, the planet had no Stargate. There were the fragments of a place that might once have held a Stargate but it seemed the Ancients had probably taken it with them when they had left this galaxy. Instead, there was technology to speed up the ships, cloning devices, and THE weapon.

Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to determine how to make the weapon work. That was, until she had heard of the 'great' Jack O'Neill and his abilities with Ancient devices. Indra had seen it so clearly. Was there any better way for revenge than to let Earth be destroyed by the man that had defended it so many times and watch him die slowly in the process? She had hoped that his disappearance would go unnoticed but, obviously, those annoying beings had found out.

Now they were here, and they were going to be destroyed by Jack O'Neill. He was hers now. He belonged to her and followed her rules. It had taken her some time to erase his memory. The man had been extremely resistant. The memories of the woman had been especially problematic. This had forced her to take a clone as host. It had been far easier to manipulate him this way.

Indra looked down at the pale man. The machine was feeding off his energy and soon the Asgard ship would be destroyed, Earth following soon after.

"Concentrate, Barol. The enemy. His ship is in the orbit. He will destroy us."

--- --- --- --- ---

Their steps echoed through the dark halls, no matter how quietly they tried to move, the Colonel on point, Sam watching their six, and Tharyl scuttling along in the middle. Said Colonel came suddenly to a halt, his fist shooting up in the familiar gesture to signal the stop.

With a swift movement, he switched the light out and, soon, they were engulfed by darkness. A shimmer of light was visible at what was obviously the end of the corridor. Sam wondered how he had been able to see the faint glow with the flashlight on. He started walking again but moved even more silently. As they came nearer to the light, they could hear a voice. What was first a murmur soon echoed clearly through the building and covered the sound of their approaching steps effectively.

A shudder ran down Sam's spine as she realized that it was a Goa'uld talking. The voice sounded somehow familiar but she couldn't place it. Her eyes settled questioningly on Tharyl, who mouthed just one word as an answer. 'Indra'.

The Colonel already kneeled in front of the closed door and opened it just enough for him to peek into. A hand sign signaled that there were no guards in there, at least as far as he could see, and he opened the door silently. Without further ado, they signed for Tharyl to stay in the corridor and positioned themselves on each side of the door.

Quickly, they scanned the room for aggressors but found none apart from the woman standing in the center of the oval room with her back to them. The object of her concentration was obviously, the machine in the center and the man operating it. Sam could have done a back flip as she realized who it was. They had finally found him.

"Concentrate, Barol. The enemy. His ship is in the orbit. He will destroy us."

Sam watched in horror as Jack's eyes slid shut on the chair-like machine he lay on and, simultaneously, the dim light radiated by the machine suddenly brightened. With a start, Sam understood. This chair was the cause of the shockwave that threatened to destroy Thor's ship. And Jack was operating the chair.

"His weapons are already aiming at us. Destroy him, Barol. This is what you have been trained for. First, destroy their ships. Second, destroy their world."

Her heart stopped beating as the words sunk in. They had to stop her now and out of her eye's corner, she saw the Colonel gripping his gun more tightly. Could they risk intervening with the chair's procedures? If they didn't, they would destroy Earth. They didn't really have much of a choice and Sam nodded towards the Colonel as they both leaped forward.

Indra spun around at the sound of their guns' safeties snapping. Sam nearly lost her grip and she could see the Colonel's eyes widen in shock for one moment, too. It was herself, a clone, an alternate self, whatever. It was Samantha Carter staring back at her.

--- --- --- --- ---

He tried very hard to concentrate. He had to. His Queen wanted him to. The enemy. He had to destroy the enemy. Barol squeezed his eyes shut to focus his thoughts on the craft in their orbit as a sudden noise disturbed him.

"Sorry to mess with your plans, but..."

The annoying voice inside of him told him that he knew that voice. It was she. But he couldn't let himself be distracted. His Queen needed him.

"I'll keep an eye on her. Go."

This time, it was a male voice, strangely familiar, but he couldn't place it. It took too much of his strength to worry about this right now. He had to concentrate and he was tired. So very tired. A touch on his hand rousted the voice once again. It yelled at him to get up, to open his eyes.

Barol didn't have the strength to fight the voice back right now. With a tremendous effort, he opened his eyes. His vision was blurred and he could vaguely see the outlines of a blonde head. His Queen.

"Jack? Jack, stay with me."

His eyes slid shut again but the voice refused to be silent. It screamed at him to get the heck out of here, to stop what he was doing.

"Jack, you have to listen. The ship you're trying to destroy is Thor's. Jack. They want you to destroy Earth."

Pictures shot up in his head, similar to those in his dreams; a little gray guy, dying. The blue planet he had seen in his dreams when they were aboard one of those big, honkin' Goa'uld ships. Goa'uld? Barol couldn't remember having heard the word, but the voice was adamant. Snakehead, it screamed. Bad, it screamed. Evil.

"Don't you dare die on me now, Jack O'Neill. Not now that I've found you. I need you. Do you hear me? I don't want to live without you, so don't you dare leave me."

Jack? Jack O'Neill? Drop by drop pictures were trickling into his awareness. A blonde woman, Sara, smiling at him a small baby in her arms. The same baby, years later, in his arms, blood pooling around the small head. His grandfather showing him how to hold a hockey stick. Earth. His home. And the Goa'uld, Indra, who wanted him to destroy it. Suddenly everything fell into place. He wasn't Barol. Finally, he knew why his dreams had always been more real than reality.

"Come on, Jack. You have to fight it."

And there was her. She was real. This snake had used her to get what she wanted of him. Had manipulated him to become what she wanted him to be. She had abducted him, told him that she needed him to help her. He'd told her to go to Netu. For four months, she had tortured him, brainwashed him, until there was nothing left of him that could resist. Until he was sure she was his Goddess.

Anger boiled up inside of him; anger at Indra for doing this to him, for using her to manipulate him, anger at himself for allowing the snake to do this to him, for being so weak. His whole being was poured into this emotion, anger. He already felt the machine pulling at him, feeding off him. Anger.

Tremors shook the chair and Sam's constant voice became nothing more than a background murmur as he suddenly felt all his anger explode around him. And, then, there was nothing. Just darkness. And exhaustion. He was only too eager to give in to the black world that offered him oblivion and sleep. Peaceful sleep.

--- --- TBC --- ---