Content warning – strong language
A Single Man of Courage – part fourteen
Jack felt the agony coursing through his body; he would have fallen if it wasn't for the ropes binding him to the post.
"You freakin bastard!" he spat, the blood spurting from his mouth, splattering Kissain's face and uniform. Jack let lose his tongue, throwing out all the vile insults he could remember, the meanings of some he had forgotten over the years… but the foreign words he hadn't … his captors had tormented him like that in Iraq … he had made it a game to go one better with the insults and despite the beatings it had earned him, he had felt some satisfaction at getting under their skins … His mind began focusing on the words … desperately trying to keep the pain from overtaking him, he fought to keep going … drawing the hot air into his tortured lungs …
Kissain flinched at the barrage of words coming from the man's lips. His mask of complacency was slipping as his anger grew.
xoxoxoxoxo
Sam watched the scene unfolding with horror. Beside her, Lisane gasped and put her hands to her face. Sam watched as her CO began to yell at Kissain and from the look on the commander's face it wasn't good what the Colonel was saying.
Lisane gasped again and blushed as she listened. "Kissain will kill him for that. Where does he learn such things?"
Sam flinched as the commander fisted the Colonel in the face; obviously trying to stop him from speaking, then shouted back at the Colonel is his own language. The rage in his voice made it clear that the Colonel was getting to him.
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The fifth blow dried the Colonel up a little. His vision had tunneled down and the vicious buzzing in his ears was beginning to drown out Kissain's voice.
"Flea bitten mother fucker …" he whispered in English as the commander's face began to shimmer and gray … the buzzing became a roar as he finally passed out.
The commander turned to the men stood around and yelled at them to come to attention. Their faces showed that they had heard and possibly agreed with every insult, before returning to their usual sullen and not just a little fearful, expressions.
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"Get Doctor Fraiser up here," called Hammond.
"Major Carter is on line, Sir."
"Major Carter, what is your status?"
"Sir, I'm close to where Colonel O'Neill is." The distress in the Major's voice told Hammond she'd witnessed the incident.
"Major, I only have three teams and five SF's ready to go."
"I don't think the Colonel can wait any longer, General."
"I agree." General Hammond looked at the picture from the MALP. The Colonel had slumped unconscious, but the bleeding continued heavily, pooling down to the waistband of his pants and soaking into the material.
"We'll have to go with what we've got, Major. How soon can Doctor Jackson and the men be in position?"
"I need thirty minutes, no more. General, we need a distraction. If you could launch a UAV and the men attack at the same time, it would give the teams coming in an advantage."
"Roger that, Major. Out."
Doctor Fraiser entered the control room as General Hammond was signing off from Sam. She saw the MALP's transmission and couldn't help the gasp of horror that escaped when she saw the Colonel, helplessly strung up and bleeding heavily.
Hammond brought her up to date.
"I'd like to go in with the teams, Sir. Colonel O'Neill needs urgent attention.
"I was hoping you'd say that Doctor. Go get geared up - take two medics with you.
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Sam got Lisane to translate her words to Hassuf and the others. When she had finished explaining the plans Hassuf left to fill everyone else in. All of the women except Lisane left gradually, carrying various foods and water as a guise.
"You should leave as well," said Sam.
Lisane shook her head. "I will stay here with my husband, Hassuf.
Sam smiled. "Oh, I didn't realize."
"No matter. The Colonel is your husband?"
"Oh, no, no, he's my commanding officer …" faltered Sam, "and a good friend."
Lisane looked puzzled. "But you hold much love for him."
Sam nibbled her upper lip trying to find an answer to give her, but found herself unexpectedly blurting out the truth.
"Okay … yes, I love him, but it is a secret." Just where did that come from? Damn! She couldn't believe she had just blurted that out. It must be the stress of the last few days.
Lisane smiled. "I shall tell no-one."
The minutes crawled by. The wormhole was still open, its liquid surface rippling strangely against the backdrop of the desert sands. Sam kept looking for signs of Jack becoming conscious, but as yet there was nothing. Anxious for something to do to take her mind off the sight in front of her, she checked in with Daniel.
"We're just behind the dunes. We can be in the camp within three minutes. We're waiting for the signal."
"Good luck, Daniel, standby." She signed off quickly before Daniel could say anything further, her anxiety for the Colonel overwhelming her. Once again she hurried to the tent flap. The wormhole had finally shut down. It was the only thing that had changed.
Now she could do nothing but wait.
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Back at the SGC the General briefed the waiting units one last time, making clear O'Neill's position and that of Major Carter's.
"The people riding in will be led by Doctor Jackson and Teal'c. They are allies."
He wished them God speed and gave the order for the planet to be dialed.
"Doctor, you will go on my signal only. The immediate area needs to be secured in front of the gate for you to stand a chance of helping the Colonel."
The UAV stood ready on the ramp and precisely on time the wormhole formed and it was launched.
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Sam counted the seconds down and shouted the signal into the radio for Daniel to begin their attack.
The whoosh of the Stargate activating brought all of the guards to attention again. The noise helped to disguise the sound of horses approaching. Things were beginning to happen now - the UAV whizzed out of the gate in spectacular fashion, and the guards broke rank and dived down, weapons clattering to the floor as they cried out in terror. Shots came from the other side of the camp and the guards became confused, some picking up weapons and turned towards the attack, and in the confusion no one was paying much attention to the gate.
Sam and the servants began to fire and within a few seconds the SGC teams poured through the gate, rushing forwards, kneeling and firing on the confused guards. All hell broke loose but it was over within minutes. What guards weren't killed either ran or just surrendered.
Major Ferretti gave the order to cease-fire. Sam broke into a run towards them, ripping off her headdress so she'd be recognized. She hurried to where two men were cutting down the Colonel.
Three more figures came through the gate, two of which carried a stretcher.
Janet reached the Colonel's side seconds before Sam, as the men who cut the Colonel down laid him gently onto the waiting stretcher.
The area was secured and Ferretti asked Sam whether or not they should follow the fleeing guards.
"Negative," she responded, her eyes not leaving the still form of the Colonel. "The rebels will soon sort them out."
Janet was applying pressure to the knife wound and the medics set up an IV with blood and fluids.
"Janet?" asked Sam tentatively.
Janet looked up briefly. "Any one else injured?"
"Nothing serious. The two survivors of SG-6 are hurt but walking."
"Good, I need to get the Colonel back now."
Janet stood holding the blood and fluid bags and placed them on the stretcher with Jack as the medics lifted it.
"Okay, let's move. He needs urgent treatment."
The wormhole from the SGC had closed and Sam quickly dialed home, sending the GDO signal. She stood watching them until they'd gone through, hardly daring to breathe for fear of breaking into tears, the urge to follow them, to not allow him out of her sight was so strong …
The next thing she knew Daniel was calling to her as he ran over.
"Sam, thank God you're okay. Where's Jack?"
"He's gone with Janet. Are you okay?" She was surprised her voice sounded relatively normal.
"Fine, so's Teal'c. Most of the guards surrendered and the Shaleef have them under guard in the larger tents."
"Kissain and Samels?"
Daniel shook his head. "Didn't make it. Teal'c took out Kissain and the Shaleef killed Samels."
"Can't say I'm sorry," muttered Sam.
"Nor can I."
Teal'c approached them with Hassuf.
"Nor can I what, Daniel Jackson?" he enquired.
"I'm not sorry for Kissain and Samels deaths," explained Daniel, a little shamefaced.
"I am most certainly not," responded Teal'c "Where is O'Neill?"
"Janet has taken him home."
Daniel spoke to Hassuf and translated for them.
"Apparently they want to march into the city and reinstate the council now that Kissain is dead."
"Can they do that? Successfully I mean?" asked Sam.
"Hassuf seems confident, he says the people don't want the military rule, and without Kissain the army will obey the Council. They intend to rest here and sort the guards out before they travel back."
Sam left them to report in to General Hammond.
"Good work Major. Now I want SG-1 and SG-6 to report back here. The rescue teams can remain at the camp for a while with Major Ferretti in command to make sure things are okay."
Lisane left Hassuf's side as Sam returned to them.
"You are leaving?" she asked Sam.
"Yes, we have to report back, but the Major and his men are staying for a while to help out."
"Will we see you again?"
"Possibly. It's not up to me, perhaps if all's well."
"Then take care. Give our regards to your Colonel. We are sorry that good men have died and your Colonel suffered terribly too, but things will change here. It will become as it should be."
"I'm sure they will, Lisane."
Sam gave the woman a hug and then clasped Hassuf quickly on the arm, nodding her thanks before leaving with the others.