Thanks again to the people who have reviewed! I'm glad you're liking the story, and I hope you enjoy where I eventually intend to lead it. And my apologies to Silverstar to-Ennien for the mis-spelling your name.

Note: to avoid confusion, any dialogue not in speech marks is unspoken talk between Jack and Einar. Jack is bold and italic while Einar is just italic.

Chapter 5 – Einherjar of Hakon

"We've sent a message requesting assistance to both the Tok'ra base and the Asgard, sir," Sam informed the General as she stood smartly before his desk. "There was no immediate reply to either; it may be a while before either of them send a response."

"Thank you, Major," Hammond replied formally. "Is there any further word on Colonel O'Neill?"

Sam couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the implied assumption that she had been down to see Jack regularly, and not simply as concern for a commander. She shook her head in what she hoped was a professional way, "Not yet sir."

"Very well," the older man sighed. "Be sure to tell Dr Frasier to keep me informed, Major."


Jack dragged himself back into consciousness, groggy from sedative. Through the muddled haze of his vision, he took in the isolation room, the restraints and the aggravated squiggles that displayed the twinned EEGs on the medical equipment. He groaned as he realised this wasn't just an unpleasant dream or hallucination. Through the dull aching in his head, he felt as if something was watching his every move from behind his own eyes.

"OK," he stated out loud, closing his eyes. "I'm staying calm this time."

Good.

"Not gonna panic…"

Thank you.

"Nice and cold and calculated."

The entity hesitated in replying – Jack wasn't sure how, but the pause felt very condescending. It wasn't a hidden sensation either; he was fully intended to sense that.

You know, I don't think you have to speak out loud. We're both on the inside.

Is this better, smartass?

Jack made sure to add an irritated snap to his inward retort, bitterly hoping the alien would catch it. It worked.

Yes, but there's no need to take that attitude. This is awkward for me as well – I've never been trapped inside someone else before.

So, who are you when you're not invading other people's lives?

My name is Einar. I already know you are Jack O'Neill…

The Einar entity trailed off, and if he could be seen, Jack imagined he would be frowning unhappily judging from the bristling, demanding question that was thrown at his own mind.

What does that mean… 'invading other people's lives'!

You sneaked into my head! In my book, that makes you no different from those damn Goa'uld!

Almost immediately, he felt a searing lance of anger rip through him. It was frightening – it was detached in that he knew the feeling was not coming from him. He was angry, but not as intensely as the actual sensation burning through his mind. However, this enraged response was spilling over into Jack's own consciousness, and his body reflexively reacted to it – his fists clenched in their restraints, his limbs trembled and he nearly snarled.

NEVER compare me to the Goa'uld! My kind did not spend centuries fighting those vile reptiles only be to be spoken of in the same breath as them!

Jack felt Einar's presence in his head looming over his own threateningly. Disoriented and overcome with dizzying nausea, he coughed and gagged.

Alright, OK! I'm sorry…

Regardless of your sentiments, Jack, this was not intentional. I want to find a way to help you. Now, if you're ready to listen…

Fire away.

I want to try something. You keep your eyes closed and concentrate.

Wait! Why? What are you doing?

There was another of those pauses, this once laced with irritation.

Are all humans this awkward? Just be quiet!

Before Jack could spit back a retort of indignation at being talked to in such a disrespectful way in his own head, there was a rush of scenes sloshing into his mind. Within a single moment, unfamiliar memories of several days were lodged in his consciousness. Carter talking science at him as she worked in her lab and again as he finished off half a bowl of blue Jell-O; her barely contained horror as his own voice denied being himself; he finally understood the ache in the side of his face as the stark recollection of peering around a corner, only to see Sam's fist rushing up to meet him.

What was all THAT?

So you saw them? Then it worked. Those are my memories from several days ago, when your mind was still unconscious. They all thought I was still you. Not for long though.

Einar once again prompted the memory of being attacked by his second-in-command. In a light-hearted moment, the human and the alien shared a dry chuckle.

Say what you wish about Major Carter, but she can pack a punch.

I believe you. But does this mean we share memories and information?

Yes, as long as you are actively willing for the information to be shared, from what I could tell from trying just now. I know some information about you as your mind was unguarded as I was first transferred to you, but just basic knowledge like your name, your rank, your job, your colleagues…Do not worry though; now we are both controlled and composed that cannot happen to either of us.

Great, some privacy. So what do we do now? Stay tied to this medical bed?

Hmm…


"Dr. Frasier, what is there to report," General Hammond quizzed hopefully.

She had asked for him to come to the isolation room and her voice was not filled with dread on the internal phone, so he assumed it was not more bad news. Jack was still tied down, but was aware and alert.

"Sir," Jack smiled. "I'd stand to attention but…"

"So I'm talking to Colonel O'Neill, correct," Hammond demanded authoritatively.

"Fairly certain, General," Janet confirmed, pointing to the first of the EEG readings on the computer screen by the bed. "I managed to isolate the Colonel's EEG signal the first time he was in control after regaining consciousness. At the minute, Colonel O'Neill's is the stronger of the two signals, meaning he is the controlling mind at present."

"Sir," Jack began, "I know we don't have any reason to trust this alien, but he says he's not going to try and take control of me again. He claims he doesn't know how to anyway, since this is as new to him as it is to me."

"Can you be sure he's being honest?" Janet probed cautiously.

"No, and I'm usually the first person to be Mr. Cynical, but he could have not given me control back at all," Jack reasoned. "He tells me that if we can find any survivors on his homeworld, they might know what to do."

"Colonel, I can't let you leave this facility when you are under an alien influence!" Hammond exclaimed. "There is no guarantee that he won't take you over when he's back on his own planet."

"Then send the rest of SG-1 with me. Carter can have command while Einar's in my head."

The fainter of the two EEGs displayed next to the Colonel and the Doctor fluxed about for a few moments, and Jack looked down and smirked.

"What was that?" Hammond quizzed to Jack and Janet, pointing to the EEG monitor incredulously.

"Mental activity from the Einar entity, sir," Janet explained.

"He said that I'm irritating and he wants to get out of my head as much as I want to get rid of him," the Colonel recounted, with a wry smile. "Look, General, we can't get him out of me – it's worth a shot, right?"


It was the following day when SG-1 found themselves gating to a planet after receiving a previously unrecorded gate address to use from Jack, scrawled on a piece of note paper. The MALP had simply shown an area of grassy hills with the snow-smothered peaks of a mountain range beyond them. Hammond, satisfied it was safe enough, allowed Carter to lead the team through.

Jack didn't fail to notice, as he lead his three team-mates on the several mile trek from the gate to the city, that the others were unusually silent and tense. Teal'c was mostly silent anyway, he conceded, but the Jaffa kept a close eye on him and had a zat constantly in his palm, no doubt in case Einar was trying to trick them.

Daniel had asked a few questions about Einar's world, which the alien had proudly declared was called 'Hakon'. How long had the Innarim been there? Were they very similar to other Norse-based cultures like the Asgard or the Cimmerians? Did they have any historical records he could look out for? Jack had silenced him with an annoyed glare, and he hadn't dared to ask further where he usually risked Jack's wrath by pushing further.

Sam had clearly been feeling awkward at giving orders to the team in front of the Colonel, even simple ones to move out and keep their eyes open on their mission. However, much to Jack's relief, she took it in her stride and stayed professional. Yet, all of them chose to say little even to each other. There was no prize for guessing why either.

He wasn't just him anymore. It was uncomfortable for them too.

Sorry.

Ah, they'll be fine soon, I think. We're still not used to this kind of thing.

It was merely an hour before Jack felt a sudden anxiousness. There was a steep hill right ahead, and he jogged ahead to clamber up the green slope. He reached the top and stopped short.

Below was a ruined wasteland.

It was a rocky valley, littered with blacked husks of buildings, collapsing towers, crumpled beams, twisted metal and crumbling stone. Skeletal remains carpeted the streets and roads winding among the ruined buildings. The hollow voice of the wind whistled through the silence as Jack felt his body begin to feel icy. Detached despair – somehow it was more haunting to feel that sorrow so close but know it wasn't your own.

The others soon followed, and stood by him in stunned silence.

Minutes passed.

Jack swallowed in emotion and shuddered helplessly. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Daniel watching him with deep concern.

"Jack, you OK?"

He just nodded mutely, and the four of them began to pick their way through the forgotten city.


"There were many Jaffa remains among the bodies, GeneralHammond," Teal'c stated. "They greatly outnumbered the inhabitants of Hakon. Many were still holding their weapons."

It was hours later, back in the SGC, and SG-1 was seated with Hammond around the briefing table.

"Einherjar…" Jack muttered.

"Colonel?" Hammond frowned.

"Uhm… nothing, sir," he dismissed it blankly.

He turned back to the rest of the team. Daniel took the wordless cue to begin his own report.

"We found several written reports in the city. They seem to be from during the actual attack from whatever Goa'uld destroyed the civilisation. Einar translated them for Jack while we were there. They state that all of the other cities on Hakon were attack almost simultaneously to this one, and this one was the last to fall."

"So there were no survivors?" Hammond pressed.

"No, sir," Sam confirmed. "If anyone did escape the attack, they've long since moved on from the planet. We couldn't find any trace of possible technology to reverse this transfer process either."

Abruptly, Jack stood and hastily retreated from the room. Hammond stood and made to shout after him sternly, but Daniel interrupted him respectfully.

"General, don't... Einar's in his head too, and we've just been picking through the remains of his homeworld first-hand."

Sighing in sympathy at Daniel's observation, he nodded slowly and dismissed the rest of them.

Sam grabbed Daniel's sleeve as they hurried out of the briefing room: "Daniel, what does 'Einherjar' mean?"

"It was a Norse name for those who had died bravely in battle… that might have been Einar talking…"


It had taken a few minutes to track down Colonel O'Neill by asking SFs and wandering personnel which way he had gone. Daniel had called the infirmary to summon Janet while Sam traced her CO to a small storage area of the base. One door was sitting slightly open, and she cautiously pushed it open and stepped inside, glancing back briefly to see Daniel and Janet jogging down the corridor to join her and Teal'c.

Sam barely recognised Jack in the dark, buried into a corner of the storeroom, legs drawn up to his chest and head bowed. One hand was covering his face. Sam took a moment to glance at Janet, Daniel and Teal'c hovering by the door, keeping a respectful distance. Janet in particular was struggling to contain the doctor's urge to help someone in distress. Sam looked back to the Colonel, inching closer cautiously.

"Colonel?"

His head shifted slightly, and she caught the glimmer of reflected light as he peered at her through his fingers.

"What are you doing?"

He let out a shuddering breath, turning away once more. Sam's eyes began to grow accustomed to the darkness in the room, and she swore she could now see the moisture on his face…

"I didn't want anyone to see me like this," he admitted, his voice small and tinged with shame.

"What is it?" she whispered, aware of the others nearby, crouching a few feet from him. "Is it to do with the planet?"

Jack nodded. Unable to watch him like that any longer, she abandoned military caution and moved to sit right next to him, back planted against the wall.

"If either of you want to talk about it…" she offered gently.

"Einar doesn't really feel like talking to anyone," Jack explained, moving his hand to scrub his eyes.

"If it's Einar, what's shaken you up, sir?"

"I don't know why, but I can feel what he does…" Jack struggled. "It's confusing the hell outta me."

"Sounds a bit like the Tok'ra… sharing emotions…" she commented quietly. "So, do you want to tell me anything?"

"Einar says I can talk for him," he nodded.

He took another shuddering deep breath before stating with an empty blankness:

"He knew they were dead."

There was a pause, a moment of drawn silence.

"I mean, they all are, aren't they… a long time ago… centuries…Einar wasn't there when the Goa'uld attacked Hakon. He was off-world. Some of the other Innarim who escaped told him about it later; others who he feels sure would have been hunted down not long afterward."

Jack stopped to wipe his eyes again.

"He knew what the attacks meant – that the Goa'uld were wiping them out simply for being a threat, that most of his kind were dead… but it never really sunk in… until he actually went there and saw it for himself. I felt it too, Carter…"

"Sir?"

She had noticed the plunge into deeper despair his tone was taking.

"It made it feel like it happened yesterday…"

All talk broke off there. Jack's hands went back up to his face, and his shoulders shook as he struggled vainly to compose himself. Sam winced, hating seeing him like this. Tentatively, she reached across his shoulders and placed one arm over them. He desolately leant into her, accepting her embrace, no resistance or words used. Her other arm was wrapped around him.

So many times, Jack had not hesitated to give her a hug of comfort, regulations and rumours ignored. Even Daniel had received one at one of his lowest, most despairing moments of sarcophagus withdrawal. Jack was the leader – he looked after his team.

Sam was glad, after so long, that she was finally able to repay the favour.