OK, thanks again to readers and reviewers. This chapter is the longest one so far and I've been working towards this for some time now, so I hope its dramatic enough for you! By the way, don't worry too much if some things are confusing. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Chapter 16: Moratorium

The world Einar and Sam emerged into was blurred by a dark pall of rainfall. They were immediately drenched and subdued by the elements, but the Cimmeran tunic was proving waterproof, much to Sam's relief. Einar didn't have much in the way of garments – other than a pair of unremarkable trousers and his sparse armour he was exposed to the weather, but his fur looked like it was holding up against the watery cascade. However, the grey coat was now flattened under the weight of the rain soaking into it, and Einar looked comically thinner than before. In fact, Sam held back a laugh as he turned around to indicate she should follow; he looked like he should be on one of those animal welfare adverts, with a very sorry-looking dog sitting in the rain, large eyes ridiculously out of proportion due to the flattening effects of the rain.

Einar's former mind games about the gateroom forgotten, she followed his lead, taking in the terrain of this new planet. She didn't recognise it, but the team had visited countless uninhabited worlds just like this one – plentiful trees, rain saturated grass and mud underfoot, odd-looking plants, alien birds flitting about under the cover of the canopy… she might have been here before, she might not have. Yet, once more, Jack and Einar seemed to know where they were going.

Their destination was a small cave, eroded into the bottom edge of a sandstone precipice by the weather. Though it was dark and cold, it was dry. Dry, at least, until Einar shook himself violently, throwing droplets everywhere. Catching Sam's irritated glare, he grinned sheepishly.

"Heh, sorry."

Using some brittle, dried up wood that was (rather conveniently) scattered about the back of the cave, they soon had a fire going and devoured some of their supplies. The Innarim had respectfully turned around to face the other wall as Sam attempted to dry off some of her clothes, removing them and placing them close to the fire, remaining wrapped in a simple woven blanket from her pack (another gift from Gairwyn).

"So, where are we now?" she asked as he turned back around.

"Safe," he answered enigmatically. "We never really gave this world a name. It was a kind of remote hiding place for Innarim away from Hakon. Hence the nice, dry wood already in here – whoever was here last must have left it."

"And why are we here?"

"We need to figure out what to do next, and the Cimmerans didn't seem too welcoming. I reasoned somewhere uninhabited to camp out would be best. O'Neill agreed."

"So you've been running everything past the Colonel first?" she probed.

The armband flickered from blue to green, and Jack snapped out a reply: "I'm still the highest ranking officer here – I'm not being demoted just because I'm a mental flatmate with fur-face here!"

"Of course, sir," Sam smirked. "Are you adapting to the new body, Colonel?"

"Only just, Carter," he admitted gruffly. "I'm worried about having to get used to my own human body again after this."

Colonel O'Neill: ever the optimist, Sam thought to herself. He still held out hope that he was getting out of this mess. At present Sam couldn't fathom any way to reverse the process themselves. True, the Asgard might have been able to help him, but the prior research would take an indeterminate amount of time. What if it took years, decades, or centuries? She knew Einar was programmed to die someday…

"Einar," She began cautiously, watching as the armband switched back to blue. "How old are you?"

"Not counting the two centuries trapped in stasis in that lab… 263 of your years."

She raised her eyebrow, Teal'c-style, at that. It gave around three quarters of a millennia before he died, for lack of a better word, a natural death. Sam had little doubt that the Asgard would have some solution long before that, but couldn't help desire a positive outcome some time while she too was still alive. Despite all of that, she was still surprised by his answer.

"You don't look that old," she commented.

"Thanks."

"Well, where do we go now?" Sam quizzed. "We can't go to Earth yet, and the Asgard need time to look into a solution. The first Hakonan lab has no power, and the Stoneheim Hakonan lab will probably be swarming with SG personnel by now."

"Hmm… O'Neill tells me the Tollans are all but destroyed, and the Nox are well beyond our reach… but what of the Tok'ra?"

"Maybe, but when my dad came to the SGC to help out, he wasn't sure if it was even possible to remove one mind from the other," Sam said. "They may have already been contacted by the SGC, and told to return us if we ever show up. Plus, they get a little edgy if they get guests without an appointment. The Colonel has told you how secretive they are, right?"

Einar nodded.

"It seems there's nowhere to go at present," the Innarim remarked. "We're stuck."

"We're stuck," Sam echoed.

"Are you finally going to explain these weapons to me, then?" Sam quizzed hopefully.

"Yes. Why not?" Einar said. "If we're going to be relying on each other…"

Einar stood and stepped back a bit and motioned for her stay seated. With a fluid flick of his wrists, the energy blades were activated, growing out from the bracers. He waved them about experimentally.

"These are called 'Vapenavulv' in my own language, but this is often shortened to 'Vapen blades'," Einar began, and he gestured to the kurstallis crystals embedded into the bracers. "Like the power sources, the kurstallis absorb energy and use it to power the Vapen blades. The blades themselves can both absorb and emit energy, and this is how they work as weapons."

"In what way?"

"The blades emit light and, more importantly, heat. This can cause burns to organic matter they touch – so don't get too close if I'm using them. Like the kurstallis, the blades can absorb energy from whatever it touches. In the case of an organic being, this can include heat, chemical, and bio-electric."

"So it's partially self-sustaining?" Sam said. "In combat, the energy it gets from the enemy will keep them going."

"Yes, but the blades are not everything," Einar continued. "You haven't missed the other kurstallis in my other amour, no? Well, the armour and bracers also use the crystals to create and sustain a sphere of energy around it that acts as a shield."

"Wait, you've mastered personal shield technology?"

Sam looked him over, noting the strategic positioning of each of the crystals – around his head and shoulders, on his arms, his boots… it looked as if most of his body would be covered by the unseen barriers.

"Correct. Unfortunately, the integrated power systems mean Innarim warriors are limited to close-combat with the Vapen blades, but the shields can block fire from most energy weapons – Goa'uld weaponry in particular – which makes it worth it."

"What about projectile weapons?"

"Innarim have been attacked with weapons ranging from arrows to guns similar to your own, by non-Goa'uld adversaries," Einar shook his head. "The shield can slow the ammunition slightly but not stop it."

"How do you turn them on and off? There's no switch?"

"No, they're tuned to the distinctive movement of the arm, like this," he demonstrated by flicking the blade off and then back on again. "It takes a lot of practice to perfect. Not like that staff."

Einar gestured to the weapon, now propped against the cave wall. He turned his back, and she re-clothed herself in the semi-dry tunic, before signalling her completion. Einar turned back once more.

"This was created from looking at Goa'uld weapons," he stated. "It works in exactly the same way, and was intended to be the solution to our melee-only limitation since it has a separate power supply to Innarim armour. The Hakonans made very few, as it was only developed a few months before the attack."

The wolf gestured for her to pick up the weapon, and she hefted it experimentally. It seemed lighter than Teal'c staff weapon, and the design was far more curved and graceful than the crude shape of the Goa'uld version. She remembered noticing the kurstallis fixed onto the weapon earlier.

"It fires weaker blasts – it takes two or three hits to kill – but the rate of fire is three times that of the Goa'uld staff weapon," Einar explained, pointing out of the cave entrance at the rain-soaked world. "Have a try."

Sam levered the staff down into firing position, and deftly launched off a flurry of fizzing blasts. As Einar had stated, the rate was incredibly fast, almost like an automatic weapon compared to the usual staffs she'd seen. The bolts of energy were icy blue, the trademark of all Innarim/Hakonan technology, and hissed out into the sheet of rain pouring down outside.

Einar seized up, ears twitching. Sam recognised the obvious signs.

"What?" she whispered.

"Someone said 'ouch'," he whispered back urgently.

Three orange bolts of energy whizzed past their heads, forcing them both to throw themselves to the floor instinctively. Three circles of blackened rock behind them smoked angrily. Another volley followed, and the pair crawled to either side of the cave opening, military training kicking in. Sam peered around the edge, and saw half a dozen Jaffa weaving through the trees, converging on their position.

"Damn," she muttered. The tryout of the Hakonan staff had no doubt alerted them to their presence.

Einar simply grinned manically, brandishing an activated Vapen blade.

"Want the practical demonstration?"

With that, the wolf warrior sprung upright and out of the cave, roaring. Staff and zat blasts simply hit the kurstallis shields, and disappeared in a brief buzz of blue light. Einar pounced on the nearest Jaffa, blades glowig as he scythed them through the enemy's body.

The Vapen blades passed straight through, unhindered. However, the unfortunate Jaffa cried out in pain and clutched at his chest where the blades had made contact, falling to his knees.

Burnt and drained.

Sam readied the staff weapon, trying to lay down supporting fire for him as Einar moved onto another opponent, but his expert fighting style kept him darting in and out of her line of fire. She couldn't risk hitting him – she had no idea if the shields would stop Hakonan weapons too.

A second Jaffa fell, and two of the remaining four decided the Tauri soldier was an easier target. They began stalking towards her position, leaving their companions to occupy the Innarim. Sam held them off momentarily, taking one down with rapid staff blasts.

But the second Jaffa took a precision shot with his zat, sending her spiralling into darkness.


Ugh… my head…

OUR head. Must have clobbered it from behind. Very unsporting of them.

What happened to Carter?

Ignoring the killer headache, Einar opened his eyes so they could both see. There beside him, left where she had been dragged by the guards, was Sam. She was still unconscious, but he could hear her slow breathing and it quelled the anxiousness both of them felt simultaneously. Jack flickered with suspicion and envy, unable to tell whether it was just from him, or if Einar was deeply concerned about Sam as well. Einar either didn't notice or chose not to comment, but he did accede to Jack's request to take control.

Jack jostled Sam's shoulder: "Carter? Carter, wake up."

Sam sat up sharply, blinking in disorientation and muted pain as her mind regained control of her body through the paralysing effects of the zat blast. Her eyes drifted to the armband, glowing green.

"Sir…" she choked.

"You OK?"

"Will be…"

"Einar says sorry," he said bitterly. "Apparently the Goa'uld completed ignored that planet, from what he remembers, but it must have become an important strategic position. It looks like more things've changed than he counted on, but I think the stupid wolf should have been more cautious."

Oh, sorry for taking you to find help, telling you both about the weapons technology, holding back the greater part of a Jaffa scouting party from your friend…

And a lot of good that did! Look around you – we're in a Goa'uld holding cell, probably on a mothership.

Six against one – I reckon I lasted longer than you would have, human!

But it's just one problem after another with you! You're even more of a trouble-magnet than Daniel. Ever since I met you, things have gone from bad to worse.

At least you have a life to lose…

Einar trailed off, and huffily snatched control back, consigning Jack back to the metaphysical passenger seat. The pair sat in the gloom of the prison, occasionally exchanging suggestions of how to escape, but they knew that aside from the clichéd 'hitting the guard over the head when they bring water', they were helpless. They had no weapons or supplies anymore. There was no chance of a rescue – no one knew where they were.


After being left to moulder for what felt like hours, a group of Jaffa arrived. They were dragged through the corridors of the ship after having their hands secured behind their backs (they seemed to pay far more attention to the fearsome Innarim, who gave surprisingly little resistance). Their captors eventually tugged them into the ship's peltak.

Sitting self-importantly on the peltak throne was the typical visage of a Goa'uld. Sam had never seen this snakehead before – he must have been a bit player, a minor Goa'uld in the grand scheme of things, but he himself clearly didn't see it that way. Attired in archaic leather armour reminiscent of the Middle Ages, giving off the air of a feared warrior. His handsome features were ruined by the expression of hate and disdain he wore. In typical evil-mastermind fashion, his eyes flashed white and his distorted voice bellowed at them imposingly.

"I am the god Wotan. Kneel before your new master!"

Neither of them made a move to obey, and with a brief prompt from Wotan, the Jaffa guards struck from behind to force them to comply.

"Well, well," he grinned gleefully. "What an odd pair. A single Tauri warrior, and a creature spoken of only in legend. Tell me, my fictional friend: what do they call you?"

"Einar," the Innarim snarled, "and I am no fiction. You'll see how real I am soon enough."

"Silence! You're threats are hollow. You can do nothing! I offer you this – give up the secrets of both your races, and you're lives shall be spared," Wotan said.

"You won't get anything out of us," Sam stated firmly.

The Jaffa struck both of them in the back harshly. Wotan gave another of his unnerving smiles: "It matters little. I am a god – what you will not give to me, I will simply take for myself."

He stood, stepping down from the throne to stand just in front of them as they knelt helplessly on the floor of the Peltak.

"One of you will become a host, and then I will know all that you know," he stated. "That one will then be forced to watch powerlessly as you swear loyalty to me by killing the other."

Sam glanced over at Einar, barely keeping her fear of the inevitable fates offered to them subdued. However, the wolf merely continued to stare impassively ahead.

"But who would make the better host?" Wotan stood directly in front of Einar. "You, perhaps – an Innarim body… strong, fast, something of a one-man-army. A force to be reckoned with. Even my fellow gods would fear such a visage in my ranks."

Einar didn't react, and so he moved over to Sam, lifting up her chin firmly: "On the other hand, why waste the famous Major Carter of SG-1? The knowledge of the Tauri… the System Lords would not be so hasty to eliminate me with the loss of such information at stake."

Without even turning away, Einar spoke in a determined snarl: "Me."

Both Sam and Wotan sharply looked at him.

"I'd make the better host."

The Goa'uld released Sam's face and stormed over to the Innarim. He grabbed a fistful of the creature's mane and tugged it back so Einar was forced to look right at him. This elicited a growl of pain from him, and Einar met Wotan's eyes with an enraged stare.

"You presume to tell a god what to decide?" Wotan shouted. "Why do you condemn yourself?"

"To Netu with this," Einar snarled back. "I'm getting out of this mess one way or another!"

Sam blinked, stunned, as she watched the exchange. The armband was blue… Her mind struggled to fathom what the hell Einar was doing. Was this some subtle plan?

"You have strength, Innarim," Wotan said. "Yet, the knowledge the Tauri possesses is far more valuable to me. What makes you a better choice?"

"I too am a Tauri!" he retorted with a sly grin. "Hidden in my mind is the consciousness of Colonel Jack O'Neill! With me, you get both strength and knowledge!"

Sam's eyes widened as she realised what he was doing. Einar was backstabbing them! In an effort to selfishly preserve his own life, the Innarim was betraying both Jack and herself, and was willing to live as a host to his sworn enemy. After all of his assistance, when push came to shove, Einar cared more about himself. She would be executed by Einar's hands, and Jack would be consigned to a living death as a joint host mind.

She was restrained, and Einar's priority control was no doubt keeping Jack completely subdued. There was nothing either of them could do to prevent this. She closed her eyes and looked down in despair.

Perhaps Einar had been planning this from the beginning…

"Very well, you have made your argument," Wotan released Einar's mane with an equally sly smile. "If you so wish to be a host, so be it. Jaffa, kree!"

Sam found herself watching in morbid hopelessness as one of the Jaffa stepped forward and removed its symbiote. The Jaffa handed the squeaking, squirming parasite to Wotan, who pulled back Einar's mane to expose his neck.

The symbiote dove eagerly into it with a sickening crunch, and Einar roared in pain, eyes squeezed shut and ears flat against his skull. The armband light faded briefly, before returning as an angry, crimson glow, picking up the presence of a third mind.

With that Einar drew up sharply, eyes flashing, and then collapsed onto his side.

Wotan nudged the unconscious Innarim with his boot: "Take them both away. Put them in separate cells."


Time lost its meaning for Sam as she lay on the floor of the cell, hands still bound behind her back. All she could think about was that terrible scene in the peltak, replaying constantly in her mind, that she didn't know how much time had passed. She could feel nothing, her whole body numb, save for the piercing sting of betrayal.

She should have noticed something… she should have paid more attention… there must have some sort of clue that Einar would do this… but all her mind could remember was Einar's eagerness to help solve their problem. Why had he turned on them so easily?

She barely heard the cell door being opened, and allowed the guards to drag her upright and out of the cell, all the way to the peltak.

Einar was there with Wotan, back in his armour and bracers, and holding his Hakonan staff weapon, but no longer wearing his armband. He looked even more fearsome than Sam dared imagine. By some bizarre twist, the creature's eyes glowed constantly, but not white like a typical Goa'uld. It was a sharp, eerie blue. The distortion of Einar's voice permeated the air.

"You still wish this Tauri pest destroyed, my lord?"

"Yes. Prove your allegiance by executing this meddlesome annoyance once and for all," Wotan said emotionlessly.

He nodded once and readied the staff with a hum of changing energy. Sam closed her eyes…

Silence followed.

Nothing happened.

She reopened them. The Goa'ulded Innarim shrugged and turned to his new master.

"Lord, I have a suggestion…"


Sam was once more dragged away, and taken to a ring room. The two Jaffa ringed them all down, and Sam recognised it as the unnamed planet they had been captured on. They were in front of the gate, and it was still raining. A small group of Jaffa, as well as the two Goa'uld, were already there.

No words were spoken.

The Goa'ulded Innarim began dialling, and Sam immediately recognised the address.

"Earth? You're dialling Earth?"

"The Tauri gate is shielded by a metal iris. Without the correct code, this iris will be closed," Einar's voice replied.

"Ironic," Wotan commented as the gate activated. "Killed by your own defences. Now, I shall rise to dominance with the power and knowledge that has walked into my hands!"

"Oh, but there is one thing you haven't considered yet," the Goa'ulded Innarim reminded.

The creature grabbed Wotan's collar, and with an expert flick of his wrist, activated a Vapen blade and plunged it into the Goa'uld's neck.

"You made a fatal error in untying me," he stated wickedly.

He held the glowing blade there, until there was a stench of burning flesh and the Goa'uld symbiote within was scorched beyond repair. Several of the guards fired off their staff weapons at the Innarim, but the kurstallis shields simply consumed the energy. With disdain, he threw the lifeless body to the ground.

"All that was his is now mine!" he bellowed in his resonating voice to the Jaffa, retracting the energy blade.

Before anything further could be done, he snatched Sam from the two Jaffa guards holding her and hauled her to the event horizon. She tried to pull away from the Goa'uld, but his strength was greater. Something was shoved into her hands, and she was pushed through the shimmering portal.

And in place of the expected smash into oblivion, Sam felt the painful mesh of metal connect with her back. She rolled to a halt.

She opened her eyes.

Daniel and Teal'c appeared over her, concern and surprise etched into their features.

"Sam, are you OK?"

She didn't answer. Sam looked down at her hands, still clutching something. A GDO device…

The three remaining members of SG-1 sat below the deactivated stargate, lost in the echoing silence.