Thanks for the reviews - very encouraging to see people enjoying this, particularly as it's my first attempt at SG-1 fanfiction. I've finally managed to map out most of the plot now, so I hope the rest is entertainting for you as well. Sorry about this being a short chapter. Note to feb04: don't worry, it'd be too evil for me to not have Jack return at all.

Chapter 19: Act of War

"You're certain neither of them was Einar," Hammond paced around his desk, arms crossed and mind racing.

"Almost positive, sir," Sam replied, sharing in the General's anxiousness. "I'm no expert on the Innarim, but Einar had some distinctive differences. Especially now he's a host."

"I thought he was the only survivor?"

"We assumed he was the only one left, sir," Sam corrected. "Obviously more survived, and we have no idea how many of them there are."

Teal'c, having been recalled from Hakon with SG-3, inclined his head thoughtfully, "And they did not make any demands."

"Well, they didn't reply to the hails over the MALP," Hammond said. "Either they don't understand or they didn't want to talk."

"What of DanielJackson?"

"We can only assume Dr. Jackson and the rest of the SG personnel at Stoneheim have been captured by hostile aliens at this point," Hammond sat at his desk wearily. "I've contacted the Pentagon on the matter. Due to there being both SG-9 and a team of scientists in the balance here, I'm confident they'll authorise some kind of rescue mission where appropriate."


In the icy blue light of a cramped Innarim prison cell, Daniel sat with his back against the roughly hewn stone of the wall. All of them at the Stoneheim lab had been dragged into some kind of underground cave system, infused here and there with alien-looking technology. He remembered the previous day grimly. Out of nowhere, a group of the strange wolf creatures had appeared at the edge of their camp. The first he knew of it was when shouts and gunshots had broken the quiet tinkering of the scientists, followed by the thwop-thwop-thwop of staff weapons. Daniel thought it was Jaffa at first. Two of the Innarim were cut down by bullets as SG-9 abandoned their roles as diplomats seemingly out of the surprise visit from such imposing creatures. It hadn't taken the warriors long to disable all of them using their curious weapons of blue energy, rendering them unconscious.

The soldiers and scientists seemed disposed to sit in separate groups, preferring the company of their peers even in silence. The leader of SG-9, Major Kovachek, glanced over at Daniel, exasperated.

"I though Major Carter said there were no other-"

"I know," Daniel cut in.

"I was told this planet was abandoned."

"I know. Can you just keep it down while I try and remember how their language is spoken?"

Daniel shuffled along to the bars of the cell, peering through at the two guards nearby. The Innarim immediately snapped their heads around, alerted by the sound, and stared icily at the archaeologist. Tentatively, Daniel gestured for them to come closer. The warriors didn't move.

"Erm… venn, ikke ond," Daniel pointed at everyone in the cell, including himself. "Venn."

Blinking, but maintaining his stony expression, one guard marched slowly over to the cell, glaring down at Daniel.

"Beklagelse," Daniel went on, pointing upwards.

"What're you saying, Dr. Jackson?" Major Kovachek probed impatiently.

"I'm telling them that we're friends, not enemies," he recounted. "That we regret what happened on the surface."

Abruptly, the Innarim kicked the bars of the cell right beside Daniel, forcing him to instinctively back away. Dropping onto all fours so that they were eye-to-eye, the creature snarled and spoke.

"Friends do not shoot at friends!"

"You can speak our language?" Daniel observed.

"Evidently," it bit back. "Now tell me - the Innarim in the stasis cell – what have you done with him?"

"N… nothing," Daniel said. "He wasn't there when we arrived."

"Then how do you explain your human companion in his place?" At his silence, the Innarim bared his teeth and snapped threateningly. "So you conceal your knowledge… let us see how loose your superiors' tongues are! Take him to the stargate!"


Sam ran to the control room as the klaxons blared the warning of an incoming wormhole. The iris remained safely shut, and she joined General Hammond and Teal'c.

"We're getting an audio signal, General," Walter stated.

"Patch it through."

"I am Haldor of Stoneheim."

"This is General Hammond of Stargate Command. We suspect you are holding some of our people as prisoners, and demand their safe return if that is the case."

"Your people… are responsible for the deaths of two of my fellow warriors, General Hammond," the deep, husky voice dripped with distaste. "This is an act of war – you are in no place to demand anything of us."

"Haldor, my people are under orders not to fire unless they deem it necessary for the safety of our personnel," Hammond assured cautiously. "I'm sure any hostile action was due to some misunderstanding."

"Yes, that is what THIS one said."

The General exchanged a surprised look with Sam, and she needed no verbal prompting. She activated the video feed on the MALP. The image fuzzed to life on the screen, and they saw two Innarim standing either side of Daniel. The archaeologist was kneeling down with his hands behind his head, but was not visibly injured in any way. Sam sighed in relief at that. One of the Innarim, presumably Haldor, had a Vapen blade activated and was holding it dangerously close to Daniel.

"He is not very informative," Haldor said. "I am not inclined to so easily believe his claim that you mean my kind no harm."

"General, I'm not sure why, but I did hear SG-9 fire first," Daniel's voice was regretful.

"All of your personnel, including the one held in stasis, remain alive. However, if you wish for them to return to you alive, return the Innarim Einar to Stoneheim!"

"They think we've stolen him?" Sam frowned.

"We do not have custody of Einar," Hammond retorted into the microphone. "In fact, we have no idea where he is."

"Your ruse will not fool me," Haldor snapped. "Yet, if you speak truly, I suggest you find him very quickly."

The second Innarim lowered his staff and fired a blast directly at the MALP. The screen went black save for the blinking of the red 'transmission interrupted' text. Sam sat back in the control room seat, desperately hoping the Pentagon wouldn't have a sadistic change of policy on mounting rescues.

"General, sir," one of the technicians holding a phone said. "It's Dr. Frasier. She's requesting you in isolation room 3, sir. Apparently, Commander Thor has just appeared down there with a… giant wolf…"