A/N: I have learned that, where this fic is concerned, to never say it's over. So although this may be the last chapter for a while, but it's probably NOT over!


"We have a problem," Jacob said grimly. "Long-range scanners on the Prometheus have detected alien ships approaching Beta. We're reasonably sure they're Goa'uld. Apparently, your daughter's little space flight adventure did not go unnoticed. I'm afraid Beta may have just attracted the wrong kind of attention to itself."


The grim group huddled around the long range scanners on the Prometheus, watching the approach of the enemy ships, each silently recalling a day several years earlier when just such a scene had played out on Earth.

"How much time do we have?" Jack asked Sam and Jacob.

"Three hours at the most," Sam announced tensely. "We should begin evacuating."

"What about the chair we just found?" Daniel asked for the third time. "It's got to be an ancient weapon, like the one on Earth. And this one still seems to have a lot of power left."

"We can't wait to evacuate on the slim chance that we might figure out how to shoot down the Goa'uld before they get here and start shooting us. We don't have enough time as it is to get all our people safely to the Stargate."

"We do if we can fly people in the Prometheus, along with a few of those new ships, back and forth between the Stargate and the City. But we have to start now."

"Jack," General Hammond addressed his second, "Get down to that new chamber and see what you can do with that chair. Teal'C, you and Jacob get started shuttling people to the Stargate. Sound the evacuation order."

Jack didn't even wait for Hammond to finish speaking before he was running for the Ancient chambers below the living quarters of the city. Sam followed him with Grace's hand held tightly in hers. She wasn't going to give Grace any chances to get into trouble again.

Sam hadn't yet seen the new ships or chambers, but was full of a desperate hope that they would find a way to defend their new home. When she finally caught up to Jack in the newly excavated cavern, Jack was already in the chair, manipulating the arms the way he had done on Earth. There was a frown on his face.

"There's something different about this control panel," he griped as he tried to grasp the gel-like substance under his palms. "It just feels different."

"Can you get it to fire the weapon?" Riley asked. The soldier had just entered the room, and workers from the chambers beyond were filling in behind him to watch Jack, having heard the news to evacuate.

"I'm not even sure it is a weapon," Jack muttered distractedly. He jumped out of the chair and began working his way around the room, experimenting. The walls had panels of controls on them, and he began touching the different crystals and levers, seeing which ones activated for him. Some remained dark while others glowed like Christmas lights.

Sam followed behind him, watching and noting which panels seemed active and which appeared dead under Jack's touch.

"This looks familiar," Sam cried out, pointing to a set of small dials that looked a lot like a Goa'uld force field control. Jack turned and placed his hand on it, but nothing happened. Then, for no particular reason, Sam placed her own hand on the device. A force field immediately leapt to life and surrounded her. Shocked, she pulled her hand away and the device deactivated.

"Sam?" Jack asked, incredulous. Like a light bulb coming on, an idea popped visibly into his head.

"Sam, touch this one," he asked, pointing to a panel which had remained dead under his hands just moments before. The panel lit up and began to hum before Sam jerked backwards, breathing hard from fear. She hesitantly followed him around, discovering that a few other of the panels he had not been able to activate responded instead to her.

"But I don't have the Ancient gene!" She protested.

"You don't have the same Ancient gene I have," Jack responded. "But I'm betting, just like humans have a variety of genes, there are a variety of Ancient genes floating around in our DNA. And you have something I don't. Get in the chair, Sam."

Encouraged, she climbed into the chair. Nothing happened. Deeply discouraged, she got out and moved to Jack's side.

"I'm sorry," she offered. Jack put an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey, not your fault. It was worth a try. But if we don't figure out how to activate this weapon, Beta is in big trouble."

"Jack, the ships have entered orbit," Riley announced from the hallway. A loud concussion somewhere above them alerted them to the beginning of the Goa'uld attack. It was too late for those left in the city to evacuate now.

Sam and Jack looked at each other sadly. Was this to be a repeat of the disaster on Earth?

"Daddy," Grace piped up from somewhere behind the despondent couple.

"Not now, Grace," Jack began but then stopped admonishing her abruptly, turning to see his daughter sitting in the chair. A deep, throbbing hum was building from somewhere beneath the chair. It was a sound Jack remembered well.

"She's doing it!" He breathed. "Don't stop Grace, keep doing...whatever it is you're doing." he encouraged her. The chair continued to build in vibration and noise, and Grace's eyes grew wide with fright.

"Daddy!" She called out for reassurance. Jack moved close to her side but refrained from touching her, not wanting to thwart the activity she was somehow coaxing from the Ancient device.

"Is she going to be okay, Jack?" Sam asked fearfully.

"Yeah, I think so. Grace, don't be afraid. The chair will shoot out some pretty lights, that's all."

"Cool!" The tiny girl answered, obviously excited now. She craned her neck in all directions, looking for the fireworks Daddy had spoken of.

"Keep your hands in the gel," Jack ordered her.

A circular opening appeared beside the chair and a stream of bright defense drones began to pour out and speed upwards, just as they had done on Earth years earlier. Grace squealed happily.

"It's pretty!"

Above them, Goa'uld ships began falling. The drones continued to poured outward until all the enemy ships had been eliminated. The sounds of attack all around the city diminished and finally ceased completely. Then, as if the weapon itself knew they had won, the drones ceased their flow.

But the show wasn't over. A new series of brightly lighted energy beams poured from the same source, this time in a smooth greenish river of phosphorescence, flowing upwards into the atmosphere. Jack eased Grace down from her perch. She looked tired and very sleepy. But the activity continued.

"Let's get Grace out of here, and go topside. I want to see what's happening for myself," Jack said to Sam. He carried the girl protectively, keeping her tucked under his chin as they walked together up the long underground passageways. She nestled into the crook of his neck and shoulder and closed her eyes.

The entire room emptied out, following the small family up towards daylight. The sight that met their eyes was unbelievable.

The entire sky was suffused in a greenish glow, and the matter stream emanating from below the city was continuing to pour pigment into the previously purple-blue atmosphere. Sam began to laugh with delight.

"It's a forcefield! Over the whole planet!"

"How long will it last?"

"I have no idea. I've never seen anything like it before. Hopefully it will last a long time. A very long time."

Grace, who had opened her eyes again, clapped her hands.

"Whee! Pretty!" She exclaimed. Jack held her on his shoulder as they both marveled at the field now protecting Beta from further harm.

"Beta truly is a safe haven now," Jack observed. "For as long as this shield holds, we can go about our business without having to hide any longer. Finally, we may actually defeat the Goa'uld!"

Hammond had joined them, having stayed in the city once evacuations had become impossible to continue. "Let's inform our people that Beta is safe. They can come home."

That night, after feasting and celebrating until she'd dropped, Grace lay cuddled in a ball in her bed, safely sleeping off her exhaustion in her own home. Sam came out of her room and found Jack curled up on their version of a couch, looking extremely tired.

"Well," Sam said as she sat down and wrapped her arms warmly around him. "Grace is an Ancient like we've never seen yet. She must have your Ancient gene...and mine."

Jack smiled proudly. "That little kid is a lot of trouble. But worth it."

"I'll say! She saved the entire planet today!" Sam reminded him sharply.

"Big deal. I've saved it...like, 7 or 8 times."

"Oh really? All by yourself?" Sam asked, outraged.

"Okay, you helped," Jack conceded. "I really don't want to fight about it."

"Okay, what do you want to do then?"

Jack's smile grew slowly until he was grinning mischievously down at his wife. He ran his hands through her hair and pulled her close.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something."

The End

(For now)