Reviewers: your treat for the day is a giant Double Chocolate Fudge Cake with cream, ice cream, custard... whatever you fancy... by way of apology for my impromptu holiday!! Thank you for your patience – and I hope it's worth the wait. Let's just say I've had a lot of work on (never take a job with a company that hasn't updated its legal statements in 25 years) and our home purchase fell through. UGGG!!!
Then again I now have proof that what goes around comes around: the people we were buying a flat never mentioned that their garden didn't legally exist (they fenced off some communal land) so we got the lawyers to check this out. Then they threatened to put it back on the market due to our 'delaying tactics' and eventually sold to a private buyer. This is the fun part. We're desperate to move so we promptly found somewhere better, put an offer in, got accepted and started rolling the ball once more... and now the other guys' private buyer has pulled out less than a week after they rejected us!! HAHAHA!! Yes, I am a vindictive cow.
NB. I can't remember when the Star Wars Special Editions came out exactly, except that it was during my last year of uni – plus I was in the UK so on a different release schedule to the US – so if the date is wrong, please forgive me!!
And now, back to the show...
Stargate Command – 20th September, 1998
Teal'c stepped through the Stargate and courteously nodded his thanks to the personnel on the control deck. After two years he still found that the Tau'ri did not always make the time for such small gestures, particularly if the work concerned was straightforward and occurred regularly, however it was his belief that a brief nod was a simple means to maintain good relations with his SGC colleagues. Besides this he did not wish to attract what Captain Carter called 'discrimination' from those who had little contact with alien races, nor from those in the SG teams who had little non-hostile contact with his fellow Jaffa.
'I am an ambassador for my people,' he reminded himself, smiling a little as Master Sergeant Davis – the man who programmed the Stargate – nodded in return.
The former First Prime of Apophis was happy to return to duty following his refreshing visit to Chulak. As always on such occasions he wore the traditional armour of a Jaffa – it helped to remind his family, friends and fellow rebels that despite his work with the SGC he was still one of them. He had spent several days on his home world and could report back to General Hammond on the rebels' progress, but as ever it was the time that he had spent with his son Rya'c that had made the journey worthwhile. One day the boy would become a man, and Teal'c was hopeful that through the teachings of Bra'tac his son would also become a great warrior. Not for the first time, Teal'c remembered that he and SG1 had been unable to stop the prim'tah ceremony during which Rya'c had received his first symbiote, however he drew comfort from the knowledge that that the benefits of the Goa'uld larvae – strength and accelerated healing – increased the threat that rebel Jaffa could bring against their former masters.
His visit enabled him to see that the number of Jaffa joining the rebel cause grew with each passing day. It saddened him that they remained too few to mount a serious assault on the System Lords, but Teal'c remembered the moment when Bra'tac had introduced him to the most recent additions to their army with pride. A full half of the Jaffa present had traced their enlightenment from Goa'uld propaganda to the actions of the Tau'ri, whether from meeting them in combat or from tales of their deeds. Yes, he decided, our numbers may be small but we gain in strength. Bra'tac, who had preceded him as First Prime to the false god Apophis, was now mentor to an entire people and maintained the discipline and wisdom for which he had been known across galaxy prior to his fall from grace. The aged warrior was the guiding light of the rebel movement and despite sharing the title of shol'vah – traitor – with Teal'c and other openly 'blasphemous' Jaffa, he could still stare down even the loudest of upstarts. His death – long may it be delayed! – would not be the end of this man's legacy.
Walking down the ramp he heard the main door slide open and was surprised to see General Hammond's assistant appear between the Marine guards.
"Mr Teal'c sir," the Airman said nervously. "General Hammond requests that you, erm, come to his office as soon as you have attended to any personal needs."
The Jaffa warrior raised an eyebrow, then nodded his assent. He had witnessed such nervousness before, usually from newer recruits, and had commented to O'Neill that he found it odd that a person could feel nervous around someone they did not know well. It was rarely the tense apprehension that one would feel around a hissing snake, but a shy nervousness that seemed to inhibit rational thought. His brother-in-arms, Colonel O'Neill had groaned and described this as a common affliction in the SGC known as 'hero worship'. It appeared to be a sign that the person was overwhelmingly impressed with the reputation of the 'hero' in question, however Teal'c still failed to see why this should cause the 'worshipper' to lose the power of speech. A young Jaffa in this position would seek to conceal such weakness and might instead try to make a favourable impression on the hero through his own actions, but then this was not his culture.
"Please tell GeneralHammond that I will attend him in approximately 10 minutes," he instructed the young man, who gulped and stepped aside to allow him passage.
Walking through the corridors of the SGC, Teal'c reflected on how easy it had become for him to switch back and forth from his mother tongue to that of the American Tau'ri. He already spoke several languages prior to joining them, however it had of course been several millennia since any of them had been heard upon Earth and so he had had to start learning from scratch. Daniel Jackson had also made him aware that the native dialect of the SGC had its roots in many others and was not indigenous to their country at all – although he had admitted that this language, known as 'English', was one of the more dominant among the planet's thousands of dialects. It seemed to Teal'c that the Tau'ri had no agreed means of understanding each other, which appeared to be a most inefficient way to organise a planet.
Entering his quarters, Teal'c removed his Jaffa garb and had a quick shower – one thing about the Tau'ri world that he truly did enjoy – and dressed in the black t-shirt and BDUs of the SGC. It was certainly comfortable clothing, however he still had to fight against the sensation that these thin layers left him far too vulnerable – after nearly a century of active duty, Teal'c found it extremely difficult to 'switch off' as O'Neill called it, without the Jaffa meditation known as kelno'reem. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and noted that he should shave his head again tonight, and reluctantly stared at the golden brand of Apophis upon his forehead. He might never escape his former master's legacy, but he would fight against its influence until his very last breath.
Finally, just as he was about to leave the room, he noticed a small envelope on the TV with O'Neill's handwriting upon it – "Welcome back T". Raising an eyebrow, he picked up the envelope and pulled back the flap to reveal four cinema tickets to see "Return of the Jedi: Special Edition" – dated Sep. 20, 1998. Tonight. The accompanying note explained that O'Neill felt that SG1 had not had enough 'R&R' recently, and this would be an ideal opportunity for them all to get off-base. A corner of Teal'c's mouth twitched as he considered O'Neill's probable ulterior motive: the main cinema in Colorado Springs was opposite his favourite bar, O'Malleys. Having not seen his friends for several days, Teal'c concurred that this would be an ideal means of 'catching up'.
Placing the envelope back on the TV and turned smartly towards the door, noting from the clock on the wall that only 2 minutes remained until the time at which he had promised to meet General Hammond. He sincerely hoped that he did not encounter any further delays along his way; otherwise the base's commanding officer might not give him leave to go to the surface later on.
Having satisfactorily completed his journey, Teal'c knocked and entered the General's anteroom 'bang' on time. (This was a curious Tau'ri phrase that he had recently 'taken a fancy' to, and in a genuine attempt to 'fit in' he had commenced using such terms as whenever possible. Daniel Jackson had been most helpful when Teal'c came to him with this idea, and had promised to explain to him the appropriate usage of these peculiar expressions whenever possible. Teal'c suspected that if he had gone to O'Neill with this proposal, the Colonel's sense of humour might have 'thrown a chisel in the works').
"I trust that I am on time?" he commented, bowing slightly to the nervous assistant he had met earlier.
The assistant, showing his lack of self-control yet again, gulped before replying. "No sir, you're fine. I'll let General Hammond know that you're here."
As the young man walked around him to the General's door, the large Jaffa could not help but notice that while Dr Fraiser was a small woman with the presence of a First Prime, this Tau'ri was fully grown by this planet's standards and yet not even as confident as his own son. It was a good thing that this young one was not permitted to take part in combat or even exploratory missions, Teal'c decided, since he would surely injure himself by tripping over his bootlaces.
"Welcome back, Teal'c!" General Hammond's voice boomed through the newly opened door.
Teal'c smiled and stepped through, hands behind his back. "It is a pleasure to be back, GeneralHammond. I trust you are well?"
"Oh yes, I'm fine. Yourself? And your family? Good, good – excuse me, West?" The base commander called out to his assistant via the intercom. "I don't suppose you could get us a little coffee, could you son? Is that ok by you, Teal'c?"
"I would very much enjoy a glass of either fruit juice or water, if that is possible sir," he replied calmly.
"Did you get that, West?" General Hammond waited for a positive response then nodded in a business-like way. "Ok Teal'c, take a seat. The drinks will be here in a moment. I'm sorry to call you straight in here but I'm due to make a report to the Commander-in-Chief myself, and it would be good to have some up-to-date data."
Teal'c inclined his head. "Understood, GeneralHammond. No apology is required."
Both men took their seats on respective sides of the desk, and Teal'c began by running through the increasing numbers of rebel Jaffa who had been contacting Bra'tac including several smaller groups still in service to the false gods that had not previously risked overt activity. He was pleased to note that the General immediately picked up on the implication that these cells could potentially be used as spies for the Tau'ri and their allies, however he stressed that this work should only be at their own instigation at first.
"Bra'tac and I agree that more of these covert networks must exist, and since the majority of members appear to be on the permanent staff of the System Lords' vessels they may be watching to see what happens." He took a sip of water and continued. "If our words and actions can convince them that they shall not be betrayed, misused or otherwise exposed we may find more Jaffa upon our doorstep, willing to fight the Goa'uld."
"Agreed," the General nodded. "It sounds as though they would be valuable allies, if we can win them over to our side."
"This is true, though it must also be noted that these Jaffa do not yet trust the Tau'ri. They have heard of the SGC, but they do not yet trust this planet's motives. Those with whom I met on Chulak were wary of speaking with me, and Bra'tac reluctantly complied with strict instructions to not reveal their identity or allegiance as yet."
"Hmmmm... is it possible that they are hiding something?" Hammond mused, warming his hands around his coffee. "Or behind something? Maybe we attacked one of their members during a mission... or is it possible that the Gould are feeding more bad information to their servants, saying that we get good people killed and eat symbiotes for breakfast?"
Teal'c paused a moment, wondering why it was that such brilliant men as General Hammond and O'Neill could mispronounce a name so badly and so frequently. 'Whatever', he mimicked silently, thinking that this phrase might apply in this situation and resolving to ask Daniel Jackson later.
"This is indeed possible, General," he replied eventually. "The System Lords have a great deal of information that could be cast in such a misleading light, and the SG teams have become a well-known and active source of unrest in this sector. Few Jaffa would hold a grudge against the SGC if one of their colleagues were to fall in combat however – we grow up knowing that we may meet one of our childhood friends across a battlefield."
"Very well," the General concluded. "I agree with yourself and Bra'tac that waiting for a willing ally later on is more advantageous than ruining a potentially useful relationship so soon. I am however very glad that word is getting out that the Earthlings are back in business."
Teal'c nodded deeply. "Bra'tac sends his glad thanks also. Many Jaffa are defying their masters because of this 'word'."
The older man smiled broadly and laughed. "We're outnumbered and outgunned, but at least we're making an impact. Now let's move on – SG1 has been stood down for the next few days and I have an assignment for you."
"For me, General?" Teal'c raised a questioning eyebrow. He was not accustomed to taking part in singular assignments, and General Hammond's words appeared to suggest that this was not a team mission. "How may I help?"
"Don't worry son, it's just a little more of what it seems that you've already been doing this past week," Hammond explained – evidently forgetting that the Jaffa before him was old enough to be his father. "I'd like you to join Colonel O'Neill at the Alpha site for a couple of days, where you'll be helping train and assess some of our newest recruits. A few of them, it seems, are seeing the SGC's mission as far too similar to a computer game if you know what I mean, and I'd like it if the pair of you could knock a little sense into them – even if it means making an example of some of them with a couple of zat blasts."
Teal'c nodded, impressed by General Hammond's open admission that faults existed under his jurisdiction and honoured by his candour. This sort of frankness was not expected on a ha'tak vessel, although he did understand that Hammond would only give such information to those he trusted and that he was not likely to be executed for any failings.
"I feel flattened to have been asked, General," he replied, suddenly aware that the other man's eyes were in danger of popping out of his head. General Hammond had just taken a sip of coffee, but Teal'c did not think that it could still be hot enough to cause such discomfort so long after it was poured...
"I think you mean 'flattered', Teal'c," was the eventual explanation – and Teal'c, realising his own mistake, nodded his thanks to the unlikely English teacher. "What I'd like you to do now is to visit Colonel O'Neill and see how he's getting along with the curriculum he picked up this morning. I've asked him to stick to the plan as much as possible, but of course I do expect you to illustrate the theory with some real life experience."
"To discourage the students to consider the SGC as part of an interactive simulation, is that correct General?"
"You've got it, Teal'c. You'll leave tomorrow morning at 0800 hours. In the meantime, Dr Jackson and Captain Carter are working on an artefact they discovered during what didn't turn out to be a routine mission. If you could also drop in on them it would be appreciated – I'm sure Dr Jackson might want to pick your brains about the Goa'uld it belonged to, Hemset."
"Of course," the Jaffa replied, noting the tone of dismissal in General Hammond's voice and standing to go. "I too have a request, sir, if it is convenient?"
"Yes?"
"Colonel O'Neill has suggested that SG1 travel off-base tonight to 'catch up'. May I have your permission to visit Colorado Springs?"
"That sounds like a good idea to me, and I don't think I need to remind you about the usual precautions? I thought not," the General paused suddenly. "Say, does that mean that you've already seen Colonel O'Neill?"
"No, sir I have not," Teal'c replied, curious as to why a twinkle had appeared in General Hammond's eye. "Is there a further message that you would like me to give him?"
"No, no... no need, Teal'c. Just say hello for me. Dismissed."
"As you wish, General," Teal'c bowed and turned, no better informed. The Tau'ri did still confuse him from time to time.
On exiting the General's rooms, Teal'c did not spare Airman West even the barest glance and strode straight through to the corridor and headed a few doors down to Colonel O'Neill's office. The door was closed and so, in accordance with Tau'ri custom, he knocked.
"Er... come in?"
There was a sound of frantic rustling and desk drawers, something that Teal'c had come to associate with Colonel O'Neill's tendency to take frequent rest breaks while performing 'desk duty', as he called it. These breaks often involved either National Geographic magazine (a publication that Teal'c indulged in occasionally himself) or Simpsons videos. The implication, however, was that these breaks were unauthorised and so O'Neill exhibited guilty behaviour when 'caught out'.
A small smile of amusement flickered about his lips as he turned the handle and entered.
"Have I come at a bad time, O'Neill?" He enquired politely as he shut the door, then found his eyes widening as they took in the image of his friend seated in what the Tau'ri imaginatively called a 'wheelchair'. "I apologise, O'Neill – I had not heard of your injury. May you heal swiftly and cleanly."
Teal'c sympathised greatly, though as a Jaffa he himself would always heal swiftly and cleanly due to the actions of his symbiote. A wounded Jaffa might kelno'reem for longer than usual to allow his prim'tah to dedicate the time and effort required to return its 'incubator' to health, however the Tau'ri retained a normal immune system and must therefore allow nature to take its course. Knowing Colonel O'Neill's distaste for hospitals, doctors and especially needles, Teal'c hoped that this wound was not serious.
"No problem," was the reply, although the voice shook a little – presumably O'Neill was in some pain, Teal'c concluded. "I had a little problem with the ramp in the Gate room. Welcome back... Tee-uk."
The Jaffa was curious. Not moments ago he had been contemplating the inadequacies of a young Airman, and now a great warrior whose name was cursed by Goa'uld System Lords had rendered himself incapable of walking by tripping down a ramp that he encountered regularly. Still, O'Neill was a man of great pride and Teal'c resolved not to pursue the issue any further than necessary.
"As you say, my friend," he responded, nodding slightly. "I have just been informed by GeneralHammond that we are to depart for the Alpha site tomorrow morning, to 'knock some sense' into the current students?"
"That's right," O'Neill replied, coughing slightly. "I've got the curriculum here from Major Stubbs – they want us to put a bit more life into the mission briefings by the sound of it. The kids must read them and think it's a bedtime story or something. We just have to tell them how much it can hurt in the process."
Teal'c nodded. "GeneralHammond – who also asked me to say 'hello' to you for him – suggested that it may be necessary to impart the required teachings by use of a zat'n'ktel."
This time his friend seemed to explode into a coughing fit.
"I trust that you do not also have a cold, O'Neill?"
"No, no, no... I, erm, just need some water," the Tau'ri replied somewhat hurriedly, manoeuvring his wheelchair toward the small water fountain in the corner. "Yeh, water... that's what I need."
Teal'c frowned slightly. Colonel O'Neill would have typically replied to a reference regarding 'newbies' and 'zats' sarcastically, particularly if he had been ordered to 'babysit' them. On the other hand, however, O'Neill might well be feeling a little 'out of sorts' following his rather embarrassing injury. He decided to alter the conversation a little.
"Which missions do you believe that it would be appropriate to discuss?"
O'Neill looked up, then shuffled a few of the papers on his desk. "Erm, well I have been reading through a lot of them and there's a few that seem relevant. There's been at least one infestation by a Goa'uld, so we could talk about the implications having to kill a friend; the odd virus that regresses your body back through 30,000 years' worth of evolution; arriving on a technologically primitive world and having a psychopathic hallucination that you're a god... Y'know I can see why they're having a hard time accepting all the weird stuff they might have to go through!! I certainly am..."
Teal'c contemplated O'Neill's words. He appeared sincere, only using a little of the sarcasm that was his verbal defence mechanism, and the Jaffa felt a degree of added respect for this man who could mention so frankly the death of his friend Kawalsky – which had occurred so soon after his own alliance with the Tau'ri.
"It is indeed a unusual way of life when compared with that of a typical Tau'ri," he agreed out loud. "However have these recruits not been advised of the parameters of SGC missions?"
O'Neill looked up, a strange look in his eyes. Teal'c had seen this man take many foreign concepts and revelations in his stride, thinking only of the strategic and tactical implications rather than how unbelievable they might be when contrasted against his previous experience – even though he might outwardly rebel by way of his famous sarcasm. This was the quality that made him such an excellent example for all SG team members, but now Teal'c saw both distress and... fear... in this man's eyes. Perhaps he sought to solve this problem by empathising with a theoretical novice soldier.
"Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'seeing is believing'?" O'Neill asked, after a moment of awkward silence. "These kids have been through basic training and they've come out on top – otherwise they wouldn't be here – but aside from being able to shoot and take orders under pressure, what do they really know? Some of them might have seen a little action in the Balkans, but other than that they have... I don't know... Tom Clancy novels and Playstation to thank for their education!"
"Then perhaps we should introduce some 'shock tactics', as GeneralHammond suggested?"
"Yeh, shooting them – like that'll do anything other than get us in trouble with Dr Fraiser," The Colonel gave a weak laugh. "Though showing them your symbiote might give them the surprise of their lives!"
Teal'c nodded his agreement, although he observed that O'Neill had referred to his prim'tah as 'your symbiote' rather than the more common 'Junior'. "I would have no objections to demonstrating any of the skills or attributes that are common to the hostile Jaffa that these men and women may encounter in the field, O'Neill. In addition the sight of a fully armoured Jaffa has a certain psychological impact, therefore it may be fitting for me to conduct practical exercises while dressed as such."
O'Neill merely nodded, his eyes still containing that unusual look of anxiety. He did not reply.
"Would you like some more water, O'Neill?"
"Huh?" The man blinked, seemingly gathering his thoughts. "No, er, sorry – I was just thinking back to the first time I, erm, met a fully armoured Jaffa."
"I believe you shot him with little hesitation, O'Neill."
"I did?!" This startled reaction was unexpected. "I mean, yes I did – well, I'm sure there was some hesitation, just enough to, erm, size him up, y'know?"
Just then the phone rang, breaking what had become an unduly awkward conversation. Teal'c could not remember when he had last heard Colonel O'Neill fumble for words with such apparent uneasiness.
"Excuse me a moment?" The man asked unnecessarily as he picked up the receiver. "Erm, Colonel O'Neill?"
Teal'c could hear Daniel Jackson on the other end of the telephone, asking if O'Neill could come to his office and to bring himself, should they be together.
O'Neill, forgetting that Teal'c had the particularly good hearing of a Jaffa, relayed this and received a nod of assent. "Yeh sure, Daniel. We'll be there in a moment." The receiver went down with a small rattle and O'Neill turned back to the Jaffa with what now appeared to be relief in his expression. "I guess we'll, erm, have to sort the rest of this out later then, ok?"
"Indeed, O'Neill – we still have the remainder of this afternoon before we are due in Colorado Springs," Teal'c replied calmly as he stood up.
"Colorado Springs?! What are we going there for?"
Teal'c raised his trademark eyebrow in surprise. "To see 'Return of the Jedi', naturally. You purchased the tickets yourself and left them in my quarters with a suggestion that the team might enjoy some 'R&R'."
"Oh!" The Colonel's shoulders sagged, as though a burden of tension had been relieved. "Is that all? Movies I can handle – sorry, Tee-uk –"there it was again, a slight 'hiccup' in his pronunciation... "- I bought the tickets a few days ago and forgot."
"Apology accepted." Teal'c remained concerned about O'Neill's manner, however looking down at his good friend in this wheelchair caused him to consider the possibility that O'Neill might in fact be suffering from an imposed feeling of vulnerability. He resolved to not interfere unless asked to, or unless more severe grounds for concern were revealed.
The wheelchair-bound Tau'ri, on the other hand, had reached the door and had successfully opened it despite his temporary disability.
"Would you mind giving me a push down to Daniel's?" He asked, smiling at last. Then, as Teal'c grabbed the handles and propelled them both into the corridor, he commented – "I guess we'd better make sure that Carter and Daniel known about this little excursion as well, don't you think."
"That would be wise, O'Neill," Teal'c replied, suddenly realising that he had never heard O'Neill use the word 'excursion' before.