General Hammond glanced up from Dr. Frasier's report as SG-1 entered the briefing room. His eyes caught Colonel O'Neill's as he sat down. "All clear?"
"Yes, sir." Jack nodded. "Just some minor injuries but nothing serious."
Jack winced as he sat. His knees were the worse for wear but all in all he was lucky to come through with minor injuries.
"What can you tell me about why the Goa'uld abandoned Planet P3R-473?"
Jack shifted uncomfortably in his chair. This was what he'd been dreading. "It seems that the Goa'uld were beaten by demons, sir."
General Hammond looked from Jack to Sam to Daniel to Teal'c. "Come again?"
"I know how this sounds, General. Believe me, if I hadn't seen it I'd think I was nuts."
"Are you telling me that this planet was overrun by demons? Are you sure they aren't another form of Goa'uld?"
"Yes, sir." Sam answered. "These were definitely demons."
Daniel cleared his throat and the General turned his attention to him. "Um, according to their records their world is very old and for eons demons ruled. We believe that whoever colonized that planet put demons there to discourage the Goa'uld. A kind of protection for the planet."
Jack raised his eyes on that tidbit. Where had he been when that was discussed? Probably zoned out while Daniel and Rupert yabbered about their theories.
"Protection? What moron would put demons on a planet to protect it? What about the humans?" Jack asked Daniel incredulously.
Daniel looked over at Jack when he had interrupted him. "Yes, well it is kind of extreme but it seemed effective. According to myths the humans came after most of the demons had already left. I believe some of those demons may have been the Goa'uld since Rupert mentioned that some of the demons are waiting for the old ones to return."
Teal'c glanced at Daniel before turning his attention back to General Hammond, "Daniel Jackson is correct. The Goa'uld were once on Niurin but were forced to leave many millennia ago. As they were thought to be gods we were not told why they left the planet. Only that a major battle had occurred there and as a result the planet was inhospitable."
General Hammond digested the information and sighed inwardly. This was not a Presidential de-briefing that he was looking forward to. But this planet did have significance if the Goa'uld were forced out by the ancients.
"Do you believe this planet bears further study?" The General held up his hand to interrupt Daniel Jackson, "Besides an anthropological relevance."
Jack thought about the General's question. Sure if they could study the Slayer's DNA and why she could detect demons and snakeheads or if it was discovered what the reason was that the Ancients wanted to protect the planet. But otherwise Jack couldn't see any significance to sending a team there again. A brief flash of the robed figure sending a bolt toward the gate and it falling harmlessly around Willow went through Jack's mind before he dismissed it. Magick use could be explained away. He didn't believe in it anymore than he believed snakeheads were gods.
"No, sir. Until the locals find out who used their Stargate system I don't see any reason for our return." Jack answered, "I left a box for them to use for communication in the event they found something."
"Agreed."
Before the team could leave the briefing room the red lights and claxon of an incoming visitor alert filled the area.
"Off world activation."
The General and SG-1 hurriedly made their way to the computer gate room.
"You don't think Rupert or Willow could have found an answer all ready do you?" Daniel asked Sam as they raced into the room.
"Highly unlikely. They were studying for weeks before we arrived. I doubt they would have found the answer in the short time we've been back."
The General turned to the tech running the computer. "Tok'ra or Asgard signature?"
"No sir." He turned wide eyes to look at Jack and the others of SG-1. "It's SG-1's signal."
"Huh?" Daniel said.
"I answer your huh and raise you a what?" Jack looked over at Sam. "Any ideas?"
Hammond looked at Jack and Sam. "There wasn't a code to go with that box was there Colonel?"
"No sir. Just a box."
Sam motioned for the tech to stand. "I downloaded information into Willow's computer on how to contact us. I put a unique signature so we knew it was from them." Sam tapped at the keyboard and looked at the monitor.
A sound graph popped up illustrating the range of sound. "If this were the signal from Willow it would be in this range, sir." Sam pointed to an area that was low on the graph. "This should up here if the signal were from them."
Hammond spoke into the microphone. "SF to the gate room."
The hallways outside the gate room were a beehive of activity. Non-essential personnel were scrambling to get out of the way of SF personnel who were scrambling to get to the gate room.
Soldiers entered the room with their weapons drawn as they moved into position and waited for the General's next orders. They tensed as they heard, "Open the iris."
There is a collective click as all the SF soldiers raised their weapons. "Hands on your head, now!" One of the soldiers yelled at the figures on the walkway.
"Close the iris."
Willow jumped at the sound of the iris closing behind her. Memories of the Initiative flood her mind as she looked around the gate room at all the soldiers aiming their weapons at them.
"Are you normally greeted like this when you return?" Willow asked her companion.
"Whoa. Stand down. She's okay."
Hammond, Jack, Teal'c, Sam and Daniel finally shake themselves out of immobility and move quickly to the gate room.
Willow turned at the sound of the door banging back against the wall as Daniel and the others enter the room. Her eyes widen as she sees Jack enter the room.
She turned to her companion, "I didn't know you had a twin working here."
O'Neill turned to Willow without taking his eyes off of Jack, "I don't."