Still not mine...

For this story Divide and Conquer never happened! And no i'm not in denial. Please read and review. Thanks!

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The alarms echoed loudly down the corridor as the Tok'ra neared the gateroom. Through the control room window they could see the inner circle spinning wildly before locking onto the next symbol. Suddenly, the gate activated with a whoosh, there was a fleeting glimpse of the bluish event horizon, but it was quickly replaced with the glint of metal as the iris closed.

"Who's knocking Siler," asked Colonel O'Neill as he hurried into the gateroom with General Hammond.

"No iris code and there are currently no teams off world sir."

O'Neill looked over as Jacob and Malek entered the room. "I have a hunch who it might be."

Minutes passed in agonizing silence and still no signal came. There were numerous weapons blasts hitting the inside of the iris. At least SG-1 and the assembled Tok'ra hoped those thuds they heard were weapons blasts and not…people.

"Receiving GDO transmission sir, it's the Tok'ra."

General Hammond looked warily at the gate. "Open the iris. Defense team stand by."

The iris disappeared to reveal the blue event horizon. Instantly, staff blasts ripped through the pristine surface at amazing speeds and crashed into the wall behind the gathered soldiers. Seconds later a man with dishevel brown hair and fair skin fell through the event horizon. He jumped from the ramp and rolled a few feet before lying on his back. Immediately he raised his hands to show that he carried no weapon.

"Jalem!" Malek recognized his friend immediately and started towards the gateroom, but he was stopped by the sound of O'Neill's voice.

"Who?"

"One of our operatives Jack" said Jacob walking past Malek.

"Jalem," asked Malek from the doorway, "are there others with you?"

"Yes, they were right behind me," before he had finished speaking more Tok'ra began to appear out of the gate. They fell forward into a heap at the bottom of the ramp. Sam recognized a few of them. There was Delek, Aldwin, Hanah and Garshaw, as well as many others. Soon the gateroom was overflowing with Tok'ra.

"Close it!" It was an order from one of the Tok'ra. Without hesitating O'Neill closed the iris and ran to the gateroom. The gate deactivated as the medical teams began moving the wounded to the infirmary.

"Umm excuse me, but I thought your entourage was the last of the Tok'ra" said Jack, clearly irritated by this surprise.

"Guess not" said Jacob. "But this is good news. Hey Sam you want to give me a hand." He indicated a wounded Tok'ra at his side, but Sam wasn't looking at her father or at the wounded man. She had spotted a tall figure in the crowd on the ramp and started towards him calling his name.

"Martouf!"

"Samantha. It is good to see you once again."

"Likewise," Sam threw her arms around him in a warm embrace. She could tell that he had been running. His heart was racing and it wasn't from seeing her again. Many of the Tok'ra surrounding them were out of breath. Wherever they had just evacuated from, they had left in a hurry.

"What happened," the question was directed at Martouf but it was Jalem who answered.

"The system lords attacked without warning. Somehow they knew exactly where the base was located underground. They took out our scouts first, and then they used the symbiote poison in the tunnels. Many Tok'ra fell before we knew what was happening. Most of us were already on the surface so it didn't affect us. We ran for the gate, Martouf brought us here." Jalem sank back to the floor clutching his right arm close to his body. A medic rushed to his side and carried him off to the infirmary.

"Well I guess he'll be out of commission for a while. Martouf you want to fill us in on the rest of the story?"

"There is nothing else to tell General Hammond."

"Well in that case why don't you go on to the infirmary son and get checked out. It's only standard procedure."

A memory from O'Neill's past surfaced and when Hammond's back was turned he said quietly, "Yeah, if you call sticking a needle in your butt to get water out of your ear standard procedure."

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Malek made his way to the infirmary after the debriefing. The lights had been turned down so that the occupants could sleep without it blinding them. A night nurse sat at the entrance. She didn't stop Malek but gave him a disapproving look. Perhaps he should come back during the day? He let the thought pass, he wanted to see his mate, Hanah. He found her sound asleep. Her arm was bandaged and there was a cut across her forehead but it did nothing to mar her beauty. Quietly, so as not to wake her, he moved a chair to her bedside and settled in for the night. Someone had placed her in a black t-shirt. It looked just like the one he was wearing, only much smaller. She was so beautiful. Her shoulder length reddish-brown hair was moved to one side. Her eyes were closed, but Malek knew that they were as pale blue as the oceans of his homeworld. He looked around and saw many of his friends lying in nearby beds. He knew they were safe for now, but what would happen when the Taur'i threw them out. Jacob said that his people would do no such thing. Malek wasn't as sure. Then there were the system lords to think about. The Tok'ra could not hide from them forever. He sat back in the shadows and watched his mate sleep, uncertainty plagued his thoughts. What would tomorrow bring?