Chapter 3

Carter felt a hand in hers and it became the focus of her attention, the thing that was pulled her back from black oblivion. She turned her head. Someone gently patted her face with a cool rag.

"Are you dead?" Frank's resonating voice asked.

"Maybe," Carter muttered.

She opened her eyes, looking into Daniel's face and Frank's glowing eyes. They smiled at each other.

"You had us worried. You tried to leave without saying good-bye," Frank joked.

She closed her eyes, swallowing. "Are we home?"

Frank didn't answer. She looked at him, and then past him, noticing their surroundings. They were in a cave and there were dozens of beds like hers with dozens of Jakisau on them with varying degrees of injury. She turned her head. More injured Jakisau. There were Jakisau moving among them and her sharp eye noticed that they weren't dressed like the soldiers she saw last night. He wore camouflage clothing and sewn on their sleeves was a patch of a red triangle with a cross over it. Along the bottom of the triangle was a word, and since each was different, she guessed they were ranks or names, maybe both. She looked back at Frank. He was watching her.

"What's going on?"

"Bad news or worse news first?"

"Bad."

"The Jakisau have been at civil war for nearly five hundred years. Ambassadors are usually self-appointed, only a few have been descendants. These," Frank nodded toward a passing Jakisau, "are called Gartian. They go around burying the dead and trying to protect civilians caught in the cross fire."

"That's the bad news?"

"No. That's the news leading up to the bad news."

"Which is?"

"The gate we came through was destroyed when the city was bombed. Four days ago."

Carter felt cold, felt like shrieking, 'We're stuck in the middle of their civil war?' She drew a slow breath, slow because she quickly discovered her ribs hurt.

"And the worse news?"

"The Gartian know how to build Stargates and interface them into the network. I was told there are six on the planet right now and the Gartian in control of five of them, but the closest is at the top of a mountain and we have to walk to it."

"And that's a problem?"

"We're going right through the middle a civil war."

Carter's mouth dried. "Any good news?" she whispered.

He nodded. "They've sent word to the base near the gate and they're going to send word to the SGC to let them know we're alright."

"You're sure taking this well, Frank."

He smiled wistfully. "Do I have a choice?"

She smiled. "No. Do they know what you are?"

"We hid me from them. And the fact I'm carrying a virus that could end alltheir fighting woes if I get killed before we get to that gate."

Carter had forgotten all about the virus that had almost killed Daniel and forced Frank to blend with him. Every blood draw had shown it still existed in Daniel's blood, but not Frank's. If they both died, it would mean a pandemic would break out among these aliens. And Earth if they didn't know and came to this planet.

"He won't admit it to you, but Daniel's scared. I am, too," Frank told her.

Carter smiled at him. "Me too."

Frank looked away again, letting the Jakisau distract him.

"Have you checked your weapons?" the Jakisau female asked them. She led the two through wide and narrow tunnels, across open caverns, weaving around other Gartian rebels. They were on their way to meet with the platoon that was going to guide Daniel and Carter to a Stargate five days away.

Daniel and Carter were adjusting the straps of their backpacks and rifles. They had been given Gartian uniforms to wear and sturdy boots for the long hike. Carter had unpacked and repacked her backpack, finding they had one change of clothes and the rest was packages of water and what rations. Through persuasion, Carter had gotten them both rifles and pistols.

"Three times," Daniel answered.

She glanced back at them. "You don't want them to jam if you come under fire, civilians."

Carter looked up, caught off guard by the reference. The roles were reversed here and she wasn't used to be considered a civilian.

"Like I said before," Carter said, reminding herself to remain calm, "on our planet we are soldiers. We're very familiar with weapons."

"Including these weapons?"

Carter smiled. "A variety of weapons."

The Jakisau didn't comment further. They entered a narrow tunnel with a slight slope to a sharp turn. The three came around the corner and Carter and Daniel stopped short, staring at the platoon waiting for them.

Standing against a vine covered opening was one adult, four teenage males, and one teenage female.

'They're only children?' Frank asked Daniel.

Daniel slightly shrugged in response. He couldn't even fathom how to perceive this situation and judging from Frank's confusion in his head, he didn't either.

The female that had led them here nodded once to the other female and left without a word. There were several seconds of silence while the two groups sized each other.

The adult male was in his forties and he watched them with the most interest. Three of the teenagers looked less war-hardened than the others, but the female looked like she had been fighting for her life since birth.

Her brown hair was cut short in a boyish style; she was small and lean, with a scar that ran from her left ear down her neck and under her shirt. She held a rifle that looked too big for such a small being to be carrying.

Next to her was a nineteen-year-old armed to the teeth with weapons. Beside him, and not as heavily armed, stood a fidgeting, muscular teenager. He looked around fourteen and was wide-eyed with anxiety. Standing apart from the group, looking over a device resembling a tablet PC, was another nineteen-year-old. Leaning against the rock wall by the entrance was a Jakisau in his mid-thirties, chewing on a small branch as he eyed the two.

The last two were twins and didn't appear prepared for battle, armed only with combat knives. All of the Jakisau were slathered in camouflage paint to hide their naturally gleaming skin.

"Daniel and Carter, right?" the female asked.

They nodded.

"I am Lead Commander Isha. I've been told you're soldiers on your world, so you will understand that I am the highest in command and what I tell you to do, you do."

Carter gaped. This child was in command? Was this a joke? They were going to follow a teenager through the middle of a civil war?

"Is there a problem with that?" Isha asked.

"You..."

"What about me?"

Carter blurted, "You're a child!"

She shifted her weight. The Gartian rebels looked at each other before settling stony glares on Carter. Daniel recognized the trouble brewing and stepped forward. Weapons sprang up; the twins were pushed behind the one with the device.

"Wait! Wait." Daniel said, holding up his hands, letting his weapon hang from the security strap. "Look. There's a misunderstanding here Commander Isha--"

"Lead Commander Isha and the only misunderstanding I see is that I was told you two are soldiers. Yet you seem to lack the respect of ones."

Carter opened her mouth to snap back a reply. Daniel motioned her to be quiet.

"Look, where we come from, our soldiers are usually as old as... as... Well, as him." Daniel motioned at the nineteen year old that had been fiddling with the device. He then pointed to the oldest of the group. "And he's about the age of our commanding officers. We're just... We're not used to this arrangement. With all due respect, Lead Commander Isha, we really don't understand how a sixteen year old became a commanding officer."

"I was under my commanding officer and he got his head blown off. Simple enough for you?"

'These poor kids! This is hell they're living in.'

Daniel nodded, more in response to Frank. "I guess promotions are pretty quick among your kind," Daniel joked, smiling.

No one laughed and he quickly lost his smile.

"That... That was a joke. We're sorry. Aren't we Colonel Carter?" Daniel looked back at Carter.

She held his gaze. He motioned to Isha with his head. She narrowed her eyes, not about to back down. Daniel nodded once more persistently. Her jaw tensed, her stubbornness was starting to set in. He pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes back at her. She let out a sigh and he and Frank both mentally sighed. She was going to accept this awkward arrangement.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." Carter said.

"Sir," the oldest Jakisau quickly corrected.

"My apologies, sir. As Daniel explained, this is very different from what we're used to."

Isha lowered her weapon and her soldiers followed her example. She motioned to the Jakisau leaning against the wall. "This is my first in command is Commander Gephka. The jumpy one over there is Point Yemstad." She nodded to the well-armed nineteen-year old. "That's Point Areki. The one with the device there is Communications Lead Jajul." She laid a hand on the shoulder of the oldest one. "This is Point Dasex. He's the one that found you and requested your retrieval. Thank him you aren't dead right now."

She paused, apparently expecting the thanks right now.

'Thank the man, Danny,' Frank urged. 'Quickly!'

"Thank you," Daniel said.

"Thanks," Carter said with far less heart.

Dasex nodded a couple of times.

Isha pointed to the twins. "These two are Garut and Wasteq." Isha adjusted her rifle, continuing, "You will not refer to any of us by rank while we are in the field, no matter what you hear us say. You will not use the word package at any time and only first names. Carter and Daniel, you will remain in close proximity of the twins and lay down cover fire only if ordered to do so. If any forces capture you, there will be no rescue. Any questions?"

Daniel and the twins shook his head. Carter didn't respond at all.

"Move out." Isha turned, pushed the vines aside, and walked into the jungle beyond.

The group followed her through the opening into the jungle.