Chapter 9

Mitchell stared at the rock overhead, hands under his head. The cot he laid on wasn't exactly comfortable, but he didn't feel like going to the commons room where the children expected him to play with them. He and Teal'c were surrounded by Jakisau that were displaced by the war. He couldn't sleep with the constant chatter and babies crying. Teal'c suddenly appeared over him.

"We must go to the perimeter," Teal'c stated.

"What?"

"We must get to the perimeter."

"How?"

"Leave without permission."

Mitchell sat up. Teal'c was holding a piece of cloth wrapped around something.

"What do you have?"

"I managed to acquire weapons."

Mitchell smiled. "I knew there was a reason I liked you. Any idea how to get out of here?"

"I found a vent tunnel that has two guards. We can subdue them and get out."

Mitchell nodded. "Lead the way."

The two hurried out of the room, but not unnoticed. A Gartian watched them leave. He lifted his arm device, tapping it.

"Alert. Political guests may be attempting an escape. Repeat, escape in progress."

Mitchell and Teal'c hurried along the tunnel. Teal'c had been right about the guards, but they didn't appear surprised to see the two. Prepared maybe, but not surprised. It took more work to subdue them than Mitchell had cared for. Luckily, no one heard the fight.

"I see light ahead," Teal'c said.

The tunnel grew tighter fast until they were crawling along it. They came to the end and found it was covered with snow. Teal'c was in front and began digging through the snow. He broke through the top and slipped out. Mitchell climbed out of the snow onto the top of it and turned, right into armed Jakisau. Teal'c being held and Kedrek almost scowling.

"You two are making my job difficult," Kedrek informed Mitchell.

Mitchell smiled. "I try. But think how less difficult your job would be if you just let us go to the perimeter."

"Take them back to the Brig until their people arrive," Kedrek ordered the Jakisau.

"We just want to help get our people back."

Kedrek walked up to him, leaning in so he was in his face. "I know. But who would come to save you?"

Mitchell hadn't thought of that.

"Brig."

"What happened to the one-way trip through the gate?"

"You're people will be here in three hours. Then you can go through with them."

Mitchell was surprised. "They're three hours away?"

"Yes. And there's a large patrol between them and us. They'll need a surmountable amount of luck, because even my best soldiers will have difficulty getting through the line."

"Then you have to help them!" Mitchell cried.

"I can't. Take them to the brig."

"But your daughter is with them! You can't just abandon her!"

Kedrek listened to Mitchell continue begging him to send help, trying to find some reason that would prompt Kedrek to listen. Kedrek looked down the snow at the tree line far below, wishing he didn't have thousands of lives to worry about, and that six lives simply wasn't enough to convince him to endanger those thousands. Not until they were close enough that the Gartian could provide protection for both the six and the Hold.

Isha signaled the group to stop and crouch at the edge of a clearing. She eyed the clearing suspiciously. The grass was shoulder high and dotted with gigantic boulders that stood above the grass. It was a perfect place for an ambush. Around them, several giant trees had fallen and left large trunks and logs that provided some protection.

"Jajul, scan it," Isha softly ordered.

Gephka grabbed Jajul's scan device from his pack and handed it to him. His face read what he didn't say. They were in trouble.

"Twelve in the grass. More advancing on the perimeter, sir."

Isha lifted her wrist device up, tapping it. "Isha to perimeter LC, respond."

"Go ahead," the LC at the perimeter said.

"The platoon advancing is twelve in the clearing. Twenty-six in the platoon behind us."

"We have your position. SAT is showing the twelve are moving toward you."

Isha moved to a tree and slowly stood up with her back pressed against it.

"Situation, sir?" Jajul whispered.

She stood up on the tips of her toes and the slowly moved back down, looking into the jungle. "They look to be ten meters off. Men, prepare to defend yourselves. Carter and Daniel, protect Garut and Aina."

The group spread out among the stumps and trees. Daniel laid Aina in the hallow of a tree trunk and moved his body over the child to protect her.

"Frank, I need you to protect her," Daniel whispered.

'Uh. No. I'm not shooting people.'

Daniel looked down at the helpless baby and felt Frank become very emotional.

'I really don't like you, Danny boy.'

Daniel smiled until his eyes flashed with light. Frank leaned against the stump, looking into the grass.

"Transport has arrived for packages one and two and is standing by," the perimeter LC said. "Be advised we are moving the perimeter to your location. Repeat: perimeter is moving to your location. Confirm."

"Confirmed. We have taken defensive positions. LC out." To her soldiers she said, "Confirm target is hostile before firing. Let's not kill our men with friendly fire."

The Gartian nodded. Frank looked up when he heard whispering. Isha was speaking with Gephka, and then she crept over to Frank.

"As soon as our perimeter has moved past us, I'm sending you, the twins, Carter and Aina with Gephka on to the Hold. Kedrek will meet you there and take Aina. She'll be safe."

"How safe?"

Isha looked up into his eyes. "She can't go with you, goa'uld. You know that."

An explosion broke the silence, spooking the birds. They heard a battle break out in the grass and it began moving quickly toward them.

"How safe?" Frank insisted.

"She'll grow up."

"Like you?"

Isha stared for a long moment at his eyes. She laid her hand on his arm, leaning in. "I'll see that she doesn't. I give you my word."

Frank smiled. "I believe you."

Isha smiled, the first Frank had seen since he'd met her. She looked down at the baby touching her forehead.

A Jakisau leapt over the log, dressed in a uniform of Ambassador Doshal's army. He turned to fire on the two but Isha beat him to it. In twos and threes Doshal soldiers ran past and the rebels fired on them until Gartian soldiers began pouring over their hiding places and setting up positions around them.

"Gephka, take them on," Isha called.

Frank picked Aina up before looking at Isha.

"Good life, Daniel and goa'uld," Isha told her.

"Good life," they answered together.

Frank got up and followed Carter, the twins, and Gephka into the clearing, headed for the snowy peak of Mount Cardion.