The explosion didn't go unnoticed.

With the entire world in danger from an alien invasion, it shouldn't have been any surprise that everyone who wasn't hunkered down in a bomb shelter was watching the sky. That included, of course, every television news network in the world. CNN had a whole army of astrophysicists – civilians – gathered as experts, along with several astronomers and three so-called alien experts who were stationed out of Roswell, New Mexico.

When the first rumors started that several different areas had noticed an explosion in space – far enough out that it wasn't a danger to the Earth, but close enough that it had to be related to what was going on – every group of experts went crazy as they tried to explain what was happening when none of them had any idea. Not surprisingly, the media was drawing its own conclusions and churning them out to their viewers long before any of the governments of the world gave any official information.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Sir! The mothership is gone!"

Hayes looked up, even as the feed from NORAD was announcing the same news to all the people in the briefing room.

"Gone? Escaped?"

"No, sir," the Airman said, grinning hugely. "Destroyed. Hubble picked up a huge explosion. Satellite feeds have confirmed it."

"Ian!" Andrew said, excitedly. "He did it!"

Shawn grinned, too, as the room exploded into action. All the diplomats were on their wires getting information from their own sources, and confirming what they'd just been told. No matter who it was, though, they were receiving the same glad news. The explosion was huge, and there was only one thing in the area that could have caused it.

Hammond looked over at Hayes, smiling broadly.

"You'll have to make a statement…"

The President nodded, relief obvious in all his features.

"I'll make it short and sweet, I think, and save the tricky explanations for you."

Hammond's smile faded just a little.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

The machine turned itself off as suddenly as it had turned itself on, startling both Sam and Daniel. The chair tilted back into an upright position, and Jack's closed eyes opened, slowly. As they watched him, he looked around, and then over at them.

"Wow…"

Sam was quickly at his side, one hand resting lightly on his arm.

"Are you okay?"

It wasn't every day one used a weapon that was once owned by an ancient race of aliens, after all, and who knew what kind of lasting effects it could have?

He smiled, though, and nodded.

"I'm fine, Sam."

"What did it feel like?" Daniel asked, coming over as well.

"Like I had the power to destroy the world," Jack admitted. He reached for his radio. "Teal'c?"

The response was immediate.

"O'Neill."

Jack smiled. He knew that he hadn't blown the Tok'ra ship out of the sky with the alien weapon, but it didn't mean that one of the death gliders hadn't gotten a lucky shot in. It was a relief to know they were still there.

"We're done here."

"Indeed, O'Neill…" Teal'c agreed. "The death gliders are all destroyed, and there is word that the mothership has been destroyed as well."

Jack slid out of the chair with just a little hesitation. That was a lot of power to give up – even for someone like himself who wasn't really all that interested in it. He smiled at Sam, though, and put his arm around her shoulder, hugging her close as the two of them walked with Daniel over to the spot the ring transporter had deposited them.

"Let's get back to the SGC," he told them. They still had things they needed to do, after all, and Jack wanted to be there when SG-3, McKay and Ian returned, ready to celebrate their own success.

They were transported up to the Tok'ra ship immediately, and welcomed by Jacob, who gave Sam a hug and the others a broad smile.

"You had me worried when that first bolt shot past us…"

Jack smiled.

"You weren't the only one. It tried to go after you guys, first."

"Congratulations, O'Neill," Thor said from the communications area right beside where Teal'c was sitting.

"We have sent word to the Asgard," Teal'c said, turning in his seat. "With this ship's range, it will take several hours for word to reach them, but we deemed it safe to contact them, now."

"With the mothership gone, it should be," Daniel agreed.

"Let's get back to the SGC," Jack said, looking over at Sam. "We have a call to make."

The flight restriction should be immediately repealed, as well, and they were missing a son and a dog.

Sam smiled.

OOOOOOOOOO

The Stargate started to dial without warning, interrupting the celebration in the command center.

Harriman, the closest to the dialing computer, was first to respond to it – although Hammond and Hayes were immediately out of the briefing room and with them – accompanied by Shawn and Andrew, who were grinning.

"Who is it?" Hammond asked.

There was a pause as the computer received the code, and then the sergeant looked over at them with a smile.

"It's SG-4, sir."

Hammond smiled.

"Open the iris."

Hammond, Hayes, Andrew and Shawn all went down to the embarkation room – with a security team, who was always around. Especially with the President in the facility. The iris was opened and the wormhole was active by the time they entered the gate room, but no one had come through, yet. A moment later, however, the first person emerged, and Hammond saw it was Colonel James. He was soon followed by the other three members of his team, all of them looking healthy and fit – which was a relief, really. The Stargate disengaged behind Dobbs, who was the last to emerge.

Hammond wasn't the only one to frown as he walked over.

"Colonel? Where are Lieutenant Brooks and Doctor McKay?"

James frowned, confused.

"Sir?"

"Ian, Colonel," Hammond repeated. "Where is he?"

Now all four members of SG-4 were frowning, and looking at Hammond like he'd just grown an extra set of ears.

"What do you mean, sir?" Colonel James asked. "Ian wasn't with us."