"You have grease on your face."
Jackie looked up from the jumper components she was looking at. Seeing Daniel standing at the back, she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Daniel, the jumper utilizes crystal technology. There is no grease anywhere in or on this jumper for me to have on my face."
"I know. Just seemed apropos."
Jackie rolled her eyes. Stopping, she observed his gear.
"Daniel…why are you geared up?"
"Landry approved your mission."
"I know." Jackie sighed as she realized the implications. "He's sending SG1 with me." Daniel nodded. "This will complicate things."
"Since your mission was sanctioned by the former head of homeworld security, Landry has put you in charge of the mission. SG1 is only going as backup."
Jackie bit her lower lip and looked at Daniel.
"Landry showed you the note." Jackie stated flatly.
"Yeah." Daniel nodded. "Care to explain?"
Jackie looked down at what she had been working on. She'd been expecting something like this to happen sooner or later, she had been hoping for later. She sat there like that for several minutes, knowing that Daniel was watching her expectantly.
"I can't Daniel. Not yet. There is too much at stake here." Jackie finally looked up at Daniel, pleading him with her eyes to understand. "I'll explain when we're done. For now, can you just trust me?"
"Jack trusted you, and I trust him."
Jackie understood.
"You gonna be done soon?" Daniel asked after several minutes of silence.
"Yeah. Tell SG1 to be ready to leave in 15 minutes."
"What is your status jumper 2?"
"Jumper 2 is ready to go. Awaiting your command."
"Jumper 2 you have a go."
"Thank you General." Jackie said. She turned and looked at SG1. The looks on their faces varied. Teal'c as always, was unreadable. Daniel was thoughtful; Jackie guessed that he was pondering their earlier conversation. Sam seemed pleased that Landry had changed his mind; Jackie knew that she longed for revenge. Cameron on the other hand had a black look on his face. Since stepping on to the jumper he had been trying to find out what Jackie's plan was, she had busied herself with ship components to avoid his questions.
Turning back around, Jackie flew the jumper into the event horizon. Once they came through the other side she cloaked the ship and moved away from the planet. Within a couple minutes of leaving the gate room they were in orbit around the alien planet, moving towards a Goa'uld mothership.
"You're sure this is Ba'al's ship?" Cameron asked skeptically.
Jackie nodded. Reaching over to the console she hit a series of buttons. Suddenly the ship was filled with the arrogant voice that they all recognized as Ba'al's. as they listened they heard Ba'al respond in anger to his own comments. SG1 exchanged surprised looks.
"Of course!" Daniel exclaimed, understanding flooding his face, "Ba'al's clones are on board."
"There would be no point in attacking Ba'al if they weren't." Jackie responded, focusing her attention on the computer display before her.
"Indeed."
Jackie smiled at Teal'c's simple, yet profound way of saying things.
"How are we hearing this?" Sam asked.
"When I staged the explosion several death gliders left the mothership to check it out." Jackie responded, not turning from the display. "Before heading for the planet's surface I managed to beam a transmitter onto one of them."
Standing up, Jackie moved to the back of the jumper where she tinkered with a couple components. She continued to move around the ship while SG1 watched her curiously.
"Wait…you have Asgard beaming technology?" Sam inquired in surprise.
"Couldn't do this without it."
"So what's the plan?" Cameron tried again, not really expecting a response.
"You wait here." Jackie responded, not looking away from what she was working on.
"What?"
"Jackie you can't do this alone."
"I concur with Colonel Carter and Colonel Mitchell."
Daniel was oddly silent, something the other three noticed.
"I won't be doing this alone." Jackie responded, finally looking at SG1. "But I will be going over there alone."
"There is no way in hell that I'm going to stay here while you put yourself in danger alone." Cameron declared angrily.
"I won't be in nearly as much danger alone as I would be if you went with me." Jackie replied.
"I resent the implication…"
"Let me explain Cameron." Jackie interrupted, finally turning to face SG1. "Implanted in my forearm is a chip that will make it impossible for the mothership's sensors to detect my presence. If I go alone I can move around the ship easily. If you go with me…" She left the statement unsaid, they all knew the implications.
"How do you plan to get through the shield?" Daniel asked quietly.
"The transmitter that I beamed aboard the death glider not only allows me to hear what is being said throughout the ship but will also make it possible for me to transport through the shield."
"What if you are compromised Dr. Nielson?" Teal'c asked the question on all their minds. "You are the only one who can fly this ship."
"Already taken care of, Teal'c."
"How?" Sam asked.
"This device here," Jackie said, walking back to the front of the jumper, "monitors my vital signs through the chip in my arm. If at any time my vitals become critical it will automatically attempt to beam me back. If it can't, it will turn to autopilot and return you through the stargate to the SGC. In that case you'll need to be sure to enter your GDO; it won't wait for you to do it."
The silence in the jumper was palpable. No one wanted to think about that possibility.
"Now, the transmitter is programmed to pick up not only Ba'al's voice but mine as well, so we will remain in contact."
"How will you hear us?" Cameron asked.
Jackie held up a small earpiece. Cameron nodded.
"Sam, since you have some experience with the Asgard beaming technology I'll need you to monitor my progress and be ready to beam me back at a moments notice." Sam nodded. "Daniel, stay on the line, my Goa'uld is a little rusty." Daniel smiled, highly doubting that, but glad for something to do none the less.
Jackie moved to the back of the jumper, slipped into her vest, and picked up a small bag.
"Alright Sam, ready when you are."
The small jumper filled with light, blinding its remaining occupants.
"Jumper 2 do you copy?"
"We copy Jackie."
"Good. I'm heading out."
SG1 sat back in their seats, not liking the fact that they had no choice but to sit back and allow Jackie to do the dirty work. Minutes ticked by slowly as they listened and waited for any sign from Jackie.
Barely 30 minutes had passed when the report of zats and staff weapons was heard throughout the jumper.
"Jackie!"
"Hold on…" Was the breathless reply. SG1 was sitting at the edge of their seats, ready to jump in and help at any moment. Suddenly all was quiet. "Sorry guys didn't mean to worry you."
"What happened?"
"I came across a patrol of jaffa. I'm sorry Teal'c."
"I understand Jacquelyn Nielson. In war there are many casualties."
"Teal'c I hate to ask this of you…" Jackie paused.
"Do not worry Jacquelyn Nielson. I am ready to help."
"Great! Sam can you lock onto my position?"
"Give me a sec…got it!"
"Great send Teal'c over."
"What about the sensors?" Cameron asked indignantly.
"That's why I need Teal'c and not just any one of the rest of you."
"I don't…"
Daniel's hand rested on Cameron's shoulder to shut him up.
"Teal'c is a jaffa Cameron."
"Oh. Right."
"Ready Teal'c?"
Teal'c bowed his head in acknowledgement before disappearing in a flash of light.
As soon as the flash had cleared, Jackie grabbed Teal'c's arm and dragged him into an adjoining room. There he saw a dead jaffa lying among the crates of the storage room. Quickly he stripped of the jaffa uniform and put it on. As he stuffed his BDUs in his bag Jackie pulled out her zat and shot the dead jaffa a third time, vaporizing him.
Turning back to the problem at hand, Jackie looked up at Teal'c and smiled. He stood before her looking like the jaffa she knew he had once been, staff weapon and all.
"Ready?"
"Indeed."
"Good. Let's go."
Teal'c stored his bag in a corner where it would not likely be found and followed Jackie out of the room. The two slunk through the halls setting C4 throughout the ship. They were about half done – Jackie was kneeling, placing a blast – when her bag was kicked out of site and she felt a staff weapon open very near the back of her neck.
"Kree!"
Jackie stood slowly, her hands above her head. Turning around she faced the business end of Teal'c's staff weapon.
"Jaffa kree!"
Jackie heard the other jaffa's voice before she saw him. Teal'c turned slightly and spouted off in Goa'uld.
"Need me to translate?"
It took all of Jackie's self-control not to laugh at Daniel's teasing voice in her ear. She would have to remember to hit him for that when all this was done. At that point Teal'c stepped away from Jackie, allowing the other jaffa to step forward and drag her away.
"Your comment was ill timed Daniel Jackson." Teal'c spoke once he was sure that the halls were clear.
"I'm sorry Teal'c I couldn't resist." Daniel cracked a smile.
"We need to set up a rescue mission." Cameron spoke, itching to get in on the action.
"No Cameron." Daniel responded patiently. "We need to complete the mission…"
"We don't leave people behind Daniel!"
"I know Cameron; I'm not suggesting that we do. But right now we have an advantage; Ba'al's attention will be on Jackie and finding out why she is on his ship. He will not be expecting a jaffa to be setting explosives."
"I concur Daniel Jackson. I will continue."
As the conversation appeared to be over, Sam pushed a button on the console to mute the outgoing signal. Then she turned to Daniel.
"You know something that we don't know, don't you Daniel?" Sam inquired.
"What are you talking about?"
"When Jackie told us she was going over to the mothership alone you were oddly quiet." Cameron jumped into the conversation.
"And since when have you been the voice bringing the rest of us back to reason?" Sam interjected. After a moment's silence, understanding flooded her face. "You know why Landry changed his mind about this mission." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.
"All I know is that Jackie's orders come from higher up than General Landry. I don't know what those orders are or what her mission is, she wouldn't tell me."
"Mission? Orders?"
"Who the hell would send a civilian on a mission without informing the military brass?" Cameron demanded. "Is she working for the NID?"
"Don't be an idiot Cameron!" Daniel exclaimed. Neither Sam nor Cameron had ever seen him so angry – his eyes were flashing fire. "As close as Jackie was to Jack to you really think that she would be working for the NID?"
"Then what the hell is going on?"
"I don't know." Daniel conceded, shaking his head. "All I know is that right now we have no choice but to trust her."