A/N: So I think only a few more short chapters and this story will be finished. Thank you to all that have continued to read, will update when I can. Although, the next few weeks I'm having to focus my priorities on real life (sucks I know).
Enjoy :)
"Indeed, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c concurred.
The UCAV danced a moment longer, continuing its enthusiastic nodding. Suddenly stopping it slowly glided down towards the ground before powering down. The Stargates' event horizon dissipated.
"Well Carter, let's get the kids back home." Jack ordered.
"Yes sir, making the trip too?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, sure, why not... After all they interrupted my fishing trip."
"Yes sir." She fought back he chuckle.
"Carter this could very well be my last trip through the Gate." Jack added air quoting.
"Yes sir."
"Yes well, Reynolds' has got it covered. Gear up, get your doohinkys together meet here in 10."
"Yes sir" Carter, Walter and Reynolds said in unison.
Carter went straight to her lab to get her equipment, while Jack lingered for a few seconds giving Reynolds the usual brief. His own commands that needed to be sorted while he was off base, temporary pass of security codes. He then left, heading to the men's locker room to gear up.
"What do you think he means, by last trip through the gate Walter?" Colonel Reynolds asked.
"Erm... I'm not sure sir, Do you think he's planning to retire again?" Walter responded.
"I'm not sure Walter, do you think they... You know." Reynolds whispered.
Hesitating slightly, Walter responded. "No sir, I think things will change now, since the Goa'uld and the Replicators have been defeated. There is no threat out th- that could be a match for SG-1. I think they need a break, respectively sir."
"Thought about that response for a while huh" Reynolds said sarcastically patting Walters' shoulder.
"Yes sir."
Walter turned to continue working through the preliminary checks on the Stargate and writing up the mission profile ready for debriefing later. Colonel Reynolds walked off, continuing to work through General O'Neill's to-do-list. Reynolds was convinced that Walter knows something is going on, his answer was way to scripted for his liking; after all Walter knows everything that happens on base, like he's eagle eye.
Within minutes Carter and O'Neill were fully dressed in full combat uniform, both carrying a rather large back-pack full of supplies and tools. Sam Stayed in the gate room while Jack headed off to the control room, listing his instructions to Walter; check in times, contingence plans, the usual run through. Jack leaned in closer to Walter so only he could hear.
"Thank you Walter, Keep me in the loop on the gripe-vine."
"Yes sir, of course."
Jack patted his shoulder once more giving his thanks. Walter dialled the Gate. He spoke through the microphone wishing them luck. They walked up the ramp, before long disappearing through the event horizon.
Meanwhile, Daniel and Teal'c were eagerly waiting, to see if anybody would be coming through. Although, the two biggest threats have been eliminated, there was still a chance they could run into trouble. Either it being a bounty, traders, smugglers, or even the alucian alliance, any of those could be a potential threat to them being stranded alone with nowhere or means to escape. All these dangers are still very real; even meeting hostile aliens. It's a chance they all take.
"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c shouted.
Daniel stretched his head up over the rocks, to see the gate starting to spring into life.
"Do you think...SGC?" Daniel suggested, pulling his weapon at the ready.
"I do not know. We must take cover." Teal'c said without hesitation.
Daniel stayed put eyes and fingertips at the ready. Teal'c hid behind a few rocks, although it didn't offer much protection against a fire fight, it was the best vantage point to the Gate. The Gate zapped open; the familiar eerie whoosh filled the vicinity. Daniel and Teal'c poised their weapons towards the gate.
"So where do you think the kids are?" Jack nudged Sam as they stepped through.
"Jack, Sam."
Hearing their names, they both turned to the direction of the ruins where Daniel had stood, holstering his gun back. Daniel started walking over to them, nodding over to Teal'c who was just standing stoic in his place, relaxed.
"Hey Space Monkey, what'd you break this time?" Jack sniggered.
Sam and Teal'c both looked at each other and laughed.
"Jack, I didn't break anything."
"Sure you didn't." Jack motioned sarcastically.
"Jack." Daniel said in warning.
"Daniel." Jack teased.
Sam just left them to it, she placed her pack on the floor and started getting her equipment out. She could still hear, Daniel and Jack, fooling around winding each other up. She was astounded how Daniel would always take Jack's playful, yet annoying, behaviour seriously.
Teal'c stood next to Sam tilting his head in greeting.
"Hey Teal'c, I take it he's been in this mood for a while." Carter said.
"Unfortunately." Teal'c said.
"What happened?" She said moving to another point on the DHD.
"We found a room within the temple, Daniel found reference to a device that changes the worlds viewpoint in defence from an attack."
"Did you find the device?"
"No"
"So how come you sent the code through." Carter moved over, opening a panel under the DHD.
"Because we were unable to dial out, I did not want Reynolds to send a rescue team."
"Because you couldn't get through with the radios?"
"Indeed Samantha Carter."
"Smart thinking. But that doesn't explain how the device activated."
"I do not know."
Sam and Teal'c stopped what they were doing when they heard Daniel shout at Jack.
"Damn it Jack. How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Once."
"Argh, I don't know how the device activated or where it is, All I did was touch the tablet."
"Carter." Jack shouted.
Sam and Teal'c walked over slowly towards the temple ruins.
"Yes sir."
"Carter do your thing on this tablet will ya. Daniel seems to think this is what set of the device."
Carter held the tablet in her hand and scanned of any energy readings. In her hands the tablet didn't seem heavy at all, in fact it was rather light for its implied design. The tablet itself had intricate patterns. The text was raised and clearly crafted. Around the edges had hieroglyphs depicting a group of people praying to the temple eye, and then the temple is missing on the other side of the tablet just pictures of what looks like rocks and wisps of smoke of sorts. It was the colours that captivated her the most. The colours was most unusual, at first look it was plain but the more you look at it the more the colours seem to change almost like a mood ring or iridescent colours as the light flickers over.
"What do you think Sam?" Daniel asked calmly.
"I don't know Daniel it is certainly interesting, but there are no energy readings." She looked over it again, turning it in her hand. "Where did you get it from?"
"How's the DHD looking Sa-Carter." Jack Corrected.
"Er... The DHD is fine everything reading as normal, so this tablet has got to be doing something."
"Well Dorothy lead the way." Jack said mockingly looking at Daniel.
Daniel didn't reply to that comment he, bashed his boots together turning himself around heading further into the temple.
Sam followed him with Jack walking beside her and Teal'c covering the rear. They didn't walk far. Inside the temple were oddly light, gaping holes within the walls. It looked oddly placed as if it was made on purpose to allow the natural light through. Unlike the tablet none of the walls changed colour when the light fluttered through.
"Daniel have you been able to translate any of the text?" Sam asked.
"Some of it, yes, it's a strange language. It's a mix between Goa'uld and another language. I think I've seen it before, just not sure where. It's actually quite remarkable. I've never seen anything like it."
"What'd ya mean?" Jack piped up, stepping over yet another fallen stone.
"Well it is if the two co-existed together, the two dialects have bonded together to form one language, yet have also remained separate. I've been able to translate the Goa'uld quite easily."
"And"
"Well it is said that, a great battle took place millennia ago. The victors being the other language offered the survivors a place of refuge where they are able to live free. Free from slavery. The story then goes on to say that these survivors became great and powerful warriors with high understanding of humility and of the enlightened.
"The Survivors are Jaffa?" Sam Queried.
"Yes I believe so. The enlightened meaning the Ancients"
"Daniel Jackson is correct, I to believe that they were indeed Jaffa. Long ago my father told me of a time where a whole Jaffa army disappeared over night. Never to be seen again." Teal'c added hoarsely.
"I believe Jack that whoever this race was they were a peaceful but advanced race, relying on defence and staying hidden... Here we are." Daniel said pointing at a single lone wall.
Sam walked over to the wall to scan it, the wall itself had the same iridescent colours as the light flickers across its path.
"There's faint energy readings here sir."
"And?" Jack stated.
Sam examined a small crevice in the wall, the same size, shape and depth as the tablet. She looked for a second, before pushing her hand against the crevice.
"The wall vibrates when I touch it sir, I think the only way to turn it off is to place the tablet back in its rightful place."
"So we are talking Indiana Jones, Lara Croft style." Jack Joked.
"Yes sir."
"But Sam I need to examine and translate the tablet." Daniel moaned.
"Well you can take pictures, but I think that's the only way we are going home."
"Humph"
Looking at Jack's nod of approval she carefully stepped closer to the wall, carefully, slowly she placed the tablet back in its rightful place. But nothing seemed to happen.
"I'm going to head back to the Gate and see if the DHD is back up and running." Carter said.
"I'll come with you Carter, You two stay here and see if anything changes."
Teal'c and Daniel just looked over to each other and smiled.
Walking back to the Gate Jack held Sam's hand. Something innocent but to them felt liberating. They can finally be together, millions of light years away from Earth but openly, without consequence.
"So got any plans for when we get back?" Jack asks.
"Well I had planned on going fishing at some point, but depend on this new development. Orders might change."
"Yes well, we are still on downtime, I'm sure I can pull a few strings." Jack smiled.
Jack pulled her to a stop, with his hands he cupped Sam's face and kissed her.
"Jack we shouldn't when we are working."
"I know but just this once, besides we've had plenty of moments where we've kissed and couldn't ever talk about it or acknowledge that we did. This time we can."
"You're getting soppy on me Jack."
"Nope"
"Kissing me at work when we should be, you know, professional."
"Yeah okay, okay won't happen ever again." Jack emphasises.
"You know for a man that hates clichés..."
"Think nothing of it."
"We still can't but that down in our report, sir"
"No but at least we don't need to avoid each other afterwards."
"There's that," Sam laughed. "in that case."
Sam stopped Jack and kissed him back. She wrapped her hands across his waist and pulled him in further. Closing the distance between them she deepened the kiss; until she got her sweet, sweet revenge. She instantly pulled away and walked off, leaving him standing there as if he was in a trance.
"HEY, what was that?"
"Two can play at that game." Sam said walking further towards the DHD.
"Carter you gunna leave me like this."
"I know how much you dislike clichés Jack..."
"CARTER!" Jack shouted after her.
Sam got to the DHD and ran some further tests. By the time Jack caught up with her, she had finished. She pressed the button on her radio and spoke through to Daniel. Hoping the Radios worked again, when Daniel responded it was a very good sign. Daniel told her that there had been no changes to the tablet. Jack ordered Daniel and Teal'c back to the Gate. As soon as they got there Sam had packed all her instruments back up and Jack had packed up all of Daniels notes.
"Where are my notes Jack?" Daniel asked curiously.
"All in your pack Daniel, c'mon we are going home."
"But Jack..."
"Agh, nope, don't wanna hear it Daniel. I'll arrange to send another team up to study the ruins."
"But Ja- Jack."
"Daniel..."
"But there's so much more..." Daniel emphasised by throwing his arms around.
"No Daniel, I'm not sending Carter to your rescue again. She's on downtime, the ruins aren't going anywhere."
"Daniel Jackson, wouldn't it be wise to learn more of the other language before coming back to this planet."
"Fine, but im going with the team you send out.
"Carter dial us home, I've got unfinished business to take care of."
"Yes sir." Carter laughed.
Daniel looked between the two of them and just sniggered. Jack shoved his pack to him to shut him up. They all walked in unison, through the Gate.