Teal'c dressed in a long, pale robe entered the Gateroom, carrying only his staff weapon. General Hammond, Barbara and a handful of SGC personnel were already waiting for him. In the background the Gate was dialing his home-world, Chulak.
"Ten-hut!" the soldiers stationed in the room came to attention.
"Teal'c you will be missed," stated Hammond. Thanks to Barbara's intervention Teal'c was going back to Chulak to try and gain more help in rescuing SG-1. Teal'c knew that soon enough the exact location of his missing team was to be revealed by the Tok'ra and he left knowing that he will soon return back.
"Thank you, General Hammond, Barbara. We will soon meet again," Teal'c bowed his head and Barbara closed in the few steps that were between her and the warrior before hugging him tightly, before promptly returning back to General Hammond's side.
The Gate has opened behind Teal'c with a whooshing sound. The Jaffa Warrior placed his hand over his heart. Hammond and the soldiers respectfully saluted him, and slowly he returned the gesture. He then turned around and walked up the ramp to the Stargate. He briefly paused before entering into the wormhole.
"Sergeant! I need to find General Hammond!" Colonel Makepeace had just returned from his mission where he had met some of the Tok'ra. They had finally had information about SG-1 and their captor. He rushed up the stairs to General Hammond's office and entered without knocking.
"Sir!"
At that time General Hammond was requesting support through the Pentagon liaison, Major Davis. He had arrived only a few hours before and Hammond was working with him to try and gain support for the rescue mission.
"Colonel Makepeace, I'm sure you remember Major Davis," the commanding officer of the base introduced the liaison to his Colonel a bit perplexed. to be cut off previously.
"Yes, sir, I apologize. When scouting 254, sir, we came across several members of the Tok'ra. They told us the location of SG-1."
"Where are they, Colonel?"
"They've been taken prisoner, sir… by Hathor," As the colonel delivered this information he reached into his backpack and pulled out blueprints of Hathor's base. General Hammond, Major Davis, and Colonel Makepeace studied the map for some time before the General asked why he was looking at the blueprints of Cheyenne Mountain.
"Well in a way you are, sir. The entire section of the facility is a mockup of the SGC," replied him the Colonel.
"It's damned peculiar."
"And unlike Cheyenne Mountain, the Tok'ra say the exterior of the base is unguarded. We shouldn't face any resistance until we're already inside the facility, and even then it'll be light."
"Can we trust them? The… Tok'ra?" interjected Major Davis, stumbling a bit on the name of the allies.
"Their operative on the inside took a big risk just to get us this information, sir. I think so."
"If they have someone on the inside, why can't they do something?"
"They did do something, Major," commented the General.
"Also, the Tok'ra had expressed their interest in our Guest," added Colonel.
"How did they find out about her?"
"Who is the Guest?" asked Major Davis, looking between the two officers. He didn't remember hearing about any base guests. As he was trying to remember any report on the subject a knock on the door interrupted the quiet of the office.
"Speak of the devil," grumbled the General under his breath before allowing entrance into the office.
"Hello!" a girl in half BDU entered the office, a small stack of papers in her arms and her translation device balancing on top of the stack. She fumbled a bit, before setting the stack on the blueprints, and then she had pressed play on her device. "I had managed to transcribe the most recent events and am ready to provide the information for this segment, to minimize the wounds on your side."
"Thank you, Barbara," General Hammond picked up the small stack before giving it a cursory read-through. He then offered it to Colonel Makepeace while turning to Major Davis. "This is Barbara, an accidental reality traveler and our Guest. Barbara this is…"
"Major 'Disaster' Davis! Oh my God, I am so glad to make your acquaintance. It is a pity that you were such a rare character on the show.. Although maybe it is good, that means that the SGC didn't have that many problems. I guess dealing with a local mini black hole could have served as a nice welcome to the shenanigans of SGC, but not really enough…"
"Barbara!" Colonel cleared his throat to interrupt the word-vomit and the girl quickly snapped her mouth shut, giving a shy smile to the men in the office. She quickly typed something on her device.
"Apologies, officers. Major Davis, nice to meet you. Would have preferred during better circumstances, but we both know that will never be the case. Colonel Makepeace, I hope you have an address that is good for Eskal, as my sources give address with the Earth symbol."
"Yes, I do. Sir," Colonel turned to the General. "My team is ready to go."
"And you will, but not alone. Sergeant, I'd like you to get me the President on the phone. I want every available SG team ready to deploy in the Gate room within 2 hours," General had immediately snapped orders.
"Sir, do you intend to commit the resources of this entire command?" Major Davis asked in shock.
"Half the teams are off-world." interrupted the mechanical voice of Barbara's translator.
"That is indeed the case," confirmed General Hammond.
"General, that's not my point. SG-1 is a valuable asset, but they're still just one team."
"Major, you've got a lot to learn about how we do things around here."
Hathor held the squirming Goa'uld in her hand, showcasing it to the SG-1 before her.
"Shall it be…our Beloved? We could spend an eternity together. Do you not remember the joys that we once shared in one another's arms?" she asked, gently stroking his cheek.
"Shall it be the female then? She who would challenge us?" the Fake Goddess moved to stand before Carter. She then added sensing that Carter has been possessed previously by a Goa'uld." You have since been possessed by a Goa'uld; we sense. Perhaps once more?"
The Goa'uld squired in Hathor's hands, slightly trying to pull towards O'Neill.
"It seems that our friend has chosen.
"What, the grey doesn't bother you? All right, fine, let's do it. Just, please, I beg of you, not in the back of the neck, I've got some problems…" Asked O'Neill making a grab for the Goa'uld. Just as he reached for the parasite Raully shot him with her Zat gun.
"Fool!" Screamed Hathor at Raully as she hid her Zat-gun back.
"He would have hurt the symbiote," tried to explain Raully, to justify herself, but Hathor was having none of that.
"Which you have done in his place! Return it to the safety of the Jaffa," Hathor handed off the Goa'uld in her hands and peered down at the still stunned O'Neill at her legs. "Take him somewhere where he can be properly restrained."
A few Jaffa moved towards him lifting him and carrying the stunned officer towards a Cryogenics room. Another Jaffa pushed Daniel and Carter through another door. Starting to escort them towards one of the holding cells.
Hathor mercilessly tore out the memory device still lodged in O'Neill's head out before putting the squirming worm on his chest, allowing the Goa'uld to slowly crawl towards it preferred place of entry.
"Once host to a Goa'uld, you will take the lives of your friends."
"We don't think so," cheekily answers Jack, not really feeling the courage.
"You will have no say in the matter. You will witness their deaths through your own eyes…helplessly. It may take some time for the Goa'uld to take control. But we will greatly enjoy experiencing your eventual defeat. And when you awaken from the joining, you will kneel and pledge your loyalty to us."
The Goa'uld entered through the back of O'Neill's neck.
"Jaffa. Lok shak tal makka kree!" Hathor ordered Raully before leaving the room with her guards.
Raully left alone hurried towards the control panel, making some small adjustments, before as quickly moving towards O'Neill.
"O'Neill, you must fight it!" she grabbed his face forcing him to look into her eyes. "I am Tok'ra. The cryogenic process will prevent the melding, the Goa'uld within will die, but until then you must fight."
The lid on the cryogenic tank was closed with a snap.
Makepeace and the rescue team had made it in good time into Hathor's base. They managed to get to the fake Gateroom and quickly moved on, trying to find SG-1.
"Surrender your prisoners and drop your weapon. Now! "Makepeace and the rescue team moved from their alcoves and aimed at the Jaffa who was escorting Daniel and Sam.
Carter hit the Jaffa in the stomach, while Daniel knocked their captor's weapon away. They dived out of the way as the SG units opened fire, killing the Jaffa guard. Carter quickly got to her feet and approached the rescue team
"Where's Colonel O'Neill?" asked Colonel Makepeace. He was missing one of the SG-1 team.
"He's been taken as a host," answered Carter.
"What?" Colonel's eyes opened and he was silent for a few seconds as he heard that.
"Okay, God. Wow. Well Barbara did say that this could happen."
"Sir, we have to check what information they have on Barbara and delete it from their servers,"
"It's okay. The Tok'ra had a spy here, she already took care of that. In exchange for meeting Barbara," replied the Colonel before taking up his radio. One of the Marines guarding the Gate had confirmed that everything was secure near the device, and they were ready. "Stand by. We're pulling out. ETA is 5 minutes. "
"Sir, there's something happening back here!" came a reply from the radio.
Makepeace, his rescue team, and Carter with Daniel were hiding in underground tunnels, trying to find their way to the Gate. Previously they had moved to the Stargate, but they were ambushed by Trofsky. And then they were stopped by an energy barrier. And then they found and entrance to underground tunnels, but even there they were cut off from the Stargate by the barrier. As they were turning to go to the base General Hammond's voice came over the radio.
"This is Hammond. Over."
"General, this is Three Niner. We hear you, sir," answered Colonel Makepeace after shooshing the soldiers with him.
"What's your status?"
"We have two surviving Sierra Gulf Team One members, sir, but we have been cut off from the Stargate. We found cover in tunnels we presume were made by the Tok'ra, but we cannot reach the Stargate without reinforcements," one of Makepeace hands combing through his hair.
"That'll take some time, Colonel. We'll try to send reinforcements through the Stargate in exactly six hours from now. Coordinate your offensive accordingly."
"Roger that, sir."
"One armored platoon should be able to take the Stargate."
"General, sir, I'm sorry, it's not up to me. Even if it was, I don't agree with it," Major Davis shook his head. Hammond was acting rushed after he managed to contact SG-3.
"I don't really give a damn if you agree with me Major," The General almost growled.
"With all due respect, sir, you took a shot based on intelligence you believed to be trustworthy, but obviously…" Davis continued, shooting a look at Barbara who was sitting in the office and was furiously typing on her device. "The President and Joint Chiefs are simply unwilling to risk further loss of life, sir. Those are their orders. I'm sorry. I'm afraid, if your people are going to make it back, they're going to have to do it on their own."
"I see. Thank you, Major," Hammond stood by his desk as Major Davis left the office.
"So, will you ask Teal'c for help?"
"Yes, I believe I will. But just for the record, it is scary when you have a proof that some of the words that I spoke even before I though of them," answered her General Hammond as he sat with a deep sigh at his chair.
"Yes, and I am sorry that you have to live through this," Barbara stood up from her chair in the corner and put the device before the General. "I just want to remind you that the SG-1 will you be united."
"Thank you, Barbara."
"Sir, I've been thinking. The energy barrier extends for miles around the facility. So it must be powered from the inside, some sort of field generator. Now the Tok'ra used these tunnels to access the facility…" Carter proposed to Colonel Makepeace at another rest in the tunnel. They have been hiding in them and trying to find a way towards the Gate but wiothout much luck.
"They must lead to it somehow," agreed with her Makepeace.
"Right. Request permission to go back and try to shut it down."
"I'll go with you," added in Daniel, but Carter quickly denied it. Daniel was shot previously in one of the skirmishes that they had had in the tunnels.
"I'll send an SG team along to back you up," offered the Colonel, but he was also refused.
"Even if I can knock out the generator, you're going to need everyone you've got to take on those towers."
"All right. If you can, blow the generator just before our reinforcements come through. We'll try to take on the towers at the same time. That might give us the tactical advantage we need."
"Good luck," Carter quickly slipped away from the main group and cautiously moving towards Hathor's base.
As Carter went through the base looking through it and trying to locate the barrier Generator, she stumbled into the Cryogenics room where the Tok'ra froze O'Neill.
Raully was lying injured, slumped near the controls.
"Forgive me, there was no other way," she managed to force out.
„You're the Tok'ra!"
„Those controls are set. Activate them," Raully ignored Captain's outburst and pointed out the control panel. After the officer turned the controls, the Tok'ra continued. „The Goa'uld within is gone. The cryogenic process destroyed it, before it had a chance to meld with the host. He will revive automatically."
The cryogenic tank came out of the pit and Carter rushed to open the tank, revealing O'Neill inside. She began releasing the straps holding him.
"Colonel? I don't feel it presence. You are going to be alright," and as the captain turned back Raully she was met with sight of Hathor, her ribbon device glowing on her hand. The Goddess didn't loose much time as she forced Carter to her knees with the help of the ribbon device.
"We had hopes for you," she uttered forcing more and more pain on Carter. But suddenly she was grabbed from behind by O'Neill. "We will destroy you for this!"
"We would just like you to go away," replied her Jack as he threw the Goa'uld into the cryogenic pit. The fake Goddess disappeared with a scream.
Captain Carter and Colonel O'Neill raced through the base to find the generator. Which they soon did, as it was hidden behind a hug fake wall, covering the wall of Gateroom behind the replica of the Gate. They quickly installed some C4 and set it with the detonator before moving towards the planet's Gate.
Meanwhile, SG-3, Daniel and Colonel Makepeace were not having a good time. They were captured by Hathor's Jaffa and were currently kneeling on the ground, as Trofsky shouted for Carter to show herself. He didn't have to shout for long as soon Jack had stumbled out from his hiding spot in the bushes. He hid there previously with Carter.
"Jaffa, kree!" ordered O'Neill as he walked closer towards the Trofsky hostage situation.
"Kel mak, Goa'uld! Kree tak!" replied him Trofsky but as Jack doesn't understand the language he was visibly confused.
"Hey guys. Makepeace, nice rescue. Good job," Jack ignored the understandable language barrier, giving a wink to Sg-3 leader.
"Silence!" Trofsky blew up from the disrespect shown by the Colonel. It was lucky O'Neill knew some Goa'uld (just the order to freeze which was also used to start the Jaffa movement), otherwise, the Charade that he was possessed by the Goa'uld would be up.
"All right, listen up. There's something you should know before you start shooting and killing and ruining what could be the start of a beautiful friendship—our beloved Hathor…is dead."
"What you say is impossible. Hathor is a queen. More than that, she is a goddess!"
„Yeah ok, ex-goddess, maybe. I killed her myself. You should trust me on this, she's gone. She is no more. She's…well, let's face it, she's a former queen. So why don't we just put an end to this right now?"
„We will end this with your surrender! " cried out Trofsky, but as the last sound left his lips the Stargate began to activate.
The reinforcements had come.
"Incoming wormhole," announced the technician manning the computer in the Control Room. Barbara stopped fidgeting at her chair, her full attention on the wormhole. The rescue mission was successful. The injuries were minimal, except for O'Neill's most recent post-cryogenic tremors and Daniel's graze.
It was a good day.