Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG1 or any of its characters.

Chapter 5

"You have got to be kidding me" Jack said exasperated. There was no way this could get any worse, whilst Janet was back on earth suffering because of a chemical Emani had put into her system, they were stuck here on trial for the murder of Emani and her psycho brother Tempson and their prosecutor was their father.

"I cannot speak to the events these strangers talk about, I was not there. My children were good people, their mother died when they were both very young and they never let it stop them. I was always so proud of them, the way they handled it, the way they were always there for each other afterwards. I know that my son did truly horrible things to the people of that planet, that is not in dispute here. His intentions were good and I know for sure that he could never have done what these people say he did afterwards. Death for the purpose of scientific advancement and to save more lives in the long term, that's one thing. Cold blooded murder, he couldn't do it.

"Emani, she was such a beautiful girl and she loved her older brother as he loved her, she looked up to him. The news hit her hard but she would not go out and deliberately trap and kill people like animals, she was too good for that"

"Then what do you believe happened Valeran?" The judge asked.

"I believe this people murdered my son as retribution for what he did to the people on that planet and I believe Emani who was grieving for her brother was captured and killed in revenge for what he did to their friends. Tempson and Emani could not have murdered anyone in cold blood, it wasn't in them" Valeran had slowly started to lose composure throughout his testimony and by the end was barely holding back his tears.

"How can you be so sure?"

Valeran glanced at the judge who had asked the question before fixing his stare on SG1 "A father knows, I have lost both my children, I will not let anyone tell me they died because they were murderers"

"This court will take a recess and return when we have made a decision and should it be required sentencing shall be passed"

The five judges sitting at the head of the room all stood and left and the spectators slowly made their way out of the room along with Valeran.

"Well I think he'll get the sympathy vote. If I didn't despise Tempson and Emani and if I weren't very glad they were dead I might have actually felt bad for a moment there" Jack said as they were left in the court room alone, still sitting in their glass cage.

"They have already made a decision as to our guilt" Teal'c stated "Their deliberation will be short"

"He's right we have to get out of here" Sam said.

"Yeah but how?" Jack asked as he gestured to their glass prison. It wasn't as if it was going to fall apart or shatter if he kicked it or rammed it, he'd already tried that, several times.

Daniel watched in horror as the doctors and nurses swarmed around Janet's bed, pushing him back out of the way. One minute he had been talking to her and the next she had started convulsing. He knew it was the chemical that was attacking her major organs and Dr Warner had told him to expect it but there was no way he could have prepared himself for this.

As Janet's body began to calm down the doctors began fitting wires and tubes into her. They hadn't wanted to do it earlier as they were afraid she'd rip them out when she ran to the corner during her hallucinations. Now though she was unconscious so there was no danger of that.

"Are you alright Dr Jackson?" Dr Warner asked, stupid question of course he wasn't alright.

"I'm fine"

Dr Warner nodded and walked away after the rest of the medical staff had left leaving Daniel and Janet alone in the room. Daniel moved to sit on the edge of her bed, he gently stroked a stray piece of hair out her face before taking hold of her hand. She looked so fragile and it made his heart break even more than it already had.

"Stay with me Janet, please"

"My name is Malean" The man said as he stood outside the glass prison. The room was empty apart from him and SG1.

"What do you want?" Jack asked in no mood for pleasantries.

"I knew both Emani and Tempson and I know they were capable of what you said they did"

"You believe us?" Sam asked.

"I do"

"Then help us" Teal'c said.

"That is why I am here. I worked with Tempson before he left to do his experiment, I'm a scientist. The chemical you spoke of, the one that is making your friend sick, what can you tell me about it?"

"It's causing her to have nightmares and behave irrationally and by now it'll be causing hallucinations too"

"How was she exposed to it?"

"In the water we nearly drowned in"

"Yet you are unaffected?"

"I have something in my blood that protected me from it" Sam explained.

"I know of what chemical you speak" Malean said as his expression grew sorrowful, something that was not lost on Jack.

"What?"

"It doesn't just affect the brain, it attacks all the bodies major organs eventually causing them all to shut down" The three members of SG1 stood there in silence as this latest piece of information sunk in.

"When did her symptoms begin?"

"Two weeks ago, the hallucinations started today" Jack said.

"Then she does not have long?"

"How long?"

"In a few hours a day at most she'll be dead"

TBC