My thanks to Barbarossa Rotbart for her review.
Stargate: SVU 2
Chapter Thirteen
Elizabeth was surprised at how easily this conference had come together. But then, all of the nations involved had been petitioning the United States--both publicly and privately--to either explain or take action regarding the Disappearances within their boarders, and when she had promised in her communiqué that the Disappeared issue would be the main one addressed, everyone involved in the crisis made sure they had an official delegate in Washington D.C. at the appropriate time.
And that time was now. Elizabeth looked around the vast conference room, which was presently empty. She always liked to "walk the room" as she called it, before a conference began. It gave Elizabeth a chance to make any last minute adjustments--if needed--as well as go over a basic summary of what needed to be said in her mind.
The security men watched her from their posts around the perimeter of the conference area. She was told that they were all from the SGC, and already had intimate knowledge of the stargate program. The security forces outside of the conference room consisted of United States military special forces personnel who were used to dealing with security arrangements for highly sensitive situations.
One of the security men abruptly raised his palm to his face and spoke into it. Then he took a step towards her and said, "Excuse me, Dr. Weir?"
"Yes?"
"There's a situation in the front lobby," he reported. "I'm told that it involves a Senator."
Elizabeth's eyebrows rose at that. "A Senator? Do you know what's going on, exactly?"
"He's trying to gain entrance to the conference."
"Does he have security clearance?"
He shook his head. "No, ma'am. But he's insisting on speaking to the person in charge."
"Oh, that would be me," Elizabeth said, with a small smile. "Might as go well see what the gentleman wants, then."
As she left the conference room, the security man started to leave with her--until Elizabeth told him to remain at his post. "I hardly think I'll need personal security," she told him, "since I'll be dealing with a U.S. Senator, after all."
When she arrived in the lobby, Elizabeth was greeted with the strange sight of an older man yelling at a beleaguered Woolsey--all while surrounded by a ring of security men. Elizabeth was further stunned to see that she recognized the older man as being the Senator in question--specifically, the powerful and influential Robert Kinsey.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Kinsey asked Woolsey. "You just went of half-cocked without consulting anybody!"
"But I did consult with the President," Woolsey insisted. "I kept him appraised of my every move!"
"Never mind the President, what about me?! You never deigned to keep me informed, and now you've got this Weir broad involved!"
"She's very highly recommended," Woolsey told him. "The President--"
"Forget the President!" Kinsey snapped. "What gave you the bright idea to get others involved in my plans in the first place?!"
"Senator, this problem is simply too vast for any one agency--or man--to handle," Woolsey said. "When General Hammond made the suggestion that I call in outside help--"
"General Ham--" Kinsey broke off with a shake of his head. "Oh, that's just priceless! You asked for help from the very man whom I'm trying to oust from the SGC?! What kind of a NID agent are you?!"
"One who only wants what's best for everyone," Woolsey caustically replied.
Elizabeth, taking as much of this scene as she could, finally decided to step in. "Excuse me…."
Kinsey glared at her. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir," she told him in a calm tone.
"YOU!" Kinsey roared with anger, as he stormed over to her. "How dare you steal this from me!"
An alarmed Elizabeth found herself backing up helplessly against a wall as an enraged Kinsey loomed dangerously over her.
One of the security men stepped in just before Kinsey could reach out and grab Elizabeth. "Back off, Senator, right now!" he warned.
"Who are you?" Kinsey whirled on him. "What's your name?"
"Major John Sheppard," he replied. "United States Air Force."
"When I get through with you, you'll be Private Sheppard, digging up land mines in Afghanistan!" Kinsey told him. He turned back to Elizabeth. "And as for you! I don't know who you've screwed to get this job, but you've wasted your time, honey, because I'm supposed to be in charge of this conference!"
"I was asked personally by the President of the United States to head this conference," Elizabeth told him firmly. "If you have a problem with that, then I suggest you take it up with the President! Major Sheppard, please remove the Senator from the premises."
"My pleasure," Sheppard replied. He gestured towards the door. "Senator, if you would please?"
"If you knew who I am, and how much power I wield," Kinsey intoned, "you wouldn't dare--"
He was cut off when Sheppard moved in so close that they both glared face to face at each other. "Senator, or no senator, if you do not move your ass within the next five seconds, I will have you on the floor and in cuffs before you even draw your next breath--do you understand me? And if you think I'm bluffing, Senator," Sheppard added, "then just try me!"
That finally quelled the fire within Kinsey. He angrily nodded at Sheppard, then at Elizabeth. "Very well. But this isn't the last of it. Not by a long shot!"
Elizabeth let out a weary sigh once Kinsey finally stormed off, escorted by several of the security men under Sheppard's command.
When she saw Woolsey was looking a bit frazzled, Elizabeth went over to him and asked, "Are you all right, Mr. Woolsey?"
"I'm fine, thank you, Doctor Weir," he replied with a smile. "Although I don't think I'm going to be working with the NID for much longer…."
"If Kinsey tries to oust you, or put any pressure on you whatsoever," Elizabeth angrily told him. "You just let me know and I'll make sure--"
She stopped when he held up a hand. "Thank you very much, Doctor. But it's not that," he said. "I'm starting to have some serious thoughts about quitting the NID altogether. But, that's neither here or there, right now. We've got an extremely important conference to get ready for, and so I'll see you inside."
"Very well," Elizabeth said. "See you inside, Mr. Woolsey."
"Dr. Weir?" one of her assistants called to her. "The delegates are arriving."
"Yes, thank you," she replied. "I'll be right in."
When Elizabeth paused in the doorway to catch her breath, Sheppard came over to her. "Are you all right?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes, just getting myself in the right frame of mind, so I won't go in there and start yelling at everybody."
"That Kinsey is something else, ain't he?"
"That he is, Major. And thank you for the save, by the way. I really appreciate it."
Sheppard waved his hand. "That's why I'm here, Dr. Weir. To keep the inmates in line." He paused uneasily for a moment. "Um, not that you're one of the inmates…."
Elizabeth smiled at that. She couldn't help but notice that his right hand was heavily bandaged. "May I ask what happened to your hand, Major?"
"I hurt it in a ping-pong game," he replied, holding up his bandaged hand. "This is why I'm here, on security detail, and not out in the field."
"That must have been one hell of a ping-pong game," Elizabeth commented.
"Oh, it was brutal," he said, with mock-horror. "Maybe I'll tell you about it later, over coffee?"
"I'm sorely tempted, Major--I'd really love to hear this ping-pong story of yours--but I don't know how long this conference will run. We may be here all night."
Sheppard shrugged. "I've got nothing planned for the rest of this evening."
Elizabeth chuckled. "Very well. Coffee it is, then. See you when I see you."
"Break a leg," Sheppard called after her, "or whatever it is that diplomats do…."
"Thanks," she called over her shoulder. "Try not to break your other hand."
"Oh, rest assured," he replied, "I'm staying away from the ping-pong tables from now on."
Elizabeth still had a smile on her face when she entered the conference room. As she took her seat and got ready, Dr. Elizabeth Weir found herself already looking forward to seeing Major John Shepard again.
SG-1: SVU
It would be some time before they arrived at Earth, so O'Neill went for a leisurely stroll around the Ha'tak with Carter. When Io'tan had told him that they managed to rescue several thousand people from Mount Tanis, O'Neill had figured she was just being optimistic, but a quick look at the multitude of people gathered aboard the Ha'tak was both awe-inspiring and heartening. The Ha'tak was brimming with life. They were mainly civilians--and O'Neill smiled at the large groups of children that ran around wildly, excitedly exploring their new surroundings.
Several of the displaced Mount Tanis residents stared at Carter in awe and spoke to each other in whispers. When they began to respectfully chant "Tauri" over and over at her, O'Neill realized that they must have recognized Carter from her and Liv's big escape from the maze.
For her part Carter tried to ignore them by staring shyly at the floor as they walked, her face growing redder with embarrassment by the second. O'Neill could not admire her anymore than he did now. A more self-centered person, like Rodney McKay, would be enjoying this adulation--but not Sam.
"How does it feel to be a rock star, Carter?" he asked. When she just shot him a pained look, O'Neill grinned and said, "C'mon, let's see if we can't give your adoring fans the slip."
They entered a large open space, which Teal'c and Bra'tac were using as a workout area to train Char'el and the other Jaffa. O'Neill noted that the people who were frantically following Carter had abruptly stopped at the doorway. Even though the assembled Jaffa here were the good guys, their natural fear of all Jaffa was still inbred in the citizens, and O'Neill wondered if they would ever lose it.
Bra'tac was presently showing the Mount Tanis Jaffa how to expertly wield a staff weapon. He pointed at one of the Jaffa and said, "You. Attack me with your staff weapon, now."
The man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, simply smiled and shook his head. "I will not."
"Why not?" Bra'tac demanded.
"Because you are an old man," he replied respectfully.
"If I am such an old man," Bra'tac coolly shot back, "then it should be all the more easier for to you attack me, no? Or perhaps the reason you will not attack is because you are afraid of me?"
When the assembled Jaffa all laughed heartily at that, the young Jaffa was now honor-bound to attack Bra'tac, which he did. He charged at the Master Jaffa, swinging his staff weapon--and, within a few seconds, he lay on the floor, disarmed, and with Bra'tac aiming the back end of his own weapon right at the young Jaffa's neck.
O'Neill noted that the rest of the Jaffa were no longer laughing, nor were they even smiling. There was now an awed silence in the room.
"I could remove his head right now, if I wanted to," Bra'tac told the crowd. He then helped the downed Jaffa up to his feet. "What did he do wrong?"
"His thrust was too low," one of the Jaffa in the crowd said.
Bra'tac shook his head. "No. Before he even attacked me, what did he do wrong?" When his question was met with baffled stillness, Bra'tac said, "He underestimated me!"
O'Neill glanced over and saw the look on Carter's face had change to one of unease. He wasn't sure what bothered her, but something did. Rather than ask what was wrong in front of all these people, O'Neill gestured with his head for her to continue walking with him.
After they both exchanged waves with Teal'c, O'Neill and Carter walked on, entering another hallway. They walked quietly until they came to an elevator.
"Up or down?" O'Neill asked.
"Down," Carter replied. She still looked apprehensive.
They stepped into the elevator and rode it to the next level just below them.
O'Neill couldn't avoid it any longer. He turned to Carter and said, "Something wrong?"
Carter nodded. "I'm just wondering if letting them have this ship was the right idea, sir. A Ha'tak is a very powerful and devastating weapon."
"It's devastating only if it's in the wrong hands," O'Neill replied, as the doors opened and they stepped outside the elevator. He smiled as more children happily ran past them. "With Io'tan in charge, I doubt we'll have to worry."
"If you say so, sir," Carter said doubtfully.
"Io'tan will be a far better, and far more decent, leader than Mut was," O'Neill said. "Besides, this situation is no different to when we relocate people to a new planet, Carter."
"But the people we normally relocate usually don't have the firepower to wipe out earth, sir," she countered.
"And therein lies the rub," O'Neill said. "As long as we were dealing with simple farmers who weren't a threat to us, there was never any question--or worry--about their integrity."
"So you're saying I shouldn't worry about earth's security, sir?"
O'Neill stopped walking and faced her. "No, never. That should always be the paramount thing on our minds, Carter. But what do you suggest we do, here? Try and take the ship from Io'tan and her people?"
Carter appeared just as uncomfortable with that very thought. "We'd be no better than the Goa'uld if we did that, sir. Besides, from a purely practical viewpoint, we're severely outnumbered, here."
"Exactly," O'Neill told her. "And let's look at the tactical viewpoint from the other side, shall we? There may be several thousand people aboard this ship, but the civilians vastly outnumber the Jaffa. This ship is basically a cozy, mobile apartment building that can defend itself very well, if it has to--but as far as launching planetary assaults, such as on earth, they just don't have the manpower to accomplish it. And you're also forgetting something else: there's an upshot to this situation for us."
"Which is?"
"We now have a new ally out here," O'Neill said. "And that's something we can always use."
Carter nodded. "Good point, sir."
As they continued walking, they stopped once more when they saw Dr. Fraiser treating some of the displaced Mount Tanis residents in an improvised clinic that was set up in another vast room. As they came up to her, Fraiser was bandaging the arm of a man who sat on a bed--one of many beds that had been moved in here for the sick and injured. O'Neill saw Fraiser had plenty of help from a large group of the white-clad Priestesses In Waiting, who acted as efficient nurses for her as they tended to the sick and wounded.
"How's it going, Doc?" he asked.
"Not too bad, sir," Fraiser replied, as she finished up the bandage on the man. "Mostly minor injuries: sprained ankles, some broken bones--and a woman who just gave birth. Nothing life-threatening."
"The woman who gave birth, boy or girl?" Carter asked.
"Girl," Fraiser responded. She pointed at a woman lying in a cot who held a newborn in her arms. Her proud husband knelt over them. "That's her right there."
"Tauri!" the man whom Fraiser had been treating abruptly said. He stared awe-struck at Carter, as if the very sight of her was the epiphany of his life-long dreams. "Tauri!"
Once he began doing this, the rest of the patients took notice of Carter's presence and began chanting as well. Several of them even tried to stagger out of bed--until Fraiser and her nurses ordered them to lie down again.
"Um, I think we better leave, sir," Carter said with unease. "Before I start a riot…."
O'Neill couldn't help but grin at her. "Very well, Major. Let's go."
But before they could leave, the proud husband and new father of the baby came running up to them. "Wait," he said to Carter. "Please, tell me your name!"
"Um, Major Carter," she replied, looking confused.
The man turned to his bid-ridden wife and repeated, "Major Carter!"
The young mother mouthed the name as she glanced down at her little girl with a dissatisfied expression.
O'Neill, realizing what they were doing, placed his hand on Carter's shoulder and told the man, "Her first name is Samantha. Or Sam, for short."
"Samantha, or Sam, for short," the man eagerly called back to his wife.
His wife beamed happily as she nodded in satisfaction.
The man turned to Carter and said, "May we call our daughter Samantha, after you?"
Carter appeared to be broad-sided by this. She nodded quickly. "Uh, yeah, I-I'd be so honored…thank you very much…."
"No, thank you," the man told her. "It is we who are honored."
"Sam!" Frasier called with concern, when Carter abruptly turned and ran out of the clinic.
O'Neill followed her into the corridor, where he found Carter leaning against the wall, crying. "I-I don't deserve that!" she said, in-between sobs.
"Why not?" he asked softly.
"These people are worshipping me, a-and all I did was just save my own skin! I'm no hero!"
"It's not like that at all," O'Neill told her. "You and Olivia were placed in a dire situation, and you refused to accept it by saving yourself--as well as Liv--against all odds. Don't you ever feel bad about doing that. I'm certainly happy that you did what you did, Sam--and I think I speak for Olivia, Daniel, Teal'c, Fraiser, Cassie, your dad and a lot of other people."
"I realize that. But what bothers me is what happened later because of what I did," Carter said, as she wiped her tears with a tissue that he offered her. "I mean, the riots? The uprising? How many people were killed because of me?"
"Sam, listen to me: by escaping the maze, you showed these people that the Netian Empire wasn't invincible, nor was it absolute. In that moment, you showed them that her Lord Empress Mut could be beaten at her own game. And once they realized that, they took matters entirely into their own hands." He shook his head. "All of this is just so much bigger than each one of us. We each play our part, and do our best, and others take the baton from us and just…carry on with the race, y'know? Does that make any sense at all?"
Sam smiled as she nodded. "Yes, it does."
"Good," he said. "Then, can you explain it to me?"
Sam burst into laughter just then--which was O'Neill's intent all along. They were both distracted by the sound of cheering that came from further down the corridor.
"Sounds like somebody's having a good time," O'Neill commented. "Want to find out what's going on?"
Sam shrugged. "Sure. As long as they're not cheering for me…."
O'Neill chuckled as he affectionately rubbed the back of her neck. "C'mon."
They followed the sounds of cheering to another vast room, where a large group of children were busy playing a game of some kind on the smooth marble floor. They used the broad square tiles of the floor as their playing field. From the bandages that some of them wore, O'Neill deduced that several of the children were Fraiser's patients, whom she deemed to be well enough not to be confined to bed.
In the middle of the playing field, and at the center of attention, was Grace Satterfield. Barefoot, and stripped of her gear down to just her t-shirt and pants, the young lieutenant hesitantly played the game as best she could, while the children taught her, step by step. To O'Neill, the game they played looked like an odd cross between softball and hopscotch.
"No, no," a little five year old girl shouted at Satterfield. "You go over here, now!"
"But I was just over there," Satterfield paitently explained. "You were the one who told me to go--"
"No, no, no," the little girl said, as she shook her head and waved her arms--she looked like a tiny referee. "No good, Grace, no good."
"So does this mean I'm out?" Satterfield said hopefully. "I can go sit on the bench, now?"
"No," a boy piped up, "you move two steps over there, now!"
"Ok." Yet Satterfield only managed to hop once to her right before another little boy--who looked to be no more than three years old--came running out from the crowds with a big smile and his arms held out. He then wrapped his arms tightly around Satterfield's knees with great affection, effectively trapping her right where she was.
"Uh-oh, time out, guys!" Satterfield said good-naturedly, as she made the 'T' signal with her hands. "It's time for another Noli break!"
"NOLI!" all of the assembled children cried in annoyance at the little boy, who appeared completely oblivious to all but Satterfield.
O'Neill and Carter shared a chuckle at this scene--apparently this wasn't the first time little Noli had interrupted the game by running in and giving Satterfield's legs a hug.
"Looks like you've found a friend, Lieutenant," O'Neill said.
Satterfield's smile faded slightly when she saw them. "Yes, sir, I did. And, um, I apologize."
"For what, having fun?" O'Neill asked with a grin.
"Well, for being out of uniform, for one thing," Satterfield replied, looking sheepish. "But the kids initially appeared to be intimidated by all of my gear, so I thought it would be better for them if I dressed down."
"That idea seemed to have worked very well," Carter said, as she smiled down at Noli, who stared back up at her in fascination as he clung protectively to Satterfield's leg.
"And, not to worry, sir," Satterfield added. "My weapon, radio, IDC and other gear is secure. It's all with Doctor Fraiser."
"As I expected," O'Neill said. "Good thinking, Lieutenant…on all counts."
Satterfield nodded with a smile. "Thank you, sir."
"You can not play!" the little referee sternly told O'Neill and Carter.
"No?!" Carter said, with pretend-sadness. "Can we watch, then?"
The little girl seriously considered that request for a moment, then said, "Ok."
O'Neill and Carter took a seat on an empty bench, then waited for the game to resume. But Satterfield continued to stand there awkwardly, as little Noli still tightly clutched her legs.
Satterfield bent down and asked, "Um, are you gonna let go, Noli?"
"No," the little boy said, as he grinned up at her.
"NOLI!" the other children shouted at him in unison. "Come on! Let go of her!"
"No, no," he solemnly told them, shaking his head. "No."
O'Neill was trying very hard not to laugh, for Satterfield's sake--but when Carter started a giggling fit next to him, he caved in and broke into laughter.
"You might be bringing him home with you, if you're not careful, Satterfield," Carter said, still giggling.
"Or worst yet," O'Neill added. "He might be bringing Satterfield home with him!"
Yet Satterfield was unfazed by the riotous laughter that followed. Instead, she bent down and affectionately rubbed Noli's back as she said, "But this is why I joined the SGC; to meet fun new people like Noli, here. Right, little guy?"
"Yeah," Noli replied with a giggle of his own.
SG-1: SVU
Olivia sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the prison cell that Elliot was in. He lay on the cot, still unconscious; which worried her--despite the fact that Janet had assured her that he was healing very well from the wounds inflicted on him by Anubis.
Osiris had tried to taunt Olivia from her cell next door. But Olivia just ignored her--until Osiris, growing bored, finally left her alone.
Olivia didn't really know why she was here, since once he woke up, it would be the Goa'uld Ke'tesh whom Olivia would be dealing with, and not Elliot. But she still felt the need to at least be here for the real Elliot, who she knew was still buried inside, somewhere.
'Can't wait until they pull that damn snake out of his head,' she thought glumly.
"He's still out?" a voice asked.
Olivia smiled up at Daniel, who leaned against the wall behind her. "Yeah. Janet says he'll be fine. But the fact that he's been out for so long makes me a bit nervous."
"Truth be told, taking the hit that he did from Anubis, he should be dead," Daniel said, as he sat down cross-legged next to her. "It's the Goa'uld inside of him that actually saved his life, Liv."
"Yeah, well, forgive me if I don't thank it," she flatly muttered.
"I just came back from seeing Jacob up in the peltac," Daniel said. "We're about two hours out from earth. So it won't be long, now."
"They can do the procedure on earth?" she asked. "Remove the snake?"
"We'll have to call in some experts from the Tok'ra to actually do the procedure, but--yeah--it can be done at Stargate Command."
Osiris suddenly pressed her face against the bars of her cell. "Daniel," she said desperately, "it's me, Sarah! Please, I don't know what happened to me! Help me…please, get me out of this--"
"Osiris," Daniel said harshly, "shut up!"
She reached out for him through the cell bars. "No, Daniel, you don't understand, I just woke up, and--"
"And I wasn't born yesterday," Daniel retorted. "I know this is just an act, Osiris, so save your breath!"
Olivia was stunned at the change in her face just then. The pleading look was instantly replaced by a harsh visage that was accented by the bright flare of her eyes. "You Tauri think you are so smart," Osiris sneered. "But your day of reckoning is approaching…."
"You talk pretty tough for somebody who's in a jail cell," Olivia shot back, as she got to her feet. "Hey, you want to get something to eat, Daniel?"
"Yeah," he replied, as he also got up. "The air in here is getting pretty stale, anyway."
One of the Jaffa loyal to Io'tan appeared in the doorway with a concerned expression. "Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, it's fine," Daniel told him. "We're just taking a break from the Goa'uld rhetoric."
They left the jail cells and went back to what was called the common area by the SG-1 team. It was a large corridor that ran through a junction in the center of the deck. This junction served as a sort of meeting area for the people aboard the Ha'tak, and to Olivia, it almost looked like a shopping mall. It had the same casual atmosphere of a mall food court, or any other area that served as a social gathering place, with people calmly chatting with each other.
The place was so mellow and laid back that Olivia had to keep reminding herself that she was aboard a Goa'uld Ha'tak vessel. When she mentioned this to Daniel, he just smiled and nodded. "It's great to see, isn't it? There's something very poetic in how a battleship has been turned into a ship of peace that's filled with such vibrant life like this."
But Olivia was distracted by a woman who stood a few feet away from them, speaking to a group of people gathered by a wall. She pointed at her and said, "Is that Casey?"
Daniel frowned at her in concentration. "No--wait, yes! That is Casey!"
When Casey noticed them, she smiled and came over. Olivia still couldn't believe what she saw. Casey had exchanged her slave girl bikini outfit for a pure white two piece outfit that was trimmed in gold. The top was a strapless wrap, which bared her stomach, while the bottom was essentially a sarong. And, to top it off, Casey wore a delicate gold necklace with a matching bracelet on her right wrist.
"Hey, guys," Casey said, as she shyly posed her new outfit for them. "What do you think?"
"You now look like Princess Leia on vacation in the Caribbean," Olivia commented with a smile. "A space princess who's kicking back."
"Very nice," Daniel said. "Although I think McKay won't be happy to hear that you no longer look like Deja Thoris."
Casey laughed. "I'm sorry to disappoint Rodney. But I really needed a shower, and I really didn't want to put that outfit back on again. So Char'el helped me pick this out. Isn't that cute? He even picked out the jewelry for me to wear."
"Char'el?!" Olivia blurted out. "Wait, was Char'el with you when you were taking the shower?"
"No, of course not," Casey said, with a shocked look. "I mean, he wasn't actually in the shower with me…."
Olivia stared at her anxiously. "But he was in the room while you showered?"
"Yeah, but there was a partition between us, Liv," Casey explained. "It's not like he saw anything--well, at least not before I stepped out of the shower. But he was already holding up the towel for me by then."
"Oh, my God," Olivia said in disbelief.
"Come on, Olivia," Casey said, with a shake of her head. "It's not like we've made love…."
"--yet?" Daniel said, as he gave her a sideways glance.
Casey just grinned broadly at him as her face turned red. "Can I ask you something, Daniel?"
"Sure, Casey. What is it?"
"That slit that the Jaffa have in their bellies?" Casey said, as she gestured at her own bare stomach. "That doesn't just…open up without warning at any old time, does it?"
"Um…no, the Jaffa has total control over that, Casey."
She nodded, looking pleased. "So…if Char'el and I were--say--really going at it in in the sack, it won't just…fly open on its own, then? Good."
Before a shocked Olivia could even react to that, the corridors of the Ha'tak abruptly echoed with the whooping sounds of an alarm klaxon.
"Uh-oh," Daniel muttered, as he immediately keyed his radio. "Daniel to Jacob. Come in, over."
"Yeah, Daniel. Go."
"What happened, Jacob? Why'd you hit the ship-wide alarm? Over."
"That wasn't us, Daniel," Jacob replied. "There's nothing wrong up here. Hold on a sec. Over." After a brief pause, Jacob came back on. "According to our readings, the alarm was activated by somebody in the prison section. Over."
"Oh, Christ," Olivia muttered in dismay. "We just left there!"
"Jacob, Liv and I are the closest, so we'll check it out and get back to you," Daniel said. "Do me a favor and alert the others to the situation. Over."
"The alarm probably already alerted them," Jacob replied. "But I'll give them the details. You and Liv be careful. Over."
"We will, over and out." He glanced at Olivia as he pulled out his zat. "You ready?"
She pulled out her own zat and gave him a nod. "Ready when you are. Let's go."
"I'm coming with you," Casey told them.
"Ok, but stay behind us, Deja," Olivia told her. "You're not armed."
"Don't call me Deja," Casey muttered with a frown, as she followed them down the corridor.
SG-1: SVU
Satterfield had managed to work out a compromise with Noli so that she could continue to play the game with him by her side. At first the little referee, whose name O'Neill learned was Keilo, had vehemently objected, until Carter gently explained to her that, since Noli wouldn't leave Satterfield's side, this would be the best arrangement for all of them to have in order for the game to continue. And so it did, with little Noli happily hopping around, hand in hand with Satterfield, the girl of his dreams.
O'Neill still couldn't make heads or tails out of how the game was played, and strongly suspected that the children were just making it up as they went along--but, despite this, he was thoroughly enjoying himself in the presence of these kids. O'Neill couldn't help but darkly wonder if any of the kids here had families, or if they had been made orphans by the recent events that occurred to their former home of Mount Tanis.
'Still, I suppose it's far better for them to be here, on this ship filled with caring people, rather than to be trapped with the rest of the poor souls who were captured by Ba'al and his minions,' O'Neill thought.
His somber musings were interrupted when a klaxon began to whoop loudly. He and Carter exchanged a wary glance as they quickly got up from the bench they sat on. Noli and the children who were playing the game instantly crowded around Satterfield, while the rest of the children--who were also immediately frightened--crowded around both O'Neill and Carter.
He keyed his radio. "O'Neill to Jacob, over."
"Yeah, Jack. Somebody in the prison section hit the ship-wide alarm. We don't know why, yet. Daniel and Olivia are already on their way to check it out. Over."
"Oh, no," Carter moaned. "That's where we're keeping Osiris and Ke'tesh locked up."
"Carter and I are on our way there, now, Jacob," O'Neill said. "Over and out."
"I'll come with you sir," Satterfield offered. "Just let me get my gun."
"No, we'll round up the kiddies and get them back to the clinic," O'Neill told her. "And you stay there with Fraiser. Just in case we have a Goa'uld wandering around, I'd feel better knowing Fraiser and her patients had some extra protection."
"Very good, sir," Satterfield said.
As he, Carter and Satterfield herded the kids back towards the clinic, O'Neill shook his head in disgust at the fear he saw in the childrens' eyes. 'Leave it to the damn Goa'uld to ruin a wonderously fun moment….'
SG-1: SVU
They ran back down to where the prison section was located. Olivia and Daniel paused by the doorway as they cautiously peered inside. "Got a man down," Olivia said, when she saw the Jaffa lying on the floor. He lay just under the alarm button. "Looks like he was the one who sounded the alarm, just before he was taken down."
Olivia and Daniel warily entered the cellblock area, where they had just sat cross-legged on the floor minutes earlier. The cells which housed both Osiris and Ke'tesh were empty.
"Damn it," Olivia said. "Looks like he was faking being out cold."
"And was secretly armed with something that could open his cell door," Daniel added.
"Guys!" Casey called from the doorway.
When they found her, Casey was standing in the corridor, pointing at something to her right. "There were flashing lights down there, like coming from a zat gun. Now I hear people screaming."
"That's probably where they went," Olivia grimly muttered.
"There's a small hanger deck on this level," Daniel said, with a look of alarm. "It's got a couple of alkesh ships in it. We've gotta beat them to it."
"Daniel, wait!" Olivia called after him as he ran off in a panic. Olivia pointed at the injured Jaffa and said, "Stay here with him, Casey."
Olivia then ran after Daniel, who turned a corner ahead of her. She could well understand how he felt; Sarah was just as much a prisoner of the Goa'uld Osiris as Elliot was a prisoner of Ke'tesh. But Daniel was letting his feelings for her get in the way of his common sense.
Olivia paused in the middle of a junction, with several dozen extremely excited people standing around her. Some of them huddled around a man who lay on the ground. "Is he all right?" she asked them.
They nodded at her. "The Goa'uld went that way," one of them, a woman, said.
Olivia saw that she pointed towards a doorway that led to darkness. As she ran through it, her radio came to life. "Liv, Daniel, come in," O'Neill said. "Over."
"Jack," Olivia urgently said, as she keyed her radio, "put guards on all the hanger decks throughout the ship. They're trying to make a break for it. Over."
"Consider it done," he replied. "Where are you? Over."
Olivia glanced around the vast room, which was dimly lit, and had several large columns. She did a double take when she saw Osiris, who lay with her eyes closed on the floor. "I've found Osiris," she spoke into the radio. "She appears unconscious. I can't find Daniel or Ke'tesh. Over."
Keeping her zat aimed at Osiris with one hand, Olivia prodded her with her foot. When she didn't move, Olivia felt her pulse, which was steady. Osiris appeared to be truly knocked out.
"Where are you, Liv?" O'Neill forcefully asked. "Over."
"I'm in a vast space, with multiple columns, that's located just off the main junction, west of the prison section," Olivia answered. "I found Osiris, and she's--"
Olivia stopped speaking when she glanced over at the shocking sight before her.
Elliot/Ke'tesh stood there, holding an unconscious Daniel up against his chest. Daniel's head lolled about drunkenly as Ke'tesh aimed his zat right at Daniel's temple.
'Oh Christ,' Olivia thought with dread. She realized what had happened. Ke'tesh must have shot Osiris with his zat, and when an unsuspecting Daniel found her, Ke'tesh then shot him.
"Drop your weapon and surrender yourself to me," Elliot/Ke'tesh ordered her. "Or else I kill him."
Olivia held her radio in the 'speak' position, making sure that O'Neill just heard what Elliot/Ke'tesh had said. When he saw what she was doing, he roared, "Remove your hand from the communication device, or else I kill Daniel Jackson right now, woman!"
"Ok," Olivia said, as she removed her hand from the radio on her shoulder. She kept her zat aimed at him with the other hand. "Ok, see? My hand is off the radio."
"Now throw down your weapon and kneel before your god, you Tauri bitch!" Elliot/Ke'tesh ordered her.
"Liv!" Sam's voice desperately called out from her radio. "Just hold on! We're all coming for you and Daniel!"
"Listen to me," Olivia said calmly to Elliot/Ke'tesh. "Just listen, ok? The hanger decks are now all under guard. There's no way for you to get off this ship, so--"
"If you shoot me with that gun, I will only be rendered unconscious," Elliot/Ke'tesh told her. "But your friend here will receive a second dose, and will die instantly. So you can speak whatever babble you wish, Tauri, for it does not matter. I hold the upper hand here, not you. Now, for the last time, put down your weapon!"
Olivia reached down into her holster with her free hand and grasped the Glock. Once she dropped the zat, she instantly brought the Glock to bear on Elliot/Ke'tesh.
"You foolish woman!" Elliot/Ke'tesh told her as he started backing away with Daniel in his arms. "The human whose body I inhabit still loves you. And he is very saddened to see you aim your weapon right at him. He is saddened that you would turn on him like this. His wife, Kathy, hates you with every fiber of her being--and she is right to do so, Olivia, for you are truly a dirty, misbegotten whore. It now appears that Elliot made the right choice in choosing Kathy over such a spiteful, back-stabbing little bitch like you."
Olivia ignored the assault of his ugly, hurtful words and took careful aim with the Glock.
"Damn you, wench!" Elliot/Ke'tesh hissed at her. "Drop your weapon, NOW! Or else I shall kill this man right here and--"
"Elliot!" Olivia called out, as she continued to aim the Glock dead on target. "Sweetie, I'm so very sorry…."
"Liv!" Elliot suddenly said, in his normal voice. "No, wait, it's me! Please, don't--"
Olivia pulled the trigger--
--and the Glock fired.
...to be concluded in the next and final chapter.