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PART NINETEEN

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Tel'tac

There was silence in the bridge as the occupants gazed over the destruction. While he wasn't a stranger to violence or war, the complete annihilation below them, the complete destruction of an army where it stood, was almost too much, even for Maybourne.

"This is what it is capable of," Ishta said quietly, her voice breaking the silence.

"It is the first and the last time it will be used," Jacob whispered.

Even El'son, Maybourne realised, was appalled by the death before them.

The poison had been a concept, Maybourne realised, the A-bomb of the galaxy. Yes, it could win a war and give power, but at what cost?

A price too great, El'son said quietly.

Maybourne didn't reply, but he shuffled his feet uncomfortably. Aware of his discomfort, the Tok'ra retreated (how exactly the Tok'ra retreated when it was in his own head Maybourne wasn't sure, he was just glad it did).

"There is no sign of the Tau'ri," Bra'tac said.

"The facility is a few miles that way," Maybourne offered, pointing towards the forested hills in the distance, "they might be there."

Following Maybourne's directions, Teal'c piloted the Tel'tac toward the nuclear facility. As they approached, Maybourne pointed out a clear area between the trees and the squat concrete buildings. Teal'c nodded to indicate he agreed, and started putting the Tel'tac down.

Suddenly the clearing was filled with another Tel'tac, and Teal'c jerked their ship back up and away from the near-collision.

"Crap," Maybourne muttered, clenching his fists in surprise.

"Is it them?" Bra'tac questioned quietly.

No one spoke as they watched the ship. Soon the cargo doors opened, and two men stepped from the ship.

"Yes," Maybourne whispered, cold relief like adrenalin flooding through him. "It's Jack and Andrews."

Teal'c uncloaked their ship, and the two men on the ground almost fell over in shock. Maybourne narrowed his eyes as Jack almost walked to cover, as though he couldn't move faster. The other, Andrews, raised his weapon in suspicion even though it was a futile gesture. Where, Maybourne wondered, was everyone else?

With a skill that El'son envied – why did Maybourne know that anyway? – Teal'c put the Tel'tac down in a small patch of the clearing, only scraping a few trees at the back.

"We're friendly," Maybourne called as the cargo doors were opened and before anyone could open fire.

There was a silence, and then, "Maybourne?"

"How ya doin, Jack?" Maybourne asked cheerily, nodding and leading the others from the Tel'tac.

"Oh, thank God," Jack whispered, and sank to the ground as though his legs couldn't hold him any longer. "Thank you God."

"You look like shit, Jack," Maybourne said.

He is battle-weary, El'son whispered. Maybourne ignored him.

"Where's everyone else?" he asked.

"Dr. Fraiser, Dr. Markhov, Dr. Harlowe and Cassandra Fraiser are still in the facility, the remainder are all on board the Tel'tac," Andrews answered.

"My daughter?" Jacob demanded.

Andrews hesitated a second. "Major Carter, sir?"

"Yes. Where is she?"

"She's on the Tel'tac," Andrews said uncomfortably, "no disrespect intended, but the people inside are in trouble."

"Jaffa?" Teal'c questioned as Jacob immediately disappeared into the other Tel'tac.

"We think so," Jack finally spoke. "God, I'm glad you guys are here."

"You weren't planning on going in there by yourselves, Jack?" Maybourne asked.

Jack gave a hollow laugh. "Not like we had much choice, Maybourne. No one on that Tel'tac is conscious." The laugh turned into a hack, and Maybourne was horrified to see a splatter of crimson appear on his lips.

"You're hurt, Jack," Maybourne said.

I can help, El'son offered.

"No shit," Jack gasped. "Not as bad as the others. Davis took a blast to his back, Carter's got chest and head injuries from her fall and added crushing her arm to the mix. Bek… God, Garshaw got caught by the poison and Bek was banged around outside the ship only tied on with cargo ties around her wrist. And Tom… Tom didn't make it."

Maybourne wondered if there was anyone in their group who was so far unscathed.

"I need El'son," Jacob yelled from inside the Tel'tac. "Now!"

It is urgent, El'son said, He will need us to help heal.

He was reluctant to acknowledge the Tok'ra, even less enthusiastic to let the Tok'ra take control, but he was realistic enough to acknowledge the Tok'ra was needed. El'son was grateful and apologetic, and it irritated Maybourne to no end that the damn snake was so damn understanding.

Inside the Tel'tac it felt darker and colder, even though realistically it was exactly the same as the Tel'tac Maybourne had just left. Jacob was kneeling next to his daughter, a healing device on his hands glowing brightly. Jacob paused for a second. "Take a look at him," the older man said, nodding his head toward Paul Davis. "Bek will be fine, her injuries aren't life threatening. She's just in shock from Garshaw's death. The other one is already dead; there's nothing we can do for him."

Despite his anger and horror at being blended with a Tok'ra, Maybourne had to admit their talents at healing were impressive. He watched through his eyes which he couldn't control as El'son found a healing device carefully stashed in a small compartment in one of the walls.

His body felt like it was humming, and the device in their hands burst into life. In front of him, charred flesh and skin seemed to melt away and get taken up by new flesh. It grew slowly, streaks of pale pink skin painstakingly inching their way across raw muscle until the wound was healed. The hand device stopped abruptly, and Maybourne felt his body lurch forward as though a great weight suddenly rested on his back. He was sweating, he realised, and his muscles were tired and stiff, but Paul Davis was alive and waking up.

They sat back on their haunches, and for a brief moment Maybourne felt happy.

"Harry Maybourne," Teal'c said, and Maybourne jerked around to see the Jaffa crouching next to him. "We are going to rescue Dr. Fraiser and the others inside the facility. Are you able to join us?"

Maybourne was tired and unable to move, but El'son nodded for them. "We'll come," the Tok'ra said. Without argument from Maybourne, the Tok'ra pulled them to their feet, and followed Teal'c out the door leaving the patients in Jacob's care.

Outside in the grey drizzle the Jaffa were waiting with Jack and Andrews.

"You're not going, Jack," Maybourne said bluntly. He wasn't surprised to see Teal'c nod in agreement.

"The hell I'm not," Jack protested.

"Think, O'Neill," Bra'tac said softly. "You will endanger us all. We do not need to look after you while we try to win a battle."

The words stung the Colonel, and Maybourne winced with sympathy.

"Jacob will probably need help with everyone in the Tel'tac," Maybourne suggested quietly.

Upset and anger warred with relief and resignation on Jack's face, and Maybourne knew they had won. Jack O'Neill was stubborn to the core, but even he was smart enough to realise when to give in.

"I'll watch your six," Jack said tiredly, a bitter smile touching his lips. "You better get them, Maybourne, or I swear to God I will shoot you."

"Promises, promises, Jack," Maybourne sighed.

"Come," Teal'c said quietly. "We will return, O'Neill."

"Wasn't expecting anything less, T."

---
Nuclear Facility

Dust and smoke mingled, clogging her throat and sticking to her skin. It smelt like fire and death, and Janet wasn't sure how much longer she could last. Wedged between two cracked slabs of concrete from what had been a wall to a room, she was only just managing to keep the Jaffa at bay.

Across the way from her, half behind another fallen slab and half exposed lay what was left of Samuels. Janet choked back a sob. Tears stung her eyes and turned grim to mud on her cheeks. For the last five minutes she'd sat here, smelling Samuels' blood mingling with concrete flakes, and shooting any Jaffa appearing in her line of site. Her position afforded her cover, and until she ran out of ammo or they killed her, there was no way for them to get past.

She figured she'd run out of ammo and get killed fairly soon.

Another Jaffa approached, and she squeezed the trigger, watching him stagger under the fire and then collapse in a metal heap, spilling blood which ran and pooled and mixed with Samuels' blood like a red lake.

One clip left, she thought, squeezing the trigger again, and two grenades she'd managed to pull from Svetlana's body before she'd been pressed back by the approaching wave of Jaffa.

Groping in the dark next to her with her free hand, Janet watched as two Jaffa approached this time. Her stream of bullets stopped one, but the second one was quick. His staff weapon fired, lightening the passage with a flash of yellow light before Janet felt a searing pain in her left shoulder. Grunting, ignoring the burning in her arm, she shot him down while her left hand found one of the two grenades she had left. By the time the next wave of Jaffa – four this time – approached she had the pin between her teeth and had counted up to four.

She threw the grenade as far as her damaged arm could and crouched low into her little nook, holding her arms over her head. The shock wave hit her and the searing heat followed almost immediately. Janet threw up over her legs and boots, the vomit mixing with tears and blood and ash.

Her ears were ringing and she could smell burnt flesh everywhere. She lifted the P-90 again, stifling sobs as her arm screamed in protest. Resting it on her knees, she forced herself to change the clip, and then scrabbled next to herself for the last grenade.

One Jaffa approached cautiously, and she shot him down again, the rapport of the P-90 muffled by the ringing in her ears. Another, and he met the same fate. Any minute now, and she would run out of ammo.

There was a small pause, and then a charge of Jaffa. Again, she had already counted to four and threw the grenade, but her arm was so tired it didn't fly far enough.

Oh God, she thought, pressing herself against the wall, this is it. This is where I die.

It exploded, and the world turned hot and loud and heavy as it pressed in against her. Her arm was burning and it felt like her trousers were melting into her legs with the heat. Slowly it faded, but she couldn't move, couldn't check to see if she was still alive.

She heard the clanking of a Jaffa again, and cried. Cried because her daughter was four levels down dying and seventeen levels up the world was being destroyed by alien creatures who couldn't be stopped. Cried because she was going to die alone seventeen levels underground, killed by an enemy that just didn't die.

The noise grew louder as the Jaffa came closer, but Janet couldn't lift her head to look at him. Couldn't look at the soldier who was going to kill her. She was a coward, curled into a ball in a dark tunnel at the end of the world.

Her world narrowed to the sound of a staff weapon. The sound of metal boots on broken concrete. To weapons fire. To a voice she never thought she'd hear again calling her Dr. Fraiser and pulling her out of her nook. To a friend who'd saved her and pulled her into a hug.

The world spun and burnt, and she cried in Teal'c's arms, covered in blood and vomit and relief.

---
Tel'tac

There was nothing left in him, Jacob thought ruefully, collapsing against the interior hull of the Tel'tac. Nothing at all.

Except an old snake, Selmak remarked, but exhaustion had made the Tok'ra just as unable to move as the human.

We make a disgustingly easy target, Jacob said tiredly.

O'Neill is there.

And he is so much better off than we are.

Forcing his eyes open, Jacob cast a glance on the subject of his and Selmak's discussion. Slumped against the cargo bay doors, P-90 lying carelessly in his lap, Jack O'Neill barely looked alive.

"How are you holding up, Jack?" Jacob asked, his voice croaking in his throat.

Jack only smiled, not opening his eyes or moving.

"Jack?" Jacob pressed.

"I'm too old for this," Jack said, but his voice was barely audible. "I should have retired and bought a dog."

Jacob allowed a small bark of laughter to escape. "When we've had a breather, Selmak wants to take a look at you."

"I'm fine," Jack said, but it lacked conviction.

"You're coughing up blood, Jack, and you've got an infected staff blast on your shoulder. That's not fine."

"How's Carter?" Jack asked, ignoring Jacob.

"Sam will be okay," Jacob said, his hand automatically reaching out and resting on his daughter's forehead. It was warm under his fingertips, her breath puffing regularly from her lips, and her heart pulsed strongly in her chest. "We can't do anything else for her, but she'll be fine in time."

His daughter. Alive. Even though it was hours since Jack had first told him the news that she was still alive, he couldn't believe it. His fingers moved gently over the skin of her neck, once again checking a pulse he knew was there. She was his daughter, alive, and he had no ability to comprehend how he felt, let alone attempt to explain it, so all he could do was touch her and be close and reassure himself again and again and again she was real and she was here and she was alive.

I know, Jacob, Selmac whispered gently, I know.

Jacob brushed his thumb gently over Sam's chin, and let his fingers travel back up to her forehead, once again moving in the gentle pattern. He didn't touch her arms, afraid to cause damage to the fragile repairs Selmac had only just managed to coax into beginning.

"I thought she was dead," Jack said.

Jacob looked up at him, but Jack's eyes were shut. "A lot of us did."

"Thor said they knew she was alive, but none of them bothered to tell us. Just like they didn't bother to tell anyone about me."

Jacob winced, running his fingers over Sam's horribly short hair.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Jacob said softly.

Jack opened his eyes. "You don't have anything to apologise for, Jacob."

It might be true, Jacob thought, but it still felt as though he should have done something. Suspected something.

"Did you find anything to help you with those bugs?" Jacob asked.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. I took the memory crystals and tried to send as much as I good to the Tel'tac, but I don't know what we got. Hopefully."

"Well, at least with the Goa'uld gone you'll be able to work on evacuation of as many people as possible if the bugs are still going to be an issue."

"The Jaffa are not all gone, yet."

"No, but do you honestly think they'll hang around after that display outside Cheyenne?"

"Hope not. I don't want to be forced to use more, not to mention try and convince Teal'c he wants to part with more."

"Not very ethical, is it?"

"Not much is ethical these days."

Jacob conceded the point, and let his fingers brush over Sam's forehead again. "I didn't believe she set that bomb, Jack."

"But you're her father," Jack replied. "Everyone would expect you to claim her innocence."

"I have eyes, Jack, and I know my daughter. It didn't make sense for her to kill you, Daniel or George."

"Hammond and I were ordered to attend that dinner," Jack said finally. "Couldn't work out why we needed to be there for a funding thing, but we figured it was because they wanted Daniel there to charm everyone."

Jacob snorted. "Daniel charm everyone?"

"He was good at charming people when he got his head out of his ass," Jack stated. "It's obvious now, that it was a set-up. No way would Carter voluntarily have attended one of those dinners, so they were safe pinning it on her."

"You're lucky to have survived, Jack," Jacob said. "I saw the footage. In fact, I was certain there was no way you could have survived that blast."

"Luck had nothing to do with it, Jacob. Carter called me, said she'd found something important."

"What?"

"I still don't know, actually. I'm guessing something to do with the set-up, but the building blew up before I could get to her. I was outside, caught in the shockwave."

"Still, you were lucky."

Jack was quiet for a long time, his fingers aimlessly fiddling with the P-90. "No," he said. "I was dead. I did die."

And it was purely sadistic for the Goa'uld to revive him and make him the subject of their experiments. Something only the Goa'uld would be capable of. They would have enjoyed the irony of watching a dead man brought back to life only to be sentenced to lifelessness. Jacob closed his eyes and let his head fall against the hull behind him. God, what a fucked up universe.

"Jacob Carter?" Teal'c's voice startled them both as Jacob's communicator sprang to life.

"Go ahead, Teal'c."

"We have Dr. Fraiser, Dr. Harlowe and Cassandra with us. All are safe, and El'son is assisting Cassandra with a healing device."

Jacob heard Jack mutter a quiet 'thank you God'.

"Thank you, Teal'c. What about Colonel Samuels and Svetlana?"

"They have both fallen. We will be returning to the surface shortly."

They sat in silence for several minutes, listening as a barely-there drizzle returned and slowly built up to a heavy downpour again. Jacob opened his eyes and stared out the doors at the rain sheeting down and almost hiding the evident signs of battle around the Tel'tac.

"At least the rain keeps the bugs away," Jack said lightly.

"I am so sick of rain," Jacob muttered, "that I find myself wishing for a desert planet. And of course, the first time in three years I visit earth, it doesn't just rain, it pours."

"I don't know," Jack said, closing his eyes. "I kinda like the rain."

There was something about sitting and listening to the rain that just couldn't be found in anything else, Jacob acknowledged silently. Beneath his fingers, Sam stirred briefly, but settled again into sleep. He brushed his fingers over her forehead in the pattern that had put her to sleep as little girl, and allowed a tired smile to touch his lips.

"Sam likes the rain too."

---

Teal'c stood silently beside Doctor Fraiser's makeshift bed and watched as El'son activated the healing device over Cassandra Fraiser. It hummed soothingly in the dimly lit room, the soft white glow washing over the girl's still body. The sound was hypnotising until suddenly it ceased and the light blanked out. Teal'c blinked, waiting.

El'son, hunched over Cassandra Fraiser's bed, slowly straightened his shoulders and stepped back from the cot. "I have done what I can for her," he said quietly. "I do not know whether it will be enough."

Teal'c was thankful Janet Fraiser was sleeping and did not hear the pronouncement. He hoped that by the time she woke, Cassandra Fraiser would also be on the way to recovery. Sliding his gaze from Cassandra's still form, he studied the small woman lying unmoving on her roughly made bed. There were large burn wounds on her cheeks, and her auburn hair was singed and curled back roughly from her face. The acrid smell of burning meat and plastic permeated the air around her, and Teal'c felt himself cringe at the sight of her clothing almost melted into her skin.

"When I have had time to recover, I will assist Doctor Fraiser," El'son said beside him. "My host and I are still weak from the blending."

"Thank you," Teal'c said quietly.

"We cannot stay here, Teal'c," Bra'tac said. "The alien creatures will not stay away for long, and the rain will not last. We must move these and ourselves to a safer location."

"The SGC has medical facilities," Teal'c decided. "The Jaffa and Goa'uld would have left fearing more death."

"We must move the Tau'ri to the Tel'tacs, Teal'c, until we have claimed the SGC."

Teal'c nodded in agreement, radioed O'Neill to inform him of their plan, and gently picked up Janet Fraiser. Following his lead, Bra'tac picked up Cassandra Fraiser. He didn't stop to see whether the Tok'ra or Tau'ri scientist Timothy Harlowe followed.

By the time they reached the surface the rain was lessening again and the sun had risen high in the sky. Teal'c carried his friend to the Tel'tac where Jacob Carter and O'Neill were waiting for them.

"Is she alive?" O'Neill asked quietly, and despite the concern on his voice the man did not move.

"Yes, but she is severely injured. The Tok'ra El'son will attempt to heal her shortly."

"I can do that," Jacob Carter inserted. "El'son and Maybourne need time before they undergo so much stress."

El'son took control of the Tel'tac with the wounded, while Teal'c and those still walking claimed the second Tel'tac. The ships were barely cloaked and lifting off the ground when Teal'c caught sight of a large swarm of bugs braving the rain. The sight of these creatures which had come so close to killing him was not pleasant, and Teal'c studied them silently.

"A mere insect could wreak this havoc," Bra'tac murmured beside him.

"The small and weak are often believed to be insignificant," Teal'c replied calmly.

"I am hopeful the information recovered from the Goa'uld memory crystals will be sufficient to destroy these creatures," Bra'tac mused.

Teal'c, looking down at the fields of dead Jaffa beneath them, wondered if perhaps destruction was always the right choice. Whether it was these alien bugs or Jaffa littering the wet fields of Earth, it didn't matter. Death didn't care what it took.

Ahead of them, Cheyenne Mountain appeared through the misty rain, almost bare without the burden of the mothership resting on it. "Where'd it go?" the Tau'ri Andrews asked.

"It entered hyperspace shortly after you returned to the Tel'tac with O'Neill," Teal'c explained. "There is no sign or indication of any remaining Goa'uld activity."

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