"Well, I was never there anyways… Maybe I'll just sell the house and get a storage space or something…" Jack said to Landry. It had been almost two weeks since they had arrived from Atlantis. Atlantis had been contacted for more information concerning their return, but there was no more information; they were just as surprised as Sam and Jack had been when they'd found out that the pair of them had been dead, something that had definitely been left out of the reports.

"That would make sense, you're hardly ever in Colorado anymore… when are you going back to Washington, by the way?"

"Trying to get rid of me, Hank?"

"No, sir; just tired of getting daily calls from the President."

"I'll probably leave after SG1 gets back…"

"Can you still hear her thoughts…? She's halfway across the galaxy right now."

"No, that stopped as soon as the 'gate closed behind them," nothing would've given it away, but Jack missed having the constant companionship of Sam's thoughts.

"A welcome relief, no doubt."

"It's the first time in a week that I haven't had a headache when I woke up," he smiled, it was true. He didn't mind the headaches that much though.

UNSCHEDULED OFFWORLD ACTIVATION! The emergency lights began flashing and alarms went off before all power was cut from the base. General confusion followed, a few collisions in the hallway, and a general uproar from Dr. Lam- Siler was scheduled for an x-ray that would need the power that had just shut off.

The two Generals made their way to the control room without much trouble. Everything had shut off in the control room, the iris was closed, the familiar blue glow was the only light in the two rooms.

"Chief?" Landry asked at the same time Jack said, "Walter?"

Walter spun his chair around, showing them his hands, "I have no idea what's going on, sirs."

Multiple impacts on the iris reminded them of the desperate situation.

I wish Carter were here. Jack thought to himself.

Why? The familiar voice asked in his head.

Hey! You're the one dialed in?

Yeah, but we're not doing too well. We're under fire, the 'gate was hit and the wormhole looks a little iffy.

A little iffy?

Yeah.

I would never have expected you to say that.

Well, sir, I'm not sure what the technical term for it is… He was suddenly looking out of her eyes, staff blasts exploded around them; most of them struck the 'gate and the event horizon, but one had taken Daniel on the right side of his chest. Sam had stopped returning fire and was pressing her jacket onto the wound, stemming the flow of blood. She glanced up at the 'gate again and Jack decided that 'iffy' was the perfect word for the event horizon. It looked like any other event horizon, only it was turning darker and darker violet as each blast hit.

"Sam?" Daniel's voice was weak, very, very faint. Jack gripped the back of the chair he was standing behind, getting odd looks from Landry and the 'gate technicians as his knuckles turned white.

"It's okay, I'm here Daniel, we'll be out of here in a few seconds…"

"It's not all right, Sam… you never say… unless you're lying…"

"What don't I say?" Keep him talking… she thought to herself. "Daniel!"

Daniel had passed out in her arms; she checked for a pulse and began administering CPR. "Mitchell, we've got to leave NOW!" She yelled at the man who was covering her six.

"I'm aware of that, but look at the 'gate…"

"We are no longer able to access the DHD," Teal'c pointed out.

"Personally, right now, I don't really mind what color the event horizon is just so long as I step through it and I'm not here," Vala told them, heading toward the 'gate.

The iris won't open! Jack yelled in warning, Sam grabbed Vala and pulled her back, letting Mitchell take over on the CPR.

"The iris isn't open yet… all the computers are down."

"How would you know that?"

"The 'gate is open; I can hear his thoughts again"

"Oh, right," the rest of the team had quickly forgotten Sam's ability in their search for Merlin's weapon.

Unfortunately, this planet had been another dead end, a dead end full of angry jaffa. None of the tauri had realized the propaganda that had been spread across Dakara before it's destruction; the tauri were out of the good graces of more than half the free jaffa. They had run into one such sect in a village on this planet; it hadn't been pleasant and had led to their current predicament.

Sir, you need to manually open the 'gate.

All of the doors are closed and all the powers off, there's no way into the 'gateroom.

You could punch a hole in the window and jump through.

What?

I didn't mean for you to actually do that, sir, it's just a possibility.

It is a possibility though.

No. Try hotwiring the doors.

You don't understand- there is no power. Even if I crossed the right wires it wouldn't open till we get power back, and I have a feeling that won't happen until the 'gate shuts down, and that's not going to happen until you're all back here.

Jack picked up the chair that he had been gripping so tightly and threw it through the window that was there to protect them from the various alien ammunitions. No match for the chair of DOOM! He laughed to himself, breaking through after his third attempt.

It's not funny, sir. He didn't respond, but they continued to communicate, sensing emotions rather than thoughts. He was hurried by the stress and worry that was coming through the 'gate from Sam, he was also worrying about Daniel, and the fact that his friends were still being fired upon on the other side of the 'gate. Another staff blast impacted the iris and Jack jumped through the hole that he had made, ignoring the protest his joints put up when he landed, especially his knee. He ran over to the control and jerked the handle down, something that should have made the iris open, but it didn't.

Shit.

Agreed. Landry was yelling at him through the hole in the glass, but he paid no attention, continuing up to the 'gate.

So, how do I open this, Sam? He was hit with a wave of nausea; his right leg felt like it was going to burn off where he stood. What was that!

I'm hit! She cried in his head, That's not cliche, he countered as his mind flooded with her pain and he reeled on the ramp. She started explaining how to get the iris open, both doing their best to ignore the pain, and Landry's ever more urgent shouts into the 'gateroom.