Stargate Sg1 Revolutions: Children of the Gods II
SG-1 was heading down one of the trails through Chulak in the woods. O'Neill was in the lead, with Carter and Danielle a few paces behind him.
"So, Dr. Jackson, tell me about Sha're. How did you meet?" Carter asked, making conversation.
"Oh, it just Danielle by the way. Sha're. Well, he's, uh—" Danielle started to say.
"Sha're thought Danielle was a gift from the gods." Jack interrupted.
"They saw us come through the Stargate and thought we were gods. When they realized we weren't going to hurt them the elders of Abydos were convinced I was sent to them as a gift." Danielle explained.
"And you didn't try to convince them otherwise?" Carter asked a little amused.
Danielle was saved from answering as O'Neill, noticing activity up ahead, raising a hand. "Hold up."
Through the fog and the trees, a group of hooded figures were coming up the road towards them. O'Neill backed towards the cover of the bushes, indicating that Carter and Danielle should follow. "C'mon."
Carter and O'Neill hunkered down in the brush within sight of the trail, holding their weapons at the ready as Danielle crouches down beside them.
The hooded figures became more visible as they got closer. It was a group of cloaked monks in snakeskin cowls, with the symbol of Apophis tattooed on their heads. Each carried a tall wooden staff with a purple stone at the head.
As Carter and O'Neill watched them, Danielle got up from their hiding place.
"All right, Captain. Take your position fifty yards—" Jack started to say before he realized what Danielle had done. She not only broke cover, but was going to meet the monks. "Oh, for crying out loud."
Danielle stepped out into the middle of the road, right in the monks' path. Startled, they come to a halt. Danielle raised her hands, palms out, to communicate that she was unarmed. "Hi."
"The girl has not changed." Jack said with a sigh, he really should have seen something like this coming.
He and Carter got up from their hiding place and went down to join Danielle now that their cover was blown anyway. They took up positions behind Danielle, pointing their guns at the monks.
"We just came through the Stargate... " Danielle addressed the monks, but seeing only blank looks from the monks she continued. "Uh, the, uh... chaapa'ai?"
"Chaapa'ai!" One of the monks said his full attention on Danielle now.
At his exclamation, all the monks immediately dropped to one knee before Danielle.
"No, please don't do that..." Danielle said feeling embarrassed.
"Friends of yours?" Jack asked.
Danielle turned back to them, speaking quietly. "Unless we want to give ourselves a bad reputation, I think we should avoid shooting the first people we meet on a new planet." She said as she turned to face the monks again. "Oh, please, you don't have to do this." She said, seeing that they were still on their knees.
Danielle went back to the monks, putting her hands on the lead monk's shoulders and pulling him up.
The monk got the point and stood up again, somewhat confused by Danielle's behavior. "Chula lasla?" He asked.
"Lasla... choose!" Danielle said to O'Neill and Carter. "They want to know if we're here to choose."
"What the hell." Jack shrugged.
"Ah, sure. We can choose. Choosing is good." Danielle said to the monk. "It's a derivation of Arabic combined with..." Danielle started to say to Jack.
"Yeah, yeah. All right, whatever. Just ask them to take us to the nearest village," Jack said, not needing to hear the explanation to it.
"Um, would you take us to, um, uh... um... " Danielle tried to find the words to say. She made a roof with her hands. "Um, arish?"
The monk nodded, seeming to have understood. "Yah, alla, alla, Chulak."
The monk started backing up the path as the other monks rose, indicating that they should follow.
Jack walked down the path after the monk, followed by Carter and Danielle. The other monks stood aside to let them pass before bringing up the rear.
After a lot of walking the stone buildings of a large city could be clearly seen in the hills above the forest.
The monks escorted SG-1 into the hall of one of the buildings in the city. As they entered, the chatter and laughing stopped, and the guests sat back from their meal, looking at SG-1 warily.
"Atohara a lasla!" The monk said to the guests.
Nervously, Danielle stepped forward, and Carter and O'Neill followed suit. They sat down where a servant indicated at the head of the table.
None of the other guests moved to touch the feast, watching SG-1 warily instead.
"Why are they treating us like this?" Carter asked Danielle.
"They think we're gods." Danielle replied as a servant put a goblet before her.
Carter picked up a goblet, sniffed the contents, and then put it back.
"Ok. We're gods. Now what?" Jack asked curiously.
"I have no idea." Danielle replied honestly.
At that moment a man with a horn stepped forward and blew a few notes. Hearing this, the guests immediately prostrated themselves, touching their foreheads to the ground.
Danielle moved to do so as well while Carter and O'Neill stared at her.
"When in Rome..." was the only response that Danielle gave them.
Carter follows her example as Danielle imitated the other guests. Jack sat there for a moment before reluctantly bending forward.
Instead of bowing down completely, he kept his head up to see what was going on - and immediately saw the same type of guards that attacked them on Abydos.
The Serpent Guards filed into the room, lining up on either side of the archway to permit Apophis to pass between them in his new host. He stopped at the head of the table as Danielle looked up.
Apophis surveyed the room with a calm, emotionless stare as Danielle's eyes widened. "Sha're." She whispered
O'Neill stared, confused as Danielle leapt to her feet and ran towards him, but stopped in her tracks halfway as she realized something was wrong. Sha're didn't recognize her.
"Kneel before your god." Apophis said as he saw Danielle.
"Sha're, it-it's me." Danielle said as she stepped towards him.
Apophis's eyes flared with a white-gold light. He raised his hand, palm towards Danielle as he activated the ribbon device. It glowed orange, and the air around it rippled like water.
The device made Danielle's knees buckle as she slumped to the ground.
Jack grabbed his gun and aimed at Apophis, who picked up Danielle which shielded him. Unable to fire for fear of harming Danielle, O'Neill lowered the gun - only to have a Serpent Guard come up behind him and club him in the head with a staff.
Hammond sat in the briefing room of the SGC as Samuels entered and stands at attention. "You wanted to see me, sir?" He asked.
"Once we seal the iris, could we still get a transmission from our team?" Hammond asked.
"Yes, sir," Samuels replied "But we couldn't be sure it's not the aliens, or one of our own people under duress of torture. Sealing the Stargate is the best—"
"How much longer do they have?" Hammond interrupted.
"Just under two hours, sir." Samuels replied.
On a gravel floor Jack was lying flat on his back, unconscious while Carter tried to shake him awake.
"Sir? Sir." Carter said as she shook Jack.
Jack's eyes flew open, as he snapped back into consciousness. He tried to sit up a bit too quickly, and Carter steadied him.
"Whoa. Easy. You've been unconscious for hours." Carter said.
"Danielle, where is she? What did he do to her?" Jack asked.
"I don't know. He took her and left with his guards." Carter answered
As Carter pulled him to his feet, Jack saw that they were in some kind of high-ceilinged dungeon, the very same one Skaara and Sha're were thrown into earlier.
Dozens of people were milling around under the watchful gaze of several Serpent Guards.
"Is there a way out of here?" Jack asked.
"If there is I haven't found it yet but..." Carter said as she pointed a thumb over her shoulder, "look what I did find."
Behind her, Skaara appeared from the crowd, delighted to see his friend.
"O'Neill! You're okay." Skaara said, relieved as he rushes over to Jack, who grabbed him in a relieved hug.
"Carter told me about Sha're, and Dani." Skaara said. "We have to find them."
"If we can't find a way out of here, the mission's a bust anyway. They seal the Gate in just over ninety minutes. Come on, Skaara. Let's find our way out of here." Jack said.
Jack turned around to find himself facing a Serpent Guard, who grabbed his wrist roughly and turned it at an angle.
"Ow!" Jack said as he tried to break free.
"What is this?" The guard asked as he looked at Jack's wrist watch.
"It's a watch." Jack said, in pain.
The Serpent Guard's helmet retracted to reveal Teal'c, who looked curiously at the watch. "This is not Goa'uld technology. Where are you from?"
"Earth. Chicago if you want to be specific." Jack replied.
"Your words mean nothing. Where are you from?" Teal'c asked again.
"Ah, excuse me." Carter said as she squatted down.
As Teal'c looked down, Carter reached down and drew a symbol in the dirt: A triangle with a small circle at its apex. "This is where we're from."
Teal'c stared at it for a second, and then took his staff, sweeping the tail end of the staff through the dirt, completely eradicating the symbol. He then closed his helmet and turned away.
Danielle opened her eyes with a groan, wondering what had happened. As she looked around the room she was in she found herself on a bed. The last thing she remembered was finding Sha're.
A few feet away she saw Sha're, he was talking to one of the serpent guards. "Sha're?" She called as she sat up on the bed, wondering what as going on.
Apophis in the body of Sha're turned to face her, dismissing the serpent guard as he walked towards her and sat down on the bed with her.
"What is your name?" Apophis asked as he held Danielle's chin up.
"Sha're, what happened to you voice?" Danielle asked, still feeling groggy. His voice was deeper, barely even sounding human.
"I am your god Apophis," he said not sure how to respond to her. He had never seen a creature of such beauty before. He had to posses her.
"No, you're Sha're. You're my husband." Danielle said as the fog began to clear in her mind. "D-don't you remember me?"
"Your Sha're is no more." Apophis realized that this must be the wife of his new host.
"No…" Danielle sobbed. Sha're couldn't be gone.
"Please," Danielle said as she cupped Sha're/Apophis's face. "Sha're you must still be in there, please you have to fight!" She begged.
"You're Sha're is gone, nothing of the host remains." Apophis said, surprisingly gently as he pulled Danielle's hands from his face, holding them.
"Take me instead." Danielle said, not believing that Sha're could be gone.
"I have no need for a female host." Apophis denied.
"What do you want?" Danielle asked as she started to cry.
"You," Apophis said simply. "You will stay by my side forever as my queen."
"No." Danielle sobbed. To be just inches away from her husband, but to always be so far apart. It was torture.
"Think of it," Apophis said, "to live for eternity, never growing old."
"I have seen what you do." Danielle said softly. "You hurt people, take them from their homes."
"Is that not the perfect reason to stay?" Apophis asked. "Stay by my side and you can help these people to your heart's content." He said as a plan began to form in his head.
He ruled the slaves through fear and intimidation. If he had a queen that cared for the slaves, perhaps that would bring more Jaffa to his armies, and he would have even more power.
Danielle closed her eyes as she thought. She knew that Sha're was somewhere there, deep inside. Maybe in time she could get through to him. Besides Apophis was right, she could help a lot of people. Her freedom was a small price to pay for the lives of her friends.
"I will stay with you forever if you promise to release everyone you have captured." Danielle said with a heavy heart, feeling as if she had just made a deal with the devil.
"You do not know what you ask woman," Apophis said. It took a lot of time to find the future hosts. It would take time to find more.
"My name is Danielle," she said. "Call it a wedding gift for your future queen," She implored.
"As you wish," Apophis said with a smile. After all there were always more hosts to find.
Outside the twin suns were shining in the blue sky and the wind was blowing fiercely as Kawalsky emerged from a tent, putting his hat on.
"Warren, let's go! Rise and shine! The sun is... " Kawalsky said stopping himself. "Suns are coming up. We're going to be all right."
"We can't go through another night like that, Captain!" Warren said as he put his cap on.
"Yeah, gets a little chilly on this planet at night. Colonel should have sent us a radio message by now." Kawalsky said as he rubbed his hands together.
"When do you have to make the decision?" Warren asked as he pulled his vest on, "whether or not to go back to the Stargate?"
"That'll be about when hell freezes over." Kawalsky replied.
"I think that pretty much describes our current situation." Warren joked.
"We are not leaving here without the Colonel. Is that understood?" Kawalsky said sharply. Feeling irritated he went back under shelter. "Another fine day on Planet Kawalsky," He muttered darkly.
In Apophis dungeon, at the back of the chamber O'Neill hoisted himself up to a tiny window, peering out. There was no glass to shatter, but he was blocked by a metal lattice.
Jack dropped back down to the floor, where Skaara was standing, looking out in case any guards noticed.
"We will save Danielle and Sha're?" Skaara asked hopefully.
"I can't promise you anything at the moment." Jack said as he looked around the chamber.
"But you're a great warrior! We defeated Ra together!" Skaara said as he grabbed his shoulder, stopping him
"Yeah, yeah, I know, but take a look around here. Look at what we're up against." Jack replied.
Skaara looked at him defiantly as O'Neill patted him on the shoulder. "We'll try."
The dungeon doors opened again. Seeing that something was about to happen, O'Neill took Skaara aside towards the center of the room. The crowd was gathering at the foot of the steps, apprehensively trying to see what was going on.
The Serpent Guards filed in, forming two lines on each side of the doorway along the walls.
Teal'c entered, standing in the center of the threshold, his helmet gone. The lines of Jaffa flanking him stepped forward, so that they were all lined up at the head of the stairs.
"Sha'ka ha! Kree hol mel, Goa'uld!" Teal'c shouted.
"What did he say?" Jack asked.
"They are going to choose." Skaara said, dreading what was going to happen.
"Choose what?" Carter asked.
"Who will be the children of the gods." Skaara replied.
The Serpent Guards formed a U-shape, those at the head partially down the steps. A group of Jaffa carried in a gilded, curtained litter, whose occupants couldn't be seen. They set the litter down at the head of the stairs.
"Jaffa!" Teal'c shouted.
Apophis threw back the curtain of the litter and stepped out, glancing at the crowd before turning back to the litter and helping a woman step out as well taking her place beside Apophis.
The woman wore a jeweled headdress with a veil to conceal her face and an elaborate gown. Apophis turned to remove the woman's veil. "Behold!" He said as he lifted the veil and stepped back, "your queen."Danielle looked to be on the verge of tears as she looked at all the people that were in the dungeon.
"Danielle," Skaara said as he stepped forward, but Carter and Jack grabbed his arms and held him back before he could do anything reckless.
"O'Neill, help me, please..." Skaara pleaded.
"Skaara, don't. Don't." Jack warned.
The Serpent Guards descend the stairs into the crowd, moving to stand in two lines to create a protective aisle in the center of the crowd for the Goa'uld to move through safely.
Teal'c spread his arms, moving to the back wall of the dungeon. "Benah! Ya wan, ya duru!"
The Jaffa bearing the litter rushed down and into the crowd, shoving people to their knees.
"Kneel before your masters!" Teal'c shouted.
Carter and Jack were shoved down. Jack glances over at Teal'c, catching his eye. Teal'c nodded slightly, and Jack kneeled. Skaara remained standing, angry and defiant.
"Skaara," Jack warned him.
Reluctantly, Skaara got down on his knees.
"Benah! Ya wan, ya duru! Choose!" Teal'c said.
One of the litter bearers hurried into their path, holding up a young girl for their inspection.
Apophis gave the girl a cursory glance. "No."
The litter bearer immediately tossed her aside, throwing the girl roughly to the floor as Carter winced. O'Neill glanced over at Teal'c again, and suddenly noticed the Jaffa's distaste for these proceedings.
"No!" Danielle said as she stepped away from Apophis and rushed to the crying child. She bent down next to the child, holding her as she whispered to her soothingly. "Everything's going to be okay, I promise."
Teal'c eyes widened, but he showed little else in the way of surprise. The girl was not Goa'uld! But what other reason could there be for her to be here and as the queen of Apophis no less?
Skaara was shocked as well. He thought for sure that Dani was turned into a Goa'uld as well.
Skaara made a rash decision as he shoved past the Serpent Guards, grabbing a hold of one of the serpent guards, trying to knock him away as well. The guards grabbed him by the arms and restrain him.
O'Neill stepped forward, but stopped as two staff weapons were pointed at him.
Teal'c could barely stand it, shaking his head and letting his mask of indifference drop.
"STOP!" Danielle shouted, having seen enough. "You promised Apophis," She said as she held the child. "Please let them go."
Apophis moved forward to stand beside Danielle, pulling her to her feet. "As a gift to my future queen you are all to be released! Pray to her for the compassion she has shown you today!"
At his words, complete shock was shown among the faces of the prisoners. They had never known the Gods to show mercy.
"Dani, what's going on?" Jack asked. He had expected to have to fight his way out, not this.
"Just what he said Jack," Danielle said sadly. "If I stay here with Apophis he's going to let everyone go. He's going to let me help the other people he's keeping here"
"So you're going to trade your soul?" Jack asked in disbelief. "You know that he's just going to find more people don't you?"
"You'll be safe, and so will they." Danielle responded. "That's what's important to me."
"You know that he's not Sha're don't you?" Jack asked.
"I know," Danielle said sadly. "I just have to hope that some part of him is still there."
"I'm going to miss you kid," Jack said as he went up to hug her, accepting things a little too easily.
"I'll miss you too Jack." Danielle replied truthfully.
As Jack took another step closer one of the serpent guards that was guarding Danielle raised his weapon, warning him to step back.
"It's alright," Danielle said, putting her hand on the guard's shoulder, and getting him to lower his weapon, making the guard step back reluctantly.
Jack seeing his chance hugged Danielle tightly for a second before spinning her around, holding her in front of him.
The serpent guards raised their weapons immediately as Apophis shouted angrily, but none of them could shoot for fear of hitting their new queen.
"Jack what are you doing?" Danielle asked frantically. "Apophis promised me that you could leave, you don't have to do this."
"I'm not leaving without you Dani," Jack said evenly.
"I don't want to leave Jack!" Danielle said. "You have to let me go maybe I can still fix this."
"I can save these people, all of them!" Jacks shouted to Teal'c, ignoring Dani for the moment. "Help me!"
"Many have said that!" Teal replied. Without missing a beat, he spun around and fired, hitting one of the Serpent Guards full in the chest. He used the element of surprise to take down the rest of the guards. "But you are the first I believe could do it!" He said as he tossed a staff weapon to him.
Jack caught the staff, not an easy task considering Dani was struggling in his arms, trying to get loose. Jack grabbed her wrists, holding them tightly in one hand, the staff weapon in the other.
Apophis was seething at the betrayal of his first prime as he raised his hand ready to strike him down.
"Uh, uh, ahh" Jack said as he pointed the staff weapon at Dani's head.
Apophis growled as he lowered his hand. "Release my queen!" He shouted.
"Not a chance," Jack said as Teal'c stuck Apophis with a staff blast in the shoulder, sending him to the ground.
"NO!" Danielle shouted with a look of horror in her eyes. "SHA'RE!"
"Take her," Jack instructed the Jaffa. "He was having trouble holding onto her."
Teal'c quickly held onto her with one of his strong arms. "Be silent." He ordered her.
"Sha're! Sha're!" Danielle shouted ignoring everyone else as she tried to get to her husband.
Teal'c seeing that Danielle wouldn't listen to reason jabbed one of his fingers against Danielle's neck. She went limp immediately as she lost consciousness.
"What did you do?" Sam asked in alarm.
"She will be fine. She was struggling too much and would have hindered our escape." Teal'c replied as he slung Danielle over his shoulder.
Teal'c and O'Neill charged the doors, firing at the guards gathered outside to clear the hall. Turning back, O'Neill got an idea.
"Get out of the way!" Jack shouted at the crowd.
The prisoners got the hint and scattered to the left and right as O'Neill ran down the stairs. Two staff blasts blew a gaping hole in the back wall of the dungeon, sending stone and mortar flying.
Apophis sat up from behind a pile of rubble, his injuries finally healed enough for him to sit up, as he watched his former first prime dash out with the unconscious form of his queen slung over his shoulder. "DANIELLE!" He shouted in rage as he watched her being carried off.
The prisoners immediately filed out of the hole, with Carter and O'Neill herding them through.
"Come on! Come on! Go! Go! Move! Let's go! Come on! Go! There you go! Go! Go! Come on!" Carter shouted, getting the people to move faster.
"What's your name?" Jack asked the first prime as they got out of the hole.
"Teal'c." He replied simply.
They headed down the hill into the woods, bringing up the rear of the crowd of refugees heading for the Gate.
O'Neill, Carter, Skaara, and Teal'c were leading the group of refugees towards the Stargate.
"We've got less than an hour. How we doing?" Jack asked.
"We lost a few when we got to the forest," Carter replied.
"They will be hunted down and killed. Anyone who does not exist to serve the gods is their enemy." Teal'c said.
"And that makes you...?" Jack asked.
"I am a Jaffa, bred to serve so that they may live." Teal'c answered.
"I don't understand." Carter said.
Teal'c stopped then, and the entire group came to a halt. Teal'c pulled back a section of his torn chainmail to reveal an X-shaped incision in his stomach. A small symbiote - smaller and paler than the mature Goa'uld - emerged partially from the incision. Carter and Skaara jumped back, and a woman screamed
"What the hell is that?" Jack asked.
"It is an infant Goa'uld, the larval form of the gods. I have carried one since I was a child, as all Jaffa carry one." Teal'c responded as he turned and started walking again.
"Well, get it out of there." Jack promised.
"In exchange for carrying the infant Goa'uld into maturity, a Jaffa receives perfect health and long life. If I were to remove it, I would eventually die." Teal'c revealed.
"Hell, if I were you, I'd take my chances." Jack replied.
A Goa'uld transport vessel glided down to hover directly over the Gate.
"All right, come on, people, let's go. Let's move!" Jack said to the prisoners as he saw the transport.
At his order, the group of people started moving again, this time running for the Stargate.
The refugees were running like crazy now, and with good reason as the aircraft made a pass over them. The craft's weapons, like the heads of Jaffa staff weapons, charged up to fire.
"Take cover!" Jack shouted, seeing the danger.
The craft swooped over them, firing three times at the people below. The refugees scattered, and O'Neill, Carter, Skaara, and Teal'c flattened themselves on the ground.
A couple of shots managed to take out some of the fleeing people before the craft gained altitude again, preparing to make another pass.
O'Neill and Skaara got up and grabbed their staff weapons, firing on the aircraft as it flew low again. Their shots have little to no effect, as the craft continued to fire, the blasts taking out a few more people before it finished its second pass.
"Colonel, we're sitting ducks here!" Carter shouted.
Teal'c and O'Neill got back to their feet as the aircraft made its third pass, returning fire on the craft as it swung back towards them, cannons blasting.
The quickly realized that the Goa'uld transport didn't fire anywhere near the vicinity of Danielle, only at the refugees that were far enough away.
Teal'c and O'Neill continue to fire, but still didn't deter the craft.
On the hill above them, someone aimed and fired a missile launcher at the craft. The missile hit its target, the explosion turning the aircraft into a ball of flame.
O'Neill stared up at the sky where the craft was, with a 'what the hell?' expression on his face.
The refugees started cheering and hugging each other as O'Neill turned around to see Kawalsky and two other soldiers standing on the hill above them.
"Kawalsky," Jack told Carter as he pointed towards him as Kawalsky and the other soldiers raised their arms in the air. "Yeah!!"
O'Neill punched the air right along with them before turning back to the crowd and gesturing. "Come on, folks!"
"Great shot!" Jack complimented as Kawalsky came down to meet them
"What happened to Dani?" Kawalsky asked, seeing her unconscious form being carried by the big man.
"I'll explain when we get back." Jack promised, knowing that they didn't have much time before they were locked out.
At Stargate Command, above the control room. Hammond was still standing there as Samuels came in.
"Sir, the deadline has been reached, standing by to seal off the Stargate, sir." Samuels said.
Hammond didn't reply as he continued to stare down into the Gate room below.
"Awaiting your order, sir," Samuels asked again.
"In a minute, Major," Hammond said sharply.
On Chulak Casey and Warren remained in their position at the top of the rise as Casey spotted something and peered through his binoculars.
Sure enough, staff weapons could be seen moving through the trees. Casey nudged Warren, and they slowly get to their feet as Casey turned his walkie-talkie on. "Sir, we got movement in the trees, a LOT of movement in the trees. We got hostiles, sir! Hostiles closing in!"
At the Stargate Kawalsky, Teal'c, Carter, Skaara, and O'Neill were standing together, listening in.
At the mention of hostiles, Kawalsky turned and shouted to the assembled soldiers and refugees. "Okay, people, we're going on a little field trip." He said as he turned to Carter, "Carter, get busy on that Stargate. We got company."
"Kawalsky, arm your claymores. Me, Casey and Warren will be the last men out." Jack ordered.
"Move! Move! Move!" Kawalsky shouted to the refugees, getting them through the Stargate as quickly as possible.
Atop the rise, Warren and Casey continued to keep a lookout. The Serpent Guards were fairly easy to see now, and were closing in fast.
In the SGC briefing room Hammond was still watching and waiting, but Samuels wasn't so patient.
"Sir?" Samuels asked.
"All right, seal it off. Lock out their transmitters," Hammond said reluctantly
"Yes, sir," Samuels replied as he turned and headed down the stairs to the control room only to rush up the stairs again. "Sir, a wormhole has just been established on the other side."
"Delay my last order!" Hammond said as he hurried down the steps, with Samuels. "Do not seal the Gate or lock out their transmitter codes!"
"Yes, sir," Samuels agreed as they hurry down to the control room.
"Do we have a remote transmitter signal?" Hammond asked as he crossed the room over to the console where Harriman was working.
"No signal yet, General," Harriman said, as he looked at the iris, which was still closed.
"Wait, there it is." Harriman said as they received the remote transmitter signal and the iris slid open.
A defense team was lined up at the bottom of the ramp as Carter bursts through the wormhole. The soldiers aimed their weapons as two more bodies come through.
"Hold your fire! They're refugees!" Carter shouted, getting their attention as she turned to help the two dazed men up.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Captain." Hammond said over the intercom as more and more refugees flooded into the Gate room.
As Teal'c leapt through the wormhole, a still unconscious Danielle slung over his shoulder, and a staff weapon in hand, the defense soldiers immediately aimed their weapons at him.
"Whoa!" Carter yelled. "Hold your fire! Hold your fire! He's with us!"
Hammond and the other officers gaped in shock as Carter walked up the ramp to face Teal'c and he calmly handed her his staff weapon.
"O'Neill, Kawalsky and Casey were the last to stumble through the wormhole.
"Now! Lock it up! Lock it up!" Carter shouted.
In the control room Samuels entered a series of commands into the computer. "Closing iris!"
Less than a second after the iris locked three heavy thuds could be heard, the sound of three armored bodies colliding with the iris at a fatal velocity before the wormhole shut off.
"Wormhole disengaged." Harriman said over the intercom as the iris retracted, and the only thing that could be seen through the ring of the Gate was the back wall of the room.
The refugees swarmed up the ramp as well, laughing, crying, and thankful to be alive. They gratefully embraced Carter, and O'Neill as Teal'c stood to the side, still holding onto Danielle.
Surprised at first, Carter grinned, and O'Neill couldn't help but smile as a woman kissed him on the cheek.
Flanked by soldiers, Hammond finally started up the ramp, staring in confusion at the scene before him. He found Carter, and O'Neill, surrounded by a throng of grateful admirers.
Before Hammond could speak, a medical team started making its way up the ramp. "Stand back! Stand back!" One of the medics ordered.
Hammond moved aside to let the medical team pass, and Teal'c placed Danielle on the stretcher. "She is uninjured." Teal'c informed the medics.
"Let's get her into the infirmary. We'll check her out just to be sure," The medic said as they carried Danielle away.
O'Neill stepped back as the medics started to carry Danielle down the ramp.
"Colonel O'Neill?" Hammond asked. "Care to explain?"
"Um, we can use the Stargate to send these people home, sir." Carter said.
"What's HE doing here?" Hammond asked suspiciously as he pointed to Teal'c.
Jack moved up the ramp to stand beside Teal'c. "General Hammond. This is Teal'c. He helped us."
"Do you know what he is?" Hammond asked disbelievingly.
"Yes sir. I do. He's the man who saved our lives. And if you accept my recommendation, sir, he'll join SG-1." Jack replied.
Carter looked surprised. She didn't see this one coming.
"That decision may not be up to you." Hammond pointed out.
Jack and Hammond stopped to look at Kawalsky who tripped, looking dazed as he put a hand to his forehead and leaned forward like he was going to be ill.
"Kawalsky! You all right?" Jack asked concerned.
"Yeah, I'm good." Kawalsky nodded, looking dazed.
"Colonel O'Neill, Major Kawalsky, the sure-to-be-very-interesting debriefing for SG units 1 and 2 will be at 0730." Hammond said as he left.
"Yes, sir," Jack replied.
Just for a second Kawalsky's eyes flared white-gold but no one seemed to notice.
To Be Continued…
Thanks to everyone that reviewed so far. So what do you think? Let me know what you all think. All constructive critisism is welcome.