Author's note: I've upped the rating on this chapter to teen, due to some nasty words. Contains character death - be warned!

Chapter 5

Just a little ahead of time,Daniel thought, as he rematerialized on the ramp at the SGC's training site. As much as Jack wanted to get through the gate earlier, there really was a lot to learn Earth-side before they moved on to Tango, so in the end they were only one day early. Daniel observed that Colonel Reynolds and the rest of SG-3 who had preceded them were already fanned out in standard perimeter defense.

The gate here was ramped just like the one on Earth, and Daniel quickly moved down and stepped aside, turning to watch the others come through. He grinned to himself as Jack came through next and did the exact same thing, only stepping to the other side of the ramp. This was a practice SG-1 had adopted early on whenever they accompanied first-time gate travelers. The first through the stargate checked the perimeter; the next kept track of the newbies. Positioning himself where he had a good line of sight, but not so far that he couldn't come quickly to someone's aid, Daniel glanced at Jack then back up the ramp.

God, it's good to have Jack back among us for so long!Daniel thought. And he knew taking this much time wasn't easy on Jack – after all, the rest of Jack's responsibilities hadn't gone on hiatus while he was at the SGC overseeing the military liaison members' training. In fact, Hank Landry had offered Jack the use of his office, but O'Neill asked instead for a separate space, and ended up in an office located rather obscurely down a back hall behind Landry's. Daniel knew that Jack had been working late into the night just keeping up with the paperwork that his job required. His thoughts drifted...


Daniel lightly rapped on Jack's door, balancing a tray laden with sandwiches from the mess hall on one hand, saying "Knock, knock," before stepping through.

Jack looked up from the file he was reading, and gave Daniel a grin. "I could use a joke. But what's this?" he waved at the tray.

"I thought that after all the times you brought food to my lab when I couldn't tear myself away, I should return the favor."

Jack's grin spread, "Yes!" and he pushed aside some paperwork, exposing a corner of the desk for the tray.

Daniel dragged a chair over, grabbed one of the sandwiches himself, and he and Jack had dinner together, laughing and talking.

I miss this, Daniel mused.


His mind returned to the present as he heard a sharp intake of breath from the person exiting the ring. "Mei guan!" General Chung exclaimed, halting and staring at the two moons visible in the sky overhead. Yes, beautiful indeed, Daniel thought. But before he could say anything in reply, Admiral Lloyd exited the gate right on top of Chung, bumping into him and pushing the General down, rolling off the ramp. Jack was on them in a flash, pulling them up while shouting to those still exiting, "Keep moving people! Plenty of time for sightseeing later!"

Daniel quickly rushed to help them. "Are you okay?"

"Only my pride damaged, thank you," Lloyd said as he brushed off his uniform.

"I'm very sorry," Chung apologized. "I was…caught up in the moment."

Jack picked up Chung's hat from the ground and handed it to him, "Just not at the top of the ramp with people following right behind you, huh?"

"Yes. Good idea."

Jack clapped him on his back and looked up, turning his attention to those continuing down the ramp. "Okay, let's move out!"

Daniel watched as the last of the group came through the gate, and the wormhole disengaged. He and Jack turned as one, moving in step behind them. "Just like old times," he muttered to Jack.

SG-3 had the lead, heading toward the training facility that was a little more than a mile away. They had no more started moving when there was a bright flash and loud explosion in the trees off to their left.

"Take cover!" Reynolds yelled, as Daniel threw himself to the ground behind the nearest large object, a boulder, and Jack landed next to him.

"Oh, yeah, just like old times!"

Daniel stared at Jack. Is he grinning?

"Jack …" it was question, but Daniel already knew the answer. Suddenly the ambushers made themselves known, rushing out from cover at them, a squad of insurgents lead by one Lt. Col. Samantha Carter.

"Gotcha!" she called, looking around at the bodies sprawled about.

Jack stood up, surveying his students. Fortunately, they had all hit the ground, even fanning out as they went. "All right! That was okay for a first time. I guess it's been a long time since some of you have been in the field"

He turned to Sam. "Good job, Carter. Didn't even give us time to get over the awe before the shock. Can't wait to see what else you have in store!"

Carter just smirked, as she leaned over to give a hand up to General McMillan, who was nearest to her. "Thank you, sir," she replied.

"Reynolds, let's move out, again, please," Jack made a forward motion with his arm, and Reynolds nodded, barking orders to his team.

"He hates it when that happens," Jack said under his breath to Daniel and Sam.

"Yeah," Sam huffed. Daniel just smiled. Just like old times.


As the contingent from the SGC marched onto the grounds of the training center, a lone figure watched from the far 302 hangar. He saw the base commander, Colonel Black, greet first General O'Neill, and then the other officers from the IOA liaison. He silently shook his head. The great General O'Neill. He won't be much longer….


One of the greatest strengths of the Tango site was its pilot program. Here, far from the prying eyes of anyone but Stargate personnel, pilots and trainers could learn and practice openly. There were several of the spacecraft here, although most were older models, as the newest and best were always reserved specifically for Earth defense.

Not all the students were pilots however. Daniel had charge of those who would not be going up in the 302's, whereas Jack, predictably, took personal charge of training those who would. So while Jack, Teal'c and Sam had Darshkevich, McMillan, Takei and Phillips out on the runway, Daniel and Reynolds had Generals Chung, D'Albe, and Admiral Lloyd in the base's control center. From there, they could monitor communications, and the "big board," the computer generated display of all aircraft/spacecraft in the vicinity.

The pilots were only in their second day of training. The "geeks" as Jack called them, but only to Daniel, were learning the tactical aspects from the control center only. General Chung was an engineer, Daniel learned, and had designed rockets from the time he was a junior officer, later growing into command positions. He had been designated to be China's representative due to this technical background. General D'Albe, on the other hand, had been in Command and Control, electronics, but was considered a great tactician. Admiral Lloyd had been a submariner and later a fleet officer, who told Daniel jokingly that all aircraft were "targets" to him.

Looking around the room, Daniel smiled as he watched D'Albe, Lloyd, and Chung oohing-and-ahhing as they moved about looking at the displays and pointing out various capabilities to each other. Although much of the room was based on Asgard technology, the displays were built to deliberately resemble units that were used currently on Earth, so that the familiarity would make it easier to use for Earth personnel.

Jack's voice came over the speakers in the room.

"Okay, we're about set for takeoff here. Tango Center, this is Viking One, how do you read?"

Reynolds hit the microphone switch and spoke into his headset. "We read you 5 by. Stand by, sir."

Reynolds glanced behind him, saying, "Positions, please, sirs." Daniel moved over to sit at the main console next to him.

"Viking One standing by," Jack's voice returned. "Alright, she's all yours, Oleg."

Looking around to make sure all was set and proper, Reynolds gave a nod to Daniel.

"Viking One, you are cleared for take off. Good hunting."

This time it was Darshkevich's voice that replied. "Roger, cleared for takeoff."

Even inside the Command Center, the roar of the 302's taking flight was loud enough to shake the walls. Daniel couldn't help but think of his friend, having the most fun he'd had in ages. This is good for Jack.

Daniel watched the display in front of him as four bright objects moved together into formation moving away from their position. Yesterday, the pilots had only been doing were standard maneuvers, as they learned the "feel" of the control of the craft. Sam explained to him that because it was computer driven, you couldn't actually feel anything through the stick or foot pedals that were used to control the aircraft, so engineers had actually programmed in a feedback response to pilots that simulated the "feel" of the craft.

Daniel leaned back in the chair. Today the pilots were going to do more advanced maneuvers, maybe some combat situations like they had practiced in the simulators. He watched the display blips as they started to pull apart, giving them each plenty of room to maneuver. As he watched, one blip kept moving further and further out.

"O'Neill," he heard Teal'c's voice over the radio. "You are past the outer marker."

"I know," came the response.

Reynolds came to a stand behind Daniel, staring at the display over his shoulder. From his console, D'Albe called out, "Speed is increasing on Viking One, exceeding training protocol."

Now Sam's voice came over the speaker, "Sir? A change of plans?"

"Ah, crap! Fucking recall device!"

"O'Neill!" Teal'c's voice was urgent. "What has occurred?"

There was no response.

Daniel looked over his shoulder to Reynolds. "You don't suppose? Is he doing that recall-device thing as a training scenario for Darshkevich?"

Reynolds just shook his head. "He didn't say anything to me. But you know the General."

"Viking Two in pursuit," Teal'c again.

"Right behind you, Viking Two," Sam's voice from the other 302.

"Viking Four, return to base," Reynolds decided not to take any more chances, ordering the other aircraft back.

"All of you!" Jack's voice was back, and Daniel relaxed a little. "Vikings Two, Three and Four, return to base!"

Daniel got on the radio then. "Jack! What's happening?"

"Deja vu, Daniel, Deja vu. We got a message from some guy named Onuris, saying we are going to meet him. The aircraft is out of our control."

Daniel looked over his shoulder at Reynolds, their eyes meeting for several seconds, then Daniel got a wisp of a smile on his face. "A training scenario, right?" he asked Reynolds. "Jack's been a little bored, wanted some excitement?"

Reynolds stared wide-eyed at Daniel. "Let's find out." He spoke into the mic again, "Viking One, are you Golf Tango Golf?" using the code words to ask if he were indeed playing out a part, or having a true emergency. There was no response.

Daniel now spoke into the mic. "Come on, Jack, what's going on out there?"

No response.

"You were planning this, right? Jack?" Daniel was annoyed.

Now, Sam's voice came back, insistent, "No, Daniel! This isn't what General O'Neill planned at all! This was to be simple training today. He wasn't allowing any scenarios until he was sure everybody was signed off on pilot status."

For the first time, Daniel felt a frisson of fear go through him. No, Jack wouldn't allow a training mission until he was sure they'd all be safe, would he? "You don't think Jack planned this?"

The radio was silent again, and remained so. The roar of the other 302's returning was all that broke the silence.


On board a lone spacecraft, hurtling through space, Jack O'Neill found himself doing something that, ironically, he never thought he'd do – apologizing to a Russian. "I'm sorry, Oleg. I thought all our spacecraft had been completely examined for these things. God! This so cannot be happening!"

"Surely they were inspected, O'Neill. Especially the craft that you yourself would fly." There was a pause, as Oleg continued to try to find something, anything on the 302 that would work. Now, even the radio was malfunctioning. While they could still hear the conversations from the ground, the control center apparently could no longer hear them.

Jack heard Reynolds' request, then Daniel's "come on," and worried more. "We've got an even bigger problem, Oleg. We've done this sort of thing many times as part of training scenarios. SG-1 might not even believe we're really in trouble."

"And a problem worse yet, my friend…." The Russian let the thought linger.

"Yeah, I know. This was deliberate sabotage. There's a spy down there, and they don't know it."


Onuris strode into the Ha'tak's glider bay. The human vessel had been pulled in and was now secured, it's engines powered off. It was surrounded by Jaffa, and the hatch just opened. Slowly, the two humans stood and climbed out of the spacecraft, prodded by Jaffa to keep moving.

"All right, all right!" one of them, the human whom Onuris recognized as O'Neill, complained as he slowly moved down the wing to the ground. One of the Jaffa hit him from behind with his staff weapon, bringing the man down.

Onuris came to a halt, both humans now on their knees before him. The other spoke first, a Russian, came a memory supplied by his host.

"You look familiar. Oh, yes. Robert Kinsey…." The man actually dared to speak, but the Jaffa behind him silenced with with a blow.

"You speak to your God, Onuris."

"Oh, please, so cliché," from O'Neill this time, who likewise was immediately silenced.

"General Jack O'Neill, my host is displeased to see you again," Onuris sneered at O'Neill. "His displeasure amuses me."

O'Neill looked up, straight into his eyes, but said nothing.

"But what is even more amusing, is that as much as my host detests you, he also sees you as the only hope of his salvation. One that is not to be."

With a flip of his hand, Onuris signaled to the First Prime standing at his right, who immediately brought his staff weapon to bear and fired upon O'Neill. His body dropped to the deck.

Shocked, Oleg Darshkevich roared "Tvoyu matz!",and charged Onuris, only to be knocked down to the deck by the Jaffa.

"Do not worry," Onuris sneered at Oleg. "My host also detests Russians."

With that he contemptuously turned on his heel to leave, signaling his Jaffa. They grabbed O'Neill by the wrists and dragged his lifeless body away. Other Jaffa pulled Darshkevich to his feet, forcing him to move in the opposite direction.

TBC