Potentia
Chapter 2
Daniel had no idea how much time passed, so focused was he on his task. It was like pulling on an old, decrepit door that was stuck; you used all your strength to budge it and were lucky if it opened even a crack. That's how Daniel felt about trying to gain access to the Ancient knowledge in his mind.
He realized that the second time he'd ascended, he'd been so focused on Oma and Anubis that he'd made no attempt to access the knowledge. Once Oma and Anubis had disappeared, locked in eternal battle, he'd immediately focused on returning to human form and rejoining his teammates.
Now, little by little, he pulled and pried, coaxing tidbits of information that had been locked away. Some of it he understood, some he had a feeling he never would. Using techniques Teal'c had taught him, he cleared his mind and focused on the picture of the door he was trying to open. Slowly, gradually, like a breeze gently blowing across his consciousness, memories began to flow into his mind. It took his breath away. All the secrets of the universe—more than anyone could hope to comprehend. How was he going to find what he needed?
His concentration was interrupted by a pulsing sound and he reluctantly pulled himself away from his search.
On Earth, in the halls of the SGC, the klaxons were sounding. Completely alert now, Daniel watched Jack leave his office and bound down the stairs to the control room, with the fleeting thought that he was surprised his friend could still bound.
"What've ya got, Walter?"
"It's Tuplo's IDC, sir."
"Open the iris."
SFs lined the gateroom, weapons raised, prepared for the unexpected. As Jack entered, he was joined by Sam and Teal'c.
"Sir?"
"Tuplo. I hope."
The event horizon rippled and a figure stumbled through, collapsing to his knees on the ramp.
"Help us, please!" The man lifted his head and Daniel recognized him instantly; it was High Council Member Talos from the Land of Light. The man gazed in fear at the weapons aimed at him, his limbs trembling and his chest heaving with every breath.
"Carter?"
"I don't sense a Goa'uld, sir."
Jack nodded and waved a hand at the SFs. "Stand down."
Weapons lowered and Talos turned his smudged face to Jack. "Please… "
"What's wrong, Talos?"
As the councilman staggered to his feet, he wavered and grabbed for the rail.
"Easy does it," Jack said, taking hold of his arm. Teal'c grabbed the other arm and the two of them helped the man sit down.
"Call for a med team," Sam instructed Walter.
As the announcement rang out, Talos spoke again. "They have taken over the palace!"
"Who?" Jack asked.
"Invaders! They suddenly appeared and began attacking us. They had weapons like Master Teal'c's."
"Jaffa." Teal'c stated what they were all thinking.
According to the people of the Land of Light, the Goa'uld hadn't visited their planet in many generations. Daniel wondered why they'd taken an interest in the place now.
"Were you able to evacuate the palace?" Sam asked.
"Only a few. Most of our ruling council were taken prisoner, including Tuplo."
"Crap. All right, let's get you checked out and then we can get the details."
"No! Please, I urge you not to delay. I am fine but I fear my people are not."
Jack hesitated briefly, glancing from Sam to Teal'c before announcing, "Okay, let's take this to the briefing room. Carter, have Walter get Reynolds, Barnes, and Altman down here ASAP.
"Yes, sir."
~oOo~
"They said their god claimed our world as his own, that we belonged to him now and that we are to serve him."
Daniel watched the exchange taking place in the briefing room, frustrated that he couldn't participate. Talos was somewhat calmer now, but every bit as eager to secure help for his people.
"Who is their god?" Sam asked the question foremost in Daniel's mind.
"He is called Boreas."
"Never heard of him," Jack commented looking to his teammates for any sign of recognition.
Daniel knew the name: Boreas, Greek god of the north wind.
"He was a minor Goa'uld who once served Cronos," Teal'c explained.
"What do you know about him?" Daniel could tell Jack was hoping for some solid intel from the former First Prime.
"I have only heard of him in passing."
"Daniel would—" Sam caught herself and looked apologetically at Jack, whose eyes turned dark before he looked away.
"Where would he get an army large enough to attack a planet?" Reynolds weighed in.
"Many see the downfall of the System Lords as an opportunity to build their own empires," Teal'c replied.
"But most of the Jaffa have deserted their 'gods' now," Altman countered.
"There may be many who do not believe the Jaffa are free. Many others may be afraid to rebel—they have known no other way of life," Teal'c explained.
"Please," Talos interrupted, "how does this help my people? While we talk, they are suffering—"
"Hold on, Talos; we need to know what we're up against," Jack placated.
"How did you get through the gate?" Sam asked.
"They had not yet taken it. No one would tell them where it was. I fear they may have discovered it by now."
Daniel could imagine what methods Boreas would use to obtain the information. It made him sick to think of the peaceful people of the Land of Light being tortured and enslaved. Surely the SGC would come to their aid?
"How many Jaffa did you see?" Jack was gathering all the intel he could get-Daniel knew he wouldn't refuse to help.
"I only saw seven or eight but I heard many more as they invaded other areas of the palace."
"So, if they didn't come through the 'gate, they must have a ship in orbit and ringed to the planet," Jack reasoned. "A bit odd, isn't it?" he asked looking at Teal'c.
"It is possible a minor Goa'uld would not have the address and therefore use rings."
"Okay, so the question is, how many ships and how many Jaffa?"
"Even if they came by ship, there's a good chance they've found the 'gate by now," Sam said, looking at Talos apologetically.
"Perhaps not," Teal'c countered. "If the troops sent to secure the palace were unsuccessful in learning its location, it may still be unattended."
"Then we need to get our teams through before they find it."
"You will help us?" Talos asked hopefully.
"That's what allies do, Talos. Carter, Teal'c—gear up and meet me in the gateroom in fifteen minutes. I'll have SGs 3, 5, 6, and 12 accompany us," he said, looking at each of the team leaders.
"Sir? You're going with us?" Daniel was as surprised as Sam. What was this all about?
"Sounds like they're gonna need all the help they can get," Jack replied. "See you in the gateroom."
Teal'c dipped his head and followed Sam from the briefing room.
~oOo~
Four teams were assembled at the base of the ramp, geared up and ready to go. Jack stood on the ramp, looking out over the people he was about to lead into battle.
God, how Daniel wished he were with them—physically—not forced to sit on the sideline as an observer. He strained to see what lay waiting for them on the other side of the 'gate, but with no one there to connect with, his ability to 'see' was limited to the Earth side of the event horizon.
Jack gave the order and a shock grenade was tossed through. A few seconds later, the MALP followed it. Jack glanced at Sam in the control room as she watched the images being relayed.
"It's clear, sir. Looks like we took down about half a dozen Jaffa." She left the control room, descended the stairs, and joined the teams waiting for their orders.
"Then they've found the 'gate," Jack said, "Be alert, people." Instructions were hastily given and he signaled everyone forward.
The second Jack stepped out of the gate onto the dark side of the planet, Daniel felt his senses expand, allowing him to see the planet.
While the SG members secured the unconscious Jaffa, Daniel's senses prickled. Searching, he became aware of more Jaffa hiding in the dense foliage. They made no move to attack and a sense of dread washed over Daniel.
Jack!
His friend didn't hear him and instead ordered the teams to head for the city. The hidden Jaffa still didn't attack, holding their positions behind the teams now marching towards the light. Clarity moved like ice through his being—it was a trap. The Jaffa were expecting them. This had been planned and his team was walking right into it.
Concentrating, Daniel stretched his mind outward, searching. The faint image of the palace filled his mind, becoming clearer until he could see the Jaffa filling its halls. Others were on sentry, looking down on the surrounding countryside—waiting.
Pushing harder, he turned his attention upward until it rested on two Ha'tak ships in orbit. He wasn't sure how many Jaffa could be carried on two Ha'taks, but surely the SG teams would be able to—"
Daniel's thoughts froze and the feeling of dread pressed even harder. Testing the limits of his ability, he searched farther into the darkness of space. Oh, God.
This had been a well-thought out plan. Questions about how it had been done fled in the face of one glaring fact: his friends were about to be slaughtered or captured; either way, it was bad.
Stop! his not-voice shouted. Jack! Sam! Teal'c!
They marched on, oblivious to Daniel's calls and oblivious to the fleet of ships in hiding on the other side of the planet's two moons.
With every ounce of strength he could muster, he screamed a warning. "Jack, stop!"
His friend hesitated, stopped, and threw a momentary glance back the way he'd come. Shaking his head, Jack turned and resumed his trek towards the city.
~oOo~
The hairs on the back of Jack's neck bristled and he turned and looked behind him. Nothing there—all was quiet. The Touched were long gone, so why was he being so jumpy? He wasn't about to admit it to anyone, but the dark side of P3X-797 gave him the creeps. Maybe that was the problem—it was too quiet. Something wasn't right—he could feel it. Maybe it was just the dampness seeping into his joints. Maybe it had been too long since he'd been on a 'real' mission. Or maybe he was just getting old and senile, which would explain why he was hearing Daniel's voice.
He shook his head and turned back to the task at hand. There was no room for distractions going into a fight.
Why in the hell had he decided to go on this mission, anyway? It'd seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he wasn't so sure. Maybe it was time he left the fighting to the younger guys. He'd paid his dues; he was a general, for cryin' out loud! But he knew that wasn't the problem. The problem was that something—someone—was missing and it felt way too much like— Nope, not goin' there. The truth was, he needed the distraction; something to focus on besides . . . that.
Light in the distance signaled the edge of the dark side and Jack gladly pushed those thoughts away and focused on what they were there to do.
~oOo~
Daniel couldn't remember ever feeling this helpless. All he could do was stand by and watch as his friends marched to their deaths. He wanted to be optimistic, but the reality was that their four teams didn't stand a chance against the legions of Jaffa that were waiting for them. Jack had sent for the Odyssey to back them up, but it would be too little, too late.
Who was this Boreas? How had a minor Goa'uld managed to gather so many Jaffa? Most of all, Daniel wondered why such a small player was going to such great lengths to engage a relatively small group of Tau'ri.
Boreas. North Wind. One of four. Daniel wanted to cry out as realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
Notos, the South Wind. Euros, the East Wind. Zephyros, the West Wind.
Together they were the Anemoi—the Greek Wind-Gods. One never acted without the other three. Given SG-1's track record for taking down the Goa'uld, it made sense that any new player in the galaxy would want to get rid of them. With a steel-like certainty, Daniel knew each of the Anemoi was working toward a common goal: to take down SG-1. One of them had been responsible for the attack on Cretera, the planet where he'd ascended. That trap had almost worked. He wondered if they were working for someone else, or if the plan was one of their own making. At the moment, it didn't matter—all that mattered was that Jack, Sam, and Teal'c were walking into a trap. He had to help them.
It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but he forced himself to withdraw from the people that meant more to him than anything else in the world and retreat to the quiet sanctuary in his mind. Calming himself, he returned to the task of coaxing out the memories and knowledge he'd been learning to unlock. His friends' survival, and possibly that of Earth, depended on him gaining access to the Ancient knowledge and being able to use it without the Others stopping him.
~oOo~
Jack keyed his radio, sending a series of taps—their pre-arranged signal to split up and come out from different locations. He watched Carter and Teal'c veer to the right while Reynolds and Barnes cut to the left. He stayed with Altman, taking the path that led straight ahead and out of the forest.
Reaching the treeline, Jack took off his night vision goggles and scanned the area. They waited, giving the others a chance to get into position. His radio chirped once, twice, both giving the all clear signal. Confident they weren't facing a bunch of Jaffa, he gave his orders. "All right, move out, nice and easy. Check in when you reach Point B."
Point B was a long ridge that overlooked the city, which they reached after a short walk. Crouching low, Jack crept forward and got his first look at the occupied city. Memories of their first visit assailed him, a familiar voice talking rapidly about the culture that had spawned this place. He'd never told Daniel that he'd seen that culture up close and personal on one of the leaves he'd taken to Crete when he was stationed in the Near East. No, he'd just let the young man ramble on. He'd discovered early on that Daniel needed to talk, as though he physically couldn't hold all that information inside. Jack just didn't always feel like listening.
What he'd give to be able to listen to him now. And what right did he have to be bitter? He was the one that let Daniel go—Hell, it was his idea!
"Sir." Carter's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Yeah."
"A troop of Jaffa just exited the main gate."
That's what he got for daydreaming—he hadn't even seen them. Just another reason he shouldn't be out here. He pulled out his field glasses and took a closer look. They were heading this direction, probably on their way to find out why the comrades they left at the gate weren't answering. Eight Jaffa—they could handle that. And he knew just the spot.
"Reynolds."
"Yes, sir."
"Take cover in those trees where the path crests the ridge. Wait until the middle of the line reaches the top, then open up."
"Understood, sir."
"Carter. Can you make your way closer to the bottom of the ridge on this side without being seen?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Once you're there, wait for SG-3 to open fire on the Jaffa and then move in and cut off their retreat."
"Understood."
After they dealt with this bunch, they'd make their way to the palace and clear it out before ole Bore-ass knew what hit him. Piece of cake.
TBC