Potentia

Chapter 3

Sharp staccato raps punctuated at the edge of his awareness. Daniel tried to ignore it; he couldn't afford to be distracted now. Tat, tat, tat… tat tat… The sound became clearer and he knew exactly what it was—gunfire. He hesitated, torn between completing his task and checking on his friends. The latter won out.

Immediately his vision took him to the fields of the Land of Light where a battle was underway. It was just as he feared—the SG teams were already under fire from the first wave of Jaffa.

Sam and Teal'c were back to back, surrounded by Jaffa who were pouring through the trees behind them. Their P-90s cut down Jaffa after Jaffa, but more kept coming.

Jack and Altman were at opposite ends of a low boulder, digging in as much as possible as wave after wave of the enemy pushed towards them. Daniel could see the plains below, filled with Jaffa filing out of the city, and the forest between the 'gate and his team crawling with more of the enemy. His friends were badly outnumbered and he knew that unless he was able to free himself and come to their aid, they would all be killed.

Once again, he forced himself to turn away and leave them behind as he retreated to his prison. He tried to tune out the sharp sounds of P-90s and staff weapons as he struggled to focus on his task, but the zaps and blasts were like arrows piercing his soul and he found his anger rising.

How could such powerful, 'enlightened' beings sit back and do nothing in the face of evil? These people—his friends, his family—had sacrificed everything, and because of them, most of the galaxy was free. If anyone deserved to be saved, it was them. It couldn't end like this. And he couldn't—wouldn't—sit by again and do nothing.

His mind was in turmoil, churning with anger at the unfairness of it, aching to take action. Unable to contain his rage, he channeled all of his energy into one place and released a silent scream to the universe.

As that energy broke free, the floodgates opened, Ancient knowledge pouring into his mind, overwhelming his consciousness—he was drowning in it. His instinct was to withdraw, to protect himself from the onslaught; but somehow he knew that was the wrong thing to do. Relaxing, he opened his mind and allowed it to fill him up, spreading through ever particle of his being.

It was like nothing he'd ever felt before—far beyond what he'd experienced when he'd previously ascended, an experience he clearly remembered now. Like a distant thunderstorm whose far-off rumbling sends vibrations rippling through the body, so the Ancient knowledge washed through his consciousness. His vision expanded to touch the far reaches of the universe even as his mind sorted through the infinite repository of knowledge now available to him.

He was everywhere and nowhere—in a drop of rain and in the birth of a star. In one beat of a human heart, the answers to the mysteries of the universe were at his non-existent fingertips. Everything he'd ever wanted to know was here—all he had to do was think it.

~oOo~

Jack knew it was a trap the minute the Jaffa appeared through the trees behind them, instantly bringing back memories of the ambush that had led to Daniel's death. The uneasy feeling he'd had when they exited the gate made sense now, and he wondered if it really had been Daniel calling out to him—warning them.

They'd all taken what little cover they could find—small boulders offering little in the way of protection. Carter and Teal'c focused their efforts on the Jaffa flowing out of the trees while he and Altman kept their troops firing on the waves of Jaffa pouring across the plain from the city. They were sorely outnumbered and Jack knew with cold certainty that it was just a matter of time.

And then that time was up.

One of the Jaffa slipped through their defenses and Jack suddenly found a staff weapon aimed at him. Before he could react, the Jaffa fired on him. At the same moment, the Jaffa was hit by P-90 fire, sending the blast off-center. It hit him low on the right side of his abdomen, knocking him backwards onto the grass. He didn't have to see the wound to know his chances of survival were slim.

Jack lay on his back, the sounds of battle raging around him. Through a haze of pain, he lifted his eyes upwards, searching the deceptively calm blue sky. There was only one thing that could save him—one person. He'd always expected to die in battle on some far-off planet; he'd just always thought Daniel would be there with him. But was Daniel out there now? And even if he was watching, would the Others stop his friend if he tried to help?

As his lifeblood flowed out of him, mingling with the dust of a planet light years from home, he knew he had to try.

"Daniel."

~oOo~

"Daniel."

The whisper of his name was like an electric shock to his mind, jerking his attention away from the knowledge of the universe and directing it to the battlefield of the Land of Light. Instantly, Daniel was aware of everything that was happening on the planet, from the SG teams taken prisoner at the 'gate, to Teal'c, who'd thrown his body across Sam's, one hand still firing his staff weapon while the other tried to protect her from flying debris. She lay deathly still, blood trickling from a wound on her temple. All around them were scattered the bodies of dead Jaffa and SGC personnel.

But it was the person who'd called his name that captured his full attention. Jack lay sprawled on his back, eyes looking skyward. His P-90 rested in the lax fingers of one hand, while the other hand was splayed to staunch the flow of blood from a staff wound in his stomach.

"No!" Daniel's shout rumbled across the land, causing Jaffa and human alike to pause in the midst of battle, their faces filled with fear and confusion. But the hesitation was brief and the air quickly filled with the sounds of strife once again.

Refusing to believe he was too late, Daniel drew on his new-found power and unleashed it.

~oOo~

Jack found it harder and harder to breathe, his vision beginning to gray as he continued to look heavenward. A voice boomed, "No!" its sound like a percussive blast across the land. Despite his pain and failing strength, he smiled.

Dark storm clouds rolled across the clear blue sky, boiling higher and higher until they blotted out the sun. Lightning flashed blindingly bright as it raced from the clouds to the ground, striking a Jaffa near Jack's position. Other Jaffa stopped short as their comrade screamed, his body smoking as it hit the ground.

Jack turned his head slightly, watching as some of the Jaffa dropped their weapons and ran, while others resumed the battle at the urging of their commanders. Brilliant flashes of light streaked from the sky, zeroing in on their targets until the ground was littered with dead Jaffa. He could hear distant screams as more bolts of lightening illuminated the sky.

Jack felt a lethargy spreading through his limbs and he knew he didn't have much time. Still, the small smile remained on his lips at the clear evidence that his plea had been heard. Maybe Daniel would be with him at the end after all. Eyes still on the sky, he watched as a bright blue-white ball of light formed in the air. Its swirling tendrils drew closer, coalescing into a familiar human form.

"Daniel?" His voice was so soft he could barely hear it himself.

Daniel's face shimmered as the corners of his mouth pulled up into a smile. "Jack."

"Knew… you'd… come."

"Couldn't let you have all the fun without me."

"Ass." Jack's laugh morphed into a ragged cough.

"It's good to see you, too," Daniel replied, his smile widening.

Teal'c appeared with Sam, one arm around her waist steadying her. Jack felt a flood of relief run through him, knowing the rest of his team was safe.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said in surprise as he gently lowered Sam to sit in the grass next to Jack.

"Daniel—I can't believe you're really here," Sam said, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Teal'c, Sam," Daniel acknowledged. "You all right, Sam?"

"I'll be fine," she replied, taking in Jack's wound before lifting her eyes to Daniel again.

Daniel nodded to her before turning his attention back to Jack, lowering himself to his knees until the two of them were face to face. "Hang on, Jack, you're gonna be fine, too."

Surely his friend could see how bad it was. "Daniel, I'm not—" His words stopped abruptly as Daniel held his palm over Jack's injury. Immediately, warmth enveloped the area, quickly spreading throughout his body. All pain vanished and the weakness that had taken hold dissipated, replaced by a new sense of well-being.

"Oh, my God!" Sam gasped as Daniel removed his hand and sat back, smile still firmly in place.

Jack took the first deep breath he'd had since being hit and, raising himself up on his elbows, looked down at his injury. Where moments before a gaping wound had been draining his life away, now there was only healthy, pink skin. He looked up into Daniel's glowing face, struggling to believe what had just happened. He really hadn't thought he'd ever see his friend again, but here he was—maybe not in the flesh—but he was here and he'd just healed Jack's wound.

"Daniel, I… I…"

"You're welcome," Daniel replied. "But it's not over, Jack. Boreas is in league with three others."

"How do you know this, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"Trust me, Teal'c, I know. You need to get everyone back to the 'gate; there are more Jaffa on the way."

"Wait, what about you, Daniel?" Jack didn't like the sound of that—what was Daniel planning to do?

"There are six Hat'aks in orbit above us. I'll do what I can, but—"

Jack watched Daniel go completely still, his gaze drifting off into the distance. Then the intense blue eyes turned back to lock with Jack's. "Call the SGC. You're going to need reinforcements—a lot of them."

"Sir!" Carter's eyes were looking to the sky and Jack followed her gaze.

The gray clouds that had begun to dissipate were boiling again, and out of them appeared several dozen balls of glowing white light, their waving tendrils tipped with red. Daniel turned his gaze to the heavens and his body began to glow intensely. He turned back to Jack and said, "Looks like the Others aren't very happy with me. Call the SGC, Jack, and then go." And then his body was gone, replaced by a swirling steel-blue ball of energy which rose steadily towards the others.

"Daniel!" Jack tried to call him back, but the energy being that was Daniel continued to drift upwards. Jack's brief moment of happiness evaporated with the certainty that these were the infamous 'Others', and suddenly he feared for his ascended friend. Be careful, Daniel.

~oOo~

Reluctantly, Daniel left his friends behind, hoping Jack would heed his warning and contact the SGC. He had expected the Others to show up. Actually, he was a bit surprised they hadn't tried to prevent him from destroying the Jaffa. Maybe they knew he would be harder to stop this time. It was clear to him now what Shifu had been trying to tell him, that he had attained something far beyond what he'd been before. He could remember his previous ascensions now and he knew this time was different—he could feel the increase in knowledge and power—and welcomed it. He'd once told Jack that ascension didn't make you all-powerful and all-knowing; maybe not, but this was pretty darn close.

He watched as more and more of the Others appeared, glowing form after glowing form joining together above the battlefield. Daniel drew strength from the Ancient knowledge that was now a part of him, and prepared himself for the confrontation.

"You have defied our rules once again," a voice stated as he reached their level.

"Allowing innocent people—good people—to die is wrong," Daniel returned. "Your rules are wrong and I choose not to follow them."

"We cannot permit that," the voice countered.

The ranks of the Others swelled until the sky was filled with their brilliant light. Daniel wasn't sure how many he could take on, but he knew he wielded much more power than the 'average' ascended being. It didn't matter—he was sick to death of their non-interference rule and if this was where he made his final stand, he'd be at peace with it, knowing he'd done everything he could to help his friends.

"You can try and stop me, but you know I've reached a higher plane than any of you. It won't be easy." He'd at least give them the chance to change their minds.

"So be it," came the reply. They weren't giving up.

Daniel could not only see the intensity of their energy building, he could feel it, just as he could feel his own power growing. He could sense his friends on the planet, still watching, and allowed himself one more moment of connection to them. "Go, Jack, get out of here."

And then they were on him.

TBC