The following week passed too quickly and with no word from the Asgard Jack found himself outside of Hammond's office on the morning of the 14th. He rapped his knuckles on the door and waited for permission to enter.
He sat down in the chair opposite Hammond and waited for his superior officer to speak. The older man looked at him for a few moments, before pushing a copy of his report towards him.
"I'm sorry Colonel; I sent a copy of this report to the NID a few moments ago"
Jack nodded and rubbed his hands over his face.
"Jack…. Son…… I'm sorry, but with no word from the Asgard my hands are tied. Two NID agents will be here tomorrow morning to review the situation"
"To take her away and lock her up you mean. Come on General, she saved my life and they're gunna throw away the key!"
He stood up and hobbled towards the door.
"I won't let them have her General. She deserves better!"
He slammed the door behind him slumping against the wall outside. He buried his face in his hands as his knees gave way and he slipped slowly to the floor. A silent sob escape his throat before he realized that Daniel was stood a few feet away looking down at him.
"Okay so what's the plan?"
He whipped his fingers quickly across his eyes and looked up at the younger man.
"What?"
"You're gunna want to get her off world before those NID agents arrive tomorrow"
Jack smiled and accepted the hand that Daniel offered him, helping him to stand.
"Get Carter and Teal'c, I'll be in my quarters with Lalia"
He clapped his friend on the back and walked away, turning as he reached the end of the corridor.
"Thanks Daniel"
"No problem"
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Lalia was sitting closed legged on the bed in his quarters when he slipped quietly through the door. She was dressed in pair of shorts Carter had leant her, apparently they wore the same size, and one of his old academy t-shirts. Her hair waved loosely down her back and he paused for a second in the door way to take in the sight of her. She seemed to be concentrating hard on something, and it took him a few second to realize what it was. The TV remote was floating in the air a few inches from her face.
"Whatcha doin?" he asked quietly.
Her concentration broke and the remote fell onto the bed between her crossed legs. She lifted her eyes to his and he could feel her confusion mixing with his own.
"I uh….. I don't know. I was looking for this" She held the remote up to him "to watch one of the films Teal'c brought me and….." her voice trailed off and she shrugged slightly.
He sat down on the bed next to her and took the remote from her, turning it over in his hands.
"Can you do it again?" he asked holding the object up to her.
She fixed her gaze on the remote in his hands and concentrated, after a few seconds he felt it lifting out of his fingers. It spun around a few times in the air and then came to rest lightly on the bed between them. Her eyes met with his for a few seconds before a quiet cough from the door way drew their attention.
They both looked up, startled, to find Daniel, Carter and Teal'c stood in the doorway.
"I didn't know she could……" Daniel spluttered.
Jack shook his "Neither did we"
His three team mates entered the room and Teal'c shut the door behind them. Lalia looked at each of them in turn, and he could feel her fear growing, she knew why they were here.
"Don't worry" he said, pulling her into his arms "We're gunna get you out of here"
"How?"
"Sir, I think I have an idea"
"I'm all ears Carter"
"If she can do that" she waved her hand vaguely at the TV remote "with something larger or from a distance it could be the key to dialing out"
Jack smiled "Carter you're a genius!"
_______________________________________________________
The spent the rest of revising their plan. Lalia practiced with various objects and they soon discovered that with a lot of concentration she could move some substantially sized objects. It left her tired and drained but Jack hoped she would be able to do what was needed.
They had decided that the following morning would be the ideal time to execute their plan, while Hammond was distracted with the newly arrived NID agents. Carter had been planning to update the dialing computer for months and this would serve as a good distraction for Siler and the other control room staff. And while all three were willing to help them get to the gate room, Jack was adamant that Carter be as little involved as possible. He wasn't going to let her ruin her career for him.
"Thanks guys" he said for what felt like the hundredth time as they one by one they said goodnight and left him alone with Lalia.
He sighed and sat down heavily on the bed, his right hand rubbing absently at his broken ribs, which had started to ache some hours ago. Lalia looked exhausted and her face was pinched with pain. He reached for the bottle of pain killers and handed one to her along with a glass of water, before dry swallowing one himself. He lay back on the bed and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair.
"I hope this comes off as planned" he whispered.
She looked up at him suddenly, her eyes gazing into his.
"It will" she answered, then, looking thoughtful, added "And even if it doesn't, it was worth the risk. I wouldn't change these short weeks I have spent with you, for years of life free and alone"
"I know. I just wish things hadn't turned out this way"
"Me too"
_____________________________________________________
An insistent knocking on the door woke them the following morning, it was Daniel.
"The NID agents have arrived and are heading to Hammond's office. Sam's on her way down to the control room to start the update. We need to go. Now"
They dressed quickly and moved silently through the corridors towards the gate room. Teal'c met them at the door with a large pack filled with supplies. Jack could have kicked himself, he had forgotten about taking anything with them, they were still a little unclear on what they intended to do when they got off world. Thankfully Teal'c hadn't forgotten.
He looked at his two teammates "You don't have to go through with this"
Daniel smiled at him "Come on Jack, you know we wouldn't have it any other way"
"I'm gunna miss you Space Monkey"
He hugged his friend quickly and grasped Teal'c's arm before turning to Lalia.
"You need to close the blast doors and manually dial the gate as quickly as possible. We'll secure the other doors, but it won't take them long to work out what's going on and find a way in"
She nodded; her nervousness obvious, even to Daniel and Teal'c. She hugged each of them quickly, thanking them for their kindness before turning with Jack towards the entrance to the gate.
Jack looked up at the control room as the burst through the door, but Carter wasn't sat at the terminal as he had expected, instead were black suited NID agents stood with Hammond.
Hammond had the microphone in his hand. Jack guessed it hadn't taken any telepathy to guess that they would try and get Lalia off world.
"Stand down Colonel"
"Get the blast door down" he shouted at Lalia.
She hesitated for a second and then lifted her hands and with a shudder the blast doors began to close.
"Colonel!"
Even as the door crashed closed the gate began to spin and he looked to see that Lalia had turned her attention to the gate. The great rings spun quickly the first two chevron locking before an armed security team burst into the room, the weapons trained on Lalia.
The Stargate kept turning and the third chevron locked in place but her attention seemed to be divided. She raised one hand towards the security team, her eyes never leaving the gate. There were a few cries of surprise and Jack glanced up in time to see a dozen rifles rise into the air just beyond reach and hang there.
The two stern looking NID agents appeared behind the armed team and one of them turned his attention to Jack.
"Stop her Colonel, or we will be forced to open fire"
He indicated to another security team that had appeared in the other door way and then to the first team that had recovered enough to replace their rifles with their service pistols.
"Do you think she can stop them all?" he asked, a slight smirk on his slimy face.
Jack sighed and let the pack with supplies fall to the ground between his feet.
"Lalia stop"
But her concentration was so fixed on the gate and maintaining the a dozen rifles floating in the air that she didn't seem to hear him. The fourth chevron locked.
"Colonel…."
"Lalia stop. Lalia!"
Her mind was distant and he knew that she wasn't listening. He moved towards her, distantly aware of the sound of rifles preparing to fire.
"Colonel O'Neill! I'm warning you. Stop this NOW!"
He reached her the same moment heard two shots ring out. He felt a burning pain in his shoulder and saw how Lalia's body jerked. Her attention broken she turned her eyes to him, surprise evident on her face as she fell into his arms.
"I'm sorry Jack" she whispered as they fell onto the ramp together.
