AN: It feels like weeks since I posted last. Hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon. Hope you enjoy, I've had this chapter in my head since chapter 4 ...
Sam stood in the Gate room double checking her pack. She had hopes that whatever was going on could be repaired and that she could get a few minutes to look over Ba'al's ship. She had to admit that there was some rather impressive technology on board. "Samantha." She looked up to see Andrew walking towards her and she offered a tight smile as she stood up.
"Andrew," she said as she licked her lip. "Are you here to tell me I'm not fit?"
"Nah," he offered as nodded at her. "You know what you're capable of. Besides, you wouldn't be asking to go back in if it wasn't important. I gotta say I was kinda impressed when George said you asked to go back. More so when you told a room full of officers that you didn't want to go."
"I have a duty to report that to them Andrew. In case they feel that it could jeopardize –"
"I know Samantha," Andrew said as he reached out and took her hand in his. "I know. Just be careful okay? I know your Dad is really involved in this but you know if anything happened to you he'd kill me, right?"
Sam laughed brightly at him as she squeezed his hand. "Nice to know the only reason you want me back is for self preservation."
"Hey, your dad is scary!"
Sam shook her head as she threw her pack on and rechecked her P-90. "Carter," Jack called as he walked up to the two of them. "We got a problem."
"Sir?"
"Two of the Joint Chiefs decided to tag along." Sam's eyes widened as she looked past Jack to see Generals Amos and Schwartz in their dress uniforms talking with General Hammond. "Apparently they've decided to come along as additional diplomatic support in case things go to hell."
"So no pressure then," Sam sighed heavily. "Great." She forced a smile that both Andrew and Jack knew was fake.
Jack pulled her away from Andrew and led her towards the ramp. Hammond called for Walter to dial the Gate and SG-1 waited silently while the three general's spoke to themselves. Once the wormhole formed Hammond offered the usual 'god speed' while the three Jaffa stepped through the Gate. "Sirs," Jack started. "After you." Once the two generals were through Jack and Sam shared a quick look before following Daniel through the gate.
On the other side of the Gate they were greeted by a concerned Bra'tac. "Hurry," he offered. "Things are already worse."
The group followed him and soon found themselves amongst two groups of Jaffa clearly arguing with one another. "We made an oath," Mal'tec spoke calmly, as if speaking to a child.
"No," one Jaffa cried, one from the group of Jaffa that held staff weapons. "You made an oath in the name of a Tau'ri woman who holds no honor!"
"I disagree," Sam offered without hesitation as she stepped away from her own group and towards the Jaffa.
"You," the Jaffa cried.
"You must be Ead'ogar," she said as she slipped off her pack, letting it fall to the ground. She unhooked her P-90 and passed it to a dumfounded Daniel before she shrugged out of her jacket. "You clearly have a problem with me, let's hear it."
Jack tried to step close to her side but Teal'c halted him. "Ead'ogar has challenged Major Carter; if you interfere with the challenge the Jaffa will never acknowledge her honor."
With a near growl Ead'ogar lunged towards her, ready to beat her with the staff weapon. In fluid movements Sam moved towards him, grabbing for the staff weapon. After a struggle over the weapon Sam pulled it free from Ead'ogar's grasp but, he managed to hit her hard across the face. In the blink of an eye Sam turned the weapon on Ead'ogar; she hit him hard, knocking him down to the ground. She stood over him, the staff weapon ready to be fired as she shoved it into his chest.
"Don't think for one moment that I will cower or bend to the likes of you," Sam hissed in anger. "I do not fear death and I certainly do not fear you!"
"You feared Ba'al," Ead'ogar ground out from his spot on the ground.
"I was disgusted by Ba'al," Sam said before digging the staff weapon harder into his chest. "He was too weak to fear."
"Not too weak to break you. You begged him to kill you."
Sam tossed the staff weapon to Teal'c before she leaned down and grabbed Ead'ogar by his uniform, pulling him close to her face. "You were there," Sam offered coldly and strong enough for the others to hear. "Every time he tortured me you made a point to be present. I'm not stupid! You wanted to see me break, you wanted to get a cheap thrill out of my suffering, and receive some grand reward from your false god for being present. Yes, I did ask for death, but for eleven fucking weeks you stood right by him while he asked me to betray my people and our allies, including the free Jaffa." She paused long enough to haul him up to his feet and took one step back from him. "Tell them. You, Ead'ogar, who received so much pleasure from helping your 'Lord Ba'al' in trying to break me – you tell them what my answers were. What grand secrets did I give to Ba'al? Did I ever betray the Tau'ri or the Jaffa?"
Ead'ogar hesitated a moment, "No …" He took a step towards her, leaving barely any space in between them so that she had to crane her neck to look up at him.
"Greater men than the both of you have tried and failed in breaking me," Sam offered, not flinching at his presence. "If you somehow think that you're suddenly up for the challenge than you go ahead and try it." The two stared each other down for what felt like an eternity. Something happened during their staring contest that even the Joint Chiefs could see. Ead'ogar's expression shifted and he took a step away from her, his head lowered.
"Let me make something very clear to you," Sam offered from her spot as she looked from Ead'ogar to Mal'tec and then to the Jaffa standing behind them. "I am not your enemy, I am not here to subjugate you like the Goa'uld, and neither are the Tau'ri. We do not think of you nor do we accept this servitude that you have offered. We consider the Jaffa our allies because you are better than what the Goa'uld have subjected you to! You are welcome to stay here, to work with us, you are free to leave and join the free Jaffa nation, or to dishonor and subjugate yourselves by finding a new god to serve. I do not care what choice you make but make the choice for yourself."