The long dark tunnel led to Skaara's doom. He remembered how he and his friends had rescued O'Neill and his men as Ra was about to have them executed. O'Neill and Jackson defeated Ra, while Kasuf had rallied the people to defeat his warriors. Now O'Neill and Jackson were in a cage, one of these demons had taken over Sha'uri, and Kasuf was on the other side of the Chappa'ai.
Skaara was near the end of the procession of prisoners. At the end of the procession came two guards, then Sha'uri and Apophis. The hallway grew brighter as they went up a flight of stairs.
Skaara listened as he heard explosions and some commotion coming from the prison. He knew they were staff weapon blasts and the cries of their victims. They meant the end of Daniel and O'Neill and all those left behind. It also spelt out the end of his hope, and any hope for Sha'uri. He heard one last blast that seemed to shake the palace. Neither Skaara nor Apophis could comprehend the reality of the situation. Skaara could only see the impossible situation, and Apophis could only see his infallibility. Apophis only smiled.
The staircase leveled out and opened into a room meant for the gods. It was covered with gold and fine linens. Skaara gasped. There were stone tables that reminded Skaara of altars. The tables were lined neatly in front of an elevated throne.
The room seemed to be full of people. Many of the regally dressed people from the prison were there, awaiting their king, and their chosen ones. Skaara thought some of the people might be priests, and others simply guests.
Skaara kept his head up. He tried to notice everything in the room, particularly some way to grab Sha'uri and escape. There were two guards in the front of the room on either side of the throne, two near the front of the procession of prisoners, and two in the back, plus a room full of people loyal to Apophis. Skaara could feel his chances slipping away. His thoughts turned to O'Neill.
The moment seemed like an eternity hanging in the air. "I can help these people. Help me help them."
The large guard walked a few steps toward O'Neill, "Many have said what you say," then the sound of thunder. The staff weapon aimed at O'Neill, charged to fire, hung in space and time.
"But you are the first I believe!" and before Jackson could finish the translation, the guard had turned on his own men and fired on the farthest one to the right.
The guard on the far left also turned on the one next to him and fired. All the prisoners scattered away from potential shots. The three guards remaining tried to run, but the large guard tossed his staff weapon to O'Neill who fired it on one of them. Then the large guard dove for the weapon of the guard he had killed. The second guard who had turned on his masters got one more, and the guard outside the cell shot the third. The guard outside the cell fired his weapon into the locked gate, opening it so he could enter.
The large guard looked at his former comrades. Then he went over to his accomplice from the line who now opened his hood. They knew each other and smiled as they grabbed each other's wrists. The second guard was lighter skinned, with blond hair, and several scars. They shared a big smile, both of hope…and despair. The guard who had entered the cell released his hood, only to show a familiar looking redheaded woman.
"Nice reunion, now we've got to get out of here," Scarlett announced. "Our reinforcements are on the way." Just then they heard a whistling sound. "Everybody down!" she yelled, then following the example of SG-1, ducked.
This time the explosion, as both Carter and O'Neill had recognized the thunder in the distance to have been, was very close. The cell room shook, several prisoners, already frightened, became terrified. A couple of prisoners shrieked as if in pain. Even the two surviving guards now appeared skittish.
O'Neill repeated Scarlett, "We've got to get out of here!" He turned toward the outside wall of the prison and blasted a hole in the wall with his newly acquired staff weapon. Carter ran to the hole to look out. They were on ground level outside the edge of the city. "Everyone, out. Scarlett, you take point."
"No can do, Colonel," she responded. "I need one of these guys to come with me. You need the other one to help lead you out of this war zone".
"What are you doing?" O'Neill asked.
Scarlett ignored him. "Take my radio, I see you don't have one. SG-2, Grunt and Stalker are right outside the city. Let them know where you are and they will meet you. Where's Sgt. Weterings?"
Jackson asked the large guard the question. He translated the reply, "She's dead."
They all paused.
It seemed wrong to move, but O'Neill had to get them going again. He was also not thrilled about taking orders, but it seemed that Scarlett had a plan. After all, she did walk into the palace right past all those guards. And she did get one of those crazy armored head pieces, either from an armory or crazier still, right off a guard. "Okay, I hope you know what you're doing."
"Nope," was her confident reply. "Dr. Jackson, tell this guard to take me through the palace," Yup, O'Neill thought, this is crazy, "after Skaara and then to the place where your weapons and supplies would have been stored. I don't think it's a good idea to leave all that earth technology lying around."
"They have spaceships and energy weapons and you're worried about Earth technology? You're going to call one of those bombs right down on this city?" Jackson asked.
"We don't have time to argue, so you need to tell this guy that he needs to warn everyone to leave. You don't see radios, or telecom, or any digital data devices, do you? That stuff gives us what little advantage we have."
"Well if you're going into the castle then I'm going to rescue Sha'uri and Skaara," Daniel fiercely retorted while taking a staff weapon from a dead guard. He didn't like the feel, but he had used one before.
"No, you're not!" Scarlett responded almost screaming at Jackson.
"You'll need me to translate and guide you out of this city," said Jackson, but O'Neill knew Scarlett was right. He needed Daniel back at the SGC to translate for intell purposes. He couldn't stay.
Though Jackson was surprised, O'Neill was not when Scarlett responded, "Skaara will translate for us, and help find Sha'uri, now get out of here!" Daniel had just seen Skaara led away by Apophis to become one of those…things. Jack and the big guard both began moving him away from the gate and towards Jack's newly created hole-in-the-wall.
"Look, I'm sorry for being curt, but Snakeyes is already on his way to rescue them and the longer it takes me and the big lug here to get to him, the less likely we can help, and then the likely we'll rescue Sha'uri."
In the meantime, Carter had found a staff weapon, and was out front of the large group of people. Jack and the large guard helped people through the hole, while Jackson reluctantly gave Scarlett's instructions to the second guard.
Carter took the point, and when the cell was almost empty, O'Neill stopped and spoke to the big guard, "O'Neill." He then pointed to Daniel and said, "Jackson". Then he pointed at the red-headed woman and announced, "Scarlett".
The guard seemed to understand O'Neill and responded, "Teal'c". Then he pointed to his friend and said, "Hon'Teck."
"Pleased to meet you Teal'c," Jackson said introducing himself.
"I now have no place to go," said Teal'c, weighing what he had just done.
When Jackson finished, O'Neill motioned and said, "For this, you can stay at my place, come on."
Then O'Neill reached out his hand to Teal'c, and Teal'c reciprocated. O'Neill motioned for Teal'c to go, then Jackson. He watched as Hon'Teck and Scarlett went back through the cell and into the palace after Snakeyes, Skaara, Sha'uri, and Apophis. Crazy.
Hawk heard the squelch. He had launched one missile at the fort. The second missile he had launched in front of the platoon column on the way to the city. The Joes had also fired one FLAK round behind the small column just to make them think twice about heading back to the fort. He was holding on to the third missile. He had Breaker move his Vamp to the base of the ramp near the gate. His would be the first vehicle back through. He heard another squelch, "What is it, Shooter? It's time to speak."
She had been otherwise silent, until now, "Serious damage to the fort. Your attack reduced their effective fighting force. A formation of about sixty-five men are geared at the fort and moving out. Not all of them are armed. Some do not have on the armor. Others appear to be limping, but they are all headed toward the gate," she added, "in a hurry."
"Get me the co-ordinates sixty feet in front of them." Then she gave him the location. "Did you catch that Shortfuze?"
"Yeah, boss."
"Hit that spot with the FLAK," Hawk yelled. Hawk knew the 155mm howitzer was not too accurate, but a couple of rounds would slow the guards down. Shortfuze let off the three rounds of live-combat fire from the rapid-fire modified cannon.
Now Hawk was concerned about the western front. He knew help was a long way off, but how long now? "Grand Slam, get the last Jump pack and scout the western woods. I need to know if anyone is coming from that direction. Snakeyes and Scarlett should have O'Neill and the others and be on their way, but we'll need to buy them time."
Hawk and Shortfuze helped get the pack on Grand Slam. Grand Slam took off into the sky right above the tree-line, to minimize exposure. Hawk jumped into the HAL, while he waited. He could launch the last MMS by remote.
O'Neill called on the radio to Stalker, and within minutes they linked up. SG-2 had been monitoring and Kowalski told O'Neill that his team would stay ahead, to keep ahead to scout for further enemy reinforcements.
Grunt took the point with Carter. As they walked down the path, Stalker reported to O'Neill what he knew. Hawk had fired one missile on the base. He had just heard the report of how much damage and how many casualties the rocket had caused. Hawk had used the second missile on a platoon coming to the city, and had hit slightly in front of the formation, causing many casualties there. Several guards at the rear had survived in combat ready shape, and were now moving away to another location.
O'Neill, through Jackson, asked Teal'c where they might be headed. Teal'c told them he thought they might be headed for the landing port. There was cargo ship, and two gliders there and Apophis would want his security present for his safety. Teal'c mentioned that was in the opposite direction, and that eventually, Apophis would take the cargo ship to the gate. "Everybody hustle," shouted O'Neill, hoping to make it to the gate before Apophis could escape with Sha'uri and Skaara. "Kowalski, how far ahead of us are you?"
"We're on the ridge about a mile ahead," replied the Major.
"Get to the gate, it sounds like these guys are headed there with air-power at some point. The three of you can move faster without us," said O'Neill thinking ahead, knowing the Joes at the gate could use extra firepower.
"We'll do, and we'll hold the fort for you, Colonel," promised Kowalski.
Skaara watched as the 'volunteer' at the head of the line was placed before Apophis. She was frantic and fighting the guards. Several of the chosen people tried to back further away from Apophis, but guards aimed their staff weapons at them. The woman was held by two guards as she cried out for help. Apophis raised his hand and with some kind of device that seemed to expel lightning into its victim, he sedated the woman. The guards put the woman on the table as another woman came up to it. Apophis said a few words, then the priests chanted words of praise to Apophis and his peers, and then the standing woman took a hideous serpent from what looked like a pouch in her belly. Skaara, among others, gasped. The standing woman then placed the snake on the lying woman's back. The serpent did the rest, disappearing into the woman's neck.
The woman who had been carrying the snake walked away. The woman on the table stood up, and then her eyes glowed just as Ra's, Apophis', and Sha'uri's had done.
Skaara's head dropped. His stomach sank. As he stooped his head, his eyes moved toward the entrance to the room. He thought he had seen something there, but the emptiness only reminded him of his predicament. Skaara turned his head toward the front of the throne room. How could he watch this again? He had to.
The process repeated itself. The man fought with the guards as they brought him to Apophis. Apophis raised his hand, ready to use the device to calm his second victim.
Skaara heard a staff weapon blast! Apophis screamed in pain. There was no hand left at the end of Apophis right arm.
More commotion broke near the door. A second staff weapon blast and a guard by the door went down, then a third shot downed the other guard. Skaara could not believe his eyes, but he had to because now a staff weapon was flying in his direction.
One of O'Neill's men. I knew he was crafty.
The two guards who had been wrestling with their prisoner dropped him and stepped in front of Apophis and Sha'uri. They fired their weapons at the main entrance while trying to escort their rulers out of the throne room by a back door. Priests fell to the floor in fear as hot blasts warmed the air. Prisoners and honored guests alike ran to the walls and ducked for cover out of the way of the firefight.
The two guards near the throne split up. One shot at the mysterious assailant who was using the main door for cover. The other shot at Skaara, who now had a weapon. Skaara shot back and hit the guard who went down.
Before anyone else could fire, the mysterious assailant by the door blasted the guard in front of Sha'uri. Skaara shot his newly acquired staff and tried to hit Apophis, but missed.
The guard in front of Apophis fired in Skaara's direction. Skaara was forced to take cover behind a stone table that was the place of the sacrilegious transfer. Skaara moved to the other end of the table, and then shot the other guard by the throne who had focused on O'Neill's man. Apophis and Sha'uri were almost to the door when O'Neill's man shot the guard in front of Apophis. Skaara noticed his rescuer was in the armor of Apophis' guards.
Sha'uri jumped in front of Apophis. Skaara jumped into the open, but he could not shoot Sha'uri.
Apophis grabbed the weapon of his incapacitated guard using Sha'uri as cover and fired his weapon. Skaara felt the searing pain. He went down to his knees and lowered his weapon. Skaara watched as with his last breath he witnessed O'Neill's man pull a small weapon, a handgun, from his armor suit and shoot Sha'uri. As he watched her blood flow, his eyes closed. Skaara fell down dead.