Chapter 18

"On what grounds, Carson, would you base your idea that Daniel Jackson has been compromised?"

Carson fidgeted in his chair. When he had refused to give the okay for Dr. Jackson to go on the mission, he found himself being called to Elizabeth's office. He was in the middle of stating his case when he was interrupted by Zelenka.

"If you knew anything about Dr. Jackson's medical history Radek, you would know that Daniel has a history with being compromised by alien entities. There was that time he had over a dozen alien consciousness downloaded into his mind."

"None of whom proved harmful."

"Well, if you don't count nearly driving him mad harmful, John, and then I guess not."

"I meant he didn't harm anyone while possessed."

"That's because they realized something was wrong and put him in a secured room. The next time they weren't so lucky. When Dr. Jackson was possessed by Anubis he shot two guards. And by the time anyone knew what was going on a foothold situation developed and a decorated Russian soldier was dead. Not to mention the fact that Anubis was freed from the SGC to later nearly destroy all life in the galaxy with an Ancient weapon."

"And that's your basis for denying him access to a mission that could ultimately save this galaxy from an invasion by the Ori. As if the Wraith weren't enough of a problem we need to add a new set of super villain's to spice things up?"

"John!"

"No, Elizabeth. We can barely keep ourselves afloat dealing with the Wraith and now we're looking at a group of evil ascended beings and their devout armies of followers who would gladly impale themselves or us, on the sword to please them. This may be the only way that we can stave off their entry into this galaxy and possibly the best chance we have to stop them from getting into our own."

"Don't you think that I want to stop the Ori as well? All that I am saying John is that there is something not right about this."

Carson sighed, this time turning his attentions back to Weir.

"I have nothing against Daniel. I have the utmost respect for him. However, we still aren't sure what exactly is happening to him. We've gone on Dr. Lam's assumptions but we won't know for sure without further study. All that I am asking Elizabeth is some more time. A chance to take a look at Daniel myself. We have far better diagnostic equipment here and we may be able to catch something they missed."

Carson then turned to John, stern concentration across his face.

"You of all people should know John how harmful it can be when someone has been compromised. You know first had what happened with Lt. Ford – "

"Now hold on just a minute. That was different."

"Not really. We know just as much, maybe less about the Ori as we did about the Wraith at the time. We still aren't sure how they operate and we have no clued what they are capable of. What you're asking us to do is steep John. I cannot lie when I say I am having a few moral reservations about attacking the Wraith in this way."

"Atlantis is in danger Carson –"

"And that should justify genocide? Over the last few years we have done some pretty questionable things in the name of saving Atlantis and although I am not saying that we were necessarily wrong for it, when does the justification end? We can't just say that Atlantis being in danger is justification for any action that we make against the enemy."

"High and moral ground from a man who created a vaccine that ended up killing untold thousands?"

"I was trying to save people's lives!"

"So are we!"

"Both of you that's enough!"

John and Carson turned to Elizabeth, who was now standing up and looking mighty angry.

"I need to take some time to consider Dr. Beckett's request. John, I need you to contact Rodney, see if you can get him to send more specific information on exactly what they plan to do, specifically the modifications that Vala is having them make to the Goa'uld virus. When the information arrives, I want you to give it to Dr. Zelenka for analysis."

"But Elizabeth – "

"John, go."

John gave one last pleading look at Elizabeth before getting up and walking out the door.

"Carson, I want you to get in touch with Dr. Lam. Inform her of your suspicions and see if there is anything she can do from her end. As soon as Dr. Zelenka has gone over the data that Rodney is sending him and we have heard back from Dr. Lam, I will give you my decision about whether or not you'll have a chance to run further tests on Daniel. But you should know Carson that Daniel is well loved by a great deal many people. Including a lot of people on Atlantis. A lot of people who know first hand what he's been thru and who are protective of him to no end."

"I understand Elizabeth; I need to be certain of this. But believe me; I wouldn't even bring this up if I didn't feel there was something to it. Something's not right about this and I am just hoping that we aren't so protective of Dr. Jackson that we do something we will later regret."

"Neither do I."

The planet was frozen tundra. Inhospitable and lifeless. It looked like it had been years since anyone or anything had set foot there and he could see now why he had chosen this place to keep her. So many years had gone by he had given up hope that he would ever see her again. He had been told and all the searching he did backed up the tales that she was dead. Slaughtered by the Goa'uld. For years he had mourned her and mourned what their lives could have been. That grief, over time, turned to rage and rage into determination. He worked hard alongside many factions, first with the Tok'ra, later with the Rebel Jaffa, to help bring about the demise of the Goa'uld. When that happened he felt a great victory and not just for him – but for her.

He had started the Alliance for her. In her name. He knew that she would not have wanted him to sulk around and pity himself. She would want him to be strong, and proud. A real leader. Sure, over the years he had developed ruthlessness and cunning that made him a force to be reckoned with, but that was all the byproduct of what he had been thru. He wasn't the wide-eyed and trusting man that he was all those years ago. His trials and tribulations had changed him, made him jaded and in turn killed any innocence that he once had. His dreams had died with his wife, or, so he had thought.

Months had gone by as he had settled into his new position of leadership when he had crossed paths with a Jaffa once loyal to Ba'al. He had reveled in telling them all the story of the fight on Dakara and the downfall of Anubis. The Jaffa went on to spill all of the secrets that he had once been sworn to uphold to his false god, including one such story that left him transfixed. The story of a Goa'uld named Kebechet, daughter of the long thought dead Anubis, who had been frozen in ice on an Ancient world. The Jaffa had went on to say that Ba'al had been ordered to kill Kebechet, but that he had refused to kill her, for what reasons he did not give.

It seemed that Kebechet had been placed in a host that had gone mad. Slowly but surely the insanity began to infect Kebechet herself making her openly defy and act against the System Lords. Word had spread that she had begun to gather her own armies and the decision was made that she had to be reckoned with. The duty of dispatching Kebechet fell to Ba'al who had tracked her down and cornered her on an ice world. What exactly happened next, the Jaffa is not sure, but Ba'al spared Kebechet's life. Mortally wounded, and with no Sarcophagus to heal her wounds, she told him to place her in an Ancient ice chamber. That it would keep her alive and give him time to find a way to save her. So Ba'al did this, leaving Kebechet on the ice world and walking away with valuable information.

Although many of his cohorts had found it interesting, he had found it interesting for other reasons. His wife, who had been slaughtered by the Goa'uld, had actually, been infested by a Goa'uld named Kebechet, who he had been told was murdered for her defiance. He pressed the Jaffa for more information and when he could not give it to him willingly, he tortured it out of him. What he learned had led him here, to this barren and lost world, in a last, almost desperate effort to reunite with his wife.

He had sent a team to explore a set of ruins in a nearby mountain where the Jaffa had said that Ba'al had put Kebechet to sleep. Hours had passed, and so far, he had heard nothing. He had almost given up hope, written the Jaffa's story off as lies when there was a crackle on the radio.

"Sir, you need to get down here and see this. I think we found her."

Grabbing a nearby jacket he headed towards the ring room and within seconds, found himself standing in the most wonderful place he had ever seen. What looked like a large science station had literally been carved into the tundra. Windows of colored glass panels acted as walls that separated the various rooms that were each filled with strange machines and other computers. He found himself overwhelmed by the beauty of it all he almost forgot about why he had come there in the first place. Running in the direction of where he heard people talking he came upon the largest of all chambers. There he found his men, standing around what appeared to be a glass coffin. Pushing them aside he walked up to the coffin and his heart nearly stopped at the sight.

There lying peacefully inside, was his long believed dead and well loved, wife. Netan could not find the words to speak. He merely put his hands to the glass and wept.