Abydos
Milky Way Galaxy
January 28, 2000
The temple was pleasantly cool after a long afternoon under the blazing sun and Jack silently congratulated himself on his idea as he sat down on his bedroll. He continued unpacking the wrapped snacks, meat, bread and drinks Tobay had given him and set them out on the floor.
Sam was a few feet away, still admiring the cartouche on the temple walls. She'd grabbed one of the torches from the wall and held it up as she studied the numerous gate addresses, the flames adding a shimmer to the gold. "This is amazing, Jack."
He felt inordinately proud of being responsible for putting that look of wonder on her face and didn't even try to hide his pleased smile. "Thought you might like it."
"I knew of its existence and Catherine once managed to get me a still from one of the videos back at the Xenophysics Department, but I had no idea how impressive it was." She paused, head tilted back to look all the way up to where the walls neared the ceiling. After a moment, she turned to face him and shrugged, "Colonel Kennedy didn't want to grant me access to it since it wasn't my area of expertise."
"Catherine may have told me that once."
If anything, Sam beamed even brighter at him. "And you remembered."
He shrugged although he was pretty proud of himself for surprising her with it. "I figured you'd like to see it in person and now that we're here…"
"Ah, so that's why you asked me to come with you for the scheduled check-in," she said, making her way over to him.
"Actually, I needed someone to watch my six and since Daniel was off with Sha're and Teal'c's still in talks with Kasuf, that left you."
She rolled her eyes at him and put her torch back where she'd found it, before she sat down next to him on the bedroll. "Well, you brought food, so I guess I can't complain."
"And drinks."
"Drinks?"
He smirked when she sniffed one of the cups. "Moonshine."
She smiled wickedly right before downing the stuff, coughing only once after. "Strong stuff. Daniel's influence, I take it?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
"We're not supposed to drink on duty."
He looked from her to the empty cup in her hand and raised his brows. "A bit late for that now, don't you think?"
She giggled softly and set the cup away, reaching for some bread instead. "Well, it would have been rude to turn it down after all the care Tobay took to make you a picnic basket."
"You saw that, eh?"
"You bet," she said, smirking at his abashed look. "I thought it was cute."
Oh well, if it scored him brownie points then who was he to complain? "How's the food?"
She was chewing on some bread and nodded in approval. After a few seconds she leaned into him a little and sighed. "This is kinda nice."
"I figured we could both use a break."
The words had barely left his mouth or she was yawning. "I suppose so, yeah."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her a little closer. On the surface she looked fine, a little tired maybe. But he knew the day's events had taken a heavy toll on her. What he'd heard from Skaara, and what he saw in her eyes after her conversation with Sha're, was better left to be dealt with just once - at the debriefing with General Hammond. This time, their time, just the two of them together, was an opportunity to decompress from what she'd had to do.
"I'm… okay, though," she said, as if sensing his mood. "I just wish we could go home already."
"I know." He rested his cheek on her head, nuzzling her hair. She smelled like sunshine and heat and when he closed his eyes he could pretend they'd spent a hot summer day with Ife at the lake at his cabin, instead of a sandy planet where she had to face one of her nightmares.
Sam leaned into him more fully, sighing contentedly. One of her hands rested on his thigh, while using her other hand to offer him some bread. She smiled when he took it straight from her hand and licked her fingers as he munched on the food.
They weren't home – the weapons they'd put aside but within arm's reach were another obvious reminder – but they'd found a secluded spot where they could unwind and forget about everything they'd heard that day. And perhaps it was better that they didn't bring their current moods home to their daughter.
"I hope Ife settled in with the Dixons all right," Sam mused aloud, once again in-sync with his own thoughts. "This is the first time she's staying with them overnight."
"She'll be fine." He paused and briefly wondered if she was broaching the subject for his benefit since she, better than anyone, knew how easily Ife adapted to different surroundings. It was, quite literally, the story of their little girl's life. Or at least the majority of it, until she came to Earth. "She has them wrapped around her little finger."
Sam smothered a laugh against his shoulder. "Shelly told me that Dixon figured babysitting Ife would remind her why three kids was enough, but it's had the opposite effect on her."
He quirked a smile, easily imagining Dixon's reaction. The guy talked a good game but it was obvious he loved his family – and Jack wouldn't be surprised if he gave in to his wife's wish. "Well, if a fourth one is coming then maybe it's time we start looking into a different arrangement."
"Like what?"
He shrugged when she caught his eye. "Pre-K? If I'm gonna be reassed then there wouldn't be any need for last minute babysitting arrangements anyway. I'll probably work office hours or something."
She snorted at the face he made and patted his leg in a "there, there" gesture. "Training recruits would still take you off-world on occasion. How else would you prepare them for what they could encounter in this line of work?"
"Maybe. But no more off-world missions on a regular basis."
"Oh!" Sam suddenly sat up straight and turned more fully towards him. "I completely forgot to ask about your conversation with General Hammond."
He shrugged dismissively, knowing she had a lot on her plate. If the conversation with Hammond had gone bad, perhaps he'd have told her sooner but the General hadn't seemed all that surprised – or upset. Jack had figured he'd tell Sam later, when they were back home. "Well, he wasn't happy to hear I wanted to give up SG-1, but he seemed to understand. Hell, I think he's been expecting it for a while now."
Her eyes widened slightly, as if surprised. "Yeah, what did he say?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. That I still have some years in the field left, if I'm really sure about this… yada yada. All the things he's supposed to ask as base commander. I got the feeling he approved of my decision though."
"Wow. I know you said he probably wouldn't stand in your way, but I wasn't expecting his approval either."
Jack smiled at the puzzled look on her face and had to remind himself she didn't know Hammond as well as he did. "He's a family man, Sam. He gets it."
"So, he doesn't mind?"
"Frankly, I think he was just relieved I didn't want to retire."
"Well, you're an integral part of the Program and you've been there the longest. He wouldn't be able to sell your retirement to the brass," she said, even managing to sound completely unbiased.
Jack made a face. He was just as replaceable as the next airman. Geniuses like Sam and Daniel were the important ones. "I don't know about that-"
Sam's expression briefly turned into one of exasperation and she placed a hand on his arm. "You have the most experience on missions, Jack. Besides, you've been General Hammond's 2IC for nearly four years. The brass wouldn't let you retire easily."
"Maybe you're right," he conceded, although he wasn't as convinced as she was. "Either way, the brass still has to approve the training program I proposed to Hammond."
"What did he think?"
"Said he could see the merit of specific training programs for recruits, especially if we widen the net and include the geeks and civilians as well."
She nodded enthusiastically, "That would be perfect. And the ones who'll be needed on SG teams or long-term scientific missions will require off-world training by you as well. It'd definitely keep you busy."
He smirked and squeezed her hand. "Not just me. If I'm gonna be training geeks, I'm gonna need some help. And Hammond also suggested Daniel could come in for lectures every now and then to stay involved with the Program. Sort of an ambassador to Earth for the Abydonians. Same with Teal'c, if he decides to join the Rebel Jaffa."
"That's great. Sounds like you've given this a lot more thought recently."
"Maybe a little," he admitted.
Smiling, she reached for the bread and tore off a new piece. "Speaking of Teal'c, do you have any idea how much longer he'll be?"
Jack frowned and checked his watch. "Nope. But he's not much of talker, so I'm willing to bet he'll radio us within the hour. Depending on the weather and his transport, we might be able to leave today. We'll swing by Bra'tac and the Rebel Jaffa to see how they're doing and then we'll gate back to the SGC."
"Sounds good to me."
Stargate Command
Colorado Springs, CO
February 3, 2000
Sam's gaze was drawn to Jack's fingers as he fiddled with a smooth, oblong piece she'd removed from an alien device. So far, the device had seemed inactive but it was alien technology, so one could never be sure. Jack simply kept toying with it, while he told her about Daniel and Teal'c's reaction to his decision – he'd told them over breakfast in the commissary.
"Well, you know I already sort of hinted at it to Daniel when we were on Abydos," Jack shrugged, turning the piece over in his hands. "Did I tell you he was worried about breaking up the team when he came by the house a couple of weeks ago?"
"When he was struggling with balancing his commitments here on Earth and his family on Abydos?"
He nodded and tossed the oblong piece from hand to hand. "Yeah. This morning he said he felt I wouldn't be far behind after that conversation and I think now he's just relieved that he's not the one solely responsible for breaking up the team."
She winced when he almost dropped the piece of tech and knocked some of her tools off the table with his elbow in his rescue attempt. "Well," she said, grabbing his hands to still them, "it's only natural for all of you to move on. That's not unusual in the Air Force and on top of that you've all gone through a lot in the past four years."
"That's pretty much what Teal'c also said, except less… Teal'c." Jack frowned at his own choice of words and then pouted when she took the piece of technology from him. "He offered his felicitations on our union and great fortune to my newest venture."
"Did he say what he's going to do now?"
He watched her as she put the alien tech on a side table, far away from him. "He said he's gonna talk to Bra'tac, so I think that means he'll be joining your Rebel pals."
Raising a brow, she bent down and started collecting the tools on the floor. She had no doubts that Bra'tac would welcome Teal'c with open arms. The same went for the other rebels who'd joined Bra'tac's cause. They all respected Teal'c for being the first to go against the Goa'uld and join the Tau'ri. Not to mention that Teal'c's family had been spending a lot of time with the Rebel Jaffa as well. "I guess we'll know soon enough."
"Any idea when the old coot is gonna go back to the Rebels?"
She gave Jack a reproving look, although she knew he didn't really mean it – he respected Bra'tac a lot. "He's mostly been in meetings with the General and off-world representatives, I've only spoken with him a few times."
"Oh," he tilted his head, looking at her with those warm brown eyes of his, "that's too bad."
They'd left Abydos with Teal'c to say hi to the Rebels and Bra'tac had invited himself along back to the SGC in that way he had, to represent the Rebel Jaffa in negotiations and treaties. Sam had hoped that would give her and Bra'tac some time to catch up as well, but so far they'd both been busy and only spoken a few times, usually over a meal.
"Well, maybe-"
A bright white light enveloped Jack and he disappeared mid-sentence. The initial panic Sam felt rising in her throat was pushed back when she realized this had happened before when Thor had visited Earth. Still, she jogged over to the alarm and hit the big red button, wincing as the klaxons went off throughout the base. Not even five seconds later her phone rang and she requested to be put through to General Hammond to explain what had just happened.
Hammond took over and told her to stay put. She was too distracted to work and had been twiddling her thumbs for over half an hour when her presence was requested in the briefing room over the intercom. "Finally," she muttered.
Everyone was already present in the briefing room, including Jack who was talking to Thor. Relief washed over her at the sight of him looking unharmed and she took a deep breath before entering the room. Bra'tac caught her eye and 'hm'ed at her as he indicated the vacant seat next to him. After glancing at General Hammond, who nodded in approval, she took the seat next to her old friend and left of Catherine.
The General was just asking everyone to take a seat when Daniel came rushing into the briefing room, muttering apologies under his breath. Teal'c simply nodded in acknowledgment but she noticed the brief look of mild annoyance Jack gave him – Daniel just smiled in return – and could easily imagine Jack chewing out a recruit for being late.
"Thank you everyone for coming," General Hammond said, looking around the table from Catherine and the members of SG-1 to Bra'tac and Thor. "Supreme Commander Thor is joining us today to lay out his plan for the attack on the System Lords. I know Colonel O'Neill has officially requested to step down from command of SG-1 and Doctor Jackson and Teal'c have already approached me with similar requests this morning, but I think you all deserve to be included in this mission."
Sam caught Jack's gaze at the mention of his name and shared a small smile with him. There was not a hint of regret over his decision to leave the field, for which she was glad. She didn't want it to be a sacrifice he made for her and Ife, because she knew he'd made plenty of sacrifices in his life and deserved more. But it seemed he was satisfied with the choice he'd made, almost like a weight had been lifted off him since making a decision. And it didn't surprise her at all that Daniel and Teal'c had followed his lead, despite Jack not being able to finish telling her about his conversation with the two men.
She listened attentively to Thor's briefing which basically came down to tracking down the System Lords from the locations the SGC and Rebel Jaffa had provided and striking them simultaneously. It was a simple yet effective plan, if all went well. Bra'tac chimed in a few times to explain how he and his fellow Jaffa had estimated or tracked down the whereabouts of certain System Lords, while Daniel and Catherine gave some background information about the System Lords and Jack and Teal'c put in their two cents on strategy.
"Master Bra'tac," Thor said, turning towards the Jaffa, "the Asgard would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the Rebel Jaffa on this mission as well. Your experience with the System Lords could prove quite beneficial."
"Indeed," Bra'tac said, nodding his head in acknowledgment. "The Reenlokia can spare ten ships to strike at once, hm?"
Thor's eyes narrowed slightly. "We cannot. The Asgard High Council has authorized me to use five of our vessels, all of which are equipped with hyperdrive engines to cross this galaxy within several human hours. We have selected several targets within close distance of each other, so that the vessels may move from one target to the other without them realizing their fellow System Lord has fallen."
Sam glanced to her right and could read the skepticism in the way Bra'tac tilted his head, but she'd been aboard one of the Asgard ships and knew what it was capable of. Besides, the Asgard would do themselves no favors by misjudging the situation and having the System Lords turn against them – she'd heard about the Protected Planets Treaty and its conditions. "Well, it's not like the System Lords are in constant communication with each other, so even if it would take an hour or two to strike again they probably wouldn't find out what happened to the others."
"We'll just have to time it well," Jack said lightly, shrugging.
"That is," Daniel said, looking hopeful, "if the Supreme Commander would kindly give us permission to be included in the mission."
"Sure he will! Right, Thor, buddy?"
Thor turned to Jack and inclined his head. "We owe the humans of Earth a great deal of gratitude for your aid in defeating the Replicators. You are most welcome to participate in the destruction of the System Lords."
Jack clasped his hands and rubbed them in glee, making Sam smile. "Great, that's settled then. Right, Sir?"
"It would only be fitting for SG-1's final mission," General Hammond said.
"Master Bra'tac is also invited to join us, naturally."
The Jaffa nodded, "I would be honored, Supreme Commander Thor."
"And you're certain that by eliminating the System Lords the threat the Goa'uld pose will be gone, Supreme Commander?" Catherine asked, voicing a question that was undoubtedly on other people's minds as well.
"The Goa'uld weakness is their feudal nature. Although they will reluctantly unite to defend against outside threats, they battle among themselves for supreme domination. By eliminating the ruling class in the Goa'uld hierarchy, the remaining Goa'uld will start to fight each other for power. It is not in their nature to compromise and collaborate at first, only when there are no other options available to them will they seek out a tentative peace agreement," Thor explained.
Sam had to agree, both from what she'd experienced herself while pretending to be a host as well as from Herit's memories. "It would take them years at the earliest to come to such an agreement. By then, their armies will be down to their last twenty per cent or so."
Bra'tac 'hm'ed at her before turning to the others, "The Rebel Jaffa will hunt down the most powerful Goa'uld who remain after the attack to make this even more difficult."
"And we will support you in whatever way we can," General Hammond said.
"The Tollan and Nox, our allies, have agreed to research alternatives for your reliance on Goa'uld symbiotes should we succeed in ridding the galaxy of the Goa'uld."
Daniel jumped in at Thor's statement, before either Jaffa present could even respond. "But in a way that would not make the Rebel Jaffa reliant on them, right? Otherwise it would feel like they're trading one master for another."
"The Tau'ri is correct," Bra'tac said, narrowing his eyes. "We will capture the Queens once the System Lords have fallen but depending on our numbers and their ability to spawn, they might only sustain the next few generations of Free Jaffa."
Perhaps less, Sam thought, if Bra'tac was comparing it to their current need for symbiotes – no feuding gods meant longer lifespans, after all. But she figured that would be a subject for another time. Right now, she was itching to get aboard Thor's ship and watch as the System Lords got blown up.
"Such was our understanding as well," Thor said diplomatically.
"Well," General Hammond said quickly, "if that was all, then I'd suggest we start preparing."
Sam was only listening with half an ear as he inquired what the two alien leaders needed before they departed, her focus on Jack who was looking positively giddy. She figured that was simply the prospect of kicking Goa'uld ass, since he'd seemed content with his decision to retire from the field at the start of the briefing.
After the General dismissed them, Thor called out for Sam before she left the briefing room. "Yes, Thor?"
"Would you like to join us, Major Carter? As you know, Asgard vessels are spacious enough to accommodate another human and I believe that out of all at Stargate Command, you have suffered the most at the hands of the Goa'uld."
"Oh," she said, surprised. Not that the idea hadn't crossed her mind but General Hammond had only mentioned SG-1 and there was the question of Ife… "I would have to ask permission-"
Thor blinked at her. "I believe General Hammond would not oppose my proposal."
No, of course he wouldn't deny the Supreme Commander of the Asgard's simple request. But, "I also have to discuss it with Jack, er Colonel O'Neill."
"For the sake of your offspring," he concluded. "I understand. I shall await your decision."
She found Jack in the gear-up room and the words had barely left her mouth or he told her yes. "I don't think we'd be in any danger," he said. "I mean, it's Thor. You've been aboard his ship. Do you think the System Lords would be able to damage it?"
It was an interesting scenario. She was familiar with both types of vessels, having been aboard them but also having the technical knowledge about their features – for as far as she could understand them. It took her a moment to run the scenarios in her mind, but she quickly shook her head. "Even if one or more of the System Lords would see the attack coming, they'd only be able to fire once, maybe twice. Regardless of where they'd strike, they wouldn't do any serious damage to an Asgard vessel. Their shields are too advanced."
"Well, there you have it!" Jack clasped his hands and rubbed them together, smirking. "Gear up, Sam. I'll talk to Hammond."
By the time she entered the gate room, everything had been taken care of. She felt a little ridiculous with her gear considering they'd most likely only be sitting around while the Asgard executed their plan. Almost like she was all dressed up with nowhere to go. But at least the guys looked the same, except for Bra'tac – who was looking at her oddly as he took in her appearance. She briefly wondered if he was comparing her with the woman his Jaffa found that fateful day, but quickly shook it off when General Hammond gave his send off words.
Seconds later, white light enveloped them and they were transported to Thor's ship. Last time, she'd used a stargate to reach Thor's ship, but the beaming didn't feel dissimilar to what she recalled from the beam from Thor's Hammer.
Thor brought them to the control room, where four other screens had subspace video links with other Asgard. They looked just like Thor. It was a little disturbing.
"Thor," Jack said, eyeing the other Asgard on the screens. "Why don't you introduce us to your friends?"
"Penegal will attack the bases of operations of the System Lords Olokun and Svarog," Thor said, indicating the Asgard on the first screen. "Freyr will target Kali and Morrigan."
The second Asgard nodded in agreement. "I will eliminate Kali first."
The Asgard on the third screen spoke up. "I am Kvasir. The System Lords Yu and Sokar will die at my hands."
"The Valhalla is our fastest vessel. Therefore, Aegir will eliminate Bastet and Ba'al."
"Per your instructions, Master Bra'tac, I will strike Ba'al's base of operations first," Aegir said.
The Jaffa inclined his head. "He is cunning and will do what he can to avoid death."
Sam had never run into him, but she'd heard the stories. Apparently, he was fond of knives and acid, and didn't mind compromising to save himself.
"So, that leaves us Cronus and Heru'ur, right?"
"It does, O'Neill," Thor said. "We will now enter hyperspace and arrive at our designation in thirty-six of your minutes."
Sam wondered if anyone had made any special requests or if they just happened to get those two System Lords. She looked over to the guys, but couldn't read them. Teal'c looked as stoic as ever and Daniel was simply anxious. Bra'tac appeared to be eyeing the Asgard and their control systems warily – fear of the Reenlokia was deeply ingrained in Jaffa from a young age and apparently not even Bra'tac was immune to it.
Jack called everyone together and suggested they dump their packs in one of the rooms. They'd keep their weapons just in case, but no one was expecting anything to go wrong so they probably wouldn't even need them.
"I have no gear to stow," Bra'tac said, leaning on his staff weapon. "I will remain here. With Supreme Commander Thor."
"T?"
Teal'c acknowledged Jack's silent order and handed him his pack. "I will stay also."
Daniel stopped and turned back to Thor. "Um, can we still communicate with the other Asgard while we're in hyperspace?"
"You can, Doctor Jackson," Penegal replied instead.
"Oh! I didn't realize…" he trailed off. "Um, Jack is it okay if I stay here? I'd like to find out more about similarities and differences with Norse mythology so that-"
Jack made a face and interrupted him, "Yeah, sure. Go ahead. Can you take his pack, Sam?"
She helped Daniel take his pack off and let it drop to the floor. The damn thing was too heavy to carry in combination with her own, so she simply grabbed hold of one of the straps and dragged it along over the smooth floor of the ship.
"This can be our store room," Jack said after a minute or two of walking the corridors and opening a door. It was completely bare, strangely enough.
"Who decided which Asgard would take out which System Lord?" She asked, after dumping both packs in a corner.
He ran a hand through his hair before shaking his head. "I don't know. Bra'tac and Teal'c made some suggestions based on distance and reputation, though. Why?"
Reaching out, Sam closed the door behind them, just in case someone would overhear. His eyebrows rose at the gesture, even though she could tell his mind had already been trying to figure out why she'd asked the question in the first place. "Well, you know about Heru'ur's war with Apophis, right?"
"Yeah, he tried to get his hands on Sha're's baby."
"And ended up with Amaunet after Apophis was killed," she reminded him.
He visible shuddered at the implication of that. "Well, if you're asking if Daniel requested Heru'ur, then the answer is no. As far as I'm aware, anyway."
Sam shared in his disgust, especially after her conversation with Sha're. Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on the situation at hand. "What do you know about Cronus?"
"Uh, he's top dog now that Ra and Apophis are dead." He paused and scrubbed a hand over his face, groaning. "And he killed Teal'c's father."
"Do you still think it's a coincidence?"
He sighed and leaned back against the wall, looking pained. "No, I guess not."
"I suppose a case of priorities could be made, but…"
"No, you're right," he said. "How did you know about Teal'c's father?"
Grimacing, she tapped the side of her head. "Herit. Apophis knew, so…"
Jack pushed off the wall and grabbed her hand in silent support. "Of course. Sorry, I wasn't thinking."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not," he said, reaching up to push a lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her cheek and then he surprised her by pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, before stepping back and turning back into Colonel O'Neill. "But that's the way it is. We should go see if everything's okay. Bra'tac didn't seem too pleased with all those Asgard."
In the control room everyone was just as they'd left him, except Daniel was happily chatting with one of the Asgard about Norse mythology and Asgard history. She found it hard to believe Daniel had requested they'd take care of Heru'ur, but it was possible the two Jaffa had taken it on themselves to arrange it. During her time off-world with Bra'tac she'd learned a lot about their culture, including their need for revenge.
Jack went over to Thor and grabbed one of the control stones, tossing it from hand to hand. "So, this plan of yours… we can just fire from orbit, right? I mean, there's no need to actually land or go to the planets – or ships – they're hiding at, right?"
"A well-aimed attack from orbit on a Goa'uld ha'tak or surface-based structure would cause enough damage to kill the System Lord."
"Perhaps it would be wise to ensure the Goa'uld has perished in person, by entering the compound or vessel," Bra'tac said.
Jack caught her gaze and she immediately knew what he was thinking, especially when Teal'c agreed with Bra'tac. "Thor?"
"Such measures will not be necessary, Master Bra'tac. Our sensors can differentiate between humans, Jaffa and Goa'uld and will allow us to track the life signatures they emit from great distance."
Sam thought Bra'tac actually looked a little dismayed at that, but he nodded anyway. The prospect of ridding the galaxy of all Goa'uld would have to be enough. "So, basically all we have to do is wait?"
"Indeed, Major Carter."
"So, we'll kill the ten remaining System Lords…and then what?"
Bra'tac turned to Daniel, quirking a brow. "Moac is awaiting my confirmation of their deaths. Then he will lead two groups of Rebel Jaffa to attack the Goa'uld Camulus and Amaterasu. They are next in line to attain the rank of System Lord, according to information we have obtained."
Aegir spoke next, "Regrettably, the Asgard cannot remain in this galaxy. The Replicators may have been defeated but they left much chaos and destruction behind. Once we have helped eliminate the System Lords, it is up to you to reach peace within this galaxy."
"And we will," Jack said optimistically. "Right?"
"Indeed, O'Neill," Teal'c said.
The first screen on the wall briefly turned black before Penegal reappeared. "I have arrived at the agreed upon location, Supreme Commander."
The other Asgard started giving sit reps to Thor and twenty minutes later, everyone was in place. The planet was huge underneath them but the Asgard technology could easily zoom in and they located Heru'ur's headquarters right away. There were a handful of Goa'uld, but with Bra'tac's experience they could easily guess the layout of the compound and thereby deduce who was which rank. Heru'ur was in the sarcophagus.
"I have input the coordinates of Cronus' last known location," Thor reported. "The ship will wait two of your minutes to scan the surface before automatically entering hyperspace to transport us to Cronus."
"Everyone ready?" Jack asked, as he stepped up to Daniel.
Thor conferred with his fellow Asgard and not even three seconds later, he initiated an attack on Heru'ur. The screen that had zoomed in on the palace briefly showed two impacts before it filled with smoke and they couldn't discern anything.
Jack had placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Sit rep, Thor?"
"Sensors are activated and scanning, O'Neill."
Sam turned to her left to follow Thor's progress. He had a split screen, one showing the before life signs of the compound and the second was still scanning. Slowly but surely, small blips appeared on the second part. "What does that mean?"
Thor looked up at her and blinked his large eyes. "That they have perished. Heru'ur is no more."
"Olokun has been eliminated," Penegal reported mere seconds later.
Sam felt a familiar tingle – naquadah – run through her body as she ship's engine started up again and they entered hyperspace even before Freyr could report Kali's death.
"Ba'al's base of operations has been eliminated," Aegir said.
"Lord Yu was also in his sarcophagus at the time of my attack," Kvasir reported. "He is no more."
"I have arrived at the planet where Svarog's ha'tak is currently stationed. I will investigate whether he is present," Penegal said.
It only took ten minutes in hyperspace to reach Cronus' headquarters and within a minute, Thor had confirmed he was present. This time, they were waiting for Kvasir, Freyr and Aegir to get into place before attacking.
Jack gave Daniel one last encouraging squeeze, before walking over to Teal'c. "You gonna be okay, T?"
"Indeed I will."
"The destruction of Cronus holds specific meaning for you, Teal'c?"
The Jaffa inclined his head at Thor's inquiry. "He is responsible for murdering my father."
Sam wasn't sure if Asgard even had fathers – they apparently cloned themselves because they had become incapable of sexual reproduction – and whether Thor understood the concept of family relationships, but he surprised them all.
"Perhaps, you would like to initiate the attack?"
Even Teal'c looked caught off-guard. "I would be grateful for the opportunity, Supreme Commander Thor."
Aegir's screen briefly flashed black while Thor was showing Teal'c how to pull the trigger, so to speak. "Bastet's vessel is within my sights."
"Supreme Commander, I have arrived at Delmak," Kvasir reported.
"In ten human minutes I will be in place to eliminate Morrigan," Freyr said.
Sam felt Jack's eyes on her and when she turned around, she noticed he was standing next to Bra'tac who still hadn't moved since they arrived. She took a step closer but upon realizing she could overhear their conversation – Jack was asking him if hitting the button would be enough for Teal'c – she took a few more steps backwards. If Jack wanted to tell her about the conversation afterwards, he would. But she wasn't going to eavesdrop.
"You know," Daniel said from where he was watching space fly by, "I thought it'd feel different. That I would feel different once Heru'ur was dead. But I still feel the same as this morning, even though there are now five System Lords less."
She had no idea to whom his words were addressed, but she knew they were still finding their feet in this new friendship or theirs – it wasn't her place to offer comfort. Luckily, Jack knew exactly what to do, because he went over to his friend and took him out into the corridor for a private conversation.
Freyr arrived at his location shortly before Daniel and Jack rejoined them. "I am ready, Supreme Commander."
Thor looked up at Teal'c with his large black eyes. "Teal'c?"
The Jaffa exchanged a long and meaningful look with Bra'tac, before he started moving the stones as instructed. The explosion seemed minimal on the screen but after scanning the palace, the scale of devastation turned out to be great. Cronus was dead, as were all of his present Jaffa and even the human slaves.
Penegal and Freyr were quick to report their success, and Aegir followed shortly thereafter.
It took Kvasir two full minutes to give a sit rep. "The planet Delmak has been destroyed, Supreme Commander. However, the resulting explosion has started a chain reaction in its moon, Netu. I fear the ensuing shock wave will cast my ship deeper into the galaxy. My engine has been damaged by the radiation from the explosion. A hyperdrive window can be opened, but in doing so I will risk being redirected if the shockwave affects the window."
The other three Asgard on the screens looked mildly panicked and Sam could tell Thor was also worried. They were making soft screeching and clicking noises and it took her a moment to realize that was probably their native language. Sam looked to Jack and could tell he was concerned for his friend.
"Sam?"
She went over to him and sighed. "Their technology goes way above my head, but from what I gathered Kvasir thinks that the exploding moon will catch the tail-end of his hyperdrive window. A window isn't made to withstand such power, so will most likely deform. As far as I know, no human or Goa'uld technology could predict where he'd end up – and if he'd even survive the trip."
It felt like forever until the Asgard quieted down a little. Suddenly, all four screens turned black before retracting into the wall.
"Thor, buddy? Everything okay?"
"Kvasir's theory was correct," Thor said solemnly.
Sam frowned. He sounded awfully resigned. "Do you have a way to predict whether his ship would come out the other side intact and if so, where?"
The alien shook his head. "We do not, Major Carter."
"So, what's he gonna do?"
"We cannot risk his knowledge falling into the wrong hands," Thor said. "There should be enough time for him to complete an upload of his consciousness to the ship's computer and transmit it to me."
Daniel was the first one who processed that tidbit of information. "You mean, he's creating a back-up of… himself?"
"Of course!" Sam exclaimed. "You use cloned bodies and the only way to preserve one's mind would be to make a computer-like database that can store everything a person – or, Asgard, as the case may be – knows and is."
Thor blinked up at her. "That is indeed a simplified explanation. Once I have received the transmission, I will return you to Earth."
Jack made a face. "And then you're just going to make Kvasir a new body when you get home?"
"It is the only way we, as a race, can survive, O'Neill."
"That's just… weird," he muttered under his breath.
The console beeped before Thor could make a comment and he moved as fast as his little legs could take. "Ah," he said, triumphantly. "I have received Kvasir's transmission and I shall set a course for Earth now."
After they'd entered hyperspace again, Jack came over to her and bumped her shoulder with his. "It's not just me, right? That is weird?"
"It is," she said, smiling at the look on his face. "But think of it like this: if they couldn't do this, then we would have lost a good man today. Or Asgard."
"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," he said. "I can't wait to see the look on Hammond's face when I'm going to let you explain this to him."
Sam rolled her eyes and playfully bumped his shoulder again. "I'm not sure he'll hear anything beyond the fact that we've just witnessed the elimination of the ten remaining System Lords."
Jack smiled at her, but then it turned into a frown. "Yeah… that was kinda anticlimactic, wasn't it?"
"It was."
"Indeed," both Jaffa affirmed.