Having her airway restricted still reels the captain as she leans heavily against the solid table, her hands firmly gripping the edge on each side of her body. She inclines her head and tries to take deep breaths, but gradually inhaling and exhaling against the colonel's applied pressure to her throat has yet to bypass her senses. She places her backpack next to her right leg, not wanting to bear the inside item's weight on her back yet.
She desires more with Jack. There it is, out in the open.
Except that it's not; it's an internal sentiment, and the last time she checked, the man isn't a mind-reader.
Her body trembles, and she's desperately pushing to get her head skewed straight, but the moment with her CO remains her preceding thought. Never in a million light-years would she reckon for something like that to happen, yet it did — and she enjoyed it on both occasions. She's had other intimate encounters with the colonel, for example, during their stint on Abydos, or with the Touched virus, or trapped with him in an Australian crevasse as he was on the cusp of death from frostbite, shattered ribs, a broken leg, plus other injuries, and additional moments that she can't currently remember, but this is much too dissimilar.
They've been in unfortunate situations where they're vulnerable and compromised as a team, yet this takes the icing on the cake. The captain has glimpsed sides of her teammates that she's confident they'd never want anyone to witness, and vice versa. The team is lethal as its affectionate, and the essence is at the flip of a switch; just as such, they're over-protective.
Off-the-record, SG-1 encountered several team-building assignments to prepare for the real thing, on Earthside and off-world. Just as it happens on one good ol' day, the team is set to regard planet P3X-593 or Simarka — or, as it's necessarily deemed: The What-in-the-Actual-Fuck Planet. To dive further: The Planet-that-Sam-Should've-Kicked-that-Young-Man's-Ass.
This is premature in SG-1's clan status, where they introduce the assessment of what's to be articulated in their reports and what remains undisclosed. All in their own words, their post-mission statements collectively assumed that they were still in the team-building cycle and strengthening individual perception; their captain was abducted in her shuteye, was verbally and physically abused, and successfully fought in hand-to-hand combat against her captors. Get it, got it, case closed.
Except that's not even close to what entirely transpired.
Mind you that it's a few weeks (or perhaps months, depending on how you look at it) following the recall to active duty of a divorced, once-suicidal Air Force colonel who has a son with a bullet in his head from his registered weapon; the rescue of an archaeologist stuck on an off-world planet with a kidnapped wife out and about through the Galaxy; the addition of a First Prime of Apophis who fretted everything left and right; and the inclusion of a theoretical astrophysicist from the Pentagon.
It's like their names were drawn from a hat. What a fascinating team with so much baggage. Perhaps that's what earns them the merit of being the front-line team: Accumulate their differences, and they're an unstoppable squad.
In captivity on the planet, Sam was whipped and beaten. In earnest by the campfire, she endeavored for the agonizing ordeal to go unnoticed by her team, but the men swiftly saw through the act and disapprovingly called her out on it, so she confessed. With brute expressions, the men did this thing where they joined heads and intercommunicated some scheme or plan without her and, following her fistfight with Turghan and before they dial home, the captain still doesn't know all the details about what happened to that man, even as she's consistently asked her team members. To add fuel to the fire, it doesn't aid that the colonel did most of the talking, his hands being his second form of communication as they performed art in the air.
Did the colonel terminate Turghan on her behalf? Did Teal'c, or both? What the Hell happened?!
If she questions Daniel about what happened, he'll say, "I wasn't there." Oh, the bold-faced cretin. She knows he wasn't there as Jack commanded: "Hold her; don't let her see this."
If she questions Teal'c about what happened, he'll say with a bow, "It is not my position to notify you, Captain Carter. I am sorry." Then, she'll pause for a beat because that's a lot of words for a man like Teal'c and proceed to showcase her best scowl. It's the one she used against Daniel, and the glasses-wearing doctor desperately aimed not to confess, so he preached to her about something so wildly random that it nearly tore her ears off, and she had to flee. Well, he won that round, but two can play the game!
The captain ponders the outcome of questioning her commanding officer about the events in the woods. Will he apprise her, especially in no time like the present, as they've become more intimate?
The narrative is as follows: The blood on his uniform is from a stray, vicious dog, and he had to put it down to deter an attack. Just his clothes, though, not Teal'c's. Well, it's likely, she'll give him that; it practically correlates to their first actions as they arrived on the planet. Sam self-reproaches, wondering if she's being naïve by not wanting to confront the apparent possibility regarding a man with a Black Ops background.
The excursion remains a blur as Sam recollects bits and pieces since her only objective at the time was to discreetly tend to the bloody lashes on her back, thwart a possible infection, and somehow magically heal them. So, yeah, she had other fortunes on her plate. The team was loose and preparing for their solitary night-watch throughout the night, their vests and packs nearby as they munched on MREs. One second, she and her CO were joshing with flirtatious undertones about a mishap on a previous off-world team-building assignment, and the next second, Daniel is protectively embracing her to his body as an unarmored Jack and Teal'c rise from their position by the fire, and purposefully trek into the woods. Before the deception, she remembers her CO delivering a round of silent declarations to Daniel and Teal'c. She berates herself for overlooking that and him blatantly retrieving his knife and handgun, both weapons shining against the fire's glowing incandescence.
It terrorizes Sam — Jonas, Turghan, and whatever occurred in the woods with two of the men on her team.
The same said two men only a few feet away from her as she bears her weight to the solid table. She raises her head and eyes their side-view, noting how they're not too dissimilar in their absence of bulky armor as they stand side-by-side. As standard, the Jaffa has his hands clasped behind his back, and the colonel has his arms folded over his chest as they listen to the dark-skinned Cyrian woman.
The captain abruptly acknowledges that she hasn't been listening and pushes off the table to join her team. She stands next to Daniel on his left, and to his left is Teal'c, then the colonel, who glances her way; she gives him a brief nod and smile, a signal that they're still OK.
It's the truth: They're OK. Unlike Jonas and Turghan, there is consent, which is a beautiful thing to provide. She considers the jaunt at Secret Experience, how the bar wasn't as crowded as it was inferred, and how he likely wanted to be with her and Janet as he squeezed his way between them. The doctors would've told him off if they had a problem with it; he would've told them off if he had a problem being swamped by two captivating women as they clung to his body. As she considers it further, she wonders about their viewpoint on the three of them being together. She reflects on her and Janet's apprehension for the colonel when he was unconscious and was admitted into the military hospital from his life-threatening injuries in the crevasse and when he was paralyzed from the head-sucking gizmo's searing grip on his head. The colonel, the captain, and the chief medical officer. That's an unstoppable, fearless trio if she's ever heard of one.
As she reverts to reality for the definitive time, she glimpses the conclusion of the conversation with her team and the Cyrian woman. They're discussing technology, and Daniel glorifies Earth's improved technology like a spokesman. As far-fetched as it sounds, the planet's technology has developed positively with the minor asset of a few foreign elements, like naquadah, naquadria, trinium, and other superweapons and components; they've created a homeworld element named the maclarium specifically from the Tau'ri planet and not the combination of ingredients from beyond the 'gate. SG-1 and the Tau'ri have been fortunate and grateful for such features to be in their possession as they continue to discover and evolve. Although it's a significant accomplishment for the front-line team, their fellow units have also fulfilled their duties and have remarkably achieved prominent things for their planet.
". . . let's discuss this with Q'uobik and Tommen," excitedly says Isteno. She carefully holds a spare GDO and is awestruck as the screen comes alive as she presses random buttons.
Jack wholeheartedly chuckles at her reaction, stating, "This is one of our offerings to you and the Cyria planet."
Isteno squeals as she firmly grips the device, unknowingly showcasing a kid-in-the-candy-store reaction that the Tau'ri members are familiar with. She looks at the colonel and expresses, "Thank you, Jonathan. You must teach me of your ways with the round object. Come, come. Let me introduce the Tau'ri SG-1 to our staron and rith for additional communication."
The dark-skinned woman all but yanks Jack through the door. SG-1 follow the axmin out of the door, and Sam has to detour to quickly retrieve her issued backpack before joining the others. Interestingly, they're trekking down the corridor that the colonel and the captain nearly christened before being interrupted, and Jack briskly peeks back at Sam as they continue down the walkway. Yeah, Sam is feeling the same thing.
They were strolling, and now they're not; they're no-longer in the corridor but elsewhere.
"You know, I should've known that dreamshadow thing was coming," remarks Jack, shaking an index finger at Isteno in mock-censure. His reflection concludes because his attention is now on the newly-presented location. This has to be the main room or something because it's beyond the definition of magnificent. They're idling outside of the area yet have a grand view.
The establishment is either assembled from glass or a comparable element. From floor-to-ceiling, all surfaces are lustrous and colored a gentle silver-grey. There are three enormous, circular windows on the far left wall, and the sight outside the building looks celestial. Sitting areas with lounging couches, chairs, and stools are skewed about, like in study halls at Tau'ri high schools or colleges. An eatery is on the right wall, and behind the countertop is either a television or a touchscreen contraption. In the middle of the room is a billiards-sized table with a hologram rotating with incomprehensible characters (for non-Cyrians and non-xastralions). Two upward staircases flank the eatery, and a lift materializes behind a door from pressing a button as SG-1 eyes two women do just that. There's so much to grasp, and the team commonly wants to enter the area.
As Isteno leads the team closer to the room, they're met with an unknown neon inscription with compartments. The dark-skinned woman rotates and specifically regards the colonel's actions. The man in question is gazing at his surroundings, and now his eyes finally meet the inscription. The Cyrios language is read right-to-left and upwards, not downwards, which is standard on the Tau'ri planet, albeit some Tau'rian languages are read right-to-left. The leader of SG-1's eyes are locked on the characters, and he zigzags around his campers to gain a closer look; Isteno steps aside. After a beat or two, the man removes his GDO, zat gun, leg-pouch, belt, watch, steel-toed boots, and other playthings in his pocket and places them in the compartments that retreat into the wall.
The campers are bewildered that their leader is unexpectedly competent in comprehending the Cyrios language. He seems to concentrate on the characters, and then he can read them; he does this thing where he blinks a few times like he's returning to his body. Is his body overrun by an entity or something? He's had two entities raid his body, so is it possible that some of their markers remain in his body and occasionally detain his body? With the blue crystal and sphere organism, it was concluded that he was collateral damage. But how accurate is that deduction? Is it poor luck that he just so happened to touch a full blue crystal before his campers or that he just happened to be present when the sphere organism activated and penetrated his shoulder as he and the Big Guy tried to return it to its planet? Or that Teal'c was able to dodge the spike, yet he wasn't?
Additionally, the captain hypothesized that the beings within the organism selected the colonel as their victim. This may hold value since she and Daniel studied the object overnight, and there was no indication of activation until the following morning when the colonel entered the laboratory. Unknowingly, can his genetic identification hold an abundance of sustenance through the 'gate?
Jack steps aside, turns around, and is met with the perplexed expressions of his team. He's unsure why, so he roughly translates the inscription for them. "It's like a disclaimer or warning. Basically, no metal or weapons in the main room; place the items in holding before proceeding. The alarm will blare if otherwise, and the protection detail will respond."
As the primary archeologist of the team, Daniel jokingly feels like the colonel is overtaking his profession. He, Sam, and Teal'c match their leader's actions.
Isteno leads SG-1 into the room they've been waiting for, and they quickly dash to scrutinize their surroundings. They're like youngsters on a field trip.
The lift rises, and two men exit. They're in attires similar to Isteno's, and the deduction skills of the colonel note that they're Q'uobik and Tommen, the staron and the rith. The man on the left has a light tone, chestnut curls, and green eyes; the man on the right has shoulder-length hair pulled into a slick bun and clear-blue eyes.
"I am Q'uobik, the Staron of the Cyrian Mastria," the man on the right culturally introduces, his palms facing outwards before forming a diamond shape with his hands. The team senses déjà vu from the Cyrian chappa'ai room. If one-plus-one equals two, then —
"I am Tommen, the Staron of the Cyrian Mastria," the man on the right announces likewise. He scrutinizes the four members, and his suspicious gaze settles on the colonel.
Well, would you look at that? The staron, axmin, and rith are all present.
Isteno steps forward, declaring, "Q'uobik, Tommen, these are members of SG-1 of the Tau'ri planet. They voyage to barter and assemble an allyship with us. This is Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, Captain Samantha Carter, and Colonel Jack O'Neill."
The axmin steps back, and the staron steps forward with an optimistic aura. "Welcome, SG-1 of the rising Tau'ri planet and new Race. Let's wish for a potential partnership. If it's to my understanding, Axmin-Isteno knew of SG-1 or one of you before today's adventure," states Q'uobik.
Jack is silent at the knowing comment and knows his team members are doing the same. Perhaps the opposing top-wear isn't in his favor. He senses Tommen's fierce stare but disregards it; he notes how the man has grown tense and apprehensive, which isn't satisfactory. Cautiously, he stands on the other side of Daniel and Sam, with Teal'c as the stand-in leader.
The team understands that if the colonel relinquishes leadership to the captain or, in this case, Teal'c, there are two possibilities: He's wounded, or something or someone will affect his consciousness to guide his squad.
Isteno nervously darts between the colonel and the rith, detecting the suspense surrounding them. Glory to Dasyn, please let there not be a dispute. Tommen may be out of his element with this one and should cease while he's already ahead.
How can the axmin communicate without divulging too much? She'll lead with the obvious. "I know of Jack O'Neill throughout the Galaxy. He is the slayer of Ra and Hathor, and he's a xastralion of refined Tau'ri and Ancient genetics."
"A xastralion?! They are extinct, are they not?" rhetorically voices Q'uobik. Obviously they're not extinct if one is standing before him. "Very impressive, Colonel Jack O'Neill. I would've never considered meeting a rare species in this lifetime."
And that's that.
The subsequent occurrences are inconclusive.
Tommen attempts to strike Jack, exclaiming, "You shouldn't be here! You're sinful!"
The colonel presumed that such would occur, thus being prepared. He has some self-control and guarantees no casualty. He won't let anyone touch him and leave undeterred, regardless if they were just in the act.
Dodging and weaving, he successfully blocks Tommen's strikes and delivers a destructive two-three-two trio to his ribcage and sternum before finalizing with a harrowing punch to the face that knocks him down. Blood spews from his nose and mouth, and his eye swells.
The rith may deem this to be a fistfight, but the colonel believes it to be Stage 1 in a sparring match.
Daniel and Teal'c successfully draw Jack from Tommen, but the damage is already done. The colonel raises his bloody hands in submission, a vile expression completing his features.
This isn't good.
He's in a downward headspace and hunts for blood.
The colonel's eyes meet the captain's, and the woman inhales sharply.
A/N: Before I get too carried away, I'll leave this chapter here. I've probably watched Emancipation (1x03) a total of *one* time, so some of this may have occurred in the episode. I don't know. Either way, the episode doesn't exist, but I needed to reference and alter 1x03 to further the plot of my story. [All the support to Carter/AT, and Hell will rein over the writer(s) for putting her through that]. The same is for the episode with Jonas.
I'm a streetfighter; however, I didn't want to reveal or describe too much about Jack-Tommen, so it's purposefully "basic." Spoiler: It's going to get gruesome as the story progresses. It's up to you to determine if it's about the colonel-rith or something else. Hehe.
Recall that this story is an AU-Divergence and involves time skips/jumps. Ideally, it's post-Fifth Race and ventures all over the place.