I recently re-watched this episode and decided I wanted to do a continuation. It's been done to death but hey - not by me. Just a small few chapter story. I haven't forgotten my other stories and will update this weekend. Stay safe everyone.
He wasn't thinking clearly, or at all really. He was acting mostly on instinct, which fortunately kept them alive and moving forward. He pulled the woman behind him, ignoring her pleas to stop, that they were going to get caught. He didn't really hear her, but continued to travel the corridors, avoiding the scrambling Jaffa and the continuous explosions.
He moved with the woman towards the outside of the building, allowing whatever memories remained from Kanan to guide him through the complex maze of hallways and doorways.
Finally, they reached a door to the outside. He stopped suddenly, causing Ba'al's Lo'taur Shallan, to plow into him.
"Careful," he murmured, but his comment was automatic as he wasn't really paying attention to her. Instead, he was watching carefully to make sure none of Ba'al's Jaffa were anywhere near them.
When everything seemed clear he headed out of the building, his hand still pulling Shallan behind him. She had ceased resisting, although he was pretty sure she wasn't accompanying him willingly but only because she had no choice.
They ran through the forest, hazy memories of having done this before rising into his consciousness. But he continued on autopilot, refusing to think about anything other than the driving need to escape, to get away, to get off this planet.
He became increasingly breathless and started to feel dizzy. The small part of him that was registering anything was surprised. He'd always thought the sarcophagus improved your health but right now he felt ready to collapse.
He could finally see the DHD in the distance. Surprisingly there didn't seem to be any Jaffa about, but he knew that they could be hiding, or they could be close behind. Again, he had a memory of making it this far before – before being caught and taken to –
NO! He refused to let his mind go there. He had to leave. He had to get away, get off this planet. That's all he could think about or he would lose his mind.
By the time they reached the DHD he was panting heavily and there were black spots in front of his eyes. He could hear the woman's voice, as if it was coming through a long tunnel. He thought she was asking if he was okay, but he didn't have the energy, or the will, to answer.
He panicked for a moment, when he realized he had to input a gate address if he wanted to get off the planet. The problem was his mind was completely blank. He couldn't remember a single address, even that of Earth. Although without a GDO they would have gone "splat" anyway, if he'd dialed home and gone through the wormhole.
He leaned against the DHD, feeling wave of despair. He was this close, but without a gate address, they were well and truly stuck.
He tried to take a deep breath, the woman's voice ringing in his ears. He finally listened to her in case she had something helpful to say.
"Kanan knows," she kept repeating. "Kanan knows the address."
It took him much longer than it should have to recognize what she was saying. Finally, he clued in, after cursing his foggy state of mind. Okay – Kanan knew the gate address, but he wasn't Kanan!
He wanted to shout that at her but stopped himself since he knew she was simply trying to help. He closed his eyes, which was a mistake as he almost keeled over. He felt her hand steadying him and he nodded his thanks. Then he took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind and heart so he could think.
Kanan knew the gate address. "Okay you bastard Tok'ra, give me the damned address," he muttered to himself. For a moment nothing came to him and he thought their goose was well and truly cooked.
But without warning coordinates started to appear in his mind. He had no idea where they would lead, but frankly anywhere was better than here. If they ended up gating to a planet without an atmosphere, or to one like Earth with an iris – well, at least it would be quick, and he'd never again have to go back to that wall or torture.
He pressed the final chevron and the gate whooshed open. He again grabbed Shallan's hand and pulled her towards the event horizon. She once more tried to pull away, but he didn't acknowledge her attempt but simply kept moving.
He also didn't hesitate when he reached the gate. He heard a shout behind him and threw himself in to the blue event horizon, pulling the woman with him. The next thing he knew, he and Shallan were spit out onto a barren and rocky planet.
The gate closed behind him, and he could feel a strange numbness settle over him. He knew he should be relieved that no one had followed them, but he couldn't even muster up enough emotion to be happy about that fact.
Instead, he stepped down off the platform, and immediately sat on the steps with such force that the air left his lungs.
"Are you okay?" Shallan cried, falling onto her knees beside him. "Are you hurt?"
He shook his head, although that made the black dots swirl even more madly in front of his eyes.
"What is it? What is wrong?"
He just shook his head again, unable to get the energy up enough to answer. His eyes started to close, an intense lethargy coming over him. He could go to sleep here, and never wake up – which right now sounded wonderful.
The next thing he knew, hands were under him, lifting him up. He briefly opened eyes and identified two Tok'ra. As long as it wasn't the Jaffa, taking him back to be killed once more, he wasn't interested, so he closed his eyes again.
He heard voices speaking, including that of the woman. But he didn't care what they were saying. He was just too tired.
Time passed, although he had no idea how long it was, when suddenly he was inside. He could tell by the change in the sounds and the air quality. A few more minutes and he was placed down on a thin mattress.
He sighed, knowing that he would have to open his eyes. When he did, he instantly regretted it, for standing over him was one of the Tok'ra. In fact, there were two Tok'ra – a man and a woman - standing next to him, which was exactly two too many.
"Colonel O'Neill," one of them was speaking.
"Mmm?" he grunted.
"Are you alright?"
"Mmm." He replied again.
There was a sigh and the female Tok'ra stepped forward. "Colonel O'Neill – where is Kanan?"
Jack felt a jolt of anger rush through him, the first bit of emotion he'd felt since pummeling the Jaffa to de -. He stopped and took a deep breath. "Dead," he whispered, "I hope."
He was pretty sure that the two Tok'ra were both horrified by his words, but he really couldn't care less. He hated Kanan for what he'd done, and he was glad the snake was gone.
"How did he die?"
"Left me – when I was captured," he answered. "He was a coward and ran – or slithered - away."
That really did piss off the two Tok'ra, which for some strange reason make Jack feel glad. He knew he was taking his anger at Kanan out on them, but he didn't really care.
"I need to go home," he whispered, trying to sit up. Someone placed a hand on his chest, trying to hold him down, but he lifted his own hand and knocked it away. Then, with all the remaining energy he had, he forced himself up into a seated position.
"I need a GDO," he said softly. It took a few minutes before Tok'radee and Tok'radum figured out what he was talking about. Although they argued that he needed to stay, he just shook his head. He had to get home, before he went completely bonkers.
Finally, they let him stand – at which time he had to immediately grab the side of the pedestal he had been lying on so that he wouldn't do a face-plant on the floor.
"Show us to the gate," he murmured.
"The woman has decided to stay with us," Tok'radee said.
"- need to speak with her," Jack replied. He wouldn't trust the Tok'ra with a twenty-mile pole.
He heard a sigh, and footsteps. A moment later Shallen entered, followed by the Tok'ra woman.
"Are you okay?" she asked when she saw him standing there swaying.
"What do you want to do?" he asked breathlessly. "Stay here? Come with me?"
"I shall stay here," she told him. "I shall honor Kanan by staying and helping the Tok'ra in their battle against the Goa'uld," she told him. "I thank you and him for helplng to free me," she said, "but this is the place I need to be."
"You're sure?" he asked. She smiled and nodded – and it seemed real – so he nodded in return. He'd helped her escape, now she was no longer his concern.
"Take me to the gate," he said. He was finding speaking difficult. In fact, he was finding everything difficult. He desperately needed to get home.
After some conferring among themselves, the Tok'ra finally agreed. He was escorted to the surface of the planet (he hadn't even realized they were underground) and then to the gate.
"You are sure you do not wish to stay for a while and recuperate?" he was asked.
"Just send me home," he said softly.
"But we need to know -" the woman Tok'ra was obviously not happy with him, but the male put his hand out and took her arm.
"We must let him go, Tar'en," he said gently. "You can see that he is not well."
"We can heal him, Bar'tak," she replied, "but we must know what happened to Kanan. He would not have fled the host."
"He did," Jack informed them.
"It does not matter," Bar'tak replied. "Kanan is gone, and Colonel O'Neill wishes to return to his home."
"Kanan saved him," Tar'en hissed. "He owes us the information."
Jack could feel the anger in him build but didn't have the energy to fight. Instead he turned to Bar'tak. "Please, I need to go home."
Bar'tak nodded. "I shall dial Earth. You will be home almost immediately."
"Thank you," he replied. He didn't bother looking at the woman, caring only about making it back to Earth. He needed to put this behind him, to go home and have a beer and sleep. He never wanted to see a Tok'ra or a Goa'uld again, as long as he lived.
He heard the gate open but couldn't move. He was so tired, so very tired.
A hand took his arm and he felt himself being guided up to the gate. He prayed that the Tok'ra had sent the GDO code through, although at that moment he was almost beyond caring.
He stepped through the gate.