Building Unity

Title: Building Unity

Author: Suz W.

Feedback: I'd love to hear from you!!

Spoilers: After Shadow Play, The Other Guys, and Allegiance (episode tag)

Old Stories Referenced: None

Rating: PG-13, S/J Romance, Friendship and Action/Adventure.

Summary: The newly discovered allegiance between the Jaffa, Tok’ra, and Tauri is suddenly tested. Will it hold true in the face of danger?

Disclaimer: All publicity recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended.

Copyright: The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. Copyrighted on November 5, 2005, by Suzanne R. Whitmarsh.

Author’s Notes: This story follows “The Heart Of The Matter”. With the overall disappointment in Season 9, I hope that my stories will bring you a little of what has been lost. I remain hopefully that the writers of the show will give us some more Sam and Jack moments yet to come. Keep reading and I hope that you will continue to enjoy the stories as I put them out. I also want to apologize for the unexpected break in my writing, but life circumstances didn’t afford me time to write in the past 3 months. Thanks for all your support and dedication to my series! As always, your feedback is so important and greatly appreciated!

Dedication: This story is dedicated to all Sam and Jack fans. Remain strong in your faith that we will see more of them on the show. They are truly a historic couple, and will remain in our hearts through the show and through all the great fanfiction out there!

Night had fallen over the Alpha site, revealing a sky that was dusted with bright, twinkling stars. The temperature had dipped into the high 40’s, contrasting the warm Colorado summers that were currently in season. Around the base camp, the barracks and other buildings were softly illuminated by white lights that hung next to the doorways. At the edge of the camp, the Stargate loomed majestically, a sleeping giant against the night sky. And from the center of the base, a large bonfire burned, sending shadows of dancing flames onto every surface surrounding it.

Instead of the steady quiet of night that normally filled the camp, a multitude of voices saturated the air. Gathering around the fire, faces of the Tauri, Tok’ra and Jaffa could be seen mixed together in small groups. Conversations of all sorts filled the air, some with laughter, while others held a more serious tone. For the past few hours, as the evening light gave way to the night, those gathered at the Alpha site had enjoyed an impromptu celebration, recognizing the new bond that had been formed between them after the defeat of the Ashrak hunter who had been among them. They had feasted together, and though a few tense moments of conversation had erupted, it had been easily quelled with a reminder from Bra’tac. He had assumed the fatherly role to this new alliance, and most everyone there seemed to respect his wisdom and didn’t dispute it.

After dinner, they had broken off into the groups they were currently in, discussing everything from the latest rumored Goa’uld movements to new technological advances that others had come across. On the outskirts of the groupings, Sam sat quietly as she observed the gatherings around her. It did her heart good to see a more relaxed atmosphere between the Tok’ra and the Jaffa. The past 24 hours at the Alpha site had been filled with so much tension, it was good to see that differences could be worked out, no matter how temporary the truce might be.

Sitting up a little straighter, Sam rolled her shoulders, hoping to work out the knots that had formed there. Closing her eyes, she rolled her neck from one side to the other, listening to the hum of human voices mixed in with the sounds of the night. But the sound of one voice suddenly stood out from the rest, and when she opened her eyes, she looked up and found her dad smiling down at her.

“Hey, Sam. Mind if I join you?” Jacob asked with a subtle grin on his face.

Sam returned his smile. “I’d love it.” Scooting over, she made room for her dad on the log she was sitting on. Watching her dad gingerly sit down, she furrowed her brow with some concern. “Hey, are you feeling alright?”

Jacob stretched out his legs and took in a deep breath, letting it out with a soft sigh. “Yeah, fine. I’m just worn down from the past day’s activities. You’re old man’s not as tough as he use to be, despite the company of Selmak.”

Sam playfully nudged him with her elbow. “You’ll always be a hero to me, Dad.” Turning her eyes back to the party before them, she continued. “Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. I’m beginning to believe that the Ashrak was actually a good thing to have happen, despite the loss of life.”

Jacob nodded. “His treachery did bring at least a temporary peace to this place. But don’t get your hopes up, Sam. This is only a small group of both Tok’ra and Jaffa…the mistrust and suspicion that lies between our two races will not go away because of the defeat of one Ashrak. Unfortunately, it will take a lot more than one battle to win the war against what separates us.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked over at his daughter, studying her for a moment. “So where’s Jack? I expected to find him with you.”

Sam briefly looked over at her dad before nodding in the direction of the crowd. “He and Teal’c went to find some food. Between the two of them, there may not be any food left to eat. I think they’re both on their third helping.”

Jacob chuckled at the thought. “You may be right on that one.” Pausing to capture his thoughts, he continued after a moment. “I had a conversation with Jack earlier today.”

Sam looked over at her dad with interest. “Oh? What about?” She secretly liked the idea of her father and the man she loved conversing. It gave her a touch of that fabled reality that they were a family, one where there were no boundaries to watch, and no restrictions to live by.

Jacob answered her. “Mostly about carrying a symbiote. He inquired on how my leg was doing, and that touched off the subject.” Looking over at Sam, he went on. “You know he has a lot of denial about what happened to him with Kanan.”

Sam sighed and looked down at her hands, nodding in agreement. “I know he does. But then, I don’t think he’ll ever fully understand or accept that he had a symbiote inside of him. To him, it was probably one of the most degrading experiences that he’s ever been through.”

Jacob studied her face. “Are you two okay?”

Sam looked over at her dad briefly before answering. “I think so. There are times when all seems completely right with us, or at least as right as it can get. But then there are other times…times when I look into his eyes, and all I see is someone who’s plagued by nightmares.”

Jacob furrowed his brow in concern. “Sam, he went through a lot…you of all people understand that. As far as what Baal put him through…those are demons that will have to be worked out with time. And unfortunately, I don’t think even you can help him with that.”

Sam sat up straighter to stretch her back. Placing her hands on the log beneath her, she nodded and responded. “I know that, Dad. It’s just…he’s haunted by so much of his past. Sometimes I wonder just how happy I can make him. I mean, I know we’re happy, but is it enough? Will my love for him be enough to bring him the ultimate peace that always seems to elude him? Or am I just delaying the inevitable?”

Jacob gave her a moment before answering her. When he did, his voice was quiet. “Sam, I’m not going to pretend that I don’t constantly worry about your relationship with Jack. It’s dangerous and goes against regulations. There are so many people who could take advantage of the two of you should they find out what you really feel for each other. But I also know that he makes you happy…happier than I’ve ever seen you.” Pausing to catch his breath, he went on. “As for Jack, there is nothing that you can do to take away the bad memories of the past. He has to choose to do that for himself. I guess I’m just worried that eventually that’s going to end up ultimately hurting you.”

Sam shook her head. “Jack would never hurt me if he could help it. And yes, I know there are risks…but I’m not going to stop loving him just because of what he’s been through to save my own feelings. That would be incredibly selfish. And besides, I can’t stop loving him…I never will.”

Jacob leaned over and placed a hand on the side of Sam’s face. “Sam, I know you never will. You are an incredibly loyal person to anything that you believe in. But I can’t help but hear the fear in your voice that Jack might not be that loyal to you.” When he saw Sam open her mouth to protest, he quickly went on. “I’m not saying he’ll stop loving you, but the issues of his past could influence his state of mind, and that could be enough to convince him that he needs to give you up to save you from himself.”

Sam placed her hand over her dad’s and applied some light pressure. “I appreciate your concern and honesty, but I refuse to live my life by fear. It’s not who I am…you know that.”

Jacob sighed and nodded, removing his hand and moving back to where he was. “I know. I just don’t want to see my little girl get hurt. And friend or not, I’ll never forgive Jack if he ever hurts you.”

Sam smiled at her dad’s fatherly protection. “I love you, Dad, and I thank you for your concern, but really, we’re going to make it through this. We’ve been through worse.”

Jacob gave her a sad smile. “It only takes one time.”

Just as Sam was about to respond, the topic of their conversation came walking through the crowd.

Jack looked at Sam and Jacob in front of him and cleared his throat. “Sorry…are we interrupting? Cause T and I can go mingle by the food table a little longer if we have to.”

Sam gave him a strained smile. “No, it’s fine. Dad and I were just talking.”

Jack eyed her wearily as he sat down a safe, expected distance from her. He didn’t believe her weak answer to his question. Deciding he would broach the subject with her later, he nodded. “Okay. We can eat here just as easily.”

Jacob straightened up and kept his voice light as he broke the temporary silence. “So…did either of you leave any food for the rest of us?”

Jack gave him a hurt look. “Now, Jacob, that’s insulting! If you’re implying that we’re pigs, well…I guess there could be some partial truth to that. BUT…we’re doing it for the good of all the food that no one seems to be eating. We wouldn’t want the cook’s hard work to go to waste.” Jack looked over at Teal’c for an agreement, but only found him starring at him. “What?”

Teal’c simply turned his head back to the others. “I am not sure of what you speak of, O’Neill, but I am not a pig. I am Jaffa.”

With that, everyone in the group let out a light laugh, including Jack. As the laughter subsided, Jack looked over at Sam and studied her for a moment. When she caught his eye and looked over at him, he gave her a warm smile. When she only gave him a half effort smile before looking down at her hands, he knew something was bothering her. He would just have to wait for the right time to approach her about it.

As Jack was mulling over what could be bothering her so much, Janet joined them. “Mind if I join the party?”

Sam looked up and gave her friend a smile. “Hey Janet. It’s about time you took a breather from work.”

Janet sat down next to Jacob. “Look who’s talking.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile. “Well I’m glad someone else finally noticed. I was beginning to think that I was hallucinating.” Jack caught the tolerant look Sam quickly gave him and chuckled to himself.

When the conversation died down for a moment, the music that was filling the night became prominent. It came from various instruments that several of the Jaffa had brought with them. For the majority of the evening, it had mostly been mellow tunes, complimenting the rhythm of the night. But suddenly they switched their mood, and a more lively beat filled the air. As it started up, people around them let out shouts of approval as some of them got up and began to dance to the beat. Malek, Bra’tac, and Rak’nor emerged from the crowd to join them, watching the revelers with smiles of approval on their faces as they passed them. The tune was unfamiliar to Jack, but from the look on the Jaffa and Tok’ra faces gathered around them, he could only assume it was a dance familiar to both their groups.

Jack watched those dancing with interest. “This is a festive beat.”

Bra’tac spoke up as he joined them. “That it is, O’Neill. This tune is a favorite among the Jaffa.”

Malek quickly added a response. “As it is to the Tok’ra.” The two men then looked at each other for a moment, almost as if surprised to find such a common bond between them. Bra’tac graciously nodded his head in recognition and then returned his gaze back to the group in front of him. “Is it not a tradition of the Tauri to dance when music is played?”

Sam smiled up at him and answered. “It is, but I’m afraid we don’t know this particular piece of music…or the dance that goes with it.”

Janet added her own thoughts. “I bet Daniel would know it.” Suddenly realizing what she had said, she continued, with a much quieter tone in her voice. “Sorry… I guess I sometimes find it hard to believe he’s not here.”

Jack looked over at her. “I bet he’d have known this dance. It would have been right up his alley.”

For a moment, they were all silent with reflection until Bra’tac cleared his throat. “Well, there’s no reason you can’t learn it now. Major Carter? Would you care to accompany me for this dance?”

Sam quickly looked up with surprise, sensing the weight of the group watching her and waiting for a response. Glancing over nervously at Jack, not knowing what to say, she looked up and stumbled through an answer. “Um…I’m honored, Bra’tac, but I’m afraid I might not be much of a dance partner…I really don’t know this dance at all.”

Jack looked up at Bra’tac. “Well, Bra’tac, I didn’t realize you danced. I mean, you’re not exactly…a spring chicken.” Jack felt the group shift their gazes quickly in his direction. Looking around him, he shrugged in defense. “What? It’s the truth! He’s got to be at least…400 years old.”

Teal’c raised an eyebrow and quickly intervened. “Despite what you may think, O’Neill, Master Bra’tac is an accomplished dancer.”

Rak’nor inserted his thoughts. “He taught all of us. It would be foolish to think of him in any other way.”

Jack held up a hand. “Hey, meant no offense. I was just surprised. I didn’t really take Bra’tac for much more than a warrior.”

Bra’tac stepped forward and reached out for Sam’s hand. “Enough of this talk. We waste good celebration time. Come, Major Carter. I apparently have a reputation to uphold.”

Sam couldn’t help but smile as she was pulled to her feet and led away from the group and into the dancing crowd. Bra’tac quickly corralled her and swept her into formation, proving from the start just how steady and strong on his feet he really was. She suddenly felt as light as a butterfly as he spun her around the crowd, weaving her in an out in time with the music.

Jack watched Sam as Bra’tac danced her in an out of his view. He couldn’t help but allow a soft smile to form on his lips as he watched the smile on her face glow. It was good to see her happy; he knew that she had been through a lot recently, and it was mostly his fault.

Teal’c’s voice suddenly filled the air. “Dr. Fraiser, I would be honored to show you how the dance goes. I know Daniel Jackson would have if he were here.”

Janet looked up and gave Teal’c a warm smile. “I’d love to, Teal’c, thank you. After all that’s gone on here today, a little light hearted dancing would do me good.” Standing up, she made her way over to Teal’c and followed him into the crowd that had grown rather large. As Jack watched them go, he noticed that even some fellow airmen had decided to join in the fun and try to learn on their own.

Jacob, who had been watching Jack, got up and moved over next to him. Sitting down, he looked over and noticed that Rak’nor and Malek had resolved themselves to quiet conversation. Happy to see the two getting along, he turned his attention back to Jack. “So, no dancing for you?”

Jack glanced over at him. “The dance cards seem to be filled. You?”

Jacob rubbed the wound on his leg that was still tender. “I’m not quite up for that yet.” Hesitating, he put his hands together and studied them for a moment before proceeding. “Jack, is everything alright with you and Sam?”

Jack, startled by the abrupt question, looked over at Jacob. “Last time I checked. Why? Did she say something? Because I know I can be dense, but even I could see that the two of you were in some kind of serious conversation when we walked up. And she didn’t look very happy.”

Jacob shook his head. “It’s nothing. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Jack laid a hand on Jacob’s forearm. “Look, Jacob, if there’s something going on with Sam, I have a right to know, especially if it concerns me.”

Jacob looked over at him. He could feel the heat from the large bonfire a short distance away, and he suddenly wished he hadn’t said anything. Finally deciding on how to respond, he answered him. “It’s more of what I said to her. I was concerned on how you were doing after your experience with Kanan and Baal. Naturally, I can only assume that has taken a toll on you emotionally. I was concerned that it might be affecting your relationship with her. She just didn’t seem as light-hearted lately. Selmak could sense it too.”

Jack, reaching for sarcasm, spoke up. “Oh, well if Selmak sensed it, then it must be true.”

Jacob let out a tolerate sigh. “Jack, you know what I mean.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, I know. Look, Jacob, I’m taking it one step at a time. I’m not going to kid you by saying it didn’t affect us, because it did. At one point, I wasn’t sure if I should even keep up our relationship.”

Jacob studied him. “For fear of losing her?”

Jack shook his head no. “For fear of hurting her anymore than I already have. She deserves a lot more than what I can give her, but for some reason, she sticks by me.”

Jacob smiled. “Because she loves you. Look, Jack. Both of you are military, and working together. You and I both know there are regulations against the two of you having a relationship, and for reasons just like this. But it’s obvious that both of you want this, and are will to risk your careers for it. I’d say you need to expect hurt. It comes with the territory.” Pausing for thought, he continued with a softer voice. “My wife never quite understood my connection to the Airforce. I was always gone, off on some mission she could have no knowledge of. In a way, I probably hurt her more than you could ever hurt Sam. I loved her so much, and it killed me every time I had to lie to her and not be able to tell her the truth of where I was going. At least you don’t have to worry about that with Sam.”

Jack looked over at him. “Thanks, Jacob.”

Jacob nodded. “Just promise me you won’t do anything rash. When the two of you decided to take friendship to the next level, you changed the stakes big time. Don’t make me sic an Ashrak on your butt. But if you do something stupid, so help me, Jack, I will.”

Jack looked over and gave Jacob a wry smile. When he was about to respond, the musicians switched tune and he turned and found the four dancers returning to them. He watched as Sam approached, her face flushed pink from exertion and her lips smiling with happiness. Jack couldn’t help but smile back at her. “Have fun?”

Sam looked over at Bra’tac and then back at Jack. “Yeah. Bra’tac’s an amazing dancer.”

Jack was about to look at Bra’tac and say thanks for ruining it for him, but thought twice about how his answer would be perceived by the group. Instead, he just smiled back at her and then looked over at Bra’tac. “Well, Bra’tac, my apologies. You certainly proved your skill if you know more about something than Carter. I really didn’t think there was anything that could surprise her that much.”

Sam looked over at him. “Speak for yourself, Sir. I never doubted that Bra’tac had it in him.”

Jack shook his head and smiled. “Okay, Carter, whatever you say.”

Just then, Lt. Pierce emerged from the crowd, followed by a Jaffa. Jack looked over at him and nodded. “Lieutenant. Having a good time?”

Pierce responded. “Yes, Sir. Colonel, we have a slight situation. This Jaffa just told me that over two hours ago, another fellow Jaffa and a Tok’ra went out in search of some more firewood. Apparently, they haven’t returned yet.”

Jack stood up. “It sounds like they might have gotten lost. We’ve got at least six hours until dawn, so we probably should send someone out to look for them.”

Teal’c spoke up. “I will go and look for them, O’Neill.”

Malek answered as well. “As will I.”

Jack looked at the two of them. “Okay. Pierce, go with them. Stay in radio contact and report back after an hour if you can’t find them. We can send out more personnel to help with the search if you need.”

Lt. Pierce nodded. “Yes, Sir.” Jack and the rest of the group watched them go. He felt kind of bad making them search now, but considering the tension between the Jaffa and Tok’ra that had been quenched for the moment, he didn’t want it flaring up over two missing people looking for firewood. If one came back without the other, he could only imagine what could come of that.

Forty-five minutes later, Sam was at the refreshment table getting something else to drink when Jack approached from behind. When he reached her side, she turned towards him and gave him a small smile. “Hey. Come back for round four?”

Jack quickly and playfully nudged her in the ribs. “Very funny. Actually, I came to see if I couldn’t steal a few minutes alone with you. Am I in luck?”

Sam looked around them and then looked back at Jack. “Well, we’re not exactly alone, but I’ll take what I can get.”

Jack got a half smile on his face. Looking around, he nodded his head to the right. “Follow me.” He led her away from the table and the surrounding crowd of people to a nearby building. Looking around, he quickly opened the door and ushered her through it.

As Sam stepped inside, her eyes took a moment to adjust to the pitch black that was around them. Once she was able to make out the outline of the counters around her, she moved forward and placed her hands on the edge of one of them. They were in one of the labs that she worked in, so luckily the surroundings were familiar to her. Setting her drink down, she turned around and was surprised not to find Jack right behind her. “Jack? Where are you?” When only silence followed, she called out again. “Jack?”

Suddenly, a hand came from behind her and lightly covered her eyes. Knowing the feel of Jack’s hands, she placed one of hers over his and smiled. “Jack, it’s already dark in here and since it was you who brought me to the lab in the first place, this is hardly effective.” At that moment, she felt his lips suddenly nuzzling the side of her neck, eliciting an unexpected purr from her throat. “Or maybe…it is.”

Jack released his hold on her eyes and moved around in front of her, capturing her lips. The kiss was so intense, so urgent, that it made her knees go weak. Leaning against the counter for support with his body weight pressed against her, she gasped for air as he released her lips and moved further down her neck. Sam could barely think let alone talk. “Jack…we really shouldn’t….what if someone comes in…”

With a wide sweep of his arm, Jack moved aside all the papers that were on the countertop behind them. Gathering his hands at her waist, he hoisted her up on top of it, laying her down as he climbed up. Sam couldn’t help but let out a light laugh. “Jack, you do realize that you’re going to have to pick up all my papers now.”

Jack grinned down at her in the darkness. “You know, you talk and think way too much. Let me remedy that.” Covering her mouth again with his lips, he instilled another deep kiss, probing his tongue deeper as the urgency within him built.

As Sam let out another soft moan, he let his hand begin the familiar path of tracing down her neck to her breasts. And just as he was about to reach them, his radio crackled to life as Teal’c’s voice drifted over it. “O’Neill….do you read me?”

Jack couldn’t believe his luck. He had been looking forward to getting her alone all night to do just this. As he moved his hand from her chest to the desk, he placed it down hard enough to make a nearby glass rattle. Pushing himself up, he looked down at Sam, who was lying there watching him. “Sorry,” he growled under his breath. Taking in a big breath and letting it out in a noisy sigh, he was about to respond when Teal’c came over the radio again. “Colonel O’Neill. This is Teal’c. Do you read me?”

Jack grabbed up his radio and clicked it, his voice fully agitated. “What!”

Teal’c responded. “O’Neill. We have found the Tok’ra and the Jaffa that had gone missing.”

Jack raised one of his hands. “And?!”

Teal’c continued. “They both have sustained severe injury. It would be wise to bring Dr. Fraiser to our position. You may also want to bring backup.”

Jack looked over at Sam before responding back to Teal’c. “That bad?”

Teal’c answered him. “I am not sure. But something is not right here. The injuries that these two sustained are highly suspicious.”

Jack got off the counter as Sam sat up. “Alright. We’re on our way. Where are you?”

Teal’c responded back. “Approximately 5 clicks to the south. I will light a small fire to make it easier to find us.”

Jack helped Sam off the counter. “Roger that. O’Neill out.” Dropping his radio back in place, he put his hands on either side of Sam’s face and gave her a gentle kiss. “Sorry. Maybe we can continue this later.”

Sam smiled at him. “I think I could be up for that. Thanks for trying.” Making their way to the door, she continued. “We’d better tell my dad where we’re going. He may want to come along.”

Jack nodded. “Hey, the more the merrier.”

Twenty minutes later, Jack, Sam, Janet, Jacob, Bra’tac, and Rak’nor were headed into the forest in search of Teal’c’s position. When Sam and Jack had gone to inform Jacob about the latest on the search for the two missing people, and to collect Janet, the others had insisted on coming. Using flashlights to guide their way, they followed the best form of a path they could find, dodging roots that jutted halfway out of the ground and skipping over rocks too big to be concealed beneath the surface of the dirt.

As their trek went on, Jack, after having just stumbled over an unseen tree limb, vented his building frustrations. “For cryin’ out loud, whatever possessed these two idiots to go this far out to look for some firewood anyway?!”

Rak’nor, who was walking in front of Jack, half turned and responded to his remark. “It is not uncommon for those among our people to go out of their way to find only the best of what they are searching for. It is part of who we are.”

Jack mumbled out loudly enough for not only Sam to hear, who was next to him, but for Rak’nor to hear as well. “Well I’m going to make it a tradition to put my foot up their ass if they ever decide to go out of their way again like this…especially in the middle of the night!”

Rak’nor turned around and stopped, giving Jack a defensive look. “Are you saying that this was done with purposeful intention? Because if you are, you are assuming too much!”

Jack held up his hands. “Hey, let’s calm down. I meant no offense to your people. I just wish that they would have been a little more considerate to the rest of us before going and getting themselves lost.”

Bra’tac, who had stopped with Rak’nor, added his own thought. “I am sure they didn’t not intend to get lost, O’Neill. We must assume there is more to this before judging their actions.”

Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. “Alright, for the last time….I meant no offense. Now can we please get going? We’re missing a fun party!”

Bra’tac and Rak’nor looked at each other briefly before turning around and moving forward. As they started out again, Jack looked over at Sam, who just shook her head and looked back ahead of her. Jacob, who had been behind them, moved in closer and whispered low enough so that just Jack and Sam could hear.

“Nice, Jack, really subtle. You’re great at keeping those relations in tack.” After Jacob had said his peace, he fell back a few steps to put space between them.

Jack, who was fully irritated by now, looked over at Sam and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Will you please explain to your father that I was just being sarcastic! Apparently, he’s had that snake in his head so long he’s forgotten what it’s all about.”

Sam held up her hands. “Sorry, but you’re on your own.” Moving in a little closer and keeping her voice low as she walked, she smiled mischievously at him and continued. “Besides, in a sense, you’re family now, so you’ve got just as much ground as I do.”

Jack took a second to think about what she had just said before letting a slow smile appear on his lips. As Jack looked ahead of him, Sam could make out his profile in the shadow of their flashlight. She was pleased to see that his frustration had melted away into something more of contentment. It was a great feeling, and one she only hoped to see more of as their relationship grew.

Twenty minutes later, they were able to make out in the distance the signal fire that Teal’c had lit for them to find. Upon their approach, Teal’c emerged from the shadow of the trees, followed by Lt. Pierce and Malek. Jack, expecting to find the two missing people following behind them, was surprised to find no one in their wake. Ushering with his hands, Jack held up a hand and waved. “So, where are our two missing individuals?”

Teal’c, assuming his statue-like stance with his arms held behind his back and his head held high, answered him in a deep voice. “They are dead, O’Neill.”

Jack’s brow lifted in shock. “What? How? Did a tree fall on them?”

Malek responded in a tense voice. “I hardly think this is the time to be joking, Colonel O’Neill. A Tok’ra and a Jaffa have both lost their lives tonight. I’m sure your manner would be different if it were a Tauri.”

Sam, sensing Jack’s anger flaring, quickly intervened. “Where did they sustain their injuries?”

Lt. Pierce responded to her question. “I’d like to have Dr. Fraiser examine them, but from what I can see, they appear to have sustained the same fatal injuries as Ocker and Artok.”

Jack immediately responded. “What?!”

Jacob and Bra’tac immediately looked at each other. Jacob’s voice was grim. “That would mean there is possibly another Ashrak still on this planet.”

Janet spoke up. “Where are they? I’d like to look them over myself.”

Lt. Pierce nodded. “Of course. This way Dr. Fraiser…I’ll take you to them.”

Rak’nor moved with them. “I will accompany you. I want to see this for myself.” Jack watched as the three of them receded into the shadows. Looking back at Teal’c, Jack still couldn’t believe this was possible. “Are you sure? I mean, I thought these guys worked alone, like a kind of bounty hunter.”

Teal’c nodded. “Usually that is true, O’Neill. However, upon discovering their injuries, I am beginning to suspect that this is not the case.”

Jack looked over at Sam. “Well, that’s just great! I don’t suppose you can pull out of your hat one of those fancy Naquada detector things you put together earlier?”

Sam shook her head. “Sorry, Sir. I wish I could, but all the supplies I need are back at the base.”

Jack looked at the group gathered around the small fire. “Alright. Spread out and search just this immediate area. No one goes into the trees without someone watching their back. Since we didn’t exactly come prepared, we need to get back to the base and regroup.”

Looking around at the small clearing that they were in, Sam, Jack, Jacob, Malek, Teal’c, and Bra’tac spread out and began to search the ground, looking for anything out of the ordinary. After five minutes of searching, nothing had been found. As they were beginning to gather back together, Janet, Rak’nor, and Lt. Pierce emerged from the spot where they had gone. Jack looked over his shoulder and directed his attention to them. “So, what’s the verdict, Doc?”

Janet gave a sigh and nodded. “I’m afraid Teal’c is right. The injuries sustained by the Tok’ra and Jaffa were the same as the others. Unless we have a copycat killer among us, I’d say it’s a safe bet that there’s another Ashrak among us.”

As the quiet settled in around them after she finished speaking, an eerie feeling seemed to chill all of their bones. The forest around them seemed to have eyes everywhere, and the black shadows that consumed the trees in the background seemed to suddenly come alive.

Jacob finally spoke up in a hushed tone. “Well, I think we need to get back to the base. There’s no telling where he could be, not to mention the fact that we have no idea what his agenda is. It’s not like an Ashrak to hide out.”

Bra’tac added to his sentiment. “I agree with Jacob. Why there were two Ashrak present, with one hiding out, I do not know. But I suggest we get back to the camp as soon as possible.”

Jack didn’t waste any more time with theories. “Let’s get moving. We’re sitting ducks out here in the open. Everyone stay close. I don’t want to have to report any more casualties. Stay sharp and don’t stop unless it’s absolutely necessary. Got it?”

When everyone indicated that they understood, Jack started out, followed by Sam and the rest of the group. With five miles to go, the tension of their uncertain trek back was as thick as soup.

About a mile into the journey, Sam, who was walking next to Jack, suddenly spotted something among the underbrush not far from her position. Stopping, she peered closer, trying to get a better visual. As she took a step in that direction, Jack’s sharp voice, in a stern whisper, suddenly came out of nowhere, causing her to jump.

“Carter! What did I say about stopping?” When Sam looked over her shoulder, she could see the rest of the group had stopped and was watching her with tense faces as they looked around them, trying to decipher the shadows.

Sam responded, keeping her voice low. “I’m sorry, Sir, but I think I’ve found something.” Moving a little farther ahead, but still within sight of the group, she squatted down and began to move some of the underbrush away from the object she had spotted.

Jack, not liking the idea of having to stall even for a minute, looked over at Teal’c. Signaling with his head, he spoke up quietly. “Teal’c. Go see what she’s found. The rest of you keep a sharp lookout. We’re not staying long.”

Teal’c moved off to the side as quietly as possible, careful to avoid snapping any twigs or branches as he went. Only the crunching of dried leaves could be heard under his feet.

Sam, now fully mesmerized by what she’d found, failed to hear Teal’c’s approach until he was right beside her. Looking up, she met his eyes before looking back down at the device. As she spoke, her voice came in wavered tones of disbelief. “Teal’c, is this what I think it is…”

Teal’c, kneeling down next to her, took the device from her hands, examining it thoroughly before nodding, his face grim. “Indeed. It is a transmitter used by the Goa’uld. And it appears to have been active for quite some time.”

Sam and Teal’c both looked at each other before getting up. Turning around, they moved quickly back to the group, with Teal’c still holding the small device in his hands. As they rejoined them, everyone looked down at what he was carrying.

Jack studied the device for a moment. Looking up at Sam and Teal’c, he knew he really didn’t have to ask if it was a good thing or a bad thing. “Let me guess,” he started out, “NOT a good thing, right?”

Sam shook her head. “I’m afraid so, Sir. It appears to be a transmitter device of some kind.”

Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “For who??”

Bra’tac confirmed what Teal’c had earlier. “For the Goa’uld.”

Jack about lost it. “You mean to tell me we’re could have an invasion of snakeheads at any moment? On the Alpha site…the planet that up until now they didn’t know existed?!!”

Bra’tac responded. “I do not know.”

Jack gave him a weird look. “What do you mean you don’t know? I thought you just said…”

Bra’tac interrupted him. “I know what I just said, O’Neill, but it does not mean that the Goa’uld are coming.”

Rak’nor finished his thought. “What Master Bra’tac is saying is that this is a primitive device as far as transmitters go for the Goa’uld. As far as I can remember, no system lord has used this for a very long time.”

Teal’c gave a nod in agreement. “I agree with Rak’nor. Though the device appears to be working, it may not be signaling who we think it is.”

Jack let out an irritated sigh. “Well that’s just great. So just who exactly is it suppose to be signaling?”

Jacob broke into the conversation for the first time. “Maybe it’s being used by the Ashrak. They’re rogue hunters. It would make sense that if they’re going to work together for some reason, they might just use a device like this one that wouldn’t directly identify them.”

Malek agreed with him. “It is true. I have heard of such a possibility before, though I found it hard to believe. As we have said, it is not like the Ashrak to work together.”

Sam continued the conversation. “But why now? What would be motivating them to work together?”

Bra’tac answered her. “That I cannot tell you. But if this device has truly been used to signal other Ashrak to this planet, you can be sure that whatever system lord sent them after us was looking for a lot more then just killing off a few Tok’ra.”

Just then, the sudden snapping of a nearby tree limb had them all silent and completely frozen in the position they were in. Barely breathing, they scanned the darkness with their eyes, readying themselves for an attack. Finally, a small animal came scurrying out from the bushes, helping them to relax a little.

Jack blew out a silent breath and kept his voice as low as possible. “Let’s get back to the base. We need to warn the others and prepare for whatever these guys may have in store for us. Move out.” With his prompting, they all fell back in place and carefully started to make their way back to the base. The tension was high as they continued to move through the shadows, feeling naked and unprepared without their weapons. With only a few more miles to go, they could only hope that the rest of the trek back would prove uneventful.

Thirty minutes later, they neared the edge of the forest. Beyond it, the camp would open up before them, spread out amongst a large clearing. Jack, leading the way, suddenly got an uneasy feeling in his gut. Trusting his instincts, he slowed his pace slightly, indicating to the others to do the same.

As they continued to move, Sam edged her way up next to him and looked over. Jack caught her look from the corner of his eye and turned his head to her. Silently, she mouthed out the words ‘What is it’. Shaking his head once, he pointed to his ear and then pointed directly ahead of them.

That’s when Sam noticed what he had sensed. No music, no laughter, no talking of any kind. It was as if the camp was deserted. Jack then indicated for the others to duck down as they approached the treeline. Doing this, they all then lined up on the edge of the hill, looking over its ridge with baited breath. Sam could smell the dirt as she rested her chin on it, her eyes scanning the base for any signs of movement.

The large bonfire was still burning, its flames dancing as the wood cracked and popped loudly from the heat. It cast empty shadows all around the base, making it harder to spot any kind of movement. Jack glanced over at Sam and then moved closer.

Keeping his voice to a barely audible level, he spoke up, keeping his eyes peeled to the camp in front of them. “Looks like the party’s over.” Squinting his eyes, he reached into his back pocket and found his pair of binoculars. Thankful he had forgotten to remove them, he scanned the length of the camp but found nothing.

And that is exactly what had him suddenly yanking the scopes away from his face. Blinking his eyes and quickly shaking his head, he put the scopes back up to his eyes, focusing them to a certain dark area of the camp. With the night vision operating, he still couldn’t believe what he was seeing, or rather, not seeing.

“Oh crap!” Jack’s voice was low but loud enough to draw everyone’s attention.

Sam, not understanding what had him so upset, spoke up in a hushed tone. “What is it?”

Jack drew the scopes down once again and handed them over to her, their fingers brushing for a fleeting moment. “It’s gone.” His voice harbored both astonishment and fear.

Sam, taking up the binoculars, scanned the camp to see what he was looking at. Her father’s voice registered in her ears as she was searching. “Jack, what’s gone?” At that moment, Sam found the answer. Lowering the scopes, she looked over at Jack, who had been watching her to confirm what he had seen.

Jacob’s voice came again. “Sam, what’s gone?”

Sam glanced over at her father, with the others looking on. “The Gate,” she said, her voice holding as much surprise and fear as Jack’s had. “Both the Stargate and the DHD are gone. The M.A.L.P. is the only thing that’s still there.”

As the unsettling news moved through their group, the binoculars were passed around for all to see. Jack then began to move backwards on his stomach, recessing into the trees, and nodded for Sam and the others to do the same. Once everyone had retreated into the shadows, they stood up and gathered in close.

Jack, dusting himself off, spoke first. “Alright. Obviously we’ve got a major problem. In the last two hours, somehow not only has everyone in the base managed to disappear, but the Stargate’s been stolen. So…any bright ideas on how that happened?”

Teal’c spoke up first. “The Asguard are the only race that have the capability of beaming up objects such as the Stargate.”

Lt. Pierce responded. “Maybe the Asguard needed to borrow it for some reason. They’ve done it before.”

Jack looked exasperated. “Yeah, on our orders!”

Jacob chimed in. “I doubt the Asguard would just take a Stargate. Do they even know that this planet is the site of the Alpha base?”

Jack shook his head. “Who cares at this point! Hell, if we’ve already got Ashrak crawling the planet, this may no longer be the Alpha site if we can’t regain control of the situation.”

Janet spoke up. “Well, if we do, there’s more than likely wounded personnel down there that need our attention.”

Malek broke into the conversation. “She’s right. We need to break into groups and begin a search immediately.”

Jack held up his hand. “Hold on there, cowboy. There could also be Ashrak waiting for us. We can’t just go charging into the base. In case you’ve forgotten, we don’t have any weapons.”

Lt. Pierce spoke up. “Then we need to make our way to the weapons hold first.”

Jack looked over and nodded at him. “Exactly. Alright, we break into groups. Teal’c, you, Bra’tac, and Pierce make your way to the weapons hold. In the meantime, Janet, you, Malek, and Rak’nor make your way to the science lab. If you find anyone injured, you can take them with you if you can carry them. Sam, Jacob and I will do a perimeter sweep. We’ll all regroup at the lab. Got it?”

Everyone seemed to be in agreement as they separated into groups and began to carefully make their way to the edge of the trees again. Moving carefully but quickly, Sam, Jack, and Jacob moved away from the cover of the dark shadows and made a beeline down the hill towards the first spot of cover they could find. Reaching a series of tall bushes, they watched the others as they too made their way along the bank of the hill until they were out of sight.

With the quiet surrounding them, they slowly moved around the bushes. Jack was the first to move out into the open, followed closely by Sam and then Jacob. They spent the next five minutes moving in and out of shadows, darting behind buildings and sheds, and checking the interiors for any sign of personnel. When none were found, they moved onto the next location. Trying to stay away from the light of the bonfire, they decided not to risk going to the M.A.L.P. in case someone was watching. Though there were things on it that they could have used to defend themselves if needed, Jack decided the risk was too great.

Ten minutes later, they had managed to slowly make their way around the outside perimeter of the base, hoping to find anyone who could tell them what had happened. But to their disappointment, they didn’t come across anyone. Jack, with his nerves on edge already, was beginning to get agitated with the situation. “This is nuts,” he said quietly as they were hiding behind one of the outpost buildings. “They can’t have all just disappeared!”

Sam, who was standing next to him with her back to the wall of the building, looked over at him. “More than likely, they’re all together in one of these buildings.”

Jacob nodded. “Let’s hope so.” Looking around the corner, he continued. “We probably should make our way to the science lab. Maybe some of the others have had better luck.” Jacob then stepped out from behind the back of the building and rounded the corner, heading for the front. Just as he did this, a white streak of electricity shot through the air, hitting Jacob in the chest.

Sam, who was getting ready to round the corner herself, watched as the blast from the Zat sent him to the ground a few feet in front of her, knocking him unconscious. “Dad!” As she started to move forward, Jack grabbed her forearm and pulled her back against him.

Jack’s voice was full of tension as he spoke to her, keeping his voice low. “No, Sam, it’s a trap.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her in the opposite direction. “Come on. We can’t help him if we get caught too.” Looking around at their options, he decided it would be better to head for the treeline to the right of them instead of moving to another building.

Just as he pulled her to the right, another blast from a Zat came out of thin air, narrowly missing Sam. Noticing the she had gotten the idea of where he was taking them, he dropped her hand to allow more momentum for the run up the short but fairly steep hill. Knowing not to remain in the same line with the enemy at your back, they weaved in all directions, slowly but steadily making their way up to the safety of the trees.

Or so they thought. As they reached the top of the hill, they never even noticed the small metal ball that was used by the Goa’uld. In almost precise timing, it went off, sending an enormously bright light all around them. Blinding them temporarily before causing them to lose consciousness, they both stepped backwards in reaction to the sudden change in their surroundings.

They both lost their balance and fell backwards. Hitting the dirt, they rolled back down the hill, coming in contact with small rocks that jutted out of the ground before finally coming to a stop at the bottom. Without warning, their world had become silent and black, unconscious to what fate held in store for them next.

Jack’s level of consciousness began to flutter in and out before a moan finally escaped his lips. Bringing his hands to his head, he pressed down, hoping to stop the incessant throbbing that seemed to plague his whole body. Turning over on his side, he coughed as he tried to sit up. Every bone in his body seemed to ache, and he was sure that he had bruised some ribs.

He then heard a soft and familiar voice close to his head. “Careful, Colonel. You took quite a hit.” It was Janet, her voice distinctive despite the noise of his own heart beating in his ears. “Easy. You don’t want to sit up too fast.”

Jack tried to open his eyes and only found a dull gray color clouding his vision. He could almost make out large dark shapes, but they had no detail. “Crap! Another one of those damn light balls.”

Teal’c’s voice suddenly filled the air. “They are in fact called a shock grenade. As you might remember, O’Neill, the blindness they cause is only temporary.”

Jack, responding with irritation, was not really wanting a lecture on the correct term for the thing that had just knocked him on his ass. “Gee, Teal’c, thanks for filling me in on the obvious!” Taking a breath, he continued. “What in the hell happened?”

Janet answered him carefully. “Well, it appears that we didn’t do a great job at eluding capture.”

Jack ran a hand over his face, still trying to remember how he managed to feel like a train wreck. “We?”

Bra’tac’s voice then sounded out. “I am afraid we failed, O’Neill. They took us by surprise.”

Jack leaned back against what felt like prison bars. “Gee, ya think? So are we still on the base?”

Bra’tac responded. “It appears that way. I believe we are being held in one of your prison cells.”

Jack’s vision began to waver in and out, allowing him to see more of whatever light was inside the building they were in. With it, his memories began to return. He suddenly remembered Jacob being shot with a Zat, and then they had been running for cover…up a hill. Sam.

Jack sat up straighter, sending his head spinning. As he held onto his head with one hand and could feel Janet steadying his shoulders, he asked the question he should have asked from the start. “Where’s Carter? We were blinded by that stupid light and then falling…rolling down a hill.”

Jacob’s voice rang out a short distance away. “She’s here, Jack, but still unconscious. She took a nasty gash to the head.” Taking a quick breath, he continued. “Oh, and I’m fine, thanks for the concern.”

Jack, knowing Jacob was fully aware of his and Sam’s real relationship, knew he was just trying to get to him. Deciding to give him an equally sarcastic response, he answered his remark. “Glad to hear it, Jacob.” Imagining the look on his face, Jack, did his best to not smirk. Beginning to see more clearly now, he looked over in the general direction of where Jacob’s voice had come from. He could just see vague details of Jacob sitting against a wall, with Sam’s head lying in his lap. “Is she going to be okay?”

Janet responded to his question. “I did the best I could to patch up the wound with what I had to work with. As far as I can see, she’s going to be just fine.”

Shaking his head, his vision suddenly cleared up. Blinking several times, he looked around. They were in one of the larger prison cells that had been built as temporary quarters in case they needed it. In the cell with him was everyone who had gone to search out the missing Tok’ra and Jaffa; everyone except three. Clearing his voice, he spoke up. “Where’s Rak’nor, Malek, and Pierce?”

Teal’c answered his question. “We do not know where Rak’nor and Malek are. But Lt. Pierce was led away a short time ago.”

Jack gave him a look of surprise. “So do we know who are mystery guests are? Ashrak?”

Teal’c gave him a nod. “Indeed. There appear to be three of them.”

Jack asked his next question. “I thought the job of Ashrak were just to kill. Why all the questions?”

Jacob replied. “Ashrak will do whatever they are hired to do. Apparently, someone wants to ask some questions before they kill us.”

Jack leaned his head back. “Well, that’s comforting. They’re being thorough.”

Just then, Sam began to stir. Moaning softly, she turned her head from side to side as she placed one hand lightly on her forehead. Not sure of where she was, she slowly opened her eyes to the sound of her father’s voice.

“Easy, Sam. You took a nasty blow to the head.”

Sam looked up and focused on his face. Finding her voice, she squinted as she spoke, feeling a pain shoot through her head. “What happened? Where are we?”

Jacob looked up and over at Jack temporarily. Receiving a nod from his direction to break the news to Sam, Jacob returned his gaze to his daughter. “In one of the prison holding cells on the base. Apparently, we’ve become unwilling guests of the Ashrak.” Taking in a breath, he continued. “Can you sit up?”

Shaking her head, she slowly sat up with his assistance. Looking around her, she spotted Jack sitting against one of the walls a short distance from them. “Sir. Are you okay?”

Jack gave her a nod, keeping their eye contact as long as he dared. “You?”

Sam gave him a quick smile. “A bit of a headache, but no worse for the wear.” Looking around the room, she noticed the rest of the group seemed to be present, with the exception of three. “So what now?”

Jack, pushing himself up off the ground, grunted under his own weight. “Well, we’ve got to get out of here. We just have to figure out how to do that. Any ideas?” Looking around the room, he waited to see any sign of an idea. “Oh, come on. Someone has to have some idea on how we can get out of this!”

As if in answer to his question, the outer door to the building suddenly opened and Lt. Pierce was led in by one of the Ashrak. Unlocking the cell door, he was thrown in, caught by Teal’c and Bra’tac. One look at him and Jack could see that it had been more of a torture session than an inquiry.

Becoming frustrated and angry at his treatment, Jack looked over at the brut standing near by. “Hey! How about letting us in on just exactly what you guys want!” Without any response, Jack watched as the Ashrak point his Zat at Teal’c, indicating that he was next.

As Teal’c moved towards the door, Jack’s voice followed them. “Oh, come on now! That’s not what I meant and you know it!” When he got no response, he moved forward to the cell door as it closed. “Hey! I’m talking to you!!” But Jack still got no response. Instead, he helplessly watched as Teal’c was led away to undoubtedly the same fate as Pierce.

At the thought of his name, Jack turned around to find Pierce on the ground being attended to by Janet and Sam. His face was swollen with cuts and bruises from apparently being hit over and over. Moving over to him, he knelt down beside Sam, who was gently wiping at some blood drizzling down his right cheek. Keeping his voice low, he nodded down at Pierce, who was fading in and out of consciousness. “Hey, you hanging in there buddy?”

Pierce gave him a small grunt before answering. “Yes, Sir.”

Jack, seeing that he was trying to sit up, assisted him along with Sam and Janet. “What’d they do to you in there?”

Pierce, looking up to find everyone’s attention on him, did his best to speak up. “They’ve figured out how to use the Zatarc detector…tried to get information about our iris code, other things.”

Jack looked up at Jacob, who was standing across from him. “How would they know how to operate a Zatarc detector? I thought it was a Tok’ra thing.”

Jacob looked at a loss for words. “I’m not sure how they knew. I suppose they could have figured it out for themselves, but I don’t see how.”

Pierce interrupted their conversation. “They figured it out…by…using some of the others to get it right. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it through the trial experiments.”

Bra’tac spoke up hesitantly. “How do you know this?”

Pierce gave him a grim look. “Because their bodies still surrounded the table where I sat.” Looking back at Jack, he continued. “I’m sorry, Sir. Apparently our plan didn’t go as expected.”

Jack placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. As you can see, we all did just as good. I trust they didn’t get anything out of you.”

Jacob and Sam gave Jack an irritated look. It was Jacob who spoke first. “I think that can be safely assumed, Jack.” As Janet went back to dressing his wounds, Sam and Jack stood up and moved over with the others.

Jack spoke first. “So, I guess unless we figure out how to get out of this, we’ll all be going through the same thing as Pierce, and that’s not acceptable. This is our base, damnit, and there’s only three of them compared to all of us. So we have no idea about Rak’nor and Malek?”

Bra’tac shook his head. “Unfortunately not. They could be dead.”

Jack interrupted him. “Or just being held someplace else…or maybe they haven’t even been captured yet. Let’s keep a little optimism here, okay? This place is dark and dismal enough without your attitude coloring it.” Taking a breath, he continued, his voice softer. “Look, I’m sorry. I meant no offense. I guess I’m just a little on edge.”

Bra’tac nodded. “We all are, O’Neill. Let us concentrate our efforts on finding a way out of here.”

Jacob nodded. “I agree. We need to lay out some kind of plan about what to do if we do get out of here. Remember the Gate is no longer an option.”

Sam spoke up. “I don’t know, Dad. I think the Gate is still here.” She could feel everyone’s eyes suddenly on her.

Jack was the first to respond. “What do you mean?”

Sam looked over at him. “I think the Gate is right where it always has been. I believe they’ve somehow incorporated their invisibility technology and used it on the Stargate to make us think that it’s gone. If I can get access to a Naquada generator, I think I might be able to interrupt their signal as we did before.”

Jack nodded. “Well, let’s hope you’re right. Of course, we have to find a way out of here first. Let’s spread out and see if we can find anything that will help us. When they bring Teal’c back, we need to be ready.” So for the next few minutes, they searched the walls and bars hoping to find any means of escape.

Ten minutes later, the sound of the outer door opening caught all their attention. Teal’c was escorted in, looking a little battered, but no worse for the wear. It was obvious that the Ashrak were more interested in what the Tauri had to say versus the Jaffa. As the cell door opened, Teal’c was shoved in, catching his own balance with his weight and a little bit of sure footing.

Jack moved over to him, keeping his voice low. “You okay?”

Teal’c, who was staring back at his captors with disgust, slowly nodded his head. “I am.” Looking over at Jack, he continued. “They are looking for information on the iris that controls the Gate, and anything else that might help whoever hired them to penetrate the Tauri defenses.”

Jack eyed them carefully as he responded in a hushed voice. “Well, we’ve got to figure out a way out of here. Carter seems to think that the Gate is still in place…that they’ve used some of their invisibility techniques to cloak it.” Pausing for a moment, he quickly surveyed the scene around him. Everyone was spread out in the cell, holding perfectly still as the two Ashrak looked around the room for their next victim. Speaking to Teal’c again in a low voice, he kept his eyes on the Ashrak closest to them. “You know, there are only two of them. We could take them. Just give me a few seconds to distract them.”

Teal’c stepped a little closer. “Be careful, O’Neill. The Ashrak are skilled warriors and not easily fooled.”

Jack placed a hand on his forearm. “Just follow my lead.” Moving around Teal’c, Jack nodded at one of the Ashrak. “So, are you guys getting frustrated yet? I think you’re going to find that you’re not going to get what you’re looking for. No one here is going to give you what you want…no matter what.” When they just continued to stare at him without a response, Jack stepped his voice up a notch. “So no response? Cat got your tongue?” Stepping a little closer, Jack continued. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you speak. Maybe you’re mother never taught you that it was rude not to answer someone.”

Giving a quick hand signal to Teal’c, the two of them launched at the Ashrak, catching him temporarily off guard. As they struggled, each one trying to pin him to the ground, Jack reached around the Ashrak with one arm, trying to get his knife away from him. But when he did that, it gave the Ashrak enough room to throw Jack off of him with tremendous force. Flying through the air, Jack slammed into the wall behind him, knocking the wind out of him. With pain shooting through his body, he watched as Bra’tac advanced on the Ashrak in order to help Teal’c, who was still struggling with the man. Jacob and Sam, who were standing closest to the entrance to the cell, waited for an opportunity to help.

As Teal’c began losing his struggle, Jacob began to advance on the Ashrak from behind. To Jack’s surprise, the other Ashrak outside the cell just stood by and watched, making no attempt to help his fellow comrade. But the more Jack thought about it, the more it made sense…they did usually work alone. They probably didn’t know the concept of teamwork.

As Jacob pounced on the man, it appeared that they were suddenly coming up with the advantage. The Ashrak was beginning to amazingly show signs of exhaustion. Finally finding his breath again, Jack pushed himself slowly to his feet. As he did, he looked over at Sam. She suddenly went stiff, her face washing out to stone white. Just then, another Ashrak suddenly appeared behind her holding a knife to her throat. He had been in the cell the whole time with them and they had never known it. The third Ashrak they had never seen had been watching them, listening to everything they had been saying.

Jack yelled out. “Stop! Teal’c, Bra’tac, Jacob…let him go!” When they stopped in the middle of their struggle and looked over at him in surprise, Jack nodded over in Sam’s direction. When they looked over, they immediately saw what had him so frantic. Slowly letting the Ashrak go, they stepped away from him and backed up closer to the wall.

Jack spoke up. “Okay. We let your buddy go. Now let her go.” When no response came, he continued, his voice suddenly holding a slight edge to it. “Look, we’re sorry that we roughed him up a little, but there’s no reason to get nuts here.”

The Ashrak they had been struggling with moved towards the cell door. When he reached it, the other Ashrak outside the cell opened the door and moved aside. But instead of letting Sam go, the two Ashrak pushed her roughly out of the cell with them. Jack, bursting forward, reached the cell door as it was slammed in his face.

“Hey!” he yelled, knowing it would do no good. “Damnit! We had a deal!”

The Ashrak turned around and looked at him. One of them holding Sam finally gave him a response. “There was no deal. She will be questioned, as will the rest of you. And since she seems to know more of what we may be looking for, I am looking forward to finding out the extent of her knowledge.” Saying nothing else, he pulled Sam toward the door. As they left, she looked back briefly, making eye contact with him. Jack felt his heart jump up into his throat as he watched her go. Fisting his hands around the bars, his knuckles turned white in frustration. Shaking the bars, he yelled out before moving away from the gate and collapsed against the nearest wall.

Jacob gingerly approached him, squatting down to Jack’s level so he could make eye contact with him. “Jack,” he said quietly, “you have to keep a cool head about this. None of us knew the other Ashrak was in the cell with us. Don’t blame yourself for not being able to stop them.” Looking towards the cell door, he sighed heavily. “We just have to hope that she’ll be okay. She’s stubborn, and she’s not going to give in.”

Jack looked over at the cell door as well. “Yeah. That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Ten minutes later, Sam’s head was riveting in pain from the hand device that had already been repeatedly used on her when she didn’t give them the answers they were looking for. Strapped into a chair with the Zatarc detector attached to her, they continuously attempted to find out the iris code to Earth’s Stargate, if there were any other bases located on other worlds that were dedicated to the Tauri, and how the Naquada generator worked.

After answering another one of their questions with denial, Sam braced herself for yet another blast to the head from the hand device when the door to the build they were in suddenly opened, filling the room with soft light from the new morning that was now kissing the sky. As her eyes adjusted to the change in light, a large shadow stepped through the doorway and closed the door behind him. With the natural light now gone, she was finally able to see who standing before her. He was a large man, wearing an expression of distaste and the air of extreme arrogance.

The man finally spoke. “So you are the one know as Carter from the despicable group known as SG-1. It gives me great satisfaction to finally see you down on your knees, as you should have always been.”

Sam gave him a small smirk. “But I’m not on my knees. I’m in fact sitting down.” Hearing Jack’s sense of humor coming out of her mouth gave her heart a much needed lift. But her smirk was soon slapped off her face as the back of his hand swept across the skin of her cheek.

His voice grew with anger. “Silence! I will not tolerate such mockery from you.” Turning to the Ashrak still in the room, he addressed them. “Leave us. I wish to get to know this one on a more personal level.” As the Ashrak turned around and left, Sam felt a chill run up her spine. After the door had closed and they were alone, the man gave her an evil smile and spoke again. “Now, where were we?”

Sam responded, looking straight at him. “You were about to introduce yourself. I think I have a right to know who is going to be torturing me.”

The man stood up straighter. “I am Velnor and one of the system lords in this galaxy.”

Sam wasn’t the least bit impressed. “Funny, I’ve never heard of you before. Are you new?” She suddenly found his hand around her throat as it applied pressure.

“Impudence! But you will not be so arrogant when I bring you before Lord Anubis. For if you don’t tell me what I need to know, I promise you, he will get it out of you.” Releasing his hand, he stood back up, placing a small distance between them. “Now, let us begin…again.”

Just then the door burst open and two men jumped into the room. With the element of surprise on their hands, one of them ran forward and knocked Velnor off his feet, sending him to the nearby wall. Once he was clear from Sam, they opened fire on him with a staff weapon, killing him instantly where he had fallen. And when they turned around, Sam breathed a sigh of relief to find Rak’nor and Malek standing before her.

Giving them a smile, she voiced her thanks as they undid her bonds. “You both showed up at the right time. Thanks.”

Rak’nor helped her to her feet. “We are only sorry we couldn’t have been here sooner, but we’ve been waiting for the perfect time to strike. When we saw the system lord go inside and the Ash’rak come out, we knew it was time.”

Sam nodded. “What happened to the Ash’rak?”

Malek gave her an answer. “We’re not sure. They left the building and walked off before we had the opportunity to surprise them.”

Rak’nor added his own response. “We were more concerned for your safety than bringing them down at that moment. Frankly, we were hoping you could help us in that area.”

Sam gave him a coy smile. “I think I can. But we have to get to the generator.”

Malek, realizing her intentions, nodded. “I believe it is still in the laboratory where we last left it. If we are careful, we should be able to make our way there.”

Sam moved towards the door. “Good. Let’s get it set up. The first thing we have to do is free the others. We’re going to need all the support we can get.” Quietly lifting the handle of the door, they slowly opened it and peered out into the daylight. Everything seemed to be quiet with no signs of the Ash’rak. Figuring that they had most likely returned to the holding cells to scope out the next person to interrogate, they quickly made their way out into the open. Staying close to the buildings but not wasting any time, they made a beeline for the lab. Reaching it, they ducked inside.

Once their eyes had adjusted to the low lighting, Sam and Malek went to work setting up the generator while Rak’nor kept watch. They all knew it would only be a matter of time before the dead system lord was discovered. If they were to succeed, they needed the element of surprise on their side.

Five minutes later, they had positioned themselves outside the building where Jack and the others were being held. Using the morning shadows cast off the building from the new light of day, Sam waited silently for the signal from Malek and Rak’nor that they were in position, ready to kill the first Ashrak they saw.

Without another minute passing by, she turned on the generator as Rak’nor and Malek signaled her to proceed. 50%…100%…nodding at the men, she watched as they burst through the door. Sounds of staff weapons could be suddenly heard along with some shouting, and then all was quiet. Holding her breath, she waiting to see the result of their plan. It seemed like time had come to a halt as she waited for someone to emerge. She wanted to aid in the fight, but also knew that she couldn’t leave the generator out in the open in case there were other Ashrak nearby.

When she didn’t think she could take the waiting anymore, the door to the building swung open, and to Sam’s relief, she watched as Jack stepped out into the light, followed by the others.

Jack blinked against the bright light, but didn’t waste anytime as he moved back into the shadow of the building, followed by the others. Being out of the cell was a great relief, but he knew they couldn’t relax until the other two Ashrak were found and killed. His nerves had been about shot as he waited for news on the outcome of Sam’s inquiry. All he wanted was to see her again to reassure himself that she was okay. So when Rak’nor and Malek suddenly came through the door, armed and ready to fight, he about jumped out of his skin. At first it had concerned him that she wasn’t with them, but when the Ashrak suddenly materialized, he knew without a doubt that she was behind it.

Looking around, he finally spotted her in the shadows of a neighboring building. He could tell that she had been through a lot, most notably from the cut on her cheek and the red marks on various parts of her face. She was caught up in resetting the generator for another run and he couldn’t get her attention. Just as he was about to move across to her, Jacob moved up the line to him with Malek in his wake.

His voice was tense as he spoke with a harsh whisper. “Jack! Malek and I are going to help Sam move the generator closer to where to Gate should be. If we can get it visible, we can at least get some of these people out of here.”

Jack looked at him. “Quick question. Where are the people? Do we know?”

Jacob nodded. “Rak’nor and Malek discovered them in a building at the edge of the camp. It had also been made invisible, but apparently they turned off the device once you had been caught. The only problem is that it’s being guarded by a few Jaffa. Rak’nor will take you there, but you might want to stop by the weapons hold first.”

Jack gave him an irritated look. “Gee, ya think? And when did we add Jaffa to this equation?”

Malek returned his answer. “They arrived a short time ago. There are only a handful of them, accompanying Velnor, a mostly unknown system lord working for Anubis.”

Jack’s forehead shot up. “What!? Well, this day just gets better and better. So does Anubis know where we are?”

Malek shook his head. “I don’t believe that Velnor had disclosed the location yet to him. He was in the process of questioning Major Carter when we killed him.”

Jack cringed. No wonder Sam looked shaken up. Looking over at her briefly, he finally nodded. “Alright. The three of you get going. We’ll get the prisoners free and meet you at the gate. Just have it visible and ready to go when we get there. Until we clean up this base, we need to get people out of here and bring in reinforcements.”

Without wasting anymore time, they broke up into groups, with Jacob and Malek making their way over to Sam, while Jack and the others followed Rak’nor as they headed out to where to weapons were stored before making their stand for those still imprisoned.

Ten minutes later, Sam finished the final set up for bringing the generator back up online for another run. They had kept conversation to a minimum as they listened to the eerie and unsettling silence around them. They half expected to have been attacked by now, and it made them even more on edge since they hadn’t been.

Sam looked up at her father. “Okay, we’re set. Let’s…” Just then, a small crunching sound stopped her in mid-sentence and pulled all their attentions to where it had come from. Focusing on the ground, they looked to see if they could spot any moving footprints. Jacob stood up and looked over at Malek, who was standing a short distance from them. Nodding at him, they both started off in the direction of where the noise had come from.

Sam’s harsh whisper hit his ears. “Dad!”

Jacob quickly turned around and brought a finger to his lips. Pointing at the device and then giving her the signal to turn it on, she nodded and went to work. A short distance away, she suddenly spotted Jack and the others moving towards their position, with a small crowd of Jaffa and Tok’ra bringing up the rear. Happy to see their success, she quickly entered the last codes her computer needed to activate the generator.

Jack felt the tingling on his skin as they approached the gate. But it wasn’t the device that sent a tingle down his spine. Something was wrong. Jacob and Malek were on a sharp watch, focused on an area in front of them. Just then, the Stargate made it’s first visible appearance since this whole mess had started, along with a site that made his heart jump into his throat. The two missing Ashrak were not in front of Jacob and Malek, as they seemed to assume, but were instead approaching Sam from behind, with knives held in hand, ready to strike.

Jack called out, his voice strong and urgent as he picked up his pace to a run. “Carter! Behind you!!” At Jack’s urging, Jacob and Malek turned around to find the source of Jack’s startled yell. As Jacob reached for his Zat, Malek looked down to find the DHD beside him. Knowing the others were not within an accurate firing distance, and that Jacob might only be able to get one shot off with the Zat before the Ashrak struck, he did the only thing he could think of. Dialing the DHD without hesitation, he hit the symbols as fast as his fingers could go. As he entered the seventh symbol, he yelled out. “Major Carter!”

Sam, who had barely had a chance to turn around and see the approaching danger, looked over at Malek and then down at his hand that now hovered over the center of the DHD. Whipping her head around the other way, she saw the red lights on the Gate glowing brightly. Having placed herself directly in it’s path, she clearly saw the precarious situation she was in. With only seconds to spare, she slammed down the front of her laptop and fell on top of the generator, pushing it as far out of the way as she flattened her body to the ground.

Just then, she heard the familiar whoosh of the Gate activating as the wormhole shot out over her. The energy emitted from it made her skin tight as the sound of it roared in her ears like a passing freight train. But as soon as it went over her it was gone, leaving a startling silence that kept her frozen in place. Not knowing if it had worked, she waited for the outcome.

But when her father’s voice and gentle hands came over her, she finally allowed herself to breathe. “Sam! Are you alright?”

Looking up at the generator not five feet from her, she slowly nodded as it hit her how relieved she was to be alive. Rolling over onto her side, she barely met her father’s face before her eyes jumped behind him, focusing on Jack as he joined Jacob. She could see the extreme concern in his face as he reached out a hand to help her sit up.

Sam looked over at Malek, who looked as shaken as she felt. It was obvious that everyone was aware of how dangerous that move had been, considering the explosive power of the Naquada generator that was still humming. If the wormhole bubble had come in contact with it, none of them would probably be there to see the final result of their efforts. But they were, and she knew that Malek did the only thing he could think of to help.

Looking back at Jack, she gave him a shaky smile and finally spoke. “So, did we get them?”

Jack nodded, happy just to be talking to her. “We did. I don’t think those bastards will be walking out of that wormhole explosion anytime soon.” Holding her eyes with his for a moment, he finally broke eye contact and looked over at Malek, who still looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. After helping Sam to her feet, he left her and Jacob to deal with the generator.

He could see the uncertain look in Malek’s eyes as he approached him. The past few days had proven to be tense enough between all parties involved, and Jack guessed that Malek was expecting more of the same. Keeping his voice sure, he gave Malek a quick nod before speaking. “You all right?”

Malek hesitantly nodded. “Yes. Thank you. Is Major Carter alright?”

Jack looked back at her briefly before returning his gaze to the man in front of him. “A little shaken, but yeah, she’s okay.” Taking a short breath, he continued. “Look, Malek, what you did…took some quick thinking and a lot of guts. I should be mad as hell at you for doing what you did, but the truth is, Carter wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t. And for that, well, I guess I owe you a great deal.”

Malek allowed the muscles in his body to relax a little at the unexpected response from Colonel O’Neill. Nodding his head once, he offered him a small smile. “You owe me nothing, Colonel. The simple fact is that I owed you just as much. I know that these past few days have proven to be…well, not as hospitable as one would like. We seem to have lost sight of what a true alliance really is, and if anything, the Ashrak have reminded us what it means to work as a team.”

Jacob and Sam, who had approached unheard, joined up at Jack’s side. Moving over to Malek, Jacob placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. But when he spoke, it was Selmak who was addressing him. “Well said, my friend.” Turning around, he noticed that quite a few had gathered around them. Looking at Master Bra’tac, he smiled and spoke once more. “Just as Master Bra’tac wisely pointed out before this happened, the Ashrak intended on separating us, breaking us, and finally watching us fall. But thanks to all efforts combined, we have overcome once more, and should feel nothing but pride in what we have unexpectedly accomplished here…a truly unified alliance.”

As he ended his final words, a celebrated cry rang out from the crowd, bringing smiles to all who were there. Looking up at the Stargate, Jack reasoned that the invisibility device had been disabled. He addressed Sam and Teal’c, who were standing beside him. “Let’s notify Hammond and get some reinforcements in here.” With a bow of his head, Teal’c started out for the M.A.L.P. As Sam started to follow him, he placed a hand gently on one of her arms. “Hey, how about I escort you to the infirmary. I think that cut needs some attention.”

Sam gave him an exhausted look but a beautiful smile. “Yes, Sir.” Starting off with him by her side, she was looking forward to finally being able to go back home. It had been a while since they had had any real, uninterrupted time together, and they truly needed it.

An hour later, the Stargate activated and Sam, Jack, and Teal’c watched as their relief from Stargate command came through the Gate. Among them, Jonas Quinn came with them, a smile of greeting on his face. “Hey! Everyone okay? I hear you guys had a bit of trouble here. Sorry I couldn’t be here to help.”

Jack placed a hand on his shoulder. “Ah, don’t worry about it Jonas. You can help with the clean up.”

Jonas’ smile fell just an inch. “Oh, alright. You guys aren’t staying?”

Jack answered back. “I think we’ve had our fill of the Alpha site for a while.” Nodding at Teal’c, he watched as Teal’c moved over to the DHD and dialed Earth. “Most of the Tok’ra have already gone through the Gate to their new base, and the Jaffa are holding their own. Pierce is going to stay behind and give you guys a hand.”

Just then, the wormhole burst forth, opening up their way home. Jack moved past him, along with Sam and Teal’c. Walking up to the Gate, they were almost through it when Jonas yelled out after them. “Hey! One more thing.” As they turned around, they watched him jog up to them. “Is there anything important that I need to know…anything I missed besides the Ashrak?”

Jack responded. “Oh, just some bonding…” Looking over at Sam, he winked and gave her a smile. Turning around, he stepped through the Gate with Sam by his side, as Teal’c took up the rear.

Stepping out into Stargate Command, Sam looked over at Jack as they walked down the ramp. Keeping her voice low, she asked him a question. “So what was the wink for?”

Jack nodded at General Hammond, who was waiting for them at the end of the ramp. Stopping for a moment, he looked over at her. “Just that besides the bonding that the groups did, we have some bonding of our own that needs to be finished.” Giving her a slow and sexy smile, he held her eyes for a moment before continuing his walk down the ramp, leaving Sam staring after him with a subtle smile on her face.

Sam watched for a moment as Jack greeted General Hammond at the end of the ramp. As she walked down the rest of the way to join them, she suddenly couldn’t wait to get into her civilian clothes and head home. It was going to be a great night, and she was going to enjoy every moment of it.

Next Story---> "Dividing Lines"

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