Jack caught Sam as she fell towards him and was immediately limp in his arms. Looking over her shoulder, Jack saw a curly haired blonde standing just in front of the Stargate. He immediately recognised the Goa'uld Osiris standing there with a sly smile upon her face. She had what looked like a Zat in her left hand, but Jack had not even heard it discharge and he did think it looked different to the normal Zats. He had not heard her appear either. Jack was pretty sure that she had not come to the planet by Stargate because his and Sam's shouting had not been loud enough to cover the noise of the Stargate activating. The only answer was that she had ringed down from a ship, but that would also mean that there were plenty of Jaffa ready to attack. Very slowly Jack repositioned Sam in his arms and then laid her down very carefully on the grass. Maintaining his slow speed, Jack then stood back up and stepped over Sam's unconscious body so that he was in-between her and Osiris. He reached his hand to the side, trying to unclip his knife as he knew that a gun would be useless if Osiris had the usual Goa'uld personal safety shield. His actions of protection and defence caused Osiris to smirk.
"We don't think so, Colonel," she warned as she waggled a finger of her right hand at him. His right hand twitched and then relaxed because as she had waggled her finger, Osiris had also shown him the ribbon device she wore. Jack knew that she could take him out within seconds if she so chose to. Of all the Goa'uld that he had come into contact with, Jack sometimes found Osiris the most unsettling due to her host being from Earth and a friend of Daniel's. He always felt like it gave her a slight insight into the Tau'ri that no other Goa'uld had. At least she was a 'normal' civilian human and not a military officer. Jack had no idea what would happen should someone more important ever be taken as a host in that way. For the Goa'uld to also possess such military knowledge, it would be a disaster. "We were troubled when you arrived without Major Carter," Osiris continued. "We feared that you had ruined our plan."
Jack's eyes set as his belief that there was a ship in orbit was confirmed, which meant there were a lot more problems than just the Goa'uld who had started to step towards him. "What plan?"
She smiled at him as she continued walking towards him, her sheer white clothing moving around her body. Jack was very troubled by any plan that she may have and the fact that he had not heard any transport rings bringing her to the planet's surface. He also hated when some Goa'uld used the royal 'we' to refer to themselves, as if trying to insinuate that the host was obliging and willing. Unsure of if Osiris had ever used 'we' before, Jack considered the fact that it was known she was working for Anubis. "Do you really think that we are going to tell you?" She came to a stop no more than two paces away from him and Jack's hand twitched towards his knife again. Osiris shook her head. "We already said no, Colonel."
"Why should I listen to you?" he asked with some of his normal verbal bravado. He needed to do something to stall her before she could put into motion the next step in her plan. Hoping that he could stall her long enough for his team to return, Jack could only listen as she leaned forward.
Whispering, Osiris said, "Because we may yet spare you."
Jack's brow furrowed in confusion at her statement. The confusion was quickly replaced by pain spreading across his face and his entire body. She had quickly brought up her right hand and was using the ribbon device on his forehead. Blinding hot pain seared through his brain as he collapsed to his knees. Every neuron transmitted pulses of pain to every square inch of his body and his knees did not register any of their usual from the fall. His face crumpled up in torture as she continued her assault. Fighting back slightly, Jack managed to reach his hands up and grab Osiris' wrist in an attempt to deflect her hand. He should have reached for his knife, but consciousness and cohesive thoughts were already failing. She was stronger than him and her arm did not even budge. He was beginning to lose. He was beginning to allow the pain to take over him. He finally fell from her hold, crumpling to the floor next to Sam.
He saw her peaceful face, her eyes still closed as if she were sleeping and unconsciousness still claiming her. He had to protect her. He had to save her. His eyes closed for what seemed like only a moment, but when he managed to lift his heavy eyelids Jack saw Osiris walking away with Sam effortlessly slung over her shoulder. He could only watch as Osiris continued walking before turning back and smiling at him. Struggling against the pain and fog within his body, Jack tried to move his arm to reach a weapon. At this point he did not care whether it was his side-arm or knife. Jack would settle for a rock to throw at the Goa'uld's head. A shimmering light almost blinded him as something transported Osiris and her captive away. It was not Goa'uld transporter rings and it seemed more similar to Asgard beaming technology.
Jack rolled onto his back and stared up at the cloudless sky hoping that the light blue would provide him with some answers. The sky was clear of clouds and spacecraft, however after a few minutes Jack did see a flash of light. Osiris, her ship and Sam had left the planet. His eyes closed again. Everything was hopeless now. He had lost the woman that he loved and not through his own arrogance or stupidity. She was among the stars, taken by a Goa'uld who had been planning for this and there was no way that they could follow her.
"Jack?" His eyes fluttered open to Daniel's voice and Jack could see the other three members of SG-1 crowded above him. "Jack, what happened? Are you alright?" Daniel asked.
"Sam," Jack mumbled as Teal'c and Daniel helped him to sit up.
"What did she do to you?" Daniel asked, assuming that their argument had turned physical.
"Osiris," Jack answered. "She took Sam."
"What?" Daniel asked, turning his head to look around them whilst keeping some of Jack's weight on his supporting arms. Teal'c and Carpenter both armed themselves and slowly turned three-sixty to scan for Osiris.
"She transported to a ship." With Daniel's help, Jack got to his feet and tried to ignore the still lingering pain. "Looked like Asgard technology and the Zat she had looked different, but familiar."
"What did Osiris want with her?"
Jack shrugged. For once he was at a complete loss as to what to do. He knew that he could not do anything here, but he did not want to leave the planet. What Jack wanted was for someone else to take control. Sam was gone.
"It'll be okay, Jack."
"How, Daniel, how?" Jack demanded angrily. "She said that she had a plan, that she'd been waiting here for Sam."
"We've been in worse situations," Daniel tried to comfort. "This isn't the end. We'll find her. This isn't hopeless."
"No, it's more than hopeless! And name one worse situation than a planned kidnap." Jack argued back.
"Colonel, we will find Major Carter," Teal'c said. "We will return her to you and Daniella. We must return to Earth first."
Jack nodded, allowing Daniel to lead him towards the Stargate as Carpenter went to the DHD. He had to find her, no matter how impossible or hopeless the situation might be, no matter the cost. He would find her.
SG – SG – SG
The End
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