* * * * *
|| Jack O'Neill ||
These days, even walking down the corridor was something more than it had been, something different and altogether unwelcome. Even after all this time, even on the brink of what I instinctively knew was a turning point in human history, all I wanted was for things to be back to normal. Not unreasonable, I suppose, but every morning that I awoke and realized anew that we were fast approaching the estimated time of arrival for Apophis and friends, the more I hated this life.
Daniel was uncomfortable around me as he never had been before, even when we'd only just met and he was able to see that I was basically a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and take everyone within a five-mile radius with me. Teal'c was more aloof and distant than he had been the day we'd assisted in each other's liberation from Apophis. Janet was still the good doctor, but her biting wit had bittered, soured, and rankled most people. Even Tony Warren, who I'd come to see as a surrogate brother or even son, had a darker tinge, a cast that hadn't been there before...
Before Sam had left.
Strange and a little ridiculous to think that one sanguine woman could touch and affect so many lives, that the very lack of her presence could change us... change so many things.
I turned a corner and suddenly the walls weren't sturdy concrete any longer. Testing a theory, I reached out a hand and touched what should have been a sharp angle. Cool, smooth, layered crystal, texture that matched what I was seeing. A Tok'ra tunnel.
This had happened before, and the only explanation I could give myself was that I was going insane. For that very reason I hadn't dared mention it to Hammond or Janet, or even Daniel, who meant well but couldn't exactly be trusted in matters like this. The stress or something had finally gotten to me, I decided, resolving to play along; maybe the madness would finally envelope me. Maybe I wouldn't come out of it this time.
I continued to walk down the strangely-shaped hallway, empty and echoing with the reverberations of my footsteps. I saw no one, hear no voices or sounds that would indicate that I wasn't alone. I didn't look for anyone, though, simply walking, one foot in front of the other, turning where the tunnel did... and finding myself back in the hallway of the SGC.
Looking over my shoulder, I saw only unmarred concrete and numbered doors. No crystal, no blue light, nothing that five seconds ago had been real and physical.
Insane.
I kept walking.
* * * * *
|| Samantha Carter ||
The corridor was empty, and as I hurried through it the only sound was that of my own footfalls resounding off the curved crystal. These hallways were usually bustling, I reflected. The fact that there were not could mean only one thing.
I rounded a corner, stopped short, and blinked.
For a second - for even less - I had seen before me not the turquoise and cobalt of the tunnel walls but the monolithic cement floor, sides and ceiling that were the trademark of the SGC.
Now it was gone.
Shaking my head, telling myself that I seriously needed to be getting more sleep, I continued on my way.
By the time I reached the chamber, dozens of Tok'ra, all unremarkable in their drab brown tunics, were pouring from the door. Most I knew, many I had worked with, but as I fought against the flow of bodies I ignored them all.
"Martouf!"
He was still in the chamber, still standing next to the shining orb that was the communications device, and when he saw me he blanched slightly. Nodding a hasty goodbye to the man he'd been in conversation with, he met me halfway across the cavern, expression somehow eager and wary at the same time. Eager to please me, wary of the wrath indicated by my tone. "What is it?"
"Why didn't you tell me the Council was having a meeting?" I demanded, ignoring the pointed stares of a few surrounding Tok'ra.
His protest was half-hearted. "You were asleep."
"You should have woken me."
"We depart in hours. You needed your rest."
"I NEED to know what's going on," I corrected him. "What was the meeting about? The strike?"
"Yes."
"Well then, I should have been a part of it. I'm going to be the only person on this mission who doesn't have a symbiote, you know that. I don't have half the knowledge that you do about where we're going and what to expect when we get there. I know you don't want me joining but I AM a soldier as well as the representative from Earth. Don't exclude me."
Somehow, the man managed a smile in the face of my rant. "I apologize," he told me in an almost teasing tone. "It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't," I quipped, only half-joking. "We have one chance to do this right."
We began to move out of the chamber; I didn't know where we were headed and simply let Martouf lead the way. "There was another thing we talked about," he admitted as we passed back into the corridor. "The Tollan."
I looked up. "And?"
He shook his head.
I bit back a stream of curses, squeezing my eyes shut against a powerful pulse of ineffective frustration. "Nothing? Not even manpower? NOTHING?"
"They are our allies, but they also have strict rules governing their society," Martouf gently reminded me. "Since they are working closely with the Nox, they feel that to participate in such an attack would be... unwise."
"They called you 'young', didn't they?"
Martouf grunted unhappily. "Had we known that they would be so resolute, we would have kept your father there for so long."
I shrugged. "If anyone could have convinced them to help, it's Selmak. Should I at least take it that he's coming back?" I tried to dampen my obvious enthusiasm, but it was my father we were talking about; I hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since long before I'd left to work with the Tok'ra. With Jadae and Martouf both spending a great deal of time interacting with the SGC, Dad and Selmak had both agreed that their 'talents' could be best used elsewhere... like in convincing the Tollan to support our cause a bit more actively. He'd been more successful than some: they had offered to render whatever assistance was necessary if the plan to destroy the Gou'ald ships went at all awry, and had dispatched a few of their vessels. The ships were due to arrive a few hours after the Gou'ald's ETA, however, and would either find a planetful of healthy, happy people... or smoldering ruins.
"We've actually arranged for him to stay with the Tollan for a day or two more," Martouf informed me, and I tried to let the deflation of my hopes show. "He is very important to us. Should something go wrong - not that we anticipate anything going wrong - we would rather he be... safe."
I nodded; at that point I could agree. "If you really needed help with this, you could have asked General Hammond. Hell, I would have asked. Sure, it's kind of a calculated risk but I know he and... and the others would have been for it."
"Your people have more pressing concerns," he reminded me. "All who oppose the Gou'ald will profit from this strike, but I admit that it will benefit the Tok'ra most of all. We could not ask the Tau'ri for assistance in this case."
* * * * *
|| Jack O'Neill ||
In my experience, a battle is a battle is a battle.
Maybe it's on uneven gravel-strewn stone, up and down rocky and unprotected embankments. Maybe it's in the desert, hotter than hell and so dry that the moisture is drained from your nose and throat before you've emptied a single clip. Or maybe it's in a forest, with a billion trees blocking your view, vines tripping you up, puddles of dew and rotting animal remains soiling your boots.
In every case, there's you, your weapon, your enemy, and his weapon. If you're lucky there's something between you. If you're really lucky, there's more of you than there are of them. And if you're really, REALLY lucky... they don't know that.
So far, we were pretty damn lucky.
I dropped to my stomach, listening to the one-of-a-kind zing of staff weapon blasts arcing over my head. I had nothing but a Zat gun myself, which kinda sucked... but then again we WERE supposed to be Tok'ra. We'd even dressed up like them, in green tunics and shrouding hats. I felt like an elf in attendance to old Saint Nick himself, but the clothing WAS nearly the exact color of the foliage; to the Jaffa on the dais, we must have been practically invisible.
"How you holding up?" I shouted to Tony, even though he was only a foot or two away, propping up his Zat over a fallen log. He smiled and nodded in response; evidently his 'bad feeling' about the mission had faded.
The palace of the Gou'ald Mother, Deault, was a massive stone and ivory structure, ringed by catwalks and daises for the Jaffa to patrol upon. Thanks to the crowding woods and the camouflage, we'd knocked out most of said Jaffa before they'd even had time to think about it. The first squad of Tok'ra had gone in after Deault, while the second had remained behind to keep the way clear, with me, Tony, and a dozen others. Daniel and Teal'c had remained on Earth, the former being slightly less combat-trained than I was comfortable with and the latter being an obvious indication of Tau'ri presence.
I sneaked glances between shots, saw Parker and Dowson on the other side of Captain Warren. Across the main road, the one that lead into the palace, was the second squad of Tok'ra. I knew that Martouf and Jadae were somewhere in there, but only because she had told me where they'd be; their faces were obscured by the hats. Under different circumstances, I would have looked a little longer for a certain someone else, but Jadae'd also mentioned that Sam wouldn't be taking a part in this mission. Martouf wanted her to remain at the base, safe, she'd said, and while I disliked the amount of concern he was showing for Carter, I couldn't argue with the sentiment.
Time passed as it always did during a battle, caught between slow-motion and fast-forward, warping a little as I concentrated on my targets, checked my peripheries, looked back over at the Tok'ra, watched the front door, and did it all over again. The Zat guns had a shorter range than most weapons we would have used, but at least we didn't have to worry about reloading or running out of ammo. Teal'c had explained in simple terms that the Zats DID have a power source that would eventually be depleted... but you'd have to do a whole lot of shooting to get to that point.
I shifted on the ground and tried not to think about how this was practically an assassination mission. This WAS assassination; the Tok'ra's goal was to get inside, try to capture Deault, but if she put up a fight, to simply kill her. Both groups knew full well and she WOULD put up a fight, that the first squad would be returning without her. I'd surprisingly felt a little guilty about that; I couldn't stop thinking about the time we'd captured Apophis, and hadn't just had to deal with the snakehead himself but also with the innocent host. Deault had a host, after all, a host who hopefully was either already dead or well on her way... a host that hadn't asked for any of this. But we'd decided long ago, when we'd realized that we were battling a species that was both culprit and victim, that we couldn't afford to look at it that way. If we did, the blame was trip us up and we'd go Gou'ald by Gou'ald, trying to kill the parasite and save the host. Even with the help of the Tok'ra, it was impossible; we couldn't do that.
So we did our best, and left it up to history to condemn or acquit us.
* * * * *
|| Samantha Carter ||
"We should have heard something by now."
Martouf glanced over at me briefly. "Don't worry."
"Worry?" I asked, my voice hardly audible over the trilling reports of the Zat guns. The Jaffa guarding the Gou'ald palace had taken cover behind a series of tall ivory pillars and were becoming increasingly harder to target. I could only hope that the Tok'ra team on the other side of the main road was having better luck, or the retreat would be hell. "Why should I be worried? Without that team, we might not have enough firepower to get back to the Stargate, that's all."
He didn't look at me, concentrating on our adversaries; I sighed and did the same.
On my other side, face almost entirely hidden by her green hat, Jadae sneezed between shots. Apparently symbiotes didn't do much to stifle allergies, especially not on such green planets.
I'd almost lost track of the time altogether when I saw a sudden flash of motion near the main gate of Deault's palace. "There they are," I announced happily, counting six sprinting forms. "They're alone," I added, unnecessarily. No one had really expected them to return with the Gou'ald Mother; we could only hope that they'd succeeded in 'dispatching' her.
The distance between the front door and the edge of the forest was short and the six Tok'ra cleared it easily, dashing into the green shadows with smiles and elated remarks; they'd done it. Not only dead but vaporized, they crowed, so there'd be no way to bring her back.
Martouf and I looked back across the road; he waved and one of the Tok'ra shot him a thumbs-up in return. A surprisingly human gesture, I noted, but didn't think much of it.
Now came the fun part... if you considered running haphazardly through a veritable jungle-gym of tree-trunks and snagging vines, not knowing if you were being followed, not sure if we'd find the local Stargate in the same unguarded condition that we'd left it in fun.
I fired off a few more parting shots in the direction of the daises, turned, and ran. Martouf stayed close by, Jadae only a few paces ahead, leafy limbs and fallen branches on all sides. We'd gate to an uninhabited world first, and then return to the base from there... just in case anyone was watching to see where we went.
I couldn't wait to write Daniel and tell him about this.
A glance over my shoulder revealed neither Jaffa nor the tell-tale bursts of energy from their weapons. When I turned back around, I could see the edge of the clearing that harbored the Stargate. Home free, and Martouf was right. We HADN'T needed help from the SGC.
The three teams, still traveling like packs, poured into the sun-drenched clearing.
And that was when it started getting REAL fun.
A group of Jaffa, far too numerous for my tastes, stood at the edge of the short field. From the direction they were facing, it seemed that they must have been approaching the Stargate on a course perpendicular to our own... but that hardly mattered at the moment. At the present time it was simply us, them, the Stargate and the DHD. Nothing to hide behind, nothing to shoot around; it was left up to sheer numbers, and they had more. We could either disperse back into the forest, allowing the Jaffa to hunt us down and pick us off as they liked, or we could make a break for it.
A young man from my team dashed for the DHD, knowing that it was only real hope we had, and I dropped to one knee, steadying my gun and making myself a smaller target. My comrades were able to bring down a great number of Jaffa before they even started firing... but it wasn't enough. The bold man was only able to strike a single glyph before a hot burst of light and energy found its place in his back, and almost soundlessly he crumpled to the ground. I could feel the blood drain from my face. One soldier per glyph... I tried not to do the math.
* * * * *
Grumbling to myself, I ran for the DHD. I heard Martouf's shout and felt his hands grasp my wrist, but his grip wasn't nearly strong enough and I shook it off easily. Firing continuously at the enemy, I ducked behind the dial-home-device, using it to protect me even as I slapped furiously at the panels. The glyph punched in by the young man had faded, which was just as well. We could go through this Stargate to the jump point and be immediately followed by the Jaffa, leaving us no time to dial back to the base, and worse, showing the Gou'ald the glyphs. Only one alternative came to mind... a bad one, but an alternative nonetheless.
I started to enter the symbols for Earth.
I could only hope that Jadae had mentioned the strike to Hammond, that he would recognize the address and not close the iris, because of course no one on the team had thought to bring a GDO. If Jadae hadn't... well, we didn't exactly have much of a choice.
Hesitating only long enough to pick out the point of origin, I hit the last symbol and watched as the gate opened with a flash and a swish of water.
...Looked up long enough to see the Jaffa that had broken through the Tok'ra defenses point his weapon at me.
...Realized with a sick lurch that I wouldn't be going home.
...Closed my eyes against the brief burst of light.
And then I blacked out.
I died.
* * * * *
|| Jack O'Neill ||
Running for the Stargate, hoping to use it to shield my body from the staff weapon blasts, I cringed as the young Tok'ra man fell. Casualty number one. Admittedly, loss of life had been expected, was always expected... but this mission should have gone so SMOOTHLY.
"Where the hell did they come from?" railed Tony, close behind.
Hunched against the stone steps, I didn't answer, watching as another Tok'ra from the first squad rushed the DHD, jumping gracefully over the body of the dead man. Even through the tunic I could tell from size and built that this was a woman... Jadae perhaps? Shooting at the Jaffa out of the corner of my eye, I watched her carefully. The flat face of the DHD was somewhat cockeyed, and I could make out most of the glyphs she was punching in.
They weren't the symbols for the Tok'ra jump point.
They were the symbols for Earth.
"Iris... good idea," I mumbled, and then shouted to Tony "As soon as this gate opens send the GDO code through."
"Huh?"
"Just do it, Captain."
"Whatever, sir!" he returned over the warble of the Zat.
What happened next happened too horribly slow, and I would remember it in too-horrible detail for much longer than I should have. With a great collective sigh, the other Tok'ra began to rush for the safety of the event horizon even as it was forming and Warren was sending the code. The woman at the DHD rose, but must not have realized that her compatriots had broken rank, and she was left vulnerable.
I sucked in a breath to warn her, but the Jaffa had already seen their opportunity... already taken it.
She caught a blow square in the chest, flying back and landing hard on the ground, right beside the still-warm corpse of her comrade. I took a step towards her, panic flooding my system, ignoring Warren's anxious shouts and the sudden blast of pain that ripped through my body, almost forcing me to my knees. One thing existed in the universe, only one.
"Sam!"
The Jaffa's attention was now directed at the fleeing humans and Tok'ra, trying to knock off as many of possible, but even if the enemy had been looking directly at me I wouldn't have stopped. I was across the field so quickly I couldn't remember the trip, throwing myself down next to the slender, prone figure. One hand went to her neck, searching for a pulse, and the other tore the hat off her head. The brilliant blonde tresses, dampened by sweat, were a glaring accusation.
I couldn't bring myself to look at the hole in her chest.
"Samantha, no!"
The face I looked up into was of course Martouf's... who else could it be? His eyes were wide, filled with horror... which I imagine doubled when he locked gazes with me. "Jack?"
"What the fuck is she doing here?" I exploded, fighting the urge to reach out and wring the little snake's neck until his head popped off.
Martouf shook his head. "We need to get her out of here."
"Good idea," I snapped, looking up to see that most of the teams had gone through the gate and that the few remaining Jaffa were likely to spot us any second. "Let's go."
"Not to Earth."
I glared. "Yes to Earth. Come on, Janet'll be there."
"Doctor Frasier cannot help her."
Now I was the one shaking my head emphatically. "Sure she can, now let's go."
"I know a place where I can help her."
Disgust roiled in my gut. "You're gonna make her a host."
"No--"
"I swear to God, Martouf..."
"Jack, she's DEAD!"
My breath caught in my throat and throttled me, and for a second or two all I could do was gag at him. I didn't notice that the clearing was nearly empty; our people had gone through, and the Jaffa that hadn't turned and run back the direction they'd come from lay motionless on the ground. "No..."
"Deault's Jaffa will be here soon. Go!" he shouted, except it wasn't Martouf shouting any longer; it was someone with a deeper voice and eyes that glowed. "We will follow."
To my great shame, I did as he told me, racing up the grassy slope in a state of shock and throwing myself through.
One interesting fact: it's impossible to turn around and go back while in a wormhole. Don't I wish it wasn't.
Martouf and Carter never followed.
* * * * *
Coming soon... The Ability
The more feedback I get, the more I write... it's a vicious cycle
Story Notes: Title: The Adversary
Author: Alli (alli@ecis.com)
Rating: PG/PG-13
Category: Future story, SJR, angst
Archive: SJA and Heliopolis
The Andromeda Series
1. The Assignment
2. The Aide
3. The Afterglow
4. The Arising
5. The Allusion
6. The Attack
7. The Accident
8. The Anger
9. The Alien
10. The Archeologist
11. The Absence
12. The Advance
13. The Adversary
Author: Alli (alli@ecis.com)
Rating: PG/PG-13
Category: Future story, SJR, angst
Archive: SJA and Heliopolis
The Andromeda Series
1. The Assignment
2. The Aide
3. The Afterglow
4. The Arising
5. The Allusion
6. The Attack
7. The Accident
8. The Anger
9. The Alien
10. The Archeologist
11. The Absence
12. The Advance
13. The Adversary
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]