Chapter Text
Your name is JACK O'NEILL, RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL, and you're busy SIGHT SEEING THE STARS through your BALCONY TELESCOPE when you hear the familiar sound of a MOTOR ENGINE pulling up to your house.
"Colonel O'nel?" the driver asks as he steps out of the car, and approaches your balcony. Can't even get your name right either, it seems.
"It's O'neill, and I'm retired," You say, not even taking your EYES OFF THE STARS. "What is it?"
"You weren't answering your phone," the driver says. "I was sent from General Hammond's office to get you directly."
"Hammond?" You turn to look. Standing before you is a DECORATED SERVICE MAN, looks like a SARGENT, but what the hell do you know in this dark light. You can barely see enough of his NAME TAG to pick up the name 'DAVIS' but you can't tell if that's a first or last name. "What's he want?" You ask, sitting up at attention.
"He said it's about Dr. Jackson, sir." DAVIS says, taking off his RATHER USELESS SUNGLASSES. It's the middle of the night on the FIRST OF DECEMBER, dude. You don't need them. "His wife is in labor, and the General's requested your presence at the base."
"Well why didn't you just say so?" You grit your teeth a little, and then get to your feet. "Give me a minute to get my badge. I'll be right with you."
SHA'RE's in labor? You grimace as you head inside and grab your STARGATE COMMAND ACCESS BADGE, pausing only briefly to catch a glimpse of PHOTOGRAPH taken on ABYDOS about six months ago when Daniel had first asked you to come visit so you could be told in person.
In it are you, CARTER, FERRETTI, HARLEY, DANIEL, SHA'RE, and Sha're's YOUNGER BROTHER, SKAARA. But why the hell would Sha're be at the SGC without Daniel?
You've got a BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS.
It's A FAMILIAR DRIVE down the streets to the SGC, but it's DISTURBINGLY QUIET at this late hour of the night.
It's been a little over A YEAR since ABYDOS, just a little bit closer to the full 365 DAYS since HARLEY'S KID, JOEY, went missing through a SECOND STARGATE nobody had been aware of even being on Earth.
SGT. DAVIS says nothing as he takes you through the security checkpoints, and only opens his mouth again once you're on the ELEVATOR.
"We have to go to level-" he starts, only for you to press the button for the INFIRMARY LEVEL.
"I've been here before, Davis," you remark to the man, who's only response is to put his sunglasses back on and try to maintain his COOL AND COMPOSED FACADE.
You get a BETTER LOOK at his name tag, and see that his full name is DAVIS STRIDER. Interesting. Hadn't you heard about some OTHER Strider in recent times making news? Probably unrelated, you'd guess.
The elevator ride down is tense, and when you get to the right floor, your trained eyes immediately pick up on the fact that there are a lot of ON GUARD soldiers standing tensely around.
Then, you hear the pained screams of a woman in LABOR.
You don't need SGT. DAVIS to lead the way, you make your way there with surprising ease.
Your NERVES are not put any more at rest by getting to the INFIRMARY, however. You notice a BUNCH OF ABYDOSIANS lying in beds- WOUNDED as if they'd recently been in a fight.
SHIT.
You work past them quickly, following the screaming, until you find the observation room for the SANITARY CHAMBER- which seems to have been reworked into a MATERNITY WARD in an AWFUL HASTE.
Inside that room, you see DR. JANET FRASIER working with her team of doctors to help SHA'RE deliver her CHILD. You'd scrub up and go in to help in an instant, but that's all on the other side of a wall of glass, and you're not all that qualified for HELPING A WOMAN GIVE BIRTH, to be honest.
Instead, you focus your efforts on the people in the observation room with you.
SKAARA is here, along with FERRETTI- both of them look a little BANGED UP as well. Ferretti's got something of a head injury he's obviously pushing past to work on a LAPTOP, and SKAARA has his LEFT SHOULDER bandaged up.
"O'neill!" Skaara smiles at you when he notices you're here- but it's a faint smile that seems a little hollow. "You made it!"
"Yeah, I made it," you say, frowning. "What the hell happened?"
"Hostiles through the gate, Sir," Ferretti says, looking up from the laptop. "They hit Abydos hard. Took a couple of people too. Sha're got clipped, went into early labor."
"Who got taken?" you ask, a dark feeling brewing inside your heart.
"Daniel, Kairi, and a few other women," Skaara says, a fearful tone in his voice. Fear and concern for two important people in his life. Daniel, being his brother-in-law, and Kairi, being... the girl you think he was crushing on, last you'd spoken?
You don't know how that progressed since then, but it doesn't matter.
Daniel's missing, and so are a bunch of Abydosians.
"Shit." You swear.
It's been a year since Abydos. You've been vaguely aware of the SGC running the occasional mission- one of which you were actually brought in on at Harley's request, to help retrieve an old friend of his who had been lost through the gate years ago. But for the most part, the ADDRESS LIST from Abydos hasn't worked out well. Almost ALL FAILED TO LOCK, and the FEW THAT DID had all been uninhabited worlds- or were ones that HAD once been inhabited, but had been wiped out by what you were told could only be the work of KHEPRI'S ACCOMPLICE.
So... the question was who was it?
"Who did it?" You ask.
"That's exactly what you're here to find out, Colonel," says the all-too-familiar voice of GENERAL GEORGE HAMMOND as he enters the observation room. "I'm sorry it's come to this, but I'm reactivating you."
You take a deep breath, exhale, and say, "No, sir. I should have been here. I could've done something to help."
"Come with me," Hammond says, and you reluctantly follow him out of the room.
You're lead to the MORGUE, where you find several corpses whose HEAVY ARMOR has been removed and hung on RACKS NEARBY.
"A team of six of these silver suited figures accompanied by one gold one came through the Abydos Gate less than an hour ago," Hammond says. "Ferretti, Frasier, and Airman Carol Weterings, who we'd just cleared for field duty, were on Abydos making a house call to check on Sha're's progress when the Stargate suddenly activated." He picks up what appears to be a MINIATURE DEATH STAR, but more stylized like a THERMAL DETONATOR. "This came through the gate, the Lieutenant picked it up, and then it let loose some kind of scanning wave. A moment later, she fell to the ground, and the enemy team came through the gate."
"A probe of some kind?" You ask.
"Exactly our thoughts," Hammond nods. "About five minutes before this happened on Abydos, we received an Incoming wormhole here on Earth. No IDC came through, so we left the Iris closed. There was a single Thwump as something hit it, and then the Gate shut off almost immediately after that. We found some residue on the inside of the Iris afterwards that matches the chemical composition of the outside shell of this one." He places the probe back down on the table.
"...Someone's probing gates," you realized. "Looking for worlds with people they could kidnap?"
"That's our working theory as well," Hammond nodded, then picks up a familiar, SNAKE SHAPED silver metal weapon. "These warriors came through the Gate, stunner weapons firing, and Ferretti and the Abydosian guards fought back. That's when the guards opened fire with their staff weapons." He put the stunner down, to motion towards a FAMILIAR LOOKING STAFF leaning against the wall.
You pick it up, and OPEN IT with A PRACTICED EASE.
"It sure looks like the same thing Khepri's guards used on Abydos, sir," you say, running your hands over it. "But the texture's a bit different on the grip. Feels rougher somehow. Probably been used more often, or is a cheaper construction; I'd guess both."
"Understandable, Ra and Khepri did seem to hold the monopoly on all the good technology," Hammond pauses, then continues where he left off from before. "During the fight, Dr. Jackson's wife tried to stop the fighting, and took a glancing staff blast to her chest for her troubles."
"Damn," you grimace. That explains the early labor. "And Daniel?"
"He didn't react well," Hammond shakes his head. "Tried to shoot the golden one with a staff weapon. It didn't work out well."
"Probably having flashbacks to the fight with Khepri," You sigh, closing the staff and putting it back against the wall. "What happened then?"
"Dr. Frasier reported that Dr. Jackson was taken through the gate alive and conscious, though fighting. The others who were taken, including Airman Weterings, were unconscious when they went back through," Hammond concludes. "Ferretti managed to get a look at the DHD as the Gold one dialed back. We have an address."
"So... Rescue mission?" You ask for confirmation.
"Surveillance first, and Rescue only if possible," Hammond says with a nod. "Comparing this incident with what we learned from the alien that was possessing General West before it died, our running theory right now is that one of these 'System Lords' has finally figured out that Ra-slash-Khepri is dead, and is searching their territory to see where the limits are."
"Makes about as much sense to me," You agree, eyeing him. "This is just about the worst First Contact scenario possible, isn't it?"
"We don't have the luxury of time any more, unfortunately," Hammond says. "Finding another peaceful world to enter the grand stage of the galaxy has to fall by the wayside at this point. If whoever this new threat is is any fraction as powerful as Khepri or Ra or whatever she wanted to call herself was... we have to take the appropriate actions."
"So what do you expect me to do here, Sir?" You ask.
"Do what you did last time. Lead." Hammond says with a serious tone. "I'm recalling Harley and Captain Carter from the Hauntswitch facility. They'll be here within a matter of hours to join the recon mission."
"Speaking of Harley, sir," you look Hammond in the eyes. "Honestly, how's he holding up?"
"About as well as anyone could when their daughter takes a leap of faith through an unstable Stargate," Hammond shakes his head, looking guilty for reasons you can't quite piece together. "He's been working day and night for the last year to get that damned Makeshift Stargate working again, but that stray shot West managed to get in on the DHD fried too much to have it working again just yet. Too much slagged into a solid chunk."
"Right," you say, then look to your watch. "So, if it's going to be a few hours-?"
"Go, be with your friends," Hammond says with a nod, and with that, you're gone back to the observation room.
It's another LONG, PAINFUL TEN MINUTES before Sha're and Daniel's DAUGHTER is finally born in the last few hours of DECEMBER 1ST, 1995.
Sha're manages to give her the name she and Daniel had been planning on if it was a girl- JADE- but a moment before she closes her eyes and the HEART MONITOR FLAT LINES.
And thus, you're forced to watch with pain gripping your heart as DOC FRASIER does her best to bring Sha're back to life once again.
It's only a minute, but seems like a LIFE TIME, before a heartbeat comes back.
Unfortunately, Sha're is still UNCONSCIOUS... and she doesn't seem to be going to wake up any time soon.
"The Staff Blast got dangerously close to her heart for a grazing hit," DR. JANET FRASIER says to you and SKAARA as you two, and HAMMOND stand around the BABY SIZED ISOLATION CHAMBER that's standard fare in MATERNITY WARDS for premature births. Inside, a young little infant girl rests inside, having cried herself to sleep already. "Sha're's lucky to have made it through the Gate and give birth without her heart stopping sooner. As it stands, I'm not sure I could bring her back if her heart stops again."
"What happens if you can't?" Hammond asks.
"Under normal circumstances, a hospital would keep the baby in isolation until she's stabilized, which I'm inclined to repeat here," Frasier says. "After that, she'd be discharged to any family that's still alive. Skaara, being a blood relative, is pretty much next in line."
"I can't," Skaara says, shaking his head. "Not with Daniel out there somewhere."
"Agreed," you say. "If we can get Daniel home safe and sound, he'll take care of the kid. I'm sure of it."
"And if we don't?" Frasier gives you and Skaara both a firm glare. "What if it takes years to find him? What if by the time we do, Daniel's Dead?"
"...Grr..." You look to Skaara, whose hands are clenching into fists. Anger flashes across his face. "If Daniel's dead, then I hunt down the monster who killed him and kill them."
"But what about if it takes years to find him?" Frasier presses. "If you're so focused on revenge, or on finding Daniel, who takes care of Jade?"
Skaara's shaken out of his rage for a moment, considering it, and then... He looks to you for help.
You sigh, running your hands through your hair. "Foster care. We foster her with someone involved with the SGC until we find Daniel."
"I certainly hope you're not going to hoist her off on me, Colonel O'neill," Frasier says, crossing her arms and giving you an unamused look.
"No, I was thinking someone else," you shake your head. "Isn't that Lalonde girl who works as Harley's babysitter going to be a mom soon?"
"So you're saying you'd rather hoist an infant off on a first time mother?" Frasier's growing more unimpressed with you by the second.
"No, what I'm saying is-" you sigh, exasperated. "Look, if Harley's go-to baby sitter is going to be a mother, he's going to be helping out with a baby soon anyways. He's already raised two kids from babies too, so he's got the most experience among anyone else we know who could take care of the girl."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you have a wife and kid once upon a time, Colonel?" Frasier presses, scowling at you now. "Why don't You take her in?"
Your heart skips a beat, and you close your eyes for a moment as you grit your teeth. Then, you open them and force out: "'Had.' Doc. Had is the key word here. And that 'had' is exactly why I was chosen for the Abydos mission by West in the first place."
Frasier takes a moment to comprehend what you're saying, and then her face softens. "Oh. I'm sorry. It wasn't in your file, so I didn't realize-"
"It's fine, Doc." You say, trying not to look at Skaara or Hammond as they're surely looking at you. "I'm not a regular visitor to this part of the base so you wouldn't know." You force yourself to breathe. "Just... I'm the last resort of last resorts for taking care of anybody's kid, alright?"
"Understood," Frasier nods, then looks to Hammond "So... Jake Harley for foster care if Sha're dies and Daniel's lost to us for the next few years?"
"He'll be our top candidate," Hammond says, "but in case he declines, I want you to put together a list of on-base personnel who are willing to take in an infant girl."
"I'll get right on that," Frasier says, nodding, and moving to go leave. "Colonel, General."
"Later, Doc," You give a half-hearted wave as she walks past you.
Nobody says anything more as you look down at the infant in the plastic box in front of you. Jade Jackson, potentially to be raised as Jade Harley if Sha're dies, and Daniel...
You put your hand on Skaara's good shoulder, and give a squeeze. "We'll get Daniel back."
You're not sure if you're telling Skaara that, yourself, or JADE.
Either way, the tiny little infant wearily opens her eyes for a moment, and you see the BRIGHTEST GREEN ORBS you've ever seen peering up at you.
"I promise," you add.
A moment later, the girl's eyes close again.
You wonder if she'll ever remember any of today... and pray for the love of any and all real or fictional gods out there that she never does.
BUT A FEW SHORT HOURS LATER, you are now REINSTATED AS COLONEL.
"As much as I'd love to go on a gaunty visit to another alien planet full of unknown hostiles," JAKE HARLEY says to you and HAMMOND within Hammond's office. "I can't. With Joey out there somewhere, and Roxy so close to giving birth, I promised Jude I'd never step foot off world again unless it was somewhere safe like Abydos." He gives you a smile, "However, I can definitely do you all a solid by tearing apart that probe sphere and see what kind of juicy data we can pull off of it."
"Speaking of kids being born," you begin, and explain the situation with Sha're and Daniel.
Jake Harley considers the offer for a few minutes, then says, "If Sha're and Daniel both are similarly lost... then yes. I'll take her in."
"You should go let Skaara know then," you say. "He's been hovering back and forth between Jade and Sha're, worrying about them both like crazy."
"I will," Harley nods. "I'll go do that right away." He turns to leave with a "Good luck to you on bringing our people home, Colonel O'neill."
DECEMBER 2ND, 1995.
It's the early morning hours, and YOUR TEAMS are ASSEMBLED.
You, CAPTAIN SAMANTHA CARTER, and SKAARA are officially designated "SG-1" for this mission, of which you're the LEADER. There's a conspicuous, SYMBOLIC ABSENSE in the spacing of the TYPICALLY FOUR MANNED MISSION for JACKSON for when you find him and drag him back home. Your pal KAWALSKI is declared leader of "SG-2," whose members are PRESENTLY COMPOSED of THE OTHER SURVIVING MEMBERS of the original ABYDOS MISSION, with A SIMILARLY CONSPICUOUS ABSENSE in the PLANNED FOUR MAN STRUCTURE for FERRETTI, who Doc Frasier didn't clear for duty due to HEAD INJURY.
You have TWENTY-FOUR HOURS to SURVEY THE OTHER PLANET, and either REPORT BACK immediately or ENGAGE IN RESCUE if BACKUP CANNOT BE SECURED in a reasonable amount of time, otherwise the SGC will have to ASSUME YOU'VE BEEN CAPTURED and LOCK OUT YOUR IDENTIFICATION CODE.
With the GATE ADDRESS Ferretti got during the attack set into the DIALING COMPUTER, you stand at the ready alongside your team, watching as the Gate DIALS from the side of the GATE ROOM.
"I seriously hope we're not going to make a regular thing out of this," KAWALSKI remarks. "My heart's going to go out sooner or later if we keep this up beyond a once a year thing."
"I'm actually pretty excited," Carter says. "What little technology we've been able to scavenge from Abydos and the few other worlds we've visited so far have been really enlightening. I hope we get a chance to scavenge something new from this."
"Oh, so she's a Rescue Archaeologist then," Kawalski mutters, regarding Carter.
"I heard that," Carter snipes back at him. "And it's Rescue Astrophysicist to you. As in, I'm going to probably be rescuing everyone with-"
"Now, kids," you interject, exasperated, before it can expand into a full blown argument. "There's no need to get all 'are we there yet' when we haven't even gotten in the car yet."
Skaara chuckles at your remark, though you're PRETTY SURE he doesn't understand the full context, unless Daniel made a similar joke once. He very well could have for all you know.
And it's... strange seeing the Abydosian kid here, wearing the same MODERN STANDARD ISSUE GEAR that the rest of you are wearing here. It's almost as incongruous as imagining ANY of you wearing this kind of heavy, bulky gear on Abydos- but your mind specifically tries to envision DANIEL wearing it.
Green fatigues, large, bulky BULLET PROOF VESTS that probably won't do any good against STAFF BLASTS, but hell- what do you know. Maybe all it takes is a thin sheet of metal to block one of those things.
Plus, in a single year, STANDARD OPERATION PROTOCOL seems to have changed by A LOT. You'd swear it was maybe TWO OR THREE YEARS going by how much better it is, but then again, maybe that's the RETIREMENT getting to you.
CHEVRON SEVEN LOCKING tears you out of that train of thought- and the WORMHOLE OPENS with a WAA WAA KAWOOOSH that you think might NEVER GET OLD.
And thus, you lead the charge with the CARGO CART through the GATE.
The first thing you notice is the LACK OF FREEZING COLD FROST on your body, and no DISORIENTATION either.
Instead, the only COLD is from the ACTUAL PLANET'S ATMOSPHERE, and the only DISORIENTATION is from the STAIRS being uneven beneath your feet.
You look around. The GATE is in a CLEARING in a LARGE FOREST. There's STONE DECORATIONS all over the place reminiscent of STONE HENGE- but they're all CLEARLY made out of the STARGATE MINERAL- sharing that same, shiny color that's being lit up the same as everything else with the BRIGHT, SUNNY, MIDDLE OF THE DAY lighting that seems more at home in THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS or maybe up in CANADA SOMEWHERE.
This is of note because you didn't get much sleep last night; barely a COUPLE OF HOURS before the SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME arrived. The SUN wasn't even UP YET, according you your ALARM CLOCK. You're PROBABLY going to be regretting the LACK OF SLEEP in a couple hours, but TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE HERE. Time is also A POTENTIALLY ORPHANED GIRL with DEAD PARENTS.
Behind you, the rest of SG-1 emerges from the gate- that is to say, CARTER and SKAARA arrive, and clear the way for SG-2 to come through.
Carter immediately makes note of the lack of FROSTBITE, however.
"That's really weird. The connection was a lot more stable this time than it usually is to Abydos. I wonder why?" She muses.
"I'm sure there's some reason for it," you say, looking around as KAWALSKI emerges, followed by his two TEAMMATES. "SG-2," you order, "stay here and guard the gate. See if the DHD is similar enough to Abydos' that you can reuse Earth's coordinates." You point at the DHD.
"Got it, Sir," Kawalski nods, and he starts giving orders to figure out who does what.
"SG-1, with me," you continue. "Looks like there's a path in the trees over that way. And where there's a path, there civilization."
And so you head towards that path.
Soon enough, you come to a WELL MAINTAINED STONE ROAD, leading upwards into the distant mountains. At this angle, you can SEE A LARGE CITY.
You whistle, impressed.
"So, Skaara," you say, "how much do you want to bet we can make a better first impression than we did back on Abydos with the sandstorm?"
Carter gives you both an odd look as Skaara laughs at the somewhat awkward memory.
"Definitely better," Skaara says. "Only way it could be worse is if they don't speak any of the languages Daniel taught us back on Abydos."
"Oh?" You ask. "He Taught you languages?"
"A few important ones," Skaara says. "Mostly 'root languages,' he said." And then he switches to an impression of Daniel, "'From there, you can easily figure out everything else you need to speak!'" He smiles, sadly, as do you.
It's but a minute later that you come across some HOODED MONK TYPES wandering onto this HIGHWAY from another, smaller road.
They all take keen interest in your group, and you look to Skaara.
"Well, kid, looks like you're up," you say.
Skaara nods, and makes his way over to them smiling friendly.
The monks likewise smile friendly, and begin chattering quickly.
Skaara seems surprised, and then takes but a moment to start conversing back with them in what you recognize as MOSTLY ABYDOSIAN, with a few FUNKY FLARES thrown in for good measure.
Once he's finished for the moment, he turns back to you and says, "They're asking if we're here for the Choosing."
"The 'Choosing'?" You ask.
"Choosing for what?" Carter asks.
Skaara turns back to them, and then receives a baffling answer. "The Children of the Gods."
"Well... sure," you say, a little unnerved. "Choosing's good. We're here for the choosing."
Skaara answers, and then the Monks seem absolutely DELIGHTED, and start gesturing towards the city, repeating a word a few times.
"Chulak?" you ask.
"Ah! Ah!" one of the monks nods. "Chulak!"
"The name of the city," Skaara clarifies for you.
"Ah, well, lead on!" you motion towards the city, and the Monks gleefully begin leading you there, talking the entire time.
You notice Carter's got a TAPE RECORDER going, probably recording all of this for future reference.
Skaara takes a break every now and then to fill you in on some INTERESTING FACTS.
That this world belongs to the GOD APOPHIS is the most important one to make note of. You have NO IDEA who the hell Apophis is mythologically speaking back on Earth, but you assume he's some BIG SHOT here. Big enough of a big shot to send RAIDING PARTIES to Worlds formerly under RA'S CARE.
Other interesting facts include:
The JAFFA TRAINING CAMPS are in full swing this season.
Apophis seems keen on building ARMIES AND SHIPS.
And apparently Apophis' BRIDE, AMAUNET, is going to be CHANGING STYLES and will be UNVEILING HER NEW STYLE tonight.
You have no idea what the last one means, but the FIRST TWO can't be any good.
Interestingly, as you get closer and closer to the city, CHULAK, you begin to notice that you're UNDERSTANDING not only the MONK'S WAY OF SPEAKING, but also are starting to hear SKAARA in ENGLISH as well, despite him clearly talking in ABYDOSIAN.
"Carter," you whisper to her, "is it just me or are my ears hearing things differently?"
"I've actually been hearing it occasionally on Abydos, Sir, when I've gone visiting," Carter nods, tapping at the tape recorder. "That's why I started recording the moment we started talking here. I'm curious to see what language we're really speaking at this point."
"On Abydos?" you ask. "You sure that's not 'cause Daniel was teaching them other languages?"
"Not entirely sure, sure, my theory is it's part of the Stargates," Carter says. "I'd imagine there has to be some kind of... translating nano particle or something that makes it work long term. Not every world has an identical language, after all."
"True," you concede. "So... the Stargate puts a babble fish in my ears?"
"That's my theory, yes," Carter nods. "When we get back to Earth, I'm going to have someone who's never gone through the gates before listen to the tape I'm making and we'll see what they hear."
"...Cool," you say.
By the time you're in the CITY, you're mostly hearing ENGLISH EVERYWHERE, and by the time the MONKS have lead you to a PALACE, you're hearing exactly what everyone's saying perfectly.
You wonder why it didn't happen with Abydos? And you ask Carter that. She shrugs, suggesting that maybe there has to be one party member among those who traveled through the Gate at the same time who needs to learn the language differences before it works properly?
In which case, Skaara serves as that translating Rosetta Stone, she supposes. And if Skaara understands Abydosian instinctively, and he can understand the Monks almost fluently the same way, and has learned enough of Earth's Languages through Daniel...
You'll have to ask him later what language he's hearing you all speak with.
Soon, you're guided to a BANQUET HALL, and everyone gathers around a table. You, Carter, and Skaara are seated at the far end of the table, along with the other late arrivals, the HOODED MONKS, who are all still rather cheerful despite everyone else in the room merely being NERVOUSLY HAPPY.
And then the GUEST OF THE HOUR shows up- flanked on all sides by MEN IN SILVER ARMOR wearing SERPENT SHAPED HELMETS is a MAN IN GOLD ROBES, and a WOMAN IN FLOWING WHITE DRESS.
At the golden man's right side is a SILVER SUITED WARRIOR without a helmet, instead wearing but A METAL PLATE on his head that PERFECTLY HIGHLIGHTS the GOLDEN EMBLEM wedged into his dark skin.
"PRESENTING YOUR GODS!" the man- you guess he'd be the FIRST PRIME, if all the other so called "GODS" have First Primes like that NIRRTI lady did- yells. "YOUR LORD: APOPHIS!" The Golden robes wearing man steps forward, a proud smile on his face. "AND YOUR REVITALIZED QUEEN: AMAUNET!"
And thus, does this APOPHIS remove the veil blocking the woman's face, and Skaara bites down a gasp.
You recognize the face as well- even though she's not someone you've met personall. Hammond gave you a picture in the mission debriefing.
That's AIRMAN CAROL WETERINGS, the one that was KIDNAPPED off of ABYDOS.
Both APOPHIS and WETERINGS' eyes flash GOLDEN YELLOW in what had to be a planned, synchronized event.
"WELCOME!" Apophis throws his arms out wide, as he smiles upon the gathered people. His voice ECHOES just like KHEPRI'S did. Except where her's, apparently, was self inflicted... this time it's due to a BRAIN PARASITE. "Welcome... to the Choosing." He and his "bride" sit down at the head of the table, with the First Prime guy moving off to the side.
Your eyes meet his, and for a moment, you think you see a FLASH OF REGRET reflecting back at you before it's squashed away beneath a MASK OF INDIFFERENCE. You should know. You've worn that same mask more times than you'd care to count over your career.
"Tonight, after we feast," Apophis continues, "we shall all go down to the Choosing Chamber, and you can watch as we select those who will be Gifted with the blessing of being the new faces for My and Amaunet's children."
"I see we have some fresh blood in attendance tonight," Weeterings- no, Amaunet- says next, her voice likewise echoing. "You three, in the back, wearing green and black. Please, stand and declare from where and WHY you've come to visit us from."
Craaap.
You look to Carter, then to Skaara, and you all are in crystal clear agreement. Of COURSE your cover would be blown because one of the people you came to rescue was BODY JACKED by a snake.
You stand up, Carter following, with Skaara just after her, and so, as team leader, you speak.
"Uh, Hi!" You wave. "Names Jack. O'neill. That's with Two L's." You hold up three fingers for a moment, hopefully as a way to confuse them. "There's another guy with one L that I used to work with and he's just... not that great of a comedian, really. Uh..."
Amaunet's eyes are focused on you, and her FACE SCREAMS PURE UNAMUSEMENT. Apophis, on the other hand, continues to smile, as if he's enjoying this.
"So, yeah. Uh. We come from..." You pause, trying to think of a decent name. "We come from Yavin Four. Our God the great and wonderful... Oz, a powerful wizard, sent us here to give you the blessings of one of his most wonderful spells!"
Carter looks like she wants to groan at your OBVIOUSLY FAKE ATTEMPTS AT DISINFORMATION, and Skaara looks like he's just trying to memorize it all incase he has to repeat it back again. Good kid, figuring out that the key to any good bluff is consistency.
You get the feeling HARLEY TAUGHT HIM THAT.
"A spell?" Apophis inquires, sitting forwards, interested. "What kind of spell?"
"Oh, it's a great and powerful spell. Super duper wonderful spell, this spell," you say. "It's all about rebirth... and... renewal."
You can clearly see that AMAUNET is loosing her patience, but Apophis seems to be either TOO AMUSED WITH THE BLATANT FRAUD TO CARE or is ACTIVELY EATING IT UP.
"The title of this spell is called 'So long, and thanks for all the fish,'" you continue. "I really wasn't prepared to present it to you this early, but I can if you want me to."
"That won't be necessary," Amaunet says, and then with a motion of her hand, orders, "Seize Them."
You barely hear the sound of the STUNNERS OPENING before you're waking up in a DIRTY, DUSTY JAIL CELL full of other people.
"Really, Sir?" Carter laments once she sees you're awake. "Hitchhikers Guide? That was the best you could come up with!?"
"I was stalling for time and hoping Apophis was buying it," you remark as you get up.
"Well, clearly he didn't."
And then you and Carter both turn at the sound of that speaker's voice.
"Daniel!" Carter cries out in glee, rushing over to hug the man. "You're alive!"
"Yeah, I am," DANIEL JACKSON says as Carter lets him go. "Skaara filled me in." He says, nodding over towards the CELL DOOR at the far end of the room. Skaara is yelling through it at A SERPENT GUARD who seems either indifferent to the RATHER CLEVER SWEARS the kid is throwing at him, or HAS EARPLUGS IN HIS EARS.
Either of those, or he's asleep.
One of the three.
"So..." Daniel takes a moment to breathe. "I'm a dad?"
"And she's beautiful, Daniel," you say. "Clearest green eyes I've ever seen."
"We need to get out of here," Daniel says, shaking his head. "I need to be there for Sha're. If she dies and I'm not there... I-"
Any comfort you could bestow upon the man is cut off as Skaara suddenly jumps away from the doors, and begins hurrying over towards you. "Someone's coming! Someone's coming!"
"Who?" You ask, only to get your answer a moment later as a small section of CELL GATE opens up, to allow MR. FIRST PRIME into the room.
Immediately, he begins making his way over towards you. Everyone else in the room cower away, giving you all the space you need to talk to this guy.
"Lady Amaunet was most displeased with your Lies," the First Prime says. "Lord Apophis, however, was most amused, and has decreed that if you tell the truth, you may yet live."
"Okay," Daniel says. "I don't know what the hell Jack was telling you, but we're from a planet called Earth, uh..." he kneels down, and SKETCHES OUT EARTH'S POINT OF ORIGIN in the Dirt. "This. This is us."
The First Prime bends forwards slightly to look at the symbol. "That planet has been out of contact for countless millennia."
"Yeah, we lost the DHD," Jackson says. "It took us a while to get the Gate working again. We're adventurers. Explorers. We've been trying to make friendly contact with other worlds and people. But since you kidnapped me and a bunch of our friends from one of those friendly worlds, these three were sent here to rescue us, isn't that right?"
"Yep," You pop the P at the end while giving a friendly smile and wave. "That's us. The Rescue Mission."
"I see." First Prime guy says after a moment, and then takes his STAFF WEAPON, and BRUSHES OVER THE GLYPH with the tail end of the staff. He then turns to leave without another word.
"Chatty fellow, isn't he?" You remark.
"So, was it just me, or did he say Apophis?" Daniel asks, turning to look at you.
"That he did," you confirm.
"Apophis, the Moon Serpent. Pretty much a thematic opposite to Ra in most imaginable ways," Daniel clarifies. "That Apophis?"
"Suppose so," you say.
"What exactly did you say to his wife to get you thrown in here?" Daniel asks.
"Oh, I made some allusions to Star Wars, Wizard of Oz... Hitchhikers guide..." You shake your head. "Didn't matter. Amulet lady's possessing one of our Airman. She recognized us before we even said a word."
"So what now?" Carter asks. "It's not likely they're actually going to let us go, is it?"
"Oh, no, they're definitely going to kill us," Daniel says with a slightly happy tone. "But that means they're going to send people in here with staff weapons and we all know how good those are at blowing holes in things." He nods for you to follow him. "C'mon. I've already found a weak point we can shoot at."
The sun outside SETS, AND RAISES in the time it takes APOPHIS and AMAUNET to come with a series of GUARDS to complete this "CHOOSING."
Amaunet seems to take a perverse interest in doing this by hand, as well, whereas Apophis seems to be fine with letting her do all the work.
What a truly balanced romantic couple.
Amaunet selects a few ABYDOSIAN KIDS- using her HAND DEVICE to knock them out and have a SERPENT GUARD take them away-apparently just to get SKAARA RILED UP, as she smirks his way every time she does this, and then, at the end of it, selects DANIEL of all people.
"You will do nicely for my son, Klorel," she says, even as her SERPENT GUARDS get in between and cordon you off- preventing you from helping.
"No, sorry, but I've got a wife and kid to get back to," Daniel rejects the offer. "Thanks but no thanks."
"I WASN'T ASKING," and then she does the SHOCKY HAND DEVICE THING, and knocks him out before swinging him up over her shoulders all by herself.
"DANIEL!" Skaara cries out, trying to get past a SERPENT GUARD.
Once she's exited the cell room, and dumped Daniel off in the capable hands of another SERPENT GUARD, Amaunet turns and looks across the entire cell block. "I AM FINISHED. DO WITH THEM AS YOU PLEASE, MY LOVE." And with that, she and her guards and the DOUBLY KIDNAPPED PEOPLE leave your sight.
"Of course, My Love" Apophis smirks, sitting up from his chair, and surveying the room as the cell door locks, and the SERPENT GUARDS ALL TAKE UP A GUARDING POSITION in front of him. "Now, what to do with you all?" He smiles, pausing as if to deliberate the question. "Ah. I know." He then turns to FIRST PRIME GUY, who's in the CELL BLOCK WITH YOU as well. "KILL THEM ALL."
"It will be done, My Lord," the First Prime says, but you can SEE THE RELUCTANCE in his eyes.
As APOPHIS leaves after his WIFE, the First Prime takes up CENTER LEAD, and readies his STAFF WEAPON. The other Guards all do the same.
"Wait!" You call out to him. "It doesn't have to be this way!"
"There is no other way," the First Prime says, marching forwards, seemingly breaking protocol as the other Guards don't follow him.
"We can save these people!!" You offer.
"Many have said that," The First Prime says, drawing up close to you, charging up his staff weapon. "Why should you be any different?"
"Because..." You try something risky here. "Because Apophis and Amaunet and everyone else like them aren't really gods! They're Parasites! Fakes!!" You deliver your hailmary. "WE KILLED KHEPRI! WE KILLED RA!! THEY AREN'T IMMORTAL!"
"..." The First Prime looks upon you, considering. Then... "Many have claimed that as well."
And then suddenly, he whirls around and fires a staff blast at the ceiling- dropping a LOT of tile and BRICKS down onto his fellow SERPENT GUARDS.
In the stunned confusion, the FIRST PRIME hands you the staff weapon and draws out HIS STUNNING WEAPON.
Your eyes meet, and he says, "But you are the first I have believed it."
As the Serpent Guards get out of the rubble, you and he OPEN FIRE- rapidly taking out the two halves of the guards by room side in quick succession before they can recover.
You and he quickly fetch their WEAPONS- staff and stunner alike- and spread them out among the rest of SG-1.
"Let's blow this place," you say, and then go to the spot Daniel showed you. "EVERYONE OUT OF THE WAY!"
And thus, You, SKAARA, CARTER, and the FIRST PRIME all open synchronized fire on the wall.
It crumbles quickly, and a hole opens up. Carter and Skaara quickly begin work evacuating the prisoners through the wall, and this First Prime... drops his staff weapon to the ground and starts walking back to the other end of the cell.
"Hey!" You say, "Where are you going?"
"I've betrayed my God," he says, removing his metal head cap. "I have nowhere else to go but execution."
"...Like hell," you say. "You know what they're doing is wrong. You fought back when the moment came down to it! You did what's right. If you're going anywhere... it'll be with US!"
"With you?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "But I am your enemy."
"No," you shake your head. "You're not." You offer him your hand. "I'm Colonel Jack O'niell."
"Teal'c," the man answers, unsuredly taking your hand and letting you shake it. "...First Prime to Apophis." He considers that sentence, and gives a faint smile as he corrects, "Former First Prime."
You smile back.
What happened over the next HOUR involved running to the Gate, and just barely confronting APOPHIS AND HIS LITTLE FAMILY of BODY JACKED VICTIMS- including POOR DANIEL- whose EYES FLASH GOLDEN YELLOW as he launched a SHOCKWAVE from a hand gauntlet, knocking you backwards before he escaped through the GATE.
You redialed Earth, and thats when A DEATH GLIDER came flying in to KILL YOU ALL, aided, of course, by a multitude of SERPENT WARRIORS.
It was a running battle protecting the prisoners while fending off a battle from TWO FRONTS when Kawalski got in a lucky hit with an RPG- and the Glider went CRASHING down into the distant hills, blowing up with a large fireball.
Seems that's two of those kinds of things he's taken out that way, including Abydos.
That was when the Serpent Guards got a BIT MORE SCARED and tried their best to NOT DIE to your SUPPRESSING FIRE.
And then you finally- FINALLY- got through the gate with EVERYONE ALIVE, and you were feeling PRETTY GOOD ABOUT EVERYTHING except for DANIEL being bodyjacked up until you went to the INFIRMARY to visit Sha're and found out...
Sha're died an hour ago- right around the same time Daniel got taken over by one of those god-damned snakes.
And damn it all if that just didn't bring WHAT LITTLE HAPPY MOOD YOU HAD LEFT crashing down into a pit of despair.
It's a different kind of pain from LOSING CHARLIE.
It's more like what you'd imagine HARLEY's gone through with knowing his DAUGHTER is out there somewhere in the universe, either alive or dead, having gone through stuff you CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE.
Speaking of HARLEY, apparently he had to TAKE OFF SUDDENLY because ROXY LALONDE went into labor and he had to be there.
And that's fine.
Because there's no way FRASIER's letting Jade out of her sight until she's DAMNED SURE that the infant's ready for travel ANYWHERE.
A girl that's now a SEMI-ORPHAN, and might as well be a FULL ONE at this point.
You think back on what little you know of HARLEY'S FAMILY HISTORY, and you realize that this little girl and JOEY HARLEY share a lot in common. Mothers dead at a young age, Fathers absent for quite a lot of their lives...
Practically going to be raised by family friends.
You put your hand on the outside edge of the plastic ISOLATION CHAMBER, and you whisper to JADE, "I promise you, kid, we're gonna get your dad back to you."
And maybe if you're lucky, maybe some day you'll be there when they figure out what the hell happened with JOEY.
You get the feeling she'd take a REAL SHINE to this kid.
...You really hope she's okay, and kind of wonder...
WHAT EXACTLY *HAS* JOEY BEEN UP TO ALL THIS TIME?