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Title: Till We Run out of Road
Author: Holdouttrout
Rating: R
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Category: Drama, Angst, Apocafic
Warnings: SG-1 character death
Word Count: 10,800
Prompt: 175. Gen/Team OR Sam/Jack. At the end of the episode ‘200’ (Season 10), O’Neill, Carter, Daniel, Vala, Mitchell, Landry and Walter go through the Stargate to some kind of celebration. While they are off-world, North Korea (or some equally unstable government or terrorist group) launches a first strike of nuclear weapons on the US, and through either luck or good intel, one of their first targets is NORAD and Cheyenne Mountain.
Notes: Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
apocalypse_kree. The apocalypse came when they weren't looking. SG-1 after Earth. My thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
annerbhp for betaing and hand-holding duties--any and all mistakes are mine alone, but this story is stronger (and titled) because of her.
That day, when they’d stepped through the ‘gate—Cam’s two hundredth time, and somewhere between her thousandth and one hundred thousandth—she’d felt light, happy, full, almost for the first time since fishing on a pond in Minnesota. She had her family here, old and new.
She found herself weighing her reactions, looking for differences between Then and Now, wondering how come it all felt exactly the same and yet so different from what she remembered.
Daniel appeared lost in thought, and Vala was having a mostly one-sided conversation with Teal’c.
Sam smiled at a joke from Cam and gave him a pointed response that had him laughing and calling out to Walter to defend him. She liked that about Cam—he was good at getting people to fit together, even when it seemed they didn’t belong. He went to join Walter and Landry at the front of their expedition to continue the conversation. Sam settled into a stride that matched Jack’s as they automatically scanned the trees around them.
They caught each other’s eyes at the end of the sweep and Sam grinned, “Old habits, sir?”
Jack’s eyes reflected his own amusement. “Better prepared, Colonel.”
Sam grinned again, then shrugged, “Party’s not too much farther—just around those trees ahead.”
The rest of the group was almost there. Jack’s pace slowed. Sam was reminded abruptly that some things were different.
She said, “We should probably catch up or we’re going to miss Cam’s expression.”
Jack shrugged. “There’ll be pictures.”
They stopped walking. Sunlight filtered down in between the trees, making soft patterns over Jack shoulders and on the needles spread underfoot.
“Sir…”
“Carter.” His tone was gentle, but with a definite hint.
Sam suddenly wished she didn’t know what he was hinting at. They were still playing with fire, dammit, and she didn’t want to have this conversation at all, let alone on an alien planet with practically the whole SGC just behind a strand of trees.
A surprised yell broke their silence, and Sam jerked her head toward the sound. Not a second later, she heard Cam calling.
“Sam! Where are you?” She was walking towards the party before she thought about it, and was halfway there when Cam reappeared, grinning.
“You knew all about this, didn’t you?” He took her hand, dragged her into a fray of people, and when she looked back, Jack was already accepting a cup of punch with a smirk.
*_*_*_*_*
The party was supposed to last well into the night hours. Someone—maybe Lieutenant Holmes, Sam couldn’t remember—had procured fireworks. Cam’s trip was just an excuse, and they all knew it, including Cam.
They had cake, Sam remembered; because Jack had frosting on his nose and she’d leaned over to wipe it off with her finger, not realizing what she was doing until she’d already put her finger in her mouth to lick it off.
She wasn’t sure if she was embarrassed at the action or scared about how comfortable she was around him. She definitely flushed at the look he gave her and excused herself, taking refuge in Cam and Daniel’s ongoing debate about P4G-558.
“What do you think, Sam—were those trees or bushes?”
Sam pretended to think about it for a minute. “I don’t know,” she said. “Bushes can grow quite large…” Cam grinned. “But I’ve never seen bushes that had fruit that size before,” she concluded, making Daniel smirk triumphantly. She felt Jack’s eyes on her, but didn’t turn around.
It was just dusk, although it was still quite warm--the planet's atmosphere kept a lot of residual heat, though the nights were a lot longer than Earth's. There were some people muttering about fireworks, and some about dancing--Vala in particular was hanging onto Daniel's arm while trying to get the attention of Major Lawrence of SG-12, who was in charge of the music.
She got her way, of course, and some of the people made attempts at dancing until the fireworks went off--big, brilliant ones that exploded right overhead. Teal'c, Cam, and Sam debated which ones were the most impressive, and Daniel and Jack argued quietly about something or another on the other side of the clearing, each of them carefully not looking at Sam in that way that made her very uncomfortably aware they were, in part, talking about her. She ignored them.
After the last of the fireworks fell to not-Earth, they all grabbed their gear and walked back to the Stargate. Most everyone was subdued, and few people were talking, although nearly everyone looked content, relaxed, happy. Sam was glad they'd come, glad Cam was ridiculous, glad they were all still capable of going completely overboard.
They reached the 'gate, and Sam indicated to Walter that he should take the lead. She figured he would get a kick out of dialing a real DHD. He looked on in awe as each of the chevrons engaged. She saw him counting silently to himself, stifled a smile.
Five...Six...
Seven never engaged.
*_*_*_*_*
They tried dialing the Alpha Site, with similar results. At first, they thought this was good news, thought it meant that they just dialed at the wrong time, that there was an unexpected incident keeping both ‘gates busy. But when they tried again an hour later, they still couldn't connect.
Jack and Landry gave each other grim looks, and Sam and Cameron started herding the forty or so soldiers and scientists back to the campsite to set up emergency shelters. No one in their group was new to going off-world, except for Walter, and no one panicked. Even though this had been a festive occasion, on a safe world, they were not unprepared. There was a storage shed with tents, food, and other supplies--this was to be one of their new drop sites anyway--, and Cam assigned a lieutenant to oversee the distribution of materials.
Within thirty minutes, they had a functional camp ready and a fire going. Sam set up some computer equipment with Walter and another scientist she’d appropriated for the job, using the now-empty shed and a naquadah generator they’d brought with them. She was grateful for once of her own paranoia, considering it meant that they could set up some basic surveillance equipment and run tests on the local environment.
The last wires were being connected when Jack appeared at the door, and Sam left Walter and the scientist—Hayes, she thought—to finish connecting and to run some basic diagnostics.
“We’re staying,” Jack said. “But then, you knew that.”
Sam gave a ghost of a smile. “What’s the plan?”
“SG-1’s primary mission is to find out what happened. The secondary mission is to relocate the survivors of Earth.”
Sam glanced at him, shocked.
“Oh, come on, Carter. You knew it was a possibility.”
She looked away. She had. And if the Alpha Site was gone, too…it suggested that what had happened happened fast. There were a million possibilities.
She wanted to know.
“When do we leave?”
“Now.”
*_*_*_*_*
Three months later, and they’d exhausted all the allies they could safely contact. The Ori were still spreading, and they’d heard no word from anyone about Earth. The four teams they’d cobbled together from the available personnel took shifts going through the ‘gate, spending six days in the field and returning to crash until they were set to go out again.
They’d already lost six people.
SG-1 stepped back through the ‘gate to their temporary home. Vala and Daniel peeled off from the main group, heading toward their bunks. Sam knew Daniel had a migraine again that he hadn’t told her about, and Vala wasn't currently talking to him at all, although Sam didn't know why. Teal’c and Cam followed her to the tent in the center of the clearing. They ducked inside and found Jack and Landry, comparing notes and discussing them in low voices. Jack crossed something off a list and they looked up.
Cam said, “Nothing to report, sirs. Ran across a couple of Priors, but we avoided them and took the scenic route home.”
Landry nodded. “Fine, get some rest. You leave again in three days.”
Teal’c and Cam ducked outside. Sam followed, and was immediately set upon by Walter, who had a panicked look on his face. She made her way to the shack and spent the next few hours blinking back sleep and double-checking everything. When she was finally satisfied, she dragged herself across the clearing to her own bunk, ignoring the sentries and the muffled noises she heard coming from just outside the ring of trees around the clearing. Everyone had to find something to do.
She slept straight through the next day and only woke up when the sun set. She got up and swung by their makeshift kitchen, grabbing what she could carry, and took the path behind the camp up to the top of the hill nearby. From there, she could see the whole valley, and just make out the Stargate and their campsite. She lay back and watched the stars wink into existence above her.
She didn’t move when she heard another person climb up behind her and sit down beside her. There was no need. She knew who it was.
Sam just waited. Finally, the other person sighed.
“We’re taking you off SG-1.”
Sam wished she were surprised.
“We need you here,” Jack continued. “Well—not here, exactly. We found the Odyssey.”
Sam’s heart leaped, but something in Jack’s tone made her cautious. “If you found the Odyssey—“
“It had crashed. Our best guess is that they ran into some trouble, took damage, got away, and tried to land.”
Sam swallowed. “Survivors?”
“No.”
A pause as Sam blinked back tears. She’d liked the Odyssey, had been familiar with her crew. Finally, Jack continued. “It's a pretty desolate planet. Nothing but rock for miles. You’ll have to look yourself, to see if it can be repaired, but the team who reported back thought not. If not, we’ll have to strip it and use what we can.”
She nodded. Jack hesitated.
“Carter…” He touched her arm, sighed heavily. He sounded as bone-weary as she was, and she knew he didn’t have the luxury of downtime she did.
Without thinking about it, she said, “Jack.” He stilled. She sat up, wanting to say something, anything that wasn’t orders or missions—something he could crack a joke at. But she came up empty. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him, almost over-balancing in the process but grabbing his shoulders in time to keep them from tipping over.
It wasn’t quite like she imagined. It wasn’t consuming, or sweet, or awkward. It was as natural as if she’d tossed a gun to him in the field or stifled a laugh at one of his jokes. It was good, solid, and it was enough.
He tugged at her arms and she moved closer, shifting so she was in his lap, her arms around his body, and his hands on her waist. She teased his lips with her tongue, and his fingers dug into her sides.
She almost panicked, then, but she remembered Earth, and Mark, and six billion people and thought that all their denial hadn’t kept anyone safe, after all, and reached around him to find that kissing wasn’t enough. She needed more, and he was right there with her, hands skimming against her skin, and she was lost except for where he touched her or where the cool air brushed her—first on her back, then her breasts, and finally her thighs as they lay back under the still-unfamiliar sky.
*_*_*_*_*
There was no time to dwell, or even to talk, so Sam didn't question her body's self-satisfied hum until they'd met with Landry and she'd been whisked through a wormhole, with Walter and Daniel, her fingers brushing Jack's as she left him behind to plan and take care of everyone else.
It was on the other side, when the heat from the new planet's midday sun hit her in the face as she exited the 'gate, that Sam panicked. She stumbled down the steps, Daniel looking over his shoulder at her, worried. He and Walter seemed small against the bleak landscape, and Sam repressed an edge of hysteria as she hefted her pack and adjusted her grip on her weapon. She nodded at Daniel, and they continued, the Odyssey clearly visible in the distance.
What had she been thinking?
The ground on the planet was largely barren stone, a red color that made everything look hotter than it already was, with occasional breaks where Sam supposed there must be underground streams. Short, stunted bushed and a rare tree made up the entirety of the plant life here. Even better, the path was treacherous, with cracks and crevices running alongside the path and then suddenly crossing it, almost invisible in the noon sun until one was right on top of them.
Near the Odyssey, Sam could see the ruins that Daniel was here to examine. The other team that had found the ship hadn't had a linguist with them, but they had reported writing of some kind, possibly Ancient. Whatever it was, he was going to have to figure it out himself, and soon--SG-1 was supposed to go on another mission in just three days, and that had to take precedence. Still, it was possible there was something here, maybe even a clue to a weapon they could use.
Sam hefted her P-90 as they reached the ship. The other team had already buried the bodies, she knew--back-breaking work in an environment like this. She spared a glance for Walter, whose mouth was tight, his fingers near the zat they'd recovered from another stash. Daniel already held his own gun, so she only gave him a brief nod before they climbed up to the open hatch and entered the ship.
It was cool and dark inside, and Sam knew immediately that the crash itself would be the main cause of damage. Still, she looked around, seeing almost everything eerily intact for yards at a time and then a twisted bulkhead where the ship couldn't quite take the strain.
She found very little weapons damage, and started wondering if the ship had come out of hyperspace too close to the planet and been unable to avoid going down. Finally, they had searched every inch of the ship and found nothing unusual or suspicious. Sam sent Daniel to the ruins to take advantage of the remaining daylight, and she and Walter started work on reconstructing the database to find out what had happened.
Power was the first obstacle, and she and Walter worked the rest of that day just getting the lights to turn on. By the time they accomplished that, Daniel had returned, bearing rubbings and his camera, and they spent the early evening muttering over their various projects, Sam reconnecting wires and Walter patching systems together to try to make them work again.
The day after was much the same--there were problems with having the central database not on the bridge, and Sam knew if it were even possible to salvage the ship, they'd need to reconnect the whole thing anyway, so she didn't bother patching it up halfway. She made Daniel come back during the noon hour, knowing that otherwise he'd be too distracted to drink enough water.
Still, they spent their lunch working, not bothering to explain or apologize when Walter took his own lunch somewhere else.
After an hour, Daniel looked up, reluctant.
"I need more time here," he said.
Sam said, "We all need more time." It was one or many things they didn't have.
He said, "I know, I know. But there's some fascinating stuff here. It is Ancient, or a variant of it, and I keep thinking that there's more here that I'm not seeing. Something important..." he trailed off.
Sam looked at him, with the papers he had strewn around him in a wide circle, and suddenly felt the weight of impossibility stacked against them. She sagged, and Daniel, normally so oblivious to the people around him, looked up with sharp eyes.
"Sam...," he said, and she just shook her head.
"I'm okay. Just tired. I thought we'd be done here by now."
Still with that uncanny perception in his gaze, Daniel said, "Yeah. Me, too," and Sam knew he wasn't referring to this specific planet at all. After a minute, he straightened and stood, brushing off his pants without accomplishing anything.
"I'm going to go back one more time. Maybe something will hit me," he said, gathering his papers together and shoving them into his bag.
Sam nodded, and Daniel moved toward the hatch and was gone.
*_*_*_*_*
Walter and Sam were in the middle of a particularly nasty and delicate re-wiring when Sam's radio crackled. Sam jumped, thinking she'd gotten so involved that she'd missed another check-in with the base camp, but it was Daniel's voice.
"--have to see this."
Sam grabbed the radio. "Daniel? What's going on?"
"I was thinking about the--oh, just come here, Sam. There's not much time left, and you need to see this."
Worried, Sam asked, "Are you at the ruins?" She stood up, exchanging a look with Walter, who was carefully holding two wires away from each other.
"No. I'm on the hill behind the ship. Really, Sam, this is amazing. You--well, just trust me. You'll want to see it."
Shaking her head, Sam clicked on the radio. "I'll be there as soon as I can." She turned to Walter, giving the wires a wry glance. "Guess we'll have to do that later." She took one of the wires, and Walter flipped off the power with a sigh.
"At least we weren't trying to connect them yet," he said, helpfully.
Sam grinned. "Good thing. You want to come with?"
Walter shook his head. "I'll stay here and clean up."
Sam nodded, already distracted by wondering what Daniel could have found. Maybe something--
No, she couldn't afford to get her hopes up.
She climbed down from the hatch, walked around the ship, and started climbing up the hill. It was late afternoon, the sun more than halfway down the sky. By the time she could see Daniel, the shadows had lengthened even further. On this planet, noon seemed to last hours, but evening and morning went fast.
Daniel gave her his hand for the last little bit of the climb, and he pulled her to the top with an ease she knew hadn't come quickly.
He said, "Sorry to get you out here, but I was thinking about the inscriptions--one of them said something about "protecting the earth," or about the land being secure, and I had this idea. You know about the Nazca lines? The ones that you can only see from the air?"
Sam nodded, accustomed to the way Daniel tended to come at an explanation from the side. And then she thought about the weird way the ground was cracked and her eyes widened. Daniel grinned. She turned around and after her eyes adjusted to the way the shadows fell, she saw it.
She drew in a breath. There were definite patterns to the lines, now that she could see them properly.
"Daniel," she said softly, "That looks like--"
"Ancient," he said. "It is. It's the same as the writing at the ruins, anyway."
Sam looked again. From here, she could see that the Odyssey was sitting in the middle of a valley, surrounded by hills, with the Stargate to one side. The whole valley floor was covered in the writing, slashed through where the Odyseey had plowed through the ground before coming to rest here, at the base of this hill.
"It could be a ward of protection against enemies or false gods," Daniel said. "Some cultures on Earth built features into the land to honor gods or to keep evil spirits away."
"Can you read it?" she asked, turning back to Daniel.
He shook his head. "I think we're looking at it from the side," he said, and grinned. "I'm good, but I'm not that good."
Sam chuckled and looked again. The shadows were now so long they were completely obscuring the lines, and so she looked back at the sun. It was just over the horizon. Daniel would have to leave in the morning so he could be back in time to prep for the mission. Suddenly, Sam didn't want him to leave, didn't want the uncertainty of not having her team around her.
Daniel said, "I don't think there's anything else here. There's too little vegetation for a sustained civilization. This might have been a place of ritual for a god, though."
Sam shivered. She'd had enough of gods.
Daniel didn't miss her reaction. He took her hand, and she clutched at his hand, so he pulled her closer. "Sam--we'll find something. Maybe not here, but somewhere there's a weapon that will destroy them. We'll find it."
She leaned into him for a minute before they started back down the hill, using the remaining daylight to find the safest way down.
At the bottom, Daniel took her hand, and they walked back to the hatch silently. Before they entered, Sam hesitated.
"Daniel," she said, then grimaced. "I don't--it's about the General."
"Jack?" Daniel said, and something in his tone made Sam look up at him. He didn't look surprised.
Sam blushed, looked away.
"Sam, I've known you both for a long time. It's not exactly surprising."
Sam shook her head. "I don't think I--we should--"
"You deserve to be happy," Daniel interrupted. "There hasn't been much reason to be, lately."
*_*_*_*_*_*
Sam worked well into the night and crashed early in the morning. When she woke up, Daniel had left and Walter was running diagnostics.
He looked up and blinked, "We've got it."
Sam brought up the display near her and watched a few lines of text scroll by. She sighed and shut it down. "Get the generals."
General Landry and General O'Neill arrived within two hours--barely enough time for Walter to travel from the ship to the 'gate, dial out, wait for a response, and come back. Sam greeted them with a nod, but skipped the other formalities. Jack gave her a curious look, a smile that faded when she didn't return it.
"We recovered the data. It's a little rough, still, but...," she shrugged. She figured it would be faster to explain as they went than try to edit for brevity.
General Landry nodded. "Go ahead."
Sam cued it up. They watched as lines of text scrolled by.
"These are normal operations. It looks like the Odyssey came out of hyperspace in another system for some repairs, but you can see here that they were spotted by an Ori vessel. The Odyssey got out of there as fast as she could, sir, but the Ori managed to damage her. When they went into hyperspace, their systems started failing. They dropped out here, in this system, and tried to land. That's all we found, in the record."
"We guessed that already," General Landry said. Jack arched an eyebrow.
Sam acknowledged Landry's comment. "Yes, and if that's all we'd found, I wouldn't have called you both here."
She cued up another section of the database. The screen in front of them went blank, and then a still of an officer appeared.
Sam said, "We found this video. It was flagged to your attention, sir," she said, nodding toward General Landry. "We haven't watched it yet."
General Landry said, "Play it."
Sam swallowed. "Yes, sir." She keyed it in, and the video started playing.
"--Harris of the Odyssey. I'm creating this message in the hopes that either you or General O'Neill will find it."
They could hear shouting in the background of the video. Harris flinched as an explosion sounded behind him, but continued,
"We sustained significant damage in an encounter with an Ori ship, but you probably know that. I am making this video to let you know what happened to Earth. I wish I had better news, but when we reported back after our last mission, we received an urgent message from the Secretary of Defense."
Harris looked directly into the camera.
"We don't know who started it, but someone pushed the red button. A nuclear strike. One of the first targets was the mountain."
Someone gasped--Sam thought it might have been her--but the video continued.
"There is nothing left--most of the major cities have been leveled, and the rest--the radiation...Jean tells me there's nothing we could do. We were on our way to the Alpha site. You know the rest. I'm making this video now because I'm told it's unlikely we'll make it. I'm sorry to have to pass this on, and sorry I couldn't do it in person."
Another voice from off-camera announced, "We're dropping out of hyperspace, sir."
Harris looked back at the camera. "Good luck to us all. Harris out."
The screen went blank. There was absolute quiet on the bridge.
Jack broke the silence first. "Those sons of bitches."
"Oh, my God," Sam said quietly. She looked over at Jack, whose jaw was clenched. He looked away, pounded his fist into an already-broken console.
"Ten years saving their asses, and they go and fuck themselves--"
"Jack!" General Landry interrupted.
Jack closed his mouth, looked over at Sam, and gave a bitter laugh. Sam tried not to think about the connection between the two actions, or the irony of timing.
She said, "What are we going to do?"
General Landry spoke. "This doesn't change our situation. We still have to find someplace for our people, and there's still the Ori to consider."
"Why?"
Sam and General Landry turned to Jack.
He shrugged. "Why bother? At least if we don't do anything, they'll keep us from blowing our own asses off."
Sam winced at his words. General Landry frowned, but stayed quiet.
Finally, Sam spoke, softly. "Sir--we have to keep trying."
"Again: why?"
Sam just gave him a look and held his gaze until he looked away.
Sam said, "I guess the only thing to do now is figure out what we can do."
General Landry said, "We're waiting for SG-1 to return from their latest mission. Hopefully they'll--"
Sam's radio crackled. Walter's voice came from the device. "Colonel Carter, come in." He sounded panicked.
Sam grabbed the radio. "What is it, Walter?"
"It's SG-1. Are General O'Neill and General Landry with you?"
Sam glanced at the two men. "Yes. Walter--what is going on?"
"They came back, but Daniel--" he paused for a long, horrible moment. "Daniel's dead."
*_*_*_*_*
There wasn't any time to dwell in the next week. Sam spent most of her time after the quick memorial service on the Odyssey, and only returned briefly at the end of the week because Cam came to drag her away for a few hours, luring her with the promise of a view of something other than metal, wires, and crystals.
She realized she'd been ambushed when, after a long, silent walk through the forest around their camp, they ended up by the 'gate, with alcohol that had been 'procured' by Vala and Teal'c, who were trying to look smug but mostly looked hollow, and Jack glaring furiously at anyone who looked his way. Which no one was.
Nevertheless, the alcohol served to loosen their tongues, and even Jack went from looking pissed to looking tired.
"I need to know what happened," Sam said, avoiding Jack's eyes as he tried, frustrated, to get her attention.
Vala lifted her head to regard her with dark eyes. She bit out, "Daniel was murdered." She didn't volunteer anything else.
Teal'c said, "We gave the details to General Landry and O'Neill already, Samantha Carter."
Sam took a breath. "I still need to know. Please." She could have asked anyone else--she knew the details would be all over camp by now--but she needed to hear it herself. A part of her was still hoping it was some kind of mistake, that they hadn't seen what they thought they'd seen.
Cam started. "Seems the Ori have given up on us--as soon as the prior spotted us, he--" Cam rethought what he was going to say. "One minute, Daniel was there. The next, he was just gone."
"We had no choice but to leave immediately, Colonel Carter." Teal'c face was composed, but Sam could tell he was affected.
She reached out. "I'm sure you did everything you could."
Teal'c inclined his head.
Sam kept her hand on his arm and turned to Cam. "You're sure--" she grimaced. "I mean--"
"Daniel's dead, Carter." Jack spoke for the first time, his voice harsh.
"But, sir," she protested, the alcohol making it really easy to forget what she was asking would do no one any good, "he could have been transported out, or--"
"I saw him die, Sam," Vala said flatly. She stood unsteadily. "He's gone." She started walking down the path back to camp. After a minute, Cam followed.
Sam felt like she was going to cry. Her eyes wide, she turned to Teal'c, who shook his head minutely and followed Cam, catching his elbow as he stumbled a little on the path.
With effort, she looked at Jack. "You think he's dead. I mean--really dead."
She didn't need him to say anything; his face confirmed it all. She wanted to sit down. Daniel had always come back before--he was supposed to be immune, supposed to poke his head out of the General's office, or 'gate, or even just walk up one day, whole and maybe a little amnesic, but still Daniel. And Jack had always been the believer between them.
She'd always been a little behind the curve.
Without another word, she stood and dialed the 'gate.
As it whooshed to life and she climbed the steps, Jack said, "Sam, don't--"
She stepped through the event horizon.
*_*_*_*_*
Cam came to get her the next day. Sam opened her mouth to apologize for her words, but Cam shook his head. "Don't. We're all upset--and it *is* Daniel. It's okay, Sam."
Sam closed her mouth and gave a grateful smile. They walked back to the 'gate without speaking, and Cam guided her into a tent while they waited.
"The generals told me they'd send someone for you when they were ready."
Sam hesitated, then asked. "How is Vala doing?"
Cam shook his head. "I honestly don't know. She hasn't said much since we came back, spends a lot of time by herself."
Sam sighed. She hadn't been there, and some part of her couldn't help but think...maybe...
A young scientist, Tricia Lim, poked her head in their tent. "Colonel Carter--they need you."
'They' could only be the generals. She got up slowly, not looking forward to discussing their next move. If she were honest, she wasn't looking forward to dealing with Jack.
Still, she had to face him sometime. She straightened her shoulders, crossed the clearing and entered the other tent. To her surprise, General Landry was nowhere to be found. Jack looked up from a sheet of paper, and for a second, Sam saw every line etched into his face. Then it seemed as if a mask fell into place, and Sam had to swallow the words she wanted to say. She approached the table, but stayed on the other side.
"Sir," she said shortly.
She ignored the vindictive thrill that ran through her as Jack's eyes narrowed. "Sam."
She opened her mouth, but before she could make a retort that would only serve to get her in trouble, Jack had come around the table. He said, "No--You can't just pretend nothing happened, Carter. That's not the way this works."
"Oh, like you, you mean!?" Sam laughed.
"Excuse me? You were the one has been avoiding me--avoiding this for years." Jack thrust a pointed finger at her chest.
"I didn't see you complaining."
"Maybe I should have. A lot of good it did us, in the end."
"Oh, no. You don't get to re-write history." Sam shook her head. "What were we supposed to do--screw each other, get court-martialed--"
"Screw the world and damn the consequences? It's sounding pretty good right about now." Jack, still standing next to her, looked at her intently. His expression changed from hard and unyielding to something else--something a lot more complicated. "Carter, I didn't want to start that. I'm not--"
The tent flap opened. Jack dropped her arm but didn't back away.
General Landry said, "Oh, good. You're here. Colonel Carter, we need to discuss our next move."
Finally, Jack moved around the table. Sam didn't quite feel as relieved as she felt she should.
General Landry continued, "We're going to move everyone to the Odyssey."
Sam was taken aback. "Why? The terrain around the ship is barely habitable, and even if I can get the ship working again--"
"You think you can fix it?" Landry interrupted abruptly.
Taken aback, Sam said, "Well, it's looking like more of a possibility than I originally thought. Why?"
Jack and Landry exchanged a look, but it was Jack who spoke. "We were going to compromise this site--but if you think we can use the Odyssey..."
Sam furrowed her brow. "Why would you--"
The tent flap opened again, and Sam turned her head to see Vala silhouetted against the bright daylight.
"You rang?" She tried for bright, but Sam heard the exhaustion, could see her sway just a little and clutch at the tent flap.
Jack groaned under his breath. Sam narrowed her eyes.
General Landry said, "Vala. Could you wait outside for two minutes?"
Vala flicked a look Sam's way, but only said, "I just wanted to know--"
Jack said, "In a minute, Vala."
"Fine, fine." She ducked back out, and the flap closed behind her.
Sam whirled back to Landry and Jack. "You're going to use her to try to get to the Ori!"
"Officially, she's going to leave on her own, use her previous contacts to try to get an idea of what the Ori are up to." Landry clarified.
"She volunteered, Sam." Jack sounded tired.
"According to Teal'c, that prior killed Daniel without blinking an eye!"
"And yet Vala was the first one through the 'gate," Jack said. "We think Adria's put out the word to capture her, not kill her."
Sam huffed. "There are so many things wrong with this plan--"
Landry said, "Colonel!" He continued in a lower voice, "This is our only shot. We have no ships, no intel. Vala might be able to find something we can use. And that's why we're moving--if she's compromised, she could lead them back to us."
Sam looked back and forth between them. Finally, she sighed. "Fine--but at least give me a shot at the Odyssey."
"It'll mean relocating everyone somewhere else entirely. And we can't afford to wait. We're already far behind," Landry said.
Sam said, "Then leave me there and relocate. If I finish, I can meet up with you."
"There are so many things wrong with that idea--" Jack twisted her words back at her, and Sam flinched at the venom in his voice, but didn't retract her request.
Landry wasn't quite glaring at Jack. He said, "How much time would you need?"
"Three weeks."
Landry nodded. "Fine. You can have three weeks. But I want SG-1 to stay with you."
Jack said, "I'm going, too."
Sam opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it at Landry's stern expression.
"Yes, sir."
*_*_*_*_*
They started getting ready to move the next day, but had to wait for the two teams currently off-world to return. They hadn't told anyone that their move would be temporary, or about the rest of their plan, so the next two days Sam was tense, aching for something to happen and hoping nothing would. She wasn't sure, but she thought that maybe Jack was avoiding her. That suited her just fine.
On the third night, just before dawn, the wormhole opened and the last team ran through, panting as they waited ages for the 'gate to close behind them, the commander gasping out, "Spotted, not close, priors."
They all waited in front of the 'gate, guns at the ready, crouched grimly behind what obstacles they could fine, because they knew they couldn't escape if even one prior stepped through. Sam rested the cold metal against her cheek, feeling Jack's presence behind her, and felt like she was sending out a plea with each breath for more time.
The 'gate whined, and the event horizon disappeared.
Jack stood up, his fingers brushing her arm. It might have been accidental. He stepped forward. "We leave now, people."
Without a word, their people stood and made ready to break camp. While the other officers and scientists dashed to and from the tents, Teal'c and Cam appeared from behind them, with a pack in each hand.
Vala, who was wearing her pigtails again, grabbed a sack from Teal'c. She threw it over her shoulder, turning toward the 'gate and blinking as the sun appeared over the horizon. She'd managed to do something to her BDUs to make them look exotic--something involving a bright scarf that she'd wound around her waist--and she'd obviously managed to bring some sort of leather jacket along. Sam wondered if Vala always prepared to be left off-world.
Vala shifted. "Right, then. I'll be going."
Landry said, "Remember: we won't be here when you get back, and SG-1 will only be staying with the Odyssey for three weeks."
Vala nodded, but she looked distracted.
Sam wondered if she was paying attention, or if the other woman had given up. Sam stepped forward, embraced the other woman. Vala stiffened with surprise. Sam whispered, "There's still hope," and let her go.
When she stepped back, Jack was looking at her with a strange expression, but Sam ignored him. It was something she was getting pretty good at.
Vala blinked, and then adjusted her pack. She reached for the DHD, for the first symbol.
"Vala Mal Doran."
Vala hesitated, her hand poised above the DHD.
Teal'c said, "I would be glad to assist you in your quest."
Sam, Jack and Cam all looked at him in shock. From where Sam stood, she could just see a small smile flit across Vala's face.
Then she turned, and something of her old nature was back in the way she canted her hips, stuck her free hand in one pocket. "No offence, big guy, but you're a little recognizable for me." She jutted a hand toward Sam. "I'd be better off with the blonde wonder, there."
Sam rolled her eyes. Cam made a noise of protest.
Vala turned to him. "Actually, you'd probably do pretty well--you've got that forgettable face going for you."
Cam looked insulted, which just made Vala grin wider. She dialed quickly, approached the steps, her timing perfect as the unstable vortex whooshed out and then settled back into the event horizon as she reached the first one. She turned at the top, gave a jaunty wave, and then disappeared through the wormhole.
After that, their departures were a blur of activity. Sam didn't even look back as they dialed to the Odyssey's site and walked through.
The trek to the Odyssey didn't take them long, but the sun had already risen, and Sam felt the time difference as the area warmed, the sun reflecting off the rocky ground. None of them talked much, and Sam wondered if anyone else was missing Daniel's voice.
Without thinking, she found herself looking to Jack, and in the instant their gazes met, she knew he had been thinking the same thing. She wasn't sure why she felt guilty as she jerked her eyes back to the path, but she was sure that not all the heat in her body was from the sun.
*_*_*_*_*
She put them to work on the ship, and they all disbanded to the various corners, somehow knowing that she wanted to be left alone as much as possible. They seemed to have decided that Teal'c would be a liaison between the groups. Teal'c and Cameron were concentrating on the actual physical space of the ship--making sure that damaged sections were either repaired or closed off. She wasn't sure what Jack was doing, but there were things she noticed that were suddenly fixed. Mostly lights.
Sometimes she felt him look in on her, although she never let on, just kept working on getting the damn engines to start forcing air into new places, checking for hull damage. She wasn't finding anything irreparable, and in week two, she began to think that they might get off the ground after all.
But when she noticed his presence, she couldn't concentrate. She was, for the moment, existing only as a mind that happened to be attached through her hands to the tools she was using to resurrect the Odyssey. But when he came near, she remembered that she was more, remembered the feel of his body over hers, under hers, the way his mouth felt as he tasted her.
It had been a mistake. She knew that. A moment of weakness. Unfortunately, Jack didn't seem to agree.
"We need," he said, his voice a little too loud in the enclosed space, "to talk."
She shook her head. "Nothing to talk about, sir."
"Bullshit."
If he was expecting her to argue, he was going to be disappointed. Sam leaned into a panel, checked the crystals for damage and, more importantly, unnecessary redundancy and spare parts.
"Sam--" Jack exhaled. "What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? Because I'm not."
"Maybe I am!" Sam said, pulling out of the panel to look at him. "It was--it was a--" but she couldn't say it, not even though she'd been thinking it for the past two weeks.
But Jack finished it for her. "A mistake?"
Sam flinched.
Jack regarded her calmly, watched her turn an extra crystal over in her hands. She couldn't think with him looking at her.
Finally, he got up. "It wasn't," he said, leaning on the doorway. "When you figure that out--" he sighed heavily. "Never mind." He left, then, his footsteps sounding slow as he moved down the corridor.
How could he be so sure when she wasn't sure about anything?
She told herself to keep working. They didn't have time to dwell--couldn't afford for her to crash and burn now, especially not now that it seemed as if their plan might work after all. She just wished that ignoring it didn't feel like a much worse mistake.
Two days later, she sent Teal'c and Cam to patch up the systems on the bridge. "Red wire to red wire. Gray to gray, etc. You can't mess it up."
Teal'c didn't even have time to remind her about asteroids and bombs before the words tumbled out of her mouth. "I made sure everything was color-coded myself." He shared a small smile with her, and she tried not to think about how her mouth had run dry at Jack's words that day, or how she'd realized in despair there was nothing she could do. She had to trust to chance. She had hated that then. Hated it more now.
They would be gone hours. She blinked sleep away from her eyes, uncertain when she'd rested last. Not that that was important right now. She'd run another test, take a look at some more of the programming on the engineering computers. It seemed they'd gotten lucky--it looked like everything was there, just waiting for the hard connections to be reestablished.
*_*_*_*_*
A voice breathed in her ear. "Sam."
She wanted to ignore it. There was work to be done.
The breath tickled. "Sam. Wake up."
She was awake. She was working on the computers.
"Sam!"
She opened her eyes. Blinked. Where had her light gone? The emergency lights were on, but not the main bank.
"I took the liberty of starting work on the electrical systems to the bridge." The voice sounded amused. "I may have cut the wrong wire, but I'm too tired to find it at the moment."
Jack.
"Wha--"
"Hang on, sleepyhead. We have beds, you know."
She knew. Lots of beds. Filled with ghosts. Or not. No one had died in their beds.
She was lifted up to her feet, and an arm wound around her waist. She leaned into the warmth, was guided through her piles of tools and wires through the corridors and into a soft bed.
By that time, she'd recovered enough to wonder, but not enough to censor herself. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
He stopped in the middle of standing up. For a long time he said nothing. Then he chuckled softly. "Oh, Sam. Willing to give everything, but not to take."
Sam frowned in the dark. Jack bent back over the bed, drew a finger across her cheek, and that one, simple contact was all Sam needed to rethink everything. She clutched at his hand, shaking, drew it further in so she could lay her face in his palm. He smelled like metal, like machines and sweat. She turned her mouth into his palm, breathed his name against his skin.
When she tugged at him, he came unresisting, his arm snaking under her neck, their bodies fitting together on the narrow ship's bunk, the air just barely circulating, and Sam's last thought was making a mental note to check that out in the morning.
*_*_*_*_*
When she woke up, she lay still for a few minutes, listening to Jack breathe, the expelled air warming a small spot on her back through her shirt. She turned over, watched his chest rise and fall, her eyes having adjusted to the emergency lights to where she could almost distinguish his features.
"You're not fooling me, you know," she said softly. Jack's breathing didn't change.
She waited a minute. "Really not."
This time, the corner of his mouth twitched.
"How long have you been awake?" she asked.
"Not long enough." He groaned, scrunching up his face and rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. Sam noticed his other hand had mysteriously migrated behind her neck.
She didn't mention it, but Jack seemed to know what she was thinking anyway, and he rubbed his fingers through her hair.
"Are you done freaking out yet?
Sam started to defend herself, thought, and shut her mouth, considering the question.
"Yeah," she finally said.
Jack gave her a half-smile. "Good."
Sam grimaced. "Why--"
He sighed. "I don't know."
Sam hesitated. "I'm sorry."
Jack laughed. Sam glowered, and suddenly, without any warning, her eyes filled with tears. She tried to hold them back.
"Oh, for--what is it now?"
"Daniel--," she took a shuddering breath. "I was so sure--and the others--and then you--," she tried to laugh, but sobbed, and she couldn't hold it back any longer.
And without another word Jack pulled her so that their bodies were pressed together, and let her cry until her sobs quieted and her fingers, which had been gripping his shirt, relaxed.
They left their quarters shortly after that, and stopped by the bulkhead Jack had been working on before he'd found Sam sleeping amidst disassembled panels.
Sam stuck her head in, reconnected two wires, and the hallway was suddenly filled with light. She rooted around a little more and tightened a few connections, and then crawled back out.
"That should do it, sir."
He was grinning at her. "Why do I even bother?"
She narrowed her eyes, but before she could react, he put one hand against her face and slid his thumb along her cheek. "You had a smudge there."
"I'm sure I did," she replied. They stood in the hallway, Jack's hand just barely touching her, and Sam, for once, couldn't think of anything else she ought to be doing.
Finally, however, Jack tugged at her arm. "We'll figure the rest out later. Come on."
As they approached the bridge, they heard Cam's voice as it echoed off the walls toward them.
"What I don't understand is how everyone could be dead, and yet we can get'er flying again."
Jack's fingers tightened around hers just before they stepped through the doorway. She took a breath and felt Teal'c and Cam's eyes swing toward her. She felt as if they were burning a hole where her hand met Jack's, but she didn't give in to the temptation to look down. "The inertial compensators were damaged slightly. It was enough to...keep everyone together."
Cam winced.
"But not to keep them alive," she finished quietly.
"But we've fixed that, right?" Cam asked.
Sam hesitated. "If we take off smoothly enough, we'll barely even know we're moving."
"But..." Cam prompted.
Sam conceded the point. "There's a slight chance--very slight--that the compensators will fail."
Jack said, "But they won't." He sounded like he was announcing the color of the sky, or the rising of the sun.
Cam just rolled his eyes. "Of course not."
"I have faith in your abilities, Samantha," Teal'c said.
Cam raised his eyebrows. "Samantha?"
"Not like there's any point to rank, right, Mitchell?" Jack said.
Cam looked pointedly at them. "I suppose not."
Sam tried valiantly not to blush. Cam and Teal'c gave each other a smug look and then Cam grinned at her while Teal'c looked knowingly at her. Sam knew if she were to turn to Jack she'd see his smirk.
She cleared her throat. "Aren't we supposed to be fixing a ship?"
Teal'c appeared smug. "We have completed the tasks you assigned us, Samantha."
Now it was Sam's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Already?"
Cam grinned even more broadly. "Ran the diagnostics this morning. Everything checks out--or well, it did after the lights came back on."
Jack, when Sam shot him a look, appeared completely innocent. Teal'c and Cameron didn't look fooled, though.
"I'd still like to take another day to check out all the systems again, see if there's anything I missed," Sam said.
Cameron nodded. "We still have a few days before we're supposed to be done."
"So we'll check things out, take off tomorrow, and still get back a little early," Jack said. "Excell--"
An alarm sounded. The four of them turned toward the console making the sound, and Sam, who was standing closest, reached over to shut it off.
"What was that?" Cameron asked.
Jack looked grim. "I had Sam set up an alarm to notify us if anyone came through the 'gate."
Sam looked at Cam and Teal'c unhappily. "I think we just ran out of time."
"It could be Vala," Cam said. Judging from the others' expressions, they didn't believe it was Vala returning triumphant any more than Sam did.
"Yes, but she might not be alone," Jack said pointedly.
"Okay, so staying inside the ship is stupid," Cam said, "but we can't just leave her here."
Sam shook her head. Now wasn't the time to start leaving people behind. She looked at Teal'c, who regarded her steadfastly and nodded.
"I do not believe we should abandon anyone, O'Neill."
Cam, Teal'c, and Sam faced Jack, who glared and said, "Fine! Plan B."
Plan B, after a few minutes' frantic brainstorming, turned out to be abandoning the Odyssey
Sam was reluctant, but Jack was very reasonable. "Look, if it's Vala, we come back, finish fixing the damn thing, and fly away as one big happy--whatever. If it's someone else, we hide, wait them out, and hopefully sneak back to the ship or through the 'gate. But if we stay with the ship, we're trapped."
"We can also attempt to stage an ambush if it's a small party," Teal'c said.
It was decided.
They waited by a section of the path, hiding behind chunks of rock piled up by the Odyssey's crash--Teal'c and Cam to one side, and Sam and Jack on the other.
Cam craned his neck to keep an eye out for whoever might be coming while the rest of them waited out of sight.
To Sam, it felt like they had to wait forever, but finally Cam jerked his whole body back behind the rock he was leaning against. He mouthed, Ori.
Sam shot him a questioning look. He shook his head. Not Vala, then. Sam tensed as he carefully looked again, making sure to keep low and move slowly. He motioned seven, and Sam let out a breath. Even with a Prior, seven might not be too many.
She adjusted her grip on her P-90, and watched the others check their weapons. She'd been doing this so long that she knew exactly where the group was in relation to SG-1 by the sound of their footsteps. They waited until the group of soldiers saw them and then moved.
It was quick--Sam took out one and saw three more fall, heard her team's weapons as a distant noise. The last three had time to get their weapons up, but now they were too close to use them--so was SG-1--and the team had already changed tactics, Teal'c clobbering one on the back of his head, Sam smashing another across the face with the body of her weapon, and Cam dropping one with a move Sam recognized as Sodan.
It was almost easy. Something wasn't right--Sam caught her teammate's eyes as she stood and turned--and her weapon flexed out of her hands, crunched and twisted, and landed feet away from where it would do her any good, in heap with three other useless weapons.
Sam finished turning before she registered any of this and was the first one to see the figure step around the bend in the path, the dark hair, the sweeping skirts.
Adria.
She stopped just out of arm's reach and surveyed their group, two more soldiers flanking her and aiming their weapons at the group, keeping them trained on Jack and Cam, since they were farthest. Sam guessed they knew Adria was more than capable of defending herself against all of them, let alone herself and Teal'c.
The confident smirk Sam had seen too often recently appeared. "Well, well. We find you alone after all. And my mother was under the impression that all of Earth's survivors would be here. She told me a lot of things, though, before--" Adria let her sentence trail off.
"I should have guessed you killed her as soon as you showed your ugly face here," Cam said roughly.
Adria's smirk became more pronounced. "Oh, she's not dead, not like Daniel Jackson."
Cam flinched.
"No. I couldn't kill my own mother. All I wanted, after all, was for her to know the truth. It took some persuasion, but she finally understood."
Sam's heart sank.
Adria gestured, and Vala came around the bend, dressed in a long robe with a hood pulled over her hair. As she did, she stepped neatly over one of the crevices--one that Sam had noted earlier but hadn't thought about. Suddenly, Daniel's voice came back to her.
Some cultures on Earth built features into the land to honor gods or to keep evil spirits away.
The lines, written in Ancient--words of protection--
Adria looked straight at Sam, and Sam knew, no matter what she was thinking, Adria certainly wasn't without her powers.
Adria gave a confident half-smile. "It's true. This place is protected against the power of the Ori. But did you think that we would not know of such things, or that I would not be protected in turn against them?" And she lifted her hand halfway to her throat, where her necklace rested. "I have more than enough power to keep you here until my ships arrive."
Vala stepped by Adria's side, lifted her head, let the hood fall back. "Hallowed are the Ori," she said. Her voice was expressionless, her eyes blank.
Adria gloated. "She came to me. She held deceit in her heart, but the will of the Ori swayed her."
Sam shivered. It didn't take much effort to imagine the kind of persuasion Adria had used on Vala. She calculated angles, caught the edge of Jack's eye, felt Cam and Teal'c just behind her doing the same. Maybe they would be captured, but maybe they could find some way to escape, to destroy the Ori ships later.
Even as she thought it, Sam knew there wouldn't be that kind of chance. Adria wouldn't underestimate them again--Vala's presence proved that.
Adria gestured at each of them in turn. "The brave SG-1. More like stupid and lucky. Why else would you keep fighting when there is no hope that you can win, and no righteous reason to pursue your cause?"
Jack snorted. "We've heard that before."
Adria smiled. "Ah yes. O'Neill. Mother mentioned you and how you fought against the Goa'uld, what you gave up to win."
Her eyes flicked to Sam and back. Sam wondered if Vala had told her about that, too, or if it was merely a guess.
Jack glowered. "We did beat them. We're resourceful like that."
"You still boast! Yet the Ori are much more powerful than the former rulers of this galaxy. They are also more merciful. If you will but bend to their will, they will forgive."
"I will not bow down to false gods," Teal'c intoned.
Cam spoke up. "What he said."
Adria's expression darkened. "If that is your answer--I planned to execute you publicly as an example of what happens to non-believers, but maybe I should just get it over with. I can always display your bodies." Adria lifted her arm. Her eyes glowed--not like the Goa'uld, but with their own brand of fervor.
Sam had been watching Vala throughout the exchange. She couldn't help morbidly wondering what had finally broken the other woman. She couldn't imagine anything worse than being a host, and shivered at the thought that Adria had succeeded where years of being trapped in her own body had failed.
As she watched, Vala raised her head, and where there had been only emptiness, there was a spark. Sam caught her eyes as they swept past, and Vala's expression made her mouth go dry. She recognized that look of pure hatred, had felt something like it herself.
Sam reacted without thinking. She threw herself at Adria, knowing even as she did so that it was hopeless.
Even as she moved, Teal'c moved with her, and although Adria sent Sam flying with a sweep of her wrist, she wasn't fast enough to avoid the three hundred pounds of Jaffa hurtling her way.
Adria went down, and as she fell, a hand reached up and grasped her necklace. It tore away, and Adria twisted, hit the ground with a loud crack.
Jack and Cam had dodged the soldiers' shots and were wrestling for control of their weapons, almost getting shot as the armored men tried to wrestle control back. Cam was closer to Sam, and she struggled to sit up, feeling something--blood--trickle down the side of her head where she'd hit it. She managed to clear her vision just in time for the Ori soldier to step close to her leg, and she kicked out, feeling the kneecap pop and snap under her foot.
He fell, Cam twisting his arm and shooting, and then he lay on the ground, his face slack. Dead.
Cam gave Sam an arm, and hauled her to her feet. Her ankle twinged unpleasantly, but she ignored it. Jack was just standing up, the other soldier dead at his feet.
Jack said, "Guess Bra'tac was right about youth being no match for experience," he said. Sam gave him the ghost of a smile, and they turned toward Adria, having no time to waste.
Teal'c held her on the ground, his hands on her shoulders. Vala held the necklace, her eyes darting between Adria and it. Adria was reaching for it, her eyes wide, her hand shaking.
"Give it to me," she commanded, but her voice was weak. Blood flowed from her temple, sticking strands of hair against her face and neck. Sam knew that if they gave her the necklace back, she could heal herself. "I'll give you--"
"Vala," Sam warned, and Vala glanced at her for just a second. Then she took the necklace and threw it as far away from her as she could.
Adria was gasping, her fingers turning white as she tried to claw at Teal'c's hands, at her own throat. She spasmed, turned an imploring look to Vala. "Mother!"
"She can't breathe," Cam said, horrified. It was more than just the wound on her head, then--something about the place--
For the first time since Sam had been on the scorching planet, she shivered.
"Help--" Adria choked out. She looked nothing like the self-assured leader of a moment ago. She looked scared, and young.
Vala looked down at her, her eyes hard. For one long moment, Sam thought Vala was just going to stand by Adria's side while she choked to death, but then Vala dropped to her knees, picked up Adria's head. Adria turned toward her mother, her breathing still sounding tortured, Vala smoothing back her hair.
Sam couldn't look away. Adria's face was a picture of utter anguish as her mouth gaped. She was beyond talking now.
Teal'c let go. Vala paid him no attention, still cradling Adria, who jerked a couple more times, and then lay still in her mother's arms.
No one spoke or moved for one long moment.
Then Vala leaned in close to Adria and closed her eyes, her hand hesitating a moment over Adria's skin. Vala pushed herself to her feet unsteadily, accepting Teal'c's arm only after she'd regained her feet.
Teal'c kept a tight grip on her. "Vala Maldoran," he said. "I am sorry."
Vala gave a short, bitter laugh. "For what? She was the Orici. She was evil."
Sam winced and looked away, as did Jack and Cam. Teal'c merely inclined his head. "Nevertheless, she was your daughter."
Vala looked down at Adria. She looked uncertain, but she finally nodded and relaxed into Teal'c's embrace.
Sam stepped over to Jack, who took her hand and held it tightly.
"Back to the ship?" she asked.
Jack looked her over, and she knew he was categorizing all her wounds, just as she took in new bruises and scrapes on his hands and face. She saw his anger flare, and he just as quickly started to put his mask in place. But instead of accepting this, she kept her own face open, squeezed his hand, and his expression softened.
Jack nodded. "Back we go."
Even as he spoke, Sam heard the high-pitched whine of a ship's engines working overtime to set down on a planet. She looked up. An Ori mothership, settling to the ground between them and the Odyssey.
"Oh, we have the worst luck," Cam said. "A dead Orici, which these guys are not going to be happy about, no weapons, and no way back to our ship--which may or may not kill us if we try to take off--except directly through them."
Teal'c and Sam gave him a look. Jack just grinned, and if it was a bit forced, it was something. "Sounds about right. So--anyone have a plan B?"
Vala raised an eyebrow. "You people are crazy, you know that?"
A lazy grin spread on Cam's face. "Oh, yeah."
"Indeed."
Sam couldn't help herself. She laughed.
Jack cleared his throat. "You know--all I ever asked was to save the universe."
Despite the circumstances, Sam smiled. "That's all, huh?"
A slow smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Well--I might have asked to get the girl, too."
"Oh. Well, if that's all," Sam quipped, and they grinned at each other.
Jack squeezed her hand again, and they started arguing about impossible plans.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
*_*_*_*_*
Author: Holdouttrout
Rating: R
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Category: Drama, Angst, Apocafic
Warnings: SG-1 character death
Word Count: 10,800
Prompt: 175. Gen/Team OR Sam/Jack. At the end of the episode ‘200’ (Season 10), O’Neill, Carter, Daniel, Vala, Mitchell, Landry and Walter go through the Stargate to some kind of celebration. While they are off-world, North Korea (or some equally unstable government or terrorist group) launches a first strike of nuclear weapons on the US, and through either luck or good intel, one of their first targets is NORAD and Cheyenne Mountain.
Notes: Written for
apocalypse_kree. The apocalypse came when they weren't looking. SG-1 after Earth. My thanks to annerbhp for betaing and hand-holding duties--any and all mistakes are mine alone, but this story is stronger (and titled) because of her.That day, when they’d stepped through the ‘gate—Cam’s two hundredth time, and somewhere between her thousandth and one hundred thousandth—she’d felt light, happy, full, almost for the first time since fishing on a pond in Minnesota. She had her family here, old and new.
She found herself weighing her reactions, looking for differences between Then and Now, wondering how come it all felt exactly the same and yet so different from what she remembered.
Daniel appeared lost in thought, and Vala was having a mostly one-sided conversation with Teal’c.
Sam smiled at a joke from Cam and gave him a pointed response that had him laughing and calling out to Walter to defend him. She liked that about Cam—he was good at getting people to fit together, even when it seemed they didn’t belong. He went to join Walter and Landry at the front of their expedition to continue the conversation. Sam settled into a stride that matched Jack’s as they automatically scanned the trees around them.
They caught each other’s eyes at the end of the sweep and Sam grinned, “Old habits, sir?”
Jack’s eyes reflected his own amusement. “Better prepared, Colonel.”
Sam grinned again, then shrugged, “Party’s not too much farther—just around those trees ahead.”
The rest of the group was almost there. Jack’s pace slowed. Sam was reminded abruptly that some things were different.
She said, “We should probably catch up or we’re going to miss Cam’s expression.”
Jack shrugged. “There’ll be pictures.”
They stopped walking. Sunlight filtered down in between the trees, making soft patterns over Jack shoulders and on the needles spread underfoot.
“Sir…”
“Carter.” His tone was gentle, but with a definite hint.
Sam suddenly wished she didn’t know what he was hinting at. They were still playing with fire, dammit, and she didn’t want to have this conversation at all, let alone on an alien planet with practically the whole SGC just behind a strand of trees.
A surprised yell broke their silence, and Sam jerked her head toward the sound. Not a second later, she heard Cam calling.
“Sam! Where are you?” She was walking towards the party before she thought about it, and was halfway there when Cam reappeared, grinning.
“You knew all about this, didn’t you?” He took her hand, dragged her into a fray of people, and when she looked back, Jack was already accepting a cup of punch with a smirk.
*_*_*_*_*
The party was supposed to last well into the night hours. Someone—maybe Lieutenant Holmes, Sam couldn’t remember—had procured fireworks. Cam’s trip was just an excuse, and they all knew it, including Cam.
They had cake, Sam remembered; because Jack had frosting on his nose and she’d leaned over to wipe it off with her finger, not realizing what she was doing until she’d already put her finger in her mouth to lick it off.
She wasn’t sure if she was embarrassed at the action or scared about how comfortable she was around him. She definitely flushed at the look he gave her and excused herself, taking refuge in Cam and Daniel’s ongoing debate about P4G-558.
“What do you think, Sam—were those trees or bushes?”
Sam pretended to think about it for a minute. “I don’t know,” she said. “Bushes can grow quite large…” Cam grinned. “But I’ve never seen bushes that had fruit that size before,” she concluded, making Daniel smirk triumphantly. She felt Jack’s eyes on her, but didn’t turn around.
It was just dusk, although it was still quite warm--the planet's atmosphere kept a lot of residual heat, though the nights were a lot longer than Earth's. There were some people muttering about fireworks, and some about dancing--Vala in particular was hanging onto Daniel's arm while trying to get the attention of Major Lawrence of SG-12, who was in charge of the music.
She got her way, of course, and some of the people made attempts at dancing until the fireworks went off--big, brilliant ones that exploded right overhead. Teal'c, Cam, and Sam debated which ones were the most impressive, and Daniel and Jack argued quietly about something or another on the other side of the clearing, each of them carefully not looking at Sam in that way that made her very uncomfortably aware they were, in part, talking about her. She ignored them.
After the last of the fireworks fell to not-Earth, they all grabbed their gear and walked back to the Stargate. Most everyone was subdued, and few people were talking, although nearly everyone looked content, relaxed, happy. Sam was glad they'd come, glad Cam was ridiculous, glad they were all still capable of going completely overboard.
They reached the 'gate, and Sam indicated to Walter that he should take the lead. She figured he would get a kick out of dialing a real DHD. He looked on in awe as each of the chevrons engaged. She saw him counting silently to himself, stifled a smile.
Five...Six...
Seven never engaged.
*_*_*_*_*
They tried dialing the Alpha Site, with similar results. At first, they thought this was good news, thought it meant that they just dialed at the wrong time, that there was an unexpected incident keeping both ‘gates busy. But when they tried again an hour later, they still couldn't connect.
Jack and Landry gave each other grim looks, and Sam and Cameron started herding the forty or so soldiers and scientists back to the campsite to set up emergency shelters. No one in their group was new to going off-world, except for Walter, and no one panicked. Even though this had been a festive occasion, on a safe world, they were not unprepared. There was a storage shed with tents, food, and other supplies--this was to be one of their new drop sites anyway--, and Cam assigned a lieutenant to oversee the distribution of materials.
Within thirty minutes, they had a functional camp ready and a fire going. Sam set up some computer equipment with Walter and another scientist she’d appropriated for the job, using the now-empty shed and a naquadah generator they’d brought with them. She was grateful for once of her own paranoia, considering it meant that they could set up some basic surveillance equipment and run tests on the local environment.
The last wires were being connected when Jack appeared at the door, and Sam left Walter and the scientist—Hayes, she thought—to finish connecting and to run some basic diagnostics.
“We’re staying,” Jack said. “But then, you knew that.”
Sam gave a ghost of a smile. “What’s the plan?”
“SG-1’s primary mission is to find out what happened. The secondary mission is to relocate the survivors of Earth.”
Sam glanced at him, shocked.
“Oh, come on, Carter. You knew it was a possibility.”
She looked away. She had. And if the Alpha Site was gone, too…it suggested that what had happened happened fast. There were a million possibilities.
She wanted to know.
“When do we leave?”
“Now.”
*_*_*_*_*
Three months later, and they’d exhausted all the allies they could safely contact. The Ori were still spreading, and they’d heard no word from anyone about Earth. The four teams they’d cobbled together from the available personnel took shifts going through the ‘gate, spending six days in the field and returning to crash until they were set to go out again.
They’d already lost six people.
SG-1 stepped back through the ‘gate to their temporary home. Vala and Daniel peeled off from the main group, heading toward their bunks. Sam knew Daniel had a migraine again that he hadn’t told her about, and Vala wasn't currently talking to him at all, although Sam didn't know why. Teal’c and Cam followed her to the tent in the center of the clearing. They ducked inside and found Jack and Landry, comparing notes and discussing them in low voices. Jack crossed something off a list and they looked up.
Cam said, “Nothing to report, sirs. Ran across a couple of Priors, but we avoided them and took the scenic route home.”
Landry nodded. “Fine, get some rest. You leave again in three days.”
Teal’c and Cam ducked outside. Sam followed, and was immediately set upon by Walter, who had a panicked look on his face. She made her way to the shack and spent the next few hours blinking back sleep and double-checking everything. When she was finally satisfied, she dragged herself across the clearing to her own bunk, ignoring the sentries and the muffled noises she heard coming from just outside the ring of trees around the clearing. Everyone had to find something to do.
She slept straight through the next day and only woke up when the sun set. She got up and swung by their makeshift kitchen, grabbing what she could carry, and took the path behind the camp up to the top of the hill nearby. From there, she could see the whole valley, and just make out the Stargate and their campsite. She lay back and watched the stars wink into existence above her.
She didn’t move when she heard another person climb up behind her and sit down beside her. There was no need. She knew who it was.
Sam just waited. Finally, the other person sighed.
“We’re taking you off SG-1.”
Sam wished she were surprised.
“We need you here,” Jack continued. “Well—not here, exactly. We found the Odyssey.”
Sam’s heart leaped, but something in Jack’s tone made her cautious. “If you found the Odyssey—“
“It had crashed. Our best guess is that they ran into some trouble, took damage, got away, and tried to land.”
Sam swallowed. “Survivors?”
“No.”
A pause as Sam blinked back tears. She’d liked the Odyssey, had been familiar with her crew. Finally, Jack continued. “It's a pretty desolate planet. Nothing but rock for miles. You’ll have to look yourself, to see if it can be repaired, but the team who reported back thought not. If not, we’ll have to strip it and use what we can.”
She nodded. Jack hesitated.
“Carter…” He touched her arm, sighed heavily. He sounded as bone-weary as she was, and she knew he didn’t have the luxury of downtime she did.
Without thinking about it, she said, “Jack.” He stilled. She sat up, wanting to say something, anything that wasn’t orders or missions—something he could crack a joke at. But she came up empty. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him, almost over-balancing in the process but grabbing his shoulders in time to keep them from tipping over.
It wasn’t quite like she imagined. It wasn’t consuming, or sweet, or awkward. It was as natural as if she’d tossed a gun to him in the field or stifled a laugh at one of his jokes. It was good, solid, and it was enough.
He tugged at her arms and she moved closer, shifting so she was in his lap, her arms around his body, and his hands on her waist. She teased his lips with her tongue, and his fingers dug into her sides.
She almost panicked, then, but she remembered Earth, and Mark, and six billion people and thought that all their denial hadn’t kept anyone safe, after all, and reached around him to find that kissing wasn’t enough. She needed more, and he was right there with her, hands skimming against her skin, and she was lost except for where he touched her or where the cool air brushed her—first on her back, then her breasts, and finally her thighs as they lay back under the still-unfamiliar sky.
*_*_*_*_*
There was no time to dwell, or even to talk, so Sam didn't question her body's self-satisfied hum until they'd met with Landry and she'd been whisked through a wormhole, with Walter and Daniel, her fingers brushing Jack's as she left him behind to plan and take care of everyone else.
It was on the other side, when the heat from the new planet's midday sun hit her in the face as she exited the 'gate, that Sam panicked. She stumbled down the steps, Daniel looking over his shoulder at her, worried. He and Walter seemed small against the bleak landscape, and Sam repressed an edge of hysteria as she hefted her pack and adjusted her grip on her weapon. She nodded at Daniel, and they continued, the Odyssey clearly visible in the distance.
What had she been thinking?
The ground on the planet was largely barren stone, a red color that made everything look hotter than it already was, with occasional breaks where Sam supposed there must be underground streams. Short, stunted bushed and a rare tree made up the entirety of the plant life here. Even better, the path was treacherous, with cracks and crevices running alongside the path and then suddenly crossing it, almost invisible in the noon sun until one was right on top of them.
Near the Odyssey, Sam could see the ruins that Daniel was here to examine. The other team that had found the ship hadn't had a linguist with them, but they had reported writing of some kind, possibly Ancient. Whatever it was, he was going to have to figure it out himself, and soon--SG-1 was supposed to go on another mission in just three days, and that had to take precedence. Still, it was possible there was something here, maybe even a clue to a weapon they could use.
Sam hefted her P-90 as they reached the ship. The other team had already buried the bodies, she knew--back-breaking work in an environment like this. She spared a glance for Walter, whose mouth was tight, his fingers near the zat they'd recovered from another stash. Daniel already held his own gun, so she only gave him a brief nod before they climbed up to the open hatch and entered the ship.
It was cool and dark inside, and Sam knew immediately that the crash itself would be the main cause of damage. Still, she looked around, seeing almost everything eerily intact for yards at a time and then a twisted bulkhead where the ship couldn't quite take the strain.
She found very little weapons damage, and started wondering if the ship had come out of hyperspace too close to the planet and been unable to avoid going down. Finally, they had searched every inch of the ship and found nothing unusual or suspicious. Sam sent Daniel to the ruins to take advantage of the remaining daylight, and she and Walter started work on reconstructing the database to find out what had happened.
Power was the first obstacle, and she and Walter worked the rest of that day just getting the lights to turn on. By the time they accomplished that, Daniel had returned, bearing rubbings and his camera, and they spent the early evening muttering over their various projects, Sam reconnecting wires and Walter patching systems together to try to make them work again.
The day after was much the same--there were problems with having the central database not on the bridge, and Sam knew if it were even possible to salvage the ship, they'd need to reconnect the whole thing anyway, so she didn't bother patching it up halfway. She made Daniel come back during the noon hour, knowing that otherwise he'd be too distracted to drink enough water.
Still, they spent their lunch working, not bothering to explain or apologize when Walter took his own lunch somewhere else.
After an hour, Daniel looked up, reluctant.
"I need more time here," he said.
Sam said, "We all need more time." It was one or many things they didn't have.
He said, "I know, I know. But there's some fascinating stuff here. It is Ancient, or a variant of it, and I keep thinking that there's more here that I'm not seeing. Something important..." he trailed off.
Sam looked at him, with the papers he had strewn around him in a wide circle, and suddenly felt the weight of impossibility stacked against them. She sagged, and Daniel, normally so oblivious to the people around him, looked up with sharp eyes.
"Sam...," he said, and she just shook her head.
"I'm okay. Just tired. I thought we'd be done here by now."
Still with that uncanny perception in his gaze, Daniel said, "Yeah. Me, too," and Sam knew he wasn't referring to this specific planet at all. After a minute, he straightened and stood, brushing off his pants without accomplishing anything.
"I'm going to go back one more time. Maybe something will hit me," he said, gathering his papers together and shoving them into his bag.
Sam nodded, and Daniel moved toward the hatch and was gone.
*_*_*_*_*
Walter and Sam were in the middle of a particularly nasty and delicate re-wiring when Sam's radio crackled. Sam jumped, thinking she'd gotten so involved that she'd missed another check-in with the base camp, but it was Daniel's voice.
"--have to see this."
Sam grabbed the radio. "Daniel? What's going on?"
"I was thinking about the--oh, just come here, Sam. There's not much time left, and you need to see this."
Worried, Sam asked, "Are you at the ruins?" She stood up, exchanging a look with Walter, who was carefully holding two wires away from each other.
"No. I'm on the hill behind the ship. Really, Sam, this is amazing. You--well, just trust me. You'll want to see it."
Shaking her head, Sam clicked on the radio. "I'll be there as soon as I can." She turned to Walter, giving the wires a wry glance. "Guess we'll have to do that later." She took one of the wires, and Walter flipped off the power with a sigh.
"At least we weren't trying to connect them yet," he said, helpfully.
Sam grinned. "Good thing. You want to come with?"
Walter shook his head. "I'll stay here and clean up."
Sam nodded, already distracted by wondering what Daniel could have found. Maybe something--
No, she couldn't afford to get her hopes up.
She climbed down from the hatch, walked around the ship, and started climbing up the hill. It was late afternoon, the sun more than halfway down the sky. By the time she could see Daniel, the shadows had lengthened even further. On this planet, noon seemed to last hours, but evening and morning went fast.
Daniel gave her his hand for the last little bit of the climb, and he pulled her to the top with an ease she knew hadn't come quickly.
He said, "Sorry to get you out here, but I was thinking about the inscriptions--one of them said something about "protecting the earth," or about the land being secure, and I had this idea. You know about the Nazca lines? The ones that you can only see from the air?"
Sam nodded, accustomed to the way Daniel tended to come at an explanation from the side. And then she thought about the weird way the ground was cracked and her eyes widened. Daniel grinned. She turned around and after her eyes adjusted to the way the shadows fell, she saw it.
She drew in a breath. There were definite patterns to the lines, now that she could see them properly.
"Daniel," she said softly, "That looks like--"
"Ancient," he said. "It is. It's the same as the writing at the ruins, anyway."
Sam looked again. From here, she could see that the Odyssey was sitting in the middle of a valley, surrounded by hills, with the Stargate to one side. The whole valley floor was covered in the writing, slashed through where the Odyseey had plowed through the ground before coming to rest here, at the base of this hill.
"It could be a ward of protection against enemies or false gods," Daniel said. "Some cultures on Earth built features into the land to honor gods or to keep evil spirits away."
"Can you read it?" she asked, turning back to Daniel.
He shook his head. "I think we're looking at it from the side," he said, and grinned. "I'm good, but I'm not that good."
Sam chuckled and looked again. The shadows were now so long they were completely obscuring the lines, and so she looked back at the sun. It was just over the horizon. Daniel would have to leave in the morning so he could be back in time to prep for the mission. Suddenly, Sam didn't want him to leave, didn't want the uncertainty of not having her team around her.
Daniel said, "I don't think there's anything else here. There's too little vegetation for a sustained civilization. This might have been a place of ritual for a god, though."
Sam shivered. She'd had enough of gods.
Daniel didn't miss her reaction. He took her hand, and she clutched at his hand, so he pulled her closer. "Sam--we'll find something. Maybe not here, but somewhere there's a weapon that will destroy them. We'll find it."
She leaned into him for a minute before they started back down the hill, using the remaining daylight to find the safest way down.
At the bottom, Daniel took her hand, and they walked back to the hatch silently. Before they entered, Sam hesitated.
"Daniel," she said, then grimaced. "I don't--it's about the General."
"Jack?" Daniel said, and something in his tone made Sam look up at him. He didn't look surprised.
Sam blushed, looked away.
"Sam, I've known you both for a long time. It's not exactly surprising."
Sam shook her head. "I don't think I--we should--"
"You deserve to be happy," Daniel interrupted. "There hasn't been much reason to be, lately."
*_*_*_*_*_*
Sam worked well into the night and crashed early in the morning. When she woke up, Daniel had left and Walter was running diagnostics.
He looked up and blinked, "We've got it."
Sam brought up the display near her and watched a few lines of text scroll by. She sighed and shut it down. "Get the generals."
General Landry and General O'Neill arrived within two hours--barely enough time for Walter to travel from the ship to the 'gate, dial out, wait for a response, and come back. Sam greeted them with a nod, but skipped the other formalities. Jack gave her a curious look, a smile that faded when she didn't return it.
"We recovered the data. It's a little rough, still, but...," she shrugged. She figured it would be faster to explain as they went than try to edit for brevity.
General Landry nodded. "Go ahead."
Sam cued it up. They watched as lines of text scrolled by.
"These are normal operations. It looks like the Odyssey came out of hyperspace in another system for some repairs, but you can see here that they were spotted by an Ori vessel. The Odyssey got out of there as fast as she could, sir, but the Ori managed to damage her. When they went into hyperspace, their systems started failing. They dropped out here, in this system, and tried to land. That's all we found, in the record."
"We guessed that already," General Landry said. Jack arched an eyebrow.
Sam acknowledged Landry's comment. "Yes, and if that's all we'd found, I wouldn't have called you both here."
She cued up another section of the database. The screen in front of them went blank, and then a still of an officer appeared.
Sam said, "We found this video. It was flagged to your attention, sir," she said, nodding toward General Landry. "We haven't watched it yet."
General Landry said, "Play it."
Sam swallowed. "Yes, sir." She keyed it in, and the video started playing.
"--Harris of the Odyssey. I'm creating this message in the hopes that either you or General O'Neill will find it."
They could hear shouting in the background of the video. Harris flinched as an explosion sounded behind him, but continued,
"We sustained significant damage in an encounter with an Ori ship, but you probably know that. I am making this video to let you know what happened to Earth. I wish I had better news, but when we reported back after our last mission, we received an urgent message from the Secretary of Defense."
Harris looked directly into the camera.
"We don't know who started it, but someone pushed the red button. A nuclear strike. One of the first targets was the mountain."
Someone gasped--Sam thought it might have been her--but the video continued.
"There is nothing left--most of the major cities have been leveled, and the rest--the radiation...Jean tells me there's nothing we could do. We were on our way to the Alpha site. You know the rest. I'm making this video now because I'm told it's unlikely we'll make it. I'm sorry to have to pass this on, and sorry I couldn't do it in person."
Another voice from off-camera announced, "We're dropping out of hyperspace, sir."
Harris looked back at the camera. "Good luck to us all. Harris out."
The screen went blank. There was absolute quiet on the bridge.
Jack broke the silence first. "Those sons of bitches."
"Oh, my God," Sam said quietly. She looked over at Jack, whose jaw was clenched. He looked away, pounded his fist into an already-broken console.
"Ten years saving their asses, and they go and fuck themselves--"
"Jack!" General Landry interrupted.
Jack closed his mouth, looked over at Sam, and gave a bitter laugh. Sam tried not to think about the connection between the two actions, or the irony of timing.
She said, "What are we going to do?"
General Landry spoke. "This doesn't change our situation. We still have to find someplace for our people, and there's still the Ori to consider."
"Why?"
Sam and General Landry turned to Jack.
He shrugged. "Why bother? At least if we don't do anything, they'll keep us from blowing our own asses off."
Sam winced at his words. General Landry frowned, but stayed quiet.
Finally, Sam spoke, softly. "Sir--we have to keep trying."
"Again: why?"
Sam just gave him a look and held his gaze until he looked away.
Sam said, "I guess the only thing to do now is figure out what we can do."
General Landry said, "We're waiting for SG-1 to return from their latest mission. Hopefully they'll--"
Sam's radio crackled. Walter's voice came from the device. "Colonel Carter, come in." He sounded panicked.
Sam grabbed the radio. "What is it, Walter?"
"It's SG-1. Are General O'Neill and General Landry with you?"
Sam glanced at the two men. "Yes. Walter--what is going on?"
"They came back, but Daniel--" he paused for a long, horrible moment. "Daniel's dead."
*_*_*_*_*
There wasn't any time to dwell in the next week. Sam spent most of her time after the quick memorial service on the Odyssey, and only returned briefly at the end of the week because Cam came to drag her away for a few hours, luring her with the promise of a view of something other than metal, wires, and crystals.
She realized she'd been ambushed when, after a long, silent walk through the forest around their camp, they ended up by the 'gate, with alcohol that had been 'procured' by Vala and Teal'c, who were trying to look smug but mostly looked hollow, and Jack glaring furiously at anyone who looked his way. Which no one was.
Nevertheless, the alcohol served to loosen their tongues, and even Jack went from looking pissed to looking tired.
"I need to know what happened," Sam said, avoiding Jack's eyes as he tried, frustrated, to get her attention.
Vala lifted her head to regard her with dark eyes. She bit out, "Daniel was murdered." She didn't volunteer anything else.
Teal'c said, "We gave the details to General Landry and O'Neill already, Samantha Carter."
Sam took a breath. "I still need to know. Please." She could have asked anyone else--she knew the details would be all over camp by now--but she needed to hear it herself. A part of her was still hoping it was some kind of mistake, that they hadn't seen what they thought they'd seen.
Cam started. "Seems the Ori have given up on us--as soon as the prior spotted us, he--" Cam rethought what he was going to say. "One minute, Daniel was there. The next, he was just gone."
"We had no choice but to leave immediately, Colonel Carter." Teal'c face was composed, but Sam could tell he was affected.
She reached out. "I'm sure you did everything you could."
Teal'c inclined his head.
Sam kept her hand on his arm and turned to Cam. "You're sure--" she grimaced. "I mean--"
"Daniel's dead, Carter." Jack spoke for the first time, his voice harsh.
"But, sir," she protested, the alcohol making it really easy to forget what she was asking would do no one any good, "he could have been transported out, or--"
"I saw him die, Sam," Vala said flatly. She stood unsteadily. "He's gone." She started walking down the path back to camp. After a minute, Cam followed.
Sam felt like she was going to cry. Her eyes wide, she turned to Teal'c, who shook his head minutely and followed Cam, catching his elbow as he stumbled a little on the path.
With effort, she looked at Jack. "You think he's dead. I mean--really dead."
She didn't need him to say anything; his face confirmed it all. She wanted to sit down. Daniel had always come back before--he was supposed to be immune, supposed to poke his head out of the General's office, or 'gate, or even just walk up one day, whole and maybe a little amnesic, but still Daniel. And Jack had always been the believer between them.
She'd always been a little behind the curve.
Without another word, she stood and dialed the 'gate.
As it whooshed to life and she climbed the steps, Jack said, "Sam, don't--"
She stepped through the event horizon.
*_*_*_*_*
Cam came to get her the next day. Sam opened her mouth to apologize for her words, but Cam shook his head. "Don't. We're all upset--and it *is* Daniel. It's okay, Sam."
Sam closed her mouth and gave a grateful smile. They walked back to the 'gate without speaking, and Cam guided her into a tent while they waited.
"The generals told me they'd send someone for you when they were ready."
Sam hesitated, then asked. "How is Vala doing?"
Cam shook his head. "I honestly don't know. She hasn't said much since we came back, spends a lot of time by herself."
Sam sighed. She hadn't been there, and some part of her couldn't help but think...maybe...
A young scientist, Tricia Lim, poked her head in their tent. "Colonel Carter--they need you."
'They' could only be the generals. She got up slowly, not looking forward to discussing their next move. If she were honest, she wasn't looking forward to dealing with Jack.
Still, she had to face him sometime. She straightened her shoulders, crossed the clearing and entered the other tent. To her surprise, General Landry was nowhere to be found. Jack looked up from a sheet of paper, and for a second, Sam saw every line etched into his face. Then it seemed as if a mask fell into place, and Sam had to swallow the words she wanted to say. She approached the table, but stayed on the other side.
"Sir," she said shortly.
She ignored the vindictive thrill that ran through her as Jack's eyes narrowed. "Sam."
She opened her mouth, but before she could make a retort that would only serve to get her in trouble, Jack had come around the table. He said, "No--You can't just pretend nothing happened, Carter. That's not the way this works."
"Oh, like you, you mean!?" Sam laughed.
"Excuse me? You were the one has been avoiding me--avoiding this for years." Jack thrust a pointed finger at her chest.
"I didn't see you complaining."
"Maybe I should have. A lot of good it did us, in the end."
"Oh, no. You don't get to re-write history." Sam shook her head. "What were we supposed to do--screw each other, get court-martialed--"
"Screw the world and damn the consequences? It's sounding pretty good right about now." Jack, still standing next to her, looked at her intently. His expression changed from hard and unyielding to something else--something a lot more complicated. "Carter, I didn't want to start that. I'm not--"
The tent flap opened. Jack dropped her arm but didn't back away.
General Landry said, "Oh, good. You're here. Colonel Carter, we need to discuss our next move."
Finally, Jack moved around the table. Sam didn't quite feel as relieved as she felt she should.
General Landry continued, "We're going to move everyone to the Odyssey."
Sam was taken aback. "Why? The terrain around the ship is barely habitable, and even if I can get the ship working again--"
"You think you can fix it?" Landry interrupted abruptly.
Taken aback, Sam said, "Well, it's looking like more of a possibility than I originally thought. Why?"
Jack and Landry exchanged a look, but it was Jack who spoke. "We were going to compromise this site--but if you think we can use the Odyssey..."
Sam furrowed her brow. "Why would you--"
The tent flap opened again, and Sam turned her head to see Vala silhouetted against the bright daylight.
"You rang?" She tried for bright, but Sam heard the exhaustion, could see her sway just a little and clutch at the tent flap.
Jack groaned under his breath. Sam narrowed her eyes.
General Landry said, "Vala. Could you wait outside for two minutes?"
Vala flicked a look Sam's way, but only said, "I just wanted to know--"
Jack said, "In a minute, Vala."
"Fine, fine." She ducked back out, and the flap closed behind her.
Sam whirled back to Landry and Jack. "You're going to use her to try to get to the Ori!"
"Officially, she's going to leave on her own, use her previous contacts to try to get an idea of what the Ori are up to." Landry clarified.
"She volunteered, Sam." Jack sounded tired.
"According to Teal'c, that prior killed Daniel without blinking an eye!"
"And yet Vala was the first one through the 'gate," Jack said. "We think Adria's put out the word to capture her, not kill her."
Sam huffed. "There are so many things wrong with this plan--"
Landry said, "Colonel!" He continued in a lower voice, "This is our only shot. We have no ships, no intel. Vala might be able to find something we can use. And that's why we're moving--if she's compromised, she could lead them back to us."
Sam looked back and forth between them. Finally, she sighed. "Fine--but at least give me a shot at the Odyssey."
"It'll mean relocating everyone somewhere else entirely. And we can't afford to wait. We're already far behind," Landry said.
Sam said, "Then leave me there and relocate. If I finish, I can meet up with you."
"There are so many things wrong with that idea--" Jack twisted her words back at her, and Sam flinched at the venom in his voice, but didn't retract her request.
Landry wasn't quite glaring at Jack. He said, "How much time would you need?"
"Three weeks."
Landry nodded. "Fine. You can have three weeks. But I want SG-1 to stay with you."
Jack said, "I'm going, too."
Sam opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it at Landry's stern expression.
"Yes, sir."
*_*_*_*_*
They started getting ready to move the next day, but had to wait for the two teams currently off-world to return. They hadn't told anyone that their move would be temporary, or about the rest of their plan, so the next two days Sam was tense, aching for something to happen and hoping nothing would. She wasn't sure, but she thought that maybe Jack was avoiding her. That suited her just fine.
On the third night, just before dawn, the wormhole opened and the last team ran through, panting as they waited ages for the 'gate to close behind them, the commander gasping out, "Spotted, not close, priors."
They all waited in front of the 'gate, guns at the ready, crouched grimly behind what obstacles they could fine, because they knew they couldn't escape if even one prior stepped through. Sam rested the cold metal against her cheek, feeling Jack's presence behind her, and felt like she was sending out a plea with each breath for more time.
The 'gate whined, and the event horizon disappeared.
Jack stood up, his fingers brushing her arm. It might have been accidental. He stepped forward. "We leave now, people."
Without a word, their people stood and made ready to break camp. While the other officers and scientists dashed to and from the tents, Teal'c and Cam appeared from behind them, with a pack in each hand.
Vala, who was wearing her pigtails again, grabbed a sack from Teal'c. She threw it over her shoulder, turning toward the 'gate and blinking as the sun appeared over the horizon. She'd managed to do something to her BDUs to make them look exotic--something involving a bright scarf that she'd wound around her waist--and she'd obviously managed to bring some sort of leather jacket along. Sam wondered if Vala always prepared to be left off-world.
Vala shifted. "Right, then. I'll be going."
Landry said, "Remember: we won't be here when you get back, and SG-1 will only be staying with the Odyssey for three weeks."
Vala nodded, but she looked distracted.
Sam wondered if she was paying attention, or if the other woman had given up. Sam stepped forward, embraced the other woman. Vala stiffened with surprise. Sam whispered, "There's still hope," and let her go.
When she stepped back, Jack was looking at her with a strange expression, but Sam ignored him. It was something she was getting pretty good at.
Vala blinked, and then adjusted her pack. She reached for the DHD, for the first symbol.
"Vala Mal Doran."
Vala hesitated, her hand poised above the DHD.
Teal'c said, "I would be glad to assist you in your quest."
Sam, Jack and Cam all looked at him in shock. From where Sam stood, she could just see a small smile flit across Vala's face.
Then she turned, and something of her old nature was back in the way she canted her hips, stuck her free hand in one pocket. "No offence, big guy, but you're a little recognizable for me." She jutted a hand toward Sam. "I'd be better off with the blonde wonder, there."
Sam rolled her eyes. Cam made a noise of protest.
Vala turned to him. "Actually, you'd probably do pretty well--you've got that forgettable face going for you."
Cam looked insulted, which just made Vala grin wider. She dialed quickly, approached the steps, her timing perfect as the unstable vortex whooshed out and then settled back into the event horizon as she reached the first one. She turned at the top, gave a jaunty wave, and then disappeared through the wormhole.
After that, their departures were a blur of activity. Sam didn't even look back as they dialed to the Odyssey's site and walked through.
The trek to the Odyssey didn't take them long, but the sun had already risen, and Sam felt the time difference as the area warmed, the sun reflecting off the rocky ground. None of them talked much, and Sam wondered if anyone else was missing Daniel's voice.
Without thinking, she found herself looking to Jack, and in the instant their gazes met, she knew he had been thinking the same thing. She wasn't sure why she felt guilty as she jerked her eyes back to the path, but she was sure that not all the heat in her body was from the sun.
*_*_*_*_*
She put them to work on the ship, and they all disbanded to the various corners, somehow knowing that she wanted to be left alone as much as possible. They seemed to have decided that Teal'c would be a liaison between the groups. Teal'c and Cameron were concentrating on the actual physical space of the ship--making sure that damaged sections were either repaired or closed off. She wasn't sure what Jack was doing, but there were things she noticed that were suddenly fixed. Mostly lights.
Sometimes she felt him look in on her, although she never let on, just kept working on getting the damn engines to start forcing air into new places, checking for hull damage. She wasn't finding anything irreparable, and in week two, she began to think that they might get off the ground after all.
But when she noticed his presence, she couldn't concentrate. She was, for the moment, existing only as a mind that happened to be attached through her hands to the tools she was using to resurrect the Odyssey. But when he came near, she remembered that she was more, remembered the feel of his body over hers, under hers, the way his mouth felt as he tasted her.
It had been a mistake. She knew that. A moment of weakness. Unfortunately, Jack didn't seem to agree.
"We need," he said, his voice a little too loud in the enclosed space, "to talk."
She shook her head. "Nothing to talk about, sir."
"Bullshit."
If he was expecting her to argue, he was going to be disappointed. Sam leaned into a panel, checked the crystals for damage and, more importantly, unnecessary redundancy and spare parts.
"Sam--" Jack exhaled. "What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? Because I'm not."
"Maybe I am!" Sam said, pulling out of the panel to look at him. "It was--it was a--" but she couldn't say it, not even though she'd been thinking it for the past two weeks.
But Jack finished it for her. "A mistake?"
Sam flinched.
Jack regarded her calmly, watched her turn an extra crystal over in her hands. She couldn't think with him looking at her.
Finally, he got up. "It wasn't," he said, leaning on the doorway. "When you figure that out--" he sighed heavily. "Never mind." He left, then, his footsteps sounding slow as he moved down the corridor.
How could he be so sure when she wasn't sure about anything?
She told herself to keep working. They didn't have time to dwell--couldn't afford for her to crash and burn now, especially not now that it seemed as if their plan might work after all. She just wished that ignoring it didn't feel like a much worse mistake.
Two days later, she sent Teal'c and Cam to patch up the systems on the bridge. "Red wire to red wire. Gray to gray, etc. You can't mess it up."
Teal'c didn't even have time to remind her about asteroids and bombs before the words tumbled out of her mouth. "I made sure everything was color-coded myself." He shared a small smile with her, and she tried not to think about how her mouth had run dry at Jack's words that day, or how she'd realized in despair there was nothing she could do. She had to trust to chance. She had hated that then. Hated it more now.
They would be gone hours. She blinked sleep away from her eyes, uncertain when she'd rested last. Not that that was important right now. She'd run another test, take a look at some more of the programming on the engineering computers. It seemed they'd gotten lucky--it looked like everything was there, just waiting for the hard connections to be reestablished.
*_*_*_*_*
A voice breathed in her ear. "Sam."
She wanted to ignore it. There was work to be done.
The breath tickled. "Sam. Wake up."
She was awake. She was working on the computers.
"Sam!"
She opened her eyes. Blinked. Where had her light gone? The emergency lights were on, but not the main bank.
"I took the liberty of starting work on the electrical systems to the bridge." The voice sounded amused. "I may have cut the wrong wire, but I'm too tired to find it at the moment."
Jack.
"Wha--"
"Hang on, sleepyhead. We have beds, you know."
She knew. Lots of beds. Filled with ghosts. Or not. No one had died in their beds.
She was lifted up to her feet, and an arm wound around her waist. She leaned into the warmth, was guided through her piles of tools and wires through the corridors and into a soft bed.
By that time, she'd recovered enough to wonder, but not enough to censor herself. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
He stopped in the middle of standing up. For a long time he said nothing. Then he chuckled softly. "Oh, Sam. Willing to give everything, but not to take."
Sam frowned in the dark. Jack bent back over the bed, drew a finger across her cheek, and that one, simple contact was all Sam needed to rethink everything. She clutched at his hand, shaking, drew it further in so she could lay her face in his palm. He smelled like metal, like machines and sweat. She turned her mouth into his palm, breathed his name against his skin.
When she tugged at him, he came unresisting, his arm snaking under her neck, their bodies fitting together on the narrow ship's bunk, the air just barely circulating, and Sam's last thought was making a mental note to check that out in the morning.
*_*_*_*_*
When she woke up, she lay still for a few minutes, listening to Jack breathe, the expelled air warming a small spot on her back through her shirt. She turned over, watched his chest rise and fall, her eyes having adjusted to the emergency lights to where she could almost distinguish his features.
"You're not fooling me, you know," she said softly. Jack's breathing didn't change.
She waited a minute. "Really not."
This time, the corner of his mouth twitched.
"How long have you been awake?" she asked.
"Not long enough." He groaned, scrunching up his face and rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. Sam noticed his other hand had mysteriously migrated behind her neck.
She didn't mention it, but Jack seemed to know what she was thinking anyway, and he rubbed his fingers through her hair.
"Are you done freaking out yet?
Sam started to defend herself, thought, and shut her mouth, considering the question.
"Yeah," she finally said.
Jack gave her a half-smile. "Good."
Sam grimaced. "Why--"
He sighed. "I don't know."
Sam hesitated. "I'm sorry."
Jack laughed. Sam glowered, and suddenly, without any warning, her eyes filled with tears. She tried to hold them back.
"Oh, for--what is it now?"
"Daniel--," she took a shuddering breath. "I was so sure--and the others--and then you--," she tried to laugh, but sobbed, and she couldn't hold it back any longer.
And without another word Jack pulled her so that their bodies were pressed together, and let her cry until her sobs quieted and her fingers, which had been gripping his shirt, relaxed.
They left their quarters shortly after that, and stopped by the bulkhead Jack had been working on before he'd found Sam sleeping amidst disassembled panels.
Sam stuck her head in, reconnected two wires, and the hallway was suddenly filled with light. She rooted around a little more and tightened a few connections, and then crawled back out.
"That should do it, sir."
He was grinning at her. "Why do I even bother?"
She narrowed her eyes, but before she could react, he put one hand against her face and slid his thumb along her cheek. "You had a smudge there."
"I'm sure I did," she replied. They stood in the hallway, Jack's hand just barely touching her, and Sam, for once, couldn't think of anything else she ought to be doing.
Finally, however, Jack tugged at her arm. "We'll figure the rest out later. Come on."
As they approached the bridge, they heard Cam's voice as it echoed off the walls toward them.
"What I don't understand is how everyone could be dead, and yet we can get'er flying again."
Jack's fingers tightened around hers just before they stepped through the doorway. She took a breath and felt Teal'c and Cam's eyes swing toward her. She felt as if they were burning a hole where her hand met Jack's, but she didn't give in to the temptation to look down. "The inertial compensators were damaged slightly. It was enough to...keep everyone together."
Cam winced.
"But not to keep them alive," she finished quietly.
"But we've fixed that, right?" Cam asked.
Sam hesitated. "If we take off smoothly enough, we'll barely even know we're moving."
"But..." Cam prompted.
Sam conceded the point. "There's a slight chance--very slight--that the compensators will fail."
Jack said, "But they won't." He sounded like he was announcing the color of the sky, or the rising of the sun.
Cam just rolled his eyes. "Of course not."
"I have faith in your abilities, Samantha," Teal'c said.
Cam raised his eyebrows. "Samantha?"
"Not like there's any point to rank, right, Mitchell?" Jack said.
Cam looked pointedly at them. "I suppose not."
Sam tried valiantly not to blush. Cam and Teal'c gave each other a smug look and then Cam grinned at her while Teal'c looked knowingly at her. Sam knew if she were to turn to Jack she'd see his smirk.
She cleared her throat. "Aren't we supposed to be fixing a ship?"
Teal'c appeared smug. "We have completed the tasks you assigned us, Samantha."
Now it was Sam's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Already?"
Cam grinned even more broadly. "Ran the diagnostics this morning. Everything checks out--or well, it did after the lights came back on."
Jack, when Sam shot him a look, appeared completely innocent. Teal'c and Cameron didn't look fooled, though.
"I'd still like to take another day to check out all the systems again, see if there's anything I missed," Sam said.
Cameron nodded. "We still have a few days before we're supposed to be done."
"So we'll check things out, take off tomorrow, and still get back a little early," Jack said. "Excell--"
An alarm sounded. The four of them turned toward the console making the sound, and Sam, who was standing closest, reached over to shut it off.
"What was that?" Cameron asked.
Jack looked grim. "I had Sam set up an alarm to notify us if anyone came through the 'gate."
Sam looked at Cam and Teal'c unhappily. "I think we just ran out of time."
"It could be Vala," Cam said. Judging from the others' expressions, they didn't believe it was Vala returning triumphant any more than Sam did.
"Yes, but she might not be alone," Jack said pointedly.
"Okay, so staying inside the ship is stupid," Cam said, "but we can't just leave her here."
Sam shook her head. Now wasn't the time to start leaving people behind. She looked at Teal'c, who regarded her steadfastly and nodded.
"I do not believe we should abandon anyone, O'Neill."
Cam, Teal'c, and Sam faced Jack, who glared and said, "Fine! Plan B."
Plan B, after a few minutes' frantic brainstorming, turned out to be abandoning the Odyssey
Sam was reluctant, but Jack was very reasonable. "Look, if it's Vala, we come back, finish fixing the damn thing, and fly away as one big happy--whatever. If it's someone else, we hide, wait them out, and hopefully sneak back to the ship or through the 'gate. But if we stay with the ship, we're trapped."
"We can also attempt to stage an ambush if it's a small party," Teal'c said.
It was decided.
They waited by a section of the path, hiding behind chunks of rock piled up by the Odyssey's crash--Teal'c and Cam to one side, and Sam and Jack on the other.
Cam craned his neck to keep an eye out for whoever might be coming while the rest of them waited out of sight.
To Sam, it felt like they had to wait forever, but finally Cam jerked his whole body back behind the rock he was leaning against. He mouthed, Ori.
Sam shot him a questioning look. He shook his head. Not Vala, then. Sam tensed as he carefully looked again, making sure to keep low and move slowly. He motioned seven, and Sam let out a breath. Even with a Prior, seven might not be too many.
She adjusted her grip on her P-90, and watched the others check their weapons. She'd been doing this so long that she knew exactly where the group was in relation to SG-1 by the sound of their footsteps. They waited until the group of soldiers saw them and then moved.
It was quick--Sam took out one and saw three more fall, heard her team's weapons as a distant noise. The last three had time to get their weapons up, but now they were too close to use them--so was SG-1--and the team had already changed tactics, Teal'c clobbering one on the back of his head, Sam smashing another across the face with the body of her weapon, and Cam dropping one with a move Sam recognized as Sodan.
It was almost easy. Something wasn't right--Sam caught her teammate's eyes as she stood and turned--and her weapon flexed out of her hands, crunched and twisted, and landed feet away from where it would do her any good, in heap with three other useless weapons.
Sam finished turning before she registered any of this and was the first one to see the figure step around the bend in the path, the dark hair, the sweeping skirts.
Adria.
She stopped just out of arm's reach and surveyed their group, two more soldiers flanking her and aiming their weapons at the group, keeping them trained on Jack and Cam, since they were farthest. Sam guessed they knew Adria was more than capable of defending herself against all of them, let alone herself and Teal'c.
The confident smirk Sam had seen too often recently appeared. "Well, well. We find you alone after all. And my mother was under the impression that all of Earth's survivors would be here. She told me a lot of things, though, before--" Adria let her sentence trail off.
"I should have guessed you killed her as soon as you showed your ugly face here," Cam said roughly.
Adria's smirk became more pronounced. "Oh, she's not dead, not like Daniel Jackson."
Cam flinched.
"No. I couldn't kill my own mother. All I wanted, after all, was for her to know the truth. It took some persuasion, but she finally understood."
Sam's heart sank.
Adria gestured, and Vala came around the bend, dressed in a long robe with a hood pulled over her hair. As she did, she stepped neatly over one of the crevices--one that Sam had noted earlier but hadn't thought about. Suddenly, Daniel's voice came back to her.
Some cultures on Earth built features into the land to honor gods or to keep evil spirits away.
The lines, written in Ancient--words of protection--
Adria looked straight at Sam, and Sam knew, no matter what she was thinking, Adria certainly wasn't without her powers.
Adria gave a confident half-smile. "It's true. This place is protected against the power of the Ori. But did you think that we would not know of such things, or that I would not be protected in turn against them?" And she lifted her hand halfway to her throat, where her necklace rested. "I have more than enough power to keep you here until my ships arrive."
Vala stepped by Adria's side, lifted her head, let the hood fall back. "Hallowed are the Ori," she said. Her voice was expressionless, her eyes blank.
Adria gloated. "She came to me. She held deceit in her heart, but the will of the Ori swayed her."
Sam shivered. It didn't take much effort to imagine the kind of persuasion Adria had used on Vala. She calculated angles, caught the edge of Jack's eye, felt Cam and Teal'c just behind her doing the same. Maybe they would be captured, but maybe they could find some way to escape, to destroy the Ori ships later.
Even as she thought it, Sam knew there wouldn't be that kind of chance. Adria wouldn't underestimate them again--Vala's presence proved that.
Adria gestured at each of them in turn. "The brave SG-1. More like stupid and lucky. Why else would you keep fighting when there is no hope that you can win, and no righteous reason to pursue your cause?"
Jack snorted. "We've heard that before."
Adria smiled. "Ah yes. O'Neill. Mother mentioned you and how you fought against the Goa'uld, what you gave up to win."
Her eyes flicked to Sam and back. Sam wondered if Vala had told her about that, too, or if it was merely a guess.
Jack glowered. "We did beat them. We're resourceful like that."
"You still boast! Yet the Ori are much more powerful than the former rulers of this galaxy. They are also more merciful. If you will but bend to their will, they will forgive."
"I will not bow down to false gods," Teal'c intoned.
Cam spoke up. "What he said."
Adria's expression darkened. "If that is your answer--I planned to execute you publicly as an example of what happens to non-believers, but maybe I should just get it over with. I can always display your bodies." Adria lifted her arm. Her eyes glowed--not like the Goa'uld, but with their own brand of fervor.
Sam had been watching Vala throughout the exchange. She couldn't help morbidly wondering what had finally broken the other woman. She couldn't imagine anything worse than being a host, and shivered at the thought that Adria had succeeded where years of being trapped in her own body had failed.
As she watched, Vala raised her head, and where there had been only emptiness, there was a spark. Sam caught her eyes as they swept past, and Vala's expression made her mouth go dry. She recognized that look of pure hatred, had felt something like it herself.
Sam reacted without thinking. She threw herself at Adria, knowing even as she did so that it was hopeless.
Even as she moved, Teal'c moved with her, and although Adria sent Sam flying with a sweep of her wrist, she wasn't fast enough to avoid the three hundred pounds of Jaffa hurtling her way.
Adria went down, and as she fell, a hand reached up and grasped her necklace. It tore away, and Adria twisted, hit the ground with a loud crack.
Jack and Cam had dodged the soldiers' shots and were wrestling for control of their weapons, almost getting shot as the armored men tried to wrestle control back. Cam was closer to Sam, and she struggled to sit up, feeling something--blood--trickle down the side of her head where she'd hit it. She managed to clear her vision just in time for the Ori soldier to step close to her leg, and she kicked out, feeling the kneecap pop and snap under her foot.
He fell, Cam twisting his arm and shooting, and then he lay on the ground, his face slack. Dead.
Cam gave Sam an arm, and hauled her to her feet. Her ankle twinged unpleasantly, but she ignored it. Jack was just standing up, the other soldier dead at his feet.
Jack said, "Guess Bra'tac was right about youth being no match for experience," he said. Sam gave him the ghost of a smile, and they turned toward Adria, having no time to waste.
Teal'c held her on the ground, his hands on her shoulders. Vala held the necklace, her eyes darting between Adria and it. Adria was reaching for it, her eyes wide, her hand shaking.
"Give it to me," she commanded, but her voice was weak. Blood flowed from her temple, sticking strands of hair against her face and neck. Sam knew that if they gave her the necklace back, she could heal herself. "I'll give you--"
"Vala," Sam warned, and Vala glanced at her for just a second. Then she took the necklace and threw it as far away from her as she could.
Adria was gasping, her fingers turning white as she tried to claw at Teal'c's hands, at her own throat. She spasmed, turned an imploring look to Vala. "Mother!"
"She can't breathe," Cam said, horrified. It was more than just the wound on her head, then--something about the place--
For the first time since Sam had been on the scorching planet, she shivered.
"Help--" Adria choked out. She looked nothing like the self-assured leader of a moment ago. She looked scared, and young.
Vala looked down at her, her eyes hard. For one long moment, Sam thought Vala was just going to stand by Adria's side while she choked to death, but then Vala dropped to her knees, picked up Adria's head. Adria turned toward her mother, her breathing still sounding tortured, Vala smoothing back her hair.
Sam couldn't look away. Adria's face was a picture of utter anguish as her mouth gaped. She was beyond talking now.
Teal'c let go. Vala paid him no attention, still cradling Adria, who jerked a couple more times, and then lay still in her mother's arms.
No one spoke or moved for one long moment.
Then Vala leaned in close to Adria and closed her eyes, her hand hesitating a moment over Adria's skin. Vala pushed herself to her feet unsteadily, accepting Teal'c's arm only after she'd regained her feet.
Teal'c kept a tight grip on her. "Vala Maldoran," he said. "I am sorry."
Vala gave a short, bitter laugh. "For what? She was the Orici. She was evil."
Sam winced and looked away, as did Jack and Cam. Teal'c merely inclined his head. "Nevertheless, she was your daughter."
Vala looked down at Adria. She looked uncertain, but she finally nodded and relaxed into Teal'c's embrace.
Sam stepped over to Jack, who took her hand and held it tightly.
"Back to the ship?" she asked.
Jack looked her over, and she knew he was categorizing all her wounds, just as she took in new bruises and scrapes on his hands and face. She saw his anger flare, and he just as quickly started to put his mask in place. But instead of accepting this, she kept her own face open, squeezed his hand, and his expression softened.
Jack nodded. "Back we go."
Even as he spoke, Sam heard the high-pitched whine of a ship's engines working overtime to set down on a planet. She looked up. An Ori mothership, settling to the ground between them and the Odyssey.
"Oh, we have the worst luck," Cam said. "A dead Orici, which these guys are not going to be happy about, no weapons, and no way back to our ship--which may or may not kill us if we try to take off--except directly through them."
Teal'c and Sam gave him a look. Jack just grinned, and if it was a bit forced, it was something. "Sounds about right. So--anyone have a plan B?"
Vala raised an eyebrow. "You people are crazy, you know that?"
A lazy grin spread on Cam's face. "Oh, yeah."
"Indeed."
Sam couldn't help herself. She laughed.
Jack cleared his throat. "You know--all I ever asked was to save the universe."
Despite the circumstances, Sam smiled. "That's all, huh?"
A slow smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Well--I might have asked to get the girl, too."
"Oh. Well, if that's all," Sam quipped, and they grinned at each other.
Jack squeezed her hand again, and they started arguing about impossible plans.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
*_*_*_*_*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 07:53 am (UTC)From:Though, like Sam, I'm still holding out hope that Daniel's alive.
Fantastic writing!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 05:16 pm (UTC)From:Some mysteries, like what happened to the Alpha Site, I left purposefully unsolved--and not because *I* don't know what happened, but because the characters don't. Which is, I admit, frustrating.
I love anytime Sam reacts physically to a threat/annoyance. *grins*
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 12:26 pm (UTC)From:Second this story is wow. I love how the Earth destroyed itself and Jack's anger about that.
I also loved this line It was as natural as if she’d tossed a gun to him in the field... I think sometimes that Jack and Sam should be that easy.
I'm with Sam and I keep hoping that Daniel is alive. I feel bad that I kind of chuckled to myself when they reported him dead because if anyone was going to die it would be Daniel. It is what he does.
I love the ending and Vala calling them crazy and while the odds seem bleak I still have this crazy hope that SG-1 makes it. It is what they do.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 05:21 pm (UTC)From:I feel bad that I kind of chuckled to myself when they reported him dead because if anyone was going to die it would be Daniel. It is what he does.
I debated a long time about this, because yes, Daniel's the one who always ends up dead, but I wanted to introduce that uncertainty, especially for Sam.
And I think there's plenty of room in the ending for hope, myself.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 03:18 pm (UTC)From:Anyway, if I sit here and expound on all the little details that make this perfect I’ll be here *all day*. So:
Sam, I really love you and all your inappropriately displaced panic, grief, guilt, etc. Also: Sam's last thought was making a mental note to check that out in the morning -- Hee.
Daniel! *cries* But I’m so glad he and Sam had that sweet little moment before he left.
Ending! Perfect happy ending for SG-1! I am so messed up, but I loved the end the very best.
Thanks for brightening what looks like an otherwise kinda gooky Friday.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 05:25 pm (UTC)From:*feels guilty that originally she was going to kill them all*
I like that what you picked out to comment on were the things that I ending up changing--things that obviously changed for the better. *is happy*
I'm all for gluing more people to computers. *holds a hot glue gun and looks manic*
Thanks for reading--and writing a lovely review. So glad you're hanging out here recently.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 06:29 pm (UTC)From:*feels guilty that originally she was going to kill them all*
This is hysterical because in the middle of the story I was thinking, 'She's going to kill everybody, and they're still going to be miserably unhappy when she does. And I'm still going to really like it! Argh! Annoying! *keeps reading*'
But because you stopped ten minutes short of the actual dying? It's a happy ending. Which is why I am messed up.
So glad you're hanging out here recently.
Oh, yes, you say that after I gush all over your story. *g*
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 06:53 pm (UTC)From:fresh bloodnew, sane fen. The gushing is just a *bonus*. ;-)But because you stopped ten minutes short of the actual dying? It's a happy ending. Which is why I am messed up.
You and me both. Also on the procrastinating thing. I hate Fridays.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 05:20 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 05:25 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 08:16 pm (UTC)From:That was fantastic. The way it begins at what - to the characters - feels kind of like an ending, like they're moving on from that sort of thing... And then how the SGC pulls itself together quickly, and keeps going... And the subtlety of Sam and Jack's first time...
And Daniel! I didn't believe it at first, because it's Daniel, coming back from the dead is practically a second career.
Sam panicking and running from Jack was just right - in that situation, I can totally see Jack trying to get them to deal with it, and Sam freaking out. Their conversation when she'd finally done freaking was so cute - knowing what each other was saying without finishing their sentences.
And with SG-1, it's always darkest before the dawn - it ended on a hopeful note, despite the odds, and everything that happened. Loved it. Completely worth the wait.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-03 01:08 am (UTC)From:I didn't believe it at first, because it's Daniel, coming back from the dead is practically a second career.
Sadly, I manipulated exactly that expectation. *grins*
I hoped that Jack was acting in character. I was slightly annoyed at not being able to get in his head.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-02 12:58 am (UTC)From:Excellent.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-03 01:15 am (UTC)From:The Jack-and-Sam bits worked quite well and didn't feel forced, and all the other characters got stuff to do, and SG-1 got to save the universe again. Sort of.
That's really quite a nice compliment, and I'm not being facetious. Thank you.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-02 04:54 am (UTC)From:Loved the Sam/Jack. It's the end of the world and that's a tough way to consummate a romance. Thank gods Jack is smart and figures her out.
Oh, Daniel!! He's really dead, I just know it. Dang it. I have the feeling the rest of SG1 might be joining him soon, but maybe the Tok'ra will swoop to the rescue? A girl can dream.
Great fic,
no subject
Date: 2008-02-03 01:22 am (UTC)From:You have good instincts, sad to say. Yes, I believe he's really dead, too.
I just know that humanity is dumb enough to pull their own plug. It makes me angry, too.
Thanks for reading...I'm glad you liked it.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 01:14 am (UTC)From:Thanks for a lovely dose of SG1 and ship.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 06:05 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 04:46 am (UTC)From:That was just so, so good.
I admit to being skeptical when I read the prompt, but the way you transitioned from the fluffiness of '200' to angsty apocafic was pitch-perfect. And everyone was so completely in character, and the ending...oh, the ending! Poor Dead Daniel and Sam/Jack and teamy goodness and impossible odds.
So, so good.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 06:07 pm (UTC)From:You know, it wasn't until *after* I'd selected the prompt and started writing that I realized it was kinda odd going from '200' crackfic to a serious, dark, twisty apocafic.
Not to mention taking *any* of that episode as canon presents the fan with...issues.
I'm very glad I convinced you. :-)
no subject
Date: 2008-02-06 12:21 am (UTC)From:I love how you began this after '200'...all our heroes off-world together. I was like Sam, hoping maybe Daniel would come back (nekkid!daniel).
Perfection!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-09 07:55 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-03-15 01:01 pm (UTC)From:Can't see Daniel die... He just comes back, does he?
No, just perfect. Yes, but have to reread it, because it's just stunningly beautiful...
no subject
Date: 2008-03-17 05:20 am (UTC)From:Thanks again.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-24 06:45 pm (UTC)From:It's wonderfully done--the shift from party to apocalypse, the despair and determination of the survivors, Jack's reaction to learning what happened to Earth, Sam's reactions to both the situation and Jack. This is great! Oh, but poor Daniel!
no subject
Date: 2008-07-24 09:35 pm (UTC)From:Thank you!