“Some day?”
“If we ever get to keep one. Yes, sir.” She sighed. “I’d love to reverse engineer the stealth mechanism and figure out how it works. It can’t use only radar deflection, otherwise, we could still see it with the naked eye. On the other hand, if it bends particle — ”
“Ack, Carter.” Jack stuck a finger in each ear. “I’m begging you, stop.”
“Sorry, sir.” She dropped her head. “I just know that if we ever actually get to keep a cargo ship, Area 51 will get the fun, not us.”
“Yes, well… I’m sure they’d love to steal you away to play in their sandbox, given half the — ”
His radio squawked.
“
O’Neill
,” said Teal’c. “
We are being pursued. Ten, perhaps twelve Jaffa.
”
Over the radio, Jack heard the familiar sound of a staff weapon firing. He scrambled to his feet and thumbed the radio.
“What’s your twenty?”
“
Less than five minutes away
.”
Jack pulled his zat from the holster. “Head back toward the ship. We’ve got your six.”
“
Understood
.”
Carter grabbed the com ball and stuck it back in its webbing. “There’s some brush down below.” She pulled out her own zat and unlocked its safety setting.
Jack took a chance and popped his head up. Teal’c and Bra’tac had just run past the hill when another round of staff weapons fire erupted. Jaffa poured from the wood’s edge, staff weapons shooting off like they were going out style.
He crouched down again. Damn, why did plan B always come into play so quickly? With a curved sweeping motion of his free hand, Jack signaled Carter.
Head down the hill’s edge
. He then made a fist.
Hold for my signal
.
With a silent nod, Carter crept on a diagonal toward the bottom, her zat at the ready. A clump of dead brush at the far edge gave her perfect cover.
Teal’c and Bra’tac had cleared the hill when a red stream of staff fire shot past them. Jack jumped up, spotted the offending Jaffa, and shot him with his zat. Though too distant to knock the guy out cold, it was still a direct hit. The Jaffa dropped his weapon and stumbled to his knees.
Two more Jaffa started firing. Teal’c and Bra’tac spun around and shot them down within seconds. As a third Jaffa ran past the hill, Carter got him with a single burst.
Jack began to slide down the hill when he saw a glint of silver off the setting sun. A Jaffa’s skullcap — and it wasn’t Bra’tac.
Jack raised his zat, waiting for the telltale sign of another Jaffa. More staff fire shot past the hill. Teal’c and Bra’tac squeezed off a couple of more shots, never at the same Jaffa so they wouldn’t kill them. The red plasma bolts kept coming. Another Jaffa ran past and Carter zatted him quick from her hiding position.
The glint of silver caught Jack’s eye again. At the far side of the hill, above Carter. A big-assed Jaffa, tall as a house, built like one, too. Twenty, maybe thirty feet away. Jack shot his zat, but Mr. Tall-and-Ugly dodged it. The Jaffa raised his staff weapon right at Carter.
“Carter! Duck!”
Molten hot plasma hit the brush. A cloud of dust below let Jack know she’d rolled away just in time. The dirt cleared. Carter sprang up, zatted the Jaffa though she was too far away to stun him good. He took the hit, but kept on coming, his staff weapon blasting at her feet as she ran off.
From his position, Jack knew exactly what was going through Carter’s mind. If she shot the Jaffa again, he’d die. Huang would be pissed and there’d go the Stargate program. Carter followed orders, plain and simple. That’s what made her who she was, a damn fine officer and the best second-in-command Jack ever had.
Jack made the decision for her. With two flicks of his thumb, he dumped his pack and zipped it open.
Out came a P90, loaded and ready to bear.
Chapter Eight
PLANET DESIGNATION: LORD YU’S
HOMEWORLD (P3X-042)
STATUS: SAR MISSION UNDER ENEMY FIRE
APPROX 1930 HRS LOCAL TIME
3 JUL 03/0850 HRS BASE TIME
Jack flipped the safety and raised his rifle, ready to nail the Jaffa about to shoot Carter. He sighted the target, sucked in a breath, and watched as Teal’c tackled Tall-and-Ugly to the ground. Bra’tac laid down zat fire while Carter retreated with Teal’c at her side. They jumped behind a downed tree south of the hidden cargo ship.
Most of the first round of Jaffa were down for the count, knocked out by zats. A horn bellowed in the distance. Another wave of Yu’s troops heading their way. Too many for Jack’s liking, based off the number of war cries he could hear. He crouched low to stay hidden, knowing the element of surprise was all they’d have left.
There were three Jaffa left from the first wave, firing off round after round with their staff weapons. Bra’tac jumped out from behind the cloaked ship and took two down in the blink of an eye. Carter nailed the third. Jack took a fast body count. There had to be a good twenty Jaffa knocked out cold on the ground. All from zats. Back at the S.G.C., Huang must be tickled pink.
Again, that blasted horn bellowed.
If their position had been made, they’d need to scramble onboard and get the cargo ship in the air, fast. But just as Jack reached for his radio, some of the stunned Jaffa stirred.
“
Shel kek nem ron
,” shouted Bra’tac to the awakening Jaffa. “Lay down your arms in the name of freedom.”
“
Sholvah
!” An awakened Jaffa, scrawny as a tadpole, grabbed his staff weapon and fired at Bra’tac.
Jack held back on shooting from his hidden position, knowing Bra’tac was fast enough to escape the blast. Sure enough, the Jaffa Master rolled right, sprung to his feet and grabbed an errant staff weapon. He flipped forward, landing dead smack in front of the skinny Jaffa and clobbered him over the head. The Jaffa sunk to his knees and collapsed.
The other stunned Jaffa clamored to their feet. When a few reached for their weapons, Jack raised his P90, but Bra’tac stood firm. He shouted out his little Jaffa Rebel ditty again.
The enemy troops paused. One even threw his staff to the ground. Jack lowered his rifle and glanced over at Teal’c and Carter.
Damn it. Mister Tall-and-Ugly was up. Somehow he’d snuck around behind Carter and Teal’c. The Jaffa was maybe twenty yards off, his staff weapon raised high and ready to strike at their backs. Neither Carter nor Teal’c saw the guy coming. If Jack called out, or even used the radio, he’d give away his cover.
He thumbed the P90’s dial to single shot and sighted the bastard in his scope. His orders stated no killing. Fine. Jack hadn’t spent all those years in Special Ops for nothing. The Jaffa’s staff weapon head unfolded, red plasma crackled along its edge, and bam! Jack shot him in the arm.
Mister Tall and Ugly flew sideways and all hell broke loose. From Jack’s right, he saw more Jaffa round the hill, blasting up the ground like there was no tomorrow. Carter, Teal’c and Bra’tac picked off the first wave with their zats, but Jack wasn’t an idiot. Zats were no good against sheer numbers.
He grabbed his radio. “Hit the deck,” he ordered.
Jack switched to automatic and opened fire, shooting anything that moved. Down went the Jaffa by the trees. Another splatter of bullets took out the soldiers climbing toward him. One magazine spent, he slapped in another from his pant leg and kept on shooting. He had no choice. It was a case of kill or be killed.
First emperor of China, or not, Yu could kiss his ass.
If they survived long enough.
* * *
“I won’t do it. I won’t play anymore.” Daniel threw down the bowl of stones. “Not without some answers.”
Yu glared at him. “You cannot change tactics. Not now.” The distortion in the Goa’uld’s voice reverberated through the throne room, louder than normal.
“You want to kill me, then have at it.” Daniel closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe Oma was around.
Maybe Jack was right and Daniel would take risks he shouldn’t, knowing he might get the chance to ascend again.
Nothing happened.
Daniel opened his eyes to find Yu sitting back, his fingers steepled together. The flame from the nearest brazier reflected on the silver metal of the Goa’uld’s hand device.
Yu raised an eyebrow. “What is it you wait for? Will the same device that allowed you to enter and leave my fortress mere months ago not work for you again?”
Daniel swallowed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“No idea. Or you cannot remember?” Yu rose from his chair. With his hands behind his back, he strode off toward the far eastern side of the throne room. The moon was beginning to rise. With a nod of approval, the Goa’uld moved on. He paced the room’s perimeter.
For a brief moment, Daniel considered making a break for the door. Then he remembered the Jaffa standing guard outside.
“Look, why can’t you just tell me why I’m here?”
“Tell me how you came to be here months ago.”
Daniel shrugged. “I honestly don’t remember ever being here. Not in this room.” Which was the truth. Only a few random memories had returned from his time as an ascended being, the capture of Bra’tac and Rya’c being the most significant.
But whether he remembered anything else or not, telling Lord Yu or any other System Lord about ascendency would be paramount to handing over the iris code to Earth’s Stargate. It was bad enough that Anubis was partly ascended. Humanity could pretty much give up if any more Goa’uld figured it out or worse, found the lost city mentioned in the tablet he’d yet to fully decipher.
Yu had stopped walking when he neared the miniature cherry tree at the rear of the throne room. A hand came to rest on top of the jade statue of the woman and her children. The Goa’uld whispered to the statue, but Daniel couldn’t hear his words.
Giving one final pat to the statue, Yu turned back around and gave Daniel a long, studious look. “When last you were here, you were dressed in long robes. I have seen such garb on the humans of Abydos, when it was once ruled by Ra.”
Daniel flinched at the mention of his former home. His former life. His former love.
Those memories of his life years ago had been the first to come back. They were engrained within him as much as the memory of how to breathe, how to laugh, how to live.
Lifting his glasses with a thumb and forefinger, Daniel rubbed his eyes dry.
Yu returned by his seat, but remained standing. “Your time on Abydos is no mystery to the System Lords.” He stared down at Daniel. “What remains a mystery is how you not only knew of Anubis’ plan to attack Abydos, or how you knew about his plans to use the eyes of Ra. No…”
Yu’s arms lifted to encompass the room. “The real mystery is how you appeared here. And then,” he clapped his hands together, “you were gone. All for nothing. Abydos was destroyed.”
“You don’t think I know that?” Daniel whispered. So much lost. Sha’re. Skaara. Kasuf. A lifetime he’d never get back. The Goa’uld had destroyed that life. Under no circumstances could he allow them to learn what it meant to ascend. Otherwise, they would destroy everyone else’s life. If nothing else, Daniel realized now that he’d descended for that very reason. To contribute what he could to the protection of humanity. No matter the cost.
With a grunt, Yu sat down. “You know far more than you will admit, Daniel Jackson.”
“I really don’t,” Daniel said truthfully. “Asking me the same question in different ways isn’t going to get you an answer, either.”
“You have a choice.” Yu pointed toward Daniel’s bowl of stones on the ground. “Play your next move or remember why you cannot disappear as easily as last time.”
Daniel picked up the bowl of stones.
PLANET DESIGNATION: LORD YU’S
HOMEWORLD (P3X-042)
STATUS: SAR MISSION STANDBY
APPROX 1950 HRS LOCAL TIME
3 JUL 03/910 HRS BASE TIME
Before they completely lost daylight, Jack dragged the dead and dying Jaffa away from base camp with the help of Teal’c and Bra’tac. Some of the warriors had taken hits from his P90, while others were covered in scorch marks, the result of friendly fire staff burns. The sight sickened Jack. Blood was blood, no matter if it was the enemy’s or your own. He could stomach it, sure, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
They’d found the perfect spot fifty yards further east. Dead, broken up trees. Long hanging leaves drooping off bushes. The perfect camouflage. They covered up the dead Jaffa with branches and then zip-tied the injured to a massive tree trunk that even a healthy Jaffa couldn’t lift. No one spoke a word the entire time.
Once finished, Jack picked up his P90 and ordered them back to base camp. Bra’tac led the way, pulling back what branches were in their path. As they hiked back, he mentally kicked himself for not asking Siler to pack a rifle sling.
A sling would have come in handy, especially when Bra’tac let go of a branch too soon and it thwacked Jack in the face.
“Ouch!” He raised a hand to his left eyebrow and pulled it back. Blood. Just great. “You wanna watch what you’re doing?”
Bra’tac ignored him, stomping off toward the clearing. Jack turned to Teal’c. “What’s his problem?”
“He is upset, O’Neill.”
“I can see that.” Exiting the clearing, Jack watched Bra’tac join Carter by the pile of staff weapons she’d collected while they were gone. Overhead, the rising moon provided plenty of light. Too much light in Jack’s opinion. One glider flying by at the wrong moment and they’d be screwed.
Bra’tac flung staff after staff toward the far end of the field. Jack had a hunch what was bothering the old man, and under other circumstances, he’d let it lie, but given their current situation, it needed to be dealt with before they proceeded any further.
He strode past Carter, that damn com ball ensconced on her tact vest, and faced Bra’tac. “You’ve got something to say? Say it.”
Bra’tac raised another staff weapon over his head. “You should have waited.”
“For what?”
The staff weapon sailed past him.
“I might have swayed those Jaffa to our cause.” Bra’tac picked up another one.
“Not from what I could see.” A bit of blood dripped down his cheek. He dashed it away.
“You see only what your eyes will tell you, O’Neill.” He flung the staff further this time.
“My eyes could see plenty. That is, until you thwacked me so nicely with that branch, thank you very much.” Jack snorted. “From where I was, Teal’c and Carter were about to be toast. A whole new bunch of Jaffa were jumping into the party.”
“Our
zat’ni’katels
would have sufficed.” Bra’tac swept up yet another staff weapon, but Jack yanked it from his hands.
“Zats only work for a few minutes and you know it.” He tossed the staff weapon aside. “Tell me… what would you have done different?”
Bra’tac glanced over at Teal’c and Carter standing off to one side. Carter opened her mouth, but Jack dashed an open palm across his throat, the sign to keep out of the way. As much as Jack respected his teammates’ opinions, this needed to be hashed out between him and Bra’tac without interference.
Finally, Bra’tac looked back at Jack. “Retreat was an option. We could have taken the cargo ship and flown to a new location.”
“You ever hear of the element of surprise? We would’ve lost it if we landed somewhere else. Sooner or later, one of Yu’s little Jaffa would pull it together enough to make for home.”
Bra’tac jutted his chin out. “Warriors had lain down their weapons, O’Neill. Others gave pause upon hearing my words. Their hearts spoke of the desire to join our cause. You should not have shot them with your rifle. That was not our agreement.”
Jack threw up his hands in disgust. “And you think because a couple of Jaffa hesitated, it would’ve been okay if Teal’c or Carter took one in the back.”
“Because you have used your Tau’ri weapon, we will never know the truth.”
“He’s right, sir.”
Jack whirled toward his second-in-command. “Excuse me?
She yanked off the com ball from her vest and held it at eye-level. “General Hammond, are you receiving this?”
“
Loud and clear, Major
.”
She glanced up toward Jack for a moment and frowned.
“Carter?”
“And Ambassador Huang, sir?”
“
The ambassador’s right here beside me
.”
Jack clenched his fists. “What the hell, Major?”
Carter popped the com ball back into its webbing. She straightened to attention, her eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, sir, but by General Hammond’s authority, you are relieved of command.”