Into The Light 16

The Way

by Oliver Twist

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/aso/otwist/light16.php
Summary: Sam is recovered, but the Goa'uld threatened to invade the planet.

"To conquer others is to have power; to conquer yourself is to know the way."
Lao Ma

Back at the SGC, the post-mission briefing was going badly. Jack O'Neill sat beside Daniel at the conference room table. Teal'c sat on the other side of the table. Beside Teal'c, there was a conspicuously empty chair that should have contained Sam Carter. She should have been there bubbling on about some new scientific discovery that had completely baffled Jack.

"So, we've contacted the Tok'ra, sir." Jack said, "They could be here soon or in several days. It depends. Teal'c sensed the presence of a symbiote inside the other woman." He glanced up at Hammond's face. His commanding officer seemed abnormally calm. That could be either very good or very bad, but he had this sick feeling about the whole Carter mess.

General George Hammond was trying to take in the information that Jack O'Neill and Teal'c had just relayed to him. His bright blue eyes widened in surprise, and he ran his hand over the back of his balding head. He shook it in puzzlement. "What I don't understand Colonel is how two women could have attacked both you and Teal'c and beaten you? According to Dr. Fraiser, in fact, beaten you fairly badly. She was concerned about the contusions on your head although she cleared you for active duty. Do you have any explanation for that?"

"Bad alien drugs," Jack said bluntly.

"Yes and that's why we have protocols in place regarding the consumption of food when teams are off world. We can't forget what happened when you ate Kynthia's so-called wedding cake on Argos [Brief Candle]. But clean water! This is the first time water has ever been a problem." Hammond said staring at the face of his second in command.

"There's a first time for everything," Jack said glibly.

Hammond was sure that Jack was keeping something from him, but he couldn't begin to guess what it was, so he decided to try a softer approach, "Look, I know that the protocols are almost impossible to follow when there are official functions involved such as feasts. It's very difficult not to accept food and drink when you're guests on an alien planet. When would you say that things started to go wrong?"

"Well sir," Jack O'Neill dark eyes met blue ones Hammond's squarely. "I think when we drank some of the local water things started to go wrong. Now, as I said, we usually have no problems with the indigenous water on other planets. At least, we've never had a problem with water before."

"That's true," Hammond conceded, "Who was the first one to drink the water? I assume it didn't look any different than any other water."

"No sir it didn't. And it was completely my fault," Jack repeated the lie without turning a hair. Daniel raised his eyebrows, and he shot a questioning glance in Jack's direction. He recalled yesterday's events perfectly. He was the one who'd imprudently drunk the water first; his mouth gaped open for just a moment. He decided that he looked foolish, which was not a good look for someone with three PhD's, so he closed it quickly without making a sound, a gesture that was not lost on Hammond's keen eyes.

"You have something to add Dr. Jackson?" General Hammond's jumped on him quickly, his light blue eyes seemed to pierce right through him.

"Ah, no sir," Daniel glanced over at Jack. He wished that he could be a more convincing liar than his instinct was telling him that he was. His foster father, Dr. Walters, had had a hunter's instinct for ferreting out Daniel's small white lies, and he'd never been able to get away with them. So, he'd always 'fessed up, no matter what the cost. Claire, on the other hand, had a true talent for skating on the edge of the truth even when she was faced with the facts. "No Dad, absolutely not," she'd say with a completely straight face, "my girlfriend and I were working on a science project until late last night and we fell asleep." Science project, right, biology was much more like it! His mind drifted away from the matter at hand, and then he noticed that he'd received a quizzical glance from Jack. Daniel shook his head hard, trying to stay alert. How did he get himself into these messes anyway?

Meanwhile Hammond had begun fishing for details from Jack O'Neill about the disappearance of Sam Carter with the inquisitorial skill of Torquemada. "So, according to your report Major Carter seems to have lost her memory. She called herself Cyane, whoever that is? Is that right Colonel?" Hammond looked down the table at Jack.

"Yes sir," Jack deadpanned, "She was dressed in civvies. She told me that she was Cyane, queen of the Amazons. I said, "Carter what the heck is going on?" But it didn't stop her! She ran up my front and kicked me about oh, I don't know, a half dozen or so times in the head. Then she jumped behind me and did a nasty elbow jab thing. Then after that she threw me from a height of oh, I don't know, fifteen feet or so."

"Fifteen feet above the ground Colonel?" Hammond asked in a doubtful voice.

"It was at least that O'Neill," Teal'c responded quickly, "I think it might have been more."

"How did you happen to be fifteen feet from the ground?" Hammond questioned, wishing devoutly that this conversation was finished.

"Well sir, there were a lot of trees." Jack made a circular gesture with his finger, "You know the green universe thingey. And you know me and trees sir. She hauled me up into the trees by the shoulders and then kicked me several times in the head with her leather boots before dropping me to the ground. They weren't standard issue boots, sir!" Jack's face seemed to indicate that he thought perhaps Sam's footwear had something to do with her new and miraculous ability to beat the snot out of him, "And oh yeah, her buddy put the nerve pinch thing on Teal'c."

"The nerve pinch?" Hammond shook his head. This story was just getting stranger and stranger.

"Yes," Teal'c said enthusiastically, "The other woman with the long dark hair and armor said, 'I've cut off the blood supply to your brain, you have thirty seconds before you die. Tell me, what I want to know. What are you doing here?' I had heard this was possible, but I'd never actually seen it done. I told her that we were searching for Major Samantha Carter, and that we were there to trade for trinium."

"You didn't tell me that you'd told her about Sam, Teal'c," Daniel broke in.

"Doubtless, it escaped my mind in the melee," Teal'c said calmly, "I was most impressed with her fighting skills. There are few women warriors of her cunning and audacity, I'd like to get to know her better."

General Hammond felt the conversation was definitely getting away from him, "Perhaps, we could keep the side chat to minimum, Dr. Jackson," he said stiffly.

"Oh sorry sir, it's just that I didn't see the whole beating thing. Just the after effects," Daniel said artlessly.

Hammond sighed. Daniel Jackson followed his own conversational rhythms, there was almost no point in interrupting him, "Very well, what did Dr. Fraiser say about your injuries Colonel?"

"She said Jack and Teal'c had both sustained minor concussions," Daniel interrupted, "And that they seemed to be all right."

"We can go back and try to get Carter whenever you say the word," Jack said with a straight face, "But personally I recommend tranquilizer darts. Very potent tranquilizer darts."

"I'll take that under advisement, Colonel. And this nerve pinch thing?" Hammond blinked his eyes, wondering if this was really some bizarre dream, "How is this possible?"

"Dr. Fraiser," Daniel knitted his eyebrows in thought, "said that theoretically it would be possible to cut off the blood flow to the brain, although she'd never heard about it being done before. However, I know that one of the tribes on PXY-887 [Spirits] had some kind of similar ability that they used to induce a hallucinatory state during their rituals, but as you recall we got into some difficulties with them when we attempted to mine illicitly on their planet. So, we never saw the ritual. And now that planet is unavailable for exploration. So, we can't ask them about it."

"Thank you Dr. Jackson, I'll keep that in mind." General George Hammond held up his hand to restore silence, "Okay, let's go back to the night before. What exactly is this Beltane fertility ritual?"

Daniel put his hand up, and Hammond nodded at him wearily, "I think I could help here sir." Hammond heaved a sigh; sometimes Dr. Daniel Jackson had too much information for his own good.

Daniel handed out sheets of paper. 'God help us,' George Hammond thought, 'there's more.' The General looked down at the paper in his hand that contained at least ten references for further reading. Maybe, he should order Jack to take Daniel home and do something with him, anything, as long as he stopped talking. Experimentally, he attempted to think of Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson cuddled up together in bed. It beggared his imagination, but it made a smile come to his lips.

Daniel noticed the smile and mistook its origins, "Yes, some of these references are quite fascinating, General sir. As you'll see from the description, Beltane is a fertility ritual that is Celtic in origin and takes place at the beginning of spring, May the first in fact, and is named after the Celtic god Belenus who was actually a sun god. The horned god was Cernunnos, although you probably don't want to hear about that. The bad alien drugs Jack has referred to were doubtless some kind of aphrodisiacs that seemed to be in the water and the wine. So um, after dinner, there were various - ah - unscheduled sexual activities which we would normally have ah, skipped sir. Of course, Samhain happens on October first, and is the ritual day of the dead. The names of the dead were inscribed on stones and cast into the fire. It is said that real world and the underworld are close together on that day, and you will find many cultures that also share this belief. In addition..." Hammond waved his hand dismissively and interrupted Daniel.

Jack winced; Daniel always gave Hammond way too much information. "Yes, Dr. Jackson I think that's quite enough information! So, you three were running after the local females all night. Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"No sir," Daniel responded ingenuously, "Jack and I never touched any of the local females."

Hammond stared down the table at his second-in-command who'd suddenly turned slightly pink at Daniel's revelation. He'd had one frank discussion on the subject of Jack's relationship with Daniel Jackson just a little over a year ago at Jack's insistence. At that time, O'Neill had proffered his resignation if it was a problem, and General George Hammond assured Jack that it wasn't necessary since as far as he was concerned; he hadn't been told anything so there was no need to take any action. "Okay," he said out loud wearily rubbing his hand with his face, "We've had worse disasters." And it was true, they certainly had. SG teams had gone off world and had been held prisoner. Sometimes, they'd been tortured physically or psychologically or sexually abused by their sadistic captors. Sometimes, they hadn't come home at all or when they had come home it had taken hours and hours of psychotherapy to fix what was wrong with them. Hammond felt he had to ask the obvious question, "So, why after you were aware that it was going to be Beltane that night, did you stay?"

"Major Carter wanted to stay sir." Jack said reluctantly, "She felt that they were in the right frame of mind to trade with us. And we haven't been able to get anyone to trade trinium in quantity willingly with us. You told us that that was what you wanted out of this mission, sir. We were following orders."

Jack was certainly right about that. Well, Hammond thought, it wasn't nearly as bad as the time that SG-3 had gone to PX5-229 and disappeared for nine months. Teams had been sent out to the Stargate address and found a barren planet; it was assumed that SG-3 had been lost in action. They'd even been replaced. Then they'd come back home through the Stargate nine months later with wives and children. All of which would have been fine if two of them hadn't already had wives and children back on Earth of which they now had no memory. General George Hammond still had some unpleasant memories of being cornered at his front door by one of the wives of a missing soldier who'd turned up with a new wife and baby. That had been really, really ugly, and the memory of the angry woman at his door still sent a cold shiver up Hammond's back when he remembered it.

"I see. Yes, those were your orders." Hammond said wearily, "I'm assuming Major Carter was still in her right mind during the festivities?"

"I recall Major Carter leaving the festivities, and she was very much in her right mind," Teal'c informed the General.

"And what about the Amazon queen, Cyane? Was there ever such a person?"

"Yes sir," Daniel said to him, "She appears in the Xena scrolls which were discovered by the archeologist Jan Covington and the translator Melinda Papas in 1942 in Macedonia.

"Could Major Carter have read these scrolls, Dr. Jackson?" Hammond continued.

"I don't see how sir. They're written in a remote dialect of ancient Greek and haven't appeared in translation anywhere, at least the scrolls that talk about Cyane," Daniel replied.

"Could this memory have emerged during the mind transfer with your sister? Perhaps, the entity inside Dr. Walters once knew Cyane?" General Hammond looked intently at Daniel.

"No, I'm quite certain that's not the case. The scrolls say that Cyane was murdered by the warrior princess Xena before she reformed and began saving people instead of killing them." Tactfully, Daniel had decided to leave the rest of the story out but Hammond was too quick for him.

"And then what happened to Cyane, Dr. Jackson?" General Hammond's eyes watched him carefully.

He closed his eyes slightly, "According to the legend in the Gold Scroll, Cyane's spirit was imprisoned in the underworld in a place between the living and the dead along with her followers. Xena found a Amazon shaman called Yakut who helped her release the soul of Cyane and her followers, and permit her to travel through the Gate into Eternity," Daniel reported, "But it's a myth, sir!"

Hammond looked into Daniel's eyes, "Yes, and sometimes ancient stories have an uncomfortable habit of coming true around here. A shaman is a sort of ancient world version of a psychiatrist, isn't it?"

"Well, no sir," Daniel contradicted him, "psychiatrists are trained in the knowledge of how and why people do things. They don't try and raise the dead or call on the supernatural. Psychiatry's a science."

Hammond nodded slightly, "And what Dr. Walters did when she worked for the FBI Dr. Jackson, would that qualify as a kind of magic? I have a file full of letters from her ex-employers begging for her back; in fact, they seem to suggest that Dr. Walters has special abilities in profiling and tracking child killers." Hammond opened a file beside him. In the words of the ADA she worked with in New York, "She has an almost magical ability. We would like to request her immediate reassignment back to the FBI office in New York."

Hammond paused, "And do you know why I don't send her back, son?" Hammond focused on Daniel.

"Why sir?" Daniel barely breathed the words.

"Because the NID would simply take her back again. After all the things they've done in the past few years, I think it's safe to say that they'd never let her go. The President doesn't even trust them anymore, and neither do I. If I could, I'd lock her up under the mountain like Teal'c. No offense intended Teal'c," Hammond looked down over at Teal'c with an apologetic glance.

"None taken sir. I believe you are quite correct in your summation of the situation," Teal'c said solemnly.

Daniel's mouth opened slightly and Jack filled in the gap in the conversation, "I think what the General means Daniel is that Claire's abilities seem almost supernatural sometimes. I'll talk to her, sir. I feel responsible for letting Carter slip through my fingers."

Just at that moment, the red klaxons began to signal an incoming traveler.

"Well before we do anything else, let's see what's incoming shall we, Colonel O'Neill?" General Hammond said as he rose to his feet quickly. He went downstairs to the SGC control room, "What do we have Sergeant Davis?" he asked the Sergeant on duty.

"It's a Tok'ra signal sir." Davis responded.

"It must be Jacob Carter, we've been trying to call him," Hammond responded, "Let him come through." The wormhole engaged, and in a matter of minutes Jacob Carter was walking down the ramp toward Jack, Teal'c, Daniel and General Hammond who were waiting for him.

A smile crossed Jacob Carter's face, "Hello George, I received your message. What's up? From all your glum faces, I'd say something's up."

"Always glad to see you old friend, although I wish the circumstances were different," Hammond clapped Jacob Carter on the shoulder.

"Hey Jack, Daniel, Teal'c," Jacob looked at the three men intently. Then something triggered an impulse to ask about his daughter, "Where's Sam?"

Jack looked down at the ground with his hands in his pockets. He decided there was no point in hiding their problem from Carter's father. Additionally, he might have some new insights into their problem that seemed to have something to do with the Tok'ra. "Well, Jacob here's the deal. Sam's missing. We have a vague idea of who she's with and where. And we're sure that we stumbled into a Tok'ra operation on P5T-876. Now, as far as we knew, there were no Tok'ra operatives on P5T-876. And as you know, you guys are our allies. So, we usually tell you which planets that we're planning to visit, and you let us in on any kind of top secret," Jack made little quotation marks with his fingers, " Tok'ra operations that might be going on there. So, we weren't expecting to find anything except monuments, trinium and some Celtic villagers on Fergus. But Carter wandered off into the forest at night, and now she seems to be suffering from some kind of hallucination. And we can't get her to come home with us."

"Wait a minute, did you say Fergus?" Jacob asked, holding up his hand to halt the conversation temporarily. He dug into the front pocket of his Tok'ra uniform, and pulled out a few pieces of paper on which a printed series of alphanumeric planet designations were printed. Jacob shook his head vigorously, "When Aldwin was here last just before he died on Revenna, he made a list of the next two hundred names in the dialing sequence for the Stargate here in the SGC." He read the list out loud, "P4T-477, P5T-877, P5T-867. No P5T-876, we'd have told you not to go there. Someone's obviously reversed the numbers. It was probably Aldwin. He had a lot on his mind with the Revenna operation. Damn."

"Let's discuss this in the meeting room," General Hammond ordered, leading the way up the stairs to the conference room overlooking the Stargate. They all sat down at the conference table, Hammond at one end of the table facing the Stargate, Jacob Carter at other end with his back to the Gate. Daniel, Jack and Teal'c were in the their usual places.

Jacob ruffled up his hair in anxiety, "When you said Fergus, it clicked with me. It used to be the stronghold of the Goa'uld Artemis. She was, well, she and Baal were very close at one time if you get my drift. And then things fell apart between them. She only controlled one planet, but she originally came from a pretty primitive race. She demanded ritual sacrifices from the people, blood sacrifices. She used to leave the bodies of her ritual sacrifices pinned to the trees."

"Nice," Jack had a look of distaste on his face.

"Yes, but it would fit in perfectly with the beliefs of the people on P5T-876 if they originally were Celtic peoples who came from Earth," Daniel hit his forehead as the revelation hit him, "No wonder they were so afraid to go into the forest. They used to perform ritual sacrifices in the trees. How long was the Goa'uld in power there?"

Jacob nodded, "For, I don't know, a thousand years or so. That's why the people on the planet were so loyal to her for so long, in spite of her bloodthirsty nature. And that's why Baal hasn't done anything to disrupt things on the planet; he was scared to death of her. You know, she'd have cut off his balls and shoved them down his throat if she was still on the planet and he turned up!" Jacob concluded matter-of-factly.

"Beautiful image Jacob!" Jack lifted his scarred left eyebrow.

"It's not my job to provide you with pretty images Jack," Jacob said in an annoyed tone, "In fact, considering that you and your team stumbled into a Tok'ra operation right in the middle of Baal's planets, I think I'm being downright polite."

"Okay, so I'm guessing that the woman with the long dark hair is a Tok'ra operative who killed Artemis," Jack commented.

Jacob laughed, "Oh, it's much, much better than that, she's the host to Sil'ana, a Tok'ra of some note. Sil'ana and Selmak were two of the first Tok'ra to rebel against the Goa'uld. But this story has a much more unexpected twist!"

"I can hardly wait!" Jack said sarcastically, "Did you know your daughter and this Tok'ra woman, jumped Teal'c and me, and knocked us out earlier today?"

"The nerve pinch that cuts off the blood supply to your brain?" Jacob asked.

"You know about that? Nice of you to warn us! Yeah, Teal'c got the nerve pinch, but your daughter kicked me in the head at least a dozen times. She thinks she's Cyane, queen of the Amazons," Jack lifted his hand in an expressive gesture.

"Sam did what?" Jacob questioned.

"I told you," Jack said, "She thinks that she's the queen of the Amazons or something."

"Oh no! Okay," Jacob held up his hand, "What I'm going to tell you is totally classified Tok'ra information."

"Surprise me!" Jack said sardonically.

"About fifty years ago, the Tok'ra resistance on An'tak was contacted by the Asgard Loki. He's a kind of renegade Asgard who collects different races throughout the galaxy on which he conducts illicit genetic experiments, but his intentions are never bad or harmful, more mischievous."

"Like the Norse god Loki," Daniel interrupted.

"Yes," Jacob acknowledged, "Anyway, he had two female travelers with him. And as he described them, they were very primitive humans from Earth that he'd collected some 1,950 years earlier and kept in stasis. But they weren't just any humans." Jacob stopped for effect during his story but Daniel, who was on the edge of his seat, leapt into the discussion.

He pulled his glasses down and focused on Jacob. "All right, let me guess. Cyane - she appears in the gold Xena scrolls. The writer of the scrolls was supposed to be Gabrielle of Poteidaia." Jacob opened his mouth to talk, and Daniel waved his finger at him, "No, no don't tell me. Xena was supposed be dead. According to the scroll that was found by Jan Covington and Mel Papas, the spirit of Xena stayed with Gabrielle, but Gabrielle kept the dead woman's ashes with her. So, Loki contacted the Tok'ra because one of the women was sick like Charlie the Reetou. And we all know the Asgard can manipulate genes, but even though Loki could reconstitute Xena's ashes and spirit, but he couldn't remake them properly because he didn't know how even though he couldn't resist the challenge. And only a Tok'ra symbiote could heal her. So, how am I doing?" Daniel asked Jacob.

"Pretty good," Jacob commented, "Loki found Gabrielle walking on the road to Masada with her friend's ashes. He was intrigued by the fact that the one woman who was still alive had the spirit of the other woman with her, even though she was dead. He also saw the restoration of the ashes to human form and their reunification with their spirit as a challenge he couldn't pass up. Unfortunately, like so many of Loki's genetic projects, it went disastrously wrong. He wasn't able to fix Xena. He'd kept Gabrielle in stasis for 1,950 years. So, he called on the Tok'ra to fix the situation before the other Asgard caught up with him. Of course, he was lucky because both of the women decided to become hosts. Xena less willingly, I grant you, but Gabrielle is a fine host."

"So what does this have to do with Sam's amnesia?" Jack lifted his left eyebrow.

"Okay well," Jacob looked vaguely uncomfortable, "it's possible that if Xena gave Sam some Muhk'the, it might suppress her current life memories. That is, if Xena thought that Sam was someone she recognized from another lifetime."

"Wait a minute Jacob," Hammond stated clearly, "Are you saying that Sam could have memories from a previous lifetime or in fact this is possible?"

Jacob sighed. Suddenly, his host Selmak emerged, "I don't know what's bothering you about this. Humans are so narrow minded about past life experiences. It's a commonly known fact that most humans have residual collective memories of the past. While there is some debate as to whether these are actual previous life experiences or not, it's beyond dispute that they are there beneath the surface of the human mind. Commonly, the function of Muhk'the is to allow a Tok'ra to focus in on past memories their symbiote or a symbiote's previous host that might prove useful to the resistance. Normally, we don't give it to humans, but Xena would have sensed that a Tok'ra was once present in Samantha Carter from the naquadah in her blood." The glow in Jacob Carter's eyes went out and Jacob re-emerged, "As it is, Xena was never very good at following orders from the Tok'ra High Council."

"Okay, yes. So, all you have to do is come with us back to the planet and talk to Xena." Jack smacked the table and looked expectantly at Jacob.

"Well, that would be great if I'd ever met Xena," Jacob said with a shrug, "Selmak met Xena when his host was Saroosh. Jolinar and Martouf also met Xena, and they're dead. Garshaw of Belote is away on a mission right now. And Xena, as you might have noticed, is not known for her great affection for men who come bearing weapons. She prefers to fight with her fists. Your best conduit to Xena is to talk to Gabrielle."

"As we found out first hand Jacob Carter," Teal'c cut in, "I think General Hammond is correct in suggesting that we should speak to Dr. Walters. After all, it would not adversely affect our situation and we don't actually know why Major Samantha Carter has decided that she is Cyane. Perhaps, Daniel Jackson is wrong. This compulsion could have come from the entity originally in Dr. Walters."

Jacob nodded in agreement, "Look, I can't go with you to Fergus, but I think you should bring enough ordinance to prepare for a possible attack from Baal. He keeps well hidden monitoring equipment with anti-tampering devices on the Stargates on planets in his territory that aren't under his control. If he saw SG-1 come and go from Artemis's planet, unharmed, he will assume that Artemis is dead or unable to fight him. We've been careful not to gate to P5T-876 in order not to make Baal aware that there is a Tok'ra holding a planet in the middle of his territory. If we assume that Baal's reactions to a possible opening in his territory are typical of a Goa'uld, it would take him a few days to send a reconnaissance party to Fergus or he might come fully armed. Goa'uld's are unpredictable. Our choices are to stay and fight or to evacuate the population that is scattered throughout the planet. I'll have to get my hands on a suitable Ha'tak ship or any other suitable cargo ship in the area. That'll take some time. But a planned defense with claymores and a suitably armed population should hold Baal at bay long enough to evacuate some citizens through the Gate and hopefully find a suitable transport. I'll go back to the Tok'ra home base and find out about a vessel. I can probably bring Freya back with me."

"Oh joy, oh bliss, the mad scientist herself!" Jack muttered under his breath, hoping that only Daniel had heard him.

"She's the best I can do at short notice Jack," Jacob fixed Jack with a look that said he'd heard O'Neill's commentary. "In the meantime, I agree with Teal'c it wouldn't hurt to talk to Daniel's sister. She might have some useful insights in how to get Gabrielle to open up to you."

"Me! Where are you going to be?" Jack asked him.

"Were you listening? I'm going to get a Ha'tak or any other suitable ship to evacuate the population. I heard that one had been stolen from Osiris' fleet, but I'm not sure where it is. Since this was a Tok'ra operation, we do have some responsibility to the local population to try and make sure that they don't fall into Goa'uld hands," Jacob responded testily.

"Well, that's just peachy!" Jack complained loudly.

"All right, that's enough Colonel O'Neill. You go and see if you can pick up some tips from Dr. Walters," Hammond countered, "and while you're at it, you can tell Dr. Walters to go home. I saw her on my way in and it looks like she's going to drop that baby any minute."

"She's at least a couple of a months away from her due date sir," Daniel responded.

"When you've had as many children as I've had son, then you can tell me all about due dates," General Hammond responded, "When my wife got that look, she was always about a month away from delivering."

"We're going away in a month," Daniel told Hammond, "to Provincetown."

"Well," Hammond smiled, "Since Dr. Fraiser will be with you, I guess you'll be well covered."

Jack left Hammond, who was taking Jacob back to the Gate Room. He took the elevator up to the sixth floor and got out. Sometimes, it amazed him that the psychiatric floor was actually in the same complex as the rest of the building. You couldn't get very far on the sixth floor without running into Sergeant Denise Fuller, and of course there she was - the world's worst marine - in the flesh. She was busy filing her long varnished non-regulation nails. This week's color seemed to be an interesting shade of maroon with matching lipstick and three-inch stiletto heels, also non-regulation. He tried not to look at her chest, which was difficult because there was so much of it. Jack had given up on trying to reform Sergeant Fuller USMC, and concentrated on what he needed instead.

"Can I see Dr. Walters, Denise?" Jack gave her his most charming smile.

Denise stopped in mid file and batted her eyelashes at him and oozed southern charm, "Why for you Colonel sir, I'd do any little old thing to oblige you! Dr. Walters is just writing up her reports. I told her that she should be at home resting, but she came in anyway because she had a couple of morning appointments. She told me that she was going to visit Provincetown in about a month, but I wonder if that baby's going to be out by then. Are you sure Dr. Greenblatt couldn't help you sir?"

"No, it's a personal matter," Jack said.

"I see sir." Denise dropped her nail file on top of a pile of letters that she was in the process of preparing. She smiled hopefully at Jack again, and dialed Claire Walters's number, "Colonel O'Neill is here," she told her. She hung up the phone and flitted her eyelashes once more, "She'll see you right now sir. She says to go on in. And sir?"

He turned around and looked at Sergeant Denise Fuller who had just licked her lips nervously, "Yeah Denise? Something on your mind?"

"It's just that," she whispered in a nervous undertone, "I think you ought to know that," she tipped her head in the direction of Claire's office.

"Yeah sure you betcha'," he came closer, "You can tell me."

"You all be careful in there," she whispered, "She's a mite tetchy lately, you know."

"Thanks Denise," he said solemnly, "I'll be sure to watch my step." Denise smiled, having delivered her message of impending disaster. She flicked her fingernail at the pile of typing on her desk and thought about the crabby pregnant woman down the hall. She looked at the typing again and sighed. Dr. Greenblatt was always cranky about whether the work got done early in the morning or later in the day, and usually Dr. Walters was less fussy, but her boss really hadn't been herself lately. No point in taking chances! She'd do it now, but she'd be much happier in a couple of months when this was all over.

Meanwhile, Jack found himself opening the door at the end of the hall. Claire Walters was removing her feet from the chair where they were propped up. "My feet are swollen," she explained, gesturing to the chair.

"I could get another," he offered.

"Forget it! Sit, talk, tell me about Sam," she pulled at her yellow linen suit jacket to rearrange it neatly. She'd kicked her shoes off under her desk chair, and she was wearing a skirt.

His eyes opened wide, "Your clothes. You're wearing a skirt, bright colors. Did someone at the NID die or something? You look so - well - so bright. Sort of like a daffodil or something," but the words faded on his lips. Claire was usually cheerful, although he'd rarely seen her wear bright color whether at home or at work.

She pushed her hair out of her eyes, "I feel like anything but a daffodil. I think Wordsworth had it wrong, you know, my heart doesn't 'dance with the daffodils.' Maybe, it's all that early spring in England. It leads to unnatural cheerfulness. Jan helped me pick these clothes. I couldn't say no, she was so persuasive. You see these things," She snapped the pantyhose leg slightly, "they were invented by sadistic men who hated their mothers."

Not being one to contradict an obviously cranky, overtired pregnant woman, he decided not to say that her new wardrobe was an obvious improvement on the old one. He recalled Sara in the last two months before Charlie was born, and thought that cranky hadn't even begun to cover it. Maybe, he should just shut the door and back away slowly. "So, you fell asleep," he said carefully. "You look tired, maybe you should go home."

"I just drifted. I can't sleep at night." She shifted in her chair.

"Maybe you should go home," he said again.

"I'm just as uncomfortable there as I am here," she rubbed her hazel eyes and pushed at her hair irritably, "I think I'd cut the whole mess off, if Jan wouldn't get mad. She likes it long. I say its time for the scissors, myself."

"Okey dokey," he held up his hands, "I'm certainly not coming between Dr. Napoleon and your hair. Get Daniel to help you!"

"Get Daniel to help you," she mimicked crossly pulling her braid out in front of his bewildered eyes, "Do you see this hair? Look at it!"

"It's dark brown," he said cautiously, "And it seems a little dry."

"Dry! Dry! It's a hairdressing disaster. If I had more spine, I'd buzz the whole mess off. Do a GI Jane. The only thing that stops me is, that woman Janet goes to is terrible! And she's the only hairdresser I know about. Did you see what she does to Jan's hair, it's God awful! Her hair used to be dark brown. And the cut, they should leave a lawnmower in front of the shop to show everyone her handiwork. My beautiful bubeleh with the pansy eyes has blonde streaks in her hair. I ask you!!"

"I thought Janet looked okay," he said hopefully.

"Okay? Please my Janet is beautiful. It's that foul hairstylist - red hair, longer hair, blonde streaks, lightening it, back to dark brown. She should be shot." She seemed to cheer up momentarily at this suggestion. Maybe she was thinking of hiring a contract killer for the hairdresser. Then her mood darkened, "Maybe Sam knows someone better, but you've lost Sam haven't you?" She scowled faintly.

"Maybe, I should come back tomorrow." he started to get up feeling uncomfortable, "When you've had more rest."

She swiveled over in front of the door and shut it with her nylon shod foot, "Ah ah, no leaving 'till the Doctor says. Last week, I actually gave my desk scissors to Sam. I told her. Just cut the damned braid, but she's too chicken as well. So, what did you do with Sam?"

"Who said I did anything with Sam?" He asked her, "I thought you weren't reading minds these days."

"Don't be silly," she said, "I promise to stop driving you crazy. I'm just being hormonal. I'm just tired of sleeping with a football on my stomach. So what do you want to know?"

"Tell me about Cyane," He said.

Her eyes narrowed, "Cyane, queen of the Amazons - I haven't heard that name in a long time," Her hazel eyes got a far away look, "She got lost in the neverworld of the dead, and was unable to walk through the Gate of Eternity and move on to a new life."

"Why?"

"Alti. She was a powerful witch who harnessed the power of the Amazons once they were dead, so their souls were held captive forever until they were released," she said slowly.

"So why does Carter think she's Cyane?" He asked her.

"Probably because she was. You don't need my answers to the pop quiz on Reincarnated 101, you know them already," Claire told him.

"But she's forgotten that she's Carter," he pointed out.

"Well, I don't know what kind of crazy drugs she could've been exposed to. Maybe, whoever blocked the memories of her present life thought they were doing her some kind of favor? How should I know?"

"Teal'c sensed a symbiote in the other woman," Jack added.

"Well, you'd better ask Jacob Carter about that one. The Tok'ra have access to all kinds of stuff I can't even begin to imagine. And I can imagine a lot," she peered at him closely. "You didn't come here to tell me that."

"No," he said slowly, "Is there something in the past that can help us?"

Claire grasped his hand. "I can take you if you want," she said holding on tightly. Suddenly, she seemed much closer, he was deep inside her eyes, falling into the dark irises ringed with a lighter gray, "You think it's me, don't you Jack? But it's not me - I'm only a conduit. You've had the Ancient's knowledge in your mind all along, and they were travelers too." Her voice seemed to come from further away, "I can take you with me back to the old time or into the future."

The grip of her hand seemed to fade away, his body was floating freely over time and space. He was in the forest; there was a fire and the smell of death everywhere, or maybe it was the smell of the drying blood from the wild animal that had been killed. They'd drunk it to open the portal to underworld. Claire's face was covered in it. Well, she looked something like Claire, but she was different as well. There was a tall dark woman dancing around the fire with her. They were fighting a power, a power that was strong and malevolent, but Jack had seen the same hunger in Claire's eyes, a hunger for the knowledge that the witch possessed. "After Alti died, I took her skull in secret to hold onto her power. I did a terrible thing," Claire whispered, "And I paid for it later. When I was Yakut, I died young. But that's not where we met, and it's not what you need to know. This is my beginning, but we need to go back to yours!" Her dark eyes were intent on him.

"Tell me what I need!" he demanded. Then he felt his hand close tighter on hers, "Tell me," he insisted.

"Two make one Jack," her voice seemed far away, disembodied and deep, "I can only show you, I can't tell you anything. Alone, I only come here in my dreams, but if two make one we can go this way by the path of wakefulness." Next, he was with her at the crossroads in an empty valley in a battered Model T Ford. They were dressed in heavy traveling clothes from the turn of the century. The road ahead of them was deeply rutted, and he could see a cross on a half-ruined building close to the near horizon. A map was spread out on the vehicle, and their driver was looking at it intently.

"There's no one here, sir!" he said apologetically in a clipped English accent, "I've worked for the Red Cross for many years. I told you that this is what we would find! This may be Anatolia, and there were farms and archaeological ruins near by, but as you can see nothing is left." All around them was the smell of burned and burning homes, dead animals and the overpowering stench of death, "But where is David?" He asked helplessly looking around him.

Then he turned to Claire, "What are we going to do?"

She took his hand, "It's all right. We found him eventually, together." she said, "But you can't get stuck here, you need to move further back."

"I don't know the way," he said helplessly.

"Come with me," she said. The crossroads in Anatolia faded away, faces morphing into other faces, places coming into focus only long enough to slip away again, blurring as time propelled them backward. Then there was nothing but the beating of his heart in the centre of his chest. He could hear it, his heart's resounding swish and thud, the sign that he was alive in the world and part of it.

Jack glanced down and saw that he was seated a long wooden table. He'd just finished his meal of fish and rice. Someone was telling a story. It was a story about a woman called Lao Ma, and took place in the farthest reaches of the world. A small blonde woman with short hair who spoke his language with a strong Greek accent told the story.

As she talked, he remembered her name - Gabrielle of Poteidaia - and who he'd been. When he was a young man, his father Phlanagus had gone away to fight for Caesar's army as a mercenary leaving his family behind. Phlanagus had died defending his small village in Greece. Jack's name had been Temecula, and he'd wanted to kill and avenge his father. At that time, Gabrielle had told him that once he killed, it would change everything in his life. And that had turned out to be true. After the experience in his village, his mother took him and his younger brother back to her childhood home in Galilee.

His mother died. He and his brother, rebaptised under the new names of John and Luke, had continued to live in the small village of Magdala by the Sea of Galilee, working as fishermen. Then one day a scribe by the name of Daniel had arrived. Daniel was a friend of the man they called "The Teacher", and he brought his two sisters with him. Jack had been married when he was a very young man, but his wife Sarah had been killed in one of the interminable Roman raids on their town. She had been pregnant, and he took no other wife.

However, when the scribe Daniel had come to the village with the Teacher, he'd fallen in love with him from the start. Daniel's startlingly blue near-sighted eyes, his light brown hair and patrician profile had set Jack's heart on fire. He'd married Daniel's younger sister to his brother, binding their families together to keep Daniel near him. He was embarrassed and ashamed of his forbidden love. Then during the wedding festivities, they'd both had too much wine to drink. He'd woken up with Daniel in his bed the next morning. He was worried that he'd seduced someone who'd been an Essene monk, a man of religion and learning. Later, he discovered that Daniel had seduced him and was worried that Jack would be angry with him. They worked it out, but only the inner family circle knew about their secret passion.

The Daniel in his dreams was looking at him from his place at the end of the table with the same forthright blue eyes as his Daniel. Jack turned his attention back to Gabrielle. As she reached the climax of her story, Gabrielle looked straight into Jack's eyes as though she had a message explicitly for him alone, " And then Lao Ma said that to conquer others is to have power; to conquer yourself is to know the way."

"What is the way?" he said in puzzlement.

"It's the same thing that the Teacher and Eli taught you," Gabrielle explained, "It's about the way of peace and acceptance. It's like the inner voice inside of you, your conscience. It's about letting go."

"Daniel is my conscience," he told Gabrielle.

Then, he looked down and found the dream Daniel kneeling beside him. "No Jack," he said, "I'm not your conscience. Teaching comes from inside - from inside your heart. Lao-tzu writings, inspired by his wife Lao-Ma, say that teaching without words, performing without actions, that is the master's way. I'm your mate, not your master. Some day you will follow the way of the master. To conquer others is to have power; to conquer yourself is to know the way."

"I'm just a simple soldier," Jack responded in puzzlement, "The way isn't for me. It's only for you and Oma and the Harsesis child. I'm not like that."

"No Jack," Daniel contradicted him, "The way is for you more than you know. Remember and put it in your heart." He touched the centre of Jack's chest, and he felt the warmth penetrate him to the marrow of his bones.

"Daniel," Jack said as he skimmed his fingers lightly over his lover's light brown hair, "How many lifetimes?"

"So many I've lost count. We two are one, Jack!" Daniel said fiercely, "Even when you lose me, you'll always find a way to get me back. But that doesn't matter today. Just remember Lao Ma's words for now. Repeat them to me."

"To conquer others is to have power; to conquer yourself is to know the way," Jack told him thinking that Daniel had always really had been the same, the keeper of his conscience, the voice of his passion.

"Good - remember it in your heart," Daniel's face morphed into another face, one that was new and yet familiar at the same time. The last time he'd seen her she'd taken the Harsesis child back through the Stargate. Now, she was wearing a white dress and a halo shone around her fair face.

"Oma de Sala," Jack observed, "So, it's been you all along. No weird cryptic questions about the meal and the fire then?"

She held out her hands to him, "What good would asking you such questions be, Jack? They would only serve to divide us. You are closer to us than you think."

He stood his ground, "I don't think so. You've got me mixed up with the guy with the blue eyes and glasses."

She smiled enigmatically, "I think you'll find he has me confused with you."

"That makes no sense," he said his eyes were hard and doubtful.

"That does not make it less so," she said gently.

He became angry, "If you're so powerful, why don't you fix Claire? Why don't you destroy the Goa'uld who enslave and kill thousands? Why don't you do something? How can I possibly follow the way? I'm a soldier not a diplomat. Tell me what to do for once."

"You will know what to do when you see Gabrielle," she began to fade away, "I will see you again, very soon."

"Not likely," he said.

"Very well, we will do this the hard way," she said, "But when the time has come for you to know the way as I once taught it to Lao Ma, you will remember."

As he came to, the pastel walls of Claire's office came into focus. He was seated opposite her, and his cheeks appeared to be damp. He quickly dabbed at them, "I, I was afraid that you'd take me to see Charlie." Although he wasn't afraid of being vulnerable in front of Claire, he'd told Malochi the truth the day he'd said that he never wanted to face that day again. Only one thing could make him relive his past, and he didn't ever want to consider that possibility - the loss of Daniel. He knew that would face anything and anyone to find Daniel if he lost him.

Claire was still holding his hand in hers. Her eyes were sad, "If I could help it, I'd never take you there. But it isn't just about me; it's about you as well. Together we can go places, neither one of us can go alone. Someday, you may want to visit the past in order to reach into the future. If that day comes, I can't guarantee the places and things we might see before we come home."

"Can you see the future?" he asked her.

"Perhaps I could do that with your help. But the future is clouded by emotion and fear. It twists and darkens the path. For now, you just need to remember the words of Lao Ma."

Jack sighed, "To conquer others is to have power; to conquer yourself is to know the way." He said aloud, "But what does the heck does it mean, I mean for me?"

"You'll know when the time comes," she told him.

"I'm just an ordinary soldier," he said shrugging his shoulders, pushing away the thought that he could be more, "I couldn't save the world if my life depended on it. I couldn't even save Charlie."

"It was an accident," she said fiercely, "A tragic accident, but still an accident." She ran her finger across the top of his navy sleeve where it edged out over the cuff of his dark green shirt and the rest of her fingers disappeared on the other side of his hand. He stared at it. Her hand was so small; it would have been short work to break her hold. Finally, he felt the warmth of her fingers as she latched onto his wrist, trying to get his attention. "No Jack, you're not ordinary. Isn't that what Thor told you? You can be so much more. I see it. Danny sees it. I don't know why you don't see it."

"If I try and be more than I should be, I could destroy those that I love. Hurt them in the way I hurt Charlie," he protested.

"Never going to happen," she said her eyes glowing with feeling, "You can lie to everyone else if you want, but you can't lie to me. There isn't anything ordinary about you. I've known you inside out Jack O'Neill. We've fought together. I've watched you die by the inches, and you've watched me burn to death. Danny saved you for a reason. It's all for a reason."

Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, "When I came here from New York, I was dying inside. Sometimes, Jack this life seems too easy for me. I was good, really good at what I did. I had a good life in the big city, a lover who was an ADA, and I was at the top of my game. But it was eating me alive even if I was good at what I did. So when I hit the wall, it was meant to be. I screwed up and I came here. I knew when I met you I was meant to be here. I don't believe in luck or accidents. So believe me when I say you're different than the others. You were born for this, your time. The future is uncertain, clouded with pain and suffering, but you'll find your way. I know it in my heart. You have something important to do in this world."

"You must be mistaken - Daniel, Sam, even Teal'c - it must be somebody else," he protested.

She shook her head, "Perhaps, it's both of you - you and Daniel together. I don't know. I just feel it."

"But the alternate realities!" he said, "In the alternate reality that Daniel visited I was responsible for destroying the world because I was unable to ally with Teal'c, and I was apparently in a relationship with Carter."

"So, Daniel makes the difference for you," she said, "Is this such a surprise to you?"

A sharp rap came at her door. Without waiting for a response, Daniel stuck his head in the door, "Jack, Hammond wants to know if we're ready to go. Did you find out anything useful?"

"This spiritual stuff is more up your line, Daniel," Jack grumbled, "But Claire says it's up to me."

Daniel gave at his sister the same huge grin he'd been giving her ever since he found out Jack was going to be a father. He wondered to himself if Janet knew how much trouble Jack O'Neill was going to be after the baby was born, and decided that she was probably up to the challenge. "What have you been telling Jack?"

"I wasn't telling him anything exactly. It's what he told himself," she said.

"Now, there's a psychiatrist's answer to a simple question." He grinned at her again, "So how do you feel today? Hammond says you should go home. And even Denise thinks you're cranky."

"I feel like I ate a football, Danny. I want this thing out of me - as in now! And maybe I will go home."

"Liar, you'll never go home. At this rate, that baby's going to be born in the infirmary here in the SGC," he responded.

"Those who live in glass houses Danny," she tilted her head.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, maybe we shouldn't go to Provincetown in four weeks," he said a trifle anxiously.

"I have some -" then she stopped suddenly as though she'd been about to say something else, "No I want to go. It'll be okay. The beach in the middle of June should be nice. You guys could just stay here. Or you could go to one of your digs and get some more musty old pots instead of going all the way back east."

"As if that was going to happen on Jack's watch," Daniel said easily, "And leave you open to get taken by the NID, I don't think so."

"I'm seriously cranky," she warned.

"We'll deal," Daniel waved a hand at her as he swept Jack out of the psychiatric offices and down to the locker room on level 25.

~*~

The underbrush on P5T-876, he reflected, was just as unpleasant and bug-infested as any other underbrush in this all-too green galaxy. At just that moment when Jack O'Neill smacked the fiftieth mosquito off the back of his neck, he fervently wished that they were anywhere but beside a river. He was heavily coated in heavy-duty insect repellant, and he cursed aloud as he swatted another one just below his clavicle. He thought about his cabin in Minnesota, and wondered if it was possible that they had a blackfly season here as well. He glanced over guiltily at Teal'c who was following the path with extreme concentration.

He met Teal'c eyes who gave him a frighteningly serene smile, "It is payout time, O'Neill," Teal'c assured him solemnly.

"I think you mean payback Teal'c," Jack narrowed his eyes.

"You are quibbling with me over words when you know exactly to what I'm referring," Teal'c said clearly.

"Yeah, I remember it for crying out loud. It was just a little cloud of blackflies that hit you at dusk when you were fishing," Jack recalled. It was really Jack's fault; he'd failed to tell Teal'c about the blackflies or how they could mass when the sun went down.

"Indeed, they were a ravenous hoard. I was forced to dive into lake water that was extremely frigid because it was May." Teal'c said sternly.

"Oh for pity's sake, I forgot that the blackflies were coming out. Didn't I serve you a good dinner, steak and potatoes and salad? And a great big dessert," Jack said defensively.

"You did attempt to bribe me with food following the incident. Both Major Carter and I were intensely relieved when you finally took a mate, so that we didn't have to fish with you any longer," Teal'c's censure seemed severe despite the calm, unruffled expression on his face.

"It's just not that bad," Jack protested, "Daniel's sister goes fishing with me."

"Daniel Jackson is a saint and his sister is an angel." Teal'c responded calmly.

"A mate," Daniel complained, "You make it sound like Jack descended on me like a caveman and carried me off to his den of iniquity."

A smile touched Teal'c lips, "I know nothing about iniquity. However, I'm give you a heads on because I'm confident that someone is approaching us from the left side. Move behind me, Daniel Jackson, if you value your life."

A small, long-haired blonde woman jumped out of the bushes to the left just in front of Teal'c, "Okay," she snarled bearing down on them with a wooden staff, "What are you doing in our campsite?"

Teal'c hefted his staff weapon with both hands and blocked her swift forays with the staff, "I come bearing greetings from the Tok'ra."

"Oh yeah," her eyes flashed, "Which Tok'ra?"

"Jacob Carter who is the host of Selmak," he said warding off her blows.

"Never heard of him," she countered pushing Teal'c toward the river, "Saroosh is the host of Selmak."

"You fight with exceptional agility, Tok'ra, but you are behind the times. Saroosh has passed her symbiote onto Jacob Carter, the father of the woman who is with your companion!" Teal'c grinned as he parried her thrusts.

"And you J'affa, are also very skilled, but you're going to find I'm full of surprises!" Her eyes shone with the inner white fire of her symbiote.

"Good I like a challenge Tok'ra," Teal'c found that despite her size, she was swift and agile. He felt exhilarated. The Tau'ri did not normally enjoy a good fight as this woman did.

"That's enough," Jack shouted.

"You're in my territory," the woman shouted. As she turned to brace herself for another attack by Teal'c, Jack saw the large tattoo of the dragon on her back. It was an unforgettable mark, and he remembered it from dreams in his childhood. He'd asked his mother whether he could have a tattoo of a dragon, just like the woman in his dreams, and she'd laughed at him thinking he must have seen something like it on a superhero on the television. As he examined it's greens, blues and reds, the memory of the tattoo in his dream came back to him with crystal clarity.

"Stop it Gabrielle," Jack said in a serious voice. Teal'c and Daniel stared at him in astonishment, as did the woman. The woman lowered her staff. "I, I remember your tattoo," he said. Jack had turned slightly pale. "You told me," he insisted, "You told me that to conquer others is to have power; to conquer yourself is to know the way. Claire reminded me, but I'd have still known you. You told me that I wouldn't ever forget it if I killed someone. Well, I've killed a lot of someones now." He shook his head and turned away slightly, "Damn it, I remember you." his face contorted with feeling, "Gabrielle, you, you - " he pointed his finger at her and stamped his foot in anger, "We were friends, a long time ago. But sometimes you have no choice, you have to kill people then and now. And right now is one of those times! There's a really big mean Goa'uld coming right this way and you have to help us get the people off this planet."

"Jack?" She lowered her staff in surprise. Temecula, she'd told Temecula about the burden of killing. He'd moved to Galilee, and been renamed John, by Eli although everyone called him "Jack". Before Loki had kidnapped her, Jack and Daniel and their family had been the last people she'd seen on the Earth. She stepped closer to Jack, "It's you, isn't it? And you're familiar too," she nodded at Daniel, "You're a scholar, a linguist. Your name used to be Daniel."

Daniel shook his head, "Apparently, it still is Daniel. I'm sorry. I have no memory of you at all, in any lifetime. But we were looking for Gabrielle of Poteidaia. It's just that I didn't anticipate my friend's reaction to you. I only knew that you were the symbiote to Lyn'ak, the Tok'ra historian and archivist. However," Daniel tilted his head, "If you're Gabrielle, you're the writer of the red, blue and gold scrolls. And as an archaeologist, it's something of an honor to talk to a living legend, never mind the most famous writer of the Tok'ra histories. We'll have so much to talk about, particularly your Greek which I must say is beautiful, and of course your knowledge of the ancient world which is..."

"Daniel, Daniel," Jack interrupted him, "You're blithering."

"No," Gabrielle smiled, "actually, I wanted to hear more about my beautiful Greek." She blushed, "Because I'm no scholar myself. I'm just a humble bard who travels with Xena, writing her story." She fanned herself with her hand and giggled slightly, "How did you come to read the scrolls?"

"Oh, the scrolls yes. They're in the British Museum," Daniel turned slightly pink, "Your scrolls, they were the greatest archaeological find of the 1940's. They were discovered by Melinda Papas and her partner in a cave in Macedonia in 1942."

"The greatest find of the 1940's," Gabrielle played with her hair, "Oh wait until Xena hears about this."

"Oh right, right Xena, she's your partner right," Daniel was so excited he actually bounced slightly with the intensity of his feelings, "But I want to know more about the writing of the blue scroll in China. Is it true that you and Xena were the first western travelers to actually reach China?"

"Well Daniel," Gabrielle started to talk, then stopped, "Oh I'm being so rude. Who is this with you?"

"You've met Jack my partner," Daniel said, "And this is Teal'c. But of course, Lyn'ak knows that he's a J'affa."

"Pleased to meet you," she shook Teal'c's hand, "You fight well. I haven't enjoyed myself so much in a long time."

"Indeed," Teal'c's eyebrow went up.

"And I'm pleased to know that Daniel is still your partner Jack," Gabrielle smiled at Jack, "Of course, I'll take you to see Xena and Cyane."

"So, when were you going to tell me that we'd been together several lifetimes? Not just one or two!" Daniel made an aside to Jack.

Jack put his dark glasses on and looked intently at Daniel, "Um, if it ever came up. So, probably never."

Daniel compressed his lips in a thin line, "And this would be because?"

Looking at his feet in embarrassment, Jack mumbled something, "Oh for God's sake Danny, talking is just not my thing, emotional mush and all that stuff. You know how I feel about ya'."

Daniel exhaled loudly, "And that's all I'm going to get from you, isn't it?"

"Pretty much," Jack shrugged, "But I'll show you how I feel later." Jack's dark eyes slanted down at him.

Daniel found his mind deviating to points southward. "You old flirt," he told Jack.

Jack smiled then turned his attention to back to Gabrielle, "So, like this Carter memory problem. Do you have some stuff to fix her up or is she going to try and beat the crap out of us again?"

"Oh, there's an antidote to the Muhk'the. It actually wears off on its own after a while, particularly if the person is stimulated by their memories of the present," Gabrielle explained.

"Why did Xena give it to her in the first place?" Jack asked her, "Was it just curiosity or something else?"

Gabrielle gave him an intent look, "She needed a break from being Major Sam Carter, and Cyane was once Xena's friend."

"But Xena killed Cyane!" Jack said.

Gabrielle nodded, "Before I knew her. Yes, she did. But I think Xena felt this made things even between them, if you understand what I mean."

As he ruminated, Jack considered his life before he marched through the Stargate with Daniel Jackson at the rear of the team. Daniel's passionate words to Jack on Abydos had awakened a person that Jack never thought he could be, a person he'd been before Special Ops, a failed marriage and Charlie's death. The fact that Daniel was now his partner, lover, friend, companion and soul mate was a wonder to Jack. When Daniel had come home from Abydos after losing Sha're to Apophis, Jack taken him home and tried in some small way to make things even between them. However, Jack had only succeeded in falling in love with Daniel instead. This woman understood about death, debt and repayment. With a casual tip of his head, he acknowledged the weight behind her words. Xena owed Cyane something and Carter had once been Cyane. It made sense. "No," he said aloud, "I get it." That Carter was once a queen and an Amazon wasn't so surprising either.

Gabrielle turned back to Daniel almost shyly, "It's several hours walk to reach Cyane and Xena. So, I thought maybe we could talk about my stories? That is, if you really want to."

"I have so many questions," Daniel became so excited over this prospect that just watching him made Jack want to smile, but as usual he kept any expression of his emotions in check. Any moment, Daniel was likely to start rummaging his pack for a tape recorder. He caught Jack's eye with a half-apologetic grin. He was like a kid at Christmas, "I hardly know where to begin," Daniel said, "Oh, all right let's talk about the Greek Gods. We're still trying to figure out what alien race they were because they weren't Goa'uld. For example, Aries did he really offer Xena the chance to become the conqueror of all the known world?"

Gabrielle practically bounced with exuberance, "Yes, he did. And you know, Aries always wanted to get Xena in bed, not that he was such a great attraction. If you like the muscle-bound, smoldering evil warlord type in black leather, I guess he's okay." She sniffed, "You know what its like being with these strong, silent types, how people are drawn to them! Sometimes, you need to beat them off with a staff," Gabrielle shook her head to illustrate her irritation with this problem.

Daniel smiled knowingly at Jack, "Well yeah, strength and power exude an air of sexual attraction."

"I would never have thought of you in those terms O'Neill," Teal'c said quietly in Jack's ear, "Clearly Daniel Jackson has you confused with some kind of stud bun. O'Neill would you not say rather that Daniel himself was quite the stud bun?"

"I think you mean muffin Teal'c," Jack said, "That's a stud muffin. And it would probably be taking my life in my hands to call Daniel a stud muffin."

"I see," Teal'c said, taking a rare opportunity to tease his comrade-in-arms, "Perhaps you are the cuddly sweet one?"

Jack shifted his P90 to his left side, "Yeah sure you betcha'! I'm a regular teddy bear, Teal'c. Could we move it along here folks? We've got a planet to save and only a few hours in which to save it."

~*~

They'd been walking for three hours and Gabrielle was still talking. She'd left Cerna and Alweg back at the encampment. There was no question about it. This ongoing chatter was mainly Daniel's fault. Jack was surprised that Daniel had so many questions to ask Gabrielle without the aid of notes. Daniel and Gabrielle talked about the political infrastructure of Ancient Greece for so long, that Jack was starting to get a headache from the discussion of local taxes, warlords, wars, sieges and crop plundering. Whatever else was true, Jack thought that the Ancient World sounded like a terrible place in which to live. Give him a cold one and his back yard any day! Then they reverted to stories of individual warlords, and things picked up for a while until Jack got lost in the numerous histories and names.

Until now, Jack had believed that he'd never meet someone who could talk faster and lecture longer than Daniel, but Gabrielle could give Daniel a run for his money any day.
So, he and Teal'c reconnoitered ahead of the two chatterboxes, who were not moving with what Jack would term alacrity, despite Jack's many admonitions "to hurry the hell up."

Much of the trip had been uphill, and they finally came out onto a large meadow with a great many small bell shaped blue flowers with a pleasantly fragrant perfume something like Lily-of-the-Valley. They were overlooking a deep green valley that spread out beneath them on both sides. At the bottom of the hill, Jack could see the river far below them. Its banks widened out and cut a swath that bisected the land in two parts. There were only a few trees here. Jack reflected that the land would be perfect for farming. Put a few sheep herds dotting the landscape with perhaps a border collie or two, some waving fields of grain and a plowed field of potatoes and it would look perfect. He thought about a short trip he'd taken to England with Daniel. Yorkshire had looked like this, dark green fertile land with stone fences. Yes, Jack thought, there was no doubt about they could definitely do with a pub just around the next corner, that would make it almost homey.

Teal'c was silent for a moment. "The Eastern Wolds of Chulak are like this. It is said in the olden times, before the Goa'uld, that my ancestors lived in such places and farmed the land. There are still places like this in your world, are there not O'Neill?"

Jack narrowed his eyes scanning the landscape for signs of Sam and Xena, "Yup, in some places in Europe and England. Places just like this, but they're full of people. This land is so empty."

"It is what we are fighting for my friend," Teal'c clasped him by the shoulder, "Daniel Jackson is enjoying the company of Gabrielle, is he not? She can talk the rear leg off an ass."

Jack bit down hard on his lip to stop from smiling at Teal'c strangely appropriate mixed metaphor, "Does something amuse you O'Neill?" Teal'c inquired.

"It's talk the hind leg off a donkey," he told Teal'c.

"Yes, and that too," Teal'c's serious eyes contained suppressed laughter.

Jack's chocolate eyes met Teal'c's darker ones, and he noticed a smile tugging at the corners of Teal'c's mouth. "You made another joke Teal'c," Jack observed with pleasure.

"At least if we wait here, we will not be beset from the trees by Major Carter in her civvies," Teal'c observed serenely.

A voice reached them from over the top of the hill, "And then I said, what are we doing here, Springtime for Warlords? And I realized that we were going to need a lot more blood and action in the play if it wasn't going to flop. And if there's one thing I know about, it's blood and action. So I said that we were going to have to rewrite every scene." Gabrielle paused for breath momentarily as she and Daniel reached the top of the hill, "And my gosh, we're here. Isn't it peaceful?" She raised her head to sun, "Smell the flowers, hear the wind, it's so perfect. Well, it's just over this rise in the hill." Then she led Daniel down the hill through a cluster of trees, and he could hear the sounds of them meeting and greeting. Jack and Teal'c sighed and headed down the pathway.

He could hear Daniel talking to someone, doing the peaceful explorer thing for the benefit of a new audience, "I'm Daniel Jackson. And I'm guessing that you're Xena and you're Cyane. Well, except that you're not really Cyane, you're really Sam Carter. Another peaceful explorer." Jack could hear Daniel hesitate for just moment before he continued, "Oh and a scientist. You're a scientist and a major in the US Air Force, and a lot of other stuff besides. And we're close friends."

Now, Jack could see the tall black-haired woman who'd attacked Teal'c that morning and Sam in her civvies. They were attractive civvies, he'd grant that - a long dark red skirt with a slit for easy movement and a sleeveless light green top and really kick-ass boots. No question about it! He supposed she was wearing extra special super hero under shorts under the skirt, but he decided that his curiosity wouldn't impress Daniel.

Just as he and Teal'c reached the other group, Daniel was doing his little you and me thing with his index finger, letting Sam understand by his body language that there was something between them. Sam promptly misinterpreted his action.

"You are my mate?" Sam asked in somewhat dubious unflattering tone, "I sense nothing like that between us."

"Oh that," Daniel said politely, "No, we're just all close friends."

Sam Carter closed her eyes and held her head as though she was trying to get something free from it, "But that's not true, is it?" She glanced at Jack, "I remember you with Daniel, last night. He was doing things with you. He's your mate."

"The Muhk'the is wearing off Xena," Gabrielle nodded to Xena.

Jack rubbed the back of his head, "Okay, Carter. You've got me there, he's my mate."

"It's so hard to remember," Sam closed her eyes as if she was thinking hard. "The name Carter seems familiar. There are children I think," Sam rubbed her temples, "It's all confused in here. There's a child called Cassandra, but she doesn't belong to you. You once had a child. He was called Charlie, but he's dead."

"Yeah, Charlie's dead Sam," Jack said softly.

Her blue eyes opened wide. "Oh my God," she said ingenuously, "I beat you up this morning, sir!" She came over and stood in front of Jack, and she touched the black bruise along his jawbone. Even the memory of being Cyane again was beginning to fade in her mind, "Did I do that sir?" Her cheeks flared red with embarrassment.

"Yes, Carter I'm afraid you did. Teal'c and I are going to have to revoke your gym privileges," Jack said with a wry twinkle in his brown eyes.

"Oh crap!" Sam exclaimed, "Where are my clothes, my gun and my pack?"

"I don't know," Jack tilted his head, "I kind of like that outfit, especially the boots. They're quite groovy."

"Groovy sir?" She asked puzzled. He noticed that a faint scattering of freckles had come out across her nose.

"Well, you've got some freckles, I guess you forgot to put that extra strong sun guard on your face for once. You look refreshed. Don't you remember, Carter? I did order you to get a life. It looks like you finally took me seriously," Jack gave her a pleased glance.

"Yes sir," she said dutifully, "But I don't seem to recall any of it accurately. I dreamed that I kicked you in the head and threw you out of some trees."

"That wasn't a dream Carter!" he said matter-of-factly.

"Is this going to go in the mission report sir?" Sam turned ghostly pale.

"Carter, as I recall, there have been a number of mission irregularities that we won't be putting in this mission report," he commented dryly, "But we have some more serious problems than the fact that you threw me onto the ground from fifteen feet."

"It was more like eighteen feet O'Neill," Teal'c gave Sam a straight-faced look of mock annoyance.

"Oh God, I could have broken something!" Sam looked alarmed.

"Yeah, but ya' didn't did ya'?" Jack came over and clapped her on the shoulder. Carter was a good soldier, and rarely made mistakes. She'd be taking her fall from grace a little hard. Sam Carter, soldier and theoretical astrophysicist, stared at the ground, her cheeks burning scarlet and fully aware that she'd beaten up her commanding officer just that morning.

She hung her head in contrition. Why did she always have to spend long hours in her lab fiddling with machinery in order not to feel alone? Jack and Daniel had each other; Janet had Claire. At least, Teal'c had once had a wife. Cassandra had Janet; soon, Janet and Claire would have another child. Gabrielle had Xena. The loneliness that had almost swamped her before the SG-1 had left Earth was back again. She looked up and saw Teal'c's dark eyes watching her attentively.

"You have good friends and a true family with us all Samantha Carter," Teal'c said with infinitely kindness.

"Sometimes, it isn't enough Teal'c," her voice husked slightly.

"Better a dinner of herbs and friends within," Teal'c said gently, "I feel sure that sometime, somehow your heart will find a way."

Jack gazed at his second-in-command, and notice that she had sniffled. Sniffles were not in Jack's comfort zone unless children were making them, "Geez Carter, we're all here for you. It's like family you know. You just need to get out some more."

"Yes sir," she sniffled again, "But sometimes life just sucks."

"I think," Jack proffered, "that Janet and Claire and Cassandra are all dying for you to go over to their place when you get home and tell them all about the suckage thing - a doctor, a psychiatrist and a teenager. You can't lose. They just love that kind of stuff!"

"And I don't mind either," Daniel offered and went and put his arm around her.

"Oh you're the best friends that anybody ever had," Sam burst out.

"Absolutely Dorothy," Jack agreed, "But right now I need you to tell me if we're dealing with a good witch or a bad witch. Is this a North/South thing, or an East/West problem?"

"Belinda, sir," Sam answered promptly.

"Gotcha," Jack beamed.

He'd been a bit concerned when he'd learned that Xena had once been a warlord in Ancient Greece, a reformed warlord but still a warlord. He looked over at the woman in the black leather and the bronze armor breastplate that had once been some kind of hero from the mythic past.

In one glance, he summarized her worth. Daniel had told him her story, a story of redemption after a life of losses and evil deeds. Jack weighed his own past in his mind, and wondered how it would feel to be a conqueror. At least, he'd never burned a village down to the ground based on foggy intelligence from an unknown source. He'd been a fighter pilot, and he'd worked on countless covert operations. However, he hadn't killed women and children - just other soldiers. For just this minute, he realized how much heavier his burden of guilt could be.

So he extended his hand to the woman in the black leather outfit with the bronze armor and smiled in greeting, "I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, and I'm pleased to meet you. I take it that you're Xena. We've been looking for you all day. Teal'c here says that he's never seen a warrior with your moves before." He pointed out Teal'c and then Daniel, "And my other friend here, Daniel Jackson is dying to ask about your breast armor. I believe it's called a cuirass. He's been talking Gabrielle's hind leg off for the best part of three hours."

Xena's blue eyes looked straight at Jack, sizing him up carefully. Then she stuck out her hand with a grin, "Thanks. You're the first visitors that have gotten past the Stargate in over sixty years. You fight well for a J'affa, Teal'c."

Teal'c bowed his head in acknowledgement, "Perhaps, you'll teach me that pinch move."

"Perhaps," Xena nodded, "And Daniel Jackson," she took his hand warmly, "Welcome. Finally, someone to listen to Gabrielle's stories."

"We're here to help you hold this planet or get the residents to safety through the Stargate. You're in the middle of Baal's territory, here." Jack informed her. He removed his dark glasses so that she could see his eyes and judge his intentions.

"Well, that's nice of you," Xena stated, "But we wouldn't have a problem if you hadn't come blundering through the Stargate a couple of days ago. Because of you, Baal is probably now aware that the Goa'uld Artemis is probably dead."

"We had no idea you were here," Jack said bluntly, "When SG-9 came here initially two days ago, we were just looking for trinium. That's a metal we use for a bunch of stuff, if you ask Carter here I'm sure she can tell you all the technical applications. So SG-1 came the next day after negotiations with SG-9 bogged down. Daniel here is the best linguist and archaeologist that we've got. He can help us negotiate with any new culture and Carter understands what the stuff's for. Teal'c and I are really just sort of decorations to prop the whole enterprise up."

"Much more than decorations," Daniel reproved, "You're our team leader. Don't let him kid you, he's pretty able to get us out of any trouble we can find."

"I can see that. Didn't the Tok'ra tell you that we were here?" Xena's eyes were wide open with a question in their blue depths.

"There was a failure in communication," Daniel said smoothly.

"In Daniel speak, that means no," Jack met Daniel's eyes.

"In Jack speak, that means I took more than one word to explain myself!" Daniel tossed his head.

"Do they always argue so much?" Xena inclined her head in Jack's direction.

"More," Teal'c and Sam responded with one voice.

"Well," Xena said changing the subject, "when do you think Baal will turn up?"

"He'll probably send a reconnaissance force through sometime tomorrow morning to check things out or if he's feeling really cranky a whole battalion. It depends. Although it's strange that he hasn't tried to come through the Gate before," Jack said.

"Not really," the white light of Xena's symbiote Sil'ana glowed in her eyes, "The Goa'uld are infinitely patient, just as they are infinitely evil. He's just playing a waiting game, wondering if another System Lord will dare to take Artemis out. Then he can move in."

"This is true O'Neill," Teal'c followed up on Sil'ana's words, "There are many Goa'uld throughout the galaxy, clinging to their small worlds. They are content to work their evil there without seeking to extend their influence. In Baal's mind, the time he has to gain a foothold in this world is infinite, and is extended every day by his time in his sarcophagus."

"Okay, this is the plan," Jack said to Xena, "Jacob Carter - he's the current host of Selmak - he's out there looking for a Ha'tak or a cargo ship or something so we can evacuate the residents of the other settlements on this planet quickly. He wants us to try and hold back Baal's forces for a day. How many other settlements are there?"

"There are two enclosed settlements about two days march south-west of here and one to the north-east. The northeast one, Argyll, is very small. Locally, aside from the horses, there are only a few outlying farms to the far east of the village." Xena told him.

"Horses?" he questioned.

"Yeah like this one," Xena whistled and a light brown horse with a white muzzle came trotting up from the underbrush, "This is Argo, she's mine. So, what did you plan to use for weapons?"

"Well, there we can be somewhat more helpful. As soon as we contact the SGC on Earth FRED, that's our mobile device for carrying supplies, can be ready to go with a full stock of P90's and MP-5's almost immediately. They'll also send enough claymores to place a perimeter the outside the village," Jack told her.

Xena shook her head in concern, "I'm not really happy about using guns. And claymores will uproot trees and mess up the landscape. These people live off the land."

"Look I know that blowing things up is wrong on so many levels, but the J'affa under Baal will have staff weapons and mines with them as well as many other weapons. Not to mention that Baal can shield himself during the attack." Jack pushed the brim of his baseball cap back to reveal his forehead. He felt frustrated. Small lines of apprehension appeared in wrinkles near his brown eyes. He understood that she was loath to use their weapons, but she really didn't have any choice in the matter. Hand to hand combat was going to get a lot of people enslaved or killed quickly. "If we don't use guns, then they'll just take the fortifications more quickly and kill or capture everyone that's left," he said bluntly.

"This is very true," Teal'c said swiftly, "When I was under the service of the Goa'uld Apophis, we would strike the population with all the means at our disposal. The more attractive men and women would become bed slaves and the others were forced into hard labor in various capacities in Apophis's other colonies. Many of them did not live long."

"But these people have never used any weapons like these before," Xena looked troubled, "I don't know how they can be trained to use them in the time you've suggested."

"Daniel told me when they defended the planet Abydos against Ra, they taught the people to use these kinds of weapons to defend themselves, Xena. And most of the fighting force was done by young boys," Gabrielle broke in.

"That's true," Daniel advised, "We taught them quickly. It was either that or death."

"I don't like any weapon that means it isn't a fair fight," Xena looked troubled.

"Would you rather the population be enslaved and captured by the Goa'uld?" Jack asked her.

"No of course not," Xena responded quickly. She thought quickly, "Okay, we'll take the guns. You'll show me how to use this thing?" she gestured at Jack's P90.

He grinned, "I'd be delighted. Although like Teal'c, I'm dying to know about the nerve pinch thing."

They turned around and started walking back toward the main settlement, a walk of several hours. Sam found herself keeping pace with her commanding officer.

"Sir," she said after an awkward pause, "you know I'm sorry that I hit you."

"Kicked my ass is more like it Carter," he said firmly.

"Right." She fidgeted slightly, "I was just wondering about my - um - uniform, boots and other stuff."

"Oh you wanted to get out of the civvies? I don't know Carter, you look pretty good as you are. And of course, the boots," Jack glanced down at her laced calf high brown boots, "are really quite something."

"Yes sir," her blue eyes had an anxious edge.

"Ja-a-ck," Daniel said in his warning voice. Sometimes, Jack just didn't know when to stop teasing.

"Yes Daniel?" Jack inquired guilelessly.

"Just tell her," Daniel hissed.

"Well," Jack shoved the brim of his cap forward on his head, "There'll be a new set of BDU's for you on FRED. Your boots, pack and gun are safe. We already found them."

"Thank you sir," she said in some relief.

~*~

Instruction in the safe use of firearms, a la Colonel Jack O'Neill, had gone far better than Jack had expected. Three large boxes of MP 5's and P90's had turned up on FRED along with lots of ammo, claymores and C4. And Sam Carter was back in her uniform.

After he'd contacted the SGC, Jack had received word that Jacob Carter had found a beaten up Ha'tak that he was piloting toward the planet as quickly as possible. Additionally, SG-1 had found out about some new and interesting uses for the pitch that the residents of the planet used to seal the roofs of their homes. Gabrielle had rounded up all the larger cooking pots. She instructed the children to help heat up a large cauldron of pitch. The cooking pots would be filled with the hot tarry oil, and dropped on anyone trying to breach the walls of the stockade. It would be a useful deterrent.

At the same time, Jack and Sam supervised the placing of claymores around the perimeter of the stockade on timed charges. Jack had hoped that there would be enough time to send for more claymores from the SGC, and Hammond had sent SG-9 and SG-12 to help defend the settlement. Everybody and everything had been pulled back into the stockade when a huge force of hundreds of J'affa was disgorged from the Stargate.

After an extended discussion with Epona, Xena had also succeeded in finding a group of local archers with crossbows. Additionally, the P90's and MP 5's had been handed to anyone who looked worthy of hefting a weapon. The training session on the use of the weapons and reloading the cartridges had gone without a hitch. The fact that Xena was not Artemis, and that Artemis had been dead for almost sixty years seemed beside the point when the citizens of Fergus discovered that another Goa'uld was coming to join them shortly, a Goa'uld who would bind them in chains and send them to work in the deepest darkest salt mines on the planet farthest away from this small green piece of God's universe. They understood that quite clearly. Colonel Jack O'Neill USAF had been restrained, patient and careful in his instructions, and had not once resorted to his usual sarcasm in spite of being quite intent on handing out his fifty odd guns to the right people.

These people, Jack understood, were innocents unaccustomed to handling the weapons that delivered automated death, and he would not have given them the guns unless he felt that the situation was desperate. He tried to get the elders to consider sending the children through the Stargate, but they stubbornly refused. What good would sending the children through the Stargate do, they reasoned, if their parents weren't going to leave? They'd simply be orphans, a terrible fate in this culture.

Their cultural context was something that Daniel, as the anthropologist, had to explain to Jack, and even then he didn't like it. He didn't like defending this planet against the Goa'uld with a small number of weapons. Moreover, the people on the planet understood that if they left they'd have to leave the outliers far from the Stargate in a particularly tight spot. These were their brethren, and they would be leaving them to certain death and imprisonment. No, they told Jack nobody would leave the village. They'd either all go or none of them would go. Jack nodded wondering whether he'd see the sunset on this day. He certainly could see no way out of this dilemma.

At the present time, Baal's forces were sitting just beyond the ridge of claymores. Gabrielle and Daniel were standing at one of the many towers along the outer wall perimeter of the stockade, staring out into the distance where Baal's army waited for something to happen. The weather had closed in, and it had become colder although it hadn't rained as yet. Swirling mist disguised some of Baal's troops in the far distance, but they still knew that there were hundreds out there.

Baal, being a Goa'uld, was standing on a hillock in a short black leather vest with bright metal studs. If he wasn't a Goa'uld, Daniel reflected, he wouldn't be so bad looking although Daniel himself never went for that bad boy look. In fact, Daniel couldn't really think of any Goa'uld who actually turned his crank. He remarked on this to Gabrielle.

"He looks like any warlord," Gabrielle observed, "Mad, bad and dangerous to know."

"I thought that was Lord Byron," Daniel commented dryly.

"Same idea! Some Tok'ra had a book with Byron's poetry with autobiographical notes on An'tak. But I think Baal could give old Byron a run for his money in the bad department," she gave him a cursory glance before ducking down behind the tower.

"I don't know, Byron slept with his sister," Daniel informed her.

"Oh, yuck, really? Anyway, just look at him poncing about over there! He doesn't look that different from Aries strutting his stuff. What do you think he's going to do now? It's too bad he's too far away for a crossbow shot to get him," she said.

"Okay campers, what's the good word?" Jack said coming up the inner stairs of the tower.

"He hasn't moved yet, Jack," Daniel reported.

"That's 'cause he hasn't decided which J'affa soldiers to throw on top of the explosives and kill in the first wave," Jack said ruminating on Baal's battle strategy, "You see, he'll make his move any time now."

"How are we going to hold the settlement until Jacob arrives?" Daniel questioned Jack.

Jack's face darkened in worry, "Aw crap Daniel, I'm damned if I know! I just hope Jacob gets here sooner than he thinks. But we'll end up fighting them hand to hand if we have to." Jack ducked down behind the tower, then glanced out at the opposing forces. He shook his head dubiously, then he put his hand on Daniel's shoulder by way of reassurance, "We'll do what we can Danny. We can't do anything else. By the way, it looks like Baal's launching his offensive."

Baal made a signal to his troops, and a wave of over a hundred J'affa soldiers started running toward the claymores. Jack leaned over and made a hand signal to his second-in-command at the foot of the tower, "Carter, they're headed this way. On my mark," he whispered urgently.

"Yes sir," she spoke softly back to him.

He waited, his very breath quiet and stilled until the J'affa were just in position. "Now Carter!" The J'affa and their staff weapons flew into the air in the ensuing explosion. Most of them had been killed outright, but Baal had no time for wounded J'affa.

"By the gods!" Gabrielle exclaimed, "He can't mean to send another wave right over those dead men."

"That's exactly what he plans to do, Gabrielle!" Daniel said grimly.

"He's a snake-head Gabby, that's what they do," Jack added.

"I'm not sure if I shouldn't be offended by that," Lyn'ak said emerging briefly, "Sometimes, Gabrielle is shocked by the ruthlessness of the Goa'uld, although I remember battles where the rivers ran red with blood when the Goa'uld fed their J'affa armies into the killing machine of war. I pray that one day the J'affa rebellion will succeed." Gabrielle emerged again, "Lyn'ak thinks he's coming back soon."

"And we have a little surprise planned when he does," Jack pressed his lips together grimly.

Signaling again, Baal urged his J'affa army to press forward again. They came, hurling themselves over their dead or dying comrades without a second thought, feet slipping occasionally on blood, pushing the bodies out of their way as they pressed forward for another strike at the battlements.

Jack O'Neill's eyes narrowed. In the endless clang of battle, he knew that he could afford to speak louder. He hadn't seen any gliders from above, but just as he wondered about that there was a Death Glider on the distant horizon. He yelled down, "Wait for it, Carter. On my mark," Jack counted soundlessly on his lips watching attentively as Baal's J'affa troops came closer and closer, but Jack and Sam had carefully seeded the ground with more claymores underneath the bracken near the wall, knowing that the directional mines would hit the J'affa, and not touch the battlements. They hadn't had quite enough to do the same kind of damage that they could inflict on the first wave, but it would be worse because it would be unanticipated.

"Now Carter!" Jack yelled. This time, the J'affa were less prepared, being sure that the first wave of claymores had been their only problem. Many J'affa were killed, but still more drew back only to be urged forward by Baal and his First Prime. At that moment the glider made it to the settlement and started bombarding the village. Jack started to ask himself how he was going to get the people out to the Stargate. Around him, houses and other buildings burst into flame, but the children, the infirm and those who were ill were located in a dug-out cellar where the Death Glider couldn't reach them.

When the next wave of J'affa reached the barricade, the surprise was somewhat different - gallons of hot pitch were poured over the battlements on top of the invading forces. The air was filled with the screams of burned J'affa. The MP 5's and P90's that Jack had given out to the citizens picked off J'affa soldiers who were too blinded by the burning oily substance to move back from the main gate quickly. Others ran away unharmed, alarmed and surprised by resistance from the local population who clearly didn't want to be sent to work in Baal's mining colonies or taken as his pleasure slaves.

Behind them, however, were still more J'affa soldiers ready to kill and die for their god. With renewed vigor, Baal urged them forward until they were close enough to toss adhesive mines at the gates of the village. Assault after assault finally managed to breach their defenses.

Now, J'affa were climbing over the charred and burnt wood of the main gate and the dead bodies of their comrades. Gabrielle looked down and saw that Xena was standing before the gate holding her chakram in her hand and her sword at her back. She threw it, and it sawed through the heads on the staff weapons of the first assault team. Jack ran down the stairs. He aimed his P90 at Baal who was heading for the gap in the gate. Baal smiled at him as the bullets bounced off harmlessly. Jack grabbed the knife at his belt and tossed it. It made it through Baal's personal forcefield, and embedded itself in his thigh. Baal yelled Goa'uld curses at his enemy.

"Damn you too," Jack yelled back. Daniel and Gabrielle followed Jack down the steps to stand behind him. Epona, Finn, Pelagius and Belanus were at the side of the gate in readiness with their P90's.

Baal controlled his pain with a supreme effort, "O'Neill of SG-1, it is such a pleasure to meet you at last," Baal sneered. He lifted his hand to direct the staff weapons' fire of his Prime and the rest of this army toward Jack.

"No," Daniel shouted stepping forward prepared to throw himself in front of Jack. If Jack died, at least they'd do it together.

At just that moment, Baal and his Prime disappeared in a white flash of light. It happened so quickly that there was barely time to realize that Baal's troops had also gone. Daniel looked up into the sky; the Death Glider was gone as well. Around him he could hear the wind wailing and the crackle of wooden buildings as they burned. Suddenly, an unremitting ice-cold rain began to fall from the low dark gray clouds.

Then Jack, Sam, Teal'c, Xena, Gabrielle, Finn, Epona and Pelagius disappeared in a bright flash of light as well. Daniel shrugged his shoulders and looked at Belanus. Behind Belanus were Cerna and Alweg, "Oh well," Daniel commented to the sky, "Forgotten again." The words were barely out of his mouth when he too disappeared.

Soon he became aware that they'd all been beamed into a round Asgard council chamber, "Greetings Dr. Jackson, O'Neill, Teal'c, Samantha Carter, Xena and Gabrielle as well as our honored guests: Epona, Finn and Pelagius," said a small quiet voice.

"Thor," Jack's voice was jubilant. "Old buddy. How are ya' doing?"

The guests were seated around an Asgard High Council table. Two other Asgard were in attendance, one who Jack recognized as Freyr, the Head of the Council, but the other one was an unknown Asgard. Jacob Carter was seated beside Thor with Gabrielle and Xena between him and the unknown Asgard. Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were on the other side of Freyr along with the citizens from Fergus.

"I am quite well," Thor responded tranquilly, "Although the same might not have been said for you had I waited any longer."

"Yeah," Jack beamed at Thor, "Gotta' thank you for that."

"Asgard trickery," the scornful voice of Baal reverberated throughout the chamber of The High Council of Asgard, "You have robbed me of my rightful prize. I demand to be placed back on the surface of the planet to finish my conquest."

"If you will wish to return to the planet's surface after our negotiations, we would be more than happy to arrange it," said Freyr in a prim voice. Freyr's dubious tone suggested that Baal wouldn't be choosing this option after he'd spoken with The High Council of Asgard.

"You don't scare me Asgard," Baal lifted his hand. It contained a hand-held device with a large white stone that could be used for torturing his favorite guests.

"You might as well put that away Baal!" Freyr sighed, "No weapons or other devices will work in this room. And you will never get access to the rest of this ship. So you may as well remain quiet." Baal fumed silently from his corner of the room.

"We noticed, Baal, that you were killing your own J'affa army as though they were completely expendable." Thor remarked with intense disapproval, "I'm afraid we had to force an intervention. Similarly, I noticed a somewhat ancient Ha'tak decloaking as we came to the planet's surface. We took the liberty of removing the - um - pilot of the vessel."

"Hi Jack. Great to see you Sam! I see the reports of your kidnapping were greatly exaggerated," Jacob Carter held up his hand in greeting from the other side of the chamber.

"We would also like to offer a special greeting to the citizens of the planet Fergus," Thor said genially, "I hope that you would consider yourselves to be a suitable delegation to the High Council of Asgard. That is, you Epona, your kinsman Pelegius and the elder Finn."

"To what purpose?" Epona stood directly in front of the small Asgard with her arms folded in a strong defensive posture, "Are you another god come to offer us your protection? We do not wish to be taken as slaves or made to work in subjugation to anybody."

"Sadly, we are not gods," Thor said apologetically, "but we do have a solution to your present dilemma that you might find equitable and fair."

"What is fair, is that the planet should be mine Asgard! I won it in battle, fair and square. And I was just about to annihilate SG-1 in the process! You interrupted me!" Baal shouted across the table in rage. He stood up and attempted to climb over the conference table.

"How very rude!" Freyr observed, "I'm afraid you'll find that you, like your men, are temporarily restrained from movement. It would be more dignified if you'd stay still."

Jack waved an admonishing finger at the enraged Baal, and turned back to Thor with a smile, "So, Thor old buddy what did you have in mind?"

"Well," Thor coughed, "This is a favor to Gabrielle. Loki, one of my brethren here, kidnapped Gabrielle and Xena some time ago and left them with the Tok'ra."

"He didn't hurt me," Gabrielle interceded, "And he gave Xena back to me."

"Yeah, we've been fine for the past sixty years," Xena said.

"That's beside the point Gabrielle," Jacob Carter told her, "The Asgard seem to think that this is a serious violation of their laws."

"Quite right, Jacob Carter," Freyr nodded, "This problem was in direct violation of Asgard Regulation Loc. 27.99.1013, subsection B2, paragraph 2, subclause iii at the bottom of page 5,003 in volume 22 written in the common Asgard era 39.71.38 that outlines precisely what can or cannot be done with alien species, particularly for the purpose of genetic research."

"Freyr are you some kind of Asgard councilor?" Sam Carter asked.

"I am an interpreter of the extensive Asgard regulations," Freyr explained gently, "On Earth, you might call me a..."

"A lawyer?" Daniel asked politely.

"Don't insult him Daniel Jackson," Teal'c responded, "From my viewing of Oprah and Dr. Phil, I have determined that it is rude to call anyone a lawyer among the Tau'ri!"

"I was going to say that I was a solicitor," Freyr said with great dignity.

"Gosh," Sam Carter commented politely, "Asgard law sounds really complicated."

"It is a matter of much scholarly study," Thor said cautiously.

"I bet," Daniel and Jack said together.

"Anyway," Freyr continued, "We have studied the matter of Gabrielle and Xena in some detail, and we feel that some redress must be made. However, when we arrived to discuss this matter, we discovered a bloody armed conflict was in progress to which we have put a temporary halt."

"Freyr is one of our most esteemed counselors," Thor coughed, "He is well versed in all the aspects of Asgard law."

"I demand justice!" Baal yelled loudly.

"And you will receive it," Thor said calmly.

Freyr continued with his speech, "Yes, justice. We have made a determination in the matter of Fergus. I think you will find that a treaty between the original Goa'uld on this planet Artemis and the Asgard permits us to intercede in any dispute in this area. For this reason, we have placed a standing stone in front of the Stargate at this planet like the one that was on Cimmeria and Thor's hammer on the planet. This means..."

"Yes," Jack jumped up and punched the air in triumph, "Your planet will be one of the Asgard Protected Planets. That's great!" Then Jack suddenly realized that he'd interrupted Freyr, "Sorry Freyr, but this is great news."

"We are pleased that you are happy O'Neill, but it was felt that the people of this planet would need to make this determination."

"What does this mean?" Epona asked in confusion.

Daniel gazed at Epona. He spoke gently to her, "It means if you accept the protection of the Asgard, no Goa'uld or Tok'ra can come to your planet again. The woods, the lakes, the entire planet belongs to you now. If you want it." Daniel smiled, "You and your people are free."

"What about Gabrielle and Xena who have been masquerading as the Goa'uld for the past sixty years in order to keep our planet safe from such as he?" Epona gestured at Baal.

"You should kneel at the feet of your god, primitive human," Baal sneered.

"Neither Xena nor Gabrielle can ever return to your planet again because of Thor's hammer. If a J'affa or Goa'uld attempts to come to your planet, he or she will be transported into a prison underneath your hills from which they cannot escape unless their symbiote dies. It will keep your planet safe," Daniel explained gently.

"We wouldn't want you to pass up this opportunity on our account," Xena explained.

"But we owe much to you. You stopped the sacrifices in the trees and taught us to fight back," Finn said with tears in his eyes.

"It was good for us as well. I used to live in a place sort of like your planet. It was like coming home, but it's time to move on now. Gabrielle and I wish you all the best. Take Thor's protection," Xena told them.

"We have no choice in the matter, do we Daniel Jackson?" Epona asked him, "But we don't want to seem ungrateful for the intercession of the Tok'ra in stopping the blood sacrifices on our planet and for teaching us how to fight back against intruders."

"Yes, that's true," Daniel's brow furrowed in reflection, "But you heard Xena and Gabrielle say that they want you to do the best thing for your people."

Epona conferred quickly with Pelagius and Finn, then she nodded at Freyr, "We accept the protection of the Asgard."

"Hold on a minute," Sam Carter held her hand up, "We came to negotiate a treaty for trinium."

"This is hardly the time Carter," Jack remarked to her.

"It is no problem as you would say, O'Neill." Thor held up his hand, "Do you wish to negotiate with the representatives from Earth regarding your trinium?" Freyr queried Epona.

"We would be pleased to negotiate with this female representative sometime in the near future," Epona nodded, "I need some time to explain to my people about this Thor's Hammer. The planet is now ours, but we would welcome trade, providing the exchange is fair. And our planet is left undamaged."

"There it is Samantha Carter. You may speak to the citizens of Fergus in the near future," Thor said calmly.

"Thanks," Sam ducked her head, pleased that she'd been picked to talk to Epona. She was convinced that she could ensure that the arrangement between Earth and the unspoiled planet of Fergus would have a positive outcome.

"What about my rights?" Baal sneered.

"I had forgotten momentarily about you. It is a pity you had to speak. The residents of the planet have clearly chosen to be protected by the Asgard," Thor said calmly, "so we can return you and your armies back to Fergus where Thor's Hammer will purge you of the evil inside you."

Baal smiled uneasily, "That will not be necessary, Asgard."

"Oh?" Freyr questioned pointedly, "But I thought you had demanded to return to the planet's surface."

"Yes but that was before you put this world under the protection of the Asgard," Baal's dark eyes flashed in anger, but he suppressed it. "Perhaps, if you just sent me and my army back to our Al-kesh fleet."

"I suppose that would be possible," Freyr conceded, "A pity. I do this only for your men who would die without their symbiotes." Baal opened his mouth to make a further comment, but he was gone in a flash of light before he managed to get a word out.

"Now, we will send you and yours back to Fergus, Epona. May your future be a blessed one," Thor said gently.

Epona held her hand up, "We want only another minute. We wish to thank Xena and Gabrielle for keeping our planet safe for so long, leaving its fields and meadows unspoiled and ready for our descendants."

"It was our pleasure," Xena said.

"Blessings be on you," Epona told her. "We are now ready to leave Thor." They too were gone in a flash of light.

"Now," Thor said, "We have merely to decide what to do about Loki. Gabrielle and Xena do you wish to remain Tok'ra or do you wish to be returned to your original state?"

"Jacob, can we still be of use to you?" Xena asked him.

"Well, there's a little operation requiring two Tok'ra at the other end of the galaxy," Jacob commented, "if you're up for it."

Xena looked at Gabrielle who nodded in assent to her, "We accept."

"And do you wish to sustain the charges of kidnapping against Loki?" Freyr questioned in a disappointed manner.

Gabrielle smiled at Loki, "I don't remember any kidnapping."

"You were held against your will for 1,943.335 years!" Thor pointed out to her.

"But Loki gave Xena back to me," Gabrielle protested.

"I told you that Gabrielle would see it my way," Loki commented with a hint of triumph in his voice.

"Oh well," Thor sighed, "Loki, it appears that you will not be charged with the crime of kidnapping this time, even though the High Council of Asgard feels that the evidence against you is indisputable. Jacob Carter, are you capable of taking Teal'c with you on the Ha'tak and leaving him safely on Earth?" Thor's dubious tone suggested that Jacob's Ha'tak might be incapable of reaching the next planet, never mind going halfway across the galaxy.

"It's in much better shape than it looks," Jacob said defensively.

"Do you want us to give you a push Dad?" Sam inquired mischievously.

"No, I'm sure that Freya will have all the mechanical problems worked out by the time we make it back," Jacob insisted.

"Well, I certainly feel better already," Jack told Daniel.

"We'll make it back to Earth in a couple of days, no problem," Jacob held his hands up, "A Tok'ra operative borrowed it from Osiris's fleet last week. It took a few hits on the way out, but she's a pretty solid piece of work."

"Indeed," Teal'c's eyes bored into Jacob's.

"And now we'll have additional help from Xena and Gabrielle," Jacob added.

"Think of all the stories you'll have to tell by the time you get home," Jack clapped Teal'c on the shoulder.

"I am waiting with eager anticipation," Teal'c said politely. He gave Gabrielle a frightening smile.

"We could spend our time sparring," Xena offered.

Teal'c cheered up momentarily, "Well, then the time will pass quickly."

"I don't suppose you could spare a couple of red crystals?" Jacob asked Thor.

"We will beam those over with you momentarily. I will, in fact, give you a full supply of crystals in case you need them." Thor said obligingly.

"Well I guess this is goodbye for a couple of days," Jack clasped Teal'c's shoulder, "Xena it's been a pleasure."

"Perhaps, you both could visit Earth sometime and talk about myths," Daniel suggested, "We have a guest room. I could take you to meet Catherine Langford in Washington."

"And he means it. Daniel just loves this stuff. Or we could take you fishing at my cabin in Minnesota," Jack said genially.

"Nobody wants to go fishing Jack," Daniel told him.

"I was just saying in case either of the ladies wanted to troll for walleye or bass, Daniel," Jack stood on his tiptoes, "Some people actually like fishing."

"If fishing is involved you can count me in!" Xena said enthusiastically.

"There are no fish in Jack's lake," Daniel shook his head.

"This is untrue Daniel Jackson," Teal'c intoned, "I saw many fish during my short dip in the lakc. It is simply that O'Neill does not wish to catch them."

"Xena's great at fishing," Gabrielle said embarrassed, "she doesn't even use a rod."

"You see Daniel, some people appreciate a nice lake, cold beer and fish," Jack smiled.

"Maybe we'll find a way to stop by later," Xena gazed at Gabrielle, "But for now we have a mission. But fishing, yeah I could get into that." Then she looked over at Sam, "I hope you enjoyed spending time with us."

"I did," Sam blushed slightly, "It was kind of like a holiday. The Colonel is always telling me I need to take time off."

Xena and Gabrielle went over to Sam Carter and both gave her hugs, "Be safe," Gabrielle whispered.

"You too," Sam said returning the hugs, "It was great." Then she went over and hugged her Dad, "Are you okay in that old Ha'tak Dad? I can come with you if it's a problem."

"Don't worry," he assured her, "Freya's been working on it all day. I have lots of crystals now as well as Xena and Gabrielle. I'll be fine. I'll get home real soon."

"Love you Dad," Sam called out.

"I love you too Sammy," he called out, "And you guys, no losing my daughter okay?"

"No problem Jacob," Jack waved. Then in a flash of light Jacob, Teal'c, Xena and Gabrielle were gone.

"This just leaves your group, O'Neill. I will send you back to Fergus and you can use the Stargate to get home," Thor told him, "I will, as you say, see you around the universe."

"Thanks for everything, for the planet, saving my life again and even helping out Jacob," Jack went over to shake Thor and Freyr's hands.

"It was, as you say on your planet, our pleasure. I'm sure we shall see you soon," Thor promised. As they watched, The High Council Chamber of the Asgard seemed to disappear and the familiar circle of the Stargate on Fergus came into focus. Just as Thor had promised, a tall standing stone was in front of the Stargate ensuring that any being containing a symbiote would find themselves in the grip of Thor's Hammer.

Daniel glanced at it wistfully for a moment. Jack went up to him, "Are you thinking what we could have done if we'd found Sha're in time, Danny? If we hadn't destroyed the Hammer on Cimmeria, we could have used it. And now there's another one. I'm sorry," Jack made a helpless gesture.

"I wouldn't have wanted not to be with you Jack," Daniel's eyes appeared vaguely misty, "But yeah, saving her would have been good."

"Time to go?" Jack asked Daniel and Sam.

"Yes sir!" Sam said smartly and Daniel just nodded.

"Dial her up Daniel," Jack ordered. They waited until the backwash had subsided, and they passed wearily through the Stargate. General Hammond was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp on the other side.

"Where's Teal'c?" Hammond demanded.

"Oh," Jack waved his hand wearily, "He had to take the long way home. He's with Jacob Carter, Xena and Gabrielle. Oh and Freya, can't forget Freya. He's probably having a heck of a good time sir. Listening to stories, hand to hand fighting by the hour. Apparently, he might even learn that nerve pinch thing from Xena. Daniel learned a whole lot about mythology from Gabrielle who can talk even faster than him. Carter learned some cool new moves from Xena and got a really great outfit for costume parties complete with boots. And oh, Baal got his ear chewed off by Thor and lost out on a planet which is always nice."

"Report to the infirmary, Major Carter. The rest of you can stand down until Teal'c gets back. Then we'll debrief," Hammond ordered, "Go home and rest."

"Thanks sir," Jack said quickly. Jack followed Sam into the infirmary to make sure that she was all right. He stood in the doorway watching Dr. Janet Fraiser check over her best friend carefully, drawing blood samples, taking them off to examine and doing the ubiquitous light in her eyes thing.

"You okay Carter?" Jack leaned against the wall.

"Yes sir," said Sam automatically.

"Really Carter?" Jack asked. She looked at Jack's dark honest eyes appraising her carefully.

"No sir," Her blue eyes were serious, "but I will be. I'm going over to spend some time with Janet, Claire and Cassie."

"I was just going to ask Janet if she and Claire could keep Scout until tomorrow morning," he commented.

"That shouldn't be a problem Colonel," Janet responded coming back into the room, "Thunder keeps Scout busy playing, and Claire won't mind. She's at home, I'll phone her. We'll see you in the morning." He knew from her tone that Janet wanted him to leave her infirmary; he'd been summarily dismissed.

As he left the infirmary, he noticed that Janet was talking earnestly to his second-in-command about something. Whatever was eating at Sam, the two women would pry out her secrets, never taking no for an answer, opening their hearts and home to her as they always did. She'd be okay; he didn't need to worry about her. Sometimes, he wished that he could help Sam, but the only time she'd really gotten close to him was the time she'd had the Touched Virus and had tried to rip the clothes off his body. Just thinking about it put a cold shiver up his spine. Even when they were freezing to death at the Antarctic Gate, there had been a wall between them that he couldn't breach.

He wished with all his heart that he could fix what was wrong between them and possibly help Sam in the process, but it would never happen. He'd chosen his path, the path of Daniel. His passion for Daniel had borne down on him like a flood tide. Daniel might not be the first man he loved, but he vowed that he'd surely be the last. So, he turned heel and went to the locker room where Daniel was busily folding up his clothes.

"Sam okay?" Daniel inquired.

"Oh yeah. Janet booted me out," Jack responded, "and she was giving Sam one of her sincere heart-to-hearts when I left."

"Well no one can hold out long between that and my sister. And of course, then there are the dogs and Cassie," Daniel said absent mindedly, "they'll just squeeze Sam until she gives."

"I thought it would be better if we picked up the dog in the morning," Jack said his dark eyes glittering.

"I like the way you think Colonel," Daniel said in a low intimate tone.

"Do you ever wonder what goes on between women, Daniel?" Jack puzzled over it in his mind.

"I have a sister who tells me stuff. And what I don't know about women from her, I can guess," Daniel told him. "But right now, I'm just thinking about my own life. Although I do wonder when my partner tells me that he's mediating about the Way and knowing yourself. What's all that about anyway?"

"I don't know," Jack responded, "I just knew it was the right thing to say to Gabrielle. Do you think I could ever be what Thor talked about when I first met him, more than just an ordinary person?"

"Jack," Daniel said earnestly, "You had the repository of the Ancients downloaded into your head. Of course, I think you're more than an ordinary man. And," Daniel leered slightly, "I'll prove it to you when we get home."

Next: Born With The Moon In Cancer