Normal Married Life (Whatever that is )
by JeanA
Title: Normal Married Life (Whatever that is )
Author: JeanA
Email: gmajca@fsmail.net
Category: Action/Adventure
Season: Season 5
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Rating: PG
Warnings: minor language
Summary: The start of married life in SG-1.Ist challenge to face
Sequel to: Could the day become more bizarre
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Normal Married Life (Whatever Normal Is.....)
It was 6am in the O'Neill house hold, the Colonel and the Major were due back for work at the SGC this morning. Really they should've been back last night but the General changed the itinerary to give them at least one full day together after their unexpected wedding. He would have loved to have given them time for a honeymoon but SG-1 had been inactive for long enough and the General needed them back.
A staff car arrived to pick them both up as the Colonels' car was at the SGC following Saturday evening.
Both were very quiet on the way to work, slightly apprehensive at what to expect when they got there as they were only too aware that the SGC was a relatively small community and the events of the past few days will have been circulated like wildfire.
They made their way through security and down to the locker rooms , no-one said a word to them -- a bit strange they thought but they just got on with it.
Jack broke the silence ,
" Well Major , I never noticed before how sexy you look in your fatigues , I don't know how I managed to keep my hands off you all these years. "
" You noticed Colonel!!! You noticed , you just weren't allowed to touch the merchandise ! " The Colonel was now thinking oh ' oh yea , well now I own the merchandise ' but thankfully for him, managed not to say it , he just smirked with that cheeky look in his eyes.
" Right ! -to work Major, ...... by the way is it quiet in here today or am I imagining things ?"
" What you mean? ------, that normally a Monday morning has SG teams 1-17 in , all fighting for space in the locker rooms and fighting for their lockers and noise levels that normally burst your ear drums ??--- Yes Colonel I would say it's unusually quiet. "
" May-be something's going down that we don't know about , better get up to the briefing room PDQ. "
" Yes Sir "
Without realising both the Colonel and the Major had slipped into professional mode, no effort , no thought , it just came naturally . The working day was beckoning.
Even the corridors were quiet as they walked briskly towards the Briefing Room
Too damn quiet thought the Colonel , he had that uneasy feeling that he didn't like. Just at that he sprinted away from Sam , definitely in Colonel Mode, she picked up her pace and followed him. Within minutes he had burst into the Generals' Office with a very serious look of concern on his face. The General recognised that look,
" OK Sir , what's going on , is there a problem? "
" Good morning Colonel , no, nothing for you to concern yourself with, I presume you have brought Major O'Niell with you ; the rest of SG-1 are in the briefing room waiting for you . "
" Oh , Ehm , Sir the Major, she ehm ......"
The Major knocked the door and entered.
" Good morning Major O'Niell " said the General.
Sam did not respond. Jack coughed and looked at her. She gave him that 'what are you looking at--- look', he coughed again. She looked confused.
" Major , I said Good Morning "
" You did ?? Sorry Sir , I didn't hear you , Good morning "
She hadn't got it.
Jack raised his eyes to the ceiling , she could be so out of it at times .
" Ok , lets get on with this briefing , good morning SG-1 the Colonel and Major have arrived therefore we can get started"
Jack looked quite annoyed as it looked as if they were late and the briefing wasn't due to start for another 2o minutes.
" As you know , the Colonel and the Major married on Saturday , -YES , to each other and before you say anything Lieutenant Hayley---there have been some amendments to the rules, so its quite up front."
Hayley looked slightly embarrassed ----, but it was a natural reaction. She had been in the service for a good number of years now.
" Ok SG-1 , we do have a small issue , you will have to be very clear on who you are referring to out in the field as Major O'Niell will obviously now cause a few confusions - of that I have no doubt. Sam still looked confused.
The Colonel jumped in .
" Excuse me Sir , I don't like interrupting you but I feel it only right that I should be allowed to introduce my new wife properly, if you don't mind. General , SG-1 , please say Hi to my wife , Major Samantha Carter . As you quite rightly pointed out Sir , it would be a bit , a lot confusing for 2 O'Neills' in the same SG team . Please continue to address the Major as Major Carter and we'll all get on fine OK "
Sam , who was now thinking about the Major O'Neill stuff , looked up at the General with this guilty look in her eyes and went to open her mouth to apologise., Jack noticed the realisation and dawning , smiled at her, and signalled to her to keep quiet. She smiled back.
" OK team are we all awake and ready to proceed , Ehm.....Major ?? "
" Oh , Sir , Yes Sir, "
Jack was beginning to think that Sam had amnesia or something.
" Are you alright Major, " asked a quizzical Colonel.
" Yea , Yea, I'm getting there , it's just a very strange morning and I would just like to get back to normal and back to work "
" Ditto " said the Colonel .
At this he got up and asked if anyone would like coffee ,
" Sit down Hayley ! Do you want coffee or not" said the Colonel, as he remembered the comments of a week earlier.
" Yes please Sir , milk no sugar "
Just as everyone settled to get on with the briefing, a call came over the intercom
" Colonel O'Neill to the Control Room, Colonel O'Neill to the Control Room immediately "
" Oh God , What now " said the Colonel in his' I'm really pissed off now voice.'
He ran to the control room, with his arms outstretched saying. " What,? What ? " -- no- one responded.
The Blast Doors burst open and he ran to the window.
" Good God " he couldn't believe his eyes.
He went to the intercom ,
" Hh Hm Sa-am , you'd better get in here ---- and quick "
The Major looked at the General who shrugged his shoulders smiling, . What was he doing . Sam ??? through the intercom ?? very strange . She ran to the Control Room , Jack was staring out the window and saw her reflection as she arrived . He signalled to her to come over to him.
She all about stopped in her tracks, weak at the knees again , how many more surprises could one take in such a short period of time.
" Well now we know why it was so quiet this morning " whispered the Colonel "
" Uh, Huh " she managed back .
They both stood , the Major with her arms behind her back , and the Colonel with his hands in his pockets, , facing onto to Gate Room , where SG2 -SG17 were standing to attention saluting them both , and a banner with Congratulations, About time too! _ was suspended across the Stargate.
They looked at each other and slowly saluted back,
"Kiss her , Kiss her , Kiss her , Kiss her , Kiss her , chanted through the Gate Room getting louder and louder. General Hammond , and Doctor Fraiser and the rest of SG-1 joined them in the Control Room.
Jack shrugged his shoulders and kissed Sam on the cheek rather shyly , Sam returned the favour' to a resounding
Booooooooooo and now a slow hand clap that got louder and louder .
Jack turned to Sam and put his hands on either side of her face , pulled her towards him and kissed her full on the lips . Sams' arms fell beside her in total submission, ( How would she ever get used to this ) and then she reached up and put her arms round her husbands neck and kissed him back .
If a nuclear bomb had exploded , no-one would have heard it , the cheer that went up was tremendous ,---- there in front of them was the whole of the SGC cheering and applauding.
They both , eventually ,came apart and smiled down at everyone, the Colonel went to the intercom.
Thanks SGC , we appreciate your good wishes and let me just tell you now , that is the first and the last time you will see that on base so keep it implanted in your memory.
Now , haven't you all wasted enough time this morning? Don't you all have jobs to do ? I know I have , so , SGC Squadron dismissed . Go about your business,.
He turned and smiled to Sam and pointed ,
"You too Major !! "
" Yes Sir "
Both returned to the briefing room smiling and the General couldn't help feel a sense of satisfaction, the past two years were now buried and he believed his Colonel and Major would work even better together than before.
The Colonel then addressed the General in his sarcastic , quizzical voice, speaking at speed,
" General , before we get started , could you just tell me if there are any more surprises in store for us , 'cause , I can't speak for the Major but I'm in danger of becoming dis-functional , terrified to turn the next corner and possible heading for somekind of breakdown ,and, judging from the lack of sense you were getting out of the Major this morning I'd say she is heading the same way , so - oh unless you want both of us spending the next few days in the infirmary having psyche evaluations I would suggest things get back to normal NOW. OK? "
Oh dear, Serious -, sarcastic, time to stop winding him up .
Sam looked at Jack in total agreement, her nerves were more shot this morning than when she's faced half the things she's faced Off World.
" No more surprises that I know of Colonel , and for that matter , we do need to get down to work . I have an assignment for you and SG-1 .
Colonel we've had a communication from PX3 978, we don't know who it is from, -it's coded and we think it may be from either the Tollan or the Nox. "
" PX3 978 ?? Sir isn't that the co-ordinates from one of these planets we were working on last week when the communications failed ?"
"That's correct Major Carter "
Jack gave his usual , Smart Ass , look .
She could be so irritating at times.
" What do you mean communication , ? How was it transmitted? "
" Well Major , we picked it up quite by accident, when the Colonel was re-aligning the co-ordinates with you , it was picked up on one of the frequencies , but we have yet been unable to properly decipher it , we need your help, and if it is what we think it is , SG-1 will need to go and investigate "
"Lieutenant Hayley and I will start work on it right away Sir "
" Do that , you may actually need Jonas and Tealc as there are some weird symbols coming through the de coding system."
The 4 members got up and proceeded to the Control Room to pick up the info .
" Oh , well redundant again , Sir , you know I sometimes wish I was brainy , I keep getting left out " said the Colonel mischievously.
" You , stay here Jack , there are other things I need to discuss with you and you will need some time to think about how we proceed.
We think that the message is from the Tollan, we think that it was transmitted from a Goa'uld stronghold somewhere, either a ship or a base and wait for it , we think that it is either Osiris or Anubis,"
" What makes you think that General ?"
"The communication device used matches the radio waves of the device used by Colonel Maybourne , and we've checked it out with the one we have in storage. The signal matches that of the signal you gave to the Tollan Empress when their planet was attacked by the Goa'uld . What we don't know is if it is a cry for help or a trap "
" Right so you expect Carter to fine tune the work to indicate whether or not it's a trap or not "
" Yes Colonel , there is a scrambling device and we haven't been able to cut through it yet , hopefully Major Carter will manage .
It may well be that your first mission with this new team will be engaging with either Osiris or Anubis or in fact both. "
" Well Sir , what can I say , In at the Deep End , Baptism of Fire and all that . Isn't that what we are here for ? Quite frankly if I don't get Off World soon and do something useful with this team I'll be ready for retirement . This past week must of aged me 10 years , I mean , look at my hair , it's going grey ! "
The General smiled at his Senior CO, he was so cool and calm when it came to giant size problems but give him something personal like this morning , he turns to jelly. How he admired this mans' character.
" Right General , I'll go and find out how things are progressing and put whatever plan together that I feel is appropriate."
Colonel O'Niell made his way to Carters' lab to check things out.
When he arrived at the door he stood and watched the 4 of them discuss what Carter had found , they were arguing, agreeing , disagreeing , typical SG-1 type behaviour. A shiver ran through him as he sidled into the back of the room , He sat down and observed . No-one noticed him and they continued their animated discussion. From what he could understand in between the jargon , and psycho-babble and techno-babble they had discovered an SOS signal behind the communication, an old signal , similar to morse code. It appeared that the code was transmitting ,' Help Tauri, danger , death, help.' Sam had also recognised the communication signal -it was Nareems code . They then assumed that it was Nareem that was captured , he was signalling for help and quite frankly they should go , as Nareem was familiar with the SGC and therefore in the hands of the Goa'ul posed a serious security risk to the base.
Suddenly from the middle of the noisy discussion came a voice ,
" So we go then ? Get this sorted out , get Nareem and kick some Goa'uld Ass while we're at it "
" How long have you been sitting there ?, " enquired Major Carter
"Long enough to agree with you lot that we ought to get out of here and get on with some work , Hey What do you say Teal'c? "
"I agree with Major Carter , however, I am interested in your assessment that the Goau'ld are involved , after all it is a Tollan code"
" Trust me Teal'c , I have further intelligence on the matter , you concentrate on assessing the Goau'ld threat , we don't know whether it is from a Goau'ld Stronghold or a Mother Ship , and you know how I hate these Mother Ships ,--mind you it is a few weeks since I've had a ride on one, OK SG-1, Gear up and meet me in the Gate Room at 11.00 hours"
" Yes Sir " came the chorus , the Colonel looked at them and smiled
" Let's get out there team !
Jack passed the 'Gear Up' room and looked in , just at that moment he caught the Major slipping off her wedding ring that had only been there 48 hours , there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. However , Diamond ring ,-- not really military issue . She placed it carefully in a little box in her locker, and gave that shake of her head , he knew all too well that indicated a little frustration. He walked in to collect his own gear , she looked at him and smiled shyly .
11.00 hours ,
" Chevron 5 encoded "
" Chevron 6 encoded "
The General and the Colonel walked into the gate Room where the rest of SG-1 were geared up and ready to go.
" Chevron 7 locked "
KAWOOSH
The Stargate bust into action , smiles came across all the faces , it didn't matter how many times they saw this , it never failed to enthrall them.
" The Malp is safely through General " came the voice from the Control Room
" Receiving transmission 5,4,3,2, now Sir , .........No immediate threat to travellers Sir, atmosphere stable."
" SG-1 you have a go !! " shouted General Hammond.
" Good luck , team , Come back Safe ! "
The 5 members stood facing the Stargate, the Colonel in the middle , slightly in front , almost like a spearhead . He turned round and looked at his team, a quick smile at Carter.
" Move out SG1, "
At that they disappeared through the gate to another part of the universe.
"Whoosh "
The Stargate closed behind them,, and the Colonel signalled his team to case the immediate area. The Major checked for life signs in the immediate vicinity and found none.
"All is clear O'Niell " said Teal'c in his usual commanding fashion.
" For the new members of the team , what you see before you are TREES., fascinating trees , bushes etc, etc, . you will find that on most missions trees figure a lot, big trees , little trees , green trees brown trees , live trees , dead trees " the Colonel was on a roll.
Teal'c and Carter looked on , smiled , raised their eyes to the sky , and thought ' How many times have we heard this speech ' , but each time they heard it they found it amusing, --- sad really.
" According to the MALP information Sir, there should be signs of civilisation approx 8 miles on in that direction, I would suggest that be our first line of attack "
" Ok , Teal'c , you take Jonas and move ahead , Carter and Hayley you're with me . Maintain radio silence . I will radio you if I require to , Move out ! "
Teal'c and Jonas marched on ahead , and about 5 miles in they found a clearing which indicated the landing site of some kind of ship, more that likely a Goa'uld ship, but of course the clearing indicated that it had definitely been and gone. The radio crackled into operation ,
" O'Niell here - , Teal'c respond , "
" I am here , O'Niell "
" Found anything Teal'c ?? "
" Yes and no. We have found a landing site with no ship at present"
" OK, mark the position, and get to our location,. Set your infra red frequency , Careful we've come across some kind of village. We are still in the forest and I think we should base ourselves here for the night and piece together our findings for our plan for tomorrow. It appears that there is somekind of Jaffa involvement as we have found staff weapon markings on a number of the trees, ---- Thank God for trees eh Teal'c "
" Indeed Colonel "
Within a few minutes Teal'c and Jonas had reached the Colonels' position. Night was falling and the light was fading fast , -it was the right decision to base at this point.
Rations were passed out as they didn't want to bring any attention to themselves by lighting a fire.
" I don't want Jonas and Hayley taking watch themselves for now so , Teal'c and Jonas take first watch , Carter and Hayley take second watch and I'll take third watch. Everyone clear?"
" Yes Colonel came the joint reply "
It was the Colonels turn to take watch, he went over to where Carter and Hayley were sitting.
" Shh , Sir , Hayleys asleep "
" Asleep , I didn't send her to take watch and fall asleep , for crying out loud "
" Shh , she's young , and not used to field work , give her a chance , I told her to sleep , blame me . OK? ."
" OK , I'll blame you when she falls asleep on her individual watch and we all end up on Osiris' ship "
" Give it a rest , you know that won't happen , I won't let it"
The Major leaned down and gently woke her up and sent her to her sleeping bag . She stood up with a start , the Colonel just drew her a look and sat down beside the Major.
" Right Major , you should go get some shut eye "
" Yea , I know , in a minute "
" Listen , are you alright , you've been a bit quieter than normal Sam, What's bothering you "
" Nothing "
" I know that nothing , it usually means - something- .
She took Jacks hand and twiddled his wedding ring.
" I had to take mine off today as I can't really prance through the galaxy , brandishing guns wearing a flashy diamond ring. I just keep looking down and thinking , Did it all really happen ? , here I am no wedding ring , calling my husband Colonel , him calling me Carter , Major , I just feel a bit deflated I suppose after all the excitement, -- not wearing my ring actually makes me feel quite sad. "
" Oh , It all happened , - believe me it all happened." He squeezed her hand .
He then reached into his combat jacket pocket and pulled out a small plain gold wedding band, and slipped it on the Majors finger.
" How's that Sam ? "
" What ? Where ? explain ! "
" Well you know what it's like , you never know when you're going to find someone on a planet that you'll want to marry , so---force of habit,--- I carry it about with me , just in case ---- you know the navy , 'Girl in every Port , ' Well me I'm' woman on every planet and all that' "
Sam gave him a sharp dig in the ribs, and drew him such a look.
Sigh ,
"I knew you wouldn't wear your proper ring Off World therefore I had this one sent in from the village this morning when I saw you in the locker room taking your ring off , I figured keep it in your locker for work and you don't need to be without a wedding ring , besides I don't want any handsome young Aliens getting any ideas OK????"
He pointed at her straight at her eyes.
Sam put her arms round her Colonel , with a small tear in her eye and kissed him gently on the cheek .
" Sleep Major ! " said the Colonel
" Yes Sir , "
Sam left the Colonel to his turn of night watch and snuggled into her sleeping bag holding her left hand and touching her new simple but significant ring. Where did this gentle and caring man come from, and how did it take so long to get to this point.
Well ,.......It didn't really matter any more
Sam woke with a start ,she struggled against a hand covering her mouth. She openend her eyes with a start , her eyes focussed .--------it was the Colonel .
"Shhhhh, we have a problem , I didn't want you to make any noise ,ehm , could you take your pistol out of my ribs please ?
The Majors' military training kicked in as quickly as ever. She didn't say a word , she just looked , waiting for the Colonel to fill her in.
" A Jaffa patrol just passed about 50 yards from us, Teal'c and Jonas have gone to check out the size of it , but it sounded big enough to me.
I need you to waken the Lieutenant and be ready to move out in 15-- OK? "
" Yes Sir."
The Colonel strapped his rifle to his tunic and hooked the Zat gun onto his belt and proceeded to link up with Teal'c and Jonas.
The Major woke Hayley the same way the Colonel had woken her, Hayley got the fright of her life, but adjusted quickly and assisted the Major with the packing up.
The other 3 members of the team returned to discuss their next move.
" There are more than 20 Jaffa soldiers. I could not identify their allegiance mark on their forehead, It would appear that there is a new System Lord on the lose." Teal'c said these words with great concern in his voice.
SG-1 made its way to the edge of the wood to view what was taking place. The Colonel took out his miniature binoculars to try to identify the sign himself but it was definitely not known .
" Colonel , let me have a look " Jonas held his hand out for the binoculars.
" OK, the symbols appear to have some kind of animal in the centre, with what looks like a lightning strike diagonally down the middle "
" Give me that , " Jack grabbed it from him " How can you make that out , I have 20/20 vision and I can't make it out "
" I have excellent eyesight Colonel and I'm telling you that's what it is " replied Jonas arrogantly.
" Ok , so what does that indicate people ?"
" I'm not happy about saying this Sir , but it indicates to me -Anubis, I mean he is known as an Animal , in mythology . Lightning-Sir , it has to be Osiris "
confirmed Carter.
" If it is the mark of Anubis and or Osiris then we can be sure of major trouble .If this is so O'Niell, the reason for them being here could be to acquire hosts for their matured symbiots. "
Teal'c was fairly certain that that would be the case as he recognised the pattern emerging. Indication of a landing site, Jaffa patrols , Staff weapon marks , uninhabited village ---, all signs that they had been here for some time and that there was definitely a problem.
After careful consideration it was clear to the Colonel that they weren't going to accomplish anything simply observing.
" Right , what we're going to do is, proceed to the village and find out what we can about where the Jaffa are heading , - that should at least lead us to something, We'll all go in formation and if we are stopped then Jonas you'll have to put on your diplomatic , 'Hi , we're explorers routine', --------Got it?
" Got it Colonel, I'll just spend the next few minutes while we walk to work out what to say "
" You do that !"
The Colonel was quite rightly irritated as he had no idea what they were facing, but then wasn't that always the case? The Colonel thought to himself, 'Well no , not really , in these situations he normally knew by the Jaffa marks who he was up against' ---this definitely unsettled him. Also , Carter was, quiet which normally indicated she questioned his approach but was reluctant at this stage to say so.
They proceeded to the village. It was deserted , there were signs of struggle , broken windows , staff weapon marks , but no bodies.
" Look ahead Colonel , it's some sort of pyramid or temple " Jonas indicated to a Structure in the centre of a square which was magnificent .
" It' s wonderful, The Apex would indicate early Egyptian and the Base looks as if it could Myan . Nowhere else is it known that such two cultures were ever brought together. These symbols are definitely Egyptian Hieroglyphs but these here are definitely Goa'uld. I think that it is some kind of Code of Entry. I don't know what they mean as yet but I have prepared an Alphabet for myself to use from Dr Jacksons' Notebook and if I can have a few minutes to refer to it I will hopefully be able to assist you in proceeding. "
" Yea, Yea ,, Whatever "
Good God thought Jack , he had to look twice , it was as if Daniels' voice had echoed right across the square . He knew that there were similarities in both their knowledges'.---that was one reason why he was part of SG-1, but he never quite planned for that 'Dj vu ' feeling quite so soon on their first mission .
" OK Jonas , may-be Teal'c can help you but make it quick we're kind of exposed out here. Take cover Carter, Hayley , "
In no time Jonas said ,
" Right I've got it, it's a sequence that has to be keyed in somewhere ?"
" I guess it's here " said Carter referring to a small block on the side of a possible doorway with minature replicas of the large symbols displayed on the outside of the structure.
Jonas went to the block and keyed in the sequence he had worked out. The structure started to vibrate and a doorway started to become visible
" Carter , You're up here with me ! The rest of you follow on ! "
The Colonel and the Major took up their familiar attack positions with their guns focussed high on entering the structure, it was quiet , soon they were moving down a corridor leading to , who knows where. Within minutes they came to a large hexagonal room. There appeared to be no doorway.
" There are more symbols here , and it worked the last time ??"
The Colonel nodded while he and Carter cased the perimeter of the room looking for another similar block to the first one.
Teal'c stood guard in the corridor at the entrance to the room.
The Colonel caught site of the Lieutenant as she moved towards the centre of the room , only to be caught, by a blinding light coming down from the exceptionally high ceiling, she looked like a cat caught in headlights. For the Colonel , this was an only too familiar light . His reflexes threw him across the room , at the same time Carter screamed out ,
" Hayley ,-- Run!! "
Too late ,--- the Colonel Slid into the area and literally kicked Hayleys butt , sending her careering across the other side , hitting herself off the opposite wall.--- In doing so he lost his own momentum and was caught himself in the Ring Transporter that followed within seconds of the light and __He was gone!!.
'Ok not a good sign' thought Carter' , but , keep calm, think logical.'
" We have a problem. Teal'c . Am I right in saying that the only place that Transporter can go is a Goa'uld Mother Ship , and that it must be orbiting this planet at the moment? "
" You are correct Major Carter and the only way we can get to Colonel O'Neill is by such a Transporter ourselves"
" Well Teal'c we know that that's not going to happen so we'd better proceed with the Colonels' plan and hopefully find something or someone that can help us."
" I concur Major , but I would suggest exercising the utmost care " " Right Teal'c , I know that already! " The Major was quite rightly irritated about the position she now found herself in .
" Are you alright Hayley ? "
" Yes Major. Where ? ehm ..... What happened to the Colonel "
" Oh , you don't want to know ,--- all you need to know is that we need to think of something pretty damn clever to get him back . Are you hurt ?"
" I think I've bruised my shoulder but I'm OK ."
" Fine. ------Jonas how about that sequence this time , we haven't got all day !"
" One more symbol to go Major , it takes a little time , you know. "
Jonas succeeded in opening a number of doorways as they proceeded.
This travel through what was like sophisticated tunnels gave the Major time to think.
Jack , the hero, put his own life before Hayleys' --- nothing unusual , it was what he always did, she'd seen it time and time again, but somehow this time was different.
Jack , the hero , thought Sam again. It's not even as though he tries to be a hero, I mean he doesn't even want a pat on the back, half the time he doesn't even get a thank you.---It's instinct , it's his black ops training , fast reflexes , quick thinking , quick reactions, DUMB STUPIDITY. I mean What the hell does he thinks he's doing? I mean . He's my husband , How dare he put himself in danger like that?------When she was finished squealing at herself in her brain, she realised they had now reached what appeared to be a true dead end . None of the rest of the team had any indication of her present state of mind , all they could see was Major Samantha Carter , cool ,calm , in control stepping into the command position as if it was an old shoe. Just how it should be. She realised that she had to live up to this if she was going to get the team and the Colonel out of this mess.
Tunnels/ Corridors had come to an end. Sam ordered the team to rest for a time to assess their situation and decide their next move.
" OK, SG1 , lets look at our options, first of all........................."
Somewhere.........Who Knows where....?????
A figure moved closer to the rolled up being in the corner of the cell. He had just been literally thrown in and looked in a seriously bad way .
" Oh for crying out loud , what hit ,me. " murmured Colonel Jack O'Neill.
" From the look of you a Goa'uld ribbon device. You're pretty bruised and you arm looks as if it's broken."
The voice was strangely familiar. It was Nareem of the Tollan.
" God , Nazeem , this wasn't exactly how I planned to contact you"
" It' s Nareem , Colonel O'Neill, I see you got my message."
" Sorry Nareem , I'm not good with names. Anyway I thought you were dead when the Goa'uld attacked your planet about 6 months ago. How the hell did you end up here."
" After the Goa'uld destroyed the main square they took a number of prisoners, Myself and the Empress were selected and brought here to further their knowledge of Tollan technology.
I managed to get the Empress out with the help of a Tok-ra Goa'uld but failed to make it myself . I think that given my illustrious accommodation now , they are, how do you say ' a bit pissed at me ' "
Jack managed to raise a small smile as he thought , hey this guy might not be so bad.
" What about your ,' walking through walls technology' "
" I have managed to avoid any reference to this technology and they seem unaware of its' existence. "
" I don't suppose you have one on you at the moment, do you "
" No , but there is one on the ship in the Goa'uld Vault "
" Yea , right which will be protected by half a dozen Jaffa with Zats and Staff Weapons. "
" I am afraid this is true Colonel. "
Jack sat up and realised that his arm wasn't actually broken but ,by the angle of his shoulder it was most definitely dislocated.
He asked Nareem to take a hold of his arm and anchor himself onto something. Nareem held the Colonels' arm and held on to the ring in the cell door with his other hand and was bemused . What was the Colonel going to do . He could see the pain on the Colonels face as he started to twist his shoulder , slowly at first , and then he stopped , indicated to Nareen to hold tight and jerked his whole body , so hard and so fast that he let out an almighty yell "
"Oh , my, god, giddy , aunt , mother___ , Goa'uld Bastard"
As he shouted out these words and yelled and twisted, Nareem saw and heard the shoulder jerk back into place.
" Are you alright Colonel "
" YyyOU can let go now , thank you , I will be , I will be , it just hurts and I've done it so many times that unfortunately I know how much it's going to hurt , but I will be OK in a little while , I just need a little bit of rest."
About an hour went by and the Colonel was beginning to feel some strength coming back to him.
" And tell me Colonel , have you brought Samantha with you ? I have missed seeing her vibrant, dancing eyes. "
'Oh , right ' thought the Colonel ' Samantha with the vibrant , dancing eyes,...............he sighed quietly , His Wife , of like 3 Days, -----what he would give now to be standing embarrassed in the control room with the whole of the SGC shouting and chanting.---------- OH OH ... She was going to be so angry , what was he thinking of?-that's it , he wasn't thinking, in these situation some uncontrollable instinct takes over and he just reacts. I mean . Isn't that why he's the Rank he is ?, and does the Job he does ?and leads the team he does??? Questions , Questions, Questions that he'd never before asked himself .'
He answered quietly with a long sigh,
" Yes Nareen , Samantha is with me, and I hope she's got a plan to get us out of here PDQ. "
" Is she well Colonel , Does she ever speak of me Colonel . She is such a beautiful and unique person I would love to spend more time with her ."
The Colonel didn't really feel up to a cock fight at this stage and answered simply.
" She 's well Nareem , and I'm sure she'll be pleased to find you alive and well. She wait , oh no I know that sound ..."
MarchmarchmarchmarchMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMAR!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a Jaffa patrol.
The door bust open.
" You, Tauri , Kneel before your god !"
" Where have I heard that before ? Not very original eh ? " Shouted the Colonel in his most arrogant sarcastic manner.
" Silence Tauri Traitor ! " It was Osiris, and she strutted in , hands on her hips, flicking that mane of blonde hair. How could someone that attractive be so evil and deadly ?"
" Where are the others in your patrol. "
" I came alone, I don't have a patrol , and if I did I wouldn' ......Ahgh .............. "
He didn't finish because he was jabbed in the back of the neck with the prodding device that , sends major shockwaves through your body and actually makes you feel as if every bone in your body in slowly disintegrating.
" Tell me where they are "
" I told you I don'.......................AhghAhgh"
He was weakening, ---this linked to his previous beating was tearing every ounce of strength from him.
" Very well I will leave you for now , as I am compassionate but I will return with further torture , so you may think about changing your mind "
Again the Colonel lay in a heap on the floor. He really couldn't take much more of this physical abuse. Again he was barely conscious when she was finished with him.
Nareem had kept out of the way of the Patrol, behaved as if he was uninterested .He felt that they would have a better chance if the Goa'uld didn't link them together.
Nareem left the Colonel , as he thought that if he could stay asleep for a while, his body would at least have some time to recover......................
SG -1 had discussed their situation and couldn't understand why there would be all these symbols , doorways , etc and nowhere actually to go,. This was not the Goa'uld style . These corridors were underground, dusty, and dark and didn't bare any resemblance to the ornate opulence that up to now was definitely their trademark ,
" What's that sound ?, "
"What sound Jonas , don't tell me you have super hearing as well as super eyesight, "
" Sh , Major , it does appear that these senses are sharper in me than yourself, it actually sounds like the device that fell on the Colonel."
" Move to the perimeter of the room and prepare to fire " Yelled the Major.
At that ,-- a ring transporter came up from the floor. The Majors' eyes widened in a mixture of apprehension and fear, Who or what was going to arrive?
As the figure materialised , the Major sighed with relief ,
" Stand Down SG-1 "
It was the Tollan Empress.
" Your Eminence, it is so good to see you , alive and well , here, and not a Goa'ld. I don't quite know which bit is the best , you or the fact that you are not Goa'uld, but Hi anyway"
" Major Carter , I realise that you have come a long way to this place and I must give you my gratitude, the Goa'uld have Nareem and they are attempting to steal knowledge of our Tollan technology."
" Empress , they also have Colonel O'Neill and god knows what they want from him , Can you help us ?"
" I cannot , but I believe I may be able to offer you some assistance but you must come with me."
SG-1 stepped into the Ring location 'and in an instant were standing in what the Major recognised as Tok-ra Tunnels.
" These are Tok-ra Tunnels Empress, where are we.?"
" You are correct Major, and we are far below the surface of this planet , undetectable by the Goa'uld. There are Tok-ra operatives in the Mother Ship , however due to the high levels of activity on the planet, our operatives have been dormant for a number of weeks , it is our hope that they will soon be able to assist us with Nareem and now Colonel O'Neill. The Goa'uld are also holding around 100 humans prisoner and our information tells us that they will be used as hosts in the near future. We wish to prevent this . As you can see Major we have given ourselves a tall order and any assistance you may be able to give will be most welcome "
" Whatever we can do , your Eminence. We should work together!"
SG-1 were led to a large room where there were a number of Tok-ra. Sam sensed she knew some of them , Jolinar strikes again but she kept a low profile at this stage.
" Nareem , speaks of you often Major , he has a strong fondness for you . He will be overjoyed to see you , all being well , of course."
Jack flashed in her mind, and she softly said ,
" I will be pleased to see Nareem, it is good that he is alive and well. "
Hayley looked over at the Major, ' Who was this Nareem fellow, --and he'd better watch his step , if he knows what's good for him, after all she was the Colonels wife now ' Oops , every time she thought of the Colonel she felt so guilty .
The Colonel again awoke in his cell totally disorientated. Nareem was standing over him.
" You've been unconscious for 4 hours Colonel. How do you feel ?"
" How do you think I feel ------. Like I've been branded by a damn cattle prod "
He gave Nareem such a look for what he thought was a bloody stupid question .
" Nareem , we need to get out of here , What are the options?"
Nareem was not a military man , not a man of violence ,and never had to work out a strategy in his life , in fact , just plain useless!! BUT he was all he had at this moment in time.
There was no way out, no way out of this cell, no hidden doors , no trap doors, no sky lights, only the cell door itself. The Colonel felt powerless and more useless that he could ever remember . He sat down and closed his eyes , hoping for some inspiration, or miracle if possible.
The Major was in discussion with the Tok-Ra and the Empress.
" The Ring Transporter that brought us down here , could we use it to transport on or off the Mother Ship.
" No Major , this is not possible , " said Teal'c. " Such transporters have their own frequencies and it is not possible to move from one frequency to another "
"Nothing is impossible Teal'c ----it is such a powerful and obvious solutuion,--- there must be someway to re-programme them "
" Even if you did Major , the trasportation would be detected by the Goa'uld tracking device."
" So-oh ! At least we would be on the ship by that time and able to make some attempt at a rescue , certainly a better position than we are in at the moment . There are one hundred innocent people up there about to be violated and of course Nareem and the Colonel , and I can't sit about here doing nothing about it , and I can't do anything unless we either get on to that ship , or make contact of some sort "
The Major spoke calmly ,and eloquently , no emotion , searching for a solution to the problem as she normally does,
"You are correct Major , how can we help" said the Tok-Ra operatives.
" Take me to the control panel for the Ring Transporter . Hayley you come with me. Teal'c and Jonas , I need you to either work on a diversion for when I transport onto the ship or a way of neutralising the tracking device for a moment, or in fact both ------yes --- a little optimistic but we will do this , Understand ?? WE WILL DO THIS !"
"Immediately , Major . " Teal'c couldn't help admire her strength and determination.
MarchmarchmarchmarchMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMAR!!!!!!!!!!!
The Colonels level of consciousness rose at the sound coming form outside the room.
" Oh God , what now?"
" You will come with us Tauri !!"
At that the Colonel was dragged out of the room and taken by the Horse Guard patrol.
Again Nareem kept low , as though there was no familiarity between the two men.
The Colonel was thrown into a Goa'uld throne room where the elegant but deadly Osiris was sitting on the throne glaring down at him .
He looked up and saw that familiar glow in her eyes, he felt sick to the pit of his stomach.
" Where are the others from you party ?"
" Hey listen you , What part of ' I came alone' do you not understand ?"
Whispered the Colonel as he cringed awaiting the fist shock from the prodding device -----he was not disappointed.
" AAAAAAaaaaaaaaRRRRRGGGGhhhhhh " He called in agony , he was absolutely out of energy
He collapsed unconcious to the floor-just blacked out completely.
Osiris was angry and frustrated and shouted to her aid to remove him until he was strong enough to take her next term of torture.
" Yes , oh great one " the aid bowed to Osiris and pulled the Colonel out of the room.
She dragged him along the corridor but, instead of taking him to the cell , she pulled him in to a small anti-room.
" Colonel ! Colonel O'Neill of the Tauri , you must awaken , COLONEL O'NEILL !! " She shouted in exasperation.
The Colonel stirred but could hardly focus, his voice was barely a whisper.
" Where am I , ........Who are you ! "
" You are still on the Mother Ship of Osiris . I am Tok-Ra , that is all you need to know. I have limited ability to assist you as I must not jeopardise my position within this System Lords' hierarchy. "
" Nareem?? " barely a sound coming from the Colonels lips,---- he was extremely weak.
"I am about to release Nareem and bring him here , ----your weapons that you arrived with are stored in this room with all other devices acquired by the Goa'uld . I will then leave you to make your own escape . I am sorry , but even this is a major risk for me and a great deal of peoples' lives are in my hands - I must not be compromised . "
" Thank -you , I just need some rest "
The Tok-ra operative returned momentarily with Nareem.
The Colonel was crawling around the room looking for his " stuff " On locating his rifle and his Zat gun he also found his battle Jacket with his communicator in it.
" Colonel O'Neill to Major Carter , Come in Carter " He could barely speak,
" Colonel O'Neill to Major Carter , Come in Carter " his voice was breaking, he could hardly breath.
" O'NEILL to SG-1 , will some one answer me for crying out loud " He fought to get the words out and was by now becoming agitated and exasperated.
" O'Niell it is Teal'c , I can hardly make you out , you do not sound good "
" Teal'c , thank God , where's the Major ? Is she alright ? she didn't answer, -----oh....ehm....and I think I sound better that I look or feel at the moment."
" That does not sound good Colonel . "
" It isn't , Tealc ---- Teal'c?? ...... the Major ?? "
" Major Carter is well Colonel , she is working on a way to get on to the ship at this moment by way of the Ring Transporter. She would not answer as her radio is down while she works on the new frequencies required. "
" Tealc , I don't know how to say this but , I don't think I am fit enough to be part of an escape plan if you do come up, -- I need to somehow get off this ship without any further conflict as I don't think I will survive the next encounter . You need to work fast . "
Teal'c could barely hear the Colonels last words of the sentence .
" Colonel , you should find some way of hiding and rest, I will speak with Major Carter and contact you.
2 Minutes later !
" Colonel , respond , its 'Carter , Colonel respond, JACK --- Answer me !!! " She was yelling!!
" HHhhmmmm, " quiet clearing of throat.
" Why should I respond to you when you didn't answer me 5 minutes ago " a hint of light sarcasm.
" Jack , you sound terrible, are you badly hurt , where are you hurt , why can't you move around "
" Sam , calm down , I' m weak and breathless , they've been prodding me with that electrical thingymiwhatsit. I just can't find any energy . What's your progress with the Ring Transporter ? "
" Hayley has been brilliant , she' s created two new frequencies in 2 different areas of the ship so if you can tell us where you are we will look at getting you to one of these location.
What ??? Oh! Yes ! Of Course , your Eminence . Colonel do you have Nareems' whereabouts?? "
" Yes , I am here Samantha , It is good to hear your voice , I am anticipating our meeting with great pleasure. "
" Nareem, there is no time for this talk , peoples' lives are at stake here . How badly hurt is the Colonel ?"
" Barely alive //"
" Doh.........." The Colonel cut in shaking his head in disapproval of the statement
It was too late , Sam , knew it had to be very bad.
" Nareem , you must help him , I will be back in touch "
" I will do what I can Samantha "
" Teal'c , Lieutenant Hayley has created 2 new frequencies, one at the Cargo Bay and one at the Throne room. How can we maximise the use of these frequencies to get the Colonel and the others off that damn ship?"
"I would suggest a diversion at one frequency and then , a retrieval at the other frequency ---, that way we could buy time to evacuate as many as possible."
" Right , Teal'c , help me , we will transport C4 to the Throne Room and blow it , and then retrieve at the Cargo end . "
" Sounds like a very feasible plan Major."
" Colonel , Respond , has your position changed "
" No Major we are still here , " replied Nareem.
" Nareem , put me on to the Colonel. ! "
" He is not strong enough Samantha , you will have to trust me . "
" You need to get the Colonel to the Cargo Bay as soon as you can . In the centre of the bay I will send up the Ring Transporter to bring you both down . Is that clear?"
" But Samantha , How do I get to the Cargo Bay ?"
The Major was exasperated ,
" Nareem , Just DO IT !!! " She yelled.
The Colonel could hear the communication, and was angry at how useless he was , Its not usually this bad , he usually can recover from these sessions,------ He reached for the communicator.
" Sam, we'll get there , just call when we need to be in position" He fought his pain hard to re-assure her.
" Right Sir. Oh ehm Jack , there will be some kind of commotion , when you hear it ,it will be a good time for you to move as it is our diversion , Just get to the Cargo Bay OK ? " She said with her soft , vulnerable voice
"OK! Sam " he replied quietly.
" Nareem , " Jack whispered " Look around this room and see if you can find something that would be of use to us , and in the meantime , I am going to try to rest a bit to get some strength to move on .
" Waken me when you hear from Sam "
" Samantha !" said Nareem
Jack , gave him such a look of disgust and contempt and said
" Whatever , with what was a small smile on his lips ."
Next instalment is on it's way...!!
Feedback would be welcome.
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to JeanA