General Hammond stood in the Operations Room in the SGC waiting with his hands behind his back. In five years of operations, the commander of the base had sent his men on literally thousands of missions to explore hundreds of worlds across the galaxy. This was the part that always made him most anxious, waiting for an overdue team to arrive and report. Usually, the delay would turn out to be nothing, getting stuck in an unexpected storm, or negotiations taking longer than expected. But far too often this was when he would hear the worst.
The most heartbreaking for him had been losing SG-1. While every person under his command was important to him, the four members of that team had earned a special place in his heart. As soon as there had been an abnormality in the gate after SG-1 had departed those months ago, he had ordered a MALP sent through after them. When that went through without a problem he sent another SG team to find them. All they had found on P8F-202 was dessert sand and the ruins of a civilization long dead. Weeks passed and SG-1 did not return. Then it was months and he stopped expecting them to return.
The missions had to continue. SG-2 was assigned SG-1's missions and exploration of distant worlds, and the search for technology that could provide a defense for Earth went on. Even with the recent addition of Jonas Quinn, the Lantaran wunderkind who was amazingly able to do some of what Dr. Jackson and Dr. Carter had before, the program had been hard hit with the loss of their flagship team. Now SG-2 was returning once more, hopefully with some good news.
SG-2 had been overdue by over a day when the transmission of their GDO codes were received. A long delay, but not yet alarmingly so. The Stargate had been dialed in and the blueness of a gateway had opened back on Earth. Major Louis Ferretti, Jonas Quinn, Captain Michael Griff, Lieutenant Sands, and Sergeant Bell stepped through the event horizon of the wormhole. SG-2 began walking down the ramp and General Hammond welcomed them. Just as the Marines guarding the room started to lower their weapons while SG-2 disembarked, the general noticed something odd about their formation. There was a purpose to their movements, as if they were getting into position for—
SG-2 brought their weapons up to fire just as General Hammond was about to order a lockdown. Several Jaffa emerged through the gate, their staff weapons quickly turning to fire on the soldiers guarding the room. A gou'ald invasion was underway.
"Close the iris! Lock down the gate room!" Hammond shouted the order. But a moment later, he was covering his ears as a piercing hypersonic sound assaulted his senses. Back in the gate room, those Earth soldiers who were able to keep a hold of their weapons were unable to aim them effectively, the rest simply dropping them on the ground in order to cover their ears. The incoming Jaffa and the obviously compromised SG-2 continued their attack, unaffected by the sonic weapon.
General Hammond pulled himself off the ground and forced himself to stagger over to the iris control. It was agony to pull his hands away from his ears, the cacophonic pitch increasing in intensity as he did so, but he made a lunge for the control. He missed on his first attempt, but steadied himself to make another try. His hands reached over and managed to trigger the shield to block the gate. No more Jaffa would be coming through.
.
"Alarm, Alarm! Everyone grab a weapon! The Flagon is under attack!"
Colonel Jack O'Neillrolled out of bed at the sound of the shouting. For a moment, Duncan's cry of alarm didn't register. It was just too incongruous that someone would attack the inn. Then he heard shouting and the sounds of combat.
Jack turned to see that Teal'c had already risen as well. Daniel was still on his bunk. "Daniel, wake up."
"Huh, what time is it? It can't be—"
"The Flagon is under attack."
"The what is under what?"
"Someone is attacking the inn."
"Oh." Daniel got out of his bunk and started putting on clothes with a look of confusion on his face. After a moment, he turned back to Jack and asked, "Um, why?"
"Beats me. Probably because we are here and the universe hasn't met its monthly quota for sending bad guys at us," Jack retorted as he grabbed for the locker where his weapons were stored. "Doesn't matter why. Let's get out there and help."
By the time Jack had finished responding, Daniel had already begun chanting an arcane spell. When the archaeologist turned-universe explorer turned-wizard finished, his skin was suddenly covered in what appeared to be rock. He took a few seconds to cast a couple more protective spells as Jack and Teal'c prepared their weapons.
Then the trio was out into the hallway, Daniel and Teal'c following as Jack checked around corners. They quickly ran down the hallway just in time to see Tamil Farlong emerging from her room, sword in hand. The three dashed forward to join up with her. When they reached the corner of the hallway they rounded the corner in time to see a surprising sight.
There was Tamil's foster uncle engaged with two githyanki. Duncan was completely unarmed and still wearing his barkeeper's apron, yet he was still deftly deflecting the sword strikes of his attackers and even managing to punch back at them. Despite his thin frame, it was obvious that there was more to the barkeep than just pouring drinks.
Without hesitating, Jack and Daniel zatted the creatures and then moved on towards the sounds of battle coming from the inn's common room. When they got there they saw chaos, as dozens of they grayish green githyanki were crowded around several groups, their swords striking out at several defenders. Despite their numbers, though, the battle was not going in the githyanki's favor as they were being swatted by the holy hammer of the paladin, Casavir, chopped in half by a raging dwarf, mauled by the druidess who had taken the shape of a bear, and pelted by arrows from Grobnar and a human Jack didn't recognize.
Unfortunately, though, the attack had already taken its toll on those within the inn. There were several patrons who had been stabbed or slashed lying on the floor of the inn either moaning in pain or, worse, in silence. Jack knew he couldn't get a shot off in this chaos, so he holstered his zat'nik'tel and drew the short swords from the sheaths on his legs and charged in to help Neeshka, who was not faring as well as the other companions. Daniel immediately began chanting a spell, concentrating on a group of the creatures trying to overwhelm Grobnar.
But it was Teal'c who was most affected by the carnage in the inn. He had seen thousands of deaths in his time as a Jaffa serving Apophis and was no stranger to senseless slaughter. But it was a different thing to know innocent people sit around a hearth fire and share music or a meal with them and then see them murdered without cause. The injustice of it burned in his mind like a flame. Without even knowing what he was doing, he called out to Tyr, the god of justice whom he had embraced.
Teal'c received an answer in the form of a column of fire that appeared from nowhere and consumed several of the githyanki in the room. This was followed by an eruption of lightning that tore through several more of the creatures. The effect was devastating, annihilating a large group of gith, allowing the remaining defenders to link up together, as well as turning several tables and chairs in the hall into splinters.
"What the hell kind of magic was that, Daniel? Lightning and fire mixed together?" Jack asked while he snapped several sword strikes at a pair of githyanki caught between himself and Neeshka.
"I did the lightning, but the fire strike wasn't me…"
"That was Tyr," Teal'c clarified as he smashed his staff into one of the remaining githyanki with great force.
"Technically," Tamil interjected, borrowing one of the phrases she was constantly hearing Daniel and Sam use, "It was Tyr through you. He supplied the power, but you were the one who used it."
Tamil took the opportunity to gut the last of the intruders before turning back to Jack. "You're getting better with those swords, Jack. Between you and Nesshka those gith didn't stand a chance." Tamil paused thoughtfully a moment as the group inspected the dead opponents. "Which brings us to the point of why they attacked in the first place. Usually they come straight for me yelling 'kill the Kalach-cha' or some such nonsense before. This time it seemed like they were just trying to cause as much damage as possible."
"Maybe they missed you?" Jack quipped.
"The lass, Shandra, she's been taken!" Duncan announced to the group as he entered the tavern's hall. "How the hells did those githyanki get into the city?"
"Probably been here the whole time. They must have had a second hideout the City Watch didn't locate and attacked in force once they learned we were back in Neverwinter," Daniel reasoned. "This whole attack was a distraction to capture Shandra."
"Does that matter? You'd better hurry if you want to get the woman back," came a voice from over in a corner of the inn where large casks of ale were stored. A man was kneeling over the corpse of one of the githyanki, one riddled with arrows. "Look, this one has a sprig of duskwood trapped in his boot. That means they came from deep within Luskan territory… and that's where they'll be returning to."
"The githyanki must have been getting supplies from the outside. But with this attack they're sure to be leaving the city with whatever force they have remaining. They'll probably link up with a larger force outside the city on their way back," Daniel said, his brow scrunched up in contemplation.
Jack gave Daniel a nod. Despite his brilliance at languages and intuitive understanding of operating alien technology, Daniel had come to SG-1 the rawest kind of green when it came to any sort of military action. That he had surmised as much as he did from the situation showed his growth in matters of tactics. Daniel was still not yet the equivalent of a soldier, but he was becoming far more able than he was before.
"Luskan? That's your territory, Bishop." Duncan was directing his comment to the man who had spoken up about the githyanki.
The man turned to regard Duncan. His eyes were cold and his voice sounded intentionally harsh and antagonistic despite what could be considered a boyishly handsome and fair face. "Yes, but it's not my problem. I'm not going into Luskan territory for some farm girl, and certainly not with any kin of yours, Duncan."
That was when Jack realized something. "Hey, where's Carter?"
Daniel's eyes went wide. "She was sharing her room with Shandra…"
Duncan answered Daniel's unspoken question, "She wasn't in the room either. Seems they didn't know which blond haired human was which. They've taken both of them."
"Looks like we're going after them," Jack said, loading ammunition into his weapons.
Tamil walked over to where the bowman was standing. "Look, if you're familiar with Luskan and that's where those creatures are going, we could really use you. Shandra and Samantha's lives are at stake. We need your help."
Despite the situation and the beauty of the woman asking for assistance, Bishop just sneered at the request. "Is your whole family deaf Duncan? Like I said, not my problem."
Duncan stared at the man in disgust, then said with resolve, "You'll help them, Bishop, whether you like it or not."
"What makes you think…" Bishop began contemptuously before noting the deeper meaning in Duncan's eyes. Bishop's expression changed to a smirk. "Calling it due, are you Duncan? Are you sure?"
"Peoples' lives are at stake. If that's what it takes to motivate you to do the right thing, then so be it." Duncan retorted. The tension between the two grew to an icy chill.
"Fine, it will be worth it to be rid of you - and for such a small price, too. You're a fool, Duncan." With that, Bishop turned away from the innkeeper as if he were no longer of any consequence and turned to Tamil and SG-1. "All right, pack your bags and grab your weapons. We're bound for the Luskan border."
.
Stargate Command was in chaos. The defenders in the Gate Room had been either slain or stunned and a large number of Jaffa were quickly assaulting the corridors outside of the room. Fortunately, the iris was holding and the sound of several dull thuds against the titanium alloy shield protecting the gate were evidence that the general's effort to close it was preventing many more hostiles from joining the other Jaffa.
Still, the steady sonic scream of the gou'ald weapon was making it all too easy for the intruders to make it through what should have been a staunch defense. Air Force and Marine personnel retreated from the piercing sound or died where they stood as they were overwhelmed by an enemy unaffected by the debilitating noise. The Jaffa were quickly making it around the corridors and stairways separating the Operations Room from the Gate Room.
Then the wormhole on the other side of the gate collapsed and the sonic pitch was silenced. Whatever it was that they were using, it was originating from the other side of the gate. Earth's soldiers began to pull themselves off the ground and some of the Jaffa began to fall to the machinegun fire of Earth's military.
But it was too late. The Jaffa had already gained the corridors and stairways leading up to the Operations Room. Too many of the slave soldiers had gotten through to the SGC before Hammond managed to get the iris closed and they had more than enough firepower to hold what they had gained long enough to re-open the gate and bring more reinforcements through the Stargate.
General Hammond knew this.
A pair of Jaffa blasted the door to the Operations Room open with their staff weapons. The officers within were all military personnel, but they were not combat veterans. Still, they tried to fight off the attackers with the handguns they carried before most were unceremoniously zatted into unconsciousness by the incoming Jaffa.
Major General George S. Hammond made his last stand, firing his service weapon into one of the attackers. The big soldier dropped to the ground bleeding to death only to be replaced by another attacker with a zat'nik'tel aimed for him.
"Hold," came a command from behind. The Jaffa obeyed, lowering the zat, but grabbing Hammond's arm and twisting it.
Jonas Quinn walked into the Operations Room and took the gun from General Hammond's hand. "Lord Khonsu will want to question this one." If Jonas's actions hadn't been enough of a giveaway, the dead voice with which he spoke made it clear he was being subject to mind control. Which made the next statement the Langaran made even more chilling, "But first, we will need to break his mind to get the deactivation code for the self destruct device that he has initiated."
.
The trail pursuing the githyanki was easy to follow. They were a large group and left plentiful signs. Bishop led the way, making the occasional remark about different indentations in the ground or breaks in the foliage meaning something significant. Daniel, Jack, Teal'c were also joined by their adventuring friends Tamil, Neeshka, and Casavir. The rest of the group were either recovering from injuries back at the inn or helping the City Watch search for any remaining githyanki in Neverwinter.
"We can't be much more than an hour behind now," Bishop remarked. "We'd best be on our guard for ambushes they might set. They have to expect some kind of pursuit and they can't be trying to hide their trail."
"So, they'll likely leave a few archer groups behind to throw off any pursuers with hit and run attacks," Jack concluded.
Bishop nodded. "That's what I would do, yeah. We'll just have to see if these spotted green bastards are smart enough to think of that."
While the ranger's tracking skills were excellent, especially once the group crossed out of Neverwinter controlled territory into Luskan lands, his frequent derisive and often insulting comments were already grating on the nerves of nearly everyone in the group. Tamil had taken on the role of mediating between Bishop and Casavir while Jack would try and soothe things over with Teal'c, or vice versa.
Then there came an opening in the forest, revealing a small town. It appeared to be a simple settlement, a dozen or so buildings arranged in two neat rows divided by a roadway. A well was set at the front center of the town to provide it with water. A large number of tracks led into the town, but there was nothing visible there now.
"Hold on, something isn't right," Bishop wearily stated.
"This entire town isn't right," Daniel remarked. "There are vines growing up over the sides of all the walls, but the street itself seems well maintained. The arrangement of the buildings is careless, especially with such a close tree line. The town is vulnerable to attacks from monsters and raiders."
"He's talking about the people, Daniel," Jack remarked. "There's nobody here. Doesn't make sense unless the whole town has been abandoned. Which, considering the tracks we've seen cannot be the case."
"And there's no livestock," Tamil Farlong added.
"Good eyes. I noticed the villagers, but you're right about the livestock," Bishop remarked. It was the first complimentary thing the ranger had said since setting out.
The group quickly came to the conclusion that there was probably a trap ahead. As a precaution, Jack and Daniel prepared their FN P90's. Daniel and Tamil also cast a few magical protections on themselves. Casavir, Tamil, and Neeshka led the way into the town while Jack, Bishop, and Daniel held back.
Their fears proved to be warranted, as no sooner than the three entered the town center than large numbers of githyanki burst out from every doorway in the village. The placement of the houses allowed the gith to immediately outflank the group. Unfortunately for the gith, despite their superior numbers, though, they were no match for the well armed and prepared group of rescuers. Jack and Daniel were not worried about conserving ammunition. They were much more concerned with saving time and rescuing their friends. Colonel Jack O'Neill took down several of the charging creatures with three-round bursts while Daniel just loosed a stream of 5.27x28mm bullets that dropped an entire line of the charging creatures.
Bishop was stunned by the power of the weapons. Back in the inn the group had used swords and magic because of the close combat and fear of hitting allies. Out in the open like this and in pursuit of their teammate, the soldiers were free to display the full devastating effects of what they carried. Not a single one of the githyanki were able to get past the front line.
Several of the githyanki in the back managed to cast some protective spells on themselves, but this brought the immediate attention of Tamil Farlong and Teal'c who dropped a silencing spell over them and blasted them with the ma'tok staff weapon. The few that were not cut down by gunfire or blasted by Teal'c were quickly slain by Casavir, Neeshka, and Tamil. Bishop barely even had time to loose a few arrows, although these found their marks.
The typical bravado Bishop would usually have displayed, aggrandizing his own role in the fight, was lost in the wake of the revelation of what a couple of automatic weapons could do. He walked over towards Jack and Daniel with a very interested look in his eyes. He was about to open his mouth when another group of the creatures charged from behind the village.
These were met with a fireball from Daniel and a plasma blast from Teal'c. Between Tamil singing a protective song, Jack firing three-round bursts with the practiced efficiency and accuracy of a former black ops soldier, and the rest of the team mopping up those few remaining gith, the attack from the reinforcements lasted little longer than the first.
Bishop looked around at all the corpses, still impressed by the FN P90s. "They left a large force in this village, which means it will be easier on us when we catch up to the others. As long as we catch them before they go to ground."
"Yes," Colonel O'Neill agreed. "But with a much reduced force they'll be able to travel much faster and cover their trail. We won't keep gaining on them the way we did before this ambush."
Tamil nodded at Jack. "I was about to say the same thing, colonel."
Bishop looked over at Jack as well. "Well, aren't you a bright ray of hope," he smirked sarcastically.
Casavir immediately leapt to Jack's defense. "He was merely pointing out the realities of the situation, Bishop. I—"
"Keep your opinion to yourself, paladin. The colonel there, as his people seem to call him, knows how to speak for himself. As I was about to say, he's right. And since they won't have enough men to leave for another ambush they won't be leaving us an obvious trail."
With that, the group prepared to move on. That was when one of the villagers emerged from her home and ran up to see what was happening. Bishop verbally skewered the woman for the villagers' cowardice in not repelling the githyanki and allowing them to use their town for an ambush. Tamil came to their defense and the ranger turned away in disgust. Tamil asked how the villagers were. It turned out the woman knew Shandra from some trading that went on between Highcliff and this town on the Luskan border.
"If we're through wasting time," Bishop rolled his eyes at the exchange.
The group was again just about to depart when there was one more interruption. "It's you! The one who will destroy Ember!" A little child stood there pointing at Tamil.
"What?" she responded in surprise. "I don't mean this place any harm. It's the githyanki who were threatening you. They are gone now, no need to worry."
The boy cocked his head to the side. "Wait... no... I was mistaken. Strange... the killer looks like you, but isn't. Ember cannot be saved. All within the village when the time comes will perish except one - me."
The boy told a story about the coming destruction of the town and that he needed something to be able to survive. It sounded a lot like a con job, the boy trying to beg an item from the group. Eventually, he settled on asking for a hunting knife from Bishop. When the ranger balked, Jack stepped in and handed the ranger a number of gems the group had collected. Bishop called Jack a fool, but took the gems and handed the knife over to the boy.
"There ya go, kid," Jack smiled with a pat to the young boy's head.
When Jack touched the boy, he looked up into Jack's eyes. "Thank you Colonel Jonathan Jack O'Neill of Stargate Command." The boy's voice was low, as if speaking in a monotone. "Your charity towards me because I resemble your own son when he was younger, before he killed himself with your weapon, will be rewarded with knowledge."
Jack and Daniel's jaws dropped. The boy had everyone's attention.
"Before you I see a dark place, full of danger and darkness. There is a door, a door guarded by a devil and another door guarded by a demon, two doors that lead to a circular, watery gate surrounded by symbols. To pass through the doors to get to the gate you must learn to master the devil and destroy the demon. Do this and your friends will be saved. Fail, and you will lose your soul and darkness will cover this land."
Then the boy blinked and he looked up at everyone. "Well, thanks!" His voice had returned to a natural tone. He looked at Tamil, "I'll see you again soon."
Then the boy ran off, leaving the group standing in silence.