The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
by Geonn
Summary: SG-1 encounters a creature in the woods that begins picking them off one at a time.
Category: Action/Adventure
Episode Related: 402 The Other Side
Season: any Season
Pairing: Team
Rating: FAM
Warnings: violence
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 09/05/06
The tree canopy had cast the forest into premature night. Sam led the way through the dense trees and paused to unfasten the knife from her belt. She slashed through a vine blocking her way and slipped between two tree trunks. "All these years, I guess we've gotten spoiled..."
"In what way?" Teal'c asked, distracted as he tried to fit his bulk between the same two trees.
"Well, pretty much every world we've been to has been established by one civilization or another," Sam said. She paused on the edge of the incline and, as she waited for Teal'c to rejoin her, scanned the area for the easiest possible trail. "We finally come to a world apparently untouched by Goa'uld - or anyone else, for that matter - and we have to cut our own trails. It's..."
"Major Carter."
Sam turned and realized Teal'c was still between the trees. "Teal'c?"
He looked chagrined and twisted his shoulder in an attempt to work his way free. "I appear to be... stuck."
Sam managed to hide her smile and stepped back up on the rise. "I guess my diet is working after all." She took his hand, wrapping her other hand around his bicep. "Okay, ready?" she said. He nodded, and she said, "On three. One... two..." On three, she pulled, and Teal'c pressed his free hand against the tree trunk.
Sam's boots dug into the compost heap that made up the forest floor, her arms straining as she tried to pull Teal'c free. "God, Teal'c," she said. She relaxed her arms and let her muscles rest. "You're pretty well wedged in there, aren't you?"
"It would appear."
His voice was so chagrined that Sam couldn't help but smile. "Okay, a new approach," she said. "Put your hands against the trees. When I pull forward, you push out with both hands."
He nodded, and she grabbed his arm again. "Okay, on three again. One, two, three." Teal'c pushed out with both hands to widen the space between the trees. When Sam pulled forward, Teal'c's body slipped from the tree and slammed into Sam.
His shoulder hit her mid-chest and she went breathless. His weight knocked her off balance. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him with her as they fell down the steep incline. They caromed off an outcropping and twisted in mid-air. Sam ended up landing on her back in a pile of mulch. Teal'c came to rest on top of her, adding insult to injury, and she pushed him off as gently as possible.
Teal'c sat up and looked at Sam. He put a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Are you injured, Major Carter?"
"I'm fine," she assured him, although she remained where she was. "We'll just, ah... find another way around these trees next time."
He stood and offered a hand to help her up. She brushed herself off and massaged the back of her neck. She ran through a quick checklist and made sure there wasn't any obvious damage. "All right, we'll..."
"Carter." Jack O'Neill's voice came through as a static-filled whisper, but it was enough to cut her off.
She reached up to her radio. "Carter here."
"What's your twenty?"
"Teal'c and I are approximately two klicks north-northwest of the Stargate."
"Have you run into anything... unique?"
Sam glanced at Teal'c, who tilted his head slightly. "Nothing worth mentioning," she reported. "What's up?"
"Daniel and I are about a klick and a half south of where you left us. Head this way. And be careful. O'Neill, out."
Sam released her radio and started walking south along the incline. "I wonder what that was all about."
"I do not know," Teal'c said as he fell into step next to her. "Perhaps this world is not as dead as we originally believed."
Sam nodded and tightened her grip on her P-90 as she ducked under a thick vine.
---
Colonel O'Neill hadn't told them what to look out for, but it became obvious when they found the wooden lean-to hidden behind a thick hedge. Sam ducked down and used the light on her gun to search the darkness. It smelled like a kennel; the stench of wet dog and excrement burned her nostrils. She pressed her sleeve against her nose, trying to keep her eyes from watering. "Well, something lives here," she said. She straightened and took a grateful breath of fresh, alien air.
"Perhaps Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson encountered this native."
"Maybe," Sam nodded. She reached up and depressed her radio button twice. It would make a relatively quiet crackle of static on the other end, which the Colonel could respond to or ignore depending on his situation. She waited a moment and then shook her head. "They could be in trouble."
"Let us return to the Stargate for reinforcements."
Sam shook her head. "Not yet. First, we figure out what we're dealing with. Then we can give General Hammond a full report when we request back-up."
Teal'c nodded, and Sam walked around to the back of the small campsite. Several vines had been twined together and hung from the back corner of the 'house.' A quick glance revealed that the vine continued on for at least a dozen yards and showed no signs of dropping to the ground. Sam knelt down and saw a faint trail leading to the south underneath the vine.
"Could be his morning exercise route. Or a feeding route." She stepped onto the bent blades of grass and reached up to run her fingers along the vine. "This is probably how he... it... keeps from getting lost."
"Is that significant?" Teal'c asked.
Sam shrugged. "It tells us whatever it is, it's smart enough to build shelter and keep itself from getting lost. Let's just hope it's not smart enough to realize what kind of threat Daniel and the Colonel pose."
---
Sam dropped to one knee and used her binoculars to scan the opposite end of the open field. A cliff face marked the opposite end of the clearing, a dark blemish on the otherwise smooth, gray rock. She tapped her radio again and this time, Colonel O'Neill replied. "We're here, Carter."
"Teal'c and I have found a cave, Sir. There's a vine through the forest that seems to lead right to it."
"Maybe you found Batman's lair."
Sam glanced at Teal'c. "Batman, sir?"
"Big freaking wings off his arms. Be careful, Carter. Looks like he would have a pretty nasty right hook."
"I'll do my best, sir," she promised. "We're going to check out the cave."
"Keep in contact," O'Neill said.
"Yes, sir," she said. She released her radio and rose. To Teal'c, she said, "Keep an eye on my six. Let me know if the three bears come back before I finish the porridge."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "I believe Colonel O'Neill indicated there was only one creature. And it was bat-like."
"Eh, six of one," Sam muttered. She smirked at Teal'c's confused look and said, "Just keep an eye out."
She broke cover and darted towards the cave entrance. She flicked on the light on the end of her gun, sweeping it across the shadows. A few scattered bones dotted the dirty ground; remnants of small campfires and long habitation were everywhere. There was an animal skin that could have been used for clothing or a shelter from cold nights.
She moved deeper into the cave and tried to avoid disturbing anything. The cavern turned a few feet in, and she paused at the corner, dropping to a knee and easing her head around the corner. No little bat-kids were lying in wait, no scary monsters ready to leap out at her. She moved deeper into the darkness.
The smell that had been hinted at by the door only grew stronger the deeper she ventured. It reeked like a wet dog, like a kennel that hadn't been cleaned out in a few weeks. She paused, pulled the collar of her t-shirt up and hooked it over her nose. It didn't help much, but it was better than nothing.
A sudden burst of staff weapon fire frightened her, froze her in her tracks. She spun around and grabbed her radio. "Colonel, Daniel!"
"We heard it, Carter," O'Neill replied. He sounded out of breath, more than likely running towards the weapon fire. "Teal'c isn't answering his radio."
Sam started running and exited the cave in time to see Teal'c's staff weapon knocked from his hands by a large, furry creature. It spread both spindly arms to reveal the wings Colonel O'Neill had mentioned. While the arms and wings were definitely bat-like, the head and torso looked more like a spider than anything else. It squirted a gooey green substance from somewhere low on its thorax and Teal'c dove to avoid it. The defensive move sent Teal'c directly into the creature's grasp; it kicked up one clawed foot and kicked him backward. As Teal'c fell, the creature pounced on top of him. Sam opened fire and, despite the bat-spider recoiling from the impact of her bullets, it remained conscious and fighting.
It raised a claw to slice Teal'c's chest open and Sam fired again. This time, her bullet slammed into the creature's wrist and it howled in agony. It pulled the injured arm back and cradled the hand to its furry chest. It lifted its head and glared at her before lifting Teal'c like a rag doll. It hoisted the unconscious man over one shoulder and took flight, straight up through the canopy like a knife through butter.
Sam ran over and tried to spot the creature through the canopy. She was reaching for her radio when the leaves to her right began to tremble. She spun around, bringing her gun up and preparing to blow away whatever little buddy the creature might have lying in wait.
Her trigger finger relaxed when she spotted Daniel Jackson through the leaves. "Daniel," she said.
He looked up towards the trees and said, "We heard something take off. I assume..."
Sam nodded. "It took Teal'c. It looked like it was about to rip into him, but I think I wounded it pretty severely."
"Let's hope so," O'Neill said as he joined them in the clearing. "Carter, you all right?"
"Yes, sir. Teal'c, however..."
O'Neill nodded. "Yeah. More than likely took him to one of those huts dotted around the woods. You said you found one, too?"
She nodded. "Not far from here."
"Okay. The three of us will split up, search for more. Odds are, he took Teal'c someplace familiar. Carter, to the south. Danny, north. I'll take the east." He tapped his radio. "Give a shout if you find him."
---
Sam stopped on the bank of a creek and knelt in the mud to scan the opposite sandbar for signs of life. There was a small wooden shack set farther back in the woods, probably set up here for its proximity to water. Another vine led from the cave to this spot. Apparently, for all its muscle, the creature had a pretty bad memory. She saw no footprints in the wet sand, no signs that the creature had been here recently. She tapped her radio to send two bursts of static over the line.
No reply. She straightened... just as gunfire echoed through the still air. Monkeys screeched and birds took flight from their perches as their quiet world was disturbed by violence. She grabbed her radio and turned in a slow circle to pinpoint the origin of the gunfire. "Daniel, report!"
"It's not me!" Daniel called back. He was panting as he ran, his voice coming in breathy bursts. "I think Jack's pinned down!"
Sam headed east, knowing only that Colonel O'Neill had headed in that direction. The gunfire ceased, and the forest felt supernaturally silent. She paused, listening for the telltale rustle of leaves. Her eyes were drawn upward by sudden movement, and she saw the bat-spider creature explode from the trees as if it had been shot from a cannon. A limp, green-clad body was hanging from the thing's talons.
"It's got Jack!" Daniel shouted over her radio.
She brought her gun up and took aim at the bat's head. She was ready to pull the trigger, but a fall from that distance would be fatal to the Colonel. She reluctantly lowered her weapon and watched as the creature swooped out of sight. She cursed and grabbed her radio. "Daniel, where are you?"
"Coming up behind you, I think," Daniel said.
She turned and stepped through a hedge, searching until her path crossed Daniel's. "The creature was heading north. Stands to reason his lair or whatever is in that direction."
He nodded and leaned against a tree. "You mind if I, uh... catch my breath?"
"No time," she said and nodded at the sky. "It's going to get dark soon."
Daniel scanned the treetops, as effective as a ceiling at blocking the sun. "How could you possibly tell?"
"Longer shadows," she said. She pointed at the few sun spots on the ground. "I've been keeping my eye on it, since we can't exactly watch the skies under this tree canopy."
"Oh, well this is just great," Daniel sighed.
"Yeah," Sam nodded. She motioned for him to follow her. "It's hard enough to get through this mess in the light of day. I can't imagine it after dark."
Daniel shook his head. "I was thinking more of dinner time."
Sam paled slightly at the suggestion the creature was carnivorous but kept her face emotionless. She motioned to the north. "Come on. Like I said, we probably don't have much time."
---
The sun was indeed setting, as the red sky and dropping temperatures soon made perfectly clear. They paused to pull on gloves, continuing on their journey. They quickly discovered the woods wouldn't become as pitch-black as they feared; tiny creatures with jet-black fur scurried up and down tree trunks, their eyes burning bright as candles. It wasn't much light, but it was enough to keep from tripping over themselves.
When the sun had completely faded from the sky, Sam tapped her radio twice. She waited a few second for a reply and was prepared to give up when she heard a whispered, "Major Carter."
"Teal'c," she said in a mimic of his whisper. "Are you and Colonel O'Neill all right?"
"We appear to be entangled in some sort of web," Teal'c reported. "Colonel O'Neill has been unconscious since I came to and found him here. Are you and Daniel Jackson free?"
"For the moment," Sam said. "How did this thing get the drop on you?"
"It came from above," Teal'c said. "There was no warning. Remain under cover as much as possible."
Sam nodded. "We'll do our best, Teal'c. But I doubt you and Colonel O'Neill were being reckless when it nabbed you. See you soon. Carter, out."
She glanced back at Daniel, who nodded. "Watch the skies."
"Right," she sighed. "Onward."
---
The camp was lit by a fire, set deep in the cave but still visible in the darkness. Sam crouched by a shrub and peered through her binoculars. The bat-thing was crouched by the fire, wings wrapped around itself. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c's weapons were bundled on the other side of the fire, wrapped in some sort of gossamer webbing. "I don't see either of them. But their weapons are there."
"Probably has them stuck deeper in the cave," Daniel guessed.
Sam nodded. "I'm going to check it out. If I get grabbed, get back to the Stargate and let General Hammond know what's going on. Hopefully, he'll let you return with reinforcements."
"Just leave you here?"
"Yes, Daniel," Sam said. She put a hand on his shoulder and said, "I'll be fine."
"Okay," he said. He eyed the cave and said, "Good luck."
She nodded and crept from their hiding spot. She kept her eyes on the creature, keeping it in her gun sight at all times. As she rounded the edge of the clearing, she saw deeper into the cavern. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c were laid against the far wall, slumped against each other and wound tightly with a light green web. Their heads and feet seemed to be the only body parts left exposed; she could see Teal'c's hand by his neck, revealing how he'd been able to reply to her call earlier.
They locked eyes, and she nodded slightly, not looking away from the creature any more than she had to.
Teal'c's subtle head nod was enough, however. The creature's spine straightened, and it looked at him, then spun and looked out into the darkness. Sam was exposed, nowhere to run. "Daniel, go!" she yelled. She opened fire as the creature lunged at the cave entrance. It dipped towards her with a furious howl. It lashed out at her with its foot and she jumped back, unable to avoid the nasty claw. It hooked her vest and lifted her off the ground.
She continued firing into the air above her with the confidence that she couldn't miss from this distance. The creature howled angrily as each of her bullets hit home and swept from side to side to avoid her barrage. The added movement caused the bat-spiders claw to work back and forth in her vest. After a moment, the material gave way and she was in a freefall.
When she hit the ground, she curled immediately into a ball and rolled. "Sam!" Daniel called. She got to her feet and ignored the ache in her knees and back as she climbed the hill she'd just rolled down. When she got to the top of the rise, she saw the creature descend upon Daniel. "Damn it," she hissed. She lowered her gun, unsure if she'd be able to avoid Daniel, and fired her zat.
The creature hissed again and twisted in the wind before correcting its trajectory. It ducked into the cave, the low altitude causing Daniel's boots to drag along the ground. Sam ran after him with a dark knowledge that she would be his next victim. She stepped into the entrance of the cave and was met with a slash across her chest. Her flak jacket was further torn, but she was physically unharmed. Mentally, she kicked herself for walking into such an obvious trap. She brought her gun up and fired at the thing point blank in the face.
With a ferocious roar, the creature pressed its hand against her face and jettisoned a thick blob of the green webbing over her mouth and nose. The creature took advantage of her distraction and grabbed her by the tattered remains of her vest. With one arm, it hoisted her into the air and tossed her backward. She flew almost straight backward through a maze of vines and small branches, her face whipped at and her clothes torn by loose bark.
She finally stopped by impacting an ancient tree with enough roots to stop her in her tracks. She fell to the ground, already clawing at the webs that had cut off her air. Sounding like a million miles away, she heard the creature howl again. She looked up in time to see it soar into the sky with Jack, Daniel and Teal'c swinging from its claws like a pendulum.
The last bit of webbing came off her face, and she coughed, eagerly gulping air as she ran to the cave. Three guns, three zats and two vests were strewn about on the ground. Apparently, the beastie hadn't had time to take off Daniel's vest. She dug through their supplies and spotted Jack and Teal'c's knives. Hopefully, Daniel still had his, and they'd be able to cut through the webbing.
She scavenged their guns for ammunition and tucked their zat guns into her vest. The extra ammo would come in handy if she ran into the bat on her way back to the Stargate, but she also wanted to ensure the creature didn't get a chance to figure out how they worked. She hated the feeling of abandoning her team, but protocol insisted she get back to the SGC, get back-up. There was no guarantee that she'd escape capture and they couldn't risk another team walking blindly into the bat's grasp.
She looked around the cave for anything else she should take and spotted a bizarre curved tool laying next to the fire. It looked like a farmer's scythe; a long stick with a curved blade at the top. She picked it up to test the weight and found it top-heavy but not unwieldy. She tucked the butt of the weapon under her arm and gripped it just below the blade. Using her body as the pivot point, she would be able to cut through the vines and undergrowth simply by swinging her arm like she was punching.
Fortunately, she was in the mood to do some punching.
---
She was halfway to the Stargate when the creature's roar filled the night. She ducked underneath a bush and scanned what little corner of the night sky she could see. "Sorry, bat breath," she muttered. "You're not getting the clean sweep."
When the roar died down, she started walking again. She'd gotten quite good at using the creature's crude scythe to cut a path through the trees. Suddenly, the canopy above her rippled. The creature swept over her, flying extremely low and disturbing every leaf it passed. Sam brought up her gun, ready to fire if the bat came any lower. It stayed where it was, just above the tree canopy, and released another ear-piercing shriek as it thrashed at the tree-tops.
She waited and held her breath, eyes wide as she waited for the danger to pass. As she was about to start walking again, the bat suddenly burst through the canopy and dropped right in front of her. Her bullets hadn't had any effect on it so far, so she swung the scythe at the bat's head. The bat recoiled and pulled its lips away from its fangs in a furious snarl.
Sam hesitated and held the scythe in a defensive posture. She watched the bat's eyes focus on the blade, its head subtly following the movements she made with it. "You want this?" she asked. She leaned forward and pulled back when the creature grabbed for the weapon. The bat growled low in its throat, hands trembling.
"Where are my friends?"
The bat sneered and hissed.
"You want this back? Take me to my friends. Now." She swung the scythe again and the bat snatched for it. She changed direction just before he caught up with it and ran the tip of the blade over its hand. It howled and backpedaled, holding its now bleeding hand against its chest. "Take me to my friends."
The bat made a wide circle around her. Its eyes burned with hatred but its shoulders were slumped in defeat. It started walking, slow enough that Sam could follow. She kept the scythe aimed at the middle of its back; with one quick jab, she'd bury the blade between its shoulders, and that would be that. She'd find the guys on her own.
Fortunately, the bat didn't make it necessary for her to kill it. He led her to the lean-to that she and Teal'c had originally discovered. The guys were seated back-to-back, their heads sticking out of a giant ball of webbing. Daniel's shoulders were working back and forth furiously, his head bowed in concentration.
He froze when the bat reappeared, brightening when he saw Sam behind it. "Sam. What...?"
"I took something. The bat wants it back. We made a deal."
"Nice," O'Neill said.
"Thank you, sir." Sam dropped to one knee. She lay the scythe across her lap, sitting so she could keep an eye on the thing. It wouldn't have time to reach her before she was able to bring the scythe up and turn it against him. The bat was seething, dancing from one foot to the other and eyeing the treasure hungrily. Sam used her knife to cut through the webbing in front of Daniel and said, "I assume you were trying to cut through from the inside?"
"Yeah," Daniel said. "What else?"
Sam shrugged and grinned. "Nothing. It just looked a little obscene, the way your arms were working, the look of dogged determination..."
Daniel realized what she meant and ducked his head. "I... i-it was..."
"I can't tell in the dark, Dr. Jackson; are you blushing?"
"Just cut us loose, huh?" Daniel said.
She smirked and cut through the webbing, meeting Daniel's cuts halfway through and tearing at the rest with her bare hands. He managed to pull himself free and began brushing at the sickly green webs that clung to his jacket and pants. "Oh, this is not good," he sighed.
"Save it for your dry cleaner," Sam said. She handed him her knife and said, "Cut Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c free."
"Right," Daniel nodded.
Sam stood and used the blade of the scythe to draw in the dirt. The bat growled, but made no move to grab it. By the time O'Neill and Teal'c were free, Sam had finished her drawing. It showed an active Stargate, the scythe on the ground next to it. O'Neill tugged on his pants and shook his head. "You gotta work on perspective."
She rolled her eyes and tapped the drawing with the scythe. To the bat-spider, she said, "You understand? We go home. We leave your weapon here. Got it?"
The bat rolled its shoulders. It glared at her, furious and lifting and dropping its arms in an obviously aggressive gesture. Sam said, "Okay. Let's try walking away slowly."
"Right," O'Neill muttered. The group moved as one, walking backwards to keep from turning their back on the creature.
"O'Neill," Teal'c said softly. "My staff weapon."
Jack paused, remembered seeing the staff lying on the ground just after Teal'c had been abducted. He shook his head. "I'll buy you a new one. This year's model, airbags and XM radio... Right now, we should just get the heck out of here."
Teal'c looked at the bat and said, "Agreed."
"Well, pal," Jack said. "It's been real, and it's been fun..."
"Colonel," Sam interrupted. "Might be wise just to leave quietly while we can..."
Jack looked at the bat. It was furiously clenching and unclenching its hands and staring at them with unmasked rancor. "Yeah. Quiet works."
---
As Daniel dialed Earth, Sam watched the sky. The bat constantly swept across the moon, effectively pacing as he waited for them to get through the Gate and leave his toy. The Stargate activated, and the bat lunged towards the clearing. "Put in the code," Sam said. "Now. Now!"
Daniel punched it in and waited for the confirmation to flash across the GDO. "Okay, we're good!"
Daniel ran around the DHD and broke through event horizon. Colonel O'Neill motioned for Teal'c to go through after him, moving to the other side to give Sam more coverage. "Now you, Carter," he said.
"No, sir. As long as I have this thing, it won't attack. You go. I'll be right behind you."
He hesitated, but apparently saw the logic in her argument. "Going through now," he said to save her from having to look back.
With her team safe on the other side of the event horizon, she backed up. She held the scythe at arm's length, dropping it only at the last second. As the Stargate's icy fingers drew her backward, the bat screeched and rushed into the clearing. It paused only long enough to retrieve its weapon before charging her. Then, blue and stars and being swept backward at a billion miles an hour.
She hit the ramp on her back and shouted, "Close the iris!"
The iris slid shut with a metallic thunk, immediately followed by a hollow slam.
With a shaky breath, she let every muscle in her body relax and spread out on the ramp. It wasn't the most comfortable bed, but it would do for the next few seconds. The evening was catching up with her fast; the bruised if not broken ribs, the leg that was really starting to throb, the hand that felt broken although she couldn't remember when that could have happened.
Janet Fraiser arrived and began checking her. She eased Sam's hand from her lap and motioned for the orderly to bring the gurney over. "It's all right, Sam. You'll be all right."
As Janet laid her on the gurney, Sam sighed. "I hate bats."
Janet grinned. "Me, too. Let's get her to the infirmary."
---
Sam was in the briefing room, cradling her bandaged left hand in her right. She'd been released from the infirmary about an hour earlier and had already changed into her standard blue uniform. It was the SGC equivalent of putting on your jammies; part of the post-mission decompression process. The briefing room, with its serene atmosphere and rigid rules and structure, was like a deep-sea diver's hyperbaric chamber.
She ran her fingertips along the edge of the bandage, staring down at the Stargate.
"Major?" O'Neill said.
She turned, surprised to see him so early. "Colonel. The briefing isn't for another five minutes."
"I know," he said with a smirk. "I'm still going to be late. I just wanted to check on how you were doing. Fraiser told me you left AMA."
Sam smiled. "SG-1 always leaves AMA. It's what makes us cool."
"You do listen to me," he said.
"Janet said I'd be fine in a few days. I just have to take it easy."
"Which, in your mind, means 'bury yourself in your lab,' right?"
"Actually," Sam said, "it doesn't. Not this time. General Hammond granted me some leave time, so I'm going to San Diego to visit my brother and his kids. It's been a long time. I miss them."
Jack smiled. "That's sweet."
She shrugged and looked back at the window. "Is it weird that I feel bad?"
"About?"
"The bat thing. I mean, it was trying to kill us. I spent the entire day trying to kill it, but... when it slammed into the iris like that, I couldn't help but feel..."
"Like it had been you hitting it."
"Right."
He shrugged and stood up. "You did what you had to. If the P-90s had worked on it, you would've blown it away. The iris was just another weapon at your disposal."
"Like Alar?" Sam asked.
He was brought up short by this. For the first couple of days, he had thought she'd never speak to him again. But then time had soothed frazzled nerves and they were the old team again. Just like always. Jack sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Alar was a human. A despicable sort of human, but one of us, I guess. Do I feel bad about him dying?" He shrugged. "Maybe he wouldn't have killed us. But he had no qualms about cold-blooded mass murder. I don't lose sleep over him."
Sam looked out at the Stargate.
Realizing he wasn't helping her, he said, "Look at it this way; if Batman had honored his side of the deal, he'd still be back on that planet flying around and swinging his toy."
"I guess."
"Trust me, Carter, that thing was more animal than person."
"It was intelligent."
"Don't be so sure," Jack said. "Teal'c figured it was eliminating us from the strongest to the weakest."
Sam nodded. "It's a reasonable assumption."
"Yeah, well... he couldn't be that smart then; he left you for last." He winked and checked his watch. "I better go if I'm going to be late for this briefing. I'll see you in a few." She nodded and turned back to the window. "Oh, and Carter?" She turned, and he said, "Good job taking charge back on the planet. Really showed what you're made of."
Sam blinked and ducked her head slightly. "Thank you, Sir."
He nodded and headed down the stairs, leaving Sam alone in the briefing room again. She pursed her lips and tapped her bandaged hand against her elbow. Good job taking charge, she repeated in her head. Showed what you're made of. Despite herself and her misgivings about the bat's dismal end, she smiled at her reflection.
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