![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Fanfiction: Let Go and Hold On - Part I
Fandom: Stargate SG1
Summary: When Sam gets left behind, SG1 reunite for one last mission to save their team-mate and the galaxy.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Team fic with Sam/Jack focus. Teal'c/Ishta. Daniel/OC. Action/Adventure. Spoilers for SG1. Set post-Threads S8 pre-S9. Stargate Fan Award Winner: Best Sam/Jack Action/Adventure & Best Overall SG1 Ship Story.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Written for entertainment purposes only.
Let Go and Hold On
Chapter 1
It was raining.
Sheets of grey fell from the bleak sky in a never-ending curtain. A dirty stream of water ran down the sidewalk and into the drain. Jack O’Neill barely glanced at the depressing weather as he made his way to the waiting car, far too aware that it matched his mood. He took a moment to wordlessly give a nod of thanks to the young driver before climbing into the warm interior of the vehicle.
Jack removed his cover and threw it to the far side of the back seat. He placed the briefcase on the seat beside him and opened it. Washington traffic was terrible and it would take at least an hour for them to get to where they were going. Jack had learned his lesson on the day he had arrived and in the days since had taken to using the time productively for his paperwork. His stint as the commander of the Stargate programme had served him well in training him into administrative discipline. He knew if he didn’t deal with paperwork with expediency, it would simply multiply like Replicators and there were days when he could swear that the paperwork seemed the more intractable enemy.
The folders in his briefcase bore the stamp of the United States Air Force; the contents were sanitised in case there was an accident mid-transit. They gave no indication of Jack’s current assignment as the Head of Homeworld Security. Jack flipped through six folders quickly enough; the report on the latest space-craft the Odyssey (carefully disguised as a report on a new Air Force stealth bomber in public knowledge), and another five which held the personnel information for the Pentagon’s short list of candidates for the craft’s commanding officer. Jack had it down to two in a heartbeat; Colonels Ellis and Emerson. It was an easy choice; both men came with his former CO’s recommendation. General Hammond had always been a good judge of character and Jack figured the decision was a quick win given some of the other weightier decisions on his shoulders. Still, Jack wrote a note on the file that he wanted to meet with both and he would make a final determination then.
The seventh folder held a brief summary of the next day’s anticipated SGC missions, again carefully disguised as training scenarios; six in total, five being follow-up sessions with various allies, and the sixth being a survey of some ruins. SG1 were scheduled for the latter mission with SG12 as back-up. It would be the last SG1 mission for the remaining members of his former team; Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson. Jack scribbled a note to confirm he’d seen the contents and slapped the folder shut as a pang of guilt and anxiety shot through him.
He rubbed a hand over his face and reached for the next folder in the stack. It was not his fault that SG1 was reduced to two, Jack reminded himself briskly. OK, so maybe he should have followed protocol and assigned a fourth member back when he’d been promoted to lead the SGC. In his heart he knew he hadn’t done it because he’d selfishly wanted to keep that fourth spot for himself – just in case he changed his mind. He sighed. Of course, his departure had been followed by Teal’c who had recently left in the wake of the rebel Jaffa’s success at Dakara.
‘I always knew he was going to leave, I just didn’t know know.’
Daniel’s words after Teal’c had stepped through the wormhole came back to Jack. He and Carter had looked at each other in amusement but they’d understood the archaeologist’s words. Teal’c’s departure had been inevitable; they’d all known it. Their former team-mate was the leader of the rebel Jaffa after all. Yet none of them had planned for it – not even Teal’c, Jack mused. It was though all of them had been in some kind of deep mutual denial at the inevitable because to contemplate it was too painful. So, Teal’c had left leaving an impressive Teal’c sized hole in their every day lives. Jack missed his friend and he knew Carter and Daniel felt the same way.
Of course, Teal’c’s departure seemed to have set in motion a chain of events that had turned their worlds upside down, although Jack knew on some level it had more to do with them finally defeating the Replicators and breaking the Goa’uld dominance over the galaxy. The war they had fought for the last eight years was effectively over. Change was in the air. Teal’c’s leaving was just a part of it.
Jack fidgeted with the report on his lap, opening it and flipping through the contents unseeingly. He’d known change was coming but like Daniel, he hadn’t known known it. A couple of months before he’d taken the entire team up to his cabin to spend time together – they’d all needed to take a few days especially Carter who had lost her father. He hadn’t realised at the time that it would be a goodbye trip.
He shifted uncomfortably. The day after they had returned from the cabin, they had received a transmission from the missing Atlantis expedition. Twenty-four hours later, back-up had been sent to the city to prevent it from being taken over by some creatures called the Wraith. A week later, with the Daedalus on its way back to the Milky Way carrying the Atlantis senior staff to debrief, Teal’c departed and Jack had been summoned to Washington.
His meeting with President Hayes had been brief; Hammond had put in for retirement and Jack had been assigned as his successor. Jack had protested; he wasn’t good at diplomacy, he was hopeless at paperwork and he was better deployed right where he was – at the SGC guarding the frontline. Hayes had been resolute. The President needed someone leading Homeworld Security who had experience in the Stargate programme; Jack was the only viable candidate. All of Jack’s half-formed plans for his own retirement had been scuppered in the space of a heartbeat. He’d gone back to the SGC and broken the news to Daniel and Carter.
Total silence.
Jack swallowed the urge to clear his throat and ran a finger down the edge of the workbench. He darted a look at Sam. She looked pale and her blue eyes had dropped to the floor.
‘Really?’ Daniel asked pushing his glasses up his nose. His blue eyes were stunned behind the panes of glass.
‘I know.’ Jack agreed fervently with the disbelief in the single word.
‘Con…congratulations.’ Sam managed finally.
‘I don’t want it.’ Jack blurted out. He shuffled under their shell-shocked gazes. ‘It’s just…’ If he didn’t do it, there was no-one else; no-one else to protect their backs in the political den of inequity that was Washington.
‘We understand.’ Daniel patted him on the back consolingly.
Jack looked over at Sam. Ever since her father’s death, it was as though they had come to some kind of unspoken agreement about them and this was going to screw with that big time. Did she understand?
She nodded at him. ‘Daniel’s right, sir. And, really, it’s a huge honour.’
‘It doesn’t change anything.’ Jack said confidently.
In hindsight, Jack wondered who he had been trying to kid – himself or them. Of course, his new assignment had changed everything. Daniel and Carter had supported him like they had always done; helped him organise his departure, welcomed Jack’s replacement – Hank Landry, and wished Jack goodbye at his farewell party with his favourite cake. He had left comforted by the notion that he might not be there on a day to day basis anymore but they were and at least he knew where they were, knew they were safe and it wasn’t as though they weren’t going to see each other again. It was to be a fleeting comfort.
‘You’ve done what?’ Jack’s hand tightened around the receiver and he glared at the folder on his desk as though it would take back the words Hank had just uttered.
‘I’ve authorised Doctor Weir’s request that Doctor Jackson be assigned to the Atlantis expedition.’
‘This is a joke, right?’ Jack snapped. ‘Tell me you seriously haven’t taken Daniel off SG1.’
‘Colonel Carter has agreed to the transfer, Jack.’ Hank let Jack stew on that fact for a long moment.
Of course Carter would have agreed to it; she knew how badly Daniel had always wanted to go to Atlantis.
‘He’s the foremost expert on the Ancients and the expedition needs someone with his skills and experience.’ Hank continued brusquely. ‘I don’t have a valid argument for keeping him here since Anubis has been neutralised; do you?’
He didn’t.
Jack threw the report into the briefcase. The most he had been able to do was delay the archaeologist’s departure for a month or so, claiming they needed the time to ensure a smooth handover of Daniel’s ongoing work. Luckily, Daniel had agreed to the ruse; Jack suspected he felt guilty at leaving Sam – he’d told Jack that he had only agreed to go because Sam had told him that if he turned down Atlantis because of her she would feel awful. Still, Daniel’s reassignment left Carter metaphorically without a team.
And it had hurt her. Jack had seen it in her eyes when he’d stopped by to say goodbye to the Atlantis expedition. All three of her team-mates had effectively deserted her within a space of a few weeks. They hadn’t meant to but that hadn’t stopped it from happening. But maybe it had been fate. A few days after the Atlantis expedition had returned to Pegasus, the head of Stargate R&D out in Nellis had suddenly stepped down following a heart attack. Sam had requested being considered for the position; Hank had immediately put her forward; R&D command had immediately snapped her up. Jack had only known about it after the fact.
‘Are you sure about this, Carter?’ Jack asked. His brown eyes took in her resolute expression.
‘I’m sure, sir.’ Sam replied. ‘I mean, everyone’s moving on. I think, maybe I should too.’
‘You don’t have to.’ Jack pointed out. ‘You could stay. Build a new team.’
‘I don’t want a new team.’
The blunt truth of it had them both looking away. Neither of them wanted a new team; their old team was a hard act to follow.
Sam sighed. ‘I appreciate what you’re trying to do, sir, but I’m fine. Nellis is close to Cassie, I’ll have more time to work on my projects. It’s a good command post for me and I won’t have to worry about anyone shooting at me anymore.’ She tried a smile.
‘There’s that.’ He agreed and tried very hard not to notice how the smile failed to reach her eyes.
Sam would transfer out to Nellis in twenty-four hours, and Jack was suddenly furious; with Hammond, Hank, Daniel, Teal’c and most of all with himself. Jack had promised Carter as her father lay dying that he would always be there for her and where was he? Stuck in traffic in Washington. He reached for the phone.
‘This is General O’Neill. I need a secure line to Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter at NORAD.’ He barely acknowledged the operator’s acquiescence to his order. The phone rang at the other end and Jack felt his heartbeat speed up.
‘Carter.’
Her brisk efficient answer brought a reluctant smile to his face. ‘Hey.’
‘Sir.’ Her voice warmed and he relaxed back against the hard cushions of the car seat.
‘So I hear you have an exciting mission scheduled for tomorrow.’ Jack said lightly. He could almost see her rolling her eyes at him.
‘Just some ruins, sir.’ Sam reported.
‘Right. You and Daniel all set for your last mission as SG1?’ Jack asked getting to the heart of his call.
Sam paused as though considering her answer seriously. ‘Actually, Daniel’s not coming along.’
‘What?’ Jack’s eyebrows shot up in the privacy of the car.
‘General Landry has asked him to brief the visiting IOA officials on the Atlantis situation.’ Sam explained.
Jack felt his anger stirring; surely Hank could have chosen a different time for the briefing. It was their last mission, for crying out loud. There was no note of judgement in Carter’s voice though just acceptance; she’d always been better at following orders than he had. He let out a frustrated sigh and let his anger drift away with it.
‘So just you?’ Jack murmured, remembering his thoughts from a few moments before.
‘Just me.’ Sam agreed.
‘Well, I just wanted to…you know.’ Jack stumbled over his words.
‘Wish me good luck and Godspeed?’ Sam joked gently.
‘Something like that.’ Jack said. ‘I wish I could be there.’
The words were out of his mouth before he could recall them. They weren’t usually too emotionally honest with each other. There were too many emotions between them for honesty to be entirely comfortable given their working relationship and military ranks. But they’d had their moments; across a force-shield waiting to die, trapped in a za’tarc test, on a planet where they’d only remembered feeling feelings, in an observation room as Jacob Carter lay dying, on a dock fishing together.
Jack had never spoken to her of his plans for retirement and his hope that they would finally have a chance to be together. Sam would never admit it but she had been fragile on the fishing trip; grieving for her father and coming to terms with her broken engagement. She’d needed a friend; Jack had been a friend. But he had also truly believed they had time to move forward to the promise of something more. Somehow life and duty had gotten in the way again.
‘Me too, sir.’ Sam replied. She cleared her throat awkwardly. ‘How’s Washington?’
‘Good. It’s good.’ Jack muttered. ‘Raining.’ He grimaced.
The internal intercom sounded; his driver’s voice crisply informed him that they were pulling into their destination.
‘I have to go, Carter.’ Jack sighed. ‘Sorry.’
‘I understand, sir.’ Sam said easily. ‘Thank you for the call.’
Jack heard the dial tone and reluctantly hung up the phone. He quickly shoved the folders back into order in his briefcase and closed it. He reached for his cover as the door opened. Jack stepped out and welcomed the protection of the large size umbrella as water fell in rhythmic pitter-patter beats against the nylon. He took a moment to stare at the White House in front of him.
‘Sir.’
Major Paul Davis reached for his briefcase and Jack released it into his XO’s custody as they started forward to the side entrance. ‘Davis.’ The former liaison between the Pentagon and the SGC had accepted the position on Jack’s staff claiming it was an honour and Jack liked working with him.
‘The President is waiting for you in the Oval Office, sir.’ Davis said briskly. ‘There’s a situation in the Gulf he’d like your opinion on. I’ve rescheduled your meeting with General Vidrine.’
‘Right.’ Jack said only half-listening. He turned back as they got to the entrance. He ignored the impressive building behind him and focused on the weather; the rain was still falling from an endlessly grey sky. Yep. He really wished he wasn’t in Washington.
Chapter 2
‘Sam!’
Daniel’s call had Sam turning just at the control room entrance to greet him with a smile.
‘I’m glad I caught you.’ Daniel said with a grin. He was wearing the blue BDUs, the shirt characteristically open to reveal the black t-shirt he wore beneath. He nudged his glasses as they made their way into the familiar room.
‘Come to see me off?’ Sam asked casually as she turned on her boot-clad heel and continued into the room.
The Stargate was already spinning in the gate room. The sounds of metal grating on metal and the chevrons locking was so familiar, neither Sam nor Daniel paid it any attention.
‘I thought it was the least I could do.’ Daniel smiled apologetically, wrinkling his nose. ‘I’m sorry for bailing on you.’
Sam returned his smile and raised her hand from the P90 clipped to her vest. ‘Not your fault. Like you said, Doctor Calliday can handle the ruins and at least one of us will be here for Teal’c’s usual check in.’
Daniel nodded. He sighed and pushed his hands in his pockets. ‘I can’t believe last week’s trip to Cimmeria was my last mission as a member of SG1.’ His lips rose in another half-smile. ‘I always thought the last time would be, you know,’ he shrugged, ‘something big.’
‘Like saving the world?’ Sam teased.
He didn’t respond but he didn’t have to; she felt the same. An examination of some ruins seemed anti-climatic given some of their missions. The wormhole engaged and the vortex settled into the usual blue shimmering puddle.
Daniel nodded at SG12’s leader, Major Green as he joined them before she turned back to Sam. ‘I hear General Landry’s considering Colonel Mitchell to lead SG1.’ He kept his voice low so only Sam could hear what he was saying under the babble of other voices.
‘Yeah.’ Sam said shortly. She really didn’t want to discuss it. It was hard enough leaving without considering who would take their place.
‘That’s a bit unusual, isn’t it?’ Daniel continued anyway. He rocked back on his heels. ‘I mean, he doesn’t have any gate experience.’
‘Maybe not gate experience but he’s done two tours on the Prometheus, Daniel,’ Sam pointed out, ‘and he led the Antarctica squadron; he saved our lives. He has a great record.’
‘Oh I know but,’ Daniel shrugged, ‘you know.’
Sam tilted her head. She did know. Not one of General Landry’s predecessors would have considered handing the leadership of the flagship team to someone without actual gate experience no matter what their record. But she figured Landry’s decision was in part down to keeping the rest of the SG teams in a stable configuration. If he appointed one of the other team leaders it would probably lead to mutters of discontent and it would certainly mean restructuring the teams. By bringing someone new in, Landry avoided all that conflict. And besides, Sam thought silently, the war was over; maybe Landry figured he didn’t need someone so experienced and maybe it gave Landry the opportunity to make something of the SGC his own.
‘Receiving telemetry.’
Walter Harriman’s quiet words dragged Sam back to the present. She moved over to look at the video imagery from the MALP they had left on the planet forty-eight hours before when the original contact was made.
‘Gate area looks clear.’ Green noted.
‘It’s raining.’ Sam smiled.
Daniel looked at her inquisitively. ‘You’re happy about that?’
‘It’s only rain, Daniel.’ Sam said cheerfully, unwilling to admit that after her conversation with Jack the day before and his mention of rain in Washington, knowing it was raining on the planet made her feel like she was closer somehow to him.
Green exchanged a male look of incomprehension with Daniel.
She rolled her eyes and reached into her pack for a nylon poncho. ‘Green, we’ll need covers.’
‘I’ll inform the guys to cover up.’
Sam nodded in agreement with him as Green left and Daniel helped her into her own poncho as she kept an eye on the video monitor.
A clatter of footsteps down the internal stairs had them turning to greet the new SGC commander. He favoured the formal uniform; blue pants and shirt. It was a contrast to the BDUs usually worn by Jack.
Landry nodded briskly at them. ‘Ready to go, Colonel?’
‘Yes, sir.’ Sam said. ‘Just covering up.’ She pointed at the monitor when he looked at her blankly. ‘It’s raining.’
‘Oh right.’ Landry straightened. ‘Carry on.’
Daniel gave Sam a smile as she turned to head to the gate room. ‘Good luck.’
She flashed him a smile and left the control room. SG12 waited patiently in the gate room. ‘Take point, Major.’ She ordered briskly. ‘Secure the gate.’
Green waved his team up the ramp. ‘Yes, ma’am.’
Sam followed them up the ramp. She paused in front of the wormhole. A dozen emotions skittered through her; the usual excitement, anticipation, regret, a wave of disappointment and loneliness that the rest of SG1 wasn’t lined up beside her. A ripple across the blue focused her attention and she stepped forward.
She was too used to the dizzying journey for it to have much impact when she stepped out on the other side. She took a moment to steady herself as she scanned the tree-line and the clearing in which the Stargate stood. A second later, she moved down the steps, her gun perfectly positioned, her hands holding the weapon firmly. Rain drenched her in moments, skidding off the poncho and dampening the exposed areas of her arms and legs.
‘Area is secure.’ Green reported.
‘Leave two of your men here.’ Sam instructed. ‘You and I can accompany Doctor Calliday to the ruins.’ The ruins were only a short walk away.
‘Grogan! Turner! Hold the gate.’ Green ordered.
A few minutes later and Sam was walking beside Helen Calliday as Green marched ahead. Sam had worked with the other woman a couple of times since Calliday had joined the SGC. She was around Sam’s age; bright, intelligent and tough. Her short red hair and green eyes gave her the look of some kind of Irish warrior queen.
‘It’s a shame Daniel couldn’t make it.’ Calliday murmured. ‘I was looking forward to working with him one last time.’
‘Me too.’ Sam gave a smile to soften the words but the sentiment was heartfelt. She had looked forward to their last mission. She might have wished Teal’c and General O’Neill could have made it too but she and Daniel had always had a special working relationship and she would have settled just for him.
‘Are you looking forward to Area 51?’ Calliday asked.
‘Sure.’ Sam agreed readily, knowing it was the answer everyone expected to hear.
‘Change is a bummer, huh?’ Calliday noted with a sigh.
Sam looked over at her in surprise but found some of her automatic defensiveness melting away at the understanding in the other woman’s eyes. ‘You could say that.’
‘I just want to tell you, I’m disappointed you’re leaving.’ Calliday said as they broke through the trees and saw the remnants of the ruins in front of them. ‘I would have requested SG1 if you’d stayed.’ She grinned. ‘Actually, a few of us were hoping that you might have stayed and formed the first all-female SG1 team. Can you just imagine the guys’ faces?’
Sam smiled at the idea. She could imagine it; even the SGC had its share of male chauvinism. She stopped and surveyed the area as Calliday moved forward and joined Green by the ruins. It looked like a thousand ruins Sam had seen before; the crumbling edifice of an abandoned temple; faded writings on the wall, moss and foliage growing over the building. Another hundred years and it would be completely swallowed by the forest.
Green began a perimeter check and Sam settled into guard Calliday. The rain was lighter, easing off slightly. Sam kept her eyes focused on the trees as Calliday examined the writing.
‘This is odd.’ Calliday muttered. She was brushing at the dirt in the worn letters with some kind of implement Sam had seen Daniel use before. ‘This is a really old dialect of Goa’uld.’
‘How old?’ Sam asked idly.
‘Old.’ Calliday turned and reached for her camera that was on a strap around her neck. She took a few shots and stared up at the continuing downpour before sighing and returning to the writing. ‘The temple belonged to Ra.’
‘Ra?’ Sam’s frown creased in confusion. ‘Aren’t we way out of Ra’s known territory?’
‘Known territory, yes.’ Calliday confirmed. ‘But according to Daniel, at one point, Ra held dominion over most of the galaxy. We believe most of the temples were originally erected to worship Ra but as his offspring and the other Goa’uld gained power then those temples were converted to worship them instead.’
‘OK.’
‘This is interesting.’ Calliday murmured. ‘There’s mention of…something…held in the temple?’
Sam bit her lip. ‘Something?’
‘Something.’ Calliday shrugged. ‘I can’t translate it but I think I have found…’ her hand dug into the stone in the wall.
A grinding noise had Sam on her feet, her gun pointed as the door to the temple stuttered open and stopped half-way.
Calliday grinned. ‘The door.’ She pulled a face. ‘I guess the mechanism is old.’
‘No kidding.’ Sam peered into the dark passageway suspiciously.
‘Hey, perimeter’s secure.’ Green gestured at them. ‘A hidden doorway?’
‘Looks like it.’ Sam checked her watch. ‘Doctor Calliday and I will investigate. We’ll check in every five minutes. You hold position here.’
Green nodded. ‘Yes, ma’am.’
Sam pulled Calliday back as she went to enter the temple. ‘Me first.’ She inched in and switched the light on her P90. She swept it side to side but all that the beam caught was a long, dark tunnel. She saw Calliday’s flashlight brighten the space further and crept forward. The silence of the tunnel seemed deafening after the ceaseless rain outside.
‘This is a hell of a tight fit.’ The archaeologist muttered nervously despite the bravado in her voice.
Sam silently agreed with her; the passageway was narrow. Her blue eyes caught on something and she kept the P90 focused on it. ‘There.’ She moved forward. It was an opening to a stairwell. The steps were worn, faded and they spiralled down. She kept the gun pointed directly at the stairwell and radioed Green. ‘We’ve found a stairwell about two hundred yards from the entrance. We’re going down.’
‘Understood.’ Green’s voice crackled.
Sam hoped the radio signal would hold as they got further into the temple. She carefully placed her foot on the dusty step. She walked down at a steady pace taking her time to make sure her footing was secure. She had too much experience to rush at it and end up breaking a leg or worse. The stairwell ended in another tunnel. The light revealed nothing but tunnel either side.
‘Left or right?’ Calliday asked breathlessly.
Sam considered the question. Right would take them back to the outside wall; any inner chamber was likely to be in the opposite direction further under the temple. ‘Left.’
They moved silently down the space. It ended with a door. The two women looked at each other.
Sam trailed her light down the seams of the doorframe checking for booby traps. ‘It looks clean.’ She frowned at the lack of a handle. ‘I don’t see a way to open it.’
Calliday cast her flashlight over the decorative stones that surrounded the door. ‘Here.’ She pushed on a stone with the faded picture of a Sun. The door slid open with a groan.
‘It’s amazing any of these mechanisms still work.’ Sam commented. She pushed into the space and came to a halt on a ledge. ‘Woah.’
‘What?’ Calliday stopped beside her with a gasp.
Below them lay a room the size of a large hanger. It was filled with artefacts; gold and jewels glittered as the beams of light hit them. Another steep set of steps led down to the space.
‘Oh my God.’ Calliday took some pictures; the flash bright in the dark space. She grabbed Sam and waved her camera at the object she had caught in the lens of the camera. ‘Is that…’
‘A Stargate.’ Sam muttered in astonishment.
A hard tremor rocked them and Calliday grabbed hold of Sam as they teetered precariously on the edge. Dust and debris from the ancient walls fell into the room below.
Sam thrust them both back through the doorway. ‘Go!’ She ordered.
Her radio crackled. ‘Colonel! The weather’s gone crazy out here!’
‘Green! Get back to the gate and return to the SGC! Don’t wait for us! That’s an order!’ Sam snapped out briskly even as she pushed Calliday back up the stairs. They stumbled up the stones and back through the passageway to the entrance. The daylight was blinding after the darkness of the temple, even dulled by the rain. Lightening streaked across the sky.
Calliday set off at a run and Sam was at her heels. Their boots slid on the mud as the rain pelted down harder than before washing away the ground in front of them. The ground was still shaking. They were both soaked and breathing hard as they stumbled into the Stargate clearing.
Green ran through the waiting wormhole as he spotted them.
The earth shook beneath their feet, throwing Sam to the ground.
‘Go!’ Sam yelled as Calliday hesitated.
Calliday lurched up the steps and threw herself into the blue circle.
Sam staggered to her feet, her hands scrabbling for purchase in the wet mud. The lightening fizzled back across the grey sky as she ran for the wormhole. She looked back over her shoulder and her mouth fell open at the crack in the ground running toward the Stargate…
Chapter 3
Sirens blared loudly as the SGC responded to the off-world activation.
Daniel raced into the control room, coming to a stop and looking out at the Stargate with anxious bemusement. ‘What’s going on?’
Landry looked at the archaeologist in surprise. ‘Shouldn’t you be briefing our guests from the IOA?’
‘I, uh…’ Daniel faltered under Landry’s expectant gaze. Daniel hadn’t stopped to think. As soon as the sirens had started he’d excused himself and ran for the control room, just like he’d done a million times before. Hammond had always appreciated SG1 being around for the unscheduled activations to provide advice and support; Jack had always seemed to just expect them to continue doing it. Obviously Landry had a different view.
‘It’s SG12’s IDC, sir.’ Walter’s words diverted the attention back to the crisis at hand.
Daniel felt his heart seize. The war was over; there was no cause for alarm. The early return could be down to a simple sprained ankle or…he was already half-way to the stairs when he heard Landry order the iris open. The archaeologist arrived in the gate room in time to see the metal slide back and a moment later, Grogan and Turner ran through, their boots clattering onto the ramp.
Landry strode in to stand beside Daniel. ‘Report.’
‘Some kind of earthquake, sir.’ Grogan wrenched his cap off, dripping water onto the floor of the gate room. ‘The Colonel ordered us back.’
The wormhole flickered brightly and a crackle of energy ran around the Stargate.
‘What was that?’ Landry asked, his eyes opening wide.
‘Oh, that’s not good.’ Daniel muttered. His heartbeat loudly in his chest…where was Sam?
Green staggered out of the wormhole almost losing his footing on the metal ramp. ‘God, that was rough.’
Another crackle of energy ran over the Stargate; the wormhole flickered ominously.
Come on, Sam, Daniel thought fiercely.
A huddled shape shot out of the wormhole and landed heavily on the metal with a thump. The Stargate sizzled with bolts and energy; sparks flew from the chevrons. Everyone ducked.
Daniel darted through to cover the crumpled form on the steel with his own body. He looked up and his breath stopped as the wormhole flickered out.
The sirens were cut off abruptly; the silence was startling.
Daniel eased back and stroked the cap off the woman he had protected, dimly hearing the order for medics. Calliday lay still; the bump on her forehead gave away the cause. She had been knocked unconscious. He stepped away as Doctor Edwards ran over to his side.
‘What happened?’ The doctor demanded.
‘Rough landing.’ Daniel answered absently, his attention was on the Stargate and more importantly on the woman on the other side of the wormhole which had just winked out of existence; Sam.
‘Sir,’ Green’s voice cut through the fog around Daniel’s brain, ‘Colonel Carter was right behind Calliday.’
Landry looked shocked. ‘We need to redial now.’
‘I wouldn’t, sir.’ Sergeant Siler interrupted. He pointed at the Stargate. ‘There shouldn’t be a problem for incoming although I wouldn’t recommend someone travelling through. Some of the capacitors will need replacing and we’ll definitely need to run a complete diagnostic before dialing out.’ He glanced at his CO who nodded in agreement. The Sergeant ran off to begin his work.
‘What about Colonel Carter?’
Grogan had asked the question at the forefront of Daniel’s mind.
‘Is it possible she was in the wormhole?’ Landry asked bluntly putting voice to all of Daniel’s fears.
Green shrugged helplessly. ‘There’s no way of knowing for certain, sir.’
‘If she was, it’s possible her pattern was stored in the buffers like Teal’c’s was when it happened to him.’ Daniel said quickly.
‘Walter!’ Landry yelled up at the control room.
The Sergeant leaned into the microphone. ‘Nothing in the buffers, sir. Colonel Carter wasn’t in transit.’
‘She must still be on the planet.’ Daniel surmised.
‘Why hasn’t she tried to dial home again?’ Grogan asked.
Daniel waved a hand at the gate. ‘Maybe the DHD was…was affected by the earthquake.’ He swallowed down on the fear that his team-mate was injured.
Landry took a breath and straightened his shoulders. ‘As soon as the gate is repaired, we’ll send a MALP and if everything checks out, a search and rescue team.’
‘Permission to join…’ Daniel barely had the words out of his mouth before Landry nodded.
‘Permission granted.’ Landry nodded sharply. He walked over to where Calliday was being transferred to a gurney. ‘Doctor?’
Edwards spared the SGC commander a brief glance. ‘We need to get her to the infirmary. It looks like a broken wrist and a concussion.’
‘Keep me informed, Doctor.’ Landry turned back to the gathered crowd. ‘Let’s get out of the way, people. The sooner the gate is working, the sooner we can do our jobs.’ His words had an immediate effect on SG12 who followed their unconscious team-mate to the infirmary.
Daniel stared up at the gate, his brow creased. He knew Sam was a survivor. She had probably taken shelter when the wormhole disappeared. She would be fine. He hoped. Prayed. God knew what he was going to tell…
‘Oh God.’ Daniel muttered, pushing a hand through his dark hair.
‘What?’
Landry’s brusque question startled Daniel into an automatic reply.
‘Jack.’ Daniel blurted out. ‘I have to call Jack.’
Landry’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Perhaps we should continue this conversation in my office, Doctor Jackson.’ He walked out before Daniel could formulate a reply. Confused, Daniel followed the General out of the gate room, up the stairs, through the briefing room and into the small office. Daniel barely acknowledged the mess of boxes that filled the space; evidently Landry hadn’t gotten too far in his unpacking.
Landry closed the door behind Daniel as he stepped into the space. ‘Doctor Jackson, I appreciate that this is a difficult situation for you but I would like to make the decision about when this command needs to inform the Head of Homeworld Security about missing personnel…’
‘With all due respect, General, this isn’t missing personnel.’ Daniel interrupted, anger beginning to stir. ‘This is Sam.’
‘Doctor Jackson…’ Landry leaned on his desk, his eyes intent on Daniel’s.
‘Look, General, this isn’t about politics.’ Daniel hurried out. ‘I’m not calling Jack because I want to make you look bad or win points in some…game.’ He paused, hoping Landry would see his sincerity. ‘And ordinarily I would agree; Jack doesn’t need to know every time someone goes missing. But this isn’t just someone; this is Sam.’ He stressed her name. ‘We all served together for eight years, General. More than that we’re friends, family even. Jack will want to know she’s missing.’
Landry stared at him, his busy eyebrows lowered as he considered Daniel’s words. ‘Very well, Doctor Jackson.’ He said eventually. ‘I assume you want to be the one to make the call?’
‘Thank you.’ Daniel gave him a grateful smile. He jerked a thumb at the door. ‘I’ll go…’
‘Doctor Jackson.’ Landry stopped him as he reached the door. ‘We’ll get her back.’
Daniel nodded. He headed into the control room.
Walter greeted him and pointed at the phone. ‘I have General O’Neill’s office on line one for you, Doctor Jackson.’
‘Thanks.’ Daniel picked up the phone. He swallowed hard as a wave of uncertainty filled him. Maybe Jack wouldn’t want to be disturbed…maybe it would be better if he called when they had news…how did he tell him?
‘Daniel. Sergeant Harriman said you wanted to speak with the General?’ Davis’s calm voice helped ease Daniel’s sudden panic.
‘Hey, Paul. Yes, I need to speak to Jack. It’s urgent.’
‘I’ll put you through.’
Daniel rubbed his head as he heard the click of the connection. ‘Jack.’
‘Daniel.’
Jack sounded guarded as though he knew something was wrong – of course he knew something was wrong, Daniel berated himself. Jack would have known about the mission and Daniel was calling him, demanding to speak with him; even he would be able to deduce something was wrong if their positions were reversed.
‘Jack, Sam’s missing.’ Daniel cleared his throat. ‘There was an earthquake on P2X654. She ordered everyone back; she didn’t make it.’
‘SAR?’ Jack asked gruffly.
‘The, uh, Stargate isn’t working. There was some kind of energy surge and it blew out some…stuff. Siler’s on it.’ Daniel pressed his lips together. ‘We’re going back as soon as it’s up and running.’
‘I’m on my way.’ Jack put the phone down before Daniel could say anything.
Daniel hung up the phone. He stared out at the gate and the bustling team fixing the Stargate. He stuck his hands in his pockets and let the relief he felt at knowing Jack was on his way wash over him. It didn’t matter that Landry had authorised the SAR or had promised Sam’s safe return; Jack was going to be there and Daniel couldn’t help feeling relieved he’d soon have his old friend beside him again.
Continued in Part II.
no subject
It's rare to find action/adventure that sucks you in and follows through to the end. Really enjoyed this.
Thank you