Ricochet by Dinkydow

Chapter Two

Every seat around the table in the Briefing Room was occupied. General Jack O'Neill sat at one end, while Thor was stationed at the other in his command chair. In between sat Jacob, Major Carter, Daniel, Colonel Reynolds, and Lt. Colonel Ferretti. Teal'c had stationed himself directly behind Jack's seat and was standing in the parade rest position, each muscle tensed and ready to pounce, like a cheetah just before the sudden-death challenge with its prey. His entire body, from the frown on his face to the bunched muscles in his thighs shouted 'Fuck with me and you die!' It was quite obvious that he took his responsibilities as Jack' bodyguard very seriously.

Even Jack Jr. or John, as he preferred to be called, was there. For sanities sake, his own, and probably Jack's too, he'd seated himself as far away from his older twin as possible. Clearly, he really didn't relish being anywhere near the Asgard alien either, so he'd apparently settled for sitting sandwiched between Carter and Daniel.

Both versions of Jack O'Neill were noticeably nervous, as was evidenced by the constant movement of their hands. The younger edition was currently refolding yet another piece of paper into a stealth fighter, while the older one was doodling on the margins of his notepad with a pen. Jack Sr. caught his twin's eye and cocked an eyebrow before moving back to the topic at hand.

"Do we know how long the day is on this planet P4D-657?" asked General O'Neill. Predictably, Carter had the answer.

"Yes, Sir. Because of the planetary tilt and its position relative to its..."

"Ack! Numbers, Carter. I want exact numbers," he admonished waving his hands at her in a very familiar gesture.

"Sorry, Sir. The day is approximately thirty-two hours long. Which means that sunset occurs in about two hours and...seventeen minutes," she answered, consulting her watch.

"OK, people. That gives us two hours to get SG-13 home. The floor is open for any ideas. But, lets keep this discussion short. We're playing with men's lives here," instructed Jack. "Thor, can you get one of our search and rescue teams to this planet before the deadline?"

"I have studied the coordinates and believe I am familiar with that planetary system. 'The O'Neill II' could be dispatched to that location within an hour."

"What about the other System Lords? Won't they see that as unwarranted interference from the Asgard? We do have the Protected Planets Treaty to consider," commented Jacob.

"I do not believe the current constituency of the System Lords wish Ba'al to regain his previous position of dominance among them. In addition, although your team was off-world when they were detained, General O'Neill continues to be on a protected planet. Therefore, it can be said that Ba'al is threatening the planet Earth by holding the members of SG-13 hostage and is in violation of the Treaty."

"I like the way you think, buddy. You sure you've never been a lawyer?" replied Jack with a grin. When Thor continued to look at him and did nothing but blink, he cleared his throat and hurriedly continued. 'Damn, but this is a tough crowd,' he thought.

"So, one option is that we take a couple of SG teams and hitch a ride with Thor for a snake-stomping party. Jacob, do the Tok'ra have any new Intel you can give us?"

"Jolan says the Tok'ra Council have given me permission to help you out while I'm here. We still haven't been able to pinpoint the location of Ba'al's base of operations, though. And it is possible that your men aren't anywhere nearby."

"Sir, I disagree. Sorry, Dad." Jacob just grinned at his daughter and waved for her to continue. As for the two Jack's, the smirks on their faces were identical. Daniel started to laugh, and then turned it into a cough. General O'Neill gave him a dirty look, and returned his attention to the younger Carter.

"They would have to stay within a certain range of P4D-657. The First Prime said he would execute one member of SG-13 on the planet at sunset. That means that at least one of our men would have to be in close proximity in order for that threat to be carried out," explained Carter.

"Sir, permission to take SG-3 and 5 on a search and rescue mission?" requested Ferretti. "They've been prepped and ready to go since we got that first message from Colonel Dixon. I'd like to go with them too, Sir."

"Permission denied," replied his CO. Seeing the look of surprise on his face, Jack hastened to explain.

"I agree about sending those two SG teams, but they'll need to be led by someone who knows Ba'al inside and out. You don't meet those qualifications, Ferretti. I'm sorry, but someone else will have to lead them."

The silence in the room was deafening. Teal'c' looked like someone had pissed in his cheerios and he seemed to be getting ready to pounce on the man sitting in front of him. Thor was fingering one of the controls of his command chair thoughtfully and Daniel and Major Carter were exchanging one of those 'significant' glances.

The younger Jack just smiled and shook his head as he disassembled his paper airplane and neatly refolded it into a single long finger. The action was so typical of their natures. If either Jack couldn't say anything, they would still find a way to get their point across. General O'Neill studiously made a point of ignoring his clone's editorial comment. Jacob was the one to break the silence. The fact that he was a two-star General in the Air Force may have had something to do with it. Even if he had a tame snake inside his head, two stars still out-weighed the one on Jack's collar.

"I think I know where you're going with this, Jack, and you couldn't be more wrong about it. You are the one person who can't lead this mission. Ba'al is probably expecting you to do just exactly what you're considering. Remember, the door swings both ways. He knows you just as well as you know him," insisted the Tok'ra.

"Jacob's right, Jack," agreed Daniel. "You can't risk Ba'al getting hold of you and what's inside your head. He knows you managed to get away from him three times before. Don't you think he'll take all those things into consideration?"

From the way his mouth tightened and his pen stilled its movement, Jack O'Neill clearly did not like what he was hearing from his friends at the table. Meanwhile, John, his younger version, plainly was doing everything he could to keep from laughing out loud and was twirling the paper finger around in his fingers.

"I agree, O'Neill. It would be most unwise for you to accompany the rescue team and I will not permit you to do so. In addition, I believe your President Hayes agrees with this sentiment. Has he not instructed you to remain at this facility?" asked Teal'c. Somehow, the big Jaffa seemed to loom even larger over the seated General. Jack, meanwhile, shifted uncomfortably in his chair, sure evidence that his Commander In Chief had already ordered him to stay behind while his teams did the fighting.

"So how does it feel to be miss out on all the action, Jack?" asked John O'Neill with a smirk. "Doesn't feel good, does it? Now you know how I feel, being stuck in high school while my previous life goes on without me." All heads at the table swiveled to look at him upon hearing the bitterness in his words.

"Yeah, well, if I can't go, then it stands to reason that you're stuck here too, John Boy. We both know that Ba'al really doesn't need to get his sticky fingers on what's inside your head either," retorted the older, but not necessarily wiser version of Jack O'Neill. Then he turned his attention away from his younger twin and back to those seated at the table. He drummed his fingers angrily against the tabletop and took a calming breath.

"And don't be thinking you can sneak out of here and go anyway, either," added Daniel knowingly. Jack responded by adopting a wounded air, but then wiped it off his face when he realized that no one was buying it. Molding his facial features back into its expressionless mask, the fingers of one hand curled around his pen in a death grip. Interpreting his body language like a pro, Thor stepped in.

"O'Neill, I agree with the sentiments of the Tok'ra and Teal'c. If you persist in this foolhardy thinking, I shall be forced to transport you elsewhere for your own safekeeping. Believe me when I say this. You are my friend, however, I cannot risk having the knowledge of the Ancients fall into the hands of the Goa'uld. From your own previous experiences, you yourself are aware that this adversary is wily and cunning."

The only sound now was the snort emanating from John, the clone's throat. Jack's fingers were no longer tapping an angry staccato on the tabletop; instead he was sending psychic thoughts of belligerence across the length of the table toward his Asgard friend. Thor didn't even blink. Instead, he picked up a shell and stroked it with his long skeletal fingers, as if in warning.

"Do you mean to say that you'd beam my ass out of here just to keep me from going?"

"Yes," replied Thor.

"You wouldn't da..." Before he could finish his challenge, the little alien moved the shell, and Jack, his clone, and Teal'c were all swallowed in a white flash of light, leaving Thor sitting in the Briefing Room. The paper finger John had been playing with hit the table with a raspy click that was deafening in the sudden quiet.

Then, Thor moved his shell again, and they reappeared, with each Jack in their respective chairs, and Teal'c once again standing guard. The startled expressions on Jack and John's face were priceless, and Teal'c was practically smiling. In the meantime, the SF guards had burst through the door with weapons drawn, until the General waved them down. Uncertainly, they lowered their weapons, but didn't leave the room.

"You were saying, Jack?" commented Daniel with a grin.

Jack took a second longer to regain his composure, and then cleared his throat nervously, before glaring at Thor again. However, when he saw Thor's fingers twitching, he broke eye contact, and grabbed his pen again. When he started laughing, everyone seated at the table looked surprised, and then joined in. The breaking of the nervous tension had them all doubled over for a few moments before anyone was able to speak. As for the SF's, they were clearly wondering if some kind of unknown virus had infected the people in the room.

"Stand down, men," ordered Jack as he wiped the tears out of his eyes. "Thor was just giving us a demonstration of the accuracy of alien technology. Take my word for it guys, it's pretty damn accurate." As they cleared the room, and returned to their posts just outside the door, Jack turned his attention back to his Asgard friend.

"For crying out loud, Thor. How many times do I have to tell you? You can't just go around beaming my ass out of here whenever you want to. It's embarrassing for me and is driving my security staff crazy."

"It was necessary to prove my point, O'Neill," corrected Thor implacably.

"Oh, by the way, Ernie sends his regards," stated John with a sheepish grin and shake of his head. Jack cleared his throat again.

"Okey, dokey, campers, I think its time we got this show on the road. Since some people have an objection to me going on this mission," he continued, pausing to send a scowl in Thor's direction, "I propose we send in SG-3 and 5 commanded by Colonel Reynolds. Jacob can go along as Tok'ra representative. SG-1 will have to sit this one out." When he saw the blonde-haired Major's mouth opening in protest, he hastily continued.

"Sorry, Carter, it can't be helped. You and Daniel are as much at risk as 'John Boy' or me as far as that Snake is concerned," he added indicating his clone. He chose to ignore the answering glare.

"Thor? You sure you can give my men a ride over to that planet?"

"Of course, O'Neill. I would not have suggested it otherwise," assured the Asgard.

"Good! Then the mission is a go. Colonel Reynolds, can you have the men ready to go in ten minutes?"

"Yes, Sir. They've been ready and waiting ever since we got that first message from Colonel Dixon. I'll stop by the Armory for extra ordinance, if you don't mind."

"Be my guest, Reynolds. You can never have enough C-4 as far as I'm concerned," retorted Jack with a smile. "And Reynolds? Would you blow that scum-sucking Snake to hell for me?"

"It would be my pleasure, Sir," answered Reynolds with a grim smile.

"Let's do it, people! Time's running out for SG-13." added the General. With that admonishment, the war council was finished and everyone rose from his or her seats. All except Teal'c, who never relaxed his vigilant gaze upon Jack. Carter and Daniel seemed to be at a loss as to what to do next as they weren't used to being left out of the action. John, the clone, turned to look at them with an uncertain look on his face.

"Anyone hungry for some pie?" he asked his former team members. Their looks of surprise turned into welcoming smiles as they all agreed to meet in the commissary. That left General Jack O'Neill and Teal'c in the room with Thor.

"O'Neill, you seem unsettled by the reappearance of Ba'al," the little gray alien commented.

Jack gave him an unreadable look before rubbing the back of his neck again. As he sank back down into his chair, he moved his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. Dammit, that headache was not going away. If anything it was getting worse. He knew he would have to give in and pay a visit to the new CMO of the Infirmary, Dr. Smith.

"Ya think?"

"Eir has expressed his concern about how these most recent developments would affect your emotional state of mind."

"You tell Ernie that I'm doing just peachy. OK, Thor? And as for the state of my emotional health, I'll deal with it. Just like all the other crap I've been through. This is just another Snake we have to terminate. That's all, Thor. No big deal. What's one more Snake, when we've already killed off so many?" he said unconvincingly.

"As you well know, this is not just any Goa'uld, O'Neill. This is the same Ba'al who has subjected you to much torment over the past several years. I truly regret that he has returned to threaten you and your people once again. When I learned of the duplicity of Loki, I was most enraged," stated Thor. Jack's gaze became riveted on the writing pad in front of him in an effort to avoid looking at him. However, his Asgard friend was not fooled by such ploys and felt he knew his human friend quite well.

"Yeah, well I'm not really surprised that he's been splashing around in someone else's genetic pool," Jack added dryly. "After all, if he did it with me, then doing the Xerox number on a Snake would be a piece of cake for that unethical flat-assed little bastard." Thor continued to study the man sitting across the table from him.

"O'Neill, are you in pain?"

"What?" asked Jack distractedly? He winced as another shaft of pain lanced through his head. Teal'c too, had become aware of his friend's need, and had moved so he could better view Jack's face. The pinched look and the pale complexion told him everything he needed to know.

"O'Neill, you are in need of assistance. I shall accompany you to the Infirmary to ensure that you receive the medical aid you require," stated Teal'c with authority.

"I appreciate your concern, guys, but I'm OK. Really. Just a bit of a headache, that's all. I'll go see the new Doc later. Right now, seeing as how I'm stuck back here, I've got to see my teams off safely. So if you don't mind, give me a fricking break, and back off," he ordered gruffly.

"Very well, O'Neill. However, I require that you agree to have your needs attended to once I have transported your men to my vessel," answered Thor seriously. "Eir would be most unhappy if I did not do otherwise." When Jack wouldn't meet their eyes, Thor and Teal'c exchanged knowing looks.

"You may rest assured that O'Neill shall be escorted to the Infirmary once you have departed, Thor," promised Teal'c.

Jack gave them both withering glares but the effect was spoiled when he had to wince with pain once again. Instead of answering them, he levered himself to a standing position and shoved his way past them towards the stairs and the Control Room. Behind him, Thor and his chair disappeared in a white flash of light. By the time Teal'c and Jack reached the Gate Room, Thor had reappeared in the midst of the two SG-teams who were gathered around Colonel Reynolds and Jacob. The teams had obviously just been given the condensed version of their upcoming mission and were fully geared up and raring to go. Jack seemed surprised to see that Colonel Ferretti had joined them and was suited up also. When he felt his CO's eyes on him, he turned to speak.

"You've got to let me do this, Sir. There is no reason why I can't go on this mission," he asserted.

"OK, Ferretti. You win. Colonel Reynolds is still in charge, though. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir," he replied with a relieved grin. Then Jack turned to the rest of his troops.

"I don't need to tell you what's at stake, here, campers. Just be careful out there and bring our people home. Now go out there and kick some serious snake ass!"

"Yes, Sir," they all agreed enthusiastically. Even Jacob found himself caught up in Jack's charismatic charm and answered with the rest. Thor merely blinked and looked thoughtful, as usual. The little gray alien had long ago recognized the effect that this human had on those he commanded.

"God speed, people," Jack said as he stepped away from them. Then Thor moved a shell on his chair and the entire group disappeared from the room. Jack turned and nearly collided with the immovable mountain that was Teal'c.

"O'Neill, I must accompany you to the Infirmary," he stated unequivocally. Jack made a weak attempt to stare the Jaffa down, but gave it up as a hopeless cause when his friend didn't even blink.

"Crap, T. It's just a headache..." he argued weakly.

"I shall not allow you to break the promise you made to Thor and myself, O'Neill. You are in need of assistance."

Jack seemed ready to continue the argument until another shaft of pain coursed though his head. Wincing yet again, he wearily nodded his agreement and plodded out past the blast doors toward the elevator that would take him to the Infirmary. He hadn't gotten very far before he was joined by Carter, Daniel, and John.

"I thought you guys were stuffing your faces with pie," Jack commented.

Carter and Daniel exchanged knowing glances while John just smirked. They all knew he was trying to keep them from learning of his destination. What Jack didn't know was that they'd all gathered in the Control Room in time to watch Thor and the rescue team disappear. In addition, they'd witnessed the confrontation between Teal'c and their friend. They all knew him well enough to know that he was hiding the pain he felt and that he wouldn't want them to know just how bad it was.

"Headache, Jack?" asked Daniel with a smirk. When Jack turned his full-blown withering 'I'm-pissed-so-just-leave-me-the-hell-alone' glare on the group, they all rolled their eyes. Although Jack heard what sounded suspiciously like a snort come from his younger twin.

"Not that it's any of your business, campers, but yes, I do have a bit of a headache. No doubt brought on by certain people who go around sticking their noses in where they don't belong," he growled accusingly. He picked up his pace, in the false hope that his large escort would give up and leave him alone.

"And who would that be, Jack?" asked Daniel innocently.

Even though Jack scowled at him, he didn't lower his eyes. Instead, he matched him stare for unblinking stare. Jack finally was forced to look away first when another shaft of pain behind his eyeballs made him wince. Seeing the obvious pain on his face, his friends exchanged knowing glances and seemed all the more determined to stick by him to ensure he actually made it to the Infirmary. Carter hurried a bit ahead of them to punch the elevator call button, so by the time they all reached it, the doors were already opening. She stood back and waved them all in.

"After you, Sir," she said with a smile, as Jack and his escort swept past her and arranged themselves in the elevator. Then she joined them and punched the level for the Infirmary.

"Going up, Sir," she commented. Since her back was to him, she failed to see the way he rolled his eyes, but the rest of the party couldn't help but see it. Or the way he winced again. Fortunately, the doors reopened and they all swept out into the hallway.

The rest of the journey was silent, which Jack was thankful for. On one hand, he appreciated the fact that his friends cared about his health. On the other hand, he felt embarrassed that they were seeing him in a less than optimum condition. After all, he was their leader and was supposed to take care of them. Not the other way around. 'Just another sucky day in the life of Jack O'Neill,' he thought miserably

When they all entered the Infirmary, Dr. Smith looked up in surprise. She appeared to be finishing up the post-mission exams on SG-7. With one look at the determined look on Teal'c's face, she called one of her nurses over to the curtained cubicle.

"Nancy, could you finish up with this exam? He just needs a new dressing on this laceration and should be good to go," she ordered as the nurse stepped into the cubicle. Then Dr. Smith stepped toward her new CO. As she did so, Jack took a moment to look her over again. Even though he'd already read her file, and interviewed her in his office, he knew that watching a new officer performing their duties always told him more than any piece of paper ever could.

It went without saying that her credentials and references were impeccable. She was thin and tall, unlike her predecessor, and had short straight dark hair, worn pinned back sway from her face. Another quality that had struck him at their first meeting was her bulldog-like tenacity, which had been illustrated by several examples in her service record. Before she had a chance to say anything, Teal'c spoke up, earning him another glare from Jack.

"O'Neill requires your assistance, Dr. Smith," he intoned solemnly.

"Hey! O'Neill is present in the room, and is quite capable of talking for himself, ya know," commented Jack sarcastically. Of course, it had no effect on Teal'c, who merely shrugged and raised one eyebrow.

"Indeed."

Dr. Smith narrowed her gaze to her potential patient. After being cleared for her new position as Chief Medical Officer of the SGC, she'd made a point of acquainting herself with the medical files of all personnel at the base. Although the size of her new CO's files was daunting, she'd spent all her free time getting to know their contents. Judging by the notes from her predecessor, Dr. Janet Fraiser, he'd been through a hell of a lot. She just hoped she would be up to the task of filling that woman's shoes. From the way people still talked about her, she must have been one hell of a physician.

Fortunately, for her, Janet had also documented General O'Neill's tendency to downplay all his physical ailments. With this information in mind, she scrutinized him with her most exacting clinical eye. Judging from the way he was squinting his eyes against the glare from the overhead lights, he probably had one of his headaches again. When she saw him wince, she knew she was right on the money.

"Step right this way and I'll take a look at you, Sir. I've got a spare exam table in the back," she stated in an even tone. When his friends moved to accompany him, she stepped forward to head them off.

"I'm sure General O'Neill can get there on his own, folks. I only need to see him, not the rest of you," she admonished with a smile. When she saw the thankful and relieved look on Jack's face, she knew she'd make the right call on that one. Once again she thanked her lucky stars that her predecessor's notes had been so thorough.

She opened her mouth to protest when she turned to walk alongside her newest patient and saw the Jaffa continue on towards the indicated area with the General. For once, Jack beat her to the punch.

"It's all right, Doc. Teal'c's got his orders too. He's not supposed to let me out of his sight. And if you ask me, he's taking them way too damn seriously," he complained.

"Indeed," retorted Teal'c with a bow as he continued to guard his friend.

By this time, they'd reached their goal. With the ease of years of practice, Jack hopped up on the exam table and dangled his legs over the edge. Teal'c stationed himself just behind him and settled into the parade rest position. Dr. Smith drew the curtain around them and took another good look at him. She noted that his complexion seemed a little paler than usual and he was definitely in some pain.

"What are your symptoms, General?" she asked.

"It's no big deal...really," he said disparagingly.

"Thor and I believe that O'Neill is experiencing an extremely painful headache," Teal'c interposed. "We are most concerned about his welfare." Jack gave him another glare, but didn't bother denying it. Which, in the Doctor's opinion, spoke volumes.

"What's the pain level, Sir? On a scale of one to ten?" she asked quietly.

"Umm, a four?" he replied warily with another wince. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a dreaded penlight had appeared as if by magic in her hand. Before, he could protest; she'd flicked it on and shone it into his right eye.

"Ack! What's the thing you Doc's have with those damned penlights?" he snarled as he tried to bat her hand away. The fact that she was able to dodge his efforts seemed to amuse Teal'c.

"What was that pain level again, Sir?" Dr. Smith.

"OK, OK! Now that you've shone that damn light in my eyes, it's a five," he admitted grudgingly.

"That's better, Sir. Any other symptoms that I should know about?" she asked, directing her words at both of the men in her room. This fact was not lost on Jack, just as she probably intended. Knowing him as he did, Teal'c didn't wait on his friend to comment and added his own observations without hesitation.

"O'Neill's pain seem to have grown progressively worse over the course of several hours. In addition, he has been observed to rub the back of his neck, suggesting the site of a previous injury may be causing him some distress." Teal'c returned Jack's glare, as if daring him to contradict his words.

"Gee, thanks a lot, pal," Jack muttered as he stopped himself from rubbing the back of his neck yet again.

"You are quite welcome, O'Neill," the Jaffa replied with a slight bow which hid the smile that curved the corners of his lips.

"Yeah, well it just so happens that my neck itches whenever the subject of a certain Snake comes up. I've had them crawl inside my head so many times, I've seriously thought about installing a zipper there the next time," he muttered scrubbing his face with his hand instead. Unfortunately for him, when his hand had finished with his face, it automatically moved through his hair and then down to the back of his neck. When he realized what he was doing, he jerked it back sheepishly.

"Not that there will ever be a next time," he muttered.

"Snake, Sir?" asked Dr. Smith with a questioning frown.

"Yep, Doc. Snake. As in the Goa'uld...certain nasty god-wannabe parasites that take over a human body. Those kind of snakes," he added tiredly.

"Now I understand, Sir. SG-7 had mentioned that a System Lord named Ba'al had made a mysterious reappearance. Your file has quite extensive notes about your previous experiences with that particular Goa'uld," answered the Doctor. "That explains a lot. Why don't you lie back on the table and let me finish my exam? It shouldn't take too long."

"Sure, Doc. As long as you understand I have to be Gate Room in a couple of hours. Just in case something goes wrong..."

"I'll do my best, Sir. But I won't make any guarantees," she advised. When he opened his mouth to object, she shook a warning finger at him.

"Sir, you may be my CO, but when you're in the Infirmary, I'm the boss. And it is my sworn duty as your Chief Medical Officer to provide the best medical care possible to everyone. And that especially includes the commander of this facility. If you would rather have someone who'll back down whenever someone throws a temper tantrum, then maybe you picked the wrong person for this job. But in the meantime, I'm still your CMO, and you will NOT leave here until I am satisfied you are fit to do so. Do we understand each other?" she said sternly, all the while returning his glare. Jack took a deep breath and scrubbed his face with his hands.

"You're right, Doc. I'm just worried about my team out there, that's all," he murmured quietly as he shifted his glance away from hers and backed down.

"That's quite understandable, Sir. Now, if you don't mind, let's get this exam over with so you can get back to the Gate Room," she said in a more gentle tone.

When he lowered himself back onto the table, she knew she had read him right. The rest of the exam went smoothly after that brief contest of wills. About fifteen minutes before the deadline given by Ba'al's First Prime, she'd concluded he was suffering from nothing more serious than his usual migraine headache, brought about by extreme stress. She gave him a couple of pills to relieve the pain, and watched as he dry-swallowed them.

"You're free to go, Sir. Just let me know if you need something stronger," she requested with a slight smile.

"Thanks, Doc. Now, if you don't mind..." he hopped off the table and waited for her to draw back the privacy curtains. As soon as she did, he was striding purposefully through the room with Teal'c following closely after. Five minutes later found him climbing into the Control Room. Not surprisingly, Carter, Daniel, and John were already there.

"Anything to report Carter?" asked Jack.

"We received a brief message about thirty minutes ago that Ba'al's al'kesh had been spotted in orbit around the planet. Nothing more since then, Sir. Ten more minutes to sundown, Sir," she added unnecessarily.

"If we don't hear anything in five more minutes, start dialing the Gate," he ordered soberly. "We can't miss that deadline. Too much is at stake." He was interrupted by the sound of the Gate activating. Over the noise of the blaring klaxons and the intercom, Jack moved closer in order to get a better view of the computer screen.

"Unscheduled Gate activation, Sir." Carter automatically slapped her hand down on the ID plate to close the iris over the Gate.

"Incoming IDC, Sir. It's SG-3," said Lt. Simmons excitedly. The loudspeakers were filled with static for a moment.

"Open up the iris, Lieutenant. Let's see what they have to tell us," ordered Jack cautiously.

"Receiving audio and visual telemetry from the MALP on planet P4D-657."

"This is sierra golf three calling Stargate Command...over." Framed in the view screen was the distorted face of Colonel Reynolds. Jack thought he never looked so good.

"This is Stargate Command one niner calling sierra golf three. Good to see you, Reynolds. Mission accomplished...over?" answered General O'Neill.

"Roger that, Stargate Command one niner. Everyone all present and accounted for, Sir. Permission to come back home...over?"

"Sierra golf three, we're holding the door open for you. Any injuries...over?"

"Stargate Command one niner, they all got roughed up a bit. Sending them on through, sierra golf three...out," Colonel Reynolds finished.

"Medical Team to the Gate Room, medical team to the Embarkation Room," commanded the intercom. This was followed by the slurping sounds of personnel stepping through the Gate. A flurry of activity marked the entrance of Dr. Smith and several medics on the scene. Jack turned to run towards the stairs with the clear intention of joining the returning teams, but was stopped by Teal'c.

"You cannot, O'Neill," he admonished him. "You may yet be in danger, and I shall not allow you to expose yourself unnecessarily." For a moment, it looked like Jack might argue with him, but then, he seemed to deflate, and backed down.

"Crap, you're right, T. You do know that this sucks. Don't you?"

"Indeed."

Jack turned his attention back to the gathering in the Gate Room. He could see that Carter and Daniel had already joined them and were assisting with the injured. John hadn't left the control room, as he couldn't...for the same reasons. General O'Neill turned his attention to the microphone instead, thinking that if he couldn't join them down there, then the least he could do was welcome them back, just like Hammond used to do.

"Glad to see you all again," Jack stated. SG- 3, 5, and 13 all report to the Infirmary for your post-mission checks. Debriefing in two hours." Through the window, he could see Colonel Dixon of SG-13 being helped to a gurney. Lt. Wells, Bosworth, and Balinsky were all leaning on other team members. From what he could tell from this distance, it looked like Dixon had suffered the most. Colonel Reynolds confirmed it a moment later.

"Dixon got pretty roughed up because he was separated from the rest of them. We've got good news for you though, Sir. Ba'al's dead."

"You're sure about that? That Snake has a habit of not staying dead, you know," retorted Jack.

"We saw the body ourselves, Sir. He's very dead. I disintegrated it myself to make sure he couldn't be revived," assured Colonel Reynolds.

"Sweet. Go ahead and get yourself checked out by the Doc, and report back to me ASAP. I want details," answered Jack. "You too, Ferretti, I'll see you at the debrief." He watched as both Ferretti and Reynolds saluted him and followed the rest of their men out past the blast doors.

Two hours later, an impatient General Jack O'Neill called the briefing to order with Teal'c standing behind him acting as his bodyguard. Jack was hoping that he could relieve his Jaffa friend of this duty once the details of the mission came out. Present were the members of SG- 3, and 5, along with Colonel Ferretti and Dr. Smith. The members of SG-13 were still being checked out by the Infirmary, so hadn't been released yet.

Jacob had returned to the Tok'ra base to update the Council on the day's events. As for Thor, he'd taken off to take care of whatever it was that Supreme Commanders of the Asgard Fleet take care of when they weren't bailing out a certain Tau'ri friend of theirs. Jack had excused Carter and Daniel from the debriefing simply because there just wasn't enough room at the table, but had promised to fill them in later. They were keeping John occupied and out of trouble...hopefully. General O'Neill wasted no time getting it started.

"Colonel Reynolds, you previously reported that Thor's ship had spotted Ba'al's al'kesh still in orbit around planet P4D-657. Care to fill us in on what happened after that?"

"Yes, Sir. After Thor arrived in orbit around planet P4D-657, it was decided that he would transport half of us over to the Goa'uld mid-range bomber and the other half to the planet's surface. I headed up the team that went to the al'kesh while SG-5 and Ferretti went down to check out the scenery."

"You split up your group?" asked Jack with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Yes, Sir. We thought it would be best for a two-pronged approach. Since we were getting close to the deadline, we didn't want to take the chance of arriving too late if SG-13 had been split up. As it turns out, it's a good thing we did, because they had Colonel Dixon alone down there."

"He's right, Sir," confirmed Lt. Colonel Louis Ferretti. "When we got down there, the Colonel was in pretty bad shape and the First Prime was beating the shit out of him. If we hadn't gotten there when we had, I don't know if he would still be alive, Sir."

"Whoa, guys, no need to get defensive about it. I just wanted to clarify the reason behind your splitting up the team, that's all," advised Jack with a smile as he raised his hands in mock surrender. He, of all people, knew just how quickly the CO of a mission team had to make decisions, and that a moment of hesitation could mean the difference between life and death for someone.

"If you would continue, Colonel Reynolds?"

"Of course, Sir. Jacob had given us a rundown on the layout of the typical al'kesh while we were still on Thor's ship, so we took him along with us when we beamed over there. Due to the cloaking device on the Asgard ship, they weren't expecting us and we took them completely by surprise. It didn't take us long to locate three members of SG-13 in a holding cell and turn them loose. Funny thing, though, there weren't as many Jaffa on board as I would've expected," commented Reynolds.

"Any ideas as to why?" asked Jack.

"The only explanation I can think of, Sir, is that Ba'al didn't have that many troops to begin with. You've got to remember that most of his Jaffa Army was killed off by the other System Lords," replied the Colonel.

"What about you, Teal'c? Can you explain it?" Jack inquired.

"As I was not present, O'Neill, I cannot. However, when I served as First Prime of Apophis, an al'kesh often housed as many as one hundred Jaffa to serve their god. If Ba'al chose to journey on this vessel, he would wish to have the majority of his Army accompany him."

"OK. If nobody else has any ideas, I suggest we listen to the rest of Colonel Reynolds's report. I don't know about the rest of you, but it's been a long day, and I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible so we can all go home," advised O'Neill. Seeing no one else had anything else to say, he indicated that the team leader of SG-3 should continue his narration.

"Sir, after we secured the area, I spoke with the members of SG-13. They all confirmed that the Jaffa separated Colonel Dixon from the rest of them from the start because he was their leader. Lt. Wells said he could hear him screaming from another cell after they dragged him off. Sir, they all agreed that Dixon went out of his way to draw all the attention to him, in the hopes that the Jaffa would leave the rest of the team alone. Unfortunately for him, it seems to have worked. Once we realized Dixon was on the planet, we all ringed down to aid in his rescue. We knew the deadline was getting pretty damned close and were pretty certain Dixon would be killed, if he wasn't dead already. Sir, the man deserves a medal for what he went through."

"Understood, Colonel. Continue," stated Jack.

"Yes, Sir. After transporting down to the planet, we discovered Dixon being held prisoner by the First Prime and a squad of Jaffa near the Stargate. SG-5 had already begun their attack, so they were being kept busy. Our combined forces tipped the balance, so we were able to overrun their position. When we got to Dixon, he was in pretty bad shape. He'd obviously been beaten and had some broken ribs. From the burns on his clothing, I'd guess they'd used the pain stick on him a couple of times. But what really took the cake was when we discovered the reason why the Jaffa were so pissed off at him. According to what he was able to tell us before he passed out, he'd managed to grab a staff weapon off one of his guards and shot Ba'al's head off with it. Killed him deader than last week's meatloaf, Sir. Like I said, Sir. He deserves a medal for what he did."

"I agree, Reynolds and I'll put him in for one. Dr. Smith, give us a rundown on any injuries suffered as a result of this mission," ordered the General as he switched gears from strategy to the welfare of his men.

"Yes, Sir," answered the new CMO as she glanced at her files. "Colonel Dixon suffered the most severe injuries, as was reported earlier by Colonel Reynolds. He's still in the Infirmary recovering from two broken ribs, a concussion; several second degree burns on the torso, and multiple contusions and lacerations. How he escaped a perforated lung is beyond me. Lt. Wells also suffered from a concussion, and facial lacerations, but seems to be recovering nicely. Balinsky and Bosworth had some bruises, but overall were in much better condition. They all were more concerned about their CO and had to be restrained from going to him while my staff were doing their triage, Sir."

"Have all of them been cleared to return to duty, Doc?"

"With the exception of Dixon and Wells, I've already certified them as ready for active duty, Sir. Wells didn't want to stay overnight in the Infirmary, so we compromised and he's staying in his quarters on base until I clear him. In the meantime, I've got my staff checking on him every other hour to make sure there are no complications."

"What about the post-mission snake checks?"

"Jacob said he couldn't detect the presence of a Goa'uld in any members of SG-13." When she saw Jack's mouth open in protest, she held up a hand to indicate she wasn't finished.

"Yes, Sir. I've read the reports too, so I did the usual MRI scans on all the returning team members, all except Dixon, that is. I've postponed his until early tomorrow morning because of the severity of his chest injuries. When he started coughing up blood, I was afraid we'd have to intubate him for a while, but his breathing stabilized, so we didn't. Sir, I checked him over pretty thoroughly, though, and could see no signs of entry at the usual sites. All the other MRI scans are clear and show no evidence of a Goa'uld. And Jacob did check him out."

"Very good, Dr. Smith. Keep me posted on the condition of Wells and Dixon. Anybody have anything else to add?" The chorus of negative answers was all he needed to end the meeting.

"Great, then I'll expect your reports in three days. You all have earned some downtime. Go take a couple of days to recuperate and I'll see you all back here in three days. I'm proud of you people! Now go home and get some rest."

The rest of the members of the SGC wasted no time in pushing back from the table and they all started filing out of the room, chatting amiably among themselves as they relived their recent mission. Watching them leave, Jack flashed back to his days when he still headed up SG-1. He himself had encouraged his team members to discuss their missions among themselves, as he realized it was an excellent way for them to review their own actions and make suggestions to each other for possible alternatives and improvements.

In addition, it helped the team-bonding process. In the cases of missions that had gone badly, discussing what they had survived made each member tougher and confirmed the idea that, despite all the odds against them, they'd come through it all and lived to tell the tale. All that went into building a team that could work and, when necessary, fight together to win another one for the good guys.

As the meeting was breaking up, Jack turned his head to look at Teal'c who hadn't relaxed his vigil from his guard position just behind his chair. Rising from his seat, he patted his friend's large bicep, and gave him a smile.

"You're dismissed, Teal'c. Guard duty is over. Go get some sleep; I'm sure you could use it. I know I can, and that's exactly where I plan to head." When he saw his Jaffa friend about to protest, he raised his both hands to forestall his words.

"I'm not going off-base, Teal'c. Ba'al is dead, so you don't have to follow me around anymore. And I am so looking forward to taking a shower...in private, if you don't mind."

"Very well, O'Neill. However, I shall be available should you have need of my services."

"Beat it, T. Go get some sleep. You know as well as I do that you need it since you lost Junior," Jack added as he headed out the door and up the stairs. They continued their journey in companionable silence, neither feeling the need to interrupt each other's thoughts. Upon reaching the elevator, they each punched the button for their floors. As the door closed, Jack turned to Teal'c.

"I want to thank you for what you did today, T."

"Thanks are not necessary, O'Neill. I was merely carrying out my duty in protecting you from harm," the Jaffa replied.

"Still, I just want to let you know that I appreciate what you did," Jack stated stubbornly.

"Undomesticated equines, O'Neill."

"Yeah, wild horses, Teal'c," answered Jack as the doors opened once again. Teal'c bowed to his friend and then walked out of the elevator. Left alone in the elevator, Jack smiled to himself and savored the sensation of being alone in what felt like ages. Shaking his head in disbelief, it seemed hard to realize that this hell on earth had all happened in the space of less than twenty-four hours. He was so glad he'd decided to wear his BDU's instead of the more formal shirt and pants. If he had to go through hell, he'd much rather do it in comfortable clothing.

Jack punched the button for the Infirmary, deciding at the last minute to pay a visit to Colonel Dixon. After all, the man had done him and the entire galaxy a huge honkin' favor by taking out that slimy scum-sucking Bocce Ba'al. It wasn't' long before he was sauntering down the hallway, hands in his pockets, whistling tunelessly.

As he walked into the Infirmary, he quieted and noted the light on in the Doctor's office. Out of professional courtesy, he stuck his head in the door on his way to visit Dixon in his private room.

"Howdy, Doc," he commented with a satisfied smile when he saw her jump in surprise. "Up late?"

"Oh, hello, General. I didn't hear you come in. Yes, I've been updating all the files from the mission today. Is there something I can do for you, Sir?"

"Nope, just wanted to check in on Dixon. If that's OK with you."

"Yes, Sir. I don't think that would be a problem, although he's most likely asleep. I had to sedate him as his ribs were in pretty bad shape. Almost perforated a lung. By the way, how is your headache?"

"Don't feel a thing, Doc. Your pills did the trick," he replied with a smile. "I'll leave you to your paperwork then."

"Have a good night, Sir. Let me know if you need anything," she answered as she watched him exit her office and head towards Dixon's room. He recognized it as one he himself had spent way too much time in as a patient after a mission gone sour.

When he poked his head into the private room, he could barely see as the lights had been dimmed to allow the patient to rest more comfortably. From his own experience, he knew how bright lights affected someone who was suffering from the effects of a concussion. He could barely make out the shape of Dixon lying on the bed by the far wall.

Taking care not to awaken the sleeping man, he walked into the room. A slight sound behind him had him spinning around, but before he could fully react, he felt the all too familiar tingle of a discharging zat gun. Falling to the floor, he curled up into a ball, waiting for the electrical discharge to dissipate. Turning his head, he attempted to identify his attacker. When he managed to clear his vision, he saw the door had been closed, leaving them in almost complete darkness. However, he could make out the shape of a man bending over him. Then, the eyes flashed white, and he groaned.

"Crap, I hate it when this happens," he muttered between clenched teeth.

"It is good to see you once, again, O'Neill with two L's. I have been looking forward to having you as my guest once again," murmured the Goa'uld.

"Ba'al?" he croaked in surprise.

"Yes, I have returned for you, Tau'ri. And I always keep my promises," he whispered.

With those cryptic words, he took aim at Jack with the zat once again. His arm wavered only briefly before he fired a second time. At point blank range, there was no way he could miss his target...and he didn't. He watched Jack's body convulse one last time, before stilling in death. Bending down, he watched with a critical eye as the chest stopped rising and the light died from Jack's brown eyes that were still open in disbelief. Rising to his feet quickly, he picked up the heavy body and dragged it into a dark corner. Then he moved to pick up the bedside call-button and pushed it. Dropping it on the bed, he crept silently to the door, and waited for it to open.

Hearing approaching footsteps, he flattened himself against the wall, and watched as Dr. Smith walked into the room and approached the bed. Before she could reach it, he had crept up behind her. Throwing one arm around her throat, and the other hand across her mouth, he applied pressure against her windpipe until she stopped struggling, and then let her slump to the floor.

Turning his attention back to Jack, he picked up his limp body effortlessly, slung it across his shoulder in a fireman's carry, and walked out of the room. Knowing the late hour would be to his advantage, he purposefully made his way with his burden through the hallways finally ending up at the door leading to the Control Room. Depositing the body on the stairs, he crept silently up the steps with his zat drawn and ready.

'Excellent', he thought to himself. 'The information from the fool was correct. There is only one technician on duty.' Without hesitation, he fired at the man, and pushed him roughly to the floor. Seating himself in front of the computer, he started typing in commands, and then began entering gate coordinates. By the time the Gate commenced spinning, he had already left the room and had scooped up Jack's body once again. Running now, he quickly ducked under the closing blast doors and sprinted to the foot of the ramp.

By this time, SF's were pounding up the stairs to the Control Room and fuming at their inability to open the blast doors. Major Carter and Teal'c arrived in the Control Room just in time to see Colonel Dixon walk through the Gate with Jack's lifeless body slung carelessly across his shoulders. They watched in astonishment as first Dixon's body, and then Jack's were swallowed by the outgoing wormhole. The last thing they saw just before the event horizon disappeared with a snap was Jack's head and arms dangling limply from the shoulder of the leader of SG-13. Then the entire base was plunged into darkness.

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