CARGO SHIP ALTAIR TO THE BETA SITE

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Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter* and Teal'c returned to the Cargo ship and left Altairian space, on course for The SGC Beta Site.

Teal'c placed the unconscious lotar in the co-pilot's seat. He then joined Colonel O'Neill in the bay to participate in a futile search for clean clothes. They were both stripped down to just khakis and swat T-shirts. The Colonel was in the process of pouring bottled water over his head, face and arms. He offered the bottle to Teal'c who did the same.

"Got to get out of this stuff T."

"The smell is now greatly diminished O'Neill."

"Not greatly enough for me. I just need a nice hot shower."

"Indeed."

"Hows the lotar?"

"He is still unresponsive, however his pulse rate has increased to a more healthy degree."

"Hows it going Carter*?"

"Fine Sir, just sit back and enjoy the ride."

They had been going for about forty minutes. Teal'c came forward and relieved Major Carter* of the Helm. She entered the bay and immediately jumped up onto a shelving unit and stretched out.

The Colonel was star gazing, stretched out spread eagle on the floor.

"A nice hot shower for me as soon as we get home Carter*."

"What back to The SGC Sir?"

"You got it."

"How are you doing Sir?"

"You mean at this very moment?"

"At all the moments."

The Colonel sat up on the floor and studied Carter*. She was lying down on the shelf, star gazing up at the Tel'tac's windowless roof.

"That's quite an in dept question isn't it?"

"You mean you're not going to answer me Sir?"

"No, I just want to make sure you're prepared for the answer. Are you sitting comfortably?"

He was making her laugh.

"O'Neill."

"Come on." Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter* went forward.

"Whats up T?"

"The lotar." He was stirring. Mumbling.

"He appears to be in a state of weakness and confusion O'Neill."

"Can you understand anything of what hes saying?"

"I can derive the meaning of few of his words. O'Neill I believe I recognise some of the words spoken by this lotar as being the same as those contained in Daniel Jackson's database and deriving from beyond the northern area of the Earth's Egyptian seas, the plains of Mesopotamia. These words bear similarity to the ancient Persian language from Zend-Avee'sta."

"Isn't that tied in with all that Sanskrit stuff?"

"Indeed."

"Sir how do you know.."

"Lucky guess Carter*. Can you understand it Teal'c?"

"No. Perhaps Daniel Jackson will have more success. However, although an unusual mixture, I do understand many of the Goa'uld words he speaks, and he also understands me."

"Go for it T."

Major Carter* was trying to pacify him whilst Teal'c attempted to communicate. He acted as though he was terrified. He was trying to look round, possibly for his lord and master, the minor Goa'uld and false g_d, Ibnis. 'Dead false g_d'.

"He is from amongst the Juna galaxy. He and his people live on a small moon, Quom Gehd. They have been enslaved for centuries by a small faction of Goa'uld. I am unable to ascertain the identity the Goa'uld of whom he refers."

Ibnis' lotar had survived his master. He would in due course return to his home moon of Quom Gehd. This lotar would not be seeking sanctuary from the wrath of the Goa'uld. He would fight for the freedom of his people. He would become Tok'Ra. He would build Gehdriene resistance against the Goa'uld. He now had the support of new friends, the Tau'ri. Unlike those before him who had survived their master, he knew the true meaning of Gehdriene Kal Mah and the fate of all those who went in search of it. He lost consciousness.

"He is once more unconscious O'Neill."

"Sir his heart and pulse rate are slightly erratic but theres little more we can do for him until we get him into Janet's care."

"Leave him. Its probably best not to try and wake him for now. Did you see how nervous he was? Looked like he was half expecting that mental malefactor to jump out on him and zap him with his ribbon device, nuts!"

"Yes Sir."

"Well kids we've done a good days work. How long Teal'c?"

"Thirty minutes."

"Keep on trucking."

The Colonel went back into the bay and began checking through all the equipment.

"Carter* whats the charge on those Ihn'tars?"

Major Carter* went back through to the bay and began handling the guns.

"Sir they're completely topped up. Theres unused rounds in them. Safety's clipped on all of them. Mustn't have realised."

Although it made for an easy defeat, you could tell that as a Military Man he was quite disgusted by the dead Ibnis' warfare tactics.

"That's what I thought when we were down in the plant. That butt end crystal lights up when they're charged doesn't it? You're right must be they didn't know. Maybe they thought red meant empty."

"Yes Sir, these retain a long lasting firing capacity. If they knew.."

She picked up the Gehdri prime's Rings activator turning it over in her hands, examining it.

"Sir would it be alright if I hold on to this?"

"What have you got there, what you wanna run some tests? Yeah sure Carter* its yours."

The Colonel sat down on the floor.

"I tell them but they don't listen. Heads are gonna have to roll."

"What Sir?"

"A few throw cushions.. ..couple of recliners, even a lean to table and chair wouldn't go amiss."

"I know, you would think they'd have addressed the lack of seating in these things by now."

"So what about the Al'kesh?"

Major Carter* in discoverture.

"What??"

"I'm only asking Carter*."

"Yeah I know, sorry Sir. I mean what? What about the Al'kesh Sir?"

She was becoming very hot and uneasy. She could feel her face getting redder. Had he found her out?

"I was just wondering what the status was with that ship we've got floating around Harlan's place. Salvageable?"

"Maybe not Sir."

"We'll see." He lay back out on the floor again, starring up at the Cargo bay's partitioned pyrite ceiling.

Carter* kept her back to him. She didn't want him to see her face. A picture paints a thousand words and all that, but her face was spelling out just one big fat scary arrangement of letters, deception!

She was becoming very overwhelmed by a deluge of feelings. She needed assurance. She urgently needed to speak to Jack.. ..no, Jack*. Suddenly all of this.. ..deception, became tremendously difficult for her. What was she doing, 'for crying out loud'!

"Sir, about the Al'kesh."

"What is it Carter*?"

"Sir its.. ..I need to.. ..its just that.. ..Colonel. You need.. ..I just need you to understand." She had ear marked the Al'kesh for SG-1*.

The Colonel jumped up. Hands on hips like Pan, Peter, he weighed Carter* up.

"Whats with you? Whats going on?"

"The Al'kesh.. ..Sir."

She could hardly talk. She seemed terribly upset, if not withdrawn.

"Carter* come here. Come over here." He beckoned her.

She walked over to him with lead in her shoes. She wouldn't take her eyes off the floor. He put his hands on her shoulders and held her firmly, at arms length.

"Look at me Carter*, come on look at me."

She hesitantly steered her eyes at his worried look.

"Whatever it is its okay. Sam*.. ..mantha*, you know I'll always protect you." He gently rocked her shoulders.

"I know Sir, thank you. I think I needed to hear that. I just really need you to understand.."

"Carter*, Sam*, I trust you, implicitly. Whatever it is, I'm with you all the way. You've got nothing to worry about. Now take it easy and settle down. If its that important you can tell me in your own time."

He still had hold of her. There was something wrong, he knew that.

"Yes Sir. I will."

She felt very limp and very overwhelmed, like she was slipping. Colonel O'Neill sensing her need drew her in close and held her tightly to his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder and melted into him. She brought her arms up around his waist and limply held on tightly.

A lump swelled in the back of her throat. She was real enough. They were real enough. It wasn't really a tight grip on her heart, it was just enough so that her windpipe closed and she stopped breathing and she felt a little hot in her chest and her head.

And the back of her throat started to gently push out until it felt like a lump came up into her mouth and then she quietly swallowed and then she breathed slowly and lightly.

And at the same time she opened her eyes and some warm synthetic tears that she didn't know were brewing, spilled out from her eyes. He felt them. Quite hot they were. Rolling down her face in quick succession. And the outside corner of her left eye stayed wet.

She did love him deeply. No it wasn't a problem. Sort of like a foundation, deep rooted, you don't see it but it is there, strong, solid, supporting everything above it.

She could never ever do anything to hurt him, betray him. But now there were two of him. Of course she loved them equally, how could she not. In her mind she couldn't separate them. She could only discern them as one. And here she was having to deceive him, them, no him. She couldn't do it. Not for anything, she couldn't do it.

"I love you Jack." A time bomb went off in his chest. He was squeezing her tightly, he couldn't let go. His chest rose her chest fell. Her chest heaved his chest sank. They were a tightly bonded unit.

Did she just speak? She had been thinking about her feelings for him, them, but had she spoke out loud? She felt like she was falling rapidly through the floor, through the ship, through space. She was loosing grip. She was Major Samantha Carter. She was real. "Sir??"

"Its okay I've got you."

"Don't let go." She whispered so they both could hear.

"I won't." He gave her a lot of strength.

She stayed in his arms while she found her footing again.

"Sir I'm fairly sure the explosives I sent up to the ship weren't packed enough to cause structural damage, disable it."

"Which is it Carter*, fairly or sure?"

"Sure Sir."

"That's not a problem. You know, I don't expect that chilling precision work of yours all of the time. I'll have Hammond put Three on the case. I'll even get him to send along SG-4s Tactical Ops boys. Is that okay with you? Are we happy now?"

"Yes Sir, ecstatic."

"So we'll bag ourselves another cargo ship. One, two, that's a good thing isn't it?"

"O'Neill."

Teal'c had kept silent. His hearing was excellent and heightened. Another physiologic benefit of housing a symbiote. A nosy snake as the Colonel would have it. 'It's a good thing that little minky can't talk.' He would taunt Teal'c with that thought.

Teal'c had been well aware of the personal intensity in the cargo bay and announced, "O'Neill we will soon be landing."

"I can have Teal'c do a few wide, slow passes over the Beta Site if you like. Or we can go visit a pretty little moon somewhere."

Sam* began to cheer up and laugh. She felt much much better. Just like her old self. He could do that.

"You know, I really would love to come fishing with you one day."

"I can't wait." He took a deep breath and slowly breathed out and squeezed her again. "Yeah I can't wait Sam*." He recollected all the times she hadn't been fishing with him. "Yep, can't wait, we'll see."

Teal'c hovered over the landing zone not prepared to set down. His friends were still unsettled.

"Let me take a look at you Sam*, how are you feeling?" He held her out from him, arms length. "Last chance. We could go and park up by a sun, you know how you like those things, all bright and glowy."

She laughed again. She really was feeling fine now.

"You sure you don't just wanna go throw a bit of fire in the sun?"

He was smiling like a Cheshire cat with all the cream. She placed her hand on his face and stroked him. "Come on lets go."

"You know I know this isn't about the Al'kesh."

"Nothing a long ride on my bike won't shake out of me Sir."

They both began to executed an excellent display of normal behaviour.

"When you're ready to talk."

"Yes Sir."

Carter* bent down to collect her gear.

"Jack. Thank you."

He gave her a long kind and thoughtful look but didn't say anything.

"Land the bird T!"

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© Richard Dean Anderson all rights reserved June 2006