The Sentinels: Chapter Thirteen
Jan. 18th, 2009 09:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emeraldsnakesSummary: SG-1 has learned that not all the Ancients died out. Jack O'Neill is one of them. As enemies rise and fall the Sentinels are forced to come out of the shadows and take the stand as the Greatest Race impacting the course of history like never before. Slash
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Words: 3,302
Chapter Thirteen
“You can’t go Daniel,” Jack said angrily stalking through their house and trying to clean up the mess Cassie had left behind because of her visit.
“Why not?” Daniel was just as angry as Jack, maybe even more so, as he helped Jack clean up.
The Prometheus was finished her repairs from the Anubis attack (finally) and yesterday he’d been informed that she would be taking a trip to the Pegasus Galaxy to check on the Atlantis Expedition. Daniel insisted on going, Jack was completely against it.
“It’s too dangerous,” Jack told him.
Daniel laughed hollowly at him, “It can’t be any more dangerous than what I face going through the Stargate everyday Jack. And if it was so dangerous, why did you let Dr. Weir take that expedition through?”
“I had to,” Jack answered. “But I didn’t want to. I have a duty to foreseen timelines, one of which was Dr. Weir leading a team to the city. But there’s no way I’m letting you go, not when I know of the dangers in that galaxy.”
Daniel couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “I thought we weren’t letting our relationship get in the way of our job Jack? This seems an awful lot like it though.”
“I am doing my job!” Jack yelled. “As much of an asset as you’ll be to them you are needed here.”
“I’m needed in Atlantis,” Daniel snapped. “I can read the language fluently; I know their history better than anyone else.”
Jack sighed and shook his head, “Nothing in this galaxy can prepare you for the terror waiting in that one. I stand by my decision Daniel, you can’t go.”
Daniel glared at him for a moment before storming to their bedroom. He came back a moment later, a blanket and pillow in his arms and thrust them into Jack’s without saying a word he went back to their bedroom and slammed the door.
Jack blinked, shook his head and dropped his bundle on the end of the couch. “Guess that makes him the wife,” he muttered as he continued to clean up.
He understood Daniel’s anger, expected it too, but he wasn’t sending Daniel to the Pegasus Galaxy unless he was ordered to. He had no way to protect him while he was there, because honestly, Earth was far better protected than Atlantis. Though they had probably learned quite a bit they would have barely scratched the surface and with no ZPM they didn’t have sufficient power. He couldn’t send Daniel there knowing what he was going up against; he shouldn’t have sent anyone there.
His prison was stone cold but not made of stone. It was blue and green, dark and organic. He’d never been in such a prison before, never seen the type which was new given his age. He sat up confused and winced at the stabbing pain in his chest
Looking down he saw a nasty scar his body had yet to heal. It was a single line in the center of his chest with five crescent shape marks around it. The scars were crusted with blood.
He looked around his empty cell, intrigued by its design and technology. Even as a prisoner he could appreciate the technology of his captors. However there wasn’t much for him to learn so he stood and walked to the cell’s door. It didn’t look like a door, it was more a hard web and the halls were so dark that he couldn’t make out anything clearly.
He retreated back into his cell and sat at the far end cross legged. Trying to remember how he’d gotten there he closed his eyes and descended into silent meditation. He recalled being on an exploration of a planet on the farther rim of the galaxy. Xianac was unpopulated even though it had an Astria Porta and they were surveying it for metal ores or even a place to build more Atlantis class city ships. They were in need of more, their population rapidly growing after many difficult years of building their society.
He’d gone with a small team but had wandered off alone because not only was he free of a danger, he was the most capable person in their group if it came to a fight. He hadn’t expected an attack though, so when someone came at him from behind…….
His eyes snapped open when the cell door retracted and his captors entered. He stood and eyed them warily. They were humanoid with pure white hair, yellow eyes and sickly green skin. They were ugly yet fair looking in their own way.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
They parted to reveal what could have been a stunning woman if she weren’t one of these creatures. She had blood red hair and wore a blue revealing dress.
“Who are you?” she asked revealing a set of vicious looking teeth. She spoke the words almost as if they were foreign to her.
“I asked you first.”
The woman snarled as she stopped inches away from him. She was nearly his height, strange since only his daughters seemed to be his height. She ran her right hand over his chest in a strangely intimate – yet not – gesture and rested it on his scars.
Eyes widening he screamed as he felt pain the likes he’d never felt before, not even when he was being tortured during the last war his race had been in.
“Jack!”
Jack jerked awake and was barely able to restrain himself from lashing out at the person standing above him. Breathing heavily he looked up at Daniel with panic wide eyes and pulled him down into a bone crushing hug.
“Jack?” Daniel asked worried. He’d never heard Jack scream like that, especially not from a nightmare.
“There’s a reason we left the Pegasus Galaxy Daniel, it’s why I won’t ever willingly send you there when we have no way of keeping in contact.”
Daniel nodded into his chest and stayed there, shifting so that he was comfortable as Jack held him. He wanted to go to Atlantis, badly, but if the enemy there gave Jack nightmares such as this he wasn’t sure if he should be so willing to jump at the chance to go. Nothing they’d come up against made Jack truly scared. What was there? What had he sent the Expedition to when he discovered the address and convinced Jack to use the ZPM to connect a wormhole? He was too terrified to know.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.
“I’m sorry Jack,” Daniel said once General Hammond had left. “I’m not going to refuse this.”
Jack sighed. “I know Daniel,” He said pulling him into a hug. “Just promise you’ll come back. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
Daniel nodded and kissed him long and passionately, “I promise.”
Jack nodded, “You should probably go and get packed.”
“Ok.” He left slowly, watching Jack as if he expected him to say something else.
“I love you,” Jack said as he crossed the threshold.
Daniel smiled, “Love you too.”
When he was gone Jack sank into his chair and dropped his head into his hands. If the Wraith got a hold of Daniel while he was there he wouldn’t survive. No one survived at their hands; humans were only a food source to them and nothing more. Tremors coursed though his body as he questioned his choices in allowing these humans to do what they’ve done. He knew what was there; painful death at the hands of an enemy who sucked the life out of you. He’d sent the Expedition to their deaths, knowing full well there was no way they’d be able to defend themselves if the Wraith attacked.
“Jack?”
Jack’s head snapped up and he smiled at Hammond, stilling his body to disguise his true emotions.
“George. Though you were inspecting my,” he waved his hand around, “running of the base.”
Hammond chuckled, “I trust the base is running smoothly. I only left to give you and Dr. Jackson some alone time.”
Jack bristled, “What do you mean?”
Hammond closed the door, “There have always been rumors about the two of you Jack, however no one is talking like they’re rumors anymore, but fact.”
Jack scowled, “A good commander knows not to always believe what they hear from the watercooler.”
Hammond gave him a hard look, “I don’t care what your relationship is with Dr. Jackson, just make sure the talk doesn’t reach those in a higher position than me.”
Jack snorted, “They’d lose everything if they found out and made a fuss about it.”
Hammond shook his head, “You don’t know that Jack.”
Jack smirked darkly, “Yes I do.”
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.
“Are you ok Sam?”
Sam shook her head and continued to stand in front of the picture window in Mark’s house, a cup of coffee cradled in her hands. Everyone else in the house was asleep, not surprising since it was three o’clock in the morning but Sam just couldn’t get to sleep.
“What’s bothering you?” Mark asked standing beside and facing her.
Even though they hadn’t had the greatest relationship for a long time Sam still felt as if she could talk to her brother. However she wasn’t sure if she should tell him of her most recent cause for worry since she wasn’t sure if it was work related or not.
“I’ve just been getting a weird feeling lately,” Sam told him. Like someone’s been watching me.
“What kind of feeling?” Mark pressed.
Sam shrugged, “I’m not sure yet. I know Pete hasn’t sensed anything or he’d have said something by now.”
“Maybe he’s feeling the same way you are and doesn’t want to say anything until he’s sure.” Mark pointed out.
“Maybe,” Sam said though she didn’t believe it. She could read Pete quite well, not perfectly but enough to know if he was on guard because he was sensing eyes on him. Pete didn’t sense a thing and he was oblivious to her worry.
“Talk to him,” Mark advised. “Before things get out of control.”
He briefly squeezed her shoulder before heading back to his room. Sam remained where she was, lost in thought. She hadn’t gotten away for Christmas to visit her brother, (end of the world crisis and all) so Jack had promised her this time off. She was grateful to him for it, it had been a long time since she’d seen Mark’s daughters Katie and Abby and of course, Mark and Celia. Pete being able to take the time off as well had been a surprise at first, but he’d apparently traded in shifts to be able to free it up.
She tensed in acute awareness when her eyes caught a movement outside. She scanned the street lamp lit neat lawn of her brother’s and his neighbours, looking for the source of the movement. She didn’t even entertain the thought that she might be seeing things because she was tired, she’d seen a real tangible shape, she just didn’t know what that shape could have been.
Deciding to go out there she put her coffee cup down on the kitchen counter and in the front hallway she opened the closet. On the top shelf was a box that she pulled down, in it her and Pete’s firearms. She removed hers and attached it to her pants. Slipping into shoes she unlocked the door and cautiously ventured out.
There was no noise except those made by her feet and the crickets. Other than that there was nothing and it disturbed her. The silence always meant something was coming. She walked to the end of the driveway, turned slowly around, studying everything, looking for a change but when she saw nothing she figured the movement must have been an animal.
“Go to bed Sam.”
Sam spun, drawing her weapon and she froze, eyes going wide. Her heart began to beat wildly as her brain comprehended who she was seeing.
“Martouf?”
Martouf smiled, “Hello Samantha.”
There was an unearthly glow about him as he wore his usual tan Tok’ra outfit.
“You’re dead.” She blurted before she could find a tactful way to say it. She lowered her gun.
He chuckled, “I Ascended once Lantash was removed from my body. I’ve been watching you ever since.”
Sam figured she should be creeped out by it, as she had been when she’d discovered Orlin, but she couldn’t find it within herself to be. It seemed almost natural that the Ascended would watch over people they loved.
“How?” She wondered. Had Oma helped him to like she’d helped so many others?”
“General O’Neill was Lantash’s former host, four hundred years ago. It is from him that I gained the knowledge to do so without anyone’s aid, though I was aware of Malic hovering around me the entire time.”
Sam frowned, “I thought Jack didn’t like the Tok’ra.”
Martouf shrugged, “Truthfully, it’s a love/hate thing.” He smiled at her incredulous look, “I’ve learned many Earth traditions and sayings while watching you Sam.”
He looked around for a moment, “From what I understand, General O’Neill admires what the Tok’ra have done, just that sometimes he doesn’t like they way they’ve done it. He considers the Tok’ra children like all the other ‘younger races’ even though at 4000 Selmak is the oldest one left. Some of the things the Council has done has gone against all sense, but that’s because he’s so much older and knows, just from experience, what will happen to them if they don’t change their ways.”
Sam nodded, filing that away. Jack would always be a mystery to her. “Why have you appeared to me?”
For a long time Martouf didn’t answer, just stared into her eyes. Then, “to warn you. There’s someone following you, someone you didn’t sense because that was me you could feel. Be careful Sam, don’t go anywhere alone.”
He was suddenly gone. Sam looked around, questions swirling around her head. She wanted to know who was following her, what she was up against. It had to be more dangerous than normal if he was warning her.
A sudden, lone breeze hit her, surrounded her, told her to go back to sleep. She listened, entering the house, locking the door and returning her gun to the box in the closet. She listened only because Martouf’s voice had pleaded with her and because she still loved him she couldn’t refuse.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.
“What are you going to do about this?” Jack asked her as she finished telling him what had happened.
“What do you mean Sir?” Sam asked bewildered.
“He interfered,” he told her. “He may no longer be there to watch over you.”
Sam’s eyes widened. The last days of her vacation had been less stressful because she’d known Martouf was there. It hadn’t crossed her mind that he would be punished just for talking to her.
“Has he been?” she asked quickly, desperately.
He was there now, all the time invading her thoughts. It was like he’d never died, not even Pete could distract her enough when she was really into wondering what could have happened between them if he hadn’t died.
Jack was silent, head tilted slightly to the side as his eyes acquired a faraway look. He was back down to Earth after a few tense moments, smiling, “He’s still there, but Lantash says that any more talking with you will result in a low level punishment.”
“Lantash Ascended too?” Sam asked surprised.
“Oh yes,” Jack answered. “Elliot too. Aside from Anubis who got there though trickery, he’ll be the only Goa’uld/Tok’ra to ever Ascend.”
“Why?”
“The Tok’ra don’t believe in a higher plane of existence.” Jack shrugged. “Who am I to try and convince them otherwise, even if it’s clear that’s what happened to the Ancients.”
“Doesn’t it bother you though?” Sam asked curious. She was pretty sure it would bother her.
Jack shook his head, “They’re free to believe in anything they want. However, you’ve changed the topic. What are you going to do about this situation you’re in?”
Sam floundered, “I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about Sir.”
Jack sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “You’ve never really gotten it have you? You never really let yourself get it. There are so many opportunities for you to find love Sam, most of which fall through because you can’t seem to figure out what you want. It’s sitting at your door step again Sam, except this time you have three choices.”
Sam was looking at him reproachfully, angered that he was bringing her love life into this, but continued to listen to him. “Three?”
“Martouf would willingly descend if it meant living the rest of his life with you, all you have to do is ask. Pete loves you, and the fact that you’re still together means it could go somewhere if you let it. Or you could end up being with neither of them; it all depends on the choices you make.”
Sam refused to begin thinking about what she was going to do. That was reserved for alone time only, when there was nothing else to plague her mind. “I’ll think about it Sir.”
Jack nodded. “Please do. I want to see you happy Sam. I want you to be able to be with that person you can go home to after a bad day……..a good one too. Is there anything else?”
Sam shook her head so Jack dismissed her. When she was gone Jack began his work, turning on his laptop to begin with. He couldn’t do his SGC work first though, this thing with Martouf had to be noted and a few of his children had to be made aware of it, Malic in particular. Jack knew he would be responsible if Martouf broke the laws since it was through him he’d learned how to Ascend. Lantash too, would be responsible, but not as much as Jack.
As he worked he tried not to think about Daniel. These past several nights Jack had been plagued with nightmares involving a hundred different things befalling Daniel and/or Prometheus. It scared him and just to make sure nothing had happened he found himself searching with his mind through the Ascended Plane for the Prometheus’s signature every four hours. There were so many things that could go wrong, it drove him crazy just thinking about them.
A request for a video conference popped up from Alexstrasza. Curious he accepted it and a window opened. “What’s wrong?” he asked startled. She was haggard looking, and tired with blood shot eyes and circles under them. He hadn’t seen her look like this in a very long time.
“Yesterday Korial ringed into the house half dead. I stabilized him then suddenly Caspian, Acacia, Aiden and Dylan showed up, each severely injured. Half an hour later Terrance, Roxas and Naomi also ringed in. They were all attacked father, sniper ranged but Caspian said he’d nearly been taken out by a bomb.”
Jack scowled as anger flooded through him, “Do they know who did this to them?”
Alexstrasza shook her head, “No, but I’ve informed Kalas and he’s ordered teams out to each of the attack sites. He’ll be forwarding the reports to you.”
Jack nodded, “Thank you for informing me Alex, now get some sleep. You need it.”
She nodded and logged off, leaving Jack to worry about the new threat to his family and ultimately himself. Eight attacks in one night was more than just a coincidence. They were targeted, why those eight out of nearly two hundred he wasn’t sure yet but he had to figure it out before more were attacked.
He was so tied up with work that he missed his scheduled check up on Prometheus.
Chapter Fourteen
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Words: 3,302
Chapter Thirteen
“You can’t go Daniel,” Jack said angrily stalking through their house and trying to clean up the mess Cassie had left behind because of her visit.
“Why not?” Daniel was just as angry as Jack, maybe even more so, as he helped Jack clean up.
The Prometheus was finished her repairs from the Anubis attack (finally) and yesterday he’d been informed that she would be taking a trip to the Pegasus Galaxy to check on the Atlantis Expedition. Daniel insisted on going, Jack was completely against it.
“It’s too dangerous,” Jack told him.
Daniel laughed hollowly at him, “It can’t be any more dangerous than what I face going through the Stargate everyday Jack. And if it was so dangerous, why did you let Dr. Weir take that expedition through?”
“I had to,” Jack answered. “But I didn’t want to. I have a duty to foreseen timelines, one of which was Dr. Weir leading a team to the city. But there’s no way I’m letting you go, not when I know of the dangers in that galaxy.”
Daniel couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “I thought we weren’t letting our relationship get in the way of our job Jack? This seems an awful lot like it though.”
“I am doing my job!” Jack yelled. “As much of an asset as you’ll be to them you are needed here.”
“I’m needed in Atlantis,” Daniel snapped. “I can read the language fluently; I know their history better than anyone else.”
Jack sighed and shook his head, “Nothing in this galaxy can prepare you for the terror waiting in that one. I stand by my decision Daniel, you can’t go.”
Daniel glared at him for a moment before storming to their bedroom. He came back a moment later, a blanket and pillow in his arms and thrust them into Jack’s without saying a word he went back to their bedroom and slammed the door.
Jack blinked, shook his head and dropped his bundle on the end of the couch. “Guess that makes him the wife,” he muttered as he continued to clean up.
He understood Daniel’s anger, expected it too, but he wasn’t sending Daniel to the Pegasus Galaxy unless he was ordered to. He had no way to protect him while he was there, because honestly, Earth was far better protected than Atlantis. Though they had probably learned quite a bit they would have barely scratched the surface and with no ZPM they didn’t have sufficient power. He couldn’t send Daniel there knowing what he was going up against; he shouldn’t have sent anyone there.
His prison was stone cold but not made of stone. It was blue and green, dark and organic. He’d never been in such a prison before, never seen the type which was new given his age. He sat up confused and winced at the stabbing pain in his chest
Looking down he saw a nasty scar his body had yet to heal. It was a single line in the center of his chest with five crescent shape marks around it. The scars were crusted with blood.
He looked around his empty cell, intrigued by its design and technology. Even as a prisoner he could appreciate the technology of his captors. However there wasn’t much for him to learn so he stood and walked to the cell’s door. It didn’t look like a door, it was more a hard web and the halls were so dark that he couldn’t make out anything clearly.
He retreated back into his cell and sat at the far end cross legged. Trying to remember how he’d gotten there he closed his eyes and descended into silent meditation. He recalled being on an exploration of a planet on the farther rim of the galaxy. Xianac was unpopulated even though it had an Astria Porta and they were surveying it for metal ores or even a place to build more Atlantis class city ships. They were in need of more, their population rapidly growing after many difficult years of building their society.
He’d gone with a small team but had wandered off alone because not only was he free of a danger, he was the most capable person in their group if it came to a fight. He hadn’t expected an attack though, so when someone came at him from behind…….
His eyes snapped open when the cell door retracted and his captors entered. He stood and eyed them warily. They were humanoid with pure white hair, yellow eyes and sickly green skin. They were ugly yet fair looking in their own way.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
They parted to reveal what could have been a stunning woman if she weren’t one of these creatures. She had blood red hair and wore a blue revealing dress.
“Who are you?” she asked revealing a set of vicious looking teeth. She spoke the words almost as if they were foreign to her.
“I asked you first.”
The woman snarled as she stopped inches away from him. She was nearly his height, strange since only his daughters seemed to be his height. She ran her right hand over his chest in a strangely intimate – yet not – gesture and rested it on his scars.
Eyes widening he screamed as he felt pain the likes he’d never felt before, not even when he was being tortured during the last war his race had been in.
“Jack!”
Jack jerked awake and was barely able to restrain himself from lashing out at the person standing above him. Breathing heavily he looked up at Daniel with panic wide eyes and pulled him down into a bone crushing hug.
“Jack?” Daniel asked worried. He’d never heard Jack scream like that, especially not from a nightmare.
“There’s a reason we left the Pegasus Galaxy Daniel, it’s why I won’t ever willingly send you there when we have no way of keeping in contact.”
Daniel nodded into his chest and stayed there, shifting so that he was comfortable as Jack held him. He wanted to go to Atlantis, badly, but if the enemy there gave Jack nightmares such as this he wasn’t sure if he should be so willing to jump at the chance to go. Nothing they’d come up against made Jack truly scared. What was there? What had he sent the Expedition to when he discovered the address and convinced Jack to use the ZPM to connect a wormhole? He was too terrified to know.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.
“I’m sorry Jack,” Daniel said once General Hammond had left. “I’m not going to refuse this.”
Jack sighed. “I know Daniel,” He said pulling him into a hug. “Just promise you’ll come back. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
Daniel nodded and kissed him long and passionately, “I promise.”
Jack nodded, “You should probably go and get packed.”
“Ok.” He left slowly, watching Jack as if he expected him to say something else.
“I love you,” Jack said as he crossed the threshold.
Daniel smiled, “Love you too.”
When he was gone Jack sank into his chair and dropped his head into his hands. If the Wraith got a hold of Daniel while he was there he wouldn’t survive. No one survived at their hands; humans were only a food source to them and nothing more. Tremors coursed though his body as he questioned his choices in allowing these humans to do what they’ve done. He knew what was there; painful death at the hands of an enemy who sucked the life out of you. He’d sent the Expedition to their deaths, knowing full well there was no way they’d be able to defend themselves if the Wraith attacked.
“Jack?”
Jack’s head snapped up and he smiled at Hammond, stilling his body to disguise his true emotions.
“George. Though you were inspecting my,” he waved his hand around, “running of the base.”
Hammond chuckled, “I trust the base is running smoothly. I only left to give you and Dr. Jackson some alone time.”
Jack bristled, “What do you mean?”
Hammond closed the door, “There have always been rumors about the two of you Jack, however no one is talking like they’re rumors anymore, but fact.”
Jack scowled, “A good commander knows not to always believe what they hear from the watercooler.”
Hammond gave him a hard look, “I don’t care what your relationship is with Dr. Jackson, just make sure the talk doesn’t reach those in a higher position than me.”
Jack snorted, “They’d lose everything if they found out and made a fuss about it.”
Hammond shook his head, “You don’t know that Jack.”
Jack smirked darkly, “Yes I do.”
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.
“Are you ok Sam?”
Sam shook her head and continued to stand in front of the picture window in Mark’s house, a cup of coffee cradled in her hands. Everyone else in the house was asleep, not surprising since it was three o’clock in the morning but Sam just couldn’t get to sleep.
“What’s bothering you?” Mark asked standing beside and facing her.
Even though they hadn’t had the greatest relationship for a long time Sam still felt as if she could talk to her brother. However she wasn’t sure if she should tell him of her most recent cause for worry since she wasn’t sure if it was work related or not.
“I’ve just been getting a weird feeling lately,” Sam told him. Like someone’s been watching me.
“What kind of feeling?” Mark pressed.
Sam shrugged, “I’m not sure yet. I know Pete hasn’t sensed anything or he’d have said something by now.”
“Maybe he’s feeling the same way you are and doesn’t want to say anything until he’s sure.” Mark pointed out.
“Maybe,” Sam said though she didn’t believe it. She could read Pete quite well, not perfectly but enough to know if he was on guard because he was sensing eyes on him. Pete didn’t sense a thing and he was oblivious to her worry.
“Talk to him,” Mark advised. “Before things get out of control.”
He briefly squeezed her shoulder before heading back to his room. Sam remained where she was, lost in thought. She hadn’t gotten away for Christmas to visit her brother, (end of the world crisis and all) so Jack had promised her this time off. She was grateful to him for it, it had been a long time since she’d seen Mark’s daughters Katie and Abby and of course, Mark and Celia. Pete being able to take the time off as well had been a surprise at first, but he’d apparently traded in shifts to be able to free it up.
She tensed in acute awareness when her eyes caught a movement outside. She scanned the street lamp lit neat lawn of her brother’s and his neighbours, looking for the source of the movement. She didn’t even entertain the thought that she might be seeing things because she was tired, she’d seen a real tangible shape, she just didn’t know what that shape could have been.
Deciding to go out there she put her coffee cup down on the kitchen counter and in the front hallway she opened the closet. On the top shelf was a box that she pulled down, in it her and Pete’s firearms. She removed hers and attached it to her pants. Slipping into shoes she unlocked the door and cautiously ventured out.
There was no noise except those made by her feet and the crickets. Other than that there was nothing and it disturbed her. The silence always meant something was coming. She walked to the end of the driveway, turned slowly around, studying everything, looking for a change but when she saw nothing she figured the movement must have been an animal.
“Go to bed Sam.”
Sam spun, drawing her weapon and she froze, eyes going wide. Her heart began to beat wildly as her brain comprehended who she was seeing.
“Martouf?”
Martouf smiled, “Hello Samantha.”
There was an unearthly glow about him as he wore his usual tan Tok’ra outfit.
“You’re dead.” She blurted before she could find a tactful way to say it. She lowered her gun.
He chuckled, “I Ascended once Lantash was removed from my body. I’ve been watching you ever since.”
Sam figured she should be creeped out by it, as she had been when she’d discovered Orlin, but she couldn’t find it within herself to be. It seemed almost natural that the Ascended would watch over people they loved.
“How?” She wondered. Had Oma helped him to like she’d helped so many others?”
“General O’Neill was Lantash’s former host, four hundred years ago. It is from him that I gained the knowledge to do so without anyone’s aid, though I was aware of Malic hovering around me the entire time.”
Sam frowned, “I thought Jack didn’t like the Tok’ra.”
Martouf shrugged, “Truthfully, it’s a love/hate thing.” He smiled at her incredulous look, “I’ve learned many Earth traditions and sayings while watching you Sam.”
He looked around for a moment, “From what I understand, General O’Neill admires what the Tok’ra have done, just that sometimes he doesn’t like they way they’ve done it. He considers the Tok’ra children like all the other ‘younger races’ even though at 4000 Selmak is the oldest one left. Some of the things the Council has done has gone against all sense, but that’s because he’s so much older and knows, just from experience, what will happen to them if they don’t change their ways.”
Sam nodded, filing that away. Jack would always be a mystery to her. “Why have you appeared to me?”
For a long time Martouf didn’t answer, just stared into her eyes. Then, “to warn you. There’s someone following you, someone you didn’t sense because that was me you could feel. Be careful Sam, don’t go anywhere alone.”
He was suddenly gone. Sam looked around, questions swirling around her head. She wanted to know who was following her, what she was up against. It had to be more dangerous than normal if he was warning her.
A sudden, lone breeze hit her, surrounded her, told her to go back to sleep. She listened, entering the house, locking the door and returning her gun to the box in the closet. She listened only because Martouf’s voice had pleaded with her and because she still loved him she couldn’t refuse.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.
“What are you going to do about this?” Jack asked her as she finished telling him what had happened.
“What do you mean Sir?” Sam asked bewildered.
“He interfered,” he told her. “He may no longer be there to watch over you.”
Sam’s eyes widened. The last days of her vacation had been less stressful because she’d known Martouf was there. It hadn’t crossed her mind that he would be punished just for talking to her.
“Has he been?” she asked quickly, desperately.
He was there now, all the time invading her thoughts. It was like he’d never died, not even Pete could distract her enough when she was really into wondering what could have happened between them if he hadn’t died.
Jack was silent, head tilted slightly to the side as his eyes acquired a faraway look. He was back down to Earth after a few tense moments, smiling, “He’s still there, but Lantash says that any more talking with you will result in a low level punishment.”
“Lantash Ascended too?” Sam asked surprised.
“Oh yes,” Jack answered. “Elliot too. Aside from Anubis who got there though trickery, he’ll be the only Goa’uld/Tok’ra to ever Ascend.”
“Why?”
“The Tok’ra don’t believe in a higher plane of existence.” Jack shrugged. “Who am I to try and convince them otherwise, even if it’s clear that’s what happened to the Ancients.”
“Doesn’t it bother you though?” Sam asked curious. She was pretty sure it would bother her.
Jack shook his head, “They’re free to believe in anything they want. However, you’ve changed the topic. What are you going to do about this situation you’re in?”
Sam floundered, “I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about Sir.”
Jack sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “You’ve never really gotten it have you? You never really let yourself get it. There are so many opportunities for you to find love Sam, most of which fall through because you can’t seem to figure out what you want. It’s sitting at your door step again Sam, except this time you have three choices.”
Sam was looking at him reproachfully, angered that he was bringing her love life into this, but continued to listen to him. “Three?”
“Martouf would willingly descend if it meant living the rest of his life with you, all you have to do is ask. Pete loves you, and the fact that you’re still together means it could go somewhere if you let it. Or you could end up being with neither of them; it all depends on the choices you make.”
Sam refused to begin thinking about what she was going to do. That was reserved for alone time only, when there was nothing else to plague her mind. “I’ll think about it Sir.”
Jack nodded. “Please do. I want to see you happy Sam. I want you to be able to be with that person you can go home to after a bad day……..a good one too. Is there anything else?”
Sam shook her head so Jack dismissed her. When she was gone Jack began his work, turning on his laptop to begin with. He couldn’t do his SGC work first though, this thing with Martouf had to be noted and a few of his children had to be made aware of it, Malic in particular. Jack knew he would be responsible if Martouf broke the laws since it was through him he’d learned how to Ascend. Lantash too, would be responsible, but not as much as Jack.
As he worked he tried not to think about Daniel. These past several nights Jack had been plagued with nightmares involving a hundred different things befalling Daniel and/or Prometheus. It scared him and just to make sure nothing had happened he found himself searching with his mind through the Ascended Plane for the Prometheus’s signature every four hours. There were so many things that could go wrong, it drove him crazy just thinking about them.
A request for a video conference popped up from Alexstrasza. Curious he accepted it and a window opened. “What’s wrong?” he asked startled. She was haggard looking, and tired with blood shot eyes and circles under them. He hadn’t seen her look like this in a very long time.
“Yesterday Korial ringed into the house half dead. I stabilized him then suddenly Caspian, Acacia, Aiden and Dylan showed up, each severely injured. Half an hour later Terrance, Roxas and Naomi also ringed in. They were all attacked father, sniper ranged but Caspian said he’d nearly been taken out by a bomb.”
Jack scowled as anger flooded through him, “Do they know who did this to them?”
Alexstrasza shook her head, “No, but I’ve informed Kalas and he’s ordered teams out to each of the attack sites. He’ll be forwarding the reports to you.”
Jack nodded, “Thank you for informing me Alex, now get some sleep. You need it.”
She nodded and logged off, leaving Jack to worry about the new threat to his family and ultimately himself. Eight attacks in one night was more than just a coincidence. They were targeted, why those eight out of nearly two hundred he wasn’t sure yet but he had to figure it out before more were attacked.
He was so tied up with work that he missed his scheduled check up on Prometheus.
Chapter Fourteen
