DISCLAIMER: See Part 1
Champions Gate
By Elizabeth Carter
Chapter Eleven
Blue Horizon
Deep down in his gut, he felt like something was very wrong. Looking up at the stars he knew something was wrong. Very wrong. The whole flavor of the galaxy was off. And General Jack O'Neill couldn't pin point what, but it was all very, very wrong.
You know that feeling, when you are going down your neighborhood block, and you see the cop cars, the ambulance, and possibly a fire engine racing down the streets, and all of a sudden you get this instinct that it is your house they are going after? That somehow you just know that it's your family, in danger? This was what crossed Jack O'Neill's, mind when the announcement came that SG1 was sending a transmission.
The notification was delivered by a technician, which gave no sign danger was there, but O'Neill couldn't shake that gut feeling. The hairs on the back of his neck rose and he knew something was off. He just knew.
Swallowing hard, pulling down the unquestionable command mask, he entered the c command room, over-looking the gate, and put on a head set. He would see to the transmission with the confidence he knew his former team needed
The one saving grace he always relied on was Carter. If danger rose it's ugly head, Carter would somehow pull an idea from the great blue yonder and make the impossible work, she always did that. It was one of the several traits that had caused the General to fall in love with her. Too bad she was someone else's lover, someone else's wife. Cutting that thought off, Jack prepared his mind, and his soul to hear the darkness, whatever it was, that SG1 was going to report.
'God Carter, you'd better be okay, you and your wife.' O'Neill ran a hand through his silver hair. 'Don't you dare make me adopt Rebecca. I love being the girl's godfather…. but God, don't you dare make me her guardian…. don't you dare! God woman, don't you dare.'
In the control room O'Neill met up with Colonel Paul Davies of the Joint Chiefs. Since the assassinations, the younger man had remained at the SGC. Partly due to the lockdown, partly due to the fact he wanted to offer his support to O'Neill. Several years ago, when SG1 had been captured by Hathor, General Hammond had told the young Major that he had a lot to learn about the way things were done around the SGC. And indeed he had learned. Now, he never protested when resources were expended to save an SG team. After all the SGC was humanity's best hope against the threats of the Galaxy. The SGC quite possibly was Earth's greatest achievement in a very long time. Davies did all that he could to see that SGC received the support it needed.
When his eyes rested on the aging General he felt his stomach churn. Over the years he had come to know O'Neill, and SG1, and he knew the expression sported by Jack. It wasn't a good sign. It told him that O'Neill was expecting trouble and with SG1 that wasn't hard to believe. Of course, for a week now, Jack O'Neill had been on edge.
Forensic Investigations had found very little on the killer. Like all military assassins he was remarkably trained not to leave a trace of himself. There were no tapes, and no witnesses. If there were fibers to be found, they were from BDU's and, under the Mountain, that was all too common. DNA was not traced. The killer had worn latex gloves, the only hint of that was the residue of powder left at the scenes of the deaths. The fact that the killer only wanted to hide himself, rather then the bodies he had terminated, had assisted in the assassin's ability to disappear.
Jack had narrowed it down, to the possibility that someone on SG9 was guilty; they were the only team within a month to have missions with each of the teams that had suffered losses. SG9 was a diplomatic corpe under the command of Attorney Adjunct Stan Kovacek. The problem was, if one of the members was a Zatarrc, without the testing it was impossible to tell if they were under said control. There was also a distinct possibility that one of the members of the teams that suffered losses, was under the mind control of a Goa'uld.
Because SG12 (Intel and Espionage) had been completely neutralized and SG6 (Security) compromised, it was an effective way of neutering the power of the investigations. General Jack O'Neill hated it, but he had to admit the attack was exceptionally effective.
Engineering, Marines, Science, Security, Medicinal, Intelligence/ Espionage and Covert Operations, had all been attacked. Whoever the killer was, they had specific reasons for striking these teams. They weren't just numbers. There was a direct reason why SG-Teams 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 and 18 were taken. The truth of this remained to be seen of course. Jack did now know that each of their missions had a direct line to both SG1 and SG9. Given their individual designations, it was obvious their missions had also had special interests in Goa'uld activity. One of the members of each of those teams, save for those on SG12 who had all been murdered, could have been compromised. And so, the remaining members had been detained, as well as SG9. The SGC had gone back to normal operations via orders from the President and Joint Chiefs once they learned that Zataarc testing was going to commence.
"Come on Carter, give me some good news.' The silver haired General whispered under his breath as he watched the monitors in the control room flicker to life with the transmissions of the Malakim com-single.
The face on the scene was not the face O'Neill wanted to see. "Daniel! Where's Carter!!"
The archeologist shifted from foot to foot, his arms folded securely over his chest, his brows furrowing.
"Daniel…?" O'Neill's voice had that 'I know that look, Danny-boy' ring to it.
" Where is Carter?'" he grumbled.
"She found the Blue Wing. Umm….well… the thing is…." The younger man stammered. He shifted from foot to foot once more.
"For crying out loud! Where is she?"
"They…. The Blue Wing well they took her."
"What do you mean they took her? You mean the angels stole her ass?" Jack growled.
"Well I wouldn't have phrased it so delicately." The bushy eyebrows met in a frown, "But yes. They took Janet and the kids too."
Jack drew in a deep breath. "You mean they got ol' Doc Fraiser, Little Bit and Cassie."
"Yeah." Daniel nodded, rubbing the bridge of his nose with one hand, as his other arm was still wrapped around his body.
"Why? Where the hell was Novalis? What is she doing about it? Where did they go? What do you mean they stole her ass? Where the hell is Teal'c?"
"I am here, O'Neill." The mammoth sized man announced, as he was now standing beside the archeologist. His expression was stoic and unexpressive as ever.
'Tell me you DIDN'T just let those Blue Angels steal Carter and the others."
"I did not."
"Then…"
"In much the same way the Asgard have been known to take you, O'Neill. She, Doctor Fraiser, the child, and Lieutenant Fraiser were beamed aboard the vessel without their consent. There was nothing that could be done to intervene the beaming."
"General Jack O'Neill." This new voice belonged to Queen Novalis. She approached the viewer and stared with silver eyes into the mortal's own. "Liege Commander Samantha, her mate and children are perfectly safe within the custody of the Blue Wing. Frankly, we have other more pressing matters to attend do."
The purple wings of the tall woman flared out slightly, then settled. For a Malakim this was equivalent to a wave of dismissal. "We will, upon arrival on Earth, begin deployment of the defensive grid around your sol-system. We have with us the father of the Liege Commander and his consort. They come so that they may assist in the apprehension of the assassin."
O'Neill, for the moment, kept his tongue, milling over the new information. He still didn't like the idea of Carter being abducted by the Blue Wing. "Answer me this. The Blue Wing's obsession with Carter, you're not concerned about this? It's a little creepy if you ask me."
"No." Novalis said in truth. "They will protect her, even beyond their own death if they fall in battle. I have the ability to track the Liege Commander, there is no place she can go that I do not know of and cannot track. Your fear is irrelevant."
"That's my Colonel, goddamn it, she is relevant to me." Jack growled.
"Your fear for her however is not. She is well protected." Novalis said once more with waning patience. Her wings fluttered to their full wingspan, then settled once more against her long back as the queen calmed her own frayed nerves. She wasn't about to admit she had been concerned, not for Samantha Carter's welfare, but because Novalis realized just how devoted the rogue wing was to the Nephalim. The ancient queen prayed to the Great Song that the devotion of the Blue Wing would see them through what darkness was upon the wind.
"We will be in your system in four hours." Novalis informed the human. I will leave the head of Alien Affairs with the crew to start construction of the Defense grid. I, myself, shall move on after the briefing. Gwihir out."
"Just what do you think you are doing!" Colonel Samantha Carter ordered of Boudicca.
The young angelic didn't have to ask what the Liege Commander meant. White wings pressed closely to the tall lanky body of the young female. Purple hair hung down over a heart shaped face. "I ask forgiveness in the manner you were taken. But we had no recourse Liege Commander."
"Pardon?" Sam kept her voice even, though her mind was befuddled, curious, and intrigued. But she had her command mask on and would not allow it to slip.
"You stated that you had no desire to traverse through the Stargate for some time. Therefore, we were obliged to use other resources to reunite you with us. We had to honor your wishes Liege Commander."
Sam opened her mouth to say something, anything, but closed it quickly, as she had nothing what so ever, at that moment, to say to that admittance. It was true; the last time she'd had contact with the dedicated Blue Wing was just after her rescue from her capture, and consequential torture, on Chimera . It wasn't long after that she had told her wife that she didn't think she could continue with Gate travel. She knew the Blue Wing had known of her reluctance to return to duty so soon after her reprieve.
She was still battling what had happened to her on Chimera. What the psychologists, under Malphas power, had done to her had scared her. It wasn't something she could shake like physical injuries. That was relatively easy because of her wife's brilliance. This, however, was completely different.
The Blue Wing, out of some askew sense of logic, had decided that, if Samantha Carter would not travel through the Stargate to them, they would travel to her via a stolen vessel.
"We were fortunate that on our way to your homeworld from Hy-Basil we somehow crossed paths. We were going to go to Terra, Liege Commander, so that we might be reunited with you. It has been our greatest desire since you departed our company." Boudicca admitted shamelessly.
Sam studied the woman across from her, and then spared a glance to her wife and children. Looking back to Boudicca the tall Colonel now realized that all nine of the Blue Wing had gathered around, some on bended knee, their wings pressed firmly against their backs and shoulders.
This was not homage to a goddess, but respect given to a queen. Still Samantha Carter had a difficult time accepting such praise. Secretly she was a shy woman and ever since she walked through the Stargate to be met by bowing and scraping indigenous populations, she had hated it. But then of course they thought she was Goa'uld and she wanted nothing whatsoever to do with the delusions of godhood.
But then the Malakim were different. Their homage was almost as in feudal times, when one would bow to a lady, or a lord, out of respect. Samurai, lords themselves would bow to a shogun. A knight would bow to a queen. A slight head nod was given from generals to the President. In this context, Sam could deal with the homage now paid to her, because it was made out of respect, not fear. Respect, she didn't mind, but now, the tall blonde could feel a slight worshiping nature coming from the nine, which caused her unease.
She wasn't surprised to feel her wife's hand on her back, the slightest touch from Janet always managed to calm Samantha, and steady her. It was why in even the tensest situations when they were on base, Doctor Fraiser could be seen giving a platonic touch to Captain…Major…Colonel Carter. Janet knew how much a caress from her could affect her lover.
"So, you stole a ship in order to reunite with me?" She couldn't keep the disappointment from her voice.
Boudicca remained mute.
Ever exuberant Zephon stepped up. "Liege, we liberated a ship that has your name on it. We merely reclaimed what is yours."
That, Sam thought, was a child's logic, but then again Zephon was scarcely more then that. She had just passed adolescence and would be considered in human terms about twenty. "Zephon, the ship might be named for me, but it isn't mine…"
"If it has your name upon it then it is yours." Zephon pressed.
"Sam, we are arguing with a near-child." Janet whispered in the blonde's ear.
The colonel nodded. Rubbing her forehead, Sam, winced in frustration. With a deep intake of breath, she started again. "Just for arguments sake, say the Queen wanted this ship…. you 'liberated' it and she won't be happy about that fact. Actually, I know she isn't. Guys…she disbanded you from the military."
"No." Turel said. "She can not."
Sam looked at the emotionless blue haired angelic and nodded. "I am sorry but she did. She was forced to; you stole military property and went AWOL. She disbanded all of you as a form of court-martial. I am sorry."
"No Liege, what Turel means to say is that she can not disband us because we had already resigned our commissions before we liberated the Samantha Carter." Zaire explained. "I do not know of Terra but on Hy-Basil paperwork is often a slow process even when sent communiqué via computer. But our resignations have been notarized and witnessed by a judge advocate. We were legally resigned from the military prior to the liberation. And we will petition the Mercenaries' Guild when we reach Grigori."
Clever, Sam had to admit that. If petitioning the guild for membership before the theft of the starship, it would have fallen back upon the guild. However, petitioning after the theft, not only showed the Blue Wing had the nerve to hijack the ship but that they had actually pulled it off. It might be seen as an act of sedition but with mercenaries that wasn't exactly a bad thing. The Guild would also respect that the Blues had enough honor to forewarn the Military they were decommissioning their service. Notarized and legal the blues now held no loyalty to the Malakim Military. No one liked an Oath-breaker because they could never be trusted. The Blue Wing were not oath-breakers and thus their calling for membership into the mercenaries guild was assured.
"But why?" Cassandra said. "I mean why do you want to go into the Mercenaries Guild?"
"All Malakim belong to guilds." Boudicca was now speaking. "It is the tradition of our people dating back to when The Great Song, knows when."
"So what, you have a Baker's Guild?" The young human intoned with an almost Jack O'Neill sarcastic wit.
"Of course. All aspects of life in the workforce have guilds. Whatever it is you do, there is a guild to support you, and you it. There are yearly tithings of course, but it is well worth the cost. The guild sees to your needs, medical expenses, if you without housing in whatever system you are in, whatever planet within the Malakim Empire, you can stay at the guild house. Each city has a guildhouse. If you need martial support your guild will cover your… 'six'. Guilds also hold your pension when you desire to retire from work. If you need a loan of finances a guild will insure you. Everyone belongs to a guild."
"But you can belong to only one guild at a single time," Zaire said. "And no Guild will honor an Oath-breaker. So if you wish to discontinue your service to one guild you must do so in legality. After such, you are free to rejoin a new guild or at least petition a guild. After all a guild is not obliged to take you in if they do not wish to. You will have to prove you are worthy of them; after all you quit one guild what is to say you will not quit theirs?"
"It almost sounds like joining a Union way back in the forties or something." Cassandra noted.
"People, we are getting off the topic," Sam interjected. "This is all fascinating but, right now, isn't the time to discuss the dynamics of guildship."
All the Malakim bowed their heads, shamed they had allowed themselves to become so distracted. "By your leave, Liege Commander." Boudicca softly said, her wings pressed hard against her body. "You are most correct."
Sam smiled and gave a dismissing hand wave allowing the angelics to know she had pardoned them. A flutter of wings whooshed in the air of the bridge as nine sets of wings went from submissive folding to parade rest.
"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate what it is you were all trying to do, or the lengths you took to do it. In fact I am very flattered," The blonde stated. Her blue eyes took a moment to rest upon each individual. "The thing is…well frankly, your timing sucks."
The angels shifted uneasily.
"I was…I am in the middle of a mission."
"Then you have returned to duty?" Razeal said with hope in his eager voice. His iridescent blue wings flickered with the energy that belongs to the young.
"No. Not officially," Sam responded.
The iridescent wings slumped.
In fact, all nine pairs of wings slumped in their disappointment.
"It's a little ironic, but I was initially contacted by the queen….your queen," Sam emphasized, "to try to find you and have you return home. She was under the impression I could convince you to turn over the ship. Look, you guys, she's going to let you off easy. She won't prosecute you and…. well you took care of being disbanded, but you have to turn the ship over to the queen. It might be named for me, but it belongs to the queen and the military of Malakim Empire. You had no right to steal it. You all know that, so don't justify it."
Nine pairs of wings folded tightly against nine tall bodies.
"Liege, we need not justify our actions," The massive Malachi said, his deep baritone voice seemingly reverberating off the walls like the bass turned up too high on a stereo. "It is unacceptable to be parted from you and Liege Healer. We do not expect you to understand the depth of the Great Song. But you are the harmony that draws us to you. To resist the pull is unnatural and would fill us with dissidence. That discord would either cause us to go mad, or wither into the Nothing of the Dark. You do sing to us Liege and we do hear and we heed the call."
Sam gave her wife a look of pleading help. Since she was fourteen, religion was never one of Sam's strong suits , whilst Janet had a greater grasp of the paths of religious conviction. Somehow the mortals knew this was far more then devotion to an ancient order. This drive of the Malakim to be reunited with Sam and, to a lesser degree, Janet was almost biological. And again being a physical response, Janet had a better understanding of it.
"I think we do understand that bit," Janet said, now standing along side her beloved. "But that aside we will have to return this vessel to Novalis. Or she will be forced to Exile the lot of you."
The nine warriors of the Blue Wing had considered that option and slowly their multi colored manes nodded as one.
"Right now however, we have more pressing issues to address," Sam added.
To this the warriors blazed with eyes of anticipation and excitement.
"What troubles you, my liege?" Rahabim said softly.
Before Sam could speak of what occurred on Earth, she turned her attention to her daughter. Walking over to the wide-eyed five-year-old, she went down on a single knee and gathered her tiny child into her arms. "Honey, look, Mommy and I have to do some tall-talk with our friends here. I want you to go with…"
The fiery maned Zephon stepped foreword. "Liege, it would be an honor to be guardian over the kit."
"I am not a kitten…. I am a little girl." Rebecca defiantly corrected the tall crimson winged angelic.
This of course gained a small plethora of soft chuckles from the adults.
"Kit is what we call our very young." Zephon said. "Featherling is for someone slightly older then you."
Janet, as well as Sam, thought for a moment that it all made sense. After all humans had infants, toddlers, adolescent and youths… so why wouldn't an alien culture have different designations for their own young?
"Rebecca." Sam addressed her child. "I want you to go with Zephon okay. Mommy and I will see you in a little while."
"Okay Mama." The strawberry blond crocked her head. "But one day Mama I will be tall and you can't send me away then. I do know many things and it's not fair I get sent away."
"Honey, would you rather play or be bored to tears because the adults are doing tall talk?" Janet laid a hand on her daughter's arm.
This gave a pause for the small girl to consider. "Well, since you put it that way, I 'd rather play."
Sam snickered and gave her child a kiss on the forehead before she relinquished custody to the redheaded angelic. Janet followed suite and ended with an Eskimo kiss by rubbing her nose to Rebecca's button nose. "Be good, Honey. I love you."
"I will see she is perfectly safe," Zephon implored as she looked to both mothers' eyes.
Somehow, seeing an angelic taking hold of their daughter was a reassurance that both mothers needed. And they both knew Rebecca was in excellent care. They waited a moment longer before returning their attention upon the remaining eight.
"Okay." The blonde started. "Look, back on Earth, fourteen people of the SGC were brutally murdered. Assassinated by what we think is a Zatarc rather than an Ashrak. The fact is, not only do we have to capture the agent but we have to find out what Goa'uld he is serving."
Cassandra had been listening as her blonde mother explained in further detail what she knew happened on earth, leaving out of course her orders to stay away. The youngest of the three women, she looked to both her mothers and then to the angelics of the Blue Wing.
They were totally dedicated to Sam. She could almost feel every last one of them filling with righteous anger at the assailants who had taken the lives of the SG teams, but only because Sam and Janet were so affected.
She had a bad feeling that if they returned, that she would find one of her mothers or both killed. She couldn't deal with that. Not again. She had lost one set of beloved parents on Hanka. She had nearly lost Sam a dozen times over. But then one day she had lost Janet. It was only because of the Nox that Janet, her beloved mother, had lived. Hell, if it wasn't for the Nox, Cassie suddenly realized that her whole family would have been decimated.
They had resurrected Sam, had resurrected Janet, made Rebecca possible and had even saved the little one when she was newly born because Rebecca was dying.
'Not this time.'
"Excuse me Colonel." Cassie said as she now stood near the tall blonde. The use of rank caught Sam's full attention. "But, if we return to Earth, are we not going against a direct order from the General?"
Sam's blue eyes turned to ice. The Colonel in her snarled, "You just HAD to point that out." Then the mother in Sam saw the pained look in her daughter. And the ice melted.
"He did not expressly forbid our return Lieutenant Fraiser. And with nine warriors covering our six, we will not be in direct danger."
"With all due respect, I beg to differ, ma'am. SG12 were completely neutralized by a C-4 bomb in an ice chest. Martouf tried to assassinate the President with a room filled with warriors of the Tok'ra and SF's. I don't think it matters to the Ashrak or Zatarc who you're with."
The remaining eight warriors shifted and responded just exactly how Cassandra knew they would. If they knew of the direct danger to her mothers they would intervene. Janet remained for the moment silent. It was a rare thing to see the colonel and lieutenant come head to head. Mum and Daughter fought often enough but this was a whole different sort of confrontation. The doctor was embarrassed to admit she was fascinated by the drama being played out.
"Liege, this is exactly what the assassin would wish, to recall you to your home base so they might finish what they started," Turel said. "It is unacceptable that you and Liege Healer Janet would be placed in the direct way of danger."
"Look, it's my job. I'm a solider…" Sam started.
"Liege Healer is a warrior as well to be sure, but she is a Healer first and foremost," Turel said. "My direct duty is to safeguard her. If you are in danger she will go to great lengths to see you safe from it, even if it means mortality for her. This, Zaire and I cannot allow for the vow taken. Therefore your return to earth is not advisable. There are other means in which to fight this darkness."
"And if I order the rest of you?" Sam said in the voice of a commander.
"Then, with all due respect, we will suffer the dissidence of defying that command in order to adhere to our Prime Directive which is to protect you and your kith," Boudicca stated.
"You can't kidnap me indefinitely," Sam snapped.
"We are not abducting you, nor holding you prisoner," Boudicca boldly defied. "We are insuring your safety, Liege Commander, as well as the safety of your family."
"Come away with us anon," Pumah said in a small voice. "Allow us to show you Grigori. There, we can formulate a plan of attack against this assassin. With the Crimson Wing accompanying the Queen and your mortal warriors of the SGC they will surely capture him. Our concern should be, where those orders to kill came from."
"A two prong attack," Turelim stated. "A wise move, my liege."
Samantha Carter was not General Jack O'Neill; she wasn't defiantly stubborn in adhering to a plan she created just because it was her idea. Nor was she too proud to admit she was wrong. She didn't become one of the youngest colonels in the history of the airforce for nothing. Indeed, she saw a great deal of wisdom in the words of the avian warriors before her. A two-prong attack was far more advantageous."
"What's so important about Grigori?" she said in a matter of compromising to the angelics.
Cassie grinned, secretly she knew now that her mothers were safe. Janet caught the self-congratulatory grin on the younger woman's face and shook her head. She was, in a word, impressed with her eldest. 'Way to go, Cassie.'
"Oh, now this is entirely interesting." Usiel said as he read the data scrolling in on the comm.-panel in front of him. "Curious."
"What is?" Osiris mumbled, from her position at another computer terminal. The Mothership had been running on cloak as per standard procedure as it maneuvered through Asgard protected space.
"For a moment I thought I saw a Malakim ship de-cloak and cloak and jump back to hyperspace."
"Malakim?" Osiris now moved to the dark angelic's side. "My operative was able to inform me that Colonel Carter had traveled to the Malakim homeworld."
"Then it appears she was able to convince Novalis to deploy forces. I fear, once they find your agent, he will surely die. The Malakim can be very protective of their queen. And more so over the Nephalim."
"A small price." Osiris waved off the fact. "it is of no matter."
"No?" Usiel smirked. "And when the Crimson Wing who always travesl with the queen interrogates your agent, and they will, and they discover you are to blame, what then."
"I've faced off the Tau'ri before."
Usiel grinned. "To be sure. But what of a hoard of very pissed off angelic warriors? Hummm? You don't seem to understand Osiris. When they find out it was you that sent the agent, and they will, believe me, legions of warriors will come for vengeance."
"I have battled armies of Jaffa."
"Again, you just don't 'get it' Do you? 200 thousand warriors, Osiris, at the behest of the Nephalim, will hunt you down and rip you apart. You see, you caused great discord in their beloved Liege Commander, their Nephalim….and for that they will bring such suffering you can never imagine."
"You exaggerate," Osiris said with more confidence then she was feeling.
"Ten thousand warriors came for Samantha Carter when she was taken prisoner by Malphas and his allies. Your deliberate attack on her will cause a great stir, what do you think they will do to ensure her safety? They will hunger for vengeance." Usiel smiled sickeningly. "And I get to watch the whole thing play out."
"If they come for me, they come for you."
"Yes." A smirk was flashed. "And what fun we shall have."
"You are not concerned." Osiris accused.
"On the contrary, it concerns me a great deal."
"But you are amused."
"Death is amusing, even if it's my own." The dark winged angelic smiled once more. His black wings flared openly in exhilaration. "You are so well versed at delivering death, Osiris. Come now my parasitic friend, admit it, you get a thrill from the kill."
The Goa'uld said nothing.
"I can feel the dissidence that swells within you." Usiel was now close to the blonde, his gaunt angular face close to her ear. "I think I like the Goa'uld, you simply ooze tastiness. So dark, so vile, so utterly evil….and with the genetic memory stretching to the first little worm. You are a virtual feast." Usiel grinned. "I know your deepest sins" Usiel smiled. "And I know the deepest sin of your host."
"I grow tired of these games Usiel." Osiris snapped.
"Again, I don't care. I don't care if you tire of the games, I play because I can."
Osiris raised her hand, the Ribbon Device flareing to life. The pulse should have sent Usiel across the room into the next bulkhead; it should have snapped his spine in seven places from the impact.
It did not.
Crossing his arms in front of him almost defensively, the angel brought his arms out as if to bat away the phyonic power rushing him. The force of the Ribbon Device was backlashed and Osiris was sent up into the air, slamming against the ceiling of the mothership, then plummeting back down to the hard golden floor.
"You live Parasite, because I allow it," Usiel hissed. "Remember this pain so you can recognize it when it comes again." The dark being picked Osiris up off the floor and dusted her off. "You can't possibly understand the power of the World Symphony. Do not make the mistake of underestimating it." The black eyes stared deeply into Osiris's twin soul. "Now, imagine a mere mortal with that sort of power. A mortal that is pure, untaintable, sickeningly incorruptible, a mortal of pure soul with the power of an angelic. The power to call 200 thousand warriors all ready to die for her is the Nephalim's own. A million warriors to be called for her…..all for her, by her if she desire it. By the Great Song you awakened a terrible beast, Parasite."
Osiris stared unbelieving.
"I am many things, Parasite, but an exaggerator I am not. There is far too much fun to be had in the telling of truth." The angel smiled once more, though there was no mirth to be had in the expression. "You see it is better to create a new perspective then it is to lie, that way you are always telling the truth. It's just a matter of perception." The dark being smiled again. "After all, if you lie, you will trip over yourself and have to remember so many little facts, much too much work," The black wings lifted and settled in a wave of dismissal.
"But creating a new reality of perspective isn't?" Osiris taunted.
"Is it? You tell me, Parasite. You and your slithering kind have convinced yourself and others you are gods when in fact you are little wiggling serpentine worms. But, from a certain point of view, you are indeed god-like. So, the untruths you are telling, when you say you are gods, are the truth, because you have created a reality in which you are."
Osiris said nothing at all to the dark angel's words.
The black winged warrior smirked.
Orisis sneered under twin breath.
"Now, about the interesting thing." Usiel pointed to the read out in front of him. "The Nephalim has left the Malakim mothership and is aboard a scout class vessel. Its configuration is unique."
Osiris pulled to the tall angelic's side. "Are you sure?"
"Oh most definitely. The energy spike here, dictates the use of matter transference of four mortals. The scout vessel cloaked once more but I think I can track it to a point, then it's just a matter of deduction."
"Lay in a course." Oasis ordered the silent Jaffa helmsmen that had been watching the entire episode between the strange winged warrior and his lord. He had wisely kept his thoughts to himself, but the words spoken by the celestial being had started his mind to think of Osiris in a new light.
'The Goa'uld were not gods. The Shol'va Teal'c was right. They are false gods…with any luck the Malakim will make Osiris a dead false god.'
"Course laid in my lord." The young Jaffa warrior said.
Sam, Janet, and Cassandra listened as the angelics laid out the thoughts that motivated the idea of the new SCG. Stargate Atlantis was already under works , but this was something new. An academy to train new SGC personal, not just warriors but scholars, human and Malakim alike. An alliance that would prove very beneficial
Sam thought about it as she stared at her wife. She could still be a part of the SGC, and, although now administrative, still be very important. She could teach young earnest minds. Janet, most importantly, would be safe, their children safe.
There was a time a few years back when Janet had gone off world and been KIA. Janet only lived now because of the Nox's intervention, more specifically because of Lya's intervention. The tiny Nox woman related more to Janet then any other human. Janet was much like the Nox, even healing her enemy because of an oath she lived by and believed in fully. Lya felt Janet was her soul's sister and defied the Nox council to sneak into the SGC's morgue, and then, with the help of her father and her husband, she resurrected the petite healer. Lya could not allow a soul like Janet to die.
Sam felt tears threaten her eyes as for a moment a life with out her beloved filled her mind. No, she didn't want to think of it. She didn't want to think what if the Ashrak / Zatarc had killed Janet and Rebecca. She didn't want to think of Cassandra murdered.
Grigori was a planet deep in the heart of the Malakim Empire, safe, well protected, and hidden. In fact the planet's location was wiped from the Malakim archives to keep it hidden.
Samantha had already decided she wanted to live off world. A life on Hy-Basil, she didn't know how to approach it with her wife, but now it seemed they had another avenue. A whole planet. A base. They could continue to explore, to create colonies, to study on other planets. Continue to learn. Janet could be her CMO on the new base. Janet thrived to work medicine, in fact, Sam suspected, if she weren't able to work in the field of medicine her diminutive wife would be extremely depressed. Janet Fraiser was a wonder, a genius in the field of medicine; she was the leading expert on earth in alien contagions.
Even if the top-brace at home wouldn't sanction Sam and Janet's new reassignment, the tall blonde thought she could very well resign her commission and take up the new base anyway. Hell, the Blue Wing had done the same for her and were free agents. The Grigori Stargate Base would be a new beginning. Without a doubt Novalis would sanction the new place. So, their paycheck would come from the Malakim Empire instead of the USAF.
The three women were now in Sam and Janet's quarters. They had been given the Captains' quarters as none of the Malakim could fathom a larger space for their beloved lieges.
Cassandra sat at the glass toped dinette with her little sister who was merrily coloring in a book, tickled that her big sister was playing with her. Rebecca idolized Cassandra and thought it a thrill that 'Sissy' would color with her. The child was completely unaware of the storm of thought brewing in her mothers' minds. Cassandra, however, was not. She could see them milling over the facts they had been given over the Grigori base.
Janet was pacing about the quarters, a bundle of energy. Sam was sitting with one knee tucked up under her chin biting her thumbnail on her right hand. Both in deep thought.
"Hon, I think we should live off world." Both said the exact same thing at the exact same time.
Twin smiles passed between them.
Janet crossed the space in the common room and took Sam's hand into her smaller one.
"You mean it?"
"Yeah…if you do."
"I do." Both said in unison.
Cassie rolled her eyes but chuckled. 'Old married couple.' She snickered good-naturedly.
Janet soundly kissed the surprised Sam and rested her forehead against the blonde's.
"You're thinking of Grigori aren't you?" The redhead whispered.
"I am. Jan, it's a great opportunity. And …you, our daughters, will be safe."
"I was thinking the same thing." Sam heard returned as she placed her own kiss on Janet's soft rose-red lips.
"He-ey, Little-bit, how about you sleep over in my quarters tonight. ? We'll see if the Malakim have any cool movies or a Playstation," Cassie addressed her sister.
Rebecca looked up from the coloring book, eyed her mothers who were cuddling on the sofa then back to her sister. "Why?"
"Because…brat," Cassie ruffled the golden red unruly mane, to let the child know she was teasing. "It's Mommy-Mama time."
"Hummm, well, can I have blue Jello? It's my favorite."
"Yeah, sure, why not?" Cassie smiled and started to help Rebecca pack up her crayons and coloring book so that they could give their mothers some much needed privacy. Cassandra always smiled when she saw her parents cuddle, . As a teenager it had been cataloged into the 'eww! Parents having sex' category', but now, she thought it was the coolest thing, her parents were still so in love with one another.
"Mothers." Cassandra addressed the other women.
A pair of blue eyes and a pair of brown looked up almost startled. They had not forgotten their children were present, but they had been so oddly silent that it was a start to hear them speak.
"I am taking Little-bit for the night. I think you two need time to talk things out. And as for living off world, I vote yeah let's do it."
"Are you positive honey?" Janet asked her eldest.
"Sure, why not? I mean we can always visit earth. And besides, it's not like I have anyone special back home. I say go for it."
"Me too, me too." Though Rebecca wasn't entirely sure what it was she was agreeing to or voting for but she wanted to be included.
"Well then it's unanimous." Sam said. "Oh and by the way Lieutenant, you and I will talk later."
Once Sam used rank, Cassandra knew it was her colonel speaking and not her mother.
"Yes ma'am." Cassandra responded like a good solider.
Rebecca smiled. She ran up and gave each of her mothers a hug and kiss then saluted them. Causing both Sam and Janet to giggle. "I've decided I am going to be a fly-girl when I grow up. And a doctor like you Mommy, not a doctor of the stars like you Mama."
"So you're going to fly a plane and fix people up. Sounds good to me." Sam nuzzled her youngest. "Go with Sissy and have fun."
"Oh, we are, we are going to have blue jello and play Playstation."
Both blondes pursed their lips together and made a yummy noise. The parents watched as their daughters left their quarters and, for the first time since the deliverance of the horrible news of fourteen deaths, did either woman feel hope.
When they left Janet turned her attention back to her beautiful wife. "Hon, you know Jack O'Neill will be reluctant to let you go. He became a general so you'd take SG1 over, instead of taking a position of command with the Atlantis base."
Sam pulled the tiny hand from her cheek so she could kiss the knuckles. "Babygirl, contrary to his popular belief, the Colonel doesn't own me. If I have to, I'll resign."
Janet nodded and brushed her thumb across Sam's hand. "I know. So will I. Besides, it will give me a great opportunity to learn more about Malakim medicine. Despite all of their technology in the medical field, they still respect healers and need them. I won't be obsolete. You know that's what I would hate….to be obsolete."
"I know, babe." "Sam said. "But you wouldn't be. Besides, if we are granted reassignment, there will be plenty of humans that will need your expert care."
Janet flashed a bashful smile of pure gratitude. Sam always made her feel ten feet high. It was too easy to think she had only a small part to play in this universal theater, especially when compared to the magnificent accomplishments of SG1. Sam never allowed her to feel like that. In fact, when her wife was still a major, the blonde made Janet feel as if she was truly a part of SG1, not because they shared the rearing of Cassie, but because Janet was a brilliant scientist and an accomplished solider.
'Janet…Doctor Fraiser you are SG1, it's just you have a more important position, you have to fix us up so we can traipse around the galaxy. God, you're the brave one, it's easy to duck and cover and return fire. It's harder to see those you care about hurt, and to put them back together so they can go get hurt again.'
Those words now replayed in Janet's mind. And she could not help the spread of a smile that appeared, because it wasn't a platitude, it was a truth Samantha believed in.
"He may not let his favorite doctor go. , Doc." Sam said seriously
"Well, contrary to his popular belief, General Jack O'Neill doesn't own me." She kissed her wife. "If I have to, I'll resign."
They both smiled.
"What of the rest of SG1?" Janet offered.
"I don't know. I think Teal'c might enjoy the opportunity to be a part of the new base. We can even offer to allow some of the Jaffa to be a part of it, if the Malakim are in agreement. With the Tritonin they don't have to carry symbiotes and the Malakim will not be as adverse to the Jaffa. Teal'c enjoys teaching the combat classes at the SGC, he could continue the teaching at Grigori and head the new SG1 team of our new base."
'Our new base." Janet chuckled at the claim of ownership.
"I'd like to recruit Jennifer Hailey as well. She'd be a wonderful addition to SG1 as Teal'c's 2IC. He'll need an astrophysicist and a good marksmen and Hailey is an accomplished glider pilot."
"And what of Daniel?" Janet asked.
Sam was mute for a moment. "He is a part of SG1, but the General might let him go."
Janet noticed that Sam didn't say anything more.
"He is a part of SG1." Janet agreed. "You're a team."
"Yeah, we are." Sam nodded. "But if we have to resign, I think its up to him. I don't know what he would choose. And I don't want to force the issue on any of them. Cassie is following us because we are her mothers."
"And she's as much of an adrenaline junkie as you are Sammy, she wants this career wise too." The redhead pointed out. "I bet you our next paycheck that 4' 9" will follow you because, NOT only does she have a crush on you, but she respects you and has a bit of hero-worship for you. She'll go. There isn't a doubt in my mind the others will follow you….."
"Follow us, Janet. Follow us."
Samantha placed a kiss on her wife's wanting lips. "If Jen has a crush on me, Teal'c has one on you. He has ever since he joined the SGC. And so did Jonas…and Danny kinda has a thing for you. Why do you think he gets hurt all the time?"
"I always thought he had a slight masochistic thing." The doctor joked. "Besides I thought he had it for you. As well as Jack…. Martouf…. Narim……."
"Okay…okay…." Sam yielded. She traced the soft flesh of Janet's cheek. "There was, is, and will only ever be you, Janet Elizabeth Fraiser."
"So…" Janet shifted, so that her back was resting against Sam's breasts, and pulled the blonde's arms around her waist. She cocked her head slightly, hinting that she wanted Sam to nuzzle her neck, which the blonde delightfully obliged. "Who's going to radio the general?"