DISCLAIMER: SG-1 its characters belong to B.W, J.G. and MGM. No copyright infringement intended, no money be made.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Written for ml_spikie from her 'first line' prompt.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SPOILERS: AU. Takes place sometime in season 9.
No Greater Hero
By Dhamphir
Sam reached out and brushed the hair back from Janet's face. Her eyes welled with unshed tears. She only had a few moments before–
"Colonel?"
She took a deep breath and pushed down all of her pain and fear into a box and slammed the lid shut. She looked up and nodded at the Tok'ra medic. As she stepped back he closed the lid of the stasis pod. Sam turned and looked at her new XO, Major Cameron Mitchell.
"Ready."
When their group entered the gate room Sam looked up at the control room, receiving a nod from General O'Neill.
"Good luck," the general said through the PA before giving Walter the order to dial up the gate.
Jacob Carter led the procession up the ramp, followed by Teal'c, Daniel, and Mitchell. Sam walked next to Janet's pod, and the four Tok'ra carrying it, while SG-5 brought up the rear.
They stepped out onto P4F-257, immediately taking up defensive positions. Sam ordered SG-5 to stay and guard the gate. SG-1 and the Tok'ra headed out, in search of Izanagi's stronghold.
"So what do we know about Izanagi?" Mitchell asked Daniel.
Sam rolled her eyes. Mitchell had been at the briefing, although he did look like he'd had been nursing a hangover.
"In Japanese mythology, Izanagi is the forefather of the gods. He was the first male as well as the god of creation and life. He and his wife, Izanami, were responsible for the birth of the islands of Japan and many of the kami – spirits – in Shintoism."
"No, I mean what do we know this Goa'uld?"
"Tok'ra intelligence has indicated that we should encounter limited resistance. Izanagi was a System Lord that lost interest in Goa'uld politics and domination when his wife Izanami died. He withdrew from an active role of ruling the galaxies, ceding his territory to the other System Lords, all except for this world, Onogoroshima."
"But what do we know about him now?"
"Not much," Selmak answered. "There are rumors that Izanagi hasn't actually been seen outside his personal quarters in over a century. There are also rumors that he spends all his time fishing."
"So we don't really know anything about him." When no one replied, Mitchell asked another question. "So why are we trying to take on this Goa'uld without really knowing anything about him or what we're going to face?"
That was precisely the wrong thing to say. Sam whipped around and glared daggers at the man. "You job, Major, is fucking follow orders, not ask stupid questions."
Mitchell's eyes widened in total surprise as his new CO visibly fought to hold herself back from physically lashing out. Finally she turned and marched off with Teal'c and Daniel on her heels.
"You don't know Dr. Fraiser, do you?" Selmak asked.
"Uh, no. I was just assigned to the SGC two days ago. I'm supposed to command one of the other teams, but the general wanted me to get some off-world experience first."
"Dr. Fraiser is single-handedly responsible for saving every single life on Earth, including yours, more than once. And most recently she's saved the life of every Tok'ra and the entire free Jaffa nation. Your planet places stock in honoring your heroes, but due to the classified nature of the SGC several of your heroes will never receive the public recognition they deserve. Earth has no greater hero than Dr. Fraiser. And that is why we are doing what we're doing; it's why every single one of us – Human, Tok'ra, and Jaffa – would sacrifice anything to save her."
Teal'c signaled the procession to stop and take cover. He and Sam split and slowly worked their way forward while keeping under cover. They had spotted Izanagi's stronghold. Taking their time to scout out the area, they didn't find a single Jaffa, so they ordered the group forward.
Very carefully the group entered the building, weapons at the ready and preceding each turn they made around the corners. They found the chamber that contained the sarcophagus. Daniel moved to stand next to it and began examining the hieroglyphs.
"Can you open it?" Sam asked.
"There's no obvious control and this is an archaic dialect. It's going to take me a little while to translate this."
The stasis pod was set down near the sarcophagus and the rest of the team took up defensive positions around the room, guarding the entrances.
"What are you doing in my home?"
Everyone whipped around pointing their weapons at the portly, Asian man who seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
"You are Izanagi?" asked Selmak.
"No one has called me that in a very long time."
Sam picked up on something in the Goa'uld's tone. She stepped forward, gesturing for everyone to lower their weapons. "I am Colonel Samantha Carter of the Tau'ri, and I apologize for entering your home uninvited. But our need is great... my need is great."
He stared at her for several very long moments, taking her measure, while everyone else got more and more nervous. "What is your need?" he finally asked.
"I just need to use your sarcophagus."
"Why?"
She gestured to the stasis pod. "Because she will die otherwise."
Izanagi moved towards the stasis pod, but the others quickly aimed their weapons at him again.
"Lower you weapons," Sam ordered sternly.
The Goa'uld continued until he was able to look down into the pod. He then looked at Sam. "And what are you willing to do in exchange for the use of my sarcophagus? What are you willing to sacrifice?"
"Anything."
"Anything?"
"Yes, I'll do anything." She paused. "She is my Izanami," she added softly.
He saw the earnest look in the blonde's eyes before he looked back down at the pod's occupant again. Silently he walked around to the opposite side of the sarcophagus. He touched a hidden control on the side. The cover split and slid opened.
"Place her inside."
Janet's comatose body was taken from the pod and gently placed inside the sarcophagus. Izanagi touched another control to close the lid and start the cycle. Four tense minutes passed before the lid once again slid open.
Sam looked down into the sarcophagus at her wife, holding her breath... until Janet opened her eyes. "Janet."
"What's going on?"
Sam held her hand out to help Janet sit up. "Everything's okay, Janet. You're going to be okay." She helped Janet out of the sarcophagus. Sam then turned to Izanagi. "I am in your debt. Name your price."
He gestured for her to approach. Sam handed her P90 over to Daniel and walked over to the Goa'uld, much to the consternation of everyone present. He spoke to her in a hushed tone, after which he turned and unceremoniously walked out of the room.
It wasn't until the group arrived at the stargate that anyone said a word.
"Dr. Fraiser! It's good to see you again," said Major Blackstone, the CO of SG-5.
"Thank you, Major," the doctor replied.
"Dial it up; let's go home," Sam ordered.
When the group came through the gate, General O'Neill was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp, smiling.
"Great to have you back, Doc! Good job SG-1, SG-5."
"Everyone report to medical," Sam ordered her team as she turned to her father.
Everyone, including Janet, headed out of the gate room.
"Thank you for your help Jacob," Jack said, beating Sam to the punch.
"It was our pleasure, Jack," he replied as they shook hands. "Indeed, it was," Selmak added.
As the gate was redialed, Jacob hugged his daughter.
"Thanks, Dad."
"Anytime. Take care of her, Sam."
"I will."
The Tok'ra left.
Jack looked at SG-1's CO. "Anything I need to know about?"
"No, sir."
"Then we'll debrief Monday. Take Doc home and enjoy the long weekend."
"Thank you, sir."
Sam joined SG-1 and SG-5 in the infirmary for her post-mission physical. Dr. Lam, the Assistant CMO completed her exam. "You can get dressed now, Colonel." She paused for only a beat before continuing. "Your wife is said she would wait for you in your office."
"Thank you, Doctor." Sam quickly made her way through the corridors of the SGC until she got to her little used office. She opened the door and stepped in, to find her arms immediately filled by Janet. She closed her eyes and held her wife tightly.
"You have got to stop doing that," Sam managed to force out around the stricture in her throat.
"What?"
"Saving the world with little regard for yourself," she whispered as a couple of tears squeezed past her closed eyelids. "I can't lose you."
"It was an accident – a sample of the virus–"
Janet's words were cut off by a kiss, which she returned with equal passion. The kiss broke only when they were forced to gasp for air.
"Come on; it's Wednesday and the general has given us off until Monday. I want to take you to the cabin and forget about the rest of the universe for a few days."
"Sounds good to me," Janet replied with a smile. She then pulled back with a curioius look on her face. "What did Izanagi say to you?" The End
Sam smiled. "He said to never forget what you mean to me, and to spend the rest of my life showing you."