Chapter 41 - Chapter 40 – Evolution

Hebridan – 9000 LY from Earth

"The fact of the matter is; members of the Board, that the Goa'uld have in the recent years increased their FTL capability by great orders of magnitude. The vastness of the Galaxy is no longer the shield it once was for the free worlds that exist in it."

Harry stood with his arms folded into the voluminous sleeves of his formal Alteran robes, addressing the Executive Board of Tech Con – seated around a high tech conference table that would entirely have been at home in an Earth corporate HQ.

Hebridan, the home planet of Warrick – the Serrakan whom he and SG1 had rescued from his own escaped prisoners – was a Corporatocracy. While they maintained some semblance of a republican government, the Hebridan Union was run primarily like a business, and the Mega Corporation responsible for that was Tech Con. Utilities, including hospitals, schools, the defence force and the police was privatized. The social welfare function normally carried out by a government was instead carried out by Tech Con in the form of benefits to the employees. Hebridan was exactly what Earth could have been in another hundred years…had Harry not fielded the idea for the STO, and set Earth onto the more moderate path of rule by elected Executive Council.

"Well that may be true Ambassador," said Mr Hagan, raising his hand. "Goa'uld territory is mostly on the other side of the Galaxy – they have no capability for expansion into this end. They do not know we exist."

"That is also true," conceded Harry to the most Senior Board member of Tech Con – the de facto 'President' of Hebridan. What also made the man interesting was that he was a Human/Serakkin Hybrid. Harry had had no idea the two races could successfully produce offspring. Hagan had the highly sensitive ears lobes of a Serakkin, but much more 'human' tone of skin, and hair. "Which is why we're not asking you to be involved in the War at all. Just to become an 'invisible' member of the Alliance."

Hagan and a few of the Directors around the conference table raised surprised eyebrows at that.

"You are in no position to help, since your Hyperdrive technology is at a level where your ships would take years to get to the closest Goa'uld holding," Harry explained reasonably. "My people's goal here is merely the opening of trade and diplomatic relations between our planets. There is much we both have to gain."

"Such as?" Hagan invited elaboration.

"Terra can arrange to have a secure Stargate shipped to Hebridan; it has been upgraded with technologies that allow you to control who or what comes through, for example."

"And what would Terra want in return?" asked another Board member.

"One of your top of the line sublight Ion propulsion systems and if we throw in a lesson on how to get your Hyperdrives 'up to speed' so to speak," Harry grinned, "then we'd like any unique ship mounted weapon system you may have."

The various Tech Con board members looked at each other, and then almost as one turned to Director Hagan. The Tech Con director was frowning thoughtfully and staring out the large transparent steel window that looked out of the Hebridan capital city, with its tall hundreds of meters high buildings and lines of orderly flying vehicles that snaked between them.

"Such a trade seems rather, if you'll forgive me, rather favourable to our side; for the Stargate alone you could have asked for both the engine and weapons," Hagan stated with a curiously raised eyebrow.

"The relationship our people could cultivate in the future and your entry into the Alliance is more valuable," countered Harry earnestly.

"Just how many and who are in this Alliance already?" another Director asked, this one a female Serakkin.

"My world Terra, the Tok'ra, the Asgard, Pangara, and most recently Orbania joined." The Orbanians; the reason why Terra had gotten the original Naquadah Reactors, had finally come on board, by sending their Ambassador and a Military delegation to Luna to take residence in Tranquility Base. The Orbanians had also began their own warship program, which was coming along quite speedily because of their expertise in nanotechnology – using it to literally 'grow' the hulls of their ships, it had been impressive to watch. "Joining the Alliance would mean an exchange of Ambassadors, trade, and signing of a mutual defence treaty. I'm sure you could all see the value if, God forbid, the Goa'uld happen to attack or find you at some point, that an Asgard Battlecruiser or a Terran Destroyer could be here in two and a half standard hours to help you out. Alliance ships would also begin a regular patrol, and we'd engage in joint military exercises."

"Let's discuss terms," Director Hagan suddenly grinned, seemingly making the decision. "Is the Board in agreement?" Everyone nodded.

"Excellent, the Loop of Con Garat is due to begin in an hour. I don't want to miss it."

"Neither do I," Harry chuckled. He, just like the other Directors didn't want to miss the rather dangerous space race, Sam and Warrick was involved in.

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Jaffa Planet, Deep in Goa'uld Territory

The planet, like most others, was trees…as Jack would say. Other than that it's only other significance was that it had a significant population of Jaffa, much like Chulak. And like the latter world it was ruled by the Goa'uld Moloc in much the same way as Apophis had done. It was from this planet where Moloc drew his Jaffa to battle in the 'War of the gods'. As the SGC had predicted, with Anubis still out there somewhere, licking his wounds at the hands of Earth, the 'United Alliance of the System Lords' lost all impetus for staying together and resumed their feuding ways, with Ba'al now as the 'top dog' so to speak. Ba'al had in a surprise attack turned on his fellow System Lords again, and since the sneaky Goa'uld was well…sneaky, had managed to come away with the largest amount of motherships and Jaffa before the other System Lords could wipe their eyes out and counter-attack.

Of course, the STO loved this situation, the Goa'uld were fighting each other again, spending resources and manpower…but it wouldn't last, not with Anubis still out there and undoubtedly planning for his second act. Therefore the SGC SpecOps forces shifted their aim to focus exclusively on Ba'al. SG1 and the other Recon teams on the other hand had been tagged to help the Jaffa Rebellion.

Which was what Harry and SG1 were doing on this planet, in full AW gear, ready for anything.

They were currently tracking a single Jaffa lifesign through the woods a mile or so from the Gate. Jack initiated first contact and popped out from behind a tree, and had his PR8 aimed and ready to fire.

"All right, hold it! Right there!"

Harry, Teal'C, Daniel and Sam, also popped out in ambush positions, allowing the Jaffa in question no escape.

"I am Ryk'l of the Goa'uld Moloc," the Jaffa said warily, keeping his hands at his sides and he was strangely unarmed. Ryk'l's dark eyes darted around their presence in concealed surprise, his swarthy skin looking rather sweaty. Teal'C approached the Jaffa and Ryk'l immediately recognized him as a fellow Jaffa, looking surprised that he was armed as a Tau'ri. "Shal kek nem ron."

"I, too, will die free, brother." Teal'C nodded and shook hands in the Jaffa manner of a one armed 'monkey' grip.

"Teal'c of the Tau'ri? Your legend precedes you. Thank you for meeting me." Ryk'l surveyed them and nodded in greeting, before turning back to Teal'C.

"We have been told that there are a great many here who believe in the dream of freedom for all Jaffa." Teal'c stated seriously getting down to business.

"INCOMING!" shouted Harry, as his AW systems suddenly picked up the mass of lifesigns rushing to their position. The rest of SG1 had picked up on it as well, mindful that this could have just been a trap, and had left their AW's on lifesign scan.

Harry rushed to a thick tree and aimed in the direction the lifesigns were coming from, Sam, Daniel and Jack doing the same. Teal'C had grabbed his fellow Jaffa pushed him into cover, who was clearly bewildered about what was going on, until the first bright orange bolts of staff plasma started to pepper their area.

Blue PR8 plasma bolts were returned in answer from SG1.

Harry fired alternating bursts at the enemy Jaffa that were steadily advancing on their position – there were an awful lot of them. Their sensors counted fifteen of the bastards. He managed to fell three Jaffa in the chaotic firefight in thirty seconds. They next tried a flanking, but Harry managed to dodge both trees and staff blasts to cut the attempt off, killing the two Jaffa attempting it. It was at that moment that the Jaffa were suddenly flanked.

A virtual storm of staff blasts erupted from a thick bush to the right of the Jaffa and cut them down like death's scythe had suddenly materialized and struck them all dead. Harry noted the new group of lifesigns suddenly on his eyepiece and rushed back to rejoin the others at his original starting point…careful to remain behind cover. Despite the apparent helping hand, it didn't mean that their saviours were of the friendly variety.

"More rebel Jaffa?" Jack whispered into his team com link.

The silence that had fallen on the small battlefield was deafening and smoke still hung in the air from burned vegetation due to stray plasma fire.

"There is only one way to be certain." Teal'C replied into the link. "Shel kek nem ron!" He shouted the last towards the position of the dozen new lifesigns. There was no response, and only yet more silence, but footsteps were heard and two lifesigns approached. The team's PR8s were ready and aimed as two smallish shadows appeared, then from the smoke emerged two female Jaffa, deactivated staff weapons at in their hands. They wore no armour but tight leathers with no sleeves and seemed to be designed to allow more for stealth and fast movement than protection.

"Warriors of the Tau'ri, we mean you no harm." The female Jaffa in question was dark skinned and stared plainly at them – Harry sensed no lie. More figures emerged…every single one of them, female. Jaffa women were not used in offensive campaigns. They only bore more Jaffa, served in the temples in religious roles, but were trained in battle to defend their worlds should it come down to it. Of course, as Jaffa, they were generally larger than your average human female. "Please, come with us."

Harry, Sam, and Daniel looked to Jack, who merely frowned in consideration at this request. The sound of a passing Death Glider reached them and Jack immediately turned his head skyward to see the curving fighter fly over the canopy of the wood.

"Shak krek tel kree." She muttered and another female Jaffa, this one pale and a severe expression on her face ran forward to the fallen body of Ryk'l, who had taken a staff blast directly on the chest and had seemingly run directly into the no man's land of the firefight.

"What happened Teal'C?" Harry whispered.

"Ryk'l admitted that he was forced to lead us into an ambush, and died as he wished," Teal'C rumbled.

"The Stargate will not be accessible for long. We must hurry." The leader of the female Jaffa said urgently.

They watched as the female Jaffa pushed her hand into Ryk'l symbiote pouch and retrieved the squirming immature Goa'uld from it and placed it in a canopic jar of sorts.

"What is she doing?" Daniel asked in astonishment.

"There is no time to explain here. Please, come with us."

"Kel ma lek?" inquired the pale woman in askance, returning to her leader and putting the jar in a leather bag, slung around her shoulder.

"Cree shak nel." The Leader argued with her sister Jaffa .

"They're outsiders."

"They are SG-1 of the Tau'ri," the leader retorted.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Jack asked pointedly of Teal'C.

"This one believes we should return to her planet. That one does not believe it will be wise."

"Please...we knew you'd be here." The leader revealed in a clear gesture of trust.

"How?" Teal'C narrowed his eyes at her.

"Our intelligence network runs deep with in the Jaffa of Moloc. We came to ask for help. I promise you will be safe."

"Well, they did save us to a degree..." Daniel admitted.

"If they're rebels we have to help, Jack," Harry said pointedly.

"Lead the way," Jack nodded to the female Jaffa in charge.

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A trip through the Stargate later, the four Terrans, Teal'C, and the female Jaffa emerged onto another world. The area around the gate was mostly grassland with clumps of trees dotted here and there; it almost reminded Harry of central England. Their greeting party consisted out of yet more female Jaffa, two of whom were on horseback. The Terrans had hardly stepped out of the vortex range of the Stargate when the leader and her group turned as one to face them.

"Welcome to Hak'tyl, my name is Mila," she said. Jack eyed Daniel pointedly for a translation.

"Independence?" Daniel posited to Teal'C, since it was his native language after all.

"Liberation," countered the Jaffa stoically, staring inscrutably at the assembled female Jaffa.

"Our dwellings are this way," she gestured vaguely to the east.

"Ah, you know," objected Jack. "We should really let the folks back home know where we are. It's past our curfew."

"By all means," Mila nodded in a clear gesture of good faith. Jack merely gave a glance at Sam, who nodded and hurried off to the DHD to establish a wormhole to Terra.

"Why have we brought them here?" asked the severe female Jaffa of Mila. Clearly this Jaffa did not enthuse at their presence at all. Harry could sense her fierce stubborn pride a mile away.

"Because that was our mission," retorted Mila easily.

"Why was I not told?" She asked as the Gate started to be activated again.

"Because we knew you'd object." Mila nodded. "Go ahead and tell Ishta of our success." The prideful Jaffa clenched her jaw and instantly walked away from the group. Mounting one of the horses behind one of her fellow Jaffa already in the saddle, the horse whined as it turned on the spot and galloped off into the distance.

Harry pondered the leadership dynamic of these female Jaffa as the wormhole was established and Jack gave a status report to General Hammond. The man's response was a cautious 'go-ahead', and the wormhole was cancelled.

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The walk to the Jaffa camp was a fair distance from the Gate; clearly they didn't want a chance patrol to easily stumble upon them. They group had been walking up and down hills for nearly seven kilometres when they finally spotted the distant hut-like tents nestled between a copse of trees and for even further natural concealment was positioned in a small valley.

"So, Teal'c...who are they?" Jack eyed the nearest women, careful to keep his voice low so only the Terrans could hear.

"My knowledge of the Goa'uld, Moloc, is limited. However, I am unaware of any Goa'uld that would permit his women Jaffa to be warriors." Teal'C explained with a raised eyebrow.

"They seem to be well trained." Daniel said earnestly.

"All females receive training. They are expected to defend their home world with their lives when their men are called to battle."

"Can't help but think of the ancient Greek Amazon mythos." Daniel smirked.

"Yes, me too..." Jack grinned good-naturedly in return.

"They were, um, female warriors who, occasionally...captured men from other tribes in order to mate with them. They would often, um...would sometimes remove their right breast so they could more easily fire a bow and arrow."

"I see neither bow nor arrow..."

"No."

"Wait...you don't suppose that's why they want us, do you? I mean, you know, the four of us?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Jack," Harry shook his head with a bemused grin. "Jaffa society is rather insular, and as far as I know it's forbidden to take a human as a spouse." Teal'C nodded in confirmation.

"Though it has happened, it is very rare, such things are obviously kept secret," the big Jaffa said.

They finally entered the camp outskirts; it was literally filled with Jaffa women and children, all of whom were girls as well. Harry pondered what circumstances could've forced this sort of 'rebellion' to form within the ranks of a Goa'uld's Jaffa, and he didn't like what his mind concluded. He could see and sense a lot of the girls were very shy and frightened at their presence, not to mention shocked. Harry gave a non-verbal cue to Jack and after a moment's hesitation SG1 removed their AW helmets.

Mila nodded in the clear reciprocal gesture of trust. "You must forgive them," she said, indicating the children, "for many of the young. This is the first time they've seen men."

They were further escorted to a tent near the centre of the 'village' and a Jaffa woman emerged. Harry was inwardly shocked; she was quite beautiful, if she'd been born on Earth she would've had to beat Hollywood and Model Agencies off with a stick. She had the classic high cheekbones, full naturally pouting lips, smouldering hazel eyes with long ash blonde hair that was tied in a traditional braid that kept it out of her face, a strong curvy body covered in well made fabrics and leathers that seemed well adapted to the rigours of Jaffa life. The only possible negative about her appearance was her rather pale skin, indicating that she didn't spend much time outdoors.

"This is Ishta, our leader, and Neith, who you met earlier," introduced Mila.

Ishta moved down the steps of her tent dwelling, and the fiercely prideful Jaffa woman, finally given a name followed behind her. Jack began to speak but Harry again gave him an innocent looking non-verbal cue. It translated to 'Zip it'. Like it or not, this was First Contact, and this meant Harry called the shots and would speak for them. Ishta first approached Teal'C, and looked at him appraisingly. She seemed to take in his Terran AW armour, and the fact that he carried only the PR8 and the back-up Zat in a leg holster.

"Teal'c...of Chulak...former first prime of Apophis. The Shol'va who has become a legend, and seemingly is now of the Tau'ri."

"I am no legend. I fight as any true-hearted Jaffa for the freedom that we deserve, as the Tau'ri now do across the Galaxy to free their descendants." Teal'C bowed his head slightly and Ishta returned the gesture of respect. "This is Ambassador Potter, Daniel Jackson, Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill."

Ishta nodded at them, giving each an appraising look. Finally, "I have asked you here so that I may propose an alliance."

"Terra would welcome a relationship between our peoples that would bring about the end of the Goa'uld…" Harry began but was astonished when Teal'C interrupted him in a rather angry tone, whilst staring at Ishta.

"I apologize, Ambassador, but there can be no alliance between the Tau'ri and those who would steal symbiotes from their brother and leave him to die." That was from the heart and it meant Harry wouldn't necessarily have to reprimand Teal'C for interfering, not to mention that they were dealing with his people at the moment.

"He was no brother of mine," Neith snarled angrily, "just a murderer of innocent children..."

"Shel Kree!" Ishta snapped. The Jaffa version of 'Shut Up'. Neith immediately stopped her rant but her anger was practically tangible and the tension in the air from the Jaffa women around them was very high. "There is much to discuss." Ishta gestured for a curious young girl hiding behind one of the adults to come forward. "This is Syn'ac. This morning she lay on her death bed. She reached the age of Prata three days ago."

"Puberty," Daniel immediately translated for Jack and Sam.

"Without the symbiote we procured this morning, she would be dead now." Ishta said grimly and gestured for another girl, this one slightly younger. "This is Nesa, younger sister to Neith. She is next to reach the age. Without a symbiote, she will die...as will all our children."

"That we can most certainly help with," Harry grinned with a slight bow of his head.

Ishta' Tent

Harry sat Indian style on the carpeted floor, with Sam next to him, Ishta, Neith and Mala was across from them as Ishta began the tale of Hak'tyl. The Jaffa had initially only wanted Sam to come in, but the Major had insisted that Harry be included due to the fact that he needed to hear it from the 'horses' mouth' so to speak, and that he had the plenipotentiary power to speak for Terra in any alliance negotiation.

"Thirty years ago, Moloc decreed that only male children would be allowed to live. Only they could strengthen his armies and lead him to victory in the war of the gods." Ishta said stoically, her eyes spoke volumes of pain and heartache to Harry.

"Well, aside from the obvious immorality, that doesn't make sense. How do you sustain a population of any gender without women?" Sam asked in angered astonishment.

"The Jaffa lifespan is longer than humans. This could go on for a hundred years. Any female child is to be sacrificed in the ceremony of fire, immediately after they are born."

"They're burned to death?" Sam asked, now fully angered. Harry closed his eyes and sent quick prayer for all the souls so cruelly denied passage into the Universe.

"Yes." Ishta nodded, looking pained.

"So how did you start bringing them here?" Sam asked after taking a few calming breaths.

"As a temple high priestess, part of my duty is to keep record of births...and to preside over the ceremony of fire itself. I could not sit back and watch my sisters be murdered and do nothing. As high priestess, I, along with my seconds, Mala and Neith, are allowed relatively free access to the Chappa'ai of the worlds under Moloc's rule."

"No one outside this camp knows you're doing this?" Sam was clearly worried about the possibility that Moloc would eventually find out.

"No. Our duties require that we attend to missionary matters on various planets." Ishta explained.

"So you offer the parents of these children a chance for their daughters to live."

"All but a few Jaffa under Moloc worship him religiously. Not even the parents can be trusted. The children have to be spirited away, secretly, for fear we'd be reported to the imperial guard." Ishta replied wearily.

"It is punishable by death to even question the laws of a god." Mala said, showing her own first hints of anger.

"Over the moons we have succeeded in saving many from their birthright of death."

"So you want our help to overthrow Moloc?" Sam questioned curiously. Harry internally winced at that, Sam wasn't thinking long term, and he couldn't blame her really. He also had his own anger at this depredation that the Goa'uld was committing; he honoured and respected both his wives, and they were in some respects much more capable then he was. From that basis he would be the first to support an assassination of Moloc, and would volunteer to do it himself. But the current state of affairs in the war made that a problem.

Ishta was clearly surprised at Sam's assertion of their intentions. "We may have underestimated you."

"We've assassinated Goa'uld's before," Sam stated matter-of-factly.

"Moloc is powerful and his armies are vast," Ishta clearly didn't have high hopes any such thing would be possible.

"Killing Moloc, would certainly satisfy the vast majority of women here," Harry spoke up for the first time. "And for that matter, would satisfy any Tau'ri male, were they to hear of this atrocity. However, in a strategic sense, it makes no sense to kill Moloc. If it were to happen, another Goa'uld were merely take his place…and in the current state of affairs, that would no doubt be Ba'al – who has at the moment, a slight upper-hand against the System Lords. Should he incorporate Moloc's forces into his own…"

"I understand your position, Ambassador," Ishta nodded. "In any event, our immediate goals are less ambitious."

"It is an ongoing struggle to procure the symbiotes needed for our young to survive. We've lost many of our warriors in these raids. It has been said your weapons are formidable." Neith stated, for the first time not sounding hostile, but actually somewhat respectful.

"We also require sustenance. Food and supplies among our growing population are scarce."

"We are proud warriors. We offer you our services and our knowledge in return. We have an extensive intelligence network among the Jaffa under Moloc." Ishta offered.

"Food and Weapon supplies can be easily arranged," Harry nodded. "But we can also offer you an alternative that will mean you will never have to go symbiote hunting ever again."

"What alternative?" Ishta asked with a frown.

"Terra, with the help of some of our allies, has produced an 'artificial symbiote'," Harry gestured to his own abdomen where a Jaffa pouch would be. "It is placed inside the symbiote pouch, where it produces a substance and releases it into your bloodstream, which gives the same health benefits as a larval symbiote. It has an estimated life-time of fifty standard years, using both a liquid naquadah cell and heat energy from your own body as a power source. Barring illness and injury a Jaffa will only need four artificial symbiotes over his or her lifetime, instead of twenty Goa'uld symbiotes.

Ishta looked rather astonished at her two subordinates then turned back to the two Terrans. "Such a thing is possible?"

"Indeed," nodded Harry seriously. "Teal'C already carries one within him to no detrimental effect, as does five others in the Jaffa rebellion, who've lost their symbiotes due to injuries sustained in battle and even in one case it helped a Jaffa Master who became too old to carry a normal symbiote."

Istha and the others looked at each other again, communicating silently. "I need time to consider this."

"Then we will take our leave for the moment," Harry nodded, easily rising to his feet, bowing to Ishta, walking first out of the tent and waiting for Sam, clearly showing his own opinion on male/female issues to the women in the tent.

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"Tretonin Synthesisers?" Daniel asked after Harry and Sam had briefed them on their discussion with Ishta.

"We've had success with it," Harry pointed out.

"On all of five Jaffa in the whole Rebellion, their snakes had to be killed in combat before they agreed to it," Jack countered.

"It won't be easy," admitted Sam. "Jaffa won't willingly give up their symbiotes, despite the fact that it will ultimately free them."

"Jaffa believe they will be weaker without them," Teal'C said.

"Centuries of Goa'uld brainwashing…" Daniel shook his head in disagreement.

"Will these women do it?" Jack asked, bottom lining the issue.

"They're thinking about it. They've suffered some horrible atrocities at the hands of the Jaffa who serve Moloc. It's easy to see why they don't have a problem killing a few of them to survive." Sam explained intently.

"A Jaffa is taught that it's nobler to die than to kill another," Teal'C's tone weighed heavy with criticism.

"Teal'c...these children have been genetically altered to depend on symbiotes and then had all access to them taken away. Their guardians believe this is the only way for them to survive."

"Then they will have to see there is another way," the big Jaffa said with determination and walked off in the direction Ishta had gone.

Jack called to his buddy's back. "Give 'em the old Teal'C charm…"

The decision had taken most of the afternoon for Ishta, even after Teal'C had apparently spoken to her. But soon enough she had called for an assembly of every female Jaffa on Hak'tyl.

"No longer will we need to lose our sisters in battle. No longer will our daughters be dependant on symbiotes. Teal'c...has the device within him now. He stands here before you as evidence. I am asking for four volunteers to travel with me to the Tau'ri homeworld to test its effectiveness." Ishta declared to the large assemblage of over six hundred women and children.

Seconds passed with pure silence from the crowd and no one stepping forward.

"Is that a pin dropping?" muttered Jack sarcastically. Finally, near the front of the crowd, Mila stepped forward.

"You must not go."

"Mala, I have made my decision," retorted Ishta.

"Hak'tyl needs you. You are our leader. I will go in your stead. It is my right as Kin'dra. You cannot say no." Kin'dra was the Jaffa equivalent of 2IC.

"You are brave and true," Ishta nodded in respect, accepting the decision. At that point another tall Jaffa woman stepped forward.

"I too will go." She declared and it was the impetuous for two more to seemingly make up their minds as well, as they too stepped forward. Ishta smiled at them. Then turned to Neith, who would not meet her eyes. Nesa was standing next to her older sister.

"Nesa is of the age…" Ishta began saying, clearly also intending for her to join the group travelling to Terra to get a TS device implanted.

"She is a child," Neith immediately objected hotly.

"I'm told it's not without risk…but if there is one among us…"

"Never! That you would even consider this is an affront to all of us." Neith snarled.

"Your words are disrespectful."

Neith regained her composure and led Nesa away. Harry sighed; there's always one of them in a group.

"I cannot force her hand," Ishta shook her head sadly and turned to the four volunteers. "I wish you well."

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SGC, Earth

Harry, Jack and Sam, with the four female Jaffa volunteers emerged from the Earth Stargate and walked down the ramp to be greeted by General Hammond.

"Dr Jackson? Teal'C?" The man was clearly wondering where the two were.

"As Teal'c would say, undomesticated equines couldn't drag him away," was Jack's amused reply.

"The leader of the Hak'tyl wanted to learn more about the rebel Jaffa. We figured we could send updates on the progress of the TS treatment to Daniel through the MALP." Sam explained.

The General nodded and turned to the four Jaffa. "I'm General Hammond. Welcome to Earth." Mala and her fellow bowed in turn and followed Sam. Harry was about to head to the Armory, when Hammond held him back for a moment.

"Ambassador, I've received a call from the STO, they've been apprised of the situation regarding the Anti-matter research, and are requesting a status report on when production can begin."

Harry winced recalling the nightmarish race against time running through Rome, looking for the clues that would lead to the location of the Anti-Matter that had been stolen from CERN, not to mention battling against the powerful Hassassin. "It's merely a matter of going back and starting the procedures over again, however we can't use it for mass production solely for the STO Fleet. The world knows about Anti-Matter and CERN is up to its ears in requests from various governments and power companies to license the technology out. The Tranquility LHC (Large Hadron Collider) on Luna is almost finished anyway, so we might as well not even bother using CERN to produce our Anti-Matter."

"Very well, I'll relay that to General Thompson," nodded Hammond, and they traded casual salutes before Harry headed out of the Gate Room.

SGC Infirmary

Two days had passed and all four Jaffa women had their immature Goa'uld Symbiotes removed (which was placed in artificial nurturing tanks) and implanted with Tretonin Synthesizers. There was a problem though. As with any new form of medical treatment, it reacted differently to different people due to their natural unique physiologies. And to make matters even worse, it was Mala who was not responding to the Tretonin's effect.

"Mala's the only one not responding. Her white blood cell count is way down. If this keeps up she'll go into sepsis." Dr Frasier reported to Harry and Sam, they were on the other side of the ward so that Mala wouldn't overhear.

"What can you do?" Sam asked.

"Continue to increase the Tretonin levels being produced by the implant. But she's already at double the doses of the others. I want to put her in isolation."

"What about Healing?" Harry said thoughtfully, scratching his chin.

"We still don't know why the Tretonin isn't working," Janet shook her head. "Until our tests are complete, I'm not going to meddle with her body. But I think we must be prepared for the possibility that we won't be able to do anything to help her…we had no guarantees going in. Some would say a ninety percent success rate isn't bad in a trial like this."

"Not in the minds of the Jaffa," Sam said ominously.

"We're not done yet," Janet was firm in her conviction. "If it's within our power, we'll do it."

"We need this to work."

"I know." Janet didn't need anyone to explain the stakes involved.

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Of course, it didn't take long for Mala to get wise to her situation. If her being moved into the Isolation Ward and the nurses and doctors with breathing filters over their faces didn't do it, her rapidly deteriorating condition was plainly felt.

"You've moved me away from the others because you did not wish to frighten them," she told Harry.

"No," he shook his head, also wearing a slim filter mask – its diaphragm contracting and expanding with each breath he took. "Your body is not adapting to the Tretonin your implant is producing. You're more susceptible to infection."

"How are the others responding?" Mala asked, impressing Harry with her fortitude and selflessness, it was at last to him clear why she was Ishta's 2IC.

"Very well," he nodded. "They had no complications." An alarm suddenly sounded from the medical holoscreen hovering above Mala's bed. "Janet!" He jumped away to make room for the Doctor and her two nurses rushing over to attend to the stricken Jaffa; who was having clear trouble breathing. A single glance at the screen told everyone the problem…low blood pressure – only sixty over forty.

"Give her an Avolis," Janet ordered immediately. The nurse rapidly loaded an injection gun and a moment later the medicine was forced into Mala's carotid artery. A few moments passes as Janet and everyone stares at the changing medical readouts, which began to climb back out of danger levels. Mala's breathing was still labored.

'Perhaps replacing the symbiote is an option' he ventured to Egeria.

'No, at this point, and looking at her scans, I think the Tretonin still in her system will start attacking the symbiote…the stress of the battle on the body will kill her…' the Tok'ra within him explained.

'Damn, it's so obvious…how did I miss that?' he mentally groused. 'So she dies either way…unless the Tretonin will get off its ass and start attacking the correct bad guys…'

'That's it!' Egeria exclaimed in astonishment. 'You're brilliant, Harry.'

'Well, thank you, but I see where you're going with this…' he nodded mentally at the Tok'ra Queen.

"Janet, I know the reason why it's not working." He said to Doctor now making notes on a clipboard.

"What? Oh, why then?"

"The Tok'ra in making the Tretonin catered to broad spectrum of Jaffa physiology out there, but Janet, given how many different planets and environmental conditions Jaffa are born in, out in the great big Galaxy, it's inevitable that we'd run into a Jaffa genetic subset that rejects the Tretonin."

"Of course!" Janet exclaimed angrily, slapping her own thigh in self-recrimination. "I'm so Earth-bound that environmental and genetic drift factors hardly ever enter my thinking. We'd need to do a DNA profile on Mala and alter her Tretonin to cater for it. But she doesn't have the time…"

"You're forgetting we have the best genetic specialists in two Galaxies on the planet next door," grinned Harry.

"But can the Asgard help? The Protected Planets Treaty…"

"The little guys have been harping at me recently to get them something more productive to do against the Goa'uld than just patrolling and showing the flag, and besides it's not as if the System Lords will ever hear of it."

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A call over subspace to Mars later; saw an Asgard medical team and their equipment, led by Heimdall beaming directly into the Infirmary. Harry and Janet explained the situation in more detail, their conclusions about Mala's genetic diversity being the cause behind the rejection of the Tretonin. Heimdall held an Asgard medical device of some sort over the Jaffa, and above one of the pieces of equipment a curving blue holograph screen jumped into existence. It began scrolling huge amounts of data rendered in Asgard. Heimdall and her four fellows immediately congregated around it, and began speaking to each other rapidly in the resonant Asgard language.

Harry watched with rapidly growing concern, even if they could make necessary modification to the Tretonin while Mala was still alive, he doubted the stuff would have enough time to make a difference before she died. It was literally a race against time.

One of the Asgard nodded subtly, then abruptly vanished with a white flash, presumably up to their ship in orbit. Heimdall came over whilst the others began to rapidly manipulate the control jewels on their data terminal.

"We have reached consensus on the modification to the Tretonin," Heimdall announced to Janet and Harry. "We cross-referenced Mala's DNA as belonging to a specific mutation of the Jaffa genome usually encountered on worlds with a specific form of solar radiation, using Terran terms, the specific radiation encountered in F class star systems."

"How long will the modification take?"

"Twenty Terran minutes," Harry's former teacher replied. "I should warn you that her chances for survival will still be very low. There is a chance that the modified Tretonin will simply kill her – since there have been no simulations or trials done on the effectiveness of it."

"We know," Janet nodded gloomily.

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In the end, their efforts were for nought. The modified Tretonin had simply not had enough time to do its job before Mala's body shut down from the strain – she died eight hours later. The only silver lining was that her death would save countless other Jaffa who would receive the implant. The STO ruled that mandatory genetic testing had to be done before any Jaffa would receive Tretonin. The Asgard also offered to begin making Tretonin variants based on their genome records on Jaffa physiology.

The impact of Mala's death was felt on Hak'tyl. It caused Neith to challenge Ishta to Jomo Secu – the Jaffa challenge of leadership. Neith had become convinced because of the blossoming romance between Teal'C and Ishta (Harry had been quite surprised to hear of it – and joined Jack in a bit of manly jealousy), that she was no longer fit to lead Hak'tyl. Not to mention that she had got it in her head that a Jaffa's strength came from their symbiotes.

Harry didn't know how Neith could've thought she could beat Ishta. The High Priestess had over forty years of experience on the prideful woman. Neith owed her continued existence to Teal'C, who had managed to stay Ishta's hand with reason when the time for the killing blow had come. Of course, as proven many times before, if things can go wrong, they will go wrong. News of Mala's death reached Hak'tyl just as the duel was concluding, sending Ishta into a rage and ordering a raid to procure the symbiote necessary for Nesa to survive.

Nesa had finally reached Prata, and when her childhood immune system had stopped functioning, she was on her deathbed. The whole situation was resolved not through battle, or science, but through the stubborn will of a little girl to be free of her birthright of enslavement. Nesa refused any symbiote taken from another Jaffa at the expense of their life. And instead chose to be taken to Earth to receive the implant.

Neith was of course, furious beyond belief, but she didn't have much say in the matter…as she had been wounded in the aborted attempt to procure a symbiote, and as irony would have it, her own symbiote had died as a result…she would need the implant, and again proved her stubbornness and misplaced pride when she refused it.

Nesa, who was showing no signs of rejecting her implant, saved the day again. Her older sister accused her of betrayal. "No. You betrayed me." Nesa retorted. "Since before I can remember, you have taught me to believe in our freedom. You said that you would do anything so that you might protect. One day I will be a great warrior like you, but I am not yet. I still need you. I have chosen to live free. You must choose to take the implant if you are to continue to teach and protect me. Please, I do not wish you to die."

Who could say no to that? especially coming from one's baby sister.

SGC Gateroom

The Jaffa women from Hak'tyl; Ishta, Neith, Nesa and the last Jaffa woman who had needed an implant stood opposite Harry and SG1 as the Stargate began to rapidly dial in the coordinates to their home.

"Will you come to visit?" Nesa asked innocently to Daniel. Harry had to smother a grin at the crush he was sensing coming from the young girl. The archaeologist simply grinned and gave a nod.

Neith seemed to feel the big sisterly need to tease. "My sister's developed quite an affection for you."

Nesa was of course horribly embarrassed and elbowed her sister in irritation. "Neith," she whispered in a tone of complaint. Even Teal'C couldn't resist showing a smile at the strong blush adorning Nesa's face.

"We are grateful to our new friends. On behalf of the Hak'tyl, I'd like to express our thanks." Ishta began the formal part of the send-off.

"Our medical teams will be checking in on a regular basis. Be sure to take note of any symptoms that could a side effect of the tretonin," Harry instructed and bowed formally to them.

"You have trained us well in the implant's functions," Ishta and the others bowed in return. "The medicine, supplies and weaponry will also go a long way."

"Well, if there's anything else you need, anything, just give us a call. Send us an email," grinned Jack in his usual lack of diplomatic flair.

"Just that not so many moons go by before we see you again," Ishta said locking a smoldering gaze with Teal'C and stepping into his embrace before engaging in a rather passionate bout of kissing, as the wormhole established itself.

"Oh, don't worry; I'm sure we'll be in…" Jack said before noticing that Ishta was not addressing him and raised an eyebrow at the liplocked pair, "…touch." Harry, Daniel and Sam gave each other amused glances before heading out of the Gateroom, whilst the Jaffa walked through the Gate to give the two lovers their relative privacy. Harry paused at the door to the main corridor and longingly thought of Hermione in Atlantis and Apollonia on Seaworld…

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Puddle Jumper 1, High Orbit of a Wraith Homeworld, Pegasus Galaxy

'I knew I should've taken those unarmed combat courses more seriously,' Major John Sheppard groaned to himself through a haze of pain as he sat against the rear bulkhead door of the Jumper. The pain lancing from his broken arm and ribs suddenly spiked and it was enough to drive all thought from his head for a few moments. When he could think again and the pain subsided, Teyla Emmagan – looking rather awkward yet very striking in the standard Terran chromesuit hovered over him in concern.

Seeing her allowed him to remember why he asked for her to be on his team. He had read enough SG1 mission reports to know that sure disaster had been averted on many occasions because of the Jaffa Teal'C's firsthand knowledge of the enemy and the Galaxy in general – the way John figured it, he needed something similar.

"There must be something we can do for him," she stated to Rodney Mckay, who also in a chromesuit, but with blue colored shoulder piping to indicate his STO Science affiliation. There was another choice that John felt was a dead right for his team. Mckay's bravery in saving Atlantis from the Energy leech accidentally released by Jinto after the Athosian boy had gotten lost in one of Atlantis' abandoned labs. Mckay had put on an Alteran personal shield and walked directly into the energy mass of the creature to fling a Naquadah generator through the wormhole, luring it through and saving the city's power from being gobbled up. And again SG1 mission reports influenced his choice, Major Carter; the SGC's top Astrophysicist had also save the day on many occasions.

"There's an emergency first aid kit behind the pilot's seat." Mckay hurriedly explained. Teyla nodded and headed towards the forward compartment of the Jumper where Markham and Stackhouse, two Marines who were slightly out of their element, were sluggishly piloting the Jumper towards the Spacegate. John groaned again, damn bureaucratic paper pushers; the request for former heli pilots had still not come through. Markham barely had a few hours of training in the Jumper that everyone had recently taken just in case and it painfully showed. Lieutenant Aiden Ford, the 2IC of John's new team, was standing behind the two Marines.

"How we doing?" Ford asked.

"I think we've got it lined up pretty close," Markham replied anxiously. John from all the way in the rear compartment could see the Spacegate seemingly crawling closer at a snail pace. He knew it was an optical illusion, but it still made him want to scream in frustration to go faster. He wanted nothing more now than the sweet release of medical grade painkillers, whilst the Docs healed him.

"No such thing as close. You thread the needle or we're dead," Ford stated firmly to the two non-com Marines.

"All right." Markham nodded seeming to steel himself and focus his mind entirely on piloting.

"Ok, you can do it. Nice and easy." Ford encouraged and turned to Mckay, "Okay, I think we're close enough to dial the Gate."

"Yes! Yes! Just hurry up and get us back." Mckay snapped, grabbed the medkit from Teyla and opened it. Stackhouse began to punch in coordinates in the integrated DHD, finally the Spacegate sprang to life with an outgoing wormhole. The scientist pulled out a silver Healing device and threaded through his fingers. John saw it happening, his left arm snapped out to grab a hold of Mckay.

"You know how to use that thing?" grumbled John through the pain.

"I'm not going to heal you; I would have no clue where to start, relieving some of the pain, however, that is basic science."

John glared for a moment at the scientist and let go, indicating his assent. Mckay hovered his equipped hand over John's broken arm, and the device lit up with an odd, ethereal blue light.

"Atlantis Base, this is Ford. Jumper 1 is inbound with a medical emergency. Please respond." The LT initiated his suit's subspace link and GDO.

"Confirmed Jumper 1, med teams are en route, who is injured?"

"Major Sheppard."

Moments passed and soon General Theron's voice entered the Jumper. "What is the nature of Sheppard's injury?"

"Broken bones mostly, some of which are ribs," Ford explained; he didn't need elaborate on why broken ribs were dangerous.

"Understood, Lieutenant. Gate room is clear for your arrival."

John could feel some of Mckay's efforts had paid off as the pain was slowly dulling. He looked past him to see the event horizon of the Spacegate looming large through the forward viewport, and the puddle start to swallow up the Jumper, it was the last thing he felt as the whole world seemed to shake. Mckay and Teyla were flung off their feet and he himself felt inertia suddenly grabbing at his body, forcing him to bend over…there was spike of unending, indescribable pain…then darkness.

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When John woke next, he was still in the same position in the back of the Jumper, but an indescribably weird sight greeted him. Teyla was rummaging through the first aid kit near him, but that wasn't odd, it's what was beyond her that was odd.

"Hi Teyla," he mumbled. She looked up and came over to his side. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." The Athosian woman said with an undertone of anxiousness.

"Something tells me we haven't made it to Atlantis yet." He said in a mock light-hearted tone.

"No."

"Ford?" The LT came over and kneeled down next to him. "What is the event horizon doing there?" Ford looked over his shoulder at the frothing wall of water-like plasma that neatly bisected the Jumper just beyond the inner bulkhead door.

"We're stuck in the Gate, sir."

"You mean my day just got worse?" John grimaced.

"We're going with the assumption that it was one or both of the drive pods. I don't know whether it was mechanical failure or…" Mckay explained, tapping hurriedly on a TabletPC.

"…or it was damaged as we tried to take off." Ford finished for him.

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The Jumper seemed to struggle into air as three Wraith warrior drones fired on it. John groaned from the impacts that jostled his broken arm and ribs.

"We're taking fire. Let's get some altitude!" he shouted at the two Marines at the controls.

"I'm trying, sir!" shouted Markham frantically, gritting his teeth in concentration.

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"There's no way of knowing, really, but ah, if you know of some way of manually retracting the mechanism…" Mckay asked lightly.

"Cockpit, on the left." John grimaced.

"The cockpit is regrettably demolecularized at the moment. But how about somewhere back here?"

"No," John said sadly.

"No. I didn't think so. Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll be a foot and a half over there, taking some readings, feel free to talk amongst yourselves." The scientist said wryly and resumed his work with the Tablet.

"How long until the wormhole shuts down?" John turned to Ford.

"We have less than thirty minutes, sir."

"Oh, just great." John sighed leaning his head back into the bulkhead.

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27 Minutes of Wormhole time remaining…

Rodney Mckay wondered how on Earth he'd let himself think it was a good idea to roped onto a field team, when he could be safely back in his lab on Atlantis working on the Hyperspace Jammer and any of the other numerous projects piling into his department. He could just close the door to his lab and keep all the other idiots out…

With that thought an idea hit him and he first consulted his diagnostic of the Jumper, before standing and hitting the button that controlled the inner bulkhead door. Unfortunately, everything went dark at that moment, since the light from the event horizon was cut off and the Jumper's internal lights had been damaged.

"Sorry, here," he switched on the portable lamp light that ran off a small naquadah cell and put it down near the Major.

"Jumper one, this is Atlantis." The voice of Peter Grodin, a reasonably proficient engineer in Mckay's humble opinion – though still an idiot – came over the subspace link.

"Still here."

"We recommend closing the bulkhead door." Mckay rolled his eyes in irritation, staring mockingly at the door in question.

"What else?" he asked flatly.

"We're still working on the problem. We'll get back to you. Atlantis base out."

"Thanks for calling!" Rodney mocked and turned to the others. "Anyone else claustrophobic or is it just me?"

"Why'd you close the door?" Ford asked in askance.

"So that when the Stargate shuts down and the forward section is severed, we're not sucked out helplessly into space and easy targets for the Wraith." Rodney explained carefully, trying mightily to keep his cynicism down, he didn't succeed much.

"Will it hold?"

"Like a screen door on a submarine, I just prefer dying by an energy weapon, than having my life force sucked out by a Wraith. It's a personal thing," Rodney began to feel his hackles rise.

"Our air is limited to two days, we have to ration it, meaning you really do have to calm down," Ford advised gravely.

"Yeah, yeah,…" he snarked.

"McKay…" Sheppard began.

"Then we're stuck in our suits drifting helplessly in space, and sitting ducks for the Wraith." Rodney snapped.

"Knock it off!" Sheppard barked in return, grimacing.

"Well, I apologize for being the only person who truly comprehends how screwed we are!"

"We're all in the same boat, and you probably don't have internal bleeding, so don't talk to me about screwed." Rodney felt his anger evaporate as he considered that, and a scraping sound of the hull against the Stargate reverberated in the compartment. "And let's not give up on Markham and Stackhouse either. There's plenty of time to solve this thing. But you've got to stop using your mouth and start using your brain."

"I'm sorry, Major." Rodney replied looking contrite. "I'm…I react to certain doom a certain way. It's a bad habit and…and…maybe there's a way to manually retract the mechanism."

"Yeah. Maybe there is."

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24 Minutes of Wormhole Time remaining…

Ford threaded the Healing device through his fingers and spoke into the com. "Dr Beckett you better talk me through this, I only have basic training in this thing."

"All right, ou' first job is to make a prope' diagnosis," the Scottish Chief of Atlantis Medicine explained. "Clear your mind, think of the mantra Dr Granger taught you, this is to make sure you don't send conflicting mental instructions to the device."

"Got it," nodded Ford, kneeling next to Major Sheppard, closing his eyes. 'Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha…Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha…' he began chanting within his mind, concentrating and yet not concentrating, embracing the Universe. When he felt that elusive state of serenity reached, he idly said, "And then?"

"Scan the Major's ribs."

Ford felt as if he was on autopilot as his hand with the Healing device reached up and with only a thought of 'Scan', it activated and in front of his mind's eye a clear picture seemed to blossom of the Major's internal organs and ribs as if he had somehow mentally peeled away everything in the way…he clearly saw the broken ones, and moved his hand over the broken arm…the picture shifted.

'Shut down'. He thought, and declared over the com. "He's got two fractured ribs, and a third one which is a compound fracture, it's dangerously close to puncturing the Major's right lung. His right arm is also a compound fracture, and that is also very close to cutting the artery there."

"Holy cra'p, Major ye canna move an inch, is that understood?"

"Trust me, Doc, I'm not planning on it."

"How on Earth did ye get so injured?"

"Well, I was jumped by a wraith at close quarters, we got in a tussle, in the end I managed to break h..it's neck, but not before it left me with these souvenirs."

"I will teach you in the martial arts of my people, Major, until then I recommend you avoid such confrontations…" Teyla grinned wryly, covering her slight awe at the thought that the Major had nevertheless managed to physically defeat a wraith in hand to hand combat.

"Yeah, thanks."

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19 Minutes Wormhole Time Remaining…

Rodney Mckay had the rear crystal circuit panel open and was prodding methodically at each pathway with a adjustment diode connected to this Tablet, frantically trying to find the pathway responsible for controlling the mechanism to retract the Engine pods that was currently the reason for their being stuck within the circular Stargate.

"Jumper one, this is Theron. Dr. Zelenka and Trebal have come up with something." Theron reported. Rodney breathed a sigh of relief that the Czech scientist and the very attractive Alteran woman, and former first officer of the Aurora – who was also a ship specialist – had come up with something.

"Zelenka. Why can I never remember that name?" mused Rodney absently, his head frantically trying to visualize the internal circuitry of the Jumper systems at the same time.

"They've positively identified the control systems on the port side of the jumper that retract the drive pods. I'm relaying the schematics to your datapad."

"Thank you, now we're getting somewhere." Rodney declared as he opened up the file just transmitted through the wormhole.

"What?" Ford asked for elaboration.

"Zelenka and Trebal have identified the control pathways to the engine pod, which means that's increasing my chances of fixing this from one in a million to one in a thousand, but, uh…it's something. General Theron?"

"Yes?"

"I'll only have seven to nine seconds to warn you if I accidentally trigger a catastrophic overload, so if I tell you to raise the gate shields…don't hesitate."

"We're aware of the risk, Rodney. Do your best."

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15 Minutes until Wormhole shutdown.

"All right, son. You've shut down the nerves. Now I wan' ye to clear your mind again, but this time, imagine carefully and slowly pulling the cracked bones away from the artery."

Ford took a deep breath, again clearing his mind and scanning with the Healing device until he got a clear look at the broken upper arm of Major Sheppard. Now that he could see it, he carefully visualized what he wanted to happen and reached out with his neophyte telekinesis. He saw the slightest of movement in the bones, and his emotion spiked…he abruptly withdrew, lest he pull out the entire bone.

"I'm trying again," he said taking deep breaths, shaking off emotion and latching onto a mantra to clear his mind again. He reached in again…and pulled… there was snapping sound. "Holy shit!" Ford gasped retreating back into his mind.

"What? What's happened?"

"I accidentally used a little too much force…but the bones have been set." Ford gasped, his heart suddenly going a mile a minute. "It doesn't look like there's any damage to the artery."

"We might make a Doctor out of you yet, Lt." Beckett's relieved laugh emerged over the link.

"I think I'll stick to killing wraith, Doctor," Ford breathed deeply to calm himself.

"Nevertheless, well done."

"Thanks," the Major said significantly. Ford nodded and pulled of the Healing device.

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7 Minutes until Wormhole shutdown.

"I'm only halfway through all the possible circuit pathways and time's almost up. We're never going to make it." Rodney said frantically, as he began tapping the diode even faster to each pathway.

"Just keep at it, there's still time." Ford insisted.

"All right, we should seal our chromesuits." Rodney said, his movements beginning to get even faster. "That way if we run out of time we can at least survive, until a rescue Jumper is sent through."

"That's not thinking of Markham and Stackhouse, not to mention the wraith when they discover that this Jumper is not what it seems. Work, Mckay!" snapped Sheppard, as the team's helmets materialized over their heads.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"These suits can sustain us in space?" Teyla asked.

"For two days, yeah."

Time marched relentlessly forward, only marked by the beeping and frantic tapping of Rodney working on his TabletPC.

"Rodney, we're down to two minutes." Theron announced gravely.

"I know the time. I've still got over two dozen circuits I haven't tried."

"Don't be so methodical, just pick one at random!"

"If I do that, I run the risk of attempting to activate the same circuit twice."

"Just do it!"

"I'm telling you, there's no way I can…" He was interrupted with a sudden whine of smooth machinery as the drive pods retracted into the Jumper. Rodney checked the diagnostic to confirm. "I think I did it! General, I think the engine pod's retracted."

"Hang on to your hats; you've shed all your inertia…

"The drive shut down before we went through the Stargate. We've shed all our forward momentum." Rodney realized with a sinking feeling. He cursed himself for not thinking of it, but he'd been so frantic to work through the circuits that it had slipped his mind. Ford frantically turned around and shoulder charged the bulkhead in an effort to get some momentum. "You're wasting your time. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

All four of them looked at each other helplessly as the minute mark before shutdown was reached.

Suddenly the Jumper gave a lurch and slowly the event horizon crept into the rear compartment, Ford was swallowed by it first, and Rodney was still trying to grasp the impossibility of it, as he was dematerialized. John was the last one to enter, and finally the wormhole tunnel of Stargate travel became visible and…

…Jumper 1 emerged into the Atlantis Gate Room. Markham and Stackhouse shook their heads to clear it from the disorientation of remaining in the Stargate matter buffer for so long…

Finally, when the entirety of the Jumper was through, the wormhole shut down, with fifteen seconds to spare.

Rodney rushed through towards the forward compartment to see any sign of what had caused them to be pulled through, only to be astonished as he saw Dr Granger dressed in a chromesuit with purple shoulder pipings, standing at the top of the grand staircase, clutching a tall white staff with a glowing light coming from it.

A fierce expression of concentration was on her face.

"Ah, thank goodness somebody back here has some brains," he mumbled in relief.

"Jumper One, welcome back."

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"They're all gone?" Herodotus' tone was flat as he stood next to General Theron in her Command Office.

"We did a full recon of the planet, you said there were six Hive ships landed there, well, we counted six Hive ship sized craters," John reported grimly.

"They've left to begin culling worlds," Teyla shook her head, not wanting to comprehend the scale of the situation.

"If all six have left, then we can only assume that something similar is happening on all Wraith homeworlds," Trebal frowned, staring into the distance, seemingly in deep thought. "Why? They know not enough time has passed since the last great culling for their 'food' to have grown in sufficient number."

"I'm unsure of that myself," Herodotus scratched his chin. "Perhaps the wake-up signal was an automatic protocol. And we know enough of Wraith physiology to guess that they just can't go back into stasis after being woken."

"So they need their breakfast before going back in," John winced at the thought. "But with so many awake at one time…"

"There's not enough people to go around for all of them," General Theron's mouth thinned into a grim line. "Not if they don't want to wipe out their 'human herd' entirely. Then they'd be in real trouble down the road."

"So how does this affect our strategy?" Colonel McTavish asked, looking at the assembled upper echelon of Atlantis.

"I can see no reason for changing it, yet," Theron leaned on her desk. "We stay the course on our guerrilla campaign, but I think we might have to modify our plan with the Hyperspace Jammer…it will not only protect this planet. We'll need a mobile version as well that can be deployed on short notice. I think we also need to figure out a way to 'bury' a Stargate, without having to physically do it."

"That would require writing a special program based on the program code of the Stargate itself," Herodotus explained. "But it is possible."

"Good, we need this done people; a lot of lives are counting on us."

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SGC Gateroom, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy

Harry dressed in his Air Commodore BDUs stood next to Daniel, Sam and Hammond, staring at the active Earth Stargate, waiting for the team to come through. He had gotten an odd feeling in his mind ever since the communiqué from Teal'C and Bratac had come through and been spending the past half an hour trying to isolate why.

Finally with a wet slurp the four man SG team that had been sent to give backup to the two Jaffa emerged. Between them they were carrying a reinforced stretcher that looked like it was quite heavy, but it was something they managed with no problem.

The being on the stretcher, however, forced him to suppress a gasp of astonishment. It was roughly just over six and a half feet tall, covered partially in hard black armour over its vital areas and partially in a conforming tight-weave cloth almost resembling Kevlar in appearance at least. It also had a sinister looking helmet that completely covered its head, which was clearly designed for intimidation and protection. Over its forearms were gauntlets that, judging by the potential energy he could sense, were clearly weapons that made the energy in a staff weapon seem like an alkaline battery in comparison.

That feeling finally narrowed itself down in his mind as he finally realized it was his precognition that had been acting up, and then he sensed the nature of the being below him.

"What the hell happened out there?" Hammond demanded. Harry was startled out of his astonishment and horror whilst staring at the being, and looked up to see that Teal'C and Bratac had arrived and the being was set down on the floor in front of them.

"Our intelligence was correct. The summit between the Goa'uld Ramius and Tilgath did indeed take place. However when we had arrived, Ramius had already fled." Teal'C reported grimly.

"All those who remained had been slain, including Tilgath." Bratac continued, his entire demeanor screaming his weariness, as he leaned on his staff weapon.

"By this one man alone?" Hammond said incredulously, gesturing to the armored being.

"From the way he fought us, I do not doubt it."

"An Ashrak?"

"He was unlike any warrior we have previously encountered." Teal'C replied stoically, but his eyes were grave.

"Obviously, you were able to take him down?" Daniel frowned at the being as well, seemingly just as troubled as Harry was. Daniel's senses were nowhere near Harry's level, but they were more advanced than most, he just didn't have the thorough training and knowledge to make sense of what he seeing.

"He withstood the brunt of our weapons fire before succumbing," Teal'C reported, holstering his PR8 onto its catches on his AW's torso armor.

"Its armor must protect it from energy based weapons, not unlike our own. But I'm seeing no sign of external damage…even our AW armor will carbonize and shatter after three or four successive hits with a PR8. This means we're dealing with an entirely new technology." Sam explained, her eyes scanning the being's armor.

"And we believe this wasn't a set-up by Ramius to kill Tilgath?" Daniel asked.

"Ramius' Jaffa were equally as decimated. His First Prime said his master barely escaped alive." Bratac said earnestly.

"It's not a he or she for that matter," Harry stated, kneeling down and resting his hand on the helmet of the mystery warrior.

"What do you mean? Have you encountered such a thing before?" Hammond asked.

"No, but I know what I sense," Harry replied in answer, shaking his head. "We are all in serious trouble."

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SGC Infirmary Level

Harry and Sam watched as the ominous looking dead warrior was slowly pulled headfirst into the MRI. Looking back to the readout screen, which would normally show the internal structure of anyone inside the machine, it only showed flickering static.

"Thought so," mused Harry. "The suit is absorbing all the magnetic fields. As long as it's wearing that armour we're not gonna get anything."

"Why don't we try some handheld scanners?" Sam posited.

"Any form of energy beam, even a scanner's beam, would meet with the same results." Harry shook his head. "No, we're going to have to do this the old fashioned way."

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"I kinda feel like I'm performing an autopsy on Darth Vader," Harry chuckled. Sam grinned and rolled her eyes in response to the wit and they got busy.

Both of them were now in chromesuits with its helmet on and various surgical tools laid out on gurneys. Getting the helmet off the warrior required foreceps and a bit of brute force, but was done easily. The moment the face plate separated from the rear of the helmet, there was a slight hiss as the interior of the suit equalized with the lower exterior air pressure.

"Clearly this thing can fight in variable atmospheres," he commented. Sam carefully pulled further and a cobweb-like gel substance tore and finally revealed the things face – which was ugly, white and translucent. Over its mouth and nose it had some form of breathing filtration device. Its eyes were open, grey and dull in death, but its skin looked hardly more consistent than gelatine.

"Inferius," Harry mumbled.

"What?" Sam asked curiously.

"I know who is responsible for this now."

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SGC Briefing Room 1. Two days later…

Harry stood near the holoscreen staring at the medical scans, which had finally been successful after the armour had been removed. It showed the upper head and neck of the warrior, and entwined over the spinal column…a Goa'uld symbiote. Teal'C and Bratac were seated on either side of General Hammond, listening intently, whilst Daniel was busy scribbling notes.

"It's a Goa'uld. Quite frankly, that's not as shocking as the host." Sam shook her head in near disbelief.

"How so?" Hammond asked.

"It has an incredibly unusual organ structure."

"Physiologically, the heart and lungs had to be abnormally large to supply enough blood and oxygen to its muscles. It's like someone tried to genetically engineer the perfect athlete without any concern for longevity." Harry said, turning back to face the conference table.

"Leaving it to the symbiote to sustain its life." Teal'C said thoughtfully with his fingers tented under his chin.

"An engineered host." Daniel shook his head in dismay.

"An extremely flawed one. Even a Goa'uld symbiote wouldn't be able to compensate for all the problems, it would eventually die under the pressure of having to maintain this form of host." Harry drummed his fingers on the table.

"The warrior's armor appears to possess some sort of advanced energy absorption technology. If it works the way I think it does, it wouldn't matter how many staff, zat and PR8 blasts were fired at it. Nothing would get through." Sam's expression told the story, she really didn't want to face this thing on a field of battle.

"Even armor piercing projectile weaponry would be of no use, since in essence, the armor would merely dissipate all the kinetic energy of the bullet…preventing any penetration."

"Are you telling me that this warrior is for all intents and purpose invulnerable to harm from any weapon we have?" Hammond asked incredulously. "How on earth did Teal'C and Bratac succeed in killing it?"

"They didn't," Harry said flatly. "The host was on the verge of pulmonary failure when it encountered them. The stress of the battle was last straw which broke the camel's back."

"It had a heart attack?" Hammond was flabbergasted.

"Sorry, Teal'c. You didn't stop it. You and Bra'tac just got lucky." Sam said regretfully.

"To think our lives, saved, by mere coincidence," Bratac scoffed in disgust. He clearly didn't like the idea of anything other than his own skill saving himself.

"As it stands currently, the only way to kill a warrior like this would be with overwhelming force," Harry continued. "The energy absorbers in the armor can only dissipate so much before overloading. But it would have to be huge."

"How much are we talking about?"

"According to Harry's calculations, the only thing man-portable in our inventory would be a NQN-1."

"But it's also overkill," Harry retorted. "A nuke the equivalent of a Hiroshima bomb would vaporize the thing and everyone within a few miles and it would be a last resort measure. A Phoenix X missile fired from an F302 or Darkstar Drone on the other hand, would do the job nicely and surgically."

"I'll order the Drones to be prepped accordingly," Hammond nodded.

"Getting to the genetic analysis," Harry changed the holo to show the results in question. "This thing's cellular structure is less than three weeks old. It's organic, but it was also definitely created in a lab. Now we know the Goa'uld have been trying to perfect a host that would be superior to humans, but this thing falls far short of the mark. It might be stronger, but it's far from superior."

"Traditionally. The Goa'uld are also somewhat vain about their appearance," Daniel pointed out.

"This was clearly intended to be a new form of foot soldier. A reaction to the recent uprising of the Jaffa. What's most interesting is that this being was not alive when it was first grown. It was given life after it reached its mature state."

"Frankenstein's monster." Daniel laughed humorlessly.

"A crude comparison, but accurate," Harry grinned wryly. "We found the remnants of a unique energy signature embedded within its cells. It has a similarity to that used by a sarcophagus."

"Could it give life to something that wasn't alive in the first place?"

"No. A sarcophagus is designed to boost health and longevity, heal or revive someone terminally injured. They are nowhere near powerful enough to animate non-living cellular matter."

"Then what is powerful enough to do it?"

"This is," Harry replied, and there was a musical hum of a transporter and after a white flash, a familiar cubical device had appeared on the table.

"The Alteran Healing device you used for Aiyana," Sam said in wonder, touching it.

"Yes," nodded Harry. "It will be most useful in dealing with this problem."

"Why?" Daniel asked curiously, whilst looking at the Alteran script on the device.

"Thousands of years ago a Goa'uld found a device like this. He determined its primary purpose was to heal. But it was so powerful, its effects on human hosts ultimately proved devastating. However, after much research and experimentation, the Goa'uld was able to use the technology to create the first sarcophagus."

"Obviously he wasn't able to eliminate all of its negative side effects." Daniel said with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, but the original Healing device should be effective now on Terrans since the Great Leap, but it's this device that will be the key to fighting these new warriors."

"How?" asked Hammond.

"Using this device I believe we can create a weapon that will counteract the life-giving energy. It's also this device which led me to conclude who was behind the creation of this warrior…Anubis. He would've had access to this knowledge while he was ascended."

"So he's finally dealt himself back into the game." Hammond sat back in his chair wearily.

"And no Goa'uld will be able to stop him."

"If Anubis is truly behind this, then his strategy is to assassinate any minor Goa'ulds vulnerable to attack, absorbing their troops and resources, in preparation for battle with Ba'al and the System Lords." Bratac threw in his first bits of strategic wisdom in.

"How many of these minor Goa'ulds have suffered attacks?"

"Three, in the last few days, all attacked simultaneously. These new warriors are devastating, none of the Jaffa who engaged them survived." The Leader of the Jaffa Rebellion was clearly unhappy and saddened at his deluded brother's slaughter – it didn't matter whether or not they were still Goa'uld loyalists, they were still of the same race.

"Do we have any idea where they're coming from?"

"None."

"Our fear is it's only a matter of time before Anubis targets one of our teams in the field as well."

"These beings are a threat to all who hope to one day see the Goa'uld wither in defeat." Bratac said firmly. "There is no guarantee that you can devise a weapon capable of fending off these warriors."

"I'll admit that's true," nodded Harry. "There are no guarantees, but every technology has a weakness, it's just a matter of finding it and exploiting it."

"We were only able to learn a limited amount from our study of the dead warrior and its armor. There are tamper-proof devices in it that prevent us from studying the technology in depth, not without it self-destructing." Sam explained regretfully.

"The only way to learn more is through interrogation." Teal'C rumbled.

"Which means we have to capture one of these warriors alive."

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Ramius' Homeworld, Outer Goa'uld territories.

The plan to capture one of Anubis' new warriors was quite simple in retrospect. The Goa'uld Ramius was still alive, and had escaped his near brush with death at the hands of the warrior currently lying in the SGC Morgue. Anubis would not let this go unanswered, and this made Ramius the next likely target. Bratac had a few rebel Jaffa undercover on this specific planet, meaning they would have covert local help and intelligence on the lay of the land.

The specifics of the actual capture of the warrior were a lot more technical.

SG1, SG3, Harry and Bratac emerged from the Stargate, weapons up and ready in case their reception wasn't of the friendly variety. But they relaxed somewhat when only a single Jaffa was there to meet them with his staff uncharged. Bratac walked up to him with a friendly smile and they clasped hands as brothers. The Terrans were introduced to Adal, Bratac's contact in the Jaffa of Ramius and the General of the Jaffa Rebellion quickly explained their presence and purpose.

Adal nodded in understanding although he was rather amazed and a little baffled at the idea. He led them to a point where they could see a Goa'uld Pyramid in the distance, with a huge moon as a backdrop in the sky and the sky was buzzing with Death Gliders and Cargo ships.

A dry riverbed now served as a route between the distant pyramid and the Stargate.

"I believe this is the best spot to set up for your ambush. This path leads directly to the pyramid of Ramius. I will go now to ensure that your eventual escape will be undetected." Adal explained to Bratac.

"Brother," nodded the Jaffa Leader, and clasped his man's arm.

"Tek ma te, Master Bratac, it is an honor to be in your service," Adal bowed after releasing Bratac's hand.

"Many thanks, Adal. Chal nak." The Jaffa nodded and hurried off into the direction of the pyramid.

"All right, Carter, Ambassador, do your thing. Reynolds, I want flanking positions set up on either side of the clearing. We only have one shot at this." Jack ordered.

"Roger that," Reynolds ran off to his team to get everything ready.

"You're sure this is going to work?" Jack turned to Harry and Sam.

"It's the only thing that'll work, hopefully the armor on one of these warriors will not be able to resist this, and otherwise it would complicate their ability to be deployed by Anubis into the field." Harry explained and he was the one carrying the device in question which would be used on the warrior. It was rather compact considering what it was going to be doing.

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In the end the teams from the SGC had to wait over ten anxious hours for the warrior to appear. There was no guarantee that Adal would be able to keep all the standard patrols away from the river bed indefinitely. The team link came alive.

"SG-1 Niner, this is SG-3 Sierra. Target has just come through the gate and is en route to your position." One of the members of SG3 had been tagged with the duty of watching the Gate from a concealed position…he also had been issued with a personal cloak, just in case he was detected by the Anubis warrior.

"All right people, heads up."

Harry kneeled behind cover next to Jack, Sam, Teal'C and Daniel, powering up the device no bigger than a large suitcase, and manipulating its controls. Everyone else charged their PR8s, while it wouldn't kill the warrior, it would distract it and perhaps with enough sustained fire even overwhelm the energy absorbers. But that was not the goal.

Finally the warrior appeared round the bend at a steady but fast paced jog. It was clearly intent on the distant pyramid and not even bothering to conceal its presence. It didn't have to. Nothing that Ramius had in his arsenal would make a dent, except perhaps a direct strike from a Ha'tak's main guns from orbit. It was also rather eerie; the eye sockets of the helmet on the warrior glowed bright blue.

When it was within the kill zone of the ambush, Jack only said one word into the team links "Fire."

Eight PR8s and one staff weapon opened up and thick blue streaks of plasma, aided by a single orange bolt from Bratac, struck the warrior…to no effect. The energy simply spent itself against the armor of the warrior. Undaunted the Terrans and Jaffa kept pouring it on. The combined weapons fire was rather deafening.

It seemed to be a pretty light show the Anubis warrior, even the kinetic energy transfer of the plasma, which would send anyone flying into the air as if they were hit by oncoming car, was harmlessly absorbed. But it achieved exactly what they wanted. It gave the warrior pause to halt and raised its thick gauntleted arms and for the first time the SGC saw a Goa'uld energy gauntlet in action.

It was like it carried a miniaturized energy machine gun on each arm, firing a near constant stream of tiny orange plasma bolts at the position of SG3, who instinctively ducked. The bolts hit their cover, and the power of it was such that it began blowing large chucks away from the tipped tree they were using.

"Have you got a lock?" screamed Sam, as she reloaded a power pack.

"Almost…got it!" declared Harry, everyone turned to the warrior as it was abruptly engulfed with a white light that blossomed at its chest and soon spread all over its body, when it was done…it flashed out of existence.

Harry immediately consulted the readings on the modified portable Transporter and gave a sigh of relief. "Its inside and its energy pattern is stable, we've got an hour before it begins to degrade."

"Well, let's get out of here, that amount of fire will have surely given away our position." Jack declared and everyone packed up and double timed it to the gate.

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SGC, Hammond's Office

Jacob Carter host to Selmak of the Tok'ra had arrived to be fully briefed on the new threat and the fact that they needed help 'officially'. Harry, host to Egeria, the Queen of all Tok'ra, had to do some fast talking on why the Tok'ra hadn't been brought in sooner. Jonas Quinn, host to Kanan, had also finally returned to Earth from a mission as he wanted to catch up with all his friends, and retake his post as official liason.

"There was no need as yet to bring you in," Egeria explained. "The Tau'ri had things well in hand. It is only now that we have an Anubis warrior in containment that official Tok'ra help will be needed."

"This effects the entire Alliance, we should've been notified the minute you received the corpse of the first one," retorted Selmak. "Not to mention the lives of the Tok'ra operatives in jeopardy if they should run into the crossfire of these warriors."

"Harry and I made a judgment call; we are still concerned over internal Tok'ra security," Egeria raised an eyebrow at Selmak to dare challenge that assertion. Selmak sighed and shook his head.

"Very well," said Jacob, taking back control. "How did you manage it?"

"Harry simply modified a portable Transporter, to not only dematerialize the warrior, but keep it stored inside an energy buffer. We brought it back here, and rematerialized it inside a hermetically sealed room voided of air. It took fifteen minutes for it to fall unconscious," explained Egeria, shrugging Harry's shoulders.

"Impressive," Kanan grinned.

The phone on the desk rang and the General picked it up. "Hammond…very well." He hung up and said, "Our prisoner is awake."

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SGC Laboratory 3

The 'Super-soldier', a term coined by Sam to make it easier to refer to the Anubis warrior, was attached to a 'Hannibal Lecter' style containment cross, reinforced with inch thick trinium braces around its neck, arms and legs. It had been stripped of the hard portions of its armor and helmet, leaving it only with the kevlar like body suit and vulnerable. It looked exactly the same as the one in the morgue, it's head a transparent gelatin for skin, and its teeth showed through its cheeks.

It regarded its surroundings with casual scrutiny, and stared at them with eyes that were rather dim at first glance. Bratac and Teal'C were in the room with the soldier, whilst everyone else stayed in the observation room, looking down at the interrogation.

"Who do you serve? Hmm? Speak!" Bratac demanded.

"I serve Anubis," it replied in a grating voice that sounded like it never had much use.

"How were you created?" Teal'C asked intently. It made a strange growling sound but did not answer. Bratac turned to those in the observation room and shook his head. Clearly this thing was not intimidated at all, despite its situation.

"I think it's safe to assume they're not going to get anything more out of him. Have you found anything else?" General Hammond invited comment.

"Our initial scans indicate below normal brainwave patterns emanating from both the symbiote and the host. Basically, he's got all the strength and healing powers of a normal Goa'uld, but none of the normal personality traits," Sam explained in confusion.

"The Goa'uld have many means of brainwashing at their disposal," Harry stared at the super-soldier. "Anubis has access to Gatebuilder knowledge, it's not out of the realms of possibility that he developed a means to condition the Goa'uld symbiote as well."

"I'm open to suggestions. How can we find out what it knows, if anything?" the General asked.

"There is one possibility. We may be able to use a memory recall device to access any conscious images in its mind as it thinks them." Jacob turned to Harry pointedly. "This is what you've brought us here for?"

"It crossed my mind," he grinned.

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A few hours later, Jacob returned with the equipment he needed and to smooth things over, the SGC had handed over the corpse of the first super-soldier to the Tok'ra, so their own scientists could get a crack at the thing. He applied a Memory Recall device directly to the temple on the side of the soldier's head; and interfaced it with its attached equipment, all designed in the purple, curvy Tok'ra manner of construction.

"If his brainwaves are compatible with the device, we should be able to see whatever he's thinking holographically."

Jacob signaled Teal'C that everything was ready. Everyone in the Observation room held their breath.

"What is your planet of origin?" Teal'C demanded.

The holo device flared and it resolved to show the image of a star field.

"That's the sky above its planet," Jacob grinned in satisfaction.

"Yes, you can use that Tok'ra star mapping tech to get us gate coordinates," declared Sam in triumph.

"We've got the location of his homeworld."

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SGC Briefing Room 1

The holoscreen showed a starmap and patterns being drawn across the stars, until finally it resolved on a particular star.

"The Tok'ra call it Tartarus. It's a seemingly unoccupied planet on the edge of Goa'uld controlled space." Sam gestured with a laser pointer, and the screen zoomed in to show a system with four planets around a star, only one of which was in the liquid water zone.

"The Tok'ra are currently trying to get as close as they can to assess any defenses that might be there," Jacob said with a nod.

"If this is the super-soldier's planet of origin, what are we going to do about it?" Daniel asked.

"Depending on the defenses, I would say we shouldn't rule out an attack by Destroyers, especially by Apollo and Odyssey, their new weapons could use a nice testing, otherwise, we load up on NQNs and perform a sabotage mission on whatever facility Anubis has there, nuke it into oblivion." Harry grinned with relish at the idea.

"Sounds good to me," grinned Jack. "I'd like to see Anubis' face, if he even has one, when a nuke goes off in it."

"That won't kill him," Harry pointed out.

"I know, but it'll piss him off."

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