Title - The Third Race
Number of Parts - ?
Setting - season eight
Category - Acion / Adventure / Mystery / Sci Fi / Angst
Age - PG 15
Pairings - Sam and Jack, Sam and Pete,
Spoilers - Season 8
Synopsis - SG1's given a Black Ops assignment...But what does Pete Shanahan have to do with it?
Author's Notes - This is a Dark Jack fic

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Jack O'Neill walked down a corridor on level 28, just past the Gateroom. He was headed to his office on sub-level 27.

"General O'Neill!" He heard a voice shout to him. He turned round to see Walter Davis.

"Walter! Nice day! What is it that desperately needs my attention this time."

Walter looked annoyed.

"Sorry. I've just got to squeeze a little bit of sarcasm into every day!"

"The President's on the phone for you."

"Crap."


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Sam was asleep on the table in her lab. She was startled into joining the land of the living by the annoying sound of a phone.

"For crying out loud." She mumbled.

"Oh crap!" She shouted, now fully awake. "Did I really just say that?"

Heaving herself to her feet, she picked up the receiver.

"Carter...Yes sir...I'm on my way up...I'll get them sir"


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Daniel and Teal'c were sitting in the commissary. Daniel was having his usual toast. Teal'c was having his usual Fruit Loops™, Grapes, Prune Juice, Orange Jello ( He didn't understand how O'Neill or Colonel Carter could eat the red or blue varieties.), Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, Two Reeses Peanut Butter cups and a mug of coffee.

"I feel sick."

"Daniel Jackson?"

"How can you eat so much in the morning."

"My metabolic rate is much higher than that of any Tauri."

"But still...How can you eat so much without getting fat?"

Teal'c glared at his friend. "That information is classified."

"The gym?"

This earned him another glare from the Jaffa.

"Teal'c...You've hardly been using the gym on the base! How are you still in shape?"

Teal'c contemplated his friend's question.

"Classified."

"Fine. You don't want to tell me. I can handle that." Daniel sulked as he started chewing on his toast.

"Hey guys." Sam sighed as she half-staggered into the commissary, a yawn escaping her mouth.

"Hello Sam." Daniel shot her a puzzled look. "Fell asleep in your lab again?"

"Uh yeah."

"Are you wishing to join us Colonel Carter, or are you standing there to keep awake?" Teal'c asked.

"What...uh...no...The General wants to see us."

"What for?"

"I don't know...A mission or something."


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Pete looked through his binoculars at the guy he and Captain Jones had been watching.

"Is that him?"

"Yeah. That's the guy we're after. He's been on the run since he was caught with 100 000 dollars worth of various drugs."

"We gonna nail him?"

"You betcha. We got all the info we need to get him behind bars for a long long time."

"I asked you this earlier, and you didn't give me much of an answer. Why did we need to stake out for the whole night? I missed the end of 24."

Jones turned to stare at Pete. " Why do you think I asked Viv to record it!"

"As for the stakeout...We didn't know exactly when this guy would turn up. We've had different reports from several reliable sources."

"Reliable." Pete snorted. "We gonna get him?"

"Yeah."

Jones started up the engine of the car, but stopped when Pete's phone rang. The polyphonic version of Nokie theme tune blared out at full blast. The drugs mogul in question broke into a sprint and was gone in seconds.

"Pete Shanahan you asshole!!" Jones screamed. "Answer that damn racket!!"

"Sorry..." Pete sighed in frustration, as he flipped his small phone open.

"Shanahan...Hey Sam...Jack want's me to come to the base? What for? I'm a cop for crying out loud! Not an Air Force officer! Huh...who? Right...I'm on my way...See you in an hour or so...bye."

"Who was that?"

"That was Sam...My girlfriend."

"Air Force."

"Yeah...Apparently her CO, Brigadier General Jack O'Neill wants me to go to the base for something."

"Well...The stakeout's just become a wash out...and you’re not working on any cases at the moment. Jason can cover for you."

"Thanks captain."


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Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were sitting in Jack's office. Jack was currently briefing SG9 on their latest mission. Teal'c had taken the liberty to sit in Jack's plush leather chair, while Daniel and Sam looked around at the various bits and pieces adorning the room.

"What the?" Daniel said.

"Daniel?" Sam questioned.

"Have you guys looked at Jack's certificates?"

"I have not."

"I keep meaning to, but I keep forgetting."

"Well, come and look!"

Teal'c glared at Daniel again (It appeared to be his newest hobby). The Jaffa stoically refused to be removed from his chair. Sam walked over, and looked to where Daniel was pointing.

"Wow." Was all she could say.

"Academic excellence." Daniel commented.

"What?" Teal'c shouted.

Sam and Daniel turned to look at their friend, surprised at his outburst.

"Yeah Teal'c...It says he achieved academic excellence in Military sciences..."

"Lying asshole!" Sam muttered.

"...as well as Engineering."

"Idiot!" Sam growled.

Teal'c finally relinquished control of the chair, which Daniel promptly stole.

"I do not believe it." He said.

"Unfortunately I do." Sam was seething. "He's put on the dumb routine every time I've needed help, when he probably knows exactly what I'm talking about!"

"We already knew that Sam." Daniel said.

"Yeah...but to see it there in writing...It pisses me off!"

"What pisses you off Carter?"

Sam jumped to attention as Jack entered the room.

"Nothing sir!"

"She's just looked your academic excellence certificate. That's like a red flag to a bull."

"Not in my china shop please." Jack said staring at Sam. "Don't worry Carter. It was years ago...I never remember anything I learn."

"Right sir."

"Well kids...pick a chair, any chair...expect that one." Jack shot Daniel a warning look, causing the archaeologist to hastily move.

"What's this meeting about Jack?" Daniel asked.

"It's classified." Jack glanced up at SG1.

"Why does it involved Pete?"

"That's the classified bit."

Sam was puzzled. "What does a Denver Cop have to do with classified Air Force stuff?"

Jack looked at his 2IC, "That's the interesting bit."

The Third Race Chapter 2

Sam exhaled slowly, as she straightened out her dickey. Making sure her medals were in place, she turned to inspect her dress uniform. Satisfied, she ran her fingers through her hair, making sure she tucked each errant strand behind her ears.

Her mind drifted to the subject of the briefing. She had been selected for Special Ops. Daniel had been picked for the civilian equivalent. Teal'c for his part had volunteered. Jack had encouraged the move.

Jack? When had he become Jack?

Sam couldn't remember.

Normally Sam would have said no. Her rank and tenure within the Air Force gave her the luxury of saying no.

But she was intrigued.

What did Pete have to do with it??

Pete...being Pete, had been quite coy and secretive about it, resulting in an argument. When things had sufficiently calmed down, they'd agreed to head the Cheyenne separately the next morning.

Sam always felt self-conscious in her dress blues. Her normal greens and blues were identical to the mens. But her dress uniform encompassed a skirt, reminding her that the Air Force saw her as being different.

As she strode down a corridor on Sub-level 27, she tugged at the garment, convinced it was working its way northwards. She entered the briefing room, still pulling and hauling at it. The quiet babble in the room turned to a hush, and Sam looked up.

"Ehm...Hi guys!"

Several Special Ops officers quickly detracted attention from her, returning to their impromptu arm-wrestling. A few of the men graciously got up, fetching Sam a seat.

"Colonel Carter. It's a pleasure to meet you." Said one of the men.

"Thank you Major?"

"Kawalsky...Tyler Kawalsky."

"Kawalsky as in Charlie Kawalsky's brother?"

"Yup! The one and only!"

Sam immediately relaxed. She'd always been at ease around Charlie, and it was evident his brother had the same demeanour.

"New to the ops?"

"Yeah."

"I've been in them for years. It's quite...tough going."

"I can imaging." Sam spoke, "Actually...I can't since most of it's classified."

This earned a chuckle from Tyler.

There was a slight hush in the room as another officer entered - Jack.

He was dressed in his Special Ops dress uniform, which was immaculately pressed. He also wore a few more medals than normal. Jack O'Neill (believe it or not) was the vision of military perfection.

Sam was surprised when no one called 'Ten hut' and was even more surprised when Jack sat at the table like any other officer.

"Hey Carter!" he called.

"Hello sir!"

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"Are you not in command sir?"

"2IC."

If Sam was confused before, she was now bamboozled.

She opened her mouth to speak, when Kawalsky stood up.

"Ten hut!"

The SOs all stood up, and Sam was a few seconds late.

The unit was at attention, as former Chief of Staff General Ryan walked in.

"At ease."

The nine officers sat down, just as the whirlwind of Daniel ran in.

"Sorry I'm late guys."

The calm that was Teal'c followed.

"Forgive our...tardiness...General Ryan."

"Alright gentlemen...Take a seat."

As the group settled, Ryan's aide whispered something in his ear.

"General O'Neill. Where's Commander Shanahan?"

Sam choked.

Tyler reached out and rubbed her back as chokes engulfed the hapless Colonel.

"Excuse me...Sorry" she said as the choking fit eased. "Did you say Commander Shanahan?"

"Sorry I'm late. Commander Shanahan reporting Sir." Pete snapped to attention.

Sam stared in shock horror at her fiancée.

Pete stood in full Special Ops dress uniform. He had a few medals, but nowhere near as many as Sam.

Sam was on the verge of saying something, when she felt a hand on her elbow. She turned round to see Jack level his 'warning eyes' at her.

Don't say a word they said.

Sam figuratively bit her tongue.

"Take a seat." General Ryan intoned.

Pete took the seat to Sam's right.

Between a rock and a hard place Sam thought as she looked over at the supposed 'rock' in her life - Pete. Her eyes drifted to Jack, then down to his crotch - the hard place.

Samantha Carter! Get that thought out of your head!

Forcing her thoughts away from 'the hard place', Sam thought about her new predicament.

What was 'Commander Shanahan' doing in a dress uniform?

"As you are all aware this is a mission of top level classification. To that end, Dr Jackson, Teal'c and Colonel Carter will be given new clearance codes. Now, if General O'Neill would like to outline our mission."

Jack stood up, and for the first time, Sam noticed that he had a solid metal briefcase with him. He placed it on the table, and entered a code. The case opened and Jack pulled out a bundle of files, which Ryan's aide quickly distributed throughout the company. Presently, Jack began to speak/

"We have had reports that the Middle Eastern State of Irdan have been experimenting with Genetic Manipulation. It has been discovered that a high concentration of humans with the Ancients Gene live in the area, and the Irdanian Genetics Council have been trying to integrate this into the Genome of ordinary humans.

An enquiry was set up to find out where the Irdanian Government got their information. While this was underway, a Japanese Geneticist, one Yodai Sakaya was reported missing.

Sakaya was meant to be on the Atlantis team, but backed out at the last minute. We don't know why. Sakaya is an expert on the Ancient Gene, that's why we were made aware of his disappearance. We are unsure whether or not he has been coerced into helping the Irdanians or if he's defected against Japan for political or economic reasons."

Kawalsky raised his hand. "Where do we come in?"

"Our unit will be carrying out operation Red Star. It will be a reconnaissance and infiltration op in Irdan. The unit will be split into two six-man teams. Team one will be lead by myself. It will contain Colonel Carter, Major Kawalsky, Commander Shanahan, Dr Jackson and Teal'c. Team one will be secondary recon."

One of the SO's raised his hand.

"Excuse me sir. Did you say that Colonel Carter will be participating.

"Yes Lieutenant. Carter has the expertise we need for an Op like this. She is also combat trained, and has been going offworld for almost eight years." Jack's voice had an edge to it, and the young officer quickly let the subject be.

"Team B will be primary recon. It's leader will be Colonel Jay 'Matt' Mason. Team members are Major Rory MacDonald, Major Ryan White, Captain Ross Dawson and Lieutenant James Gavinbyrne."

Colonel mason Stood up.

"Teams A and B will travel to the Irdanian capital Jhan, where they will attempt to locate Sakaya."

Jack stepped up to the projector, before bringing up a geographic schematic.

Mason continued. "This is the ancient quarter, known as Hadar Qar. Locals have reported seeing Irdanian militia me in the viscinity. We aim to find out what is so interesting that these rebels have compromised secure cover to investigate it."

The schematics changed to that of a hotel.

"A Japanese man is currently staying at this city centre hotel. While it's fairly commonplace for a Caucasian to be seen in the city. Asiatics rarely venture here. We need to find out what this man is doing."

"This Gentlemen...and Lady, is phase one of the operation. Phase two is simple - get Sakaya. Only team one will be involved in this part of the Op. Team B will be reassigned." Said Ryan.

Jack once more took the floor.

"After we have intel on where Sakaya is, we go after him. At this moment in time, we have no idea where he is. All we know is that he is not operating within Irdan. Team one will become an infiltration unit, and have been given permission to use deadly force. For Teal'c Dr Jackson and Colonel Carter: This means that if anyone gets in your way, you kill them."

Chapter 3 - Locker room angst

Sam was sitting in the locker room, staring blankly ahead.

Why hadn't Pete told her he was in the services?

"Hey there!" She heard him call, as he walked into the room.

"Hi." She replied monotone.

"Listen Sam I..."

"I was just coming to talk to you too." Said another voice.

"General O'Neill!" They said in unison.

Jack remained silent as he made his way to sit on the bench opposite the pair.

The atmosphere within the room was thick and heavy with unspoken undercurrents. Jack decided to cut through it with a knife.

"The Pentagon doesn't know about your relationship."

"Sir?"

"I intend for that to be the case when we get back. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." Said Pete.

"You're going to be operating within a command structure. Carter is your superior. At the moment, I'm breaking regulations just talking to you. You may be a Navy Officer, but the fraternisation regulations still stand."

"Yes sir."

"Carter. Were you aware of Pete's enlistment?"

"No."

"I wonder why." Jack's voice was like ice and his eyes like stone, as he levelled a dangerous glare at Pete. "Your relationship's on hold for the length of this mission. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"One false move and I will have to remove one of you for Court Martial."

"Yes sir."

With that, Jack abruptly left the room.

"That went well!" Pete chuckled nervously.

"I've got to get kitted up." Sam muttered, leaving Pete alone in the locker room.

Chapter 3 - Locker room angst

Sam was sitting in the locker room, staring blankly ahead.

Why hadn't Pete told her he was in the services?

"Hey there!" She heard him call, as he walked into the room.

"Hi." She replied monotone.

"Listen Sam I..."

"I was just coming to talk to you too." Said another voice.

"General O'Neill!" They said in unison.

Jack remained silent as he made his way to sit on the bench opposite the pair.

The atmosphere within the room was thick and heavy with unspoken undercurrents. Jack decided to cut through it with a knife.

"The Pentagon doesn't know about your relationship."

"Sir?"

"I intend for that to be the case when we get back. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." Said Pete.

"You're going to be operating within a command structure. Carter is your superior. At the moment, I'm breaking regulations just talking to you. You may be a Navy Officer, but the fraternisation regulations still stand."

"Yes sir."

"Carter. Were you aware of Pete's enlistment?"

"No."

"I wonder why." Jack's voice was like ice and his eyes like stone, as he levelled a dangerous glare at Pete. "Your relationship's on hold for the length of this mission. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"One false move and I will have to remove one of you for Court Martial."

"Yes sir."

With that, Jack abruptly left the room.

"That went well!" Pete chuckled nervously.

"I've got to get kitted up." Sam muttered, leaving Pete alone in the locker room.

AN - The Irdanian language made up here is just that - made up!


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Three days later, Jack, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, Tyler and Pete sat in an USAF troops carrier lifting off from Kuwait.

"How long 'till we make Jhan?" Jack asked the pilot.

"Four hours sir...I've been ordered to drop you three miles from the city. Jhan is surrounded by mountains, so those should conceal our approach."

"When will the other team reach the city?" Sam asked.

"They'll reach the drop off point in two hours, and will make the city about and hour later. The terrain's quite tricky."


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Four silent hours passed. Sam re read her latest paper. Daniel was reading a book on Nordic Cuneiform in an effort to become completely fluent in Asgard. Tyler sat scribbling something in his diary while Teal'c Kel'no'reemed. Jack and Pete however, had the staring/ glaring contest to end all staring/ glaring contests. The Chinook finally began to descend.

"That's us sir!" The pilot shouted.


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An hour later, SG1, Pete and Tyler were walking towards the ancient part of the city - Hadar Qar. All were now dressed in the traditional local garb of a headdress and robes. Daniel and Sam were both wearing coloured contacts to blend in, and everyone was wearing make up to be less noticeable.

The border between civilisation and wilderness was precariously thin, as they suddenly found themselves inside the city boundaries.

"Sam, Teal'c walk ten paces behind Daniel and Pete. Tyler and I will be upfront."

"Sir. Why?"

Jack took a quick look back. "Local custom...everyone walks in pairs."

"Right."

After half an hour, they came upon a bustling market. There was an acrid burning smell emanating from what looked like an incense counter. A potent, sweet smell came from another.

"Carter. Not a word." Jack whispered.

He turned to the rest of the unit. "Hungry?"

Several heads confirmed the fact.

"None of us know Irdanian Jack." Daniel pointed out.

Jack turned to the younger man, rolled his eyes, then walked over to one of the counters.

"Dona ema shanal'i omanya." The male vendor asked.

"Dona ema shanal'i trama. Meena vol meega che omron che chasuk." Jack responded with the familiar greeting followed by his order.

"Mover mor?"

"Lonat hoy."

The man ran around, taking things from various small dishes.

"Lonat hoy meega?"

"Coro."

Next the small man picked up what looked like a shank of meat, coated in a viscous preservative.

"Omron?"

"Coro."

Finally, the man reached down under the small counter, before revealing a large flask.

"Movor mor?"

"Lonat sepl."

Jack handed over his canteen and the Hadarian trader filled it with a light cloudy liquid. Jack then walked up to his unit, taking everyone's canteens, before returning to the counter where they were promptly filled up.

"Movor mor?" Jack asked.

"Levat honor che spel."

Jack rooted into his pocket and pulled out several coins before handing them to the vendor.

"Chen."

"Dona ema shanal'i Jack."

"Dona ema shanal'i Warran."

"Chem'si."

"Coro dona ema."

Jack nodded to the young man before turning to the group.

"Dona ema shanal'i?" Daniel asked.

"Basically hello, goodbye and respect."

"Omron?"

"Treated Ox meat."

"Chasuk?"

"Moonshine...booze."

"Lovely...Meega?"

"Fruit and nut mix."

Tyler came up to join Jack and Daniel briefly as they made their way out of the Market Square.

"That guy knew your name."

"Yeah. That's Warran. Our primary civilian contact."

"Right."

Jack turned to the group.

"Fruit and nut anyone?"

SG1, Pete and Tyler sat on a street kerb on the edge of Hadar Qar. They had all had a bite to eat, and were pleased to discover that Irdanian cuisine was quite palatable.

"How do you know Irdanian?" Daniel asked.

"Let's just say I've been here before."

Sam stood up and walked round to where Daniel and Jack were. "Sir. What are we waiting here for?"

"You'll see."

The group stared out at the bustling centre of Jhan, a mile or so from the slums of Hadar.

"Jack." Came a small whisper.

"Password." Jack whispered in response.

"Steenburger."

Tyler snorted.

"C'mon over."

Warran came into view. "Dona ema shanal'i."

"Dona ema shanal'i."

"Jack." Warran intoned, leaning over towards him. " Cosul von makrana tl insnor ohm lona meekhler gabat'i chono."

"lona Samantha Carter gabat'i jhovnor'i gotto."

"Dregari?"

"Coro."

"Sir?" Tyler asked.

"Everybody...this is Warran. He lives In Jhan and works here in Hadar. He's an informer for the US, Britain and Russia."

"Hi." Warran said, raising a hand.

"Hi." Was the collective response from the unit.

"Forgive me Colonel Carter, but this is not a woman-friendly place...You will need to be careful."

"Thank you. But I think I can handle" Jack butted in.

"Carter...Warran knows what he's talking about...believe me...Warran...This is Commander Shanahan, Major Kawalsky, Dr. Jackson, Teal'c...and Colonel Carter."

"Dr Jackson...There are a lot of interesting things to see in Hadar Qar, especially where we will be going."

"Thank you."

"Sir." Pete began, "Team B are here."

The group looked up to see primary recon' walking their way.

"Sir." Colonel Mason began as they came to stop next to SG1, "There was no sign of Sakaya."

Jack muttered to himself.

"Sakaya is long gone." Warran remarked.

"Report." Jack said, ignoring the boy.

Colonel Mason sighed, putting the safety back on his well-hidden P90. "We got to the hotel and made enquiries about Sakaya. We were told that he'd departed two days ago , but no-one knows where he's gone. We did a check on his room and found nothing."

"Did you ask around? Y'know...shops, cafes?"

"Yeah. A few seemed to know something but I think they'd been told to keep quiet."

Jack absorbed this information while Pete began talking.

"So...the lead on Sakaya's cold?"

"No." replied Jack, "Warran...any intel?"

The sun was getting low in the sky, and Warran rubbed his hands together, trying to expel the advancing cold.

"I checked out the Qar catacombs as you asked Jack."

"Yeah."

Warran leaned forward. " As you are aware, there are militants throughout Irdan. Normally, they operate covertly in small groups of three and four...The government is popular in this area, so the militants normally only do reconnaissance here...But when I checked Qar...there were at least a dozen...out in the open...guarding some sort of artefact."

"How could it possibly be so important that these militants would risk their necks for it?" Sam asked.

"It could be something religious." Daniel surmised.

"Or it could be of value to a third party."

Jack sat still, working out what to do.

"Right kids...here's the plan...There's a hotel in Jhan that we should be okay to stay in for the night. We'll get the Jhan by foot but we'll need to be quick...It's...unwise to be out at night here."

"Right sir." Said Tyler.

"Warran...we'll reconvene here at 5.30 we'll head to the catacombs at 0600."

AN - This is a very dark chapter towards the end. It relates to Jack's black op days. If you dislike Dark Jack fics, then you probably won't like this.


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"Don Vala." Jack called as he and the teams walked into Jhan's Lorvahn Hotel.
"Dona ema shanal'i. Chevra?"

"Coro…Saml tago."

"Maga togola semee?"

"Coro."

The receptionist pulled out six keys from behind the desk while Jack reached into his wallet, bringing out a black credit card. The receptionist swiped the card then gave it back to Jack along with a receipt.

"I hope you will be having good time in Jhan." The boy tested his English.

"We will…Don ema shanal'i."

"Dona ema shanal'i."

Jack smiled and walked back to the two units.

"Mason…Here's three keys for your unit…Sort out your men."

"Thank you sir."

"Shanahan…You'll share with Teal'c. Carter…You and Daniel will share…Tyler…You're with me okay."

Both teams moved off, heading upstairs towards the rooms. Pete however, held back,

"Commander?" Jack questioned.

"Daniel. She's sharing with Daniel?"

"Yes."

"Sir…I wouldn't anything to jeapordise Sam's"

"I know…because you're not going anywhere near her tonight."

Pete glared at Jack. "Fine sir." He turned to leave.

"Pete."

The commander turned around.

"Keep away from Sam."

"Or what?"

"Heard of 'deadly force'?"

Jack walked away slowly, leaving the cop to his own thoughts.


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Twenty minutes later, SG1's team were crammed into Sam and Daniel's room. They all had their Chasuk filled canteens, and were reminiscing on times past.
"So we're running through this jungle right, trying to get away from these Warlords….Then me and Charlie hear this blood curdling scream. We look back and Jack's gone, so we assume the worst…Now in the ops, you never leave a man behind, so we stop running and head back to where Jack's screamin' his head off…till we see him, clambering halfway up a tree, babbling like an idiot…because he saw a mouse!"

The team burst out in disbelieving laughter.

"Oh thank you Tyler…My phobia's just hilarious isn't it?" Jack gruffed moodily.

"You know…there was a mouse incident on Abydos." Daniel added mischeviously.

"Right right right…enough of the mouse stories!" Jack whined.

"I wish to hear it." Teal'c said.

"Yeah! C'mon Daniel!" asked Sam.

Daniel pursed his lips, attempting to hide a smirk.

"Long story short…Jack saw a mouse…Jack shrieked…Jack decided to go running backwards…Jack ended up at the bottom of the water well."

Sam snorted, trying to contain her giggles, "We're you an elephant in a past life sir?"

"Oh…ha…ha." Jack grumbled.

"C'mon Jack! Can't you see the funny side? The big military man who's afraid of cute fluffy animals???" Tyler chuckled.

"Can we laugh at someone else phobia for a while??"

"Penguins!"

Sam turned to Pete "Penguins?"

"Well yeah…I keep having this recurring dream…I'm being chased by a polar bear"

"Aren't they at opposite poles?" Jack commented.

"Yeah…but it's a dream…Now this Polar bear's running after me…I see a lot of penguins in the distance, and I think if I can reach them I'll be safe…By the time I get there, I realise that something's wrong…The penguins come towards me in their thousands…Then they being chanting 'RST RST RST'…Then I wake up."

"Pete…" Tyler began. "Jack has a brother called Bob…He's a shrink."

Everybody began giggling and chuckling.

"I think I'll pay him visit." Pete laughed.

"I'm afraid of cotton wool."

The room went silent and everyone turned to look at Sam.

"Huh?" said Jack.

"I keep thinking it's out to get me."

"And moving on from that truly disturbing note." Daniel said. "I'm afraid of

mushrooms."

"And people think I'm a wacko?" Jack said.

"I am afraid of fair ground rides…They are most sinister." Teal'c commented.

"Jack…No wonder you're a certified loony…Look at the team Hammond saddled you with!" Tyler chortled.

"And speaking of saddling…I'm about ready to hit the sack." Jack informed the unit.

"Yeah."

"Right kids…bedtime."


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Sam finished brushing her teeth, rinsed and went through to the main room. Daniel was lying on the other bed, scrawling something in his journal.
"Hey." She called, making him look up.

"Hey."

"What are you writing about?" Sam asked, pulling back the covers on her bed.

"My day on Hadar with Tyler and the four head cases."

"Huh?"

Daniel smirked. "Mice penguins, cotton wool, mushrooms and merry-go-rounds."

Sam got into bed, pulling the sheets up around her. "Well…when you put it like that!"

Sam pulled out her palmtop and stylus and began scribbling away.

"What are you writing about?" Daniel enquired.

"The fate of the universe…" Sam started grandeously. "General Mouse, Colonel Cotton,, Dr Mushroom and Merry…the elite team…SG Bonzo."

Daniel snorted as he put his notebook away. He looked up at Sam who was now away in a world of her own.

"You okay?"

Sam blinked, returning to the present, registering the question. "It was always just the four of us…Now it's so different."

"You miss him when we're away…don't you?"

"Yeah…don't get me wrong…Jack's a brilliant commander but…his heart belongs in the field."

"With you."

Sam's heart stopped beating. "What?"


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"You got the list?" Jack asked Tyler once they were in the safety of their room.
"Yeah…Hammond gave it to me before we left for Kuwait."

Tyler handed a small plastic container to Jack. Jack then removed the lid, and let a small note fall out.

"Anyone we know?" Tyler asked as Jack carefully read the note.

"Yeah."

"Problem?"

"No."

Jack handed the note to Tyler.

"Smaller than normal…Only five names."

"Yeah."

Jack and Tyler peered at the list, contemplating what to do.

"These three we can do tonight." Jack said, pointing to three of the names. "These two by injection…this one by knife…The other two we can do tomorrow."

"I'd wondered why he was so suddenly recalled to active duty." Tyler said.

"I though it was because he knew of the Stargate programme."

"They must have known he was the security leak."

"Yeah."

Jack got up reaching for his pack. He pulled out his AF make up kit and put his Irdanian robes back on. Tyler did the same. When both were ready, Jack pulled out a small case from his pack. He opened it, inspecting the contents. He grinned.

"Any of the other team members know?" Tyler asked.

"Mason knows…but he doesn't know who."

"SG1?"

"No…no…I don't want them to know."

"They know you're trained for this."

"But they don't know I've ever used this training."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I don’t know what to do Daniel…I know that I should marry Pete…but I can't stop thinking of Jack."
Sam let the tears roll down her cheeks, no longer trying to keep them in check. She'd just confessed everything to Daniel, and was surprised at how quickly the weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"You know what I think…I think you should go and talk to Jack right now."

Sam's heart constricted in her chest. "I-I can't."

"You have to…You have to sort it out…Love's the most important thing in your life…You have to see what Jack says."

Sam began fidgeting. "I-I just"

"Another thing…You can't do this op tomorrow if you're in a state like this." Daniel rose from his bed. "I'm going to get him…okay?"

Sam sniffled, then nodded.

Daniel got up and left the room. He turned to his left, the direction of Jack's room, and when he reached the door, he knocked, waiting on a response. When no-one answered, he took out his pen-knife and carefully picked the lock. He was glad Sam had shown him how to do it.

Daniel found himself standing in an empty room. What was going on?

A few moments later, Daniel returned to his room.

"Where's Jack?" Sam said.

"He's uhm…sleeping…didn't want to wake him."

"Oh…right…thanks Daniel."

"No problem."

As Daniel switched off the light, his mind turned to Jack.

What are you doing Jack? What are you doing?

Daniel awoke with a start. A faint banging sound registered and as he grudgingly embraced the waking world, the banging became a hammering on the door.

"Danny boy…Sam…C'mon…get up!"

"Daniel?" Sam croaked. "Why is he shouting at us? It's five O'clock."

The hammering became fainter as Jack moved to another door.

"T…Pete…c'mon…up!"

You would never expect Jack to be a morning person." Daniel commented.


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Fifteen minutes later, both teams were up and ready.

"Hey Sammie!" shouted Pete.

"Hi…Commander." Sam said, reinforcing the regulations.

Pete's face fell. Slowly, he turned and walked over to Gavinbyrne of Team B.

"So Jack…Why the early start?" Daniel asked.

"We're better getting ready early."

"Where were you last night?"

Jack stopped fidgeting and fussing with his kit. He looked Daniel straight in the eye.

"I was busy."

"Really?"

Jacks glare became unfamiliar. Distant. Deadly. It chilled Daniel to the core. Jack turned away slowly, addressing teams A and B.

"All right kids! Ready for our 'expedition'?"

Ten head nods and an eyebrow from Teal'c confirmed that.

"Let's go!"

Both teams turned and walked down the stairs leading to the foyer.

The reception was abuzz, swarming with Police Officers. Jack however, was nonplussed, walking calmly to the desk and handing over the six keys.

"C'mon kids." He called cheerily, striding towards the swing doors.

Daniel looked around at the melee of officers. Having spent a day in Hadar Qar, he could make out bits and pieces of what they were saying.

"I.30 am", "knife", "three", "time of death".

He listened more carefully, deciphering a full sentence.

"Three murders last night. Two were drugged. The other's throat was slit."

"Don Molga. Chekak chon alma!" one of the doormen shouted at Jack.

"What's going on?" Sam whispered to Daniel.

"From what I can make out…there's been a triple murder…no-one's allowed to leave."

"Oh my god."

"Excuse me." One of the officers said. "I am sorry to be giving you this problem but there's been murder here. We must be investigating everyone."

"Of course sir." Said Daniel, who stopped upon hearing Jack shouting at the doorman.

"I think you're murderers have left already! I doubt they'd have stuck around."

"Sir…please wait in the rest room."

"Oh for crying out loud!"

Both teams listened in as Jack calmed down. Then they collectively headed for the rest room.

Half an hour passed. The three bodies were wheeled by. Two appeared purple and blotchy. Whatever they'd been poisoned with had stopped their hearts. The other, an old bearded man had his throat cut in a clean slit.

The senior police officer came over to talk to them.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's no problem officer…We might still make the tour."

"Tour?"

"We're archaeologists. We're touring the Middle-east studying the architecture and visiting various digs."

"I see."

Jack huffed a little. "What happened here?"

The police officer rocked back and forth on the balls of his issue boots.

"There were three murders. It looks like they killed each other…All three were respected businessmen here in Jhan. Two were partners…the other a rival. Their names were Cono Mana, Shevnar Lonor and Tevnek Shahk. We think Shahk poisoned Mana. In retribution for Mana's death, Lonor slit Shahk's throat, but not before he too was poisoned."

"Lovely." Mason sighed.

"Is that the end of the investigation?" Tyler enquired.

"Yes."

"Are we free to go?"

"Yes…Again we apologise."

"No problem." Said Jack. "Okay people…we're off to the dig…Dona ema shanal'i, officer"

"Dona ema shanal'i, sir."

The group all got up and headed for the exit. Jack and Tyler held back, and Daniel watched as the exchanged a firm handshake. The pair then left the room, and Daniel caught Jack by the elbow before he could walk off.

"I know what you did." Daniel spat in Arabic.

"I know you do…and if you know what's good for your health…you'll never mention this again." Jack responded in Spanish. "Another thing…Arabic is this country's second language…Don't use it."

Jack gripped Daniel's wrist, causing the younger man to wince and retreat. Jack then walked of glaring at Daniel.

Daniel exhaled sharply. He'd just seen the side of Jack O'Neill he'd hoped never to see, and it terrified him.

Jack terrified Daniel.

"Sir…where are we going?" Sam asked.

"The Hotel Company do checks on Westerners' rooms. Tyler and I took all the specialist equipment and stashed it down this way." Jack responded, turning down an alleyway. "Stay here." He intoned, while he and Tyler jogged down to some dumpsters.

A moment later, they reappeared with another full military pack. Jack removed his own pack, opened it, then started placing items from the new pack inside it. Tyler did the same, and Daniel watched as Jack discretely wiped a large blade, before putting it back into it's sheath and attaching it to his belt.

"We ready?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah…Let's get Warran."

Irdanian language note: words ending ''i' sound 'I'

Irdanian Geographical note: Jhanian citizens see Hadar and Qar as being separate from Jhan. In reality, Hadar is a district, with Qar being a burgh within it.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Passageway

"Jack!" Came a call as the teams walked through the Hadar suburbs.

"Warran! Dona ema shanal'i!" Jack responded cheerily.

"Your team are early."

"Yeah…Thought we'd be better getting an early start."

"Ah! I see! Well, follow me!"

Warran scurried off, down an alleyway to the right, cutting between two stone precipices within Hadar's wall. There were several pillars of rock similar to them dotted throughout the mountainous north of Jhan. This gave Hadar a strangely enclosed, yet open atmosphere.

"Where'd he appear from Sir?" Sam questioned her CO.

"I have no idea."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Twenty minutes had pass, and the groups were beginning to feel like they were going in circles. Jack Tyler and Mason - they'd been down this road before - literally.

The narrow, crooked sandy walls that lined the suburban backstreet began to grow apart, and the group found themselves standing in the same bustling Market Square as the previous day.

"Sir. The Qar temple's in the other direction."

"I know."

The hustle and bustle was refreshing and relaxing. The potent spices welcomed them in, and Daniel found himself drawn in by one scent in particular…

"Daniel! That's Kerbie Karvaval…It's a powerful narcotic."

"Oops!"

Teal'c brought two fingers up to his face and began to hold his nose.

"Stay here kids." Jack ordered, before Warran led him off.

The group watched him from afar, as he and Warran began a discussion with a stall owner on the opposite side of the court. It became apparent that there had been a misunderstanding, as Jack was suddenly presented with a scantily clad woman. Jack vigorously shook his head before returning her to the stall owner. The man suddenly realised what Jack was after, as he raised and index finger and ran off.

Daniel shuffled his feet. He didn't like being in the dark, even if the sun was glaring into his glasses with early morning ferocity. The old man at the stall had returned and handed Warran a small parcel. For the first time in years, Daniel cursed his short sightedness.

"Sam?"

"I don't know what's happening either Daniel."

Jack could be seen inclining his head to the older man, before he and Warran turned, heading back to the anxious group.

"Come. I will show you the Qar Vanlor'i."

"Vanlor'i? That's Goa'uld for passageway." Daniel commented.

"Ah yes…The Goa'uld and the Chapa'ai are common knowledge here now…We keep it a secret from unknowing outsiders…Our government told the whole country when ever government was informed. Many of us already knew as the stories have been passed down for millennia. We were able to keep the sceptics quiet."

"I see."

"The passageway is one of the few remnants of this area's Goa'uld occupation many millennia ago. Some scientists came over after Disclosure and confirmed that Bastet had control over Irdan, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and Kurdish Turkey."

"Really? How was this discovered?"

"The government sent in a team, including Sakaya to translate the glyphs and hieroglyphs of the Vanlor'i." Warran answered.

"When was this?"

"A week after the Antarctic incident. You would have been on the team, but you were too busy looking for a way to save Jack."

Tyler began to talk. "We only found out about this research after Japan reported Sakaya missing and the Irdanian authorities placed him in the area."

Jack began to speak. " The Irdanian government gave the key for the Vanlor'i to Jahv'nan'i - the man we were just talking to. He's a much-respected elder and was trusted with the key's safe keeping. They don't know he's an informer."

"Oh."

"What about his daughter?" Sam asked quizzically.

"She's twenty and refuses to wed, so he's showing her off to men to see if one takes her fancy." Warran said matter-of-factly.

"Where is this Vanlor'i?" Teal'c asked.

Warran smiled at the Jaffa. " I will show you!"

The small man turned to his left, cutting down another alleyway. Jack, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, Pete, Mason and his team following.

"He moves fast for a little guy!" Pete commented.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and the group arrived at the tunnel entrance.

"Why do we need to take this route?" Gavinbyrne enquired.

"Qar is too heavily guarded. This is the only way." Warran supplied the answer.

"Warran…Key."

The Jhanian complied, handing over the bundle wrapped in a tweed-like material.

"Coro." Jack thanked him. "Carter. Shanahan, Gavinbyrne…take point."

The three officers drew their weapons and turned to face away from the tunnel entrance.

Jack removed the coarse material, and found himself looking at a golden amulet with a Cat motif. Pure gold, large emeralds adorning the middle section.

"Wow." Daniel said.

"The key is most beautiful. I have seen it many times, as I regularly come to the Vanlor'i to view the glyphs."

Jack held the Bastet amulet between his thumb and index finger, while he reached out with his free hand to remove the sand from the lock. He put the key in place, and the beige-brown stone slab crept open. Jack took out his P90, flicking on the flashlight.

"That is not required." Said Warran, pulling Jack back. Warran reached up to the shallow roof of the Vanlor'i. A small click was heard, then suddenly the tunnel was bathed in yellow light.

"Sweet! When'd it get wired?"

"It was completed just last week!"

"Right…well then Warran…lead the way. Mason. Carter. Bring up the rear. Kawalsky. Shanahan. Gavinbyrne…you're with Warran and I…You will all receive assignments when we get closer to Qar, once I've further assessed our situation."

Warran stepped into the tunnel, Jack followed.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The tunnel was cramped and everyone was awfully close together. The ceiling was very shallow, and everyone was crawling on his or her hands and knees. Pete was right behind Jack, and for the briefest of moments, he had the urge to let one go in Pete's face. Jack's farts were deadly.

It'd serve him right too.

Chuckling inwardly, he thought of the consequences of Teal'c farting in Pete's face...

He chuckled inwardly again, before he saw the tunnel widening ahead.

"Okay kids…we've gone for a small break now. We're gonna stop here at this wide section and take a break. Kawalsky…Warran…You're going to head on to the Qar temple…I wanna know how many rebels we're dealing with."

"Yes sir."

Warran scurried forward, obviously looking forward to finding Qar's secrets.

"Kawalsky." Jack called.

"Yeah?"

Jack leaned over and whispered something to his friend. It sounded Cantonese, but since Daniel was ashamedly not fluent in a single Asiatic language, he couldn't be sure.

"Daniel…Don't worry about not understanding what we were talking about…It was a private joke."

"Right…sorry about um…eavesdropping."

"We'll be back before you know it sir." Tyler said cheerily.

With that, he turned to catch up to his speedy companion.

The remaining group were silent. It was obvious that the general mood was not good.

"Jack." Daniel said.

"Yeah?"

"How many languages do you know?"

Sam and Pete's curiosity was piqued at the rather odd-placed question. They shot each other a nervous glance. It was obvious the mood would soon be going further downhill.

Sam was worried. Had Daniel said something about her confessed love for Jack? She shifted her eyes to the figure of Pete, and suddenly felt slightly sick and nervous.

"How many languages do I know? We're on a mission for crying out loud. This is no time for jokes."

"Then what were you talking to Tyler about?"

"That would be classified. Doctor."

Sam gulped and shot Teal'c a worried look. Jack had never once called Daniel 'Doctor'.

"Really? Seems there's a lot of 'classified' stuff going on."

"Daniel."

"Do you want me to tell them? I always worried about who you really were Jack…Now I know…and it scares me."

"Daniel?" Sam said cautiously.

"Daniel…I don't think right now is the appropriate time to be having fights…If there's one thing I've learnt from Sam, is that it's always better to work as a team."

"Pete…Stay out of this." Daniel warned.

"I think we should all cool down." Mason said, shooting Jack a look.

"Yeah…" Began Jack, "…For everybody's benefit."

An awkward silence descended in the tunnel. Sam shifted away from Pete, sitting closer to Teal'c. Daniel moved closer to Jack, peering into his eyes. Jack's cold unstaring glare looked back.

Soon, footsteps were heard, and Tyler and Warran could be seen.

"Report Major."

"There's a lotta guards, but enough for us to take. I recommend we split again."

Jack pondered this.

"Okay Team Alpha will be search and retrieve. The team will consist of myself; Kawalsky, Daniel, Shanahan, Gavinbyrne and Warran…We will further spilt into smaller teams. Daniel, Kawalsky…you'll be working together. Gavinbyrne, Warran…You two as well. Pete…you'll be on your own, as will I."

"Yes sir."

"Daniel…you and Kawalsky will infiltrate the inner sector of the temple. You will look for whatever has piqued the rebels' curiosity…Warran Gavinbyrne…You two look for anything else of interest. Pete and I will be covering your backs."

"What about us sir?" Sam asked.

"Mason will be your commander. You'll lay low avoiding the rebels. If we're discovered, you're our backup."

"Yes sir."

"Okay folks…let's get moving."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Five minutes passed, and the group found themselves looking up through and ancient grate into the grounds of Qar temple. The Vanlor'i had taken then to within the walls. Daniel noted that the architecture was similar to that he'd seen at Abydos in Egypt. There was little similarity to the alien city that was its namesake. A couple of rebels were already visible, pacing back and forth. A few swift hand signals from Jack made his intentions clear, as he loaded up a small, concealed weapon. He brought it to him mouth and blew with all his might. A tiny dart shot out, hitting one of the guards in the shoulder. The guard removed it, and turned as if to run and tell his superiors. He never made it, silently dropping to the ground. His fellow watchman saw this, and also made a break for it. Again, the dart hit its target, the rebel dropping like a stone.

"Carter…Teal'c…I want those bodies cleared on my mark."

Jack waited patiently, and was relieved when no other militiamen appeared.

"Mark."

Jack opened the grate, quickly, quietly and ran forward. Sam and Teal'c were out at his back, and together the three of them removed the guards from sight, taking them back to the vanlor'i. Jack beckoned the search and retrieve team, before he headed off, like a Black Panther searching for its prey.

Daniel, Pete, Kawalsky, Gavinbyrne and Warran ran out, following Jack, while the rest looked on.

"What now?" Sam asked Mason.

"We wait."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Fan out!" Jack hissed, as the team prowled further into the temple's heart. "Warran! Gavinbyrne...Head out to those pillars in the open!" He said, pointing towards the light. "Pete. Go up that flight of stairs, up to that veranda and take point."

"Aye sir."

"I'm going to go in a further hundred yards. Then I'll hold too."

"Right sir."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A hundred yards had, at the time seemed a big enough distance for secondary objective, but now that the time had come, he didn't feel well enough prepared.

"Tyler. Daniel…the heart of the temple's straight on in, about fifty metres."

"Yes sir." Said Tyler. "Good luck."

"Same to you."

With that, Jack turned and headed up a staircase to the left. He watched Kawalsky and Daniel head off to look for the target. He reached the balcony and waited. Secondary objective - name number four on the list - was approaching.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This is incredible!" Daniel whispered.

"Yeah. I'll say." Tyler agreed, as they looked at the small device.

"This script is one I don't know how to read it…It isn't human or Ancient."

"Really?"

The pair peered at the green pyramid, about twelve inches in height.

"Oh! Hello." Daniel said, his eyes homing in on what he was looking for - a small line of ancient script.

"For instructions, see base."

"You're kidding me!" Tyler scoffed.

"Nope that's what it says."

Daniel unclipped his pack, gently setting it down on the sandy marble. He unzipped it, and pulled out a thin pair of surgical gloves.

"Doctor?"

"Past experience…Don't touch what you don't know."

"Does that apply to women too?"

"That's funny."

Daniel handed a pair of gloves to Tyler.

"Pink? Are you kidding?"

Daniel glared at him.

"Here's a list of things that could happen - you could get trapped in the body of an old man…you could get pinned to the wall and inhabited by an entire alien race…you could do a body swap with a cybernetic organism and get deleted…or you could have everything that an entire alien race, millions of years old, learnt downloaded into you brain…twice."

"Pink's good."

Carefully, the pair lifted the device. They set it down on the ground, turning it sideways to read the bottom. Four languages were displayed on the bottom, and Daniel sucked in his breath, as he read the Ancient's portion.

'Here this. There was once a great alliance of four great races in this galaxy. The Asgard. The Nox. The Furlings. And the Ancients. For Aeons, we went unchallenged, say for a few skirmishes with the Tok'ra/Goa'uld alliance. However, a much greater foe appeared, near-defeating the Ancients and decimating our combined forces. The legacy of one of our member races has been contained within four devices, each in the symbol most closely embedded in each culture. For the Asgard - a Sphere - a symbol of perfect harmony and cohesion. For the Nox - A Dual flower - a symbol for the great power of Desala. For our Ree'tou companions, our possible sixth member after the Ancient's Tauri brethren - a mettle fly - symbolising their insectiod ancestry and how far they have come. And for the Ancients and their Tauri cousins - a pyramid - a symbol of their ingenuity and unique thinking. These four devices can be found on their respective homeworlds, and all four must be linked to learn the legacy of the Furlings - and also to find the remnants of their people.'

"Sweet!"

"Oh my god." Daniel said, his voice full of awe. "This is the greatest find that's ever been…found!"

"Right…I'm sure it is…let's look for more."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack was biding his time. His target in clear sight. He gritted his teeth, the strain of the task weighing heavily on his mind. Despite what Daniel thought, he was not a cold-blooded killer. He mourned for each man he'd ever hurt. Each man he'd ever slaughtered. There was a time when he was a cold-blooded killer, but that was decades earlier. His task was eating him up, but he would do it. He would carry out the assignment. He didn't want anyone else to feel the burden of being an assassin. As long as he was still doing that type of mission, there was one less person to recruit to Black Ops.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Found anything?" Gavinbyrne said to Warran.

"No…I'm not sure there's anything here."

"Why did the General order us here?"

"He must have thought there was something of value in the pillars."

"Well I'm not so sure." Gavinbyrne spat, striding out into the open.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to that damn tunnel!"

The rebels opened fire…


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sam's heart stopped when she heard the shots.

"C'mon people! Move!" Mason shouted, shepherding his team into the open.

The six of them emerged, Mason and the Black Ops officers immediately taking the brunt of the fire. Sam ran towards cover, Teal'c following. She looked at the Black Ops men, two still moving.

"McKenzie! Get him outta here!" She shouted at the most lucid. He hazily nodded, and dragged the lieutenant back in, out if sight.

"Colonel!" She shouted to Mason as she began to return fire to the rebels.

It was no good. He was already dead.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Shit!" Daniel cursed as the reverberating echo of the shots reached his ears.

"C'mon…We're outta here!" Tyler said.

"I don't think so…We're surrounded."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You idiot! You mavee nono!" Warran screamed as he watched Gavinbyrne dodge the shots and return fire. Warran took out his smuggled AK-47 and joined the fight against the rebels.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sam shot one of the rebels, and he fell screaming from his lofty perch to the hard, sandy ground. Teal'c took out his zat'nikatel, thinking it would be a more effective weapon. He stood up to take aim, but he was hit.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pete was hiding, hoping to take out the rebels individually. His speciality was as a marksman - he was useless in a direct firefight. On seeing a rebel patrolling the roof, he stood up, aiming his weapon…


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack's objective was in plain view. The blood pumping round his veins. At this time his old instincts came into full effect, and Jack reverted to the person that terrified him most. Himself. The adrenaline was like an aphrodisiac as it coursed through his system, and his target came into perfect range. He squeezed the trigger, anticipating the perfect moment to strike.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pete squeezed the trigger, aiming at the rebel, but was distracted by a sandy blur in his field. He looked up to see Jack aiming. He couldn't react in time. There was nothing he could do, as Jack fired the fatal shot…

Interlude

Sam jumped as a bullet hit the wall she hid behind, glass-like shards of stone ricocheting off in every direction. She gave a glance to McKenzie, who was now holed-up inside the vanlor'i. She signalled for him to cover her, before she got up, running towards the pack she'd earlier abandoned.

Sam grabbed at the rucksack, before hauling it to the nearest shelter, where she promptly began searching for what she needed.

McKenzie had once again retreated to Vanlor'i, and was attempting to treat the injured.

One of the rebels hollered to the others, and Sam realised that they'd found the Vanlor'i.

It was now or never.

Finding the plastic-metal object she sought, she stood up and made a run for the Vanlor'i. The ground seemed alive as bullets and shrapnel rained down, but remarkably missed her. She looked up and saw that the rebels had now banded together, forming a single menacing swarm.

This was her one and only chance.

Instinct took over, as she removed the pin from the grenade. Her arm curled and she let go of the explosive before she ran at full tilt to escape the blast, diving into the Vanlor'i in the nick of time.

A massive explosion was heard, seen and felt, before a deathly silence encompassed the temple.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel unplugged his ears as the explosion died away, then he returned to his previous task - cramming the biggest archaeological find in history into his backpack.

"Jackson…c'mon…lets go." Tyler whispered.

"In a minute."

"Your minute's up."

"Fine."

Daniel finished squeezing the device into the pack, before Tyler helped him get it on. Then the pair made a run for it, hoping the rebels would miss them.


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Jack stood in front of his victim, whose life would soon end. The man was barely alive, writhing in agony from the bullet wound in his neck.

"Help…me…" He pleaded.

Jack O'Neill melted away, his military programming taking over once more, replacing the General with a ruthlessly efficient killing machine.

His prey hadn't been back in special ops for long but recognised the change in his CO.

"God…please." He said, recoiling in terror as death glared uncaringly down at him.

"No can do." He said stoically.

His victim saw the barrel of a 9mm being aimed at him. The trigger was squeezed slowly.

Then it was all over…

Chapter 11 - Cloak and Dagger

Jack staggered away from the bodies, bile rising in his throat.

It had happened again.

The monster had surfaced, and had enjoyed the kill…The thrill of breaking another spirit…The power of seeing another grown man tremble with fear…The euphoric aphrodisiac that was murder in cold blood.

Jack wiped the tears forming in the corner of his brown eyes. His hands trembled with emotion.

He thought he'd gotten rid of the monster after his incarceration in Iraq. He thought he'd be able to carry out the orders without taking satisfaction from the kills.

He'd been wrong.

I deserve to die he thought.

Don't Jack…banish the thoughts…That's not you talking…that's the monster…that's what he wants you to do.

Still, Jack could not escape the self-loathing he was now feeling, and he silently wished for one of the rebels to take him out, so he wouldn't need to live with his actions.

Too busy analysing his dilemma, he failed to hear the footsteps behind him, and was caught unaware, as tow strong arms engulfed his torso and a pair of hands wrapped themselves around his throat…


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"Daniel!" Sam shouted on seeing the archaeologist come into view. Tyler was not far behind, looked back towards the temple in case there were any rebels left.
Sam doubted it.

"We got the device!" Daniel smiled.

"Good." Sam said. "Any signs of the General, Pete, Gavinbyrne or Warran?"

"None Carter." Tyler said, before he noticed the absence of Colonel Mason. "Where's the Colonel?"

"Colonel Mason is dead." The baritone of Teal'c spoke softly.

"Shit." Tyler muttered under his breath, before he heaved his pack off and crashed to the ground.

McKenzie left his charges and walked over to Tyler, clapping a hand around his back. McKenzie knew that Mason was a close friend of Tyler's, and it was obvious he was shocked and upset by the man's death.

"What are we gonna do if O'Neill and the others don't get back here soon?" one of the SO's asked, as he applied a gauze pad to a graze on his forehead.

"One thing I've learnt Captain, is that you never leave anyone behind…If they're not here in ten minutes…We're going in."


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"Shit!" Jack called as he came tumbling downward.
"You bastard!" an American accent called out, and Jack peered up to see who had attacked him.

"You rat bastard! They were on our side and you killed them!"

Jack shielded his face as his foe continued his onslaught. "Stop and listen to me!" Jack called, trying to get the man off of him.

"You…you killed him! He was friend and a comerade!"

"He sold us out! He sold us out to the enemy! I was ordered to do it!"

Pete recoiled, stopping his attack.

"That's not true…Joe was a friend of mine…He…he wouldn't…he…couldn't."

"Well he did."

"I don't believe you."

"He gave us false intel…because we had no direct way to prove that his claims were false, we had to traipse out here first. Sakaya's in Alexandria, Egypt. We were going to get him first, before coming to Irdan…But his intel contradicted the rest, so we decided to check it out."

Pete's eyes screwed up, unable to process what he was hearing. But Sam had told him about Jack O'Neill…he was no liar.

"I…I…" he left Gavinbyrne alone. "What about Warran?"

"The rebels were onto him…It was a mercy killing…A quick bullet through the head and it's all over…no pain…no terror…What the rebels had waiting for him was anything but nice."

Pete looked at the ground. Shocked.

"God…shit…I…I don't know what to say…What can I say…You murdered my friend and a civilian…but even I can see the justification behind it."

Jack wiped at his mouth, grimacing as he brushed his large fingers over his split lip. He drew his hand away, and wiped the blood onto his combats.

"All's fair in love and war."


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"Right…Teal'c Daniel…You're with me…Kawalsky…hold this position until we come back-"
"No need for that Carter." Sam heard a familiar voice. She turned round to see Jack and Pete walking towards the group. Her heart did a little flip flop, but to stop any bad feelings, she directed her smile towards the one who hadn't caused it.

"Pete!" She smiled, before turning to Jack. "Sir…Where's Gavinbyrne and Warran."

"They didn't make it." Pete said, knowing that Jack would have difficulty lying to Sam.

"What?" McKenzie said, "This has been a disaster."

"Where's Mason?" Jack asked.

"He's dead."

Jack sat down heavily, before his eyes reached Mason's prone form. He shook his head solemnly.

"We can't carry him back…we're gonna have to leave him and Gavinbyrne behind."

"Yes sir." Tyler said timidly.

"Let's pack up and move out."


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Three hours later, The teams were booked into a small inn in Jhan city centre. Sam, Jack, McKenzie, Tyler and the now recuperated Teal'c sat in the bar, sharing a quiet drink. Daniel was studying the artefact and Pete was having a shower.
"Sir." Sam said in a near whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

Jack looked up to see if anyone else had heard her question. They hadn't.

"I've been better," he admitted, a sad smile flitting across his handsome face.

"Need to talk?"

"I'm better not talking…I'm not a nice person at the moment."

With that, Jack reached to the table adjacent to his seat, pulling out an Arabic TV magazine and beginning to read. His last comment puzzled Sam and she was hesitant to read further into it, so she let him be, returning to her previous thoughts.


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Daniel heard a knock on his door. He pushed aside the cusswords that sprang to him mind as he stood up to walk to the door. He'd had little success in translating all of the texts on the pyramid's surface, and hadn't been able to concentrate after the revelation that Jack had murdered those businessmen. Putting those thoughts even further back than the obscenities his mind was calling, he opened the door, to see Pete Shanahan's stocky frame in the doorway.
"Hey Dr. Jackson." He smiled wanly.

"Hi Pete…please call me Daniel."

"Right…Daniel."

"What can I help you with?" Daniel asked, hoping the little man would soon leave him to his work.

"Ehm…I forgot to pack a razor, so I was wondering-"

"Yes I do have one spare." Daniel said, grabbing his washbag, and retrieving one.

"Thanks…I can't stand not shaving."

"Same here…I'm like a werewolf if I don't shave for a day."

"It's actually the reason that I'm a reserve, and not a full SO."

Daniel found himself chuckling at that fact. "Well…we need more police officers than we do SO's, so that's a good thing!"

Pete also chuckled, but it was a nervous laugh. One that Daniel with his finely honed skills in body language picked up on.

"What else is up?" he asked Pete.

Pete glanced at him, before staring at the ground and pursing his lips. After a moment, he brought himself up to meet Daniel's gaze.

"There's something else going on here than us finding this artefact. O'Neill and Kawalsky are up to something…Now don't think I'm pointing a finger at Jack because of Sam, because I-"

"It's okay…I agree with you."

Pete stopped.

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"What do you know?"

Daniel poked a head out into the dim cinnamon corridor. "Come in and I'll tell you."

The Third Race

Chapter 12 - Phase Two

Two days later, SG1, the Black Ops team and Pete arrived back at Cheyenne for a debriefing with General Hammond. Now, most of the team were seated around the ebony and rosewood briefing room table. Sam had purposely positioned herself at the other side and opposite end of the table from Pete, and felt an even greater sense of unease as Jack decided to try the seat next to.

"Relax Carter" He chided her as he spun around in his chair like a demented dentist with no teeth to destroy.

She couldn't help but smirk at his behaviour, but quickly reigned in her smile as she felt Pete's eyes on her. She looked to him, where he sat with the 'I'm-sad-but-I'm-trying-to-look-happy' look on his face.

Her heart sank. Having them both in close proximity was so much tougher than she could possibly have imagined.

She decided to leave those thoughts alone. They were for after the mission was over…But that was perilously close to the wedding.

Daniel arrived at the table, taking a seat next to Teal'c. He placed the coffee canister in the middle of the table, which Teal'c promptly drank.

"You're just lucky that coffee's a few minutes old or you would be in the infirmary right now" Daniel grumbled, grabbing the empty flask from the Jaffa.

General Hammond could be seen in Jack's office, talking animatedly on the phone. It seems that not all was well.

She noticed Jack giving Tyler an odd glance, which received two glares namely, from Daniel and Pete. She decided not to read into it.

A moment later, Hammond appeared at the door of Jack's office.

"Jack. Kawalsky…A word please."

Jack and Tyler stood up promptly…All business.

"Authorised my ass." She heard Daniel grumble under his breath, but Sam chose to ignore it.

"Well guys…" McKenzie started cheerily. "Where do you think we'll be going now"

"I have a hunch…" Stated Pete "…but I'm not tellin'"

"Why" Sam said suddenly and coldly.

This startled Pete, who began flustering for an explanation behind his cryptic comment.

"Well…If I'm right you'll be wondering why…that's all."

A clicking sound indicated that Jack, Tyler and Hammond were rejoining the briefing. As the three sat at the table, Sam noticed an odd distant look in Jack's eyes. He seemed more peaceful somehow.

"Right folks…Let's get this briefing started." Hammond said reclaiming his seat at the end of the table as Jack moved to the right…Next to Sam…again.

Hammond waited the few seconds for everyone to get his or her 'business hats' on, before he began.

"We've received Intel that Sakaya and a band of Irdanian militants are operating out of Alexandria, Egypt. He was spotted there just yesterday." Hammond coolly lied to the group. "That's where you're going next."

Sam looked round the group, as some of the SO's exchanged glances with each other, and Pete's stare rested solely on Jack.

"Due to the casualties sustained by Team B, only Team A will participate in this phase of the operation. General O'Neill will once again be in charge, with Colonel Carter serving as Second-in-command. The rest of the team will be working in your specialist areas. Teal'c. You will be working on capturing some of these rebels. Shanahan. You'll be information gathering. Dr. Jackson. You'll be looking for more clues as to the nature of the device you discovered."

Several crisp nods were the only responses.

"Jack…It seems fairly obvious that Sakaya is the enemy. He's been seen walking around freely with the rebels. Obviously whatever he's up to is of prime importance to us. We know it involves the Ancients and the Furlings somehow."

"I've always wanted to meet the Furlings" Jack smiled.

"Sounds cute and furry to me sir" Said McKenzie.

Hammond produced a large metal suitcase. "Individual mission plans have been prepared for you all to follow"

"Individual? Sir…aren't we better working together"

"This is Black Ops Carter." Jack stated.

Sam knew when she'd been told to shut up. She looked briefly at Pete to see how he'd reacted to Jack's comment. It obviously hadn't bothered him…He was gazing hungrily at the booklet in front of him.

"You may read these plans at your own discretion, but only yourself. Unless otherwise stated inside the booklet."

"Yes sir." Pete said, his eyes didn't leave the booklet.

Sam turned to Daniel who was also entranced by a booklet…Jack's.

"Okay folks…You have three hours to get your gear packed. Your plane leaves Petersen in five hours."