Title: Duality

Author: Moonshayde

Season: Seven

Category: A/A, Gen, Drama

Spoilers: Takes place after "Chimera" and before "Death Knell."

Pairing/Character: Team, with Daniel-focus

 

Summary:  On P9R-139, SG-11 and SG-17 make startling discoveries into the mysteries of the cult of Thoth only to have it cut short by a surprise invasion by Anubis.  When SG-1, SG-19, and SG-13 come in to help with the evacuation, and lead the scientists back through the Gate, they quickly learn they might have brought back more than just knowledge concerning Thoth and may be unable to undo the transformation that has already begun.

 

Rating: PG-13

 

**Thanks to my betas, Wallace and Devliater (eep, spelling?) for pushing me to keep working on it and tweaking the story. Also thanks to Meg, Tammy, and the folks at TheGenGate for being the first aside from my betas to read through it. And thanks to Mel and my other friends at Livejournal for pointing out a few more errors I managed to add. Any additional mistakes that might have been missed I take responsibility for. Enjoy!**

 

 

Chapter 1

 

 

"Fire in the hole!"

 

Colonel Jack O'Neill shouted out the warning as he threw a grenade down into the pit below, effectively wiping out the lone Jaffa patrol that had made it close to the Stargate. The explosion rocked the shaky foundation of the ground itself, causing one of the nearby trees to crack and fall, tumbling onto the MALP. Jack swore and grabbed his P-90, preparing for the next wave of reinforcements.

 

"Hot time in the town tonight, hey, Jack?" Colonel Dixon muttered lightly, slamming down to lie prone beside him.  The two colonels kept their heads lifted, surveying the area just below the Stargate.

 

"You know I couldn't miss a party like this," Jack said wryly, licking his bottom lip.

 

For the moment, the perimeter appeared to be clear, but more Jaffa would arrive at any time, if his estimates were correct.  What he couldn't figure out is why the planet wasn't overrun by now.

 

There should be Jaffa oozing out of the woodworks, he thought as he gazed at the mothership that loomed in the distance.  Or even…

 

"They're sending Jaffa?" Dixon asked, almost laughing. "What's with Anubis? Didn't want to send those Star Wars trooper rip-offs of his?"

 

Jack licked his lips, concentrating on the terrain ahead of him. "Why bother? Those overgrown snakeheads couldn't shoot a cow if it was mooing right in front of  'em?"

 

Dixon chortled. "A cow, Jack?"

 

Jack shrugged, taking the moment to gather himself. "Hey, the delivery sounded much better in my head."

 

"Right," Dixon said, withdrawing a set of binoculars and turned his attention back to the field.

 

While Dixon scouted the area, Jack took the opportunity to check with his second-in-command, who was only a few meters away from him.

 

"What's the status on the scientists?" Jack asked.

 

"No word yet," Major Samantha Carter answered, as she remained covered in tree branches and dirt. She repositioned her surveillance equipment, listening closely through her headset and shook her head. "Sir, I just intercepted a transmission from the Goa'uld mothership." She paused, keying something into an instrument she was holding, and muttered something into her radio.  Sighing irately, she turned to O'Neill. "Colonel, I received the translation from Teal'c.  They're sending twice as many troops to the surface."

 

Damn, Jack swore, grumbling under his breath. He knew the disappearance of their Jaffa friends wouldn't go undetected for long.  He just had hoped they would have had more time.

 

Shaking his head, Jack grabbed at his two-way radio and yelled. "Daniel, let's go!"

 

Captain Ann Mueller attempted to shove another leather-bound tome into her pack, grumbling as her shaking hands nearly lost their grip on the book.  Wiping the sweat from her brow, she reached for another when she was lifted to her feet.

 

"No time," Doctor Jackson informed her, pulling her towards the exit of the crumbling shrine.

 

She knew there was little time, but she had to take as much as possible.  She might not be practicing the best archaeological methods, but they were under fire, and they didn't have the luxury to follow procedure.  The more information they were able to obtain, the better their position in fighting the Goa'uld.

 

Jackson knew this as well.  She caught the anxiety in his features as he pursed his lips, torn whether to stay or to go. But when he gave her another urgent tug, she knew he had made his decision.

 

She swallowed hard, nodding, pushing aside her nervousness. What was wrong with her?  She had some of the best military training.  She had been in worse situations than this.

 

Pull yourself together, she thought.

 

"Go with Major Tyrell," Jackson told her. He paused, his eyes scanning the top of a nearby altar. "Anyone else still in the back rooms?"

 

She shook her head. "No…oh, wait. I haven't seen Lieutenant Menard or Doctor Anderson."

 

"Alright.  I'll go back and see if I can find them."

 

"Be careful, Doctor," she said softly, wondering how long they had before the Jaffa flooded the ruins.

 

She saw him nod once before he ran towards the back of the shrine.

 

"Doctor Anderson!"

 

Anderson turned sharply, watching Doctor Jackson stumble into the storage facility.  He grinned at the archaeologist, holding up a small device.

 

"Look!  This-this is amazing." Anderson rolled the alien device in his hands, watching it spark with the life of many different lights. "I don't know what it does, but look!"

 

The other man nodded, appearing both distressed and distracted.

 

"Yeah, that's great, David. Normally, I'd love to hear more about it, but can we talk about it back on base?" He paused, walking up to him carefully. "And please try not to turn things on. You don't want to learn things the hard way, like I did," he said wryly, deftly striking a button, causing the alien artifact to shut down.

 

David's face fell and he agreed solemnly.  Part of him was disappointed, but he knew better than to challenge the other man's counsel on this matter. Daniel Jackson had been a part of the SGC since its inception. Hell, since before its inception, and he had more expertise on the field than he could even imagine.  David had only joined a couple of months ago, taking the position of civilian scientist on SG-17. Since then, Daniel had become somewhat of a mentor and he appreciated the time the linguistic archaeologist spent with him.

 

"They're coming in full force now, aren't they?' David asked nervously, shoving the orb into his pack.

 

"Yeah.  And that means that we really have to go, now, as much as I hate to say it," Daniel replied sadly.

 

"Okay, but let me—"

 

"Come on, David. Leave it." Daniel urged him forward. "Join up with Colonel Edwards. He's waiting at the entrance to the shrine."

 

"What about you?"

 

"I'm-I'm going to try and find Lieutenant Menard."

 

"Right here, Jackson," Menard announced, jogging into the room from another chamber.  He motioned to the right with a cock of his head, towards the exit, his MP-5 already drawn and ready for combat.  With a nod of his head, he ran towards the main room of the shrine.

 

David watched him go, sucked in a deep breath and started to run after him.  He paused at the door, looking over his shoulder, noting Daniel was standing alone in the middle of the room.

 

"Doctor Jackson?" he asked.

 

Daniel shook himself out of his intense gaze, and headed for one of the tables.  Hastily, he grabbed a few items, shoving them into his pockets. In that instant, Lieutenant Menard appeared again, poking his head through the doorway.

 

"Doctor Jackson!  We have to leave!"

 

"Yeah, I'm coming. One second."

 

"Now, Jackson!"

 

Daniel grimaced, snatching a handful of notepads and manuals, and sprinted to the door where David stood waiting. Daniel quickly shoved the paperwork and electronic manuals into David's pack, and nudged him forward.

 

Despite the urgency of the situation, David couldn't help but smile as the two left the room and headed for the shrine's entrance.  Daniel urged him forward again, only stopping momentarily to grab his own pack. David grinned again, wiping the sweat from his brow as he waited for Daniel.

 

"Don't say anything," Daniel warned, but without malice. "I just couldn't leave those artifacts behind for the Goa'uld."

 

"Sure."

 

Daniel ignored him, but there was a small smile forming on his lips. "Let's go," he stated authoritatively. "Or Jack's going to have my ass."

 

I am so going to have his ass, Jack thought angrily, watching the tel'tac touch down on the beach below.

 

"Gate secure?" Jack asked, crawling away from his position to move further down the slope.

 

"Balinsky and Bosworth are holding the Gate," Dixon replied.  He wiped his mouth before staring at Jack levelly. "We've got to go, Colonel."

 

"I know."  Shaking his head, Jack stole another glance at the grounded cargo ship before he spoke into his two-way. "Oh, Daniel, I know you’re ignoring me.  Get over here now!"

 

"Sir!" Carter called, causing him to adjust so he could have a better view of her position.  She appeared to be packing up the surveillance equipment at an efficient rate. 

 

"Carter?"

 

"Here come the geologists!"

 

Jack followed her gaze, watching as a herd of scientists burst through the woods.  The befuddled geologists and surveyors acted like wild animals on the run from predators, their eyes wild while they ran blindly, most of them throwing caution to the wind. 

 

This was their cue.

 

"Teal'c," Jack stated, talking into his radio.  "Stay alert and be prepared to act as backup. Looks like some of SG-17 is to your right."

 

"Understood," Teal'c replied.

 

"Balinsky!" Colonel Dixon shouted over his shoulder.  "Start dialing!"

 

Behind him, O'Neill heard the familiar sounds of the DHD as Balinksy began to dial home. He licked his lips once, then twice, scouting the area for activity.  SG-19 remained in position to his right, scattered throughout the woodland, waiting to take any other Jaffa by surprise. Wells was with Teal'c. But only three of the scientists and military personnel that compromised SG-17 were heading up the slope, accompanied by Major Lorne and Lieutenant Woeste from SG-11.

 

That left Anderson, Menard, Edwards, and Daniel.

 

"Damn," he swore, crouching as he hurried past Dixon to kneel by Carter. "We’ve got some missing," he told her.

 

"I know, sir." She tossed him her binoculars.  "And Jaffa are heading up the beach."

 

"Damn," he swore again. "I hate scientists."

 

She shot him a cool look before lifting her P-90.

 

"Present company excepted, of course," he mumbled, leaving the astrophysicist to her position.  Shaking his head again, feeling his hair actually turning whiter, he grabbed at his radio.

 

"Daniel, now would be a good time!"

 

"Coming!" was his static filled reply.

 

"Okay."  That was good enough for him. Knowing that the rest weren't far from the Gate, he was ready to move. He spoke into his two-way once again, adjusting the frequency. "Sierra Gulf One Nine Niner, this is Sierra Gulf One Niner, Over."

 

"Sierra Gulf One Niner, this is Sierra Gulf One Nine Niner, Over."

 

"Sierra Gulf One Nine Niner, start to fall back, but stay alert and wait for my signal, Over."

 

"Copy that, Sierra Gulf One Niner. Sierra Gulf One Nine Niner, Over and Out."

 

Good, Jack thought. He moved onto the next phase.

 

"Teal'c, you and Wells stay close and be ready for any cover fire to protect Colonel Edwards and the others as soon as they break through the forest, you got it?"

 

"We shall remain," Teal'c replied evenly.

 

Jack stole a glance behind him, watching as the scientists joined Balinsky and Bosworth at the Gate. Balinsky had begun an effective evacuation, urging what was left of SG-17 and SG-11 to move through the Stargate. 

 

"Sir, we're going to have a problem."

 

"What?" Jack followed Carter's gaze upward, swearing loudly as he caught sight of the gliders.

 

"Oh, shit."

"Sir, I think our position has been made."

 

Jack cursed, cringing as a glider fired only meters away. "Yeah, Carter. I would say so."  Signaling to his right and then his left, he motioned for SG-19, Teal'c, and Wells to start moving towards the Gate.  "That C-4 ready?"

 

"Since before the second Jaffa hit the shore," she answered, handing him the controls. "I'll lay down cover fire."

 

"Negative, Major.  You and Wells get to the Gate. SG-19 will cover me."

 

"Sir?" her voice cracked with uncertainty.

 

"That's an order, Major.  I expect you to follow it this time."

 

Bowing her head slightly as she backed away from rocky slope, Major Carter quickly met with Airman Wells, guiding him towards the Gate.  Only seconds after they reached the Stargate, O'Neill began to take heavy fire from the Jaffa that were quickly closing in on his position.

 

Any second the gliders would be back for another run.

 

Come on, Daniel.

 

Just at that moment, Jack caught sight of Edwards breaking through the forest and into the open with Lieutenant Menard at his heels.  Noticing that the Jaffa were off to their left, they immediately started to shoot, barely avoiding retaliatory fire from the enemy.  If not for SG-19, Jack knew that Edwards and Menard wouldn't have had a chance.

 

He hit the C-4.

 

With a brilliant flare and a rattle that made O'Neill proud, he watched as the explosion consumed half of the Jaffa that had reached the incline. But even Jack knew this only bought them a precious few moments before the rest of the Jaffa overcame them.

 

"Teal'c!"

 

There was no response, but Jack didn't need one. Anderson and Daniel just broke through the woods into the clearing, dodging staff blasts from the Jaffa that were close at their heels. Daniel pushed Anderson forward, dropping to his knees to avoid another staff blast before firing with his sidearm. SG-19 continued to fire from the confines of their hidden positions. Then, Teal'c stepped out from the shadows and fired at the enemy, covering Daniel and his companion.

 

"Sierra Gulf One Nine Niner—" Jack swore, unable to finish his command, and threw himself down, barely missing another volley of shots.

 

Screw this, he thought angrily, aiming his P-90. Shouting, he fired down the slope, taking out as many Jaffa as he could.

 

"Fall back! Fall back! Fall back!" he yelled into his radio.

 

While Teal'c allowed room for the two remaining civilians to make it up the incline towards the Gate, SG-19 continued to retreat and gun at the Jaffa warriors.  Jack hit the last of the C-4, covering his face as the fireball consumed more of the approaching enemy.

 

This was good.  They might actually make it out alive.

 

The Gate shut down.

 

Dammit.

 

"Anderson!" Jack called out, reaching to the closest person in sight.  "Go punch in the coordinates now!"

 

A bit flustered, Anderson nodded, tripping once before he rushed to the Dial Home Device.  One symbol, then another, and another…

 

O'Neill ducked as a staff blast flew by his head.

 

Grinding his teeth, Jack leapt to his feet and fired a round into the heart of the remaining Jaffa, frustrated as he saw more pouring into the field below.  He signaled to Daniel and Teal'c, and then motioned SG-19 to follow.

 

"It's open!" Anderson cried.

 

Jack tossed the remote code transmitter to Teal'c, covering SG-19 as they moved behind him.

 

"Aw, crap," he muttered, watching as the gliders swooped down and barreled straight for them.

 

"The signal has been sent," Teal'c informed him.

 

"Alright, let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

 

Anderson ran through the Stargate, quickly followed by the four team members of SG-19.  Trailing behind them, Daniel charged over the downed branches to meet Teal'c and Jack who were standing by the DHD providing cover fire.

 

Jack smacked Daniel hard, sneering at him before pushing him through the event horizon.  He then jerked his head at Teal'c, motioning him to follow.  As the Jaffa sprinted up the incline and the gliders firing hard, Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c dived through the Gate.

 

The two of them landed with a thud as they hit the metal ramp in the embarkation room.

 

A little dazed, Jack lifted himself to his feet, hearing the Stargate disengage and the iris seal in around it.  Medical personnel were lying in wait at the bottom of the ramp, along with what appeared to be all the members of the various teams that went to P9R-139. 

 

Then, of course, there was General Hammond.

 

Jack rubbed his head, sauntering down the ramp, a grin sliding across his lips. "Rescue mission a success," he said to his superior, eyeing the dirty, fatigued people in the room. "All members accounted for. No causalities."

 

General Hammond nodded, his blue eyes sparkling with contained satisfaction. "Always good to hear, Colonel."

 

"Well, I try," he answered with a smirk, causing no change in reaction from the general.  "Now, with your permission, General, I feel a hot shower is in order."

 

"Right after Doctor Fraiser and her team checks you out," Hammond answered, but now with a smile.

 

Oh, that will be fun, he thought, eyeing Fraiser carefully.  She grinned mischievously, like a cat ready to pounce her prey. Jack shrugged and arched his eyebrows, heading off with the rest of the SG teams for a quick check-up before the debriefing.

 

Back to the Short Stories and Novels

 

Onto Chapter Two

 

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