Fic, Stargate SG-1, Time and Space, 5/7
"How dare you capture your god!" Apophis screams.
"I apologize, but you are not my god." The first Prime, Ra'lok, hesitates. "You will be, but right now you are not."
"Traitor!" Teal'c hisses, fighting his chains.
"Come on - let's get them back to the ship before anyone else finds out," Jacob says.
They lead Apophis, Teal'c, and the other Jaffa to the ring room, taking care no one sees them. Then they ring up to the ship, leaving Ra'lok behind to wait for his master.
"I'm really sorry it has to be this way, Martouf," Sam says, tears in her eyes.
"Believe me, I am not happy about this either." He gives her a wry grin. "I promise to do my best to escape from Apophis, and avoid being brainwashed."
Sam nods. "I have no idea what that will do for the timeline, but I really hope you succeed."
He rings down together with past-Apophis and Apophis's guard.
"What now?" Daniel asks. "We find a way to return to our own time?"
Sam nods, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yes. But I fear we need to go back further first."
"What!" Jack exclaims.
She swallows thickly. "We changed the timeline. It's likely Martouf will either escape without being made a zatarc, and at any rate he will know to ask to be tested. Apophis knows about some of the things that happens in the near future - and we don't know how much else his future self has told him, but almost certainly about the situation that brought us here, and what went before. We can't risk the effects."
"Why not? It could be better," Jack argues.
"Probably not, though, since Apophis can anticipate some things and change them to his advantage. He will be stronger. Maybe too powerful to stop."
"And you don't want to gamble we'll find a way." Jack shakes his head. "That's damn cold hearted of you, given Martouf's life is in the balance." He rolls his eyes when Sam looks at him. "Oh, don't try to deny it! I saw how you looked at him. All right, if nothing else, this convinces me you really do mean it needs to be done, because otherwise you wouldn't sacrifice him."
Sam hesitates, then nods. "No, I wouldn't." She leaves to go and figure out how to either find a suitable solar flare or cause one.
"I have found a flare we can use - and it has to be soon," Sam tells them less than half an hour later.
"That was fast!" Daniel says.
Sam shook her head. "I can't take the credit. This ship, it's Cronus's, and as you know, he is one of Apophis's arch enemies. Turns out he has been spying on him, including with a satellite of sorts in Apophis's home system. This system. The data is in the computer, and it was more than enough that I could also determine when there will be a large solar flare. We've got just over an hour to prepare everything!"
"Wait! Are you sure you can control this? I mean, send us to the right time?" Jack asks.
Sam nods. "Yes, I believe so - using the Ancient technology on the ship, I can even cause the ship to be sent with us, like it was before."
"You believe so?" Jack asks, suspiciously.
"I'm sure of it." She gives him a loopy grin. "Mostly."
"Oy!" Jack shakes his head. "Okay, I guess - but so help me if we end up in the Jurrasics and the planet is full of dinos!"
"Noted." Sam laughs. "You can't be sure this planet's history is the same, though."
"No, it'll probably be full of gigantic snakes instead. Well, set to work!"
"Will do, sir. Now when I know what to do, it shouldn't take me too long to get it ready. it will be ready to go in an hour."
"Jack - Teal'c wants to talk to you," Jacob says, as he enters.
"Teal'c?" Jack frowns. "Okay. Did he say what about?"
"No, but I'd be careful if I was you. Remember, he's still brainwashed and thinks Apophis is his god."
"Oh, don't worry, I won't forget that!" Jack says.
"I'll go with you, Daniel says."
"Okay."
They leave to see what Teal'c has to say.
"I'm staying here with Sam, helping her to get things up and running," Jacob says.
"Thanks, dad." Sam smiles at him. "We need to set it up so it activates automatically at the right time, if we want to be able to timetravel with the ship too. It's a bit tricky."
"I'm sure we'll manage."
They set to work.
"You've got to be kidding!" Jack exclaims. "You can't think we'll believe you, Teal'c."
"Why not? I have overcome the filthy brainwashing Apophis exposed me to!" Teal'c tells them. "I once again pledge to you my allegiance and ask your forgiveness for succumbing to the will of Apophis."
"Filthy traitor!" Apophis shouts from his cell nearby.
Jack sends him a grin, then looks back to Teal'c. "Well he did sort of have you over a barrel, you being dead and all."
"It was through the power of the sarcophagus that I was forced to again believe that Apophis was my god," Teal'c tells them."
Jack nods. "Mmm, sarcophagi will do that. And worse. Creepy stuff."
"Through meditation, I have seen the light, and convinced myself." Teal'c smiles.
"You know, just for fun…I'd love to hear you say it out loud," Jack tells him, a wary look in his eyes.
Teal'c rises an eyebrow. "That Apophis is a false god, that the Goa'uld are nothing more than parasites?"
"Sholvah!" Apophis screams.
"Yeah, that stuff." Jack smiles at Apophis.
"I hope one day to restore your trust in me O'Neill. And to return to the service of General Hammond."
Jack looks at Teal'c for a few moments, and then at Daniel. "What do you think?"
Daniel considers it. "Not sure. Maybe."
Jack shrugs. "Definitely." He grins. "Welcome back, T!" He lets him out of the cell and they leave together, with an angry Apophis in one cell and a Jaffa guard in another.