Stargate Fanfic: Unplanned Parenthood - Chapter Seven
Title: Unplanned Parenthood
Author: LexKitten
Previous Chapters: Prologue, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six
Chapter: Seven - Under Fire, In Perspective
In This Chapter: Rescue missions never do go right. But maybe the whole near-death-thing is just what Jack needs, to put things in perspective.
Rating: Teen
Spoilers/Set: Set early S7. No specific spoilers beyond S4ish.
A/N: Yay! Action scenes. These are seriously the hardest to write, but I love it when I’m done. I’m like “Wow! Just like a kung-fu movie”.
***
As much as Jack hated to admit it, Anise was right about the costumes. A dozen burly Jaffa approached them from across the docking bay, each wearing about as much as Jack was - cuffs, sandals, and a little blue cloth barely reaching the mid thighs. Jack looked around uncomfortably, trying to avoid staring at bronzed man-muscles or revolting symbiote pouch flaps.
“You ready?” Jack murmured under his breath. Beside him, Sam nodded her head a fraction. She kept her chin high and her shoulders square, but Jack could see the ends of her fingers curling up into her palms - a classic indicator of an internal Carter panic. “Just stay in character,” he said, his voice low and clam as he could manage. “Think evil thoughts.”
A hint of a smile flickered across the corners of her mouth, and her fingers relaxed.
The first prime hailed them, bowing low and respectfully. “Tal mal tiak. Mal we-ia. Kel Shak.”
Jack’s stomach went cold. They had only just stepped on board, and already their cover was about to be blown. Neither he or Carter spoke snake - and the Jaffa just stared, waiting for their answer. Internally, Jack cursed the Tok’Ra - damnit, they should have seen this one coming. The least they could have done was find a decent English-to-Goa’uld dictionary.
“Kel nok, Jaffa,” Sam blurted. Jack looked at her in surprise - Sam looked back, as shocked and confused as he was.
But it seemed to be the right answer. The first prime bowed low and greeted them - as planned - as Goa’uld allies. “Maphet, Anhur, we have been expecting you.”
“We were delayed,” Jack replied curtly. He kept his mouth in a sour grimace, trying to convey the egoism and contempt of a Goa’uld.
“My lord Ai’sha requires your presence,” the first prime informed them. “I will take you to her.”
Jack shot a momentary worried glance at Sam - they hadn’t prepared for an audience with Ai’sha. The plan - if you could call it a plan - was to get onto the ship and somehow slip away to find Jacob. Jack didn’t want to try their luck, fooling an actual Goa’uld.
“We endured a lot to get here,” Jack said hurriedly, trying to think on his feet and stay in character. “Show us to the guest quarters so we may rest, before we meet with Ai’sha.”
The first prime narrowed his eyes at Jack and repeated slowly, “My lord Ai’sha requires your presence. I will take you to her.”
Jack glanced at Sam, who shrugged helplessly. There was nothing they could do - this was Ai'sha's game now. “Right,” he said, swallowing back a lump in his throat. “Lead on.”
Four burly half-naked guards flanked them down the corridors - not close enough to overhear them, but close enough that Jack was acutely aware of their staff weapons.
“What was all that, with the snake-talk?” Jack asked Sam, murmuring out of the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t know you spoke Goa’uld.”
“I don’t,” Sam hissed, keeping her eyes on the corridor ahead. “But Jolinar did. It’s all in there, deep down. You and I probably have plenty of hidden skills buried in our memories. We just have to unearth them.”
Jack shuddered, his mind alternating between his memories of Sam’s possession, and the black part of his mind where he kept Kanan’s thoughts. “I prefer those memories buried. Six feet under kind of buried.”
As they went further down the maze of passageways from the dock, the decorations became more and more ridiculous. The walls were - in typical Goa’uld style - shiny gold. But Ai’sha had added large bronze sculptures, silk drapes, and brightly coloured flaming lamps just to reinforce the “hedonism” image. Jack was starting to feel like he fit in, with his skimpy b-grade Egyptian porno costume. And Carter, in all her glittery, veiled, soft skinned glory definitely looked like a middle-eastern princess under the firelight.
Jack looked away quickly, focusing on the wall ornaments again.
The Jaffa came to an abrupt halt, outside a veiled entranceway. “If you will wait,” one said. It wasn’t a question. The four guards pushed the curtain aside and slipped into the chamber, leaving Jack and Sam alone.
“I wish we’d brought some weapons,” Jack lamented, for the tenth or eleventh time.
“We’ll have to make do,” Sam said firmly.
“We’re too … exposed,” he muttered. Jack raised his shoulders tentatively, seeing how far he could stretch without disturbing his miniscule man-skirt. It wasn’t far. He hugged his arms over his bare chest, feeling more agitated by the second. It went against all his training to attempt such a suicidal mission, without so much as a pocketknife for protection. Anise had fitted them out with Goa’uld ribbon devices, but a fat lot of good that would do Jack. Sam didn’t look too confident with hers either.
Jack, feeling someone’s eyes on him, glanced sideways at Sam. She was staring, her held tilted slightly to the side and her eyes gazing unfocused, at his midriff. She looked up when he turned to her, and hurriedly looked away. “Sorry,” she squeaked.
Jack felt his ears getting warm. “Carter, were you just-”
But he didn’t get a chance to ask - just then the guards flung back the curtains announcing loudly, “Lord Ai’sha will see you now.”
Jack instinctively moved in front of Sam as they entered unknown territory - though without a weapon there wasn’t much he could do to protect her. Ai’sha’s lair looked like something out of Aladdin and the forty thieves - there were gigantic satin cushions strewn everywhere, long gold curtains descending from the ceiling, bowls of grapes, strawberries and chocolate - and a whole lot of half-naked Jaffa lounging around like Calvin Klein models. It was definitely one of the more bizarre Goa’uls ships Jack had ever seen. There certainly wasn’t any tactical advantage to all this extravagance - unless Ai’sha planned to seduce her enemies into submission. Then again, Jack thought, remembering Hathor with a shudder, that tactic wasn’t out of the question for the Goa’uld. Still, Ai’sha certainly deserved credit for commitment to her character - she wasn’t doing this “Goddess of Hedonism” thing by halves.
At the far end of the room, the cushions rose into an elevated throne, surrounded by a dozen fawning Jaffa. In the centre was Ai’sha herself: slim, olive-skinned, and of course wearing the most flamboyant costume of sequins and feathers. She looked like a Vegas dancer that had lost her chorus line.
“The eye-shadow’s too much,” Jack whispered to Sam. “Makes the whole outfit look tacky.”
Sam grinned and bit her bottom lip. “You’re not helping me stay in character, Sir,” she hissed.
“Anhur, Maphet,” Ai’sha crooned silkily from her perch. “So nice of you to finally join us.”
“We were attacked by rebel Jaffa, oh great Ai’sha,” Jack replied, in what he hoped was a passable impression of a grovelling Goa’uld.
“Yes, I was informed,” Ai’sha purred, slinking down from her pillows and pacing towards them. “I see you have taken new hosts. Maphet, you have done exceptionally well.” She reached out a hand, swathed in a glimmering ribbon-device, and ran her gold fingertips along Sam’s chin. To Sam’s credit, she didn’t flinch at all, and even managed to force a sickly sweet smile. Beside her, Jack had to fight to keep himself in check. Seeing that snake’s weapon hand pressed against Sam’s cheek sent shudders of fear and anger down his spine - but for the moment, there was nothing he could do.
As if sensing his burning focus on her, the Goa’uld turned her attention to Jack. Her eyes raked over him like a wild cat considering it’s prey. Languidly, she raised her hand to his shoulder, running her fingers over a half-healed scar from SG1’s most recent near disaster. “This one is damaged,” she noted. “But the body underneath is strong. A sarcophagus will heal these imperfections.” She looked up at Jack from under impossibly long lashes, her eyes sparkling manically. “I have one in my private quarters, if you would like to use it.”
Jack fought to keep the disgust from showing on his face. “Uh, Maybe later.”
Ai’sha shrugged, lazily dragging a finger across his chest as she began to circle them. “I suppose you have heard that I too recently suffered a setback in my plans.”
“No, my lord,” Sam supplied quickly, with just a hint of eagerness mixed into her adoring tone. “We have heard nothing since our absence.”
Ai’sha’s eyes flicked to Sam. She continued to pace around them, glaring carefully. “The Tok’ra sabotaged my attack on the Tau'ri gate. But I will have my revenge on them both.”
“Oh?” Jack said, trying to keep his voice light. “What’s your plan?”
Ai’sha stalked in front of them again, her narrow slit eyes darting between their faces. “The Tau'ri are not as powerful as they believe themselves to be,” she hissed, her eyes flashing yellow with anger. “And they have one fatal weakness.”
“Weak human bodies?” Jack suggested.
Ai’sha sneered, pulling her painted lips back to expose her sharp white teeth. She reached out her gloved hand to stroke Sam’s ear. “It’s their insolence,” she hissed.
There was a sudden ripple across the room as the Jaffa snapped to attention, their hands flying to weapons concealed beneath the cushions and curtains. Jack took a step closer to Sam, but Ai’sha pushed him back, slamming her palm into his bare chest. “How dare you think you could fool me,” she seethed. “From the moment you stepped on to my ship I knew the truth. I am all-knowing, all-seeing. I am your God.”
In one fluid movement, she knocked Sam to her knees and blasted an energy beam from her palm into Sam’s skull. Sam cried out, clamping her eyes closed in agony.
Jack roared as adrenaline exploded into his veins. He made a dive for the Goa’uld, slamming into her chest full force and sending them both crashing to the ground in a flurry of feathers and sequins. He heard Sam suck in a deep shuddering gasp as the ribbon-device beam was severed from her mind. Jack knew he only had seconds before a Jaffa staff-blast took him out. He slammed his forearm against Ai’sha’s wind-pipe - hoping desperately that if he could just hurt this snake enough, Sam might be able to escape in the commotion. “Let her go, and I won’t kill you,” he said, through gritted teeth.
There was a loud smack, followed by a defining thud. Jack looked up in time to see Sam, having already knocked down one Jaffa with a high kick, snatch his staff weapon from the air and spin it around to knock out two others. The sparkly crown came spinning off her head as she ducked away from the Jaffa, gold material whirling around her. Jack watched the scene in slow-motion, thinking that it looked for all the world like an oriental ballet.
The glance only took half a second, but that was all Ai’sha needed. She managed to pull an arm free, and wrenched Jack off her, pinning him down. His head hit the ground with a hard smack, sending shudders through his skull. Upside-down, he saw Sam spin the heavy staff under her arm and aim it directly at Ai’sha. “Get back, or I’ll shoot,” she barked.
Ai’sha held her gloved hand ominously above Jack’s forehead. “If you move, I will kill him.”
The gold scarves settled down over Sam like descending leaves as she held her breath, considering her options. She looked from Ai’sha’s manically smiling face, down to Jack pinned beneath her. Sam’s eyes were wide with fear, her lips parted slightly ready to murmer his name. He knew what she was thinking - and he couldn’t let her do it. “Carter, shoot,” he ordered. “Don’t think about me, just shoot-”
Suddenly, Jack’s head exploded with pain. Ai’sha’s ribbon device fired up before his eyes sending a jolt of light directly into his brain. It felt like the fibres of his skull were taring apart and becoming sharp jagged knives, stabbing into his flesh. The pain was unbearable; he felt every muscles in his body shaking in agony. He tried to get away, to push her off, to shut his eyes, but he couldn’t control anything. He was paralysed with the pain. A roar broke from his lips ringing through his bones.
“Ok,” Sam shouted, her voice echoing in Jack’s ears over the screaming in his head. “Stop. Just let him go.” He forced his throbbing eyes backwards, in time to see Sam release the staff weapon from her grasp, the stick falling to the ground with a dull clatter. She threw up her arms, as a pack of Jaffa descended on her.
The pain in his head suddenly stopped, as Ai’sha released him. “Take them to the holding cells,” she barked.
Four Jaffa wrestled Sam to the ground, kneeing her hard in the side as they pushed her down. She caught Jack’s eye as she stumbled forward, looking at him with a mix of guilt and relief. Jack reached out his hand towards her, though he was far too far away to reach her. “This day just keeps getting better and better,” he wheezed.
***
The Jaffa didn’t bother to restrain them at all; the threat of four staff weapons was enough to keep Jack and Sam trudging along between their guards. Jack’s ears were still wringing, and he felt like he might throw up, but for the most part the two of them were ok. Now, they just needed a way out of here.
“I should’ve fired,” Sam whispered from behind him, her voice low.
Jack shook his head, glancing over his shoulder at his 2IC. She had her head down, her eyes trained on her feet, shuffling forward. “It wasn’t your fault, Carter,” he said. “This was a bad plan to begin with.
“I had her,” Sam cursed quietly. “I could have got her I just - ” she faltered, her voice cracking faintly. “I couldn’t watch her hurt you.”
Jack felt his bad knee buckle beneath him at the sound of her voice. He stumbled, but kept upright, trying to steady himself and his spinning head. “S’ok,” he mumbled hoarsely. “I would have done the same thing.”
Now wasn’t the time for regrets. What they needed now was an escape plan. They were out-numbed two to one, and the Jaffa had weapons. Jack and Sam had nothing but the flimsy disguises the Tok’ra had given them. Unless…
Jack slowed slightly, and reached behind him to clasp Sam’s hand in his own. The gold metal plates wrapped around their fingers bumped together with a soft clink. “There’s always a way out, Carter,” he whispered. “It’s like you said - you've got plenty of hidden talents. They’re just buried.”
“Yes sir,” Sam said, squeezing his hand. He could feel her pulse racing in her wrist, pressed against his own. He could only hope she understood what he was trying to say.
“No touching!” the guards barked, thrusting their staff weapons forward and pushing Jack and Sam apart.
“Gimme a break,” Jack grumbled. “Can’t a guy get a little sentimental, before he’s put to death?”
The head guard thrust his staff weapon under Jack’s chin and pushed him to the wall. “You were making escape plans,” he accused.
Jack kept his eyes on Sam, nodding his head as far as he could to give her the signal. “What plans? Oh, you mean like this one?” Sam suddenly raised her hand, palm outstretched, and fired off a blasting beam of light right into the Jaffa’s side, sending him flying. Jack grabbed hold of his staff-weapon just in time to yank it from his hands as he sailed backwards. The three remaining guards scrambled to aim their weapons, but Carter was too quick for them. She knocked down a second guard, the force slamming him against the roof before he fell limply to the floor.
The remaining guards turned their weapon on her, but Jack was ready. He swung the staff around, slamming one Jaffa under the chin. As he stumbled backwards, Jack fired a blast straight at his bare chest.
A staff-weapon blast clipped Jack’s ear as the fourth Jaffa misfired, his weapon knocked from his hands by a swift kick from Sam. She spun around instantly, wielding her palm like a rifle and sent him flying with a final bolt of energy.
Jack gaped at her, thinking for the second time how much she looked like a martial arts princess in that crazy costume. “Damn Carter,” he breathed, “have I ever told you how good you look kicking ass?” He bit his tongue as soon as he said it, wondering if he’d hit his head harder than he thought when Ai’sha knocked him down.
Sam blushed and grinned at him. “Um, Thanks sir.” She picked up a fallen staff-weapon, arming herself properly. “I’m just glad that worked. I wasn‘t sure I could do that.”
Jack flashed her a quick grin, his lungs swelling with pride. “Carter, I never doubted you for a second.” He straightened up and looked around. “We can’t be far from the holding cells,” he reasoned. He motioned for her to follow, and lead the way down the corridor, knowing they had only minutes before their escape was discovered.
The corridor led straight to the holding facilities. The outer door slid back easily, revealing a row of iron bar cells. At first, Jack thought they were all empty, till he heard Sam cry out and rush to the last cell. Jacob was slumped down against the wall, the side of his head bloody and bruised. He wasn’t moving.
“Dad? Dad,” Sam cried desperately, reaching through the bars and shaking his shoulder roughly. His head lolled to the side sickeningly, the muscles in his neck completely slack. Sam clamped a hand over her mouth, choking back a sob. “Oh God, dad.”
Jack rushed her to her side and threw both arms around her shoulders before he could think better of it. She curled into him, pressing her face against his chest to avoid looking at the bloody lump in the cell. “We’re too late,” she whispered. Jack cursed under his breath, crushing her against his fiercely thumping heart.
There was a barely audible gurgle from inside the cell, and Jacob opened his eyes. “Jack…” he mumbled through a swollen lip. “Get your hands off my daughter.”
“Dad,” Sam gasped, throwing her arms through the bars and clutching her father’s face in her hands. “I’m so glad you’re ok. I thought you were….”
“I nearly was,” Jacob wheezed. He tried to raise himself from the floor, but the effort was too much and he fell back with a strangled cry. “Not that I don’t love seeing you sweetheart, but what the hell are you doing here? You know this is a Goa’uld ship, right?”
“We’re mounting a rescue,” Jack said, giving Jacob a wry smile. Jacob’s eyes slid down from Jack’s face to his arms, still latched around Sam’s waist. Jack let her go and folded his arms self-consciously behind his back. “So, ready to be rescued?” he asked nervously, avoiding Jacob’s eyes.
Jacob pushed himself back onto his elbows so that his head was off the wall. “We’re not in good shape. Selmak’s doing her best, but right now it’s pretty hard to stay conscious.”
“It’s ok,” Sam said soothingly, patting his bloody forehead. “You rest and we’ll get you out of here.”
Jack was already aiming his staff-weapon at the lock. “Cover your ears,” he warned. He fired off a blast, sending the whole door shuddering from it’s hinges. Jack rushed in and hoisted Jacob up, taking most of the man’s weight on his shoulders. “Someone probably heard that, we better get out of here. How far is the docking bay?”
“Too far,” Sam warned. “Especially if dad can’t walk. But I have an idea.”
They half carried Jacob between them out of the cell and down the corridor. Sam led the way through a maze of turns, following some pattern that Jack couldn’t recognise or understand. Finally, she stopped at a large hatch and flipped open a control panel on the wall.
“This is an emergency escape module,” she said, pointing to a sign written in Goa’uld. “Get the hatch open and get dad inside.”
Jack didn’t stop to question his 2IC; he’d know Sam long enough to trust her plans. She busied herself with the wall panel, moving wires around, snapping and reconnecting things. She pulled a panel off her staff-weapon, and pulled out the power crystal, inserting it into the maze of wires.
Jack got the hatch open, and discovered a miniature Goa’uld ship inside the module, complete with two chairs at the control panel. He lowered Jacob into one chair, strapped him in, and went back for Sam.
“Carter, ready?” he hissed. There was a loud bark over the intercom above them, and then a whinging alarm sounded all over the ship. “C’mon, they know we’ve escaped.”
Sam kept her eyes on her work, her hands pulling and prodding and reconnecting the wires inside. “Just a minute more.”
The sound of heavy footfalls and gruff shouts echoed to them from the end of the corridor. The Jaffa were on their trail. It would only take them another thirty seconds if that to reach the escape pod. It was now or never. “Carter, c’mon.”
Sam slammed the control panel shut and bashed a few buttons on the wall control. “Right, lets go.” She threw herself into the escape module and Jack wrenched the door shut behind her.
“That system leads straight into the power mainframe,” Sam said, as she started to power up the controls. “I re-wired the system so it’ll back up and overload the naquadah core of the ship.”
“So, it’s a bomb?”
Sam looked back at him and grinned. “Exactly.”
Jack clapped her on the shoulder, squeezing her bare skin under his rough palm. “Good thinking,” he grinned, feeling his heart swell in his chest. Thank God for Carter - always one step ahead of the bad guys.
There was a loud roaring rumbling as their engines grumbled into life and they pulled away from the main ship. Jack stood by Sam, watching their progress on the sensor screen in front of them. “They’ve detected our take-off,” she said, as the huge red blip on the screen started to flash ominously. Sam cranked up the power, sending their escape pod shuddering forward. “We need to get further away, or we’ll be hit by the blast when their core explodes.”
Jack pointed out the small window to a bluish blob a little way in front of them. “Is that a planet down there?” He squinted through the glass. “Think it has a gate?”
“I’m banking on it,” Sam said, “This pod can’t get to hyperspace.”
The angry red blip on the screen got bigger, and started whinging at them. “They’re firing up their weapons,” Sam lent forward, willing their little craft to go faster. “If they hit our propulsion systems, we’re done for. We’ve got to get further away.”
Jack lent forward over her, his heart slamming against his ribs as fear and adrenaline sent every muscle in his body mad with panic. He gripped Sam’s shoulder roughly. She was hot and tense, just like he was. His veins pulsed with the familiar rush of excitement and fear that he always got whenever SG1 attempted something crazy. But there was something else too. A new fear - or maybe one that he’d always had, but he’d always tried to fight. He held on to Sam’s arm, afraid to let her go.
The sensor-screen was almost consumed by the bright red light now. It blinked angrily, the little whining alarm getting louder and louder. Then, a second alarm started. “Brace yourself, they’re firing,” Sam cried.
Jack flung both his arms around her and held her against the pilot’s seat, bracing himself to stay clinging there for the impact. The blast hit them in the side sending the ship into a dizzying tailspin. Jack held on for dear life as the impact knocked him down. Jacob lunched forward in his chair, the buckles holding tight.
Sparks erupted from the damaged side of the ship, cascading down the controls and sparking little fires. Jack sprang to his feet looking for something to put them out with.
Sam was at the controls, assessing the damage. “They took out the shield capacitor on the left side. Trajectory controls are damaged too. We’ve got serious structural damage, but the hull’s holding. Damnit,” she swore as more damage reports surface on the sensor screen. “The escape pods are jammed in. The only way we’re getting out of here is if we can land this thing. And with the controls in this shape…”
The red blip was back on the sensor screen, closing in on them. “Is that the mother ship?” Jack asked.
“Yes, and it’s closing fast.” Sam jammed the throttle forward, and the whole pod started shuddering with the effort. “They’re going to blow any second. We’ve got to get further away before-”
Suddenly, there was an ear splitting roar overhead, followed by a rumbling blast that sent their vessel tumbling forward. Fire erupted from the walls, the control panel, the ceiling. Jack was thrown backwards by the blast. He slammed painfully into the back wall cracking his skull against the metal. Then everything went black.
When he came to, the entire ship was engulfed in smoke. Red flashing lights pulsated from every wall.
Jack staggered forwards, sparks spraying down over his shoulders. “Carter?”
“Here, Sir,” Sam called over the cacophony of screeching instruments. He could just make her out, slumped over the control panel cradling her head. “Dad?”
Jack staggered to the co-pilot’s seat, where Jacob was still strapped in. The wound on his head had started to bleed again and he was out cold. Jack grabbed his wrist. His pulse was faint, but it was there.
“He’s unconscious, but he’ll be ok. What’s going on?” Jack coughed. The control panel was a mess of sparks and busted metal. Only half of it was still functioning.
“The mother ship exploded,” Sam said. “We were too close to the blast. I’m reading serious engine damage, our power core is firing on twice the usual level, we’re going way too fast.” She tried out a few buttons on the control panel. One of them exploded in a flurry of sparks when she touched it. Sam pulled her hand back sharply. “All the manual flight controls are down.”
Jack put a firm hand on her arm, trying to keep her from panicking. “Where are we headed?”
Sam looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear. “Sir, we’re going to be sucked down towards with planet. Without any kind of atmospheric shields. It’s going to tear us apart.”
Jack could feel her arm shaking under his hand. She was breathing hard, breathing in far too much smoky air. Jack looked into her face firmly, trying to snap her out of her panic. She was the only one who could get them out of this. “Tell me what to do to fix it,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm while struggling to be heard over the cacophony of explosions.
Sam stood up shakily, grabbing hold of his arms as a shuddering explosion knocked them both sideways. “Jack, I can’t get us out of this.”
Jack shook his head, blood pulsing in his ears. “No, Carter, c’mon think,” he commanded. “There’s got to be some way-”
“There isn’t,” she cried. “The controls are completely fried. We’re going to slam straight into that planet.” She held onto his arms, her nails digging into his skin.
Jack looked down at her. Her eyes were red, wide, and desperate. She has a cut on her forehead that was starting to bleed, little trickles of red blood smearing into her skin and hair. Her bottom lip was shaking. Maybe she was going into shock. Jack felt his own muscles tensing, his lungs labouring, gasping at the smoky air. They weren’t supposed to die like this, not now, not yet. But if Sam couldn’t save them, who could? “Are you telling me, we’re going to die?”
Tears suddenly slipped from her eyes, staining her cheeks. Sam couldn’t speak; she opened her mouth, bottom lip trembling, but no words came out.
Jack felt a sudden surge of adrenaline take hold. He felt something bubble up inside, starting in his chest and charging through his veins till every muscle in his body was crying out. He drew in a shuddering breath, maybe his last, and lifted Sam off the ground pulling her towards him. “If we’re going to die,” he said, “I’m not holding back anymore.”
And he kissed her; roughly, angrily, desperately. He felt her hot tears on his face as their cheeks rubbed together. Sam kissed him back, her soft mouth searing against his rough lips. She clawed at his shoulders, pulling him down against her. She was almost all bare skin, pressed against his own. And if Jack had any coherent thoughts at all, he thought how damned ironic it was that he finally Sam Carter, half naked in his arms - and they were about to die.
This wasn’t how he wanted things to turn out. He wanted to marry this woman, not just kiss her as they hurtled to their deaths. He wanted to grow old with her, have a family with her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her - and he wanted that life to be more than the next five minutes.
And that’s when he remembered Henry.
Jack pulled roughly away from Sam with a roar. “No!” he barked. “We’re not going to let this happen. We are not going to die. Not now.”
“Sir,” Sam murmured, staring in frightened bewilderment. “There’s nothing…”
Jack stared down at her, holding her close to his chest. “Carter, you’ve come up with more brilliant, crazy, physics-deifying plans than anyone I have ever known. I know you can get us out of this one.” Sam bit her lip. “We have to do this - Henry’s counting on us.”
There was another shuddering explosion, as a huge chunk of the pod tore away and went spinning past the observation window. Jack fell backwards, slamming into the wall and taking Sam with him. “Sir,” she coughed. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Escape pods,” Jack suggested.
Sam shook her head. “They’re jammed in.”
“Can we at least use them to protect us from the impact?” he asked.
Sam pushed herself away from Jack, stumbling back to the control panel. “Maybe,” she murmured. Her eyes were on the sensors, her hands quickly at the keys fiddling with the few knobs and buttons that were still working. “We’re still coming in way too fast. The engines are on three times normal output, there’s no way we can withstand that kind of force.”
“So slow us down.” Jack said, bending over her shoulder, trying to make sense of the readings.
“I can’t,” Sam said. “Manual controls are all gone. I can’t shut the engines off. The only thing that’s going to slow us down is….” She trailed off, suddenly slamming her fingers over the keys again. “I can still control the hatch release,” she said.
“How does that help?” Jack asked. “We’re going into re-entry. The atmosphere will tear us apart.”
“Exactly,” Sam cried. “If we speed that up, the engines will be ripped apart, and hopefully, the friction from re-entry will slow us down enough. If we get in the escape pods, we might just weather the impact.” She turned around to face him, their bodies now flush against each other again. “There’s only one problem. There’s only two pods.”
Jack looked down at her. “Which button releases the hatch?” he asked.
Sam pointed to a big green button, the plastic half melted by the heat. “It takes half a second for the safety to unlock - if it still works at all.”
Jack pulled himself away from her and moved to the controls. “Get your dad in a pod. You’re in the other one.”
“Jack,” Sam cried, her voice breaking. It drove the air out of his lungs to hear her. “I’m not leaving you.”
“You’re damn right,” he said sternly, turning to look her in the eyes. “You get your dad in the pod, then I’m coming in with you.”
Sam looked into his eyes, searching for some sign of rash heroism. But Jack planned to be as good as his word. He was ready to be the hero - but he wasn’t ready to give her up. “Ok,” she said. She sprang to action, unclipping her unconscious father and dragging him from his seat.
Jack opened the pod doors, and Sam bundled Jacob into one. She shut the door on him and then slid into the other. “Ready?” he called.
“When you are,” she called back.
Jack took a breath, and slammed his hand down on the green button. It was hot, and it burnt his palm. There was a loud roaring whoosh as the side hatch opened up and the atmosphere came rushing in. The force nearly knocked Jack off his feet. He struggled to stay up right, grabbing for a handhold on the opposite wall. The noise was terrible. Jack thought his eardrums would burst any second. The smoke and sparks still gushed around the chamber, stinging his eyes. He heard Sam’s voice over the clamour calling to him. He reached out towards her, grasping wildly for her hand. She found his wrist and held on as the roaring wind swept his feet from under him. There was another loud wrenching noise as part of the ship tore away and went spinning off. Jack just barely ducked his head in time.
He took Sam’s wrist in both his hands and pulled himself towards her, into the tiny escape pod. There was barely room for one of them, let alone two. Jack forced himself against her, the two of them pushed painfully against the hard metal walls. Jack tried not to breath to avoid crushing his chest against her. Sam pushed the manual lock and the door slid shut, grazing Jack’s shoulder as it closed. He held her tight as they hurtled towards the ground.
***
Jack stumbled through the event horizon first, tumbling onto the ramp in the gate room, too tired even to care that he was still wearing that ridiculous costume.
General Hammond noticed. “Jack, what are you-” he began, and then noticing Jack’s bruised arms and tired face, he faltered. “We got your distress call. Where are Jacob and Major Carter?”
“They’re coming,” he croaked. Jack scoured the room, looking for a little pink face in the jumble of waiting airmen and medical staff.
“Daddy!” Henrietta shrieked, appearing from between someone’s legs and rushing towards him. She vaulted at him, and Jack, tired as he was, caught her and swept her up into his arms clutching her to his chest.
“Hey baby girl,” he crooned, pressing his nose against her hair and breathing her in. “Boy am I glad to see you.”
Henrietta snuggled into his chest, wrapping her little arms around his neck. “I had the best time. Cassy let me watch Buffy with her all night and Aunty Janey gave us jello and popcorn! Where’s mommy? Did you bring me back a present?”
Jack smiled, marveling at how utterly carefree she was, while her parents had been fighting for their lives.
There was a slurping sound behind them, and a dull whoosh as Sam and Jacob stumbled through the gate and the event horizon collapsed behind them. Sam’s face lit up when she saw Henrietta was waiting for them.
Henry shrieked in delight and jumped from Jack’s arms. She ran straight for Jacob and latched onto his ankle, beaming up at him. “Grandpa!”
Jacob looked down in surprise at the little blond girl that was now clinging to his leg and hugging him excitedly. He looked up at Sam who stared back at him, biting her lip. “Sam, sweetheart,” he said in a strangled voice. “Who’s kid is this? And why is she calling me Grandpa?”
Sam swallowed. “Dad, I’ve got some news for you…”
***
Author: LexKitten
Previous Chapters: Prologue, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six
Chapter: Seven - Under Fire, In Perspective
In This Chapter: Rescue missions never do go right. But maybe the whole near-death-thing is just what Jack needs, to put things in perspective.
Rating: Teen
Spoilers/Set: Set early S7. No specific spoilers beyond S4ish.
A/N: Yay! Action scenes. These are seriously the hardest to write, but I love it when I’m done. I’m like “Wow! Just like a kung-fu movie”.
***
As much as Jack hated to admit it, Anise was right about the costumes. A dozen burly Jaffa approached them from across the docking bay, each wearing about as much as Jack was - cuffs, sandals, and a little blue cloth barely reaching the mid thighs. Jack looked around uncomfortably, trying to avoid staring at bronzed man-muscles or revolting symbiote pouch flaps.
“You ready?” Jack murmured under his breath. Beside him, Sam nodded her head a fraction. She kept her chin high and her shoulders square, but Jack could see the ends of her fingers curling up into her palms - a classic indicator of an internal Carter panic. “Just stay in character,” he said, his voice low and clam as he could manage. “Think evil thoughts.”
A hint of a smile flickered across the corners of her mouth, and her fingers relaxed.
The first prime hailed them, bowing low and respectfully. “Tal mal tiak. Mal we-ia. Kel Shak.”
Jack’s stomach went cold. They had only just stepped on board, and already their cover was about to be blown. Neither he or Carter spoke snake - and the Jaffa just stared, waiting for their answer. Internally, Jack cursed the Tok’Ra - damnit, they should have seen this one coming. The least they could have done was find a decent English-to-Goa’uld dictionary.
“Kel nok, Jaffa,” Sam blurted. Jack looked at her in surprise - Sam looked back, as shocked and confused as he was.
But it seemed to be the right answer. The first prime bowed low and greeted them - as planned - as Goa’uld allies. “Maphet, Anhur, we have been expecting you.”
“We were delayed,” Jack replied curtly. He kept his mouth in a sour grimace, trying to convey the egoism and contempt of a Goa’uld.
“My lord Ai’sha requires your presence,” the first prime informed them. “I will take you to her.”
Jack shot a momentary worried glance at Sam - they hadn’t prepared for an audience with Ai’sha. The plan - if you could call it a plan - was to get onto the ship and somehow slip away to find Jacob. Jack didn’t want to try their luck, fooling an actual Goa’uld.
“We endured a lot to get here,” Jack said hurriedly, trying to think on his feet and stay in character. “Show us to the guest quarters so we may rest, before we meet with Ai’sha.”
The first prime narrowed his eyes at Jack and repeated slowly, “My lord Ai’sha requires your presence. I will take you to her.”
Jack glanced at Sam, who shrugged helplessly. There was nothing they could do - this was Ai'sha's game now. “Right,” he said, swallowing back a lump in his throat. “Lead on.”
Four burly half-naked guards flanked them down the corridors - not close enough to overhear them, but close enough that Jack was acutely aware of their staff weapons.
“What was all that, with the snake-talk?” Jack asked Sam, murmuring out of the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t know you spoke Goa’uld.”
“I don’t,” Sam hissed, keeping her eyes on the corridor ahead. “But Jolinar did. It’s all in there, deep down. You and I probably have plenty of hidden skills buried in our memories. We just have to unearth them.”
Jack shuddered, his mind alternating between his memories of Sam’s possession, and the black part of his mind where he kept Kanan’s thoughts. “I prefer those memories buried. Six feet under kind of buried.”
As they went further down the maze of passageways from the dock, the decorations became more and more ridiculous. The walls were - in typical Goa’uld style - shiny gold. But Ai’sha had added large bronze sculptures, silk drapes, and brightly coloured flaming lamps just to reinforce the “hedonism” image. Jack was starting to feel like he fit in, with his skimpy b-grade Egyptian porno costume. And Carter, in all her glittery, veiled, soft skinned glory definitely looked like a middle-eastern princess under the firelight.
Jack looked away quickly, focusing on the wall ornaments again.
The Jaffa came to an abrupt halt, outside a veiled entranceway. “If you will wait,” one said. It wasn’t a question. The four guards pushed the curtain aside and slipped into the chamber, leaving Jack and Sam alone.
“I wish we’d brought some weapons,” Jack lamented, for the tenth or eleventh time.
“We’ll have to make do,” Sam said firmly.
“We’re too … exposed,” he muttered. Jack raised his shoulders tentatively, seeing how far he could stretch without disturbing his miniscule man-skirt. It wasn’t far. He hugged his arms over his bare chest, feeling more agitated by the second. It went against all his training to attempt such a suicidal mission, without so much as a pocketknife for protection. Anise had fitted them out with Goa’uld ribbon devices, but a fat lot of good that would do Jack. Sam didn’t look too confident with hers either.
Jack, feeling someone’s eyes on him, glanced sideways at Sam. She was staring, her held tilted slightly to the side and her eyes gazing unfocused, at his midriff. She looked up when he turned to her, and hurriedly looked away. “Sorry,” she squeaked.
Jack felt his ears getting warm. “Carter, were you just-”
But he didn’t get a chance to ask - just then the guards flung back the curtains announcing loudly, “Lord Ai’sha will see you now.”
Jack instinctively moved in front of Sam as they entered unknown territory - though without a weapon there wasn’t much he could do to protect her. Ai’sha’s lair looked like something out of Aladdin and the forty thieves - there were gigantic satin cushions strewn everywhere, long gold curtains descending from the ceiling, bowls of grapes, strawberries and chocolate - and a whole lot of half-naked Jaffa lounging around like Calvin Klein models. It was definitely one of the more bizarre Goa’uls ships Jack had ever seen. There certainly wasn’t any tactical advantage to all this extravagance - unless Ai’sha planned to seduce her enemies into submission. Then again, Jack thought, remembering Hathor with a shudder, that tactic wasn’t out of the question for the Goa’uld. Still, Ai’sha certainly deserved credit for commitment to her character - she wasn’t doing this “Goddess of Hedonism” thing by halves.
At the far end of the room, the cushions rose into an elevated throne, surrounded by a dozen fawning Jaffa. In the centre was Ai’sha herself: slim, olive-skinned, and of course wearing the most flamboyant costume of sequins and feathers. She looked like a Vegas dancer that had lost her chorus line.
“The eye-shadow’s too much,” Jack whispered to Sam. “Makes the whole outfit look tacky.”
Sam grinned and bit her bottom lip. “You’re not helping me stay in character, Sir,” she hissed.
“Anhur, Maphet,” Ai’sha crooned silkily from her perch. “So nice of you to finally join us.”
“We were attacked by rebel Jaffa, oh great Ai’sha,” Jack replied, in what he hoped was a passable impression of a grovelling Goa’uld.
“Yes, I was informed,” Ai’sha purred, slinking down from her pillows and pacing towards them. “I see you have taken new hosts. Maphet, you have done exceptionally well.” She reached out a hand, swathed in a glimmering ribbon-device, and ran her gold fingertips along Sam’s chin. To Sam’s credit, she didn’t flinch at all, and even managed to force a sickly sweet smile. Beside her, Jack had to fight to keep himself in check. Seeing that snake’s weapon hand pressed against Sam’s cheek sent shudders of fear and anger down his spine - but for the moment, there was nothing he could do.
As if sensing his burning focus on her, the Goa’uld turned her attention to Jack. Her eyes raked over him like a wild cat considering it’s prey. Languidly, she raised her hand to his shoulder, running her fingers over a half-healed scar from SG1’s most recent near disaster. “This one is damaged,” she noted. “But the body underneath is strong. A sarcophagus will heal these imperfections.” She looked up at Jack from under impossibly long lashes, her eyes sparkling manically. “I have one in my private quarters, if you would like to use it.”
Jack fought to keep the disgust from showing on his face. “Uh, Maybe later.”
Ai’sha shrugged, lazily dragging a finger across his chest as she began to circle them. “I suppose you have heard that I too recently suffered a setback in my plans.”
“No, my lord,” Sam supplied quickly, with just a hint of eagerness mixed into her adoring tone. “We have heard nothing since our absence.”
Ai’sha’s eyes flicked to Sam. She continued to pace around them, glaring carefully. “The Tok’ra sabotaged my attack on the Tau'ri gate. But I will have my revenge on them both.”
“Oh?” Jack said, trying to keep his voice light. “What’s your plan?”
Ai’sha stalked in front of them again, her narrow slit eyes darting between their faces. “The Tau'ri are not as powerful as they believe themselves to be,” she hissed, her eyes flashing yellow with anger. “And they have one fatal weakness.”
“Weak human bodies?” Jack suggested.
Ai’sha sneered, pulling her painted lips back to expose her sharp white teeth. She reached out her gloved hand to stroke Sam’s ear. “It’s their insolence,” she hissed.
There was a sudden ripple across the room as the Jaffa snapped to attention, their hands flying to weapons concealed beneath the cushions and curtains. Jack took a step closer to Sam, but Ai’sha pushed him back, slamming her palm into his bare chest. “How dare you think you could fool me,” she seethed. “From the moment you stepped on to my ship I knew the truth. I am all-knowing, all-seeing. I am your God.”
In one fluid movement, she knocked Sam to her knees and blasted an energy beam from her palm into Sam’s skull. Sam cried out, clamping her eyes closed in agony.
Jack roared as adrenaline exploded into his veins. He made a dive for the Goa’uld, slamming into her chest full force and sending them both crashing to the ground in a flurry of feathers and sequins. He heard Sam suck in a deep shuddering gasp as the ribbon-device beam was severed from her mind. Jack knew he only had seconds before a Jaffa staff-blast took him out. He slammed his forearm against Ai’sha’s wind-pipe - hoping desperately that if he could just hurt this snake enough, Sam might be able to escape in the commotion. “Let her go, and I won’t kill you,” he said, through gritted teeth.
There was a loud smack, followed by a defining thud. Jack looked up in time to see Sam, having already knocked down one Jaffa with a high kick, snatch his staff weapon from the air and spin it around to knock out two others. The sparkly crown came spinning off her head as she ducked away from the Jaffa, gold material whirling around her. Jack watched the scene in slow-motion, thinking that it looked for all the world like an oriental ballet.
The glance only took half a second, but that was all Ai’sha needed. She managed to pull an arm free, and wrenched Jack off her, pinning him down. His head hit the ground with a hard smack, sending shudders through his skull. Upside-down, he saw Sam spin the heavy staff under her arm and aim it directly at Ai’sha. “Get back, or I’ll shoot,” she barked.
Ai’sha held her gloved hand ominously above Jack’s forehead. “If you move, I will kill him.”
The gold scarves settled down over Sam like descending leaves as she held her breath, considering her options. She looked from Ai’sha’s manically smiling face, down to Jack pinned beneath her. Sam’s eyes were wide with fear, her lips parted slightly ready to murmer his name. He knew what she was thinking - and he couldn’t let her do it. “Carter, shoot,” he ordered. “Don’t think about me, just shoot-”
Suddenly, Jack’s head exploded with pain. Ai’sha’s ribbon device fired up before his eyes sending a jolt of light directly into his brain. It felt like the fibres of his skull were taring apart and becoming sharp jagged knives, stabbing into his flesh. The pain was unbearable; he felt every muscles in his body shaking in agony. He tried to get away, to push her off, to shut his eyes, but he couldn’t control anything. He was paralysed with the pain. A roar broke from his lips ringing through his bones.
“Ok,” Sam shouted, her voice echoing in Jack’s ears over the screaming in his head. “Stop. Just let him go.” He forced his throbbing eyes backwards, in time to see Sam release the staff weapon from her grasp, the stick falling to the ground with a dull clatter. She threw up her arms, as a pack of Jaffa descended on her.
The pain in his head suddenly stopped, as Ai’sha released him. “Take them to the holding cells,” she barked.
Four Jaffa wrestled Sam to the ground, kneeing her hard in the side as they pushed her down. She caught Jack’s eye as she stumbled forward, looking at him with a mix of guilt and relief. Jack reached out his hand towards her, though he was far too far away to reach her. “This day just keeps getting better and better,” he wheezed.
***
The Jaffa didn’t bother to restrain them at all; the threat of four staff weapons was enough to keep Jack and Sam trudging along between their guards. Jack’s ears were still wringing, and he felt like he might throw up, but for the most part the two of them were ok. Now, they just needed a way out of here.
“I should’ve fired,” Sam whispered from behind him, her voice low.
Jack shook his head, glancing over his shoulder at his 2IC. She had her head down, her eyes trained on her feet, shuffling forward. “It wasn’t your fault, Carter,” he said. “This was a bad plan to begin with.
“I had her,” Sam cursed quietly. “I could have got her I just - ” she faltered, her voice cracking faintly. “I couldn’t watch her hurt you.”
Jack felt his bad knee buckle beneath him at the sound of her voice. He stumbled, but kept upright, trying to steady himself and his spinning head. “S’ok,” he mumbled hoarsely. “I would have done the same thing.”
Now wasn’t the time for regrets. What they needed now was an escape plan. They were out-numbed two to one, and the Jaffa had weapons. Jack and Sam had nothing but the flimsy disguises the Tok’ra had given them. Unless…
Jack slowed slightly, and reached behind him to clasp Sam’s hand in his own. The gold metal plates wrapped around their fingers bumped together with a soft clink. “There’s always a way out, Carter,” he whispered. “It’s like you said - you've got plenty of hidden talents. They’re just buried.”
“Yes sir,” Sam said, squeezing his hand. He could feel her pulse racing in her wrist, pressed against his own. He could only hope she understood what he was trying to say.
“No touching!” the guards barked, thrusting their staff weapons forward and pushing Jack and Sam apart.
“Gimme a break,” Jack grumbled. “Can’t a guy get a little sentimental, before he’s put to death?”
The head guard thrust his staff weapon under Jack’s chin and pushed him to the wall. “You were making escape plans,” he accused.
Jack kept his eyes on Sam, nodding his head as far as he could to give her the signal. “What plans? Oh, you mean like this one?” Sam suddenly raised her hand, palm outstretched, and fired off a blasting beam of light right into the Jaffa’s side, sending him flying. Jack grabbed hold of his staff-weapon just in time to yank it from his hands as he sailed backwards. The three remaining guards scrambled to aim their weapons, but Carter was too quick for them. She knocked down a second guard, the force slamming him against the roof before he fell limply to the floor.
The remaining guards turned their weapon on her, but Jack was ready. He swung the staff around, slamming one Jaffa under the chin. As he stumbled backwards, Jack fired a blast straight at his bare chest.
A staff-weapon blast clipped Jack’s ear as the fourth Jaffa misfired, his weapon knocked from his hands by a swift kick from Sam. She spun around instantly, wielding her palm like a rifle and sent him flying with a final bolt of energy.
Jack gaped at her, thinking for the second time how much she looked like a martial arts princess in that crazy costume. “Damn Carter,” he breathed, “have I ever told you how good you look kicking ass?” He bit his tongue as soon as he said it, wondering if he’d hit his head harder than he thought when Ai’sha knocked him down.
Sam blushed and grinned at him. “Um, Thanks sir.” She picked up a fallen staff-weapon, arming herself properly. “I’m just glad that worked. I wasn‘t sure I could do that.”
Jack flashed her a quick grin, his lungs swelling with pride. “Carter, I never doubted you for a second.” He straightened up and looked around. “We can’t be far from the holding cells,” he reasoned. He motioned for her to follow, and lead the way down the corridor, knowing they had only minutes before their escape was discovered.
The corridor led straight to the holding facilities. The outer door slid back easily, revealing a row of iron bar cells. At first, Jack thought they were all empty, till he heard Sam cry out and rush to the last cell. Jacob was slumped down against the wall, the side of his head bloody and bruised. He wasn’t moving.
“Dad? Dad,” Sam cried desperately, reaching through the bars and shaking his shoulder roughly. His head lolled to the side sickeningly, the muscles in his neck completely slack. Sam clamped a hand over her mouth, choking back a sob. “Oh God, dad.”
Jack rushed her to her side and threw both arms around her shoulders before he could think better of it. She curled into him, pressing her face against his chest to avoid looking at the bloody lump in the cell. “We’re too late,” she whispered. Jack cursed under his breath, crushing her against his fiercely thumping heart.
There was a barely audible gurgle from inside the cell, and Jacob opened his eyes. “Jack…” he mumbled through a swollen lip. “Get your hands off my daughter.”
“Dad,” Sam gasped, throwing her arms through the bars and clutching her father’s face in her hands. “I’m so glad you’re ok. I thought you were….”
“I nearly was,” Jacob wheezed. He tried to raise himself from the floor, but the effort was too much and he fell back with a strangled cry. “Not that I don’t love seeing you sweetheart, but what the hell are you doing here? You know this is a Goa’uld ship, right?”
“We’re mounting a rescue,” Jack said, giving Jacob a wry smile. Jacob’s eyes slid down from Jack’s face to his arms, still latched around Sam’s waist. Jack let her go and folded his arms self-consciously behind his back. “So, ready to be rescued?” he asked nervously, avoiding Jacob’s eyes.
Jacob pushed himself back onto his elbows so that his head was off the wall. “We’re not in good shape. Selmak’s doing her best, but right now it’s pretty hard to stay conscious.”
“It’s ok,” Sam said soothingly, patting his bloody forehead. “You rest and we’ll get you out of here.”
Jack was already aiming his staff-weapon at the lock. “Cover your ears,” he warned. He fired off a blast, sending the whole door shuddering from it’s hinges. Jack rushed in and hoisted Jacob up, taking most of the man’s weight on his shoulders. “Someone probably heard that, we better get out of here. How far is the docking bay?”
“Too far,” Sam warned. “Especially if dad can’t walk. But I have an idea.”
They half carried Jacob between them out of the cell and down the corridor. Sam led the way through a maze of turns, following some pattern that Jack couldn’t recognise or understand. Finally, she stopped at a large hatch and flipped open a control panel on the wall.
“This is an emergency escape module,” she said, pointing to a sign written in Goa’uld. “Get the hatch open and get dad inside.”
Jack didn’t stop to question his 2IC; he’d know Sam long enough to trust her plans. She busied herself with the wall panel, moving wires around, snapping and reconnecting things. She pulled a panel off her staff-weapon, and pulled out the power crystal, inserting it into the maze of wires.
Jack got the hatch open, and discovered a miniature Goa’uld ship inside the module, complete with two chairs at the control panel. He lowered Jacob into one chair, strapped him in, and went back for Sam.
“Carter, ready?” he hissed. There was a loud bark over the intercom above them, and then a whinging alarm sounded all over the ship. “C’mon, they know we’ve escaped.”
Sam kept her eyes on her work, her hands pulling and prodding and reconnecting the wires inside. “Just a minute more.”
The sound of heavy footfalls and gruff shouts echoed to them from the end of the corridor. The Jaffa were on their trail. It would only take them another thirty seconds if that to reach the escape pod. It was now or never. “Carter, c’mon.”
Sam slammed the control panel shut and bashed a few buttons on the wall control. “Right, lets go.” She threw herself into the escape module and Jack wrenched the door shut behind her.
“That system leads straight into the power mainframe,” Sam said, as she started to power up the controls. “I re-wired the system so it’ll back up and overload the naquadah core of the ship.”
“So, it’s a bomb?”
Sam looked back at him and grinned. “Exactly.”
Jack clapped her on the shoulder, squeezing her bare skin under his rough palm. “Good thinking,” he grinned, feeling his heart swell in his chest. Thank God for Carter - always one step ahead of the bad guys.
There was a loud roaring rumbling as their engines grumbled into life and they pulled away from the main ship. Jack stood by Sam, watching their progress on the sensor screen in front of them. “They’ve detected our take-off,” she said, as the huge red blip on the screen started to flash ominously. Sam cranked up the power, sending their escape pod shuddering forward. “We need to get further away, or we’ll be hit by the blast when their core explodes.”
Jack pointed out the small window to a bluish blob a little way in front of them. “Is that a planet down there?” He squinted through the glass. “Think it has a gate?”
“I’m banking on it,” Sam said, “This pod can’t get to hyperspace.”
The angry red blip on the screen got bigger, and started whinging at them. “They’re firing up their weapons,” Sam lent forward, willing their little craft to go faster. “If they hit our propulsion systems, we’re done for. We’ve got to get further away.”
Jack lent forward over her, his heart slamming against his ribs as fear and adrenaline sent every muscle in his body mad with panic. He gripped Sam’s shoulder roughly. She was hot and tense, just like he was. His veins pulsed with the familiar rush of excitement and fear that he always got whenever SG1 attempted something crazy. But there was something else too. A new fear - or maybe one that he’d always had, but he’d always tried to fight. He held on to Sam’s arm, afraid to let her go.
The sensor-screen was almost consumed by the bright red light now. It blinked angrily, the little whining alarm getting louder and louder. Then, a second alarm started. “Brace yourself, they’re firing,” Sam cried.
Jack flung both his arms around her and held her against the pilot’s seat, bracing himself to stay clinging there for the impact. The blast hit them in the side sending the ship into a dizzying tailspin. Jack held on for dear life as the impact knocked him down. Jacob lunched forward in his chair, the buckles holding tight.
Sparks erupted from the damaged side of the ship, cascading down the controls and sparking little fires. Jack sprang to his feet looking for something to put them out with.
Sam was at the controls, assessing the damage. “They took out the shield capacitor on the left side. Trajectory controls are damaged too. We’ve got serious structural damage, but the hull’s holding. Damnit,” she swore as more damage reports surface on the sensor screen. “The escape pods are jammed in. The only way we’re getting out of here is if we can land this thing. And with the controls in this shape…”
The red blip was back on the sensor screen, closing in on them. “Is that the mother ship?” Jack asked.
“Yes, and it’s closing fast.” Sam jammed the throttle forward, and the whole pod started shuddering with the effort. “They’re going to blow any second. We’ve got to get further away before-”
Suddenly, there was an ear splitting roar overhead, followed by a rumbling blast that sent their vessel tumbling forward. Fire erupted from the walls, the control panel, the ceiling. Jack was thrown backwards by the blast. He slammed painfully into the back wall cracking his skull against the metal. Then everything went black.
When he came to, the entire ship was engulfed in smoke. Red flashing lights pulsated from every wall.
Jack staggered forwards, sparks spraying down over his shoulders. “Carter?”
“Here, Sir,” Sam called over the cacophony of screeching instruments. He could just make her out, slumped over the control panel cradling her head. “Dad?”
Jack staggered to the co-pilot’s seat, where Jacob was still strapped in. The wound on his head had started to bleed again and he was out cold. Jack grabbed his wrist. His pulse was faint, but it was there.
“He’s unconscious, but he’ll be ok. What’s going on?” Jack coughed. The control panel was a mess of sparks and busted metal. Only half of it was still functioning.
“The mother ship exploded,” Sam said. “We were too close to the blast. I’m reading serious engine damage, our power core is firing on twice the usual level, we’re going way too fast.” She tried out a few buttons on the control panel. One of them exploded in a flurry of sparks when she touched it. Sam pulled her hand back sharply. “All the manual flight controls are down.”
Jack put a firm hand on her arm, trying to keep her from panicking. “Where are we headed?”
Sam looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear. “Sir, we’re going to be sucked down towards with planet. Without any kind of atmospheric shields. It’s going to tear us apart.”
Jack could feel her arm shaking under his hand. She was breathing hard, breathing in far too much smoky air. Jack looked into her face firmly, trying to snap her out of her panic. She was the only one who could get them out of this. “Tell me what to do to fix it,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm while struggling to be heard over the cacophony of explosions.
Sam stood up shakily, grabbing hold of his arms as a shuddering explosion knocked them both sideways. “Jack, I can’t get us out of this.”
Jack shook his head, blood pulsing in his ears. “No, Carter, c’mon think,” he commanded. “There’s got to be some way-”
“There isn’t,” she cried. “The controls are completely fried. We’re going to slam straight into that planet.” She held onto his arms, her nails digging into his skin.
Jack looked down at her. Her eyes were red, wide, and desperate. She has a cut on her forehead that was starting to bleed, little trickles of red blood smearing into her skin and hair. Her bottom lip was shaking. Maybe she was going into shock. Jack felt his own muscles tensing, his lungs labouring, gasping at the smoky air. They weren’t supposed to die like this, not now, not yet. But if Sam couldn’t save them, who could? “Are you telling me, we’re going to die?”
Tears suddenly slipped from her eyes, staining her cheeks. Sam couldn’t speak; she opened her mouth, bottom lip trembling, but no words came out.
Jack felt a sudden surge of adrenaline take hold. He felt something bubble up inside, starting in his chest and charging through his veins till every muscle in his body was crying out. He drew in a shuddering breath, maybe his last, and lifted Sam off the ground pulling her towards him. “If we’re going to die,” he said, “I’m not holding back anymore.”
And he kissed her; roughly, angrily, desperately. He felt her hot tears on his face as their cheeks rubbed together. Sam kissed him back, her soft mouth searing against his rough lips. She clawed at his shoulders, pulling him down against her. She was almost all bare skin, pressed against his own. And if Jack had any coherent thoughts at all, he thought how damned ironic it was that he finally Sam Carter, half naked in his arms - and they were about to die.
This wasn’t how he wanted things to turn out. He wanted to marry this woman, not just kiss her as they hurtled to their deaths. He wanted to grow old with her, have a family with her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her - and he wanted that life to be more than the next five minutes.
And that’s when he remembered Henry.
Jack pulled roughly away from Sam with a roar. “No!” he barked. “We’re not going to let this happen. We are not going to die. Not now.”
“Sir,” Sam murmured, staring in frightened bewilderment. “There’s nothing…”
Jack stared down at her, holding her close to his chest. “Carter, you’ve come up with more brilliant, crazy, physics-deifying plans than anyone I have ever known. I know you can get us out of this one.” Sam bit her lip. “We have to do this - Henry’s counting on us.”
There was another shuddering explosion, as a huge chunk of the pod tore away and went spinning past the observation window. Jack fell backwards, slamming into the wall and taking Sam with him. “Sir,” she coughed. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Escape pods,” Jack suggested.
Sam shook her head. “They’re jammed in.”
“Can we at least use them to protect us from the impact?” he asked.
Sam pushed herself away from Jack, stumbling back to the control panel. “Maybe,” she murmured. Her eyes were on the sensors, her hands quickly at the keys fiddling with the few knobs and buttons that were still working. “We’re still coming in way too fast. The engines are on three times normal output, there’s no way we can withstand that kind of force.”
“So slow us down.” Jack said, bending over her shoulder, trying to make sense of the readings.
“I can’t,” Sam said. “Manual controls are all gone. I can’t shut the engines off. The only thing that’s going to slow us down is….” She trailed off, suddenly slamming her fingers over the keys again. “I can still control the hatch release,” she said.
“How does that help?” Jack asked. “We’re going into re-entry. The atmosphere will tear us apart.”
“Exactly,” Sam cried. “If we speed that up, the engines will be ripped apart, and hopefully, the friction from re-entry will slow us down enough. If we get in the escape pods, we might just weather the impact.” She turned around to face him, their bodies now flush against each other again. “There’s only one problem. There’s only two pods.”
Jack looked down at her. “Which button releases the hatch?” he asked.
Sam pointed to a big green button, the plastic half melted by the heat. “It takes half a second for the safety to unlock - if it still works at all.”
Jack pulled himself away from her and moved to the controls. “Get your dad in a pod. You’re in the other one.”
“Jack,” Sam cried, her voice breaking. It drove the air out of his lungs to hear her. “I’m not leaving you.”
“You’re damn right,” he said sternly, turning to look her in the eyes. “You get your dad in the pod, then I’m coming in with you.”
Sam looked into his eyes, searching for some sign of rash heroism. But Jack planned to be as good as his word. He was ready to be the hero - but he wasn’t ready to give her up. “Ok,” she said. She sprang to action, unclipping her unconscious father and dragging him from his seat.
Jack opened the pod doors, and Sam bundled Jacob into one. She shut the door on him and then slid into the other. “Ready?” he called.
“When you are,” she called back.
Jack took a breath, and slammed his hand down on the green button. It was hot, and it burnt his palm. There was a loud roaring whoosh as the side hatch opened up and the atmosphere came rushing in. The force nearly knocked Jack off his feet. He struggled to stay up right, grabbing for a handhold on the opposite wall. The noise was terrible. Jack thought his eardrums would burst any second. The smoke and sparks still gushed around the chamber, stinging his eyes. He heard Sam’s voice over the clamour calling to him. He reached out towards her, grasping wildly for her hand. She found his wrist and held on as the roaring wind swept his feet from under him. There was another loud wrenching noise as part of the ship tore away and went spinning off. Jack just barely ducked his head in time.
He took Sam’s wrist in both his hands and pulled himself towards her, into the tiny escape pod. There was barely room for one of them, let alone two. Jack forced himself against her, the two of them pushed painfully against the hard metal walls. Jack tried not to breath to avoid crushing his chest against her. Sam pushed the manual lock and the door slid shut, grazing Jack’s shoulder as it closed. He held her tight as they hurtled towards the ground.
***
Jack stumbled through the event horizon first, tumbling onto the ramp in the gate room, too tired even to care that he was still wearing that ridiculous costume.
General Hammond noticed. “Jack, what are you-” he began, and then noticing Jack’s bruised arms and tired face, he faltered. “We got your distress call. Where are Jacob and Major Carter?”
“They’re coming,” he croaked. Jack scoured the room, looking for a little pink face in the jumble of waiting airmen and medical staff.
“Daddy!” Henrietta shrieked, appearing from between someone’s legs and rushing towards him. She vaulted at him, and Jack, tired as he was, caught her and swept her up into his arms clutching her to his chest.
“Hey baby girl,” he crooned, pressing his nose against her hair and breathing her in. “Boy am I glad to see you.”
Henrietta snuggled into his chest, wrapping her little arms around his neck. “I had the best time. Cassy let me watch Buffy with her all night and Aunty Janey gave us jello and popcorn! Where’s mommy? Did you bring me back a present?”
Jack smiled, marveling at how utterly carefree she was, while her parents had been fighting for their lives.
There was a slurping sound behind them, and a dull whoosh as Sam and Jacob stumbled through the gate and the event horizon collapsed behind them. Sam’s face lit up when she saw Henrietta was waiting for them.
Henry shrieked in delight and jumped from Jack’s arms. She ran straight for Jacob and latched onto his ankle, beaming up at him. “Grandpa!”
Jacob looked down in surprise at the little blond girl that was now clinging to his leg and hugging him excitedly. He looked up at Sam who stared back at him, biting her lip. “Sam, sweetheart,” he said in a strangled voice. “Who’s kid is this? And why is she calling me Grandpa?”
Sam swallowed. “Dad, I’ve got some news for you…”
***