Of Rescue Missions and Invasions - Chapter 2
*Chapter 2: a chance Encounter.
“Have fun traveling back through all of these trees,” Jack cheerfully said, slapping Teal’c on the back. “Course, I wouldn’t mind traveling back with you, but someone has to keep an eye on the kids.”
“If it wasn’t for the fact that we personally have to report, I’d stay to make sure that your team gets out of trouble,” George said.
“Hey, Team T gets into as much trouble as we do, they just don’t look as cheerful as we do when they do so,” Jack protested. “But they blow up just as much stuff as we do.”
“Yeah, but that is all in the name of science, yours is all in the name of explosions,” Sam said. She turned to team Sekka. “That reminds me, do you think you can head to the temple to get some things for me when you get back to Suna? I’ve been working on a project that is almost done and I could use some more charges than I currently have for my stun guns.”
“Sure,” Janet replied.
“Thanks. This will tell you what to look for,” Sam said as she handed a piece of paper to Janet.
“All right, let’s go,” Sekka called out as he and the rest of the Jounin teachers arrived. The group exchanged goodbyes once more and set off.
Although they didn’t have to worry about reaching their destination at an assigned date, team Sekka still traveled as fast as they could on their way back to Suna. They were only monitored for the first part of their journey home, something that they had to take note of in order to know how close the extra forces could get without alerting the Konoha scouts. George frowned as they raced along the forest path.
That was the only real reason why they were heading back to Suna. Toshiro had a summoning contract with hawks, after all, and he could have sent a report with the results. Even the thorny issue on their participation in the invasion didn’t need a direct answer as they would have been disposed of my any means that Toshiro deemed necessary if they had refused. George had the feeling that Baki would have called for their deaths if they had refused - something that he hadn’t mentioned when they were making their decision.
They reached Suna fairly quickly once they hit the desert. Even without Gaara with them, they found the desert easier to travel through. They had years of practice after all, but on firm land it was harder to keep old habits from resurfacing. Once at Suna, George joined Sekka in a meeting with the Kazekage to make a formal report. George often ended up being the spokes person for SG1, mainly because he had the most experience in dealing diplomatically with higher ups. Jack also could do it if he wanted to, but Jack hated that sort of thing and happily left it to George.
The Kazekage didn’t care about their decision all that much; he seemed to be more interested in the observations made of Konoha. George left as soon as the Kazekage dismissed him, heading to the apartments that SG1 shared.
“Sekka says that we have an hour or so before we head back, but he’ll meet us at the temple,” George said as he entered the two room apartment that he shared with Teal’c. Janet lived with the other two girls, but enough stuff had accumulated in her teammates’ apartment that she was there repacking her back instead of being back at her place.
“Plenty of time to find the stuff that the others are looking for,” Janet said. “At least Daniel will be distracted enough that he didn't really asked for anything.”
“I just hope Jack gets him to focus on the exams in front of him instead of the research he could do,” George said. He already had a second away bag packed, but he still had to transfer some items over to the new bag. Teal’c left his own room holding his own bag, having just done the same thing. George finished at about the same time that Janet finished her preparations. He stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. “Did you get the stuff that they wanted from here?”
“Indeed,” Teal’c replied.
George nodded his head, having expected that answer. “Then let’s head to the temple.”
George led the way out of the apartment building and through the market place that was near it. They left through the gates and headed down the familiar route that lead to the temple. What used to take them a day's travel in the beginning now took about fifteen minutes with the help of their chakra. Teal’c stopped the minute he could clearly make out the door and George stopped as well, squinting to try and make out what had Teal’c so alert.
“What is it?” Janet asked, already forming a sign with her fingers to wrap a genjutsu around them.
“The door is open. Someone is there,” Teal’c said, shifting his staff to a better hold.
George gripped the handle of his own short sword and drew it, grabbing a hold of a Kunai in his pouch. “Let’s go see who it is, then.”
Confident in Janet’s genjutsu, George allowed Teal’c to take point and followed close after him. Janet hung back as their attack plan called for. She had their backs if either of them needed any help.
In all of the time that SG1 had lived in Suna, no one had ever managed to track them back to the temple; though some of the Genins had tried. To date, the only ones who knew where the temple was located were Gaara, his siblings, Toshiro, Sekka and the other Jounin who had rescued them when Daniel had been sick. Since that time, only the siblings, Toshiro, and Sekka had been back to the temple. The other Jounin probably still remembered the existence of the temple, but would have no reason to go there.
They reached the temple and George gave them time to take a deep breath before they slipped inside the building. Knowing that the genjutsu would probably still hold, George took a moment to assess the situation before attacking. Teal’c realized a second before George and slightly relaxed. George kept his sword out, but let go of the kunai and relaxed his fighting stance. He didn't completely let his guard down. While he doubted it was possible, there still was a chance that the adult SG1 members exploring the room were imposters.
“”I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” George spoke up as the adult Sam Carter reached out towards Sam’s current risky experiment. “It’s liable to explode.”
“Who’s there?” the man who looked as George would imagine that Cam would look like in a couple of years exclaimed. Mitchell swept his gun around, his eyes going right over where George and Teal’c were standing.
George nodded to himself; that confirmed that they were not Shinobi under genjutsu. Janet’s genjutsu was good, but it would have held up against people skilled enough to appear as adult SG1 members. “Who are you? And what is your purpose here?” George asked. Janet slipped into the room and raised her eyebrows in surprise as she moved to watch behind Teal’c.
“We’re peaceful explorers from another universe,” Doctor Jackson said, sounding cautious. “We heard that some of our people were sent here accidentally and we are hoping to rescue them. Um, my name is Daniel Jackson, can you show yourselves?”
George raised his eyebrow. “Some of your people were accidentally sent here?”
“They would appear as kids, maybe as old as teenagers? It shouldn’t have been too long since they showed up, I believe,” Carter said. “But I haven’t finished gathering enough data to give you an exact timeline.”
“And how would your children come to this world?” Janet asked, shifted to a new position after that.
“Two of our allies went rogue and sent them here to hide them,” Mitchell said. He swept his gun around. “Now, we answered your questions, so can you show yourselves and answer ours?”
“They’re hiding in the shadows somehow,” Mal Doran commented, her eyes close to resting on where George was standing.
George shifted further away from her gaze and then nodded at Janet. Teal’c shifted to further cover her and they prepared for an attack. Janet moved her fingers into a sign and called out, “Kai.” The genjutsu dropped around them, but the attack didn't come. Instead, the adult SG1 stared at them.
“Whoa, where did you come from?” Mitchell asked as he finally locked in to Teal’c. George stepped forward, drawing their eyes.
“How do we know that you are who you say you are?” George asked. He eyed them before finally settled on something that clones shouldn't have. “Show us your GDOs.”
“How did you?” Carter started and then stopped; her eyes on a device. “You’re one of the clones.”
“What?” Mitchell asked, turning to Carter in surprise.
“Are you sure?” Doctor Jackson asked.
Carter held up the device. “They’re showing up as dots on this, which means that they’re who we are looking for.”
“George Hammond, Janet Fraiser and myself,” the adult Teal’c said.
“What?” Doctor Jackson and Carter chorused.
George nodded his head, gripping his short sword. “And you really are the originals?”
“We are,” Carter said. “We all have markers in our DNA that are supposed to prevent this sort of thing, but they have really good technology, so they were able to create,” she trailed off.
“They created us,” George said. Being a clone was something that they had gotten used to, though it hadn't had the same impact before.
“Right,” Carter said, looking a bit awkward. “They had to have taken your DNA earlier, which is probably why you’re that old.”
“I was fairly young when we first got here. It’s been a few years since then,” George said. Hearing Carter speak confirmed it in his mind and he lowered his short sword, but kept it out just in case.
“What?” Mitchell exclaimed.
“We know that time moved faster here, but a couple of years in only a couple of days is surprising,” Carter said.
“The others?” Doctor Jackson asked, looking worried.
“Are busy elsewhere," George said so that he wouldn't get the wrong idea. He snorted and shook his head. “Vala hit the nail right on the head; as soon as we gave up on a rescue one showed up.”
“We only just found out a couple of hours ago,” Doctor Jackson said.
“As soon as we got permission we came here to rescue you,” Mitchell said. He glanced at the door. “Are the others in any danger?”
George thought to himself; they were in the middle of a Chuunin exam and Shinobi life was dangerous on principle. He then shook his head. “As long as they keep out of trouble they should be fine.”
“That’s good,” Mitchell said, relaxing. “So, a couple of years, what did you guys do to pass the time?”
“Oh, this and that,” George said. He glanced at his watch and frowned. “We have some time to answer questions, but we should start gathering the stuff up.”
“Gathering the stuff up?” Mitchell asked.
“Sam asked for a couple of things, but not that project,” George said, nodding towards the one that Carter had almost touched. “One can only hope that she is trying not to repeat the same stunt as last time.”
“The same stunt as last time? What did I - she - do?” Carter asked.
“I think it’s still here.” George went over to one of the storage boxes and pulled out the blackened gun. He nodded and handed it over to Carter before moving to grab Cam’s extra pouch of kunai that he had wanted. He then eyed the black pouch that Vala had specified.
“This weapon is supposed to be an energy weapon; it seems to have drawn too much power and overloaded,” Carter commented.
“It knocked both her and her opponent out,” George replied. He held up the black pouch. “Speaking of explosions, does anyone know if this will cause one as well? Maybe I should hold onto it until Exam day.”
“I believe that will be wise,” Teal’c replied as he looked at the pouch. He then went back to packing up the few things that Jack had left behind. Janet also packed away things for Sam in her bag, consulting the list that had been given to her.
George looked around at the rest of the stuff scattered and nodded. “I think that’s everything.”
“You aren’t planning on coming back with us,” the adult Teal’c said.
“What?” Mitchell exclaimed. His confusion cleared up. “Because we have to get the others, right?”
“We will let them know, but we might not come back right away.” George looked at them. “We have our own lives here and we’re right in the middle of something important.”
“Too important for a rescue?” Mitchell asked.
George crossed his arms, tapping his short sword against his shoulder. “And what are you planning on doing with us when we go back? If it is better for us to stay here, then we need to do this.”
“Well, obviously you’re coming back to earth when we get back; documents for you are already being made, though we will have to fiddle with them,” Mitchell said. “I don't see how a place like this is any better.”
“Will we be able to join the SGC?” George asked.
“We’d have to talk about that later,” Mitchell said.
“We thought so. Now, listen, I’m just saying that we need to talk it through before deciding. We had pretty much given up hope on returning to earth, so now that the possibility is here, we have to figure it out.”
“There’s only a month to go until this part is over,” Janet said. “We have enough, I suppose, for you to stay here for that long.”
“You’re telling us to stay here?” Mitchell said. What about the others?”
“You can't expect us to stay here when we don’t even know where the others are or what they are doing,” Carter said.
“We can't take you guys with us; they aren’t even in this region. You look close enough to us that we could fool Suna, but Konoha will just be suspicious and think that we’re up to something,” George said. “No, you either have to go back for that time or stay here for now.”
“But,” Mitchell protested, but a shrill whistle cut him off. The three Chuunins’ heads turned towards the door.
“I’ll go head him off,” Janet said as she left the temple.
“Head who off?” Doctor Jackson asked.
Mal Doan slipped over to the door and peered out. “There’s some guy out there.”
“He’s our teacher and now is not the time to explain your presence,” George said. “Look, we’ll get in contact with you at some point, but for now, lay low?”
“We’ll stay out of sight,” Mal Doran said. George gave her a look before sighing. He started moving and Teal’c fell into place beside him. “I just have one more question before you go,” Mal Doran said before they could leave.
“What?” George asked, glancing down to where Janet and Sekka waited.
“What’s up with the weapon?” Mal Doran asked.
“I was wondering if any of you would mention it,” George said. He held the sword up for a moment before putting it back in its sheath. “The only ones who ever came to this place are all out of the nation, which means that there was a possibility of an attack. Now, we have to go or Sekka will be worried.” George nodded to SG1 and headed down to join his own team. He allowed himself to look back once before setting off across the desert, heading back to Konoha with the news.
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