XOVER: Changing of the Guard 5: Terms of Engagement 18/19 [PG13]
Ecolea (ecolea@wt.net)
Fri, 21 Jun 2002 00:21:03 -0500
Chapter 34
"So they are here!" Daniel exclaimed with relief.
"Yes," Nordovic responded. "But they are in grave danger should they be =
found."
"Such a predicament would not be unfamiliar," Teal'c commented, making =
Samantha smile as she picked away the stitching that held the lining of =
her coat.
"And the Goa'uld?" Carter asked. "Just how deeply are your people =
involved?"
Nordovic shook his head. "They know nothing of these creatures, and I =
know almost as little as they do. Had I not been Chief of Security =
aboard the flagship which brought the Ambassadors here, I would probably =
know nothing about them at all."
"They're parasites," Daniel told him. "Taking humans as hosts."
Nordovic nodded. "That I do know about them. This prison, which was once =
full, now stands empty. The prisoners taken to be like that one," he =
nodded at Teal'c, "Jaffa".
"Well that narrows the playing field somewhat," Daniel said =
thoughtfully. "Goa'uld don't generally show up and make a standing =
army."
"No, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c agreed. "They come well prepared to do =
battle -- with Jaffa. Any Goa'uld needing to create such a force would =
have to be completely without power, and therefore, subject to the =
System Lords and their allies."
"But this one came in stealth?" Daniel asked, looking to Nordovic.
"He did," the man responded. "From what I and others have been able to =
piece together, several months ago this creature came to Gallisia with =
one small, but very powerful ship. And weapons unlike any we have ever =
seen. A deal was forged. Under duress or not, I do not know. But he gave =
us technology and from what I see here," Nordovic looked at the empty =
cells surrounding them, "our leaders not only sold this Goa'uld our =
bodies, but our souls as well."
"Not if we have anything to say about it," Daniel muttered. "Right, Sam? =
Sam?" he repeated. "What are you doing?"
She grinned as she pulled the last thread away and slid what looked to =
be a small tape measure from the coat's inner lining. "Remember that =
short course on covert ops the colonel gave MacLeod and the others?"
Daniel shook his head. "Must have been before I joined you and Adam."
"Well this," she held up the tape measure, "is the latest in plastique."
The others stared at her in disbelief.
"General Hammond got hold of a very special sewing kit for me," she =
added, nimbly getting to her feet.
Carefully, Carter wound the tape around the locking mechanism then =
slipped the watch off her wrist, breaking the straps away. Smiling, she =
placed the watch face against the tape, it's magnetic backing holding it =
in place. That done, Samantha set the timer, quickly joining the others =
and moving them several feet away. A moment later the charge went off =
with a quiet hiss, disintegrating the entire lock -- allowing them to =
make their escape.
Chapter 35
Coming back to life from a sword thrust to the heart was painful enough. =
Looking into the burning, angry eyes of one Colonel Jack O'Neill added a =
whole new dimension to the term excruciating. Methos coughed up blood as =
O'Neill yanked him to his feet by the front of his shirt.
"You wanna tell me why I just got electrocuted and you didn't?" the =
colonel asked tightly.
"Not really," Methos croaked, wincing as O'Neill twisted the material =
even tighter.
"That wasn't multiple choice, Pierson. Silence is not an option." The =
Immortal swallowed hard still trying to catch his breath as O'Neill =
sighed disgustedly, releasing him with a none too gentle shove. "I'm one =
of you guys, right?"
"No," Methos whispered, wiping blood from his mouth. "Can you feel me?" =
Jack merely stared at him in utter silence until Methos finally smiled. =
"Sorry, that didn't come out right."
"You could say that," Jack agreed.
"Well, I can't feel you either," Methos explained.
"That's a comfort."
"Which means," Methos added, "you are definitely not Immortal."
"See, I knew that," O'Neill nodded. "No headaches, no buzzing, no coming =
back from the dead."
Methos glanced away, wishing he could be anywhere but here, having this =
particular conversation. "Two out of three isn't bad," he finally =
mumbled.
"Oh, no!" O'Neill insisted. "I did not come back from the dead. You and =
Cassandra..." Methos' expression gave him pause and Jack groaned in =
dismay. "I knew it! I just knew it! Tok'ra, you sliming bastard!" he =
shouted at the ceiling. "I knew you did something funny!"
"Jack!" Methos hissed, trying to calm him. "It's not what you think!"
"And what am I thinking, Pierson? That old Glow Ball screwed with my DNA =
perhaps?"
"He made you an Ancient, Jack, not an Immortal. The one and only Ancient =
in existence! He gave you his mantle, because he knew I wasn't capable." =
O'Neill stared at Methos in astonishment. "Why do you think no one at =
the conference said anything when you took his place at the council =
table? Because you are Tok'ra's rightful heir -- while I am merely the =
bastard offspring of some passing energy being's random notion."
"It's the hair, right?"
"No!" Methos groaned, finally wiping the blood from his sword and the =
grease paint from his face. "It's because... Well, because... You are =
who you are," he blurted. "Colonel Jack O'Neill. An honest man -- =
forthright and true to your principles -- even if it means you have to =
get your hands dirty. But above all, a warrior to the very core of your =
being."
"Then why didn't he just choose MacLeod?" Jack asked, truly befuddled. =
"Why screw up my life?"
"Because MacLeod doesn't carry the entire wisdom, knowledge and =
technical data base of the Ancients in his fuzzy, long haired head."
"I don't--" Jack broke off suddenly, turning pale. "The Asgard took that =
stuff out," he insisted.
Methos shook his head. "If you know anything about how the human brain =
functions then you must know that once a thing is learned it can never =
be unlearned, only access to the information blocked. The Asgard would =
have had to carve out a portion of your brain in order to eliminate the =
knowledge completely. You know them better than I do. Can you imagine =
they would do that?"
Jack stood quietly for a long moment then finally shook his head. "No. =
Besides, Doc Fraiser did a neuro work up on me as soon as I got back. It =
was normal."
"I know this is difficult for you," Methos went on. "And I really didn't =
want to have this conversation. At least not here, and not now," he =
added at O'Neill's sour expression. "And I really hate not being able to =
finish it, but I have information you need to know. Our friend there," =
he glanced toward the headless corpse, "was a rather talkative fellow."
"I'll bet he was," Jack said grimly as he turned away, heading for the =
antechamber, passing the bodies of the five guards Pashti had murdered.
Methos hurried to catch up. "He claimed they were holding Carter, Teal'c =
and Danny."
"I know."
"You--? Oh, right. You got his Quickening."
"Tell me about it," Jack muttered, as they took the rear stairs down. =
"Nice trick that Quickie business," he grumbled. "Info dump the size of =
Nebraska while being fried in the electric chair."
"Well, not quite like the chair," Methos commented absently, "but =
close."
O'Neill glanced dubiously over his shoulder as they reached the second =
landing, only to see Methos smile and shrug.
"Anyway," the colonel doggedly continued. "What I mostly got was that =
this guy was really, really old and--"
"Yes," Methos interrupted. "He was in the first group brought from =
Earth. One of the reasons he attacked me off holy ground." O'Neill =
glared back at him. "That really doesn't matter now, does it?" Methos =
winced.
"Not particularly," Jack told him. "What does matter is what I picked up =
at the end."
"Where Danny and the others are being held? The location of the =
Stargate?" Methos asked hopefully.
"Well, yeah," Jack admitted. "But something more important than either =
of those things."
"What's more important than rescuing our comrades and getting off this =
rock?"
"Oh, I don't know," Jack said cheerfully as they reached the door to the =
gardens. "Maybe the fact that there's a small cache of very nasty, very =
powerful weapons controlled by a Goa'uld I know, who just happens to be =
nearby. Both of which I feel a sudden, inexplicable urge to destroy."
Methos stared thoughtfully after the colonel as he went through the =
door. "I think I'm really going to hate him being all-powerful, =
all-knowing and omniscient," he muttered to himself.
"I heard that!"
Chapter 36
"Sam, I really think we'd stand a better chance of breaking in here =
again," Daniel complained to Carter, "if we went after Jack and Adam =
first."
"The colonel would want us to destroy those weapons before they can be =
used," Samantha responded. "He and Pierson can take care of themselves."
"You're both right," a familiar voice said from behind a tree making the =
four startled figures jump. "Hello, campers. Glad you could join us."
"Colonel," Carter smiled as he stepped into the soft rosy light of a new =
dawn. "I figured you'd try to meet up with us."
"Figured right, Major," O'Neill nodded. "And you must be?" he looked to =
the Gallisian officer standing beside Teal'c.
"Former Chief of Ship's Security for the Gallisia One, Yovan Nordovic, =
Ambassador."
"Former?" Methos asked, coming out of the shadows.
"He's the one who covered for you and Jack," Daniel explained. "We found =
him in prison for treason."
"We had a guardian angel?" Methos raised an eyebrow at Jack, who didn't =
seem impressed.
"Seeing you're here, I take it you met with Laliam?" Nordovic asked, =
getting back to the business at hand.
Jack and Methos glanced briefly at each other.
"I'm sorry," O'Neill told Nordovic, keeping his expression bland. =
"Sub-Minister Pashti killed his entire security force before we could =
make contact." Nordovic grew pale. "Must have known there was a mole, =
but not which one. But," he added, giving a gentle squeeze to the =
Gallisian's shoulder. "The good news is, Pashti may have won that =
battle, but he won't be joining us for the rest of the war."
Nordovic nodded stoically. "I appreciate your candor, sir. Has Lal's =
uncle been informed?"
Methos cleared his throat. "We couldn't find Nolly. And I don't think =
he'll need to be. By the time we left the area your security forces were =
already alerted. No doubt they'll assume the guards were killed to get =
at Pashti. A man of his...ambition...must have had made many enemies =
over the years."
Again Nordovic nodded. "I'm sure the government will find someone to =
blame."
"As long as it isn't us," Jack grimaced. "Pashti was double dealing =
everyone. Including the Goa'uld."
"I suspected he had some part in this," Nordovic confirmed. "But he was, =
in his own way, a loyal Gallisian. From what your comrades have told me, =
the Goa'uld could have destroyed our planet had we not bowed to their =
wishes."
"Possibly," Jack agreed. "But in this case, the Goa'uld in question =
needed Gallisia much more than Gallisia needed to fear him."
Leaving the question on everyone's lips unanswered, Jack turned away to =
survey the area, frowning in distaste at the familiar abandoned factory =
complex where they'd spent their first night. "Almost like coming home," =
he muttered wryly.
"Sir?" Carter queried.
"Nothing. It'll be in my report."
Methos pursed his lips in amusement. "And just how will you describe the =
smell?"
"Like you said, Hoboken -- on a hot summer's night in the seventies," =
the colonel retorted. "Now, can we please get on with this mission?"
***
Getting on with it turned out to be easier said than done. Still, well =
armed -- and already knowing the layout of the underground complex -- =
allowed the team's entry to go more smoothly than might have been =
expected. Besides, the Jaffa they met were all Gallisian conscripts, =
"liberated" from prisons or homeless shelters. Not men who'd spent years =
in training, even with whatever mind control device had been used to =
convince the men the Goa'uld were gods.
"Sir," Carter informed O'Neill as they headed down another corridor. =
"Just ahead is the point where they ambushed us."
The colonel nodded tightly. "They knew you were coming, so they baked a =
cake."
"And this time?" Daniel asked.
"This time it's our party. There should be a set of rings right around =
the corner there."
"How do you know?"
Methos grimaced wryly. "Don't ask. You don't want to know. Trust me, =
Danny." Jackson's brows lowered in consternation, but he said nothing as =
Methos offered him a brief smile of gratitude.
Jack frowned at the pair, leading the way until, sure enough, they came =
upon a set of transport rings.
Nearby, Teal'c activated the rings and hurried to join them.
"Going down?" O'Neill asked wryly as Sam pulled the novice Nordovic =
closer to the group.
An instant later they found themselves in a cavern deep below ground, =
facing a dozen Jaffa and one very angry Goa'uld.
"Nice to see ya again, Zippy," O'Neill said, throwing his sharpest blade =
and easily penetrating the personal force field Lord Zipak'na wore. It =
caught the Goa'uld in the shoulder and O'Neill cursed his luck as the =
shooting started and Zipak'na retreated behind his shield of Jaffa.
Long moments later the battle was done, but Lord Zipak'na had =
disappeared down another tunnel where the roar of a ship's engine firing =
up could be heard.
"Damn it!" Jack shouted, racing down the corridor with Teal'c at his =
side. A blast from the Jaffa's staff weapon clipped the small ship, but =
it wasn't enough to slow it down and a moment later Zipak'na was zooming =
upward and out of a launch tunnel bored into the ground.
Teal'c remained stoic in the face of this loss. "Perhaps, O'Neill, you =
must find a new nickname for Lord Zipak'na." The Jaffa raised a =
thoughtful brow. "Slippy Zippy comes foremost to my mind."
"I like it," Jack nodded thoughtfully. "Slippy Zippy it is. Now let's =
get back to the others. We've got a shitload of weapons to destroy."
---
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