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stargÅtefan.com : episodes > season 5 > next episode: ascension

Scene opens with a recap of the episodes "Exodus" and "Enemies"

Teal'c is sitting in a locked cell, under guard. The door opens and in walks in Jack, Hammond and Doctor Mackenzie. Teal'c says he's doing fine, asks how Jack is doing.

"Back gone, knee's shot. Forget curling!" Jack replies.

Teal'c says he is well again. He pledges his allegiance to General Hammond and to the people of this world. He also asks for their forgiveness. He says the power of the sarcophagus turned him this way. Thanks to MacKenzie's help, he is himself again. Jack asks again about Apophis, to which Teal'c replies he is a false god.

Jack and Hammond exchange a look, thinking it over. Good enough for Jack. They release him. Teal'c walks out and sees Bra'tac there to greet him in one of the corridors. They clasp hands, and Bra'tac looks steadily at Teal'c's eyes. Suddenly, he says to Jack and Hammond that they've been tricked. Teal'c isn't back.

Abruptly, Teal'c knocks him away. He strikes down a guard and bolts for a hallway, only to skid to a halt when he finds Sam with a zat gun, Daniel standing next to her. Bra'tac shoots him with his zat and Teal'c is down. Before anyone could get to Teal'c, Bra'tac heads over, yanks up Teal'c's shirt and, as Teal'c reacts with pain, Bra'tac pulls the Goa'uld larva out of him!

They're stunned. "What are you doing?" Bra'tac replies that if Teal'c won't listen to their words, then he must learn in another way. The Rite of Ma Suraan. The "last rites", Daniel translates.

CREDITS

Everyone except Teal'c is seated around the briefing table. Hammond wants an explanation from Bra'tac, who thinks they're wasting their time talking here; Bra'tac wants to save Teal'c. Daniel blurts out "By killing him?" Bra'tac warns them they all underestimate the hold Apophis has over Teal'c. To save his soul, they must take Teal'c to the threshold. When near death, a dying warrior will see his life before his eyes. They learn from what they see. Bra'tac has seen it twice. Not many warriors are strong enough to survive it, but even so, if it fails, at least Teal'c can die free. Bra'tac says he owes it to Teal'c and asks them 'do they'?

They go to the infirmary. Fraiser protests Hammond's okay to not put the symbiote back inside Teal'c. She isn't happy about the fact they're doing this, or that she can't do anything to ease his pain. Teal'c wakes up, angry for the restraints, says his god will come for him. Jack reminds him in case he wasn't listening before "I'm a hundred percent sure..." at Daniel's disbelieving look, he amends "ninety nine percent sure Apophis is dead." Teal'c says unafraid then he would die for his lord. He spits out Bra'tac as a Shol'va (traitor).

Bra'tac grabs Teal'c by the face, and asks if Teal'c remembers Bra'tac. Teal'c resists, calling him Shol'va again, but then he flashes back about how they fought side by side for years.

FLASHBACK:

A younger Teal'c, two other Jaffa and Bra'tac march to Apophis, bowing down before him. Bra'tac tells Apophis they have won in battle for him. He presents his three men as having fought best in Apophis' name. Apophis examines them and asks who is Teal'c? Bra'tac replies Teal'c is his apprentice and perhaps someday his replacement as First Prime.

Apophis asks Teal'c who is his father. At first, Bra'tac wants to reply, but Apophis wants to know the person who may one day become his First Prime has a tongue. Teal'c replies his father was Ro'nak, First prime of Cronos. Teal'c says his father was murdered for failing to win an unwinable battle, thus Teal'c and his mother were banished to Chulak. Apophis comments Ro'nak failed his god, but Teal'c said no despite a hissed warning from Bra'tak. Teal'c didn't think his father failed his god. Apophis is displeased with what he hears and positions his ribbon device over Teal'c's head.

Teal'c screams.

PRESENT:

Teal'c screams.

Everyone is startled. Bra'tac explains it is a conjured memory. Fraiser argues Teal'c is suffering, is in pain. Bra'tac answers, "Pain is what we seek. Teal'c's path was laid down with suffering. It is the path he must take to return to us." He refuses to let Fraiser treat him for his pain. "You cannot hope to understand the darkness in his heart like I do." He asks the remaining members of SG-1, who are waiting around in the infirmary room anxiously, to trust him. They reply they do.

Bra'tac tells them the rite will take all night. He needs to kelnoreem for the time being; he is weary from his travels. He tells them to talk to Teal'c. Even though he is unconscious, he can sense them, their presence. He tells them to speak with him. Each one of them. He tells them, "Words will force him to remember." Without the symbiote, Bra'tac said, Teal'c "won't be able to resist reason so readily."

Sam escorts Bra'tac to his quarters. She tries to explain how hard it is for them to see Teal'c like this. To see him in such pain. She adds they don't believe in torture. Bra'tac replies, "The greater torture would be to leave him as he is." Bra'tac also adds that Teal'c is strong, stronger than him in fact. Sam smiles, remarking she wouldn't know. Bra'tac is the "fittest 137 year old" she knows. But, Bra'tac tells her in two years when his larva matures, that would be it. Why? Even if Bra'tac gets a new symbiote, it would reject him. That, he tells Sam, is the way old warriors die.

Sam argues surely there is something they could do to help him live anyway. "Life for the sake of life means nothing," Bra'tac tells her, pointing out that with Teal'c, either he will "return to us as we know him...or he will not return."

Back in the infirmary, Jack and Daniel are looking down on Teal'c. Jack asks if Daniel wants to go first in talking with Teal'c. Daniel agrees, gets a stool over, sits down and...

...

...

...

"I'll go," Jack cuts in, and Daniel more than glad to hop off the stool and let Jack go first instead! Jack sits down and starts off already saying how he doesn't get it. As his 'best friend on this planet', as Jack puts it, he doesn't understand how from the moment he saved them on Chulak, he was working for Apophis. If that was the case, Teal'c was the most ineffective double agent he's ever seen!

Suddenly, Teal'c murmurs "Va'lar."

FLASHBACK:

A Jaffa hears Teal'c calling his name, Va'lar. Teal'c is waking up, after being brought by the guards to their sleeping quarters. Teal'c tells his friend he saw their god Apophis. He was brought there for doing so well in battle. But, Va'lar, points out, how could Teal'c have been rewarded if he was so weak before when the guards brought him in? Teal'c must have failed his god. Teal'c shoots back that he had killed a hundred men in Apophis' name. It wasn't because of the battle. Teal'c asks, upset, "What god would punish a son for the love of his father?" Va'lar warns him, *his* god does; Teal'c shouldn't doubt his god. Apophis knows everything, sees everything. Teal'c did well in the day's battle. And tomorrow, he'll be sent to battle again and perhaps he will survive.

PRESENT:

Jack and Daniel look at each other.

"Va'lar. Is that what he said?" Jack asks.

"I thought he said velour," Daniel murmurs.

"Velour?" Jack repeats. "The fabric?"

"That's what I heard."

Jack mutters, "Why would he say that?"

"Why would he say Va'lar?" Daniel counters.

"I don't know!"

"Va'lar was my friend," Teal'c whispers, waking up once more. He appears disoriented, asking what happened. Jack dryly tells him for the past few weeks, he's been trying to kill everyone. Teal'c disagrees, says he would never hurt them. He said the rite was successful and asks them to let him go. Jack doesn't believe him.

Daniel asks about Va'lar. Teal'c tells them Va'lar is a name he hadn't heard for many years. Teal'c describes him as a friend. Then when asked what happened to him, Teal'c replies darkly Va'lar failed his god. "His god?" Jack repeated. "You mean that scum sucking, over dressed, boom box voiced snake in the head?" The dead bad guy?"

Teal'c gets upset, barks at Jack "Ha'shak!" Jack doesn't need a translation. HE understood THAT one! Teal'c accuses them of allowing Bra'tac to kill him, refuses to believe they are helping him. He shouts for Bra'tac to come out.

FLASHBACK:

Teal'c is blindfolded, standing in a field of snow. He's looking for Bra'tac who comes from behind and taps Teal'c with an activated staff weapon. Teal'c goes down. He gets upset at the training, saying it was pointless to blindfold him since he was not blind. Bra'tac says that in battle, Teal'c has to learn to use all his senses. Teal'c wants to try again, Bra'tac refuses. Then Teal'c challenges his master, claiming he is the stronger of the two.

The two Jaffa fight in the snow. But Bra'tac gets the upper hand and knocks Teal'c off his feet! He points his staff weapon at Teal'c again. "Shall I fire," he asks his pupil, "and stop this waste of time?" Teal'c claims he was unprepared, refusing to acknowledge he lost. Bra'tac tells Teal'c that he has "ears to hear and eyes to see" but Teal'c will not learn. Bra'tac could shoot Teal'c right now and end this and who would stop him? Apophis? Bra'tac tells Teal'c Apophis is not all seeing. Faith will not help Teal'c during battle and his blind faith will not save him in one. Bra'tac tells Teal'c to rely on his own wits instead.

PRESENT:

It's now Daniel's turn to talk. He's presenting a lot of long wordy explanations of how Teal'c is generally an extremely logical person. Teal'c asks Daniel if he knows the meaning of faith. Daniel said he does. Teal'c tells him his faith in Apophis is unquestionable. But, Daniel argues, if Teal'c remembered him and Jack, then Teal'c must have questioned his faith somewhere along the road.

Teal'c slips back into memory, muttering out loud ,"Do not test my temper, woman!"

FLASHBACK:

"Do not test my temper, woman!" Teal'c tells his wife Drey'ac. His wife thinks they should tell Apophis about Bra'tac's traitorous words. Teal'c is torn between his loyalty to his god and to Master Bra'tac. Drey'ac points out only their god Apophis has such powers to go through the Chaa'pai, send warriors flying across the room with a light coming from his hands, and has a chariot that can rise about their planet. How could Apophis NOT be a god? Teal'c is confused. But he doesn't want to betray Bra'tac. Drey'ac sadly tells Teal'c he is servant to two masters.

Teal'c asks his wife what he should do then? She only lovingly kisses him and whispers to 'come to bed'. They kiss and the flashback ends and we're back in the...

PRESENT:

Daniel is stunned. "Woman? Did he just call me a...woman?"

Jack, nonplussed, easily replies, "Yes, I believe he did."

Sam walks in; it's her turn. She walks over to Janet, who's looking over everything. She asks Janet how Teal'c's symbiote is doing? Okay for now, the doctor replies, but if they wait too long, it'll be too late for Teal'c, and Janet would have already resigned if they let things go that far. Janet is not happy with being unable to do anything. She tells Sam this goes against everything she is a part of. She's a doctor. She can't stand back and do nothing. Sam tells her she doesn't think they're doing nothing. She goes back to Jack and Daniel.

Jack tells her he's in and out. "Talked about fabric", Jack adds. "He just called me a woman," Daniel says glumly. "So it's working obviously," Jack concludes.

Sam takes a turn talking with Teal'c. Jack and Daniel go to get some rest. They'll return later to take another turn each before returning together for what could be the worst of Teal'c's ordeal.

Sam tells an unconscious Teal'c that she doesn't know what she can do, but she knows it's important that they're at least there for him. Teal'c wakes up. Weakly, he asks Sam how she and Janet could let 'them' do this to him. He is being murdered as they speak. He begs to be released. Sam is obviously upset. She tells him that they're trying to help him. Voice cracking, Teal'c asked how could he be punished for loving his god as he does? Sam tells Teal'c he believes in freedom, not Apophis.

FLASHBACK:

Teal'c sees Va'lar, returned from a battle against Ra's men. Va'lar had failed; they were hopelessly outnumbered and retreated from the battle. Va'lar returned in hopes of leading another battalion against Ra. He pleas with his friend Teal'c to help convince Apophis he did not fail, and will serve Apophis well in the next battle. Teal'c says he will try, but warns Va'lar that he might wish he had died in battle rather than having returned with this failure.

Teal'c goes to Apophis with Bra'tac. Apophis, of course, is not happy with the failure. Teal'c tries to explain it as a clever ploy by Va'lar- to return in greater numbers against an overconfident enemy. Apophis asks Teal'c if he were in charge, would he have done the same. Teal'c honestly says no.

Apophis orders Teal'c to take Va'lar back to the "site of his failure" and kill him.

Va'lar looks up at the door of the sleeping quarters, finds Teal'c standing there. And Va'lar knows.

They march through a corridor of Jaffa, standing on the rings the Jaffa stand guard, at attention as Teal'c and Va'lar beams down to the battlefield below.

The planet is charred with destruction. Va'lar stands tied up and ready to die. He asks Teal'c to tell Apophis that he died well in the name of his god. Then Teal'c surprises Va'lar by pulling away his staff weapon and taking out a knife...

Slicing through Va'lar's binds!

After some convincing, Va'lar leaves, for a village a few days walk from where they are. He warns Teal'c that Apophis is a god, and will know of his treachery. Teal'c cryptically replies they shall see.

Teal'c takes a larva from a dying Jaffa and brings it back to Apophis, showing silently to the god that it was Va'lar. Apophis believes him, smiles and walks away! Teal'c is stunned by the revelation.

PRESENT:

Sam is wiping Teal'c's brow. Teal'c is clearly suffering.

Up in the observation room, General Hammond has been sitting there in his own vigil. Jack comes in, earlier that his proposed rest period. They sit there watching. Jack tells the general if Teal'c were here, he would have approved Hammond's decision for approving the rites.

Hammond tells Jack that if Teal'c doesn't come back to them, and they fail, Teal'c will be confined in maximum-security isolation. 'Then in four or five years when the larva matures...' Hammond trails off. He tells Jack he can't do that to Teal'c. Jack looks down at the suffering Teal'c and sadly agrees.

FLASHBACK:

Teal'c wakes up from a nightmare, his wife by his side. He stumbles out of bed to wash his face, clearly shaken. Three days before, for Apophis, he burned a village of Ra's followers to the ground. He tells Drey'ac he couldn't get the faces of the innocent women and children there out of his mind...

And Va'lar.

Turns out the village he destroyed was the same village Teal'c had told his friend to hide in. In fear of Apophis discovering his deceit, Teal'c killed his friend. Teal'c sees himself as a coward.

Drey'ac is standing beside him, clearly pregnant. She tells Teal'c their child must have a father. They have a family, and a new home thanks to Apophis. It is the best life they can hope for, she tells Teal'c. Still upset, Teal'c reaches up and embraces his wife around the waist.

FLASHBACK:

"Tek marte!" Teal'c is running to Bra'tac in the field of snow. His tattoo is now golden. Teal'c has been made First Prime for Apophis. Bra'tac is not pleased. Teal'c is confused. It is a great honor for any Jaffa to be First Prime to their gods. Bra'tac cuts in saying he and Teal'c both know what the Goa'uld really are. They pretend not to know in order to advance in rank and power.

But Bra'tac had prepared him for this day, why? Bra'tac tells Teal'c he saw the doubt in Teal'c's eyes, and saw the wisdom to hide the doubt. There is no other choice but to serve, but, Bra'tac points out, the Jaffa are the Goa'uld's true power. Many times, Bra'tac has done many unforgivable things he was ashamed of. But during battle, he can help "temper Apophis' sword and in turn may save countless lives." "Men such as you and I have only the comfort of those times we make a difference," Bra'tac clasped Teal'c's shoulder and tells him "Make a difference."

FLASHBACK:

Back to Chulak in "Children of the Gods". We see Teal'c walking towards Bra'tac behind the bars, nodding towards SG-1 and Skaara- the ones who came through the Chaa'pai. Bra'tac remarks they don't look as formidable as he had imagined. They are only three. Teal'c tells his master that he sees a strength in them. They know the taste of freedom, Teal'c says, clearly impressed. Bra'tac scoffs at Teal'c's quest for freedom and says it will someday be his undoing. He tells Teal'c to pray they don't get chosen as hosts. It is the best fate they can hope for.

PRESENT:

Teal'c opens his eyes and whispers, "What have I done?"

Suddenly, his heart monitor beeps as he goes into defib.

Jack tells one of the guards to get Bra'tac. This could be it. Fraiser is getting the symbiote larva ready.

Bra'tac comes running, tells Janet to stand aside. Fraiser looked like she was going to argue with him, but then Hammond goes on the mike and tells her to stand aside, too!

Bra'tac grabs Teal'c's face between his hands and demands the dying Jaffa to choose. He argues to Teal'c, shouts at him to return to the Teal'c we know, to choose freedom, not Apophis. Teal'c doesn't respond. After a while, Bra'tac looks over to Fraiser, agreeing to her inserting the larva again.

No response. They may have been too late. Fraiser takes the paddles, charged to 200.

FLASHBACK TO COTG:

We see Teal'c standing in the prison on Chulak, announcing Apophis and the other Goa'uld come to choose hosts.

PRESENT:

No reaction from Teal'c. Desperate, Fraiser tries a higher charge of 360.

FLASHBACK TO COTG:

Back to the scene where Jack shouts to Teal'c, "I can save these people." Teal'c turns around saying many have said that. Then he abruptly turns around, fires at the Jaffa and tosses the staff weapon to Jack while finishing, "But you are the first one I believe could do it!"

We get many flashes to many episodes, 1969, Family, other episodes, going faster and faster and faster until suddenly...

"I choose freedom," Teal'c says hoarsely, waking up.

Bra'tac goes to Teal'c's side, looks steadily at him and announces that the rite has worked. His knees buckle, clearly this has been a lot for the old Jaffa. Jack though, has to ask and Teal'c interrupts by saying Apophis is a false god. Then he adds, a dead false god.

Good enough for Jack. He orders the restraints off. Teal'c looks at each and every one, saying Carter's name and calling Daniel 'brother', then calls Bra'tac 'Tek marte' before they clasp arms together in victory.

Hammond has come down to join them, glad it worked. Janet was glad it turned out this way as well. Teal'c looks towards Hammond.

"General Hammond, I once again pledge my allegiance to you and the people of this world. And I request permission to return to SG-1."

Hammond looks over to Jack, who grins. The general smiles, clearly glad to have Teal'c back with them and replies, "Permission granted."

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