Part 1: You sons of bitches!
DANIEL:
Even as I stare through the bars at Teal’c’s body on the alter, I still can’t believe it.
Teal’c is gone. And I will mourn him more than I ever could have guessed. My friend, my protector… my hope for a future with Sha’re. Somehow, I always thought he’d be there when we find her.
I remember…
Jack telling me how devastated Teal’c was at letting me be taken by the Touched. It wasn’t his fault. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.
My own desperation on Cartago. Trying so hard to help my friend, even though he didn’t want to be helped.
Protecting me on Hadantes.
Doing everything in his power to prevent Sha’re and her baby, and me, from being taken by the Goa’uld.
Stopping me from hurting myself, or anyone else, in that padded cell. His grasp so strong, so gentle.
Teal’c has always been there for me, and now he…isn’t.
SAM:
Teal’c is gone. I’m gonna miss him. We have always stood four-square to the universe but now a corner of our world is gone, leaving us reeling drunkenly without his steadfast strength and support.
I remember…
Convincing Teal'c to fire his staff weapon in the gateroom, even though we didn’t have permission.
Tending to his knife wound on the Nox world.
Doing everything he could to help me get the gate working on Earnest’s planet.
How gently he coaxed Cassandra out of the bushes.
The touch on my shoulder as I wrestled with the problem of preventing Earth from being consumed by a black hole. Letting me know he believed in me.
Looking so handsome in that sixties outfit. Who knew that pink would suit him so well?
So selfless. So loyal.
One of the best people I have ever known.
JACK:
Teal’c is gone. Another good man lost. What a stupid, pointless, way to go.
I remember…
How lost he looked when he helped us escape from Chulak. He killed his own men to free us, but then had no idea what he was going to do with himself.
Never leaving my side when I was pinned to the wall of the Gateroom. It was the first time he told a joke and I was in no fit state to really appreciate it.
That weasel Maybourne trying to take him from us when he was sick.
How weird it was being in his body, courtesy of Machello’s machine. What it felt like to have a Goa’uld larva.
Jaffa Jokes. I don’t think I had ever heard him laugh before.
Killing himself… his ‘other’ self… in that ‘alternate’ alternate universe. I can’t help wondering what that was like. I’m not sure I could have done that to another…me.
A warrior born. A warrior without peer.
I will never forget you.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part 2: Way to go Junior!
DANIEL:
I’m so glad Teal’c is back with us. To say I was stunned would be an understatement. I hope that he hasn’t survived his ordeal only to meet a worse fate in the hands of Sokar. The Devil is not someone I really want to meet.
I think I’ve finally figured out what’s going on here. Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. Isn’t that what they say?
The Canon doesn’t want us to get rid of the ‘demon’ because without it he would no longer have absolute power over the people here. The power of life and death. Literally. With the Unas gone, he would merely be their spiritual leader. And I don’t think he wants to settle for ‘merely’. Although, with that ring, he would still be able to inflict a lot of pain and fear on his flock. He would still have power. Just not as much as he has now.
I bet Jack had it figured out the moment we woke up in that cage…
JACK:
Well, that was a surprise. I hate surprises. But in this case I’ll let Teal’c off. He can do that again any time he wants to, and I won’t complain. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him looking smug before, but that’s the only way I can describe it. Maybe Junior’s smirking too.
I wonder if Daniel’s worked out what’s going on yet? He’s great with cultures, but for an anthropologist, he still has problems understanding what motivates individual people to do what they do. Some people. Sometimes. Especially bad people. Except the Goa’uld. He has no problem understanding them at all.
Speaking of which… Apophis said that Sokar was ‘an ancient and powerful Goa’uld’. And Daniel’s research was definitely not encouraging. Sokar must be pretty bad if he can scare the crap out of other System Lords. We really have to avoid going anywhere near him.
All I need to now do is to figure out a plan to get us out of these chains, defeat a Goa’uld-enhanced alien monster, sort out the Canon, and escape through the Stargate.
Piece of cake.
SAM:
I don’t recall that Martouf said anything very specific about Sokar. But I do remember that he and the other Tok’ra seemed to be pretty rattled by him. If we don’t get out of this, things are probably going to get very, very bad.
I really hope Daniel doesn’t try to explain to Mary about the Goa’uld. The poor woman is already scared enough. Even from here I can see she’s shivering, but I don’t know whether that’s from cold, fever or fear. Probably all three. I’d offer her my jacket, but there’s no way I can take it off while I’m chained up like this.
I wonder why Mary isn’t married? I’d have thought that in a society like this she’d have a husband and a gaggle of kids at her age. Maybe Daniel will know. It could be that Simon has just been too protective. He obviously cares for her a great deal. Or perhaps she’s considered ‘cursed’ because both her parents were given to the demon. I wonder what they did to annoy the Canon?
TEAL’C:
It is good to be alive. Good to see my friends again. I am glad that the Canon decided to have my body recovered from the water; I do not know how long my symbiote could have sustained me. Sometimes "Junior" surprises me also.
I think O’Neill is beginning to appreciate that having a Goa’uld larva is not always a bad thing.
We must escape, or die in the attempt. To become prisoners of Sokar would be to endure a living Hell for all eternity.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part 3: The beast is dead
JACK:
Well, the kids don’t look too unhappy that the Canon is dead. It’s up to them now. I hope they can convince the rest of the villagers to help them bury the Stargate soon, before old Beelzebub realizes what’s happened here.
Time to round up my own kids and get out of town before Satan comes a-knocking again.
SAM:
Yep. There’s definitely something between Simon and Mary. I hope they can have a chance to be happy now.
I for one am glad that we’ve managed to escape getting up-close and personal with the Devil. I’ve been hoping to put that meeting off for several years at least.
Can we go home now, Sir?
TEAL’C:
It pleases me that these people are now free of the tyranny of the Goa’uld. I hope they will use that freedom wisely.
One day, with the help of the Tau’ri, my own people will taste that freedom for themselves.
DANIEL:
I hate the Goa’uld. I hate what they do to people. The Canon was no hapless innocent, but he still didn’t deserve what happened to him. What he was forced to become because of them. Just like Sha’re.
Jack did the right thing, but I wish it hadn’t been necessary.
Sha’re…
Oh God, please don’t let this happen to her.
~fin~
© January 15, 2001 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.
My apologies to Corinna for not being able to write this the way she originally wanted it to be. But, my thanks to Corinna for encouraging me to write this the way it wanted to be written, and for her additional suggestions for making it better.