Location: SGC Level 28
POV: Daniel Jackson
Daniel hurried down the hall, keeping a close eye on his watch and fervently hoping he wouldn't be disappointed a second time.
"Daniel Jackson."
He looked up quickly, immediately recognizing the voice that had beckoned him.
"Hey, Teal'c."
"May I ask the reason for your hurry?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm just headed to the control room." He pointed to the door up ahead on his left. "SG-12 is supposed to be arriving with some artifacts in need of translation. Hopefully, they haven't run into any further delays." He glanced at his watch again, giving Teal'c an apologetic tap on the arm before pushing past him. "Excuse me."
"Of course."
Daniel half-ran for the door, straightaway fixing his eyes on the gate once he'd entered the control room. Sure enough, it was activating from offworld. Daniel waited in anticipation as the gate flared to life, its vortex billowing out then retreating, establishing a stable wormhole.
Then, in the blink of an eye, something shot out of the gate and attached itself to the outside of the viewing glass. Daniel only caught a split second glimpse of it but was able to recognize the small, dark object as Goa'uld tech.
"Get down!" he screamed.
Then his view erupted in blinding white before plunging abruptly into utter blackness.
Location: SGC Guest Quarters
POV: Marina Karssen
It was the usual monotony, with Rina stuck staring either at the clock or the ceiling.
Doesn't get much better than this, she thought sardonically.
She'd considered asking for some books, but she imagined the only books kept in a place like this would be mind-numbingly uninteresting to her, and most likely wouldn't be out for loan anyway.
Rina sighed, wondering just how much more of this room she could take before she cracked.
Then an alarm blared in the hallway, so loud that it almost sounded like it was coming from inside the guest quarters. Rina shot to her feet, racing to the door and flinging it open.
"What's going on?" she asked her guard.
"Please stay inside your room, Miss Karssen," was the only answer she got.
When she didn't budge from the spot, the airman actually tried ushering her back inside. Rina slapped away his hands and angrily slammed the door in his face, resisting the urge to cover her ears to block out the endless siren.
What the hell IS that?!
Suddenly, the alarm changed, shifting from an intermittent, high-pitched sound to one with a lower pitch and more urgent pace.
A minute or two later, her door flew open, the airmen gesturing for her to follow him.
"We're moving you to a more secure location, miss. Please come with me."
A new alarm was sounding in Rina's mind.
"More secure?" she echoed, her insides twisting with unease, "What is going on?"
Again, she received no answer, only a guiding hand on her shoulder.
Something is seriously wrong...
She could only hope it wasn't what she feared it was.
Location: SGC Gate Room
POV: Daniel Jackson
Daniel opened his eyes, though it made little difference from when they'd been closed. His vision was so blurry that he could only just make out the shape of the stargate, along with the armored figures dispersed throughout the room. He checked to make sure he was wearing his glasses; they were there, though they seemed to be cracked.
He recalled the dark object that had come flying out of the gate. He'd encountered it before—what was it called?
A Tok'kal. Or some variation of it...
It was more or less the Goa'uld equivalent of a stun grenade.
And it was highly effective.
Daniel looked around, noting several figures lying or kneeling on the floor next to him.
Hostages.
This wasn't good. This was just about the worst possible scenario.
They had an SG code. They knew exactly where to aim the Tok'kal.
With a jolt, Daniel recalled the delays SG-12 had experienced.
Perhaps those 'delays' had been something far worse. Either way, regardless of what had happened, it was clear SG-12 had been compromised.
Now the only question was by who?
A blurry figure mounted the ramp of the stargate, seemingly talking into their hand, or rather something in their hand. Then they stepped back again, the gate activating a mere moment later and allowing a fresh wave of enemy troops into the SGC.
This is NOT good.
Someone snapped at Daniel in Goa'uld, grabbing him abruptly and forcing him to his feet. He squinted at them, trying to make out the symbol on their armor, but they were jerking him around so much that it proved impossible. The Jaffa marched him into the hall and toward the control room, forcing him inside and then ordering him to kneel. Daniel reluctantly obliged.
"Daniel...Jackson."
Daniel's stomach lurched.
"Teal'c?"
The pain in Teal'c's voice was clear as day, though Daniel's attention soon turned to his own immediate pain as a staff weapon caught him sharply across the back of the head.
"Kegalo!" a voice snapped.
The resonant tones were unmistakable; the speaker was Goa'uld.
But beyond that, there was something else about the voice that seemed familiar.
"Please," Daniel said, keeping his eyes on the floor in a show of submission as he pleaded in Goa'uld, "Show mercy."
"You speak Goa'uld?" the voice said.
I know you.
A familiar hatred stirred in Daniel. He lifted his gaze, gold shining through the haziness of his damaged sight.
He knew that armor anywhere.
Apophis.
"Daniel...Jack—" Teal'c tried again, only to be cut off by his own scream as Apophis jabbed him with a rod.
"Stop!" Daniel screamed, turning Apophis' attention back on him.
"I gave this traitor the chance to redeem himself," Apophis said in Goa'uld, "To earn himself a quick death. All he must do is tell me what I wish to know."
"And what's that?" Daniel asked, knowing very well what the answer would be.
Apophis held the rod an inch away from Daniel's face.
"I want what was taken from me," he hissed, "I want to know where your people have hidden it."
His forces saw us retreating on P3X-134. He's probably been trying to figure out a way to get into the SGC ever since.
"You will be my messenger," Apophis said, "Go and tell your people that if they do not surrender the weapon, I will take full control of this stronghold, and kill whoever dares stand in my way."
Daniel clenched his jaw tightly, glancing again at Teal'c's blurry form kneeling across from him before biting back the single burning question on his mind.
Where's my wife?
He was forced back onto his feet.
"Your sight will return in time," Apophis said, "Now go."
"Wait!" Daniel protested, only to have a staff weapon shoved in his face.
He was in no position to bargain. If he refused to deliver the message, they'd simply kill him and use one of the other hostages instead.
The best way—the only way to help Teal'c and those cowering in the gate room was to find the others and come up with a plan of rescue.
So Daniel grudgingly walked to the door, wincing whenever the Jaffa prodded him in the ribs.
How many levels do they have control of? he wondered, Is it only this one?
A horrible thought struck him, making him wonder if perhaps Hammond had been taken hostage. He hadn't been in the gate room, but it was possible he was being kept somewhere else.
But if that were the case, why wouldn't Apophis use him as a bargaining chip?
Hammond must have escaped. It made the most sense. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief.
"Rin'tel'noc," the Jaffa said, giving Daniel one last jab in the ribs.
He kept moving forward.
With the base on lockdown, the lifts would be offline, meaning he'd have to stumble up at least one or two flights of stairs. He just hoped Apophis didn't get tired of waiting for some kind of response and decide to start killing hostages or else launch his plans for complete takeover of the base into action.
Something caught his foot and he went down, landing atop whatever had tripped him.
It felt strangely like—
A body.
Daniel scrambled off the dead airman, horror flooding through him. He squinted down the hall, spotting several dark shapes that had been carelessly kicked to the sides. The carnage was everywhere. Daniel clamped a hand over his mouth, trying hard not to vomit as he forced himself back to his feet.
He had to keep going. There were people still alive who needed help, and they needed it soon.
Daniel reached the nearest access point to the stairwell, gripping both rails with white-knuckled fists and ascending as quickly and carefully as possible.
Level 27 had been taken. Level 26 as well. Daniel kept climbing, to Level 25, then 24. It was exactly the same. He reached Level 23, his heart pounding, hands shaking. Somehow, he managed to fumble the door open, only to stop dead in his tracks when two guns immediately trained on him.
"Oh, thank god," Daniel said, overcoming the initial shock.
"Dr. Jackson?"
"Yes, it's me."
"How did you escape?"
"Apophis sent me to bring a message."
The two airmen exchanged a wary look.
"I'm not a Goa'uld," Daniel insisted, his sense of urgency growing with every second he had to stand there explaining himself, "Look, we don't have time for this, he has Teal'c—"
"Daniel?" Jack's face poked around the corner. "Son of a gun, is that you?"
"He claims Apophis sent him," one airman said.
"Apophis has control of the gate and is threatening to kill everyone and take over the base if we don't give him what he wants," Daniel said impatiently, "Right now, he has nothing to lose by releasing a single hostage."
"All the same, you won't mind if we make sure it's really you in there," Jack said, pulling him through the door and summoning one among several airmen on standby. "Get him up to Level 21," Jack ordered, "Have Fraiser check him out."
"Yes, sir," the airman said, guiding a reluctant Daniel away.
"Jack, we've gotta do something!" Daniel shouted over his shoulder.
"I know!" Jack shouted back, sounding stressed.
The tests seemed to drag on. Daniel understood why they needed to happen, but he hated every second of it, and when at last he was cleared, he wasted no time in racing down those few levels to rejoin Jack, feeling silently thankful that his vision had mostly returned by that point. Carter and Hammond were there too when he arrived, Carter greeting Daniel with teary eyes and a ready hug.
"I'm so glad you're safe," she said, her voice strained with emotion.
"That goes for me as well," Hammond said.
As much as he appreciated the heartfelt reunion, Daniel couldn't stand to waste any more time.
"They have Teal'c," he said.
Their faces instantly clouded.
"We know," Jack said somberly.
"There's other hostages too, in the gate room."
"We know that too."
Daniel looked from Hammond, to Jack, to Carter.
"Okay? What's the plan?"
"Hold our position until we come up with some way to get them out," Jack said grimly.
"That's it? You've got nothing?" Daniel snapped, feeling utter disbelief at what he was hearing.
"I don't like it any more than you, Daniel!" Jack shouted angrily, "But we can't just give Apophis what he wants! You know that bastard would be just as likely to carry out his threats after we turned Karssen over. It's not happening!"
"I understand your feelings, Dr. Jackson," Hammond said, "Believe me. But Colonel O'Niell is right. We can't give in to Apophis' demands."
"Actually, sir, if I may," Carter interjected hesitantly, "I may have an idea."
All eyes turned on her.
"Well, Captain," Hammond said, "Let's hear it."
Location: SGC Level 17
POV: Marina Karssen
Rina paced the room, digging her nails into the skin of her forearm and quietly muttering curses.
With her guards still refusing to tell her anything, she was left to imagine the worst. And any attempts to divert her thoughts to something less frightening had proved a failure. Even the presence of pain hadn't been able to purge the unwanted thoughts. She withdrew her nails from her skin, noting the angry red marks they had left.
Then suddenly her door swung open, admitting General Hammond and SG-1.
Well, most of SG-1.
"What's going on?" Marina demanded, "No one's telling me anything!"
"You may want to sit down, Miss Karssen," Hammond suggested.
"Screw that, just tell me!" she cried, hating the desperation in her own voice.
Hammond paused, exhaling heavily.
"Apophis has infiltrated the base."
It felt like a punch to the gut for Rina. She drew a ragged breath, uttering a strangled laugh.
"I knew it, I knew it, I fucking knew it."
Her breathing accelerated, everything inside her squeezing and writhing in distress. Her eyes swept the faces before her, dread weighing in the pit of her stomach.
"You're going to hand me over to him, aren't you?" she asked weakly, taking a step back, "You'll just let him have me in order to save your own skins."
"No, no," Daniel insisted, stepping forward, "We're not doing that. But we do need your help."
Rina stared. "What?"
This time, Carter stepped forward.
"If things go as planned—"
"A little more confidence, please, Carter," Jack interrupted.
"We're going to make Apophis think that we're handing you over," Carter continued, "But—"
"No, no, no, no, no, no," Rina said, taking another step back, "You have got to be kidding me. You thought I'd fall for that? That I'm just going to be your bait and you'll somehow turn the tables and then swoop in and save me at the last second? As if you don't seriously intend to just hand me over and be done with it!"
"Miss Karssen—" Hammond began.
"Don't! Don't pretend like you have my best interest at heart! You admitted to my face that my needing help was only half your consideration from the beginning!"
Jack surged toward the front of the group, his face black with anger. But Daniel stopped him, his expression strangely calm by comparison. Then he turned to General Hammond.
"Sir, if I could have your permission to show her the command bunker on Level 16?"
Hammond seemed confused at first, then a look of understanding appeared in his eyes. He nodded.
"You go ahead," he urged, "I need to get back down to Level 23, make sure our forces hold in case the Goa'uld have any surprises for us. Let me know if and when you reach a decision."
He glanced between Rina and SG-1, then promptly took his leave. Rina watched Daniel warily.
"What's at the command bunker?" she asked, taking yet another step back.
"It's fine," Daniel insisted, gesturing for her to come, "We just use it to monitor the rest of the base."
Carter seemed to clue in to whatever Daniel's intentions were at that moment, a sudden uneasiness showing in her blue eyes.
"I'm...I'm gonna stick with General Hammond, okay?" she said.
Jack gave her shoulder a squeeze as she passed. Rina's wariness grew.
"What the hell is this?"
Daniel took a deep breath. "I'm going to show you what's happening on Level 28 right now."
Location: SGC Secondary Command Bunker
Rina stared at the wall of monitors, feeling strangely impressed.
"You can see the entire base from here?" she asked.
"Yep," Jack said, pausing to share a few quiet words with an airman seated in front of the monitors.
Daniel crossed the room in a few strides, directing Marina's attention to one screen in particular.
"This is the control room," he said.
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Rina moved to get a closer look and almost instantly regretted it when she saw who was standing in the control.
Apophis.
She froze, a cold sweat breaking out on her skin. Apophis held a cruel-looking rod in his hand, which he held to a figure kneeling at his feet, making them twist into an agonized position, light pouring from their eyes and mouth.
Isn't that...Teal'c?
She winced as Apophis jabbed him again.
"Could you switch on the audio?" Daniel asked the airman.
"Are you sure—"
"I've got it," Jack said quietly, reaching down to trigger a small switch.
Screams flooded the room, every nerve in Rina's body responding to the sound.
"Stop it," she choked, eyes stinging with tears.
Apophis withdrew the rod, speaking in Goa'uld.
"You can end this suffering, Teal'c," he said, his voice then rising to a shout, "Tell me where the weapon is!"
"You understood what he said?" Daniel asked.
Rina couldn't answer, couldn't drag her eyes away from the horror in front of her. Again, the rod stretched out, the screams ringing in Marina's ears. Her hands shot up, trying to shield her ears from the unbearable noise.
"Turn it off!" she screamed.
The airman eagerly obliged, reducing the only sound in the room to that of Marina's ragged breathing. She struggled to stay upright, feeling faint. Then Daniel was standing right in front of her, looking her dead in the eye.
"He hasn't said a word," Daniel said, "He hasn't and he's not going to, not even a hint at where on the base you could be. He's willing to sacrifice everything. Are you willing to let that happen?" He backed away, pointing to another screen where a terrified group of people were huddled together on their knees, surrounded by Jaffa. "Are you willing to let these people die without even trying to help them?"
Tears blinded Rina. She still couldn't speak. Daniel drew close again.
"It's more than just your life on the line here," he said softly, "We want everyone to be able to walk away from this...but we need your help, Marina. Please."
Rina's gaze shifted back toward the screen where Apophis and Teal'c were, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Why? Why not just lie? Why say nothing at all?
Why give everything for someone who hated him?
She dragged her eyes back to Daniel's, her voice no more than a whisper as she answered, "Okay."
Across the room, she heard Jack sigh in relief.
"Okay, let's get you briefed then," he said, "As of this moment, you're officially part of the team."
Location: SGC Level 17 - Converted Briefing Room
"We've determined that Apophis has been using a Goa'uld long range communication device to send for more troops whenever he needs them," Carter explained, "Though it's much smaller than the one that we—that SG-1, I mean—encountered on Apophis' mothership, small enough to fit into the palm of someone's hand. Now, it's currently in the possession of who we believe is Apophis' new First Prime."
"And he's been mostly glued to Apophis' side since they got here," Jack said.
"So once we turn you over," Carter continued, addressing Marina directly, "You'll most likely be taken straight to Apophis, which will put you in reach of that communication device. Now, if you can disable it, Apophis will be left unable to call for any more reinforcements, and we'll actually have a chance at pushing their forces back."
"And how exactly am I supposed to disable it?" Rina pressed.
Carter unclipped something from her belt, holding it up for Karssen to see.
"This is a Zat'nik'tel. We call them Zats. If you hit the device three times with this, it will disintegrate completely. Apophis' First Prime is armed with one of these, so if you can get it off him, you'll have a way to defend yourself and prevent Apophis from calling for additional troops." She did a quick demonstration of how to activate and fire the Zat, then handed it to Rina. "Go ahead, give it a try."
Marina stared at the device in her hand.
"Does this work on people?" she asked.
"Yes," Carter answered, "One shot stuns, two shots kill, and three shots—"
"Disintegrate," Rina finished, lightly fingering the switch on the bottom of the Zat.
The whole situation hardly felt real.
She wished it wasn't.
"As soon as you're beyond reach of the fighting," Hammond spoke up, "Our forces will attempt to push back the Jaffa on the levels below. With Apophis unable to call for reinforcements, he'll be forced to pull his troops back to reinforce his position."
"What's to stop him from escaping through the stargate with me in tow?" Rina asked, unable to hide the tremor in her voice.
"If it comes down to it, we will do absolutely everything in our power to prevent that, I promise you," Hammond assured her.
Marina looked down at the Zat once more, tightening her fingers around it.
"And if I kill Apophis?" she asked quietly.
"Was hoping you might say that," Jack said.
"All the better," Hammond agreed, "With Apophis gone, his forces will be left in disarray, and we'll make quick work of them."
Rina looked toward Daniel, who'd been strangely quiet for the entire meeting. Somehow, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on his head.
Then she noticed the crack in his glasses. She wondered how she could've missed it before.
"Oh, almost forgot," Carter said suddenly, "The communication device looks like a small—"
"I know what it looks like," Rina interrupted.
"And you're clear on all your other instructions?" Hammond queried.
Rina took a deep breath. "Yes."
Carter took a step back from the table, gesturing for the others to do the same.
"Go ahead," she told Rina, "Try using the Zat on the table."
Karssen took another deep breath, flexing her fingers around the weapon. Then she aimed and fired. Energy shot out, enveloping the table in what looked like electricity. She fired again, then again.
The table vanished.
Rina didn't hear much of what was said after that. It all felt like a haze.
But she did catch Daniel's voice at her side once they started back down to Level 23.
"I'd take your place if I could," he said.
Rina paused, watching him. He kept his eyes averted, unable to look her in the face.
He cleared his throat uneasily, "But—"
"But I'm the only one Apophis can't afford to kill," she concluded.
There was a pause.
"Yeah," Daniel answered quietly.
Silence stretched between them again, lingering.
"Your glasses are broken," Rina said.
Daniel finally met her gaze. Neither of them spoke a word.
Then Rina turned and continued her descent.
At Level 23, they all stopped, Jack banging out a specific rhythm on the exit door of the stairwell. When the airmen on the other side opened it to admit them, there was a pause.
Rina stared down the long stretch of remaining steps, unable to tear her eyes away. Her stomach twisted as she thought of what awaited her at the bottom.
Her earlier haze was gone, leaving her to once again face her reality.
"I wish you the very best of luck," Hammond told her, jarring her out of her thoughts.
"Thank you," Rina said almost on instinct, watching as the General took his leave.
Carter gave her a smile, but she could see the worry behind it. Lastly, Jack stepped forward.
"Hey," he said with surprising gentleness, "I..." He hesitated, brows furrowing. "I realize this might not mean much coming from me. But...I guarantee...you're stronger than you think."
Rina didn't know what to say, so she stayed silent, watching Jack file through the door, leaving only Daniel left to say goodbye.
Only he didn't say anything. It was clear that he wanted to, but no words came.
Then abruptly he stepped through the door, the airmen standing guard promptly swinging it shut behind him, leaving Rina alone in the stairwell. The sharp click of the door echoed through the shaft, ringing in Marina's ears. Her gaze once more was pulled down, her white-knuckled grip on the rail the only thing preventing her hands from shaking.
Breathe, she told herself silently, Breathe.
She drew some shaky breaths, forcing herself to take a step down, then another, and another.
You have five floors to go. Just keep going. You'll be okay. This will work.
But her unspoken reassurances only sounded like lies.
Location: SGC Secondary Command Bunker
POV: Daniel Jackson
Daniel raced into the room, vaguely aware of Jack following behind him. He'd spent hardly a minute on Level 23 before doubling back to Level 16. Now his eyes swept the monitors, searching for any view of the stairwell. He found it, quickly pointing it out to the airman present.
"What level is this?"
"Level 28, sir."
"Has Karssen already come through here?"
"No, sir."
"Bring up Level 27, could you?"
The airmen obliged, Daniel's eyes straining for any sign of movement. But he saw none.
"Okay, can you bring up Level 26?"
The angle changed again, Daniel almost sighing audibly with relief when he saw Marina slowly descending the stairs.
"I didn't know you had that in you."
Daniel looked up quickly, taking in Jack's mask-like expression.
"What?" he asked, confused.
Jack's eyes settled on one of the monitors, Daniel following his gaze. It was the control room.
"Oh...yeah. To be honest, I didn't know I had that in me either."
"I'm glad you did," Jack said.
Daniel exhaled heavily. "I'm not so sure. Jack...I might've just sent her to her death."
"We both know Apophis—"
"Yeah, he doesn't want to kill her right now. That doesn't mean that can't change. And we just gave her a reason to maybe make that happen."
"Daniel, this is best chance we've got. It's the best chance they've got—" He pointed to the image of the hostages huddled together in the gate room, striding across the room to Daniel before adding, "The best chance Teal'c's got."
"I know!" Daniel snapped, falling silent.
He stared at the image of Teal'c, his broad form slumped in defeat, hands bound in front of him. Daniel wasn't even sure if he was conscious or not.
"Jack, I convinced her to face her worst fear," he said, running a hand over his face, "What if she can't handle it?"
"We'd better hope she can," Jack answered simply, giving Daniel a pat on the shoulder. "I'm gonna head back down to Level 23. We should be starting our attack soon." He paused. "Maybe you should stay here."
He didn't wait for a response, exiting the room quickly, Daniel listening to his retreating footsteps and praying that what he'd told Rina was true.
Either way, they were about to find out.
Location: SGC Level 28
POV: Marina Karssen
Rina stared at the door in front of her, forcing herself to grab the handle.
This is insane...
Her whole body was trembling uncontrollably.
I can't do this.
Her breathing spiralled into ragged gasps.
This isn't going to work. I shouldn't have trusted their stupid plan.
She leaned heavily against the door in front of her, trying desperately to steady her breathing.
I don't want to be here, she thought, hurriedly pushing away the mental image of the hostages cowering together helplessly, of Teal'c writhing in pain, It's not my job to protect them.
Besides, she herself had suffered a year of terror, agony, and dehumanization, and there had been no one there to help her then. Even if she understood their fear and pain on a visceral level, even if she was the very reason they were suffering at this moment, why should she help them? What did she have to lose by refusing to cooperate with this desperate rescue? If Apophis took over the base, they could simply evacuate her before that happened, couldn't they?
So many people would die...
So many had already died. But it wasn't her problem, not really. She hadn't wanted to come to the SGC anyway. They'd brought this on themselves.
Rina turned her gaze to the stairs. All she had to do was climb back up and she'd be free from having to involve herself in this madness.
But she stayed fast to the spot, her hand still clenched around the knob of the door. A sob tore from her throat. Why couldn't she move?
Whispers rose abruptly at the back of her mind, repeating Daniel's words in a silent condemnation.
"Are you willing to let these people die without even trying to help them?"
Another question intertwined those words, playing in and out of focus.
Are you willing to give up this chance?
She recalled the resolve she had felt when holding the Zat'nik'tel, the thought that perhaps she could achieve what had up until that point been unimaginable for her.
That she could kill Apophis.
And if she could use this chance, if she could truly accomplish the unimaginable, she would never have to cower in fear of Apophis again.
No one would.
She gripped the handle of the door so tightly that her hand hurt, summoning every drop of anger and hate she had ever felt toward the monster that had terrorized her for so long, letting it flow through her veins and strangle her fear.
Then Rina turned the knob.
The door swung open, three Jaffa converging on her in an instant.
"Aray Kree! Ke'i!" they shouted.
Rina quickly dropped to her knees, hands raised.
"Cha'hari!" she shouted back, adding quickly, "Apophis' demands have been met."
A hand clamped on her shoulder, yanking her to her feet and forcing her into the corridor.
There were bodies everywhere. Rina stared at them in horror, all her hardened readiness from a moment ago gone in an instant.
Then her mind was dragging her back, back to the moment when Ba'al had launched his attack against Apophis, when her guards had dragged her from her prison. She'd thought they had come to bring her to Apophis so she could undergo his horrifying ritual yet again, but when she'd heard the shouts and screams of battle, when her guards fell dead at her feet having been shot by the invading Jaffa, she knew the situation was something else entirely. In that moment, as Ba'al's soldiers had seized her, dragging her thrashing form through the carnage they had left behind, she'd wondered just how much worse things could possibly become.
But now she knew exactly what she was facing. She knew...and yet had forged ahead regardless.
What have I done?
It was too late. She couldn't turn back now. Her head started to spin.
Then she lost consciousness.
She awoke very slowly, her tired senses distorting the sounds around her. She was lying on a floor; she could tell as much from how uncomfortable it was. She half wondered if perhaps she'd fallen out of bed after experiencing a nightmare.
Then she felt something stroke her face. She opened her eyes gradually, waiting for her bleary vision to clear.
She saw his face and her heart almost stopped beating. Apophis smiled down at her, the cool touch of the Kara kesh on his fingers playing across her cheek. She wanted to lash out, curl up, claw his face off, anything. But she couldn't move. All she could do was stare wide-eyed into his face.
Then a pained voice hissed, "Do not touch her."
A spark of anger appeared in Apophis' eyes as he turned toward the speaker. Immediately, a scream ripped through the air, jolting Rina into action. She scrambled backward until her back hit the nearest wall, hands clamped over her ears, eyes sweeping her surroundings.
Apophis' First Prime stood over Teal'c, driving the rod into his side until Apophis signalled for him to stop. Rina could see no other Jaffa in the room. She brought her focus back to the First Prime, searching for his Zat.
Everything depended on her getting that gun.
She found it resting at his hip, her gaze fixing upon it unwaveringly. She just needed to figure out how to get to it. She looked to Teal'c, grimacing at his battered form. She wanted nothing more than to stay where she was, but she forced herself to move forward, toward him.
With the amount of torture he'd endured, he doubtless wouldn't be much help to her. But in this moment, he only needed to be her excuse.
Fingers tangled in Marina's long hair, yanking until her scalp burned. Rina felt Apophis' breath on her cheek and shuddered.
"Do you pity him?" he asked her.
Marina said nothing, trembling silently. Apophis simply laughed, shoving her forward so she landed hard on her knees. But when she lifted her head again, she was face to face with Teal'c.
Which meant her target was right beside her.
Suddenly, a Jaffa burst into the room, shouting about an attack from the Tau'ri. Rina threw a quick glance at Apophis, who seemed largely unperturbed. He barked a few orders at the Jaffa, sending them scurrying back out of the room. Then he turned to his First Prime, giving him a silent nod.
No... Rina thought, panicked. No, no, shit! He can't leave now!
Then she saw it, the orb clutched within the First Prime's hand. It was out in the open now, which meant now was the time to act.
Without thinking, Rina lunged, one hand locking around the Zat. The First Prime reacted instantly, backhanding her across the face so hard that she was almost convinced he'd snapped her neck. By some miracle, she managed to keep her grip on the Zat, freeing it from its place at the Jaffa's side. She fell back, convinced that in the next second the First Prime would be upon her and her chance to use the weapon would be gone. Instead, to her astonishment, Teal'c jumped to his feet, slamming into the Jaffa with enough force to knock him back. The First Prime stumbled heavily against the control board behind him, struggling to regain his footing as Teal'c collapsed at his feet, the last of his strength seemingly spent. The communication device hit the floor, rolling across its surface. Rina locked onto it just as the First Prime lunged for it, firing off three consecutive shots. The beam struck the orb, channeling straight into the Jaffa. He'd only just grazed the device with his fingers, but the slim connection was enough to cost him his life. He went limp on the second shot, vanishing along with the communication device once the third struck. Then Rina turned her sights on Apophis, only spotting the glow of his Kara kesh a mere fraction of a second before it went off. The pulse smashed against her just as she rendered her first shot, her head striking the floor hard enough to make her see stars, her insides burning with the feel of the weapon reacting to the influx of energy.
Move! Get up! her mind silently screamed at her.
But her stunned body refused to respond. Slowly, Apophis strode over to her, anger burning in his eyes he kicked the Zat out of her grip, jarring her hand painfully. Sounds of protestation emanated from Teal'c, but he was too weak at this point to even form words. Apophis knelt over Rina, lifting his hand to her forehead, the gem of his Kara kesh glowing threateningly. Rina heard it hum with energy; she knew what was coming. The beam stabbed into her forehead, sending pain flooding through her cranium. She gritted her teeth, her senses bending reality around her, throwing her back in time.
It was happening again. Apophis stood over her, forcing kinetic energy into her skull, forcing her into a state of helpless submission.
Then would come the knife, the pain, the horror.
No...please. I can't go through this again. Someone make it stop. Anyone. Please. HELP ME!
Suddenly, Apophis twisted away from her, a scream of agony pouring from his mouth as light emanated from his face, the beam from his hand device cutting off. Rina stared in shock, quickly forcing herself onto her side.
There lay Teal'c, stretched across the floor, holding the torture rod in shaky hands.
The Zat.
Rina dragged herself toward it, hearing the door to the control room fly open.
The Jaffa had heard their master's cries.
No, no! I just need a second!
Marina snatched up the Zat, aiming at Apophis and pressing the trigger.
She didn't get the chance to fire again. The back end of a staff weapon caught the Zat and sent it flying, Jaffa surrounding her in seconds and subduing Teal'c just as quickly. They trained their staffs on Teal'c, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
"No!" Rina cried, scrambling toward him.
The surrounding Jaffa shouted at her to stay where she was but none raised a hand against her. None of them dared, not without their god's express permission. Marina reached Teal'c and flung herself over him, using her own body as a shield. The Jaffa glanced toward Apophis, awaiting their instructions. But Apophis was barely conscious.
Then another Jaffa burst into the room, declaring that the SGC forces had reclaimed a level. There was a notable silence. Apophis seemed to be trying to form words. Everyone strained to listen.
"Recall all Jaffa," came the order, "Protect your god."
The Jaffa launched into action, only a few staying behind to keep an eye on the two prisoners and tend to Apophis.
"My lord, you must return through the Chaapa'ai," one insisted, "You need healing."
Apophis said nothing at first, his gaze slowly settling on Rina. She felt suddenly cold.
He has what he wanted. There's no real reason to stay.
Her fear was confirmed when Apophis spoke.
"You will bring the traitor and the weapon as well," he commanded, slowly uprighting himself.
With some difficulty, he made his way to the computers. On the other side of the glass, Rina could hear the gate starting to activate.
What do I do? What the hell do I do?!
The few Jaffa in the room moved toward Rina and Teal'c, dragging them onto their feet. Marina hauled against their grip, trying in vain to prevent them from forcing her out of the room. Apophis completed the dialling sequence and moved unsteadily toward the door, two Jaffa flanking him just in case he lost his footing. They all filed into the hall, Rina spying the glow of the stargate just around the corner.
"No!" she shrieked, her feet scrabbling against the floor for a foothold.
"My lord!" came the cry of a Jaffa.
Apophis paused, turning toward the sound. The Jaffa raced past Rina and Teal'c, hastily informing his master that the Tau'ri were gaining ground just as fast as Apophis' forces could retreat.
"They're almost upon us!" he finished.
Apophis angrily gestured him away, a silent command to return to the fighting. Then he turned his gaze on the Jaffa escorting his two prized captives.
"Bradio!" he snapped at them.
"No!" Rina cried, kicking out.
Her blows glanced harmlessly against the Jaffa armor.
I won't go back. I can't.
They stepped into the gate room, the stargate bathing them in its watery light.
No.
She fought, flailed, resisted with everything she had.
NO!
She delved inside herself, calling upon the power that had been planted within.
It'd worked for her once before. She could only hope it would work again.
Then she felt the weapon answer, felt the energy building inside her. An amber pulse snapped out, throwing her guards off like they were nothing. Behind her, Teal'c's guards went down as well. Apophis, standing on the verge of the ramp, whirled back toward the commotion, fury and surprise mingled together in his face.
"Bradio!" he snapped again.
When Rina's guards didn't respond, he rounded on those keeping watch over the gate room hostages, signalling for them to deal with Marina. Then he mounted the ramp and swiftly vanished through the gate.
Marina ran to Teal'c, her mind racing.
He can't run. I can't drag him.
Her eyes fell on the nearest staff weapon, its owner still stunned from her attack. She snatched it up, only to lose her grip on it when she was grabbed from behind. She screamed, wriggling violently to get free.
Then she saw the host of Jaffa pouring into the hall. The last of Apophis' forces had arrived back at Level 28, squashing any final hope of escape. Rina plunged into despair, abandoning any attempt at resistance as she was hauled back into the gate room. The stargate loomed before her like a horrifying promise.
I should've known it would end like this...
Her hopes of heroism, of revenge, had been only a fantasy.
It was time to accept her cruel reality again.
"Kree, Jaffa! Aray Kree!"
Everyone froze. Rina looked around for the source of the noise, spotting at least one or two intercom speakers located in the upper corners of the room.
There was something incredibly familiar about the voice.
"Shak'ti'qua?" it demanded.
The Jaffa looked about in confusion.
"We are doing what you commanded, my lord!" one replied.
"Noc!" the voice insisted.
Rina felt a jolt of recognition.
Daniel? Is that really Daniel?
"Kalach shal'tek!" Jackson shouted.
The Jaffa exchanged uncertain looks amongst themselves.
"But my lord—"
"It's a trick!" one shouted suddenly, "That is not our lord Apophis!"
A flurry of sound turned heads toward the hall behind them.
It was gunfire.
Rina felt a flood of profound relief, though it proved short-lived. As shouts of warning raced through the Jaffa, they all began crowding toward the gate again, dragging her with them. The SGC forces were so close, yet not close enough. And the possibility of any other last minute tricks seemed highly unlikely. Still, Rina fought every step of the way, silently pleading for luck to favor her just once more.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone barrel straight into one of her captors, knocking them off-balance and enabling her to pull free. She looked around, spotting several more figures flinging themselves at the Jaffa.
The hostages had sprung into action, the sound of gunfire doubtless having roused them.
Some of the Jaffa fired at them in retaliation, a few screams breaking out as hostages were hit. Rina stared in horror. Then one of her captors levelled his weapon at the man who had knocked him off-balance.
"No!" Marina shouted, wrenching the weapon off-target at the last second.
It fired straight into the crowd of Jaffa, felling one instantly. A swift backhand caught Marina in the face, spinning her around and slamming her down onto the edge of the ramp.
Suddenly, there was a deathly silence. Rina lifted her head.
The gate had been deactivated.
The next second, a frenzy broke out. The Jaffa grabbed for the hostages, Rina herself feeling someone wrench her upright and twist an arm around her neck.
"Let us leave or we will kill the prisoners!" one Jaffa shouted.
Hammond's voice rang out threateningly, "I assure you, whatever you do to those hostages, I will deliver tenfold on you. Either way, that gate is not going open. So I suggest you surrender. Now."
There was another pause. Then, one by one, Jaffa started to throw down their weapons and release the hostages. The pressure on Rina's neck disappeared and she immediately knelt beside the man who had come to her rescue. He appeared dazed, lying unmoving on the floor.
"Hey, are you okay?" she asked.
"I—I think so," he answered, sitting up slowly, "Are you okay?"
Rina didn't answer, instead glancing around the room. She could see Hammond through the glass separating the control room from the stargate, and when she turned her focus toward the adjoining hall, she thought she saw O'Niell spearheading the SGC forces as they rounded up the Jaffa.
Teal'c. Where's Teal'c?
Her stomach twisted with dread as she searched through the crowds, her gaze coming to rest on a dark form stretched out on the floor. She ran straight to him, lifting his head carefully into her lap. He hovered on the edge of consciousness, his eyelids drooping heavily.
"Miss Karssen," he said weakly.
The knot in Marina's stomach twisted harder, guilt and gratitude mingling together in an overwhelming emotion.
"It's Rina," she said quietly, "Just Rina."
"Are you all right?" Teal'c asked.
Rina's lower lip trembled.
"Hey," she said, her voice on verge of breaking, "I...I think we're even now."
"Even?"
"Yeah. After this...you don't owe me anything."
There was a pause, Rina listening carefully to Teal'c's pained breathing.
"I do not deserve forgiveness."
Marina drew a shaky breath.
"I didn't say I forgive you, just that we're even now. So next time...I don't know, tell Apophis I'm on Level 29 or something."
Another pause.
"There is no Level 29."
Rina allowed herself a gentle smile.
"Exactly," she said, "Tell him he has to use the stargate to get there. Send him on a wild goose chase. Or better yet, send him to some uninhabitable planet. The rest should handle itself from there."
There was silence again, only Teal'c didn't break it this time.
"Teal'c?"
His eyes had closed, his breathing quieted. Panic squeezed Rina's chest.
"We need a doctor here!" she shouted.
Suddenly, Jack was at her side.
"Teal'c! Come on, buddy, hang in there."
He felt for a pulse, worry plain in his face. Twisting his head around, he called for immediate medical attention. There was perhaps a few seconds delay before it came, though those seconds felt like a lifetime.
"Get a gurney over here!" the medic shouted to his colleagues, "This patient needs immediate medical attention!"
Minutes dragged by before the gurney at last arrived. Rina could feel herself trembling.
He has to be okay. He has to...
She watched as the medics lifted Teal'c onto the gurney, dimly aware of Carter appearing at Jack's side and offering to accompany Teal'c to Level 21.
"I'll let you know the second anything changes," she told Jack, her voice tight with emotion as the medics began wheeling Teal'c away.
Rina watched them roll toward the exit, spotting Daniel just as he raced into the room and caught sight of Teal'c. He moved straight to the gurney's side, exchanging a few words with Carter and the medics before reluctantly allowing them to pass him by. For a moment, he didn't move, simply watching his friend be wheeled away. Then he turned back, his gaze sweeping the room before coming to settle on Rina and Jack.
"Hey," Jack said, drawing Rina's attention.
He gestured to the hall where Teal'c had just vanished.
"Thanks for getting him out of there."
I wouldn't even be here now if it weren't for him.
But Rina simply swallowed and nodded.
"Marina."
She turned to face Daniel, Jack promptly stepping away.
"Are you all right?" Daniel asked quietly.
"Um..."
Rina's legs suddenly felt weak. Daniel must have noticed because he caught her arm, helping her ease into a sitting position. He sat next to her, watching her intently, a mess of emotions whirling through his blue eyes.
"I thought we'd lost you," he said suddenly, "The blast from Apophis' hand device...it should have killed you."
Marina took a few deep breaths, tucking her knees under her and resting her head in her hands.
"It's the weapon," she said, keeping her eyes fixed ahead, "It absorbs power. Probably saved my life." She gave an unsteady laugh, blinking away the tears in her eyes. "So it's not completely horrible to have sometimes."
Something settled arounds her shoulders. It was Daniel's jacket. Rina dropped her hands, turning to look Daniel in the eye.
"Thanks for—" She pointed to the intercom speakers.
There was a pause.
"I'm sorry," Daniel said, "I'm sorry I pushed you so hard. I can't imagine—"
He broke off, his gaze falling to the floor.
"I get it," Rina said, drawing his eyes back to her own, "Why you did it."
There was silence. It felt strangely comfortable.
"We should get you checked out," Daniel said suddenly, "You might have a concussion."
Probably, Rina agreed silently, the harsh smack of her head against the control room floor instantly coming to mind.
She climbed gingerly to her feet, keeping Daniel's jacket pulled around her shoulders.
"By the way," she said, pointing to her face, "You still need your glasses fixed."
For a moment, Rina thought she saw the slightest smile on Daniel's face.
"Yeah," he said, "Yeah, I'll get around to that. In the meantime—"
He gestured to the exit. Rina started forward, Daniel at her side.
With the lifts once more in working order, the trip up to Level 21 felt almost sublime compared to the previous treks up and down the stairwell, though once the elevator doors reopened, both Rina and Daniel found themselves face to face with a teary-eyed Carter. Dread twisted into Rina, compounding with each fraction of a second that passed before Carter spoke.
"Teal'c's stable," she said.
Rina sucked in a breath.
Does that mean...?
She focused on Carter's face, catching the glow of relief in her eyes as she concluded, "He's gonna be fine."