Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

The tree, which stood proudly at the center of the clearing, had been stripped of its natural children. The green leaves had turned yellow, red and brown, and then fallen off.

The tree still stood proudly however, holding its immortal foster children aloft with the same care it had shown its own. The metal tags sparkled in the moonlight, making the tree look as though stars had been caught in its branches. Occasionally the wind would caress these man-made stars and cause them to gently touch each other creating a small orchestra that filled the clearing.

The snow around the tree's roots was trampled and covered with footprints, and its bark had already been brutalized in the name of love. Two pairs of initials inside a heart had been carved into the trunk under one of the lower branches.

One by one the stars in the tree faded as the moon bid them good night and sank beneath the horizon. For a few moments the world held its breath, frozen in darkness, then, almost surprisingly, a thin pink line appeared, just above the ground, across from where the moon had disappeared. Slowly the thin line thickened and the metal stars were transformed into pink flowers, and for a few minutes the proud tree bloomed in the dead of winter.

She paused for a moment then, watching this miracle of man and nature. Her breath left her lips in small clouds of condensation. A stray beam of light caught the crystal around her neck and added to the light show, bringing her into the miracle. A heartbeat, a breath, a moment, and it was over. The pink gave way to yellow, the dawn gave way to day, and the spell was broken. With a sigh she pulled her shawl closer and continued her trek.

Behind her the wind picked up and weaved through the tree's branches, causing it to wave a sad farewell accompanied by the soft tinkling of its foster children.

<><><><><>

Her feet were cold. Actually her whole body was cold but it seemed that the sensation was localized in her feet. The sound of the snow crunching under her shoes, which had seemed so loud before dawn, was now barely audible underneath the sounds of the black crow-like birds that had migrated in with the winter and, if history repeated itself, would leave at the first sign of spring. There were times Sam thought the planet wanted to make sure they knew it wasn't earth.

It had been almost half an earth year since the robots had brought the survivors to this planet and reopened the earth gate. Thanks to the stockpiles they had quickly gathered from the warehouses and even the rare stores that hadn't been pillaged, this winter was a lot easier than the last one. For a while there had even been talk about moving the base back to earth. It was mostly the ex-SGC personnel that wanted to make the move. The survivors all knew that there was very little on earth. Sam had kept quiet during these discussions; she would never return to earth if she could help it.

It was the first supply run that decided it. They had come back, loaded with clothing, canned foods, equipment, and books. They returned pale, tired, some had cried. Earth was now a mass grave, a dead world. In the end the decision had been unanimous. They would stay.

She stumbled and fell, just managing to break her fall with her hands. The wind picked up her shawl and dragged it back along the path she had just walked until it was caught in a tree branch. Cursing, Sam picked herself up and backtracked a few steps, snatching the shawl from the offending branch with enough force to tear the hand woven material. Part of her wanted to just abandon the damned thing…but it'd been a gift from Gaia's mother and it would offend the woman horribly if Sam just discarded it.

'Irritable aren't we?' Atalya had been quiet all morning, hoping her host's bad mood would dissipate once she woke up a little. It hadn't. 'Why does going to the Tok'ra bother you so much?'

'It doesn't,' Sam replied. 'I'm just cold and tired and hungry and …'

'You wanted to stay in bed a few more hours?' Sam frowned at the teasing tone in her friend's voice. 'We didn't have to leave so early you know. Revanna will still be there after lunch.'

Sam shrugged mentally and rubbed her hands together, blowing into them as she walked. 'Cause then we'd get to Revanna in the middle of the night, and I'd rather not try and find the Tok'ra base at night.'

Finally the Stargate came into view. Soon she would be warm again. Bending over the DHD to hit the glyphs, the light reflecting off her crystal caught her eye. The crystal with the information her father had gotten back from Earth's moon. Information that had proved useless, incriminating a goa'uld that hadn't been seen or heard in millennia. Sam sighed and tucked the gem under her shirt. They would not get their vengeance. Unless you believed the old proverb that said the best revenge is living well.

The last glyph lit and the whirlpool whooshed out, then settled into a blue vertical pool. They were living well, or as well as they could. It really didn't make Sam feel any better.

<><><><><>

Jacob unconsciously twisted his wrist, making a face when he saw nothing but bare skin. 'She's here when she's here,' Selmac said, her 'voice' full of amusement.

'Why don't the Tok'ra have time keeping devices?' Jacob complained. 'You claim to be advanced but even the Tau'ri managed to invent digital watches.'

'You invented nuclear weapons too,' she reminded.

"Jacob," Asha said walking towards him. "Atalya has arrived,"

'I hope Sam's with her,' Jacob groused. "Thank you," he replied aloud, walking past her towards the rings. 'You still haven't told me why you don't have watches,' Jacob said, activating the controls to ring to the surface.

'Do you really want the long drawn out explanation of the absurdity of having a time device when the length of a day varies from planet to planet?' she asked.

'Save it for the next time I have insomnia,' Jacob said, walking across the grassy plains towards the gate. He watched Sam walking towards him, taking a heavy shawl from around her shoulders as she walked. 'That's right; it's winter on the Alpha Site, isn't it?'

'Yes. Amazingly enough not every planet has the same seasons at the same time either,' Selmac said.

'Smartass, Jacob said, grinning a bit. "Sam," he called out.

She raised her arm and waved at him, picking up her pace a bit. "How are you doing?" she asked, wrapping her arm around his waist in a half hug.

"Good, kid, good. How about you?" Jacob replied, returning the embrace.

"Can't complain. Anything interesting happening?" she asked, falling into step beside him.

He shrugged. "Depends on what you called interesting," he said. "Cremon's taking a little vacation, Aldwin's got a thing for Asha and one of Anise's experiments got away from her," he said.

"Nothing horrible, I hope," she said.

He shook his head. "No, not too bad. And the rash should go away in a couple of weeks." She laughed a bit, the sound lifting Jacob's heart. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard the sound. "You think that's good…Martouf brought back some beef."

"Beef? Where did you get that?"

"Foraging on a planet. Up for a little Tok'ra barbecue?"

"I can't wait," she said following him to the rings and down into the complex.

<><><><><>

Acrid smoke wafted across the barren landscape, stirred by a sluggish breeze. Jack didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse, the breeze. It did clear the smoke and aided their vision…but it also carried with it a smell he was all too familiar with. Death.

Death was everywhere on this planet, Its once clean and pure lines distorted and blackened. Skeletal fingers of buildings poked out of the mists; almost as though the structures themselves were supplicating, begging for mercy.

His sharp eyes caught sight of bodies among the rubble, needlessly confirming what his olfactory sensors were telling him. Women, children…some were recognizable as once being humans, others were simple shapeless hunks of smoldering flesh.

"What the hell happened?" Daniel asked, his voice barely above a whisper. That seemed appropriate here, whispering, the need to stay quiet, either out of respect, or fear.

"They were massacred," Sam said softly, her eyes darting around, never settling on any one place for too long. Not again. This wasn't fair. The Tollan had just found a new home.

"Tollana was no threat," Teal'c said.

"Ya don't gotta be a threat to piss off the goa'uld anymore," Jack said.

"You think a goa'uld did this?" Daniel asked.

"I hope so," Jack said.

"Why?"

"Because, Daniel, if they didn't, then we have something else running around the universe that's just as bad," Sam said, her voice quivering slightly at the thought. It shouldn't, she knew that. She could blame Harlan's excellent programming skills for the emotions roiling through her gut at the moment.

"Worse," Teal'c corrected. "When the goa'uld attack, their goal is to acquire riches and slaves, not to massacre."

"Someone had to survive," Daniel said.

Jack looked to the rest of his team, agreeing with the doubt he saw in their faces. Tollana was silent, eerily, deathly silent, only the odd crackle of flames and the occasional rumble of a collapsing building breaking the quiet. "Maybe on the outskirts of town," he said, not really believing that they'd find anything but more death.

With a solemn nod, they all agreed, turning and carefully picking their way through the rubble and once clean streets of the alien city.

<><><><><>

Sam walked along the gravel path, her boots crunching as she traversed the coarse rock. A gentle breeze caressed her skin, keeping the warmth of the sun down to manageable proportions. She shook her head and her hair tousled, settling around her face, strands of it getting caught behind her sunglasses.

She sighed and rolled her shoulders, feeling the stress melt away. She loved to do this, coming outside, away from the stress and pressures of the mountain. She could smell the tang of evergreen and fir trees, the warm sweetness of the rocky earth surrounding her.

The sun kissed her skin, soaking into her bones and spreading a feeling of contentment that reached into the depths of her soul.

This was what she needed more than anything, to be alone and relax. She loved her job, she really did. It hadn't taken her long to discover that she was the personality that thrived on challenges and pressure. A friend at the academy had once accused her of being like carbon, needing the pressure and stress of the Earth to bring out the diamond within, and even then, needing the care and skill of another to bring out the true beauty hidden inside an easy to ignore surface.

She'd laughed at her friend, blaming the poetics on too many margaritas.

She also loved her friends. It amazed her that she found three so different men to be fast and intimate companions.

She and Daniel had connected so easily in the beginning, each finding a kindred soul, both thirsty for knowledge and in awe of the whole thing. More than once he'd asked her advice on things, seeking her counsel in fitting into the military environment they now lived in.

Teal'c…Teal'c was so special. He'd scared her at first, if she was honest. It wasn't just his size, although that had something to do with it.

It was actually Jolinar that'd brought them together and cemented their friendship. He'd made time for her then, patiently answering her questions and soothing her fears. He, more than anyone she knew, understood what had happened to her and their bond of the sixth sense inspiring naquadah had become such a part of her that she discovered that she actually missed it when he took time off and was gone for days.

And then there was the colonel, friend, mentor, leader and supporter, all rolled into one lanky, sarcastic ball. She'd been so on edge the first time she'd met him, trying to reconcile her mental images from his reports to the officer she found at the head of the table in the briefing room.

They'd gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, but fortunately it hadn't lasted long, hero worship growing into mutual respect and trust. He was one of the best commanders she'd ever had, never forgetting that she was a woman but never treating her like she was 'the girl'.

A loud sound pulled her from her reverie, making her look around. Maybe they were practicing artillery at Ft. Carson, she thought, frowning a bit.

She heard it again, this time louder. What the hell were they doing over there? They weren't supposed to be playing around with explosives too close to the highway; it was a hazard and a risk to the civilian population.

The thumping sounds grew louder and closer, starting to shake the earth under her feet. A heavy weight settled on her shoulder, giving her a firm shake. "Sam!"

Her eyes flew open and she squinted in the sunlight. "What?"

Jacob knelt before her, his hand on her shoulder. "Sam, wake up," he said urgently.

"Dad?" She looked around. They'd come to the surface, Jacob declaring that the all too rare delicacy of beef was something that needed to be cooked over an open fire. Of course, the fact that Garshaw found the smell of cooking meat nauseating might also have had something to do with it.

They'd barbecued and eaten, enjoying the familiar activities. Her stomach full, she'd lay down in a warm patch of sun and fallen asleep.

"We're under attack," he said urgently, pulling her to her feet. "The evac ship is on its way, we need to get underground and help pack."

'Talya,' Sam said desperately, waking the symbiote from her slumber.

'Go,' the creature urged, sending a surge of adrenaline through Sam's system, the substance immediately clearing the cobwebs from her brain. She followed her father as they ran for the rings, zigging and zagging as they dodged the incoming fire. "That's ours," Jacob said as she skidded to a halt, staring in horror at the hatak ship hovering over the rings. Death gliders buzzed around the massive pyramid ship like flies around a corpse.

Shaking her head to banish the dark thoughts, she followed him into the rings, transported beneath the surface of the planet to the barely organized chaos of an evacuation. "We've got to clear out the labs," Jacob said, leading the way to the laboratory level. Not having anything else to do, Sam followed him, ducking around the scurrying refugees.

"What have you got in here?" she demanded, staring at the large collection of beakers and bottles. They had a lab that would put Area 51 to shame.

"A little of everything," Jacob said. "Look, can you help Anise and Ren'al pack this stuff up? I need to go check on Garshaw." Sam nodded and Jacob left.

"Here," Anise shoved a large box into Sam's arms. "Put those in this," she instructed.

'What is this stuff?' Sam asked Talya, quickly filling the bottom of the case with bottles of various colored substances. Most of the labels were in an alien language, the language of Freya's people, Sam guessed.

'Various botanicals,' Talya said, translating some of the labels. 'Perhaps difficult to replace, but not worth dying over.'

'Scientists,' Sam quipped as she finished with one table's worth of bottles. Still having room in her box, she moved to another table, carefully putting more containers into the box. As she worked, the thumping sound got louder and closer, raining dust and debris down on their heads.

"We do not have much time," Ren'al said, handing her box over to a passing Tok'ra with instructions to deliver it to the rings.

"The goa'uld cannot gain possession of these items," Anise said. "It would be disastrous to all of us."

'Talya?' Sam asked, puzzled. There didn't seem to be anything spectacular here.

'Anise has a flare for the dramatic,' she said. 'Or more accurately Freya; she was very young when they blended.'

'Fascinating,' Sam said, hefting the heavy box and hurrying from the room. She stumbled as she walked, the concussions from the aerial bombardment having weakened the ceiling structure and support. 'One direct hit and this place is going to come down on our heads.'

'I concur. And those are only weapons from the Death Gliders. Weapons fire from the hatak will easily breach this facility,' Talya said. 'Find your father and get up to our hatak,' she instructed.

'Shouldn't we keep helping?'

'The Tok'ra are well versed at evacuation. They can take care of themselves. Find Jacob,' she ordered.

With a shrug and for once not wanting to argue with her, Sam set down the box in the rings and moved away. 'Where did he go?'

'Garshaw's chambers are this way,' Talya said, giving Sam a mental nudge.

Sam followed her symbiote's directions, fighting her way against the tide of fleeing Tok'ra. She stumbled, cursing as she cut her hand on a protruding piece of crystal.

She heard the thumps again grow louder as the death gliders came around for another run, this time their bombs striking immediately overhead. Huge chunks of the ceiling broke loose, giving way under the stress. 'LOOK OUT!' Talya screamed, wresting control from Sam and throwing their body to the other side of the chamber. All Sam got was the barest glimpse of the ceiling caving in before darkness swept over her.

<><><><><>

They appeared like specters from the mist. Ghostly figures, silhouettes quickly talking form. His heart lurched and his hands tightened around the metal rod in his hand. It was a pathetic weapon, ineffectual at best…it was all he had, all they had.

He hadn't been sure how to fight, hadn't quite known how to defend himself. Fortunately, some things were instinctual. And some instincts survived centuries of placidity and technical dependence.

They came closer and he held his breath, furiously blinking his eyes to clear his vision. They burned, his eyes. Too much smoke and too little sleep had turned them into painful, burning orbs. They watered a little, but not enough. Never enough. He couldn't cry, didn't dare to cry. He couldn't afford the tears. Not just because clean water was too precious to waste, but also because he couldn't cry. Crying was weak and he couldn't be weak. He had to be strong. Strength was what mattered. Strength was the only advantage he had, feeble though it may be.

They walked past him and hesitated, seemingly torn between which direction to go. He waited, watching as they whispered among themselves. Finally reaching an agreement, they veered left. No. Not that way. They couldn't go that way. They'd find them. He couldn't let them find them.

With a feral cry, he leapt from his hiding place, his weapon held high. They turned, a quartet of weapons coming to bear on him. They would kill him, but he didn't care. As long as he kept them from finding the others. As long as the others heard his cry and had time to hide.

Much to his surprise, he wasn't cut down. No fiery blasts tore through his body. One of the figures stepped forward, his dark hands easily disarming him and subduing him. "Narim? Narim?" A voice cut through his fear and another hand grabbed his chin, forcing him to look in their eyes. "Narim, it's me."

He blinked, forcing his eyes to focus, hoping against hope that he was not imagining things. "Sam…Samantha?"

"Yeah, it's me," she said. The arms holding him let him go and he staggered, kept from falling only by her hand on his arm. "What happened?"

Narim looked at her, then at the others, half expecting them to disappear, to vanish back into the smoke and death that was now his world.

"Narim!" O'Neill's voice pulled him to the present, cutting through his haze of exhaustion. "What happened?"

"They…they attacked. Our cannons…they didn't work, they were destroyed before they could be fired. Flames from the sky…burning…everything was burning. Everything…they screamed, they were burned alive, flaming people walking down the streets…" His voice faded and he looked away, still seeing the specters staggering down the streets, arms waving futily, begging for mercy that never came.

"Are there others?" Doctor Jackson asked.

"Others?" How did they know about the others? How did they…it was a secret, had to be a secret.

"Other survivors," Samantha said. "Have you seen anyone else?"

He remained silent. He couldn't betray them, he had to protect them.

"We know somewhere where they can go," O'Neill said. "Somewhere safe."

"Safe?" Was anyplace safe anymore?

"Safe," Samantha said, smiling as she stepped forward. "We'll take them somewhere safe, I promise you," she said softly. "Can you take us to them?"

Safe. He promised to keep them safe. They wouldn't be safe here, not anymore. They'd die, he couldn't let them die. Safe, he had to take them somewhere safe. Slowly, he nodded. Samantha took his hand. "I'll stay with you. Just take us to them," she said.

Comforted by her strong grasp, he started to walk.

<><><><><>

Talya fought the nearly overwhelming darkness, tapping into her unconscious host's senses to orientate herself. She found the source of Sam's stupourous state, a large contusion on her brain. She concentrated on mending it, knowing that if she didn't they would both die, but also knowing that by remaining in the complex she was risking both of their lives.

The ground forces would come soon, and unless they wanted to be captured or killed, they needed to be somewhere else.

She heard people scurrying around her, running and caught occasional snatches of conversation. No one stopped to assist them and she didn't know if it was because no one saw them, or that they looked dead.

Hearing the distant whump of staff weapon fire, she knew the base had been breeched. Choosing survival over finesse, she clumsily stemmed the bleeding in Sam's skull, exerting full control to open her host's eyes.

She staggered to her feet, ignoring the pain emanating from Sam's body. There'd be time for that later, right now she needed to get them to safety. She made her way down the corridor, her heart breaking as she passed other victims, some of them horribly mangled under piles of rubble.

Hearing Jaffa coming down the corridor, she ducked into a small alcove desperately hoping that they wouldn't sense her presence. She felt Sam start to stir and clamped down on her control, freezing her body to keep her quiet. 'Talya?'

'Hush. You were injured. The base has been invaded,' she briefed, ducking down as more Jaffa walked past.

'What are our chances?' Sam asked.

'I do not know. If this is just a raid, they may leave soon. But if this is a full attack…'

'They'll sweep the planet,' Sam finished grimly.

"Tok'ra kree!" a voice growled. Giving into temptation, Sam peeked around the threshold, her heart falling as she saw prisoners being led down the corridor.

'Damn.'

'It was inevitable,' Talya soothed.

'No." Sam's heart lurched as her eyes caught sight of a familiar bald pate among the prisoners. 'Dad.'

'Samantha, you cannot help him now,' Talya said. 'We can mount a rescue later.'

'How? We don't even know who's running this raid.'

'We will find out.'

'Damn right we will,' Sam said, clumsily getting to her feet, her hand pulling a loose piece of crystal off the walls, the clatter of it hitting the floor echoing like a gunshot.

'Samantha!' Talya wrested control from her host. 'You are not thinking clearly.' She felt her host rage, fighting for control with a strength that she'd never experienced before. Her anger pummeled Talya, beating at her like a storm driven wind, buffeting her, pushing her back. She clung to control, struggling to maintain it, to keep it.

With one final burst of rage, Sam pushed Talya away, wresting control from her.

Sam fell to her knees, moaning as pain stabbed through her head. Her instincts screaming for her to hide, she flailed, trying to stand and failing. The ground shook again. Crystal tiles falling like rain around her. More of the ceiling collapsed, bringing down the earth above it in large clumps, sealing her off from the Jaffa. The noise around her was as deafening as the silence within. And for the second time in less then an hour Sam lost consciousness.

He was smiling down at her his hand outstretched. "Come on Carter." He was smiling and he had his sunglasses on so she couldn't see his eyes. Daniel stood behind him, Teal'c had his back to her, he must have been keeping watch. "We can't lounge around all day." She wondered why he was wearing his shades inside, but there was no time to ask. She reached out and grabbed his hand, letting him help her up. She was dizzy, and her stomach flipped but after a moment she was fine. "Ok?" he asked her, his hand on her shoulder. She nodded. "All right then, let's go." He smiled again. "Dad needs our help. They probably took the prisoners outside."

The ceiling and earth that had separated Sam from the Jaffa had also separated her from the only exit. They had to crawl around and through the debris, slowly picking their way across the bodies, making detour after detour, probably going through every area of the complex. There are so many of them, Sam thought as she grabbed a zat gun from one of the bodies, the Tok'ra will never recover.

The tunnels were more or less abandoned, the Jaffa troops making one last round; picking up the stragglers, the few Tok'ra that had managed to elude the Jaffa and had became trapped in the tunnels. Once in a while a firefight would break out, but it would end quickly. She didn't have to be there to know the outcomes.

Jack took point, looking around corners, motioning them when to stop, when to go, when to hide. Teal'c watched their backs, telling them to stop just as often as Jack did. Daniel was a firm presence at her side, holding her up against the wall when she got dizzy, picking up the zat gun when she dropped it. Together they managed to make their way to the entrance. Bodies and body parts of Jaffa were scattered around the rings like horseshoes. At least one of the Tok'ra had already been there and had managed to get out; at least she hoped they managed to get out. Either way they had left a clear path for them to the rings.

She stumbled over a body and looked down, dispassionately recognizing the tattoo on the Jaffa's forehead. It looked familiar, yet…it shouldn't be here. No Jaffa had worn this mark in ten thousand years. Daniel's hand tightened on her arm and she turned away, obediently following him. That tattoo meant something, something important, if she could just remember what it was.

"We don't know what's up there," Jack reminded as they walked into the rings. "So when we get up top, make for the trees."

"Yes, sir," Sam acknowledged along with Teal'c's 'Indeed' and Daniel's 'Ok'.

"Once we reach the shelter of the trees we'll work on finding and rescuing the prisoners," he reassured her. She smiled at him and nodded then wished she hadn't as the pain lanced through her head as though her brain knocked against her skull. She got the sensation that there was something she needed to remember, something important, but as the rings activated she forgot everything except the need to run, run hard and run fast and run to the trees. They would make it, she knew. They were SG-1; they were unbreakable.

In a flash the drab black and gray walls of the tunnels were replaced by ridiculously inappropriate blue skies and green treetops. Then all she knew was her feet pounding on the ground, her lungs heaving, the tree-line getting closer and closer. A shot rang out behind her and the rock beside her exploded. Dust rose into her eyes and she stumbled, but managed to keep her balance and keep running. Running blindly towards the trees.

Another staff blast, this one farther away, but she didn't dare look behind her, didn't dare look back, just kept running, and running. She was almost there. Almost in the relative safety of the trees, just another few yards, another few feet.

She made it. She had made it into the trees, but she kept running, not stopping until she tripped over a root and crashed into the ground, breathing hard, rasping breaths.

Coughing out the dust she had inhaled on impact, Sam scurried to the side, hiding behind a tree as she stopped to catch her breath.

That was when she realized she was alone.

Her chest hurt, her ankle throbbed, and there was something wrong with her head, though she wasn't sure what. It wasn't pain but it was uncomfortable. Something dripped on the back of her hand, red, blood. Her blood? She wiped it off but couldn't see any wounds. Another drip, this time she saw it falling from above. Sam didn't look up, didn't want to look up. She knew what was there; she looked up, and promptly threw up. Dead bodies were bad, pieces of dead bodies were worse, pieces of dead bodies up in trees was too much for her right now.

She got up and ran further into the forest, not caring about the pain in her ankle, not caring about her father and the rest of the Tok'ra; she just wanted to rest, to sleep. She wasn't really watching where she was going so she wasn't really surprised when she crashed into something solid. However she wasn't expecting it to have arms and legs, and she definitely wasn't expecting it to hold her so tightly she couldn't escape. The more she struggled the tighter the grip became and after a few moments she thought she heard her name being called through the fog in her head.

"Samantha!" She heard the something solid call. "Samantha, it's me, Martouf."

Sam stopped struggling, she recognized Martouf. Martouf was a safe name; Martouf was good. "Martouf?" she whispered, gasping for air.

"Yes." His soft voice calmed her, slowly. "Are you hurt?" He was softly stroking her hair, but her heart was still beating wildly, her ankle still throbbed, and the she could see the tree tops from where he was holding her in his lap. She rolled over and threw up. "Samantha..." She could feel his hand on her back, cool through the material of her shirt. She wanted to cry, but she didn't cry anymore, she'd lost all her tears when... when? Why was it so hard to think?

She felt Martouf's fingers in her hair, touching something painful, but she didn't have the energy to pull away. "Samantha you may have a concussion. Is Atalya healing it?"

"Who?" It was just so hard to think. Why was the world spinning? Why was she on the ground? Where the hell were her friends? Something pulled her up and she let it, so much easier than to fight.

"Come Samantha, we will find the other Tok'ra; perhaps one of them will have a healing device." Well, she wasn't about to argue.

They stumbled along together through the trees, Martouf half-carrying half-dragging Sam along. They ran across a couple of Tok'ra, neither unfortunately had a healing device. One stepped beside Sam, and lifted her other hand across his shoulder, supporting her weight. That made it easier to walk.

Sam felt so light, like she was floating across the woods. Maybe she was dead. She giggled at the thought. Maybe they were all dead. Maybe everyone was dead... like earth, and suddenly she wasn't so light anymore.

"Martouf?" She said softly.

"Yes, Samantha?"

"Where's Atalya?" And then, because it was so easy, because it hurt so much less, she let herself fall into the darkness. She didn't really want to hear his answer anyway.

<><><><><>

Major Castleman slowly paced back and forth in front of the Stargate, ignoring the dark looks shot his way by the gathered men. For once, he wished they were back at the SGC. Oh, not that he had any desire to spend his life on a dead planet, but because he wished they'd found a way to bring one vital thing from Earth with them…the iris.

The Alpha Site was safe…but only as long as its address remained unknown. And too many people were coming and going from this gate for his peace of mind.

An authoritative figure strode towards him and he sighed. He didn't care how great of an ally the man was, or how much he'd helped them…the old warrior still gave him the creeps. "Bra'tac," he acknowledged.

"Still no word?" the man asked.

"No," Castleman shook his head. "We sent your message to Harlan's planet. I don't know what else we can do."

"I had hoped to seek Teal'c's counsel." He sighed. "However, perhaps I must trust my own feelings on the matter."

Castleman heard a sound from the gate and turned just as his men noticed the same thing. "Major."

"Heads up, people," he ordered, taking shelter himself behind the DHD. Bra'tac joined him and they both watched the chevrons light and the Stargate open with a dramatic whoosh. He heard the men around him raise and arm their weapons, all ready to greet a potentially hostile visitor.

Their heightened state of alertness was courtesy of various reports they'd been receiving through a myriad of sources. SG Teams still explored the universe on a limited basis, less worried about pure exploration now than the searching for supplies and potential allies. They were also looking for new worlds, not only for the resources from those worlds, but also as a potential colony.

But recently, instead of hope, they'd been bringing back word of new attacks, rumors of massacres and frightened whispers of someone, something, terrorizing the universe at large. A dark, mysterious force that was spreading through the universe like the specter of death, silently killing and leaving few to tell the tale.

These rumors were one reason they were now giving emphasis to a plan to move some of the more dependant survivors to a new world and leave the Alpha Site as a more militaristic base. Since they were lacking the safeguards and luxuries of advanced medical facilities, they hoped to find a place where the last few survivors of Earth could live, removed from any potential dangers brought back to the Alpha Site by any exploration teams.

Much to his surprise and relief, two familiar figures stepped through the gate, both of them looking around before stepping away from the gate. "O'Neill?" Castleman called out, standing up as Bra'tac did the same. "What brings you here?"

O'Neill and Jackson stepped forward as more people exited the gate behind them. "Castleman. We got refugees. We were wondering if you could put them up for a few days?" the man asked.

The major paused for a moment, still having a bit of a hard time believing that the man before him wasn't the O'Neill he'd known for years, but a robot duplicate. All of them were duplicates; perfect replicas of people he knew were long since dead. "Where are they from?"

"Tollana," Jackson answered.

"Tollana?" Castleman asked, not believing that the planet had been attacked. They'd all heard of the place, the new home of the Tollans, but none of them had ever been there. Occasionally, the robots brought them humanitarian aid from the reclusive aliens, but never anything that Castleman would consider important. It had also been a place they'd considered for a fall back site…before being told that the Tollans didn't want them, didn't want the influx of irrational and, in their definition, violent and possessive humans to mess up their little utopia.

"We've got about a hundred of them," O'Neill reported.

"We were just dropping by for a visit and discovered that the planet had been attacked," Jackson said.

"Bra'tac," O'Neill acknowledged, clasping the warrior's hand. "What brings you here?"

"O'Neill. A matter we shall discuss in a moment."

"Colonel, we don't have a lot of supplies," Castleman protested as his men stepped forward, their natural instinct to help over riding their caution. He wanted to help too, but he had something far more important to consider, survival. They were still barely hanging on and the last thing they needed to do was to swamp the lifeboat.

"Look, I know they haven't exactly been overwhelming with their help but…the planet's gone. It's as bad as Earth," O'Neill said, seriously.

"They don't have to stay permanently," Jackson said. "Just long enough to treat the wounded and for us to find them a new home."

"Tek matte, Teal'c. Tollana has fallen?" Bra'tac asked as Teal'c walked through the gate and joined them.

"Tek mate, Master Bra'tac."

"That's the last of them, sir. It was razed from the sky," Carter reported to him, coming to stand beside them, still guiding a shell shocked refugee holding a slightly singed tabby cat in his arms. The man didn't talk, simply stood there as he stroked the cat. "Everything's gone. We brought the survivors we could find. There might be a few more but we were running out of time," she said, referring to their battery packs.

Castleman knew that for their limitless strength and endurance, the robot duplicates of SG-1 had one Achilles heel…they could only leave their home planet for a few days at the most before their batteries drained and they died.

Castleman looked around him, his eyes flickering over dozens of dirty and frightened refugees. He wanted to say no. It was winter and an already lean time for the refugees. Last year, they'd barely survived although this winter looked to be a bit easier. But he knew all it'd take would be a cold snap that lasted too long or a persistent virus and they'd again be threatened with extinction.

These people would be a huge drain on their already meager resources and, if he cared about his own kind, he'd turn them away. It's not like they hadn't asked for it. They had turned the Tau'ri away last year when they asked for help. Kindness begets kindness…or lack thereof.

If he was using common sense, he'd turn them away. Fortunately for them, his compassion over rode his common sense. After all, just two years ago, they'd been like this, a few scattered survivors of a once mighty people.

"Use the mess hall," he ordered. "Get these people out of the cold. Spread the word that we'll need some blankets and clothing. Tell cook to fire up the ovens and get some soup on."

"Thank you," O'Neill said.

"Don't thank me yet," Castleman said. "They only stay if the people vote. We're already running low on supplies and spring's not for a couple more months at least."

"We'll find ya supplies," O'Neill promised.

"I know of someone that may assist you," Bra'tac said.

"Who?"

"Several months ago, word began to spread among the Jaffa of Kelma."

"Kelma?"

"Sanctuary," Jackson translated for O'Neill.

"It is said that K'Tano, once first prime of Imhotep, has led a great revolt. He has renounced his master and founded a sanctuary upon a planet. I came to make contact with Teal'c and to see if he desired to travel to this place with me and to see if K'Tano would be willing to lend his assistance to the Tau'ri."

"An alliance?"

"Perhaps," Bra'tac answered O'Neill.

"A Jaffa army could help out, sir," Carter said.

"We don't have enough resources-"

"They could help you find more," she interrupted Castleman. "Most of these Jaffa have been planet hopping for decades. They know what planets are good for foraging. They're also one hell of a defense force."

"It's not my planet, but I'm not too fond of handing the keys to the city over to someone on just their word," O'Neill said, his skepticism plain. Castleman didn't blame him. Jaffa weren't exactly known for their flexibility.

"Master Bra'tac and I shall go, investigate this K'Tano and see if he is in fact the leader of a rebellion," Teal'c said.

"In a bit," O'Neill said.

"O'Neill? The sooner we validate his claims, the sooner the Tau'ri can benefit."

"We need twelve hours to recharge before anyone's going anywhere," O'Neill said. "Our stuff still here?" he asked, referring to the naquadah powered charging unit the human Samantha Carter had created for situations just like this.

"Yeah, right where you left it," Castleman said.

"Twelve hours, Bra'tac," O'Neill said. "Then we'll all go, check out this K'Tano guy."
Bra'tac nodded his agreement and the group left the Stargate, returning to the warmth and relative safety of the settlement.

<><><><><>

Martouf watched the light of the healing device as it hit three different areas on Samantha's skull. While the healing device could be used by anyone with naquadah in their blood, on anyone, it took some skill and training to use it to its full potential like this and not many Tok'ra took the time to learn those skills these days. He was lucky, or rather Samantha was, that one of the Tok'ra that had managed to escape was Aras, a tall wiry man who had been a healer on his home planet and had spent the first twenty years of his joined existence learning, and perfecting, his use of the healing device.

This meant that he used less of his energy to heal, and the patient took less time to recover. Considering their current situation this was ideal. There were only fifteen of them left free, and arguments were already flaring up regarding what course of action to should be taken. Whether they should try and free the other Tok'ra now, or regroup and try later. Martouf was half listening to the arguments when he saw Samantha stir.

He had positioned her on her stomach, arms pillowing her head, so that the healer could work more easily. "Samantha," he called softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. A small groan answered him as she began to try and rise. "Slowly," he instructed helping her up into a sitting position. "You have been injured, and unconscious."

Surprisingly it was the metallic tinged voice of Atalya answered him. "I know," she said placing her hand on her forehead. "Samantha ripped control from me, in all my years none of my hosts had ever managed to do such a thing. There is damage to our connection; I could not heal her as well as I should have."

Martouf starred at Atalya as Lantash took control. "Samantha took control from you? Against your will?" They had heard of this happening before, but only with the goa'uld, and only when the parasite was under extreme duress or was weakened by something. "How is she now?" he asked, this was something that would have to be explored further when the time presented itself.

Atalya paused for a moment, as if searching for something. "She sleeps, but will soon awaken. I shall withdraw then until her wishes are made clear." She turned and looked at him, a look of resignation in her eyes. "Lantash, Samantha wrested control from me because she wants to rescue Jacob. You won't be able to stop her, and she would never forgive you if you tried."

Lantash nodded and turned to his arguing brethren. "We rest a little longer, and then we go rescue the others." His tone made it clear that there would be no further arguments on this matter, so the others began discussing methods of extraction. This too soon turned into an argument; Lantash resisted the urge to roll his eyes and turned his attention back to Atalya. She was resting against a tree, her arms placed across two large roots that stretched at her sides; her eyes were half closed and she regarded the arguing Tok'ra with little interest.

'Samantha was simply desperate,' Martouf said, trying to assuage Lantash's concerns. 'She was not fighting against Atalya as much as she was fighting to help her father. They will be fine. They just need some time.'

Lantash sighed internally and turned his attention back to the argument. 'I hope you're right old friend, I truly do.'

<><><><><>

Sam slowly opened her eyes, frowning as she realized that she had no idea where she was. It was dark, the only sound what she presumed to be the normal night music of the planet. Planet? How did she know she was on a planet?

"Samantha?" Her heart lurched at the soft voice and she spun, squinting in the dim light to make out the features of Martouf.

"Martouf, what?" she whispered, responding to his urgings to stay quiet.

"They're going to move the prisoners," he whispered back, moving close so it was more like he was breathing the words into her ear. "Are you up to helping?"

Prisoners? What prisoners? Who was a prisoner?

"We don't know what's up there." Jack reminded as they walked into the rings. "So when we get up top, make for the trees."

The guys. The guys had been here. They had to be the prisoners. That meant goa'uld. She couldn't let that happen. They couldn't be prisoners. Teal'c, they'd kill Teal'c, probably make Daniel and Jack into hosts. No, she had to help. "Yes," she said, barely registering the zat Martouf pressed into her hand.

"They're going to move them from a holding area to the surface to be ringed up," he whispered. "Our plan is to overpower the Jaffa and get ringed up to the teltac with the prisoners, then take over the cargo ship and flee, preferably before the Jaffa have a chance to know what has happened."

Her head pounding, she just nodded still trying to figure out how her friends had been captured, and why she hadn't been with them when it'd happened.

Martouf gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder then moved away, coordinating his efforts with the other members of the group. Sam blinked to clear her eyes and frowned as she realized that they were all Tok'ra. Where had the Tok'ra come from?

Her questions remained unanswered as they got to their feet, leaving her the choice of following them or staying behind. And since staying behind likely meant being marooned on a planet surrounded by Jaffa, she too gained her feet, moving close to Martouf's side.

The rhythmic clump of Jaffa boots grew louder as they spread out, hiding themselves in the trees. Orange flames flickered through the trees, torches carried by the captors. Instinctively, Sam leaned forward only to be pulled back by Martouf's gentle hand on her arm. She looked to him, reading the silent 'not yet' in his eyes.

The Jaffa came closer and she frowned, looking for a flash of green among the browns and beiges of the Tok'ra captives. Where were the guys? Shouldn't they be here?

She reached for Martouf, only to have her hand grasp air as he moved forward, the rest of the Tok'ra following suit. Within seconds the air was full of brilliant blue flashes punctuated by a couple of staff weapon blasts. Still trying to figure out what was going on, Sam walked from the trees, her zat held at her side.

A Jaffa moved in front of her, reaching for his weapon. She stared for a second then raised her zat, killing him quickly. Idly, she watched him fall, his limbs still quivering. "Sam?" An urgent voice pulled her from her stupor and she turned, staring now at the furiously frowning face of her father.

"Dad?"

"Damn, kid, what are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?" he ranted, pulling her close.

"No, I…" She stared at the melee around her, noticing that the short battle was over, more Jaffa than Tok'ra lying on the ground. "Where are they?" she asked slowly, still searching for the green uniforms she knew had to be here.

"Where are who?" Jacob asked.

"Jack, Daniel, Teal'c…they should be here. Where are they?" she asked, struggling slightly in his arms an odd feeling of desperation startling to settle in.

"Sam?"

"Dad? Where are they? Martouf said they were here, we can't leave them behind," Sam said, her voice rising enough that Jacob shook her slightly.

"Martouf, what the hell's wrong with her?" Jacob demanded as the Tok'ra joined them.

"Samantha was injured. She fought Atalya and won," he reported.

"What?" Selmac demanded.

"She was most determined to rescue you," Lantash said. "Samantha is confused at the moment. It is Martouf's hope that they will be able to mend their differences at a better time than now," he said meaningfully as the Tok'ra finished zatting the Jaffa into oblivion once they removed the men's armor.

Selmac nodded as he gave control back to Jacob. "Sam, honey. They're on the ship," he said.

"Who's on the ship?" Sam asked, trying to make sense of their conversation. Atalya? Who was this Atalya person and why had they fought.

"The rest of SG-1," Jacob said, the patience in his voice contrasting with the urgency with which he grabbed her arm.

"Oh," she said. "We need to go get them. They can't stay here, it's not safe."

"We shall do that now, Samantha," Martouf said. "Stay close to Jacob," he ordered.

"Right," Sam agreed. "I'll stay close to dad."

Her words barely out of her mouth, Sam meekly let the two men lead her along with the rest of the newly disguised Tok'ra as they picked up the discarded torches, settling themselves into mimicry of their former procession, hoping that it would be enough to fool the Jaffa manning the teltac.

<><><><><>

Jack stood back in the trees; his fingers drumming on his rifle stock as he listened to the Jaffa warrior speak to the group of warriors gathered in the clearing.

"He's got charisma, I'll give him that much," Daniel said.

"So did Hitler," Jack shot back.

"If these Jaffa are for real, this could be one hell of an advantage," Sam said.

"How so?"

"Think about it, Daniel. The greatest weakness the refugees have is a lack of numbers. Working together with the Jaffa they could double their numbers and triple their knowledge. A lot of these Jaffa know more planets than we do. And they could also be an incredibly valuable source of intel," she enthused.

"They're Jaffa, Carter," Jack said, letting his irritation show with the young captain. She was a very capable officer, and a damned good scientist but there were days when he wished she'd been around the block a couple more times before Harlan had stuck them in the Xerox machine from hell.

"So was Teal'c," she shot back, the look on her face making it plain to him that she'd picked up on the source of his irritation and didn't appreciate it one bit.

"Jack, it's possible that the rebel movement is spreading. The Jaffa have been slaves for millennia. I'm surprised it took them this long to rebel."

"Rebellion's easier said than done," Sam said. "These people are basically undergoing a mass conversion from their religion. You can't just wake up one morning and decide to throw away a life's teachings."

"Which is my problem with this Guano dude," Jack said.

"Teal'c and Bra'tac seem impressed with him," Sam said.

"A little too impressed."

"Jack, you think they're falling for it?"

"I don't know, Daniel. Maybe this guy's for real." Jack shrugged. "Let's hang around for a bit. Let Teal'c and Bra'tac finish checking things out. Then we'll go talk to the man. Maybe we'll hit it lucky and he'll have something we need.

<><><><><>

Jacob slowly drew the coverlet over Sam, sighing as he cradled his head in his hand. All things considered, their trip to the teltac and subsequent flight to where they'd hidden their hatak had been uneventful.

Fortunately, there's just been a couple dozen or so of them, rescuers and rescues, so while the teltac was crowded, it wasn't overwhelmed and had been able to quickly catch up with their hatak ship which had fled soon after the attack had begun, the decision being to risk sacrificing the people on the surface than to lose their one and only advantage, Cronos' hatak ship captured on Juna.

Sam had been quiet during most of the trip, only talking once to question why the rest of SG-1 wasn't on the teltac like she'd been promised. The fact that she'd been quickly placated by being told that they were now on the hatak only increased Jacob's worry.

She'd obviously sustained some sort of head injury, something attested to not only by Martouf's recounting of events, but by the bruises barely hidden by her blood matted hair. Once they'd made their way to the hatak and attained the relative safety of hyperspace, Jacob led Sam to one of the private chambers, urging her to lie down and rest. He hoped that this would give Atalya time to repair the damage and hopefully restore Sam's memory as well.

'I hope it is that simple,' Selmac said.

'What do you mean?' Jacob asked her.

'In all my years, I have only heard of a few times that a host has influenced a symbiote, much less totally subverting it. Even then usually it is the result of an injury or old age.'

'So you're saying Talya might be hurt?'

'I am saying that Samantha…' The ancient creature paused, as if searching for an appropriate metaphor to use. 'Samantha basically severed part of her body. She broke the physical link between her and Atalya. This no doubt caused damage to both of them.'

'Martouf said Atalya was talking,' Jacob reminded.

'Yes, and that bodes well. However I fear the emotional damage will be much greater. Jacob, you were married.'

'Right, you know that.'

'Imagine how difficult it would have been for your marriage to survive had you raped your wife.'

'Sel!' he protested, disgusted at her suggestion.

'I apologize for treading upon your cultural taboo, however the analogy is a valid one. A blending is an example of total trust. You trust me to allow you control over your body, I trust you simply by joining. I am vulnerable within your body and should you desire to, I could be easily killed. We have blended and meshed totally and there is an implicit trust.'

'You're saying Sam broke that trust,' he said.

'Yes. Atalya feels very strongly about this, always has.'

Jacob leaned back with a groan. 'Martouf said it was because of me, that Sam wanted to rescue me and Atalya wanted her to wait.'

'That is possible. And it is possible that they can reach an agreement and maintain their blending. If Samantha has truly rejected her, Atalya will leave her even if it means her death.'

'Let's just hope it doesn't come to that,' Jacob said, not giving voice, even internally to his greatest fear, that this would cost Sam not only her sanity, but possibly her life.

<><><><><>

She wasn't anywhere and then she was everywhere, the scenery kept changing, woods, deserts, jungles, beaches, trees, trees and more trees, and the whole time the feeling, the knowledge, that she was getting closer and closer to the edge, the precipice, the end.
When it stopped, when everything stopped, she was in the gate room, the event horizon reflecting off the walls, the floors, the woman standing before her. She was a stranger, this woman, but somehow Sam knew her.

"Where are we?" Sam asked softly, afraid to raise her voice in the peaceful setting.

"At the crossroads between your mind and mine," the woman said. She was dressed in a long white gown that clung to her body in just the right places. She had long auburn hair that hung free, floating gently in the breeze that seemed to come from everywhere.

Sam shook her head, amazed. "It's more than that isn't it?" Talya nodded. "They're dead aren't they?" she whispered, Talya made as if to go to her, but stopped herself, unsure of her welcome.

"Yes," she said softly. It would never not hurt, she knew, and she wondered once again if it was worth it.

"Talya," Sam whispered and stared at her, trying to reconcile the face before her with what she knew Atalya to be, a six inch long reptilian creature residing along her spine and tapped into her brain. "Why?"

"This is how you wish to see me," Talya said, stepping back and spinning. "It is quite normal for a host to envision their symbiote as being of the same race as themselves. I can change if you wish," she offered. "Brunette, blond, man, woman. I could even take the appearance of one of your friends, although I feel that would merely confuse matters more."

"No," Sam whispered, stepping forward and raising her hand. She touched Atalya's face, tracing her features, looking deep into the woman's green eyes. "No."

"We need to speak," Talya said seriously, stepping back.

"Talya, I…"

"You rejected me," she interrupted.

"It was my father."

"I know. And I know how you feel, probably better than you do. But I also know that by wresting control from me, you nearly got both of us killed, not to mention the prisoners," she said, her rebuke plain in her voice.

"Talya…"

"I'm not like her."

"Like who?" Sam asked, confused.

"What Jolinar did was wrong and you are right to still harbor hate for her but-"

"I don't hate her," Sam protested.

"Do you not?" Talya said, looking Sam in the eyes. "You forget that I know you, I know your thoughts, your dreams…your fears. You hate her, hate what she did to you, hate how she used you."

"No."

"Do not lie! You cannot lie to me," she said loudly, reaching out to give Sam a shake. "You hate her. You were glad when she died, you wished for, prayed to your god for her death. Even while the Ashrak was killing her and she gave her life to save you, you wished for her death. You reveled in the prospect of freedom and did not care that a sentient life form was dying for you." Sam shook her head. "You did not even try to fight the Ashrak; you did not even try to help her. You let her die."

"NO!"

"YES!"

"Don't blame me for this!" Sam yelled, pulling free. "Don't make her the all important, self-sacrificing martyr. She wasn't. She was a coward, a frightened little creature that tossed all her morals and high ideals out the window the second the going got tough. She preached co-existence and respect even while she took over my body, totally ignoring me. She was no better than a fucking goa'uld. Yes, I hate her! I hate what she did to me. I hate how she changed me. I hate the nightmares I have that aren't even mine. I hate the looks from people when they know that I'm different, how they treat me like some side-show freak."

"How many times did her changes save your friends?" Atalya shot back. "How many times did her knowledge save your planet?"

"Not enough!" Sam yelled, her chest heaving. She pulled free, sinking down to sit on the edge of the ramp, not even feeling the harsh metal as it pressed painfully into her skin. "Not enough," she said softly, wrapping her arms around her legs. She barely noticed Atalya sitting beside her. "I watched them die, one by one, I watched them, felt them die. I should have died too. I wanted to die."

"But because of Jolinar, you couldn't," Talya said.

"Her last bit of revenge. Even from her grave she controls my life."

"You control your life."

Sam slowly shook her head. "Ever since I can remember, all I've ever done has been what someone else wanted me to do. That's what you do in the Air Force, you follow orders."

"What do you want?"

"What?" Sam turned to look at her.

"What do you want?" Talya asked again. "I can leave. I can stay." She reached out and laid her hand on Sam's chest. "I can end it."

Sam shook her head. "End it?"

Talya traced her fingers from Sam's chest, up her neck to caress her cheek before gently tucking a wayward strand of hair behind Sam's ear. "It is incredibly easy to stop the human heart. I can constrict the arteries in your neck and put you to sleep and it'll be over. You can die and finally find out if there is an afterlife. Maybe you'll see your friends again and finally find happiness. There'll be no more pain, no more memories." She pulled her hand away and got to her feet. "Or I can leave," she said, stepping up the ramp.

"What do you mean?"

"I would think it is obvious. I can leave you. End the blending, right here, right now." She stepped further up the ramp. "In a way, it might be for the best. I have lived for a long time and have found that survival no longer has the appeal it once had. The Tok'ra are dying. With no queen and no young we shall soon become extinct. I had thought that I wanted to fight, to struggle to survive, but I do not think so anymore. Through you, I know the pain of being a survivor, of burying not just one friend, but all of my friends. I cannot do that, and I cannot do that to you. I cannot burden you with once again being the last survivor of Armageddon." She spun slowly, studying the room. "I think that is what I shall do." She looked Sam in the eyes. "Do you wish to join me, or would you like to continue your journey on your own?"

Sam stared, trying to process what she'd just heard. Leave? Talya would leave her? She'd be alone again. But didn't she want that? Didn't she, at times, crave privacy? Crave normalcy? How many nights had she laid there and wished that she could go back and change things? She still remembered the letter she'd written herself in 1969, telling herself not to go to Nasyia, not to help the man, not to make that fatal decision that had so changed her life.

She remembered standing by the big blue steel box, her fingers wrapped around the handle, the plain white envelope in her hand. She remembered the slick feel of the paper under her fingers, contrasting with the roughness of the steel of the mailbox.

She'd almost mailed it. Almost dropped that slip of paper into the dark maw of the metal box. She remembered the disgust she'd felt when she realized that by choosing to save herself, she'd again condemned her mother to a horrible, painful death. She'd again doomed her father to a life of grief and loneliness, doomed her family to years of strife and hardship.

Blinded by her own selfishness she hadn't even noticed Teal'c standing at her side until his dark hand closed over her own, gently crushing the envelope in his strong fingers. She hadn't protested when he'd pulled the envelope from her hand, decidedly ripping it in two and throwing it away, its contents known only to her.

She remained silent as he pulled her behind him, leading her back to the waiting bus and its passengers. They'd never spoken of that moment. He never asked who she was warning and why and she'd never told anyone, never wanted to admit her weakness.

"It was an honor to know you," Talya said, breaking into Sam's memories. "I hope that you find happiness, for I can think of no one more deserving."

She turned, starting to walk up the ramp and towards the shimmering event horizon. Sam watched her go, felt the vibrations of her footsteps through the grates upon which she sat. She would die, she knew that. Even if they had another host, Talya would never take them. She was going to be gone forever, nothing more than a memory, a name to be recorded in the history books, if the Tok'ra had such a thing.

"No," Sam whispered. Talya kept walking. "No!" she said louder. The Tok'ra ignored her, maintaining her slow walk to death. Sam struggled to her feet, cursing as she tripped over the long skirt. She dashed awkwardly up the ramp and lunged for Talya's arm, grabbing her harshly. "NO!"

The woman smiled sadly and gently pulled Sam's hand off her arm. She took another step, now just feet from the gate. "You will be all right," she promised. "This is for the best."

Sam lunged for her again, wrapping both arms around her and pulled her to her tight. She could feel Talya struggle, trying to pull free. Sam merely tightened her grip, not caring when she knew that she had to be bruising Talya horribly. "You're not leaving me," she said, hugging her tighter and tighter until she couldn't distinguish where one body ended and one began. She closed her arms tighter and tighter, gasping as she began to feel as if she was pulling Atalya into her body. She felt the Tok'ra struggle one last time, then surrender, going limp as Sam's arms crossed themselves and she awoke, opening her eyes to see the darkly garish decorations of a goa'uld hatak ship.

Despite being exhausted, she sat up, her eyes settling on the figure slumbering in a chair beside the bed. 'Talya?' she asked hesitantly, praying for an answer but afraid of what it would be. 'I'm sorry.'

'I know,' her friend whispered.

'I want to spend the rest of my days with you.'

'And I with you.'

'I…I love you.'

A warm feeling swept over her. 'I have always loved you,' Talya said. 'Now sleep. If we are to avenge the murderer of Earth, we shall need our rest.'

Sam slowly lay back down, sighing as she pulled the covers up. They would sleep and heal…and then they would make him pay.

<><><><><>

Teal'c leaned back on the cushions, sighing contentedly as he reached for the goblet of wine. It had been so long, too long since he'd spent time with his fellow Jaffa. He liked his friends, he really did. His relationships with the other members of SG-1 were some of the best friendships he had ever had. But they were human…or representations of human. They were not like him. They were not Jaffa.

They did not understand him or his ways. They respected him, but did not fully comprehend him. He was Jaffa, yes, but he was also just a representation of a Jaffa. He carried no symbiote. He had no need to kel-no-reem or to meditate. He had no need to sleep. He merely gained access to the charging unit and rejuvenated his batteries.

He was stronger than a human, stronger than a Jaffa, possibly stronger than a goa'uld. Captain Carter said he was better, however Captain Carter was also the most accepting of their new states. He knew that she found the prospect of eternal youth, beauty and boundless strength most appealing. He did not, and he knew that O'Neill shared his feelings. He was no longer the Jaffa he once was and even after five years, he still did not know if the difference was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Teal'c." He looked up to see K'Tano walking into the tent. He moved to stand up, then remained reclined as the leader motioned for him to remain so and joined him. "So, you are the warrior that defied Apophis and rebelled," he said, pouring himself a goblet of wine.

Teal'c studied the man, searching his welcome face for some sign of his true motives. He found it most amazing that, not only had K'Tano led a rebellion, but that Teal'c had been able to find them and make contact with them. This was like a dream come true and, for the first time in years, he felt that he may yet attain freedom for the rest of the Jaffa.

He dreamed of the day that they would live free, that they would not murder and be murdered in the names of false gods, and K'Tano looked to be one to deliver that emancipation to his people.

"And you are the Jaffa that rebelled against Imhotep," Teal'c said, keeping his voice calm. Something, there was something about this man. Something different. He did not know if it was the man's natural charisma or something else, but K'Tano stirred something within him, had stirred it since the first moment Teal'c and Bra'tac had walked into the camp. Deep down, Teal'c had expected to be shunned and eyes with suspicion, instead, he found himself welcomed and waited upon as if he were an old ally and even older friend.

K'Tano shrugged. "I was merely walking in your footsteps, brother."

Teal'c accepted the compliment. "Master Bra'tac?"

"He is meeting with the men. Why are you here?" K'Tano asked, changing the subject with economical precision.

"We heard about your rebellion and were interested," he said, not yet willing to reveal his plans.

"Then that is something else we share…an interest in each other."

"Really?"

"Yes, such as…what are you?" Teal'c looked to him. "I sense no larva within you. I do not even sense that you live."

"Yet I am before you," Teal'c said, spreading his hands.

"Yes, you are. Which I find even more interesting since the last I heard, the planet of the Tau'ri was telak…a mass grave full of rotting corpses and the unmourned dead. I am interested in how a corpse has come to be before me," he said, finishing his speech by drawing a knife from a sheath at his waist.

Teal'c sighed quietly, sitting up and setting down his wine. "I am not a corpse," he said needlessly.

"This I know," K'Tano said as there was a commotion at the entrance to the tent. The flap flew open and a figure fell in, falling to his knees as he was pushed. Seeing that it was Bra'tac, Teal'c shot to his feet, his hands flying to his waist and the weapons he did not have. "What is the meaning of this?"

K'Tano smiled, motioning for a young warrior to join him. "Our lord will be most interested in gaining custody of you," K'Tano said, his eyes glowing dramatically.

"Hataka!" Bra'tac cursed.

"Imhotep," Teal'c said flatly.

"Very good, Teal'c. I see that whatever you are, your intelligence has not dimmed," the goa'uld gloated.

"You are lying to these people," Bra'tac said. "Betraying them."

"We are not betraying them, we are saving them," the man gloated.

"Raknor is correct," K'Tano said. "If these Jaffa had maintained their disloyal ways, I would have had to kill them. Now, now they're even more loyal to me than they were to their lord."

"They will discover the truth," Teal'c said.

"Perhaps," K'Tano agreed. "But by then, it will be too late. For them and for you."

"Of what do you speak?" Bra'tac asked.

"I speak of the great reward my lord shall give me when I deliver to him the rebel leader, Bra'tac, and whatever you are, Teal'c."

"I don't think so." A sardonic voice cut through the tension as the tent flaps were pulled back. O'Neill and Captain Carter stepped inside the tent, Daniel Jackson at their heels, their weapons armed and ready and at that moment Teal'c reveled in his differences, the small internal radio that all of them possessed enabling the rest of his team to listen in on the conversation, and make an appearance at the most opportune times. "Put them down, now," O'Neill ordered. Teal'c and Bra'tac stepped forward, quickly disarming K'Tano and Raknor.

"Whom do you serve?" Bra'tac asked.

K'Tano smiled smugly. "You are not worthy to know my lord's name."

"And you are not worthy to live," Teal'c said, pulling his knife and plunging it in K'Tano's chest in one swift movement. The goa'uld struggled and Teal'c easily restrained him, calling upon his superior strength.

In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Bra'tac restraining Raknor, aided by O'Neill stepping forward, his weapon prominently displayed.

K'Tano fell to the ground, his body twitching slightly. Teal'c stepped over him, moving to stand in front of Raknor. "Who is your lord?" Teal'c demanded. Raknor simply stood there silently. Teal'c grabbed the man's collar and laid his knife against the man's throat. "WHO?"

"You shall know soon enough," he gloated.

"Colonel?" Teal'c glanced at his teammate. Once K'Tano had been killed and Raknor subdued, Captain Carter had started a cursory search of the tent. She had a leather bag in her hand and was holding up a small communications device. "Does this symbol look familiar to you?" she asked as she stepped close. She held it up and Teal'c studied it, frowning as he nodded towards Bra'tac.

Captain Carter handed the device to him and the aged warrior held it up to the light. "It cannot be," he said softly.

"Bra'tac?"

The older warrior looked up. "This marking has not been seen for millennia. His existence is often a tale used to frighten young children."

"Who?" O'Neill demanded.

"Anubis," the old man pronounced seriously.

<><><><><>

'I think you have actually shocked them,' Talya said, her voice full of wry amusement. If the situation wasn't so desperate, she'd actually be enjoying this far more than she already was. They and the rest of the survivors were gathered in a large room on their hatak ship, discussing not only their immediate future, namely where to place their next base, but also whether or not to have a base or to use the hatak as a mobile command post.

At least, that's what the meeting was supposed to be about. Now it was quickly descending into an all out argument over whether or not to listen to Samantha's proposal.

Well, if she was honest, it was more the Tok'ra wracking their collective brains to come up with a viable excuse for doing nothing at all and whether or not Samantha should be confined to protect herself from her apparent insanity.

'They need to be shocked,' Sam said bitterly, her disgust with the Tok'ra growing by the moment. They didn't want to fight. None of them wanted to fight. They just wanted to keep running and cowering like frightened little children. This attitude was why, after two thousand years, they were still a minority, still hunted like animals, still doomed to failure.

No wonder the goa'uld laughed at the Tok'ra. All the system lords needed to do was keep harassing them, keep them off balance and they would never be anything more than a nuisance to them. And time was running out, even Talya couldn't keep that fact from Sam. Zero or negative population growth coupled with the lack of a queen meant that the Tok'ra had a century or so of life left to them. The goa'uld didn't have to kill them; they were going to kill themselves with their own inaction.

'You've given them a lot to take in,' Talya said. 'Imagine how you would feel if we went to Earth and tried to convince everyone that Jesus Christ or Allah was again among them.'

'We're not talking deities here, we're talking a murdering, sadistic bastard who was so horrible his own kind banished him,' Sam shot back, retreading a familiar argument. She wasn't stupid; she hadn't missed the plain skeptical looks on the faces of her fellow Tok'ra when she told them who the attacker was, who was, once again, among them.

'The Devil then. They'll never believe you.'

'They don't want to believe me. Maybe we should turn the hatak around and go find them the corpse of that Jaffa I tripped over. Maybe if they see the tattoo themselves…'

'They still won't believe you,' Talya said.

"Samantha, what you suggest isn't possible," Garshaw said. "Anubis was killed long before any of us were born."

"Long before anyone was born," Aldwin said.

"No, there's a few," Selmac corrected. "Yu is one of them, maybe a couple more. Most of the ancient ones have either died or just gone."

"Gone?" Martouf asked.

"They leave," Garshaw said. "No one knows for sure where they go, they just…leave."

"If they just 'leave', doesn't it stand to reason that they can come back?" Sam said.

"Anubis was different," Selmac said. "He did not leave; he was banished, cast out."

"I know what I saw," Sam insisted. "He's back." She reached into the neck of her tunic and pulled out the crystal. "This proves that he set the trap that destroyed Earth."

"Samantha, we sympathize but, Earth is dead. Avenging it will not bring your people back to life," Garshaw said.

"Do you really think he only set ONE trap like this?" Sam asked. "Chances are this is one of thousands, maybe millions."

"That makes no sense," Martouf said. "Earth was hardly a threat ten thousand years ago. There would be no reason to annihilate it."

"Unless, of course, this is a trap that was planted a few years ago," she fired back. "What if that's his plan, to kill everyone…and I mean EVERYONE."

"That's impossible," Aldwin dismissed.

"And I'm willing to bet you all thought the return of Anubis was impossible too." A silence fell over the room as they looked at each other. Sam knew that she'd finally gotten their attention, but now what were they going to do about it? "Y'all discuss it amongst yourselves," she said, turning dramatically on her heel and leaving the room with a flourish. "Let me know if you decide anything," she tossed over her shoulder.

She made her way out into the corridor and stalked down the long hall, ignoring the various other Tok'ra she passed. She had known the Tok'ra couldn't help her, but she owed them one final chance. 'You're going through with it, aren't you?' Talya asked.

'Tal, I'm…'

'I know,' the symbiote responded. 'I don't like it, but I know.'

'He HAS to be stopped or he'll just do it again.'

'I know, I just wish there was another way.'

'For all we know, he may have already killed another planet. No one's heard from the Asgard in a while and the Furlings have been AWOL for centuries…'

'Are you trying to convince me or you?' Talya asked, her words making Sam stop dead in her tracks.

'Talya-'

'It won't take Jacob long to figure out what you have planned. Unless you want to include him in your little death wish, we should leave the hatak soon. I believe O'Neill was fond of saying 'they can't stop us if they can't find us'.'

Sobered, Sam silently agreed, continuing on her way towards her quarters. She'd gather a few things they'd need then she'd leave, and she knew that one way or another, she'd never be back.

<><><><><>

The halls were empty but the constant buzz of other symbiotes in her blood, and the occasional noises from the machinery behind the walls prevented it from being eerie. This was good. It made it that much more comfortable for her to sneak around.

'Sneak out you mean.' Sam smiled at the voice in her mind.

'Sneak out,' she acknowledged. 'I feel like a teenager again. Any moment my dad's going to catch me and ground me for a month. Or worse, take away my TV privileges.'

'Incoming.' A couple passed her, radiating that 'just had sex against the bulkhead' glow. Sam couldn't suppress her smile. There were certain things even the end of the universe couldn't stop.

The docking bay was empty as well, any cargo that had been worthwhile had been unloaded within hours of their arrival, and any repairs would have to wait until the Tok'ra figured out what they were going to do.

'Sneaking out and stealing the car,' Talya said sending amused feelings through their minds. 'You're a regular juvenile delinquent.'

'I just hope it gets us there intact.'

'Any reason it shouldn't?'

Sam shrugged mentally. 'No. It's just...' A burst of mirth from Atalya and Sam knew she was busted.

'You've done this before!' Years ago, Sam would have blushed if someone had found out about the time she had taken her father's car to meet a boy four years her senior. She hadn't even had a learner's permit at the time. Now, however, with Atalya, she just smiled ironically.

'Not really. The car died halfway down the street and I spent the rest of the night under it trying to figure out why.'

'And Jacob never knew?' Atalya cherished this rare glimpse of Samantha as a youth, before they met, before all the pain.

'I think he was away at the time. I doubt I would have dared otherwise.' Sam left out the part that Mark had taken the car out regularly when Jacob was away. She also left out that Jacob had known and had even taken out extra insurance. She only knew because she had heard him make the call.

"Sam, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Sam winced as Jacob's voice came over the comm.

'He sounds angry,' she thought to her symbiote.

'He sounds furious,' Talya corrected and Sam had to agree. 'Do you blame him?'

Sam almost laughed out loud; instead she flashed a quick sardonic grin that no one saw. 'Do I blame him? No I don't blame him, I even understand him. As a matter of fact I would probably be doing the exact same thing in his shoes.'

'Samantha,' the symbiote said softly. 'You don't have to do this. Garshaw is right, your father is right, and I know you're thinking the same thing. No matter what you've convinced yourself, you know you're killing Anubis out of revenge. As much as I sympathize, as much as I think he deserves to die, it will not bring back your people, your friends. You are doing this for yourself and you do not have to.'

"Sam? Sam, answer me! Turn that ship around right now!" Sam winced at the anger in her father's voice, clenching her fists to stop herself from doing as he ordered.

'Maybe,' she thought to Talya. 'Maybe I am doing this for myself first and the galaxy last. Maybe I don't have to. Maybe.' One hand hovered over the Comm. controls and the other over navigation. "But what will become of me if I don't?" she said out loud and lowered her hand, silencing her father's worried, desperate, accusing voice. Hating the fact that these were probably the last words she would hear him say.

<><><><><>

'Are you sure about this?' Sam gulped internally as her little Teltac was literally swallowed by the huge mother ship, mere hours after her flight from the Tok'ra.

'A little late to turn back now I'd say.' She had gone back to Revanna hoping to pick up a trail from the other teltacs that had been in the area. It hadn't been too hard to find Anubis' fleet from there. She had sent the interstellar Goa'uld version of a white flag and had, after several hours, been allowed through the shielding.

'Would you if it wasn't?' her symbiote whispered in her ear.

'No.' She hadn't been this sure of anything in so long, not since she had put a pistol to her head and had known that it was the only thing left to do.

A sharp jarring motion signaled that docking had been successful. She opened the doors to her teltac and turned around, ready to surrender to the squadron of Jaffa she knew were about to enter.

"Aray Kree!" The Jaffa aiming a staff weapon at her yelled.

Sam raised her hands palm facing the Jaffa and lowered her head in surrender. Another Jaffa quickly pulled her hands down and behind her back while another one patted her down for weapons. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him nod to the leader that she was clean.

Sam was led down several corridors and take up several decks. She kept getting the feeling that she was being walked around in circles.

'They're trying to intimidate you, or disorient you,' Talya whispered in her mind. 'It's an old, very old, Goa'uld custom. Archaic almost. It goes back to the days when-'

'No history lessons, please Talya.' Sam could feel Talya's anxiety. She almost felt it as a vibration at the base of her brain.

'Sorry,' Talya mumbled making Sam feel guilty.

'I guess being away for ten thousand years puts you a bit behind on current etiquette,' she said trying to alleviate the tension, Talya felt her intentions and sent a wave of warm feelings her way, but kept silent the rest of the way.

Eventually they arrived at the brig; Sam was placed in an empty cell next to a fairly beat up Jaffa who cringed as the Jaffa accompanying Sam walked past. The Jaffa pushed her in with a little too much force, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. "Master Herak will be with you soon." The leader said, then turned on his heel and left, leaving two of his Jaffa to guard her.

'Do you think they know who we are?' Sam asked Talya.

'Why?'

'Because they haven't questioned us at all. We wave a white flag and they take us in, no questions asked. They're even sending in the First Prime before we had a chance to ask. Do you think that's what caused the delay?'

'I don't know. How would they know? How would they find out?'

'I don't know either.'

'I suppose we shall find out soon enough.'

'Yes, I suppose we shall.'

<><><><><>

Soon turned out to be a relative term. Hours passed without anything happening. The Jaffa guarding her door didn't move, didn't cough, didn't even seem to breathe or blink. Sam passed the time by pacing, or sitting, or playing word games with Atalya. She wished she had a watch, a working one anyway. The watch she had brought with her from Earth had died of semi-natural causes a few months later and she hadn't felt any need to replace it, until now.

'They are doing this on purpose, to unnerve you. Relax, or allow me to relax you. This restlessness is of no use to anyone.' Sam agreed and consciously relaxed her shoulder muscles. 'Do you think this plan of yours will work Samantha?'

Sam was silent for a very long time.

<><><><><>

"I am Master Herak." The man in front of her was everything Sam had come to expect from a First Prime. The arrogance simply oozed off him in waves, there was intelligence behind his eyes and he looked at her as though she was the very least of his concerns. He was attractive in a way that almost repulsed Sam. Sam allowed Atalya to discreetly take control, no need for them to know the host was still very much aware.

"I am Atalya, formally of the Tok'ra. I wish to pledge my allegiance to Lord Anubis." The First Prime didn't look surprised at all.

'So they did know who we were. How?' Sam wondered.

'I do not know, but we must tread carefully.'

'So what else is new?'

"Why would a Tok'ra wish to pledge allegiance to a Goa'uld?" Herak asked with feigned innocence.

Atalya sneered disgustedly; it was not at all difficult. "I have seen the error of my ways. The Tok'ra are weak and stupid. Their numbers diminish and yet they still refuse to take hosts against their will. I do not wish to die simply because some insignificant creature does not wish for me to share its body." The man nodded, as though she was simply confirming what he already knew, or as though it was what he expected her to say.

"And your current host?"

Atalya was still sneering but now she gave a little bark of laughter. "What about it?"

That answer seemed to satisfy Herak, or else this show had played out to its predicted conclusion and it was time to move to the next stage. "I will pass on your message to my lord."

Atalya nodded, and Herak left.

'Atalya?'

'Yes, Samantha.'

'What the hell is going on here?'

'Nothing good.'

<><><><><>

Again, she was kept waiting for hours, eventually surrendering to her body's need for rest, she sat in a corner of the cell, her eyes closed. She trusted Talya to keep watch while Sam let her own brain rest.

As the colonel would say, something very hinky was going on. Tok'ra didn't defect. In all Atalya's memory, the only Tok'ra that had betrayed them had been individuals that had joined TO betray them to the goa'uld.

Sam knew this would be the biggest stumbling block for them. Not getting to Anubis alive, convincing him that he needed to keep them alive.

She's expected to have to do some very fast talking to keep him from killing her…instead they'd been, if not welcomed, certainly not threatened. None of this made any sense.

'Maybe we will get some answers,' Talya said, pulling Sam from her contemplations. She brought her consciousness forward, allowing herself to watch as Talya manipulated her body, standing up to face Herak as he entered her cell. "Come," he said brusquely.

"I tire of these games," Talya said in Sam's haughtiest voice. "If Anubis is not interested in what I have to offer, I am sure there are other goa'uld that are."

"Quite the contrary," Herak said. "Anubis is most interested. He waits to speak to you."

"It is about time," Talya said, sighing dramatically as she strode past Herak, leading the way down the hall, oozing confidence that was pure show. In reality, Talya's control was the only thing keeping Sam's heart from pounding so hard she was sure it was visible through her clothing.

Something was wrong. He was too confident, even for a first prime. He knew something. And she had a funny idea she wasn't going to like it when she found out what it was.

It took them only minutes to reach the peltac, Herak taking his place, standing at attention just inside the door as Sam walked in. Anubis sat on his throne, shrouded in a glittering black cloak. 'Why won't he let us see his face?' she asked Talya.

'I don't know. Goa'uld are usually most proud of their hosts.'

'Maybe he was injured or something?'

'Then why not take a new host?'

Having no answer, Sam fell silent. "My lord Anubis," Talya said, bowing Sam's head slightly. "I am honored to meet you."

"Herak tells me you have information for me," he said, ignoring her greeting.

"Perhaps," Talya said, fighting to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine.

"Do not play games with me, Tok'ra."

"Exactly," she said confidently. "Tok'ra. A trusted member of the Tok'ra. Confidant of the council." She strolled around the room, studying it appraisingly as she spoke. She ran her fingers over the control panel, then turned. "I know where they are. I know where they'll go. I know where they've been. I can hand them to you and they can be yours to destroy within a week…if this ship is fast enough."

"And why do you think the Tok'ra are important to me? They are like flies on a corpse, moderately annoying, but easily ignored."

"The Tok'ra are more powerful than you think. Just because we do not take credit for our victories does not mean that they are not our victories." She stepped forward, motioning dramatically. "Why do you think you were able to waltz in and sweep across the galaxy?"

"I am Anubis."

"You are the benefactor of millennia of Tok'ra work," she shot back. "You succeeded because we have spent a hundred lifetimes undermining the very infrastructure of the goa'uld."

He stood up and Talya reflexively took a step back before steeling herself and standing her ground. "I succeeded because I am Anubis. I am the most powerful goa'uld in the universe."

"With the other goa'uld gone, they'll come for you next," she said. "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but they'll come." She took a step forward. "They will worm their way in, manipulate and maneuver. They will play you like they've played every other goa'uld since Egeria gave us birth."

He sat back down, wrapping his glove covered hands around the arms of the throne. "And that is what you offer-protection from your fellow Tok'ra."

"Protection from THE Tok'ra," she corrected. "There's nothing 'fellow' between us."

"And that is all you have to offer?"

"Isn't that enough?"

"No," he said coldly. "You see…I already have the Tok'ra. They've been under my direct control since my emergence and doing my bidding for centuries before," he said. "In fact, you could say that…the Tok'ra are the original disciples of Anubis."

'What?' Sam asked, alarmed. 'What the hell is he talking about.'

'I don't…I don't know…I…' she stuttered, her confusion plain in her voice. Talya was startled, almost scared at the prospect of Anubis' words being true.

"Perhaps, you would like to meet my loyal subject," Anubis said. "I understand that you are actually well acquainted."

He waved his hand and a figure slipped out from behind a large curtain. "Talya," Sam begged. "Please…please tell me it's…Tal?"

Her symbiote was quiet, shocked into silence at the sight of a familiar face…the last face she ever thought she'd see on a goa'uld ship.

<><><><><>

Narim slowly walked through the clearing. He could feel the tension ebbing for the first time in days. They were safe here. They were actually safe.

The Tau'ri had been most welcoming to him and the rest of the survivors. They had given them food and clothing, treated their wounds and welcomed them into their homes.

He still did not know if they would allow them to remain. The Tau'ri council had yet to vote on it, but he did know that they had been most accommodating. More accommodating than his people had been.

He was ashamed of how his people had acted. They had turned their backs on the Tau'ri. Not totally, but they had refused all but the most basic of humanitarian aid. They refused to open their homes to the Tau'ri. Yet, the Tau'ri had done all that and more. Their living conditions here were primitive at best, and their supplies were exceedingly limited, yet they allowed him and the rest of his people to remain here.

He walked by a large deciduous plant and paused, taking a moment to study the odd metal shapes hanging from the bare branches. This was a strange custom. He took one of the tags in his hand, running his fingers across its shiny surface. There were letters engraved on it, in what he believed was the Tau'ri language. Perhaps it was some sort of prayer, he thought, his musings interrupted by the sound of the Stargate activating.

Warriors ran from the dwellings, all carrying their weapons. They took positions by the Stargate just as it opened and raised their weapons. Instinctively, Narim moved closer to the tree and watched. He shared their relief as familiar figures emerged from the event horizon. "We got refugees," O'Neill called out, stepping aside as more people came to the planet. No, not people, Jaffa. Why were they bringing Jaffa to this planet?

"With all due respect, sir, what the hell's going on?" one of the Tau'ri demanded.

"Like I said, Captain, refugees," O'Neill said, shooting the man a look.

"Their goa'uld is dead, they want to be free," Jackson said.

"Colonel, sir, I can't just…" he protested helplessly and more and more Jaffa came through the gate.

"We got women and children here," O'Neill said as the leader, one Narim remembered being called Castleman, ran towards the Stargate.

"O'Neill," he shouted. "This is becoming a habit."

"Before you start, they're bringing their own supplies and it's only temporary."

"These are Jaffa-"

"Yeah, so's he," O'Neill shot back, gesturing at Teal'c.

"Colonel-"

"Look, I know, we didn't have anywhere else to go. Safe planets are getting to be few and far between now days," he said.

Castleman stared at him for a few moments, then Narim saw his shoulders slump. "It's not my decision, Colonel. Just like the Tollan, they only stay if the majority rules."

"Fair nuff," the Tau'ri said.

<><><><><>

He stepped forward, elaborate velvet robes swishing around his legs. He looked regal, he looked royal. He was handsome in his own way…and he was her father. "Dad?" Sam asked, forgetting her role and easily speaking through Talya's control. Right now, her symbiote was in a near catatonic state of shock.

He figure shook his head, laughing in amusement. "Samantha, Samantha, Samantha," Selmac said, her voice rich with mockery. "Such naiveté. Such innocence. This is what we so loved about you." He stepped forward and Sam stood there in shock as her father's fingers caressed her face. "Such strength of belief, such loyalty. So admirable…so misplaced."

"Selmac, what the hell's going on?" Sam asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What is going on, my dear, is that you are a fool. You and the rest of the simpering Tok'ra."

"You're one of the 'simpering Tok'ra'," she said, desperately looking into his blue eyes, studying his face for a wink, a nod, something to tell her that he was just playing a role…something to tell her that she was right, that this was a game, some sort of back handed support. All she saw was derision and scorn.

"You see, my lord," Selmac said, glancing back at the dark figure. "Even now, with evidence before her, she still refuses to admit the truth."

"Indeed. It appears your façade is quite impressive," the system lord said. "As you see, Tok'ra. I have no need for your…services. Do with her as you wish," he dismissed. "I am sure the Jaffa would enjoy satisfying their carnal impulses."

"Perhaps," Selmac said. "Perhaps I shall watch. I must admit the disgust and hatred I'm feeling from my host is most enjoyable."

"Do as you wish, but do not burden me with the details. I have far more important matters to attend to."

Selmac bowed gracefully. "Yes, my lord," he said as he grabbed Sam's arm in an iron grip and pulled her from the room.

She followed him down the hall, his fast stride forcing her to jog unless she wanted to be dragged. She let him until they rounded a corner and were in a deserted stretch of corridor. Atalya reasserted herself, giving Sam the strength to pull free. "What kind of game are you playing?" she demanded.

"Game?" Selmac snorted. "This is no game."

"Where is my father?" Sam demanded.

"Oh, yes, him. Daddy dearest. The general that's so proud of his little girl," Selmac gloated. "Your father is a convenient shell. The key to Earth's destruction that was handed to me on a silver platter. He's dead, or as good as. He cowers in a corner of my mind, hiding, sulking. He's a host, nothing more," he said, walking towards her. Sam reflexively stepped back, her head shaking as she struggled to comprehend Selmac's words. No, it couldn't be true. Selmac wasn't a goa'uld, he was a Tok'ra. The oldest and wisest among them. He was a leader, a member of the council.

He saved her father's life, he led him to mend their family, to fix their relationship. Thanks to Selmac, she had her father back. For the first time in decades, she honestly felt like she'd had a family. And it was all because of Selmac. "No. You…" She lowered her voice. "This is some ploy isn't it?"

"My god, you are stupid. Even the Jaffa aren't so blindly loyal." Selmac chuckled darkly. "Face it, you not only handed your father over as a host…you put your whole planet in our grasp. All those years you spent fighting the goa'uld…all you were doing was playing into our plans. Every goa'uld you killed only made it easier for my lord to sweep across this universe. How else do you think it was so easy to destroy your planet? How do you think that statue ended up on a planet that was on your duty roster? How do you think we made sure your teams would bring it back to Earth? It's because we knew you. We knew your planet, your defenses, your weaknesses. You not only saved me by giving me your father, you have Anubis access to over fifty years of Earth's secrets. You have helped my lord come to power, and for that I may be merciful and kill you quickly and without pain."

His words struck her like a bullet in the chest. She felt her heart lurch as she struggled to breathe, images flashing through her brain.

A blood covered figure, his ball cap askew, cold stiff fingers still wrapped around his weapon.

Soft strands of auburn strands trailing over her fingers as she straightened Janet's hair.

Cassie's vacant, blank eyes.

Teal'c's last gasping breath.

Endless hours, lost in madness, cleaning the blood off the floor, the walls, her hands.

Slick cold blood on her fingers…a tiny, rubbery fragment left…brilliant blue blood splattered on the walls, congealing as it dripped down.

A strong, graceful hand going limp in her grasp.

Dead. They were all dead…all because of her. She stared at Selmac, oddly calm as she studied the familiar visage of her father. His face was so familiar, so lovingly familiar. He was her life. He was why she was where she was. She'd joined the Air Force because of him…for him. All her life she'd worked so hard to please him, to gain his approval. She'd fought to get him Selmac, struggled to convince General Hammond to allow her to save her father. She'd been so proud when she'd seen him alive and healthy. So thrilled to be able to work with him, to spend time with him as an equal, as a soldier not just as a daughter. "Was he ever in control?" she whispered.

"Yes," Selmac said after a few moments. "He was so easy to fool, so trusting. All I ever had to do was convince him to go to sleep and he did as I wished. He saw what I wanted him to see, heard what I wanted him to hear, did what I wanted him to do. He was a most obedient man, your father."

Sam nodded slowly, processing Selmac's words. "Is he aware now?"

Selmac smiled, twisting Jacob's lips into a parody of a happy grin. "Very…it is not as enjoyable if he is not a witness to his actions."

Sam nodded slowly as she pulled the heavy chain from around her neck, holding it up to study the crystal. Even in the dim light of the corridor, it sparkled merrily, like an icicle catching the first golden rays of the rising sun. Seamlessly drawing up on Atalya's knowledge she struck, twisting the chain around his neck in a flash. Before he could react, she tightened the impromptu garrote, pulling it tighter and tighter. He struggled and flailed, his strength a match for hers. Fueled by her anger, she refused to relent, twisting the silver links tighter and tighter, ignoring when she felt the chain cut into his skin. He gasped and she pulled. He choked and she pulled. His knees gave way and still she pulled, ignoring when the chain ground into her skin and cut her palm. Their blood mingled and meshed as she refused to release her strangle hold.

"I'm sorry, Dad." She thought maybe, if anyone could, he would understand

He fell to the floor and she let him pull her down, not feeling as she bruised her knees, not feeling as her clothing soaked up his dripping blood, not feeling as his struggles grew weaker and weaker.

His eyes flared one last time and he grew limp and still she pulled. Tighter and tighter she drew her noose, not noticing the hot tears that streaked down her face to mingle with his cooling blood. 'Samantha?'

Talya's voice teased at the edges of her consciousness and she ignored it, her gaze riveted on the twitching figure lying on her lap. 'Samantha?'

His left hand flopped and his wedding band made an odd sound as it thunked against the ebony deck plate.

'It's over,' Talya whispered, gently taking control and releasing Sam's hands. 'It's over. It's over,' she crooned as she directed Sam's hands to untwist the chain from around Jacob's neck.

'It's never over,' Sam said, bending over to gently kiss her father's forehead. 'It never ends.'

<><><><><>

Bra'tac stood along the wall of the Tau'ri's building, studying the gathered people. He saw many of them studying him, some surreptitiously, some blatantly. Some were afraid of him, others looked to be fascinated by him, staring at him and his men. The room was crowded and he knew that it would be best if he was not here, but he felt that he had to be. It was his fate they were discussing after all.

The Tau'ri were debating amongst themselves to decide if they were willing to allow the Tollan and Jaffa, or just one group, or none of them to remain among them.

He could not tell if the vote would be in his favor or not.

Teal'c was making a most impassioned speech in favor of the Jaffa being allowed to remain. An incredible speech, given that Bra'tac knew the man speaking was not his student, but a recreation.

"We know many planets," Teal'c said. "Many more than the Tau'ri do. As Jaffa we also have access to the secrets of the goa'uld. We give this information freely, as we shall share supplies that we shall assist in foraging for. We also pledge our lives in defense of this world and the people here. All we ask is for somewhere to live, somewhere to raise our families, somewhere to-"

The door to the room slammed open, interrupting Teal'c and Bra'tac watched as one of the Tollan ran into the room, his eyes wide. "A ship," he gasped. "There is a ship."

<><><><><>

Even had he not been imbued with Harlan's excellent memory, the sight before him would be one Jack O'Neill would remember forever. He and the rest of his team had managed to sneak on the hatak ship courtesy of a teltac and their unique abilities. They'd escaped being discovered by hiding in the unpressurized hold of the ship and relying on their non-human state to survive.

Their hope had been to find a way to destroy the ship, or at the very least, to buy the refugees on the Alpha Site enough time to flee the planet. At least he hoped they could flee. He had no idea if they'd gotten the Stargate open before any forces from Anubis tied it up or not.

He didn't know, and he didn't care. Their self-appointed mission was to try and save the last refugees not only of Earth, but also Tollana and the rebel Jaffa. Whether it was a suicide mission or not had yet to be determined. He'd expected to meet resistance. What he hadn't expected was to find a friendly on the ship.

And he sure as hell hadn't expected to come upon the scene of that same friendly on her knees, leaning over the body of her father.

Motioning to Carter, Daniel and Teal'c to watch their backs, Jack made his way over to Sam, frowning when she didn't even acknowledge his presence. He knelt down, touching her on the shoulder. "Sam?"

She looked up, her eyes vacant and unfocussed. She frowned at him for a second. "Jack?" she finally said.

"Yeah. What happened?"

"How did…what are you doing here?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"This ship is in orbit above the Alpha Site. We just happened to be there," he said, taking note of the thick silver chain wrapped around her fingers, congealing blood marring its pristine surface. Blood that had to have come from the vicious ligature mark on Jacob's neck. "What happened?" he asked again, struggling to make sense of the sight before him. Who the hell had killed Jacob? And what the hell was he doing on this ship?

"I was a fool," she said softly, stroking Jacob's head.

"Sam?" he pressed, shooting an anxious glance at his team. They didn't have time for this.

"Don't trust the Tok'ra anymore. They've been infiltrated by the goa'uld. I don't know how far or for how long. It may only be a few of them, but…don't trust the Tok'ra," she said again, looking him in the eyes.

"You're a Tok'ra," Daniel said softly.

"I was." She gave a wan smile, more pathetic than anything else. "Now I'm just lost." She reached down and picked up Jacob's slack hand, struggling a bit as she pulled the wedding ring off his finger. Her hands shaking, she kissed her fingers, then laid that same hand on Jacob's forehead. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Jack watched her take a deep breath, then raise her eyes. "I can get to the bridge and I can kill Anubis. Do you have any C-4?"

Jack nodded. "Close enough. Give Carter a chemistry set and you'd be surprised what she can whip up."

Sam nodded. "Go down to level twenty-three. You'll see a deep shaft; it goes down to the field generators. Set your timer for five seconds and drop the charges. The blast will take out the force shields."

"What good will that do?"

"Once I kill Anubis, I'll crash the ship. Without force shields, it'll crumble. I'll try not to crash near the settlement but I may not have too much choice," she said fatalistically.

"What about you?" Carter asked.

Sam smiled a sad but determined smile. "I'm dead already." She got to her feet, her hand still clasping the ring, the necklace dangling from her other fingers. "You won't have much time once you blow the shields. There are glider bays on the same level. You might be able to make it out that way."

"Sam?" Jack asked, frowning at her grim determination. He saw something else in her eyes, something that scared him.

"I aided genocide once, I can't fix that. I can try and fix this." she said as an announcement began to echo through the corridors. "They're getting ready to launch the gliders, you don't have much time," she said. She reached out and grabbed Jack's arm. "Take care of them," she said. "Whatever happens, the last of the Tau'ri CANNOT die."

"Ok," he agreed.

"It was an honor, Colonel," she said, before turning on her heel and dashing back down the hall.

"Jack?"

"Let's do as she asks, Daniel," he said, shifting his weapon. "Teal'c, get us to those shield generators."

<><><><><>

Sam strode down the hall, oddly at peace with herself and her forthcoming death. 'You should not be so fatalistic,' Talya said. 'You may survive.' Sam remained silent, ignoring her symbiote's very presence. Talya could feel the woman's despair and sensed that even if she did survive, she did not want to live any longer.

'Samantha?'

'I killed them. I killed them all.'

'You did not kill them Samantha, you were tricked. You had no way of knowing,' Talya said. 'I have known Selmac for nearly a thousand years and I never knew.'

'I gave my father to the goa'uld.'

'Samantha…'

'NO! I gave my father to a goa'uld! There is no forgiveness for what I've done. I…I'm as guilty as Anubis is.'

'We can go assist SG-1,' Talya said, recognizing her host's temperament and attitude. There was nothing she could say, nothing that she could ever do to make Samantha forgive herself. 'Anubis may die in the crash.'

'I'm not leaving anything to chance,' Sam said. 'If we don't stop him, he'll do it again.'

'I am not arguing with you, Anubis must be stopped. But you do not have to die to do it.'

'Murderers should die,' Sam said. 'I just wish…I wish we had time to find you a better host. After all we've been through together, you deserve better than to die like this.'

'We are bound,' Talya said. 'As O'Neill would put it, you go, I go.'

'And I condemn one more soul to death,' Sam said sadly.

'You condemn no one.' Talya said firmly. 'I come willingly.'

They rounded one last turn in the corridor and stopped short at the sight of two Jaffa guarding the door to the peltac. In an instant, Sam sprung into action, drawing upon Talya's knowledge and greater strength as she first subdued one of the Jaffa, using his zat to kill the second one. 'Do you have a plan you want to share with me?' Talya asked as Sam pulled the Jaffa's knife from its sheath before disintegrating the man.

'Anubis dies.'

'I was hoping for a little more,' the symbiote said, doing what she could to strengthen the bond between them. She knew Samantha would need every ounce of their shared strength to have any hope of killing the goa'uld.

'Weren't we all.' Sam flung the door open and stalked across the room. Anubis was seated upon his throne with Herak at his side. Raising her zat, she fired, hitting the Jaffa twice. 'But this will have to do.'

He collapsed to the floor as Anubis shot to his feet. "For Earth," Sam said, pulling her arm back and letting the knife fly. It spun across the room and buried itself in his chest. Anubis roared and Sam felt a moment of triumph.

It was short lived as she watched in horror as the knife shifted, falling out of his robes and clattering upon the deck. "No!" Talya cried as he raised his hand and fired a blast from his ribbon weapon. It struck Sam in the chest and threw her back. The moment stretched on forever, but instead of her life flashing by her, Sam saw what could have been. She saw her with SG-1, fighting to save Earth, winning, and living to fight again. She felt their love for her and hers for them. They were there during the hard times, and they shared in the good times. They were there, and it was a good life.

Talya heard and felt the sickening crack as her host hit the wall and slid to the floor, her neck irreparably broken.

'Samantha? Samantha?' Getting no response and recognizing the unmistakable feeling of death, Talya's thoughts turned to her own survival. Wondering if she'd have time to mourn, she pushed her way out of her host's body, slithering out onto the cold, hard deck. Her eyesight severely limited, she struggled to focus, barely able to make out the dark shape of Anubis coming to stand over her.

Rough, gloved hands reached down and grasped her, holding her firmly. As soon as he touched her, she knew something was wrong. He was not human…and he was not goa'uld either. He was…an abomination, a nightmare given form.

He brought her up before his face and said something, a sound her ears were not capable of processing. She squealed and struggled as he tightened his grip. She felt the tiny bones in her body begin to break and, she resigned herself to her fate.

In an instant of a blinding flash of light, he released her. She fell to the deck, writhing in pain, both from within and from without, as light assaulted her senses. She heard an inhuman roar and she recoiled, instinctively trying to find her way back to her host and the meager protection provided by the woman's dead body. The light faded and silence rushed in to smother the last echoes of Anubis' screams.

Talya still struggled on, ignoring the pain of her injuries in an instinctive attempt to hide from the unknown. She knew just how vulnerable she was, how easily she could be killed. She was just delaying the inevitable, she knew she was fatally injured, but she needed, wanted to die with her former host. If there was an afterlife, she did not want Samantha to spend her time there alone.

Gentle hands picked her up and she protested, squealing as she was taken away from her goal. No. She wanted to be with Samantha. Why could they not let her be where she wanted to be? She was dying, why could they not let her die in peace?

The world flashed warm and white and she stood upon the peltac of the ship. Looking around in amazement she looked at herself, staring down upon the familiar hands of her host.

Movement caught her eyes and she looked up, frowning at the sight of a female figure, dressed in blinding white. "What is this?"

"Your fate is in your hands," she said, smiling sweetly.

"What fate? What am I…this isn't my body."

"When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is free and the body matters not." Talya stared at her, a fragment of a memory seeping into her brain. There were tales from the old time, myths of creatures of light. Even the Nox and the Tollan had such tales. "Yes," she nodded. "I am what you believe I am."

"Sher'mal?" Talya asked, dredging the Tollan name from the recesses of her mind.

"I am no angel. You may call me Oma Desala," she said, stepping back and bending over. She stood up, Anubis' limp robe clasped in her hands. "I owe you a debt," she said.

"We failed."

"You saved many lives today," Oma said.

"Not enough," Talya said, looking down upon the still form of her former host. She knelt down and gently brushed a lock of errant hair off Sam's face. She mourned her host, mourned her death, mourned that she died in such pain, with the weight of a million deaths upon her soul.

"Regardless, the Tau'ri still live, there is still a chance for them to become the Fifth Race."

"Fifth Race?" Talya asked, intrigued by the term.

Oma shook her head. "I have come to offer you Ascension," she said.

"What is that?"

"That is as I am, as he was." She gestured with the discarded cloak.

Talya shook her head, taking a step back. "No, I…"

"Anubis was evil. Because of that he was cast out thousands of years ago. During his exile, he learned the secrets of Ascension. He attained this state without our aid."

"Our? There are more of you?"

"You are not evil. I give you this gift in gratitude for your attempt to defeat him and for saving the Tau'ri."

"What about Samantha?" Talya asked.

"To ascend, you must first release your burden."

Talya stared at her for a moment. "Her burden…her guilt."

"Yes. She cannot ascend until she can forgive herself."

"She made a mistake, yes, but she didn't know any better. She was tricked, they all were."

"Only those that are willing can find their way to the great path," Oma said.

Talya stared at her host and felt her heart fall. Her host carried much guilt, self appointed blame for acts that happened decades before. Guilt was a part of her, a segment of her very soul. She did not think Samantha was capable of surrendering her guilt. And without the cleansing of forgiveness, her soul would be forever burdened.

"What if she had a guide?" Talya asked, looking Oma in the eyes. The woman was clearly surprised.

"You would do this?" Talya nodded. "The risks are great. If she were to falter, you both shall fall."

"But if I can get her to forgive, help her until she is able to find her own way," Talya pressed.

"Her success or failure will not be judged solely by her deeds. She is to judge by the intention of her actions and her strength as she faced the challenges of her life. She must see that she did change things for the better. She must decide if she is truly good or evil," Oma said.

"And if I can get her to see that?" Talya asked. The alien frowned, her eyes going out of focus as if she was consulting an inner voice. "Please, give her a chance," Talya begged. Oma looked at her, her face sad. "I won't go without her," Talya said. She knelt down and took Sam's limp hand in her own, noting that the flesh was already growing cold. "If I cannot ascend with her, then send me back and at least let us die together."

<><><><><>

Narim walked across the compound, shivering slightly in the early evening chill. It was springtime on the planet and several weeks since their desperate flight from Tollana. Around him, he heard the unmistakable sound of the settlement moving, breathing, living.

Today was a momentous day. The first of the colonists were due to leave. The Alpha Site had survived Anubis' attack with surprisingly little loss of life. In the distance, he could just still see the silhouette of the crashed hatak against the setting sun, testimony to the success of SG-1, and a monument to the sacrifice of one of their own.

They'd searched the ship after it'd crashed, looking for any surviving Jaffa, to either invite to join the rebels, or to evict from the planet. Surprisingly, they'd found none. No survivors, no bodies…just broken, empty rooms and shattered consoles. It was as if a great hand had swept down and removed every living creature.

He still wondered what had happened to her, where Samantha had gone. For some reason, he didn't feel that she was dead, just that she was gone. It was the way he had felt when he'd left Earth to take refuge with the Nox all those years before.

People began to congregate around the Stargate. Narim hefted the bag on his shoulder, knowing that he would have to join them. Most of the Tollan had chosen to leave for the colony and he had been elected to be their leader, so he was going to depart in the first group.

Presuming, of course, that Schroedinger cooperated.

Hurrying to the tree in the center of the clearing he looked up, quickly spying the large orange tabby among the blooming branches. In recent weeks, the tree had become the feline's home, the creature spending entire days lounging among its branches, descending to the ground only to eat or attend its bodily needs. "Schroedinger, we must depart now," he said, reaching up for the animal.

It ignored him, negligently licking one of its paws.

"Narim, it's time to go." He turned to see Colonel O'Neill and the other members of SG-1 walking towards him. The robots had been the ones to find the colony site and were going to lead Narim and his fellow Tollans there and help them establish themselves.

"Of course, Colonel," Narim said, setting down his bag as he again reached for the cat. The creature responded by hissing slightly, his ears folding back.

"What's wrong with Schroedinger?" Captain Carter asked, moving to join him.

"I do not know."

"Perhaps the feline is unable to descend," Teal'c suggested. He reached for the cat and this time Schroedinger responded with a feral growl, baring its teeth.

"You do not have a way with animals, Teal'c," O'Neill said.

"You know," Jackson said. "It's almost like he doesn't want to go."

Narim looked to him. "Doctor Jackson?"

He shrugged. "He's acting like he doesn't want to leave."

Narim turned back to the cat. "Is that it Schroedinger? Do you wish to remain here?"

The tabby responded by curling his tail around his body, a smug look on his face. "I think that's it," Captain Carter said.

"Then leave it here," O'Neill said. "We got a wormhole to catch."

"Good bye, Schroedinger," Narim said, accepting the cat's decision. He bent down and picked up his bag, falling into step behind the four robots.

In the tree, Schroedinger watched him leave, proudly grooming his whiskers. Just as the setting sun sank behind the artificial hill of the wrecked hatak, a soft wind blew, making the metal bits suspended among the branches tinkle merrily. Hearing the faint sound of happy laughter, he began to purr, finally happily content in his new home, and with his old companion.

'This is the fifth race isn't it? The three of them working together. None of them could have done it alone.'

'Perhaps. Perhaps it was fate, but they are no longer your responsibility. Now you must lay your burden to rest. You have lived hard, you have done good, you need to let go.'

'I don't think I can do that yet.'

'That is all right, we have all the time in the world.'

As the sun rose, Schroedinger purred at the two beings of light that sat in the tree, swinging their legs among the branches. He wasn't surprised that the people couldn't see them. Everyone knows that people are blind.

~Fin~

Almost four years ago, Adi and I were chatting back and forth as we're wont to do and she brought up an odd idea…for me to finally write a fic where I don't put my toys neatly away in the end. An honest to god AU fic where things change and there's no 'happy ending' reset switch.

I balked at first, I do tend to go for the warm and fuzzy…but the more I thought about it, the more appealing it sounded to set aside my self-imposed confines and write something truly unique. So we did.

Fini came first and it was oddly therapeutic to kill the planet. Then came Primordium, a story that actually had a plot and finally Natus, the final chapter to the Phoenix Trilogy.
It's been a wild four years as we gave MSN a work out, messaging back and forth, burning the bandwidth as we played tag, alternating scenes and working to keep track of our own little universe.

If it wasn't for her, I'd still be pottering around in my safe little 'keep it canon' sandbox and I'd never know the thrill of doing something truly different. This is very likely the last fic we'll ever conspire on together and I can't help but be sad at the end of an era.

Feedback:sky_diver119@yahoo.com

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