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.

By some fluke of time and nature, or maybe by design of some long gone and forgotten civilization, the sun rose at the exact position of the great stone circle that stood in the middle of the desert, defiant of the wind and passing days. It did not care about the majestic view that the dawn's sun shining through it's center caused. Nor did it particularly care that the pinkish-yellow light suddenly turned to blue liquid or about the woman who seemed to melt out of it. It was not interested in her story or her pain and even if it was, there wasn't much it could do about it. After all it was just a stone circle, a means of transportation . . . a plot device.

But had the large stone circle been interested in the woman's story, and had it been able to ask, if not her than the sand which she walked upon, if not the sand then the air which she breathed quietly, if not the air then the sun which shined on her back; if it had been interested and it if had been able to ask then the great stone circle might have heard this.

"Her name is Samantha Carter. She has killed gods. She had helped save many people. She treasures and is treasured by friends across the galaxy. She carries the weight of a dead world on her shoulders. And right now she is going to the Tok'ra to report that once again a decision has not been made."

"What decision?" It would have asked, if it could, if it cared.

"The decision," it would have heard, "to fight, or to live."

<><><><><>

Martouf lay atop the dune; his attention turned more inward than outwards. There was little in the barren, sandy wasteland to capture his interest. Occasionally a lizard would crawl by or one of the carnivorous spiders that inhabited the dunes. But most often he had nothing but the howl of the wind and the chatter of Lantash to keep him company. Surface sentry duty was a necessary, but boring assignment. He knew of more than one Tok'ra who were guilty of smuggling up a game or a document recorder, just to pass the time.

Taking advantage of a second consciousness, he let his attention wander, depending on Lantash to keep watch. He slipped back into the warm embrace of his memories. He could feel the soft warmth of Rosha's skin beneath his. The sweet smell of her hair as he threaded his hands through the silky strands. The gentle sound of her drowsy mutterings and sighs.

There had been no one else in his bed since the night Rosha and Jolinar left three years ago. It was not from a lack of offers but a sincere lack of interest on his part.

'Speaking of interest.' Lantash pulled his host's attention from the past to the present. Martouf focussed on the solitary figure making her way across the dunes and towards the rings. She was dressed in a pair of loose pants and a long overshirt. There was a thin veil wrapped loosely around her head and shoulders, perhaps as protection from the sun, perhaps to keep her long blond hair under control, or perhaps for dramatic effect.

Martouf started to get up from his place of concealment, only to be stopped by Lantash. 'What are you doing?'

'Lantash, I…'

'Her visits are seldom brief, Atalya will see to that. We have the rest of our watch to finish,' the symbiote chided his host.

With a mental frump, Martouf settled back into position just as the faint whine of transport rings wafted across the sand.

<><><><><>

'I miss my boots,' Sam complained as yet more sand filtered into her sandals.

'I seem to recall you taking joy every time you were able to wear something more comfortable and stylish than Tau'ri combat boots,' Atalya said.

'They were no fashion statement, but they were functional. And they kept the sand out,' Sam retorted.

'I could deaden the nerves in your feet. Then you would not feel it.'

'Talya.' Sam rolled her eyes and sighed.

'Just trying to be considerate. That way,' she prodded, urging her host to the right. Sam obediently changed course, aiming a bit to the right. Even after being blended for a year and as many times as she'd been to Vorash, she still had difficulty locating the transport rings. She knew she could give a shout and ask the sentries for guidance, but her pride demanded that she do it on her own.

'I don't even know why we're bothering.'

'Because if you miss a check in, your father will be on your doorstep.'

'Not my father. Selmac,' Sam said. 'If dad had his way, we'd go months between visits.'

'You don't give your father enough credit. He kept his distance because he didn't want to crowd you,' Atalya said. 'If Jacob had his way, you'd be living here on Vorash.'

In no mood to carry on a long-standing argument, Sam fell silent, concentrating on trudging through the deep sand. Her nerves singing with the naquadah, Sam stepped into the center of the rings and closed her eyes to forestall the all too familiar disorientation of the transport system.

Blinking quickly to adjust her eyesight, she nodded at the tunnel sentry and headed down the tunnel to the council chamber.

"Sam!" She turned to see her dad jogging towards her, a welcoming smile on his face.

"Dad. Hi." She returned his hug, his arms pulling the scarf off the top of her head and down on her shoulders.

His hands on her upper arms, he pushed her back, giving her an appraising look. "You're still too skinny," he complained kindly.

"We're fine, dad. There's plenty to eat at the Alpha site. Maybe a noticeable lack of chocolate and coffee…but plenty of 'real food'."

"You know you don't have to stay there at all. The Tok'ra have worlds…"

"Dad," she interrupted. "I'm not getting into it. We're grateful for all the help the Tok'ra have given us but…we need to do this on our own," she said, feeling like she was repeating the same phrase for the thousandth time.

'Actually it's the 234th time,' Atalya said.

'Remind me to get you a hobby,' Sam teased. "Is the council ready?" she asked aloud.

"For you, they're always ready."

"Right," she said sardonically. "If the council had their way the survivors of Earth would be on one of your worlds or hanging around here ready to be hosts if you need them and Atalya and I would be going on missions or working with Anise in her research." She pulled from his arms and started down the corridor towards the council chambers. She hated these monthly updates. In the beginning she'd looked forward to them, the Tok'ra being their sole contact with the rest of the universe. But, in recent months, the survivor's reluctance to rejoin the fight against the goa'uld and the subsequent pressure from the Tok'ra for them to do just that, made these meetings more and more uncomfortable. There was a very real part of her that just wanted to dial out to another planet and disappear into the vastness of the universe. That part was at conflict with her symbiote, Atalya, who longed to rejoin the millennia old battle, which was the only real life the creature had ever known. Being a child of Egeria and almost as old as Selmac, Atalya and her hosts had been battling the goa'uld for the entirety of her existence.

Sam did sense however, that the symbiote had a certain sympathy for her newest host. Perhaps she was influenced by the remnants of Jolinar's memories or perhaps she'd been delving into Sam's most recent memories. Whatever the reason, Sam knew that Atalya wouldn't push her into doing something she didn't want to do.

This was one reason the pair of them had been living on the Alpha Site for the last year. She wasn't the leader of the refugees, Major Castleman filled that role, but she was their de facto advisor and liaison with the Tok'ra. Between her experience, Atalya's two millennia of memories and the scattered fragments of Jolinar's memories, she knew more about the galaxy than most of the survivors would ever know.

After blending with Atalya, she'd been surprised to visit the Alpha Site and discover that all six SG teams that had been on missions had been contacted and they had all made it to the refuge. Major Castleman had been the ranking officer and was now the commanding officer of a rag-tag group of soldiers, scientists and archaeologists, all of whom suddenly found themselves to be orphans, widows and totally homeless.

Most of the last year had been spent concentrating on simple survival. The Alpha Site was a lush world, but it was still an alien planet.

Fortunately they'd been able to avail themselves of large stashes of supplies left behind for just such an occasion. The fifty or so survivors were still living in the pre-fab buildings that had been an original part of the site. Whether or not they would continue to do so was a matter of much debate. There were some among the survivors that wanted to continue to explore the planet, traveling farther away from the gate in hopes of finding a good place to live, and one that might escape any goa'uld's notice. And there were others that wanted to continue to explore the universe, operating as a much scaled down version of the SGC. And there was still a third group who desired to exact some revenge for Earth's destruction.

Sam didn't know which group she fell into. Part of her just wanted to get away from all of it. And there was another part of her that wanted to continue to explore the universe, even if she had to ally herself with the Tok'ra to do it. But she also wanted nothing more than to find the goa'uld bastard who'd planted the missiles on the moon and destroyed her entire planet and all of her friends and slowly kill the son of a bitch with her bare hands…about seven billion times.

The Tok'ra wanted answers to questions too. She knew they were just as divided as the refugees. She picked up on some sincere sympathy from the Tok'ra. Most of them were survivors of massacres, or their hosts were. And they knew the pain of watching your planet die. But there were just as many who felt that continuing to aid the Tau'ri was a waste of resources, resources they could better spend fighting the goa'uld.
This is what made her monthly report such a chore in recent months. The exasperation coming from some of the council was almost a physical force. She was feeling like a houseguest on the fifth day…now seen as more of a burden than a joy.

'You know, we could have sent a messenger,' Atalya said. The symbiote felt and shared some of her host's misgivings and unsure feelings.

'A messenger can't tell me how annoyed Garshaw is today. And anyway, if I don't come, then Martouf will find an excuse to visit, which just makes things worse,' Sam said, remembering the very negative feelings from her fellow survivors the last time the Tok'ra had visited. There were some among the survivors that felt the Tok'ra could have done more to save Earth. 'And so help me if you start complaining about Martouf and Lantash I will tell Garshaw to find you a new host…maybe a cat this time,' Sam teased her symbiote, half meaning it. For reasons she'd kept secret, Atalya didn't like Martouf and Lantash. A dislike she'd been most verbal about until she realized that Sam still held Jolinar's memories of the symbiote's mate. The two beings had agreed to disagree upon the subject.

'Not a word,' Atalya promised. 'If you'll agree to stay if Jacob asks you to stay for a meal.'

'I thought you wanted to get back tonight?'

Atalya mentally shrugged. 'Linda's stew is just as good on the second day. Besides, Jacob needs to spend time with you.'

Not responding to her symbiote's prodding, Sam walked into the council chambers, carefully schooling her face to one of calm indifference. Her mask faded to a frown as she saw the council members gathered in a small klatch, talking animatedly amongst themselves.

Possibly sensing Sam's presence, Garshaw looked up. "Samantha, Atalya. I am glad you have arrived," she said, causing the rest to look up.

"Garshaw, what's wrong?" Sam asked, picking up on the tension in the room.

"We are hoping you can help us clear something up," Asha said.

"I know the council is impatient to hear the Tau'ri's decision but…"

"No, Samantha. This is far more important," Garshaw interrupted. "We just received word from Korra. He was infiltrating Cronos' inner circle. Samantha…he tells us that Cronos has SG-1 captive on a planet called Juna."

It was as though someone had dropped her into a murky pond head first. Her head filled with fog, and her thoughts crowded in and made it hard to think. Atalya quickly took control, allowing Sam a moment to center herself in the chaos that suddenly erupted in her mind.

"That is not possible. SG-1 is dead." Memories floated up from Sam's consciousness, the Tok'ra blocked herself off from her host, unable to deal with the present situation and past burdens. "Korra is mistaken."

"Korra is not mistaken," Garshaw insisted. "He met Samantha and her team just a few months before..." The Tok'ra leader broke off realizing what she was about to say.

'Talya,' Sam begged her symbiote. 'How can this be happening?'

'Samantha, think. Is it...possible that there could be ANOTHER SG-1 out there? I seem to remember you telling me about...'

'The mirror...no it was destroyed,' Sam blurted out or rather in. 'And even if there was another one, at least their Sam wouldn't be able to survive in this universe for very long.'

'Samantha there must be an explanation. How is it possible to have a duplicate SG-1?' Atalya was trying to keep calm, but her host's emotions made it hard. And then suddenly it stopped. The chaos, the uncertainty, the thoughts running around trying to find a solution to the problem, it all stopped with one word.

'Harlan.'

<><><><><><><>

"In the first year after the SGC was reactivated we found a planet . . . completely mechanical. We were knocked out shortly after arriving, and when we woke up we were . . . . with . . . ourselves. Apparently this Harlan had copied us, our consciousness, into machine duplicates of us. "

Atalya had taken a backseat while her Samantha explained the situation to the council, and being the blond woman's symbiote she knew before even Jacob, of the egg-shaped determination that was forming in his daughter's mind. Samantha would do anything to save the lives of this SG-1 . . . anything.

"You allowed these . . . duplicates . . . of yourselves to roam the universe?" Atalya poked her host realizing that the blond was too distracted by memories and plans to notice that Garshaw had addressed her.

"What? No. We, uh, they told us that they would bury the gate once we were gone." Sam almost smiled. "I guess they were more like us than we realized." Like a heartbeat pain filled her chest before disappearing back into her subconscious. Who had to time to deal with the past these days? "It's the only reasonable explanation I can think of."

"Then they are not your SG-1?" Sam didn't like the tone of voice Garshaw was using.

"No . . . Garshaw, you can't just leave them there!"

One of the great things about not technically being Tok'ra, thought Atalya, is the ability to openly defy the council.

"We cannot spare the resources to resc-"

"Fine, then I'll do it myself."

"Sam!"

Sam turned to look at her father. "I can't leave them there Dad! You know I can't." Atalya prepared herself to release hormones to calm her host. Samantha didn't like it when she controlled her that way, and so the symbiote only used it when absolutely necessary

Taking a deep calming breath and lowering his voice, Jacob forced Sam to look him in the eye. "They're not your SG-1, Sam."

"But they are SG-1, Dad. Alive and complete. They deserve." Sam looked down and sighed. When she looked up her voice was soft but her eyes shined with determination. "They deserve to stay that way."

Garshaw sighed. "Very well. You may use Tok'ra resources. But this is a strictly voluntary mission. I will order no one to help you."

Sam knew that that would be the best she would be getting. "Thank you Garshaw. Dad?"

"I'm getting too old for this." Sam smiled, knowing she had his support. "I'll talk to Martouf, I'm sure he'll be glad to help."

"Thanks, Dad."

<><><><><>

"Have you finally lost what's left of your mind!" Major Castleman demanded, his voice carrying over the small crowd of refugees gathered in the large communal room that was both mess hall and a general gathering place.

"Major, please," Sam started.

"Don't Major me," he said, getting to his feet and pacing the room. "In case it's slipped your mind . . . minds, can I remind you that we're barely hanging on here? That the whole population of Earth is down to fifty odd survivors and that the goa'uld or anyone else for that matter, could wipe us out with a few well-placed missiles. And now you want us to go on a mission to save some robots and remind the snakeheads that we exist?"

"I'm well aware of our situation," she said coldly.

"I don't know if you are," he countered.

Sam sighed and stood before the man. "I'm not asking for help."

"That's what it sounded like to me."

"No," she insisted. "What I'm doing is TELLING you that Martouf, Aldwin, my dad and I are going to Juna to rescue SG-1. I'm TELLING you that we'll accept, but not ask for, any assistance. I'm TELLING you this because it's pretty damn likely that Colonel O'Neill knew of this place," she said, leaning forward so that she was inches from the major. She hadn't spent four years watching the colonel dress down people without picking up a few pointers.

"How would he know?" Castleman asked, not backing down.

"He knew because WE scouted this planet four years ago. Before we were duplicated and after we had the scare with the Touched virus, the general wanted us to have a Genesis site in case of a worst case scenario. It was also hoped that it could be the first ever Earth colony.

"Now if he were human, I'd say he'd never talk. But he's not. He's a robot. He has a memory core, a core that can be DOWNLOADED," she finished, her chest heaving with repressed anger, staring Castleman directly in the eyes.

"Do you really think we're in danger?" a very pregnant Sergeant Watkins asked. Sam's eyes softened as she turned to face the woman. Susan Watkins had one of the lucky ones. Her fiancée, Sergeant Keller had been on another team also off world at the time of the attack. The baby she carried was going to be the first born on this alien world.

"What I think, Sergeant, is that we're relatively safe here as long as we and the Tok'ra are the only ones that know about the Alpha Site. Right now Cronos could be this close from finding out where we are. And we have two choices. Find another planet or keep him from finding out about this one."

Castleman stepped away from Sam and paced the room, scrutinizing these people. People whose lives he was now responsible for. He saw no condemnation in their eyes. "What's their situation?" he asked with a sigh.

"Korra did not have time to impart many details," Jacob said. "Merely that SG-1 stumbled onto Juna just as Cronos was visiting. They were captured quickly and are likely being tortured as we speak."

"How long ago?" Sam asked abruptly. "How long ago were they captured?" She clarified at Martouf's faint frown.

"Approximately one planetary day. Why do you ask?"

"If I remember the reports correctly there was a power source on the planet. And they couldn't be away from it for very long. Now if they're exploring planets, it stands to reason that they've developed some sort of …battery or something."

"Batteries don't last forever," Castleman interjected.

"No," Sam agreed. "Which means we have to move quickly."

<><><><><>

With a dramatic cerulean whoosh, the stargate on Juna opened. Within a few seconds the rippling surface was disturbed by a small round object. A moment later six figures slurped through the wavering event horizon and quickly fled the exposed area around the gate, concealing themselves amongst the trees.

"How far?" Jacob whispered, shoving the scanning globe into a pouch at his waist.

"Just over that hill," Martouf reported, pointing at the barely visible point of a hatak ship.
The sextet made their way through the dense forests. According to Korra's information, SG-1 was being held in the dungeons of the ship. A location well away from the vulnerable peltak, but conveniently accessible from the ground when the ship was landed.

They planned to take advantage of that convenience, using the ship's access tunnels to slip into the bowels of the hatak and liberate SG-1.

"There," Martouf whispered, kneeling down in the foliage. Sam knelt by his side and squinted her eyes. "The Jaffa forage in the forests every day in the afternoon. We should be able to waylay them quite easily."

"What about us? I thought Jaffa could sense other Jaffa. Won't they know we're human?" Lieutenant Dwyer asked. He and Sergeant Harrison had agreed to accompany Sam and the other Tok'ra on the mission.

"Your job is to watch our six," Sam answered. "And if we can't get them out, you use this to detonate explosives we're going to set. The goal is to either rescue SG-1 or prevent their knowledge from leaving this planet." She handed the lieutenant a small Tok'ra device. "If we don't come back, go back to the Alpha Site," she told them. Dwyer nodded and shoved the device into a pocket of his vest.

"If we're not back in twelve hours, we're probably not coming back," Jacob said.

"Good luck," Dwyer said as the Tok'ra slipped away from them, disappearing into the bushes.

<><><><><>

The short firefight that it took to take down the Jaffa was covered up nicely by donning their metal uniforms, hiding the bodies and running around aimlessly until the backup party arrived.

"It must have been the natives of this planet." Aldwin explained to the Jaffa. "The shots came from that direction. Go investigate." He pointed the staff weapon in the direction opposite of the bodies and marched toward the ship without looking back. Sam, Martouf and Jacob followed without a word.

They were three Tok'ra and one of the last surviving Tau'ri on a Goa'uld controlled planet, in a Goa'uld ship, in Jaffa uniforms marching to rescue prisoners from Goa'uld control. And that wasn't even the scary part. No, the scary part was that Sam knew this ship. Knew that the symbol that looked like a triangle with the hiccups would open to a tunnel that led into the engine room if she pushed it up, that it would open a tunnel that led to the third storage room if pushed down. She knew that the second left on the second right led to a trap door that would lead them to the sewer system, and she knew with absolute certainty that the prison cells were situated on the third floor from the bottom in the north east corner.

This knowledge worried Sam, she didn't like discovering she knew things she didn't know she knew. It usually meant unwelcome memories popping up at inappropriate times. So she just hoped that the familiarity simply stemmed from the fact that all Goa'uld ships are alike and not from the fact that Jolinar had been here.

One more corner and they were there . . . and it was empty.

'What now?' This day was already pushing her to her limits

'Calm yourself Samantha, Talya soothed. Sam almost snorted.

'Oh I'm calm . .. I'm just really, really pissed off.'

"Where are the prisoners!" It took Sam a second to reset her mind to the outside world, it was Aldwin barking at a passing Jaffa.

"Commander Dy'la took them to the Interrogation lab at our Lords orders." Aldwin motioned him away and the four marched their way to the fourth floor from the bottom. It took every ounce of Sam's will power and some of Atalya's not to break into a dead run when they neared the room. Being in costume they didn't even bother bursting into the room. They just walked in.

Jack would have loved this. Sam thought absently, it would have fitted perfectly with his sense of irony.

The room was plain. Sam, the other Sam, was on her knees within a circle of flickering green light. Another woman crouched before her, the look on her face one of rapt fascination combined with the sick pleasure most Goa'uld received from the pain of another.

'She looks pained,' Atalya observed. 'I did not know mechanical beings could feel pain'.

'Neither did I.'

The woman, Dy'la, looked up at them.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Even if they have planned, and practiced, in advance the four intruders could not have reached such perfect synchronization of movements that they did in that moment. At the exact same time, four helmets retracted, and four staff weapons were lifted, and armed.

"This is a jailbreak," Sam quipped, raising her beribboned hand and blasting the leather clad goa'uld across the room. She saw Aldwin coming from behind her, his staff weapon aimed unerringly at the unconscious woman. Sam made her way over to the console as the other Sam struggled to her feet.

"What's going on?" the robot demanded.

"We're getting you guys out of here," Sam said. "Who's this?" she asked, moving over to the table.

"It's Daniel. What the hell is going on? Who are you?"

Sam ignored the robot and studied the controls. She pushed the right buttons and the wavering green force field collapsed. Casting cautious looks at the people in the room, the robot stepped off the dais and crossed the room to Sam. Sam motioned for two of the guards to pick up the headless body. "Where's its head?" she asked coldly, trying not to remember the last time she'd stood over Daniel's body. There was no blood this time, no useless struggles for breath.

"Cronos took it to his throne room," Robot Sam said. "I think he wants it as a trophy."

"Then we better hurry," Sam brushed past the robot then stopped as the woman grabbed her arm in an iron grip.

"You're not going ANYWHERE until you tell me what the fuck's going on! Who are you, what are you doing here and where are you taking him?"

At the end of her patience, Sam raised her right hand and fired her zat, watching the robot convulse then collapse. "Get her and the body out of here. Aldwin, you, Martouf and I are going to the peltak," she ordered. "We can't let Cronos keep the head, that's where their memory core is."

Sam depended on Atalya to keep her face dispassionate as she watched her fellow Tok'ra carefully pick up the limp bodies of the two robots and carry them out of the torture chamber and out of the hatak. Two down, two more to go.

She silently motioned for Martouf and Aldwin to follow her as she made her way through the maze of corridors towards the peltak level. Their stolen uniforms allowed them to make the trip unchallenged. She paused outside the large double doors to the throne room/peltak, letting Atalya boost her hearing.

"Tell me how to access the memories of this machine," Cronos demanded.

"Only after you have released Carter," Teal'c said.

'He sounds like you remember him,' Atalya said.

'Yes, he does.' Sam fought back the memories of the last time she saw Teal'c…the pain in his eyes as he lay before her, his neck irreparably broken. His wonderful stoicism as he clung to life long enough to record the message in goa'uld to warn people from visiting Earth.

'If you don't pay attention, you're going to be burying him too,' Atalya reminded mercilessly snapping Sam back to the present.

Sam shook her head and silently agreed with her symbiote. She motioned to her companions and then braced herself, boldly pushing the door open and striding into the chamber. Cronos was standing over Teal'c, his hands wrapped around the Jaffa's throat as if to strangle him to death. The goa'uld looked up, his eyes flaring in anger as he took in the sight of the three guards. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, letting go of Teal'c's neck. The man…robot fell to his knees, gasping for breath. A strange look passed over his face and his eyes widened in surprise. "Goa'uld, kree!"

Sam heard the swish of metal over metal and turned to see Martouf opening his helmet. She could just stare as his eyes glowed in anger. He raised his hand and fired his ribbon device, throwing Cronos across the room. The goa'uld slid down the wall and struggled to sit up as Martouf stalked over to him, his hand device still aglow.

"Martouf, what…" Sam asked as she started after him.

Aldwin gently grabbed her arm. "No. It is his right."

"Aldwin? What's going on?"

"Cronos killed Jolinar. Revenge is Martouf's right as her mate," he said.

Sam watched as Martouf stood over Cronos, his ribbon device aimed unerringly at the man's head. She heard Cronos gurgle and moan as he tried to escape. After a few dreadful seconds, he slumped, his symbiote giving one last feeble flare of the eyes before he died.

Martouf turned, breathing heavily as he staggered back to Sam and Aldwin. "I seem to recall you giving us hell for killing goa'uld," she reminded him, stepping over to offer him support as he stumbled. Aldwin bent down and picked up Teal'c.

The Jaffa looked at them strangely, frowning as he caught sight of Sam in her armor. "Captain Carter…you…who are you?"

Sam fought the urge to smile. It wasn't often someone caught Teal'c speechless. "It's a long story," she said, spying Daniel's head lying on a small table. She picked it up and stuck it under her arm. "We need to get the hell out of here before his Jaffa figure out what's going on. Where's O'Neill?"

Teal'c looked past her, frowning at the sight of Cronos' corpse. "I do not know. He is dead?" He asked, walking over to stand over the body.

"Yes," Martouf affirmed.

"Then my father is avenged." He turned back and frowned again, his body tensing. "Which god do you serve?"

"We serve no one but ourselves," Aldwin said.

"We're all going to be serving time in Cronos' brig if we stay here and fool around," Sam said. "You are coming with us. Will it be conscious or unconscious?" She shifted Daniel's head to her other arm and brought up her zat.

'You're enjoying this,' Atalya quipped.

The robot sighed and quirked his eyebrow. He nodded his assent and allowed Martouf and Aldwin to each take an arm. Sam watched them walk past her then she fired her zat, banishing Cronos to oblivion, gaining more than a little satisfaction from the act.

They exited the hatak much like they entered it, striding down the halls as though they had every right to be there.

'We should send back some operatives to secure this ship,' Atalya said. 'Having our own mother ship would be a great tactical advantage for the Tok'ra.'

'The second we get the clones home, we'll call Garshaw,' Sam agreed. They hurried through the forest, not bothering to shed their armor. Something told Sam that time was of the essence. They made it to the rendezvous point, relieved to see the rest of the Tok'ra gathered in a loose group, not far from the Stargate.
"We don't have time to look for O'Neill," Sam said. "Let's get these people home and…"

"How about you letting Teal'c go and I just might let you live," one of the armored people said, raising his weapon.

'He caught you flatfooted,' Atalaya said wryly.

'Bite me.' Sam surveyed the scene again, this time with a critical eye. The two Tok'ra standing over the two unconscious robots were looking down sheepishly, not meeting her eyes. O'Neill held his rifle loosely but confidently. He was wearing a version of the native garb, she guessed stolen from someone. 'God, I missed that.'

'What?'

'His…confidence. No matter how bad things got, he never let it show. I swear there were so many times we fought to live just …so we wouldn't let him down.'

'You can wax poetic later. Maybe you should break this up before someone gets hurt?'

Sam sighed. 'You're right.' She strode forward, pulling Daniel's head from under her arm. "Here, Jack. Catch." She lobbed the head at the colonel who reflexively caught the head. "Here's our situation," she said, perversely enjoying the shocked look on his face. "You guys were prisoners, now you're not. This is a good thing."

Jack studied the situation. "I'm the smartass around here, whoever you are."

"I'm the original of her." Sam pointed at the robot Sam who was beginning to stir. Teal'c shook off Aldwin and Martouf and knelt by her side. "You might remember us."

"I remember a Captain in the Air Force. Things might have changed a bit but these folks sure as hell don't look like members of the SGC."

"That's because there is no SGC, not anymore," Sam said.

"What happened?" Robot Sam asked, letting Teal'c help her to her feet.

"It's not something we should go into when we're in hostile territory," Jacob said, joining the group.

"Dad?" Robot Sam pulled herself from Teal'c's arms and stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"

Jacob glanced from the robot to his flesh and blood daughter and back. 'God she looks so young.'

'They're always young, Jacob,' Selmac said.

"We don't have time for this," Jacob insisted aloud, quelling the impulse to freeze time and try to preserve some of the innocence in the doppelganger's eyes.

"We're gonna make the time," Jack insisted.

"Teal'c," the robot Sam said softly, stumbling.

The faux Jaffa reached out and caught her before she could fall. "We are out of time, O'Neill," he said urgently.

"What's happening?" Aldwin asked.

"Their batteries are running out," Sam said. "Does that mean we can give up the posturing and get you guys back to Harlan's planet before you turn into really funky door stops. Or should I just zat you three times and save myself the headache?" Sam put her hands on her hips and effected her best 'don't screw with me' look.

Jack looked from Teal'c and Sam to the unattached head in his hands. "O'Neill," Teal'c urged.

"Fine," Jack agreed.

Teal'c started to help robot Sam to her feet, then stepped aside as Jacob moved forward. "Let me," the man said, wrapping his arm around her waist. Martouf picked up Daniel's body and the small group made their way to the Stargate.

By the time they arrived, Aldwin was supporting Teal'c and Sam was standing beside Jack, keeping a wary eye out for signs of his imminent collapse. She remembered that the last time they'd all run out of energy at about the same time and could only suppose that the torture Sam and Teal'c had endured could be the reason for them collapsing faster.

They reached the Stargate and Dwyer and Harrison stepped from concealment. "I take it your mission was a success, major," Dwyer said to Sam, his eyes fixed upon O'Neill.

"Major?" Jack asked.

"More of that long story. Yes," she answered Dwyer. "It was. We're going to take them back to get recharged. I want you to return to the Alpha site and tell them what happened. We'll be along as soon as we can," she said, dialing Harlan's planet. Catching O'Neill as he started to collapse, she pulled him up the short flight of stairs flanked by the rest of the Tok'ra, all bearing their burdens. She stepped through the gate, headed for a planet she'd never thought she'd see again.

<><><><><>

Sam walked through the achingly familiar halls and corridors of the power plant, her footfalls echoing slightly. She found a set of stairs and took a seat. It was just like yesterday when she'd been here with her team. It seemed that time had bypassed this place and, if she closed her eyes, she could still remember how it used to be. Harlan's effusive 'comtraya' had done little to stem the tide of regret that had washed over her. Things had been so different then; they'd all been so different. Jack wasn't nearly as jaded as her colonel. Teal'c still felt the love for Drey'ac, unmarred by her betrayal with Fro'tac. She presumed that Daniel was the same way, still full of hope to rescue Shau'ri.

And herself…god, no wonder the colonel had been skeptical about her at first. He must have thought she was a refugee from a kindergarten. She envied the robot version of herself.

'Because she's young? I can fix that you know,' Atalaya said.

'No. It's not that…'

'That's good. I didn't think you were vain.'

'She's so innocent, Talya.'

'She's you.'

'She's not me. She's the past.'

'You can't change the past,' the symbiote reminded.

'You know, theoretically, if a wormhole slingshots…'

"Hey, kid," Jacob said, breaking Sam's internal dialogue.

"Hi, dad." She looked up to see him sitting beside her. "Did you get a hold of Garshaw?"

He nodded and his eyes flared. "Yes, Samantha," Selmac said. "They have launched the campaign. Garshaw feels that it will be successful. With Cronos dead, the Jaffa really don't have a reason to fight."

"What of the ones that do?" Atalaya asked.

Selmac opened Jacob's mouth then froze as the quiet was broken by the clattering click of weapons being cocked. "You two have about three minutes to impress the hell out of me before I do a little pest control," Jack said, his eyes and voice cold.

"We're not Goa'uld." It was Selmac who spoke, finally, after a few long moments of silence. Sam almost smiled, 'Right Selmac,' she thought, 'That'll convince him''

"Glowing eyes, funny voice," Jack was being sardonic, god how she had missed that. "If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck-"

"We are of the same race as the Goa'uld, but that is where the similarities end. We fight the system lords, we are called the Tok'ra." Selmac was trying to be imposing, if not for the weapon being pointed at her head, Sam would have found the situation amusing. Selmac hadn't known Jack before Jack had known Jacob, and had never had to earn Jack's trust.

"Selmac, could you leave us alone for a while?" Both Jack and Selmac turned their heads to Sam. "Four against one isn't really fair odds." Selmac nodded and Jacob took control.

"Sam, will you be OK?" Sam nodded.

"I'm pretty sure once I explain it to him, thing's will be ok." Jacob crouched down next to her.

"That's not what I meant."

Sam sighed. "I know. I'll be fine, Dad." Jacob nodded got up and started to walk away.

"Hey!" Jack yelled at the older man's retreating back. "Hey, I didn't say you could go!"

"Jack," the robot turned to look at her, she never called him Jack. "Remember that long story? Got time now?" The weapon in his hand was still pointed at her head.

"Give me the Reader's Digest version," he said calmly, his voice barely betraying his curiosity.

'He wants the short version 'Talya.' Sam almost smiled, why did she find this so amusing? Was it some form of hysteria?

'Then give it to him.'

"Well the good news is that Earth's war with the Goa'uld is over." She paused and took a deep breath before delivering her blow. "The bad news is, Earth lost." The weapon wavered, just a bit, but enough that she could have disarmed him had she wanted to.

"Maybe you better tell me the long version."

It hurt, it hurt even more than she remembered, but even so she hadn't let Atalya take over and finish the story for her. A long time ago these had been her friends, and the woman sitting across from her had been her, she owed them the whole story, and if it hurt, well, she could pretend that it was just a story, just something that happened to a friend of a friend. An urban legend, because, let's face it, the destruction of a world? Not just of any world but of Earth? Couldn't be real, couldn't be.

'Samantha.' She was talking, and there was a voice in her head, and she was talking. 'Samantha please, you are frightening me.' There was a voice in her head but she couldn't spare it any thought, she had a story to tell.

Memories clamored for attention in her mind, each demanding that it be told first, that is was more important.

Nasyia, Jolinar . . . .

Open the 'gate now! I command you! . . .Let me go, I must go . . . My death only feeds the fire that burns strong in the Tok'ra . . .

The flashbacks, the Tok'ra, Dad and Selmac . . .

Oh yes, it's a common ailment amongst your species. We cure it all the time, it's no problem . . . I think we should at least try to offer it to my Dad? . . You have a host for Selmac? . . I am the oldest and wisest among us . . . Oh geez . . .

The planet with the weapons, the statue they didn't even look at twice . . .

Kids, we've hit the jackpot . . . Sir, look at this . . . Pack it up, give it to Daniel . . . I can't figure it out, could you run some tests? No hurry, it can wait.

NID . . .

General Hammond says that NID's been making noise again about not getting any of the tech that comes through here, find something harmless to shut them up will you?

The Plague, the deaths…

The President stated in a press conference today that he expects to have a vaccination, if not a cure, for this illness within two weeks. Some skeptics say that this promise was only issued to prevent wide spread panic, in this reporters opinion . . . Sorry, should have caught it . . . I'm going to go to sleep . . . This is your facility Major. Do with it as you wish . . . One hundred percent fatal, repeat this planet has been contaminated. . . Dal Shaka Mel.

'Samantha, you never told me.' She had locked away the memories, deep down within her, left the details sketchy even to her symbiote. 'I never knew, I am so s-'

'No. Not pity, not from you.' Samantha's tone was more desperate than she had ever heard it. 'Please.'

There might have been tears running down her face, she was too numb to feel them if there were. She remembered how raw her hands were after she had cleaned up the bloodstains from the floor. Hours upon hours of relentless scrubbing, until her knees hurts, and her back ached, and even then it wasn't enough to drive the images away. She remembered the recoil of the zat as she disposed of Teal'c's body; she had flushed what was left of Junior down the toilet, a gold fish funeral. She had stopped talking, though the story was not over, she just couldn't get the words out.

"The teams that have been trapped off world made their way to the Beta site, now known as the Alpha site, Sam joined them after she was blended and has been serving as a sort of liaison between them and the Tok'ra." Jacob stepped out of the shadows to complete the story. Sam would have hugged him has she trusted her legs to hold her up. "When our operative found out that you had been captured by Cronos, Sam organized the rescue party, and the rest is history."

The four robots looked at each other, unsure of whether to believe the story. They didn't want to, but then again who would? Sam and Jacob saw the doubt in their eyes.

"Siler blocked the gate," Sam finally said. "Try dialing Earth, you'll see the wormhole won't form." Right now she just wanted to leave, to get out of this machine and sit at the shore of the lake and allow the sound of the gentle waves and rustling leaves to sooth her frayed emotions.

'I knew this was a bad idea Sel,' Jacob told his symbiote. 'She's falling apart. I should have sent her back to the Alpha site.'

'She is an adult Jacob, and you do not give her enough credit. She is emotionally exhausted yes, but she is not falling apart, and she won't. Trust in her and trust in Atalya to protect her.' Despite Selmac's reassurances Jacob decided that his daughter had had enough. Moving over next to Sam, Jacob rested his hand supportingly on her shoulder.

"Come on, Sam. We're done here."

Sam nodded and allowed her father to help her up. "Try dialing Earth," she said to the robots again. "You'll see we're telling the truth."

Jacob led her away, one arm wrapped around her shoulders. As he was entering sequence on the DHD she turned. "You know where we are." She wanted to say more, she wanted to say 'come visit,' she wanted to say 'don't be strangers,' she wanted to say 'I hope I never see you again,' she wanted to say 'goodbye,' but she knew she couldn't. Daniel would want to know about Shau'ri, Teal'c of his family. Maybe Sam would want to get to know her father; she had just as much right as the real Sam did. She would see them again, she was sure of that; she just wished she knew if she wanted to. The words died on her lips as the wormhole flared open, the event horizon a gaping mouth waiting to swallow her. "You know where we are," she said again, turning toward the gate. Not since the Land of Light when her father had offered her the chance to host Atalya had she felt so torn.

''Talya . . .' she whispered in her mind.

'Shhhh, Samantha,' the answering whisper was a cool cloth to her fevered mind. 'Rest now, I will take care of you.' Sam released control of her body to her symbiote, content in the knowledge that she was safe, crawled into a dark, silent corner of her mind and slept.

<><><><><>

They called them the ghosts, behind their backs of course. At first, their arrival caused quite a bit of anxiety among the refugees. Only the Tok'ra and their own knew where they were, and the Tok'ra didn't visit much. The aliens were engaged in a war for their very survival and seemed to have little time for a rag tag group of refugees with little to offer.

The first to visit had been Daniel. He'd come through the gate one morning, bearing a list of friendly or unoccupied planets where the refugees could barter with or flee to.

In exchange for his gift, he'd asked little in return, just some information. Sam had known he'd come, his curiosity too powerful to be ignored. She'd accepted the gift, then led him away from the compound, seeking privacy from the communal living of the refugees.

She led him to her grotto, a place she'd found and staked claim to as her own months ago. The other refugees knew of her place, and most gave it a wide berth. Many of them were reticent around her now. Some because of what she'd seen and done, others because of what she was.

Her sanctuary was a small cave halfway up a hillside. It was deep enough to serve as a shelter and as the months went by, she'd found herself spending more and more time there. A small spring flowed from the rocks nearby and there were enough plants and trees to provide her with a minimum of shade and sustenance.

She brought Daniel to her sanctuary, knowing that no one needed to witness what she was to tell him. Sitting him down, she patiently related to him the facts of Shau'ri's death, the fact that her last few moments of life were spent in freedom and with her Danyel. She told him about the harcesis child and about Kheb, silently marveling that a robot could cry.

He spent the night in her cave, plumbing Atalya's knowledge about Harcesis, then left in the morning.
She watched him go, resigned to see the sadness wearing upon him. There was a part of her that hadn't wanted to tell him, that wanted to preserve the hope in his eyes. In the end however, she decided that the truth would be best, he deserved nothing less.

It took another week for Teal'c to come. He surprised her late one evening, appearing with the last rays of the sun. She hadn't felt his arrival…which only served to remind her that no matter what he looked like, he wasn't her Teal'c.

At least she had some good news to tell him, his family was still alive. She couldn't miss the emotion on his face however, when she told him about Sho'nac's death. He handled it better than his counterpart…but then again, this Teal'c hadn't been reunited with his first love before she'd died. He left with the dawn after telling her that his SG-1 owed her people a debt, a debt that they wanted to repay. She wanted to tell him that the debt was hers, that they owed her nothing, but he was already gone.

"Well, isn't that a sight," Sam heard. She looked up from the fish she was cleaning to see Jack walking towards her. The spring by her cave ran down the hill, forming a small stream that had a modest population of something close to trout. Every few days or so, she and Talya would catch a fish and roast it over the fire, using some of the local flora for seasoning. Fishing was something Sam had never had the time or patience for before, now she found it oddly therapeutic.

"Jack, I didn't know you were coming," Sam said, setting down her knife and rinsing the scales off her hand. "Do you want to join me for dinner? Or…" She stopped. Did they eat? Could they eat?

He grinned. "We can handle it, as long as we don't over do. Oddly enough, these bodies can taste, smell, feel…. just like the real thing."

He bent over and picked up her catch, motioning for her to lead the way. She led him up the hillside, enjoying the company for once. She'd gotten so used to being alone, first on Earth, then with the Tok'ra and now here. Among everyone she knew, she was the odd person out. The humans saw her as Tok'ra, the Tok'ra had never dealt with a twice-blended host.

Unconsciously falling into a working pattern, he helped her build the fire while she gathered the vegetation and did the final preparations on the meal. Using a large flat rock, she set the fillets by the fire to cook.

"Did I ever tell you about my cabin in Minnesota?" he asked as they watched the fish cook.

"No. You never mentioned it," she answered, poking the coals.

"Been in my family for years. I grew up nearby. It's not much, just a small cabin beside a lake with no fish in it." He turned and shot her a grin. "But the fishing wasn't why we came. It was…home to us, to me."

"I'm sorry, " she said, hearing the regret in his voice. "If we'd have been more careful…"

He waved his hand, silencing her. "It's one of those things. I…we couldn't go back anyway."

"How long did it take you?"

"What?"

"To start exploring," she prompted.

He chuckled. "A few months. At first we were so busy fixing stuff for Harlan, we didn't even notice the time passing. I mean, hell, we could work seventy-two hours straight and not even notice it. It was when we got stuff caught up that it all started to fall apart."

"What happened?"

"We…got bored." He shrugged. "You can only look at the same set of walls and hallways before you start to get stir crazy. Maybe if we'd been able to go out to the surface," He shook his head. "At first Daniel and I started to debate…then argue. Then Teal'c got involved, Carter too a little. The next thing I knew, we were dividing up the plant, each staking claim to a territory and so sick of each other that I knew it'd just be a matter of time before we'd kill each other."

"So, you started to explore," she said, seeing exactly how it could happen. They were friends certainly, but there was no way four such different people could live in each other's hip pockets indefinitely.

He nodded. "Yep. I set Carter to tinkering and she made the battery." He thumped his chest. "Daniel and Teal'c started working on addresses, I made our version of a MALP." He shrugged. "Instant SGC."

She smiled fondly, thinking about how much fun it would have been; to explore the universe unhampered by politics and 'the big picture'. Exploration for the sake of exploration. It seemed like a dream come true.

The fire popped, drawing Sam's attention back to the present. "I think dinner's done," she said, picking up her mess kit, handing Jack the lid with an apologetic look. "Sorry, I don't get guests often." He took the proffered fork while she used her spoon to slide the fish off the rock onto the makeshift plates.

Taking a bite, she took a minute to savor the smoky, spicy flavor of the fish. She saw him forgo the utensils, using his fingers to pick up little bits of the flaky white flesh.

"So aah…you really got one of those…things in your head?" he asked abruptly.

"Yes," she answered, setting down her plate. "Talya and I have been blended for about a year now."

He shook his head. "I don't get this. Since when is having a goa'uld a good thing?" he asked, also setting his dinner down.

'Hush Talya, I'll handle this,' Sam said, sensing her symbiote's rising ire. "The Tok'ra are not goa'uld. Biologically, yes, they are the same creatures. But the real difference is politics. Talya didn't TAKE me as a host, I volunteered. We share this body; I have access to her memories and she to mine. We're….partners. This isn't like Shau'ri or Skaara."

"How do I know?" he asked abruptly.

"Excuse me?"

"How do I KNOW that it's YOU that's talking and not some snake? For that matter, how do I know what happened to Earth. I mean, you and your goa'uld buddies could have trashed the planet and are keeping these people as slaves."

Sam's eyes flared as Talya took control. "Colonel O'Neill, what Samantha tells you IS the truth. Earth has been allied with the Tok'ra for four years. We are friends and partners. Samantha prefers to maintain control most of the time, and I am willing to accept that. She did everything she could to save Earth, not to destroy it. Ask yourself if your Samantha Carter would be capable of genocide. If you do not believe her, why don't you journey to Earth and see it for yourself."

"Yeah, well, you see…there's this little thing about the gate being buried," he said.

"Fine," Talya said, shooting to her feet and starting to leave the camp.

"Where you going?"

"I'm going to go contact Jacob. He can bring a ship and take you and your team to Earth. Perhaps when you see the millions of rotting corpses yourself, you'll believe her."

Atalya stalked down the hillside, ignoring Sam's protests to give her control back. The symbiote was mad, angrier than Sam could ever remember.

"Carter!" Jack yelled, scrambling after her. "Damn it, Carter, will you stop!" He reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her around.

Atalya yanked her arm from his grasp, grabbing his throat with her other hand. "She is telling you the truth, Colonel. We are NOT goa'uld. We split from them two millennia ago and have been fighting their tyranny ever since. Samantha consented to be my host and saved my life. While you and your team were playing the galactic explorer, she was fighting an unwinable war. She lost friends and family in that fight and nearly lost herself. Believe what you wish about us, but leave Samantha out of it." Atalya abruptly released control, causing Sam to stumble and almost fall. Jack pulled back roughly and stood there, watching her cautiously as he rubbed his throat.

"God, I'm sorry," Sam apologized. "She's never done that before." She frowned and looked at her hand, then up at his throat.

"That's…that's ok. I understand. I think. There really are two people in there aren't there?"

Sam smiled ruefully. "Yeah. Umm…I guess Talya's a little…"

"Protective," he said.

"Yeah."

"I can see why," Jack said. "Just…tell her NOT to do that around Carter, ok? She's already a little freaked out." Sam raised her eyebrows in question. "She…let's just say it was hard on her to see HERSELF as a host…and then the deal with her father…well you can see how it looks."

"Just like Earth was taken over by the goa'uld," she said, seeing things from his point of view. Heck, it's what she'd have thought had she come across human versions of herself with snakes in their heads. "Dad is just like me. He was dying of cancer and Selmac saved his life. After that he…he decided to join the Tok'ra."

"You didn't say you were dying," he prompted.

"Maybe not physically but…Jack, I was the only survivor, not just of SG-1, of Earth. I…" She closed her eyes in memory, feeling again the cool, smooth steel in her hand, hearing the snicking click as she cocked the pistol. She opened her eyes and met his gaze. "I couldn't live with that, literally. She saved my life, maybe not as dramatically as Selmac did with dad, but if it wasn't for Talya, I wouldn't be here."

He sighed and nodded, accepting her words. He knew what it was like to be pushed beyond your limit, to feel that there was nothing worth living for. And he knew what it was like to have someone, something pull you from that abyss and make you live again. "I should get back." He tapped his chest again. "These babies last for forty-eight hours but…well after last time I'm not in the mood to push it. Thanks for the fish." He turned and walked away then turned back. "You, any of you, are welcome to come visit, anytime you want. Daniel's already trying to figure out some new addresses. Maybe a little good old fashioned exploration."

"Thanks, Jack. I might take you up on that some day." She watched him walk away, quickly disappearing into the darkness. She sighed and turned, making her way back to her grotto.

'You cannot hide here forever . . .' Her symbiote's voice was gentle as always, and not the least bit apologetic at what she had done.

'Not forever, she'll come soon. I'll go back when she leaves.'

<><><><><><>

She had watched as one by one her friends set out on their pilgrimage, and found herself hating them for going, hating the other Sam for ever showing up. True, she had saved their lives, but she had changed everything, ruined it. They had all resigned themselves to the knowledge that they weren't themselves, that they were merely copies, good copies, but never as a good as the originals. Now? Now they were the originals, simply because the flesh and blood version of themselves were dead. Except her, she was still a copy.

It was a petty thought and she tried to push it out of her mind, this kind of jealousy was beneath her. But as each of her friends returned, different then when they left, subdued, excited, in Daniel's case both, but somehow fundamentally different then when they had left.

It was the middle of the night when she finally arrived, but a few people were still awake. When she asked where her counterpart was, she was directed to the hill outside of the compound.

"She doesn't live here?" She was answered with a one-shouldered shrug.

"Sometimes, lately she's spending most of her time up there, but she'll probably come down for the winter."

"What does she do up there?" Another shrug and the conversation was over.

She made her way up the hill still not sure what she wanted to say, or even if she wanted to say anything. It was almost a relief to find the other asleep. It gave her some time observe the woman, and order her thoughts. She had wrapped a blanket around herself, using it as both a mattress and a cover. Her knees were folded close to her chest, her hands rested near her head on a leaf stuffed sack, which she used as a pillow. Dew was forming on her eyelashes and the tip of her nose. There was movement under her eyelids indicating REM sleep, vaguely Sam wondered which one of them was dreaming, the lady or the snake.

A small fire was dying in a protected corner of the cave and without thinking, Sam added some of the wood that was piled near it. When she finished tending to the flames she turned back to the slumbering woman only to find her awake.

Blue eyes met blue eyes in a freakish battle of wills. Once upon a time there was a woman named Samantha Carter, she not longer existed. In her place were the two permutations, both reluctant to give up their shared identity, both feeling as though they didn't deserve it.

"I was wondering when you'd come," Sam . . . She said, pushing herself up and shoving the blanket back.

She ignored her and turned away, tossing a small log onto the fire and stirring it up until flames licked at the dry surface.

Recognizing the mood of her guest, Sam simply picked up her pot of water, setting it on a flat rock that was heated by the fire. She sat there silently and watched the water heat, steam curling into the cool air. Once it was hot, she dropped in a few leaves from a plant. It was smelled close to coffee, not close enough, but as close as she'd get. When it was finished brewing, she poured two mugs, handing one to her robot half.

"I didn't want to come," she said quietly, looking up to meet her own eyes.

"I know."

"The colonel made me"

"I figured that."

"So..."

"So?"

"So...what are we going to do?"

Sam led her to the top of the hill, to a place where the ground had been worn down into a small cliff which stretched out about 15 feet before softening back into the rolling green hillside. They sat at the edge of the cliff facing the dawn, overlooking the compound, at least she thought the hint of pink along the horizon was dawn, it could have been this planet's version of the northern lights.

They hadn't talked on the way up, Sam apparently had lost her habit of distracted babbling. Either she had stopped fearing silence, or the voice in her head made the fear a moot point.

"So," she said after a few moments of silence. "You and Dad seem to be getting along pretty well." Sam looked at her cautiously and nodded, unsure of if she was being set up. "Quite a feat considering last time we talked, he basically accused me of being unable to take care of myself."

Sam smiled. "I remember," she said, "but in his defense I-" She paused and titled her head to the side in thought, " We," She finally decided. "In his defense we were sporting a black eye, a split lip, and a broken engagement."

"He still had no right-"

"Don't be angry with him. He apologized."

"Really?" She was skeptical. Jacob Carter never apologized. Sam nodded.

"Every time he's trusted me, trusted in me."

She gave a snort in response, and silence prevailed once more.

"I'll give you the coordinates for the current Tok'ra world, you should go visit."

"Why? All we ever did was fight."

Sam sighed. "Selmac's really mellowed him out. He and Mark were even talking before . . ." Her voice trailed off. Pain flashed in her eyes before being quickly and ruthlessly suppressed.

"Mark and Dad talking?" she said lightly, wanting to ease the other's pain. "Sorry I missed it." Sam smiled weakly at the attempt and turned her face away from her , composing herself. She allowed her counterpart a few moments. That's when she noticed her clothing. Black pants made from a cloth similar in appearance to denim; her shirt was blue in color and seemed to be made of rough cotton with large seams of thick black thread, matched by the black shoelace-type string on the collar and cuffs. It was not even remotely similar to the clothing worn by the other survivors in the compound, nor did it resemble the uniform like outfit Jacob had been wearing. She wondered whether Sam did it on purpose, to set herself out, or whether it was just another symptom of whatever set her apart from the rest.

In a sudden fit of compassion she moved her hand and rested it on Sam's thigh, her reaction was unexpected and completely out of proportion. When her hand had touched Sam, she had jumped, startled, surprised. Seeing her reaction, the android pulled back, feeling as though she had done something terribly wrong.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. Sam sat up, moving her hands in front of her.

"No, it's ok, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just been so long-" She took a deep breath ordering her thoughts. "It's just that, except for Dad, no one touches me anymore." The words came out in a rush, Sam didn't really want to share this information, but she didn't want the other woman to feel offended. Sam shrugged and blushed self-consciously. "Wasn't prepared."

It was then she truly understood how alone this woman actually was. . . here at least.

"Why didn't you live with the Tok'ra?" The question escaped her mouth before her brain could stop it. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that." Sam shrugged.

"It's alright, I've asked myself that question more than once."

"Well?"

"I don't belong there either, and at least here I have some sense of stability, and a place to be alone." She jerked her chin toward the compound. "Besides I have a responsibility to them, it's a big galaxy and we're very small."

That watched the sun rise and Sam walked her to the gate, and before she left, showed her the symbols for the Tok'ra base.

"Spend time with Dad. He's changed, you'll see." She promised her she'd think about it, then entered the sequence for Harlan's planet and left without looking back, without saying a word. What was there to say?

Sam watched her go then turned and headed back toward her cave.

'Samantha, you said you would return to the compound after your counterpart's visit.'

'Yeah, I remember, Do you mind?' Sometimes she wondered if she was enough company for her symbiote.

'No, not really. We don't belong here.'

Sam nodded good morning to people as she passed them by, but didn't stop to talk to any of them.

<><><><><>

"You did this to me you son of a b….aarrgghh!!"

Sam stroked the woman's head, feeling the sweat soak into her clothes. It was late spring at the Alpha Site and the lack of air conditioning was making itself known. The refugees had altered their lifestyles to suit the weather, afternoon siestas becoming the norm. But there was one thing that had no respect for their new cultural norm…Mother Nature in the form of Susan Watkin's baby.

"Just hang on Suzie, hang on," Brian Keller urged, standing by his wife's side.

"If you'd have hung onto it, I wouldn't be in this mess, " she spat, her body tensing with another contraction.

Sam shared amused looks with Major Castleman who was sitting at the foot of the bed, ready to play impromptu baby catcher.

'He doesn't look nervous,' Atalya observed.

'He puts up a good front,' Sam replied. Frank Castleman had gotten the job of the Alpha Site OB/GYN because he'd witnessed the births of his three now deceased children. Which gave him more experience than anyone else in the compound. Sam's presence was also more pragmatic than desired. She'd been the one to find Susan outside of the camp and bring her back, staying at the woman's insistence. 'Please, God let nothing go wrong,' Sam silently begged.

'Ease yourself, Samantha. Women have been giving birth for millennia,' Talya soothed.

'And been dying in childbirth just as long. Where the hell are they?'

'Babies arrive when they want to arrive. And he's not in the position to just hang around, waiting for the big event.'

'But still…' the door to the cabin opened, flooding the room with sunlight.

"I'm sorry, we were on a mission. I came as soon as I could," Daniel said, hurrying across the room.

"You're just in time," Castleman said, eagerly stepping back. "I think I see the head."

Daniel quickly shucked his jacket and washed his hands in a basin of water. He sat on the low stool and studied the woman. "Yep, that's the head. Ok, Susan, I just need one big push and we're gonna have this little one in the world."

Susan nodded and Sam braced herself, helping to lever the woman up as she grabbed her legs and bore down, a harsh scream echoing through the small room. Suddenly she relaxed and Sam looked down to see Daniel holding a squirming mass. Frank handed him a towel and he wiped the baby clean, stimulating it into a warbling cry. "It's a girl," Daniel said, laying the baby down on Susan's stomach.

The woman reached down and tentatively stroked the wrinkled, red skin. Daniel efficiently dealt with cutting the cord and the delivery of the afterbirth, then stepped back, wiping his hands off on another towel.
Brian knelt by the side of the bed and used a damp cloth to further clean the baby, who was now nestling in her mother's grasp, her mouth locked upon the woman's nipple.

Sam eased herself off the bed and away from the small group, her eyes set upon the eternal sight of mother and child. They'd done it. They'd actually brought another life into this world. But what a world? What future did she have? Struggling to survive, always on the alert for an attack. Forever afraid that someone was going to find out that some of the Tau'ri were alive and come and finish them off. Or even worse, she could die from the measles or the mumps or even a simple scratch.

They had no medicines here, nothing more than a few field first aid kits. She remembered the odds, that in the past most children died before their first birthday. That little baby was going to have to struggle and fight for everything she'd ever have.

Feeling someone push past her, she looked to see the small stream of visitors, all eager to meet the newest arrival. She turned and left, walking away from the group and towards the edge of town.

"It sounds like congratulations are in order."

She turned towards the voice, quickly brushing the stray tear off her cheeks. "Jack. I didn't know you came too," she said, seeing the man walking beside her.

"Carter and Teal'c are around here somewhere," he said. "As soon as we got Harlan's message, we just turned a 180 and came straight here," he explained. "Everything ok?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"You don't sound too pleased."

"It's just…what kind of world has she been born into?" she asked, stopping and looking him in the eyes. "I mean look at us. We're living off bartered supplies. There's some fruit and nuts around here, but everyday we have to go further and further afield to find it. A few months ago the game dried up and we had no meat for a month until they came back. Harry Miller almost lost his leg when something bit him and it got infected. Last winter so many people got sick that we were afraid that we'd all die, luckily winter only lasted a couple of months this year, but what about the next? This isn't a life, it's an existence," she said. "You know what the odds are that that baby won't even survive to see her first birthday? Not to mention the fact that only fifty people are not a broad enough gene pool to create a viable society."

Jack rolled his eyes and cocked his eyebrow. "Ya know….you are way too negative. Although after spending some time with Jacob, I can see where you get it from. Look, " he said, abruptly changing the subject. "We were talking with Jacob the other day and we have an idea."

"We're not moving in with the Tok'ra, or to any of their civilian bases," she said.

He shook his head. "Not that. Selmac thinks that since the virus only affected humans, the humans are gone…"

"The virus could still be there," she said. "When they opened Tut's tomb they released viruses and bacteria that had been sealed in for millennia."

"The place might still be contaminated…but that's something that won't effect us. We want to go back, get some supplies. Jacob said they got a hold of a Hatak ship so we'd have plenty of cargo room. Hell, we could bring back the contents of whole department stores. Think about it, food, clothing, drugs," he said.

"You could be bringing back a time bomb. That stuff could be contaminated with the virus," she said.

"We won't know that until we get there. Isn't it worth a try?"

Sam paused and thought, tempted by the riches that he offered. There had been some looting she knew, but there had to be whole warehouses full of canned goods, enough food to last their small group for years, if not forever. Enough clothing and bedding to last nearly as long. Even better than that, maybe they could find looms and material to make their own cloth.

Any drugs they brought back would eventually expire, but if they also brought back lab equipment, surely they could synthesize their own. They could bring back material to make solar generators and they'd have electricity again. Books and databases full of knowledge. They could even raid Fort Knox and being back gold, enough to trade with some of their planets for other things they needed. And weapons…enough weapons to guard their outpost.

She looked at him, feeling a stirring of hope for the first time. Then reality set in and she shook her head. "No. It won't work. Earth is a week away by hyperspace. Your batteries only last forty eight hours."

"Not if we shut down," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"We're able to shut ourselves down, basically exist on trickle power. That's what Daniel did right before the kid shot him. If we do that for the flight there and back, that'll save us some power. And Jacob told Carter about your naquadah reactor and she's managed to cobble together spare batteries for us. She's rigged a way to charge them from the ship's power so…as long as we have the Hatak ship, we've got a pretty long leash. We could spend days or weeks foraging."

"You're willing to do that?" she asked, realizing the trust he was placing in Jacob and the Tok'ra. Asleep, the robots would be totally defenseless. The Tok'ra could chuck them out an airlock, or simply never wake them up. It was a level of trust her Jack had never developed towards the Tok'ra.

"Yeah. Look, if it weren't for you guys, we'd be dead or in the hands of Cronos right now. We all want to do this; we've been tinkering with the idea for weeks. And…well frankly, we want to go home, even if it isn't the home we once knew. These people may not be the SGC we remember, but they ARE SGC. We take care of our own," he finished as the rest of SG-1 joined them.

"We need to go soon, sir," Carter said, pointedly looking at her watch.

"Yeah. Think about it?" he said to Sam.

"I will, Jack, thanks," she said sincerely. The quartet turned and walked towards the gate. "Daniel," she called, making them look back. "What did she name her?" she asked.

"Gaia Dawn," he called, then waved and hurried after his teammates.

'It's a sign,' Talya said.

'It's a name…do you really thing it'll work?'

'I don't see why not.'

'Talya, what if what they bring back is contaminated? What if it kills us all?'

'What if an asteroid hits this place in the morning?' Talya reasoned. 'Samantha, your own people have a saying, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If they don't go things will continue like it is…if they do it will change. It's not just your choice, what do you think they want?' Sam looked at the group of people, still filing in and out of the small home, all eager to see the baby. She heard the muffled laughter and conversation filtering from the group…and she knew what she had to do.

<><><><><>

A dull roar drew Sam's attention and she looked up, holding her hand to shade her eyes. Her heart stopped as she saw the tell tale shadow of a Hatak ship descending through the atmosphere. 'They're back,' Talya said.

'That, or the goa'uld have found us,' Sam replied, setting down her basket of berries that she'd been picking and starting down the hillside. They'd found large quantities of berry bushes, reminiscent of Earth raspberries and blueberries growing on some of the hills. The fruit constantly ripened during the summer and the refugees had taken to picking and drying it to provide them with some nourishment during the winter.

'Jack is right, you're too negative,' Talya teased.

She arrived just as the Hatak set down about a mile away from the village. The refugees were standing outside their homes, some grasping their guns. She saw a door on the side of the massive ship open and three figures stride out.

'Told ya,' Talya teased.

Sam ignored her and hurried forward. When she reached them, Jacob pulled her into a hug. "Hey, kid. How's things going?"

Sam glanced cautiously at her duplicate, then seeing no animosity in the woman's gaze, heartily returned the hug. "We're fine, dad. Is everything ok? Where are Daniel and Teal'c?" she asked, noticing who was missing.

"They're with our surprise," he said, pulling back a bit.

"Surprise?"

"It turns out you were wrong," Carter said. "The virus wasn't one hundred percent fatal."

"Pretty much," Jack said.

"What? You mean there were survivors?" Sam asked.

"Just a few," Selmac said. "We scanned the whole planet and found less than five thousand people, some grouped together, some scattered. We approached those that would listen and offered them the chance to come with us."

"Five thousand?" Sam asked, trying to imagine their group absorbing that many lost souls.

"Only about a hundred agreed," Jack said. "Most of the rest…well they either thought we were gonna kill them and ran or were sitting pretty and didn't want to give it up," Jack replied sardonically.

"Feudal warlords, petty dictators…kinda reminded me of 'The Stand'," Sam explained. "We've got a lot of scared women and children, survivors that fled the cities and such. Some of them are in pretty rough shape."

Sam turned to the rest of the refugees that had gathered around them. "Ya got survivors?" Castleman asked.

"Yes. We were wondering if you could put them up here for a bit and then…"

"Hell no," he interrupted Jacob.

"Major?" Sam asked.

"You're not taking them anywhere. They're Tau'ri…they belong with us," he said, his sentiments chorused by the rest of the refugees.

Jacob smiled and Jack's eyes unfocused for a second, then the door to the Hatak opened and people spilled out, led by Daniel and Teal'c.

Sam stood there as the refugees from the SGC flowed around her, each of them taking one of the newcomers under their wing and pulled them towards the encampment.

"The ship is loaded to the rafters," Jacob said, pulling her attention back to the people in front of her. "Food, clothing, medical supplies…anything you can imagine, we probably got it."

"And this," Carter held out something to Sam who took it.

"A GDO?"

"Better. Colorado Springs was totally dead, no humans at all. And there is no trace of the virus. We moved the iris; you can dial Earth again. And this will open it from this side of the wormhole. The base is totally sealed off and the nearest group of militant survivors is on the coasts so…it's relatively safe. We figured you could maybe use the SGC as a fall back position or a storage facility or something."

Sam stared at the device in her hand, realizing that more options had just been opened up to them.

"We brought ya something else," Jack said, holding out a large bag. Sam took it, her heart plunging as she recognized the slight clanking sound if its contents. She looked up, her eyes stricken. "We thought you might want them," he said, referring to the hundreds of dog tags…the very same items she'd painstakingly removed from each of the bodies of her comrades before zatting their bodies into non-existence.
She clutched the bag to her chest, feeling an odd sense of completion. "I do, thank you," she said.

"If you don't mind the company for a few days, we brought some Tok'ra crystals. We thought we could grow you some tunnels and then ring the supplies down," Jacob said.

Sam smiled. "That would be great dad," she said, this time pulling him into a hug. "But, we can do that in the morning…why don't you guys join us for dinner," she invited.

<><><><><>

Sam walked through the deserted compound, balancing the black bag and a squirming bundle. She'd been designated babysitter and was caring for little Gaia and the other children, while the rest of the refugees, both old and new, worked to stow the supplies.

She watched the half dozen older children run and play in the clearing in the center of their compound, chasing a stray ball that she just knew Jack had to have made sure was brought from Earth. It was as if the camp had been transformed overnight. Not only the influx of people and supplies, but also an infusion of hope. The future no longer looked quite as bleak as it had just the day before.

She sat under the shade of a large tree that occupied the center of the clearing, carefully laying Gaia down on a small blanket. Making sure that the child was content, Sam opened the bag, lazily running her fingers over the pile of small metal bits. So many, she'd forgotten how many there were. She picked up one of the tags and read the name, trying to remember the person's face. She couldn't.

"What are those?" one of the children asked, stopping his play and standing before Sam.

"What?"

"What is it?" he asked, plucking a tag from the bag.

"It…it belonged to a friend of mine," Sam answered simply. "He died."

"My friends died too," the boy said, his face sad.

"So did mine," a girl said, joining them. She knelt on the ground and started to play with Gaia, who gurgled in glee. She picked up on of the tags and held it in front of the baby, the shiny object catching the infant's attention. Gaia reached out one chubby hand, trying to capture the tag. The little girl reached back and pulled a tattered ribbon from her hair. She threaded the tag onto the ribbon, then suspended it over the child. Gaia giggled and tried to catch it, her arms and legs waving in the air.

Sam watched, smiling despite herself at the innocence of the two children. They didn't see the dog tag as a reminder of one who'd died; rather they simply saw it as a pretty plaything.

'What are you thinking?' Talya asked.

Sam ignored her and got to her feet. She told the children to keep an eye on Gaia and hurried into one of the buildings. She returned a few minutes later, several large spools of twine in her hands. Quickly giving the children instructions, they set about playing a new game.

<><><><><>

Jacob exited the tunnels, his eyes squinting in response to the evening light. They'd gotten a lot of work done today, and he figured that another day or two and they'd have all the supplies stowed. He paused, not quite sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Sam was climbing a stepladder, reaching into the lower branches of the large tree in the center of the compound.

"We got a lot of work done today," Jack said, coming to stand by Jacob. "What's she doing?"

"I have no idea," Jacob said.

"You didn't tell her yet did you?" He asked.

"No. I told you, I was going to do it tonight," Jacob answered. He started forward, the rest of SG-1 following him. As he got closer he could see that she was taking something from the children and hanging them in the tree. "Sam!" he called, causing her to turn her head sharply. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, dad…hi." She hopped down from the stepladder, something shiny dangling from her fingertips.

Carter reached forward and took one of the items from one of the children. "Dog tags? Why?"

Sam looked down then shrugged. "It just…. I don't know."

"I believe it is an appropriate memorial," Teal'c said, taking the macabre ornaments from one of the children and climbing the ladder. He reached up higher than Sam had been able to and hung them from the branches.

"Yeah," Daniel said. "Jack, give me a hand up," he requested. Jack complied and Daniel scampered up into the branches. Gaia started to cry and Sam picked her up. She stood beside her father and watched SG-1 adorn the tree with the small, glittering tags. The refugees emerging from the tunnels were drawn by the commotion and soon the entire population of the encampment were gathered around the tree, watching the antics of the robots.

It didn't take them long to finish the job and soon they stood beside her, admiring their work. The sun started to set, painting the metal bits with warm, crimson light. A breeze stirred the trees, making some of the tags knock into each other, their faint twinkling music filling the air.

"Sam," Jacob said after a moment.

"Yeah," she replied absently as Susan approached and reclaimed her daughter from Sam's arms.

Jacob reached into his tunic and pulled out a crystal. "On the way back from Earth, we took a little side trip to the Moon. We scanned it and…we know who did it." He held the crystal out to her. "All the information's in there." Sam tore her eyes from the sparkling tree and stared at the crystal, not taking it from his hand. "Sam?" he asked, surprised by her reaction. He expected her to jump on the information, not treat it like he was offering her a poison snake.

"It can wait," she said, sliding her arm around his waist and pulling him close. "It can wait."

~Fin~

Available now in Ad Astera Per Aspera 5 (Due to be released at Media West 2004), Natus, the third and final chapter of the Phoenix Trilogy.

'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.

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