A Matter of Honor Read online

  She cast him a look. "There's power."

  He nodded, and said what she had not. "And, perhaps, the enemy."

  Grim-faced she toggled her radio. "Carter to Colonel O'Neill."

  After a squawk of static, O'Neill answered. "What's up, Carter?"

  "Sir, we've found a doorway. Should we proceed or hold position?"

  There was a long pause during which Major Carter stared steadily at the faint light ahead of them. And then O'Neill spoke. "Proceed with caution, Carter. We'll finish the loop and catch up."

  "Understood, sir." She straightened her shoulders and turned back to Teal'c. "Ready?"

  He was not. "Major Carter, you neglected to mention the presence of light and power in your report."

  "I did?"

  He did not deign to answer and she buckled under the weight of his gaze.

  "Okay, I just think we should try and find what we need without the colonel having to see any more of the complex than necessary. If he had to see the place where Baal- We don't know how he might react."

  "When O'Neill arrives at the doorway, he will see the light for himself"

  The major flashed him a quick smile. "Yeah, but by then we'll be on our way out with the power unit. Right?"

  His only response was the doubtful lift of an eyebrow. On occasion, Major Carter could be as stubbornly optimistic as O'Neill himself.

  Given the nature of their work, days and nights at the SGC often blurred together. Teams came and went according to the dawns and dusks of alien worlds, and the hum of activity in the concrete corridors was constant. And yet, somehow, General Hammond always knew when Earth's small sun was setting far above the mountain. He could almost feel the shadows lengthening and hear the collective sigh of those to whom evening meant home and hearth. Or perhaps it was simply his age. By six o'clock, home and hearth sounded dam appealing.

  Stifling a yawn, the general stepped into his office and closed the door. His run-in with Kinsey was still playing on his mind, and the initial sense of triumph was giving way to a nervous agitation as he waited for the other shoe to drop. Not this evening, he told himself. It wouldn't drop this evening. Collapsing into the chair he reached for his briefcase and hefted it onto his desk; he'd take a few reports home to compensate for his early departure. Lifting the pile of papers from his inbox he-

  Knock-knock

  He stifled a curse. "Come in."

  The last person he wanted to see pushed open the door.

  "Mr. Crawford." Hammond kept his face even. "I thought you'd gone back to Washington."

  "I had. I understand Senator Kinsey spoke to you today, regarding my report on SG-1?"

  "He did." And Hammond was darned if he'd elaborate further. "Is there something I can help you with, Ambassador?"

  A tight smile tugged at the little man's mouth as he handed over a sheet of white paper. "My orders," he said, "to return to Kinahhi and conclude the negotiations for their security technology."

  Hammond didn't bother to look. Lounging back in his chair, he stared up at the young man. Crawford's eyes were hard, like black diamonds. "I once got a piece of advice from an old friend," Hammond told him, "and I've tried to live my life by it ever since. `You can judge a man by the company he keeps."' He nodded to the slick, expensive suit. "Kinsey might take you where you think you want to go, son, but at what price?"

  The orders fluttered down onto his desk. "I don't need lectures in morality from a man who's made a career of legalized murder, General." He jerkedhis head in the direction of the Stargate. "Do what you have to do, I'm leaving first thing in the morning."

  Hammond bit back his anger as he rose slowly to his feet. "Son, men like me - men like Colonel O'Neill - have given their lives, over and over, to protect the freedoms Kinsey's willing to trade for the price of a ticket to the White House." He took a deep breath and picked up the orders, glancing at them once. "I have no choice but to follow these. You do. The technology the Kinahhi are offering is not what this country is about."

  "I think," Crawford replied, "that's something for the elected representatives of the people to decide. We're not a military junta yet." He smiled coldly. "Now, follow your orders like a good little soldier."

  "Now you listen-"

  "First thing in the morning, General." And with that he turned and was gone, leaving Hammond steaming silently as he stared at his open office door. The upstart little son-of-a- Blowing out a deep breath, he abruptly flipped open the top of his briefcase. He'd had enough for one day. He was going home to a cold beer and a hot shower, and then- What the devil?

  There, stuck on the inside of the briefcase lid, was a bright yellow Post-it note with two words scrawled across it in O'Neill's brash handwriting. Investigate Crawfish.

  Hammond felt his anger mutate into something very close to satisfaction. "My pleasure, son," he murmured, peeling off the note and heading for the shredder. "My pleasure."

  For the most part, they walked in silence past doorways and empty chambers, all dark and lifeless. Occasionally Jack stopped and slashed his flashlight across a room, but it revealed nothing but the broken remains of startled flight. It seemed as though Baal's Jaffa had withdrawn in a hurry, presumably during the firelight with Lord Yu. It wasn't exactly the Marie Celeste, Daniel thought, but there was a similarity in once sense. "Where are the bodies?"

  "Huh?"

  "The bodies - the dead Jaffa. Were are they? Looks like they pulled out in a hurry. They wouldn't have had time to retrieve the bodies too, would they?"

  Jack shrugged, but it was a stiff gesture. "Maybe."

  Or maybe they didn't pull out? Goose bumps prickled across Daniel's skin. Maybe there were still Jaffa deeper into the complex who had disposed of their fallen comrades? Mind obviously bending in the same direction, Jack picked up his pace. "We should hook-up with the others and-"

  Twisting, grinding metal shrieked deafeningly above them, followed by an earsplitting crash that rippled through the floor like an earthquake. Daniel yelped, flinging his arms over his head. Even Jack ducked as a puff of dust drifted through the cracks in the ceiling, floating on the echo of falling masonry.

  Then all was silence once more. Dust kept sifting down, pattering on the arms and shoulders of Daniel's jacket.

  "I might be wrong," Jack said after a moment, brushing at a sleeve, "but this section may not be entirely stable."

  "Not entirely stable?" Daniel echoed, coughing.

  Jack's response was lost in the squeal of his radio. "Colonel, come in," came the urgent voice. "Sir, did you feel that? Are you guys okay?"

  "Dusty," he replied. "You?"

  "We're fine, sir." There was a pause before she spoke again, and when she did Daniel had the distinct impression that she was being gently coerced. "Sir, we've discovered a ring transporter. It's got power and I think I can configure it to take us to the center of the complex. Permission to proceed, sir."

  Jack was moving as he spoke, urging Daniel forward with a nod. "Negative. Hold your position, Carter. You'll need back up."

  "Yes sir." Her frustration translated well through the radio. Jack obviously picked it up too and scowled; it was clear to both of them that Sam had hoped to complete the mission alone. It was equally clear that there was no way Jack would let her get away with it.

  Hurrying to catch up, Daniel pulled out his map and studied it under the bobbing flashlight. Sam was assuming that Baal had used the Kinahhi power unit to power the fortress. However, Daniel was less convinced. Baal's weapon seemed to hold an iconic value in the myth, which might indicate that its role was more ceremonial. This would be especially true if, as the inscription on the buried stone near the `gate had revealed, Baal's power had been `rendered impotent.' Powerless, literally? Before they'd left Earth Daniel had studied the Tok'ra map in detail and identified a number of chambers that might well have been used for worship or ceremony. His bet was, if the power source was still here, it was held and protected in one such room. Like a relic.

  A
fter another half hour of walking through the dark corridors, the silence occasionally broken by the moans and shrieks of stone and metal under stress, Jack dropped his pace and reached out a hand to slow Daniel. With the tip of his gun he motioned toward a gaping door a few meters ahead of them, from which spilled a faint yellow light. Edging back into the deep shadows of the corridor wall, he dragged Daniel with him. Even in the gloom Daniel saw the alarm in his friend's face. "Someone's in there," Jack whispered. His fingers grasped his gun so hard the knuckles were turning white. Daniel had never seen him so spooked.

  "Maybe it's just a light?" he suggested. But then, in the silence, he heard the tread of booted feet approaching from the dimly-lit corridor.

  Jack lifted and aimed his P90 at the door in a single, fluid motion. He was as still as stone, every muscle bunched. Slowly Daniel also raised his weapon, casting an eye around at the limited cover available. Darkness was their biggest ally. The footsteps drew closer and Daniel felt his own tension tighten into a band of pressure across his chest.

  "Don't let them take you, Daniel." It was a rasp, angry and afraid.

  The footsteps slowed and a large, shadowy figure appeared in the doorway. His staff weapon was silhouetted against the dim light, held easily and ready for use. He turned and glanced once down the corridor as the yellow light glinted dully on the golden brand on his forehead. Then two things happened at once: Daniel recognized Teal'c and Jack pulled the trigger.

  "NO!" Without thought he shouldered into Jack, knocking him hard against the wall. The single bullet scorched through the air and Teal'c dropped.

  "What the hell-" Jack cursed.

  "Teal'c! It's Teal'c! " Abandoning Jack, Daniel raced across the corridor to the Jaffa. Teal'c's hands were clutched to the side of his head and all Daniel could see was blood oozing through his fingers. Panic deafened him to everything, narrowing his vision to a single point as he pulled his friend's hands away from the side of his head. Gradually, gradually, reality unfolded. Teal'c glanced up at him, confused. He looked at the blood on his fingers, returned them to the side of his head, then looked again.

  Daniel grabbedhis face, turning it. "Let me see." Blood welled from the nick in the top of Teal'c's ear. His ear! Thank God, thank God...

  "I do not understand," Teal'c said at last, pulling his head out of Daniel's grasp and rising to his feet. Daniel rose too, turned and saw a shell-shocked Jack O'Neill slumped against the wall, his arms limp at his sides. He was staring at them in absolute horror.

  "He- We, uh, thought you were the enemy." Daniel's words were swallowed by the silence.

  Teal'c glanced at him, and Daniel saw no anger, only a deep concern. "I believe this is known as a `friendly fire' incident, is it not?"

  Daniel struggled for a smile. "Uh, yeah. I guess. Right Jack?"

  Jack didn't respond. His face was in shadows, but his stillness was disturbing. Still was one thing Jack O'Neill didn't do except in extre- mis. Still and quiet, that's how Daniel remembered him in his cell, toward the end. Still and quiet and without hope. Like now.

  "We must make haste," Teal'c said, ignoring the blood dripping from his ear. Probably didn't want to draw Jack's attention to the wound. "Major Carter is waiting at the ring transporter. She insisted that I come and direct you to the correct corridor."

  Still Jack didn't move, and Daniel took a step toward him. That, it seemed, was enough. With an effort Jack lunged into action, his steps heavy, almost drunken. As the shadows crept back from his face, Daniel saw the devastation there. He recognized the expression of selfloathing, he'd seen it on Abydos many, many years ago. "Let's go," he growled as he moved past them. "And Teal' c, put something on that ear before you bleed to death."

  Daniel exchanged a troubled glance with Teal'c. If he hadn't knocked the gun out of line there was no way Jack would have missed his target. Teal'c would be dead, and they both knew it. "It was a mistake," Daniel offered softly.

  Teal'c said nothing, simply bowed his head in silent acknowledgment of the truth.

  But Daniel couldn't forget Jack's words as they'd waited in the darkness, Don't let them take you, Daniel. He just hoped Jack could hold it together long enough to get the hell out of this place. Sam had been right, coming back here was a very bad idea: they should never have let it happen.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  iding next to the door, Sam lowered her weapon as the colonel prowled into the room, trailed by Daniel and Teal'c. They all looked shaken.

  "What happened?" she asked, stepping out of her hiding place. "I heard a gunshot."

  The colonel barked a harsh laugh, circling the room with a face as hard as cracking stone. "You did. I shot Teal'c!"

  "What?"

  Daniel made a face. "It was an accident." He waved at Teal'c, who was fixing a dressing on his ear. "We thought he was, uh, one of Baal's."

  We? She could read between the lines, andwhat she saw there turned her cold. The colonel didn't make that kind of mistake. Ever.

  "So, what say we find this damn gizmo and get the hell out of here?" O'Neill snapped. "Turns out I really, really, hate this place."

  "Yes, Sir." Disturbed, Sam dragged her attention away from Daniel and returned to the transport rings. "I think I have it configured for the center of the base, sir. If it's anywhere, that's where the power unit will be."

  "Okay, great. Let's go." The colonel moved to stand in the middle of the ring-pattern on the floor, but his hands stayed away from the gun that hung limply across his chest. And his eyes stayed away from Teal'c.

  Sam risked a glance at Daniel. He was frowning. "Ali, actually, I think what we're looking for may be somewhere else."

  "May be?" O'Neill didn't seem in the mood for debate. "Where else?"

  "Well, if I'm right and the inscription on the tablet we found near that `gate indicates that the shield was broken - and that neither part worked - it's possible that the power unit could have been used ceremonially. In which case-"

  "Ah!" O'Neill cut him off roughly. "Too many its, buts, and maybes, Daniel. We'll try Carter's idea first."

  And that was that. Daniel pressed his lips together in an expression that drifted between irritation and resignation, but he held his tongue. With an apologetic shrug toward him, Sam moved to the controls. "I can set it to activate remotely"

  "Come on, come on," the colonel muttered. "Just do it."

  Quietly, Daniel and Teal'c joined him. Sam activated the transport rings and darted into range just as they whipped down around them. In a blur of motion they were gone. The disorientation of instantaneous travel lasted only a moment, and Sam soon found herself training her weapon around a brightly lit, empty operations center. Two doors, at right angles to each other, led out into dark corridors beyond and she eyed them warily. Dark mouths to dark caves, hiding who knew what. But they couldn't hold her attention for long amid the soft hum and whir of technology in action. Jackpot!

  Cautiously she moved away from the ring transporter. "This looks like it," she murmured as she approached one of the terminals. There was definitely naquadah there, she could almost taste it. But, for once, that wasn't what she needed.

  "Looks like this place is still occupied," Daniel said from behind her, trailing fingers over the dust free machinery.

  "It is possible that Baal has retained a skeleton force in order to protect his stronghold from looting by other system lords," Teal'c suggested.

  The colonel said nothing, but she could sense him prowling the room. He wanted to be gone. Gratefully propping her heavy pack against a wall, Sam slid beneath a console and started searching.

  "Daniel," O'Neill said suddenly. "Watch that door. I'll take the other one. Teal'c..." There was a long, uncomfortable pause. "Take a load off."

  But Teal'c had other ideas. "I shall watch with you, O'Neill." The colonel didn't reply and the awkwardness ofhis silence filled the room. Doing her best to tune it out, Sam started work. They needed to get out of here, fast. And not just because of lurking Jaffa.
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  But as the minutes ticked past she felt her frustration rise along with the tension in the room. Despite her best efforts, she could find nothing that matched the intricate technology of the Kinahhi plans. After half an hour of fruitless searching, she pushed herself out from beneath the console in a flash of exasperation. "You know, maybe you're right, Daniel. Maybe it's not here."

  O'Neill didn't move from his position by the door, but she could see his back stiffen. "Not here?"

  "I'm sorry, sir. I thought it would be. This is the control center for the whole base. But I can't find anything."

  Daniel shifted, turning toward her. "It's possible that the power unit won't work without the other half of the device. It would explain why the System Lords let Baal keep it. m which case, as I was saying before, it might have a ceremonial function. I've identified a number of-"

  "Get down!' The colonel's yell ripped through the air as he swung away from the door. The blast of a staff weapon flashed past him, exploding into the wall behind Sam. She hit the deck, hard. "The other door!" O'Neill ordered. "Go!"

  The colonel flew across the room, as close to real panic as she'd ever seen him. Teal'c was already backing up, his weapon primed and ready for use.

  "Carter, move it!"

  As she tried to rise, another bolt of plasma scorched overhead. She was in direct sight of the approaching Jaffa. On her stomach, she worked her way behind the meager cover of Daniel's discarded pack. A third blast skimmed so close she could smell singeing hair as she pressed her face into the cold, hard floor. "Daniel!" she yelled. "My pack, get my pack!" It sat just to the left of him, unharmed, and contained everything Baal needed to put his shield back together. If they let it fall into his hands... "Go!" she shouted, still pinned down behind Daniel's pack. "You have to get it out of here!"

  Daniel dragged her backpack into the corridor, Teal'c and O'Neill laying down covering fire. "Come on!" the colonel yelled at her. "You can make it!"