Title: The Keeper and the Key
Author: KeriOkie
Email: keriokie@mindspring.com
Status: Complete
Category: Angst, Action
Spoilers: Yes, many different episodes from all four seasons. (If I tell you, I will spoil it!)
Season/Sequel info: Season 4
Rating: PG-13
Content Warnings: Language, adult situations, violence.
Summary: O'Neill disobeys orders to save Carter from a fate worse than death.
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.

      A new planet, not unlike the many other earth-likes they had explored. And yet another set of unnatural objects beckoning the adventurers' minds. This one a strange ruin similar to those found on Earth, round spheres made of stone set in a circle and a large round stone platform in the middle. Before the trip, Daniel presented his "place of worship" theory and Carter presented her "where the natives map the stars" theory. Theories to the side, they look for facts. She flies the UAV around the ruin, watching the video displayed on a small screen attached to the remote, verifying that at one time there had been more than the seven visible spheres surrounding the platform. Daniel checks for markings while Teal'c and O'Neill take the measurements the archeologist requested.
      As she watches the aerial view, she notices circular carvings in many sections, inscribed deliberately, that remind her of a target. Curious, she steps into the small, center circle. Curiosity becomes surprise as a light curtain appears from the cracks. She drops the controls and calls out to the team, floating in the energy beam. But her cry for help remains confined in the light, as the UAV falters and nose-dives into the ground. The crash brings the rest of the team to attention.
      "Sam!" Daniel yells, second only to O'Neill to come to her assistance.
      O'Neill shoots at the ground and the source of the light, with no effect. Then they all try forcing their weight against the barrier. But the cylinder of light, as it absorbs her voice, refuses to yield. The center circle that powers the beam rises and as it touches her feet, she winces, as if struck and collapses into a ball. As it rises out of their reach, ten spheres emerge from below the hovering platform and attach to the sides, morphing into flat panels that wrap around like flower petals, creating a sphere.
      "Shoot it!" Teal'c cries, the first to offer that course of action, aiming with his staff weapon and firing several times in succession.
      "Wait! You might hit Sam!" Daniel points out.
      Puzzled, too, by the suggestion, but trusting the Jaffa, O'Neill complies and fires his own weapon. He wonders briefly if the sphere can protect the occupant from this unwise course of action.
      But both the energy and bullets bounce off the craft. The sphere rises higher, gains speed and launches into the bright sky.
      Helpless, they watch.
      "Where is that thing going?" O'Neill demands.
      "I didn't think shooting at it was a very good idea. You could have killed her."
      "It would have been better if we had." Teal'c looks away, dismayed. "I did not recognize the meaning of this place it until the sphere rose from the stone."
      "And it's a bad thing, right?" The Colonial asks, expecting the worst.
      "The destination is Ten Moons." Teal'c answers.
      "Well, if you know where it's going, then we'll gate over." He moves, ready to go. When Daniel and Teal'c fail to follow, he stops.
      "There is no Stargate on Ten Moons." The Jaffa answers.
      "Why not?" Daniel asks.
      "It is ruled by a Goa'uld named Nea'Bode."
      "You never mentioned him before." Daniel presses.
      "It did not seem important."
      "How's that?" O'Neill asks.
      "Because we cannot go there." He pauses, uncertain how to tell the story. "Many ages ago, Nea'Bode traveled in search of a place to rule. He found a large gas planet surrounded by ten small moons. When the orbit of these moons made them unsuitable, he created a Goa'uld technology to pull all of the moons into perfect alignment, giving equal day and night. Then he terra-formed all and made it a primary place for creating Goa'uld magic. Because the technologies of the Goa'uld is secret, there are no Jaffa allowed. Only Goa'uld may visit, and only those who are the offspring of Nea'Bode may reside on the moons. Though the System Lords and their emissaries may visit, the resident Goa'ulds of Ten Moons may never leave."
      "So, to collect new hosts, they devised this?" Daniel asks the rhetorical question.
      "Not going to let that happen!" O'Neill protests imagining the fate of his teammate.
      "It is possible that she will not be used as a host, and will instead be used for the testing of new technologies."
      "Son of a Bitch!" Without consulting his companions, O'Neill tries to duplicate Carter's movements that snapped the trap.
      Daniel watches. "It won't work."
      "What?"
      "The center stone is missing. The center stone is the thing that turns into that flying thing."
      As yet undefeated, he challenges his companions. "Then we find another way to get there."

      Back on Earth they tell the General the story
      "This sounds like a no win situation." The General responds.
      "I don't believe that." O'Neill responds. "There has to be a way. We just haven't thought of it yet."
      "I appreciate the situation, Colonel. I have lost a fine officer and believe me; we will feel that loss. But I cannot risk additional lives unless there is a clear course of action."
      "I'll go. Alone." Without compromise, he stares the General down.
      "And how do you plan to do that?" The Hammond asks,
      "Same way Carter did."
      Never having seen the Coronal so serious, the General faces his subordinate's challenge. "With no way to leave? I will not risk that. We already have to deal with the possibility that Major Carter will become a host and give up information about this command. And you know how damaging that could be."
      "That's why I should leave now."
      "Permission denied!"
      "Maybe the Tok'ra can help." Daniel offers. "They have ships."
      "Fast ships." The O'Neill responds, shy of the normal enery.
      The General nods, knowing they must explore all the possible ways to bring the lost soldier home. "If there is a way to rescue Major Carter, I will authorize it. But unless you can show me both a way there and a way back home again, I will not allow a rescue attempt. You have a go to contact the Tok'ra."
      The Tok'ra reply to the requested visit, but as they explain the events, the Tok'ra emissary resists their suggestions.
      "It would be better for all parties if Major Carter was considered a casualty."
      "All we need is a ship." The Colonel insists. "Teal'c can pilot it."
      "Nea'Bode's rule is strict with the ships that visit Ten Moons. There is an automated defense system that protects the orbiting gravity generators. This system will shoot down any craft that does not have authorization."
      "He sounds, uh, paranoid." Daniel offers.
      "Nea is the symbiote who took Bode as a host. Nea found Bode to be as evil, malicious, devious and intelligent as himself and blended with the host so completely, that they speak as one, referring to themselves as we."
      "Like Hathor." The archeologist realizes.
      "Yes, we believe so."
      "Isn't that unusual for the Goa'uld?"
      "Complete blending is not the Goa'uld way. The symbiote does not want intimate contact with the host. It wants to control the host. Though the Goa'uld can freely access the memories of the host the Goa'uld are cautious with this practice, as that would mean sharing memories. And that might give the host access to information that could be used to manipulate the symbiote."
      Neither the history nor the science keeps O'Neill's attention. He voices his one question. "So, why isn't there a Stargate on Ten Moons?"
      "The gravity system Nea'Bode devised needs a constant but small electrical current running through the switch to keep the it active. He found the human body to be the perfect renewable energy conductor. Originally, his queen was to be the Keeper, the one to wear the switch. The Keeper can never leave Ten Moons or the system will collapse into the gas planet. But Nea'Bode made a habit of torturing and killing his Keepers. When one tried to escape through the Stargate, he killed her and had to attach the Keeper device to himself."
      "I thought the energy signal had to be constant?"
      "Yes. The device can only be removed from a body that no longer generates an energy pulse, with the use of a Key that Nea'Bode keeps with him at all times. It must be secured on another within moments of death."
      "He would have to die to remove it." Daniel realizes out loud.
      "And so he decided that if he cannot leave, none of his offspring may leave to one day rise to power. And the Stargate was removed. Since then, Nea'Bode and his subjects have spent their time and energy creating technologies and weapons that will bring the System Lords to him."
      "So, that's it?" He stands and looks at his team members shaking his head in disbelief.
      "Major Carter is lost to us all."
      "I don't accept that." O'Neill whispers.
      "As a host, she may share memories of our location. As a test subject, they will extract the information through torture."
      "She'd die first." The archeologist points out.
      "And they will use the sarcophagus to bring her back and start again."
      Groaning, thinking of her fate, the drained white Colonel manages. "Which is why we can't leave her there."
      Getting no where with the conversation, the Tok'ra stand to leave. "Excuse us, as we must prepare for evacuation." The SG-1 team members faces prompt an addition to the sentence, "Just in case the news of this base gets to the System Lords."
      Left alone in the meeting room, Daniel looks at Jack and the rising anger and resistance welling within him. They leave, grabbing their gear at the rings that provide transport to the surface. The sand seems to hold them in place, during the short walk to the gate.
      Teal'c, most saddened, offers. "If I had recognized the meaning of the place sooner, this would not have happened."
      "You're right about that." The Colonel answers, to Daniel's surprise.
      "It's not your fault, Teal'c." Daniel states the facts. "We can't change what happened."
      "You don't get it?!" Exploding, eyes glaring mad, dark and dangerous. "Host or lab rat! Either way, she will suffer a fate worse than death."
      "She knew the risks, Jack! It's the price we pay for what we do." He finds breath to say what the others do not dare say.       "I know what it is like! Just like we couldn't help my wife. She's gone, Jack, and there's nothing we can do about it!"
      "You believe that? Because, I don't. What if it was you?"
      "I wouldn't expect you to die along with me. Not if you didn't have to." Reason fails and so he tries logic. "Jack, there is no way to get there and no way to get home."
      "There is one way to get there."
      Daniel thinks for a moment and frowns, remembering his friend's previous attempt at triggering the sphere. "Even if you manage to get there safely, and say you do figure out which one of the Ten Moons she is on, there is no way to get home again." The intensity of his gaze matches that of his friend. "Besides, the General will never authorize it."
      O'Neill thinks about it for a moment and then says, "You're right. Dial us home."
      "Yeah." Daniel dials and tries to read his friend. But the intensity fades behind a blank gaze, as if to hide all thoughts and feelings behind the bitter wall of silence. Daniel and Teal'c step through the gate. O'Neill feigns, as if he too will follow, but stops and lets the wormhole close. Then he steps back to the DHD and pulls out a piece of paper with three sequences of six numbers ranging from two to thirty-nine. He goes over the lesson Carter gave him on how to find home from any planet. "Every symbol corresponds to a number. Six symbols for a destination, one for the point of origin. The point of origin is number-one on the DHD. Find that, and then the other six symbols can be derived from that point of origin. He dials the Gateway to Ten Moons."
      On the other side of the Stargate, Teal'c and Daniel wait for O'Neill to walk through. But when the wormhole fades without a sign of him, they look at each other shocked by the obvious.
      "Jack, what are you doing?" Daniel asks to himself.
      "Where is Colonel O'Neill?" The Hammond asks through the mike.
      "He followed shortly behind us."
      Covering for the impulsive actions of his friend, Daniel asks. "Uh, permission to go back and find out?"
      "Do so."
      But the seventh chevron will not engage. "Busy signal? He's dialing out."

      Once on the planet of spheres, O'Neill discards his gear, including the GDO, knowing that the return home will not be direct -- if at all. He slips into suitable clothing from his satchel, leftovers from an off world visit, hoping to disguise his identity and perhaps buy some time once on Ten Moons. If they do not know he is Tau're, it gives him a better chance of being a lab rat instead of a host. Or so he hopes.
      Once suitably dressed for the trip, he walks to the circle of spheres, finds the direct center and says "Pretty please." Sure to his understanding, the reset trap snaps, and the light takes him. He is surprised by the tingling and dismayed as it turns to a throbbing heat, penetrating every cell. When the platform hits his feet, a stabbing pain shoots through to his head and he collapses into fetal heap. The then small spheres paint the petals that close and complete the circle. In the darkness, the energy and associated pain subsides, only to be replaced by g-forces pressing his weight against him as the space craft accelerates faster and faster. As breathing becomes impossible, he blacks out.

      "Sorry, sir. It still will not engage."
      "If the Tok'ra are evacuating, this could take a while." Daniel offers.
      "What could he possibly be thinking?" The General demands, knowing the one person who can answer that question cannot be called for questioning.
      So Daniel does it for him. "Save Sam from a fate worse than death."
      "And now I have lost two fine officers."
      "I don't know that much about Jack's military service, but isn't this type of thing his specialty?"
      "This is suicide!"
      "Exactly."
      The General considers the statement for a brief moment. "In the past, he has been given orders and objectives. This, however, is insubordination. If he returns, I will have no choice but the put him up on charges."
      "And what if he can find a way home? You said --"
      "-- I know what I said, Dr Jackson." Hammond frowns. "You are assuming that he has made it to Ten Moons."
      "There is one way to find out."
      "Right." He turns to the technician. "Try dialing..."
      But the technician did not need the words, dialing to the world that brought about the current dilemma.
      "Right." Teal'c and Daniel grab their gear, preparing for the quick trip that might tell them the fate of their friend. Once at the circle of spheres again, they find the backpack and weapons and the piece of paper with the three sets of numbers. And the center stone missing. Daniel pockets the paper, certain now that if Jack is successful, he will not return home, aware of the charges he faces. And if he is not, it is better that no one knows that this was a premeditated action on his part. He had planned for this possibility even before seeing the Tok'ra.

      The quick drop to the ground wakes him as the sphere, tipped upside down, lets gravity unload the contents. The metal petals peel away, morphing into small spheres that connect to the circular platform. He watches, lying on his back knowing that the small pod would not take them home. As the Frisbee shape disappears in the dark sky, O'Neill listens for movement around him. He hears soft whimpering and then an unmistakable Goa'uld voice shouting orders in Ancient Egyptian. He had learned the meaning of a few words, but still found the dialect indiscernible. He stands to see the commotion and examines the small unnatural stone crevasse, most likely engineered by the Goa'uld just for the purpose of containing new arrivals. Two large Goa'uld walk his way with silver wands in their hands. O'Neill thinks of cattle prods and gets a sample as the pair herd him to the only exit. Knowing his words may give him away, he tries not to swear as they continue to force him onward to the lit corridor. And true to the cliché, one at a time, the captured beings are ushered into a cage made of light for study.
      O'Neill watches as a young girl is examined and the head Goa'uld, a stern woman, the light in her eyes glowing steadily, studies the findings on a stone pedestal that contains a three dimensional display. He recognizes some of the symbols as Egyptian script and suddenly wishes that Daniel would happen along and explain it to him. As the light fades, the captive girl drops to her knees and yet another Goa'uld appears to usher her through what O'Neill calls door number one. The next, a man, survives the light, drops free and cries out for his companion as he is ushered into door number three. And so it goes. The Goa'uld examine the cattle, grade the quality and decide the fate.
      As his turn approaches, the lead Goa'uld speaks at him. Not knowing how to respond, he speaks the few foreign words he knows: "Carpe Diem."
      Unfamiliar with the language, the possessed woman tips her head and then issues the command again.
      "E Pluribus Unum." He replies.
      She looks at her companions and, with a touch of the silver wands, they force him into the light. Holding his tongue, he endures the pulsing light probe that touches like a whip with the repetition of a machine gun. The Lead Goa'uld studies the display and speaks harshly. As the light curtain falls, O'Neill drops and finds himself pulled through door number three.
      As if unused to resistance by the collected specimens, they leave him alone in the unfurnished room. He tries to return the way that he came, but the door is hidden by the intricate carvings on the walls. So, he focuses on the other obvious opening, a triangular door with a circular window leading on to the next room. Peering through the window the process unfolds in the space beyond.
      Dark skinned and tall, a Goa'uld stands in a corner by a set of controls. He touches none, for the process is automatic. One of the captured men lays held down to a chair by an energy beam. Another light, this time just around the victim's head, begins to pulse. He cries out. On the wall, images from the man's life display in quick flashes from his birth to his capture. And with each displayed image, a small container fills up with a heavy gray liquid.
      "Okay. That's his brain." The Colonel realizes. "To hell with this."
      While the victim's body is removed, O'Neill formulates a plan of action, better to die fighting than to have his brain puréed.
Once the door opens, he surprises the overseeing Goa'uld, grabbing the silver wand out of the enemy's hands. Using the weapon as designed, he forces the alien scientist into the chair, the weight of which automatically activates the device. On the screen appear images, a mix of both the host and the symbiote lives. One image he recognizes for certain: Carter is here. She went through door number-one.
      A quick swap of clothing and with the wand in hand, O'Neill follows the route of the previous corpse, leaving behind the evidence that will point to his escape. Maybe they won't notice. Wishful thinking aside, he follows the hallways, passing by other rooms with other tortures, looking through circular observation windows for the face that brought him here. At the end of the hallway, the final door leads to the outside. He leaves the wand behind to better blend with the locals. Daylight just broken, shining on the city, causing it to glow in golden elegance. But the beauty is lost on him as he surveys his surroundings. Even at this early hour, Goa'uld walk the streets. Looking around, he locates the tallest building and the best place to go to give him the layout of the land. The others ignore him, as he walks easily amongst the enemy, with a confident swagger that says "I belong here. Leave me alone." Then a whaling horn blares out. Uncertain if it signals his escape, he finds a place to stand mostly hidden from the population. He waits for a chase. But the inhabitants walk by, all in the same direction, to the very building he intends to visit. So, he blends in with the others, following along towards the origin of the horn.
      The inhabitants cluster in a circular platform, the local gathering place. At one end the large building with a raised stage and one doorway into the tall Palace. A large, pale Goa'uld walks onto the stage and addresses the crowd. The man wears clothes spun of gold, and on his right temple, permanently embedded, a gold crescent amulet with small pulsing lights. The crowd cheers as if they had rehearsed this a hundred times before. And perhaps they had. In the stream of foreign words, O'Neill recognizes the name Nea'Bode and knows now he seen the infamous ruler of Ten Moons. And he begins to recognize this ritual, the presentation of a new queen. Nea'Bode holds out his hand towards the doorway. A veiled figure appears, also dressed in gold spun cloth, clinging to an obviously female form. As she stands facing the crowd, Nea'Bode removes the veil so that all can see the new light-haired, blue-eyed Keeper of Ten Moons. The crowd cheers again. O'Neill swallows hard, not certain if it is the flash of light in her eyes or her beauty that drops his heart from his chest. As the royal pair exit the stage, and the crowd disbands, O'Neill finds his breath again. "Carter, you look great in that getup."

      From a quiet corner he climbs to the top of the palace and takes a look around the city. All along he had hoped that there might be a secret Stargate somewhere. With that hope still alive, he looks for other options. But the moon seems void of any ships or places to land ships. And except for the occasional sphere dropping off yet another victim, the skies remain quiet.
      So he climbs back to the street and walks around the palace, looking through to the interior for signs of life and waiting for quiet to descend on the city. As night falls once again, and the moons display in the night sky, with the last few hidden by the massive presence of the large red-blue gas planet. Thinking Carter might be as awed as he with the view, he climbs through a second story window into the palace and begins the search. The empty hallways seem to be a rule amongst these Goa'uld. So it is noise and not sight that draws his attention, the sounds of an argument, a slightly familiar woman's muffled shout. And then a crash, a thud and another shout, all the accompaniments to a physical fight pulls him forward. The halls remain empty, as if this is the normal noise to hear in the dimness. No one rushes to aid. Arriving at the door in question, O'Neill finds it locked. He takes the window route again, happy with the large ledges that make the trip certain. Peering in, he sees exactly what he had imagined. Nea'Bode and his bride arguing on their wedding night.
      She wears the garment of a bride prepared for the first night, opaque, cream colored, long gown pulled in at the waste, cut low in front, but her firm stance shows contrary feelings for the coming event. As they argue, Nea'Bode strikes her and she struggles to remain standing. Her eyes glow in anger and she shouts back, obviously demanding that he take his leave. But he will have none of that and grabs her arms, throwing her roughly against the wall. She finds her balance to continue the fight. And he smiles, feeding on her resistance.
      Knowing what comes next, O'Neill mutters into the darkness. "If I kill him, we all die." Then he answers. "Problem solved." He slips into he room unnoticed and looks for a suitable weapon. Taking a rope that holds back the drape, he waits for Nea'Bode to advance on his bride, who tries once again to make her feelings clear, only to be grabbed, struck and shoved once again. O'Neill takes that moment to advance, dropping the rope over Nea'Bode's head and pulling tight. Remembering that it can take seven minutes for a normal human to die by strangulation, O'Neill regrets the choice. Not a quick method as the Goau'ld fights back, trying to fling the intruder away, then slamming him into the wall repeatedly.
      After several bruising, bone crushing wall busting, O'Neill looks at the surprised Queen standing and watching. He manages,       "A little help?" And once more his back finds the wall with a hard thump. Winded, he hangs on.
      Nea'Bode changes posture and manages a position that directs his attacker's head into the wall.
      "Not good." He thinks, as he looses his grip on the monster and slips to the floor. Blackness looming from the imposed concussion, through blurred vision he sees Nea'Bode approach to finish him off and tries unsuccessfully to gather his feet for the advance.
      But before the Goa'uld nears close enough, a line of light touches the alien's feet. He turns to face his bride who holds a device, the origin of the beam. The light sliver begins devouring the flesh, leaving bone behind. He screams out in agony and surprise. She stands still, a small device in her hand and watches the line of light progress to his knees, causing him to fall with no muscle to keep him standing. He tries to crawl to her, begging. But she does not move, waiting for the light to reach his heart. And as it does, the crescent amulet begins to burn in his temple. His living head cringes as she takes the matching ring from his still fleshed finger. With the ring, she touches the amulet which clings like a magnet to metal, relinquishing the skull. And with both the amulet and ring, she kneels by the surprise visitor.
      She hesitates a moment before placing the amulet at his temple. The amulet locks into his skull and he cringes from the sharp pain it causes. With that the final blow, he slips into darkness.

      "Okay, we have tried the Tok'ra, the Tollen and the Nox. And we don't have a way to contact the Asguard."
      "Dr. Jackson, we have been over this before."
      "Then we will go over it again." His tone is insistent.
      "It is very simple." The General explains. "If they are to come home, they need to do it themselves. We do not have the resources or the technology to pull off a rescue. Especially when every one of our allies tell us the attempt would be futile."
      "Maybe they are wrong."
      "Don't even think about trying the same course of action as Colonel O'Neill."
      Daniel shakes his head. "I'm not that crazy."

      As they refuse to accept the permanent disappearance of their friends, Hammond agrees to temporarily assign them to a different SG team. As organized, different teams have different purposes and because of their distraction, Hammond assigns them to the team least likely to encounter danger.
      By a happy coincidence, the next trip out to a small outpost on a small planet, they run into the trader, Aris Bach, who gleefully tells them the news of Ten Moons, laughing the entire time. "Nea'Bode is dead. Carter now hosts Ornea, the Key of Ten Moons. And O'Neill is Narun, the Keeper and her faithful companion. Whatever he was attempting to do, he failed miserably."
      "You have been to Ten Moons?" Teal'c inquires.
      "Yes, quite a few times." He examines the faces and responds. "I do not like that look in your eyes."
      "Take us there." Daniel pleads.
      He refuses. "Just when I finally get an alliance established with one of the major Goa'uld players, you kill them. Makes it tough for a man to make a living."
      "All we want to do is get Jack and Sam back."
      "Not going to happen."
      "Then at least let us get a message to them."
      "And what are you going to tell them? Sorry, can't do anything to help. It's been nice knowing you? Come on."
      "Then you give them a message."
      "What? Have a nice life?"
      "Ask him what he is planning to do and if there is anything we can do to help."
      "You really think he has a plan?"
      "You don't know Jack."
      "I know Ten Moons, and there is no way the Keeper can leave there alive."
      "As Jack would say, there is always a way. He probably just hasn't thought of it yet."
      "Sure, if they remove the amulet from his warm dead body and transfer it to another warm living body, he might have a chance."
      "Let him know that we... can't do anything."
      "Well, that's an easy message to deliver. IF I happen to have business there and IF I happen to see him, I will say hello." He walks away.
      "Teal'c. Do you thing we should tell the General about, uh, this?"
      "It would appear that O'Neill is siding with the enemy."
      "But we know differently. He has found Sam and is not letting her out of his site."
      "That is a possible conclusion." The Jaffa answers, wondering if the current action of his friend came from duty to the cause or to his heart.

      As the days pass, and the pair create a tense but stable relationship. O'Neill looks for evidence that Carter might be influencing the creature. And as time passes, her physical presence without verbal conformation begins to wear on him. He longs to hear her scientific babble, though not a future public admission. But he dare not incur the wrath of Ornea as her trust remains tenuous. She lets him out of her sight only in the palace where the loyal slaves watch over him with reverence. Strangely, she had become accustom to his presence, demanding that he accompany her from moon to moon by day as she studied every detail of the works in progress. And demanding his close, personal attention at night.
      About the moons they travel as the haughty Key shows off several half-built mother ships, an order from a powerful System Lord. "And he will pay dearly for these." Avoiding the names of her paying clientele. she takes him through the weapons assembly moon. But, to him, the technology remains foreign. He feigns interest, even asking a question now and again not expecting to understand the answer. All the while he thinks, "Is Carter getting any of this? Can she use the information?"
      She explains how important it is for her to continue the legacy of her father.
      O'Neill asks, "I thought he was your husband."
      "Yes." She answers. "I must continue as he did, developing new weapons and tortures and means of controlling the population. I must be better than him to prove how poorly he ran Ten Moons and secure my place with the System Lords."
      "You have the torture part down." He answers.
      "You think of the host." She smiles, delighted at his surprised and torn expression. "She gives information freely and she wishes to tell you something."
      Hopeful, he asks. "What?"
      Ornea smiles deviously, but does not answer. Then she laughs and changes the subject. "This is my new device. You will find it interesting. Watch how it tracks my thoughts." From a table of samples, the Key takes a flat device the size of a pager, and points it at the ceiling. The beam tracks, turning to the target, an old man, brought as the latest lab rat. As the pulse, a single blue streak of energy strikes, he crumples in pain and passes out.
      Too late, he tries to stop her. "What did you do that for?"
      "How dare you question me! Shall I use you as a target?"
      "What? Kill me?"
      "It does not kill. It merely renders the victim unconscious for torture later."
      Turning his back to her, he frowns, knowing what will come next. As the pulse strikes him, he falls against the table of samples, hoping to pocket and hide one in the fall. Uncertain of success, he losses control in the induced convulsions. For later torture! What does she think this is?! And his mind falls into the looming blackness.

      He wakes again on her royal flyer, listening to the hum of the engines, a soft nearly indiscernible purring. Pulling himself from the floor, he drags sore legs with weak arms and sits in his seat next to hers. And to make matters worse, a pulsing migraine begins under the crescent amulet.
      "Never dare challenge me!" She greets him. "I am the Key and you are a slave."
      He listens quietly, eyes beginning to focus on their flight path, slipping beyond the gravity satellites. And the amulet gains heat as it draws the necessary power to keep the circuit closed. With head between knees, he tries to keep the former from exploding, finally dropping to his and shouting. "Stop! Stop!"
      Pleased to have his submission once again, she drops the craft back towards the ruling moon. "Tau'ra. Your technology is primitive and your tactical planning is childish."
      Feeling better, he answers. "It works for us."
      "Apophis wishes to annihilate your world. I am certain that he will succeed. Perhaps I will help him."
      Definitely a sign that Carter is there. So how much information has passed between their minds? "Well, there is that little Asguard treaty."
      "When the System Lords finds out the Asguard are too busy fighting an enemy in their own galaxy to engage the Goa'uld, they will turn away from his attack rather than take him on themselves."
      The word "Ouch" sits on his tongue, but he takes a bite and swallows hard. "The Asguards won't stand by and let him destroy us."
      She laughs. "We will see. When Apophis comes to visit, perhaps I will trade this bit of information for something of great value."
      "When he comes to visit?"
      "To see the ships we are building him."
Great. Now I have to stop Apophis from getting those ships that he will use those to attack Earth. Could this get any harder?       "Always good to see an old enemy. When are we expecting him?"
      "Today, my love." She lands the craft and summons him to follow her to the hall. He had dubbed it The Round Room, suspicious of its true nature. As they enter the palace, a sturdy fellow, equipped with glowing eyes and sliver wand, follows three steps behind them. "I am certain that Apophis or one of his allies will attempt to harm you. Although your pain would please me, I cannot take the risk that your death might destroy Ten Moons. You will not leave my side while he is here. And Mornau" she points to the Goa'uld, "- will be our constant companion."
      "Your wish is my duty." Moranu replies. "Apophis will soon arrive."
      "Yes. The rings will meet his ship from this hall."
      The rings: going up and coming down at the same time. And the solution hits him point blank. As action calls, he searches for the small device where he had attempted to hide it. For the first time, hoping and then thankful, he knows the clear course of action ahead. He fires, thinking first of Mornau. Then points at the stunned Ornea.
      "What will this accomplish?" Ornea snaps.
      "Apophis. One thing that I know about that snake head, he never goes anywhere without a Stargate." He fires. "Sorry, Carter." Waiting for her to fall before dragging her to the center of the round room, they wait only moments for the rings to rise, as the set from the ship descends. The two pass in space, putting Apophis and his consorts on the moon and O'Neill and Ornea on the mother ship.
      Lifting his burden over one shoulder, he notices the warming effect cause by being too far away from the gravity generators. He hurries to where the Stargate should be, avoiding the few sentries along the way. Finally safe in the cargo room, he whispers,       "Thank-you!" to the heavens and nearly kisses the DHD. He looks for the point of origin symbol, something that designates the ship no matter where it may be. And finds exactly what he is looking for, the serpent crest. Apophis must have had that made especially for the DHD after taking it from some abandoned planet. With point of origin, he begins to dial a memorized address. Sweat forms on his face as the amulet draws power, making it difficult for him to think. But he continues, finding five of the six, repeating the sequence of numbers trying to remember the next. The form on his shoulder moves, no longer limp. Afraid Ornea may wake and free herself, he lets her slide down his chest, keeping one of her arms pulled behind, and the full of her against him.
      "Coronal?" He hears the form whisper.
      "Carter?" He asks.
      She nods looking at the DHD and the five chosen symbols. "You can't go."
      "But you can." He answers, knowing this moment will not last long enough to argue the point.
She selects the sixth. He activates the seventh. And both hands reach for the center, touching, her hand on his. The gate responds to the request. But his hands and eyes pay attention only to the woman he holds. The wormhole engages. And Ornea forces her control once again. Expecting this, the Keeper holds firmly and begins moving towards the escape.
      "This tactic does not make sense! If you leave, you will die!"
      "That - is not - the point!" He states pushing the rest of the way through. And at the destination, they fall apart from each other. And the amulet signal intensifies. He rolls on the ground holding his head, sweat turning to steam against the pulsing amulet. Stunned Ornea watches for a moment before walking around the DHD, preparing to dial home immediately. But as the wormhole disengages, the power source signal cuts out and the amulet falls freely. The clang of metal draws her attention. Astonished, knowing her world lost forever, she prepares to finish the job that the amulet failed to complete. With hand extended and drawn she strikes. But her intent is interrupted by a beam streaming from a large stone monolith , she had failed to notice. It examines her and finds her contaminated. The light intensifies and she disappears before O'Neill can reach her. Thor's beam sent Ornea to the Hammer.
      He finds his legs, fighting back the remaining headache. One thought. One action. One more challenge. He makes his way to the village and jumps onto the back of the first available horse he sees.
      The owner cries out, "Wait!"
      "I'll bring him back. I swear!"
      "Where are you going?"
      "Up there!." He points to the white caps in the distance, knees holding tight to the unsaddled animal.
      The man protests, holding the reins. "You are not dressed for the mountains. Take this." He tosses a large animal skin over the horse's withers. "Luck to you O'Neill."
      The Coronal smiles and nods. He urges the horse forward into a full run. He does not think of the consequences of his actions. He does not think that as the horse speeds forward, the gravity of Ten Moons begins to fail. Slowly at first, the moons pull and push, toward each other and away. The buildings shake, and the residents run for cover that disintegrates around them. He does not think of the innocent slaves left behind or for the missions of Goa'uld hosts caught in the cataclysm. No, images of the colliding moons do not find room in his linear thought. Nor do the visions of fragments hitting the gas plant, pelting it with a stream of exploding debris like one cosmic bomb after another. He does not care to know the fate of Apophis, able to ride the rings to the safety of his ship and away from danger as the pelted gas planet ignites, becoming a star. He does not notice the cold of the mountains, as the hard frost ground changes to snow covered terrain. His one and only thought: bring Carter safely out of the mountain and home once again.
      His memory clear of the location, he urges the horse to the mouth of the cave that gives entrance to Thor's creation. A Goa'uld killer that leaves the host alive. Before leaving he had thought of the possibilities. Cimmeria, with simple people and the same Earth qualities of richness and diversity, which too, stands protected by the Asguard. No Goa'uld may leave here alive. He wonders at the irony and the power reversal.
      At the entrance to the cave, he slips off of the horse, securing the animal for the trip back. "One more obstacle." He tells himself. To enter the cave, the local residents place their hands on the rocks in the appropriate marked places and then recite lines from local folklore. As the poem does not surface in his memory, he recites that which works best for him. "Open says, O'Neill." The Asguard had made true on the promise. He and his team are welcome here and the Hammer knows them by name.
Inside the anti-chamber, he waits for a moment, listening for movement and remembering his first visit to this cave. Teal'c had been brought here by the beam. And they had destroyed the device so that he could leave. But before that, they had met Unas, one of the first Goa'uld. He shrugs of the shivers of remembering the close call, as Teal'c forced the alien into the beam of the Hammer. Unas fought, but lost, as the symbiote was extracted from him. As the Hammer completed the task, the host fell back into the chamber and died.
      Taking a quick breath, he discards the thoughts and proceeds into the maze to seek her out. He calls to her. "Come out, come out, wherever you are." His search is short as she appears from around a corner.
      "Was not our time together pleasurable?" She asks, as if hoping something still bound them enough to convince him to free her from certain death.
      "Actually.." he answers, "I pretended you were someone else."
A low growl like from a caged and wounded animal, echoes from her lips. She raises the hand and aims it as if to strike. But the anticipated beam does not appear.
      "Goa'uld technology does not work here."
In full rage, she pounces, striking at this face. He raises his arm to block the blow and the metal from her inoperative weapon scratches deeply, drawing blood. He winces and prepares for another strike, not willing to match blows for the host would feel the pain as well.
      "A little help?" he manages to state, hoping Carter can find a way to control the rage of the demon before he is forced to do physical harm.
      Ornea knows this to be his handicap, and takes full advantage with her strength greater than his own. He dodges her attempts to strike him down. Though the ribbon device does not function as designed, the same potential for harm remains like a set of brass knuckles. He grabs with success. With both of her wrists in his hands, he pulls her hard against his chest, trying to lock both arms behind her. She pushes forward, with a foot behind his ankle. As he falls, she falls free. His head hits the ground stunning him for a moment, one that she uses to her advantage. Taking a large stone in her hands, she prepares to throw but then stops suddenly. "You will show me the Tok'ra exit."
      On his feet, he announces, "Not likely." He dodges the stone and charges, forcing her against the side of the cave. In the struggle, he manages to grab her right hand and bring it behind her back, and then, with one arm around her neck, he pushes the Key of Ten Moons into the Hammer chamber. He prepares strength to push them both into the beam, but she suddenly goes limp in his arms. Shocked, he guides her fall. Kneeling over her he calls, "Carter?"
      With eyes barely open she whispers into his hear. "She wants you as a host." And with that the true shape of the Goa'uld exits the fallen form and makes a leap towards O'Neill. He falls backward to avoid the attack, trying to grab the snake by the tail. But the slippery creature will not be stopped and finds entrance to his frame. Determined not to loose this battle before the alien can take hold of him, he stands and lunges into the Hammer letting the power of the beam do the job for which it was designed. The light, like hot pins, stick his very soul seeking the evil creature inside. And at that moment when he is sure that death has come, the beam fades, and he falls into the anti-chamber. Still paralyzed by the process, he lays still, waiting for feeling and control to return. He does not notices the pin of light that passes over his body, expanding, healing the open wounds caused both in the battle and by the creature's entrance into his spine. And as the light fades, he feels again, can move again, and pulls himself to his knees.
      Crawling, he makes his way to her fallen form. He checks for breath and pulse and finds neither. "Not now!" He cries, certain that this is his fault. If he had not tried to force the issue, Ornea would not have killed her to take him. In vain, he tries resuscitation, fighting back the lump of emotion rising aside his anger. She does not respond. He tries again breathing for both, his mind reeling. No escape from this torture. Despondent, he stops to hold her, searching for the answer, not certain of anything except that he will not leave her behind. Gathering strength, he carries her into the anti-chamber, prepared to take her home. He finds little comfort knowing she is not longer bound by a fate worse than death. And the weight of loss drops him as he passes through the Hammer, not caring anymore to continue the journey. He holds her and lets the moist sorrow of his soul fall freely. And as the warm little drops touch her face, the point of light appears, touching, tracing. It finds her wounds and begins the healing. Amazed, hope returns and becomes joy as she takes a breath.
      "Yes!" He cries, holding her closer than before.
      She responds to the embrace, reciprocating. And they relinquish only enough to lock a gaze. She touches a stray tear on his face and whispers, "Thank-you." Knowing the words to be less than antiquate for the task performed.
      He simply answers, "Any time."
      They remain together for a few moments more, enjoying the close companionship and communion of unspoken words. Then he asks, "Can you stand?"
      "Yes."
      And he assists, escorting her through the exit to the waiting horse. He helps her mount, and then finds a seat behind her. Finally aware of the chill in the air, he is thankful for the animal skin that he wraps around them both. With his arms around her, he takes the reins and they begin the journey towards the valley.
      He does not urge quickness into the animal, instead content with her in his arms and leaning against him. All sins forgiven, they remain silent and warmed by the closeness that will soon be denied them. He tries not to think of the next phase of the trip, or the truth he must tell her. But as they leave snow layer behind, she begins to think again. And with those thoughts, a certainty that life will normalize and this closeness will not be tolerated. She asks to walk for a while and slips off of the horse. He sits for a moment, watching her stand in the Goa'uld costume with the falling sun illuminating from behind. Chiding himself for the thoughts invoked by the vision, he too dismounts, and covers her with the animal skin, not so much to keep her warm, but to shield her from his eyes.
      She thanks him and begins to walk.
      "There is no Tok'ra exit." He finally offers.
      "They have no imagination. I filled my mind with images."
      "You did that?"
      "Yes."
      He holds back the questions. How many times did you? When? "Good job." Is all he manages.
      She changes the subject. "How did you know going through the Stargate would block the power to the amulet?"
      "Well, I know a little bit about microwaves."
      Surprised, she asks. "So you knew that there is a natural distance limitation to the microwave signal?"
      "I know that when you unplug them, they don't work."
      Her smile rewards him. "It's not like with Jolinar. When we get back, I have so much to write down and sort out. Bits and pieces of information about..." She sighs. "It's just all fragmented right now."
      "When you get back." He answers.
      "What?"
      He stops and looks down the trail. "If I go back...I'm..."
      Realizing his admission, she states plainly. "You gave up everything for me."
      With an "ahw shucks, weren't nothing" attitude, he replies, "Knew it would happen sooner or later. It just -- happened sooner."
      Knowing the choices presented could bring them closer, or pull them apart forever, she considers. But duty calls first. "I have to go back. I have to tell them what I know."
      "I know that." He accepts plainly.
      Silence drops with a thud as the weighty reality hits them.
      "When we tell him everything, General Hammond will understand."
      "Everything?"
      And a remembrance of warm evenings in shadows, primal-shared behaviors, memories without the evil that kept them apart. She looks away to hide the rushing blush. "Almost everything."
      Trying not the notice her reaction or make any conclusion, he states. "I don't think he will understand."
      She begins to walk again, this time with energy. He follows, certain that as she walks, her mind runs a marathon through the streets of possibilities. The brisk pace is a quiet one and they speak again only to the inhabitants of the planet who offer food, clothing and shelter to the visitors, treating them with the warm friendship of kin. O'Neill thanks them for the gift of cloths, especially the pants, having worn a skirt for so long. And yet, he feels a strange sense of loss as Carter appears in Viking robes instead of the Goa'uld gold.
      "Sir." She calls.
      The word is a comfort. "Yes."
      "Since we can't go home directly, I figure we can gate to Tollanna and they can send word to the SGC."
      "You can."
      She frowns. "I can't believe you are giving up."
      "I'm not giving up. I'll continue the fight from this side."
      "Where will you go?"
      "I can't tell you that." He shrugs. "We both need to rest for a while. It has been a very long, busy and trying century. At daylight, you go."
      "Sir-"
      "--ahw!" He warns with a finger. "I order you to go."
      She thinks for a moment. "If you're AWOL, and decommissioned, you can't order me to do anything."
      "Damn."
      "And it is my duty to take you back to Earth to face the charges against you."
      "She's baaack!"
      Untouched by the inferred humor, her ire rising, she questions and orders. "SG-1 isn't what we do. It's what we are. I don't know if I can step foot on another planet without you on my six. And I won't allow you to walk away from -" the word "me" stops in her throat. "If you try to sneak out of here, I swear that I will personally track you down and drag you back!"
Feeling buck private, he sighs and cocks his head, studding her gaze, fearless and determined. "Alright." He concedes. "When the sun comes up, we go."

      As morning breaks, a knock on the small cabin door calls to her. Already prepared for the trip, she answers. "Daniel!" And hugs him warmly. "How did you find us?"
      "Jack left behind a clue." He doesn't reveal the piece of paper with the three destinations.
      "Teal'c."
      "Good to see you well, Major Carter."
      "When we heard that Ten Moons was gone, I figured if Jack wasn't dead, he'd be here. So, is he here?"
      She points to another closed door in the cabin. "I think he's still sleeping."
      "He's usually the first one up." Daniel knocks. They wait for an answer. But the stillness tells a different tale. He opens the door and peers into the empty room. "He's not here."
      "What!?"
      "Guess he thinks he's gonna get it when he gets home."
      "I can't believe he left." Angered by the Coronal's flight she thinks of the only solution. "We have to convince the General to drop the charges."
      "Actually, we already did that." Daniel admits. "But Jack doesn't know that..."
      "Then, we have to find him and tell him."
      "Tell me what?" Comes a voice at the open front door. O'Neill watches Carter's posture relax and the others smile relieved by his appearance.
      The Coronal shrugs with a sheepish grin. All is right with his universe again.