It Never Ends:

  The debate

  In a large, well-appointed briefing room deep within the Alpha Site bunker, twelve personnel sat around a polished conference table. Some were military, others civilian, but the SFs posted outside had long since stopped paying attention to who was who. All that mattered was the shouting match happening inside.

  Squadron Leader Catherine MacGregor and Doctor Horst Grunfeldt were locked in a verbal battle, voices ricocheting off the walls as their argument grew louder.

  "This is madness, Colonel!" Grunfeldt spat, his German accent thick with indignation. "You cannot simply shrug your shoulders and turn this discovery over to the SGC. They will claim all the glory; they will make the important discoveries!"

  That was how it started; Grunfeldt demanding that the Alpha Site scientists be given priority over the newly uncovered Ancient site before the SGC's experts got their hands on it.

  Cate, seated with her arms folded, had started calmly enough. "Doctor Grunfeldt, we are in the employ of the SGC and, by extension, the IOA. Do I need to remind you that those venerable ladies and gentlemen would be ill-pleased if they found out we had been hiding something?"

  Grunfeldt bristled at the perceived condescension, his face flushing with anger. "Who are you to tell me where my coin comes from? This is about discovery! About our right to bring this glorious find to light ourselves! I don’t need a second-rate high school science teacher lecturing me!"

  At the end of the table, Colonel Mori Kashegawa, Alpha Site’s ground force commander, groaned and ran a hand down his face. "Oh man, you really didn’t have to go there."

  Cate shot out of her chair, leaning over the table to glare at the overweight scientist opposite her. "What did you just say?"

  Grunfeldt sneered. "I don’t think I can add deafness to your personal profile, can I?"

  "Herr Doktor!" Cate snapped, switching to flawless German. "One… " She held up a finger. "As of several months ago, I was appointed as senior science lecturer on the Alpha Site campus academy. In other words, I outrank you considerably. Two… " another finger, "…I’ve seen your work. You’re sloppy, and if it were up to me, you’d be lucky if you were teaching basic science to those same high school students. Three… don’t you dare raise your voice to me or any other woman on this base."

  Her voice took on a dangerous edge as she raised a fourth finger. "Your assistants hate you, to the point they’ve labelled you a pervert!"

  A hand slammed on the table. Colonel Michelle Bixby, the base commander, hadn’t even risen from her seat, but her presence filled the room. "Cate, that’s enough. You’re not the only one here to speak German! Sit down." Without even realising it she was speaking the language herself.

  Cate's jaw tightened. "I’m not done with him yet, ma’am."

  "Yes, you are. I want you to leave the room now, go to your quarters, and stay there until you hear from me. That’s an order."

  A muscle twitched in Cate’s jaw, but she knew when she was outgunned. She snapped her laptop shut with a loud clap and stormed out of the room without another word.

  Grunfeldt, looking smug, barely had time to enjoy his perceived victory before Michelle turned her piercing gaze on him. "Don’t look so pleased, Doctor. This was the last straw for you. You’ve got too many strikes on your record. Pack your things. You’re heading back to Earth within twenty-four hours."

  "What?" He roared. "You cannot do this!"

  "Yes, I can. Do I need to have you escorted?" She glanced toward the SFs at the door, who immediately shifted forward.

  Grunfeldt’s face twisted in fury, but he knew he had lost. He stalked toward the exit, pausing only to throw one last glare over his shoulder. "You won’t have the last word on this, Colonel."

  Michelle didn’t dignify it with a response. She waited until he was gone before standing. "Dismissed. We’ll contact the SGC this afternoon."

  Francie McKell, Grunfeldt’s assistant, exhaled deeply and mouthed a silent "Thank you."

  Reflection

  Later that evening, Michelle knocked once before entering Cate’s quarters. The room was dark, save for the dim glow of Cate’s laptop screen, now closed and forgotten. The Australian sat on the edge of her bed, staring at nothing.

  Michelle sighed and crossed the room, sitting beside her. She wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in slightly. Cate didn’t resist.

  For a moment, silence reigned.

  Then, softly, Michelle spoke. "Cate, what on earth were you thinking, girl?"

  Cate let out a breath through her nose. "I had to put him down."

  "Yes, the man is an insufferable dickhead, I’ll give you that. But we’re military. We do things by the book. You should have let me handle it."

  Cate glanced at her, a shadow of defiance still in her eyes. "I knew you’d do something. But he pushed me too far. He needed to hear it."

  "And now he’s on the next gate trip home. So, congratulations, you got what you wanted. But Cate…" Michelle squeezed her shoulder. "You’ve got to learn to rein it in."

  Cate gave a slow nod, accepting the rebuke. "Am I facing disciplinary action?"

  Michelle hesitated, then shook her head. "No. But consider this your last warning."

  Cate sighed, rubbing her temples. "Understood."

  At 0600 the next day, Michelle stood in front of a large monitor in the command centre, speaking to a familiar face back on Earth.

  "Wait, run that by me again?" Sam Carter’s blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

  "We’ve uncovered what we believe to be an intact Ancient facility about six hundred metres from here. Cate’s team found an entrance yesterday, but we haven’t sent anyone in yet. We wanted to clear it with you first."

  Sam grinned. "This is huge, Michelle. We’ll be there tomorrow. I’ll bring Bill Lee with me."

  “That isn’t all Sam.” Her face impassive as she related what had happened.

  Cam was nearby, he put his face on camera. “They’re getting desperate, the Alliance I mean.”

  “Dangerously so.” Michelle told him.

  Sam leaned forward. “We’ll be there shortly then. See you soon.”

  "Understood. We’ll have a team standing by."

  As the screen went dark, Michelle leaned back in her chair, exhaling slowly. The next twenty-four hours were going to be interesting.

  SG-1

  The atmosphere in the Alpha Site’s gate room shifted the moment the event horizon flared to life. A second later, five figures stepped through the wormhole; SG-1 had arrived. Waiting for them at the base of the ramp were Cate, Bixby, and Tyra, their expressions neutral but their posture revealing a hint of tension.

  Sam’s face lit up when she spotted Tyra. "You look taller," she remarked with a knowing smile.

  Tyra returned the smile, a small but genuine expression. "Last time we met, I was half-dead and buried in rubble on Vegema. Not exactly my finest moment."

  Sam chuckled before stepping forward to embrace her warmly, followed by Vala, who gave Cate a quick but affectionate hug. Cam greeted Cate with his usual casual charm, nodding in her direction. "MacGregor."

  Daniel, ever composed, adjusted his glasses before offering a warm smile to both women. "It’s good to see you again."

  Lastly, Teal’c inclined his head, his deep voice carrying weight as he addressed them both. "Catherine MacGregor, Tyra Caerau, we meet again."

  Colonel Bixby cleared her throat. "Welcome to the Alpha Site. Before we take you to the new find, there’s a little matter of questioning a prisoner. We’d like your assistance."

  As SG-1 settled into their quarters, Cameron Mitchell found himself wandering towards the base cafeteria. He spotted Cate and Tyra seated together at a corner table; breakfast trays pushed aside as they chatted quietly. Taking a breath, he approached.

  "Mind if I sit for a moment?"

  Cate glanced up, a slow smile forming as she gestured toward the seat opposite. "Go ahead, Colonel."

  She had to admit; Mitchell was a hunk. Even in fatigues, he carried himself with an easy confidence that was hard to ignore. He seemed to struggle for words at first, rubbing the back of his neck, before finally settling on what he wanted to say.

  "We never got to thank you two for saving our necks back there on Vegema," he said. "From me and SG-1, thank you."

  Cate, ever pragmatic, shrugged. "It was nothing, Colonel. We were just doing our job."

  “Are you kidding?” He grinned. “A tall Amazonian blonde leading a band of teenagers, cutting a swathe through the Alliance like cutting down wheat. Girl that was just one hell of a show!”

  Her face reddened; she knew Cam was overdoing just to get a reaction from her. She elbowed the Cadet beside her.

  Tyra got the hint and smirked. "You’re welcome, though."

  Cate had avoided another embarrassing moment, pushed her tray away and stretched. "Well, Colonel, we’d better see what Cronalin has to say for herself." She did however look around to see if anyone had overheard Mitchell and sure enough, smart arsed faces were looking straight at her. Cate put her head down and made a hasty exit.

  Question Time

  A group of heavily armed Marines and SFs lined the corridors leading to the Alpha Site’s cell block. As Cate, Michelle, Tyra, and SG-1 strode down the dimly lit hallway, the air was thick with unspoken tension. The only reason the youngster from Vegema was there,

  Inside the small interrogation room, Ima Cronalin sat at a plain metal table, her wrists and ankles shackled. The eighteen-year-old Lucian Alliance operative wore a standard-issue orange jumpsuit, her expression carefully composed. But the hard set of her jaw and the flicker of her eyes betrayed the nerves beneath her defiant front.

  Bixby took a seat opposite her, folding her arms. "Miss Cronalin, you have a chance to cooperate. I suggest you take it."

  The young woman scoffed. "I have nothing to say."

  Cate leaned against the wall; arms crossed. "That’s funny. Because from where I’m standing, you’ve got plenty to explain."

  Daniel adjusted his glasses. "We know you weren’t just another refugee from Saldan. Your cover was good, I’ll admit. The Alliance attack on the city gave you just enough plausible deniability to blend in, but you made one mistake." He had the wisdom to quickly read the brief before he arrived.

  Cronalin’s gaze flickered toward him before she masked her reaction. "And what would that be?"

  Cate took a step forward, her voice firm. "Why did you run? You could have as easily just blended back in with the other students."

  The girl remained silent; her lips pressed into a thin line.

  Daniel leaned forward, watching her carefully. "Your accent, you’ve tried to hide it, but not enough" He told her. “I’ve spent enough time on Vegema to pick that up. Ima Cronalin isn’t your real name, is it? We’ve just been in touch with Plaxia, they have no birth records of you.” He lied but lied well. Sam looked across at him, her expression blank, so as not to give him away.

  The girl visibly tensed but didn’t speak. The room held its breath, the weight of the moment pressing down on her.

  Bixby folded her arms. "You can keep up the act, but we’ll get there eventually."

  A long silence stretched before Sachi exhaled sharply. "Fine. My name is Sachi Volumalo. Doesn’t mean I’ll tell you anything else."

  Teal’c took a step forward, his imposing figure casting a shadow over her. He did not speak immediately, allowing his presence to do the work for him. Slowly, Sachi’s composure began to crack.

  Finally, she relented. "I was ordered to stay behind after the defeat on Vegema. To blend in with the local kids."

  Cate narrowed her eyes. "And when you found out we were bringing recruit cadets to the Alpha Site, you couldn’t resist."

  Sachi looked away, jaw tightening.

  Daniel nodded slowly. "You had contact with Lucia, didn’t you? A long-range communicator. They formed a plan."

  Sachi hesitated, then gave a single nod.

  Bixby’s expression darkened. "Then what was the assassination attempt about?"

  Sachi shook her head. "I never meant to kill you. It was supposed to be a warning to the Tau’ri. A message to make you paranoid."

  A tense beat followed before Cate spoke again, her voice razor-sharp. "When you ran; where did you think you were going?"

  Sachi fell silent, her eyes flicking downward. The room waited. After a long pause, there was little else they could find out.

  Teal’c’s voice rumbled through the silence. "You were not merely fleeing. You had an escape planned."

  Sachi’s fingers twitched, the only sign that Teal’c’s words had hit their mark.

  One person in that room reacted in a heartbeat, Cate was on her coms. “Switch me to the main control room.” She said, there was a moment of static, then a slow female Texas drawl. Cate knew it was one of the defence controllers. “Patty, this is Cate, I want you to do a terrain sweep of the immediate area around the base, look for any anomalies.” The answer was a simple ‘okay’. Now they had to wait.

  The Ship

  An hour later, Cate received the confirmation she had suspected. Just north of the base, five kilometres outside the perimeter fence near the shore of a lake known locally as The Flood, a small but distinct anomaly registered on their scans. A bump, subtle but unnatural.

  It made sense now. When Sachi had first been taken into custody and searched, a remote device had been found on her. At the time, no one had recognised it for what it truly was. Now, they knew.

  Two Humvees carried the team to the coordinates. The drive was short, and the moment they arrived, it was clear they were in the right place. Among the scattered leaves and undergrowth, something was... off. A pile of leaves seemed to float in mid-air, unnaturally suspended.

  Sam pulled out the recovered device and activated it. A shimmer rippled through the air like a heat mirage, distorting reality for a brief moment; then, with a flicker, the cloak dropped.

  A ship stood before them, sleek and compact, partially sunken into the soft earth.

  Cate crossed her arms, a slow smirk spreading across her face. "Looks like I have a shiny new ride."

  Cam’s response was immediate. "No."

  “You’re no fun,” she shot back.

  At a touch of a control beneath a panel, a hatch hissed open. One by one, they stepped inside.

  Cate’s eyes widened as she took in the interior; dim lighting casting long shadows, sleek control panels with unfamiliar yet elegant designs, and a faint hum of dormant systems waiting to be reawakened. Tyra, beside her, was equally entranced.

  In perfect unison, they both breathed out, "Wow."

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Inside, the ship was unmistakably Goa’uld in design… elegant yet oppressive. Intricate golden panels adorned the walls, etched with elaborate carvings of serpents and deities, their sinuous forms intertwining in an endless dance of power and control. Hieroglyphs ran along the borders, each one carefully inlaid with faint traces of naquadah, giving them an eerie, metallic sheen under the dim interior lights. The air smelled faintly of old metal and something else… something ancient, like a space that had been sealed for far too long.

  Vala, ever curious, had already wandered toward the rear of the cockpit. "Let’s see what our little stowaway might have been hiding," she murmured, running her fingers along a panel. With a knowing smirk, she tapped a hidden control.

  A section of the bulkhead slid aside with a soft hiss, revealing a compartment bathed in cold, golden light.

  Inside stood a sarcophagus.

  The reaction was immediate. Cate stiffened. Tyra took an involuntary step back. Sam muttered, "Oh, that’s not good." Daniel pushed his glasses up, eyes narrowing.

  Cam let out a low whistle. "Well, that’s a twist. So, our Sachi is a snake?"

  Teal’c, arms crossed, regarded the sarcophagus with quiet intensity before answering. "No. She is too young. And I did not sense the presence of a symbiote."

  Cate exhaled, running a hand through her hair, her mind already working through the implications. She opened her mouth to speak...

  Tyra beat her to it. "She wasn’t alone here."

  The words hung in the air like a warning.

  A heavy silence followed, the weight of the discovery pressing down on them. If Sachi hadn’t been alone, then who had been with her? And more importantly; where were they now?

  The vehicles were sent back to base with their drivers. At Cam’s suggestion, Cate and Tyra remained aboard the Tel’tak, with Teal’c at the controls. Ever vigilant, Cate watched his every move, filing it away in her memory.

  Cam exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. “Wait a minute. Does this make any sense to you all?” He gestured toward the sarcophagus. “The Alliance and the Goa’uld despise each other… maybe more than they do us, if that’s even possible.”

  “Your wisdom is only exceeded by your courage Colonel Mitchell.” Teal’c told him. “I do not think it is possible these two vermin of the galaxy would be working together. Something more is afoot here.” Teal’c, deep in thought, adjusted their course, lining up an approach to the six north runway.

  “Hold up Teal’c, take us around again. We need to think about this some.” Cam felt more at ease where he was, no one else around him but close friends and the blue sky.

  Each of them look at one another for a long drawn out moment, to the point Teal’c took the small ship a little south in a wide slow arc. Finally, Vala had something to say. “Could we suppose Sachi had no idea who her contact was until she arrived here?”

  Cate looked at the dark haired woman, their thoughts were in sync. “I’m going out on a limb here. Sachi was possibly only told back on Vegema someone might be in contact with her at some point. And I think we’ll find that quite possibly she didn’t have an escape plan at all.”

  Daniel had been silent, brow furrowed, deep in thought as the conversation swirled around him. Then, like a thunderclap, he slapped his thigh. “The assassination attempt! That’s it!” He turned to Tyra, eyes sharp behind his glasses. “If she had been schooled by the Alliance, it wouldn’t have been a mere warning; it would have been shoot to kill.”

  He looked over his glasses at the youngster, who was perched on some Goa’uld packing case. “Did you happen to meet Sachi on the trip here last year. Think hard on it.”

  “I don’t have to Doctor Jackson; she was in the room next to mine.” The answer was straight and honest.

  He needed more. “What was she like, do you remember her behaviour?”

  Cate thought he was verging a little on interrogation, she was about to stop him, her hand reaching for his arm. Sam saw it, shook her head, gently pulling Cate’s arm away.

  “Let him go,” She whispered.

  Neither Daniel nor Tyra noticed the interaction. “Well… she seemed kinda scared sometimes.”

  “There’s your answer.” Cate said. “We need to talk to her again.”

  No one could find an argument there, so everyone agreed. Teal’c turned the ship around.

  ___________________________________________________________________________

  Secrets

  “Leave us please.” Cate told her companions as they all stood bunched up around the door of Sachi’s cell. They all concluded that they’d most likely get more out of her if it was just one on one. There was hesitation at the last minute.

  She waited for them to leave. Tyra lingered by the door a moment longer before she slowly left. The Lucian girl sat on her small bed; she was reading. Cate went and sat beside her, noticing the cover. “The Two Towers, that’s quite a read. Was there something special about it that appealed to you?”

  The dark haired girl turned. “I know what you’re trying to do, it won’t work.” Her brow furrowed. “You think you can soften me up, make me divulge more. I won’t!” She turned her back. And there it was, Cate knew immediately she was terrified.

  Treading with caution, Cate knew this had to be treated delicately, she probed gently. “Sachi, can I ask, where you at any time felt threatened by the people who set you up?”

  Her head snapped around. Cate had hit a nerve. She hesitated. “Uh, no… no.” Denial. She was lying. “Why, why do you ask.” She said trying to compose herself.

  The Ancient Legacy

  “What’s all the fuss about?” Cam asked Daniel when his friend joined him in the café. There had been a lot of running around and noise a few minutes ago. Cam even saw some engineers heading down one of the passageways with heavy drilling equipment.

  “Bill Lee nearly tackled Sam in excitement when we got back. I heard him say ‘Sam you have just got to see this!’. I didn’t hear him elaborate, you know our Sam; anything to do with the word ‘Ancient’ and she’s on it like a terrier.” He thought that was quite wordy, looking pleased with himself.

  Cam was intrigued. “Vala, Teal’c?” They were nowhere to be seen. Teal’c never missed breakfast; something big must be happening.

  “Gone with.” He said. “You done?” Daniel couldn’t hide his own curiosity. He had this feeling they were on the cusp of something big.

  “Yeah, I’m done. Let’s go.” Cam pushed himself up from the table, he grabbed an apple on the way out. Not to miss a thing, his roving eye caught sight of Lieutenant Chamberlain. She was a nurse who had attended his many wounds several times back at the SGC; now working here at the Alpha Site. As he passed by, he quietly spoke her name. “Aeryn.”

  The young woman merely smiled at him. Daniel turned his head. “What?”

  “Nothing.” Cam said, wishing he could leave Jackson to go off on his own. “Nothing.” The two of them headed up one level, all they had to do then was to follow the noise. At a T junction not far from the gate room, those engineers Cam saw earlier were hammering into the concrete wall. They had oxy acetylene to cut through the reo bars.

  “Sam?” He said, joining a circle of onlookers watching the progress. Big Teal’c was helping carry away large chunks of concrete. Vala was there to encourage the work.

  “You won’t believe it Cam.” She told him, not even turning her head.

  “Try me.” He said unfussed. There was little in life that phased the man.

  It was an effort to draw her eyes away from the work. Daniel absently thought this whole scene reminded him of ‘Mad, mad, mad world’, when they were digging up the suit case under the ‘Big W’. “As soon as we arrived, Bill went with Doctor McKell and her team down to the base.” She paused. “Yes, we’re calling it that now. One of the first things they established was that this wasn’t just some random Ancient outpost as we’ve found in ruins before. This was a defence base. There are two, not one, control chairs down there.” Her excitement went up another level as one of the drills had broken through to an empty space. She continued. “They found at least five levels, hundreds of rooms. The place as far as they could find, was about half the size of Atlantis. But that wasn’t all.” She stopped as a large piece of concrete fell back with a loud bang.

  “Aww come on Sam, don’t tease.” Cameron told her.

  She cut to the chase. “There were transporters down there. Bill wanted to know where they went. One of the IT techs who had been at both the Antarctic base and Atlantis managed to fire up the system. Cam it is still alive!” She knew she was causing him grief. “They mapped the transporter network. One of them ends here” She pointed to where there was now a large hole in the wall.

  The thing about the Alpha site base, was where and how it was built. The main building, completed two years ago, after several temporary buildings, was built into the base of a small mountain. The site was chosen because of a network of existing tunnels, the locals said had been there when their ancestors arrived over a thousand years ago, courtesy of an Asgard plan to set up a base of human warriors to help them fight the Goa’uld. They were known as the ‘Cavaleiros’, loosely translated from Portuguese as ‘the horsemen’. Fierce warriors who went into battle on the backs of highly trained warhorses. The network of tunnels had been used for such mundane things as wine storage and mushroom cultivation.

  As the workers opened up the wall further, Sam continued. “Apparently, we utilised some existing tunnels that were a part of this system. The thing we can’t figure out now, since Bill said he found where it had been, is why the Stargate was outside when we got here.”

  “Colonel Carter, there it is.” One of the engineers told her. And there before them, stood the door of a transporter, not too much unlike those on Atlantis, perhaps an older version.

  Stepping over chunks of concrete, something caught Sam’s eye. She picked up a piece of dark grey rock, it almost crumbled in her hand. “What’s this?” She asked curiously, noticing it was a lot different to the wall material. One of the engineers on her knees looked up at her.

  “This was behind our wall ma’am. It was covering the door, and I guess it broke up as soon as we started drilling.” The young woman crushed a piece of it in her own hand. “My guess it’s the Ancient form of cement, there was no reinforcing for it though.”

  “Like a plaster?” Sam asked.

  “Ma’am.” She nodded. “Which is why I suppose it wasn’t noticed when the Alpha site was built. It does blend in with the native rock.”

  “It gets more interesting by the minute.” Cam observed.

  ___________________________________________________________________________

  The Answer

  The questions and answers went back and forth for a while, Cate realised at some point, Sachi had been well schooled, and for one of her age, she figured it might be something much closer to brainwashing. She did however have one more ace up her sleeve, right on time someone pipped her coms. “He’s here now ma’am.” The voice told her.

  “Send him down.” Cate kept her tone casual, giving Sachi no reason to be alarmed.

  Minutes passed. The door opened. Sachi barely glanced up… then she froze.

  The book slipped from her fingers. The man standing in the doorway was impossible. Darlen Tesk. Her sergeant.

  But he wasn’t dressed in the uniform she remembered. No Lucian Alliance fatigues, no battle-worn body armour. Instead, he wore the formal dark green of the Vegema infantry, polished and pristine. A deep blue sash slashed across his chest, and on his collar… two gleaming bars. A Captain.

  Her mouth moved, but no words came. She had seen men defect before, seen them forced into servitude, seen them broken. But Darlen?

  “Hello, Sachi,” he said quietly.

  She scrambled to her feet, her chair nearly tipping over. “You… you’re with them?”

  Darlen didn’t move. “I’m with us.”

  Her breathing hitched. She took a step back, then another. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.

  Cate watched the silent battle unfold across the girl’s face; the way her chest rose and fell too fast, the way she clenched her fists to stop them from shaking.

  Darlen held up a hand, palm open. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

  Sachi’s jaw tightened. “Then why are you here?”

  Cate spoke up. “Because we want the truth.”

  Sachi shook her head, backing away until her legs hit the bed. “No,” she whispered. “No. You think you can break me?” She looked at Darlen, something desperate in her eyes. “You think you can break me?”

  Darlen sighed. “I don’t need to.” He glanced at Cate. “She’s not ready.”

  Cate studied Sachi for a long moment, then nodded. “Alright.” She turned and walked toward the door. Darlen hesitated, then followed.

  They made it halfway down the corridor before a Marine called after them.

  “Captain Tesk!”

  They stopped, turning back. The Marine stood at the door to Sachi’s room, listening to something on his earpiece. He looked up.

  “She wants to talk to you.”

  Cate took a step forward, but the Marine shook his head. “Sorry, not you, ma’am. Just him.”

  Cate exhaled, nodding. She shot Darlen a look… one last don’t push too hard… before stepping back.

  Darlen re-entered the room.

  Sachi sat on the edge of the bed, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She didn’t look up. “I don’t know why I called you back.”

  Darlen leaned against the wall; arms crossed. “Maybe you do.”

  A pause. Then, in a quiet, broken voice, she began to speak.

  She told him everything.

  How, in the last desperate hours of the battle, one of Horgfells lieutenants had come to her. Given her an order; shed her uniform, blend in, wait for the right moment. Given her a long-range communicator. How she had infiltrated the first batch of Tau’ri pilot cadets under an alias. How she had fed intelligence back to Lucia. And then, the real horror. The moment they told her what she had to do.

  Kill Bixby.

  They had framed it as duty. A test of loyalty. The promise that if she succeeded, she would return a hero. And the unspoken threat; if she failed, if she refused; she might never see her family again.

  Darlen let the silence stretch, let her words settle.

  Then, quietly, he asked, “Who was your contact?”

  Sachi hesitated, then exhaled a breath that was almost a sob.

  “Professor Karen Parker,” she whispered. “The maths lecturer.”

  Darlen’s jaw tightened.

  He pushed off the wall, stepping closer. “You’re scared,” he said, quieter now. “I get it. I do.” He knelt slightly to meet her eye level. “But it’s over, Sachi. You don’t have to do this anymore.”

  She shook her head, trembling. “You don’t understand… They don’t just let people go.”

  Darlen didn’t argue. He knew better than anyone that the Lucian Alliance didn’t forgive betrayal.

  But he also knew that, for the first time since the battle, Sachi wanted a way out.

  And that was a start.

  ___________________________________________________________________________

  Darlen stood and left without another word. Outside, he found Cate waiting. She read his face immediately.

  “Who?” she asked.

  “Karen Parker.”

  Cate blinked. “No, it can’t be. That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I know,” Darlen replied grimly.

  Cate exhaled, pressing her radio. “Colonel Bixby, we have a problem.”

  A moment later, Michelle Bixby’s voice crackled back. “Who is it?”

  Cate hesitated, then sighed. “Parker.”

  Silence. Then: “No. That’s not possible.”

  “It is,” Cate said. “Sachi gave her up.”

  Another pause. Then Michelle’s voice returned, more subdued, almost reluctant. “Cate, I have lunch with Parker almost every day. She’s a friend, she was in the first of us to arrive at the Alpha Site six years ago.”

  “She’s also a Lucian agent,” Cate said grimly. “And I think she must have been playing us for a long time.”

  A moment passed, then Michelle’s tone hardened. “Let me handle it. Quietly.”

  Cate turned back to the Marine sergeant nearby. “Sachi is to be moved to Delta Section.”

  The Marine looked at her, surprised. “Ma’am? That’s for VIP prisoners. The rooms are… suites.”

  “I know that and she’s to be given decent clothing as well,” Cate added. “We don’t need her in prison orange.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  As they walked towards the command section, Cate’s mind churned. ‘What was it with that damn sarcophagus in the Tel’tak?’ It seemed like every revelation they uncovered led to something deeper, something worse.

  A short while later, Michelle’s voice returned over the comms. “We have Parker. She’s in my office.”

  Cate exchanged a glance with Darlen. “On our way.”

  ___________________________________________________________________________

  The Gene

  Bill Lee gives the go-ahead to test the transporter, and after a moment of tense silence, the device hums to life. The test is successful, and with a collective sigh of relief, SG-1, Doctor Lee, and Tyra step through, ready to continue their investigation.

  They’re immediately hit with a cool, sterile atmosphere as they make their way down three levels of the Ancient complex. Bill, walking alongside them, points out that there are still five more levels below their current position, though some excavation is needed to fully access them.

  "This place is massive," Sam remarks, surveying the stone and steel architecture as they move deeper into the complex. "I can’t believe it’s been hidden all this time."

  Tyra, glancing around, nods. "It’s like walking through a forgotten city. I can only imagine what’s deeper down."

  As they reach their destination, scans confirm that the structure is slightly older than the Antarctic outpost but still within the same technological lineage, adding another layer to the mystery.

  "I’m starting to think we’ve barely scratched the surface," Daniel muses, his voice filled with wonder as he examines the walls.

  The team proceeds with caution, carefully navigating the ancient hallways. Eventually, they find what appears to be the original location of the Stargate; now gone. The absence raises more questions, particularly about why the Gate was moved above ground, but there’s no time to investigate that now. They make a mental note to return to it later.

  "I suppose we can be thankful we built a gate room for the Stargate," Sam ponders, her eyes scanning the area where it once stood. "But you do have to question why it was moved in the first place.” She was aware that she had mentioned the same thing earlier, the question though, was bugging her. “Was it purely functional, or something else?"

  Tyra doesn’t answer right away. Instead, without realising it she leads the group onward, her eyes drawn to a strange structure just ahead. It looks like a control room; similar to what they found on Atlantis, but lacking the dial-up console. Instead, a large, enigmatic piece of equipment stands at the centre of the room, with a blank glass panel on the wall behind it.

  She steps up to it, intrigued, and runs her hand along the edge of the control. To her surprise, the equipment comes to life, lighting up and filling the screen with a deep blue hue. As the map appears, showing the immediate area around the planet, even Chekov and Hammond appear as two small blue squares in the distance.

  Tyra jerks her hand back in shock, her voice tinged with panic. "I didn’t mean to break anything!" she exclaims, looking over at Sam and the others.

  Vala, standing near the back, can’t help but smirk. "Oh boy," she says with mock seriousness, "looks like the Ancient gene is contagious. You’ve caught the flu from Cate, haven’t you?"

  Cam grins, leaning casually against the wall. "Great, now we’ve got another O'Neill/Sheppard prodigy on our hands. What’s next, Tyra, start glowing in the dark?"

  Sam, her tone a little more upbeat than usual, gives Tyra an encouraging smile. "Actually, I think you’ve just activated something important. This tech seems like it was used for planetary defence."

  Teal’c, ever the voice of calm reason, adds, "Indeed. It is likely that this was meant to safeguard this world from outside threats."

  Daniel, eager as ever to get to the heart of the mystery, steps forward, eyes glued to the map. "We should check the database. There’s bound to be more information here."

  Meanwhile, Sam scans the room, her mind clearly still on Cate. "Has anyone seen Cate?" she asks, her voice laced with concern.

  Tyra looks up from the control panel, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah, last I saw her, she was questioning Sachi. But…" She hesitates, her brow furrowing. "I think she’s been set up. The way she’s acting, she’s terrified of something… or someone. Cate didn’t say much when I left them.”

  Vala’s teasing expression softens for a moment, sensing the tension in the room. "That sounds like Cate, she won’t tell you a thing until she needs to"

  "I agree," Sam responds, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But we’ll have to wait until she’s ready to report. For now, let’s focus on what we can learn here."

  Cate arrived at Bixby’s office to find a red-haired woman in her mid-forties, striking in an understated way, dressed like a high school principal. She sat opposite Michelle, her expression carefully neutral. Outside, two Navy service police stood at attention, their grim faces making it clear this wasn’t a casual discussion. One of them announced Cate’s arrival, and Michelle waved her in.

  There was an extra chair next to Bixby. Cate took it without a word, locking eyes with Parker, who didn’t so much as flinch.

  Michelle wasted no time. “Is Karen Parker your real name?”

  A simple “Yes.” Then silence.

  “How long have you been a Lucian Alliance agent?”

  A flicker; so small Cate almost missed it. A muscle tightening in Parker’s jaw. Still, she said nothing.

  Michelle continued, unfazed. “We reviewed CCTV footage. You’ve been in Sachi’s room late at night, multiple times over the past few weeks. And then there’s your medical history…” She slid a tablet across the desk. “… six years ago, you tested positive for ovarian cancer at a private clinic and admitted to the Academy Hospital in Colorado Springs, you received two treatments of chemo therapy then signed yourself out. Not long after, you were assigned to the Alpha Site. A year later, you tested again; remission. No recorded further treatment.”

  Cate leaned forward; voice cool. “That’s one hell of a recovery.”

  Parker exhaled slowly. “You don’t have much to go on, do you.” Her voice was steady, but she shifted slightly in her chair. “And as for Sachi, I was tutoring her.”

  Cate tilted her head. “Sure. And I suppose you just happened to come into possession of a Tel’tak and a fully operational sarcophagus?”

  Silence again. This time, a long one.

  Then Parker sighed and muttered, “You think I’m a Goa’uld, obviously.”

  Both Cate and Michelle responded in unison: “Yes.”

  Parker lowered her head. When she raised it, her voice had changed. That unmistakable, resonant distortion.

  “I am Pretaya of the Tok’ra.”

  Cate’s gut twisted, she had never met either a Goa’uld or a Tok’ra, but she’d studied enough about them. The room felt suddenly colder.

  “I was tasked years ago to infiltrate Ba’al’s ranks,” Pretaya continued. “My host’s body was failing; she would not have survived another year. Then Karen Parker came to us, desperate for a cure. A bargain was made.”

  Cate exchanged a glance with Michelle, but her gut reaction was clear; bullshit.

  “That’s convenient,” Cate said flatly.

  “If you doubt me, contact Anise.”

  Michelle tapped the request into her tablet, sending it off to the Control Room with practiced efficiency. Across the room, Cate remained still, her expression unreadable, patience etched into every breath. The minutes stretched on. Then, ten minutes later Sergeant Cooper, the duty Gate Tech, called and gave the confirmation.

  Cate pushed back in her chair, crossing her arms. “And when Ba’al fell, what? You just forgot to tell Stargate Command you had switched targets?”

  Pretaya met her gaze, unflinching. “Every time we have tried to work with the Tau’ri, it has ended in disaster for us. I was placed within the Lucian Alliance to continue our intelligence efforts. I have remained undetected; until now. If you keep me here, you put every Tok’ra agent inside Lucia at risk.” She hardened. “The Alliance is not just a threat to you, Colonel. They are a threat to this entire galaxy.”

  Cate clenched her teeth. As much as she hated to admit it, that part was true.

  Michelle’s voice was calmer. “And Sachi? You changed her orders, didn’t you?”

  Pretaya nodded once.

  Michelle let out a slow breath, but Cate wasn’t done. “Fine. Then answer this.” She leaned forward; eyes sharp. “Why the sarcophagus? That doesn’t exactly scream Tok’ra ethics.”

  Something shifted in Parker’s face. Her lips parted, then pressed shut. She took a slow breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was quieter.

  “My father is dying.” She hesitated. “He is too old to take a symbiote. When I received word… I panicked. I stole the sarcophagus, hoping I could buy a little more time with him.”

  Cate wasn’t sure what she’d expected; but it wasn’t that.

  Pretaya’s eyes shone, but her voice steadied. “I was too late to help her.” A pause. Then she said, almost bitterly, “Destroy it as soon as possible.”

  Silence hung between them.

  Cate had been with the Stargate program for only eighteen months. In that time, she had never come face to face with an alien species. Yet here she was, speaking to a human who was merely a conduit for an alien to interact with the world. The way Karen Parker/Pretaya spoke confused her, relating to one another as separate entities on the one hand, then as a single being on the other. But she slowly began to understand their cryptic ways, and perhaps their secretive agendas. But this wasn’t some abstract political manoeuvre. This was personal. And despite everything, Cate saw it for what it was; a moment of raw, human grief. It seemed as if in this case, the symbiote was letting the host control their emotions. The compassionate side of Cate, the one she had built a wall around was being assaulted. “My father is dying.” That was the single one thing that she could relate to.

  Still, it didn’t change the reality of the situation. They couldn’t just let her go.

  Michelle folded her arms, nodding toward the door. “We have a problem.”

  Cate exhaled, rubbing her temple. “Yeah. If we don’t get her out, the Alliance is going to start asking questions.”

  And if the Tok’ra wanted their agent back, they were going to have to deal with Earth.

  Whether they liked it or not.

  “There is one more thing.” Karen’s voice, thick with fear, broke the silence.

  Both Michelle and Cate felt that emotion; genuine, unmasked fear. It was Cate who answered flatly. “More bad news?”

  The other woman nodded. “The Alliance is planning a large-scale attack. At this point in time, it is undecided whether it will be here or Earth.” Her face looked drawn with worry when she added, “We need to get back there.” The ‘we’ was obviously both host and symbiote.

  The other two women looked startled. Michelle spoke first. “When? Do you know when?”

  “Two weeks; fourteen days.” She hesitated. “But that was from Monday. I’m already overdue.” She looked increasingly fearful. “I need to get back.”

  Cate’s gut tightened as she processed the timeline. Twelve days. No time at all.

  “Bloody hell!” Cate swore. “That gives us twelve days to prepare. Nowhere near enough time.”

  Michelle’s expression mirrored Parker’s growing anxiety. “It’ll have to be, Cate. I’ll call Sam Carter up here immediately.”

  The tension in the room was palpable, each of them aware of how little time they had to deal with an escalating crisis… and how many lives hung in the balance.

  ___________________________________________________________________________

  As SG-1 gathered around the Ancient console, Daniel’s gaze shifted to Tyra, still recovering from her discovery. “With young Tyra here having the gene,” he began, his voice low but filled with curiosity, “do we have any idea how deep it runs among the people of Vegema? What if there are more like her?”

  Sam considered the question, her brows furrowing slightly. “We’ve only scratched the surface. If the gene is prevalent there, it could change everything; not just for us, but for them. There’s so much we still don’t understand about how it manifests in different populations.”

  Before they could continue, Sam’s communicator beeped, the sharp tone cutting through the moment.

  “Carter, we need you upstairs, now. Parker has a lot to explain.”

  Sam exchanged a quick glance with Cam. “Copy that, Michelle.” She looked back at Daniel, her expression serious. “We’ll keep you updated. You too, Teal’c, Vala.”

  With that, Sam and Cam made their way to the transporter elevator. They were whisked upward, arriving at Bixby’s office moments later. Michelle and Cate were already inside, with Parker seated, her demeanour tense.

  Sam stepped inside, her voice sharp with urgency. “What’s going on?”

  Michelle barely glanced up. “Remember that undercover Alliance agent? She’s not Alliance. She’s Tok’ra.”

  Cam’s brow shot up. “Well, that’s a plot twist.” He turned to Parker. “You were planning on filling in the gaps here?”

  Parker nodded, her tone even. “The Tok’ra embedded me years ago to monitor the Alliance. But now, with Hallam’s faction looking for allies, the balance is shifting. We have a real shot at ending this war.”

  Sam exchanged a look with Cam before crossing her arms. “And we’re just supposed to take your word for it?”

  Parker met her gaze, unwavering. “You don’t have to. But if you ignore this, Earth might be fighting this war alone.”

  Michelle didn’t waste any time. “Professor Parker has quite a story to tell us. She’s Tok’ra, pretending to be a Lucian Alliance agent.” Her tone was one of resignment, as if she had already accepted the woman’s position.

  Cam leaned against the doorframe; his arms crossed. “Let me guess, playing both sides?”

  Parker gave a sharp nod, her face unreadable, she related again the full story, then added another level to the already murky picture. “The Tok’ra infiltrated the Alliance to keep an eye on things. But there’s more,” she said, her voice growing more serious. “The Free Lucian movement, led by Hallam, is trying to overthrow the Alliance. They want Earth’s support.”

  Sam’s expression turned thoughtful. “And what’s in it for us? Why should we help them?”

  Parker’s eyes met Sam’s, unwavering. “If you can help Hallam rally support from the Free Jaffa, the Serrakin, and other groups, I can guarantee the Tok'ra will be there in force. We are much stronger now than you might think. But Earth’s backing is crucial to make it happen.”

  Sam’s brow furrowed as she absorbed the weight of Parker’s words. “So, this isn’t just about stopping the attack on Earth. It’s about uniting the galaxy against the Alliance.”

  Parker nodded, her gaze unwavering. “Exactly. If Earth throws its weight behind Hallam, we can build a coalition capable of taking down the Alliance for good.”

  Sam’s attention flicked to Cate, then Michelle, her gaze hardening. “I’ll need to call Landry,” she said, then looked to Cam. “Stay here. I’ll be back with answers.”

  Excusing herself from the group, Sam left Bixby’s office and made her way to the Stargate control room. The hum of activity in the facility was a sharp contrast to the charged atmosphere she’d just left behind. The usual bustle of personnel going about their work filled the air, seemingly unaware of the gravity of what was unfolding. Sam approached the communications terminal, her movements purposeful.

  Cam looked back and forth to the others, he looked as if the whole galaxy was resting on his shoulders. “It never ends, does it?”

  “No Colonel, it doesn’t.” Cate’s face was unreadable. Inside was turmoil, she now knew what to expect.

  "Dial Earth please sergeant," Sam said to the gate technician, her voice steady despite the urgency in her mind.

  The technician nodded, swiftly entering the sequence to open the gate. Sam keyed in the code to contact General Landry as the familiar symbols began to whirl into place.

  Once the wormhole settled, the connection was established quickly. Landry’s face appeared on the screen, his expression stern. “Sam, what’s going on?”

  Sam wasted no time. “It’s a long story sir. To be brief, Professor Parker is Tok’ra. There is a hell of a lot more, and I’ll brief you when I have more time.” She adjusted her expression, worry just fell into place. “She told us not too long ago that the Alliance is planning an attack. She also mentioned the Free Lucian movement, led by Hallam, and how they’re seeking Earth’s support to overthrow the current regime.” Sam sucked in her breath. “I think we should help them, sir.”

  Landry’s face tightened. “Understood Sam, SG-1 stays where you are. The Hammond and Chekov are already in position. I’ll see if I can get the Apollo in the area, but it’s going to take some time to coordinate. We’ll need to be ready. If the Alliance targets Earth, we’ll need more than just ships. You’re going to have to prepare for the worst.”

  Sam nodded, though she knew the odds weren’t in their favour. “Agreed, sir. We’ll hold the line here.”

  “Good. We’ll stay in touch. And Colonel; be careful.”

  “I will, sir. Carter out.”

  Sam exhaled deeply, her mind racing with the implications of the conversation. After a moment of collecting herself, she turned and made her way back to Bixby’s office. The door slid open, and she entered, the weight of Landry’s response hanging in the air.

  “The Hammond and Chekov are on standby,” Sam said as she rejoined the group. “Landry’s going to see what he can do about getting the Apollo in position. But we need to prepare for a serious fight.”