Sentinel at the Gate
Trish


Disclaimer: All the standard disclaimers apply; I don't own either the
Sentinel or Stargate series (shucks) and receive absolutely no
remuneration for these stories. As always, your comments are welcome.

Sentinel at the Gate
By Trish

"Man this is going to be so cool." Blair said happily as he packed. "It
was really great for Simon to let you have the time off to go to Peru
with me. It's only going to be for a couple of weeks but we get to
check out the new site that was uncovered in the La Montana region." He
looked up at his partner and smiled. "Maybe we'll run into some of the
people from your Chopec tribe."

Jim stood in the doorway of the younger man's room, watching his hyper
partner as he packed, waiting for him to take a breath.

"Take it easy, Chief. You keep going at this pace and you will be worn
out before we get on the plane tomorrow."

Blair grinned; he was excited because he was combining the best of both
worlds. He was going on an important expedition and his Sentinel would
be at his side. The younger man was still amazed at how well everything
had worked out.

"Are you finished packing?" Blair asked the big man blocking his
doorway.

"Yep, all packed. Of course I didn't try to pack all of my belongings
in one bag." He gestured at the overstuffed pack. Blair turned red with
the realization that his enthusiasm had gotten the better of him. "You
need some help whittling that pile of stuff down to a manageable
level?"

Blair sat down on his bed and started to laugh. "No, I've got it,"
Blair said as he started unloading the pack, shaking his head at the
eclectic collection of stuff it contained. "I'll get this weeded out
while you go through the refrigerator and pack the food we're going to
take to the shelter tonight. Jim nodded and headed for the kitchen.
"Thank goodness the kitchen sink isn't portable or I probably would
have tried to pack it too." Blair muttered under his breath as he
emptied the rest of the pack. He heard a burst of laughter from the
kitchen and grinned.

OoooO

The next morning they met up with the rest of the group going to Peru.
Professor Witieer was the leader of the expedition. He was a small
timid looking man, with a nervous habit that would soon get on Jim's
nerves...he unconsciously made a tsk, tsk sound after every sentence he
spoke, like a strange form of punctuation. The other members of the
group were young grad students. Jessica and Jeffery were the Fallon
twins. Both stood six feet tall and were extremely thin. The other
member of the team was a big, slow talking young man from Mississippi
everyone had nicknamed Bubba. Luckily Donald Elliott the Third had a
good sense of humor about it and at times played into the stereotype.

Jim and Blair were grateful that they were seated far enough away from
the good professor to prevent conversation, and the couples with small
children were on the other end of the plane. Jim still kept his hearing
dialed down as far as possible.

They arrived at their destination in good condition and decided to stay
in a local hotel for the night and getting a good night's rest before
tackling the day long trip to the site. 

Long before dinner was over, Jim was ready to gag the professor with
his own tie. Blair watched as his partner's jaw muscles clenched
tighter and tighter trying to hold back the words.

"Come on, Jim, filter it out." Blair said softly. Jim just looked at
him, the younger man smiled. "You can do it, just turn him down." The
detective focused on the dials and turned the annoying professor down
as far as he could. He slowly relaxed. Blair patted his arm with
approval. "I knew you could do it." Jim looked pointedly at his watch
and leaned toward his partner.

"How soon can we get out of here?" He whispered. Blair looked around
noticing that Witieer seemed to have gained his second wind, while
everyone else was starting to drag.

"I think now would be a good time." He turned to the professor and
gained his attention. "Well, tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.
I'm going to hit the rack. Goodnight everyone." Blair stated as he
stood with Jim quickly following suit. Everyone acted like they had
grasped a branch pulling them out of quicksand. The volume at the table
rose as the others said their good nights. Jim and Blair made their
escape.

"Are we going to be able to get through the next two weeks without
hurting someone?"

"Nah, I won't hurt anyone but I might gag the Professor." Jim laughed,
regaining his sense of humor.

"Man, I am so sorry. I've never been around him long enough to notice
his speech habits." 

"It's alright. Once we get into the jungle, it will be easier to avoid
him." Jim said as they entered their room. They quickly settled in for
a good night's sleep.

Jim was pulled from sleep by an uneasy feeling; it was not unlike the
sensations he got before an earthquake. He laid still for a few moments
trying to sense movement. When nothing happened, he tried to go back to
sleep. Blair had heard his partner's restless movements.

"Jim, you okay?"

"Sorry, Chief. I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

The younger man sat up in his bed and looked over at the dark shape
sitting on the other bed. "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing. I thought I felt something. It's probably just a
reaction to all the traveling we've done today." Jim replied.

"Are you sure it's not something else?" Blair persisted.

"I'm sure, now go back to sleep." Jim said as he lay back down. Blair
wasn't satisfied with the answer, but was too sleepy to push further.
He made a promise to himself to get the whole story in the morning.

OoooO

The next morning Blair kept a close watch on his partner. He noticed
that whatever woke Jim in the middle of the night was keeping Jim on
edge.

"What's going on, Jim? You look like you're about to jump out of your
skin." Concern was evident in the younger man's voice.

"I don't know, Chief."

"What does it feel like?"

"I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet." Jim answered sounding
confused.

Blair rested his hand on Jim's shoulder. "Is it like anything you've
sensed before?" He asked trying to get a clearer picture of what was
going on.

Jim shook his head. "At first it seemed like what I feel before an
earthquake. Then it settled into a continuos hum." The big man
shrugged. Whatever it is, I have a feeling we will find out soon
enough. Come on, Chief, I'm starving and this will probably be the last
real food we're likely to see for a while."

OoooO

It took most of the morning to drive to the drop off point. They
unloaded the jeeps and started the rest of the trek on foot. Jim felt a
strange sense of homecoming. He absorbed the familiar sights and sounds
of a place that had once been home. The big detective wanted to take
the lead to the site but decided not to antagonize the professor. He
and Blair brought up the rear, taking the opportunity to talk with out
being overheard.

"Is this area familiar to you?" Blair asked curiously, looking around
at the jungle surrounding them.

"Yeah, chief. We're on the edge of Chopec territory." He pointed at a
rock formation a short distance away. "You see those rocks?" Blair
nodded. "They mark the northern boundary. From the map the professor
has, we will be on the edges of their territory most of the time."

"Are they...?"

"Yeah, Chief, we are being watched. They know who we are."

Blair relaxed, he knew they had nothing to fear from the local
inhabitants. Jim suddenly stopped. "Come on, Chief, someone needs to
talk to us." The two men faded back, allowing the rest of the group to
continue on. Once they were out of sight, two Chopec warriors seemed,
to Blair's eyes, to appear out of thin air. He tried to follow the
rapid conversation, but was lost after the first couple of words. It
was difficult but he patiently waited knowing his partner would fill
him in. 

As easily as they appeared, they faded from sight. Blair could see the
signs of worry on his partner's face. "What was that all about?"

"They were waiting for us. They knew we were coming."

"How did they find out we would be here?"

"The new Shaman..." Jim looked away. "...had a vision that we would
arrive in their time of need."

"What do they mean time of need?" Blair was beginning to worry.

"They said the Snake men had returned and the tribe was in danger." Jim
held up a hand to forestall another question. "There is a legend of
Snake men who walk through a stone with lightening weapons. They
kidnapped whole villages. All of the tribes banded together and
overpowered the guardians of the stone and buried it deep in the ground
to close it forever."

"Oh, man, the excavation. Why do I have a feeling that we have landed
in the middle of a major mess again?"

"Maybe because we usually do." Jim said helpfully. He received a
halfhearted glare from his guide. "Come on, Chief we need to catch up
with the others."

They quickly caught up with the group. Jim pulled the professor aside
and explained that there was possible trouble at the site.

"I didn't have any problems the last time I was here. Tsk, tsk."
Witieer argued. "I don't see why we have to wait, while you check it
out. You wouldn't even know how to find it."

Jim was growing tired of the annoying little man's argument and glared
at him. "Professor Witieer." Jim said through clenched teeth. "I lived
in this area for eighteen months and I know every inch of this terrain,
your site is at..." Jim proceeded to describe in detail the exact route
to the excavation site. "...When the Chopec say there is a danger they
are not exaggerating." Witieer visibly deflated and backed down. "Now
you need to set up camp here. You should be safe if you don't wander
off." Jim turned to his partner. "Let's go, Chief, and check this out."

OoooO

They had almost reached the site when Jim came to a halt. "Hold up,
Chief." He whispered. "I can hear people talking." They crept closer to
the site. They both recognized the military uniforms on the people
surrounding the site and the standing circle of stone. Blair's
attention was caught when he saw a man with longish blond hair,
slightly older than himself. He reached over and tugged on his
partner's arm.

"Jim, I know that guy, the one with the blond hair."

Jim turned. "Where from?"

"He's an anthropologist I had a run in with a few years before I met
you. His name is Daniel Jackson; he's an expert on ancient languages
and cultures. I met him at a conference." Blair looked confused. "I
wonder what he's doing with the military?"

OoooO

"I wonder how long this Stargate has been inactive?" Daniel asked
running his hand along the face of the ring. He could see signs that
someone had tried to destroy it sometime in the past.

"No telling." Col. Jack O'Neill answered as he prepared the explosive
charges. "All we need to worry about is getting rid of it."

Teal'c suddenly stood. "O'Neill." The big man said quietly.

"What?"

"We are being watched."

"How can you tell?"

"I can feel it."

Jack quickly passed word to the rest of his team to warn them that they
had company.

OoooO

"Come on, Chief, we need to go down there. They know they're being
watched and are starting to stress about it." Jim said getting to his
feet. He reached down to help his young partner up.

"You said it. The last thing we want is stressed people with automatic
weapons." Blair muttered. They slowly walked toward the site with their
hands visible at their sides. When they came into sight, weapons were
quickly aimed at them.

"Man, I hope none of these guys are trigger happy." Blair said just
loud enough for his Sentinel to hear.

"You and me both." Jim whispered.

Four of the people at the site watched the approaching pair with
varying degrees of recognition. Jack recognized the taller of the two
men as the army ranger who had crashed and survived in the jungle for
eighteen months before being recovered. Captain Carter remembered the
article in time magazine. Daniel recognized the younger man as an
overly enthusiastic student of anthropology he had met at a conference
years ago. Daniel also remembered with embarrassment that he had been
incredibly rude to the young man at their last meeting. The person
who's reaction concerned Jim the most was that of Teal'c. Jim could
sense the tall black man was different; Jim couldn't shake the
uncomfortable feeling he had. The Sentinel could sense the physical
signs of fear emanating from the big man.

Teal'c had gone past fear...he was terrified. He knew what the tall man
was and his close proximity to the Stargate was the greatest threat the
Jaffa had ever known.

As the two visitors were being introduced around, Teal'c pulled Jack
aside. Jim listened in. "O'Neill, the man Ellison is in great danger.
He must be moved away from the gate as quickly as possible." Teal'c
warned.

Jack was confused. "Why is he in any more danger than the rest of us?"

Teal'c looked over at Ellison and was not surprised to see him
watching. "He is a special one, a Guardian. The Goa'uld hunt for ones
like him. My ancestors were bred to feel their presence."

"What's so special about him?" Jack asked looking over at Ellison. The
big man was quietly talking to his young partner.

"He is enhanced. All of his senses are greater. The Goa'uld prize
guardians as hosts. Thankfully they are extremely rare. A Goa'uld with
an enhanced host would be a hundred times more powerful than Apophis."

Jack looked across the clearing and was surprised to see Ellison
starring at him, then the big man slowly nodded.

"Great." Jack muttered to himself. "It's never simple...multiple gates,
snake-headed aliens, enhanced people, what next?" O'Neill saw Ellison's
body tense and the big man looking around, finally turning to face the
Stargate. Blair put his hand on his partner's back.

"What is it?" Blair asked.

"I don't know. I think that thing is activating." Jim could feel the
build-up of energy surrounding the Stargate. 

Captain Carter had been watching the two men. "What's wrong?" She asked
when she noticed the visitor's intense in the gate.

Jim gestured at the stone ring. "This thing is about to turn on."

"How do you..." She stopped mid sentence as the ring began to audibly
power-up. "Oh, shit, Colonel." She yelled.

"Okay people, you know the drill. Spread out. Ellison, Sandburg, you're
with me." They all moved into a half circle in front of the gate just
out of sight. O'Neill made sure the two civilians were behind him when
the gate opened.

"What the hell is happening?" Blair asked.

"Remember the legend of the snakemen I was telling you about?" Blair
nodded. "Well, I think we are about to see the real thing." They
watched as the gate began to move. Blair was fascinated by the
mechanics of a device over millennia old. The saw the inner ring turn,
stopping at specific symbols. Jim felt a major build up of energy an
instant before a visible displacement of air.

"Whoa," Blair said as they watched the interior of the circle calm,
showing a surface that reminded the younger man of a pond with a light
reflecting on it. "What happens now?"

"Company." Jack said tersely, taking the safety off of the weapon in
his hands.

Jim and Blair watched in amazement as the first figure stepped through
the gate. He was holding a staff similar to the one Teal'c carried.
They watched as more people followed the first. The alien visitors took
up a perimeter around the gate. The SG-1 team was surprised when the
Jaffa that seemed to be in charge turned and stared in Jim's direction.

Teal'c made his way to the side of the Sentinel and Guide. From their
position they could see the Jaffa speaking and gesturing.

"Ellison, can you hear what they are saying?" Teal'c asked abruptly.

Jim focused his hearing on the invaders. "I can hear the words but I
don't understand the language."

"Just repeat the words, I will translate."

Jim repeated everything as closely as possible. Teal'c translated what
was said out loud for the other members of their party. When Jim and
Teal'c fell silent, they were all shaken. The Jaffa had sensed that
there was a guardian near the Stargate, and their mission was to
capture him as soon as the reinforcements arrived.

"Okay Colonel, what do we do now?" Blair asked.

"First thing is to get the two of you away from the gate."

"Works for me." Blair said. He knew his partner would not be happy
being pulled so far back from the action. He was surprised when Jim
readily agreed. It took a few minutes for him to realize that Jim
expected the aliens to follow them.

"I want you to move a couple of miles away. Hopefully, this will draw
some of them off so the rest of the team will have a chance to destroy
the gate." The Colonel directed. "Teal'c will stay with you."

Jim nodded and the small group started moving away from the gate. Once
out of earshot they began to run, wanting to get into position as
quickly as possible. The trio stopped when they reached the designated
area. While Jim scanned the area verifying that, for the moment, they
were safe, Blair started watching Teal'c.

"You're like the ones that came through the gate, aren't you?" Blair
asked.

"Yes, I am Jaffa."

"How did you hook up with O'Neill and his team?" Jim asked.

"They came to my world. I saw warriors who were willing to fight the
Goa'uld. I knew I must fight at their side. It has been difficult, but
we have learned to trust."

"You keep talking about the Goa'uld...who are they?" Blair asked.

"The Goa'uld are a race of parasites. They can infest anyone. When they
do, they become powerful. Many peoples have mistaken them for gods."

"Can they be killed?" Jim asked, not liking the tenor of the
conversation and remembering the one he had over heard.

A dark smile appeared on their new companion's face. "Oh, yes, they can
be killed. It is extremely difficult but it can be done." Blair
shivered as he listened.

"Wait a minute." Blair interrupted. "They can infest anyone?" Teal'c
nodded. Blair looked at his partner with worry.

"Don't worry, Chief. We won't let that happen." The two men looked at
each other with absolute understanding. They knew no matter what, they
would not be separated. If the Sentinel were infested by the Goa'uld,
his Guide's last act would be to destroy him.

Teal'c explained about the Jaffa tracking them. "Jaffa are the soldiers
for the Goa'uld and are used to incubate the Goa'uld infants."

"You have one of those things inside you?" the younger man asked.
Teal'c nodded. "Why doesn't it control you?"

"It is an infant. It will be many years before it is ready to inhabit
another being."

"Can't they remove it?" Jim asked finally understanding the odd
feelings the Jaffa presence was creating.

"No, if it is removed, I will die. We have tried. When it becomes
adult, it will separate from my body and join with another to become a
full Goa'uld."

Jim thought back to the conversation he had overheard. "What did you
mean when you said your ancestors had been bred to sense guardians?" 

"There have always been legends among my people about the far-sensing
ones. They are highly prized by the Goa'uld. There have only been two
enhanced Goa'uld in all known history. The Jaffa have searched many
worlds but this is the only one to have people with all senses
enhanced."

Something Teal'c said struck the younger man. "Why only two in all
history? I mean there have always been Sentinels; you'd think that just
playing the odds there should have been many more over the years." Jim
listened with interest.

"There were many, as you call them, Sentinels found. They died by their
own hands or those of their companion. The two that became Goa'uld were
unbonded and had no companion. The first had not yet found his Guide;
he was easy for the Goa'uld to possess. The second came hundreds of
years later. The Jaffa found him and his companion was killed
immediately. Before he could recover from the severing of their bond,
he was under the control of the Goa'uld. The Jaffa learned to make the
companion their primary target." Teal'c stopped a moment to think.
"Most believe the guardians are legend since no more were heard after
the gates to this world ceased to function."

"You said gates?" Jim interrupted.

"Yes, there was one in the country you call Egypt, one in Antarctica,
and we just found this one when it was uncovered by an expedition. This
was the one most recently closed."

"How long has it been closed?" Blair asked reminded of the legend Jim
had been told by the Chopec.

"Four hundred of your years." Teal'c answered.

"The legend was passed down through the years from Shaman to Shaman."
Jim said out loud. He looked at his partner. "Incacha had already
passed it on when he left here. The Chopec have been waiting for us to
return when the gate reopened and the snakemen returned."

"Wow, they must have served as the guardians of the gate's burial
site."

"Yes, their Sentinel was taken just before the gate was toppled and
buried...four hundred years ago." Teal'c replied.

"Do your legends tell what happened to the last Sentinel taken by the
Goa'uld." Jim asked.

"He died." Teal'c answered.

"How?" Jim asked looking for any scrap of information possible.

"They brought him to the Goa'uld home world. They thought he would be
easy to possess. He had been unmoving since the closing of the
Stargate. The Jaffa brought the Sentinel to Apophis, one of the most
powerful of the Goa'uld. When he was in the presence of the Goa'uld, he
regained his senses. He broke away from his guards, taking them by
surprise. He ran to the window of Apophis' chamber. He thrust his head
through the glass twisting his head and body, decapitating himself."
Blair swallowed his face pale with a greenish tint.

"It's okay, Chief, trust me. It won't come to that." The younger man
took a deep breath and leaned against his partner, trying to get the
image out of his mind. He looked up and saw a frown on his partner's
face. 

"Is someone coming?" 

Jim shook his head. "No, not yet. I'm just trying to remember where I
heard this before." Blair waited patiently; he had a feeling he knew
why the story seemed so familiar to his partner. 

Blair lowered his tone to what Jim called his guide voice. "Okay, Big
Guy, just focus on the story. Think back and try to see the storyteller
from the first time you heard it." He gently rubbed his partners back.
"Relax your jaw, it doesn't make you think any better." Jim gave him a
reluctant grin, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He pictured
Incacha sitting in the middle of a clearing looking across the flames
and smoke. The Shaman's expressive face and hands illustrated the tale
of the stolen Sentinel and the Guide that was left behind.

Jim opened his eyes and looked at his Guide. Blair could see the
memories in his face. "I can remember it all. Incacha told me the story
from the perspective of the Guide." 

Blair looked at him with impatience. "Well?"

Jim relented and keeping part of his attention alerted for company, he
started relating the story he had been told.

"There was a great struggle between the Chopec and the Snakemen. The
invaders had been driven back time and time again. The tribe's Sentinel
was growing weary due to the continuing battles. His Shaman had used
his powers to aid his Sentinel, to give him strength to fight and
protect. This continued for many months. One night while the Sentinel
was patrolling the boundaries, the enemy returned through the gate.
Even with warning, they reached the village before the Sentinel. His
Shaman had stayed in the village that night to care for a sick child.
The enemy had reports of the Shaman and knew if they had him, the
Sentinel would be at their mercy. He would do anything to protect his
Shaman.

The Sentinel, Chol'an, ran back to the village. He could hear the
frantic heartbeat of his Guide and the sounds of struggle. When he
reached the village, he was greeted with the sight of his Guide being
held with a knife at his throat. Chol'an came to an abrupt halt and
waited to find out what they wanted. They offered a trade, the Sentinel
for his companion. He could see his Guide telling him no, begging for
him to let him die. They both knew the legends.

Chol'an was torn between protecting the tribe and the ingrained
imperative to protect his Guide.

Dinacha watched the battle on his Sentinel's face and tried to convince
him to kill him and search for another to take his place when the
Snakemen left. Dinacha knew the instant Chol'an made his decision.

Chol'an's last sight of his guide was to see the young Shaman on the
ground where he had been tossed by his captor. His heart began to break
as he looked over his shoulder before entering the gate. Dinacha lifted
his head as his Sentinel looked back. They could see the desperation in
each other's eyes. The Shaman watched until the gate closed. He could
feel the connection between Sentinel and Guide thin but continue to
hold. He kept hope that his guardian would overcome his captors and
return. He maintained his belief until he felt the painful severing of
their connection when they were divided by Chol'an's violent death.

The Shaman was devastated; he wandered the jungle for months. When he
finally came back to himself, he returned to the village. He found that
the tribesmen had toppled and buried the gate in hopes that the
Snakemen would never return. He trained the new Sentinel and Guide when
their abilities appeared, passing along the warning about the gate and
taking their oath to always guard the site. Once they took their places
as the Guardians of the tribe, Dinacha shut himself away from the tribe
refusing food and drink. He fell into a trance state. After a handful
of days the village elders decided to check on the older Shaman. They
found him dead in his hut holding the carvings on his and Chol'an's
spirit guides. The story of Chol'an and Dinacha had been passed down
through the years."

Blair sat in silence when Jim finished the story. He swore to himself
that nothing would get to his Sentinel as long as he drew a breath.

Jim suddenly stilled, tilting his head toward the gate. "It won't be
long now. It sounds like reinforcements have arrived." The three
settled in to wait. Jim could hear the sounds of energy blasts and
automatic weapons firing. Before long they heard a crashing sound. Jim
and Teal'c stood aiming in the direction of the sounds.

"What is it?" Blair asked quietly.

"Company."

"Good guys or bad?" The younger man asked. Jim shrugged and then caught
a flash of green moving in the distance.

"I think it's the good guys." He increased his focus. "Yeah, it's the
good guys." Blair gave a sigh of relief. As they drew closer, they
could see O'Neill, Carter and Jackson. 

Teal'c watched the now out-of-breath team. "O'Neill, why did you leave
the gate?"

Jack O'Neill leaned forward resting his hands on his knees as he tried
to catch his breath. He finally took a deep breath and began to speak.

"They forced us back and have set a perimeter around the gate. We will
have to wait for reinforcements. I contacted General Hammond. He said
he was sending help but it would take several hours to reach us. We
just need to hold out until they arrive."

Blair looked at Jim. "I don't like to sound of this."

"Me either, Chief, but I have an idea." He quickly gained the SG-1
team's attention. "O'Neill, from what you've said, if we give them too
much time, the Goa'uld will have complete control of the Stargate,
right?""

Jack nodded. "You have a plan, Ellison?"

"Yes I do, we have a fighting force ready and willing to help. Hell,
they have more at stake than anyone."

There were puzzled looks on their faces. Jim called out in Chopec and
motioned at the jungle. Within seconds, over thirty warriors had
stepped into view. The Sentinel greeted them by name, then turned to
the SG-1 team. "They have been battling the Goa'uld for centuries." He
gestured at the collected warriors. "They have been preparing for this
battle against the Snakemen all their lives."

The groups gathered together and, with Jim translating, developed a
battle plan taking full advantage of the knowledge and abilities of the
native warriors. The Sentinel argued but could not avoid being
positioned at the rear of the action. The Chopec and Teal'c joined
forces to convince the stubborn man. It wasn't until he saw the
pleading look in his Guide's eyes that he finally agreed.

They quickly moved back in the direction of the gate knowing this would
be their best chance to stop the Goa'uld incursion. They met with light
resistance; the Chopec took out the Jaffa scouts silently with blow
darts. With Blair's hand on his back to keep him centered, Jim turned
up his hearing. The younger man felt his partner's muscles tense.

"What do you hear?" Blair whispered just loud enough for Jim to hear.
The Big man motioned for the team to draw closer.

"We've got trouble. It sounds like the Goa'uld have captured Professor
Witieer and the students." He could hear one of the students crying out
in pain and one of the captors yelling at them. Jim motioned for Teal'c
to join him. He quickly told the Jaffa what he was hearing and Teal'c
and Daniel translated for the rest.

"He is telling them to give him the guardian or they will die." Teal'c
listened. "He is growing angry with their noncompliance. He has given
them minutes to decide who dies first." Blair and Daniel both paled at
those words.

"I guess we'd better get moving." Jim said. "The closer I get, the
sooner they will be able to sense me and leave the others alone." The
Sentinel turned and, with his Guide close behind, started running
toward the Stargate. The others were surprised but quickly followed.
The big man stopped when he heard the Jaffa at the gate react to his
presence. Through a small space between the trees he was able to see
the captured professor and students. Jim breathed easier when he
realized they were all still alive. 

The Chopec silently took up position around the perimeter. Once they
were in place, Jim gave them the signal to attack. The enemy was
quickly felled by the Chopec darts. They were not prepared for such
primitive weapons. Jim stayed to one side, hoping to draw the attention
of the survivors at the gate. In the confusion, O'Neill and his team
rushed in and hauled the professor and his students out of immediate
danger.

Blair watched as the Chopec swiftly dispatched the Jaffa at the gate.
He turned to look at his partner and saw that he was in a battle of his
own. Jim looked as if he were holding his own until he was hit from
behind by one of the smaller hand-held energy weapons. The big man fell
like a tree to the jungle floor.

"NO!" Blair screamed. He scooped up a rock from the ground by his feet
and threw as hard as he could at the Jaffa reaching for his Sentinel.
The rock struck the invader's temple and it was the Jaffa's turn to
fall. Blair pulled out the blowgun he had been given as he ran to his
unconscious partner. The young Guide stood over his fallen Sentinel in
full protect mode, operating only on instinct. His eyes searching for
any new threats. He tracked a slight movement off to his side. He
stayed alert holding the blowgun to his lips.

"Sandburg," said a voice from the area with movement. Blair recognized
the voice of the other anthropologist.

"Daniel," Blair said, quietly staying alert.

Daniel Jackson stepped out from behind the trees followed by Carter and
O'Neill. "It's okay, Sandburg, you can put the blowgun down."

"Are they all gone?" Blair asked looking around before lowering the
weapon and relaxing.

"Yeah."

Blair turned his attention to the downed Sentinel. Checking his pulse
and breathing. "They shot him with that thing." Blair pointed out the
weapon lying on the ground.

"He was only hit once right?" Daniel asked.

"Only once." Daniel watched as the younger man made his partner
comfortable. 

"I'm glad you finally found him." He gestured at Jim. "You always said
you would find a living Sentinel."

Blair smiled down at his friend. "Yeah, I did. Looks like you found
your proof, too. It makes up for not being taken seriously." He glanced
up in time to see Daniel blush with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry I was one of those who didn't. You would have thought I
would have known better considering what my theories were."

"No problem, we both found our life's dream. It makes up for the fact
we can't publish anything about it." Daniel looked at him with
understanding. Jim began to stir gaining Blair's full attention.

"You okay, Jim? How do you feel?" The big man pushed himself up onto a
sitting position, holding his head.

"Like someone pounded my head with a two by four. What happened?" Jim
asked looking around. He spotted the unconscious Jaffa tied up several
feet away. "The last thing I remember is the feeling of an electrical
shock and then nothing." Blair helped him to his feet while Daniel and
Teal'c dragged the Jaffa to the gate.

Blair's curiosity got the better of him. "What are you planning to do
with him? I mean it's not like he can stay here."

"We'll have Teal'c question him." Daniel answered. Jim had been
monitoring the captive and had heard when he regained consciousness.
When he heard Teal'c's name, his heart began to beat faster due to fear
that triggered another collapse.

Oblivious, Daniel continued. "Once Teal'c has finished with him, we
dial up the gate and send all of the survivors through to another
world."

"But if that world has a gate, what stops them from coming back?" Jim
asked.

"There are several planets that are currently uninhabited. The Goa'uld
destroyed all human life on them for one reason or another. One is set
up as a prison planet. You can dial in but you can't dial out." Daniel
saw the unspoken question in the younger man's eyes. "They have food
and shelter and the capacity to make a good life for themselves.
Hopefully out of the influence of Apophis and his kind, they will
develop a different kind of society."

"I thought the Jaffa all had those larvae things in them? What happens
when they grow to adults?"

Teal'c joined their group as the last question was asked. "Not all
Jaffa have Goa'uld within. The ones who do when the Goa'uld mature will
not have an adult to initiate them in the ways of their kind. We have
hope that this will create a new type of Goa'uld."

"We can only hope." Daniel muttered under his breath. Jim gave him a
sharp glance as they neared the gate. Blair looked around for the
professor and the others. When he didn't see them he walked over to
Colonel O'Neill.

Colonel, what happened to Professor Witieer and the students?"

"I had them taken to their campsite. Don't worry." Jack grinned. "They
may be bruised but they are fine. Luckily they didn't see the gate in
operation or understand who they were being questioned by."

"What do they think happened?" Jim asked.

"They think they stumbled onto a cult that had combined Egyptian and
Aztec rituals and were into human sacrifice."

"Man, they really believe that?" Blair asked incredulous.

"Yes, that is what they need to believe. Otherwise they are in for a
very long debriefing session and will have to sign nondisclosure
statements."

Blair felt a shiver of fear run down his spine as he suddenly
remembered who they were dealing with. He had always been distrustful
of the government, but after finding his Sentinel he had become almost
paranoid. Jim responded to the younger man's reaction by standing
behind him with a calming hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Chief?" Jim asked glaring at the Colonel.

"We were just discussing how fortunate the professor and the others
were to escape such a dangerous cult." 

Jim had heard what the others believed and understood the need for
secrecy. He was concerned by his Guides increased heartrate. "What
about us, O'Neill? We know the whole story. How is the government going
to deal with us?" Jim's hands tightened on Blair's shoulders as the
younger man leaned back against his partner.

O'Neill understood their very real fear. He knew a number of agencies
that would love to get their hands on Ellison. Some of the same
agencies had wanted to 'study' Teal'c. Jack's face softened. "The two
of you obviously know how to keep secrets. Well, so do we. I don't
think anything would be accomplished by either of us telling what we
know." He watched as both men relaxed, knowing he had made the right
decision.

The two men watched as the SG-1 team sent the surviving Jaffa through
the Stargate. After helping to place the explosive charges around the
Stargate, they cheered when it was blown to rubble.

"So, what do you want to do now, Chief?" Jim asked as the SG-1 team
packed up to leave.

"Well, we do have almost two weeks and we are in Chopec territory."
Blair said with a smile. "Since the Professor and crew plan to take the
first available transport home..."

They said their good-byes to the SG-1 team and joined the Chopec in
their celebration of the defeat of the Snakemen.



End