614Disclaimer – I don't own anything that you recognise.
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"No," Teal'c raised an eyebrow, "You told MajorCarter not to tell you that."
"It's active." Daniel added, noticing the numbers counting down, "We've got…"
"How long?" Jack hissed.
"Carry the three… Transfer the five… About ten minutes. Probably less." Daniel shrugged, "Converting time isn't easy."
"How big?" Trowa cut to the chase.
Sam was kneeling by the bomb.
"It contains Naqahdah." She declared, "Weapons grade…I can't be certain, but it'll destroy the satellite… Maybe further… Trowa, how powerful is this explosive normally?"
She pointed at the main explosive, nestled in the centre of the bomb.
"Powerful enough to destroy the satellite on its own." Trowa replied, "It's similar to what Duo used on your Iris. Only more of it."
"That's not good." Sam breathed.
"Ya think?" Jack muttered.
"Indeed." Teal'c nodded.
"Carter can you disarm it?" Jack asked.
"Maybe. I don't recognise what I can see of the design."
"Trowa?" Jack queried.
"Not any design I know." Trowa shrugged.
"Teal'c?"
"It does not seem to be of Goa'uld design. At least not primarily."
"I'll agree with you. There's no visible lights or crystals. Carter?"
"There's no obvious bobby-traps on the casing." Sam muttered, "Give me some space."
Sam carefully removed the outer casing; alert for any bobby-traps or wires.
"Well, there are the crystals." Jack noted, almost idly.
"Things I recognise, too." Trowa added.
"He's right, Sir." Sam took it in at a glance, "This is a mixture of technology."
"For crying out loud! You're telling me the Goa'uld pulled a Frankenstein on us?" Jack swore.
"Effectively, yes, sir." Sam nodded, "Trowa give me a hand. I need you to identify what we have here."
"Detonator." Trowa pointed, "Timing device. Movement detector."
"How sensitive?" Sam looked at it.
"Mid-range. We can poke it. But we can't lift it."
"So it's a good thing we never destroyed the gravity core?" Jack pressed.
"Would have gone off when she died then." Trowa nodded, "Life-signal monitor."
"So this bomb was triggered by her death?" Jack exclaimed, "The ultimate dead-man's switch!"
"Time delayed." Sam corrected, "Probably designed to lull us into false security that the threat was past."
"Pretty smart for a Snake." Jack sighed.
"What's this?" Sam pointed.
"Remote trigger." Trowa replied.
"Did she put every single method of setting this thing off possible in?" Daniel almost yelped.
"Probably." Trowa said dryly.
"Carter?" Jack pressed.
"Give me a moment, sir!" Sam snapped slightly, "There isn't exactly an off-switch."
"Should we just grab the boys and run?" Daniel suggested.
"Not an option." Trowa shook his head, "Faran wouldn't make it beyond the immediate shrapnel blast radius. We'd be killed."
"Great." Jack muttered, "Carter?"
"Give me a moment, sir!" She retorted, "This isn't exactly something I've seen before."
She stared at it for a while, before starting to mutter under her breath.
"So all the triggers go into this section here… Trowa, is this an 'Or-gate'?"
Trowa looked blankly at her for a moment.
"Any power going in from any of the inputs comes out." Trowa finally supplied.
"That's an 'Or-gate'." Sam nodded, "Theoretically on a normal bomb if I cut… But this isn't a normal bomb."
"Sam," Daniel put in, "We're running out of time!"
"I need a moment!" Sam fired back, "I cut the wrong wire… I pull the wrong crystal… We're all dead."
"And if you don't, we'll die anyway." Trowa reminded.
There wasn't a touch of rebuke or recrimination in Trowa's voice, but Sam jerked as if she had been slapped. The comment was so unexpected from Trowa. Particularly given that he sounded so accepting of any fate that came upon them.
Sam pulled her knife and started moving across the wires, tapping them lightly in contemplation.
"I'm going to have move quickly." She declared after a moment's further thought, "I think that if I don't disarm it quickly enough after starting to interfere with it, it'll go off."
"Do you need another set of hands?" Trowa knelt down next to her.
"Grab what I give you and don't let any of the crystals touch each other." Sam instructed, "I would tell the rest of you to find cover, but there's absolutely no point. Just give me space."
Sam proceeded to stare at the bomb for long moments, before moving quickly to either cut a wire or pull a crystal, sometimes pulling back at the last moment.
Jack and Daniel watched in nervous anticipation. Waiting for Sam to either relax or for their lives to end. Either one was possible. They flinched with each decisive movement.
Teal'c watched, his expression, naturally, more detached. However he also flinched slightly, though it was virtually imperceptible to those who didn't know him well.
Trowa didn't flinch or move away. He simply knelt and cleared away whatever Sam presented him with.
After a while, Jack found himself watching Trowa's face more than he watched Sam's eyes. There was the same level of detachment that he had seen back at the circus when Trowa was the human target.
It was almost as if to Trowa there was no difference between that and this.
Some small part of Jack wondered what sort of life and/or training the teen had undergone to reach the state of detachment. While the rest of him was appalled… At least that part of him which wasn't worrying about the bomb.
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"Daniel." Sam spoke up after what seemed like a long while, "What does this mean?"
"It's technical." Daniel frowned, "I don't have the time to figure it out."
"What's the matter, Carter?" Jack asked.
"Either I remove this crystal and we're all safe, or we all die."
"Just do it." Jack instructed, "We don't have the time to figure it out."
Sam paused for only one more moment, before she pulled the crystal out of the system.
The lights died.
"Are we still alive?" Jack queried.
"If we aren't," Trowa spoke softly, "I want a refund on Hell."
"You think you'd end up in Hell?" Daniel blinked.
"No, but Duo always says he will. And he's not going alone." Trowa smiled as if at some private joke.
"What are the odds that there's more of these lying around?" Jack asked.
"Low." Daniel replied, "I'm surprised she had a back-up plan in the first place. She seemed too arrogant."
"We check anyway." Jack ordered, "Split up. Keep in contact."
They did so.
Fortunately there were no other bombs.
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Upon returning to Quatre and the injured parties, they found Quatre in conversation over the headset.
"How far are you out?" Quatre asked.
"Five minutes, tops." Noin's voice chirped, "Will you be leaving before or after we arrive?"
"Depends on when Trowa gets back." Quatre shrugged, "Could you ensure that Doctor Po is waiting for us when we arrive?"
"Of course, she's been on stand-by since you boys went off on your rescue jihad!"
Though Jack couldn't see Noin, he could picture her throwing up her hands in amusement while she spoke.
"Ah, Trowa's back." Quatre smiled, "We'll see you soon, Miss Noin."
"Catch you on the flip-side." Noin chirped.
Quatre turned to face Trowa.
"You're carrying Duo." Quatre pointed at Trowa, "I'm helping Heero. And you're accepting that help, Heero. I don't care if you think you can manage alone. You're not."
Heero had opened his mouth to object, but closed it at Quatre's glare.
Trowa shrugged and stepped forward, easily picking Duo up in his arms. Quatre moved to pull Heero's arm over his shoulders.
Jack moved to grab the medical kit.
"Leave it." Quatre instructed, "There's a better one on board Faran."
The small group made their way back to Faran, to find Wufei still working in the cockpit.
"How much longer?" Quatre asked.
"I'm done." Wufei replied, "Barton, I'm amazed it's still in one piece."
Trowa simply shrugged, as he placed Duo down lying on the seats. Sam was about to comment about seatbelts, when Trowa simply bent down and from underneath the seats pulled out suitable restraints, which he used to secure Duo.
Heero was positioned, so that he sat next to Duo's head. Sam stifled a smile as she watched him reach out and wrap the braid around his hand, as if reassuring himself that Duo was still there.
"How long will it take to get back?" Jack queried.
"A full day, at least." Quatre sighed, "Probably a day and a half."
"Why so long?" Daniel frowned, "We can use the full speed of this craft…"
"No," Wufei shook his head, "Barton nearly killed the engines."
"He pushed them." Sam nodded, "I thought he made good time."
"It's what's Faran is designed for." Quatre shrugged, "But it takes its toll. The engines will need a complete overhaul. Faran can only usually do one spurt like that. I'm amazed Trowa got two out of him."
"Him?" Jack frowned, "Most ships are female."
"This one's special." Quatre replied.
"Spurt?" Sam pressed, "I take it that Trowa pushed the engines."
"More than a little." Quatre sighed, "We're lucky he can cope with piloting at such speeds. Most people would be dead from that."
As they spoke, they were strapping themselves into the seats. Wufei joining Trowa up in the cockpit.
Not long after that they disengaged from the Satellite.
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After what seemed like hours, and possibly might have been, SG1 broke the silence.
"Why did Shinigami go for Heero?" Daniel asked, "He and Duo seem pretty close."
"They are." Quatre shrugged, "Shinigami isn't Duo… And Duo isn't Shinigami. They're very different people… If you can even call Shinigami a person."
"So Shinigami doesn't like Heero?" Jack pressed.
"We're not sure." Quatre seemed slightly embarrassed, "Duo doesn't let him out much… I know Shinigami is protective of me. I don't know about the others. Duo once said that the only person Shinigami ever deferred to isn't around anymore."
"You're scared of him." Daniel pressed lightly.
"Wouldn't you be? What you saw… That was Shinigami bound, injured and weak… I've seen him at full strength and free as the breeze. We're all scared of our other halves. They don't come out often. But it's never a good thing if they do."
"Oh-Four." Heero's voice managed to combine a reprimand, an instruction and comfort in an almost monotone two syllables.
"Hai." Quatre ducked his head in apology.
Once again silence fell over the group.
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SG1 had given up on waiting for the Pilots to break the silence, and so were discussing things quietly among themselves.
Suddenly a moan broke through their conversation.
"T?" Duo's voice was slurred, as he turned his head to face the Jaffa Warrior.
"What is it DuoMaxwell?" Teal'c asked.
"How many?" Duo murmured, "How many Jaffa?"
"Two thirds." Teal'c responded.
"Two thirds were saved?" Duo breathed in wonder.
"No. Two thirds died." Teal'c corrected.
"Way to make me feel better, T." Duo sighed.
"You said you didn't care." Sam frowned.
"I didn't. Now I do. I couldn't protect them. But that doesn't mean I wanted them to die. I hoped I'd left that behind."
"We all did." Heero put in.
"We can't help what's happened." Quatre shrugged, "But we can stop it from affecting us further."
"What are you thinking?" Jack asked slowly. While he didn't want the boys to fight, it was clear they were already soldiers. And they were also very useful allies. He was torn. He wanted the planet to make an alliance with Earth. But he didn't want the boys involved in fighting the Goa'uld… He wanted to protect them. However it was clear that if any fighting was involved all five would be right at the centre of it.
Simply put, they cared too much to stand by and let someone else take their place.
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"Hey, kid." Jack broke the silence that his last words had caused, "Any idea why they didn't put at least a mini-snake into you?"
"They tried with a couple, I think. They all went nuts. Reckon the snakes can't deal with Zero." Duo murmured.
"Shh," Quatre tapped Duo in gentle reprimand, "Get some rest."
"Can't." Duo replied, "Hurt."
"I know." Quatre whispered, "What do you want?"
"Rest." Duo's voice was barely audible.
"Trust me?" Heero asked.
"Always." Duo closed his eyes.
Heero applied the customary nerve-pinch.
"Is Maxwell alright?" Wufei came out of the cabin.
"He will be." Heero replied, "ETA?"
"Another three hours, approximately." Wufei answered, "Winner, switch."
"Understood." Quatre got up, "Did you at least get some sleep up there?"
"Barton slept more than I. Hence his reasoning that you should take my position. Yuy being injured and Maxwell incapacitated."
"Agreed." Quatre nodded, "Rest, Wufei. Duo's out of it, so you won't have his chattering."
"Is there anything else I should be aware of?" Wufei asked.
"He came round. Duo not Him. I think we're past the worst of it. But he hasn't yet remembered." Quatre stated.
"You are sure?" Wufei frowned.
"He hasn't thrown up… Begged for forgiveness… Started verbally berating himself… No, he hasn't remembered." Jack stared at Quatre as he calmly listed the things Duo hadn't yet done.
"He'll do all that?" Jack murmured.
Both Pilots turned to face SG1 as if they had forgotten that the team had been present. Their faces went blank and they both moved silently to their respective new positions.
"Touchy subject." Jack muttered to Daniel.
"You're surprised?" Daniel retorted, "We still don't talk about some of the emotional stuff we did in our first year as a team."
"Good point." Jack surrendered after a long pause, "What do you suggest we do?"
"Sleep?" Sam put in, "I'm tired, sir. And we still have a long way to travel. Not like we can exactly do anything to help. This shuttle isn't armed."
"No weapons?" Jack stared.
"None that I have found, sir." Sam replied, "Though if this is merely a fast transport vessel that would make sense. Excess weight would slow it down."
"MajorCarter is correct." Teal'c nodded, "I also have not observed any external weaponry."
"If we require an armed shuttle," Heero cut across them softly, "We use a different shuttle."
The comment ceased all discussion.
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Jack was jerked out of his light doze by moving footsteps. Sam and Teal'c also stirred, but Daniel slept on, his head tucked firmly into Jack's neck.
Releasing his seat-belt, Jack shifted to cover Daniel, without waking him.
"Stand down." Trowa's voice came from the doorway of the cockpit.
"Easy Colonel." It was Sally, standing at the door of the shuttle, "I've just come to welcome you home… And take these two idiots for a medical check-up."
"I am fine." Heero tried to argue.
"Yeah, sure," Sally retorted, "I know. Feelings Inside Not Expressed."
Jack stifled a snort of laughter.
"Right then," Une was also smothering her laughter, "As long as Duo is out for the count, this is what is going to happen… Everyone is getting a medical. Just in case. Food. Sleep. Then SG1 are back to the negotiating table… One more day. Then Relena is hosting the Ball for everyone tomorrow night, where she will reveal the fact that aliens exist. Is there anything I've forgotten?"
"Duo gets treated first." Jack stated, "And we're fine. We don't need to be jabbed with…"
"Needles?" Sally raised an eyebrow, already fingering one of the aforementioned items, "You're getting a check-up, Colonel. I don't care what you say… All of you are. And I brought the tranq guns. So don't even try. They're loaded for Heero."
"Surrender, now." Quatre sighed, "She's a really good shot. The sedative isn't pleasant to wake up from either."
"Experience?" Sam queried.
"Just the once." Quatre nodded, "Unfortunately not from those who had my best interests at heart. I would advise submitting. Doctor Po has a habit of including unnecessary tests and inoculations if her orders are not followed."
"She's a copy of the Napoleonic Power Monger isn't she?" Jack stared.
"I have no idea what that means," Une smiled slightly, "But I'm going to agree. Everyone up. Follow the medics. Trowa, carry Duo."
"Duo gets treated first." Jack repeated.
"Colonel," Sally looked at him, "Trust me, Duo will be treated first, and probably last, as he will come around and try to make a break for it. At which point I will have to talk him back into bed, or rely on one of the others to wrestle him."
"Not tranq?" Jack frowned.
"I never tranq Duo." Sally stated firmly, "And I would appreciate it if you did not inquire further. I have my Doctor's Oaths to uphold."
Jack didn't bother to argue. He simply poked Daniel awake.
"Once the medics have cleared you," Une continued, "I want a detailed report sent to me, from each of you boys… Heero, that means more than five sentences. Colonel, your General has requested you contact him as soon as possible. If I could obtain a copy of your report as well, it would be appreciated. The prisoners we've rounded up need to be sent somewhere, if you could tell me where, I'd appreciate it. We don't yet have the facilities to contain them for a long period of time."
"Understood, Commander." Jack nodded, before surrendering to the medic's care, "I'll contact General Hammond and see if we can arrange for them to be sent to the Free Jaffa."
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The final day of negotiating went by quickly, though without the Pilots being present. Really before SG1 knew it, the Ball had arrived.
In a slightly desperate attempt to get away from all the people wanting to question him about Earth, Jack sought out a friendly face. Eventually he found one.
"Commander Une," Jack nodded pleasantly, "Where are the boys?"
"Duo's playing the 'We-were-injured-in-combat' card to the hilt." Une smiled, "They've refused to come."
"Refused?" Jack blinked, "They have that option?"
"Usually, no." Une shrugged, "But considering that Heero and Duo both used Zero, it's probably better that they aren't here. They'll be a little… Twitchy for a while. And we could do without Duo's behaviour."
"He mucks about?"
"He positively hates these things. They all do actually. Duo's just the only one who noticeably acts out to make a point. Time before last he managed to get oil and grease on his dress uniform before he turned up. Supposedly by accident!"
"You don't believe him?"
"One set of streaks spelt 'Save Me'. Another 'I'm Bored'. All in codes of course. But…"
"Nice to see he has a sense of humour."
"If it wasn't for the fact that the Vice-Foreign Minister insists on inviting Heero and him turning up, I wouldn't even bother making them attend. It'd save me a headache. Heero is tense the whole time, and usually ends up hiding in a corner, until Relena drags him out to dance.
"Duo, I can never predict, like I said. But he always thinks of something.
"Trowa doesn't talk. I mean, not at all. Not even to people he knows… He just finds a wall to lean against. Last time at least six people thought he was an incredibly life-like statue.
"Quatre at least socialises. But he usually comes up with some wonderful compliments, which are actually highly veiled insults.
"Wufei treats everyone as if they are fools or idiots. Usually walking away soon after the conversation starts. But if he's near Sally, he's half-way bearable.
"And all five of them leave the second it is polite to. All together… Without conferring. It's slightly scary."
"So better that they aren't here." Jack agreed.
"Definitely. Heero would probably kill Relena if she tried to drag him onto the dance floor today."
"I had noticed he was tense around her. Doesn't he like her?"
"It's actually for her protection," Une sighed, "Heero's been a soldier for so long the instincts are ingrained. If someone sneaks up behind him, his first thought is that he's being attacked… He lashes out to disable and sometimes kill, depending on the circumstances. Relena doesn't understand this, and keeps on sneaking up on him. The tenseness is him trying to be fully in control and keep the instincts at bay. That's why he relaxes slightly when he can see her…"
"Because if he can see her, she's not sneaking up on him," Jack realized, "Sounds like Post-Traumatic Stress to me."
"Exactly." Une nodded, "We've explained it to her, but she doesn't seem to take it in."
"But… Then why can Duo sneak up on him?" Jack frowned.
"He doesn't." Une replied, "Heero subconsciously knows that Duo is there. But also knows that it's Duo… And therefore he is safe. I would say that the others could as well. But they've never tried."
The two sipped their drinks for a moment, watching the people move about.
"By the way," Jack nodded over at Daniel, "Who's the guy talking to Daniel?"
"Describe him to me?" Une asked, "I don't have a clear line of sight."
"He's wearing a brightly coloured shirt… With palm trees on it." Jack supplied, describing the man who was either monopolising or being monopolised by Daniel.
"Howard." Une sighed, "I asked him to wear a suit!" She almost sobbed on the last word.
"He's wearing formal trousers," Jack offered, "And a jacket… It's just the shirt. I think he's trying to poach Daniel. It's bad enough that Daniel likes recruiting off-world… I don't want him recruited off-world."
"Don't worry." Une smiled wanly, "Howard won't steal. Not without telling you first. He's relatively honest."
"Relatively?" Jack pressed gently.
"He's as honest as Duo." Une shrugged, "Just doesn't always tell the full truth."
"He was calling Daniel 'boy'." Jack was more worried than he was letting on.
"And he calls me 'girl'." Une retorted, "We're all boys and girls to him… Except Duo."
"What's Duo?" Jack frowned.
"His kid." Une grinned.
"He's that Howard?" Jack glanced at the man again, "He's the Leader of the Sweepers?"
"Yes." Une nodded, "He's a bit odd. But the Sweepers are odd as well."
"Daniel's fascinated by the Sweepers." Jack said, "I'm slightly worried he wants to study them."
"Then I wish him good luck," Une laughed, "He'll have to get pass Howard."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, that ever since the Sweepers was formed, there has not been a truly unbiased anthropological study of them. They refuse to cooperate with anyone outside of their culture who wishes to study them." Une explained, "Only Sweepers have ever written accounts of them… And we know they didn't give all the details. And I suspect that some were invented."
"Why haven't they let anyone in?" Jack asked.
"The researchers were too arrogant." Une shrugged, "At least that's what Duo says. Says they were dismissive of the culture. Not willing to listen to reasons. Not willing to try to understand why. Not willing to try to learn the language, so that an interpreter wasn't always needed."
"So you're basically telling me I might lose Daniel for about three months?" Jack retorted, "He wants to learn."
"Then you might have a problem," Une agreed, "Take it up with Daniel. If you ask Howard to stop him he'll never do it. He's like that."
"I will." Jack nodded.
"But he's always welcome to," Une added, "Just… Send me a copy of the research? The only things I know about Sweepers are what Duo tells me. And that's difficult. The boys don't give any information out lightly… Especially when they don't want to say anything."
The two sipped their drinks for a moment.
"So in twenty eight days, your side comes to visit us." Jack stated, "Who's coming?"
"Miss Darlain," Une replied, "Sally and the Boys."
"Let's hope this time that the drama is kept to a minimum."
"Seeing how things have gone so far," Une grinned, "I wouldn't count on it."
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Please provide feedback, I love knowing what you think.
Happy Christmas! Season's Greetings and all that.
The story's second year birthday. Seemed a good day to finish it on.
For those of you interested in the next one in the saga… Please be patient. Inspiration is lacking for the middle bits and the muse ran off. Muse bribes much appreciated.
Asredwer – I read far too many murder mysteries as a little kid. Watched them too. They always put the cliff-hangers at the ad breaks. I just do it in my own way.
mi5tan – Think about it… Duo got along with the Sweepers; came from the Streets and yet managed to fit in at a school and be unsuspected. He already was a Spy Master.
Twillightfairy – Cookies gratefully received. And if you need a sensible explanation ask Quatre. He has to explain things to Shareholders!
Mist Shadow – I don't know if Teal'c knows. He's a quiet guy. As for the rest… This Earth is so much like their own. They can't help but apply their own bias.
Misting Rain – Mama Quatre present and correct! Heero doesn't stand a chance.
Seithr-Kairy – Actually Saath means 60. And it's Hindu. And I do have other hobbies! I knit and sew and sing!
Hiira – Did the exam go well?
Izreina Maxwell – Glad to know I made you happy.
Kidishcaresh – Oh, I know that story! It was hilarious! I loved the bit where Heero, Trowa and Wufei were waiting for the sign from Duo and Wufei wondered if they would be able to see it. And I hope you had a good birthday.
Manatarms1989 – But the fire never stops them. And trouble magnets is what makes them so much fun!
Kitsune1818 – Hope you feel better.
Major Simi – Thank you!
Andy-025 – Hugs much needed and appreciated.
dkAdeena – Well, it wasn't before Christmas, but I hope this was soon enough.
DragonSaphira – Sorry for the poor spelling. It should be correct from this point onwards. But I won't correct the old ones. Professional pride. I like to see how I've improved… And don't worry about being rude if pointing out spelling errors or grammar errors. They're not my strong suite, that's why I post on this site. So people can tell me where I need work in my writing.
Kirallie – Thank you!
DishyFishy-SnakeandCrane – Duo's version of stress (non-violent) relief.
StandingOnTheRooftops – Jack's luck is working overtime. Hope you enjoyed.
TrenchcoatMan – Nice to meet a fellow mixed race. I'm a mismatch too. English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh (I think). I'm fairly certain there's Spanish in there. And some French. Melting pots of the World unite! And I have to visit America at some point. Just another thing on my "to do list".
Chixue – Good to know. And hope you liked.
Once again than you all for your comments.
