DISCLAIMER: All characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
O'Neill could feel the energy start to swirl around him as he kept his head low and placed an arm across Sam's eyes, shielding her from whatever was about to happen. She stirred slightly, a groan issuing from underneath his arm. He wished he had something to give her for the pain, but Daniel had the med-pack with him. He wished he had something to stop her from dying. He wished....
A sudden discharge of power knocked him sideways and away from Sam. He scrambled to his feet and back towards her, seeing the aliens phasing in and out of form, dropping down and then rising slowly above his friend, their energy dying, their world about to come to an end.
"Leave her," he shouted and pulled his automatic free, aiming it towards them. He knew it would have no effect but he had to do something, had to tell himself that he'd done something.
"Jack, down!"
O'Neill swung around, his eyes wide at the voice, and then dropped.
Daniel's voice echoed across from the rocks some twenty feet away from Sam. The towering form of Teal'c stood, legs astride as he aimed the Chulak energy weapon at the aliens. When the aliens phased into view Teal'c took aim and fired.
The screeching filled the air, its intensity increasing with every second. Screeches of dismay and of loss at being driven from their victim. Screeches of a species so desperate for survival that they would disobey those very laws, which had governed their very existence. The creatures phased into view and their intensity brightened but they hovered some way off eyeing the newcomers with distaste and with interest.
"The weapon has merely fed them," Teal'c said, his eyes narrowing as he looked upon the creatures of myth. The creatures of dark destruction, hated and despised by the Goa'uld, feared by all who dared to tread upon the planet. Teal'c braced himself to meet the Feldori.
"Jeez, Daniel, Teal'c, am I glad to see you," O'Neill said and he wrapped his arms around his friend and hugged him close. "You get a little delayed by those guys?" he said thumbing in the aliens' direction. He slapped Teal'c on the back, the Jaffa raising an eyebrow at the enthusiastic display.
"Something like that..." Daniel replied smiling with pleasure at seeing his friends alive. He threw his helmet to the ground and then looked at Sam, her pale frame lying stretched out behind O'Neill.
"Jack?" he said looking at Sam, concern etched across his face.
O'Neill shook his head and bent down to Sam. Janet Fraiser was busy inserting a drip into the young woman's arm.
"Doc?" O'Neill said as he kept his eyes on Sam's and took her hand.
"She's not good. I need to stabilise her here and get her back to the gate immediately," Fraiser replied as she started to feel along Sam's legs to locate any breaks.
"Got it," she said, feeling the protrusion, and gently started to splint it. "Colonel, can you give me a hand?" she said passing O'Neill a splint. O'Neill had a sudden flashback of Sam splinting his own leg in the icy crevasse. He shuddered as he remembered the pain.
"We've got to get out of here, Colonel and fast," Janet said as she eyed the two alien forms, hovering some distance from them. "She's got internal injuries by the look of it and a nasty concussion. I need to get her to surgery." Janet gently wiped the blood stain off the side of Sam's face and then dressed her head wound lightly.
"Our weapons do not seem to be of use against the Feldori," Teal'c said slowly.
"The Feldori?" O'Neill said, looking interested. He cocked an eyebrow at Daniel.
Daniel nodded. "They seem to have quite a mythology attached to them, from what Teal'c tells me," he said.
"Well I'd like to discuss fairy tales right now, but Carter here needs us to stay focused and mobile. Any suggestions as to how the hell we're supposed to get rid of these guys?" O'Neill said looking from Teal'c to Daniel.
Teal'c stood patiently. "I do not believe that I have," he said.
Daniel shook his head.
"Colonel," Janet said and nodded at Sam, whose eyes were open.
O'Neill bent down and felt Sam's hand on his wrist, pulling at him so that he bent close to her ear.
She coughed slightly and then started to speak. Stuttering at first and then more coherently. She winced suddenly with pain and then pulled at the doctor's arm.
Janet looked confused. "You want more pain killers?" she asked.
Sam shook her head and swallowed hard. She tried to sit up and then clutched at her stomach, a wave of agony writhing through her, taking her breath from her. She struggled, struggled to say it. It was their only hope.
"Hey, easy, Captain," O'Neill said, gently pushing her back.
"This is important," Sam stammered, her voice clearer, and grabbed at Janet once more. "Laser..." she managed to get out.
"The surgical laser?"
Sam nodded. She ran her tongue across her lips for moisture.
"It's standard kit for field surgery." Janet said as she reached into the pack beside her. She withdrew a box containing both a defibrillator and a small laser separately packed.
"Good," Sam nodded and then pulled O'Neill closer.
"Colonel, listen to me," she said, breathing to control the pain, breathing to get the words out.
"Okay, Sam. Take it easy," O'Neill replied, beckoning Daniel across to listen.
Daniel crouched down beside her and saw her eyes soften when she saw that her friend was all right.
"Daniel," she managed.
He reached across and squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"The aliens... made up of energy...not sure what....but... photons in there somewhere." She stopped and shut her eyes temporarily, a wave of pain rushing through her. Then she continued.
"The laser.. electrons...high energy level." Sam's voice faded and she looked pleadingly at Janet, willing her to understand what she wanted them to. Willing her to continue so that she could rest.
Janet looked at Sam, her eyes narrowing as she looked from the aliens to the laser device and back again. Then Janet's voice took over. "The electrons in the laser want to drop back to a normal ground state..."
Sam nodded, her eyes smiling. She knew she was going to get it. She'd done what she could, the rest was up to the others.
"...And in doing so, each electron releases its excess energy by throwing out a photon. Each photon stimulates other energised atoms, causing a chain reaction of identical photons. Of course. If the aliens are energy based they may be photon based, or at least contain photons. The laser would cause the photons to be thrown out and dissipated. Captain Carter, that's brilliant," Janet said, smiling at her patient, who nodded silently and then closed her eyes.
"It's our only chance, Jack. Get close enough to activate the laser within their energy mass and then get out of here as fast as possible. If it doesn't kill them it might slow them down," Daniel said.
"We've got Captain Carter to get out of here, and speed isn't going to be easy," Janet pointed out ruefully.
"I will ensure that Captain Carter arrives at the Stargate at speed," Teal'c said, his face determined.
O'Neill eyed them all and then looked across at the aliens.
"Okay, we do it. We give the Doc here and Teal'c a head start with Carter, and then we hit those sons of bitches where it hurts," he said.
"Jack. What if it doesn't work? If Sam's got it wrong somehow," Daniel offered for thought.
O'Neill looked at the aliens and then at the once more unconscious form of his friend. She'd never let him down. She'd always come through. Even now, she'd fought to give them all a chance, to tell them what to do.
"She's not wrong," he said firmly and gave them all a look, which spoke volumes about what they were about to do.
O'Neill watched Janet Fraiser don her helmet and pull the backpack across her shoulders. Then she turned and nodded.
O'Neill reached down and, with Daniel's help lifted Sam from the ground and placed her into Teal'c's outstretched arms. Janet placed the plasma bag onto her stomach and clipped it there.
"Colonel O'Neill, you will bring my staff weapon?" Teal'c asked as he looked across the horizon and steeled himself for what lay ahead.
"It's in good hands, Teal'c," O'Neill said, and reaching down, lifted a helmet from the ground and placed it over Teal'c's head.
The Jaffa looked uncomfortable and raised an eyebrow at O'Neill.
"Precaution," O'Neill replied giving him a shrug.
"We will depart," Teal'c said and started at a trot, Fraiser keeping pace alongside.
"Daniel, my boy, we've got work to do," O'Neill said, his mind turning away from Carter, away from the Stargate, and focusing on two creatures alone.