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Playing Ba'al 

General Hammond was already sitting at the conference table, reading from the folder on the table in front of him. The folder that contained the mission plan SG-1 had carefully prepared.

Casey, the first member of the team to arrive – she’d been in the corridor outside the ‘gate room adding more information to the whiteboard for one of the teams scheduled for a survey mission when the call for SG-1 to report to the briefing room had gone out – settled quietly into her chair, not wanting to disturb the general as he read.

Jack was next…he’d been doing his usual ‘wander the hallways’ routine. He’d been on level twenty-six, heading for the small commissary on that level, hoping that a few muffins from breakfast still remained.

Teal’c walked in just a few minutes later. He had just finished showering after spending time in the gym lifting weights when the announcement filled the air.

Sam and Daniel arrived together, having met up on the elevator, each coming from their respective offices.

By the time the entire team was assembled and seated, Hammond had closed the folder. He took the time to exam each face around him. Curiosity…that’s what he saw in every pair of eyes. No worries. No fears. That alone told him that the team was confident of their success on the mission being planned. "General, I’ve read your plan. I have to say I’m impressed.

Jack glanced at his team. Noted the small but very proud smiles. Smiled widely himself. "Thank you, sir. It was definitely a team effort."

"Let’s discuss the details, shall we?" the general said, settling back in his chair.

"What we need to do has to be very carefully timed," Jack explained. "Because we need the snakes focused on each other, we’ll use two teams. That will prevent one Ba’al from attacking the other too soon. Don’t want one knocking the other out before the rest of the snakes in the neighborhood know what he’s up to. We think it would be best if SG-1 confronts the clone; the second team will confront the ‘real’ Ba’al."

"And the reason for this?" Hammond asked…whatever reason SG-1 had for this decision, there was no doubt in his mind that it was valid.

Once again Jack scanned the faces of his team. "The real Ba’al will kill us on sight, no questions asked. Well, he’ll no doubt keep Casey…apparently he’s still on that ‘consort’ kick," Jack explained. "The clone won’t have the memories of the past few months; he won’t have any knowledge of exactly how his ship was destroyed. Master Bra’tac sent a report after the attack that day. Just before several of his Jaffa left the ship, they saw the clone heading for his ‘secret’ escape pod. They knew he was different, because of the way he was dressed, and the fact that he didn’t have the Casey clone’s blood on his shirt. They were also aware that the real Ba’al was in his sarcophagus, being taken by his personal guard to his shuttle."

Hammond toyed with the ink pen in his hand. "So you believe the clone will be more apt to hold you prisoner, rather than kill you?"

Daniel glanced at Jack, then nodded. "Yes, sir. He doesn’t remember being defeated by us when he launched his plan to take over Earth. He has no memory of holding us, of putting a Goa’uld in me, and nothing of our escape and my ability to-" he broke off, glanced down his hand, entwined with his Wife’s. "He has no idea about the ability of my body to destroy a symbiote. He’ll probably have Casey hauled off to his chambers, determined to make her his Consort, and the rest of us put into a holding cell. He’ll want to get as much information from the rest of us that he can before he decides to kill us or make us slaves…or hosts. That’s what he’s always done before. That will buy us the time we need to escape."

"We think our continued appearances on his ship, plus the fact that he had the clone – and he may not have wanted us to know about it…her – is the reason Ba’al reacted like he did," Jack interjected. "He didn’t waste time-" He lowered his eyes. "He was in a damned hurry to get rid of us…all of us. He was also damned determined to get Casey and keep her at his side."

"There will be differences in the way the two Ba’al’s react to having their ship boarded," Daniel continued. "Again, it goes to the memories that each Ba’al has. The clone couldn’t have memories of the day we blew that ship…other than the ship actually blowing up. There’s the possibility he hasn’t figured out exactly what happened that day."

"We’ve also discussed the fact that Ba’al wouldn’t have wanted his clone to be too aggressive…that could interfere with his plans," Sam added. "He needs his clone to carry on as if he is the real Ba’al, but he doesn’t want the clone as strong as he is."

Hammond looked at Casey. "Have you seen anything that could help us?"

"I did a search, for as much as I could find," Casey answered. "There’s a feeling of unease around the one I think…well, I’m pretty sure he’s the clone. He knows something is wrong…or at least off…but he doesn’t know what it is. The ‘real’ Ba’al is too arrogant to ever worry about anything going wrong with his plans. Of course, he then seems to lose his mind when his plans go tits up." The seer gave a slight frown. "That could be because we’re the ones screwing up his plans." Smiles flickered around the table.

"I received word from Master Bra’tac last night," Teal’c said. "He has had his Jaffa seeking any information about ‘two Ba’al’s’. Apparently several of the Jaffa working for two System Lords have heard rumors of Ba’al being able to travel at incredible speeds, to arrive from one planet to another in record time."

"So they don’t know it’s a matter of two separate Ba’al’s," Hammond concluded.

"They do not," Teal’c replied. "Bra’tac has instructed his Jaffa to encourage the belief that Ba’al has acquired the information Anubis had for building his ship. If System Lords continue to assume that he has possession of a new type of ship, they will hesitate to take on a vessel they perceive as more powerful than their own. And that will prevent them from moving against him before we’re prepared for them to do so."

"It will also make them all the more furious when they learn that it’s not new technology…at least as far as ships go," Sam said. "Once they realize that he’s perfected the cloning process, they’ll all be hell bent to get that same knowledge."

"It won’t take much thinking for them to figure out what Ba’al’s plan was," Daniel agreed.

"The only problem with this mission," Jack sighed as he pushed the folder that held his copy of the full mission plan out of the way, and rested his arms on the table, "is that it will require both the Prometheus and the Daedalus."

Hammond gave a small smile. "Well, I have good news on that front. The report came in late yesterday afternoon…I haven’t had a chance to fully read it."

"And that good news, sir?" Jack prompted, leaning forward slightly.

"It seems that the two new ships being built in Area 51, which by the way, General, have been reclassified as X-304’s, due to the engine enhancements and weapons upgrades, will be ready to launch by Monday. The Odyssey and the Phoenix will be taking you, and a second team, on this mission."

Jack grinned. "Sweet!"

Casey frowned slightly. "This mission will be their ‘shake-down’ cruise?"

General Hammond studied the young seer for a moment, the frown on her face making him uneasy. "That’s what the President and I discussed this morning, yes. Is there a problem?"

She shrugged one shoulder slightly. "It’s just that SG-1 and shake-down cruises always seem to be a bad mix."

"Nothing bad happened the first time we rode the Daedalus," Jack pointed out.

"True," Casey allowed. Nothing ‘bad’ had happened if she didn’t count the fact that Daniel had knocked the snot out of Cam Mitchell. (Which still thrilled the woman in her, even though she was certain that it shouldn’t.) She took a deep breath, then sighed quietly. Contemplated the news about the ships for a moment. She looked at the general. "Do we get to pick which ship we go on?"

"Do you believe that would be important?" the general asked inquisitively.

Green eyes began to twinkle, and the smile the seer was known for lit her face. "I don’t know if it would be important, but just the thought of being on an ‘Odyssey’ is too cool." Her teammates immediately began to laugh around her.

General Hammond chuckled as well. "I think we can arrange for SG-1 to be assigned to the Odyssey for this mission."

"Thank you, sir," Casey smiled.

Turning his attention toward Sam, Hammond checked his notes. "Colonel, have you heard from the Asgard regarding your inquiry about Goa’uld shields?"

"Not yet, sir. I did let Thor know the reason we’re asking," Sam replied, a bit anxiously.

"That’s fine," Hammond said reassuringly. "It’s to their advantage that the Asgard are aware of the clone Ba’al created."

Before anything else could be said, the room was filled with bright light. When it faded, Thor was standing beside the table. Jaws dropped and looks that shared their shock were exchanged. It was as if their conversation had conjured the little gray alien from thin air.

"Thor, buddy!" Jack exclaimed. "Nice to see you!"

"And I am pleased to see you, O’Neill," Thor said, giving a tiny nod of his head. The small alien turned to face the man sitting at the head of the table. "General Hammond, forgive my sudden appearance."

"We’re always pleased to see you, Thor," the general said, genuinely thrilled to see their alien ally, hoping the visit was to offer the colonel the information she needed for this mission.

"We were quite concerned when we received Colonel Carter’s message regarding Ba’al, and his ability to create clones," Thor said, diving right into the reason for his visit.

"We’re pretty sure that the information he gathered came directly from Nirrti," Sam informed him. "And if our sources are correct – and according to Casey, they are – she took what she could from Loki."

"How would a Goa’uld System Lord infiltrate any Asgard ship or laboratory without being detected?" Thor asked. Neither his expression nor his voice changed, if that was even possible. Nevertheless, his shock and apparent distress over the news was obvious in the twitchy movements of his hands.

"She has…or at least had…a personal cloaking device," Sam told the alien. "We don’t know if any of the other Goa’uld have managed to steal the plans for that little bit of technology."

"This is most troublesome," Thor admitted, after a moment of contemplative silence.

"We think that any theft of Loki’s research happened several years ago," Sam added. "It had to be before the summit that put Earth on the protected planets list, she’s been too carefully watched by the other Goa’uld to have done anything without their knowledge. And if the Goa’uld know about it, we have ways of finding out."

"Hmm…" Thor put a finger to his lips in thought. "Loki had been restricted to an old research facility on a planet the Asgard haven’t occupied for decades…that would have been…seven Earth years ago," he mused. "He wasn’t there long…perhaps a few months. He’d been sent there to make certain all of the computers had been erased of any and all data. If any Goa’uld, or Nirrti in particular, was keeping track of Loki – and anyone interested in cloning would know of his work concerning the cloning process – they would have known he’d been there. Loki is inept enough to have left all of his research on the computer, believing he could retrieve it at a later date. He never kept any of his research in our legitimate labs, as we would have learned about his experiments on numerous humans much sooner than we did."

"So it’s likely that Nirrti waltzed in and stole everything Loki had," Jack said.

"It would seem likely," Thor agreed.

"Or at least copied it. Loki seemed to have enough to start his experiments again," Daniel pointed out. "And Nirrti would have gone to great lengths to cover her tracks."

"Well, on the up side, that bitch-" Jack stopped, glanced at Hammond. "Sorry, sir."

"No apology needed, General," Hammond replied. He was well aware of the toll it had taken on Jack to allow that particular Goa’uld to just walk away, after what she’d done to an innocent child, and the teenager that child had become.

"Nirrti is dead," Jack said. He was unable to keep the delighted smirk from his face.

"That is indeed good news. However, if Ba’al is in possession of her research-" Thor stopped when he noted the smiles on the faces of SG-1.

"He kept everything on his flagship. He’d let his home city be destroyed, all he had was his fleet. In fact, as far as we know, that’s still all he has. And we blew that particular flagship into tiny pieces." Jack grinned.

"That is most reassuring," Thor said, his relief almost tangible. He turned back toward Sam. "You inquired about the frequencies of Goa’uld shields. May I ask why?"

"We’re going to try to beam onto two ships…one controlled by the real Ba’al, the other by the clone. We’re going to inform the real Ba’al that his clone is alive and well; and we’re going to tell the clone that he is, in fact, a clone. Ba’al has no idea his clone survived the destruction of his ship," Sam explained. "We’re also hoping that the minor Goa’uld employed by each Ba’al will start gossiping about what they’ve overheard. There will be at least one Goa’uld who will decide to make a little extra profit selling what he or she knows to the highest bidder among the System Lords."

Daniel nodded. "Most of the time, minor Goa’uld who are serving System Lords are playing one against the other, in an attempt to create an opening for themselves. Get rid of a System Lord, and they can try to move in and take over that Goa’uld’s holdings."

"And the gossip flies around those ships like you wouldn’t believe. The Goa’uld in charge is either oblivious, or so damned arrogant and egotistical that he or she doesn’t care," Casey added. Her time on Ba’al’s ship was proving to be invaluable. Almost, she thought, enough to make those experiences worth the hell she’d gone through. "The minute those minor Goa’uld catch wind that Ba’al made a clone of himself, they’ll be hell bent to spread the word…especially if they’re being paid on the side by another System Lord."

"That should create a bit of hate and discontent among the snakes," Jack said. "A little un-civil war between the Goa’uld can only be good for us. Might make a few of them easier to take out permanently."

"I see," Thor replied. "Then I will send you all the information I have on Goa’uld shields and their frequencies. I will also send you a copy of a program we use to determine which frequencies are being used."

"Thank you!’ Sam said gratefully. Her excitement was palpable.

"I would suggest that if you wish to speak to the clone, you do so as soon as possible. From the details in your message, the clone is already several months old. Loki’s clones have never survived longer than a year," Thor informed them.

"Or less," Casey murmured.

"Yes, the clones he created for his experiments couldn’t survive more than a few days." Thor paused, then looked at Jack. "How is your clone?"

Jack shrugged. "Last I heard, he’s just fine. He and Radar had a bit of excitement back in July, right after the 4th."

"I am pleased to know that he is well," Thor replied. "I must return to my ship. I am leaving to study a newly formed quasar. Colonel Carter, is there a way that I can send the information you need to your computer?"

Sam frowned. "I’m not sure."

"Do you have the ability to use data crystals?"

The frown turned to a wide smile. "Yes, I do!"

"Then I will beam a data crystal with the information to you. It would be most efficient if I could leave it here," Thor said, pointing to the conference table.

"That’s perfectly acceptable," Sam agreed, glancing at General Hammond, who nodded his agreement.

"Very well. Thank you for sharing this information…and for the good news that Nirrti is dead, and Ba’al no longer has access to cloning information," Thor said. He nodded toward Sam and Jack, then turned to extend the gesture to Hammond.

"We’re more than happy to share with you," General Hammond smiled.

"I will send the data crystal as soon as it is ready." As quickly and unexpectedly as he arrived, Thor beamed out of the room.

Casey’s head was tilted slightly to one side. "Sam, when did you send that message to Thor?"

"Yesterday afternoon. Why?"

"He must have suspected something was up…he beat feet to get here," the seer replied.

"Well, whatever the reason for his…prompt…response, the Colonel will have what she needs for this mission," Hammond noted. He glanced around him, his gaze stopping on Sam. "Colonel, as soon as you know for certain that you can beam a team onto a Goa’uld ship, let me know. We’ll plan for the mission to commence as soon as the Phoenix and Odyssey are in orbit. We’ll bring SG-7 in on the mission at that time."

"Yes, sir," Sam nodded.

"I believe that’s all for now. Dismissed." Hammond rose to his feet, smiled as SG-1 jumped to theirs, and went back to his office.

"So…" Casey crossed her arms over her breasts, grinning from ear to ear. "The clone is gonna drop dead soon. Do you think he’ll just croak, or will he fall apart?"

Jack guffawed. "That’s a good question, Radar."

"I rather imagine he’ll suffer the same thing-" Sam broke off, turned her head for a moment.

"He won’t go easy," Daniel said quietly.

"I almost feel sorry for him," Sam admitted.

"Why?" Jack demanded to know.

"Because he didn’t ask to be created…didn’t ask to become what he is."

"Has anybody wondered how the clone can believe he’s a Goa’uld when there’s no symbiote involved?" Daniel asked.

"There would have to be a symbiote," Sam said argued immediately. "The Jaffa would know immediately if there wasn’t one present. And the clone would need a symbiote for the voice and glowy-eye thing. If Ba’al cloned his symbiote, I would think it would have no genetic memory…no memory at all. The symbiote would be a shell, just like the clone."

Daniel contemplated the response to his question, then nodded slowly. "That actually makes complete sense. But what about the host? Rihat poked around at me, and I could sense that it was something that he…that all Goa’uld…did." He frowned slightly, examining the memories the Goa’uld had left in his mind. "Apparently poking at the host was entertaining when the symbiote was bored…or pissed off. So, if clone Ba’al doesn’t actually have a host, wouldn’t he wonder about that?"

"It is possible that Ba’al’s host has long been silent," Teal’c offered.

"True," Daniel admitted. "He’s had the same host for what, a couple of thousand years now? Just like Apophis."

"So, chances are, clone Ba’al just believes his host is hiding," Casey agreed.

"Well, I don’t give a damn what he thinks or doesn’t think," Jack declared. "I just want to let the bastard know he’s a fake and slated to drop dead."

"Maybe our visit to tell him that will give him a heart attack," Casey mused. "I mean, if the symbiote is a clone, too, not a real snake, he can’t protect the body from damage like that, right?"

Sam frowned. "I’m not sure," she admitted.

Casey started for the door, then turned around to grin at her teammates. "Well, the upside to the whole thing…it’s not actually a host body!"

"Keep up the good thoughts, Radar," Jack said encouragingly. No host makes killing the bastard all the easier. His usual crooked smile slid into place at that thought.

"I wonder which one will die first…the clone symbiote, or the clone body," Casey wondered aloud.

Daniel smiled. The thought of Ba’al dying…clone or real…was one that he would savor.

"Doesn’t really matter, does it?" Jack asked her.

"Not to me," Casey admitted.

"Me, either," Sam said, adding her opinion on the matter.

"I’ll celebrate the death of any Ba’al," Daniel added.

"As will I," Teal’c chimed in.

"So, we all agree that any Ba’al dying is a good thing," Jack nodded. "Let’s get a cup of coffee," he suggested, tilting his head toward the door.

"Sounds good to me," Casey replied. She glanced up at Daniel, slid her arm around his waist. "Caffeine is caffeine, isn’t that what you said the other day?"

"I wasn’t talking about the base sludge," Daniel protested.

"Well, according to several other people around here, the new cook has managed to teach the rest of the kitchen crew how to make coffee," Jack informed the archaeologist.

"It’s not as bad as it used to be. It’s not Sumatra Mandheling, but it’s certainly drinkable," Sam added.

"Fine," Daniel sighed. He put his arm around Casey’s shoulders. Jack and Teal’c were already walking toward the door. "Coming, Sam?"

Sam sat back down at the table. "I don’t figure it will be long before Thor beams that data crystal down. I’m just going to wait here for it. Then I can start working right away."

"Fair enough," Daniel nodded. "We’ll probably be there for awhile."

"I’ll check to see if you’re still there after that data crystal arrives," Sam promised.

Casey gave a fluttery wave, and the couple headed into the corridor.

Thirty minutes later, data crystal in hand and a wide grin on her face, Sam joined her teammates in a celebratory cup of coffee.

Two and a half hours after the meeting with General Hammond, two hours after the data crystal Thor had promised had arrived, Sam was excitedly calling for her teammates to meet in her lab. She was nearly bouncing when the other members of SG-1 walked into the room.

Casey took one look at her friend and giggled. "You figured it out."

Sam nodded vigorously. "I did! The notes Thor sent were very detailed…and very easy to read." She stopped for a moment, frowning slightly. "He must have ‘dumbed down’ the notes for me."

"Doubtful," Jack responded immediately. "Thor knows how smart you are. You helped him beat the Replicators."

"We slowed them down," Sam replied. "We didn’t beat them."

"But you gave them new ideas," Jack insisted. "Your brilliant ideas and their advanced technology will get rid of those damned bugs."

In spite of the fact that they were on the base, and anyone could have walked into her lab at that moment, Sam crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck. Then she kissed him. She smiled when she pulled away and dropped her arms.

"Carter!" Jack hissed, his cheeks turning ruddy.

"Oh, suck it up, General," Casey said, smirking. "Everyone knows you two are married. And everyone knows the two of you have had the hots for each other for like…forever."

"But…the gossip," Jack said. "We’re trying to keep the gossip down to a minimum."

Casey’s laugh filled the room. "Just because you don’t hear about it doesn’t mean it’s not going around."

Daniel and Sam started laughing when Jack’s eyes went so wide it appeared they were going to pop out of his head.

"Say what?" Jack rasped.

She held her hand up. "I don’t pay attention to the rumors, myself," Casey said. "I probably won’t hear any that you don’t hear. But this is the SGC. Fastest rumor mill in the world."

"Or at least the military world," Sam chuckled.

"There is no doubt that many rumors are being told about the members of SG-1 and…" Teal’c paused, then grinned in a way that his friends seldom witnessed, "our respective love lives."

"Oh, for cryin’ out loud!" Jack lamented, wiping one hand over his face.

"Look at it this way, boss," Casey said, trying to offer a bit of comfort to her distressed CO, "if they’re talking about us, then they’re not tearing some other poor soul to bits. And not too much really rabid gossip about us is going to be allowed by those who know us and respect us."

"She’s right, Jack," Sam said consolingly. "Can you imagine what Ferretti would do if he heard anything really nasty about any of us? Or Walter? Or any of the team COs…or team members for that matter?"

Jack frowned slightly as he contemplated what the women were telling him. 

"There was a nasty rumor going around about Casey, right after she got here," Daniel said quietly. "I happened to overhear it in the corridor. Confronted the assholes who were spreading it. I didn’t realize Ferretti had overheard the entire thing until he stepped up beside me, and let me know that he had my back. He handed those guys their asses, fully chewed. And let it be known that if he heard that rumor again, heads were going to roll."

"I remember that," Jack nodded. He heaved a sigh. "Okay…but let’s keep the PDAs to a minimum, shall we, Colonel?"

"Of course, General," Sam chuckled, patting his shoulder. She dropped down onto the stool beside the work table and reached for her laptop.

"Now, back to the reason for this little get together," Jack said, leading the conversation back to the beginning.

"I had Doctor Lee and Doctor Coombs help me with this, just to speed things up. There’s one last test to try before I say that I’m one hundred percent certain this will work," Sam told them.

"And that test would be?" Jack asked, looking over her shoulder at the screen of the laptop.

"I’ve already written the program…actually, I just sort of rewrote a bit of the program that Thor gave me, to make certain it will work with our computers. I have two data crystals, the full program is on each one."

"Our ships can use data crystals?" Jack asked, studying the notes Sam had taken. 

"Yes, sir. We’re using crystal circuitry data that we’ve stolen from the Goa’uld. We also have the more advanced crystal circuitry the Asgard use…a thank you gift for our help with the Replicators. I’m going to take the data crystals to one of the ships in orbit, and try to disable the shields of the other. It should work. If it doesn’t, then I’ll have to figure out why," Sam explained.

"But our shields are different from what the Goa’uld have," Jack argued.

"In general terms, yes. Technically, all shields are based on using certain frequencies to disrupt surrounding sensors."

"Have you cleared this with Hammond?"

"Not yet, I just wanted to let the team know that I’m pretty sure I have our shield disrupter," Sam admitted.

Jack toyed with the screwdriver laying on the table. "We have a briefing first thing in the morning. I’m betting this mission is the reason. As much as we need to get this thing done…I’m a little nervous at how fast we’re moving."

"Would you like for me to run a few more computer simulations?" Sam asked softly.

"Come up with one hundred percent success in the simulations, and then we’ll get permission to board one of the 302s," Jack nodded.

"All right."

Daniel frowned. "Jack? What’s up? We’ve planned missions in less than thirty minutes with a hell of a lot less intel."

He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "I don’t recall that any of those missions involved sneaking onto a ship owned and operated by Ba’al. Most of them were rescue missions," Jack pointed out.

"Okay, I’ll concede to those facts," Daniel said. "Is it this particular mission?"

"Of course it is!" Jack declared sharply, looking at the archaeologist as if he should have figured that out for himself.

"Because of Ba’al?"

"Most especially because of Ba’al," Jack snapped. He waved his hand, giving Daniel a small smile of apology. Which was accepted with a returned smile.

The five stood silently for a moment. They admitted, for the first time – to themselves at least – that the last mission dealing with Ba’al had influenced them far more than they’d realized…far more than they’d allowed themselves to think about. And far more than any of them were comfortable with.

"It’s not fear. Well…not exactly," Jack said quietly.

"It is for me," Casey admitted. She shifted to stand closer to Daniel, taking comfort in his arms.

"Me, too," Sam said quietly. "Not so much for myself…okay, yes I am afraid for myself…but, god…you know he’ll stick another snake in Daniel. He’ll…we know what he’ll do to Casey. We’re fairly certain of what Teal’c’s fate will be if Ba’al gets his hands on him again."

"And you and I will either become hosts, or slaves. Six of one, half dozen of the other," Jack finished.

"Let me do a search," Casey suggested. "The more I can pick up now, the more we’ll have to work with."

Daniel opened his mouth to object, but Jack beat him to it.

"Radar, I hate for you to be around that damned snake even if you’re just looking from the astro-turf."

Casey began to giggle. "Boss, you realize that I can dance naked in front of Ba’al on the astral plane I use to do my searches, and he’d never know it."

"Dance naked?" Daniel choked, his eyes going wide.

"Not literally," Casey replied. "Just trying to point out that the snake never has a clue I’m within a million miles of him. Well, technically I’m not. I just take a little walk through the universe mentally…and see and hear whatever it is I can see and hear."

Brown eyes sought cerulean blue eyes. "It’s your call, Daniel."

Casey’s hands went to her hips, arms akimbo. Green eyes began to glower. "Excuse me? I do believe it’s my call."

"I can understand Jack’s concern," Daniel said slowly. "I have to admit that it’s one I have myself. I understand that you’re not really ‘there’. But there are still so many dangers out there…and what if Ba’al should decide to find a seer…someone who can do what you do, and maybe cause you trouble when you do a search?"

She took a breath, her anger cooling in an instant at her Husband’s real…and possibly legitimate…concern. "I’m not sure that’s even possible…somebody following me on the astral plane, I mean. The way Miss Eloise explained it, where she and I meet, and it’s from there that I do my searches…that’s not a…um…" Casey frowned. "I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s like…like a private telephone line. To get there, someone has to be very, very powerful – from a higher plane of existence, for example – or invited. And I don’t think Ba’al is going to find anyone that powerful to work for him. Besides," she said soothingly, her hand on Daniel’s arm, "All we have to do is call Oaky. She’d take out anyone who tried to screw with us."

Again Jack and Daniel shared a glance.

"Guys…it’s my job," Casey said softly. "And I am the one who will decide when I will and won’t do a search."

"I know," Daniel replied. He pulled her closer. "I also know I don’t have to like it, but I have to accept it."

"So…shall I do a search now?"

Jack cleared his throat. "Do your thing, Radar. But I swear I will plant my boot up your ass if anything bad happens."

"I consider myself duly warned," Casey smiled. She wrapped her arms around Daniel’s neck. "Don’t let go," she whispered.

"Never in a million million years," he promised in a whisper that only she could hear.

Casey tightened her arms around her Husband’s neck, and closed her eyes.

As always, any conversation Casey had with her spirit guide was nothing more than inaudible whispers. Unless she was pissed off. If she was pissed off, everything she said came through loud and clear. Her laugh, however, was unexpected.

"Well, that’s a nice happy sign," Jack noted, a smile tugging at his lips.

She reached out further…searched…yep, there he was. Still as uncertain and confused as he had been the first time she’d reached out and recognized that she’d found the clone. The arrogance was there. His ego was fully intact. But there were those nagging thoughts. Things that kept him awake at night. She dared to move closer. Yes, his unease was beginning to make him pissy as well...it wouldn’t take much to make him strike out. Which meant they had limited time to do what they wanted to do.


The fact that she had laughed twice buoyed the hopes of her teammates. If the seer was laughing, she wasn’t seeing any potential problems for them, was she?

Casey opened her eyes. Stared up into cerulean blue eyes that held relief…and a bit of amusement. "What?"

"You were laughing," Daniel said quietly.

"Well, first of all…" she paused. No, the way Miss Eloise had appeared wasn’t really important. Except maybe to her. Then again, it seemed that the team, particularly Jack, enjoyed hearing about the old seer. "Miss Eloise is trying out a new way to ‘arrive’," she told them.

"Uh…arrive where?" Jack asked.

"We meet in a meadow." Casey looked up at Daniel and smiled. "A lovely, peaceful meadow."

Daniel smiled down at her, still proud of the fact that he’d known his Wife well enough to sense where she’d prefer to meet her spirit guide.

"And this meadow is on the astro-turf, right?"

"Yes, Jack," Casey intoned.

"So, how does she usually arrive?" Jack queried.

"Sometimes she’s already there…I guess she can hear…or maybe feel…me calling for her. Sometimes she just…appears."

"And what did she do this time?"

"She came in on a soft breeze that smelled like cinnamon," Casey replied.

Jack looked at Daniel, then rolled his eyes. "Don’t say it."

Daniel laughed. "You asked."

"I said don’t say it." Jack turned his attention back to the seer, who was still standing in Daniel’s embrace. "Any important tidbits for us?"

The smile disappeared. "Ba’al, the real one, is in one hell of a snit because three of his ships aren’t responding to him. My bet is the clone is on one of those ships, and is controlling the other two. And if those ships aren’t responding, the real Ba’al is going to want to know why. And the clone Ba’al is starting to get pissy too…the doubts he’s having are starting to really bug the shit out of him. If I had to choose, I’d say the real Ba’al will strike out first. But the clone Ba’al won’t be far behind."

"Oy. If we’re gonna do this, we’re going to have to do it now," Jack said. "Sam, how long to do those tests if you ring straight to one of the ships?"

"Ten, maybe fifteen minutes," Sam calculated.

"Let’s tell General Hammond we’re running out of time." He grabbed the phone on the wall. Requested a meeting with the general. He was told that as soon as the general was available, they would be notified. They could only hope that it wouldn’t take long. The clock was ticking.

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