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Training With SG-1 

Chapter 4

The team stepped through the ‘gate. Nyan adjusted the pack on his back. It was a bit heavier than what he was accustomed to carrying, but the items he had at his fingertips made the weight more than tolerable. He’d never had the financial support on his home world to go out so well equipped. He thought of the packs that SG-1 had been forced to leave behind when they had escaped from Bedrosia. Apparently, the loses weren’t considered to be worrisome. He realized, in a sudden epiphany, that he’d never be forced to work without the proper tools, or ‘make-do’ with what he had, as long as he was assigned to the SGC. It was a mind boggling…and for an archaeologist, exhilarating…prospect.

"Trees," Jack muttered as his boots hit the leaf and pine-needle covered forest floor.

"Wanna count them?" Casey asked. "I’ll even take off my boots to help you."

"You are a wise ass."

"So you keep telling me."

"Which way?" Jack asked, turning to look at Sam. Studiously ignoring the grinning seer.

Sam looked at her compass, and then at the photo from the mission file that she had grabbed. Orienting the photo to what she could see, she pointed to the right. "We need to head in that direction."

"Is there a road?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir. In just a few hundred feet according to the UAV findings."

The general made a show of looking around. "Trees are far enough apart, not many bushes, either."

"Your point?" Daniel asked.

"Oh, just observing that this forest isn’t dense. A well-built ATV should be able to handle this terrain easily."

Sam snickered. "Until you drop into a ditch you didn’t see coming."

"A well-built ATV should be able to handle that," Jack replied.

"Are you insinuating that the ATVs my team and I have been working on aren’t well built?" Sam asked.

"I’m not insinuating anything," Jack objected. "Of course, if you’re worried about them not being able to handle a forest floor…" He let his voice trail off.

Casey laid a hand on Sam’s shoulder. "It’s okay, Sam. We know that you and your team have done a great job on those ATVs. I suppose anyway…since I’ve never gotten to ride one." Her eyes sparkled with mirth when Sam glanced at her. "Besides, it’s just Jack’s old age that has him complaining so much."

Sam burst into laughter. "Thanks…I think."

"I am not old!" Jack sputtered.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure," Casey said, waving a hand as if warding off his comment.

"Remember, Jack. Care bears and purple irises," Daniel said quietly, a grin splitting his own face.

"Heartless. The lot of you are just heartless," Jack declared. He stomped ahead, taking the lead. He didn’t know whether to be amused or offended when he heard the team laughing behind him. So typical of them, to tease him like this. He grinned, glad they couldn’t see his face. When the team could laugh and joke and tease each other, the mission was going well. So far, so good.

Fifteen minutes later they emerged from the woods onto the road the UAV had shown during the first examination of this planet.

"Oh, look!" Casey exclaimed. She pointed eagerly at a large castle. The stone structure was sitting on top of a hill in the center of the valley in which they were standing.

"There’s no way that hill is natural," Daniel said immediately.

"I agree," Sam said. "It was typical on Earth, especially in the flatter areas of England, to build up the land to put a castle on."

"Better defense," Jack said.

"Made putting a moat around the whole thing easier, too," Sam added.

"What is a ‘moat’?" Teal’c asked, studying the structure through his binoculars.

"It’s a man-made water feature," Daniel explained. "Usually found surrounding a castle or fort. It’s just one more thing that makes the castle or fort harder to take."

"What are the other things?" Nyan inquired.

"Very tall, smooth walls," Daniel replied. "With no cracks or grooves for finger- and toe-holds, it’s impossible to climb without ladders or ropes."

"The walls are usually pretty thick, too," Jack said. "Sometimes up to six feet. Usually the top of the walls were wide enough for troops to fight from. The walls offered them protection from any arrows or spears thrown at them, while giving them the perfect advantage to fire from."

"So castles are impermeable?" Nyan asked.

Jack studied the castle in front of them. "To a point. All it takes is for one enemy soldier to get inside, and there’s the risk of that soldier opening all of the gates."

Nyan frowned as he studied the edifice before them. "But…how?"

Jack grinned. "Usually through the sewers. Most castles were actually pretty advanced, and offered showers and baths and flushing toilets…well, sort of flushing toilets. Channels were built into the walls to allow the water and waste to flow out, and usually into the moat. They were large enough that slaves could keep them clean…I mean, you couldn’t let all of that…well, you know…just build up. The stench would be unbearable. But…a determined man…or woman," he added hastily, when both women of the team turned to look at him, "could make their way up those channels."

"It would be a rather dangerous undertaking," Nyan mused.

"True," Jack allowed. "But, determination can be a deciding factor in a lot of battles. Once inside, that person could hide until nightfall. Then, under the cover of darkness, open the gates and lower the drawbridges. Then the army waiting outside swarms in, and it’s hand-to-hand combat inside the castle walls."

"Of course, the guards inside the castle would have to be deaf and dumb, as the noise those gates and drawbridges made would probably wake the dead," Casey deadpanned.

"Or the guards could be bribed. Loyalty was often bought, not earned," Daniel countered.

"Well, it’s still a pretty castle. It reminds me of the Disney castle," Casey sighed.

"It is pretty. The turrets look as though the roof tiles are blue," Sam noted.

"Against the white stone, it’s lovely," Casey reiterated. She pulled her binoculars from her pack. She took another look at the castle. "Oh! Look! There’s a garden in front! It’s full of roses! Yellow, white, red, pink…"

"Is that orange, in that far corner?" Sam asked, her own binoculars against her face.

"I see them…yep, it looks like orange roses. Like I said, the Disney Castle," Casey said.

"It’s the Neuschwanstein Castle," Daniel informed them.

"The who?" Jack asked.

"It’s a castle in Germany," Daniel explained. "It was the inspiration for the Disney castle."

"Ah, yes, of course," Jack said, rolling his eyes.

"It has a very interesting history-"

"Which is totally unrelated to this mission," Jack hurriedly interjected. "So, it looks like that’s the place Jacob was talking about."

Sam shook her head. "I dunno, that doesn’t look much like a fort to me. What Dad described was more like a typical Goa’uld fort. That is not a typical Goa’uld fort."

"It is if the Goa’uld is as crazy as Ludwig the Second of Bavaria. He’s the one who built the Neuschwanstein castle," Daniel said. He grinned as Jack rolled his eyes again. He found it a challenge to slip as much information, as many details as possible, into a conversation.

"Radar, anything to tell me?" Jack asked, determinedly turning his back on the most annoying archaeologist he’d ever met. Best friend or not, Daniel could drive him to distraction, and loved to do so. He ignored the little whisper in his mind that pointed out how much he loved to tease the scientist.

The blonde seer tipped her head to the side and closed her eyes.

Nyan noted that the entire team tensed when they watched the frown that moved over her face. His shoulders tightened as well, and his heart rate nearly doubled.

"We’re not…and won’t be in danger. Nothing life threatening." Her frown deepened. "Not actually life threatening-"

Daniel noted her clarification. "But it will seem life threatening?"

"No real danger," she repeated. "But mysterious. Strange…a bit weird." She opened her eyes. "I keep getting the word ‘perplexing’."

"Now why don’t I like the sound of that?" Jack muttered.

"Because it probably means we’re going to have to use our intellect," Daniel replied flippantly. "That might prove to be a challenge for you."

"Ha ha. You’re a smart ass. For that, you get point," Jack responded.

Casey took a few skipping steps to catch up to her husband as he led the way to a wide, cobbled road that appeared to lead directly to the castle.

"No holding hands," Jack called out. "If one of you falls into a pit or something, I don’t want to have to pull both of you out."

"Bite me, Jack," Casey tossed over her shoulder.

Sam grinned and fell into step beside the team CO.

Teal’c took the six, Nyan happily at his side.

"Are all of your missions like this?" Nyan asked.

"I do not understand," Teal’c replied. "We have just arrived. Nothing has happened, yet."

Nyan shook his head. "No, I mean the…discussion. Do they always talk to one another like that?"

A small smile tugged at Teal’c’s thick lips. "Indeed. It is called ‘banter’. It is what friends do. Such ‘banter’ helps us to work out what we’re seeing, what we may be called upon to do. You will find that the Tau’ri of the SGC use humor to help control their fear, or their excitement, or even their disappointment."

"I think I understand. Detrick used to make jokes when I knew he was nervous."

"Precisely. I believe it this sense of humor that prevents the Tau’ri from giving up, or giving in to despair, even when the odds are against them."

"Do all of the teams…banter?" Nyan asked.

"I believe so. All of the teams with whom I have worked, or have accompanied SG-1 on missions have engaged in banter," Teal’c said.

"I will have to learn how to ‘banter’," Nyan sighed.

"That will not be necessary," Teal’c said reassuringly. "The longer you are with a team, the more missions you go on, the more relaxed you’ll become with that team, and they will also get to know you. The banter you will engage in will occur spontaneously, naturally."

"Oh…that’s good to know," Nyan said, sighing with relief. He’d always been a serious person…even as a child he’d not engaged in the play and make-believe that had entertained his friends. He’d been happier reading books on history of the planet he called home. While he had studied to become an archaeologist, he’d remained a somber, studious young man. He’d spent much of his time alone, as a result. He did not, he was certain, have a sense of humor deep enough to allow him to make jokes at random. To know it wouldn’t be required was truly encouraging.

"It took me many months before I understood when O’Neill was being facetious, or when he was serious. O’Neill and Daniel Jackson had worked together prior to becoming teammates on SG-1. They had already developed a friendship, which has only continued to become stronger," Teal’c explained. "I find it most satisfying to remain silent during the banter," he added, almost conspiratorially.

Nyan frowned slightly. "Why?"

"If I remain silent and maintain a calm demeanor, my teammates are not aware of how amusing I find them. I do not laugh at them, to do so would not be polite. But I do find them to be most…entertaining."

"So, you don’t think the team I’m assigned to would be upset if I remain…silent?"

"I do not. As I have said, undoubtedly, as you spend more time with your teammates, and grow to know them, and they to know you, any banter in which you engage will be comfortable. And…fun."

"Thanks, Teal’c," Nyan said.

"You are welcome, Nyan of Bedrosia."

"Yo, T-man! Come take a look at this!" Jack called.

Teal’c jogged toward his teammates. Nyan managed to remain beside him.

"What have you discovered?" Teal’c asked, joining his teammates beside a large, round boulder.

"That looks Goa’uld to me," Jack said, pointing to the carvings on the side of the rock.

Teal’c knelt down. "Indeed. It is a warning."

"Oh, I hate those," Jack groaned.

"Is it about the castle?" Daniel asked. He’d seen the rock but had totally missed the carving. He was berating himself for that failure when a soft hand wrapped around his fingers and squeezed gently.

"It is. The warning is quite specific. "It says, ‘Enter at your peril. The edifice before you has been cursed’. I do not believe Goa’uld left this message."

"Jaffa?" Daniel asked, having already translated the rather odd message.

"I believe so. No doubt Jaffa entered the castle, and either failed to return, or did so in less than favorable circumstances," Teal’c said. "Those who escaped, or those who remained behind, and thus concluded that their brethren had been killed, left this message."

Casey snorted, then began to giggle. "I think Daniel is right…what we’re about to face is more about intellect than brute strength. No offense, Teal’c."

"None taken," Teal’c replied, giving a regal nod of his head.

"You’re…you were…First Prime. It was a requirement for you to be as…intellectual, as knowledgeable about many things as physically strong," Daniel mused. "If the Jaffa who visited here did so without the benefit of the wisdom and experience of a First Prime, it’s very possible that they found the experience…unpleasant."

Nyan squirmed slightly at the word ‘unpleasant’. He directed his question to the SGC seer. "We’re not in danger, though, correct?"

Casey tugged her lip between her teeth, staring at the castle. Then shook her head. "No danger. At least, none that I can sense."

Jack frowned slightly as he studied the castle. "I’m with you, Carter. I don’t think that thing is the fort Jacob was talking about."

"If it’s not, where is the fort?" Daniel asked.

Sam looked around, studying the woods that sheltered the Stargate, then shrugged. "I don’t know."

"Well, as long as we’re here, we might as well check it out, right boss?" Casey asked. "I would love to add a little addendum to that warning…‘only dangerous to Jaffa, who are apparently too stupid to deal with a simple castle. Not dangerous to Tau’ri.’ That should piss ‘em off, right?"

Jack chuckled. "I’ll be sorely disappointed if it doesn’t. Okay, campers, like the lady says, we’re here. We might as well check this thing out."

"You don’t think the Ba’al would send out warnings about the strength of this ‘fort’, just to keep other Goa’uld away, do you?" Sam asked.

"Ba’al is the Goa’uld your dad was talking about, right?" Jack asked. "I believe I recall that snake’s name being mentioned in the briefing."

"Well, he’s the Goa’uld who is laying claim to this planet. That’s what Selmak found so odd," Sam explained. "Usually the Goa’uld don’t boast about a fort…not like Ba’al is about this one. And it’s on a planet that doesn’t seem to offer anything the Goa’uld would want. No natives for slaves, no naquadah, no trinium. No doubt we could locate gold, coal, copper…any number of ores or gemstones. But they never guard planets with those resources as jealously as planets where they have slaves or naquadah."

"Could it just be that Ba’al isn’t sure what this place is, and he doesn’t want to take the risk of one of the other Goa’uld showing up and figuring it out before he can?" Daniel asked.

"It’s as good a theory as any," Sam shrugged. "According to the report-"

"The report we just saw?" Jack asked, skeptically

The colonel smirked at her husband. "I’m a fast reader. Anyway, Ba’al seems to have spooked the other Goa’uld with his announcement about this planet. Most thought he’d been killed. That he’s still alive, and still seems to have more ships and Jaffa than most of the other System Lords has them worried."

"I was hoping that bastard was dead," Daniel sighed.

"We all were," Jack commiserated.

"If the System Lords have been taken unaware of Ba’al’s return, no doubt they will come together in another attempt to dispose of him," Teal’c said. "He is far more powerful than they realized, a fact that will provoke them into acting against him in an attempt to weaken him."

"Their problem, for now," Jack said. "We just have to figure out if that-" he pointed toward the castle, "is Ba’al’s new fort, or something else entirely."

"If it’s Ba’al who’s sending out the ‘stay away’ messages, it’s probably because he wants one of the other Goa’uld to take the risks to figure this out. Then he’ll swoop in and take over. He’s as lazy as he is annoying," Casey grumbled.

"More like calculating," Daniel countered. "Why risk his own Jaffa if he can trick another Goa’uld into doing so?"

"Sneaky, snaky bastard," Casey said. "One day, I’m going to find his ass, and nail him to the wall. Literally. With nails. And then I’m going to make him watch hours and hours and hours of Congressional hearings from CSPAN."

Jack chuckled loudly. "That, Radar, might be considered cruel and unusual punishment."

The young seer smiled from ear to ear. "I certainly hope so."

Daniel glanced at Nyan. "Casey really, really hates Ba’al," he explained.

"From the reports I was able to read, she has every reason to do so," Nyan replied. He glanced at Teal’c, then at Casey. "If you do ever get the chance to…‘nail Ba’al to the wall’, I hope I’m there to see it."

Casey’s smile brightened. "I’ll make sure you’re right there in the front row." She turned to Teal’c. "You’ll hold that slimy bastard still while I nail him up, right?"

"Indeed," Teal’c replied. He didn’t bother to try to hide his smile.

"Okay, now that we have planned what we’ll do to the snake when we catch him, let’s move on, shall we?" Jack said.

A A A A A A

The road that led to the castle was real cobblestone. Jack pointed out half a dozen times that the specially designed, four-wheeled ATVs that Sam and the other lab rats had built, (based on the designs from a Sam Carter O’Neill in a different reality,) would have easily traversed the path. "We could have pushed them to the road," Jack said again. "We’d be at that castle in what…ten, fifteen minutes?"

"Getting them from the ‘gate to the road would have been too difficult," Sam insisted.

"Nah, that forest isn’t dense. Ground cover might have been a bit deep, but it shouldn’t have been a problem. I mean, those things are supposed to be able to take on some rugged terrain. It just seems to me that we spent a lot of money on equipment we’re not using," Jack insisted.

"Several of the SG teams have used the ATVs on their missions," Sam pointed out.

"Say what?" Jack asked, eyes wide. "When? Which teams? Why hasn’t SG-1 ever had a chance to use them? That is so no fair!"

"Boss, we’re-" Casey broke off, and glanced at Nyan. "We’re in great physical condition. A hike like this…on a paved road, is a piece of cake."

"But we could have ridden," Jack repined.

"Oh, stop whining," Daniel said, rolling his eyes. "Sam has already pointed out that the quarter mile between the ‘gate and this road would have been impossible for the ATVs to cover."

Sam smirked at Jack.

"Although," Daniel continued, "if they’re 'all-terrain' vehicles, why a few small trees and bushes would have been such a big deal is beyond me."

The smirk disappeared. "There was more than just a few small trees and bushes to navigate around or over. The possibility of flipping an ATV over in that type of terrain makes the risk of using them too high," Sam said sharply.

"Well, if we don’t get a mission where we can use those things, I’m going to insist that SG-1 get to ride them around Warehouse One," Jack said firmly. "It’s not fair that everyone else has had a chance to ride them."

"They’re not for our entertainment," Sam said.

"I know that," Jack retorted. "But…SG-1. Premier team. And we still haven’t had a chance to check those things out."

"Cry me a river," Sam huffed.

"But-"

"Jack, do you really want to sleep in your office for the next month?" Casey asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"If you keep hounding Sam about those ATVs, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I’ll make sure she kicks your butt out of the house for being so annoying."

Sam chuckled. "Hadn’t thought of that. Thanks, girlfriend."

"Any time," Casey said, smiling brightly.

"Keep your really lousy ideas to yourself, Radar," Jack said.

Nyan glanced at Teal’c. He could see that the Jaffa’s dark cheek was twitching slightly. He relaxed and grinned at the ‘banter’.

The closer the team moved toward the castle, the larger it became. While it hadn’t appeared small from the distance, it seemed overwhelming the nearer they walked.

"You could put a small town in that thing," Jack mused.

"Looks like," Daniel agreed. "Large keeps like this often did have entire villages inside them."

"Uh huh."

"Fields outside of the castle walls were maintained, but gardens were usually cultivated inside. I don’t see any fields."

"That would be because it’s not inhabited," Jack said pointedly.

Daniel shrugged. "We’ll probably find a barracks, possibly two or three, given the size of that place. At least one blacksmith’s stall. I’d guess at a pottery, a bakery, maybe even a tannery."

"If it’s like a castle on Earth."

"It sure looks like a castle from Earth."

"Doesn’t mean it is."

"Doesn’t mean it isn’t."

"What if there are people inside?" Jack asked, raising his mini-binoculars to his eyes.

"We’d be hearing sounds by now," Daniel informed his CO. "In a place that big, there would be a lot of people moving around. Probably animals, too."

The road wrapped around the hill. Daniel and Sam continued to insist that the large ‘hill’ wasn’t natural. By the time they’d made their way around the grassy hill to the front of the castle, the sun was at its zenith.

There was no drawbridge, the road had delivered them directly to the gates that protected the castle.

"Wow," Casey said softly, her head dropping back in order to see the top of the huge, iron gates.

"Do you see a way in?" Jack asked, already poking around the wall beside the gate.

"Not yet," Daniel murmured.

"It’s certainly…large," Nyan said nervously.

"That it is," Jack agreed.

"Found it," Daniel called out. He was standing beside a wooden lever as long as he was tall. It was connected to a gear. Only two teeth of a second gear were visible to them, the other gear being inside the thick wall.

"Okay, let’s see if we can get this thing open." Jack nodded at Teal’c, and the two men stepped up beside Daniel. The three of them began to pull down on the lever. At first nothing happened. They pulled again. This time, the lever began to move toward the ground, turning the first gear, which then moved the second gear. The air was filled with the sounds of wood groaning and metal clanging.

It took ten minutes for the gates to open completely. Inside was a courtyard, filled with roses. There were balconies covered with roses, and it seemed that the garden had been built up at least a dozen levels. The flowers offered a riot of color, and perfumed the air with their spicy sweetness.

"Now that’s a garden," Casey said.

"Indeed," Teal’c agreed. "It is most pleasing."

"It’s gorgeous," Sam added.

"Looks like a hell of a lot of work," Jack said, adding his two-cents to the conversation.

"No doubt," Daniel said. "Looks well kept, for a place that seems to be deserted."

"I agree," Sam said, looking around nervously.

"Radar, anything to tell me? Is there anyone around here?" Jack asked.

Casey stepped closer to Daniel. He turned and pulled her against his chest. She relaxed and leaned back against him, then closed her eyes. She felt herself pulled up…higher and higher. Goddess, this thing is huge! She reached out, searching for any sense of life. She waited for a moment, listening carefully. She couldn’t even sense small animals or rodents. There was definitely nothing alive in the keep, nor the castle itself. "Nothing. The only living things I can find are the roses in this amazing garden."

"Okay, so it’s got a great garden. Let’s see what’s inside that has Ba’al so hot to get his hands on it," Jack said.

"This isn’t a fort," Sam pointed out.

"No, it’s not. At least, not a typical Goa’uld fort," Jack allowed. "But if that snaky bastard is interested in this place, there’s a reason. And it’s best that we find out what that reason is before it bites us in the ass."

The team moved forward, following the cobblestone road that hadn’t been broken, even by the massive metal gates.

While the entrance of the castle wasn’t as large as the gates in the protective walls, it was impressive. Double doors - at least fifteen feet in height, and no less than six feet across each - greeted them after they’d climbed a dozen wide, stone steps.

Painted in white, with pink, blue and yellow flowers intertwined with green stems and leaves, the doors were a work of art. Large gold handles reflected the sunlight.

Jack stood in front of the doors, his team in a tight circle behind him. "Think we should ring?"

"I don’t see any way of doing that," Daniel said, having already looked for a bell or some sort of rope to pull a bell. There weren’t even knockers on the doors.

"Okay, here goes." Jack grabbed the handles and pushed. The doors swung open easily.

The foyer rose three stories above them, balconies on the second and third floors overlooked the marble-tiled entrance. Settees of white, piled with silk pillows in blue and yellow lined the walls. There were no apparent staircases. Double doors opened off to the left and the right. In the far corner of the massive foyer was an arched doorway, it appeared to lead into a hallway. Directly in front of them was another room, and the doors were wide open.

From where they stood, it seemed that the room to their right was a large dining room. They could see a sideboard and one end of a table. A chair with carved arms sat at the end of the table. The chairs on either side of the table seemed to be simple dining chairs.

The room to the left was a parlor of some sort. They could see a couch, covered in light blue silk, flanked by two chairs, covered in a heavy blue brocade. A low wooden table with ornately carved legs sat just in front of the couch, and the couch faced a set of windows that ran from the floor to the impossibly high ceiling. Those windows overlooked the amazing garden in the castle courtyard.

"We should be able to find out about this place in there," Daniel said, pointing with the muzzle of his P90 to what seemed to be a library. Through the open door, shelves of books were visible, along with several pieces of massive, intricately carved furniture.

"Lead the way," Jack said softly.

Daniel looked around carefully, then slowly moved deeper into the foyer. His teammates were right behind him. Casey was at his elbow; he could feel her shoulder bumping his.

As soon as they entered the room, the team split, each moving to a different part of the room, carefully examining the furniture, books, art, and sculptures.

"Any ideas, Danny?"

"None. This could be a library in a castle in the early 1900s, from the way it’s decorated. Casey, get as much footage of this as you can. I’m going to get close ups of these books," Daniel instructed, reaching for his camera.

She was about to pull her camera from her pack when the sound of stone grinding against stone filled the air. Everyone froze, and glanced around, and then at each other.

Suddenly, it seemed as if the very room itself had come to life. The fireplace began to slide forward. It seemed that SG-1’s luck was holding. Things were getting ready to go to hell on them, they were certain of that.

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