Continuing Stargate

[Rasunda]

Yeah, the eppy will be out soon!
And s09, could you look at my fan-fic, Attack of the Ori?
It would mean alot to me...

[asdfgh]

Looking forward to episode. Sounds really good, and it's a two parter. Hope we won't have to wait too long between the to parts.
PS. s09, if you already wrote the second part, please save it on a USB drive or something in case your computer goes all wonky like last time.

[s09119]

15x16 "Pride Before the Fall" (Part 1 of 2)
Synopsis: Believing the time is right to shatter the fragile Alliance, Lor'al moves to destroy the bond between its most-powerful members. At the same time, Vur'naa puts plans of his own into action, hoping to unseat the deranged leader and expose her true madness.

Spoiler:

((45 second recap of "Interludes," "Quid Pro Quo," and "Against the Night"))

In the smoke-filled skies above a devastated landscape, a lone Der'kal gunship makes its way toward a towering complex of alien buildings that dominates the center of a twisted-looking city that extends for miles. In the distance, massive shipyards rise above the horizon, and the ground is blackened in every direction by scorching and raging fires. As the small transport touches down on a landing platform several stories up, the crashed remains of a ha'tak can be seen down below. This is what is left of Ankgor, the once-proud fortress world of the Jaffa. It seems that the years since its fall to the Der'kal armada ("Total War") have not been kind, and its surface, nearly reduced to magma in an attempt to eradicate the deadly Agent One virus, remains hardly livable. If anything, it has become little more than a virtual Hell.

A boarding ramp extends out of the back of the gunship, and an ever-annoyed-looking warrior steps out, picking up his cloak to keep it off the ash-strewn platform on which he stands. As he makes his way to the entrance of the complex before him, his hood is blown away by the wind, and it is revealed to be Vur'naa, the alien commander who has made eradicating SG-1 and their closest allies his personal mission. His clothing appears to be of a higher status than it was when he was last seen ordering a retreat from Earth ("Quid Pro Quo"), but his purpose in coming all the way back to this ruined planet is unclear; he doesn't seem to be in any sort of trouble, but neither does he seem pleased to be here.

Watching from a nearby rooftop, Lt. Col. Mitchell puts down his binoculars, a worried look on his face. Sitting nearby, the rest of his team (noticeably minus Vala) is keeping a careful watch for any patrols that may happen to swing by their area, though they are largely hidden from passing aircraft by the crumbling remnants of a downed death glider. Cradling her P90, Maj. Eaton remarks that this is strange; they've been trying to track down Vur'naa for months, and all of a sudden the Tok'ra receive a set of coordinates for this exact building, and this exact time, and when they go to check it out, who's arriving but him. Cameron doesn't like this at all, and he suspects that it's a trap, but Daniel points out that someone needed to investigate, and they had nothing else to do anyway.

In orbit, Vala is sitting in the pilot's seat of a cloaked Jaffa tel'tak that they borrowed for this assignment. It's been upgraded with Asgard beam technology, allowing for quick and easy extraction should something go wrong, and the former smuggler is spending all her time monitoring communications for any mention of her friends. A few alien ships are floating nearby, but she seems to be at the very perimeter of the defensive blockade around the planet, unlikely to be happened upon. The copy of the Book of Origin Tomin gave to her long before ("Blue Zone") is resting nearby, and she seems to be re-reading it to pass the time. Tapping her radio, she confirms that it was, in fact, Vur'naa's gunship that touched down, as it came directly from his cruiser, still bearing the gash in its side from Col. Sanders's final act of vengeance over Earth. Mitchell thanks her for the info, then tells her to sit tight while they all wonder what he could be here for.

Inside the massive complex the much-discussed warrior entered, Vur'naa is being escorted to a meeting hall, outside which several of the high-profile te'kal attendants are milling about. The commander disdainfully shoves past them, entering a chamber housing dozens of strategists and tacticians from all parts of the Empire. Unlike the meeting similar to this that Lor'al held on Earth just before slaughtering all in attendance, though ("Interludes"), all the warriors here wear the insignia of the Exarch himself; no mass-murder of the commanders will take place this time around.

As Vur'naa takes a seat, his features darken immediately; the figure striding to the center of the room is none other than Lor'al herself, still dressed in the garb of the supreme commander of the armada. Obviously her part in the massacre of her subordinates did not affect her standing much ("Interludes"), or else no one has yet to figure out that it was she that carried out the crime. The latter seems more likely, given that there was little time for any forensic evidence to be gathered, and all the warriors who carried out the executions were killed when the Tau'ri took back the planet. It was, apparently, the perfect crime... but that doesn't seem to stop Vur'naa from having his suspicions about her.

Looking up at the various officials around her, Lor'al begins by stating that the Exarch is quite pleased with the current state of affairs in this infidelic galaxy. The so-called "Alliance of Great Races" has managed to inflict some damage on them, but this is nothing more than a short-lives reprieve from their destruction. Worlds such as Ankgor have been constructing new fleets as always, but now they are nearly finished with a second wave of reinforcements, ones that will be fully capable of destroying any adversaries. This second-round of advanced warships include new, heavily-upgraded superships. As they are able to relocate more and more of the Der'kal civilization to conquered planets, the lumbering vessels once relied upon to carry the bulk of their people can be turned in full against the Alliance, and with their sheer firepower, they will overwhelm all resistance.

That said, the people known as the Tau'ri appear to have discovered a new weapon of their own, one they used to decimate their forces over Earth. From what they have learned from tortured prisoners, it is a device devised by one of the much-revered "Ancients" called Pandora's Box, and as long as it remains in their hands, they are the one thing standing in their way. As such, Lor'al has spoken to the Exarch and decided on a new course of action; she will make an appearance before the leaders of the least-stable of their enemies, the Jaffa, and propose an arrangement. In exchange for the destruction of the Box, the Der'kal will not attack any Free Jaffa world, though if their fleets participate in battles against them, the losses are fair game. One of the alien commanders stands then, asking how the Jaffa can ensure the weapon's destruction when they do not control it, but Lor'al assures him that she and the Exarch have studied their enemies extensively, and they are positive that things will find their own way.

Outside, SG-1 is still waiting and watching, and it's been almost two hours since Vur'naa arrived and disappeared. Suddenly, Eaton notices a great flood of people exiting, and she guesses that whatever everyone came for is ending. As numerous commanders make for their transports, Cameron raises his binoculars and focuses in on the landing pad where their target's gunship is still parked, and sure enough, Vur'naa is coming out of the complex's doorway and making straight for his ship. Watching him board the vessel as it takes off, Mitchell mutters that he doesn't understand what the point of having them come here was if nothing's actually going to happen, and he puts down the goggles to watch the gunship depart. Interestingly, it moves straight toward them, not taking the same route it did upon coming here, and starts to slow down. Daniel is the one who figures it out first, and immediately grabs his weapon, shouting that he knows where they are. And indeed, the gunship comes to a halt directly above their rooftop, lowering close enough for Vur'naa to jump down, easily spotting the team under the crashed glider.

Mitchell scowls and raises his P90, but his former captor just shakes his head with what might account to a laugh. Looking around, he asks if they really didn't expect him to figure that this is where they'd be hiding; it's obviously the best place for two miles around to get a look at the Exarch's palace. Over the radio, Vala snorts, amused that such an ugly complex is where their almighty leader makes his home. Either way, Daniel guesses that it was Vur'naa himself that told them to come here, to which the alien nods. He wanted them present just in case his suspicions were not alleviated by the meeting that just ended, and unfortunately, they weren't. Then he glances around warily, muttering that this is hardly the best place to talk, and asks where the team's ship is hiding. When SG-1 gives him nothing but bewildered expressions, he sighs and unholsters his pistol, tossing it across the rooftop in a show of resignation. Not accustomed to this sort of behavior from his generally-confident adversary, Mitchell slowly taps his radio and tells Vala to prepare for some guests.

Meanwhile, on Chulak, Ka'lel of the Hak'tyl is pacing outside the Jaffa Senatorial building, obviously deep in thought. After a moment, she spots a robed figure descending the steps of what used to be Apophis's grand mansion and calls out for him to hold a moment. As she gets closer, the man turns, revealing Chancellor of the Nation Teal'c, still looking as powerful as ever even in his later years. He asks his old friend to make it quick, as he is scheduled to enter negotiations with a dissatisfied group of Jaffa on one of their agriculturual worlds in less than an hour, and he is already running behind. Ka'lel apologizes for holding him up, but insists that they need to speak, and offers to walk with him to the stargate if need be to get some time alone.

Stepping off the stairs, Ka'lel proceeds to explain that the Progressive majority that has allowed the Senate, and by extension, Teal'c, to do as they please for the past few years is starting to slip again. And unlike the last time this happened ("Equilibrium"), they have no third ground to fall back on, as the Traditionalists have all but eroded the critical swing-voting Mid'cha party. With new elections only a few months away, they must work quickly to ensure that the people believe their policies to be the right ones, particularly on the less-modernized Jaffa worlds, where ancient rites and rituals set down by the System Lords still dominate local affairs. If something isn't done, the more "barbarous" ways advocated by the Traditionalists—essentially a return to a Goa'uld-esque military oligarchy—will be the future for them all.

As they arrive at the stargate plaza, painstakingly rebuilt after a Der'kal attack that claimed the lives on hundreds a few years before ("Traitors"), Teal'c promises that he will do what he can. However, he points out that the Nation's constitution prevents him from taking any action perceived as rigging the upcoming elections, and they must proceed with caution or else they risk destroying the Progressive credibility. He turns to begin dialing the gate, but finds one symbol already locked in. Frowning, he tries to reset the DHD, but before he can finish, a second glyph lights up, and he realizes that an inbound wormhole is coming through. Guards immediately spring to attention, and staff cannons housed on nearby roofs rotate to face the portal as it activates. And then something truly astonishing happens; Lor'al, accompanied by a squad of Der'kal warriors, steps through the event horizon, staring interestedly at her Jaffa counterpart, waiting for him to make the first move.

(First part of "Pride Before the Fall," see next two posts for more.)

[s09119]

(More of "Pride Before the Fall," see previous post for start and next post for conclusion.)

Spoiler:

Back in orbit above Ankgor, Vur'naa is looking around the interior of SG-1's borrowed tel'tak while the team discusses the situation in the cockpit area. Mitchell doesn't like this at all, and Eaton is of the mind that spacing their "guest" would be the best idea, but Daniel argues that this is an interesting turn of events that should be looked into. Vala adds that they decided to come here not knowing what his angle was, and they should at least here what he has to say. If he turns out to be trying to pull something, they can just beam him into space and leave. Conceding that she's right, Cameron leads the group back to the ring room, which has been sealed and the transporter itself locked down to create a makeshift cell.

Opening the door, Mitchell sits down on an outcropping across from their alien visitor and asks what it is he wants to say that's so important. Looking somewhat amused at how he keeps fingering his weapon, Vur'naa replies that he actually has come to ask for their assistance. He believes that their military leader Lor'al has lost control of her faculties, so to speak, and that she presents a clear and present danger not only to his war effort, but theirs as well. When Vala asks what he means, he explains that her strategies have become increasingly erratic, sacrificing dozens more ships than might be necessary on worlds that aren't entirely of any value. On the flip side, though, she is becoming extraordinarily bold, proposing assaults on planets deep within Alliance space that may be underdefended due to their "safe" positions, Chulak being a prime example. He pauses, as if considering revealing what he thinks is the cause of this insanity, then thinks better of it, deciding to leave out the fact that Anise was forced to blend with her.

Intrigued, Daniel asks how they'd be of assistance, as it's unlikely Lor'al will simply present herself for execution. Vur'naa responds by saying that after his timely withdrawal from Earth to preserve his fleet, he was promoted, and now has considerable pull with the highest echelons of the Der'kal military. He could arrange for a meeting between he and Lor'al in deep space, saying that it is top secret and of vital importance that she attend. And since she sees him as a trusted and useful underling, there is almost a certainty that she will come when called. He can insist that it take place on her ship, and simply have his crew beam him out when the Tau'ri appear "out of nowhere" and destroy her cruiser. She'll be dead, and a more-sensible commander will take over, keeping the war on the battle lines and not beyond.

The team members all glance at one another, then Mitchell says that it sounds like this is oddly good for them. Now they know to keep the core worlds nice and guarded, all in the comfort that the head of the enemy fleet is wasting away her manpower and ships because she's deranged. Really, he sees no problem, and sentiment Rebbecca is quick to share. Unable to believe that they won't help, Vur'naa stalks to the center of the room, demanding that they do something and roaring that if they don't it might be the end for all of them. But Vala says that there's really no point in arguing, and hits the controls for the transport rings, which Vur'naa has conveniently stood in the middle of. Just before being beamed away, the alien glares coldly out at SG-1, saying that they will regret this. And indeed, a moment later he materializes in the ring room on his cruiser and he immediately orders his crew to activate their interdictor. He's not letting them go anywhere.

On the tel'tak, Vala slides into the pilot's seat and says that while this was fun, it's time to head home. She de-cloaks and spins the ship around, opening a hyperspace window and accelerating... but just before they jump into the portal, the ship shakes violently, and a muffled explosion is heard from the rear. When everyone gets back to their feet, they find themselves still in orbit over Ankgor, with Der'kal fighters moving to intercept them and larger ships spinning around to lock on with their cannons. For a moment, Vala doesn't understand, since they were clear to leave a few seconds before, but Daniel sees what's going on; Vur'naa's flagship has an interdiction device, they know that, and he must have ordered it online the second they refused to help him. Watching as the enemy encircles them, Eaton sighs, muttering that she is so looking forward to the inside of yet-another Der'kal jail cell.

Light-years away on Chulak, the Jaffa are trying to decide what to do with Lor'al. She has requested an audience with the Senate to discuss something of grave importance, but Teal'c doesn't want her getting anywhere near the complex. On the other hand, many of the Traditionalists respect this approach, believing the show of force she brought with her to be impressive and, as the Goa'uld once thought, thinking that it is unwise to refuse a personal visit of a great enemy. None of the Progressives can understand this, though, as it was always one of the stupider System Lord rituals to let powerful and deadly adversaries walk into your seat of government, but apparently no one cares much on the other side. And with their influence growing, Teal'c risks an interstellar incident by refusing their will. Even though it defies logic, he has to let their guest speak.

As the Senators assemble in the hall, Ka'lel takes her place beside Teal'c as the head of the Progressive Party since he ascended to the Chancellorship. Across from their section of the chamber, the Traditionalists file in, some going so far as to be attired in old System Lord-era armor, complete with retracting headguards. A few of them even have the symbol of Origin emblazoned into their chestpieces, proud of their conversion to the Ori faith. It's a rather disturbing sight, especially in this day and age so long after the fall of the galaxy's false gods.

After a moment, Lor'al and the Der'kal delegation enter, eyeing the hundreds of Jaffa with clear mistrust and disdain. The lead alien never takes her gaze away from Teal'c, though, as if cherishing how his people have fit so wonderfully into her plans, and when she steps to the speaker's platform in the middle of the hall, there is only silence. Raising her arms, Lor'al says that the Der'kal and Jaffa are not so different; both are warrior cultures, respectful of strength and honor, and both have great potential for the future. They don't need to fight as they do, and they could coexist if only a few variables were to change. One of the Traditionalist senators ask what she means there, and Lor'al goes on to explain that the Der'kal do not wish to exterminate anyone, but there is one world that continually forces them to take ever-more-drastic measures against the galactic community, and if its "secret weapon" were to be removed, the Jaffa might find themselves living in a far less-violent state of affairs.

Upon hearing this, Teal'c calls for order, saying that this hearing is ridiculous. They are not going to turn their backs on any of their allies, regardless of any reward they might receive as payment. Lor'al, amused, asks if the Jaffa are really just going to keep laying down their lives while the people of Earth sit safe and sound with their pretty little Box for protection, watching the galaxy burn all around them. Where is the fairness in that? Then, turning to the Traditionalists, she asks where is the honor in that? And with that, the balance tips out of Teal'c's control, and the Traditionalists begin clamoring for an immediate demand for the Tau'ri to answer for this.

As he watches his Senate dissolve into madness around him, Teal'c can only stare at Lor'al, enraged at the victorious smirk on the alien's face. Barely able to contain himself, he reaches behind him and grabs one of the ceremonial staff weapons hung on the wall behind the Chancellor's chair, brandishing it at the Der'kal commander menacingly. At once, all the alien warriors in the room raise their own weapons, and the Jaffa guardsmen stand at the ready in response. Another silence sweeps the chamber immediately, and Lor'al and Teal'c glare one another down, daring each to make the first move.

One of the Der'kal attendants leans in close to Lor'al then, whispering that they have finished scanning the area with portable sensory equipment, and they have detected a mass of naquadah several floors below them, almost certainly the emergency stargate they learned of from captured Jaffa. Seeing as the Chancellor is now unlikely to let them go, and now that their primary objective has been achieved, it might be wise to retreat into the lower levels of the old palace and make their escape. Lor'al nods slowly, signaling for her escorts to prepare, then takes one final parting shot; it looks like, for all his posturing, the great Teal'c really will stand for humans over his own kind on any given day. How pathetic.

Ka'lel tries to grab at Teal'c, to prevent him from reacting as she knows he will, but it's too late; he leaps over the desk before him and roars that this meeting is adjourned. Two Der'kal warriors rush to block his path as Lor'al and her other guards flee through the exit doorway, and the Senate erupts into shouting. Not content to let it end this way, Teal'c smashes the head of one of the aliens before him in, then fills the other's chest with plasma before ordering all the guards in the room to fan out over the complex and track down the enemy contingent before they can disappear. Turning to Ka'lel, he shouts to have the stargate plaza locked down at once, then rushes off into the hallway with two soldiers at his side, determined to finish this. And with so much confusion, no one notes a small group of Traditionalist senators quietly make their way out of the chamber, quickly making a beeline for the plaza in the distance.

On Earth, Colonel Carter is on the bridge of the Jupiter running a diagnostic when a transmission comes through from the surface. She has it put onscreen and looks up to see Danielle Talbot's worried face hovering there, clearly anxious about something. Sam puts down the tablet computer she was tapping on and swivels to face her friend, asking what's up. Biting her lower lip, Talbot explains that SG-1's mission to Ankgor is running overdue, and they have yet to receive a check in via subspace like they'd planned. She's afraid that the team might have been discovered, and isn't quite sure how to proceed since the planet no longer has a stargate thanks to Der'kal paranoia. Leaning back, Carter offers to take the Jupiter out on a scouting run, but she's not sure sending a 305 halfway across the galaxy is a good idea when they're trying to stay somewhat "low-key" until they get back on their feet. Without any better options, the two women decide to give SG-1 a little longer, though the thought of them being so far out of reach is certainly not a comforting one.

Back on Chulak, Teal'c and his two men are ringing into a secret underground level of the Senate building, a leftover from Apophis's time. Apparently, he had a spare stargate located down here so he could escape if the planet was attacked, but it lacked a DHD so that no one would ever arrive at from offworld so long as the primary gate was still in place. It was an ingenious idea, and the Jaffa chose to keep it in order to evacuate the Nation's leaders should their capital fall. Unfortunately, they never considered shielding the area so no one could detect the large mass of naquadah, and that seems to be the real problem.

[s09119]

(End of "Pride Before the Fall," see previous two posts for more.)

Spoiler:

Up ahead, a few of Lor'al's honor guard have taken cover along the hallway leading to the chamber where the second gate is kept, and they immediately open fire on the three Jaffa coming toward them. Not willing to let anyone stand in his way, Teal'c has his two escorts lay down covering fire while he personally engages the few male warriors in front of him in melee combat. The first one falls victim to a staff weapon to the chest, and is finished off by a plasma blast in the face. The second warrior is plowed into a wall and then dispatched by a Jaffa combat knife in the throat. And lastly, the third and final warrior's body is riddled with plasma as the two other Jaffa force him out of his protective cover. With the way cleared, they regroup and slowly advance on the stargate's resting place.

Inside, Lor'al is realizing that her peoples' abhorrence of the gate network is working against her now, as she has no idea how to work the alien portal without a DHD. Hearing Teal'c kill the last of her men outside, she tells the remainder of her guards, primarily female elites, to prepare for combat, then closes her eyes. With none of the usual taunting or resistance from Anise, she accesses the symbiote's memories and recognizes the method of manual dialing, in which the inner ring must be moved by hand so chevrons can be locked into place. Still without any Tok'ra interference, she opens her eyes and tells two of her male guards to begin locking in the symbols for the recently-conquered planet they arrived from, its own gate not-yet destroyed, so they can return to the Exarch and report success.

As they begin rotating the ring, though, gold plasma shoots into the chamber, and a pair of the female warriors are caught unawares and killed. The two Jaffa soldiers kneel and begin blanketing the room with energy blasts while Teal'c steps into the doorway and regrips his staff weapon. Furious, Lor'al orders her remaining males to trade shots with the Jaffa and commands her two last females to dispatch the Chancellor himself. In a quick exchange, both the Jaffa and Der'kal soldiers take one another out, and Teal'c closes on his female opponents instantly, parrying the double-bladed sword of one and smashing through the plasma carbine of the other. The unarmed female ducks down and sweeps her legs around in a scissoring kick, but Teal'c plants himself and grabs her left limb as it flashes by, hurling her into a nearby wall. He spins his staff around and bashes it down on the second female's arm, snapping a bone or two, before whipping its other end about and smacking her head aside. A plasma blast to the back finishes her, leaving just Teal'c and Lor'al, the stargate with only six of its seven needed chevrons locked in.

Raising his weapon, Teal'c says that this is going to end here and now. More Jaffa soldiers will be ringing down in just a few minutes, and there is no possibility of escape. Lor'al bends over and picks up the double-bladed sword dropped by her guard and examines it, muttering that she will not be taken, no matter the cost, and in a blinding-fast motion, hurls the thing at her enemy. Stunned, Teal'c is barely able to dive to the floor in time to avoid being hit, and Lor'al grabs another one of the swords and leaps at him, determined to finish him off and flee. But he bats it aside with his staff and jumps to his feet, parrying another strike and thrusting toward her chest with a jab of his own. The two continue to duel, with Lor'al's natural agility giving her a slight edge over Teal'c's brute strength, and it seems like she might be able to win. But the Chancellor's fury wins out, and the Jaffa slams his staff weapon down on the center of her double-bladed sword, snapping it into two pieces. Refusing to give up, Lor'al attempts to fight with two miniature blades, but one by one they are bashed from her grip, and finally the alien military leader herself is brought to the ground by a blow to the chest. Breathing hard, Teal'c prepares to deliver the killing shot, opening the firing end of his staff weapon...

...and then he freezes, watching Lor'al's eyes flash as the symbiote Anise forces control. Her voice flanged, she explains that she has been inside Lor'al for almost two years, starting just before the aliens attacked Dakara to draw forces away from Earth ("United We Stand"). She's been warping her host's judgment ever sense in an effort to assist the Alliance, but she nearly ruined it all while setting up the situation that would allow the Tau'ri to retake their home a few months ago ("Quid Pro Quo"). Ever since, she has had to be as unobtrusive as possible, terrified that the suspicions she knows people have against Lor'al would manifest in a forced removal of her from the alien's body, which would result in a return to the deadly-efficiency of the Der'kal war machine that crippled the Alliance for so long. Now she pleads with Teal'c to let her escape so that she can continue to protect the galaxy in the only way she can, and promises that he will not regret letting this horrid creature go. Staring down in shock, Teal'c can only think, not entirely sure what the right course of action is here.

While he attempts to figure out how to react, another drama is unfolding on Earth. An incoming wormhole has been established on Earth, with a delegation of Jaffa senators requesting to speak with a high human official immediately on a matter of intergalactic importance. Colonel Taylor has the iris opened and goes down to the gate room to welcome the group of Traditionalists who slipped away mere seconds after Lor'al's speech in the Senate building on Chulak. The lead senator bows his head and requests an audience with one of his superiors, and Taylor replies that Colonel Carter is beaming down right now to act as a proxy for Danielle Talbot, who is currently preoccupied with a matter of state. He leads the way out into the hallway, where a bright light signifies Samantha's arrival via transporter.

Dressed in her flight suit, Carter asks the senators what she can do for them and what's so urgent, and one of the Traditionalists says that they would like to get a scan of the Ancient device known as Pandora's Box for their own scientists to analyze. Frowning, Sam points out that an Alliance representative came and did the same thing just after they liberated Earth, but the Jaffa insist that they would like to take a reading themselves, believing the Alliance information to be incomplete. Sighing at political bureaucracy but having no reason not to allow the reading, Carter tells the senators to wait a moment so they can beam to the Jupiter, where the weapon is being kept for rapid deployment. As she turns to tell Taylor this development, the senators glance at one another seriously, gripping their ceremonial staff weapons and ancient armor in anticipation.

Above Ankgor, Vur'naa is watching a few of his men toss SG-1 into cells on his cruiser's prison block. As Major Eaton is shoved into one chamber in particular, she mumbles that this may be the very one she was confined to a few months before ("Interludes"), and Mitchell chuckles ruefully at the memory of their first meeting. As the energy curtain is raised in front of his own cell, Daniel turns to their captor and asks why he is doing this to them, but Vur'naa is not in the mood for pleas of mercy. He reminds the human that their people are at war, and if they will not help him, then he has no choice but to continue treating them as the annoying enemy combatants that they are. They have no means of escape, their tel'tak is impounded in his hanger bay, and they are a galaxy away from their friends. If need be, he will trade SG-1 for a chance to remove Lor'al, but either way, they have lost, and he has finally won.

On the Jupiter, miles and miles above the surface of Earth, Colonel Carter is leading the Traditionalist senators to a science lab where Pandora's Box has been stored for direct study. Opening the door to the room, Sam explains that entire room has been coded to seal itself should it detect any Der'kal DNA, a safeguard measure designed to prevent the enemy from trying to destroy the weapon. She gestures to the golden orb resting on a metal platform in the center of the room and watches as one of the senators extracts a Goa'uld scanning device, trying to give a layman's explanation of how it works to their guests; most interestingly, though, is its extreme fragility. In order to create a device this small that could withstand its own effects, Pandora had to sacrifice any real armoring. In short, its immune to its gravatic fluctuations, but just dropping it from a small height would shatter it. It's really quite interesting.

When the Traditionalist with the scanner has finished, Sam asks if they've got everything they need. The lead senator smiles at the Colonel and says that they've just about finished, then turns and knocks out the nearest accompanying marine with his staff weapon. Stunned, Sam fumbles for her sidearm, but another senator already has his weapon aimed at her throat, and she slowly raises her arms in surrender. The second marine with the group grabs at his radio, but he is also rendered unconscious by the Traditionalists, and their leader triumphantly informs Carter that thanks to her, the Jaffa can now enjoy the same safety from the Der'kal that Earth has been hoarding for itself. And then, as Sam looks on in horror, shouting to stop, he raises his staff weapon and blows Pandora's Box apart, sending golden sheets of metal in every direction as plasma rips the delicate superweapon to shreds. Alarms immediately begin to blare, but the senators don't seem to mind at all; they've "saved" their people, and that's all that matters.

Finally, light-years away on Chulak, Teal'c has to make a decision. He lowers his staff weapon and, not taking his eyes off of Lor'al/Anise, goes to the stargate and spins the inner ring to the point of origin symbol, locking in the final chevron and triggering the establishment of a wormhole. Then, he swallows his fears and tells Anise that she had better be right about this, and that if this is some kind of Der'kal trick, he will personally hunt her from one end of the galaxy to the other. Pulling her host to her feet, Anise replies that she promises she can make the best of this. Lor'al won't remember any of this, and will believe that she miraculously evaded the Jaffa guards and escaped, her mission to sow mistrust and betrayal among the Nation complete. Her ever-mounting pride will be her fatal weakness, and Anise promises that soon, the arrogance of the Der'kal will doom them to defeat. Let this day be the pinnacle of their pride before their final fall.

Hearing the ring platform in the hallway come online with Jaffa reinforcements, Teal'c tells her to leave now before she is seen, and Lor'al/Anise hobbles to the event horizon. Just before departing, though, she turns and bows her head, saying, "Thank you... Jaffa." Recognizing the thousands of years of hatred between the two of their peoples, Teal'c likewise inclines his head, replying "Good luck... Tok'ra." Then he watches as she slips into the puddle of light, giving the Der'kal back their warmaster, and perhaps sowing their own seeds of victory.

((To Be Continued))

[Apollo214]

cool. I liked the ending

Spoiler:

Funny how everytime a powerful weapon of massive destruction is created its gotta be destroyed....but good at the same time

oh and if i haven't said it before I'll say it now. Thanks for giving me my weekly stargate fix until october.

[asdfgh]

Wow, another great episode.

Spoiler:

I knew that sooner or later you would have to destroy Pandora's box. I however didn't see the Jaffa doing it. Nice twist.

[SG-18]

very good episode s09. I like the fact that you let anise/lor'al get away. but we knew we couldn't keep pandora forever. its gonna be interesting to see what happens now with the jaffa and the tau'ri.

I am wishing so hard that this was how the seasons of the show had continued. it'd be so good, wahh!!!!

[Fleet Admiral - Earth]

pandora's box is gone but, but, but.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
you definately threw me, i didn't see that one coming.

excuse me while i go cry myself to sleep now that we've lost pandora's box. sniff, sniff.

ps over a hundred posts yeah!! for me.

[Rasunda]

Great episode s09.
But I did not se Pandoras box blow up.....

[Rudy Pena]

Good Eppy man, it was great.

[bradly08]

green for you

Thank you

Another great episode, the twist with the Jaffa was a real surprise to me, I wonder how Tauri-Jaffa relations will react.

[janus 510]

excellent episode too bad about pandoras box though,I wonder what will happen to the jaffa,looking forward to next episode

[thekillman]

sometimes i just wish to kill those traditionalists myself

[Jeffala]

Thank you

Another great episode, the twist with the Jaffa was a real surprise to me, I wonder how Tauri-Jaffa relations will react.

From the way it was presented, the only people involved in the plot were the ones who went to Earth. If Carter has any sense, they're not leaving Earth.

I doubt that Earth would hold the Jaffa government responsible for what some rogue Senators did while they were "under attack" from an alien squad that had penetrated into their Senate building.

This could be pretense for Teal'c to wipe out his political foes, though...