Title: "...go I"
Author: Ange
Rating: PG
Summary: Someone's thoughts during the final minutes of "There but for the Grace of God."  You'll have to read it to find out whose thoughts.

I wait as my fellow Jaffa assemble the weapon we will use to get past the barricade these humans have placed in our path. Why do they delay the inevitable? Surely they know that they cannot win.

"Kree Shak." I turn around suddenly to face the man in the doorway.

"Don't shoot. I'm unarmed. I surrender." He holds his hands up, flipping them to show he holds no weapons. What is this human up to. I walk up to him.

"And you are....?"

"General Jack O'Neill, Commander of this base. You're Teal'c, right?" I force myself not to show my surprise.

"Haga-sha." He is young, he believes that if someone does something unexpected they should be killed immediately no questions asked. He does not yet realize that it is sometimes more beneficial to leave a man such as this alive for a little while to learn what it is he knows. I order him not to shoot.

"Aray-kree." The man continues after only a short pause. A brave man. He would have made a good Jaffa.

"You'll probably be wondering how I know your name. I've got quite a story to tell you." I try not to let my disappointment show. This man came to us, unarmed and alone to tell us a story. I had hoped for a better tactic from one such as this. Perhaps my perception of him was wrong. Does he not realize that we are in the process of killing every single person on this planet and my lord Apophis will not stop until this world is burned to ashes?

****

This must be a trick!

"What sort of deception is this?" I cannot believe what I am seeing. It is too...impossible...yet it looks so real. I turn to look at the man who is showing me these images.

"I know it's a little hard to believe but you guys are pretty advanced. You must know this alternate reality thing is possible, right?"

"I do not." Alternate realities. What madness is he talking about. Yet...I know that there are races out there that are more advanced than the Goa'uld. The gods do not want us to know about them, but I have seen many things in my years of service as First Prime.

"Well, then how did this Daniel guy know your name? He says the guy in this video, you, I guess, in his world, hates being a slave to the Goa'ulds."

"Lies." How can he know? I have hated being a slave for so many years and yet have managed to keep it hidden from the Goa'uld. I must be careful. There are others present. If I let down my guard for even a moment, word of my hesitation will get back to Apophis and I will be killed. There are so few of us that believe that the Goa'uld are false gods. And after the events of this day...

"Look, I know this sounds insane but you have a chance to change things in his world. We just need a little more time, that's all."

What do I care about this other world? This is the world that I want to change. Do you not understand that time is the one thing that I cannot give you? There is no more time.

"This guy Daniel says that the Teal'c in his world is a good man. That he betrayed the Goa'uld for a chance to free his people, his family, your wife, your son Rya'c."

Dray'c, my wife. Rya'c, my son. It suddenly occurs to me that as commander of this base he would have been the one to order the weapon of destruction sent to Chulak. And he dares to speak of *my* people, *my* family. I turn to glare at him.

"We received word from my home world. You sent the weapon of destruction there through your Stargate. My people, my family are dead."

I turn to walk to the weapon. I have been delayed long enough. I will take great pleasure in avenging your deaths my wife, my son.

****

I have sent my fellow Jaffa to the room above where the Stargate is located in an attempt to stop the destruction of this base. I will deal with whoever is in the room with the Stargate personally. I fire my staff weapon at the door. Through the small hole in the door I hear the Stargate begin to turn. I hear another sound, that I cannot identify and fire my staff weapon again.

"Auto-destruct in one minute." One minute. There is not much time left. Perhaps I will join my family in death today after all. I fire my staff weapon a final time and step through the hole into a large room. I see a man across the room waiting to go through the Stargate. I recognize him from the 'video' the other human showed me. This, then, must be the Daniel of the other world. I raise my staff weapon and aim it at him. He does not move or look away. He looks into my eyes, holding them with his own.

"Auto-destruct in thirty seconds." The Stargate has almost completed its final cycle. This "Daniel" still stares at me. What does he see in my eyes I wonder? I see sadness, regret, and fear in his. Why does he not look away? What does he expect me to do? I know what he is hoping. He hopes that I am like 'his' Teal'c. His friend. That I will let him go through the Stargate and save his world from the fate that this one has suffered. I blink. Perhaps he is right.

With a mighty whoosh of sound the Stargate forms it's shimmering pool of water.

Perhaps... He is running for the gate.

Perhaps I will give him something to remember this world. Something to remind him of how things could turn out if he does not succeed. I slowly turn and with great care aim my staff weapon and fire. I see that he is hit in the arm as he jumps into the shimmering pool.

"Auto-destruct in ten seconds..." Farewell my teacher. I hope I have lived up to your faith in me.

"nine...eight...seven..." Farewell my wife. I have enjoyed our years together.

"six... five...four..." Farewell my son. I wish I could have seen you grow to manhood. I know you would have made a great warrior.

"three..two...one." I wish you luck Daniel. I hope your world fares better than this one. I turn and face the Stargate with all my hopes for a better world somewhere else.

Fin

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