Chapter 52

Cheyenne Mountain SGC

"Unscheduled activation" blared over the facility intercom system.

Strolling into the control room with a cup of coffee in hand was General Hank Landry. Watching the event horizon settle into the normal puddle within the gate the General turned to the technician.

"What have we got" asked Landry.

"We have an incoming IDC. Its Teal'c sir" answered the tech.

Strolling down the stairs and into the gate room the General wished to great his old friend. Standing at the base of the ramp that rose to the gate he saw Teal'c exit the event horizon. In his hands he carried a black metal box. Limping down the ramp Teal'c looked worse for wear. Suddenly he fell to his knees.

"Medical team to the gate room" yelled Landry.

"General Landry, I request asylum" Teal'c said before falling unconscious.

Arriving in the gate room at the run the team quickly lifted Teal'c onto the waiting stretcher. At the run he was whisked away to the infirmary. Bending down picking up the box on the floor General Landry opened it. Inside the box he saw the unseeing eyes of Joseph Briggman looking back at him.

Home World Command

Walking to his office General Jack O'Neill was told he had an urgent phone call waiting for him. When was it not urgent he wondered? Stepping inside and closing the door Jack picked up the receiver.

"O'Neill" said Jack.

"Jack its Hank. We have a situation here" began Landry.

"What kind of situation? The good kind, the bad kind, or the really bad kind" asked Jack.

"A few minutes ago Teal'c arrived from Dakara looking like he lost a bar fight. Before he collapsed he requested asylum" said Landry.

"Did he say why" asked Jack.

"I'll ask him when he's awake, but you two go way back together so I was hoping you could be here to speak with him. Jack, he was carrying a box with him. It was the head of Joseph Briggman" said Landry.

"Oh shit. The Jaffa have really gone and done it this time. Hank, I'll be there shortly. Le'Triumphant is in orbit so I'll have them beam me to you" said O'Neill with a sense of growing anger.

"See you when you get here" finished Landry before hanging up.

What is it with these people wondered O'Neill. The Jaffa had a bad habit of doing the worst thing possible, and did it with irritating frequency. Two phone calls later Jack had informed those in the know where he was off to.

Cheyenne Mountain SGC

In a flash of light Jack appeared in Landry's office. Seeing his old friend sitting behind his desk he quickly extended his hand to shake with Hank. The two men quickly set off for the infirmary without words.

Outside of the infirmary Doctor Carolyn Lam saw the two approaching men and went to brief them. Tucking her charts under her arm she stopped the two men before they were near the infirmary entrance.

"How is he Doc" asked Jack.

"He's awake, but he's beat up. He has severe burns to his legs and back, and is suffering from equally severe muscle spasms. His electrolytes are far out of balance. We've seen this before on those tortured with the Rod of Anguish device. He'll heal, but he won't feel great for a few days" crisply stated Lam.

"Ok, let me talk with him and figure out what is going on" said Jack.

Entering the infirmary Jack saw his old friend lying in the infirmary bed. The sight of it reminded him of all his years with SG-1. Seeing that Teal'c was indeed awake and looking at him Jack went to his bedside.

"I'm guessing this didn't happen watching your Star Wars DVD's" said Jack.

"Indeed not O'Neill" answered Teal'c.

"Then what happened" asked Jack.

"Mr. Briggman arrived to brief the council. As you know several members of the council have no love for the Tauri. Yat'Yir accused the Tauri of duplicity with the Lucian Alliance in the destruction of our fleet. Tempers flared from that point forward. Yat'Yir moved to seize Mr. Briggman when I intervened. In my attempt to get Mr. Briggman to the Stargate and escape we were both captured. Mr. Briggman was forced to watch while I was tortured with the Rod of Anguish. Yat'Yir with the council behind his leadership informed Mr. Briggman and myself that no alliance can exist between our two people. It is demanded that the Tauri remain outside of Jaffa controlled space. Any intrusion will be looked upon as an act of war" solemnly stated Teal'c.

"Are they out of their damned minds" asked Jack.

"Indeed they are O'Neill. At the order of Yat'Yir Mr. Briggman was executed. I was then pushed through the stargate with his head to present as a symbol of the severing of diplomatic ties between our people. If I return to a Jaffa controlled world I will be put to death as a traitor to my people. For that reason I request I be allowed to remain on Earth and be allowed to return to the SGC" said Teal'c.

"Could the Jaffa overreact any more than they do on a good day? Jesus! Of course you can rejoin the SGC. We granted you asylum when you first joined SG-1, so no problem there. Go ahead and get some rest. I've got to fill in everyone above me on this matter. I wish I could say it's good to have you back, but under the circ.u.mstances I don't think you would agree with me. Get some rest, we'll talk soon" said Jack.

"Indeed we will O'Neill" said Teal'c before drifting off.