Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

#Daisy POV—APRIL 2000

Daisy watched Jack, Teal’c, and Bra’tac disappear into the distance, swallowed by thick foliage. Once they were gone, she let out a slow sigh. The tension in her shoulders eased—briefly. Her neck cracked instinctively, her mind already mapping every Jaffa attacking her vibrational barrier.

A hundred of them were pounding on her shield. Futile efforts. Every staff weapon discharge was wasted energy. Another four hundred would be 10 minutes out, QRF-One another 10 to 15 minutes behind.

She activated her radio. “Sierra Gulf Two, Three, Five, sitrep.”

Seconds passed, the only sound the rustle of leaves and distant, rhythmic footfalls.

Pierce’s breathless reply crackled through. “Reaching Ha’tak site. Had to detour through the forest. Stand by.”

While she was waiting, Daisy separated the Zats, Staff weapons, and those lights that had a small Zat LiqNaq power module. Those would be useful. 

“Ha’tak spotted. No perimeter patrols. Two wings of gliders in air patrol. A battalion of nearly a hundred Jaffa getting ready to leave... Hopefully to support the wave at the– they’ve started marching, towards the north, north-east, instead of… They’re heading towards the Stargate.” Pierce reported, voice tense but steady. “The rest are setting up a temporary base. Do you want us to stop the force at the gate, Commander?”

Daisy’s gaze lingered on the horizon. If the Stargate fell, access would be cut off. She couldn’t afford that.

“Sierra Gulf Three and Five, break off,” she ordered. “Coordinate with Sierra Gulf Ten and One-Three for a flank ambush. Take out that force. Sierra Gulf Two, stay at Ha’tak landing site. Colonel O’Neill, Teal’c, and Bra’tac will join you. Observe the Ha’tak, eliminate patrols quietly, and prepare a frontal assault plan for Sierra Gulf Three, Five, and Ten.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Pierce responded sharply. No hesitation.

Daisy allowed herself a brief flicker of satisfaction. They were taking her seriously. 

Some part of her, something buried deep, had her anxious and wary of their reactions to them now being under her command.

She’d worried that stepping in as their CO, not just a specialist, would cause… friction, resistance, perhaps even some sort of mutiny? But no. They trusted her. Or at least, they trusted she knew what she was doing.

“Major Thornton, this is the Commander. Come in.” Daisy requested.

“Read you, ma’am,” came the prompt reply.

Daisy ran the plan mentally, discarding options like unwanted thoughts.

She had three options.

1. Neck snaps. 
2. A large scale use of her powers (like a quake that would rip the trees off the ground) to scare them off. 
3. Physical-knockout or hand-to-hand as Daisy worked to stun the Jaffa one-by-one. 

Unfortunately, Daisy had brought the v2-Intar, instead of the v1-Intar. Which wasn’t ideal—it’s phased field reduced stun bolt capacity by half—but it would have to do. 

The extra ultracapacitors that had been added to the v2-Intar were useful in the fact that they could give another 200 phased energy stun bolts… but it would take time to trickle charge the battery. 

And Daisy couldn’t/didn’t really want to mess with the internals of the intar considering that it could overheat, explode, or even damage the entire gun if she tried… so… better to leave it as is and take the 1200 shots that she got. 

But even if she got perfect shots with all of the 1200 phased energy stun bolts, it would still leave over a hundred Jaffa to deal with at the end… and she wouldn’t be able to use her intar in the Ha’tak assault. Of course, by then SG-13, the ODAs from the 10th were going to be coming… and at least one of them would have an v1-Intar on them that she’d be able to borrow. 

Once she got home, Daisy was going to grab Merrin and her intar team, and have them add a switch to disable/bypass the phased field emitters. 

That way, v2-Intars would have all of the features that were designed into it— backup charge, trickle charging, phased field emitters that could take down phased enemies, heat management, etc… while also giving the stun bolt output of a v1-Intar. 

Today, she’d already been the cause of 1068 Jaffa deaths. She didn’t want that number to increase, so Plan A was out. Plan B had no guarantee of working.

Then Plan C. Hand-to-Hand stun. 

Fuck. 

Decision made, Daisy nodded to herself. 

She keyed her radio, “Dial Earth. Relay message to General Hammond.” She ordered, “Message starts: ‘75th Rangers not necessary. Sierra Gulf One-Three plus two ODAs are sufficient for assault. Suppressors for all, send 1500 plus zip ties or restraints and two v1-Intars for me with them. All BFS teams in the SGC to be deployed to the planet at T plus 40 minutes of message receipt. Pursuing a Ha’tak on-planet after enemy forces have been deemed low enough for successful assault. Sierra Gulf One has found the child and will transport them back to Earth with QRF-One.' End of message."

She paused, letting him digest all of that, before she added, “Redirect Sierra Gulf One-Three and two ODAs to Ha’tak landing site when they arrive on-planet. Acknowledge."

Major Thornton’s response was prompt. “Acknowledged. Will redirect SG-13 and two ODAs to Ha’tak landing site upon arrival."

“Good. Once you’re done, start moving towards the Ha’tak landing site, five and a half miles southwest.” Daisy breathed out, “Coordinate with Sierra Gulf Three and Five to eliminate the hundred Jaffa heading for the Stargate. Secure the gate. Preferably stun the Jaffa, but not at risk of yourselves or our men."

“Acknowledged. Wilco. Over and out." came the reply before the line went silent.

She took a moment, just letting herself focus on the vibrations of the universe.

It didn’t take much effort to tap into it—life, in all its forms, had a rhythm, and Daisy knew how to tune into it. 

She let her senses sink into the vibrations of everything around her—the hum of the earth beneath her boots, the faint thrum of the temple’s walls, the rustle of the grass, even the steady beat of her own heart.

Her mind quieted, focusing entirely on the present. 

In this space, there were no distractions. 

No fear, no uncertainty. Just the hum of raw potential. 

The world receded until it was nothing but a vibration, and she was both a part of it and above it. Calm. Controlled. Invincible.

She opened her eyes, feeling the familiar warmth that settled just behind her eyes, spreading through her body like fire.

Alright. Showtime.

+++++

Daisy walked out of the temple.

The Jaffa had been hammering her vibrational shield with everything they had—plasma bolts, Zat charges, the works. But as she stepped into view, the onslaught faltered. It wasn’t fear, but confusion. 

If Daisy was anyone else, then Plan C wouldn’t be possible– she’d die the instant one of the Staff weapon plasma bolts or two Zat blasts hit her, but… Daisy was who she was, and she wouldn’t be injured or killed by the Jaffa. 

Not that easily.

Without her intar, she'd have gone with Plan B—charge headfirst into battle and beat the Jaffa into submission, taking them all down with nothing but her fists and her will. No hesitation. No mercy. 

But the intar offered something different—less bloodshed, less violence. 

Killing, for her, was always a last resort.

But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t kill.

And in that moment, seeing this army in front of her, Daisy felt… nothing, (all of her pesky emotions were in their respective boxes that she could open later), just a calm acceptance of what she was about to do, what she would have to do if she couldn’t carry out plan C and what she might have to do if plan B failed too. 

Her mind drifted for just a second to Daniel, Sam, and the child. The energy entity—whatever it was—lingered nearby, buzzing in her awareness like the hum of a forgotten song. Familiar, but far too vague. Its resonance brushed against her mind, but she shoved it aside for now. There were more pressing matters.

She dropped her vibrational shield.

A Jaffa, who had been leaning against it, fell hard to the ground. His legs gave out beneath him as the sudden change in energy threw him off balance. The others froze, weapons still raised, but now they were watching her. They thought they had broken her shield.

They were wrong.

She was in control now, and they had no idea just how outclassed they were.

Daisy’s voice came out, a low, vibrating hum that carried over the battlefield. “Surrender. And you may live to see another day.” She called out, her voice carrying across the battlefield with an authority that surprised even her. “But you will not pass by me." 

Behind her, she raised another shield. This time, it enveloped the entire temple, wrapping it in a protective cocoon. The Jaffa’s frustration was obvious—they growled, cursed, and bared their teeth, their faces twisted in anger.

The lead Jaffa, towering and snarling, stepped forward, aiming his Staff weapon at her. "Stand aside. Now. Or we will kill you in the name of our god, Apophis!"

Daisy didn’t flinch, didn’t blink… Her gaze locked with his, steady and cold. She didn’t even register the threat. His words were more of an annoyance than anything else.

“Jaffa!” His voice rang out again, filled with rage.

Daisy didn’t bother with a shield this time. Instead, she waited, giving her focus to the energy around her.

She sensed the plasma bolts as they began to form within the staff weapon heads. She felt it the moment they left the nozzles, being fired at her. She could practically taste the kinetic energy building within them.

She didn’t need to think. She simply felt.

The moment they were released, the bolts came at her with all the subtle forewarning of a thunderstorm about to break.

Her breath slowed, her eyes fixed on the incoming energy.

It was so predictable.

A slight flex of her will and the fiery plasma iced over mid-air, as she leeched the vibrational energy from the bolts, turning it into a swirling mist of black-green Naquadah and ionized air, encased in delicate frost. 

The once-lethal projectiles fell harmlessly to the ground, some shattering, others simply lying inert.The next wave hit her almost before she could register it.

A dozen, no—thirty, then nearly forty Zat blasts fired in rapid succession.

Daisy grunted from the kinetic impact, the energy slamming into her like a freight train. Her body buckled under the force, a sharp grunt escaping her as she dropped to one knee. 

But she wasn’t overwhelmed. 

Instead, it made her feel… alive. 

Powerful, invincible, like she could bend the reality itself to her will. 

And she would.

Her mind flickered for just a moment, a faint presence stirring in the depths of her consciousness. Hathor. The Goa’uld entity inside her mind had been asleep, but now she could sense her stirring, cold and calculating at the edges of her consciousness.

— “Would it kill you to let me out sooner?” — Hathor’s voice complained, dripping with a mix of annoyance and faint amusement, but frankly it was some part of Daisy’s own consciousness. — “I could have helped with the interrogation... maybe convinced Nerus in my own way. You know, I have excellent methods.” —

Daisy’s lips twitched, but her attention remained on the Jaffa in front of her.

The Jaffa roared in triumph, but it was short-lived. Their celebration died on their lips as they watched Daisy rise to her feet, utterly unharmed.

She stood. Not smoothly. Not effortlessly.

But slowly, deliberately, as if giving the Jaffa a clear view of just how utterly impotent their attacks had been. — “Torture?” — Daisy responded mentally, the question barely registering in her thoughts.

Hathor’s voice dripped with smug satisfaction. — “Of a sort. Nerus was one of Danu’s broods, who was known even in my time to produce quality Goa’uld scientists, much like the Goa’uld scientist Arawn that you have come into contact with. Nerus was just starting out when I was in power with my god husband and father, Ra, but he showed promise and was assigned to Ba’al by Ra.” — 

Huh… interesting. 

— “I heard he has quite an appetite and will do anything for you as long as he thinks that you are powerful enough to protect him, resourceful enough to provide him with food and anything else he requires for his research, and you don’t punish him. He will not crack under torture, but his hunger for food is his weakness and patience is required.” — Hathor explained.

Daisy looked up, eyes blazing with hellfire, small arcs of blue lightning flickering across her skin, crackling through the air. 

She could feel the hum of power thrumming in her chest, vibrating through her bones, threatening to explode outward. “You think this will stop me?" Her words rumbled, an ominous echo of raw energy. 

Daisy tossed her intar a bit further away from her… because if she was going to save lives, she needed the Jaffa to be absolutely fucking terrified of her. Enough that they would choose self-preservation, instead of foolishly attacking her. 

She stepped forward, extending her arms out. “Go ahead. Try again!” 

The hesitation was immediate. 

Their weapons lowered, their fingers tightened around their grips, but for the first time, Daisy could see their fear. Their heartbeats quickened, breaths shallow. They were realizing—they had no idea what they were up against.

— “They fear you.” — Hathor purred in her mind, the amusement evident in her tone. — “Good. Let them.” — 

She could feel the Goa'uld's amusement curling around her mind like a contented cat. It was unsettlingly intimate, the way Hathor's presence seeped into her thoughts, brushing against them like a lover might. 

The feeling left Daisy cold and something else she couldn't quite name.

The leader barked another command, his voice tight with desperation. "Jaffa! KREE!"

Each Jaffa lifted his Zat, aimed, and fired—not once, but three times.

A hundred Jaffa in unison; three hundred Zat blasts.

The charge was lethal. A confirmed kill. Period. 

But not for Daisy.

Her heart rate kicked up, a pulse of adrenaline washing over her as her body braced. There was no panic, no hesitation. She wasn’t going to die today.

She didn't feel Death's presence. And Daisy had promised her parents after all.

But even with her certainty, it didn’t mean that the energy wouldn’t be effective in other ways. If the wall of lightning and energy speeding toward her wasn’t enough to kill her, then it would be enough to incapacitate her. 

She would definitely feel it—it'd probably even daze her—but it wouldn’t affect her permanently and she’d be able to purge the surge she was hit with. 

Except—something… weird  happened at that moment.

The world didn’t slow. It expanded.

She could feel the Zat blasts before they even reached her. She sensed the electromagnetic wave interference, the subtle warping of the air, and the plasma forming in the air. The Zat beams—they weren’t just traveling in straight lines. No, they were colliding, merging, twisting, and interacting in ways that Daisy hadn’t anticipated.

As two of the Zat energy-arcs neared each other, they collided mid-air, creating an intricate, three-dimensional spiral. 

Or as Daisy’s mind processed it—a torsional waveform. 

She could see it in her mind’s eye: arcs of blue energy intertwined, a twisting vortex of raw, amplified energy that looked like a miniature blue lightning storm, more beautiful than threatening—at least to someone who was observing it up close.

Okay, to be honest, it was slightly threatening too… because the torsional waveform's energies actually didn’t just combine; it was amplified  by a kind of resonance effect—basically a feedback loop in the energy. 

Daisy wondered if anyone had ever seen/recorded/observed this before, or if the Goa’uld had been aware of this… curious effect while inventing the Zat.

The idea that such an effect could go unnoticed in millennia of warfare was almost absurd. Then again, Daisy wasn’t a scientist.

But if her mom were here, she’d be all over this.

And then it escalated.

She felt the Zat-wave interference intensifying, causing a cascade. 

More Zat discharges collided, merged into a single, spiraling energy wave, feeding off each other, building in force.

And then that torsional wave collided with another, folding into each other in a fractal-like spiral, filaments of blue-white forking out of the middle, creating a massive twisting mass of pure chaotic energy, with a graceful violence that should have been terrifying. 

It wasn’t just the sheer quantity of energy that unsettled her. Because– 

Triggered by the concentrated level of ionization caused by the Zat energy, lightning tore down from the heavens, striking the impromptu Zat-lightning storm, adding its own power to the fray.

And then, for a brief moment, something beautiful happened.

As if the Zat energy had traveled back up the lightning bolt… an ethereal, blue fire arced across the sky, swirling in a fractal pattern of chaos and beauty, like an aurora borealis—but this wasn’t just a light show. 

These ribbons of energy were alive, swirling with volatile destructive power. 

She had no doubt that any glider flying right now through that storm would have been fried to a crisp. 

Time slowed. 

Or perhaps it was her perception that expanded, to the point where she could almost feel the individual particles of plasma spiraling through the air towards her, fast enough to grasp every microsecond of the approaching storm.

And then it hit. 

The collective mass of energy—three hundred Zat blasts, now one massive, spiraling surge of power—slammed into Daisy’s chest with the force of a thousand lightning strikes. It should have vaporized her. Should have torn her apart.

But it didn’t.

Instead, she felt it—the flood of power—coursing through her, saturating her very being, wrapping around her body like an embrace of godlike power. 

The sensation wasn’t pain; it was an overwhelming rush, like being bathed in pure undiluted electricity. She felt it at her core, her atoms humming in harmony with the energy, vibrating, syncing with the raw chaos.

It should have destroyed her.

But Daisy’s body absorbed it—greedily—as though it had been waiting for this moment. 

The resultant energy surge didn’t just cross the threshold of bioenergetic potential required for EXTREMIS to awaken—it shattered  it.

The ionized plasma that washed over her skin felt like a warm shower after a long day, Zat-lightning surging like liquid lightning beneath her flesh that her body—either through EXTREMIS, through the Naquadah in her blood, through sheer force of will, or through some deeper evolutionary shift—transformed into something that Daisy could use. 

Heat exploded from her core, spreading down her limbs, curling around her bones, pulsing around her blood like a second heartbeat that she knew EXTREMIS was. 

The heat seared away all pain, all discomfort, all weakness, and all of the feeble limitations of the human body. 

But the energy was too much. It had to go somewhere. 

She couldn’t release it—not yet. Not here, not with the Jaffa so close. She’d vaporize at least a few miles around her in an instant.

So, Daisy pushed the energy down, forcing it deep within herself. Into the deepest recesses of her being… into the Naquadah within her blood, charging it up. The Naquadah would hold this surge until she could release it later. 

But even as she did, she knew it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

She needed more.

Not power or will—she had those in spades—she needed more Naquadah to hold it all. 

+++++

Unbeknownst to her, EXTREMIS, in a desperate bid to keep its host body from overloading for the first time since it awakened, did what it was meant to do. 

Bioenzymatic cold fusion, energy regulation, and cellular regeneration.

But this time, unlike other times, it wasn’t localized Carbon-Carbon fusion-like events that released high-energy photons, thermal energy and charged particles that the host required. Or giving the host the ability to regulate energy within their body. Or the ability of thermogenic manipulation. Or rapid cellular regeneration that gave its host one of the most advanced healing factors ever developed by any species—but not nature. 

No, EXTREMIS was designed to adapt, optimize and maximize the potential of the host body, based on the host’s genome.

At that moment, it wasn’t those three problems that affected the host. 

It was something else. 

An elemental deficiency in the host’s body.

Naquadah.

And so, EXTREMIS knew what it had to do. It had to create more Naquadah. 

It studied the Naquadah within the host… and rewrote itself to adapt to the new demand. 

It rewrote its host genome and modified the host’s cellular structure to include a Naquadah-directed nuclear transmutation cycle in its bioengineering, to autonomously begin manufacturing the heaviest stable element in the periodic table.

But matter couldn't be created out of nothing. And restructuring matter into heavier nuclei required immense energy and precise control over nuclear forces. While there was an excess amount of energy in the host body... something else was required to restructure existing matter into Naquadah through nuclear transmutation.

An outside catalyst.

So, EXTREMIS adapted further, hijacking more of the host's consciousness and its ability to tap into the subspace-coupled vibrational fields of other dimensions, using it to resonate to the same energy imprint in the Naquadah already present in its body. 

The same energy source that the Alterans had first used to create Naquadah. 

The NQD exotic energy particle-waveform from a higher dimensional layer.

It forced the host's body to resonate to the NQD’s multidimensional vibrational frequency, creating a cascade effect that pulled the exotic particles into the host’s dimension and coupled with the ongoing fusion-derived energy processes within the host's body at the cellular level.

And thus, for the first time since the Alteran Empire and Lantian society fell—Naquadah was synthesized through the same underlying principles… only adapted into a biological, self-regulating system.

Stable, biologically compatible, and highly energetic Naquadah atoms began forming in the host’s bloodstream, each one absorbing and storing a portion of the excess energy from the Zat blasts, their nuclei permanently stabilized by an NQD field imprint encoded during transmutation.

Until… the process reached a point of energy equilibrium; where the collective charge capacity of all of the Naquadah atoms that were created, was equal to the excess energy absorbed by the host's body.

To ensure that this deficiency never happened again, EXTREMIS wrote the new elemental requirement of the host body into the host's genome, permanent and irreversible. 

Now, the host’s biology would automatically generate Naquadah—a new, self-sustaining reaction. 

Like any other mineral/element. 

Resonate with the NQD particle layer, draw an exotic particle into the host body, use the sodium-ion capacitor structures it had created to store excess charge, then use them as stabilization matrices for NQD-driven nuclear transmutation… basically restructuring sodium ion structure and local matter into Naquadah atoms that were both biologically compatible and stable.

And with that, the cascade effect ended.

+++++

But Daisy didn't know any of this was happening. Not consciously. 

She only felt the white-hot intensity of the energy coursing through her, felt her cells singing with otherworldly power, her nerves burning with fire and lightning. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding, amplified by the energy saturating her body, feel the terrifying thrill of something transcendent surging through her, sense space-time subtly warping at the edges of her perception.

Within her body, the excess energy was compressed, growing more and more compact, until it settled into a denser, more potent form of energy that the Naquadah easily absorbed, using to charge itself up. 

Far more dangerous than the sheer raw electricity that had just hit her. 

Her bones hummed with it, her muscles thrummed with it, her blood burned with otherworldly power, and her very soul seemed to sing with the resonance of the universe itself.

The Zat-energy filaments seeped into her skin, finding natural absorption channels in the pathways EXTREMIS had just forged, directing them towards the Naquadah within her body, allowing it to charge up.

The Naquadah within her bloodstream responded—resonating, stabilizing, and drawing the energy deeper into itself.

A heartbeat later, the blue web of energy blinked out of existence. 

Every last blue wisp of Zat fire was drawn into her flesh, snuffed like a candle by the sheer density of power it had created within Daisy.

Daisy's hair stood on end, crackling with static discharge. Arcs of blue lightning coiled around her arms like serpents. Her eyes burned with amethyst fire, a lightning storm trapped within her gaze.

The Jaffa leader stared in shock, his grip slackening on his Zat. His warriors, too, stood frozen, weapons lowered slightly, caught between awe and terror.

The silence that followed was absolute. Not even the insects dared to make a sound.

The air around her shimmered with heat and raw energy. 

She slowly lifted her hands, watching the blue lightning play between her fingertips.

Then—

“Interesting.”  Her voice echoed with deep, resonant tones, as she curled her fist. Lightning crackled around her clenched fist, energy rippling through her veins.

Her gaze swept over them, cool and composed, though her words dripped with a deadly confidence. “You can't kill me," Her eyes, violet and burning with power, locked onto the leader, then flicked to his warriors. "Surrender, before I make you surrender."

A shiver of terror rippled through the Jaffa ranks, spreading like wildfire through a dry field. The leader's face twisted in fear, his breath coming fast, uneven. He clutched his Zat like a drowning man grasps a lifeline.

"K... kill her," he ordered, but there was no strength behind it. The Jaffa around him hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.

Daisy’s lips twitched, barely forming the faintest trace of a smile—cold, calculating. 

She took two slow steps forward, her boots crunching through the frost-covered dirt, arcs of lightning trailing behind her like ghostly claws, shadows and light curling around her. 

She stopped just short of one of the Jaffa and, with a swift movement, kicked a staff weapon toward the leader.

He caught it automatically, his fingers fumbling slightly, the weight of it too much in his shaky hands. She stood still, studying him, then murmured with a biting coldness, "Try it. Kill me."

The Jaffa froze, his fingers tightening on the staff weapon. A dozen conflicting emotions passed across his face—doubt, uncertainty, fear, and beneath it all, a stubborn resolve.

He gritted his teeth, squared his shoulders, and raised the staff.

Daisy didn't move.

She simply stood there, watching him, waiting. The electricity around her fingers pulsed and danced, flickering brighter, crackling louder.

One heartbeat.

Two.

Then -

He fired.

The bolt of plasma shot toward her with a sizzling hum, but Daisy didn’t flinch. She didn’t need to.

This time, she didn’t even bother freezing the plasma bolt, instinctively knowing that she could take it. 

She didn’t know what had changed within her, but whatever had… she knew her instincts. 

And they had never let her down before. 

The bolt struck her midsection, her vest and shirt sizzling from the impact—though her clothes were… crispy after absorbing the Zat energy—but she felt the plasma energy seeping into her body, mingling with the other currents already coursing through her veins. 

Warmth radiated outward from that location, but it was barely a poke. 

Daisy calmly wiped the blackened mark from her skin, revealing unblemished flesh beneath. 

She looked up, locking eyes with the Jaffa leader.

The Jaffa unconsciously stepped back, their boots crunching on the frost-covered dirt where the Zat charges had broken some of the frozen-plasma bolts.

The leader’s face went pale, eyes wide with disbelief. His breath caught in his throat. "Impossible..." he whispered, the words escaping him in a shaky breath. "No human..."

"Human?" Daisy's laugh echoed in the air, making the Jaffa shiver involuntarily. “I’m not human.” She stepped forward, slow and deliberate, “Quite the opposite actually. I’m Inhomo Alteri Extremis… and I think it’s time I embrace that.”

Their hearts were on the verge of beating out of their chests.

The leader’s eyes flickered to the other Jaffa, his warriors standing frozen, unable to take their eyes off her. The whispers of doubt were too loud to ignore now. But it seemed that a small flicker of defiance remained in him. 

His hand shook as he raised the staff once more. "My god Apophis will be able to kill you, demon!" he snarled, forcing the staff forward, the words dragging out of him like a guttural growl. The rest of the Jaffa, hesitant but still loyal, raised their weapons in sync. "Stand firm, brothers! Our god will not allow his children to fall to this wretched creature!"

Daisy cocked her head, examining him, “Your god?" She took another step forward, lightning now trailing behind her like liquid fire. "Your god couldn't even save himself from the very people he so despised. What makes you think he can save you?"

A ripple of uncertainty passed through the ranks. 

The Jaffa shifted on their feet, their weapons wavering just the slightest bit. 

The leader’s mouth twisted in fury, but it was tempered with a growing sense of fear. His grip on the staff tightened.

"We do not fear death!" he roared, though his voice cracked in the middle of the declaration. "We live to serve, and if death is what awaits us, we accept it gladly! It is a good day to die!"

Daisy locked away her emotions before she could feel them. — “If they are begging for death. Just kill them. It’s a waste of time,” —  Hathor chided in her mind, an edge of frustration in her tone.

Daisy’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t respond, her mind already moving on to the next phase. She didn’t want to kill them—not yet. Not unless she had to. 

They had drawn their line in the sand, though, and it was clear they wouldn’t surrender.

Which meant that she had to cross that line herself. 

The ground beneath her feet hummed with energy, the power of her presence vibrating through the very air. She stood tall, shoulders squared, and met the leader’s eyes with a cold, unwavering gaze. "Last chance," she said, her voice low, yet cutting through the tension. "Surrender. Or run. I don’t want to fight you. But if I do, you will lose."

Hathor’s mental voice was a hiss. — “They won’t surrender. They never do. They are Sokar’s men. You’re wasting time and risking that Harsesis child, which is just… so idiotic of Apophis, and if I still had a body right now, I’d go murder the child and him to be sure that he wouldn't do it again.” —

— “They are Apophis’s men.” — Daisy’s mind flared with anger, the edges of her control slipping for a brief moment at the thought of the kid getting hurt or killed, — “And no, you don’t have a body, and even if you did… I’d murder you, and make you into an example if he came to any harm whatsoever. The same as I would for Apophis if he is on the planet.” —  

Hathor’s voice scoffed in her mind. — “They are Sokar’s men. Even if he is dead. His Jaffa are fearsome legends on the battlefield, cruel when given the chance to be, and their loyalty is absolute. They will not surrender. This is a fool’s game, Daisy.” —  Hathor chided, her frustration of Daisy carrying over quite clearly, — “You may ask Teal’c if you do not believe me.”  —

Daisy just hummed, — “We shall see.”  — 

The Jaffa hesitated, their resolve wavering. She could see it in the way their weapons trembled, in the way their bodies leaned away from her. 

She sensed the moment the collective will broke, but it wasn't fast enough.

The leader Jaffa broke out of his shock first, then activated some kind of wrist gauntlet that had a radio or something built into it? 

"Jaffa, kree! Bradio! Shor'wai'e! Sha'lokma'kor! Tak'kre Apophis-nek! Dis'tra'ma tek mat'ra!" He ordered into the radio, as the other Jaffa around her immediately circled her with their staff weapons still aimed at her.

Daisy’s mind, considering that she was drawing on Hathor’s memories and the Goa’uld language that Hathor had known, automatically translated that particular order. (“Reinforcements, hurry up! We have to capture a target and bring them before our god Apophis, who will reward us richly.")  

— “I told you so.” — Hathor’s voice was smug, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. — “You’re playing a game you can’t win. Just kill them and move on. Capture Sokar’s Ha’tak—then you’ll have something to show for all this. It would be more valuable than even the Dendred ship that you bought or the deal you made with the Lucian cockroaches.” — 

That confirmed her decision. If an upgraded and more powerful Ha’tak was falling into her lap, then why wouldn’t she take it?

The Jaffa formed a tight circle around her, fifty of them now, their weapons trained on her, their stances shifting with the approaching reinforcements. 

Daisy’s intar was a stun gun—which she had thrown a bit further away, since she hadn’t wanted to get it fried during her little demo. 

And unfortunately for her, it wasn’t a stun grenade which could stun multiple people at once. 

Seriously, what she wouldn’t give for a Tok’kal right now.

Maybe she could ask Merrin and her team to make some kind of stun grenade based on the Tok’kal and intar that could stun a lot of people at once, in a radius. That would probably be useful in situations like this one. 

The leader’s voice was filled with authority, rising sharply above the tense silence. "Nearly a thousand more Jaffa are coming! Surrender, or you will die."

Daisy didn’t flinch. 

Instead, she took a slow, deliberate breath, glancing at the Jaffa around her—staff weapons raised, Zats primed—trapping her in a circle of tension. 

Idiots. Honestly. 

She mentally calculated the angles. A simple duck, a quick roll, and their shots would hit their own men behind her.

For all that they were apparently ‘fearsome’ on the battlefield, their tactics left a lot to be desired. 

Daisy exhaled, knowing what she’d have to do. — “I’m going to stun them all and that’s the end of it.” — Daisy ordered mentally, grabbing a hold of Hathor’s presence in her mind, just as a reminder that Daisy could easily stop the memories from doing anything and lock it away. 

A sense of resignation and acceptance came across her mind, probably from that part of her memories, before it faded. — “Do as you wish. You will have to kill at least a few of them if you want them to listen to you when they wake up again.” — Hathor advised mentally, her tone resigned. 

Daisy would try not to do that, but if it was really necessary like Hathor was saying, then… she’d deal with that later. — “Alright. While I deal with these Jaffa, why don’t you tell me about Sokar’s Jaffa, his domain, how Ha’taks work and what I need to know to fly a Ha’tak?” — Daisy asked mentally, her hand coming to rest on her intar. The Jaffa’s tension rose, their heartbeats spiking with the anticipation of her next move, but they still didn’t fire.

— “Will you be able to focus on my explanation while fighting these Jaffa?” — Hathor’s voice asked, sounding exasperated, as Daisy reached out with her mind, focusing on the present, and the first of the Jaffa reinforcements that were maybe 4 or 5 minutes away. 

— “Continue.” — Daisy ordered, her voice firm as her mind slid into combat mode. Her heartbeat settled to a calm 60bpm, as always.

The Jaffa leader barked out another order. "Fire!"

In an instant, plasma bolts whizzed through the air toward her. Daisy moved before the first shot even left their weapons. A quick roll to the left, then another, diving low to avoid the incoming fire. 

She grabbed her intar. 

The Jaffa were too slow, too predictable. She barely had to think. Her intar snapped up, fired twice, then three times—eight Jaffa down in the span of a heartbeat.

Hathor’s voice was a steady murmur in her mind, unbothered by the chaos around them. — “You can control a Ha’tak from the Pel’tak, which is I suppose the bridge of a ship in your human terms…” —

+++++

Daisy slammed the butt of her intar into the Jaffa’s face, the satisfying crack of bone reverberating through her grip. She slipped free of his grasp just in time, twisting away as she brought the barrel of her weapon up and fired at point-blank range.

The stun shot hit him square in the chest, and he dropped to the ground, motionless.

Even as the Jaffa crumpled, Hathor’s voice filled her mind.  — “As you already know, there are six Naquadah reactor nodes on a Ha’tak. Power generation is distributed dynamically across ship systems. Four primary nodes handle continuous load—shields, weapons, propulsion, and ship-wide infrastructure—while a fifth stabilizes fluctuations and a sixth remains in reserve for surge demand.” —

Daisy rolled away from an incoming Jaffa’s blade, her boots kicking up dirt as she flowed around the swipe. She lashed out with a swift kick to his midsection, sending him stumbling back.

A Zat shot hit her side, the Zat-energy filaments seeping into her body, but Daisy barely reacted. She’d compartmentalized that energy, let it flow into whatever instinctual location her body was storing all of that energy in.

In a fluid motion, she shot the Jaffa who’d Zatted her, then pivoted and nailed the next one with a precise punch to the face.

The remaining Jaffa—what, six? Seven?—didn’t stand a chance. She moved through them like water through rocks, quick and unrelenting. They dropped one by one, stunned and unconscious before they even knew what hit them.

That was all of the hundred Jaffa here. 

When it was over, Daisy surveyed the wreckage of the battle, noting the hundred Jaffa scattered around her, some still twitching, others silent. Her gaze turned toward the woods where the next wave was gathering—at least 350 more Jaffa were waiting.

But Daisy was already calculating their next move as Hathor continued her mental monologue. — “For context, each Naquadah reactor node on a Ha’tak operates at approximately six times the baseline output of earlier Cheops-class designs. At peak efficiency, a single node can produce and sustain multi-terawatt levels of power output, with full shipwide capacity reaching into the high double-digit terawatt range under combat load.” —

Daisy checked her own clothes… which were not badly singed, but she still despaired at the state she’d be in after fighting all of the Jaffa here. She checked her battery on the intar, 9 bars. 

The numbers… it still sounded excessive.

But consistent. 

Hey, at least it wasn’t in the triple digit TW range. 

Before Hathor could start again, Daisy asked mentally, — “If all of the reactor nodes are Naquadah reactors, then how much Naquadha does a Ha’tak usually store? And where?” —

There was a brief pause, then Hathor’s presence responded. — “Each Ha’tak carries 3000 rods of reactor-grade Naquadah, 60% pure.” — A mental image of the rods flashed in Daisy’s mind—four inches wide, about four feet long. — “In your Earth terms, each rod is about 10 cm wide and 30 cm long. Each reactor node operates with roughly 100 active rods at any time, with additional reserves stored within one of the ship’s cargo holds that is specifically shielded and reserved for the same. Under standard combat conditions, total vessel output draws from approximately 600 active rods across all nodes.” — 

That still felt like a lot.

But not impossible.

Hathor continued — "Coming back, energy distribution is continuously balanced across all six nodes. Under combat stress, shielding demand alone can temporarily take up to sixty percent of total reactor output. However, heat and other excess energy generated by the reactor or the shields are actively dumped into the local subspace to prevent the ship from overloading.” —

Daisy grabbed two Jaffa knives from the ground, tucking one into her boot and the other into her vest, as she considered the design. 

Interesting. 

But what would happen if they couldn’t dump the heat/excess energy?

Any power generation system had to have some technique to control waste heat. Otherwise, it’d break down… or in other cases, explode. 

In any case, the six reactors running constantly was…  well, that would generate a lot of waste heat. 

Hathor’s voice continued, calm… almost clinical. — “The sixth reactor node remains idle during standard combat. It is reserved for emergencies—like simultaneous shield collapse, when we need to pierce through sensor shadows, hyperdrive initiation, or during planetary bombardment to enhance the bombardment energies.” —

She scanned the trees carefully. A small group of 50 Jaffa were moving toward her, too slowly, trying to lure her deeper into the forest. 

Predictable. 

Daisy didn’t even bother hiding her smirk as she caught their eyes, then waved at them casually, taunting.

 — “You can continue with the Ha’tak systems.” — Daisy’s mind flickered to the forest again. The lure group had started retreating, and sure enough, they were opening fire. Plasma bolts streaked through the air, but they splashed harmlessly against Daisy’s vibrational barrier, dissipating the energy with ease.

Hathor’s voice continued, unaffected by the chaos around her. — “As I was saying, reactors are spread out across the three sides of a Ha’tak, two reactors on each side to help balance the load. The previous Cheops class only had four reactors and the design was quite old…

+++++

Daisy’s fingers dug into the rough bark of the large birch tree, the pressure building as she channeled her power. The tree groaned under the strain, the sap inside freezing solid as the wood splintered and cracked with an eerie, resounding sound. 

The earth trembled beneath her feet as the entire tree began to bend. With a sharp tug, Daisy wrenched it free from the ground, the roots tearing up with an audible pop. 

The massive tree crashed to the earth with a thunderous noise, splitting in two as it hit the ground with a force that shook the surrounding tree

The Jaffa, who had been advancing toward her, jumped back in alarm, their eyes wide with disbelief. Some of them stumbled over their own feet in their haste, while others scrambled to gain their bearings.

— “Oh, that was an impressive move!” —  Hathor’s voice rang in her mind, almost amused, but with a hint of genuine awe. — “Continuing on with the shield infrastructure… though there are dozens of shield emitters spread across the entirety of the Ha’tak superstructure, all emitters share a single shield bank where all of the energy for the shields comes from, making it easier for the reactor to recharge both the bank and the shields themselves.” —

Daisy’s heart stayed stable at 60 bpm, despite the exertion, but she quickly ducked into cover, rolling behind a large boulder. Her left hand grabbed a Zat, while her right hand automatically found her intar at her side.

She peeked over the edge of the boulder, scanning the area. The Jaffa who had been caught off guard by the fallen tree were slowly regaining their footing, their confusion turning into frustration. They realized their mistake too late, and now they were scrambling to spread out in search of better cover.

— “This design, you see, is for two primary reasons,” —  Hathor continued, her voice a calm, methodical drone in Daisy's mind, almost as if lecturing her. — “First, it allows for the standardization of the power transmission to the shield emitters, which ensures all of them draw the same amount of power from the enormous energy bank. Second, it allows you to dedicate one or more reactors to recharge the shields as quickly as possible, with this configuration. Or so P’tah reasoned when he developed the Ha’tak.” — 

So, this P’tah, was the Goa’uld ship designer for Ha’taks.

Interesting. Daisy wondered if Ptah was the same person who coded the death glider flight systems. 

Whoever it was, Daisy swore she was going to punch them in the face if she ever met them. 

— “After you’ve told me everything that I first asked for, tell me more about P’tah.” — Daisy requested mentally, as she fired her intar at a group of Jaffa fools trying to flank her, while keeping the group of Jaffa in front of her down. 

The other division of Jaffa that was on the other side of the valley would be coming in a few minutes… and better to take care of this division first. 

Her hands moved in a blur, firing her intar and Zat in rapid succession.

 Each shot found its mark with lethal accuracy, taking out Jaffa one by one. 

They were disorganized now, scattered, making them easy targets. Daisy kept herself hidden behind the boulder, using it for cover as she picked off the remaining Jaffa.

Hathor hummed, the sound almost like a strange form of contemplation. Then she responded, her tone unchanged. — “If I have time. Continuing from where I left off… Ha’tak shields operate on frequency oscillation principles, as you would term them. The frequencies they use have a specific operational range, but can be tuned to different ranges for special purposes, such as allowing for ring transport through the shield without deactivating it. This is particularly useful when…”

+++++

Daisy wiped the sweat and grime from her forehead, stretching her limbs and letting out a contented sigh as she felt the familiar crack of bones realigning. 

The thrum of energy in her body was nearly intoxicating—her cells buzzing with the aftershocks of over a hundred Zat charges, more than thirty plasma bolts, and EXTREMIS coursing through her veins like liquid fire.

She surveyed the battlefield, taking in the 380-something Jaffa who were now sprawled across the ground—stunned, unconscious, or worse. Some had fallen victim to friendly fire, but that wasn’t her problem. Casualties were unfortunate, but you couldn’t babysit every plasma bolt.

Anyway… Whoo! Now that was what she’d call a workout. 

But that was no problem, she was kinda feeling amazing… not even a bit tired. In fact, she was pretty sure she could do it all over again if she had to.

— “Yes, I quite enjoyed it when you started going the physical knockout route,” — Hathor’s voice hummed in her mind, a mix of amusement and approval, then she continued, — “In continuation to my explanation of Ha’tak weapons…. Ha’taks have four specialized orbit-to-ground Ma’tok'ko plasma cannons mounted beneath the ship, each capable of firing plasma bolts ranging from 25 to 100 megatons of energy.” — 

That was a lot. Like she’d expected from her reactor and power generation calculations. 

Why did the Goa’uld want that much overkill!?

It didn’t make sense. 

She shook her head, whatever. Goa’uld thought process didn’t usually make sense from a modern military point of view.

Hathor continued her technical lecture. — “Then there are the six specialized ship-to-ship Ma’tok’ai plasma cannons mounted across the three sides of the Ha’tak superstructure, capable of producing plasma bolts anywhere from 10 to 15 megatons of energy. And finally, the 50 medium Ma’tok staff-cannons, firing plasma bolts with 1 kiloton of energy, designed for point defense against fighters and smaller vessels.”

Daisy hummed, as the blueprints of a Ha’tak flashed across her mind, the weapons already highlighted. 

Very interesting, but there were definitely improvements that could be made– because the point defense covered the 3D perimeter of the ship quite well, but the ship-to-ship Ma’tok’ai weapons had a smaller cone of fire… and the orbit-to-ground Ma’tok’Ko, could only fire downward, or… wherever the bottom part of the ship was aimed. 

But no Goa’uld would aim their ship downwards at an enemy, or let the base part of the Ha’tak be exposed, because it didn’t really have any armor like the other parts of the Ha’tak did. 

So, they were basically letting four powerful weapons do nothing in a Ha’tak to Ha’tak fight. 

She let out a frustrated breath as she realized how much work she was going to have to put in once she got her hands on the Ha’tak. Hopefully Sokar had fixed this particular issue. 

Her intar beeped softly, a reminder that the charge was nearly depleted—just three bars left. Damn, she hoped her intar was coming with Dixon and his men. 

She didn’t want to take on a 600 + 200 Jaffa strong force with just 300 or so intar stun charges. 

As if her prayers were being answered and her hearing being as enhanced as it was, she heard the Stargate activating with a satisfying whirl. 

Daisy felt a wave of relief wash over her when she felt Dixon’s vibrational signature.

The cavalry had arrived.

SG-13, Oscar Delta Three, Four, Six and Eight, plus QRF-Three.

Nice. 

Daisy’s radio was fried from her stunt with the Zat lightning. (She really ought to start working on some subspace radios with a lot of EM protections. That would be a fun project later.)

So she had to go there. 

Meh, not a problem. 

Daisy holstered her intar, then moved out of the tree line, her mind automatically calculating the distance between her and the gate. She took a running start then pushed off with her powers, flying through the sky… and oh, the night sky on this planet was so beautiful. 

As soon as Daisy was close to land, she cushioned herself and her landing spot with her powers automatically, then landed with a thud that reverberated across the entire clearing. She’d landed a few dozen feet away from the ‘Gate, on purpose. 

“Hey guys!” She said, waving at them, then grinned, “Oh, you brought ATVs! Nice. That'll make it easier for you guys to travel.”

Captain Singleton, the leader of 3rd ODA, looked her over, wide-eyed and clearly stunned by the state she was in. "Are—are you okay? What are all those... Did you get hit by plasma bolts?! Brooks, I need a medic!"

Daisy rolled her eyes and waved off his concern, giving a half-hearted shrug. “I’m fine, Captain. No need for the medic. Just a few plasma bolts, a couple of Zats—nothing I can’t handle.” She tugged off her jacket and wiped at the blackened marks on her skin. “See? No injuries. Plasma bolt, Zat, or otherwise. I just need a shower.”

Brooks, the medic, ran over and started his check-up, though he seemed a little confused, maybe even shocked by her casualness.

Dixon walked over next, brow furrowed. “Daisy? You okay?” His gaze lingered on the singed holes in her clothes, but Daisy shrugged again.

She could have erected vibrational shields around herself, but then… At some point, the energy in her body started feeling good. The thrum of energized Naquadah, the lightning racing through her veins reaching every single nerve in her body, the energy swirling in her chest, that comfortable warmth pulsing near her eyes, her bones, her muscles, her chest, and her heart… all of it, it felt amazing! 

Just freaking amazing.  

But that didn’t– despite all of it, she still felt awake, alert, and active. She wasn’t tired at all… it felt as if she’d just showered and gotten breakfast, ready to take on the day. 

And her body had tons of energy to burn.

Literally. 

“I’m good. Seriously. No need to stress. Just... having fun.” She grinned wide, the energy still coursing through her. The crackle of her EXTREMIS infusion still hummed in her bones.

It was fun.

Maybe not for the Jaffa, considering that they were getting beat down or stunned, but it was fun for her! 

Dixon’s frown deepened even more, “Fun?” Dixon repeated, his voice dripping with disbelief. He glanced at Singleton, then back at her. “Daisy, are you sure you're okay? You’re acting… weird.”

She gave him a look at that, “I’m fine. Honestly. I’m good– Great, even!” All of them gave her weird looks at that, “What? We’re going to be stealing a Ha’tak that is apparently one of Sokar’s, which is supposed to be more powerful and more technologically advanced, so… why wouldn’t I be excited about that?”

Dixon glanced at the medic again, for some reason, then sighed turning back to her. “Daisy, you’re acting really weird– maybe the toxin didn’t fade fully or you got infected with something, and it’s only now showing its effects. I think you should sit this mission out.”

Daisy paused, considering that. Her vibrations felt… energized (obviously), but she couldn’t feel anything wrong, bad, or anything that was hurting her… or making her sluggish, slow or weird. A marked increase in her Naquadah levels, and while that was weird, it was helping her store the energy. 

So… meh, she could get checked out when she went home. “Yeah, no. I kinda sensed my own body, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me, Dix.” She revealed, then tapped her arms. “My body’s full of energy, but that’s about it.”

“Ma’am, can I see your eyes?” Sergeant Brooks asked, checking her over physically, then pressed two fingers to her wrist, feeling out for her heartbeat.

Daisy let out a sigh, letting it happen– they were worried about her because they cared. She loved that they did. “Sure. My eyes are purple right now, but they work the same. And I can sorta control my own heartbeat, so… whatever you get, is probably not going to be useful. I’m currently keeping it at 60 bpm because I’m in combat or am going to be in combat in a few minutes.” 

Brooks flashed the light in her eyes, scanning them. She could tell from his confused look that he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Her eyes felt normal. “Don’t ask about the eye color, it’s complicated.” Daisy preempted before he could open his mouth. “Or the warmth that you feel from me right now, or the soft buzz. All of those are classified.”

Brooks glanced at Dixon, who nodded. Brooks let out a sigh, nodding, “As far as I can tell, you’re okay. You’re not high, or affected by anything I can see. Your reactions are a bit faster than what is humanly possible, but I assume that’s because of your abilities?”

Daisy just smiled, “Yes and no. I’m not human, Sergeant.” 

Dixon stared at her for a long moment, “And you’re sure you’re okay?” He asked again, “Daisy, you need to tell me or your parents. If you’re not feeling up to the mission, or if you don’t feel okay, you need to go back home. We can take over from here.”

“I’m fine– Actually, I’m better than fine.” Daisy corrected, then paused, looking down on herself. “Sure, I’m sweaty, dirty and I want to take a long shower as soon as we get home, and I also need to get rid of this energy in my body when I go back, though it does kinda feel good right now, so I’m good. Physically, mentally and otherwise.” Daisy reported, evaluating herself for combat readiness, “Anyway, I can’t actually let you guys take over because I’ve got to deal with about 800 Jaffa that are stumbling into the valley where I knocked out about 400 more. So… if we’re all done with the ‘check Daisy for issues’ routine, I’ll be over here, handling this mess.”

She paused, looking at the gate, then pitched her voice up, “Speaking of that… QRF-Three! Once the BFS teams come by, tell them to head towards the temple and tell General Hammond to send as many FREDs as possible.” The commander of QRF-Three nodded, dialing the gate, as Daisy turned back to Dixon, “Now, do you have something for me?”

Dixon passed her two v1-Intars, holstered and ready. Daisy accepted them, the weight of the weapons reassuring in her hands. With over 5,000 stun charges, she could handle this. 

But she still… her vest and jacket were in tatters, unfortunately. 

Daisy stripped those off, leaving her in the standard SGC black tee and green BDU pants… which had holes, but eh… it was manageable? “Oh, does anyone have an extra radio and vest? Mine’s kinda fried.” she called out loudly enough for everyone to hear.

A few moments later, a sergeant tossed her a radio and a lieutenant handed over a vest. Daisy grabbed both, slinging the radio into place before turning back to Dixon. “Send two ATVs to the temple. Get Sam, Daniel, and the kid back. Don’t know what’s taking them so long, but I’m feeling their vibrations, and something’s off. Also, send two ODAs to the Ha’tak. Jack, Teal’c, Bra’tac, and SG-2 will need backup.”

Dixon nodded again, finally trusting her judgment. “Got it. What about the 100-strong Jaffa force heading this way?”

Daisy reached out with her mind, feeling out for the vibrations of those Jaffa, as she wore the vest and tuned the radio. 

And… there. 

“They’re maybe 10 minutes away from the Gate, as are SGs 3 and 5.” She revealed, then looked at the others, “Get your team and the two other ODAs, coordinate with SG-3 and 5, and take ‘em out. Preferably stun, but don’t risk your or your men’s lives for it. Understood?” 

Dixon nodded, “Yeah.”

She felt out for the 600 + 200 or so Jaffa, who were… only now coming near the valley. And, fighting them in one place meant the BFS teams didn’t have to go searching, but it also meant that the Jaffa there would have more weapons– maybe not at the same place, but near? Yeah, that could work. 

“Good,” Daisy said, grinning again. She stepped back, taking one final glance at the team. “Alright. I’ll see you guys at the Ha’tak. Don’t start the party without me.”

With a running start, Daisy jumped, her body lifting effortlessly into the air as she quake-jumped.

+++++

Daisy landed in the middle of the valley, knees bending slightly to absorb the quake-assisted descent. She fired the moment her boots hit dirt—left hand, right hand, alternating in rhythm. Her intars let out sharp whizzes of stun bolts, each one glowing magenta as it found its mark.

The first wave of Jaffa went down before they'd even raised their weapons. Ten. Twelve. Fourteen.

Her body was humming. Not with effort—no, it was too early for that. With readiness. With anticipation. The pulse of energy inside her felt like a second heartbeat, thrumming beneath her ribs. The first Zat blast that hit her—just a graze across her ribs—sent a warm pulse of energy-burn into her bloodstream. She barely flinched.

Her smile widened.

— “The Ha'taks use an advanced form of propulsion that are more commonly known as sublight drives, which along with the inertial dampers and anti-gravity systems, allow the ship to achieve great accelerations, anywhere from 1 to 5% the speed of light.” — Hathor explained, which was… what? — “All sublight movement is field-based inertia manipulation with optional subspace energy coupling, not classical thrust physics.”

Oh. 

Okay… so, the Ha’taks actually decoupled from real space when using subligh… 

Daisy wanted to slap herself.

Stupid. It was right there in the name!

Sub-light  drives. 

The ship was partially skimming through subspace when it accelerated/traveled. 

That was how it reached the velocities that it did without hyperspace. 

The speed of light in a vacuum was… 299,792 km/s. So… 1 to 5% of that was 2.9 thousand km/s to 15 thousand km/s.

HCR’s max velocities were topped out at 0.0057% the speed of light (for this iteration of the design), so… Daisy would have to make sure to increase the muzzle velocity above 1% c. At least 5% c if possible. 

Anything more than Mach 10 on-ground, for infantry weapons or PDWs, was overkill. 

But for space… 

She felt out into the universe with her powers, then took off to the nearest group of 300 Jaffa. — “The sublight drives are also used to keep the Ha’taks at a stable altitude within gravitational fields of planets, stars, and the like. These engines are also used to slow the ship down when exiting hyperspace.” — Hathor continued, — “The effectiveness of the sublight drives and how fast it can go in space, is directly proportional to the mass of the Ha’tak and the efficiency of the inertial damping system. The heavier and more armored the Ha’tak is, the more energy it takes to move the ship. If inertial dampers fail, the sublight drives can only move the ship to 0.1% the speed of light. Anything more than that, and everyone inside will not survive.” — 

Daisy absently focused on Hathor’s explanation, as she charged into the fray. 

Her boots barely touched the ground as she sprinted forward, kicking up dirt and stone in her wake. The Jaffa charged, but they were too slow. 

She flicked her hand, sending a quake into their ranks. 

The quake instantly scattered their formation, the Jaffa tumbling to the ground like bowling pins. 

Strike!

Daisy crashed into their vanguard. She didn’t even count the Zat or Plasma blasts that she got hit with, avoided by a small margin, or froze using her powers. 

All of it was pure instinct. 

Daisy parried a slash from a knife with her intar, shooting that Jaffa with her other intar, then quaked another Jaffa with the hand that she was using to parry. She could emit quakes while also holding intars! Who knew?

A group of Jaffa flew backward, crashing into the treeline.

Without breaking stride, Daisy rolled under a barrage of plasma bolts, feeling the heat wash over her back as she dropped her intar, and punched the ground hard. 

The ground moved as if it was water, a wave of force traveling through the ground, displacing all of the Jaffa who were around her. 

She grabbed her intar. — “I think you should start using your powers more lethally.” — Hathor pointed out, images of dead or broken Jaffa bodies flashing across Daisy’s mind, — “You were quite effective on the planet that you named Red-9, but stunning Jaffa is not your area of expertise. Your powers are not made for that. You would be much more effective a weapon if you just targeted their necks and–”  Hathor cut herself off as Daisy mentally squeezed the grip she had around that presence. 

She hated this kind of nudging– towards violence, towards death and being a killing machine. 

She wasn’t– Daisy was ruthless, yes. She would kill if necessary, but killing was a last resort. Always. — “Shut up. You don’t know shit about my powers. Continue about sublight systems.” — Daisy ordered harshly. — “Leave me to my fight.”  — 

Before the Jaffa could recover, she fired—stunning one, then two, three more, each shot quick and precise. She didn't give them a chance to regroup, pulling down more trees to the ground, as she kept firing, her hands guided by her powers, her instincts and her spec ops training. 

Hathor let out a sigh in Daisy’s mind, — “Though the design of the Al’kesh’s sublights drives are the same as a Ha’tak’s, they can reach 10% the speed of light at maximum acceleration, because of their size, power generation and their inertial damping systems. Goa’uld Death gliders on the other hand…”

+++++

The battle was a blur of movement—Daisy was everywhere, her body a blur as she flowed from one enemy to the next, moving, shooting, feeling the pulse of energy in her limbs, using every environment around her to her advantage. The air buzzed with energy, but her focus remained razor-sharp. She wasn’t distracted by the sheer number of Jaffa—just one after another, with no hesitation.

Honestly, it was fun! 

Way better than paintball. She kinda wanted to go on another mission like this one for her birthday. 

She’d certainly enjoy this, more than whatever simulated combat it was.

+++++

Three Jaffa lunged from opposite angles. 

— “The engine room contains the shared energy pool for the shield, and also has the hyperdrive generator and the sublight drive thrust generator. Most of the propulsion of the Ha’tak can be controlled from the Pel’tak. In the case of an accident or an attack, one extra set of control crystals for all systems is kept as a backup.”  — Hathor explained, as Daisy dipped low, swept one’s legs out, pivoted on her heel and shot the second in the gut. 

The third was on her before she could fire—he swung his Ma’tok staff, firing as it grazed her shoulder with the edge. 

The fabric singed. Her skin didn’t.

The plasma bolt that followed hit her square in the thigh. Her leg kicked back, stumbling—but the burst of heat that followed made her gasp.

It surged up her spine like molten sugar, catching at her throat and eyes and fingertips. — “Can you stop getting hit with staff blasts!? It distracts me when I’m explaining the Ha’tak systems to you.” — Hathor snapped.

Daisy rolled her eyes inwardly, as she pulled the energy, her body and mind automatically compartmentalizing that energy. — “We’re in a fight. What did you expect?” — Then she pushed forward—blurring between them—her twin intars raised again. Tap tap. Tap tap. Four more down.

— “For you to be more responsible for one! This is your body we’re talking about!” — Hathor scolded, sounding very much like she’d cared, but then… it was Daisy’s own subconscious, so… 

Whatever. 

Daisy could sort of instinctively feel what her body and powers were capable of… and she wasn’t even close to redlining. 

In fact, if anything, she was very much on the opposite end. — “Look, it's not like the plasma or Zat blasts can hurt me. Just continue.” — Daisy reasoned, as she vaulted over a pile of Jaffa bodies, landing in a roll, shooting a few more Jaffa point-blank. 

Daisy had the distinct feeling that Hathor was biting back whatever she wanted to say, before resignation and frustration flashed across her mind. A moment later, Hathor continued. — “I suppose they will not, but would it hurt you to be more careful!? Anyway… A Ha’tak or any Goa’uld ship usually has three types of sensors: First, short-range sensors. These are optimized for combat—targeting, tracking, and threat discrimination within immediate engagement distance. Typically, they extend up to ten thousand kilometers. — Hathor revealed, which… Daisy was… okay, not that bad for fire-control radar.

It was certainly enough to fully cover an engagement in space. 

Hathor continued after that, — “Secondly, the medium-range sensors extend from five hundred thousand kilometers to nearly thirty million kilometers. They are primarily used for early threat detection, energy signature analysis, and fleet tracking. Third, long-range sensors. These are primarily passive systems, designed for strategic awareness. Their effective range extends from roughly one astronomical unit to several AU, in Earth standard terms, depending on interference and target profile. They can detect ships, planets, and stellar activity, though with reduced resolution. The last two are standard for all Goa’uld ships, while the first is only used by Al’kesh and Ha’taks.”

So—interplanetary awareness. Not precise, but enough to know something was there.

But still… Daisy honestly wondered if this P’tah, who had designed a Ha’tak, had screwed up the design from whatever ship he’d copied. 

Weapons range for Ha’taks could only reach up to 10k kilometers? That… if a HCR fired at Mach 50, then it would reach the ship in… what, 10 minutes something. More than enough time, but Mach 50 was Earth’s theoretical maximum. 

Any spacefaring advanced society would be able to beat that. 

Hell, even the Goa’uld reverse engineered sublight drives would give them nearly 1 to 5%c. If a projectile was fired at 1%c, it would cover the 10k distance in… what, 3 seconds or something. 

That wasn’t a combat window. That was a death sentence.

No time to evade. Barely time to react. Not even enough to compute a proper interception solution before impact.

So that was it, then.

They didn’t dodge.

They tanked.

Shields up, absorb the hit, fire back.

Daisy suppressed a frown.

What happened when the hit was enough to punch straight through those shields? Or when the enemy never entered that range to begin with?

It was… sometimes, it really made her question how the Goa’uld had survived this long, and that too as a galactic empire. 

— “Additionally, Goa’uld ships also possess a limited subspace sensor capable of detecting hyperspace entry and exits, windows and hyperspace wakes of large fleets.” —  Hathor continued, oblivious to the internal thoughts Daisy was thinking to herself, and not to the both of them if that made sense? — “Some advanced sensor systems, such as those that may have been present on vessels under Sokar’s command, can also perform subsurface scans—identifying mineral deposits, density variations, and material composition beneath a planetary crust.”

Daisy filed that away.

Useful. Very useful.

Daisy focused back on the threat again, letting a part of her mind listen to Hathor’s explanation, giving most of her focus to the combat situation in front of her. — “There are some instances where a Ha’tak’s sensors might be blinded: cloaked ships like the one that you took from the Tok’ra, the SCS class ship, cannot be detected by a single Ha’tak. If multiple Ha’taks link their sensor systems, then there might be a chance of detection due to overlapping detection fields, but otherwise, the cloaked ships cannot be detected.” — 

Daisy’s lips twitched faintly.

So a distributed sensor network could brute-force stealth.

Good to know.

— “Likewise,” — Hathor continued, — “heavily ionized regions, stellar coronas, and other forms of energetic interference can degrade or entirely obscure sensor readings. All Goa’uld sensor systems are ultimately constrained by line-of-sight principles. Massive bodies—planets, moons, stars—can occlude detection through both physical obstruction and gravitational interference.” —

Which meant—

Hide behind something big enough, and you vanished.

Daisy hummed as she took off towards the next group of 150 Jaffa. 

Staff blasts and Zat bolts lit the night in bursts of plasma and arcing blue. Some hitting her, some grazing, and some just outright missing. Daisy didn’t flinch—her body was already twisting, legs carrying her in a blur. She slammed into one Jaffa with her shoulder, spun, planted a boot on his chest, and launched herself upward.

Too far.

She overshot the ridge, almost crashing into the hill face, but caught herself mid-air, twisting awkwardly to land with a skid. Dirt kicked up, arms flared out to stabilize. A grin stretched across her face. “Oops.” She pivoted, firing into the disoriented front line.

Eighteen dropped where they stood.

Unfortunately, she was now in the middle of three converging groups. Each had 150 Jaffa.

Hathor’s presence froze. — “CAREFUL!” — Hathor yelled in Daisy’s mind, — “I DON’T WANT TO DIE, YOU RECKLESS ABOMINABLE CHILD!”  — 

That brought her a moment of levity, as she grinned widely. Pissing off the Goa’uld was always nice. 

Even if it was the one in her head. 

The rear groups reacted fast, staff weapons lighting up. Daisy dropped flat the moment she felt the plasma bolts coming—so close she could feel the heat as they passed overhead. The Jaffa in front didn’t get the memo—nearly twenty of them fired, hitting their own men.

Daisy burst out laughing. Her hands worked on instinct, stunning more before she finished the breath.

Hathor unleashed a string of Goa’uld curses.

A Zat bolt hit Daisy in the ribs.

She staggered—just half a step—then caught herself, her chest heaving as energy surged through her veins.  She automatically compartmentalized the energy and feeling away. — “YOU! ARE YOU ACTIVELY TRYING TO DIE AND TAKE ME WITH YOU!? — Hathor shrieked, the vibrations of the presence in Daisy’s mind erratic. — “Try dodging the incoming blasts! The Jaffa are not that bright! Or as fast as you are!”  — 

Oh, but why would she do that? 

Her grin grew, even as her violet eyes flickered with deep hellish flames, blue lightning crackling around her form. 

All of the nearest Jaffa startled, their heartbeats spiking, racing… in surprise, fear or terror, she didn’t know, but all she knew was that the energy felt good.

Hathor’s frustration exploded in her mind, — “I swear I should have killed you when I had the chance, instead of trying to make you bow to me.” — 

Daisy rolled her eyes, — “Too little, too late!” — 

A Jaffa lunged with a blade. She caught his wrist, twisted it behind him, and flung him into another Jaffa, both hitting the ground in a tangle. “Come on! Is that all you’ve got?!”

Two to the left. One to the right. Drop low. Sweep the legs. Fire.

Eight plasma bolts screamed toward her—she turned at the last second, took it on the shoulder. The back of her black t-shirt disintegrated, warmth spreading across her back like a kiss of sunlight.

She sucked in a breath, as pure energy flooded into her, feeling her pupils dilate wide as moons, then grinned.

The Jaffa in front of her faltered, one of the Jaffa commanders in the back, speaking into his gauntlet, “Dak’rahk! It’s right here—gods, it’s right in front of me! Tok’sha’lokma’kor! We can’t kill it! Ne’nai shak’mar! We can’t fight it—JAFFA, KREE! Bradio!" 

(“The hell demon! It’s right here—gods, it’s right in front of me! We can’t kill it! We can’t fight it! Jaffa, hear me! Hurry!”)

Hell demon, huh?

Well, Daisy could certainly work with that. 

+++++

Her hair was soaked with glowing sweat now, stuck to her face. Her skin glowed with a faint fiery-orange flush that had nothing to do with embarrassment of fighting in tattered clothes, and everything to do with too much fire  moving through her body. Or because of EXTREMIS. 

Every Zat hit—every plasma bolt that grazed—just made it worse.

Or better.

Hard to tell.

+++++

She dropped down into the next group. The last 200 strong Jaffa force. 

Two stun bolts—left, right—both Jaffa dropped. She ducked under a staff weapon swing, slammed her elbow into a stomach, used the recoil to pivot and fire over her shoulder. Another down. Another. Another.

She was bouncing on the balls of her feet now, spring-loaded. Hands a blur. Her eyes swept across the combat like a targeting system.

Then she looked up—and the next wave came. Dozens.

She launched herself off a boulder, flipping through the air, landing right in their midst. Two bolts, three, four—Jaffa fell like dominoes. 

She spun, ducked, rolled, kicked, stunned, leapt—her movements too fluid to track. The plasma bolts and Zats were constant now. One clipped her arm—electricity racing up her arm. Another nicked her side—soft warmth rushing into her limbs and skin. 

She compartmentalized again. Pushed it all inward. 

Her vision swam for a moment, her hands twitched wildly, before she let out a wide area quake towards the Jaffa in front of her. 

The buzz underneath her skin softened, but the energy didn’t fade. 

+++++

Eight on the left. Six trying to flank behind the rocks.

She blinked—fiery orange flickering through her irises—and in the time it took a plasma bolt to reach her, she was already in motion.

Drop low. Slide. Snap-shot up. Four stuns, four drops. Kick the staff weapon up mid-run, grab it, hurl it like a spear—crack! The one Jaffa on the ridge toppled like a ragdoll.

Breathless laughter escaped her lips. She wasn’t even breathing hard. — “Hathor. Continue.” — Daisy ordered internally, because the Goa’uld had been really effing silent for the past few minutes. Especially as she’d gone through the 600 strong Jaffa force, or after her little freakout about Daisy dying. 

As if she would let that happen. 

Her muscles thrummed, her chest tight with warmth. Her vision was too clear, too bright. Everything moved just a little slower than she did. It was beautiful.

Too beautiful.

Why would she die? That too from Zats and plasma bolts?!

It was hilarious. 

Hathor’s presence in her mind scowled, — “You have no sense of self-preservation. I feel pity for your parents and despair being in their place.”  — Hathor complained, as if that made sense. 

And what? Daisy was perfectly fine! She wasn’t risking her life or anything. Just fighting… and both Jack and Sam knew that she could handle herself in a fight. 

Why would her parents even be concerned/worried/despair about her? 

— “Spare me the drama of your thoughts. Just continue.” — Daisy ordered, shaking her head. 

Hathor huffed in her head, but obeyed. — “The Glider bays are located on the same side as the Pel’tak. Death Gliders are stored vertically in racks, and when deployed, they drop to the launchers, where they are ‘shot’ out via magnetic propulsion.” — 

Daisy nodded, as she fired into a crowd, swept wide with both intars, left to right—six, no, eight bolts discharged in less than two seconds. Two Jaffa collapsed. But four more staggered and got back up. 

Her brain was moving just a little too fast—but everything around her moved slower by comparison. 

But, it was too fast. She hadn’t aimed– not truly. 

Daisy exhaled sharply, grounding herself. “Right. Aim next time.” 

She consciously aimed now, though the rest of her body moved for her automatically, driven by instinct and training—She grabbed one Jaffa by the armor, flipped him overhead, kicked another’s leg out. Pressed a stun bolt to one’s throat, discharged at point-blank.

Hathor continued, — “The Glider bays make use of a Goa'uld force field technology to contain the compartment’s atmosphere, allowing Death Gliders to be launched without the need for depressurization into the vacuum of space. This field, while holding the air in, also repels foreign elements like water, interstellar gas and sometimes even energy bolts from other plasma weapons.” — 

Daisy hummed, as she slid, sweeping out the legs of two Jaffa, catching them both with a stun bolt before she moved on. — “So could that shield hold back deep-sea pressure if a Ha’tak was submerged?” — 

Hathor paused, then admitted, — “It’s never been tested that way… but theoretically, yes. The shield was designed to prevent atmosphere loss and reject external intrusion, including energy and kinetic weapons fired from other ships, or micro-asteroids passing by. Submersion shouldn’t be an issue.” — 

She vaulted over two stunned Jaffa, landed, rolled, and fired instinctively behind her—nailing six more who were trying to flank her.

She heard the heavy crackling of one of those lightning cannons she’d encountered on Red-9 behind her. 

Too close. No time to dodge.

It hit her square in the chest, the kinetic energy hitting her like a car, sending tendrils of electricity climbing up her ribcage like lightning crawling through metal.

Her body was pushed back, her back hitting a tree. 

But instead of dropping to the ground, she arched with a cry that wasn’t pain, but something more like a wild, manic gasp of energy swallowed by her body like fire extinguishing in a vacuum. 

Her eyes ignited—fire and blood and blue lightning. Hellish flames glowed underneath her skin. A blazing halo of light surrounded her. Arcs of blue lightning crackled across her skin.

Her vision darkened at the edges, like the world was exhaling.

Then—

Release.

A short pulse exploded from her body—unstable vibrational wave, discharging the lightning cannon energy from her body like a flare. 

A Zat  shockwave burst out of her body in a 20-meter radius. Weapons within range short-circuited. Several Jaffa collapsed, some outright killed, but most of the 70 or so were stunned… not by her intars, but by proximity.

Daisy shook her head, trying to clear the static in her ears and the darkness in her vision. Whoa… She didn’t know she could do that!

That was awesome!

Even Hathor was stunned into silence. The remaining Jaffa froze, instincts overriding orders—and fled.

+++++

Both intars came up, one-two flashes of magenta light. Four. Six. Eight. 

Twenty. 

The Jaffa went down like puppets whose strings were cut. Daisy stood in the center of them, chest rising and falling, steam hissing softly off her arms where sweat met heat. 

Her intars were glowing faintly, the metal warm enough to feel comfortable. Her fingers wouldn’t stop twitching, bouncing gently against the triggers.

The remaining Jaffa—thirty, maybe forty—froze. Some raised weapons. Most didn’t. Their lines faltered.  

— “Do you see it? Fear. Multiplying in their brains like bacteria. Reaching critical mass.” — Hathor purred in her mind. 

Daisy absently wondered if this was her own subconscious saying that or if it was coming from Hathor’s memories. 

Since Hathor had finished her info-dump on the Ha’tak, she’d shifted into spectator mode— Hathor’s presence in her mind didn’t judge, but the panic from before had faded to something akin to appreciation, respect and awe.

Either way, coming to what Hathor had just said, Daisy didn’t mind the fear all that much– Fear  was a natural reaction to facing something scary. 

Terror on the other hand, was not– it was dread, torment, helplessness and mindless panic. And Daisy knew, the moment fear turned to terror, she would have gone too far. 

And that thought sobered her instantly as if she was plunged into an ice bath.

— “Spoilsport.” — Hathor commented, as Daisy’s enthusiasm and joy faded to cold combat calmness. 

Her grin faded into a razor-sharp focus.

Some Jaffa turned and ran. Others fought.

Then she moved—still fast, but sloppier. 

Daisy knew it. She could feel it. 

She was losing precision. 

Her limbs weren’t light anymore; they were weighted down like she was wading through water on Heliopolis when she was fighting that Triskdecapi creature. (It had 13 arms, so Triskdeca, okay?)

Still, she dropped them—one after the other. Shoulder-check. Intar blast. Flip. Roll. Shot. Shot. Shot.

A Zat caught her in the ribs—fire laced her spine. 

She gasped, almost buckled. That charge barely registered. 

There was no rush this time—just burn. 

Just cost.

She finished the rest off. 

Not with glee, not with fury. Just the mechanical rhythm of muscle memory.

Then... nothing.

There were no more charging footsteps. No more shouted commands.

Just… the wind. Rustling the valley grass.

The night air felt thin. The silence of the valley pressed in around her like fog.

Daisy inhaled—and her lungs burned.

The rush was fading.

The heat that had made her feel invincible was now sitting in her chest, lead-heavy. Her arms sagged, suddenly aware of the weight of the intars in her hands. She holstered one. Fumbled with the other. Dropped it. Cursed.

A slow, creeping fatigue began to crawl over her shoulders. She tilted her head skyward.

The moon stared back. Pale. Round. Cold light on hot skin.

She was still vibrating—internally, externally. It felt like her bones were shaking loose. Like her heart wanted to sprint ahead of her body.

She didn’t move.

Didn’t breathe, for just a moment.

And then she exhaled, long and slow.

Stillness.

Almost.

Her stomach growled. Painfully. Loudly.

“Okay,” Daisy muttered, barely audible, “I need a burrito. Or ten.”

She crouched—and nearly toppled forward. Her legs weren’t listening quite right. She grabbed the fallen intar and holstered it with fingers that didn’t want to close.

Her stomach groaned again.

Oh, she felt really hungry, now that she thought about it, “Maybe a hundred.” Daisy decided, nodding to herself. There was a time when she’d have argued against eating a hundred burritos, but now was not that time. “And a nap and a shower and just… a day off tomorrow.” 

Daisy deserved a day off. 

She took a deep breath, focusing on herself, her vibrations and her body. Daisy compartmentalized everything else but the mission right now, automatically isolating Hathor’s presence in her mind, then walked over– stumbled over towards her gear cache. 

She tore into the calorie bars fast, barely tasting the first one.

The more she ate, the hungrier she seemed to become– logically, Daisy knew that she had used her powers and exerted herself a lot, regardless of how active she was feeling, so she had to compensate with food when she got home.

Her body was processing calories like it was on fire. Because it had been.

She glanced down at her clothes… which were rags, at this point. Her racerback sports bra and boyshorts were hanging by a thread. Her black tee and BDU pants were in tatters.

EXTREMIS was hell on her clothes. 

Daisy stripped out of her clothes, the cold wind of the night running across her heated skin. 

She keyed the radio. “Commander Q to all teams, Jaffa forces neutralized. BFS teams gather all weapons and resources from the valley… uh… 1.5 miles from the temple. QRF-One and Three, send over half of your forces with zip ties to the same.” Daisy ordered, as she tore into another power bar.

She vibrated her body, trying to get rid of the excess energy in her body, but even Daisy knew that it would take probably an entire week for this energy to fade. “SG-2, report status.” Daisy requested, stripping off a dead Jaffa.

A pause. Then Jack came in, tone dry. “You just kicked the hornet’s nest. The Ha’tak is a buzz of activity, they’re reinforcing all of the entrances and the temporary base they’ve created. Teal’c tells me that the many Jaffa group commanders got off transmissions where they described a Hell Demon from Netu free on the planet.” A beat. “That’s you, right? Because if it’s not, I really don’t want to deal with whatever they’re calling a demon.”

Huh. 

New title. 

Interesting that she was—in the Jaffa’s eyes—a demon from Hell… especially since Sokar had been known as the ‘Devil.’

Either way, good odds that it was probably her– “Yep, that’s me. But, don’t worry. If it’s not me, and it really is a demon, then I can probably punch it in the face.” Daisy said absently, the words coming without thought. “Won’t be the first time I’ve done that.”

“Daisy?” Jack asked, confused and sounding worried. 

“Robbie.” She answered, biting into another bar. “Don’t worry, Robbie is kinda in Hell… or I think he is? He did a whole sacrifice thing by taking his uncle to hell in L.A of all places. Odds are kinda 50-50 he’s dead, but even if he were alive, I’m in a different reality so unless Zarathos fell here too, there’s probably not a Ghost Rider to call a demon.”

Silence. No doubt everyone had heard that. 

Which was good, they needed to know– wait, they needed to know! “Oh, Ghost Rider is like a supernatural entity, he dragged or killed sinners, criminals, murderers, etc. If you see a skull on fire with a 69 Charger or some kind of vehicle also on fire, tell them that you know me. That should at least get them to listen.”

“Right.” Jack’s voice was concerned, “Daisy, green, yellow or red?”

Well, Daisy certainly wasn’t feeling like dying right now, not with the heavy thumping fire and energy in her veins. “Neon Green? LIke is there a color above green, cause I’m feeling… okay, admittedly kinda tired, but fantastic, frankly.” She grabbed another calorie bar, “Uh, continue your report.”

Pierce, to his credit, moved on. “SGs 2, 3, 5, 13, and ODA Three, Four, Six, and Eight are with us at the Ha’tak landing zone. We were waiting on your go to start the assault. Teams are paired: SG-2 with 3rd ODA, 3 with 6th, 5 with 4th, and 13 with 8th.”

Daisy hummed, that was not that bad of a plan. SG teams with 10th SFG ODA support. “QRF-Three’s holding the gate. QRF-One’s at the temple,” Pierce finished.

Daisy reached out—mentally. QRF-One, Sam, Daniel, the kid, the monk—they were all still at the temple. The energy being was split: one half at the temple, the other trailing Daisy from above, circling like a drone.

“How long is it going to take you to get here, Daisy?” Jack asked, yanking her focus back. She was about to answer—then he added, “Teal’c says they’re deploying a 50-man scout team.”

Daisy paused instantly, feeling the same contingent of Jaffa forming near the base of the Ha’tak… leaving only 30 something Jaffa on the entire Ha’tak. “He and Bra’tac say that now’s the best time to take the ship.” He pointed out. Unnecessarily. 

She nodded, feeling out for the Ha’tak and where her dad– Jack was. “SG-1?” Daisy asked, getting out of the valley into a clearing where she could jump. 

“No contact.” Jack answered sullenly. 

Daisy paused. She turned slightly, feeling toward the temple. Her mom’s heartbeat—steady. Not injured, just stressed. Daniel? Agitated. “QRF-One, report,” Daisy ordered, clicking the radio.

“All clear, ma’am. Major Carter ordered us to hold position until the Ha’tak’s secured,” came Mansfield’s steady reply.

Daisy blinked. She specifically told Sam to take Daniel and the kid home. If she hadn’t left…

“Dr. Jackson insists that you and SG-1 return. Apparently there’s an alien entity refusing to let them leave with the child until you speak to them,” Mansfield added.

Daisy let out a soft sigh. Great. “But they’re fine, right?” 

“They are.” Major Mansfield confirmed, “There’s a forceshield covering the entrance. Major Carter’s trying to disable it.”

Daisy glared at the floating energy stalker. She knew it was responsible, somehow. But if this energy entity really wanted to talk to her, she’d talk to it. 

Once she was done with her mission. 

“Fine,” she said, exhausted, stuffing the last bite of protein bar in her mouth. “Be there in like ten minutes.”

Because it would  only take 10 mins to secure the Ha’tak. 

+++++

Daisy landed with a soft gust of wind—quiet, controlled, no earth-shattering shockwave. She cushioned the impact with her powers, intentionally dialing back.

She straightened slowly, swaying a little as she jogged toward Jack, Teal’c, and Bra’tac. Her feet moved on autopilot. 

And judging by the stares she was getting from the surrounding SG teams and ODAs, they definitely weren’t expecting her to show up like this.

“Daisy? What are you wearing!?” Jack blurted, half shocked and half disbelieving. “Is that—are you wearing Jaffa chainmail?!”

She scratched the back of her neck, trying not to grimace. The chainmail was really fucking uncomfortable, but it was better than going into combat half-naked. 

When she got home, Daisy was definitely getting her mom to create her a suit that could withstand EXTREMIS. 

Like seriously! She couldn’t keep burning off her clothes every time she activated that part of her powers!

“You should see the others.” She said wryly, “And the armor’s ‘cause I got hit with a lot of plasma bolts, while fighting thirteen hundred Jaffa, then my EXTREMIS activated burning the rest of my clothes off. So I grabbed the closest dead guy’s armor. Sue me.”

Jack opened his mouth. Closed it. Blinked twice.

Several nearby soldiers just stared—some in awe, some in disbelief.

She turned to Teal’c and Bra’tac, “Seriously, though—how do you move in this crap? It’s a fucking furnace, makes sound with every step I take and it chafes everything.” 

Bra’tac grinned. “With practice.”

Teal’c nodded solemnly. “And discipline.”

Daisy groaned. “God, I hate you both.” That got a few chuckles. “Just—okay. Anyone got extra BDUs? Please. I’ll be forever grateful. First batch of HCR rifles from Level 17 goes to your team.” She added that last part as incentive.

Lt. Rachel Cochrane from SG-13 tossed her a black tee, “Here. The t-shirt might ride up—I’m kinda shorter.” Daisy felt a surge of… happiness at that. She was 5 ‘7 now! 

Lt. Col. Pierce handed over a pair of green BDUs. “You’ll need to roll the cuffs, but they’ll work.”

Oh, bless them both.

“SGC BDUs are so much better than Jaffa gear,” Daisy muttered in relief. She ducked behind a tree, flicking up a quick vibrational shield before stripping off the chainmail and slipping into the BDUs. “Thanks, Rach, Ben. SGs 2 and 13 get the first R0x1’s.”

Daisy pulled on the tee and BDUs, not caring that the shirt barely hit her midriff. She grabbed her gear—radio, three intars, their holsters, and a few knives looted from the battlefield.

Shield down, she jogged over to Jack and Pierce, who were prone behind a dirt ridge, watching the makeshift base near the Ha’tak. “So… any change since your last report?” she asked, reaching out with her senses, feeling for the Jaffa movements.

“The 50-man scouting party left about a minute ago,” Jack said quietly, while the rest of their men began final checks on weapons and gear.

Daisy nodded, glancing at Pierce, “Good. Pierce—you’ve got a plan?”

“Yep.” Pierce slid down from the ledge and gestured to a map scratched in the dirt with sticks. “Frontal assault. SG-2 and SG-5 with their ODAs hit hard, fast.”

From the drawing, she got it immediately—classic pincer, isolate the command center, cut off retreat into the Ha’tak, and hold the position in case the scouting force circled back. Efficient.

“Then get to it,” Daisy said, tone brisk. “You’re leading the frontal assault. Take who you want. Get it done.” 

Pierce looked briefly surprised but nodded firmly.

She pointed to a path traced near the edge of the map. “Jack, Teal’c, Bra’tac, SG-3 and SG-13—plus their ODAs—come with me. We’ll approach along the Ha’tak’s left hull, quiet entry. I want the base neutralized in two minutes.” Daisy ordered, looking around at everyone who gave firm nods. “I’ll have the ship secured in ten and I’ll handle any gliders. Any questions?”

Pierce shook his head, but looked confused, “You don’t want to know what the plan is?”

“Quite frankly, I already figured it out. No need to hash it out again… and I trust you, Pierce. You’ll get the job done. If you can’t, call for backup. Easy.” Daisy suggested, then turned to the rest of their men, gesturing to Jack, “Colonel O’Neill’s in command for the Ha’tak assault.”

Jack blinked, then nodded easily. She turned to her dad. “Jack, I’ll be taking SG-13. We’ll secure the Pel’tak and the crystal nerve center.” She gestured to Bra’tac and Teal’c, “Bra’tac and 8th ODA take the engine room and shield generators, while Teal’c can take the glider bays and secondary weapons storerooms with SG-3… both of them clearing aft up to the engine room in the middle. Jack, you take the 6th ODA, clear out the Jaffa infantry barracks and the armory… clearing starboard up to the armory.” Daisy planned out loud, just a preliminary plan– “Everyone fine with the plan?”

Jack nodded. “I was going to suggest something similar, but I was going to go with you.” He didn’t say anything more than that, as he turned to Dixon, “Take care of her, Dixon. I want her back in one piece.”

“Aye, Jack,” Dixon replied dryly. “I know.”

Daisy arched an eyebrow. “You know I’m literally right here?” But his concern was also endearing. Sort of. 

“I do. And I also know that you like lone-wolfing it sometimes, without backup… as evidenced by the 1200,” — 1300 actually — “Jaffa that you took on, alone.” Jack gave her a pointed look. Half impressed, half dad-mode. Then his expression turned serious, “But we’re going to be assaulting that Ha’tak together, and we don’t know what’s inside, so you’re going to take backup this time.”

Daisy rolled her eyes, “I do know what’s in there? I can feel it, remember?”

“Daisy.” Jack gave her a look, that please stop being stubborn just for the sake of it, look that she’d seen and been on the receiving end of, before– before Edora. 

Daisy just smiled. “Fine. Fine.” Daisy said, raising her hands in surrender. “The mission’s still not over for the day and I did promise I’d take SG-13 as my backup. Which… I was already planning on doing… so…” She shook her head, getting up from her crouch, as she turned to SG-13, “Let’s just go before Jack gives me a curfew or something.”

A few of them snickered at that, as Jack gave her another total dad  look. “Stay in contact,” He said, voice serious again. “Good hunting.”

+++++

Daisy held up a hand, when they were just outside the bridge/Pel’tak. There were 6 Jaffa inside. 

Obviously. 

It was the command center—bridge and CIC rolled into one. It would be more suspicious if it were empty.

She gestured to Dixon and SG-13, signaling the Jaffa positions—two on the left, two on the right, one by the rear terminal, and the last near the front.

They nodded in unison.

She cracked the doors just enough to slide a flashbang through. The moment it detonated, she reflexively partitioned off the vibrations and noise, clearing them from her perception, then ripped the doors fully open and surged in.

“Clear!” she called out a second later, as the last Jaffa slumped from behind cover.

Only two had been stunned—SG-13 handled the rest. 

“All teams, be advised. Bridge secure.” Her voice was calm. Practiced. But her breathing was shallow, and Daisy’s glowing! sweat was starting to soak through the too-short shirt she wore under borrowed BDUs. 

The high and rush was starting to dip.

She mentally reached out across the ship. Jack and 6th ODA were sweeping near the armory. Bra’tac and 8th ODA had almost cleared the engine room. Teal’c and SG-3 were pushing through the glider bays.

Out of 32 Jaffa, only 4 remained—and they weren’t even onboard anymore.

The gliders detached and launched, fleeing the ship.

Daisy’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t move. She knew the vibrational frequency of active Naquadah as easily as she knew her own heartbeat. 

Daisy focused on the vibrations of their naquadah reactors– specifically the energized Naquadah that she felt in the reactor chamber.

She clenched her fist. 

Naquadah destabilized within the reactors. 

A heartbeat later, the gliders exploded in the distance—bright fireballs lit up the sky.

“Ha’tak clear of enemy presence. I say again, Ha’tak is ours,” Daisy said, smiling faintly. 

She was proud of that. Giddy, even. 

Her stomach chose that moment to growl. Loudly.

Dixon and SG-13 chuckled, at that as each of them tossed her their protein bars. “Here. Eat up.”

Daisy caught them midair without thinking—one, two, three. She barely managed a nod of thanks before she tore into the first one like it owed her money.

Dixon raised an eyebrow. “You sure  you're okay?” He asked, concerned.

Daisy glanced at him, she knew her expression was tired. “Pizza party when we go home. Literally at least 500 pizzas– I’m really fucking hungry. Don’t be surprised if I eat at least a hundred.” 

SG-13 exchanged glances, concern written across their faces. She unwrapped another bar, chewing quickly as she placed her hand on the Pel’tak interface.

Instantly, the ship’s systems spoke to her. Information poured into her mind in a layered, pulsing stream.

This ship was different from a normal Ha’tak. 

Sure, she’d known the hull was mostly Trinium—but what surprised her was the total absence of Naquadah in the structural plating, except for the power cables and other essential Goa’uld technology– and even those were doped/alloyed with niobium, vanadium and the like (which she hadn’t actually felt or heard being used in Ha’taks before).

Secondly, this ship had 9 reactors instead of the standard six. The reactors ran on a higher grade of Naquadah fuel rods of 80%, instead of the 60% Naquadah rods. Due to that, either the energy generation per rod per second could increase from 1 TW to 1.333 TW, or a single fuel rod could burn for 11.3 years. 

The weapons fire rate was boosted, and the destructive power of the orbit-to-ground, ship-to-ship weapons, or point-defense cannons had been tripled. Which… oh, Sokar was funneling a portion of the waste heat into his weapons systems. Cool. 

The Ha’tak could access the same band of hyperspace that the SCS class ships could, but apparently the SCS class ship that they had back home was a prototype… and this Ha’tak didn’t have the altered sublight drives, so all it could do was cruise in the hyperspace channel with its normal drives… at about 0.005397 ly/s, or 18 to 20 ly/hr. And given the mass of the Ha’tak itself, that speed advantage was slightly lower– as the hyperdrive could only reach 85% of its intended speed for hyperspace cruising. 

Sure, it could go full 20 ly/hr at max speed, but the hyperspace generators and engines could only handle that for a while before shutting down or getting damaged. So, this Ha’tak’s cruising speed was 85% of the standard speed of this hyperdive, so… that put it somewhere around 16.5 ly/hr, which was 396 to 400 ly/day. 

Still a hell of a lot faster than a standard Ha’tak at 90 ly/day.

She blinked at the next discovery that flickered into her mind: double-layered  shields. 

Outer shields had the same shared shield bank just like the other Ha’taks. But for the inner layer? Sokar had built three separate shield banks, one on each superstructure side, each independently powered by its own reactor. 

Double layered shields that could possibly shrug off any Ha’tak ship-to-ship weapons fire easily… and even if one shield layer fell, his ship would still be intact. 

Then came the real surprise—the inner shield doubled as a cloak. A mothership-sized cloaking field. That was terrifyingly smart.

Even the ship’s basic systems were enhanced. Sensors pushed to new limits—short-range to 500k km, mid-range from 1 million km to 100 million, long-range up to 25 AU. Subspace sensors could dive deeper, broader. Sublight drives now maxed at 10% the speed of light—which gave the ship better maneuverability outside hyperspace. Inside hyperspace, the speed didn’t change, probably because of the hyperspace generator and the inertial dampers, or reactor tolerance.

The sixth one was just an observation from Daisy’s side, but… the blueprint of this Ha’tak was much more… compact, than that of normal Ha’taks. Narrower hallways, tighter rooms, denser architecture. Not cramped—optimized. More efficient space usage.

Given all of this… Sokar had clearly tried to optimize the Ha’tak design instead of just copying it like the other Goa’uld had. This was an advanced variant of the Ha’tak class. 

She was really glad, again, that Sokar was dead and Apophis was now in charge of his territory.

Apophis wasn’t known for upgrading. Sokar was. 

All Apophis could do was copy Sokar’s upgrades and make better ships for himself, but he wouldn’t do any upgrades on his own. 

And that was the deciding factor. Apophis’s technological edge would fade– it wasn’t a question of if. It was a question of when. 

And once that edge faded, all Apophis would have was numbers. 

Numbers that could be dealt with, given the right strategies. 

But, Sokar, if he had been alive, would have had the numbers and the tech edge… and Daisy wasn’t entirely sure if Earth/the Asgard could have won in a straight fight with a tech edge and overwhelming numbers, without Sokar dealing a staggering loss.

“Daisy?” Dixon’s voice broke through the haze, gentle but insistent. “You’ve been quiet for a while. The screen lit up like a Christmas tree with all that data. You good?”

She nodded, pulling her hand back from the interface. “I’m good. Kinda just seeing what this ship is capable of… and let me tell you, I’m really glad we took this ship, instead of buying a standard Ha’tak outright.”

Dixon frowned, then realization flickered in his eyes, “This ship’s more powerful isn’t it?”

Daisy grinned weakly, the exhaustion pulling at the edges of her smile. “Let’s just say… if I had to take on three Ha’taks at once, I’d want this one under my command.”

The others exchanged impressed looks, and Deveraux gave a low whistle. “Damn. How long until we’re back to Earth with this bad boy?”

Daisy blinked, considering the answer. 35,500-plus light-years… 400 ly per day… around 90 days. “Three months. If we launch today, we’d hit Earth by July.” She paused, blinking in realization. “Hey—just in time for my birthday.”

A whole year here. That was… surreal and weird.

Not weird as in bad, but good. She loved the life she’d built here in this reality, regardless of the… speedbumps here and there. 

SG-13 grinned with her. Before anyone could respond, Jack’s voice crackled through the comms, “Armory and barracks are clear.”

Bra’tac followed suit. “Shield generators and engine room clear.”

Teal’c continued, “Storage rooms and glider bays are free of enemy Jaffa.”

Her lips curled up slightly at the news, because it was nice hearing it. Even though she could tell using her powers. “The ship's secure. SG-3 and 8th ODA. Establish a perimeter around the ship. SG-5 and 6th ODA, go hunt down the Jaffa survey force. Stun them if you can.” She placed her hand back on the interface.

Data flooded into her mind. 

She instructed the ship to close the glider bays, power down the weapons, and divert all power generation to shields and sensors. “Jack, Teal’c, Master Bra’tac, SG-2—head to the Pel’tak. Let’s get this ship ready to fly,” she said into the radio. Then she turned to SG-13. “You guys are coming with me to the temple. Let’s see what the hell’s going on there. Grab us three ATVs.”

Rachel, Vince, and Jason nodded, peeling off. Dixon stayed beside her. Jack’s voice came through again, steady as ever. “Okay. Be there in two.”

+++++

Daisy hopped off the ATV just as Jack cut the engine. SG-13 rolled to a stop behind them, their vehicles humming to silence one by one. Not far ahead, BFS-1, 2 and 3 were already at work, corralling the last of the stunned Jaffa, collecting staff weapons and zats, and loading them onto FREDs for transport. 

Clearly BFS 1 and 2 had finished up with Magtireth and had deployed directly here. 

She’d have to give them a bonus for this. 

All around her, heads turned.

Most of them stared at her in awe, no doubt having heard or seen that she’d taken on 1300 Jaffa on her own, without a single mark on her– Dirty, yes, but uninjured.

She could feel it—the weight of their gazes, the mix of reverence, confusion, and maybe even fear. 

But she didn’t have time for their stares.

Her muscles burned, her limbs ached– She was damn tired. But she pushed through.

Lt. Col Pearson stood at the entrance, speaking with Major Mansfield, the officer in charge of QRF-One. The moment they spotted her and Jack approaching, both officers snapped to attention, saluting sharply. She returned the gesture with a soft nod.

Pearson’s gray eyes gleamed with a mix of awe, admiration and excitement barely held in check, “Commander. Quite a haul we’ve gotten today. If you keep giving me scores like this, I’ll have to create an extra BFS team–”

“Done.” Daisy agreed easily. BFS teams were worth their weight in Naquadah. 

Everyone blinked at that, with Pearson gaping. 

Major Mansfield cleared his throat, “General Hammond sends his congratulations. He also said—and I quote—‘to stop giving him heart attacks and that the paperwork’s all yours.’”

Daisy couldn’t help the short laugh that escaped her. Well, that was a reaction she hadn’t expected. 

Jack grinned beside her, and SG-13 smirked knowingly. “Tell him I can’t promise that,” She replied dryly. “Actually—never mind. I’ll tell him myself. I’m heading back to Earth soon.”

A ripple of relaxed smiles passed through the group, tension easing in the afterglow of victory. Then Mansfield spoke, “Major Carter couldn’t bring down the force shield. Dr. Jackson wants to speak with you immediately. They’re unharmed, but stuck inside the inner temple.”

Daisy blinked, then nodded. She walked into the inner temple, just as the monk came outside. “Welcome.” He greeted solemnly. 

Daisy tipped her head. “Thank you.”

Then her eyes shifted past him. Her gaze locked on the shimmering energy barrier ahead, its faint white glow humming with a frequency she knew belonged to the energy being. 

Daisy glanced up into the night sky, where she could feel the energy entity and its vibrations. Daisy addressed the air, not the monk. “I know this is your doing. You wanted to talk to me… here I am. Deactivate the barrier.”

The entity’s energy spiked in surprise—she’d startled it. But a second later, the shield vanished.

“Daisy?” Jack asked beside her, eyes scanning the empty air. “There’s nothing there.”

“Nothing you can feel.” She replied, as both Jack and Dixon seemed to realize the same thing. Daisy shifted her focus forward, checking for her mom’s, Daniel’s, and the boy’s vibrations. All fine.

Without a word, she stepped past the monk and into the temple. SG-13 formed a perimeter outside, Dixon and Jack falling in behind her.

Inside, Sam sat cross-legged, cleaning her MP5. Daniel held the child protectively, rocking him gently. Her mom’s face lit up first, relief softening her features. “Daisy.” Sam frowned after that, “Are you okay? You look… tired, and you changed your clothes?”

Daisy smiled weakly. “Hey mom. And I feel tired. The clothes thing is just… I’ll explain at home.” Then, to Daniel, she added, “Hey, Danny. So… what did you want to talk to me about?”

Sam and Daniel exchanged a look. It was her mom who answered, expression tightening. “You know that energy entity you said you could feel?”

Daisy nodded, already sensing the lingering hum in the air. “Yeah? What about it?”

Daniel’s voice was quiet, but firm. “It’s alien. And it’s appointed itself as Shifu’s protector.”

“Shifu?” Jack asked, next to her. 

Shifu was the kid’s name, probably a boy– Daisy felt out into the universe with her powers. Yep, definitely a boy. 

“The name means light,” the monk offered.

“Shiknu means little light or little flame in Alteran,” Daisy said, frowning. She’d assumed Daniel named the boy. But… “Did you name him, Daniel?”

Sam shook her head. “Apparently the entity did.”

So, the entity was Ancient—Alteran, specifically—or at least understood / knew enough to speak the language.

Dixon glanced around the room, “It can speak?”

“More through thoughts and feelings, but yes, it can communicate. It wants to try and talk to you before it leaves with Shifu.” Daniel answered. 

As if on cue, Daisy felt something… pressing at the edge of her mind—soft, tentative at first. Then it became a sharp, invasive nudge. Daisy immediately squashed that attempt, grabbing a hold of that energy signature. 

She followed her instinct. 

Her powers surged, drawing the signature toward her, countering its energy with her own. The air blazed white—then dimmed to reveal a dark-haired, middle-aged woman standing before her.

Daisy’s hand was already at her throat, as she slammed the entity to the wall.

Weapons came up around her.

Daisy snarled, her eyes flickering with hellfire, blue lightning curling down her arms, as she focused on the energy and vibrational signature of the… human-like alien in front of her (who felt… eerily like her and Jack and Cassie… so Alteran or Lantian, or some form of Ancient?)

“Daisy?” Jack asked, his tone concerned and wary. 

Daisy released her hold on the woman’s throat, just enough to let her speak. “My mind is mine alone.” She hissed, “Try that again and I will not hesitate to kill you, any way I can.”

A faint white halo shimmered around the woman as she bowed slightly. “I apologize. It will not happen again,”  The alien woman said in flawless Alteran.

“Daisy? Is that Alteran?” Sam was the one who asked, because she’d seen and heard Daisy speak in that. 

Daisy nodded, not taking her eyes off the woman. “You can speak? In English?”

The entity nodded softly, “I can.” The white halo around her faded, leaving the alien looking all too human. 

Daisy gently relaxed her hold on the entity’s vibrations. “You were the one who wanted to talk to me, so?”

“I wish to take him with me when I leave this planet.” The entity said without hesitation, then glanced at Shifu. “I thought it better to talk to all those who care for the child.”

Daisy worked her jaw, “Why would I or Daniel, let you take the kid? We don’t even know you.” 

It wasn’t the entity or the monk who answered—but Daniel, looking concerned and worried as he gazed down at Shifu. “Because only Oma can repair Shifu’s DNA.”

Daisy turned to him, blinking. 

“And what’s wrong with Shifu’s DNA?" Jack asked, voice tight with concern.

The monk answered, “He will grow like the weeds. In a single year on your planet, he will live an entire lifetime.”

Daisy parsed that through the mystical bullshit filter that she’d apparently developed in her life for some reason, “Genetically accelerated aging?” she asked, turning to the entity.

The entity nodded. “The child’s biological father sought help from the one responsible for your current state, and altered the child’s life code.”

A face flashed in Daisy’s mind—youngish, dark-haired, green-eyed, in a black Goa’uld lab coat.

She didn’t know how, but she knew that man was Heka. And she felt a hate towards him that she’d only felt for Ward or Fitz sometimes.

“So, Heka—the same Goa’uld who de-aged you—also altered the kid?” Jack’s voice was low, taut with anger.

Shoving the rage down where it belonged, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She turned her attention to the energy being before her. “Do you have a name?”

“Desala.” The entity– Desala, answered. 

“The full name of the being is apparently Oma Desala, who might have visited Earth in the past, and inspired the concept of Mother Nature in various mythologies across our world.” Daniel explained.

“Interesting, but not relevant, Daniel,” Daisy said flatly, before turning her attention to the entity. “Oma Desala, why should I or any of us here consider this?”

Oma stared at her intently, “You might not remember, but this is not the first time you have met someone of my kind, nor the second.” Oma paused, “I find myself curious as to why they helped you. In light of that, and your other plans, I would seek to point out that Earth would not be safe for Shifu. I would rather keep him protected on the plane of existence where I now reside.”

Her instincts calmed. That explained the familiarity. “That still doesn’t answer my questions,” Daisy said, guarded. “The SGC can protect him just fine.”

“No matter your intent, Shifu would be used,” Oma said, her voice calm. Then gave a knowing look, “Even with the alternative you have secured. And in every timeline where you keep him on Earth, Earth will fall.”

Daisy blinked at that, because… she hadn’t felt any discrepancy in the energy signature or vibrations, which… “Fuck.” Daisy rubbed her forehead, because for Oma to be that sure, it meant… it was the truth. Fuck it. “Clairvoyance?”

Oma shook her head slowly. “No. The highest probabilistic outcome—across infinite branching timelines—places Earth in ruin if Shifu stays with you on Earth.” That didn’t feel like a lie either. Daisy went with her instincts. 

Even Jack understood the weight of that. Her mom’s voice came softly, “Daisy, is that a lie?”

“No,” Daisy confirmed. “It’s not.”

Daniel hesitated. “And if we let you take him?”

“You will see him again—when he’s ready.” Oma said, gaze moving to Daniel. “I will bring him to Abydos in one year. I give you my word.”

“Are we seriously considering this?” Jack looked between them, incredulous. “Letting this alien that we don’t know if we can trust, leave with the kid!?”

Daisy exhaled. “Yes.” She caught Jack’s betrayed glance but pressed on. “What Oma said doesn’t feel like a lie. But just because it’s probable doesn’t mean it’s certain.” 

She turned toward Daniel, because really it was his choice. “I know that I– we  can protect Shifu if it comes down to it. I don’t know about the… whatever genetic alteration Heka’s done, but we have the Asgard, the Nox, the Tollan, and Heimas Perpetuas for Ancient Tech, all ready to help.”

“A snowflake cannot exist in a storm of fire,” the monk said quietly, eyes on her.

Daisy parsed that through the cryptic bullshit filter. “Then I would freeze that storm of fire.” I would make the world safe for him. 

That was what she’d planned to do after all. 

The monk stared at her with a knowing but kind eyes. But it wasn’t him who replied, it was Oma, “How, when you yourself are the spark that lights the flame?”

Daisy opened and then closed her mouth, the implication hitting her. What if the world wasn't safe for Shifu because of her actions? Could she still, in good conscience, keep Shifu on Earth? 

No. 

But then there were other solutions to this problem. “Then he will be safe, elsewhere– with trusted allies, where there is no spark or fire or anything of the sort.” Daisy pointed out, then answered normally, just for everyone else’s benefit. “I would ask the Nox to help him, on Gaia, the Nox homeworld. Where he would be safe.” 

Oma simply raised an eyebrow, “Gaia is a safe place, but he will still be at risk. If you agree, I would take him to Gaia, but keep him on a different plane of existence.”

That… was better? 

Maybe. 

She let out a sigh, then turned to Daniel. “Daniel, it’s up to you.” Daisy offered, “Because even though I could consider him as a cousin, considering our relationship… Whatever your call is, I’ll respect it.” She glared at her dad before he could say anything, “And it is Daniel’s decision, since he’s the primary guardian now that Sha’re is gone, and Apophis is… not fit to be Shifu’s anything. I don’t care what the hell the advantages are for getting the Goa’uld genetic memory from the kid, but I’m not forcing him into anything.”

Jack shut his mouth. Her mom just smiled gently, unsurprised. Dixon grinned, no doubt remembering her deal with Nerus. Either way they were getting this info, so she just wanted the kid safe. 

Daniel blinked, eyes drifting between her and Oma, then settling on the boy in his arms. Shifu looked peaceful. He looked cute, at least– if Daniel chose to bring him back to Earth and send him off to live with the Nox, she’d visit him every once in a while. Kinda like with David and Lisa, her younger cousins on Sam’s side. 

Finally, Daniel stood. He looked at Oma. “If you take him… to Gaia, will I be able to visit? And will you be able to fix what’s wrong?”

Oma nodded. “Yes.”

Daniel turned to Daisy. “Daisy?”

She let out a soft sigh, “As far as I can tell, she’s not lying, Daniel.” 

Daniel pressed a gentle kiss to Shifu’s forehead, “Alright, I just want him to be safe. I will meet you on Gaia.”

Oma nodded, a small smile on her face, as she dissolved into light, into a bluish orb that floated out of the temple.

She looked at her friend and uncle, “You okay, Daniel?”

“Yeah. I think I am.” Daniel passed Sam the kid, then pulled her into a hug. “Thank you… for letting me decide. I—”

She shook her head, letting her vibrations take a more soothing tone, “You don’t have to explain. You did what you thought was right– for him. I know it’s not about me or anyone else.” Daisy let go of Daniel, “I just… hope your decision pays off.”

Daniel nodded, squeezing her arm. “Me too. Thank you, Daisy.”

Before she could reply, a voice crackled over the radio—Major Decker, if she wasn’t mistaken, who was in charge of the Stargate. “Uh… Commander? There’s a strange white light heading for the Stargate… and it just activated.”

Daisy sighed. “Stand down. Let it pass through.” She’d reach out to Lya later.

A beat. “It’s gone, Commander.”

Daisy nodded. “Secure gate ops.” She paused, thinking. “All 10th SFG on-planet—mission well executed. Return to Carson and regroup.” Daisy suggested out loud, then looked at SG-1 and Dixon, “QRF forces and SG teams, help the BFS teams secure Jaffa with zipties, and recover their gear, armor, and weapons. Stun the prisoners who wake up.” 

“And what about us?” Sam asked, looking at her. 

Daisy just grinned, “Considering that you’ve been stuck here, how about we go check out the Ha’tak that we just captured?”