Transcript

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The Replicators begin a systematic attack of the Goa'uld, forcing Baal to come to Earth for help. The Jaffa resistance risk their entire movement in an attempt to retake a holy city in Baal's domain.

EPISODE #816
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 02.25.2005
DVD DISC: Season 8, Disc 4
WRITTEN BY: Damian Kindler
DIRECTED BY: Peter DeLuise
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Transcript by Callie Sullivan

GOA'ULD SPACE STATION (last seen in "Summit" and "Last Stand"). A female Goa'uld stands in the conference room addressing Lord Yu and two other male System Lords. Oshu, Yu's First Prime, stands at Yu's side.

GOA'ULD: The System Lords are no longer. You have become a meaningless coalition that cannot resist the power of my master, Lord Baal.

(Yu whispers to Oshu, who then delivers Yu's message.)

OSHU: Your master has no honour. The System Lords have not weakened in their resolve.

GOA'ULD: The Jaffa are weak-willed and fallible. Is it any wonder they've begun to doubt their faith in the gods? So many Goa'uld have fallen.

OSHU: Baal was wise to send a representative.

YU: I would have killed him with my own hands!

GOA'ULD: Despite your ill will, Lord Baal wishes to extend a most generous offer. In exchange for your surrender, Baal will allow you to keep your armies and continue to administrate your territories under his authority. You will be permitted to live, so long as you bow before him as the supreme commander of the entire Goa'uld domain. (Yu looks furious at this offer.) Refusal to accept the terms of this offer will result in the resumption of hostilities, and ultimately your death. (A Jaffa hurries in and stands by the female Goa'uld's side, waiting to give her a message. She leans towards him and he whispers in her ear.) Bring her.

YU: What is the meaning of this?

GOA'ULD: I should ask you the same thing.

(Two super-soldiers escort Sam Carter into the room. She is wearing a jacket -- rather more ornate than the usual Air Force jackets -- with S.G.C. patches on the sleeves.)

GOA'ULD: Major Samantha Carter.

CARTER: Actually, I'm a colonel now.

(The super-soldiers push her to her knees.)

GOA'ULD: Her cargo ship was intercepted by my sentries when it violated the proximity zone around this station. (She looks at Yu.) I am well aware of your past relationship with SG-1 and the Tau'ri. Would you have me believe that her sudden appearance here is nothing more than mere coincidence?

(Yu gets to his feet and approaches Sam.)

YU: What are you doing here?

(With no warning, Sam plunges a sword through Yu's chest. As he collapses to the ground, the others stare in disbelief. Sam gets to her feet and we see that the sword is growing straight out of her arm. She's the RepliCarter. Yu's blood covers the sword. She walks towards the female Goa'uld.)

(Outside the space station, the Replicator ship is approaching.)


SPACE. A Goa'uld mothership is in orbit around a planet. Inside the ship, Bra'tac is on the pel'tak. Teal'c, Sam and Daniel come to join him.

TEAL'C: They are late.

JACKSON: Or they're not coming.

TEAL'C: Were that the case, Rak'nor would have sent word.

BRA'TAC: If he were able to do so.

CARTER: Maybe we should reconsider the mission.

TEAL'C: This is not an S.G.C. mission. Reconsidering is not an option.

JACKSON: Look, I know the timing of these first few surprise attacks is crucial, but ...

CARTER: ... and we're just here as observers, but right now I'm observing the fact that if you take on one of Amaterasu's motherships without proper backup, you could get yourself killed.

JACKSON: Us observers, too!

BRA'TAC: Many such attacks have been coordinated simultaneously across the galaxy -- each one designed to create a strategic weakness in the forces of the System Lords.

JACKSON: And if even one fails ... I know!

TEAL'C: The rebel Jaffa have gone to great lengths to acquire the security codes currently being used by the System Lords. If all goes according to plan, they will believe we are allies and lower the shields.

JACKSON: If all goes according to plan.

TEAL'C: Once the shields are lowered, the Jaffa contingent aboard this vessel should be sufficient to overwhelm any initial resistance we may encounter.

BRA'TAC: We have allies within the ranks of Amaterasu's Jaffa who will also help facilitate our attacks. Once the others witness the death of their false god, they will realize the truth and join our ranks.

CARTER: Isn't the fact that we haven't heard from Rak'nor kind of a bad sign?

(Bra'tac and Teal'c look at each other. At that moment read-outs appear superimposed over the viewscreen and beeping can be heard.)

JACKSON: What is it?

BRA'TAC: Ship's sensors have detected a vessel closing in on our position. (The read-out changes to show the ship.) Ha'tak class.

JACKSON: Rak'nor?

TEAL'C: Unlikely. Rak'nor would have hailed long before his approach.

CARTER: Then it has to be Amaterasu. Shouldn't we get outta here?

(Bra'tac and Teal'c look at each other again. Clearly they are reluctant to retreat.)

JACKSON: Teal'c, the odds are not in our favour.

TEAL'C: They never are, Daniel Jackson.

(Daniel shrugs in agreement. Outside the ship, the Ha'tak gets closer.)

BRA'TAC: I am hailing them and transmitting the security codes. (After a moment, the ship jolts.) They have fired on us. (The ship jolts again.) Shield strength is down sixty percent.

TEAL'C: How is that possible?

CARTER: What the hell did they hit us with?

(Teal'c goes to the weapons console.)

TEAL'C: Returning fire. (He fires on the Ha'tak, but it is undamaged.) Our weapons are ineffective.

(The ship jolts again.)

BRA'TAC: We have lost shields.

CARTER: Now can we get out of here?

BRA'TAC: Navigational controls are not responding. We must evacuate.

JACKSON: Glider bay?

TEAL'C: We can use the rings to transport to the planet below and escape through the Stargate.

(They head off towards the ring room. As they're walking along a corridor, Teal'c hears something and raises his hand to stop the others.)

CARTER: What is it?

(Up ahead of them, a door opens and a lot of Replicator bugs come scampering through.)

JACKSON: That's not good.

TEAL'C: This way.

(He leads them off in another direction. The Replicators follow. Sam and Daniel stop to fire at them. We see a Replicator's eye view of Daniel. The view homes in on him, and then an Asgard-type transporter beam whisks him away.)

CARTER: Daniel!

TEAL'C: Colonel Carter. (He, Sam and Bra'tac hurry away.)


S.G.C. - GATE ROOM. Jacob Carter comes through the Stargate. As he walks down the ramp, Jack comes into the Gate Room with his arms wide.

O'NEILL: Jacob!

JACOB: Jack, we got a problem. We need to talk.

O'NEILL: Hi! Hello! How are ya?! Long time no see! What's doin'?! What's up?! Hey, buddy!

JACOB: I'm sorry, Jack. It's good to see you again. Congratulations on your promotion. (He offers Jack his hand.)

O'NEILL (shaking his hand): Thanks!

JACOB: You deserve it.

O'NEILL: Yes, well. What's up?

JACOB: The Replicators -- they've launched an all-out attack on the Goa'uld. If the Goa'uld can't find a way to stop them, the Replicators will easily overrun our galaxy in a matter of weeks.

O'NEILL: Why didn't you say so?

(Jacob tilts his head in an "I think I just did!" kind of way, then turns and walks out of the Gate Room. Jack hurries along behind him.)

O'NEILL: I'm sorry. You said we had a "problem", not a big galactic emergency!


S.G.C. - LAB. Jacob is working at a console while Jack stands nearby, playing with a device that Jacob must have given him to hold. An S.G.C. technician brings something over to Jacob.

JACOB: Our operatives have spent the past several years tagging as many Goa'uld ships as possible in an effort to track their movements. Today we have beacons on more than a hundred motherships transmitting their location via subspace to an encoded Tok'ra network.

O'NEILL (holding up the device): And this?

JACOB: It's a receiver that will allow me to tap into the subspace network. We can keep tabs on Baal's fleet, see how their battle with the Replicators is faring; we can also get up to the minute Tok'ra intelligence reports from our agents in the field.

O'NEILL (handing Jacob the receiver): You know, we could have used something like this a long time ago.

JACOB: The High Council never thought they could trust you with it.

O'NEILL: What changed their mind?

JACOB: Nothing. They don't know I took it.

O'NEILL: Ah!

(Jacob attaches a lead to the receiver.)

JACOB: My relationship with the Council's still a little strained.

O'NEILL: It's not gonna get any better if you keep stealing stuff. (Jacob looks at him. Jack puts a hand on his shoulder.) No complaints! I'll take anything I can get: weapons, receivers, silverware ...

(Jacob finishes linking the receiver in with the S.G.C. computers. A star map comes up on a screen on the wall showing many red dots.)

JACOB: Each dot represents a Goa'uld ship.

O'NEILL: That's a lot of dots.

JACOB: That's just one small quadrant of the galaxy. (He types.) Watch.

(The map zooms out, then homes in on another area. Again, the Goa'uld ships are marked by red dots. As they watch, one of the dots flashes for a couple of seconds, then goes out. The message "lost signal" appears next to where the dot was. Immediately, a second dot flashes and then goes out, replaced with the message "lost signal".)

O'NEILL: What just happened?

JACOB: The beacons stopped transmitting their signals, likely meaning those ships were either destroyed or taken over by the Replicators. (On the screen, another ship's beacon is lost.) Battles like the ones you just witnessed are taking place across the galaxy. Several Goa'uld territories are now entirely in Replicator hands. (Another ship disappears off the screen.) As I said, given the progress of these battles, the Goa'uld will be wiped out in a matter of weeks. (Another ship disappears.)

O'NEILL: Y'know, I have to admit, I have some mixed feelings about this.

JACOB: Well, we all wanna see the Goa'uld's stranglehold on the galaxy broken, (another ship disappears) but not if they're just gonna be replaced by something worse.

(Alarms sound.)

HARRIMAN (over tannoy): Unscheduled off-world activation!

(Jacob and Jack leave the lab.)


GATE ROOM. Sam, Teal'c and Bra'tac come through the Gate as Jacob and Jack enter.

CARTER: Dad!

JACOB: Hey, kid. (He kisses her as she reaches the bottom of the ramp.)

O'NEILL: So ... what the heck happened? Didn't you guys have a ship? (The Gate closes down.) And by the way, where's Daniel?

BRA'TAC: He was beamed away before our very eyes.

TEAL'C: By Replicators.

JACOB: Just Daniel?

CARTER: There's only one reason I can think of: my duplicate. She knows the greatest threat the Replicators have ever known is the disruptor technology that you built (looking at Jack) using Ancient knowledge.

O'NEILL: So? She's immune to that now.

CARTER: Yes, but Replicators always seek out the most advanced technology. She may be worried that there's other Ancient technology out there that could be a threat to her and the rest of the Replicators.

TEAL'C: Daniel Jackson had access to the knowledge of the Ancients when he was ascended.

JACOB: I thought he didn't retain those memories?

CARTER: We don't know that for sure. Daniel has remembered certain things from when he was ascended. She may think that everything she needs to know about the Ancients is buried in his subconscious. If it is, she'll find it.

O'NEILL: Oy!


LATER: BRIEFING ROOM.

JACOB: The Tok'ra have operatives in Baal's inner circle, including one of his high-ranking lieutenants. According to the latest intelligence, the ranks of the Jaffa rebellion are re-pledging their loyalty to the Goa'uld by the thousands.

CARTER: But the Goa'uld are losing the war.

O'NEILL: Yeah. You'd think that'd make 'em look weaker.

BRA'TAC: The Jaffa have never seen the likes of such creatures. Many could see these Replicators as a plague, an evil punishment brought upon all for daring to stray in their beliefs and betray their gods.

TEAL'C: This situation has dealt the Jaffa rebellion a serious blow. Even if we were to somehow defeat the Replicators, the Goa'uld would undoubtedly take credit, thereby solidifying Jaffa loyalty as well as their belief in the Goa'uld as gods.

O'NEILL: I think the key phrase in there was "somehow defeat the Replicators".

CARTER: We haven't had much luck, sir. The inert Replicator cells left behind by my duplicate haven't given us any clues as to how to fight the immunity she's developed. As far as I know, Thor hasn't made much progress in modifying the disruptor technology either.

O'NEILL: Well, let him know what's goin' on ... (he stands up and starts to walk towards his office) ... and don't be afraid to remind him that we've saved his cute little grey bum several times.


TEAL'C'S QUARTERS. Bra'tac is gazing into a lit candle.

BRA'TAC: Years of effort, all but undone in a matter of days. It will now be almost impossible to turn so many of our brothers back to our cause. (He turns to face Teal'c, who does not look so concerned.)

TEAL'C: Perhaps -- yet there may be a way.

BRA'TAC: Even if we can, I wonder: will it make a difference? These machines are unlike anything I have seen.

TEAL'C: We must proceed in the belief that Colonel Carter and Thor will devise a means to destroy the Replicators.

BRA'TAC: How then can we prevent the Goa'uld from taking credit and solidifying their position as gods in the eyes of all Jaffa?

TEAL'C: We must act now, before this conflict is resolved; win back the hearts and minds of those who waver before they are lost to us. We must once and for all destroy the Goa'uld image as gods forever.

BRA'TAC: How?

TEAL'C: By capturing the temple at Dakara. (Bra'tac stares at him in amazement.) Everything we have fought for hangs in the balance.

BRA'TAC: Yes. But Dakara?!

TEAL'C: Capture it, and never again will a Jaffa worship a false god.


JACK'S OFFICE. Jack is sitting at his desk. Sam comes to the door.

CARTER: Sir. (She walks into the room.) I'm sorry to bother you but ...

O'NEILL: I'm only gonna say this once, Carter: what happened to Daniel was not your fault.

CARTER: She knows he may hold key Ancient knowledge because of me. She's out there because of me. I basically gave her the means to counter the only effective weapon we have against her.

O'NEILL: I also gave you permission to work with her. It's not gonna change anything. (Sam looks down. Jack looks at her for a moment.) Unless you're suggesting we use that time machine to go back and fix it?

CARTER (looking up again): No, sir. We all agreed we would never do that. I mean, for all we know, it could just make things worse.

(Walter taps on the door.)

HARRIMAN: Sir, we're receiving a message from Thor. He said he's ready to trans ...

(An Asgard transporter beam envelops Sam and whisks her away.)

O'NEILL (to Walter): You were saying?

HARRIMAN (smiling ruefully): Never mind. (He turns and walks away.)


ASGARD SHIP. Sam is transported into a lab on the ship.

THOR: Hello again, Samantha Carter.

CARTER (waving to him): Hi, Thor.

THOR: I have already transported your research and the remains of the human form Replicator to this lab. We may continue our work from here.

CARTER: Any progress on your end?

THOR: I have yet to isolate the cipher the human form Replicator introduced to render the disruptor weapon ineffective.

(Sam is standing in front of a small table which has the remains of the RepliCarter's arm on it.)

CARTER: Well, given the situation, I think it's time to take more drastic steps.

THOR: You are suggesting we attempt to trigger a subspace connection between the remains of the arm and the rest of the Replicators so that we may search for the cipher among their communications data.

CARTER: Too wild and crazy?

THOR: In order to do that, we must reactivate the cells.

CARTER: I know.

(Thor activates his console, and a beam starts to play over the Replicator cells.)


S.G.C. - JACK'S OFFICE. Teal'c and Bra'tac have come in to talk to Jack.

O'NEILL: What makes this place so special?

TEAL'C: The temple at Dakara is sacred to all Jaffa.

BRA'TAC: It is rich in historical significance. Legend tells it is the place where Anubis rose from the dead.

TEAL'C: It is also the site of the first prim'tah ritual.

BRA'TAC: It is that rite of passage that has bonded us in servitude ever since. For thousands of years, the Jaffa have viewed Dakara as the holiest of sites -- the very cradle of our existence. It is the place where the Goa'uld first gave Jaffa their strength and longevity.

O'NEILL: And you really think this place is gonna make a difference?

BRA'TAC: Seizing control of the temple there would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the Goa'uld do not possess the power of the gods.

TEAL'C: Even the most stubborn Jaffa would have to question his loyalty to the Goa'uld.

O'NEILL: There has to be a catch, or you guys would have done this a long time ago.

BRA'TAC: Dakara is deep within Baal's territory and under normal circumstances it is heavily guarded. However, with Baal's forces deployed throughout the galaxy battling the Replicators, the temple is more vulnerable now than it has ever been.

TEAL'C: Still, our success depends on the element of surprise and the use of the entire rebel fleet.

(Jack shakes his head doubtfully.)

BRA'TAC: Listen to me, O'Neill. This war must be fought on two fronts. We will reignite the uprising and conquer our oppressors while you find the means to stop these Replicators. (Jack still looks doubtful. Bra'tac leans forward to make his point.) Let us each fight the enemy we know best.


SPACE - REPLICATOR SHIP. Daniel, disarmed, is wandering around a room lined with Replicator blocks. After a while, the RepliCarter appears.

REPLICARTER: Hello, Daniel.

JACKSON: What the hell do you want?

REPLICARTER: You have information that I need. (She starts to walk towards him.)

JACKSON: OK, what do you want to know?

REPLICARTER: I'm afraid it's not that simple.

(She continues to walk towards him. He starts to back away from her.)

JACKSON: No, no, it is that simple ... (He reaches the wall and flattens himself against it as the RepliCarter gets closer) ... although, if it's all the same with you, I'd rather not do the hand in the head thing, so, uh ... (She looks at him.) Honestly, I'll tell you whatever you wanna know.

REPLICARTER: Honesty is not the problem.

(Some of the Replicator blocks in the wall reach out and clamp around Daniel's wrists. More blocks imprison his ankles.)

REPLICARTER: Unfortunately, to get what I need, we're going to have to dig a little deeper.

(More blocks come out of the wall around Daniel's head, holding it fixed in one position.)

REPLICARTER: Shall we begin?


CHULAK. In a tent outside the town, Teal'c and Bra'tac are meeting with a group of rebel Jaffa, including Aron, last seen in "Sacrifices."

ARON: What you're proposing is madness. Dakara cannot be taken.

(Teal'c walks towards Aron angrily. Bra'tac holds up a fist against Teal'c's chest to prevent him from getting any closer, then turns to another Jaffa.)

TEAL'C: Tolok -- you have not spoken.

TOLOK: Aron is right. We would be sacrificing countless men and ships on a fruitless mission. We should be concentrating on the greater threat, the Replicators, before they destroy us all.

TEAL'C: Jaffa -- hear me. I have engaged the Replicators in battle many times. Believe me when I say they cannot be defeated by conventional means.

ARON: You have faced them in the past and won.

TEAL'C: Indeed, yet never in such numbers. Those of you who choose to engage the Replicators in battle will not survive.

BRA'TAC: Teal'c is right. We must fight only those battles we know we can win.

TOLOK: Yet you propose an equally impossible task.

BRA'TAC: With Baal otherwise occupied, now is the time to strike.

TOLOK: No free Jaffa has ever set foot in the temple and lived.

BRA'TAC: Then that is precisely why we must go there. If we succeed, many will rejoin our cause.

ARON: If we succeed.

TEAL'C: Were the circumstances different, I may feel the same as you, brother, but the situation has changed. We must act now, or our children will know no future, let alone the taste of freedom.

TOLOK: Teal'c, I believe there is wisdom in these words. However, you are aware that if we fail, it would effectively mean the end of the rebellion. Are you prepared to risk our entire cause on this one action?

TEAL'C: Indeed I am.

BRA'TAC: So -- what say you?

(Tolok thinks about it for a moment, then raises his head.)

TOLOK: I say we take Dakara!

ARON: So be it.


S.G.C. - LAB. On the screen monitoring the Goa'uld/Replicator battle, another Goa'uld ship's signal flickers and disappears. Jacob is again sitting at the computer while Jack stands next to him.

JACOB: Five more regions belonging to Baal have fallen in the past twenty-four hours.

O'NEILL: He's not putting up much of a fight, is he?

JACOB: No, he's making a typical Goa'uld mistake. He's defending territory at the expense of resources. (He sighs.) We can send him a message through the undercover Tok'ra in his midst. We could suggest a change in strategy.

O'NEILL: Like what?

JACOB: Typically, the Replicators are patient and slow-moving when not being engaged. If Baal stops aggressively fighting them and pulls back, it may give Sam more time to come up with the solution.

O'NEILL: Forget that!

(Jacob gestures at the screen as another red dot flashes and goes out.)

JACOB: Look -- there goes another one. (He turns to Jack, then stands up to face him.) Jack -- he's thinking like a System Lord defending himself against another Goa'uld. He doesn't know what he's dealing with.

O'NEILL: And if he retreats, where d'you think he's gonna fall back to?

JACOB: You're worried about Teal'c and the rebel Jaffa.

O'NEILL: They're counting on Baal's fleet being too busy to even care about anything else.

JACOB: The Jaffa rebellion has already failed. We can't risk the fate of the galaxy on one long-shot chance to revive it.

O'NEILL (looking at him suspiciously): Is that Jacob talking, or is that Selmak?

JACOB: Jack, I'm sorry, but the more ships Baal sends out to fight, the faster the Replicators assimilate them into their own armada. Their numbers are growing exponentially. If we don't do something about it, by the time we do come up with a weapon to use against them, it may be too late.

(Alarms sound.)

HARRIMAN (over tannoy): Unscheduled off-world activation.

(Jack and Jacob leave the room.)


CONTROL ROOM. Jack and Jacob come in.

O'NEILL: Now what have you got, Walter?

HARRIMAN: Some kind of ...

(At that moment, a hologram of Baal appears on the ramp in the Gate Room. The SFs raise their weapons.)

O'NEILL: Oh! Baal! (He heads down to the Gate Room, followed by Jacob, and addresses the troops.) Stand down, boys. (He walks over to face the hologram.) Baal, buddy! We were just talkin' about you -- all good! (He smiles mock-sweetly.)

BAAL: By now you are aware of the Replicator threat to our galaxy and that my fleet has engaged them in battle.

O'NEILL: There's been a little chit (he turns to Jacob) and chat around the watercooler. (He smiles sarcastically at Baal.) How's that goin'?

BAAL: We are holding them at bay for the moment. However, they are a more formidable force than I first anticipated.

O'NEILL: Yeah. Pesky little buggers, aren't they?

BAAL: I am aware that the Asgard have previously fought the Replicators effectively.

O'NEILL: More or less. I don't like to toot my own horn but ...

BAAL: I am aware that you assisted the Asgard. (He looks at Jack. Jack gazes back at him.)

O'NEILL: Yes?

BAAL: I wish to know what means you possess to fight this scourge.

(Jack tilts his head, smiling slightly.)

O'NEILL: I'm sorry -- we must have had a bad connection there for a second. It almost sounded like you were asking me for help!

BAAL: The Replicators are a threat to everyone, including the countless humans who populate worlds throughout this galaxy. Now, I propose that we work together to defeat our common enemy.

O'NEILL (to Jacob): My -- this is an occasion! (He turns to Baal.) You know that bitter taste in your throat, it's kind of wrapped around your uvula? That's what's left of your pride.

BAAL: Perhaps you could curb your amusement for a moment.

JACOB: If we're going to work together, the first thing we should discuss is strategy. Now, your attempts at meeting the Replicators head-on are only going to result ...

O'NEILL (holding up his hand and talking over him): Jacob. J-J-Jacob. I got it. (He turns to Baal.) I've got a better idea. Instead of helping you, why don't we sit back and watch you get your ass kicked? (He smiles smugly.) That way, you'll be dead, and we'll be glad!

BAAL: You cannot be serious.

O'NEILL: Yes I can. I just choose not to some of the time. (He grins.)

BAAL: With your insolence you're dooming not just your world but all of humanity.

O'NEILL: I think big!

(Baal's hologram disappears. Jacob walks round to face Jack.)

JACOB: What the hell was that?

O'NEILL: I'm sorry, Jacob, but I'm just not quite ready to sacrifice Teal'c. (He walks away.)


ASGARD SHIP. The beam continues to play over the Replicator cells until they melt into a liquid form.

THOR: The process is complete. Now we must re-establish the subspace link between these cells and the rest of the Replicators.

CARTER: What if they receive instructions?

THOR: It is a risk we will have to take. I will only maintain the link for microseconds at a time. It will slow the process, but I do not believe we have a choice.

(He activates a beam onto the Replicator cells for a couple of seconds. As it fades, Sam looks at the screen behind Thor.)

CARTER: What did we get?

THOR: I am processing the data now. (A star map appears on the screen, covered with blue dots.) I believe we have pinpointed the location of the Replicators within this galaxy.

(Sam stares at the map.)

CARTER: They're everywhere!


HYPERSPACE. The rebel fleet of motherships is making its way towards Dakara. On Bra'tac's ship, Aron is manning the weapons console.

BRA'TAC: We are approaching Dakara. Defenses?

TEAL'C: I am reading only a single Ha'tak class vessel in orbit around the planet.

BRA'TAC: Baal must indeed be desperate. There are normally a dozen ships patrolling this system.

ARON: Then we may yet succeed.


DAKARA. As the single mothership patrols around the planet, the three rebel motherships come out of hyperspace.

BRA'TAC: We are in position.

ARON: Gliders are ready for launch.

TEAL'C: We are being hailed.

JAFFA (over comms): You have encroached on the domain of Lord Baal. Identify yourselves immediately.

TEAL'C: Shal'kek nem'ron. (There is no response.) You are greatly outnumbered. Surrender now or be destroyed.


VIS UBAN. Daniel is in the tent that he lived in after he descended. Candles are lit all around the tent. He is wearing the same blue robe he wore while on the planet. He looks around, puzzled. A woman's voice speaks.

WOMAN: They called you Arom, did they not ... (Daniel turns to see Oma Desala, wearing a light blue hooded robe, standing behind him) ... after you returned to your plane of existence?

(Daniel smiles.)

JACKSON: Oma!

(Oma removes her hood.)

OMA: Daniel, it is good to see you again.

JACKSON: I don't understand. Last thing I remember ...

OMA: You are still on the ship. The human form Replicator is attempting to probe your mind as we speak.

JACKSON: So why are you here?

OMA: Because when she is done, she will destroy you, and when that time comes, you will be faced with a choice.


GOA'ULD PLANET. Baal walks into a throne room. There is a Goa'uld sitting on the throne, mostly obscured by a dark robe and hood.

BAAL: I have received word from the battle. The bulk of the fleet continues to engage the Replicators as you have ordered. However, I believe it would be wise to pull our forces back. If we stop confronting the enemy on so wide a front, it may slow their advance and allow us a chance to mount a proper defense.

(As Baal speaks, we see that the hands of the Goa'uld sitting on the throne are covered with lesions.)

GOA'ULD: You doubt my power.

BAAL: Of course not. But your fleet is falling into their hands rapidly. Not even the Kull warriors ...

(The Goa'uld raises his head and we see that his face is also covered with lesions. It can only be Anubis.)

ANUBIS: Do not concern yourself. (He turns his head towards Baal -- his eyes are bloodshot and his face is a mess.) When the time is right, I promise you, this nuisance will be dealt with. Trust in me.

(Baal tries to hide a grimace.)

BAAL: As always.


S.G.C. - CONTROL ROOM. Sam is reporting to Jack and Jacob on a video link from the Daniel Jackson.

CARTER: It took several hundred microsecond-long connections and hours to go through each subsequent burst of data but eventually we managed to isolate the cipher that makes the Replicators immune to the disruptor and we've adjusted it accordingly.

(Jacob smiles and looks round at Jack, who is looking confused.)

JACOB: The weapon works again.

(Jack turns to the video screen.)

O'NEILL: Good job!

CARTER: It was an incredibly risky thing to do, sir, and as it stands, we still don't know if we were detected, and of course the altered disruptor still needs to be tested under battle conditions.

O'NEILL: Got a plan?

CARTER: Thor was able to ascertain the various positions of the fleet now controlled by the Replicators. We're going to engage a few isolated ships.

JACOB: Be careful, Sam.

O'NEILL: Good luck.

CARTER: Thank you, sir.

(The transmission ends.)

JACOB: Never a dull moment.


DANIEL'S TENT.

JACKSON: So you're here to offer me the opportunity to ascend again.

OMA: If that is what you wish.

JACKSON: What I wish? What are my options?

OMA: Personally, I would choose eternal enlightenment rather than the alternative.

JACKSON: If it were only that simple.

OMA: I admit, the decision is not as easy as it appears. The last time, for you, the experience was challenging at the best of times.

JACKSON: Unfortunately I don't have any memories of the last time I was ascended. How can I make an informed decision if I don't remember what it was like?

OMA: Daniel, I did not take your memories from you.

JACKSON: You think I haven't tried to remember? Tell me how.

OMA: I can't.

JACKSON: Then tell me what I need to know.

OMA: If you are seeking an absolute truth, you will not find it. Only truth that applies to you.

JACKSON: That is so extremely unhelpful.

OMA: When the time comes, you will know.

JACKSON: What if Replicator Carter finds what it is she's looking for?

OMA: There is that possibility.

JACKSON: You have to stop her.

OMA: I can't.

JACKSON: Why not? Offer me ascension now!

OMA: You're not dead yet. All I can do is prepare you -- help you to find your path to enlightenment, when that time comes, if that is what you decide you want.

JACKSON: There's a way to defeat the Replicators hidden somewhere within my memories, isn't there?

OMA: You need only to open your mind to it.

(Daniel frowns.)


DAKARA. We see an overhead shot of the temple area. Then we go down to the temple itself. The rebel Jaffa have overwhelmed the Jaffa defending the temple. Bra'tac is addressing the captured Jaffa.

BRA'TAC: Brothers! All of you will be detained. Have patience. (He puts his hand on the shoulder of one of the captured Jaffa.) For all of you who renounce the Goa'uld as false gods will one day be free. (To the rebel Jaffa) Take them. (To the captured Jaffa) Go. You will not be harmed.

(The captured Jaffa are led away. Teal'c and Aron come over to join Bra'tac. Teal'c smiles.)

ARON: The last of the garrison have surrendered. The temple is secure.

BRA'TAC: Many lives were spared today. (He clasps Teal'c's arm.) Well done.

(Teal'c bows his head in acknowledgement.)


SPACE. The Daniel Jackson comes out of hyperspace and approaches a Replicator-infested mothership.

THOR: Firing weapon.

(His screen shows the beam from the disruptor flying towards the mothership. Inside the mothership, Replicator bugs are crawling all over the place. As the beam sweeps through the ship, the Replicators disintegrate.)

THOR: The ship's systems have shut down.

CARTER: That worked well.

THOR: The weapon appears to be effective.

(The screen shows a second ship appearing behind them.)

CARTER: Another ship.

THOR: They are firing on us. (The ship jolts.) Targeting the second ship.

(As the second mothership fires again on the Daniel Jackson, the disruptor beam envelops the mothership. However, it continues firing.)

CARTER: It's still coming!

THOR: They have adapted themselves to our modifications.

CARTER: That was fast!

THOR: Yes. (The ship jolts again.) Initiating evasive action.

(The Daniel Jackson goes into hyperspace.)


GOA'ULD PLANET. Baal comes into the throne room to find Anubis facing two super-soldiers holding a male human slave between them.

BAAL: Excuse the intrusion. I will return. (He turns to leave.)

ANUBIS: Stay.

(Baal turns back and waits. The slave glances at Baal pleadingly. Anubis' current host body tilts his head back as the black cloud that is Anubis comes out of him. The host collapses to the ground as the cloud plunges into the slave. As it takes possession of the slave, he throws off the grasp of the super-soldiers, who pick up the dead body of the previous host and drag it away. Anubis walks over to a window to admire his new reflection.)

ANUBIS (to Baal): Speak.

BAAL: A force of rebel Jaffa have managed to take control of the temple at Dakara.

ANUBIS: As I hoped. They have no doubt gathered their full force and presented us with the perfect opportunity to annihilate them once and for all. Have the fleet disengage their battle with the Replicators and move on Dakara. Take it back at all costs. Leave no survivors.

BAAL: As you wish. (He turns, not looking too pleased at his instructions, and walks away.)


DANIEL'S TENT.

OMA: You control the barrier between your consciousness and what you seek. You merely need to open your mind. The truth is, all knowledge, everything that is and was and will be, is everywhere -- out there, and in all of us.

JACKSON (smiling): If you immediately know the candlelight is fire, then the meal was cooked a long time ago.

(Oma blinks a couple of times, apparently baffled by the statement.)

OMA: Yes. (She smiles rather falsely.)

JACKSON: No. You're trying to understand it, aren't you?

OMA: It means what you want it to mean.

JACKSON: No it doesn't -- and you're not Oma.

(Oma transforms into the RepliCarter.)

REPLICARTER: No, I'm not, but it doesn't matter. Thanks to you, I found what I was looking for.


HYPERSPACE - ASGARD SHIP.

THOR: We are approaching Earth. We will be there shortly.

(Controls and lights start to flicker and go off.)

CARTER: What's wrong?

THOR: Several of my key systems are no longer responding. (He calls up an image of the ship on the viewscreen. Several parts of the image turn red.) We have been boarded.

(The ship comes out of hyperspace. The image of the ship on the screen goes fuzzy.)

CARTER: See if you can modify the disruptor wave again. I'll go buy us some time. (She starts to run from the room.)

THOR: I have no way of knowing how many Replicators you will face.

CARTER (stopping and turning around to face him): Well, what choice do we have?

THOR: I must return you to Stargate Command before my transporter systems are affected.

CARTER: And what about you?

THOR: I will attempt to fly this ship as far away from Earth as possible before it is completely compromised.

CARTER (starting to run towards him): No way. I'm not gonna let you ...

(A transporter beam envelops her and whisks her away and she reappears in ...)


S.G.C. - JACK'S OFFICE. Jack is sitting at his desk. Sam runs out of the beam and stops in front of Jack's desk.

CARTER: ... sacrifice yourself. (She realizes where she is.) Dammit!

O'NEILL: Carter?

CARTER: The weapon worked at first, but the Replicators immediately adapted themselves. They're immune again.

O'NEILL: No chance you guys could fix this thing -- get it to work?

CARTER: Sir, Thor's ship was boarded. He beamed me down here before all the systems were compromised. He's trying to get his ship as far away from Earth as possible.

O'NEILL: I'll take that as a no?

CARTER: Yeah.


DAKARA. Aron is admiring the temple walls. He walks over to Teal'c, who is leaning against a pillar and smiling.

TEAL'C: Never in my dreams could I have imagined I would one day stand beneath these great columns.

ARON: Think of it: this is the very spot in which our enslavement began.

TEAL'C: Then this sacred temple is an appropriate place for our enslavement to end. (They walk over to Bra'tac.) We have won a great victory here today, old friend.

BRA'TAC: We have won a battle, Teal'c -- nothing more. Our victory is far from assured.

TEAL'C: Many of Baal's Jaffa have already pledged their allegiance to our cause. When word spreads of what we have accomplished, many more will follow.

BRA'TAC: And their hearts will turn cold again if they hear our accomplishment lasted mere hours. (Tolok enters. Bra'tac turns to greet him.) Tolok. What news?

TOLOK: We have received word. Baal has broken off his battle with the Replicators. He is coming.

BRA'TAC: As we expected. You see -- taking the temple was not our greatest challenge. Holding it will be.


DANIEL'S TENT. All the candles blow out.

REPLICARTER: This Oma character: why do you have such reverence for her? Those ridiculous sayings are just nonsense.

JACKSON: To you, maybe.

REPLICARTER: If she really has as much power as you think she does, why doesn't she help you? She merely stands by and does nothing.

JACKSON: You mean, while you destroy entire civilizations.

REPLICARTER: That's a matter of perspective. You call it destruction; we call it creation.

JACKSON: You're not really trying to justify your actions, are you?

REPLICARTER: No. I have no need for you to understand this.

JACKSON: Why the elaborate ruse? I mean, you probed my mind at will -- I obviously can't stop you.

REPLICARTER: You could have resisted. I needed you to open up to the possibility of remembering the knowledge in your subconscious. It made it much easier for me to find what I was looking for.

JACKSON: And what d'you find?

(The RepliCarter turns to the entrance to the tent. Just outside the tent, the sand rises into an exact replica of the temple at Dakara.)

JACKSON: Pretty! What is it?

REPLICARTER: The ruin is of an Ancient monument on a planet now called Dakara. Within it is the one weapon in this galaxy capable of destroying me. (She gestures, and the sand blows away. She turns back to face Daniel.) Thanks to you, it will soon be no more.


S.G.C. - GATE ROOM. Walter and Siler are standing facing the foot of the ramp. Walter looks at his watch nervously. He glances at Siler, then turns to face the ramp again.

HARRIMAN: I'm sure he'll be here any second now.

(On the ramp, Baal's hologram is standing impatiently. He has obviously been kept waiting there for some time.)

HARRIMAN: So, um ...

(At that moment, Jack comes in.)

O'NEILL: I am so sorry. I was just finishing up a lovely brunch.

BAAL: Impudence.

O'NEILL: No, tuna. So, I hear your fleet is retreating from the Replicators.

BAAL: How could you know that?

O'NEILL: I have my sources.

BAAL: My fleet is on its way to recapture Dakara and destroy the Jaffa who have dishonoured their true god.

O'NEILL: Will you stop with the "true god" crap? I mean, seriously, what difference will it make? You're just delaying the inevitable.

BAAL: The Replicators are a formidable enemy -- but I have recently learned of a weapon hidden on Dakara capable of destroying them.

O'NEILL: Really? And you're telling me this why?

BAAL: Because you must destroy it before my fleet arrives to claim it.

O'NEILL: Alright -- you got me. I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.

BAAL: The weapon on Dakara was built by the Ancients. It is not only capable of destroying Replicators but all life in the galaxy.

O'NEILL: And your own sweet self included.

BAAL: Yes.

O'NEILL: So why would you use it?

BAAL: I would not, but there is one who would -- one who can survive such pervasive devastation.

(Jack closes his eyes as he realizes who Baal is talking about.)

O'NEILL: Oh, please don't tell me.

BAAL: Anubis.

O'NEILL: I asked you not to tell me.

TO BE CONTINUED.