He stood and paced as he listened.
“No, this office cannot actually do anything overt,” he acknowledged. “But I can send our Muslim personnel on a tour of the Middle East and I can send the Asians to Asia. Call it a good-will tour. Henry, I know that; look, Daniel has a conference with Egypt in a couple of days. Do you know what they’ve been talking about? How to use natural means to relieve the stress on the country. Getting the Nile cleaned up. Getting people fed. Getting people educated to the new century while keeping the respect of the religions that exist in that country. Look, one of Daniel’s kids, Sgt. Gaafar, is a quick study and he speaks a lot of languages. I think he’d be appropriate to put in charge of this tour thing. I’ll have a talk with the good doctor and let you know.”
“JACK!”
“Gotta go,” he said quickly into the phone before slamming it down. He ran into the living room.
“What!”
He slid to a stop. Sam and Daniel were both staring in shock at the person standing in the middle of the room. The children were watching curiously, not at all disturbed; they were used to people beaming in and out. Jerrie stood by, ready to take cues from the parents.
“How…. what….?”
“Hello, Colonel. Oh, I’m sorry, it’s General, now, isn’t it?”
“Narim?!”
Jack stepped up next to Sam, staring at the man.
“I thought you were dead?” Jack said.
“You were meant to,” Narim said with that quiet smile he always had. “The Nox kept us hidden. Those few who survived the Goa’uld attack on Tollana, anyway. Is it alright to speak here?” he glanced at the children.
“Uh, yeah,” Jack nodded. “But let’s go into my office.” He reached out and felt the shock that was rippling through Sam; not surprised, considering she almost left the SGC and Earth for this particular alien. They took seats.
“So. Narim. Looking well,” Jack commented. “A little grayer.”
Narim smiled. “You as well, Jack.” He looked toward Jack’s own grays.
“We are leaving,” Narim said suddenly. “I had a need to say a proper goodbye to Samantha. If that is permitted? I understand you and she are married. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Jack nodded. “Actually, the three of us are married.” He jutted his chin toward Daniel. Narim gave a nod, not surprised.
“I amend my congratulations to include Dr. Jackson,” he said. Daniel nodded.
“You’re leaving?” Sam asked, slightly breathless from the sight of him alive. After the Goa’uld destroyed his planet, they didn’t expect to see him standing in front of them. “I don’t understand.”
He turned to face her, reaching out to take her hand. He paused and glanced at Jack and Daniel. Jack shrugged.
“It’s her hand,” he said. Narim took Sam’s hand.
“When the Goa’uld attacked, the Nox opened the gate,” he told her. “They have hidden us these past years. The Nox have decided to Ascend, though, and we are going with them. The Tau’ri are on the correct path; this galaxy is in safe hands. We have outlived our own time, so we will Ascend. You showed us how to live. We allowed technology to lead us, thinking ourselves superior, and then you irritating humans came along. You taught us that the heart is more important than the technology. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Nox backed it up. Our weapons were the first things they took from us.”
“But you don’t have to leave,” Sam protested. “There are worlds that can offer you protection. The Anunnaki terraformed Abydos, they need people to fill it. The Masharu are taking in Tok’ra who want to leave this galaxy, you could go with them. We can find you a place here.”
Narim raised an eyebrow. “The Masharu?” he questioned incredulously. “The Tau’ri have been busy. Who’s in charge of the Masharu?”
“Thanatos,” Jack put in.
“I’ve heard of him,” he said. “Obviously I never met any of the Masharu, but we know a little of them. Legends, mostly. Who are the Anunnaki?”
Sam gave him a summary of recent events.
“Well, if the.. Anunnaki.. are around to oversee your progress, you certainly don’t need any of the other…. anyone else,” Narim said. Jack pursed his lips and reached. He got a blank wall. How the hell did the Tollan know about Masharu?? And why was he hesitant about the Anunnaki?
“Do you know who the Anunnaki are?” he asked. He was sure Narim recognized the names.
Narim shook his head. “I cannot tell you, if they haven’t. If you can do that, though, you can answer the question for yourself.”
He sensed that little push? Jack tossed his pencil down in irritation. “I am so tired of all this crap,” he said. “What is the big, friggin’ deal?”
“Not a big deal at all,” Narim said. “Think of it as a game: guess who is behind the door, and you get the grand prize.”
“What’s the prize?” Jack asked skeptically.
“That’s part of the prize,” Narim said. “It’s an exercise in logic, Jack.”
“Oh, well, there goes the planet,” Daniel commented. Jack shot the pencil at him. Sam took a breath, her eyes wide.
“What?” Jack asked her, seeing the shock on her face.
“The arch,” she breathed in awe. “It didn’t occur to me. The stone arch that Erra and Zu brought in. It was in perfect condition. Jack, when you take the entertainment center apart, you end up with tangled wires and no idea which cord goes where. I won’t even comment on Daniel and computers. But if I do it, I know which cords go where.”
Jack stared at her. “Erra knew how to take the arch apart and put it back together,” he guessed.
“Yes!” she said excitedly. “Only someone familiar with its components could have taken it apart and transported it without harming it. It’s in perfect working order and I didn’t have to do anything.”
“Erra’s a Furling!” Daniel breathed as he slowly sat forward, equally wide-eyed. "Oh, my God, the Anunnaki are the Furlings!"
End Part 2
The Anunnaki Unification, Book 2: A Staraget SG-1 Fan Fiction Story Page 34