Sam had another peaceful night sleep. That night her Master got her to sleep near the Stargate. When she woke up, she looked at it.
Master Corran asked, “How did you sleep.”
She smiled, “The best I have done since I have been in this galaxy.”
She was starting to get out of her sleeping bag. “Is that breakfast I smell?”
“It will never be as good as Mirax cooking, but yes I just got done cooking it.”
She smiled, “If it taste as good as it smells, then I think you did a great job Master.”
Corran smiled silently.
As She stood up, Corran asked his Padawan, “How do you feel about getting close to the Stargate now?”
Sam's smile was all he needed to know.
She walked closer to the Stargate to touch it. She closed her eyes to remember all the adventures she had at the SGC. Some were right out horrible, but there were so many wonders that she could not care less of those few horrible experiences. She then opened her eyes for the first time from within herself.
She realized that she can apply the very same thing to her situation right here in this strange and wonderful galaxy that she was forced to live in. She quietly looked at her Master. She was wondering if he knew what she was feeling.
“I think you are starting to have more wonderful experiences than bad ones.”
“Yep. He knew.”
“I thank you all for giving me them.”
“Anytime Sam. You better eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”
Sam did as she was told. Corran followed her to eat himself.
“I truly thank you for allowing me to face my fears with the Stargate.”
“If you did not face this one fear, I was wondering if you could be able to face the others that you have collected since you have been here.”
Sam had to agree.
Corran asked, “How do you feel about those other feelings of yours?”
“They are still there, but right now they seem not to bother me as much as they have.”
“Good. At times they will be back to rattle your brains.”
Sam said jokingly, “There is not much in there to begin with. I hope I do not loose what I have.”
As Sam was finishing off her plate, Sam thought that she could find at least a cartouche nearby. She has not known a Stargate not to have one somewhere nearby. “Since the Stargate has been buried, it might not even be on this planet anymore.”
After helping her Master clean up, she asked if she can have a good look around.
“You think you can find something else here?”
Sam explained that every Stargate had a cartouche, and what was so important about it.
Sam gathered Dentralla, and they took off. After a good walk, Dentralla said, “It appears that you are feeling much better.”
“I am starting to my friend. I hope I keep it up.”
Dentralla gave Sam a big Wookie hug. Sam hugged her back with a big smile to go with it.
All the sudden Sam had a strong feeling. It was calling her through the Force.
She and Dentralla ended up at a small hut. She was persuaded to go into that hut. Unfortunately the Wookie was too tall to go in with her.
Sam opened herself to the Force. She kept her eyes open, but she was still concentrating with the Force.
She did find something very interesting. What she found would change her life completely. She found a very large book with a name on the cover as plain as day. It read, “Samantha Carter.” Her jaw nearly dropped. Sam slowly moved her hand closer and closer to the book.
When she finally touched it, an energy field surged through her body. She did not feel any pain, but she did feel it all through her body. When she grabbed the book with the other hand, she felt more of this energy field going into her.
She was not afraid of what was happening to her at all. The more the energy continued to go into her, the more she knew it was meant for her to have.
When all the energy entered her, a voice came to her mind, “Welcome to Dagobah. I am Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Knight long before you were born. When it is time, simply open the book, and put each hand on each page. Do not do this before. I will explain more to you then. May the Force be with you Samantha Carter.”
Sam immediately took her comlink off her belt.
Corran asked, “What did you find?”
She told him all that had happened. Sam asked, “Who is Qui-Gon Jinn?”
“Like he said, he was a Jedi Knight long before you were born. It interesting that he contacted you in this manner. I highly suggest that you do as he asked of you.”
“What was this energy he put in me?”
“I would have to say it is something that you may need in the near future if not the rest of your life Sam. Do not worry. He is a very wise Jedi. I knew you were something special, but wow!”
“Wow is right Master.”
When Sam finally got back Corran was ready to continue with Sam's lightsaber training.
“Do not be afraid to be a little more aggressive. You are only acting on defense. Only by offense will you win in a lightsaber duel.”
“Master, I feel that I have too much anger in me to go on offense.”
Corran said with concern, “Yes you do. I think you need to release some of that anger.”
Sam stated with a smile, “I do not think Dagobah has any bars like on Yavin 4.”
Corran smiled in return, “That is true, but I might have a better idea. We are going to be here until your SG1 friends comes through that Stargate.”
Sam smiled excitingly.
“You might not be smiling after a few days. I want you to do your full calisthenics, here. As you know already, this place is very swampy. Think you can do it?”
Sam smiled, “I was thinking that very same thing when I was walking back here.”
“Go to it then, and use the Force. I do not want to have you break a leg or something.”
“Got that right.”
Before Sam darted off, Corran stated, “I want you to do this right after you wake up. There is a clear springs pond a far distance from here. You can get cleaned up there every morning.”
Sam put clean clothes in her back pack and took off.
Sam concentrated on the Force to watch her step. She used her anger from within herself to give her the energy to run. Sam's combat training helped her know what to look out for. She was not all that sure why her Master ordered her to use the Force for this?
“A Jedi uses the Force in all things. The Force is a very strong ally for a Jedi Knight. Learn to listen to Force in everything you do. Your combat skills are great, but you are only human. There is more to this planet than what you see.”
While still jogging Sam asked, “Like what?”
Corran answered, “That is for you only to find out.”
All the sudden Sam turned cold.
Sam stopped in her tracks. What Sam saw scared her to the point of panicking.
All the sudden, out of the blue, appeared Telk.
Sam tried to make contact with her Master through the Force, but there was no reply.
“Damn! What is this fat ass bastard doing here of all places?”
There was nothing Sam could do, but use the Force.
Telk said, “The little slut is being trained to be a Jedi Knight.”
Sam was shocked that he knew this. Then she remembered she was wearing a lightsaber on her belt.
While Sam was focusing on the Force, Sam replied, “I am full of surprises.”
“I see you removed that chip behind your neck. I will have to give you the same pain the hard way.”
Sam was itching to beat the Telk into a pulp, but Sam remembered why she would not be offensive in a lightsaber duel. Sam became more relaxed and less angry.
Just the same, Sam knew she could not win if she was not offensive in fighting Telk. “I wonder if using a lightsaber to finally destroy this creep be the right thing to do?”
Sam immediately went off defense posture. She became fully relaxed.
Telk laughed, “Giving up my slut?”
Sam replied, “No. I am not giving into your threats. I do not fear you anymore more.”
As quickly as he appeared, he vanished.
A voice came to Sam through the Force, “Congratulations my dear Padawan. By the time you finish with your exercises and get cleaned up, the Alliance team that is working on the Stargate will need you to enter that program you talked about.”
“Master, did you know what would happen?”
“No I did not.”
“What did happen?”
Corran explained to her about the planet they were on and its history.
Sam asked another question, “So that is why we are training here?”
“Yes it is. You thought it had to do with the Stargate?”
Sam replied with a little cheeriness in her voice, “Yes I did Master.”
Sam continued back to what she was doing, running, but not running away from her fears.
**********
Alliance had a good size base around the Stargate, or at least that is what Sam thought. She said, “Commander, good work in setting up the SGC.”
Commander Phelps asked, “SGC?”
She smiled, “It stands for Stargate Command.”
The Commander smiled, “Cool name.”
“It is, and I had worked at the SGC on Earth for five years.”
“Sam I hope they come for you soon. I will look for them each and every day.”
She smiled, “When that time comes, I hope we can greet them together.”
Commander Phelps just smiled at her.
Before Sam entered the program, she found out that she had to enter a compiler so the program could be executed. After entering everything she could, she ran a diagnostic.
The Stargate spun, but nothing was dialed. Luke replied after he saw the Stargate in action, “I will be a son of a Hutt.”
Corran was inches from Luke. He said, “Sam told me everything about it, but I am just amazed as you are Luke.”
Sam was grinning from ear to ear in seeing everyone's reaction. “If only I could dial into another Stargate.”
She just stared at the Stargate. She believed she was only thinking. “I am waiting for you Jack. I cannot wait to be in your arms,”
She was astonished to hear Jack's voice saying, “And I will never let you go ever again. That is a promise.”
“I love you Jack from the first time I saw you at the SGC.”
“I first loved you when you said you had a Matt Mason doll.” Sam laughed out loud. Sam laughed even louder when Jack said, “I will see if Chulak has them in stock.”
With all the laughing Sam lost contact with him.
Luke and Corran came to the desk Sam was at. Corran asked, “What is so funny?”
Sam laughed just the more at the question. “Jack said he will give me a Matt Mason doll when he comes.” Sam looked at the Stargate, and kept on laughing.
Luke and Corran replied in complete bewilderment, “Okay.”
After a short time later, the diagnostic was done.
Sam walked to her Master, and said, “The Stargate appears to be fully functional.”
“Thanks to a great astrophysicist I know.”
Sam smiled.
Luke asked, “Ready for some lightsaber training?”
“Yes I am.”
“You will be dueling with me. I would like to see your progress, if I may.”
She grabbed her lightsaber from her belt, and turned it on for her answer.
At first Luke made it easy for her, but after a bit, he put on the pressure. She held her end up like a pro.
Everyone that was watching them was very impressed. Luke too was excited on her progress. When he turned off his lightsaber,
She followed.
“Don't tell me, you learned that in basic training?”
“Nope. I learned that in my fencing classes I told you about.”
Corran replied, “Those were some fencing classes.”
Sam smiled, “I liked them. It was something to do.”
Both Luke and Corran felt she was hiding something.
She caught their expressions on it. “When I was a young teenager my mom got killed in a car accident. I have been alone most of every day during my childhood. My father was a General in the Air Force. Do not get me wrong, he was a great father. During those years, I just missed my mother a great deal, and I still do.”
Corran asked, “That is why you are trying to deal with your recent problems on your own. You think you have to live alone as you did then?”
She quietly nodded. “I still live alone. That is all I know in my life.”
“You do not have to do it now.”
She frowned, “That will not be easy. Even with my father was there for me when she died, I felt alone. I had friends in every direction, but I was alone to deal with my day-to-day feelings of my mother's death. I am here with all my friends now, and I am in the same boat.”
“My Padawan do yourself a favor and sink that boat. What you have faced here is a lot more traumatic than your mother death.”
“I know Master. I just rather deal with my own problems.”
Luke said, “Sharing your problems with others is not allowing others to run your life.”
Corran said with a smile, “Whenever you are ready to talk, I have two ears waiting.”
“I am talking to C-3PO.”
“Good. Do not worry. None of us will read off his memory banks.”
Sam replied with a smile, “Thank you Master.”
To change the subject and to get Sam in a good mood, Luke asked, “What is a Matt Mason Doll?”
Sam gave a wide smile. She explained the first time she been to the SGC regarding the Matt Mason Doll.
Corran asked, “Ready to go at it again?”
Sam smiled, “Indeed.”
This time Sam dueled with both Corran and Luke at the same time. This was not the first time she dueled with two people, but it was not one of Sam's strong points. That did not stop her.
There was one thing that Sam was good at even as a teenager, go for things that are hard. That was why she wanted to go to the moon due in what President John F. Kennedy said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
Sam's lightsaber training went on for a few hours. When it was done, Sam said, “I think I am improving on dueling two people.”
Luke replied, “Keep at it, and you will do ever better.”
Sam smiled. Sam thought about their last conversation. “When I am ready, I will talk to all of you.”
Corran replied, “We will be here.”
“I thank you for all the love and support. You all are the only ones that I have right now. I lost all the others when I was taken.”
Luke replied, “They will come for you sooner than you think.”
“Right now will be soon enough for me.” Sam paused for a moment. “I rather be alone for the remainder of the day.”
Corran nodded.
Sam quietly walked away.
Sam was missing her team and friends more than she realized. The fun she just had with Jack allowed a lot of wonderful memories to rush in. Sam looked for a good clearing. When she found it, she sat down and meditated in the Force. She concentrated on her team. Sam found them together in a bar.
Sam materialized in one of the empty seats as if she was really there with them. Sam said, “Hi guys. Good to see you all again.”
Everyone was very happy to see her. Jack replied, “Still looking for that Matt Mason doll. When I make contact with Hammond, I will ask him to get one for you.”
Sam said, “I wanted to tell you all that I found the Stargate on my end. It is on the planet Dagobah.”
Teal'c replied, “That name is very familiar to me.”
Sam asked Teal'c, “What do you know of the Jedi Knights and what do they have to do with Chulak?”
Teal'c told her what he had told the others at the SGC.
“WOW! I will be a big fat stinky Hutt.”
Jack asked, “What is a Hutt?”
Sam answered, “You will have to see one to believe it.”
Jack asked jokingly, “I bet they are fat and smelly?”
Sam laughed, “Yes they are.”
Jack joked again, “I cannot wait. All these years, and not knowing what I was missing.”
She laughed just as hard the last time talking with Him. After laughing she said, “Thank you love for cheering me up.”
“Hope to see all of real soon. I will be counting the days.”
Daniel stated, “Keep those pleasant thoughts Sam.”
Teal'c said, “Sam, know that we will be there with you until you decide it is time for you to return to Earth.”
Sam smiled, “I would love that dearly.”
She stayed with her friends for a time. She knew she had plenty to do on Dagobah.
Spending time with them felt like old times. When Sam said good bye to them, it upset Sam dearly. She wanted them to be together than just small visits with the Force.
When she finally broke from the Force, she found tears of joy running down her face.
Sam saw it was about to be night fall. She slowly walked back to camp. When she got near where she slept last, she found her place was already made for her. This time sleeping near the Stargate was her way to feel Jack's arms around her more profoundly than ever before. She went to sleep with a smile on her face till she woke up the next morning.
**********
Sam had another restful night.
After packing her clean clothes in her backpack, she set off for her morning exercises.
At the end of the journey she arrived at the swimming hole. She first used the Force to see if anyone was nearby. There was no one, so Sam got undressed. The water was very nice with the sun starting to heat it up.
She was starting to enjoy herself.
All the sudden she heard a noise. “Hello!”
What happened next startled Sam, but did not frighten her. A large animal came running fast towards her. Before Sam could call her lightsaber, the animal was invisibly pushed in the thickets. When the beast got to its feet, it ran off.
Sam smiled, “It seems that you never stop saving me, thank you.”
Mara smiled back, “What are friends for. Looks like you are having fun in there, naked lady.”
“I think I better get dressed before I get water logged.”
After she got out, Sam was using the Force to dry herself and got dressed.”
“What do you think of the Stargate?”
“Luke was telling me you got it sort of active yesterday.”
“I was doing a full diagnostic run on it.”
“Corran said you won a battle out here.”
Sam smiled, “Yes I did.” Sam told her all about it.
Mara smiled, “Good for you Sam. I am proud of you.”
The girls gabbed all the way back to the base. When they got there, everything was in a panic.
Mara asked Luke, “What the hell is going on here?”
Luke said, “We go intelligence report that a small group of Imperial Star Destroyers are heading this way.”
Sam looked at the Stargate. “How can anyone know the Stargate is up?”
Luke answered, “I have no clue.”
Mara got angry, “Fodo! There must be a spy in our ranks!”
Sam asked, “How long until they get here?”
Luke answered, “From the reports, a week. It could be sooner. Do not worry Sam, we will protect the Stargate. That is our first priority.”
All the sudden the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn came to her head, “I need you to open that book, and touch each page with your hands at the same time. I need you to do it very quickly.”
“It is Qui-Gon Jinn. I need to go.”
Sam departed to that little hut.
After walking inside, she opened the book and touched it. Nothing happened.
She took her hands off. She opened her mind with the Force, and touched the pages once more. This time she found herself in whole different world from the looks of it.”
She turned around, and there was Qui-Gon Jinn standing there.
“I take it you realize our current predicament?”
“Yes I do. I knew about it for some time now. Lucky for everyone you found that book when you did.”
“Not to sound rude, but it actually called me.”
Qui-Gon Jinn smiled, “Indeed it did Samantha Carter.”
“If you are dead and gone, how do you know my name?”
“That is a very long story. I called you here to be trained to use that energy that was given to you after you touched that book.”
“What was that?”
“It will allow you to absorb any energy, and expel it to any energy you want.”
Sam smiled, “Cool. What kind of energy. How much can I expel?”
Qui-Gon smiled, “Any energy, even heat. How much is according to what you are creating from that energy. Since you are an astrophysicist, you will know how much you need to absorb to what you want to create. I will first start you off with the basics, and move to the most advanced.”
It took Sam about five days to learn, and be more than proficient to do the tasked that will be needed of her.
Qui-Gon Jinn said, “May the Force be with you Sam.”
“Yes it may.”
Sam found herself back in the small hut. She immediately moved quickly to the others.
