Reckoning, Part 2

"Reckoning, Part 2" is the seventeenth episode of the eighth season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
After successfully taking Dakara, Teal'c and Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter realize that the temple has a weapon that can defeat the Replicators once and for all. However, they have to work fast, as the Replicators discover about the temple also, as well as Ba'al's forces, to destroy it. Meanwhile, the Replicators attack Stargate Command.

Plot
Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter and Jacob Carter get inside the Temple, and find the Dakara superweapon. They quickly realize that it can be reprogrammed to disrupt any specific type of matter, rather than just everything. Sam realizes that if she changes its wave-output to match that of an enhanced Replicator disruptor, the weapon can be used to destroy every Replicator in the galaxy simultaneously, giving them no time to adapt. However, to extend the blast-radius of the Weapon to encompass the entire galaxy, they will have to reprogram the Dakara Stargate to dial out to every other Stargate in the galaxy. This is a feat that they know Ba'al is probably capable of (having demonstrated extensive knowledge of the workings of the Stargate network in "Avenger 2.0").

Sam relays her plans to Teal'c, and Teal'c contacts Ba'al. Ba'al refuses to listen, but Teal'c explains the situation anyway. He merely asks that Ba'al slow down his approach towards Dakara to allow Sam time to realign the Superweapon to destroy all the Replicators, which will defeat a common enemy.

Ba'al uses the Goa'uld hologram communication device to appear inside the temple next to Sam, and she, Jacob (grudgingly) and Ba'al work together to try to make the device work. Ba'al will reprogram the Stargate. They have to change the weapon's wave-pattern to resemble that of the Replicator Disruptor to within a degree of 0.76, and the difference is currently large. A random suggestion by Ba'al improves the situation, prompting him to state "I am a god. Gods are all-knowing."

Time is running out. Replicator Carter is still probing Dr. Daniel Jackson's mind because she wants to assimilate all the Ascended knowledge it contains. However, there is too much there, and it strains the entire Replicator army to hold even a portion of it. It is infinite knowledge, "all the knowledge and power of the universe."

At the same time, however, RepliCarter goes against her word and attacks Stargate Command. Replicators begin to flood the place. The mountain goes into full alert, with Brigadier General Jack O'Neill being backed into a corner as the Replicators take over the base. He and the few who haven't gotten out are now desperately fighting for their lives. Cut off from the surface and with the base set to be nuked, they try to escape through the Stargate, but MSgt. Sylvester Siler has trouble dialing out due to the Replicators' attempts to gain control of the computer systems.

The Replicators land on Dakara and begin flooding into it. They know they are in danger. Sam desperately tries to finish aligning the weapon.

In the meantime, Daniel has used the link between his and RepliCarter's mind to secretly probe back into her mind all this time. RepliCarter realizes he has done this and breaks the link - but it is too late. They engage in an impossible mental battle. Daniel attempts to control the entire Replicator army, to stop them, but it is too much for his mind to handle, there are too many of them.

Daniel succeeds in freezing every Replicator in the galaxy for a few moments. This gives Jacob enough time to get the Dakara superweapon to within an acceptable margin of the wave-pattern with the Disruptor, and he sets it off. It slowly rises out of the mountain and charges up. Now they can only pray it will work, as Daniel loses control of the Replicators, they spring back into attack, RepliCarter breaks free of Daniel's mental grip, and stabs him.

Ba'al dials every other gate in the galaxy, and every shot of every gate opening is replayed. In the last moments, Sam is with a last fight machine-gunning the Replicators that are only meters away, Teal'c is fighting beside her, O'Neill is defending himself in a corner as the Replicators swarm the remaining portions of the SGC, and Daniel drops to the floor, dead.

Then the Dakara superweapon blasts, and a bubble of light explodes from the mountain-top, passes through the gate, and shoots through the galaxy. Every Replicator everywhere is destroyed, including RepliCarter, at last. All is saved.

Ba'al laughs. Now that the Replicators are gone, he is free to take back Dakara. However, not all has gone to his plan. Rebel Jaffa had board his ship and had him surrounded. None of his subjects any longer sees him as a god. They make to kill him, but he escapes, inexplicably, by the use of an Asgard transporter.

The Jaffa Rebellion has succeeded, and they make the Temple of Dakara the center of their new Free Jaffa Nation. Jaffa loyal to the System Lords had all come together to help. The SGC receives a message that Thor had survived by transferring his mind to his ship's computer and was ready to get in a clone body. Yet Carter and O'Neill can't help but wonder about what happened to Daniel.

Notable Quotes
O'Neill: Siler?

Siler: Thank you Sir!

O'Neill: I expect to be put in your Will!

Siler: Already in it Sir!

O'Neill: Ok, that's .... weird.

Ba'al: (pointing at the Ancient interface tablet) That one.

Jacob: How do y'know?

Ba'al: I'm a god and gods are all-knowing.

While translating the writing on the wall in the temple

Carter: "Midday the darkness is high in the sky"? You sure about that?

Jacob:[Selmak] That is what it says.

Carter: It doesn't make much sense.

Jacob: Yeah, well, neither does "the wind blows on the pillow" or "three days to the chicken".

Ba'al: How were you able to develop this replicator disruptor technology in the first place?

Carter: General O'Neill built it using Ancient knowledge and an Asgard computer.

Ba'al: O'Neill? The mere thought of that makes me sick.

In other languages

 * French: La Dernière Chance (2ème partie) (The Last Chance (part 2))
 * Italian: La Resa dei Conti (Parte 2) (The Reckoning (part 2))
 * Spanish: La Hora de la Verdad (Parte 2) (Moment of Truth (part 2)
 * Czech: Poslední boj (část 2.) (The Last Stand (part 2))