SUMMARY: Why do missions never go as planned when SG1 is involved?

Content warning: some violence, language

Authors notes: On pain of sounding like an acceptance speech, I've got quite a few people to thank for this one. You can fast forward if you really want to, but I think these people deserve your recognition. To Corine, Mary, Margo and Carol, thanks for the support. To Leanne and Debbie, thanks for being my cheering section. You don't know how much that helps. To Doc, thanks for laughing in the right spots. To KD,  your help was invaluable. I might never learn the lessons but I appreciate your patient teaching. And finally, to Chrisbod. Your endless support, patience and humour are true gifts. You are my mentor, but more importantly my dear friend, and I thank you for everything you do for me.

There were no two ways about it, Jack O’Neill was bored. They had been on this planet for four days now and the most excitement he’d seen was the dance Daniel did when the squirrel ran up his pant leg. The memory brought a smile of amusement to Jack’s lips even now. It was rather funny.

Leaning back against a large boulder, the rock nicely warmed by the morning sun, Jack thought back to the scene.

Teal’c led the way out of the clearing, following the path through the bush as easily as if it were daytime. Camp was set up less than a mile away, still some distance from the Stargate. **

Again Jack smiled. That night had been a fun one. Everyone had relaxed, the atmosphere mellow. Even the night was balmy, the breeze warm in the night sky. The team had enjoyed a peaceful night of friendship and laughter; something much needed after their difficult missions of late.

Since Jack’s sting operation for the Tollans, tensions had formed amongst the team members. Jack couldn’t blame them for that. He’d said and done some pretty rotten things in the name of duty. After that things hadn’t really settled down much. The Eurondan episode had further served to wear at the foundation the team had worked so hard to build.

That was one of the reasons for this mission. An uninhabited world, a simple study and retrieve assignment; in other words, a milk run whose purpose was more to reunite wayward friends than anything else. Jack couldn’t help but think it had been all that and more. The tension was gone and a sense of fun had crept back into their relationships.

Since then the camaraderie had remained easy. The tests were on schedule and Jack had managed to leave the others alone to work, despite his incessant boredom. That was his reason for being here now. Sam and Daniel had informed him in no uncertain terms that he was to stay out of their way or they would see to it that Hammond had them collecting soil samples off-world for the next few months. While Jack doubted they could manage that feat, he didn’t put it past them to try. He didn’t put it past Hammond to give the order either for that matter.

Teal’c had made himself scarce after breakfast, mumbling something about needing to meditate. Jack knew it was an excuse not to spend time with him. He had been ribbing the Jaffa mercilessly in his attempt to keep himself occupied. Teal’c went along with it for a while but even he had his limits and apparently had reached them. Jack wasn’t arguing too much, though. This place was peaceful and Jack found he was actually enjoying the solitude. He moved away from his rock and lay down on the grass nearby. He pillowed his head on his pack and closed his eyes as he listened to the sounds of his team working off in the distance being carried on the gentle breeze.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam looked up from the samples she was taking from the survey site when she caught some movement out of the corner of her eye. Daniel had wandered over, his nose in a notebook, his expression thoughtful. He didn’t appear to notice her scrutiny as he muttered to himself, making the odd notation with the pencil he dragged from behind his ear.

"How’s it going?" Sam waited for a reply, but none was forthcoming. "Daniel?" She realised that her friend hadn’t even heard her. "Daniel… Daniel!"

"Huh? Oh, Sam. I didn’t see you there." Closing his notebook he absently tucked the pencil away again before drawing forth the rock. He held it up to the sky, suspended between his thumb and index finger, absently twirling it back and forth as he studied it.

"I can see that. What are you doing?" Sam began collecting her sample bags, packing them into boxes for transport.

"I’ve been studying this rock and trying to mark down my findings."

Sam grinned. "Don’t let the Colonel hear you call it that."

Daniel looked over at her, his expression puzzled. "Call what that?"

"The rock. You know how he likes to call your artefacts rocks."

"It is a rock."

Sam rolled her eyes. "I know that! So do you and so does the Colonel. It’s just that……," Looking over at Daniel, Carter could see that he had once again opened his notebook, "Oh, forget I said anything."

Daniel glanced up, peering over the edge of his glasses. "I’m sorry. It’s just that this is really fascinating. From what I can tell, this has no business being on this planet. It’s like it’s been brought here from somewhere else and then just dropped. I can’t find anything even remotely similar to it anywhere."

"So it’s not indigenous. It’s not like we haven’t come across that before." Sam was starting to understand how the Colonel could get so bored. It was just a rock.

"True." Daniel pushed his glasses further up his nose. "But it had to come from somewhere."

"Somewhere, as in, through the Stargate?" Sam was beginning to see why Daniel might be so intrigued. "But how? This planet has no inhabitants and no indications of recent traffic through the ‘gate."

"That’s the mystery." Daniel’s eyebrows rose and his eyes sparkled with the light of discovery. "It must have come here recently for it to have been sitting out like that. It hasn’t been buried by rain or wind at all and it doesn’t appear as though any animals disturbed it or it wouldn’t have been out in the open like that."

Sam’s eyes were looking equally intrigued. "So you’re saying that someone dropped it there?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, I think so."

A slight frown creased Carter’s brow as she thought about the implications of that statement. "If that’s true, the UAV should have picked up some life-signs, or at least some indications of a settlement."

"You’re assuming that there is a settlement. Plus, it’s not like the technology hasn’t failed before. It is a big planet and the forests would conceal a lot. Not to mention that if someone is here, they might not want to be found." Daniel crossed one arm across his chest and put his other hand to his chin, cupping it as he studied the blond Major across from him.

Sam cast her eye about. "Where’s Teal’c? I think we should find him, then let the Colonel know about this."

A deep voice came from behind. "I am here, Major Carter. Do you require my assistance?" Having finished his meditation, Teal’c had sought out his teammates. He was somewhat reticent to do so until he spotted the Colonel resting on the overlooking bluff. At that point he felt it was safe enough to join the others.

Sam spun around to face the Jaffa. "Actually, Teal’c, we do. We need to find the Colonel. Daniel thinks there’s something going on here that the Colonel needs to know about."

"He went to keep watch from the bluff. I believe he said he was ‘keeping out of harm’s way’." At Sam’s smiling nod, Teal’c set off in the indicated direction. He hadn’t gone more than a dozen or so feet before he sensed something amiss. Before he could process the thought, a distinct sound rang out and he fell to the ground, stunned by the all too familiar feel of a zat gun. He was knocked flat but managed to stay conscious. Hearing ominous thuds behind him, he craned his neck and managed to catch sight of his comrades who appeared similarly incapacitated before he once again fell back against the effects of the shot.. He pushed up weakly with one hand in an attempt to locate and identify his attackers when he was caught by an unexpected blow alongside his head. He caught a brief glimpse of a retreating staff weapon before the world went dark and he slumped to the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack’s eyes flew open instantly when he heard the distinctive whine of multiple zat discharges. He bolted upright, instinctively grabbed his pack and veritably flew down the hill towards the source of the disturbance. As he drew near the identified site, he slowed and drew his Beretta, caution superseding worry. He recognised the sample area in which Carter had been working and moved nearer to the fringe of the area, stealth evident in every step. His senses were on full alert as he listened intently, but nothing sounded amiss. Slowly he made his way forward. As the area came fully into view, he realised quickly that it was empty. He stood tall and walked towards the abandoned sample boxes, his gun level and index finger resting eagerly on the trigger.

Looking around he could see drag marks heading off into the bush. There was enough disturbance in the dirt for him to get a pretty good indication of what had happened. His team, or a portion of it, had been ambushed. His guess was that all three had been taken judging from the marks. As he scanned the immediate area, trying to get an idea of who their attacker might be, he spotted a red stain close to the path leading to his previous location. He knelt in the dirt next to it and pressed two fingers against it. Rubbing them together, it didn’t take much for him to identify the substance. Someone had been injured and bled on the ground. Judging from the amount present, it didn’t appear as though the injury was too severe, small consolation that it was.

Before leaving to follow the tracks, Jack took a final look around. Near Sam’s sample boxes he spotted Daniel’s notebook. As he stooped to pick it up, he saw the rock that had so captivated his friend. Unsure of his motivation, Jack picked that up, too. He placed both items in his vest pocket then set off to follow the trail left behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ow."

"Daniel Jackson. Are you now awake?" Teal’c’s voice was a soothing balm to a sore head.

"I think so." Choosing not to comment on the redundancy of that question, Daniel slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the dimness of his surroundings. He found himself lying on a cold, hard floor, his muscles protesting their recent treatment. Moving slowly so as not to jar his head unduly, he tried to swing his legs alongside him as he pressed himself into a sitting position. Finally achieving his desired pose, he looked around his new environment with a critical eye. The dim, heavily shadowed room appeared to be nothing more than four walls with a dirty slit of a window high on one wall and a door which appeared rather sturdy, even to his eye. Looking for anything more telling, his eyes finally rested on the sight of Teal’c. "What hit us? It felt like a zat." As Daniel ran his hands over his aching head, he felt a swelling that indicated that the zat might have had some company. It felt as though someone had clubbed him, although he couldn't exactly remember that happening.

"It was indeed a zatniketel that fired on us."

Daniel looked closer at his friend, noting the livid welt just behind his ear. "No offense, Teal’c, but you don’t look so hot."

"I was hit on the head with a staff weapon. It is already healing and will present me with no difficulties. Do not concern yourself further." The Jaffa tilted his head in a dismissive manner, effectively ending that line of questioning.

A sudden thought occurred to Daniel. "What about Sam? Is she here?"

"She is. She was hit by a zat blast, as were we. She sleeps still." He nodded off to his left, indicating the Major’s sleeping form, barely visible in the shadows. She, too, was lying on the ground, her body resting haphazardly against the wall.

"How long have we been here?"

"It is difficult to say. Our watches were removed with the rest of our gear. My sense is that many hours have passed since our capture, though. Perhaps as many as ten, although I cannot be sure."

Daniel was satisfied with that. He knew that the big Jaffa tended to be quite accurate about things like that. He supposed it was part of his training for being First Prime, but that was just a guess. It also confirmed his suspicion that he’d been knocked out when he was down. A zat blast didn’t tend to be quite so incapacitating and he’d been hit by enough of them to know. He was just about to move over to check on Sam when a sudden thought occurred to him. "Did you say you were hit with a staff weapon?"

"I did."

"So there are Goa’uld here?"

"I cannot say. Our attackers appeared to be Jaffa. I saw nothing else, nor have we been approached since our arrival here." Teal’c shifted his legs slightly as he spoke.

"O-kay. That brings me to my next question. Where is here?" Before the question could be answered, a new sound was heard; a faint stirring. "Sam?"

"Daniel?" Sam’s voice was raspy and soft.

"Yeah, it’s me. Teal’c’s here, too. How are you feeling?"

After going through the same motions of sitting up and getting her bearings, Sam finally answered. "Let me guess. Zat?"

Despite himself, Daniel couldn’t help but grin. "You got it."

"Who?"

"Well, Teal’c and I were just trying to figure that out. He thinks it was a group of Jaffa but isn’t really sure." Daniel rolled his head around, trying to work out the knots that had formed in his neck.

"What about the Colonel? Is he here, too?" Sam couldn’t see him, but in the dimly lit room she might have missed him. She also recognised that he could be held somewhere nearby.

"He is not with us. I believe they captured only us. To my knowledge, O’Neill is still free." Teal’c couldn’t quite manage to keep the satisfied note out of his voice.

"Well, there you go then. Jack will figure out what happened, kick a little Jaffa butt - no offense, Teal’c - come and get us out and we’ll all go home. Simple as that." Daniel grinned at the look of incredulity on Sam’s face. His eyes had finally grow accustomed to the lighting and he was able to see better than he thought possible.

"That’s it? There could be a whole garrison of Jaffa out there, Daniel! I mean, I know the Colonel is good in combat, but there are limits."

"I concur with Major Carter. For one man to take on a garrison, if indeed that is what is here, would be most unwise. O’Neill would be far better off to go back to the SGC and return with reinforcements." Teal’c spoke from experience. He knew how well trained a squad of Jaffa could be. He himself had trained them in the past with a great deal of proficiency. He elected not to share that bit of information with the others.

"Unwise maybe, but this is Jack we’re talking out. You know as well as I do that if one of his team is in trouble, he’ll move Heaven and Earth to help them." Daniel took in the solemn faces of his friends, knowing that neither of them could dispute the words. They had become quite familiar over the years with Jack’s single-mindedness when it came to his team. Before any more could be said, though, the door flew open and light came flooding into their cell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack followed the tracks for miles. From the footprints left in the soft earth, he figured he was following a group of no less than six persons, excluding his team. He still had no clue as the identity of the attackers but he was determined to find that out before proceeding with a plan. If he were to head back to the SGC for reinforcements, he would need to know what they were up against.

Hours passed and the miles between him and the Stargate grew, but Jack continued on determinedly. Someone had his team and he was going to find them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The brightness of the opened doorway quickly dimmed as a figure filled the space, blocking the light. As the person entered the small room his outline became clearer. It was a man, and a large one at that. His expression, illuminated by a stray beam of light from the window, was forbidding and a chill ran up and down Daniel’s spine as he looked on. On his forehead was a brand similar to Teal’c’s, only plain instead of golden. It wasn’t Apophis’ symbol, rather one that Daniel was unfamiliar with.

Not knowing what was expected of them, Daniel decided to try reason. He rose stiffly from his position on the floor and moved towards the imposing figure. "Hello. I’m Daniel Jacks……ooph!" The words were abruptly cut off as a fist swung out, connecting violently with the archaeologist’s jaw. Daniel went down hard, landing in a sprawled heap near Sam. He looked up from the floor, rubbing gently at the already forming bruise. Despite the intense ache in his face he couldn’t help his next words. "You could have tried shaking hands you know."

The Jaffa growled. "Silence. You will speak when spoken to and not before."

Teal’c rose smoothly from his position on the floor. He, too, had noticed the strange tattoo. "Whom do you serve?"

The Jaffa turned to the former First Prime, taking careful note of the mark on his forehead. If he was angry with Teal’c for ignoring his previous statement, he didn’t show it. "If you are allied with Apophis, why are you with these?" He cast a disdainful glance over Daniel and Sam.

"I am no longer in service to Apophis. I know him for who and what he is and will not serve a false God. I ask again, whom do you serve?" Teal’c held his ground as the Jaffa took a massive stride in his direction, nor did he flinch at the blow that landed on his cheek.

The Jaffa took a step back and contemplated the man in front of him. Teal’c’s reaction pleased him. It spoke of great control, something many of his men were lacking. "I am Leg’nor. I serve no God."

Sam broke into the conversation. "If you don’t serve, then what is that mark for?"

Leg’nor addressed only Teal’c. "My mark is my own. I lead the Jaffa of this world. They, too, bear my mark."

"I do not understand. Where were you trained? Who was your master?" Teal’c had spent many years training under Master Bray’tac before ever coming into Apophis’ service. It was the life of a Jaffa that they began training at a young age, soon after receiving their prim’ta.

"I have no master. I trained myself as I now train others."

Sam and Daniel exchanged looks before turning questioningly to Teal'c, each wondering about this strange statement but quickly losing the chance to ask.

Leg’nor snapped his fingers loudly before turning back towards the door. "Enough of this. I have many questions that you will answer." Without another word he left the room, only to have three more Jaffa enter in his wake. All bore zat guns which they carried with the ease of practice. None spoke, but the gestures they made with the weapons were sufficient to carry out their orders.

Mutely, Teal’c crossed the small room to help Daniel back to his feet. The young man seemed okay despite the vivid color rapidly appearing on his face, although he looked like he might be nursing a headache. Sam rose and together the three team-mates followed the first Jaffa out the door, followed closely by the other two.

They were led out into an open compound. The sun was getting low, confirming Teal’c’ suspicions that they had been held for a number of hours. The three friends were lined up side by side. A Jaffa escort stood guard behind the team members while Leg’nor paced back and forth in front. None of them were bound in any way, but the ring of armed men lining the compound suggested that to attempt an escape might not be prudent at this time.

"Where do you come from?" The question was barked out, addressed to all of them. With barely a look at each other, all understood that silence was the best policy. "Who are you?" The team neither spoke nor moved in any way. Leg’nor was apparently not a fan of passive resistance as he marched up and landed a vicious backhand across Carter’s face.

Teal’c fought his urge to lunge at the man, holding himself in check. He knew he would be stopped before he could accomplish anything, nor would the Major appreciate the effort. She had proven herself a worthy adversary on many occasions and needed no-one to fight for her.

Sam’s head snapped to the side with the force of the blow but she righted herself quickly, unwilling to give the Jaffa the satisfaction of knowing he’d hurt her. "I guess you subscribe to the ‘ladies first’ theory, huh?" Apparently that was not the right thing to say as another blow landed, sending her vision swimming. This time she was slower to regain her composure and she fought hard against the urge to wipe at the trickle of blood coming from her nose.

Daniel wasn’t sure what to do. He knew he couldn’t say anything but he also couldn’t stand by and watch this guy beat on his friend. "Stop it!" The unbidden words burst forth before he could stop them.

Leg’nor had raised his hand to strike Sam again but checked the motion as Daniel spoke. "I told you not to speak."

Daniel levelled a challenging glare at him. "You also asked a question. Which one do you want? Silence or answers? You can’t have it both ways you know." Daniel held Leg’nor’s gaze as the man walked towards him.

The big Jaffa apparently failed to appreciate the less than subtle approach Daniel had taken. "Insolence! I will not tolerate such attitude!"

"Well that’s one I haven’t heard before." Daniel knew he was asking for trouble but couldn't help himself. It was as though he felt the need to make up for Jack's absence. The Colonel never failed to provide amusing repartee in situations such as this.

At a gesture from Leg’nor, the guard standing behind Daniel moved forward, grabbing the archaeologist’s arms and wrenching them backwards and up. The young man was forced to double over in an attempt to keep his shoulders in their sockets.

"It is a simple enough question. Why do you not answer?"

Daniel forced himself to look up at Leg’nor. "Because you didn’t ask nicely."

If the Jaffa was angry before, he was furious now. He launched a blow at Daniel’s midriff, the man bending over even more in response. Groaning softly, Daniel mumbled under his breath. "Thanks, Jack. Of all the people I could take lessons from, it had to be you."

"Where are you from?"

"No." The reply was gasped out.

Another hit. "Where are you from?"

This time Daniel didn’t speak, merely shaking his head which had fallen forward, his body still hanging from the guard’s arms.

Leg’nor moved towards him, grabbing the injured man by the hair and forcing his head back. Daniel’s face was white and pinched, his pain evident. "I ask you again, where are you from?"

Daniel merely held his gaze, saying nothing.

"Bah!" Leg’nor released Daniel’s hair, the man’s head falling forward once again. "If you won’t answer me……," he sidestepped until he stood in front of Carter, "….perhaps you will?"

Sam stood tall, matching his look. "Don’t count on it." The blow that caught her this time staggered her but somehow she managed to retain her footing. Her mind was muddled, though and her sight hazy.

Judging by her slightly dazed expression, Leg’nor realised he’d get no answers from her for some time. He moved down the line to Teal’c. "So, will you be the one to tell me?"

Teal’c’s face revealed nothing.

"You do not fear me." Leg’nor observed.

"No."

"Why?"

"I have stood against worse than you and survived." Teal’c said the words calmly, passively, but a hint of pride still shone through.

Leg’nor nodded. "So, you do not fear for yourself. But what of your friends? Will you give me my answers to save them, or do you wish for them to die slowly, knowing that you could stop me at any time?"

The turmoil in Teal’c’s mind never revealed itself on his face. He knew his friends would never forgive him for talking, just as he would not want them to give in for his sake. He had learned a great deal about bluffing from his poker lessons with O’Neill. It was his belief that Leg’nor was indeed bluffing at this point. Leg'nor didn’t have his answers and Teal’c did not believe the man was ready to give up any potential sources of information at this point. Making his decision, he looked at the Jaffa, "They did not answer you, nor will I."

Leg’nor stared in disbelief. He had expected the traitor to Apophis to provide him with his answers. He had not counted on his loyalty to his friends. His first inclination was to kill all three prisoners but practicality won out. He needed to know who they were and why they were here. Had the System Lords found him out? Were they plotting against him and sending these three as spies, or was their arrival here merely coincidence? Either way he planned on killing them, but he needed his information first. Deciding he needed to rethink his strategy, he waved an absent hand at his guards.

Sam and Teal’c were able to move back to their cell on their own, Daniel supported between them while the guards prodded them along.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack finally approached the encampment just past nightfall. It had been over twelve hours since his team was taken and he'd managed to cover just over ten miles in that time. Had the terrain not been so rough he knew he would have been able to cover more ground.

Scanning the area, he saw nothing save the buildings and sentry towers. He counted four towers in all, each manned by a single guard. He also spotted an additional four ground sentries. Thankfully they appeared to patrol within the perimeter of the camp. He hoped there were no scouts in the woods but he kept himself on the lookout just in case.

Pulling his binoculars from his pack, he surveyed the camp. He counted six buildings. One appeared to be a barracks judging from its size. Another was the kitchen, the telltale smells of cooking wafting up in his direction. A third seemed to house some sort of generator. The area was well lit and the power had to come from somewhere; he made an educated guess as to its locale. He studied the other buildings to see what they might be but as of yet, he had no clue, although he presumed one must be an armoury. He studied the encampment for signs of his team, but again it was impossible to tell at this point. The courtyard was set up with climbing equipment and a crude yet obvious obstacle course, leading Jack to believe that this was some sort of training facility. That gave him some hope. If these people were training, that meant they might have some weakness he could prey upon; he hoped so anyhow. He resumed his study of the camp, watching for anything that might help.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

General George Hammond looked out through the window of the control room, absently studying the ring standing idle below him as he stood, lost in thought.

It had been quiet these last few days. As he thought about it, he realised that it had in fact been rather peaceful since SG1 had left for their current mission. The halls were no longer filled with the excited voices of Major Carter and Daniel Jackson as they hashed over some new theory about the inception of the Goa’uld. Even more noticeably missing was the loud, confident, somewhat sarcastic voice of the leader of SG1. Hammond snorted at that thought. Who was he kidding? O’Neill wasn’t somewhat sarcastic, he personified the word. Equally missing, though not verbally, was the large, reassuring presence of the fourth member of the team. Despite his somewhat reserved nature, Teal’c’s mere presence inspired hope in those that met him. Hope that things could and would change in time. That their enemy was in fact fallible.

Hammond smiled briefly as he thought about the team. He would never admit to it, but this group of people were among his favorites under his command. They never ceased to amaze him with their daring, loyalty and friendship; all qualities he admired. He was glad the last report they’d sent from their current locale was so favorable. Not only did the planet seem to have some potential for both mining and potential colonisation, but the team sounded rested and strangely invigorated. He knew instinctively that the distance that seemed to surround them lately had closed and he was grateful for that.

The sound of the large security doors opening in the Gateroom drew him from his thoughts. SG3 strode into the room, gathering at the base of the ramp, geared up and ready for their mission to P54 3P9. They had been to the planet on previous occasions and had struck a rapport with the locals. They had been requested back in the hopes of striking a trade agreement. The General had been quick to give the go-ahead.

Hammond looked over and gave the order to dial up the planet. As the Stargate spun into life, the chevrons locking, he called down to the waiting team. "Good luck, people."

SG3 turned in unison, throwing a salute in his direction before turning back to face the ramp. Chevron 5 engaged and the ‘gate continued to spin, heading for the sixth symbol. It reached it’s desired glyph, the calliper drew back…then stopped, sparks suddenly showering the room.

Hammond looked at the scene. "What the hell?" He took a deep breath, analysing the situation before turning to Simmons, who sat working the controls. "Can you redial?"

"Negative, Sir. The gate is locked."

"Damn." Two strides took him to the phone mounted on the wall of the control room. "This is Hammond. I need Sergeant Siler and a maintenance team to the ‘gate room." Without waiting for a reply he hung up, heading back to the microphone. "SG3, we’re facing a delay. Stand ready and I’ll keep you informed." With that he exited the control room, moving down the stairs and entering the ‘gate room mere seconds before Siler and his team.

"What have you got, General?"

Hammond pointed to the now dormant chevron. "It sparked then froze. We attempted a redial but it’s locked."

Siler walked up the ramp to stand under the chevron in question, studying it carefully. "I think I see the problem, Sir."

"Good. Now can you fix it?"

"I should be able to, Sir. It might take a while, though. The calliper seems to have cracked. I’ll have to remove it to see how extensive the damage is…" Siler’s voice tapered off as he set his mind to the task at hand.

"How long will that take?" Hammond waited somewhat impatiently for the answer that was not forthcoming. "Sergeant?"

"Oh, sorry, Sir. What was the question?"

Hammond suppressed a smile. One of the things that made the SGC tick was the dedication of his people, in all capacities. He knew Siler would give the problem his full attention, not stopping until the job was done. "I asked how long it will take."

"I wish I could tell you, Sir. If the problem is contained to the calliper it shouldn’t take too long. I think the wiring may have shorted, though, that’s why you saw sparks. If that’s the case it will take a bit of time."

"All right. Do what you can and keep me informed of your progress."

"Yes, Sir." Siler looked over at his team, calling out instructions, apparently oblivious to the fact that he had not yet been officially dismissed.

Hammond turned to the still waiting team. "SG3, stand down. We’ll reschedule when we know more." He watched as the team left the room before looking back over at the crew now swarming over the gate. He realised that not only could he not send any teams until the repairs were made, he also couldn’t get any teams home. Thankfully all were on safe planets and in no danger. Heaving a sigh he turned and left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack spent the next fifteen hours studying the Jaffa camp, the layout, the surrounding area and the men residing there, paying particular attention to shift changes. It was a seemingly long time to waste in observing, but experience had taught him that schedules didn’t always remain the same around the clock. Many times security actually increased after dark and he needed to know if in fact the same held true in this situation. He wanted to know not only when they rotated, but also what they did before and after. He paid particular attention to his team’s cell. It hadn’t taken long to determine that the only guarded building was the most likely place they’d be. While he debated about staying longer in the hopes of seeing his team in the flesh, he knew that time was ticking away. It was a hard call in some ways, easy in others. Taking one long, last look at the camp, the internal struggle apparent in his eyes, he left. While he hated the thought of leaving his team behind, he knew he had to go for reinforcements. He wouldn’t be doing his people any good if he were captured without informing someone of their situation.

Jack had no idea how many miles he travelled that day. Between the hike to the Jaffa camp and the trek to the Stargate he'd lost track. Despite the distance, however, he made good time. All through the long hike he paid close attention to the terrain, subconsciously looking for any advantages to be found. His past training had ingrained the need for constant awareness. It never hurt to know both your enemy and ways to defeat him. Not all conflict was won with weapons; sometimes ingenuity was a soldier’s greatest asset. The ability to turn ones environment to his or her advantage was something that should never be underestimated. It was something that had saved his life more than once in his past.

For once Jack was grateful for the physical conditioning the Air Force insisted on when he finally reached the clearing where the ‘gate stood. He'd gone without rest since the previous morning and had covered an untold number of miles in that time. Not giving in to his fatigue, however, he walked up to the DHD, pressing the glyphs confidently. Despite letting the others routinely perform this task, he knew Earth’s address like the back of his hand. So it was that he was completely surprised when nothing happened. The glyphs were all lit but the ‘gate failed to react. He tried redialling. The outcome was the same.

"Dammit!"

Trying to understand what was happening, he leaned down and opened the panel at the base of the device, peering in to check the circuitry. He didn’t really know much about the DHD. That was Carter’s department, but to his eye everything looked in order.

Each member of the team had been given basic training on DHD mechanics since the devices had been known to fail from time to time on off-world missions. While they couldn’t replace major components, they could affect minor repairs. In this case, though, there didn’t appear to be anything wrong. Closing the panel, Jack tried dialling a third time. The result mimicked the previous two attempts. Frustration taking over, he kicked the base of the pedestal hard, only to hop around on one foot as his toe protested the action. "Smart, Jack. Just break your foot why don’t you? ‘Cause that’s really going to help matters."

Hopping over to the stairs leading to the ‘gate, he sat down, wiggling his toes back and forth within the confines of his boot. Jack looked thoughtfully back at the DHD, trying to figure out his next step. He was torn. If he waited at the ‘gate in the hopes that the problem was temporary, his team might suffer. He could try another planet, but the SGC wouldn’t be at the other end, and if he went back for his people now, it would be him against a garrison. While that might be appealing in a paintball fight, this was life or death, with his team standing in the direct line of fire. Still, he needed to find out if the problem was on Earth’s end or his.

Standing slowly, Jack walked back to the DHD, trying Earth one last time. When the Stargate failed to engage again, he turned away, thinking. He wracked his tired mind for another destination he might try. Unlike Daniel, he didn’t have a ready rolodex of addresses in his head. Finally the symbols he needed came to him and he punched them purposefully into the DHD. When the ‘gate failed once again, he knew his decision was made. He would free his team and deal with the ‘gate issues later. He hoped that Carter would be able to discover and fix the problem that blocked them from Earth and that their escape route off this world wasn’t lost to them.

This time as he entered the woods he took a different route. He headed towards their base camp, hoping it had eluded discovery by the Jaffa. He needed some supplies if he were to be successful in his rescue campaign.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The team lay quietly the dark. Each was lost in their own thoughts, trying to figure out a way to escape and barring that, a way to save themselves while they awaited rescue. None dared to question if help was on the way; to them it was a matter of when. They knew Jack would come through. They just needed to buy him the time he needed. To do that they needed to stay strong, both mentally and physically.

The only significant change in their situation was their location in the room. They now stayed together against the furthest wall from the door. Leg'nor hadn't seen fit to provide much in the way of basic comforts. He'd adamantly refused to allow them to leave the small building. His only concession to their basic needs was to provide a small bucket for their waste. The experience was both humiliating and degrading. In a small act of defiance on Sam's part, the bucket was placed near the door where Leg'nor was sure to encounter it on his next visit. The added benefit to the action was that the slight breeze wafting in from a crack in the door frame helped to clear away the noxious fumes.

To this point they had been left alone since their return to the cell. Teal'c estimated that almost twenty-four hours had passed since they were questioned. During that time they had been given neither food, water and the lighting situation hadn't improved. It was still dark and dank in their cell. Unable to see each other to check for injuries, they had to content themselves with a verbal assessment.

Daniel appeared to be the worst off. He didn’t seem to have suffered any internal injury, but he was extremely sore. He wondered to himself if he hadn’t broken a rib but he kept that information to himself. After poking himself in a crude attempt at an examination he came to the conclusion that while bruised, his ribs appeared intact.

Sam had a raging headache. She couldn’t tell if her vision had recovered fully, given their environment, but she wondered about having a concussion. Since she remained fairly lucid, she doubted it but wasn’t about to rule it out. Besides, there was nothing she could do about it at this point anyhow and worrying about it wouldn’t change the facts. Given that, she did her best to ignore her symptoms, difficult as it was.

After a long, sleepless night, the sun finally rose, its faint rays piercing through the grimy window, allowing the trio to recognise the start of a new day. Hopefully it signalled their last day in this place. The quiet was quickly shattered as the door to their cell once again flew open, Leg’nor’s surly visage greeting them. "Get up!" He left without waiting to see if they obeyed, although the Jaffa standing on either side of the door pretty much guaranteed their co-operation.

As before, they were led into the compound. It was just past daybreak and they desperately tried to shield their eyes against the morning light, the transition from their darkened cell to the bright sunshine proving painful, especially to Sam’s still aching head.

They were lined up once again, the ever-present guards taking their positions at the team’s backs. Daniel was tempted to comment on their lack of originality but wisely held his tongue.

Leg’nor paced in front of them in a scene reminiscent of the previous day, the only exception being the staff weapon carried by a fourth guard who stood nearby. Not wasting any time, Leg’nor resumed his questioning. "Where do you come from?" He was not surprised by the ensuing silence.

This time Daniel took the first hit, the blow catching him on the jaw in the same place as before. Slowly he placed his hand on the bruise, rotating his jaw back and forth to make sure it wasn’t broken.

Leg’nor simply smiled at him before striking him again. Daniel knew he’d have a heck of a shiner when they got home. The funny thing was, he’d always wanted one as a kid, thinking it would make him look tough. Now that he had one he realised they just plain hurt.

Leg’nor panned his gaze over the other two. He took note of their set expressions and the way they refused to look at Daniel. Changing tactics, he moved in front of Sam, standing uncomfortably close to her. He leaned in closer and she could smell his rancid breath as his mouth moved next to her ear. "You are a lone female in a camp full of lonely men. I can make your stay pleasant, or not……your choice."

It took supreme willpower, but Sam stood firm, her eyes set and staring straight ahead, refusing to allow him the satisfaction of knowing how much he scared her.

Shaking his head in disbelief he moved in front of Teal’c. "What about you, former servant of Apophis. Will you speak?" The silent stare answered his question. He spun on his heel and strode over to the waiting guard, grabbing the staff weapon and whirling on his prisoners. In a subtle move he activated the weapon, the jaws parting, electricity crackling ominously from the opening. He moved it back and forth in front of the team, taunting them. "If you do not answer my questions I shall be forced to take more persuasive action." He lined the weapon up with Sam. "I ask again. Who are you?"

Sam knew how much that shot would hurt, if in fact she survived it at all. Still, she had a duty to her friends and her planet to hold out as long as possible. Steeling herself, she looked at him, smiling slightly. "Go to hell!"

"As you wish." Leg’nor grinned ferally at her. The weapon discharged but Sam was not his target. He’d swung it away at the last moment, the blast taking Teal’c in the side and throwing him to the ground where he lay, his hand clasped tightly to his wound.

Leg’nor walked over, standing alongside the downed man. He looked up maliciously, taking in Sam’s shocked expression. "Are you prepared to talk to me now or should I proceed?" Without waiting for a reply, he kicked Teal’c hard, his foot connecting with burnt tissue. The Jaffa couldn’t withhold the groan that issued forth.

Sam looked away, unsure of what to do. Her actions prompted another kick, a soft oomph coming from Teal’c as the air exited his lungs in a rush.

Leg’nor was somewhat surprised. "He is your friend and yet you do not come to his assistance? Has he not suffered enough? Perhaps that is the problem?" Judging his next blow carefully, Leg’nor kicked Teal’c a final time, this time in his pouch.

Daniel was beside himself. He looked frantically around for something he could use to stop the assault on his friend. It didn’t take long to realise that they were on their own. He had no gun, there was no cavalry swooping in to rescue him and physically he was no match for his tormenter. Instead he turned to his best weapon…..his words. "Like you we come from beyond this world," the words tumbled out in a rush. Daniel didn't exactly know what to say, he just knew he needed to say something....anything to get Leg'nor's attention off Teal'c.

Leg’nor turned away from Teal’c to face the young man, sarcasm lacing his words. "Thank you for that. I might not have figured that out on my own."

Daniel knew he would have to play things carefully. This man was obviously no fool, but he did appear to possess the same arrogance as the Goa’uld. He hoped to use that to his advantage. "We came through the Stargate, the Chappa’ai." He looked over to see how Leg’nor was taking his words. Luckily, he didn’t appear to be insulted yet. "We travel from world to world, searching for new civilisations."

"For what purpose?"

Daniel heaved a quiet sigh of relief. If he played this carefully he might get this to work. At the worst he’d get Leg’nor to think things through, at best he’d gain them a reprieve. "To learn. To exchange knowledge and to make alliances."

Leg’nor’s eyes narrowed. "Alliances against whom?"

Daniel thought quickly. He didn’t know how tied to the Goa’uld this Jaffa was. His impression was that this was a rogue unit but he had no way to be sure. He realised, though, that as humans the obvious answer would be the Goa’uld. He could fall back on the excuse that his people were enslaved. It was a stretch of the truth, but close enough to be believed. "The Goa’uld."

The Jaffa nodded. "What did you say your home planet was?"

"Um, I didn’t."

The look Daniel was treated to told him that he’d better come up with something and quick. Already Leg’nor was closing the gap between them, the man’s presence intimidating in itself. "I don’t know how to tell you. We use symbols to designate the worlds we travel to."

Leg’nor halted his progress. He looked at Daniel thoughtfully for a moment, as though judging his credibility. Finally he moved away, allowing Daniel to breathe again. He walked to the edge of the encampment where a woodpile had been stacked. He rummaged through several pieces of kindling before finding a satisfactory piece. He carried it back, presenting it challengingly to Daniel. "Show me."

The words brooked no argument and Daniel reached gingerly for the offered implement. He ran through the series of addresses stored in his considerable memory before deciding on one that might work. Crouching down, he ran his hand across the ground in front of him, trying to smooth out a large enough workspace, all the while conscious of the guards who moved ever closer. Taking great care, both to give himself time to think and to allow Teal’c some time to recover, he began to scratch out a series of glyphs. When he was done he stood slowly, handing the stick back to Leg’nor without a word. He took a step back, moving himself in line with his team.

The Jaffa moved until he was in a position to read the address. He studied it for several minutes before resuming his place in front of the team. He looked at Daniel for a long moment, his face impassive. Daniel began to wonder if that talent was a part of a Jaffa’s training. The silence stretched out, along with Daniel’s nerves. He geared himself up to make a comment when Leg’nor finally moved. He directed a discreet nod at the men forming a barricade behind the team. The air was promptly filled with the sound of zat guns discharging once again into SG1.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

General Hammond was growing impatient. The repairs were taking much longer than he’d anticipated. As a result he’d been unable to communicate with his off-world teams. While he knew they were safe, they had no way of knowing if the same situation held true for the SGC.

He wanted the ‘gate fixed and he wanted to bring his people home. It frustrated him that despite being in this technological stronghold, with the power of the President at his fingertips, he still couldn’t talk to his own people.

Sighing heavily, he turned back to the rapidly shrinking pile of paperwork on his desk, picking up yet another requisition form and reading it in an attempt to keep his mind off his bigger problem.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This time it was Daniel who recovered first. Without seeing outside it was hard to judge the passage of time, but given his growing hunger he thought it had been a while since Leg'nor had ordered them shot. He moved to the unconscious Jaffa’s side, his muscles protesting the activity. He didn’t like the looks of his friend. The Jaffa's skin was cold and clammy and his complexion was paler than usual. Daniel lifted the charred remains of Teal’c’s shirt to check the wound underneath. While it looked as though it might have healed somewhat, given the pink scarred edges, it was still an obviously nasty injury. Daniel was pretty sure that the final kick might have hurt Teal’c’s symbiote, slowing the healing process. Not having any water or supplies handy he was unable to clean or dress the wound. He sighed heavily at his inability to help, finally lowering Teal’c’s shirt to cover the sight of the burnt flesh.

A slight sigh alerted him to his other team-mate. Daniel looked up to see Sam sitting, elbows on knees, her head held in her hands. "You okay?"

She looked up at the words, wincing slightly as the movement exacerbated her pounding headache. "I’m fine, Daniel. I’m just a little tired and these naps don’t seem to be helping." She cast a reassuring smile in his direction but Daniel couldn’t fail to notice that it never reached her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Actually, she was ravenously hungry, sore and thirsty, not to mention tired. Sleeping on a dirt floor and knowing someone was standing outside your door ready to shoot you at a moments notice didn’t exactly lend itself to a good night’s sleep. Compounding her physical complaints was her sense of guilt. She felt terrible about letting Teal’c get hurt. He was her friend and she could have spared him such harsh treatment. Her head recognised that she had done the right thing but her heart was having a little trouble with the concept. Sam decided it was time to change subjects. She knew Daniel was worried about her, but talking about her feelings wasn’t going to help change their situation. "So, what address did you give him? I didn’t recognise it." She had tried to read it but her eyesight had been slightly blurry at the time, a fact she wasn’t prepared to reveal at this juncture. Since it seemed better, she decided it wasn't worth worrying about, especially since it was beyond her control. It was time to focus on what she could do which seemed to be precious little at this point

"P4G 881." Daniel looked slightly worried, wondering if he had made the right decision.

"The primordial world?" Sam was surprised and rather pleased at the answer. "Why there, Daniel?"

"I don’t know. I knew I couldn’t give him the right address. Without knowing if he was just testing us or if he was actually prepared to check, I figured I’d better send him somewhere other than Earth. I just thought that one might be believable. I guess I’d hoped that if they did go, the organisms might make it difficult for them to leave. You know, after what they did to Jack and Simmons." Daniel groaned as he realised how unsuccessful his ploy had been, how easily he’d been caught in the lie. "I’m such an idiot!"

"Daniel, don’t beat yourself up about this. Who knew he’d be familiar with Stargate addresses. At least he doesn’t know the truth and that’s something. Now we just have to keep him from learning anything for as long as we can. We need to give the Colonel as much time as we can to get help." Sam leaned back into the wall, wondering how long that might actually entail.

"He may not have know it for a lie, but merely anticipated the ploy." Teal’c’s weak voice came as a surprise.

"Teal’c, you okay?" Daniel looked down at his friend’s face, noting the slight sheen of sweat on his brow.

"I will recover."

"How is, um, Junior?"

"My symbiote has suffered an injury of its own. It is healing, but will take some time."

Sam sighed. "Until then it can’t help you, can it?"

"No."

"Teal’c, I’m sorry." All of Sam’s guilt and worry were conveyed in those words.

Teal’c understood that she had no choice in her decision. "Do not concern yourself, Major Carter. You had no choice. I will be fine. For now, though, I will attempt to meditate. My symbiote is weak and I have to conserve my energy." With that he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing.

Sam nodded silently, her guilt slightly diminished by the Jaffa’s words.

Daniel returned to the previous conversation, hoping to distract her.

"What did Teal’c mean when he said Leg’nor might have simply guessed. He’s assuming we’re lying to him?" Daniel wasn’t sure how to take that.

"Maybe. It’s not the first time a prisoner has given false information. In fact, it’s kind of expected. Or maybe he believed you and simply wanted us out of the way."

"If that’s true that he thought I was lying, then we can give him almost any address, including Earth’s and he’ll never know the difference." Again Daniel was unsure what to do with that information. Intrigue was more Jack’s department than his. He tended to trip himself up in the double talk.

"Unless it happens to be a world he’s familiar with." Sam realised that feeding false information could prove to be a double edged sword.

"Right." Daniel had initially sat up straighter at the thought that they might have the start of a plan. He slumped back at Sam’s words. "That wouldn’t be good."

"Not good at all."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack peeped up cautiously, looking over the rise at the nearby buildings. His body lay stretched out full length in the dirt, his clothes somewhat tattered and torn, blood spotting the fabric.

Four long days had passed since his team had been captured and he was more than ready to put an end to their incarceration. Without knowing their condition, he focussed on his role in the rescue. He was counting on taking the burden of the rescue squarely on his own shoulders. Experience told him that Sam, Daniel and Teal'c would likely be pretty weak at this point, physically and emotionally. No-one was held hostage for that length of time without paying some price for it.

He had developed his plan of attack over the last few days and was now finalising the details before implementing it. Jack had been forced to make a lot of assumptions about his foe and he could only hope that his experience and intuition served him well this time. His plan depended on a lot of factors, not the least of which was that the enemy would react as he would in a similar situation. It would require careful timing, lots of luck and all of his skills. He only hoped he was up to the task.

As he peered through the binoculars he could see the guards changing shifts. Glancing at his watch he could see they had stuck to their schedule. Watching the outgoing shift carefully, he was pleased to see they were following their pattern he’d noted from before. They headed for the kitchen area of the camp. Jack knew from watching that meals were served in tight shifts. The guards were only allotted one half hour for their meal before they were required to retire to their barracks.

Shrugging his shoulders to relieve some of the building tension, Jack checked his watch again. He was anxious to start the ball rolling but forced himself to wait. As the saying went, timing was everything and jumping the gun would jeopardise more than just himself. He smiled grimly as he mentally ran his plan through his head once more. While he felt he’d covered all the bases, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he was missing something……..something important. There was something about this whole scenario that wasn’t sitting right with him, besides the obvious, but the answer continued to elude him. Finally he simply shook his head and tried to concentrate on the here and now. If there was something, he’d simply have to deal with it when the time came and hope it wasn’t too costly an error.

Thinking back over the last few days, he retraced his steps, running a mental checklist of his actions.

As much as Jack wanted to march in and demand to see his people, he knew that was wishful thinking. He had to rely on their talents and knack for survival to see them through this and hope that they were fit enough to make the trek home. So many ifs……Still, Jack couldn’t help but feel a slight rush of excitement run through him. It had been a while since he’d felt like he’d contributed anything substantial to the team. So often they seemed to rely on Carter’s science, or Daniel’s linguistics and cultural abilities. Teal’c’s knowledge of the Goa’uld had helped them out on many occasions, not to mention the Jaffa’s brawn that had quite literally dragged their butts out of harm's way many times over. While all contributed to the success of the team, he felt his contributions of late had been waning. This was his chance to do something, to show that he was more than just a figurehead full of inane comments and less than helpful ideas. Out of the entire team, and perhaps the SGC itself, Jack was the most qualified to mount this sort of rescue - a somewhat dubious distinction, but his to claim nonetheless. During his time in black ops he’d spent a great deal of time in jungles mounting similar operations; extractions of men and women, both allies and enemies alike - different jungles - same trees. This was something he had spent his life training for. A contest of wits, skills and intellect. He’d used every trick he knew; now he had to hope it was enough. At least he knew he’d tried; he just had to hope that his team had not suffered too much in his absence.**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam woke up after a restless sleep to find that Teal’c hadn’t moved much during the night. He appeared to be sleeping, but despite wanting to check his injuries, she didn’t want to disturb him. Instead she made her way over towards Daniel who was showing signs of rousing. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed him clutch at his abdomen in obvious pain. "Daniel?"

The archaeologist fully awoke at the sound of his name, pulling his hand away from it’s protective hold against his mid section. Sitting up, he adjusted his glasses, which had amazingly survived this incarceration thus far. "Hi, Sam. Nice morning, isn’t it?"

Grinning in response, the Major looked around their room, the scant amount of light trickling in proving just enough to see by. She was surprised to notice a second bucket near the door, one that had not been there previously. She rose and moved over to it, sniffing suspiciously at the contents. Sensing no discernable odour, save the obvious one drifting over from their waste bucket, she picked it up and carried it back to her spot for further investigation. Dipping her finger in the fluid contained within, she quickly came to the conclusion that it wasn’t corrosive, at least.

If she had ever thought it was strange that someone might be so suspicious of simple water, she didn’t now. She wouldn’t put a stunt like that past Leg’nor; and she knew from stories she’d heard during training that he was mild in comparison to some captors.

She cupped her hand and scooped out some of the liquid. It was definitely dirty but appeared to be water. Still hesitant, she touched her hand to her lips, tentatively licking them. Finally satisfied, she grabbed the bucket and carried it over to Daniel. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised questioningly. "As near as I can figure it’s water. Rather dirty and warm, but water."

"Ah well, beggars can’t be choosers." Daniel wrinkled his nose in distaste but filled his cupped hands and drank nevertheless. While he’d definitely had better, it at least helped to quench his thirst. He only hoped it wouldn’t make him sick. He didn’t think his sore stomach could handle that right now.

Finally having drunk his fill he settled back in his spot, resting his back against the wall for support. When Sam caught his eye he nodded his head towards Teal’c. "How is he?"

Sam sighed. "Truthfully, Daniel, I have no way of knowing. I didn’t check his burn yet since he seems to be sleeping so soundly. I guess it’s just a matter of waiting while he heals."

"How badly do you think his symbiote was damaged?"

Sam shrugged. "It must be okay or he’d be a lot worse off by now. I think it might have just been stunned. Teal’c is the best judge. He’ll let us know when he wakes up."

"You mean if he wakes up." Daniel couldn’t keep the worry from his voice.

"Daniel. Teal’c will be fine and the Colonel will come and get us. It’s just going to take some time."

"How much time does he need?" Daniel was getting frustrated and angry. He had no control over his situation and he was worried about his friends. Sam was exhibiting signs of a mild concussion, not to mention the colorful display showing on her face that must surely hurt. Teal’c was injured and they had no way of knowing how badly. He was hurting too, although he wasn’t about to tell Sam that; besides, he didn’t think his own injuries were too bad. "I mean, it shouldn’t take that much time to get to the gate, line up some help and get back……..should it?" He was unable to keep the trace of worry from creeping into his words.

"It’s okay, Daniel, I’m worried too. Maybe the rescue ran into a patrol or something. Besides, we have no way of knowing how far we are from the gate. It might have taken the Colonel a long time to get there." She rested her hand on Daniel’s, both of them needing the reassurance.

"Yeah, I know. It’s just that……"

"Daniel. It will be okay. We’ve been in much tougher spots than this before." Sam looked around their confines. "I mean look around. We’ve got a door, a window, …" she looked for something more to comment on but came up empty, "…….dirt…," her words ground to a halt, leaving Daniel to pick up on her lead.

Daniel smiled. "A bucket……"

She smiled back in appreciation. "Yeah." A low groan sounded. "Teal’c?"

Daniel moved alongside his friend.

Teal’c looked up, his expression lightening when he saw Daniel’s face. Despite using Kel-no-reem to heal, he’d still been plagued by images of his friends’ suffering while he watched, unable to help. It came as a relief to see that reality had proven different from fantasy. "Daniel Jackson. You look well."

Daniel smiled. "Yeah. Sam and I are good, although she could really use a shower at this point."

Sam looked around for something to hurl at him, unable to come up with anything. She resigned herself to throwing him a dark look, the effect somewhat negated by the twinkle in her eye.

Teal’c lifted one eyebrow in amusement. "As can you."

Daniel chuckled. "Touché, Teal’c." Looking down at his friend his expression changed. "How are you doing?"

Teal’c struggled to a sitting position using Daniel for leverage. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment, assessing his condition. When he opened them again he noticed that Sam had moved to join them, both friends now looking worried. "My symbiote has not yet fully recovered, although it is healing. Soon, however, it will be able to repair the damage from the staff weapon."

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Sam knew the question was kind of moot. They had no supplies, no food, and water too dirty to clean anything with. Still, she felt like she needed to do something……anything.

"There is nothing. I simply need to rest."

Sam grabbed the bucket and moved it closer. "You should at least drink something before you become too dehydrated."

Teal’c looked at her, not really wishing to drink but knowing it would make her feel better. "You are correct, Major Carter. Thank you." When he saw her smile he knew he’d done the right thing. Cupping his hands, he sipped at the tepid water before leaning back once again.

Seeing how weary their friend looked, Daniel gestured to Sam to join him on the other side of the room.

"So, what do you think? Will he be all right?" Daniel spoke in hushed tones so as not to disturb Teal’c who appeared to be sleeping, or at least using kel-no-reem once again.

"I think so. As long as Leg’nor doesn’t shoot him again, I think he’ll recover."

Daniel looked around the room pensively, biting absently on his lower lip.

Sam noticed his actions, curiosity setting in. "What?"

Daniel looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "I’m trying to figure out what’s going on here."

Sam’s blue eyes narrowed in consternation. "What do you mean?"

"Well……." Daniel hugged his knees to his chest while he thought about what was troubling him. He was having a hard time expressing it as he couldn’t really put his finger on the problem. He decided that maybe talking through his worry might help him clarify it in his head. "……I’m trying to figure out Leg’nor. What is he? Is he really a Jaffa?"

"I assume so."

"Can’t you tell?" Daniel knew that Sam had an instinct or sixth sense about these things; yet another legacy from Jolinar.

"Usually I have to get close to the person or touch them to get a sense of the Goa’uld within, Daniel." Seeing the question forming on his lips, she interrupted quickly. "No, getting hit by him doesn’t count. The contact needs to be longer than that and we haven’t exactly been keeping close quarters with the guy."

"Okay. So, let’s assume that he is in fact a Jaffa. He says he serves no System Lord and he has no master. What’s he doing here then?"

"I guess it’s like he says. It’s a training ground."

Daniel was beginning to think Sam really had suffered a concussion. She didn’t appear to be thinking things through the way she normally would. Usually she was the one to put forth the questions. He tried to slow down his train of thought, hoping she would see where he was going. "Training for what?"

"For battle I would imagine."

Daniel was getting exasperated. "Battling who? Other Jaffa? System Lords? There has to be someone. You don’t just take a bunch of Jaffa, or pseudo Jaffa, to an uninhabited world, start training them and then just sit around. They’re here for a reason." Daniel looked at Sam, pleased to see that his concerns were finally sinking in, judging by her expression. "They’re either on the run from somebody, or on their way to somebody."

"Who?"

"How should I know? I was hoping you might have an idea." Daniel didn’t mean to show his frustration but it was getting hard not to. He was starting to feel very alone in a vast sea of uncertainty and he really wanted company.

Sam was getting angry herself, biting her lip to hold back her retort. She could see how annoyed Daniel was getting and understood that it was somehow her fault, but it was just so hard to think clearly right now. She was tired and hungry and her head still hurt. It was simply taking too much energy to pay attention. "I’m sorry, Daniel. I wish I knew the answers but I don’t right now."

Daniel blinked hard as he heard the fatigue in her words. Suddenly he felt like a heel. He knew she wasn’t up to par, yet here he was pushing her. "Sam, I’m sorry. You’re right. Neither of us have the answers and we probably won’t get them either. For now we should just rest. We need to be alert when Jack comes for us."

Sam felt her anger slip away as she leaned over and rested her aching head on his shoulder, sighing heavily before allowing her eyes to close.

Feeling her shiver slightly, Daniel wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He felt her body relax as she drifted off. Tired as he was, though, he couldn’t fall asleep. His mind was whirling with unanswered questions. If Leg’nor was against the Goa’uld then he would have let them know at the onset of their capture, especially since Teal’c had told him he was against Apophis, a leading System Lord. Why then was he so worried about two humans and a Jaffa? Did he think they were spies? If so, for whom? Unable to come up with any answers, Daniel felt his own eyes grow heavy and his thoughts began to drift. Soon the two teammates were asleep.

The day past in a strange montage of sleep, strange dreams and wakeful frustration. With little water left, no food and no unscheduled appearances by either Leg’nor or his goons, it became apparent that Leg'nor was switching his way of thinking to the psychological rather than the physical way of trying to coerce his prisoners. Since he couldn't bully them with violence, it appeared as though he was going to try to weaken their resolve.

What the Jaffa hadn’t gambled on was their understanding of this tact. Between a still healing Teal’c, a slightly concussed Carter and a rather bruised and sore Daniel, the time was put to good use. There was little talk or movement as the three individuals rested and recuperated, preparing themselves for the next round they knew would inevitably come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking at his watch again, Jack realised that it was time to act. He palmed the remote detonator, pulling up the antennae before taking a deep breath and counting to ten. Finally he pushed the button, his action confident. The result was immediate. The four sentry towers blew simultaneously, taking their guards with them. Seconds later the building housing the generator exploded, forcing the machinery into a similar action, the area immediately plunging into darkness and chaos.

The foot sentries came running when the towers blew, only to get caught by the fallout from the further explosions. Jaffa emerged from their barracks, their confusion evident as they tried to shake of the last remnants of sleep.

Jack moved closer to the camp, waiting for the next step. As expected, while some of the soldiers were trying to arrange for lighting, the majority headed for the armoury. Hoping he had timed things properly, he waited with baited breath. On cue, his final load of C4 did its work. The shed blew, the explosives causing the roof to rise vertically, the blast temporarily lighting the area before darkness fell once again. Men ran about completely thrown by events and unable to form a cohesive unit.

The second the remaining C4 kicked in, Jack went to work. He used the explosion and the ensuing bedlam to provide the necessary distraction for the next phase of his plan. He went immediately to the building where his team was being held. He was surprised to see that the guards had not left their post but was not unduly worried. He carefully checked his surroundings, hiding in the shadows. He made a slight hissing sound, the noise barely heard above the chaos. Still, it was a foreign enough sound for the nearest guard to pick up on it. He moved cautiously, tilting his head to listen as he moved nearer to Jack’s location, his weapon drawn.

As the guard came into range, Jack acted, his movements a blur. A single chop to the hand disarmed the Jaffa, while a simultaneous blow to the temple ensured a long sleep for the downed man. Jack relieved him of his keys and weapon, tucking the zat into his waistband. He moved around to the backside of the building, pressing himself against the rough walls and trying to meld with the material. His quiet movements were ghostly and he was alongside the remaining guard before the man could register his presence. With a strategic blow and some fancy footwork, the guard was laid alongside his fellow unfortunate while Jack relieved him of his staff weapon. Before the rest of the garrison clued into what was happening, Jack was unlocking the door separating him from his team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the sounds of the first explosion, the team awoke out of an uneasy sleep, slightly disoriented and unable to figure out what had happened. By the second set of blasts they had a pretty good idea and rose to their feet, prepared to move out when the opportunity arose.

A grating sound was heard in the lock and none were surprised when the door opened. While the fires backlighting the area made it impossible to make out a face, the voice was unmistakable.

"Hey, kids, you miss me?"

"Jack! You made it." Daniel couldn’t hold back the relief in his voice at the sight of his friend.

"Yeah, I’m happy to see you guys, too, Daniel, but let’s save the reunion for another time. Right now we have got to go." He looked around the room, barely able to see his team's expressions, but still able to make out the slouched positions that spoke of fatigue and more. "Can you guys move?"

"We can, O’Neill." The Jaffa’s voice held a slight note of strain, something that didn’t escape Jack’s notice.

"Right. We’re out of here." He handed his newly appropriated zat to Sam and presented Teal’c with the staff weapon before leading the way out of the building. He let them move past him while he pulled up the rear, providing cover as his team slipped into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leg’nor was angry. In truth, he was beyond angry. He’d been caught by some falling debris from the munitions shed which pinned him to the ground and prevented him from moving. It had taken a few minutes before he’d been discovered and even more time before the heavy roofing could be moved. By the time he’d been freed, remarkably uninjured, his prisoners were already gone. He wanted to set off after them immediately but his men were still reeling from the destruction. He needed to rally them, assessing and reorganising before he could send them out. Besides, he knew the captives were weak; they wouldn’t make it too far before they could be overtaken.

He looked around, fire in his eyes. Not only had his captives slipped through his fingers but half his camp had been destroyed. He wanted the person or persons responsible for this act and he wanted them now. He would deal with their punishment personally upon their capture. Shouting out orders he began to rally his remaining men. After scavenging through the wreckage, they were able to retrieve some weapons. The deceased guards had been armed, and while the bulk of the armoury had been destroyed, a few weapons had survived. It wasn’t much, but Leg’nor felt it was sufficient for the task. He watched as his men formed ranks, his eyes narrowed as he mentally organised the division of his remaining resources.

Twenty-two of the original thirty Jaffa remained. Three of those were too badly wounded by the shrapnel thrown about from the explosions to offer any assistance in the hunt. Despite their obvious difficulties, they would be left behind, unarmed and without help, to guard what little remained of the camp. Of the remaining men, several sported minor injuries but that was of no concern to him. As long as they were mobile he was sending them out. He was well aware that his enemy was wily and now had the escapees as backup. To him that meant dealing with the issue in one fell swoop...no mercy, no quarter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they’d moved a safe enough distance away to escape detection, Jack broke out the flashlights he’d taken from their camp. While the moon was full, it failed to penetrate the forest canopy to any significant degree and traversing the woods remained a dangerous proposition. Jack pushed the team hard for several hours, needing to put some distance between them and the Jaffa. He also had to lead them safely past his traps. The last thing they needed was to inadvertently set one or more off of the devices. Finally he felt it was safe to call a brief halt to the march.

Turning to face them, his eyes narrowed as he took in their appearance. All looked ragged and tired, the artificial light from their flashlights accentuating that image. Each had a gaunt look to their faces, suggesting little food or water since their capture. Both Daniel and Sam’s face were badly bruised. Daniel sported a rather vivid black eye and Sam's cheekbone was obviously swollen and discolored.

Daniel sat down, his body slightly hunched, his arms folded protectively over his abdomen and his jaw shadowed in color. While looking understandably tired, he appeared alert and ready to participate in whatever venture Jack had planned for him.

Teal’c was the most worrisome. He appeared to be in significant pain, his breathing too rapid and slightly shallow, his frame resting heavily on the staff weapon, which now served a dual purpose as a crutch. Still, the Jaffa seemed to be coherent and judging by his expression, ready to fight. Jack grinned inwardly, not the least surprised by any of them. He’d known they’d find a way to manage.

"Okay, Teal’c. Here’s the deal. I need you to get Carter and Daniel out of here. I’ve set up a rendezvous point 4 miles due west of here in a straight run for the 'gate. You’ll know it when you see it." He looked at the wounded man, concerned he was asking too much of him. "Think you can make it?"

"I can, O’Neill."

Jack still had his doubts until he looked the big man in the eyes. What he saw there provided all the reassurance he needed. His team would be there when he arrived. As surely as Jack knew that Teal’c possessed neither a map nor a compass to help him reach his destination, he knew the Jaffa would get his team there safely. It was one of the givens he’d come to accept during his friendship with the former First Prime. If Teal’c said he’d do something, it was done. If he said he would see Daniel and Carter to the meeting place safely, then Jack knew that would be the case. Teal’c was a born tracker and with or without mechanical assistance he’d find the meeting place. Jack breathed a silent thank you that Teal’c had forsaken his former God in lieu of helping the Tau’ri. He knew that part of his plan hinged on Teal’c being able to carry out his role.

Daniel looked over. "What about you, Jack? Aren’t you coming?"

"Not just yet, Daniel. I’ve got a few things to take care of first."

Sam’s ears perked up at that comment. "What are you going to do, Colonel?"

Jack looked at her, noting the worry in her eyes. "Just run a little interference, Major. Nothing to worry about."

"Then we should stay and help."

"Negative, Major. Your job right now is to get yourself and the rest of the team to safety."

Daniel tried to cut in. "Jack…."

"Daniel." Jack shut him up with a look. "Listen. You guys need to get out of here. I can’t afford to be worrying about you right now." His voice softened at the expression on the younger man’s face. "Listen, I’ll be fine. I’ll meet up with you before you even know I’m gone. Okay?" He looked to see the acceptance in the faces of his teammates.

"Be careful, O’Neill."

"You got it, Teal’c." Jack was touched by the concern his friends were showing him, but for now he needed to get moving. He straightened up, putting on his CO face. "Right. I need you guys to move. Go straight there and I’ll meet up with you soon." Jack watched as Teal’c went to Daniel’s side and helped the man to his feet. The archaeologist pulled away from the Jaffa’s help as soon as he was vertical. He didn’t want to tax Teal’c’s strength any more than necessary.

Sam pulled herself up, looking somewhat unsteady, but she quickly regained her balance and moved to offer Teal’c her help. He shook her off politely and she didn’t press the issue. Instead she looked back over her shoulder to her watching CO. "Good luck, Sir."

Jack grinned at her. "Thanks, Carter." He moved to her side, handing her the second pack he’d kept with him, all without comment. Stepping back, he nodded his head at his disappearing teammates. "Now get! I don’t want to beat you guys there."

Sam offered a weak smile in return before looking away. Seeing that Teal’c and Daniel had already begun to move out of the clearing, the light from their flashlights bobbing in time to their movements, she hastened to join them.

Once all three members of his team were on their way, Jack turned back to the matter at hand. He had some rats to catch and he wanted his bait in just the right place. He moved off into the woods silently, heading with all speed to his next destination. He knew he needed to put some distance between himself and his team. They weren’t ready for a confrontation at this point and he owed it to them to give them time to recover. Plus, if he wanted to be perfectly honest with himself, he was looking forward to the next few hours. He had a few surprises planned for his pursuers, but first he needed to get into position.

Doubling back towards the Jaffa camp, he made good time and was now back on the overlooking bluff, taking in the action below. The burgeoning dawn pushed back the night and slowly lit up the area, allowing Jack better visibility.

The leader was dividing up his forces. Out of the twenty-two survivors, only nineteen Jaffa were in any condition to mount a search and the leader was busy grouping them into teams.

Nineteen men stood between Jack, his team and the Stargate. Jack wasn’t foolish enough to think his people could simply make a run for it and get away. Not only was there an apparent problem with the DHD, but his people were tired, injured and in no condition for a confrontation. Even at the best of times their chances in this situation would have been slim; now they were almost non-existent. He had to increase their odds, and if that meant taking out each and every one of these Jaffa to ensure his team’s safety then he’d do it.

Concentrating on the matter at hand, Jack watched the leader’s progress. Apparently he’d decided on a three pronged attack pattern. As he watched, the first group moved out opposite to Jack’s hiding place, their angle suggesting the Stargate as their destination.

They were the largest of the three groups; that in itself suggested to Jack that they were likely the least trained or skilled. The leader had undoubtedly assumed that he could make up for their weaker skills with greater numbers. By sending them out first, and by choosing the Stargate as their direct course, the leader had placed them in the role of front line troops; as the first ones to see action, they were considered the most expendable. Jack had seen this tact used before; it was the equivalent to brawn versus brain, and to him that just improved his odds of taking them out.

As he watched their progress, Jack nodded to himself. This division of troops was what he would do if put in a similar situation. Luckily, he’d counted on that. The leader’s actions had his men moving right into Jack’s traps. A second team consisting of five men moved to leave, heading directly towards Jack. Again, this was according to plan. Jack grinned ferally. These men were so predictable. That’s where the advantage turned to him. His tactics were anything but.

A third and final group remained. Again only five men were in it; a group led by the leader himself. Jack knew instinctively that he was looking at the most dangerous faction of this garrison. Unlike most of his men, this Jaffa had the look of an experienced soldier. He wouldn’t be taken as easily as the others.

While logic would dictate that Jack try and take out the leader first, he knew that if he failed in his attempt, the man had plenty of help remaining. It would be a simple matter of recapturing Jack's team once again, as well as himself. Without having been able to contact Earth for help, SG1 would have no ace in the hole to play and escape would be near impossible.

Instead, Jack elected to take out the others first, leaving the leader to the end. He wondered if perhaps the man might fall to one of his traps but wasn’t about to bet on that eventuality. His greatest weapon would be the speed in which he dispatched the rest of the forces. With that thought in mind Jack pulled back, silently moving in an intercept course with the second group.

He ghosted through the woods, determined to be in position to attack when the Jaffa finally reached him. He’d already picked out his hiding place; one that afforded good cover, yet even better visibility.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leg’nor watched as the first of his three teams headed off. He was confident in his strategy, moreso than in his men. Still, he felt sure that they would recapture their prey in no time. He watched the second team move off, then led the remaining group into the woods. It was hunting time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam quickly caught up with Teal’c and Daniel. She knew they were moving as swiftly as possible, but still couldn’t help but worry that they might be overtaken by the patrols that were undoubtedly looking for them. She didn’t know what the Colonel had up his sleeve, but she hoped it was enough to buy them the time they needed.

As she thought about it, though, she had to wonder what had happened while they sat in their prison. The Colonel had arrived without back-up and was looking somewhat the worse for wear. Still, his eyes held a gleam she had never seen before. While his demeanor was suitably worried for them, his expression spoke of a unvoiced excitement. As she stumbled through the woods following whatever path Teal’c had picked out, she thought about that.

She wondered what it was like for him leading the team. She knew he was intelligent, certainly above the average intellect, but he had to feel somewhat intimidated by her and Daniel’s multiple PhDs. Teal’c at least held a similar background to the Colonel, given his training as a Jaffa, but he too had the advantage and experience that his age provided. The Colonel held a different background, one surrounded in mystery and intrigue. She’d often wondered what hid there, but like the others she knew she may never find out. Instead, they simply looked to him for leadership, a quality he excelled at but one that seemed somewhat inconsequential at times, given their team dynamics. Suddenly a light went on as Sam realised what she’d seen in his eyes. It was so obvious to her now; he was feeling useful, challenged and eminently in his element. She wasn’t sure whether to be happy for him, or saddened that it took a situation like this to make him feel needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time the second group reached Jack’s new position, they were already one man short. Jack grinned as he thought about how effective his branch trap had been. Since it was a relatively simply thing to construct, Jack had made heavy use of the technique throughout the woods. His hope was that this Jaffa would not be the last to fall to the ruse.

When the Jaffa tripped the wire spread across the ground, the tree boughs that were doubled back on themselves released, catching him in the chest and throwing him back. The force of the blow drove the unfortunate man into a nearby tree trunk. He fell and did not rise again. The rest of his group was forced to proceed without him.

Jack had been keeping tabs on their progress. While always keeping ahead of them and out of sight, he’d still needed to know their position and their status. Now he had one less man to deal with. Unfortunately, the success of the trap meant they were now keeping a closer look out. Still, stealth tended to compromise speed and at this point Jack needed the time. He still had more men to deal with and not much time to do it in. Every minute he took meant one less minute his team had to get to safety and recover from their ordeal.

Jack knew he wasn’t underestimating his team’s abilities. Had they not been captured they would have been fighting by his side, but that wasn’t the case. He wasn’t about to take three injured, traumatized people and send them up against a garrison if he didn’t absolutely have to. Now that he had two of them armed, he at least had the comfort of knowing they could defend themselves against attack if any of the Jaffa made it to their position. In the meantime, he was going to keep them as safe as possible and that meant taking out as many men as he could.

As Jack watched the four men approach, he thought about his plan of attack. This time he elected not to go with subtle, but the direct approach. Before he could second guess his actions, he stood, revealing himself to the enemy. "Hi guys. Looking for me?" Jack fired both zats he carried, his shooting proving accurate as two of the Jaffa fell instantly, their bodies writhing under the effects of the electrical current before slowing as they lapsed into unconsciousness.

Before the remaining guards could process what had happened, Jack dove to the ground rolling and firing in tandem. While the third guard was caught, the fourth reacted. He shot his staff weapon, the blast landing right alongside Jack. The Colonel’s hair stood on end from the charge and he could feel the heat of the energy pulse as it passed by. A second shot was levelled at him. This one managed to graze his leg even as he fired his own weapon. His shot proved the better and the fourth man fell.

Jack sat up for a moment, catching his breath and examining his wound. Luckily it hadn’t done too much damage. He’d had worse. The outside edge of his upper thigh had caught the shot, the line of scorched flesh testament to how close he’d come to losing the fight. Thankfully the injury looked worse than it was. The muscle remained unscathed and the damaged was largely superficial. It was painful but not debilitating and he knew he could go on.

After tearing a small strip of cloth from the bottom of his shirt, Jack bound the wound. He was satisfied with his handiwork and promptly put the injury behind him. He’d deal with it later when he had time.

"Strike one," he murmured to himself. He paused for a moment, looking at the unconscious forms on the ground in front of him. He was momentarily nonplussed at how effective the zat had been against them. While the weapon could usually drop its target, it didn’t tend to render them unconscious, merely temporarily incapacitated. Still, Jack was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth and he wasn’t about to argue with the results. However, now that he had them, he debated what to do with them. He was loathe to kill them, despite knowing that’s what they would have done to him. He knew they were only acting under orders and death was a pretty severe punishment for doing that. On the other hand, he couldn’t chance either their escape or their discovery. Finally he made his decision.

Satisfied that none seemed near to regaining consciousness, he reached into his pocket, drawing out the plastic strips they’d adopted for securing prisoners. Within minutes he had each man bound. He was careful to check each man, ensuring that their arms were behind them, their wrists and ankles secured. He tore up a shirt he’d withdrawn from his pack, gagging each one. Following that he stripped them of all weapons. He stashed a retrieved zat gun in his vest pocket but gathered up the rest of the weapons and zatted them into oblivion. While he would like to have kept more, he knew the extra weight would slow him down and he was sufficiently armed at this point. Taking a final look around and pausing to listen for any overt signs that he’d been detected, Jack left the group behind and moved on to his next lookout.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After pushing himself hard for several hours, Teal’c found himself weaving along the unseen path he was instinctively following. Knowing he had to stop and rest, he slowed his pace until Carter caught up.

She had been taking up the rear, knowing Daniel wasn’t up to that task. Her face was pale against the bruises coloring her skin and sweat trickled from her brow to trace a course through the dirt smudging her face. Still, it was worry that clouded her eyes, not hardship. "Are you alright, Teal’c?"

"I will be fine, Major. However, I do find myself tiring and I hoped we might rest for a few moments before continuing on."

Knowing she could count on one hand the number of times Teal’c had actually admitted to weakness, Sam knew he had to be suffering. She studied the man carefully, noting the lines of fatigue and pain seldom seen on his face. She nodded, hoping that there wasn’t more going on than simple exhaustion, an unhealed staff weapon wound and a recovering symbiote; not that this wasn’t enough to cause anyone difficulty, including the stoic Jaffa. Turning her sights on Daniel, she noted he didn’t look much better. "How are you doing, Daniel?"

He looked over at her, his eyes looking slightly glazed. "Um, fine. I think. Yes, no…..um, yes, I’m okay. You?"

"Daniel, sit down before you fall down. That’s an order."

He looked over at her, surprise registering in his expression as he stubbornly remained on his feet. "You can’t order me. That’s Jack’s job, and no offense but you don’t look much like him."

Sam couldn’t contain the short laugh that burst forth. "Thank God for small favors." Her words grew serious. "Daniel, as long as the Colonel is out there," she gestured expansively, "I’m in charge. Now come on, sit down."

Daniel’s expression remained stubborn.

Sam sighed. She knew he was only trying to assert some control over his situation after their experience in the camp, but now was not the time for it. She decided to appeal to his sense of fair play. "Daniel, I can’t sit until you do and I’m tired."

"You don’t play fair, do you, Sam?" Still, he sunk to the ground, his expression somewhat petulant.

Sam grinned, noticing that Teal’c looked similarly amused. "Well, it worked didn’t it?"

Daniel looked away, muttering. "At least Jack doesn’t use guilt. He just yells."

"What was that, Daniel?"

"Nothing. Just talking to myself." A slight flush rose on the archaeologist’s cheeks as he realised he’d been overheard.

Sam couldn’t help ribbing him a little, hoping her efforts would help to restore a sense of normality, despite the injured trio sitting on the wet earth in the middle of a jungle on a planet occupied by hostiles. "That’s not usually a good thing, Daniel. I guess we’ll let it go this time, though. Just let us know when you feel the need to answer yourself, okay?"

Daniel smiled, accepting the comment for what it was and appreciating the concern behind it. "You got it. Now, anyone got some food stashed away? I’m starving."

Teal’c looked up. "I am sorry, Daniel Jackson. I have nothing to offer."

Daniel looked down for a second to hide his disappointment, before flashing a grin at his friend. "That’s okay, Teal’c. I knew that would be the case. I was just hoping."

Sam was about to comment when she remembered the pack the Colonel had given her. She pulled it close, lifting the flap that covered the cinched neck. Her eyes lit up as she saw the collection of food within. "Guys, look." She tilted the open pack for the others to see.

Daniel whistled in appreciation. "Where did you get that?"

She grinned. "The Colonel gave it to me just before he left."

Daniel’s grin matched hers. "Way to go, Jack." He reached over and drew the pack from Sam’s hands, taking the items out one at a time and handing them around. He unwrapped a nutrition bar that tasted surprisingly good. Talking around a mouth full of nuts and granola, he eyed the tempting fresh fruit, all while opening a sealed container of water. "Jack must have hit their pantry. This stuff didn’t all come from field kits."

Teal’c swallowed, his empty stomach appreciative of his offering. "Indeed. It seems as though O’Neill might well have infiltrated their camp before destroying it."

Daniel held up the water, looking around at his friends as he made a mock toast. "Here’s to Jack. Annoying, sarcastic, pain in the ass CO and good friend that he is." He took a deep drink, savoring the clear, sweet taste before passing the container on.

Sam held it up in a similar manner. "Here, here." Her eyes closed as she drank, the water tasting like the finest nectar after the filthy stuff they’d been given.

Teal’c merely nodded his assent, though he was no less thankful for the gift. He knew that his symbiote had suffered from the lack of food and water, more than he himself. It was one of the contributing factors in his slow recovery. His symbiote possessed great powers of recuperation but that same power came with huge energy requirements. Had he been able to eat and drink his fill, he would have been much further ahead in his recovery. With this meal he knew it would begin to heal more rapidly, although it would take some time. At least now he and his team had a fighting chance. He could only hope that their wayward friend was as successful in his efforts.

Finally full, Daniel continued to rummage through the pack, noticing it still seemed a little heavy despite all they’d taken out. Feeling his way to the bottom, his hand connected with something solid. Pulling the object out, he grinned as his took in its appearance. It was a field issue first aid kit. Jack had really done his best to provide for them.

Opening the kit hastily, he set about treating Teal’c’s wounds, pleased to be able to finally clean the burn and give his friend some much needed relief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack hid behind a large stump, the remnants of what must have been a most impressive tree who’s now rotted remains stretched off into the distance. He peered surreptitiously over the weather worn edge, his eyes sharp as he looked for signs of his pursuers. Mentally he calculated how many would likely be coming and which route he could lead them on for maximum effect. He’d laid his traps carefully, but his chances of maximum success relied heavily on how well they played the game.

Concentrating on the task at hand, Jack couldn’t suppress his grin as the first Jaffa appeared in the distance. Muttering under his breath, he counted the growing numbers of them off as he watched the distance between them and his hiding spot disappear. "That’s right, boys. Time to play. Good thing I always won at war games. Now it’s time to teach you the rules. Rule number one, I always win." With that, Jack finally acted, his movements exaggerated and meant to draw attention without seeming that way. He wanted to be seen, without looking like he wanted to be seen.

He drew back from his cover, darting off to his left and running at a right angle to the pursuing group. As expected, he was spotted quickly, the Jaffa veering off and breaking ranks, running haphazardly while trying to gain ground on the lone man. He had the tactical advantage of memorising the lay of the land and he was determined to put that knowledge to work for him. Jack ran on through the light underbrush, jumping over tree roots that seemed determined to trip him up and ducking under low lying boughs, all while slowly putting some distance between him and the scattered group.

Approaching a small clearing, Jack employed an age old diversionary technique, one so basic that most children wouldn’t be taken in by it. In his mind, that meant it was worth trying. Even if the Jaffa didn’t believe the ruse, they’d have no choice but to check out the possibility. Rule number two in the Jack O’Neill handbook. Never overlook the obvious.

Jack knew this tactic better than they did. While they would recognise the decoy, they couldn’t be sure whether it was a ploy intended to throw them off, or if he had actually taken that route. It was a game of ploys and crosses within double-crosses, the winner determined by who was best able to play the game.

He ripped a small strip from the bottom of his t-shirt and hooked it over a branch, just past the edge of the clearing. Moving swiftly, he took off in the opposite direction, melting into the bush with ease.

Running once again, Jack finally reached his desired destination some distance from the clearing, pulling up abruptly, his chest heaving with the exertion of the run. Not taking the time to regain his breath, he quickly scaled the large oak tree immediately ahead of him, preparing his attack. He’d been so successful in putting his previous leg injury out of his mind that it neither slowed him down nor affected him at all at this point. Had he given it any thought, it wouldn’t be the case. Right now it was a simple exercise in mind over matter, but as soon as he had time to really think about it, he’d begin to feel the wound’s effects.

He didn’t have to wait long for his pursuers as a disturbance broke the stillness of the woods. Five of the nine men from this party appeared in plain sight. Jack smiled knowingly, his assumptions correct. He knew they would split at the clearing. The false trail couldn’t be ignored. Now he had fewer to deal with in each group, a fact which suited him perfectly. Waiting patiently as they drew near, he studied their positions. Two men stood together near the base of his tree, two others moving in opposite directions while the fifth covered their rear. Needing to get them closer together, Jack reached into his pocket, drawing forth and throwing an acorn he’d collected earlier in anticipation of such an occasion. The noise caused the desired reaction, drawing the rear guard forward, the other two whirling in place and focusing in on his location. Knowing their positions would most likely not improve and that time was running out before they found him, he decided to act.

Mentally visualising his attack, Jack proceeded. He slammed his knife into the tree trunk, severing the vine he’d strung there the day before. The men below looked up at the sound of metal on wood, drawing their weapons as they caught sight of their prey. Before a single shot could be fired, their expressions changed. One man turned just in time to catch sight of the log barrelling down on them, suspended horizontally from sturdy vines.

Once he’d cut the rope, Jack turned his attention to the peripheral guards, zatting one before the log had even moved. The remaining one dropped in the same manner at the exact same moment that the log crashed into the scattering group. Jack smiled in satisfaction as they dropped like bowling pins. Raising his fist, then dragging it down to meet his knee, he couldn’t help himself. "Yes! Strike two!"

He acted quickly after that, knowing that the noise might attract unwanted attention. Dropping from his perch, he checked to make sure that none of the Jaffa remained conscious. When one of the men hit by the log showed signs of reviving, Jack was quickly to zat him into prolonged unconsciousness.

He made short work of trussing and disarming the men. As before, he destroyed the weapons then headed off, satisfied that his prey was sufficiently dealt with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam allowed the team to rest for another half hour after they’d finished tending to Teal’c’s injuries. The food and water had gone a long way to restoring their strength and peace of mind. The rest of the trek to the meeting place no longer seemed so onerous and they felt a renewed sense of hope that they would escape their situation. After gathering up their supplies and taking a few minutes to cover their tracks, the three headed off into the woods once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack frowned as he studied the situation. He knew the rest of the party had followed his false trail, but he hadn’t counted on them splitting further. While he’d tracked one group somewhat easily, he was unsure of the location of the other two. Now he found himself facing a dilemma. Did he deal with these ones then move on, or chance that the others might find his prisoners, or worse, his team?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leg’nor led his men in a crisscross pattern through the woods. While a straight line would have taken him directly towards the Stargate, the only way off the planet barring a ship, he wanted to keep tabs on his other men. The runners he sent for check ins continued to report back with growingly dismal findings. The numbers of his men seemed to be dwindling but he didn’t know why. He assumed they were merely spreading out in a wider search pattern, but he couldn’t be sure. That assumption was quickly dispelled when one of his men found himself caught in a snare.

The Jaffa was peering into the woods ahead, intent on catching a glimpse of their quarry. He was unaware of what lay underfoot until he found his feet bound together by vines that cinched tight. He was quickly flipped into an inverted position and went soaring higher and higher into the air. His movement finally came to a halt when he reached a dizzying altitude and he hung there, bobbing up and down like a float on a fishing line.

The snare was attached to the top of a young sapling. Jack had scaled the straight young tree, attached a long twisted vine at its crest and thrown himself off the top. His weight and momentum had served to bend the sapling over, at which point he was able to lash the trunk and snare to the ground, the surrounding ground cover hiding the peg staking the whole thing into position. When the Jaffa stepped into the trap, the peg was knocked free and the tree returned to its natural position, complete with a hitchhiker.

Leg’nor looked up at his man dangling in mid air high about the ground. He contemplated the effort required to scale the tree and cut the rope to release him but decided it wasn’t worth it at this point. His man would soon regain his bearings and figure out a way to free himself. He had no qualms at all about moving on and leaving his man behind. Now that he knew it wasn’t going to be a straightforward hike through the woods, he didn’t want to waste any more time. After all, this had become a contest of sorts; the survival of the fittest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack finally decided to leave the men as they were and go after the others. He had stressed about his decision but finally came to the conclusion that is was better to look after the unknown than the known. These men were a safe distance from anything of importance. They were making slow progress through the woods, their hesitant actions spoke of inexperience in this type of situation. Jack was confident he could find them again. What worried him was where the other Jaffa might be. He felt he would be able to track them; what he didn’t know was whether they were nearing anything they shouldn’t be.

The decision made, he set out on the obvious trail the Jaffa had left behind. They had taken no care in hiding their tracks, yet another sign of their lack of training. More and more Jack had to wonder about these Jaffa. They acted unlike any he’d come across before.

As it turned out, his worries proved unfounded. The two men he was tracking were quickly located. He didn’t need to do anything more with them. From the looks of things, one had found his pit trap and fallen in. He’d either grabbed for the other, or the crumbling earth had done the job, but both were down at the bottom of the deep earthen shaft. Jack kept his distance, but could easily hear the voices that told of their survival. He debated for a moment about zatting them to ensure their silence, but he was confident they had made the least progression of all the teams. That put them out of hearing range of the others, with the rest of the Jaffa increasing the distance between them. Jack felt pretty confident that they were no longer a threat in any manner at this point. Knowing the men had their work cut out for them in getting free, he headed off to deal with the remaining two from the first team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was some time before Teal’c led the ragtag trio into the clearing the Colonel had prepared for them. By now they were hungry, tired and sore. Still, they were free and hopeful that they would be home soon. As Sam threw down the pack she’d insisted on carrying, Teal’c and Daniel sat down against some logs, grateful for the chance to rest.

Daniel caught his breath, then looked over at the man beside him. "How you doing there, Teal’c?"

"I am sufficiently recovering. My symbiote has improved since our last rest and is now working on healing my injury."

Sam listened in as she moved about the clearing, trying to figure out why the Colonel had chosen this place to meet. It didn’t appear any different than the last half dozen clearings they’d come across. Then she saw it. At one edge the forest had grown thicker, appearing almost matted. As she approached, she saw how the foliage seemed unnaturally dark, as though no light was coming from behind. Pushing her hands through the plants, parting them to allow her better visibility, she saw what the Colonel had obviously picked up on, although how he’d spotted this given the time he’d had was beyond her. The dense ferns and bushes were covering the entrance to a hollowed out tree trunk, the enormous tree soaring high above the forest canopy; a perfect cover and easily defendable hiding place. She pushed her way through the greenery to investigate further. The natural cave appeared huge. The tree was easily the size of one of the Redwoods found in California and boasted more than enough room for the three teammates. Upon entering, she saw the blankets he’d left for them and a small single cooking stove, complete with a can of fuel. Aside from a small pile of MRE pouches, the cave was empty. To Sam it seemed like Shangri La.

In no time at all, Daniel, Sam and Teal’c were eating their first hot meal in days. Between the MREs and the rest of the food from the packsack, they were doing well. After picking out the order for guard duty, Sam and Teal’c fell comfortably asleep, warm, fed and dry. As Daniel kept the first watch, he wondered how Jack had managed all of this. Clearly he hadn’t wasted his time while the team was in prison, but why he was apparently operating alone made no sense. Where was his back-up? Why hadn’t he stayed with the team when he first rescued them? Why was Daniel warm and dry while his friend was out in the woods someplace doing God only knew what? And how did Jack know how to do this survival thing so well? Daniel scanned the area around him, hearing and seeing nothing that might answer his questions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leg’nor was moving carefully now. While he didn’t know exactly what was happening to his command, he understood intuitively that his numbers were rapidly dwindling. All he knew for sure was that he still retained the three other members of his group.

They’d gone some distance from the camp but were not making progress as fast as he’d hoped. Since he hadn’t taken a direct route to the Stargate, he and his men still had a ways to go.

One high point was that he had recently come across evidence of a person or persons making their way through the woods. While some care had apparently been taken to obscure any tracks, there still remained the odd tell tale sign.

When the trail appeared to split in two, Leg’nor had to decide which avenue to pursue. With no choice, he elected to split his group into two teams. He and one guard took the right path, his Second in Command took the left along with the fourth member of their team. After only having been parted for about five minutes, an ear piercing scream was heard in the distance and Leg’nor knew he’d just lost another man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack was making his way methodically towards his waiting team. He’d tracked the final group and realised that they were heading in the same direction. He could only hope that Teal’c had ignored his false leads and stayed on course to the meeting place. Even as the thought crossed his mind, so did the answer. The former First Prime was far too experienced to be taken in by Jack’s obvious attempts at luring their pursuers off course.

Jack had deliberately left a trail for the kidnappers to follow, one that ran part way to the clearing before branching out in different directions. He’d baited the majority of his traps in that area in the hopes of providing his people with both an early warning system and some extra security. He only hoped that the Jaffa were not too good at picking up on his handiwork.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teal’c was now taking his turn on sentry duty. The food and rest had largely restored him to health. While his injury was not fully healed, it was no longer incapacitating.

It was early evening and twilight had colored the area in a hazy blanket when the quiet forest sounds were overridden by a shriek of pain in the distance. Teal’c was immediately on the lookout.

Behind him he could hear the sounds of Daniel and Carter as they woke, the noise having penetrated their slumbers.

"What have you got, Teal’c?" Sam was immediately at the Jaffa’s side, her own weapon drawn. Daniel, being the only unarmed member of the team, hung back but was ready and willing to act.

"I am unsure what has transpired, Major Carter. I heard a scream in the distance but nothing since. Even the forest has fallen silent." He looked over at the young woman beside him. Since O’Neill wasn’t with them at the moment, she was now technically his superior officer. "Shall I attempt to ascertain what is happening?"

Sam absently bit her lip as she thought about her answer. Accurate intel would come in handy, but they were in as safe a spot as she could have asked for and wasn’t sure if it was wise to leave it. "Let’s just wait for a bit, Teal’c. For all we know, that might be the Colonel’s work and he’s counting on us to be here when he comes. Let’s just see what happens in the next while. It’s possible that if it’s a patrol, they’ll go right past us and we can take them out from behind.

Teal’c couldn’t fault her logic and inclined is head silently in acknowledgement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack took out the single guard quietly and with deadly precision. Having heard the scream of the first man, he didn’t know if the rest of the group would come to investigate or continue on. He elected to take out this man then find out for himself.

Jack didn’t need to zat this Jaffa. He wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Still, he took the time to restrain him thoroughly.

Jack continued on, hoping that he could wrap this game up soon. He was tired, hungry and all the scratches, bruises and injuries were starting to take their toll. To top of his growing list of discomforts, the leg wound he’d largely been able to ignore was making itself felt. The muscle felt hot and swollen and he wanted nothing more at this point than a big dinner, a warm bed and an ice-pack for his leg. Still, Jack pressed on, knowing that wouldn’t happen until he got his people home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leg’nor’s progress had all but slowed to a halt. He didn’t really understand how he’d lost control of the situation, nor what to do about it. He had no idea how many of him men were still out there and how many had fallen victim to the cunning traps so skillfully placed in the area.

He debated about heading back to camp to try and regroup his men but understood that time was against him. If he wanted to recapture his hostages before they made the Stargate then he had to press on.

He was prepared to accept losses if it meant recapturing his prey. That was of the utmost importance. He didn’t know if they held any information, but he did know they’d made him look bad and that was unacceptable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teal’c continued to survey the area from the safety of his hiding place. Nothing of consequence had taken place since the scream. His muscles were taut, ready to act, and his nerve endings tingled with anticipation. He was aware of the tension in his two teammates as they created a track in the earthen floor of their temporary home with their pacing. He hoped something happened soon for all their sakes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leg’nor found himself watching over his shoulder with every step. Just as he’d started to relax, confident that he and his companion were on top of the situation, he was proven wrong.

Saphe, the man with whom he had been teamed, had heard a sharp snap off to his side. He couldn’t tell if it was an animal, bird or something more sinister. Like any good commander, Leg’nor ordered him to investigate. He very quickly found himself alone in the woods as a Saphe met with an unfortunate demise.

The sound he heard had been triggered by the judicious use of fishing line. It was strung across the ground and hooked to a small branch. Tripping the line meant breaking the branch, the resulting commotion drawing a reconnoitre. A second line held a young tree bent with an extra expanse strung out for a second trip line. The tree held several sharp branches lashed at right angles to the trunk. Saphe found himself skewered in several places. The whole thing happened too quickly for him to react. A soft sigh marked his passage from the land of the living.

Ironically, had the man been walking just a few feet to either side of the trap, he would never have been caught by the devious device. Fate certainly had a curious sense of whimsy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack was pleased with his progress. While the Jaffa were forced to move slowly, checking for the missing captives, one or more adversary's and for the traps they'd quickly learned were scattered about, he had no such limitations. As such, he was able to traverse a greater amount of area in a relatively short amount of time. As well, the Jaffa were acting as predicted which left him a certain amount of latitude in tracking them. The advantage was most definitely his. He kept a brusque pace and didn't stop for anything.

By now Jack was close to the tree housing his team. He’d gone in a somewhat circuitous route, checking his trapline. Like any hunter, he knew the layout of each and every trap he’d laid. Unlike most hunters, though, he didn’t plan to kill his prey. Neither did he have a use for his captives. He merely wanted them safely out of the way. He’d done a head count of the Jaffa he’d taken out, mentally tallying the numbers remaining. He was quick to realise only one was yet to be accounted for. Not surprising to him was the identity of the man. Jack had known all along that it would come down to him and the Leader. He just hoped he would emerge the victor from their encounter, if and when it occurred.

He felt it was safe to rendezvous with his team. Four against one were odds he was willing to bet money on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teal’c swung the staff weapon in the direction of the disturbance. Daniel and Carter had yet to pick up on anything, but they lacked Teal’c’s hearing. It was one of the many acuities his symbiote enhanced.

"At ease, Teal’c. It’s just me." Jack grinned as he took in the Jaffa’s fighting stance. He could see the man’s condition had improved from their earlier meeting. While even he understood that Teal’c didn’t look 100 %, he was still pleased by what he saw.

"O’Neill. I was not expecting to see you." Teal’c took in his Commander’s appearance. The Colonel’s clothes were torn and bloodied in places and his face was lined with fatigue. Harsh shadows marred the area under his brown eyes and his cheeks appeared more hollow than usual. He could see the scorch mark on the leg of his fatigues and knew there must be an accompanying mark on the flesh underneath. What he also noted was the light in O’Neill’s eyes. While the Colonel had obviously been pushing himself physically, it also appeared as though he’d been enjoying at least some part of this encounter.

"Yeah, well, if we don’t get a move on, we may be in for another guest." Jack looked over as Sam and Daniel made their appearance. "Well, you’re looking a lot better…both of you. See, fresh air and exercise will fix you up every time."

Daniel groaned. "Great. Just what we needed. A perky Jack O’Neill."

Jack pasted a hurt expression on his face. "I'm not perky and if you don’t want me here, I’ll go find someone who does." Jack looked over at the Major who stood just behind Daniel. "Carter?"

Sam threw up her hands. "Don’t look at me, Sir. I’m with Daniel. You are perky and it’s annoying." Sam took a good look at her CO for the first time since he’d appeared. She noticed the same gleam in his eye that Teal’c had. Leaning forward to judge his reaction, she confronted him. "You’re enjoying all this, aren’t you, Colonel?"

Jack’s expression revealed nothing as he looked about. "Keep a lookout there, Teal’c." With that Jack pushed past his teammates and entered the tree where he started gathering up their belongings. As he worked, he muttered to himself. "No respect. I get no respect."

Sam followed his movements with a surreptitious eye. It hadn’t escaped her notice that he hadn’t answered her question.

For his part, Daniel moved alongside to help. He rolled up the blankets and tied them to the bottom of Jack’s backpack. "So, what’s our situation?"

"Well, let’s put it this way. If I had ruby slippers, I’d be clicking them by now."

Daniel rolled his eyes as Jack took a final look around. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Jack looked at him squarely, suddenly all business. "It means that it’s time to go. We’ve got the head honcho Jaffa still out there and he’s not going to be too happy with us."

Daniel sought a clarification. "Who?, Leg’nor?"

"Is that his name?" Without waiting for an answer, Jack left the confines of the tree and motioned his team to gather around. "Here’s the deal. I’ve got most of the Jaffa out of the way, except one. What’s his face is out there and he’s looking for us. As I see it, that means we get to the gate, fix the DHD and get off this planet before he finds us."

Sam jumped in as his words hit home. "Fix the DHD? What’s wrong with it?"

Jack looked at her. "How the hell should I know? All I do know is the damn thing won’t dial Earth. Just about broke my toe on it, too."

Sam did a double take at that last statement but decided to leave it alone and concentrate on the important stuff. "Did it dial anywhere else, or was it just Earth that wouldn’t work?"

Jack tried to curb his impatience. "I tried one other world. It crapped out, too. I thought about dialling up more, but I kind of figured getting you free was more important."

Sam lowered her head, embarrassed for asking the question. After Antarctica, there’s no way he wouldn’t have tried another planet. She should have given him the benefit of the doubt.

Jack took in her expression and felt a twinge of guilt for putting it there. "It’s okay, Carter. You meant well. Listen, you’ll get your chance to check it out shortly. In the meantime people, we have got to go." Jack hoisted the pack he’d become fast friends with over the last while and headed off into the bush without sparing a look behind him.

Sam cocked her head questioningly as she took note of the Colonel’s slight limp. Having missed the leg wound, she attributed it to the toe remark and put it out of her mind before followed her CO. Daniel fell into place behind and Teal’c pulled up the rear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The four friends finally broke through the woods into the clearing that housed the Stargate. Sam led Teal’c over to steps leading up to the gate, lowering him gently to allow him to rest. Despite his continued improvement, he was still weak and he had begun to fall behind of the hike to the 'gate.

Jack glanced over, noting his friend’s choice of resting place. "You’d better be prepared to duck there, Teal’c."

The look Teal’c levelled at him gave Jack cause enough to turn back to his sentry duties.

While Jack stayed at the edge of the clearing watching for any signs of pursuit, Daniel moved over to the DHD. He quickly punched in Earth’s address, holding his breath to see if the ‘gate would work this time. He blew it out in a long, drawn out sign when the device failed to show any activity. "It didn’t work!"

Jack was tired, cranky, hurting and feeling every hour of his age by this point. He looked away from the woods and over his shoulder at the man at the pedestal. "Now why don’t you tell me something I don’t know, like why, maybe?"

Daniel tuned out the smart remark and watched as Sam approached. As she drew beside him he attempted a redial. The outcome remained the same.

Sam looked puzzled. She unknowingly repeated the Colonel’s actions of earlier as she opened the control panel, studying the circuitry hidden within the pedestal.

Daniel looked down at the tousled blond head. "Do you see anything?"

The muffled reply was hard to hear as Sam had her head buried within the confines of the DHD. "It looks okay here." Her voice cleared as she withdrew her head and looked up at the archaeologist. "I can’t see anything wrong, Daniel."

Daniel frowned. That was not the answer he wanted to hear. "Well power doesn’t seem to be the problem, so what else can it be?"

Sam’s blue eyes seemed to bore right through him as she stood, holding onto the DHD for support. "Without anything else to go by, my best guess would be that the problem isn’t on our end. I think something might be wrong at the SGC."

Daniel’s eyebrows lifted, causing his own eyes to appear huge. "What kind of problem?" All sorts of worst case scenarios rushed through his brain.

Sam shrugged. "I have no way of knowing. Until we can get the Stargate to open on their end, we can’t contact them to find out." She turned away from Daniel to search out the Colonel. She spotted him peering intently into the trees, his head tilted as though listening. "Sir?"

Jack looked back at her, his expression vaguely annoyed. "Carter?"

"We think the problem might not be at this end, Sir. Your permission to try another destination?"

Jack nodded absently, clearly distracted. "Do what you have to, Carter. Just get us home."

Casting a final look at her CO, she mumbled. "Yes, Sir." Turning back to Daniel, she gave the go ahead to try another world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unknown to him, Leg’nor moved past the tree the team had used for shelter only a short while after they’d vacated it. While he didn’t recognise the hiding spot for what it was, he did pick up on the trail leading from it. It was clear to him that a group had past through the area recently. Foot prints overlapped in the soft earth and twigs hung in awkward positions, left to dangle in the wind by bodies snapping them carelessly. Understanding the final destination of the group, Leg’nor upped his pace. He no longer concerned himself with worrying about mined woods. If this path held any danger, he’d find out soon enough when he tripped over the bodies of those unfortunate enough to encounter the traps.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. He listened carefully, unable to pick out anything amiss. Still, his gut told him there was a problem and he’d learned long ago to listen to that feeling. It had saved his life on more than one occasion. He lifted the zat, relishing the feel of the smooth material as it sat easily in his hand, as though it had been made especially for him.

He snuck a quick glance over his shoulder and saw his team together. Sam and Daniel stood side by side, head to head, working on the problem of the Stargate, Teal’c still resting quietly on the stairs. He was unaware of his smile as he took in the scene. The smile faded quickly though as he turned back to the woods, his feeling of unease growing. Knowing how absorbed Carter and Daniel were in getting them home, he elected not to disturb them with his concerns. He wondered briefly about mentioning them to Teal’c, but realised quickly that the wounded man would insist on running recon, something he was in no shape for at the present time. Making his decision, he left the clearing, ghosting into the woods.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unaware of his CO’s activities, Daniel was already thinking of another planet he could try. A picture formed in his head and he smiled, leaning forward to input the address. His hand pressed surely on the first and second glyphs, continuing on until he’d input all the co-ordinates. He pressed on the centre hub, expecting the best, only to be disappointed when once again nothing happened. His feelings of frustration grew. "Why isn’t it working? I mean, all the other ‘gates can’t be out of commission can they?"

Sam shook her head, equally confused. "Let’s try the obvious for now and assume you input the wrong address."

"But I didn’t."

"I didn’t say you did, but for arguments’ sake, let’s rule out that possibility."

Daniel dialled the same address with the same result. He looked over at Sam. "See."

Carter decided to ignore the rather childish tone, preferring to concentrate on the problem at hand. She began musing aloud, trying to vocalise her thought processes. "The problem doesn’t seem to be to do with power or the glyphs wouldn’t light. Maybe I missed something." Sam reopened the front panel. This time she manipulated the wires as she worked. "I think I found something, Daniel. Try it now."

"Okay, where would you suggest I try?"

"How about Cimmeria?"

"Okay." Daniel sorted through the library of addresses he held locked in his brain, finally coming up with the right one. He dialled up the planet with sure, accurate movements. This time he was rewarded with the whoosh of an opening wormhole. He turned to grin at Sam who now emerged from behind the DHD, her hair tousled from the odd position she’d held while affecting the repairs. "What did you do?"

Sam smiled, pleased that things were looking up. "It was a shorted wire. It was still attached so I didn’t notice it the first time. A little scour on the contact, a jiggle and voila! It must have happened when we sent the MALP back."

"Well, whatever you did worked." Daniel disconnected the wormhole and began punching in a familiar address. "Let’s see about going home, shall we?" Daniel’s smile fell as the ‘gate refused to activate. "What the hell?" He was about to try once more

when he heard a commotion coming from behind him, stopping his movements. He noticed Sam turning and Teal’c rising, the Jaffa looking intently over Daniel’s shoulder. He turned slowly, expecting the worst, only to see Leg’nor being led into the clearing, one armed pinned behind his back and Jack’s zat pressing none too gently against his throat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack hadn’t gone more than 600 feet when a stray noise caught his attention. It wasn’t loud but to him it seemed unnatural. He veered off in the direction of the sound and wasn’t at all surprised to see the Jaffa leader hiding in wait. The Jaffa was crouched down in a hollow formed between two logs, his head peering up, eyes apparently searching the clearing beyond. He seemed unaware of being watched.

Jack moved slowly, stealthily. He watched the Leg’nor’s movements intently, watching for signs of discovery. Seeing none, he crept closer, his weapon ever ready. He had closed the distance and was now approaching firing distance when Leg’nor abruptly moved.

Having been aware of the approaching man, Leg’nor had forced himself to remain still. He listened intently, barely able to make out the sounds of his pursuer. He sensed his proximity rather than knowing it. Whoever this person was, he was good. Tensing slightly, he held himself in check until he estimated the man was close enough; then he acted. Leg’nor’s weapon hand came up, already firing in the Colonel's direction.

Jack was slightly surprised by the sudden movement but reacted swiftly. He acted instinctively by diving forward, rolling under the blast and landing back on his feet mere feet from the Jaffa. He launched a double kick, the first connecting easily with the zat which flew out of the Jaffa’s hand and landed with a dull thud on a nearby mossy bank; the second landing in his opponent's mid section, directly in line with his pouch.

Leg’nor wasn’t expecting the moves. He thought he’d gained the upper hand, only to find himself disarmed in mere seconds along with nursing a disquieting feeling of nausea from the blow to his abdomen. Trying to shake it off, he rapidly switched gears, hurtling himself at his opponent who remained slightly off balance from the kick. Leg'nor's greater mass bore down on the smaller man and drove him to the ground.

Momentarily surprised at the Jaffa’s lack of reaction to the kick, Jack pushed back the questions that arose as he saw the wall of muscle coming for him. He tried vainly to side step, hands braced for a throw, a movement calculated to turn an opponents momentum against him. He found himself on uneven footing from the kick, though, and was unable to get out of the way. Trying to think of something else even as he fell back, he attempted a rolling manoeuvre. It proved only partially successful as he landed slightly sideways, his back connecting solidly against a mass of tree roots, his own weapon falling from his hand.

Leg’nor landed heavily, his body only partially on his supine opponent’s. The man had managed to twist partly out of the way at the last moment. Trying to out-think the smaller man, he lifted himself onto his elbows and shifted over in an attempted to completely pin the soldier. The move might have worked if he hadn’t found himself with a set of boots planted on his chest.

Jack anticipated the Jaffa’s move. When Leg’nor lifted up, Jack bent his knees into his chest and got his feet into an defensive position. When big man dropped down, Jack met him with an upwards kick, completely unaware of the groan that escaped him at the painful movement. Without room to manoeuvre and one leg already incapacitated, the kick lacked force but it was enough to push Leg’nor back slightly. Using his feet to keep some distance between their bodies, Jack twisted slightly and painfully pressed his spine into the base of the stump, attempting to get enough room to free himself. Even as he did so, he threw a left hook at the Jaffa, driving him even further back. He followed that with a series of jabs to the man's face and chest, all while freeing himself from under the man's bulk, inch by inch, pound by pound.

Even as he struggled to escape, Jack found himself somewhat confused. Despite his current submissive position, he realised that the Jaffa on top of him didn’t seem to be fighting with much skill. He seemed to be relying on his size and strength, formidable weapons that they were, but he lacked the finesse of a trained soldier. Having fought Jaffa, before Jack recognised the difference. He shook off the thought. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand.

Leg’nor wasn’t expecting the kick that connected with his chest, nor was he prepared for the blow that followed. He found himself winded, his head reeling from the continuous hits he was taking. Lashing out blindly, he began to throw his own punches. Even as he felt them connect, he could feel his opponent freeing himself. Desperately he tried to rise, somehow managing to get up on one knee. Lunging forward against the feet still on his chest, he barrelled down on the other man, driving him further into the ground.

Jack’s assault appeared to be working. He was gaining some freedom and didn’t have far to go before he’d worked himself away from the stump. Then the blows started coming his way. He took several hits to the face and an equal number to the ribs, the man’s huge hands carrying all the weight of a sledgehammer. He tried to ignore the painful blows as he continued his bid for freedom. He’d just about made it when Leg’nor changed tactics. He found himself being tackled once again. He thought fleetingly that he was glad he wasn’t a quarterback as he was slammed into the ground once again, his arm connecting solidly against the same stump he’d all but freed himself from. Jack was so pre-occupied with gaining his freedom that he failed to notice the sharp bark slicing through his sleeve and the underlying skin. Instead he found himself bearing the full burden of the Jaffa. Thankfully his knees had twisted to the side so his legs were no longer pinned. Unfortunately, they could no longer keep the heavy mass from crushing him. He found himself struggling to breathe against the weight on his now bruised ribs. Looking about for options, he spotted his zat lying near him. Stretching his injured arm out to reach it, he found his fingers falling slightly short. Groaning inwardly he looked in the opposite direction. Finding nothing there he could use, he decided on the more direct approach.

Leg’nor grinned. He had this soldier at his mercy. The man was immobilised; pinned underneath him. He couldn’t help but gloat. After all this man had done to him, Leg’nor had proven victorious. Leaning his head down to rub in his victory, he was completely unprepared for the head-butt he received. Reeling from the near concussive blow, he shifted his weight back onto his lower limbs as he moved his head a safe distance away.

Jack immediately took advantage of the movement, stretching out his arm as far as he could, the tips of his fingers connecting with the butt of the gun. Bracing himself for a final lunge, he stretched even further, ignoring the ominous popping sounds coming from various parts of his body. This time his efforts met with success and he was able to snag the gun. Quicker than thought he held the gun to the Jaffa’s temple. "Time to end this."

Leg’nor recognised the pressure on temple before he even saw the weapon. Knowing the soldier could fire on him even before he could mount an attack, he surrendered. Rolling off the supine man, Leg'nor sat heavily on the ground. He head throbbed painfully from the head-butt, as did his chest from the many hits he'd taken. Worse than that, he knew he was defeated and that was a far more telling blow. Dropping his head wearily, Leg'nor ignored the soldier who rose heavily to stand in front of him.

"Get up."The tone of voice left no room for argument.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Leg’nor did as he was bid.

Grabbing up the Jaffa's fallen weapon, Jack pointedly tucked it away while keeping his own at the ready. He waved his zat in the direction he wanted to go. "Okay. Let’s move out. I’ve got a date with a Stargate and we’re not going to keep her waiting."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel looked over as he heard Jack's voice. His eyes widened in surprise. He'd been so engrossed in the Stargate that his first clue that Jack had left the vicinity came when the Colonel walked emerged from the trees with a prisoner in tow. The greater surprise came when he realised the identity of said prisoner.

It was obvious the two had been in a fight. Jack's appearance was more worrisome than before. His sleeve was bloody, his hair disheveled and filled with leaves and twigs and fresh bruises marred his countenance. Daniel couldn't help but notice Jack's limp either, although the Colonel seemed oblivious to it.

What Daniel noticed most of all was the hard look in Jack's eyes. It was frightening and reassuring at the same time. Hate for the enemy came through clearly, as did a certain sense of satisfaction. Overriding everything was the pinched look of pain Daniel knew Jack would deny. He also knew that Jack wouldn't appreciate anyone mentioning it so he made a mental note to save that tidbit for another time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack led the man away from the woods and well into the clearing before releasing the Jaffa's arm. The Colonel had pinned his opponent's offending limb up behind the larger man's back. He held it in place with his right hand, making sure to keep the arm painfully high. In deference to his injured arm, Jack carried his zat in his left hand, the weapon ensuring the Jaffa's compliance.

As he came to a stop, he pulled the zat away slightly while taking a step back, his eyes never leaving his prisoner as he moved around to stand in front of him. "Major?"

Sam instantly moved in his direction. "Yes, Sir?"

"There are some ties in my pack. Get one."

The pack lay on the ground only scant feet away and Sam was quickly able to retrieve the item. "Got it." She took in his battered appearance as she approached. "You okay, Sir?"

"Peachy. Now, secure his arms while I keep an eye on him."

While Sam moved behind him, Leg’nor studied the man in front of him, a mixture of hate and admiration in his eyes. He couldn’t seem to equate this greying, older man with the person who’d single-handedly taken out his men, ruined his camp and now held him captive. A part of him couldn’t help but be impressed and think that he’d like this man for an ally, not an adversary. Leg’nor felt the germ of an idea begin to grow in his brain. If he was anything, it was opportunistic and his mind was quickly latching on to possibilities. He found his thoughts broken as he felt his arms being tugged behind his back, his hands quickly bound. Still, tenaciousness was a hallmark of his personality and he had a plan.

As Sam tightened the strip around Leg’nor’s wrist, she realised something. It caught her unawares and stunned her momentarily. It took her a minute to gain her bearings but she was finally able to choke out the words. "Sir, this man is not a Jaffa."

Teal’c rose and he and Daniel moved closer while Jack looked searchingly at his second. "You sure?"

"Positive, Sir. I don’t sense anything. Whatever he is, he’s not Jaffa."

Jack looked over at Leg’nor, his hand firmly on his zat as he signalled the man to move. Sam, still standing behind Leg’nor, nudged him forward, careful not to hurt him. Jack nodded at her, pleased with her restraint given how angry she must be at the man.

They crossed the clearing, moving past the DHD and over to the stairs leading to the ‘gate. He indicated for the prisoner to sit, then decided it was time for some answers. "If you’re not a Jaffa, what are you?" he demanded, his expression indicating his desire for the truth.

Leg'nor chose to remain silent.

Jack knew this could be a drawn out ordeal or he could nip it in the bud and get his answers. Walking up confidently to stand directly in front of the false Jaffa, he cocked his index finger, pretending to study it. When he spoke, the words seemed to drift out lazily with little concern for their content. "Did you know…" he moved his finger directly into Leg’nor’s face…"that I know seventeen ways to kill a man with this one, little finger?" The words were spoken mildly but the look he directed at Leg’nor was anything but. The prisoner didn’t doubt for a moment that the claim was true.

The man who’d held Jack’s team and beat them without a qualm, felt very much afraid when confronted by that look. He decided to speak, knowing that silence wouldn’t help him now. "I am human, like you."

Jack nodded to himself. He’d suspected as much during the fight when the man failed to react to the blow to his pouch. If the Jaffa possessed one Achilles heel, it was the susceptibility of their pouch to injury. He stepped back slightly as he gestured at Leg’nor’s face. "So…. if you’re not a Jaffa, what’s with the whole, brand…thing?"

The bravado that had guided him through the interrogation of his prisoners abruptly dissolved and Leg’nor decided that that he might as well tell the truth. Knowing he was defeated, the best he could now hope for was that his enemy might show some mercy. "My name is not Leg’nor, but Revlis. I do not come from this world."

The team watched as the proud bearing of the man in front of him seemed to desert him. His tightly controlled posture disappeared and he slumped over, his shoulders hunching and his chin dropping into his chest.

Jack quickly quelled his immediate feelings of sympathy for the man. Instead he snorted in derision, but his finger moved imperceptibly from the zat’s trigger as he lowered his arm slightly. "You know, we kind of figured that much…."

Daniel stepped forward, interrupting. "So…Revlis." He stumbled slightly over the unfamiliar name. "If you aren’t from here, then why did you kidnap us and hurt my friends and me?"

At Daniel’s pointed reminder, Jack inched his firing arm up again.

Revlis turned to him, defiance still clearly written in his face despite his mild words. "I apologise. I thought you were spies, sent through the Chappa’ai to retrieve my men and me."

"Spies? Why would there be spies looking for you?"

Revlis lowered his head. "It is a long story."

Jack looked at him. He didn’t know why, but he decided this was something they needed to hear. "Well then, we’d better make ourselves comfy." He gestured for the rest of his team to sit while he remained standing, unwilling to let his guard down completely. His leg was throbbing but he wasn’t about to let on how badly he really wanted to join them on those stairs. "So …talk."

Revlis took a deep breath before starting his tale. "Many years ago……"

Jack rolled his eyes at the introduction, hating the story already.

"……my world was a peaceful one. Our life was simple. We grew our own food, raised our own herds and mined the nearby hills for minerals to trade with neighboring worlds." A faint smile crossed his face at the memory, transforming his image from a surly tyrant to a worn older man. "We were a happy people. The children knew much joy and the elderly grew old with dignity." His words stopped for a moment, his mouth twisting sardonically while his eyes grew hard. "Then they came."

For the first time in a while, Teal’c spoke. "The Goa’uld?"

Revlis turned to him, his eyes hard. "No. Your kind. The Jaffa. They even bore your mark."

Daniel cleared his throat and looked at his teammates. "Apophis must have sent them." He turned back to Revlis. "Teal’c isn’t like other Jaffa. He’s a good man and he helps us fight the Goa’uld."

Revlis looked from Teal’c to Daniel, disbelief clearly etched on his face. "So you say, but how can I believe that?"

"It’s the truth."

"I don’t believe you." His expression clearly echoed those words.

Jack was getting impatient. "Fine. You don’t believe us. Your choice. Now, can we get back to the story? The Jaffa came, and…….?"

"And they destroyed our life. They took away our homes, food and freedom. They said we now worked for their God, Apophis, and that he demanded the mineral that we mined. We could no longer trade it for goods, but instead we mined it, day and night, seeing nothing but the inside of the caves. The old and young were forced to help, many growing sick and dying. We were not allowed to tend to them, only to bury them. Even that was only allowed after we reached our daily quotas. We grew hungry and weak, unable to fight. No matter how much we drew from the earth, it was never enough." Revlis stopped for a moment, his voice dangerously close to breaking.

Sam looked at him, compassion slowly replacing anger. "Let me guess. The substance you mined was sent through the gate." At his nod, she turned to O’Neill. "Sir, it sounds like it might be a naquadah, or possibly a trinium mine."

Jack looked at Revlis, his voice softened, his eyes understanding. "What happened next?"

"I gathered some of my friends. We knew we had to do something but we didn’t know what. We were too sick to fight back and too untrained to prevent more Jaffa from coming. We thought to hide in the mountains until we could attack but worried that we might be discovered. Finally we decided to go through the gate. We knew that if they didn’t see the address, they wouldn’t be able to follow us."

"You left your families behind?" Daniel was shocked, despite the tale.

Revlis turned to him, pain in his eyes, his voice cracking. "We had no choice. Do you really think we would leave our wives and our children if we thought we stood a chance against them? Do you know how hard it was to step through the Stargate, not knowing if we would make it back, or what our families might have to face when we left?" A lone tear welled up and fell as his voice dropped to a pained whisper, "We couldn’t tell them what we were going to do in case one of them inadvertently gave away our plan. When we finally did leave, we weren’t even able to say goodbye……" Revlis stopped, unable to speak over the lump in his throat.

Daniel looked to the ground, his own emotions stirred up by the words. He, too, remembered having to say goodbye. It was not something he wished on anyone. Still, he had questions. "Why didn’t you just take them with you, and how did you even know where to go?

Revlis cleared his throat, putting his emotions on hold. "Our people have used the gate many times in the past. We had visited this world in search of trade and knew it to be uninhabited. That’s why we chose it."

Daniel blinked rapidly, trying to process everything he was hearing. "That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t bring your families."

Revlis looked away for a moment. When he turned back, his expression had hardened, his words carefully chosen. "We knew we were taking a risk. The gate was kept guarded at all times and we had no desire to sacrifice our families." He looked over at Teal’c, his expression bordering on loathing. "We left in the night, hoping the darkness would favor us. As it was we lost ten men taking out the guards…." his voice trailed off as the memories flooded back.

Daniel nodded sadly, feeling for the man in front of him.

Jack cleared his throat. He knew how easy it would be to get caught up in the moment, but someone had to get them back on track. "So that’s how you ended up here. I get that bit. What I don’t get is how you got all the weapons and the generator and all that other stuff?"

Revlis snapped back to the present, grateful to be steered away from thoughts of the world he left behind. "When we arrived, we thought the world was still uninhabited. We spent our first week trying to regain our strength. We were hungry and sick. We didn’t go far from the gate, instead gathering our food from the woods nearby. It was not until we went on a hunt that we found that we were not alone."

Daniel looked up from the drawings he was idly scratching in the ground. "That’s when you found the camp?"

"No. We found a lone Jaffa out hunting. We followed him for a time. He did not see us." Pride in that accomplishment was evident in those words. "It was not until the next day that he led us to his camp. We watched from the woods, waiting. Late that night when they were all asleep, we attacked. We took their weapons and moved into their camp."

Feeling pretty sure of the answer, Jack still needed to ask the question. "What happened to the men?"

Revlis looked at him levelly, mutual understanding evident. "We killed them." He turned when he heard Daniel’s lightly indrawn breath. "Please understand. We are not a violent people by nature."

Daniel’s scoff indicated what he thought of that particular assessment.

Revlis had the grace to look embarrassed, but when he spoke again, his tone a curious mixture of anger and pleading, "We have families back home. Wives and children who are suffering as we speak. They need my help. Maybe what we did was not the best solution, but we were desperate." He corrected himself. "We are desperate." He turned to face Jack. "Now thanks to you, my men are gone, as are the weapons we could have used to defend ourselves."Revlis wasn't so foolish as to believe his weapons were still around. It was obvious his captor was a trained soldier; one who wouldn't leave an arsenal around where it might be used against him.

Jack shrugged. "You took my team," came the simple reply.

Knowing he had no defence against that, Revlis dropped his head.

Sam looked over at the man, her expression puzzled. "I’m curious about something. How is it that you were able to take out a bunch of Jaffa here, but you couldn’t do the same thing at home?"

Jack looked at her, nodding appreciatively before turning to the beleaguered man. "I’d kind of like to know the answer to that one myself."

The words came out mumbled, hard to decipher.

Jack cocked his ear in an exaggerated motion, "What was that? I’m having a hard time hearing you."

Revlis looked up, clearing his throat. "I said……we took them out one at a time." He realised they were waiting for more detail. "We’d watch them, and when one came into the woods, we’d grab him. That night, we snuck into the sentry towers and took out the guards."

"Did the Jaffa not notice that something was amiss?" Teal’c thought the answer seemed a little too easy.

Revlis couldn’t hide the look of disdain on his face at Teal’c’s query. "It took them a while to really notice. I think they were new to this world as they seemed somewhat disorganised. When they did, they started sending out search parties and patrols to guard the ‘gate. The groups were armed, but they were small. We took them out just like the others until the camp was all but empty. Before we knew it, they were all gone. I think they must have been inexperienced because the Jaffa on our world would never have been taken in so easily."

Jack nodded to himself. He’d already come to the conclusion that this was a training situation, so it made sense that they were not combat ready. "So…what? You took their uniforms, their identities? Why?"

"We didn’t know if there would be more coming to join them, or to check on them. We thought if we dressed like them it would take longer to notice the deception."

Jack nodded slowly, wondering what was being left out. The answers seemed too easy, yet they had the ring of truth to them. Still, the man had done a about-face with such ease that he wondered what he was missing. His brain was working overtime, trying to put pieces to this puzzled together. He was making some headway, but some of the pieces simply refused to fit no matter how hard he tried. The adrenaline rush from his fight was rapidly wearing away and fatigue was taking its place. He finally gave up for the time being and decided to try again when he could look at the facts with a fresh eye. He made up his mind, though, that Revlis was someone that bore close watching. Something about the man had his instincts in an uproar.

Daniel still had a question that had weighed on him for days now; since they were first captured in fact. He moved closer to the man. "We told you the truth about us back there at your camp. We said that we fought against the Goa’uld…your enemy, and yet you beat us and starved us. Why?"

"You travelled with a Jaffa. What else was I to do...to believe?"

"Any yet you expect us to trust you now?" Despite his harsh words, Daniel did believe the man. "Can you prove your story?"

The man looked challengingly at Jack. "Free me and I can show you proof."

Jack looked at him appraisingly before answering. "I don’t think so. Show me and I’ll consider it." Jack caught the flash of anger that came into Revlis’ eyes, only to leave just as quickly.

"As you wish." Revlis looked over at Teal’c then turned back. "The Jaffa have distinct physical differences do they not? If you check, you will see that I do not share these abnormalities."

Jack was not happy with the man’s choice of words by any stretch of the imagination. With a nod of his head, he indicated for Daniel to check the man. The archaeologist reached over and lifted Revlis’ tunic, revealing the unaltered flesh of his abdomen. He lowered the garment and moved back as the truth became clear.

Revlis looked back at Jack. "I can prove I am not Jaffa. Beyond that, there is only my word."

Jack looked at his team, cocking his head slightly before coming to a decision. He looked at Revlis. "You stay put. Understand?" He noticed the subdued nod before walking a slight distance away, followed by his teammates. He wasn’t worried that Revlis would try and leave. It was clear that the man accepted his defeat and would not fight against it. Had he seen the calculating look that followed him, he might have reconsidered that estimation. "Well, what do you think? Is he telling the truth?"

Carter looked at him. "As much as I hate to admit it, Sir, I think he is."

"As do I, O’Neill."

Daniel looked around at the bruised, worn faces of his friends. "Yeah. Me too." Given recent events, he hated saying the words, but he wasn’t about to lie about it either.

Jack nodded. "I gotta admit, he doesn’t fight like a Jaffa. If he did, I’d never have taken him. I mean, look at the size of him."

Upon hearing those words, Daniel looked over at his friend, takin careful note of the livid bruise on his cheekbone and the slightly protective way he held his arm over his chest. He also took in the obvious injury on Jack’s leg and the still spreading bloodstain on his sleeve. "You okay?"

Jack straightened up, his face a reassuring mask. "Fine. Just fine." He figured it was time to change the subject. "Any luck with the ‘gate?"

Sam spoke up. "There was a short in the wiring. One I fixed it we tried dialling out. We still couldn’t get through to Earth, but we managed to establish a wormhole to Cimmeria so we know the problem must be on the SGC end."

Daniel looked over at his friend. "Do you want me to try somewhere else?"

Jack looked at the sky, realising that darkness had crept up on them without his being aware of it. Jack found himself torn. At this point, he'd like nothing more than to take his people through the 'gate and never set foot on this world again. However, after hearing Revlis' story, he knew that wasn't possible. He couldn't just walk away from this. He felt a certain responsibility to the men in the woods given the day's events. He didn't think his actions had been wrong, but now he realised there was more going on than was first apparent. No, they had to stay and figure things out.

"Not right now, Daniel." With Revlis now in his custody and the rest of the pseudo Jaffa temporarily out of the way, Jack knew the planet was safe enough for them to stay for now. He had some thinking to do. "Okay, kids. Let’s say we hold off on trying until morning. It’s getting late. We’ll go back to the base camp and give it another go in the morning." He knew they could easily spend the night under the stars and stay near the 'gate but he also knew his team needed rest. A dry tent and a warm sleeping bag was much preferable to the hard ground. Plus, if he wanted to be honest, he knew he’d rest better himself with his new friend away an easy escape route.

Daniel was about to protest when he looked over at the weary expressions around him, Jack’s included. If Jack thought it was safe to stay, he had to trust that. Nodding his assent, he gathered himself for another march..

"Alright then. Daniel, give Teal’c a hand would you?" He looked over at the solitary man sitting some distance away. "Revlis. You’re with me." The unvoiced warning was sufficient. Jack wasn’t about to throw all caution to the wind. While he held a certain amount of sympathy for the man, he had seen the hardness in his eyes as he spoke of the Jaffa. He also hadn’t missed the looks the man had given Teal’c when he thought no-one was watching. He would have to monitor the situation carefully, making sure that Revlis didn’t try something foolish in an aborted attempt to get revenge against the Jaffa. As the man in question approached, Jack looked over at Sam. "Okay. Carter, lead the way."

Within three hours, the team were sitting around a crackling fire, their stomachs content after a hot meal thrown together from the remaining supplies Jack had given them and the ones he’d left behind in the camp. The conversation was studiously light after the events of the last few days. Teal’c was looking better and Daniel had just finished treating Jack’s many cuts after badgering him into accepting some help.

The Colonel was in surprisingly good shape after his activities in the woods, all things considered. He had one particularly bad cut on his arm from hitting the stump in his fight with Revlis. Daniel was pretty sure it needed stiches, but that was a skill not yet in his repertoire. He settled for a thorough cleaning and bandaging. It also appeared as though Jack had several badly bruised ribs from his tussle with Revlis. A tight wrap took care of that. The staff blast to the leg looked painful but not life threatening. Daniel applied a liberal amount of disinfectant to the burn just in case. He knew Janet would be treating it with much more expertise, but for now it was the best he could do. He winced in sympathy as he bandaged it, though. Jack's tight expression and indrawn hiss of breath was a clear indication that the wound was decidedly uncomfortable.

After that he gave Jack a once over, wincing at the scratches and bruises that were his legacy from his time in the woods. Despite everything, the damage was mostly superficial and would heal in time. Truth be told, it seemed to affecting Daniel more than Jack, who’d put it largely out of his mind.

Finally left on his own, Jack absently began going through the remaining supplies he carried in the deep pockets of his fatigues. He came across two objects he’d forgotten about. He recognised them immediately once he’d dug them out. "Oh, by the way, Daniel, I found these. I believe they’re yours?" Jack tossed the notebook over at his friend, followed by the rock he’d been carrying all this time

Daniel bent down to retrieve the book that had landed at his feet, unaware of the small missile headed his way.

Sam looked over when the Colonel spoke and saw him lob the rock currently on a collision course with Daniel’s head. Reaching out, she snagged it before it could connect. She waited until the archaeologist had righted himself then held out the stone. Just before he reached for it, she noticed something. Withdrawing her hand, she raised the stone up, studying it intently. Her eyes widened as she realised what she was holding. "Daniel, do you know what this is?"

Daniel lifted his glasses up to look, peering at the rock from underneath the rims. "That’s my rock." He cast a sideways glance at Jack, waiting for some smart remark but rushing to speak before allowing him the chance. "I showed it to you when I first found it. Remember?"

"I remember you talking about it, but I guess I didn’t take a good look at it. This is naquadah."

Daniel looked over at her. "No, it’s not."

"Yes, it is."

Even Jack leaned forward, interested for the first time in the conversation.

Daniel continued. "Sam, I’ve seen naquadah and it doesn’t look like that."

"Usually it doesn’t." She turned to the Colonel to explain. "Sir, just before we came here I started running tests on some samples brought back by SG9 from P87 425. The rocks were unusual in their chemical structure so they were brought to the lab for study. They turned out to be a naturally refined form of naquadah. They look different but their properties are the same. In fact, they are of a purer grade than anything we’ve seen so far but without the weight we’ve associated with weapons grade ore." She tossed the rock back to Daniel. "Sir, we need to try and find out where this came from."

Revlis had been listening from his side of the fire, unable to completely follow the conversation but knowing it was important. Catching sight of the rock now sitting in Daniel’s hands, he finally spoke. "May I see that, please." He indicated the stone.

Daniel looked over. "You mean this?" At the answering nod, he handed it over. "Be my guest."

Revlis turned the rock over in his hands, smiling. "This is logos." Upon arrival at the camp, Jack had given the order to release the bindings on Revlis’ hands.

Daniel looked over at him. "Logos?"

"Yes. This is what the Jaffa want. We mine this and they take it away."

Jack sat upright. "Wait a minute. You’re telling me this rock came out of one of your mines?"

Revlis nodded.

"Then why is it here?"

"I don’t know. I guess one of my men must have brought some of it along then dropped it. All I can tell you is that my people mine this. We used to use it for trade until the Jaffa came."

Jack leaned back for a moment, thinking. It didn’t take long to come to a decision. He looked at Revlis. "If we help you free your people…."

"Colonel!"

"Jack!"

He held his hand up to stop the words he knew would soon follow. "…that’s IF we help, would your people be willing to provide us with some of this material?"

Revlis’ face grew hard. "You would ask us to trade one master for another?"

Jack was quick to realise his mistake. "Sorry. That’s not what I meant. I don’t mean we’d take it."

"What then?"

"Would you be willing to trade it with us, in exchange for goods."

"Such as……?"

"I don’t know. Medicine maybe. Equipment. Power generators. That kind of stuff."

Revlis looked searchingly at Jack’s face, seeing the honesty there. "You would trade these things?" At Jack’s nod he thought for a moment. "Why?"

Despite her misgivings, Sam realised she couldn’t let her personal prejudices against the man cloud her thinking. Earth needed the material and SG1 had a duty to try and obtain it if possible. "This material helps us to fight against the Goa’uld. It doesn’t occur naturally on our world."

Revlis looked at her then away, thinking. He didn’t know these people, but he instinctively trusted them despite all that had happened. Still, he wasn’t sure how much help they’d be against the forces on his planet. Looking back over at the three figures silhouetted by the fire, he still couldn’t include the Jaffa in his thinking. His eyes drifted to O’Neill. Thinking about what this lone man had accomplished, he began revising his opinion. Perhaps they could help. "I accept." At Jack’s grin, he held up a cautionary finger. "You must understand though, I do not speak for the ruling council of my village. They may not agree to this."

Jack’s smile faded but he understood the man’s words and he appreciated the honesty. "Will you speak on our behalf, at least?" He watched appraisingly as the man nodded. "Good enough, then. All right, tomorrow we’ll start making plans for freeing your people." Shooting a cryptic look at Revlis, he added, "All of them." Grinning inwardly at the confused look on the man’s face, he shifted his gaze to his friends as they sat around the fire, relieved to see the acceptance of his decision in their expressions. They’d paid a high price on this mission and he didn’t know how they’d deal with the turn of events. Still, he had faith in them and knew it was justified.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack took the first shift. Despite the tentative arrangement between Revlis and himself, he was not about to fully trust the man. He still had a lot of questions and so far the answers were too few. He had some stuff to sort out in his head; stuff better kept to himself.

He wasn’t particularly worried about the men he’d left in the woods. It wouldn’t get cold enough to prove dangerous and he’d spent enough time in the woods to know that they were safe enough from predators. The biggest worry was from injury and he knew that even if he were to get to them now, the darkness would prohibit him from doing much for them anyway. Besides, he rationalised to himself, his team came first and they were in no condition to go on yet another extended hike through the woods just to rescue their captors. Tomorrow would come soon enough. At least that would give his people one night to rest and regroup.

What concerned him more at the moment was Revlis. Jack knew he wasn’t the smartest man alive, but even he knew that two plus two didn’t equal five. In his mind, Revlis’ actions both as a Jaffa and now as a captive didn’t sit well. Something about the man set his teeth on edge. As such, he felt quite justified in letting the man stew over his fate a little. It might not be the best approach in the long run, especially if they were to strike a treaty, but he had to admit that it felt damn good for the time being.

Putting thoughts of the day aside for a moment, Jack indulged in the tranquillity of the evening. The night was peaceful. The weather was mild and the stars bright. It was a perfect night for clearing ones head of all the worries and frustrations of the day and to think things through. As he sat in the dark, Jack listened. For the first time in a while he could hear the sounds of his team. Each had a unique breathing pattern when they slept and the combination sounded like the sweetest of music to him. He’d missed that and had worried that he might never hear it again. Looking over at Revlis, he couldn’t help but wonder if the man was missing his own music.

Dawn came early. Jack decided to pull extra guard duty, knowing his team needed the rest. He’d planned on covering the whole night but Teal’c interceded. The big Jaffa rose early, padding across the camp on silent feet. Jack heard him and was relieved to see his friend looking more recovered. "Morning, Teal’c. Sleep well?"

"I did, O’Neill."

"Good. You and Junior feeling better?"

"We are. And you?" It hadn’t escaped his notice that the Colonel was looking more than a little worn himself.

"Fine. Just fine. How come you’re up?"

"I believe it is my turn to stand guard." He looked Jack squarely in the eyes. "You should have awakened me, O’Neill."

Jack stared back, not the least remorseful or intimidated. "Teal’c, I’m going to be relying on you pretty heavily in the next little while so I need you up to snuff." Seeing the question about to be asked, he quickly clarified, "I need you to be feeling better. Did it work?"

"It did."

"Well, see? There you go." Jack nodded in the direction of the still sleeping Revlis. "Keep an eye on that one, Teal’c."

"I will." His expression voiced his unasked question.

"I’m still not sure about the guy."

"You do not believe his tale?"

Jack studied the still form. "No, it’s not that. I think he’s telling the truth." He noticed Teal’c’s raised eyebrow. "It’s just a feeling." He frowned, a strange niggling feeling in the back of his mind making itself scarce. "Just watch your back, okay?"

Teal’c nodded his assent.

"Now if you don’t mind," he rose in one smooth motion, "I’m going to get some shuteye. Wake me in a couple of hours, would you?" Without waiting for an answer, he moved off to take Teal’c’s recently abandoned spot.

The Jaffa watched him, a smile of amusement on his face. "I will," he called silently to the retreating form.

True to his word, Teal’c woke Jack up two hours later, pleased to see some of the fatigue had receded from the Colonel’s face. The two men moved towards the smouldering remains of the previous night’s fire, stoking it up expertly. By the time the others arose it was crackling cheerfully and a hot breakfast was ready.

Jack wore a pleased expression as he glanced around at his team. The sleep appeared to have done them a world of good. Sam’s eyes had lost that slightly vacant look and she appeared to be pain free, a far cry from the previous day. Daniel, too, looked more alert, the bags under his eyes somewhat diminished, although not yet gone. Both had gained more color and their movements were more energetic. They’d also developed an appetite, as Jack watched them inhale their breakfast.

For his part, Jack was feeling a little sluggish, his lack of sleep over the last week catching up to him, but he knew it was worthwhile. He'd managed to get by for much longer periods of time on less sleep in the past. He wasn't unduly worried about it. Standing up, he wiped his hands on his grubby fatigues, frowning as the dirt merely spread. Looking up, he noticed his team watching him expectantly. "Okay, kids. I’ve been doing some thinking and I think I’ve got an idea for helping out Revlis here." He nodded at the silent man who’d been sitting near the fire, apparently lost in thought. "The first order of business is to get some reinforcements."

Sam’s eyes widened. "But, Sir? We can’t get back to Earth and I don't know if we have the right to ask anyone else for help."

Jack held up his hand to stop her before she got on a roll. "I know that, Major, and I agree with you. I’ve got something else in mind." He looked over at their captive. "Revlis. How loyal are your men?"

Dull eyes turned on him. "Why would that matter? They’re gone."

Jack sighed. "Say they weren’t. How loyal are they?"

"To me…very."

Teal’c joined in. "Why do they follow you?"

Revlis seemed unable to look the Jaffa in the eyes, but he answered the question. "I was a member of the ruling council at home. They pledged their allegiance to me long ago."

Jack looked thoughtful. "So if you told your people to work with us, they would?"

"Yes. Why?"

"What if I told you that the reinforcements I’m thinking about are your own men?"

"That is not possible. They are dead."

Jack locked eyes with him, weighing the reactions he saw there. "Yes, some of them are, but not all of them." He took note of the man’s expression of disbelief and decided he needed to make a couple of points. "I don’t kill without cause, Revlis, but I won’t hesitate if I’m given reason to, either." The final words were delivered with just the slightest hint of warning.

Hope flared up in the prisoner’s eyes for the first time in a while. "They’re alive? How many?"

"Enough."

Revlis knew he had to be satisfied with that for now. It was enough to know that some of his men had survived. It was more than he had hoped for.

"So what are you thinking, Sir?" Sam had a pretty good idea what he was planning but wanted him to confirm it.

"Well, Major, I was thinking that a dozen or so Jaffa might just be our ticket out of here."

Revlis looked at him. "But they are not Jaffa."

Daniel was catching on. "You and I know that, but they don’t." Daniel knew the ‘they’ would be understood.

Jack grinned as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

Sam mimicked the smile. "Single or double pronged attack, Sir?"

Jack looked at her appreciatively. Her tactical skills were really coming together. "I’ve always been rather fond of the double pronged attack myself. What do you think, Teal’c?"

"I do believe it might work, O’Neill."

Revlis looked from person to person, his confusion evident "What are you talking about, and what does this have to do with my men?"

Jack looked at him, not yet willing to enlighten him. "You’ll see soon enough." He stomped on the fire, his heavy boots snuffing out the flames. "Time to go. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us."

On Jack’s orders only the basics were loaded up. The rest were left behind for later. Unsure of their destination, the group followed the Colonel into the woods, their actions restrained as he strove for some semblance of stealth. He had no way of knowing if any of the mock Jaffa had managed to free themselves and he wasn’t taking any chances. While he knew they weren’t armed, he was living proof that raw materials could make sufficient arms when used correctly, and he had didn’t know how quickly these men learned.

They’d barely walked an hour when they came upon the first group of men. There were only two here, both still unconscious despite the many hours that had passed. Apparently the blows they’d taken, along with the subsequent zat blasts, had proven to be an effective combination. Daniel moved over to free one even as Sam released the other from the bindings Jack had placed on them. Teal’c and Jack covered their teammates, while Revlis moved to stand beside his fallen men. He wanted to be the first thing they saw when they awoke.

Daniel tried to assist them on their road to consciousness by flicking sprinkles of water on them that he took from his canteen. The ploy seemed effective as the men began to stir. It took several minutes of talking and gentle slaps to the cheeks, but before long, both men were somewhat coherent.

Jack grinned as he took in their expressions when they caught sight of him. Apparently his actions had made quite an impression on them. His smile quickly faded, however, as they rose and made a half-hearted lunge at him. He was quick to raise his gun, levelling it casually at them, confidence clearly written in his actions. That, combined with the sight of a Jaffa holding an armed staff weapon directed at them, stopped them in their tracks. They both looked searchingly at Revlis, needing answers to their obvious questions.

"These people are allies." He saw their expressions, the doubt evident. "They could have killed me, and yourselves, but did not. This is Colonel O’Neill." He gestured to Jack who merely touched the brim of his hat. "Major Carter, Daniel Jackson." He cleared his throat loudly, "And Teal’c." At the sound of his name, Teal’c lowered his staff weapon to the ground.

Sam smiled. "Hi."

Daniel pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Hello."

The false Jaffa ignored them as they looked at Teal’c. "He’s a Jaffa."

Jack looked over at Teal’c. "You know, this is getting a little old."

"Indeed." Teal’c pressed his lips together, his expression bordering on exasperated.

Revlis looked at his men. "The Jaffa has apparently allied himself with this group. He says he now fights against Apophis."

Jorsan, the smaller of the two men, spoke up. "How can we believe him?"

Daniel was getting tired of their attitudes. "How can we believe you? We only have Revlis’ word about your situation and yet here we are, prepared to help you. Maybe it’s time you gave us the same trust."

Jack could see the distrust in their expressions and he’d had enough of it. In fact, he was fed up with the lot of them. "Okay, for now it’s like this. You’re our prisoners. Is that better?"

"Sir?"

"Listen, Carter. We don’t have time to play this game with them. There are more of them out there and I really don’t feel like playing this scene out each time we pick up Revlis’ gang of merry men. Let’s just grab them and go and save the explanations for later when they’re all together."

Daniel heard the exchange, his eyebrows raised.

Jack caught the look. "What?"

"Um, won’t that make it a little harder for them to trust us? To show them we’re on their side?"

Jack sighed. His lack of sleep was catching up with him and he was getting cranky. His quick pace was necessary if they wanted to get out of the woods before dark, but it wasn’t doing his leg any favors. The combination of fatigue and pain made him rather short tempered. "Yeah, Daniel, most likely it will; but as I see it, they don’t trust us now and I really don’t want to hang around all day trying to convince them. Revlis can explain things on the way." He looked around at the group. Revlis’ men were now on their feet although they still appeared somewhat unsteady. "Let’s move out, gang." He headed off without waiting. The last thing he wanted to hear were more arguments; however, he did defer to the new men somewhat by slowing his pace to accommodate them.

Similar scenarios played out throughout the day and Sam and Daniel gained new insight into their CO. As each new trap revealed itself, their admiration grew. Both had known Jack to be a consummate soldier, but seeing exactly what he was capable of was proving rather enlightening and a little frightening, especially for Daniel.

Sam was a soldier and her basic training had prepared her for some of what she was seeing, although she’d never put any of the techniques into play for herself. Still, the mechanics behind them were familiar.

For Daniel, however, this was new and he wasn’t sure how to handle this information. While he knew Jack was a soldier through and through, and a deadly one at that, he preferred to look past that and see the person behind the uniform. This experience had him looking closer at the uniform than the person and it was a somewhat disconcerting thing.

There were a few sad moments interspersed amongst the tense ones when it was discovered that some of Jack’s traps had worked too well. Several of Revlis’ men lay dead, the manner of their deaths readily apparent.

The first man they’d found that way gave them all pause for thought. They had not gone far from the site of the first two men, when they stumbled across a third; it was Saphe. Revlis was clearly shaken to see a that man that he’d known since childhood had succumbed to such a fate; a man that he’d ordered into those very woods. Sorrow and guilt raged through him and he struggled to mask his emotions from the others.

Jack walked up to him and touched the other man’s arm gently. "I’m sorry."

Revlis turned his red rimmed eyes to him, his voice shaky but without any hint of anger. "So am I, for all of it."

Jack nodded his understanding. While he understood the man’s loss, he also knew that they had to move on. There were others out there, the survivors, and they needed rescuing. "We have to go."

"What about him?" Revlis look down on his fallen friend. "We can’t just leave him like that. We have to bury him."

Jack looked at him with sympathy in his eyes but his voice matter of fact. "We don’t have time for that now."

"I’m not leaving him out here. I owe it to him and his family to see him sent off properly, not left as food for the creatures that live here."

Jack looked at him contemplatively. "Look. I can understand your feelings. I can’t okay burying him, but what if I can make it so nothing can get at him?"

Revlis didn’t know what Jack meant, but he understood that it was a solution. "Can you give me a few minutes first?"

Jack nodded.

Revlis stood over his friend, murmuring under his breath. The others joined him for a private moment of silence. Finally Revlis turned to Jack. "Do what you have to."

After gesturing the men to stand back, Jack activated his zat. He fired three times in rapid succession, the body disappearing. He turned back to the watching trio. "I am sorry."

He walked over to his team, his expression grim. "Time to move out, kids."

As he turned away, Daniel grabbed his shoulder, effectively stopping him. "You okay, Jack?"

"Peachy." Both men recognised Jack's answer for the lie that it was, just as both recognised that nothing could change the situation.

"Um, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure we should be doing this? Helping them I mean?" Daniel knew this wasn’t the time for questions, but he didn’t know if there would be a right time to ask them.

"You think we should leave them out here?" Jack was shocked. That was unlike the Daniel he knew."

"No, no, no. What I mean is….," Daniel looked around to see how private their conversation really was. "What I’m wondering if is we should be doing this. You know, going off to help them fight a battle."

"What would you have us do, Daniel? Sit around while they go off completely unprepared to fight the Jaffa?"

Daniel looked at his friend, hurt that Jack would think that of him. "No, I don’t want that, but what about us?"

Jack looked puzzled. "What about us?"

"Well, Teal’c still hasn’t fully recovered. Sam might have a concussion, and I’m…well, I’m okay actually." Daniel continued on before Jack could interrupt. "And what about you, Jack? You’re not exactly the poster boy for perfect health right now."

"I’ve got a few cuts and bruises, Daniel. That’s not exactly earth shaking news."

"Yeah, and when was the last time you really slept." Daniel didn’t see the point in bringing up the leg wound or the injured arm for that matter. He knew Jack would simply dismiss them as being unimportant despite the obvious pain the injuries were causing him. The many winces and grimaces that had crossed Jack's face when he thought no-one was watching hadn't escaped Daniel's attention.

Jack kept silent, knowing Daniel had him on that one.

"All I’m saying is that we aren’t exactly up to par right now. I want to help these people, too, but isn’t there another way?"

Jack sighed heavily. "Daniel, if there were another way I’d be happy to take it. I don’t see one now, though, do you?" He watched as Daniel shook his head negatively before continuing on. "Ideally we’d go home, get reinforcements and then help. But we can’t do that. We don't know what's wrong with Earth's 'gate and we have no idea how long it will be before we can access it. So we either wait and hope our situation changes, or we go, take our chances and do what we can for those people." He looked closely at his friend, knowing exactly what to say to elicit his help. "Besides, every minute we hang around here is one more minute those women and children work those mines.

"You’re right, Jack. I know you are. It’s just that……"

"I know, Daniel. You’re worried. Hell, I am, too, but I don’t think we have much of a choice here." He put his hand reassuringly on Daniel’s back then tried to lighten the mood. "Besides. I’ve got a plan."

Daniel looked at him incredulously. Jack never had a plan. "You do?"

"Yup."

"Well, what is it?"

Jack couldn’t meet Daniel’s gaze and mumbled under his breath.

"What was that, Jack? I couldn’t hear you." He started to grin.

"I said, I was planning it."

"You were planning the plan?" Daniel’s voice rose an octave.

"Yup." Jack grinned, rocking back and forth on his heels.

Daniel groaned theatrically. "Only you would give that kind of an answer, Jack."

"Well, I aim to please." He was glad that his tactics worked and Daniel was looking less tense about the situation.

"I’m sure you think you do, Jack."

Jack’s grin faded as he tried to figure out the comment.

Daniel’s grin widened as he walked back to join Sam and Teal’c, allowing Jack to once again lead the way.

By the time the group made the Jaffa’s camp, it was much later and their numbers had significantly increased. The rescued men were in varying conditions, ranging from fit and able to seriously injured.

Jack’s pit trap had proven extremely effective. It had caught two men simultaneously. The first one to land had broken a leg on impact, then an arm as the second landed on him. His partner, despite emerging relatively unscathed, had chosen to remain with him, treating his injuries as best as possible given their circumstances.

It had been a tricky extrication, and a painful one for the wounded man, but finally they got them free. Ropes, vines and Teal’c’s great strength had all played a part in the rescue. A crude travois was then constructed to enable to injured man to rest while they continued on.

Most of the men were hungry, thirsty and in no condition to protest as they were led through the woods. The sight of an armed Jaffa seemed to deflate them even more than Jack’s appearance. Rather than looking for a fight, they seemed resigned to their fate as they traipsed through the bush, their actions demoralized.

It was a rag tag group that finally emerged from the forest at the end of the day. Most simply collapsed on the ground when they reached their destination.

Out of the twenty-two men who’d survived Jack’s initial assault on the camp and the nineteen who’d hunted the team, only sixteen survived. Out of those, only six had managed to free themselves and they were found in a single group. Had they been true Jaffa, they would have headed off again, searching for their quarry. However, these were not Jaffa. They were peaceful men, untrained in combat. To them, leaving the small grove they occupied meant certain death. Staying put seemed like the preferable alternative. Even now they were still afraid, not only for their lives, but for the lives of the families they’d left behind.

SG1 stood over them. Each member of the team sized up the different members of the group in front of them, looking at each man with a critical eye. It was apparent that they would not be able to take as many of them through the gate as they’d hoped. Several men were in no shape to mount a rescue and more would need to stay back to tend to the wounded. Still, Jack thought the plan was doable, providing they could convince the men that they were, in fact, the good guys.

With that thought, Jack signalled to Revlis to join him as he approached the wary group. He made a show of putting his zat away, confident that Teal’c and the others would cover him if the need arose. He put his hands out in front of him, clearly showing his intent. "My name is Jack O’Neill." He gestured over his shoulder. "This is my team." He indicated each member as he named them. "That’s Carter, Jackson and Teal’c, and yes, before you say anything, we know he’s a Jaffa. He’s also a good man and a friend." He noted the expressions of disbelief on the faces of some of the men in front of him. "Revlis told us about your situation. We want to help you people. We will help you, but first you’ve got to get past this thing you have about the Jaffa, or at least this one." He held up his hands to stop the coming arguments. "I know they came to your planet and I know you’ve suffered. Revlis explained all that. What you have to understand is that Teal’c isn’t like them. He’s a member of my team and you have to trust him if we’re to help you. You have to decide right now if you want our help and if you can get past this. If not, we’re out of here and you’re on your own." He stood silent for a moment, giving them a chance to digest his words. "Well?"

Daniel watched the men, noting their somewhat dubious expressions. He decided it was time to lend his voice to the argument. "You know, my wife was captured by the Jaffa and made into a Goa’uld. She was the love of my life and now she’s gone. I have as many reasons to hate the Jaffa as you do….maybe more. Even still, I would trust my life to this Jaffa. He has fought side by side with me and I know him for the good man he is. You can trust him. I do."

Revlis looked at his men, catching their attention one by one as he silently asked their opinions. Finally he turned to Jack. "We will accept your help."

Jack smiled a worn, weary smile. "Good. Okay, first things first. Everyone’s tired and hungry. Let’s see if we can’t rustle up some grub…" he noticed their confused expressions and was quick to clarify, "….er, food." He looked over at Daniel and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to his friend for his support.

Revlis made a quick motion with his hand and his men rose up, breaking into groups as they made their way through the remains of the camp. Only the injured remained behind.

Jack moved over to his waiting team. They were looking around, clearly shocked by the scene around them. It was dark when Jack had broken them out and they hadn’t really seen the damage.

A slight haze of smoke hung about the area, its smell lingering in the air. Debris was scattered everywhere, a mixture of wood and metal, jagged edges sticking up menacingly. Most of the buildings were complete demolished, the remains still smouldering from the fires. Only a couple retained any sense of structure. They were the ones nearest the team’s former cell. Jack had tried to keep the damage as far away as possible in an effort to keep his people safe from the explosions. Underneath all the damage, several bodies could be seen, exposed limbs marking their final resting place

Daniel turned to Jack, a trace of awe in his voice. "Jeez, Jack, you weren’t fooling around here were you?"

Jack gave a tired grin that never really reached his eyes. "You know me, Daniel. When I do something, I give it my all."

Sam whistled at the destruction. "You sure did, Sir." A shiver ran through her as her eyes lit on their former abode.

Jack caught the action, his lips tightening. While he now understood the actions of Revlis and his men, the fact remained that his team had been held in this place. Not only that but they’d been questioned and beaten. It was hard to forgive that. He shook his head slightly, dispelling the thoughts. There was a time and a place for rehashing these events and this wasn't it. For now they had a job to do and there was no time like the present to start.

He looked at his team. "Carter."

"Yes, Sir?"

" I want you to see what you can do for the wounded. Use the first aid kits and let me know if there’s anything more you need."

"Yes, Sir."

Jack watched as Sam moved over to the nearest man, squatting down beside him as she began a basic triage. He looked away, turning his attention back to his two waiting team-mates. "Daniel. I want you to gather up some of this wreckage. Grab anything combustible. We don’t really have any shelter," he glanced up at the clear sky, "and it’s going to get cold tonight. We’re going to need a fire and we might as well put all this to some use."

"You got it, Jack." Like Sam, Daniel quickly got to work. In his eagerness to help, he managed to ignore his own physical complaints. Like Jack, nothing was life threatening. The bruises would fade in time.

"What is it you wish for me to do, O’Neill?"

"Well, Teal’c," Jack sighed heavily, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep and wake up in his bed only to find out all this had been some sort of weird dream. However, he’d been around the block enough to know that wishing didn’t make it so and sometimes you just had to make the best of things. "You and I have the hard part."

Teal’c cocked his head questioningly.

"We have to convince them," Jack cocked his head at the group of men scavenging through the remains of the camp, "of my plan."

"That might not prove easy. I still do not believe their words when they say the trust us."

"That makes two of us, Teal’c. Unfortunately, this will only work with their help." Jack lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to push back his impending headache. His voice was slightly muffled by his hand when he continued. "As I see it, we have two choices. We dial the gate until Earth finally answers, at which point we get the hell out of here, or we try and help these people."

"Then we really have no choice, O’Neill. We cannot leave these men to their own devices."

"I know, Teal’c. We have to help them. That’s a given. I just wish I trusted them."

"All we can do is to keep our eyes open, O’Neill. We must look for any treachery before it finds us."

Jack looked the Jaffa in the eyes. "That’s what I like about you, Teal’c. Always the positive thinker." He smiled briefly, feeling better now that he knew that he and Teal’c were on the same wavelength. "Thanks, buddy."

Teal’c inclined his head graciously.

Jack slapped him on the shoulder. "Okay, let’s go and sell them on the plan."

"Sell them?"

"Figure of speech, Teal’c. Just a figure of speech."

"Your race is a most confusing one, O’Neill."

The two men headed over towards Revlis. "Ain’t that the truth."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Jack O’Neill would say, General George Hammond was not a happy camper. He was, in fact, furious, and struggling to keep it to himself. Only the tight clenching and unclenching of his jaw revealed any problem.

The last couple of days had been the epitome of Murphy’s Law. Everything that could have gone wrong, had. Each repair had led to more problems. The gate repairs had been completed and it was now operational but the computers were now malfunctioning. They wouldn’t allow the iris to retract, a somewhat necessary function if the SG teams were to return.

Technicians had been pulling around the clock shifts trying to isolate and repair the trouble. Siler had finally been sent to his quarters. The Sergeant was dead on his feet after working non-stop on the gate repairs.

As Hammond stood in the empty briefing room surveying the activities, he knew that the fault wasn’t with his people but with the headache that was the Stargate. For the umpteenth time he wondered whether retirement wasn’t an attractive option.

"Who are you kidding, George." The spoken words rang hollowly in the large room. "As soon as they come back telling you all about the exciting things they did, you’ll forget these last few days ever happened." In his head he knew the ‘they’ referred to SG1 above all others.

"Um, excuse me, Sir?"

George turned to see Lieutenant Simmons peering around the doorway. He hadn’t heard anyone coming up the stairs and mentally scolded himself for his brief moment of self-pity. "Yes, Lieutenant. Can I help you?"

"Sorry to interrupt, General, but I thought you’d want to know. We think we’ve found the problem."

Hammond knew by the young man’s tone of voice that there was more going on than what he was saying. "Spit it out then."

"Yes, Sir. We’ve identified the problem but it looks like it may take some time to repair…Sir."

Hammond sighed inwardly. "Then you’d best get to it, son."

"Yes, Sir." With that, Graham beat a hasty retreat.

George turned back to look at the still silent ‘gate. He clenched his fists, tempted to pull an O’Neill and bang his head against the glass. "Damn Murphy, anyhow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack and Teal’c sat side by side in the only place that would afford them some privacy; Teal’c’s old cell. Jack felt badly about taking him back in there but Teal’c seemed to be handling the situation well. He understood the necessity of the action. Across the room from them stood Revlis, levelling an uncompromising glare at them. They had been arguing back and forth about how to handle their return to the man’s homeworld.

Jack finally stood, his anger overflowing. "What you don’t seem to get here is that you aren’t really in any position to argue about this." He sent his own cold look back at the man standing opposite him. While the non-verbal by-play was intriguing to watch, Jack knew it was also counterproductive. He decided to call it like it was. "If you want our help here, I’m calling the shots."

His own ire up, Revlis shot the Colonel a dark look. "These are my people and my world, O’Neill. I think I should have some say in how we handle this."

"You did have your say and I’m ignoring it." Normally Jack wouldn’t have been quite so blunt or antagonistic, but he was tired, and though he wouldn’t admit it, his leg and ribs were really bothering him. Realising how harsh his words sounded, he tried to defuse the situation somewhat. Holding his hands out in a mollifying manner, he tried again. "Look. Teal’c and I have a lot more experience at this sort of thing. You have to trust us that this will work. We don’t want to see your people hurt any more than you do."

Revlis stared appraisingly at him. Finally he nodded his assent, albeit grudgingly. "Fine. We’ll do it your way." He held the gaze for another moment before continuing. "When do we go?"

Jack stifled a yawn. "Not until morning. Everyone’s tired. We’ll let them all rest and eat, then we’ll head out."

Revlis nodded, his expression showing he was still unhappy about the situation. "Fine." He turned to leave the room, stopping briefly in the opened doorway. Without turning back, he called out, "Just understand this, O’Neill. If anything happens to those people, I will hold you responsible." He exited the building without waiting for a reply.

Jack made to leave, his eyes following the retreating villager thoughtfully. "You know, for someone that’s so desperate, he sure doesn’t seem grateful for our help."

Teal’c nodded slowly, rising gracefully to his feet. "Indeed. It is most perplexing."

Jack turned to him briefly, his eyes showing his confusion concerning the previous conversation. "Ain’t it, though? Kind of makes you wonder." Without expanding on that statement, he left the building in search of the rest of his team.

Sam and Daniel had things well in hand by the time Jack caught up with them. The wounded had been treated as well as could be under the circumstances and Daniel had a huge bonfire going that lit the entire area, it’s warmth a welcome thing as the night’s chill had begun to set.

Revlis had put his men in charge of food and surprisingly enough, they’d managed to salvage a fair bit from the wreckage of the kitchen, as well as gathering some of the edible plants from the nearby woods. It wasn’t the greatest meal ever, but everyone was able to eat their fill so the complaints were minimal.

Once the meal was finished, it didn’t take much coaxing to convince everyone that they should sleep. For Revlis’ men, the previous night had been spent tied up in the woods; having a warm fire was a welcomed change and they weren’t about to argue with it.

SG1 didn’t have the same luxury. The team took shifts, once again unable to let their guard down. Jack pulled the first one, and as much as he wanted to give his team one more uninterrupted night of rest, he was unable to. He knew he’d pushed himself as hard if not harder than they and he could feel his judgment clouding. If he wanted to pull off the next day’s activities as planned, he’d need a clear head. He moved alongside Daniel. The younger man seemed to be sleeping soundly and he hated to wake him but decided it couldn’t be helped. "Daniel?"

"Mmmph." The archaeologist merely rolled over.

"Daniel."

"Go ‘way, Jack." This time Daniel pushed at him, trying to move him away.

"For cryin’ out loud, Jackson. Get up!"

This seemed to have the desired effect as Daniel finally woke up. "My turn for watch?" He tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Yup. You awake?" Jack needed to know that Daniel was alert enough to handle the watch.

"Yah."

"Good. I’ll be turning in, then. Don’t forget to wake Sam for her shift." Jack didn’t want to even think about how angry she would be if they let her sleep through a second night. He started to move over to Daniel’s still warm spot.

"Jack, before you go to bed, I need to show you something." Daniel looked around to make sure no-one was watching. While he expected they would all be asleep, he didn’t want to bank on that fact. He’d been around Jack too long to take anything at face value.

"Can’t it wait for morning?" Jack really needed to get some shut-eye.

"No, it can’t." Daniel tried to keep his voice low while trying to convey the urgency of his request.

"Fine, fine. Just make it quick, will ya?" Jack moved to his friend’s side while trying to hide a wince as his leg shot a brief flare of pain throughout his nervous system. He had been ignoring the wound, but it wasn’t going to give in gracefully.

Daniel didn’t notice Jack’s discomfort as he led him past the fire, out of the clearing and just into the fringe of the surrounding woods.

Jack tried to suppress a shiver as his body reacted to its removal from the warm fire. "Okay, what’s so important we have to stand in the woods freezing our assets off?"

Daniel knelt down and pulled some branches back, revealing a small hole in the ground. "Just this." He drew back and gestured for Jack to look in the niche. Inside lay several zat guns, and tucked into the surrounding bush was a concealed staff weapon.

"Where did all this come from?" The look on Jack’s face had Daniel grinning.

"I found them earlier under the debris you had me clear. I kind of figured you’d be happy to see them." His grin grew wider as Jack ruffled his hair.

"Way to go, Jackson." Jack looked again at the weapons stash and his smile faded somewhat. "Listen, Daniel. I want you to keep this between us for now."

Daniel grew serious at Jack’s tone. "But…why? I figured you’d want to give Revlis’ men the guns. They’re going to need them when we go to Dorbon tomorrow."

Jack studied his friend for a minute before speaking. "Call it a hunch, Daniel, but I think these weapons are going to better left here."

It was Daniel’s turn to study his friend. "Is there something you’re not telling me, Jack?"

"Not really, Daniel." Jack sighed heavily, wondering how to explain something to his friend that he couldn’t quite explain himself. "I just don’t think we should be arming them any more than we have to. That’s all."

Daniel knew that wasn’t all, but he also understood that Jack had his reasons for this decision. Silently he covered up the arms and accepted Jack’s hand in helping him to stand.

Before they made their way back to the others, Jack stopped Daniel with a hand on the shoulder. "You did a good job here, Daniel."

The younger man flushed under the unexpected praise. "Thanks, Jack." Together they walked quietly back into the camp. Jack finally turned the watch over to Daniel and he lay down near the fire and closed his eyes for the first real sleep in days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morning came all too soon. Tension hung thick in the air as cold, leftover food was eaten in silence. Everyone had been briefed on their parts in the day’s upcoming activities and they all knew what was at stake if they were unsuccessful in their venture.

It was a quiet group that left the remains of the camp and headed through the woods for the last time. Other than the injured and the few left behind to tend them, everyone was going to Dorbon, Revlis’ home world. The entire rescue party now consisted of only ten men, excluding SG1. The distance to the Stargate was covered relatively quickly as there seemed to be no reason to linger.

It was a sombre group that gathered near the DHD. Jack looked over at the assembled crowd. "Okay, Teal’c will go first. He’ll be followed by Revlis, then myself." He looked at the men. "You sure you know what to do?" At their nods he turned back to the others. "Okay. Sam, Daniel, if all’s clear I’ll dial you up then shut the gate down. If I don’t open it, stay the hell away. After you get the signal I want you to lead the rest through the gate. If we’re not there, follow the markers but stay undercover until we meet up." He looked closely at his two team-mates. "Got it?"

Sam answered for both of them, "Yes, Sir.’

"Good." Jack turned to the remaining men. "Listen up! These two are in charge. Do what they say and we might just get your people freed. We don’t need any vigilantes, understood?" Without waiting for an answer, Jack pressed on. "Any questions?"

Revlis spoke up. "I have one."

Jack sighed inwardly. ‘Why am I not surprised?’ Instead of voicing his thoughts, he carefully schooled his face into a passive expression. "And what is that?" He wondered vaguely if anyone else picked up on the slight sarcastic tone he couldn’t quite keep from his voice.

"Why do we not simply go through in full force? We can take out anything in our way."

Thankfully for Revlis, Sam fielded that one. "The Jaffa might be expecting you. When you left the way you did, they had to guess your intentions. There might be a whole garrison waiting for us on the other side. We wouldn’t stand a chance against that."

Revlis appeared to think that over and see the logic in it. Still, he looked for another alternative. "What if some of my men go through as prisoners? The rest of us could be in these uniforms," he indicated the outfit he was wearing, making no attempt to hide the distaste in his words, "and act as though we’d caught them."

This time Daniel stepped in. "Um, a couple of flaws there. First of all, Teal’c is the only one who can speak the language besides myself, and I don’t know it well enough to be convincing. If the guards question anyone else, it won’t take them long to realise we’re not who we say we are. They’re Jaffa, not stupid. And secondly…"

"And secondly," Jack took over at this point, "even if we can get your men in, they will be outnumbered, out-armed and out of their league." Jack found himself hard pressed to not laugh at Revlis’ expression at that last comment. "The best thing for now is to assess what we’ve got and try to turn it to our advantage. For that we need to do some recon." Jack looked about at the others, "Okay. Any more questions? No. Good. Let’s do it then, kids." Jack activated his headdress, the snake helmet quickly covering up his face. He watched as Revlis did the same. Teal’c left his face free, his gleaming brand clearly visible.

Jack and Teal’c had taken uniforms from the wounded men back at the camp. Luckily one of the men had a build almost as impressive as the Jaffa’s so outfitting him didn’t present too much difficulty.

Jack gave one last look at the group. Teal’c stood proudly, holding his familiar staff weapon with complete ease. Revlis seemed to have had practice with the zat he carried as the weapon rested easily in his hand. Jack carried both his handgun, which he kept concealed, and a zat. He’d turned his P-90 over to Carter who in turn gave Daniel her zat. He was kicking himself for destroying all the weapons he’d confiscated earlier, but it was too late to worry about that now. His team was fully armed and that would have to do.

He took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Okay kids, let’s get this show on the road. Daniel, dial it up." He watched as Daniel punched in the address Revlis gave him and nodded in satisfaction as the wormhole established. Striding forth, he walked up the stairs to the waiting gate, pausing briefly at the top. He looked over his shoulder at his two remaining teammates. "See you on the other side." With that he stood tall then walked through.

The journey through the gate was uneventful and over in an instant. Jack, Teal’c and Revlis emerged on the other side only to find themselves looking at the open jaws of charged staff weapons.

Two guards had been left at the ‘gate and they’d had plenty of time to get into position as the chevrons sprang to life. What they hadn’t expected to see were three fully armed Jaffa walking through. Each recognised the symbol on Teal’c’s brow and lowered their weapons in unison, their expressions slightly confused.

Jack thanked his lucky stars that they didn’t recognise Teal’c as the Shol’va. There would have been no time for explanations were that the case. As it was, he watched as Teal’c took a giant step forward, his actions placing him directly in front of the men. "Kree mak!"

The men simultaneously dropped to one knee in response to the authority in Teal’c’s voice, their heads bowed. The eldest spoke, his voice laden with respect for Teal’c’s position. "What word do you bear from our Lord, Apophis?"

Teal’c allowed the slightest of smiles to cross his face. "Only this…."

Jack and Revlis exploded into action as Teal’c brought his staff weapon down hard on the first Jaffa’s upper back. The man dropped without a word. Teal'c turned to offer his assistance to his companions but found they’d been equally successful in their endeavor.

Within minutes the guards had been dragged into the nearby woods, stripped of their uniforms and weapons and secured. Jack debated about keeping the extra staff weapons, but with Teal’c already carrying one, that left himself and Revlis to wield them. Jack didn’t want to equip the man with more firepower and he didn’t want to carry both, preferring the smaller zat for himself. He would have tried to stash them for later use, but didn’t want to do that with an audience. It was a hard call but in the end he destroyed them.

Revlis finished tightening the last restraint then stood. "Shouldn’t we kill them?"

Teal’c looked at him curiously. "For what purpose?"

Cold eyes looked back at him. "Because they are Jaffa." Revlis seemed to feel the explanation was sufficient as he didn’t elaborate.

Jack was getting annoyed. This was not the time or the place for such discussions but it needed to be said. "Look, Revlis. I know you don’t like the Jaffa but you’ve got to understand something. For the most part, they don’t have a choice in this. If they disobey, they either die or their families pay the price for their betrayal."

"As mine have paid."

"We don’t have time for this. Do you want to stand here debating morality issues or do you want to free your people?"

"I wish to free my people of course." The words were grounded out through gritted teeth.

Jack knew they had a problem on their hands. He just hoped that Revlis’ prejudices wouldn’t get in the way of their goal. He took a deep breath, wishing briefly that Daniel was with him. The man seemed to be able to communicate with the most stubborn individuals with ease. Finally he decided that in this particular case, the less said the better. "Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. Now, dial up the gate and let the others know it’s okay to come through." Jack watched as Revlis did as requested. The wormhole flared to life then shut down.

Finished his task, Revlis turned to the watching soldier. "Now what?"

Jack grinned. "Now we go hunting."

"O’Neill? Should we not wait for the others to arrive?"

Jack thought for a moment before answering. "I don’t think we have much choice here, Teal’c. We need to find out what we’re up against before they get here. We have no way of knowing the condition of the villagers or whether more Jaffa have been sent through since Revlis left. They’ve most likely beefed up security after losing half their work force. If that’s the case, most of what Revlis told us will be worthless by now. Besides, I already told them we might head on without them."

Teal’c nodded his head in agreement with Jack’s conclusions.

The Colonel looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. He noted the well worn road ahead of him that led into the woods. It was heavily marred with track marks that spoke of motorised transportation. He wondered about that as he had impression that these people didn’t rely on mechanical devices. Putting off his questions for now, he turned to Revlis. "Where will everyone be right about now?"

Revlis looked up through the treetops, trying to gauge the sun’s position. "They should still be at the mines."

Without asking, Teal’c understood that time might not be the same on this planet as the last one. Planetary rotations seemed to ensure that day’s didn’t run at a universal time on different worlds. Judging by the sun that appeared to have past its apex, Teal’s wondered how much time remained for their activities if they wanted to work with the daylight. "For how much longer?"

"Several hours more. The Jaffa work them until the sun begins to set."

Knowing how Revlis felt about the Jaffa, Jack felt it prudent to step in, redirecting the conversation before Revlis went off on another tangent. "I don’t want to go on the main path. It’s likely to be guarded. So, which way do we go?"

"That way." The villager pointed out the direction.

"Let’s head out then." He indicated that Revlis should lead. He went second, leaving Teal’c to watch their six.

The journey passed in silence as the trio made their way through the trees. Revlis followed a faint trail that appeared to have seen little use. It was little more than a slight trampling of the underbrush, easily overlooked by anyone not searching for it. Still, it made for easier movement and the damp grass and mosses underfoot helped to obscure their tracks.

Teal’c followed behind, leaving trail markers for the next group; innocuous items that Carter would pick up on without tipping off any Jaffa that might head to the gate.

They hadn’t gone far when Jack grabbed at the back of Revlis’ uniform, effectively stopping him. Moving alongside, Jack pulled the other man into a crouch, silencing him with a gesture. He looked back to see Teal’c approach, his manner cautious. Jack nodded for the Jaffa to come closer. Using hand signals, the plan was decided. Teal’c would circle left, Jack would take the right and Revlis was to stay put.

Teal’c moved off, silent and graceful. He’d done this type of search with O’Neill many times and the practice showed. The two men complimented each other, their fighting styles similar. Both possessed a rare brand of honor and a dislike of killing but they also knew where their duty lay. In this case they had innocent people to free, while hopefully keeping the loss of life to a minimum. It was one of the harsh truths of war and of life in general. As much as they wished they could change it, people died. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t welcomed, it just was.

Creeping forward through the underbrush, Teal’c heard something off to his right. Turning in the direction of the sound he heard the noise again. It was faint, but there nonetheless. He started to move towards it when he heard the distinct sound of a zat ring out. Abandoning all attempts at stealth, he rushed towards the sound. He arrived just in time to witness a second and third shot being levelled at a downed serpent guard. A commotion on the other side of Revlis alerted him to the arrival of his CO.

Jack looked at the two men, one of whom still held his weapon aimed at the empty patch of earth in front of him. "What the hell happened here?"

"I am not sure, O’Neill. I arrived in time to witness Revlis eradicate a lone Jaffa." Teal’c’s jaw tightened slightly as he tried to keep the implications of that action to himself.

Jack looked over at the villager, who had yet to lower his weapon. "You want to explain this?" He indicated the slight indent in the earth where the Jaffa had fallen.

Revlis looked at him, finally lowering the zat to his side. "I wanted to help so I headed along the path. I rounded the corner and there he was. He had his weapon aimed at me and I panicked." He stopped abruptly as though in shock.

"And then what?" Jack wasn’t a happy camper.

"I fired. He fell to the ground, but he didn’t stop moving. I thought he was still going to shoot me so I fired again."

"And you fired a third time…because?"

Revlis looked at him, the slightest bit of contempt showing in his eyes. "Because he was dead. There was no point in leaving the body out where it could be found."

Teal’c marvelled at the man’s ability to lie under stress. He had caught a glimpse of the Jaffa before he disappeared. The man had fallen face first to the ground, away from Revlis. It was obvious that he had been shot in the back. As Teal’c looked over at O’Neill, he understood that his CO had a pretty good idea of what happened as well. A look passed between the two, one that did not go unnoticed by Revlis.

"What? You don’t believe me?"

"It’s not that, Revlis." Jack figured that they’d better play along for the time being. He needed a chance to figure the villager out. His actions seemed off for a man whose sole purpose was to free his people and another hair raised up on the back of Jack’s neck. "It’s just that by shooting him," he indicated the patch where the Jaffa had fallen, "you may have tipped the others off to our arrival. Who knows how many guards they have out here."

This time the chagrin on Revlis’ face seemed genuine, as though he sincerely hadn’t understood that possibility. "I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I mea…he was there and I acted."

"Let’s just hope no harm’s been done." Jack looked over at Teal’c. "You ready to move?"

"I am."

"Okay then." Jack looked at Revlis. "From now on, I’ll lead. You understand?" He watched for and received an affirmative nod. "And no more shooting." Jack looked past Revlis at his waiting friend. "Keep your eyes open, Teal’c."

"I intend to, O’Neill."

Jack nodded, satisfied that his message was understood. He turned abruptly, heading off once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel and Sam arrived with their entourage at the appointed time. Daniel guarded their position while Sam scouted the immediate area. It didn’t take long for her to find the guards in the nearby woods; the men trussed and gagged. She grinned as she noticed the Colonel’s handiwork. She knew it would take the men a long time to get free of the bindings, if they ever did.

She looked about a bit more and almost overlooked the innocuous trail marker her teammates had left behind. She picked it up and walked back to the waiting group. Gesturing in the direction of the marker, she started to give orders. "They went that way. The guards are secured and the trail is marked. We’ll head out and try to rendezvous with them ASAP. Any questions?" She waited a moment, and when none appeared forthcoming, she nodded. "Okay then. I’ll take point, Daniel, watch our six. The rest of you, keep low and quiet." Without waiting any longer Sam set off, following the trail left for her by Teal’c.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack, Teal’c and Revlis made it to the outskirts of the mine without further incident. The trio lay on the edge of a canyon which funnelled into a cave system at one end. The canyon was large and appeared man-made. It started out shallow at one end and deepened quickly. Tracks were seen where vehicles of some sort had entered the mouth of the pit. Men and women could be seen moving in and out of the cave’s mouth, some pushing heavily laden carts while others carried tools. Judging by the contents of the carts, this was where the logos was mined.

The three watched as one of the villagers walked his cart over to a waiting transport, the tires bouncing about in the worn ruts caused by the endless repetition of that chore. He planted the cart down carefully in the parched earth, then moved to open a flap in the side of the vehicle. Walking back, he once again took the handles of the cart, moving it up to meet the opening. He tipped the cart and the ore tumbled down the waiting chute, landing in the bowels of the transport. Lowering the cart once again, he secured the hatch covering the chute.

He paused then, wiping a grimy sleeve over a sweat covered face. His movements appeared shaky, even when seen from a distance. Looking about nervously, the man once again grabbed his cart, turned and walked it past the watching Jaffa who were dotted intermittently throughout the canyon , all armed with staff weapons. He headed back to his starting point deep within the cave, where he’d repeat the process again and again throughout the course of the day. As he disappeared from sight, he passed two more Jaffa who guarded the entrance to the cave. They seemed to delight in lending a not so friendly hand to the villagers who entered and exited the mine.

Jack laid a steadying hand on Revlis’ back as they watched a Jaffa deliver a solid blow to the back of an old man who struggled as he exited the cave with his load. The sound of the weapon landing on flesh carried up to them and Revlis seethed with anger at the sight. He turned an angry eye towards Jack. "Now you know what we are up against."

Jack understood his anger but knew that rash actions would accomplish little. "I know you’re angry. So am I, but we have to make some decisions here and before we can do that, we need more information."

His words seemed to have the desired effect as some of the tension left the villager’s face. "What kind of information?"

"For a start, are these all the Jaffa there are, or are there more in the cave?"

Revlis closed his eyes, thinking back to the last time he’d been inside the cave system. "There are more inside. As many as six at any given time."

Jack looked at him reassuringly. "Okay, that’s a good start. What about the village? Do any stay on there?"

"Only a couple. They stand watch over the youngest children, those that are too small to be effective workers." Bitterness crept into his voice. "They know that as long as they keep the children, my people will co-operate."

Teal’c nodded in confirmation. "It is a common practice amongst the Jaffa. The Goa’uld are well aware of the strong bonds that humans share amongst families. We are taught early on in our training to exploit such emotions."

Jack watched as Revlis’ eyes narrowed at the admission, even as Teal’c continued to explain.

"The children will not be heavily guarded. As Revlis said, no more than two or three Jaffa will be spared for such a task. They are considered unimportant and unlikely to provide any resistance. The majority of the guards will be patrolling this location."

Jack looked at the scene below him, trying to get a feel for the layout. His eyes fell on the transport they’d just been watching. "What happens when that’s full? Do they take it to the gate or do they have others in reserve?"

"They take them as they are filled."

"How?"

"It’s driven to the ‘gate."

Jack was getting a tad exasperated. "I get that. Who drives it, a Jaffa or one of your people?"

"One Jaffa drives, two more run escort."

"Then what?"

Revlis took a moment but finally realised what was being asked. "The guards escort the transport through the gate. There is an empty one waiting for them on the other side. They bring it back and the cycle repeats."

Jack was used to being given better intel and was hard pressed to keep from yelling his frustration. Instead, he took a deep breath, counted quickly to ten then started again. "How often does that happen?"

"It usually takes about 5 days to mine enough ore to fill it."

"Is there any way of knowing when it was emptied last or when it will be full again?"

"It should be ready to transport by nightfall." He took note of Jack’s expression. "I can see the gauge on the side of it from here. That’s how the guards can tell how full it is and how quickly the logos is being mined. Why?"

Jack ignored the question, looking at Teal’c instead. "I’m thinking attrition. How about you?"

"I concur, O’Neill. The transport is a likely place to start."

"My thoughts exactly, Teal’c. I say we wait for Carter, put her and some of the villagers on that job while you and I see what we can do here."

Revlis looked on in confusion. "What about me? What do I do?"

Jack knew there was no way he was pairing Teal’c off with the man. "I want you and some of your men to go to the village. You’re going to take out the Jaffa guarding the kids." Jack figured that Revlis would have to restrain his actions somewhat, knowing that young, impressionable eyes were watching. That was his hope anyhow.

Before Revlis could launch a protest, Teal’c’s attention was piqued. A soft bird cry carried on the slight breeze. "O’Neill. I believe that Major Carter and Daniel Jackson have now caught up with us."

"Good." Jack pulled back from the bank. "Lead the way, Teal’c."

The trio caught up with the bulk of their party in a small clearing just inside the treeline, well hidden from prying eyes. They were a fair distance away from the canyon so their voices wouldn’t carry.

"What have you got, Sir?"

"Here’s the deal, Carter. I want you to take two men with you. There’s a transport that will be leaving here in a couple of hours. Follow it. Let it go through the gate then intercept the new one on the way back." Jack caught the quizzical looks being sent in his direction. For those new to his thought processes he clarified the situation. "It will raise suspicion if the transport doesn’t arrive. Most likely a group will be dispatched to see what happened to the shipment. If we let it go through, we buy ourselves some time."

Sam had a question of her own. "Sir, wasn’t the gate guarded when you came through?"

Jack gave himself a mental kick for forgetting that. "Good point, Carter. Glad one of us is thinking." Looking at the assembled group in front of him, most of whom still retained their serpent guard armor, Jack pointed out two of them. "You two. You’re with Carter." Jack turned back to his second. "We took out two guards. Substitute these two for them. It’ll be dark by then so hopefully the real Jaffa won’t bother looking too close. If they do, I guess you’ll have to deal with the situation. I’m hoping that it won’t come to that, though." Jack neglected to mention that with Carter being the only armed member of the group, it would be far safer for them if they passed inspection. He thought fleetingly back to the staff weapons he’d destroyed. It would be a lot easier if she had armed backup. Still, he trusted her to pull this off. She’d been in worse situations before. At least this time she knew the score and could plan accordingly.

"Yes, Sir."

Jack continued planning their attack. "Daniel. There are a couple of guards, maybe three, back at the village. They’ve got the kids so you’ll have to be careful. I want you to take Revlis and one other with you. It’s up to you to take them out. Can you do that?" Jack wasn’t concerned about Daniel’s ability to handle the guards, rather how he might feel about dealing with Revlis. He also knew the younger man would understand his concerns.

Daniel levelled a meaningful look at the Colonel. "We’ll handle it, Jack. Don’t worry about us. What about you?"

"Teal’c and I will take the remainder of the men and see what damage we can do here."

Daniel was not the only one who quickly flashed back to the destroyed camp on the other planet. Apparently Jack was capable of instigating a fair bit of damage when he set his mind to it.

"That only gives you six men, Colonel. How many Jaffa are there?"

"Well, that’s the thing, Major. There’s more of them than us."

Carter noticed a gleam in the Colonel’s eye that spoke of a hatching idea. "So that means…?" she left the rest of the sentence hang unspoken.

"That means, a diversion would be a good thing." He remembered the one he’d used on the Jaffa camp when rescuing his team. "Too bad I used all the C4. It’d come in handy right about now." Jack happened to glance at Daniel as he said that and an idea sprang to mind. "Carter?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Is naquadah explosive?"

Sam’s eyes squinted and her brow furrowed as she thought about that. "It’s usually pretty stable, Colonel. Generally it acts as a sort of super conductor, although I suppose it could be under the right conditions."

"Such as...?"

"Well I don’t know for sure. This is different from any we’re used to. We don’t know what properties this shares with the kind we’ve seen."

Jack looked over at Daniel. "You still got that rock of yours?"

Daniel reached into his vest pocket, drawing it forth and handing it over. "What are you going to do?"

"Just a little chemistry experiment." Jack searched the ground around him, finding a half buried rock about the size of his fist. He shrugged off his pack, freeing his arms. Placing the naquadah on the ground, he raised the rock and brought it down swiftly, hitting the ore hard. The blow caused a small sliver to break off.

Daniel looked on. "Um, I didn’t know you took chemistry, Jack?"

Jack stopped what he was doing just long enough to answer. "I may be dumb, Daniel, but I’m not stupid." He then turned his attention back to what he was doing. Picking up the sliver, he carried it a short distance away, setting it on a stump. He looked back at the watching group, "Cover up!"

He waited until everyone was shielded before turning his zat on the object. He aimed carefully and pulled the trigger, hitting the fragment squarely on. It didn’t react. "Dammit."

Sam understood what he was trying to do and a thought occurred to her. "Sir, what about Teal’c’s staff weapon? The zat just energized the stone. I’m not sure, but I think the extra power from the staff weapon might be needed to trigger a reaction. The naquadah won’t explode per se, but it should magnify the intensity of the blast."

"Good thinking, Major. I knew we kept you around for more than just your looks."

Sam grinned, understanding the Colonel was trying to break the tension.

Jack looked to the watching Jaffa. Teal’c handed the weapon over wordlessly, nodding graciously at Jack’s thanks. Sending up a silent plea that they were too far away to be heard, the Colonel once again gave the order to cover up. With the sliver squarely in his sights once again, Jack fired. This time the reaction was much more impressive, as the blast’s intensity was magnified by several degrees, completely obliterating the stump. Jack grinned in satisfaction. "I think we have our diversion." Jack handed Teal’c his weapon back, unable to keep the smile from his face.

Daniel watched the demonstration sceptically. "Not to sound like the voice of reason here or anything, but how’s that going to help us? If you try and shoot inside the mine you’re liable to bring the whole place down."

Jack cocked his eyebrow as he thought over the question. Daniel had a valid point, one that he needed to address. He look over at his second. "How big an explosion would that that transport cause?"

Sam’s eyes clouded over in consternation. "I have no way of knowing, Sir, but my guess would be huge."

"Okay, maybe that’s a bit over the top." He visualised the canyon’s layout, imagining the placement of the guards as well as the civilians. Suddenly a though occurred to him. "Teal’c?"

"Yes, O’Neill."

"How much naquadah would you say those carts carried?"

"I would have to estimate close to one hundred pounds worth." Teal’c cocked his head questioningly. Do you have an idea?"

"Sort of." Jack looked over at the Jaffa who retained his serpent guard uniform. "Did you recognise any of those guards back there?"

"I did not."

"Would they recognise you?"

"It is possible; however, I think it would be unlikely."

Daniel looked over. "What have you got in mind, Jack?"

"Well, I’m thinking we need an inside man. You up for it, Teal’c?"

"I believe I am, O’Neill."

"Good. When you get there, I want you to try and arrange to have one of the carts tip over. Let the ore scatter as far as it will go. Help it along if you need to but don’t get caught."

"I will endeavor to remain anonymous."

Jack grinned. "That’s under cover, Teal’c."

Sam smiled. "Do you still want the transport out of the way?"

"Yeah. We don’t want it to get caught in the crossfire."

Sam nodded in agreement as Jack turned back to Teal’c. "When you get my signal, I want you to start firing on the ore. Keep as far back as you can, though. I don’t want you getting hit by any shrapnel."

Jorsan, one of the first men they’d rescued, stood and spoke up tentatively. "What about us? What do we do?"

Jack turned to him, studying the man appraisingly. "You keep your head down and when the bullets start flying, you start getting your people out of that mine. Hide them in the woods but don’t take them into the village until you get the all clear. Got that?"

"What about the guards? We can help you with them."

"Thanks. I know you want to help but I don’t want to have to worry about you getting in the line of fire. It’s better for everyone if you just see to your people. If they see us they might panic."

Jorsan nodded as he thought about that. He sat down next to the other men, clearly impressed with the group in front of him. More than one person shared that view as the rest of the plans were finalised.

"Any questions?" Jack looked around. No one spoke. "Good. Everyone take your positions and be careful. I don’t have any more band-aids left and Carter left her white coat on the last planet." Jack ignored the blank stares of the men as they tried to make sense of his comment. Instead he walked over to his team-mates. "Okay, gang. This is it. No heroics. Just simple cut and run. We do this, free these people and go home." He tilted his head as the others looked at him. "Well, okay. So two out of three ain’t bad."

Sam grabbed the two men the Colonel had assigned her and headed off into the woods. She wanted to choose her spot to ambush the transport while time was still on her side.

Jack watched them head off before turning his attention on Daniel. "Be careful there, Daniel. Watch your back, okay?"

Daniel was about to make light of the comment, but stopped as he took note of the expression on Jack’s face. The man was serious and obviously concerned. Instead, he rested his hand lightly on the older man’s arm, the gesture reassuring. "You got it, Jack. You too, huh?"

Jack smiled. "You know me, Daniel. I live for this stuff."

"Uhuh." Daniel shifted his gaze over to Teal’c. "Keep him in line there, Teal’c. You know how he can get."

"I will, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel moved alongside the waiting Revlis. "You ready?"

"We are." Revlis indicated the younger man standing at his side. "This is Saro. He has two children waiting in the village."

Daniel shook his hand. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but we’re not, so…," he paused for a moment, trying to think of something profound. He came up empty. "…We should go."

Teal’c and Jack watched at the three men disappeared into the woods before they turned their attention on the waiting group.

Jack noticed the sun was setting. "Okay, time to move. Teal’c, when the transport leaves, you head in."

Teal’c moved to stand in front of Jack. He extended his arm out and Jack clasped it near the elbow, Teal’c acting similarly. They stood there for a moment, warrior to warrior, friend to friend. Both recognised their odds in the upcoming battle, just as both understood that they could not walk away.

The moment hung silent, heavy in the deepening sky. Finally Jack ended it in his usual irreverent style as he looked at his friend. "You’re not going to give me any of that ‘Good Day to Die’ crap are you? ‘Cause if so, you can just keep it to yourself."

Teal’c allowed just the smallest of smiles to show through, but his eyes told a different story. They fairly overflowed with mirth and he thought to himself that this was one of the reasons he would follow O’Neill to hell and back. "In point of fact, O’Neill, I was going to say that. I believe I shall now save it for another time."

Jack smiled warmly. "Good to know, my friend." As though someone flipped a light switch, Jack abruptly changed gears and reverted into full CO mode. "All right. It’s show time. Teal’c, time to move out."

The two made their way back to the canyon edge, followed closely by the remaining men. As they made the overlooking ridge, Jack pulled Jorsan aside. Speaking clearly but in hushed tones, he gave the man his final instructions. "I’m putting you in charge of this group." He indicated the other five men he had with him. "Take them to the end of the mine. Once the shooting starts, I want you to take a couple of them inside. The rest can act as lookouts and help with the rescue. Let your people know what’s going on. We can’t afford to let them panic. Get them out of there as quickly and as quietly as you can. If you happen to pick up some weapons along the way, all the better, but don’t risk yourselves or your people trying to get them." He studied the face that seemed to grow paler as he spoke. "You okay?"

"It’s just that…that…."

"Yeah, I know. You care about those people. That’s why this is going to work. Got that?"

Jorsan nodded. Something about this man instilled a confidence in him that he had not felt in some time. Certainly Revlis had never provoked that kind of response. He knew instinctively that this stranger meant what he said. It was going to work and he would see his family safe. Still, he found himself somewhat overwhelmed by his feelings and didn’t trust himself to speak. Instead, he gave a belated nod in answer to Jack’s question.

The hand he felt on his shoulder went a long way in bolstering his courage and he pulled himself together.

Jack understood. "I meant what I said. This will work." Jack looked over the young man’s shoulder at the five men still gathered around. "Jorsan here is in charge. Listen to him and do what he tells you. Hopefully this will all be over shortly." He turned his attention back on his new field officer. "Now……go." Without waiting to see if his order was carried out, Jack moved back to Teal’c. He joined the Jaffa in looking at the activities below. Despite the distance, both could see that the transport was being readied for movement.

"I believe that is my cue, O’Neill."

"You got that right, Teal’c." He looked at his friend. "I’ll see you when this is done."

Without answering, Teal’c rose, his bulk appearing enormous against the rapidly darkening sky. Silent as night, he ghosted away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam led the two villagers back to the ‘gate. As they made their way through the woods, she sounded them out about life on Dorbon. While she made sure they kept their volume to a minimum, she wanted to know more about the people they were trying to help.

Dorbon was a thriving community situated on an otherwise unpopulated world. The topography was apparently not conducive to widespread colonisation and the main resources were all centered near the village. Mining provided the majority of their tradable goods and allowed them access to materials not naturally found on this world.

Sam also learned more about the people. Dorbon was a patriarchal society run by a council of five men, of which Revlis was a member. Most inherited the position from their fathers, but when a member failed to sire a male child, an election would be held to fill the post. The council was responsible for not only the day to day running of the community, but also the judicial tasks that accompanied most societies. They made the laws and saw to their enforcement. Any decision made by the council was strictly upheld.

Sam's rapidly expanding education extended to the men she travelled with. Marn was a young man, recently married with no children as yet, although, he sheepishly confided, he hoped that would change soon. Sorren was older. He had already raised his family. His two children were currently working in the mine but his wife had died shortly after the Jaffa arrived. Stress and overwork took their toll on a woman already weakened by sickness and she was the first to succumb to the new Goa’uld regime. In the month since the Jaffa had arrived, more than twenty men, women and children had died, not including those that had rushed the 'gate.

Sorren accepted Sam’s condolences, but underlying his words was an unmistakable anger. The Major knew he would bear watching. She didn’t put it past him to try and exact his revenge against the Jaffa. Fighting for his people was one thing, revenge was another. It would be up to her to see that he was kept in line.

By now they were nearing the ‘gate. As they approached the structure, Sam surveyed the scene. A ramp replaced the steps normally seen leading to the Stargate. This led to a large platform capable of housing the transport. She placed the men in position on either side of Stargate, posing them as the guards would have stood. As she looked at them critically, she realised she had to find something to replace the staff weapons the guards would have carried. Their hands were conspicuously empty. Moving off into the bush, she managed to find a couple of stout branches. The limbs were straight and uniform. She pulled some dense clumps off moss off the ground and wrapped these around the end of the sticks. Moving back to the waiting men, she handed them each a ‘weapon’. As she moved back from the ‘gate, she studied them. While they wouldn’t stand up to a close inspection, they would pass a cursory glance. It was nearly dark and the real Jaffa would undoubtedly be tired. Hopefully they would concentrate on nothing more than accomplishing their task. If not, she might have to change tactics and stop the transport from going through at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel’s journey through the woods proved less enlightening. Saro had been quick to start a conversation but was halted by a look from Revlis. The three made their way in complete silence. For once, Daniel would be grateful to reach their destination, despite knowing that fighting would soon be involved.

He had yet to adjust to the sounds and smell of battle. While he’d come to accept the necessity of conflict, he didn’t like it. He couldn’t help but put himself in the place of his victims. Did they have husbands, wives, children? Who would care for those left behind? Did they even want to fight, or were they put into their situation by circumstances beyond their control? The questions never ended, nor did the endless moral issues they raised.

Finally the woods thinned and a scenic panorama was revealed. From their position above the village, everything looked deceptively peaceful. Torches had been lit to ward back the burgeoning darkness.

The houses ran in neat rows from the centre square. Like spokes on a wheel, they jut out at right angles to the serene looking garden setting that graced the middle of the village. Obviously the square had been set up for town gatherings, judging by the huge gazebo that dominated the greenbelt.

Daniel could visual bands playing and children laughing and running amongst blankets their parents had laid out as picnics were consumed on warm days. Assuming of course, they knew what picnics even were. Paths led from the ornate structure to meander through well kept gardens. Benches lined the walkways, providing seating for weary citizens, or for couples wanting a quiet moment.

Dragging his eyes away from the storybook village, Daniel turned his attention to his companions. "Where will the children be held?"

Revlis pointed to a large building at the head if the nearest street. "They keep them in there. It’s the town hall. It’s intended for council meeting but it’s the only place big enough to house all the children."

Daniel studied the building for a moment, trying to decide how to proceed. "How many exits and entrances does it have?"

"Two. One in front, one in back."

"Do the Jaffa stay inside or do they patrol the area?"

Saro answered this time. "It depends. If there are three of them they run a patrol. If there’s only two they stand guard at the entrances."

"Any way of knowing how many they have with them this time?"

Revlis shook his head. When he realised Daniel couldn’t see him in the waning light, he spoke aloud. "No, none."

"Well, I guess we do this the hard way then." Daniel planned his strategy quickly. "Revlis. I want you to take the back door and I’ll take the front. We go in at the same time." Before the third member of their party could ask, Daniel filled him in on his role. "Saro, I want you with me. I’ll get you in. Your job will be to look after the children. We don’t want them to panic."

Revlis looked at him curiously. "What about the third guard?"

"If we find one, we stun him, just like the others. We’ll stake out the building when we first get there. If there is a third Jaffa, I don’t expect he’ll take that long to run a patrol. We’ll watch for a bit to see. If we don’t find one, we go ahead as planned."

"And if there is one?" Revlis didn’t like taking orders from this man, but as long as he was, he wanted to make sure he knew what he was doing.

"Then I’ll deal with him." Daniel decided it was time to act. He didn’t know how long the rest of his team would need and he wanted to the village secured for them by the time they arrived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack watched the last load being placed into the transport. Several of the guards had left their posts and moved over to assist in securing the precious cargo. Apparently they didn’t like to take any chances with the material.

He watched as men continued to emerge from the mine wheeling their heavy burdens of ore. Work didn’t appear to shut down even when the receptacle for the ore was unavailable. The carts were merely lined up awaiting a fresh vehicle. The workers walked back to the mine shaft empty handed. Jack assumed they would be assigned a different chore until they could resume their appointed tasks.

Just as he began to wonder where Teal’c was, he noticed the Jaffa making his way through the shadows the twilight cast on the canyon walls. Just as Teal’c neared the transport, the vehicle roared to life. Headlights were flipped on, temporarily blinding those in it’s vicinity. Jack remained unaffected and was able to watch as Teal’c took advantage of the momentary distraction and toppled an ore cart. The rocks rolled out and gave into gravity as they tumbled down the sloped canyon floor.

The noise appeared to go unheard as the transport revved up its engine. It carried a heavy load and the powerful engine generated a loud din.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief as the transport began to more out. As stated, it carried a load of three Jaffa. Two sat in the uncovered front cab while the third sat on the back platform and kept guard. By the time it had lumbered out of the canyon and moved out of sight, Jack was in position.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam felt the approaching transport before she heard it. The heavy vehicle ran on tracks and caused the very earth beneath it to vibrate as it passed. She tensed, hoping her ‘Jaffa’ would stand up to the challenge about to come.

She watched from her hiding place as the transport pulled near. As it approached the DHD it ground to a halt. The passenger clamored out of the cab and punched in the address that would open the ‘gate. Sam took careful note of the symbols, committing them to memory.

Without so much as looking at the two ‘guards’, the Jaffa climbed back in the cab and the vehicle began to move once again. It made its way up the ramp and headed through the ‘gate, its occupants so eager to make the delivery and retire for the night that they didn’t even notice the two frightened men who carried sticks instead of weapons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel gave the all clear for Revlis to head off to his position. They’d surveyed the area and found no third guard. While that didn’t mean there wasn’t one, they had to proceed as planned.

Since Revlis didn’t possess a watch or any other time telling device, they’d settled on an old fashioned approach; counting. If Daniel had had the time, he might have been able to explain why the numerical system of this world mimicked that of the ancient Greeks, but he didn’t. What he did do was establish a count, watch Revlis go, then get himself in position alongside the front entrance of the building. When he reached the appropriate count, he burst through the door, finger poised and zat ready to fire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam kept her men in position as the ‘gate activated. Mere minutes had past since the transport left taking its valuable load with it. Now it would return, empty and ready to start the process again.

This time when the transport emerged, it didn’t stop. Without needing to dial the DHD, it kept on course back to the mine.

Sam let out the breath she’d been holding when it moved out of sight. She knew the Jaffa in the cab wouldn’t notice her ‘Jaffa’, but the lookout on the back would have a clear view as long as the transport remained in the immediate area. When it moved off, the guard apparently paying attention to other things, she acted.

She, Sorren and Marn had figured out the most likely position to mount their attack from earlier on their journey to the Stargate. They were faster on foot than the heavy vehicle was and at Sam’s signal, they raced off into the night, needing to make all speed to intercept the transport.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack moved quietly into position. He noted that the guards seemed less than vigilant than earlier. Nightfall had lulled them into a sense complacency, knowing that it was almost time to halt to the day’s efforts. He needed to act before the final call that would end the day rang out.

Moving with great care, Jack approached an unsuspecting guard. He moved up behind him and reached out slowly, the Jaffa never noticing his presence. With a blinding move, Jack had the guard down on the ground in seconds. The attack on the pressure point just under and behind his ear had rendered him unconscious before he had time to think. Alleviating the Jaffa of his staff weapon, Jack stowed his zat away. He needed the firepower the staff weapon gave him if he wanted to carry out his plan.

Moving away from the fallen guard, Jack neared his final position. He’d spotted the natural niche in the canyon walls from above. It afforded him good visibility, while providing him necessary cover.

Now safely ensconced in the vertical cleft, he sought out his first target and fired.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teal’c nodded with satisfaction as he watched the first Jaffa fall to his CO’s hand. The move spoke of great training and he once again marvelled at his friend’s skills. He knew O’Neill sometimes felt as though his contribution to the team was minimal, but seeing him today proved otherwise. Only O’Neill would have been able to get them this far and he had confidence that the man would see them safely through this task.

As he heard the first shot, he acted, his movements in perfect synchronisation with the Colonel’s. He was moving even as the first explosion went off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jorsan was ready as the first blasts lit the night. As he waited, he watched as the Jaffa from within the mine came swarming out of the entrance in response to the sound of battle. He smiled to himself. It was just as O’Neill had predicted. Moving quickly he took two of the men at his disposal and ran lightly down the bank to the mouth of the cave. He glanced about to make sure the guards were otherwise engaged. Seeing that their movements hadn’t been noticed, he and his companions entered the mine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unknown to the driver and passenger, the rear guard was removed forcibly from the transport. Marn had scaled a tree and clung to an overhanging bow. As the transport rolled underneath, he allowed the front end to pass by as the Major had ordered. When the rear guard came within reach, he dropped from his perch, landing on the unsuspecting Jaffa and pulling him off the vehicle. With Sorren’s help he quickly subdued the man, tying him with the plastic restraints they’d been given. A quick blow to the head stopped the Jaffa from fighting them and they dragged him off into the woods to be collected later.

For her part, Sam was biding her time. When she felt the moment had arrived, she leapt from her hiding place and fired her zat at the passenger guard. Her first shot was true and he was out of the fight as his body spasmed under the effects of the electrical impulses. The driver let go of the steering wheel and tried to extricate his weapon from the holder placed at his side. His fingers had barely touched the smooth metal shaft before he also fell to the effects of a well-placed shot.

Between Sam, Sorren and Marn's efforts, the two guards were removed from the transport and joined the third man in the woods, their limbs similarly bound.

Sam jumped into the driver's seat and looked at her two new friends. "So? Either of you know how to drive this thing?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel got off a quick shot on his unsuspecting guard. As he turned to look at the back of the room he noticed that Revlis was not so lucky. He was knocked down by the second guard who stood poised to shoot him with his staff weapon. Daniel hollered out, attracting the Jaffa’s attention. When the guard turned to fire on him, Revlis acted. He fired his zat just as the Jaffa fired at Daniel.

Daniel anticipated the shot and rolled off to the side, the blast missing him and hitting the wall behind him. As he righted himself, he watched as Saro approached the frightened children. Thankfully they had been seated at tables near a side wall and had been safe from the energy bolt the Jaffa had released. The man soon found him arms full of laughing and crying children, two of whom were his.

Daniel smiled as he took in the scene. He only hoped his teammates had the same opportunity to witness this heart-warming reunion. He didn’t know if they were winning or losing. He didn’t know if any of them would survive against the Jaffa’s forces. What he did know was that seeing this man surrounded by all those young children made this whole venture worthwhile..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack felt the heat of battle coursing through his veins. This was what he was born for. He was unaware of the feral grin on his face as he sent bolt after bolt of energy about the area. Some targeted the lumps of naquadah scattered about the area while others were levelled at the Jaffa themselves. It was unclear which did more damage as the Jaffa fell to both kinds of blasts.

Explosions rocked the night. The very earth shook from their force and the canyon blazed in an inferno of heat and flames. It looked like a scene straight out of Dante’s Inferno and was one that would likely never be seen on this world again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sweat beaded and dripped from Teal’c’s brow as the Jaffa dodged around bodies and fires, trying to keep track of any surviving Jaffa. Thankfully he had shed the Serpent Guard uniform after the first explosions began. He didn’t want to be mistaken for the enemy in the confusion. As he looked around at the destruction, he couldn’t help but feel some remorse. While he did not wish this violent end on anyone, he understood the necessity of their actions. Alone, the people of this world would not have survived.

He caught sight of his CO through the flames. O’Neill surveyed the area just as he did, looking for any survivors. Neither teammate had any intention of killing the remaining guards if they surrendered. At this point, however, they had to be careful. An old Jaffa trick was to lie amongst the dead, only to attack as the enemy drew close. It became a challenge to pick out the living amongst the dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jorsan was greeted by his friends and family, many of whom were too weak to even panic at the sounds of battle. Holding up his hands in a placating manner, he tried to console the people. "It’s all right. We have returned and we brought help through the Stargate. Those explosions you hear are the sounds of our freedom."

When the anxious mob threatened to overwhelm him with their questions, he tried to gain control. "I will try to answer everything later. For now we need to get you out of here and into safety."

It didn’t take long to organise the group. The women left the cave first, escorting those children deemed strong enough to work with them. The men pulled up the rear but not before arming themselves with picks and shovels to use against their captors.

It was a slow process getting all the people up the side of the canyon and out of harm’s way. Many had difficulty navigating the steep slope and had to be helped by those above and below. It didn’t help that that explosions threatened to cave in the very walls they tried to climb and footings became precarious exercises in balance.

Jorsan came up the hill last, after making sure the cave system was indeed empty. He was determined to live up to O’Neill’s faith in him. He watched the retreating backs of his people as they headed off to the village, led into the night by the other men who’d returned home through the ‘gate with him. He turned on the edge of the canyon for a moment to look at the drama unfolding beneath him. Drawing in a shocked breath, he watched, stupefied as a bolt of electricity raced towards him. He didn’t have a chance to react, nor to call out to his God before the bolt hit him squarely in the chest. He collapsed bonelessly and rolled down the hill. His body came to rest in the mouth of the mine, his eyes staring sightlessly at the carnage in front of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam drove the transport up to the edge of the canyon. Her eyes took in the scene even as her brain tried to process the image. Dying fires dotted the area and the stench of blood and ozone tainted the sky. She shook her head in disbelief. While she’d known intellectually that this would happen, reality was sometimes hard to take.

As the headlights from the vehicle lit up the scene, she drew her weapon. Just at the edge of the illuminated area was some movement. As she watched, the movement turned into shapes which turned into figures. Teal’c and the Colonel were walking out of the canyon together. Both were sweaty and dirty, their uniforms covered in blood and grime. They both appeared physically unscathed by their activities.

Sam jumped down and ran to greet them.

"Hey, Carter. You missed the show." Jack knew this wasn’t a joking matter. He and Teal’c had just finished the grisly chore of searching through the bodies for survivors. None of the Jaffa had survived the attack. More disturbing than that was the discovery of Jorsan’s body. Despite the fact that Jack barely knew the man, he’d sensed in him a core of strength and honor. Both were qualities he admired and respected and he was deeply saddened by the young man’s death. Jorsan had now become one more face to add to the collection he saw on those nights when his memories came back to haunt him. He knew he wouldn’t be alone in his feelings of guilt over this day. Intellectually they knew they had fought the enemy. Emotionally they understood that they had killed men that might be another Teal'c or Bray'tac. Not all Jaffa were bad but they didn't have the luxury of finding out about these ones. It was something that would have to be addressed by all of them. They would all have to deal with the consequences of their actions. This was the stuff bad dreams were made of and he would have to make sure he was there to help his team through them. In the meantime, however, he was going to do his best to make his people understand that they had done something good. That positive would come out of this negative.

"Actually, Sir, I caught the encore." Sam understood what her CO was trying to do and decided to play along.

Jack took a final look behind him before turning back to his team. "Well, kids. I think it’s time to go and check on Daniel. What do you say?"

"I say……let’s ask these two how we get there." Sam turned and faced the two remaining villagers. They still sat in the transport, clearly shocked by the devastation they were witness to. "Marn, Sorren, do you think you could take us to the village?"

Marn was the first to look at the three people standing in front of him. He’d known their plan to defeat the Jaffa; hell, he’d been there through the discussions but he hadn’t really believed they could do it. He was glad to be proven wrong, but he hadn’t anticipated the devastation they had wrought. Not trusting his voice to speak, he nodded his response to their request. He turned to his companion, nudging him in the side to gain his attention.

Sorren looked over, his eyes still alight with the fires burning in front of him. "What?"

Marn finally found his voice. "It’s time to go home."

Sorren nodded thoughtfully before climbing off the vehicle for the final time. He held his silence as he led the group along the age worn trail that crested the canyon and led to the village.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel stood just outside the doorway of the town hall. His attention was torn between the reunions taking place inside and watching for his friends. His eyes fought against the darkness to see the trail as it emerged from the woods. Thankfully the moon hung full and heavy in the clear night sky and the area was relatively well lit.

His grin threatened to split his face as he made out the figures emerging from the darkened woods. While he didn’t recognise the first person or the fifth, he did know the middle three. He knew them very well in fact.

Marn and Sorren ran down the remainder of the path to greet their loved ones. In contrast, Daniel scaled the incline to greet the rest of his team.

Jack's wide grin encompassed the group as Daniel drew close. The four teammates stood in the near dark, each enjoying the sight of one another. Finally Jack broke the silence. "Well kids, we did it."

Daniel smiled sadly, thinking not only about all the hugs and kisses going on behind him, but the tears as well. "We sure did."

Picking up on the mixed emotions he heard in his friend’s voice, Jack turned his expressive eyes on the younger man. "Daniel, I know what you’re thinking, but you have to remember that some good came out of this. A lot more than if we hadn’t come at all."

"I know, Jack." Daniel smiled as he felt his hair being ruffled in that annoying way Jack had.

"Come on. Let’s go meet the neighbors."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Revlis stood back and watched as the men, women and children moved around him. He watched the smiles and listened to the tears. For him there would be no happy reunion. When he spoke of wives and children being held by the Jaffa, he did not mean his own. Revlis had never taken a bride. Instead he watched as his friends moved on from their days of childhood freedom to taking the next step in their lives and settling down to raise families.

He also understood he had cultivated a slightly different image with the team from Earth. He had let them think he had a family to fight for as well. They had made the assumption based on his words and he had not felt the need to dissuade them from that. It worked to his advantage and Revlis had learned long ago to always capitalise on every twist that fate deemed to send his way. He had spoken the truth about families and loved ones. They just were not his.

Revlis had always been more of a loner, somewhat misunderstood by his peers but respected nonetheless. It was through his efforts that the people were as prosperous as they were. It was at his urgings that their circle of trade had been expanded and their wealth grew. He had earned his rightful place on the council, not by birth but by deed. He had no father to leave him a position. No one in his family had ever held a place on the council. He was the first and he intended to stay there.

Looking away from the people around him, he noticed the arrival of the O’Neill and his people. His eyes grew wide as he thought about what their presence meant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack scanned the vast room, his eyes finally settling on the man he’d come to recognise so well. Revlis stood at the far end of the hall where he remained conspicuously alone. Jack pushed through the throng of curious people, making enough of a path that his team could follow. He finally covered the distance and came to a standstill in front of the Council member.

"Well, we meet again. I see that you were successful." Revlis indicated the crowded hall. "You have my thanks and that of the people."

Knowing Jack was uncomfortable with this kind of thing, Daniel stepped up to the plate. "You’re welcome. I’m sure you would have done the same for us." He chose to ignore the soft snigger he heard coming from behind him. "We’re just sorry that so much suffering had to take place to get to this point."

If Revlis picked up on the double entendre, he didn’t comment. Instead he took a few steps nearer the exit and began to ring the large bell bolted to the wall in a bid to gain the attention of all present. It was obviously meant for this purpose as the chatter in the room began to die down as the first peals rang out.

Having silenced the room and seeing all eyes fixed on him, Revlis moved to the nearest table and stood on it, gaining enough height that his voice might carry to the far reaches of the room. "I know we have much to be thankful for tonight. We have been liberated from the Jaffa. No longer will they abuse us and our world. We have fought them and prevailed. Know that your efforts and your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed. You should all be proud of yourselves, each and every one of you." With that, a huge whoop of excitement went up, drowning out everything else.

As Jack watched Revlis jump down to accept congratulations from his kin, he frowned. "So, what are we then? Chopped liver?" He didn’t expect an answer, nor did he receive one. Jack wasn’t big on fanfare, nor did he particularly like overt recognition, but the blatant disregard Revlis had shown them was enough to put his already frazzled nerves on edge.

Finding themselves left out of things, SG1 left the building. The four friends wandered across the street to the park. They barely noticed the beauty of the flowers that lined the paths, nor did they smell the perfume that scented the night air. They were past noticing the perfect symmetry of the gazebo as they made their up its steps and commandeered its ornate benches.

The team was tired. Physically and mentally they were worn out. The activities of the past few days had finally caught up with them, as had the emotional roller-coaster they had been riding. No one spoke as they sat. No words were needed right now. Instead, each person tried to find their own mental focus, that spot to which they retreated to when they needed to sort things out.

For Teal’c it meant going into a light state of kel-no-reem. Daniel found reciting his favorite legends in his mind helped him to relax. Sam listed the periodic table of the elements in order, the soothing repetition of the constants were familiar and comforting. Jack just let his mind go blank. He let if fall into that place where nothing formed; not thoughts, not images, just that calming place of non existence. It was like applying a soothing balm to a frayed mind.

The effectiveness of their meditations was proven when Revlis managed to catch them unaware. Sam and Daniel jumped simultaneously as he called out to them from the base of the steps. Teal'c's eyes snapped open and Jack leapt to his feet, his weapon zat suddenly appearing in his hand. As quickly as he'd reacted, he relaxed, tucking his zat away once again. A furtive look at his watch told Jack they hadn’t been there for more than a few minutes so Revlis must have only just arrived. Still, Jack couldn’t help but mentally berate himself for being caught off guard. He never once thought to attribute his lack of attention to his injuries or his growing fatigue. Instead he blamed himself for letting his team down when he should have been more vigilant.

If Revlis had caught their lack of attention, he wasn’t commenting. "I’ve been looking for you."

"Well, you’ve found us." Jack wondered what was happening that would cause Revlis to leave the festivities.

"I thought I might escort you to your quarters. I assumed you would be tired after your recent activities."

‘So, we’ve fallen back on formalities, have we? I wonder why?’ Aloud, he answered in kind. "That would be nice." Jack couldn’t help but notice that Revlis wouldn’t look him in the eye and he wondered why. Not having any other clues, he chalked it up to the fact that the man was grieving. He’d lost at least one good man today and an untold amount during the past days since Revlis had led his men off-world.

"Please, follow me." Revlis turned and headed off down the nearest path. SG1 had no choice but to follow.

Less than an hour past and the team was on their own in their new accommodations. The small building appeared to have a purpose other than housing guests as there were no bathing facilities and the four cots appeared to have been moved there haphazardly. There was no furniture of any kind and no windows to let light in. It had the appearance of being a warehouse of sorts, but for what they didn’t know.

Daniel looked about the room, his expression more bland than was usual for him. "Well this is……nice."

Jack rolled his eyes in derision. "Yeah, if you go for that minimalist kind of decor." He lifted the paper thin blanket that lay on the end of the cot before disdainfully dropping it again. "They really go all out for guests, don’t they?" The words ‘or prisoners’ ran unbidden through his mind, but he kept that thought to himself.

"Well they weren’t really expecting company, Jack." Daniel was trying to find an excuse for their less than stellar treatment.

Jack didn’t bother to reply as he moved towards the door. His instincts were on guard and he didn’t know why. Something about this place was off and he needed to find out what. Before he reached the door, it opened, revealing Revlis’ form.

Sam had an instant flashback to their cell when the same situation had occurred. Revlis appeared now as he did then; large, menacing and promising to make their lives miserable. She studied him now as the shadows partially obscured his face. The resemblance to the then-Leg’nor was frightening. Then he moved into the light and she wondered if her imagination was playing tricks on her as he once again bore an expression of gratitude and sadness.

"Are your accommodations satisfactory?" Without waiting for a reply he continued on. "I’m sorry I couldn’t offer you better. As I’m sure you can understand, the people were not anticipating guests and we had nothing else available."

Sam smiled at him. "Not a problem. Thanks." Privately she wondered about the Jaffa and where they must have slept. Then she gave some serious thought as to whether she would even want to have taken over their quarters and decided this room would suffice.

Revlis looked at her. "I was wondering if you would be interested in a tour of the mine tomorrow?" He looked around to include the others in his offer. "All of you are welcome of course."

Jack answered for all of them. "We had actually planned on heading home tomorrow." In truth, Jack didn't know if they could get home, but they could certainly leave Dorbon. "Maybe next time, huh?" He clarified, "When we come and negotiate a treaty with your council."

Revlis’ face fell even further. "Sadly, there is no more council. I am the sole survivor on this planet, although one more still lives. He remains back with the other wounded."

‘Well isn’t that convenient for you?’ flashed through Jack’s mind, but he managed to keep the thought to himself, although it wasn’t easy.

"Besides. The people were hoping you could stay for a celebration dinner tomorrow night. We don’t have much, but it is their way of thanking you and it would mean a lot if you would join us."

Jack was torn. He really wanted to take his team and go, but if they were to embark on a trading partnership with the people of this world, they had to show them their willingness to learn about the society and its people.

Daniel understood Jack’s dilemma. He, too, wanted to go home. He wanted a long hot shower, to sleep in his own bed, to eat a decent meal and to feel human again. Beyond that, he wanted Janet to have a go at Jack, but wasn’t about to say so. He could see the stiff way the Colonel carried himself and knew his injuries were telling. Still, he of all people understood the need for diplomacy. "One more day couldn’t hurt, Jack." His intent came through clearly in his words.

Jack smiled his gratitude. Knowing his team was behind him, his decision became clear. "Sure. That sounds good. Thanks."

Revlis smiled. "Then you will join us in touring the mine?"

"What the heck. Might as well, seeing as how we’re not going anywhere now." Jack was less than thrilled about the turn of events but saw no diplomatic way of altering them.

Revlis nodded his acceptance of Jack’s decision. "I’ll come for you in the morning then. Sleep well." With that he turned and left, closing the door securely behind him.

Jack turned to look at his team. "Well, kids, it looks like we’re roomies tonight. I call dibs on the nearest cot." To emphasise his point, he hopped on the small bed, stretching out theatrically and grinning like a Cheshire cat. While his actions were meant to lighten the atmosphere, he had a tactical reason for wanting this position. If anything happened in the night, he’d be the first in the line of fire……not that he was expecting anything.

"Very grown up, Jack." Daniel hadn’t missed the wince that crossed the older man’s face at his movements, but he knew Jack wouldn’t appreciate him commenting so he kept quiet. Instead he flopped down on the next cot over, leaving Sam and Teal’c to fight over the remaining spots.

"Am, too." Jack came back petulantly.

Daniel grinned, knowing this set-up well and willing to play along. "Are not."

"Am, too."

"Okay, you are. Not."

Jack sat up and threw his blanket at Daniel, hitting him with great accuracy. "Am, too."

"You win, Jack. You’re completely grown up…but I’ve got an extra blanket."

"Not for long you don’t." In deference to his injuries, Jack did a modified leap off the cot and mock tackled Daniel for the coveted blanket, grinning triumphantly when he managed to snare the prize.

Teal’c and Sam watched the proceedings, smiling indulgently. It was good to let go of some of the stress of the past few days.

"Now, now children." Sam laughed at their antics.

Daniel looked over indignantly, his hair ruffled, his glasses askew and looking very much like the juvenile Sam had just addressed. "Who are you calling children?"

"Oh, no one." Sam turned her head, whistling nonchalantly to the air.

Jack gave Daniel a conspiratorial look before both jumped up and grabbed the Major, dragging her to the ground as she giggled against a merciless barrage of tickling. She tried to call out to Teal’c to assist but couldn’t form the words.

For his part, Teal’c merely watched. To anyone watching, he might have seemed unaffected by the sight, but there was a definite twinkle in his eye.

While it might have seemed strange to see two US Airforce Officers, one multiple PhD and an alien playing around like a group of juveniles, it really wasn't. People had different ways of coping with stress and for this group it was through play. In the course of less than a week, they'd overcome a lot. Between the capture of Sam, Daniel and Teal'c, Jack's romp around the woods and the happenings on Dorbon, the team needed the break. They finally had a chance to let their guard down for a few minutes and they were capitalizing on that. They were such a close knit group that a high level of trust had been established. This extended to their current actions. While the military might frown on men and women engaging in a tickling match, friends wouldn't. This was simply a chance to blow off some steam and to let go of some accumulated stress. Besides, it felt really good to laugh again.

"Come on, Teal’c, join the fun." Daniel called to the Jaffa before returning his attention to jabbing his fingertips into Sam’s sensitive ribcage.

"I do not think so, Daniel Jackson. You appear to be doing very well on your own." Saying that, Teal’c sat down on his bed, studiously avoiding the conflict taking place in front of him.

It took some time for a sense of decorum to settle over the room, but when it did, the friends were feeling better than they had in some time. For the first time in what felt like a very long while, restful sleep seemed like a distinct possibility. Even still, Jack elected to post a guard. He wasn’t about to let go of all his reservations at this point.

He was relieved to find his actions had proven unnecessary as the night passed peacefully. When the door finally opened to reveal their escort, the sun had risen and the team felt somewhat rested and ready to tackle the day.

They were led back through the garden after being handed nutrition bars of compressed grains and dried fruits to nibble on. The food was bland and appeared disgustingly healthy, but it was consumed ravenously nonetheless.

Revlis kept up a running historical commentary as they walked, commenting on everything from who built which building, to who constructed the park benches they passed by. Jack found it supremely boring, Daniel seemed to find it fascinating and Carter and Teal’c apparently fell somewhere in the middle.

Before long the group found itself on the path that led to the mine once again. It seemed so different during the light of day. It was age worn, the ground cover long since eroded by the passage of untold numbers of footsteps. The exposed earth was compact and smooth. It made for a pleasant walk and they made good time.

As the trail opened up to reveal the canyon, all words ceased as the scene was taken in and mentally digested. The area was one of complete devastation. Small fires still burned infrequently but were nearly gutted out from a lack of ready fuel. Thankfully the area was clear of bodies. Jack and Teal’c had disposed of the dead Jaffa the night before when they checked through the wreckage. The only one they hadn’t eradicated was Jorsan’s. His body had been moved to a safe place to await a proper burial.

Despite Daniel having seen the Jaffa camp that Jack had previously destroyed, he was still staggered by the amount of damage his friend had wrought with Teal’c’s help. He made a mental note to himself to always stay on Jack’s good side.

Revlis’ expression turned hard as he led them down the canyon and threaded past the

small craters caused by the explosions. Soon they arrived at the mouth of the mine itself. Thankfully it had escaped damage and the interior was soon lit up awaiting their entrance.

Revlis stood to the side to allow the team access. "This is where we mine the logos that seems so popular."

Jack wondered about the odd word choice but his attention was soon drawn away by the setting he found himself in.

The mine was enormous. The ceiling was impossibly high and the main chamber could have housed a baseball game, complete with audience. The walls had been strung with lights giving an almost festive feel to the place.

Daniel couldn’t help himself as he cupped his hands and yelled. "Hello, out there!" He listened for an echo which seemed to take forever to make itself heard.

Sam was apparently impressed as well as she kept turning in slow circles while she surveyed the area. Jack was getting dizzy just watching her. Finally she stopped, turned and looked at Revlis, awe showing clearly in her face. "Are there more caverns like this one?"

"None as impressive, but yes. There are tunnels branching off from this room that lead to the various active mines. What you see here has long since been stripped of the logos, but it took many generations to accomplish that."

"Wow." As Revlis spoke, Sam could see the dark patches in the distance that indicated the tunnels Revlis spoke of. "Could we go and see an active site?"

"If you wish."

Sam headed towards the nearest tunnel but was quickly halted as Revlis placed his hand on her arm.

"Not that one. It’s closed due to a minor cave-in. Come. There is one over this way that is very safe." Revlis escorted them across the room which took some time to traverse. He led them down a lit tunnel which eventually opened into another cavern. As Revlis had stated, this one was smaller but still remained an impressive sight.

Sam looked around the empty room. She noted the additional tunnels that led from the area. These remained dark so she was unable to determine their actual purpose but presumably they led to more caverns.

Revlis spoke, his voice echoing eerily about the room. "Normally this mine would contain a dozen or more workers, but after the events of yesterday, I gave them the day to relax and remain with their families."

"You gave them the day off?" Jack was quick to pick up on that bit.

"Of course. As the new head of the council, I have that right."

"Ah." Jack didn’t bother to point out that as the only member left at the moment, the head designation was rather moot. He also didn’t miss the gleam in the other man’s eye when he spoke of his new title.

Sam moved closer to the wall, studying the marks she saw in the dense rock. "How do you remove the logos?"

"By hand. We use picks, hammers and wedges to chip away the surrounding material and to prey the stones out."

"No power tools of any kind?" Sam was somewhat surprised by this as they clearly had power in the mine. The lighting was man made, not natural.

"No. We mine in the same manner as our forefathers."

Sam looked perplexed. "Why weren’t you given better tools by the Jaffa? I would have thought they would want greater production out of you. It doesn’t make sense."

Jack was surprised by her. "Sure it does. Too little food and sleep and too much manual labour makes for an easily subjugated society." As Jack noted Sam’s thoughtful nod, he raised a question of his own. "Would the logos be absorbed into the system by the miners?"

Sam wondered at the question. "I would assume so, given that it’s even purer than the naquadah we’re used to. Why?"

"I was just wondering about the zats. Every time I used it these guys dropped like flies. I guess now I know why." Jack was pleased to have solved that mystery. It seemed like such a small thing, but it had been bugging him somewhat.

In the meantime, Sam still had her mind on the lack of technology this place held. "You know, Revlis, maybe this is something we can help you with." Sam considered the potential this place offered and what an increase in production could provide for both cultures.

"What are you talking about?" Revlis had lost track of the topic at hand. His mind was caught up in the Colonel’s comments about how to contain a people.

"The mining. We can help you to increase productivity and make the work easier for you." Sam was pleased that they would be able to send aid which would benefit both societies.

"How so?"

"We could send some better equipment along as part of our trade agreement. We’ll show you more modern techniques for removing the…logos." She still had a hard time using the unfamiliar name. "We can also help you to map out the caves and figure out the most likely areas to yield maximum loads." Sam couldn’t help but smile as she thought about what such a treaty could mean.

"Yes, about that trade agreement."Revlis couldn't keep the slightly gleeful tone from his voice.

Jack instinctively knew they were in trouble and his stance reflected that. His hand reached for his zat but stopped short at Revlis’ words.

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Colonel." Revlis wore a smug grin and his eyes held something more.

Jack turned to see Daniel being held firmly by one of Sam’s companions from the previous night; Sorren. The burly man held a zat in his own hand and Jack had to assume Revlis had given him the weapon.

Daniel had fallen back from the others as he moved near to one of the darkened tunnels. A strange scuffling sound caught his attention and he leaned in to investigate. He realised his folly as he found himself caught in a bear trap of a grip. He was moved nearer to the group as his captor shifted about. With one arm now firmly encasing Daniel’s chest, the man produced a zat which he held to the archaeologist’s temple.

Jack stared at the scene, not fully understanding the situation. "What the hell is this, Revlis? What are you playing at now?" The restrained manner in which the question was asked spoke volumes about the depth of the Colonel’s anger. Jack spared a glance at Teal’c and Carter. Both stood ready to act should he give the word.

"I’m not playing at anything, Colonel. I’m merely looking out for the best interests of my people." At Revlis’s nod, more men emerged from the tunnels. They quickly stripped the team of their zats, staff weapons and guns, their actions none to gentle. Finally determining that the group was indeed unarmed, they stepped back, turning the weapons back on their owners to keep them from acting.

"I don’t understand." Despite the threat to his person, Daniel couldn’t help but ask the question. If he was going to die here, he wanted to know why.

"It’s quite simple, Daniel. We seem to have a rather valuable commodity here. Our logos is proving rather popular and I feel it is time to capitalise on that."

"You can’t be serious?" Jack was outraged, both at the turn of events and at himself for not seeing it coming. Damn but this man was a master at the about face. Jack himself could take lessons and he’d learned from some of the best.

"Oh, but I am, Colonel. The Goa’uld want this…you want this…and I’m sure I can find plenty of others willing to trade me for this," he paused for effect, " most precious material."

"If that’s the case, then why don’t you just trade with us and skip this whole ‘I’m pointing guns at you’ thing?"

"That’s a very good question, Colonel and the answer is standing right there." He nodded in Teal’c’s direction.

"You’re willing to risk an interplanetary incident because of Teal’c?" Jack wasn’t sure if he was getting all this. It seemed so twisted that even he was having a hard time grasping it.

Revlis’ tone was cold and hard. "I told you before, Colonel. The Jaffa are not to be trusted. By showing your loyalty to him, you show your true colors and cannot be trusted by us."

"And what are you going to do when Apophis comes to call? ‘Cause you’ve got to know he will when the shipments stop."

"Ah, but you forget, Colonel. We have weapons now. Weapons that you so thoughtfully provided us with. Not only that, but you taught us how use them to great effect and how to prepare ourselves for combat. You have been most helpful to us." He moved to stand in front of the Colonel and ran his hand down the side of Jack’s face, the gesture almost tender. Revlis' expression hardened as he felt Jack flinch at the touch. "Who would have guessed that one man could prove so useful to us."

Before Jack or anyone else could respond, Revlis gave Sorren a nod.

The cavern suddenly grew brighter as the room was lit by the discharge of zat guns, the echo reverberating long after the four members of SG1 lay unconscious on the floor.

Revlis smiled at the relish his men showed in binding the four captives about the hands, and he particularly enjoyed watching the blows which knocked them into unconsciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack groaned aloud as he awoke. He was lying alongside Carter and Daniel on a mossy carpet, indicative of the fact that they were no longer in the mine, nor back in their room. As he sat up, the Stargate came into view, as did the crowd circled about the clearing. As he tried to figure out what was going on, three very important facts came to light. He was sore from head to toe, indicating his journey from the cave had been anything but gentle; his two teammates were slowly recovering, judging by their movements and similar groans; and the fourth member of his group was conspicuously absent.

Jack slowly pulled himself awkwardly off the ground and rose, his stiff joints protesting the movement. Once standing, he could see Revlis and his gang of cronies staring at him, their expressions uniformly smug. Sensing the movement beside him, he looked down to see Daniel and Carter helping each other to rise. Before long, the three friends stood side by side, now somewhat recovered from being shocked.

Revlis moved forward to stand before the three members of SG1, Teal’c’s staff weapon resting lightly in one hand.

Jack looked him in the eyes, his expression hard. "Where’s Teal’c?"

In lieu of an answer, Revlis moved back to stand alongside his cronies. At his signal, more men stepped forward, grabbing the now unbound arms of three members of SG1.

"Where the hell is Teal’c?" This time Jack shouted, his ire fully aroused as he pulled against the hands holding him.

Revlis lifted his free hand, snapping his fingers loudly. The watching crowd parted and an obviously beaten Teal’c was dragged in, supported between two men. They released him unceremoniously, watching dispassionately as he fell into the dirt.

Jack took in his friend’s appearance. "What the hell did you do that for? He doesn’t deserve that!"

Revlis snarled. "Of course he deserves it. He’s a Jaffa. Can’t you see that?"

Jack glared at the man. "What I see is a craven sycophant who accepted that man’s help," he nodded in Teal’c’s direction, "then turned on him. In my books, that makes you the bad guy."

Revlis nodded at the men holding Jack. They instantly released their hold on him. "Don’t misunderstand me, Colonel. We appreciate your help in freeing my people. You and your two friends…" at his nod, Daniel and Sam were also released, "…may leave. We have no desire to hold you here any longer. In fact, we insist that you go."

"What about Teal’c?"

"He stays with us."

"Why?"

Revlis looked over at the Jaffa, who lay unmoving on the ground. "His kind are evil."

The last time Jack had felt such intense hatred towards another human being was back in Iraq. He hadn't really thought it possible to feel that way again, but here he was. "You know something? His kind don’t make the choice to be Jaffa. It’s done to them. And after meeting you, if I had to chose between the guy with the snake in his gut and you, I’d go with the snake."

Daniel spoke up, unable to keep silent anymore. "He’s a Jaffa but he saved you and your people. He’s helped to bring down several major System Lords and saved the lives of countless others. Why can’t you understand that? He helps people. The Jaffa aren’t all bad."

Revlis snorted. "That’s what the others said."

Jack’s gut turned over in a nauseating manner. "What others?" Somehow he thought he already knew that answer to that one.

"The ones on the planet. They said they were against the Goa’uld but we knew better."

"You talked to them?"

"Yes. Right before we killed them." The words were so cold that shivers ran up and down Jack’s spine.

Suddenly all the pieces to the puzzle fit into place. All the little niggling things that Jack couldn’t account for but had known about now made a sick sort of sense. "What exactly did they say?"

Revlis’ brows drew close as he tried to remember the words. "They said they had escaped their former Lords." He laughed, the sound harsh and unnatural. "Apparently, they had recruited others and were attempting to band together to overthrow the Gods."

"They are not Gods." The effort it took for Teal’c to speak as he attempted to rise was obvious. Apparently he had roused himself sometime during the previous conversation.

"Did I ask you to talk?!" Revlis walked over, kicking out the arm Teal’c was using to prop himself up with and the Jaffa crashed down into the dirt once again.

It was the last straw and Jack lunged forward. "You sick son of a bitch!"

His attempt to reach Revlis was cut short as the man in question swung the staff weapon he still held, the object connecting solidly with the side of Jack’s face. He was sent sprawling, landing in a pile near Daniel’s feet.

Daniel tried to pull free of the arms once again restraining him even as Revlis strode up. The man looked down at Jack who had somehow managed to get up onto his knees.

"What was that you were saying? I’m not sure I heard you properly." Scorn laced the words.

Jack spat into the dirt, blood trickling from his nose and the corner of his mouth. The blow had been fierce and his face was already swelling and turning colorful, although the effect was somewhat hidden under the days old growth of stubble covering his cheeks and chin. Still, when he looked up at Revlis, the man felt compelled to take a step back. "I said, I think you are one sadistic bastard." The words were spoken with deliberate precision.

Revlis smiled, a cold, twisted smile. He moved to leave but instead pivoted on one foot, the other launching a malicious kick into Jack’s leg wound, causing the injured Colonel to topple heavily to the ground, the limb unable to support him. A second kick caught the downed man in the ribs, the action provoking a grunt of pain. Satisfied, he moved away, back into the middle of the circle where he stood surrounded by his peers, many of whom cast uneasy looks his way.

At a nod from Revlis, Daniel’s guards released his arms and he knelt down beside Jack, helping him into a sitting position. "Are you okay?" He looked over as Sam joined him, having also been released.

Jack nodded, trying to regain his breath, then spit out another crimson gob of sputum, the leftovers from the previous blow. He wasn’t about to admit to the agony emanating from his leg or his ribs, at least not with an audience watching. Besides, he wasn’t prepared to give Revlis the satisfaction. "I’ll live. Help me up." From the pain the movement produced, he was pretty sure that some of the already bruised and battered bones had given way. Still, he managed to hold his silence and keep the information to himself.

Revlis watched and waited until Jack had regained his composure. "Think what you want, Colonel. It really doesn’t matter."

"I know what to think here, Revlis. We’ve had people like you on our own world. People so consumed with hate for others that they tried to systematically destroy them." He levelled a look of promise at the other man even as he tried to control his pained breathing. "You know what? Every one of them has been stopped." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "Hate’s a funny thing, Revlis. It feeds on itself. Hate breeds hate and pretty soon friends and family turn on each other." Jack fell silent, his little speech having depleted his oxygen reserves.

Revlis handed the staff weapon off to a nearby observer before crossing his arms in a defiant stance. He knew he was safe from these people in front of him, but he'd learned long ago that a little false bravado went a long way. "That won’t happen here."

"No? Well, maybe you’re right. Maybe in all of history you’re immune. It’s gotta make you wonder though, doesn’t it?" Jack smiled inwardly as a brief look of indecisiveness flashed across the man’s face. He’d taken note of the looks the other men shared and knew their allegiance was not entirely with their head man.

Revlis cleared his throat, attempting to regain control of the situation. "As I said before, you and your team are free to leave."

Jack stood tall, without any apparent difficulties. "Not without Teal’c." At his nod, Carter moved to the Jaffa’s side. She rolled him slightly, trying to determine his condition.

"Then you don’t leave at all." The tone was mild but the words were not. "Are you prepared to condemn your people to a lifetime here, Colonel? I don’t think they’d appreciate that, do you?"

Jack turned to catch Daniel’s gaze, then Carter’s. Unspoken looks of understanding were exchanged as his teammates mimicked his defiant stance. He was smiling as he turned back to Revlis. "Oh, I don’t think they’d mind. In fact, it might be rather fun. In case you hadn’t noticed, we are a very resourceful group. The challenge of escaping from this place," he looked about at the men and women surrounding him, " might prove rather interesting."

Revlis frowned as he realised the truth in those words. This man and his team combined to make a formidable enemy; one he was not entirely prepared to deal with. "Well then," he took back the staff weapon and aimed it at Jack. "Perhaps I should just kill you and be done with it."

To Revlis’ surprise, Jack took a calculated step forward. "You could do that, but what would they think?" He indicated the watching crowd. "Would they want you to kill the people that saved you? In cold blood no less?"

Revlis glanced about, taking in the expressions of those around him as Jack’s words sunk in. The men looked from Jack, to him, and back to Jack again, paying particular attention to the damage inflicted on the man who’d help to free them. The looks did not bode well for Revlis if the men decided to revolt. He knew his people’s feelings about this group. They were the saviors that had come from a distant world to fight the evil oppressors.

It had not taken much to convince his men that Teal’c should be dealt with, as fear and mistrust against the Jaffa still ran rampant amongst his people. That was a feeling that would undoubtedly last for some time to come. They had balked at his ideas for dealing with the rest of the team, though. All but a few refused to raise a hand against the trio, and the few that would were willing to out of loyalty to Revlis and not some latent desire to harm the outsiders.

This wasn’t how he’d planned it. Still, he could not show weakness in this matter. He needed to appear in control, so he decided to take the moral high road. It would show his moral superiority, and satisfy his people’s sense of obligation to the outsiders while still leaving him appearing in charge, which was something he desperately desired. Swallowing down his hate, he slowly lowered the weapon.

"Leave now, before I change my mind." He anticipated the next question, answering it before it could be asked. He nodded in Teal’c’s direction. "Take him with you. He taints the very ground he lies on and I’m tired of looking at his face."

Daniel joined Sam at Teal’c’s side, the two helping the Jaffa to rise. Jack walked slowly up to Revlis, making a conscious effort not to give into the pain in his leg and chest, nor his shortness of breath. He needed to appear strong. He directed his coldest stare at the man, the look saying more than words ever could.

As Revlis looked on, Jack turned wordlessly and led the way to the Stargate. Teal’c was still supported between Sam and Daniel, although the Jaffa now seemed to be gaining his strength. He walked more easily with every step, his symbiote already at work helping him to heal.

This time Jack dialled the return address.

As Daniel looked on, he noticed it wasn’t the proper sequence that would take them home, but rather the planet they'd recently vacated. Releasing Teal’c to Sam’s care, he moved alongside the Colonel. "Uh, Jack?" He kept his voice lowered.

"Yes, Daniel?"

"You do know that’s not the right address for Earth, don’t you?"

To his credit, Jack didn’t show his annoyance. "Yes, Daniel, but I don’t want them knowing where we live. Do you?"

"Um, no."

"That’s why we’re taking a detour. They know this address so we're not giving them anything new, here."

"Good thinking, Jack."

"That’s what they pay me the big bucks for." He looked up as the Stargate came to life. Once the surface settled, he looked at his team. "What do you say, kids? Time to go home?"

The others answered by walking up the ramp and stepping through the liquid blue wall. Jack followed, stopping just before he was about to go through. He turned back to see Revlis watching him. In his most dangerous tone, Jack delivered his parting words, "Good luck against the Goa'uld there Revlis." Jack smirked at the expression on the other man's face. "Until we meet again, then."

He almost left it at that, but then decided to he needed to impart one final piece of advice. "Oh, and Revlis?" He waited until the man locked eyes with him. "Watch your back." With that, he turned away and stepped through the ‘gate.

Revlis looked on as the wormhole disengaged. He knew he would hear those final words for a long time. He just prayed he would not be the one to meet up with that man again. Something told him that he would not survive the encounter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hammond stood in the ‘gate room, running his right hand over his already bald head. He mused ruefully that had he started this week with hair, he would have ended up in his present state by now. If it weren’t un-General-like behavior, he’d be throwing things right now. He had never felt so frustrated before. Now he knew how O’Neill felt when they were stonewalled by upper brass.

For every repair effected on the Stargate and the machinery that operated it, two more would crop up. It would have been almost funny, were it not for the serious nature of the program. While he still believed his teams to be on safe worlds, they were at present beyond his ability to contact or bring home; a fact which gnawed at him, eating away at his confidence in the alien technology.

Hammond had always given the Stargate the utmost respect. After all, it was an ancient artefact of a level as yet unattainable by modern man. It deserved respect. Despite that, he still couldn’t help feeling like packing the damn thing up and putting a big ‘return to sender’ sticker on the box and cashing in on the money back guarantee.

On the other hand, once they had everything fully operational again, he had to hope that this comedy of errors would never be repeated. Every glitch had been attended to and safeguards were put in place to prevent any reoccurrence.

George looked around him at the flurry of activity taking place. The sight served to bring a small smile to his lips. For the first time in days he was almost glad the teams were off-world. He could practically hear the halls ringing with O’Neill’s sarcastic comments about the state of things. No doubt the political cost cutter comments would ensue, followed by the odd tirade. Even the ghostly comments threatened to give George a headache and he briefly entertained the thought of putting SG1’s name at the end of the retrieval roster.

Without entirely dismissing that thought, he went back to watching the activities around him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack exited the ‘gate to find Daniel and Carter already checking on Teal’c. Thankfully the Jaffa seemed to be okay, despite the bruises covering his body. His symbiote had been undamaged this time and was able to work at peak efficiency in effecting repairs.

The trio looked up as Jack limped towards them, his movements slow and deliberate. "Everything alright, Jack?" Daniel studied his friend closely, worried by the look in Jack’s eyes. He already knew about the physical problems. It was the emotional hurts he was worried about. It almost seemed as though a switch had been turned off inside of the man and the light within had dimmed somewhat.

"I’m fine, Daniel. Just disappointed, I guess."

"With the loss of the mineral treaty?" Daniel was sure that wasn’t the cause but he wanted to hear Jack say it.

Jack snorted in derision, his anger at Revlis overflowing, only to be projected on to his friend. "Yeah, that’s what’s bugging me, Daniel. Losing some damn rocks!"

Sam looked over at him. "We’re all upset about what happened back there, Sir." She knew how the Colonel felt about betrayal, perceived or otherwise.

"I’m not upset, Major. What gave you that idea?"

Daniel answered for her. "Gee, Jack. I don’t know. Maybe because you look like you could strangle someone right about now?"

Jack was just about to deliver a suitably smart remark when he happened to look down and catch sight of his fists, both tightly clenched and held out in front of him as though prepared to strike at something…anything. He took a deep breath, or started to, when he was painfully reminded of something. He started to cough, his arms moving to wrap themselves around his torso as he bent over to relieve some of the pain he felt. When the coughing fit finally past, he became aware of Daniel standing behind him, helping to support him.

"Come on, Jack. Let’s get you sitting down."

Jack swatted the proffered hand away in annoyance. "I’m fine, Daniel."

Daniel countered, his tone equally annoyed. "You’re not fine, Jack. How stupid do you think I am?" Before any answer could be given to that, he rushed on, "I saw that hit you took and I know your ribs were hurting from before. Not to mention that you’re sporting the latest in fashions on your face. I wouldn’t have guessed that black and blue would be your colors, but strangely enough, they work. And then there’s your leg…"

Daniel’s attempt at levity fell flat as Jack turned a sour face on him. "I get the picture."

Daniel wasn’t about to be bullied. After everything they’d gone through he wasn’t going to let Jack’s obstinance get to him. "So let me see then."

"What’s there to see? They’re ribs and they’re kind of hidden under a layer of skin you know."

"You know, you aren’t generally this annoying. You been practising, Jack?"

Jack threw up his hands in disgust, wincing as he did so. "You want to see? Fine." He pulled his shirt up as far as he could, revealing a rather bruised and battered looking chest. Harsh bruising could be seen along the left side of Jack’s ribcage, while the rest of his chest still bore the scratches and bruises from his days of fighting in the woods. It was readily apparent that the previously bruised ribs were now cracked, if not broken. He looked over at Daniel, his expression challenging. "Satisfied?" He pulled his shirt back down, covering the damage once again.

Sam looked at him, clearly displeased with her CO’s actions. "Sir, Daniel is just trying to help." She wasn’t about to admit to any worry at this point, given the Colonel’s present mood. Not only did his chest looked like it needed Janet’s help, so did his face, although the nosebleed appeared as though it had stopped. She was pretty sure his leg was in need of some attention, too, but she wasn’t about to mention that at this particular juncture. She rather liked her neck.

"I didn’t ask for his help. I just……." Jack tried to find the right words, as a feeling of incredible weariness washed over him, taking the anger away. His posture slouched visibly and his face took on a worn expression.

"Sir?"

Jack looked up at her. "Nothing, Major. Forget I said anything." He turned to look at the younger man still near his side. "I’m sorry, Daniel. That was uncalled for. It’s just that whole….thing…." He waved his hand absently.

"Yeah, I know, Jack. It was……."

"It was……They have kids there, you know?"

Daniel knew how Jack felt about kids. "I know."

"It was not a good thing. It won't be a good thing, I just know it""

"Yeah. That’s what I was going to say. Not good at all." Daniel was relieved that Jack was talking about things, albeit in a rather abstract fashion.

Jack was feeling more than a bit uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going, and decided it was time to end it. "So……" he clapped his hands together, gritting his teeth together against the pain the movement provoked. Steeling himself he waited until the worst of it passed. "What’s say we give the old ‘gate a try and see happens." Oblivious to the looks his team threw his way, he limped over to the DHD, confidently pressing the glyphs that would take them home.

Nothing happened. "Dammit! What the hell’s going on with it?" He looked over at Carter. "Why isn’t it working?" Now he had worry to add to his list of complaints.

Sam chose her words carefully, knowing the mood the Colonel was in. "The problem isn’t with us, Colonel, it’s back home."

"I know that, Major!" Jack made a visible effort to calm down. Yelling at Sam wasn’t going to make things better. When he spoke next, his tone was softer, less antagonistic. "Is there any way we can find out what’s going on at their end?"

Sam appreciated Jack’s efforts, knowing how frustrated he got when things were out of his control. "I’m sorry, Sir. Without an open wormhole we can’t communicate with the base. For all we know, the ‘gate might simply be in use right now."

Jack muttered to himself, "Or they might be under attack."

Having a pretty good idea what the Colonel might be thinking, Sam chose to ignore the interruption. A similar thought had crossed her own mind, a thought that she quickly put aside. Negative thinking wouldn’t help anyone at this point. She preferred to comment on the other alternatives. "Either that or maybe they’re having technical problems. I’m sure they’ll contact us as soon as they can. All we can do for now is wait and see." She cringed inwardly at that statement, knowing that patience wasn’t the Colonel’s strong suit.

Surprisingly enough he simply nodded as he moved away from the DHD. He headed straight over to Teal’c. "So, big guy? You up for a hike?"

"I am, O’Neill. Are you?"

"Would I have suggested it if I wasn’t?"

Teal’c decided it might be prudent to leave that particular question unanswered for the time being. "Where exactly are we hiking to?"

Jack scrubbed his hand tiredly through his hair, wincing as his hand brushed too close to his bruised, swollen eye. "Well as I see it, if we’re stuck here anyhow, then we should go and see how those men are doing. Maybe we can help them out a bit. If nothing else we should let them know they can go home now."

Sam looked over. "What if Revlis sends someone back to tell them it’s okay?"

Jack’s expression grew hard. "We’ll deal with that, if and when the time comes."

Sam nodded, hoping that particular situation didn’t arise. She felt sorry for whoever might have to face the Colonel when he was in a temper. It wouldn’t be pretty. She wisely kept her opinion on that matter to herself. Instead, she moved away from Teal’c’s side, having finishing tending to his wounds. "Sir, before we go anywhere, I need to bind those ribs and look at that leg."

"I’ll be fine, Major." A slight wheeze in his voice belied that comment.

"I know that, Sir, but humor me. I’m feeling very Florence Nightingale-ish right now and I wouldn’t want to waste this feeling. Who knows when it might come back?"

Jack grinned in spite of himself. That particular image was one he’d never thought to label on his Second. Somehow a white cap and a big red cross seemed incongruous with the soldier standing before him. She, like the rest of them, was dirty, smelly and wore fatigues that looked much better before she’d been captured, rescued then traipsed through the woods for days on end. Her hair was lank and her face still bore the bruises from Revlis’, nee Leg’nor’s ‘questioning’. A soldier through and through, and one eminently more needed by his team than any Florence Nightingale. Still, he couldn’t deny that a little first aid would go a long way right about now. "Fine, Carter. Just don’t try and set anything." The touch of humor softened that particular memory.

"Why don’t you wire his jaw shut while you’re at it, Sam? Goodness knows the rest of us could use some peace and quiet for a change." Daniel was pleased by the resulting growl he heard from Jack and the soft giggle from Sam. The tensions the earlier encounter had stirred up were slowly slipping away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Barely an hour had passed and the team was once again making their way through the woods, despite Sam’s misgivings. She’d felt the telltale give in the Colonel’s ribcage as she wound torn strips of cloth tightly around his chest, the bandage providing necessary support to the cracked bones. While he hadn’t so much as uttered a word, she knew he was hurting. His leg appeared no better. The burn itself was painful to look at and now the surrounding tissue was bruised and inflamed. She just knew Janet would have something to say about it when they got home. In the meantime, between her injured Colonel and Teal’c’s continued recovery, she questioned the wisdom of their little jaunt. Still, she knew it was pointless arguing. Once the Colonel set a course of action it might as well be set in stone.

Daniel had suggested splitting into teams of two; one to talk to the men back at the camp, the other to guard the gate. Ordinarily, Jack might have gone for that idea, but his protective instincts for his team were running at an all time high at this point and he had no intention of letting them separate again, unless there proved to be no alternative.

And so, the four found themselves in the now familiar woods. As Sam looked around, she realised the scenery was probably doing little to contribute to her CO’s love of trees. A sudden stumble in front of her caused her to pull up sharply. She looked to see the Colonel in a half kneeling, half standing position in front of her. He was bent at the waist, arms wrapped protectively around his mid section as he tried to catch his breath. Daniel was already at his side, supporting the Colonel once again while Jack rode out the coughing fit.

"Sir?"

Jack waved his hand dismissively, then reached for Daniel’s shoulder to hoist himself to standing.

"Colonel, I think……."

Jack cut her off abruptly. "I’m fine, Major. I tripped on a root. That’s all. Now, we’ve got a ways to go still and I want to make it there before dark. Let’s move."

Sam looked at Daniel. He shrugged his shoulders and turned his palm in an outward and upwards, ‘what are you going to do?’ kind of movement before he turned and followed. Teal’c went next, leaving Sam to pull up the rear.

She hefted her pack then followed, muttering under her breath. "Damn stubborn Colonels!"

"I heard that," came a deep voice from the front of the procession.

Despite herself, Sam had to laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over half a day passed before the team broke through the woods and into the clearing where the remains of the Jaffa camp still marred the terrain. Despite the fact that no further incidents occurred in the woods, Sam was still grateful to see the march come to a halt. She knew she was not the only one worried about the Colonel. Daniel and Teal’c had taken turns hovering close to the man in case he encountered further difficulties. Luckily their vigilance had proven unnecessary.

As they looked around they found themselves alone, although the still burning campfire indicated recent habitation. They walked in a slow circle around the fire, poking a bit at the obvious life signs they found littering the ground. Meat was cooking at the edge of the flame, a sure sign that the men had been here recently.

Jack nudged Daniel who looked over in confusion. "Oh." The looked past quickly as Daniel realised what he was being asked to do. "Hello!" He waited for a moment for a reply. "Um, remember me? I’m Daniel Jackson. I’m here with Colonel O’Neill, Major Carter and Teal’c." He felt more than a little silly standing there talking to an empty camp.

A scuffling noise could be heard before the movement was seen. It didn’t take long for the team to realise the activity was coming from the cell the team had called home for several days. That fact simply served to reinforce the knowledge that these men were completely untrained as soldiers. No self respecting soldier would allow himself into such an undefendable position.

The men emerged from the building, looking much better than before. The first man out approached, blinking rapidly at the transition from the darkened room to the bright light of day. "Welcome back. I’m sorry we didn’t greet you, but we couldn’t be sure who you were."

"That’s okay. We understand. Caution is never a bad thing." Daniel looked at the man and the others that followed him. "All of you are looking much better than the last time we were here."

"We are. We’ve been able to hunt and harvest some of the food in the woods. We’ve had plenty of wood to burn and time to rest." A quick inspection of the team before him told him the same did not hold true for the others The foursome looked in rougher shape than ever. "Come. Sit by the fire. We were about to eat our dinner. Will you join us?"

"We will." Teal’c provided a discreet escort for O’Neill as they moved to the fire. Large rocks dotted about the pit, providing seating for the weary travellers.

Jack sat gratefully, noticing for the first time the work the men had done to make the camp more habitable. "Nice place you’ve got here."

The man, Connar, grinned. "We did not know how long we would remain here. We have tried to make this place more hospitable."

Jack looked about, noticing that most of the rubble that had littered the camp last time had since been cleared away. While the remains of the destroyed building still dotted the area, they had largely been scavenged and reduced to innocuous piles of burnt debris. "Well, it has a certain…charm to it." Jack reached out to accept the plate being handed to him. It was laden with meat and greens. He whistled in appreciation. "Not bad."

Connar smiled. "Thank you, Colonel. Now, since you have returned, I trust you were successful?"

Daniel spoke around a mouthful of food. "In a manner of speaking."

Connar’s smile faded quickly. "I don’t understand. What happened? Are my people free or not?"

Again it was Daniel who spoke. He set his plate down on the ground near his feet, leaned forward and looked at Connar squarely. "Your people are safe. The Jaffa have been dealt with."

"That’s good. We can go home now."

"Yes, you can."

Connar’s eyes narrowed at the tone of Daniel’s voice. "What aren’t you telling me?"

Daniel paused a moment, gathering his thoughts. He absently adjusted his glasses as he tried to come up with the right words. Finally, he took a deep breath then plunged in. "Things have changed on your world a bit."

"How so?"

"For a start, the ruling council is now being led by Revlis."

"I don’t understand. Why? There should be five members."

"Yes, well, um…Two of the older members died before we got there. A third fell sick and from what I gather, the fourth is here."

"Yes. Lenta is here. He’s the one with the broken leg."

"Well apparently that left just Revlis. He’s decided that since the ‘logos’ is in such high demand, that he will not trade with us. He’s going to hold out for the highest bidder."

"He would not do that. Revlis is a good man."

Jack cut in. "Is this the same good man who ordered the deaths of the Jaffa on this planet?"

"Yes, but they were bad men, just like the ones on my world."

"I don’t suppose he told you he’d spoken to them, did he?"

Connar looked confused. "What difference would that make?"

"Well apparently, this was a rogue unit. They had left their own worlds and were trying to band together to fight the System Lords, just as Teal’c left Apophis to fight with us."

Connar looked up sharply, his eyes narrowed. "I don’t believe you. They were Jaffa."

Jack leaned forward for effect, holding his injured ribs as he did so. He spoke softly but deliberately. "Just like you were when I found you. Now what does that tell you?" He took note of the shocked expression on Connar’s face. "Things aren’t always as they seem, are they?" He eased himself back, satisfied that he’d made his point.

Connar stood abruptly, needing to get some space to process what he’d heard and to pass on the story to those who hadn’t heard it. "Finish your meal. You are welcome to spend the night here. We will leave in the morning." He studied the team a moment longer before leaving.

Jack looked at the rest of his team. "Something I said?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the night proved uneventful. Connar and his men kept their distance and the team found themselves left alone. They ended up spending the night sleeping on the ground in front of the fire. None of them felt overly rested when dawn finally broke, particularly Jack.

He’d found himself short of breath, and though he’d deny it to the others, his chest really hurt. Still, he’d suffered from broken ribs on more than one occasion and felt confident that the injury was not too severe. While he kept his breathing shallow, his lungs had thankfully not been compromised. His leg had fared somewhat better as he’d kept the limb outstretched and slightly elevated on a smooth rock Teal'c had scrounged for him in an effort to keep the swelling down. The sharp pain of earlier had dulled to a constant throbbing that he could easily ignore. Despite the positive medical outlook, he’d been unable to get comfortable. Not wanting to disturb the rest of the team, he’d spent the night making a conscious effort to remain still.

He was grateful to finally see the sky begin to lighten. It meant he could finally get up and more around, loosening sore, cramped muscles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hammond had just sat down at his desk when the page came.

"General Hammond to the Control Room. General Hammond to the Control Room."

He lifted himself out of his chair, his actions weary. "Now what?"

It didn’t take him long to reach his destination; however, his imagination was on overdrive as he tried to figure out what the problem might be this time. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Sir, we just ran a full diagnostic and the system appears to be functioning perfectly. We’re back on line, Sir"

Hammond cast a silent thank you to the powers that be. "Alright then. I’d say it’s high time we got our people home." He turned to the technician sitting at his left. "Do you have the co-ordinates?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Well then, let’s get to it." He looked through the Control Room window at the Stargate that had sat idle for far too long. "Dial it up."

"With pleasure, Sir."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SG1 walked into the clearing surrounding the ‘gate. They had teamed up with the able bodied villagers in helping to bring the wounded through the woods. Most of the injured were now mobile, save the one lying on the travois, his leg still far from mended.

Thanks to Daniel’s discovery, the team was once again armed. Connar and his people had stared in wide eyed disbelief when Daniel opened the cache containing the weapons, but they relaxed when the guns were tucked away and not turned on them in retribution for Revlis’ apparent crimes against the team.

The recovery of the weapons served to restore a sense of balance to the team and their spirits were higher than they’d been in some time.

Jack turned to the watching group. "Alright. Here’s where we go our separate ways."

Connar approached hesitantly. "We just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for us. We know it’s not much to offer, but our gratitude is all we have."

Jack reached out and clasped Connar’s hand. "It’s enough and you’re welcome." The words were said with all sincerity. Finally he turned to Daniel. "Dial them home, Daniel."

"You got it." Before the younger man even reached the DHD, the first chevron on the Stargate lit, accompanied by the chinking sound of a locking calliper. It was an incoming wormhole.

"Well it’s about time." Jack limped up to stand beside Daniel, the two men watching as the last chevron engaged.

The opening wormhole settled into a soft, rippling pattern as the group waited. When a long moment past and no rescue team arrived, Jack felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise.

Daniel apparently felt the same misgivings. "Um, somehow I don’t think that’s for us."

Jack started barking orders. "Carter, Daniel! Get those men into the woods. Teal’c, get in position." Jack watched as his team sprung into action, before moving himself. He crouched down behind the DHD, peeking around the pedestal at the ‘gate. He could see Teal’c out of the corner of his eye, the Jaffa poised for action, his recently obtained staff weapon activated.

Sam and Daniel didn’t need to work very hard at getting the men under cover. As soon as the Dorbonians sensed the tension, they began to move. Apparently they had learned their lesson about going against a stronger foe.

The team watched as the first figure exited the ‘gate. It was a Jaffa, dressed in full serpent garb. He was quickly joined by four more men, all clad in full armour. They flanked him, two on each side. They stood on the platform for a moment, scanning the area while the ‘gate disengaged behind them.

Hidden from view by the DHD, Jack spun quietly on his heel to face Carter and Daniel. He used hand signals to tell them what he wanted. Both Sam and Daniel nodded as they understood what he wanted. He spun back, this time his instructions directed at Teal’c. The Jaffa immediately knew what the Colonel had in mind and prepared himself to act.

Satisfied that his people knew the plan, Jack prepared to act when something occurred to him. The Jaffa that Revlis and his men took out were defectors. Jack had no way of knowing if these were good guys or bad guys and he knew he couldn’t act without finding out.

Daniel waited for Jack to do something. He grew more and more worried at the seconds ticked by. Finally he turned to Sam, his expression giving voice to his question.

Understanding the need for silence, Sam shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Her features took on a look of shock, though, as she watched the Colonel emerge from his hiding spot. His hands were in the air although he still retained possession of his zat.

As Jack studied the Jaffa, he came to a decision. He stood slowly and took a side-step which moved him away from the protective cover of the DHD. "Okay, you got me." He made sure his voice carried. He wanted his team to hear everything that happened. They needed to know his reasons behind his seemingly suicidal actions.

The lead Jaffa retracted his helmet, exposing his face and his brand. He wore the mark of Apophis. His actions were sure as he brought his staff weapon to bear on the lone man. "Drop the weapon."

Jack put on his most innocent face as he looked at the zat held overhead. "What, this little thing? Sure. No problem." He bent down to the ground, wincing visibly as the move strained his leg and chest. "See, there we go. Nice and easy." He set the weapon down gently, making sure to leave it active as he did so. When he stood once again, he kept his hands exposed.

The Jaffa studied him carefully, trying to figure out why the man seemed so familiar. "Who are you?"

Jack grinned. He was getting a pretty good idea about these soldiers but wanted confirmation. "The name’s Jack. Colonel Jack O’Neill. What’s yours?"

"Silence!" The Jaffa was quick to remember the name and was now scanning the area for the rest of SG1. He was already imagining his reward for returning the meddlesome quartet to his Lord. While his visual inspections showed nothing, he, understood that meant little. He and his men could already be surrounded by the enemy. The Jaffa turned his attention back on the lone man in front of him. "Where is the Shol’va?"

"Come again? I don’t understand Gould speak you know." Jack knew he was antagonizing the man, but anger bred mistakes and he was hoping the soldier would make some.

"Where is Teal’c? I know he serves you."

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but I’m here all by my lonesome. You know, just a nice little getaway. I was in need of some serious R+R and this place has this perfect little fishing hole. You just go down that way…" Jack indicated a direction completely opposite of Teal’c’s hiding place.

Despite himself, the Jaffa followed Jack’s hand and look in the indicated direction. That was all the break Jack needed.

He dropped suddenly, snatching up the zat at the same time. He rolled further out into the open, his movement stopping when he lay belly down in the dirt, his zat already firing. He took out the leader with his first shot, the Jaffa falling off the platform to lie on the ground in front of him. He was already delivering his second shot when he heard the rest of his team acting. Teal’c shot two successive staff weapon blasts into the surprised Jaffa, easily taking down the two nearest ones. Daniel and Sam took the remaining two. Sam’s shot was accurate and felled her intended victim, while Daniel’s strayed somewhat. The remaining Jaffa acted quickly, firing his own staff weapon even as a second shot was fired at him. This one hit its mark and the Jaffa fell, landing alongside the others.

Jack moved to rise out of the dirt when his ribs decided to get even with him for his activities. The adrenaline surge caused by the imminent battle had masked the pain of the injury but was rapidly wearing off. He drew up to his knees, bending at the waist and supporting his chest with one arm, even as the other held him up. Hissing under his breath, he breathed shallowly and evenly, waiting for the pain to pass, all the while hoping his team was too preoccupied to notice his actions. While he couldn't be sure, he had a hunch that his cracked ribs were now leaning towards the broken category. His expression darkened when he thought about the tongue lashing the SGC's CMO would be treating him to once he got home.

Aside from Jack's harsh breathing, the clearing fell silent and still. No one moved for a moment as they tried to process what had just occurred. Teal’c recovered first and he moved to Jack’s side to offer his assistance. Surprisingly, the Colonel accepted the help without complaint. When he was safely back on his feet, Jack make his way over to downed enemy. He looked silently at the bodies for a moment before acting. As his team moved to join him, he fired his zat over and over again, stopping only when the area was rid of all traces of the Jaffa.

Clearing his throat, Daniel tried to break the silence. "I think it’s safe to say they didn’t come from Earth."

Jack looked at him, his head cocked. "Ya think?"

Daniel looked at him for a moment. "What was that?"

Jack played innocent. "What was what?"

"Oh, come on, Jack! Why did you show yourself like that? They could have shot you where you stood."

Jack deactivated the zat and reached gingerly around his back, tucking the weapon into his waistband before speaking. "Yeah, they could have, but I had to know if they were defectors or the real thing. We wouldn’t want to pull a Revlis now would we?"

Daniel knew he couldn’t argue that, although he would have liked to have seen his friend use a different manner of risk assessment. He knew they would have to have a talk about that at some point.

Jack took a quick inventory as the wounded slowly emerged from the woods. "Everyone okay?"

Sam glanced around, quickly looking over the men. "I think everyone’s fine, Sir." Her eyes widened as she took in Jack’s appearance. "Except you, that is."

"Huh?"

Sam nodded at him. "Your arm, Sir."

Jack looked down at his left arm, taking in the sight of the still smoking sleeve and the line of scorched flesh showing underneath. "Damn. Didn’t even feel it." He’d been so preoccupied with the pain from his ribs that he’d failed to notice the newest injury.

"You might want to sit down while I dress this, Sir."

Jack looked at her. "First things first, Carter." He looked over at the rest of his team who continued to stand close by, clearly worried about him. "Daniel. Dial up Dorbon. Let’s get these people home before anything else happens."

"What about you, Jack?"

"It’s nothing. Carter can take care of it." Already Sam had begun tearing the fabric away from the wound, exposing the entire burn.

"Right." Daniel was familiar with Jack’s brand of stubbornness. He also knew Jack was right. Too much had happened and there was no point in tempting fate. He walked over to the DHD, punching in the glyphs for world they had recently left. He noticed a rather sour taste in his mouth as he pressed the centre mound that would activate the ‘gate. That particular world had left him with some rather unpleasant memories and he was just as glad that they wouldn’t be providing escort.

As the gate engaged, the wounded walked across the clearing, some assisted, some under their own power. All but one walked through. He hesitated, then moved away from the ‘gate and over to where the team stood watching.

By now Jack was sitting oh-so-patiently as Carter finished dressing his arm. He looked up as the man approached. "What’s up?"

"I don’t understand."

Daniel looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Um, you don’t understand what?"

"You. All of you."

Again Daniel asked the question. "In what way?"

The man looked at each of them in turn, his eyes finally coming to rest on Jack. "First you spared our lives." He turned to Sam. "You helped us." His gaze shifted to Teal’c, "You fought for us." Finally he stopped at Daniel, "then you protected us. Why?"

Daniel couldn’t help the small smile that crossed his face. "That’s what we do. We help people. You should try it some time."

The man nodded slowly as a look of understanding blossomed in his eyes. "My name is Adan and I offer you my thanks. I shall remember this."

As Jack saw that look he began to feel better about things. Perhaps this man might change things on his world, perhaps not. Whatever the outcome, it was a start. He looked up at the man, his own smile showing hope for the first time in many days. "You’re welcome, Adan."

That man nodded one final time before turning away. He walked up to the waiting ‘gate, again hesitating before passing through. This time when he turned to the team, his focus was on Teal’c. His actions were a perfect mimic of Teal’c’s grace as he bowed his head respectfully at the watching Jaffa. Teal’c stood tall, pausing only a moment before returning the gesture. The two men locked eyes with each other before Adan finally turned away. This time he didn’t stop but went through the ‘gate, which closed dramatically behind him.

Once again it was Daniel who broke the silence. "Well, that was...interesting."

Sam looked at him. "I think we gave him food for thought if nothing else."

"I don’t know about you, but is anyone else ready to go home?" Jack reached for Teal’c’s proffered hand. Gaining his feet, he limped towards the DHD.

Daniel rushed over. "Jack, I can do it."

"Not this time, Danny Boy. I want the honors." As he started to press the glyphs in sequence, he offered a word of advice. "Keep your fingers crossed this time, kids."

Teal’c looked over at Sam inquiringly. She returned with a ‘not now’ look and a grin. He nodded, then noticing her hands and the strange position her fingers were in, he copied the move.

There was an audible sigh of relief as the ‘gate finally engaged. Jack looked up at the giant ring. "Yes!" He turned to Carter. "Would you be so kind, Major?"

"I’d be happy to, Sir. " Sam keyed in the GDO code rapidly, the last number pressed with a flourish.

The team smiled in unison as the acceptance code appeared on the armband. Jack gestured broadly to his team. "After you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was four relieved people that exited the ‘gate and walked and limped down the familiar ramp of the SGC’s gateroom.

Standing at the bottom was a smiling General Hammond. "SG1, welcome home." It was at that point that he took note of their appearance. Each wore torn, dirty clothes. Three of the four sported bruises of varying degrees of color. Blood stained more than one pair of fatigues and none looked as though they had bathed in a week. "What happened to you?"

Jack looked at the team and they looked at him. He understood immediately what they needed from him. There would be a long debriefing once they were medically cleared and a lot of bad stuff would be put on the table. Missions like these were never easy and there was always a lot of guilt and second guessing that took place. For now he could take a bit of that away and let them just enjoy their homecoming, if only for a short time. As such, Jack fell back into character. "Nothing much, Sir. Teal’c made some new friends. Daniel found a rock…."

Daniel couldn’t resist. "It was a rock too, General."

Jack continued, "and Carter got to look at some cool caves."

Sam grinned, her head rocking back and forth as she played along.

Hammond sighed. Something told him it was going to be a long debriefing. "What about you, Colonel? What did you do?"

"Me, Sir?" Jack though about that for a moment, a faint smile crossing his face as he recalled his time in the woods laying traps. "I got to do some fishing and hunting, Sir."

Hammond folded his arms across his chest as he harrumphed. "Alright. You can explain it to me later. I want you to get yourselves checked out, then hit the showers." He took another look at them. "On second thought, you might want to reverse that order. We’ll debrief at 0900 hours tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir." As much as he tried, Jack couldn't quite keep the fatigue out of his voice.

As the team made to leave the gate room, Hammond’s voice stopped them. "SG1."

The team turned in unison.

"It’s good to have you home again."

Jack answered for the group. "It’s good to be back, Sir."

With that they left the room, their voices drifting back with Hammond catching a bit of the conversation. "Fishing, Jack? You actually said you went fishing?" The exasperated voice faded away as team moved further down the hall.

Hammond smiled broadly. Yes, it was good to have them back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Epilogue

Revlis sat in the dark, his legs crossed and his body hunched over. He started at the smallest sound while his eyes warily probed the darkness. He couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t been able to for several nights now……not since they came.

**When SG1 left the planet, Revlis had felt supremely confident. His people were free, the Jaffa destroyed and he was in control. His decisions were law and he felt a surge of victory course through his veins.

Revlis didn’t think about the cost associated with his victory. The human tragedy was instantly forgotten, as was the physical damage to his world. All he knew was that he’d achieved his life’s goal.

His feelings were short lived. Not long after SG1 left, the gate opened again. The wounded he’d left behind were returning home, including Lenta, the only other survivor of the Council. Lenta was older, had more experience and was a well respected member of the community. He also had many favorable impressions to share of the very group Revlis had shunned, SG1.

The conflict between the two was immediate. Lenta had heard a watered down version of what happened on Dorbon from Daniel Jackson. Apparently the man had understated Revlis’ actions somewhat. When the attack on Teal’c and the Colonel was revealed, Lenta grew angry. "I don’t understand. Those people helped us gain our freedom and you attacked them? That makes no sense."

While Revlis knew he was Lenta’s equal in the Council’s standing, he was accustomed to the older man’s wisdom and was hard pressed to fight back. He tried to justify his actions instead. "How could you expect me to willingly keep a Jaffa in our midst. The very fact that O’Neill and his people treat him as an equal proves that they can’t be trusted."

"Or perhaps they are simply more accepting of others. Maybe that is a lesson we could learn from them." Lenta was worried. Without aid, what was to prevent the Jaffa from returning? It was only through the help of the Earthlings that his people had prevailed. He was not sure they would be so fortunate in the future. Sealing the Stargate was not an option. Dorbon relied heavily on trade to sustain itself. Shutting the Stargate would only hurt them. They needed to come up with another way.

"You worry too much, Lenta." Revlis was hard pressed to keep the note of scorn from creeping into his voice.

"And you worry too little, Revlis. There are many here who disagree with your actions concerning O’Neill and his people, myself included. They proved themselves to be allies worthy of our respect."

Revlis stormed off after that. He didn’t need some old man telling him what to do and how to do it. It was through his actions that his people were free and the Jaffa were gone. It was due to his influence that his community was thriving and it would continue to do so with him making the decisions.

Shortly after that, Revlis observed a group of men surrounding Lenta. They were talking in low tones, the words cutting off abruptly when Revlis was observed watching.

The next day Revlis walked into the town hall, only to have all conversations cease as he made his way to his customary spot.

Adan and Lenta spent the afternoon in each others company, both writing notes that were quickly covered when Revlis walked by.

That second night after SG1 left, Revlis found himself lying sleepless in his room. Every time he closed his eyes he could see Colonel O’Neill’s hard eyes staring at him and he could hear the echo of his words, over and over again. ‘Watch your back.’

When Revlis finally emerged from his home, he noticed that the villagers seemed to be keeping their distance from him. Every time he made his way towards someone, that person would turn and walk away. The only one who didn’t seem bothered by his presence was Sorren.

He found solace in the company of the other man. Still, he couldn’t help but feel hurt by the seeming rejection of his people. The day dragged out until he collapsed into his bed that night, exhausted. Despite his fatigue, sleep once again eluded him and O’Neill’s voice grew louder.

Revlis didn’t understand. He was so confident in his actions against SG1.**

He wasn’t feeling so confident now.

**Exactly five days after the ‘gate opened and allowed SG1 to leave, it opened again. This time the Jaffa came…en masse. As O’Neill had predicted, the Jaffa had come looking for their missing shipment of ore.

Revlis thought he was prepared for it. He’d been waiting near the gate with a contingent of men…just in case. Each was armed with a weapon; a legacy of SG1’s visit.

He really did think he was prepared…but nothing could prepare him for what happened.

The Jaffa came, one after the other, the line never ending. While Revlis and his men took the leading Jaffa out, others swarmed from the ‘gate in ever increasing numbers. Revlis tried to hold them off, as did the other men, but their efforts were in vain. Finally Revlis fled into the woods, uncertain and uncaring of the fate of the others. He crept through the underbrush, monitoring the progress of the enemy as they rampaged. The city fell quickly, men women and children losing their homes and their lives. Fires sprang up and the buildings caved in, leaving dust and debris where a proud city once stood.

Revlis watched from his hiding place, unwilling and unable to stop the carnage. Those that weren’t dragged off through the Stargate to serve as slaves were slaughtered where they stood; while he sat…silent witness to the death of his world. He was oblivious to the tears that ran down his face; damp rivulets that couldn’t clean the soot and grime that stained his face and his soul.

Finally it was over.

The very earth stilled. No more cries. No more laughter. No more movement save his own. His heartbeat provided the only sound of life on a dead world. The Jaffa had left. Whether they would come back or not remained to be seen. He supposed they would. The logos was still here and that was all that mattered to them. It was all that had mattered to him.**

Revlis lost track of how long he sat there. Time had lost all meaning. His thoughts lacked cohesion. Finally he made a supreme effort. He stood and began walking. There was no purpose or direction to his movements. His feet guided his unwilling mind while his senses took in his surroundings. Rubble crumbled and crunched under his feet. His skin sweat freely as still burning fires warmed the air. His breath burned in his raw throat and his tears continued to flow.

A faint movement finally registered in his numbed mind. A hand peeked out from under some debris, the fingers grasping at nothing. Revlis worked methodically to free the entombed victim. It took a long time but a face finally emerged. Revlis barely recognised the man who lay dying underneath. It was Adan. The man who saw SG1 for who and what they really were. The man who might have changed things on his world.

Revlis crouched down beside the fallen man, pity in his eyes. What he saw in the gaze levelled at him was anything but pitiful. Adan bore a look of utter contempt on his damaged features. He tried several times to speak but the words wouldn’t form. Finally he made a supreme effort. Revlis had to lean in close to listen and quickly wished he hadn’t. Adan’s words would haunt him to his grave.

"This was all your fault." With that utterance, Adan died.

Revlis rose unsteadily to his feet and stumbled on. He didn’t see where he was going, nor did he care. He simply needed to get away from those accusing eyes and those haunting words.

When he finally stopped he took in his surroundings. Without even thinking about it he’d arrived at the mine. Had anyone asked, Revlis couldn’t say why he did it. He acted without thought, without regret and without a witness. He walked into the mine and moved to the deepest cavern; one he knew was newly opened and heavily loaded with logos. Without batting an eye, Revlis raised his only remaining possession, his staff weapon. He never even closed his eyes as he fired.

No one would ever know if he saw the irony in a Jaffa’s weapon ultimately causing his demise. The cavern exploded the moment the energy bolt hit the dense logos, as did the mine and a great portion of the planet. Revlis died as he lived…with the logos, and alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End