See part one for disclaimers and story notes

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."