See part one for disclaimers and story notes

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."

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