See part one for disclaimers and story notes

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

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

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

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

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

"Um, excuse me, Sir?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Mmmph." The archaeologist merely rolled over.

"Daniel."

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

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

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

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

"Yah."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Revlis spoke up. "I have one."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"As mine have paid."

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

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

Jack knew they had a problem on their hands. He just hoped that Revlis’ prejudices wouldn’t get in the way of their goal. He took a deep breath, wishing briefly that Daniel was with him. The man seemed to be able to communicate with the most stubborn individuals with ease. Finally he decided that in this particular case, the less said the better. "Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. Now, dial up the gate and let the others know it’s okay to come through." Jack watched as Revlis did as requested. The wormhole flared to life then shut down.

Finished his task, Revlis turned to the watching soldier. "Now what?"

Jack grinned. "Now we go hunting."

"O’Neill? Should we not wait for the others to arrive?"

Jack thought for a moment before answering. "I don’t think we have much choice here, Teal’c. We need to find out what we’re up against before they get here. We have no way of knowing the condition of the villagers or whether more Jaffa have been sent through since Revlis left. They’ve most likely beefed up security after losing half their work force. If that’s the case, most of what Revlis told us will be worthless by now. Besides, I already told them we might head on without them."

Teal’c nodded his head in agreement with Jack’s conclusions.

The Colonel looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. He noted the well worn road ahead of him that led into the woods. It was heavily marred with track marks that spoke of motorised transportation. He wondered about that as he had impression that these people didn’t rely on mechanical devices. Putting off his questions for now, he turned to Revlis. "Where will everyone be right about now?"

Revlis looked up through the treetops, trying to gauge the sun’s position. "They should still be at the mines."

Without asking, Teal’c understood that time might not be the same on this planet as the last one. Planetary rotations seemed to ensure that day’s didn’t run at a universal time on different worlds. Judging by the sun that appeared to have past its apex, Teal’s wondered how much time remained for their activities if they wanted to work with the daylight. "For how much longer?"

"Several hours more. The Jaffa work them until the sun begins to set."

Knowing how Revlis felt about the Jaffa, Jack felt it prudent to step in, redirecting the conversation before Revlis went off on another tangent. "I don’t want to go on the main path. It’s likely to be guarded. So, which way do we go?"

"That way." The villager pointed out the direction.

"Let’s head out then." He indicated that Revlis should lead. He went second, leaving Teal’c to watch their six.

The journey passed in silence as the trio made their way through the trees. Revlis followed a faint trail that appeared to have seen little use. It was little more than a slight trampling of the underbrush, easily overlooked by anyone not searching for it. Still, it made for easier movement and the damp grass and mosses underfoot helped to obscure their tracks.

Teal’c followed behind, leaving trail markers for the next group; innocuous items that Carter would pick up on without tipping off any Jaffa that might head to the gate.

They hadn’t gone far when Jack grabbed at the back of Revlis’ uniform, effectively stopping him. Moving alongside, Jack pulled the other man into a crouch, silencing him with a gesture. He looked back to see Teal’c approach, his manner cautious. Jack nodded for the Jaffa to come closer. Using hand signals, the plan was decided. Teal’c would circle left, Jack would take the right and Revlis was to stay put.

Teal’c moved off, silent and graceful. He’d done this type of search with O’Neill many times and the practice showed. The two men complimented each other, their fighting styles similar. Both possessed a rare brand of honor and a dislike of killing but they also knew where their duty lay. In this case they had innocent people to free, while hopefully keeping the loss of life to a minimum. It was one of the harsh truths of war and of life in general. As much as they wished they could change it, people died. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t welcomed, it just was.

Creeping forward through the underbrush, Teal’c heard something off to his right. Turning in the direction of the sound he heard the noise again. It was faint, but there nonetheless. He started to move towards it when he heard the distinct sound of a zat ring out. Abandoning all attempts at stealth, he rushed towards the sound. He arrived just in time to witness a second and third shot being levelled at a downed serpent guard. A commotion on the other side of Revlis alerted him to the arrival of his CO.

Jack looked at the two men, one of whom still held his weapon aimed at the empty patch of earth in front of him. "What the hell happened here?"

"I am not sure, O’Neill. I arrived in time to witness Revlis eradicate a lone Jaffa." Teal’c’s jaw tightened slightly as he tried to keep the implications of that action to himself.

Jack looked over at the villager, who had yet to lower his weapon. "You want to explain this?" He indicated the slight indent in the earth where the Jaffa had fallen.

Revlis looked at him, finally lowering the zat to his side. "I wanted to help so I headed along the path. I rounded the corner and there he was. He had his weapon aimed at me and I panicked." He stopped abruptly as though in shock.

"And then what?" Jack wasn’t a happy camper.

"I fired. He fell to the ground, but he didn’t stop moving. I thought he was still going to shoot me so I fired again."

"And you fired a third time…because?"

Revlis looked at him, the slightest bit of contempt showing in his eyes. "Because he was dead. There was no point in leaving the body out where it could be found."

Teal’c marvelled at the man’s ability to lie under stress. He had caught a glimpse of the Jaffa before he disappeared. The man had fallen face first to the ground, away from Revlis. It was obvious that he had been shot in the back. As Teal’c looked over at O’Neill, he understood that his CO had a pretty good idea of what happened as well. A look passed between the two, one that did not go unnoticed by Revlis.

"What? You don’t believe me?"

"It’s not that, Revlis." Jack figured that they’d better play along for the time being. He needed a chance to figure the villager out. His actions seemed off for a man whose sole purpose was to free his people and another hair raised up on the back of Jack’s neck. "It’s just that by shooting him," he indicated the patch where the Jaffa had fallen, "you may have tipped the others off to our arrival. Who knows how many guards they have out here."

This time the chagrin on Revlis’ face seemed genuine, as though he sincerely hadn’t understood that possibility. "I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I mea…he was there and I acted."

"Let’s just hope no harm’s been done." Jack looked over at Teal’c. "You ready to move?"

"I am."

"Okay then." Jack looked at Revlis. "From now on, I’ll lead. You understand?" He watched for and received an affirmative nod. "And no more shooting." Jack looked past Revlis at his waiting friend. "Keep your eyes open, Teal’c."

"I intend to, O’Neill."

Jack nodded, satisfied that his message was understood. He turned abruptly, heading off once again.

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

Daniel and Sam arrived with their entourage at the appointed time. Daniel guarded their position while Sam scouted the immediate area. It didn’t take long for her to find the guards in the nearby woods; the men trussed and gagged. She grinned as she noticed the Colonel’s handiwork. She knew it would take the men a long time to get free of the bindings, if they ever did.

She looked about a bit more and almost overlooked the innocuous trail marker her teammates had left behind. She picked it up and walked back to the waiting group. Gesturing in the direction of the marker, she started to give orders. "They went that way. The guards are secured and the trail is marked. We’ll head out and try to rendezvous with them ASAP. Any questions?" She waited a moment, and when none appeared forthcoming, she nodded. "Okay then. I’ll take point, Daniel, watch our six. The rest of you, keep low and quiet." Without waiting any longer Sam set off, following the trail left for her by Teal’c.

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

Jack, Teal’c and Revlis made it to the outskirts of the mine without further incident. The trio lay on the edge of a canyon which funnelled into a cave system at one end. The canyon was large and appeared man-made. It started out shallow at one end and deepened quickly. Tracks were seen where vehicles of some sort had entered the mouth of the pit. Men and women could be seen moving in and out of the cave’s mouth, some pushing heavily laden carts while others carried tools. Judging by the contents of the carts, this was where the logos was mined.

The three watched as one of the villagers walked his cart over to a waiting transport, the tires bouncing about in the worn ruts caused by the endless repetition of that chore. He planted the cart down carefully in the parched earth, then moved to open a flap in the side of the vehicle. Walking back, he once again took the handles of the cart, moving it up to meet the opening. He tipped the cart and the ore tumbled down the waiting chute, landing in the bowels of the transport. Lowering the cart once again, he secured the hatch covering the chute.

He paused then, wiping a grimy sleeve over a sweat covered face. His movements appeared shaky, even when seen from a distance. Looking about nervously, the man once again grabbed his cart, turned and walked it past the watching Jaffa who were dotted intermittently throughout the canyon , all armed with staff weapons. He headed back to his starting point deep within the cave, where he’d repeat the process again and again throughout the course of the day. As he disappeared from sight, he passed two more Jaffa who guarded the entrance to the cave. They seemed to delight in lending a not so friendly hand to the villagers who entered and exited the mine.

Jack laid a steadying hand on Revlis’ back as they watched a Jaffa deliver a solid blow to the back of an old man who struggled as he exited the cave with his load. The sound of the weapon landing on flesh carried up to them and Revlis seethed with anger at the sight. He turned an angry eye towards Jack. "Now you know what we are up against."

Jack understood his anger but knew that rash actions would accomplish little. "I know you’re angry. So am I, but we have to make some decisions here and before we can do that, we need more information."

His words seemed to have the desired effect as some of the tension left the villager’s face. "What kind of information?"

"For a start, are these all the Jaffa there are, or are there more in the cave?"

Revlis closed his eyes, thinking back to the last time he’d been inside the cave system. "There are more inside. As many as six at any given time."

Jack looked at him reassuringly. "Okay, that’s a good start. What about the village? Do any stay on there?"

"Only a couple. They stand watch over the youngest children, those that are too small to be effective workers." Bitterness crept into his voice. "They know that as long as they keep the children, my people will co-operate."

Teal’c nodded in confirmation. "It is a common practice amongst the Jaffa. The Goa’uld are well aware of the strong bonds that humans share amongst families. We are taught early on in our training to exploit such emotions."

Jack watched as Revlis’ eyes narrowed at the admission, even as Teal’c continued to explain.

"The children will not be heavily guarded. As Revlis said, no more than two or three Jaffa will be spared for such a task. They are considered unimportant and unlikely to provide any resistance. The majority of the guards will be patrolling this location."

Jack looked at the scene below him, trying to get a feel for the layout. His eyes fell on the transport they’d just been watching. "What happens when that’s full? Do they take it to the gate or do they have others in reserve?"

"They take them as they are filled."

"How?"

"It’s driven to the ‘gate."

Jack was getting a tad exasperated. "I get that. Who drives it, a Jaffa or one of your people?"

"One Jaffa drives, two more run escort."

"Then what?"

Revlis took a moment but finally realised what was being asked. "The guards escort the transport through the gate. There is an empty one waiting for them on the other side. They bring it back and the cycle repeats."

Jack was used to being given better intel and was hard pressed to keep from yelling his frustration. Instead, he took a deep breath, counted quickly to ten then started again. "How often does that happen?"

"It usually takes about 5 days to mine enough ore to fill it."

"Is there any way of knowing when it was emptied last or when it will be full again?"

"It should be ready to transport by nightfall." He took note of Jack’s expression. "I can see the gauge on the side of it from here. That’s how the guards can tell how full it is and how quickly the logos is being mined. Why?"

Jack ignored the question, looking at Teal’c instead. "I’m thinking attrition. How about you?"

"I concur, O’Neill. The transport is a likely place to start."

"My thoughts exactly, Teal’c. I say we wait for Carter, put her and some of the villagers on that job while you and I see what we can do here."

Revlis looked on in confusion. "What about me? What do I do?"

Jack knew there was no way he was pairing Teal’c off with the man. "I want you and some of your men to go to the village. You’re going to take out the Jaffa guarding the kids." Jack figured that Revlis would have to restrain his actions somewhat, knowing that young, impressionable eyes were watching. That was his hope anyhow.

Before Revlis could launch a protest, Teal’c’s attention was piqued. A soft bird cry carried on the slight breeze. "O’Neill. I believe that Major Carter and Daniel Jackson have now caught up with us."

"Good." Jack pulled back from the bank. "Lead the way, Teal’c."

The trio caught up with the bulk of their party in a small clearing just inside the treeline, well hidden from prying eyes. They were a fair distance away from the canyon so their voices wouldn’t carry.

"What have you got, Sir?"

"Here’s the deal, Carter. I want you to take two men with you. There’s a transport that will be leaving here in a couple of hours. Follow it. Let it go through the gate then intercept the new one on the way back." Jack caught the quizzical looks being sent in his direction. For those new to his thought processes he clarified the situation. "It will raise suspicion if the transport doesn’t arrive. Most likely a group will be dispatched to see what happened to the shipment. If we let it go through, we buy ourselves some time."

Sam had a question of her own. "Sir, wasn’t the gate guarded when you came through?"

Jack gave himself a mental kick for forgetting that. "Good point, Carter. Glad one of us is thinking." Looking at the assembled group in front of him, most of whom still retained their serpent guard armor, Jack pointed out two of them. "You two. You’re with Carter." Jack turned back to his second. "We took out two guards. Substitute these two for them. It’ll be dark by then so hopefully the real Jaffa won’t bother looking too close. If they do, I guess you’ll have to deal with the situation. I’m hoping that it won’t come to that, though." Jack neglected to mention that with Carter being the only armed member of the group, it would be far safer for them if they passed inspection. He thought fleetingly back to the staff weapons he’d destroyed. It would be a lot easier if she had armed backup. Still, he trusted her to pull this off. She’d been in worse situations before. At least this time she knew the score and could plan accordingly.

"Yes, Sir."

Jack continued planning their attack. "Daniel. There are a couple of guards, maybe three, back at the village. They’ve got the kids so you’ll have to be careful. I want you to take Revlis and one other with you. It’s up to you to take them out. Can you do that?" Jack wasn’t concerned about Daniel’s ability to handle the guards, rather how he might feel about dealing with Revlis. He also knew the younger man would understand his concerns.

Daniel levelled a meaningful look at the Colonel. "We’ll handle it, Jack. Don’t worry about us. What about you?"

"Teal’c and I will take the remainder of the men and see what damage we can do here."

Daniel was not the only one who quickly flashed back to the destroyed camp on the other planet. Apparently Jack was capable of instigating a fair bit of damage when he set his mind to it.

"That only gives you six men, Colonel. How many Jaffa are there?"

"Well, that’s the thing, Major. There’s more of them than us."

Carter noticed a gleam in the Colonel’s eye that spoke of a hatching idea. "So that means…?" she left the rest of the sentence hang unspoken.

"That means, a diversion would be a good thing." He remembered the one he’d used on the Jaffa camp when rescuing his team. "Too bad I used all the C4. It’d come in handy right about now." Jack happened to glance at Daniel as he said that and an idea sprang to mind. "Carter?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Is naquadah explosive?"

Sam’s eyes squinted and her brow furrowed as she thought about that. "It’s usually pretty stable, Colonel. Generally it acts as a sort of super conductor, although I suppose it could be under the right conditions."

"Such as...?"

"Well I don’t know for sure. This is different from any we’re used to. We don’t know what properties this shares with the kind we’ve seen."

Jack looked over at Daniel. "You still got that rock of yours?"

Daniel reached into his vest pocket, drawing it forth and handing it over. "What are you going to do?"

"Just a little chemistry experiment." Jack searched the ground around him, finding a half buried rock about the size of his fist. He shrugged off his pack, freeing his arms. Placing the naquadah on the ground, he raised the rock and brought it down swiftly, hitting the ore hard. The blow caused a small sliver to break off.

Daniel looked on. "Um, I didn’t know you took chemistry, Jack?"

Jack stopped what he was doing just long enough to answer. "I may be dumb, Daniel, but I’m not stupid." He then turned his attention back to what he was doing. Picking up the sliver, he carried it a short distance away, setting it on a stump. He looked back at the watching group, "Cover up!"

He waited until everyone was shielded before turning his zat on the object. He aimed carefully and pulled the trigger, hitting the fragment squarely on. It didn’t react. "Dammit."

Sam understood what he was trying to do and a thought occurred to her. "Sir, what about Teal’c’s staff weapon? The zat just energized the stone. I’m not sure, but I think the extra power from the staff weapon might be needed to trigger a reaction. The naquadah won’t explode per se, but it should magnify the intensity of the blast."

"Good thinking, Major. I knew we kept you around for more than just your looks."

Sam grinned, understanding the Colonel was trying to break the tension.

Jack looked to the watching Jaffa. Teal’c handed the weapon over wordlessly, nodding graciously at Jack’s thanks. Sending up a silent plea that they were too far away to be heard, the Colonel once again gave the order to cover up. With the sliver squarely in his sights once again, Jack fired. This time the reaction was much more impressive, as the blast’s intensity was magnified by several degrees, completely obliterating the stump. Jack grinned in satisfaction. "I think we have our diversion." Jack handed Teal’c his weapon back, unable to keep the smile from his face.

Daniel watched the demonstration sceptically. "Not to sound like the voice of reason here or anything, but how’s that going to help us? If you try and shoot inside the mine you’re liable to bring the whole place down."

Jack cocked his eyebrow as he thought over the question. Daniel had a valid point, one that he needed to address. He look over at his second. "How big an explosion would that that transport cause?"

Sam’s eyes clouded over in consternation. "I have no way of knowing, Sir, but my guess would be huge."

"Okay, maybe that’s a bit over the top." He visualised the canyon’s layout, imagining the placement of the guards as well as the civilians. Suddenly a though occurred to him. "Teal’c?"

"Yes, O’Neill."

"How much naquadah would you say those carts carried?"

"I would have to estimate close to one hundred pounds worth." Teal’c cocked his head questioningly. Do you have an idea?"

"Sort of." Jack looked over at the Jaffa who retained his serpent guard uniform. "Did you recognise any of those guards back there?"

"I did not."

"Would they recognise you?"

"It is possible; however, I think it would be unlikely."

Daniel looked over. "What have you got in mind, Jack?"

"Well, I’m thinking we need an inside man. You up for it, Teal’c?"

"I believe I am, O’Neill."

"Good. When you get there, I want you to try and arrange to have one of the carts tip over. Let the ore scatter as far as it will go. Help it along if you need to but don’t get caught."

"I will endeavor to remain anonymous."

Jack grinned. "That’s under cover, Teal’c."

Sam smiled. "Do you still want the transport out of the way?"

"Yeah. We don’t want it to get caught in the crossfire."

Sam nodded in agreement as Jack turned back to Teal’c. "When you get my signal, I want you to start firing on the ore. Keep as far back as you can, though. I don’t want you getting hit by any shrapnel."

Jorsan, one of the first men they’d rescued, stood and spoke up tentatively. "What about us? What do we do?"

Jack turned to him, studying the man appraisingly. "You keep your head down and when the bullets start flying, you start getting your people out of that mine. Hide them in the woods but don’t take them into the village until you get the all clear. Got that?"

"What about the guards? We can help you with them."

"Thanks. I know you want to help but I don’t want to have to worry about you getting in the line of fire. It’s better for everyone if you just see to your people. If they see us they might panic."

Jorsan nodded as he thought about that. He sat down next to the other men, clearly impressed with the group in front of him. More than one person shared that view as the rest of the plans were finalised.

"Any questions?" Jack looked around. No one spoke. "Good. Everyone take your positions and be careful. I don’t have any more band-aids left and Carter left her white coat on the last planet." Jack ignored the blank stares of the men as they tried to make sense of his comment. Instead he walked over to his team-mates. "Okay, gang. This is it. No heroics. Just simple cut and run. We do this, free these people and go home." He tilted his head as the others looked at him. "Well, okay. So two out of three ain’t bad."

Sam grabbed the two men the Colonel had assigned her and headed off into the woods. She wanted to choose her spot to ambush the transport while time was still on her side.

Jack watched them head off before turning his attention on Daniel. "Be careful there, Daniel. Watch your back, okay?"

Daniel was about to make light of the comment, but stopped as he took note of the expression on Jack’s face. The man was serious and obviously concerned. Instead, he rested his hand lightly on the older man’s arm, the gesture reassuring. "You got it, Jack. You too, huh?"

Jack smiled. "You know me, Daniel. I live for this stuff."

"Uhuh." Daniel shifted his gaze over to Teal’c. "Keep him in line there, Teal’c. You know how he can get."

"I will, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel moved alongside the waiting Revlis. "You ready?"

"We are." Revlis indicated the younger man standing at his side. "This is Saro. He has two children waiting in the village."

Daniel shook his hand. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but we’re not, so…," he paused for a moment, trying to think of something profound. He came up empty. "…We should go."

Teal’c and Jack watched at the three men disappeared into the woods before they turned their attention on the waiting group.

Jack noticed the sun was setting. "Okay, time to move. Teal’c, when the transport leaves, you head in."

Teal’c moved to stand in front of Jack. He extended his arm out and Jack clasped it near the elbow, Teal’c acting similarly. They stood there for a moment, warrior to warrior, friend to friend. Both recognised their odds in the upcoming battle, just as both understood that they could not walk away.

The moment hung silent, heavy in the deepening sky. Finally Jack ended it in his usual irreverent style as he looked at his friend. "You’re not going to give me any of that ‘Good Day to Die’ crap are you? ‘Cause if so, you can just keep it to yourself."

Teal’c allowed just the smallest of smiles to show through, but his eyes told a different story. They fairly overflowed with mirth and he thought to himself that this was one of the reasons he would follow O’Neill to hell and back. "In point of fact, O’Neill, I was going to say that. I believe I shall now save it for another time."

Jack smiled warmly. "Good to know, my friend." As though someone flipped a light switch, Jack abruptly changed gears and reverted into full CO mode. "All right. It’s show time. Teal’c, time to move out."

The two made their way back to the canyon edge, followed closely by the remaining men. As they made the overlooking ridge, Jack pulled Jorsan aside. Speaking clearly but in hushed tones, he gave the man his final instructions. "I’m putting you in charge of this group." He indicated the other five men he had with him. "Take them to the end of the mine. Once the shooting starts, I want you to take a couple of them inside. The rest can act as lookouts and help with the rescue. Let your people know what’s going on. We can’t afford to let them panic. Get them out of there as quickly and as quietly as you can. If you happen to pick up some weapons along the way, all the better, but don’t risk yourselves or your people trying to get them." He studied the face that seemed to grow paler as he spoke. "You okay?"

"It’s just that…that…."

"Yeah, I know. You care about those people. That’s why this is going to work. Got that?"

Jorsan nodded. Something about this man instilled a confidence in him that he had not felt in some time. Certainly Revlis had never provoked that kind of response. He knew instinctively that this stranger meant what he said. It was going to work and he would see his family safe. Still, he found himself somewhat overwhelmed by his feelings and didn’t trust himself to speak. Instead, he gave a belated nod in answer to Jack’s question.

The hand he felt on his shoulder went a long way in bolstering his courage and he pulled himself together.

Jack understood. "I meant what I said. This will work." Jack looked over the young man’s shoulder at the five men still gathered around. "Jorsan here is in charge. Listen to him and do what he tells you. Hopefully this will all be over shortly." He turned his attention back on his new field officer. "Now……go." Without waiting to see if his order was carried out, Jack moved back to Teal’c. He joined the Jaffa in looking at the activities below. Despite the distance, both could see that the transport was being readied for movement.

"I believe that is my cue, O’Neill."

"You got that right, Teal’c." He looked at his friend. "I’ll see you when this is done."

Without answering, Teal’c rose, his bulk appearing enormous against the rapidly darkening sky. Silent as night, he ghosted away.

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

Sam led the two villagers back to the ‘gate. As they made their way through the woods, she sounded them out about life on Dorbon. While she made sure they kept their volume to a minimum, she wanted to know more about the people they were trying to help.

Dorbon was a thriving community situated on an otherwise unpopulated world. The topography was apparently not conducive to widespread colonisation and the main resources were all centered near the village. Mining provided the majority of their tradable goods and allowed them access to materials not naturally found on this world.

Sam also learned more about the people. Dorbon was a patriarchal society run by a council of five men, of which Revlis was a member. Most inherited the position from their fathers, but when a member failed to sire a male child, an election would be held to fill the post. The council was responsible for not only the day to day running of the community, but also the judicial tasks that accompanied most societies. They made the laws and saw to their enforcement. Any decision made by the council was strictly upheld.

Sam's rapidly expanding education extended to the men she travelled with. Marn was a young man, recently married with no children as yet, although, he sheepishly confided, he hoped that would change soon. Sorren was older. He had already raised his family. His two children were currently working in the mine but his wife had died shortly after the Jaffa arrived. Stress and overwork took their toll on a woman already weakened by sickness and she was the first to succumb to the new Goa’uld regime. In the month since the Jaffa had arrived, more than twenty men, women and children had died, not including those that had rushed the 'gate.

Sorren accepted Sam’s condolences, but underlying his words was an unmistakable anger. The Major knew he would bear watching. She didn’t put it past him to try and exact his revenge against the Jaffa. Fighting for his people was one thing, revenge was another. It would be up to her to see that he was kept in line.

By now they were nearing the ‘gate. As they approached the structure, Sam surveyed the scene. A ramp replaced the steps normally seen leading to the Stargate. This led to a large platform capable of housing the transport. She placed the men in position on either side of Stargate, posing them as the guards would have stood. As she looked at them critically, she realised she had to find something to replace the staff weapons the guards would have carried. Their hands were conspicuously empty. Moving off into the bush, she managed to find a couple of stout branches. The limbs were straight and uniform. She pulled some dense clumps off moss off the ground and wrapped these around the end of the sticks. Moving back to the waiting men, she handed them each a ‘weapon’. As she moved back from the ‘gate, she studied them. While they wouldn’t stand up to a close inspection, they would pass a cursory glance. It was nearly dark and the real Jaffa would undoubtedly be tired. Hopefully they would concentrate on nothing more than accomplishing their task. If not, she might have to change tactics and stop the transport from going through at all.

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

Daniel’s journey through the woods proved less enlightening. Saro had been quick to start a conversation but was halted by a look from Revlis. The three made their way in complete silence. For once, Daniel would be grateful to reach their destination, despite knowing that fighting would soon be involved.

He had yet to adjust to the sounds and smell of battle. While he’d come to accept the necessity of conflict, he didn’t like it. He couldn’t help but put himself in the place of his victims. Did they have husbands, wives, children? Who would care for those left behind? Did they even want to fight, or were they put into their situation by circumstances beyond their control? The questions never ended, nor did the endless moral issues they raised.

Finally the woods thinned and a scenic panorama was revealed. From their position above the village, everything looked deceptively peaceful. Torches had been lit to ward back the burgeoning darkness.

The houses ran in neat rows from the centre square. Like spokes on a wheel, they jut out at right angles to the serene looking garden setting that graced the middle of the village. Obviously the square had been set up for town gatherings, judging by the huge gazebo that dominated the greenbelt.

Daniel could visual bands playing and children laughing and running amongst blankets their parents had laid out as picnics were consumed on warm days. Assuming of course, they knew what picnics even were. Paths led from the ornate structure to meander through well kept gardens. Benches lined the walkways, providing seating for weary citizens, or for couples wanting a quiet moment.

Dragging his eyes away from the storybook village, Daniel turned his attention to his companions. "Where will the children be held?"

Revlis pointed to a large building at the head if the nearest street. "They keep them in there. It’s the town hall. It’s intended for council meeting but it’s the only place big enough to house all the children."

Daniel studied the building for a moment, trying to decide how to proceed. "How many exits and entrances does it have?"

"Two. One in front, one in back."

"Do the Jaffa stay inside or do they patrol the area?"

Saro answered this time. "It depends. If there are three of them they run a patrol. If there’s only two they stand guard at the entrances."

"Any way of knowing how many they have with them this time?"

Revlis shook his head. When he realised Daniel couldn’t see him in the waning light, he spoke aloud. "No, none."

"Well, I guess we do this the hard way then." Daniel planned his strategy quickly. "Revlis. I want you to take the back door and I’ll take the front. We go in at the same time." Before the third member of their party could ask, Daniel filled him in on his role. "Saro, I want you with me. I’ll get you in. Your job will be to look after the children. We don’t want them to panic."

Revlis looked at him curiously. "What about the third guard?"

"If we find one, we stun him, just like the others. We’ll stake out the building when we first get there. If there is a third Jaffa, I don’t expect he’ll take that long to run a patrol. We’ll watch for a bit to see. If we don’t find one, we go ahead as planned."

"And if there is one?" Revlis didn’t like taking orders from this man, but as long as he was, he wanted to make sure he knew what he was doing.

"Then I’ll deal with him." Daniel decided it was time to act. He didn’t know how long the rest of his team would need and he wanted to the village secured for them by the time they arrived.

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