See part one for disclaimers and story notes

Hammond stood in the ‘gate room, running his right hand over his already bald head. He mused ruefully that had he started this week with hair, he would have ended up in his present state by now. If it weren’t un-General-like behavior, he’d be throwing things right now. He had never felt so frustrated before. Now he knew how O’Neill felt when they were stonewalled by upper brass.

For every repair effected on the Stargate and the machinery that operated it, two more would crop up. It would have been almost funny, were it not for the serious nature of the program. While he still believed his teams to be on safe worlds, they were at present beyond his ability to contact or bring home; a fact which gnawed at him, eating away at his confidence in the alien technology.

Hammond had always given the Stargate the utmost respect. After all, it was an ancient artefact of a level as yet unattainable by modern man. It deserved respect. Despite that, he still couldn’t help feeling like packing the damn thing up and putting a big ‘return to sender’ sticker on the box and cashing in on the money back guarantee.

On the other hand, once they had everything fully operational again, he had to hope that this comedy of errors would never be repeated. Every glitch had been attended to and safeguards were put in place to prevent any reoccurrence.

George looked around him at the flurry of activity taking place. The sight served to bring a small smile to his lips. For the first time in days he was almost glad the teams were off-world. He could practically hear the halls ringing with O’Neill’s sarcastic comments about the state of things. No doubt the political cost cutter comments would ensue, followed by the odd tirade. Even the ghostly comments threatened to give George a headache and he briefly entertained the thought of putting SG1’s name at the end of the retrieval roster.

Without entirely dismissing that thought, he went back to watching the activities around him.

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

Jack exited the ‘gate to find Daniel and Carter already checking on Teal’c. Thankfully the Jaffa seemed to be okay, despite the bruises covering his body. His symbiote had been undamaged this time and was able to work at peak efficiency in effecting repairs.

The trio looked up as Jack limped towards them, his movements slow and deliberate. "Everything alright, Jack?" Daniel studied his friend closely, worried by the look in Jack’s eyes. He already knew about the physical problems. It was the emotional hurts he was worried about. It almost seemed as though a switch had been turned off inside of the man and the light within had dimmed somewhat.

"I’m fine, Daniel. Just disappointed, I guess."

"With the loss of the mineral treaty?" Daniel was sure that wasn’t the cause but he wanted to hear Jack say it.

Jack snorted in derision, his anger at Revlis overflowing, only to be projected on to his friend. "Yeah, that’s what’s bugging me, Daniel. Losing some damn rocks!"

Sam looked over at him. "We’re all upset about what happened back there, Sir." She knew how the Colonel felt about betrayal, perceived or otherwise.

"I’m not upset, Major. What gave you that idea?"

Daniel answered for her. "Gee, Jack. I don’t know. Maybe because you look like you could strangle someone right about now?"

Jack was just about to deliver a suitably smart remark when he happened to look down and catch sight of his fists, both tightly clenched and held out in front of him as though prepared to strike at something…anything. He took a deep breath, or started to, when he was painfully reminded of something. He started to cough, his arms moving to wrap themselves around his torso as he bent over to relieve some of the pain he felt. When the coughing fit finally past, he became aware of Daniel standing behind him, helping to support him.

"Come on, Jack. Let’s get you sitting down."

Jack swatted the proffered hand away in annoyance. "I’m fine, Daniel."

Daniel countered, his tone equally annoyed. "You’re not fine, Jack. How stupid do you think I am?" Before any answer could be given to that, he rushed on, "I saw that hit you took and I know your ribs were hurting from before. Not to mention that you’re sporting the latest in fashions on your face. I wouldn’t have guessed that black and blue would be your colors, but strangely enough, they work. And then there’s your leg…"

Daniel’s attempt at levity fell flat as Jack turned a sour face on him. "I get the picture."

Daniel wasn’t about to be bullied. After everything they’d gone through he wasn’t going to let Jack’s obstinance get to him. "So let me see then."

"What’s there to see? They’re ribs and they’re kind of hidden under a layer of skin you know."

"You know, you aren’t generally this annoying. You been practising, Jack?"

Jack threw up his hands in disgust, wincing as he did so. "You want to see? Fine." He pulled his shirt up as far as he could, revealing a rather bruised and battered looking chest. Harsh bruising could be seen along the left side of Jack’s ribcage, while the rest of his chest still bore the scratches and bruises from his days of fighting in the woods. It was readily apparent that the previously bruised ribs were now cracked, if not broken. He looked over at Daniel, his expression challenging. "Satisfied?" He pulled his shirt back down, covering the damage once again.

Sam looked at him, clearly displeased with her CO’s actions. "Sir, Daniel is just trying to help." She wasn’t about to admit to any worry at this point, given the Colonel’s present mood. Not only did his chest looked like it needed Janet’s help, so did his face, although the nosebleed appeared as though it had stopped. She was pretty sure his leg was in need of some attention, too, but she wasn’t about to mention that at this particular juncture. She rather liked her neck.

"I didn’t ask for his help. I just……." Jack tried to find the right words, as a feeling of incredible weariness washed over him, taking the anger away. His posture slouched visibly and his face took on a worn expression.

"Sir?"

Jack looked up at her. "Nothing, Major. Forget I said anything." He turned to look at the younger man still near his side. "I’m sorry, Daniel. That was uncalled for. It’s just that whole….thing…." He waved his hand absently.

"Yeah, I know, Jack. It was……."

"It was……They have kids there, you know?"

Daniel knew how Jack felt about kids. "I know."

"It was not a good thing. It won't be a good thing, I just know it""

"Yeah. That’s what I was going to say. Not good at all." Daniel was relieved that Jack was talking about things, albeit in a rather abstract fashion.

Jack was feeling more than a bit uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going, and decided it was time to end it. "So……" he clapped his hands together, gritting his teeth together against the pain the movement provoked. Steeling himself he waited until the worst of it passed. "What’s say we give the old ‘gate a try and see happens." Oblivious to the looks his team threw his way, he limped over to the DHD, confidently pressing the glyphs that would take them home.

Nothing happened. "Dammit! What the hell’s going on with it?" He looked over at Carter. "Why isn’t it working?" Now he had worry to add to his list of complaints.

Sam chose her words carefully, knowing the mood the Colonel was in. "The problem isn’t with us, Colonel, it’s back home."

"I know that, Major!" Jack made a visible effort to calm down. Yelling at Sam wasn’t going to make things better. When he spoke next, his tone was softer, less antagonistic. "Is there any way we can find out what’s going on at their end?"

Sam appreciated Jack’s efforts, knowing how frustrated he got when things were out of his control. "I’m sorry, Sir. Without an open wormhole we can’t communicate with the base. For all we know, the ‘gate might simply be in use right now."

Jack muttered to himself, "Or they might be under attack."

Having a pretty good idea what the Colonel might be thinking, Sam chose to ignore the interruption. A similar thought had crossed her own mind, a thought that she quickly put aside. Negative thinking wouldn’t help anyone at this point. She preferred to comment on the other alternatives. "Either that or maybe they’re having technical problems. I’m sure they’ll contact us as soon as they can. All we can do for now is wait and see." She cringed inwardly at that statement, knowing that patience wasn’t the Colonel’s strong suit.

Surprisingly enough he simply nodded as he moved away from the DHD. He headed straight over to Teal’c. "So, big guy? You up for a hike?"

"I am, O’Neill. Are you?"

"Would I have suggested it if I wasn’t?"

Teal’c decided it might be prudent to leave that particular question unanswered for the time being. "Where exactly are we hiking to?"

Jack scrubbed his hand tiredly through his hair, wincing as his hand brushed too close to his bruised, swollen eye. "Well as I see it, if we’re stuck here anyhow, then we should go and see how those men are doing. Maybe we can help them out a bit. If nothing else we should let them know they can go home now."

Sam looked over. "What if Revlis sends someone back to tell them it’s okay?"

Jack’s expression grew hard. "We’ll deal with that, if and when the time comes."

Sam nodded, hoping that particular situation didn’t arise. She felt sorry for whoever might have to face the Colonel when he was in a temper. It wouldn’t be pretty. She wisely kept her opinion on that matter to herself. Instead, she moved away from Teal’c’s side, having finishing tending to his wounds. "Sir, before we go anywhere, I need to bind those ribs and look at that leg."

"I’ll be fine, Major." A slight wheeze in his voice belied that comment.

"I know that, Sir, but humor me. I’m feeling very Florence Nightingale-ish right now and I wouldn’t want to waste this feeling. Who knows when it might come back?"

Jack grinned in spite of himself. That particular image was one he’d never thought to label on his Second. Somehow a white cap and a big red cross seemed incongruous with the soldier standing before him. She, like the rest of them, was dirty, smelly and wore fatigues that looked much better before she’d been captured, rescued then traipsed through the woods for days on end. Her hair was lank and her face still bore the bruises from Revlis’, nee Leg’nor’s ‘questioning’. A soldier through and through, and one eminently more needed by his team than any Florence Nightingale. Still, he couldn’t deny that a little first aid would go a long way right about now. "Fine, Carter. Just don’t try and set anything." The touch of humor softened that particular memory.

"Why don’t you wire his jaw shut while you’re at it, Sam? Goodness knows the rest of us could use some peace and quiet for a change." Daniel was pleased by the resulting growl he heard from Jack and the soft giggle from Sam. The tensions the earlier encounter had stirred up were slowly slipping away.

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

Barely an hour had passed and the team was once again making their way through the woods, despite Sam’s misgivings. She’d felt the telltale give in the Colonel’s ribcage as she wound torn strips of cloth tightly around his chest, the bandage providing necessary support to the cracked bones. While he hadn’t so much as uttered a word, she knew he was hurting. His leg appeared no better. The burn itself was painful to look at and now the surrounding tissue was bruised and inflamed. She just knew Janet would have something to say about it when they got home. In the meantime, between her injured Colonel and Teal’c’s continued recovery, she questioned the wisdom of their little jaunt. Still, she knew it was pointless arguing. Once the Colonel set a course of action it might as well be set in stone.

Daniel had suggested splitting into teams of two; one to talk to the men back at the camp, the other to guard the gate. Ordinarily, Jack might have gone for that idea, but his protective instincts for his team were running at an all time high at this point and he had no intention of letting them separate again, unless there proved to be no alternative.

And so, the four found themselves in the now familiar woods. As Sam looked around, she realised the scenery was probably doing little to contribute to her CO’s love of trees. A sudden stumble in front of her caused her to pull up sharply. She looked to see the Colonel in a half kneeling, half standing position in front of her. He was bent at the waist, arms wrapped protectively around his mid section as he tried to catch his breath. Daniel was already at his side, supporting the Colonel once again while Jack rode out the coughing fit.

"Sir?"

Jack waved his hand dismissively, then reached for Daniel’s shoulder to hoist himself to standing.

"Colonel, I think……."

Jack cut her off abruptly. "I’m fine, Major. I tripped on a root. That’s all. Now, we’ve got a ways to go still and I want to make it there before dark. Let’s move."

Sam looked at Daniel. He shrugged his shoulders and turned his palm in an outward and upwards, ‘what are you going to do?’ kind of movement before he turned and followed. Teal’c went next, leaving Sam to pull up the rear.

She hefted her pack then followed, muttering under her breath. "Damn stubborn Colonels!"

"I heard that," came a deep voice from the front of the procession.

Despite herself, Sam had to laugh.

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

Over half a day passed before the team broke through the woods and into the clearing where the remains of the Jaffa camp still marred the terrain. Despite the fact that no further incidents occurred in the woods, Sam was still grateful to see the march come to a halt. She knew she was not the only one worried about the Colonel. Daniel and Teal’c had taken turns hovering close to the man in case he encountered further difficulties. Luckily their vigilance had proven unnecessary.

As they looked around they found themselves alone, although the still burning campfire indicated recent habitation. They walked in a slow circle around the fire, poking a bit at the obvious life signs they found littering the ground. Meat was cooking at the edge of the flame, a sure sign that the men had been here recently.

Jack nudged Daniel who looked over in confusion. "Oh." The looked past quickly as Daniel realised what he was being asked to do. "Hello!" He waited for a moment for a reply. "Um, remember me? I’m Daniel Jackson. I’m here with Colonel O’Neill, Major Carter and Teal’c." He felt more than a little silly standing there talking to an empty camp.

A scuffling noise could be heard before the movement was seen. It didn’t take long for the team to realise the activity was coming from the cell the team had called home for several days. That fact simply served to reinforce the knowledge that these men were completely untrained as soldiers. No self respecting soldier would allow himself into such an undefendable position.

The men emerged from the building, looking much better than before. The first man out approached, blinking rapidly at the transition from the darkened room to the bright light of day. "Welcome back. I’m sorry we didn’t greet you, but we couldn’t be sure who you were."

"That’s okay. We understand. Caution is never a bad thing." Daniel looked at the man and the others that followed him. "All of you are looking much better than the last time we were here."

"We are. We’ve been able to hunt and harvest some of the food in the woods. We’ve had plenty of wood to burn and time to rest." A quick inspection of the team before him told him the same did not hold true for the others The foursome looked in rougher shape than ever. "Come. Sit by the fire. We were about to eat our dinner. Will you join us?"

"We will." Teal’c provided a discreet escort for O’Neill as they moved to the fire. Large rocks dotted about the pit, providing seating for the weary travellers.

Jack sat gratefully, noticing for the first time the work the men had done to make the camp more habitable. "Nice place you’ve got here."

The man, Connar, grinned. "We did not know how long we would remain here. We have tried to make this place more hospitable."

Jack looked about, noticing that most of the rubble that had littered the camp last time had since been cleared away. While the remains of the destroyed building still dotted the area, they had largely been scavenged and reduced to innocuous piles of burnt debris. "Well, it has a certain…charm to it." Jack reached out to accept the plate being handed to him. It was laden with meat and greens. He whistled in appreciation. "Not bad."

Connar smiled. "Thank you, Colonel. Now, since you have returned, I trust you were successful?"

Daniel spoke around a mouthful of food. "In a manner of speaking."

Connar’s smile faded quickly. "I don’t understand. What happened? Are my people free or not?"

Again it was Daniel who spoke. He set his plate down on the ground near his feet, leaned forward and looked at Connar squarely. "Your people are safe. The Jaffa have been dealt with."

"That’s good. We can go home now."

"Yes, you can."

Connar’s eyes narrowed at the tone of Daniel’s voice. "What aren’t you telling me?"

Daniel paused a moment, gathering his thoughts. He absently adjusted his glasses as he tried to come up with the right words. Finally, he took a deep breath then plunged in. "Things have changed on your world a bit."

"How so?"

"For a start, the ruling council is now being led by Revlis."

"I don’t understand. Why? There should be five members."

"Yes, well, um…Two of the older members died before we got there. A third fell sick and from what I gather, the fourth is here."

"Yes. Lenta is here. He’s the one with the broken leg."

"Well apparently that left just Revlis. He’s decided that since the ‘logos’ is in such high demand, that he will not trade with us. He’s going to hold out for the highest bidder."

"He would not do that. Revlis is a good man."

Jack cut in. "Is this the same good man who ordered the deaths of the Jaffa on this planet?"

"Yes, but they were bad men, just like the ones on my world."

"I don’t suppose he told you he’d spoken to them, did he?"

Connar looked confused. "What difference would that make?"

"Well apparently, this was a rogue unit. They had left their own worlds and were trying to band together to fight the System Lords, just as Teal’c left Apophis to fight with us."

Connar looked up sharply, his eyes narrowed. "I don’t believe you. They were Jaffa."

Jack leaned forward for effect, holding his injured ribs as he did so. He spoke softly but deliberately. "Just like you were when I found you. Now what does that tell you?" He took note of the shocked expression on Connar’s face. "Things aren’t always as they seem, are they?" He eased himself back, satisfied that he’d made his point.

Connar stood abruptly, needing to get some space to process what he’d heard and to pass on the story to those who hadn’t heard it. "Finish your meal. You are welcome to spend the night here. We will leave in the morning." He studied the team a moment longer before leaving.

Jack looked at the rest of his team. "Something I said?"

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

The rest of the night proved uneventful. Connar and his men kept their distance and the team found themselves left alone. They ended up spending the night sleeping on the ground in front of the fire. None of them felt overly rested when dawn finally broke, particularly Jack.

He’d found himself short of breath, and though he’d deny it to the others, his chest really hurt. Still, he’d suffered from broken ribs on more than one occasion and felt confident that the injury was not too severe. While he kept his breathing shallow, his lungs had thankfully not been compromised. His leg had fared somewhat better as he’d kept the limb outstretched and slightly elevated on a smooth rock Teal'c had scrounged for him in an effort to keep the swelling down. The sharp pain of earlier had dulled to a constant throbbing that he could easily ignore. Despite the positive medical outlook, he’d been unable to get comfortable. Not wanting to disturb the rest of the team, he’d spent the night making a conscious effort to remain still.

He was grateful to finally see the sky begin to lighten. It meant he could finally get up and more around, loosening sore, cramped muscles.

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

Hammond had just sat down at his desk when the page came.

"General Hammond to the Control Room. General Hammond to the Control Room."

He lifted himself out of his chair, his actions weary. "Now what?"

It didn’t take him long to reach his destination; however, his imagination was on overdrive as he tried to figure out what the problem might be this time. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Sir, we just ran a full diagnostic and the system appears to be functioning perfectly. We’re back on line, Sir"

Hammond cast a silent thank you to the powers that be. "Alright then. I’d say it’s high time we got our people home." He turned to the technician sitting at his left. "Do you have the co-ordinates?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Well then, let’s get to it." He looked through the Control Room window at the Stargate that had sat idle for far too long. "Dial it up."

"With pleasure, Sir."

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

SG1 walked into the clearing surrounding the ‘gate. They had teamed up with the able bodied villagers in helping to bring the wounded through the woods. Most of the injured were now mobile, save the one lying on the travois, his leg still far from mended.

Thanks to Daniel’s discovery, the team was once again armed. Connar and his people had stared in wide eyed disbelief when Daniel opened the cache containing the weapons, but they relaxed when the guns were tucked away and not turned on them in retribution for Revlis’ apparent crimes against the team.

The recovery of the weapons served to restore a sense of balance to the team and their spirits were higher than they’d been in some time.

Jack turned to the watching group. "Alright. Here’s where we go our separate ways."

Connar approached hesitantly. "We just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for us. We know it’s not much to offer, but our gratitude is all we have."

Jack reached out and clasped Connar’s hand. "It’s enough and you’re welcome." The words were said with all sincerity. Finally he turned to Daniel. "Dial them home, Daniel."

"You got it." Before the younger man even reached the DHD, the first chevron on the Stargate lit, accompanied by the chinking sound of a locking calliper. It was an incoming wormhole.

"Well it’s about time." Jack limped up to stand beside Daniel, the two men watching as the last chevron engaged.

The opening wormhole settled into a soft, rippling pattern as the group waited. When a long moment past and no rescue team arrived, Jack felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise.

Daniel apparently felt the same misgivings. "Um, somehow I don’t think that’s for us."

Jack started barking orders. "Carter, Daniel! Get those men into the woods. Teal’c, get in position." Jack watched as his team sprung into action, before moving himself. He crouched down behind the DHD, peeking around the pedestal at the ‘gate. He could see Teal’c out of the corner of his eye, the Jaffa poised for action, his recently obtained staff weapon activated.

Sam and Daniel didn’t need to work very hard at getting the men under cover. As soon as the Dorbonians sensed the tension, they began to move. Apparently they had learned their lesson about going against a stronger foe.

The team watched as the first figure exited the ‘gate. It was a Jaffa, dressed in full serpent garb. He was quickly joined by four more men, all clad in full armour. They flanked him, two on each side. They stood on the platform for a moment, scanning the area while the ‘gate disengaged behind them.

Hidden from view by the DHD, Jack spun quietly on his heel to face Carter and Daniel. He used hand signals to tell them what he wanted. Both Sam and Daniel nodded as they understood what he wanted. He spun back, this time his instructions directed at Teal’c. The Jaffa immediately knew what the Colonel had in mind and prepared himself to act.

Satisfied that his people knew the plan, Jack prepared to act when something occurred to him. The Jaffa that Revlis and his men took out were defectors. Jack had no way of knowing if these were good guys or bad guys and he knew he couldn’t act without finding out.

Daniel waited for Jack to do something. He grew more and more worried at the seconds ticked by. Finally he turned to Sam, his expression giving voice to his question.

Understanding the need for silence, Sam shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Her features took on a look of shock, though, as she watched the Colonel emerge from his hiding spot. His hands were in the air although he still retained possession of his zat.

As Jack studied the Jaffa, he came to a decision. He stood slowly and took a side-step which moved him away from the protective cover of the DHD. "Okay, you got me." He made sure his voice carried. He wanted his team to hear everything that happened. They needed to know his reasons behind his seemingly suicidal actions.

The lead Jaffa retracted his helmet, exposing his face and his brand. He wore the mark of Apophis. His actions were sure as he brought his staff weapon to bear on the lone man. "Drop the weapon."

Jack put on his most innocent face as he looked at the zat held overhead. "What, this little thing? Sure. No problem." He bent down to the ground, wincing visibly as the move strained his leg and chest. "See, there we go. Nice and easy." He set the weapon down gently, making sure to leave it active as he did so. When he stood once again, he kept his hands exposed.

The Jaffa studied him carefully, trying to figure out why the man seemed so familiar. "Who are you?"

Jack grinned. He was getting a pretty good idea about these soldiers but wanted confirmation. "The name’s Jack. Colonel Jack O’Neill. What’s yours?"

"Silence!" The Jaffa was quick to remember the name and was now scanning the area for the rest of SG1. He was already imagining his reward for returning the meddlesome quartet to his Lord. While his visual inspections showed nothing, he, understood that meant little. He and his men could already be surrounded by the enemy. The Jaffa turned his attention back on the lone man in front of him. "Where is the Shol’va?"

"Come again? I don’t understand Gould speak you know." Jack knew he was antagonizing the man, but anger bred mistakes and he was hoping the soldier would make some.

"Where is Teal’c? I know he serves you."

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but I’m here all by my lonesome. You know, just a nice little getaway. I was in need of some serious R+R and this place has this perfect little fishing hole. You just go down that way…" Jack indicated a direction completely opposite of Teal’c’s hiding place.

Despite himself, the Jaffa followed Jack’s hand and look in the indicated direction. That was all the break Jack needed.

He dropped suddenly, snatching up the zat at the same time. He rolled further out into the open, his movement stopping when he lay belly down in the dirt, his zat already firing. He took out the leader with his first shot, the Jaffa falling off the platform to lie on the ground in front of him. He was already delivering his second shot when he heard the rest of his team acting. Teal’c shot two successive staff weapon blasts into the surprised Jaffa, easily taking down the two nearest ones. Daniel and Sam took the remaining two. Sam’s shot was accurate and felled her intended victim, while Daniel’s strayed somewhat. The remaining Jaffa acted quickly, firing his own staff weapon even as a second shot was fired at him. This one hit its mark and the Jaffa fell, landing alongside the others.

Jack moved to rise out of the dirt when his ribs decided to get even with him for his activities. The adrenaline surge caused by the imminent battle had masked the pain of the injury but was rapidly wearing off. He drew up to his knees, bending at the waist and supporting his chest with one arm, even as the other held him up. Hissing under his breath, he breathed shallowly and evenly, waiting for the pain to pass, all the while hoping his team was too preoccupied to notice his actions. While he couldn't be sure, he had a hunch that his cracked ribs were now leaning towards the broken category. His expression darkened when he thought about the tongue lashing the SGC's CMO would be treating him to once he got home.

Aside from Jack's harsh breathing, the clearing fell silent and still. No one moved for a moment as they tried to process what had just occurred. Teal’c recovered first and he moved to Jack’s side to offer his assistance. Surprisingly, the Colonel accepted the help without complaint. When he was safely back on his feet, Jack make his way over to downed enemy. He looked silently at the bodies for a moment before acting. As his team moved to join him, he fired his zat over and over again, stopping only when the area was rid of all traces of the Jaffa.

Clearing his throat, Daniel tried to break the silence. "I think it’s safe to say they didn’t come from Earth."

Jack looked at him, his head cocked. "Ya think?"

Daniel looked at him for a moment. "What was that?"

Jack played innocent. "What was what?"

"Oh, come on, Jack! Why did you show yourself like that? They could have shot you where you stood."

Jack deactivated the zat and reached gingerly around his back, tucking the weapon into his waistband before speaking. "Yeah, they could have, but I had to know if they were defectors or the real thing. We wouldn’t want to pull a Revlis now would we?"

Daniel knew he couldn’t argue that, although he would have liked to have seen his friend use a different manner of risk assessment. He knew they would have to have a talk about that at some point.

Jack took a quick inventory as the wounded slowly emerged from the woods. "Everyone okay?"

Sam glanced around, quickly looking over the men. "I think everyone’s fine, Sir." Her eyes widened as she took in Jack’s appearance. "Except you, that is."

"Huh?"

Sam nodded at him. "Your arm, Sir."

Jack looked down at his left arm, taking in the sight of the still smoking sleeve and the line of scorched flesh showing underneath. "Damn. Didn’t even feel it." He’d been so preoccupied with the pain from his ribs that he’d failed to notice the newest injury.

"You might want to sit down while I dress this, Sir."

Jack looked at her. "First things first, Carter." He looked over at the rest of his team who continued to stand close by, clearly worried about him. "Daniel. Dial up Dorbon. Let’s get these people home before anything else happens."

"What about you, Jack?"

"It’s nothing. Carter can take care of it." Already Sam had begun tearing the fabric away from the wound, exposing the entire burn.

"Right." Daniel was familiar with Jack’s brand of stubbornness. He also knew Jack was right. Too much had happened and there was no point in tempting fate. He walked over to the DHD, punching in the glyphs for world they had recently left. He noticed a rather sour taste in his mouth as he pressed the centre mound that would activate the ‘gate. That particular world had left him with some rather unpleasant memories and he was just as glad that they wouldn’t be providing escort.

As the gate engaged, the wounded walked across the clearing, some assisted, some under their own power. All but one walked through. He hesitated, then moved away from the ‘gate and over to where the team stood watching.

By now Jack was sitting oh-so-patiently as Carter finished dressing his arm. He looked up as the man approached. "What’s up?"

"I don’t understand."

Daniel looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Um, you don’t understand what?"

"You. All of you."

Again Daniel asked the question. "In what way?"

The man looked at each of them in turn, his eyes finally coming to rest on Jack. "First you spared our lives." He turned to Sam. "You helped us." His gaze shifted to Teal’c, "You fought for us." Finally he stopped at Daniel, "then you protected us. Why?"

Daniel couldn’t help the small smile that crossed his face. "That’s what we do. We help people. You should try it some time."

The man nodded slowly as a look of understanding blossomed in his eyes. "My name is Adan and I offer you my thanks. I shall remember this."

As Jack saw that look he began to feel better about things. Perhaps this man might change things on his world, perhaps not. Whatever the outcome, it was a start. He looked up at the man, his own smile showing hope for the first time in many days. "You’re welcome, Adan."

That man nodded one final time before turning away. He walked up to the waiting ‘gate, again hesitating before passing through. This time when he turned to the team, his focus was on Teal’c. His actions were a perfect mimic of Teal’c’s grace as he bowed his head respectfully at the watching Jaffa. Teal’c stood tall, pausing only a moment before returning the gesture. The two men locked eyes with each other before Adan finally turned away. This time he didn’t stop but went through the ‘gate, which closed dramatically behind him.

Once again it was Daniel who broke the silence. "Well, that was...interesting."

Sam looked at him. "I think we gave him food for thought if nothing else."

"I don’t know about you, but is anyone else ready to go home?" Jack reached for Teal’c’s proffered hand. Gaining his feet, he limped towards the DHD.

Daniel rushed over. "Jack, I can do it."

"Not this time, Danny Boy. I want the honors." As he started to press the glyphs in sequence, he offered a word of advice. "Keep your fingers crossed this time, kids."

Teal’c looked over at Sam inquiringly. She returned with a ‘not now’ look and a grin. He nodded, then noticing her hands and the strange position her fingers were in, he copied the move.

There was an audible sigh of relief as the ‘gate finally engaged. Jack looked up at the giant ring. "Yes!" He turned to Carter. "Would you be so kind, Major?"

"I’d be happy to, Sir. " Sam keyed in the GDO code rapidly, the last number pressed with a flourish.

The team smiled in unison as the acceptance code appeared on the armband. Jack gestured broadly to his team. "After you."

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

It was four relieved people that exited the ‘gate and walked and limped down the familiar ramp of the SGC’s gateroom.

Standing at the bottom was a smiling General Hammond. "SG1, welcome home." It was at that point that he took note of their appearance. Each wore torn, dirty clothes. Three of the four sported bruises of varying degrees of color. Blood stained more than one pair of fatigues and none looked as though they had bathed in a week. "What happened to you?"

Jack looked at the team and they looked at him. He understood immediately what they needed from him. There would be a long debriefing once they were medically cleared and a lot of bad stuff would be put on the table. Missions like these were never easy and there was always a lot of guilt and second guessing that took place. For now he could take a bit of that away and let them just enjoy their homecoming, if only for a short time. As such, Jack fell back into character. "Nothing much, Sir. Teal’c made some new friends. Daniel found a rock…."

Daniel couldn’t resist. "It was a rock too, General."

Jack continued, "and Carter got to look at some cool caves."

Sam grinned, her head rocking back and forth as she played along.

Hammond sighed. Something told him it was going to be a long debriefing. "What about you, Colonel? What did you do?"

"Me, Sir?" Jack though about that for a moment, a faint smile crossing his face as he recalled his time in the woods laying traps. "I got to do some fishing and hunting, Sir."

Hammond folded his arms across his chest as he harrumphed. "Alright. You can explain it to me later. I want you to get yourselves checked out, then hit the showers." He took another look at them. "On second thought, you might want to reverse that order. We’ll debrief at 0900 hours tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir." As much as he tried, Jack couldn't quite keep the fatigue out of his voice.

As the team made to leave the gate room, Hammond’s voice stopped them. "SG1."

The team turned in unison.

"It’s good to have you home again."

Jack answered for the group. "It’s good to be back, Sir."

With that they left the room, their voices drifting back with Hammond catching a bit of the conversation. "Fishing, Jack? You actually said you went fishing?" The exasperated voice faded away as team moved further down the hall.

Hammond smiled broadly. Yes, it was good to have them back.

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

Epilogue

Revlis sat in the dark, his legs crossed and his body hunched over. He started at the smallest sound while his eyes warily probed the darkness. He couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t been able to for several nights now……not since they came.

**When SG1 left the planet, Revlis had felt supremely confident. His people were free, the Jaffa destroyed and he was in control. His decisions were law and he felt a surge of victory course through his veins.

Revlis didn’t think about the cost associated with his victory. The human tragedy was instantly forgotten, as was the physical damage to his world. All he knew was that he’d achieved his life’s goal.

His feelings were short lived. Not long after SG1 left, the gate opened again. The wounded he’d left behind were returning home, including Lenta, the only other survivor of the Council. Lenta was older, had more experience and was a well respected member of the community. He also had many favorable impressions to share of the very group Revlis had shunned, SG1.

The conflict between the two was immediate. Lenta had heard a watered down version of what happened on Dorbon from Daniel Jackson. Apparently the man had understated Revlis’ actions somewhat. When the attack on Teal’c and the Colonel was revealed, Lenta grew angry. "I don’t understand. Those people helped us gain our freedom and you attacked them? That makes no sense."

While Revlis knew he was Lenta’s equal in the Council’s standing, he was accustomed to the older man’s wisdom and was hard pressed to fight back. He tried to justify his actions instead. "How could you expect me to willingly keep a Jaffa in our midst. The very fact that O’Neill and his people treat him as an equal proves that they can’t be trusted."

"Or perhaps they are simply more accepting of others. Maybe that is a lesson we could learn from them." Lenta was worried. Without aid, what was to prevent the Jaffa from returning? It was only through the help of the Earthlings that his people had prevailed. He was not sure they would be so fortunate in the future. Sealing the Stargate was not an option. Dorbon relied heavily on trade to sustain itself. Shutting the Stargate would only hurt them. They needed to come up with another way.

"You worry too much, Lenta." Revlis was hard pressed to keep the note of scorn from creeping into his voice.

"And you worry too little, Revlis. There are many here who disagree with your actions concerning O’Neill and his people, myself included. They proved themselves to be allies worthy of our respect."

Revlis stormed off after that. He didn’t need some old man telling him what to do and how to do it. It was through his actions that his people were free and the Jaffa were gone. It was due to his influence that his community was thriving and it would continue to do so with him making the decisions.

Shortly after that, Revlis observed a group of men surrounding Lenta. They were talking in low tones, the words cutting off abruptly when Revlis was observed watching.

The next day Revlis walked into the town hall, only to have all conversations cease as he made his way to his customary spot.

Adan and Lenta spent the afternoon in each others company, both writing notes that were quickly covered when Revlis walked by.

That second night after SG1 left, Revlis found himself lying sleepless in his room. Every time he closed his eyes he could see Colonel O’Neill’s hard eyes staring at him and he could hear the echo of his words, over and over again. ‘Watch your back.’

When Revlis finally emerged from his home, he noticed that the villagers seemed to be keeping their distance from him. Every time he made his way towards someone, that person would turn and walk away. The only one who didn’t seem bothered by his presence was Sorren.

He found solace in the company of the other man. Still, he couldn’t help but feel hurt by the seeming rejection of his people. The day dragged out until he collapsed into his bed that night, exhausted. Despite his fatigue, sleep once again eluded him and O’Neill’s voice grew louder.

Revlis didn’t understand. He was so confident in his actions against SG1. **

He wasn’t feeling so confident now.

**Exactly five days after the ‘gate opened and allowed SG1 to leave, it opened again. This time the Jaffa came…en masse. As O’Neill had predicted, the Jaffa had come looking for their missing shipment of ore.

Revlis thought he was prepared for it. He’d been waiting near the gate with a contingent of men…just in case. Each was armed with a weapon; a legacy of SG1’s visit.

He really did think he was prepared…but nothing could prepare him for what happened.

The Jaffa came, one after the other, the line never ending. While Revlis and his men took the leading Jaffa out, others swarmed from the ‘gate in ever increasing numbers. Revlis tried to hold them off, as did the other men, but their efforts were in vain. Finally Revlis fled into the woods, uncertain and uncaring of the fate of the others. He crept through the underbrush, monitoring the progress of the enemy as they rampaged. The city fell quickly, men women and children losing their homes and their lives. Fires sprang up and the buildings caved in, leaving dust and debris where a proud city once stood.

Revlis watched from his hiding place, unwilling and unable to stop the carnage. Those that weren’t dragged off through the Stargate to serve as slaves were slaughtered where they stood; while he sat…silent witness to the death of his world. He was oblivious to the tears that ran down his face; damp rivulets that couldn’t clean the soot and grime that stained his face and his soul.

Finally it was over.

The very earth stilled. No more cries. No more laughter. No more movement save his own. His heartbeat provided the only sound of life on a dead world. The Jaffa had left. Whether they would come back or not remained to be seen. He supposed they would. The logos was still here and that was all that mattered to them. It was all that had mattered to him.**

Revlis lost track of how long he sat there. Time had lost all meaning. His thoughts lacked cohesion. Finally he made a supreme effort. He stood and began walking. There was no purpose or direction to his movements. His feet guided his unwilling mind while his senses took in his surroundings. Rubble crumbled and crunched under his feet. His skin sweat freely as still burning fires warmed the air. His breath burned in his raw throat and his tears continued to flow.

A faint movement finally registered in his numbed mind. A hand peeked out from under some debris, the fingers grasping at nothing. Revlis worked methodically to free the entombed victim. It took a long time but a face finally emerged. Revlis barely recognised the man who lay dying underneath. It was Adan. The man who saw SG1 for who and what they really were. The man who might have changed things on his world.

Revlis crouched down beside the fallen man, pity in his eyes. What he saw in the gaze levelled at him was anything but pitiful. Adan bore a look of utter contempt on his damaged features. He tried several times to speak but the words wouldn’t form. Finally he made a supreme effort. Revlis had to lean in close to listen and quickly wished he hadn’t. Adan’s words would haunt him to his grave.

"This was all your fault." With that utterance, Adan died.

Revlis rose unsteadily to his feet and stumbled on. He didn’t see where he was going, nor did he care. He simply needed to get away from those accusing eyes and those haunting words.

When he finally stopped he took in his surroundings. Without even thinking about it he’d arrived at the mine. Had anyone asked, Revlis couldn’t say why he did it. He acted without thought, without regret and without a witness. He walked into the mine and moved to the deepest cavern; one he knew was newly opened and heavily loaded with logos. Without batting an eye, Revlis raised his only remaining possession, his staff weapon. He never even closed his eyes as he fired.

No one would ever know if he saw the irony in a Jaffa’s weapon ultimately causing his demise. The cavern exploded the moment the energy bolt hit the dense logos, as did the mine and a great portion of the planet. Revlis died as he lived…with the logos, and alone.

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

The End