MISHAP
by:  PHO
Feedback to:  phowmo@mindspring.com

*****

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to
MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions.  This fan fiction was created solely
for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it.  Also, no copyright or trademark
infringement was intended.  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and
not intended by the author.  Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the
property of the author.  Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).

*****

Daniel Jackson raced frantically down the hall of the SGC, dodging other staff members where
possible, muttering abbreviated apologies when it wasn't. "Ooops! Sorry ... excuse me. Coming
through. Hold that elevator!"

The young airman in the elevator jumped for the 'door open' button, and grinned as the
archaeologist dove through the reopening doors. "Late for a briefing, Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel sighed. "What gave it away, Airman Rivers?"

"The trail of destruction you left in your wake.  Nurse Clark did *not* look happy."

A look of horror swept across Daniel's face. "I..I ran into Nurse Clark?"

"Not exactly, but she *did* drop that stack of papers she was holding."

'I'm a dead man.' Daniel moaned silently as the elevator slowed to a stop. "What?"

"Level 28, Doctor."

"What?"

"Hardware, sporting goods, briefing rooms..."

Daniel forced a grin. "Oh, yeah. Thanks."  He walked quickly into the hall, visions of enemas
racing through his head. 'Candy, maybe she likes candy? Or flowers?'  He was still thinking
frantically as he pushed open the door to Briefing Room 1.

"Glad you could join us, Dr. Jackson."  Jack's dry voice broke through Daniel's designs for
self-preservation.

Glancing quickly around, Daniel was relieved to find that General Hammond had not yet arrived.

Noticing his friend's surreptitious visual sweep of the room, Jack shook his head. "No such
luck, Daniel.  The General *was* here, but left to take a phone call when you were late."

"Ooops. Sorry, Jack."

"Glad you decided to join us, Dr. Jackson."  General Hammond's voice hit Daniel's ears just as
he flopped heavily into his regular seat.

"Sorry, sir. I got..."

"Another time, Doctor, I'd love to hear your latest reason for being late, but right now, we've
a mission to review."

Blushing in embarrassment, Daniel mumbled a subdued, "Yes, sir" and slouched heavily in his
chair.

Sam chanced a quick smile at the embarrassed young man, then sobered as the General turned his
glare on her.

Jack decided it was time to rescue his team, although Daniel's tardiness of late did merit some
sort of reprimand. "General, is there something we should be aware of?"

"I don't understand, Colonel."

"The phone call, sir?"

"Oh, no, Colonel."  Hammond cleared his throat, and glared once more at the young
archaeologist.  "Major Carter, if you please."

"Yes, sir. We've got the telemetry back from the U.A.V sent through to PRS905. It confirmed
what the MALP survey showed. There was intelligent life on the planet within the last hundred
years or so, but there is definite evidence of Goa'uld destruction.  There's a partially
destroyed temple north of the Stargate. That's where the U.A.V went down. It picked up nothing
to the south."

"Any chance of survivors?"  Daniel asked quietly.

"If their assault on other worlds is any indication, then I would suspect that the annihilation
of the inhabitants was complete."  Teal'c answered the question with a touch of sadness in his
voice.

"Much as I hate to admit it, Teal'c's probably right. Sorry, Daniel."

The young man shrugged sadly. "Okay, we go get the U.A.V.  And  maybe check out the local
architecture to see what it tells us about the Goa'uld?"

"That pretty much sizes it up, Daniel." O'Neill looked at the General. "Permission to leave in
an hour, sir."

"Granted, Colonel."  Hammond disappeared into his office.

"An hour, Jack? Can't we leave sooner?"  Daniel's voice held a hint of desperation.

Jack cast a surprised look at Daniel. "What?  Why?"

"Oh, uh, no reason. Really."

**********

The tidal pool of simulated liquid released its travelers - gently for a change.  Teal'c came
through the Stargate first, followed by Carter, O'Neill then Jackson.  The hot air hit the
foursome like a blast furnace, the glare from the sands simultaneously causing them to shield
their eyes.

O'Neill slipped on his sun-glasses, commenting dryly.  "Well, kids, I hope you remembered the
sunscreen."

Teal'c cocked his head. "I believe, O'Neill, that Dr. Frasier ensured the substance you refer
to was in Daniel Jackson's pack."

"It was a joke, Teal'c."  Carter smiled at the Jaffa's confusion.

"Ah, I see.  O'Neill is once again stating a known fact as a source of amusement."

"Uh. Yeah. Whatever."  Jack glanced around. "Which way, Carter?"

"North, sir, the U.A.V. showed the temple to be approximately four kilometers north."

"Right, Teal'c, you have the point. Carter, you follow him.  Daniel, you'll be... Daniel?
Dammit!  Where is he?"

"Over there, sir."  Carter pointed to a still figure standing about twenty meters south of
them.

"Jackson!  Over here. Pronto."  Jack glared at the young man as he slowly returned to the
group.  "Well, at least you didn't run very far this time.  Try to stay with us, Daniel.  It's
gonna take some time to reach that temple to the north."

"I'd like to go south, Jack, not north."  Daniel stared into the open desert.

"The U.A.V is to the north, Daniel."

"I know, Jack, but..."

"The U.A.V. reported a temple to the north, Daniel."

"But Jack, south of here..."

The disgusted colonel stared at the young scientist. "Carter, what's south of here?"

"The U.A.V. didn't find anything south, sir, except for a valley.  No sign of intelligent
life."

"See, Daniel.  There's nothing to look at to the south."

"Jack, the shots from the U.A.V. lead me to believe that the temple to the north is relatively
new. And if you look, you'll see what I believe are the remains of a riverbed. I think we'll
find older, more valuable structures to the south.  And before you say it, I know that we're
supposed to bring home the U.A.V. but the older structures may give us an indication why the
Goa'uld chose to annihilate this world and its people."

Jack O'Neill glared through his glasses at the younger man. "Let me get this straight. The
U.A.V. doesn't find anything to the south, but does find a temple to the north, but *you* want
to go south because the U.A.V. may have missed something.  Does that about size it up?"

"Uh, yeah, Jack."

"Sweet."  Glancing at Teal'c and Carter, he said, "Well, kids, don't just stand there, pack up
and go get that U.A.V.  Daniel and I are going south."

Daniel's face lit up like a kid's at Christmas. "Gee, thanks, Jack. I really appreciate it. You
won't regret it."  The younger man bounced off toward his desired goal as the colonel shook his
head and mumbled something under his breath.

"I'm sorry, sir, what'd you say?"  Carter asked quietly.

Jack sighed. "Just that I already regretted it, Carter."

*****

"Dammit, Daniel, how long are we... Oh!"  Jack's words died on his lips as he followed the
young archaeologist around one more bend in the dry river bed.  They'd long since passed the
point of being able to see their surroundings ... the banks of the long dead river stretched a
good fifty feet above their heads.  Daniel had stopped dead in his tracks as he rounded a bend
a good twenty paces ahead of the disgruntled, and grumbling, Colonel.  Jack's eyes widened as
he moved to stand beside Daniel.

The canyon ended abruptly, opening onto a valley which stretched as far as the eye could see.
But it was not the low rolling hills, or the mass of green vegetation running toward a pale
blue horizon that held the attention of both men.  The area in front of them was positively
crawling with ruins. Massive ruins. Kinda reminded him of ... what *had* Daniel called it ...
oh, yeah, the Valley of the Kings back home ... somewhere.  "I take it, we're there?"

Daniel's smile threatened to crack his face, and his eyes glowed so brightly that Jack could
almost have suspected a Goa'uld infestation. Almost. As the Colonel watched the younger man, an
unusual array of emotions sped across his face.  Ecstasy, confusion, and sorrow were the ones
Jack could easily name, the latter causing him the most concern.  "Daniel?"

"I...I won't get to finish this, will I, Jack?"  Daniel's voice was low and sad. His feet
appeared glued to the ground, as if for once, he was afraid to take the first step.

Oh. So *that* was it.  Jack put a hand on his young comrade's shoulder. For once there was no
sarcasm in the older man's response. "Not and stay a part of SG-1, Daniel."

Daniel sighed heavily. "I know, but this..."  He waved his hand around the array of ancient
structures before them. "... this rivals the V..."

"...Valley of the Kings back home."  Jack interjected quickly.  The response caused Daniel to
stare at him in amazement. "Okay. I admit it.  I really *do* listen.  Part time. Uh, why are we
still standing here? You may not be able to finish the job, but by God, you can start it."

Grinning the younger man bolted forward, his mind already on the ancient buildings, leaving the
stunned, but not quite unprepared Colonel in the proverbial dust. Jack just shook his head as
Daniel raced, undeterred, toward the closest ruins. "A short rope. Next time. A short rope."

******


Sam used the binoculars to study the destroyed temple and its surroundings. "No sign of the
UAV, Teal'c. Are we still getting the signal?"

"Yes, Major Carter. It is emitting its flash more frequently than before."

"What?  Let me see."  The binoculars dropped unnoticed to her chest as she reached for the
remote. "That's odd. It's close. Close enough that we should be able to see it."

"Perhaps it is in the trees." Teal'c suggested.

"Nooo." Sam responded hesitantly. "The signal's strongest straight ahead, toward the temple,
and there are no trees there. This is really strange."

"Then perhaps it is in the temple itself."

Sam frowned. "The last images show it was in the clear when it went down."

"Major Carter, could not the UAV have flown for a while after the transmission ceased at the
SGC?"

"You're absolutely right, Teal'c. But something still bothers me. I just can't put a finger on
it."

"Then we will be unceasingly vigilant in our search."

"Right. Let's pay our respects at the temple."

"What will we use for payment?"

"What? Oh, no. Figure of speech.  It means let's head for the temple."

******


Jack O'Neill leaned idly against an over-large pillar, watching protectively as Daniel scurried
from one building of the ancient complex to the next.  Jack strongly suspected his young friend
was trying to memorize as much of the ancient layout as possible.  The archaeologist's
enthusiasm for rusty relics never ceased to amaze the Colonel, whose own interest in 'ancient'
artifacts was limited to the Early American desk his great-grandfather had built a hundred
years before. Jack shook his head at his own stupidity. Of course Daniel loved this, this
*stuff*. Hadn't that been proven time and time again, through multiple 'chase the
archaeologist' jaunts on other worlds. Speaking of chases ... just where had Daniel gotten to?
A familiar voice drew the Colonel's attention across a wide expanse to a distant figure. How
the heck had the man gotten all the way over there?

"Jack, you gotta see this!  It's...well, you just gotta take a look."  Daniel's excitement
floated across the courtyard, almost infecting the older man.

"Okay, Daniel. Keep your shirt on. I'm coming."  Jack shouted as he pushed away from the pillar
and headed directly for his friend.

******


"There it is."  Sam breathed a sigh of relief as she caught sight of the UAV with its one
crushed wing, sitting lopsided in the center of the temple. She peered for a brief moment at
the large opening in the roof.  "Of all the places for it to land, it manages to fall inside
the only building we've seen."  She started forward only to find herself restrained by the
Jaffa.  "What..."

"I do not believe it fell in here, Major Carter."  Teal'c's voice held an odd lilt.

"Of course it did, Teal'c. How else would it have gotten here? You said yourself that the
Goa'uld attack would have wiped out the local populat..."  Her eyes widened. "Holy Hannah."

The Jaffa nodded. "I apologize, Major Carter. I was obviously mistaken. We are *not* alone."

A quiet "ya think", precisely imitating the SG-1 commander's tone, emerged from Sam's lips as
she turned to find that she and Teal'c were completely surrounded ... by something.

******


"Come oooon, Jack!"  Daniel's voice was, as usual, impatient as he urged Jack to join him.

"Daniel, that door you're standing in has been there a very long time. I don't have to have a
degree in rusty relics to know *that*. It's not going anywhere in the next few minutes."  Jack
grinned broadly as he picked his way across the debris in the courtyard.

"Okay, but I'd have thought you'd be interested in a sarcophagus."  Daniel commented
nonchalantly.

Jack's features hardened as he increased his speed. "A what?  Dammit, Daniel, you stay away
from that th..."

From his position in the ancient doorway, Daniel w
opened wide to swallow his friend.

*****

Sam remained firmly frozen in place, whispering quietly to her companion. "How many of *them*
are there?  Can you tell?"

"There are eighteen, Major Carter."

"Terrific."  She took a deep breath, allowing herself time to study the beings in the temple.
She relaxed slightly as she realized that the locals were indeed human, albeit dressed
strangely. All wore masks, a detail which had at first led her to believe they were truly
alien. The intricately detailed masks represented creatures with which she was unfamiliar. Her
vision came to rest on a tall, brightly dressed figure who'd moved to stand with his hand
resting on the UAV.  She allowed herself a moment to study the man, and was slightly startled
to find that he was obviously studying her ... them.  Suddenly he removed his mask, bringing a
barely restrained gasp to Sam's lips.  The leader, for that's what Sam assumed he was, was
without a doubt one of the most handsome men she'd ever seen.  Jet black hair framed a long,
slender face.  Intense steel-gray eyes took on a magnetic quality as they came to rest on her
own blue eyes.  She found that she could not, even if she'd wanted to, look away.

He smiled as he approached Sam.  Reaching forward he gently touched her face, then turned his
attention on Teal'c.  A frown replaced the smile as he asked gravely. "Do you serve the Lord
Apophis?"

Teal'c responded gravely as Sam's eyes widened with surprise at hearing the Goa'uld's name. "I
do not."

"You bear his mark."

Teal'c's head ducked in agreement. "I was once in his service, but no longer."

The gray eyes narrowed in disbelief. "I have never heard of such a thing. It is taught amongst
my people that once taken by the Goa'uld, a man... or a woman ... is lost forever."

The Jaffa once again agreed with the man. "I have been most fortunate to have had the aide of
good friends in escaping Apophis."

"I would be honored to meet those who have escaped the evil that is Apophis."

"We're..."  Sam's words were cut off by the leader's finger being placed gently on her lips.
"In a moment, little one, right now I am speaking with your man."

********


Daniel coughed heavily as the dust settled around him.  Jack's startled shout of alarm still
rang in his ears as he was finally able to reach the newly formed pit.  Throwing himself onto
his stomach, he peered into the pit, but could see nothing but dust rising from the dark
depths.  "*Jack!*  *Jack, can you hear me?*"  Silence.  Daniel jumped to his feet, frantically
searching for his pack. He had a flashlight, and maybe rope, in his pack. 'God, Jack, please be
okay.' Where the hell was that pack?  Oh, wait. He'd dropped it by ... yes, that was it, the
first doorway he'd come to.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.  Jack was always bawling him out for
forgetting his equipment.  Where was that door?  Daniel darted across the courtyard, giving the
newly formed hole a wide berth.  He slid to a halt by the pillar Jack had been leaning against.
Oh, God. His pack.  Jack had once again covered for him, and brought his pack, probably
formulating another 'pull your own weight' lecture as he did so.

Fighting down a rush of guilt at the insensitive thought, Daniel yanked the pack open, and
fumbled for the flashlight.  There. The flashlight.  Thank God. But no rope, dammit to hell.
Where?  Shit. With Teal'c.  Always with Teal'c.  The Jaffa's strength allowed him to carry more
than twice the weight in his pack than either Sam or Daniel, and almost two-third's more weight
than Jack.  The extra, not often used but might come in handy, stuff was always packed with
Teal'c. And he, Dr. Daniel Jackson, resident idiot, had managed to split the SG-1 team in half
for this trip.

Daniel stumbled blindly back to the pit and once more flung himself down near the edge.  His
fingers trembled as he snapped the light on and directed the beam into the hole.  For a moment,
he forgot to breathe.  Jack O'Neill lay, unconscious, on the rocky floor of a very old tunnel.
Even from his location, Daniel could see the livid purple bruise forming near the older man's
temple.  And his leg. Good God. Jack's right leg was bent at an unnatural angle, and from the
size of the rocks near Jack's shoulder, Daniel suspected that it might also be injured, and God
only knew what else.  He *really* needed to get down there, but how?

********


Samantha Carter was livid. Actually, she was ready to explode.  Every attempt she'd made to
speak had been curtailed by the leader of these, these *primitives*. And Teal'c had done
nothing, *absolutely nothing* in her behalf.  Not that she needed his help, or anyone else's
for that matter.  Damn the man, or Jaffa, or whatever!  How dare he ... get a grip, Sam.
Teal'c's right. He's playing along with the native culture until we know for certain what kind
of situation we're in.  She forced herself to control her breathing, and listen, really listen,
to what the two men were saying.

"She is not your woman."  The leader smiled benignly at the pretty blond.

Teal'c shook his head. "No, among the Tau'ri, the women are respected, and treated as equals.
Major Carter is a warrior. Her skills are in no way lacking or lessened because she is not a
male."

Sam felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment and hoped no one could see her blush. Okay, she
really should have known better. Teal'c, ever loyal, honest, sincere, Teal'c, would never treat
her any other way himself.  Way to go, Sam. Shit.

The leader turned to her and smiled once more, this time respectfully. "It is an honor to meet
a female warrior, Major Carter.  In my culture, the females are to be cherished and protected
at all costs."

"Uh, yes, well, uh, thank you."  Now that she was *allowed* to speak without interruption, Sam
couldn't think of a thing to say.  She was saved from her own discomfiture by the crackle of
her radio.  She immediately twisted the little mike toward her mouth, and responded. "Carter
here. I..I can barely hear you. Teal'c and I have found ... Cave-in?  Injured?  Yes, Yes of
course, we're on our way, Colonel."  Disconnecting the radio, she turned to Teal'c. "They found
some sort of city.  And there's been a cave-in.  I could barely make him out, but Daniel's been
hurt.  We're needed there with the rope. We need to... oops."

Teal'c and Sam suddenly found themselves staring at the business end of the local weapons.

The leader's face was grim. "Only the Goa'uld have the ability to speak as you do. You will now
come with us, as our prisoners, not our guests."

"No, wait. We're not Goa'uld. We're peaceful explorers, and we really need to find our friends.
Someone's hurt, maybe dying."

The man studied the true depth of feelings in her eyes. "That is of no consequence. We do not
hold the life of the Goa'uld to be sacred.  You will come with us."  He held up a hand as
Teal'c started to protest. "You will come with us, or you will die ... now."

*****

Daniel stared at the little radio in dismay. The connection had been sooo bad, but he was
certain ... almost certain ... that Sam had heard him.  At least she seemed to have heard the
word 'injured'. She'd repeated it, hadn't she?  He hoped.  At any rate, he hoped she'd heard
him.  His radio was deader than dead ... where did they get these things anyway? ... and Jack's
was in the pit ... probably just as useless as his own.  And a whole lot more unreachable.
Daniel ran his fingers nervously through his hair. Okay, help's on the way, but Jack needs
attention now. How to get down?  Too far to jump.  Shit, need a rope, or something.

The young archaeologist looked around frantically. Even if there was a rope or a line of some
sort in these abandoned ruins, they would have rotted by now.  His initial analysis had
suggested that the city had been abandoned at least an Earth century ago, if not earlier.  The
fragility of the structures was evidenced by Jack's fall into the cellar. ... Cellar? Jesus,
Daniel!  A cellar meant stairs, and probably in the building where he'd seen the sarcophagus.
"Hang on, Jack. I'm coming!"

******


Now *this* was a fine turn of events. Jack's voice had sounded so odd... Daniel must be in bad
shape.  Of course, their own situation couldn't be described in glowing terms either. She and
Teal'c were being marched north, away from the rest of SG-1. At least she hoped Teal'c was
still with the party. She hadn't seen him in quite some time.  But she wasn't worried yet.
After all, Teal'c could take care of himself.  'Keep telling yourself that, Sam.'

Sam tested the bindings on her wrists for the umpteenth time since the Euloeans had changed
their status from guests to prisoners.  All because of a stupid little radio, for heaven's
sake.  If only she'd known, she could've stepped away from the men to talk ... okay, so her
psychic hot line wasn't working. Dammit to hell, she was an astrophysicist, not an
anthropologist.  *Daniel* would've known ... oh, God, Daniel.  Cave-in?  Daniel in search of
ruins and relics was harder to control than a quantum particle.  Holy Hannah, he could be
trapped under tons of rock.  Visions of gentle, articulate, energetic Daniel silenced forever
under a mass of rubble brought tears to her eyes.

******


Complacent and ineffectual.  His years of Jaffa training had been for naught. He, former First
Prime of Apophis, had allowed himself to be deceived by images of a heavily damaged temple.
Worse, he'd convinced his teammates that the world they were to visit was uninhabited. Now he
and Major Carter were prisoners of a people who had been industrious enough to survive a
Goa'uld assault.  A people who had good reason to hate all things Goa'uld, and no reason to
believe them to be other than Goa'uld themselves. And Daniel Jackson lay somewhere to the
south, badly injured by Major Carter's report, and he was unable to be of assistance to the
young man.  Nor, with his hands securely bound behind his back, was he able to be of assistance
to Major Carter. If the truth was known, she was so far ahead of his own position, he could
barely make her out. All things considered, he was having an unfavorable day.

******


Daniel moved swiftly from room to room searching for the elusive stairwell to the basement
where Jack lay. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It made absolutely no sense. This was the closest
building to the pit. The stairwell *had* to be here, but where?  Daniel stared forlornly at the
gilded sarcophagus in the center of the front room.  His brow furrowed with confusion as he
realized, for the first time, the incongruity of the coffin's surroundings. This was no burial
chamber, nor was it a temple. To the archaeologist's experienced eye, this had been the
entrance hall to a large home.  What on earth would a sarc... oh, no, they wouldn't. It wasn't
possible, surely.  Well, he'd heard of stranger things.

He wasted no time in running his hands over the sarcophagus.  If he was right ... there!  A
hidden release mechanism.  Daniel pulled the little lever toward him, praying that the
mechanism had not decayed with time, and held his breathe as the lid slid slowly aside. And
stopped abruptly. Leaving an opening less than six inches wide.  Shining his flashlight into
the hole, he was at first ecstatic that this was indeed the stairway he'd been searching for.
Then reality struck home. Okay. He needed something to pry the lid with.  'Think, Daniel,
think. No time to waste, Jack needs you.'  The broken leg alone would be very painful, and
Daniel knew there were other injuries to be tended to.  Thank God, they all carried a med-kit
as standard equipment.  Two vials of morphine should be enough to stem the tide of pain until
Sam and Teal'c got there.

******


God, it was dark, so very, very dark, and he hurt so very, very badly.  How long had it been?
He'd lost track of time after the third day, but Jack suspected that at least a month had
passed since that ill-fated mission had resulted in his capture, and imprisonment.  So far he'd
managed to hold out, told them nothing, but he wasn't sure how long that would last.  That last
round when they'd slowly snapped his leg in two, had brought him to the brink of confessing ...
to anything.  But at least as bad, if not worse than the pain, was the total isolation. All his
training had revolved around pain to pleasure, pleasure to pain.  The latest theories in human
behavior suggested this combination was the quickest way to confuse, and control a prisoner.
Guess no one had bothered to let *them* in on the secret.

The long days and nights of no human contact whatsoever made him almost welcome the rounds of
interminable torture.  He never realized how much one missed the simple act of communicating
until it was gone. A short hello to the postman, an inane conversation with the clerk at the
PX, a joking moment with his peers, a quiet conversation with his ... wife.  God, Sara.  He
could barely remember her face. And Charlie ... don't go there, Jack.

And those often unnoticed, and unappreciated, moments of touch shared between friends.
Unappreciated until they were gone. A slap on the back, a handshake, some moron trying to
ruffle a military haircut, an intimate moment with Sara. A toddler's tiny hand ... don't go
there, Jack.  All gone in the blink of an eye, or a failed mission.

His head ached unmercifully, and his stomach threatened to relieve itself of its meager
contents.  Food and drink were not exactly plentiful, nor pleasant. Matter of fact, he couldn't
remember the last time he'd had *any* meal, much less a decent one. In thinking about it, he
suddenly became aware that the pain in his belly probably had as much to do with the drugs ...
Jack positively spat with anger at the thought ... as it did anything else.  The needle shoved
forcibly into his veins, imparting its poison, was something he never wanted to experience
again. No, they'd catch hell before he let them near him with another needle.

*****

Pry bar. He'd sell his soul for a pry ... or a table.  There'd been a table here somewhere.
Better than a pry bar. If it was sturdy enough to get the damn sarcophagus open, he could also
use it for a splint. Perfect. Now where?

As Daniel mentally retraced his steps, his subconscious tickled the edges of his thoughts. Why
had this town been abandoned? What could have happened that was so catastrophic that the
inhabitants fled, yet gave them enough time to take most of their possessions?  In all the
buildings he'd peeked into so far, only the bulkier, heavy items remained ... and not many of
those.  Even the table ...  Oh, my. Yes. The table that he was looking for was in the third
room to the right. "I'm coming, Jack. Won't be long now!" 'I hope.'

******


They'd been traveling at a rapid pace for the better part of an hour when Sam could take it no
longer.  Her comrades ... friends ... needed help, and she knew that she had to do *something*.

"Listen, please."  She danced around in front of the Euloean leader, causing him to halt in his
tracks. "We're not Goa'uld."

"So you say, but appearances can be deceiving.  And your friend is a Jaffa. Pledged in service
to Apophis himself."

"Okay, yes, he is a Jaffa, but he abandoned Apophis a long time ago. And Apo..."

"A traitor to one is often a traitor to another."

'Shit!' "Not this time. Teal'c would *never* betray us."

"Really."

The quiet smug tones of the man infuriated the young Major. "*Yes, really!*"

Steel gray eyes stared unblinkingly into her own. "I am inclined to believe you."

"*Finally!*" Sam was practically bursting with relief.

"But my beliefs are of no consequence."

"W..What?"

"Word of your coming has reached the High Council.  You are to be presented to them at first
light."

"*First* light. You mean tomorrow morning?  But our friends, one of them is badly hurt. We
can't just ..."

Once again Sam found her lips covered with his forefinger.  "I *am* sorry, little one, but had
the Council not been alerted, your fate would have remained in my hands. Now..."  He shrugged.

"Now what?"

"The High Council will interview you and your ... Jaffa."

"Teal'c. His name is Teal'c."

"As you wish.  As I was saying, they will interview you to determine if you could possibly bear
any guilt for the massacre of our people one hundred years ago."

"And if they decide against us, we'll be killed."

"*No!*"  He appeared truly shocked. "You will go on trial.  Now, please, we must be behind
walls before last light."  He gently turned her around, and pushed her forward.

As she once again fell into step beside him, her thoughts were racing. 'Great. We go on trial.
*Then* they kill us.  Shit. ... Last light? Walls? Huh?'

******


"Whoever these people were, they ...


could ...


really ...


buil... ohhhhhhhh.


... *ouch!*"  Daniel rose painfully from the floor, rubbing the seat of his pants with one hand
and clutching the now-free table leg with the other. "Okay, I know it's strong enough. Ought to
hold together as a pry bar. ... *Why* am I talking to myself?  Because Jack's hurt, and there's
no one else around. ... Great, *now* I'm answering myself. McKensey will have a field day *if*
he finds out. ... So, don't tell him, Daniel. And stop dawdling, you've got a sarcophagus to
break into."

******


'I do not like this. The separation of Major Carter and myself was most wise on the part of the
Euloeans, however, it is most disconcerting.  I was concerned for her safety as she forced this
leader to stop for a moment.  Apparently, there was no need for concern at this time. The Major
can be most persuasive when there is need, and the need to go to the aide of our friends
increases with each passing moment.

The sun falls lower in the sky as we march northward.  It has only been in the last quarter
hour that I have become aware of a growing anxiety among the Euloeans. Some watch the sky,
anxiously noting the passing of the sun. Others watch the lands around us.  But it is more than
the watchful behavior of an armed guard. No, this watchfulness appears to be in anticipation of
some form of attack. I do not like this.'

******


The stairwell was fortunately clear, but even so Daniel took great care taking the steps to the
cellar. He'd be of no use to Jack if he slipped and knocked himself senseless in a frantic rush
to reach his friend.  The sole remaining obstacle between Jack and him was a very solid looking
door, which fortunately was neither locked nor blocked. The ancient wood scraped badly as he
forced the door open, reminding Daniel of fingernails on a blackboard. But the cold chill that
raced up his spine had nothing to do with the unpleasant noise.  Jack looked, well, Jack looked
perfectly dreadful, but at least he was breathing, and to Daniel's infinite surprise, he was
too.

Concerned blue eyes took in everything as Daniel knelt beside the older man and did a visual
scan of his injuries.  The broken leg was an obvious, and obviously painful, injury.  Daniel
knew he'd have to do something about it, and soon.  The bruise near his temple caused the young
man to think *concussion*, but at least Jack's rhythmic breathing was not labored, seeming to
indicate that if his ribs were broken, they had not punctured a lung.

Daniel gently ran his hands down each of Jack's apparently uninjured limbs, gratefully
verifying them to be intact.  The young man then winced, and took a deep breath before testing
Jack's ribs.  To his infinite delight, nothing moved that wasn't supposed to. This was much
better than he'd expected.  The unconscious man flinched slightly away from the pressure as
Daniel checked the suspect shoulder.  It didn't *feel* broken, but he knew from painful
experience that a break in the collar bone was not often obvious.  He still remembered being
shoved into the gym wall as a child, and spending the remainder of the school day in pain
because his shoulder 'couldn't possibly be hurt.'

He finished his cursory examination, and sat back on his heals.  The leg needed to be set, and
the shoulder immobilized.  But first things first. Morphine.  Even with Jack unconscious,
Daniel was not about to try straightening *that* leg without some professional strength knock-
out drugs in Jack's system.

******


Someone was coming. He could hear the footsteps. Oh God! Not again, please not again. No ...
more ... drugs! Be still. Let *him* think you're unconscious. It's the best way. You can take
him, Jack. No problem.  It took all the willpower he possessed not to tense his muscles as his
shirtsleeve was pushed up his arm.  Soon. Very soon.  He timed his assault well. *He* was
caught completely off guard.  Ring his fucking neck. That's what ... Huh? Doesn't sound like
... then who? So dark. Can't *see*. And the pain is sooo bad!

*****

"Jaaaack!"  Daniel's voice was barely above a whisper as a surprisingly strong hand tightened
its hold on his throat; threatening to choke the life out of him. The quiet observer portion of
Daniel's brain acknowledged confirmation of his friend's shoulder injury, evidenced by the use
of only one hand, while the rational 'feet firmly planted on the ground' portion conceded that,
even injured, Jack O'Neill was a dangerous man.

Jack's scream of rage as he attacked had been in Arabic. Once again, the observer side kicked
in. Odd, he'd never known Jack knew any other languages, but the phrasing the injured man used
was more than the conversational lingo picked up in some cheap guidebook. And in his pain and
confusion, Jack had obviously mistaken one very surprised archaeologist for a former Iraqi
tormentor.

The rational side of Daniel suddenly went into overdrive, effectively silencing the annoying
observer.  His vision was dimming. *Not* enough air. If he didn't get that hand off of his
throat, and soon, he'd be dead, and Jack would be left alone with his injuries. *Not* a good
thing. Jack could *die!*

Daniel jerked savagely to his right and backwards, pulling away from his friend, reasoning that
Jack would be most vulnerable if he twisted quickly in the direction of Jack's injured
shoulder. The strategy worked, but the subsequent cry of pain from his friend as he collapsed
weakly back onto the cellar floor only served to increase Daniel's feelings of concern, and
guilt.

******


"Look, at least tell me your name."  Sam increased her speed to keep pace with the Euloean
leader.

"Why? What purpose does it serve?"  The man cast a curious glance down at the smaller woman.

'Okay, lost that battle, but the war's still on.' "Are the bindings *really* necessary?"

"Yes. They are."

"Oh for crying out loud. Talk about one track minds. We're not Goa'uld!"

"It does you no good to tell me, little one..."

"*Don't* call me that!  My name is Major Samantha Carter."

"Fine. Major Samantha Carter, are your people able to run and speak simultaneously?"

A look of confusion crossed her face. "Uh, no?"

"Then you would be wise to be silent. The ground levels out just ahead, and we must pick up
speed if we are to be undercover by last light."

"What happens after dark?"

His features turned grave. "The Redcaps."

"The what?"

Tiamon stared in surprise. "How is it you do not know of these creatures of the night?  They
appeared after the last Goa'uld assault. The elders teach that the Goa'uld left them as a
plague on my people."

"I keep telling you. We are ..."

"...not Goa'uld. Yes, you've said that."

"Tiamon!"  The leader's attention turned away from Sam, towards a small, dark man.

"What is it, Marne?"

"The sun is falling low in the sky. The men grow more fearful with each passing moment."

"I understand, Marne. We will go faster. Now!"

Sam groaned in frustration as Tiamon increased his pace, and Marne prodded her into increasing
her own. 'Oh, this is gonna be fun.'

******


'It is as I suspected. Our captors are frightened, and have increased our speed in an effort to
outrun their fear. Even though they have moved more than an arm's length from me, I can smell
their fear. I do not know if Major Carter has reached the same conclusion, but she is an
intelligent Tau'ri. I do not think their fear will have escaped her notice.

 From my vantage point I can just see Major Carter's head. While this speed will cause me no
difficulty, even though I am bound, I fear the same cannot be said of Major Carter.  It will
not go well for those guarding her if she comes to harm while in their care.'

******


The men surrounding him looked on in amazement as the increased pace of the march had no affect
on the Jaffa.  Teal'c showed no signs of strain ... no sweating, no gasping for air, nothing.
It was *not* normal and those closest to the Jaffa moved to what they perceived to be a safe
distance away from him.  It was well-known among the Euloeans that one should *never* get too
close to one of the Goa'uld.

******


Sam was beginning to feel the effects of the run.  Under other conditions, the speed would have
posed no problem, but with her hands bound she could not settle comfortably into a rhythm.
Reluctantly she opened her mouth to protest, and was stopped cold by a scream in the distance.
As one, the entire company froze in their tracks and a fear filled murmur rose behind her.
Tiamon drew a knife from his belt, whirled Sam around, cut her bonds, and signaled to those
that followed to do the same for Teal'c.

The young Major rubbed her wrists as she suspiciously eyed Tiamon. "Thanks, but why?"

"We must run for our very lives, Major Samantha Carter. You and your Jaffa may accompany us to
your interview or you may take your chances with the Redcaps.  The choice is yours."  With
that, the Euloean leader motioned his party forward, leaving a confused Sam to be joined
quickly by Teal'c.

"Well, if that doesn't beat all..."

"All what, Major Carter?"

"We're free, I think. If we want to risk a meeting with the Redcaps."

"What are the Redcaps?"

"I have no idea."  Another screech broke through the night. "Teal'c, I think we go with the
Euloeans."

"I believe that is a wise course of action."

******


He'd lost his hold, his only chance of getting revenge for this, this *pain*. But wait, it
wasn't the right one... then who?  He flinched slightly as a hand came to rest on his uninjured
shoulder. *Who* was talking now? The voice was familiar, as was the gentle touch.  Confusion
reigned supreme as Jack struggled to hear what *he* was saying.

"You had a bad fall. Let me help you, please."

Daniel?  In Iraq?  No, that's wrong, all wrong. Off world, somewhere, again. Some 'P'
designation. Great. It *was* Danny, he'd know that voice anywhere. God, he could have killed
him. The thought of Daniel dying by his hand was too much for the Colonel and he let out a low,
anguished groan. "D...Daniel?  What? I thought... Oh, God!"

*****

Daniel choked, sputtered and rubbed his bruised throat. Okay, *that* was a bad idea. He really
should have known better than to approach Jack silently. This wasn't the first time the older
man had reacted ... badly... to a surprise awakening, but with his injuries Daniel had really
expected him to be incapacitated. He *really* should have known better.

"Let's try this one more time."  Daniel spoke softly as he eased his way back to Jack's side.
"Jack?  It's Daniel.  You're not in Iraq. We're together on PRS905.  You had a bad fall. Let me
help you, please?"  Slowly, he put a gentle hand on the injured man's good shoulder.

Jack's low, anguished groan pierced Daniel's heart. "D...Daniel?  What? I thought... Oh, God!"

"We're on PRS905, Jack. Please, let me give you some morphine. It'll take the edge off the
pain." His only response was a weak nod of the injured man's head. Daniel slowly slid his hand
down Jack's arm, never eliminating the physical contact with the man as he pushed the T-shirt
sleeve up again.  With the other hand, he awkwardly fumbled for one of the syringes. Pulling it
out of the Med-kit, he stared at the amount in the vile for a moment before reluctantly
eliminating all but what he needed, half a milliliter.  No sense taking chances on an
accidental overdose, besides Janet had been unusually firm in her 'do not even consider using
the same syringe for a second time' lecture.

He managed to aspirate the syringe, grateful that the needle was intravenous, not the larger
one used for injections into the muscle.  While it was probably a little safer for a novice to
administer the drug into a muscle, Jack need relief *now*, and Daniel had been the 'lucky'
recipient of morphine enough to know how fast that relief would come.  Now for a vein. Great.
He *really* wasn't good at this, but well, okay, rub the upper arm, and look for a vein. Oh.
*That* was easy enough. Gulping, he forced the needle through the skin, and was relieved not to
see blood immediately. Good. He was in the vein, not through it. Pushing the plunger very
slowly, he watched as the precious liquid left the syringe, stopping only when he'd emptied the
vial.

"It's in, Jack. You should start to feel ... better real soon." Daniel eased the needle out of
the vein, and dropping the syringe to the ground, tore open a small gauze pad, and pressed it
tightly to his friend's arm, releasing it only when he was certain the bleeding had stopped.
Unconsciously, Daniel repositioned his free hand on Jack's good shoulder, keeping the physical
contact present until he felt the injured man begin to relax.

Keeping a close eye on his friend, Daniel quickly removed his own jacket and shirt. Then
practically ripped off his black T-shirt. He quickly started tearing the T-shirt into strips.
Soon a pile of strips lay on the ground beside Jack.  He retrieved the table legs that he'd
broken off upstairs, and laid them beside Jack's good leg.  He counted his blessings as the
length turned out to be okay, not perfect, but acceptable. A true piece of luck since he had no
way to shorten them.

Leaning back on his heels, Daniel wiped his sweaty palms on his pants leg, took a deep breath
and forced himself to look at Jack's face.  What he saw did not reassure him.  His color was
ashen, even his lips had no hue.  His eyes were open, but Daniel was uncertain if they were
really 'seeing' anything.  Reaching out, he gently cupped his friend's chin in his palm, trying
to ignore the cold, clammy feel to his skin. "Jack, I don't know if you can understand me, but
I have to set your leg.  It's gonna hurt, but I'm hoping the morphine will help."

A slow, pain-filled drawl responded. "Just do it, Daniel."

"Right."  Gulping, Daniel closed his eyes, and focused on his previous experiences with this
sort of injury.  He'd done this twice before, once in Egypt almost too many years ago to count,
and once on Abydos.  Great. *This* kind of 'on the job training' he'd hoped never to have to
use again.

******


The band of Euloeans was already fifty yards ahead of Sam and Teal'c by the time the pair
decided on their course of action.  Teal'c fell easily in beside Sam, discretely shortening his
stride to stay beside the smaller woman.

"Major Carter?"

"What, Teal'c?"

"I have come across the term 'Redcaps' before, but I do not believe the name here and on your
home world could possibly have the same meaning."

Much to her annoyance, Sam had no breath to respond with more than "W..why?"

"I read in one of Daniel Jackson's books that redcaps are a subset of evil creatures known as
'goblins'."

"G...goblins?"

"Yes, Major Carter. Does this term have any significance for you?"

"Yes!" she gasped. "*Not* good. OH!"  A series of loud shrieks close behind them startled the
woman, and her headlong plunge to the ground was prevented only by Teal'c's quick reaction.
"Thanks, Teal'c."

The Jaffa tilted his head in silent acknowledgment of her thanks even as he pushed her into
another, even faster jog. "The creatures grow close. I fear we do not have much time."

******


Jack was trembling uncontrollably by the time Daniel had finished securing his arm to his
chest.  The young archaeologist then settled both his shirt and jacket over the older man,
regretting that the 'retrieval only' aspect of this mission had sent the team out without
camping gear.  He really hoped the additional warmth would bring the chills under control.
"Jack, I'll be right back.  I'm gonna try to start a fire."

The lack of actual response worried Daniel greatly, but he sensed that Jack had understood him.
The trek to the upper floor was taken at a much faster pace than before, a pace set by the
desperation of the moment.  As he worriedly broke the table into manageable pieces, his
thoughts turned to his friends.  There was no doubt in his mind that help was on the way, and
that Sam would take the time to go through the Stargate to fetch Janet Fraiser.  After all, the
Stargate *was* positioned somewhere between their two destinations.

The evening shadows were teasing the edges of the cellar opening by the time Daniel managed to
get the fire going.  The wood of the table served as the 'logs' for his fire, and he'd been
fortunate to find a large, decrepit chair whose exposure to the weather rendered it perfect for
kindling.   The strange silence of the night unnerved the young man, causing him to be grateful
for the protection, however slight, of the building they were in... uh, under.

As the fire crackled into life, Daniel began to grow really concerned. He'd already had to give
Jack another dose of morphine. Granted, he'd done it after only four hours to hold down the
pain, but he'd thought Sam and Teal'c would be here by now.  He only had two more doses left,
and while he could stretch them for ten, maybe twelve hours, the increased strain on Jack's
already injured system worried him greatly.  He settled down next to Jack's uninjured side,
gently drawing the older man closer to him.  Shared body heat combined with human contact might
do no good, but they would certainly do no harm.

'Where *are* they?' Surely Sam and Teal'c had had enough time to find them. It had been hours
since he'd first called them.  What if... 'Don't be stupid, Daniel. This is Sam and Teal'c
you're talking about.  They can take care of themselves.  But what if something *has* happened
to them?'

General Hammond would order a search and rescue mission as soon as they were overdue, but the
mission had been to go north. No one, except Sam and Teal'c, would know the direction he and
Jack had taken.  Once again, he cursed himself for forcing Jack to split the team up.  His
reflection was interrupted by a horrible noise in the distance.  Simultaneously, Jack began to
stir.  The Colonel's low groan caused Daniel's attention to focus solely on his friend. "Jack?"

"D..Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Did you hear something ... scream?"

*****

God, she was tired.  They'd run for an eternity already, and Sam thought her lungs would burst
if she didn't stop soon; she definitely knew her legs would give way.  The pretty major prided
herself on keeping in top physical condition, but this run had stretched her to her limits and
beyond. Her peripheral vision told her that the loyal Jaffa was still slightly behind her.
'Holy Hannah, he's protecting me.' Years of independence spurred a momentary indignation in her
military soul, and her resentment warred with gratitude for control of her feelings.

Her intelligence and good sense quickly snuffed out the indignation.  They were a team, but all
teams have their strengths and weaknesses, and Teal'c was the strength regardless of whom he
was paired with. She knew without a doubt that Teal'c would have assumed that position
regardless of whom he was with.

A flash of light directly in front of her caught her attention, and she realized with a
combination of relief and dread that the Euloean village was now visible.  At least the walls
were. Approximately twelve feet high, they obscured the dwellings from view.  The gate was
oddly placed; off to one side butting up against one of the corners on what was obviously the
sundown side of the village. The light had apparently come from one of the four watch towers
extending a good ten feet above the top of the wall. A second flash pinpointed the location as
the tower above the gate. 'The welcome wagon awaits.'

God, she was tired, and her legs ached almost unbearably.  She hadn't hurt this much since her
boot camp training. The first of the Euloeans had slipped past the barely open gate, and she
forced herself to increase her stride, smiling slightly as the Jaffa increased his own pace.
She knew instinctively that she and Teal'c must be ahead of the last Euloean warrior or risk
being abandoned to the Redcaps. 'Why do I have an image of irate bellboys?'

The snarls and growls in the growing shadows bore no resemblance to any belligerent porter
she'd ever run into.  What if by chance these creatures were the same as the ones Teal'c had
read about?  A form of goblin.  Sam searched the inner depths of her mind, hoping for a tidbit
of information on the mythological creatures.  All she found were fairy tales meant to
entertain, and frighten, small children around the camp fire.  God, she was tired.

********


"D..Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Did you hear something ... scream?"

Now what? Lie? It was never a good idea lying to Jack O'Neill, but maybe, just this once.  The
idea was discarded as extremely stupid and foolish without even giving it a second thought.
"Uh, yes, Jack, I did."

"Prisoners?"

"No, Jack.  We're on PRS905, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I fell?"

'Man, did you ever fall.' "Yes, Jack."

"Sweet."

Daniel had to grin at the familiar catch phrase. The rising moon was casting eerie shadows in
the cellar, but he was grateful for the dim light.  Between the moon and the firelight, he
should be able to save the batteries in his flashlight. The bulb in Jack's had been destroyed
when he landed.

He couldn't quite suppress a flinch as another unholy scream filled the night.  As much as he'd
bemoaned the silence of the dusk hours, they beat the hell out of the sounds that were growing
more and more frequent as the moon began its climb.

"Daniel?"

"Hmmm?"

"You called Carter?"

"Yes."

"Did they find the U.A.V.?"

"I don't know."

"Didn't ask, right?"

"Had a few other things on my mind, Jack."

"Right. How'd you get down here?"

"This isn't a pit ... it's a cellar. Found the stairs.  In the sarcophagus."

"Thought I told you to stay away from that thing."

Daniel grinned broadly. "Oh, yeah, sorry about that."

"It's okay ... this time."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Got enough firewood?"

"Yes, Jack."

"Did you lay it like I've shown you?"

"Yes, Jack."

"How bad's my leg?"

"Without X-rays, I can't be sure, but I think it's a simple, clean break."

"Shoulder - dislocated or broken?"

"Not dislocated. Think it's your collarbone."

"Wonderful. That'll make using crutches hell."

"I'm sure Janet'll have a solution."

"Not back at SGC, here."

"Oh. Not to worry. I'm sure Sam will bring half of Janet's staff with her, along with a
stretcher."

"Terrific."  Another scream sounded in the distance. "Daniel, you got your weapon?"

"Yes.  I hear the screams, too, ya know."

"I know. Get me mine.  I can't seem to reach it."

"Jack, you're hurting. On morphine. I don't think..."

"Daniel..."

Sighing in resignation, Daniel put Jack's handgun within his reach.

"Thanks."

"Rifle?"

"Stays with me. I don't think you can shoot it with that shoulder."

Jack was silent for a long moment, silently acknowledging the truth of Daniel's assertion.
Another scream pierced the night air, closer this time.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack."

"Sam and Teal'c are overdue, aren't they?" The morphine had dulled Jack's pain, but not his
commander's instincts.

Daniel hesitated briefly before responding. "Yes."

"Okay. If they're not here by dawn, we get the hell out of here."

The young archaeologist decided against asking how; he'd just have to humor the older man.
"Fine with me."

"Daniel, don't humor me. We leave at dawn."

"Yes, Jack. You better get some rest." Another scream caused Daniel to glance warily around
their temporary quarters.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Ya sure you got enough firewood?"

********


A sideways glance at the woman running near him caused the Jaffa to once again adjust his pace
so as not to outdistance her. He well knew she would keep pace until she dropped, too exhausted
to go on.  If that happened, he would simply carry her. *That* was the simple issue.  More
difficult was the issue of her protection if their pursuers somehow overtook them.

The situation was not good. What had the reference material said about 'Redcaps'? Goblins with
red hats and red eyes. That was right, and something about the caps. Oh, yes, the 'red' came
from human blood.  And talons. They had talons similar to one of the Tau'ri birds of prey. But
which one? Eagles. Yes, that was right. But the creatures were apparently easy to ward off.
Holy words sent them running into the darkness. Teal'c frowned as he mentally reviewed the
information he'd gleaned from his friend's resource materials, recalling that Daniel Jackson's
explanation of 'holy words' had taken the better part of an hour.

Few at the SGC realized how truly intelligent the Jaffa was.  Given a standard Tau'ri education
on the home world, Teal'c would have been the mental equal of any of the 'think-tank' denizens
belonging to the underworld society that made up Stargate Command.  As it was, he more than
held his own in an environment which his early upbringing had left him ill-prepared to handle.

Teal'c's native intelligence had combined with incredible natural instincts to serve him well
on more than one occasion. And while he seriously doubted the Euloean version of 'Redcaps' bore
any resemblance to the ones described in the textbooks, the *sounds* they made tickled
something in the back of his mind. One of Master Bratac's teachings, perhaps?  He was really
uncertain.  That fact alone unsettled him and left him unusually sensitive to the sounds of
their pursuers.

So deep was he immersed in his thoughts, that he almost missed Sam's sudden burst of speed.
Startled, he followed her line of sight, and allowed himself a moment of relief as he spied the
village walls.  The height of the walls in comparison to the height of the residents was
unusual and Teal'c switched mental gears for a moment to study the wall and its towers.  An
unusually loud scream nearby jolted his subconscious into action.

The Kul-Da-Poir.  By the Gods. The Goa'uld had unleashed the Kul-Da-Poir on this world.
Somehow, he did not believe that 'holy words' would be of any use in this place.  And O'Neill
and an injured Daniel Jackson were somewhere to the south. Alone, and unprotected. No, *this*
was not good at all.

*****

Well, they were inside the walls, but Sam wasn't sure by their reception that they were any
safer inside than out. Their *escort* consisted of a half dozen men. Tall, strong, humorless -
they looked more like bouncers than guards.  The locals were obviously taking no chances. The
building they were taken to was built solidly, with no windows and only one door, which was
locked securely behind them.  As she struggled to gain control of her breathing, Sam quickly
took stock of their surroundings. To say it was Spartan was probably an understatement. A
single low bench encircled an open hearth in the center of the room. Two mats were positioned
near the bench, directly opposite the door. And wood for a fire was stacked neatly near the
hearth. But there was no fire, and  no visible way to start one.  There was a definite chill in
the air, and Sam was grateful that they'd been allowed to retain custody of their jackets, and
the equipment buried within. She rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm them.

"Major Carter, are you well?"

She nodded as she responded, delighted to know she could now do more than just gasp. "I'm fine,
just a little chilly. You?"

"I am also well." Teal'c eyed their 'quarters' with a modicum of interest, as he chose wood to
lay on the hearth. "These quarters do not appear to be designed for a long residence."

"I noticed. My guess is that either we'll be upgraded to the deluxe suite or we won't need
accommodations at all come morning."

"That would appear to be the case."

"That was quite a run."

"Indeed."  Teal'c paused, then ventured the question. "You saw what pursued us?"

Sam nodded in dismay as she recalled her only glance of the Redcaps. It had been a near thing.
They'd made it past the gates just ahead of the last Euloean in the party, and she managed to
catch a brief glimpse of those ... *beasts* ... before the gates slammed shut. Two things stood
out in the moonlight ... these creatures were at least nine feet tall and the hair on their
heads was red. Very, very red.

"*Yes. Ugly, very ugly.*"

"And lethal. The people of this world must have angered the System Lords greatly for them to
unleash the Kul-Da-Poir."

Sam shuddered. "They *looked* positively ... you *know* what they *are*?"

It was Teal'c's turn to nod. "The Kul-Da-Poir are reputed to be a myth."

"Some myth."

"Indeed."

She waited for a full minute before realizing the Jaffa was not going to elaborate on his own.
Sighing in frustration at his reticence, she spoke up. "What can you tell me about them?"

"The legends say the Kul-Da-Poir point of origin is somewhere within the Goa'uld home system.
That millennia ago, the Goa'uld and the Kul-Da-Poir did battle for control of that system."

"Let me guess, the Kul-Da-Poir lost."

"That is correct. Although superior physically to the natural state of the Goa'uld, the Goa'uld
possessed the greater technological advantage."

"Their own or someone elses'?"

"The legends do not tell, Major Carter. Is it important?"

She sighed. "No, sorry, Teal'c. I'm just being petty. Go on with your story." She absently
handed the Jaffa a lighter as she spoke.

"As you wish. There is not much more to relate. The war continued for many years, with the Kul-
Da-Poir home world suffering much damage, but still they would not surrender.  Finally, the
Goa'uld unleashed a biological agent into the atmosphere of their enemy.  The stories tell that
within seven days two-thirds of the population had perished, and many more were ill. The
Goa'uld were victorious."

"If I'm reading this scenario correctly, then the Kul--Da--Poir," Sam stumbled over the name,
"were reduced intellectually to the monsters which pursued us?"

"That is correct. Once again the old tales reveal that the biological agent permanently altered
their biochemistry, turning them into creatures of the night, driven only by hunger and a
thirst for blood."

"So the Goa'uld unleashed them on this world. Great. But why not just annihilate the
inhabitants? We've seen that before."

"Indeed. That would seem the most obvious course of action, but certain of the System Lords
enjoy tormenting their victims before destroying them. Much as your Earth cats engage a mouse
in hours of what the cat perceives as play, but to the mouse is slow torture, before striking
the fatal blow. It is fortunate that we are behind walls."

"Holy Hannah!"  Sam's eyes widened with horror. "Colonel O'Neill and Daniel are out there
somewhere, and Daniel's hurt. Teal'c, do they stand a chance?"

As the fire sprang into life, Sam could plainly see that the Jaffa's expression was a mixture
of contrition and concern. "Unless Colonel O'Neill can get Daniel Jackson to some safe haven, I
do not believe they will survive the night."

**********


Daniel eased away from the injured colonel, moving slowly so as not to wake him.  He stretched
briefly to reduce his stiffness, then stoked the fire, adding a few more pieces of wood as he
did so.  The night air held a slight chill, and Daniel once again found himself wishing there
had been something other than basic hiking supplies in their packs.

The screams which filled the night caused Daniel to rise quickly and check the door ... again.
There'd been nothing he could do about the hole over their heads, but he'd barricaded the door
as best he could, jamming anything solid he could find into the slight opening near the hinges.
He then braced the third table leg between a heavy piece of tile on the floor, and the odd
looking doorknob. Satisfied it was as secure as he could make it, Daniel returned to the fire,
relishing its warmth on his bare chest.

"Daniel?"  To the younger man's delight, O'Neill's voice was stronger than it had been earlier.

He turned swiftly to face his friend and found intense brown eyes glaring at him. "Uh, Jack?"

"*Where* are your shirt, and jacket?"

"Covering you."

"Dan..."

"No, Jack, you needed the extra warmth."

"You're freezing. I can see the goosebumps from here. Put them back on."

"I'm fine. You're..."

"Getting pissed."

"I can see that, but you're in no condition to do anything about it."

Jack frowned. "Much as I hate to concede the point, you're right. But Daniel, you won't do me
any good if you get sick, now will you?  At least put the shirt back on."

Daniel opened his mouth to protest, and sneezed ... three times. "Uh, I see your point."  He
quickly retrieved the much debated shirt and relished its limited protection as he slipped into
the sleeves.

"Better?"

"Yes, actually it does help."

"Nice to know I'm ... *Jesus!* Daniel, look out!"  Jack's cry of alarm echoed in the cellar
along with the dull thud of large feet hitting the dirt.  As Daniel whirled toward the sound,
Jack stared in helpless horror at the creature which had joined them in their prison.

*****

Daniel stumbled backwards as the creature lunged, long thin arms stretching wicked talons for
the startled man's throat. He reached quickly for his sidearm, only to realize that he'd left
it on the ground next to Jack.  As his mind hurled derogatory epithets at his stupidity, he
glanced around, looking desperately for a weapon ... any weapon.

Jack's morphine dulled senses wasted precious minutes trying to locate his handgun. Cursing
loudly as he finally realized it was in his hand, he took aim, only to be blocked by Daniel.
"Daniel, *move!*"

The young archaeologist threw himself to his right, hit the ground, and rolled almost
gracefully to his feet again. A move which Jack would have admired, if only he'd seen it, but
the injured man's attention was glued to the beast in the cellar. Even in the poor light of the
fire, Jack could see the long incisors which jutted through the corners of the animal's mouth.
And the red hair crowning its head like a lion's mane was far too close to blood red for Jack's
liking.

The creature's animal instincts turned him toward Daniel's new location almost before the young
man could rise. The rapidity of the movement caused Jack's aim to go astray, and his language
to deteriorate badly. The sound of the gun echoed loudly in the cellar as the bullet impacted
the far wall, momentarily distracting the beast, and allowing Daniel time to move two strides
further from danger. But it also allowed the young man to accidentally place himself once more
in Jack's line of fire.

"Dammit, Daniel! Move!"  Jack's pain filled voice could barely be heard above the snarls and
grunts coming from the animal.

"I'm moving, I'm moving!"  Daniel gasped as he staggered away from his attacker. He was not
fast enough to avoid the talons, and cringed inwardly as the cloth of his shirt shred from
shoulder blade to waist. Twisting out of its grasp, he maneuvered his way toward the fire,
leading the animal away from Jack.

A scream of rage filled the night as the nine-foot tall menace hurled itself across the space
separating it from its prey.  Daniel could not suppress his own scream as the heavy body took
him to the ground.

**********


The knock on the door did nothing to improve the mood of the man behind the desk. "Come!"

"I am sorry to disturb you, Tiamon, but High Councilor Vraxas asks that you join him for the
evening meal."

"You mean he demands that I speak to him before the remaining councilors, Marne?"

The smaller man smiled. "I believe that could very well be the case."

"Always careful with your words, aren't you, Marne?"

"Silence has served me well in the past, and could serve you as well, if you would let it."

Tiamon laughed. "Ah, my friend, I find silence does not become me. I seem to prefer to live
dangerously."

"It's your neck... possibly literally. ... What will you tell him of the strangers?"

"The truth."

"The truth, or the truth as Tiamon sees it?"

"Marne, the truth is the truth.  I'm not responsible for interpretation, besides, this time
there is no option as to what I tell. Major Samantha Carter used a device that by the Council
definition is a Goa'uld device."

"Do you believe they are of the Goa'uld?"

"No, but it does not matter what I believe."

"What will you tell them of the others?"

"What others?"

"Tiamon..."

"Seriously, Marne, if there are truly others south of the temple, do you really believe they
will survive the night?"

**********


"Major Carter, you have circled these quarters one hundred and twenty-three times.  After our
journey from the temple, I do not understand why you feel the need to exercise."

"I'm pacing, Teal'c, not exercising."

The Jaffa merely tilted his head. "Indeed."

Sam circled the room again barely giving the seated Jaffa a glance. "You're right, Teal'c, but
I'm very worried about Daniel and the Colonel. They're out there, the Kul-Da-Poir are out
there. We're in here and we can't help them."

"I fail to see how becoming so exhausted that you cannot stand is going to be of assistance to
them."

Sam smiled wryly as she sank into a lotus position on the other mat. "Once again, you're right.
I won't be any good tomorrow if I don't get any rest."

**********


The Stargate burst into life, spewing its energy stream into the night and ridding PRS905 of
three Kul-Da-Poir in the process.  SG-2 stepped hastily from the simulated liquid, weapons at
the ready. Major Louis Ferretti focused quickly on the cauterized limbs near the gate. "What
the hell? Hancock, what do you make of those?"

Lieutenant James Hancock knelt by the remains. "Large biped, probably eight to ten feet tall
judging from the size of the feet. If the claws on the hands are as long as those on the feet,
then I wouldn't want to meet these things unarmed. Wonder if there're more around."

Screams in the darkness caused all four men to start violently. Ferretti  tightened his grip on
his M16. "Shit, I guess that answers your question. Well, SG-1 should have headed north to pick
up the UAV, so that's the way we'll go. Keep a close eye out. The UAV didn't show any kind of
large life forms."

As another scream rang out, Hancock looked around nervously. "You think SG-1 ran into whatever
that is?"

Ferretti frowned. "I hope not, but we have to assume the worst. They're eight hours overdue,
and before you ask, Airman Spenser, we weren't ordered out earlier because SG-1 has a
reputation for being overdue."

The young redhead grinned broadly as the group got their bearings and headed north. "Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir. I *was* going to ask."

"I know, Spenser," Ferretti returned the grin, "I know."

**********


Vraxas smiled as he reread the report of the events leading to the capture of the two Goa'uld
spies. The desecration of the abandoned temple by the flying machine had been bad enough, but
then the Goa'uld had made their appearance, setting their tainted feet on hallowed ground.  And
he, Vraxas of Euloa, had been given the honor of leading the interview of the pair by the Grand
Tribune himself. It hadn't even taken much of a bribe to the old man's chief aide to accomplish
the task.

Leading the interview meant he would also lead the prosecution of the pair in their trial, if
there was one, and Vraxas was certain there would be.  The only real obstacle was the report by
Tiamon, and of course, the man himself. The young fool had done his duty when he arrested the
prisoners after identifying their devices as being of Goa'uld origin.  If only he'd left it
there, but Tiamon was honest as well as never being one to be afraid to speak his mind and his
report made it patently clear that *he* did not believe the man and woman to be Goa'uld. Pity.
Tiamon would have to be silenced, one way or another.

*****

Tiamon kept his pace deliberately slow as he made his way to Councilor Vraxas' home. Every
instinct he had told him that the prisoners were not Goa'uld, and he had a feeling that the sly
councilor felt the same way. Unfortunately for the prisoners, this was not necessarily a good
thing. Vraxas was one of the most influential members of the High Council, and was always on
the lookout for ways to increase his power base. And being able to put a face on the Goa'uld
invaders who had unleashed the Redcaps upon their world could only help his position.
Particularly if he argued successfully for their deaths.

Not for the first time did Tiamon regret belonging to the Euloean militia. Well, not to
belonging to the militia exactly, but to being a high-ranking officer in said organization. The
militia was important. They alone stood between the Euloean citizens and the horror of the
Redcaps. And they were always ready to provide a barrier between their people and the Goa'uld,
should the creatures bother to return to finish what had begun so long ago.

Tiamon knew the stories. All Euloeans knew the stories of the invasion by the time they had
reached five years of age. Knew how the Goa'uld invaders had come, bringing death and
destruction. How nearly one third of their people had been taken in the night from their homes,
never to be seen again. And how the remainder had managed to severely injure the Queen of
Apophis thus winning the day, but at too high a price. In retaliation for the defeat of his
queen, Apophis had unleashed the Kul-Da-Poir. Tiamon smiled wryly. All Euloeans knew the true
name of the beasts, but as a people they refused to ever say it, preferring instead to call
them Redcaps. A tribute of sorts to the blood-red mane around their over-large heads.

With a start, Tiamon realized he'd reached the gate to Vraxas' abode. Grimacing, he pulled the
bell, and waited for the servants to arrive.

******


Teal'c and Sam remained seated as one of the Euloean guards entered their prison. He stared at
the pair with undisguised disdain, and no small amount of fear, as he placed a covered tray on
the low bench. He continued to stare for a short moment, then backed out of the room, obviously
unwilling to turn his back on the prisoners. Sam frowned deeply as she watched him leave.
"Well, this isn't good."

"You suspect the food may be tainted, Major Carter?"

"What? Oh, I guess it could be, but the way that man just left was pretty weird. Unless I miss
my guess, we've been tried, convicted and sentenced already."

"An interesting theory."  The new voice caused Sam to jump, and even Teal'c looked mildly
startled.

Sam stared at the newcomer for a moment. "You're Marne. You were talking with Tiamon on the
trail."

He bowed slightly. "That is correct, Major Samantha Carter. I am his second in command."

She sighed. "Please, call me Sam."

"As you wish, Sam. It is my duty to ensure your safety until your fate is determined."

"You mean it hasn't been already?"

"By Euolean law it has not. By Euolean politics, who can ever be sure?"

"Terrific. So what happens at dawn, uh, first light?"

"You will be summoned before the High Council, where you will answer their questions. They will
then decide if there is sufficient evidence to place you on trial as Goa'uld."

"We aren't Goa'uld."  Sam's anger was beginning to get the better of her.

Marne frowned. "Tiamon does not believe you are, and neither do I, but only the High
Council..."

"...can make the ruling. Yes, I know.  Look, Marne, we have friends to the south. One of them
has been injured. They're waiting for us to help them. Could you at least send someone to help
them?"

"No one may leave the village after dark. It is far too dangerous."

"Please help them. We'd already be there if it hadn't been for ..." She stopped as she realized
she might have said too much.

"... our strict adherence to our laws."  Marne finished the sentence for her. "I understand.
Very well. I pledge to you that I will take troops and search for your friends, regardless of
your fate."

"Thank you."  Sam's voice was filled with gratitude. Teal'c added his own respectful nod to the
mix.

Marne bowed. "Tiamon and I will do all we can for you when you are summoned. And should the
rulings be against you, I swear that I shall take your lives myself, so that you will not
suffer."  With that he turned and left quickly.

Sam stared after the little man for a moment then spoke to no one in particular. "Thanks, I
feel so much better now.  Shit!"

******


The silence in the cellar was deafening. Once the echoes from the gun's second blast had died,
and the screams had died, and the beast had died, and Daniel had.... The silence was not only
deafening it was damned terrifying. Jack's groan broke the stillness as he tried, and failed to
make it to his feet. Feet, hell, he'd have settled for his knees. From where he lay propped
awkwardly against a wall, he couldn't see Daniel at all.  The younger man's body was completely
concealed by the body of the whatever-the-hell-it-was, and Jack couldn't get to him.  He tried
to speak but the words stuck in his throat. Swallowing convulsively, he tried again.
"D..Daniel!"

There was no response.  Jack's drug dulled senses were reeling, and the room swam around him.
God, had he been too late? Had he allowed his young friend to die? Please God, don't let him be
dead.  A single tear rolled down his cheek, and he screwed his eyes shut tightly to stop the
others before they started. He would not give up on Daniel so easily. He would not. A low moan
caused dull brown eyes to snap open. "Danny? You okay?"

"Ouch. Ooof. SHIT! GET OFF!"  With a wide variety of grunts, groans, and curses that would have
done a sailor proud, Daniel struggled out from under the inert form. "GOD! What a smell!"

"Dammit, Daniel, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?" Jack's worried voice couldn't conceal his returning pain.

Daniel scrambled to his side, and again placed his hand on Jack's good shoulder, this time
anchoring his friend in place. "I'm fine, Jack. It just knocked the wind out of me for a
minute. You didn't miss. Thank you."

Jack sighed with relief. "Should have gotten him the first time."

The slightly bruised archaeologist managed a smile. Ignoring the feel of liquid trailing slowly
down his back, pooling at his waistband, he responded quickly to Jack's feelings of guilt.
"We'll just chalk that up to the drugs." His smile was replaced with a frown as he took note of
Jack's drawn features. "Want more morphine?"

"How..how much is left?"

"Two vials."

The colonel sighed heavily. "No, better wait. I can handle it for now, but if help doesn't
come, we're gonna have to walk out. And I'll need it then."

"Jack..."

"No, Daniel. We leave at dawn.  Sam and Teal'c aren't here yet. That can only mean one thing."

"They're in real trouble." Daniel cringed slightly as the not-so-distant screams continued.
"And so are we."

"Ya think?"

*****

"I do *not* believe this!" Ferretti was furious.  His team had arrived two hours before on PRS-
905, and had managed to travel the incredible distance of 100 feet from the 'gate.  They had
been all of forty feet past the DHD when they realized they were surrounded. "What *are* these
things?"

"Damn persistent, that's what." Lt. Hancock groused as he fired another short burst into the
air. "Sir, are you sure we sh
away permanently. They can't be intelligent, look how many got caught in the 'gate flux."

Ferretti shook his head. "Not gonna take the chance, Hancock. Killing one *might* drive them
away, then again it might start a mob scene, and we just don't have the ammo for that.  No, the
fire and the occasional over-the-head shot will have to do."

"Sir, should we try to get back to the SGC?" Airman Mark Anderson tried to hide the fear in his
voice.

"Only if we have to, Anderson.  SG-1's out there, and I'm thinking it's pretty obvious they
need our help."

"Yes, sir, but what if these things took them out?"

"Don't even think that, Airman!"  Ferretti softened his tone as he continued. "The UAV footage
didn't show any sign of these creatures, so I'm hoping they only come out at night. SG-1
arrived in daylight so that probably allowed them to find the UAV.  And with Dr. Jackson's
interest in the temple, well, leaving after dark is definitely in the realm of possibility."

"SHIT! Oh God!" A blast from a nine millimeter pistol combined with frightened screams to pull
everyone's attention to the Airman farthest out.

"Spenser!" Ferretti took aim and fired straight into the head of the creature dragging Airman
Craig Spenser away.  The beast dropped dead in its tracks, and a frantic soldier scrambled
backwards away from the body, even as his commander rushed forward. The major ducked quickly,
grabbing Spenser's arm, and pulling him to his feet. Hancock and Anderson provided cover fire
as Ferretti helped the younger man to safety. "So much for not killing one.  You okay,
Spenser?"

"Y..Yes, sir. But I don't want to repeat the experience. I thought I was gonna be somebody's
midnight snack for a little while.  I..I don't know how it got that close, sir. I never saw
it."

Ferretti frowned as he listened to the sounds of night. "That's okay, son. Right now, everyone
start backing toward the DHD."

Hancock looked at his commanding officer in confusion. "Sir?"

"Listen."

Hancock concentrated, twisting around to in an effort to hear what Ferretti heard. "Sorry, sir,
I don't hear anything."

"Neither do I. They've either run away, which I doubt, or they're regrouping for an assault. If
it's the first, all we wasted is time. But if it's the last, then I want to be between them and
the 'gate before it happens."

***********


Jack's eyes finally closed into an uneasy slumber, but even in sleep, the older man's features
showed lines of remembered pain. Daniel gently checked for fever, and was relieved to find
none. Easing up from his friend's side, he moved closer to the fire, ostensibly to add wood, or
at least that's what he would tell Jack if he should awaken. In reality he was cold. Colder
than he could remember being in a long, long time. And not from the night air. That was chilly,
but bearable. No, landing underneath the snarling animal, feeling it's rancid breath growing
ever closer to the back of his neck, knowing that at any moment the large incisors would sever
his spine, all combined to light a cold terror in his heart. He'd almost died. Again.
Shuddering, he added another piece of wood to the fire, praying that no more creatures came
calling.

"Daniel?"  The voice was barely above a whisper. The younger man whirled to find a pair of
brown eyes watching him intently. "You're bleeding."  The reproach was evident in his tone.
"You should have told me."

"It's just a scratch, Jack."

"Right. From your shoulder to your waist. Some scratch."

"It ..."

"Needs cleaning. Since Mohammed can't go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed.
And bring the med-kit with you. I can't quite reach it."

Daniel sighed heavily, and for once, did as he was told. Sitting down next to the colonel, he
handed him the med-kit, and turned his back to the man.

A low whistle caused him to twist his head around in a poor imitation of an owl as Jack
examined his back. "Hold still. You could use a few stitches in your shoulder, Daniel. I'll try
to butterfly it, but the first strong yank is gonna pull it loose."

"Thanks."

"Welcome. ... Dammit."

"What's wrong?"

"Can't open the band-aids with one hand."

"Then hand them to me, I'll open them. We'll make this a team effort."

"Deal."  Jack slipped the Band-Aids into Daniel's outstretched palm, and used water from the
canteen to wash down the injury. He ignored Daniel's wince of pain as he applied peroxide to
the wound, then dabbed salve onto the line of the injury.  Daniel silently handed him back the
Band-Aids, and waited. Nothing.

"Jack?"

"I, uh, I can't do this one-handed either." The sheepish tone brought a smile to Daniel's lips.
"Can you reach ..."

Daniel twisted slightly, and slid his hand over his shoulder to grasp the end of one of the
Band-aids that Jack was holding in place. Pressing down, he held it securely while Jack pulled
it across the wound forcing the skin underneath to draw tightly closed. The procedure was
repeated twice more before the colonel spoke again. "That should do it."

"Thanks."

"Welcome. ... You okay?"

The young man smiled as he turned around and slid back against the wall beside his friend.  "I
should be asking that question. You should be resting. Ouch. What the... Oh."

Jack's eyes danced with suppressed laughter as Daniel pulled Jack's handgun out from under his
thigh.

"Ooops."

Jack's retort was cut-off by a snarl from above.  Daniel gasped, and fired as the creature
jumped. Its scream of rage turned into a whimper of pain as it flopped heavily to the floor and
died. "Oh, God, that was close."

"This is getting to be a bad habit."

Daniel grinned shakily as he replied. "Ya think?"

The expected response was not forthcoming. Daniel studied his friend's tired face closely.
"What?"

"Put out the fire, Daniel."

"What?"

"We can't stay here."

"We can't leave!"  Daniel's voice was aghast at the idea.

"Are the stairs closed in on both sides?"

"Yes, but they can't be barricaded, both doors open out, and I had to pry the upstairs one
open. It may not shut entirely."

"It'll have to do. Maybe they'll ignore the doors if they can't see us.  Help me up."

"Jack."

"Daniel."

Sighing the young man rose, and checked Jack's bandages.  Taking him by his good arm, he braced
and helped the older man to his feet. Or in this case, his foot.  All the color drained from
Jack's face, and Daniel held his breath, terrified that the injured man would faint at any
moment.  After a few minutes, a shaky voice spoke up. "Let's go."

Daniel stared at the dead bodies for a moment. "Jack, what if they hunt by smell?"

Jack responded through clenched teeth. "I can't solve everything, Daniel."

*****

Major Carter is once again on the move.  I have suggested repeatedly that her incessant
circling of this room serves no purpose, but she is much like Daniel Jackson. Neither of them
endures loss of control in a gracious manner. They are both entirely too accustomed to being
able to find a solution, if only they study the problem long enough.

It is common knowledge among the personnel at the SGC that Daniel Jackson can be found in his
laboratory at all hours, studying some obscure text or artifact and mindless of the time of day
or of his last meal.  If it were not for the vigilance of O'Neill, and others, that young man
would exhaust himself completely within a week. But then there are so many items which secure
his interest, and too few personnel to assist him in his duties. No, that is not an accurate
statement.  There are a number of linguists and archaeologists in the service of the SGC, but
Daniel Jackson's instinct for translation is unique. His successful decoding of the Stargate
glyphs in an amazingly short period of time is by far the finest example of his unique mind.

Major Carter also spends a large amount of time in her laboratory, but this fact is less well-
known.  I believe this to be due to her sex. I have noticed a tendency, odd though it may be,
of the Tau'ri to count exceptional in the male what is considered commonplace in the female.
Also, as O'Neill says, she has the sense to come up for air. I did not understand this until he
explained that, unlike Daniel Jackson, Major Carter will not allow herself to fall prey to
sleep deprivation and starvation.  Unless there is a crisis. Then she devotes herself solely to
the task at hand, and must often be reminded to rest and eat. When O'Neill was stranded on P5C-
768, her incredible intellect worked diligently to secure his return, but at great cost to
herself. All that her friends could do to assist her was to be watchful for signs of fatigue
and hunger.

O'Neill says this single-mindedness is because they are scientists. I believe it to be because
they both care so deeply - for both their mission and their friends. Her facial expressions
speak volumes about her concern.... Odd. Something is wrong. She has suddenly lost all color in
her face.

"Major Carter..."

******


I can feel his eyes follow me around the room. He's right. This endless pacing is futile, but I
can't seem to stop. To just sit and do... nothing, in the relative safety of this prison, seems
almost obscene.

Dammit!  Those, those creatures are roaming the countryside, Daniel's hurt, the Colonel
obviously needs our help, and we're stuck here. Oh, yeah, and Teal'c and I are probably gonna
be tried as Goa'ulds at first light, which is bound to be only a few hours away, at best. Holy
Hannah, can it possibly get any worse?

Oh, God! Hours. It's been at least sixteen hours since we came through the 'gate.  The readings
from the UAV placed it about two hours, tops, from the 'gate. That means... Shit! We're way
overdue. A rescue team will have come through the 'gate by now. Great! Maybe they'll find the
Colonel and Daniel. No, wait. They'll go north. Our mission was to go north. Oh, damn, damn,
damn. *Why* did we ever split up?  They'll be out in the open, just like the Colonel and
Daniel. Maybe the General decided not to send a team. Yeah, right, and the Colonel's a patient
man.

"Major Carter?"

Huh? What? "Oh, yes, uh, I know, I know. I should be conserving my strength. I will in a
minute."

"That was not my question, Major Carter."

"Oh. Then, what?"

"You have lost color, are you ill?"

"No. Just worried."

"Colonel O'Neill will be able to protect Daniel Jackson. He is most resourceful."

She smiled broadly. "Yes, he is. But by now General Hammond will have sent a rescue team."

"I do not understand. Will they not be expecting trouble?"

"Probably. Alien invasions, native uprisings. That sort of thing."

"They will be unprepared for the Kul-Da-Poir."

"*That's* putting it mildly."

**********


"Ah, Tiamon, so good of you to come, and at such short notice." Vraxas smiled broadly as he
approached the taller man standing in the doorway. "Come, be seated. Would you care for some
wine, or perhaps something stronger?"

"Wine would be fine, thank you."  Tiamon walked deliberately to the chaise nearest the door,
but remained standing.

The councilman frowned as he watched the military leader move toward the chaise. His guest's
bearing was strictly military, but there was an underlying tension about the man. One which
would have to be overcome if Vraxas was to win the day. The older man returned to his desk and
poured two glasses of a deep purple liquid from a decanter on his side table. He kept his back
carefully positioned between Tiamon and the wine as he opened a small pouch and emptied it's
contents into both glasses.  Returning to his guest, he offered a goblet.  Tiamon smiled and
took the other glass.  Vraxas looked mildly surprised, and a bit concerned as he continued his
monologue. "You probably wonder why I brought you here."

"Not a bit."

The older man had the grace to blush. "Indeed, perhaps you'd care to enlighten me, then?"

Tiamon took a large sip of the wine then watched for a moment as he swirled the rich liquid
around his glass. "You've figured out that our guests are not Goa'uld, but plan to prosecute
them as Goa'uld anyway. Do I have your attention?"

"Oh, by all means, yes."

"You plan to try them, convict them, and execute them."

"Why would I do that?"

"The people have long wished for someone to blame for the existence of the Redcaps, and the
need to remain safely behind walls after darkness comes.  You now have the opportunity to do
so, at little risk to yourself."

"You do not believe them to be Goa'uld?" Vraxas smiled slightly as he spoke.

"No more than you."  Tiamon sipped more wine.

"I see. So I cannot persuade you to side with me in the interview vote?"

"No."

"Simple, to the point. That's what I like about you, Tiamon. You're so predictable."

Tiamon nodded politely. "I will try to ensure that two innocents are not made to suffer for
crimes they did not comm..."  His words faded away and his eyes opened wide as he stared at the
glass of wine.  He staggered forward, then went to his knees, gaping in shock at the older man.

Vraxas' smile deepened. "Ah Tiamon, both glasses were doctored. I simply did not partake of
mine.  Sweet journey, young friend."

*****

The journey of fifteen feet to the stairwell might as well have been fifteen miles. The cellar
floor was rough enough for the pair to traverse, but climbing the stairs bordered on nightmare.
O'Neill was shaking uncontrollably by the time Daniel got him positioned halfway up the stairs.
Beads of sweat rolled down the injured man's face, and the lines of pain, already prominent in
his features, stood out even more against the ghost-white skin. Daniel settled him quickly,
staying by his side only long enough to ensure his friend would not lose consciousness and
slide down the steps.  Once satisfied that Jack was secure, the young scientist rushed
recklessly down the steps, hurriedly retrieving their packs and weapons then making sure the
fire was out. He shuddered as he took one last look at the dead creatures before returning to
the stairwell. Dropping their supplies on the step below his friend, Daniel turned his
attention to the problem of the doors.

The bottom door closed easily enough, and in an uncharacteristic bit of luck, he discovered a
slide-bolt on the door itself.  He breathed a delighted sigh of relief as he realized that the
little bit of metal still worked.  Nothing would come through the cellar door, at least not
easily.

The odd entrance to the stairwell from above proved to be even easier. Whatever had been
causing the unusual door to stick, appeared to have vanished. Daniel could only guess that
forcing the lid aside with the pry bar had 'fixed' it, though he had no clue why or how. He
easily slid it shut, then frowned, aware that he had no way to secure this door. Movement from
below pulled his attention away from the door and he hurried back down the stairs.

Daniel sank down next to Jack and studied the older man closely. His color was pale, much too
pale, and his breathing was slightly labored. Jack's eyes were screwed tightly shut as he
shifted slightly, obviously searching for a more comfortable position. The sling on his
shoulder was still tight, holding his arm motionless against his chest.  Daniel turned his
visual survey to Jack's injured leg. The boards strapped tightly on either side of the broken
limb also appeared to have stay miraculously in place. Nodding in satisfaction, he looked up,
only to find himself the recipient of scrutiny.  Blushing slightly under the intense scrutiny
of deep brown eyes, he spoke softly. "The cellar door's secure and the top door is closed.
There's not a lot left that I can do in that department."

"Daniel..."

"I've got our supplies in here so we should ..."

"Daniel..."

"Jack?"

"When dawn comes, you have to leave."

"I know. You already said that, but I don't see how ... what do you mean *I* have to leave?"

Jack's lips bore a faint semblance of a smile. "I was kidding myself. There's no way I can get
to the gate without help."

"Jack!"

The SG-1 commander held up his good hand for silence, and for once the younger man complied.
"Sam and Teal'c are overdue. You know that. I know that. Our little venture just now showed me
that *I* won't be going anywhere."  Jack gasped in pain, all communication ceasing for a
moment.

Daniel put a hand gently on his good shoulder. "Jack, please. You need to stay quiet. I've been
thinking..."

"What else is new?"

"Uh, right. Well, we're long overdue at the SGC. I'm sure the general's already sent through a
search and rescue team.  We'll just stay here until they find us."

"Danny, they'll go north. Toward the UAV."

"Oh. North. I forgot. Damn."

"Use the radio."

Daniel shook his head. "*Yours* is smashed, and mine stopped working for some reason as I was
calling Sam.  I barely got the message out before it died completely."

The colonel sighed heavily. "First light, Daniel."

"Jack, I can't leave you like this."

"No choice."

"Jack..."

The older man smiled and tiredly reached out to take the hand on his shoulder in his own.
Squeezing it weakly, he spoke softly. "Daniel..."

The heat in his friend's palm startled and dismayed the young archaeologist.  Fever. He should
have known that sooner or later, Jack would develop a fever.  Infection. Oh God. Blue eyes
locked on brown as the younger man silently acknowledged the truth. Jack was seriously ill, and
Daniel really had no choice. If his friend was to survive this, this stupid trek to the south,
he'd have to abandon him. Tears filled his eyes as he nodded a silent consent to Jack's wishes.

"Not abandoning, Danny."  Jack's voice was weak but firm. "Just following orders ... for a
change."

************


Vraxas watched with pleasure as Tiamon's consciousness faded. Kneeling by the still form, he
checked the man's pulse. Weak and thready. Perfect. Everything was going according to plan.
Rising quickly, he yanked hard on the bell pull, summoning his servants. The houseman arrived
only moments later, and froze, staring in shock at the body on the floor.

"Tiamon has been taken ill. Summon the healer, and send two servants to move him to the chaise.
And get me a blanket. Tiamon should not get chilled."

Wordlessly, the frightened man fled to do his employer's bidding. Vraxas knelt once more by the
soldier. "Poor, predictable, honorable Tiamon. You've been a thorn in my side for much too
long. I would prefer to kill you outright, but considering our past ... discussions ... that
just isn't possible.  But an illness. Well, there's no reason that your current condition can't
be blamed on the prisoners as well. Yes, that will work well. A virus as deadly as the Redcaps
themselves. Another ill to blame on the Goa'uld."

*************


Teal'c was relieved when Sam finally gave up her endless pacing, and sank wearily onto the
other sleeping mat. He watched silently as her eyes lost their battle to stay open. His
vigilance increased as her breathing evened out, proving she was, at last, asleep.  He was
deeply concerned for her safety.  His tattoo convicted him of more than just a casual
acquaintance with Apophis, but he was hopeful that he would be able to distance himself from
her. That he could plead guilty to charges of Goa'uld allegiance and still prove her innocence,
hopefully freeing her to be able to go to the aide of O'Neill, and Daniel Jackson.

**************


"Daniel?"

"What... Oh, God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"S'okay, Daniel. You needed the rest. I haven't heard anything in a while."

Daniel listened closely. While the screams of the creatures had come in random spurts, they
were spaced closely together. "It must be dawn."

"Ya think?"

The younger man winced as he stood up, attracting the attention of his friend. "Daniel? What's
wrong?"

Ignoring the pain emanating from the long tear on his back, Daniel grinned, and stretched.
"Stiff muscles, Jack. Been sitting awhile." Before Jack could respond, Daniel moved down the
stairs, and cautiously opened the door. "The sun's not quite up, Jack, but it's damn close.
I..I better get moving, but first I'm giving you a shot of morphine. You're long overdue."

Jack shook his head. "I don't need it."

"Liar. With that arm, you won't be able to give yourself one later, so I'm gonna do it now."

"Daniel."

"Or I'm not going."

Brown eyes bored into blue, and found them resolute. Nodding reluctantly Jack sighed. "You're a
stubborn man, Dr. Jackson."

Daniel hastily prepared the syringe. "I learned from the best, Colonel O'Neill."

*****

Daniel waited long enough for the morphine to take effect before helping Jack back down to the
cellar.  Remembering the pattern the sun took the day before, Daniel steered his injured friend
into a semi-sheltered part of the room, well away from the unintentional skylight. Jack barely
suppressed a groan as he slid down the wall and slipped awkwardly to the floor.  His tightly
closed eyes and painfully tight grip caused Daniel to frown.  "Jack?"

"Minute."  Jack gasped, pain evident in his voice.

"Damn it. I knew I should have waited longer to move you.  I'm so sorry."

"*Not* your fault. Damned leg."

"Jack, are you..."

"Yes."

"Oh. Well, uh, I better get a move on."

"Ah ha."  Jack watched as Daniel made no move toward the stairs. "Daniel?"

"Thought I'd wait until ..."

"Daniel. You're stalling." The older man barely managed to stifle a yawn.

"Well, yes. I'll leave in a minute."  Blushing under the scrutiny of Jack's drugged eyes,
Daniel continued, "I just want to make sure you're gonna be okay."

"Right."

Daniel waited until Jack's eyes closed, then slid both canteens within easy reach of the dozing
man. Rising quickly, he headed for the stairs, only to be stopped by a firm voice. "Daniel!"

Gulping, the young man turned to see a pair of brown eyes glaring at him.  Trying his best to
appear nonchalant, he responded. "Yes?"

Jack nodded toward the two canteens, his eyes never leaving Daniel's face.

"Oh. Yeah. Right."  Daniel hastily retrieved his canteen, then scurried up the stairs, anxious
to escape even a hint of censure in his friend's voice.

The older man smiled as he watched his friend disappear up the stairs. The smile turned to a
frown as he listened to the retreating footsteps.  Sam and Teal'c were obviously in trouble. He
was badly injured, unable to travel, and even Daniel was not unscathed.  Jack shuddered at the
thought of what kind of germs had been in the claws of the thing that had attacked Daniel.  But
the *only* choice, the command choice, had been to send Daniel out alone.  As he contemplated
his theory that the creatures only came out at night, Jack could only pray it had been the
right choice.

**********


The commotion outside their jail roused both Teal'c and Sam.  The Jaffa rose gracefully to his
feet, just as Sam sat bolt upright, both of them listening closely to the angry words coming
from the street.  She wiped the sleep from her eyes, and jumped up just as Marne stormed
through the door. He glared at the two prisoners for a moment, visibly attempting to control
his anger.  When he finally spoke, his voice was cold. "What manner of illness have you given
Tiamon?"

"We have done nothing to Tiamon."  Teal'c responded gravely as Sam's jaw dropped.

"Exactly *what* are we supposed to have done to him?" She demanded angrily.

Marne moved slowly into the room, watching the prisoners closely for any sign of subterfuge.
"He has collapsed and is at present unconscious and very, very cold to the touch. If it were
not for the occasional rise and fall of his chest, I would have thought him dead.  *You* know
of no illnesses that would cause such a thing?"

Sam's eyes widened. "I'm not a doctor..." Noticing Marne's puzzled expression, she changed her
terminology, "...healer. But there are probably lots of things that can cause those symptoms."

The small man frowned. "You did not do anything to cause this?"

"No, Marne, we didn't.  We wouldn't even if we could."

"Major Carter speaks the truth."  Teal'c looked thoughtful for a moment. "Are we to assume that
someone is spreading this falsehood throughout your people?"

"Yes. Councilman Vraxas," Marne practically spat the name, "is telling everyone not to jump to
conclusions, that the strangers may *not* have been involved in our Lord Tiamon's collapse."

Sam groaned. "Holy Hannah. I can't think of a better way to plant a thought in somebody's
head."

Teal'c looked briefly at the young woman before responding seriously. "Then this Vraxas will be
a dangerous foe."

Sam's response was cut off by the sound of a horn.  Marne sighed heavily. "That is the first
call.  The councilors are summoned to the chamber.  The next horn will call all interested
citizens.  The third and final horn will summon you.  I must go."  Before Sam could ask him
anything else, the small man slipped quickly from the room.

"Terrific. Tiamon might have been able to help us. Now I don't know..."

Teal'c nodded gravely. "This is indeed most unfortunate, Major Carter, but I have no doubt that
your argument before the council will be most effective."

Sam's eyes widened noticeably. "ME?"

Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow.

"But, but, I don't, Daniel always ... Daniel's not here. Me?"

"Yes, Major Carter. I do not believe my tattoo will lend credence to our story."

"Terrific.  I'd rather calculate pi to the millionth digit."

"For what purpose?"  Teal'c asked curiously.

"What? Oh, no, nothing. Forget... Oh, never mind, Teal'c"

**********


Major Louis Ferretti couldn't remember ever being more frustrated. They'd been on this blasted
planet for hours, and hadn't made it anywhere.  Correction.  They had made it back to the DHD,
for all the good that did them.  It didn't appear to work.  Airman Hancock suspected at least
one of the crystals was fake, but couldn't tell which one or ones. But it was obvious the
Damned Hopeless Device was dead.  As were their radios.  They'd encountered only static during
the night as they tried to contact SG-1, but by dawn the little units were deader than a
doornail.

Airman Hancock kept muttering about electromagnetic fields, but Ferretti didn't really care.
SG-1 was out there, somewhere, and hopefully had survived the night.  The major shuddered as he
thought about the beasts. It had *not* been a fun night.  Rather than one on guard, and three
sleeping, it had boiled down to just the reverse ... three on guard while one slept. Little
sleep, bad coffee, worse food. *Not* an auspicious beginning for the day.

The bodies of the creatures they'd been forced to kill lay scattered around the gate.  Ferretti
frowned as he saw them in the light of day.  There were only six. He'd thought for sure that at
least ten had been killed.  Could the others have only been wounded and crawled away to safety?
Or had they been far enough away from the SG-2 team to be helped to safety by their comrades?
*That* thought did nothing to comfort him.

Rousing himself from his thoughts, he glared at his group, all of which were, understandably,
moving slowly. "Get in gear, people. SG-1's out there somewhere.  Let's find them, preferably
*before* dark."

*****

Odd. He really didn't remember the trek from the gate being quite this long, and they'd been
walking.  Daniel stopped his steady jog for a short moment, and took a drink from his canteen,
grateful that Jack had refused to let him leave without it. It hadn't seemed this warm the day
before either, but, he mused, he hadn't been traveling quite as fast then.  While he was
stopped he looked at the dry river bed, hoping to see signs of Teal'c and Sam.  But the ground
was strangely devoid of tracks, even their own.  Taking one more gulp of water, he sealed the
canteen, hooked it to his pack, and resumed his pace.

The canyon he'd been following began to fade away, and Daniel could feel his excitement rise.
He was close, very close to the Stargate.  Keying his radio, he tried again to contact his
friends, but the radio was strangely silent.  Not even the static he'd picked up yesterday.
Just dead air.  He rounded a bend, and there it was in all its alien glory ... the Stargate.
At this distance, to the naked eye, it was less than spectacular.  But up close it became a
thing of mystery and intrigue, a gateway to a million uncharted worlds.  Daniel took a moment
to use his binoculars, hoping to see some sign of his friends. Instead his jaw went slack with
shock.  At least six of the creatures he and Jack had faced in the cellar lay dead near the
gate.  The young archaeologist broke into a disjointed run, heedless of his teammates'
instructions to always keep his pace smooth and steady.  All he knew was what he saw, and
worse, what he didn't.

**********


Well, they'd finally reached the temple, but neither Ferretti nor his team were feeling any
better.  To their surprise, the UAV was in the center of the structure, directly under the
large opening in the ceiling. The team took nothing for granted as they spread out, searching
the perimeter for any sign of ... anything. It seemed an eternity before Ferretti felt
comfortable calling an all clear. Hancock strode quickly to the UAV. After a cursory exam, he
called back to his teammates. "Sir, everything's intact. But there's something wrong."

"Spell it out for me, Lieutenant."  Ferretti moved toward his second as he spoke.

"Well, sir, there's no way the UAV crashed like this. There's virtually no damage to the nose.
If I had to guess, I'd say that the UAV was placed here."

"Why?"  Airman Spenser looked worried.

"A trap, airman. To draw in the ones who sent the thing." Ferretti practically growled. "Real
question is, who set the trap?"

Anderson looked nervously around. "You don't suppose those things at the 'gate..."

The major shook his head. "No, Airman, unless those things do a Jeckle-Hyde number, there's no
way they brought the UAV here. Spread out, gentlemen, I know we didn't see any signs of SG-1
when we got here, but I want a wall to wall search.  Anderson, you and Spenser will take the
perimeter. Hancock and I will search in here.  And keep an eye out for whoever or whatever set
this trap."

***********


"How long has it been, Teal'c?"

The Jaffa concealed a smile as he responded for the seventh time in under two hours. "It has
not yet been three hours since Marne left us, Major Carter."

"What the heck is taking so long?  I thought they said first light."

"Perhaps there is a ritual that must be performed at first light before the interview can
begin."  Teal'c paused, face suddenly troubled, or rather, what passed for troubled for Teal'c.

Sam stopped in her tracks and looked at the Jaffa closely. "What?"

Reluctantly, Teal'c responded. "The second horn was sounded barely thirty minutes after the
first. Perhaps it is taking time to get the spectators settled."

"Oh wouldn't *that* be just peachy. Lotsa people watching.  I just can't wait."  As if on cue,
the third horn sounded, causing Sam to jump slightly.

Teal'c cocked his head to one side. "Then it is fortunate indeed that the wait is over."

***********


Daniel Jackson stared in horror at the carnage surrounding the 'gate.  From the plethora of
tracks as he approached the 'gate, he knew that he and Jack had been incredibly lucky the night
before. Lucky to have been bothered by only two of the beasts. From the evidence it appeared
that the main activity of the creatures had been centered around the Stargate.  The only
redeeming feature seemed to be that it had not been Sam and Teal'c at the 'gate.  That was a
good thing. At least, he hoped it was.

Near the gate he found the remains of a fire, four sets of booted footprints, and many, many
spent shell casings, but nothing to indicate which SG team had spent the night here. Not that
it really mattered.

He frowned suddenly as he traced their steps past the DHD.  Within a few yards of the device,
were the remains of another fire... this one abandoned rather than carefully put out.  In this
new location, the human prints blended with the creatures', making his limited tracking skills
totally useless.  Teal'c, and possibly Jack might have been able to distinguish the marks, but
he could not.  Why had they gone back to the 'gate?  Why hadn't they returned home for
reinforcements? That would have been the logical course of action. Why stay the night at the
'gate?  Unless... oh, no, no, no.  Dammit to hell, no.

Daniel raced for the DHD and frantically tried to dial home. 'You're an idiot, Daniel. Should
have done this first.' He punched in the first chevron, frustration, and fear, causing the
impact to be a little harder than normal. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He tried another chevron
at random. Again nothing.

"NO, Dammit, NO!" His outburst of anger combined with his already labored breathing from his
run to send him momentarily to his knees, blind and deaf to his surroundings. As his rage
subsided, his vision cleared, leaving only a headache and the throbbing pain in his back in its
wake.

His fit of temper over for good, Daniel rose to his feet, took his bearings, and started north.
As Jack had said, the rescue team was heading in the direction of the temple. Therefore, he
would also go north, and pray that he found help before he'd have to return to the abandoned
city.  There was no way he would leave Jack alone to face another night. Absolutely, no way.

***********


"Sir?"

"Find something, Anderson?"

"Uh, actually, sir, something, I mean, someone's found us."

Ferretti and Hancock raced outside the temple.  Spenser had joined Anderson, and together the
four men of SG-2 watched warily as the natives approached.

The major spoke softly to his lieutenant. "I thought the survey showed no intelligent life."

Hancock shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time the UAV missing something important, like
people."

"True, so true. Well, men, looks like we get to play diplomat. Let's hope these people know
where SG-1 is."

"I'd say they just might."  Hancock's voice was now worried.

"Why?"  Ferretti turned to look at the man.

Hancock nodded toward the crowd. "Big guy, at the back. Isn't that a staff weapon?  Like maybe
Teal'c's?"

*****

"Sir?"

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Where do you suppose Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson are?"

Ferretti frowned. "I wish I knew, but it's obvious that only Major Carter and Teal'c have been
seen by these people. And from what that little bald guy said, they're in a lot of trouble. I'm
also not sure about that runner. There's no telling *what* story he's been sent home with."

"But what about..."

"Lieutenant, Colonel O'Neill is perfectly capable of taking care of both himself, and Dr.
Jackson, even with one hand tied behind his back.  You heard what's his name ..."

"Glamring?"

"Yeah, that sounds right. There's nothing but ruins to the south, desert to the east, and
mountains to the west.  If O'Neill and Jackson went anywhere, it was probably south of the
gate. Jackson's got a nose for really old stuff and is probably having the time of his life
playing in the ruins. Carter and Teal'c are being accused of being Goa'uld and are quite
probably being tried at this very moment. No, we go after the prisoners first."

"What if we can't convince these folks that the major and Teal'c aren't Goa'uld?"

Ferretti patted his M16. "Well, we'll just have to talk some sense into them.  Damn! I wish we
could go faster without insulting our, uh, *hosts*."

Lieutenant Hancock grew silent, wondering if he should voice his concern that the natives
hadn't considered SG-2 to be potential Goa'uld.  It made no sense. After all, it was Carter and
Teal'c that his team was looking for. And that pair were being detained as possible Goa'uld.

Ferretti grew silent, wondering what the hell kind of mess Daniel was in this time; the major
couldn't think of anything else that would've kept the colonel from searching for Carter and
Teal'c. But he breathed a sigh of relief that none of his men seemed to think it odd that SG-2
hadn't been singled out as Goa'uld, just like Carter and Teal'c.

*********


"Hey, Anderson."  Spenser's voice was barely below a stage whisper.

"What?"

"What do ya think *they're* talking about?" Spenser motioned toward the two officers.

"Keep your voice down."  Anderson studied his CO's back for a moment. "Well, I'm only guessing,
but I'm betting they're wondering why Colonel O'Neill isn't already looking for the major and
the Jaffa."

Spenser looked surprised. "Didn't think of that. Do ya suppose they're wondering why these guys
don't think we're Goa'uld?"

Anderson snorted a laugh. "I keep forgetting you're kinda new to the SGC. The major's been
doing this a long time. As long as O'Neill, from what I'm told. Supposed to have been on the
original mission to that Abydim,dum,dos, whatever, place. Although no one ever talks about
that."  The airman shot another quick look at the officers. "Yeah, the major's thought of it,
and I'm betting the lieutenant's not far behind."

*********


From the length of time it took the Euloeans to bring them to the interview, Sam should've
suspected that there would be crowds. Teal'c had even warned her of the possibility.  But the
sheer numbers sent shivers down her spine. And the way the noise stopped as they were led onto
the field. Unnerving, to say the least.

If she had to guess, she'd say everyone in the town was present, including the children.
Terrific.  Years spent traveling to other planets for exploration in search of allies against
the Goa'uld, only to become the featured stars of a bizarre little drama.  And the courtroom,
well, it appeared to be a stadium of some sort, with the stadium seating being about fifteen
feet off the floor.  A dirt floor.

As they were escorted across the arena, it suddenly became obvious who the interviewers were.
A line of seven high-backed, almost plush chairs sat side by side in front of a long table.
Seated behind the table were seven citizens. Three men, four women. Was that an advantage?  Sam
could only hope. But unless they gave her something to stand on, she was gonna have to defend
herself and Teal'c while looking up. She'd end up with a major crick in the neck.  These people
were *really* starting to get on her nerves.  A surprisingly deep voice startled her out of her
thoughts.

"The male bears the mark of Apophis. He may not speak. Female!"

The contemptuous tone infuriated the young officer. Sam glared at the arrogant figure high
above her. "The *male* is called Teal'c. I am Major Samantha Carter. *You* may address me as
'major'."

*********


If he was reading the path of the sun correctly, and Jack knew that he was, it was well-past
mid-morning. By now, Daniel should be at the Stargate. If he... Don't go there, Jack.  Absently
he ran his uninjured hand across his forehead.  He stared at the sweat on the back of his hand,
then reached once more for the canteen. God, he was so hot. Surely it wasn't this hot
yesterday, was it just yesterday they arrived in this, this place?  God, he was so hot. And
thirsty. Fever? That had to be it. He was running a fever. Terrific. Way to go, Einstein. Two
broken bones, a possible concussion ... of course he'd be running a fever. Shit!

He shifted his position trying to ease the pressure on his tailbone, and screamed as his broken
bones protested the movement. His vision darkened, and for a moment he was afraid he would lose
consciousness. If he did that, he might never wake up. Fighting back tears of pain, he forced
himself to look at the dead forms on the other side of the cellar.  Daniel had dragged the
hulking remains as far from him as possible. Jack smiled slightly at the memory of Daniel's
slender frame struggling with the creatures' bulk. His smile faded as he realized exactly how,
uh, ripe, they would eventually become. Particularly if the day stayed this hot. No, wait. It
wasn't really hot. It was just fever. Right. That was it ... just fever.

He found himself staring at the sky again. Not much later than it was the last time he'd looked
up. Damn. He was beginning to think like a small child. 'Are we there yet?'  He could almost
hear the whine in his thoughts.  Shouldn't Daniel be back? No, he hadn't been gone long enough.
Or had he been gone too long?  Daniel'd winced in pain when he got up, and tried to pretend it
was cramped muscles. But he knew better. The gash on his young friend's back was probably
inflamed, maybe even infected by now. Damn, he should have checked it before Daniel left. But
no, he'd ordered him out. Damn it, Jack. What if Daniel had coll... Don't go there, Jack. He's
fine. Just fine. He'll be back. I hope. God. Please. Don't let Daniel die. Not alone. Not at
all.

*****

The man on the platform barely maintained his composure as the woman's words, '*You* may
address me as *major*', rang out across the stadium. He raised himself to his full height,
cleared his throat, and banged an annoying gavel against the table in front of him. "Very well,
*Major*, please be aware that this is an interview not a trial. Do you understand?"

'Looks more like a lynching to me.'  Sam barely restrained herself from voicing her thoughts
aloud. Instead, she put on her best officer look, answering simply. "Yes."

Silence dominated the stadium as those on the platform waited for something, anything from the
pair beneath them.  When it was obvious that she would say no more, the man spoke again, this
time not quite so self-assured. "I am High Councilor Vraxas."

Sam felt herself tense involuntarily as he spoke his name.

The councilor continued. "What manner of Goa'uld magic is this device?  He held up the radio
gingerly, as if it were a snake poised to strike.

The young officer barely restrained her annoyance at the obvious question, turning her
irritation into sarcasm. "It is *not* Goa'uld magic."

Vraxas' tone betrayed his doubt. "Then what manner of magic does it contain?"

Sam took a deep breath. 'Keep it simple, Sam.' "It contains no magic. It is a mechanical device
built by my people, the Tau'ri, for sending sounds over long distances."

"How long a distance?"

"Our units can cover a distance of ..." she paused, suddenly realizing that her units of
measurement would probably mean nothing to the man, '...a distance from here to the St.., the,
uh, stone ring, at least."

"To the Goa'uld ring."

'Shit, Sam. Stupid!' "It is not a Goa'uld ring. They just use it."

"As did you."

"Yes. My friends and I did come through the ring. We're peaceful explorers..."

"Then why have you harmed our good friend, Tiamon?"

"We have harmed no one."

"But he lies gravely ill after contact with you."  Vraxas smiled condescendingly down at the
woman.

"He also had contact with you." Sam returned his smile, "Perhaps he found *your* company not to
his liking."

The fury in Vraxas' tone was evident. "*I* am not on trial here."

"By your own words, neither are we."

********


"Major Carter?"

"Yes, Teal'c?"  Sam sat cross-legged on the floor, chin resting dejectedly in her palms.

"You did very well."

"Right. *That's* why we're still prisoners. I'm only surprised they haven't told us when the
trial is."  She eyed their untouched meal trays skeptically. "At least they brought us lunch."

"I do not believe Vraxas would have allowed us to go free, regardless of your arguments."

"Well, I shouldn't have mentioned Vraxas being with Tiamon when he collapsed."

"On the contrary, that was the best part of this morning's events."  Sam looked up to see Marne
standing in the doorway.

Teal'c looked appraisingly at the little man. "Vraxas did not appear to think so."

Marne frowned. "No, he wouldn't.... But that is not why I've come. Tiamon grows worse.
Councilwoman Andrex insisted that you be required to face all your accusers."

"We missed one?"

Marne looked confused.

Sam smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I just meant that it looked like the entire village was
present this morning."

"Most were. But Vraxas has made it part of his argument that Tiamon also accuses you and
according to our law, you must be allowed to face *all* your accusers or be released."

Sam rose quickly to her feet. "Teal'c, get our m..things. Marne, we would very much like to
confront Tiamon."

Marne bowed. "I shall so inform the council. You will be summoned at the third call."  The man
slipped quietly from the room.

Sam stared after him for a moment. "Teal'c?"

"Yes, Major Carter?"

"Just what is it with these people and threes?"

"I do not know, Major Carter, but the number is not without precedent."

"Huh?"

"Daniel Jackson once told me that the Tau'ri have a saying 'third times the charm'. Perhaps
this will work to our advantage."

"Ya know, Teal'c. You may just be right. Let's eat."

***********


Daniel's breathing was growing more unsteady as he jogged along the northern trail, and the
ache in his side was beating in rhythm with the ache in his back. Instincts developed over
years spent traveling to third world locations with limited resources allowed him to keep
careful mental track of the time and distance he'd traveled.  He knew he was fast approaching
the point of no return, where he'd have to choose to go forward, or turn back. Actually, there
was no choice, not really.  Jack would not survive a night alone in the cellar, and Daniel
would not abandon him.

But what of Sam and Teal'c? They could be injured, or de... No, he would *not* think that way.
But something was wrong.  He'd seen absolutely no tracks, the dirt further north being a clay
base which eluded his minimal tracking skills.  The last true signs of anyone had been near the
'gate, and there any signs of his teammates had been obliterated by the rescue SG team, and the
creatures.

Hell, for all he knew, Sam and Teal'c had returned to the 'gate, and... Stupid!  The rescuers
wouldn't be heading north if his friends had been at the 'gate. If only... "Whoa!"  Surprise
laced his tone as he got his first real view of the temple. Even in its decimated state, he
could tell it had been beautiful.  Beautiful, but deadly.  He'd have to make sure he had a talk
with Rothman when he got back to the SGC. Classifying these ruins as Greek bordered on
incompetence, but he'd give the man the benefit of the doubt. He hadn't seen the images
himself, perhaps they were bad. As he stared at the remains of a pyramid, he really hoped the
UAV's pictures had been very bad indeed.

The young archaeologist stood perfectly still for a moment, allowing his racing heart to cross
the finish line, and his out-of-control breathing to rein itself in. He didn't see any signs of
the rescue team, but maybe, just maybe they were inside the ... temple. For that matter, maybe
Sam and Teal'c were in there, too. Urging aching legs into motion once more, he headed for the
temple.

*************


The door to their prison swung wide once more, this time admitting SG-2. "Lucy, I'm home."
Ferretti's voice rang out as he entered the room.

Teal'c looked vaguely puzzled. "I believe that to be a phrase O'Neill would use."

Sam muttered softly. "Right. Major, nothing personal, but are you guys prisoners?"

"Not that we're aware of. They offered us other accommodations, but I wanted to see you and
Teal'c first. They let us in with no trouble."

"Yeah, but will they let you out?"

*****

Ferretti frowned, then shrugged. "Don't know, we'll find out after while. What the hell, pardon
my language, happened?"

Sam turned worried eyes toward the major, and pulled him off to the side, away from his team.
"Teal'c and I ran into a group of locals at the temple when we found the UAV. Everything seemed
to be going okay until the colonel radioed that Daniel was hurt."

"Hurt!  How bad? What happened?"

She shook her head. "Don't know, but he told us to hurry. Anyhow, these guys apparently equate
technology to being Goa'uld so they arrested us. Sort of."

"Any idea where O'Neill and Jackson are?"

"They went south, along the old riverbed. Daniel was convinced there would be ruins that way."

"And O'Neill went along with this?"

"Yeah, I was kinda surprised, but I think he was trying to make up for PSR-932."

"PSR-932?"

"Sorry. SG-8 requested Daniel's help in cataloging Greco-Roman relics on PSR-932.  We'd just
finished that mess with the aliens who took over the SGC, and the colonel had to say no."

"Oh. The Foothold incident."

"Yeah, that... At any rate our captors brought us back here in a hurry. There's some sort of
creature that comes out after dark..."

"We've met."

"You've been here that long?"

"Arrived right around dusk. Never made it away from the 'gate until this morning."

"No sign of..."

"No."

"Dammit. I tried to talk one of the men here, Marne, into going back to look for the colonel
and Daniel.  He said he'd send searchers out in the morning."

Ferretti groaned. "The guys that found us were probably the search party.  They told us about
you two being held for questioning. I was pretty insistent that they take us to you. What's
happening here?"

Sam looked very worried. "I think I blew it. We had the prelims this morning. The commander of
the group that found us is very sick."

"And you're being blamed."

"Bingo. We're supposed to be taken to face him in a little while. They apparently have a face
your accuser rule. I'm guessing that we failed the prelims, and this is the next step before
our  trial.  I'm hoping our med-kit will have something that will help him. Tiamon, the
commander who's sick, is very nice. I trust him, and Marne. The rest of these jokers, well, who
knows. Listen, if they let you leave, can you get help from the SGC?"

"No, the DHD doesn't work. Hancock thinks some of the crystals are fakes."

Sam's mouth dropped open. "Fakes? I checked the DHD myself when we got here. Everything was in
working order."

"Well, it's not now, and neither are the radios."

"Then you should try to find the colonel and Daniel."

"Not gonna happen, Carter. The colonel can take care of himself and Jackson. You and Teal'c..."

"Will be fine, Ferretti, but Daniel..."

"Tell you what, I'll send Hancock and Anderson to look for the rest of SG-1.  Spenser and I
will stay here to help you. That sound fair?"

"I guess.  We'll just have to hope you aren't prisoners as well."

"Major Carter!" An imperious voice interrupted their conversation.

Sam turned to face Vraxas. "Yes?"

"Are you ready to face your last accuser, and see for yourself the results of your handiwork?"

The young major barely managed to contain her temper. "Teal'c and I will gladly face our
accusers, all of them, but I tell you again, we have done nothing."

He bowed condescendingly. "Shall we go?"

She nodded her head in agreement, as Ferretti spoke up. "Two of my men must return to the stone
circle, but..."

Vraxas smiled benignly at the major. "I am sorry, good sir, but you and your men are our
guests. You will remain in the housing we have chosen for you, until the conclusion of the
trial."

Ferretti bristled. "Are we under arrest?"

"No, but we wish no more interruptions. The determination process has already been slowed,
first by Tiamon's illness, then by your presence.  It will be delayed no further."

*********


Daniel should have been back by now. Something was wrong. Jack tried to push himself upright,
and screamed as pain akin to nothing he'd ever before experienced raced through his body. The
morphine had worn off long ago. Too long. And the futile attempt to rise had succeeded only in
emphasizing that.  Falling hard against the wall, he fought back tears of pain and despair.
He'd allowed his team to become separated, and now all would pay the price for his stupidity.
Some team leader he'd turned out to be.

**********


The young archaeologist warily approached the pyramid, temple, whatever, and looked around
cautiously for signs of life.  The bare dirt outside the largest doors appeared to have been
disturbed, as if many feet had trampled the ground recently, but he could tell nothing more.
Gathering his courage, he raced rapidly across the open courtyard, darted up the steps, and
dove behind a column.  The thought occurred to him that the interior of an Egyptian style
pyramid should not contain columns. Simultaneously, another unbidden thought reminded him that
this was not Egypt and to stop his damned analysis, Jack was hurt.

Staring into the interior, he gasped with astonishment at the sight of the UAV, apparently
unharmed.  But how did it get here? He'd thought he'd heard Sam say it had fallen near the
temple, not in it.  And why weren't Sam and Teal'c anywhere around? And the rescue team - there
should have been signs of them. A guard... something.

Frowning, he remained where he was, studying the pyramid's interior.  It was too clean. There
should have been dust and dirt in abundance. And the UAV... it didn't look damaged enough to
have crashed. To the young man's experienced eye, it looked more as if the device had been
carefully positioned in its location. But why?  The only reason Daniel could think of was a
trap. Sam and Teal'c by themselves might have fallen victim to some sort of trap. But a four
member SG rescue team, already on the lookout for trouble? That just made no sense. He started
to step out from his hiding place when he heard voices.

"Elden, I don't like this. Why are we back here?"

"The four males that arrived today may not be the last.  They say they came in search of the
woman, the Jaffa, and two others.  Vraxas suspects that more Goa'uld or their agents will
arrive soon.  We are to guard against this and bring back any new arrivals."

"I'd rather be back in town, watching the trial."

"You mean you want to watch the execution."

"Same thing. They failed the interview, all that's left is the trial, and with the evidence of
Tiamon's illness, you know they'll be sentenced to die at last light. Pity, the woman is very
beautiful."

*****

'Sentenced to die? Sentenced to die!'  The words whirled dizzily around Daniel's tired brain.
Sam and Teal'c were prisoners. But what about the others?  He forced himself to focus on the
natives' conversation again.

"Well, you're not often right, but I have to agree that the woman is beautiful. Pity."

"What'll happen to other men?"

"Don't be stupid, Laro. They came looking for the two Goa'uld. Guilty by association.  I hear
that they're not officially prisoners, but Vraxas is pretty much running things right now. He's
not likely to let them live if the other two get convicted."

The voices faded away as the two men moved further from Daniel's hiding place. The horrified
young man stood absolutely still.  His stomach was dancing to an uneasy tune, and his heart,
well, it had run the Boston marathon in record time. He had to help his friends, as well as
that unknown SG team. Which teams had been on earth when SG-1 left for this accursed planet?
Slapping his forehead in frustration, he realized that the important thing wasn't which team,
rather, it was four additional lives at stake. He had to help them, but what about Jack?

*****


For once Daniel had been wrong. Jack had been able, barely, to give himself an injection of
morphine and was now feeling almost good. Almost. But, remembering his last not-so-successful
attempt, not quite good enough to try moving. 'I'll let the morphine do its thing, then I'll go
find Daniel.' His eyes grew heavy, and after three futile attempts to keep it upright, his head
fell backwards to lean against the wall behind him.

*****


Daniel sank to the floor of the temple.  This entire mission had been one disaster after
another. He should never have asked to go south. The team should have stayed together. Now,
Jack was injured, alone and defenseless in that basement.  Sam, Teal'c and four other men were
facing death somewhere. God, he didn't even know where. What to do, what to do? It would soon
be dark, and the creatures would return. Jack was in no condition to defend himself against
them, even if he had an unlimited supply of bullets. Which, of course, he did not. And the
distraction of fresh meat through the Stargate would not happen again. Daniel didn't know what
timetable the rescuers had been on, but he knew enough about the SGC's commander to know that
the next thing through the 'gate would be the MALP.

What should he do? Chase after Sam and Teal'c or return to Jack? What would Jack do if forced
to choose between team members?  Two dead, or one dead? Only in this case it would be six dead
or one dead. The numbers were the deciding factor. He couldn't allow six people to die. He
simply couldn't. 'God, Jack, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

Pushing himself to his feet, he knew that his next course of action would be to locate the
place where six SGC members were being held.

*****


Guilty. The verdict was in and he had been found unanimously guilty on all charges. Negligence,
dereliction of duty, manslaughter, murder ... criminal stupidity. Their faces floated freely in
front of him ... Daniel, Sam, Teal'c ... all convicting him of his crimes, asking the questions
not asked before, when they still lived.

Chocolate brown eyes focused directly on his face. "O'Neill, our mission was to retrieve the
UAV, nothing more. Why did you deviate from this?"

"Colonel, sir, I don't understand. We never go in different directions. Not at first. Why did
you leave us?"

"Jack, I didn't want to leave you, alone. But you said you couldn't travel. That I had to get
help. So now we're both alone. Why did you let me go alone?"

"Oh, God! I'm sorry, Teal'c. I'm sorry, Carter. I'm sorry, Daniel. I didn't mean to. I'm so
sorry!"

*****


It wasn't hard to find the two natives. They were making no effort to conceal their
conversation, obviously thinking they were alone.  Daniel smiled wryly to himself as he
considered his limited options. He could continue to follow them and learn absolutely nothing
or he could confront them. Concealing his sidearm in his belt behind his back, he stepped
quietly out from the shadows. "Well met, fellow travelers."

The reaction was exactly what he'd expected. Both men whirled to face him, weapons at the
ready. Elden spoke warily. "Who are you?"

Daniel smiled and held open his arms, palms facing up. "Easy gentlemen, I'm unarmed. My name is
Daniel."

"Did you come through the stone circle?"  Laro asked.

"Stone circle?" Daniel feigned confusion. "I'm not sure I understand. I've traveled a long way
in search of one named Vraxas."

*****


There was a crowd of curious onlookers, well-wishers, mourners, whatever, in front of the small
block building. Sam and Teal'c walked unbound, but under guard behind Vraxas, toward the door.
Marne stood beside the door, looking grave. Holding up a hand, he halted their forward
progress. "Councilman Vraxas, my Lord Tiamon grows worse. I am not certain it will be advisable
for you to enter."

"His accusation must be recorded." Vraxas replied haughtily.

"I am only thinking of your safety, Councilman."  Marne smiled slightly. "I would not wish you
to endanger your health with prolonged exposure to my Lord Tiamon."

Vraxas' color changed from red to white and back to red in a matter of seconds. "His accusation
must be recorded."

"Then allow me the honor of recording it."  Marne met Vraxas's eyes and held them as he spoke.

The Councilman glared, caught in a web of his own making. "Very well. The matter is in your
hands."  Glancing at Sam and Teal'c, he continued. "Beware of trickery, Marne."

Marne bowed to the fuming councilman, then looked sternly at Sam and Teal'c. "Be warned,
prisoners, all exits from this place are guarded. There is no escaping your fate."

*****


"Vraxas? Why he's the...umph?"  Laro gasped as Elden side-punched him in the stomach.

"Where did you hear the name of Vraxas?"

Daniel smiled, and prayed silently for the right words. "His name is well-known as a wise man,
a just man, a true leader to his people.  I have come from afar to learn from him."

Elden nodded. "He is indeed all that. And, Daniel, you are in luck. He will soon preside at the
trial of a pair of Goa'uld, and once found guilty of their crimes, he will see to their
execution."

The young scientist cringed inwardly, before forcing an enthusiastic response. "Goa'uld? Here?
Now? That is indeed terrifying. How came they here?"

"As in the olden days, they have come through the stone circle.  Our brave Lord Tiamon captured
them, but has paid a heavy price."

"Indeed?"

"Yes, he now lies dying from some unknown Goa'uld disease."

Daniel looked concerned. "My people have some skill with Goa'uld afflictions. Perhaps I can be
of assistance to your Lord Tiamon?"

Elden and Laro exchanged significant looks, then Elden responded. "We will take you to him."

*****

Elden motioned for Laro to follow him and they moved a short distance from Daniel.  Keeping his
voice low, Elden asked. "Laro, how do you suppose this Daniel avoided the Redcaps if he has
truly traveled a great distance."

"I, uh, I don't know. Boran survived a journey to the sea."

"True, but he swore he would never do so again."

"We could ask Daniel."

"Laro, if he's Goa'uld, he'd lie."

"Elden, he could lie even if he's not Goa'uld."

"True.  I'll ask where he slept last night. Maybe that will tell us something."  Elden turned
quickly to face Daniel. "Might I ask, Daniel, where you slept last night?"

Daniel grimaced, praying he'd give the right answer. "In ruins to the south. It seemed the
safest haven from the monsters of the dark."

Elden nodded. "You have the Redcaps where you are from?  They are indeed a scourge to our
existence."

"Redcaps? Is that your name for the evil beasts?  Yes, we have them but their numbers and
ferocity vary greatly from place to place.  They seem to be here in great numbers."

"I am familiar with the ruins.  The round temple is most impressive."

'Oh, shit. Round temple?' Daniel once again uttered a silent prayer to the protector of
archaeologists, took a deep breath and responded. "I saw no such temple."

Laro interjected. "Elden, he has answered correctly. There is no round temple in that place,
and we have little time to waste if we are to be safely behind walls when the darkness comes."

Daniel smiled. "That has a nice sound. It is very long since I have been safely behind walls."

"Then come, Daniel, we must move at a steady pace if we are to make it to our home before last
light."  Elden led the way toward the door.

Laro put an amicable arm around Daniel's shoulders. "You say these beasts are not called
Redcaps where you live?"

"Uh, no."

"Then what are they called?"

Daniel thought quickly. "We call them 'muggers'."

*********


Marne held the door to Tiamon's home open, allowing Sam and Teal'c to enter before him.  Sam
gasped involuntarily as she caught sight of the young warrior. In the relatively short time
since she'd last seen the handsome man, his appearance had totally changed. His face had little
if any natural color, and his breathing was coming in short, pain-filled gasps.  Sam knelt
beside him and was shocked to feel the heat radiating from his body.  Turning to Marne, she
asked. "He's burning up with fever. What's being done for him?"

Marne looked sadly at his friend. "The healer says the fever is like nothing he has ever seen.
None of his potions or herbs have had any effect."

Teal'c looked grave. "How long will we be allowed to remain here?"

"Until I have taken Tiamon's testimony, and as you can see, what I write will be purely my own
invention."

"Unless Tiamon could give actual evidence."

Marne snorted a laugh. "Evidence? Tiamon can give you nothing. Look at him, man, even now he
speaks in riddles from the dream state.  I credit what little the healer has done as preventing
the convulsions w
on his friend's forehead as he spoke.

"Major Carter, it is often the case in my home that a high fever burns off the illness that
creates it.  Have you also heard of such things?"

"Yes, Teal'c, but even though I'm not a doctor, nurse, or even a medic, I know enough to guess
that he can't take this fever much longer."

"Then we should attempt to reduce it ... if Marne can prevent our being removed from this place
too quickly."

"Do you think you can help him?"  The little man's eyes lit up with the first hope he'd allowed
himself in many hours.

"Teal'c, what do..."

"Marne, does this home have running water or must it be brought from a well?"

The little man smiled. "Tiamon likes his little luxuries. He is one of the few among us who has
built a bath house in his home. He even installed a bathing reservoir."

"How cold is the water?"  Sam interjected quickly, suddenly realizing where the Jaffa was going
with his questions.

"It comes from the mountain streams, but this time of year it is not very cold. Some even bathe
without heating it on a stove."

"Marne, please fill the reservoir with cold water only."

"He has already been bathed in the water. It did not reduce his fever."  Marne said doubtfully.

Sam smiled reassuringly at the man. "Just fill it with water, Marne. I believe we can lower the
temperature enough."  She watched as the Euloean raced to fulfill her request.

"You will use the cold packs in the med-kits to help lower his temperature, Major Carter?"

She nodded, then looked into the Jaffa's eyes. "Teal'c, what if he dies?"

"Then, Major Carter, we will be no worse off than we were before."

******


Jack's head dropped to one side, resulting in a cry of pain from the colonel. Gasping he pushed
himself upright with his good hand, and glanced around the basement.  The evening glow cast
eerie shadows across the cellar and for a moment, the colonel was completely disoriented,
unsure if it was late evening or early morning. As the haze that was his thoughts, cleared he
smiled grimly and muttered to himself. "It's early evening, Jack. You'd be critter fodder if
you'd spent the night out here."  He glared first at his injured, and useless limbs, then at
the stairwell with its open door, then at the distance to said stairwell. He tried to ease
himself upright, but the sharp stab of pain in his leg told him that was a mistake, but he knew
he had to get to the safety of the stairwell.

"Dammit Daniel. I should've stayed there to begin with. Shit, what am I saying, I'd have fallen
down the steps if I'd stayed there!"  Muttering a silent apology to the absent archaeologist,
Jack studied the distance once more. "Maybe I can slide over there."  Pushing off with his good
leg, and balancing with his good hand, he managed to slide backwards a few inches. Okay. This
was good. At this rate, by morning he should be safely stowed in something's stomach.

*****

"Muggers? That is an odd name." Laro tightened his grip on Daniel's shoulders as he spoke.

The young archaeologist suppressed a groan as the overly friendly man's hand settled more
tightly on Daniel's injured shoulder. For a short while the exhilaration of role-playing had
diminished the pain, but Laro had quite a grip. The rough edges of his jacket... Jacket? Oh,
shit, shit, shit. Stupid, Daniel, really, really stupid. He was dressed just like Sam, Teal'c,
and the unnamed SG team. Elden and Laro had spoken of how beautiful the woman was. They had to
have seen the clothing. That meant they were just biding their time until they got back to the
village. But why? Oh, shit! Double, no triple stupid. They were afraid he was Goa'uld, and the
two of them were no match for one of those creatures. He'd been stupidly overconfident.
Glancing at Laro, he noticed beads of sweat forming on the man's brow. Nerves. Had to be. His
companion was terrified. Daniel moaned silently as he realized that his overconfidence just
might have doomed them all.

******


Ferretti was once again a very unhappy camper. He and his team had been forced to watch
helplessly as Major Carter and Teal'c had been taken away. For all he knew, they were being
tortured; but based on their condition so far, he really didn't think so. He was simply letting
his imagination run away with him. Of course, the fact that their weapons had been confiscated
when they took Carter and Teal'c away, did nothing to improve his temper.  He'd really counted
on the natives not realizing what the weapons were. More fool he. And to find that the colonel
was missing somewhere south of the temple with an injured Daniel ... what else was new ... was
almost too much.

"Sir?" Spenser's shaky voice pulled Ferretti out of his thoughts.

"Yes Spenser?"

"Sir, do you think these folks might think we're Goa'uld, too?"

The officer smiled grimly. "Unfortunately I don't see any way they could think otherwise."  He
paused and looked at his team. "Listen up, people. I need everyone's take on the route from the
entrance to this hut.  Lieutenant, you still have that notebook of yours?"

"Yes, sir." The younger man grinned as he ripped pages from the notebook, and handed them to
the other three men.

"Got any... oh, good." Ferretti grinned as he took a pen from his second. "Only two? Oh, well,
we'll have to share."

Anderson looked blankly at the paper in his hand. "Sir, I don't get it."

The major sighed. "All of us will jot down what we saw from the gate to this hut, without
comparing notes. Once we're done, we'll put it together and hash out any differences. Then
we're set."

"For what, sir?"

Before the major could respond, Hancock interjected. "The great escape, Anderson, the great
escape."

******


After a short absence, Marne reappeared. "The reservoir is filled, I'll help..."  His eyes
widened with shock as the Jaffa easily lifted the feverish man's bulk off of his sick bed. "Uh,
right this way. Just follow me."

Sam carried the med-kits as she followed Teal'c down a long dark corridor.  The bathing room
was not as large as she'd anticipated, and the reservoir reflected this lack of size. With a
gasp of dismay, she realized that while Tiamon would be able to bath relatively comfortably in
this tub, there was no way he'd be able to be submerged completely in water. At most they could
sink him up to his lower ribs. But it would have to do. "Teal'c, Marne, get his clothes off,
and get him in the water."

She backed into the hall as the two men struggled with the limp form of the young warrior. At
last she heard the splash, and Teal'c's calm voice. "He is in the water, Major Carter."

Sam darted back into the room and proceeded to activate one of the cool packs. Placing it on
the young man's neck, she spoke rapidly. "Marne, please find a large bowl, cup, something.
Actually a couple of them will work. We need to dip water and let it run over his upper torso."

Marne nodded in understanding and disappeared, reappearing soon with a heavy flask, and three
large bowls. He handed a bowl to each of the SG-1 members, then took the last for himself.  Sam
held the cool pack in place with one hand, and filled a bowl with the other. Glancing back at
the flask, she asked. "What's with the flask?"

"Dipping is hot work. I have brought us drink to keep *us* cool."

******


Vraxas paced impatiently outside Tiamon's home. "What is taking so long? Surely even that
imbecile, Marne, can't deny the seriousness of his illness."

"Sir?"

Vraxas turned to find himself the object of intense scrutiny. The guards on Tiamon's door were
from the man's own staff. Clearing his throat, the cunning man put on his most solemn face. "I
wish to speak to the commander of the four men who were just brought in. Bring him here at
once."

******


Either Tiamon's fever was slightly lower, or she'd heated up enough to match his body
temperature. Wiping sweat from her forehead, she conceded that either situation was possible.
Noticing her discomfort, Marne smiled. "Please, drink from the flask. It will quench your
thirst."

Sam returned his smile, and put the bowl down. Pulling the flask to her, she took a deep gulp,
and promptly choked.  The cool pack disappeared into the water as she hacked and gasped for
breath. "Wh..what the heck is *in* this?"

Marne looked concerned. "Surely you have drink like this where you are from?  It lifts the
spirits, and calms the nerves."

"I can believe that."  She handed the flask to Teal'c, then got busy opening another cool pack.
"Careful, Teal'c, it's got more kick than the moonshine that the colonel..." Her words faded
away.

"Major Carter," Teal'c asked with concern, "are you well?"

"Hmmm? Oh, I'm fine Teal'c. Marne, the stuff in this flask, can you get a lot of it. And I mean
a lot."

"Yes, it is found in abundance in most homes."

"Excellent. Please go get as much as you can." Marne nodded puzzled, then disappeared in to the
hall.

"I do not understand, Major Carter."  Teal'c looked as puzzled as the Euloean.

"When I was a kid, Teal'c, no one used cool baths to lower the body temperature of a sick
person.  They used rubbing alcohol. It evaporates quickly, cooling the body rapidly. Unless I
miss my guess, this stuff is about the strength of rubbing alcohol."

"And you believe this will cure Tiamon?"

Sam blushed with embarrassment. "Actually, I don't think anything we do will cure him."

"Then what is our purpose?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I want to lower his temperature, and I really hope he'll pull through.
But my first thought is to get his fever down low enough that he will come to and tell us what
happened."

*****

As far as Jack was concerned, it had been at least six months since he'd started inching his
way across the cellar. Even with the pain-numbing capabilities of morphine, his shoulder ached
unmercifully. Nothing he did seemed to alleviate the pain of his broken clavicle, but as long
as he was careful, and didn't jar it too badly, his broken leg was okay. Almost. He'd quickly
discovered what movements he could, and most importantly, could not make.

The shadows crossing the cellar indicated the sun was going down. Knowing he had very little
time before the creatures were once again active, Jack attempted to speed up his progress.
Shove and pull, shove and pull. Terrific, almost a rhythm. In his haste, however, he had
underestimated his stamina, and the depth of his fatigue. Most of his weight was being
supported by his one good arm, which buckled under the pressure of the increased speed.  His
scream echoed through the cellar as his broken shoulder protested the fall.  Tears of pain and
frustration worked their way free of his eyes, and dropped, unheeded, into the dirt of the
cellar floor.

******


Marne was gasping for breath by the time he returned to the bathing room, armed with several
bottles of the brew.  "There are more in the cellar."

Sam rewarded him with a weary smile, but said nothing as she continued to swab down the sick
man.

The Euleoan stared for a moment at his sick friend. "His breathing is easier, I think."

"I don't think he's quite as warm, ei..." Her words faded as the man in the water moaned
softly. "Keep the cold pack on the pulse points, Teal'c.  Tiamon? Can you hear me?"

"Ma...?"

Marne moved closer and knelt beside the tub. "I'm here, Tiamon. So are Major Carter, and
Teal'c."

"Hot."

"I'll just bet you are.  You're very ill, my friend, but I think you may be getting better.
Your fever's down."

"No, I ... drink."

Sam moved quickly to the sink, and filled a mug with water. She passed it to Marne. "Don't let
him drink too much too fast."

Marne gently held the cup to Tiamon's lips. The other man choked, and sputtered, then swallowed
gratefully. After a moment, he sighed and tried to focus on his friend. "Th...anks, not wh...at
I me...ant."

Sam shot a confused looked at Marne, then asked. "Tiamon, tell us. Please."

"Poison."  Tiamon sighed deeply as his eyes slid shut again.

"Poison?"  Sam spoke up softly. "You think Vraxas poisoned him?"

"I would place a year's wages on it."

Teal'c frowned. "I fail to see how this knowledge aids us."

"Well, Teal'c, we simply tell... Oh!"

"Exactly. Unless Tiamon is able to confront Vraxas, then what we have learned will not assist
us."

Sam frowned. "Great.  And the only way to do that is to find the antidote."

Marne spoke up. "Vraxas' home is not guarded. Perhaps the poison is still there."

"But how do we find it?  We're not exactly able to search for it ourselves. What about
Ferretti? Teal'c, do you suppose..."

The Jaffa shook his head. "Major Ferretti and his men are also prisoners, Major Carter.  I do
not see how they will be able to search for the poison."

Marne interrupted. "Excuse me, but I was not suggesting that you or any of your people search.
*I* will do so."

Sam shook her head. "No, Marne. That puts you at too great a risk..."

"Tiamon is my friend.  I cannot, in good conscience, let him die while there remains a chance
to save him."

******


A not-so-distant scream roused the colonel from the lethargy that had overtaken him.  Lifting
his head from his good arm, he was not surprised to find that it was much, much darker.  The
last light of day was clinging to the sky, and Jack knew it was now or never to make it to the
stairwell.  Mustering what little appeared to be left of his supply of strength, he pushed
himself upright, biting his lip as he did so to keep from screaming.  With the creatures
starting to prowl once more, there was no reason to attract their attention any sooner than
absolutely necessary.

Sheer mulishness was the only thing that got him across the remaining feet of the cellar. He
sighed with undeniable relief as his butt finally made contact with the bottom step. For a
time, he'd been convinced that the damn thing could move, and was dodging him.  Easing his way
onto the first step, he allowed himself a glance upwards. The upper exit appeared not to exist.
Daniel had obviously closed it, and knowing the young man, Jack made the assumption that the
upper door was as secure as Daniel could possibly have made it.  One less thing to worry about.
That left the cellar door.

Jack studied the open door for a moment. It opened out, into the cellar. That meant he could
hook it with his foot, pull it as close as possible, then grab it with his hand. Easy enough.
Nothing any one-handed, one-legged slightly arthritic Air Force colonel couldn't manage.  But
how in hell was he gonna lock it?  The door pull was well out of his reach, and his
recollection of the previous night was sketchy at best. Did the damn thing lock automatically
or not? Shit! Okay, he'd settle for getting it closed. Then he'd work on getting as high up the
steps as possible. With any luck ... right, like he'd had some lately ... the creatures
wouldn't notice him. He had enough ammunition for his weapon to take out a few of the things,
and he hoped that none would be drawn by the smell of the now-decaying bodies on the other side
of the cellar. 'Dream on, O'Neill. They'll notice. How could they not?'

Jack's breathing was ragged as the door finally slid shut with a satisfying clank. Closing his
eyes, he opted to rest for a moment before tackling the stairs. A loud scream pulled him from
his thoughts and he realized he'd almost fallen asleep. Taking a deep breath, he placed his
good hand behind him for one more jolt up the stairs.  He'd done two steps already, but knew he
had to get higher. A frown crossed his face as his hand impacted with too familiar pieces of
equipment.  Turning so that he could see, he found extra clips for his weapon.  His frown
deepened as he counted them. Daniel had left his ammunition; from the count, the younger man
had left all but one clip on the steps. That left the scientist alone, and basically unarmed.
"Dammit, Daniel... Why?"

*****

Daniel surreptitiously studied his companions. Elden's facial expression was unreadable, but
Laro's plainly showed fear. At least to Daniel's slightly paranoid state of mind.  The young
archaeologist knew he'd made a major blunder with the clothing, but chalked it up to exhaustion
and fear for Jack's safety as well as that of Teal'c and Sam.  Now if he could only correct his
stupidity. "Laro?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"These Goa'uld whom your people have captured, are they dressed as I am?'

Daniel watched in amazement as the fear in the other man's eyes mounted to sheer terror, but,
to his credit, Laro managed to keep his voice calm. "Actually, ..."

Elden shot his companion a scathing look. "Laro..."

But the warning went unheeded. "... yes, they are."

Daniel feigned a heavy sigh. "It is as I thought. My friends, there were two others to the
south."

Elden whirled on him. "What!"

Daniel nodded hastily. "Yes, but do not concern yourselves. I found them dead ... from a mugger
attack."

The other two men halted to look at him, then Elden spoke up. "Why do you wear the clothing of
a Goa'uld?"

"I was also attacked by one of the creatures," Daniel explained, working what he hoped was just
the right amount of fear into his voice. "My clothing was of little protection after its
assault. See here!"  With that, the lifted the back of his T-shirt to reveal the lower part of
the wound, taking care not to dislodge or reveal his weapon.  The upper portion looked worse,
but since it was  butterflied together, he didn't dare show it. He acknowledged their gasps of
horror with a nod.  "Fortunately my loose clothing prevented the creature from doing more
damage.  The two travelers had extra clothing, such as it is, with them and, as they no longer
had need of it, I took some of theirs.  I apologize if I have frightened you, but I am very
weary, and the wound on my back does pain me somewhat. Please forgive my lapse in memory."

Elden studied him closely before confessing. "We did indeed think you to be Goa'uld, and for
that we apologize. No one as well-mannered, and well-spoken as yourself could ever be one of
those.  As to your injury, we have no medicines with us, but when we reach our home we will
request the healer to look at your injuries.  Redcap, uh, mugger, wounds can be quite insidious
if not properly cared for."

******


"How long has he been gone?"  Spenser asked ... again.

"Five minutes longer than the last time you asked." Anderson's tolerance for repeated questions
was wearing thin.

Lieutenant Hancock frowned. "Back off, Anderson."

The young man had the grace to look embarrassed. "Sorry, sir. Sorry, Spenser."

The other airman shrugged silently as he stared at the door. Anderson watched him watch the
door for a moment, then turned to the lieutenant. "Sir, the major's been gone a long time. You
think something's wrong?"

Hancock barely bit back his own sarcastic comment. "He's okay, Airman. *That* I'm sure of."

Spenser turned to stare at the officer. "How? How can you be so sure?  They could have killed
him, Major Carter, and Mr. Teal'c by now, and we wouldn't know. Not stuck in here."

The lieutenant shook his head. "Not based on my experience. The leader, Vrax-something, wants
an audience. He wants fear. If he was gonna kill even one of them, he'd have all of us there to
witness the execution.  And you're forgetting, SG-1 has a reputation to maintain.  They'd
totally blow it if they managed to die here."

"But Major Feretti's not part of SG-1, sir. What about him?"

"Not now he's not, but you're forgetting that he was part of the original team that went
through the gate and defeated Ra. Can't get much more survivor oriented than that."  Hancock
was relieved to notice that both airmen seemed to relax at his words. Sighing quietly, he
thought. 'Guess I shouldn't mention that Major Kawalsky was *also* part of that team."

******


Elden suddenly looked concerned. "Laro, did you remember..."

The other man stared at him puzzled for a moment. "Oh. No. I, uh, sorry. Should I, now?" He
fumbled at the catch of the soft bag at his side.

"Not yet, idiot. We have to change the message."

Daniel listened to this interchange simultaneously amused and concerned by their words. He
watched curiously as Elden removed what appeared to be paper ... 'wonder how they make that'
... and a writing implement resembling a pen ... 'Whoa! Wonder if it has ink. Oh! It does,
maybe I can get... God, Daniel. Chill!' ... and began to scribble.  After a short moment, he
rolled the paper tightly, and reached for the small metal cylinder that Laro was holding.
'When,' thought Daniel, 'did he pull that out?'  Elden carefully inserted the paper into the
cylinder then nodded at Laro.

The other man smiled, and reached into the soft bag, gently removing a small multicolored bird.
As Daniel watched spellbound, the little creature nuzzled the man's neck then settled on his
forearm, dark eyes never leaving the man's face. Laro stroked the purple, yellow, and white
feathers which made up the bird's head, then carefully turned the bird over.  Elden affixed the
cylinder to one of the bird's legs, then backed away. Laro turned the animal back over, talking
softly as he did so. "Fly home, straight and swift my little one, and bring our news to my Lord
Tiamon."

Daniel gasped. "I thought Lord Tiamon to be near death?"

Elden watched as the little bird disappeared into the distance. "He is. But the bird is one of
his, and will return to his home. Marne, Tiamon's second, will retrieve the message, and the
good news that two of the invading Goa'uld are dead."

*****

Major Louis Ferretti found himself facing a megalomaniac, at least that's how he perceived High
Councilman Vraxas. The man was pacing in front of a well-guarded home, making notations on
documents, giving meaningless orders to innocent bystanders and militia alike, and occasionally
muttering angrily to himself.  He'd barely glanced up as the major arrived.  Vraxas' lack of
interest in the SG-2 commander initially confused the young major, until he realized he was
being used as a pawn in a show of power by the councilman. 'That son-of-a-bitch!' Ferretti
thought angrily. 'I'm worrying about my team. My team's probably ... no, no probably to it. My
team's worrying about me, and that bastard has me cooling my heels out here while he plays God!
Special. Shit, I hope Hancock has the sense to keep working on the escape route.'

The hours went by, and still Vraxas made no move toward his prisoner. Even Ferretti's guards
were becoming anxious, and more than a little bored.  Finally one of the men abandoned even the
pretense of standing watch, and sat down on a nearby rock wall.  *This* action gained the
unfortunate man Vraxas' undivided attention.  "Fool!  You guard the most dangerous creature
known to us, and you would relax your vigil because your feet hurt?"

The startled guard was on his feet in a flash.  "My Lord, I..I..."

Vraxas glared the man into silence.  After a few tense moments, Ferretti cleared his throat.
Vraxas whirled to face the prisoner, announcing in his most arrogant voice. "You, of course,
know whose home this is."

"'fraid not." Ferretti replied shortly.

Vraxas practically snarled at the man. "Lord Tiamon is the resident."

Ferretti looked puzzled. "And I should care exactly why?"

"Your fellow Goa'ulds are currently inside, bearing witness to the consequences of their
actions."

'Damn, this guy talks like he's running for office.'  "To begin with, neither my companions or
myself are Goa'uld.  As for my friends inside the house, they have done nothing wrong and they
aren't Goa'uld either."

"They've given Lord Tiamon a fatal illness."  Vraxas looked smug.

Ferretti smiled wickedly. "Just exactly how do *you* know it's fatal? He's still alive, isn't
he?"

*******


Daniel gulped. "I take it the bird is trained to fly to its home, but will it be safe?"

"There are no flying predators in our part of this world, Daniel. The Martique will be quite
safe.  This is the second such journey this particular bird has made recently. The first was to
warn of the capture of the Goa'uld spies."

"I see."  Daniel fell silent.  His thoughts were once again whirling madly, and he really,
really wished he could just stop and hide somewhere... anywhere.  Once the little bird arrived
at its destination, Daniel knew that Sam and Teal'c, as well as SG-2, would think he and Jack
had been killed. Terrific. That's all they needed. Realizing that the best way to stop their
grief would be to get to their location quickly, Daniel commented. "My friends, I must confess
to some small amount of fear.  It is growing later, see how the sun grows lower in the sky, and
I do not wish to be out in the open again."

Elden nodded. "I agree. We had intended to take shelter for the night in the inner temple, but
your arrival has changed that.  We must return home as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, it
will be almost last light before we arrive.  Come, we must hurry."  He suddenly frowned.
"Daniel, are you feeling any ill effects from your wound? Any dizziness, nausea,..."

"No, but I am very tired." Daniel replied truthfully.

Elden reached into his pouch and handed Daniel a small vial. "This will not prevent infection,
or illness, but it should increase your energy levels for a while."

The young man eyed the green liquid suspiciously, then noticed that Laro and Elden were
watching him closely. "I have never seen this color before. Does it taste as bad as it looks?"

Laro grinned broadly. "Worse."

"Sweet."  Daniel knew he had little choice.  The men seemed friendly enough, and he was too
damned tired to make it much further. Tilting the vial to his mouth, he gagged as the substance
oozed down his throat. Sputtering, he gasped. "Y..you're right ... much, much worse."

******


Teal'c interrupted the dialog between Sam and Marne. "Major Carter, there is really no choice.
Marne is the only one who is able to leave this house freely."

Sam's face fell. "Damn. Vraxas has left us alone so long, I forgot.  Why is he ignoring us,
anyhow?"

Marne frowned. "I do not know. You are correct. It has been too long since we entered here.
Vraxas should have sent guards in to ensure... Oh!"

"Oh?  What's oh?" Sam asked quickly.

The Euloean looked mildly embarrassed. "I should have thought of this before. Vraxas will
permit us to remain with Tiamon until the last possible moment, hoping he will die."

"And if he does, die I mean?"

"Then all of us will be responsible, and Vraxas will be able to execute us, without a trial."

"Oh joy." Sam hadn't felt this helpless or disgusted in a very long time.

"I must make haste. I will search Vraxas' home. Please remain here and try to help Tiamon."

"Uh, Marne. They won't leave us alone in here, no matter what Vraxas may want."

The man grinned broadly. "Vraxas does not know of the tunnel." His grin faded as he recalled
the reason behind the tunnel. "When the Goa'uld first attacked our world with the Redcaps, we
were unprepared for anything that, that violent.  The older homes, like this one, have shelters
or tunnels where the original inhabitants hid from the beasts. Some of the tunnels lead outside
the walls, so that those in the fields could gain safety quickly. Remember, the walls didn't
exist at first so that the tunnels were the only thing that stood been the people and death.
Most inhabitants do not know of them."

"So you're going outside the walls? And will use another tunnel to get back into the village?

"Not exactly. The tunnels also run between some of the homes within the compound. I can get
within one hundred feet of Vraxas' home. I should be able to enter without being noticed."

*****

Sam stared at Marne for a moment, before a moan from Tiamon pulled her attention back to the
tub. "We need to get him out of the water and back into bed, I don't think his fever's gonna
come down anymore."

Marne watched in amazement as Teal'c nodded, and effortlessly lifted the man from the tub.
Grabbing as many towels as he could find, Marne dried his friend off, then followed the Jaffa
back to Tiamon's bedroom. Sam had preceded the group, and was already smoothing the bedclothes
as Teal'c walked in. With surprising gentleness, the Jaffa lowered the sick man onto his bed.
Sam covered him quickly, concerned that he not become chilled, which would result in their
efforts being in vain.

"I must go before it becomes too dark. Vraxas will be forced to claim you for trial at last
light."

"Teal'c, go with him."

"Major Carter..."

"No, Teal'c. If I'm reading the situation correctly, then the symptoms Tiamon is experiencing
are not familiar to the local population. Is that correct, Marne?"

"Yes."  The Euloean answered.

"Okay, then it's possible that Vraxas is not lying when he says this a Goa'uld caused illness."

Teal'c's eyebrows rose. "You believe that he is in possession of Goa'uld devices?"

Sam nodded. "It makes sense. He's power-hungry, wants to rule everything.  If he found items
left by the Goa'uld, I'm betting he'd experiment to see what he had, and what he could use to
his advantage."

Marne frowned. "Perhaps..."

"What, Marne?"

The young man hesitated. "It has been quite some time, but some of the livestock died
mysteriously. The healers never did learn what killed them."

Sam nodded. "Vraxas experimenting. I'll bet on it."

Teal'c looked concerned. "If he has obtained a Goa'uld poison, he may also have Goa'uld
weapons."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"I will accompany Marne, Major Carter. Will you be all correct here?"

"All corr.. Oh."  Sam swallowed a grin. "Yes, Teal'c, I'll be quite all right here."

******


Jack's hand was shaking badly by the time he'd collected the extra clips, and pulled, pushed,
and prayed his way up to the center of the stairwell. He leaned heavily against the wall,
closed his eyes, and tried to steady his breathing. Images of his team plagued him. Teal'c,
with his steadfast loyalty and strength of character, Carter with her amazing scientific acumen
and military mindset, and Daniel of the twenty-plus languages and impulsive nature.  Of the
three, he worried the most about Daniel, but for the life of him, he didn't really understand
why. Dweeb, space-monkey, Danny-boy. It didn't matter what one called him, he always managed to
survive. Ra and his pyramid ship, Apophis and his pyramid ship... no, ships..., Apophis and
Sokar in Hell, Daniel had survived them all.  Odd that he should remember that now. Maybe he
should call him Daniel of the nine-plus lives. He smiled as he recalled the Biblical story of
Daniel and the lions' den. Well, he had a Daniel too, and his Daniel's nemesis was usually a
snake, in some form or other. But not here, not a Goa'uld in sight. Only creatures the likes of
which he'd never seen. Ugly, fierce, blood-thirsty, single-minded creatures. Hmmm. Maybe they
did have something in common with snakes.

A dull thud followed by low growls pulled him out of his thoughts, telling him he was no longer
alone. Terrific. He'd spent years in the military, fighting nameless, often faceless, foes in
hard-to-pronounce places, on-world as well as off-world, and under all kinds of horrific
conditions.  But injured, alone, and in a stairwell? The thought would have been absurd, if it
hadn't been so absolutely terrifying. Well, Daniel the impulsive had left him his ammunition,
and Jack would be damned if it wasn't going to be put to good use. But what of Daniel? Jack
sighed heavily and took another breath. Danny would be okay. He just had to be.

******


Daniel jogged alongside Elden and Laro, pleasantly surprised to find that he could keep up with
the obviously better conditioned men. Whatever that green stuff was, Daniel bet there'd be a
market for it back on Earth. Provided one could overcome the taste.  But at least it left
little or no aftertaste. He was eternally grateful for that. He suddenly found that he was
grinning stupidly, and wondered exactly how much alcohol the stuff contained.  He could feel
the ache in his back from the long gash, but he found he didn't care. And the stitch in his
side. Well, it was back, but again, he didn't care. This was good. Running was ever so much
easier when one could ignore the pain, not to mention the short, gasping breaths. He stumbled
and went to the ground, where he lay for a moment, forcing himself to breathe slowly.  Elden
and Laro covered a few more yards before actually missing their companion.  Turning, Elden
frowned. "Daniel, are you injured?"

The young scientist waved a hand and managed a short, "No. Fine." before struggling to his
feet.

Elden nodded. "Laro, wait on Daniel. I'll scout ahead. I do not want to be caught unawares by
the Redcaps."

As the man jogged away, Daniel staggered slightly causing Laro to move quickly to his aid. A
strong hand steadied him for a moment, then released its grip as Daniel stopped wobbling.
"Thanks, Laro. That green stuff kinda gets to you."

"It would seem so, Daniel.  We must not loiter here. The Redcaps will be abroad soon, and some
may already be..." A beastly scream echoed by a human cry cut off the man's words. Whirling,
Laro cried out in panic as one of the beasts bore down on his friend.  Elden had fallen in his
haste to flee the creature, and now lay sprawled in the dirt, hands over his head, awaiting his
fate.  "ELDEN!"  Laro started toward the man, not entirely sure what he would do, but not
willing to allow his friend to die so easily.

Daniel's eyes widened with horror as the beast closed in. He reached automatically for the
weapon concealed behind his back, and fired quickly at the beast.  The creature's scream of
rage turned into a cough of pain as it collapsed into a lifeless heap on the ground.  As Elden
and Laro turned to stare at him, the only thing whirling through Daniel's mind was 'One shot. I
killed it with one shot. Jack is *not* going to believe this.'

*****

Laro dropped to his knees beside Elden, both men too terrified to do more than stare. First at
the beast, then at Daniel. Finally Laro found his voice. "What manner of weapon is that?"

"Weapon?" 'Oh SHIT!' Daniel gulped. "I, uh, it..."

"You *are* Goa'uld!" The absolute terror in Elden's voice was horrible to hear.

"No, I..."

Laro interrupted. "I..I don't think so, Elden. Why would he have killed the Redcap?"

"To save his own life!" Terror had now turned to fury.

Laro shook his head. "He could have fled while the beast had its way with us. Instead he killed
the creature.  *I* do not think he is Goa'uld."

"I'm not Goa'uld. Look, it's kinda hard to explain. I'm an explorer and I..." Daniel cringed as
he saw the accusatory looks on the Euloeans' faces. "I'm sorry. I...I lied."  Daniel stumbled
over his words in his haste to make amends.

Laro frowned. "Why?"

Elden struggled to his feet, still watching Daniel warily. "You *are* one of those who came
through the gate."

Relieved that the man had not referred to him as 'Goa'uld', Daniel responded. "Yes, my friends
and I are peaceful explorers who travel through the gates, but we are enemies of the Goa'uld.
We fight them wherever we find them."

"Go on."  Elden's arms crossed in front of his chest as he glared at Daniel. Laro stood beside
him, only slightly more relaxed.

"Initially there were four of us. My friend, Jack O'Neill, and I went south to explore. My
friends Samantha Carter and Teal'c went north to the temple to get the flying machine ... we
call it a UAV.  I don't know what happened to cause your people to believe them to be Goa'uld,
but trust me, they're not."

"Exactly why, Daniel, should we trust you?  You've lied to us, claimed to have found dead
Goa'uld to the south. Even claimed to have been attacked by a Redcap. Why should we believe you
now?"

Daniel's eyes widened. What was the old saying ... rock and a hard place?  Terrific. Taking a
deep breath, he responded. "There is no reason to believe me. I did lie before. I am truly
sorry, but I could think of nothing else to do."

Laro interrupted. "Elden, I believe him. And to be fair, if he had admitted to knowing the
prisoners, we would have assumed his guilt as well. He had no choice but to lie."

The archaeologist shook his head. "No. I should have tried the truth. You might have been..."

"No. Laro's correct. We would have assumed your guilt." Elden sighed. "I believe I speak for
Laro as well as myself when I say that we accept your apology, and we thank you for our lives."

Daniel blushed. "Y..You're welcome."

"Is your friend to the south truly dead of a Redcap attack?" Laro asked.

"No. He was badly injured in a fall in the old town.  I have done what I could for him. We were
attacked by the Redcaps, as you call them, as the injury on my back will attest, but were
successful in holding them off. I was forced to leave my friend in search of help. He cannot
travel without assistance."

"What of the other four men?  Who are they?"

"After we failed to return, my people would have sent a search party, but I do not know who
came through the gate."

Elden frowned. "Laro, we must take word to Marne."

"What of Vraxas? He is controlling the trial."

"I fear that our Lord Vraxas has finally revealed his true nature. Unless I am sorely mistaken,
Lord Tiamon has long suspected that man of wishing to rule as an absolute power."  Elden turned
his attention back to Daniel. "We must reach our home before last light. It will be easier to
stop the final proceedings before they begin."

"How will we convince the council that these people are not the Goa'uld?"

"I do not know. Daniel, are you by any chance a healer among your people?"

"No, I've had basic first aid training but that's about it."

"What is 'first aid'?"

"It's, uh, well, uh, kinda 'healer in training' stuff." 'Oh, real good explanation, Daniel.'

"Oh. Pity. The easiest way to convince the council of your friends' innocence would be for
Tiamon to recover, but that does not appear to be likely. Come, we must make haste, we have
tarried here too long."

Daniel looked sadly to the south. "What of my friend in the south?"

Laro looked grave. "We can do nothing for him, Daniel. Even our fastest runners could not reach
him before last light. But we will offer up prayers for his safety in the temple this night."

******


Marne slipped silently from the tunnel, followed by Teal'c. The two men moved stealthily
through the streets, but their caution was unnecessary. There was no one in sight, even Vraxas'
guards were not present. Marne looked concerned. "Hogil and Murdo should be here. I do not like
this."

"Perhaps they are inside."

Marne shook his head. "No, Vraxas would not allow ordinary guards to enter his home."

"Then perhaps he is secure in his control of the situation."

"Yeah. Right. Well, let's go. Now's as good a time as any."  Marne sprinted across the open
space between the tunnel exit and Vraxas' door. To his astonishment, the Jaffa was at his side,
moving as quietly as the much smaller man. Marne knelt beside the lock, and took a small device
from an inner pocket. Teal'c's eyebrows raised, but he said nothing, as the lock clicked, and
the door opened. "Where should we start?"

Teal'c looked around the main room. "Do you know what they were doing when Tiamon collapsed?"

Marne nodded. "I have heard that they were sharing wine in this room. The healers who were
summoned treated Tiamon near the sofa. And look, there is a wine decanter on the table."

Teal'c moved quickly toward the elaborately etched bottle. Removing the cork, he sniffed the
liquid, then poured a small amount into a nearby glass. Dipping his finger into the liquid, he
brought it to his tongue. "This is only wine. Where..." The Jaffa paused as he saw another
glass, partially hidden by a lamp. It held a small amount of the liquid from the decanter, but
the glass immediately above the wine contained a powdery residue. The Jaffa repeated the same
procedure with the powder as he had with the wine. To Marne's amazement, Teal'c immediately
spat the powder residue onto the floor.

"Uh, Teal'c, I..."

"We must return to Tiamon's home, Marne. I have found the poison, and your friend does not have
much time left."

"But...but, the fever is down, and his breathing was much improved."

Teal'c replied glumly. "I am sorry, Marne, but that would have happened regardless of what we
did. It is an effect of the poison used. The poison gives the false impression of recovery,
followed by a sudden, painful death."

As the two men raced for the door, Marne asked. "Can you save him?"

"I do not know."

*****

Sam sat beside Tiamon's bed, gently wiping sweat from his brow and trying to provide such
comfort as she, a total stranger, could. His brief stint with awareness had not made a
reappearance, and she strongly suspected it would not.  She barely knew the man, but she liked
him instinctively, and would be very sorry if he should not survive. She knew, also, that
Vraxas was in one sense correct; she and Teal'c were responsible for Tiamon's illness.  Their
very existence would apparently cost this man his life, even though they had done nothing to
cause his illness directly.  A low moan pulled her from her thoughts, and she carefully
replaced the now dry cloth on his forehead with a cool, wet one. As she attempted to care for
the young man, she once again marveled at Janet Fraiser and her staff.  Their skill and
dedication to the often thankless job of healing caused Sam to realize she'd willingly give a
month's pay for one of them right now.

The sound of wings, and a rustling noise in the outer room piqued her curiosity. Deciding it
was safe to leave Tiamon alone for a short time, she walked into the hall, and had to work to
stifle a giggle. A small bird, about the size of a pigeon, was parading around a small
enclosure. What it looked like in flight, she could only imagine, but on the ground, well,
absurd was the word that came to mind. The enclosure was separated from the hall by what
appeared to be glass. Sam watched, entranced, as the little bird flirted with her through the
glass, it's head feathers doing a lively dance as it sought to gain her attention.  Her eyes
widened as she caught sight of a little band around its leg. "Hmmm, you must be the local
version of a homing pigeon. Wish Marne was here."

******


To Marne's surprise, Teal'c quickly led the way back through the tunnels to Tiamon's home
without once asking for directions.  The Jaffa had spoken not two words since leaving Vraxas'
living area, but Marne sensed his companion was worried. 'However could we have thought these
people were Goa'uld? So quick to judge, and condemn. So slow to realize our ... my mistake.' As
they entered Tiamon's cellar, Marne glanced at the other man. "Teal'c, I must apologize to you
and Samantha Carter, as well as your other friends."

"The ignoble actions of Vraxas, and his supporters, are not your fault, Marne."  Teal'c started
up the stairs, but was stopped by Marne's hand on his arm.

"You misunderstand.  When we found the flying machine-"

"The UAV?"

"I believe that is what you call it. When we found the UAV, I was the one who convinced Tiamon
that it was a Goa'uld device, and that they would come in search of it.  And when Samantha used
the speaking device-"

"The radio."

"Ah, the radio. When Samantha used the radio, Tiamon was convinced that I was correct. I then
sent word back to the High Council of your arrival."

Teal'c nodded in understanding. "There is no need for an apology, Marne, and I am certain Major
Carter will feel the same way. Your world has been visited by the Goa'uld. It is to your credit
that you guard against their return."

******


As the two men entered the hall, Marne spotted the bird in the enclosure and frowned, his brow
wrinkling in concern. Motioning Teal'c into Tiamon's room, Marne continued on past the door
toward the bird and whatever message it might bring. Sam glanced up, surprised, as Teal'c swept
into the bedroom. "Back so soon?"

"Yes, there is Lac'til poison in the wine in Vraxas' living area."  Teal'c knelt quickly beside
the bed. "Has his fever risen?"

"No, but it's not lower either.  Lac'til?"

"Yes, a poison much in favor until approximately seventy-five years ago. It simulates a natural
viral illness, but all attempts to medicate the person affected fail.  Eventually, the victim's
fever lowers to tolerable levels."

Sam groaned. "Does this mean the tub and sponge baths were unnecessary?"

"Yes. The fever would have fallen regardless."

"Okay, so it's a poison. There's obviously a catch."

"Indeed. Once the fever starts to rise again, the internal organs begin to dehydrate, causing
much pain until the person eventually dies. Once the dehydration process begins, there is no
way to prevent it."

"Oh God. Rat poison."

"I do not understand."

"We have similar poisons on earth, used to eliminate small rodents. Nasty, nasty stuff. ... you
said once the fever begins to rise.  Is there an antidote?"

"Yes. Salt."

"Salt?  You mean regular table salt?"

"Actually I believe any form of salt will negate the poison."

"So ... all we have to do is find a little table salt, and he'll be okay?"

Teal'c shook his head. "No. At least a cup of salt must be forced into the stomach within an
hour's time to counteract the Lac'til."

Sam gulped. "Gross. Well, we best find some and get started..." She stopped speaking as Marne
entered the room. "Marne, Teal'c knows the cure and if you'll... what's wrong?"

The other man's eyes were filled with pain. "I am sorry. One of Tiamon's Martiques has returned
with a message from two of our men who were keeping watch over the temple."

Sam braced herself for the worst. "And?"

"They report that two Goa'uld were killed by the Redcaps in the south. I fear they may have
been your friends."

"Oh, God."  Sam slumped to the floor, desperately fighting back tears. "I, uh."

"I am very sorry."  Marne looked gravely at the two SG-1 members. "I..." His words were
interrupted by a voice from the door.

"I am sorry, Lord Marne, last light is upon us, and Councilman Vraxas has sent me to collect
the prisoners, as well as the testimony."

"There is no testimony, Colen." Marne replied reluctantly. "Lord Tiamon was able to give no
evidence, either for or against th...the prisoners."

The other man nodded somberly. "Then by rule of law, the testimony is against them."

Marne cast a guilty eye toward Sam and Teal'c, then responded. "Unless Lord Tiamon is able to
speak when he is called at trial."

The other man nodded, then turned to Sam and Teal'c. "You will accompany me."

Marne held out a hand. "Just a moment, Colen. There is no reason for you to remain. I will
escort them to Vraxas myself."

The other man stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Do not tarry too long, Lord Marne.
Vraxas will not be pleased."

*****

Marne waited until the guard left then extended a hand to Sam. Shaking her head, she rose
slowly, struggling to regain control of her emotions. "You...you're sure they're d...dead?"

"I am sorry. That is what the message says. Perhaps they were mistaken?"

Teal'c shook his head doubtfully. "When we last heard from our ... friends, one had been badly
injured. It is doubtful he would have been of assistance in a struggle with the beasts."

"Teal'c! You can't believe they're dead!"

"I am merely stating that it is possible, but not necessarily true. O'Neill is, among other
things, a survivor."

Sam nodded, oddly comforted by the Jaffa's words. "Fine. We'll continue to work on the
assumption that they're alive, with one, possibly both, badly injured. Now--"

"I am sorry." Marne repeated, guiltily. "We do not have much time, Major Carter, Vraxas
expects--"

"Don't apologize. Not your fault. Teal'c knows how to cure Tiamon." Holding up her hand for
silence as the startled man's eyes widened, she continued. "A cup of salt must be ingested
within a hour from the time you start the treatment."

"Salt?" Marne asked confused.

Teal'c responded. "The Goa'uld refer to it as har'etsur."

Marne's eyes widened even further. "Ah. But that is so simple, so plentiful. Are you sure?"

"I am."  The calm assurance of the Jaffa seemed to spur the young Euloean into action.

"If the guards come for you again, you will be killed on the spot. I will escort you to
Vraxas."  Marne spat the name, then continued.  "Then I will return here as quickly as
possible, and administer the ... salt.  If luck is with us, Tiamon will be able to present his
own evidence at your trial."

******


Daniel ran faster than he could ever remember running. Oh, he'd spent many hours proving to
Jack he could at least keep up with his military trained companions. But never had he been
asked to push his body past endurance. His mind, yes. Body, no.  But he'd never had so many
relying only on him. The lives of all his friends, as well as the unnamed SG team, rested
solely on his shoulders. Always before he could count on Jack, or Sam, or Teal'c to come to his
aid. This time, however, Sam and Teal'c were prisoners ... no help from that quarter. Help,
hell! It was entirely up to him to convince the local population that they weren't Goa'uld. A
hand landed suddenly on his shoulder, causing him to jump, as he was pulled to a halt behind a
small expanse of rocks.

"My apologies, Daniel. Our home is there."  Laro smiled and pointed.

Daniel stared at the walled town.  His first impression was of a prison, designed more to keep
its residents in than to keep the beasts of the night, out. Frowning, he studied the gates.
"The gates don't look as old as the walls or am I wrong?"

Elden replied swiftly. "You are not wrong. The original gates were barred, not solid, and the
bars were wide enough apart to admit a man, but *not* a Redcap, allowing anyone caught out
after last light a safe refuge."

"When did these gates go up?"

"About a year ago. Vraxas..." Elden's words trailed off, and he looked significantly at Laro
before continuing. "...Vraxas said that only those who were 'safe' should be admitted freely.
That it was possible the Goa'uld would return and overwhelm us as we slept."

"And let me guess who decides who's 'safe' ... could it be, Vraxas?"

"It could, and is, Daniel. I fear my people have allowed ourselves to be deceived."

Laro looked around nervously. "This is very odd. I do not see any signs of the Redcaps. By now
at least one or two should be exploring the clearing around the walls near the gate. Do you
suppose the executions have begun?"

Daniel paled. "I..I thought the trial didn't start until last light."

"It doesn't, but under rare circumstances, the trial can be bypassed and the Council can pass
sentence immediately.  If that has happened, well..."

"I know I'm gonna hate the answer, but what exactly is the method of execution here?"

Elden looked grave. "Those sentenced to are die secured to posts outside the walls. The..the
Redcaps do the rest."  The man paused for a moment. "Thinking about it, Vraxas is responsible
for this method of execution."

Daniel sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

******


Jack tensed as more thuds announced even more 'guests'. Silently he counted. 'One, two, three,
four. No, five. Terrific. Five to one. Wish I could get those odds in the next poker game.' A
wry smile played on his lips. 'Right. Next poker game. Sure.' "What the hell?"  He winced as he
realized he'd spoken aloud, but to his relief, the creatures on the other side of the door
didn't appear to notice. Instead, the keening sound that had prompted his remarks intensified,
rising to an almost deafening pitch. 'That's odd, it almost sounds as if they're... mourning
the dead ones. Okay, geese do it. Wolves do it. Maybe it's not so odd, but it sure sounds...
almost human.'

Suddenly realizing his uninjured limbs were growing stiff, he shifted position, barely stifling
a groan as the pain, which had been a dull throb, rose to crescendo proportions. Morphine. That
would be a good thing. And there was one hypo left in his bag. Enough to last until well after
dawn. But if he took it, would he last until dawn?  The last shot he'd managed had reduced him
to mush for ... damn, he wasn't sure how long he'd been out. And with the creatures in the
cellar, he didn't dare lose consciousness. Not too mention that he'd have to put the gun down
to get the drug.  A snarl close to the door made his decision for him. Morphine, and the relief
it would bring, would have to wait. His first priority was survival. He had ... how many shots
did he have left in his gun? Stupid, stupid, stupid. He moaned softly in frustration. Why
couldn't he remember? Fine. He'd just have to look. Couldn't afford not to know when he was
getting close to the end of a clip. Clip? Oh shit. He'd have to put the gun down to check it or
for that matter reload it. God! It was gonna be a long night.

*****

Elden and Laro studied the open area between their not-quite-concealed position and the gates.
Both men knew the speed and stealth of the Redcaps. They also knew that there was no guarantee
the guards on the gate would admit them. Elden whispered to Laro. "Who is on guard this night?"

"I don't know, but the rotation did not have one of Lord Tiamon's men scheduled for another
seven days."

"What of Constor? Or Rania?"

"Possible, but even some of their guards are not to be trusted."

Daniel, for all his pretended disinterest, suddenly interjected. "If I am not with you, will
the gates be opened?"

"Yes." Elden replied simply.

"Well, then--"

Dual voices cut him off. "No, Daniel."

Laro continued alone. "You have saved our lives. To leave you out here would mean certain
death."

"But--"

"No, Daniel." Elden smiled. "We all go, or we all stay."

Daniel shook his head and sighed. "Very well, but why do I get the feeling I just became the
third Musketeer?"

"What?"

"Uh, nothing."

******


Ferretti watched with no small amount of relief as Sam and Teal'c exited the house apparently
unharmed. The little man accompanying them had eyes only for Vraxas. The Councilman, on the
other hand, barely even noticed his existence as he motioned the guards forward to take charge
of the prisoners.

Marne's eyes narrowed as the guards began to bind the prisoners' hands behind their backs.
"There is no need for that."

"*I* think there is." Vraxas nodded toward Ferretti, who was also bound. "He has been less than
cooperative."

Ferretti's eyes widened. "What? Uh, damned straight I'm not cooperative." Silently, he wondered
just what the hell the man was up to.

Sam practically snarled. "Just *what* have you done, Vraxas?"

The councilman looked affronted. "The prisoners may not speak."

"Get a grip, Vraxas, whatcha gonna do ... kill us twice?"

Marne laid a restraining hand on Sam's arm.  "Please, Major Carter. *I* will deal with this."
Turning he faced the older man. "Lord Vraxas. I well understand the protocols of our culture.
As Lord Tiamon's second, it is my duty and my right to determine how best to control the
prisoners. And I say there is no need for bonds." He smiled benignly. "Look around you, Vraxas,
there are armed guards everywhere. What exactly do you expect the prisoners to do?"

"They are Goa'uld. We can expec--"

"*That* has yet to be proven."

Vraxas grinned wickedly. "Tiamon was unable to give evidence, therefore, they are guilty by
default."

"That's *Lord* Tiamon, Lord Vraxas, and he may yet be able to give evidence proving their
innocence.  He has until the third call to present his testimony. Or is this another old way
that has gone by the wayside?"

The older man clinched his fists, then slowly released them, aware that a direct move against
Marne would be a mistake.  Deciding it would be to his advantage to change the subject, Vraxas
smiled. "Was that one of *Lord* Tiamon's Martiques we saw arriving earlier?  I am certain you
will share the message with us."  Vraxas' arms opened wide to encompass the watching crowd.

Sam winced inwardly, and struggled to keep her features neutral as Marne replied. "Indeed, Lord
Vraxas. My men at the temple report strangers dead in the south."

"More vile Goa'uld!"  Vraxas practically spit his retort.

"Strangers I said, Lord Vraxas, and strangers I mean. Now I must remain with my Lord Tiamon.
Lord Altri?"

"Yes, young Marne?"

"I would be honored if you would represent Lord Tiamon until such time as he can represent
himself."

"It would be my honor, young Marne."  Altri eyed Vraxas suspiciously. "And the prisoners will
be treated with honor and dignity, as the *old* ways demand."

******


To the Euloeans' astonishment, the three men reached the safety of the gates without
encountering a single Redcap. Nevertheless, they did not slacken their pace as they raced
across the open ground.  The shelter provided by the gate overhang was of little comfort since
it still left them vulnerable to the beasts who might yet appear.  The watch window slid open
to reveal a pair of concerned, yet suspicious eyes. "Elden? Laro? You were not expected to
return for several days yet."

"Yes, Quin, we encountered a friend who has urgent business with the High Council."

The doors remained closed. "You mean with Lord Vraxas."

Elden spoke up angrily. "Unless the council has been dissolved and replaced with only *Lord*
Vraxas, then no. His business is with the High Council. Open ... the ... gates."

Dark eyes studied the three outside for a moment longer, then the sounds of locks being undone
could be heard. And not a moment too soon as a hunting Redcap screamed outrage from the rocks
where the three had formerly taken cover. A single gate opened slightly, allowing the three men
to slip inside, their breathing only slightly easier behind the protection of the walls.

Quin and the second guard eyed Daniel suspiciously. "He is dressed as the Goa'uld prisoners."

Elden responded quickly. "Then the trial is over?"

"No, Elden. You at least should know that it has only just begun."

"Then why are you referring to the prisoners as Goa'uld?  They have not yet been found guilty."

"I beg pardon, Elden. You are correct, but are you certain this one..." He nodded toward
Daniel. "...does not belong in the holding area with those not on trial?"

Daniel was stunned. "What? Who's not on trial?"

Quin looked mildly affronted by the interruption, but responded anyway. "The four who came
later are not to be tried yet. They arrived too late to be part of this morning's interview
process. Their interview will be tomorrow. The male and female are to be tried this night. As I
was saying--"

"No, Quin, Elden and I will vouch for Daniel. He saved us from one of the Redcaps. He is no
Goa'uld, but he is a friend to the prisoners. The others are being held in the Center complex?"

"All but one. I am told that Lord Vraxas commanded the leader of the second group to attend the
trial."  Quin eyed Daniel with growing respect. "This one saved you from a Redcap?"

"Yes. He did. We must speak to the High Council."

"But...But the Redcaps are a Goa'uld beast."

"Yes. They are."

"But...But that means he cannot be a Goa'uld." Quin was shocked by the revelation.

"No. He cannot be a Goa'uld."

"But..But the others wear the same clothing."

Elden sighed, patience rapidly running out. "Yes. They do. Do you now see why we must speak to
the High Council?"

"Of course, Elden. The strangers cannot be Goa'uld. Lord Vraxas is mistaken. You may go, but
you must hurry. Two of the three bells have chimed for final call."

"Thank you, Quin."

Daniel smiled his gratitude, but was prevented from speaking by Laro as the other man pulled
him along the path toward the center of town. "Come, Daniel, we must be at the arena before the
final call or you will not be allowed to speak."

Daniel stopped abruptly. "Speak?"

"Yes, in the arena. Most of our three hundred plus population will be watching as you present
your testimony to the High Council."

The young archaeologist groaned. "Terrific. Three down, three hundred to go."

*****

Sam noted with gratitude that Marne steadfastly refused to renounce those mentioned in the
dispatch as Goa'uld. She also noted Ferretti's reaction to the news. He knew, as well as she
did, where the other half of SG-1 had gone.  And if the colonel and Daniel were, God forbid,
dead, then the first order of business, after their release, would be to collect their bodies.
A shudder raced through her body as she realized how little might actually be left.

Marne watched silently as Sam and Teal'c were marched rapidly away toward the arena. Turning he
hastened back into the house, praying that, for all their sakes, Teal'c was correct about the
cure.

******


Daniel was breathing heavily by the time Elden and Laro reached the tall walls of the arena.
The sound of many voices, all talking at once, echoed through the oversized tunnels leading
into the arena.  Daniel's eyes widened as he realized the structure was vaguely Roman in
design.  An older man greeted the Euloeans and looked with interest at Daniel. "Hail, Laro,
Elden. You have business with the Council?"

"Yes. Our friend, Daniel, wishes to address the Council at the trial."

"In what capacity?"

"He wishes to speak on behalf of the prisoners."

The guard frowned for a moment. "Interesting. Proceed through to the inner box.  I will add his
name ... Danya?"

The younger man shook his head vigorously. "Daniel."

"... to the list of presenters."

Laro asked quickly. "How many are on the list?"

"Only one. Lord Tiamon, if he still lives at the time testimony is required. I fear he is not
doing well."

Elden nodded slightly. "Thank you, Begrain. Please, keep us informed of any changes in Lord
Tiamon's condition."

"As you wish."  Begrain watched the three men until they disappeared into the inner box.

The door shut behind them, and Daniel leaned wearily against the wall.   Elden eyed their
companion's features with concern. The young archaeologist was pale, and sweating profusely.
"Laro, fetch Healer Ardi. I fear our, uh, tonic has worn off."

Laro barely nodded an acknowledgment and disappeared into the maze beneath the risers.  Elden
took Daniel's arm and pushed him into a sitting position on a nearby stool.

"Elden, I'm fine. Really. We don't have time for this."

"On the contrary, Daniel, we don't have time not to treat your wound.  You will think much more
clearly if your mind is not clouded with pain. And there is less likelihood of long term
effects, if the wound is treated now."

"Long term?  What kind of 'long term'?"

Elden watched amused as Daniel's face changed expression. "Death comes to mind."

******


Louis Ferretti blinked in astonishment at the arena floor outside their holding cell. "Why am I
thinking lions and tigers and bears?"

Sam sighed. "Haven't seen any of those, but the Redcap things make up for it."

Ferretti shuddered. "Is that the name for those things with the teeth, and claws, and smell?"

"Can't vouch for smell but yeah. That's the name, and when we have time, there's a remarkable
story behind..."  Her voice faded away as the cell door suddenly opened, revealing the rest of
SG-2.

"Major Ferretti, Major Carter, Mister Teal'c ... are you all right?  What's going on?"
Lieutenant Hancock quickly crossed the floor toward his commanding officer.

"Hancock, Spenser, Anderson ... are you all right?"  Ferretti moved quickly toward his team.
"Why are you here?  And yes, we're fine. So far."

Hancock shook his head. "I don't know why we're here, sir.  New guards had words with old
guards, and suddenly we were being hustled out of that hut. Had me worried for a moment. Didn't
know *what* they were going to do. Obviously the destination was here ... wherever here is."

"Well, *here* is a holding cell in the arena where the High Council and most of the population
is gathered to watch our trial."  Sam

"Don't worry, Major, we'll get out of this."  Hancock smiled encouragingly at the senior
officer.

Not wishing to disillusion the younger man, Sam replied. "You're right, Lieutenant. Somehow,
this will all turn out okay." 'Just how, I don't know.'

******


"I do not like this, Vraxas. Point of law demands--"

"Point of law demands the interview process, but why should we waste the time when the four who
arrived today are garbed identically with the Goa'uld?"

"Alleged Goa'uld, Vraxas." Lord Altri spoke somberly. "I do not believe that to be sufficient
cause to try the four males for anything."

"They confess to being friends with the male and female on trial!"  Vraxas cried out in
frustration.

"Again, I do not believe that to be sufficient cause to do away with points of law, Vraxas, and
the vote must be unanimous. Even if you gain the support of the remaining Councilors, I will
remain the lone dissenting vote."  Altri replied, then swiftly left the room.

Vraxas' eyes grew dark with rage as the other man disappeared through the door. "KRAGO!"

A handsome face peaked around the door frame. "You bellowed, my Lord?"

Vraxas glared at the impertinent youth. "Krago, Lord Altri will not support me.  The other four
are to be interviewed in the morning. Damn the man!"

Krago shrugged his shoulders as he entered the room. "Then I should have the others returned to
the jail?"

The older man's eyes narrowed, then a slow smile spread across his lips. "Nooo. Keep them in
the holding cell. When the evidence proves the original Goa'uld guilty, I shall put the fate of
their friends in the hands of the crowd. You do know how to stir up a crowd, don't you, Krago?"

"Yes, my Lord. No problem at all."

******


Daniel braced himself for the worst as Ardi removed his shirt, and clucked sympathetically at
the sight of the wound.  Without warning the healer poured a noxious smelling liquid down the
gash. It took all the control Daniel could muster not to scream as the liquid boiled in the
wound. Every nerve ending in his body seem to race to either side of the gash vying for their
turn to give the young man pain. The little healer hummed absently as he applied a cool salve
to the gash, then dressed it with bandages.  Daniel breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Healer
Ardi deftly finished his work. The throb, which the injured man had assumed was to be
permanently part of his life, was gone, and to Daniel's surprise he felt almost ... good.

"You are better now."  Healer Ardi commented.

"Yes, thank you, I am." Daniel responded before he realized it had not been a question.  The
little man nodded, then disappeared from the room without further comment.  Daniel looked after
him. "How very odd."

"Healer Ardi is very skilled with wounds such as these."  Elden smiled. "I am glad he could
help you."  The sound of a horn echoed through the chamber. "Final call. Are you ready,
Daniel?"

"Yes."  The younger man feigned confidence he didn't feel. 'Considering I have no idea what I'm
going to say.'

******


The door to the arena opened, and an over-sized guard motioned for Sam and Teal'c to accompany
him. SG-2 quickly positioned themselves between the door and the SG-1 duo.  Teal'c shook his
head. "Major Ferretti, the offer is much appreciated, but it will not work.  Please allow us to
leave the cell."

Ferretti frowned. "The colonel will have my hide--"

Sam smiled in gratitude. "Teal'c's right, Major, and look at the bright side ... I just might
be able to talk our way out of this mess."

The SG-2 commander sighed. "Ya think?"

*****

Jack's eyes suddenly shot open as a loud scream echoed in the cellar. 'What?...'  Blinking in
confusion, he glanced around him in the darkness. 'Shit. Went to sleep. Unbelievable. Cannot do
that again.' With the door shut, there was only the vaguest beam of moonlight shadowing the gap
under the door.  Just enough to tell when one of the beasts came close to the door but not
enough to provide any kind of visual aid in the stairwell. He couldn't even see his own hand in
front of his face. But dark was good. Dark would allow him to see the creatures in the doorway
before they saw him. Unless their night vision was unusually good. 'Of course it's good,
O'Neill, the damn things hunt at night.'  As he tightened his grip on his weapon, he sent a
silent pray winging its way heavenward that the creatures wouldn't be able to get the door
open.

******


Teal'c led the way onto the arena floor, unobtrusively positioning his body between the guards
and Sam.

The young major moved quickly to his side and whispered. "Thanks, Teal'c, but I can take care
of myself."

The Jaffa studied her face for a moment before nodding his concurrence with her statement.
Whatever might happen, he knew she would handle it honorably and with great courage.

The pair once again found themselves facing the council and Vraxas.  The man smiled
unpleasantly, then announced. "It appears that you have some champions, Goa'uld scum."

Neither Sam nor Teal'c bothered to reply.  Vraxas frowned at their reticence. Clearing his
throat, he continued. "Will Dan'ya step forward to give testimony?"

"That's Daniel, my Lord."

It was all Sam could do not to cry out with delight as Daniel Jackson stepped onto the podium
near the council.  Even Teal'c looked decidedly pleased as he saw Daniel appear above them.
Sam's thoughts whirled as Daniel moved into position. 'Thank God the colonel was mistaken.
Daniel looks okay. Wonder where the colonel is? Get a grip, Sam. He's obviously in hiding with
one of his backup plans in case Daniel can't outtalk melon-face up there.'  Shaking her head
she allowed herself a covert nod of encouragement at the young archaeologist, then settled back
to watch the show.

******


Daniel paced impatiently in the tunnel, hoping that the guard had actually gotten him added to
the list of speakers, and hoping that he would somehow find the correct words to free his
friends.  Suddenly the echoes of many conversations died away, and Daniel realized that the
prisoners must be in the arena. A deeply arrogant voice began to speak, and it took Daniel a
short moment to realize that this must be one of the councilmen.  But which one?  From the
arrogant tone, Daniel concluded it must be that Vraxas person Elden and Laro kept speaking of.
He forced himself to pay closer attention as the words 'Goa'uld scum' came easily to the other
man's lips, followed by "Will Dan'ya step forward to give testimony?"

The guard motioned him toward the stairs, causing the young man to suddenly understand that the
guard outside had recorded the name wrong anyway. "That's Daniel, my Lord."  He announced
modestly as he moved from the tunnel where nothing was visible to the podium where a massive
crowd watched his every move. And there, on the arena floor below, stood Sam and Teal'c,
unbound and apparently no worse for wear, but obviously delighted to see him. 'So word of our
deaths has reached here. Terrific.'   Their footprints could be clearly seen in the dirt floor,
and, as he gathered his thoughts, he briefly allowed his vision to follow them back toward the
holding cell.  To his relief, the other SG team was standing in the cell, hands gripped on the
bars, with Ferretti looking unusually happy to see him. The SG-2 major gave him an encouraging
thumbs-up, almost causing Daniel to lose his composure.  Daniel tore his eyes away from his
friends, as well as the crowd of suspicious onlookers, to face the High Council. "My Lords, and
Ladies. I am Daniel of the Tau'ri.  I have traveled from a distant land in search of
friendship, and knowledge as well."

******


The screams coming from the cellar sent resounding waves of fear through the normally
unflappable colonel. Shock, pain, exhaustion, and concern for his team combined for a last
ditch effort to pull him into despair. The darkness closed around him, resulting in an
overpowering feeling of suffocation, and for another horrifying moment the screams transported
him back to a 4 by 4 cell in an unnamed Iraqi hellhole. Shaking his head he forced his way back
to his present hellhole, ignoring the moisture on his face as he did so.  He knew his only hope
for survival was to remain alert, but that was becoming increasingly difficult. Three faces,
two fair, one dark, circled in his mind, accusing him of negligence, and terminal stupidity.
Sam, in an uncharacteristic display of temper, berated him for not first completing the mission
as stated before exploring the lay of the land. And he could hear the anger in Teal'c's voice
as the Jaffa denounced the separation of the team in unknown territory as fool-hardy.  And
Daniel, Daniel's emotionally volatile face spoke volumes about dying alone, rendered limb from
limb by the creatures of the night.

Jack sucked in a ragged breath as a the door below him rattled, then released it with a almost
soundless huff as the beast moved away. So far, so good. Apparently they didn't know about
doors.

*****

Daniel tore his eyes away from his friends, as well as the crowd of suspicious onlookers, to
face the High Council. "My Lords, and Ladies. I am Daniel of the Tau'ri.  I have traveled from
a distant land in search of friendship, and knowledge as well."  He paused, allowing his first
spoken words to quiet the remnants of conversation throughout the arena. Once satisfied that
all eyes and ears were on him, he continued. "My people devote much time and energy to
gathering knowledge and learning of other peoples. They also wish to share the knowledge they
have learned, and have a desire to speak with the leaders of each new people to discuss the
possibility of peaceful, and profitable, trade relations."

He paused to take a breath and study the impact of his words on the High Council.  He smiled
inwardly as Lord Vraxas' eyes widened at the mention of profits. "But I digress. It is my
understanding that the male and female on the arena floor are on trial, but I have no knowledge
of their crime. Perhaps Lord Vraxas could enlighten me."

Councilman Vraxas smugly approached the podium, nodded almost politely to Daniel, and spoke to
the crowds. "They are accused of having, and using, Goa'uld devices."  The man paused as a
disgusted murmuring ran through the crowd.  He allowed the tension to build for a moment before
continuing. "Then, of course, they failed the interview. And lastly, but most importantly, they
have inflicted an almost certainly fatal illness on Lord Tiamon."  Angry jeers from the crowd
told Daniel exactly how popular Lord Tiamon was.  Vraxas nodded to the crowd. "And of course,
that alone would have been sufficient to bring them to trial, where by the old laws, they must
face their accusers."  There was no warmth in the smile the councilman turned on Daniel as he
returned to his place with the Council; the young scientist knew he was treading on extremely
thin ice.

Daniel turned to the council. "May I see the Goa'uld devices?"

At the nod of a councilwoman, a guard approached Daniel and handed him one of the SG-1 radios.
Daniel turned it over in his hand, and pointed to the symbols on the side. "Tell me, my Lords
and Ladies, are these Goa'uld writing?"

The councilwoman who'd turned over the radio responded. "We cannot say, my Lord Daniel, for we
have never seen Goa'uld writing."

"Ah, but the Goa'uld used boxes such as these for communicating?"

A second council member responded quickly. "No, their devices were round or at least that is
what the old stories say."

"So... you do not recognize either the writing or the shape of the device as belonging to the
Goa'uld?  Why then do you assume the device to be of Goa'uld construction?"

Vraxas angrily retorted. "If not Goa'uld, then whose?"

Daniel looked grave.  "That is not for me to say. I would rather the council make that
determination."  He looked pointedly at the men and women of the council.  After a shorter
debate than he'd thought possible, one of the councilman announced somberly. "We have
determined that the supposition that the device is of Goa'uld construction was incorrect.  It
was based on a false assumption and must be invalidated."

Daniel tilted his head, and nodded his approval of the action, but before he could respond,
Vraxas angrily spoke. "Irrelevant, they failed the interview this morning. The trial
continues."

"But my Lord Vraxas," Daniel spoke softly, "If I am understanding the process correctly, the
suppositions behind this morning's interview were invalid, therefore the entire interview
process was ... invalid."

Vraxas sputtered an obscenity under his breath as the majority of the council nodded their
agreement with Daniel's words.  He glared for a moment at Daniel, then smiled slightly.
"Explain Tiamon's illness then, Daniel.  They are responsible for this illness."

Daniel gulped, took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then responded. "Lord Tiamon's illness
came on him suddenly, I assume, while he was in the company of the prisoners?"

"No, it came on later, in my home. The man collapsed to the floor in great pain."

"Soooo, the prisoners were nowhere in the vicinity when he collapsed?"

"NO!  They had poisoned him earlier in the day!"

"I would have thought them to be bound and confined during their journey here. Are you telling
me that Lord Tiamon allowed them to have access to his food and water?"

"Of course not, procedure required them to be bound immediately upon arrest."

"Ah, so you are saying that their presence alone was enough to make Lord Tiamon ill?"

"That is possible."  Vraxas' voice held a hard, almost frightened edge.

"Then why has no one else become ill?  Could it be that Lord Tiamon's illness had nothing
whatsoever to do with the prisoners?"

"NO! It was them and their Goa'uld devices."

"I thought we'd already established that the devices were not Goa'uld."

"I.."

"Enough, Lord Vraxas."  Lord Altri interrupted. "The young stranger is correct. The first two
points of law have been discarded, and I for one, am having trouble believing the third without
the others.  The ancient laws of justice demand that all three points of law be established
before a conviction can be made.  Lord Daniel, do you perhaps know where this strange device
comes from?"

"Yes, my lord. It originates from the Tau'ri.  The symbols belong to the Tau'ri, and the
device, called a radio, is of Tau'ri construction. The technology behind it is one of the items
the Tau'ri use in trade negotiations."

"Indeed. Such a device, if it can be made to perform again, would be most beneficial to our
people."

"I am certain that the Tau'ri can make it function again." Daniel replied with more confidence
than he felt. "However, I find your 'points of law' to be most fascinating.  The Tau'ri also
have a long tradition of justice, believing that all parties have the right to speak, and be
heard."

"That is one of our most fundamental principles, Lord Daniel."  Lord Altri was obviously
impressed.

Daniel nodded. "But the Tau'ri and the Euloeans share more than a love of justice; they share a
common enemy ... the Goa'uld."

"What do you mean, Lord Daniel?" Lord Altri asked before Vraxas could respond.

"The Tau'ri have been in conflict with the Goa'uld for many years.  Like the Euloeans, they
have suffered much at the hands of those evil beings.  An alliance against them would benefit
both our peoples.  I beg you to find my friends," he nodded toward the arena floor, "innocent,
and to release all of my friends so that we may embark on a new and beneficial alliance between
our peoples."

******


Krago watched from the back of the stadium as Daniel finished speaking. At Vraxas' direction,
he'd strategically positioned men throughout the stadium seats.  He smiled as he watched the
mob cheer 'Lord Daniel's' words.  Well, let the young Tau'ri have his moment of glory. It
wouldn't last long.  Krago well understood the laws of the crowds. It would take very, very
little to instigate a riot. A riot in which all of the prisoners would die. And of course, so
would Lord Daniel. Krago had seen the look Vraxas had bestowed upon the young man.  The agent
had no doubt that when the riots began, Lord Daniel would be the first to die.

*****

It happened so quickly Jack almost missed it. Almost. He hadn't realized his eyes had closed
... not that it really mattered in the dark... until the door crashed open. The moonlight in
the cellar outlined an ominous form in the doorway as the colonel's eyes popped open. Jack
remained absolutely motionless as the creature studied the stairs. With a low growl, the beast
pushed aside the splinters of the door, and eased its bulk onto the first step. The injured
man's hand tightened around his weapon, easing it into a firing position, and praying the thing
on the stairs wouldn't notice his movement.  A sudden angry snarl erupted from the creature's
lips as it lunged towards its intended victim.

The first shot succeeded only in slowing it down. It took another to stop it completely.  The
snarl changed into a strangled squeak as it fell backwards down the steps, completing the
destruction of the door as it died.  A whimper of relief was overshadowed by the knowledge that
there were more creatures to come. And at two shots per beast, he doubted he would survive the
night. "Oh God, Daniel. Someone. Please, I don't want to die alone."

******


Councilman Vraxas had been loudly squelched in his attempt to continue the presentation of
evidence, and the council had moved to their chambers to discuss what manner of action to take.
Daniel remained glued to the stage area as he waited for the high council to come to a
decision.  He *really* wanted to pace, but there were entirely too many eyes on him at the
moment.

The soft murmurings of the crowd in the stadium gave him no real indication of their
sentiments, but he knew instinctively that should they be against him, things could go terribly
wrong very quickly.  He didn't dare look at Sam and Teal'c as they waited patiently on the
arena floor. Not for the first time did he find himself admiring their stoic calm and endless
patience.

******


Daniel had been brilliant, positively brilliant.  Sam could think of no other word to describe
his presentation in their defense.  She positively gloated over Vraxas' discomfiture as he
reluctantly accompanied the council to their chambers.  The man had been positively green.

She felt rather than saw Teal'c's steady form standing motionless beside her. Though every
fiber of her being want to jump for joy, shouting praises of Daniel's defense strategy, she
stood frozen, not daring to move. Rooted to the ground. Not so much from fear... more from a
desire to avoid undue attention. She wanted nothing to distract the council ... wherever they
were ... from their decision.

Sam allowed herself a glance upwards at Daniel, who stood calmly on center stage.  Terrific.
Teal, calm and stoic beside her. Daniel, calm and stoic above her.  Did nothing phase those
two?  She was a bundle of nervous energy. How could they be so infernally calm?

******


Teal'c watched Sam as she stood quietly in the sand. She possessed a calm which he did not
share. He had long admired her intelligence and courage, but this stoic side was one with which
he was not familiar.  Samantha Carter was a warrior, tall and proud, representing the best that
the Tau'ri had to offer.

A slight tilt of her head drew his attention to follow her line of sight ... straight to
Daniel.  The Jaffa studied the equally calm archaeologist, marveling silently at the strength
of his arguments. The young man possessed a wisdom far beyond his years. That he was not a
warrior did not matter to the Jaffa. Daniel Jackson was a scholar, a teacher. But more than
that, the young civilian was a man whose courage and loyalty could not be questioned.

A roiling in his abdomen drew his attention to the infant Goa'uld. He struggled to calm his
runaway emotions, knowing that the young Goa'uld would not settle down until his own feelings
were under control. He would follow the example set by Daniel and Sam ... surely if the young
Tau'ri could remain so stoically calm, the former First Prime of Apophis should be able to
follow suit.

******


A sudden stirring of the crowd alerted Daniel that the council was returning. He felt himself
tensing in anticipation, and gave himself a slight shake to steady his nerves. He attempted to
control his elation as he saw the sour expression on Vraxas' face.  Lord Altri nodded a
greeting, then motioned for the crowd to grow still. As the councilman walked almost casually
toward the podium, Daniel felt as if he would explode.  His excitement ebbed as his attention
was drawn to Vraxas.  The dour expression was gone, replaced by an almost eager anticipation.
Daniel frowned slightly as he realized the older man was searching the crowds for something.
The young man started violently as Lord Altri spoke his name. He focused his attention solely
on the speaker, and while ignoring Vraxas was easy, ignoring the sinking feeling in the pit of
his stomach was not.

Altri smiled broadly as he motioned Daniel to join him on the podium. "And we have our friend
Daniel to thank for preventing a serious miscarriage of justice.  Lord Daniel, the council is
pleased to announce that we find *all* of your friends innocent of all charges.  They are
free."

******


Krago watched closely as Vraxas gave the signal.  Immediately the young Euloean shouted. "But
what of Lord Tiamon?  He is *dying*!"  He restrained his glee as his pre-positioned allies gave
similar shouts.  Moments later the citizens nearest the rabble-rousers also took up the cry.
Krago watched for a moment then rushed the nearest gate screaming. "Death to the strangers!"
His cohorts did likewise, gathering support from the crowd as they attempted to tear down the
gates.

From his position on the podium, Lord Altri was momentarily stunned into silence.  Finding his
voice, he shouted for the guards to control what was fast becoming a riot.

Daniel stared in horror at the chaos surrounding him. The crowds in the stadium were trying to
beat down the gates, and there were not nearly enough guards to protect Sam and Teal'c from the
angry mob.  Leaning forward he shouted urgently. "Sam! Teal'c! Get up here! Quick!"

The two SG-1 members wasted no time in rushing for the narrow stairs leading to the stage.  Sam
hit the steps, taking two at a time, not realizing that Teal'c was no longer behind her.
Instead the Jaffa had suddenly become motionless in the sand, shouting urgently. "Daniel
Jackson, behind you!"

*****

Teal'c's cry of alarm disappeared in the cacophony of sight and sound now encompassing much of
the arena.  His sudden stop and widened eyes, however, had not gone unnoticed by the concerned
archaeologist. Instincts he didn't know he had took over as the young man whirled, and
successfully dodged an attack from a nearby Euloean.  The short blade missed his back by inches
as he twisted out of its path. Daniel's quick turn saved his life, but cost him his balance and
he hit the floor, face first, with a bone-wrenching thud which knocked the wind out of him. He
lay prone, desperately trying to pull air into uncooperative lungs.

The guards had left the stage in an effort to control the riot, and the few council members who
had not fled to safety were watching the melee on the arena floor.  Rather than flee after his
failed assault on Daniel, his attacker took advantage of the young man's defenseless condition
and moved in, intent on finishing what he'd begun.

******


The few guards in the holding area had likewise abandoned their posts, joining the stadium
officials in riot control.  Ferretti saw Daniel's danger at the same moment as Teal'c, but was
prevented by the distance to the stage from even attempting a warning cry.  Instead he turned
to Lieutenant Hancock. "Get that corridor door open."

Airman Spenser grinned, "We're escaping, sir?"

"Negative, Spenser, we're heading into the breach."

"Sir?"

"You, Hancock, and Anderson are gonna do what we can to help with crowd control, hopefully this
mess will end before anyone gets hurt."

Anderson just gaped at him. "But...But they were holding us prisoners. They were gonna kill
Major Carter and Mister Teal'c. Shit, sir, someone's trying to kill Dr. Jackson right now!"
The young man's eyes widened as he finally saw what his CO had already seen.

"Hancock!"

"Got it, sir." The lieutenant quickly kicked the stubborn door wide open, and glanced into the
corridor. "No one in sight. Anderson, Spenser, you're with me!" Without waiting another second
the lieutenant disappeared into corridor, closely followed by Spenser.

Anderson hung back a moment, confused by the seemingly stupid behavior of his commanding
officer.  Ferretti's barely controlled snarl of "Move it, Anderson!" brought him to his senses,
allowing military discipline to override his few remaining doubts, and he hurried to catch up
with his team.  The major allowed himself a quick glance through the bars at the rather one-
sided fight on the stage. Knowing he would not be in time to save his friend, he could only
pray that the colonel was close by.

******


Sam heard Teal'c's warning cry, and redoubled her efforts to get to the stage, this time with a
new purpose, helping Daniel. To her horror, she found the stairs circled back behind the stage
rather than leading directly to it. Grumbling "what kind of idiot builds steps like these"
under her breath, she elbowed aside a guard heading for the arena, and began taking two steps
at a time. This whole damned mission had been one blunder after another. Nothing, absolutely
nothing had gone right, but at least Daniel didn't appear to have been badly hurt. Unless, of
course, he was hurt now. 'Okay, Colonel, now would be a really good time for you to make an
appearance.'

******


Teal'c did not bother with the steps. He raced straight for the platform, searching for a hand-
hold as he ran. To his absolute disgust, there was none. Cursing silently, he turned in mid-
stride for the stairway, noting quickly that Louis Ferretti was closing on his position. Teal'c
pointed toward the platform, receiving a quick nod of understanding from the major. Ferretti
picked up his pace and raced to join Teal'c at the bottom of the platform.  Cupping his hands
together, the Jaffa nodded approval as the man never broke his forward movement. The major's
foot hit Teal'c's hands hard, but the Jaffa never noticed as he hurled Ferretti into the air
with a strength the younger man envied. Teal'c again nodded with relief as Ferretti caught a
hand-hold and pulled himself onto the stage, just as a loud horn resounded throughout the
stadium.

******


Vraxas kept one eye on the surging crowds, and another on his assassin. The imbecile had
managed to miss this Lord Daniel person ... how, Vraxas was not quite sure, but that was
irrelevant. The fool had been expendable from the start. The angry councilman focused all his
attention on the assassin as the man dove in to finish the job.  Vraxas smiled as he caught
sight of the leader of the other team of strangers running across the arena floor, knowing that
the man would not be in time to save Daniel. A strangled gasp reached his ears, and he turned
to allow himself a moment to gloat over the corpse, before personally taking the life of the
assassin.  His eyes widened with surprise, and no small amount of horror, as the body of his
hired killer sagged to the stage floor, Daniel's knife buried deeply in his chest.  The sound
of Vraxas' infuriated scream was completely concealed by the sounding of a loud horn.

******


Marne blew again into the horn's mouthpiece, this time producing a range of sounds even louder
than before. Satisfied that many among the would-be rioters were now watching him, he motioned
for someone to join him on the watch tower, just above the stage.  Gasps of astonishment joined
with cries of delight as Lord Tiamon moved to stand beside his friend.  The taller man waved to
the crowd, and started to speak, only to have his words drowned out by the delighted cries of
"Tiamon! Tiamon! Tiamon!"

******


Krago slowed his own pace, allowing many in the crowd to go around him. He had no desire to be
caught in the middle of a riot, and from the looks of things this was rapidly becoming one.
Well, Vraxas had paid him handsomely to start a diversion, and Krago was certain the councilman
had gotten his money's worth. He grinned as he watched the futile efforts of the strangers to
reach this Daniel person in time to stop the assassin.  His grin faded as a horn sounded,
drawing his attention upwards to the tower. Marne? Surely the man would be with Lord Tia....
The horn sounded again, interrupting his concentration. His eyes widened with astonishment as
Tiamon joined Marne on the tower.  Thinking quickly, Krago started a cry of "Tiamon! Tiamon!
Tiamon!"  His lone voice was soon joined by those around him.

******


Daniel sat gasping on the stage, too stunned to even give in to the horror of his assailant's
death.  He'd gone for his own knife, just like he'd been taught, intending to use it to fend
off the other man. But, he'd rolled into the assassin's legs sending the man tumbling straight
onto his blade.  He winced as the sound of a horn came from directly above him. Loud, very
loud. Daniel's confused mind couldn't come to terms with the events around him as the crowd
began to grow silent. A second horn quickly followed the first and suddenly he found himself
surrounded by his friends. Sam immediately fell to her knees beside him, pulling him into an
enthusiastic hug.  Releasing him, she glanced upwards as cries of "Tiamon! Tiamon! Tiamon!"
reached her ears. Grinning broadly she waved to the young Lord.

Teal'c allowed himself a moment to nod to Lord Tiamon, then returned his attention to Daniel.
Extending his hand, he pulled Daniel to his feet. The Jaffa spoke in his most pleased tone. "It
is good to see you well, Daniel Jackson."

Ferretti clapped him on the shoulder. "Reports of your injuries appear to have been
exaggerated."

"H..huh? Wh..hat?"  The young man stammered in confusion.

Sam smiled. "The radio message from the colonel saying you'd been hurt. It sounded pretty
serious. Should've know..." Her voice trailed away at the look on Daniel's face.

"Not me. Jack. He fell. He's got a broken leg, and I think a broken clavicle. I had to leave
him alone in the cellar, and the beasts, dear god, the beasts may have gotten him by now."

Sam stared in astonishment at Daniel. "The *colonel's* hurt?"

"O'Neill has been injured?"  Teal'c's eyebrows rose to the peak of his forehead.

Ferretti gasped. "Jack's the one who got hurt? Unbelievable."

Daniel looked hurt. "Hey, I'm not always the one who..." His voice faded away as all eyes
turned in his direction. "...What?"

*****

The crowd in the stadium had gone from violently hostile to openly enthusiastic in a matter of
minutes.  Tiamon's unexpected appearance on the tower had succeeded in doing what the guards
could not ... quelling the riot.  The young Euloean smiled and waved, as he searched the stage
for his adversary.  Vraxas, however, was nowhere to be seen. The older man had fled the moment
Tiamon's name began to be chanted.  Although back from the brink of death, Tiamon was still
very weak. Marne kept a supporting hand unobtrusively glued to his friend's elbow as the young
Lord acknowledged his supporters.  "Marne, I do not see Vraxas anywhere." Tiamon spoke to his
friend quietly, never taking his eyes off the crowd.

Marne leaned closer. "It would not surprise me to find him already out of the city."

"At night? With the Redcaps so near?"

The little man frowned. "True. It would indeed be foolhardy for anyone to venture outside the
walls alone right now. But don't worry, Laro and Elden will find him."

Tiamon nodded, turning his attention to Sam and Teal'c on the stage below. "Marne, I am
concerned about our friends. They should be relieved to be found innocent, and I know they were
glad to see me well. But something is not right."

Marne studied the figures below. "Sam and Teal'c were very concerned about Daniel, but he is
with them below. I will go find out. Will you be all right here by yourself? You are still
weak."

"I'll be fine, Marne. Don't worry, I'll just sit and wave until the people calm themselves."

******


Sam's mind whirled as she listened to Daniel's words. O'Neill, injured? All this time she'd
been thinking it was Daniel.  Guilt threatened to overwhelm her emotions as she recalled
wondering why the colonel had not come to Daniel's aid. Taking a deep breath, she forced
herself to concentrate on Daniel's brief description of the colonel's condition. Broken leg,
broken collar-bone. Okay, well O'Neill wouldn't be walking anywhere anytime soon. Even with a
crutch or a cane, the broken collar-bone would make traveling difficult at best. "Daniel! You
said broken bones? How about bleeding, concussion?"

"He may have a concussion, but he's not bleeding. God. We've got to get back to him, the
beasts..."

"The Redcaps know of his location?"  Teal'c's normally placid voice held an unusual note of
concern.

"Yes, they attacked us last night. Jumped into the cellar. But I had to leave him this morning
to get help. He couldn't travel. Please, we've got to hurry. I left Jack my ammo, but I don't
know if he had enough..."

"Whoa, Daniel," Ferretti interrupted the frantic flow of words, "there's no way to leave until
dawn. It's just too dangerous."

Sam bristled at his words. "Major, this isn't a stranger. This is Colonel O'Neill we're talking
about."

"I understand that, Major," Ferretti emphasized her rank slightly as he replied. "But my team
has spent one night in the open surrounded by those things.  It was only because we had some
scant cover near the 'gate that we managed to survive."

"But..."  The objection came simultaneously from Daniel and Sam.

Ferretti shook his head. "No. O'Neill will have my hide if I put his team in danger
needlessly."

"Needlessly?"  Daniel was furious. "*Jack* wouldn't..."

"Yes, he would."  Ferretti replied with a forced calm that in no way reflected his true
feelings. The fact that Jack O'Neill had not even attempted to accompany Daniel spoke volumes
about the colonel's condition. "And since I'm the ranking officer, something you need to
remember, Daniel, we're staying here until it's safe to travel."

"Your comrade is correct. You will do your injured friend no good if you die in the attempt to
reach him. However, there might be a way to help him or at least leave earlier than first
light."  Marne had arrived in time to hear some of the argument. He motioned to the crowds
below, their chants growing louder with each wave from Tiamon. "Let us take this discussion
indoors where we do not have to speak quite so loudly. Lord Tiamon will join us as soon as he
is able."

******


If anything, it was darker than before, leaving Jack wondering how much longer until dawn. He
didn't know when the moon had gone down, but it terrified him that he hadn't even noticed.
Just how long had he been in lala land anyway? God. Those...those things could have charged up
the stairs and ripped his throat out before he could've even reacted. Hell, for what it was
worth he could've taken the morphine - he couldn't have been any more unaware than he'd been a
few moments ago.  And he was quite certain he'd be feeling a lot less pain.

Jack sighed heavily, and shifted slightly away from the wall, trying to stretch unused, stiff
muscles. He gasped audibly, and clamped down on his lower lip to stifle a groan as his good leg
contorted into a cramp. Frantically, he stretched the offending leg out, and twirled his ankle,
cursing under his breath as the muscles tried to tie up in knots. For a moment he almost lost
his grip on his weapon, but the noises coming from below served as a pointed reminder of his
predicament.

The growls in the cellar increased in volume, but at least none of the creatures had made a
move toward the stairs since the first had fallen backwards through the doorway very, very
dead. As his leg muscles began to relax, Jack breathed a sigh of relief and turned his full
attention back to the creatures. He could hear the snuffling noises as the things continued to
investigate their most recent fatality. With a start, he suddenly realized the creatures were
... afraid. Okay, that was fair. So was he.

******


"Okay, how? When?" The words tumbled from Daniel's mouth as the small group entered the
sanctuary of the council chambers. From this sanctuary the cheers from the stadium were no more
than whispers in the night.

Marne smiled grimly. "The Redcaps are very sensitive to light. Normal torch light does not
affect them. However, enough of them in close proximity have been known to keep them at bay."

"Great!  If we put enough torches together, we can..."

"How many torches?"  Ferretti interrupted Daniel's excited words.

"If all your people go, plus myself as guide, then two to three apiece should be sufficient."

"And our equipment? Our weapons? Packs?"

"They shall be returned to you, but I do not know how you will carry all your things and two
torches each."

Sam smiled and slapped her forehead. "The flashlights. You're thinking of the flashlights,
aren't you Major?"

Ferretti nodded. "We noticed last night that the beam frightened the things. If we attach the
flashlights to our packs, then we should be able to cut down to the SG teams carrying only one
torch. We still have a problem, though."

"What?"

"Jack needs medical attention."  Ferretti didn't bother to voice his fear that the man was
already dead. "And the DHD won't work."

"What is this 'DHD'?"  Marne asked suspiciously.

"The pedestal with the symbols from the 'gate on it."

"Oh. I can help you here as well."  Marne held up his hand to forestall their comments. "When
word came down that the Goa'uld had returned, some of the crystals were replaced with false
ones. We will take the real ones with us when we leave."

"And how quickly can that be?"  Sam asked quickly.

"We cannot be ready in under a hour's time."

"A hour?  A HOUR?  Jack's hurt! We don't have an hour!"  Daniel's frantic protest was stilled
by a firm hand on his shoulder. The young man turned to glare at Teal'c.

The Jaffa ignored the angry look. "Daniel Jackson, if we are remiss in our preparations, then
Colonel O'Neill will not be the only one to suffer. You know as well as I that he would prefer
his team to be safe."

*****

In a shorter time than Marne thought possible, the SGC teams were traveling into the night.
Vraxas was still among the missing when they left, but Tiamon had assured the group that the
man would be found, and brought to trial, as the old ways demanded. Daniel had politely
accepted the thanks of a grateful Euloean High Council, but even that body would have been
blind not to notice his desire to be elsewhere.  For once, it was Sam who ensured that the
proper parting words of trust and friendship were spoken before they left the walled city.

The group moved through the darkness in silence, each member lost in their own thoughts.
Ferretti kept a close eye on his team, as well as on the SG-1 members. He knew how little real
rest his men had had since arriving on this world, and he suspected that the SG-1 team was
working on even less.

Teal'c studied what little could be seen of the terrain in the torch light.  The group had
traveled for only a few miles, relatively undisturbed by the Redcaps, when he spoke. "Marne,
this is not the way we came."

Stunned voices near him cried out "What!" as the Euloean replied. "No, it is not. In the
preparations to leave, I did not have time to tell you that your 'gate is not in a direct path
to the old city. We will save almost two hours travel time on this trail." He paused. "Unless
you wish to return to the 'gate first?"

"No."

"Oh, no, not at all."

"That will not be necessary."

******


Two more creatures lay dead at the bottom of the stairs, and Jack took advantage of the lull in
activity to reload his weapon.  With the ease born of years of experience, he released the
empty clip, which rattled loudly in the darkness as it hit the stairs.  He froze momentarily at
the sound before his pain-addled wits reminded him that the beasts didn't know about guns.

Dropping the gun to his lap, he fumbled with a fresh clip, and after much silent cursing,
managed to slid it into the gun. Sighing with relief, he pulled the weapon back to his chest,
and waited.

******


"This is very odd."  Marne looked around nervously.

"What's wrong, Marne?"  Sam inquired, the expression on the man's face causing her stomach to
lurch.

"I have seen no sign of the Redcaps. We should have been attacked by now."

"Well, we saw enough last night by the 'gate to last us a lifetime."

"You killed a lot of them, too."  Daniel broke in quietly. "I saw the bodies when I came
north."

"Perhaps they are waiting for the Goa'uld."

Daniel laughed bitterly. "Why would they be doing that, Teal'c?  They're wild animals. Nothing
more."

"You are mistaken, Daniel Jackson."  All eyes but Sam's turned to the Jaffa.

"What?"

"The Redcaps were a race who opposed the Goa'uld millennia ago. The two cultures were at about
the same level of technology when they went to war. They did not win."

Daniel's eyes widened with horror. "You mean the...they're actually *people*?"

"Not any longer.  The Goa'uld infected them with a biological agent which made them what they
are today ... creatures of the night.  They are doomed to roam the darkness, reduced to the
animals we have seen."

"I'm not so sure, Teal'c."  Sam spoke up as the Jaffa's explanation ceased. "If they are around
the 'gate, then they may be looking for the Goa'uld to appear. Nothing else makes sense..."

"That's a real bad tale, Teal'c," Ferretti interrupted. "Is this something the Goa'uld talk
about, or is it a Jaffa tale?"

"I have heard Apophis mention this tale myself, Major Ferretti. However, I can understand your
reluctance to believe it."

"Not that I don't buy it, Teal'c, but it is kinda hard to swallow."

"I have not offered you food, Major Ferretti."

"NO, uh, not food.  I was thinking more on the order of a myth."

Daniel smiled wryly. "You mean like our myths of Ra, Hathor, and the others?"

Ferretti gulped. "Uh, yeah, point taken."

Sam turned back to Marne, who still stared nervously into the darkness. "Marne? How much
further?"

The Euloean turned to face her. "It is not much further now."

******


The gun exploded twice more in the darkness, sending a another beast to its death. From the
padding of their feet, Jack could tell they'd retreated... for now. That made, what, four since
the sun had gone down. More than last night, but, he reasoned, the creatures didn't know about
them...him then. He'd give almost anything to be able to sleep. He was so tired. More tired
than he could ever remember being ... except when Charlie... This was the same kind of mind-
numbing tiredness. He felt very little anymore. No pain, no fear. Only a deep penetrating
loneliness and exhaustion which were rapidly turning into despair.  His team was gone. He knew
that. So why was he trying so very hard to survive? Maybe, just maybe, he should just stop
trying. There was no reason not to, was there?  'It'd be so easy,' he thought tiredly, while
somewhere in the back of his mind, a little voice warned of company coming.

******


First light was peaking over the horizon when the rescuers arrived at the edge of the abandoned
city. Daniel threw down his torches, and sprinted toward the buildings, heedless of the
potential danger to himself.

Ferretti lunged for the younger man's pack, missing it by mere inches. "Dammit Daniel!"

Teal'c and Sam exchanged quick glances before taking off in pursuit of their errant teammate,
Marne hard on their heals. Ferretti slapped his head in frustration, before turning to his
team. "Well, don't just stand there. Come on!"

Despite his lack of sleep, Daniel outdistanced his startled companions easily. Only Teal'c's
sudden burst of speed allowed the Jaffa to be in time to see which building the younger man
chose to enter.

As Daniel fumbled with the catch on the sarcophagus, visions of what lay below raced through
his mind.  He hit the steps and froze. Too many corpses littered the bottom of the stairs, and
for a moment Daniel could not focus on anything else.  Then his eyes found their goal, and he
half-fell, half-ran down the steps to drop fearfully by his friend. The older man lay so still
that Daniel was not even certain he was breathing. Ignoring his own trembling, Daniel laid a
gentle hand on his friend's neck, feeling for a pulse, his plea of "Jack?" barely more than a
whisper.

Chocolate eyes shot open as a hand tightened convulsively around his handgun.

"Oh God! You're alive!"  Daniel's voice shook with emotion as he absently pulled the weapon
from his friend's fragile grasp.

"Daniel?"

The younger man nodded absently, too overcome with emotion to speak.

The inquiry came again, more urgently than before. "*Daniel?*"

Realizing that Jack was fearing a hallucination, Daniel forced himself to speak. "Yes, Jack.
I'm back. We're all back. We're all okay. *All* of us."

As Sam and Teal'c slid to halt just above their friends, Jack's reply could barely be heard.
"Never doubted it for a minute, Spacemonkey, not for a minute."

*****

"Colonel, you've got to stay still, if this blade slips..." Janet Fraiser let the unspecified
threat hang in the air between herself and a decidedly grumpy Jack O'Neill.

"I just want the damn thing off, Doc. The sling on my arm came off two weeks ago."

"Perhaps if you'd hadn't insisted on walking too soon, *this* cast would have come off then as
well." Janet smiled all-too-sweetly as she positioned the blade over the plaster once more.

Jack had the grace to look embarrassed. "How did you..."

"I have my sources, Colonel. Special Ops isn't the only branch of the military with good intel.
Covering it with a sock. Really! Now hold still."  The blade whirred loudly against the
plaster, effectively eliminating Jack's retort. As Janet worked, Jack's thoughts turned back
eight weeks to when he'd been carted home from PRS905. He remembered very little of the trek
from the cellar to the 'gate.  Daniel had ensured that he'd been doped to the gills, and for
much of the trip twin archaeologists whirled anxiously around his head, adding to already
nauseating dizziness. The prelude to his journey, however, was still fresh in his mind.

 >>>


"Teal'c, are you sure he's strapped in tightly? He doesn't need to fall out on the way to the
'gate."  Daniel eyed the makeshift stretcher doubtfully.

"I am certain, Daniel Jackson. I secured the knots myself."

"He's looking awfully pale, Sam. Did you give him enough morphine? I don't want him to be in
any pain.  I mean, he's been through enough."

The young woman sighed. "Yes, Daniel, he's had enough."

"And what about the DHD?  What if Lieutenant Hancock can't fix the DHD?"

"I'm sure he won't have any trouble, Daniel. Marne went with him. He knows which crystals to
replace."  Ferretti checked his hand-hold on the stretcher, smiling to himself as he saw
Spenser and Anderson do likewise.  "Are you ready, gentlemen?"

"Wait!"  Daniel interrupted, and quickly knelt by Jack's head. "Jack, we're gonna get you out
of here now. You just hang on a little longer. We'll take it as easy as we can, but if you
start to hurt just make sure you let us know."

Sam laid a gentle hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Daniel, I'm sure the colonel appreciates your
concern, but he's not really up to answering right now."

Blue eyes widened as the younger man looked up. "He is looking a little foggy, Sam. You didn't
give him too much morphine, did you?"

Sam shook her head and pulled Daniel to his feet. "No, Daniel, he's had just enough."

The young archaeologist blushed. "I'm sorry. I'm just--"

"Worried. Yes, we know, Daniel. We're all worried." Sam smiled at her friend.

Ferretti decided that perhaps a distraction would help. "Daniel, I heard a rumor that you
managed to kill one of those beasts with one shot. Any truth to it?"

"Well, yeah, I, uh, well, uh, it was going after Elden and Laro.  I couldn't let it hurt them."

Sam checked Jack's vitals once more, smiling in response to his drowsy smile at Daniel's
discomfiture then nodded to the men to go ahead and lift the stretcher off the ground. "On
three...one, two, three."

With a slight grunt, the four men pulled the stretcher into the air. Daniel bobbed nervously
around, as anxious about Jack's well-being as he was annoyed at not being allowed to help
carry.  But Ferretti and Sam had been firm. The gash on his back was healing, but the strain on
the fragile tissues could well start it bleeding again unnecessarily. The stretcher and its
precious cargo swayed between the men, and Daniel gasped. "Teal'c, will the stretcher hold?"

"DANIEL!"

<<<


No, no one, least of all Daniel, realized that he'd been awake enough to hear that interchange.
Jack had been waiting for this day for quite some time. Oh, the walking cast had been great
when the doctor had finally consented to him having one.  It had allowed him to roam the halls,
almost freely, and brought a semblance of normalcy back to his life. The weeks he'd been forced
to spend trapped in a chair, with his leg elevated and his arm strapped to his chest had been
miserable. Everyone had been so nauseatingly *nice* to him, so concerned about his mental
state, trying to comfort him.  And he admitted to himself that at first it was nice to have
that constant presence to interrupt the nightmare images of his time in the cellar. But he'd
dealt with nightmares for years. Actually, he considered himself to be something of an expert
in nightmares. And it hadn't taken long for him to see that one of his team was also plagued
with night terrors.

For Carter and Teal'c this had been nothing more than a mission gone very, very wrong. Simply
one mishap after another.  For Daniel, however, it had been one trial after another.  He'd
always known that Daniel would come through for the team, no matter what the odds. That his
young friend could go it alone when necessary. Hell, the escape from Apophis' mother ship had
been proof of that. But this time, Daniel had been forced to choose between saving Jack and
saving the rest of the team, as well as SG-2.  The younger man had made the right decision, but
it could easily have cost Jack his life, and the colonel knew that Daniel's sleep was being
interrupted by visions of his death. Not that he'd mentioned it, of course, but Jack knew the
signs.  The too-tired eyes, the nervous movements that indicated waaaay too much caffeine. Yep,
now that he was finally free of the cast, he could take Daniel on a short hike up the mountain.

******


Daniel was sitting in the back corner of the cafeteria, eyes half shut, hands wrapped
protectively around an oversized mug. Jack approached silently, determined to surprise the man
... a feat that had *not* been possible with the heavy plaster on his leg.  The colonel stood
absolutely still next to the table studying the tired face of the younger man. 'Not good. This
is not good. And he's probably had too... Empty mug? What the...'  As the thought registered in
Jack's mind that the mug was not only empty, it was clean; Daniel registered a concerned pair
of eyes boring into his face.

Blue eyes snapped opened. "Jack? What? OH! You got the cast off. That's great. I didn't know
Janet was taking it off today. Is walking hard? Are you gonna have to use a cane? How--"

'Way to much caffeine,' Jack thought as he held up a hand to stop the flow of words. "Daniel,
don't you think you've had enough coffee?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I haven't had *any* yet.  All..day..long.. and it's almost noon!"

"It's ten am."

"Close enough. The coffee-maker was on the blink this morning, and I was out of coffee in my
office, and Rothman only had decaf, and--"

"I get the picture."

"Dr. Jackson?"  An airman smiled as he held up a fresh pot of coffee. "You've got dibs."

Daniel was out of the chair, and past Jack like he'd been shot out of a cannon.  The colonel
watched with bemused concern as the airman filled Daniel's mug to the rim, and offered the
scientist cream.  Daniel sniffed the brew, smiling as he inhaled its fragrance, but before he
could take a sip, the mug was pulled from his hands. "HEY!"

"AH, ah, ah!"  Jack slapped Daniel's hands away, and poured the coffee into a large Styrofoam
mug. Snapping the lid closed, he smiled at his friend. "Come on."

"Where? And can I have that?"

"Outside. And not yet."

"But..."

"Later, Daniel. It'll stay warm."  Jack moved toward the door with barely a trace of a limp.
Turning, he barely stifled a laugh at the hang-dog expression on Daniel's face. Waving the cup
back and forth, he sighed inwardly as Daniel's eyes followed the cup.  "Coming?"

"Yes!"  Daniel walked quietly beside Jack through the corridors of the SGC, noting absently as
he entered the elevator, that the colonel had selected the topmost floor.

As the doors closed, Jack commented. "I hear that SG-7 is having a great deal of success on
PRS905.  The technology we're introducing should really help them in their fight against the
Redcaps."

"Yeah, I heard. I'm glad, the Euloeans are really good people. The herbs they use for medicinal
purposes have sent the botanists into spasms of ecstasy.  If they could just do something about
the burning sensation, though."  He paused as he recalled the application to his wound.  Janet
had been quite shocked when it healed without leaving a scar.  And that energy tonic rivaled
caffeine on a good day, if one could just get past the taste. Shaking his head to clear his
thoughts, he continued. "It was a pleasant surprise to find Naquada there, even though the
supply is limited. But Sam says that every little bit we can get helps our research. After
Tiamon's election to the High Council, he had no trouble persuading the rest of the council
that we should get as much as possible."

"What happened to, uh, Rat's Ass?"

"Vraxas? Oh, well, he's been sentenced to house arrest for the next ten years. Should have been
longer."  The last sentence was barely more than a whisper.

The elevator doors opened, and Jack waited until they'd cleared the last guard station before
replying. "Probably, but according to SG-10, that's almost a life sentence to the Euloeans."

"He should've gotten life. He tried to kill Sam and Teal'c, and almost did kill Tiamon. If
Marne hadn't gotten the antidote down him... Sam was quite impressed with his loyalty, you
know."

"Tiamon?"

"I guess, but I meant Marne."

"I'll make a note. She didn't like the Redcaps."

"Not much to like. ... *He* probably would have tried to do away with SG-2, too."

"I heard. You saved them, Danny."

"For what it's worth."

"What does that mean?"

"Tiamon was *alive*, Jack.  A few more minutes and he'd have made his appearance, and
everything would have been just fine!  I didn't need to be there at all!"

"Daniel, you were definitely needed there. I know that and--"

Daniel's voice held a more than a hint of pain and anger. "No, you don't!  You don't know that
at all! You were in a cellar, in the middle of nowhere, hurt. I *left* you there! God, I left
you to die, Jack!"

The colonel winced inwardly at the anguish in his friend's voice. "I didn't die, Daniel."

"No thanks to me! I..I'm sorry, Jack. I should have gone back to you."

"Don't second guess the right decision, Daniel."

"I mean, you could... what?"

"The right decision Daniel. You know, the one you made. Daniel, I've studied the reports. Your
speech bought Marne time to get the antidote into Tiamon. And, the time for him to recover
sufficiently to get to the stadium. Do you really think Rat's Ass would have allowed Sam and
Teal'c to get out of that arena alive if you hadn't been talking?"

"I..I'm not sure."  Daniel stammered slightly as he spoke.

"I am.  You made the right call, Daniel.  And thanks to your ammunition, I was able to defend
myself."  Jack didn't bother to mention how close he'd actually come to giving up. His young
friend certainly didn't need to know *that*. "And I hear you saved the day for some other
people."

"Oh, that."  Daniel blushed in embarrassment. "I, uh, didn't have a choice. That thing would've
killed one or both of them."

"No choice, Daniel. That's what I've been talking about. You did good, real good."

"I, uh, thanks, Jack, I... Thanks."  Daniel took a deep breath, and rubbed his arms. "It's a
little chilly out here, Jack. Can I have my coffee now?"

Jack grinned and passed him the Styrofoam cup. "Sure, Danny, but I wouldn't drink it, if I were
you."

"Why not, Jack?"

"The, uh, lid didn't fit quite right. It's cold."

"JACK!"