DISCLAIMER: All 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 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.
Teal’c was not entirely sure what had just passed between his two friends, but he was absolutely certain that O’Neill was knowingly walking into a trap. Every instinct he’d developed over decades as a Jaffa warrior was achingly alert to the danger O’Neill was placing himself in. Teal’c had to fight his own desire to reach out and pull the stubborn colonel back, but in the end he knew ... as they all did ... that Daniel Jackson’s condition was deteriorating quickly. The possibilities paled in the light of the knowledge that this could be Daniel Jackson’s only hope.
O’Neill moved forward, one slow step at a time, using the spear in his hand to search the ground before him for hidden dangers. Finally, less than four paces from the cloak, O’Neill hooked the spear point into the blue cloth, raising it gently and scanning beneath it carefully. As the last velvet fold cleared the ground, a building whine emanated from the place where O’Neill was standing. O’Neill turned back to them with a look that spoke of no regrets as he launched the cloak in Teal’c’s direction and a flash of white blinded them ...
Sam blinked hard to clear her vision of the blurry spots that were all she could see. As her world slowly returned to what was normal for this place, she heard Daniel’s muffled curse.
"Dammit, Jack ..."
Sam’s vision finally cleared enough to let her see that Daniel had fallen on his side, and was peering blindly down the trail. She moved to his side quickly, but Teal’c beat her there. Connor was still blinking and shaking his head behind them, but Sam could see that he was recovering.
Daniel sat up slowly, a slow expression of disbelief on his face as he stared in the direction where the colonel...
...was standing.
"Jack?" Daniel’s voice was uncertain.
The colonel shrugged and walked back casually to sit beside them.
"Well that was ... interesting."
The words were a massive understatement, even for the colonel, Sam reflected as she reached for the cloak Teal’c held out to her. She felt along the inner lining where the healing device had been sewn in.
It wasn’t there.
Jack let his eyes close, sighing in frustration.
He mentally kicked himself for even beginning to believe that Tel’nat would just hand over the means to help Daniel. Jack wondered exactly what purpose the scenario had served. Was Tel’nat trying to see just how far they’d go to help Daniel? If so, Jack had just said it loud and clear.
Jack once again felt as if he were being played with. It was a feeling he hated almost as much as the helplessness he was feeling right now.
Jack felt a touch on his forearm and opened his eyes to find Daniel looking at him. The too-bright blue eyes spoke of gratitude, acceptance. "It’s okay, Jack."
Jack shook his head. "The hell it is..." Jack shook his head sharply, getting to his feet. "Kids, I’m getting a bad feeling here ..."
Jack was interrupted by a glimmering in the air a few feet away from them. "One should imagine you would, O’Neill."
Jack noted the defensive stances his team had taken up at the sudden appearance of Tel’nat’s image.
"The device you seek is indeed with Thor. Your goal remains two-fold." Tel’nat gave them a glance that Jack would describe as curiosity, mixed with calculation. "I must warn you, although I am not required to do so ... I have been observing you thus far. Now the hunt truly begins, based on those observations." Tel’nat bared his teeth in what was likely intended as a smile. "As for your planet’s notion to send an explosive device here, suffice it to say they will not succeed."
Jack felt something in him relax at those words, but sensed Tel’nat wasn’t telling them this without a reason.
"However... do not let that knowledge lessen your sense of urgency." Tel’nat seemed to look at Daniel. " The illness you observe in Daniel Jackson is not the result of random biological conditions. It was introduced; an experiment, if you will. I admit to a certain amount of curiosity insofar as your tolerances are concerned. Daniel Jackson made a most intriguing test subject ... "
Jack felt a blind rage rise up in him once again, but pushed it back down. "Test subject? Is that what you call this?" Jack’s hand broadly took in Daniel, still seated and watching Tel’nat warily.
"Of course." Tel’nat’s tone was blatantly unconcerned. "How else can we learn of your strengths..."
Jack could read the unspoken ‘and weaknesses’ and felt the dark anger pull at him again. "What the hell gives you the right to..."
Tel’nat’s image turned to meet Jack’s glare. "Actually, it wasn’t a what. It was a who."
Tel’nat smiled and disappeared.