Neptune

by Ayesha Jen

Mermen and mermaids are not what you expect to bump into when sent of a mission through the Stargate. This is rated 'T' but I think it may be a K . I am erring on the side of caution.

Neptune

In Roman religion and mythology, god of water. He was presumably an indigenous god of fertility, but in later times he was identified with the Greek Poseidon, god of the sea.

Triton.

In Greek mythology, son of Poseidon. He was a creature of the sea, the upper half of his body being human, the lower fishlike. Later legends speak of many Tritons, sometimes described as riding over the sea on horses. Tritons characteristically blew trumpets of conch shells.

Disclaimer

Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret productions, and Gekko productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Prelude

The creeping cold of the water took her body from pain to numbness. Kyla was too cold even to shiver and felt very sleepy. Somewhere deep inside a pale little voice kept repeating, "to sleep is to die, to sleep is to die." It would be so very easy for her to sleep now. She gripped the floating debris of the boat tightly and tried to remember how she got there. How did she come to be floating in the middle of a green sea, on a strange world where even the sky was an unfamiliar purple?

Staring at a sky darkening from purple to black, despair gripped her. No one would be able to find her here. She would die alone on an alien world not knowing if her family and friends were safe, and they not knowing what had happened to her. Darkness came and with it deepening cold. An hour later in the darkness she lost the battle to remain awake. Kyla's eyes closed and her grip loosened. She slid from the remaining debris of her life raft and rolled face down in the water. She sank quietly her struggle to survive over. No more thoughts, no consciousness of her impending death.

That was when they found her. They were not her family or friends, they had no idea who she was or where she came from. They had seen the destruction of a ship, to them just a ball of fire in the sky and then they had found her. The swimmers were humanoid, but not human. Their appearance could only be likened to the Mermen of Earth's mythology, but they possessed both legs and tail with which to swim. Kyla would not have recognised them; she had neither seen nor heard of such a creature. Their grace and agility would have been a wonder if she had been conscious to see it. The frigid water did not affect them as they were in their element. One took hold of Kyla's shoulders and pulled her close, he covered her mouth and began to breathe for her, his gills working for both of them. As he strove to keep her alive, another pulled them into the depths of the alien sea.

It was a cold kiss filling her mouth with air. Her mind registered surprise that she could feel anything at all. She opened her eyes and felt the sting of cold water, but she could see nothing. The depths to which she was being pulled did not allow the faint starlight to penetrate. 'Why am I not dead?' the thought drifted gently through her mind. 'Or am I dead?' Her eyes closed again as her mind drifted away.

The symbiote deep inside Kyla stirred weakly. Its host was no longer drowning and the bitter cold that had invaded her body began to retreat. It was a puzzling change in circumstances. The symbiot knew that the host should be dead and it along with her. It was grateful for this reprieve but the host's mind was still closed. It found that the only physical control it could exert was on the host's eyes and opening them told it nothing. All it could discover was that Kyla now lay in a dark warm place. As the symbiote regained its own strength it also searched for any injury to its new host. The remembered fear in the host when they blended was unexpected. A strangely unsettling sensation it had not felt for a long time. Kyla had consented to something she had feared and the symbiot needed to know why she would do this. The blending had taken place shortly before the attack leaving the symbiot no time to resolve the puzzle.

Because of the trauma caused by its previous host's death and the forced evacuation during the blending, it still had not completely connected with its new host. Now it began to feel the body it inhabited, the lacework of nerve tissue beginning to penetrate to the areas necessary to take control. 'Which was the most pressing injury to repair?' The cold had damaged her hands and feet and closed down several internal organs. The symbiote had a lot of work to do.

Kyla woke in a comfortable place that was dark, warm and dry. For a moment she snuggled into the soft surface content only to know she was alive. The nightmare of the last day had gone away, nothing was wrong. The symbiot stirred uneasily but did not reach out to her mind. Kyla's stability appeared very fragile, it would wait for her to realise the reality of what had happened to her. Carefully it reached into her mind and reinforced her feeling of safety.

The host reached out for a light, something to show her where she was, but the switch she had expected to find was not present. A small twinge of fear began and the symbiote dampened it, the last thing it wanted was to find itself trapped in a host touched by madness. 'How had we not seen she was not ready for blending?' it wondered.

A soft light rose within the room, triggered by the movements on the bed. Kyla could now see her surrounding and a coldness return to the pit of her stomach. 'This place is strange, I shouldn't be here… Not a nightmare…not a...' The symbiote was beginning to think it would have to override its host's mind. It viewed the prospect with distaste; to do it would go against everything it believed in.

Then suddenly the crisis was over. Kyla remembered her companion, the one known presence in her strange surroundings. The need to cling to something familiar prompted her to turn her mind inward. 'Not the way I would want to resolve the difficulty, but it gives us time to adjust,' the symbiot acknowledged.

'Where am I?' Kyla thought at it.

'It is an interesting question, it replied, 'but I only know what you know. I have seen nothing to tell us where we are. But,' she added encouragingly, 'we are together.'

'But who controls this planet? Who attacked the ship?' Kyla wondered.

'Good questions both. It won't necessarily be the same people. One may not know the other exists, or not care. When they choose to show themselves we will know whether they are friends or we are prisoners. Console yourself with the thought that those who attacked would not have bothered to rescue us from imminent death. I am not important enough to be looked for. My worry is that, as far as I know this planet does not possess a Stargate. Without a ship we have no way to leave.'

Kyla heard footsteps echo through the large chamber in which she had awoken. Her nerves were still on edge and she jumped in reaction. The symbiote again insinuated itself into her mind and dampened the fear. She stared at the only doorway she could see. A green curtain of weed hung across the entrance and it was swept aside to admit a tall merman. For Kyla it was the first glimpse of the people that had saved her life. The creature smiled and her fear vanished completely, 'such an attractive smile,' she thought. The symbiote stirred uneasily. It recognised the creature from long ago. The Goa'uld Master that created them had vanished; she hoped they had not found him again.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Where are we?

They stepped out of the event horizon into a large cave filled with steam. The Major coughed and waved her hand as she tried to look around. As the steam cleared the three explorers located the large underground lake they had seen on the monitors.

"Bet that's a cold swim," Colonel Jack O'Neill drawled, "why all the steam?"

"I suspect the Stargate was very wet," Major Carter surmised. "The air appears to be quite heavy with water."

"Very," commented Teal'c. The large Jaffa brushed water from his shoulders and ran a hand over his baldhead. "It would appear to be raining within the cave."

"Well, as the General said, the Stargate must be here for a reason. Let's see if we can find one." O'Neill moved cautiously over the wet ground towards the lake. He turned on a flashlight and his two companions followed suit. They began to walk along the lake's edge into the darker recesses of the cave.

"It's actually quite warm in here, sir," Major Carter commented and crouched down to take a water sample. Holding up the vial of water, she dropped a small tablet into it. Nothing happened. Then she dropped a second and the container filled with effervescence. "Its water and it appears uncontaminated, but I wouldn't risk it until I have done a few more checks."

"Just so long as I don't start growing scales," O'Neill responded.

"It looks pretty bleak in here, sir. There's no sign of air movement as such. Wonder where the air is coming from?" Carter muttered more to herself than expecting comment, so she wasn't disappointed when no one took any notice.

"If there had been anything on the cave walls, all this water would have worn it away," O'Neill mused as he wiped a line in the rock with his gloved hand then shook the moisture off the glove. "The Gate must be here for something."

"O'Neill," Teal'c called, "I do not think we are alone."

Sam and Jack swung their weapons in the direction Teal'c indicated. Within the lake a man was rising, walking towards them.

"That's far enough," Jack called. "Who are you and where've you come from?" The figure stopped moving and stared at them for a moment. Before anyone could react he plunged back under the surface of the water and was gone. They walked cautiously forward watching the surface, but the man did not reappear.

"I don't want to sound weirded-out or anything, but did that man have a tail?" Sam asked them.

"Yep" Jack responded, "I saw a tail."

"A Merman?" Sam continued.

"There was nothing mere about him he was a large son of a bitch. Where's he gone?"

"Looks like we should have brought scuba gear sir," Sam noted.

"I don't particular want to tangle with that on its own ground… so to speak," the Colonel told her. "But I'm wondering if that's the only way out of this cave." They had reached the edge of the lake and Jack shone the flashlight into the depths. The water looked crystal clear and they could pick out the stalagmites rising from the bottom of the lake.

"He is not there," Teal'c commented causing Jack to look up in surprise.

"Did you expect him to be?"

"There was a Goa'uld…" Teal'c faltered uncertainly. "It is not known what became of him or his creations."

"Creations?" Sam queried.

Jack knelt beside the lake and leaned forward, trying to get a better view of what lay beneath them. "Hey, I think the water runs back underneath us." A hand rose out of the water and grabbed the front of his jacket. There was no time to resist as Jack felt himself pulled in. Then he disappeared into a foaming mass below the surface of the lake.

The Jaffa reached down for his disappearing friend, but a hand clasped around his arm. Teal'c tried to pull his arm out of the water, but something jerked him from his knees and into a somersault. He landed in the lake on his back with two figures surfacing beside him. After a brief struggle they drew him down. Sam backed rapidly away from the lake edge scanning the settling water for signs of friend and foe alike.

"Your friends are not harmed."

The voice came from behind her and she spun to face its owner. He began to smile, then whipped the P90 from her loosened grasp and threw it into the lake. Sam's reaction came slowly, almost reluctantly, and far too slowly to save herself. As she struck out he ducked forward and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her and taking her with him as he dived into the lake. In a moment she too had disappeared below the surface.

Holding her breath took all her concentration, but she didn't believe he meant to kill her so she resisted the urge to struggle. Perhaps that was why she was the only one of them still conscious when they resurfaced. The Merman dropped her beside her friends and she lay still for a few moments gathering her strength. They were on a stone floor beside a large pool, which had been their entrance into this new world. "Colonel… Teal'c…" Sam reached out her hand and touched O'Neill's neck just at the base of his jaw. A strong pulse reassured her that he was still alive. She turned to Teal'c touching his neck. A smile of relief appeared as she felt the Jaffa's heartbeat pulsing through his carotid artery.

Before she had any time to consider their position, she felt both arms being pinned against her body and she was jerked upright and away from her teammates. Both men were hauled away by their feet. The two Mermen had grabbed their heels and wrapped their tails around the men's legs. They slid easily away head bouncing over the uneven surface of the floor. Sam worried about the damage being done to her friends and struggled as they disappeared into the gloom. She felt herself propelled forward and tripped over. A fall was prevented by the grasp on her arms and the two Mermen lifted her and carried her through another doorway.

Who Are You?

A bright light penetrated as he tried to open his eyes and Teal'c shut them rapidly against the flash of pain. He felt the symbiote stir within him, warning that a Goa'uld was close by. A quick test of his limbs confirmed that he was tied down so he relaxed and considered his position. Teal'c opened his eyes slowly, giving them time to adjust. A tall figure stood over him; similar to the creature they had seen in the cave. This one however, had a Goa'uld aura. Its eyes glowed briefly and they stared at each other with no visible emotion.

"You are Jaffa," the Goa'uld stated when he saw Teal'c's eyes open. Teal'c continued to stare at him without response. "Who do you serve?" Faced with Teal'c's continued silence it smiled slightly. "It makes no difference who you serve, you are not welcome here. Those with you will be freed and you will die."

"Freed?" Teal'c looked at the guards stood by the doorway and stated, "to serve you."

The Goa'uld followed his eyes to the two mermen and answered the unspoken question. "They are free to choose. They choose to stay with me."

"What of those who do not choose to stay?" Teal'c responded

"They leave to find their own place."

Teal'c did not believe him, but felt impelled to correct a misconception. "I serve no Goa'uld." Turning his head away Teal'c stared at the ceiling, his intention was to ignore further questions. Teal'c composed himself to resist the torture he knew would follow. The Goa'uld saw the look of loathing in Teal'c's eyes, but the glowing response of its own eyes was not anger, but surprise.

"Whom do you serve?" he was asked again.

"I serve the Tauri." Teal'c surprised himself, 'why did I tell him that?'

"The Tauri…" The Goa'uld voice drifted off and Teal'c turned his head to stare at him. "Now that is a race I have not heard of in a long time. Are the two others with you Tauri?"

Teal'c was surprised to sense curiosity, rather than animosity in the question. Another equally surprising thought was that the admission did not bring the response Teal'c was used to. He was neither called Sho'va, nor did the Goa'uld appear to know of him. He continued to eye the unfamiliar Goa'uld with distrust and returned to his silence.

"So, you will not tell me of the people you serve? Why? You still serve… You are still slave to the Goa'uld you carry. " He turned and walked away leaving Teal'c startled.

A Goa'uld should have tortured him, punished him for insolence. Teal'c had expected pain, if not immediate death. The interview left him with a lot of uncomfortable questions, including what had happened to his friends.

In a room further along the corridor Jack was awake and testing his ability to move within the confines of the straps holding him down. A good couple of minutes twisting and trying the bonds convinced him that he wasn't going anywhere, so he settled to wait. It was several minutes before the Goa'uld left Teal'c and entered his prison. The tall figure striding across the room towards him definitely looked like a Merman. "Hello there," Jack commented. "Come for a chat have we?"

The Merman looked down at this second invader of his territory, feeling a definite curiosity now as to who they were. 'They had not come in either of the ships that had fought above the planet. They came through the Chaapa'ia… it is not on any Cartouche the System Lords have, so how had they found the address?'

"Whom do you serve?" He asked the Tauri.

Jack eyed him warily, 'that question has a familiar ring to it, damn, and this address wasn't on the Abydos Cartouche.'

"Where's my team?" Jack asked in response.

"I would be more concerned with what I will do to you if you do not answer my questions."

Jack stared at him for a moment. "Bite me," he responded with that irritating smile appearing on his face.

The Goa'uld eyes glowed briefly, but enough to tell Jack what he wanted to know. 'Dammit, you aren't supposed to know this address, it's from the Ancients' lists. Where are they…' he thought worrying about Sam and Teal'c.

"I know you are Tauri. Whom do you serve?" He asked him again.

"If you know I'm Tauri, you know I damn well don't serve anybody!" Jack spat out. "What have you done with my team?"

"The woman is fine, although she is a problem. Are all your women so… feisty?"

Jack couldn't deny that irritating smile again. "Causing you some problems is she? Where's Teal'c?"

"The Jaffa? Why should you concern yourself with him?"

"The Jaffa is a friend, if you have harmed either of them…" Jack's voice trailed off as he remembered he was in no position to make threats.

The Goa'uld shook his head. These people did not make any kind of sense as he remembered the universe. 'It has been a long time, perhaps too long. It is time to find out what is out there now. If the Tauri are indeed free, then the power of the System Lords must be waning, or gone. No need to remain hidden…'

Imprisoned

The room into which Sam was hussled already had an occupant. A slender, apprehensive young girl sat on the only bed. Her large dark eyes widened when she saw Sam and the two women eyed each other with suspicion. This young girl looked nothing like Sam's captors and she wondered where she had come from. The girl's demeanour changed as she took in Sam's appearance. It was almost as if her face aged and she rose to approach the prison's newest inmate. As they faced each other a familiar feeling came over Sam. 'A symbiote, she has a symbiote.' She took a step backwards and stiffened defensively.

"You are Tauri," the young girl stated a glow showed briefly in her eyes. "Then this planet must have a Stargate after all."

"You seem to know where I'm from," Sam responded. "You have me at a disadvantage."

"Marcona of the Tok'ra," the symbiote introduced herself. "My host is Kyla, but she is a little timid."

"How do I know you are Tok'ra, your name means nothing to me?"

"I recognise you. You are the daughter of Selmak's host, Jacob Carter. You were host to Jolinar. I do not believe your relationship will be known to the Goa'uld that rules here."

"A Goa'uld…" Sam repeated stifling a groan. 'What have they done with Jack and Teal'c?' "How did you end up here if you don't know about the Stargate and yes there is one."

"A Goa'uld Mother Ship destroyed our vessel above this planet. I don't believe anyone else survived."

"Then how did you?" Sam asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"We were put in an escape pod during the attack," Marcona explained as she sat down beside her. "We had just blended and they expected us to be safer in it. They jettisoned us. I had hoped they would return to retrieve us, but no one came."

"I'm sorry," Sam murmured. The comment seemed inadequate, but she could think of nothing else to say.

"Where are your friends, O'Neill, Jackson and the Jaffa?"

"I don't know… Daniel is… not with us. The others were taken somewhere… They are alive," Sam told her with emphasis. This was as much to reassure herself as Marcona. "Is Kyla OK?"

"Of course why do you ask?" Marcona responded shortly.

"I'm not used to Tok'ra hosts being a timid non-presence in a conversation."

"Kyla is having a little trouble adjusting. It would appear that she agreed to be a host out of duty. Both her parents have become hosts recently. She was not really ready."

"You made a mistake?" Sam asked in surprise.

"No." A new voice emerged from the figure beside her. "I chose to be a host. It's just not what I was expecting." The new voice sounded unsure and very young.

"To be host to Jolinar was not my choice," Sam told her quietly "but she sacrificed herself to save me. I cannot be sorry that I became her host, even for the short time it turned out to be."

"Marcona has been patient, she helps when I am frightened," Kyla explained. "Do you know what these strange people want?"

"Not yet," Sam sighed, "but I'm sure some one will tell us soon enough. I hope Teal'c and the Colonel are OK."

Goa'uld Musings

The Goa'uld stalked through a series of ornate corridors deep in thought. Several Mermen stopped and watched him pass surprised at the direction he was taking. The curious stares that followed him through the corridors went unnoticed however because he had a problem. Thoughts that had not disturbed him for thousands of years now rose like a plague. 'Do the System Lords know I am here? Too close together… they must be in league… What shall I do with them... how could both the Tok'ra and the Tauri find us at the same time? We are discovered…no longer safe."

He turned quickly into a corridor and strode towards a large door, stopping only when a single guard at the door barred his way. This door had been guarded even before the coming of the strangers. He slowed as he approached the door. No one had been inside this room for a long time and he wondered what drew him to it now. There would be no counsel there, just a reminder of painful times, long past. The guard edged away uncertainly and the Goa'uld finally stopped with one hand resting on the door mechanism. Then he came to a decision and depressed the key, opening the lock and watching the door swing inwards. The guard looked surprised perhaps a little shocked by the action. He raised his weapon and moved to enter the room.

"It is safe. He cannot harm me," the Goa'uld told him. "You are dismissed."

It was clear that the guard disagreed, but he nodded with slight deference and moved off down the corridor. The Goa'uld watched him with an air of slight amusement. 'They still believe I need their protection…' He shook his head and entered the room.

Any one of the recent captives would have recognised what lay before him. A large sarcophagus stood there covered in dust. The malignant presence bore down on him and he stared at the object with loathing. On its lid a massive lock sat securely in place. "You would not hesitate now. This is the moment you were waiting for. The System Lords' control is weakening, there is rebellion and you would have taken advantage and returned. Well you will not…cannot…you are defeated! You will never return!"

His hand rested on the lid almost lovingly. "Unlike you, I am one of the changed; they follow me of their own free will. But I wish to return, to find a mate… my rightful place of which you robbed me... I am more your son than you would have believed." He turned away from his father's prison. "Perhaps this Tok'ra will aid me. If not, then the Goa'uld the Jaffa carries would appreciate a host and swear allegiance to me… The female Tauri would make a beautiful Queen." Triton glanced back at the unresponsive sarcophagus. "It will be Triton the System Lords fear, not you."

The Mouse Trap

Jack awoke as someone entered the room. He had dropped off to sleep still strapped down tightly to the bench. It was not the first time he had made himself comfortable in difficult circumstances and didn't suppose it would be the last. 'Unless he kills me…' the thought ran through his mind as he watched them approach. Dark brown eyes peered through drooping lashes waiting to see what his captors would do next.

A pair of mermen approached the bench and began releasing him. The captive may have looked relaxed to the men approaching him, but looks can be deceptive. His frame tensed as they neared, preparing to attack them the moment he was free. Surprisingly, they were careful not to hurt him and made no attempt to hold him down. Jack changed his mind and lay still while they left the room. Slowly he sat up a puzzled expression on his face. He rubbed the circulation back into his wrists and wondered what would happen next. However, not being one to miss an opportunity he hopped off the bed and made for the door.

A quick check revealed that the curtain of weed hid nothing but an open doorway. Jack caught hold of the doorpost and leaned carefully through the opening. This was with the expectation of coming face to face with armed guards. No one was there, just an empty corridor. The corridor was short and poorly lit so after a moments indecision he stepped gingerly from the room. As he swivelled first one way then the other his puzzled frown increased. Teal'c jumped into the corridor ready for battle saw O'Neill and froze. They stared at each other with a look of faint surprise passing between them.

"You OK Teal'c?"

"I am well O'Neill but somewhat puzzled. This Goa'uld…" Teal'c's voice trailed off as he struggled to express his confusion and suspicion. "We must find Major Carter."

O'Neill nodded and turned in the direction he thought the Mermen's footsteps had sounded. "It's the first time a Goa'uld has just upped and left us to our own devises," O'Neill pointed out.

"They will be watching us," Teal'c warned and his companion nodded his agreement.

"I wonder where they've put our gear." O'Neill whispered; as he peered through the first doorway they reached.

"I doubt we could find it," Teal'c responded as he followed O'Neill to the next doorway.

O'Neill leaned into the room and quickly checked it for occupants. "Wonder where they've stashed Sam?" This time Teal'c didn't try to respond and O'Neill clearly was not expecting an answer. Each room they searched appeared deserted. They wandered without challenge for several minutes. "Maybe they're all sleeping, makes it difficult to ask some one polite-like for directions." It did not escape the Colonel's notice that several doors were barred, also several corridors appeared to lead to dead ends. "Do you ever get the feeling you're being herded Teal'c?" The expression on his friend's face spoke volumes for his unhappy state of mind. "I don't think I like this game."

"It is not a game O'Neill, there will be some purpose," Teal'c assured him.

"Nothing that will be good for us, I feel like a mouse in a maze." O'Neill agreed. They had moved into a long corridor where the walls looked more roughly hewn than previously. The corridor looked a great deal older than the area they had previously been searching. As they entered the corridor a door slid across the corridor behind them. "Well, that's the first time we've seen a door close."

O'Neill backed up and checked the door for an opening devise. The edges of the door matched the corridor walls seamlessly. There was nothing visible with which to reopen it. A whisper of cool air swirled around them, stirring O'Neill's hair and raising the hackles on the back of his neck. "The air is coming from somewhere. Let's look for another door." As they began to investigate the only way left open to them a voice echoed down the corridor.

"Intruders!"

The voice surprised O'Neill because it was female. The sound of the voice struck him as peculiar. It was not just because he'd seen no females but also he hadn't considered female Mermen, 'no, that would be mermaids.' The idea that they might actually exist fascinated him but recalling the myths was worrying. Sirens of the deep were what he remembered. 'They were supposed to be beautiful creatures that lured unwary seamen to their deaths.' The idea triggered a disgruntled grimace, he didn't want anyone else messing with his mind. They walked along the corridor as lights began to dim and flicker. The floor began to slope downwards at an increasing angle. It became slippery and their feet began sliding. Jack dug in his toes and took a closer look at the floor. The dim lighting revealed blue-green algae covering the surface. The plants had also begun colonizing the lower walls. "You know this tunnel is going to end in water don't you?"

Teal'c considered the comment as he eyed O'Neill. Why was it the Tauri insisted on stating the obvious? There really was little else they could do but go where their captors wanted. "I do not see why they do not kill us if they wish us dead," Teal'c stated.

"This Goa'uld likes to play games," Jack decided. "Is it my imagination or are we being tilted.

"I also can feel the movement. There is nothing to hold on to. We will fall."

Teal'c's statement proved to be correct. They slid with increasing speed into the darkness as all light went out. They could hear the rush of water as it thundered towards them, reaching for them as a hunter would for its prey. It felt like a wall when they hit it. O'Neill's chest muscles contracted forcing the air from his lungs. Churning icy water separated him from Teal'c and sent him tumbling until he lost sense of up or down. The darkness of the water became the darkness in his mind as unconsciousness claimed him again.

Escape

The two women lounged on the bed. Sam watched Kyla as she gazed first at the ceiling and then at the floor. Her finger tugged and pulled at her clothing and she fidgeted. She looked incredibly bored Sam decided and sighed. 'I know how she feels.' Sam rose and strode to the curtain of seaweed, pulling it to one side revealing the expected barrier locking them in the room. She wandered around checking the walls and inspecting all the various objects left. Nothing that could really be used as a weapon presented itself.

The talk had petered out after a while and the silence between them was now over an hour long. 'It isn't that there's animosity,' Sam decided, 'we just haven't anything safe to talk about.' Everything they could talk about, they wouldn't want the Goa'uld to hear. Neither the Tok'ra nor Sam had any doubt that every comment they exchanged would be heard. Sounds in the corridor heralded the return of their captors. Four Mermen entered the room and Sam grinned. They had obviously decided she was too much for one to handle and they had their other captive to consider as well.

"You will come with us," they were informed by the tallest.

"Which one of us?" Sam asked. No one answered; instead both women were caught by the arms and marched from the room. Finding each arm grabbed by a Merman, Sam kicked out at one catching his shin. Her boot gained several scales and her victim backed hurriedly out to arms length. She found herself stretched between the two of them as they tried to put as much distance as possible between themselves and their captive. The Mermen seemed almost afraid of her and Sam wondered why. As things stood neither she nor the Tok'ra were much of a threat.

As they were marched through the complex Sam heard the sound of rushing water behind the walls. Suddenly a muffled yell sounded down the corridor, it was a voice she knew as well as her own and the cry filled her with fear for her friends. She pulled free of the two Mermen holding her and began to kick and fight. One of the other two let go of the Tok'ra and came to help. Much to the fourth Merman's dismay the previously docile woman also began to fight, kick and struggle against the hand clamped to her upper arm. When her eyes lit up with a symbiote glow the Merman's face contorted with a mixture of fear and confusion. He immediately released her.

Marcona leapt onto the unprotected back of one of the three Mermen still trying to subdue Sam. He panicked, let go of Sam and spun round desperately trying to dislodge this new threat. For his troubles, she twisted his shoulder fins viciously and dug fingers into his hair. Meanwhile, Sam kicked one away from her with such force that he collided with a wall and lay writhing on the ground his fin and shoulder torn by the impact. A smear of faintly blue blood marked the wall and blood began welling from his shoulder. Sam immediately realised he was no long a threat; one leg lay bent at a strange angle and useless.

Sam was surprised that she had caused so much damage. They seemed much weaker out of water than they were in it. They had appeared very strong in the water filled tunnels. She immediately realised her advantage but almost lost it. A tail swung hard into the back of her knees and they buckled, but she threw herself into a forward roll. A Merman towered over her as she righted herself, an unfortunate position in which to put himself. As Sam sprang to her feet she brought up her fist and carried the force upward, punch rising under his ribcage as she rose. Her fist sank deep enough to compress what she hoped was the Merman's heart. It was effective as he doubled over, his second mistake although not one he could avoid. Sam brought up her knee, clasped her hands together and brought them down on the back of his head. She felt his nose smash against her knee and the Merman dropped unmoving to the floor. 'Fragile bones?'

Marcona's victim had managed to shake her off his back with help from the fourth Merman. They both now had hold of her, but that left them no hands to deal with the second female. As Sam advanced upon them one let go and swung a fist at her head, she ducked under the blow and hit him in the side of the head. His head rocked backwards from the pain inflicted by the pressure change within his combined ears and gills. He sank moaning to the floor. The last Merman lost his hold on Marcona, who immediately turned on him. Seeing the other three down sent him rapidly backwards, turning to flee to safety.

Suddenly both women were free and running down the corridor. "Where are you going?" Marcona yelled as they ran.

"The Colonel and Teal'c are in trouble! We have to find them!"

"We have no way of finding them. We should look for the Chaapa'ia," Marcona shouted as she followed Sam into another corridor. She came up short as Sam skidded to a halt and darted into a room. As she went to follow her, Sam shot back out.

"Nothing we can use," she told her and began running again.

Marcona followed exasperated at first, but she couldn't fault her new friends single mindedness. 'The bond between these people makes them special, they have never given up on each other.' She could not help but admire a trait that seemed sadly lacking in so many other races she had met. Soon she found herself darting in and out of the doorways they found also in search of a way to the other Tauri.

Sam was concerned that the corridors were turning back on themselves. She found it quite difficult to keep track of which direction they were running in. Some of the rooms were ablaze with light, while others were shrouded in darkness and obviously unused. She tried to visualise were the unused one were located, 'they might come in useful.' They finally lost their pursuers in the maze of corridors and stairwells they searched.

'Water travels downwards,' Sam reasoned. "We need to go down, deeper into the complex to find them," she commented as they paused for a moment at the top of some steps, "besides the Stargate is down."

"You know this?" Marcona asked and Sam nodded. A distant alarm still echoed behind them but at the bottom of the steps they finally stopped to take stock.

"We're free," Marcona panted as she bent to relieve the pain in her side. The Tok'ra slowly rose again as the symbiote sped the recovery of exhausted muscles.

"Relatively speaking," Sam agreed. "Now we have to find the Colonel and Teal'c."

"If they are not already dead," the symbiote timbre of the voice reminding Sam that Marcona was in control. She briefly wondered how Kyla was fairing.

"They're not dead," Sam snapped. The thought had already occurred but she refused to believe it, not until she had seen the bodies. The two women moved off down the corridor in search of Sam's missing team members.

Mermaids Exist

The movement of blurred small lights heralded his return to consciousness. Jack was aware of pressure on his stomach and realised he was laying face down on something hard. Water lapped into his face and he blinked to clear his eyes. The light was in the water, a myriad of small lights floating below the surface. A small head rose out of the water to stare at him. Hair flowed out over the surface of the water and laid flat against the skull. Big green eyes glittered with intelligence a few inches from his face. Jack raised his shoulders and looked down into the pretty eyes. He reached for the face and it was gone with a flash of a large fishtail. "Mermaid… Well, I'll be…" he murmured softly. He leaned out over the rocky surface and tried to see down into the water. Then he looked around. "Still inside the caves…" Teal'c sat on another rock poking out of the water several feet away watching him. "You saw…" Jack asked him.

"You are not hallucinating O'Neill. They brought us here. They have also brought food." He added the last comment with a wave towards a flat area at the edge of the cave. Seaweed covered the surface and a pile of strange looking fruits topped it.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Two hours I believe," Teal'c responded. "The women come and go bringing gifts and staring at us. I do not believe we were expected to survive the tunnels. One explained that Triton expected them to have drowned us."

"In Tauri mythology they are responsible for sailors drowning. Are all the ones you've seen beautiful?"

"Was it their beauty that betrayed men?" Teal'c responded with curiosity.

"Their voices first, if I remember rightly. They would sing to the sailors and they would dive into the sea and swim away from their boats."

"They would not return?"

"Apparently not."

"Then perhaps we will not," Teal'c observed.

The two men lowered themselves into the icy water and apprehensively crossed to the food platform. Jack stared down into the water as he swam, trying to find some warning of the returning mermaids. Being dragged through flooded tunnels was not his favourite past time and he had definitely had enough of it. They crawled out onto the rock and the chilly air of the cave penetrated their clothing. Jack shivered and rubbed at his arms in an effort to warm up. Teal'c watched his friend with concern. His body temperature would not drop as quickly as O'Neill's, the symbiote would see to that. O'Neill, on the other hand, had no such help and could soon be in trouble.

They picked through the strange looking food and sniffed at the liquid left for them. Nothing seemed familiar, but it looked innocuous enough to sample. Teal'c tried the drink and nodded to O'Neill that it seemed OK.

Jack took a swig and promptly began to cough. "Wow! Hot!" The warmth from the drink worked quickly and Jack could feel it spreading from his stomach and warming him. "Good stuff," he decided and Teal'c half smiled in amusement.

The lights within the water dimmed slowly as they drank and ate the offered meal. As nothing further happened for sometime they both began to relax. The water lay still like glass, and the remaining light let them see clear to the bottom. Stalagmites rose from the floor of the cave, they looked squat and distorted by the water. Teal'c focused on one of the floating lights and lapsed into a meditative state. Jack gazed into the depths and unconsciously slid into a similar state to Teal'c's.

The water slowly began to move. Small ripples drifted across the surface in widening circles and passed around the two still figures. Jack came immediately alert and began to turn as an arm reached up from behind and grabbed his shoulder. "Behind you!"

He heard a shout as he was hauled backwards into the water. Long hair whipped across his face and blinded him as he struggled against the downward pull of his latest assailant. 'Strange, that sounded like Sam…' he began to flail around in an attempt to free himself. A tail wrapped around him trying to restrict the movement of his legs, and Jack lashed out with a fist. Even with the restriction of the water he felt it connect, holding him tightly gave him the leverage with which to strike. A set of needle sharp teeth sank into his thigh and blood rose from the wound and spread in the water. Then Jack felt himself released and surrounded by foaming water and struck upward. He bobbed to the surface to see Teal'c was also in the water. A churning mass of Mermaids surrounded him. Arms and fishtails flicked in and out of the foam surrounding his friend as he tried to reach him. Suddenly a sharp tearing pain started in his thigh as something jerked at his leg. Cold hands hauled Jack beneath the surface again and he began to swallow water. Thrashing around gained him the surface and air, but he let out a scream as his other leg came under attack. Clouds of red spread out in the water around him and the foam turned pink.

It seemed that the fire erupted out of nowhere and spread over the water towards the struggling men. Flashing arms and tails vanished as the attackers beat a hasty retreat. The swirling water started to settle, but that allowed the fire to spread faster. Not that Jack could respond, he watched its approach through a red haze. Slowly his eyes glazed over and he began to sink again. A large arm grasped him around the chest and brought him back to air. Teal'c swam with his injured friend along the path of the fire to the lakeside. Two figures watched his approach, Major Carter he recognised and wondered who her companion could be. He also wondered how she had set the water on fire.

The women watched his approach, Sam staring over their bobbing heads for signs of the Mermaids return. A large cylinder nestled under one arm and the tube from one end was grasped firmly in her other arm. Marcona held a spluttering torch but handed it to Sam before bending to help Teal'c lift the barely conscious man out of the water. Then Sam thrust her improvised flame-thrower at Teal'c and knelt to help her friend. "If they come back, open the nozzle and light it, Teal'c. There's still enough pressure in there to make a decent flame."

Teal'c nodded and stood watching the water, glancing back repeatedly in concern for O'Neill's condition. Sam tore strips off Jacks shirt and created a couple of pressure bandages for the largest wounds. She managed to stem the flow of blood. "We must leave," Teal'c told her with concern.

"No kidding," Sam retorted. "The Colonel is barely conscious he's lost a lot of blood."

"Mermaids are indeed as deadly as the Tauri legends say," he commented as he swept the water for signs of their return.

"I have no recollection of any stories of mermaids acting like piranha," Sam retorted. "You don't appear to have been bitten?" There was concern and a question in her voice.

"They did not harm me they appeared only to stop me when I entered the water to help O'Neill."

"What is piranha?" Marcona asked.

"Flesh eating fish that swim in shoals. They can strip a carcass to the bone in short order. If they're the only females the Mermen have ever seen, I'm not surprised they were nervous of us. Teal'c can you carry him?"

"I can walk. Teal'c?" The voice was barely a whisper but Sam sighed in relief. Teal'c handed the improvised weapon to Sam and reached down to help Jack to his feet.

"I am unharmed O'Neill. You however cannot walk you can't even stand on your own." Teal'c told him as his legs buckled. Lifting him over his shoulder smeared his shoulders with his friend's blood. Teal'c swung towards Sam, "how do we leave this place?"

Sam led the way out of the cavern with a watchful Marcona bringing up the rear. "Follow me. I have an idea were we should be safe for a while."

Teal'c followed Sam through a hidden exit and out of the cave. Once beyond the opening, the Tok'ra closed and sealed it.

"That should hold them for a while." Marcona chuckled at some joke only she could see. "It depends on how much contact there is between this divided species of course. If they talk to each other now as well as mate, we could be in trouble."

Teal'c looked back over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. The young face had not prepared him for the symbiotic timbre in her voice. "Who?" Teal'c questioned Sam.

"She's Tok'ra. The host is in there somewhere," Sam said in a quiet aside. "I've spoken with her."

"I see," Teal'c responded.

He followed the women through the deserted corridors and they guided him to a small room. Rough wall surfaces marked with the scoring of tools showed that it had been hollowed out by hand. The room was not a natural cave as some of the other places they had seen. This room had seen no use for a considerable amount of time; a thick layer of dust lay over everything. Footprints in the dust betrayed the women's initial visit a while before. "We found this place while we were searching for you," Marcona explained as she helped them lower Jack carefully to the floor.

A quick examination of Jack's injuries deepened the worried frown on Sam's face. "He's still bleeding. We have to get him out of here."

"We should find the Stargate and leave," Teal'c agreed.

"Do either of you remember how you got here or know where the Stargate cave is situated?" Sam was pretty sure she knew the answer to that question already.

"I remember a lot of water, tunnel walls and then nothing," Teal'c informed her solemnly.

"We did not come through the Stargate," Marcona explained to Teal'c, "and have no idea where it is situated."

"We can't take the Colonel through the flooded tunnels anyway," Sam muttered as she worked on the bandages. "He is losing too much blood. If the loss doesn't kill him he would probably drown."

"There is a sarcophagus," Marcona offered and hurried on when they both turned to her. "I know it's not an ideal thing to put him through, but it will save his life."

"You know where this sarcophagus is?" Teal'c asked suspiciously.

"Triton told us of it and that Neptune is imprisoned there." She shrugged her shoulders. "He was being friendly. Apparently he was part of the early Tok'ra before he disappeared with his father. He was pumping us for information on the System Lords."

"What did you tell him?" Sam asked quietly.

"I'm not sure. Nothing… I think. Kyla was very frightened and found him attractive and 'safe'. She talked a lot about her family and her own life, nothing of mine. He told us about the imprisoned Neptune to show us that we were safe with him."

"Teal'c and the Colonel weren't safe," Sam responded dryly.

"No. Whatever he was before, he has changed. I would not trust him."

"Any idea where the sarcophagus would be?" Sam asked.

"Locked away, high in the tunnels I should think, probably guarded."

The Sarcophagus

Drifting in and out of consciousness made the tunnels a disorienting maze for Jack. Although he remembered that his legs would not support him, whenever he awoke he insisted that Teal'c should put him down. "Where are we going?" A weak voice penetrated Sam's watchful concentration of the areas they were searching.

"To find the sarcophagus and get your legs healed," Sam responded.

"You should be looking for the Gate," Jack admonished her.

"We'll get to it as soon as we've stopped your bleeding," she responded and Marcona glanced back in time to see the Colonel drift back into oblivion.

'Won't be too long before finding the Sarcophagus will be too late,' Marcona thought at her silent partner.

'We can still use it if he dies,' Kyla responded. It was the first thought that had seeped through the panic barrier for sometime and proved that she was listening. 'Good girl,' Marcona commented, 'you are taking an interest in our future.' Further interchange stopped as they checked beyond the next turning. There was a guard of six Mermen in the corridor, and for the first time they were armed.

"Damn," Sam muttered. "You can guarantee that the Sarcophagus is there. We need to find another way out. We are not going to get past them without a fight." The group continued upward looking for a way to safety and a place to further treat Jack's wounds. What they found was a Ring Room and the doorway to the surface of the planet.

"There are supposed to be others on the surface that didn't wish to live under Triton's rule," Teal'c commented.

"Well, we can check it out, what do we have to lose." The look that accompanied the comment told Teal'c that Major Carter had severe doubts about Goa'uld that would allow people to go free.

It was wild on the surface. The wind raced across a barren land, scouring it clean of vegetation. There was nothing here to protect them from the climate and nowhere to hide. Not that they needed to hide, none of the undersea inhabitants would be at all willing to brave these hostile elements. Clothes and hair whipped about in the wind and stung their eyes; it made scanning the horizon difficult.

Without that particular handicap, Teal'c was able to peer through the wind to the coastline a short distance away. Sam nodded when he described what he saw, she was fairly sure it would immediately run to deep water. Although the area looked flat she realised that they were probably standing on the highest point of a mountain range. Where they stood could well be the worn down top of a large mountain.

"So, where are these people who have chosen not to live among the Mermen?" Teal'c asked as he looked around.

Jack levered himself up on an elbow and looked around. "Sending them here would be a death sentence."

"Perhaps there are larger land masses on different parts of the planet," Marcona commented as she lowered herself beside the injured Tauri.

"And pigs might fly," Jack responded and dropped back drained by the exertion. "You are going to have to go back to find the Stargate. Leave me here, you can't keep carrying me."

"We get into the room with the sarcophagus, and then we stand a chance of making it through the flooded tunnels," Sam told him.

"You would stand a chance of making it through those tunnels if you left me," Jack tried to sound determined, but the weakness in his voice defeated him.

"The room is heavily guarded," Teal'c commented, also ignoring Jack's pleas to be left.

"I would think that Triton knows one of you is injured and guesses we might try to find it," this time it was Kyla's voice and they turned to look at her.

"Hello Kyla, how are you feeling?" Sam asked.

"I am feeling better. Marcona thinks we should try to take the room, but is concerned about what we will find resident in the sarcophagus. She fears Neptune."

"He's in a coffin isn't he?" Jack put in and tried to sit up again, Teal'c supported his back and allowed him up. "Stake him. That's what you do to things in coffins." Sam looked at her feverish and weak superior and grinned at him despite his desperate situation.

Kyla looked puzzled and Teal'c explained. "Vampires, they are creatures of Tauri mythology that drink the blood of the living."

"That sounds… somewhat unpleasant," Kyla responded and made a face, "but isn't the stake a good idea? Kill Neptune as soon as you open the Sarcophagus, before he has time to do anything to us."

"Stake, knife, whatever," Jack responded. "You don't have to be fussy about which weapon you use. Just kill it."

"It's decided then," Sam responded. "We go back and try to take the room. We all go home or no one does." She looked down at her Colonel a sparkle of defiance in her eyes. "We don't leave anyone behind." The blue eyes blurred and faded as Jack stared up at Sam. His head fell forward and he slipped back into unconsciousness. Without the Sarcophagus it would probably be the last time he would ever hear her voice.

The guards were still in place outside their intended destination. They all looked nervous. Their master had always kept them hidden from the worlds outside, and they had felt safe. Those who stood this particular duty had always considered it an honour guard. It had been the only place they had been required to watch and protect. Now they feared these strangers who resisted Triton's wishes. Unlike their kind the Tauri had both mobility and strength within both sexes. How were they to be contained?

After a quick peek into the corridor, Sam retreated to tell the others what they faced. Marcona volunteered to act as bait and draw the Mermen out of the corridor. After assurances that she could take care of Kyla, Marcona prepared to play her part.

A swift run took her down the hall and into the junction in full view of the guards. The Tok'ra slid to a halt at the end of the hall. The fear Kyla had been fighting since awaking in this place surfaced. Seeing the petrified look on her face encouraged the Mermen to give chase. After giving them a chance to respond Marcona took control. She spun around and raced away from them. All but one of the guards followed her and ran straight into Teal'c and Sam.

Disposing of the guards proved a simple task. Despite their superior numbers the fight was brief and decidedly one-sided. Marcona helped her new friends' drop the unconscious Mermen in the room used to hide Jack and locked them in. A different tack was taken for the remaining guard.

He could not decide whether to stay at his post, or go for help. The Merman's dilemma worsened as he watched the female Tauri turn into the corridor and walked towards him. It had already crossed Sam's mind that this particular Goa'uld seemed to be sadly lacking in technology. After consideration she put it down to the lack of contact with other races over the thousands of years these people had been hidden. At this point the lack pleased her, there would be no alarm raised until someone came to check on the room.

Teal'c had no concerns about Major Carter being able to deal with one guard. He lifted O'Neill over his shoulder and followed her. By the time he turned into the corridor the remaining guard made a pathetic heap in front of the access to the Sarcophagus. Marcona watched carefully up and down the adjoining corridor until she was satisfied that they had raised no alarm. "Corridors are clear," she confirmed as they entered the room.

The room was as dust, as many of the rooms they had explored. "Either this place was made too large," Sam commented as Teal'c laid his burden carefully on the floor. "Or there has been a large decrease in the population here."

"That would be no surprise," Marcona explained. "The Mermen have a habit of dying during mating."

"The women appear to be a cross between Piranha and Black Widow spiders." Sam commented. "Why a Goa'uld would ever engineer such an unbalanced…" she trailed off as she approached the sarcophagus. "How are we going to deal with what's in here."

"O'Neill's suggestion appears to be a sound one," Teal'c responded and removed an ornate spear from the wall.

Sam stared at the locked-down sarcophagus and took a deep breath. They needed it for Jack and they would have to kill whatever was in it. It flittered across her mind, that the moment of release from the stasis chamber was probably the Goa'uld most vulnerable time. 'It's too old to have a force field. They're a recent innovation that Teal'c never saw before the encounter with the Nox. What else could it have for immediate defence? A ribbon device,' she thought. 'We will need to be careful as it opens.'

A snapping noise brought her attention to Teal'c. The ornamental spear broke into two pieces, creating a short stabbing weapon. "We will need to thrust through the neck to kill it."

Sam nodded in agreement. After taking one more glance at Jack and Kyla cushioning his head, she removed the locking devise and placed it on the floor. Teal'c moved back towards her as she activated the Sarcophagus. The Jaffa stood at the opposite end of the sarcophagus waiting for a large enough gap through which to attack the occupant.

A low eerie moan rose from the sarcophagus, it seemed to be resisting the attempt to open it. A puff of dust spurted from the lid and drifted into the air. Light began to filter through the widening crack lighting up the dust motes. The momentary peace of the scene suddenly ended as a roar of rage swamped the sound of the lid splitting apart. The noise reached into the recesses of Jack's mind, dragging him briefly to consciousness. Immediately alert, he tried to rise and caught a glimpse of Teal'c standing over the sarcophagus.

"Kill it Teal'c!" Then he collapsed and Kyla/Marcona caught his head preventing further damage to their new friend.

The sound of O'Neill's voice galvanised Teal'c into action. The short spear thrust into the opening with as much force as he could muster and the roar turned to a scream of pain. A hand wrapped in a ribbon devise shot out of the opening and grabbed the edge of the lid; another grabbed at the spear shaft and tried to wrench it away from Teal'c. Teal'c retracted the spear quickly and overbalanced, stumbling away from Neptune. The Goa'uld attempted to pull himself through the opening to find his attackers. A white bearded face spattered in blood appeared and glowing eyes stared in madness directly at Sam.

The Ribbon Devise rose towards her immediately and Sam ducked below the level of the lid as he fired. Neptune arched his back in pain and sent the blast into the roof above her. The blast sent a rain of small rocks and dust into the room. The shower of debris descended as Sam realised her teammate had struck Neptune in the back of the neck. The light died out of his eyes and his shoulders rolled and slid back into the Sarcophagus. Teal'c leaned cautiously forward to ensure that Neptune was no longer a threat. Then he and Sam quickly dragged the body out onto the floor.

The first thing Sam noticed was the lack of a tail. "Neptune didn't take any of his creations as hosts then. What did he do to upset the System Lords?"

"He opposed Ra. Like so many others who tried he found himself running for his life," Marcona's answered.

"His host was a big man… Let's get Jack into the sarcophagus," she muttered and turned to help Teal'c carefully lift and lower their dying friend into his only means of survival. As they activated the sarcophagus, Marcona dragged the body of the Goa'uld behind a large hanging on one side of the room. Teal'c moved across to help her conceal him.

That Threat's not even original!

As the lid slowly closed over the still form of the Colonel, Sam leaned back against its side. With an audible sigh, she slid into a sitting position on the floor. The blonde mop of hair fell forward as head sank to knees. Tiredness seeped through her muscles as her body demanded rest. A large hand came to rest gently on Sam's shoulder and a shadow darkened her vision as Teal'c knelt by her side. "Are you hurt?"

The concern in his voice tugged at her heart. Teal'c was always there for her, always strong even when she weakened. "I'm OK," she responded and lifted her head with a smile. "Just need a little breathing space." Teal'c nodded in response and settled beside her. "We can't just stay here while Jack heals. I think a little diversion to keep the Goa'uld from checking this room out is called for," she continued.

"We cannot leave O'Neill alone here, what if someone finds him?" Kyla had perched on a seat beside the drapes in which they had hidden Neptune. "I'll stay with him and hide if anyone comes through the door. If they see no one in the room, they won't tamper with the sarcophagus if we just put everything back in place. They will not wish to let Neptune out."

Teal'c eyed the Tok'ra for a moment, and then glanced down at the Major. "The healing will not take long, but if we remove him too early O'Neill will still be weak."

Sam nodded and rose as a thought occurred. A swift visit to Neptune's body gave her a weapon she could use. The ribbon device was large but manageable. Teal'c picked up one of the staff weapons the guards had been carrying. "The design of these weapons hasn't changed much over time," Sam muttered as she adjusted the ribbon device.

"Why improve what needs no improvement?" Teal'c asked.

"Dunno, but we do have a habit of doing it."

"A waste of resources," both Kyla and Teal'c replied in unison.

"Depends on your point of view," Sam grinned and tapped Kyla encouragingly on the shoulder. "If we just rest this lock on the lid it will be Ok if they don't look to close." Kyla lifted it back into place as Sam continued to tighten the Ribbon device. Looking up at the ceiling she shook her head, "that blast mark will be a dead giveaway."

"Never mind," Marcona responded. "We have done what we can to hide the evidence. Let us hope no one finds us here."

Sam picked up the remaining staff weapon from the guards and held it out to Marcona before heading for the door. "Hold on to this… just in case."

The door moved slowly and an eye appeared, peering down the corridor. "Empty," Sam whispered.

Teal'c opened the door and stepped out in front of her. He glanced up and down the corridor. "So it seems," he responded at normal volume. "We must be careful not to return to the corridors leading to the mermaids caves."

"I know, but we need to get off this level completely if we're going to draw them away."

A few minutes later and in a lower corridor Teal'c stopped with a puzzled expression on his face. "We have not encountered a single being, does this not seems strange to you?"

"Actually, I wasn't thinking of the lack of inhabitants. Just the eerie noise I could hear when we entered this corridor. I can still hear and it's getting louder," Sam responded.

Teal'c tilted his head to one side as he listened for the sound. "It is strange perhaps the air passing through the passages makes this sound."

"There is no sense of movement in the air it would have to feel like a wind tunnel in here… You know, it sounds like something breathing." Sam waited for his response and Teal'c frowned.

"It would have to be a large creature."

"Ahhh, Teal'c," Sam continued quietly as they moved towards the noise. "There are more than mermen and mermaids in the legends of Neptune. He had… pets," Sam bit her lip.

"You mean like O'Neill's dog?"

"Bigger, much bigger and ugly, very nasty…" she paused as if considering what she could remember. "And not all completely confined to the sea."

"This is not something I wish to hear," Teal'c informed her and she grinned at the unconscious Colonel-like response.

"I wonder how Jack is doing?" It was her last thought, chopped off as she peered into the next corridor. Teal'c lost the air in his lungs as Sam propelled herself backwards into him in shock. "Holy Hannah!" she hissed. "Sorry Teal'c."

"What is it?" He asked as he took a cautious look. Lying in the corridor was a large green head. Large eyes, sparkling like polished jet stared down the tunnel towards them. Attached to the head was a body, but its size and length was difficult to define hidden behind the head. "A dinosaur?" Teal'c whispered.

"Nothing like I've ever seen or read about…Those scales for a start look wrong and" Sam's whispers died off. "Lets not disturb it, whatever it is. I think that would be a little too much of a distraction."

Teal'c nodded and they both retreated down the corridor. The increasing sound of slithering and scrabbling of claws and scales was not what they wanted to hear. They began to run, forgetting quiet in the need for speed. A glance back told Sam that the creature could move quickly in the tunnels and would outpace them. An alarm sound and their need to draw attention away from the sarcophagus room was answered. Now all they wanted was to escape this new pursuer.

"Take narrower passages! It will slow it down!" Sam called and the pair weaved their way desperately from passage to passage as the creature gained. The sound was now a roar and Sam felt the heat of its breath on her back. A door began to slide closed in front of them and they dived through as it slammed down. There was no time to consider why this corridor should close off, or what faced them beyond. With the creature trapped behind it they had time to breath again. She was still on her hands and knees, hauling breath into her lungs when she heard something hit Teal'c. It had to have been Teal'c because it wasn't her. The unconscious Jaffa flopped over knocking her flat and she felt her arms pinned and tied as she struggled to release herself. Someone rolled her over and she was looking up from the floor into the face of two grinning Mermen. They had captured and secured the female, Triton would be pleased with them.

Triton may have been pleased at their capture, but he was not pleased that the others were still missing. They had carried Sam bodily into his presence and set her on her feet in front of the Goa'uld. "It is unfortunate that you will not co-operate," Triton's eyes glittered as he spoke, "but it is of no consequence. You see, we have you and the Jaffa, he carries the means by which I will obtain your full co-operation."

Sam had no illusions as to what Triton intended to do. There was no way she would be able to protect Kyla and the Colonel once the symbiote had been implanted. Fear for her freedom and life never entered her mind, just that she would betray her friends. 'Teal'c! Teal'c will die!' The thought carried despair at losing another friend, a brother. Her struggles to free herself were futile; the two Mermen holding her were strong. Triton had no intention of allowing her to escape again. They lifted her by her arms and legs; one curled his tail around her body to further tighten his grip. Struggling had no effect on the Mermen's grip as they carried her to a bench several feet from the throne. As they strapped her arms and legs to it the language Sam let fly would have surprised Jacob.

Triton smiled in anticipation of a fine spirited host for his new Goa'uld partner. He waved an impatient hand at the Mermen, sending them to collect the unconscious body of the Jaffa. It was a long time since he had watched a Jaffa suffer the slow death. 'A lingering and painful death...' he remembered. 'It will be amusing to see how long this one lasts, he looks strong.' Triton was unaware he had past the point of no return, he now trod the path for which he had despised Neptune. Greed and a thirst for power overrode what he had learned from the Tok'ra founder on the Tauri home world. 'She was weak and I was a fool to listen to her... No more, I will have my rightful inheritance...' The inherited memory of his father's line finally overrode the years of careful abstinence from his excesses.

Triton found himself distracted by the thought of his father and of the sarcophagus that imprisoned him. 'This is a good body, strong, the best of a long line of breeding.' The sarcophagus would ensure that he could retain it. He would kill his father. The sarcophagus was his to use, he had no intention of sharing his new strength with one he had already defeated. The thought barely caused a ripple in his mind, just excitement. The lure of the sarcophagus had become overpowering again, even after the thousand years he had denied himself, the countless hosts he had taken.

Absently, Triton stroked the arm of his golden throne. Sam's eyes narrowed as she watched him, it was like seeing Apophis reborn. 'Apophis with a tail,' the image didn't please her, but a grim smile grew. 'He has no real interest in these people.' She wondered what would happen to them now he wanted more than this water filled planet. 'Why can't they see what he is?'

The noise of something being dragged made her crane her neck to get a glimpse of what was happening. Teal'c's limp form was dragged across the room towards the throne. Triton was barely aware of the Jaffa being dropped unceremoniously at his feet. Then he glanced down as the sound of a thud vibrated through his seat. Sam winced in sympathy as her friend's head caught the edge of the dais and she silently willed him to wake up, move, and do something before they took Junior from him.

Triton smiled, it wasn't a pleasant smile and Sam shuddered despite herself. "We will wait for him to wake. I wish him to know exactly what we are going to do to him," he paused, "to you," he purred. Triton walked to the bench where Sam was fastened down. Catching hold of her jacket collar he yanked the fastenings apart and slid it under her body, turning the sleeves inside out. The torn jacket was left hanging from the wrist restraints at the top of the bench. He circled the bench looking down at Sam in a way that made her feel sick. Triton wove his fingers through her hair and gently stroked her face. He was impatient for her to be implanted and the line of his thought was obvious to his intended victim. She waited, unresponsive as his hand ran along her neck and over her chin. Suddenly she whipped her head around and sank her teeth into him.

A howl left the Goa'uld as he pulled his hand away and stared at the blood pouring from the bite site. "Your God will cause you great pain!" he hissed and then collected himself and smiled. The glitter in his eyes was anything but friendly. "When we find your friend and the Tok'ra, you will execute them for us."

Sam snorted. "That threat's not even original."

Triton frowned down at the female who showed no fear. 'Why had the System Lords allowed the Tauri home world to survive?'

The unresponsive body of Teal'c lay ignored by Triton, but he was no longer unconscious. He lay there in silence, with his eyes closed and mind racing. How could he save Major Carter and himself? The continual taunts the Goa'uld threw at his friend told him, at any one moment, exactly where in the room it was. He could hear Triton's attention narrowing to the single task. For the moment the Goa'uld had forgotten him. Triton's attempt to make Major Carter show fear however was not going well and her patent contempt for him fuelled his anger. 'That is a task no-one has succeeded in achieving and better than you have tried,' Teal'c thought as he tried to gauge how many others occupied the room.

A large ornamental knife lay on the small table beside the throne. In one swift movement he came to his feet, scooping up the knife as he turned. In two strides he reached Triton, who began to turn at the sound of movement behind him. The intention was not to kill the Goa'uld however and he thrust him heavily to one side. The Mermen's ruler stumbled headlong away from the bench. The knife swung and cut the cords holding the Major down and she immediately rolled onto her feet, shaking loose the remnants of her jacket.

A panic ensued in the room, many of the Mermen present had already been injured trying to capture and subdue the strangers. To see their Leader thrust aside like a rag doll was one shock too many and they scattered. Triton's relatively benevolent rule had left them unprepared for the hatred these strangers exhibited towards him. It had been a long time since their species had faced threats from anyone except their own females during the mating frenzy.

With the chaos that erupted in the room, Sam and Teal'c made it through the door and into the maze of corridors with only two intrepid pursuers. Triton's screams of rage could be heard behind them.

Where is my team?

The Tok'ra sat on the floor staring up at the sarcophagus as if fascinated. The symbiote knew that even the threat of dying would not induce her to use one of them. Kyla's young mind however, still had to understand why the Tok'ra never used this piece of technology. The concentration focused her mind causing her to relax for the first time in several hours. Marcona took advantage of her calmed state and used the time to repair damage caused by their chaotic blending.

After a while the light in the room faded, allowing the darkened corners to creep inwards. The subtle change brought the Kyla/Marcona pairing out of the meditative state. Kyla felt a brief flutter of panic increase her heart rate. For a moment, it appeared that all the work done in the past hour would be ruined. Eyes glowed as Marcona reinforced Kyla's fragile peace and she immediately calmed. Marcona relaxed, pleased with what they had accomplished. The glow faded from her eyes leaving no outward sign that a symbiote shared Kyla's body. Marcona listened intently, worried that she seemed to have been alone a long time. Kyla's sharp ears picked up nothing outside of the room and she relaxed. 'Still,' Kyla thought as she rose and crossed to the sarcophagus, 'Colonel O'Neill will not be best pleased if they are not back before he awakens.'

'We will deal with that as it arises. The Tauri know where the Stargate is, besides…' Marcona responded.

'What is it?' Kyla questioned.

'I am reluctant to attempt to leave without our allies and they will not leave without O'Neill. Our course is set.'

Kyla nodded agreement with her symbiote as she rested a hand on the sarcophagus. A small vibration registered through her fingertips. 'It opens…' She unconsciously backed away as the lid slid apart and stood waiting for O'Neill to sit up. Nothing happened.

Slowly she walked forward, wondering why there was no movement from within the sarcophagus. As she leant over to check him, O'Neill shot upright and caught her by the throat. Kyla's eyes went wide with shock and Marcona pushed her into the background, grabbing O'Neill's wrists to remove his hands. O'Neill saw the flash of light in her eyes and tightened his grip.

"Colonel O'Neill," Marcona choked out. "Please do not force me to hurt you. We are your friend."

O'Neill focused on the reddening face, vaguely recognised it and loosened his grip a little. "Where's my team?" he growled at her.

"They went to keep Triton occupied while you healed," Marcona spoke in a whisper. "Please let us go you are frightening my host."

"Who are you?"

"We are Tok'ra, do you not remember. I was with Major Carter when you were injured." Jack let go of her throat and she backed away hurriedly.

"Sorry, I remember... got a little confused there. How long have they been gone?"

"A long time," Kyla chimed in. "Too long I think they may have found more trouble than they were looking for."

"Do you know where they went?"

Kyla shook her head and paused to allow Marcona back.

As the confusion cleared and he became fully conscious of where he was sitting, the sarcophagus walls began to close in on him. Raw dry heat seemed to surround him as the confines of the coffin caused flash backs of his imprisonment in Iraq. Jack scrambled over the side and backed away from it. Thundering along in the rear was the memory of what Daniel went through after spending too much time in one of them. 'Not to think about Daniel,' he told himself sternly but failed to hold down the shudder that ran through him as he eyed the sarcophagus.

"You are still not healed?" The Tok'ra voice held concern.

"I'm fine," Jack responded shortly.

He scanned the room looking for the door. He had no memory of how he had arrived in the room. This woman, he looked at her, girl he had just tried to choke was only vaguely familiar to him. Even if she was Tok'ra, it just didn't make her trustworthy in his book. "Let's go," Jack whispered over his shoulder, as he prised open the door and peered into the corridor.

"Should we not wait for the others to return?" The provocative timbre of the symbiote was in the voice.

It grated on Jack's ears. "They've been gone a long time?" Jack asked innocently.

"Yes."

"Then I think we need to find out why they haven't returned, don't you?" Sarcasm rode the edge of the comment and Marcona recognised the antagonistic tone. 'You talk to him Kyla my voice makes him angry. He doesn't like me.' Marcona retreated to the background to listen and aid Kyla when she required it.

Knowing his team well, Jack guessed they would have gone down the tunnels deeper into the complex, he knew it was what he would have done. He grabbed the Tok'ra by the arm and pulled her out of the room with him. "Which way is down?" he asked.

Kyla pointed timidly down the tunnel. This Tauri frightened her, the others had not. Jack took a couple of steps away and stopped to look back, he motioned impatiently for her to follow. Marcona sighed and as Kyla caught the slightly bored mother reaction in her attitude, she giggled. The vision of the Colonel as a rebellious child dissipated the trepidation she was feeling. A few hurried steps brought her level with her latest companion. Jack had heard the giggle and gazed down at the young face wondering what he'd done that was funny. Laughter was not something he actually associated with the Tok'ra and gave a mental shrug dismissing the thought for the moment. There were other things which were far more important to him.

The sound of footsteps coming towards them gave Jack pause. He pushed the girl against the wall and listened intently. 'Two… maybe three… OK, I can handle that.' As the mermen rounded the corner into the section they were hiding, Jack struck. The first blow landed beneath the nearest nose, splintering the bone and dropping the man in his tracks. Such was the blow that Jack knew he would never have to worry about that one again. He kicked the second low and hard, causing him to double up and crumble to his knees. The suspected third merman was indeed present and a lot faster than his companion. His fist caught Jack in the side of the head sending him spinning into the wall.

The merman's tail whipped round to flip Jack's legs from under him, as he spun round he caught sight of the girl. With a screech of fury, Kyla launched herself at him with flailing fists. Neither man had expected it but they responded very differently. Jack grinned, albeit a little groggily as he struggled to right himself. The merman's face took on a look of horror and he began to back away from her. Although Jack was puzzled by the Merman's sudden display of fear, he bound to his feet and joined Kyla. The blow he connected flung the merman into the wall to slide to join the others resting on the floor. A quick spin brought him level with the only conscious merman left and Jack delivered in swift kick to the side of his head.

After a quick look to ensure they were all beyond troubling them Jack grinned at his new companion. The grin dispelled the frightening look on his face and made the Colonel look almost boyish. Kyla grinned back as the vision of rebellious child again flitted through her mind. "I did OK?" she asked him.

"Just fine," he responded. "Are you the host?"

"Yes, my name's Kyla."

"What about your symbiote?" Jack asked as he turned to continue his search for Sam and Teal'c.

"Marcona" Kyla queried, "she thinks I did well too," Kyla added ingenuously.

Jack felt disarmed despite himself. His companion was barely more than a child and he wondered how she had become a host.

Marcona however was exasperated with Kyla. 'One minute you're afraid of him the next…'

'But he has such a nice smile,' Kyla responded.

'Not everyone with a nice smile can be trusted,' Marcona snapped back and reminded her, 'you thought Triton had a nice smile.' Kyla pulled a face and Jack noticed the sour expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing really, Marcona is being a pain."

The Tunnel Beast

As he moved along the tunnels with Kyla in tow Jack couldn't help but smile. The symbiote and host did not appear very compatible. Perhaps circumstances had forced this blending, that seemed to happen a lot. 'So much for free will,' he thought, 'it still seems to be the choice of blend or die for a lot of people.' The smile vanished as he admitted to himself at least, that the Tok'ra gave you the choice.

There was a faint smell in the tunnels he had not noticed before. There also appeared to be an increase in air movement. "Can you feel that?" Jack questioned.

Kyla wasn't sure what he meant, but she had noticed something. Her sharp ears had picked up a sound Jack's older ears had not yet heard and she identified it accurately. "I can hear something breathing," she told him.

"So there is something up ahead with vaguely fishy breath and big enough to stir the air in the whole tunnel." A moment's thought brought a decision. "I don't think we want to tangle with whatever it is. We'll go this way."

They moved down the adjacent tunnel, but after a few yards Kyla put a hand on his arm. "Listen to the noise," she whispered.

They both stood in silence as the sound of something slithering closer increased. They looked back to the end of the tunnel, both pressing up against the sidewall, Jack unconsciously drawing the young girl to him. A head appeared at the end of the tunnel, one huge eye staring down directly towards them. Jack's hand tightened on Kyla's shoulder, afraid she would try to run. Kyla stared down at the creature, but made no sound or movement. After what had seemed like an eternity, it moved on down the tunnel they had just vacated. The long body slithered its way past them and onward to another part of the complex.

They both moved quietly after that, no longer talking, but staying close together. Jack was now seriously concerned for the safety of his team. If they had also run into that creature, they could have been seriously injured or killed. Without Kyla's ears and sufficient warning, that meeting could have gone very differently for them. The noise, when it started, was barely more than a whisper through the passages. Sounds of shouts and yells reached them, giving notice that something was happening up ahead of them. The sound of running feet sent them into a doorway. They watched as two figures darted past in black and khaki. Jack darted out, dragging Kyla with him. "Hey!" he yelled after them.

Sam turned her head and saw her CO behind her. "Run!" she yelled back at him.

Not requiring any further encouragement, both Jack and Kyla took to their heels in pursuit of the rest of their group. 'What are we running from?' Jack wondered as his feet pounded down the tunnel. "Major! Who's chasing us?"

"Not who! What!" Sam shouted back without slowing her pace.

Jack immediately pictured the big eye and scaly body he had seen slide past the tunnel earlier. His instinct to slow down and assess the situation vanished. After a couple of minutes sprinting through the tunnels the blood pounding in his ears made it impossible for him to listen for the danger behind them.

At the front of the racing group Teal'c pulled up short. Head spinning to the left and body following he dodged into a doorway. Sam immediately followed him through the gap and Jack grabbed Kyla yanking her in after him. Beyond the small doorway, they discovered stairs cut into a shaft running through their level. Sam pointed down the shaft.

"Down to the water level" Jack gasped as he leaned against a wall recovering.

"The Stargate is at water level," Sam agreed and Jack nodded.

Kyla led the way down the steps with Sam close behind. Teal'c and Jack brought up the rear. The shaft was well lit and showed a long haul down to the bottom. The steps were well worn and obviously used a great deal. Jack sniffed the air and took in the damp feel. It confirmed that they were heading towards water at the bottom of the shaft. "Hold up everyone. We need to get out of here before we hit the water!" Jack yelled from the back.

They all stopped, Sam almost toppling Kyla off of the steps as she hurtled into her. As they caught their breath, they could all hear the footsteps of their pursuers above them. 'Still being followed,' Jack thought. 'At least it's not the giant snaky thing.'

A Goa'uld voice ranted at their pursuers, urging them on. "Do not let them reach the Chaapa'ia!"

The voice made Jack grimace but he responded immediately as he looked up. "Thanks Triton seems we're headed in the right direction folks." Sam straightened up from relieving a stitch in her side and grinned in response to Jack's glib comment.

They continued to descend but a little more slowly looking for the bottom of the shaft. Finally the shaft opened out into a room carved from the rock. The steps ran down the wall to a narrow ledge around the room. A pool of water filled the central area and Jack eyed it with uncertainty. He could see another doorway several feet along the ledge, but did not immediately push his people on.

"Nothing's moving, sir," Sam commented as she concentrated on the water. She did wonder what was worrying him, the mermaids or the creature they had come across. A glance at her CO's face made her ask. "You've seen it haven't you sir?"

"Oh yes, we've seen it," Jack responded. They inched their way along the narrow ledge watching the water apprehensively. The doorway was reached without incident and they all breathed a sigh of relief. It was then that they noticed the water had started to rise. It slowly lapped over the ledge and began pouring a;ong the tunnel. The escapees raced ahead of the water looking for a way out. As the water continued rising and lapping around their feet it slowed their pace. "Anyone have any idea where we're running?" Jack asked when they paused for a moment.

"I'm looking for the cave they took us to from the Stargate," Sam explained. "It's down here somewhere."

"Great! Got any idea how big this place could be Major?" Jack drawled.

"Got a better idea?" Sam retorted.

"That's got a better idea, Sir to you, Major," Jack snapped back. "And no, I don't. Shall we try through there?"

Jack pointed towards another short tunnel and they all headed for it. The tunnel opened out into a cave with a large pool at its lowest point. A small waterfall had formed, running off from the tunnel they vacated. It ran swiftly down to splash into the pool. Close to the edge of the pool, their gear lay about, abandoned by the Mermen.

"Our equipment O'Neill," Teal'c commented. "Is this the cave you where looking for Major Carter?"

Sam nodded and a smug look appeared on Jack's face. 'Don't you dare,' Sam thought as she glared at him, but Jack stifled his habitual cocky remark. The truth was he wasn't looking forward to getting back in the water. He was also certain that the water was their only option if they were going to get back to the Stargate. "The tunnel to the Stargate is under there," Sam told them pointing down at the water and confirming Jack's guess. He groaned and began rifling through the abandoned gear. "You can see it easily enough; the walls are lined with some kind of luminescent growth. I can see another tunnel over the other side of the pool. It's also lit up. I think they must cultivate it in the underwater sections."

"Science lesson another time Carter," Jack drawled at her. "Leave everything except knives and a GDO. Let's do this, before I change my mind."

A last study of the water surface assured Jack that it was unoccupied for the moment. He doubted that it was likely to last, especially as the pool was inching across the dry area of the cave. The small waterfall from their entrance tunnel was increasing rapidly in power and he had no idea whether it would fill the cave they were in.

"You first Carter, since you know where you're going," he told her as he tapped her shoulder.

"You hope I know where I'm going," she responded.

Jack's eyes widened slightly and a slight mocking smile appeared. Sam grinned, took a deep breath, and dove into the pool.

"Kyla you go next." She looked anxiously at the water and memories of drowning rolled into her mind. A shudder ran through her and didn't stop. After watching her for a second and realising that she was not going to get into the water Jack thought rapidly. "Marcona, get Kyla into the water we don't have time for this."

Light flashed in Kyla's eyes and Marcona nodded acknowledgement and dove in after Carter. Teal'c picked up the large knife he'd carried since his escape and followed the Tok'ra. After a last, quick glance around the cave Jack dove in after them. Finding the entrance to the tunnel proved as simple as Carter implied, 'just follow the light Colonel,' he could almost hear her in his head and smiled. Jack swam as fast as he could, still keeping an eye out for Sam as he cut through the cold water. He was half expecting to see her scraping bits off the wall for later study. He didn't see her and decided the beast had concentrated her mind on escape for once. The water began to push him along the tunnel with increasing speed and he flipped to look back the way he had come. The beast had reached the tunnel entrance and plunged into the pool, it was speeding towards them.

Sam popped out of the tunnel into the cave first, reaching up and grasping the side of the pool. She hauled herself up, looking for the Stargate. As soon as Sam saw it she came out of the water in one fluid movement, and spun on her stomach to watch for the others. Marcona came up next and Sam grabbed her arm and hauled her out. After a moment, Teal'c surfaced as if he was being propelled and twisted landing half in and half out of the water.

The water churned violently upward behind Teal'c, forming a dome above the tunnel exit. "What's happening?" Kyla all but shouted.

"The creature is in the tunnel," Teal'c informed them as Jack was propelled out of the water on the nose of the beast.

He wedged his feet firmly in the folds of the lower jaw and embedded his knife in its nose. "He's not going to be able to hold on!" Sam shouted.

The beast tried to shake its next meal loose, but Jack held on grimly trying to bury the knife somewhere were it would do some good. Teal'c dove back into the water to save Jack as the creature took him down again. Teal'c vanished in the churning water, but reappeared clinging to the back of the creature's head. Avoiding the creature's body, he swung himself from the back ridges and planted the knife in its glaring eye. The beast's jaw snapped shut and it thrashed frantically and finally managed to dislodge both its passengers. However, the beast had lost all interest in the food in the water and retreated. It disappeared down the tunnel leaving a trail of bright blue blood.

Teal'c and Jack surfaced and the women dragged them out. Carter checked the weakened pair for further injuries, but both appeared intact. Certain that they were OK she left them gasping and choking. She was up and across the cave in an instant, heading for the DHD.

"Oooh, for a straight-forward mission," Jack groaned. "Carter dial home, get us out of here."

"Yes sir," she responded as she reached the DHD, "I'm already doing it."

Jack looked at his friend still prostrate beside him and smiled. "How many times is that Teal'c?"

"That I have saved your life?"

"Yeah."

"I have not counted. How often have you saved mine?"

"Dunno... I need a holiday," Jack changed the subject. "We need a holiday."

The water began to churn suddenly, forming a dome fountain above the tunnel exit.

"Time to go!" Jack shouted as everyone scrambled for the Stargate.

The beast reared up, bursting through the water's surface as the event horizon whooshed into being. Its head swung round to reveal its damaged eye still exuding the bright blue blood. It scanned the room with its good eye, looking for the meal it had just lost. Sam rapidly punched the code into the GDO and they threw themselves through the Stargate as the enraged beast caught sight of them. It shot out of the water on its short-clawed feet and dove after them, straight through the event horizon.

End Game

The Gate Room was awash with bodies. A rescue team shuffled around checking their equipment, while they waited. A MALP sat at the bottom of the ramp with several technicians circling it like a pack of hungry predators. General Hammond was peeved by the problem with the MALP it was causing an inexcusable delay in the rescue mission. SG1 was well overdue and having their top team missing was causing enough rising tension within the SGC without further technical glitches to heighten the General's blood pressure.

The silent Stargate brooded over the hubbub with complete indifference. No one was even looking at it, they had all become so accustomed to its presence. Suddenly it sighed and began to dial an address, the lights flickered on one at a time. Silence fell immediately over the assembled people. All eyes turned to watch it hopeful of the missing team's return. Hammond looked up at the Control Room a question on his face.

"Incoming Wormhole!" The announcement echoed through the room. Then everyone was on the move, the General raced for the stairs and soldiers armed themselves. The technicians ran abandoning their tasks, vacating the room before the doors trapped them inside.

As Hammond reached the top of the stairs Lieutenant Simmons turned towards him. "SG1's IDC sir," he told him with just a touch of excitement.

"Open the iris," Hammond commanded and walked over to watch what was happening in the Gate Room.

Hammond was not altogether sure of what happened next. It was as if time slowed down to allow him to watch events unfold. Four bodies came hurtling out of the event horizon and landed in a disorganised pile on the ramp. He saw the three SG1 members and a stranger. Three voices roared as one, Hammond was sure he had never heard Teal'c shout before. "Close the Iris! Close the Iris!"

Simmons reacted automatically and punched the keyboard even as Hammond opened his mouth to confirm the order. Then the young officer rose from his seat in horror at what followed them through the Event Horizon.

The Iris began to close very slowly. It appeared around the inner circle of the Stargate and the centre narrowed as a huge snout and head appeared. The mouth opened showing rows of sharp glistening teeth and it let loose a deep angry roar. One eye was damaged Hammond noticed, it was probably blind on that side. The Iris completed its closure with a sudden thunk around the beast's neck. It sliced into it shearing off the head and aborting the roar. The thunderous sound of its still dematerialised body smashing into the Iris filled the room. The bedraggled bundle of humanity on the ramp was ignored. As the thunder died away the room became silent again. All eyes were glued to the huge head twitching on the ramp. The bodies on the ramp bottom untangled themselves and sat up to stare at what was left of their pursuer.

"Triton's still there," Sam commented quietly.

"Yeah, Well we've pulled a few teeth," Jack responded. "Cut off the head, so to speak…" Sam grinned and leaned over to help Kyla to her feet.

Jack took a step up to the head and kicked at it, the unbalanced shape began to roll down the ramp with gathering speed. Everybody scrambled over the rails or off the bottom and out of the way. As the security doors opened the head came off the ramp and swerved towards the door as if trying to escape. General Hammond chose this moment to enter and saw the head rolling towards him. He reversed rapidly out of the door were the head came to rest blocking his entrance.

"Oops," Jack's muttered his face a picture of childlike guilt.

Hammond peered over the head at his overdue team and looked pointedly at their new companion.

"General Hammond meet Kyla," Jack introduced the young girl.

"We are pleased to meet you," Marcona responded, her Symbiote timbre sending a nervous twitch around the Gate Room.

"Colonel?" Hammond asked.

"Marcona is Tok'ra sir," Sam explained.

"I see and this," he said pointing to the head, "belongs to what?"

"I would guess it was something like the Kraken of mythology sir," Sam explained. "At least, as it was Triton and Neptune we bumped into it would make sense."

"I believe this is going to be a complicated de-briefing?" The General commented with an exasperated sigh. "Why is it you always find trouble?"

"It's not intentional sir," Jack responded with a slightly affronted expression. "But it will take some explaining, which Carter will be able to do excellently."

Sam turned towards her Colonel to respond to this shifting of responsibility.

"Then I am sure once she has explained it to you, you will enjoy writing the report," General Hammond retorted a slight smile appearing.

Jack's groan echoed through the room he just knew he wasn't going to get home for a week.