It Takes a Village

by denise1

During a negotiation for Naqahdah, SG-1 gets caught up in one planet's horrible 'deal with the devil'.

It Takes a Village

By

Denise

"I think I like this planet," Jack said, taking a long look around the village.

Sam followed his gaze and grinned to herself as she divined one possible reason for her commander's enthusiasm. Not only were the locals friendly and welcoming, they were also – almost universally – pretty. Especially the females.

Even Daniel and Teal'c seemed at ease, and Sam had to say that she was enjoying herself as well.

"This is indeed a most pleasing locale," Teal'c said, easily hefting his staff weapon, holding it like a walking stick as the team strolled into the closest village to the Stargate.

"I feel like I'm at a Ren Fest," Sam said, observing the clothing of the villagers. The men wore tunics, leggings and knee high boots that looked to be made from soft leather. And the women wore a variety of dresses, some more modest and others more low cut. Some wore their hair down while others had their heads covered either with scarves or simple headdresses.

"As far as I can tell, there's no set dress code," Daniel said. "People wear whatever they want or whatever their job in the community demands."

"Good," Jack said. "I hate it when we get sent home with a note from the principal."

"I think the term Major Canfield used was 'open and welcoming', sir," Sam reminded, quoting from their briefing by the leader of SG-4.

"If SG-4's already been here, why did we have to come?" Daniel asked. Sam grinned, aware that he was just pushing the colonel's buttons, or maybe he really had been dozing off during the briefing.

"There was a backlog at the lab," Sam explained. "They finally got around to running the soil samples SG-4 took last year, last month."

"There's Naqahdah in them thar hills," Jack said, indicating the foothills that were just visible over the tops of the trees that surrounded the village.

"And no indication how welcoming they'll be to sharing with us," Daniel said, voicing the meaning of their mission.

"Major Canfield's assignment was to explore and recon," Sam said. "Why bring up the tension of wanting something from the locals if there's nothing to want?"

"Look sharp, kids," Jack said as they approached the central square of the village. Three men walked towards them, their clothing and demeanors identifying them as leaders of some sort. "You're on, Daniel," Jack prompted as Daniel stepped forward to stand beside him while Sam and Teal'c stepped to the side, trying to discreetly keep an eye on their backs.

"Greetings," the man in the middle of the trio said. He was a middle aged man, his dark hair fading to grey and thinning visibly as it hung loosely around his face. He wasn't fat, but wasn't gaunt either. None of the people looked too hungry, something that spoke to Sam that the village was doing okay.

He was dressed similarly to the other men, but, unlike them, the tunics of the three representatives were a bit longer, coming to just above their knees. Impractical for field work, so it suggested that these men were likely administrators or politicians.

"Greetings, I'm Daniel Jackson. This is Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter and Teal'c," he introduced.

"I am Saleen. This is Burdae and Donvane," the leader introduced, motioning to the men on his flanks.

"You are Tau'ri?" Burdae asked. He was about the same height and weight as Saleen, but his hair was lighter, as were his eyes, suggesting that if these people had been taken from Earth thousands of years ago; they were an ethnic mix and not just from one geographic area.

"Yes," Daniel answered.

"And the Jaffa?" Donvane asked, his sharp eyes narrowing. He was a bit thinner than the other two, his hawk like nose, olive skin and dark hair suggesting a Middle Eastern background.

"Teal'c once served Apophis, he does no longer," Daniel said.

"When your friends visited us many moons ago, they gave no indication that others would follow," Saleen said.

"They didn't know," Daniel said. "When they were here, they took some samples of the soil and we've discovered that your planet holds some resources that we'd like to trade for."

"Trade?" Donvane asked.

"What substance?" Saleen asked.

Jack motioned with his hand and Sam stepped forward. "There's a mineral in your soil called Naqahdah It's something that we can use and would like to trade for."

"Naqahdah?" Burdae asked.

"It's a-."

"A black shiny rock," Jack interrupted.

"We know what Naqahdah is," Saleen said. He looked pointedly at Teal'c. "And we know that the goa'uld also have a great interest in Naqahdah"

"The goa'uld take, we don't," Jack said.

"Saleen, we understand about the goa'uld. And we know that they tend to come in and take your Naqahdah We don't take. We trade," Daniel said.

"As you can see, we are a simple people. What could you have that we may want?" Donvane asked.

"Knowledge of other planets you can trade with," Sam said. "Medicines, supplies or other trade goods."

"We don't—"

"We just want to talk," Daniel interrupted Donvane. "Explore the possibility of a trade agreement."

Burdae looked at Saleen. "There is no harm in talking," he said. "Perhaps if they can share with us information about the ring and how it functions."

Saleen frowned and sighed, reluctantly giving in. "Agreed. Colonel O'Neill, I would ask your group to be my guest while we explore the possibilities of a trade."

:::::::::::::::

Teal'c walked beside O'Neill, vigilant regardless of the friendliness of their surroundings. Despite what O'Neill termed a 'rocky start' of three months ago, the Tau'ri's relationship with Tralaxia seemed to be progressing well.

There was still some mistrust. Some caution and tension, over all the Tau'ri seemed to have made an alliance.

"I think I could get used to this," O'Neill said, the casual nature of the grasp on his weapon speaking of his attitude.

"Observing preliminary mining techniques?" Teal'c asked, following O'Neill's gaze as he watched a team of SGC technicians working.

"Sandhogs get on my nerves," O'Neill said, referring to the miners. "But hey, if them being here keeps the Tralaxians happy, I'll deal."

Throughout the negotiations, it was revealed that one major fear of the Tralaxians was being enslaved and forced to work. Once Daniel and Teal'c figured that out and promised that no Tralaxian would have to life a finger to help, the obstacles seemed to melt away.

"I do not envy Sergeant Wilkins his duties," Teal'c said.

"The Naqahdah isn't deep," O'Neill said. "They think they can get most of what we need with open pit mining."

"I do not refer to the task of acquiring the Naqahdah, rather maintaining the physical separation demanded by Burdae and Saleen."

Burdae and Saleen's greatest fear, once they had been reassured that they wouldn't be enslaved, was to minimize the physical interaction between their own and the Tau'ri, especially the miners.

"We boiled it down to words of one syllable," O'Neill said. "Keep it in your pants or you're out." He nodded towards a clutch of tents. The village was three miles away and off limits to anyone but SG-1. "No one is allowed to go anywhere alone. And they've been ordered to keep their distance. Short of armed guards and locking them in, there's not much else we can do."

"The SGC has indeed made significant efforts in respecting the Tralaxian demands, yet there is one variable that you cannot control." He nodded towards the distant woods and the group of young men and women gathered there, observing the SGC personnel as they worked.

"Burdae knows," O'Neill said. "They can't keep their kids away and all we can do is to make sure that their contact is as benign as possible."

Teal'c watched as the youth interacted, chatting and giggling, some clearing attempting to influence the others. "I fear, O'Neill, that maintaining a benign state may prove more difficult than the brokering of the trade agreement."

:::::::::::::

Children ran by, screaming loudly and Sam merely closed her eyes, trying not to wince at the sound. The youngsters chased each other around the square, their antics watched by several indulgent mothers, aunts and grandparents. One of the children fell, crying out in pain and Sam watched as a handful of the adults drop what they were doing and hurried to his aid while others simply glanced up and went about their business.

"'It takes a village' isn't a cliché," Daniel said, sitting beside her.

"Sometimes I wonder what our…Earth's kids would be like if they had a whole neighborhood of parents," Sam said.

"Go to about any third world country and find out," he replied. "Village wide child care is the norm and things like day care are largely a western phenomenon."

"You've never lived on a military base," she said. Daniel looked at her. "Let's just say there was no shortage of adults willing to let my dad know EXACTLY what I'd been doing."

"Yasif," he said. "He was a friend of mine when we lived in Egypt. His dad worked for my dad. So we played together a lot."

"Sounds like fun."

"It was. But he couldn't keep a secret to save his life so anything we did…oh let's just say that I was lucky if I had twenty four hours before everyone, including my parents, knew about it."

"Kept you honest?" she teased.

"Kept me from doing anything too stupid for too long." He took a deep breath. "That was actually one of the hardest things to get used to in foster care. Some folks were very…interested in anything I was doing, others weren't."

"Really?" Sam asked, surprised that he was opening up about his past. While he never denied his past, it wasn't exactly a topic of casual conversation either.

He shrugged. "With a lot of them, as long as the cops didn't come or the teachers didn't sent notes home, they didn't care."

"That's umm…"

Daniel chuckled. "It's okay. People never know how to respond. Don't worry about it. I was actually pretty lucky. All those horror stories you hear about foster homes…I never experienced any of it. I had a couple that were kinda…stiff and unemotional, but no one was ever cruel or abusive. I was astonishingly unabused," he declared, grinning wryly. He looked around. "How come we get to hang out in town and don't get to go out with Jack and Teal'c?" he asked.

Sam looked over at him. "Who would you pick to intimidate the engineers?" she asked. "Us or them?"

"There is that," he agreed.

"And who is the least likely too 'corrupt their children?'" she asked, motioning at the bevy of kids milling about.

"And that too."

Sam kept to herself one other possible reason for her and Daniel staying in the village while the colonel and Teal'c hiked the three miles to the mining site. While Daniel may be physically recovered from his sarcophagus addiction, Sam knew that there were still some concerns about his mental state.

Not that he wasn't fit for duty – he'd still be back on Earth if that was the case. But she knew that the colonel was concerned about him, and likely saw this mission as a 'cake walk' and a chance for the man to get is 'mojo' back. "I think we should just kick back and relax," she said, taking a drink from her canteen.

"Really?"

"It's kinda nice to not be shot at," she shrugged.

"So…while Jack and Teal'c are scaring the engineers…"

"I'm wishing I'd have brought a book."

::::::::::::::::::::::

Sarlena watched the visitors as they sat on the edges of the square, trying to remain unobserved as she looked on.

"They look quite harmless," Lahla said, joining her.

"So does the Kahla flower," Sarlena replied. "Until you touch it and the resulting rash keeps you awake for days."

"Even Burdae has said that the visitors are a good thing. He has high hopes about the addresses of trading planets that they have shared," Lahla said.

"But hope is all we have," Sarlena said. "No one has visited these planets to see if the Tau'ri claims are truthful."

"We dare not, not until the Tau'ri leave. I have faith that the information is truthful," Lahla said. "And even if they are not, the Tau'ri are doing no harm. Their men remain in their camp. They take only the Naqahdah…"

"As did the goa'uld."

"And if the humans take it all, then the goa'uld have no reason to return," Lahla said.

Sarlena turned to face her friend. "That is why the council allowed them to stay."

"Yes. If the Naqahdah is gone, Heru'ur has no reason to return."

"But he will."

"No, he will not. He will come, see that the Naqahdah is gone—"

"And demand to know where it went," Sarlena said.

"All we will need to tell him is that the humans stole it from us then he will leave," Lahla said. "Heru'ur will go and confront the Tau'ri. No doubt to go and confront them. Something, if the stories I have heard hold any merit, they Tau'ri are not unfamiliar with. Their presence may be our greatest hope to alter events.

"You are a fool," Sarlena declared. "You do not remember the last time Heru'ur came. The carnage, the horror of his presence."

"I do remember," Lahla said. "And I…we will do all we can to keep it from happening again. Heru'ur only comes because he has a reason to come. If the humans remove all the Naqahdah, then he will have no further reason to come, and perhaps we can finally get some peace."

"May the fates save me from misguided fools," Sarlena said, not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice. She turned on her heel and left, stalking out of the square and returning to her home. She brewed herself a cup of tea and sat, the usually calming beverage doing nothing to settle the feeling of misgiving and dread that settled into the pit of her stomach.

:::::::::::

Teal'c stood beside O'Neill, half listening as the man exchanged words with Sergeant Wilkins. He saw no need for this persistent human desire to belabor the same points over and over. Wilkins' men were not allowed to interact with the natives. The edict did not seem to be a difficult one yet it was constantly discussed.

He sighed silently and turned his attention off to the distance. The mining site was located in a valley, ringed by snow capped mountain peaks. He caught sight of an odd cloud formation and he focused his attention there, his brow furrowing in concentration. Something piqued his memory and he stared, cocking his head as if the new position would assist in his recollection.

In his bones, he felt a low rumble begin, a feeling that grew until it became a physical sound that made his teeth rattle and that echoed in his chest. "O'Neill!" he called out as the fluffy white clouds boiled and bubbled, staining the sky with a wash of fire and smoke.

"What the hell is that?" Wilkins said, joining O'Neill at Teal'c's side.

"That's not Thor, is it?" O'Neill asked, recognizing the sight of a ship entering planetary atmosphere.

"Only if the Asgard have begun to use Hatak ships," Teal'c replied.

"Wonderful, just wonderful," O'Neill said, reaching for his radio. "Carter, Daniel!"

"Sir, what—"

"We're abandoning the mine," O'Neill said, gesturing at Wilkins to follow his orders. "We'll RV north of the village. Do not engage!" he ordered. "Evade until we can find out what in the hell is going on."

"Yes, sir." Carter's transmission broke off and O'Neill turned to Teal'c.

"Can you tell who it is?"

"Not from this distance. I must be closer to read the markings on the ship."

O'Neill nodded and tuned to Wilkins. "Bug out. Grab only what you can carry, we need to take to the trees and see if we can make it back to the gate."

:::::::::::::::::

"GO! GO! GO!" Sam shouted, waving people out of the open and towards cover.

Daniel stood at her side, positioning himself to watch her back as the villagers ran past them. Women struggled with their children, carrying babies on their hips and dragging toddlers behind them.

Men ushered the women, some pushing past them, others helping with the children, scooping them up to get them to cover.

Daniel heard a thumping sound and he stepped out into the pathway, looking towards the outskirts of the village, silently cursing as he caught sight of the sunlight glinting off all too familiar silver armor. "Sam!" She didn't respond and he tugged on her sleeve. "SAM!" She turned and followed his gaze, muttering a curse under her breath as she registered the Jaffa marching into town. "What do we do?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Sam?"

"The colonel said not to engage."

"But these people—"

"You and I can't stop this." She gulped a breath and looked around. "If we're lucky, all they're here for is to scare them."

"I don't think so," Daniel said.

"Look, Daniel, if they wanted to kill these people, there'd be an air assault. Ground forces is either terror—"

"Or a slave run."

"We need to get out of this village," she said, scanning for a way out.

"We can't leave them," he said, moving in front of her and staring her down.

"Daniel, do you know what the Jaffa will do to these people if they find out that they're working with us?" she asked. "We need to get out of here, and we need to stay out of sight."

"Sam—"'

"Come!" A voice broke up their argument and they both turned to see a woman, leaning out a doorway. "Come!" She made a beckoning gesture with her hand. Sam and Daniel hesitated and the woman looked pointedly up the street at the Jaffa that were marching closer. "Unless you desire to become their captives."

Sam hesitated for a second and then nodded, leading Daniel into the house. As soon as they were across the threshold, the woman shut and barred the door. "They will not long be content to round people up out of the streets," she said.

"House to house?" Sam said and the woman nodded.

"We're –"

"I know who you are," the woman interrupted. "Carter and Jackson from Earth. I am Lahla." She moved across the small common room and disappeared into another room hidden by a curtain. She returned in just a few minutes, her arms burdened with bundles of cloth. "Your clothing will set you apart," she said, dropping it onto a table. "Change and I can burn it. Perhaps they will not notice."

"Why are you helping us?" Daniel asked, picking up one of the shirts.

"Thank you, but we just need to get out of the village and—"

"It is surrounded," Lahla said.

Sam shook her head. "Saleen told us that the Goa'uld didn't come here anymore. How do you know so much?"

Lahla's lips twisted and she looked down for a second and sighed. "It has been over a generation since they last came. Many here were young and do not have clear memories. Surely your Jaffa friend has told you that their tactics change little." She picked up a dress and held it out towards Sam. "The Tau'ri are not unknown. If you are merely a villager, they will probably ignore you. But if they know who you are…"

"Sam, I think…"

"Yeah," she agreed. "We're not getting rid of our weapons," she said.

"I would not either," Lahla said. She gestured towards the back. "You may use my sleeping chamber if you wish privacy." Sam looked at Daniel and he shrugged, picking out some clothes and retreating back into Lahla's bedchamber.

"Why are you helping us?" Sam asked, taking one last glance at the barred door before she set down her weapon and unzipped her vest.

"I have witnessed too many disappear into Heru'ur's ships," Lahla said.

"Heru'ur?" Sam asked. "Is that who the Jaffa belong to?"

Lahla nodded. "He comes to Tralaxia every generation or two. And he takes from us all that we hold dear."

Sam took off her jacket and reached for the dress. She still wore her t-shirt, pants and boots, and hoped to keep it that way. "Why would Saleen lie to us?"

"Since it had been so long, I believe Saleen had hopes that Heru'ur may have fallen or forgotten about us. I do not believe that he meant to mislead."

"I think his hopes are wrong," Sam said, pulling on the dress to try and make it look halfway presentable over her clothes. She realized that her t-shirt simply wasn't going to work under the dress and sighed, pulling the borrowed clothing off. She pulled her t-shirt over her head and put the dress back on, tugging it into place just as Daniel rejoined them. He had his clothing bundled under his arm and it seemed that his boots were all he kept.

"We must dispose of this," Lahla said, moving to take the bundle of olive green material from him.

"Daniel?"

"Just my clothes," he reassured, holding his weapons belt up with his other hand.

Sam nodded and pushed her BDU shirt towards the woman. "I know that you wish to keep your clothing, but those leggings are very distinctive." She pulled some scraps out of a bin in the corner and tossed them towards Daniel. "Wrap that around your boots and it will hopefully disguise them."

Sam sat down in a chair and went to unlacing her boots. She slid them off with a thunk and then slid her pants down her legs, the skirt of the dress falling down to cover her legs. She put her boots back on and took the material that Daniel handed to her, using it to disguise her black combat boots.

"We need to get out of here," Sam said.

Lahla shook her head. "They may not even search the homes—"

"That's not what I mean," Sam said. "If thy find us here, you said you'll be in trouble. If we can get out of here, we can rendezvous with the rest of our people."

Lahla shook her head. "To be outside now is to almost ask the Jaffa to take you."

"Look," Daniel said, stepping forward. "If everyone knows that and stays inside, then the Jaffa will just start searching houses."

"I'm sure we can evade them," Sam said, moving towards the door. She heard a loud bang and screams and she cursed under her breath, flattening herself against the wall and edging towards the window.

"Sam?"

She shook her head and held up her hand then used the other hand to pull a curtain back just a bit. "Damnit, they're right next door," she said, looking at Daniel in alarm.

Lahla moved with speed that seemed to belay her age and girth and scooped up Sam's vest. She held out her hand for her weapon. "Quickly, if they see this."

Sam reluctantly handed over her MP5 and pulled her 9mm from its holster. She quickly wrapped it in a scrap of cloth and tucked it into her sash. Daniel did the same, tucking his pistol and some extra ammunition into his trousers. The two of them turned off their radios and tucked them into their clothing and Daniel tucked his glasses into his shirt, tossing another bit of cloth at Sam. "Cover your hair," he said.

Sam hurried to follow his instructions as Lahla returned, just in time to unbar the door, permitting the Jaffa entry. He didn't speak, rather gestured with his staff weapon, indicating that they go outside. Sam, Daniel and Lahla complied, stepping out into the cobbled streets. "Try to stay together," Sam whispered. "But if you can make a break for it and get out of town, take it," she said, glaring at him to still any protests. "Daniel, if they get either of us on that ship, we're probably not coming back."

The trio fell in with the gathering villagers, soon indistinguishable from the natives, as dozens of Tralaxians were herded into the village square. Sam scanned the gathering crowd, searching for some weakness, some way out, some escape from the fate thrust upon them.

She didn't find anything.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Ha'lis stood upon the peltak of the hatak and observed the gathering. From the great height of the powerful ship, his warriors looked like children's toys and the villagers little more than insects, scurrying from the light.

As First Prime, it was his duty to fulfill his lord's wishes, and Ha'lis was proud to see his warriors carrying out their assigned duties.

While the villagers' act of fleeing was futile, it did serve one purpose. It confirmed that the villagers down below were indeed a healthy group, and a worthy addition to his lord Heru'ur's service.

Ha'lis smiled. His lord would reward him greatly upon his return.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Jack stood just inside the tree line, his body concealed by the trunk of the tree. He held up his monocular and studied the village in the distance. The Hatak had landed a few miles to the south and it loomed over the small clutch of low buildings. Jack could see people moving in the streets, being herded by Jaffa.

"There's no weapons fire," Jack said, hearing Teal'c join him.

"There will be none, unless the villagers resist," Teal'c said. "In my time with Apophis, I participated in many such gatherings."

"Gatherings?" Jack asked, cocking his head.

Teal'c frowned for a moment. "I believe the appropriate Tau'ri term is 'roundup'."

Jack sighed. "Slaves."

"Indeed," Teal'c answered gravely.

"Carter and Daniel are probably still down there. What are their chances?"

"If they are able to secret themselves and avoid detection, they merely need to 'lay low'; I believe the term is, until the Jaffa depart."

"And if they can't?"

"They will be taken into the Hatak ship and delivered to one of the goa'uld's worlds. It is highly improbable that we will be able to find them and recover them. They will, likely, be lost."

Jack glared at him. "I do not wanna hear that."

"Regardless, that is the likely outcome of these events," Teal'c said calmly.

Jack ignored him for a few minutes, his gaze fixated on the village. There had to be something he could do. Engage the Jaffa? Nah. Even if Carter and Daniel were in one piece and just hiding down there, the odds were something like ten to one. Not only would they lose, there would probably be dozens of civilian casualties.

"If you are considering an assault, Sergeant Wilkins' men –"

"Still wouldn't be enough," Jack said. "Not to mention the collateral damage." He nodded towards the Hatak. "Any chance we could do the grenade thing again?"

"Unlikely. It would be extremely difficult to gain access to the ship undetected. And if it is attacked, it is very likely that the goa'uld will return, seeking revenge."

"The chances of getting those people past the Jaffa and through the gate?"

"Not likely," Teal'c answered.

Jack sighed again.

"However, if the Jaffa are not pressed for time, they may take not load the slaves until morning. Perhaps some can be liberated under the cover of darkness," Teal'c continued.

"Perhaps?" Jack looked askance at him.

"Did you not once say that there is always an 'or'?"

Jack grinned wryly. "Let's see if we can get close, at least find out the identity of those Jaffa. Hell, if we're lucky, Carter and Daniel made it to the trees and we'll run into them on the way."

:::::::::::::::::::::::

Sam walked within the crowd, slowly easing her way towards the edge of the mass of people. She grasped Daniel's hand in her own and pulled him along as the group of villagers were – she hated the word, no matter how accurate it may be – herded deeper and deeper into the ship.

Over all, the group was calm and she didn't know if it was because the whole village had been taken or because they just didn't realize that they were on a one way trip to a life of servitude.

She glanced over her shoulders and noticed that their Jaffa escorts were falling back, seemingly confident that there would be no further resistance.

They were pushed deeper and deeper into the ship, walking along some sort of endless and gradually ascending hallway, which oddly seemed to only make left turns.

Finally, as the group got into the more lived in parts of the ship, Sam felt the unease and panic rise as it became clear to the villagers that this was no simple round up or group assembly. The tension grew and she readied herself, aware that if they were going to try and make a move, they would likely only have one chance.

The sound of raised voices echoed down the hall and the group came to a jumbled stop.

"Sam?"

"Wait for it," she said to Daniel, her eyes darting about. Ahead, a group of villagers started to shout, likely protesting and trying to fight back. The Jaffa from the back surged forward, shoving people roughly into the wall. Sam pulled Daniel towards her, and the second the Jaffa were past them, she slid down a side corridor, hoping that none of the villagers noticed their disappearance.

They moved quickly and quietly, not quite knowing where they were going but desperate to get away. "In here," Daniel said, stopping by a door.

"Daniel?"

He pushed a button and opened the door. They slipped inside and he closed it behind them. Sam sighed; glad to see that they were in a store room.

"I don't think anyone saw us," he said.

"I hope," Sam replied. She pulled out her radio and Daniel did the same. She put the earwig in her ear and turned it on. "SG-1-2 to SG-1 leader."

"They might have—"

"You two forget which way north is?" O'Neill said, cutting off Daniel.

"We got caught up in the sweep, sir," Sam reported. "We're in the Hatak ship."

"Now why would you go and do that?" Jack asked.

"It was the only way to not draw attention to ourselves and engage them, sir."

"One of the villagers gave us some clothes," Daniel said. "The Jaffa don't even know we're not from around here."

"We've separated from the group, Colonel. We're hiding in a storeroom right now," Sam said.

"Teal'c wants to know how many levels you think you're in?" Jack relayed.

"Two or three maybe," Sam said.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Teal'c looked at O'Neill. "If they can remain undetected and maneuver towards the main cargo doors, it is possible that they can escape under cover of darkness."

Jack nodded, trying to come up with a plan to rescue his team. "I suppose it'd be too much to ask for that to be Apophis' ship and Bra'tac to bail us out." Teal'c merely glared at him. "Yeah." Jack keyed his radio. "Carter, I think—"

"Sir, something's happening," she interrupted.

"Define something."

"I don't think they've found us, sir. But there are some loud noises and clangs and…Sir, it almost sounds like engines powering up. Teal'c, is this normal?"

Teal'c reached out and took Jack's monocular from him. "The ship is readying for departure," he pronounced.

"You said they wouldn't do that until tomorrow!"

"I was incorrect."

"Is there any way to stop it?"

"I do not—"

"Colonel?"

"Carter, it looks like your ride is leaving early."

"Sir?"

"Teal'c said that thing is readying for lift off."

"What do we do?"

"Can they make it off that ship in time?" he asked Teal'c.

"Not and remain undetected."

Jack sighed and looked helplessly at Teal'c for a second. "Whose bird is that?" he asked, thinking that they could at least tell other teams to keep an eye open.

"Heru'ur."

"Oy." He reached for his radio. "I guess…try to stay hidden. First friendly planet you come to, get off and try to make it back," he said, hating the uselessness of his words.

"Our GDO's—"

"We can go to Cimmeria," Sam interrupted Daniel. "We can use the Sagan box to contact Earth."

"Okay then—"

"Wait!" Teal'c interrupted. "Captain Carter. The area of the ship that you are in is hollow. It is composed of little more than ascending ramps around the exterior bulkheads.

"For landing on top of pyramids, right?" Daniel said.

"Yes, Daniel Jackson. The main power plant is contained at the apex of that hollow area. It is highly vulnerable to weapons fire. This is why it is heavily shielded in the middle of the ship."

"Teal'c?"

"If the main power plant is disabled, gravity will keep that ship upon this planet."

"You got that, Carter?"

"How do I do that?" she asked.

"The energy from the Naqahdah reactors is funneled through an array of crystals and crystal panels. Disrupt those crystals and the power has nowhere to go. The reactors will disable themselves as a safety measure and the ship will be incapable of flight."

There was silence on the other end of the radio and Jack looked at Teal'c. "Carter?"

"We'll find it, sir," she said.

"How long until that bird is airborne?" Jack asked Teal'c.

"Less than half an hour, sooner if they bypass certain protocols."

"Carter, you have less than half an hour before that thing gets off the ground."

"Roger that, sir. We'll aah…go crash a ship."

"I'm presuming that the gate is clear. Teal'c and I will head for the gate and get some backup. Once you get that thing on the ground, keep your heads down and we'll figure out the rest as we go."

"Yes, sir. Carter out."

Jack sighed. "Okay, go get Wilkins and tell him he's going home. We'll get them back and call for reinforcements at the same time."

:::::::::::::::::

Daniel stared at Sam as she pulled the earwig out and turned off the radio. "Sam?"

"I don't suppose you have any idea how far up it is to this power room?"

He shook his head. "When I was on Apophis' ship…" he trailed off with a shrug,.

"I don't think any of us made it down to engineering," Sam said.

"It can't be that far up," he said. "We just have to avoid the Jaffa."

Sam took a breath and pulled her sidearm out, checking it. "We can try to play dumb, but we can't let them lock us up with the others."

"Maybe there's an access hallway, somewhere less traveled."

She nodded. "Good idea." She opened the door and the two of them stepped out. They slowly retraced their steps, this time not running for their lives rather praying to go unnoticed. Long painful minutes sped by as they climbed the ramp. Around her, Sam could hear more and more sounds of the ship's engines powering up. Strangely, and fortunately enough, however, the corridors were blessedly empty.

"Should I be concerned that it's this easy?" he said, aware that they had to be getting close since the turns were closer and closer together.

"Think about it," Sam said. "If all that's down here is the cargo doors and they're closed…"

"The area is probably all but deserted during flight," he finished.

Sam held up her fist, signaling for him to stop. She laid her hand against the inner wall. "You feel that?"

Daniel copied her gesture and splayed his fingers against the cool bulkhead. He nodded, feeling the steady thrum of power. "It has to be behind that wall."

She nodded. "And here's where it gets tricky. Chances are that room is manned. So how do we get the Jaffa out so we can get in?"

Daniel racked his brains for a few seconds. "Distraction?" he said, remembering Jack's favored tactic.

Sam shook her head. "With what?"

The door to the power room opened and Daniel glanced at her then watched as a Jaffa sauntered out of the room. Jack's classic distraction was to set Sam off somewhere to blow something up. But that wasn't an option right now. Not only did she not have any explosives handy, he also knew that she was the one most likely to know how to disable the ship. True, he stood a better chance of reading the panels, but she actually knew what each of them did. And she'd know how to break the ship without blowing the ship up…he hoped anyway. He made his decision in an instant. "Good luck," he said, pushing past her to dash down the hall, headed back to the lower levels. He heard the Jaffa call out behind him and he glanced back to see another Jaffa joining the first.

He ran, hoping that he could get far enough ahead of them to find a room to duck into…or that maybe Sam crashing the ship would be enough to distract the Jaffa from killing him.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sam helplessly watched as the Jaffa chased Daniel. "Damn you, Daniel," she muttered, promising herself to kick his ass as soon as they were back together.

Determined not to waste the time he'd given her, Sam moved across the hall. She flattened herself against the wall and pressed the control to open the door. She swept in, ducking low as she scanned the room. It was wider than it was deep and consisted of little more than panels on the walls and two control stations. She caught one Jaffa off guard, her shot knocking him out of his chair. The second reached for his zat, firing it at her. She threw herself to the left to avoid the blue ray, and emptied her clip in his direction. He fell back and she lunged at him, ripping the zat from his slack fingers.

She shot him once, and then fired at the door controls, short circuiting the mechanism. Beneath her feet, the ship lurched and she realized that they were out of time. The Hatak was lifting off. She checked both of the Jaffa, insuring that they were dead and that she didn't need to worry about them, and then moved to the controls.

She scanned both and abandoned them. There probably was an easy button to disable the power flow, but she couldn't find it fast enough. She knew she'd eventually be able to reason it out and read it, but she didn't have time for that. Not now. "This is why you shouldn't have run off," she chastised Daniel behind his back. Her ire was quickly abandoned as she realized that the ship was likely gaining altitude by the second.

She moved around the room, opening panel after panel, dismissing any of them that were dim and unpowered.

The fourth panel she opened glowed and thrummed with power and she fired, cursing when the shot spilled around the crystals, obviously protected by some sort of shield. Remembering their experience with a goa'uld's personal shield, she pulled her empty pistol out of her waist band and used as a hammer. It penetrated the shield and impacted the crystals, causing them to shudder. Convinced that this was the right conduit, and regretting using all her bullets to kill the Jaffa, she hit it again and again, as hard as she could.

Each time, the power crackled and arced. "This is not gonna be pretty," she muttered to herself, wrapping both hands around the barrel of her pistol and striking the crystals one last time.

Two broke and her brain barely had time to register that fact as the energy that had been focused through the crystals spilled free, the force and heat lifting her off her feet and sending her across the room. She slid senselessly to the far corner, oblivious to the sudden silence.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Jack watched in horror as the Hatak ship seemed to pause in mid air, like something out of a cartoon, before it surrendered to the planet's gravity, slowly and inexorably falling to the surface. It fell beyond the low range of hills and a few seconds later, Jack heard a crash and rumble that sounded like every car crash he'd ever seen happening at once. "Damn it," he cursed .

"It appears that Captain Carter was successful," Teal'c said.

"Ya think," Jack growled. "Although I was kinda hoping that she'd do it before that bird got up in the air."

"There are no flames," Teal'c said. "And the lower levels of a Hatak ship are sparsely populated. Such a crash, from a low altitude, is very survivable."

"Sir?" Wilkins asked.

"Dial it up," Jack ordered. He and the rest of the SGC miners had made it safely to the Stargate, meeting no resistance at all. It looked like the Jaffa had cleaned out the town, leaving no one behind to care that the visitors were leaving. He regretted splitting up his team – even though it was something they did often. Had Daniel and Carter been with him and Teal'c, they would all be going home now, not just in one piece, but also with the knowledge that the planet was freshly deserted, its Naqahdah available to anyone.

"Do you believe that General Hammond will authorize a rescue mission?" Teal'c asked.

Jack shrugged. "If he doesn't, I don't think he'll turn down the opportunity to salvage that ship," Jack jerked his thumb towards the crash site.

"That is indeed a most persuasive excuse," Teal'c said as the wormhole splashed open.

"Colonel?"

"Get your men through," Jack ordered. He had no plans to go through that gate without a direct order from the general. He knew, if he went back to Earth, there would be mandatory debriefing and debating, and that would take too much time, and even held the risk of the general denying Jack's request to search for his team. As long as he was planet side, he could stay planet side.

"SG-1 leader to SGC," Jack said.

"SGC here, Colonel, what's the situation?" Hammond asked. "Why are the miners returning?"

"We have a little excitement here, sir," Jack said. "A few hours ago a Hatak landed. The Jaffa rounded up the villagers and took them. Our situation is secure," Jack hurried to say, knowing the man's concern. "But we do have a complication, Carter and Daniel got caught up with the villagers and are on the ship."

"That explains why the miners are back, and why you're not," Hammond said.

"Sir, we have a plan. It looks like Carter was able to crash the ship. The Hatak tried to take off but crashed a few miles away. Teal'c has every confidence in the crash being survivable, and the Hatak being salvageable." Jack felt Teal'c's eyes on him and he shrugged. "I'm not lying," he said to the Teal'c, keying off the mic.

Teal'c nodded. "Although we can move more quickly on our own, we may benefit from reinforcements. It is unlikely that there was a goa'uld upon that Hatak, but there may be as many as a platoon of Jaffa."

Jack nodded. "General, Teal'c and I can recon the ship, find out how many survivors and Jaffa are involved. We never saw more than a few dozen."

There was a pause. "I can give you twenty-four hours, Colonel," Hammond said. "I can recall some teams and have reinforcements ready; however I am reluctant to commit too many resources, especially since there is no way of knowing if the Jaffa also have reinforcements coming."

"Can you make it forty-eight, sir? The crash site is a few miles away and on the other side of the hills. I'm not sure what our radio reception will be," Jack bargained.

"Twenty-four hours and we'll send through a UAV to facilitate communications, we'll reassess the situation then," the general answered.

Jack sighed and agreed. "Wilkins can brief you on where the ship crashed in relation to the gate."

"He's already volunteered as much. Good luck, Colonel, and I'll speak to you tomorrow. SGC out."

Jack released the mic of his radio and turned to Teal'c as the wormhole snapped shut. "That's going to be one hell of a hike."

"Some of the farmers use equines to assist them with their tilling; I presume that we can appropriate them to assist us with our travels."

"Let's go."

The pair of them walked quickly back to the village, Teal'c leading Jack to the farm he'd seen using the horses. "Even on horseback, it's going to take us until dark to get over those mountains," Jack said.

"Agreed. And I have observed that the lunar body orbiting this planet does not shed sufficient illumination to allow us to safely traverse unknown territory."

"We'll ride as far as we can, camp and set out at first light," Jack said, determined to lose as little time as possible searching for the rest of his team. He couldn't ignore the possibility that they were injured or trapped on that ship. And, even if they were in great shape, they still had a few dozen pissed off Jaffa to deal with. The sooner he and Teal'c could get there, the better.

"O'Neill." Teal'c held up his hand and raised his staff weapon. Jack brought his weapon to bear as a form stepped out from behind the stable.

"Saleen." Jack lowered his weapon a bit. He looked around. "You escaped the round up?"

"Did you have anything to do with that?" he demanded, point towards the mountains.

"Not personally, no," Jack said. "But I think I know someone who did."

"Why?"

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Why stop the ship from taking your people away to a life of slavery?"

"Do you not realize what you have done!" Saleen yelled.

"Saved your people from a life of servitude and slavery?" Teal'c asked.

"You've destroyed it!" he shouted. "You have destroyed everything!"

Jack shook his head. "I don't…what did we destroy?" He gestured towards the mountains. "The goa'uld came, goa'uld, by the way that you told us never came here anymore. They took your people and you were never going to get them back. Now, if we can get to that ship, we can get your people off and—"

"And the goa'uld will come!" Saleen interrupted. "They will come back and they will rain destruction down upon us from the sky."

"No they—"

"Do not tell me!" Saleen interrupted. He scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "You do not understand."

"Then make me," Jack demanded.

"Generations ago, my ancestors entered into an arrangement with Heru'ur. He needed slaves; we had members of our society that were willing to sacrifice themselves. Every generation, some leave the city and come here."

Jack felt a knot settle in the pit of his stomach. "You better not be saying what I think you're saying."

"The Tralaxians would not be the first to settle into such a bargain," Teal'c said.

"Yeah, well they should damn well be the last," Jack growled. "We'll deal with this later." He turned to Teal'c. "Let's get those horses and get going."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Daniel slowly picked himself up off the deck, his right hand massaging his sore left shoulder. "Way to go, Sam," he muttered, glancing around to take stock. He struggled to keep his balance. The ship seemed to have crashed at a bit of an angle, leaving the corridors tilted about thirty degrees. It wasn't impossible to walk, but he was grateful for the rubber soles of his boots.

He heard the pounding of boots and frantically slipped into an alcove. The Jaffa. They'd obviously been knocked off their feet just like him by the crash. Daniel closed his eyes, ignoring the childishness of the idea that if he couldn't see the Jaffa, they couldn't see him. He had to stay free. He had to make his way back to Sam and get the pair of them off the ship. Get off the ship and meet up with Jack and Teal'c. That's the plan, he decided in that instant.

The Jaffa pounded past and Daniel opened his eyes, hurrying back up the ramp before they could possibly turn around. Around him, the lighting flickered and the ship groaned, the stressed metal struggling to keep its structural integrity.

He didn't think that a collapse was imminent, but he knew he'd feel better once they were out of the ship and into the open air. He kept going up the ramp, trying to remember how far he'd run and how far away the engine room might be. A staff weapon lay abandoned on the floor and Daniel picked it up, hoping that he wouldn't have to use it.

He rounded a corner and struggled to keep his balance as he encountered a badly slanted walkway. He slowed down and grabbed for the wall, using his free hand to steady himself.

Something grabbed his hand and he cried out, throwing himself back as he tried to bring the weapon up. An arm stretched out of an ajar door. "Help us!"

Seeing no threat, Daniel struggled back to his feet and edged forward. "Who are you?"

"Please, please let us out!"

"They took us, please!"

Making his decision in an instant, Daniel shoved the staff weapon into the door, using it as a lever. Hands appeared around the door, trying to use brute strength. "This isn't working," Daniel said, breathing hard. "Get back."

"NO!"

"Damnit, get back so you won't get hurt!" he shouted, arming the weapon. They backed away and Daniel fired at the controls. It took two shots before the door released in a shower of sparks.

Immediately, the prisoners pulled it open and spilled out of the room. Daniel tried to back away, to get away from the throng. He couldn't get back far enough and found himself swept along with the fleeing prisoners. "NO! NO! Don't—"

They ignored him as they hurried down the ramp, intent upon their freedom. Helplessly caught up in the maelstrom, Daniel was carried closer and closer to the exit…and further and further away from Sam.

::::::::::::::::

Taslon stepped through the trees and stopped, even the urgency of his mission not enough to stay his amazement. "By the gods," he muttered, his eyes tracing the lines of the scuttled ship.

The goa'uld ship had crashed in the forest, the massive bulk of the ship felling countless trees and leaving behind a seemingly endless path of destruction. Deep black dirt, freshly plowed by the crashing ship, stood in stark contrast to the rest of the brilliant and lush foliage.

It was the last thing he and his friends expected to witness during their recreational trip into the forests.

"I never imagined that it was so big," Jacsen said, joining his friend.

"It's amazing," Cranled breathed, her eyes wide at the sight of the massive ship. "I wonder how it flies."

"Oh, Cran, who cares," Matheu moaned, long tired of his friend's fascination with technology.

"It should not be here," Jacsen said. "It should have taken the villagers and left. Why is it here?"

"It seems to have crashed," Taslon said.

"Your powers of perception amaze me," Jacsen said, glaring at his friend. "Why did it crash?"

"This is not good," Matheu said, shaking his head. "Jacsen is right, it should have taken the villagers and left." He had heard of the ships from his father, and even seen them in the distance, but he had never seen one up close like this.

"We should not be here," Cranled said, looking back behind them as if she knew that they were being watched.

"She's right," Matheu said. "It will not take long for the council to come."

"I wonder how many were on the ship?" Cranled asked.

"Come on, I want to see it," Taslon urged his friends.

"What is there to see?" Jacsen asked. "My father has told me all that there is."

"Your father is why we send our people away," Matheu said, glaring at his friends.

"My father does his duty to protect the people of this planet," Jacsen defended.

"Look!" Cranled pointed towards the ship. "There are survivors."

As they watched, more and more people spilled out of the cracked hull of the ship, seeming to wander helplessly around the wreckage.

"We should help them," Jacsen said. "Aid services will arrive soon."

"So they can obscure events?" Matheu said.

"So they can help the survivors."

"Yes, must meet the quota."

"STOP!" Taslon yelled. "Villagers or not, they need help. Cran?"

"Yes. We cannot be blamed for assisting the wounded."

The pair of them started off towards the crash site, the last two following a few minutes later, human compassion – or curiosity – overriding their personal issues.

They approached carefully, having to avoid scattered bits of wreckage and debris. Some pieces of the ship had broken off, some leaving furrows of their own, others seeming to have flown off, cutting small swaths through the vegetation and felling a few small trees. Bits of plants were on fire or smoked, the haze adding to the confusion.

"I am not knowledgeable on such things, but I do not think this ship will fly again," Cranled said.

"Definitely not without repair," Jacsen agreed.

"Heru'ur will come. If not to retrieve the villagers, then to attempt to repair and take his ship."

They started to encounter refugees from the ship, some bruised and bleeding but all ambulatory. The refugees avoided them, arguing amongst themselves where to go next.

Taslon pushed through them, intent upon getting close to the ship. "We should help them," Cranled said, her eyes lingering as a mother led her children away from the ship.

"We should leave them," Jacsen said. "They know their duty. They need to return to the village. Saleen and the council will take a count and see if more need to be sent."

"More?" Matheu asked.

"We do not need to agree with the arrangement but we must abide by our forefather's promises."

A low roar penetrated their argument and they looked up, each staring as vehicles swept into the crash site bounding wildly over the rough terrain.

"I knew we should have stayed away," Cranled said, her eyes growing wide at the sight.

Around them, the refugees began to scream, their shocked exodus turning into a frantic dash. "Stop! Stop! They won't hurt you," Jacsen said.

"Only because Heru'ur wants live slaves," Matheu said.

"We need to go," Cranled shouted.

"You're right," Taslon said. "Run!"

The quartet turned, falling into the fleeing throng as they made a frantic dash for the cover of the trees. The enforcers swept in, attempting to round up the survivors. Matheu tripped and fell, Cranled turned back to help him as the enforcers drew closer. She struggled to pull her friend to his feet, both of them knocked down by panicking survivors. A pair of hands pulled her to her feet and helped her with Matheu, dragging both of them towards the trees where she hoped that they could elude the enforcers.

Because, she had a feeling that if they got caught up in the roundup, they would never see their homes again.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Ha'lis struggled out of the wreckage of his ship, his anger only growing at the sight of the fleeing slaves.

He cursed, wondering what crime he could have committed to have his god test him so.

"My lord." One of his men knelt before him, his face streaked with blood and grime.

"Assist in the recovery of your brothers," Ha'lis ordered. "Ascertain that any injured have a safe place to meditate and heal."

"The slaves, my lord?"

"Those that are aware of their duty shall return themselves to the village," he stated.

"And those that do not, my lord?"

"The Tralaxian's lack of faith caused this event," Ha'lis declared. "They shall do all within their power to remedy it...or they shall pay with their lives."

:::::::::::::::::::

Tredis watched over the recovery effort, pleased to see his people bringing in lighting to compensate for the fading sunlight.

Groder jogged towards him, bearing his report from the impact zone.

"Yes?"

"Our aid workers have recovered many of the villagers," he said. "They are being taken back to the city for processing."

"The Jaffa?"

Groder sighed. "A few have survived, some were injured but they refuse our offers of treatment. Our soldiers have taken them to the city. It is the request of the First Prime that we recover all the escaped villagers. He says that a second ship will be dispatched as soon as it pleases Heru'ur."

"Of course." Tredis nodded. "Injuries among the villagers?"

"There have been some. They will be transported to the medical facility for treatment. I'm afraid, sir, some of the injured will need substantial treatment to be considered healthy." He paused, clearly not wanting to continue. "Sir, there have been some fatalities."

Tredis frowned and sighed, clearly displeased. "We shall need more villagers."

"Sir, we do not have time to conduct another selection."

"I know," Tredis said. "Heru'ur may be in transit even as we speak. We shall need to be aggressive in acquiring more villagers."

"How aggressive?"

Tredis sighed. "Contact the council. We shall need to review the worth, value and worthiness list."

"Sir?"

"We must not anger Heru'ur," Tredis said. "I am afraid that some sacrifices must be made."

::::::::::::

"We must stop," Teal'c said, reining in his horse.

O'Neill looked at him, a defiant look on his face. That look faded and he sighed. "As soon as we find a good camp site," he relented.

They rode on for a bit more, fortunately finding a camp site just as it got too dark within the trees to safely ride. The two men divided the duties, Teal'c seeing to the horses while Jack gathered a bit of fire wood and dug a small pit. He kindled a small fire, not enough to be visible but enough to offer a bit of warmth. Jack dug two MRE's out of his bundle of supplies and offered one to Teal'c.

They ate in relative silence and Jack couldn't help but think how different it was without Carter and Daniel. The camp was small and quiet. There was no idle chat or friendly teasing. Jack found that he missed it, even though he'd never admit it to Carter or Daniel.

"So, how common is this selling your people off thing?" Jack asked, gesturing with his plastic spoon.

"The Tralaxians would not be the first race to enter into such an arrangement with a goa'uld," Teal'c said.

Jack shook his head. "I don't get it. Selling your own people to slavery to save your own ass?"

"It is not perceived in that manner," Teal'c said. "For some, it is a simple sacrifice. A few may die to save the lives of the many. For others, it is more likely that they use the sacrifices to rid themselves of personages they no longer wish to live amongst them."

"Charming," Jack said.

"Since Saleen is knowledgeable of the arrangement, it is logical to presume that we will receive little assistance from any officials," he said.

"Yeah," O'Neill agreed. "But that still doesn't explain, if they have regular visits from Heru'ur, why did they let us mine?"

"Perhaps it was not the act of mining they desired, but the knowledge it garnered them," Teal'c suggested.

"Addresses. That's pretty much all they wanted. You think they were planning to bail on snake boy?"

"It would not be unprecedented," Teal'c said. "This would not be the first planet where the native people know of the existence of the chappai, yet lack the knowledge to use it."

Jack nodded. "Any idea how to find Carter and Daniel?"

"I believe we shall need to rely upon our familiarity with their potential actions," Teal'c said.

O'Neill sighed. "Yeah. Okay, Carter's first instinct will be to get Daniel and get to the gate."

"Thus, we may find them together."

"If we're that lucky."

"We may benefit from acquiring less obvious attire."

O'Neill nodded. "What do you think is going on down there?" Jack gestured towards the direction of the crash site.

"If the Tralaxian government is indeed sending their own people into slavery, then it is likely that they have taken control of the site. If their agreement has a mandatory minimum number of slaves, then I would presume that the government is assessing the number of survivors and will then augment the existing population with more candidates."

"So whatta you suggest?"

"We should investigate the crash site, acquire attire that will allow us to blend in and see if we can determine the present location of Captain Carter and Daniel Jackson."

"Yeah, just what I was thinking," O'Neill said, rolling up his empty dinner container.

"I am sure," Teal'c said, ignoring as O'Neill glared at him.

"When do you think it'll be light enough to go?"

"Approximately five hours from now," Teal'c said.

O'Neill settled down, his back against a tree. "Wake me in four," he said, pulling his ball cap down over his eyes. "If it's too dark to ride, we'll walk until the sun comes up."

::::::::::

"This way," the technician mumbled, his voice audibly shaking. Ha'lis strode behind the man, forcing himself to be patient with the human's clear inferiority. The human was afraid, as was the proper order of things.

The technician led Ha'lis into a chilled chamber with stark and barren walls. He stopped in front of a pair of shrouded figures and turned to face Ha'lis. "I...I wish to offer you our sincere condolences and-"

Ha'lis ignored the man and stepped forward, tearing the shroud off the first figure. One of his warriors laid on the wheeled bed, his face white and slack with death. Ha'lis briefly mourned the loss of his warrior, especially the fact that the man had not fallen in battle, but a shameful mechanical failure. It was a disgrace that his widow would have to bear.

His eyes scanned the body of his warrior and he frowned. "Light!" he demanded. The frightened technician jerked a light source towards him and thrust it towards Ha'lis. He held the light close and his eyes narrowed with rage. Small holes pocked the armor of his warrior where projectiles had penetrated the protective surface.

Ha'lis stalked to his other warrior and was unsurprised to discover the same injuries. "Hataka Tau'ri," he cursed, recognizing just what had killed his men. He spun and grasped the technician by his shirt. "I will see Tredis!" he ordered. "NOW!" He pushed the man away and he stumbled, falling into a cabinet before he righted himself and scurried from the room.

Alone, Ha'lis looked at the bodies of his two men. "You shall be avenged," he promised. "And if these vermin have given succor and allied themselves with the Tau'ri, they shall pay as none have paid before!"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"This one is not injured badly," Irena said, studying the injured woman lying before her.

"Place her on the second floor with the others," the physician ordered.

"Others?"

"All of these are from the ship," he said, moving close to be heard over the din and chaos of a triage situation. "These people must all be returned to the village."

"All of them?" she asked. The medical facility was busy, the dozens of injured stretching their resources to the very limit. Most had only minor injuries and were even mobile, but some of the others weren't. Some of the injured sat upon the floor, waiting their turn for treatment, others lay on the few mobile beds. Some were unconscious and bleeding, others looked to be barely harmed.

Physician Yanders sighed. "We barely made this cycle's quota. We cannot spare any of the villagers," he said softly.

"Some of these people are too injured to walk," she said. "We will offend Heru'ur if we send him—"

The physician held up his hand to silence her. "There are rumors that there will be another choosing."

"A choosing? But that is not fair. It is too soon."

"I need some help here!" The medical transport team hurried in, bringing several refugees with them.

"How many were on that ship?" Irena asked, dismayed by the seemingly never ending stream of injured.

"These are the last," the transport technician reported. "Many had to be extricated from the ship." He sighed. "Some did not survive," he said solemnly.

"We must save all that we can," Yanders said. "The more of the Chosen that survive, the less that will have to take their places."

A pair of technicians brought in an unconscious figure. "This one seems to have burns on her hands," he reported.

"Burns," Irena asked. "But there was no fire." She and the other medical staff had been briefed - albeit shortly - by the enforcement officials. And none of the other survivors had any burns. She examined the woman's hands, noting the patch of blisters and reddened skin. "This was heat, not flames," she muttered.

Physician Yanders examined the woman. "I do not recognize her," he said. He was the physician tasked with examining all the Chosen, insuring that only the healthy were sent to the village. He examined her skull, searching for the cause of her unconscious state.

"Sir." Irena directed his attention to the woman's feet. "These are strange." The woman wore footwear like she had never seen before, thick black boots with deeply cut soles and metal tabs to secure the laces.

"She's an off-worlder," he declared, taking a step back from the unconscious woman.

"What? No one has spoken of off-worlders."

"Many moons ago, off-worlders came through the ring. They were merely curious explorers and soon went on their way. But I'd heard rumors that they had returned. She must be one of them." He stepped back. "Treat her," he ordered. "I must inform the Council of this."

He hurried from the room, in his haste not noticing that the woman was beginning to stir.

"Easy," the nurse urged, not wishing for the woman to harm herself further.

"Where am I?" she asked, looking around the room.

"A medical facility." Irena helped her to sit, aware that she may not have much time to treat the woman before the physician returned with enforcement officials. Irena had no doubt that the woman would receive no mercy. Especially if there was to be another Choosing.

"A medical facility where?" the woman asked, wincing as she tried to use her hands.

"How did you burn your hands?" Irena asked. She reached for the supplies and opened a tube of ointment.

"I...aah, I don't remember," the woman said, hissing between her teeth as Irena covered the burns with the healing ointment.

"It must have been something quite extraordinary," Irena said. "You are the only survivor that I have treated that's been burned." She began to wrap the woman's hands in clean bandages. "What is even more odd is that these look like heat burns, but not from a flame."

"Were a lot of people injured?" the woman asked softly.

"A few," Irena said. "Most were minor though." She looked at the woman. "They were lucky that Heru'ur's ship was not higher in the sky. Although it is quite odd. I have never seen a ship fail like that."

"You're familiar with the ships?"

"I have only seen two in my life," Irena replied. "The last Choosing was when I was a child."

"Choosing?"

"How can you not know what a Choosing is?" Irena asked, sharply.

"No, I know. Of course, I just must have hit my head harder than I thought," she said quickly.

Irena's eyes narrowed and she tightened her grip on the woman's left hand, causing her to gasp in pain. "You ARE an off-worlder!" she accused. "What did you do? Did you cause the ship to fall?"

The woman stared at her for a second and Irena barely had time to register a shifting of her weight before the woman's right fist flew up and rendered her unconscious.

:::::::::::::

Sam yanked her left hand free as the nurse slumped to the floor. She slid off the bed, wincing as various bruises made themselves known. She stared at the nurse for a moment, doubting the instincts that had made her swing first and ask questions later. Maybe she'd gotten it wrong? Maybe it was all a harmless misunderstanding?

Flashes of memory washed over her and she shook her head. "Not now," she muttered, denying the origin of the flashback. The situation was already crazy enough, she didn't need Jolinar's memories making it worse. Something in the woman's voice - and she wasn't quite sure what - was filling her with the irresistible urge to run, almost as if she still had her radio and the Colonel was screaming in her ear to go.

Sam glanced around. None of this made any sense. The people in the village used candles and lanterns but this building had electricity. The walls were clean and white and the floor was covered with a neat tile. It was nothing like the hand hewn wood floors and white washed walls of the village.

The medical equipment looked to be roughly on par with Earth's but the Tralaxians shouldn't be this advanced. Was she still on Tralaxia? She had to be. She didn't think she'd been taken through the gate and she knew they'd never left Tralaxian orbit, so she had to be on the planet. but this building also couldn't be part of the village. And what the hell was this 'Choosing' the nurse had spoken about?

Sam pushed aside her confusion and clung to a singular constant. Her team. She needed to find them. She could trust them. She felt for her radio and her bandaged fingers encountered only fabric. It, along with her sidearm and knife, were gone.

Unable to call for help, she gave into the near claustrophobic need to get out. Focusing her whole attention on that singular goal, she slipped out of the room, leaving the nurse lying on the floor.

:::::::::

Daniel ran, struggling to carry the man's weight. He didn't think they were from the ship. Their clothing was different, not to mention that they seemed to have an idea what was going on.

"I think we can stop," he said.

"We cannot let them catch us," the girl said, looking at him across the young man they were helping.

"I think we're far enough away," the man said, tugging his arms free to hop over to a nearby tree. Daniel let him go and stepped back a step.

"Matheu-"

"Cran, we can't keep running blind," he said. "They'll just find us easier."

"They?" Daniel asked, looking back for any signs of pursuit. "Who's they?"

"The Enforcement Units," Matheu said.

"There were medical technicians too," Cran said.

"Only because a dead slave is a worthless slave," Matheu said bitterly. "Sorry," he apologized, obviously thinking he'd just insulted Daniel.

"You're not from the village, are you?" Daniel asked.

"No, we're-"

"Who are you?" Matheu interrupted.

"My name's Daniel and-"

Matheu reached for Cran, pulling her away from Daniel. "Are you an enforcer or a Council spy?" he asked.

"Umm, neither," Daniel said. "Look, I don't know how much you know but just out side the village, there's this ring and we came through it and we're from-"

"You're an off worlder?" Cram asked. "Matheu, just like in the stories."

"Which ones?" Matheu asked. "The romantic fairy tales or the ones about the massacres?"

"I'm not here to massacre anyone," Daniel said, suddenly very impatient. "I was with a friend on the ship. We were visiting the village and got caught up in the roundup. I just want to know where they'd take the other people so that I can find her and we can go home." He left out the part about Jack and Teal'c and that they might be looking for him and Sam. There was such a thing as not revealing your ace in the hole.

"The medical facility is in the town," Matheu said.

Daniel shook his head. "There's no medical facility in the village."

"Not the village," Matheu said, gesturing over the distant hills. "The town." He pointed back the way they'd run from.

Daniel stared. There was a town? How the hell had they missed a whole town?

"My guess is that the survivors will be treated and processed and probably, those that aren't hurt too badly, will be returned to the village."

"You don't know that," Cran protested.

"So, I'm guessing, but it's an educated guess," Matheu said. "One you'd be able to make if you ever read about the Choosings."

"Jacsen says those stories are false," she dismissed.

"Jacsen believes what his father tells him." Matheu looked at Daniel. "Jacsen's father is on the council. He knows what's really going on, but he ignores it."

"What's he ignoring?" Daniel asked.

"If you were on the ship, then you know," Matheu said..

"I was on the ship because I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tell me about this Choosing," Daniel said.

"At least once a generation, the people of our town are Chosen. Those that are chosen leave the town and move to the village. There they live their lives."

"They give up all the comforts," Cran said. "No electricity, no viewing entertainment, They live as our ancestors did years ago."

"Why?" Daniel asked.

"The tales say that, many generations ago, the god Heru'ur fell from the stars. His body was damaged but his spirit lived, so his spirit moved into the body of one of our people," Matheu said. "He needed slaves to form his army, but because the people of this planet are descended from his host's family, he does not conquer Tralaxia. He merely comes and accepts the sacrifice of slaves that we leave for him and leaves the rest of us in peace."

"We never know when he will come," Cran said. "Sometimes it is within a singular generation, other times several generations will pass before he returns. Because of that, people always live in the village."

"The part that she leaves out is that most of the villagers don't want to go. They never send whole families, our geneticists warned against that centuries ago. So mated pairs, children, siblings, they are split. For many, the heartache is too great."

"Some rebuild their lives," Cran said. "I know you don't want to believe what Jacsen's father says, but he has said that many in the village start again. They marry and create new families. It is not all heartbreak."

"Enough of it is," Matheu said. "The Choosing is hated by all but those that benefit from it," he told Daniel.

"Benefit?" Daniel asked.

"There have been rumors, that the lottery is far from fair. That people are targeted not because of skills or simple fate, but that those in power sometimes use the Choosing to rid themselves of rivals."

"Great," Daniel muttered, not sure if he should be reassured or upset that political corruption seemed to be a universal constant. "Look, all I want to do is find my friend," he said.

"Then you should go to the village and wait for her," Matheu said. "She should be returned there."

"But not if she was injured in the crash," Cran said. "They'll keep her at the medical facility."

"Can you take me there?" Daniel asked.

Cran shook her head. "If they see us bringing a villager back-"

"You don't have escort me there," Daniel bargained. "Just point me in the right direction. I'll figure it out."

"We'll take you back to town," Matheu said, taking a couple of steps to test his injured leg. "I might know someone that can look for your friend. He can at least see if she's in the facility."

"Matheu, it's dangerous," Cran said. "If they find us..."

"As soon as we get close, you can go home," he said. He looked at Daniel. "This has been going on for far too long. Maybe it's time for something to change."

:::::::::

Jack followed Teal'c, privately marveling at the big man's stealth as they maneuvered close to the crash site. They found a vantage point behind a couple of bushes and both lay down, peering under the leaves. They had abandoned the horses just outside the crash site, afraid that the creatures would draw too much attention to them.

Below them they could see the end of the clean up effort. Jack saw very few people that looked like victims, but plenty wearing what he guessed to be the local equivalent of emergency services uniforms.

"They appear to have removed most of the survivors," Teal'c whispered. "I see few wearing the attire of the villagers."

"Makes sense," Jack shrugged. "If those people really are prisoners of a sort, they're going to just let them wander around. What do you think happened to the Jaffa?"

"It likely depends upon the relationship the Tralaxians have with Heru'ur. And if the Jaffa have ascertained the cause of the craft's demise."

"Here's hoping they think it's an accident," Jack said.

He nodded and they crept closer, finally getting within ear shot. They could now see figures lying on the ground, possibly those too badly injured to be moved, or those simply waiting to die. Medical personnel moved about, comforting and treating as they could.

"It looks as if they are removing the wounded to another location," Teal'c said as he saw medical personnel loading unconscious survivors into a vehicle.

"Which is where Carter and Daniel might be," Jack said.

"You are presuming that they have not made radio contact because they cannot?" Teal'c asked.

"It's all we got to go on right now," Jack said. "They got swept up in the round up once, who's to say it didn't happen again?" Below, the medical people closed the door of the transport, readying it to leave.

"And if they have not?" Teal'c asked.

Jack merely glared at him. "Right now it's all we have to go on," Jack said. "Let's not lose that transport."

::::::::::::::::

Sam slipped through the city, instinct keeping her to the shadows and alleys. "What the hell is going on?" she muttered to herself as she slowed her flight, far enough away from the hospital that she felt relatively safe from pursuit.

In a lot of ways, her current surroundings reminded her of the older parts of Colorado Springs. The brick streets were narrow, making the stone walls oppressively high. Other buildings were made of worn wood covered with peeling and faded paint. The style reminded her of the village, but only vaguely.

"Must be another city," she whispered, reaching for the only logical conclusion. "How far from the gate am I?" She stopped and thought. "Far enough that the UAV didn't see this."

She heard voices and slipped into a doorway, keeping out of sight.

"They're sending them back over the mountains to the village," one of the passersby said.

"No one should have to SEND them," the other replied. "They should know their duty."

The voices faded as the pair walked out of ear shot.

Sam peeked out, looking intently up and down the street until she was sure no one else was walking by. 'Over the mountains'. It wasn't the best directions she'd ever had, but it was a start.

::::::::::::::::

"This is taking too long," Daniel muttered to himself, pushing aside another low hanging tree branch.

"We don't dare use the road," Matheu said, glancing back. "If they see us—"

"I know," Daniel said. "I'm just…I want to find my friend," he said, cringing at how lame his words sounded.

"If the enforcers catch us, you'll find her sooner than you want," Cran said.

"They're not going to find us," Matheu said, a tone of long suffering in his voice. "We'll slip back into the city and no one will ever know that we were gone."

They continued on their way, quietly picking a path through the trees. After about an hour the first buildings of the city came into view.

They were blocky and chunky, built of stone and wood. None of them looked to be taller than three to four stories; which suggested a technology level around Earth's 1900's.

Or maybe later, he thought, studying the vehicles. Whatever the parallel was, they were leap years beyond the Villagers with their lanterns and cooking fires.

"I don't understand why the goa'uld have let you get this advanced," Daniel said as a vehicle trundled past, bouncing over the gravel road.

"What do you mean?" Cram asked.

"The goa'uld usually keep their planets fairly primitive," he answered.

"Primitive?"

"What do you mean by primitive?" Matheu asked.

"The goa'uld use technology to do things. They pass machines and technology off as magic and power. But if a planet gets advanced, then they're more likely to see right through the smoke and mirrors and the goa'uld lose their power. Which is why, usually when a people get too….well able to see that the 'magic' is just trickery, usually the Goa'uld do something to knock them back down again. Or they never let them get that advanced in the first place.

"Are you saying that Heru'ur will attack us?" Matheu asked.

"No," Daniel reassured. "I mean, maybe not. I'm just surprised it hasn't already happened." He gestured towards the city. "You've been lucky."

"Perhaps it is as the stories say," Cran said. "He spares this planet because of his host."

"Maybe," Daniel conceded, not wanting to scare his companions with a lot of might's and maybe's.

Cran moved to stand in front of Daniel. "If it is as you say, that Heru'ur will return soon and attack us, maybe if you speak to the Council they'll—"

"They won't listen," Matheu said. "They like things they way they are."

"Surely someone—"

Voices carried across the clearing and Daniel paused, holding up his hand to stop the conversation. "Can we talk later? Maybe somewhere less out in the open? I need to find my friend and I think I need to blend in better."

"You are right," Cran said. "If anyone sees you dressed as you are—"

"We are close enough," Matheu interrupted. "You can go home."

"What?"

"Cran, go home. I will take Daniel to the medical facility."

"But—"

Matheu moved to stand in front of her. "Cran. Please. You are afraid. Go home. We will be fine."

"She is right to be afraid."

The strange voice cut through the stillness and Daniel's heart jumped. Cran screamed as Matheu pulled her close to him. Ten uniformed men surrounded them, weapons held at the ready.

"We're unarmed," Daniel hurried to say, raising his hands.

"We've done nothing wrong," Matheu said as the leader stepped forward. At least Daniel guessed he was the leader, he seemed to have more ribbons on his uniform than the others.

"How dare you say that when you are clearly assisting this villager," the man accused, gesturing at Daniel.

"We weren't," Cran protested. She glanced at Daniel and then quickly glanced away. "He was…he was…"

"They were taking me back," Daniel said, knowing that Cran was simply terrified. "That's what they were doing, taking me back."

The leader stared at him, clearly seeing through Daniel's words. "Then maybe they need some assistance," he said. He gestured and most of the men lowered their weapons, although Daniel noted that a couple men kept their weapons trained, as if they were expecting resistance. "Take them all," he ordered.

"NO!" Cran protested.

"They were taking me back," Daniel said. "There's no need—"

"There is every need," the leader interrupted. "Villagers were killed in the crash. We will need replacements." He looked at Cran and Matheu. "And who better than two youngsters that should not have been out here in the first place?"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Ha'lis is here to see you," Groder said, stepping just inside Tredis' office door. The First Prime pushed past Groder and stomped into the room.

Tredis got to his feet, startled by the man's abrupt entrance. "First Prime, I hope that my people have been treating your men well."

"Where are the villagers!" he demanded, looming over Tredis.

"I-"

"Our ship did not suffer from a mechanical failure as you have suggested," Ha'lis accused. "The two warriors that perished, the ONLY two that perished were stationed in the engine room." He stared at Tredis. "I have seen their bodies. They were killed by a Tau'ri weapon."

"A what?" Tredis frowned, not understanding the man's term.

"Tau'ri," Ha'lis repeated. "Human. Off-worlders. They murdered my warriors and destroyed my lord's ship. I demand that I am given access to all the Villagers. I will question them until I find the Hataka that killed my men. I will give that person to Heru'ur when he returns."

"First Prime, I can assure you, none of my people would even dream of consorting with off worlders—"

"You lie!" Ha'lis shouted. "Someone has allowed the Tau'ri upon this planet. . One of your people has committed the gravest of insults against their God. A God that has been most merciful to you!" He fisted his hand in the front of Treadis' tunic, pulling the man to stand on his toes. "Perhaps you should explain this personally to Heru'ur?"

"No, please" Tredis interrupted. "Burdae in the village. About a moon ago, off worlders came through the portal. They were interested in mining the Naqahdah Burdae did not seek our council," he said quickly, hoping to deflect any blame. "Perhaps they were in the Village when your men came and they were taken up into your ship. If anyone broke our agreement and defied your God, it was them."

"Is Heru'ur not your God as well?" Ha'lis challenged. Treadis felt the blood drain from his face at his mistake. "Where are these off worlders?" Ha'lis asked, changing the topic and seemingly forgiving Treadis mistake.

"They are among the Villagers," Tredis said, well aware that he was lying but not knowing what else to do. Time. He needed time. Time to save his people. Time to save himself.

"Bring them to me," Ha'lis said. "I shall present them to Heru'ur. And if he is pleased, perhaps he will spare your people the full measure of his wrath."

Ha'lis turned on his heel and stalked from the room, leaving Tredis to collapse into his chair, his shaking legs unable to support him. He had succeeded. He had purchased time for his people. But would it be enough?

::::::::::::::

"Ah crap," Jack moaned, watching from a distance as Daniel and two of the Tralaxians were led away by an armed patrol. "Ten minutes," he said, keeping his voice low as he ranted. "Ten more minutes and we'd have gotten there first. I knew I should have kept those damn horses."

"Had we been with them, we would likely been swept up in the patrol ourselves," Teal'c said, nonplused by the sight before them. "At least we possess the knowledge that he is alive and seemingly not injured."

Jack sighed. "There's that. No sign of Carter though."

"We could accost them and attain Daniel Jackson's freedom," Teal'c said.

Jack looked at him. "Five to one?" he asked.

"I do not doubt my ability," Teal'c said. "However, such an action may result in unnecessary injury to Daniel Jackson or his companions, along with alerting the Tralaxians to our presence."

"Yeah," Jack said as the group below began to move out. "Let's find out where they're going. Maybe they'll lead us to Carter."

The pair of them moved through the woods, keeping pace with the group while keeping their distance. "I believe we have found the city that Saleen spoke of," Teal'c said as buildings appeared on the horizon, buildings that looked very little like the huts of the village.

"The UAV missed something. There's a big surprise," Jack said.

"It will be more difficult to ascertain their position in an urban setting," Teal'c said. "If we are going to liberate Daniel Jackson, we should act soon."

"T, do you seriously think we can take on five to one odds without getting Daniel and those other two killed?" Jack asked.

Teal'c thought a moment. "Am I or am I not allowed to use deadly force?" he asked.

Jack sighed "We're going to follow them into the city and set up an ambush. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll lose a few of the guards."

"As you wish," Teal'c said, shrugging slightly.

Jack tossed a hand in the air. "Unless you got a couple of those stun grenades stuck in your pocket, I don't see how to get them out of there without risking Daniel and the others."

"I concur," Teal'c said. "Agreeing that it is a wise course of action does not mean that it is a course of action that I find desirable."

"Me neither," Jack said, patting the man on the shoulder. "Me neither."

:::::::::::

Sam finally made her way out of the city, greeting her more rural surroundings with mixed emotions. In one way, she was glad to be out of the city and to at least feel like she was making some progress. On the other hand, she felt even more exposed and vulnerable. There were fewer places to hide here, no alleys or doorways to tuck into if she felt the need..

She still wasn't quite sure what was going on, but there seemed to be some sort of feud or war between the people in the village and the ones in the city. The differences didn't just stop with their clothing, but everything about them from vehicles with combustion engines to a form of electricity.

Maybe there was some sort of religious segregation? Kind of like the Amish, living in their own enclaves. But that didn't explain the hostility. Or how the people in the city seemed to know about the goa'uld but the villagers seemed to have no idea. The villagers were peaceful farmers – or looked and acted that way – while the city dwellers not only had vehicles and electricity but a military force.

It just didn't make any sense.

Her stomach rumbled and she turned her attention to more pressing matters. She had been walking all day and it was apparent that she wasn't even going to get close to 'over the mountains' before nightfall. She needed shelter and food and water and a place to hunker down for the night.

She crested a small hill and smiled taking in the sight before her. A small clutch of buildings straddled the dirt road, all of them in an obvious state of disrepair. There were four plots, each of them bordered by a low stone or wooden fence, two on each side of the road. Tall grasses stood in ragged clumps and a few trees grew in locations that no one would have ever planted them. Even from this distance, she could see that some of the thatched roofs had chunks missing and shutters that hung drunkenly.

There was an assortment of out buildings, including ones that looked like chicken coops and outhouses, along with barns or large garages.

A barn on one of the plots had collapsed, the four walls and roof nothing more than a jumbled pile of timbers and stone. "It may not be comfortable, but it beats sleeping under a bush," she muttered to herself.

She made her way down to the group of buildings and chose one at random. She carefully pushed past the broken door, searching for any sign of human or animal habitation. The home was tiny, the ground floor consisting of just a front and back room, where she presumed the kitchen to be. She glanced up, noting the planked rafters and guessed that sleeping quarters were likely in the loft. She dismissed exploring that almost immediately. This building was in such a state of disrepair that she didn't dare try to climb up there and considered herself lucky that it hadn't fallen in on her head.

Old floorboards creaked under her feet and the odor of dust was thick in the air. The alien equivalent of plaster clung sparingly to the walls, the rest lying in small piles on the floor where it had fallen off years before.

She could see some small mud nests in the corners, maybe wasp or the nests of small birds, along with a few scattered piles of leaves blown in through the broken windows.

"It's not the Ritz," she shrugged, deeming it acceptable and likely the best she'd find. She moved towards the back, hoping to find some source of water. Her stomach grumbling was an annoying but survivable state, but she needed water.

The tiny room in the back was indeed a kitchen as evidenced by the massive fireplace and shelves lining the walls. Dried herbs hung in clumps from pegs and she saw a few scattered bowls and utensils. There was no pump though, or anything resembling a sink.

She stepped outside, her eyes scanning the overgrown vegetable garden to settle on a pump a few yards away. She'd see if the pump worked first, then check out the garden, see if there were any vegetables she could scrounge.

She turned back towards the building, stopping when the sound of an engine penetrated the stillness. Instinct drove her back inside. She had no idea who was coming but she doubted that they were friendly. Especially in a motorized vehicle.

She hurried to the front of the dwelling and peeked around the edge of the door. Outside, three vehicles trundled down the dirt road, abruptly coming to a stop a short distance away. Uniformed men clambered out, focusing their attention on the first vehicle, which had a very flat tire. All of the men were armed with side arms and a few carried some sort of rifle. Their voices carried as they discussed how to repair the vehicle.

Sam saw one man jog from the third vehicle in the convoy. "Sir?"

"What?" The man Sam guessed to be the leader responded, barely sparing the man a glance.

"The prisoners, sir. They request a comfort break."

"Do not let them out of your sight," the leader instructed, waving his permission.

"Dammit," she muttered. The last thing she needed was people wandering around. She couldn't risk the men finding her. She turned away from the door, deciding to hide in the trees behind the house. At least there she wouldn't be so pinned in.

"Hey! There's no need to be rough!"

The familiar voice stopped her and she returned to the door, smiling broadly as she recognized Daniel.

Ignoring his protest, the soldier gave Daniel a shove, causing him to stumble into the other two prisoners, a young man and woman that Sam didn't recognize.

She had to get him away from them, but she didn't know how. Even if she was armed, there was no way she could take on that many by herself. She drummed her fingers lightly against the door, trying to think.

Comfort break. So bathroom break. Which probably meant an outhouse.

Daniel wasn't restrained, so maybe if she could get close enough, maybe if there was only one or two escorts, maybe if Daniel could react fast enough. Maybe, just maybe they could get away and make a run for it. Or, maybe, if she couldn't get him free, maybe they could communicate for a second and she could find out where they were taking him so she could follow.

She watched as Daniel and the others were led towards the back of the plots and she hurried through the dwelling she was in, slipping out the back door and using the low wall as cover. She worked her way closer to where the guards were leading Daniel and the others. She crouched low, pulling up the skirt so she wouldn't trip as she eased her way from one thick clump of grass to the next.

There were only two guards, which was good. They'd at least stand a chance. And the outhouse was far enough behind the dwelling that none of the others should see anything.

She crept closer, almost tripping over a thick branch. She picked it up, ignoring the twinge from the burns on her hand as she grasped the makeshift club.

The group reached the outhouse and she saw Daniel gesture at the rough building. He seemed to be making some sort of protest. One of the soldiers made and exasperated gesture and opened the door, making a show of checking things out.

He suddenly flew backwards, falling to the ground before the other could react. A massive bulk flowed from the back of the structure and disabled the other guard.

Sam broke cover and hurried forward, quickly catching the attention of Colonel O'Neill. She had no time to enjoy the surprised look on his face as the six of them ran for the cover of the woods.

There'd be time for a reunion later. First they needed to get somewhere safe.

:::::::::::::::::::::

Jack glanced over his shoulder, relieved to see and hear no signs of pursuit. He jogged forward, easily catching up with Teal'c. "Didn't you say you thought there was a cave up there?" he said, gesturing towards a hillside they'd passed earlier that day. Jack saw Teal'c glance back at their companions and knew Teal'c saw just what he did, four people that desperately needed a break.

"I did," Teal'c confirmed. "I shall ascertain its presence and suitability as shelter."

He walked towards the hillside and climbed up the couple dozen yards to the dark area that they both thought was a cave.

Jack pulled out his canteen and handed it to Daniel. "Who are your friends?" The two Tralaxians stood side by side, keeping their distance and glancing around suspiciously while Carter leaned against a tree. He still wasn't quite sure where she'd come from, but he sure as hell wasn't going to kick good luck in the face.

Daniel unscrewed the cap and took a drink. "Matheu and Cran. They witnessed the crash and tried to help the survivors." Jack raised his eyebrows, silently asking a question. "I think they're fine," Daniel said softly. "The Enforcement officer was going to take them in too. Use them to make up a quota."

Jack nodded, accepting Daniel's assessment, for the time being anyway. "Let them finish it off," he instructed. "There's a stream a little bit away, we can refill there."

Daniel passed around the canteen as Jack caught sight of Teal'c descending the small hill. "It is clean and dry," he reported. "And I saw no signs of recent human or animal habitation."

Jack nodded. "We'll head up."

"I shall retrieve water and then lay a false trail. Doubtless, there will be pursuit," Teal'c said.

"Watch yourself," Jack said as Teal'c took the empty canteen and disappeared into the trees. "Let's go, campers," Jack said, gesturing towards the hill. It took them just a few minutes to climb the incline and enter the cave.

Just like Teal'c had said, it was dry and relatively clean, at least as far as caves could be clean. It was narrow, perhaps five or six feet wide and the ceiling was low, forcing Jack to duck. The floor was mostly rock, with small piles of dirt or leaves scattered about.

Jack took off his pack and held it towards Carter. "There's food in there, save something for breakfast. The gate's about twelve hours away, and that's presuming we don't lose too much time evading the cops."

"Yes, sir," she said, gingerly taking it.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "I just burned my hands, they're fine."

"There's a first aid kit in there too. We'll redress them as soon as we eat," he said. He walked towards the back of the cave, making sure that there'd be no surprises in the middle of the night.

He returned just a minute later. The cave was only about thirty feet deep, but it got narrower as it got deeper, rendering much of the last ten feet useless to them. The two kids, Cran and Matheu, sat beside each other while Daniel busied himself opening three MRE's. It'd be a scant meal, but better than nothing.

"There should be a can of sterno in there," Jack said, propping his weapon against the cave wall before he sat down. "We can't risk a fire, but we can get some heat." Jack looked at the group. "So, don't everyone talk at once," he prompted.

"Who are you?" Matheu asked. "And the other, is he a Jaffa?"

"This is Colonel Jack O'Neill," Daniel introduced. "The Jaffa is Teal'c. He's a friend."

"Is she the one you were looking for?" Cran asked, pointing at Sam.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, she is. Her name is Sam." Carter smiled slightly and waved her hand.

"I didn't catch your names," Jack said pointedly.

"I'm Matheu, this is my friend Cranled. We were outside of the city and saw the ship fall. We wanted to see," he finished with a shrug.

"City?"

"There seems to be two distinct settlements on the planet," Daniel said.

"We're from the city," Cran said.

"Anyone that doesn't live in the city, lives in the village," Matheu said.

"And we didn't know about this why?" Jack asked Sam.

She shrugged. "The UAV's do fly a set search pattern, but it's usually a spiral out from the gate. It took me all day to walk this far. All I can guess is that the city was too far away for it to see. It's one of the limits of the technology. We can only ever see the few miles closest to the gate."

"From what I can gather, a few centuries or so, Heru'ur crashed on this planet," Daniel briefed. "I'm thinking that his host was injured too badly for the goa'uld to heal, so he took a new host."

"A Tralaxian?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. And, at least according to the stories, that's why he doesn't raid the whole planet. There's some kind of arrangement to send people to the Village to be picked up by Heru'ur."

"They have a Choosing," Matheu said. "It's supposed to be a random lottery. Those Chosen go over the mountain and live in the Village until Heru'ur comes. They then go with him to serve him and the rest of us are left alone."

"How long do they wait?" Jack asked.

"I've heard that sometimes it can be many tens of years."

"Why don't the Villagers have any technology?' Sam asked.

Jack looked at her. "Whatta you mean?"

"It's not just the vehicles," she said. "They have electricity and maybe even some primitive sort of computer and television."

"When they go to the Village, the Chosen agree to give up all the luxuries of life and to live as our ancestors did, as a tribute to Heru'ur's host," Cran said.

"Or, like Daniel said, if the people in the Village look primitive, maybe he won't notice everything that the people in the city have," Matheu said.

"How far are we from the gate, sir?" Sam asked, sharing her MRE with Daniel while Cran and Matheu shared another.

"It took Teal'c and I about ten hours to get here, and we had horses part of the way."

"Any…help?" she asked, glancing at Cran and Matheu and keeping her question vague.

Jack shrugged. "That's a….long story," he said, glancing at his watch. If Hammond followed through and sent the UAV, they should have seen it hours ago. "Carter, what do you think the chances are of a UAV getting over that ridge?"

She frowned. "The altitude shouldn't be a problem but…we might be on the outer edges of its range. It all depends on how straight of a flight pattern it takes."

Jack nodded. "Well, we may or may not be dialing Earth directly, but we'll deal with that tomorrow." He finished his share of the MRE and noted that the rest were done as well. "Teal'c should be back soon. Daniel, you good to stand watch?"

Daniel nodded. "Sure."

"You got first. Carter, let's redress those hands, then I'll take second while Teal'c gets in some kelnoreem time, and you can have last," he instructed.

"What about us?" Matheu asked.

"What about you?" Jack asked. Matheu stared. "We're going back to the Village and we're going home."

"Jack."

"Daniel."

"If they go back to the city…they're probably wanted. At best they'll be sent to the Village, at worst they'll be locked up somewhere and punished for helping us."

"Or they'll go back to the city and tell everyone that the mean evil aliens made them do it," he said.

"Thane never forgets a face," Matheu said.

"Thane?"

"He leads the enforcers," Matheu explained. "If we go back to the city, they'll send us to the village."

"Isn't the somewhere else you can go?" Sam asked.

"The city and the village is all there is," Cran said.

"With every choosing, one in four leaves for the village," Matheu said.

"Colonel, factor in a twenty-five percent reduction every generation with typical adult and infant mortality rates, suicides, homicides and simple accidents…"

"It's zero population growth," Daniel finished.

"Or maybe even negative. I walked through a lot of abandoned buildings. It's like, instead of growing, the population has slowly decreased over the years."

"They barely sent enough to the village last time," Cran said.

"What?" Matheu asked.

"I heard Jacsen's father talking once," she admitted grudgingly.

"Why did you not tell me?"

"Because you fight too much already," she shot back.

"Enough," Jack said sternly. "What else did you over hear?" he asked Cran.

"They have a list. Worth, value and worthiness. Every person has a grade. A ranking. When they send people to the village, they use the list," she explained.

"Taking from the bottom up, I presume," Jack said.

"That's—"

"Depressingly efficient," Sam interrupted.

"They're grading people and deciding who deserves to live and who deserves to die?" Daniel shot back.

"I take it you didn't read the memo about the Genesis list?" Jack said, glaring at his friend.

"Jack, this isn't a list of who to save, it's a list of who gets sent away for a life of slavery!"

"They're the same thing, Daniel," Sam said. "The Genesis list is people to be sent through the gate in case Earth is invaded. Resources will be scarce, so everyone on that list is there only if they can contribute and be a vital part of any survival effort."

"So?"

"It's not that I really agree with it, Daniel, but…it's not like we can just go out and round up anyone walking by. It's cold blooded but it's the most practical and logical way to do it," she said. "At its most basic, the people in the city aren't doing much different. They know they're going to lose a good chunk of their population, they're just…trying to lose the most expendable," she said, shrugging uncomfortably.

"But I don't think the list is fair," Cran said.

"The are rumors that sometimes a person's place on the list can be altered, if they have the right friends," Matheu said.

"Or enemies," Jack interjected.

Matheu nodded. "It is said that those in power use the list to rid themselves of rivals."

"Jacsen—" Cran started, then her face fell. "His father would deny it, wouldn't he?" she asked.

"Probably," Daniel said.

She sighed and clasped her hands in her lap, looking down at them.

Jack heard his radio click and he looked up. "Teal'c's on his way in," he warned.

"Please take us with you," Cran asked.

"With us?" Jack asked.

"You have told us that anyone in the village will be taken by Heru'ur and turned into slaves. I doubt anywhere you take us can be worse than that."

Jack looked around, grateful that Teal'c chose that moment to walk in, saving him from giving an answer. He passed on the two canteens he was carrying and set his staff weapon against the wall before he took the MRE from Jack. "I have made a false trail, however I saw no signs of pursuit. It is possible that they shall wait until there is sunlight."

"How far away is the water?" Jack asked as Sam and Daniel both drank deeply, then passed the canteens onto Matheu and Cran.

"Approximately one hundred yards."

Jack nodded. "You guys drink up. Carter, let's get your hands taken care of. Then I'll take a little stroll and refill them." He picked up the pack and pulled out the med kit, motioning for Sam to go with him a short distance away.

They both sat down and he pulled out rubber gloves, shucking his leather ones to put them on before he removed the dressing. "What happened on the ship?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Sam shook her head slightly. "I took out the right control panel and the ship didn't take off."

"And?" he prodded.

"I don't really know, sir," she confessed. "The last thing I remember is the panel blowing up. I woke up in some sort of medical facility."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Anything I need to know about?"

"Just these and a headache, sir," she said.

He stared at her for a second. "If you were out long enough for them to get you to their hospital, you probably have a concussion."

"I'm fine," she said. He pinned her down with his eyes. "Sir, I was healthy enough to...discharge myself and walk this far."

Jack let it go, knowing that he couldn't do too much about it anyway. She was conscious and alert and mobile. The rest could sort itself out once they got back. He tilted her hand towards the meager light. "These don't look too bad."

"They're just sore."

Jack finished with one hand and moved onto the other. He glanced over at his shoulder, grateful to see Matheu and Cran settling down to sleep. "Until we get back to Earth, we have no idea what caused that bird to fall."

"Colonel?"

"If these people really have an arrangement with Heru'ur, they might be a bit miffed at the person that messed it up."

"So…there must have been some sort of mechanical failure?" she said.

"As far as I'm concerned, that's what it was. At least until we get back to the SGC and can refresh our memories a bit."

"Yes, sir," she said as Jack finished her other hand. He peeled off the gloves and tossed them on top of the discarded paper. He picked up his fingerless gloves. "Use these to protect your hands. I don't have any more dressings."

"Thanks." Sam slipped them on, struggling a bit to fasten them.

"Did you see anything else in the city that'd be helpful?"

Sam shook her head. "Just a…the people in the city expect the villagers to do their duty. And there doesn't seem to be a lot of sympathy for their situation."

"Meaning?"

"I think if any of the villagers try to go back to the city, they'll just be shipped back. And if they refuse, I can see them using deadly force. The people in the city expect the villagers to fulfill their duty."

"They can't go back."

Sam shook her head. "They know that we're here. At least that there are off worlders on the planet. It's not too far of a stretch to think they'll scapegoat us." Jack nodded. "Sir, if we give the villages refuge and they go back to Earth with us…Heru'ur's probably going to take it out on the city people."

"Could be argued that they asked for it," he said. "They sold their own out."

"Colonel, for all we know, this started out as some voluntary thing generations ago."

"Which means they know the village is there, and they know the gate is there, so why the hell don't they go through and get away?" Sam shrugged, unable to answer. "Get some sleep," he said. "We have a long hike tomorrow and we're not going to have much time to rest."

She moved over and found a place to sleep while Jack gathered the empty canteens. "Get Teal'c's radio. I'll click once when I approach," he said. Daniel nodded and Jack slipped out into the night.

::::::::::::::::

"How could you allow them to escape!" Tredis raged, slamming his hands on his desk.

"I…have no excuse," Thane said, standing stiffly at attention.

"And I have nothing to offer Hali's"

"My men report that they were attacked. The prisoners did not just escape, they had assistance," Thane said.

"And why did you not anticipate such a turn of events?"

"I thought I was retrieving sheep to be returned to their pen. You told me nothing of off worlders!"

Thane's voice echoed off the walls of Tredis' office and the outburst left both men silent.

"If I may," Groder spoke up. "I doubt the Jaffa will care precisely who bears the most blame, but that we have failed to produce the off worlders." He sat in a chair against the wall of Tredis' office, observing but not directly part of the conversation.

"They are on foot," Thane said. "Once we realized that they were gone, two of my men remained behind to search for them."

"You will take reinforcements now. And you shall find them. If they resist, you may use any force short of killing them. They must be alive to confirm to Ha'lis and Heru'ur that they are indeed not from this world," Tredis instructed.

"Yes, sir," Thane said, standing at attention. "We shall bring them here," he declared before he spun and marched from the room.

"We must find them before Ha'lis finds out," Tredis said, his tone softly desperate.

"Perhaps proof that there were two will gain us some leniency," Groder suggested, gesturing towards the two communication devices lying on Tredis' desk.

One they had found in the wreckage of the ship the other outside the ship, perhaps dropped by a fleeing off worlder.

"Ha'lis does not seem in the lenient mood," Tredis said.

"We could always tell them they are hiding in the village," Groder suggested. Tredis stared at him. "Sir, if Ha'lis and his men are going to destroy a settlement searching for off worlders, why should it be this one?"

:::::::::::::::

"Report!" Ha'lis demanded the second the door closed behind his warrior.

"They have found nothing," Ke'lat said. "I heard two of Thane's men discussing an escape and an effort to recapture."

"We are betrayed!" Ha'lis shot to his feet, his men following suit. "We shall no longer remain here and allow these creatures to mock our respect of our Lord's agreement. We shall find these off worlders ourselves and none shall impede our task!"

:::::::::::::

Daniel opened his eyes, barely registering the fuzzy shapes of booted feet walking by. Walking. He could see. It had to be light to see. It must be morning.

He pushed himself up and propped his back against the cave wall, trying to ignore the gummy feeling of his mouth and his desperate need for some caffeine.

"Eat up." A MRE appeared in front of his face. "We're moving out in ten."

"Good morning to you too," Daniel said, taking the packet of food.

"Pursuit is most likely, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

"And we have a whole mountain to climb," Jack interjected, walking past them.

"They're grumpy," Daniel complained, looking at Sam who was sitting across from him.

"Teal'c thinks he heard people out there last night," Sam explained. "They want to get moving as soon as we can. The Colonel's convinced reinforcements are on their way from the city." She fumbled with a small packet of pain killers, struggling a bit to open it with her bandaged hands.

"You okay?" he asked. There hadn't been much time to catch up last night and when she'd joined them, he'd barely had enough time to register her presence, much less her injuries.

"They're not bad," she said, her tossing back the pills and washing them down with water belying her words. "That was a stupid stunt you pulled," she said, glaring at him. Daniel opened his mouth to respond. "And we'd probably be well on our way to a goa'uld stronghold without it," she finished.

"Oh, well—"

"It was still stupid," Jack said, checking his weapon. "Although sometimes it takes stupid to get the job done." He shoved his sidearm in the holster. "We move out in five. Teal'c has point, I have the rear, you two are in charge of keeping the civilians in line. We're moving fast and we're moving quiet." He pitched his voice so that Matheu and Cranled could hear. "If the stinky brown stuff hits the fan, Carter, you and Daniel get these kids to the Village and get your asses through the gate. You'll have to head to the Land of Light and make contact with Hammond from there. Don't go to Earth. We will be past Hammond's deadline before we get there and if he's true to his word, he'll have locked us out."

"When did this happen?" Daniel asked, getting to his feet.

"The conversation took place while you and Captain Carter were in the hatak ," Teal'c said. "If you wished to participate, perhaps you should not have been gathered up with the villagers."

"That is not a nice thing to say," Matheu said.

"He was joking," Daniel said. He looked at Sam. "Right? He's joking?"

Sam shrugged and glanced at the colonel. "It'll give you something to think about while we walk," he said pointedly. "Unless you want to hang around and repeat the whole captivity experience?"

:::::::::::::::::

Cran grabbed a branch and used it to pull herself up the small incline. They were climbing the first in the range of foothills that the off worlders said were between the city and the village. They had started out from the cave early in the morning and it was now early afternoon and she was tired. She was more than tired. Her feet ached with every step and her legs sometimes shook. It seemed that the off worlders were used to such trials, and Matheu seemed to be able to maintain their pace, but she was not. And she hated the feeling that everyone was slowing down to accommodate her.

Her foot caught on a root and she tripped, barely catching herself before she fell. "Sir?" she heard the other woman, Sam, say.

"Yeah," the leader answered. "Let's take five," he said.

"O'Neill, I remember that there was a spring a short distance away," the Jaffa, Teal'c, said. They sat down on the various logs or rocks around, Matheu settling for sitting on the ground.

O'Neill nodded. "Drink up, kids. We'll refill on our way." He walked away and sat down beside the Jaffa.

"You were in the village?" Cran asked Sam, seeking some tiny bit of information about the place that was, apparently, going to be her new home.

"For a little bit," Sam answered. "We were just…visiting when the Jaffa came."

"What is it like?" Cran asked. She glanced over at Matheu. "We have only heard stories."

"It's not too bad," Sam reassured. "No one seemed uncomfortable or anything."

"It's a nice place," O'Neill chimed in. "If you ignore the whole sold into slavery bit."

"Jacsen said—"

"Cran," Matheu interrupted.

"I know. You said that we can't trust him but…surely if it was so horrible, the Chosen would not willingly go."

Daniel got up and moved closer to them. "There was a time in our past when we had something similar. There was a main group called the Nazi's. And their leader decided that this other group, called Jews, were bad. There was really nothing wrong with the Jews. They just had a different religion and life style. But, as far as the Nazi's were concerned, they were bad.

"They didn't start out killing them. First, the Nazi's declared that all the Jews needed to wear a mark on their clothing, to set them apart. Then – for their own protection of course – the Nazi's made them move out of their homes and into ghettos. Kinda like your village."

"Then, slowly, small groups were moved out. Then bigger and bigger groups. Until the Nazi's were needing whole massive rail cars to transport all the Jews. All along, the Jews were told that this was for their own protection. Some knew better, but a lot were desperate to cling to the hope that it was all going to be okay."

Cran looked around and the whole group was quiet, listening to Daniel's story. "When a lot of the rail cars got to their destination, the Jews were off loaded and told that they were going to get a decontamination shower. They were taken into the shower rooms. Some were even given towels and soap. Then the door was locked and they were gassed to death." Daniel looked at her. "The Nazi's murdered millions, and a lot of them went passively to their deaths all because they were given good lies to believe."

"That's horrible," Cran said.

"It's not much different from what your council is doing," Sam said. "All this serving Heru'ur, it just sounds better than telling them they're heading off to a life of slavery."

"How do you know Heru'ur is like that?" Cran asked.

"We've run into him a time or two," O'Neill said. "Slavery is their thing."

"There is no such creature as a benevolent goa'uld," Teal'c said. "They have enslaved and terrorized for millennia. Only death will stop them."

"But—"

Teal'c held up his hand, a gesture Cran interpreted as a request for silence.

"Pursuit?" O'Neill asked, his hand gripping his weapon tightly.

"No." Teal'c pointed towards the sky and O'Neill reached for a device clipped to his shoulder.

"—GC calling SG-1 niner. Do you read?" She heard a voice come out of the box and decided that it was a communication device.

"SGC, this is SG-1 niner," O'Neill said.

"Colonel O'Neill, you seem to be rather far from the Stargate," the voice said. "Especially for someone that was ordered to return two hours ago."

"My apologies, General. It seems that my watch must be running slow."

"I'm sure it is," the general said. "What's your situation?"

"All members of SG-1 present and accounted for, sir. We're just a little further from the gate than we thought we'd be," O'Neill reported.

"And the group that's about three klicks behind you?" the general asked.

"Three klicks? Are you sure sir?" O'Neill asked as Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all got to their feet, openly alarmed.

"Positive. In fact, Walter thinks it looks like Jaffa."

"The survivors from the Hatak," Teal'c said.

"Let's just say, sir, that our new friends might be a bit miffed that their ship crashed." O'Neill said.

"Delivering us to Heru'ur might go far in mitigating his anger at the loss of his ship," Teal'c said.

"I have SG-3 and 5 ready," the general said. "They can hold the gate, however I cannot authorize them to travel further afield."

"Understood, sir," O'Neill said. "General, I would advise caution when dealing with the ruling council of the village. Especially one named Saleen."

"I'll pass that along. SGC out."

Cran turned to Sam. "Who's Saleen?"

"He's one of the leaders of the village," Sam replied, holding out the canteen for Cran to finish off.

"Who, somehow, escaped the round-up. It was kinda like he knew it was coming," O'Neill said.

"Jack, I'm sure there were others."

"There were not Daniel Jackson."

"How did he—"

"You believe that he is working with our council," Matheu said.

"He knew about the arrangement," O'Neill said. "And he was more pissed off about the ship crashing than he was his people being taken."

"O'Neill."

"I know. We gotta move, now," he ordered.

"At the apex of this hill, we should see the village," Teal'c said. "It is not a long distance away, however we will have very little cover once we begin our descent."

"Which means we move fast and we don't stop," O'Neill said.

::::::::::::::::

Ha'lis' man ran towards them. "Thane's men are a short distance behind us," he reported. "Their mechanized vehicles have afforded them an advantage."

"They may possess speed, but they lack skill," Ha'lis said. "Their vehicles will not serve them well from this point on." He pointed at the range of hills they were at the base of.

The off-worlder's trail led clearly up the hill and Ha'lis was certain that they were attempting to gain access to the chappai." He raised his voice. "We shall not follow their exact trail. They have chosen an easy but time consuming ascent. We shall traverse a more direct route and intercept the off worlders before they can escape the justice of our lord!"

:::::::::::::

"This does not look good," Jack said, eyeing the several hundred yards of mostly open area between the base of the hill and the Stargate. As promised, SG-3 and 5 were standing guard at the gate. Jack had no doubt, if the crap hit the fan, they'd back his team up.

"We will be most vulnerable," Teal'c agreed.

The small group was just at the edge of the tree cover, all breathless after a long hike up the summit and back down. Not surprisingly, the two civilians looked the worst, both clearly struggling, but Jack had to admit, he was feeling the strain.

"Are you sure the Jaffa are still behind us?" Daniel asked.

"If capturing us bought you leniency for crashing a ship, would you stop?" Sam asked.

"Captain Carter is correct. It is very likely that they plan to cut us down as we flee across the open area."

"Staff weapons don't have much range," Jack said. "If we're lucky, they're too far away to get a good shot."

"Perhaps. However, once they ascertain our position, they shall pursue," Teal'c said.

"What if we flush them out instead?" Sam asked.

"We don't have time. Nor are we equipped to go Jaffa hunting," Jack said.

"No, sir. Our weapons have a greater range. If one of us…well plays bait, maybe the Jaffa will reveal their position and then the rest can provide covering fire and take them out…or at least cover the rest as they run for it."

"Won't the other teams help?" Daniel asked. "They can't just stand there and –"

"They'll help," Jack said. "We just need to make it easy for them." He sighed and pulled his weapon strap from over his head. "You good to shoot with those hands?" he asked Sam, handing her his MP5.

She nodded. "Sir, I thought—"

"I know what you thought. I'll be the bait. Carter, I'll be counting on you and Teal'c to keep any Jaffa out there from really ruining my day."

"Jack—"

"Don't," Jack interrupted Daniel.

"I was just going to say be careful," he said.

Jack nodded and pulled his extra ammo out of his vest, handing it to Sam. "Let's get this show on the road."

He walked past them and paused for a second, scanning the trees for any tell tale flashes from armor or any movement giving him a clue where the Jaffa might be…if they were there in the first place. Teal'c had every confidence that the Jaffa would have caught up with them, but Jack wasn't so sure. There was always a chance that they hadn't made it yet. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, jogging out of the cover of the trees.

Anticipating at any second to feel the burning pain of a staff weapon blast, he zigged and zagged across the landscape, doing his best to provide a tough target to anyone aiming to take his head off.

He canted to the left, skirting the edge of a thorny bush before he jogged to the right, picking out a trail amongst the brush and rocks and grass. Every footstep pounded into the dirt and Jack felt his heartbeat quicken with the exertion and his breath started to rasp in his throat.

He dodged to the right and tripped when his foot came down on a loose rock. He cursed when a shaft of pain tore through his knee as he fell. He started to get back up, but fell flat into the dirt as a bolt of flame seared the air right above his head.

Counting on Carter and Teal'c to cover him, he scrambled back to his feet and continued his dash. Despite himself, he hunched his shoulders, almost as if that tiny act would make him less of a target.

Another staff blast tore past him, striking a nearby tree and sending splinters into the air. Jack pivoted on one foot and ran in the opposite direction, gaining a small amount of satisfaction from the clatter of his MP5.

The staff blasts stopped and Jack stopped running, taking cover behind a large tree as he watched the battle unfold. Four Jaffa appeared out of the brush, firing towards where Jack had left his team. He could see Teal'c returning fire but not Carter. Then he saw one of the Jaffa fall and figured out their strategy. Just as he had drawn the Jaffa out to revealing their positions, Teal'c was drawing them out with his staff weapon while Carter picked them off with the rifle. One by one, they all fell and Jack sighed in relief.

He saw Carter and Teal'c wave at him, and then Daniel and the two civilians emerged from the brush and began a dash across the open space. Jack drew his sidearm and held it at the ready, just in case there were more Jaffa. He noticed that Carter and Teal'c were doing the same, both ready to protect the three runners.

Daniel and the two Tralaxians reached Jack's position and stopped. All three were gasping and had a faint sheen of perspiration on their faces. "Do you think that's all of them?" Daniel asked.

"If we're lucky," Jack said, watching as Carter ran down the slope. She made it about halfway across before she stopped, taking cover behind a rock. Teal'c emerged and ran towards them, running past Sam to stop beside Jack. Sam then moved towards them, their distance from the Jaffa ambush and the limited range of the staff weapons giving her and them some measure of protection.

"Good job," Jack said as she joined them. She nodded and handed his weapon back to him.

"Looks like obstacle one of two," Daniel said. Jack frowned at him and turned, following Daniel's pointing hand.

"SG-1 leader, this is SG-3 leader." Jack heard Colonel Makepeace through his radio.

"SG-1 leader here, hold your position," Jack said, catching a glimpse of the teams moving around the gate.

Ahead of them, between their position and the village people were gathering, streaming out of their huts to form what could either be a welcoming party or a human blockade…Jack couldn't quite tell which. "Let's play it cool," he instructed.

"How cool, sir?" Sam asked.

"Not so cool that we let them surround us. Deadly force only if we have to," he ordered.

The people walked closer and Jack led his group forward, his eyes darting to and fro. Saleen was in the front and center of the group, and he stalked forward, his brows furrowed and his lips tight. Jack trusted his team to keep an eye on the villagers, but they were still outnumbered ten to one. Even if they'd all been armed with automatic weapons, the odds weren't good. Especially if the rest of them were in the same sour mood that Saleen seemed to be in.

"Wait!" Jack barely registered Daniel's voice before a person pushed past him, dashing towards the villagers.

"Matheu!" Cran screamed, only Carter's quick thinking keeping her from running after him.

Saleen held up his hand, telling the crowd to stop. "Come! We will protect you from the vile off worlders!" he called out.

Matheu stopped. "Protect me?" He looked back at Jack. "I want to tell you to give these people safe passage."

"We shall do no such thing!" Saleen yelled. "These strangers are responsible for the deaths of many of our own. They must be brought to justice!" Saleen waved and a few of the male villagers stepped forward, pitchforks and clubs held up prominently.

"That's kinda rich coming from the guy that's shipping his own off to be slaves!" Jack yelled, noting that the rest of them closed ranks a bit, responding to the threatening nature of the locals.

Behind Saleen, some of the villagers began to whisper amongst themselves. Jack could see that some of them looked a bit banged up and guessed that they were survivors of the crash. And, if Carter's suspicions were right, they'd been unceremoniously returned to the village.

"I have done no such thing!" Saleen yelled.

"Why were you not with us?" one of the villagers asked, leaving his place in the crowd to confront Saleen.

"I was with you."

"No, you were not!" another said. "I was in the first transport and I saw all that arrived after. He was not with them!" the man shouted the last words, pointing at Saleen.

"That's because he never goes!" Jack yelled, stepping a bit closer and trusting his team to watch his back. "He's buddies with the folks back in the city. His job is to make sure that you all get rounded up, so they can meet their quota."

"These people choose to serve their god!" Saleen yelled, turning to face the villagers. "It is a great honor!"

"Then how come you never go!" Jack asked.

"These people will be slaves!" Teal'c said. "I have witnessed it many times."

"No!" Saleen protested.

"I know you," Cran said, pulling away from Sam.

"What?"

"Yes. You used to live on my street." She stepped forward. "Saleen, son of Michael and Penla. You were chosen when I was a child. Your parents held a celebration. They mourned your loss even as they expressed their pride at being the parents of a Chosen."

"The ship has come twice since then," Matheu said. "And both times you escaped."

"Pretty long odds," Jack said. "Wouldn't you say so Carter?"

"Very long odds, sir," she said loudly. "Almost astronomical."

"You are wrong," Saleen said.

"I don't think so," Jack said. "I think they're exactly right. You're working with the Council back in the city. Their job is to get them here, your job is to make sure they all get on that ship."

"SG-1 leader, be advised, we're seeing movement on your six," Jack heard through the radio.

"Roger that," Jack answered. "Carter?"

"Enforcers, sir," she said, squinting into the distance. "And I think they have at least one of the Jaffa with them."

"Jaffa?" Jack asked, not taking his eyes off the crowd of villagers.

"One must have survived the ambush," she said. "Sir, they'll be within range really fast."

Jack nodded. "Teal'c." With one word he ordered the man to keep an eye on their back. The situation just went from bad to worse. And the time to be nice was over. "Look!" he yelled to Saleen. "We're going through that gate. You're not gonna stop us. If you try to, those men over by the gate, they're going to stop you," he declared.

"And if any of you want to come with us, you're welcome to," Daniel yelled, ignoring Jack's glare.

"Damnit, Daniel."

"You will not take these people with you!" Saleen said.

"Jack, you can't tell me you're willing to leave these people here to be slaves," Daniel said lowly.

"Daniel, I'm not going to have a dozen people die to try and save some that might not want to be saved in the first place," he whispered back harshly.

"I'm not asking for anyone to die. Just…if they want to come with us, let them."

"Colonel, Heru'ur could have a ship on the way here right now," Carter said. "Once they get on that ship, they're as good as dead."

Jack sighed. "Saleen, we're leaving! Any of these folks that want to come with us, we won't stop them…and neither will you!" Jack motioned to his team and they started to edge their way around the crowd of villagers. A few of them stepped back, clearly not wanting to engage the strangers and Jack saw a few of the others talking amongst themselves.

"Jarlena!"

A woman ran forward, a child on her hip and two more behind her. "Take us with you!" she begged.

"Stop!" Saleen yelled.

"Let them pass!" Burdae yelled, pushing forward from the back of the crowd. He positioned himself in front of Saleen. "No more!" he yelled. "No more." He looked at the men holding pitchforks and clubs. "Put them down." The men hesitated. "PUT THEM DOWN!" he roared. He looked back to Jack. "Can you promise me that they will be safe?" he asked.

"No place is one hundred percent safe," Jack said. "But we know planets where the goa'uld don't come. People live their lives in peace. And they welcome refugees."

Burdae nodded. "Anyone who wishes to go, may go," he said.

"You have no right!" Saleen shouted.

"I have every right!" Burdae countered. "I have watched you, watched the council twist and warp what once was a beautiful sacrifice into something horrific." Burdae turned to Jack. "The Chosen used to volunteer. They would CHOOSE to sacrifice their lives to their god. But, after more and more left and never returned, less and less wished to go. Thus began the Choosing. Thus began the reinvention of the process. Any who spoke out against the Choosing disappeared. It is no longer a sacrifice but an abomination." He looked at each of them. "That is why we wished to trade with you. In hopes of finding a combination on the circle that would work and that would allow us to leave this place."

"Okay," Jack said. "You heard the man. You wanna come, come. You don't, don't. But if you're gonna come, you gotta come now."

He gestured towards his team and they started to move towards the gate. "SG-3 leader, this is SG-1 leader. We're coming to the gate and we might have some followers. Dial it up and warn Hammond that we're gonna have a few guests," he instructed.

"Affirmative," Jack heard. A few seconds he heard the familiar whoosh of the gate opening. "We're good to go, SG-1," Makepeace reported.

"You heard the man," Jack said. He glanced back at the foot hills and saw the Enforcers hurrying towards them. "And let's not dawdle."

They broke into a jog, arriving at the gate in just a few minutes. "You fly boys pissing off the natives again?" Makepeace asked, looking over the Villagers and towards the Enforcers running their way.

"Someone's gotta give you a reason to be here," Jack said. "Villagers won't be much of a threat, but those guys coming down the hill aren't going to like the fact that we just blew the hell out of their quota."

"Gotcha," Makepeace said, all business. His men positioned themselves to provide support to the fleeing villagers.

"Carter, you and Daniel go back. Keep these people from panicking, and keep Hammond from having kittens."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied. She and Daniel walked past him and across the event horizon. Jack and Makepeace stood by the gate, the two teams forming a bit of a funnel as more and more villagers streamed towards them and through the gate. Matheu and Cranled walked towards Jack, holding each other's hand.

"Colonel O'Neill."

"Matheu," Jack said. "You know, you're not going to be able to come back here if you go," he said. "We can't risk you telling someone that might tell Heru'ur the safe planets."

"I know," Matheu said. "We both know. If we stay here, we'll be taken by the Jaffa, if we go back to the city, they'll just find us and send us back."

"There is no good outcome here," Cran said. "Or there was none."

Jack nodded. "Why don't you two go on through. Those folks might benefit from a friendly face."

"You have no idea what you have done!" Saleen yelled, stalking forward, the two outer most SGC team members reaching out to stop him.

"Let him through," Jack said.

"You have doomed us!" Saleen yelled, shaking off the men.

"You doomed yourself!" Jack countered. "The second you started selling your own into slavery, you became no better than the goa'uld."

"Do you know what Heru'ur will do when he comes here and finds no villagers to fill his ships? He will attack us. Thousands will die."

"You shoulda thought about that before you started this whole thing." Jack jerked his thumb at the gate. "You know what it is. You know how it works. The first time you had to start conscripting villagers is when you and your whole city should have left. You had DECADES to find a new home." Jack poked him in the chest with his finger. He looked past the man, relieved to see the last of the villagers within a few yards of the gate. "You made your bed. Have fun sleeping in it."

A thumping sound cut through the air and Jack was showered with a cloud of dirt. "Jack!" Makepeace yelled as the last few villagers screamed. Jack turned his head and saw the Enforcers quickly closing the distance.

"Fall back!" Jack called out, abandoning Saleen to move towards the gate. Teal'c ran to his side and the two of them fired towards the Enforcers, both deliberately aiming short. Jack could see SG-3 herding the last of the villagers through the gate. As he and Teal'c climbed the short flight of steps to the gate, Makepeace covered them, following their lead and firing over the heads of the advancing Enforcers. Almost as if they'd rehearsed it, the three of them stepped through the gate as one, instantly carried to the safety of home.

::::::::

"Tupelo is willing to give the Tralaxians refuge," Colonel Makepeace reported. "Although he did say things would be a bit crowded and he's worried about having enough food this winter," he continued.

Hammond nodded. "We'll see about getting him some supplies and maybe see if there are some volunteers from the SGC that can help make some shelters." He looked pointedly over at Jack.

"We'd love to help, sir," he said, glancing at the rest of his team seated around the briefing room table. It was the third day since they'd returned from Tralaxia and they were finally having a full briefing on the mission. The intervening days had been spent dealing with the injured and finding a home for the refugees. "Wouldn't we?"

"I'm sure he'll appreciate the help," Hammond said. "Thank you, Colonel." He dismissed Makepeace and the man got up from the table, leaving SG-1 alone with the general. "Now, back to your assessment of the planet," he said, continuing with the matter at hand.

"There might be villagers that will welcome us back but…"

"The goa'uld presence makes it too high of a risk," Jack finished Sam's words.

"Theoretically, if Heru'ur only comes once a generation," Daniel started.

"That was before his ship crashed," Jack said. "Sir, I don't think we can trust anyone there not to turn us over."

Hammond nodded. "The gate address of Cimmeria?"

Sam shook her head. "No one was close enough to see where we dialed, and even if they did, Heru'ur knows better than to risk the labyrinth." She still had gauze bandages around the palms of her hands and was on light duty, even though Doctor Frasier's prognosis was for a full and complete recovery.

Hammond nodded. "It is too bad that the mining didn't work out," he said.

"We did get about fifty kilos of trinium," Sam said.

"Which just about off sets the cost of the equipment we had to abandon," Jack said.

"On the upside, Heru'ur did lose a ship," Daniel interjected.

"He will not be pleased," Teal'c said. "It is possible that he will take his vengeance out upon the Tralaxians."

"Another good reason to take that address out of the dialing computer," Jack said.

Hammond pushed back from the table. "You and your team are on stand down for the rest of the week. It's your choice if you spend it on Earth or Broca." He got to his feet, Jack and Sam following suit as he retreated back into his office.

"What do you think happened after we left?" Daniel asked. The four of them left the briefing room and made their way through the halls.

"If he has not already, when Heru'ur returns to Tralaxia it is likely that he will exact his revenge upon them for not honoring their agreement."

"He'll take them all?" Daniel asked.

"Daniel, maybe not," Sam said. "If it was fondness for his host's home planet that led to the arrangement, who knows, maybe he'll be merciful."

"Such an outcome, while desirable, is not likely," Teal'c intoned.

"T, remind me to explain the whole positive thinking thing to you," Jack said, patting the man on the shoulder as they reached the elevator.

"Sir, were you serious about helping Tupelo? With building...buildings?" she asked, frowning at the awkwardness of her words. "Wouldn't the engineers be better suited?" she asked as the car arrived.

Jack shrugged, following his team into the elevator. "We kinda made the situation, seems the least we can do is to help fix it. Besides, you want to recruit, do background checks and security clearances on a whole squad of engineers?"

"Good thinking," she said, holding up her hands. "But, with all due respect, sir, I don't think wielding a hammer is in Janet's definition of light duty."

He frowned, seemingly off put at losing a potential worker. "You know," Daniel said. "I'm still kinda sore from the crash and all and—"

"Oh no," Jack interrupted. "Carter may get a pass but you…you're the one that invited those folks through the gate, you're gonna help."

"I should think it is an honor to help house the downtrodden," Teal'c said.

"See—"

"However, such a task is usually a duty not fit for a warrior," he finished.

"Humility. It's good for ya," Jack said as the elevator doors opened. "Come on, you guys, it'll be fun." He marched out of the elevator, waving his hand encouragingly.

"Fun?" Sam mouthed.

"I do not think O'Neill defines the term as I do," Teal'c said.

"Oh, I know he doesn't," Daniel quipped. "I also know we're not going to get out of it."

"So I guess we better enjoy it," Sam said. She grinned. "Cheer up, Daniel. Maybe Melosha will be there," she tossed over her shoulder.

"Oh yeah, that'll be great," he groaned. "Wonderful, can't wait."

~Fin~