Book Two - Tsydon

Chapter One

Arrival

Are we there yet?

Aún no hemos llegado?

Encara no hi som?

Siamo là ancora?

Are we there yet?

Sommes-nous là encore?

Encara no hi som?

Are we there yet?

Zijn we er al?

åá äÍä åäÇß áßä ¿

Are we there yet?

São nós lá ainda?

Jesu mi ima još?

Ar my tam dále?

Are we there yet?

Ar vi der endnu?

Zitten wij ziedaar toch?

Vdy'na eto?

هل نحن هناك لكن ؟

Gaaahhhh.

It was the silence that was getting to him. Crawling under his skin, settling like a smothering fog in his ears. Nothing else existed within the narrow confines of his world now. No touch, no sight, no movement. Speech was taken from him and he mourned it. His nose brought him only the antiseptic aroma of oxygen. Time passed in a confused tumble of half aware dreams and clouded reality. Anger-fuelled expectation of being confronted by his captors had faded in the face of an endless stretch of nothingness.

Now there was only the silence, sitting close around him, sapping his will to keep alert and ready for when this journey would surely end.

Would it end? Maybe not. Maybe there really is no-one here anymore. I'll just keep floating through space, a dried out husk wrapped in swaddling bonds for all eternity. Finally to fall into the grip of a lonely sun and vanish in a tiny flash of light that no living person will ever notice.

There's an image.

Are we there yet?

Silence answered him. And yet it was not complete silence. There was a faint mechanical murmur, muffled but constantly present. It had been there right from the beginning, when the sealed coff- box he had been placed in had been swept up in the zinging noise of transport rings, when the sound of many feet had walked away from him and been lost behind a closing door, all that remained was that same faint pulse of powerful engines. He had been alone ever since, left to rage within the confines of his own mind against the bonds and drugs that held him immobile. Left to wonder what had happened to Sam - if she was even still alive.

Daniel could well imagine the anguish Jack and Teal'c were going through now. From the moment he had heard Aris Boch's voice in the warehouse he'd known that rescue was never going to come in time. There had to be powerful forces at work behind his kidnapping, powerful enough to fund an infiltration of Earth and so substantial in reward to turn a supposedly friendly ally against them. Boch had parted company with SG1 on good terms, even warning them of their true worth to the System Lords. He had not shown any inclination to renege his decision not to turn them over to Sokar. Something had changed. Somewhere, a System Lord - for there could be no other party with the capability to fund this - had decided that he, or she, had the price to purchase Boch's skills and to send him after Daniel.

There was another conundrum. What on earth, or any other planet for that matter, could Daniel have that was of enough value to instigate something so risky as kidnapping him off the streets of New York, bundling him into a presumably shielded ship and making off with him? Knowledge of some description? He literally had nothing else on him. But even knowledge would be limited. All security codes to access the SGC base and the Stargate that Daniel had would have been changed within minutes of Hammond receiving the news of his disappearance. Shifu's existence was known only to Amonet and Apophis. She… she was dead and he was toast. He, Daniel, did have an extensive knowledge of the planets explored and peoples met by SG1 and the other SGC teams, but then so did Sam and every other team member. No, it had to be something specific to Daniel himself and he had no clue to what it could be.

Oh well, guess you'll find out one of these days.

Are we there yet?

Daniel drifted away once more, his mind unable to fight the drugs for lucidity too long. He foundered in a bizarre dream where Sha're was happily baking bread upon the back of a smelly mastage. His heart soared as she smiled down at him, then she passed out the bread to the Jaffa and System Lords gathered at the animal's feet and they put down their weapons, ate her bread and became friends. She reached out towards him, love and desire in her face, the secret recipe for her bread of peace in her hands. Daniel stretched towards her, just about touching her hand… and woke.

The sound of heavy boots coming near to him intruded harshly into Daniel's mind, reality and dream mixing for long moments, then the dream faded, leaving him with a bolstering sense that his beloved was still with him. Daniel wrapped the feeling of Sha're's love close about his heart, then focused on the presence he could sense looming over him. Long minutes passed before the person moved again. There was a shuffle of feet, a scrunch of clothing, a scrape of metal as the lid of the container was pulled back, then a voice jarringly loud in his ear.

"So, Doctor Jackson. We meet again. Uh, look I'm sorry about this, I really am. I don't expect you to believe me but -" Boch broke off with a sigh. "It was a once in a lifetime deal. I couldn't turn it down, not when it meant so much. But, you're okay, the monitors all show you're doing well. When you get to where you're, er, going, they'll bring you out of it and no harm done. And I have their word that they don't intend to hurt you, or anything. They just need you for something, then you're free to go."

Daniel listened with disbelief. He could tell from Boch's tone that even he didn't really buy what he was saying. In the distance an alarm began beeping.

Boch shuffled above him, then continued, "Looks like we're there. I'm not even supposed to talk to you, I just wanted you to know that it's nothing personal. You're a nice guy, and well - if I happen to run into O'Neill or Teal'c or the Major, who knows. But you'll be alright. He promised…" He trailed off and Daniel heard the lid of the container clang back into place.

Need me for something? That's comforting.

Visions of Teal'c's condition after they had rescued him from Heru'ur's clutches filled Daniel's memory. Even with junior's help Teal'c had taken a long time to recover from the torture inflicted upon him.

Noises began to filter through the swathe of bindings and the metal of the container surrounding Daniel. The tone of the engines rose as gravity gripped him more tightly. Now and then, Boch could be heard talking to someone. Abruptly, the pressure of planetary descent pressed down on him, the high pitched whistle of atmosphere streaking past the hull built to distracting levels. For several minutes Daniel felt the ship diving into the sucking grasp of a planet's embrace, bringing him closer to his fate. Then the pressure passed and with a suddenness that surprised him the vessel shuddered as it settled on the ground.

Daniel tensed; the realisation that he had arrived at his destination and that he would have very little influence over the events that would soon unfold filled him with a leaden anger. As the sound of many feet approached he mentally gritted his teeth. He may not be a born and bred soldier but he was the most stubborn person he knew - with a specialty in snake-baiting. There would be one Goa'uld very shortly regretting his assumption that Daniel Jackson was an easy prey.

The container suddenly lurched and he was moving, bumping from side to side as he was carried out of Boch's ship. They moved down a ramp into a space that echoed with vastness, then on into a smaller space where the sounds of people moving and talking closed in all around him. In eddies and swirls, the hum of a busy thoroughfare full of people surrounded him. The voices were too varied and blended with each other too well for Daniel to fully comprehend what was being said but the odd word seeped through to him. Even more confusing, those around him appeared to be speaking several different languages. A shouted command in High Goa'uld - the language he and Teal'c had identified as the primary language of the snakes themselves - rose above the hubbub. As they moved along the other voices faded, leaving him with tantalising impressions of words that he knew he would be able to recognise, given the right circumstances.

A door clanged shut somewhere behind his head and he felt himself being settled on the ground once more. There was another shuffle of feet all around him, then a lurch of gravity not unlike an elevator beginning to move, followed by an odd floating sensation that suggested very high speeds. Puzzled, Daniel decided that their momentum was horizontal, not vertical. His mind occupied itself for some time picturing high-speed trains, elevated cable-cars, those old-fashioned tiny containers that were used to speed documents through six inch pipes within 'modern' office buildings of the 1930's.

Trying to measure time while all but one of your senses were disabled was near to impossible and Daniel was brought back to reality when the whatever-they-were-in slowed and subsided. His container rose once more in the grip of those around him, moving now with much more care into a space that echoed once again with many voices. This time however, the voices were muted and carried the impression of their owners comporting themselves with deference to their surroundings. For long minutes he was borne through what seemed to be vast corridors, all filled with many people, sometimes the tinkle of music dopplered past his ears. Once, the sound of what seemed to be a waterfall thundered off to his right. Gradually the many voices faded to but a few. His bearers slowed, turned and then he was settled to the ground.

A small jolt to the container and clang of metal told Daniel the lid had been completely removed. Despite his curiosity to see his new surroundings and despite his resolve to meet his abductor head on, his heart began to thump with nervous anticipation. In response, the drugs once again flooded his veins and brought his pounding blood back under control. It did nothing for the sick twisting in his stomach as he felt hands on his face, felt the binding that swathed his entire body slowly unwound from his head, stopping at his neck and leaving only his face free to feel a cool, welcoming brush of air on his skin.

Daniel flinched internally as an unexpected hand gripped his jaw, turning his head first to one side then the other. His eyes refused to open, still held in the grip of the paralysing drugs. A voice - male - spoke softly in Goa'uld, confirming Daniel's identity. For a brief moment he felt as if he should recognise that voice, then was distracted by Aris Boch's irritated voice speaking somewhere to his right.

"I told you I'd already checked him. You think I'd go to all this trouble and end up with the wrong person?"

The reply in Goa'uld was too soft for Daniel to discern properly but it made Boch snort in exasperation.

"Can we just get this over with? I've done my part, now it's time for your boss to fill his part of the agreement."

Another set of muffled words floated past, Daniel only catching 'recipe' and 'shipment' clearly. Heavy familiar footsteps came closer to him and then a hand gently brushed his forehead.

"I have your word he won't be harmed, don't I?" asked Boch.

"My Lord God places great value on this Tau'ri. He will be well cared for - treasured," the softly spoken man replied in Goa'uld.

"Take care, Doctor Jackson."

The hand patted his hair then Boch was leaving, his footsteps fading into the background echoes, leaving Daniel feeling oddly bereft. The man had arranged for him to be assaulted and kidnapped and delivered into the hands of his enemy, yet he was the only familiar presence in this den of Goa'uld and Daniel wished he were staying around.

A bustle of activity snapped his attention back to the hands that were suddenly latching on all over his body. At a quiet command he was lifted into the air, the container scraping the surface as it was dragged away from under him. He was laid down once more and felt busy hands attacking the bindings. Swiftly they were unwrapped: from his shoulders on down, his body being raised and lowered as they moved, right down to his toes, until finally he was free. Daniel gave a little internal sigh of relief. He was still unable to move but the feeling of constriction being replaced with freedom made his skin shiver all over.

Those same hands carefully removed the oxygen catheter, slipped the spidery contraption out of his mouth, deflated the balloon in his bladder and slipped that catheter out, then disengaged the shunt that fed the drugs into his system. Daniel could hear tones emitting from something moving above him, then a woman's voice grunted in approval. An errant breeze played over his skin, distracting him for a moment until he felt a small, cold, metallic object being pressed against his neck.

Daniel had scant moments to wonder what it was before a hiss sounded and a shocking cold swept into his neck, spreading with the swiftness of a thought on through his veins, into his blood, his muscles, his skin; chilling and freezing everything in its wake. Still denied the ability to protest, to even draw attention to his plight, Daniel could only managed one choked gasp before his lungs seized up and refused to move. The ice ploughed through his body, down his legs, cramping and solidifying, and up to his brain where cold tendrils of death wrapped themselves around his consciousness.

Startled, confused and frightened, Daniel's mind could only phrase one thought before everything was enveloped in a hissing blackness that swept him away.

"Why?"

He sat upon his throne, regal and imposing, basking in the adoring gaze of his people. The enormous throne-room rang to the chants of the priests as they made their weekly obeisance to their god. Shafts of sunlight streaked through the high windows, turned all colours of the rainbow by the stained glass, to illuminate the god's glory in heavenly shades of gold, green, umber and purple. The glittering crystal chandelier hanging thirty feet down from the marble ceiling sent shards of reflected sunlight to every corner of the room, over the heads of every one of the two hundred priests, home guard, servants and devoted people of the realm. Each shard carried the blessed gaze of the god to every one of his people. Or so they believed. He was a god. Their god.

He was Ba'al; Most High Priest and Master, The Eternal One, Lord of the Gods, Storm God, Bringer of Rain, God of the Sun, Conqueror of Warriors, Mightiest-Most High-Supreme-Powerful-Puissant God, Master of the Earth, Rider on the Clouds.

He was also asleep. Rather, the human host was awake and giving the devotees before him the impression of his benevolent will being cast down upon them but the Goa'uld curled snugly around the host's brain stem had settled down for a nice nap over half an hour ago, retaining just enough control of the host to maintain appearances. Much as he enjoyed the ego boost these weekly devotionals brought him, sometimes it all got just a tad boring.

The sudden crash of a side door being flung open and the thud of booted feet racing toward him jarred Ba'al to wakefulness. With a great show of dignity he brought the host's head around to face the intruder while he took a moment to collect himself. To his great surprise he found himself confronted by his trusted Lotar Elsh. Bemused, Ba'al watched Elsh skid to a halt in front of the throne and throw himself flat to the marble floor. The thin, wiry human's body heaved with exertion and his panting gasps for air were all that could be heard in the now silent, echoing chamber. Briefly Ba'al entertained himself with thoughts of Elsh's head on a pole with his skinny body stretched out to dry in the sun over the main causeway gates… but no, this particular human had proven himself quite valuable so far and had raised the standard of his unquestioning loyalty to an art form. Perhaps it would be beneficial to hear what he had to say.

"Speak."

"My Lord God Ba'al, forgive the rudeness of your humble servant. I bring news of great urgency from my Lady Resheph." Elsh remained flattened to the floor, not daring to even lift his head to his god until bidden to do so.

"Continue." Ba'al made a slight movement with one foot, commanding Elsh to unglue himself from the floor.

Elsh heaved himself to his knees and blurted out his urgent missive. "Your guest has arrived, My Lord. The physicians tended him and tried to wake him from the Sleep of Travel. But something has gone wrong, the medicine given to wake him has stopped his heart and he does not breathe. They cannot reverse what has happened. Lady Resheph begs your presence to restore the life of your guest, as only our God can do."

Ba'al was very careful not to show the consternation this announcement caused. Rising from the plush comfort of his throne he waved a negligent hand in the direction of his priests.

"Come. Bear witness to the power of your God." Catching the eye of Elsh he nodded slightly to the right, sending his Lotar off to Ba'al's quarters to retrieve the needed device. Ba'al strode through the murmuring throng of worshippers and out into the main hallway of his palace, quietly delighting at the scramble behind him as the priests tripped over themselves to catch up.

Gliding through the corridors with deceptive speed, Ba'al savoured a surge of anger at the so-called physicians who had jeopardised one of the most important campaigns he had put into action in the past thousand years. The very real promise of permanent change to the structure of rule within the Goa'uld hierarchy was in his grasp and it would not fail due to the untimely death of his guest.

He swept through the open doors of the guest quarters, guards and servants snapping to attention all about him. He nodded to his Home Guard commander, accepting the look of grim relief on the face of Resheph. Ba'al turned his full focus on the group of physicians gathered around the motionless, naked body laid out on a cushioned bench in the centre of the room.

"We do not believe this is a very hospitable way to treat our honoured guest," he remarked softly.

The four physicians and five carers ceased their frantic attempts to revive the man on the bench and humbly gave ground to their God. Ba'al stretched out his left hand for the Con'otar as Elsh sidled up to him, wheezing slightly from his dash around the palace. The group of excited priests gathered closely as their God stepped next to the couch and stared intently at the man lying there so still, so deathly still. At least they had the right man. Ba'al remembered him clearly from the System Lord's meeting - bravely masquerading as Yu's Lotar whilst listening in on everything that was said. His escape had been remarkable, and one that had delighted Ba'al. The ensuing hatred between Yu and Osiris was even now festering into open warfare. His admiration for this young Tau'ri was well founded.

Thankfully, the Tau'ri was healthy. His body appeared in good condition and would respond well to the ministrations of the Con'otar. Ba'al raised his left hand over the Tau'ri's heart, centred his mind and forged a deep connection with his host. Gently, golden beams rained down from the Con'otar to play along the bare skin, seeping deeply into every organ and blood cell, rejuvenating and reviving. Bringing life to death.

Sha're was there. Her presence made certain by that wonderful warm sensation of security and comfort the solidity of her love had always given him. He sighed into her warm skin, at ease under her strong supple fingers gently massaging his body. Skaara and the boys were being a little rowdy somewhere nearby, their shouts and cheers coming closer. If they broke another of Kasuf's potted plants they'd really get it this time. Sha're's fingers were working their way down his arms leaving tingling skin and rushing blood in their wake. Odd, she was managing to do both arms with both hands at the same time. Clever girl.

The noise of the boy's play was picking up a beat now, turning into a persistent, repetitious chant. Something… 'praise'… something…'eternal one'. Why on earth were they shouting that? Since the fall of Ra no-one in the city was willing to even speak of the Goa'uld, lest another heard and came to take his place.

"Most High Lord God Ba'al, giver of life…"

Ba'al?

Daniel jerked awake, the sense of Sha're fleeing him as his eyes flew open. Gone were the warm brown tones of the adobe room in which he had made his new life on Abydos. Gone were the happy shouts of boys at play. Gone too, was the security of his love's arms. He lay on his back in a brightly lit chamber surrounded by a number of women he didn't know. It was their hands upon his skin his mind had turned into the loving touch of his wife. Turning his head to the right, Daniel could see a group of men kneeling on the marble floor, all clothed in flowing robes of deep purple and chanting adorations to their God - Ba'al.

Seeing him now conscious, a tall woman standing to his left moved towards the priests and began to shoo them out of the room. They left reluctantly, still chanting and casting looks of wonder back towards Daniel. She moved about the room, evicting what seemed to be a large number of people, her bearing and manner easy with long held authority. Daniel's eyes flickered back to the women standing over him, realising belatedly that he could now move once again, even if his limbs felt as if they were soaked in molasses. Memories filtered back of being unwrapped from the loathsome bindings and of the cold, stinging paralysis that had stolen his breath and - his life?

Oh please, not again.

A shiver of fear ran over his scalp. How many times can a person die before they completely lose their soul?

Perhaps it hadn't been for too long. Or maybe he hadn't died at all. Just floated off for a bit.

But long enough to pay a visit with Sha're. Oh, god, I miss you so much.

Regret poured through him. How dare they do this to him, give him the opportunity to touch her hand once again, to see her beautiful face and then snatch him back from her. He ached so deeply just to be with her again and if that meant death then he was ready to accept the price. After escaping so many attempts by the Goa'uld to kill him, Daniel floundered, trying to reason why they would go to such trouble to capture him and then just kill him. But then he was alive, so perhaps in his infinite greatness Ba'al had messed up. It was too confusing.

The women were still at work, rubbing warm damp cloths over his body, following up with a heady, scented oil massaged strongly into his muscles. The sensations were hypnotic and Daniel found himself too tired to care about the machinations of the Goa'uld, or the fact he was lying stark naked in a room full of people he didn't know. As they rolled him over to lie on his front and set to work on his back, buttocks and legs, Daniel's eyes drifted shut and his heart grimly tried to recapture the feel of his wife's body in his arms once more.

Slipping on the cusp of sleep, Daniel was aware of movement around him: the women retreating, other heavier footsteps coming closer. He started as he felt many hands closing around his legs, arms and torso, two gently cradling his head as he was lifted up into the air. For the life of him, he could not crawl through the lethargy seeping through his mind and body, and could merely lay passively in their grasp as he was floated through the air then placed, with infinite care down upon a soft, embracing surface. Hands came and went, adjusting his limbs, rolling his body to lie on his side in a classic recovery position. Warm, heavy quilts were tucked in around him and then the footsteps retreated to leave him in silence.

One presence remained and after a few moments a hand lightly brushed his forehead.

"Oo-way, Netcher-oo mri." Sleep, God's beloved.

Daniel fell, Sha're's name silently on his lips.

The light tinkle of chimes stirred by the breeze brought Daniel back to the conscious world. For long moments he lay in the warm cocoon of his bed, gathering his thoughts and getting a feel for the room around him. His memories of what had befallen him in New York and the journey to this unidentified planet were all clear and ordered in his mind. Seeing no point in tying himself in knots trying to work out the who and why of it all, he shifted around to sit up against the dozens of pillows in the bed with him and squinted at his surroundings.

The room was easily as large as his entire apartment - walls and floor polished grey marble, floor to ceiling windows along the left hand wall all thrown open to admit a warm summery breeze. The chimes he heard were hanging all along the windows; tiny brass bells clinking together in pleasant harmony. A row of carved chests lined the wall facing the bed and throughout the rest of the room a collection of lounging chairs and couches were dotted haphazardly, strewn with brilliantly coloured cushions and throw rugs. Standard lamps and intricately woven carpets attended the couches and the whole room had a cosy, comfortable feel.

"Fair morning to you."

Daniel startled badly, whipping his head around to look at the woman seated not three feet to the right of the bed. He gazed at her, speechless, trying to get his hammering heart under control.

Great, Jackson. Jack would be so proud to see four years of training have paid off so well. Threat assess first, then check out the decorations.

"Um, hello. Er, kel sha." He was startled all over again to realise that his voice had been returned to him and that the woman had spoken to him in the language of the Goa'uld. Her voice was accented differently from the Abydonian dialect, but most definitely the core language that had been the basis for Ancient Egyptian and was now identified by experts - namely himself - as the prime derivation of all Goa'uld dialects.

"I am Kosharta, Keeper of My Lord God's household."

Daniel blinked at her.

"Come. You are well now. You must rise and prepare yourself to be presented to The Eternal One." Kosharta rose, her movements graceful and elegant as she strode towards an open wooden chest. She wore an intricately embroidered shift, the hem floating around her ankles, iridescent threads of purple catching the morning light. Her dark hair lay carefully coiled about her nape. She turned and looked expectantly at Daniel. "Will you stay in bed all day?"

Daniel automatically slid to the side of the huge bed, stopping just in time as he realised he was still naked under the bed clothes. He eyed the stern look on the housekeeper's face. "I need a soldier-robe. Or rather a bed-robe," he said mentally rolling his eyes at himself. Time to get the brain cells functioning. What sort of a linguist was he if he could not separate 'eewy' from 'wew'.

Kosharta snorted in disgust and bent over the chest, pulling out clothing and boots which she pointedly laid out on a couch a good twenty feet from the bed. "There is no place for false modesty in the palace of The Eternal One. You must rise, be bathed and suitably clothed. And hurry yourself. He awaits you."

"Oh, must I?" He was really awake now, indignation filling him with obstinacy. "Well, let me tell you something, lady. I have no intention of being bathed and primped up to make a good impression on the - person - who had me kidnapped and dragged unconscious to who knows where. Now give me something to wear."

One elegant eyebrow arched up over Kosharta's delicate brow. "You would appear before your God without bathing?"

"He's not MY god and damn right I will. Give me clothes."

"No."

"No?"

"You will not have clothes until you are made presentable."

"Fine. I'll just go talk to His Ba'alness like this then." Daniel swept aside the bedcovers and slid down off the high bed, his feet sinking into the deep rug. Head held high, eyes squinting to pick out any obstacles, he headed towards the double wooden doors at the far end of the room. "I don't imagine he cares what his prisoners are wearing anyway."

Daniel had almost reached the doors when Kosharta called out behind him.

"Hold."

Daniel stopped, not bothering to turn around.

Kosharta blew out a deep breath filled with annoyance. "You may wear these."

He turned slowly, hands on his hips, not trying to conceal his naked skin from her - she'd seen it all anyway. "No bathing?"

"I will not have the household scandalised by the barbaric behaviour of My Lord's guests." She tossed black pants and boots and a sea-green tunic on the divan in front of Daniel. "Do not stand too close to anyone, that they may smell you."

Daniel savoured his little victory as he pulled on the clothes and decided not to push the point by asking for underwear. Once dressed he stood up, straightening to his full height and looked down on the woman.

"So that we may understand each other clearly - I am a prisoner here. I did not ask to come here and I very much doubt Ba'al will let me leave. I am not a guest."

Kosharta raised her hands and blasted him in the chest with a near-toxic spray of perfume. "Our Lord awaits you," she said sweetly.

Daniel backed off, throat and nose automatically closing off to keep out the stench. "He's not a god," he growled at her.

Kosharta glared back, her eyes lit up with an inhuman glow. "The Lord God Ba'al is, was and ever shall be a God - My God - Your God. Remember that if you wish to continue in this life."

He stumbled back from her, fetching up against the cool marble wall, shocked that he had not picked up this person was a Goa'uld. Her voice had never deviated from a normal human female's, everything about her bearing had said to him that she was nothing other than human. Apart from being rather self-assured she didn't act in the manner of other Goa'uld he had met.

"You're a Goa'uld," he croaked out.

A quick smirk flashed across Kosharta's face, then the light in her eyes died and she began to bustle him towards the doors. "I have managed His Lordship's household for millennia. Now, young one, if you please - he is waiting."

She rapped smartly on the doors and they swung open to reveal twelve Jaffa, standing to attention in two ranks.

Shaken and off-centre at having twice been taken by surprise in such a short time, Daniel launched himself through the doorway, determined to face Ba'al with a clear mind. The Jaffa fell into step with him without missing a beat, neatly surrounding him and guiding his way into an enormous hallway. Here too, the unexpected met Daniel at every turn. The dark, claustrophobic passages and flame-lit braziers he had encountered whilst creeping around other Goa'uld strongholds were absent here. Bright marble walls towered above him, soaring up to a beautiful glass and metal roof that stretched the considerable length of the hallway - brilliant blue sky visible beyond. Natural light filled the place, giving life to the rows of potted trees arrayed along each wall. And the hallway, which had to be at least thirty-five feet wide, sported its own miniature river: a stream of water burbled along over an inlaid bed of pebbles and lilies down its centre.

As they strode along, his eyes quickly taking everything in, Daniel cast a glance over the soldiers surrounding him. The differences between these and the troops of Apophis, with whom he had had most contact, were plainly obvious. The harsh, clanking armour of Apophis' guard was nowhere in sight here. Each of the twelve tall soldiers was wearing loose, comfortable tunics over fitted trousers. Their footfalls were muffled by soft thigh-length boots. Bare arms rippled with muscles, bound only by silver armbands and leather greaves. Visible weapons seemed limited only to long, curved swords, swinging in their scabbards on the hip of each man. Or rather, person, because even more astonishing was the realisation that five of the twelve were women.

They walked the long corridor, then another and another before finally ending up at the entrance to a room, the tall double doors thrown open, admitting Daniel and his escort to a large and hospitable space filled with paintings and sculptures. All along one side, floor-length windows were thrown open to admit warm sea-scented breezes and a view of green tree-tops rippling in the wind.

The Jaffa escort peeled away from Daniel, melting out of the room with hardly a sound, and were replaced by a short, skinny man whom Daniel recognized immediately. This was Ba'al's Lotar - the earnestly devoted human slave with delusions of God-hood.

"Greetings, Daniel Jackson." The man smiled up at Daniel as if greeting an old friend, and Daniel recognised his voice as belonging to the one who had taken delivery of him from Boch.

"Our Lord God Ba'al, The Eternal One, is waiting for you. This way." The man spun on his heel and scuttled off towards the windows. Daniel trailed slowly after him.

"I'm sorry. I don't know your name," Daniel said to his back.

The Lotar stopped and faced Daniel, surprise and delight on his face.

"I am Elsh, Prime Lotar to The Eternal One, Ba'al," he said.

Daniel nodded at him and continued to walk slowly through the room, remembering this slave and his unshakable devotion to Ba'al, first met on the space station where Daniel had tried his hand at undercover work for the first and last time. No help to be expected from this one, then.

Elsh disappeared through the windows and as Daniel wandered up, he could hear him announcing to Ba'al the arrival of his 'guest'.

A step through the window and Daniel found himself on a wide stone balcony attached to the side of what seemed to be a palace of monumental scale. The tree-tops belonged to a garden set a couple of hundred feet below the balcony, in a walled courtyard. To either side stretched terraces, balconies and steep stone walls that rose high above and dropped down into a churning blue sea. Daniel let the view pull him to the stone railing, his eyes following the curve of the walls. From this perspective it seemed the building stood in the middle of the water. To his right a sandy coastline stretched away into the distance, small fishing boats were dotted along the water and further out to sea a large sailing ship ploughed through the cresting waves under a cloud of canvas sails.

Squinting hard into the sun, Daniel could make out the blurred movement of many people along the shore, and behind them what appeared to be a thriving city of houses scattered along the tree-filled hills.

"Beautiful, is it not?" The soft voice, low and filled with possessive pride, breathed in Daniel's ear - making the hair on his neck stand up in a barely controlled shiver.

Daniel straightened and turned, stepping back a couple of paces as he did so to put some space between himself and the Goa'uld before him. He braced his legs and folded his arms across his chest, merely answering the question with a glare.

Elsh bounced forward, eager to do the introductions. "My lord, this is your guest, Daniel Jackson. Daniel Jackson, be honoured by the presence of Our Lord God Ba'al, Most High Priest and Master, The Eternal One, Lord of the Gods, Storm God, Bringer of Rain, God of the Sun, Conqueror of Warriors, Mightiest-Most High-Supreme-Powerful-Puissant God, Master of the Earth, Rider on the Clouds."

Daniel raised a sceptical eyebrow and commented, "That's quite a mouthful."

Ba'al's gaze drifted slowly up and down Daniel's body, finally staring intently into his eyes. "We are merely Ba'al and We are at your service, Daniel. Elsh, some nourishment for our guest."

Elsh bowed deeply and backed away into the room. Daniel sighed and decided to go on the offensive.

"Okay, alright, let's get one thing straight right now. I am not your guest. You had me drugged, kidnapped and hauled to this place completely against my will. My friend was attacked in the process. Then I get here and you practically kill me before I've even woken up. You want something from me and I know you're not going to get it. Any security codes for our base that I knew were changed the second they knew I was gone. Right now, I probably couldn't get home if I wanted to. I'm not a tactician, I can't tell you anything about our command structure. I'm just an explorer who speaks a few languages. Whatever it is that you think you can get from me, I'm telling you you're mistaken."

Ba'al's expression twisted into concern. "We took every care to see you safely delivered to us. We trust you feel well this morning?"

"I nearly died! I wouldn't call that very careful."

"Your body reacted in an unexpected manner to the drugs meant to revive you from the Sleep of Travel. An unfortunate occurrence but one that has not had any permanent effect upon you," Ba'al replied in a tone that suggested Daniel's body was to blame.

Daniel opened his mouth indignantly, but was cut off as Ba'al continued, "We do regret the method employed to bring you to Us, however we believe a simple invitation would not have been well received."

"Invitation?" Daniel laughed in disbelief. "No, I'm sure an invitation to deliver myself into a System Lord's hands to be tortured and killed at his pleasure would have had me leaping on the first ship out."

Ba'al moved back a couple of steps and regarded Daniel intently. "We understand you feel threatened by Us, Daniel and We employed methods to bring you to us that were not respectful of your liberty, but We wish you to understand that We need your assistance in a matter that will be of great value to your people and indeed all the people living under the System Lords' dominion. We need your help, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel stared at Ba'al, wondering at which stage in the last however-many-days it had been that he had fallen down the rabbit's hole. Ba'al was talking to him like a sane, rational, compassionate man. Which immediately highlighted the problem - he wasn't a man, he was a parasite snuggled up inside a stolen body. Daniel shifted his gaze over Ba'al's shoulders, searching for the Jaffa that were certain to appear on cue any second now and drag him away to unending pain and misery.

Any moment now.

"You do not believe Us." Ba'al's soft voice dragged Daniel's attention back to his kidnapper.

Daniel's eyebrows rose up and he sidled a few steps backwards along the stone parapet. "Believe you? Of course I believe you. And I have a nice swamp you might like to buy, too."

"A swamp?" Ba'al's confusion was almost comical, but Daniel ignored him and began studying the balcony for possible escape routes. If they came for him from the rooms opening onto the balcony his only real option would be a nicely spectacular leap into the tree-tops below. With any luck he'd kill himself and save Ba'al the trouble. Of course that would not stop him for long but at least he would have made an effort at resistance.

Daniel backed up a few more paces until the corner of the parapet was pressed into his back. He folded his arms and lifted his chin, staring defiantly at Ba'al. "Just say what you want."

Ba'al considered him carefully then turned and settled into a large wicker chair next to a glass-topped table that Daniel was only just realising was laden with food.

"The Goa'uld have lived in a very stable, controlled hierarchy for many thousands of years," Ba'al began softly, his eyes never leaving Daniel's tense body. "It has always been that the strongest survive, they lead so that all others may follow. Those less strong serve their masters, in turn those masters give their strengths and allegiance to the System Lords. In their turn the System Lords give their devotion to the one who rules all. Their reward is power within their own domains, which results in health and prosperity for the people under their protection."

Daniel couldn't help the scepticism showing on his face. Still braced to be dragged off by Jaffa at any moment, he was not prepared for a history lesson. He said nothing, merely glared at Ba'al's blurred figure.

"Since a time before the Goa'uld walked upon your home-world, Ra was the supreme leader of our people. His strength was unassailable, his position unchallenged. Under his rule, the System Lords and their people lived and prospered."

"Lived and prospered?" Daniel spat in disgust. "I would hardly call the way of life on Abydos as prosperous. Ra sucked the life out of those people like a leech. They lived in poverty, worked to death at a young age all so Ra could be the most powerful snake in the galaxy."

"This way of life, this balance, has been irrevocably changed by Ra's death," continued Ba'al, ignoring Daniel's outburst. "Without his presence the lesser System Lords have grabbed for their share of his dominion, they fight each other constantly for the slightest advantage. None, however have the massive armies that Ra held and they cannot gain significant dominance over the others to end the fighting. It continues unabated, battle after battle, millions dying and suffering for no purpose."

Ba'al stared at Daniel, his face hard but curious. "You were the cause of Ra's death, were you not?"

"What - you're trying to blame me for the fact the Goa'uld are snapping at each other's tails like a pack of hungry wolves? Is that why you brought me here? To punish me for killing Ra?"

"We brought you here, Daniel, because We believe you – above all others – may be able to help Us bring peace to Our people. To save the lives of the innocent."

Daniel's disbelief blew out of him in huffed laugh. He turned away from Ba'al and looked out at the sparkling sea.

"We wish to forge an alliance, with others of Our kind, and with your people – the Tau'ri – the ones who brought this change upon us. Whether you believe Us or not, by taking the life of Ra you have elevated your standing amongst the Goa'uld to a position of strength. We wish you to use this strength to return stability to our system of governing our people."

Daniel shook his head, unable to fathom the scope of the Goa'uld's audacity. The mere thought that a Goa'uld would seek peace with Earth… No, it had to be a lie.

"We speak the truth." Ba'al's soft words came from just behind Daniel. He spun around, found the Goa'uld now two feet away. "But we understand it will be difficult for you to see that truth. We have, after all, behaved as the barbarians you expect Us to be."

"What do you want from me?" Daniel asked, suddenly tired of all the games.

"We want you to see Us as We really are. To see the way We live Our lives. To see that We are capable of being other than that which you believe Us to be." Ba'al stepped back and signalled with a flick of his hand. The troop of soldiers reappeared silently and stood placidly flanking the entrance to the room beyond.

Daniel tensed but Ba'al dipped a hand into the pocket of his jacket and held out a velvet bag in offering. After a drawn-out, suspicious moment, Daniel took the bag. He opened it and pulled out – his glasses. The thin metal frames felt so familiar, so much like home he had to stop himself crushing them in relief. He slid them on and immediately felt that much more confident as his vision sharpened.

"Why?"

"We wish you to be comfortable. And We would like to show you Our city, Our people. Perhaps, if you see how We live, you will be able to see the value in preserving the lives of Our people." Ba'al motioned to the doorway. "Will you join us, Daniel Jackson, in a tour of Our city, Tsydon?"