Behind Enemy Lines

by Gallicus

Three years ago an off world mission went terribly wrong. General O'Neill and Lt. Colonel Carter fell into the clutches of two unknown Goa'uld and have not been heard from since...

1. Three Years On

Behind Enemy Lines

SUMMARY: Three years ago an off world mission went terribly wrong. General O'Neill and Lt. Colonel Carter fell into the clutches of two unknown Goa'uld and have not been heard from since ...
WARNINGS: Angst, AU, Drama, Future Season, Romance
PAIRINGS: Sam/Pete, Sam/Jack
SEASON: Season Eight
SPOILERS: Anything up to 814 "Citizen Joe" is fair game, especially 202 "In The Line Of Duty", 211 "The Tok'Ra", 212 "The Tok'Ra Part Two", 215 "The Fifth Race", 222 "Out Of Time", 604 "Frozen", 606 "Abyss", 715 "Chimera", 806 "Affinity", 817 "Threads" and 901 "Avalon"
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.
THANKS: To my beta reader for this chapter, Christy Newman

xxx

ONE: Three Years On

P3X-327
February 20th, 2005
1734 hrs

Jack and Sam could hear each other screaming out loud in fear and in pain as the two Goa'uld parasites made themselves hosts in their respective bodies.

SGC
April 9th, 2008
0657 hrs

Doctor Daniel Jackson was in a fairly bad mood. Before the events of P3X-327, most of the staff based at the SGC in Colorado would have attributed to such a bad mood in the morning to a lack of sleep, a lack of coffee, or more than likely: both. Either that or General O'Neill had been needling the younger man in order to get a rise out of him and some brief entertainment as the two argued over a pointless topic. Today however the good Doctor was benefiting from both plenty of rest and a good amount of coffee.

The archaeologist's bad mood stemmed from one simple thing. General O'Neill and Lt. Colonel Carter had been missing for three years and in that time no new leads had arisen that could have led to a possible recovery of the two missing USAF officers. Hence a three-year bad mood and the majority of the base avoiding him when they could.

Jackson scowled at a passing air man as he stalked down the corridor towards the briefing room where most of SG-1 was already seated. In the past Daniel had had a habit of turning up to things late, like mission briefings, mission debriefings, and mission departures. Since the forced change in personnel wrought by the loss of O'Neill and Carter, Doctor Jackson had turned up on time to everything lest he be removed from SG-1, which stood as his only opportunity to find his missing friends.

Pushing open the door to the briefing room a little harder than necessary Daniel strode into the room and dropped into an empty seat next to Teal'c. Putting his coffee cup and pile of papers on the table Daniel sized up the current mood of the two other SG-1 members who sat opposite him and the Jaf'fa.

Colonel John Falstaff was a gruff old school marine. His bark was worse than O'Neill's had been, yet he didn't have the bite to really back it up. What had made serving with Falstaff these past three years a huge burden for Daniel was his completely non relaxed attitude while serving on a mission. Jack on the other hand, while remaining vigilant and constantly assessing things for threat value, had made the effort to keep things informal enough so that Daniel hadn't felt like he had been drafted. Instead, most of the outings with SG-1 had felt like his old digs back on Earth.

Falstaff had proven himself as someone who got the job done, but it all felt mechanical and forced to the archaeologist. Daniel sometimes wondered exactly what Teal'c felt about the Colonel, especially given the Jaf'fa had joined the Tau'ri not because of the SGC but because of something he had seen in Jack.

Major Christopher Williams was Air Force, and Daniel was amused to find that he somehow thought that that was an improvement on being a marine. Jack had obviously rubbed off on him. Chris was better about building the team dynamic than Falstaff was, and although it had taken a lot of time and effort on his part, Chris was now included in activities that Daniel and Teal'c indulged in outside of the mountain. Daniel was thankful that the man had eventually proven to be a good friend as, more often than not, Jackson had needed a go between when trying to communicate something important to Falstaff.

Pulling his thoughts back to the mission at hand Daniel cast his mind over what he knew of P4X-607, the destination of SG-1's latest mission. There were several ruins of interest which the UAV had spotted and no signs of current Goa'uld activity which would have led to the scrubbing of the mission before it had even started. For Falstaff and Williams, it would be something of a boring mission and Teal'c would take the usual stoic Jaf'fa route and not complain about the lack of action. While P4X-607 looked like a quiet run through the gate, Daniel hoped, as he did before every mission, that this would be the world on which he and Teal'c found a clue as to the fate of their former team mates.

General Landry walked into the briefing room and there was no more time for idle hopes. It was time to work and keep his right to a place on SG-1.

P4X-607
1234 hrs

The team had been on the planet for little over four and half hours now and Falstaff and Williams were engaged in some two-handed card game while Teal'c prowled the outskirts of the ruins. Daniel had been almost willing to call it quits on the ruins when he'd uncovered some writings of the Ancients which suggested that some powerful artefacts might still be hidden within the ruins somewhere. Williams had contacted the SGC with the information just before they'd sat down to lunch half an hour ago.

Idly chewing on an energy bar in order to remove the taste of the Cheese & Macaroni MRE from his mouth, Daniel looked up into the blue sky and spared a thought for Jack and Sam. Were they dead? In his heart of hearts he felt that they were still alive, but reality suggested that perhaps they were dead. In some ways that 'reality' was the more comforting idea to hang on to because if they weren't dead then the only probable use the Goa'uld would have had for the pair of Air Force officers would have been as hosts. The temptation to try and control the knowledge of the Ancients and the Tok'Ra would have been too great an opportunity to pass up.

Daniel's thoughts and the card game going on only metres from where he sat were interrupted by Teal'c crashing out of the undergrowth where the forest had begun encroaching on the ruins. He was waving his arms to indicate that they should try and hide.

"Down! Death Gliders!"

Overhead the bright blue sky was marred by two passing Gliders. Surprisingly, despite being caught out in the open, the pilots had seemingly failed to notice the SG team and had instead continued on in the direction of the stargate. The four man team took cover in the forest, three P90s and a staff weapon in hand and eyes scanning the area.

"Teal'c?" whispered Daniel for a clarification of events.

"It appears that this planet is occupied by a Goa'uld."

"But the UAV didn't pick up anything!" argued Falstaff.

"That is so," agreed the Jaf'fa looking concerned, "Yet this Goa'uld must be aware of SGC procedure when visiting a planet and has placed his base of operations outside of the standard UAV range."

"So they found the MALP and know we are here then?" added Williams.

"I believe not, MajorWilliams. I was able to over hear a Jaf'fa patrol and was on my way to report when I observed the Gliders. The Death Gliders were launched not in response to the MALP which it appears the Goa'uld was well aware of and had decided to ignore—"

"Arrogant bastard," interjected Daniel.

"But," continued Teal'c as if Daniel hadn't interrupted, "instead have been launched to deal with another Goa'uld who had decided to invade the planet. We are simply caught in the crossfire."

"So we're cut off from the stargate for now then?" Teal'c nodded the affirmation to the Major's question.

"Shit," cursed Falstaff angrily. "Fine, we'll make for the hills seven clicks south of our current position and hole up there till things are a lot less hot around the gate. We'll dial Chimera and gate home from there using the throwaway. Understood?"

The three other men nodded and soon they were hurrying their way through the undergrowth in the direction of the mountain range and the potential safety that it offered from the growing fire fight they could still hear in the distance behind them.

Scrambling up the scree wasn't fun, Daniel finding himself sliding back on several occasions only to be stopped from falling by Teal'c strong arms. Eventually the four took shelter in a small cave and settled in for the night. From their vantage point the battle could be just seen to still be raging and it was obvious that approaching the gate by night was now out of the question. They would have to wait till dawn and reassess the situation. None of them wanted an extended stay on a Goa'uld controlled planet, but it seemed increasingly likely as the battle raged on into the night.

As they ate dinner Daniel noticed that Teal'c was unusually silent, as if trying to grapple with some great conundrum. Moving over to sit by the bigger man, their backs to the small fire at the mouth of the cave, Daniel nudged the Jaf'fa. "What has you so worried, Teal'c?"

"The Jaf'fa."

"The Jaf'fa? The ones you overheard in the forest?"

"Indeed. They were a strange mixture. Many had differing marks and some even did not bear a mark, although those that didn't were markedly younger than those that did. I recognised many of the symbols that they bore."

Daniel was following Teal'c line of thought. That this Goa'uld was having to build up from scratch suggested they were either a new Goa'uld or an older one like Hathor who had lost their original army and had to rebuild.

"It is the unmarked Jaf'fa that concern me, DanielJackson. They did not have prim'tas."

"Which suggests that this Goa'uld may be stealing staff from the Free Jaf'fa?"

The Jaf'fa nodded, but then added, "Yet our numbers do not decrease. Instead the last three years have seen a marked upturn in arrivals. All from former masters with the same marks borne by the Jaf'fa on this planet. I am disturbed by what this may suggest."

"Double agents you mean?"

Teal'c again nodded, indicating that the younger man had followed his thoughts correctly. Daniel could see the problem. If these Jaf'fa had approached the Free Jaf'fa seeking membership, yet were also in the thrall of some unknown Goa'uld, then that left the Free Jaf'fa exposed to a potential attack.

"I must know more about these Jaf'fa and who they serve, DanielJackson, yet I fear that ColonelFalstaff will not permit our team to engage in some covert surveillance."

Daniel sighed in agreement. Then he grinned. "Teal'c, neither of us is USAF, so they can't exactly court martial us. How about we ditch the other two at the gate and make an assessment of the situation our selves. If the Free Jaf'fa have been betrayed then this is information that vital to our ongoing efforts against the Goa'uld."

Watching the incensed man with hooded eyes, Teal'c considered the suggestion. "I concur. We will make our break tomorrow should the gate be clear of Jaf'fa activity."

April 10th, 2008
0539 hrs

Just before dawn SG-1 had decamped and began making their way back through the forest towards the stargate. The return journey was planned to be longer than the one to the cave they had sleep over in because Falstaff wanted to take a longer and safer route back just in case the battle between the two forces of Jaf'fa continued and the team was forced to retreat once more.

The four were accompanied only by the sound of bird song as they trod through the thick undergrowth in single file. Every once in a while they came across the bodies of one or two Jaf'fa, all bearing the same mark. It appeared that it was the Goa'uld System Lord Ba'al that had attempted to take the place via the stargate. What disturbed Teal'c was the fact that they had yet to find any bodies among the fallen that belonged to the mixed Jaf'fa teams he had observed the previous day.

If the Jaf'fa teams assembled by the Goa'uld on this planet could fight so well as a cohesive team, despite their differences, that they incurred no fatalities in the face of a fire fight with Ba'al's Jaf'fa, then the Goa'uld that controlled them was a formidable leader and tactician. But these were thoughts that the Jaf'fa kept to himself for now, planning to share them with the good Doctor DanielJackson when it was just the two of them making a survey of the Goa'uld holdings on the planet.

The number of dead Jaf'fa increased as they neared the gate and it became obvious that a extremely large and decidedly one sided battle had been fought for control of the planet. Luckily the area around the gate was deserted except for the bodies of the dead and the twisted wreckage of the MALP could be seen lying off to one side of the short ramp leading up to the gate. When it was decided that the area was clear the four made their way over to the DHD which remained in one piece despite the heavy battle taking place here long into the night.

Daniel dialled up Chimera and the team waited nervously for all seven chevrons to lock. Teal'c could see ColonelFalstaff and MajorWilliams visibly relax as the wormhole engaged with a familiar rushing sound, casting a watery light on their dawn-touched surroundings. The contrast between the harsh white light given off by the gate and the rosy hue of the dawn sky would have been a sight to stare at all day had the planet not been controlled by the enemy and at least half the team determined to leave while they still could.

Falstaff nodded his head and he and Williams strode up the ramp and into the event horizon fully expecting Teal'c and Daniel to follow straight after. But at a nod from Teal'c Daniel shut the gate down and the pair of now AWOL SGC personnel slipped back into the cover of the forest, moving swiftly in the direction that Teal'c had first encounter the Jaf'fa patrols in the hope that from there they could get a baring on where the Goa'uld base on this planet was.

SGC
0643 hrs

"It the Chimera throwaway, Sir," announced Harriman to the General standing a pace or two behind his left shoulder.

"Open the iris."

At Landry's command the huge metal shield covering the mouth of the gate jerked back initially before sliding open smoothy the rest of the way. The SFs in the gate room all raised their P90s and watched for signs of something coming through the event horizon. After an agonising few seconds two figures in BDUs came stumbling through, looking unhappy but unharmed.

"Falstaff," said Landry through the intercom, "You appear to missing half your team."

"Sir."

"Get cleaned up. We'll debrief at 0730 once you've been to the infirmary for your post-mission checks. We'll talk then."

The two officers flicked Landry a quick salute before being led by a SF to the infirmary.

There had been two SG team departures since one half of SG-1 had returned to the SGC some twelve or so hours after contact had been lost. In between Landry had worked through some paper work in order to keep things ticking over. As the time for talking to SG-1 drew near, the General had grabbed a folder of papers and headed to the briefing room where he could continue to cross 't's and dot 'i's till they arrived. He was still at a particularly bad form that he had to fill in when Falstaff and Williams entered the briefing room on time for the 0730 debriefing.

Falstaff, at a nod from Landry, explained about the initial part of the mission and how up till lunchtime it had been a somewhat boring off world mission for the Colonel. He related Teal'c sudden return from guard duty and the appearance of the death Gliders. With Williams pitching in with detail, the Colonel continued with his ordered retreat to the cave and spending the night there.

When he got the following morning Chris had an observation to throw in, "I can't put my finger on it, Sir, but both Teal'c and Daniel were a little on edge. If I'd have to guess then I would say that they must have planned the night before to ditch us at the gate."

"Can you think of a reason why, Major?" asked Landry, concerned about two members of the SGC's flagship team and their rather bizarre behaviour.

Falstaff muttered something about civilians, but the other two men ignored him.

"Something on that planet was obviously enough for them to warrant going AWOL, Sir. I couldn't say what it was because I certainly didn't see anything to get upset about. It was just a standard case of one Goa'uld stabbing another in the back by attacking."

Landry sighed.

"Are we going back for them, Sir?" asked Williams.

"At this stage no. We'll give them another fifteen hours from now. If they're not back by then I'll send you two, along with SG teams 5 and 11, back to the planet to drag them back for explanation. Until then you two are off duty. Dismissed."

P4X-607
0803 hrs

The further they had waded through the forest and away from the stargate the easier it became to walk as the undergrowth grew less dense. Daniel however had been with the SGC for long enough now to know that while it may have made the going easier, it left him and the Jaf'fa several paces ahead of himself with not much in the way of cover should they run into a patrol.

The UAV hadn't spotted any sign of Goa'uld occupation of the planet which meant that the base had to be quite some distance from the gate. Daniel mentally calculated that it would take the better part of the day to reach the edge of the UAV's range. This was going to be a long and boring slog since he couldn't talk to Teal'c as they moved. The pair couldn't afford to be caught by a Jaf'fa patrol and debating the finer points of the Jaf'fa political situation would probably lead to just that.

As the day marched on and the sun moved higher in the sky the pair began having to make more and more stops to find cover. The number of Jaf'fa patrols had begun to increase even though they were still only just over halfway through the area scanned by the UAV. Eventually Teal'c led Daniel into a better covered area and they slumped into sitting positions, although the large man keep his staff weapon at the ready. Daniel was already munching on an energy bar.

"I am concerned, DanielJackson."

"T?"

"There are too many patrols for us to still be only halfway to the Goa'uld's base of operations. I am beginning to think that perhaps this Goa'uld has found someway to hide his base from the UAV."

Daniel paused to consider that supposition. It was possible he guessed. If Sam was still with them she could probably have rattled off at least half a dozen possible ways with which to disguise something as large as a ha'tak vessel from the view of the UAV.

"So you think we're closer to the base than we thought we were?"

"Indeed. I would suggest we remain here so that I can observe these Jaf'fa."

"Get an idea of their comings and going you mean?"

Teal'c inclined his head. "That and perhaps overhear some conversation. We may learn much about the organisation of the Jaf'fa here and which false god they serve."

"Okay. If you are busy snooping around what do you want me to be doing?"

"If you could refrain from dying on this particular mission you would make me very glad, DanielJackson."

The younger man looked up at the Jaf'fa in surprise, Teal'c giving nothing away with his carefully blank face. Daniel grinned and managed to keep himself from barking out in laughter. As he struggled with a hand over his mouth Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the man's antics which only served to keep Daniel laughing. Patting the man in the shoulder Teal'c hefted up his staff weapon and slipped away into the underbrush.

Eventually Daniel got himself under control and took to scanning the area, his hand resting on his P90. He took care of his needs carefully and on occasion ate another energy bar to the despair of his dentist who had already told him to ease back on the sweet tooth. By the time his Jaf'fa friend reappeared some distance away the Archaeologist had consumed three candy bars and drunk half the contents of his canteen. Boredom had set in and he had taken to counting the trees in as many different languages as he could stretch too. What was worrying was that he got a different tally each time.

Teal'c signalled that he should leave his cover. Doing so Daniel slipped his finger onto the trigger of the P90 and in a sort of crab-like scuttle he ventured back out into the undergrowth of the forest, moving as quickly and silently as he could in Teal'c's direction. When he caught up with the dark skinned man Teal'c indicated that he should follow and they spent the better part of the next half hour moving through the trees in silence.

The route Teal'c had chosen took them up onto a small ridge to the north-east of the stargate, some three quarters of the UAV's range from the gate. The pair pressed themselves into a small hollow in the rock and as they sat there and got their breath back Daniel found himself with some binoculars pressed into his hands. Crawling to the mouth of the hollow he moved the item in front of his eyes.

"What am I looking for, Teal'c?"

"Look in the direction of the gate at a point just above the tree line, DanielJackson, and you will soon see what I brought you here for."

Teal'c was right, as he didn't have to wait long before something happened. A Death Glider suddenly emerged out of nowhere above the trees and swooped off in the general direction of the gate. Putting down the binoculars he glanced across at the Jaf'fa.

"It appears that whoever the Goa'uld is that controls this planet, they have somehow modified their shields to not only protect but to also camouflage. This is a significant advantage to have and is perhaps why Ba'al invaded."

"He wasn't attacking another Goa'uld because just like us he thought that this planet was uninhabited."

"Indeed. That is my summation of the situation."

Daniel sighed and looked at the now black speck on the horizon that was the Death Glider. "Did you learn anything from the Jaf'fa?"

"Much, and I find it confusing."

"In what way?"

The younger man watched as the Jaf'fa seemed to organise his thoughts, to find the right words to convey what he had learnt. "I do not believe we are dealing with the usual kind of Goa'uld, DanielJackson. The Jaf'fa, as we surmised, are generally taken from a pool of captured Jaf'fa belonging to other System Lords, most of whom are too small to retaliate to loosing a few warriors.

It would appear that a significant number of Ba'al's Jaf'fa were captured during last nights fire fight. That several of them have already joined patrols for this Goa'uld is a point of great concern for me, that perhaps he has some means of greater control over the actions of his Jaf'fa."

"Something like nish'ta then?"

"Perhaps. Moreover, these Jaf'fa know of the Free Jaf'fa and are apparently allowed to leave the service of this Goa'uld if they wish to join their free brothers in arms."

"And with the nish'ta-like control they then act as double agents?"

"I do not know, DanielJackson. I do not have enough information to confirm that supposition."

"Did you learn anything else?"

"They have a secure world for the Jaf'fa and their families that can only be reached via ship. The men in service to this Goa'uld are given leave to spend time with their families on this planet and only those who wish to undergo the prim'ta do so."

"Which would explain why some of the younger troops do not have a symbiote or a mark of bondage. But why? Without those two things surely the level of control is less. That is a risky position to take for a Goa'uld, after all it leaves them open to rebellion from their Jaf'fa."

"It is. Perhaps we have come full circle back to a possible nish'ta-like substance of control?"

"We have too many 'ifs' here, Teal'c. We need to know more about who and what we are dealing with!"

"Do you intend that we should try an board the ha'tak?"

"Why not!"

xxx

They had let night begin to fall before they even considered moving from the hollow. The Death Gliders had made irregular patrols of the stargate, base and surrounding areas, prompting Teal'c to remark that he had noticed that the Jaf'fa patrols were staggered and overlapped. At no point was there a clean break in patrol rotations that would allow a small team like theirs to penetrate the base perimeter. Whoever this Goa'uld was, they were playing a long term and subtle game.

Approaching the edge of the base outskirts had proven to be fraught with danger, more than once Jaf'fa patrols had seemingly come out of nowhere leaving Daniel and Teal'c little time to find convincing cover. The younger man was sure that only dumb luck had kept them alive thus far and he prayed that it held out long enough for them to achieve their goal and board the ha'tak.

The deeper into the enemy held territory the more Daniel came to understand why Teal'c hadn't seriously considered the use of a nish'ta-style drug as the reason for the loyal service of the Jaf'fa. Unlike the conditions that other Jaf'fa served their lords in, these mixed Jaf'fa had decent clothing, space, and materials to service their needs. Among the many small lodgings hidden in the forest Jackson could make out many Jaf'fa women who were visiting their husbands, sometimes bringing their children with them.

Despite the battle that had raged only a day earlier, the Jaf'fa obviously considered this place safe and secure from potential threat. They were not held in the thrall of some drug, nor by their symbiotes. They didn't even talk of their Goa'uld master in terms laced with fear. Instead the words used were touched with awe and respect. Whatever this Goa'uld was doing it was winning a loyal Jaf'fa army, one which, as they pressed on, was revealed to be quite a sizeable one indeed.

Stopping in a dense copse of trees the pair of men paused to gather their breath and thoughts.

"How many do you think there are on this planet?" whispered Daniel.

In the growing twilight he could see Teal'c's eyes darken. "Many thousand, DanielJackson. This is a truly formidable army of a size that would rival those of Goa'uld legend. That they have been trained in more than standard Jaf'fa combat techniques is of grave concern."

"You don't think the Free Jaf'fa could stand up to this army do you?"

"Indeed I do not. We could put up a good fight as the Tau'ri would say, but we would eventually be swept before them like leaves in the wind."

"Now is not the time to be waxy poetic, Teal'c. Have you spotted a way in for us yet?" Daniel scanned the trees which seemed twice as large now in the growing gloom.

"One. We will have to bluff some sentries on duty to do so."

"So, what's the bluff?"

Daniel felt but didn't see the swift chop to the back of his head. The Jaf'fa left him unconscious in the cover of the trees and slipped away to 'obtain' some Jaf'fa armour. The items which he found were certainly the Jaf'fa armour that the others wore, but it was heavily modified form the standard form he had worn as First Prime to Apophis and that the Jaf'fa of other Goa'uld wore. It was lighter, allowed for better manoeuvrability, and was marked with a pair of wings on the front.

Donning the gear and stowing his SGC uniform in his back pack he returned to the still out of it Daniel and threw the man and their two packs onto his left shoulder. With his staff weapon in his right hand he then marched confidently in the direction of the ha'tak and a set of rings that would allow access to the ship.

xxx

Daniel stirred with a groan, opening his eyes to find himself propped up against a wall whose designs revealed it to be Goa'uld in origin. Gingerly touching the bump on the back of his head he tried to piece together what had happened. Had they been captured by the Jaf'fa on the planet and now were prisoners? As he stood and involved him in a search of his immediate surroundings he discarded that idea. This wasn't a prison cell and there were no signs of a guard.

In one corner of the room were his and Teal'c bags, so Daniel took advantage of the situation and snagged an energy bar from his pack. He was just working up the courage to try exploring further afield when a Jaf'fa came in wearing what didn't appear to be the standard Jaf'fa uniform that he had seen many times before. As he raised his hands in a placating manner the mask of the Jaf'fa deactivated, rolling back to reveal the face of Teal'c looking back at him.

"Jeez, Teal'c, you really know how to give a guy a heart attack."

"My apologies, DanielJackson, but if my plan to infiltrate the ha'tak was going to work then I needed to don the garb of the Goa'uld's Jaf'fa." Here Teal'c dipped his head in apology.

With his heart rate under control Daniel took the time to walk in a circle around the larger man, taking in the alterations to the standard armour design. Teal'c watched him with his usual calm and somewhat detached manner.

"It's different," began Daniel. "Do you know which Goa'uld these two wings stand for?"

"I do not, DanielJackson, but the more modern and practical cast to this armour suggests to me that the Goa'uld we seek information about is new and not one of the old System Lords rebuilding."

Daniel reached out and tapped the armour. "So you are saying this stuff is better than what you wore as Apophis' First Prime?"

"Indeed. Lighter and more flexible. It is a superior replacement and is just another reason why the Jaf'fa army stationed on this planet would have no difficult defeating the Free Jaf'fa."

"This is so not good. By the way, how did I get knocked out?"

Teal'c smirked. "I rendered you unconscious for the duration of our infiltration of the vessel."

"Is there a reason why you did that 'cause my head is still really sore?"

"Of course. I have observed that your acting skills when it comes to bluffing are not of the standard required. I merely decided that you would act your part of unconscious prisoner better if you were really unconscious."

Daniel rubbed his head again. "Jack really did rub off on you didn't he? So what is the plan now?"

"We should leave our gear here where it will not be disturbed and I suggest you arm yourself with a zat. From here is not far to a service duct we can use to reach the floor of the main chamber."

"You figure that is where this Goa'uld will be?"

Teal'c nodded as he removed the Jaf'fa armour and hitched a zat to his belt to take with him along with his staff weapon. "If we wish to learn as much as we can about the operations on this planet then finding a place to hide within that chamber is our best option."

"Okay, I'm with you Teal'c. Just lead the way."

Moving to the door the Jaf'fa opened it and surveyed the corridor beyond. Satisfied that they remained undetected and would not be spotted, Teal'c nodded to Daniel and the two of them left the room. Stealing their way down the corridor they moved to a small dip in the corridor wall where a large metal grill obscured the service vent. Indicating that Daniel should keep him covered Teal'c set about using his brute strength to remove the grill after leaning his staff weapon against the wall.

There was the sound of metal sliding on metal as the grill came loose, sounding very loud to Daniel when contrasted with the almost silent corridors. Each scrape made the younger man more nervous and he began to expect an army of Jaf'fa to appear at the end of corridor, weapons blazing. Finally the grill came free and the Jaf'fa helped Daniel into the vent before feeding his staff weapon to him.

Then, climbing in backwards into the vent Teal'c pulled the grill up with himself as he shuffled back. Tugging it securely back into place he continued backing up to the first T-junction where he found Daniel.

"Go left, DanielJackson," instructed Teal'c.

Once the younger man began moving down the correct vent shaft Teal'c manoeuvred himself that he was facing the same direction as Daniel and then began following him. After several more sets of turns the Jaf'fa called his team mate to a halt.

"Can you see an opening above you, DanielJackson?"

"I can," answered Daniel as the greater space at the junction allowed him to move into a sitting position, his back up against one of the vent walls.

"We need to climb that shaft if we are to reach the main chamber."

Looking up Daniel considered the shaft above his head that receded away into the darkness. Massaging the crick in his neck when he looked back at Teal'c he commented, "You have got to be joking Teal'c. How am I meant to climb that." Here he jabbed an index finger up at the vertical shaft.

"I am not joking, DanielJackson. This is our only way to the correct room without arousing the suspicion of guards."

"We won't need to come this way on the way back will we?"

"We will," admitted Teal'c. "But it will be quicker on the way back."

Daniel gazed at the shaft once more. "I'll bet. So, how do we climb this thing?"

The Jaf'fa showed him how to brace his feet against one wall of the shaft and his hands and back against the opposite wall, pushing with his feet to hold himself in place. Daniel looked askew at the bigger man who had basically asked him to climb crab-like up the narrow shaft.

"I will be behind you and will catch you should you fall," reassured Teal'c.

"Sure, you do that," muttered Daniel as he got himself into position and began working his way up the shaft. As he began making progress he was glad that Teal'c had left their equipment behind as just getting himself up the shaft was proving taxing on his legs, arms and back.

As luck would have it, despite his somewhat bumbling nature on missions in the past, Daniel managed to make the entire climb without slipping, something that the Jaf'fa underneath him was grateful for. He had promised to catch the younger man should he fall and was prepared to do so. It didn't mean that it would have been fun. Daniel held on tightly to the edge of the shaft as he gingerly pushed him into the horizontal connecting vent with his feet, quickly making room for Teal'c who was close behind him.

"It is straight on from here, DanielJackson. Tread quietly as this area may have many more Jaf'fa on duty."

Nodding to acknowledge his team mate's words Daniel shuffled his way as delicately as he could along the vent till a grill blocked his way. Rolling over to look back at Teal'c he asked, "What's on the other side?"

"Nothing hopefully," replied Teal'c. "Have your zat ready should this not be so."

Unhitching his weapon from his hip Daniel activated it and scrunched up his body in order to orientate his feet at the grill. With this done after much exertion and attempts to remain as quiet as possible, Daniel slammed his booted feet against the grin a couple of times before the barrier fell away with a thudding noise. The archaeologist then hurriedly slid from the vent and dropped into a crouch a few feet away, eyes wildly checking the corridor he found himself in for any approaching enemies.

Teal'c joined him, pulling his staff weapon out with him before attending to putting the grill back into place. Once done he surveyed the corridor.

"Our presence remains undetected. Come, let us find a position from which to spy on this Goa'uld."

Leading the way, Teal'c guided Daniel down the corridor and into the main chamber of the ha'tak which was, to their collective relief, currently unoccupied. The Jaf'fa indicated a curtained area to the back of the room and the pair moved swiftly to claim it as their own, the curtain settling into stillness only moments before the main doors to the chamber opened and a group of people entered.

The first was a young man, dressed in a form of armour similar to that of the two Jaf'fa that followed him. While he couldn't make out the words Daniel did catch the metallic tone that drowned out the natural accent of the host, marking the man immediately as a Goa'uld, possibly the one who controlled this planet and the army of Jaf'fa. Accompanying the man, along with his two Jaf'fa bodyguard, was a woman who had two women attending her. She was dressed in a style similar to that of the male Goa'uld and was obviously another snakelike parasite after her indistinguishable reply to his comment carried the same grating tone.

The two attending women were garbed in a much altered form of Jaf'fa armour that reminded Daniel of the female Jaf'fa under the command of Ishtar. All four Jaf'fa's armour bore the symbol of two touching wings and were armed with zats and staff weapons. Daniel felt his stomach churn. If they were caught this could easily end badly for Teal'c and himself, especially if they were as highly trained as Teal'c believed them to be.

Tensing behind the curtain Daniel felt Teal'c's hands on his shoulders as the Jaf'fa drew him back and away from the part in the curtain.

"We need only listen," noted Teal'c. Daniel nodded in acceptance. There was no real need to watch the proceedings unless something they needed to see, in order to understand the context of the conversation, was displayed.

Final report on the battle with Ba'al's forces, Mal'tec, ordered the male Goa'uld.

"We successfully repelled Ba'al's attack through the chappa'ai. Despite an intense ground battle we were able to contain the bulk of his troops in the area surrounding the gate. Those that penetrated our cordon were quickly picked off using the modified Gliders and ground patrols."

Excellent news, Mal'tec, pronounced the woman in her grating Goa'uld tones. Battle statistics?

"Ma'am," began a female Jaf'fa, her use of the English word to denote rank or respect surprising both Daniel and his team mate. "Although the fire fight was significant we were able to subdue the attacking Jaf'fa while taking on only minor injuries. None of our Jaf'fa suffered any crippling shots and of those injured, the most serious will be out of action for perhaps another day at the most.

"As for Ba'al's Jaf'fa, they were unable to match our battle prowess. We have recovered close to one hundred bodies so far, with another forty Jaf'fa taken alive. They will all be given the standard test within the next twenty-four hours and allowed to determine their fate."

Mal'tec, spoke the male Goa'uld Ka'ne.

"Sir?" Again Daniel was agog at the English term used by the Jaf'fa.

Ha'la and myself are required to travel to Tashur tomorrow. This means leaving the Jaf'fa army and our prisoners in your hands. Can we place our confidence in you to continue building a strong army?

"You can, Sir, Ma'am. It would be an honour to instruct and discipline your faithful troops."

Thank you, said Ka'ne. Is there anything else from the battle that needs reporting?

"Sir," broached the female Jaf'fa.

Yes, Yusen?

"A Tau'ri MALP was discovered by the gate after the battle was concluded and intelligence indicates that two Tau'ri were seen leaving the planet via the gate in the early hours of the morning. Should we have stopped them?"

No, sighed Ha'la. You followed your orders correctly, Yusen. However this does mean a change of plans. Mal'tec, this will mean that the entire Jaf'fa army must decamp and gate to Gra'she'gar before dawn breaks tomorrow. You will carry out your training of the army there.

"Ma'am."

Two Tau'ri you say? asked Ha'la after a pause.

"Yes, Ma'am. They wore the uniform of the Ess Gee Cee."

Did you find any Tau'ri bodies among the casualties? Ka'ne probed.

"No, Sir," Yusen replied.

Then we have at least one, possibly two Tau'ri infiltrators on the planet. They may have even breached the security of the ha'tak.

Daniel found himself gripping Teal'c arm as his blood pressure went thought the roof. This whole plan to obtain intelligence about the Goa'uld on this planet was getting more dangerous by the minute. Teal'c on the other hand shrugged off Daniel's grip, instead concerned by the level of knowledge displayed about SGC off world practices.

Either way, Mal'tec, continued Ka'ne, I need you to leave now to organise the evacuation. We can not delay and the ha'tak must depart now. There can not be anything for the Tau'ri to find when the follow up team comes to support those still here with reinforcements.

"Sir," responded Mal'tec. There followed the sound of the Jaf'fa and his second leaving the chamber.

Yusen, began Ha'la. Organise our departure and then begin a sweep of the ship. We must establish quickly if the Tau'ri are onboard.

"And if they are, Ma'am?"

Then they will be captured and dealt with when we reach Tashur. You have your orders, carry them out.

"Ma'am," offered Yusen and the hiding pair of SGC personnel could hear the departure of the two female Jaf'fa.

Once the Jaf'fa were gone there was a minute or two of shuffling sounds as the two remaining people in the room, the two Goa'uld, went about arranging themselves comfortably on some of the low sofas that Daniel remembered seeing when he and Teal'c had snuck into the room. Using the cover of their seating themselves, Daniel shifted slightly behind the curtain he shared with the Jaf'fa so that he was able to see some of the room through a slight gap in the curtain.

The view afforded by the gap didn't allow him to see either of the two Goa'uld that occupied the room, but it did give a view of the main entrance to the chamber. Although not terribly useful it did at least allow the archaeologist to feel somewhat less confined and claustrophobic. Teal'c frowned at the younger man's movement, not wishing for anything that might give them away to the enemy. But he knew that Daniel didn't have the patience or tolerance for spending any great length of time sitting still. He marvelled that his friend had lasted this length of time without the aid of caffeine and held out a hope that he wouldn't get any twitchier till they were safely out of the enemy's reach.

Do you believe that some Tau'ri may be onboard, my love? the two SGC team mates heard Ha'la ask.

I do, Ha'la.

The whole ship shuddered, a small tremor running through everything, and Daniel realised that Yusen had done as instructed. The ha'tak that he and Teal'c had stolen onboard was now in the process of leaving P4X-607. Glancing over at Teal'c he caught the same pensive expression on the Jaf'fa's face that he assumed was mirrored on his own. They were truly venturing away from the safety net that the SGC provided as they had no guarantee that the ha'tak or the planet it would eventually arrive upon would possess stargates.

What do we plan to tell our Lord and Lady?

The truth of course. Daniel could hear the smile in Ha'la's voice. We successfully repelled Ba'al's forces and, if we find the Tau'ri onboard, have obtained up-to-date intelligence on the activities of the SGC.

Joy, thought Daniel. Obviously a torture cum interrogation session was on the cards if he and Teal'c couldn't stay one step ahead of Yusen and her Jaf'fa. He just hoped that the pair of them could somehow find a way to just ship before they were forcibly checked into Hotel de Goa'uld. Teal'c meanwhile pondered the reference to a Lord and Lady, something which hinted at a larger power structure than what he and Daniel had guessed at before. The idea that these two Goa'uld were minor players for more powerful Goa'ulds gave him cause to pause with regard to his original plans.

Instead of avoiding Yusen's Jaf'fa and returning to the SGC with what they had learnt, it was now vital that Daniel and himself find a way to learn to what extent this organisation stretched. If there were other Goa'uld who had trained similar armies to the one seen on '607, and they too were pledged in service to this Lord and Lady, then the SGC, the Tok'ra, and the Free Jaf'fa faced a formidable enemy. If they were to ever stand a chance to take this newest threat down, then he Daniel needed to learn as much as they could before even considering returning to Earth.

Of course, chuckled Ka'ne. And now with everything in hand, what shall we do to while away the time till Yusen brings us our stowaways.

Oh, I'm sure I can think of a thing or too.

Daniel made a face at Teal'c in response to the purr that the pair could hear in Ha'la's voice. He locked eyes with Teal'c and cocked his head towards the main entrance to the chamber. He really did not wish to remain stuck behind the curtain when the two Goa'uld progressed beyond the lip lock they were currently very engaged in. Luckily for the pair of them the parasite make out session moved to a room beyond the main chamber.

Easing out from behind the curtain, Teal'c swung his staff weapon into a horizontal position and led Daniel out of the room. He paused in the corridor, Daniel almost running into his broad back after letting the door slide silently shut.

"We must retrieve our gear as quickly as possible, DanielJackson. At the moment they only suspect that we may be onboard and if they find no evidence then they may stop looking. Should they find our packs then they will no for sure."

"Okay, I understand that. So we're going back for our packs then?"

"No, DanielJackson," explained the Jaf'fa. "In this case it would be better if we split up."

"Huh?"

"I would recommend you remain here." At this point he thrust the staff weapon in the younger man's hands. "I will retrieve our gear and return."

Daniel waved the staff weapon slightly. "That sounds all well and good Teal'c, but it leaves me standing in a corridor with this staff weapon."

The Jaf'fa grabbed Daniel by the elbow and lead him down the corridor to a door which opened upon their approach. He pushed the archaeologist inside with the forceful suggestion to remain hidden. Then, armed only with his zat, Teal'c moved to the vent grill by which the two men had arrived on that level of the ship and tugged it away from the opening. Balancing it in his hands the Jaf'fa climbed backwards into the vent and pulled the grill back into place. It would a long and uncomfortable journey back to where their gear was stored and Teal'c prayed to whoever may be listening that the materials remained undiscovered.

SGC
2230 hrs

Major Williams had returned to the SGC before the fifteen hour deadline had expired, eager to begin searching for his two missing team mates. He was concerned for their well-being, having become good friends with the archaeologists and the Jaf'fa over the past three years, and was worried by the idea of them being AWOL from the SGC. He knew that Daniel still held some small hope of finding his lost friends General O'Neill and Lt. Colonel Carter and would never do anything that might lead to his removal from off world going SG teams, which were his only hope for finding clues as to their fate.

Beyond that, Chris was a little hurt that neither Daniel or Teal'c saw fit to include him in their discussion of whatever it was that they had found on '607, or their plans to do something about it. He supposed that perhaps they were looking out for his career in the Air Force. With neither of them part of the military chain of command they could not be court martialed and their experience and contributions as civilians attached to the project would probably be enough to prevent them from being outright dismissed from working at the SGC.

The Major had sat in the briefing room by himself for quite some time pondering possible reasons behind the actions of his two wayward team mates, only to interrupted by his commanding officers. Colonel Falstaff and General Landry had arrived one after each other shortly before the deadline set for the start of the meeting. Falstaff took his customary seat on Landry's left, which placed him sitting opposite Williams. Neither Landry, nor Falstaff, carried any papers with them which made Chris wonder exactly what the plan of attack was.

"I'll come straight to the point gentlemen. We dialled P4X-607 half and hour ago and sent a new MALP through. We were able to confirm the battle through the detection of staff weapon blasts, but no bodies were to be found.

"With no signs of more recent Jaf'fa activity we risked sending a UAV through in order to get a better idea of the situation. Initially we found nothing, but with your reports of Death Gliders we pushed the UAV beyond its normal range and found signs that a ha'tak had recently departed the planet.

"Attempts to contact our two missing men achieved nothing and I believe that they may be onboard the departed ha'tak. At this stage I am allowing you to accompany SG-4 to the planet tomorrow in case Daniel and Teal'c are still on the planet and were unable at the time to return our attempts at contact. If they are not then I'm afraid there is little we can do except contact the Tok'ra and hope that they have an operative in the ranks of whichever Goa'uld has captured them."

Goa'uld ha'tak, en route to Tashur
April 11th, 2008
0534 hrs

It had been a simple error of judgement on his part reflected the turncoat Jaf'fa as he was essentially frog-marched down a corridor of the ha'tak by Yusen and several of her female Jaf'fa. Behind him one of the Jaf'fa carried the gear that he had been attempting to retrieve without discovery. Teal'c was unhappy with his capture, but was consoling himself for now with the fact that DanielJackson remained undetected and free.

Eventually the train of people led Teal'c back to a familiar corridor, the one that led to the main audience chamber of the ha'tak where Ka'ne and Ha'la would be waiting. As he moved down the corridor under armed guard he controlled himself, willing his head not to turn slightly and take in the door to the room he had left the archaeologist in. They would not learn of the younger man's existence from him.

The doors to the main chamber swung open and Teal'c was marched into the room, brought to a halt two or three metres from the reclining couches. The two Goa'uld were seated upon the couches, allowing the renegade Jaf'fa to finally see the faces of his captors for the first time. The pair rose to stand in front of him as Yusen stood to Teal'c left. The remaining Jaf'fa spread out in a semicircle around Teal'c and Yusen, cutting off the main door as an exit.

Ka'ne was a reasonably handsome man as Tau'ri went, mused Teal'c, with dark black hair and high cheekbones to match his square jaw. There was no telling his actual age due to the parasite within him, but he appeared to be roughly twenty-seven years old. Ha'la was shorter, somewhere close to the late DoctorFraiser in height, with a sort of strawberry blonde hair and refined features. She appeared to be around twenty-two years of age, though she had probably lived for far longer. Where Ka'ne was tall and broad shouldered, Ha'la an almost slip of a woman with a frame that was rounded in all the right places.

Ha'la spoke first, eyes flashing only slightly so that, if you had missed the restrained display of possession from the parasite, the only way you knew there was a Goa'uld in there would be in the metallic inflection added to her speech. Her left hand reached out to trace the marking on his forehead, Teal'c jerking away from her touch till Yusen struck him with the butt of her staff weapon. He let her finish her examination, eyes showing his contempt for the false god before him. I do believe that this is the shol'va, Teal'c of Chulak, she stated.

Ka'ne gazed at Teal'c with an intensity, but one for which the Jaf'fa could not place the thought behind. Was it elation? Lust? Fear? Then perhaps we approach the time that has been spoken of my love. The System Lords have begun to fear us this past year, perhaps it is time that the Tau'ri knew of our existence as well?

Perhaps, purred Ha'la. But that is not for us to decide. It will simply be one further matter than must be discussed upon our arrival on Tashur.

Ka'ne nodded in agreement with his partner. But his presence does mean that there is definitely a Tau'ri onboard the ha'tak. The one known as Daniel Jackson will be here somewhere.

Yusen nodded at this observation and immediately dispatched two of the waiting Jaf'fa to begin another search of the vessel. Ha'la meanwhile had not let her attention waver from Teal'c, her blue eyes staring hard at him as if trying to peer deep into his soul. What brings you to Jal'nef and aboard our ship, Teal'c of Chulak?

"Jal'nef?" Teal'c ventured to risk the Goa'uld wrath by asking a question. This brought a slight, quick smile to his face as he imagined O'Neill standing next to himself, asking the pair in front of him any and every inane question he could think of.

The planet the Tau'ri have designated as P4X-607, explained Ha'la with what could be said to be either a benevolent or condescending smile. Teal'c knew which one he thought it was, but was more concerned that these Goa'uld knew of and would even use the SGC system created by ColonelCarter when talking of planets. Just how well informed were they about how the SGC operated?

"I will not tell you anything," stated Teal'c firmly as if that was then end of the matter and the conversation.

Ka'ne however did not seem to agree with the Jaf'fa as he took a step forward into Teal'c personal space and looked him in the eyes. The bigger man absently noted the neither Goa'uld was wearing a hand device, nor any other obviously weapon. This meant that they fully trusted Yusen and her Jaf'fa to protect them from harm, but that they also possibly did not use the threat of torture and pain as a means of keeping their Jaf'fa in line.

We are not asking for anything sensitive information-wise, Teal'c, he began almost conversationally. We are merely interested to know the reason for your arrival of P4X-607. Was it a simple first exploration?

Teal'c didn't respond to the question, but was caught flat footed by the soft questioning and lack of demands for information.

Perhaps you came to see the ruins? At this the Jaf'fa couldn't help but tense slightly and hoped he could mask the reaction. Ka'ne however smiled when he saw how Teal'c acted, saying, Of course. Dr Jackson could not turn down the opportunity to make a survey of the ruins!

Ka'ne turned away from Teal'c and wandered over to a bowl upon a small table, not unlike the coffee table Teal'c had in his own apartment, and plucked a handful of fruits from it. He offered the selection up to Ha'la who took something akin to an apple from the assortment available with a generous smile. Ka'ne then shoved his fruit laden hands in front of Teal'c, hands cupped like a bowl to keep the fruit from spilling everywhere. Teal'c eyes the Goa'uld suspiciously.

Have one, Teal'c. They will not harm you. The Jaf'fa however continued to watch with caution and did not move. If that is your will, continued Ka'ne smoothly as he stepped around the bigger man and began offering the fruit selection to Yusen and her Jaf'fa who all took something to eat.

On one hand, said Ka'ne as he moved about the chamber under Ha'la's watchful eye, Ba'al's attack was annoying in the sense that he is somewhat aware of our movements and that his attack revealed our existence to you and the SGC. On the other hand, this could be a good thing. It may finally force the council to acknowledge that it time to make an overture towards the Tau'ri.

Teal'c pondered this statement as he had already noted that Ka'ne and Ha'la had both mentioned deferring to the judgement of others. Were these two simply minor Goa'uld in the service of another? Ka'ne had mentioned a council and Ha'la 'others'. Was there a grouping of Goa'uld that operated along the lines of the now destroyed System Lord council? If so, why had this not come to light earlier? How was it that the Free Jaf'fa, Tau'ri, and the Tok'ra could operate on intelligence reports with any confidence when such an important player on the field as this possible Goa'uld council could be overlooked time and again?

But as you have said dear," nodded Ka'ne to Ha'la, That is neither here nor there. For now we must accept that an SG team was on the planet to survey the ruins and that Ba'al's attack alerted them to our presence.

Could the attack have been an attempt on Ba'al's part to alert the Tau'ri to our existence? suggested Ha'la.

Teal'c watched the by-play with interest, mind working furiously to work out where the pair were going with their conversation.

You mean to suggest that Ba'al wished for the Tau'ri to learn of ourselves in the hopes that they might strike at us for him without pausing to ask questions?

Ha'la nodded. Would it not make sense for him to send a force that has defeated other Goa'uld to do the work for him when he has failed time and again over this last year to strike us down?

From what had been said previously Teal'c was beginning to believe that the 'us' that Ha'la referred to was the council of Goa'ulds that Ka'ne had alluded to. He began to see just why Ba'al might have been driven to try and use the SGC to attack such a council. If the representatives on the council each controlled a Jaf'fa army of the size and skill that Teal'c had witnessed on P4X-607 then if was very easy to see why Ba'al would use any means to destroy such a formidable enemy. The only hole in the situation was that no one had record of such an army attacking any planet. Why would a Goa'uld council create such an army and then not deploy it as they were want to, in capturing new territory. This council could have easily destroyed Ba'al already and taken his territory. What held them back?

Then Ha'la, sighed Ka'ne, We have yet another point to raise before the council on Tashur.

With great power comes great responsibility my love, smirked Ha'la, and Teal'c thought his heart had come to a halt at the Goa'uld's use of the word responsibility. These two did not operate to usual Goa'uld patterns and he had yet to see a sarcophagus, leading to him to speculate that the couple in front of him might instead be Tok'ra. While not the most probable solution to the conundrum presented before him, Teal'c mused that it was at least still possible and could go some way to explaining why the Tok'ra made no mention of any new council or Jaf'fa armies.

Ha'la turned to look at the still silent Jaf'fa once more. Do you have anything you wish to say, Teal'c of Chulak?

Teal'c shook his head slightly and then realised that the interrogation (the Jaf'fa refused to think of it as a pleasant chat) was at an end. He knew he was in no immediate physical danger since the two Goa'uld had spoken of deferring to the wishes of the council on how to deal with him. That gave him until the meeting to establish was way to safety for himself and DanielJackson.

Ha'la signalled to Yusen who stepped forward and into Teal'c peripheral vision. Yusen, escort Teal'c of Chulak to some appropriate quarters. You may make use of his company should you and your officers wish.

"Thank you, Ma'am, you do us a great honour," replied the female Jaf'fa to Ha'la command.

Yusen spun on her heel and nodded to two of her Jaf'fa guard who took up positions on either side of Teal'c while another two moved to the doors of the main chamber and threw them open.

We will speak again, Teal'c once we have arrived at Tashur, said Ka'ne by way of dismissal.

With that, and a light prod from two staff weapon butts, Teal'c was escorted from the chamber, two Jaf'fa closing the doors behind them and remaining there as guards. Yusen and the two Jaf'fa at Teal'c side then led him back through the maze of corridors, moving up two levels into what Teal'c recognised from his days as First Prime to Apophis as the onboard quarters for the high ranking Jaf'fa staff. He was taken to one of the larger rooms and led inside.

"This will be your quarters for the duration of your stay will us," explained Yusen. "Unfortunately you can not be given free run of the ship, hence there will be guards posted outside at all times."

Teal'c nodded in acknowledgement, expecting no less given he was their prisoner. He was however taken aback that he had been given such fine quarters when he had expected that the 'appropriate' quarters that Ha'la had spoken of would prove to be the brig. That neither the Jaf'fa nor the Goa'uld had acted in any way he had come to expect was keeping him off kilter and this was a feeling that Teal'c was not liking.

"I will return in two hours time with some of my senior officers. We wish to talk with you."

Yusen was then gone, stepping out of the room and leaving the two remaining Jaf'fa on guard as the door slid shut with a slight hiss. Teal'c was aware that Ha'la had given the female Jaf'fa and her subordinates permission to make use of his 'company' for the duration of his stay aboard the ha'tak. He took a deep breath and thought of Ishtar, offering up a small prayer of forgiveness for what he might have to 'endure' in the coming hours.