Chapter Two

Daniel woke with a start and was greeted by nothing but white. He had to bring his hand up before he realized that he wasn't blind. Laying on his back he reached up and quickly came in contact with the featureless ceiling. He brought his hand down onto his torn shirt and searched out the bullet sized hole over his heart.

"Thanks, Sam." Daniel smiled to himself. "I know that wasn't an easy decision to make."

The lid of the sarcophagus slowly began sliding open causing Daniel's frame to tense. Nap time was over and the reprieve had been very short lived. A strong Jaffa reached in and grabbed a handful of his hair to haul him out.

He didn't bother trying to reason with the First Prime to Tefnut. He had already tried that and it had not gone well. Keeping his painful grip on Daniel's hair he dragged him through the ornate halls of Tefnut's palace. They entered Tefnut's main audience chamber where the Goa'uld sat up on his dais.

"Kneel before your God." The Prime growled.

Daniel made a quiet derisive huffing noise. He knew that he would just be forced to his knees, but in his mind that was far more acceptable than kneeling in false piety. Daniel ground his teeth together as the Prime kicked the back of his knee hard enough to bring him down.

A smile of satisfaction slipped across Tefnut's angular features. Daniel returned the expression with a mirthless smile of his own. He couldn't keep his heart from racing in fear, but he could keep Tefnut from knowing about it.

The Goa'uld made a motion to one of his human slaves who walked over meekly. The man had Daniel's radio in his hands. Knowing that he had been seconds from capture Daniel had pressed the combination of buttons that caused the internal wiring to melt. They couldn't listen in to anything Sam might be saying.

Tefnut had the slave place the radio on the floor in front of Daniel. He looked down at it without interest. Casting his eyes about Daniel glanced briefly at the woman sitting on the far right edge of the dais.

He knew her, but not well, she was the Tok'ra that had helped them in. She was watching the scene passively. Daniel did not expect her to break her cover and he wasn't about to do anything that might blow it.

"You will make this communication device work and you will summon your friend out of the woods." Tefnut demanded.

"It's broken."

"Fix it."

"That's not really my specialty."

Tefnut narrowed his clear blue eyes in ire. The Prime read his master's subtle orders. He shoved Daniel so that he pitched forward. Before he could sit back up again he felt a familiar pressure and held his breath in anticipation. The sudden icy contact on Daniel's shoulder didn't stay cold for long. He didn't know what the rod shaped device was or why no other Gou'ald seemed to have one, but he was intimately familiar with what it did.

Unlike the electrical pulse of a zat gun or the stabbing of a pain stick this instrument seared into his flesh with a blazing heat. It felt the way he imagined it would be like to be branded, but left no mark. The longer it was pressed against his skin the more intense it became. His nerves sang out a desperate warning believing that they were being cooked.

Daniel hated screaming for Tefnut and did everything he could to avoid it. As the unusual heat became increasingly agonizing he clawed at the marble floor as he panted heavily. The Prime growled in frustration and switched contact to directly behind Daniel's ear.

He didn't know why the searing was so much less bearable against his neck, but there was no denying that it was. Finally pushed past his limit cried out and jerked away. Anytime Daniel moved without permission the Prime rewarded him with a sharp kick to the ribs with his heavily armored foot.

Daniel's yelp of pain turned to a deep growl of frustration. He resisted the temptation to just rush at Tefnut and get himself killed again. Knowing that the only thing he'd accomplish would be another addicted stay in the sarcophagus Daniel reined in his temper. He got back to his knees and waited patiently.

"Where is the Reck'nis that you stole?"

"I didn't steal anything." Daniel replied honestly.

"Where is it?" Tefnut repeated angrily as he went to signal the Prime.

"No, wait...I...I have it. Hang on, I'll get it for you." Daniel stuttered as he patted down his pockets. "Damn...I'm sorry, I must have left it in my other pants. How about this, let me go home and I'll mail it back to you"

To Daniel's surprise Tefnut smiled. With his stomach firmly knotted Daniel was trying to cope with his capture the only way he knew how: by taking a few pages out of Jack's book of sarcasm. It worked surprisingly well and was helping him keep his sanity while he waited for a rescue that may never come.

"How did you even get into my palace? You must know someone within my walls." Tefnut mused. "Who are they?"

"It's him." Daniel replied as he motioned to the Prime standing behind him. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but we're best friends. Isn't that ri..."

Daniel was cut off as the Prime used the metal branding rod as a bat and struck him across the temple. There was a bright white flash upon impact and an over powering wave of nausea. Still infuriated the Jaffa hauled him to his feet and then threw him down on the floor once again. Daniel cried out breathlessly as the Prime's heavy boot slammed down on his lower back. He tried to fight back, or at the very least defend himself, however his body was not interested in cooperating.

"That's enough." Tefnut said casually. "Believe me, Laris, I do not doubt your loyalty."

"Thank you, Lord Tefnut."

Tefnut was about to say more when another Jaffa entered in a hurry. The new comer raced up and fell to his knees.

"My Lord, the Cha'pa'i has opened once again."

"Has anyone dared to come through?"

"No. The connection was very brief and there is now signs that a ship may be approaching, they are trying to use the asteroid belt to disguise their movements. I believe an attack is being coordinated."

"It would appear your friends still desire to have you back." Tefnut chuckled to Daniel. "Perhaps they will be willing to make a trade."

"No, they are simply coming to kill you." Daniel replied weakly.

He was starting to lose focus, something wasn't right, but through the haze of his throbbing temple he couldn't figure it out. Tefnut gave the Prime some order to have him taken away. Daniel felt the Prime's strong hands on him, but he did nothing to help the Jaffa.

In the end the Prime and the Jaffa that had joined them were both needed to drag him to a holding cell. They dropped him unceremoniously to the floor and left. Laying on his stomach Daniel turned his bleeding temple to the cold marble to try and ease the swelling.

It seemed as though very little time passed before he was disturbed again. However he reasoned that he might have lost consciousness easily enough. Placing his palms against the floor he propped himself up on his arms. Turning to see his visitor his skin flashed to ice at the sight of the young Tok'ra.

"Melana, get out of here." Daniel hissed quietly. "You can't help me, my friends will take care of this."

"Come on." She ordered. "If I'm going to get you out of here now might be our only chance. Get up."

"I can't."

"Don't be afraid, you can do this. Let's go."

"I'm not afraid." Daniel smiled sadly. "I physically can't leave."

"What?"

"I'm paralyzed at the waist."