A/N: Than you Max, Cryogenie, and MsJonyReb for the reviews! I'm trying to make the chapters longer, which shouldn't be much of a problem since this is a WIP. Special thanks to DCJ for the planet name :-D lol.
Thanks again everyone for the reviews!
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Jack retreated to his office, or old office. But since they hadn't cleaned it out since he retired not even two months ago, and no one took the room, here he sat. He had been given an hour of prep time before going to planet PX3-247, "Home of the tree-people." He muttered leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the desk. A zat gun sat on the far left corner next to three grenades, the only weapons that could take the natives of PX3-247 down.
The people of PX3-247, or Entwhistle as they so fondly called their planet, (which Jack would refuse tocall and instead mentally renamed it 'Doomed'.) could morph their bodies into large… well they looked like trees to Colonel Jack O'Neill. The A' Kinas would, when angered, melt to the ground and then suddenly shoot up reaching well over 7 feet tall, sprouting several long skeletal like arms, and their skin thickening like tree bark. They truly looked like something from an old episode of the 'Twilight Zone'.
"What the Hell…?" Jack could remember him as well as Carter muttering at the same time as several of the villagers morphed into monsters. He could remember looking over his shoulder at Carter in surprise and the small shrug she gave him in response.
The door swung open and he sat forward glaring at Teal'c as he entered the room, "Are you ready O'Neill?" He asked in his naturally deep monotone-like voice.
Jack climbed to his feet grabbing his zat gun and the three grenades putting them in his vest, "Yea, let's go."
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Small strands of light escaped through the cracks of the door into the small cave-like cell Daniel Jackson quietly resided in for the time being. It had been, he guessed from observing the way the light disappeared and the reappeared every so often, that it had been three days since he'd been captured. Maybe even four…
It had been two days since he last ate, having run out of energy bars and whatnot the first day he was there, thinking he'd be leaving shortly.
Two days since he'd had a drink of water and was now in the midst of a terrible migraine.
Three days since he'd had some place warm to sleep, since the dark little cave he was in was nowhere near as warm as one would like to think. He shivered trying to curl up tighter than he already was, lying on his side, knees pressed to his chest while his arms wrapped around his legs.
There was a commotion outside followed by shouting and then the door to the cell flew open flooding the small room with light. "Jack?" He whispered, his voice hoarse and airy from lack of use and water. Daniel's eyes burned at the intensity of it, and having gotten used to being in the dark for so long. He hissed squeezing his eyes shut and covering them with his hands smearing mud and dirt over his face and glasses. More shouts and then the door slammed shut leaving Daniel and someone else now in complete darkness once again.
He eased his eyes open at the curse that echoed throughout the room then, "Daniel!?"
Jack knelt down by Daniel's side helping him up, "You okay? We're gonna get outta here as soon as Teal'c gets back with backup." He pressed a canteen to Daniel's lips, "Here."
Daniel drank greedily but forced himself to stop once it was half empty, "You mean," He whispered trying to regain his voice, "You only came with Teal'c?"
"Well…" Jack shifted sitting on his butt instead of on his haunches, "They wanted to fu-" He caught himself swallowing thickly knowing he'd start to vent on the last person he wanted too, "They wanted to negotiate. Wanted one of our zats in trade for you."
Daniel leaned a little against Jack suddenly feeling lightheaded, "Why didn't you?" Lack of food and water was making him think incoherently, and the fact that he'd been locked in a dark room for three days straight.
"If they're invulnerable to our weapons and got a hold of Goa'uld technology… I don't want to even think of the outcome of that!"
"Yea… guess you're right." Daniel mumbled.
"They took all my weapons and stuff but-" Jack searched through his vest pulling out an energy bar, "Teal'c told me you've been here for nearly a week…" He scowled handing over the energy bar to Daniel who tore the wrapper off and quickly ate it, "Sorry, only brought one." He sighed patting his pockets thoughtfully.
"Thanks.." Daniel grunted feeling slightly better.
Jack nodded climbing to his feet, "No problem." He said walking towards the door.
"I wouldn't-" Daniel tried to warn him but was too late as a loud crackle of energy echoed throughout the room followed by a burst of light and Jack falling to the ground with a crisp thud, "Do that." Daniel finished weakly.
"Ow…" Jack mumbled twitching on the ground.
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A day passed making Jack feel slightly worried, but he'd be damned to let Daniel on to that fact. Daniel lay on his side curled up against the wall just like howJack had found him the previous day. Jack sat on his haunches in front of the door just outside it's zapping zone and waited, every now and then he would stand up and pace about the room then return to that position.
"We're gonna die in here if you don't give us something to drink!" He finally screamed at the door and was surprised when it snapped open and one of the A' Kinas in human form entered with a tray of what appeared to be food and water.
The man, appearing to be in his early twenties and a steroid fanatic, glared at the two in disgust, "Here." He grunted dropping the tray to the floor and walked out.
Jack scowled, "Thanks!" He called out sarcastically before finding what was left of the food and water. He made Daniel drink first then drank what was left himself.
"Danny," He called softly finding what appeared to be in the dim light by the door, a piece of fruit, "Eat this." He handed the fruit over to Daniel who slowly put the fruit to his mouth and bit into it.
Jack waited for the sound of Daniel eating before turning and finding something for himself to eat. After cleaning the ground of the food Jack moved over to Daniel's side handing him another piece of fruit before setting two full pear-like things on the ground. "You alright?" He asked trying to help Daniel up into a sitting position. He could tell that his best friend was slowly slipping out of his mind. They must have done something to him before locking him in the cell, Jack determined shooting a quick glare at the door.
"Where the Hell is Teal'c?" He growled mentally allowing Daniel to slump against his side slightly.
Daniel let out something that sounded like a whimper followed by soft hiccups, "Daniel?" Jack squinted in the dark at his friend but couldn't see anything but Daniel's outline, "You okay?"
"We're not gonna get out of here are we?" Daniel sniffed and Jack could feel him trembling against his shoulder.
"Teal'c's getting backup."
"Bullshit!" Daniel snapped jerking away from Jack, "He's not coming back! He's abandoned us! Left us here to rot and went to some other planet!"
Jack swung his fist in Daniel's direction coming in contact with what he believed was the other man's arm, "Shut up Daniel!" He shouted silencing Daniel's ranting, "Teal'c will come back! They won't leave us here." He added softly talking more to himself than the man now lying on the ground shivering.
Jack sighed grabbing the last two pieces of food and felt his way over to Daniel putting them by his head, "Here." He muttered before climbing to his feet and standing guard in front of the door again.
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A/N: Please, please, review!
