Warnings and Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Enjoy.


"The next group has arrived," Zuva called out as they made their way slowly through the forest. Cam nodded. The rest of SG-1 had gated to the planet an hour after they arrived. To help minimize their chances of getting caught, Bailey had decided to bring the Monks through the gate in small groups, getting them situated before bringing the next group through. The strategy worked. Several Monks were patiently waiting for the battle to begin.

Cam was pleasantly surprised with their own success as well. Though they could continually hear the Jaffa moving around them, they had yet to encounter any. Several times they had to hide while a patrol passed them, and there was this one time when a Jaffa stumbled out of the forest right on top of the group. Cam thought for sure they had been spotted and instinctively tried to raise his gun only to find himself immobilized. Fortunately the Jaffa's gaze swept right over them before he stomped back into the forest.

"Thank you," Cam said, knowing what happened by the strain on the Monks's faces. They bowed and continued on their way. Thankfully the encounters with the Jaffa lessened the closer they got to the cliffs.

"Our destination approaches," Teal'c said from his spot up front. Glancing through the last few trees they could see the large, open area that separated the cliff from the forest.

"Jaffa will be monitoring," Briok reminded them.

"Then it's time to start this war." Cam looked to Zuva who nodded and bowed his head in concentration.

"We have begun our assault," he said, a few seconds later. "Major Bailey wishes you luck."

"It will be a few minutes before news of the attack reaches the forest," Jacob said.

"Take five everybody," Cam ordered, "but be prepared to move as soon as it is clear. How many Jaffa will be watching?" he asked, turning around when no answer was forthcoming. "Briok?" Everyone turned at his panicked voice. Teal'c immediately scanned the area, his staff weapon raised; looking for signs the Jaffa had found them. The bushes rattling nearby made everyone jump.

"Come out with your hands up," Cam ordered, raising his own weapon. A few seconds later Briok slowly emerged, hands held above his head. "What were you doing?" Cam demanded.

"I was… you know," Briok replied, pointing at the bushes. Cam felt his face start to turn red, but wasn't going to let down his guard that easily.

"Why didn't you answer us?"

"I was distracted," Briok shrugged. "I've never been a woman before and it was interesting."

"What?" Jacob growled, jumping towards him. Selmak took control just before he was able to hurt the man inhabiting his daughter's body.

"Fine," Cam relented, finally lowering his gun as the blush spread further over his forehead. "Next time just let us know. And Vala goes with you."

"Excuse me?" Vala shot a death glare at him. Cam was saved when Zuva spoke out.

"The Jaffa are leaving." Teal'c and Jacob shot to the front of the group, their keen eyesight able to distinguish the Jaffa as they moved from their posts toward the fighting.

"The tunnel?" Cam asked, looking at Zuva. Everyone tensed as he closed his eyes and concentrated. The whole plan hinged on Pandora not running.

"The tunnel remains clear," he said after several minutes. They breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's go," Cam said before he sprinted across the field. For several minutes everyone was horribly exposed, anyone walking the wall could see them in the short grass of the field. There was little they could do for coverage except run faster. It was with great relief they reached the base of the cliff. "Where's the cave?" Cam asked between breathes.

"About fifty feet up," Briok answered, leaning over to try and catch his own breath. "We need to climb." Teal'c nodded and began the climb. With his skill he was able to find the easiest path up the cliff, but it was still treacherous. Several times they would have fallen if not for the Monks help. Finally Teal'c found where a small cave had formed inside the cliff. He turned when he reached the top, helping the others over the last ledge.

"Never again," Vala shrieked as Teal'c helped pull her onto solid ground. She took a few steps and collapsed against the cave, mimicking the people who had already completed the climb. "No wonder she thought the cliff would be impenetrable. We're probably the only ones stupid enough to try to climb these things."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed, allowing himself a moment to rest once everybody had reached the safety of the cave. "These cliffs are quite formidable."

"The tunnel is still clear," Zuva told them again after everybody was rested. "This is where our journey ends."

"Thanks," Cam said, extending his hand. Zuva looked confused until understanding crossed his face and he shook the offered hand. He proceeded to shake everyone's hand, pausing when he reached Briok. Zuva studied his eyes intently.

"I am truly sorry about what Pandora did to your ancestors," Briok told him sincerely, not looking away from the intense scrutiny. "What we did."

"It is forgiven," the Monk replied, offering his hand. Briok gratefully shook it, a look of great relief passing over his face. "This battle will be glorious. We will see you soon on the victor's field."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed as he led the group into the tunnels. They curved and rose with the flow of the cliffs until they reached a stairway.

"Great. Stairs," Vala sighed. She looked up but couldn't see through the darkness to where the stairs ended.

"There's treasure at the end of these stairs," Cam said, taking the lead and starting the long climb.

"I don't want treasure," she pouted, following him up. "I just want Daniel. Of course," she brightened up after a few minutes, "this could count as my workout for the week. Nothing like stairs to firm up my buttocks."

"I believe Daniel Jackson would appreciate your firm buttocks," Teal'c said suddenly. Everyone froze at the remark, except Cam who took a misstep instead, crashing loudly to his knees.

"You got him to tell a joke?" Cam asked, gingerly getting to his feet again. "He's never told a joke for me before." Vala giggled.

"I often find it unnecessary for humorous commentary when I am in your presence Colonel Mitchell." Teal'c kept a straight face, but laughter rang out from the rest of the group.

"Hey," Cam objected, but he had a smile on his face too. He could bear the brunt of the jokes if it kept the gloomy melancholy away they were fighting. The group laughed and joked as they made their way further up the stairs, eventually finding the top which led to another tunnel. The jovial mood gradually turned more serious as they made their way to the end of the tunnel. Finally they found the door.

Everyone raised their weapons. They could hear movement on the other side of the door. Cam nodded and Teal'c pushed the door open. Everyone rushed through, weapons raised at the Jaffa they had obviously surprised. "Don't even think about it!" Cam shouted as one of the Jaffa readied his staff weapon. Cam moved quickly, pointing his gun at his head. He nodded in approval as the Jaffa dropped the staff. The sound of other staffs dropping rang out around him.

"Allow me," Briok said from the doorway, hanging back until the room was secure since they didn't trust him enough to have a gun. Cam nodded, his gaze never leaving the Jaffa. It was quite a surprise when the stun grenade rolled through the group and hit his shoe. He had just enough time to look and see Briok's smirking face before the world erupted in light before fading to black.


Cam groaned as he came to. "I'm gonna kill him!" he yelled, pulling himself into a sitting position.

"Get in line," Jacob said beside him. Cam opened his eyes, expecting the darkness but still disconcerted by it. He closed his eyes again and leaned his head back against the wall.

"How long have we been out?"

"About thirty minutes." The unexpected voice had Cam shooting to his feet. He regretted it a moment later when the pounding in his head started. "Vala is working on her beauty sleep to your right and Teal'c is in here with us. No offense, but I didn't want to see you like this."

"C'mon Jack, "Jacob joked, "I thought you liked it when I stopped by."

"Jacob," Daniel started hesitantly, "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Sam's a host."

"You have no idea." He stopped, having an internal conversation with Selmak before speaking again. "I think someone did though."

"He played us again?" Cam asked incredulously. "I am not just gonna kill him. I'm going to make him wishes he was never born."

"Was anything he told us truthful?" Vala asked from her position on the ground. She had obviously woken up a while ago and was listening.

"Reminds me of our first interaction with you," Cam said, waving his hand in front of his face to see if the blindness was wearing off yet.

"Hey," Vala retorted. "I was not that bad. I was nearly always almost truthful with you." Jack laughed from across the room. He had given up SG-1 by the time Vala came so didn't interact with her very much, but he remembered the stories that circulated the SGC for months, even after she had been accepted into the family. "And I have proven myself, unlike Briok who continually shows why you can't trust a rogue."

"Says the thief," Daniel pointed out. Cam laughed.

"His reliability is right there with the Tok'ra" Cam said. "No offense Selmak."

"None taken," Selmak answered, "though this experience is making me reevaluate our dealings with the SGC in the past. I am beginning to understand why you were so frustrated when we withheld certain details from you."

"Thank you," Jack rejoiced from his cell. "Now can you please tell me what you're doing here?"

"Well," Cam started, happy that his eyesight had returned enough to look in the general direction Jack was waiting. "We're here to rescue you."

"And I can see things are going exactly according to plan," Jack remarked sarcastically.

"Unfortunately O'Neill," Teal'c sat up, looking him directly in the eye, "this is the plan. Simply not ours."

"What?" Daniel asked, but Cam didn't have the energy to answer him. He slowly lowered himself to the ground, leaning his head back on the wall again. First they needed to get their sight back, and then they needed to get out of these cages. Then they could hunt down that two-timing, backstabbing bastard.


Jacob sighed as Cam passed in front of him again. His pacing was starting to get on the older man's nerves. Their eyesight had returned hours ago. They had spent a few minutes examining their cell, but without any real hope of success. If Jack and Daniel hadn't been able to find a way out in the time since their kidnapping it was doubtful they would.

"Cameron," Vala sighed loudly. "Can't you please sit down? You're making me dizzy."

"I'm sorry I can't get as comfortable as you are," he retorted, "but someone has to be thinking of a way out."

"I'm not comfortable," she chided. "Something keeps poking me in the back." She reached around, trying to get whatever it was that was pinching her.

"Boo hoo, you're sleeping on a rock," Cam said as he resumed his pacing.

"Not a rock," she complained before turning to Jacob. "Could you?"

"Sure," he sighed, moving to kneel behind her. He couldn't see anything poking at her so he slowly put ran his hands over her back. His eyes widened in surprise. "Lift your shirt up," he told her.

"What is it?" Daniel asked as Vala obeyed. Jacob didn't answer, instead running his hands over her bra.

"These were tucked into the straps," he said after a few minutes. He opened his palm and showed the two strips of metal that he found.

"We're saved," Jack called out sarcastically from his cell. Vala, on the other hand, grabbed the strips and bolted to the door. A few minutes later the door opened. "We are saved?"

"Lock picks," she told them, heading to the other cell's door while Jacob and Cam scrambled out after her. "Primitive but effective." Soon the other door was open. "Now where?" Vala asked, pocketing the strips.

"The throne room," everyone answered simultaneously. Jack and Daniel took the lead, having made the trip several times before. Surprisingly they encountered no Jaffa during their journey, a fact that Jack found quite suspicious. Cam shrugged, unwilling to tell him the plan in such a precarious position.

They could hear screaming as they got closer to the throne room. Crossing the threshold they stumbled into a scene that would haunt them forever. Pandora, in Sam's body, was standing on the dais, eyes flashing in fury with her hand device activated. It was pointing at Briok, also in Sam's body, who was standing a few steps down. His eyes also gleamed in anger and in his hand was the hara'kesh, which was active and pointing directly at Pandora's forehead. The four Monks were standing behind Briok, their heads bent in concentration. Jaffa were scattered behind Pandora, each with blood dripping from their nose, eyes, and ears. They were twitching clumsily on the floor while the two Sams engaged in a mental battle of wills.

Suddenly Pandora shrieked, her eyes flashing in anger. Everyone thought she had lost until suddenly one of the Jaffa behind her screamed. They watched as he convulsed violently, the life literally draining from his skin. As he died they could see Pandora's hand device glow brighter. She smiled wildly as the next Jaffa started to scream.

Briok cried as the new assault caused him to lose his footing, but before he could fall the Monks had rushed up, each placing a hand on his back and holding him up. His own weapon lit up brighter as the Monks suddenly shared their own power with him. Pandora screamed, grabbing more power from the Jaffa who just entered the room, only to be countered by Briok a second later. Nobody knew how long the battle lasted, each device growing brighter and brighter as each of them tried to best the other, until suddenly the two devices connected and the resulting blast blew the fortress apart.