A/N: First file I uploaded with this chapter ended up corrupted, so I've deleted it and resubmitted. Thanks for your patience.
Summit – Daniel Serves /Extended Scene
Jacob motioned for Daniel to take his position at the end of a long curtain that divided Yu's private chambers from a small kitchen area. His left shoulder brushing against the plush red fabric, Daniel crouched and extended the zat towards his target – the unprotected back of Yu's Lo'taur, Jarren. The trip from the ring-room had been uneventful – uneventful but nerve wracking. Jacob was playing his role as a minor Goa'uld toadying up to the great System Lord Yu to the hilt, and his Selmac voice and casual cruelty made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Explaining Daniel away to the Jaffa guards stationed outside the ring room as a humorous offering to the System Lord, Jacob's light cuff to the back of his head had sent Daniel sprawling, and he'd barely retained his hold on his slave role in time to drop his head and act submissive when the Jaffa laughed and prodded him playfully. Following Jacob down the maze-like hallways, his eyes fixed firmly to the hem of the Tok'ra's ornate robe, Daniel concentrated on the last minute instructions Jacob had given him just before they'd ringed to the surface. Don't sleep. Make yourself useful. Stimulants every ten hours. And a little blue pill when it all comes crashing down around his head as it tends to do all too often. Got it.
Jacob stepped out into the room, glancing back at Daniel quickly before addressing the slave. "Jarren."
"My lord does not wish to be disturbed at this time," the slave didn't turn, but finished pouring steaming water into a small, dark teapot, and part of Daniel's mind wondered if the chemical in the ring would change Yu's perception of his voice as well as his physical appearance. The other part of his brain was too busy squeezing off a shot that enveloped Jarren in a cocoon of blue sparks just as he placed the teapot back on the open flame. Daniel rose to his feet in one movement and hurried around the fallen slave as Jacob grasped the man firmly by the arms and began dragging him towards a storage room down the hall. Jacob hadn't gone into many details in his explanation of how he'd keep Yu's forces from finding out that his Lo'taur hadn't accompanied his Master on this trip to the summit after all, and Daniel didn't ask too many questions – he'd received enough information lately concerning things he'd rather not know.
Daniel couldn't help staring at the slave's unconscious face. The slight Asian cast to his features made sense if Lord Yu had taken his original slave population from the ancestors of what were now the Chinese and Japanese peoples – the wide facial structure and folded eyelids were prominent attributes of the race. The slave's hair was just as short as Daniel's, but the facial hair was a bit of a surprise – plus the fact that the guy was shorter but had about 20 pounds on Daniel. Just how good was this Reol chemical anyway?
"You know I don't look a thing like this guy," he observed nervously.
"Well, luckily for this work you don't have to," Jacob reminded him. He looked up from his stooped position over the slave into Daniel's eyes. "You'll be fine," Jacob insisted calmly, and watched as Daniel mentally braced himself. "Just remember to pour from the right." That earned him the desperate flash of a smile before Daniel turned away to hide the zat in a nearby cabinet.
Daniel turned his back on Jacob, the slave, and his own existence as anything but the trusted Lo'taur of the oldest System Lord and picked up the tea tray, moving swiftly into the adjoining lounge area where Yu always had tea at this time of the afternoon. Jacob's intel told him that Yu and Jarren would be leaving for the summit in less than an hour – that their tel'tac was prepped and ready for them and they'd fly through the night to arrive at the summit the following morning. Being alone with Yu gave Daniel a much better chance of pulling off this impersonation, unless you factored in the part about being alone with Yu, he added to himself wryly. Daniel knew he had no more time to prepare– Yu would awaken shortly – and he tried to submerge his mind in Goa'uld, sifting all of his thoughts through the filter of the alien culture and language as he'd done on so many off-world meet-n-greets. The quickest way to make a mistake was to translate; Daniel had to switch off every language but Goa'uld, every cultural imperative but his slave status, every knee-jerk reaction to outside stimuli except that which would be appropriate to his station. This was true anthropology, becoming a member of your subject culture rather than an outside observer. He'd done it before, he reminded himself, of course, not with the weight of current expectations hanging over him or at such personal risk, but he had to allow those concerns to fall away. There was only now and there was only here. He could do this.
His quick footsteps took him into the center of the lounge and he glanced around for a place to put the tray. A long, low table swept down the center of the room, flanked by plush red chaises with heavy rolled arms for lounging. The table itself was burnished to a high shine that reflected the flickering lights of the flames that burned fiercely in scattered braziers, and the wall screens effectively gave the room an aura of privacy from prying eyes. He noticed the high counter set at the near end and Daniel set the tray down, reviewing the intricacies of the tea service as Jacob had explained it – not quite the full tea ceremony of the ancient Orient, but still a ritual that required precise timing and movement. Daniel frowned, mentally rehearsing the proper steps and making sure of the placement of the items on the tray when he caught the sound of footfalls behind him. He stiffened, a burst of rage consuming all of his well-placed arguments about cultural submersion and mission objectives. Suddenly all he could see was Shar'e's dead face.
He'd been lying to himself. This wasn't just another alien culture; this was a Goa'uld, the closest thing to pure evil that he'd ever known. This was the oldest living System Lord – not Apophis, not the one who'd stolen his wife from him forever, not the one who'd brainwashed Teal'c's son to use against him or tortured Sam in Netu, but the next worst thing. How could he possibly act the submissive loyal servant to one of these snakes long enough to win his trust, and, god, why should he even try?
"Kel shak, Jarren?" Yu's distorted voice held a greeting and a question. Daniel fought the urge to launch himself at this… thing… and wrap his hands around its throat. He frowned, searching for strength, for focus on this greater duty that he'd been thrust into. His enemy was here, right here, why wasn't he moving, striking, instead of standing here, muscles locked into immobility? A wash of futility settled over him like a cloak. Maybe Jack was right. He shouldn't have been trusted with something like this when he couldn't even make himself reach out and take the life of one of these things alone and unguarded. That's not the plan, Daniel; get your head out of your ass. Jack's command voice cut through his churning emotions and snapped his eyes wide, as effectively derailing his despair as if the man were standing there, a familiar snide, superior look on his face. Daniel looked down and turned the ring so that the point faced his palm, waiting, thoughts firmly locked onto one goal - getting the needle point of his ring into Yu's skin before he called his Jaffa. No matter what happened next, or didn't happen, he was standing here in Yu's stronghold holding a weapon that could either cripple the Goa'uld forever or, if it fell into the Goa'uld's hands, kill off the remaining Tok'ra just as easily.
"Aric kree, Onac!" Angry now, Yu's demand could be loosely translated as, who the hell are you? Still Daniel waited, working to shore up his mental defenses and draw a mask of servility over his features, hoping the System Lord would be too incensed by the thought of a mere slave defiantly showing him his back to call for help. The fingers that suddenly clenched around Daniel's left shoulder so tightly that they bruised the bones told him that he'd been right to wait. He spun and grasped Yu's wrist with his right hand, the point of the ring jabbing deeply into the host's flesh. It was now or never. The fury on Yu's face dissolved into confusion and Daniel felt a brief surge of victory over the smug, overbearing alien. The System Lord searched Daniel's face and then let his eyes roam up and down his figure.
"Nis trah Jarren," Daniel forced his voice to softness, knowing that, no matter his Master's questions or behavior, his Lo'taur would immediately react with respect and deference. Okay, Jack, I'll play this role, I'll be Yu's slave and shred my own dignity and soul for your mission. But don't expect to recognize the person who comes back. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head, repeating the Goa'uld phrase. "I am your loyal servant Jarren." Not stubborn Dr. Daniel Jackson, not Shar'e's vengeful husband, certainly not a valued member of SG-1 - Daniel firmly convinced himself as well as his Goa'uld Master.
Yu unclenched his fingers and withdrew his hand, his face returning to its customary haughty expression as he gazed down on the bowed head of his slave. "Rise." His eyes never left the calm features of the Lo'taur as Daniel stood quietly under his scrutiny. After a moment Yu turned and stepped away and Daniel felt his tight muscles relax just a bit, knowing that the act of showing 'Jarren' his back displayed Yu's complete belief that the slave was neither a threat nor worthy of his respect. Jarren knew his place. The System Lord clasped his hands behind his back and shifted once again to watch his Lo'taur. "I will have my tea."
Daniel quickly picked up the tray, every inch Yu's personal slave eager to please his Master, and followed the Goa'uld to the low table. He felt Yu's stare and knew that it never wavered as he knelt beside the comfortably seated Goa'uld and began the ritual of the tea service. He bowed, forehead touching the floor briefly before setting the cup before his Master and, pouring slowly so that the aroma of the tea would fill the room, he did not even flinch when Yu drew the back of his knuckles down the sensitive skin inside Daniel's forearm in a caress.
"Is all prepared for the journey?" the Goa'uld asked, drawing Daniel's eyes away from their focus on the table setting to flick to his face.
"Yes, my lord," Daniel ducked his head quickly, hoping that Jacob's information was right and that it was true. If the real Jarren hadn't already finished his preparations in the tel'tac, Yu would likely begin suspecting a rat before the journey began. That would be bad. He placed the teapot back on the tray and concentrated on arranging the dish of bite sized savories next to his Master's cup at the proper distance and angle.
Yu dropped his hand to stroke Daniel's thigh once before reaching for his cup. "This pleases me."
Daniel breathed slowly, in and out, keeping his face carefully blank while denying his body the immediate shudder of revulsion it so craved at the intimate contact. Jarren expected, even welcomed this, but, inside, Daniel cursed and leaped on a way to divert Yu's attention.He hesitated for a second, head still bowed at Yu's side before he looked up. "Do you have any final instructions, my lord?"
Yu picked up a morsel from the plate and turned to meet Daniel's eyes. "You have eaten?"
His mind spun, quickly sorting through every book he'd ever read about ancient oriental culture. Slaves did not eat with their masters unless ordered to do so, and the implication of the question seemed to be that Jarren would have taken care of his own needs before his Master awoke so that his every attention could be focused on his service. Daniel risked a nod.
"Very good," Yu replied, holding Daniel's gaze while he placed the tiny dried cake into his mouth and chewed slowly. "I find myself eager to begin this journey to meet with my colleagues," Yu drenched the word with malice and his lips curled in scorn. "The fools," he added a moment later, his gaze wandering to stare into the distance as if focused on a scene that played out within his long memories. "Time is vast and they worry over trifles."
Clearly no response was expected so Daniel kept still, content that the System Lord's thoughts were on something besides his Lo'taur for the moment. The Goa'uld ate and drank with small, delicate movements and Daniel waited patiently, attentively, pouring again as Yu's subtle body language prompted, earning another fleeting touch on his arm. Smoothing an ornately brocade napkin over his lips, Yu stood and Daniel began reaching out to collect the tea things from the table when the light brush of two fingers against his jaw stopped him. He looked up into the Goa'uld's dark, steady gaze, his heart beating wildly in his chest.
"Leave it for the others," Yu ordered, motioning for his slave to rise to his feet. Daniel stood and kept his eyes down, watching Yu fold his hands into his wide sleeves. "Jarren." The single name snapped from the Goa'uld's throat and drew Daniel's head up abruptly. "You accompany me on this journey as my Lo'taur, first among my servants, honored at your distinction. This will serve as a test of your loyalty, devotion, and value."
Daniel nodded, opening his mouth to assure the Goa'uld of his awareness of the weight of his trust but Yu's raised hand halted him again. Yu's eyes narrowed in a brief flash of gold that caught Daniel's breath in his throat and threatened to undo his tight control. His stiff fingers found the edge of Daniel's jaw and clamped there like a vise, holding his head firmly as he leaned closer. "Fail me and your punishment shall be swift." The fingers released their grip slowly and Yu stroked his thumb along the bruise that would shortly form beneath Daniel's jaw line. "Please me and your reward will be equally rich."
"My only reward," Daniel held his gaze and his voice level, "is to continue in your service, my lord."
Yu regarded him closely for a long moment before allowing his hand to find its way back to its place within the silk of his sleeve. He turned, nodding to himself, and strode towards the door. "As it should be."
Daniel tightened his lips at the retreating figure until they were white before composing himself and straightening his belt. A few seconds later Jarren followed his Master from the room.