EARTH—SGC

Jack came storming into the control room. His patience was as extinct as the dinosaurs. "Anything?"

"No, sir," Sergeant Davis answered. "Thor's letting us patch into his comm system, but he hasn't received any new transmissions."

"Has he tried contacting Angrboda?"

"Every half hour like clockwork, sir. No reply."

"Dial tone?"

"No, sir."

"Busy signal?"

"No."

"Operator saying this call can't go through?"

The sergeant glanced up at the colonel and shook his head. "Major Carter and Teal'c are in General Hammond's office. We did receive a message from the Tok'ra."

"Good news?"

"Not really, sir. I just sent them the decrypted message and was about to call you. Apophis seems to have disappeared from his ha'tak."

"Damn," Jack muttered as he rushed toward the general's office. He knocked on the door and breezed in without waiting for permission to enter. Sam and Teal'c were standing there, Hammond sitting behind his desk, all three looking at him as he stood in the doorway. "Bad news, huh?"

"Yes, sir," Sam answered. "The Tok'ra Intel have no reports on Apophis' location. They haven't heard from their agents posted in Apophis' ship, but communiqués to and from that site are difficult. The timing of transmissions is crucial."

"What does Jacob think?"

"He does not know," Teal'c said. "General Carter believes that the ship would have returned to Netu and its relative safety if Apophis were aboard. However, he has also stated that their information may be mistaken."

"So, what do you think is going on? Is Pops taking a little sight-seeing tour of the galaxy on a rented cargo ship?" Jack asked.

"It may be worse, Colonel," Hammond added. "Jacob sent me a coded message as well. It appears as if Apophis had an ulterior motive. He had been making arrangements to go to Abydos for some days before this occurred. This information came from a Tok'ra contact on Netu."

"And they didn't think that was important enough to tell us ahead of time? Anything else?"

"Not much, only that Apophis had kept his plans secret from everyone. He worked alone on this, whatever this is."

"How do Daniel and Kasuf fit into it?" That was what confused Jack the most. Apophis hated Daniel, but why go after Kasuf? And what about the woman Malthus saw being taken with Daniel?

"We don't know yet, but it's too convenient that Apophis was there when Doctor Jackson arrived on Abydos. It seems to be—"

"Arranged," Jack muttered loudly. "How did Apophis know Daniel was going to be there?" His voice trailed off.

"O'Neill?" Teal'c asked at Jack's unusual behavior. "What is wrong?"

"Daniel went because Kasuf asked him to go. If Apophis was controlling Kasuf somehow, then the plan may have been to capture Daniel all along." Jack wondered if Daniel would be proud of him. He wasn't usually given to leaps of logic the way the younger man was, but Jack had his moments.

"Quite possibly," Teal'c agreed. "Daniel Jackson has angered a great many System Lords. They do not understand how a scholar is capable of engaging the enemy and claiming victory over them. It is an insult to be defeated by such an individual. Also, Apophis is aware that Daniel Jackson knows the location of the child. That may have been the deciding factor in capturing him."

"The kid?" Jack almost shouted. "All this for the kid?"

"He is Harcesis, O'Neill. Apophis wishes the child to be his next host. As a Harcesis, the child's value is indeterminable. That fact taken into consideration with the animosity Apophis feels for Daniel Jackson is ample reason for the kidnapping."

"But we know the kid's on Kheb, wherever Kheb is. Why didn't Apophis go after any of the rest of us?"

"Truthfully, sir," Sam said as she sat down, "Speaking from the female point of view, I think Apophis hates Daniel because he was Sha'uri's husband. I don't know what they talked about when Apophis was our prisoner, but Daniel was alone with him for a while. I do know that they spoke of Sha'uri, and I'm sure Amaunet told Apophis everything she learned from Sha'uri. I would assume that there's some rivalry, at least on Apophis' part. Plus, Daniel wasn't very nice to him when he was here. I'm sure he wants to get even."

Simple, petty revenge? Why not? It was as good a reason as any.

"Regardless," Hammond pointed to the paperwork on his desk, "the President has given me orders to officially cease looking for Doctor Jackson in forty-eight hours if we don't receive word otherwise."

"General," three voices rang out in unison but were silenced by a calming raised hand.

"We won't stop searching. It just won't be an officially sanctioned search. Doctor Jackson has gone without food or sleep or rest of any kind to help search for other people in this command, and this command will do the same for him." The blunted reference to the Antarctic adventure was clear. "Let's just hope that we hear good news soon."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

ASGARD SHIP

The servants were gone, transported back to the ha'tak, leaving the two Asgard, Daniel/Apophis and Sha'uri alone.

"Now, free my Dan'yel," Sha'uri demanded. "Apophis—"

"Apophis is ours to contend with as Amaunet was yours," Loki corrected her gently. "I am awaiting Angrboda. She wishes to be here to see both justice and revenge visited upon our children's murderer. I promised to free you both, and I shall keep that promise. Doctor Jackson, did Apophis see what happened to his mate?"

See it? Daniel had a raging headache from Apophis' thrashing around and screams of anguish. Add that in with the Blood of Sokar flaring up uncontrollably, and he was in dire straits. Yeah, Apophis saw everything. "Yes. He did." Hang on, Jackson, just a little longer …

"And you and Sha'uri have gained some measure of vengeance?"

Ah. The chance. Loki had given them the chance to get back some of their own.

"We have," Sha'uri agreed happily. "For once, I am happy to see a creature die. The Goa'uld are not intelligent beings. They are cruel, heartless animals that should be destroyed. Amaunet's death means one less demon to kill."

Angrboda entered the chamber, her demeanor showing no signs of outward eagerness. "Now, we shall take our revenge on Apophis," she stated firmly. She moved her hand over a wall panel. Another Asgard healing chamber materialized, but it wasn't empty. Inside was the scribe, Apophis' former host. Loki had made the scribe's body disappear from the pyramid.

"What are you going to do?" Daniel asked cautiously.

Angrboda walked over to the scribe. "This human's consciousness is no more. It has moved on to the next stage. Only the body remains. We will return Apophis to his former residence without trespassing on this human. He has suffered the terrors of being a host for thousands of years. He deserves rest." She turned back to Daniel and motioned toward the healing chamber Sha'uri had risen from. "Doctor Jackson, if you would please lie on the platform, we will remove Apophis. And," she added for good measure, "cure you of the ill-effects of the Blood of Sokar. Afterwards, we will send you to Cimmeria."

Apophis thrashed and screamed, tightening his hold around Daniel's spine! Daniel fell to his knees in pain. Sha'uri held tight to him, trying to keep him upright. "Loki, please!" she begged.

"We must help him to the platform," Loki said. I will not let him suffer one moment longer. I have already let him suffer too much."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

CIMMERIA—CHAPPA'AI

The Chappa'ai had been silent for all of a few hours. Earlier, one man came through the vortex and was transported to Thor's Hammer. Foolish. All Etons that dared to travel to Cimmeria paid the price for their folly. Still, as agreed upon with the Tau'ri, a small group of hunters had been sent to the Hammer to retrieve the innocent host. Gairwyn's duties as mistress of the village had not allowed her to ride to the Chappa'ai to contact Midgard immediately, but a few hours might not make a difference. The Tau'ri would still not be able to question the freed host until he arrived back in the village, and that wouldn't be until the next day.

So, with the fuss of a retrieval underway and her duties completed, allowing her the time to contact her friends on Earth, it was a surprise when Gairwyn saw two people mysteriously appear in a burst of light before the Chappa'ai: one a stranger, one a friend.

"Daniel Jackson!" Gairwyn greeted him warmly. "Your arrival is as welcome as it is unexpected. I was about to contact Midgard. You were sent here by the Asgard?"

Daniel seemed shaken, like he had been drugged and was fighting off the effects. "Please, forgive us," the woman with him said. "Loki freed us of our demons, but we were sent here immediately after the demon Apophis was removed from my husband. He has not had time to recover his strength."

"Demons?" Gairwyn asked.

"Etons," Daniel croaked. Very slowly, he added, "Gairwyn, this is … my wife, Sha'uri. Her … father was possessed by an Eton … as well and was sent here through the … Stargate. Did the Hammer take him?"

His wife? Of course. Kendra had told Gairwyn about Daniel's search to free his wife. By all appearances, he had found her, but she could hear the exhaustion in their voices, could see the tiredness in their eyes. These two had had a hard time of it. Informing Midgard could definitely wait a little longer. "Yes. I have already dispatched hunters to the Hammer to bring him to the village." The relief she saw on their faces spoke volumes. The sight of Sha'uri wrapping her arms around Daniel's waist, him enveloping her in a tight embrace of relief was one Gairwyn felt privileged to see. Kendra had told her many things about being a host. The lack of physical contact, the abuse, the torture … even Kendra appreciated and yearned for another human's touch. She would greet all her friends with a hug, and Gairwyn tried to understand. Seeing Sha'uri and Daniel cling to each other only supported what Kendra had told her. Kendra had also said that the chances of freeing a possessed human were very slim, but here stood two that the Asgard had liberated.

Miracles could happen.

"The hunters will not return until tomorrow. You are tired," Gairwyn commented. "Come. You will have the hospitality of my village. Nightfall will soon be upon us. Some food and rest will help you see things more clearly."

"We do not wish to impose—" Sha'uri started to say but was stopped by Gairwyn's upraised hand.

"You won't be. I am honored to have you as my guests."

Exhaustion was joined with gratitude. "Thank you, Gairwyn," Daniel said. "We'd be grateful for your hospitality."

~o~o~o~

As they walked slowly into the village, Gairwyn noticed that her guests were growing wearier. Their gait was rather slow and their steps uneven. It must have been a difficult day for them. She gave orders for fire, food and shelter to be made ready for their visitors. They were, but she suspected they were extraordinarily hungry.

Gairwyn led them to the small dwelling near her own house just as a young woman was leaving. She had started a fire in the hearth and hung a kettle of stew on the tripod. Warming rocks had been placed under some blankets on the hastily made pallet, and lanterns were hung on the walls driving back the cloudy darkness.

"Please. Sit," she told them. She didn't receive an argument. They sat on the pallet, their faces mirroring the exhaustion she knew they felt. Just as she began to ladle some stew into bowls, the protestations started.

"Gairwyn, please, we can—"

"Daniel, you and Sha'uri are my guests. And as my guests, I will serve you." She handed them the stew and motioned for them to eat. "Eat now. We'll talk afterwards."

They did eat. With great enthusiasm. Gairwyn had been right. Their exhaustion hadn't affected their appetites. Regardless, the first bowl of stew was devoured in silence. The second bowl was another story. Gairwyn asked them what had happened.

It was an interesting story.

"Loki played a joke on them. He placed a small device in us that could control the symbiotes as well as keeping them from getting any information. When we had control, we sent Kasuf here," Daniel told her. "Then, Loki took us aboard his ship, I tricked Amaunet into trying to take another host—"

"And killed her before she could," Sha'uri said quietly. "Even though I know it was difficult for him."

"Difficult?" Gairwyn asked? "To kill an Eton?"

"She was helpless," Daniel told her solemnly. "I had hold of her, then I lost control. Maybe I should have done something else –"

"What could you have done that would have punished her as she deserved?" Gairwyn inquired. "And have you not killed Etons before?"

"Yes. Once I shot a tank of infant Goa'ulds. Bra'tac, a Jaffa we've worked with, wasn't very happy with me, but at the time, all I could think of was all the people that would suffer because of them. I couldn't let that happen."

"No, nor could you allow Amaunet to destroy more lives than she already had." Gairwyn was silent for a moment. Then, "What happened then?"

Daniel continued the tale. "Once Loki had removed Apophis from me, he sent us here to find Kasuf. Loki planned it all. It was for revenge. It seems we helped him get it."

"How so?"

"Apophis was inside me, helpless, when I killed his mate. He couldn't stop me. He knew what it felt like to have something he loved taken away from him. I guess I got revenge on him for trying to destroy everything I had."

"What of the Eton that possessed you? This Apophis?" Gairwyn wanted to know.

"I don't know. Loki put him back in his former host … he said that the host isn't there anymore. He's gone. Only his body remains."

"He was a scribe," Sha'uri told her. "I was able to speak to him once when Apophis and Amaunet were asleep, before he was given to Sokar. He apologized to me for everything Apophis had done. I hope he is at rest now. He was a good man and did not deserve his fate. Even my Dan'yel has only sympathy for the host. He does not blame him."

Gairwyn did not miss the look of complete pride Sha'uri gave Daniel. So much to atone for, so much forgiveness from those that had been wronged. Was it wrong for the persecuted to wish revenge on those who persecute them? Three years was a long time to wait. Hate can grow cold as the years pass, and revenge truly was a dish best served cold.

However, stew was a dish best served hot, and her guests looked like they could eat their weight in food. Gairwyn prepared to leave them alone. She suspected that they hadn't had a moment together since this particular adventure happened. "There is enough stew left in the kettle for both of you. There's water in the pitcher and extra blankets in the chest. If you need anything, my home is there, just beyond the well." She pointed toward the house just across from the dwelling. "And I don't mind visitors knocking on my door at all hours of the night." Her smile lit up her face as another welcoming gesture.

"Thank you," Daniel said appreciatively. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

Of course, they would. Sha'uri placed her hand over her mouth to hide a particularly large yawn. Daniel's eyes were blinking, trying to fight off the sleep that was beckoning him. Even though they needed the time alone, Gairwyn knew they needed sleep more. With another assurance of being ready to help them should they want for anything, she left the small dwelling, closing the door tightly behind her.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

ASGARD SHIP

Apophis' eyes opened suddenly. His sleep-muddled brain took a few moments to remember exactly where he was and what had happened—

Amaunet!

Grief and anger overtook him. His queen, his beloved, was dead. Dead by the hands of that … slave! Murdered while Apophis could only watch in impotent horror as the Tau'ri dared to destroy his queen—while the pathetic slave Sha'uri not only supported the killing but also urged Jackson to commit the crime.

They would both pay dearly for what they had done.

Despite his own personal horrors, he had to stay alive. He was lying on the elevated platform. The Asgard were not as interested in luxury and comfort as the Goa'uld. He was extremely uncomfortable. With an effort, he looked down at himself. He noticed familiar fingers and limbs. He had been redeposited in his former host. What? How?

Then he remembered.

It had been the Asgard's plan all along. He remembered the conversation Loki had held with Daniel Jackson when Apophis was trapped helplessly in the depths of the Tau'ri's body.

It should not be. The host should be dead. No host could live after a Goa'uld had abandoned it, especially after so many thousands of years as a vessel for a god. Apophis mentally sought out the scribe, only to find himself surprisingly alone. That was impossible. For the body to be alive, there had to be a … how …

The Asgard.

More evidence began to belie the plan to destroy him. And the Asgard were the wielders.

Feeling stronger than he thought he should, Apophis sat up and looked around the room he was in. He had been moved. He was in a cell on board the Asgard vessel. It was small with the doorway sealed with a force shield. He wouldn't be able to escape that way.

Then he saw them.

Loki and Angrboda were standing silently away from the door leading into the small prison cell. They were watching Apophis. As always, there were no expressions on their faces from which to interpret their emotions. Apophis felt that he was at a decided disadvantage.

"Why have you done this?" Apophis screamed at them. "I will make you pay for what you have done to me and my queen."

Loki just stared at Apophis, his eyes never wavering. "I have merely taken the revenge that was mine to claim as prescribed by the laws existing between the Goa'uld and the Asgard. You sought to inflict a grievous harm upon my family. The law clearly states that I am entitled to restitution for your actions against us."

Revenge?

What revenge?

How could …

Then Apophis remembered something … Loki … Cimmeria … his children …

"You dare seek revenge on a System Lord for executing traitors of the empire? Your children sought our destruction. Did you believe that such insolence would go unpunished?"

Both Asgard remained silently staring at their prisoner.

"Release me!" Apophis ordered. "Do so now and I will not kill you for your arrogance."

Neither Asgard moved.

"Release me!" he repeated.

"Apophis," Angrboda stated firmly and unafraid, "according to standing treaties, no System Lord, either alone or in conjunction with others, may seek out the extermination of any sentient being based solely on the premise of the assumed invention of weapons that may be used on the Goa'uld as a means of defense without proof to the contrary. You are in violation of that order. Your wanton murder of our children is punishable by the Rule of Equal Judgment. Our children were the most important aspect of our lives. As retribution for their murders, you had to relinquish that which you believed most precious. Your queen."

Loki added, "Also, according to those same treaties, no System Lord is allowed to harvest humans as hosts from planets not within his own regime. When you traveled to Abydos, you did not know that Ra was dead. Since no official pronouncement had been issued, you disobeyed that ruling. The System Lords did not look kindly on that."

Angrboda continued the recitation. "Thirdly, since you did violate that ruling and kidnapped Daniel Jackson's wife, Sha'uri, he was entitled to seek revenge against both you and Amaunet according to the laws of Abydos. He claimed his right by executing Amaunet for her crimes. He acceded his right to take vengeance on you to us."

Loki again took the conversation. "Your queen is dead. Your host has been released from his mortal body. We have implanted an inhibiting neural implant directly into your symbiote body so that you will never be able to dominate another host. You were prevented from acquiring any memories from Daniel Jackson but should any memories have been transferred to you, you will retain none of them. The System Lords have been informed of your activities in regard to the taking of hosts on planets not belonging to your regime. Many planets within your regime have already come under attack from your rivals' Jaffa. As the Tau'ri say, to make a long story short, we have taken our revenge for our children's murders. Daniel Jackson has taken his revenge for your crimes against him and his wife. By this time, your Grand Vizier, Varos, may already be executed for his crimes including taking Kasuf as host. As we have said, Abydos is not within your regime, therefore no Goa'uld within your influence is allowed to take hosts from that planet."

Angrboda finished the diatribe. "If you dare to seek further justification for what you believe to be unfounded vengeance, the Asgard will destroy you. For your own safety, you should consider this matter no longer unresolved. We will return you to Netu in due time."

Apophis knew. The Asgard had backed him into a corner. They had bested him by following the rules exactly.

He hated the Asgard.