Apologies for being so late with uploading this chapter - I've had a super-busy week or so! Hope that you all enjoy the continuation of the story, and thanks to those of you who've reviewed. :-)

Chapter 11 Peaceful Explorers

Over the week since SG-1 returned there were a series of meetings. Meetings between Cameron and General Landry ,between Landry and the government – even between Cam and Colonel Carter, way across the galaxy via a wormhole. Landry had called in Daniel, followed by Teal'c and Redwell. The young lieutenant had looked distinctly nervous going in, and even worse coming out. Vala was examined by Dr Lam, who checked her over thoroughly but eventually had to agree that she had behaved herself impeccably while on Kelowna.

Jonas sent detailed reports of all the court proceedings – Landry had looked over them, frowning, then called for Mitchell.

"Sir?" The colonel saluted, arriving at the general's door. His superior motioned for him to come in.

"I'll get straight to the point," the General told the younger man. "The Senate agrees with your mission report, and with all other reports that we have on both the Ori and the Lucian Alliance. The discovery of these crystals and the possibility of using them with naquadria, as a weapon, is unacceptable. You are cleared to go to this 'City of Light' to find out more about where these jewels originate and to broker some kind of treaty if possible, with the inhabitants there. We cannot give the Alliance the opportunity to make such destructive weapons unhindered."

"Agreed, sir," Mitchell nodded. "If we're able to get these other people on our side, we can maybe take over responsibility for the mining and protection of these crystals as well."

"One thing at a time, colonel," Landry said, smiling. "Let's find the blasted things first. SG-1 will have a briefing at 0800 hours tomorrow. You'll then gate out using the co-ordinates which Ms Mal Doran provided, and hope that they take you where you're supposed to be going. Colonel Carter and the George Hammond will meet with you on your arrival. They've been heading in that direction for several days now – I'm sure it won't surprise you to know that."

Mitchell grinned. "No sir."

"Very well." The General stood. "Tell the rest of your team to prepare themselves. Good luck!"

Vala stood in the Gateroom hoisting up her trousers again.

Daniel angled his head at her and frowned.

"They're not comfortable, Daniel!" she snapped, yanking at the belt and almost pulling the buckle off.

"Now then, Princess," Mitchell came up behind her as the first chevron locked. Walter called it from the control room.

Patiently, Dr Jackson tugged his beloved towards him, fiddled with her midriff area and gently pushed her away again.

"Thank you," Mollified, she blinked up at him.

He shook his head at her, smiling.

The fourth and fifth chevrons encoded. Teal'c adjusted his hold on his staff weapon, which he'd decided to get out of mothballs for the mission.

"I sure would like to get the chance to fire that sometime," said young Redwell, to the Jaffa, who smiled and inclined his head.

"It will be an honour to teach you, LieutenantRedwell," he told him. "I look forward to it on our return."

The young lieutenant looked positively chuffed as the seventh chevron locked and they all moved up the ramp.

Landry was watching from the control room, as was his daughter. She glared down at Vala, who waved prettily up in her direction.

"Daniel has the list!" the doctor warned. "If you disobey any of those rules, I'm grounding you – I mean it!"

"I can't hear you, Carolyn," The incorrigible alien walked sideways through the event horizon, still waving.

Dr Lam shook her head, smiling ruefully.

Mitchell paused and looked back up, just before he went through. He nodded up to Carolyn, and half did a salute to her.

She blushed slightly and lifted her hand to wave back before she realised that her father was watching interestedly. Quickly she turned and left, smirking slightly, glad that Hank couldn't see how red her cheeks had gone.

Cam pretended he was going to scratch his head, saluted the general properly and followed his team through the 'gate, thinking that he was lucky to have got away with that one.

Hank grinned and shook his head, wondering if those two thought he was born yesterday. He didn't get to be a general from sitting doing crosswords all day, y'know!

SG-1 stepped out of the Stargate into a large cobbled square, surrounded by neat white houses with dusky red roofs.

Teal'c and Redwell went to check out a market which was in progress at one end of the square, selling all manner of goods, including food.

Mitchell, Daniel and Vala headed off in the other direction towards a large, impressive-looking building at the far end of the plaza. As they approached, a worried looking official hurried down the steps outside.

"Can I help you, visitors?" he asked, rubbing his hands together and clearly uneasy.

"Yeah, I hope." Mitchell's senses were on alert – he scanned the entrance and surrounding area constantly, but could see nothing untoward as yet. "We're looking for the 'City of Light' – can you tell us if it's around here?"

"Ah – ah yes, the City of Light – yes. Well, visitors, I'm afraid that admission to this area is not permitted at this time. Regulations – in the current political climate – you understand?"

Mitchell looked sceptical.

Vala opened her mouth as if she was going to speak, until Daniel elbowed her in the ribs. She gasped, tears springing to her eyes – he'd dug into her right over two of her healed wounds.

"I'm so sorry!" he whispered, as soon as he realised what he'd done. "Sorry, I'm really sorry!"

Vala stuck her bottom lip out, pretending that it didn't hurt and turned her back on him. "Go away Daniel!" she hissed at him, stalking off across the square.

He felt terrible, but thought that he'd better stay with Mitchell. The archaeologist kept his eyes on her the whole time that he was listening to the colonel's conversation, however.

"Sure," drawled his commanding officer, arms folded. "We get it about the political climate – but how come the City's involved? I mean – it's just an old wives' tale, isn't it? Nuthin' really going on over there – say, where is it anyway?!

The official was looking more harassed by the second.

"Well, er – as you may know, we must protect the…the..er.."

"The crystals?" supplied Mitchell.

"Um – well, yes. The Aureoques." The official nodded.

Mitchell was aware that the poor man was beginning to sweat profusely. "Aureoques? That's what you call them? So, you're protecting them, right?"

The man nodded again.

"From who?"

Silence.

The colonel was beginning to realise that the man wasn't just worried, he was scared. He leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. "Are you being blackmailed?" He still couldn't see any sign of anyone sinister but the colonel was starting to get a very uneasy feeling that they were all being observed. "Someone watching us?"

The official's eyes flickered briefly to the right but he said nothing.

Mitchell's blue-eyed gaze was intent on the other man. "Where is the City?" he repeated.

"Not here!" The other man looked desperate. "I'm telling you the truth! I cannot say more," he added on a whisper.

Daniel turned form where he watched Vala play with a string of beads at one of the stalls.

"You don't have to fear us," he told the official. "We are peaceful explorers…"

Instantaneously four or five ex-Jaffa burst out of the building that the official had come from.

Mitchell went to pull out his gun but the first of the antagonists was upon him too quickly and knocked it out of his grasp, managing to punch him in the stomach at the same time. The colonel staggered, winded.

Daniel didn't move, apart from lifting his hands to allow another Jaffa to take the Zat gun from his leg holster. He caught sight of Vala being shepherded back across the square by two plain-clothed men – further away Teal'c was being unwilling induced to give up his staff weapon.

"Dammit, Jackson!" grumbled Mitchell, loudly. "Why is that every time you kick off with that 'peaceful explorers' speech, nothing peaceful ever comes of it?!"

SG-1 were escorted into what they learned was now the town hall, but had previously been some kind of Ori healing house. Vala pulled her mouth down when the leader of the gang mentioned the Ori. She caught the archaeologist's eye but didn't smile.

Daniel wanted to put his arms around her, partly to apologise for hurting her earlier, and partly to comfort her now. He was certain that she was thinking of Adria.

Daniel and Mitchell both tried to put their case across to their captors, but the leader was having none of it.

He told them in no uncertain terms that neither he nor any of his men owed allegiance to anyone in the galaxy, they worked for themselves. At the moment they were employed by the Lucian Alliance – he was quite happy to reveal that nugget of information, and also quite happy to inform them that they were in an Alliance-controlled city. He laughed when Daniel asked him about the City of Light.

"The dumb old man was right!" he laughed at them. "this planet shares an orbit with it's twin planet. There are two Stargates here, both with the same address. It's pot luck which one you come through on, and unfortunately for you, you came through the wrong one. Ha! Of course, it's easy to catch a transport to the twin planet – it's only there!"

He indicated out of the window, at what they had thought was a very large moon in close orbit.

"That's the twin planet?" asked Lt Redwell.

"Uh huh. Not that you'll be seeing it any time soon."

"And the crystals - the Aureoques are there?" Daniel squinted up into the sky.

"They might be. Not you'll be seeing them any time soon, either!"

And with that, they were marched out of the room and down into what looked like a large kitchen – cum – dining room, where they were left alone, but with two or three guards at each doorway.

An hour or two passed. Cam was laid on his back across the top of a huge wooden table, hands behind his head.

Lt Redwell was leaning up against one of the windows that looked out onto the square. They were at shoulder level for the captives, but on level with the ground outside.

Teal'c was positioned as near to one of the kitchen doorways as he could get.

Vala was sitting on a long trestle table, swinging her legs and looking bored. She winked at Daniel, who was pacing around the kitchen, reading and re-reading some scrap of parchment that he'd acquired from somewhere or other, and muttering to himself.

The archaeologist paused as he went past her and pulled her to the edge of the table, holding her close.

"Sorry that I hurt your side." Whispering into her neck, he felt his team mate smile against him.

"That's alright, darling," Vala kissed him below his ear, nibbling gently with her teeth.

"Stop it," Daniel grinned, rubbing his hands gently up and down her sides.

She looked away, trying to hide the flicker of pain across her face. It didn't work.

"Vala?" he looked intently into her eyes. He tried to open the zip on her combat vest but she carefully pushed his hands away.

"Leave it," she pushed the end of his nose with her finger, wrinkling her own at the same time. "It was an accident."

"Did I hurt you?" Daniel was aghast. Taking her face between his hands he looked distraught. "I'm so sorry!"

"Ah, pffft!" Vala flapped her hand at him. "I've had worse. I'll tell Carolyn it was your fault, anyway. What are you doing?"

He swung away toward one of the doorways.

"Daniel!" Vala called after him, jumping off of the table. Mitchell looked over then sat up.

"She's injured!" said Daniel, to the guards at the door. "She needs medical assistance! You need to bring a doctor!"

One of the Jaffa looked over disinterestedly.

"She doesn't look injured to me," he shrugged.

"I'm not!" Vala insisted.

"She is!" Daniel was adamant. He felt terribly guilty about hurting her earlier, albeit accidentally. But he was also aware that if they could get a doctor or somebody else into the room with them, the distraction could prove useful in aiding an escape attempt. He was at the bottom of the shallow step inside the door, the three Jaffa on the door formed a close knot. "Please! Bring us a doctor or someone. You have to do something!"

The first Jaffa laughed. "I'll do something," he said, pulling out a Zat'nik'tel and firing it point blank at the archaeologist. Daniel dropped like stone.

"Bastards!" yelled Vala, hurling herself down beside him and feeling for his pulse. It was there, beating under her fingers.

The three Jaffa on the door laughed, as did the others at the far end of the kitchen.

Teal'c approached quickly and pulled Daniel away from the doorway, lying him gently alongside the large table. He pulled off his BDU jacket and placed it carefully under his friend's head.

"Do not concern yourself unnecessarily, ValaMalDoran," he told the alien. "You know, as do I, that a single shot from a Zat'nik'tel will not cause permanent harm. DanielJackson will recover shortly."

Vala nodded. Her mouth was pressed together tightly and her eyes looked stormy.

Teal'c was aware of the waves of anger emanating from within her as Mitchell and Redwell came over and crouched beside them.

"What the heck are we gonna do now?" hissed their CO, looking severely put out. "How is it possible that this team can walk into trouble with it's eyes closed? Why is it always us that end up in crap like this?"

"And, ColonelMitchell," added Teal'c, as Colonel Samantha Carter materialised directly in front of them, "how is it that SG-1 always receive good fortune when they ultimately need it?"

Mitchell's face was a picture of ecstatic confusion.

"Hi guys!" Sam grinned brightly. "Need a hand?"

TBC