P4X-998
Jack
"Hasshak! Hal mek! Fool! Hold your fire!"
The command was accompanied by the business end of a staff weapon, thrust none too gently into Jhozek's face.
"My Mistress wants the Tau'ri O'Neill alive!"
Jhozek looked around at the half dozen weapons now aimed at him. Quickly he neutralized the zat. "I was just making sure he didn't get away."
"He will not escape. Go back to your friends!" The Jaffa leader indicated the group on the edge of the clearing. The young men and women who had greeted the SC teams with such enthusiasm were sitting on the ground, surrounded by armed Jaffa. "I will take your weapon now," the leader continued, holding out a hand.
Jhozek opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of the idea as the circle of weapons around him moved closer. He handed over the zat. "We got him here for you! We want our bounty!"
"If you want your payment you will wait quietly until my Mistress arrives." The Jaffa commander raised an eyebrow. "Or I can simply eliminate you all now. It makes no difference to me. We have O'Neill. You are no longer necessary."
Jhozek's features contorted in anger. "We have a bargain with your Mistress!"
"She is not here. And I am tired of you. Join your friends and be silent!"
With a long furious glare at the commander, Jhozek turned and headed across the clearing, accompanied by several warriors.
The commander looked down at O'Neill, who had slumped back down onto the ground.
"Don't expect any thanks from me," Jack grated.
"I expect nothing from you, Tau'ri." He turned on his heel and started away.
"Hey!" Jack called. "Who's paying a bounty to get their hands on me?"
The commander paused and glanced back. "My Mistress is TeKhara, daughter of Hathor." He eyed Jack for a moment, then continued on his way.
"Oh, crap!" Jack muttered.
Daniel
In his hiding place in the woods Daniel silently echoed Jack's sentiment.
He was only about twenty yards from where Jack lay. He was hunkered down beneath an uprooted tree just outside the clearing, and was frankly amazed that the Jaffa had not found him.
Thanks to the new heavy-duty armored vests the SG teams were now using, the staff blast, which had grazed his side and left arm, had been largely deflected. The concussion had knocked him to the ground, stunned. When he recovered enough to move, he could hear the firefight in the distance. By the time he got there, it was over. He hid himself and watched.
He could see that Jack was tied up, which probably meant that he was still alive, at least. In fact most of the downed SG team members he could see were restrained. Which was hopeful—why would they tie up dead men?
Daniel lay as still as he possibly could and watched. He had waited for what seemed like a long time before Jack had stirred, and attempted to rise.
The confrontation between the Jaffa and Jhozek had answered some of Daniel's questions, but had hardly eased his mind. Jack had killed Hathor seven years earlier. If this daughter of hers, whom Daniel had never heard of, was looking for revenge, then Jack was in real trouble. Once she arrived, she might kill Jack then and there. Or take him away to god knew where.
Daniel's ribs hurt like hell and blood seeped from the burn on his arm, but he knew that what he had to do was get back to the stargate and get help.