Aboard the Odyssey, Binder was seated next to Marks as he continued to help the latter. As they both worked, the occasional bridge personnel silently entering the bridge to carry out their duties before leaving again, the Captain frequently glanced at Marks. Eventually, Marks, frowning as he began to sense something odd, asked, forcing his eyes open as he looked at Binder warily,

"Captain, what is it?"

Binder glanced at his console and then said emphatically, "Sir, I am so sorry."

Marks asked, confused as he glanced back at his screen, "What for? You haven't done anything wrong. It all looks..."

Binder quickly punched the Major, knocking him out as he remarked quietly, grimacing at the pain in his hand... but mostly at his handiwork, "I have now, Sir. Sorry... but if you're not gonna take care of yourself..."

Just then, a female Captain entered the scene, stopping in her tracks on seeing Marks apparently unconscious as Binder held his own fist. Womack exclaimed, "What the hell did you just do, Binder?! Are you insane?!" She tapped her radio, cautiously eyeing him as she summoned more ship personnel.

Binder sighed, not wanting a fight and now wishing he had been quicker in sorting things out. "I'm taking command of the ship." As men emerged, pointing guns at the Captain, he raised his hands. "Could you men escort the Major to Sick Bay please?" He grimaced a little, knowing just what a series of P-90 bullets would do to him if he made so much as the slightest move that could be construed as threatening.

One of the men shouted, "You will come with us, Sir!"

"You have to listen to me. Take the Major to Sick Bay. I have to finish what he started... I'm bringing everyone back." When no-one moved, he continued, "Look, I'm telling you the truth. Get Womack to check what's on our screens here. I won't bite."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In the Riapean chamber, Alaric and his troops had SG-3 surrounded and disarmed. After Reynolds had shouted into the distance, one of Alaric's men knocked the Colonel to the ground. Alaric demanded, standing over Reynolds as he struggled to his feet, "What has General O'Neill found? Tell me now." When Reynolds hesitated, he and his men looking defiant, Alaric continued, "Every moment you delay, you bring forth your demise by that moment. Tell me."

Reynolds and his men still remain tight-lipped, so, as the Colonel's team watched in muted horror, Alaric sharply swung his staff at Reynolds, winding him. His men fought against their captor's holds, but were held back by the impending threat of being killed. Alaric walked around the fallen Colonel, roughly prodding him with his staff as Reynolds gasped for breath.

"Tell me."

Reynolds struggled to kneel as he said through gritted teeth, "Screw you."

"If you think that by withholding information, I will keep you alive, you are sorely mistaken."

Alaric raised his staff, about to deal a lethal, or at least a crippling blow to Reynolds when suddenly SG-3 were engulfed in white light. Alaric's men backed away in fear at the sight of the team disappearing before their very eyes. Alaric shouted, getting his men to focus as he stamped his staff on the ground,

"What in Donar's name is this trickery?!" He indicated half of the group of soldiers. "Find them. Now. The rest will come with me to find that brazen bitch and her foreign allies... and..." He raised his voice as well as his gaze as his men yelled their battle cry. "... we will wage glorious warfare across this sinful land. Our children will sing about us until the moons cease to rise."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Their way illuminated by the flaming torches of the Riapean guards, SG-1 and Riape carefully descended the spiralling staircase, going further and further into the unknown. As Jack enthralled Riape with tales of Minnesota, Daniel sighed as he gazed around at their dimly lit surroundings, wishing that he had an electronic torch on him. His urge was fed by catching very frustrating glimpses of frescos and glyphs when firelight happened to bounce off it.

As Cam gently held Vala's elbow to prevent her from falling over the edge of the staircase, and while Teal'c slipped on his customary emotionless mask, Daniel sighed softly as he glanced at his wife. As Sam looked up where they had come from, the Archaeologist muttered, raising his eyebrows slowly as he held her hand,

"So... that's you taking it easy, huh? Certainly beats the time you were pregnant with Jake and performed surgery on Adria."

Sam fought a rising urge to roll her eyes and she retorted quietly, trying to keep their altercation as discreet as possible, "Daniel... another time, maybe? Preferably when we're not walking into the unknown... which admittedly is kinda rare." She smiled slightly though, grateful for his concern, even if it appeared to be overbearing at times.

She managed to keep a straight face when Cam turned to them briefly with a knowing smirk. She then kissed Daniel on the cheek, whispering, "I'm glad you're safe."

His stony expression melted and he replied, gazing at her tenderly, "I'm glad you're safe too."

She patted his arm. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"Looks like we'll have to." He glanced at her worriedly. "Are you sure you're okay though? You look tired."

She replied a little too quickly, looking away from him, "I'm fine."

He gazed at her worriedly as the party finally reached the bottom of the stairs, knowing that there was more to what had happened to both her and Jack at the hands of the Tuweiians than 'just a little imprisoning', as Jack had earlier put it. As the party squinted into parts of the darkness that the torchlight couldn't quite reach from where they were standing, Daniel made sure to keep his wife's hand in his, not wanting to risk losing her again.

Jack remarked grouchily, "What, no moonshine down here?" The General huffed as he removed his hat, wiping his brow with the back of his hand as everyone else began to notice the dry heat that surrounded them, considerably less vocally. "Seriously, I would even go for Nick Parker's dusty old wine collection right now."

Sam, now unable to resist the urge to do so, unbuttoned her BDU jacket, exhaling slowly in an attempt to cool herself. Daniel, worried, helped her out of her tactical vest and, without a word, took her jacket off as the others sweltered. Cam, fanning himself with his hat, said, "You'd think there'd be lights somewhere."

Daniel said as he gave Sam the last of the water left in his water bottle, "Uh, well... a construction this size, the previous inhabitants would have required..."

Jack cut him off, looking wary. "When you say 'previous'... you do mean as in folk who aren't around right now, don't you?"

Just then, shouts could be heard from the direction of higher up on the staircase, and Riape, blanching in fear, whispered, "We must move from here. Alaric and his men will show us no mercy."

As Alara and the rest of the soldiers set up defensive positions around the staircase, waiting for the enemy, Jack and Teal'c hurried the rest of the party onwards, further into the deepest recesses of the chamber that they were in. Riape enthused as she walked at Daniel's side, "Adventures of this sort are certainly not everyday occurrences here... especially for the Sovereign of a nation. Your life must indeed be exciting beyond measure, Daniel Jackson... the racing of the heart, the tingling of the back, the taste for the unknown that comes with each journey you take..."

Vala regarded the Queen sceptically before whispering something to Cam who smirked once again. Daniel appeared lost for words, so Sam replied in his stead, keeping a straight face, having already surmised Riape's attraction to Daniel, "Oh, it's pretty great... but not without its dangers." She affectionately patted Daniel's shoulder. "And Daniel seems to be attracted to trouble more often than the rest of us half the time."

Jack remarked wearily from the front as Riape wistfully regarded Sam, "You can say that again, Carter. Made me grey before my time." He ran his fingers through his cropped, now almost white hair. "No-one will believe that I'm actually forty..."

Daniel retorted, looking more than a little affronted, "We don't either."

"Smooth..."

Jack trailed off when Daniel said, frowning as he noticed something briefly catch the light above their heads, "Hang on..." As the others looked at him in a mixture of concern and curiosity, Daniel took a flaming torch from one of Riape's personal guard, and he retraced his steps briefly. Holding the torch aloft, the light illuminated what appeared to be a silver sphere. "It looks like a..."

The others moved closer, caution in their step as Jack said, "Well... if that doesn't get Showtime..."

Riape said in amazement, gazing up at it, "It is beautiful..." She looked at Daniel, noting that he and SG-1 weren't anywhere near as giddy as she was. "What is it?"

Sam replied as she took the torch from Daniel, searching any signs of a power source or controls, "It looks like a visual communications device used by an enemy of ours. It can be used between ships in Space."

Jack asked, "Any way to make sure it doesn't broadcast us to the nearest small fry?"

"I'm looking, Sir. I can't seem to find anything." Sam and the others started in surprise when the ball suddenly expanded. "Uh... somehow I don't think this is a communication ball though."

Cam snapped into action, shouting as it continued to expand, "Okay, fall back, people!" He shoved Daniel and Vala out of the way as Jack and Teal'c grabbed Sam, while the Riapean guards arranged themselves in defensive positions around Riape. Daniel glanced at a scanning device that he held and then passed it to Sam, and Cam asked, "Jacksons – anything?"

Sam replied with a stunned expression as the ball finally stopped expanding, said item now so large that it skimmed the floor of the chamber, "I'm picking up methane and hydrogen... ammonia..." Her eyes widened in shock. "... nitrogen, nucleic acids, amino acids..." She stared at the looming ball in amazement and continued in a hushed voice. "You could start life with this..." She looked at Daniel. "This could regenerate Tuwria's ecosystem."

Riape, picking up on Sam's and then Daniel's excitement, asked, "Is this the source of the legends surrounding Thetis' essence? The peace that will be wrought..."

Sam looked at Daniel again, the Archaeologist replying, "I think so. It isn't a weapon... it's something that could be used so you don't need agricultural technology from us. This could very well help you and your..." He stopped on noticing that one of the Queen's rings had begun to flash. He asked quietly as he slowly approached her, the others eventually staring too when they noticed the flashing, "Does that usually do that?"

Riape stared down in surprise, saying, "I have never seen this do that. It is the ring that weds me to this nation, and has been worn by each Riape since the beginning."

Daniel stared at the ring, its flashing growing in intensity, and he glanced at Riape as he slowly held her hand. "May I?" She nodded in acquiescence and he removed the golden band from her finger, holding it in his palm. As the others looked on, he moved closer to the sphere, noting that the flashing grew so bright that he had to shield his eyes. Turning away, he said as he returned the ring to her, "Your people have long forgotten about this place, but you have been carrying a reminder with you without knowing. It appears to be a homing beacon of some kind."

Jack cleared his throat and asked, gesturing to the sphere, "I think the sixty four thousand dollar question here is... is this thing safe?"

Cam muttered as Alaric and his men suddenly emerged from the darkness surrounding them, "I'm betting it's safer than this guy."

"Aladdin! Nice of you to join this little shindig."

Alaric and his men gaped up at the sphere before the Tuweiian Chieftain turned to Daniel, and demanded, "What is this?"

Daniel replied, looking sad, "This is what you've been fighting over. This is your so-called 'weapon'. We think it'll help your planet overcome the spate of natural disasters you've been having. You've been fighting over the source of life itself."

"You dare dishonour Donar with your lies!"

Riape replied calmly as she approached him, "No, Alaric... he is not lying. These honourable people have helped us to locate this and end this war once and for all so that our children will not live as we have had to live."

"You brazen harlot, do not talk so forthrightly to me!"

When both sets of soldiers quickly mobilised themselves, ready for an impending skirmish to defend their respective Sovereigns, Sam closed her eyes when Daniel jumped in between them. "Stop! This has got to stop! How long are you going to keep doing this? Hm? Until there's no-one left? What then?"

Alaric turned his weapon on Daniel as his friends yelled, Cam grabbing Sam to prevent her from running into the fray as the Riapeans aimed their weapons at Alaric too. Daniel said, looking sad once again, "Go ahead and kill me. You kill and kill, and then what? Killing doesn't bring peace... it infects you, and you can't stop." The Archaeologist defiantly held Alaric's gaze for a long moment, noticing that it wavered briefly. Slowly, he held the Chieftain's staff, gently removing it from his hands. "This stops now. There is no winner here."

As Alaric, in a daze, approached the sphere, the others noticed that one of the rings that he wore now flashed as much as Riape's was doing. Noticing this, Alaric asked, looking at Daniel, "What is the meaning of this?"

Riape replied softly, holding up her hand, "Mine has been acting the same also. Perhaps the gods who brought us here did not wish for us to forget."

When the two Sovereigns moved much closer to the sphere, the flashing of their rings finally stabilised. Everyone looked around in surprise when unseen lights steadily illuminated the now obviously huge chamber, now negating the need for the flame torches that the Riapeans and the Tuweiians carried. The gathered people leapt back in surprise, and also out of caution, when the sphere suddenly changed from silver to a translucent albeit pulsating white.

Jack remarked as he pulled Riape to safety as Daniel reached for Sam's hand, "If this turns into the Prisoner, heads are gonna roll."

Suddenly, the sphere silently exploded in a burst of multicoloured light, filling the chamber as everyone was rooted to the spot in shock. What appeared to be a swirling cloud of gases spread before gathering itself and shooting through the roof of the chamber, whooshing as it did so past everyone. When all fell silent once again, Jack called, making sure that everyone was okay,

"Mitchell?"

"I'm good, Sir..."

"T?"

"I am fine."

"Daniel!"

"I'm fine too, Jack."

"Carter!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Vala!"

"Stunned but otherwise as vivacious as ever."

Jack smirked briefly at the alien before SG-1 and his attentions were drawn to where Riape and Alaric were standing, their rings now no longer flashing. Riape looked up the ceiling and then said to Alaric,

"There is no war. There was no weapon."

Alaric regarded her with an expression filled with years of pain. "We have each lost so many lives because of this senseless violence. I am truly sorry, Riape... and when we reach the surface, I will order a cessation of all hostilities, and an unblocking of your broadcasting capabilities." He threw his staff down. "The war will end now."

"And quite right too. I too am sorry. You may leave your spies in our territory as ambassadors of your realm... and I wish to do the same with my spies... if you will permit it."

Alaric took her hand. "Of course, sister." He smiled gratefully on sighting Commander Alara. "And many thanks for your kind treatment to my blood sister."

Cam frowned. "Don't you mean sister-in-law? You said the Riapeans had taken your brother's wife."

"Colonel Mitchell... I considered her husband to be my brother as we shared the same birth village. The Riapeans didn't take her – my headstrong sister ran away to Riapea." Alaric gazed at his sister with a smile. "I apologise, sister, for refusing to admit that your husband was nothing short of a barbarian. If you wish to visit..."

Alara replied, clasping his forearm, "Thank you for understanding, brother." She hugged him. "I wish to see mother again."

At last Alaric approached Sam, who tried not to back away from him in fear. The Chieftain reached for her hand and said, looking utterly remorseful, "I am truly sorry for everything that we did to you and General O'Neill. I was a fool and..."

Daniel stared at the Chieftain, knowing now that something had been done to his wife as well as his best friend. The Archaeologist punched Alaric, sending him sprawling on the ground as the Tuweiians aimed their weapons at Daniel, who stood over Alaric and angrily said as Sam and Vala forcefully held him back, "If you ever touch Sam or my friends again, I won't be held responsible for my actions."

Alaric was helped to his feet and, shamefaced, said, "You are truly a man of honour. If my bride had been dishonoured, no power on this world would stop me from exacting my vengeance."

After Alaric had apologised to Jack, the General went over to Daniel and affectionately ruffled his hair. "See? I taught you how to handle yourself... and for years you've been giving me nothing but sass. I thought I was gonna have to steam in and drop him on his ass."

As soon as Jack had stepped back, Sam punched the Archaeologist in the arm. As he stared at her, confused, she hugged him tight and said, "If you ever offer yourself up to be killed like that again, I'll do it myself."

"Uh... I'm glad you're alive too..."