Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I'm going to try and update as quickly as possible now - and it's because of you faithful reviewers!
Most of my stories are Jack or J/S centered so I feel I owed a chapter to Teal'c and Daniel. Here it goes ...
Daniel took a deep breath and looked over at his friend. He then nodded, signifying he was ready. It had been a few years since they'd done anything quite like this but he knew it had to be done. The next thing he knew, he and Teal'c were standing behind a column in the hallway of a Goa'uld Hatak.
"So – they haven't changed their décor", he murmured to himself. He'd always wondered who designed these things – perhaps the worst design of all time for a battle ship. "Which way Teal'c?" Even though he knew his way around pretty well, Teal'c still had more experience in these things.
"This way." The two men were soon walking down the hallway of a Goa'uld mothership. It was quiet – too quiet – and rather eerie. "There are few on board", Teal'c commented.
"Enough to do some damage though" Daniel reminded him. "I kind of hate the thought that we're going to blow them up."
"They have chosen their path", reminded Teal'c. "They had the opportunity to be free, to not align themselves with the Goa'uld but they chose to stay in bondage to a false god and to wage war on innocent humans. They reap what they have sown."
Daniel smiled at the rather biblical allusion, although he still felt badly. He couldn't help but wonder if some of the people were here, not out of choice, but because they'd been coerced. Still, he knew they had no choice if they were to save the people of Earth.
"Here is the first location", Teal'c informed him. They entered a small room which had some kind of power terminal in it. They quickly planted the C-4 and a timer and were gone in barely a minute. They continued through a number of corridors, planting the explosives at strategic spots as they went.
The silence continued and they ran into no one, although at one point they did hear a couple of voices ahead. They hid and soon quiet returned. "Where do you think they all are?" Daniel whispered.
"Probably close to the central control room", Teal'c whispered back as he planted another brick of explosive. "They will keep the power low in the rest of the ship to conserve energy."
Daniel nodded – it was freezing here. Soon they had only one place left to go and that was the main power core. It would be the trickiest because it was certain to be guarded, even if they didn't suspect any intruders.
"Once we plant this", Teal'c told him, "contact Thor and we can leave."
"Okay." As quickly and as quietly as possible made their way to the core. They unfortunately ran into a small group of Jaffa – no more than four – and a fire-fight ensued. It was over quickly and Teal'c zatted them all three times until they disappeared. Daniel grimaced but nodded. It had to be done.
They reached the core a few moments later and hid until they knew how many people – Jaffa – they were dealing with. Daniel counted six and was sure there would be more hidden somewhere. He waited until his companion gave the signal and they moved into the corridor, guns – or in this case zats – blazing.
It was looking good – they managed to defeat all the guards and were on their way into the power control room, when a lone Jaffa – hidden behind a piece of equipment, jumped out, staff weapon in hand.
"I knew this wasn't going to be fun", were Daniel's last words.
"Who are you?" A creepy voice asked.
Daniel tried opening his eyes, but they felt glued shut. A sharp kick in the ribs had him groaning and he tried to roll away.
"Who are you and what do you want on my ship?"
"Huh?" Daniel finally managed to open one eye and look up blearily at the man – ur Jaffa – standing above him. "What?"
"I said, who are you? What are you doing here?"
Daniel watched as the man/Jaffa - whoever he was – turned away and said something in Goa'uld. Normally he'd translate but right now his head felt too fuzzy and his arm was killing him. He glanced down to see that the area between his shoulder and elbow was nicely charred. He groaned again. It was starting to hurt like hell.
Before he had a chance to wonder about Teal'c, a bucket of cold water hit him in the face. He sputtered and coughed, as water went down his nose and throat. "Hey", he coughed, "warn a guy next time."
"You will answer me!" Jaffa-boy asked. "Or the next time it won't be water thrown at you."
Daniel wondered briefly what would the guy throw, but then decided he really didn'twant to know. "Uh – we're hitch-hiking through the galaxy", he explained. "I had my guide here somewhere." He looked around, pretending to look for it but in actual fact trying to see if Teal'c was close by. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his friend – unconscious but alive.
"Hitchhiking? What is this?" The Jaffa looked at him, confused.
"It means we try and catch a ride with any ships going by. We don't have our own so we beg rides. It's a nice way to meet people."
It took a second for the confusion to change to anger and Daniel braced himself for another kick. When it didn't happen he breathed a sigh of relief, although he knew the respite was probably short-lived.
Looking down once again at Daniel the Jaffa spoke softly. "You will tell me the truth. Who are you and what are you doing here? If you do not, I will have them remove one of your friend's eyeballs!"
Crap – Daniel always hated this part of things. Where was Jack when they needed him? He was much better at this kind of thing than he was. "Uh – no need for that", he said quickly. "I'll tell you. I – um – we are travelers. We go around the galaxy making deals – you know trade deals, etc. We have a lot of knowledge about things that are going on and know about really great opportunities to make a buck – uh – make some riches. We also sell information to people interested. We heard there were a bunch of ships travelling this way and thought there might be an opportunity to make some of those riches for ourselves. When a fleet of this size is on the move it usually means something big is about to happen. That's all – really."
"How did you get on board?"
"We've – uh – been here since the beginning. We got on when everyone was boarding and have been hiding out."
"Where?"
"Where? Uh – in various places – rooms, cubby holes – you name it. We just made sure to keep away from any of your Jaffa."
"He is also a Jaffa", the interrogator pointed towards Teal'c. "He served Apophis. Why is he with you?"
"Well, after Apophis kicked the bucket – uh – died – Te – uh Trillian didn't have anywhere to go. I figured he'd be good for protection and he knows the galaxy pretty well. We've been working together for a few years."
"His name is T'rillian?"
"Yup – and mine is Douglas – Douglas Adams."
"Douglas-douglas Adams, you have done a foolish thing. You should not be here and will be punished for your insolence in stealing onto my Lord Baal's ship."
"Baal? You mean Baal as in System Lord Baal?" Daniel exclaimed. "Wow – I had no idea. I'm so sorry – no insolence intended. But I gotta say, I'm really pleased to be here."
"You are pleased?" The Jaffa who was speaking frowned and looked slightly confused. "Why are you pleased?"
"Because we've wanted to give him a message but he's a hard man – ur – Goa'uld to track down."
"You have a message for my Lord Baal?"
"I do – by the way, what's your name? We haven't been introduced."
"I am D'ardok, First Prime to My Lord Baal."
"Wow – impressive. You must be really good at your job!"
"ENOUGH! What is your message?"
"Oh – it's just that I was asked by the Tauri - do you know them? A rather young race. Anyway, they asked me – if I happened to run into Baal – to tell him to go Fu– hmm, you might not understand that – to go - ten shre'manserat yourselves. Yeah, I think that was it. Not quite sure what it means – ooph!" Daniel fell to the ground gagging and then vomited all over D'ardok's shoes. He clutched his aching stomach and tried to recapture his breath. "Guess – it wasn't a – nice – message", he coughed out.
"Take them and lock them up", the First Prime said furiously, stepping back and regarding his feet with disgust. "I will be with them shortly and will find out who they are working for. Do not let them out of your sight."
Daniel was grabbed by two Jaffa and dragged out of the room, still trying to regain his breath. He watched as another two picked up Teal'c, although his still unconscious friend was thrown over the shoulder of one of them, and they quickly moved into the corridor.
Daniel was thrown into a typical Goa'uld cell; all gold, no furniture and no way out. He sank to the floor and waited for Teal'c. A couple of seconds later the door opened again and the body of his friend was thrown in, hitting the floor with a loud 'thunk'. Daniel grimaced and moved towards his friend.
"Ten shre'manserat", Teal'c said softly. "Where did you learn that Daniel Jackson?"
"Hey Teal'c – you're conscious."
"Indeed. I have been for a while. I thought it best to appear unconscious until I knew what was happening."
"Oh – well then you heard all that Dry-dock said?"
"You are channeling O'Neill today." Teal'c lifted his eyebrow to the highest level.
"Yeah", Daniel grinned. "I figured someone had to. So anyway – D'ardok – what do you think?"
"I think he is not a good Prime. He is most likely new and the only Jaffa Baal could find that could possibly serve in such a capacity. It must mean he is desperate."
"Baal or D'ardok?"
"Yes."
There was a brief moment of silence. "Ten shre'manserat?" Teal'c said again.
Daniel chuckled. "Oh, I have an entire list of the worst swear words in every language. It's an important thing to know so you don't use them inadvertently. They also come in handy at certain other times."
"Yes, it was a most impressive insult. I thought that D'ardok's men were going to wet themselves, although it could have gotten you killed. It is considered the worst thing you can say to a Jaffa", Teal'c informed him.
There was another silence until finally Daniel sighed. "So, how long until the C-4 goes off?"
"One hour."
"Did we plant enough to disable the ship?"
"I do not believe so. Without the core being destroyed the ship will be slowed down, but they can repair it."
"Damn! Any ideas?"
"Not at this time although I am working on it."
"Yeah – I wish Jack and Sam were here. Jack would whine and gripe and complain and tell Sam she could figure it out – and she would – and we'd get out of here. Instead we're stuck in a ship with a bunch of idiot snake heads on their way to destroy Earth. You know Teal'c, I sometimes wish I'd stayed a university professor. It was much less frustrating." He sighed again. "I wish Jack was here."
"You are doing a fine job of filling in for him Daniel Jackson."
Daniel was surprised – and touched – until he thought about it and then his eyes narrowed. He wasn't quite sure if he'd been complimented or insulted. He finally stood up and did a circuit of the room – maybe there was something they could use, or find, to help them out. Of course Thor would pull them out before the explosions, but unless they reached the core first it will have been for nothing. Damn – how the hell were they going to –
The door opening surprised him. Had D'ardok sent someone to get them? Daniel figured they were going to be interrogated and he wasn't looking forward to it.
The door closed behind the young Jaffa, who looked around nervously. "Are you the Sholva?" he said to Teal'c in a whisper.
Teal'c stood and silently approached the young man. "Who is asking?"
"I am Bas'tir", he replied. "I belong to the free Jaffa but I was visiting my planet when there was a raid. We were forced to either join Baal's force or die. I joined, hoping I'd get a chance to escape or do some damage to his ships. When I saw you I recognized you from Dakara."
"And why are you here?" Daniel wanted to know.
"I can help you escape", he said. "All I ask is that you take me with you. Please, I do not wish to be here."
"What can you tell us about Baal's forces", Teal'c asked the young man, still not admitting to his true identity.
"They are a front", Bas'tir replied. "This ship is the only one which is fully operational and we had to scavenge parts from the other ones to make it run. Many of the ships are dummies – they have no power or crew and are simply here to look impressive. He also has few men and many were recruited like I was, although the ones in control are loyal to Baal. They do not want to be free – they think there is more power and glory in serving the Goa'uld."
"Are there many on this ship who were forced to join?"
"No, I am the only one. D'ardok made sure that only the most loyal were on the flag ship. The only reason I was brought on board was to work to stabilize the power grid. I did that before leaving Yu's service. There are a few other free Jaffa, but they are all on other ships."
"Can you get us out of here and to the power core?" Daniel asked gently. He hoped this wasn't some kind of trap.
"Yes – although it is down three levels and is well guarded. Still, I work there frequently so they won't bother me. Come, let us go now." Bas'tir used his 'key' – actually a small crystal, and opened the door, carefully checking the corridor. "It's empty."
They quickly headed out of the room and down the corridor towards the power core. "How long do we have Teal'c?"
"We have forty minutes remaining." The three hurried through the hallways and down three flights of stairs. Daniel was surprised to see them – he'd never seen stairs in a Goa'uld ship before.
They arrived at the power core in under ten minutes. They now had just under thirty minutes to plant the C-4 and signal Thor.
This time they were more careful and were able to get in without being caught, although having Bas'tir certainly helped. Twice he went forward to speak to the guards and Teal'c was able to zat them. Once they arrived, Daniel stood lookout as Teal'c and Bas'tir planted the explosives. The young Jaffa said he knew the best spot and, although Teal'c was a bit hesitant he finally agreed and followed the young man.
It took longer than they'd hoped to plant the explosives as twice Jaffa entered, checking that things were okay. Both times they'd managed to hide, but it had taken precious time away from their sabotage.
"I am finished", his large friend snuck up behind him and nearly scared the pants off of him. "God– don't do that!"
Teal'c simply raised his eyebrows although Daniel saw Bas'tir grin. "We must leave if we do not wish to get blown up."
"And Jack and Sam wouldn't like that! Come on." The three men headed out of the main generator room and back into the corridor – right into a group of waiting Jaffa, staff weapons all pointed directly at them.
"We saw you on our monitors", D'ardok told them an obnoxious smirk on his face. "Did you really believe you could get away with this?"
"Uh – yeah!" Daniel replied. "Did you really think we couldn't?"
"Enough – who are you really and what were you doing in there."
The two men looked at one another and then nodded. It was Teal'c who spoke.
"We are from Earth – from the Tauri. We are here to check out the force that Baal is sending to try and conquer our planet. We were checking out how much power you have available and whether you are a real threat."
D'ardok looked startled and vaguely uncomfortable, probably thinking about what Baal would say about this escapade. He moved his eyes to Bas'tir. "You – you helped them escape! You shall die in agony for this Bas'tir!"
"Hey – we're perfectly capable of escaping ourselves – don't blame him! We've been in this predicament more times than you can count so we kind of know how to escape."
"It doesn't matter – you shall all die after I find out the truth!"
Daniel felt the beacon in his pocket buzz faintly and grinned. He reached out and touched Bas'tir – he wanted to make sure the young Jaffa didn't get left behind. "Uh sorry guys – we've gotta run. It's been nice. And oh – by the way – Baal is dead!" With that all three men disappeared in a flash of light. The remaining Jaffa looked at one another, unsure of what had happened. They then looked at D'ardok – who looked back with terror in his eyes.
"Thanks Thor – great timing!" Daniel looked around the room, disappointed to see only the Asgard. "Uh, the others not back yet?"
"No. Who is this?" Thor was looking at Bas'tir, whose eyes were almost as big as the Asgard's.
"This is Bas'tir – he claims to be a free Jaffa who was pressed into service for Baal. He helped us escape. Is there a place he can rest?"
"Certainly." Thor nodded slightly. "I will send him to a room where he can sit or lie down and rest. I will send nourishment as well."
"Thank you for helping us Bas'tir", Daniel gave a small nod. "We'll take you back home once all this is finished.
"Thank you for helping me escape." Almost instantly Bas'tir disappeared.
"He is in a secure room and will not be able to leave", Thor informed them. "I assume that was your wish?"
"Yes", Teal'c nodded. "Until we are sure he is who he says he is we must watch him carefully. He could be a spy."
"I assume you were successful?" Thor asked at that moment, the young Jaffa forgotten for now.
"We should find out in just a couple of minutes", Daniel answered. In actual fact, it was less than that.
Thor looked at his monitor and stared at it for what seemed like a long time. "It is destroyed", he finally spoke. "The mothership is gone."
"Really? Just like that? Wow, I guess we haven't lost our touch!" Daniel gave a half-hearted grin, refusing to think about all the lives just lost.
Just then there was a slight noise and Thor picked up another crystal. He held it up and a voice they all recognized came from the device.
"Thor, can you get us out of here?"