Chapter 52
It took eight steps to cross the room, and that was if he kept his stride shortened.
Daniel sighed and paced again, bored and anxious and--admittedly--more than just a little scared. Several hours ago, though he didn't know for sure how many, he had been permitted to dial the 'Gate address for the Hans' world, then watch as Vala was sent through to safety. Any other time, he would have been very much interested in the smooth-bottomed sliding board, curious to see how such an item was used by the local population in hunting, farming, or perhaps even recreation. Instead, he gazed on at his departing partner while two enormous Jaffa held his arms so that he couldn't attempt a mad dash toward the 'Gate.
When the wormhole snapped shut, it was though he was a marionette whose strings had just been severed. He hadn't had any plan other than making sure that Vala would not be in harm's way when Osiris discovered the identity of her prisoner. Of course, he'd like to try to escape on his own before she arrived, but making such an attempt while surrounded by a dozen fully-armed Jaffa was probably not in his best interests for continued health.
He held no illusions about his fate after Osiris arrived, however. In the two confrontations he'd had with the Goa'uld, she'd made her hatred for him plain. She wasn't above trying to use him to get information, though, and he doubted he would care for her "questioning" methods, especially if she had a sarcophagus with her.
The door to his cell rattled. Stopping and turning, Daniel felt his heart began to pound. Had she already arrived?
Thankfully, it was the leader of the Jaffa patrol who stepped into the cell, followed by the taller Jaffa marked with the symbol of Ra. The door was pulled shut behind, and Daniel stood with his arms folded, waiting.
"You have lied to us."
"I have?"
"You said you worked for the Hans."
He shrugged. "True, but I'm actually one of the cousins. My friend worked for them, too. She needed medical attention, so I was more than happy to give her my amulet, to let her go through the Stargate in my stead. If I had said otherwise, would you have let us both go?"
"No," the leader replied. "Osiris will likely be displeased enough that I have let even one of you leave. If I had released you both, she would surely execute the entire patrol."
Daniel didn't think the Goa'uld's displeasure would be so great once she found out her captive's identity. Instead of vocalizing his worries, however, he nodded. "Well, thanks anyway."
"You are surprisingly resourceful and clever for a human," the Jaffa continued.
"For a human," Daniel echoed.
"Most humans I have ever encountered have been fearful of their gods. They are foolish and ignorant. You are not."
"I'm not from one of the normal Goa'uld-controlled worlds, if that's what you're asking."
"How did you know what to say?" blurted the former follower of Ra.
He frowned. "Say what?"
"The pass phrase of the resistance. How did a Han come to know this?"
"Oh. Well... I happen to have met one of the rebel leaders."
"Raknor?"
"No, Teal'c."
The first Jaffa sucked in a breath. "You have met Teal'c of the Tau'ri?"
He nodded again. "So you two are in the resistance?"
The Jaffa exchanged a look. "We are. Unfortunately, none of the other Jaffa in the patrol were to be trusted. I have sent them back to investigate the wreckage of your ship so that they will be unable to report that I let the woman go free. Still, I am fairly confident that when Osiris finally arrives, he will merely order your death--"
"'Merely,'" he snorted, resuming his pacing.
"--But we can 'dispose' of you through the Stargate without actually executing you."
Daniel shook his head. "That's a great idea, but it won't work. I have to leave before Osiris gets here. When she sees me, she'll recognize me."
"'She' will recognize you?"
"Yeah," he sighed. "Osiris' host is a woman I once knew, with whom I was once intimate, even. If I don't find a way to escape now, things are going to get a lot worse. There wouldn't happen to be a sarcophagus here, would there?"
"There is not."
"Well, unless she brings one with her, I won't have to worry about her killing and reviving me, at least. It still won't be a picnic, though."
"Picnic?" questioned the taller, blond-haired Jaffa.
"It's an expression." He stopped, closing his eyes. "You can call me Theadan, by the way."
"I am called Nekor," supplied the shorter Jaffa. "This is Morlam."
"Great. I don't suppose there's any way you'd be willing to help me escape..."
Nekor shook his head. "It would be dangerous. The numbers of the resistance are small on this world, though growing daily. For many, there has been too much evidence the Goa'uld are not the immortal gods they claim to be."
"Ra first held this world when I was a boy," elaborated Morlam. "Upon his death, Heru'ur claimed his father's territories. It was taken by Apophis after that, then nearly forgotten when he was vanquished. When Osiris returned from exile, he--she reclaimed many of Ra's old holdings."
Daniel sighed. "Why do so many of your brothers continue to believe the Goa'uld are gods, then? Surely they've begun to see a pattern. Since the fall of Ra, many of the most powerful System Lords have met their demise."
"They do not see that the Jaffa have had any impact on these events."
"Teal'c was there when Apophis was finally destroyed. He was also present when Heru'ur was killed, as was Raknor. Maybe he didn't have a direct hand in either event, but he was still very much a part of it."
Nekor frowned. "You speak as though you know from experience."
"Among other professions, I am a scholar and historian," he answered at length. "I know a great many things, experienced or otherwise. For example, it was Teal'c who killed Cronus." Of course, he neglected to clarify which Teal'c had slain the false god. Explaining the concept of a robot duplicate was simply more information than most needed to know. "Oh, and he killed Imhotep, too."
Morlam and Nekor exchanged a brief look of surprise. "We must... we must speak of these events to our brothers. You have given us many things on which to think, Theadan. Osiris is expected to arrive this evening, however, so if we are to act on your behalf, we must do so quickly. In the meantime, someone should arrive soon with your morning meal. I am sure you must be famished."
Truth be told, Daniel didn't think he could eat anything at all, but he wasn't about to turn away such hospitality. It was far better treatment than he'd come to expect from Jaffa soldiers: he hadn't been struck even once. Of course, it spoke altogether-too-sadly of his past experiences that he was so familiar with the "usual" behaviors of Jaffa captors.
With the two rebels gone, Daniel resumed his pacing. If the length of the day was in any way similar to that of Earth, he probably had about twelve hours before Osiris was expected to arrive. Somehow, in that time, he either needed to find a way to escape on his own or at least help the resistance to make it look as though he had escaped on his own.
He never considered himself as much of a strategist, but he'd certainly studied the past enough to be even somewhat of an expert on military history. Combining that with the skills learned from Jack, Sam, and Teal'c--plus some of the more unorthodox ideas of Vala--he could surely formulate a plan which got him offworld safely without running the risk of compromising the safety or identities of the rebels.
Vala, of course, would point out that ther own lives came before that of the rebels, and he was inclined to agree in this case. Although the Jaffa were often erroneously blamed for crime's perpetrated by their "gods", it still did not bely the fact that many Jaffa held themselves to a strict code of honor. Self-sacrifice was valued as one of the greatest honors a Jaffa could bestow upon his fellows.
The room was solid; he'd already checked. His pack, zat, and pistol had all been taken from him along with his pack and now he was left with nothing to do to keep his mind occupied. Osiris was coming, and unless the rebels could agree to help him stage an escape, he would still be here, waiting for her arrival.
Author's Notes:
Sorry about the wait there, folks. I had a family emergency pop up which required me and my Jeep to help solve. Everything's been taken care of now, but I'm tired, sore, and sleepy.
Have a lovely weekend and I'll "see" you on Monday!
