[Good evening. . . Hope you all had a good holiday. Thanks for sticking
with this fic. I'm still plugging away at it and I really appreciate all
your comments. Feel free to reply here, or by the email on my profile if
you have any advice, comments or criticism. : )]
Chapter Seven
[Warning. . . mention of rather nasty violence. . .]
"Alright, I'll bite." Jack drawled. "What sorts of 'bad things'." Jacob and Anise exchanged glances. Jack snapped. "Oh, now, quit that. I hate it. Don't do the little 'sideways look Tok'ra mind meld' and decide how much you should pretend to know. For God's sake, just spit it out!"
Anise squared her shoulders and looked at General Hammond. "How well did Doctor Jackson know Doctor Collier?"
General Hammond cocked his head and frowned. He looked back at Jack and then spread his hands. "I can't really say. Doctor Jackson recommended Doctor Collier for the SGC. I have since become aware that they had been friends for quite some time."
"If I may?" Jack stepped in. At the General's nod, he turned to Jacob. "Emma and Daniel go way back. They've been friends since they were, like, ten years old."
Jacob nodded. "What is the likelihood that Doctor Jackson informed Doctor Collier of the extent of his work in the SGC?"
Jack frowned as Hammond considered the question. "Doctor Collier has full clearance for most SGC projects. She knows what any participant in this program knows."
"Where are you going with this, Jacob?" Jack asked, thunderclouds forming in his expression.
"Bear with us, Jack." The Tok'ra held up a hand.
"What was the true nature of their relationship?" Anise asked.
"Friends." Jack said bluntly, challenging her.
"Just friends?"
"Oh, come on!" Jack threw his hands up. "How does knowing if Emma and Daniel were doing. . . stuff, which they weren't by the way, help in any part of this discussion?"
Anise continued on in her dispassionate voice. "We are merely trying to gauge what Emma Collier may know of the inner workings of the SGC. Doctor Jackson was privy to a great deal of sensitive information during his tenure here. We are trying to evaluate how much of this information he may have passed on to Doctor Collier. Our informant indicated that Osiris's host was personally acquainted with Doctor Collier and knows of her friendship with Doctor Jackson."
"Doctor Collier was given permission to read Doctor Jackson's journals. Anything in those journals is potentially known to her."
"What about the Tok'ra poison, one of Daniel Jackson's final missions?"
"She knows about it." Jack grated with a grimace. Of course she knew about it. He had screamed it out at her as they fought in Daniel's office. He'd done it to punish her for the harsh words she'd levelled at him, accusing him of not caring about Daniel's death. Security be damned. "Where are we going with this?" He repeated, hands mussing his hair.
Anise and Jacob were playing Telepathic Tok'ra again, making Jack want to throw something. Finally, Jacob continued.
"This is serious."
"I can assure you Jacob, four of my people in the custody of the Goa'uld has always been serious." Hammond corrected.
"I understand, George, I understand." Jacob waved away the general's tone. "Here's what we know. Osiris has access to new technologies through Anubis, things we've never seen. One of these devices is implanted in the skull. It forms a link between the mind of the person and the Goa'uld computers."
"What they used on Thor, sir." Jack swivelled his seat slightly to face Hammond, referring to an earlier mission to the Adara System.
"You've heard of these?" Anise said, folding her arms. "Why was this information not shared with the Tok'ra?"
Jack shrugged. "Oops." He said without a hint of contrition, eyebrows up. "Musta got lost in the mail."
"Jack, this is serious." Jacob restated.
"Oh, believe me Jacob, I know. I knew that when I watched Emma nearly get cut in half by staff blasts. I knew it when I saw Osiris dragging Sanchez around like a sack of grain. I knew it when SG6 called down a strike on their own position and I watched the bomb go through. I knew it when I walked into the empty locker-rooms. I knew it when the General informed me what time the memorial service would be held. I've known this all along." He jabbed his finger down onto the surface of the desk.
"Jack." Hammond's soft voice cut through O'Neill's anger and the hand on his shoulder pushed him back into his chair. When he was sure that Jack would be calm, Hammond looked back to the Tok'ra. A long look at his second in command reminded Jack that he was dealing with a General and his commanding officer. Furthermore, he was busily mouthing off to Jacob, a former General and a friend. "I am assuming from your rather pointed questions that Osiris intends this device to be used on Emma Collier."
Jacob took a long look at Jack and then nodded. "Yes. Osiris will start with Doctor Collier, and then move on to Major Sanchez."
"And it's a fair bet to say that anything Doctor Jackson knew, Doctor Collier has the potential to know." Hammond finished grimly.
"You see our concern." Anise said.
Jack opened his mouth to remind the Tok'ra that his concern was four of his friends being tortured to death, but then shook his head and said nothing. If he ever needed proof how far the Tok'ra had left their humanity behind when they joined, he had just gotten it.
He cocked his head, as he thought of something. "Tell me, guys. If it was anybody but Emma and her potentially Tok'ra threatening secrets. . . would you ever have told us any of this?"
"Jack." Jacob said, a disapproving tone curling around the word. The colonel grimaced, but knew that this was as close to an answer as he could expect. . . and he did not fail to note that the Tok'ra did not simply say 'yes'.
"Jacob." Again, Hammond steered them gently back on track. "What happens now?"
The Tok'ra sighed heavily. "Even accounting for this time lag, our operative missed his last check-in. By our reckoning, Osiris will be meeting up with Anubis any time now. Their first task will be to put the memory device into Emma." He shook his head. "I don't doubt she will fight it, but you know as well as I do, George. She's a civilian. They don't have the training-."
Jack cut him off. "You know, they said the same thing about Daniel, and he never broke. Never once, no matter what they did to him." Jack felt the need to defend his civilian's honour.
"Jack." The male Tok'ra began.
The colonel cut him off. "No, Jacob, Don't 'Jack' me, okay? You don't know these people. Emma stood there after suffering God knows what, when Osiris thought he had her beaten, and she did not give in. Alright? She had us drop a bomb on her own head rather than risk any other casualties. She kept her head together. Don't sell her short on this. Dammit!"
"Jack, I'm sorry. Emma may be able to keep her head together, but in a very short time, both Osiris and Anubis will be hell-bent on tearing it apart." The former General put his hand out, not touching Jack, but emphasising that he was reaching out to his friends. "We don't really know what this device can do. Emma may not have not the ability to resist once it's implanted."
- - - - -
The geographer in question was hauled abruptly awake by a large hand on her upper arm. She lashed out, feeling the phantoms of the police officers crowding her again. A metal-covered fist to the temple rocked her back, and robbed her of her will to fight.
She slumped against a tall, muscular figure as he clasped his hands firmly around her upper arm, steadying her. She judged from the height and bulk that it was probably Patrick. They were both tugged forward, stumbling.
After a few minutes, they halted, shoved forward and abandoned. A mechanical whine filled their ears as the masks they wore abruptly opened and dropped to the ground. Their hands flew to their eyes, trying to block out the brilliant whiteness of the room.
Patrick heard Emma's dragging footsteps as she was pulled away from him. He tried to catch up, but the room spun alarmingly. The light formed spears that entered his eyes and impacted straight into his brain. He could not resist as two large Jaffa grabbed his upper arms and held him tightly.
A black shape appeared in his field of vision, and a disturbing deep voice spoke.
"I am Anubis. I have been informed that the Tau'ri are indeed a stubborn breed. I offer you one last chance to tell me everything you know of the Tau'ri and Tok'ra. Tell me everything freely and I will spare you."
Patrick drew himself up, tried to look imposing, despite the tears running from his stinging eyes. "Take your best shot, Goa'uld. I will tell you nothing."
The voice made a little sound, like a muffled chuckle and the blur turned away. "Prepare her."
Patrick flinched as he heard Emma give a hastily muffled grunt of pain. He struggled, slamming his fists into the Jaffa beside him. He was rewarded by a swift blow to the head, followed by one to the back of the knees. He dropped to the ground, unable to stop himself. A series of kicks pushed him backwards until he found himself cowering under a table. He spat curses at the Jaffa and began to rise.
Something caught his eye and he looked up. His jaw dropped. He was lying under a surgical table of a sort. Emma had been strapped to the table face down. An opening in the table allowed Patrick to meet her wide, frightened gaze. His head moved from side to side, recognising where this particularly horrific line of questioning was heading.
- - - - -
Jack softly rapped his knuckles on the table-top as he considered Jacob's words. "I get what you mean." He turned to the General. "Sir, Thor said he was having difficulty holding out against that thing. Jacob's right. Emma won't last."
Hammond leaned back in his chair and looked from person to person. "What are our options?"
Jack looked at Jacob. The colonel knew that they needed the Tok'ra. Jacob nodded. "We can give you co-ordinates to the Stargate. It will take you to Osiris's base. You'll have to overcome stiff resistance at the gate, but our operative will help to minimize the forces."
"What can we expect?" Jack asked, lacing his fingers and sitting back in his chair.
"It's a small base. Osiris is there with a small support staff and a few Jaffa. There will probably be six to a dozen at the gate. Perhaps another two dozen in the compound. We can give you some rough layouts of the base. Our informant sends what he can, but you are going to have to go blind for a bit."
"Can we count on your help for this?" Hammond asked.
Jacob paused. "George. You know I would, but we're spread so thin now." He sighed. "Our people are scattered, our supplies are limited. We'll give you what we can, and you can meet up with our agent, Tolme." He shook his head. "I won't lie to you. This won't be simple. Go in with a small force, and maybe you can get your people out."
"Why not get everyone we can? Go in guns blazing?" Jack clapped his hands together, simulating an impact.
"Osiris has your team. If you go in with a full force, he may kill them out of spite. His only sarcophagus is on his ship. You'll likely get your team back. . . " Anise paused.
"But that's not an option." Jack finished firmly. "Sir. . . I think we should get Carter and Teal'c here. We have some planning to do."
Hammond nodded his agreement.
- - - - -
Patrick lay on the floor of his cell, bound hands resting on his abdomen, unresponsive to his worried team-mates. Joe and Dimitri tried to determine what was ailing their commanding officer. Dimitri's slim fingers ran over Patrick's head, feeling for injuries, something that would have rendered the big man unconscious. Moresby looked for the same on the major's torso.
Patrick was relatively unharmed. He had been beaten and bruised by the Jaffa, but the real trauma was all in his mind. He had been pinned under the table while the Goa'uld put some device into Emma's head. The scientist had been strapped to the table and operated on without anaesthetic. Patrick had watched, horrified as Emma tried to thrash free, tugging futilely against her restraints. He could only make soft sounds as her tears fell on his face, followed by blood. Soon, her struggles ceased and her eyes lost their sharp focus. She was left making small hurt animal noises in the back of her throat until even those sounds stopped and her golden eyes dimmed.
He was vaguely aware that he was questioned during this period, but he could not recall if he ever supplied any answers. He knew that he had sworn at the Goa'uld until his voice broke.
- - - - -
It had been decided. SG1 would go in as a threesome and meet up with Tolme. Jacob and Anise would not be joining them. Tok'ra, it seemed, were getting a little rare these days. Much as they liked and respected the SGC, they simply couldn't risk two of their few remaining leaders to the uncertainty of a possible Goa'uld trap.
Jack, Sam and Teal'c were fully kitted out with all the ordinance they could carry without rattling when they walked. Explosives would provide a nice distraction if things got too heavy for them. Extra weaponry and medical kits for SG6, anticipating a slightly less than worse-case scenario. Worse case would be a retrieval, and with four missing SGC members and three would-be rescuers, they were under no illusions as to how that would play out.
Jack grinned at Sam. The Tok'ra had managed to provide them with three of the nasty Goa'uld grenades that proved to wonderfully effective against a well-armed host. Jack tilted it, pressed the appropriate button and tossed it through the event horizon before it could go off.
The gave it ten seconds to work before turning back and throwing small salutes to General Hammond up in the viewing room.
"Good luck, SG1. You have all of our best wishes for success." The unspoken thought was that failure could doom them all. The trio turned and disappeared through the event horizon without another backward glimpse.
They emerged, weapons up and darting to the side to avoid the blasts of any stray Jaffa. It was a beautiful manoeuvre, but wasted on an unappreciative audience. Jaffa were scattered across the clearing like the remnants of some demented child's game of Soldiers.
"Now that's a grenade. Carter. . . I trust you've got our route memorized?" Jack asked, eyes constantly roving over the inhospitable landscape.
"Yes, sir. The Tok'ra maps of the area between the Stargate and the base were quite detailed. I only wish the same could be said of the inside."
"Well, that's where this Tok'ra's supposed to be helping, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Okay, Carter. . . take point. Teal'c, you've got our six."
The Jaffa nodded, and they picked their way toward the base as fast as they dared.
- - - - -
TBC
Chapter Seven
[Warning. . . mention of rather nasty violence. . .]
"Alright, I'll bite." Jack drawled. "What sorts of 'bad things'." Jacob and Anise exchanged glances. Jack snapped. "Oh, now, quit that. I hate it. Don't do the little 'sideways look Tok'ra mind meld' and decide how much you should pretend to know. For God's sake, just spit it out!"
Anise squared her shoulders and looked at General Hammond. "How well did Doctor Jackson know Doctor Collier?"
General Hammond cocked his head and frowned. He looked back at Jack and then spread his hands. "I can't really say. Doctor Jackson recommended Doctor Collier for the SGC. I have since become aware that they had been friends for quite some time."
"If I may?" Jack stepped in. At the General's nod, he turned to Jacob. "Emma and Daniel go way back. They've been friends since they were, like, ten years old."
Jacob nodded. "What is the likelihood that Doctor Jackson informed Doctor Collier of the extent of his work in the SGC?"
Jack frowned as Hammond considered the question. "Doctor Collier has full clearance for most SGC projects. She knows what any participant in this program knows."
"Where are you going with this, Jacob?" Jack asked, thunderclouds forming in his expression.
"Bear with us, Jack." The Tok'ra held up a hand.
"What was the true nature of their relationship?" Anise asked.
"Friends." Jack said bluntly, challenging her.
"Just friends?"
"Oh, come on!" Jack threw his hands up. "How does knowing if Emma and Daniel were doing. . . stuff, which they weren't by the way, help in any part of this discussion?"
Anise continued on in her dispassionate voice. "We are merely trying to gauge what Emma Collier may know of the inner workings of the SGC. Doctor Jackson was privy to a great deal of sensitive information during his tenure here. We are trying to evaluate how much of this information he may have passed on to Doctor Collier. Our informant indicated that Osiris's host was personally acquainted with Doctor Collier and knows of her friendship with Doctor Jackson."
"Doctor Collier was given permission to read Doctor Jackson's journals. Anything in those journals is potentially known to her."
"What about the Tok'ra poison, one of Daniel Jackson's final missions?"
"She knows about it." Jack grated with a grimace. Of course she knew about it. He had screamed it out at her as they fought in Daniel's office. He'd done it to punish her for the harsh words she'd levelled at him, accusing him of not caring about Daniel's death. Security be damned. "Where are we going with this?" He repeated, hands mussing his hair.
Anise and Jacob were playing Telepathic Tok'ra again, making Jack want to throw something. Finally, Jacob continued.
"This is serious."
"I can assure you Jacob, four of my people in the custody of the Goa'uld has always been serious." Hammond corrected.
"I understand, George, I understand." Jacob waved away the general's tone. "Here's what we know. Osiris has access to new technologies through Anubis, things we've never seen. One of these devices is implanted in the skull. It forms a link between the mind of the person and the Goa'uld computers."
"What they used on Thor, sir." Jack swivelled his seat slightly to face Hammond, referring to an earlier mission to the Adara System.
"You've heard of these?" Anise said, folding her arms. "Why was this information not shared with the Tok'ra?"
Jack shrugged. "Oops." He said without a hint of contrition, eyebrows up. "Musta got lost in the mail."
"Jack, this is serious." Jacob restated.
"Oh, believe me Jacob, I know. I knew that when I watched Emma nearly get cut in half by staff blasts. I knew it when I saw Osiris dragging Sanchez around like a sack of grain. I knew it when SG6 called down a strike on their own position and I watched the bomb go through. I knew it when I walked into the empty locker-rooms. I knew it when the General informed me what time the memorial service would be held. I've known this all along." He jabbed his finger down onto the surface of the desk.
"Jack." Hammond's soft voice cut through O'Neill's anger and the hand on his shoulder pushed him back into his chair. When he was sure that Jack would be calm, Hammond looked back to the Tok'ra. A long look at his second in command reminded Jack that he was dealing with a General and his commanding officer. Furthermore, he was busily mouthing off to Jacob, a former General and a friend. "I am assuming from your rather pointed questions that Osiris intends this device to be used on Emma Collier."
Jacob took a long look at Jack and then nodded. "Yes. Osiris will start with Doctor Collier, and then move on to Major Sanchez."
"And it's a fair bet to say that anything Doctor Jackson knew, Doctor Collier has the potential to know." Hammond finished grimly.
"You see our concern." Anise said.
Jack opened his mouth to remind the Tok'ra that his concern was four of his friends being tortured to death, but then shook his head and said nothing. If he ever needed proof how far the Tok'ra had left their humanity behind when they joined, he had just gotten it.
He cocked his head, as he thought of something. "Tell me, guys. If it was anybody but Emma and her potentially Tok'ra threatening secrets. . . would you ever have told us any of this?"
"Jack." Jacob said, a disapproving tone curling around the word. The colonel grimaced, but knew that this was as close to an answer as he could expect. . . and he did not fail to note that the Tok'ra did not simply say 'yes'.
"Jacob." Again, Hammond steered them gently back on track. "What happens now?"
The Tok'ra sighed heavily. "Even accounting for this time lag, our operative missed his last check-in. By our reckoning, Osiris will be meeting up with Anubis any time now. Their first task will be to put the memory device into Emma." He shook his head. "I don't doubt she will fight it, but you know as well as I do, George. She's a civilian. They don't have the training-."
Jack cut him off. "You know, they said the same thing about Daniel, and he never broke. Never once, no matter what they did to him." Jack felt the need to defend his civilian's honour.
"Jack." The male Tok'ra began.
The colonel cut him off. "No, Jacob, Don't 'Jack' me, okay? You don't know these people. Emma stood there after suffering God knows what, when Osiris thought he had her beaten, and she did not give in. Alright? She had us drop a bomb on her own head rather than risk any other casualties. She kept her head together. Don't sell her short on this. Dammit!"
"Jack, I'm sorry. Emma may be able to keep her head together, but in a very short time, both Osiris and Anubis will be hell-bent on tearing it apart." The former General put his hand out, not touching Jack, but emphasising that he was reaching out to his friends. "We don't really know what this device can do. Emma may not have not the ability to resist once it's implanted."
- - - - -
The geographer in question was hauled abruptly awake by a large hand on her upper arm. She lashed out, feeling the phantoms of the police officers crowding her again. A metal-covered fist to the temple rocked her back, and robbed her of her will to fight.
She slumped against a tall, muscular figure as he clasped his hands firmly around her upper arm, steadying her. She judged from the height and bulk that it was probably Patrick. They were both tugged forward, stumbling.
After a few minutes, they halted, shoved forward and abandoned. A mechanical whine filled their ears as the masks they wore abruptly opened and dropped to the ground. Their hands flew to their eyes, trying to block out the brilliant whiteness of the room.
Patrick heard Emma's dragging footsteps as she was pulled away from him. He tried to catch up, but the room spun alarmingly. The light formed spears that entered his eyes and impacted straight into his brain. He could not resist as two large Jaffa grabbed his upper arms and held him tightly.
A black shape appeared in his field of vision, and a disturbing deep voice spoke.
"I am Anubis. I have been informed that the Tau'ri are indeed a stubborn breed. I offer you one last chance to tell me everything you know of the Tau'ri and Tok'ra. Tell me everything freely and I will spare you."
Patrick drew himself up, tried to look imposing, despite the tears running from his stinging eyes. "Take your best shot, Goa'uld. I will tell you nothing."
The voice made a little sound, like a muffled chuckle and the blur turned away. "Prepare her."
Patrick flinched as he heard Emma give a hastily muffled grunt of pain. He struggled, slamming his fists into the Jaffa beside him. He was rewarded by a swift blow to the head, followed by one to the back of the knees. He dropped to the ground, unable to stop himself. A series of kicks pushed him backwards until he found himself cowering under a table. He spat curses at the Jaffa and began to rise.
Something caught his eye and he looked up. His jaw dropped. He was lying under a surgical table of a sort. Emma had been strapped to the table face down. An opening in the table allowed Patrick to meet her wide, frightened gaze. His head moved from side to side, recognising where this particularly horrific line of questioning was heading.
- - - - -
Jack softly rapped his knuckles on the table-top as he considered Jacob's words. "I get what you mean." He turned to the General. "Sir, Thor said he was having difficulty holding out against that thing. Jacob's right. Emma won't last."
Hammond leaned back in his chair and looked from person to person. "What are our options?"
Jack looked at Jacob. The colonel knew that they needed the Tok'ra. Jacob nodded. "We can give you co-ordinates to the Stargate. It will take you to Osiris's base. You'll have to overcome stiff resistance at the gate, but our operative will help to minimize the forces."
"What can we expect?" Jack asked, lacing his fingers and sitting back in his chair.
"It's a small base. Osiris is there with a small support staff and a few Jaffa. There will probably be six to a dozen at the gate. Perhaps another two dozen in the compound. We can give you some rough layouts of the base. Our informant sends what he can, but you are going to have to go blind for a bit."
"Can we count on your help for this?" Hammond asked.
Jacob paused. "George. You know I would, but we're spread so thin now." He sighed. "Our people are scattered, our supplies are limited. We'll give you what we can, and you can meet up with our agent, Tolme." He shook his head. "I won't lie to you. This won't be simple. Go in with a small force, and maybe you can get your people out."
"Why not get everyone we can? Go in guns blazing?" Jack clapped his hands together, simulating an impact.
"Osiris has your team. If you go in with a full force, he may kill them out of spite. His only sarcophagus is on his ship. You'll likely get your team back. . . " Anise paused.
"But that's not an option." Jack finished firmly. "Sir. . . I think we should get Carter and Teal'c here. We have some planning to do."
Hammond nodded his agreement.
- - - - -
Patrick lay on the floor of his cell, bound hands resting on his abdomen, unresponsive to his worried team-mates. Joe and Dimitri tried to determine what was ailing their commanding officer. Dimitri's slim fingers ran over Patrick's head, feeling for injuries, something that would have rendered the big man unconscious. Moresby looked for the same on the major's torso.
Patrick was relatively unharmed. He had been beaten and bruised by the Jaffa, but the real trauma was all in his mind. He had been pinned under the table while the Goa'uld put some device into Emma's head. The scientist had been strapped to the table and operated on without anaesthetic. Patrick had watched, horrified as Emma tried to thrash free, tugging futilely against her restraints. He could only make soft sounds as her tears fell on his face, followed by blood. Soon, her struggles ceased and her eyes lost their sharp focus. She was left making small hurt animal noises in the back of her throat until even those sounds stopped and her golden eyes dimmed.
He was vaguely aware that he was questioned during this period, but he could not recall if he ever supplied any answers. He knew that he had sworn at the Goa'uld until his voice broke.
- - - - -
It had been decided. SG1 would go in as a threesome and meet up with Tolme. Jacob and Anise would not be joining them. Tok'ra, it seemed, were getting a little rare these days. Much as they liked and respected the SGC, they simply couldn't risk two of their few remaining leaders to the uncertainty of a possible Goa'uld trap.
Jack, Sam and Teal'c were fully kitted out with all the ordinance they could carry without rattling when they walked. Explosives would provide a nice distraction if things got too heavy for them. Extra weaponry and medical kits for SG6, anticipating a slightly less than worse-case scenario. Worse case would be a retrieval, and with four missing SGC members and three would-be rescuers, they were under no illusions as to how that would play out.
Jack grinned at Sam. The Tok'ra had managed to provide them with three of the nasty Goa'uld grenades that proved to wonderfully effective against a well-armed host. Jack tilted it, pressed the appropriate button and tossed it through the event horizon before it could go off.
The gave it ten seconds to work before turning back and throwing small salutes to General Hammond up in the viewing room.
"Good luck, SG1. You have all of our best wishes for success." The unspoken thought was that failure could doom them all. The trio turned and disappeared through the event horizon without another backward glimpse.
They emerged, weapons up and darting to the side to avoid the blasts of any stray Jaffa. It was a beautiful manoeuvre, but wasted on an unappreciative audience. Jaffa were scattered across the clearing like the remnants of some demented child's game of Soldiers.
"Now that's a grenade. Carter. . . I trust you've got our route memorized?" Jack asked, eyes constantly roving over the inhospitable landscape.
"Yes, sir. The Tok'ra maps of the area between the Stargate and the base were quite detailed. I only wish the same could be said of the inside."
"Well, that's where this Tok'ra's supposed to be helping, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Okay, Carter. . . take point. Teal'c, you've got our six."
The Jaffa nodded, and they picked their way toward the base as fast as they dared.
- - - - -
TBC