0900 HOURS, P9X-861:

Daniel blinked his tired eyes. He squinted a bit in the dull light, but saw nothing. Then he heard the sound again. "Tavrek, is that you?"

"Yes. My apologies for interrupting you, Learned One." Tavrek replied.

Tavrek was a tall man, whose years underground in the labyrinth he now called home had hunched his shoulders and turned his once tanned skin white. He was the leader of his people, and had turned to Daniel when the monsters attacked.

Tavrek had always treated Daniel specially ever since he had been born. When his own father had died, Tavrek had become his father, and they had spent many years before the attack in perfect peace. Daniel could still remember the attack. The large ships that brought destruction and chaos to their once peaceful world. They had taken Daniel and then taken control of his mind. But he fought them and returned to his people, and his father Tavrek. The creature had died, and left Daniel with a knowledge greater than anyone else.

So when his people needed to flee, Daniel had helped them use the magical gate that was on their planet, and they had come here. Now Daniel was helping them to discover the secrets of the people who had once lived here, in hope that they could learn the secrets of their enemies and finally defeat them.

"Father," Daniel said. "Please, do not call me that. I am no more special than anyone else."

"Ah, but son to me your are more important than everything." Tavrek said.

Daniel smiled at his father, and noticed the plate he was holding. "Is that for me?"

"Yes." Tavrek said. "I have brought you some of Selna's bread and some fruit."

"Thank you, Father."

"Have you learnt anything more from these inscriptions?"

"Not yet." Daniel said. "But I believe this is the story of their people. And I think it makes reference to our shared enemy, but I have not translated it all yet."

"It is enough, my son, that you are trying. You give us all hope." Tavrek said. "And I shall leave you to it."

Daniel smiled once again at his father, before turning back to the inscription he was translating. He hoped he could finish it soon.

* * *

Lara stepped out onto the stone platform, followed by Jack. The planet they now found themselves on was covered in a deep forest which was almost jungle like because of the humidity. The stargate was in a clearing and from the platform Lara could see thick trees spreading out in all directions.

"P9X-861." Jack said.

"Pretty." Lara said.

Lara walked down the stairs in the side of the platform and into the grassy floor below. She then crouched down and unslung her backpack. Taking off her hat, Lara shook out her waist length braid and then removed her jacket, revealing a black singlet underneath, and then slid the jacket and vest into her backpack. She also strapped her two automatics onto her thighs in their usual places.

She looked up at Jack. "Ready?" she asked him.

He nodded, still looking at her. "The altar is over here." He said as he began walking.

Lara followed, but was unable to keep a smile off her face at the way the Colonel had been looking at her. It was definitely a look of appreciation, she thought. She looked at the effortless way he dodged the undergrowth and trees in front of her. But then he wasn't bad either.

The pair soon came to the clearing in which the altar stood. There was a small patch of dirt around it, and you could see both Daniel and Jack's footprints still in it. "That's where he disappeared." Jack said, before moving over to the large rock near it. "And I was sitting here."

Lara nodded, and noticed the small black and pink flowers that grew all around the altar. "Pretty flowers." She said.

"Yeah." Jack said. "But they smell almost sickly sweet, and they only seem to grow around the alter. I remember smelling them just before I got knocked out."

"Really?" Lara turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

"You think this might have something to do with Danny's disappearance?" Jack asked.

"Maybe." Lara replied. "It's interesting, though."

Jack nodded and turned to look around the clearing. Lara carefully picked a bunch of the flowers and put it into her backpack. There was something interesting about those flowers - and she might as well tae some to have a look at later. Years of tomb raiding had taught Lara not to overlook clues, and to take them with her if she could.

The pair had been searching the clearing for other clues for about two hours, before they decided to take a break. They both sat down on the rock, hot and frustrated. So when Lara saw the arrow coming straight for her, she almost screamed as she threw herself off the rock, and rolled to the partial cover behind it. Jack joined her a moment later.

"What the hell was that?" he said.

"The locals." Lara said. "My guess would be the same people who knocked you out."

"Dammit!" Jack snapped. "This planet was supposed to be uninhabited."

Lara smiled as she carefully watched the trees for anymore arrows. "In my experience, Jack." She said. "There is no such thing as an uninhabited place. The people are just usually a lot more hidden."

Jack shot her a glance. "You've got to tell me some of your stories some day. They sound really interesting."

"Oh, they are." Lara agreed.

Since no more arrows had decided to fly at them, Lara carefully drew one of her guns and stood up from behind the rock. As soon as she did another arrow flew at her. She quickly crouched down again and let of a few shots in the direction it had come from.

There was a startled noise, somewhere between a yelp and a scream, and five more arrows flew at them. "I don't think they've ever seen guns before." Jack said. "Unless, of course, that was their war cry."

Lara smiled. "It doesn't exactly inspire fear, does it?"

Lara's smile was wiped from her face a second later, as three arrows came flying at them from behind. "Shit!" she said. "They've got us surrounded."

Jack looked grim as he dodged them. "Let's get out of here!"

Dodging another wave of arrows, Lara and Jack leapt up and began sprinting away from the clearing. Jack picked the clearest part of the forest and started running through it, hoping the trees would give them cover and the chance to loose their attackers.

Lara followed him, dodging the trees and roots with a fluid ease that spoke of practice. But the arrows kept coming. The pair ran and dodged and ran, until their legs were aching and their lungs were burning, but still the arrows kept coming. Jack tried changing course and doubling back, but their pursuers never got lost, never faltered.

Jack's breath was soon coming out in jagged gasps, echoing Lara's and sweat streamed down his face. He would need to rest soon, before his legs gave out and he collapsed. Another branch hit his already sore face, and from the sting he knew it had drawn blood. Blood was already dripping down his face from the other cuts he had, but he kept running.

Suddenly he pitched forward, as he tripped over a root, and landed gasping in the dirt. He lay there for a minute, unable to move as his tired limbs just gave up. But then a pair of strong arms grasped his and pulled him back onto his feet, and he came face to face with Lara. Her face was scratched too, and there was a bruise beginning to form on her forehead. "Come on." She rasped.

A second later, an arrow thudded into a tree trunk near them and they took off running once more. As they ran, Lara could feel her body slowing as it became agony to put on foot in front of the other. Their only hope would be to find some sort of cover and fight it out, but she could see nothing apart from more trees.

Slowly, as they ran, Jack began to hear a roar above the rasping of his own breathing. It took a moment to place, but then he knew what it was. The roar of rushing water. He reached out and grabbed Lara's hand, veering suddenly to the left and they raced towards the sound. "Wha . . . what . . . are you . . . doing?" Lara gasped.

"Trust . . .me." he replied.

Then suddenly they broke from the trees and skidded to a stop on some damp rocks. They stood on a cliff top, and to their left, just above them was the start of a large waterfall. It thundered down and disappeared into a swirling river about five meters below them. The pool had the dark look of very deep water. "Jack . . ." Lara began, but she was startled when she heard the sound of metal striking stone, as two arrows flew at them. "We have to jump." She gasped out.

"Are you crazy?" Jack said in a hoarse voice.

Another arrow thudded into the tree near them. "It's better than an arrow in the back." She said.

Jack looked at her, before reaching for her hand. "On three." He said.

"One . . . two . . . " Jack counted.

"Threeeeeee." He called out as Lara jumped of the cliff taking him with her, and the pair disappeared into the foaming water below.

* * *

0900 HOURS, STARGATE COMMAND:

"Janet?" said a voice. "Can I talk to you, for a minute?"

"Sure." Janet looked up at the sound of her friend's voice. "What can I do for you, Sam?"

"I know what you think, Janet." Sam said, a look of guilt and sorrow on her face. "For betraying Jack like that."

Janet turned to face her friend. "I know why you did it, Sam."

"You don't understand, Janet." Sam said. "I was angry. Angry that Jack was even capable of killing someone like that. The violence. It scared me."

"But now that I've thought about it," she continued. "I've begun to realise that Jack wouldn't have been capable of killing Danny like that. A Goa'uld, maybe. But he cared about Danny. He really did."

"It's alright, Sam." Janet said. "I'm sure this thing will be cleared up soon."

"I know." Sam said. "Which is why I have to bring him back."

"Bring him back?" Janet echoed. "Do you even know where he is?"

"He went through the gate about an hour ago." Sam said. "And Colonel Forrest has asked me to bring him back."

Sam looked at Janet. "I have to do this. Because if I don't, he'll send someone else, and they might hurt Jack. I want to give him a chance, Janet. I didn't before. No one did. We didn't hear his side of it. And I want to."

"You have to do what you feel is right, Sam." Janet said.

Sam looked at her, and smiled softly, but the sorrow never left her eyes. "Thank you Janet." She said and quietly left.

Janet took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This would complicate things. She picked up the phone and dialled a number. "Hello?" said a voice.

"Sam's taking a team out to look for him." She said without preamble. "They know."

"This will make things harder." The voice replied. "But trust in Jack, Janet. He's a good man."

"I know." Janet said. "Just hurry up and get here."

"I will." Said the voice and hung up.

"Please, George." Janet whispered into the silent phone.