Only SG-1, Hammond thought, as he stared at their hopeful faces from behind his blank expression. Only SG-1 could take a perfectly routine diplomatic mission and turn it into a rescue attempt for a single Tok'ra who was, Major Carter assured him, probably insane. On the other hand, their allies would certainly be pleased to regain a lost member, no matter how loony.
"Contact the Tok'ra, make sure they'll be able to pick him up fairly soon." Daniel and Carter didn't bother to hide their smiles of relief at his verdict. Teal'c, of course, appeared indifferent, and Jack looked as though he were thinking about something entirely unrelated. "Then ask those Elders if they would be willing to move, even if only temporarily. I'll get someone to work finding a suitable planet."
"Don't worry, sir." Jack grinned at him. "It's a lot of work to move them, but once they're gone and the goa'uld have had their little hissy fit, we can always see if it's safe to mine the mountain."
"Your optimism is appreciated, Colonel. Dismissed."
Armed with the knowledge that Prometheus would be welcomed back into the Tok'ra fold, SG-1 returned to P3Y-229 (or something), and found it just as stiflingly hot as when they'd left. The Elders seemed happy to see them, but were dubious about moving their entire village.
Carter managed to manoeuvre the conversation around to a very important question: "How many of you are there?"
"Two hundred and twelve," said Skippy. "There was a terrible plague, eighteen years ago. The vast majority of us perished."
"Not to be insensitive, but that does make it easier to move you." Jack smiled hopefully. "It also allows for the possibility of settling you on a planet that already has other people on it, if you're not opposed to the idea. We can match you for levels of technology and so on."
"It would be pleasing to meet new people." Binky returned his smile. "Would this new world have... digital watches?"
"Probably not, but we would be happy to ship some over with you."
The Elders conferred in a huddle for a few minutes, then turned back to the team. "We accept your offer. The condemned one has inspired pity in us for many generations, but we were afraid to help him. We thank you for providing us with a solution. Perhaps the high priest can be persuaded not to kill him tonight."
"Terrific. When can you be ready to go?"
"We were already preparing to leave for our summer camp. We can be ready by nightfall."
"Summer camp? It gets hotter than this?" Jack shook his head disbelievingly. "I think we'll have to request a cooler planet for you, Skip- uh, Elder."
"A cooler planet?" Skippy beamed. "Then, if you do not mind, perhaps we could make the move permanent."
"That suits us better than fine."