Special thanks go out to Turtle D who made some great suggestions and keeps me on my toes.
When they arrived at the fortress, O'Neill, Janun, Kanan, Teal'c and Daniel, the latter three dressed as Jaffa complete with face shields and staff weapons, were escorted from the rings to a room that O'Neill didn't recognize. Granted, no one gave him the grand tour when he had been there before, but he thought he would have been taken to a cell or the room where he had been tortured. The room they were led to now was empty except for a throne-like chair on which Ba'al was sitting.
O'Neill was terrified, but he was damned if he'd let anyone else know that. He stood there with his features set in a mask, letting only the anger show through his eyes, glaring at Ba'al.
Ba'al was pleased, O'Neill could tell by the look on his face. Janun moved closer to his prisoner when Ba'al got up and came closer.
"The trade has been finalized," Ba'al said. "O'Neill now belongs to me." O'Neill really didn't like the look on the Go'uld's face, but he continued to stare at Ba'al in defiance.
"When I receive word that my First Prime and Jaffa are aboard the mother ship you have supplied and the number of Death Gliders verified, you will have your prize," Janun said.
"You risk a lot coming here," Ba'al said to Janun. "I could kill you rather than let you leave here."
"I brought you O'Neill, I can bring you Carter, Jackson and the Shol'vah, Teal'c," Janun replied calmly. "Has anyone else accomplished this feat?"
Ba'al said nothing, he just stared at Janun with an indecipherable look and O'Neill wondered what he was thinking. Janun had made an excellent point, one they had counted on to get out of this alive.
It seemed to work, because Ba'al turned and walked back to the chair and sat down. The room was silent while they waited for Jacob to announce the success of their trade.
O'Neill just wished this whole thing was over with. Ba'al was looking at him with interest and O'Neill was determined to spit in that asshole's face the first chance he got. Ba'al continued to stare at him, while O'Neill thought about breaking the silence. Common sense won over and he kept his silence.
"I look forward to our talk, O'Neill," Ba'al said with an evil smile on his face.
"Been awhile, hasn't it?" O'Neill replied. "Got lots of catching up to do. You know, Go'ulds we've destroyed, territories we've conquered, that sort of thing. How's the family?"
"We both know this bravado will not last, O'Neill," Ba'al said calmly, the smile still in place. "It's only a matter of time."
Damn him, O'Neill thought. "Not interested in the small talk?" he asked.
"You will tell me what I am interested in hearing," Ba'al said with confidence.
"I didn't the last time," O'Neill said and was pleased to see Ba'al's smile fade.
"I am glad you remember the last time," Ba'al said. "It will make things easier. Much easier," he added with enthusiasm.
O'Neill didn't answer, he just stood there and glared at his mortal enemy. Right then and there he resolved that it would be him who would personally destroy that scum sucking snake. He didn't know how or when, but it would be him.
Ba'al continued to look at him with his evil sneer, but O'Neill refused to look away. It irritated him that the snakehead had accomplished what it set out to do – have O'Neill thinking of the agony he would be facing soon. O'Neill fought off the fears by focusing on his friends standing next to him, friends who would do anything to help him conquer his enemies.
They stood there in silence waiting for the confirmation. It came too soon for his taste, O'Neill thought with disgust. He hated the terror that was threatening to engulf him.
"My Lord," said the Jaffa who had just entered the room. "We have received a message from Sal'trey's First Prime."
Ba'al activated the communication device in a panel on his chair and said, "Jaffa, kree! What have you to report?"
"Lord Ba'al," Selmac's voice came out clearly. "I wish to make a report to my Lord Sal'trey."
"I am here," Janun said. "Speak!" he demanded. O'Neill was glad that Ba'al had turned his attention to Janun.
"We are aboard a mother ship," Selmac said, "and there are seven Death Gliders suitably equipped and capable of travel. Hyperdrive is intact."
"Any signs of tampering?" Janun asked as he stared at Ba'al.
"We checked everything, my Lord," Selmac replied.
"Good," Janun said while still looking at Ba'al. "We will be transporting there shortly. Prepare for boarding."
"As you wish, my Lord."
Janun grabbed O'Neill's arm before telling Ba'al, "We will take our leave now. O'Neill will accompany us to the rings to ensure your compliance. Your Jaffa will join us, as well?"
"Yes," Ba'al agreed, "as will I."
O'Neill watched as the rings swept away his lifeline. Teal'c and Daniel would be coming back, but that thought didn't do a whole lot to calm his nerves. He was alone with Ba'al and he was having a rough time calming his fears.
"Bring him," Ba'al demanded of his Jaffa. They each grabbed an arm and forced O'Neill to follow Ba'al. It wasn't long before he found himself in the room that had become a fixture in his nightmares.
The Jaffa led him to the middle of the room and took his jacket, leaving his shirt on. They left him there with his back facing the wall that looked like a web. Ba'al activated the anti-gravity device and O'Neill felt himself being pulled to the wall. He noticed the Jaffa leave as he tried to steel himself for what was coming.
This is not good, he thought. He had hoped he would be taken straight to a cell in order to give SG-1 time to get to him before any harm was done. Since when did Ba'al do anything right, he snarled to himself.
The silence was unnerving him and O'Neill realized that Ba'al wanted this. He decided that he would just keep silent. Maybe Ba'al wouldn't do anything to him if he kept silent.
Ba'al just didn't want to cooperate, O'Neill thought as Ba'al said, "What should I start with?"
Asshole, O'Neill thought. "How about the family?" he said determined to hold onto the bravado as long as he could.
"The weights? The acid?" Ba'al asked, his eyes never leaving O'Neill's. "Or should I use knives this time?"
"I'll go with none of the above," O'Neill replied, the emotionless mask firmly in place, as he glared at his tormentor. He was afraid his expression would give away his fear, allowing Ba'al to identify what he hated the most. Hell, he hated them all the most.
"We'll start with the Palt'nor," he said choosing a small pellet from the items he had available, "and move on from there."
Jesus! O'Neill cringed inwardly. There goes any chance of him surviving this even if SG-1 were to burst in here within the next five minutes. Once the pellet broke open on his skin, it would release a slow acting poison that caused excruciating pain as it ate through tissues, nerves and finally his organs. Ba'al had used several other techniques of torture while the poison slowly turned his insides to mush and O'Neill knew that he was in for some major hell. Teal'c, he called out silently.
"What is the code to open the Stargate's iris on your world?" Ba'al asked.
Yes! O'Neill thought, an easy one. Maybe he can stall the son of a bitch. "No code, it's programmed to recognize palm prints."
Ba'al didn't say anything and O'Neill silently prayed he was happy with the answer. Please, God.
"Where is the Tok'ra home world?" Ba'al asked, apparently accepting O'Neill's answer.
Well damn, so much for the easy questions, O'Neill grimaced. "I don't know, but hey, I can find out for you. Let's go to the Stargate, so I can ask."
Ba'al liked that answer, O'Neill could tell because the evil smile was back. Oh God, no! Ba'al was aiming the pellet all the while staring at O'Neill with an evil gleam in his eyes. Carter, he raged silently, where are you guys?
He didn't make a sound when the pellet hit, even though he could feel the wetness of the poison as the pellet broke open, eating through his shirt and through the skin. He watched as Ba'al gloated, both knowing it wouldn't be long now before O'Neill would be screaming. Damn that evil bastard!
"Let's try this again," Ba'al said, picking up a knife.
"My Lord," a Jaffe said, entering the room and dropping to his knees. O'Neill sent up silent thanks for this interruption.
"Speak," Ba'al demanded, still watching O'Neill.
"Nirrti demands an audience, my Lord," the Jaffa said while still kneeling.
"Nirrti can wait," Ba'al announced.
"Yes, my Lord," the Jaffa answered after a moment's hesitation. Apparently, the Jaffe decided not to argue, preferring to face Nirrti's wrath over Ba'al's. He rose and left the room and O'Neill wanted to call him back. Ba'al's attention was back on him.
"Where is the Tok'ra home world?" he asked again.
"I don't know," O'Neill repeated. "If I knew I would tell you. I don't owe the Tok'ra anything!" It didn't even matter now what Ba'al did to him, he realized. Damn, why did he have to start with the poison?
Ba'al let go of the knife and O'Neill felt the pain as the blade punctured his shoulder. He was already starting to feel the affects of the poison as the skin burned where it landed and this just added to his discomfort.
"Where is the Tok'ra home world," Ba'al said again and O'Neill decided to resort to lies in order to stall the torture.
"Look, the Tok'ra are a little pissed with us right now," he said. "They blame us for a lot of deaths and are probably afraid we will attack if they tell us where they are located. I, personally, haven't spoken to a Tok'ra for months now."
"I see," said Ba'al and O'Neill had the feeling that Ba'al was now lying to him. "Tell me, how were you captured?" Ba'al asked as he let go of another knife.
O'Neill grunted as the knife pierced his arm. This is so not going well, he thought as he tried to conquer the agony that was spreading through his chest. The ache caused by the knives couldn't even compare to the pain in his chest, as the poison ate through blood vessels and muscles, heading for his lungs. He knew from experience the agony he would go through when that happened. The effort to breathe would cause him to use the muscles that the poison was destroying and he did not look forward to it.
"Tell me," Ba'al said just before an explosion erupted in another part of the fortress, causing him to stumble.
"My Lord, Nirrti attacks!" the Jaffa announced, as he broke into the room.
"She dares attack me," Ba'al growled as his eyes glowed. He stalked out of the room totally forgetting O'Neill, leaving him glued to the wall to wait for certain death.
O'Neill had different plans, however, and he wondered if it was worth it. Without a sarcophagus he was as good as dead. But, maybe the Tok'ra healing device could rid him of this stuff, he thought as his hopes rose.
He knew that NIrrti had not been the one to initiate the attack. The Tok'ra and the Tau'ri had three weeks in which to lay down a plan and it seemed that it was working so far. The mother ship Ba'al would ultimately give them would maneuver to blend in with Nirrti's fleet and attack 'in her name', then get while the getting was good. They would then contact Ba'al to offer their assistance in order to improve future trade relations, while in reality they waited for SG-1 and O'Neill to transport up to the Tok'ra ship. In the meantime, they would just let Ba'al destroy Nirrti or they would kill each other. O'Neill fervently hoped for the latter.
It was a good plan and now all O'Neill had to do was wait for SG-1. Let it be soon, he thought as the agony in his chest increased.
SG-1 transported to the fortress via the rings as soon as the Tok'ra had established that it was safe for them to do so. Kanan was with them because he knew the layout of the fortress better than anyone. He led the way, with Carter following close behind him. Gallagher took the rear behind Daniel and Teal'c and he kept his P-90 handy, ready to destroy anything that got in the way of his mission. Daniel, Teal'c and Kanan had abandoned their face shields before coming to the planet this time around, but Teal'c and Kanan had kept their staff weapons.
They ran across several Jaffa, but were able to get past them without too much difficulty, their weapons blazing. Another explosion roared close by causing them all to fall to the floor. They heard the sounds of Jaffa heading their way and Gallagher got up to scramble toward a recess in the wall where he could find protection from incoming staff weapon blasts. He reached out and grabbed Daniel to pull him in with him, while the others found their own recesses and when the Jaffa came around a corner a gun fight ensued. Carter got one of the first ones before looking over at Gallagher to signal him to get the ones on the left. They were able to neutralize that particular threat and moved on, following Kanan down a corridor that was lined with doors. Gallagher recognized this hallway and he took the lead, taking them to where a hallway led off to the right at a place where the hallway they were in curved to the left.
"Down here," he whispered, as he led the way. The sounds of battle were all around them, but Gallagher knew the General wasn't too far from them now, unless they took him to a cell after the initial attack. One thing at a time, he told himself.
He stopped at a door near the end of the hall and held up his hand to signal the rest to stop. He put his ear to the door, listening for anything to tell him what was going on in the room. He heard nothing, so he put his back up against the wall, with one hand on the mechanism that would allow him to open the door. He waited for Carter to nod at him to signal she was ready, and then he opened the door.
Carter went in first as Teal'c and Daniel covered her. Kanan stayed in the hallway, to keep watch and Gallagher followed Carter into the room, with Daniel and Teal'c coming in after him. They did a sweep of the room with their eyes and guns, but the only one in the room was O'Neill, who was hanging on the wall, knives sticking out of his chest and arm.
"What took you so long?" O'Neill complained.
Teal'c started to go to the General, but O'Neill was having none of that. "No," he yelled with difficulty. "Stay back. All I need is for a gigantic Jaffa to come smashing into me. Gallagher, turn that gravity thing off, will ya?"
Gallagher nodded and went to the panel situated in the middle of the room, the one where Ba'al kept all his toys. He tried not to think about what those toys did to him when he was here last, as he searched for a button to turn the gravity off.
"There are three switches here," he said looking at O'Neill with dread. He just knew one of those switches would release the wall instead, sending O'Neill to a certain death. He didn't think they would have time to take him to the sarcophagus.
"Let me see," Carter said, approaching him. "What do these switches control?" she asked when she got there.
"One of them will open the wall and send the General to a very painful landing," Gallagher said. "Broke every bone in my body the last time Ba'al used it."
Carter looked at Gallagher, her eyes wide as she stared at him. He knew she was as scared as he was, and neither one wanted to make the decision.
"Just pick one," O'Neill said in obvious pain. "I'm dead anyway. Ba'al started this session with the partner poison thingy."
"Jesus," Gallagher said as he stared at O'Neill with wide eyes.
"What's this partner poison thingy?" Carter asked fearfully.
"Palt'nor," Teal'c explained. "It is a slow acting poison that destroys everything it touches, blood vessels, muscles and organs. It is quite painful and there is no antidote."
"Gallagher, just hit one of those switches and get this over with," O'Neill said. "Now Cadet!"
Gallagher nodded and put his finger on one of the switches and after a moment's hesitation flipped it.
The lights went off.
He hit it again as he heard O'Neill grumbling something about idiots, and the lights came back on. He gave the General a sheepish look before flipping the next one. O'Neill fell to the floor and Gallagher heard Carter let go of the breath she was holding.
They all ran to where O'Neill laid in a heap on the floor. Teal'c pulled out the knives and applied pressure to the wounds while Daniel examined the hole in his shirt where the poison had started its damage.
"General, sir," Carter said as she got down on her knees to get a better look at him. "We need to get you out of here, can you walk?"
"Yes," O'Neill said relying on Teal'c to help him up. He swayed, but stayed on his feet. They all headed for the door, Teal'c still supporting O'Neill while Daniel called out softly to Kanan. Gallagher heard Kanan say something softly to Daniel and he waved at them to tell them the coast was clear.
Once they were out in the hallway, Kanan took the lead and they headed back the way they came. They were looking for the rings and Carter used her radio to let Jacob know they were on their way and to be ready.
The trip back through the fortress was a little easier as most of Ba'al's Jaffa were busy defending the complex. They still ran into a few groups, but managed to avoid being seen by them.
They had almost made it to the rings when another explosion rocked the building and the ceiling threatened to fall on their heads. Gallagher rushed to help Teal'c drag O'Neill out of there and they all ran to avoid the collapse of the structure.
Carter wasn't fast enough and she fell as a beam landed on her. Teal'c and Gallagher let go of O'Neill to help Daniel pull the beam off of her. She was unconscious, so Kanan picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and turned to leave. Gallagher went back to the General to help him, but noticed that O'Neill was sweating and in extreme pain. "General," he said gently, "are you going to make it?"
"No," O'Neill whispered. "I think you are just dragging me off to die on the mother ship instead of here."
"We'll find a way," Gallagher promised. "The healing device has been known to work wonders."
"Yep," O'Neill said as he tried to pull himself up using Gallagher's arm. He didn't make it. "God," he groaned, as he fell back to the floor squeezing his eyes shut.
"Come on Jack," Gallagher urged. "It's not too far now. Just stay with me until we get you to the Tok'ra mother ship. Come on."
He and Teal'c each took an arm and dragged O'Neill along. They heard voices as they neared the rings and noticed several Jaffa were already there. The members of SG-1 had to wait until the coast was clear and Gallagher worried about both O'Neill and Carter as he waited, then began to worry about them all when he heard Ba'al's voice telling the Jaffa to go get O'Neill and bring him to the transporter. Great, he thought. Now what?