The two members of SG-1 spun so quickly that they almost fell over.
They hadn't noticed the pair of Jaffa enter the chamber. Daniel moved
instinctively, hiding the conspicuous yellow explosive from site.
"Uh, Carter. We have been compromised", O'Neill whispered so softly into his radio that not even Daniel heard him.
"KRE!" the Jaffa repeated.
"Hey Danny?"
"Yeah Jack".
"I think we'd better go with him", said the Colonel, side-glancing at the Doctor.
The Jaffa began to advance on them.
"Alright! For cryin' out loud, we're coming already!" called a frustrated O'Neill.
"SILENCE!"
A new voice. From within the shadows of the corner came the murky silhouette that was Set'nak.
"Well, howdy newcomer!" exclaimed Jack.
"Silence! I am here to punish you for-" the Goa'uld was cut short by the CO.
"Our insolence, yadda yadda yadda..."
Set'nak glared angrily at O'Neill, and his eyes glowed. He turned to his slaves.
"Find the others".
The Jaffa hesitated.
"NOW!"
They scuttled out like crabs on a beach.
"I must speak with you", Set'nak told O'Neill and Jackson, "But first you will tell me where your companions are located".
O'Neill raised his eyebrows.
"You must! No harm will come to them".
"And we would believe you, why...?" questioned O'Neill.
"Communicate with your comrades, order them not to fight."
"How do you figure that my 'comrades' aren't higher in ranking and me?"
"I do not". This time it was Set'nak's turn to give an impelling look.
"Alright!" O'Neill threw his hands up in resignation. He then forged a look of intense concentration on his face. This lasted nearly a minute before Daniel spoke.
"Jack? What are you doing? He knows we're not telepathic Jack. C'mon, radio in".
"Alright..." sighed the CO, relaxing his face. He lifted his radio to his and spoke into it.
"Carter, Teal'c".
"Yes Sir!" came Carter's response.
"There's gonna be some Jaffa heading your way. If they get around to finding you", he added under his breath, "Do NOT fight, I repeat DO NOT FIGHT".
"Umm... Yes, Sir". Carter sounded confused. O'Neill let out a sigh and turned back to face Set'nak.
"They will be brought to us. Come". He began to leave the chamber and for some reason Jack and Daniel felt compelled to follow.
They were led down a series of corridors, Daniel talking nearly all the way.
"Jack, he must trust us enough not to have a heap of security. Or he at least knows that we're not gonna hurt him 'til we find out what's going on. Our thirst for knowledge, as some may put it, or simply our curiosity."
"Curiosity killed the cat. Where do you get this 'thirst for knowledge' crap anyway?"
The doctor let out a heavy sigh. At times, not much got past his CO, but at others, not a lot got through him either.
"Jack you know as well as I do that the human race-"
"Daniel!" exclaimed the Colonel, cutting his friend short. He could tell that the archaeologist was going to start babbling. "I know! Anyway, have you seen those guys?" he asked, pointing out the many Jaffa soldiers following them in the shadows.
"Yes, but there's still not a lot of them".
"Riiight. You're a smart guy when it comes to math, but I dunno how you get that..." the Colonel paused, as if realising something. His brow furrowed when he spoke. "You're a smart guy when it comes to anything though, aren't you?" It was a hypothetical question.
Jackson opened his mouth in protest but closed it when he realised that Jack didn't expect to be answered.
"Look, he seems more humane than other Goa'uld. Surely you must have noticed that!"
"Yeah Danny-boy. If it's possible, he is".
***
"C'mon Teal'c. We have to find that drug before the Jaffa arrive".
"I estimate that we have approximately 10 minutes Major Carter".
"The Colonel would be as awkward as possible wouldn't he Teal'c? Just as long as he doesn't compromise himself AGAIN..." she sighed.
"Or Daniel Jackson".
"Yeah, but then, Daniel means more to him than he himself does so I think Daniel's pretty much safe. But he would be extremely AWKWARD".
"I believe so Major Carter".
They spent the next five minutes searching everywhere. They turned symbols, pressed things, pulled things, and then-
"Teal'c!" the rebel looked up expectantly. "Set'nak wouldn't have two labs onboard would he?"
"It is possible Major Carter".
"Aah".
"Although not probable".
"Why's that?"
"Calculating the size of this ship with Set'nak being a relatively weak Goa'uld, he would have any spare space used as weapon rooms".
"So it's here then. Any ideas?"
"I have none".
"Mmm..."
"Daniel Jackson once told me that 'it's always in the last place that you look'".
Sam laughed, but her expression turned deadly serious. "That might just work. Look in the open spaces Teal'c. If the people who were working in here only recently left before we arrived, they may have left it out".
"Very well Samantha Carter".
The duo continued in silence for another seven or eight minutes. Finally Teal'c picked up a small vial of clear blue liquid.
"Major Carter! I have found something!" He passed her the glass container.
"Well, well, Teal'c. This might just be it", she poured a miniscule amount into her test tube and put the cork in it. "Well, done!"
"Thank-you Major Carter".
All of a sudden the clanking of footsteps is heard dangerously close. The 2IC threw the vial to her partner, who caught it with the tips of his fingers and stashed it back where he found it. Teal'c stood and straightened himself just before the enemy soldiers rounded the doorway. He turned to Carter to show his success, and was grinned at in an accomplished manner.
"Come", the bulk of metal plates commanded. Carter replied by giving him a look that clearly said 'Oh, yeah, suure!' but walked out into the hall anyway.
After being frisked in a rough fashion and having everything but their transmitters confiscated (thank God for inexperience!) they were marched through the halls of the small ship. Along the way Teal'c observed Carter's exasperation.
"Yes, Teal'c. We don-" she cut off, eyeing the half-dozen Jaffa captors.
"I understand Major Carter", Teal'c replied, thinking of O'Neill, Jackson, and where him and Carter were being taken himself. He turned his head and focused ahead of him. Carter nodded and continued her swift walking, avoiding being jabbed painfully in the back with a cold staff weapon.
***
Upon entering Set'nak's lair, O'Neill was surprise that he was not surprised. He had been expecting a semi-normal place, for unknown reasons, which would be unexpected with any other Goa'uld. But the place was exactly like any other Goa'uld HQ he had been in, and he had been in a lot of them.
Front row, centre was the throne, facing a huge force field which was protecting the inner-ship, for no other transparent material could withstand the spends such a ship could gain.
Guards and slaves were stationed around the walls; various weapons and healers were placed in their appropriate cases. Golden shrines and great wooden chests were scattered throughout the room.
"Where's the one for Elvis?" asked O'Neill sarcastically, eyeing the shrines. Daniel snorted, while Set'nak, who traditionally was born without a sense of humour, chose to ignore what he could not understand.
Instead he crossed the room, only to wave a simple hand to the shadows lurking along the symbol-covered walls.
"Jaffa! Exih!"
Obediently the soldiers marched out of the room, without a single question. The dark cloak of Set'nak's didn't even ripple as Daniel and Jack moved forward, giving each other inquiring looks and receiving nothing but shrugs in return.
The anticipation levels rose in the atmosphere for at least another two, maybe three minutes, while Set'nak came back, sat down and turned to face him. A thought crossed Jack's mind that maybe these aliens were the ones to invent the swivel chair.
"Sir!" A familiar female voice caused the Colonel to break his train of thought. He turned and when his face lit up he tapped Daniel on the shoulder, even though he'd already seen Sam and Teal'c. They strode across the room to exchange concerns on each other's health. The resident captor had to protests.
"We were worried you might try and fight Sam", Daniel said worriedly.
"Good of you not to, really", said the Colonel, joining them, "My ol' buddy Set'nak here has some news for us".
"News, O'Neill?" Teal'c spoke.
"Yeah, no idea what about. We've been waiting for you", said Daniel.
"Enough!" Set'nak's deep voice echoed throughout the room. "Come".
The reunited team marched over to Set'nak, looking him straight in those golden eyes.
"I cannot speak a large amount of the matter I wish to discuss whilst aboard this ship. You will return to your planet where you will consult your superiors. You will return, to these co-ordinates", Set'nak passed a small stone slab to Teal'c, and muttered 'Jaffa' through his teeth, "within one of your planet's days. You will be lightly armed, and will be only four. You will then accompany me and my Jaffa to your home world, where you will learn more".
"Wait just one second! Take you back? I don't think so!" The Colonel sounded nothing less than amazed by this proposition.
"Sir", began Carter.
"I don't want to hear it Major".
"Sir! This may prove a valuable resource to the SG program. Why is- " She turned to face Set'nak once more, "Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"I will not tell you more than what I already have!" The captor sounded precariously agitated.
"Oh no, see, you will tell us more, or we're not going anywhere!" spoke up O'Neill.
"We aren't?" questioned Jackson tentatively.
"No, we aren't".
"Oh great", sighed the Major, and muttered something about being stuck on a Goa'uld ship again.
"Silence! I have to time for petty arguments or tortures. I will tell you one thing, and then you will leave".
At this point the Goa'uld paused to order the remaining guards out, and as SG-1 were un-armed, they had no way of taking advantage of the situation. Set'nak was sure to have a palm device anyway.
"I am-"
Ziung! Ziung! Ziung! Three staff shots hit Set'nak fair on the chest, narrowly missing the side of Teal'c's neck. He fell to the floor, undoubtedly dead. Three members of the group turned to face the other, Teal'c. They didn't think he did it but they faced him on impulse. To their surprise Teal'c was staring at another Jaffa, standing near the door.
"Pathetic Tok'ra", said the deep, growling voice as he jogged out of the closing door, with a flash of the eyes.
"Dammit. They always get shot exactly then."
Sam, Daniel and T looked at their Commanding Officer in awe of his reaction.
"What!?!"
"Uh, Carter. We have been compromised", O'Neill whispered so softly into his radio that not even Daniel heard him.
"KRE!" the Jaffa repeated.
"Hey Danny?"
"Yeah Jack".
"I think we'd better go with him", said the Colonel, side-glancing at the Doctor.
The Jaffa began to advance on them.
"Alright! For cryin' out loud, we're coming already!" called a frustrated O'Neill.
"SILENCE!"
A new voice. From within the shadows of the corner came the murky silhouette that was Set'nak.
"Well, howdy newcomer!" exclaimed Jack.
"Silence! I am here to punish you for-" the Goa'uld was cut short by the CO.
"Our insolence, yadda yadda yadda..."
Set'nak glared angrily at O'Neill, and his eyes glowed. He turned to his slaves.
"Find the others".
The Jaffa hesitated.
"NOW!"
They scuttled out like crabs on a beach.
"I must speak with you", Set'nak told O'Neill and Jackson, "But first you will tell me where your companions are located".
O'Neill raised his eyebrows.
"You must! No harm will come to them".
"And we would believe you, why...?" questioned O'Neill.
"Communicate with your comrades, order them not to fight."
"How do you figure that my 'comrades' aren't higher in ranking and me?"
"I do not". This time it was Set'nak's turn to give an impelling look.
"Alright!" O'Neill threw his hands up in resignation. He then forged a look of intense concentration on his face. This lasted nearly a minute before Daniel spoke.
"Jack? What are you doing? He knows we're not telepathic Jack. C'mon, radio in".
"Alright..." sighed the CO, relaxing his face. He lifted his radio to his and spoke into it.
"Carter, Teal'c".
"Yes Sir!" came Carter's response.
"There's gonna be some Jaffa heading your way. If they get around to finding you", he added under his breath, "Do NOT fight, I repeat DO NOT FIGHT".
"Umm... Yes, Sir". Carter sounded confused. O'Neill let out a sigh and turned back to face Set'nak.
"They will be brought to us. Come". He began to leave the chamber and for some reason Jack and Daniel felt compelled to follow.
They were led down a series of corridors, Daniel talking nearly all the way.
"Jack, he must trust us enough not to have a heap of security. Or he at least knows that we're not gonna hurt him 'til we find out what's going on. Our thirst for knowledge, as some may put it, or simply our curiosity."
"Curiosity killed the cat. Where do you get this 'thirst for knowledge' crap anyway?"
The doctor let out a heavy sigh. At times, not much got past his CO, but at others, not a lot got through him either.
"Jack you know as well as I do that the human race-"
"Daniel!" exclaimed the Colonel, cutting his friend short. He could tell that the archaeologist was going to start babbling. "I know! Anyway, have you seen those guys?" he asked, pointing out the many Jaffa soldiers following them in the shadows.
"Yes, but there's still not a lot of them".
"Riiight. You're a smart guy when it comes to math, but I dunno how you get that..." the Colonel paused, as if realising something. His brow furrowed when he spoke. "You're a smart guy when it comes to anything though, aren't you?" It was a hypothetical question.
Jackson opened his mouth in protest but closed it when he realised that Jack didn't expect to be answered.
"Look, he seems more humane than other Goa'uld. Surely you must have noticed that!"
"Yeah Danny-boy. If it's possible, he is".
***
"C'mon Teal'c. We have to find that drug before the Jaffa arrive".
"I estimate that we have approximately 10 minutes Major Carter".
"The Colonel would be as awkward as possible wouldn't he Teal'c? Just as long as he doesn't compromise himself AGAIN..." she sighed.
"Or Daniel Jackson".
"Yeah, but then, Daniel means more to him than he himself does so I think Daniel's pretty much safe. But he would be extremely AWKWARD".
"I believe so Major Carter".
They spent the next five minutes searching everywhere. They turned symbols, pressed things, pulled things, and then-
"Teal'c!" the rebel looked up expectantly. "Set'nak wouldn't have two labs onboard would he?"
"It is possible Major Carter".
"Aah".
"Although not probable".
"Why's that?"
"Calculating the size of this ship with Set'nak being a relatively weak Goa'uld, he would have any spare space used as weapon rooms".
"So it's here then. Any ideas?"
"I have none".
"Mmm..."
"Daniel Jackson once told me that 'it's always in the last place that you look'".
Sam laughed, but her expression turned deadly serious. "That might just work. Look in the open spaces Teal'c. If the people who were working in here only recently left before we arrived, they may have left it out".
"Very well Samantha Carter".
The duo continued in silence for another seven or eight minutes. Finally Teal'c picked up a small vial of clear blue liquid.
"Major Carter! I have found something!" He passed her the glass container.
"Well, well, Teal'c. This might just be it", she poured a miniscule amount into her test tube and put the cork in it. "Well, done!"
"Thank-you Major Carter".
All of a sudden the clanking of footsteps is heard dangerously close. The 2IC threw the vial to her partner, who caught it with the tips of his fingers and stashed it back where he found it. Teal'c stood and straightened himself just before the enemy soldiers rounded the doorway. He turned to Carter to show his success, and was grinned at in an accomplished manner.
"Come", the bulk of metal plates commanded. Carter replied by giving him a look that clearly said 'Oh, yeah, suure!' but walked out into the hall anyway.
After being frisked in a rough fashion and having everything but their transmitters confiscated (thank God for inexperience!) they were marched through the halls of the small ship. Along the way Teal'c observed Carter's exasperation.
"Yes, Teal'c. We don-" she cut off, eyeing the half-dozen Jaffa captors.
"I understand Major Carter", Teal'c replied, thinking of O'Neill, Jackson, and where him and Carter were being taken himself. He turned his head and focused ahead of him. Carter nodded and continued her swift walking, avoiding being jabbed painfully in the back with a cold staff weapon.
***
Upon entering Set'nak's lair, O'Neill was surprise that he was not surprised. He had been expecting a semi-normal place, for unknown reasons, which would be unexpected with any other Goa'uld. But the place was exactly like any other Goa'uld HQ he had been in, and he had been in a lot of them.
Front row, centre was the throne, facing a huge force field which was protecting the inner-ship, for no other transparent material could withstand the spends such a ship could gain.
Guards and slaves were stationed around the walls; various weapons and healers were placed in their appropriate cases. Golden shrines and great wooden chests were scattered throughout the room.
"Where's the one for Elvis?" asked O'Neill sarcastically, eyeing the shrines. Daniel snorted, while Set'nak, who traditionally was born without a sense of humour, chose to ignore what he could not understand.
Instead he crossed the room, only to wave a simple hand to the shadows lurking along the symbol-covered walls.
"Jaffa! Exih!"
Obediently the soldiers marched out of the room, without a single question. The dark cloak of Set'nak's didn't even ripple as Daniel and Jack moved forward, giving each other inquiring looks and receiving nothing but shrugs in return.
The anticipation levels rose in the atmosphere for at least another two, maybe three minutes, while Set'nak came back, sat down and turned to face him. A thought crossed Jack's mind that maybe these aliens were the ones to invent the swivel chair.
"Sir!" A familiar female voice caused the Colonel to break his train of thought. He turned and when his face lit up he tapped Daniel on the shoulder, even though he'd already seen Sam and Teal'c. They strode across the room to exchange concerns on each other's health. The resident captor had to protests.
"We were worried you might try and fight Sam", Daniel said worriedly.
"Good of you not to, really", said the Colonel, joining them, "My ol' buddy Set'nak here has some news for us".
"News, O'Neill?" Teal'c spoke.
"Yeah, no idea what about. We've been waiting for you", said Daniel.
"Enough!" Set'nak's deep voice echoed throughout the room. "Come".
The reunited team marched over to Set'nak, looking him straight in those golden eyes.
"I cannot speak a large amount of the matter I wish to discuss whilst aboard this ship. You will return to your planet where you will consult your superiors. You will return, to these co-ordinates", Set'nak passed a small stone slab to Teal'c, and muttered 'Jaffa' through his teeth, "within one of your planet's days. You will be lightly armed, and will be only four. You will then accompany me and my Jaffa to your home world, where you will learn more".
"Wait just one second! Take you back? I don't think so!" The Colonel sounded nothing less than amazed by this proposition.
"Sir", began Carter.
"I don't want to hear it Major".
"Sir! This may prove a valuable resource to the SG program. Why is- " She turned to face Set'nak once more, "Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"I will not tell you more than what I already have!" The captor sounded precariously agitated.
"Oh no, see, you will tell us more, or we're not going anywhere!" spoke up O'Neill.
"We aren't?" questioned Jackson tentatively.
"No, we aren't".
"Oh great", sighed the Major, and muttered something about being stuck on a Goa'uld ship again.
"Silence! I have to time for petty arguments or tortures. I will tell you one thing, and then you will leave".
At this point the Goa'uld paused to order the remaining guards out, and as SG-1 were un-armed, they had no way of taking advantage of the situation. Set'nak was sure to have a palm device anyway.
"I am-"
Ziung! Ziung! Ziung! Three staff shots hit Set'nak fair on the chest, narrowly missing the side of Teal'c's neck. He fell to the floor, undoubtedly dead. Three members of the group turned to face the other, Teal'c. They didn't think he did it but they faced him on impulse. To their surprise Teal'c was staring at another Jaffa, standing near the door.
"Pathetic Tok'ra", said the deep, growling voice as he jogged out of the closing door, with a flash of the eyes.
"Dammit. They always get shot exactly then."
Sam, Daniel and T looked at their Commanding Officer in awe of his reaction.
"What!?!"
