Jonas finds love? When on a mission to a forested planet, SG-1 encounters a tribe of humans with preternatural abilities and Goa'uld based technology. But will they become allies… or enemies? Please R&R! Even if it is only to tell me I've lost it!

Hunter

There was only one thought on Jonas Quinn's mind as he stepped out of the wormhole and out onto the ramp leading from the Stargate.

"Trees," he said to no on in particular. "Lots of trees."

The landscape around the gate was heavily forested with deciduous trees in full autumn regalia. Splashes of red and gold and orange lit the scene, and the wind whispered through the branches, showering Jonas with brightly colored leaves. Despite the overwhelming beauty of the place, he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. Hoping for ruins, the presence of the trees was hope-crushing.

"Aw, c'mon, Jonas!" Jack, emerging from the gate, commented. "Think of it as a camping trip in the woods!" He walked past the somewhat stunned scholar with a spring in his step. Major Carter stepped up next to the Kelownan and smiled.

"Don't worry," she told him. "We still have a lot of ground to cover before we have to return. We may find ruins yet." Jonas, cheered a bit by the prospect, preceded Sam and Teal'c down the ramp.

Hours later found Jonas losing all hope of finding ruins. The forest seemed to go on for miles in every direction and gave no indication of stopping. Game trails crisscrossed the ground. Besides those, there seemed to be no sign of life.

Jonas fell behind the group a bit to gather his thoughts. It was still hours before their scheduled return to earth, and he was hoping to go back with something useful. Deep inside, he still felt the need to prove his worth, if not to Colonel O'Neill, then at least to himself. He was still trying desperately to fill the gap left by Dr. Jackson.

As he traipsed along behind the rest of SG-1, he allowed his mind to wander. There seemed to be no intelligent life on this planet. He had certainly seen no signs of it. The Stargate was his only indication that there was ever any human life here.

Something rustled in the branches behind him. Jonas turned quickly, scanning the landscape for threats. Nothing moved, not even the wind in the trees. There were no bird calls, and the forest seemed to have gone silent, as if it was holding it's breath, waiting. He turned his body back around slowly.

"Jack, I think there's something out there," he stated, facing the direction of the rest of his team.

Only, to his surprise, he discovered that they were no longer there. Unnerved, Jonas turned about slowly.

"Jack?" he called. "Sam? Teal'c?"

The branches rustled again, this time from his left, making Jonas jump in shock.

"Hello?" he called again. "Who is it? Who's out there?" He twisted around, peering nervously behind him. "Jack? Sam? Teal'c?"

The thud of something hitting the forest floor brought his gaze around. Somewhat down the beaten game trail stood a woman of wild beauty with braided and beaded fiery red hair dressed in tan and brown leathers held on her body by shiny metal buckles. Metal plates banded her forearms and hands, and in her hand she held an elaborately carved and inlaid compound bow with a thin string. An arrow that looked disturbingly like a solidified zat blast was nocked and aimed at his chest. Eyes the color of jade smirked at him from behind the odd weapon.

"You're friends cannot help you," she crooned in a sibilant voice. "Likely, they have already been captured by my people." Those eyes took on a dangerous light. "You came through the chapa'ai. We have been following you for some time. Who are you and who do you serve, slave? Which Goa'uld demon wishes to tangle with the Hok'taur?"

Jonas blinked, the shock obvious on his face. "Hok'taur? You are Hok'taur?" The woman's smile returned, and she drew the string of her bow back a bit more.

"Indeed," she answered. "Now tell me who sent you! I have little patience for the servants of the Goa'uld!" Now panicked, Jonas put his hands up in the air.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "We are not the servants of the Goa'uld! We are peaceful travelers from a planet called Earth. We came to make contact with the indigenous race of this planet. We were hoping for an alliance against the Goa'uld." He smiled, hoping to appear harmless. "We are fighting the Goa'uld, as well." The woman looked critically at him.

"You bear Goa'uld weapons," she stated icily. "And one of your party is a jaffa." Jonas laughed a bit.

"Teal'c?" he asked. "Teal'c betrayed the Goa'uld. He does not believe they are gods, any more than you or I do." He held his hands out before him in supplication. "Please. We mean you no harm."

For long moments, the woman considered his offer. Slowly, she dropped her aim and relaxed the bowstring. The zat arrow dissipated as if it had never existed.

"I am called Cetaesa, of the White Tiger Tribe of the Hok'taur," she introduced. "You have convinced me. I will take you to my village. You will speak to the Elders." Jonas dropped his hands.

"My name is Jonas Quinn," he replied. "Where are my friends?" Cetaesa smiled and motioned for him to follow.

"Your friends are safe, if your story is true," she told him. "Likely, they are already in the village, asking about your whereabouts. At the very worst, they are in one of our holding chambers. Fear not." With viperish grace, she began walking down the trail. Jonas, clearly having no other choice, followed quickly.

"So, you are Hok'taur?" he inquired.

"Yes," Cetaesa answered. "My people were brought here ages ago by the Goa'uld. Our myths tell us that we were brought through the chapa'ai from a world far away."

"Which Goa'uld is the one who brought you?" Jonas asked. Cetaesa grinned.

"He was called Khnum," she offered. "A System Lord with very little real power, so I am told. We worshipped him for many years before it was discovered that he was experimenting on us. Unfortunately, it was not us who deposed him. Another Goa'uld, even worse than Khnum, came and destroyed him and took up his experiments. Her name was Nirrti." Jonas paused in his tracks, shocked at the mention of her name.

"Nirrti?" he repeated. "Well, I suppose you'll be happy to know that Nirrti is dead." This time, Cetaesa stopped dead.

"She is?" she questioned. "Who killed her?" Jonas smiled.

"We did," he told her. "Or, rather, we found her experimenting on more innocent humans, and convinced them to do it." Cetaesa looked a little less than pleased to hear the news.

"At least she can no longer harm people," she admitted, "though we would have loved to reserve the honor of her death. It was she who did this to us. She who made us… unnatural."

"So she actually managed to manipulate the human genetic code enough to make you the perfect hosts," Jonas mused.

"Yes," Cetaesa muttered. "But she did not expect us to rise up against her. She thought we would be grateful for her treatments. We knew she meant to use us as hosts. So, using our collective might, we managed to get rid of her. We were just too much for her." Jonas stopped again, this time with a smirk on his face.

"So let me get this straight," he began. "Nirrti managed to create the Hok'taur, but she couldn't control you. You defeated her. Then she went off in an effort to rediscover the secret she left here. But she never found it, and she couldn't return here for fear of her own death." Cetaesa stopped and peered at him quizzically over her shoulder.

"I image it was something like that, yes," she told him, "though I can't be certain. That happened almost 1000 years ago. I wasn't even alive back then." She motioned ahead of her. "Come, Jonas Quinn. We are almost to my village." Hurriedly, Jonas followed the pretty huntress off into the woods.

He had to tell his friends. Maybe this trip wasn't going to be as fruitless as he had dreaded.

To be continued…