Daniel immediately knelt over the woman's body. "Elizabeth!" he called, hoping the host would be able to talk to them if the Goa'uld inside her had been knocked unconscious.

"What the hell is going on, Daniel?" Jack demanded.

"Jack, Morrigan's host is Elizabeth Viccars. The colonist who wrote the journal."

"What? How'd you know that?"

But before Daniel could explain, they heard a low moan coming from Morrigan's host.

"Elizabeth?" Daniel tried again.

The woman looked up at him, fear showing in her green eyes. She blinked rapidly as she sat up, as if trying to make sense of what had just happened. "Who are you?" Then her eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?"

"Don't be afraid. We're friends. I'm Daniel Jackson, this is Jack O'Neill…and you don't have much time to talk to us."

Sensing Daniel earnestness, Elizabeth seemed to let her guard down. She nodded as Daniel's words sunk in. "Morrigan is still unconscious, but she will awaken soon and take control of me once again."

"Yeah."

"Why are you here?"

"We're explorers from Earth. We came to meet your people…"

"Earth!"

Daniel smiled, "That's right. Things have changed quite a lot since the last time you were there…"

"Daniel..." Jack prompted.

"Uh, right, Morrigan has released the Croa'tan disease on the planet, and if it isn't cured soon our friends and all the other women in the village will die."

Elizabeth nodded. "Croa'tan is a terrible thing, I've had it twice myself…before I was taken as Morrigan's host."

"Is there any way to cure it?"

"A healing device can reverse the damage. But it will only work within the first 3 days of getting the disease. After that…" Elizabeth shook her head sadly.

"So…we need to get Morrigan to cure them."

"But she won't! I've seen inside her mind…she intends to kill all the remaining ones of the village and destroy the planet."

"What?" Daniel exclaimed. "Why?"

"Anubis found out about the new variant of naquadah and has sent one of his ships, and…"

"She'd rather blow it all to kingdom-come than hand it over to him." Jack finished for her.

Elizabeth nodded.

"Why not just blow the planet up now and get it over with?" Jack asked.

"Because," Elizabeth said sadly, "she enjoys their suffering."

"There has to be another way to save them." Daniel said, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead, a gesture he often made when trying to concentrate.

"Maybe I could help." Elizabeth said slowly.

"You? How?"

"Is it true that the Goa'uld inside me can be removed?"

"Uh…well, yeah, but…"

A look of alarm crossed Elizabeth's face. "We don't have much time, Morrigan is about to wake up."

"Well, it is possible," Daniel said quickly. "Symbiotes can be removed from hosts safely. But in your case, you've been host to her for a long time and…" He took a deep breath and continued. "You won't live very long without her inside you."

Elizabeth considered this. "But, I would only need time enough to cure one of the women, that one would then spread the cure and save the others."

The woman's voice had begun to waiver, and Daniel could tell Elizabeth was fighting to remain in control. "You'd sacrifice yourself to help us?"

She gave Daniel a tight smile. "Everyone and everything I know is now gone. Years ago I sacrificed myself, hoping it would save my people. Instead, I have been used by Morrigan to inflict countless sufferings upon them. This is my one chance to fix things once and for all."

Daniel nodded, "I understand. But there is a small problem…we don't know how to do the procedure. Our allies the Tok'ra can do it, but there's no way we could contact them and get them here in time."

Elizabeth drew a shallow breath. "Find…Azriel. She can help…"

She was losing the battle; quickly Jack grabbed her hand and began taking off Morrigan's hand device. The last thing they needed was for Morrigan to come-to while she was still armed.

"Hang in there, Elizabeth." Daniel encouraged. "We'll figure out something."

Jack finished removing the device just in time. With a golden glare, the Goa'uld regained control of her host.

Morrigan cried out angrily as she shoved Daniel to the side and rose from the floor. Daniel sighed; he'd been hoping to get more information from Elizabeth. And he knew that if he zatted her again, it would kill both Morrigan and her host. What was worse, in mere moments Morrigan would know everything that Elizabeth had told them.

Morrigan composed herself quickly, crossing her arms and giving Jack and Daniel a smug look. "My host is stubborn and strong-willed, true, but she's not very smart, and as you could tell…not much of a talker. You see, I have conquered her. It was foolish of you to think you could reach her."

Daniel made a conscious effort not to let his confusion at her words show, but inside his mind was reeling. Didn't she know that Elizabeth had talked to them? If not…what was preventing her from reading her host's mind?

Jack's expression remained unchanged, though he was just as bewildered as Daniel. "Well, you know how it is..." Jack replied simply, not really knowing how else to respond. He nodded towards the gun that he had trained on her. "But enough of the chit-chat, let's get down to business…"

"I am not a fool. I know you have no intension of harming me."

"What makes you think that?"

"The Tau'ri are well-known for feeling compassion for the host."

"Well, according to you, your host isn't worth the effort."

"I could have lied."

"Lie? But you've got such an honest face."

"I'm also the only chance you have of saving the people on the planet. If you kill me, you kill them as well."

A faint sound in the hallway caught Daniel's attention. "Uh-oh." He muttered.

"Crap." Jack said, as he heard the telltale sounds of Jaffa in the hallway.

"We've been cut off, Jack. There's a Jaffa patrol headed this way."

With each passing moment the clanging of the armor continued to grow louder. Yep, they were definitely getting closer.

"What now?" Daniel asked.

"Well, we have Ms. Goddess here as hostage, that's something."

Daniel carefully peeked around the doorway to get a better view of the approaching jaffa. "Here they come," he whispered softly.

Morrigan gave Jack an evil glare as she uncrossed her arms, revealing the small device she had slipped over her fingers.

"Damn." Jack muttered. It looked just like the ring weapon Osiris had nearly killed Carter and her boyfriend with at Daniel's house a few weeks ago.

"Ah, you seem to be familiar with this." Morrigan said, indicating the device on her hand. Her eyes narrowed at him. "Now, you and your friend will drop your weapons."

Jack knew they had no choice but to do as Morrigan said. He threw a look over at Daniel. But as he caught his friend's eye, Daniel ever so slightly nodded towards something on the floor. The ribbon device. Jack blinked a reply and waited for the right moment.

"Lower your weapons, Tau'ri!" Morrigan commanded. "Or I will be forced to demonstrate the use of this device."

Sighing as if defeated, Jack complied, lowering the barrel of his Beretta until it was at just the right height. The gun discharged loudly, hitting its intended target. The center stone shattered, and pieces of the golden device flew off in every direction. He had bought them some time. At least now Morrigan couldn't infect them with Croa'tan yet.

Anger flashed in her eyes. "You will suffer for this." The Goa'uld extended her arm, aiming the device on her finger directly at Jack's head. On instinct, Jack dove to the ground and rolled out of the path of the red electrical bursts that had discharged from the device. Hearing the commotion, the group of armed jaffa filled Morrigan's throne room.

"Jaffa kree!" She shouted angrily. Smoothing her hair down, Morrigan seemed to gather herself and regain control of her emotions. "Search them and return them to their cell. They will soon pay for their impudence." With that, she turned away abruptly and left the room.

Jack sighed as one of the Jaffa armed a zat gun and walked towards him. 'It's never easy.'