Daniel awoke with a start, blinding pain echoing through his mind. He squinted in pain, but gradually forced his eyes to remain open. He sat up slowly and looked around at the familiar room he found himself in. His eyes fell on Jack, who was leaned against the far wall trying to abate boredom by playing with the cover of his watch.
"How long have we been out?" Daniel asked.
"Me? About 10 minutes. You? About 20. Did they get the detonator?"
Daniel searched his pockets, but came up with nothing. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Well, that's just dandy. The Goa'uld plans on getting rid of the planet, and we all but give her everything she needs to do it."
"Morrigan doesn't seem in a particular hurry to blow the place up just yet, so we still have some time to figure something out."
"Ah. So, this would be the play-it-by-ear part of the plan?"
"Apparently."
A soft noise outside the cell door caught Jack's attention. As he raised his fist to signal Daniel to keep quiet, Jack began creeping towards the door. Daniel followed his lead until they were each standing with their backs pressed against the wall on opposite sides of the doorway, ready to spring on anyone who entered.
The door slid open, but before Jack could even react a large hand had encompassed his throat. Jack looked over cautiously, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who had grabbed him.
"Teal'c! 'Bout time you showed up." Jack said after Teal'c had released him. "Where've you been?"
Teal'c nodded towards the tall Jaffa that had accompanied him. "This is Ha'pac, a Jaffa loyal to our cause. He has helped me to arrange a meeting for us with an undercover Tok'ra among Morrigan's ranks."
"Azriel?" Daniel asked.
"How did you know this name?" Ha'pac asked in surprise.
"Well, we talked to Morrigan's host, Elizabeth, she mentioned that we needed to find someone named Azriel."
"Then surely Morrigan must be aware that Azriel is a Tok'ra." Teal'c stated.
"That's the thing," Daniel replied. "She doesn't. She doesn't even realize that her host talked to us."
"What do you mean, Daniel Jackson?"
"Morrigan doesn't seem to be able to hear the thoughts of her host."
"How can this be?"
"Who knows," Jack said. "But we'll take whatever advantage we can get."
"We should leave." Ha'pac announced. "A Jaffa patrol could come at any time."
"Indeed." Teal'c said, nodding in agreement. "It is almost time for our meeting with the Tok'ra, as well."
"I'm sorry, I cannot do what you ask."
"Why not?"
"I understand your eagerness to save the villagers, and your friends, but I'm afraid I cannot help you."
"Yes, we heard you the first time." Jack replied irritably. "The question was 'why'?"
"There are several reasons," Azriel said. "To remove a Goa'uld symbiote I need the approval of the High Council."
"I thought you said there were several reasons?"
"Not to mention the fact that it's nearly impossible for a single Tok'ra to remove a Goa'uld without killing both the host and the symbiote."
"Well, then, could you at least save the villagers with the healing device?" Daniel suggested.
"Unfortunately, no. Not just any healing device will cure Croa'tan. To ensure no one else would come along and heal the villagers, Morrigan constructed a special healing device…and it alone is able to cure the disease."
Daniel sighed in frustration. "Isn't there anything you can do to help us? Elizabeth was the one who told us to come to you in the first place."
Azriel's eyes widened in surprise, "Morrigan's host? You spoke with her?"
"Only briefly. We used a zat on her, and she was able to speak with us while Morrigan was unconscious."
"Yeah, she obviously knows you're a Tok'ra, so how come the Goa'uld doesn't?" Jack asked.
"I have wondered that for many years myself. Elizabeth served as Morrigan's lo'taur before she was taken as host. During her time in Morrigan's service, I could tell that Elizabeth's allegiance to Morrigan was false. I eventually revealed myself as a Tok'ra to her, in the hopes of forming a group of rebels amongst Morrigan's servants."
"What happened?" Daniel asked.
"I told her much about the Tok'ra, and our fight against the Goa'uld. She gladly agreed to join us, wanting to do anything she could to save her people. As a lo'taur she was able to get access to important information."
"So what happened?"
"Not long afterwards, Morrigan's former host was severely wounded, and Elizabeth was taken."
"But Morrigan never found out that you were a Tok'ra." Daniel stated.
"I was brought before Morrigan, I had no idea she had changed hosts until that moment. As soon as I saw her, I figured she would have me executed."
"But…" Jack prompted.
"She didn't." Azriel continued. "It was as if nothing had happened. I was still leery of her at first, but it has been several hundred years since that happened."
"And you have no explanation for this?" Teal'c asked.
"My best guess is that something is protecting Elizabeth's mind, keeping Morrigan from reading any of the thoughts that Elizabeth chooses to keep from her."
"Why not just all of her thoughts?" Daniel asked.
"As you know, normally symbiotes have free access to the mind of the host. Every thought, emotion, and memory is blended between the two minds. But not in this case. That being said, Morrigan obviously hasn't caught on to the fact that Elizabeth is hiding some things from her, which can only mean one thing…"
"Elizabeth must have figured out that if she shared some of those things, Morrigan would never know that Elizabeth was holding anything back." Daniel concluded.
"Exactly. Elizabeth has the unique ability to share with the Goa'uld only the information that she wants to."
"All this is just great," Jack said impatiently, "but it still doesn't help us save the others…and we're kinda running out of time here."
Daniel glanced at his watch and visibly paled. "My god," he muttered under his breath. He looked over at Jack in alarm. "We have approximately 2 hours before the Croa'tan is irreversible."
Jack nodded his head. "Well, guess it's time then."
"For what?"
"Plan B, of course."
A short while later Teal'c and Ha'pac had accompanied Jack and Daniel back to their holding cell.
"Are you certain, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
Jack gave his friend a small smile. "I know it's risky, but we're out of options at this point. This is our only chance to force Morrigan's hand."
Teal'c nodded and stretched out each of his arms, one hand falling on Jack's shoulder, the other on Daniel's. Squeezing each of their shoulders he bowed his head slightly. "I have no doubt that you will succeed."
"Thanks, Teal'c." Daniel said, appreciating his friend's gesture.
Teal'c merely gave a half-smile as he handed Jack a zat gun.
"Now, get outta here before Ha'pac comes back." Jack said.
Teal'c nodded in agreement, stepped into the corridor, and closed the cell door behind him. Jack and Daniel waited in silence for Ha'pac to come back from telling Morrigan that her prisoners wished to see her.
As they waited, Daniel could feel every precious moment as it slipped away. The tension and stress inside him were mounting past bearable levels. And that insistent voice was still in the back of his mind, the one that kept accusing him of not doing enough to save Janet, the one that continuously beat him for not saving Sha're, the one that would never let him forgive himself for failing.
Jack watched as Daniel gazed down at the floor, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. A sure sign of what he called "Daniel guilt".
"You ready?" Jack asked, hoping to distract his friend from whatever damning thoughts he'd been thinking.
"Yeah," Daniel said as he readjusted his glasses. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"No reason." Jack said with a shrug.
"How much longer do you think it'll be?"
"Not long I hope. After our last visit, I'm sure her Highness is eager to see us."
Daniel just raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded in agreement.
"You know, those guys should really invest in some rubber-soled boots." Jack commented as he once again detected the approach of the coming Jaffa.
A few minutes later the cell door slid open, revealing two Jaffa. Morrigan's First Prime entered the small room first. As was usually the case, the Jaffa was tall and muscular in stature. His presence was intimidating, and demanded respect. Ha'pac entered shortly thereafter. He stood next to his superior and gave Daniel and Jack a withering look, never revealing the true nature of his loyalties.
"I am Bar'tok, First Prime of The Queen Goddess Morrigan. You have defied her will, and you will be punished."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Jack said, rolling his eyes. "We know the whole schpeal by heart. So, do you think we could move this along? Tight schedule and all, you know how it is…"
"Silence, Tau'ri!" Bar'tok commanded as he gestured for Ha'pac to lead the prisoners from the cell.
With one Jaffa in front of them and one behind, Daniel and Jack were led down the same path of hallways as before. Soon they found themselves back in Morrigan's throne room where they were immediately forced to kneel before her once again.
The Goa'uld stood gracefully, nodding for her two Jaffa to take their positions on either side of her throne.
She sauntered towards them, her air of superiority ever present. A cold smile crept across her features as she looked down at them. "The System Lords have long waited for the day that you would fall before one of us."
"Well, isn't this just your lucky day?" Jack said, his words dripping with sarcasm.
The Goa'uld ignored his remark and continued. "It was inevitable that you would fall into the hands of your Goddess. And here you are." As Morrigan was speaking the doorway of the throne room slid open, seconds later two Jaffa walked in carrying a metallic storage case. Carefully placing the container on the floor, the Jaffa quickly bowed to Morrigan and exited the room.
Morrigan looked pleased as she walked towards the crate and opened the lid. She reached inside a pulled out the contents – a ribbon device.
Jack and Daniel groaned simultaneously as she slipped the device on, serving only to widen Morrigan's wicked smile. "Now, which of you would like to be the first to experience the will of your Goddess?"
Morrigan looked between her two prisoners before her gaze finally settled upon Jack. "You have spirit, Tau'ri. But be assured, Croa'tan can break even those with the strongest of wills, even you."
"No, I don't think so." Jack replied.
"We shall see." Morrigan said as she raised the device to his forehead.
The ribbon device's soft amber light had no more begun to glow when a loud flash from behind Morrigan caught their attention. Startled, Morrigan turned to see her First Prime's body lying motionless on the floor before her throne.
The Goa'uld's eyes flashed angrily as she turned to Ha'pac, who had turned to aim his staff weapon at her. "Jaffa, kree! What is the meaning of this?"
"Shel kek nem'ron." Ha'pac said, declaring his freedom.
"Sholva!" Morrigan exclaimed, raising her ribbon device once again. But before she was able to strike at her Jaffa, powerful arms wrapped themselves around her legs and shoved her to the ground.
"Nice going, Daniel." Jack commended as he took hold of the Goa'uld and removed both the hand device and the ring device from her possession. "We need to have a little talk."
Morrigan glared at him, but remained silent.
"Here's the deal, you've got two choices. You can agree to cure the villagers, leave your host, and be on your way…or…well, let's put it this way…you won't like the second option."
"Meaning?" Morrigan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Meaning we'll use a Tok'ra to yank your sorry ass out of there and send whatever's left of you to Anubis."
"You wouldn't." Morrigan said with confidence.
"Without thinking twice."
Jack watched as Morrigan searched his face for any signs that he was lying. Finding none, she scowled at him. "See?" Jack said with a bright smile. "I knew you wouldn't like it."
"Ah, but what of the slaves? If you remove me from my host you will be killing them as well."
"Because only you can cure them?" Daniel asked.
"That is correct." Morrigan said smugly.
"Is that so?" Jack said as he reached into the folds of Morrigan's flowing garment and produced her healing device. "From what I understand, any old snake can use this thing."
"You know nothing!" Morrigan spat.
"Sure I do, I just like throwing people off…so made your decision yet?"
"Come on," Daniel prompted. "Save a few people and live. It's an easy choice."
Morrigan glared at both of them before nodding her head slightly.
"Good!" Jack said with enthusiasm. "That's the spirit."