Jack and Ha'pac had remained seated on the floor of the bedroom until they heard Daniel and Morrigan walk out the front door. Gritting against the pain in his knees, Jack picked himself up off the floor and stretched his tired muscles. What a day this had been. And it wasn't over yet.
Jack's thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Carmichael rushed into the room. "They've been cured?"
Jack looked first at Sam, then at Janet, and shrugged. "I guess."
"What about the others?"
"Well, Daniel said that the cure will spread just like the disease did."
"A contagious cure?" The doctor asked skeptically.
"That's what he said."
A moan from Sam's side of the room interrupted their conversation.
"Carter?" Jack asked, going over to her bed.
"Sir?" Sam said hoarsely.
"Easy Carter, you still need to rest." With that he turned back to Dr. Carmichael. "Well, that's an improvement." As he spoke another figure entered the room. "Reynolds." Jack acknowledged, turning to face the colonel.
"How are they?" Reynolds asked nodding towards Sam and Janet.
"They'll be fine."
"And what about Daniel? Are you going to let Morrigan have him?"
"Course not, but Daniel knows he's not alone up there. As he so graciously pointed out to me, Teal'c is still onboard. And so is an undercover Tok'ra…for whatever that's worth…"
A low clicking sound caught both Reynolds' and O'Neill's attention. In the corner of the room Ha'pac had activated a small round device that he was holding in his hand.
"Where the hell'd you get that?" Jack asked, motioning to the Tok'ra communicator.
"Azriel gave it to me on the ship."
"Well, hand it over." Jack said, outstretching his hand. The jaffa obliged, letting O'Neill have the small communicator.
Jack gently squeezed the device and began talking. "Hey Gargamel…err…Azriel, you there?"
"O'Neill?" A voice said over the communicator.
"Yeah, listen. Morrigan pulled a fast one, she's got Daniel hostage and they are on their way back to the ship."
"I see. There is something you should know as well. I have just received word from the Tok'ra High Council. I have orders to allow Morrigan to destroy the planet."
"Ex-cuse me?"
"A ship from Anubis is on its way. His power above the System Lords is gaining and we need to take whatever opportunities we can to weaken his efforts."
"Yeah, ok…but what about us? We've got some pretty sick ladies down here"
"But at least one of them has been cured?"
"Yeah." Jack confirmed.
"Is there anyway you can transport them back to your world where they may all be exposed to the cure?"
"Well…I suppose we could put to use those isolation stretchers we brought along as a last resort…"
"Anubis' ship will arrive soon. I suggest you start evacuating all the people immediately."
"And what if we're still here when Anubis' ship comes?"
"I will try to delay for as long as possible. If she orders me to destroy the planet before your people are ready to leave, I will reveal my identity to her."
"Can I call you when we're ready?"
"Before you leave the planet, squeeze the communicator twice, but do not speak. I will be able to hear it and know when you are ready."
"Yeah, okay. O'Neill out."
With that Jack turned to the others. "Ok, everyone you heard her. We have got to go and I'm talking right now. Reynolds, get SG-3 and 8, tell them to get whatever men are left to help load all the women in the stretchers we brought and start heading to the Stargate."
Next he turned his attention to Carmichael, "Doc, you a fast runner?"
"Wh…"
"Good! Get the Gate as fast as you can, dial earth and tell General Hammond to have all female personnel sent topside ASAP. We don't want any of them getting near this disease. You should also probably set up the isolation labs for our guests. Got it?"
Carmichael gave him a brief nod and with that, took off out the door. Jack slipped the Tok'ra communicator into his pocket, and hurried to help the others get ready for the evacuation.
Daniel stood riveted in place as he continued to stare at the aftereffects of the blast. As he watched, his thoughts continued turning from bad to worse. Finally he closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and gave himself a mental shake; there was no need to jump to unfounded conclusions, not when they could still be alive.
"Now," Morrigan said sounding pleased. "Return the human to the holding cell. I'm sure there is much we can learn from him."
Daniel cast an urgent look over at Azriel; the Tok'ra caught his eye and gave him the briefest of smiles. "I cannot." She replied to Morrigan.
"You dare defy me?" The Goa'uld said with a raised eyebrow.
"I was given a message to deliver to you."
"What is it?"
Azriel smiled. "The High Council of the Tok'ra sends its greetings, and thanks you for your assistance in fighting Anubis." At these words, the Jaffa in the Pel'tak raised their staff weapons, pointing them towards their former Goddess.
Morrigan's eyes flashed in anger as she started to raise her left arm up to use her ribbon device.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Azriel said. "You'll find that you have been surrounded by a Tok'ra force field.
Not completely convinced, Morrigan cautiously reached her hand out only to find that she was touching a wall. Shimmering red energy waves danced out from where her hand rested against the shield. Seeing that she was indeed trapped, the Goa'uld cried out in frustration. "Jaffa, kree!" she commanded, feebly hoping some of her former slaves would heed her orders.
Movement in the doorway caught Daniel's attention. A familiar figure had just entered the Pel'tak – Teal'c.
"I believe you will find that what few Jaffa you have remaining loyal to you, will be useless." Teal'c said loudly. "For they have been locked in the cargo hold of this ship."
"Ha'taaka!" Morrigan said with menace, hatred burning in her eyes.
"And you are nothing but a false god." Teal'c declared firmly. "One who deserves nothing less than death for the pain you have caused countless people."
"But, you still have a choice," came Daniel's voice from beside her.
Morrigan looked over at him, her seething anger was still present, but Daniel could tell that he had caught her attention. "Leave your host."
She cocked her head to the side, but remained silent.
"Leave your host, comply with our original deal, and we'll send you wherever you want to go."
"I think not, human. This host belongs to me."
"Well, or we could just…send you to Anubis. I'm sure he'd love to find out firsthand what happened to his ship."
"I cannot survive without a host. You sentence me to death either way!"
Daniel threw a look back at Azriel; at this the Tok'ra turned and spoke a few words to a Jaffa that was standing beside her. The Jaffa nodded, and quickly left the room. Moments later he returned, carrying what Daniel recognized as a canopic jar, which in reality was a Goa'uld stasis chamber.
The Tok'ra approached the force field that surrounded Morrigan. "I will place the opening of the chamber into the shield. We will only lower the shield once you are inside the jar and we are sure the host is safe. Then we will hand you over to your jaffa and take you to a planet with a Stargate, where you will be free to go wherever you please."
"I will not leave my ship!"
"You have no choice. Be grateful I do not remove you personally and send you to a far worse place."
Turing her attention back to Daniel, Morrigan glared at him once again. "Pray your people never cross me again, for if you do there will be no escape."
"Not for you anyways." Daniel replied sharply.
As he spoke, Azriel turned the opening of the stasis jar towards Morrigan and pushed it in through the shield just enough to breech it. With one final defiant glare, Morrigan opened her mouth slightly, and after a few seconds Daniel saw the snake-like being jump from the hosts mouth into the canopic jar.
As the Tok'ra gave the signal for the force shield to be lowered, Elizabeth's body slumped over in the throne she was sitting on.
"Elizabeth!" Daniel said, hurrying to her side. He checked her over quickly, and though she was unconscious, she appeared to be okay. Turning back to Azriel, he noted the fact that the lid of the canopic jar had been put in place.
"She seems to be all right." Daniel announced, gaining a nod from Azriel. "Now, can someone explain to me what just happened? How could you let Morrigan blow that planet up?"
"I contacted the High Council. They approved the plan in order to weaken both Morrigan and Anubis."
"But there were innocent people on that planet!"
"Do not worry, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said, grabbing his friend's shoulder affectionately. "The others are indeed safe."
"They are?"
Teal'c nodded and gave his friend a small smile.
Daniel sighed; relief flooded his mind and heart. They were alive…his family was still alive. "I still don't understand what happened."
"I gave the Jaffa Ha'pac a Tok'ra communicator." Azriel explained. " O'Neill informed us of what had happened and told us that you and Morrigan were on your way back to the ship. I told O'Neill of the Tok'ra's plan to destroy Anubis' ship, and urged them all to leave immediately."
"But all the women weren't cured yet."
"But Morrigan did give you the cure, so the women were placed in what O'Neill called isolation stretchers, and were sent through the Stargate to receive the cure in your facility."
Movement beside interrupted their conversation – Elizabeth Viccars was waking up.
Teal'c watched the former Goa'uld host intently as she awoke from unconsciousness. At first she appeared alarmed, but soon her look changed to one of confusion, which in Teal'c's experience, was a common occurrence.
"Elizabeth?" Daniel Jackson said in a low voice. "How are you feeling?"
The woman blinked slowly. "I'm free?"
Daniel Jackson smiled at her. "Yes, you are."
But the relief that was in Elizabeth Viccars' eyes was soon replaced by panic. She bolted upright in the throne and struggled to stand.
"Hey, hey, easy, it's okay." Daniel Jackson said, trying to calm her down.
"But the woman…"
"Don't worry. Morrigan gave us the cure. The women will all be okay."
"No, she won't!" Elizabeth Viccars exclaimed.
Daniel Jackson gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"
"The first woman was cured. But the second, she was not. The disease within her had advanced too far."
This could mean only one thing; Janet Fraiser could not be cured.