Thanks for the reviews - debcole; Froggy0319. More angst to come I'm afraid...you should know me by now!

DISTANT MEMORIES

By Lingren.

Previously:

"I said earlier that they will not harm him. You and he will most likely be gone from here before long."

"Not without the others we won't!" Sam spat determinedly. She wasn't about to leave Teal'c and the man she loved behind. No way!

Chapter 3

Daniel was led into a brightly lit room. There was little in the way of furniture around; a couple of chairs, a table with a notepad placed in front of the dark haired military man sitting on one side of the table. Daniel was pushed into the seat opposite him.

"Who are you?" he began as soon as Daniel was seated.

"So who wants to know?" Daniel countered without hesitation. 'Oh yeah...I've definitely been around Jack too long,' he mused.

The military officer gave him a cold look and ignored the question.

"Are you a soldier?"

"No," Daniel answered truthfully.

"You are dressed like one."

"I may work with them, but I'm not one of them."

"Then what are you?"

"Actually, I'm an Archaeologist, but I work as a Linguist and the Diplomat of my team," Daniel admitted. He saw no reason not to tell them that little scrap of truth.

The man laughed heartily.

"An Archaeologist? What good is that on a fighting team? What does your army want with such as you?"

"Actually," Daniel held up a finger to make a point. "I'm with the Air Force. There's a big difference you know!" 'Oh yeah, Jack would be proud of that statement,' he grinned inwardly.

The overweight man in the uniform grunted with annoyance.

"Can you fight like a military man?"

"I'm an Archaeologist! What do you think? I work with the trowels and brushes of my trade, not with weapons." Daniel hedged away from admitting anything else to this man.

"Then why did you not have them with you yesterday?"

"This was meant to be a diplomatic mission, not an Archaeological dig," he replied seriously.

The man gazed long and hard, deciding whether or not to believe what Daniel was saying.

"Where are my friends?" Daniel asked, taking the opportunity in the lull of questions and hoping to gain an insight into where Jack and Teal'c were being held.

"Your giant alien friend, well, I'm not sure. Perhaps he has gone home. Who knows? As for your other friend, the one you call Colonel Jack O'Neill?..." he paused to silently acknowledge the recognition in Daniel's eyes. "Well, he is gone, unfortunately."

"Gone? What do you mean Gone? Gone home? Or..."

Daniel could feel his heart stop at those words, wondering if it meant exactly what they implied.

"Gone! As in...he is no more. He's dead. He died of his wounds, therefore he was of no use to us, so we left him behind. I have no idea whether he is still there or if your dark skinned friend took his body home. Whatever. It is of no consequence now."

Daniel flew from his chair, shouting negation, but he didn't get far. Two guards held him back as he yelled in shocked denial at the man who had so casually informed him of his best friend's demise. He wanted so hard to believe Jack was still alive.

"Why?" he screamed. "Oh God, why?"

Daniel felt tears stinging his eyes.

"You sonovabitch! How could you? He never did anything to you or your so called army. He was a good man."

He struggled harder but with each attempt, they held him tighter.

"Let me go!" He fought off the restraining hands but they wouldn't release him. Instead they dragged him kicking and screaming from the room and back to the prison, where they threw him back into the stinking cell.

He collapsed to his hands and knees, curling over into a tight ball against the pain of loss, sobbing Jack's name in disbelief. Jack was his mentor, his brother, his best friend. How could he be gone?

Sam felt the air turn frigid when she saw Daniel, and came to the only conclusion she could as Daniel cried out in grief.

She dropped down beside her friend and slipped her arms round his shoulders.

Daniel turned and wrapped her in his arms as he brokenly told her that Jack was dead.

They both consoled each other through their tears, while Reynol observed them guiltily.

The soldier was angry that the military hierarchy had killed these good people's friend, and that in doing so, they had turned him into a liar. He'd assured them that no harm would befall their leader. Now, their trust in him had been betrayed. He was sick and tired of this war. Sick of being a part of the deceptions, of being used as a pawn in a stupid mindless game of killing. He vowed he would do anything for these two new 'friends', no matter what it cost him.

Meanwhile at a camp many miles away, Teal'c was sitting propped up in the corner of a small airless room that he shared with several others, though no-one was brave enough to stray too close to the giant of a man. He had tried to ask them where he was but again, nobody, it seemed, was willing to risk talking to him either.

The door of the room flew open and everyone cowered in the other corner. Teal'c merely stood and faced the guards when they approached him.

"You will come with us!" the soldier stated, his voice intoned while his face remained impassive, despite being dwarfed by the prisoner.

Teal'c exited the room in silence, but could hear the whispers break out among his fellow room-mates before the door was closed on them.

He was led down several passages before being urged to enter a small dark room, where they stood him in front of the rather tatty looking desk, covered in scratches. There wasn't much on it, just a note pad, a pen and a lamp. He was coerced into sitting down on a hard wooden chair and the lamp was duly shone straight into his face. He flinched slightly away from the brightness, but was required to look right straight ahead, or risk being punished.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see a man in the shadows, sitting on the opposite corner of the desk.

"Who are you and where do you come from?" the dark stranger asked.

Teal'c remained silent.

"We are not here to harm you. Yet! We wish only to know why you were found near the great circle with several dead Opposition troops?"

Still Teal'c remained silent, his back ramrod straight, his gaze fixed on nothing, as he continually refused to answer the questions.

"Who is the leader of your group?"

Yet again Teal'c ignored the question.

He heard the man sigh heavily.

"I am here as a representative of the Government on Ban Danara. We were expecting a team from a planet called Earth with a view to becoming allies. Are you one of those people?"

Teal'c turned his gaze slightly towards the man.

"If this is so, then why are you treating me as a prisoner?"

"I was told that several people were captured near the great circle, but not whom. You must tell me if this is so, so that I may find your friends and release them too if they are here."

"How can I believe your words? You have done nothing yet to earn my trust."

The man reached over and snapped off the lamp, and the overhead light came on, though the glow was minimal and still gave nothing away.

A plate of food and a glass of water was produced and placed in front of him.

The man motioned to the Jaffa to partake of the meal.

"Please eat, drink! You must be hungry."

When Teal'c still refused to move he sighed again, shifting from the desk to sit in his own chair behind it.

"Look, my name is Darras. Please, I am only here to help you. You were found unconscious at the foot of the great circle. My government wishes me to help you find the others if you are indeed one of these people from Earth."

Teal'c watched as Darras broke off a piece of the food and ate it, taking a sip of the water too.

"I am being perfectly honest with you. And the food is perfectly safe, else I would be dying right now. Eat!"

Teal'c did eat. He was very hungry and thirsty. Within minutes the food had gone and the water almost as quickly.

Darras watched fascinated by this huge male, he towered over his own people. He wondered if all Earth based humans were the same.

"I am not of the Tau'ri of Earth!" Teal'c stated almost as if he had read Darras' mind. "I am a Jaffa. My home world is Chulak, but I am allied to the Tau'ri. I am Teal'c." Teal'c gave a slight regal bow when he'd finished speaking.

"Thank you," Darras breathed a sigh of relief. "So you are part of the Earth group?"

"I am. I must also find the rest of my team. We were fired upon soon after our arrival."

"How many of you were there?"

"Colonel O'Neill is our leader. Then there is Major Carter and Daniel Jackson."

"Just the four of you?"

"Yes!"

"And dressed the same as you?"

"They are."

"I'm afraid we only discovered you then. The others must be prisoners of the Opposition forces. I apologise for your earlier treatment, but we had to make certain of your identity. We have been tricked many times before."

"Then we must rescue my friends at once."

"All in good time...Teal'c," he said, hesitating over the strange name. "It's not as easy as you think. They could be anywhere. The enemy have hundreds of camps spread over hundreds of miles. It will be like searching for the proverbial needle in a hayrick. It will take time."

"We are not searching for a needle, we are seeking the whereabouts of my friends."

Puzzled by Teal'c's logic, Darras wondered whether he should answer that or ignore it. He though the Jaffa a strange creature.

"I will do my best to locate them. In the meantime I apologise to you again for having held you against your will. Hopefully, you will find your new quarters more to your satisfaction."

"I wish to help look for the others."

"I will have to make enquiries first, then, when we are sure of their whereabouts, you may join us in the battle to free them."

Teal'c stood and gave a little nod of acceptance before being escorted from the room. This time he was led upstairs and away from the odorous holding cells.

OoOoOoOoO

He woke to a pounding headache. He couldn't bring himself to open his eyes just yet, but he could tell from the smells surrounding him he was in some sort of an infirmary. The all pervasive smell of disinfectant and ether hung heavily about the air and he risked opening one eye. He knew it was a hospital. This room sounded like it was a vast bustling ward, and when he was finally able to see around him, he found there were about 50 beds arranged in rows around him. He blinked a few times before he realised he was being watched.

"Hello!" he said, wondering what had happened to him.

"Hello there. How are you feeling now?"

"Headache!" he sighed. "Sore!" he rubbed a hand across his torso, feeling the familiar ache of vaguely remembered wounds.

"It was expected. You were badly wounded, but you will be fine soon!"

"Where am I?"

"In the army hospital of course!" she giggled. "Where else would you be when you have been wounded for the Cause?"

"Yeah right! Silly question," he quipped, no wiser than before.

He struggled to sit upright when he saw two army officers approach him. After helping to prop him up, the nurse left hurriedly, almost curtsying as she backed away.

"It is good to see you recovering at last Colonel. General Ornan has been extremely worried about our newest hero."

"Er...thank you...sir. I think. I don't remember a thing. What happened?"

"Why, you were wounded for the Just Cause Colonel, and the ruling party for the Opposition Forces reward you with this medal for your outstanding services." The older man leant forward and shook his hand placing a small black box in the other one. "Congratulations Colonel Tobin! Your next assignment is ready for you when you have recovered from your wounds."

"Ah Thank you sir." He could barely recall getting hit let alone what he'd done to deserve this medal.

He was distracted from his thoughts when those patients that were able, clapped and cheered him; and he coloured up slightly from embarrassment. He tried to shrug it off by grinning.

"Report to General Ornan at 07.00 tomorrow Colonel."

"Yes sir!" he answered smartly.

The headache was back full force now and after the officers had taken their leave, the nurse came back. He lay back among the pillows again trying to piece together everything he could but it was useless all he could recall was falling down in agony from an attack, but not why or where. He opened the box and fingered the bright metal star with the colourful ribbon. If only he could think straight.

"You must rest. Go back to sleep Colonel and when you wake again I will bring you some dinner."

He was too tired to argue, and allowed the nurse to stow the box and it's precious contents in the locker beside him. He drifted off to sleep again in no time at all.

TBC