In another few hours, Vala was reintroduced to the rack. Again, the Prior waited outside, all of his instincts screaming at him to do something he would regret. It lasted about as long as the last time but you could tell Vala's defenses were weakening. It wouldn't be long before her body broke. Daniel knew that, Vala knew that, and, though she wouldn't admit it, Adria knew that.

XxXxX

"This is where Vala's room is," Danielle said, pointing at the quick map of Adria's fortress she had sketched. "The guards'll recognize my servant's clothes wherever we run into them. You all could dress up as servants. The only problem I see is the 'gate is in Adria's…well, throne room I guess you could call it. And we have no knowing of when she'll be there during the day."

"What about at night?" Sam asked. Danielle shrugged.

"I guess she'd be sleeping…here," she indicated. "But the room'll be crawling with guards."

Cameron patted his gun. "We can take care of them."

Danielle eyed the weapon but chose not to question him and nodded.

"So I'll get together your disguises. We'll leave tomorrow."

Jack clapped his hands together, satisfied. "Great. Full speed ahead then."

Danielle nodded and walked out the room. Jack stared after her and muttered,

"This had better work."

One thought was running through all the friends' heads.

What about Daniel?

XxXxX

Evening the next day, Vala was on the rack for the sixth time since she had been rudely woken up, and Daniel's self-constraint finally broke. In a sudden rage, he flung the door open. Adria whipped around and suddenly flew across the room, hit the wall and slumped over, unconscious. In the next split moment, the guards controlling the rack got the same treatment. Daniel stormed to the rack and cut the bonds. As he did, his heart dropped to his stomach when he saw Vala's closed eyes. Frantically, he checked her pulse and felt relief shoot through him when he felt the comforting heartbeat. Wasting no more time, he threw his staff down, seeing no use for it now, picked Vala up and ran out the room.

XxXxX

"I look like a complete idiot in these clothes," Jack complained. Sam shot a glare at him.

"With all due respect, sir, shut up," she hissed. "We don't really want to find out if these disguises will actually work."

They had already left Adria's throne room with a layer of dead guards and were now headed the direction of Vala's room, Danielle in the lead. They turned the corner down a hallway and were all quite surprised to see a Prior running towards them with a dark-haired woman in his arms.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, confused. Daniel stopped in front of him.

"Jack? You…went through the 'gate?"

Jack looked down to observe himself. "Did I?" He looked back up to Daniel's unfamiliar face. "Nice look."

Daniel frowned at him. "I could say the same to you. Look, we need to get back to Earth. Now. There are guards coming."

Cameron peered behind him. "I see no guards."

"There are guards coming," Daniel repeated. "Trust me."

"We have no standing reason to do so," Teal'c argued. Daniel shut his eyes for a moment, frustrated. Shuffles of foot beats behind him made him open his eyes triumphantly.

"See? There are guards coming."

Jack swore under his breath. "Right, let's go."

The group turned heel and ran back to Adria's throne room, Daniel with Vala in the back. He had just made it through the door, Sam was already punching in the gate sequence, when Daniel felt a sudden ripping of the flesh in his right leg. His leg collapsed beneath him and he fell, dropping Vala. He could feel the muscle rubbing against his robes, blood soaking them.

"Teal'c!" he bellowed. The others, who hadn't noticed his dilemma, turned. "Take Vala! She was on a rack, she needs serious attention!"

Teal'c rushed to him, throwing Vala over a shoulder. Then he reached out his other arm for Daniel to take. Daniel batted it away, his face twisted in pain.

"Go, there's no time."

Teal'c nodded and ran through the Stargate. Daniel didn't know it, but Jack was still there, watching his old friend. His eyes darted from the Prior to the hoard of guards and after a moment's more thought, the general stepped through the 'gate and the wormhole closed behind him.

After hearing the wormhole shut, Daniel felt the guards grab his arms, dragging him to a standing position. Having to put all his weight on his left leg, Daniel stood there until he heard a bone-chilling drawl,

"How the mighty have fallen."

A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!