Cam Mitchell rocked on his feet at the base of the ramp as the rest of SG1 filtered into the Gate Room. He glanced to Daniel as the chevrons began to engage and glow.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Daniel looked at Cam, "Well if I were being truthful, no." He shrugged, "I mean the last time we saw Arlos Kadawam he sent us on a wild goose chase but if Jack is being held by people trying to figure out technology for the Lucian Alliance Arlos is our best bet at figuring out where he is…right?"

Cam just shrugged. Daniel whipped his head to Vala, "Right?"

"Hrm?" Vala looked up from where she was braiding her hair.

"This isn't going to be some useless waste of time, right?" Daniel ground out.

Sam put her hand on Daniel's shoulder, "It might be but right now we don't have a lot of choices. We just don't know enough about the planets the Lucian Alliance operates from. We have to try something."

Daniel glared for a second longer at Vala before nodding to Sam. "Guess that's good enough."

The gate activated and Cam moved up the ramp, "Alright gang, let's move out!"

Jack was squatting at the shore with what looked like a fishing line in his hand when Michael woke up from his turn to sleep.

Michael had been too exhausted to satisfy his curiosity when it had come time to wake Jack so he had lay down without question he was rested and ready to get answers. His first was "How long did you let me sleep?"

"Long enough." Was Jack's reply, eyes not moving from where the line disappeared into the water about 6 feet from shore.

"You should have woken me." Michael grumbled, settling himself against a root across from Jack.

"Why?"

Michael could not help but roll his eyes at the unnecessary question. "You made me wake you."

"Yeah? So? Shut up before you scare away the fish."

Michael looked at the slack line, "How do you know there are even any fish there?"

Jack shrugged, "I don't."

"Where'd you get the fishing line?"

Jack nudged a small black nylon item with his foot. "They always take the gun, but rarely the holster." He dryly remarked. Michael picked it up. It was a small ankle holster with a zippered compartment which had been opened. It currently contained a few bandages, water purifying tablets and some other small bits and pieces.

Jack glanced at it, "You never know what might be useful. If I were on a mission I try to fit a protein bar in there. No such luck this time."

Michael looked back at Jack, eyes wide, "You were armed when you came to meet us to breakfast?"

Jack sighed and began to pull in the line, "Don't be so scandalized. It was nothing personal. I'm almost always armed." He examined the obviously nibbled on worm on the hook, "Damn." He deftly replaced the worm with a new one from a small pile he had apparently collected at his side. "People expect Generals to be passive, rear echelon, role models of propriety." He sneered as he mocked his rank. "However," He smirked, "As a dear friend, once observed, I've never really learned how to be a General."

Michael let out a huff of amusement. In the short time he had known his brother he could absolutely concur the man did not fit the mold of what he expected a general to be. "I guess if you're so used to being kidnapped by the nefarious sort remaining armed is probably a good thing."

Jack said nothing as he pulled gently on the line.

"So..." Michael took a deep breath, "Alien planet, huh?"

Jack smirked again, "Noticed the moons, did ya?"

"I was kind of hoping they were an exhausted delusion and they'd be gone when I woke up." Michael conceded.

"Yeah...They aren't going anywhere." Jack gave a sharp tug on the line and a broad smile crossed his face. "Yes!"

He pulled in a large fish, about 14 inches. It looked like a cross between a cat fish and a flounder. "Exxxxcelllent." He drawled out, "Dinner." He moved to a flat rock and began the messy job of cleaning the fish without a knife.

Michael winced as he watched. "Hey Jack? If this is actually an alien planet and that is an alien fish how do we know it's safe to eat?"

Jack shrugged, "I don't. But I'm not banking on there being a McDonalds anywhere nearby. Our options are limited."

Michael nodded and began to look for sticks but Jack stopped him, "They're still looking for us. No fire." He held up a piece of meat, "Sushi."

Gently taking the slippery fish meat Michael took a deep breath, "Oookay." he scrunched his eyes closed and tossed the full piece into his mouth. His eyes popped open, "Holy crap! I hope this doesn't turn out to kill me because it's delicious!"

Jack just sat smirking as he nibbled on his own piece and worked more off of the fish.

When the bones had been stripped clean the two men sat side by side, leaning upon the embankment and watching the sun dance off the ripples of the lake.

"So. How does one escape an alien planet?" Michael finally gave voice to the question that had been eating at him.

Jack scratched at the stubble on his chin, "That's what I've been thinking about. We have two options, which is better than most times. First there is the ship, assuming they haven't flown it away somewhere. Second, when Ranorku was sending out search parties he sent some to cover 'the gate' which means there is an operational Stargate here."

Michael squinted, "That's the device you use to use to travel to other planets?"

Jack nodded, "That will be the fastest method. And it will definitely be there unlike the ship."

"But...?" Michael sensed a negative.

"I am willing to bet our friends have it pretty well guarded, add the search party they sent out and it will be nearly impossible to get through with just a zat." Jack flipped the odd shaped item he had stolen from the unconscious guard back at the facility.

"I assume that's a weapon?" Michael gestured.

"Yep." Jack pushed a button on the side and the thing buzzed open, like a snake rearing to pounce. Another push and waving blue line zapped the rock the fish carcass was on. "One shot stuns." He shot again, "Second kills." A third shot and Michael jumped up from his seated position and stared at where the rock had been. "Third evaporates."

Michael glanced back to Jack and the thing in his hand. "Holy crap."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, it's pretty sweet."

"We can't just knock them out with that?" Michael held out his hand and Jack cautiously handed over the weapon. Michael examined it closely as Jack explained.

"Zats only take out one target at a time and the first time we shoot they'll turn their own Zats and staff weapons and probably regular guns on us."

"Staff weapon?"

Jack nodded, "Big staff with an energy cannon on it. If you're unprotected it burns a softball sized hole right through you."

Michael looked up from his examination of the zat, "That's horrifying."

Jack nodded and shifted slightly with a barely perceptible wince, "It's not good."

Michael watched him carefully, "You were front lines with these guys for how long?"

Jack squinted, "If you don't count the time between the first mission and the second, about 8ish years."

"You ever been hit?" Michael asked quietly.

Jack winced again, "More than once." He looked away "It's part of the job. I've been lucky."

Michael bit his lip, suddenly curious for the stories of all that Jack must have seen while Michael had been safely tucked away at Langley, measuring the width of rivers and testing the tensile strength of steel cords.

However, the discomfort that had flitted across Jack's face was enough for him to stall his curiosity and bring attention back to the current situation. "Well, the rear echelon generals I know tend to want to avoid being caught in over matched fire fights." He smirked, "So we take the ship home?"

Jack smirked, "Well the problem there is that although it is probably more lightly guarded, it is still guarded and even if we manage to take it I don't know where we are so we can't plot a course home."

Michael sat back down and handed the closed zat back to Jack. "So what do we do?"

Jack let a long breath out, "We take the ship."

"You JUST said..."

Jack held up a hand to quiet Michael, "I said I can't plot our way home. But we can take the ship and then use its cannons to take out the forces protecting the gate."

"Okay." Michael nodded, "So how do we take the ship with only one weapon?"

"We make more."