A/N: Sorry I've been away for so long, just had a lot of personal issues to work through but I'm back now and will be giving regular updates on this riveting story. Enjoy and keep sending those reviews.
Meanwhile, on Ba'al's planet, Ba'al was sitting in his chamber being attended to by his lotar and 3 of his loyal Jaffa. His First Prime ran in and bowed at his feet.
"What brings you here in such a hurry, Bre'lak?" Ba'al asked.
"Forgive me, My Lord, but security to this fortress has been breached by an immeasurable force. No amount of Jaffa can stop it." Bre'lak said. There were staff blasts
heard outside the chamber and the screams of Jaffa. Suddenly, the doors burst open to reveal Jack/ Vor'tesh standing in front of a pile of dead and unconscious Jaffa.
"You see, the problems with the Goa'uld these days, is you just can't find good help any more." Vor'tesh said in Jack's voice. The Jaffa stood ready to defend Ba'al.
"Shall we kill him, My Lord?" Bre'lak asked. Ba'al raised his hand.
"No, I shall deal with this one personally." Ba'al said. He turned his attention back to Jack. "If it is not O'Neill? You are either very brave or highly foolish to come here alone and unarmed. You do remember our last encounter?"
"As I recall, I was under the influence of a Tok'ra, so not my fault." Vor'tesh said as he walked up to Ba'al until he was face to face.
"I sense something different about you. I cannot tell what it is. No Matter, what does matter in how I am going to dispose of you? I am guessing slow and painful." Ba'al sniggered. Then, in the blink of an eye, Vor'tesh grabbed Ba'al by the throat and held him up so his feet were not touching the floor. His eyes glowed.
"You will do nothing of the sort!" Vor'tesh said in a Goa'uld voice. The Jaffa loaded and pointed their staff weapons at Vor'tesh. "Lower your weapons or I will crush his throat in such a manner that not even the power of the sarcophagus will heal him." The Jaffa looked at Vor'tesh, then at Ba'al, who was struggling to breathe.
"Do it." Ba'al ordered. The Jaffa lowered their weapons. Vor'tesh threw Ba'al to the floor.
"That's more like it." Vor'tesh said.
"Leave us." Ba'al ordered.
"But My Lord…" Bre'lak started.
"Do as I say!" Ba'al ordered again. The Jaffa bowed as they left. The Lotar followed. Ba'al picked himself up and looked Vor'tesh, who had settled himself in Ba'al's seat. "No Goa'uld would ever have the ordacity to handle me in such a manner, who are you?"
"I am Vor'tesh; created amongst the Tau'ri; more powerful than any Goa'uld, with a host most would kill to have." Vor'tesh said. Ba'al bowed.
"My Lord; had I but known, I would not have threatened to have you killed. Accept my sincere apologies." Ba'al said.
"Get up; if there is one thing I cannot abide, it is grovellers." Vor'tesh said. Ba'al stood up.
"Of course. Now buried within the subconscious of your host and fully accessible to you are the secrets of the Tau'ri, the Tok'ra and the Asgard. Which should we annihilate first?" Ba'al asked.
"All in due time, my servant, first I need to rest in the sarcophagus. Get me the appropriate attire and I will need your finest motherships at my disposal." Vor'tesh said.
"As you wish, My Lord." Ba'al said as Vor'tesh walked out to the sarcophagus.
Three days had passed since Jack became Vor'tesh and everyone had been working endlessly to enhance security in case he decided to launch an attack. Jacob still hadn't returned from the Tok'ra, nor Teal'c from the Jaffa. Word had been sent to the Alpha site and to the Asgard, but the only ones to respond so far were the Alpha site. It was 4am and Sam was sitting in the briefing room, staring out at the Stargate. She was praying that every time the gate opened, it would either be someone coming through with good news about Jack, or someone bringing him home, alive and well. She knew the chances were slim to none, but she lived in hope. She was so lost in her thoughts that she failed to hear company enter the briefing room.
"Hey, penny for your thoughts?" Daniel said, startling her.
"Oh, Daniel, hey." Sam said.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Daniel said.
"I guess I'm a little edgy." Sam said, yawning.
"Well, I would be to at 4am." Daniel said, looking at his watch.
"4am? Really? I thought it was later." Sam said.
"When was the last time you slept?" Daniel asked a note of concern in his voice.
"Oh uh…the night I stayed at Colonel O'Neill's house…right before this happened." Sam said.
"Sam, that was 3 days ago, you need some rest." Daniel said.
"3 days? Is that all? It feels like longer." Sam said. Daniel looked at Sam and followed her gaze towards the Stargate.
"Sam…" Daniel started.
"He's out there somewhere, Daniel. A prisoner in his own body, doing things he has no control over, no power to stop himself; and I could have stopped him." Sam said.
"What are you talking about?" Daniel asked.
"I could have tried harder to sense the symbiote at the clinic. I don't know why I couldn't. Then at the ramp before he went through the Stargate, I could have stopped him, but I hesitated, why? Because I didn't want to be the one to hurt him." Sam said.
"Sam, no-one blames you for what happened. The Goa'uld just bested us this time. Unfortunately, at the cost of Jack's freedom and independence." Daniel said.
"And everyone is talking as if he's already dead; with no chance of saving him." Sam said.
"I can understand where they're coming from. Very few hosts survive separation from their symbiotes." Daniel said.
"Skaara and Sarah did." Sam said.
"But Vor'tesh is a stronger Goa'uld then Klorel and Osiris. Like Selmak said, Vor'tesh won't give jack up without a fight." Daniel said.
"No-one is even giving saving him a chance." Sam said. "Not since Hammond issued that shoot to kill objective on him."
"I'll tell you something. General Hammond doesn't know this and I could get into a lot of trouble for going behind his back if I get caught, but right now I don't care. I've spoken to a lot of the SG-Team leaders and they all agree that saving Jack is a worthwhile mission, and no-one on this base is willing to kill him. Teal'c won't do it, and even though the Tok'ra maybe authorised to do, your dad won't do it, Bra'tac won't do it and the Asgard won't. Everyone is willing to give saving Jack a chance." Daniel said.
"Good. Then there's a chance to save him." Sam said.
"Sam, is there something you're not telling me?" Daniel asked curiously.
"What are you talking about?" Sam said.
"You tell me? You seem obsessed with saving him, even though the chances are slim to none; you beat yourself over something that's not possibly your fault; your concern is beyond that of a subordinate's worry for her commanding officer. Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me everything?" Daniel said.
"Because I'm not." Sam said sadly. Daniel looked at her. She turned away. "If General Hammond this out, then I'd lose my commission. That morning when you called Colonel O'Neill's house and he told you I was there, I over heard your conversation before he hung up. You asked if something had happened between us. Something did happen. We slept together, right after we confessed our feelings for each other." Sam said.
"No wonder you're taking this so hard." Daniel said.
"For a few hours, he was mine and I was his. And then they go and do this." Sam said. Her eyes brimming with tears. Daniel pulled her into a hug.
"We will save him, Sam. I promise, we'll find away to save him." Daniel said, looking at the Stargate, silently praying he was right.