PART FOUR

In the end, Jack didn't lead a charge for the nearest tunnel outta Dodge. He blamed Carter for that. Ka'al had freed him first and then given him the knife to cut the others free while he stepped back to watch at a cautious distance. Trusting sonovagun he'd thought and did Teal'c next as a precaution if things turned ugly. The irony escaped him.

Hunkered down on his heels, he'd reached for Sam just as she overbalanced from trying to shuffle over to give him better access. Her hiss of annoyance had ended up coming from his lap with her left shoulder nestled between his thighs. The stars that had lit his abruptly closed eyelids had nothing to do with pain.

Kerrist!

Sucker-punched emotionally, Jack felt like it was him that had taken a tumble. Looking down, he was met with contrite blue eyes and a grimace of self-reproach. Sorry, sir, that was dumb.

When she heaved herself back off him, he'd had to swallow his disappointment and admitted to himself that while he could think of many words to associate with having Carter fall into his lap, dumb wasn't even near to being on the list.

He blinked back to reality only to find her eyeing him oddly over her shoulder. Erm, I meant the knife. I could have fallen on it.

He'd jerked the knife out of harms way the moment he'd seen her coming and then promptly forgotten about it. He'd felt like a prize idiot. Right, of course, yes- very dumb, Carter. Don't do it again.

Then hands trembling he'd bent down to carefully slice through the cords binding her wrists.

After that little fiasco, Jack had been so distracted that it had taken several minutes to recall his resolution to make a sharp exit. Now they were walking deeper underground and it was too late. Heebie Jeebies or not, all things considered, he didn't fancy trying to fight his way out of narrow tunnels made out of rock. Not to mention, Ka'al had refused his suggestion that they be given back their gear.

They were unarmed and vulnerable. Not good, not good at all.

To make matters worse the deep blackness, barely penetrated by the occasional flaming torch seemed to breed suspicious and unfriendly faces. Jesus, they seemed to come out of the walls. And that wasn't the end of it either. Then they followed behind in muttering pairs, or walked in front and cast sly glances back at them. Unhappily aware his distraction could end up being deadly, Jack cursed a blue streak in his head; all the while grinning like an idiot whenever those furtive backward glances caught his eye.

Keep an eye out, Carter. I don't like the look of this one little bit.

I already am, Colonel, and I'm glad it's not just me.

Oh, it's not just you. I've had friendlier receptions in Iraq.

A few ft further down and the tunnels began to change, becoming more uniform and made out of a much smoother, lighter rock. Not so different than cement in fact. Reaching out with the nearest hand, he scraped his palm along the wall. Yup, definitely like cement.

Carter, am I going nuts, or are we in different tunnels now?

Instinct and manners still insisted he look at her while they communicated. Sam nodded. I think so. This looks like the beginnings of an industrial structure and by the drains on the floor, I'd go with something along the lines of a disused sewer system.

She was right. Jack could feel the edges of the drain running along both sides of the tunnel floor. If he'd known more about sewer systems this new development might have been useful, but as it was- it wasn't. Unless Carter did?

Sorry, Colonel, beyond a general recognition which could be way off base, I'm clueless.

Welcome to my club, Captain. Jack's smile was wry.

Up ahead and leading the way, Maeve and her faithful watchdog, Ka'al, passed through an arched doorway and up several steps. Following them, SG-1 had to hold up their hands to protect themselves from the relative brightness of the circular chamber. On the plus side the smell of damp, fetid air and sweaty bodies dissipated a great deal.

"Okay," muttered Daniel, squinting as he did a full circle to take it all in, "this place is definitely not of any Celtic design I know, or Babylonian for that matter."

"Maybe not, but it is reminiscent of Earth's more functional sectors of industry." Sam pointed to a line of thick grey pipes. "Look there's pipes running all along the ceiling and everything, heck even the steps, are so precise and-"

"Ugly," inserted Daniel.

"It appears that they are all preparing to sit," advised Teal'c. He stood aside to let a small child dart after his mother. "Perhaps Maeve is planning to address everyone as a whole."

As if on cue small bowls or in some cases pots, or drinking urns appeared in the hands of the people. They were all sat around in a circle with the exception of the centre which was left empty. After the tension of the tunnel the appearance of such harmless, domestic items went a long way to relaxing Jack. He shrugged, "Or maybe they're just getting ready to chow down."

Just then Maeve picked her way through the crowd to the empty circle. There she raised her arms and the murmurings of the crowd slowed and then stopped. "Some of you will already know why I have asked that we all gather here tonight," she began in a carrying voice that effortlessly reached the far walls. "I wish you to join me in bidding welcome to new friends who will help us in our struggle to defeat the false god, Zakar!"

The resulting roar was muted and suspicious, but it was still a roar.

"Oy!" Dammit, he should have seen that one coming. Teeth gritted in a smile as all eyes swung their way, Jack ground out, "Daniel, have you been making promises again?"

Pasting on a smile of his own, Daniel replied out of the corner of his mouth, "Not me, I guess Maeve just leapt to that conclusion all on her lonesome."

The meal consisted of a thick stew made up of what tasted like meat, vegetables and fish. Sitting cross-legged in the strange circular chamber and under the watchful gazes of approximately thirty other people, Jack, Sam and Teal'c dipped cautiously into their bowls and let Daniel do his 'thing'.

"So, Maeve, tell me about how you all came to be down here?" He gestured generally, "For starters I can see several ethnic groups here. In all of our exploring I haven't come across such variety in an indigenous people."

"If by indigenous, you mean native to this place, then the answer is simple. This is not our home." Her expression showed a deep sadness. "We are varied because Zakar kidnapped people from many different worlds and transported us all here to work as his slaves."

Wide lips thinned into a pained white line as she continued, "My husband and I were building ourselves a new home surrounded by fertile fields when his Jaffa came upon us."

Given the advanced pregnancy a husband was hardly a surprise. Daniel searched for a delicate way of digging for more. Keeping his expression neutral, he asked, "They took you both?"

"Yes." Maeve dropped her eyes and ran both hands flat over her distended belly. "But, he is dead now."

Wincing, "Oh!" So much for being delicate. "I'm so sorry."

Her back stiffened and her face reflected bone deep resolve. "It was many moons ago and I have adjusted. It was his death that drove me to gather others like me so we could fight back."

Pregnant, grieving and dumped on an alien planet, Maeve had refused to bow down and instead taken up the mantle of resistance leader. A little awed, Sam swallowed a morsel of fish and spoke up, "That was very brave of you."

"Maeve is the bravest female I have ever encountered." Ka'al's tone was laced with admiration and perhaps more. "And also the most forgiving given I was among the Jaffa responsible for killing her husband."

Even Teal'c eyebrows rose to new heights at that stunning statement, "Forgiving indeed."

"It is not so hard to understand," Maeve told him. "When I saw my husband slain I was maddened with grief and attacked the four Jaffa guards. Ka'al saved my life."

"I did not agree with his death. To me it was senseless to take a life for no other reason than wilfulness. However, it was seeing Maeve seek instant revenge for her husband that won my deep admiration. Such strength, loyalty and fortitude is indeed priceless."

The barely hidden emotion on the Jaffa's proud ebony face had Jack's guts twisting and his gaze sliding to settle on his 2IC. Like a song caught on the wind, the words rung true and echoed again in his head. Such strength, loyalty and fortitude is indeed priceless.

Without warning a buzzing began in his ears. It had taken him too long to recognise those qualities in Carter. Luckily for him though she'd persevered and it hadn't taken her long to turn him around and boy had she turned him around. Pierced with a sweetly painful longing that held a bitter edge, Jack recognised the shiver that passed through Sam as awareness of him looking at her.

He should have tuned away but didn't. Time slowed and turned thick. Some semblance of decorum tried to break though, but no matter how he tried, Jack couldn't look away as her head came up and blue eyes filled with that same awareness locked on his.

The sensations triggered by that shared look set his blood humming. Instead of blanking his mind through it crystallised some stray thoughts from the rest of the flotsam. In that moment a few uncomfortable truths he'd been stubbornly ignoring made themselves heard. Outside of the SGC it just wasn't possible to maintain the façade of being laidback and able to brush off what had happened to the both of them.

The bravado he'd been hiding behind was gone, the curtain closing on his glib performance. He'd told her he didn't worry about stuff he couldn't change, but that was before right now; this very moment, when the realisation hit him that it was possible the device hadn't implanted any alien needs and desires, but actually dug up and boosted a whole bunch of buried ones he'd already had. Sort of like an adrenaline injection when you were already Type-A for aggressive.

Sam must have caught the gist of what he was thinking because panicked understanding chased over her face before she jerked away and left him with only her taut profile. She didn't look back even after several seconds. Exposed and bereft, Jack felt that rejection like a kick in the face. It didn't take a genius to figure out she was angry with him and why. He'd just crossed a boundary with that line of thinking and because she'd caught it, too, he'd yanked her over it with him.

The sheer force of O'Neill's emotions; a jumbled mixture of admiration, affection and something else had Sam breathing shallow to stem the tide of panic that was swelling in her chest. She was sat cross-legged with the bowl held in hands that felt numb and disassociated with the rest of her body. Beneath the hum of shock her mind was racing and getting nowhere fast. One thought stood out over them all. How could he think even for a second what they'd been feeling could be real?

She'd know if she'd been repressing feelings for him wouldn't she? She couldn't be that emotional retarded that she wouldn't know if she was falling for her CO; who also happened to be completely out of bounds, could she? And strangling that early attraction back at the beginning wasn't the same thing- not at all. No sirree.

The kernel of doubt refused to be stamped out and suddenly it pissed her off. It had been O'Neill who kept telling her not to worry and that it was just the device and she'd trusted in that. Sam almost felt betrayed. Dumping the bowl down, she met Daniel's sideways querying glance and mutely shook her head before dragging a shaking hand through her hair.

Refusing to look at him didn't mean Sam couldn't feel him. Her left side felt chilled while the whirl of her thoughts refused to slow never mind cease. This was insane. She hated second guessing herself, but never more so than smack bang in the middle of a mission that was spiralling out of control. Jesus! They didn't have time for this. They had a mission to accomplish.

One thought led to another and her eyes went wide. Her dad was here for God's sake and very possibly in danger, too. They needed to be one hundred and ten percent focused and right now; Sam knew she was nowhere near that. She couldn't remember that last time she'd felt so unsure of herself and off-kilter. A bubble of hysterical laughter tried to push its way free. It had been bad enough thinking she was going to have to deal with the whacked-out side-effects of the device without adding more.

Was it so much to ask that she be allowed to just do a good job, be professional, stay alive and hopefully with any luck gain back control over her own emotions?

She didn't think so and he wasn't helping, dammit!

Realising she was overreacting, Sam counted to ten and decided it was sensible and so much safer to think about anything other than him. Forcing herself to ignore the brooding man next to her, she tuned back into the conversation just in time to catch Teal'c asking a question.

"How have you managed to elude the Jaffa patrols for so long? I would have expected that hunting you down and annihilating all resistance was a priority."

With his face tattooed by the light from dancing orange flames, Ka'al's upper lip curled into a sneer. "Zakar is far too busy searching the galaxy for something to bother with us. His Jaffa numbers are small and like myself are mostly from the ranks of other goa'uld." Sensing another question forming and deciding to forestall it, he explained, "I was sent to a prison camp for failing to execute the miners of a dried up Naquadah mine. I was half dead when he attacked and freed the inhabitants."

"Unfortunately we haven't been able to cause enough damage to force Zakar to focus on us," Maeve added with a deep frown. It was clear to all that she felt she was failing in her responsibilities.

"Personally, I'd see that as a plus," soothed Daniel, adding, "and, having seen the results of a focused goa'uld attack too many times to count, I can say that with confidence."

"I concur," nodded Teal'c. "It is better to be free, alive and able to fight small skirmishes than be slaughtered in a single battle."

A child of perhaps two approached on unsteady legs and Maeve turned just in time to catch it as it finally lost its battle with gravity. Daniel took the opportunity to lean closer and whisper to Teal'c, "Hey, haven't we persuaded others to do exactly that?"

"An uprising by previously docile slaves has a much greater advantage than a group already at conflict," pointed out, Teal'c logically. "The unexpectedness of such an attack can improve the chances of victory."

It was a stark reminder of Abydos. "Makes sense, I guess," muttered Daniel appeased on that front and returned his attention to their hosts. On his left, Jack and Sam where uncharacteristically quiet and swallowing back his unease, he pondered that while making small-talk.

In the middle of some gentle probing by Teal'c on Zakar's defences, Jack's voice intruded harshly. "Look, what say we level with each other and stop beating around the damned bush?"

Unfair or not, a slow burning anger had lit in Jack's gut very soon after Carter had so obviously slammed the door in his face, metaphorically speaking, and all but hung up a 'Keep Out' sign in neon letters. It was probably hurt pride and bruised feelings, but right now he didn't give a crap and was done with analysing what either of them were feeling. He was her CO and they had a job to do, an objective to meet. It was past time to focus on that.

His suggestion garnered instant attention. Expression hard and closed, he continued with a brief explanation to Daniel and Teal'c, "I don't know about you guys, but I want this thing ended quick and clean."

Next to him Sam stiffened but he ignored her. Directing his attention on Maeve and Ka'al he pointed out a few things. "You need to get rid of Zakar so you can get on with your lives and we need to get our hands on something he has. I think the best plan for both of us is to kill two birds with one stone."

Daniel pulled one of his faces, "Ah, Jack-"

"Daniel," Jack cut him off with a cold glare. "I don't know if it's occurred to you yet but I'm betting that Zakar knows strangers have come through the gate; that being the case sneaking anywhere on this planet is out now. We need a new plan and I'm thinking these good folks can help us out with that in return for our help."

Teal'c offered no opinion, but he did ask pointedly, "What about the Tok'ra?"

Brusquely, Jack brushed him off, "They ain't here and so get no opinion. Our main mission objective is to get that device and that's exactly what we're gonna do."

"You have dealings with the Tok'ra?" queried Ka'al sharply. The Jaffa looked none too pleased at that turn of events.

"They help us out and we help them out," said Jack, bluntly. "It's a quid pro quo thing just like I'm offering to you. If you want to know more then I suggest we go somewhere a bit less crowded."

Alone in a much smaller chamber, Daniel briefly explained what it was they were looking for any why.

When he was done, Ka'al nodded as some pieces obviously fell into place for him. "I have heard of this device you seek," he said. "The talk amongst the Jaffa who serve him is similar to what you have described. Except we believed he had been tricked and cursed by another god into losing his unique powers. Yet now, knowing him to be false it makes sense that the thing he seeks so desperately is actually the source of it."

"The goa'uld are scavengers who trawl the galaxy looking for technologies they can steal. They don't have any powers per se," Sam chipped in, more to participate than anything else.

The colonel was studiously ignoring her and after days of having him either strolling or perched beside her no matter where they were or what they were doing, his sudden distance was uniquely disturbing. Feeling the irony, Sam was fully aware of contradictory she was being considering she'd been at screaming point on many of those exact same occasions.

Funnily enough she wasn't far off that now. What the hell was he playing at? General Hammond hadn't authorised a full-scale assault and considering the Tok'ra's belief that Zakar could be useful in harassing the System Lords, he likely wouldn't given the option.

She eyed him as he scrutinised the drawings made by Ka'al with the occasional input from Maeve. Bent over a ramshackle table made from scavenged pieces of other furniture, O'Neill was all business with his whole attention on what he was doing. His frequent consulting with Teal'c and Ka'al on Zakar's likely defences were completely to the point and missing his usual and often inappropriate humour.

He was being a hard-ass and doing a pretty good job of it. Wondering how a man could appear to leap several IQ points just by getting angry, Sam caught Daniel's eye and smiled helplessly when he rolled his in an exaggerated arc. That was sweet, she thought, he was worried about her and trying to lighten her up. She decided to let him.

Coming over to rest her knuckles on the table, too, she felt the colonel stiffen and smiled grimly when he sliced her a brief, hard look.

"The mines are still in use?" she asked Maeve who was on her right.

"Oh yes," replied the woman, "Many of our people have died bringing the rock to the surface and continue to do so by the dozens."

"He's in that much of a rush?" she asked surprised. Driving your workforce to death wasn't exactly a great tactic for long-term investment.

Maeve nodded. "Many believe he will not stay long once he has enough of it. I long for that day but allow for such assumptions to be wrong."

"If Zakar's mother ship is kept cloaked as you've said, O'Neill began to Ka'al returning the conversation back to the previous topic, "how can we tell if the snake is actually in residence and not off somewhere kidnapping a fresh bunch of slaves?"

"Zakar has not once left the planet since we arrived," replied Ka'al with conviction from the opposite side of the table. "All travelling done on his behalf is undertaken via the stargate."

"You are certain of this?" asked Teal'c obviously surprised by such a statement.

"Almost positive," Ka'al confirmed. "He lives in constant fear of being discovered by other goa'uld. So much so that he will not use gliders and keeps only one cargo ship as an escape for himself if it became necessary."

Sam was taken aback, "No gliders at all?"

"That could be pretty useful," piped up Daniel. "On Abydos the people feared them the most."

"No other ships are allowed near the planet. If another approaches they are blown out of the sky by an Al-kesh that Zakar keeps patrolling the planet."

"Lucky we're on the ground then," Daniel quipped.

Teal'c looked thoughtful, "Is there any way of getting onboard the Al-kesh?"

"Or maybe not," Daniel finished, seeing where this was going. He held up a hand, "Guys, I'm voting to stay on the ground this time."

Sam was following, too. "If a few of us could somehow gain control of the Al-kesh it could be one hell of a distraction while a two-man team sneaks on-board the mother ship." She glanced at the colonel as she said it and almost reluctantly he held her gaze for a cool, brief second before shifting back to the map.

"The crew are changed every forty eight hours. It would be risky but possible to ambush the replacement crew at the change-over point," Ka'al made some adjustments to the rough map as he spoke, "which takes place in this clearing."

"So, say we get control of the Al-kesh, what then?" asked Daniel.

"Then Teal'c and Ka'al blasts away at whatever targets come up to draw attention away while me and…Carter sneak on-board, find the device and sabotage the ship so there are no shields and it can't take off." O'Neill had hesitated before saying her name and stung, Sam was certain that if he'd had a choice he'd have laid it out differently.

Daniel frowned, "And what do I do, other than sit here and twiddle my thumbs?"

O'Neill waved one hand at the chamber's exit, "You'll lead these guys and wait for a signal that the shields are down. When that happens you attack from the ground and make sure Zakar doesn't manage to escape."

"Sublight and hyperdrive engines will both need to be taken out; along with shields and weapons if this isn't going to turn into a slaughter," pointed out Sam, gritting her teeth to keep her tone even. "The timings will be critical and extremely tight."

"Aren't they always," dismissed, O'Neill and without waiting for her to respond, he stood up straight and skimmed a glance over them all. "So, unless anyone else has any bright ideas they'd like to share, I'm voting for this one."

The sarcophagus slowly slid open and the Jaffa guard who'd disturbed his master's rest kept a respectful distance as Zakar sat up and sought out the menial who'd raised him. Slitted eyes settled on the guard and he said acidly, "Despite outward appearances I do need my beauty sleep. Whatever this is about it better be good."

"Lord Zakar, I have news regarding the four strangers who came through the stargate," said the Jaffa hiding his nerves and staring fixedly at a spot over his master's right shoulder. You could never be too careful. This god was known for mercurial moods and flash-fire rages that grew worse the longer the search for his talisman took.

Moving out of his sarcophagus ominously, Zakar's scowl only deepened and he fairly stomped down the elevated dais. "Where is Kelnan? Surely you could have relayed it to him."

"I could not locate Lord Kelnan," replied the Jaffa diffidently and bowed his head as the tall, robed figure strode past him.

Zakar stilled mid-stride and cast a thoughtful glance back, "Really? I haven't sent him anywhere. Are you certain he's isn't onboard?"

"According to the temple guards, he left over an hour ago, my lord."

A heavy brow quirked over cold eyes, "Interesting, I shall have to ask him what possessed him to take in the night-time scenery." Then waving a long fingered hand, gestured for the Jaffa to proceed, "Very well, relay to me this news. I hope it's not just that they've escaped your clutches a second time."

"One of the slaves came to the temple claiming to have overheard plans to destroy you, my lord. He mentioned warriors from the Tauri as being part of the conspiracy." He swallowed hard when that basilisk-like stare pinned him. "We tortured him, obviously."

"Obviously," inserted Zakar smoothly, but he was unable to hide his heightened interest, "Tauri you said? Are you sure that was the term he used?"

"Indeed, my lord, I asked him twice myself," replied the Jaffa relaxing now his god appeared to find his report of great interest after all.

He had no idea how much. Throwing back his dark head, Zakar laughed heartily. "How quaint is it that my ancient children now seek to destroy me." Still chortling, his expression turned almost fond, "This is really quite entertaining. How I've missed them."

"He also mentioned some mysterious device they seek and another word that I have heard before- Tok'ra."

Zakar's smile died an abrupt death. The very air seemed to freeze. "Take me to this slave," he ground out and whirled to exit the dim chamber housing his sarcophagus.

"He disintegrated, my lord," head down bent, the Jaffa continued, "In our wish to protect and serve you we were overzealous. I offer my most humble apologies for disappointing you."

"You fool," Zakar hissed, "Do you have any concept of what you may have done?"

Terror-stricken the Jaffa dropped to his knees after a brief, flicking glance at his deity's rage-suffused face, "I sought only to serve you, my lord, but if I have failed then I offer my life as recompense."

There was a whining hum and the next thing he knew was the agony of having his god's wrath brought ruthlessly down on him. "Why thank you, I always like to have permission when I execute a fool," snarled Zakar into the contorting face, spitting the pitiless words between fury whitened lips. "Sweet dreams."

When it was finally over, Zakar eyed the slumped corpse with unrestrained hatred and considered raising him so he could be killed all over again. Thanks to his bumbling they'd lost a source to the location not only of the resistance, but to four humans who were asking questions about devices. That alone was enough to garner his instant and undivided attention.

Then there was the other little titbit. Tok'ra. That name had reverberated through him like an arrow through the heart. Somehow, deep inside he'd known something about Kelnan didn't ring true. Now he knew why. He was a Tok'ra.

It made sense and Zakar felt a fool. How could he have let himself be tricked into believing Chronos would ever suffer an underling to live if he wanted him dead, never mind escape? Not caring in the slightest that he'd just taken his insane rage at being betrayed again out on a hapless guard, Zakar yelled for more to attend him.

When two rushed in wide-eyed and fearful, he issued his commands in a strangled tone that froze the marrow in their bones, "Find out where, Kelnan has wandered off to and arrest him along with anyone else with him."

Turning to obey him, Zakar stopped them to say harshly, "Do not kill them and do NOT come back empty-handed, do I make myself clear?"

It was dawn and the weak morning sun was only just beginning to make an effort. Jack put one foot in front of the other and maintained a minimum two-ft distance between himself and Carter. The undergrowth was thick with roots, twigs, moss and a variety of plant-life that scrounged life from the scant sunlight that later would straggle through the forest's canopy of trees. Thankfully it was damp enough after a recent rainfall to deaden their footfalls.

They were headed in a north-easterly direction after telling Ka'al that they wanted to scout out the terrain between the renegade's underground tunnels and the temple above which Zakar's mother ship was cloaked. In actuality they were hoping to find some way of communicating with Jacob. With any luck he'd have heard of the strangers coming through the stargate and would make himself accessible. Somehow.

They only had the day to find and relay the plan to Jacob before it was implemented. The speed of it was one of the pluses as far as Jack was concerned. Carter had a Tok'ra locater in her backpack which, according to Martouf, Jacob and only Jacob, would be able to pick up and follow. Him not trusting the Tok'ra worth a damn added to the silent exchange of earlier meant the atmosphere was rife with tension thick enough to knife through.

"I can't see my dad being pleased to see us, sir," Carter piped up behind him, "especially not with the recent change of plan."

Oh, here we go.

"I know what you're gonna say, captain," he said over his shoulder, not slowing down, "So, you don't need to say it."

She didn't take the hint. "The Tok'ra might have very valid reasons for wanting Zakar left in place to harass the system lords."

"Maybe they do," he countered, "But now we're here I'm not comfortable with leaving these folks in the crappola just to yank the tails of a few snakes."

Sam mulled it over while trudging along behind. He had a valid point, noble, too. Still, he'd gone from strictly following orders to gung-ho over one very short meal.

Jack stopped dead and spun on one heel to glare at her, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Taken aback, Sam floundered for a few beats before tilting her chin and taking him on, "Exactly what I said, sir. Or, rather thought." She frowned and threw up an 'I-don't-get-it' hand, "One minute you were pissed with Maeve for announcing that we were there to help them out and the next you were campaigning for an all-out offensive."

"I made a strategic decision after hearing what was going on here and factoring in the chances of success now our arrival is known." Jack bit out defensively.

That didn't tie in with that she knew had been pre-occupying him for a part of that time. Sam didn't back down, but when she opened her mouth to challenge him further a new and irate voice intruded. "Will you two pipe down or were you planning on getting your asses caught?"

Sam turned towards that voice and despite his dark expression, smiled at the sturdy figure of her father as he materialised out of the deeper forest, "Dad!"

Likewise Jack turned to greet the man, "Good to see you, Jake."

Hooking his daughter in for a brief hug, Jacob Carter levelled a look at Jack that had him flinching with dread at the coming disclosures, "I wish I could say the same for you two, but since I'm under cover here-"

"Something came up," offered Sam in a conciliatory tone, "and the Tok'ra pointed us in your direction."

"Great, all I need. I can't even leave for a few weeks, huh?" Jacob's shrug was fatalistic and resigned. "So, what came up that was so important you had to come all the way here?"

They started with a brief account of finding the ancient's device on P2K-241 and the resulting fiasco. Not surprisingly, Jacob gave his daughter a sharply assessing once-over and then bored a hole into Jack for letting it happen. Taking it on the chin considering his 2IC was the ex-general's daughter, Jack offered an apologetic grimace.

"You do realise, I've been chasing my tail around the whole galaxy looking for that damned device?" asked Jacob irritably. "And here you come telling me you have it and now we need to somehow get our hands on Zakar's last remaining ace-in-the-hole without him knowing." He shook his head and puffed out a sigh. "That is gonna be one big rabbit we need to pull out of the hat since he knows you're here- or someone's here. Jesus, Jack, couldn't you have been a bit more circumspect when you got here?"

"Hey! We tried, but one of the crazy natives spotted us and went squalling to a Jaffa patrol."

"I heard," said Jacob dryly. "You guys were described as green demons waving black sticks. Somehow, I knew it was you."

Neither Sam nor Jack cracked a smile and there was an awkward pause as the brief levity sank without trace. "Okay," sighed Jacob, "what's with the long faces, what am I missing?"

Even though she didn't necessarily agree with his motives, it was Sam who bit the bullet, "Dad, we've…erm had to ditch low-key sneaking in and out and think of a more direct approach."

She didn't need to expand. "Tell me you're kidding," demanded an unsmiling Jacob. "Do you have any idea what Selmac and I have been through to gain this goa'uld's trust? It hasn't been easy let me tell you."

A sudden explosion of movement coming from the trees around them didn't give sufficient warning of danger. Sam, Jack and Jacob Carter were surrounded by armed staff weapons before they could raise and ready their own weapons. Staring down at one hovering just under his nose, Jack pursed his lips and blew sharply as if to blow out a candle.

Shifting a few inches, Jacob tried to shield his daughter and bluff. Selmac's deeper throbbing tones put on a good show of arrogant bravado. "What do you think you're doing? How dare you-"

"You are to be detained on the orders of Lord Zakar," one of the Jaffa advised starkly. "As are all those found with you."

Ever the optimist, Jack had been hoping for an opportunity to slip away into the forest before they reached the pyramid temple that acted as a transport to the mother ship parked on top of it. Unfortunately fate was being a bitch and no such opportunity presented itself. On the way they passed by the quarry that marked the beginnings of the Naquadah mines. Barren and rock-strewn it was similar to the valley containing the stargate, but other than a few gaunt and pitiful souls they saw no-one in a position to help them.

All too soon they were being marched up the familiar stone and columned aisle towards the dais and the transport rings. Tipping back his head as the circle releasing the rings slid back, Jack was reminded of Abydos and all the fun that trip hadn't been. Irreverently all he could think was that they were off to see the wizard again.

Still sore from being tied up for hours and on edge with waiting for Jack and Sam to return from attempting to contact Jacob, Daniel sat with his back against the rocky wall of their 'room'. A few feet away Teal'c was in the middle of his kel-no-reem.

Daniel was just suffering a dash of envy at the Jaffa's seeming ability to brush off everything to meditate when their peace was disturbed and a youngster of about eighteen-years-old practically stumbled inside with them.

Wild-eyed and no advert for cleanliness, he was breathless from running, "Maeve needs to see you urgently!" he said to Daniel, shying away from a coldly staring Teal'c.

Instantly a huge ball of anxiety gouged a place for itself in Daniel's stomach, "Why?" he demanded baldly; clambering back to his feet.

The kid wrung his hands, "Please! I don't know…there's bad news. Just come!"

Sharing Daniel's concern, nevertheless, Teal'c laid a hand on the boys shoulder to calm him, "Take us to her."

Led through a warren of tunnels to yet another natural cave, they stepped inside the surprisingly homey place and found Maeve pacing and wringing her hands exactly as their messenger had been. Close by and doing an excellent impression of a secure rock amidst the furious eddies of a river, Ka'al was watching her with those sombre black eyes.

The moment they stepped foot inside, Maeve's strained face swung their way. "We've been betrayed," she exclaimed in a voice that was hoarse with repeated disbelief. It was obvious she was struggling to take it in but was past outright denial.

"By who?" asked Daniel, gaze bouncing between her and Ka'al. The big guy struggled to maintain eye-contact and that worried him more than anything else. The ball ballooned to roughly bowling size.

"Allyn was one of us!" Maeve said white-faced. She was standing straight and stiff enough to crack down the middle and the bulge of her unborn was stark with her arms crossed under her chest. "Yet he was seen walking into the temple just hours before Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter and another were taken prisoner by Zakar's Jaffa."

"Whoah! What did you say?!" Daniel felt sucker-punched. The question was rhetorical as he'd heard her all too plainly.

"We cannot go through with the plan," Ka'al stated with conviction, "It would be suicide to do so."

"On the contrary," ground out Teal'c in a voice that brooked no denial. Next to Daniel, he eyeballed the other Jaffa warrior turned shol'va. "This changes nothing except that it has also become a rescue mission."

Now it was Daniel's turn to pace, "Did this Allyn know the details of our plans?"

"We can't be certain." Maeve threw up her hands, "What does it matter when we can't take such a risk?"

"Risk is relative," replied Daniel, "when you have friends in trouble. I'm with Teal'c on this just upping the ante." He offered her a choice, "If we have to do this alone, we will."

She stared at him and he took a fortifying breath to asked softly, "Didn't you know freedom comes with a price?"

TBC