Thanks for the reviews.

GuardianM3, I have to give you cliff hangers or you wouldn't carry on reading – my writing isn't good enough for that!

This chapter will explain about the abilities and the insurgents. Unfortunately, that means a few characters playing Basil Exposition.

Apologies for some of the Jack and Sam moments – I know they don't advance the plot in any way, but I'm a shipper and I can't resist!

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"Please; he is all I have left since our parents died."

Jonas glanced up as Jack and Sam joined them, "OK, I'll take you to see your brother." Sam's eyes widened.

"Woah! One of those guys was your brother?" Jack crouched in front of Serel, "Your brother just tried to kill you?"

"Colonel!"

"Well, he did."

Serel took a deep breath, "Yes, he did. Because a long time ago I told him he would." She held Jack's gaze, looking deep into his eyes, her voice shaking, "When he was a child, he was brought to me and I told him that he would join the insurgents and one day try to kill me. I held my little brother's hand and told him he would die attempting to kill me. Can you imagine what it has been like for him? All his life, he has known that his fate was to hate his sister."

"I imagine it was difficult for you to have to tell him," Jonas said softly. Tears sprang up in Serel's eyes again, but she brushed them away angrily, "I am the Prophet," she said, rising to her feet, "And it is what I was entrusted to do."

Jonas stood and put a hand on her shoulder, "No. That's what you used to believe, but things have changed. Otherwise you wouldn't have asked us to kill you."

"Serel, I don't think you should go see your brother right now. I mean, I don't wanna labour the point, but he just tried to kill you. Go back to the cave with Carter and Jonas and we'll see if we can't work something out."

Jonas took Serel's hand, smiling encouragingly. She pushed back her hair and tried to return the smile. "Perhaps you are right, Colonel. I must calm myself before I see him."

Sam stepped nearer to Jack, "Sir?"

"I don't know, Carter," He took his cap off, ran his fingers through his hair, "Just see what you can find out. I'm gonna report in, then go see these insurgents; see if I can get some intel."

"Should we be interfering, sir?"

Jack replaced his cap, grinning. "Hey, it's what we do." Throwing her a casual mock salute, he turned and jogged back in the direction of the town. Sam followed Jonas and Serel back to the bentra.

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"Yo, T!"

Teal'c turned to see Jack striding towards him across the square. "Just reported in to the General, told him we'd be staying a coupla days." The Jaffa inclined his head. "So, where's the jail in this town?"

"There is no such place, O'Neill. There has been no crime in Pridan for generations."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I guess being told you're gonna be a criminal at five years old kinda makes people watch you."

"Indeed," Teal'c gestured at a large house on the corner of the square, "This dwelling is where the insurgents are being held."

They were shown through the house to a small room at the back where two men with crossbows stood guarding a door. They nodded to Jack and Teal'c and stood aside. The three insurgents were sitting on the floor in a corner, their hands bound in front of them.

"OK, which one of you is Serel's brother?" The youngest of the three raised his hands slightly, glaring sullenly. Jack gestured with his head, "C'mon; we're gonna have a little chat." Teal'c pulled the young man to his feet and escorted him into a larger room, depositing him in a chair. Jack settled down, unhooking his gun and putting it on a table beside him.

"Now, you're gonna tell me all about the insurgency and why you tried to kill your sister."

Ganad shrugged, "It is no secret; you can ask anyone in the town about us."

"But I wanna hear it from you," Jack unzipped his vest and leaned back.

Again the young man shrugged, "My story is the same as any of the others. When I was five, I was taken to the Prophet. She told me that I would join the insurgents and when I reached seventeen summers, we would attack the bentra; I was to die in that attack. I do not know why this did not happen."

Teal'c loomed over him, "So you took your sister's word that this was your fate and did nothing to prevent it?"

"She did nothing to prevent it! I was just a child, but she put this burden on me. I have spent my life knowing I would betray her. I hated her for that knowledge." Ganad's head dropped to his chest, "Serel knows what her prophecies are doing to our people, but she continues with this farce! I hate her for that, too."

"I'm a bit hazy on the details; what are the prophecies doing to your people?"

"No ambition, no risks, no inspiration, no inventiveness," the young man lifted his eyes to look at Jack, "No joy."

Jack raised his eyebrows, "Everyone seems happy enough."

"They don't see it. They're not happy – they're just content to exist." Ganad met Jack's eyes again. He had the same sad, pleading look about him that Jack had seen in Serel. "Have you ever been in love?" Jack shrugged awkwardly. "You remember what it was like? You met her and there was an attraction; nothing more than that. But then you started to seek out her company more often; wanted to make her smile, enjoyed watching her laugh. You found yourself making excuses to see her, perhaps tried to touch her arm when you were talking. Then one day, you looked at her and felt that spark of elation in your heart and that lurch in your stomach and you realised you were in love. And you couldn't imagine anything else that could fill the hole that you feel when she's not around." Jack cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Ganad dropped his head again. "I have never felt that. When I met the woman I am to marry, I knew that it was inevitable that I would love her. We did not experience any of the joy of the discovery. And now, when I look at her, all I feel is regret that we do not have those memories."

Teal'c moved to stand beside Jack, "And the insurgents want to stop this?" Ganad nodded. "Why use violence? Why not talk to your people to make them see?"

"It has been tried. Generations ago, a man called Wyr sought to put an end to the prophecies, but he was driven out. Some followed him and eventually saw that they would have to use more direct means. It was not an easy decision to make, but something has to be done to save our people from this stagnation. I did not want to follow the fate given to me, but Serel has spent her life making that fate necessary. She may be my sister, but I cannot rest until the Prophet is brought down."

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"Carter!"

Sam turned away from her instruments to see Jack entering the chamber, stepping around the notebooks and electronic equipment scattered across the floor. "Anything?" he asked.

"Yes sir. Jonas says that the notes on the altar and the carvings on the wall make reference to a hok'taur." Jack groaned. "Sorry sir. My instruments indicate that this dais is similar to the device that Nirrti was using on 367."

"The genetic manipulation doesn't appear to be as invasive as we've encountered before. From what we can tell, the Goa'uld - whichever one it was - manipulated these people's genetic make-up to enable certain psychic and psychokinetic powers. Combined with a natural ability to recognise patterns and analyse statistical possibilities, you'd be able to predict behaviour pretty accurately. After the initial manipulation, the Goa'uld allowed natural selection to take its course." Jonas consulted some of the papers, "The notes just stop; I'm assuming that was when the uprising happened."

Jack was examining the dais, "So when did they start putting people in this thing?"

"We don't know," Sam started pulling leads from the back of her laptop, "I think this device triggers a final manipulation that enables the subject to access parts of the brain that a normal human can't, but it doesn't explain fully how Serel can predict things so precisely. Also, we have no idea why the powers are restricted to the female line and what effect it might be having on Serel's brain chemistry." Still packing up her equipment, Sam glanced up at her superior officer. "Recommend getting a team in to take a closer look at this chamber, sir."

"OK; we'll get onto that tomorrow." Jack heard a noise behind him and turned to see Teal'c joining them. "For now, we set up camp."

"There is no need, O'Neill. Serel has advised me that a hut has been prepared for us. She is most anxious for us to stay."

Jonas gathered up his notebooks, replacing the papers on the altar, "Yeah, she thinks we're here to save her people."

Jack shrugged, glancing at Sam. She met the brief worried look with her own; she knew what he was thinking. When they had first arrived, the situation had seemed simpler; now they were involved in a civil war and Jack wasn't sure if they should be. But they both knew that further study of the technology was vitally important to the SGC. As they made to leave the chamber, Jack looked again at Sam, raising his eyebrows. She nodded; they would talk later.

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Era showed the team to a small hut on the edge of the bentra. "I hope it is suitable," she said as they ducked through the low door. The floor had been cleared and laid with straw at either end to make sleeping areas. There were low stools in the centre and a small fireplace that had already been laid for a fire. Blankets, baskets of fruit and bread and two ewers of water had been left just inside the door.

"Thank you," Sam smiled, "This is great."

As they unhooked their packs and guns, starting to settle in, Era approached Sam, holding out a small bottle. "This is a herbal drink that will help your wound to heal faster. It may make you feel drowsy, but it will do some good."

"That's very kind of you, Era, but I…"

"You will drink it, otherwise you will not heal." Era folded her arms and regarded Sam with a look that reminded her of Janet. Glancing around, she saw Jonas grinning at her, obviously enjoying the scene; Jack was smirking. Sighing inwardly, she took the bottle and uncorked it. Sam sipped a little of the liquid, grimacing at the bitter taste. Era gestured that she drink more.

"C'mon, Carter; down the hatch."

Throwing her commanding officer a vicious look, Sam drained the bottle and handed it back to Era, who smiled, satisfied. "Now, eat," she threw over her shoulder as she left. Jonas settled down on one of the stools and started to help himself to the fruit. The others joined him.

"Do you still think we should remain here, O'Neill?"

Jack shrugged, "General Hammond'll want us to find out more about that device up in the cave."

"And maybe we can help these people," Jonas reminded him.

"I do not think they want our help." Teal'c took a long drink of water.

"I'll report to the General first thing in the morning and see what he wants us to do. For now, it's my turn to take first watch. Carter, you're on second," he glanced at his 2IC next to him. She nodded slowly, her eyelids heavy and eyes unfocused. "Carter, are you OK?"

Sam smiled lazily, "M'fine, Jack." The uneaten bread dropped from between her fingers and she pitched sideways, falling heavily against him. Jack steadied her with an arm around her, taking her chin in his other hand and lifting her face towards him. Jonas was already kneeling in front of her, checking her pulse. "I think she's asleep," he said, surprised.

"Teal'c," Jack nodded towards the pile of blankets. The Jaffa took one and laid it on the hay while Jack tried to manoeuvre Sam into an easier position to lift. As his arm slipped under her shoulders, her head fell back and her mouth dropped open slightly. He looked at her and grinned; he was never going to let her forget this.

"Era said that herbal drink would make her drowsy," Jonas said, slightly bemused.

Jack lifted her onto the blanket. "Jonas, get her boots off. And I think you're taking second watch." He unzipped Sam's jacket and slipped her arms out of it as Teal'c covered her with a second blanket. "She'll be fine until the morning."

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"O'Neill. O'Neill!"

Someone was shaking him. Jack woke slowly to see Teal'c face inches from his. "Woah, T! Back off there." Jack tried to sit up before he realised that there was an unfamiliar warm weight on his left arm preventing him from moving. Sam was still fast asleep, breathing regularly, her back pressed comfortably to his side. "OK, Carter; I need my arm. Little help, Teal'c?" The big man just smirked at his predicament and left the hut.

"Oh, for crying out… Carter!"

Sam started awake. Her head turned and she stared blankly at Jack for a moment before seeming to realise the position she was in. She rolled away from him and Jack dropped back onto the blanket, massaging the life into his arm.

"Sorry, sir." Sam blushed, avoiding his eyes.

Teal'c appeared at the door again, "When you are fully awake, Serel has requested to speak with us."

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They were escorted into Serel's room by the same little girl, carrying out her duties with solemn conviction. The tray with the bowls was already waiting and Bacen served them as before. Serel watched her leave and set her bowl down.

"Colonel; you and your team must leave Pridan."

Jack frowned, "What? Why?"

"I thought you were my only hope to free my people, but I was wrong." Serel's glance took in all of them, "Please, you must leave."

"But I thought you couldn't see what was going to happen to us."

Serel allowed herself a bitter smile, "That was when you first arrived, major. Now you have become part of the patterns. I know what is going to happen to you all on this planet and you are in great danger."