A/N: I don't own anything. I would also like to say that I don't know anything about guns or laws about ownership in other countries, any mistakes are mine.

Daniel once again found himself back in Colorado in the SGC conference room, giving a debriefing over the new findings he had uncovered back in Chicago.

General Hammond checked the papers in front of him. "You believe this Steven Rayner has been taken over by a Goa'uld."

Grimly, Daniel replied, "Well, it makes sense."

"What about this Dr. Granger; you said that she has made remarkable progress in translating the writing back at the original site?" inquired the General.

Sam nodded in agreement with Hammond. "You did say that she was present during Dr. Jorden's death and had come all the way from Egypt to examine the collection. Is it possible that she has been taken over by the Goa'uld, or is at least working with Rayner?"

Daniel took a moment to think over the theory and voiced his opinion. "I'm not sure. It's only the one jar that is missing, we have the other. Also from what I saw, Dr Granger's relationship with Steven is strained. She might know more than she has let on, but that could be explained away as caution; there have been several deaths."

Accepting Daniel's reasoning, Sam continued on with her questions. "So how do we find him?"

"Right now this is our only lead," said Daniel as he brought up an image onto the Powerpoint projector. "It's the amulet that was stolen from Dr. Jorden's office. Now by Earth standards it's a priceless relic, but I'm assuming the Goa'uld isn't interested in its monetary value."

"Then why take it?" questioned Sam.

Daniel didn't really know what to make of it, but informed the group of what he had uncovered in his research. "That's a good question. It's a pretty standard representation of Osiris. He's carrying a crook and flail, which are the scepters of kingship, and in the center is an ankh, which is the Egyptian symbol for immortality."

"Could it be some sort of Goa'uld device?" speculated General Hammond.

"It's possible," confirmed Daniel. It made sense; it had happened before.

"Well, that might explain why it was the only item taken," Sam provided, further supporting the theory that had been given.

Daniel passed around another report. "I checked the other artifacts for any indication of naquadah, which is usually a sure sign of Goa'uld technology, and I came up empty."

"Assuming this Goa'uld is Osiris, what does he want?" queried Hammond, trying to bring the conversation back toward the immediate threat.

Reflecting on their past experiences against the Goa'uld, Daniel tried to think of the next logical move one would take. "Well, he's been out of the loop a long time. He doesn't know what happened to Seth or Ra. He could be looking for the Isis Jar."

"Or a way off the planet," offered Sam, directing the group's attention toward the Stargate, which could be seen through the observation windows in the room.

"I've already put the base on alert," Hammond informed them.

Daniel knew that General Hammond and everyone on the base would put forward every effort to prevent Osiris from trying to use the gate. He just hoped that the Goa'uld didn't have some trick up their sleeve like Hathor had. While he was lost in his thoughts on the past, Janet took the opportunity to speak up for the first time in the meeting and offer what she had discovered. "I managed to synthesize the liquid from the jars. On its own it should act as a powerful sedative. One dart should be more than enough to knock out an adult Goa'uld."

"Do we really want this thing alive?" said Sam, obvious distaste in her voice.

"Well, even though it's been in stasis for several thousand years, it could still be a valuable source of information," reasoned Daniel. He understood Sam's point of view and as much as he wanted to rid the galaxy of another snake, he knew it would be more important to find out what it knew first.

"I want you to hold that option in reserve," ordered Hammond in a brisk tone of voice. "Your priority is to stop the Goa'uld with minimum risk to yourselves."

The phone took the momentary silence to begin ringing. Hammond reached out to pick it up, leaving Daniel to only hear part of the conversation. "Yes... Alright. Thank you..." He hung up and turned his attention back to the group seated at the conference table. "We got a lead on Steven Rayner. He boarded a flight to Cairo four hours ago."

Already thinking of the most likely place he would go, Daniel spoke. "He'll be headed back to the temple in Egypt where the jars were first discovered. If we move fast, we could head him off, sir."

Hammond issued the order. "I'll alert the Egyptian authorities, but this needs to be a low-profile operation. Dr. Frasier will accompany you."

The plane hit the tarmac and coasted to the end of the airstrip. Stepping out into the familiar desert heat, Hermione followed the other passengers into the terminal and then on to customs. Outside the airport terminal she hailed a cab and gave the driver directions to her flat.

She let herself in, threw down her luggage and quickly got out her supplies for desert travel. She had learned in her short time living in Egypt a healthy respect for the hazards involved when she went out into the desert on explorations. Something as simple as a blown tire could strand her miles away from help, in temperatures in the high nineties to the low hundreds, for hours, if not days. Gathering together her survival gear, a first aid kit, a radio, paperwork and her excavation tools Hermione began to load up her Range Rover. After double checking she had all the necessary supplies to fix her car if something broke down, Hermione went back into her flat to get one more item.

Reaching under her bed, she took out a long wooden box and set it on the kitchen table. Inside was a hunting rifle laying next to a simple revolver and several boxes of ammunition. She began to clean and load the weapons with practiced ease. She would never have thought she would own a gun, let alone two, but a lot had changed over the years.

No sooner than she left Britain did Hermione begin to devise ways to overturn the Wizengamot's ruling to be allowed back. For the next two weeks, as her parents helped to arrange her move to Australia with an old family friend and make plans to continue her education, Hermione spent her days sequestered in Viktor Krum's library. On hearing of her trial and subsequent exile, he had shown up at the hostel she was staying at, and insisted she take refuge in his family home. With Viktor's help she was able to gain access to various ancient texts and use his international contacts, from his Quidditch career, to have her case reviewed in other Ministries. It was a risky venture, since treaties with the British Ministry prohibited her from just joining another wizarding community abroad. While she could live in the countries, she could not buy another wand or seek employment as a magical citizen. Over the months she continued her side project until one night five months into her stay in Australia.

The British Ministry knew what she was doing and knew that she was gradually gaining support both at home and abroad. Fearing her intentions if she were allowed to return as the vindicated war hero, the Ministry plotted then slowly let her whereabouts be released to just the right circles. It worked and Hermione came home from school one day to be met by a group of Death Eaters, who had evaded arrest after Voldemort's defeat.

"Crucio", her nerves were fraying. Oh, Merlin the pain, stop, Stop, STOP! She could almost reach it, just a bit further.

Flinching at the memory, Hermione continued to methodically clean her weapons. Like her stay in Malfoy Manor, it was a time she wished to forget. The attempted assassination obviously failed, but ultimately proved to be just as effective in preventing her from ever being allowed back into the British wizarding community again. She had proved them to be right, she was dangerous. Her act of self defense had been her undoing.

Did you see the bodies?...Without a wand...All from good families too. The youngest was just fifteen...All that blood...Have you ever seen anything like it...Definitely a dark artifact...

The Australian Ministry had sent Aurors for the clean-up and to begin an inquiry. Once the British Ministry was contacted and the identities of the individuals discovered, the blackmail began. It was evident she had acted in self defense, but the rogue Death Eaters had connections very high up in wizarding society; it would have been very dangerous for it to be known she had been the one to dispose of them. Especially the way she had - it was a guaranteed death sentence for herself and possibly her family. It had not made sense to her until that point in time why Snape had left everything he had owned to her, including several borderline dark artifacts such as the one she had used to kill the Death Eaters. In his own way it had been to protect her, possibly having foreseen what would happen to her after the war. To this day she still did not understand his full motive in gifting her with his possessions, except that in a way they were both kindred spirits, having been maneuvered by Dumbledore into roles to protect Harry and get him to that final battle. Perhaps she was his chance of a legacy.

In order for the Ministry to agree to keep her name a secret from the press, she had been forced to drop her efforts to overturn the Wizengamot's ruling. Also, she had been forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement about the deal. It wouldn't look good for the Ministry to be seen as the manipulative bastards they really were. She had not even been able to tell Harry or Ron why she had stopped her campaign to return to the wizarding world.

Finishing her task, she once more checked over the supplies she had placed in the vehicle and started out, following the GPS system out to the site. She was hopeful that even without the amulet she could find a way to open the chamber. People were being killed and she needed to stop this madness before someone else ended up dead.

Trudging through the sand dunes, Daniel felt like he was returning home. He had grown up in Egypt, his parents taking him from one dig to another as a child, and then had spent a vast majority of his time doing internships in the area as an adult. He was also painfully reminded of Abydos, his second home, where he met and then later buried his wife. Daniel could almost imagine that he was there right now, but for the absence of a second sun.

Hearing Janet take a deep breath of exhaustion, he gave her an assessing look. She hadn't had much of an opportunity to go off-world, being stuck on the base hadn't allowed her to gain the experience at hiking long distances as it had for Sam and himself.

Janet gave him a smile of reassurance and commented, "I think I know why this place doesn't get any tourists."

Sam looked up from examining her equipment. "According to the GPS, we've still got another half a mile."

Continuing their walk, they finally came across the opening of the temple and spotted two vehicles parked in front. They had left theirs a way off, wanting to approach on foot and scan the area without alerting anyone to their approach. Carefully looking over the contents, they proceeded with caution.

As they entered the chamber, they were immediately confronted with the sight of Dr. Rayner laying prone on the ground.

Letting Sam and Janet keep their guns trained on the form, Daniel bent over to examine him. Shaking the man, he called out, "Steven."

Remaining at a safe distance, Sam observed, "I'm not sensing anything... He's not a Goa'uld."

Not knowing how to interpret the revelation, Daniel was startled out of his thoughts as Steven began to regain consciousness. "Uhghh."

Daniel tried to get him to focus. "Steven."

"He's bleeding internally," said Janet from his other side, having already dropped her pack and begun to retrieve her medical equipment. "It looks like he was shot."

"Steven, it's me." Once again he tried to get Steven to shift his focus onto him.

"Daniel," replied a confused Steven.

"What happened?" demanded Daniel.

Obviously in a lot of pain, Steven groaned, "Uhhhh, I took the amulet... It s over te-ten thousand years old, so your theory was right all along. Uggghh! I'm sorry."

"Just take it easy, okay, I need you to hold still," interjected Janet as she tried to stop the bleeding from a wound in his stomach.

Seeing that Steven was still agitated, Daniel tried to calm him. "It's okay, she's a friend." Once he was focused again, Daniel continued his questioning. "What about the jar?"

"Huh?"

"The Osiris Jar?" clarified Daniel. "Did you open it?"

"No."

"Why did you come here?" Daniel asked him, confused.

"I figured out the amulet was a key. There's a hidden chamber. I-I wanted to make the discovery. Huhhh."

At Stevens moan, Janet interrupted. "Daniel, we have to get him out of here."

Ignoring Janet for the moment, Daniel kept his gaze locked on Steven. They needed answers. "Steven, who did this to you? Who else is here?"

Grimacing in pain, Steven gripped his hand and pleaded, "I-I'm sorry. Tell her I'm, uhghh."

"Sorry for what? Who did this to you?"

"I did," the metallic voice of a Goa'uld sounded from the shadows of the chamber.

Turning toward the source of the voice, Daniel could not believe his eyes.

"Sarah?"

The form of Sarah Gardner stepped more fully into the light, allowing him to see the yellow glow of Goa'uld possession overtake her eyes. He watched as, before anyone could react, she threw both Sam and Janet into a wall. Continuing her advance toward him, Sarah raised her hand once again, allowing her hand device to hold him immobile, as she replied, "Daniel Jackson... You seem to know much of the Goa'uld. Much more than any other human I have encountered since my awakening. Now, tell me: where is the Stargate?"

This couldn't be happening, not again. First Sha're, now Sarah. Trying to control his raging emotions, he spat out, "I don't know what you're talking about."

He felt a building pain surge through his brain as she employed the hand device. "Insolence... This temple was once filled with worshipers."

Sarcasm dripped through Daniel's words. "Yeah, well, times have changed."

Eyes once again flashing in anger, the Goa'uld snapped back, "So I've observed... Where is my brother Setesh?"

"Uh, you mean Seth? Uh, he's dead. We, uh, we killed him."

"You lie."

Daniel could feel an increase in pain shoot through his skull at the displeasure Osiris had with his answer. "No. No, we also killed Ra, uh, and Hathor, and uh, who else? Um, Sokar."

Osiris gloated, undeterred at his attempt to provoke her. "Then you have done me a great favor. I will rule without opposition."

"No. No, you won't rule at all. You see, we don't worship false gods anymore."

"You have come far, it is true. But you are still weak... Even now you are torn between your desire to kill and your concern for my host... She freed me from my long sleep. What do you know of my Queen?"

Daniel tried to keep his temper in check at Osiris' words. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the abandoned tranquilizer gun Sam had dropped, almost within his reach. He could just about touch it, he just needed to stall a bit more. "Umm, she was trapped, like you. We have the jar."

"Where is it?" demanded the Goa'uld.

He was almost there. "I'm not gonna tell you."

"You are mistaken...Where is my Queen?...Tell me..." Pain burst behind his eyes as she made her disapproval known. Taking the opportunity, Daniel lunged forward to grab the rifle and shot off a dart before she could react. Startled, she stuttered, "What...is this? What have you done?" Obviously feeling the effects of the drug begin to take effect, rage surged through her voice. "You will pay for this impudence...Make...no mistake. Osiris will return. And the rivers of the Earth will run red with blood."

With that warning ringing throughout the room, Osiris pressed a button on her hand device. Transport rings shot up from the floor and she disappeared in a flash of light. Once the light died, Daniel could feel the temple begin to shake and the sounds of a ship taking off could be heard.

Shaking off the effects of her tumble, Sam slowly got up to approach him. "You alright?"

Noticing his disheveled state, he shrugged off her concern; the pain had already dissipated down to a slight headache. "Oh yeah. Yeah. I think I'm getting used to that thing."

"Where's Osiris?" asked Janet, handing him an aspirin, already knowing the routine.

"Gone," replied Sam.

"Steven?" questioned Daniel, focusing back on the injured archaeologist who was still quietly repeating his apologies.

Checking his bandages and vitals Janet confirmed, "If we get him out of here right now I think he'll make it."

"I'll radio it in," said Sam, stepping away to do just that.

"In the meantime I guess we better make up a story to tell him," shrugged Daniel.

Before anyone could comment on his suggestion a faint chuckle could be heard from behind the group. "I take it aliens really exist then."

Startled at the intrusion, the three spun around and took aim. "Dr. Granger!" blurted a shocked Daniel.