Chapter 8

Jack was thrust forward by the guards, who purposely tripped him, onto the throne room floor. His hands tied behind his back, Jack was unable to break the fall. He twisted sideways at the last moment, landing hard on his shoulder. Better than face first, he thought. Onuris stood and approached slowly. With glee, he kicked O'Neill, who was struggling to get up, catching him full in the chest, forcing him to fall backwards and taking his breath away. Jack curled to his side once more, laying there panting for breath.

"What-" O'Neill gasped out, "do you ... want ... from me?"

"I've brought you here merely for my amusement. I want you to suffer." With that, Onuris motioned sharply to the guards, who hoisted O'Neill to his feet, one holding him tightly from behind, while the other struck him several times. Onuris watched silently with a smirk on his face as the beating continued. Jack forced himself not to cry out with the pain, having decided that he would not give the Goa'uld the satisfaction of hearing him plead. After what seemed like hours to Jack, Onuris spoke again, "Enough!" and the Jaffa dropped his hold on O'Neill who crumpled to the floor.

"What would be even more painful to you?" Onuris strutted around Jack who was writhing on the floor. "Perhaps if your friend joined you?" Onuris snapped his fingers, and a Jaffa standing guard at the door quickly left on his errand.

Minutes later, Jack and Oleg found themselves once again kneeling on the floor of Onuris' throne room. Oleg took a long side-look at his commanding officer, seeing how he was injured and fighting for breath. The Jaffa guards moved to either side of throne. Jack recognized one of them as the guard with whom he had argued at the cell earlier.

"You Tauri are weak," Onuris taunted. Even now your friends ready to surrender."

"Oh, I don't think so," Jack replied defiantly, his mind racing. His own standing orders dictated non-negotiation in hostage situations, and he would personally kick the butt of anybody in his command who did. He was also aware that the SGC thought he was dead. But would they come for Darshkevich?

Jack glanced around at the Jaffa in the room and decided to take a chance. Cocking his head to one side he spoke boldy to Onuris' host, "Kinsey, you're a stubborn SOB. Fight this snake! You may have had your head up your ass, but you've always had moxie. You can beat this snake!"

Onuris' eyes glowed, then diminished, then glowed again. "How dare you! Nothing of the host re-" his speech cut short, and his eyes closed briefly as his head slumped forward. He straightened, and when he looked at them again, Jack knew it was no longer Onuris who spoke. "Get me out of here, O'Neill! I don't care what it takes; don't leave me here!"

The Jaffa guards on either side looked at each other, and back at their "god," undecided as to what to do.

Onuris' head tilted forward again and he shook it side to side. Suddenly his head snapped up, eyes glowing once more. He shouted "Silence!" Rising, he approached his prisoners. He brought up his hand revealing a Goa'uld hand device, bringing it to bear on Darshkevich. Jack roared and charged. The Jaffa intercepted O'Neill, grabbing and punching him. They continued to beat Jack until he fell to the floor, groaning in pain. Then the Jaffa grabbed his arms and pulled him up, forcing him back onto his bleeding knees. Onuris discontinued the energy beam on Darshkevich, who dropped to the floor. He turned toward O'Neill.

"Yes, Kinsey," he sneered the name, "knows that that is your weakness. You protect the inferior. And this human," he waved toward Darshkevich,"Kinsey believes is inferior, from a pathetically inferior land."

Jack spat. "You're the pathetic one, Onyourass, and now you've just made him mad."

With the Goa'uld's attention diverted to O'Neill, Darshkevich had slowly gotten his feet. As Jack spoke, Oleg threw himself at Onuris, grabbing him in a headlock. One Jaffa dropped his hold on Jack to go to the defense of his master. The Jaffa grabbed Darshkevich's arm pulling it back with a great snap. Jack took the opportunity to attempt fleeing from the guard who held him. But, weakened from the beating and still gasping for breath, Jack was soon overpowered by the Jaffa who body-slammed him back to the floor. Oleg was similarly immobilized a moment later.

"Remove them from my sight!" Onuris ordered the Jaffa guard, who bowed their heads and dragged both from the room.

"You are foolish to fight against our god," said the cell guard.

Jack looked up at the man as he struggled to get his footing to at least walk back to the cell under his own power. "Who are you?"

"I am Sel'ak, next to be first prime to Onuris, " he answered proudly.

"Well, tell me, Sel'ak," Jack rejoined, "just how come your all-knowing god didn't know he was about to be blindsided back there? And did you notice somebody else was doing the talking back there for a minute?"

The Jaffa paused and stared at Jack, then roughly shoved him forward into the cell.


Standing around waiting for everything to be ready to roll, Daniel had time to really think for the first time since they heard Jack was dead. After struggling not to think about it these last few hours, just trying to keep his head clear and functioning, it was hitting him. He stared at the floor as everything replayed in his head in slow motion. He felt as if his stomach plummeted to his feet as the feeling of loss overwhelmed him. A quote from Shakespeare ran through his head. "Out, out brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more...."1

Well, Jack was gone, and now here he was preparing himself for the next act of the play - his role as bait. Now that they knew why Onuris was after them, he and Jack specifically, Phillips and the other reasoned that Onuris might be so focused on Daniel that he might not pay attention to the rest of the surrendering "prisoners." Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were all going, along with other SGC soldiers and airman who were disguised as the generals. Between them, they had a variety of unusual and small weapons, some of which had been retrieved from various planets over the years. It was ironic that they happened to be at the one place in the galaxy that housed a nice selection of such oddities, all here for training purposes.

As if he were reading Daniel's mind, Teal'c strode up in front of him, silently regarding the archeologist.

"You know, Teal'c, some people would find this rather intimidating," Daniel said softly.

"You are not 'some people'," Teal'c replied, reaching forward to lay a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I swear to you, DanielJackson, O'Neill will be avenged this day."

"I know Teal,c," he replied softly, then added with a touch of bitterness, "but this shouldn't have been necessary. This shouldn't be happening at all. After all these years that he's protected us, how did we fail to protect him?"

"We put our trust and faith in each other. We were betrayed. This is what a spy is trained to do. To earn others' trust while not revealing himself. We were deceived by a very talented spy. It is not our failure alone. All were thus deceived."

Daniel found himself unable to speak, so merely nodded at Teal'c's words. Somehow it just wasn't enough.

"O'Neill will be avenged," Teal'c repeated.

Their conversation ended as Admiral Phillips entered, grabbing a chair near the door to stand on to be seen and heard by all. "We're ready to procede. As soon as the rescue team departs, immediately gate to Beta site. We want no one remaining here in case of attack. General Chung will be officer in charge of the rescue team. As soon as General Darshkevich is located and evacuated, the rescue team shall also evac to Beta and rendevous there with the rest of our troops. Onuris is the secondary target. If the opportunity to take him out presents itself, so be it. But remember, this is primarily a rescue mission! We get Darshkevich out first and foremost. Is that understood?"

A chorus of "Yes, sir!" answered him back.


Darshkevich and O'Neill were sitting together, backs against the cell wall. Darshkevich took a sideways look at Jack, who sat with his arm across his chest, holding his left shoulder. Darshkevich suspected that O'Neill was injured worse than he admitted.

"We've both seen many battles, my friend," Oleg said softly. "Your ribs are broken, da? Maybe worse?"

"And your arm is definitely broken, da?" Jack asked sharply in return.

Oleg slowly turned his head back toward the cell door. "Da," he replied in the same soft voice.

Jack, breathing in short gasps, turned to look at Oleg, seeing the sweat on the man's face. "Sorry," he replied in a softer tone. "Ya know, the medical facilities in this place really suck. We should complain to management."

Oleg snorted. "Da. At next staff meeting."

As they say, Sel'ak came to relieve the guard at the door. As the Jaffa turned to march away, Sel'ak pulled a zat from his belt and shot the retreating guard. Jack and Oleg glanced quickly at each other, and struggled to their feet. Sel'ak was unlocking the heavy cell door.

"Come," he instructed them. He motioned around to himself and three other Jaffa who had accompanied him. "We have heard your words, and seen with our own eyes. We wish to be free." Sel'ak stretched out his hand to help Jack regain his feet.

"Yes!" Jack took the proffered hand, and then grabbed Sel'ak's forearm in the traditional greeting. "You'll find you have many brothers waiting to meet you. But first, we gotta get out of here. Getting rid of the snake would be a plus, too."

"There is a way. Onuris goes to the Chappa'ai - the Tau'ri hostages are coming soon."

"What! They're really surrendering?"

"Yes."

Jack looked Sel'ak in the eye, considering. "They won't be expecting us. How many Jaffa will be in the gate room?"

"Perhaps a dozen."

"But we will have the upper hand by surprise," Oleg added. "Their attention will be focused on the stargate, not back the way we will come."

"Exactly," O'Neill smiled. "Will you be expected to be there?"

"Yes," Sel'ak replied, motioning to the others. "But these three will not be expected."

"Excellent. Can you get us weapons?"

Sel'ak handed Jack the zat, and the others offered up the weapons they carried.

"Great. Now, you get to the gate. I imagine that Onuris will not be in the gate room - that you are to take the prisoners to him?"

"That is correct."

"Here's what we do...." and O'Neill quickly outlined a plan.


While Sel'ak made his way to the gate room with the other Jaffa, Jack and Oleg circled back the other way, toward the throne room. They knew from Sel'ak that most of the Jaffa would be sent to the gate, and only one or two would remain with Onuris. This was their chance. Jack allowed himself a good look at Oleg as they made their way along. Neither one of them could move very fast. If Sel'ak were wrong, or if the Jaffa countered too quickly, there would be no way they could make a quick retreat. This better be done right, he told himself.

They neared the doorway, and split to either side. Adrenaline was kicking in, pain receding to the background. Jack hoped Oleg felt the same way. At the door, they stopped; Jack took a glance inside, and ducked back quickly. He motioned to Oleg, two, and Oleg nodded his head. Jack counted down with his fingers, three, two, one....

As one, they swung partly into the doorway, each taking aim and felling Jaffa with a shot of the zat.

Onuris jumped up from his throne, his eyes flashing. Jack whipped around to face him and fired the zat. Onuris dropped to the floor. The room had gone totally silent. Jack listened for several moments, straining to hear if the commotion had alerted any Jaffa. Hearing nothing, he and Oleg cautiously approached the Goa'uld, both keeping their zats trained on him.

Onuris moved slightly, Jack and Oleg stopped in their tracks. His head rolled to look at O'Neill. But it was Kinsey's who spoke, "Thank you. Now do it." Suddenly the eyes glowed, as Onuris returned and made his move. Jack did not hesitate, and took the second, deadly shot. The Goa'uld dropped again, and stayed down this time.

Jack flicked his eyes momentarily to Oleg, not wanting to look away, just in case. "I don't think either of us will be able to carry him out."

"Da," Oleg agreed. "And we can't let him be put into the sarcophagus. He made his wishes known, O'Neill."

Jack nodded his head, and solemnly squeezed off the third shot.


Sel'ak and his Jaffa guard entered the room just as the chappa'ai began to spin. Without pausing, Sel'ak strode forward taking his place at the front of the Jaffa guards, center on gate. His three companions remained at the rear near the exit. He did not look around the room, not making eye contact with these who were about to be condemned. Condemned not by him, but by their faith in a false god.

The chappa'ai sprung to life, forming the wormhole, and Tau'ri began to come through. They were led by those Sel'ak recognized as SG-1: Teal'c the shol'va, the blonde-haired woman, and the bespectacled younger man. As others continued to enter, and the Jaffa guards began to fan out, encircling them. Sel'ak moved to stand before Teal'c, who stood his ground, nearly nose to nose. Sel'ak returned Teal'c's stare unblinkingly, and remembered O'Neill's instructions.

"I am Sel'ak. These are my private warriors, " he said, motioning purposefully at the Jaffa who had accompanied him.

"I am Teal'c. Hear my words, brother. If I die today, I die free."

"Backatcha," Sel'ak replied, holding Teal'c's eyes.

Daniel spun around at the unexpected and familiar words. Suddenly, a zat appeared in Teal'c 's hand, and all hell broke loose. Teal'c & Sel'ak turned as one, firing on the opposing Jaffa. The Tauri weapons joining with the rebel Jaffa, it was over in a moment. The enemy Jaffa lay either stunned or dead at their feet.

Daniel spun around from his position, rushing to Sel'ak, who still stood by Teal'c's side. "That's something Jack would say!" he challenged the Jaffa.

"Which is how I knew who had sent him," Teal'c answered for Sel'ak.

Daniel's mouth hung open, and he turned to Sel'ak. "Jack sent you?"

"O'Neill lives. Come, your friends may be in need of assistance," Sel'ak rushed back toward the exit, Teal'c, Daniel and Sam on his heels. But they all came up short, almost running into the very men they sought at the exit.

"Hello, campers," Jack greeted his friends. "Welcome to planet Sucks. What you say we get the hell out of Dodge?"

"O'Neill."

"Sir!"

"Jack!" Daniel shouted and grabbed him by the shoulders. Jack cried out, "Shit!" and almost went down.

"Sorry, sorry," Daniel helped Jack back up more gently, then supported him as they scramble towards the gate together. Sam rushed ahead to the DHD to dial out. She she punched in the address and began waving everybody through, shouting "Let's go!"

Daniel helped Jack limp through, emerging onto a bright and sunny planet, greeted on the ramp by raised weapons of a dozen guards at the Beta site. They came to an abrupt halt. Daniel could feel Jack's ragged and heavy breathing beneath the arm he had wrapped around him. Aware of the crowd about to follow, he shouted, "Stand down! We've got people behind us!"

The guards recognized both Jack and Daniel, so lowered their weapons and the NCOIC moved swiftly forward to help them off the ramp, as others began hurrying through from the other side. Daniel noted Jack was very pale, and now trembling.

"Jack, let me help you sit down and we'll get a medic."

But Jack shook his head. "Not till everybody's safe."

Daniel knew better than to argue, so kept a firm hold on Jack. If he were to admit it, he held him as much to reassure himself as to keep Jack from falling.

The rescue operation had gone so quickly that the Tango evacuees had not even dialed in yet. By the time the first of the Tango evacuees and Jack's IOA liason arrived, they were surprised to be greeted by their very much alive commanding officer.


Three weeks later, Daniel strolled into Landry's office at the SGC, where Jack O'Neill had commandeered his old desk to make a phone call to the President. Fortunately, the call was winding down at that point.

"Yes, Mr. President. I'll be back in Washington in time for lunch tomorrow. Yes, sir." Jack laughed at something the man said, while he waved Daniel to a seat. "Yes, sir. I look forward to it."

Jack hung up the phone, and said to Daniel dourly, "Yeah, right, really look forward to it."

Daniel grinned at Jack. "You know, it's really good to see you sitting at that desk. Since you're the top "Man" now, can't you move your office?"

"Actually, that occurred to me. But I was thinking more of a place with a view."

Daniel cleared his throat and rolled his eyes upward. "Tell me you don't mean Washington."

"I was thinking of building a nice mountain-top office. What a waste of real estate...."

"Yeah," Daniel grinned, then sobered, worrying about Jack's health. Jack had several broken bones and internal bleeding when he arrived back at the SGC. He couldn't imagine Jack going right back to work. "So, leaving tonight? You just got out of the infirmary."

"Not till morning, Daniel. Thought we might have a 'team' night? For old time's sake?"

"I'll buy," Daniel offered.

"Thank you, Daniel," Jack replied, then looked sharply at his friend. "You're offering, instead of making me trick you into it?"

"Well, uh, I kind of missed you, you know, when...."

"Yeah, that...."

"So, uh.... One thing that's bothering me, though, Jack," Daniel leaned forward in his seat. He glanced around conspiratorially. "You know, Jack, when things started going badly, there was some question as to whether or not it was all real. You know, whether your getting captured might be just a part of the training exercise. Some off-the-wall scenario...."

Jack looked back at Daniel seriously. "Really? Huh."

Daniel waited, expecting more. But when Jack didn't continue, asked, flabergasted, "That's it?"

"Oh, come on Daniel, even I'm not so crazy to get myself killed for the sake of a training exercise!"

Daniel raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm just saying."

Jack turned his his attention back to the phone on the desk where his hand still rested, fiddling with the cord. "I have a couple more calls to make before we can get out of here. Do you mind?"

Daniel, keeping one eye on him, slowly rose and turned to leave the office. He paused at the door, started to look back, giving the frame a little knock. But he said no more and left. Jack looked up as Daniel went trough the door. Just the smallest smirk appearing on Jack's face.

The End.

1. William Shakespeare, MacBeth, Act 5, Scene 5.

My thanks to Cleo who tried to set me straight on this story. All mistakes are my own.

Thanks to all who have waited so patiently for this final chapter. Story was much longer than I ever anticipated. Hope everybody enjoyed!